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Top Official resigns over protesters being cleared for Trump photo-op
James N. Miller, the former under-secretary of defense for policy, resigned from the Defense Science Board on Tuesday, citing President Donald Trump’s use of federal police to forcibly move peaceful protesters Monday night.
“If last night’s blatant violations do not cross the line for you, what will?” Miller wrote in his resignation letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper, which was published in The Washington Post. “Unfortunately, it appears there may be few if any lines that President Trump is not willing to cross, so you will probably be faced with this terrible question again in the coming days.”
U.S. Park Police and the National Guard used smoke and flash-bangs to push away peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square and its surrounding streets, allowing Trump a cleared path to walk across the street to St. John’s Episcopal Church, which suffered fire damage in protests Sunday night.
June 3, 2020
NDDC Finance Director died of Covid-19 – Management
The management of the Niger Delta Development Commission on Tuesday said its late Acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Ibanga Bassey Etang, died of Coronavirus.
Recall that the management of the NDDC had immediately shut down activities at the headquarters of the agency last Thursday for two weeks over COVID-19 scare and shortly after Etang’s demise.
Charles Obi Odili, Director of Corporate Affairs, in a statement said the commission had been consulting with family of Etang since his death.
READ ALSO: COVID-19: Bauchi deputy governor tests positive
The statement reads, “The family has authorised the commission to announce that the late executive director tested positive for COVID-19.
“The Rivers State Ministry of Health has written to the commission to also confirm the cause of death resulting from complications attributable to COVID-19.
“The ministry has therefore directed the commission to order all management staff to go into self-isolation for a period of 14 days with effects from today while seeking the cooperation of the organisation in tracing staff and contractors who have had close contact with the deceased.
“During the meeting with the family, they expressed fervent desire, that the death of the executive director should not be politicised, wishing to be left alone to mourn with dignity. This also is the position of the commission.”
June 3, 2020
COVID-19: Bauchi deputy governor tests positive
Mr Baba Tela, the Deputy Governor of Bauchi state has tested positive to the novel Coronavirus, a statement issued by the state government revealed on Wednesday.
The statement, signed by Mr Muktar Gidado, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on media to the state governor, indicated that test by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed the development.
According to Gidado, Tela , who is also the Chairman, State Task Force Committee on COVID-19, was tested after exhibiting noticeable symptoms of the virus, adding that all his primary contacts had been taken for screening.
“This is to inform the general public that His Excellency, Sen. Baba Tela, Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, was confirmed positive of Coronavirus.
“The confirmation was sequel to a test carried out on him by NCDC when he exhibited noticeable symptoms of the disease.
“He contracted the disease while discharging his onerous responsibility as Chairman of the the State Committee on COVID-19.
“Consequently, he has gone into self-isolation in Bauchi and health professionals are properly managing his situation.
“Similarly, samples of all his primary contacts have been taken by NCDC for tests and they are advised to remain in isolation pending the outcome of their results,” Gidado said.
The SSA further stressed that Gov. Bala Mohammad had sympathised with his deputy and solicited for prayers from all for his speedy recovery.
He said that the governor also called on the citizens to adhere strictly to the protocols against the dreaded virus to curtail its spread in the State.
Daybreak reports that Bauchi state, as at Tuesday, June 2, had recorded a total 241 cases of COVID-19, out of which 221 had been discharged while eight had died.
June 3, 2020
Senate confirms FCC nominees as Abaribe, Omo-Agege disagree
Nigerian Senate on Tuesday confirmed 37 out of 38 nominees of the Federal Character Commission submitted to it by President Muhammadu Buhari three weeks ago.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Character Commission and Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator Danjuma La’ah, who earlier laid the report, explained on Tuesday that nominees have been scrutinised in line with Parliamentary rules.
As Senators we are set to make contributions before the confirmation, the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe ( PDP Abia South), kicked against the emerging situation of Nigerians from the same part of the country occupying the Chairmanship and Secretaryship positions of the FCC, saying that it was against the Federal Character principle.
He made the observation while calling for the nomination of the Chairman and Secretary from different zones of the country as has been the practice in the past.
Abaribe said the task of nominating the two positions between the North and South was in line with section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
“Appointment of Mohammed Bello Tukur from Taraba State in 2017 as Secretary of the Commission by President Muhamnadu Buhari, gave the impression that a new Chairman would be from the South but the nomination of Dr. Muheeba Dankaka from Kwara State as the new chairman, violated the age-long principle.
“The Senate needs to look into this in the spirit of the principles of the federal character itself “, he said.
Reacting to the Minority leader’s observation, Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege maintained that it was against the powers of Mr. President to nominate whoever he wants and asked the Senate to jettison Abaribe’s submission.
He added that the perceived anomaly would be considered in the future.
“President Buhari is aware of the need to balance the positions and will do that when the tenure of the incumbent secretary expires in February next year
“Mr. President, this issue has been in the public domain since the nominees were sent here for confirmation and since there is a window of redressing perceived anomaly in a few month’s time, I will urge us to please forge ahead with the confirmation “, he said.
Consequently, Ahmad Lawan agreed with the position of DSP, calling on lawmakers to confirm nominees.
Aside the Chairman, other nominees confirmed were Henry Ogbulogo, Abia; Salihu Bello, Adamawa; Obonganwan Deborah Daniel Ebony, Akwa-Ibom; Ibeabuchi Uche, Anambra; Mohammed Tijjani, Bauchi; Tonye Okio, Bayelsa; Silas Mfa Macikpah, Benue; Abba Ali Monguno, Borno; Nsor Atamgba, Cross River; and Alims Agoda.
Others are: Tobias Chukuemeka, Ebonyi; Imuetinyan Festus, Edo; Sesan Fatoba; Ginika Florence Tor, Enugu; Hamza Mohammed, Gombe; Diogu Uche, Imo; Lawan Ya’u Roni, Jigawa; Hadiza Usman Muazu, Kaduna; Mohammed Awwal Na’iya, Kano; Lawal Garba, Katsina; Abubakar Atiku Bunu, Kebbi; Idris Eneye Bello, Kogi; Are Miftah Bolaji, Lagos; Nasir Isa Kwarra, Nasarawa; and Suleiman Barau, Niger.
Also confirmed are Abiodun Isiaq Akinlade, Ogun; Olufemi Omosanya, Ondo; Adeoye Abdularazaq Olalekan, Osun; Adeniyi Olowofela, Oyo; Stephen Jings, Plateau; Wokocha Augustine, Rivers; Abdullahi Taminu Tafida, Sokoto; Alhaji Armaya’u Dauda Abubakar, Taraba; Jibril Maigari, Yobe; Sani Garba, Zamfara; and Adamu Mohammed Sidi-Ali and Federal Capital Territory.
June 2, 2020
Chizea Appointed Acting DG Of Narsda
By Lanre Oloyede
Management of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology has appointed Dr. Francis Chizea as the Ag. Director-General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NARSDA).
Chizea’s appointment followed the retirement of Mr. Jonathan Agulu as acting DG on May 15th 2020.
He was selected among other directors, for the position based on the fact that he is the most senior on the nominal role of directors in the agency in accordance with Civil Service Rules (CSR).
According to a statement issued by the Director Press of the ministry, Chizea is bringing to the position a track record of solid achievements in the space sector as well as rich academic credentials.
It is expected that Dr. Chizea will bring to bear his wealth of experience spanning twenty-one years to reposition the agency and take it to greater heights.
Dr. Chizea joined NASRDA at the inception of the agency on May 5, 1999 and has been a management staff since then.
He holds a Ph.D. in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is an Alumnus of International Space University, France. He is at present a visiting Professor at the same University.
He is also the current Vice-chairman of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
In his twenty-one years at NARSDA, he has at various times headed four departments of the agency, namely, the Department of Space System, the Department of Business Intelligence and Marketing, the Department of International Cooperation and the Department of Planning, Policy and Research.
He has also served as a member of the Committee that drafted the National Space Policy and Programme which was approved by the Federal Executive Council in 2001. This Policy Document is still the official Policy Document of Government with regard to the Country’s Space Programme.
He was appointed the Secretary to the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of the Agency in 2003. TAC is the Committee that reviews all technical projects of the Agency to ensure that it meets the desired requirements for the implementation of the National Space Policy and Programme (NSPP).
In the course of his career, Dr. Chizea was appointed the Project Manager for the design, building and launch of Nigeria’s first satellite (Nigeriasat-1), which was launched into orbit in 2003. He also handled the construction, commissioning and management of the Ground Receiving Station for the Nigeriasat-1 satellite. These functions also included the day- to – day monitoring, control, tasking and downloading of data from the Nigerisat-1 satellite.
Dr. Chizea, has for the past fourteen months been coordinating the participation of Nigeria at the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and its two Sub-Committees
He was appointed by the African Group Task Force on Space Science and Technology in Vienna to represent Africa as the first Vice Chairman for the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space starting in June 2019 for two years.
June 2, 2020
Alleged fraud: Nasarawa Assembly demands sacking of SSG
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has asked Governor Abdullahi Sule to relieve the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Aliyu Ahmed-Tijani, of his appointment.
The lawmakers said the SSG should be sacked over his alleged failure to account for N284. 5m school projects fund when he was a Commissioner for Education during the tenure of the immediate past governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, in the state.
The Speaker of the House, Mr. Ibrahim Abdullahi, gave the directive on Tuesday in Lafia shortly after the house deliberated on the report of an Ad-hoc committee investigating the alleged N1 billion released in 2018 for the renovation/fencing of Secondary schools across the 13 Local Government Areas of the state.
Daybreak reports that this followed a motion moved by Mr. Mohammed Alkali (APC Lafia North about 11:30am, which was seconded by Mr. Ibrahim Muluku APC Nasarawa Eggon East) at 11:35am.
The speaker also asked Mr. Ahmed-Tijani to refund over N248.5 million to the state government.
He said, “Based on the resolution reached by the lawmakers of the House, Governor Abdullahi Sule should relieve the SSG, Mr. Aliyu Ahmed Tijani of his appointment.
“I will request the clerk to communicate the House’s resolution to Governor Abdullahi Sule for his immediate action.”
He, however, asked Sule to work on the House’s resolution in the interest of peace and development.
He also gave a month ultimatum to contractors, who collected money and refused to carry out the renovation/fencing, to do so within one month
June 2, 2020
FG directs civil servants on Grade 14 to resume
The Federal Government has directed officers on Grade Level 14 and above including those on essential services to resume work on daily basis with effect from Tuesday, June 2, 2020.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi -Esan, made this known in a statement signed by the Director of Information, Mrs Olawunmi Ogunmosunle, on Tuesday in Abuja.
“To this effect, concerned officers are hereby directed to report to work daily; Monday through Friday from 9 a. m. to 2p. m. daily.
“The officers are to ensure full compliance with the directives and advice on the prevention of the COVID -19 pandemic.
“These measures include maintenance of physical distancing, regular washing and /or sanitising of hands and wearing of facemasks,” she said.
Yemi-Esan also advised heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to limit the number of visitors they receive to the barest minimum and ensure that the visitors complied with safety and health advice/directives.
She also advised Permanent Secretaries and Chief Executive Officers to abide by the guidelines and advice on preventive measures contained in earlier circulars.
June 2, 2020
BREAKING: I’ll contest on APC platform – Obaseki
The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki on Tuesday, insisted that he will be seeking re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
He said this while addressing members of the Obaseki Mandate Group, FCT.
According to him, several of his supporters had expressed interest in paying for his expression of interest and nomination forms on any platform he chooses but that he had made up his mind to stick to the platform which brought him into office to serve the Edo people which is the All Progressives Congress.
He was humbled by the kind gesture of Edo sons and daughters who put money together to pay for his forms.
The Governor said he was in politics to change the narrative about politics being a dirty game.
He urged the people of the state to ensure that only those who had a track record of public service were given the opportunity to lead…
Details later…
June 2, 2020
BREAKING: Buhari meets AfDB president, Adesina
The President, Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, met with the President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, behind closed-door in the State House.
Daybreak reports that whistleblowers had petitioned Adesina, accusing him of 16 breaches of the bank’s code of conduct, some of which include private gains, impediments to efficiency, preferential treatment, and involvement in political activities, which Adesina has continued to deny.
Upon an investigation by the ethics committee of the board of directors, the allegations were found to be frivolous, unsubstantiated, lack merit.
The chairman of the board of governors being satisfied that the committee had done a thorough job, having followed all known rules and procedures of the bank in handling such cases, exonerated Adesina on all 16 allegations.
But the United States’ Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, in a letter to the Chairperson of the bank, Niale Koba, rejected the verdict of the committee and called for an independent investigation into the allegations against Adesina.
Details Later….
June 2, 2020
BREAKING: Reps approve Buhari’s $22.7bn loan request
The House of Representatives has approved the request by the President, l Muhammadu Buhari, to borrow $22.7 billion.
The lawmakers approved the request at Tuesday’s plenary after the committee on aids, loans, and debt management gave its report.
Details later…
June 2, 2020