The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Clamp down

  • Fed Govt to clamp down on illegal immigrants

    THE Federal Government yesterday said it would soon clamp down on illegal immigrants in the country.

    It followed the deportation of 723 Nigerians by the Ghana Immigration Service.

    Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola, who stated this in Lagos at the BRF Gabfest, lamented inhuman treatment of Nigerians abroad.

    According to him, the country also has extant laws to deport illegal immigrants.

    The event, tagged BRF2GABFEST, second edition, was organised by some youth groups to celebrate Fashola.

    It is themed: “Where are the jobs”.

    The minister said there is a current audit of workers on so many construction sites in the country to ascertain how many Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) citizens, who are working on the sites. He noted that even though they do not need a visa to come into the country but they need a work permit.

    Fashola said: “But you heard that Ghana deported some Nigerians. It is the right that every country has, but it is a right we have never exercised but we are going to exercise it now. It is just the law; every foreigner who has legitimate papers to come to Nigeria is welcome. If you want to work in Nigeria, the same regulation that applies in your country that you must get a work permit applies to you here also.

    “If you don’t have a work permit here and you are in my site, I will take you out. That is already happening. I refused to approve payment for one consultant two months ago because I said I wanted to see his work permit and make sure it was valid for the period the job was done and thankfully, he produced it and he was paid. These are the policies about jobs and employment that are put in place by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.”

    He said the issue of job creation in the country was hampered by policies enunciated by the previous administration.

    On job creation strategy of the present administration, he said the President has issued an Executive Order known as Executive Order 5.

    “What Executive Order 5 seeks to achieve is that anytime our economy produces opportunity, we must ensure that if Nigerians are able to do that job, we should give them preference,” he said.

     

     

     

  • Unions to clamp down on electricity firms

    The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) have concluded plans to clamp down on electricity distribution companies that have no condition of service for workers.

    The unions argued that any of the Distribution Companies (DisCos) and the Generation Companies (GenCos) without condition of service for their workers has no business remaining in the power sector.

    The unions said this during the signing of conditions of service of the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED) Plc in Lagos.

    They commended JED Plc. for the steps taken and promised to give the organisation the best co-operation to ensure its growth.

    SSAEAC President-General, Chris Okonkwo, who disclosed that JED has proved to be labour-friendly, said other companies in the electricity sector must desist from denying workers their rights.

    He warned that the unions would do all within their powers and the law to take firm stand against the erring firms.

    “This is an opportunity to warn those companies that they can run but they cannot hide. We will, within our powers and within the law, take a firm stand against them. They will be disgraced,” he said.

    The General Secretary of NUEE, Joe Ajaero, said the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with JED was timely, as the firm had saved itself from the union’s indictment.

    He added: “The signing of MoU with JED is very timely, as Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) is trying to shy away from its responsibility of revisiting the DisCos after five years.

    “JED has saved itself from the indictment of the union because in the next few days, we will start a rigorous campaign that any of the DisCos and GenCos that has no condition of service has no business remaining in the power sector.”

    Ajaero said with what JED has done in terms of human resources, it has fulfilled that condition and the union commends it for doing the right thing.

    “Enugu and Egbin have been stealing our monies; they have consistently been pilfering with the check off dues of the union,” he alleged.

    Earlier, the Managing Director of JED Plc., Mohammed Modibbo, who was represented by the companies Head, HR/Support Services, Abubakar Muhammed, affirmed that they would ensure total compliance with the conditions stated in the document.

    Modibbo, who appreciated the co-ordination by the unions during the period of preparing the document, enjoined other companies to see the condition of service to be benefits of all members of the organisation as a unit.

  • 200 arrested in Jos community clamp down

    The Army has begun a clamp down on residents of Dura community over the disappearance of Maj.-Gen. Idris Alkali (rtd).

    A resident said over 200 residents, majorly youths, were arrested by men of the 3 Division between Tuesday night and yesterday morning.

    He added that those arrested were tortured to confess or volunteer information that will lead to Gen. Alkali’s killers.

    He said: “As a matter of fact, the military is already occupying the community, the operation started in the night. We woke in the morning to see soldiers surround the entire community in a way that says everyone is in danger.

    “Most of them were stripped naked and flogged inside a military truck. The soldiers came from Maxwell Khobe Cantonment, Rukuba Barrack, Jos.”

    Local sources say dozens of military personnel stormed the remote community at daybreak, arresting anyone in sight including women. The soldiers forced their subjects to surrender and board a military truck wherein they were stripped naked and taken to detention, it was learnt.

    Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 3 Armoured Division Col. Kayode Ogunsanya, who confirmed the invasion, in a text message, said: “The Army is on a mission to find the missing Maj.-Gen. Idris Alkali (rtd), whose vehicle was discovered in a pond near the community.

    “I cannot tell you the number of people arrested, but it is normal that when we conduct such operations, some people will be apprehended. They were screened and sorted out based on their degree of involvement in the crime. The general area of Dura-Du district in Jos South has been cordond off. The aim is to search for the missing Gen. Alkali (rtd) dead or alive.”

    The military operations in the community has created serious fears in neighbouring communities, with many praying that the state will not get the Odi and Zakibiam experience during Obansanjo’s administration.

  • Badoo: Clamp down on ritualists, group tells govt

    Badoo: Clamp down on ritualists, group tells govt

    A frontline Islamic organisation, The Muslim Congress (TMC), has called on government at all levels to step up security and clamp down on ritual killers to stem killing of innocent people.

    TMC President Dr Luqman AbdurRaheem, said this at the ‘Quarterly State of the Nation Address’ briefing in Lagos at the weekend.

    According to him, the killings by the dreaded Badoo cult has once again highlighted the need for government at all levels to be up and doing, adding “All people involved in ritual killings including their sponsors and the errand boys must be smoked out and made to face the. The case of the Badoo cult that has laid siege to Ikorodu town and its environs is worrisome. The cult group unleashes mayhem on their victims with heavy stones to crush their skulls. They then use ritual handkerchiefs to clean victims’ blood after the operation.

    “It was gathered that each handkerchief is then sold for N500,000 to herbalists and some prominent Nigerians for money rituals.

    “To end these killings, the security forces must go after the patrons who pay for this service just as well as they are raiding the criminals who are used for the operations’’.

    The congress praised Lagos State Government and security operatives for their efforts. It cautioned Ikorodu residents against taking laws into their hands.

    AbdurRaheem said: “If there is no demand for human blood by the patrons, the errand boys will be out of business and the killings will stop. The people in these areas should be vigilant and guard their communities night and day. They should be wary of suspicious movements and strange faces. Wherever strange people are sighted, they should be promptly arrested and handed over to the police.

    “Everyone person should endeavour to know his neighbour and be aware of activities around him.

    “We, however, call on the people of the affected areas not to give in to jungle justice since this is likely to further increase the death toll. Most of those that will be killed in this kind of situation will be innocent people who are unlucky to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. People should not take the law into their hands rather hand over the suspects to the police.

    “The police must also quickly swing into action in order to carry out thorough and exhaustive investigations to know whether or not the suspects are culpable.”

  • Clamp down on hate preachers

    Clamp down on hate preachers

    The Lagos State government will clampdown on hate preachers, warning that it won’t tolerate religious intolerance.

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode said this at a meeting with members of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) yesterday.

    The governor who was represented by the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr. Abdulhakeem Abdullateef, said the government will begin an inter-face religious conference next year.

    According to him, the forum to be coordinated by NIREC will be such where all religious bodies, irrespective of their denomination, will meet to interact in achieving harmony and peaceful coexistence in the society.

    He said: “Henceforth, we’ll start to monitor mosques and churches and ensure that clerics don’t engage in hate preaching.”