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  • Buhari returns after 9-day visit to Katsina

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday returned to Abuja after a nine-day official visit, including celebrating the Eid-el-Kabir with family members and inauguration of some developmental projects in Katsina State.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that shortly before departing the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Airport, Katsina for Abuja, Buhari had charged the military to be more spontaneous in restoring peace to the country, particularly states troubled by bandits.

    He gave the order when he addressed 15 officers and 160 soldiers of the 17th Army Brigade and Nigerian Air Force 213 Operational Base in Katsina, under the “Operation Hadarin Daji’’, at the Airport in Katsina.

    While in his hometown, Daura, Buhari received Guinean President, Prof. Alpha Conde, and the two presidents performed Eid prayers in Daura on Sunday.

    Conde, who was accorded a warm welcome by members of Daura community, was also conferred with a traditional as well as being treated to the traditional Durbar display at the palace of the Emir of Daura, Dr Faruk Umar Faruk.

    Read Also; Don’t spare bandits, Buhari orders military

    NAN reports that the developmental projects inaugurated by the President included network of rural roads where he applauded the progress being recorded under the administration of Gov. Aminu Masari.

    The president, who also inaugurated the Nigerian Air Force Reference Hospital in Daura on Thursday, met with Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from seven local governments affected by banditry in the state.

    Buhari also received members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and leadership of the National Assembly and Katsina State House of Assembly who paid him Sallah homage in Daura.

  • FIFA ban: legal team preparing defence, says Siasia

    Former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia on Saturday appealed for calm over news of his life ban from the game by world football governing body FIFA on Friday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Siasia was banned for life from the game following a match-fixing probe by FIFA.

    Siasia, who spoke to newsmen in Abuja through an associate, Prince Opukiri Jones-Ere at the main bowl of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, said the matter was currently being looked into by his lawyer.

    The former Super Eagles forward said he was hopeful of a positive conclusion of the matter.

    “We want to please plead with everyone to be calm as the issue has been handed over to a lawyer and he is looking at the case.

    Read Also; Why we banned Siasia for life, by FIFA

    “So, at this moment, Siasia will be unavailable to speak to the press.

    “I want to also appeal to you all to be patient with us, considering the fact that he is already going through so much stress with regards to his mother’s kidnap which we are dealing with at the moment.

    “We appreciate you all for your concerns and solidarity messages which have been received from the onset of this situation.

    “So, my kind appeal is that you all give us some time for the lawyer to look into the case and as soon as possible, hopefully by next week, we will come up with our position and further action to be taken on the issue.

    “”On behalf of the family of Siasia, we want to once again thank you for your concerns and we pray that this will end well,” he said.

    FIFA had said in a statement on Friday that the adjudicatory chamber of their independent Ethics Committee found the 51-year-old Siasia guilty.

    He was “guilty of having accepted that he will receive bribes in relation to manipulation of matches in violation of FIFA Code of Ethics.”

    Siasia played 51 times as a striker for the Nigerian national team and later coached various national youth sides before his first spell as senior coach in 2010.

    His case is the latest to emerge from FIFA’s long-running investigation into the activities of Singaporean Wilson Raj Perumal, whom FIFA has called a “known match fixer”.

    He has admitted such activity in several interviews.

    FIFA said Siasia was banned for life “from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international levels.”

    Siasia was also fined CHF 50,000 (41,997.1 pounds).

    The former Nigerian international was appointed Super Eagles head coach from 2010 to Oct. 2011 and he was reappointed in 2016.

    NAN reports that FIFA had in 1989 banned Nigeria for two years from age-grade football competitions over discrepancies discovered in the ages provided by the duo of Siasia and Dahiru Sadi.

    The ages were provided while registering both players for the 1985 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in the then Soviet Union and the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea.

  • Fayemi set to secure bond to defray outstanding gratuities

    Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has reiterated his government’s readiness to secure bond offerings to offset the outstanding gratuities of state pensioners.

    Dr. Fayemi stressed the move will be necessary in order to put smiles on faces of the retired civil servants who have rendered selfless service in different capacity to the state by paying their statutory entitlements.

    The governor disclosed this on Thursday in his office while receiving in audience, the United Nation led by the Resident Coordinator, Mr Edward Kallon.

    In a statement signed on Saturday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, Fayemi said Ekiti have to develop innovative bond to address myriads of practical challenges facing the state.

    “We are interested a lot in the bond and we have a practical challenge here for example in our state, we are looking at a way of developing innovative bond to address it.

    “we have a lot of people who have retired from service and their gratuities have piled up over past couple of years running into billions of naira that we are not immediately able to pay and I don’t think it is fair for all this people who have devoted years of their lives to serving the state.

    “That is why we started the social security scheme for the elderly as a safety net to address this sort of issue but for us we think it should be possible for us to develop a bond that can enable us pay off all these and then find a way to offset that bond over a long term”. The governor said.

    Read Also: Photos: Fayemi becomes ANA patron

    “We are recruiting teachers and, it will shock you, Ekiti is one of the smallest states, on the first day of our recruitment, we had 6500 applications online; by 12:00 noon this afternoon, we had 9,000 for teaching positions that will start mid-September in our basic schools.

    “That depicts a picture of the enormity of the challenge. This is what increasingly led to the radicalization of people who feel there is no hope; so, we have to find a way to eke out a living and government had to be more innovative and creative about tackling these challenges”, he added.

    The UN official, commended Governor Fayemi’s social security programmes, saying the UN would work with the state to actualise its Sustainable Development Goals vision.

  • Anambra crisis: Community debunks allegations against Obiano, wife

    Some elders in Nando community, in Anambra East local government area of Anambra State, have invoked ‘curses ‘ against those allegedly instigating crisis in the area.

    They debunked the claims that the state Governor, Chief Willie Obiano and his wife Ebelechukwu, had been involved in the acquisition of their lands.

    The community had been in turmoil for the past one week over illegal acquisition of their land by unknown persons, which resulted in the protests by the Youths of the area.

    75-year-old Chief Obukwelu Ikeora, from Isi-Inyi Nando, commended the state government for coming to their rescue,by putting Caretaker for led by Sir Anthony Mary Amali.

    Ikeora, while exonerating Obiano and his wife from the land acquisition allegations, invoked curses on those, who according to him, were stirring the peace of the community.

    For Mr Donatus Ajamma, the National Youth Leader of Nando, he expressed displeasure over the crisis and allegations, and enjoined the community to support the new leadership and Anambra state government for peace and more government presence.

    Addressing his people Saturday , the President General of Nando Development Union NDU Caretaker Committee, Amali, dismissed allegations of selling of lands to Governor Willie Obiano’s wife.

    He described it as unsubstantiated allegation aimed at tarnishing their image and that of their son, Hon. LeoOgbuefi.

    According to Amali, as an Ogbunike born daughter (referring to Obiano’s wife) of their matriarch named Iguedo, the governor’s wife needed not to hide under any guise to acquire land title from Nando if she so desired.

    Read Also; I won’t tolerate denigration of monarchs – Obiano

    He observed that governor Obiano had shown special affection to the natives through the 20 million naira community infrastructure (Choose-Your-Community Project), in addition to construction of roads traversing Ikem – Nando – SARS Awkuzu; Nado – Igbozunu – Aguleri – Achalla – Igbariam road.

    He said some miscreants were hired and mobilized to the Nando market to disrupt the peace of the community which paralyzed business activities on Monday.

    He commended the community for the show of solidarity, assuring that his executive would engender relative peace and unity, as well as stop any unauthorized sale of land in the community

  • ‘Odigie-Oyegun training institute will consolidate Obaseki’s reforms’

    The Edo State Government has said construction work at The John Odigie-Oyegun Institute of Public Administration on Okada Avenue, GRA, Benin City, which is nearing completion, will consolidate ongoing civil service reforms by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration.

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said the state government is fully committed to the reforms tailored towards building a world-class workforce to drive seamless service delivery.

    He said construction of the John Odigie-Oyegun Training Institute, a three-storey building, is 95 per cent complete, and is fitted with large training rooms and is to be fitted with latest Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) equipment.

    “Construction work at the Institute is at the completion stage with tilling work almost complete. We are working on the painting and electricals in the buildings,” he said.

    Read Also: Rift between Oyegun, Oshiomhole not personal, says Oyegun’s aide

    Osagie added that the Centre is designed with the capacity to host about 1000 people at a time and will host training programmes by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), amongst others.

    The governor’s aide said other features of the Institute include two halls capable of holding 118 people each and seven training halls that will host 58 people each, a library, a sick bay, a cafeteria and 12 offices.

    Osagie explained that the Governor Obaseki-led administration is committed to other welfare packages to achieve a highly skilled and motivated workforce.

    “The governor has remained committed to prompt payment of workers’ salaries. Every employee of the state government gets their monthly pay on or before 26th of every month.

    “Pensioners who have served the state meritoriously are also getting pension regularly. Those, who were owed areas in the past are being attended to and their arrears cleared monthly after due documentation,” he added.

    Aerial view of one of the buildings at the institute

  • Repair: FAAN to close runway at Enugu airport Aug. 24

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has notified airlines, passengers and all other stakeholders that the runway at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu will be closed for major repairs.

    FAAN’s General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, made this known in a statement issued in Lagos on Saturday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the closure of the airport was coming three months after the immediate past Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said the airport would be closed down over the state of the runway.

    Sirika had said that the airport would be degraded for international operations because the runway length is not ideal for such operations.

    Yakubu explained that the closure was aimed at resolving the existing safety and security concerns to flight operations.

    The general manager said the closure of the runway would took effect by 12am on Aug. 24.

    She noted that a date to reopen the runway would be communicated in due course.

    Yakubu said FAAN remained cmmitted to its core values of safety, security and comfort of the airport users in the country.

    Meanwhile, the management of Air Peace has commended the Federal Government for the decision to close the Enugu International Airport for proper repair and maintenance of the airport’s runway.

    The airline’s Chairman, Mr Allen Onyema, who made the commendation in a statement issued to newsmen in Lagos, noted that the runway had been given stakeholders serious safety concerns.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, Air Peace is fully and totally in support of this decision. Though the decision will affect the traveling public.

    “However, the airline, place the safety of the flying public, our crew and equipment above any commercial benefits.

    “The government should go all out to put everything in place, within the period of the closure, that will make the airport rank among the best international airports in the country.

    “We plead with the federal government to make the airport a 24 hours flight operations airport by improving the night landing infrastructure,” he said.

    Read Also; FAAN retirees to sue management over benefits

    Onyema thanked the federal government for the appointment of Capt. Yadudu as the FAAN’s Managing Director.

    He noted that his appointment was a testimony to the government’s resolve to put result driven persons at the helm of its agencies.

    Onyema said the airline was not alone in the thought, adding that since his appointment, airlines had started enjoying the services that would definitely improve standards in the industry.

    He appreciated President Mohammadu Buhari for his resolve to attend to the infrastructural decay affecting the industry.

  • Abia workers salaries to be cleared soon-Ikpeazu

    The Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu says that his administration would soon clear areas of salaries owed to workers in the state.

    This is even as the governor has described the Abia workforce as one of its most prized assets and will therefore continue to engage the leadership of the organized labour in the State in meaningful dialogue in the quest for the improvement of the welfare of workers in the State.

    According to a release by his Chief Press Secretary, Onyebuchi Ememanka the Governor stated these at the Governor’s Lodge Aba when he received the Chairman of the Abia State Chapter of the Nigeria Labor Congress, Comrade Uchenna Obigwe.

    Read Also; Unpaid arrears: Organised labour backpedals on warning strike

    Ikpeazu expressed his personal appreciation and that of the State Government to the entire Abia workers for their patience, understanding and unflinching support even in the face of daunting challenges and assured that every effort will be made towards addressing all outstanding issues affecting their welfare.

    Governor Ikpeazu assured that immediate steps will be taken to pay off the arrears of leave allowances while other issues affecting the state workforce would be sorted later.

    As at the time of filing the report, Ikpeazu was in a scheduled meeting with representatives of organized labour in the state.

  • Unpaid arrears: Organised labour backpedals on warning strike

    The organised labour in Abia on Saturday announced an indefinite suspension of its planned industrial action over state government’s failure to clear the arrears of workers’ salaries and pensions.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the leadership of the organised labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), had on Aug. 8 issued a seven-day ultimatum to the state government to address the problem of unpaid arrears of workers’ salaries and pensions in the state.

    It threatened to embark on a warning strike at the expiration of the ultimatum on Friday.

    In a swift reaction to the ultimatum, the state government set up a seven-member committee, headed by the Head of Service, Mr Onyii Wamah, “to articulate and come out with modalities on how to clear the outstanding arrears.”

    But in a statement jointly signed by Uchenna Obigwe, Chris Okoro and Sunny Onwuma, the Chairmen of NLC, TUC and JNC, respectively, and issued to newsmen in Umuahia, labour resolved to postpone the warning strike.

    In an interview with newsmen, Obigwe said that labour would rather allow the committee to complete its work, adding that the implementation of the anticipated report would guide labour on what next to do.

    The four-paragraph statement read, among other things: “That the organised labour in Abia met with Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu in respect of the ultimatum.

    Read Also: NLC to govt: release Sowore, others

    “That contrary to the unsubstantiated rumour, the Abia government affirmed that it had not received any new tranche of the Paris Club refund.

    “That the handling of the outcome of the report of the committee will determine labour’s next line of action.”
    Other members of the committee were the Accountant-General of the State, Mr Kelechi Imeorie, and Dr ACB

    Agbazuere, a former Chairman of NLC in the state, in addition to the chairmen of NLC, TUC and JNC.

    NAN learnt that workers in some government agencies and parastatal organisations, including primary and secondary school teachers and Abia College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu, were owed arrears, ranging from three to 18 months.

    Also, only a few selected pensioners were paid last in November 2017, while gratuities were last paid in 1999.

  • Pipeline surveillance: fulfil your promise to engage us, Ex-agitators tell FG

    Ex-agitators in the Niger Delta region are calling on the federal government to fulfill its promise to engage them with pipeline surveillance jobs.

    In a statement made available to The Nation, the former militants said their patience is wearing out, having waited on the presidency for three years to no avail.

    Urging the presidency, including the current amnesty boss, Professor Charles Dokubo and relevant security agencies to intervene, they called for the needful to be done.

    Speaking on behalf of the former militants, a leader of Peretorogbene Community in Bayelsa State, Comrade Bossman Abodedike, stated that the promise to engage the youths was reached during one of the peace meetings with former coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig. General Paul Boroh, held in the creeks.

    Read Also: NNPC spends N15.5b on pipelines maintenance

    He revealed that the meeting, which was organised to persuade the “boys” to lay down their arms for smooth oil and gas operations, had relevant stakeholders and ex-agitators of the Niger Delta in attendance.

    Abodedike, while stressing that implementation of the said agreement has not been reached till date, quoted Brig. Boroh to have stated, “the Niger Delta is a serious concern to the Federal government, it was revealed in a security meeting. The intention of the federal administration is to engage our youths on pipeline surveillance job. Each community will be responsible for the provision of pipeline security in their community”.

    The community leader added that the youths across Niger Delta communities were told to submit names and passports to the Amnesty Coordinator’s Office in Abuja, for the proposed pipeline surveillance jobs.

    Calling on the vice president, Prof Yemi Osibanjo, Dokubo and other relevant authorities who have in time past ensured sustainable peace in the area to rise swiftly to the matter, he noted that the federal government’s assurance led to the cease fire and relative peace being enjoyed by oil and gas companies in the region.

  • Age barrier: read brochure before registration, JAMB advises candidates

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has advised candidates of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to always read and strictly adhere to instructions contained in the examination brochure before registering for the examinations.

    The board’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr Fabian Benjamin, gave the advice in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.

    Benjamin spoke to NAN against the backdrop of concerns being raised by the public on the fate of some candidates who sat and passed the UTME with high scores, but were not sure of their plight as they did not meet the age requirement.

    NAN reports that one Ekele Franklin, a 15-year-old candidate, who reportedly scored the highest at the 2019 UTME, but who may not be offered admissions into University of Lagos (UNILAG), his choice of institution, because of his age, is one of such examples.

    According to Benjamin, the board, in its examination brochure, states the age limit for admissions into tertiary institutions in the country,but because candidates hardly read the item, fall victims to the unfortunate circumstance.

    Read Also; JAMB cancels UTME result of another candidate

    ” Although universities have different requirements for entries into their institutions, where some may be stern with the age limit, others may be flexible.

    ” Some schools will never admit one who is not up to the required age into their institutions, even after scoring high marks in the UTME and other examinations.

    “It is not peculiar to Nigeria alone, it happens in other countries too,” he said.

    Benjamin therefore urged prospective UTME candidates to be cautious and become acquainted with, as well as follow all the instructions stated in the procedure so as not to fall into problems.

    He also said that admissions process for the 2019/20 would commence on Wednesday, Aug. 21, as the board was working tirelessly to ensure a smooth process.