The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Lokoja

  • Unknown gunmen kidnap Kogi LG HOD, three others

    Unknown gunmen kidnap Kogi LG HOD, three others

    Unknown gunmen have reportedly abducted four Kogi State local government workers along the Kabba-Obajana road, while on their way to the state capital, Lokoja.
    Among the victims was a woman and Head of Department (HOD) Works of Mopa-Moro local government area of the state.
    They were said to have been abducted at various times between Tuesday and Wednesday, while on their way to the venue of the staff screening complaints/appeal committee.
    The other victims are one Mr. Olu Abraham, Fehintola Osho and Balogun Blessing, all workers of Mopa-Muro local government.
    Moving a motion on Wednesday on the floor of the state house of assembly, the member representing Mopa-Muro state constituency, Hon. Obaro Sunday Pedro observed that the problems of insecurity in the state has continued to escalate at an alarming rate despite the huge investment  by the present government in the sector.
    He noted the deplorable nature of the Kabba-Obajana road, stressing that it has become a hideout for the kidnappers, since they can easily evade security agents the moment they commit such crime, due to the terrain.
    According to him: “Just yesterday, in broad daylight, the HOD works of Mopa Muro local government area, while on her way to Lokoja to collect her statement of account with Access Bank, over the ongoing screening exercise, fell into the hands of kidnappers and her destination is presently not known.
    “This morning, around 9.45am, along the same Kabba-Obajana rosd, I was informed that three staff members of Mopa-Moro local government area were kidnaped, the driver and my personal assistant who were eyewitnesses narrowly escaped.”
    Condemning this development, the lawmakers called on the state government to deploy sufficient security personnel along the axis, and also ensure 24 hours patrol along other roads within the state, particularlly during this period of screening exercise.
    It directed the house committee  on security and judiciary to liaise with the Commissioner of Police to work out proactive measures to tackle insecurity.
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  • NYSC: Kogi charges corps members to embrace change mantra

    • Recieve 2,220 Batch “B” members
    Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, yesterday received the 2017 Batch “B” Stream II National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to the state.
    Out of the total registered number of 2,220 corps members, 1,215 are males and 1,005 females.
    He called on them to key into the change mantra of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, saying that the future holds much for them as the future leaders.
    Represented by the state Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Comrade Gabriel Arume Adaji, he admonished them not to relent in contributing in the building of a strong and virile country that will be the envy of others.
    He assured them of the hospitality of the people of the state, just as he enjoined them to feel free, as they go about in the discharge of their duties during the course of their mandatory one year national service.
    The state NYSC coordinator, Mrs Dorothy Nwatarali said they have proven to be highly disciplined and hardworking.
    She added: “I had the privilege of interacting with many of these corps members… they have begun to see for themselves at first hand, the hospitality of the people of Kogi State”.
  • Kogi resident doctors join national protest

    Kogi resident doctors join national protest

    The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) in Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, has joined the strike by National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to register their displeasure with the management of Nigeria’s health system.

    The ARD President in Lokoja, Dr Kennedy Obohwemu, said on Friday that his members were part and parcel of NARD and were duty bound to comply with the directive.

    “NARD directed its members to carry out peaceful protests by wearing black ward coats and conducting rallies at the expiration of the initial ultimatum given to the Federal Government on Jan. 2.

    NARD, on Dec. 19, gave the Federal Government up to Jan. 2 to implement the National Health Act, 2014, while asking it to address the lingering issues beleaguering the health sector, especially as it affects resident doctors.

    “With due respect to constituted authority in the Federal Ministry of Health, our actions today have become necessary considering the protracted saga and unfathomable quagmire resident doctors across the country find themselves in.

    “Apart from the fact that we are following instructions from our national body, we believe it is time to take the bull by the horn and address these persistent problems once and for all.

    “Let the whole world know what resident doctors are going through. Our patients deserve the best of healthcare delivery.

    “We cannot do that when we, the healthcare providers, are not in the right frame of mind.

    “The medical profession is going through the toughest of times in recent years. Our black jackets and black bands symbolize the death of our healthcare delivery system.

    “We ask for a resurrection, a revamping of the system, such that the average Nigerian can confidently access quality healthcare at affordable rates.”

    Obohwemu lamented the pitiable state of Nigeria’s health system, citing the need for Federal Government to urgently intervene and prevent massive exodus of doctors to the outside world for greener pastures.

    “The same hospital one fails to equip today may be the closest hospital that could save one’s life tomorrow.

    “NARD demands are not outrageous, but these issues have been neglected for far too long, thus placing the future of the medical profession in jeopardy.

    “We need a uniform template for the residency training programme; structural framework must be clearly spelt out in a consistent unbiased manner and applied universally.

    “Since enactment in 2014, the National Health Act is yet to be implemented. We want the implementation of July 14th 2016 agreement with government as soon as possible; that is our agitation.

    “This legal document provides a framework for the regulation, development and management of a health system and sets standards for rendering health services in Nigeria.

    “The Act ensures that patients are given the best of healthcare delivery with availability of health infrastructure, while ensuring that the rights of health care personnel are protected,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the resident doctors carried placards with various inscriptions such as: “We condemn selective implementation of no work, no pay”.

    Other inscriptions read: “Equity, fairness and justice”, “Migrate all doctors to IPPIS platforms”,“Residents are pensionable, Pay outstanding arrears”.

    “ Skipping is sacrosanct, we stand with NARD”, “Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government should implement 2014 National Health Act’’, among others.

  • Gunmen abduct Kogi traditional ruler, demand N20m ransom

    Some unknown gunmen have abducted a traditional ruler in Kogi, a family source said in Lokoja on Sunday.

    The monarch, whose name was given as Alhaji Isah Achuja, the Ohi of Ajaokuta, was returning from Lokoja, the state capital, on Saturday when his vehicle was intercepted on the Lokoja-Ajaokuta road at gunpoint and the ruler taken to an unknown destination.

    A member of the royal family, who did not want his name in print, told newsmen that an aide to the traditional ruler and his driver narrowly escaped being hit by the bullets of the abductors.

    He said the abductors had already contacted the family and demanded a N20 million ransom.

    Contacted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the State Police Command’s spokesman, ASP Williams Aya, said the incident had not been reported to the command.

    He, however, promised that police would swing into action in a bid to to rescue the monarch as soon as the details of the abduction were available.(NAN)

  • Civil servant docked for certificate forgery

    Civil servant docked for certificate forgery

    A 30-year-old civil servant, Usman Nasir, was on Monday arraigned before a Lokoja Chief Magistrate court for allegedly forging a Bachelor of Engineering certificate of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

    Reading from the Police First Information Report (FIR) on the arraignment of the accused before the Lokoja Chief Magistrate Court I, the prosecuting police officer, Sgt. Tuesday Ganagana said the matter was reported on August 19, this year.

    The prosecution stated that the case was incidental at the Ajaokuta Police station

    He said that Nasir, a staff of the company fraudulently forged a Bachelor of Engineering degree certificate of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria to secure employment at the Ajaokuta Steel Company.

    He said that luck, however, ran against the accused when the company embarked on verification of his certificate and authorities of the supposed alma mater, ABU, confirmed that the certificate was forged.

    He said that upon interrogation, Nasir admitted that he personally used three different software to forge the institution’s result, with which he secured the employment.

    The prosecutor said that the accused confirmed that he was computer literate and a drop out of ABU, saying that after gaining admission into the institution in 2008, he dropped out as he could not continue due to financial constraint.

    The accused was charged with, “using as true, a certificate known to be false and forgery,” contrary to sections163 and 264 of the Penal Code.

    Ganagana said the offence of forgery preferred against the accused carried a punishment of 14 years in prison.

    He said that the first leg of the offence carries seven years imprisonment, adding that the court had jurisdiction to try the offences, just as he left the issue of whether or not to admit him on bail for the court to exercise its discretionary powers.

    The Chief Magistrate, Levi Animoku in his ruling said, “I am of the view that the accused will stand his bail and consequently, the accused is admitted to bail in the sum of N100,000 with a reliable surety in like sum”.

    He said that the surety must be a civil servant resident in Lokoja, with traceable address, before adjourning the matter to November 10, for the mention.

  • NIHSA commence 2016 flood sensitization in Kogi

    The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has begun the 2016 flood prevention and sensitization campaign across the country.

    It called on Nigerians, particularly those inhabiting flood prone areas, to allow the ‘change to begin with me’ prevail in them under the circumstance, during the sensitization workshop on 2016 flood prediction, prevention and mitigation hydrological area”, in Lokoja, Kogi State.

    The director general, Mr. Moses O. Beckley, drew attention to harmful practices and disregard to warnings, of another round of impending flood in 2016.

    He lamented that despite series of alerts issued, people still “stuck to their old ways”, adding that while the agency canvass the wholesale jettisoning of culture, the effects of climate change and other contending issues must not be overlooked.

    According to him: “Kogi State, particularly Lokoja is the centre of flooding, and that is why today, NIHSA is kick starting the senzitisation of flood alert here, from where we go to the other areas.

    “Analysis of annual flood outlook (AFO) as it affects Kogi State, indicate river flooding is expected in Lokoja and environs sir to likely overflow of banks of rivers Niger and Benue.

    “Threat of major river flooding occasioned by red alert from the Niger Basin Authority (NBA), Niamey, Niger Republic on the 4th August 2016, more recently on the 14th September 2016, the water level id River Niger at Mosley was 6.20 meter, which has exceeded the penultimate flood warning level, hence the news for Nigeria to brace up.

    “The water levels of River Benue is also rising due to high rainfall within the catchment and regulated water releases from the Lagdo Dam”.

    The Kogi State Commissioner for Water Resources, Barr. Salami Ozigi, who was at hand, together with his counterpart in the ministry of environment, thanked the agency for making the state its first point of call, saying, “as we all know, Kigu State is very prone to flood”.

    He enumerates concerted efforts by the Governor Yahaya Bello-led administration has been putting in place in the last couple of months, in its effort to ensure that the damage to lives and property witnessed in 2012, does not repeat itself.

    He continued, “In Kogi State, nine local government areas are susceptible to flood of same magnitude that occurs in 2012, and the state government has been going around to avert the likely effects, including subsidizing the people”.

    It would be recalled that no less than 400 deaths were recorded during the 2012 flood disaster, while 30 lives have already been recorded in 2016, owing to flooding.

    The coordinator, New Partnership for Africa’s Development, Kogi State, Tom. Eneji Alih more sensitization, particularly in the hinterlands, to avert another flood disaster in the state.

    He said, “I want to plead that this programme should equally be taken to the rural area where more than 99 percent of the past disaster was experienced; places like Ankpa and Ibaji, where lives were lost and properties destroyed.

    “Even if flood cannot be totally eradicated, our collective efforts should be able to minimize its likely effect to the barest minimum”.

  • ‘Kogi lost N213 billion to ghost workers’

    ‘Kogi lost N213 billion to ghost workers’

    Kogi State Auditor-General, Mr Okala Yusuf, has said that the state government lost N213 billion to 18, 211 ghost workers in the last 13 years,

    He made the disclosure on Monday in Lokoja the state capital while presenting the report of the just concluded screening and verification exercise of the state workers carried out by the government.

    He said that the ghost workers were discovered in Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs) and in the 21 local government councils in the state.

    He said that 7, 606 were discovered in the councils, 5,872 at the state level, while pensioners accounted for 1,040 of the ghost workers.

    The AG said the exercise had reduced the joint workforce of the state and local governments from 88, 973 to 63, 870.

    He added that the monthly wage bill had also been reduced from N5.8 billion to N4.6 billion.

    Yusuf said that the 929 workers who were illegally employed in the state in 2015 and 2016 were also among those categorised as ghost workers.

    He said that some workers categorised as being in the Diaspora, who had been collecting their salaries for years while residing in Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna and other cities across the country were also affected.

    He said that the committee relied on employees’ biodata verification form and the Nigeria inter-bank payment settlement system to identify the ghost workers.

    He accused some “vested interest” of muddling the report of the screening committee by omitting the names of 14, 147 genuine workers and replacing them with the names of unknown staff.

    Yusuf, who served as chairman of the back up committee that reviewed the report of the screening committee, suggested the adoption of the integrated and automation payroll system to curb leakages.

    The AG suggested the establishment of pre-disbursement audit unit before payment of salaries.

    He said that all those who abetted or aided fraud in the workforce of the state and local governments should be identified and made to face the consequences of their actions.

    Speaking after the presentation of the report, Governor Yahaya Bello said that the discovery had justified the good intention of the government to embark on the screening and verification.

    He inaugurated a 15-member committee to review the report, saying that anybody with genuine complaint should channel it through the committee.

    He promised to correct lopsidedness in the state civil service and block leakages.

    He added: “Less than two per cent of the population should not be allowed to continue to corner the resources meant for 3.4 million people.

    “This is unsustainable; the choice we have is to either reform the service or continue with the distortions in the socio-economic life of our people“.

    He accused previous administrations in the state of abandoning governance, saying that his administration was determined to carry out comprehensive reforms of the civil service.

    “This is a way of saying that we are not ready to continue with the past and put permanent stop to the syndrome of ghost workers,” he said.

    While reiterating the determination of his administration to adhere strictly to the principles of transparency and accountability, Bello said that government would endeavour to enhance the capacity of the successful workers.

     

  • Kogi varsity students protest three months’ closure

    Kogi varsity students protest three months’ closure

    The students of the Kogi State University, Anyigba yesterday brought commercial activities in the state Capital, Lokoja to a standstill as they embarked on a peaceful protest over the three month-old strike by lecturers of the school.

    Members of the institution’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had embarked on the strike over alleged unresolved salary issues with the state government.

    The students in their numbers occupied the popular Ganaja Junction as early as 8.30am, paralysing business activities in parts of Lokoja.

    They demanded for immediate resolution of the impasse between ASUU and the state government and ASUU, saying that their concern remains the immediate reopening of the university.

    They lamented that they have over stayed at home, saying that those who are expected to graduate will miss the annual NYSC programmes.

    In apparent dissatisfaction with the leadership of the student union body interventions, the students said they will not shift the ground, chanting anti-establishment songs, just as they demanded the immediate resolution of the logjam.

    “We want immediate resolution to the lingering crisis. We have over stayed at home. When it started, we thought it would be addressed immediately. Now we have spent three months at home while all other institutions in neighbouring states are graduating”, they stated.

    Efforts by the National President of the National Association of Nigeria Students whose name was not immediately made available to journalists was turned down by the students, as they alleged that the union leaders may been settled by the government.

    Similarly the angry mobs also manhandled the President of SUG who was trying to address the crowd, stating that his in actions has caused the students “three months at home”.

    Also, efforts by the State Commissioner of Police (CP) Yakubu Usman, the Director of State Security Service (SSS) and state Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to pacify the students were rebuffed, as they insisted that they will only dialogue Governor Yahaya Bello.

    However, they later soft peddered, as they listened to the SSS boss, but insisted that the university must be reopened before they will agree to go back to Anyingba.

    Travelers passing through the state capital were worse off for it, as those caught up in the protest were stranded, as the angry students barricaded roads leading the Eastern part of the stat and the South East and South South parts of the country.

    Efforts to speak with government officials at the scene proved abortive as they refused to talk, just as the students refused to dialogue with them.

    It would recalled that the institution’s chapter of ASUU have been at loggerheads with the state government over unpaid salary and eventually embarked on the strike.

    The state government said it has paid  four months salary arrears to the striking workers but ASUU insisted that the it offset all before it can return to work.

    The state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Mohammed Awwal at a press conference however appealed to the striking lecturers to return to the classrooms.

    He appealed with them to return to the classrooms for the sake of the students.

    “The ASUU strike affects not just the psyche of the students, but also causes further stress to the parents and ultimately tarnishes the reputation of our great state. ASUU is reminded that they were the first to be paid even when government could access only 40 percent of the bailout funds requested”, he stated.

     

  • Kidnapping: IGP deploy Special Forces to Kogi

    Kidnapping: IGP deploy Special Forces to Kogi

    The Kogi Police Command Monday disclosed that about 50 special strike force operatives have been deployed to the state by the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, to help curb activities of kidnappers and other criminal elements in the state.

    The state Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr. Yakubu Usman confirmed that the special strike force contingent arrived Lokoja on Sunday and have since been dispatched to various locations in the state.

    Kogi has recently gained notoriety as a hotbed for the abduction, with past victims including judges, government officials and political figures.

    The CP assured that the arrival of the special strike force, together with operatives of the command would bring activities of kidnappers and other criminal elements to their knees.

    He appealed to members of the public to cooperate with men of the Strike Force and the command by volunteering useful information that would enable them track down the criminal elements that have been terrorizing the state.

    He said that the command has mapped out strategies to ensure adequate security before, during and after the Salah celebration.

  • Another judge kidnapped in Kogi, orderly killed

    Another judge kidnapped in Kogi, orderly killed

    Barely one year after a judge of the Kogi State High Court, Justice Samuel Obayomi was kidnapped and his police orderly killed, a judge of the Customary Court of Appeal in the state, Mr. Isaq Momoh Jimoh Usman has been Kidnapped by suspected gunmen.

    His police orderly was reportedly killed during the incident which occurred along the Itakpe – Kuroko road Sunday evening while they were returning to Lokoja.

    The judge was said to have travelled to his village over the weekend and was returning to Lokoja when the suspected gunmen stopped his car along the Okene – Itakpe bye pass in Okehi local government.

    It was learnt that the suspected kidnappers mowed down the police orderly immediately while the driver of the judge received bullet wounds, before their victim was taken to unknown destination.

    A source said that the late police orderly made to prevent the kidnappers from abducteding the judge when he was shot by one of the abductors, and his service pistol taken away.

    The remains of late police orderly said the source, was deposited at the morgue in an undisclosed hospital, and the driver who was said to have received several gun shots is receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Lokoja.

    Confirming the incident, the information officer, Kogi State Ministry Justice , Mr. Saqeeb Saeed, said that the Customary Court of Appeal judge was kidnapped along Okene – Kuroko bye pass on Sunday evening.

    Efforts made to confirm the killing of the police orderly proved abortive as calls made to the Kogi Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Wllly Aya was not responded to.

    Similarly, it was gathered that two yet-to-be identified women coming from Abuja were abducted along the Obajana – Okene road last friday

    It would be recalled that a forthnight ago, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase deployed a detachment of Special Anti-robbery Squad from Abuja, while apatrol helicopter was stationed in Lokoja to combat the menace of kidnappers in Kogi State.

    However, barely one week after the federal SARS operatives returned to their base, activities of the abductors appeared to have spiked in Kogi State again.