Category: Featured

The new National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may soon commence probe of the National Secretariat, its National Chairman Senator Abdullahi Adamu has hinted.

He said the NWC under his watch will cleanse the party in line with his zero tolerance for failure.

Adamu spoke shortly after receiving his Certificate of Returns from the National Convention Election Committee led by Jigawa Governor Abubakar Badaru.

The former Nasarawa Governor, who said clean members of staff have nothing to fear about the impending probe, insisted the party can not continue the way things were, emphasising his administration’s zero-tolerance for failure.

“It is in God’s pleasure that we are here at the helm of affairs of this party. We have come with a very open mind but you have to reciprocate in the same spirit.

Read Also: UPDATED: Appeal Court dismisses suit seeking Umahi, Deputy’s sack

“We will definitely by the will of God Almighty, need to look at you but I am not saying anything today until the Transition Committee submits its report.

“I hope that by the time the report is submitted, you have what they call a clean bill of the ledger, that’s my prayer. Right?

“We have zero tolerance for failure in this new dispensation of our great party,” he said.

The chairman also told party leaders and members to buckle up as the 2023 general elections get closer.

According to him: “We cannot move the way we are to the election. We have a marching order by the leader of this party, President Muhammadu Buhari we will have to deliver, there will be no excuses whatsoever and will need everybody’s hands on deck for this to happen.”

Badaru urged the new National Working Committee (NWC) under Adamu to carry along all those who stepped down for them at the national convention.

He disclosed that of all 78 positions in the NWC and zonal offices, 66 positions were returned through consensus arrangement while the remaining 12 were keenly contested and winners emerged.

The Court of Appeal Enugu Division on Friday struck out a suit seeking the sack of Ebonyi Governor David Umahi and his Deputy, Kelechi Igwe from office for defection.

The duo in November 2020 defected to the All Progressive Congress(APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Following their defection, the candidate of the APC in the 2019 Governorship election, Senator Sonni Ogbuoji and his running mate, Justin Ogbodo Mbam, approached an Ebonyi High Court seeking the sack of the Governor and his Deputy.

Read Also: Defection: Ebonyi SDP guber candidate joins Umahi’s appeal suit

The plaintiffs prayed the Court to declare the seats of Umahi and Igwe vacant on account of their defection from the PDP to the APC.

Ogbuoji and Mbam also demanded the Court to order that they be sworn-in immediately as Governor and Deputy having emerged second in the said election.

But the High Court, in a judgement on February 28, struck out the suit and awarded N500, 000 as damages against the plaintiffs.

Not satisfied with the ruling, the plaintiffs appealed the decision.

But in a 37-minute judgement, the Appellate Court agreed with the lower Court’s ruling on the matter.

The Appeal Justices, in a unanimous judgement read by Justice Alfa Belgore, dismissed the suit for being inconsistent with the Constitution and extant laws of the country.

Details Shortly..

Gunmen have killed an operative of the Ebubeagu Southeast Security outfit in Ebonyi State.

The operative, Iboko Christian, was allegedly killed on Thursday night by gunmen.

The victim, said to be a graduate, joined Ebubeagu due to his inability to secure a job.

He was said to have been attacked by the gunmen who trailed him to his house in Nduogbuovu community in Izzi local government area.

The lawmaker representing Izzi East Constituency in Ebonyi Assembly, Anthony Nwegede confirmed the killing.

The lawmaker, who is an ally of the slain Ebubeagu operative, said the attackers robbed him of some money and his motorcycle before killing him.

Nwegede, who condemned the killing, said the matter has been reported to the police for investigation.

His death comes barely a week after a commander of the security outfit was killed in Ezza North local government area

In January, another member of the Security outfit, identified as Sunday Nwafor, was shot dead by gunmen and then beheaded in Ekpelu, Ikwo Local Government Area of the state.

Also in January, another member of the security outfit, Ifeanyi Orogbo was killed and his remains partially burnt by the assailants

He was killed in Igweledeoha, Amagu, in Ikwo Local Government Area of the state.

Ebubeagu was set up by Southeast Governors to complement the job of the police and other security agencies in checking the rising crime rates in the region.

Of the five southeastern States, only Ebonyi and Imo inaugurated the outfit.

Read Also: Gunmen abduct customs official, 9 others in Kaduna

Despite their setting up, security situation in the region has continued to get worse.

Attacks on security agents and facilities as well as notable personalities in the region have continued unabated.

Many Police stations were attacked in Imo last week with casualties recorded.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA), head office in Ebonyi was attacked last month with about four casualties recorded.

Also, the country home of Ohanézè Ndígbo, a socio-political group in the region was razed by gunmen in Imo State last month.

The attacks have been blamed on Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), whose leader, Nnamdi Kanu is in being detained by Nigerian government.

Kanu is on trial on allegations of terrorism and treason.

He and IPOB, the group he leads, have continued to deny any responsibility for the attacks.

Active telephone users hit 197.5 million, internet 143.7 million – NCC Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, who disclosed this at the ongoing 33rd Enugu International Trade Fair in Enugu, also noted that subscribers to Internet are exceeding 143.7 million.

Dantatta added that broadband penetration stood at 41.61per cent.

The executive vice chairman, who was represented by the Enugu Zonal Controller, Ogbonnaya Ugama, said: “In this new environment, the competitiveness of Nigeria and ability to open up the business environment to more global opportunities, depends on the ability of local players to leverage new technologies in their businesses”.

He restated the commission’s commitment to protecting and empowering consumers from unfair practices by service providers irrespective of their class.

Read Also: NCC upgrades emergency communications centres

According to him, the assurance was based on the commission’s regulatory mandate of ensuring that consumers of telecommunications services deserved to get value for their money and to be treated right as very important stakeholders.

He disclosed that NCC was on the verge of deployment of Fift Generation (5G) network in Nigeria.

The NCC boss said already, spectrum licenses for the companies that will roll out services have been issued.

He said: “Though the deployment will start from the state capital and gradually extends to other areas across the state, it is important to state that unlike 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G, the 5G network will bring substantial network improvements , including higher connection speed, among others”.

Dantatta assured that as a consumer focused public sector institution, the NCC shall continue to commit to the provision of a high level playing ground for operators to thrive, promote investment, delivery of innovative services to individual consumers, among others.

He noted that NCC has been a long standing partner of ECCIMA, adding that the commission has continually held it’s special day program at the fair.

The fog over the number of passengers on the ill-fated Abuja-Kaduna train, who are missing, is getting clearer.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) said yesterday that it has not been able to establish contact with 136 people among the 362 onboard the train at the time terrorists struck on Monday night.

Questions being asked by observers last night are as follows:

*Is 136 the number of people being held by the terrorists?

*How many of the captives are still alive?

*Where are they being held?

*When will they be released, considering the fact that some people kidnapped months and years ago are still being held?

Managing Director of NRC, Mr. Fidet Okhiria, gave details of the manifest on a television programme last night.

According to him, only 123 of the 362 people on board the train at the time of the attack had been reached on phone.

Eight passengers were killed and 41 others injured.

Okhiria said 398 passengers purchased tickets to travel on the NRC AK9 service but only 362 actually boarded.

Okhiria said: “We have set up a desk and we have been able to talk to 123 persons who said they are safe. Another 17 people picked up the phone but they said they bought tickets for people and have not heard from them.

“Other lines, we have not been able to get them, either not available or switched off. So, that is the position as of now. We will continue to try their numbers.

“Also, the families of those that have been kidnapped are still getting in touch with us. At least, about five of the families have gotten in touch with us and they said the kidnappers have called them.”

Explaining that the entire seat capacity of the train in question is 840, Okhiria added that the 970 figure being quoted on social media was incorrect as the train did not even have such capacity.

According to him, the Abuja -Kaduna service is run on fully automated e-tickets with entry and exit system turnstiles that validate every passenger on board the trains.

He challenged those with contrary figures to come in the open with proof.

“We had nine coaches on that train and the full capacity is 840 passengers. Exactly 398 bought tickets because Abuja-Kaduna has an e-ticketing platform. We don’t sell tickets without a record and on the website, they are well captured.

“Before you can enter the train, your ticket will open the barrier that will allow you to the platform to board the train. That is the validation.

“So, 362 persons were captured entering the train both at Idu and Rigasa and that is on record. Any other person floating another record should be asked to come and account for those 980 people. He should say how he got 980 people on the train,” he added.

On the likely time train services would commence on the corridor, Okhiria said: “As of now, one of the coaches has been raised and we are working from both ends of Kaduna and Abuja.

“We have two teams tackling the rail coaches trying to put them on track and move them to the workshop.

“Hopefully, within the next two weeks, the coaches would be out of sight and the track restored so that operation can commence.”

He commiserated with relatives of the deceased and appealed to the public to “desist from spreading false information at this delicate time.”

The NRC chief said: “We regret the death of eight of our passengers and security personnel attached to the train as well as scores of those who suffered injuries, not to mention the trauma suffered by scores of passengers by the armed attack.”

Also yesterday, the Public Relations Officer, Northern Regional District of the NRC, Zaria, Mallam Abdullahi Alhaji, confirmed the death of the driver of a cargo train in Kaduna.

According to him, the driver of the train was conveying soft drinks to Kano when the accident occurred.

He said the incident happened as a result of the theft of the slippers and other accessories from the rail track in the area.

The narrow-gauge train travelling from Kano to Lagos derailed at Farin Ruwa, near Jaji in Kaduna State.

 

Police defuse IED in Rigasa station 

Police in Kaduna said their men in the Explosive Ordinance Department (EOD) defused an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the Rigasa community where the Abuja-Kaduna train station is located.

Spokesman Muhammad Jalige said: “There was an IED planted around Makarfi Road, Rigasa this (Thursday) morning. We received a distress call and our officers from the EOD were deployed to the scene.

“On getting there, they identified the device as Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and they successfully defused it without causing harm to anyone.”

He added that normalcy had returned to the area.

 

 

The United States Government yesterday flagged off the construction of its $537million (approx N223,257,750,000) new Consulate-General campus in Lagos.

The 10-storey building to be sited on 12.2 acres in the Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island, will on completion in 2027,  be the largest US Consulate in American history, anywhere in the world.

The complex will pump an estimated $95million (about N39,496,250,000 billion) directly into the Lagos State economy.  About  2,500 Nigerian engineers, architects, artisans, construction and administrative workers will be involved in the construction.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu joined the  U.S. Ambassador in Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, and  Consul-General Claire Pierangelo, at what was described as “a historic groundbreaking”  at the Eko Atlantic City.

They noted that the project would further strengthen the bilateral friendship and partnership between the U.S and Nigeria.

Leonard explained that the facility would support diplomatic and commercial relations between the two nations as well as provide a safe, secure, sustainable, and modern workplace for employees.

The ambassador added that some of the  Nigerians to be involved in the project would learn new technical skills and safety awareness that would distinguish them in the local market.

Asked by  The Nation why the  US opted to site the project in Nigeria, she explained that the need to sustain the “ incredible relationship” between the two nations informed the decision. .

Leonard added: “You heard earlier my remark that some 200,000 Nigerians come streaming through our doors for consular, visa services.

“There are, maybe, 100,000 Nigerian-Americans living here (Lagos). There is so much going on here. So, that’s the space that we need to succeed.”

Thanking the Federal  and Lagos State governments for their support, she said: “Our vision for this remarkable Consulate campus is to create a facility that both honours the vibrant relationship between the United States and Nigeria and communicates the spirit of American democracy, transparency and openness.”

Consul-General Claire Pierangelo also  said:  “Nigeria and the United States have a long-standing history of people-to-people engagement fostering bridges between our two nations.”

Sanwo-Olu said the project “promises to put Lagos on the global map in terms of the climate change and energy efficiency.

His words: “When completed, this campus will represent boundless new opportunities for Nigerians and Americans that will come into this facility.

“This represents more than half a billion dollars investment and I’m told that over $100million will be a local investment.

“This money, we believe, will go directly into our local economy during the construction and will help all of our small, medium enterprises, young designers, very creative artists and everybody that will be working on this campus, I’m sure will have a worthwhile experience.”

Sanwo-Olu noted that what is now the Eko Atlantic is the product of a bold, ingenious reversal of “what used to look like a liability into an asset,” because of ocean surges and climate change.

“At that time I was also privileged to be in a cabinet that said ‘Not under our watch’ would we let nature wipe us off the face of the earth,” he added.

Sanwo-Olu credited former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu with the vision for and resourcefulness that enticed investors to start the Eko Atlantic City project.

Sanwo-Olu said: “There is also another gentleman here, who was the governor that took the bull by the horn and got a few crazy, audacious friends who said ‘we can reverse this. It would look as if we are throwing money into the Atlantic Ocean but we would recreate a new city.’ Today, let’s give it to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

He also thanked the Chagoury brothers, Gilbert and Roland, “for believing that a new city can indeed rise from Lagos.”

The Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF) has sacked the entire technical crew of the Super Eagles following the failure of the senior national team to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

The Super Eagles lost the ticket to Black Stars of Ghana in a 1-1 draw on Tuesday at the MKO National Stadium Abuja with the visitors going through on away-goal rule.

The interim chief coach Augustine Eguavoen resigned earlier from the position to fall back to his role as Technical Director.

Read Also: BREAKING: Eguavoen resigns as Super Eagles coach

But a statement on Thursday by the NFF Secretary General Dr Mohammed Sanusi informed the glass house has wielded the big stick against the technical crew of the Super Eagles.

It reads: “The NFF has in the meantime withdrawn the two-and-half years contract offered the coaches and terminated the appointment of the entire technical crew of the team with immediate effect.

“A new crew will be announced after a proper review to lead the new charge of reinvigorating the Super Eagles to face future challenges appropriately.

“We thank the coaches and team officials for their service to the nation and wish them success in their future endeavours.”

Super Eagles head coach Austin Eguavoen has resigned following the failure of Nigeria to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.

According to Brila FM, Eguavoen has sent an official resignation letter to the NFF.

Read Also: Eguavoen says he’s not under pressure but rather motivated to deliver

He will return to his role as Technical Director of all national teams.

However, the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF is yet to release an official statement.

Details Shortly…

An early morning fire has razed a popular market in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Karimo.

Findings revealed that the actual cause of the inferno is yet to be known.

A trader, who preferred to be called Sunday, told our correspondent that the inferno started from a shop before spreading to others.

Read Also: One dies, 15 pupils burnt in Ondo school bus fire

This is the fourth time Karimo market will be engulfed by fire.

Sunday said: “Traders have started counting their losses and salvaging what was left of their goods”.

Goods worth millions were destroyed in the inferno, according to traders.

Details shortly…..