President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with the government and people of Abia State, as well as the Nigeria Union Journalists (NUJ) on the death of a former national president of the union, Mr. Bonnie Nwoha.

The President, in a condolence message issued by his media aide, Malam Garba Shehu, yesterday in Abuja, also expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the veteran journalist and member of Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).

The Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Kalu, has commiserated with the NUJ on the death of Iwuoha.

courageous.

“The deceased played laudable roles in the advancement of the media profession in Nigeria and beyond.

“He left behind good legacies that will continue to speak for him. He will be sorely missed.’’

Kalu prayed to God to grant the deceased eternal rest and give the Iwuoha family the fortitude to bear the loss.

IMO State Governor Hope Uzodimma has announced plans to pay 13th month salary as end of year bonus to workers.

This is contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser, Mr. Oguwike Nwachuku, in Owerri.

Uzodimma said efforts were on to elevate deserving civil servants, adding that outstanding payment of salaries and pensions would soon be cleared.

He urged civil servants to remain committed to the service of government and try not to be partisan.

“All verified 43, 000 workers without issues will never be owed by this government because we do not regard payment of salary as an achievement by any governor. The worker deserves his wage.

”Promotion issues will be looked into as long as the workers remain committed. We want you to desist from blackmailing the government.”

“Your happiness is my happiness, your sadness is my sadness, your hunger is my hunger,” he said.

The Head of Service, Dr. Camilus Iwuagwu, thanked the governor for introducing the automated payroll system, prompt payment of salaries and pensions, provision of free mass transit, civil servants clinic and training of workers.

He thanked the governor for granting the request to revisit the genuine cases of workers and pensioners, who, as a result of some problems, were omitted from salaries and pensions.

The state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Rev. Philip Nwansi, hailed the governor for being workers-friendly.

He hoped that those with issues of unpaid salaries and pensions would soon have reasons to rejoice.

THE Anambra governorship election petitions tribunal has relocated its sittings from Awka to Ilorin in Kwara State.

Secretary of the tribunal Mr. Surajo Gusau disclosed this yesterday when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka via telephone.

He said that the movement took place on December 17, adding that the tribunal had settled down in Ilorin.

Gusau, however, did not disclose the reasons for the relocation, saying it was based on administrative directive.

He said the tribunal was handling 12 cases apart from the one filed by Accord Party, which was withdrawn on December 9.

The tribunal was set up to handle petitions arising from the Anambra governorship election, won by Prof. Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

THE National Directorate of Employment (NDE), in partnership with Abuja Graduate School, has begun a five-day training of unemployed youths in Anambra State in solar power installation and maintenance.

The state Coordinator, Mrs. Chika Ufele, speaking yesterday in Awka at the opening of the training, said the workshop was organised, following high demand for energy in the country.

She said the training would equip the 25 participants with skills in solar power installation and maintenance, to enable them become self-reliant and masters of their own businesses.

Ufele urged the participants to take advantage of the training to acquire skills that would impact on their lives and the society.

She said: “The training is designed to generate employment for graduates of tertiary institutions, school leavers and other technically-inclined persons.

“It is a way to explore new areas of job creation for them to develop critical sectors of the economy from the abundant sunshine across the country.

“The directorate recognises that solar energy is an essential infrastructure component needed for urban and rural development.

“With the presence of abundant natural wealth such as sunshine in the country and surplus unemployed youths, solar energy, therefore, becomes the obvious alternative to the present epileptic power in the country.

“Also, with the enormous demand for energy in the country, NDE sought other means of energy production and therefore, adopted renewable energy training as one of its strategies for employment generation.”

“We also know that Nigeria today is witnessing slow progress in power generation with the total generation not adequate for the population of over 200 million people.

“These people need constant supply of energy to be productive and progressive in the present day society.”

One of the trainers, Mr. Efe Drian, said the major problem militating against robust economic discovery was the unresolvable power supply problems in the country.

She said Nigeria needed to seek alternative means to create energy.

“After the training in this solar power installation programme, it will enable the trainees to acquire more insight to alternative power supply through solar energy,” Drian said.

The Vice National President of the Urhobo/Isoko Phase 1, 2 and 3 of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Gen. Solomon Adu, yesterday asked President Muhammadu Buhari and Minister of Niger Delta Sen. Godswill Akpabio not to remind them of those years of violence in the region.

He urged them to inaugurate the already screened board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The ex-agitator, who addressed reporters in Bayelsa State, enjoined President Buhari and Sen. Akpabio to inaugurate the nominees screened and confirmed by the Senate for the NDDC board on November 5, 2019.

He said NDDC was an interventionist agency created for the development of the Niger Delta, which produced the bulk of the economic mainstay of Nigeria, adding that Buhari and Akpabio were denying the people of the region their entitlement over the non-inauguration of the substantive NDDC board.

Adu said he could recall that the President sent to the Senate in October 2019, a list of nominated persons for screening and confirmation into the NDDC board.

“Over two years now, yet there is no move to inaugurate the board for just no reason anybody knows about.”

Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has expressed dissatisfaction about the comments credited to the Director General of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Mr. Idris Musa, on the legality of the state’s technical committee on the recent oil spill in Nembe Local Government.

The NOSDRA boss was reportedly quoted to have said that the committee was illegal and also prevented the media from being part of the Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to the spillage site.

Diri spoke yesterday during a visit of the Minister of State for Environment, Mrs. Sharon Ikeazor, to the Government House in Yenagoa.

The minister was in the state for an on-the-spot assessment of the blowout that occurred at OML 29 Wellhead platform operated by Aiteo Exploration and Production Company Ltd in Nembe.

The leak lasted for about 38 days before it was eventually stopped on December 8.

tecting every victim affected by the spill and would leave no stone unturned in ensuring justice and full compensation for the people.

While calling on the JIV team set up by NOSDRA to be transparent and free from any form of compromise, the governor said it was unethical for Aiteo to provide logistics for the JIV.

He said: “Honourable Minister, I was not happy with the report I got from my team, particularly the comments allegedly made by the DG of NOSDRA. I’m an elected governor of Bayelsa State and the number one thing about me is the well-being of the people, the environment and property of my state.

“I was told that the DG allegedly made comments that the committee I set up and inaugurated was an illegal committee. Also, he reportedly said that the media cannot be part of the JIV.

“Those were the reports I received from my team. I’m happy that you have cleared the issues about the media and they will be part of it.

“As I said earlier, states and the federal government are supposed to work hand in gloves. I have the powers vested by the Nigerian Constitution and the laws of Bayelsa State to set up the committee within the confines of Bayelsa State and on anything that is injurious to the people of the state.

“With the way it is going, I’m not happy with the report I’m getting from my committee. Aiteo could not have been the one to provide the logistics for the JIV. The DG of NOSDRA should be the number one person to protect the state, its team and the environment.”

The governor, however, thanked the minister for coming to have a first-hand knowledge of the plight of the Nembe people and Bayelsa State in general.

Ikeazor said her visit was to assess the damage caused by the spill and to ensure speedy remediation.

The minister, who was accompanied by the NOSDRA DG, however, said it was proper for the media to be part of the JIV and that reporters would not be prevented from visiting the site.

The minister further stated that from reports made available to her, 16,800 barrels of oil had been recovered from the polluted water.

She thanked the people of Nembe Local Government for their peaceful disposition during and after the spill.

Ikeazor hailed the state government for the exemplary leadership demonstrated to manage the situation.