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The Director General of the National Youths Service Scheme, NYSC, Brigadier- General S.Ibrahim, on Tuesday in katsina ordered State Coordinators, nationwide to strictly enforce relevant extant rules that regulates the movement of corps members both on inter and intrastate and local government boundaries, as part of measures to stem rising cases of deaths through road accidents and exposure to banditry and other violent attacks.

General Ibrahim who gave the directive while addressing recuperating corp members who were quartered at St Martin’s De Pors Catholic Church katsina, said he decided to visit the victims to see things for himself and to condole the bereaved.

He charged the corps members to always get clearance from their state coordinators each time they want to travel especially whenever they intend leaving their local government areas or travelling outside the state

He said’’ There is need for us to streamline where you go and where not to go, all of us should be very careful’’

‘’If you are going anywhere let your coordinator know and we must be sure that the journey is extremely necessary before you are permitted to go’’

‘’We do not hope for a repeat of this type of incident, but we must guide against unapproved movement of the corpers, procedure for travelling outside the state and area of deployments must be enforced’’

Read Also; Three Katsina corps members die in auto crash

He further expressed gratitude to Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari for not only stopping to assist the accident victims but allowed one of the cars on his convoy to lift them out of the danger zone.

The Nation recalled that NYSC experienced road accidents Sunday, August 18, involving 3 deaths and 14 injured corps members who were travelling from katsina to Funtua to attend a wedding ceremony

The hospitalized corps members include: Apeh Eveline, Chinaza Azu, Francis Ogu, Ade Celestine, Patrick Shittu, Onoja Patience, the rest of the patients have been fully discharged

The Parish Priest of the Catholic Church, Reverend father Joseph Dugbe, Commended the timely response of the NYSC boss, describing it as the hallmark of quality leadership.

They later spoke to the parents of the dead to arrange dates to convey the copses to Ebonyi, Imo and Delta states

The Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, on Tuesday shunned her role to present a paper at the 2019 Presidential Retreat at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

She was slated to speak as a resource person on Tuesday, day two of the 2019 Presidential Retreat for ministers designate and top government officials.

Based on the retreat programme, Oyo-Ita was to speak on ‘Consolidating Ongoing Reforms in the Public Service’ by 11.10am.

But neither did she arrive at the venue when the day two of the retreat was started by President Muhammadu Buhari at 10.30a.m nor by 11.10am when she was expected to deliver her paper.

Recall that Oyo-Ita was grilled by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last week Tuesday over alleged N3b contract scam.

She was on Monday claimed to have retired from the service while the Presidency said it has not sighted the resignation letter.

It is expected that the next in rank to Oyo-Ita at Head of Service of the Federation will deliver the paper in her place during the closed-door retreat.

Other resource persons for day two of the retreat were already at the venue.

According to the programme, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, to speak on ‘Introducing cabinet processes and setting the stage for a policy-execution focused administration (Governance best practice and delivery)’.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole to speak on ‘Expectations from ministers over the next four years’.

Read Also; Oyo-Ita absent at presidential retreat

Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation to speak on ‘Budget processes (preparation and approval cycle)’.

Director-General Bureau of Public Procurement to speak on ‘The public procurement act and processes’.

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Head of Service of the federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed to speak on ‘Maintaining an effective partnership between ministers and permanent secretaries’.

Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, to speak on ‘Driving an effective partnership between the executive, legislature and State governments’.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha will give summary of the retreat and next steps before President Buhari gives a closing charge.

Former Lagos Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has urged his supporters to remain calm and law-abiding as there was no cause for alarm.

Ambode, in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Habib Aruna, spoke on the backdrop of a search by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on his Epe Country home and Parkview Ikoyi residence where the anti-graft agency conducted the exercise without any incident.

He said the Commission has not opened any direct communication with him on any issue, adding that he was ready and willing to respond if or when they do so.

The statement reads: “This morning, operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission visited the Epe Country home and Parkview Ikoyi residence of Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, former Governor of Lagos State, with warrants to conduct a search. These searches were carried out extensively and at the end of the exercise the operatives left without any incident.

Read Also; Youths protest EFCC’s ‘raid’ on Ambode’s residence

“The former Governor reiterates that the EFCC has till date not had any direct communication with him on any subject matter whatsoever and if or when it occurs he is ready and willing to respond.

“The former governor wishes to assure his supporters and the generality of Lagosians to continue to remain calm and law-abiding as there is no cause for alarm.”

The former governor reiterated his belief in the rule of law and due process and remains grateful for the opportunity to have served Lagos State diligently and conscientiously.

It would be recalled that Ambode, in an earlier response to allegations by the EFCC that it had frozen certain accounts linked to him, insisted that no account of his contained N9.9bn let alone being frozen by the Commission as those accounts were opened and operated by the Lagos State Government.

Rev. Fr Paul Offu, of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu killed by unidentified Gunmen, has been buried.

Until his death, Offu 49, who hailed from Okpatu in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu, was the Parish Priest of St. James Greater Parish Ugbawka.

In his homily at the burial mass held at the Holy Ghost Cathedral, Enugu, Rev. Fr Slyvester Nwodo said that Paul would be most remembered as a man of peace.

He further urged government to ensure adequate security of lives and properties of Nigerians.

“Fr Paul was a man of peace, and this made the people give him the title “Eze Udo” (Man of Peace); he was a great evangelizer who delivered joy in winning souls for Christ,” he said.

He urged Christians to continue to uphold the family especially the aged mother in prayers.

It will be recalled that the Diocese had on Aug. 2, announced that Offu was killed along Ihe – Agbudu road in Agwu LGA in Enugu State by some hoodlums suspected to be the armed Fulani herdsmen.

Meanwhile, Police in Enugu paraded two suspected killers of Offu.

They named the suspects as Ibrahim Adamu , 25, from Taraba, and Idris Tobe, 28, adding that three other suspects – Garba Basulugu, Mohammed Laguband and Mojunpan Duna, were still at large.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Offu was buried by the Catholic Bishop of Enugu, Most Rev. Calistus Onaga in company of other priests, family and Catholic faithful in Enugu. (NAN)

With the end of the two-day retreat hosted by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, the President is now set to inaugurate his cabinet on Wednesday.

The President, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Chief Femi Adesina, charged the Ministers-designate to rise to the challenging responsibilities of Ministerial office.

The second and final day of the retreat kicked off with a presentation on Cabinet Processes and Procedures, by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha.

“This was followed by a presentation by the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, on aligning government policies with the ideology, manifesto and campaign promises of the ruling party.”

He said that subsequent presentations touched on Budgeting, Civil Service Reforms, Public Procurement, the Relationships between Ministers and Permanent Secretaries, and Effective Partnerships between Executive, Legislature and State Governments.

Read Also; Buhari to ministers-designate: Nigerians expect quick results from you

The SGF in his remarks announced the introduction of a new Cabinet Memorandum Review and Approval Process, aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of government decision-making and policy implementation, and increasing coordination and coherence within the Government.

President Buhari in his closing remarks, reminded participants that the challenges ahead of the Administration remain significant, and urged them to work collaboratively and purposefully, and give their best to the task of delivering a more prosperous country for all Nigerians.

The Ministers-designate will be sworn in on Wednesday August 21, at the State House, after which they will be allocated portfolios by the President.

Following the swearing-in, each Minister will be given a Mandate, based on the assigned Ministry, and which will spell out priorities, deliverables and timelines. In addition, a robust monitoring and evaluation framework will also be put in place to track the implementation of all policies and programmes over the next four years.