Category: News

Amgbare Ekaunkumo,Yenagoa

Ex-agitators have warned firms willing to approach the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) for contracts to brace up for tough times saying it is no longer business as usual under the programme’s Interim Administrator, Col. Milland Dixon Dikio.

The National Secretary, First Phase Ex-Agitators, Nature Dumale, explained that Dikio had not awarded new contracts since he came on board because he was interested in sanitising the process to actualise the reintegration phase of the programme.

Dumale spoke in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday after accompanying Dikio to inspect commercial farms in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, as part of arrangements to roll out trainings for ex-agitators on agriculture.

He said the amnesty boss inherited many ex-agitators, who went through various training programmes without empowerment noting that Dikio had evolved a new strategy of Train, Employ and Mentor (TEM) to deal with the shortcomings.

Dumale said only contractors whose proposals and facilities were in line with TEM would be considered for fresh jobs in PAP.

He said: “It is no longer business as usual. You will not get any contract from the amnesty office exccept due dilligence are properly carried out to the satisfaction of procurement, legal, project and account departments including the Interim Administrator himself, who is a diligent man.

“The amnesty boss has come up with the vision of TEM, Train, Mentor and Employ. It is a process where any person that comes up to do a contract will know it is not business as usual.

“You are going to do a presentation showing statistics, evidence and proofs of the fact that you can take delegates to your company, get them trained, employed and mentored so that at the end of the day they can get job somewhere because they have been properly mentored.

“After you have done a presentation, the entire amnesty team will also do a practical inspection of your facility.

So the Niger Delta should know there is hope for the region”.

Insisting that Dikio’s main focus was to address the challenges of reintegration, Dumale said the amnesty boss had already identified food security, waterway security and waterway transportation as areas of interests.

“We are blessed with so much fertile land and that is why he wants to concentrate on agriculture. We can make more than N65, 000 monthly by planting only maize and cassava.

“It is safer and easier to travel by water. So, waterway transportation is very profitable. Look at Port Harcourt to Calabar; it will take you the whole day to travel by road from Uyo to Calabar now. But that same journey by water is less than one hour. The amnesty boss took responsibility to go through the same route by water himself last week Saturday to see things himself.

“The Chinese people make billions of dollars annually from fishing in our own coastal lines. Why can’t we go into fishing business? Why can’t we buy trawlers and go into fishing ourselves?

“Even in waterway security, we are the best people to secure our environment because we know our environment. So, these are the visions of the amnesty boss in the reintegration phase”.

Dumale appealed to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Ministry of Environment to partner with the Amnesty office to tackle the challenges of the region.

The former warlord warned civil servants in the amnesty office frustrating the efforts of Dikio to actualise the mandate of the scheme to steer clear.

He said: “PAP is a security programme and should be treated as such. Salaries and finances should be released as at when due so that the office can run.

“The civil servants there should know that it is not civil service work and must cooperate with the leadership of that office so that they will be able to carry out their projects and coperations.They should not be a barrier to the vision of leader the amnesty boss”.

Ugar Ukandi Odey, Jos

Honorable Joshua Laven Ubandoma has resumed to duties as the Executive Chairman of Langtang North local government council as a high court in Jos today ruled that his tenure as chairman of the council is still subsisting.

Giving judgment today in a suit brought before him following declaration of vacancy in the executive chair of the council by the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission, PLASIEC, in the build up to last October’s local councils polls, Justice Kunda Ishaku said it was wrong in fact and in law to have conducted elections in the area while the tenure of the present chairman was far from over.

Justice Kunda said as elected Chairman, the complainant took oath to serve for three years, noting that “it was unconstitutional to cut short that tenure, and truncate it by conducting elections there”.

Accordingly, the Judge expressed surprise that with all the efforts by the complainant, Ubandoma to draw the attention of the PLASIEC to this reality, the electoral body shunned the opportunity and arrogantly proceeded to conduct elections in Langtang North.

Saying that what the PLASIEC did amounted to “an act of rascality”, Justice Kunda accordingly described the last October 9 local government elections in Langtang North local government area as a “waste of resources and a total nullity”.

Thus, the learned Judge ordered the APC chairman sworn in last month by Governor Lalong to vacate the office and must not parade himself for any reason as the executive chairman of Langtang North local government council.

Explaining the nature and structure of the judgment, counsel to Ubandoma, Niri Dangora, said it is a “declarative judgment”, meaning even if the respondent wants to go on appeal, the beneficiary of the outcome of the case has to return to the office immediately.

Justice Kunda awarded N1.5million cost against the PLASIEC, and warned it of dire consequences in the rule of law is breached.

· Ask security agents to find missing Vanguard journalist

As the world marks the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against journalists today, the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has called on government at all levels to make deliberate and sustained efforts to promote a safe and enabling environment for journalists to perform their work freely.

The editors also reminded the government that attacks on journalists have destructive effect on dissemination of information and helpful debate in a democratic space. They expressed concern over the way journalists are increasingly subjected to all forms of threats, including kidnapping, torture, physical attacks and other forms of harassments.

In a statement issued on Monday by NGE’s President, Mustapha Isah and the General Secretary, Iyobosa Uuwgiaren, the professional group also called on the security agencies to immediately locate a missing a journalist, Mr. Tordue Salem; investigate all forms of attacks against journalists – with the sole purpose of prosecuting the offenders.

Mr. Salem, a journalist with Vanguard Newspapers, who covers the House of Representatives, has been declared missing in the past few weeks.

The United Nations General Assembly had proclaimed every November 2 as the ‘’International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists’’ in General Assembly Resolution A/RES/68/163. The resolution urges Member States to implement definite measures countering the present culture of impunity.

This milestone resolution condemns all attacks and violence against journalists and media workers. And also urges Member States to do their utmost to prevent violence against journalists and media workers, to ensure accountability, bring to justice perpetrators of crimes against journalists and media workers, and ensure that victims have access to appropriate remedies.

While expressing worry over refusal by the appropriate authorities to properly investigate threats of violence and attacks against journalists in the past few years, the NGE said that it is very troubling for an adult like Mr. Salem to just vanish into thin air for the past three weeks without a trace.

Giving instances of attacks against journalists in the past two years, the Guild said that on October 11, last years, Gimba Kakanda, a columnist with Daily Trust newspaper, was attacked by police officers, when he tried to pick up his car near the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in Abuja.

Also on October 11, 2020, the police violently attacked Arise Television cameraman, Francis Ogbonna, and a reporter, Ferdinand Duruoha, while they were covering protests in Abuja.

‘’We also have on record how some unknown gunmen – on October 12, 2020, attacked Television Continental presenter, Theophilus Elamah, in the chest and forced him and the cameraman he was working with, Julius Idowu, to leave the protest area.

‘’On October 17, 2020, Oluwatoyin Yusuf, a reporter with the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC), was attacked by unidentified men while covering a protest in Oshogbo, the state capital.

‘’Also on October 21, 2020 in Lagos, unknown men attacked the offices of Lagos State Television (LTV) and the TVC broadcaster.

‘’While covering the October 21 attack on TVC, Ayo Makinde, a reporter with the privately owned Channels Television broadcaster was assaulted by unidentified people’’, the Guild added.

The NGE reminded politicians, government officials and security agents that while they like to present their success stories and their opinions, using the media to gain public respect and widen their authority; the media’s role is to question them critically, and hold them accountable to the people.

‘’If journalists are to discharge their constitutional and social responsibilities earnestly and robustly, politicians, government officials and security agents must treat them respectfully. They must ensure regular flow of information and frank dispassionate approach in dealing with journalists’’, the editors stated.

Aside from deadly attacks, the NGE said that it has also noticed ‘’anti-media rhetoric’’ by some politicians and senior government officials – that is hostile to the media.

According to the NGE, ‘’This anti-media rhetoric has lent a hand to a sense of resentment against journalists, and contributed hugely to questioning of trust in the media, and creating a susceptible working atmosphere for journalists and media workers.

‘’We have also noticed that some members of the National Assembly are using prerogatives of so-called ‘’fake news’’ as a doubtful justification to propose amendments to media laws – with intention to criminalise journalism practice in Nigeria, curtail freedom of expression, suffocate democratic space and muzzle journalists in particular.’’

The editors reiterated that the media is neither a political rival nor opponent of the government; but an institution recognises by Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution to at all times hold public officials accountable to the people and promotes good governance.

For: Nigerian Guild of Editors

Mustapha Isah
President

Iyobosa Uwugiaren
General Secretary

By Isaac Kertyo, Makurdi

The Acting Chairman, Benue Internal Revenue Service, Mr Samuel Mbaakaa says the service under his watch has zero tolerance for indiscipline among the staff towards enhancing revenue profile of the state.

The Chairman made his position known when he hosted the Sector Commander, Road Safety Corp, Mr Yakubu Muhammad who paid a familiarization visit to him.

He acknowledged the cordial working relationship that has existed between the FRSC and BIRS, stressing that it should be sustained.

Mbaakaa who assured that the revenue generating agency would be repositioned for more efficient service delivery, posited that efforts are being stepped up to block all the leakages that are happening the improvement of revenue generation in the state.

In his remarks, the FRSC Sector Commander, Muhammed congratulated the Acting Chairman on his appointment, pointing out that his visit was to cement the already existed cordial working relationship.

Muhammed noted that over 2000 licenses have not been collected by road users. He implored the BIRS Boss to cooperate with the FRSC to enable it achieve set target, stating that most of the motorists have continued to ply the roads without licenses.

The Sector Commander urged the Chairman of the service to join hands with the command to clear the roads of unqualified users, maintaining that usage of overdue temporary licenses by drivers will no longer be tolerated.

According to Muhammed, the FRSC has commenced operation show your license to ensure that only qualified road users are allowed to play the roads.

By Isaac Kertyo, Makurdi

A Governorship Aspirant in Benue State on the platform of the People’s Democratic party, PDP, Dr Pau Orkumal Ubwa has felicitated with ,Dr Iyorchia Ayu on his election as the National Chairman of the party at the just concluded national elective convention in Abuja.

Dr Paul Ubwa who is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Pleasure Group of Companies, described Dr Ayu as a quintessential leader with a wealth of experience to bear on the development of the party.

His words: ” Your election is no doubt a recognition and reflection of your leadership qualities which you have demonstrated over time.”

Continuing, the Gubernatorial hopeful noted that ” your stoic disposition and capacity to lead by example, along side your well known tenacity and will to stand for the truth at all times convinced the entirety of the members of our great party to handover the reins of the party to you unopposed”.

Ubwa contended that Dr Ayu came on board at the time the country is passing through myriad of challenges bedeviling it. He expressed optimism that the party will take power at the centre and right the wrong that have been perpetrated by the ruling party, the APC.

” In you, we have a leader who has leadership experience to lead us at this time. Personally, I have no doubt you will discharge your responsibility creditably as always.”

The Governorship Aspirant, on behalf of the family, campaign organization, and teeming supporters, wishes the National Chairman a resounding success in office as he hopes Ayu will lead the party to victory in 2023.

Noah Ocheni, Lokoja

Residents of Lokoja metropolis are to experience a week long water shortage starting from today, Tuesday 2nd November 2021, as maintenance shutdown water Operation.

The General Manager of the Kogi State Water Board, Abdulsalam Mohammed Sagir who announced
this in Lokoja said this was occasioned by a technical hitch that lead to the closure of Greater Lokoja Water.

According to him, residents of Lokoja would as from today experience water shortage which would last for only a week.

The General Manager regrets the inconveniences the water shortage would cause, assured that efforts would be made to restore the water supply as soon as repairs are completed.