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Tag: inaugurates

  • Consul General inaugurates Nigerian union secretariat South Africa

    Nigeria’s Consul General in South Africa, Amb. Uche Ajulu-Okeke, on Friday inaugurated the secretariat of the Nigerian Union in Pretoria, describing the association as a rallying point for Nigerians in South Africa.

    Speaking at the inauguration in Pretoria, South Africa, she urged Nigerians resident in South Africa to register with the union to ensure easy access to the Nigerian mission in that country.

    Okeke also urged smaller associations to affiliate with the union, saying it remains a platform for interface between the mission and Nigerians.

    She said the mission was in touch with Nigerians resident in South Africa through the network of the union’s branches in the country during the xenophobic attacks.

    ‘’ In government records, successive Consul Generals have said that the Nigerian Union provides the most veritable umbrella to deal with and interface with Nigerians.

    ‘’ It was exemplified during the xenophobic attacks that we were able to have a touch of everywhere because of the wide spread reach of the Nigerian Union.

    ‘’ So, we do not have a viable alternative to the Nigerian Union.

    “ However, because the Nigerian constitution guarantees freedom of association, anybody can belong to any association they like,’’ she said.

    Okeke also said the plans by the union to introduce a national identity card for all Nigerians in South Africa was commendable.

    She said that the mission would inform all the Provincial Commissioners of Police about the project in order to give it recognition.

    The Consular General’s office, she added, would provide a photo copying machine, a computer set and a television set to the Secretariat.

    The President of the Nigerian Union, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, said the union was formed in 2008 and has chapters in nine provinces and 58 wards in South Africa.

    ‘’ The union’s objectives are to promote unity among Nigerians in South Africa while supporting and promoting growth among Nigerians in the areas of trade, learning and culture,’’ he said.

    Anyene said other objectives were to advance and project the corporate image of Nigeria and to support healthy relationship between Nigerians, South Africans and other nationalities in trade, commerce, learning and culture.

    He commended the consular general for working closely with the union and assisting it to meet the needs of Nigerians in South Africa.

    “ The national secretariat will be a rallying point for all Nigerians in South Africa.

    “ It will coordinate the activities of all the chapters to make it work as an organised unit,’’ he said.

  • SON inaugurates national metrology institute

    SON inaugurates national metrology institute

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has opened the National Metrology Institute (NNMI) to boost export base by providing the required confidence and reliability in export goods.

    To ensure accuracy in measurements in the country,  SON had set in motion the establishment of  NMI which would be the custodian  of National Measurement Standard with the highest  measurement reference in the country through traceability to the International System of Units.

    SON’s Director-General, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, said the NMI would be responsible for carrying out measurement standards and providing traceability and accuracy of measurement to industries,  laboratories,  trade and commerce,  aviation,  oil and gas, agriculture,  health,  education,  automotive, mining,  power and other sectors of the economy.

    Odumodu, who spoke in Enugu during the ground breaking of NNMI,  said, SON has delivered on its promise of quality of life from 45 per cent to 85 per cent.

    He said in Nigeria there were few cases of housing collapse,  since the sensitisation of Nigerians on buying the right cement products.

  • Orji inaugurates transition committee

    Orji inaugurates transition committee

    Ahead of the May 29 swearing-in date of a new administration, the governor of Abia State, Chief Theodore Orji, has inaugurated a 15-man transition committee that will usher in the incoming government of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, with a charge to be thorough in the discharge of its  duty.

    Speaking while inaugurating the committee in Umuahia, Governor Orji said they are expected to supervise the transition that will bring in the new government.

    Orji said that the elections are over, adding that the next step for his administration is to ensure that there is a smooth transition that is devoid of rancour for the even development of the state and its people.

    He noted that the administration has kept faith with the people.

    “This administration has succeeded in the accomplishment of ensuring that there is equity, justice and fair play through having a governor of Ukwa/Ngwa extraction.”

    The governor said that the transition committee, which has one woman, Mrs Chinedu Brown, is to be headed by the Secretary to the State Government [SSG] Prof Mkpa Agu Mkpa , stressing that they should ensure a smooth transition.

    The governor urged the committe to be thorough in the execution of its assignment, saying  “Every one of you has all it takes to do a good job for the state and its people before the handover date.”

    Speaking on behalf of the members,  the chairman of the committee, Prof Mkpa, thanked the governor for finding them worthy for the task, adding that all the members are competent for the job they have accepted.

    Mkpa assured that the committee will do its job very well, promising not to disappoint the government. He, however, pleaded with the governor to urge his commissioners, including the governor’s office to avail the committee with facts necessary for a successful work.

  • Jonathan inaugurates N600 million CAN centre in Abuja

    Jonathan inaugurates N600 million CAN centre in Abuja

    President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday inaugurated the over N600 million Christian Association of Nigerian’s (CAN) Jubilee Resort and Leadership Centre in Abuja.

    The Centre, which is within the premises of the National Christian Centre, Abuja, provides rooms, accommodation and halls for conferences to the public at a fee.

    Thanking God that he decleared open the beginning and ending of the project, Jonathan said that with unity of purpose, the body of Christ can achieve greater things.

    He said: “I urge Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of unity and with it nothing can stop us from reaching greater heights.”

    He noted that one of the greatest assets from a family to the nation is good leadership.

    “I believe this centre will be used to re-orientate and re-focus us,” he said.

    He warned that it will not be good if the edifice cannot generate income to at least cater for its maintenance.

    Commending the prudence in the cost of the building, he said that such building and its facilities would have cost three times the cost expended if it was handled by the government.

    CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, stated that the cost of the building came down because some engineers and other people gave their services free of charge.

    Stressing that there are many five-star and four-star hotels in Abuja, he said that none of them provides a quiet and godly place like the resort.

    Also noting that the presence of God is worth more than any other thing, he said that the resort has become a revenue earner for the association.

    Among those who received plaques for their donations to the project included Jim Ovia, Tony Elumelu, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio and FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed.

     

  • LASU inaugurates union leaders

    LASU inaugurates union leaders

    The new auditorium of the Lagos State University (LASU) in Ojo was filled last Friday for the inauguration of the Students’ Union Government (SUG).

    The ceremony was attended by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof John Obafunwa; his deputy for Academics, Prof Sena Bakare, Dean, Student Affairs Unit, Prof Kabir Akinyemi and students.

    Adeyemi Onikoro was sworn in as the 25th president of the union. Also, members of Students’ Parliamentary Council (SPC) took their oaths at the event, which started at 10am.

    After taking the oath, Adeyemi said the occasion marked a new beginning for students’ unionism on the campus, praising the courage of students for electing him as their leader. He praised his predecessor for keeping the tradition of the union, noting that the outgoing executive led by Nurudeen Yusuf raised the bar of performance.

    “The union remained vibrant under the restoration team led by Nurudeen. He, indeed, restored confidence and trust back to the union, not only in the eyes of the student alone, but also the entire members of the university community,” he said.

    Adeyemi said his administration would focus on rebranding of the union and promised to run a violence-free administration. He said he would implement good programmes that would ensure a stable academic calendar. “I promise to also maintain a cordial relationship between management and students. I believe it is time for us to create together a new union we will all be proud of. We must see strength in our weakness and wisdom in our mistakes. Together, we will all have smooth academic calendar.”

    Adeyemi Onikoro is a 400-Level Law student and the 25th union president of the institution.

     

     

  • Fashola inaugurates governing council for PSSDC

    Fashola inaugurates governing council for PSSDC

    The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola has inaugurated a nine-member Governing Council for the Lagos State Public Service Staff Development Centre (PSSDC).

    At the inauguration ceremony in his office, Fashola said the ultimate dream was to see the institution become the Lagos School of Government in the mould of the Kennedy School of Government in the United States and other such schools across the world.

    The Council, headed by a former Head, Lagos State Civil Service, Prince Adesegun Ogunlewe, has other members drawn from both the public and private sectors, including Mr. Abiola Popoola, the immediate past president of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, Mrs. Regina Olubunmi Fabamwo, Director-General of PSSDC, Mr. Adeshina Mohammed Odeyemi, Mrs. Kikelomo Morenike Sanyaolu, Mrs. Olubusola Ajibola Abidakun, Mrs. Adetokunbo Ogabi, Prof Hakeem Fashina-Bombata and Mr. Idowu Oladipupo John. The Council has three years tenure.

    Fashola said the inauguration was coming at a time when there was urgent need for outstanding leadership not only in Nigeria, but across the globe in order to make human civilisation live up to its expectation and achieve its full possibilities.

    Fashola, who also expressed delight that the inauguration was coming so close to the end of his tenure, added that his pleasure arose from the fact that he could look back and say his administration was leaving behind not just a strong public service but also a very strong and respected Public Service Training Institution.

    He thanked the initiators of the institution which he described as “a far-sighted vision” adding that although it is still work in progress, government had over the last few years committed a lot of resources and time “in first upgrading the infrastructure of the school so that it is an environment that is conducive to learning which has all the tools”.

    He noted that the institution was already playing the role of a Lagos School of Government “in a much understated way” pointing out that aside the institution being the place where the state’s teachers now receive their annual courses, it was the place where the government converted graduates into volunteer English, Mathematics and science teachers and sent them to the state’s secondary schools to help train students in those subjects.

    He said: “This is also where the reformed programmes for the Lagos State Transport Management Agency (LASTMA) and Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) into the Lagos Law Enforcement cadre of the public service took place.”

    Fashola added that a lot of the resources that have been generated by government has been deposited in the same institution where, according to him, the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and the state’s revenue generation formula were developed.

    According to him, the government is happy to invest resources into the institution through which he said government is now developing the leadership qualities of the Nigerian people within the Nigerian territory instead of sending them overseas.

    He added that he has been receiving letters from governments within and outside Nigeria asking for his government to send resource persons to share the knowledge with them.

    Fashola expressed confidence that the ultimate dream would be achieved, saying: “This is because in the men and women that we have chosen, we have a lot of confidence, there is a lot of experience on one hand, there is a lot of youthfulness on the other side and there is a rich mix also of private and public sector experience going into the governing school.”

  • Elections: Minister inaugurates 50 operational vehicles for NSCDC

    Mr Abba Moro, Minister of Interior, has inaugurated 50 operational vehicles for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to ensure security during and after the general elections.

    Moro performed the inauguration on Thursday in Abuja.

    He stressed the need for violence-free elections and urged the NSCDC officials and other para-military personnel deployed for the elections to be non partisan and professional in the discharge of their duty.

    “As security officers, you are not unaware of the importance the present administration attaches  to free, fair and credible elections which is violence-free,

    “In the light of this, I urge you to go out there and distinguish yourselves by ensuring that the electorates cast their votes in an environment that is free of any fear of molestation or intimidation,’’ he said.

    The minister also urged the NSCDC to work closely with other security agencies to ensure peaceful and credible elections and also the protection of government facilities even after the elections.

    He said that the Hilux vehicles which were part of Federal Government’s intervention to checkmate oil theft, would be deployed to ensure better security of facilities in the oil sector, after the elections.

    Earlier, the Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Dr Ade Abolurin, assured of the Corps’ readiness to provide adequate security during and after the elections.

    He enjoined officers to be of good conduct and be civil in dealing with the electorate during the elections.

    “I want to enjoin officers and men of the corps to be alert and alive to their responsibilities during the general elections.

    “As security personnel, you should not compromise your integrity but work assiduously as patriotic citizens and ambassadors of excellence wherever you are deployed to serve,’’ Abolurin said.

    He said over 55,000 regular personnel of the corps and sniffer dogs had be deployed for the elections.

    He also said that about 120,000 non regular personnel would be deployed across the country for the polls.

  • Orji inaugurates health facilities

    Orji inaugurates health facilities

    •Governor Orji at ward
    •Governor Orji at ward

    Abia State Governor Theodore Orji has flagged off a mother-and-child ward and an administrative complex at Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), Aba.

    The project will add value to the health sector in the state, the governor said, adding that there were plans to also build an auditorium at the teaching hospital’s permanent site.

    The governor while reinstating his commitment in providing medical services in the state for its citizenry, said that health and security remained a priority of his administration.

    He said further that his government had invested huge sums in the two sectors.

    “It is only a healthy person that can appreciate the dividends of democracy while nothing can be achieved in an atmosphere of insecurity,” he said.

    He maintained that his administration has done unprecedentedly well in health as his government has built over 750 centres across the 17 local government areas of the state, including a diagnostic hospital in Aba and Umuahia, ultra-modern dialysis and eye centres to ensure that the people of the state are healthy.

    He added that the attention being given to ABSUTH is to ensure that all the necessary medical facilities needed in a hospital were located under one roof, urging residents of Aba and its environs to patronise the facilities at the hospital rather than quacks.

    In his speech, the Chairman, Local Government Sure-P, Chief Joseph Ogwo, said the projects will enhance service delivery in the hospital and thanked the Governor for distributing dividends of democracy to all sectors of the economy.

     

  • Fashola inaugurates new Oyingbo market, 24 years after

    Fashola inaugurates new Oyingbo market, 24 years after

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola inaugurated yesterday the new ultra modern Oyingbo market complex, 24 years after it was demolished for reconstruction.

    The new four-floor massive complex, sitting on  544 square metres, boasts of 150-car capacity parking lot on the ground floor, 622 open shops; 102 lock-up shops; 48 open offices, 134 toilets and six exit gates.

    Handing over the market, the governor congratulated the original occupants of the old Oyingbo market who are still alive to witness the ceremony.

    He recalled with nostalgia how importance the Oyingbo market was to Lagos and Nigeria in the yesteryears and what it was a couple of decades ago, citing that even his grandmother used to   trade in the market.

    Fashola recalled that the new market was part of his campaign promises in 2007.

    According to him, “I hold my promises in high esteem. And I am here to hand over the market in fulfillment of my promise.

    “Our democracy will make progress so long as you vote for parties that will make promise to you and keep them.

    “This new Oyingbo market is one of my promises and it is here today and more modern than what used to be here before.

    “I was not too young to know the old Oyingbo market because my grandmother used to sell aluminum pans somewhere around here.”

    He pleaded with the users to maintain cleanliness and orderliness in the complex and assured that the 618 original occupants would be allocated shops.

    “We hope that they will all leave the roadside and come into the market, therefore freeing up the road for free-flow of traffic.”

    Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure Obafemi Hamzat said the new market was of international standard.

    He added that Fashola really cared about the market which was first built in 1930 and had directed that a befitting market must be built after several failed attempts since it was demolished in 1991.

    The commissioner urged traders to make good use of the market and refrain from acts that could undermine the purpose for which it was rebuilt.

  • PAU inaugurates green building

    PAU inaugurates green building

    Those unfamiliar with what a green building looks like should take a trip to the Pan Atlantic University, PAU, Ajah on the outskirts of Lagos, where the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) just inaugurated one.

    The three-storey building which was completed in two years was designed to save energy by 40 per cent.

    The structure, which is located within the Lagos Business School (LBS) campus of the university in Ajah, was inaugurated by the Minister of Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga.

    Describing the building as a true example of environmental sustainable building in Nigeria and West Africa, the Director, EDC, Peter Bamkole said the centre invested heavily in alternative energy to power the building.

    He said: “The 2, 000 square metres EDC building, with three floors is significant in many ways.  The first is that this building is a green building.  As you walk into the main foyer of the building, there is an instant sense of light.  We harvest at least 12 hours of natural light every day. From the design stage we wanted to save at least 40 per cent of energy usage when compared with similar buildings in Nigeria, and across the continent so we invested heavily in alternate energy.

    “Embedded in the roof is 96 double length solar panel that produce enough energy to power all the street and perimeter lighting, all the access control, CCTV, internet, IP phones, the lighting in the main foyer, the general office and 50 per cent of the air conditioning in the general office.

    “Every floor is equipped with an online inverter system that carries other sensitive training equipment, from 5pm to 8pm every day, on weekends and indeed at off peak periods. We run only on clean energy.”

    Bamkole explained that the building, which was conceived about three years ago, was built by the Small and Medium Entrepreneurs of PAU. At the conception stage, he said he did not know what the building would look like.

    “The architect, Jeff walked into my office and said kindly describe the kind of building you want so that we can craft out how the building will look. It was very difficult because I was not used to crafting out the nature of a building, I could tell you what I wanted but that was a new one for me. After a lot of persuasion we settled for a smart green building that will have a recognisable character that will instantly energise all those that enter it.

    “…(A building) where learners and visitors will express freedom, transparency, flexibility, innovation and loads of light.  We wanted all the floors in the building to be visible and connected to one another. A sense of family between us and all those that we serve; we wanted their stay in the building to be, memorable and we wanted to leave a lasting impression on all those that enter the building,” he added.

    Bamkole said one of their entrepreneurs installed the motion sensors in all common areas, while two others also advised on how they can optimise their energy consumption in an energy report that they completed.

    In his speech, Aganga said he first learnt about the EDC while working with the Goldman Sachs, USA in 2010. He praised the centre’s effort to groom entrepreneurial leaders who will impact the society.

    “EDC has proven its commitment to facilitate access to market for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). With the establishment of this magnificent building, EDC is indeed an inspiration,” he said.

    On his part the Vice Chancellor, Prof Juan Elegido, said the EDC is the main vehicle through which the PAU endeavours to serve the immediate society in ways that go beyond teaching and research.

    He said that the impact has been truly significant as “they are already serving Nigerians.”