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  • Ex-banker docked over alleged N5.8m theft

    Ex-banker docked over alleged N5.8m theft

    A 32-year-old ex-banker, Isaac Ajagbe, who allegedly stole N5.8 million from his employer, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), was docked before an Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ibadan.

    Ajagbe, who lives in Christopher Street in Ologuneru area of Ibadan, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

    The prosecutor, Sgt. Lekan Adegbite, told the court that Ajagbe, a former employee of  GTB, Bodija Branch, Ibadan, allegedly conspired with one other now at large to commit the offence.

    “Ajagbe allegedly stole N5.8 million from his employer, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), between September 2016 and Feb.16, 2017 at Bodija Branch, Ibadan’’ he said.

    Adegbite said that the offence contravened Sections 390 (9) and 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap 38, Vol. II, Laws of Oyo State.

    The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    Mr Omolodun Aina, the counsel to the accused, urged the court to grant his client bail in the most liberal term.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Kehinde Omotosho, admitted the accused to N2 million bail with two sureties in like sum.

    Omotosho said that the sureties should be responsible and reliable.

    She said that one of the sureties must be a blood relation to the accused, while the other should be a public officer of not less than Grade Level 10.

    She adjourned the case until April 10 for hearing.

    NAN

  • Killings: Reps urge FG to provide sustainable security in Zamfara

    Killings: Reps urge FG to provide sustainable security in Zamfara

     

    The House of Representatives on Wednesday, called on the federal government to give special security attention to Zamfara State because of the recurring killings by unknown armed men going on there.

    According to the Green Chamber, the Federal government should provide a coordinated and sustainable security intervention, involving but not limited to land and air military operations; State Security Services and other security agencies.

    The resolution of the House was sequel to the passage of a motion of urgent national importance titled: “urgent call on federal government to provide security to Zamafara state” sponsored by Hon. Abubakar Husaini Moriki (APC Zamfara)

    The lawmaker noted that the state is facing various security challenges ranging from kidnapping, cattle rustling, community attacks and general banditry activities.

    He also recalled recent killings of about forty people on Wednesday, 14th February, 2018in Birane and Mashema districts of Zurmi Local Government by unknown armed bandit.

    According to him, previous killings had been brought before the House and many resolutions to address the situations were adopted and implemented by both Zamfara state government as well as the federal government but regretted that the implementation was not consistent and could not be sustained thus leaving the state vulnerable to further attacks.

    “Recent attacks in the two local government areas that I represent namely Shinkafi and Zurmi claimed no fewer than one hundred lives and property worth millions of naira were lost.

    “Beside this, several citizens of the local government Areas were also kidnapped, and ransoms amounting to millions of Naira were paid by relatives of the victims in Oder to secure their release.”

    Read Also: Teacher flogs student to death in  Zamfara

    Moriki expressed concern that the development has negatively impacted on the economic wellbeing of the people of the state as businesses have collapsed and farms abandoned due to fear.

    When the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara called for a vote on the motion, it was supported by majority of members.

    Subsequently, the House urged the national emergency Management Agency NEMA, through its committee on NEMA to send relief materials to families of the victims.

    It also resolved to send a delegation to visit and condole the people of Birane and Mashema in Zurmi LGA and the people and government of Zamfara State.

  • Okorocha advocates closer ties between Igbo traders and Customs

    Okorocha advocates closer ties between Igbo traders and Customs

    Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has called for a more cordial relationship between traders and leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service.

    The governor suggested a national Summit between the traders and the Customs at to correct the impression that the actions and policies of the Customs are targeted against the Igbo traders.

    Governor Okorocha also advised the Customs personnel to concentrate at the borders instead of mounting road blocks in the cities, stating that “if the Customs Officers do what they are expected to do at the borders they have no business mounting road blocks again in the Cities”.

    Governor Okorocha spoke when the Comptroller of Customs, Federal Operations, Zone C, Mr. Azarema. A. Abubakar paid him courtesy, Wednesday, at the Government House Owerri.

    He regretted that “there has been a very dangerous communication gap between the Customs authorities and the Igbo businessmen”, adding that communication is key in the relationship between the two interest groups”.

    According to him, “once the goods have passed the borders and enter the cities, checking them becomes the duty of the Police and no more the functions of the Customs’ officials. Custom officials have no business mounting road blocks inside the cities. Even the issue of under payment should not be the responsibility of the Customs. Customs should also assist the NDLEA to fight illicit drugs, because the NDLEA does not have the needed personnel and resources to fight illicit drugs”.

    His words “I request that Customs’ authorities come down to Imo State or anywhere in the Southeast and talk to the Igbo traders because 90% of the importers are Igbo, come and talk to them and explain to them why the customs take the actions or do some of the things they do that do not go down well with the importers. Our people misunderstand some of these customs’ actions. The impression in the country now is that the Igbo are been witch hunted by the Customs on daily basis because they are Igbo. While that may not be true, there is need to give them proper explanation to some of these actions.

    Read Also:  Okorocha  as instinctive monarchist

    “Due to this lack of communication, some corrupt custom officials take advantage of it and extort money from innocent importers. I will be ready to discuss with my brother governors on this summit. This will help to smoothen the relationship between customs and Igbo importers because for now the relationship is sour and not good for our national unity”.

    He said “Another problem that must be taken care of is the situation where somebody will clear his goods at Apapa Wharf with receipts and when the person gets to Owerri or Aba, they will stop him and insist that he underpaid. It is not the duty of somebody who is here to decide whether somebody underpaid or not in Lagos instead people that cleared him should be held responsible. This double payment of customs duties should stop especially on this side of South-East. This is extortion in my understanding.

    “I Commend the customs for saving millions of lives in Nigeria through the seizure of illegal arms imported into the country as each of those AK47 could take over 100 lives if they enter into the wrong hands. I encourage that the prosecution of those importers who bring in the containers should be made known to the public to serve as a deterrent to others. All we hear is that this number of pump Actions have been seized and AK47 also seized but at the end, the public will not be informed of what has happened to the people that bring in these guns. Custom owes it a duty to explain to people actions taken on persons who commit these crimes”.

    Comptroller Customs, Federal Operations Zone C, Mr. Azarema .A. Abubakar told the governor that Zone C, is made of South-South and South-East with headquarters in Owerri, adding that the South-East is the hub of trade which makes it incumbent on them to seek for Cooperation and support of the governor.

    He said aside checking illegal goods or import the Customs also have to do the job as a security agency, adding that they would work closely with all the relevant persons and bodies.

     

  • Government must fish out, deal with criminals, says Sultan

    Government must fish out, deal with criminals, says Sultan

    Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, on Wednesday called on the Federal Government and security agencies to fish out and deal with criminals causing trouble in the country.

    The sultan also said it was wrong to see every Fulani man who is a herder as a criminal.

    The monarch spoke at a book launch written in honour of Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, in Abuja.

    The book, a compilation of essays was written by Y.O Imam, R.I Adebayo and A.I Ali-gan, and presented to the public at the Shehu Yar’Adua centre.

    Abubakar, who said there are no statesmen in the country but men of states, also said it was wrong for state governors to consider their immediate environment as their only constituency, noting that the country could not allow such to continue.

    He said: “We have governors that only see their immediate environment as their only constituency. And if you don’t belong to their tribal or ethnic background you are finished. These are things happening. We cannot allow this to continue.

    “We must be free to move to where we want to, sit comfortably where we want to. And if a criminal comes we don’t allow him to move. We don’t accept criminalities or criminals in our midst. We must fish them out and deal with them.

    “Nowadays the most words you can hear is Fulani. There are millions of Fulani’s that don’t even know what a cow is. I am Fulani but I am never a herder. I am a very proud Fulani but everybody when they see a Fulani man is a killer. It is not true.

    “There are so many non-Fulani’s that are herdsmen. Millions of them. So to stereotype a particular ethnicity as a criminal is wrong. There are criminals all over the world. So let us give criminals their due names. Call them criminals not Christian criminals not Muslim criminals, not Yoruba criminals. Call them criminals and deal with them. That is what we have been telling government.

    “If the government have failed then tell us how to come about it. We will come and sit with them and help. I think we have to leave some of these issues.”

    The monarch, who is also the President-General of the Nigerian National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), noted that corruption was at a high level that required Nigerians and government to fight it to a terminal end.

    He said the news that a snake swallowed N36 billion from a JAMB official in Benue state, reflected the sad realities on ground.

    The monarch explained that the current economic situation in the country was bad, adding that the country should not be allowed to sink further.

    He said: “Nigeria is a country where you do not celebrate honest people until after their death. After their death you will now name universities, airport, roads after them, after they have gone. When you are going you are going. You don’t know what is happening in the world. But you must be celebrated when you are alive to know that people respect you and that will push you to do more.

    “We know what we are going through in our country. The snake issue has been such a humourous thing that you see cartoons, you see postings left right and centre about the snake swallowing N36 million naira. It is humorous, yes but it is a sad reality of our country. Where is our moral value? How about our ethics? Can somebody just get up and take government money and go away scot free and nobody challenges him?

    “It is a joke that snake swallowed N36 million. Maybe in dollars but the reality if facing us. The earlier we wake up to our responsibilities the better for us. Let us not sink further. Things are bad, corruption is at a very high level and it is left for us to fight it to a terminal end.

    “We cannot just sit down and be thinking that things are okay. Things are not okay. We have said it so many times. But it is left for us to sit together and find out ways and means of getting things back on track in this blessed country.

    “We thank God for Nigeria. We can’t wish for any other country like Nigeria. I mean for us to be in a country like Nigeria, we love what God has done for us but we cannot continue with these negative things every day.”

    He called on the country to be more serious in dealing with its present leadership issue.

    “Let us be more serious and take this leadership issue very well. Let us tell ourselves the home truth. When things are wrong let us say they are wrong and then find solution. We have to always ask ourselves: what we are doing is it right? If it is not right then we have to make amend and change it. As your conscience, are you doing the right thing?,” he added.

     

  • NCDMB trains 500 Niger Delta students on oil, gas

    NCDMB trains 500 Niger Delta students on oil, gas

    The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), has trained 500 students selected from secondary schools in states across the Niger Delta region.

    A statement from the board’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Idowu Adejumo, said the approach was a new initiative to fill the skill technical gap in the nation’s oil and gas sector.

    He said the 500 students were selected from 200 secondary schools to participated in the maiden edition of the scheme titled, “Bridging the local content gap in Nigeria’s Industrial Sector: Science, technology and engineering to the rescue”.

    Adejumo said the facilitator of the career talks, Osk Leverages and Vie Logistique, worked with respective state ministry of education in Ondo, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Imo, Rivers and Bayelsa, to ensure the success of the programme.

    He said: “The talks anchored by an experienced facilitator, a senior safety engineer with over 15 years’ experience in the oil and gas sector, Victor Ekasa, has been held in six states of Ondo, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Abia and Imo.

    Read Also: 100 new stars from the Niger Delta

    “The students are encouraged to consider careers in sciences, engineering, and technology towards building local capacity and reduce the number of expatriates in the country”.

    He noted that the current management of the NCDMB under the Executive Secretary, Mr.Simbi Wabote, was supporting the move to catch the ‘engineers’ young.

    He said: “Two best participating students in each of the state are to go home with a branded mini laptop as a way to encourage them.

    “The industrial growth of any nation is anchored on science, engineering and technology and all efforts must be put in place to encourage the new generation to take up the challenge for national growth.

    “We need more Nigerian engineers to man the very technical aspects of oil and gas operations. Nigerians have the capacity to compete favourably and this programme will help us build new set of engineers, scientists and technologists”.

     

  • Don’t use BSU to fight Ortom – Council Chairman

    Don’t use BSU to fight Ortom – Council Chairman

    The Pro- chancellor and council chairman of the Benue State University BSU, Professor Zack Gundu has appealed to the people of Benue State to drag the institute into politics.

    Speaking at the meeting between Management, parents and students held at the Auditorium of College of Health, Professor Gundu expressed regret that students unrest led to the cancellation of semester examination and advised parents to monitor their children.

    He said it was unfortunate that about 50 percent of the students failed to register their courses, a development he said it’s strange in a university system.

    The Council chairman warned that the university management will no longer accept a situation where students disrupts examination and blocked the main entrance.

    According to the council chairman there about 20,000 certificates pending collection from students who have graduated more than 10 years and said students must first register for their course before sitting for any examination.

    Vice chancellor Professor Msugh Kembe said all students must pay and registered for their courses in within two weeks before they will regarded as students.

    Professor Kembe said the university is for moulding character and appealed to students with financial challenges to go through proper authority than embarking on demonstration.

    He said management has made available scholarship for indigent’s students and urged them to take advantage and further their education

    Management of Benue State University Makurdi closed the university last week and ordered all students to vacate following protest over payment of school fees.

  • Education Trust Fund hits N800m in Bayelsa

    Education Trust Fund hits N800m in Bayelsa

     

    The Bayelsa State Education Trust Fund (BSETF) has recorded N800m contributions from workers, government officials and other categories of persons within ten months.

    The state Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, on March 31, 2017, signed the BSETF and the state Higher Education Student Loan bills passed by the state House of Assembly into law.

    The BSETF makes it compulsory for different categories of workers including contractors and civil servants in the state to pay education levies.

    Dickson inaugurated a board to administer the fund and appointed a famous educationist, Prof. Turner Isoun, as its Chairman.

    Isoun on Wednesday, while submitting the 2017 Annual Report of the fund to the governor in Government House, Yenagoa, said between March and December, the trust fund received N800m from taxable stakeholders.

    Out of the total receipt, he said N300m was expended leaving a balance of N500m.

    Dickson urged the private sector, particularly corporate organisations and individuals to make contributions to the trust fund, to enable indigent children acquire free and qualitative education.

    A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Francis Ottah Agbo, quoted Dickson as saying that the programme was targeted at delivering “the democratization of knowledge” in the state.

    He called on the people of the state to take ownership of the education programme and explained that the Fund was aimed at strengthening education to increase the literacy level in the state.

    Dickson commended the Chairman and members of the board for the prudent management of the funds.

    He directed the board in collaboration with the Ministries of Information and Orientation as well as Education in creating the needed awareness for people to identity with the education policy.

    He said: “I call on our people to own this programme, which is for your benefit. This programme is to deepen education and deliver what, I always call, the democratization of knowledge, where we are taking children from the underprivileged circumstances and backgrounds and putting them in boarding secondary schools and taking responsibility for their feeding, clothing books and everything.

    “We are doing that now and the schools are in all the local government areas and we are still working on more. I call on the board to increase their enlightenment.

    “I want to direct the Commissioner for Education and Ministry of Information also to jointly, working together with the board,  to increase the awareness on behalf of the people about the benefits of this programme and then, most importantly, about their duties.

    “I also want to use this opportunity to call on the private sector, especially, the international oil companies that have been making billions of dollars on this soil without giving much back. I want to call for collaboration.

    “I have mandated the chairman and the board to establish contacts with all local and international companies that are operating in this state to assess and impose a special levy.

    “The law provides for the board to assess and levy individuals and leaders of this state irrespective of where they may reside. We expect the board to do more especially in the area of increasing their dragnet.”

    Prof. Isoun also said that the fund would go a long way in addressing the challenges in the education sector and assist the people participate effectively in a knowledge-driven economy.

    Also speaking, the Commissioner for Education, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite and his Information and Orientation counterpart, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said the fund was instituted to ensure sustainability of the gains in the education sector and to secure the future of the children.

    Describing the educational programme as highly commendable, they added that, with the fund in place, indigent children would have easy access to quality education.

     

  • Kogi: Suspected Fulani herdsmen cart away 99 cows from late Daniyan’s farm

    Kogi: Suspected Fulani herdsmen cart away 99 cows from late Daniyan’s farm

     

    Unease has enveloped parts of Mopa, headquarters of Mopa-moro Local Government, Kogi State, following the carting away of 99 cows from the farm of the late Chief Silas Daniyan, SBD Farms Limited.

    The incident which occurred around 7pm on Tuesday has led to apprehension, even a one of the farm tenders, Laisi Musa, who had taken the cows out on grazing, was dealt several machete cuts by the attackers, and hangs in the balance, at Rehoboth Clinic and Maternity, Mopa, where doctors are reportedly battling to save his live.

    Confirming the incident a resident of Mopa, Mr. Sola Daramola said that unknown Fulani herdsmen, some of who he claimed had of late came into the area in their numbers, attacked Musa, who “went on normal daily work, taking those cows for pastures toward the hill within the farm land”.

    Read Also: Kogi:  Two killed, oil merchant kidnapped

    While he said that Musa was receiving treatment at the hospital, an unconfirmed sourced said he died from the several injuries he sustained in the hands of the attackers.

    According to Daramola: “They were to return at about 6pm, unfortunately he did not return. So, they were searching for him, on the instruction of his elder brother, by going through where they normally take their cows to pasture and met him seriously macheted. His fate is in hands of God”.

    Corroborating the development, another resident of the area, Monday Elere, said, “We learnt they are new (attackers) in that environment. The name of the boy that was attacked is Laisi Musa. He is working with the farm as one of the cattle rearers”.

    He added that the case had been reported at the Mopa police divisional office, “with the DPO and he promised to take it up with the area command office.

  • KEDCO urges TCN to fix burnt 60MVA transformer for improved Power Supply

    KEDCO urges TCN to fix burnt 60MVA transformer for improved Power Supply

    The Kano Electricity Distribution Plc. (KEDCO) has called on the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to speed up the repairs of a 60MVA transformer that was gut with fire at Dan Agundi Transmission Station in Kano, in December last year.

    In a statement issued by the company’s spokesman, Mohammed Kandi, it said that ugly incident had led to severe load-shedding at some ‘high-brow’ areas which were KEDCO’s cash cow.

    Kandi, who informed that the company was losing huge revenue as a result of breakdown of the 60MVA transformer at Dan Agundi, added that, lack of stable electricity supply in those areas was crippling economic activities at the major central business area in the ancient city of Kano.

    He said the affected areas include Nasarawa GRA, Tarauni, Badawa, Ibrahim Taiwo road where cluster of businesses are located.

    Read Also: DPR seals 96 petrol stations in Kano

    KEDCO’s spokesman also said: “These affected areas which enjoyed almost 24hrs of power supply have now been subjected to massive load-shedding due to the burnt transformer lying paralyzed in the transmission station.”

    He described the situation as “regrettable” adding that, “this development has not only hindered us from serving our esteemed customers efficiently, it has a serious effect on the revenue of the company which by extension is detrimental to the power sector in general,” Kandi said.

    The company’s management, however, appealed to the TCN not only for the urgent repair of the burnt transformer but for the installation of an additional 60MVA transformer for improved electricity supply in the area.

    The Company called on their valued customers to exercise more patience as all hands are on deck to ensure better service delivery.

     

     

  • I support your 2019 governorship ambition, Ajimobi tells Oke-Ogun Indigenes

    I support your 2019 governorship ambition, Ajimobi tells Oke-Ogun Indigenes

    Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, has reaffirmed his support for the aspiration of Oke-Ogun Indigenes to produce his successor in 2019.

    The governor had expressed his support for their ambition in 2016 while addressing guests at the burial ceremony of a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Okeho at the time.

    He reaffirmed his position while addressing crowds of supporters and beneficiaries at an empowerment programme organized by the senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District, Fatai Buhari, in Iseyin.

    Ajimobi, who extolled the qualities and values of people of the area, recalled that he got the highest number of votes from there in the last election. The governor added that Oke-Ogun Indigenes are reliable people who support and are loyal to worthy causes.

    “I love Oke-Ogun people because they are extremely loyal and grateful. I think we should all support Oke-Ogun governorship candidate in the 2019 election. I know you have many qualified candidates. Just make sure you pick the best among them and work with Ibadan and other zones. I will support Oke-Ogun cause but if you don’t work with Ibadan, you may not realize your ambition.” Ajimobi said.

    Read Also: Ajimobi  to contest senatorial election in 2019

    Also underscoring the importance of the area to the state and Nigeria at large, Ajimobi said Oke-Ogun accounts for about 60 per cent of the land mass of the state, stressing that it has every reason to serve as the food basket of the state and the entire southern Nigeria. But he also acknowledged that the population of the area is about 20 per cent of the entire state, making it compulsory for them to work with other zones to realize their dream.

    He said his belief in Oke-Ogun and its Indigenes was the reason his administration was directing investors in agriculture related areas to Oke-Ogun.

    He emphasized the need to ensure that his successor is also a member of the APC, saying it would help sustain developmental efforts in the area and other parts of the state.

    To further strengthen harmonious relationship in the entire area, Ajimobi said he would facilitate meeting of all traditional rulers and appeal to them to work together as one.

    Sen. Buhari hailed Ajimobi and party leaders in the state for holding the party together.