President Muhammadu Buhari and governors of the 36 states of the federation are currently in a meeting at the Aso Villa in Abuja.
The proposed meeting between President Buhari and the state governors is expected to provide a solution to the problem of unpaid salaries as witnessed by some states in the country.
As at the time of filing this report, the meeting has just begun.
Details later …
The maiden edition of the Abuja Kids and Youth Athletics Event held at the Training Pitch of the Abuja National Stadium at the weekend produced some good results, especially in the 100m boys where kids between ages nine and 14 ran sub-13 seconds in the 100m event.
A visibly happy initiator and chief organiser of the competition meant for boys and girls between the ages of eight and 17, Mike Enahoro, who is also a popular sports administrator and analyst, beat his chest after the event that he would produce world beaters in athletics in no distant future.
“I am very happy with the results recorded here. You won’t believe that kids between the ages of nine and 14 years returned sub 13 and 12 seconds in 100m race. If these kids are worked on technically in less than 24 months some of them will make sub 10 seconds ion 100m”, Enahoro told SportingLife in Abuja at the weekend.
He, however, shed more light on the reasons for organizing the event. “The Kids and Play Project is strictly my initiative. I am starting with the Kids and Youth Athletics Events that is taking place today (Saturday). This programme is mainly sponsored by me with support from the FCT Sport Council, and the National Sports Commission that gave us this training pitch for use.
“1,111 children are participating in this competition. I am hoping there would be a diamond in the rocks here to represent Nigeria in no distant future. I hope to get kids from this event that would continue the line and supply chains of the Mary Onyalis, the Blessing Okagbares and the Metu brothers. They are here but we have to start them as early as eight years’ old.
“It is not going to be a quick fix. We are not looking to win medals tomorrow but you can see that there is a production line of a thousand and hundred and eleven in the Federal Capital Territory alone. If we spread this out to every corner of the country we will become bigger than Jamaica that has between 300,000 to 3 million athletes. This means that Nigeria can do 15 million athletes at a stretch.
“I am proud to be associated with this. This is me putting my time and I am asking Nigerian philanthropists to stop throwing money at anything but invest in the youths and grassroots sports. I am sure there are lots of kids in all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria that have not been given the opportunity to showcase their talents, sports-wise”, he observed.
The mother of twin brothers, Praise and Promise Njoku that also clocked 12 secs in the 100m, Dr. Mrs Clara Njoku, showered encomiums on the initiator of the competition, Mike Enahoro, for the wonderful initiative.
“The Kids and Youth Athletics Events is wonderful and awesome. I thank God for the man that initiated this programme (Mike Enahoro). I thank God for him and I am happy that he created this opportunity for the children to come together to key into this kind of game.
“It’s an encouragement for the younger ones in Nigeria, and at least today we can pick some children out of this lot competing here for the future Olympic Games like in 2020. When you catch them young they tend to do better than when you allow them to grow older.
“It’s a wonderful activity and I am happy today that my children- the twins are part of this wonderful event. I am supporting these boys to become future stars and I am using this opportunity to encourage parents to encourage their wards in doing sports and support this programme”, Dr. Njoku disclosed.
Three thousand commercial sex workers have been arrested by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Special Task Team on City Cleaning and Management in the last 90 days.
They have been handed over to the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) for prosecution and rehabilitation.
The task team also arrested 2,534 street hawkers and beggars. One hundred and two strayed animals were removed from illegal cattle markets in Gudu and other parts of the city during the period.
The team impounded 4,790 commercial motorcycles, 883 Keke Napep, 645 unpainted commercial vehicles and 84 illegal commercial buses.
Assistant Director/Chief Press Secretary (FCT), Muhammad Sule, spoke yesterday in a statement. He said the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr. John Chukwu, an engineer, made the disclosure after a meeting with the Chairman of the Task Team and the FCT Police Commissioner, Mr. Wilson Inalegwu, in Abuja.
Three thousand commercial sex workers have been arrested by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Special Task Team on City Cleaning and Management in the last 90 days.
They have been handed over to the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) for prosecution and rehabilitation.
The task team also arrested 2,534 street hawkers and beggars. One hundred and two strayed animals were removed from illegal cattle markets in Gudu and other parts of the city during the period.
The team impounded 4,790 commercial motorcycles, 883 Keke Napep, 645 unpainted commercial vehicles and 84 illegal commercial buses.
Assistant Director/Chief Press Secretary (FCT), Muhammad Sule, spoke yesterday in a statement. He said the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr. John Chukwu, an engineer, made the disclosure after a meeting with the Chairman of the Task Team and the FCT Police Commissioner, Mr. Wilson Inalegwu, in Abuja.
STATE capitals and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were yesterday getting into the mood for tomorrow’s inauguration and swearing-in of President-elect Muhammadu Buhari and governors-elect.
In Abuja, Inspector-General of Police Solomon Arase ordered the diversion of traffic on all roads around the Eagle Square—venue of the presidential inauguration.
The IGP also ordered tight security at the Square, hotels, key and vulnerable places within the FCT.
He directed that Tactical Operation Points be mounted on all roads leading into and out of the FCT.
The directive was contained in a statement in Abuja yesterday by the Force Spokesman, Emmanuel Ojukwu.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has also deployed 23,000 personnel to designated routes during the swearing-in.
About 150 patrol vehicles, 15 ambulances, 35 motorbikes and seven towing trucks have been deployed to designated routes of the FCT as part of measures to ensure seamless traffic flow in Abuja during the inauguration ceremony.
A statement in Abuja yesterday by the Corps Public Education Officer, Imoh Etuk, said the Corps had also strengthened its collaboration with other security agencies along the Gwagwalada, Nyanya, Zuba, Lugbe and Kubwa corridor through routine patrols and rescue services in addition to traffic control on major intersections of the city.
The Lagos State Government yesterday cancelled restriction of human/vehicular activities during this month’s statewide sanitation exercise slated for Saturday, as the state prepares for the swearing-in/inauguration ceremony of new governor.
According to Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello, the cancellation is to allow for hitch-free swearing-in/inauguration ceremony coming up both in Lagos and Abuja.
In Sokoto State, committees set up to plan for the swearing-in of the governor-elect, Mallam Aminu Tambuwal, said that they had completed their assignments.
This was contained in a statement by Alhaji Danladi Bako, the chairman of the publicity sub-committee.
Bako, who is also the state Commissioner for Information, said the event would hold at the Shehu Kangiwa Square in Sokoto.
He added that all the other sub-committees set up to ensure the success of the event had also concluded their assignments.
In Enugu State, the committees set up for the swearing in of its governor-elect have completed their assignments.
The venue of the occasion, the Okpara Square, Independence Layout and environs are wearing new looks.
Fanciful canopies have been mounted. As at press time yesterday, workers were seen mounting the rostrum and clearing the VIP stand.
The swearing in which will be ushered in with a Jumat service will be concluded with a thanksgiving service on Sunday.
Although, the governor-elect, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, had wanted a low profile ceremony, the excited residents of Enugu were eager to make it a big one.
Special Adviser, Media to President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr Reuben Abati commenced his final exit from State House, Aso Rock on Wednesday with a Bible quote on his tweeter handle @abati1990.
” #Unto Thee O Lord. Ecclesiastes 3:2: a time to be born and a time to die.
” Thank you, Nigeria. State House, May 27,” Abati wrote in the tweet accompanied with the picture of the President’s empty seat in the executive chambers.
The tweet has attracted varied responses from his followers.
” You have done your best Sir. May posterity judge you fairly. We wish you well in your future engagements” Stephen Hezron stated.
Bukhara Danyaya response was ” As you go remember the people massacred by Boko Haram”
Other responses are as follows:
” Good bye to Good luck, welcome to hard work GMB all the way- Usam
” Broda Abati I see your impact on GEJ throughout but on your home town in Abeokuta you disappoint all the youth though out you know – Olatayo
” No one is sympathizing with you. Bye bye – Al-Mustapha
” End of an era and posterity will judge whether good or bad- Rotexy
Abati and other presidential appointees’ last day on office is Thursday.
Public schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), were early Monday morning shut down following the strike embarked upon by the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT chapter.
In a statement made available to the Nation, the leadership of the union ordered the closure of schools with effect from Monday due to non-payment of some allowances by government, non implementation of 2013 and 2014 promotion backlog.
Student and pupils were not allowed access to their schools despite the scarcity of fuel in Abuja.
Most of the students had to walk to school while those living far stayed at home.
Details later.
The Federal Secretariat in Abuja was razed by inferno on Thursday.
The fire started at about 1:45pm.
The inferno affected Wing B which is occupied by some ministries and parastatals. Notable among them is Ministry of Education.
A source from the ministry who does not want his name in print confirmed the outbreak.
He said, “yes. Why don’t you call me back. The ministry is on fire now. I can’t talk to you now. Please call me later.”
There seemed to be no end in sight to the lingering nationwide fuel scarcity yesterday.
But the hammer fell on some filling stations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Ogun State, where attendants sold products above the N87 pump price. The stations were shut.
In Abuja, queues of vehicles that kept vigil at filling stations in anticipation of getting fuel in the wee hour, created traffic jams on major streets and highways.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Super Mega Station which dispensed fuel, had two queues stretching beyond five kilometres away from the selling point. They blocked the service lane of the Kubwa Expressway.
Another NNPC Mega Station, on Olusegun Obasanjo Way, had a queue that crippled traffic on the dual carriage way.
Those who hawk fuel in plastic containers sold 10 litres for between N2, 000 and N2, 200 to desperate motorists.
Others patronised filling stations on the outskirts of the city including Masaka, in Nasarawa State and Kaduna road, where the product was sold for as high as N140 per litre.
Some commuters, who were stranded for hours at bus stops, returned home as commercial vehicles deserted the roads.
In Ogun, the government sealed a privately-run filling station in Olomoore, Abeokuta, the state capital, for selling adulterated fuel.
The state had discovered through its Ministry of Commerce & Industry that the station was selling adulterated product to unsuspecting custormers.
It also clamped down on filling stations selling above the official N87 lump price.
The ministry’s Task Force on Enforcement and Compliance unit stormed the filling station following complaints by a victim who bought adulterated product. The victim alleged that the product damaged the engine of his truck.
The station manager was arrested by the police attached to the task force for further interrogation.
Others stations that were forced to bring the pump price for between N140 and N150 to the approved pump price, reverted to the illegal price immediately the task force team left.
