The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kogi State

  • Two die, seven vehicles destroyed in Kogi accident

    Two persons were burnt beyond recognition and properties running into millions of naira were on Tuesday destroyed in a multiple accident involving five trailer trucks and two J5 buses, at the Old Zango-Idakoivo slope, in Okene, Kogi State.

    The accident which happened around 11 pm of Tuesday, had all the seven vehicles burnt to ashes, leading to heavy traffic, forcing travelers plying the Okene route to abandon their vehicles.

    It took the efforts of the officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Okene unit command, supported by some members of the community, several hours to put out the fire.

    Read Also: Senate probes Kogi govt’s $500m foreign loan

    The FRSC Okene unit commander, Dr Adelaja Ogungbemi attributed the multiple accident to brake failure from one of the trailers, resulting to collision into other vehicles, adding that the impact ignited the fire that engulfed all the other vehicles.

    He said that officers of his unit did all they could before they were able to put out the fire by 10am, the following day.

    He said that the unit was making efforts to clear the obstruction created to allow for free traffic flow.

    He also charged drivers to ensure that their vehicles are in order before putting them on the road.

    He expressed hope that both the Federal and the Kogi State governments make efforts towards fixing alternative routes in the area` before the Yuletide, to ensure free traffic flow.

  • DSS parades woman for using first lady’s name in multi-million naira fraud

    An audacious woman use the name and office of First Lady Aisha Buhari at the Aso Rock presidential villa to stage fraudulent acts, one of which may have yielded about N150 million is now in custody, the Department of State Security (DSS) disclosed on Monday.

    Briefing reporters at the DSS headquarters in Abuja, its spokesman, Mr. Peter Nnochirionye Afunanya stated that investigation is continuing towards unraveling how the light complexioned middle-aged lady variously know as Amina Mohammed, Justina Oluoha and Amina Villa managed to beat the meticulous security protocols at the presidential villa and engage in her ‘business’ over an undetermined period.

    However, the accused lady pointedly contradicted the DSS version of the story, yelling at the top of her voice that she was never a fraudster as she only arranged transactions in Federal Government real estate, with the assistance of top government officials who had been benefitting from such.

    “They should ask the First Lady’s sisters, Mariatu is involved, Babachir Lawal knows about this; all the directors have been collecting bribes

    “I can never be a fraudster, I only deal in selling real estate that the Federal Government was disposing. SSS has been keeping me in this office for four months,” she screamed before being returned to another part of the DSS headquarters.

    However, DSS spokesman, Mr. Afunanya who dismissed her claims of being detained for four months stated that she had been reporting at the DSS office since November 22 last year when her ‘ unauthoorized acess to the presidential villa and used the name and office of the First Lady to engage in a fraudulent act’ was discovered.

    “The woman who will soon be paraded before you used false aliases, false identities to defraud unsuspecting members before she was discovered; Amina Mohammed, also known as Justina Oluoha, Amina Villa, had, on 22nd of November 2017, paraded herself as the First Lady of Kogi State.

    “She used the false identity to evade protocol and scrutiny, thus gaining unauthorized access into the villa and particularly the residence of the First Lady and wife of the President, Hajia Aisha Buhari; she took advantage of the fact that personalities such as  First Ladies, ministers and certain categories of officials are not taken through rigorous protocol and security checks at the villa (security) post.

    “What will  even surprise you is that Amina whose phone number is registered with the name Amina Villa had, on the said date, invited one Dr Alexander Chika Okafor also known as Chikason, into the villa wherein she made him to believe that the invitation was at the instance of the First Lady; investigation has revealed that the First Lady was away on lesser hajj and not in the villa during the period.

    “Dr Okafor had complained that he was fleeced of over N150 million with respect of a Federal Court of Appeal property in Lagos which Amina had promised to help him buy through the First Lady; the property was said to have been one of those under the Presidential Implementation Committee On Lease Of Federal Government Properties.

    “Investigation has shown that this unholy enterprise is not to the knowledge of the First Lady; what Amina simply did was to use the First Lady’s name and office as base to lure  and defraud her victims.

    “Members of the public are therefore advised to be wary of individuals or groups who drop names and offices of high government officials to defraud them,” he stated.

  • Group hit Kogi streets for Buhari’s re-election bid

    Ahead of the 2019 general election, the Kogi State chapter of the Buhari New Media Center took the campaign for President Muhammadu Buhari’s reelection bid to the streets of Lokoja, the state capital.

    Led by the state Director General, Williams Charles Oluwatoyin, they took their campaign to the market women and other residents telling of how the Buhari administration has impacted the lives of the common man.

    Read Also: Senate probes Kogi govt’s $500m foreign loan

    They distributed handbills and other campaign materials to small businesses along the popular Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Olusegun Obasanjo Square, Cantonment Street, Murtala Muhammed Road, Old Market and other adjoining areas and streets.

    The group also took the message of the Market Moni Social Investment and other Programmes of the present administration to the people and urged them to go ahead and register to be able to access the funds.

    The DG said that the street campaign served as avenue for the organization to take the message of President Buhari to members of the public and tell the people why they should support him.

  • Forex scam: Woman ‘dupes’ Kogi Rep of $49,800

    A woman, Amarachukwu Chineke, who allegedly obtained $49,800 (about N15, 438,000) from Kogi State lawmaker, Hon Emmanuel Egwu, under false pretences, was Monday brought before an Igbosere Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

    Chineke, 37, was arraigned by the Police Force Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID), Ikoyi, Lagos before Mrs Folashade Botoku on a three-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining under false pretence and stealing.

    Read Also:Herbalist ‘dupes’ hotel worker of N170,000

    Prosecuting Sergeant Friday Mameh, alleged that the defendant and others at large, committed the offences on September 19, on Abraham Adesanya Street, Lekki, Lagos.

    The court heard that Chineke obtained the money from Egwu, House of Representatives member representing Idah Federal Constituency, Kogi State under false pretence that she would exchange it to its Naira equivalent of N15, 438,000.

    Mameh said: “The defendant connived with others who are yet to be found to steal the sum of $ 49,800 US Dollars, property of Honourable Emmanuel Egwu, with pretence to give him the Naira equivalent.”

    According to him, the offence contravened sections 411, 314 (3) and 287 (5) (a), of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The defendant pleaded not guilty.

    Chief Magistrate Botoku granted her bail, in the sum of N2million, with two sureties in the like sum.

    She said the sureties must show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government and have their addresses verified.

    The case was adjourned till December 10, for trial.

     

     

  • Buhari attached great importance to private sector growth, says Ocheni

    Minister of Labour and Employment, Professor Stephen Ocheni has said that President Muhammadu Buhari attaches great importance to the development and growth of the private sector as well as welfare of workers in the country.

    The Minister who spoke while on an inspection of some industries such as the West African Ceramics, BN Ceramics and the Ajaokuta Steel Company all in Kogi state said the government of President Buhari embraces the growth and development of the private sector which explain why the economic policies are designed to be all inclusive to carry along the private sector.

    He said the “private sector development is a key factor in the economic development of Nigeria that is why President Buhari has embarked on all inclusive economic policy under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plans (ERGP). The policy emphasizes the need to carry along the private sector. Since the private sector development is very key programme in the execution of the economic policy of the Federal government” the Minister said.

    “This Symbolic Factory inspection is designed to ensure that the minimum standards spelt out in the relevant labour Acts and Factory Acts are complied with to ensure that workers have their desired welfare, health and safety and the essence is for us to have improved performance and productivity. This cannot be attained without a healthy workforce. When you have a healthy workforce of course you can expect the attainment of the goal of the organisation which is improved output. Welfare of workers is paramount and minimum standards must be attained” the Minister added.

    Read Also: Buhari pledges more infrastructure for Southeast

    The Director, Occupational Safety and Health, in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr. (Mrs.) Ifeoma Anyanwutaku said the symbolic workforce inspection is the statutory function of the Ministry of Labour and Employment to ensure industrial peace and harmony in the country as contained in the Labour Laws and Factory Acts.

    Accordingly to her the inspection exercise was not a fault finding exercise but aimed at advising both the employer of labour and the employees on the best labour practices in labour administration. The essence is to nip in the bud matters which would have escalated into industrial crises which the present administration frowns at.

    Chairman, West African Ceramics Industries Limited, Honourable Lawal Idirisu said his company has in it’s employment about 750 permanent staff and 250 outsourced workers, adding that the outsourced staff would gradually be absorbed into the system based on viability of vacancies.

    He highlighted the operations and achievements of his organisation and gave a check list of all efforts made by the company to promote worker’s welfare and safety. According to the Chairman, his company has organised in-house workshop on health and is in the process of training about 5o workers on occupational safety and health in the next two weeks

    On the other hand the Managing Director/CEO BN Ceramics Industry Limited, Mr Liu Yangxi, stated that some of the challenges the factory is facing is over bearing issues of multiple taxation, duties and tariffs on imported spares, imported raw materials above all the condition of logistics of moving products to the Nigerian market, therefore appealing to the Federal Government to help reduce some of the challenges.

    While on a facility tour of the Ajaokuta Steel Company, the Sole Administrator Engr. Abdul Akaba Ismaila said that optimum productivity is assured, because without workers welfare and safety, the employer will not have the benefit of maximum output hence the essence of workplace inspection is to strike a balance of a conducive working environment for all.

  • Kogi govt telecom operators bicker over poor service

    The Kogi State government on Wednesday explained that the closure of the premises of some mobile telephone service providers and shutting of their masts was because of their refusal to pay due fees and rents.

    The government countered claims by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators (ALTON) over the shutting of facilities in the state, saying that the action was based on court orders.

    The stalemate has however affected mobile telecommunication subscribers in the state who have in the last four days encountered difficulties following the dispute.

    Affected are mostly MTN and Airtel subscribers, as the service providers are alleged of evading payment of such dues to the state government.

    The Director, Legal and Enforcement, Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS), Jamil Isah said some of the fees and rents have been outstanding since 2006.

    Read Also: Kogi threatens national security by shutting 150 BTS

    He said that the KGIRS obtained court order to distrain the business premises of Airtel and MTN to recoup money owed, haven adjudged that they were due and owing.

    According to him: “The major players that are affected for now are MTN and Airtel. The sites that have been shut for Airtel are just five, while for MTN I don’t believe are up to 10, so the 150 number is not correct.

    “The demanded levies, rents and fees are also not illegal. In the case of Airtel, they have not paid their Right of Way permit fees which allows them to lay fibre optic cables in Kogi State. This payment has been due and owing since 2006 There are also outstanding yearly rents payable on the Right of Way Permits for the years 2017 and 2018.

    “There is also the Annual Social Service Development Levy and the Employee Economic Annual Development Levy. The penalty for failure to pay for right of Way Permit and some other penalties are included,” he noted.”

  • NDLEA arrests six, seizes 104 kg of Indian hemp

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kogi State says it has arrested six persons and seized 104.150 kg of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp between Oct.  25 and Saturday.

    Alhaji Idris Bello, the Commander of NDLEA in Kogi, said this while parading the suspects and the illicit substances on Tuesday in Lokoja.

    He said the arrests and seizures were made in different locations in the state.

    Bello said that a  65-year-old from Kaura Namoda in Zamfara was arrested with 90.7 kg of the illegal substance on the Okene-Lokoja highway on Oct. 25.

    He said another  19-year-old from Ofu Local Government of Kogi was arrested with 400 grams of  Indian hemp and a bottle of banned codeine cough syrup at Central Hotel in  Lokoja on Nov.  13.

    Two suspects,  both aged 25 and  from Kano, were arrested on Nov. 16  at Kasuwan-Ruwa area of Lokoja with 500 grams of  Indian hemp.

    Read Also: NDLEA freezes suspected Tramadol importer’s accounts

    A 19-year-old Nigeriene  and 36-year-old Nigerian were also arrested on the Okene-Lokoja highway with 11.6 kg of  Indian hemp and 80 grams of Tramadol.

    The sixth suspect, a 36-year-old, was also caught with 450 grams of  Indian hemp.

    Bello said the suspects would be prosecuted after due investigation,  adding that the command would continue to map out strategies to ensure that the rate of illicit drugs in circulation was  reduced

    The commander urged  parents and guardians to be alive to their responsibility by monitoring the activities of their children and wards.

    He also urged parents to send in their children and wards suspected to be involved in the use of hard drugs for counselling and rehabilitation.

    The NDLEA boss commended Gov. Yahaya Bello for his efforts at providing a rehabilitation centre for the command.

  • Kogi threatens national security by shutting 150 BTS

    Telecoms operators on Monday raised the alarm over the unilateral shut down of about 150 base transmission stations (BTS) by the Kogi State government. They said the development would inevitably disrupt telecoms and banking services in Abuja, the seat of government and nine other adjoining states, especially those that are contiguous or share border with the state.

    The carriers also said national security would also be threatened as the various security agencies might not be able to communicate, especially during national emergencies.

    Acting through the aegis of Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), the carriers said efforts to get the matter resolved amicably were rebuffed by the state government which agents took locks and keys to shut the BTS.

    Its Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, who spoke with reporters on Monday in Lagos, said the action of the state government was in breach of the directive of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) which said telecoms infrastructure is critical national infrastructure and should not be subjected to willful damage by any individual or group of persons.

    He said: “We wish to express our concern about the shutting down of telecoms facilities in Kogi State as a result of disputes arising from unusual taxes and levies demanded by the Kogi State government through its Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, Kogi State Environmental Protection Board, championed by the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KIRS).

    “This issue is likely to lead to a total communications blackout in the entire Kogi State, parts of Abuja the Federal Capital Territory and possible impact on service availability in some parts of Nassarawa, Benue, Enugu, Anambra, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara, Niger states. These are states sharing borders with Kogi State.

    “This situation arises as a number of critical telecoms sites belonging to our members have been closed and sealed up by Kogi State government in an attempt to increase its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) collection.

    Read Also: Kogi as mirror

    “This action followed an ex-parte court order obtained by the KIRS over unsubstantiated allegations that our members are in default of tax payments to the state government (which is not the truth) and access to these critical telecom sites has been denied.”

    According to him, as a result of these actions by the state government, telcos are unable to refuel power generators in these sites, a situation which has led to outage of over 150 sites including hub sites.

    While he said legal action has been taken to get the court order vacated, he said it has become imperative to bring the attention of the Federal Government, especially Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo who has been on the vanguard of ease of doing business and who has done so well in his quest to carry the private sector along in the development agenda of the government.

    “We are very concerned that this indiscriminate action has the potential of further leading to a total telecommunications outage in Kogi State with neighboring states and parts of the Federal Capital Territory adversely impacted.

    To the best of our knowledge, our members have settled all statutory levies and taxes due to the Kogi State government and have taken necessary steps to comply with local laws that govern business activities within Kogi State.

    Adebayo said the spurious charges include Annual Right of Way (ROW) renewal; Social Services Contribution; Employee Economic Development Levy; Mast Site Premises Renewal; and Fire Service Yearly Renewal.

    Others are from the Kogi State Environmental Protection Board are Payment of Environmental Levy; Failure to Submit an Environmental Impact Assessment Report; Failure to Register Industry; Failure to submit environmental audit report every two years; Storage of petroleum products and radioactive materials without written permission from KSEPB; Failure to comply with setbacks to roads, power lines and rivers/streams; and dumping of toxic or hazardous substances or hazardous substances or harmful waste without KSEPB approval.

    ALTON is worried that the action by KIRS will jeopardise communication services provided to security agencies such as the Nigeria Police Force, the Armed Forces in addition and to other emergency and social services in Kogi and other neighboring states. This will include affecting communication links to Bank Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) across those states.

    He said: “The outage currently being experienced is already affecting the ability of our members to provide uninterrupted service delivery to Commercial Banks, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and other critical agencies of government in the aforementioned locations.

    “It is pertinent to note that the office of the National Security Adviser to Mr. President has in the past communicated to the 36 state governments on the fact that telecommunications sites are Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). They are critical socio-economic and security infrastructure. The agency had strongly advised against sealing them as such actions would have negative implications on national security.

    “State governments were encouraged to explore other means of resolving tax related disputes rather than sealing telecommunications sites. It is therefore worrisome that the KIRS continue to ignore such advice.”

    He lamented that the telcos have also made several overtures to KIRS in the past months in a bid to resolve the disputed issues amicably but the agency has remained adamant. Rather than resort to the Tax Arbitration Tribunal for intervention as is expected of a government agency, KIRS has resorted to subtle intimidation by getting the sites shut in a bid to coerce our members into accepting the illegal taxes and levies, he added.

    “As an industry, this situation is very worrisome and of great concern and we hereby call on President Muhammadu Buhari  and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who is driving the Presidential Enable Business Council on Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria to prevail on the Kogi State Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello to reign in on the matter to prevent a total blackout in communications services in Kogi, FCT and the other nine states of the federation which are now under threat due to what is happening to our network in Kogi State,” Adebayo said.

     

  • Kogi distributes relief items to flood victims at Omala

    The Kogi State Government on Friday donated foodstuffs and other relief materials to victims of the recent flood disaster in Omala Local Government Area of the state.

    Speaking with newsmen at the distribution centre in Omala, Mr Sanusi Yahaya, the State Coordinator, Emergency

    1,182 households comprising 7,090 persons were affected by the 2018 flood disaster in Omala LGA.

    The state government had earlier distributed relief items to flood victims in Lokoja, Kotonkarfe, Bassa, Ajaokuta, Ofu, Idah and Igalamela/Odolu LGAs.

    Represented by Mr Godwin Onu, the Director, Account, Kogi Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Yahaya assured the victims of government’s commitment to alleviating their sufferings.

    Yahaya, who doubles as the state Commissioner for Environment said that the second phase of the distribution would come from the Federal Government through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

    He therefore advised the victims to remain calm, receive the items in good faith and share them accordingly without fomenting any trouble.

    Read Also: Kogi govt upgrades Ologidi stool

    Earlier, Mr Yakubu Ocholi, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Emergency said that the state government through SEMA, had earlier visited the affected riverside communities for needs assessment and documentation.

    He said that six communities in Omala would benefit from the first phase of the distribution of the relief items, with an assurance that the items would get to the victims directly.

    Ocholi added that the federal and state governments were collaborating with other stakeholders to find lasting solutions to the re-occurring flood issues in the state.

    Mr Phillip Ocheni, who spoke on behalf of the victims appreciated the state government for the gesture and

    Items donated to the victims include bags of rice, beans, flour, guinea corn, maize, cartons of tomatoes, beverages, salt, red oil, Semovita, soaps/detergent, mattresses and mats.

  • Don’t underrate PDP, Yahaya Bello warns

    *How APC can win 2019 election – Yahaya Bello

    *Buhari, best President to lead Nigeria to greatness

     

    Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, on Wednesday night warned that the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is not a pushover that should be taken for granted by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in next year’s general election.

    He gave the warning when President Muhammadu Buhari hosted youth political appointees to a dinner at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to him, the APC must go out aggressively to market to Nigerians, President Muhammadu Buhari and the numerous projects of his government in the last three years, if it must remain in power after 2019.

    He said that the issue of perception must be taken seriously by the APC to ensure that no chance is given to the opposition to return to power in 2019.

    The governor also declared that President Buhari remains the best President to lead Nigeria to greatness beyond 2023.

    He said “All that the crooked PDP is offering Nigerians is that corruption is better than incompetence in quote. 2015 was about change, 2019 will be about progress.

    “As members of the APC, we will not deny that our party has a huge task in the 2019 general elections, the election will never be a walk-over, the PDP will not be a push over.

    “And we must take nothing and no one for granted. If we cannot defeat PDP, maybe we should not be influencers or we should not even go to politics.” he said

    He added “President Buhari is a good product we know, but we must go out to sell him to Nigerians. Perception is very critical in times like this. If we fail, God forbid, the ugly narrative of PDP will overtake the land.

    “Our score card is very rich and very rich enough. We must market the incredible accomplishments of Mr. President and of his administration to every voter and in a language he or she understands.

    “If we fail, God forbids, the adverse narrative being put out by the PDP and other propaganda machine will dominate the land and shape perception.

    “If we don’t market our product very well, a tough and progressive victory against a terrorist threat which continues to cost the lives of our brave military and law enforcement agencies will be mistaken for inactions.

    “If we don’t market our product very well, try our political exposed offenders using long extant laws which previous leaders were not willing to deploy against cronies, accomplishments will be mistaken extra-judicial measures and disdain for the rule of law.

    “If we do not put Mr. President’s achievements before our people so that they can sight it themselves, we will be agreeing with the PDP that in fighting corruption which he is offering again, is somehow better than the alleged incompetence of the APC which has accomplished everything I have enumerated above,”.

    Executive Director at the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Jasper Azuatalam, said that most Nigerians were presently disappointed with the President because he has failed to perform the magic they expected.

    He however stressed that it will be the worst things for Nigeria if power slides back to the PDP in 2019.

    Read Also: NYSC: Only two corps members involved in accident

    He said “The worst thing we can do to this country Nigeria, is to allow PDP to come back to power in 2019. It is the worst thing we can do to Nigeria.

    “I will likened PDP to a lion that has been put in the cage for a long time. I have interacted with their members and I know how hungry they have become because they don’t see free money as before.

    “If we lose this lion again in 2019, then Nigeria is going to walk more than 1,000 steps backward.

    “Like we always said in those days we lost elections, Mr. President will always get eleven to twelve million votes whether he operates from a party or not. That’s how goodwill we had that time.

    “But that is because a lot of people believed that by Mr. President’s integrity and his anti-corruption, he is going to do magic when he resumes office as President. That in two months, Nigeria will change. They don’t know how it would happen.

    “But the truth is that most of these have been disappointed because they didn’t see the magic. That is why we need to do the real work,” he said.