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  • Cross River: we hope to surpass N35b revenue projected for 2024 

    Cross River: we hope to surpass N35b revenue projected for 2024 

    Cross River State Internal Revenue Service has set target to surpass the N35billion revenue projected for the Service for 2024.

    The acting Executive Chairman of the Service, Prince Edwin Okon, made this known in Calabar during an interactive stakeholders’ session and training in best practices for tax consultants operating in the state.

    The session was organised by the Cross River Internal Revenue Service (CRIRS) and facilitated by Lani Consulting.

    Okon, whose keynote address was titled: ‘Synopsis of CRIRS 2023 Strategy and Achievements,’ urged stakeholders and participants to come up with practical solutions to the problems of multiple taxation and block loopholes in revenue generation.

    “In 2024 and beyond, the projection is to reduce the number of taxes to single digit.

    “We can do much more if we are able to work together and block loopholes.

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    “We hope to move the revenue far beyond the N35billion target and this requires the support of all stakeholders,” he said.

    Okon said since his appointment about five months ago, they had raised the internal generated revenue of the state from N20billion in 2022 to about N36billion as at last month.

    He also said revenue generated from ministries, departments and agencies had increased from the usual N3.8 billion since 2012 to N6.8 billion currently.

    He advised the participants to not just complain, but also come up with solutions that are achievable.

    Commissioner for Commerce, Abigail Duke, said the interactive session was timely and praised the CRIRS for the initiative.

    She added that the clash in revenue collection in the state was a very important issue that should be handled.

    Duke said revenue is the bedrock of development in any society “and if the government cannot generate revenue, we cannot get good governance.”

  • ‘Prioritise development of human resources in health sector’

    ‘Prioritise development of human resources in health sector’

    Bayelsa State Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo has called on the Federal Government to prioritise the development of human resources in the health sector in its Renewed Hope Agenda.

    He made the call yesterday while granting audience to a delegation from the National Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria, led by its National Deputy President, Venerable Dr. Nengi Brown, at the Government House in Yenagoa.

    In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, the deputy governor said what the country currently needs most is concerted investment in building a critical mass of health and medical practitioners to run the health system.

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday, while launching the Health Sector Renewal Compact on the sidelines of the Universal Health Coverage Day celebrations in Abuja, announced his administration’s  commitment to revamping the health sector by tackling infrastructure issues.

    Senator Ewhrudjakpo, who represented Governor Douye Diri at the Abuja event, however, maintained that efforts to revamp the health sector by paying skewed attention to building more health infrastructure at the expense of the human capital driving the sector would achieve little or nothing.

    Identifying human resources and nutrition as key components of any virile health system, he urged the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, to take care of the telling needs in implementing the National Health Act.

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    He said: “My advocacy to the Minister of Health and the President is that we should not take health infrastructure as a priority in the Renewed Hope Agenda for health. That shouldn’t be our focus.

    “I have said many times that if we must get health right, we must go for the human resources because when the health workers are available and present in the various communities, health care will become more efficient and affordable.

    “I believe we can achieve much if we build the human resources we need to run our health system with the level of health infrastructure we have on ground. Building infrastructures without the people to man them does not make any sense to me.

    “I am also one of those who believe that nutrition is a key component of health that we have neglected in this country over the years. And for us to get it right, we must take nutrition seriously. You cannot give vaccine to a malnourished child.”

    Thanking the association for their prayers and support to the Governor Diri-led administration, the deputy governor urged them to avoid mudslinging and strive for professionalism to carve a respectable niche for themselves.

    The National Deputy President, National Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria, Dr Nengi Brown, congratulated Governor Diri and his deputy on their well-deserved victory in the November 11 governorship election.

    Brown appreciated Ewhrudjakpo, whom he described as one of their own, for making them proud in office and solicited his continued support to the association.

  • NDDC presents award letters to foreign post graduate scholars 

    NDDC presents award letters to foreign post graduate scholars 

    Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has presented award letters to 189 successful candidates for its 2023/2024 Foreign Post-Graduate Scholarship Programme.

    Making the presentation during a pre-departure and award ceremony in Port Harcourt, Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, hailed the successful candidates, saying their success was testament to their resilience as individuals. 

    He described the scholarship scheme as an important component of the commission’s human capital development programme, noting that education was the most powerful weapon for changing the fortunes of the Niger Delta region

    Ebie in a statement signed by the NDDC Director, Corporate Affairs, Pius Ughakpoteni, hailed the NDDC management for sustaining the scholarship programme and advised the beneficiaries to make the best use of the opportunity given to them.

    Addressing the scholarship beneficiaries, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, said the process of selecting them was transparent, adding that competition for the scholarship programme was intense, as the commission had to select from over 25,000 online applicants.

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    Ogbuku advised them to be good ambassadors of Nigeria in the foreign universities by applying themselves studiously to their academic programmes, so as to excel in their chosen fields of study.

    He assured the scholars that funds for their school fees and accommodation would not be delayed.

    He told them that previous beneficiaries of the scholarship programme set enviable standards for them to emulate.

    Ogbuku advised the scholarship beneficiaries to avoid distractions in order to excel in their studies, saying: “We are sending you out to go and study and come back to impact the Niger Delta region and the entire Nigerian system for good.

    He said the exercise was a proof that the Niger Delta was endowed with talented and intelligent youths, stating: “Any of our scholars that gets a distinction in the Master programme will be sponsored for a PhD degree.”

    The NDDC Director, Education, Health and Social Services, Dr George Uzonwanne, in his opening remarks, urged the beneficiaries to make the best use of the opportunity given to them to acquire technical expertise for the benefit of the people of the Niger Delta region.

    Uzonwanne stated that the successful ones were selected through a transparent electronic examination conducted at the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.

    He explained that 20,000 candidates applied online for the scholarship programme. Out of this number, he said, 5,000 wrote the Computer Based Test after which successful candidates were invited for the oral interview.

    Uzonwanne said the Foreign Post-Graduate Scholarship Scheme, which was started in 2010, was meant to equip Niger Delta youths with relevant training and skills.

    The NDDC director said he was optimistic that the process adopted in selecting beneficiaries of the foreign scholarship scheme would continue to produce first-class performers.

    He said the best performing candidate came from Ilaje in Ondo State.

    Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, the best performing scholarship student, Miss Omogbemi Olayemi, thanked the NDDC for making the selection process fair and transparent. 

    She pledged that the beneficiaries would do their best to be good ambassadors of the region.

  • Troops apprehend IPOB/ESN commander in Enugu

    Troops apprehend IPOB/ESN commander in Enugu

    • Recover arms, ammunition

    Troops of Sector 1 Exercise GOLDEN DAWN III, in conjunction with other security agencies, following a credible intelligence report, have apprehended a commander of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), Mr Uchechukwu Akpa.

     Three other members of the group were also arrested alongside the commander at their hideout within Christ the King Catholic Church Ameta Mgbowo in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

    The arrest was made possible during a raid operation of their hideout while holding a meeting to take over the leadership of IPOB/ESN Auto Pilot Command Enugu State Chapter from apprehended former Commander *Chocho* and also planning to carry out attacks on own troops.

     During the raid, Mr Uchechukwu Akpa sustained a gunshot wound while trying to escape. Others arrested are; Udoka Anthony Ude, Ikechukwu Ulanta, and Ezennaya Udeigewere. While quantity 4 of live cartridge were recovered.

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     It could be recalled that Mr Uchechukwu Akpa was the Second in Command to Chocho a notorious IPOB/ESN criminal who earlier escaped to Benue State due to the intensity of own operations and was recently arrested. The arrested criminals are presently in custody for further exploitation.

     In a follow up raid carried out at the early hours of today, Thursday 14 December 2023 at another hideout in Nenwe, Agwu Local Government Area of Enugu State, where the following were recovered, One AK 47 Rifle, Two AK 47 Magazine, 25 rounds of 7.62mm NATO special ammunition and one Pump action rifle.

     The GOC 82 Div Nigerian Army; Maj Gen HT Dada appreciated the incredible cooperation of other security agencies for the success of the operation.

     He enjoined the good people of the South East region to support and continually provide timely, reliable and credible information that will lead to the arrest of more unscrupulous elements through the Emergency Line *193*.

     In its communique on Thursday, the Nigerian Army promised to continue to protect lives and property of the good people of the South East region as it carries out its constitutional roles within the ambit of the law.

  • Police rescue 263 kidnap victims in Katsina

    Police rescue 263 kidnap victims in Katsina

    • Kill 12 terror-suspects in six months

    Police authorities in Katsina State have killed 12 suspected terrorists and rescued 263 kidnapped victims from June to December 2023.

     Within the period under review, 1,269 suspects have been arrested out of the 1,009 cases recorded by the command.

     Out of this number, 458 suspects have been charged to court, 21 cases are under investigation and 49 are awaiting trial, the police commissioner in the state Aliyu Musa said on Wednesday at the Katsina Police Command Headquarters, Katsina when he received the newly posted Assistant Inspector General of Police, in charge of Zone 14 Yahaya Abubakar.

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     In the meantime, 104 suspected armed robbers have been arrested alongside 97 murder/culpable homicide suspects as well as 148 suspected rapists.

     He said the Command is working tirelessly toward the reduction of crimes such as kidnapping, cattle rustling, culpable homicide, rape, and other lesser crimes comprising of criminal breach of trust, cheating, criminal trespass, theft, and mischief, among others in the state.

     In his address, the newly posted Zone 14 AIG which comprises Kaduna and Katsina State commands,  said the visit was part of his familiarization tour to interact with officers and men of the command to address them on his clear-cut policy since his assumption of duty.

     He explained that the visit was aimed at devising ways to pilot the activities and improve the security architecture of the command towards ensuring a safer Katsina state.

  • Man who set mum ablaze sentenced to death

    Man who set mum ablaze sentenced to death

    A 39-year-old man, Stephen Jiya, who set his mother on fire in December 2021, resulting in her death, has been sentenced to death by hanging.

    Jiya killed his 61-year-old mother, Mrs. Comfort Jiya, a retired director in Niger State Ministry of Education, after accusing her of being behind his wife’s disappearance from home in Suleja, following a misunderstanding.

    The Chief Judge of Niger State, Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik, who delivered the judgment of culpable homicide against Jiya, said he was found guilty of culpable homicide punishable under Section 221 of the Penal Code Law, which attracts the death penalty.

    Jiya was arraigned before the chief judge on September 14, 2022, while hearing into the case began on November 23, 2022.

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    Delivering the judgment, Abdulmalik noted that all the evidence and prosecuting witnesses, who testified before the court, were able to prove that the convict was responsible for the death of his mother.

    She added that the circumstances of the sentence of the court upon Jiya was that he should be hanged by the neck, electrocuted, executed, or injected with lethal injection until he is dead, while she declared that he would be hanged by the neck.

    Jiya was arrested on December 20, 2021 by police operatives attached to the G.R.A Division for killing his mother.

    During interrogation, he confessed that he and his wife had a misunderstanding, but when he returned home from work the next day, she had left his home in Suleja to Minna.

    He confessed that he went to his family house because he suspected his mother was behind his wife’s leaving the house and he got a plastic bottle of fuel which he poured on his mother, who was cooking in the kitchen when he arrived and she was roasted.

    Neighbours came to her rescue and took her to the Minna General Hospital where she was referred due to how severe the burns were and she died later in the day.

  • Badagry council boss gives bursary to 200 indigent students

    Badagry council boss gives bursary to 200 indigent students

    The Chairman, Badagry Local Government, Mr. Olusegun Onilude, has given bursary to 200 students of tertiary institutions, who hail from the area.

    Speaking during the official presentation at the council secretariat in Ajara, Badagry, Lagos, he said the gesture was to reposition education in the local government.

    Onilude added: “Also, this is part of my administration’s commitment to support the aspirations of prospective tertiary education seekers.

    “None of these young people are children of the elite; some of them are very brilliant.

    “We chose to empower them to liberate their minds and make them better citizens, who will resist the urge to engage in vices.”

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    He said students studying Medicine, Law and Engineering received N50,000 each, while those of other disciplines would be paid ¦ 20,000 each. 

    The chairman promised to increase the number of beneficiaries as well as the amount in subsequent editions.

    Mrs. Sewede Pot-Balogun, the supervisor for Education, Badagry Local Government, said the lucky students met the requirements of the Bursary Committee constituted by the council some weeks ago.

    The President, National Association of Badagry Students, Abdulsamod Ajape, said the bursary would assist to offset their tuition fees.

    He hailed the chairman for helping indigent students, advising other rich Badagry indigenes to emulate the gesture.

    Miss Hunye Minasu, a medical student of Lagos State University, Ojo thanked Onilude for giving her the money, noting that she would use it to clear her debt.

  • Impersonation, forgery: Navy hands over ‘personnel’, two others for prosecution

    Impersonation, forgery: Navy hands over ‘personnel’, two others for prosecution

    Nigerian Navy has paraded a man in Port Harcourt, Rivers State for alleged impersonation of its officers and illegal oil bunkering.

    Also paraded were two other accomplices in the illegal business.

    The suspects, identified as William Chinedu Nwaele, Olome Happy and Lucky Opuama, were reportedly arrested in a vessel conveying illegal crude oil.

    They have been handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution. 

    Briefing reporters during the parade, the Commander, Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, Commodore Desmond Igbo, said the suspects were facilitating a fake oil approval for a vessel, MV Mother Gabrini.

    Igbo said the suspects were arrested on November 8 at FOB Bonny. 

    He said: “In pursuance of the Chief of the Naval Staff’s strategic directive, NNS Pathfinder has sustained its efforts at curbing crude oil theft and illegal bunkering. 

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    “The sustained effort of the Base has denied the criminals freedom of action. As a result, these criminals involved in this economic sabotage have resorted to new tactics of issuing forged documents to facilitate illegal bunkering.

    “These three suspects before you were trailed and arrested at locations for facilitating a fake oil approval for MV MOTHER GABRINI. They were apprehended after one-week sustained intelligence-led operation.

    “During preliminary investigation, the crew presented a fake NNS Pathfinder oil approval; accordingly, the Base sprang into action to apprehend the persons involved in forging of the Base oil approval. 

    “It is pertinent to state that one of the suspects, Mr. Williams Nweale, is also an impostor. He impersonated a naval personnel to conduct illegal escort and security at events within Rivers State. Two camouflage uniforms and other military uniform items were recovered from his home.”

    The commander warned oil thieves and other criminals in Rivers State to desist, as the Base would ensure that they were arrested and brought to justice.

    “The Base wants to appreciate the good people of Rivers State for supporting its operation. We therefore request you continue to support us through provision of information about the activities of criminals.”

    Receiving the suspects, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Rumuolumeni Police Division in Obio-Akpor Local Government, CSP Olufunke Opayomi, hailed the Navy and Commodore Igbo for the synergy.

    She said the suspects would be arraigned after investigation.  

  • Product adulteration: Traders to lose shops as NAFDAC plans to prosecute suspects

    Product adulteration: Traders to lose shops as NAFDAC plans to prosecute suspects

    The traders caught and owners of shops used for the manufacturing, production and storage of fake and adulterated products, who were arrested and uncovered by the officials of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) at Cemetery Market, Aba, will lose ownership of their shops.

    This was disclosed in an exclusive phone interview with Mr. Martins Iluyomade, director of NAFDAC,  Southeast  Zone, yesterday.

    Iluyomade, who held a news conference in Aba, gave the number of shops raided as 270, saying 10 suspects were arrested. He said the Federal Government agency was in discussions with the leadership and stakeholders of the market, adding that the agency would prosecute some of the suspects they had arrested so far.

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    The Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Mr. Chimezie Ukaegbu, in a phone interview, said: “We are working towards reopening the market.

    “People’s lives are paramount to money. It is an illegality and a criminal offence for people to fake products.

    “But we are doing everything possible to ensure that the market is in full operation once again.

    “The government is not happy about it and like I said, we are working towards reopening it.”

  • APC zonal organising secretary Agbomhere knocks Obaseki

    APC zonal organising secretary Agbomhere knocks Obaseki

    The Southsouth Zonal Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Blessing Agbomhere has carpeted the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki for destroying the state’s economy.

    He described the social and economic life in Edo State as “hopeless, chaotic and stale with a dire need for innovative and purpose-driven leadership”.

    Agbomhere, who has declared his intention to vie for the APC ticket next year, said the administration of Obaseki and his Deputy Philip Shaibu is a classical example of “two  who are fighting amongst themselves as a result of the distribution of their bounty.”

    In a statement, Agbomhere said the tragic state of affairs in Edo State was worrisome and a fallout of the “uncoordinated and vision-less leadership provided by Governor Obaseki and his deputy, Shaibu in the past seven and a half years”.

    He accused the governor and his deputy of biting the hand that fed them by betraying former Governor, Adams Oshiomhole and orchestrating a departure from the APC through which they were elected in their first term in office to the lack-lustre and drab Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which was currently “battling with a crisis of direction and cohesion.”

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    The statement said: “Having realised their folly, the outgoing governor and his deputy are now warming themselves back to the astute and pragmatic former governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole whose administration put Edo state on the pedestal of economic progress and infrastructural transformations during his two terms in office from 2008 to 2016.

    “From giving former governor, Oshiomhole a belated award to appearing uninvited to occasions where he is present, Governor Obaseki and his deputy are now visibly trying to exploit the massive popularity of Oshiomhole and the All Progressives Congress in the state for their ulterior motive.”

    He urged the people of the state not to fall for the antics of the governor who he said had failed to provide them with the basic necessities of life but to ensure the return of the APC to Osadebey House, promising that if given the opportunity to be governor, the state would witness the rekindling of the massive growth and development sparked by the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole Administration.