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  • Amnesty programme to train 2,000 N/Delta ex-agitators – Boroh

    Amnesty programme to train 2,000 N/Delta ex-agitators – Boroh

    The Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme ( PAP ), Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh (Rtd) says that the programme will train 2,000 ex-militants in various trades to ensure sustained development in Niger-Delta region.

    Boroh, who is also the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, made the disclosure in an interview on Monday in Abuja.

    “We plan to train 2,000 ex-agitators in addition to the ones we have empowered before, to ensure continuous development of the Niger-Delta region.

    “I believe that when these people are adequately trained and well empowered, the Niger Delta region will become a good place for all to live.

    “The trainees will help boost economic activities of the region, because when the youths do not have a sustainable economic path, our families and communities suffer,” he said.

    He said that the proposed training would be in various fields to enable the beneficiaries acquire different skills, in line with their areas of interest.

    Boroh added that allowing them get trained in their areas of interest, would bring about passion for the skill, and ensure sustenance and ability to judiciously utilize the skills acquired.

    The coordinator said the beneficiaries would be trained in agriculture, restaurant and bar, timber saw and milling, baking, interior decoration, boat construction, film making, communication skills and fine arts.

    He explained that some of the trainees would prefer to go into artistic skill that would make them create something from nothing, something beautiful from something ugly.

    According to Boroh, PAP is looking at manipulative skills, in which a person learns to handle objects with precision, speed and control.

    “We can say that art is a skill obtained through practice. These largely involve physical activities with the use of hand and body coordination to execute a task,” he explained.

    The presidential aide said that the ex-agitators would also be schooled in communication and literacy, decision making, occupational requirements, problem solving, time management and planning skills.

    “These skills will help them cope easily with the daily challenges of life in terms of making decisions and expressing themselves.

    “The empowerment will facilitate good leadership and entrepreneurship, to attaining meaningful development and make the beneficiaries to be financially independent.

    “The training is part of the ongoing re-integration programme of PAP,’’ he said.

    We recall that the Amnesty Programme had in the past trained and empowered over 6,000 ex- agitators in their choice areas of businesses.

    NAN

  • JAMB to parents: Stay away from our exam centres

    JAMB to parents: Stay away from our exam centres

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB has advised parents to stay away from its examination centres during the conduct of this year’s unified tertiary matriculation examination (UTME).

    JAMB registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede explained that some parents may connive with examination officials to cheat during the UTME.

    He said this after monitoring the conduct of the board’s mock examination at its CBT centre in Kogo and Veritas university, on Monday, in Abuja.

    The registrar said about 211,000 candidates wrote the mock in some select computer based test centres.

    Prof. Oloyede said: “We urge the parents to keep away. You can see around here there are parents and I ask myself don’t they have some other things to do? We are not in a Kindgertaen School, you are preparing people for university education. And the parents come too much around, they want their children, their wards to pass at all cost.

    “It is not helpful, because these candidates will you follow them to the classroom? Lecturers and others will start taking undue advantage of them because they are not matured, they are not prepared for the task. I think parents should stay clear and allow the children to grow.”

    The registrar also advised candidates against cheating during the examination.

    Read Also: Candidates hail JAMB’s mock examination

    According to him, the board would monitor the system of every candidate to make sure they do not cheat

    He added that all electronic devices like phones, wristwatches, calculators and special eye glasses, biros, and others remained banned from the examination hall.

    The prohibition of the above listed materials and other rules, he explained, are applicable to not only the candidates but to the supervisors and examiners.

    “We urge the students to desist from any form of malpractices or short cuts to pass the examination.

    “You are aware that we have banned some items from going into the examination hall, special glasses, wristwatches and many other things that we are aware our candidates are using to do some illicit activities.

    “As many of the candidates are getting cleverer, the board is getting wiser. We have done everything possible to avoid the issue of log out. When a student sees that the questions are difficult, he plays some pranks, remove some wires, pull out the cable, then there is problem. We are monitoring every system now and when we discover that it is at your instance. You will carry your cross,” he added.

     

  • Cross River APC congress a sham, says Achigbe

    Cross River APC congress a sham, says Achigbe

    The special congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State to elect a chairman last Saturday has continued to generate controversy as one of the candidates, Dr Mathew Achigbe, has described the exercise as a sham.

    Achigbe, who addressed reporters in Calabar on Monday, rejected the outcome of the Congress, which saw Mr Godwin Etim John, emerge winner with 56 votes.

    He said the said congress, which lacked the participation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and went ahead despite a court injunction, used suspended members of the party for the election against the spirit and in defiance of the party’s constitution.

    “The notice of the congress was short of the prescription of Section 85 (1) of the electoral act (2010 as amended) which stipulates that at least 21 days be given to INEC of the party’s intention to hold its congress, but which in this case no notice was given at all, and for the Cross River State APC less than three days’ notice thus leading to the harried selling, completion and submission of forms up to and until the commencement of the Congress.

    “The Congress defied Article 25(iv) of the APC Constitution which states that at least 14 days’ notice be given to each level of the party of its intention to hold congress but for which no notice was given in the instant case.

    Read Also: Cross River APC crisis deepens

    “That over 980 delegates (five from each ward) of the 196 council wards were disenfranchised from participating in the election of the state party which not only denied them their right to vote but their civic responsibility resulting in the congress being short of the stipulated minimum of a third of the appropriate quorum and very unfair deal to the hundreds of thousands of anxious party members to vote for a credible person in a critical congress.

    “From ordinary logic and proper deduction, there is no iota of doubt that the Congress of the APC purportedly held on the 24th of February, 2018 in Calabar was heavily compromised from conception to execution and should be rendered null and void. Godwin Etim John should therefore be disqualified for not being able to contest by reason of his suspension by the APC and the said suspension not being lifted by appropriate organ of the party and should not be declared winner of the Congress as chairman as this will amount to rape of democracy, a case too many in our ever nascent democracy.”

    Also a chieftain of the APC in the state, Mr Ernets Irek, who also describe the congress as an illegality, said they have lost confidence in the national chairman of the party, John Oyegun.

    “We don’t have any confidence in the national chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun. We have lost confidence in him because he has refused to do the right thing. With 24 states in our kitty, if we are not careful, we may not even have 10 states in the next election. The kind of impunity going on is unheard of. It has become so compromised,” Irek said.

    Chairman of Coalition of APC Support Groups in the state, Comrade Iso Bassey Edim accused some top officials of the party in the state of working with the People’s Democratic Party government to destroy APC ahead of 2019.

    “We’re not happy with what happened on Saturday because we can’t support the legalization of illegality. The constitution is clear on how to conduct party Congress. There was no INEC representation whatsoever. We are made to understand that there’s a sinister plan for those who think they can mortgage APC in the state.

    “Why did they rush into organizing a fire brigade Congress when there’s Congress coming up next month? We’re calling on the National Leader, Bola Tinubu, to come to our rescue because vultures are out to destroy APC. While we want to take over the state from PDP some people are working to destroying the party,” he said.

  • 20 jailed in Ekiti for Sanitation Offences

    20 jailed in Ekiti for Sanitation Offences

     

    No fewer than 20 people were sentenced to prison by a Mobile Court on Sanitation Offences.

    They were jailed for failing to participate in the monthly environmental sanitation exercise held throughout the state at the weekend.

    The people were arrested by the state environmental sanitation officers for indiscriminate dumping of refuse and disregard for the official restriction of movement during the exercise.

    The presiding Magistrate, Mrs. Modupe Afeniforo who sent the convicts to prison terms ranging from one to two months however gave them options of fine between N3,000 and N5,000 in lieu of the prison sentences.

    Mrs Afeniforo noted that the sentences would not only serve as punishment but also as a deterrence to people that may be tempted to commit similar offences.

    Reacting to the development, the State Commissioner for Environment, Chief Bisi Kolawole warned that government would continue to prosecute anybody caught flouting environmental and sanitation laws in the state.

  • A’Ibom youths to disrupt ExxonMobil over non-employment

    A’Ibom youths to disrupt ExxonMobil over non-employment

    The Nigeria Youth Initiative Forum, a conglomeration of youths in Akwa Ibom, have issued a 30-day ultimatum to ExxonMobil.

    The youths are angry over alleged refusal by contracting firms working for ExxonMobil to employ them who are from the catchment area of the multinational.

    The ultimatum contained in a letter addressed to the Chairman and Managing Director of ExxonMobil Nigeria threatened to barricade QIT road and the Mobil airstrip should the company ignore the demand.

    The letter made available to our correspondent yesterday was signed by the forum chairman from Eket, Comrade Sammy Bassey and his secretary, Comrade Godwin Edwards.

    Other signatories to the ultimatum are the forum chairmen and secretaries from Esit Eket, Ibeno and Onna local government areas of Akwa Ibom.

    The youths alleged that about 400 qualified seafarers and cadet officers from the catchment area had been denied employment by 42 marine and services companies working for ExxonMobil.

    They demanded that ExxonMobil should employ qualified indigenes into its marine department as well as direct all marine contractors to source their workforce from seafarers and crewmen from the catchment area.

    The forum urged ExxonMobil to commence the immediate rebuilding of Qua Iboe Terminal (QIT) jetty and also start immediate review of ExxonMobil community relations guidelines of 2007.

    The youths also requested the multinational to direct its contractor, Bristow Helicopter, to star training youths of the catchment area on helicopter operations after decades of operating in the area.

    The forum further alleged that many contracting firms to ExxonMobil had not executed any community development projects in the catchment area since 2007.

    The youths then demanded that ExxonMobil should direct its contractors to discharge their corporate social responsibility to the people of the host communities.

    The forum frowned upon the attitude of some contracting firms that engage the youths from the catchment area on meagre pay packet considering the current reality in Nigeria.

    It lamented that some community liaison officers (CLOs) appointed by labour committee had yet to collect appointment letters from the contracting firms, meaning that they are not accepted.

    The forum called for payment of adequate compensation to some of the youths laid off by some contracting firms working for ExxonMobil.

    The forum further alleged that the gross neglect and insensitivity of contracting firms working for ExxonMobil had denied job opportunities to over 10, 000 youths in the catchment area.

    It noted that the companies working for ExxonMobil had violated of the Akwa Ibom Oil Companies and Vessel law 2007 and the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act 2010.

    They further noted that the contracting firms were breaching the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Act 2007 and the Merchant Shipping Act 2003 and the Inland and Coastal (Cabotage) Shipping Act 2003 as well as ExxonMobil Community Labour Relations Guideline 2007.

    The forum requested ExxonMobil to direct its Public and Government Affairs Department to liaise with the communities and the state government to avoid further breach of the laws of the land.

    “It is disheartening and pathetic to note that GREMOORE LTD on the instruction and directive of your Public and Government Affairs Department has blatantly and strictly refused to accommodate and integrate the indigenous contractors in the project,” the forum alleged.

     

  • Candidates hail JAMB’s mock examination

    Candidates hail JAMB’s mock examination

    Some 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates in Lagos on Monday applauded the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for conducting a hitch-free mock examination.

    The News men report that the mock examination is optional.

    The mock examination is to familiarise candidates with the process and test-run centre equipment (computers, servers and other backups) ahead of the main examination, slated to hold from March 9 to March 17.

    The news men correspondent who monitored the mock examination at the West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC) International Office Agidingbi, Ikeja, reports that candidates started arriving the centre as early as 5.30 a.m.

    The board had programmed candidates to take the examination in three sessions of 7.00 a.m., 9.00 a.m. and 1.30 p.m.

    The examination started with a thorough body search of candidates by men of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), followed by the biometric verification by the JAMB officials.

    One of the candidates, Opemipo Babajide, told the news men, the experience was worth the while, as it was his first time of participating at such examination.

    “Initially, I was not sure of what I was going to see in the hall, but on getting there, I just ensured I followed instructions.

    “I discovered, it was really nothing to be afraid of, as everything turned out to be seamless.

    “JAMB has done a great job with the introduction of this mock,’’ Babajide said.

    Victor Akuwudike, another candidate, said he relished the smooth way the system responded while the examination lasted.

    According to Akuwudike, from the launch of his browser through the entire process, it is interesting.

    “I really like my experience today with the entire examination process.

    Read Also: The JAMB scam and what not to do next, plus The Boko Harasser

    “Everything worked for the good of the examination and I want to salute JAMB for all the `behind the scene’ efforts in ensuring the smooth conduct of this mock examination.

    “My prayer is for the board not to relent in ensuring a perfect conduct of the main examination comes March,’’ Akuwudike said.

    The news men, however, reports that some candidates reported late for the mock examination.

    Some of the affected candidates missed their schedule, which automatically, disqualified them for the examination.

    The candidates claimed they came from far areas, which led to their late arrival at the centre.

    An official of JAMB at the centre was seen admonishing the candidates on the danger of getting to examination centres late.

    The official, who pleaded anonymity, urged the affected candidates to be conscious of the time of any the examination as this might stop them from achieving their aims.

    The news men reports that 245,753 candidates were expected to sit for the 2018 UTME mock examination nationwide.

    NAN

  • INEC : 215,000 PVC’s yet to be collected in Ekiti

    INEC : 215,000 PVC’s yet to be collected in Ekiti

     

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ekiti State has expressed concern that over 215,000 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are yet to be collected less than five months to the governorship election.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. AbdulGaniy Raji, disclosed this in Ado-Ekiti on Monday while speaking with reporters in his office on preparations for the governorship poll.

    Raji who spoke through INEC Public Relations Officer (PRO) in Ekiti State, Mr. Taiwo Gbadegesin, expressed worry over apathy of voters to the collection of PVCs despite the enlightenment being carried out by the agency.

    He said the state government has been partnering traditional rulers, religious organizations, political parties and the media to increase the political awareness of the electorate in Ekiti.

    “We have done a lot of jingles and also working with all our outfits in the 16 local governments for voter education but despite these efforts, our people seem to be showing apathy.

    “As we speak now, we have about 215,000 PVCs with us that are yet to be claimed.”

    “We are hopeful that all these will be collected before that election, because our aim is to ensure that we have high turnout during that election like we witnessed in July 21, 2014”.

    Read Also: Fayose expresses fear over Ekiti poll

    The electoral chief stressed that cases of underage voting won’t be allowed during the July 14 governorship election in the state as the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise was being monitored to prevent those who have not reached the voting age from registering.

    He added: “From inception, we have not accepted such tendency of underage voting here in Ekiti and we won’t tolerate it. Election is a serious matter that has to do with people’s sovereignty that must not be abridged in any form.

    “So, we are assuring you that the Ekiti governorship election will meet international standard. We will improve on our outstanding past records to the extent that all the political parties and stakeholders will have cause to commend us.”

    Raji also disclosed that ad hoc staff members to be used for the election including the youth corps members are undergoing training on the best electoral practices.

    His words: “Yes, we are working with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) where we will draw our ad hoc staff from.

    “We have started training them and engaging them in election seminars, so that they can be well educated about the conduct of elections.

    “We have started training for our staff here in INEC and we are awaiting instructions from our national headquarters to lift ban on electioneering campaigns, so that we can increase our work rate here in our office.”

  • ‘Let justice prevail on NDDC’s appointments’.

    ‘Let justice prevail on NDDC’s appointments’.

    Youths under the aegis of Niger Delta Youth Movement (NYDM) in Ondo state has called for the composition of a new board for the Commission.

    They noted that that the tenure of the present board had expired since December 31, but the new board was yet to be reconstituted.

    Besides, the group lamented that Ondo state had suffered deprivations in the allocation and implementation of infrastructural facilities being executed by the NDCC.

    This development, it observed was because the state was not presently represented in the management structure of the Commission where decisions are made.

    A statement by the Chairman of the group,Agbejoye Adetoye clamoured for dissolution of the Board and granting Ondo State, the Managing Directorship position of the commission.

    It said “Section 12(1) said there shall be a commission, a managing director, and two executive directors who shall be indigenes of oil producing areas and Ondo state ranked number five on the production table after Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa states.”

    NDYM stressed that since allocation of positions and other benefits is based on quantum of production and flowing from section 12 of the NDDC act, it is the turn of Ondo to legally and morally produce the position of the Managing Director.

    The group called on President Buhari to do the needful in the in the interest of justice and fairness to the people.

    The statement emphasized that since 2001 when the board was officially inaugurated, Ondo state has not been granted any key position in the NDDC.

    It urged President Buhari in the spirit of fighting corruption, resist power play in the NDDC and give Ondo  State, its rightful position in the Commission.

  • Lagos Waste: Your position in bad taste, PSP operators tell aggrieved members

    Lagos Waste: Your position in bad taste, PSP operators tell aggrieved members

    The Concerned Stakeholders of Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWMN) has condemned a statement credited to an aggrieved group within the association faulting the resolve to work with the Lagos State Government and an environmental utility group, Visionscape Sanitation Solutions to ensure cleaner and healthier environment.

    The aggrieved group, in a statement by its Chairman, Oladipo Egbeyemi, had distanced itself from the agreement to work with the State Government to rid the State of filth adorning major streets and highways, describing the resolution as misleading and untrue.

    Responding, the concerned stakeholders, in a statement signed on their behalf by Kasumu Afis Olasehinde of Gafista Concepts Limited, said the statement by the aggrieved stakeholders was not only in bad taste but had shown them to care less about the interest of Lagosians.

    The stakeholders comprising of 48 Private Sector Participant (PSP) operators in waste management, said their resolve to work with the State Government to ensure the success of the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) was borne out of the genuine desire to protect the environment and prevent outbreak of any epidemic in the State considering the resurgence of refuse in public places.

    According to the statement, “This kind gesture was warmly received and accepted by the Government, but to the surprise of many, a group believed to be aggrieved from AWMN, has come out to disown us for offering a helping hand, you must ask why? Are they angry with progress? Are they people-oriented at all? Is this challenge a thing of pride and ego to them or service to the people?

    “We have been rendering unequalled outstanding waste management service to Lagosians for decades and it is the state of things that necessitated our group’s initiative to offer help and also collaborate with Visionscape. The Visionscape group sees us as partners who will learn a lot from each other and they are willing to collaborate with us to make Lagos clean.

    Read Also: Waste: PSP Operators fault aggrieved members

    “We also state that the wellbeing of Lagosians is utmost in our mind, and as we approach the raining season, we cannot just watch but also intervene to avoid epidemic, which is what the aggrieved group does not care about.

    “We can’t afford to let the Cleaner Lagos initiative fail, because if it does, we will also be considered as failure, hence a need to take responsibility as a people-oriented group to render service whether paid or unpaid; laudable to say the least and quite commendable and any progressive would agree with my group,” Olasehinde said.

    While describing change as inevitable, Olasehinde said it was surprising that some people who in the past had benefited from change were working against progressive change, and also attempting to discourage those who were genuinely willing to help government in the best interest of the people.

    “Change is inevitable, other aggrieved operators can collaborate to deliver service with Visionscape without making drama out of it. It should be a collective joy to see people of Lagos living in comfort, you don’t wish failure on a vendor because you feel you can do better, and finally, it is unruly to attempt to pour cold water on the bravery and courage of the noble men who tried to swallow hurts and offer help. If we all contribute something, Lagos will work for us all by default,” he said.

    While standing by the resolve of the stakeholders to work with government, Olasehinde commended the State Government for coming up with the Cleaner Lagos Initiative, saying the policy and the law promulgated to back it up would no doubt proffer a permanent solution to waste management in the State.

    He particularly lauded the clear distinction under the CLI between commercial and domestic waste, among other innovations geared to revolutionize waste management in the State.

    Besides, Olasehinde said there was no existing agreement between the State Government and PSP operators, and wondered why some aggrieved members were working against the State Government.

     

  • Couple dies as suspected Fulani herdsmen attack Delta Community

    Couple dies as suspected Fulani herdsmen attack Delta Community

     

    A victim allegedly attacked by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Abraka, Ethiope East L.G.A has died of wounds sustained in the attack.

    The victim, Mrs. Patience Akpomiemie, who was attacked in her farm died weekend at the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, (DELSUTH), Oghara.

    It was learnt that the victim’s husband Mr. Happy Akpomiemie died on the spot after he was shot in the back.

    The Nation gathered that the couple and their son were shot at while working in their farm when they were attacked.

    The President General, Abraka Development Union, Dr. Joseph Tedwins in an interview lamented the violence wreaked on the community by suspected Fulani herdsmen, stressing that the community have lodged a complaint at the Police station.

    He said, “We are in grieving over the loss, as you know the law forbids us to retaliate .As usual we have lodged complain at the police station even the police commissioner visited and the police are doing what they feel they can do about it, but as usual no culprit has been arrested. It appears these people are operating a guerilla warfare ,they attack and disappear .No culprit has been apprehended ,we keep losing our people ,our farm produce destroyed and farms burnt .

    Read Also: ‘Herdsmen still destroying our crops and houses’

    “Now the killings have continued again. Until the government decides to do something about it, it is going to be a difficult thing. As a community we cannot take laws into our hands. We do not have any faith in the security agencies. I dare say the police in this area are manned by Fulani that are killing us, the area commanders, most of the security agents that should take decision on this matter are of northern extraction.

    “While usually they will pretend that they are doing one thing or the other, it turns out that they are doing nothing. But if you raise your hand to slap or insult a Hausa Fulani man, the next minute they (police) will want to arrest everyone. This is the situation we find ourselves.”

    Delta State Police image maker, DSP Andrew Aniamaka said the police have made no arrest.

    He said, “We have gone beyond making arrest .But never again will this happen in Abraka. Are working in tandem with security agencies and all the relevant stakeholders including the traditional institutions?”