Author: The Nation

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) will tomorrow hold a workshop on Hajj Management at the Conference Hall of the Hajj House, Abuja.

The programme with the theme: “Training and Capacity Building for Group Leaders in Hajj ” is expected to be addressed by the Director-General and Consultant of Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Badr Muhammad Al Solamin. Other resource persons include Executive Director of the Pilgrims Tawwaf Committee and Jamrat Grouping in Muassassah, Dr. Mohammed Shokri Zamzami and Administrative Officer, Muassassah, Abdullah Hammadu Adam.

Over 90 Participants are expected to attend the workshop, which includes members and Executives of the Forum of States Pilgrims Welfare Boards/ Agencies/Commissions, Chief Executives of International Private Tour Operators, Directors and Management Staff of NAHCON and other Stakeholders.

The resource persons were received by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, the Commissioner in charge of Policy, Personnel Management and Finance (PPMF), Alhaji Nura Hassan Yakasai, the Commissioner for Planning, Research, Statistics, Information and Library Services (PRSILS), Sheikh Suleman Mommoh and the Commissioner in charge of Operations, Licensing and Tour Operators (OIL), Alhaji Abdullahi Magaji Hardawa, and Senior Management Staff of the commission.

The Secretary to the Niger State Government Ahmed Matane has directed all outgoing political office holders, both appointed and elected, to pick up and fill asset declaration forms at the state Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) immediately.

Matane gave the directives in a statement by his Public Relations Officer, Malam Tanko Lawal in Minna yesterday.

He said the concerned public office holders were expected to visit the office of the CCB at the Federal Secretariat in the state to collect, fill and return the end of tenure asset declaration form before May 29.

Matane warned that failure to comply with the directives would lead to prosecution of defaulters at the code of conduct tribunal.

He noted that the state CCB had reiterated its commitment to enforce powers bestowed on it under 3rd Schedule Part 1, Paragraph 3 (e) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) on the need for all political office holders to comply with the provision accordingly.

“Failure to do so may lead to prosecution at the Code of Conduct Tribunal,” he warned.

Kogi State Government has approved 65 years as the retirement age for teachers in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the approval was sequel to the passage of the Retirement Age of Teachers in Kogi State and for Related Matters Bill, 2022 yesterday by the House of Assembly.

Speaker of the House, Mr Matthew Kolawale, said with the passage of the bill, teachers in the state would now retire upon attainment of 65 years or 40 years of pensionable service, whichever comes earlier.

“The Public Service Rule or any legislation that requires a person to retire from the public service at 60 years of age or after 35 years of service shall not apply to teachers in Kogi from the date of commencement of this law,’’ he said.

In what appeared to be part of mop-up activities of the seventh Assembly, two other bills were passed by the lawmakers yesterday.

The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) yesterday in Daura, Katsina State, handed over 257 housing units to beneficiaries and National Housing Fund (NHF) contributors in the state.

The Nation recalled that this was in addition to 315 housing units opened for use in January.

Executive Director, Loans and Mortgage Services, FMBN, Kukman Mustapha, said three other housing units – 69 in Funtua for Medical and Health Workers, 54 in Malumfashi and 54 in Kankia are ready for inauguration.

He said:  ”The choice of Daura represents a symbolic choice for the other three locations. Four residential estates are being opened here today comprising of 257 housing units in total.”

Mustapha described the concentration of FMBN sponsored housing projects in Katsina State as demonstration of the special position the state occupies in the NHF scheme due to its consistency and unqualified support for the scheme.

Governor Aminu Bello Masari, who was represented by the General Manager, Katsina State Housing Authority, Alhaji Awalu Abubakar Masari, hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for addressing housing deficits in the country.

One person was yesterday feared killed during a clash between operatives of Amotekun and some traders in Ado-Ekiti.

Trouble was said to have started when Amotekun Corps went to Atikankan Ado Metropolis to enforce an order directing Hausa traders to relocate to Agric Olope, a new location provided by the state government.

It was gathered that some of the traders, who were not ready to comply with the order, attacked Amotekun operatives.

The operatives, it was learnt, repelled the attack which led to the death of one person.

An eyewitness told our reporter that the development enraged the Hausa traders, who retaliated against the corps, leaving some of them injured.

He said: “These people in Atikankan area have been constituting serious nuisance and security threat to the state in the last few years with the kind of criminal activities happening daily.

“This is a place where you go and see people hawking cannabis in broad daylight. It is used as criminal hideouts and selling and buying of stolen items, among other illicit activities.

“Government asked them to relocate to another place provided for them but they were adamant and insisted they won’t leave the place. “They said nobody on earth can make them vacate the place, you can see the problem in our hands.”

It took the intervention of the operatives of Rapid Response Squad of the Nigeria Police to prevent further breakdown of law and order.

All attempts to reach the Ekiti Police Command spokesperson, ASP Sunday Abutu for comment, were unsuccessful as his line was unavailable at the time of this report.

The death has occurred of the mother of ace broadcaster, Olusesan Ekisola, Madam Omolara Mary Ademokun.

A statement yesterday by the family said: “With heavy hearts, but in total submission to the will of God, the family of the late Prince Ogunsanwo Ademokun of Timorowo Quarters in Ijebu-Ife, Ogun State announces the passing on to glory of our beloved daughter, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Madam Omolara  Mary Ademokun, alias Lara Morel, aged 93.

“She slept peacefully on Thursday afternoon, May 11, 2023. She is survived by her son, Olusesan Ekisola, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews.

“Details of a requiem mass for the peaceful repose soul of her soul will be communicated by her grieving family soon. May her gentle soul rest in perfect peace with the Lord.”

Following the dissolution of the state Executive Council and the expulsion of the former Ogun State Chairman of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Oginni Olaposi Sunday, the National Working Committee (NWC) yesterday began the process of repositioning the party.

It appointed Prince Ibrahim Adekunle as the Chairman, Caretaker Committee in the state.

Conducting the inauguration at the party’s state secretariat in Abeokuta, the the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Southwest, Kilamuwaye Badmus, said: “With this development, the party will be repositioned for greater heights.”

Those present at the inauguration included the governorship candidate of the party in the 2023 general election, Amb. Olufemi Ajadi, his running mate, Alhaja Sakirat Idris Arowolo, state Public Relations Officer (PRO), Comrade Olowu Omokehinde and other party leaders and members.

Speaking after his inauguration, Adekunle said the committee would direct the affairs of the party in the state and set up administrative structures across the local governments and wards.

This, according to him, would prepare members for the congresses that would usher in a progressive democratic atmosphere in Ogun State.

He urged the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and the public to stop dealing with members of the defunct state Executive Committee led by Oginni.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has said it will participate in the December 16th local government election, to stop Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu from imposing his stooges.

It called on the State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC), to perform its role as an impartial arbiter, which should not rob Peter to pay Paul.

State Chairman of the party, Fatai Adams, who spoke at a news briefing in Akure yesterday, said the people at the grassroots would resist the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said the people had been bearing the brunt of inept, colourless, unenviable, dry and retrogressive governance at that very important layer of the government.

The Ondo PDP chairman said the party had put machinery in motion, which would culminate in its electoral victory at the polls.

“It is against this background that our party will participate in the local government election, to bring development to the grassroots again, as it was under previous PDP administrations.

“Our resolve to participate is to reverse the uneventful and uninspiring narratives. It is to restore the lost glory of local government administration and its pride.

“This resolve is deliberate and we are conscious of the agenda of Governor Akeredolu to continue to muzzle the local government administrations by foisting his stooges on the people.  We can, therefore, gauge his temperature and the mood of the APC, as well as the inconvenience this our resolve may cause its members, who erroneously see local government as their cash cow, being the reward for their hypocrisy and sycophancy to the governor.

“We are appealing to the chairman and other members of the commission to always act on the side of the people, bearing in mind that their commission is being financed by the tax payers’ money and not from the APC government, which merely appointed them.

“They should ensure utmost transparency of the electoral process, exhibit decency, decorum and discipline that is expected of their high offices and not compromise for any self-serving or pecuniary gains so that posterity will be kind to them at the end of the day.

“We are assuring the public that we are prepared to participate in the electoral contest with the hope that the governor and his APC will allow the commission to perform its role without undue interference and interruption.”

Southwest delegates of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) have declared support for the incumbent National President, Mr. Tajudeen Baruwa, ahead of August’s national election.

The chairmen of the union across the six Southwest states, after a meeting held in Osogbo, Osun State, pledged support for Baruwa, citing his exceptional leadership qualities.

A statement issued by the Southwest Zonal Chairman, Mr. Olalekan Folorunsho, hailed Baruwa for not selling out the union because of money, saying he had made the union to exist at the national level.

Other signatories to the statement include: Abideen Olajide (Oyo State Chairman), Joseph Falope (Ekiti State Chairman), Rauf Fakorede (Osun State Chairman), Fatai Adesina ((Lagos State Chairman), Oluwatoyin Olaoye (Ondo State Chairman) and Ismail Mustapha (Ogun State Chairman).