Efforts
Ebonyi government closes illegal, private motor parks
IN a bid to checkmate the movement of arms and ammunition within the Abakaliki metropolis, Ebonyi State Government, Tuesday directed the closure of all illegal and private motor parks not expressly approved by the Ministry of Capital City Development. The Government further directed that all loading and offloading of vehicles within the state capital should only take place in approved public and private motor parks. In a joint press statement signed by Barr. Chief Onyekachi Nwebonyi, Commissioner for Capital City Development and Chief Anthony Oko Ewa, Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Ebonyi State Council, the duo explained that undercover security and precautionary measures were being put in place to avert further security breaches in the state. According to them:...
Ekiti student caught over ‘attempt to use roommate for ritual’
A student of Ekiti State University (EKSU) Ado-Ekiti, was caught with fetish items while allegedly trying to use his roommate for money ritual. The student who identified himself as Saheed Adeniran, was said to have been caught by some persons that exposed him in a video trending online. According to the video, the incident occurred in Ifaki-Ekiti, Ido-Osi Local Government Area of the state. From Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, Ifaki-Ekiti is a town after Iworoko-Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area. Iworoko-Ekiti is a town next to Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti. The items found in possession of Adeniran in the video are : clothes, wrapper, two calabashes (one covered with a lid, the other, a small-sized bottle gourd) and a native pot covered with a lid. When cont...
Bayelsa government wades into communal crisis, warns against gunrunning
The Bayelsa State Government has read the riot act to those engaged in gunrunning in the state and warned such persons to desist from the unwholesome activity or they would face the full wrath of the law. Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo gave the warning while addressing the chiefs and people of Peretoru community in the Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state during a resumed meeting in the Government House, Yenagoa, on Saturday. Among those also present at the meeting were the representatives of the state Command of Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and Joint Task Force (JTF). A statement on Sunday by the deputy governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, said the meeting was part of ongoing efforts by the state government to resolve the leade...
AUPCTRE: Nigerian government’s disregard to implement agreements responsible for ASUP, PASAN, JUSUN strike
The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, AUPCTRE, has accused the Federal Government of being responsible for the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, PASAN. AUPCTRE accused the government of being in the habit of reneging from the implementation of collective bargaining agreements it entered willingly with unions. The General Secretary of AUPCTRE, Comrade Sikiru Waheed, stated this in a goodwill message on the occasion of the 2021 May Day celebration. He said his union was in support of the efforts of the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC in all its struggles. According to the state...
APC taunts PDP over ‘connivance’ with terrorists
The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has disclosed ongoing high-level investigations to unravel those behind the growing wave of terrorism and other violent crimes across the country, expressing hope that at the end of the probe, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party PDP would not be found to be sponsoring destabilizing elements ahead of the 2023 general elections. The APC stated this on Sunday in Abuja in a statement issued by the National Secretary of its Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, CECPC, Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe. APC was reacting to a statement by the PDP after its national caucus at the weekend to the effect that the country was fast descending into anarchy and that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has no solutions having been o...
Yoruba monarchs ask Nigerian government to beef-up security in South-West
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, have expressed displeasure over the dimension insecurity has taken in Nigeria. They spoke at the 51st birthday celebration of Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, on Saturday. Alaafin regretted that bandits and kidnappers now have a monopoly of violence. The first-class monarch, however, charged the Federal Government to be proactive in ensuring that the southwest is safe for residents “The monopoly of violence must be concentrated in government but regrettably we are not having that now. Bandits and kidnappers now have a monopoly of violence than the government which is the reason why we are in this current situation,” he was quoted as saying in a statement by Adams’ media aide, Kehinde Aderemi. Ad...
Segun Adeniyi: Devolution of power alone can’t solve Nigeria’s problems
Nigerian Monitor The chairman of THISDAY editorial board, Olusegun Adeniyi, says devolution of power is not the only solution to Nigeria’s problems. Adeniyi said for it to be effective, devolution of power must come with accountability at all levels especially at the local government where administration “has been castrated”. He was speaking at ‘The Platform’, an annual programme organised by Covenant Christian Centre, which was held in Lagos on Saturday. The seasoned journalist added that from past experience, closer government does not necessarily translate to better governance. “Today, there is hardly anybody in our country who is not angry about the situation in which we find ourselves. But nobody is accepting responsibility because the other person or the other ethnic group is to blam...
May Day: Minister donates bus to staff union
The Minister of State for Science and Technology, Mr Mohammed Abdullahi, on Saturday, donated a 28- seater bus to the ministry’s staff union. The gesture was in commemoration of the 2021 Workers’ Day. Abdullahi disclosed this in a message he posted on his Twitter handle, @MohdHAbdullahi. He said the gesture was meant to show appreciation for the workers’ dedication and to ease their movement to and from work. He wrote, “As part of our modest efforts in supporting our dedicated staff, I just provided a 28-seater bus to the staff union to ease their mobility to and from work amongst other efforts. “I wish them a happy Workers’ Day.” The minister also promised that his ministry will continue to promote labour-friendly policies to make the workplace conducive for workers. He also vowed to ensu...
Niger: Bandits kill two, kidnap assemblyman’s mother
The mother of the one of longest serving members of the Niger State house of Assembly, Alhaji Bello Ahmed Agwara, has been kidnapped. The 78-year-old Hajia Salamatu Ahmadu was abducted at about 9p.m. on Thursday night when some heavily armed gunmen riding on four motorcycles raided the country home of the Peoples Democractic Party (PDP) member in Agwara town. This is coming on the heels of the killing of two people and kidnap of several others at Tegina in the Rafi local government also on Thursday. According to eyewitnesses the bandits were armed with different types of weapons, among them AK-47. Immediately they stormed the town they started shooting sporadically making members of the community to scamper for safety. In the confusion it was learnt that the bandits went straight into the ...
Akwa Ibom governor’s wife decries rising cases of rape, child trafficking
Mrs Martha Emmanuel, the wife of Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom, on Friday decried the rising cases of rape, child trafficking and baby factories in the state. Emmanuel spoke at the monthly women prayer summit held in Uyo on Friday. She said that despite her modest efforts to stem the tide, some bad elements were hell-bent on perpetrating heinous crimes in the state. She urged mothers to be watchful of their children as reports of rape, child pornography, trafficking and baby factories were on the increase in the state. Emmanuel reiterated her commitment to halt the vices in the state and encouraged mothers to do their part by not abdicating their roles as caregivers. Newsmen report that the theme of the prayer summit was, “Taking over Territories.” “I encourage women to rise and take dom...
Kaduna: Bandits kill 323, kidnap 949 in three months
No fewer than 323 persons were killed and 949 kidnapped by bandits in the last three months across Kaduna State. This was even as the military troops neutralised 64 bandits and arrested several gunrunners during the period under review. This was disclosed on Friday by the State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, while giving security situation in the State for the first quarter of 2021. According to Aruwan, “The report covers banditry, kidnapping, cattle-rustling, attacks, and reprisal attacks. “The report also includes the aerial missions conducted over identified bandit hideouts and locations across the State, during which multiple scores of bandits were engaged and neutralised, with their camps destroyed. “Deaths linked to banditry, violent attacks, comm...
EU releases last tranche of $14.5 million to assist Nigeria rollout coronavirus vaccine
The European Union has said $14. 5 million out of the €50 million promised to the Federal Government to assist in the roll out of COVID-19 vaccine would be released this week. The Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria, Ambassador Ketil Karlsen, who addressed newsmen yesterday in Abuja, revealed that already €9 million grant had been released to boost the prevention and response to Coronavirus in Nigeria. “The EU is taking the lead in supporting partner countries, including Nigeria, to tackle the tackle the COVID-19 pandemic by combining resources from the EU, its member states and European financial institutions, under the ‘Team Europe’ initiative. “At the onset of the pandemic in Nigeria, the EU rapidly mobilised €50 million grant in humanitarian aid was given to Nigeria to boost preventio...
