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  • Navy holds retreat for medical personnel in Kwara

    The Nigerian Navy (NN) has held the first medical retreat for its heads of medical services.

    The retreat, which took place in Offa, Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, was organised by the Directorate of Medical Services (DMS) of the navy.

    At the event, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ette Ibas hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for investing in the medical services of the Navy.

    Vice Admiral Ibas also charged heads of departments and units of the medical services on performance.

    Represented at the occasion by Head, Administration, Policies and Planning of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Bec-Ibe Enwo said as a result of the resources made available by President Buhari’s administration, the Navy has been able to upgrade its medical equipment, train many of its medical personnel and employ 11 consultants for a start with plans to make further employment of them.

    Read Also: Nigerian Navy showcases local ship building ability

    He said the retreat illustrates the commitment to capacity development of medical personnel in the Navy, adding that all the investments made on his watch are aimed at improving the capacity of medical personnel, and providing the right tools as well as the enabling environment to work to improve productivity.

    He said the long-term strategic goal is to emplace a fully functional medical service with the right mix and number of medical personnel capable of delivery safe and efficient health care services to personnel.

    Ibas said,  “It is pertinent to state that a lot is expected of the medical services in the delivery of safe and quality healthcare in the Nigerian Navy.  Improving the quality of care has to be a priority for each medical personnel especially the heads of the medical units. It has been noted that where there are no consequences when heads of units and departments are found wanting, there is usually no impetus to make added effort.

    “Consequently, it would no longer be business as usual.  Going forward, heads of units and departments, many of whom are represented at this retreat, are going to be held responsible when it is evident that their units or departments are not performing despite resources provided.

    “Therefore, you are all enjoined to pull up your sleeves, utilise resources efficiently and improve services in your various units and departments. You are also encouraged to think, be innovative, proffer solutions and make recommendations to the Directorate of Medical Services, even after this retreat, on ways of moving the medical services beyond the 21st Century. A working and vibrant Nigerian Navy

    Medical Services providing safe and quality healthcare services would be of tremendous benefit to us all in the long run,” he stated.

  • 15 Akwa Ibom towns get N135m

    Fifteen communities in Akwa Ibom State have received N135 million from the government and the World Bank to enhance development.

    The cheque was presented on Monday by the Commissioner for Economic Development (Deep Seaport), Akan Okon, during the second batch of training for the  Community Project Management Committee (CPMC) and other stakeholders in Uyo.

    Okon said the funds would beb used to execute micro projects in the communities, adding that the government would enhance the socio-economic wellbeing of the poor and less-privileged.

    He advised the communities to utilise the funds effectively as misappropriation of funds would not be tolerated.

    Read Also: Akwa Ibom moves to combat flood

    Okon said: “His Excellency’s robust commitment has deepened the government’s penetration into rural communities … Each of the benefiting communities have signed an MoU…as a financial agreement with the Community and Social Development Project Agency (CSDP) to guide them in their expenditure…

    “This project has zero tolerance for corruption and misapplication of funds; funds not utilised effectively and prudently will be refunded by the communities. It, therefore, becomes imperative for participants to take this training as very important.”

    The commissioner noted that the government had contributed its counterpart fund before the World Bank released the money. He warned members of the CDCs to be prudent.

    The communities are Ikot Esen Oku and Mbioto Ekpene Ituen (Etinan council); Ibam Edet, Mbiafun Ikot Abasi and Nkwot Etok (Ini council); Nto Uso (Ika council); Offot Ikot Abasi Esu and Ibesit Okpokoro (Oruk Anam council).

    Others are Ikot Obom (Nsit Atai council); Ikot Ukana and Okpo Eto Edem Idim (Obot Akara council); Ikot Udo Obobo (Ukanafun council); Ukana Ikot Ide, Ikot Ono and Ukana and Ikot Akpabio (Essien Udim council).

  • Man jailed for robbing policeman

    An Oredo Magistrate Court has sentenced an 18-year old boy, Chetamu Ominyi, to five months imprisonment for assaulting and stealing the cell phone of a policeman, Sergeant Danguma Abdul.

    Chetamu was said to have committed the offence on September 18, 2019 at Adesuwa Junction off Mission Road, Benin City.

    Sergeant Abdul was going to have lunch when he was attacked by Chetamu and his gang now at large.

    A three-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and assault was preferred against Chetamu.

    Read Also: Politics of police and policing

    The convict pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against him.

    Police Prosecutor, ASP Patrick Agbonifo, informed the court that the offences were punishable under sections 516, 390 and 351 of the Criminal Code, laws of the defunct Bendel State 1976 now applicable to Edo State.

    Presiding Magistrate, Ivie Akere, found the accused guilty on all the three charges.

    Akere sentenced Chetamu to five months imprisonment or an option of N50,000 fine.

  • Dickson ‘not worried about defection threats’

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has said the party’s leadership is not worried about defections.

    Dickson said although no party would want to lose any member, the defections would not affect the chances of PDP in the poll.

    The governor, in a live media chat in Yenagoa, recalled that the defections were a child’s play compared to the mass exodus of PDP leaders to APC in 2015 when he sought a re-election.

    According to him, over 150 PDP leaders dumped him and the party to identify with APC when the Minister of State, Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, contested against him.

    He said most of the people who defected then, including his commissioners and special advisers, lost their units and wards in the election.

    Read Also: Dickson in romance with Sylva for soft-landing, says APC stalwart

    The governor noted that the defections were neither based on the election of Senator Douye Diri as the party’s candidate, nor the rancour over the running mate slot, but anchored on politics of survival.

    Dickson said he was yet to hear that core members of his Restoration team were among persons defecting to the opposition.

    He said: “This is a season of defection. If politicians don’t defect now, when will they? Is it when elections are over. The defection has been blown out of proportion.

    “In 2015, over 150 prominent leaders, including the chairman, defected. You have not seen any defection like in 2015. Commissioners defected. I am not aware of prominent Restoration members defecting now.

    “The other side has no qualified candidate for this election and they will find out very soon. The other side has nothing to offer our people, they know that already. We don’t want to lose anybody but most of what is going on is politics of blackmail. Those who could not get ticket are sponsoring people to say if they had won people would not have left the party. When I was contesting in 2015 and they defected, was it because Senator Diri was a candidate. I, an incumbent governor, was a candidate. There was no issue with deputy governor but people were defecting.

    “What is happening is normal Bayelsa politics of belle …when during election people look for where they will be offered something better. A number of these names were not really part of our success story. Maybe one or two worked with us in the last election.”

  • Katsina police recover stolen car, arrest Indian hemp dealer

    The Katsina State police command has announced the recovery of one Toyota Highlander 2008 model in Danja Local Government Area of the state

    The spokesman of the command, Superintendent Gambo Isah said the recovery, which was carried out by the patrol team attached to Danja Division, was based on a tip off.

    He said, “The patrol team attached to Danja Division was   alerted that armed robbers in possession of dangerous weapons attacked the residence of one Mr. Emmanuel Ayni of Graceland Quarters, Zaria, Kaduna and robbed him of Toyota Highlander 2008 Model Jeep, Ash in colour, with registration number RBC 434 JA.’

    Read Also: Police arrest dismissed soldiers, 81 others for armed robbery, cultism

    “The police team blocked the road and waited for the hoodlums. On sighting the police the hoodlums abandoned the said vehicle and escaped into the bush. The police team recovered the said vehicle and other incriminating items in the vehicle. Investigation is ongoing.”

    In another dvelopment, the state command has also arrested a notorious Indian hemp dealer and recovered forty six wraps of dried leaves suspected to be hemp.

    The Command spokesman further told newsmen that the arrest was based on a tip off and succeeded in raiding a criminal hideout at Masanawa village, Dandume LGA of Katsina state

    He said, “We arrested one Abdullahi Lawal, aged 18yrs of the same address in possession of forty-six wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp”.

    “The Suspect confessed to the commission of the offence and will be arraigned in court.”

  • 14 passengers abducted in Osun freed

    The 14 Abuja-bound passengers kidnapped at Ajeokun Junction between Otan Ile and Imesi Ile in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State, have been rescued by the police and local vigilante.

    The Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Abiodun Ige, said all the victims abducted on Sunday evening by unknown gunmen were rescued unhurt.

    The bandits suspected to be herdsmen were said to have boarded an Abuja-bound bus from Osogbo before forcing the bus to a halt at Ajeoku Junction around 5pm.

    An eyewitness, Chief Saka Adelu, said the hoodlums  whisked away 14 of the 18 passengers to an unknown destination.

    According to him, the four remaining passengers reported the case at a nearby police post.

    Two minors were said to be among the four lucky passengers left to go by the gunmen.

    The Odua People’s Congress (OPC) in Osun State mobilised its members in the area, pledging to comb the forest until they found and freed the abducted passengers.

    The announcement of their release generated excitement among resident.

    police in the state are yet to confirm the incident as the state command’s spokesperson, Folasade Odoro said she was yet to be briefed on the matter.

  • PDP’s N950m campaign fund: Shekarau, others face money laundering charges

    A Federal High Court sitting in Kano on Monday urged former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau to defend himself against the alleged N950 million money laundry levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bashir Aminu Wali and former Director General of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign organisation in the 2015 election, Ahmed Mansur, were also accused of committing same.

    The court, presided over by Justice Lewis Amburus Allagoa, said the “no case” submission by the accused persons was not cogent enough to make the court grant their request for the dismissal of the allegations against them.

    According to the court, the prosecution does not need to tender “adequate evidence” to convince the court on the prima facie of the case.

    Read Also: PDP and the return of long knives

    Justice Lewis said having heard the submissions by the prosecution and counsel to the accused persons, the court noted that a case of prima facie had been established against Shekarau and the two others.

    The EFCC had sued the trio on a six-count charge bordering on money laundering and violation of anti-graft laws.

    The anti-graft agency told the court that the accused persons, during the 2015 presidential elections, collected N950 million from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    It said the money, which was collected in cash tranches, violated the provisions of anti-graft law.

    The prosecution also alleged that Shekarau, in the company of the other accused persons, disbursed the money through channels that allegedly contravened the provisions of Nigeria’s Money Laundering Act.

    Shekarau, Wali and Mansur denied the charges against them.

    The accused persons prayed the court to admit their pleas for a “no case” submission.

    The court also ordered the accused persons to return their international travelling documents that were earlier released to them on health grounds to be immediately transferred to the jurisdiction of the court.

    Justice Lewis adjourned the matter till November 18 and 19 when the accused persons will begin their defence.

  • Don’t shield corrupt judges, NBA tells Judiciary

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged managers of the Judiciary not to relent in the efforts to rid the Bench of corrupt judges.

    It called for enhanced “compensation packages” for judges to boost the fight against corruption.

    NBA President Paul Usoro (SAN) stated the association’s position in Abuja at the Supreme Court’s new legal year and inauguration of 38 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs).

    He said: “It is our prayer and hope that the welfare of our judicial officers at all levels, notably their compensation packages and allowances, would be reviewed and adequately enhanced in this new Legal Year.

    “We betray our vaunted fight against corruption in the Judiciary and public sector when we remunerate our judicial and public officers most inadequately, as we currently do.

    Read Also: Judiciary as political umpire?

    “The fight against corruption is best fought by tackling the incentives for corruption, such as the extremely inadequate compensation packages for our judicial and public officers generally.

    “We appeal to relevant stakeholders to holistically review upward the compensation packages of our judicial officers at all levels, sufficient to objectively eliminate any incentive for corruption in the Judiciary.

    “At the same time, the Judiciary must not relent in ridding itself of corrupt elements, if any, in its fold. The internal self-regulating processes that reside within the NJC, pursuant to law, must be utilised and constantly oiled to weed out corrupt judicial officers who give the Judiciary a bad name.

    “The Judiciary would, in the process, strengthen public confidence in the institution while keeping at bay those persons and agencies who demonise and degrade the Judiciary.”

    The NBA president faulted the process for the removal of the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, saying a recurrence of such incident should be prevented.

    Usoro said: “While at it, we must again deprecate the process that culminated in the retirement of Honourable Mr. Justice Onnoghen.

    “The process – and we underscore the process because it is the process that has always been the concern of the NBA – showed a brazen external intrusion and interference in the disciplinary processes of the Judiciary in a manner that undermined its independence and, by extension, the rule of law.”

  • Empty ritual

    A new date, meant to renew public hope, doesn’t change the reality of failed targets. According to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Group Managing Director, Malam Mele Kyari, the full rehabilitation of the four national refineries will commence in January next year.

    By his schedule, the country’s refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna, will refine crude oil at optimum capacity by 2022. The NNPC boss gave the new date on September 21 during a tour of the Port-Harcourt Refining and Petrochemical Company (PHRC).

    Kyari’s words: “We will stick to time; we will deliver this project by 2022. We will commence actual rehabilitation work in January. We will do everything possible between October and December to close out all necessary conditions for us to deliver on that project. I believe that with the support that we have from the shareholders – government of this country, the entire staff of this company and the contractors, I believe it is doable and we will deliver the project.”

    It’s good to set targets, but better to achieve targets. This isn’t the first time a big player in the oil sector has set such targets. This isn’t the first time Nigerians have been told to expect new things in the oil sector. Three years ago, for instance, the then Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, had said the Federal Government’s target was to stop fuel importation in 2019.

    Kachikwu had declared during an interactive session on removal of fuel subsidy organised by Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Lagos in May 2016:  “I am putting so much strength in terms of what do we do with our refineries, because that ultimately is the solution… the plan is that by December 2018 we should have reduced our importation of petroleum product by 60 per cent. This is because we would have brought enough money to get our refineries working to the tune of about 90 per cent.”

    Obviously, things didn’t go according to Kachikwu’s plan. The refineries are not working “to the tune of about 90 per cent,” which should have happened 10 months ago, going by Kachikwu’s timetable. Indeed, Kyari’s announced plan to start “full rehabilitation” of the refineries next year says a lot about the current operational state of the refineries.

    It remains to be seen whether what should be done to achieve Kyari’s targets will be done. Fixing dates for reviving the refineries should not be an empty ritual.

  • Our diminished universities

    As if our universities have not been diminished enough by a proliferation that follows no rhyme or reason,  gross underfunding, loss of esteem, plummeting standards, sex scandals, cultism, infrastructure deficit and lack of direction, they have now been reduced by the news media to firms run by managers.

    Thus, one reads daily about “the management of ABC” university explaining such and such a policy or embarking on such and such an action.

    Previously the body that ran a university used to be called an administration.  What has changed?

    Nothing as far as I can tell, only an imprecise usage gone viral.

    The universities are not firms, ladies and gentlemen of the press. They are not run by managers. They are collegialities run by administrators.

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