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  • Gov. Bello redeploys commissioners

    Gov. Bello redeploys commissioners

    The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has redeployed some of his commissioners.

    Some of the affected commissioners include affected, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya who is to move from environment to education, science and technology. She replaces Dr Sunday Tolorunleke, who has been moved to ministry of commerce and industry.

    Others are: Arome Adoji, from Sports and Youth Development to Culture and Tourism. He is to replace, Mohammed Awwal who is to deploy to the transport ministry.

    The decision taken yesterday at the State Executive Council meeting held at the Government House, Lokoja and presided over by the governor, is to take effect from January 1, 2018.

    By the powers vested in me as the Executive Governor of Kogi State, I hereby announce a redeployment of Cabinet as follows:

    MRS. ROSEMARY OSIKOYA is redeployed as COMMISSIONER from The Kogi State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to the Kogi State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. She replaces MR. JACOB TOLORUNLEKE.

    JACOB TOLORUNLEKE is redeployed as COMMISSIONER from the Kogi State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to the Kogi State Ministry of Commerce and Industry. He replaces ALHAJI SANUSI USMAN YAHAYA.

    ALHAJI SANUSI USMAN YAHAYA is redeployed as COMMISSIONER from the Kogi State Ministry of Commerce and Industry to the Kogi State Ministry of Environment & Natural Resources. He replaces MRS. ROSEMARY OSIKOYA.

    GABRIEL AROME ADOJI is redeployed as COMMISSIONER from the Kogi State Ministry of Youths and Sports to the Kogi State Ministry of Culture and Tourism. He replaces ALHAJI MOHAMMED AWWAL.

    ALHAJI MOHAMMED AWWAL is redeployed as COMMISSIONER from the Kogi State Ministry of Culture and Tourism to the Kogi State Ministry of Transport. He replaces PRINCE SANI OGU SALISU.

    PRINCE SANI OGU SALISU is redeployed as COMMISSIONER from the Kogi State Ministry of Transport to the Kogi State Ministry of Youths and Sports. He replaces MR. GABRIEL AROME ADOJI.

    A new Kogi State LANDS AND HOUSING SERVICES BUREAU headed by a Director-General (to be appointed in due course) is hereby created out of the current Kogi State Ministry of Works, Lands, Housing and Urban Development.

    The former Kogi State Ministry of Works, Lands, Housing and Urban Development is hereby renamed the KOGI STATE MINISTRY OF WORKS AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT with ENGR. SADIQ ABDULMUMINI still COMMISSIONER.

    All changes become effective on the 1st day of January, 2018.

    Redeployed officials are to brief their replacements fully in writing and conduct formal handover on or before close of work on the effective date.

    The Secretary to the Kogi State Government is to formalise appropriate records without delay.

    After about 18 months in office, all Cabinet members must know where they stand in terms of productivity. This Administration requires excellence at all times. Mere good performance can never be good enough, and some have even fallen below that.

    Those who have not added significant value to Kogites through their offices MUST start now to post superlative results. In the next 90 days, if they are still average, they will leave me no choice but to find those who will keep pace with our governance aspirations.

  • FG reiterates commitment to reward, protect whistleblowers

    FG reiterates commitment to reward, protect whistleblowers

    The Federal Government on Tuesday reiterated its commitment to reward and protect whistleblowers who provided information that led to recovery of stolen funds or assets.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated this during a visit to the head office of Leadership newspaper in Abuja.

    Mohammed, who was responding to a question on the stash of money recovered from an apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos, said the whistleblowers would get the due reward.

    He clarified the compensation modality as contained in the framework, saying any whistle-blower whose information led to recovery of up to N1 billion would receive five per cent of the amount.

    He said the reward for any amount between N1 billion and N5 billion was 5 per cent for the first N1 billion and four per cent of the remaining N4 billion.

    The minister added that any amount above N5 billion would attract 2.5 per cent reward.

    Mohammed noted that the policy of government was to keep the identity of whistle blowers secret.

    He described as unfortunate the situation where more than one person came out as whistle blowers for the Ikoyi recovery.

    He disclosed that Federal Government had come up with comprehensive strategy to tackle violent extremism across the country.

    He said the strategy was contained in a document entitled “Policy Framework and National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism” launched by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Mohammed said the document was developed after consultations with agencies of government, civil society organisations, the media and academia, as well as the international community.

    He also spoke on the various policies and programmes of government at revamping the economy, building infrastructure and creating jobs.

    On the fight against corruption, Mohammed said government was winning the war, having succeeded in driving corruption under the table.

    He hailed Leadership newspaper for carrying out its duties professionally.

    NAN

  • Give more women govt positions to minimise corruption, says Ezekwesili

    Give more women govt positions to minimise corruption, says Ezekwesili

    A former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, on Tuesday said more women should occupy government positions where decisions on the collective good of the society are taken, to minimize corruption.

    She gave the advice at a lecture organised by HID Awolowo Foundation in Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The lecture had as its theme: “Ethical Politics, Development and Security in Nigeria: The Critical importance of Women’s Leadership’’.

    According to her, research has shown that when women are represented in leadership, there is better performance in measurable numbers.

    “Research shows that in Africa, only five per cent of women are CEOs, 22 per cent are cabinet members, 25 per cent are parliamentarians, 29 per cent are managers, 36 per cent are promoted, and some 44 per cent of senior women hold line roles.

    “With Nigeria in the lead, this tells that women have been marginalised and this is evident in the poor governance that the continent has produced.

    “So, men must take full responsibility for the state of affairs of Nigeria and the continent.

    “What this is saying to us is that we need to improve on the participation of women in our political system.

    “We need to have many more women in the local government, state government and centre of authority as well as in the judiciary,” Ezekwesili said.

    She said that a wise society will know that empowering its women is smart economy.

    Ezekwesili stressed that no one is doing a favour to the Nigerian or African woman by involving her in the process of governance on the basis of evidence that data has shown.

    She described barriers militating against women coming into the political space as being cultural, religious, economic, social as well as self-imposed.

    The ex-minister urged women to rise up and disrupt the existing paradigm that says that women must  be held down.

    According to her, women are incredible human resources that must not be put on hold.

    Lady Maiden Ibru, one of the discussants and chairperson of the occasion, urged women to stand up and get out of their comfort zone, for them to be heard.

    “Women have always fought for equality; time has come for women to come to the forefront and say enough is enough.

    “What makes a woman is character, accountability, honesty and these we must bring to governance.

    A former governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, said the best way to empower a community is to empower the woman.

    He said: “In a family, if a woman is empowered, you will see the difference in the house, you will see the difference in the children, even the man will see the difference from the dining table.

    “But the other way round, if a man is empowered, his pocket suddenly increases.

    “The empowerment of a woman is very important for the nation to move forward.

    “I have no doubt about that, although it is not always automatic that a woman is necessarily not more corrupt than a man.

    “There is no universal application that a woman is necessarily less corrupt than a man because there are some cultural contexts to it.’’

    NAN

  • Obaseki restates commitment to fight human trafficking

    Obaseki restates commitment to fight human trafficking

    Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo says his administration is willing to support any initiative that will curb human trafficking.

    Obaseki, represented by his Deputy, Philip Shaibu, stated this on Tuesday when he hosted the executives of the African Youth Commission at Government House, Benin.

    He said the way youths travel out of the country to be used as slaves in their host countries is unacceptable.

    Obaseki, who described human trafficking as “modern day slavery’’, noted that one of the goals of his administration was to build the capacity of youths to enable them to compete favourable with their counterparts across the world.

    “For us as a government, we believe we should reduce unemployment and also help to reduce illegal migration.

    “For us, human trafficking is not acceptable, that is why we are trying to gather not only national, but international support to check this menace,” he said.

    Obaseki said the government was investing massively in technical vocation and skills acquisition to ensure that the younger generation are adequately empowered to provide for themselves.

    Earlier, the Secretary of the African Youth Commission, Dr Carl Oshodin, said the aim of the commission was to fight against illegal migration.

    Oshodin said that the motive was to support government at all levels and make poverty history in Edo.

    NAN

  • Pope preaches peace, reconciliation in Myanmar

    Pope preaches peace, reconciliation in Myanmar

    Pope Francis called for peace and reconciliation as he delivered Mass to around 150,000 Catholics in Myanmar’s commercial hub Yangon on Wednesday, as part of his first papal trip to the country.

    “I know that many in Myanmar bear the wounds of violence, wounds both visible and invisible,” he told those gathered for the open-air mass.

    “Yet the way of revenge is not the way of Jesus.”

    Most of Myanmar’s nearly 700,000 Catholics are ethnic minorities from the country’s restive fringes, where a number of ethnic armed groups are still at war with government forces.

    Michael Salai Soe Aung, a 40-year-old from Myanmar’s western Chin State who attended the Mass, told dpa: “I’m so happy I can’t describe my feelings with words. I believe the pope brings peace wherever he goes.”

    The pope has faced pressure during his trip to confront alleged atrocities against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

    Su Hlaing from Yangon also attended the Mass on Wednesday and said she hoped the pope’s visit could bring peace to Rakhine.

    On Tuesday, the pope appeared alongside civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has faced international condemnation over a military operation that has sent 620,000 Rohingyas fleeing across the border to Bangladesh, in what the U.S. and UN have described as “ethnic cleansing.”

    In an address on Tuesday in the capital Naypyitaw, the pope urged a “commitment to justice and respect for human rights” in Myanmar but did not refer to the Rohingya by name.

    He also refrained from uttering the word on Wednesday.

    The Catholic Church in Myanmar had urged the pontiff to respect the views of the majority of Myanmar’s population, who do not consider Rohingya to be citizens and call them “Bengali,” inferring they are from Bangladesh.

    The pope is currently on a six-day trip to Myanmar and Bangladesh and will travel to Dhaka on Thursday where he will remain until Saturday.

    NAN

  • I and Ibrahimovic kicked each other in training – Rojo

    I and Ibrahimovic kicked each other in training – Rojo

    Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo has revealed that he and Zlatan Ibrahimovic kicked themselves in training.

    The duo returned to the first team squad two weeks ago after picking up injury in a Europa League match against Anderlecht in April

    And According to the Argentine defender, Coach Jose Mourinho has warned the two to desist from kicking each other in order to avoid injuries.

    “[Mourinho] always tells us to play calmly in practice because, with Ibrahimovic, we kill each other with kicks,” Rojo, as quoted by Marca.

    On his relationship with Ibrahimovic, Rojo described the Sweedish striker as an ‘amazing character,’ who is always happy

    Read also: Why Manchester’s Ibrahimovic is called ‘the Big Man’

    Rojo added: “He’s always happy and close to the players. He helped me a lot. He got the best out of me.”

    “He’s an amazing character, but for those who don’t know him, he seems big-headed,” he noted.

    “He’s a phenomenon, he’s a beast who goes forward and wants to win everything.”

  • Rohr needs certainty over future – Pinnick

    Rohr needs certainty over future – Pinnick

    President of the Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF ), Amaju Pinnick, on Tuesday explained the federation’s motives in offering Super Eagles Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr a contract expansion.

    “The Federation leadership’s resolve to ensure there were no distractions of any size or complexion around Nigeria’s 2018 FIFA World Cup preparation and participation informed the offer of a fresh two-year contract to Rohr,’’ he said.

    Rohr was signed by the NFF in August 2016 and has met the first milestone of his contract, which is ensuring the Eagles qualify for a sixth FIFA World Cup finals.

    Nigeria thoroughly overhauled their opponents, spanking 2012 AFCON winners Zambia home and away.

    The Eagles also earned four points from home-and-away clashes with fellow 2014 World Cup finalists Cameroon and Algeria, leaving second-placed Zambia six points behind the Super Eagles.

    “We have decided to confront head-on any possible area of conflict or controversy, and fully resolve each and every possible friction point well ahead of the competition.

    Read also: I’m happy working with Super Eagles – Rohr

    “After signing the agreement on payment to the team from expected FIFA income, the next stage was to take care of the Technical Adviser.

    “He has done very well and does not need to go into the World Cup uncertain of his future,” Pinnick said in a statement released by the NFF on Tuesday.

    The 64-year old Rohr, a former Germany defender, flaunts a sterling record with the Eagles, winning seven of 12 matches and drawing four in his 15 months in charge so far.

    His only loss was the 0-2 reverse to South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in a 2019 AFCON qualifier in Uyo in June 2017.

    Under him, the Eagles have beaten Tanzania, Zambia (twice), Algeria, Togo, Cameroon and two –time world champions Argentina, and drawn with Senegal, Corsica, Cameroon and Algeria.

    ROHR’S RECORD

    03/09/2016: Nigeria 1 Tanzania 0 (AFCON Qualifier, Uyo)

    09/10/2017: Zambia 1 Nigeria 2 (WC Qualifier, Ndola)

    12/11/2016: Nigeria 3 Algeria 1 (WC Qualifier, Uyo)

    23/03/2017: Nigeria 1 Senegal 1 (Friendly, London)

    27/05/2017: Corsica 1 Nigeria 1 (Friendly, Ajaccio)

    01/06/2017: Nigeria 3 Togo 0 (Friendly, Paris)

    10/06/2017: Nigeria 0 South Africa 2 (AFCON Qualifier, Uyo)

    01/09/2017: Nigeria 4 Cameroon 0 (WC Qualifier, Uyo)

    04/09/2017: Cameroon 1 Nigeria 1 (WC Qualifier, Yaounde)

    07/10/2017: Nigeria 1 Zambia 0 (WC Qualifier, Uyo)

    10/11/2017: Algeria 1 Nigeria 1 (WC Qualifier, Constantine)

    14/11/2017: Argentina 2 Nigeria 4 (Friendly, Krasnodar)

    NAN

  • Yuletide: FG warns security agencies against traffic law violations

    Yuletide: FG warns security agencies against traffic law violations

    The Federal Government on Tuesday says it will not tolerate traffic law violations by convoy drivers, military personnel and law enforcement agents during and after the Yuletides.

    Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, gave the warning at a capacity building workshop in Abuja.

    The workshop was on the United Nations Road Safety Legal Instruments on Traffic Signs and Regulations.

    Mustapha said as government played its role to ensure safety of lives and property, all road users must obey traffic rules and regulations regardless of their status.

    “Let me further warn that while the Federal Road Safety Corps will continue to act in line with the rule of law, government will not tolerate any one running officials of the Corps down in the exercise of their duties.

    “Government drivers, especially those that drive us around, convoy drivers, must not disrupt flow of traffic or act in contra-distinction to traffic officers’ directives.

    “Let me also admonish the military and all law enforcement agencies to cooperate with the FRSC throughout the end-of-year operations and beyond.

    “The safety of and security of this great nation rests on your collective shoulders, hence the failure of one would be seen as failure of all.’’

    Mustapha said the federal government would continue to empower the FRSC in the discharge of its duties, especially in the area of apprehending and sanctioning recalcitrant offenders.

    The SGF, whose office supervises the FRSC, assured the international community and Nigerians of government’s commitment to road safety issues through increased investment and political will.

    The keynote speaker and Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, disagreed with the popular notion that the nation’s roads are dead traps.

    Fashola said that though bad roads contributed to road accidents, the leading cause remained speed violation resulting from bad attitude of motorists.

    “I have heard people describe our roads as death traps, but what I say to people is that my team and I, about 50 of us travelled those roads early this year.

    “We drove everyday from 8 a.m. to at least 8 p.m. One day we drove for 18 hours. We traversed 34 states, but the instructive thing is that we drove at a maximum speed of 100 km per hour, we drove at night, and we did not have an accident.

    “We were not trapped and we did not die on the dead traps. All of us will just do well to understand that there are speed limits on our highways, there are breaking distances in driving.

    “Even if the road conditions are good, if you do not observe the speed limits, you endanger yourselves.

    “I agree that bad roads contribute to accidents, but I disagree on the evidence that we have that bad roads are the cause of the accidents.’’

    Read also: FRSC arraigns 187 traffic offenders in Bayelsa

    Fashola cited the FRSC monthly road traffic statistics, which show that bad roads contribute only between 0.5 and 1 per cent of accidents in the country.

    Speed violation remains the leading cause, contributing over 55 per cent of the road traffic accidents recorded by the Corps on monthly basis across the country.

    The minister, therefore, urged FRSC to intensify its enforcement of driver’s license, speed limiter installation and other traffic rules and regulations to reduce carnage on the Nation’s highways.

    He also called for more empowerment of the FRSC through increased funding and provision of facilities like rescue helicopters to boost their post-crash operations.

    The Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, assured all stakeholders that the Corps remained committed to driving the campaign for safer roads within Nigeria and in the West African sub-region.

    “FRSC will continue to embrace support that would assist not only its personnel, but also our stakeholders from time to time.

    “It is only though continuous education and enlightenment that we all can become better professionals of honour,’’ Oyeyemi said.

    The workshop was organised by the office of the SGF in conjunction with the FRSC and the Sustainable Transport Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

    It aims at building the capacity of federal and state traffic management authorities on implementation of the United Nations road safety conventions to which Nigeria is signatory.

    FRSC personnel, federal controllers of highways, state directors of highways and traffic management agencies and development partners are participating in the two-day workshop.

    NAN

  • Court: Teenager pleads guilty to undergraduate’s murder

    Court: Teenager pleads guilty to undergraduate’s murder

    A teenager on Tuesday told an Osogbo High Court that he murdered a student of the University of Osun, Mr Timileyin Sonibare.

    Nineteen-year-old Abdulrofiu Sakariyau admitted guilt during arraignment before Justice Kudirat Akano.

    Sakariyau was arraigned along with Yusuf Kareem,18; Ayuba Ibrahim, 20; Isiaq Yusuf, 40; and Abdulkareen Adeoti, 50.

    The others pleaded not guilty.

    Akano consequently remanded them in the Ilesha Prison custody until Dec. 15

    She held that the remand was due to the gravity of the alleged offence.

    Read also: Court remands eight rape suspects in Minna

    The prosecution counsel, Dr Bashir Ajibola, had submitted that the accused murdered the student on June 26 at Oke-Baale area of Osogbo.

    Ajibola said that the accused cut Sonibare’s head, hand and some other parts of his body and killed him, in contravention of Sections 516, 319 and 242 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Osun, 2002.

    Counsel to the accused, Mr Alayo Abayomi and Mr Kazeem Badmus, prayed the court to grant bail to their clients, who pleaded not guilty.

    However, Akano overruled them and ordered that all the five accused persons be remanded until Dec. 15, when the case would be mentioned again.

    NAN

  • FRSC to deploy 1,000 personnel this Christmas

    FRSC to deploy 1,000 personnel this Christmas

    The Federal Road Safety Corps ( FRSC ) in Ogun, says it will deploy more than 1,000 personnel to ensure safety on the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway and respond to other emergencies during the yuletide.

    The Sector Commander, Mr Clement Oladele Federal Road Safety Corps ( FRSC ), made this known on Tuesday, during the 2017 “Ember Month” Road Safety Campaign Mega Rally held at the Asero Park in Abeokuta, with the theme:” Right to Life on the Highway Not Negotiable”.

    Oladele said that five life support ambulances, three roving patrol motor bikes and a heavy duty tow truck would also be deployed for the exercise.

    According to him, the aim is to minimise road accidents by ensuring effective management of the anticipated upsurge in human and vehicular traffic during the period.

    Oladele restated the corps’ commitment to reduce by at least half the number of people who died as result of crashes on the highways in 2016.

    “From our data of 19,010 commercial vehicles and 228, 100 passengers that traveled last ember month in the state, we are anticipating about 300,000 passengers will travel between December 25, 2017 and January 1, 2018.

    “We have planned a 24/7 patrol operations especially on the Lagos/ Ibadan expressway with resolve that we would not allow any passenger stranded on the highway,’’ he said.

    He urged passengers to patronise only commercial vehicles affixed with standard speed limiters, driven by licensed drivers and fitted with standard tyres.

    Read also: Ember season: FRSC reassures road users in Ebonyi

    On his part, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Ahmed Iliyasu, underscored the importance of sensitising motorists ahead of the festive season.

    Iliyasu further urged all road users to exercise caution in the forthcoming yuletide, saying that the police in the state would continue to collaborate with the FRSC in order ensure a crime-free state.

    The representatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps ( NSCDC ), Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigerian Army, members of National Union of Road Transport Workers ( NURTW ) participated in the event.

    Others are Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria ( RTEAN ) and Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Association of Nigeria.