[dropcap]P[/dropcap]resident Muhammadu Buhari is to embark on tour of South East states beginning with Ebonyi to improve the relationship between the region and the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government. Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo disclosed this on Thursday after a closed door meeting with Buhari in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“The South East before now was not measuring in APC. But we have worked out strategies and modalities on how to improve relationship between the people of South East and the APC government.“That was top on the agenda and the need for Mr President to come to South East as quickly as possible, to begin to show his presence.
“Luckily, the President will be coming to Ebonyi state very soon and he will pass through Imo state to Anambra state. So, covering three states within this short time will be right step in the right direction.“We have come to realise in the south east that we are better off in APC than any other party in the federal republic of Nigeria.’’
He said that membership of the APC in the south east would continue to increase as many politicians had been joining the party in recent times. On the 2019 presidential election, Okorocha stated that Buhari was democratically qualified to re-contest the presidential election. He, however, stated that the President must go through party primaries so as to avoid imposition of candidates.
“We don’t allow imposition of candidates. It must be democratically done. If President Buhari will lead the ship in 2019, it must be democratically done.“I said, democratically and transparently done to the amazement of the whole world, the way we do our things in APC and people will be happy,’’ he added. Some APC Governors have advocated for automatic ticket for Buhari to enable him seek re-election in 2019.
The governors included Abdul aziz Yari of Zamfara; Samuel Ortom of Benue; Simon Lalong of Plateau and Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa.
Compt.Mohammed Garba Controller, Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja
[dropcap]C[/dropcap]ompt.Mohammed Garba, Controller, Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja, of the Nigeria Customs Service, who by any matrix, can be called an anti-smuggling czar, has vowed not to relent in the national assignment of ridding the country of contraband items, describing smugglers as economic saboteurs who are bent on circumventing the law. Interestingly, he has an unending catalogue of seizures and arrests made within his zone. The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has continued to strengthened its enforcement capacity to ensure that no stone is left unturned in the rage against smuggling in the zone. The Comptroller Mohammed Uba led proactive team has continued to clampdown on unrepentant smugglers who are working for personal gains, to the detriment of our economy.
The Federal Operations Unit, Zone A led by Compt.Mohammed Garba has evacuated 59 assorted vehicles with the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of one billion, seventy-six million, eight hundred and ninety-five thousand, seven hundred and seventy-two naira, two Kobo (N1,076,895,727.2) from a hidden house in Ikoyi and car marts in Festac area of Lagos state.The Customs Area Controller of the unit, Comptroller Mohammed Uba Garba who made this known in a briefing in Lagos Wednesday said that over 40 of the vehicles were 2017 models ranging from Toyota Prado Jeeps, Lexus Jeeps, Toyota Hilux, Toyota Camry, Coaster Bus, Toyota Hiace Bus among others.Compt.Mohammed hinted that the vehicles were currently under detention awaiting relevant Customs documents from the dealers within a grace period of one month.
Compt.Mohammed disclosed to news men that Some of the cars are bullet proof which require End User Certificates from the Office of the Security Adviser(NSA). Investigation will reveal further on those behind the clearance of these vehicles and must face the full wrath of the law. These vehicles alone have a duty paid value of one billion, seventy-six million, eight hundred and ninety-five thousand, seven hundred and seventy-two naira, two Kobo (N1,076,895,727.2) only”.
He further disclosed that six thousand, two hundred and six (6,206) bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each which was more than ten (10) trailers, sixty-seven (67) bales of second hand clothing, six hundred (600) cartons of foreign poultry products, thirteen (13) parcels of Indian hemp, four hundred and five (405) pieces of used tyres and fifty-four (54) kegs of foreign vegetable oil were also seized.
He said that two containers were also seized for contravening customs law. While one of the containers carried used fridges, 270 cartons of refined sunflower oil, 55 pieces of used gas compressors, 18 packs of juice and other assorted items as against cooking gas declared in the SGD, the other container was carrying 147 bales of printed wax and 168 of lace material as against new electronics declared in the SGD.
“These containers are seized for carrying contraband and entered under false declaration in order to beat the system contrary to the Customs and Excise Law Section 147. Also, a 1×40 container suspected to be carrying prohibited goods is under prohibition.“It is instinctive to note that a total of six (6) suspects have been arrested relating to these 120 seizures. The Indian hemp will be handed over to NDLEA for further action”.
The Controller stated that the unit through interventions recovered one hundred and forty-four million, four hundred and thirty-three thousand, five hundred and twenty-four naira (144,433,524) from duty payments and demand notices on general goods that tried to circumvent the law at seaports, airports and border stations through wrong declaration, transfer of value, underpayment of duty accrued to the federal government of Nigeria within the weeks under review.
“Between 4th-31st October, 2017, the unit has intercepted various contraband with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of One billion, three hundred and fifty-three million, six hundred and seventeen thousand, one hundred and four naira, eight Kobo (N1,353,617,104.08) only.
Compt.Mohammed Garba said those who might want to test his proactive team resolve to maintain the new tempo of aggressive anti-smuggling operations should be assured of the management readiness to sustain the tempo.
Compt.Mohammed Garba, the anti-smuggling czar stated that his proactive team would sustain the tempo and increase it by acquiring more working tools to boost effectiveness.His experience in Customs has shown that a well equipped and motivated Customs officer can deal decisively with smugglers and smoke them out of their illicit business.
[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ormer Abia State governor and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Orji Kalu has distanced himself from fake campaign posters pasted along airport road, Abuja, with the inscription : Vote Orji Kalu for President on the platform of the APC.According to Kalu, who is also a staunch supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari, the posters are the handiwork of political jobbers and speculators.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday and signed by his Special Adviser, Kunle Oyewumi, Kalu insists that he is solidly behind the candidature of President Muhammadu Buhari if he so desires to run in 2019, adding that the North should be allowed to complete their eight years before Igbo their rightful turn in 2023.He said, ” after a two-week business trip to China, to my surprise on my way from Nnamdi Azikwe International airport, Abuja this morning, I sighted the malicious posters in my name with the caption: ‘Kalu for President’.It is definitely the handiwork of some politicians who are either afraid of my political capacity or enemies of the present administration as I have continually maintained my support for Mr. President.
The action of these jobless politicians is a ploy to damage the robust relationship I have with President Buhari and the top hierarchy of the APC. Such political blackmail is not only disheartening but unhealthy for Nigeria’s growing democracy.
While I call on the unsuspecting public, especially members of the APC, to disregard the vicious posters, I am also reaffirming my unflinching and unaltered support for Mr. President.
” I will contest in 2019 by the grace of God but definitely not for President”, Kalu declared.
The APC chieftain while appealing to the political class to play the game by the rules, called on the electorate to be wary of desperate politicians, adding that the collective interest of Nigerians is paramount and should be placed above selfish ambitions
[dropcap]T[/dropcap] he President announced this on Tuesday in his speech at the ongoing National Executive Council meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja. He is also to make more board appointments in response to demand from members of his party, as well as analysts across the country. “Last year I said we would re-constitute the Boards of Parastatals. I must regret the fact that we have not done so, for many reasons,” President Buhari said. “Some of us in this meeting may know I had given instructions since October 2015 for this exercise to start.”
“But there have been inordinate delays through several committees in an attempt to get the balance right and to make sure all parts of the country are equitably represented. On the other hand, I am keenly aware that our supporters are very eager for these appointments to be announced. “By the grace of God, these appointments will be announced soon, especially now that the economy is improving; we will have the resources to cater for the appointees.
“By the same token the compressed Federal Executive Council will be expanded to bring in more supporters at Federal Level, with fresh ideas to be injected into the government,” he added. The President further listed the progress made so far by his administration in the implementation of its programmes and APC manifesto, saying Nigerians were already experiencing the change the party promised.
He, however, said they would not rest on the achievements until they fulfill their campaign promises, noting that he was aware of the challenges facing the country. “We can be proud of our achievements in the last two years – Boko Haram, Niger Delta, regular fuel, improved power, TSA, agriculture, and fertiliser; above all, the knowledge that corruption will not be tolerated in this government. We all know there is change.
“Nigeria’s prestige has gone up, Nigeria is now creditworthy, a clear testimony of which was the over-subscription of the Euro-Bond by four times,” he said.
President thanked the APC leadership and party members for their prayers and good wishes, as well as for helping to keep the government running smoothly while he was on medical leave. He also asked them to remain united and rise above petty or personal quarrels to achieve the desired change the party has promised Nigerians.
Comrade (Dr) Igwe Achese NUPENG National President
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]rue leaders discover and understand who they are and what their purposes are; they influence their environment more than their environment influence them. Even though every human being on this planet has an indication of leadership, most of us do not have the courage to cultivate it but smart ones like Comrade (Dr) Igwe Achese(JP) do. He can be described as a man who cuts on aura. A diligent man who is always focused on the things he wants and knows exactly how to achieve them.He is an excellent Icon of accountability , a result oriented fellow, who has passion for excellence and known for his dedication.
Since Comrade Igwe Achese and his proactive team assumed office to pilot the affairs of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG)in the past seven years and six months, this proactive team have been able to achieve alot of results based on team work.When the team assumed office , they started on a very frosty note with little or no working capital but they were able to get out of the woods by paying all the huge bank loans they met with Oceanic Bank. Comrade Igwe Achese and his team took a bold step to renovate the National Secretariat and the building of zonal offices; today they have a functional zonal offices in Lagos, Warri and Port -Harcourt and the union no longer pay rents to shylocks landlords in these zones.The union has just completed a Hotel complex in Kaduna.
Com. Joseph Ogbebor NUPENG General Secretary
It was on records that before these proactive team came on board, this great union cannot boast of functional operational vehicles ,but today Comrade Igwe Achese and his proactive team bought alot of operational vehicles for zonal chairmen and new buses to complement the old one at the National Secretariat. Under Comrade Igwe Achese leadership of NUPENG, the union made another laudable achievement through the acquisition of 774 hectares of land for Tanker park in Eleme, Port Harcourt with certificate of Occupancy given to the union by Gov. Wike administration.The land has been fenced and access roads with security park been constructed as discussion for investors are on-going presently. This when completed will take trucks out of the Port-Harcourt Refinery road and the entire complex will boast of modern day facilities like banks, restaurants, fire house, Hotels, Police Station etc. This project will cost the union N4billion (Four Billion Naira only) .
Under the able leadership of this administrative Icon Comrade Igwe Achese, the union has been able to send all the National Executive Council members to one or two course abroad and they have also organised zonal and National workshops annually with massive attendance by members.Not too long ago,the National Executive Council members attended oversea training in Great Britain and Dubai.
The leadership of NUPENG added another laudable efforts to further diversify in view of reducing revenue coming from union dues, they have acquired another massive land for the building of a gas plant in Okrika, Rivers State and the project construction will commence as soon as the documentations are perfected. The union also establishes and carry on or participate (financially and otherwise) in the business of the printing or publishing of a general newspaper or of journals, books, pamphlets or publication of any other undertaking, industrial or otherwise, in the interest of or with the main purposes of furthering the interest of the union or trade unionism generally. NUPENG also involved in advocacy for good governance with international best practice policies that will sustain the nation’s oil and gas sector worker and the nation at large.
The union is also involved in the advancement of education and training of members. NUPENG also provide members with benefits and other assistance as provided for in the constitution. The union also encourages the participation of members in decision making both at industrial and national levels.It is also involved in the protection and advancement of the socio–economic and cultural interest of the community, and such other objectives as are lawful and are not inconsistent with the spirit and practice of trade unionism.Another service the union renders is to promote and encourage International fraternal relations with bodies having the interest of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers.
Comrade (Dr) Igwe Achese have turn the name NUPENG into a brand and household name in Nigeria. It is a trade union affiliated to the Nigeria Labour Congress. The public relations activities of the union are varied.The union believes in social dialogue as a tool to reaching out and resolving industrial crisis. Most of the disputes that arise are resolved through this method of social interaction. NUPENG believes that the drop in oil prices in the International market with other attendant factors like pipeline vandalism , inflation have contributed to the down-turn in the industry and the hardest hit by the current right sizing, retrenchment,downsizing are workers under the aegis of NUPENG.
Comrade Igwe Achese outstanding contributions and performance as an industrial relations practitioner, a motivator, a human resource expert who believes in capacity building and infrastructural development of Nigeria cannot be over emphasize because he has taken this union to the next level since he assumed office as the National President of this great union. He believes that Nigeria as a nation is presently at a cross- road and that we never had it rough, as the economy is in shambles while the recovery efforts is very slow. He believes that the major challenge facing oil and Gas workers in Nigeria today is the spate of redundancies. The union is presently saddled with negotiating redundancies almost on a daily basis but with the commendable efforts of this proactive fellow and his team, it can be resolved that the story will gradually be a history.
[dropcap]A[/dropcap] 29-year-old man, Kehinde Ariyo, has been arrested by the Osun State Police Command for allegedly raping an 85-year-old woman to coma at Ilesa town in the state.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Fimihan Adeoye, disclosed this to newsmen on Monday in Osogbo.
Adeoye said the incident happened at Ogudu area in Ilesa, where the suspect forcefully had canal knowledge of the old woman after gaining access to her residence around 11pm on October 27.
He added that the woman sustained various degrees of injuries on her body, including her private organ, and eventually passed out in the process before she was resuscitated at a private hospital.
According to Adeoye, the suspect lives in the same area where the victim resides, and had gone on errands for the old woman several times in the past.
He said: “The woman passed out during the rape, but came back to life after some hours.
“The suspect was arrested the next day.
“This is the height of wickedness in our society.
“The boy injured the woman in the process, but she has been treated.”
The suspect admitted to have committed the act, claiming to have been drunk at the time of committing the heinous act.
He said: “Mama asked me to sleep on a couch in the passage.
“I was already drunk and did not know what happened afterwards.”
[dropcap]A[/dropcap] Nigerian lady and staff of a popular Courier firm Zenith Carex International, Lagos , has recounted how she was stabbed by traffic robbers along Oshodi -Ladipo under bridge by Toyota (Cliford Oriji under Bridge spot) in Lagos.
According to her, she and her colleague were coming from an official assignment at about 3.30pm on 28th october 2017 when the sad incident happened along Oshodi -Ladipo under bridge by Toyota (Cliford Oriji under Bridge spot) in Lagos. She added that her official company car window was smashed by the men of the underworld in traffic as they started stabbing her with knife and requesting for her phone and bag at the same time and she finally lost her personal effects , mostly her cherished wedding ring to the traffic robbers.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control ( NAFDAC ) has reviewed its registration fees by 50 per cent as part of new measures to ease the production of foods and drugs in Nigeria. This was disclosed by the acting Director General, Mr. Ademola Mogbojuru the decision of the agency on Monday in Minna at a NAFDAC Stakeholders Consultative Forum for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in support of the Federal Government’s initiative on the ease of drug business.
The DG said, “We have arrived at some measures. Now, discount will be applied to companies with staff strength of five and below. The discount is 50 per cent of the original tariff on product registration and this takes effect from the date of approval.
“The registration fee for sachet water which was N31,750 is now slashed by 50 per cent, making it N15,875, while that of food which was N52,750 is now N26,375 after 50 per cent slash.
“The entire process of attaining NAFDAC registration licence should not exceed 90 days; the registration process of bakery should not exceed 30 days and products registered under this scheme will be granted registration listing licence for operation.” Represented by the agency’s Director of Special Duties, Abubakar Jimoh, the acting DG said the measures were aimed at promoting small and medium enterprises and to assist businesses to grow in the country.
Mogbojuru said the agency had begun the listing of products for a period of two years renewable afterwards. He warned members of staff of the agency to stop frustrating registration processes by clients. In his remarks, the Niger State Coordinator of the agency, Mr. Anikoh Ibrahim, stressed the need for all hands to be on deck to enable the issue of health safety to succeed.
Ibrahim also promised to operate an open-door policy that would enable people to register their products as and when due.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]HE authorities of Nigeria Prisons Services, NPS, have said the large number of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, members clamped in prisons in its Zone E area of operation has further stretched the already challenging logistics in the prisons. Over 100 IPOB members are currently remanded in various prisons in the zone from where they go to court to face trial following the clash with soldiers who invaded the home of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, last month.
According to Assistant Comptroller General in charge of Zone E, comprising of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Bayelsa, Imo and Rivers, with headquarters in Owerri, Mr. Alloy Uchenwa, members of IPOB being remanded in the prisons have further stretched the inadequate facilities in the prisons.
Uchenwa, who spoke to journalists, yesterday, in Umuahia, after meeting with the officers of the Abia State Command, said: “It was a miracle yesterday how we were able to convey 100 IPOB members to court.” Uchenwa, who explained that he was in Abia State as part of his routine inspection of facilities in commands under his zone, identified inadequate logistics as one of the major challenges of the prisons and appealed to individuals, organisations and governments to come to the assistance of the zone.
The Assistant Comptroller-General also identified prison congestion as another challenge confronting the service, saying a situation where “more than 90 per cent of inmates are awaiting trial was worrisome.”
He called for the building of more prison yards to ease the challenge of overcrowding, adding that a situation where cells for 500 are being occupied by 1,000 inmates was not conducive.
Uchenwa said he had raised the issue of prison congestion with Abia State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Umeh Kalu (SAN), who he said promised to do something.
He commended the leadership of Abia prison command for the reforms being carried out, especially effort to enroll inmates in classes, which will enable them to write West African School Certificate Examinations, WASCE, while some are taking courses in National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN.
Mr. Steve Ayorinde The Lagos State commissioner for Information and Strategy
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Lagos State commissioner for Information and Strategy Mr. Steve Ayorinde was a special guest at The Other News, a comic-talk show which was hosted by Okey Bakassi.
The commissioner talks about the future of Yellow Buses and what the future holds. According to him, As from January 2018, the danfo buses will be replaced with the new white and blue AC buses.
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