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  • IMO trains NIMASA staff, others on safety code

    Officials of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will conduct are five-day training for officers of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Maritime Administrators in Africa on the implementation and enforcement of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code.

    The five-day regional workshop attracts trainees from many countries across the region.

    Director-General of NIMASA Dakuku Peterside, at the opening yesterday, said the training is to teach participants international standards for the safe management and operation of ships and prevention of pollution.

    Peterside, who was represented by the Executive Director, Operation, Rotimi Fashakin, said IMO is organising the training as part of efforts to ensure that maritime administrators take the necessary preventive measures to safeguard shipmasters in the discharge of their core responsibilities, with regard to maritime safety and protection of the marine environment.

    The training, Peterside added, would enable officials of NIMASA and others to respond to the need of those aboard ships to achieve and maintain high standards of safety and environmental protection.

    He noted that no two shipping companies or ship owners are the same, ships operate under different conditions, and so the training is based on general principles and objectives of ISM Code.

    Ships, whether shore-based or at sea, he said, would require varying levels of knowledge and awareness which the workshop intends to impact in participants.

    The objective of the Code, Peterside said, is to ensure safety at sea, prevent human injury or loss of life, and avoid damages to the environment, in particular to the marine environment and to property.

    The Code, he said, requires that all shipping companies provide for safe practices in ship operation and a safe working environment; establish safeguards against all identified risks; and continuously improve safety management skills of personnel ashore and aboard ships, including preparing for emergencies related both to safety and environmental protection.

    The safety and management system to be put in place by NIMASA and other Administrations, he said, would ensure compliance with all mandatory rules and regulations, adding that applicable codes, guidelines and standards recommended by the IMO, Maritime Administrations, classification societies and maritime industry organisations are taken into serious account by all those concerned

  • IMO trains NIMASA staff, others on safety code

    Officials of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), have aeeived the country to train some selected officers of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and other  Maritime Administrators in Africa on the implementation and enforcement of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code.

    The five day regional workshop attract will attract trainees from many countries across the region.

    While speaking at the opening ceremony of the event in Lagos, yesterday, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr Dakuku Peterside, said the purpose of training was to provide an international standard for the safe management and operation of ships and for pollution prevention.

    Peterside, who was represented by the Executive Director, Operation, Rotimi Fashakin,  said the IMO is organising the training as part of efforts to ensure that all maritime administrators take the necessary preventive measures to safeguard the shipmasters in the discharge of their core responsibilities with regard to maritime safety and the protection of the marine environment.

    The training, Peterside said, would enable officials of NIMASA and others to respond to the need of those on board ships to achieve and maintain high standards of safety and environmental protection.

    He noted that no two shipping companies or shipowners are the same, and that ships operate under a wide range of different conditions and that the training is based on general principles and objectives of ISM Code.

    Ships, whether shore-based or at sea, he said, would require varying levels of knowledge and awareness which the workshop intends to impact on each of the participants.

    The objective of the Code, the Director General said, is to ensure safety at sea, prevention of human injury or loss of life, and avoidance of damage to the environment, in particular, to the marine environment, and to property.

    The Code, he said, requires that all shipping companies provide for safe practices in ship operation and a safe working environment; establish safeguards against all identified risks; and continuously improve safety management skills of personnel ashore and aboard ships, including preparing for emergencies related both to safety and environmental protection.

  • 2019: Imo APC backs Oshiomhole, Buhari

    …says party is repositioned for victory

     

    As the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), grapples with the challenges of selecting its candidates for the 2019 general elections, the Imo State chapter of the party, has restated its confidence in the National leadership of the party headed by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

    The State Chairman of the party, Hon Daniel Nwafor, who made the position of the SEC known to journalists in Owerri, commended Oshiomhole’s leadership style, which he said has strengthened participatory and internal democracy in the party.

    Describing Oshiomhole as the best thing that has happened to the party, Nwafor, noted that he has successfully navigated the party out of crisis and repositioned it for great exploits within a short period.

    According to the APC Chair, the effect of the ‘Oshiomhole magic’, has already transformed the APC in Imo State, adding that “it is now the party of first choice among other numerous political parties.

    In his words, ” I am highly impressed with the performance of the Chairman of our great party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and this has justified our support for him. In his first few months in office, he has returned the party to the winning ways. From the Ekiti governorship election to Senate bye elections in other states, the party has won convincingly against the predictions of the opposition “.

    Read Also: Flooding: APC UK expresses readiness to assist victims

    He continued that, ” Imo APC under my leadership has implicit and unshakable confidence in the National leadership of our party headed by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and we are ready to sweep the polls as a way of appreciating his astute leadership.

    “The name of Oshiomhole has been giving opposition parties sleepless nights and that is what the APC needed at this time. I make bold to say that it took the strong leadership of Oshiomhole to defeat the intention of those that defected from the APC, which was to destroy the party. So the party is relying on Oshiomhole’s experience, goodwill and strength of character to win the 2019 elections”.

    The party also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his “Sterling achievements”, which they said has endeared the APC to Nigerians.

    Nwafor assured that the President will record landslide victory in the state, adding that, “President Muhammadu Buhari has performed so well with remarkable projects in the Southeast, such that working for his reelection will not pose any challenge and he will have a resounding victory in Imo State in 2019”.

    Meanwhile the Imo state chapter of the APC adopted the indirect primary as the mode for electing its candidates in line with the directives of the party’s NEC

  • Imo Police rescue stolen corpse

    …arrest killers of Imo Catholic priest

    Imo State Police Command on Thursday paraded two suspected criminals who stole a female corpse and demanded N5 million ransom from the owner of the morgue.

    The suspects, Chukwudi Chukwu and Bethel Ibe both from Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, were reported to have burgle into the Jesus Hospital Mortuary also in Ikeduru and carted away the corpse whose identity was concealed from journalists.

    They thereafter contacted the owner of the morgue, Prince Bright Njoku and demanded for ransom.

    But the Police busted their hideout, arrested them and rescued the corpse before the ransom could be paid.

    The State Commissioner of Police, Dasuki Galadanchi, paraded the suspects and the corpse at the Police Headquarters in Owerri.

    Meanwhile operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Imo police command have arrested the suspected killers of Rev Fr. Jude Egbom of St Patrick’s Catholic Parish, Amucha in Njaba Council Area of the state.

    The Reverend Father was shot dead on Monday night along Nkwerre- Anara road and his vehicle stolen .

    Parading the suspects, Chigozie Uzoukwu,33 and Peter Ochokwu, 21, the Commissioner of Police, said the suspects were arrested in hideout in Nkwerre.

    Galadanchi who decried the killing of the cleric, said that “no murderer goes unpunished”.

    He disclosed that he activated the Tactical Units of the Command to nab the fleeing criminals immediately after they committed the heinous crime.

    According to him, “the efforts of the Command paid off with the arrest of the two suspects,recovery of the Priest’s vehicle and traveling bag”.

    He revealed further that one of the suspects, Ochokwu, was an ex convict who had spent one year in Owerri prison for alleged involvement in an armed robbery case.

    Read Also:Court slams death penalty on armed robber in Ondo

    The CP said “on September 11 at Owerri Nkwoji in Nkwerre LGA, Imo state ,F-SARS operatives led by CSP Godfrey Victor on a tip off arrested two suspects in connection with the murder of Rev Fr Jude Egbom. ”

    “The suspects are one Peter Ochokwu, 21, of Umuibu in Owerre Nkworji Nkwerre LGA and Chigozie Uzoukwu ,33,of same address.

    “A black Toyota Corolla with registration No FKJ 984 EV suspected to belong to the hoodlums who robbed and murdered the Cleric was recovered.

    “Interestingly, one leg shoe was found in the abandoned car of the Rev. Fr.the second leg of the shoe was found in the Toyota corolla of the suspects. Some of the property belonging to the victim was found in the house of one of the suspects”.

  • Imo APC governorship aspirant rejects indirect primary

    An APC governorship aspirant in Imo State, Barr Chima Anozie, has asked his supporters to disregard reports about the adoption of indirect primary by the state chapter of the party.
    He said the  stakeholders of the party in the state are yet to take a position on the mode for the primary.
    Speaking with newsmen after obtaining his expression of interest and nomination form, Anozie said that the  State APC stakeholders have not met to take a position on the mode of primary for the elections.
    The Imo State APC, under the chairmanship of Chidi Nwafor had met on Thursday in Owerri and announced that it has adopted indirect primary to elect its candidates.
    But Anozie, who was the first aspirant from Imo to pick him form ahead of the elections maintained that the State can only take a position in a meeting that would be attended by all the stakeholders from both factions.
    “I want to make it known here that the Imo APC has not taken any position on its mode of primary for electing candidates for our elections.I am an aspirant, I have bought my expression of interest and nomination form for the governorship election at the cost of N22.5m.
    “Can you say I am not a stakeholder in the party? Who are the stakeholders that met. This is about election and it is all about testing our popularity at the grassroots. Why then are we afraid of that aspect of our democracy?
    “For the party to arrive at a position of the process, all the stakeholders must be in agreement as directed by the National leadership of our party. If not, Imo APC would face serious crisis that may affect its performance in the 2019 elections,” he said.

  • Katsina, Kaduna, Rivers, Imo APC adopt indirect method to pick candidates

    •Ebonyi to use consensus option

    More state chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have adopted the mode of picking candidates for the 2019 elections.

    President Muhammadu Bihari’s home state Katina, Kaduna, Rivers and Imo states have chosen the indirect primary option. Ebony State opted for consensus arrangement but with an indirect system back up in places where they fail to reach a consensus.

    But Kaduna central Senator Shehu Sani rejected the decision of the state executive and stakeholders. The senator said direct primary ought to have been chosen.

    The Katsina meeting endorsed the candidature of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Aminu Masari to run for second term.

    The meeting in Imo was presided over by state chairman Daniel Nwafor.

    The motion for the adoption of the indirect primaries was moved by the APC Chairman in Nwangele Local Government Area Jude Mbamara and seconded and seconded by Obinna Egu, member representing Ngor-Okpala Council Area in the House of Assembly.

    At the APC stakeholders meeting in Rivers, members voted to pick their prefered option.

    Indirect primary recorded 106 votes, Consensus got three votes and Direct primary got just one vote.

    The meeting was presided over by Rivers State Chairman Ojukaye Flag-Amachree. It was attended by other members of the State Working Committee (SWC), Senator Andrew Uchendu (Rivers East); and the Deputy National Secretary of APC, Chief Victor Giadom.

    Flag-Amachree said:”I want to announce that members of the Rivers State APC, having sat down and considered all the various options, agreed to go for indirect primaries, based on reasons including insecurity, lack of data base and logistic challenge.”

    Senator Uchendu said: “I am a foundation member of PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) and APC. I must praise the Rivers State Chairman of APC (Flag-Amachree) for organising this type of platform for us to air our views.

    “We will definitely not have a safe venue, at which we will call all our teeming supporters together for direct primaries. We know that the government of Nyesom Wike does not want APC to exist in Rivers State.

    “If we gather at a place for direct primaries, we will be in trouble. We know what Wike and his supporters are capable of doing and what they had done over the years. Opting for direct primaries in Rivers State will be putting the lives of APC faithful at risks.

    Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari who announced the decision, said: “indirect primary is the most ideal for us as it is rancour free, less expensive, and addresses logistics and security challenges. Although opponents of the indirect primaries argue that it encourages corruption which I quiet admit, but it still remains the best option within the time limit available to us’’

    State Chairman Shitu Shitu said the “states were given three options—direct voting, indirect (delegate) system and consensus voting.

    ”It is based on that we in Katsina have decided to come together as critical stakeholders to endorse the option we have chosen today and it is unanimously agreed”.

    Senator Sani for the first time since his suspension by the party in 2016, was in attendance at the party’s SEC meeting and was sighted exchanging banters with Deputy Governor. Barnabas Bala Bantex.

    State chairman Emmanuel K. Jekada said, “The ‘Direct Primary method’ is not applicable in the State due to the following reasons: Absence of a comprehensive register of party members; the APC Kaduna party leadership has made spirited attempts to acquire a comprehensive database of party members from the party’s National Headquarters but to no avail. Without a comprehensive membership register, any direct primaries may be disrupted by non-members including individuals from other parties who may come up with fake membership cards to cause confusion in the process.

    “The Direct primary method would result in significant logistic challenges for the party; with party membership running into hundreds of thousands in the state, printing of ballots, deployment of election materials, accreditation, voting, collation and declaration of results would be very expensive with financial cost surpassing a billion naira in Kaduna alone. These are costs that the party may not be able to shoulder in view of the fact that it was not envisaged, and no budget provision has been made for it.

    Senator Sani and his predecesor Senator Mohammed Sani Saleh rejected the sdecision.

    Sani said: “ ‘So far out of these three categories of people, the state executive committee has taken its own stand, it is left for critical stakeholders and aspirants to state their own position on this matter. And as an aspirant to the office of senator for Kaduna central senatorial district, I do not agree to indirect method of conducting the primaries because of obvious reasons.

    In Ebonyi, the resolution was agreed upon at the meeting attended by APC leaders including past members of the national and state assemblies, led by Chairman Chief Eze Nwachukwu.

    The chairman said explained that the security challenges in the state and alleged sponsored attacks on party faithful by rival political thugs would not allow the party to go for direct primaries.

    He added that the party would not be able to grapple with the challenges posed by direct primaries, even though it gives equal opportunity to all registered and card carrying party members to participate in selecting flag bearers.

    Members at the meeting, in a unanimous decision, voted in favour of consensus method as first option for the selection of party’s flag bearers for all elective positions in the 2019 general elections.

    They also voted to adopt indirect primaries where consensus arrangement failed to produce consensus candidate.

  • ADC gives automatic ticket to 118 legislators

    Fix Oct. 6 for Presidential primary

     

    Ahead of the 2019 general election, the African Democratic Congress rewarded 118 federal and state legislators who joined the party with automatic ticket, while planning to nominate its Presidential candidate on the 6th of October.

    National Chairman of the party, Chief Ralph Nwosu who disclosed this at the National Executive Committee meeting of the party in Abuja said the party decided to reward the lawmakers for coming out boldly to identify with the fastest growing party in Nigeria (ADC) at a crucial time in the history of the country’s democracy.

    He said that among those to benefit from the automatic ticket are five senators, Eighteen members of the House of Representatives and Ninety five me,bets of state Houses of Assembly.

    The ADC Chairman said, “We need to honour and appreciate them because they abandoned the ruling and bigger parties for a party that is just gathering momentum.

    “The development can be attributed to the fact that the lawmakers and Nigerians at large have agreed that an end must come to anarchy, insecurity, lack of focus and terrorism in Nigeria. And the best platform, right now, is ADC. They are from Adamawa, Ondo, Osun, Imo, Ebonyi, Ogun and Oyo states, among others.”

    Speaking on the party’s preparedness for the 2019 elections, Nwosu said that the primaries for aspirants contesting for the House of Assembly elections would hold on September 29, 2018, while governorship primaries would hold on October 2, 2018.

    He said the the party has also scheduled National Assembly primaries for hold October 4, 2018, and presidential, October 6, 2018, pointing out that “Aspirants have been coming to take forms for the presidential primaries. We will unveil our aspirants very soon”.

    He disclosed that the ADC has launched a campaign against vote buying and electoral corruption under the name: Coalition for Electoral Integrity, saying “We invite the media and the general public to join the party in enlightening the Nigerian electorate that trading their votes for money means mortgaging a very bright future and we must stop that”.

    He described ADC is a vision driven grassroots political party with Role-Modelling Leadership paradigm and is not in the ridiculous ‘Harvest-Bazaar’ money politics and ‘godfatherism’.

    Read Also: ADC to hold State congress to elect leaders in Ogun

    Speaking on the forthcoming Osun State governorship election, Nwosu said the party was confident of victory, pointing out that the party has received letters from labour unions, civil servants and other pressure groups in the state showing great support for the party’s candidates.

    Nwosu said, “We are assuring Osun State workers and the people, who, on their own, have shown great support for ADC’s Governorship candidate, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade and his running mate, Rtd Justice Folahanmi Oloyede, based on their excellent public service records, that our candidates will take them away from the grip of insensitive leaders and lead them far away from poverty

    “The people of Osun should be assured that we will always stand by them at all times and will not betray the confidence reposed in us. We are set to hit the ground on September 15, 2018, with our mega rally, as the first step towards taking the state to the path of prosperity.”

  • Five nabbed for raping ‘mentally unstable’ woman in Anambra

    Five persons have been arrested by the Police in Anambra State following alleged kidnap of four children in various parts of Umunze community in Orumba South council area of the state.

    The suspects, reportedly met their waterloo after alleged rape of a woman said to be mentally unstable and abducting her 3-year old baby boy at Oye Ihite market.

    One of the suspects, was said to have lured the victim and her little baby, Ifeanyichukwu Obiukwu with snacks with a promise to buy rice and wrapper for her.

    Narrating her ordeal, the woman who gave her name as Obiuwanne, from Amazu-Ikpaocha, Arondizuogu in Imo state, said they were conveyed on two motorcycles into a bush were she was raped and dumped, before escaping with her baby.

    Read Also: Buhari to illegal migrants: You are at risk

    Corroborating the report, a relation to the woman, Mr Marthin Okoro, said he reported the matter to the commander of the Vigilante in the area.

    “As soon as my niece was brought back home by a neighbor and narrated her ordeal, I immediately contacted the Commander of Umunze Vigilantee Group, Jerry Ibeh, who quickly organized a search for the missing child,” he said.

    President General of the community, Mr John Akanyionu, who confirmed the incident, said the community had formed a Youth Vigilantee to further strengthen the existing one to fish out perpetrators of the acts.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Haruna Muhammed, confirmed the incident, saying the victims were rescued from the suspects at at about 8.30am following intelligence report.

    He gave the names of the suspects as Emeka Nnorue (44) and Eberechi Onyeghara (14) from Imo state, Ekene Obodoako (27) from Ebonyi state, and Chika Obi (28) from Anambra state.

    Mohammed assured that the suspects would be brought to justice after investigations were concluded.

    He urged parents whose children were either stolen or missing to report at the State CIID Awka for identification of the already found children.

    “The command will continue to serve and protect all citizens with integrity and in accordance with internationally acceptable best practices,” he assured.

  • I regret supporting Buhari – Kwankwaso

    Former Kano State Governor and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential aspirant, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said he and other people that dumped the PDP to support President Muhammadu Buhari in 2014 against the then President Goodluck Jonathan are currently regretting their actions.

    Kwankwaso who was in Owerri, the Imo state capital on a consultation visit to PDP members, condemned President Buhari’s approach to “revving the nation’s economy”.

    The former governor expressed worry over the poor state of infrastructure in the Southeast, adding that the anomaly can only be corrected by a change of government in the center by 2019.

    He was hopeful that the PDP will form government at the center and in many states of the federation next year.

    According to him, Nigerians are fed up with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) “and would be happy seeing PDP return to power”.

    Read Also: Buhari: national interest should override personal liberty

    In his words, “from North to South, the citizens are looking for a government that would not pay emphasis on religion,ethnicity and culture but national development. PDP’s government in 2019 shall bring development and create the adequate platforms that provide jobs for teeming Nigerians”.

    “I have been in Southeast in last few days and I want to say that the state of infrastructure in this region is incredible. It is either that the government lacks the capacity to improve the economy or something. Electricity is important in this country. The people need a government that will be just and provide jobs for teeming young Nigerians”.

    In his speech, elder statesman and PDP Board of Trustee (BoT) member, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, described Kwankwaso as a good material for the office of the President.

    He urged Nigerians to join PDP to “vote out a government that had failed the country”.

    The Imo state PDP Chairman, Charles Ezekwem, who was represented by his Deputy,Martin Ejiogu, said that Igbo people would only vote for a presidential candidate that would restructure the country and create an additional state in the region.

  • Okorocha swears in new LG chairmen

    Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo on Monday charged the 27 local government council chairmen to shun corruption and refrain from abusing the trust vested in them by the electorate.

    Okorocha gave the charge at the inauguration ceremony of the chairmen who were elected on Saturday, according to a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Sam Onwuemeodo.

    The ceremony was performed by Justice Theophilus Nzeukwu, representing the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Pascal Nnadi, at Government House, Owerri.

    Okorocha also urged them to first consider the effect their actions would have on the masses and advised them to do all they could to improve the lives of the people.

    “Today you have been chosen to steer the ships of the various Local Governments of Imo State; this victory is unique as it comes with a lot of responsibilities.

    “To whom much is given, much is expected. You must ensure that the people do not regret voting you as their chairmen,” he said.

    The governor noted that the councils had achieved various developmental feats and charged them to meet up with the high expectations of his administration.

    He, however, warned against misappropriation of public funds, adding that the consequences would be dire.

    “Within these seven years under the Transition Committee arrangement, we saw local government councils building 200-bed hospitals, building schools ICT Centres and chapels in every local government.

    “During this period under review, no local government has built or constructed less than 50 kms of roads, all asphalted, in addition to the free education that our children now enjoy, all courtesy of local governments of Imo State.

    “This is to tell you the standard local governments have performed under the `Rescue Mission Government’, you must never perform less.

    “You are now the chief executives to manage the resources of your respective local governments. Prudence should be your watchword.

    “Any corrupt chairman will be compelled to face the wrath of the law; Make sure you give account of any public fund you have used,” he said.

    The governor also directed that the chairmen should all live in the council headquarters, warning that it would now be an impeachable offence for any chairman to live outside the council headquarters.

    He added that his administration would partner with the chairmen, subject to the availability of funds, to build quarters for the councillors.

    He also advised them to work in harmony with their vice chairmen and councillors, to avoid squabbles among them, and to carry the traditional rulers along.

    Responding on behalf of his colleagues, Mr Mbagwu Augustine, the Chairman, Nkwerre Local Government, gave the assurance that they would work in line with the letters of the Oath of Office and allegiance they took.