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Tag: officers

  • PSC approves promotion of 250 officers

    PSC approves promotion of 250 officers

    THE Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the promotion and confirmation of acting appointments of 250 senior police officers.

    It approved the promotion of Commissioners of Police Etop John James and Rasheed Olatunde Akintunde to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG).

    The appointment of Lagos State police chief Edgal Imohimi was confirmed. He is now a substantive CP.

    The commission also confirmed the acting appointments of former Force spokesman Donald Awunah.

    Others promoted are: CP Hafiz Mohammed Inuwa,  Cross Rivers  State Command; CP Garba Umar, Anambra State Command; CP Bello Ahmed and CP Ali Janga,  Kogi State Command.

    The commission’s spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, said in a statement: “The commission approved the promotion of 15 Deputy Commissioners of Police to the substantive rank of Commissioner of Police.

    “They include Omololu Shamsiden Bishi, presently at the Nigerian Defence College, Abuja. He was former DCA, Ogun State Command, former DC, CID, Iyaganku, Ibadan and Area Commander, Mushin, Lagos State; Isaac Olutayo Akimoyede also at the Defence College and former DC, Benue State; Aminu Pai Saleh; Makama Hamisu Usman; Mobolaji Olaniyi Fafowora; Igbodo David; Dajuma Mohammed Ibahim; Okon Etim Ene; Abang B. John; Aminu Koji Kwambe; Felix Gochuk Gani; Ibrahim Sabo Umar; Joseph Gobum Mukan; Wakil Mohammed and Abdullahi Yerima Ibrahim.”

    According to the commission: “The Deputy Commissioners of Police were subjected to an interactive session with members of the commission where they were drilled on what was expected of them as Commissioners of Police.

    Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Habu Sani Ahmadu’s appointment was confirmed and 54 Assistant Commissioners of Police were promoted to the rank of Deputy Commissioners.

    “The new Deputy Commissioners include: “Fausat Oduwole Azeez; Presley Onitsha Dode; Adepoju Ayinde Ilori, Area Commander Ughelli, Delta State Command;  Oladimeji Yomi Olanrewaju, Area Commander Metro, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State Command and Ambrose Sunny Onah of Department of Training and Development, Force Headquarters, Abuja”.

  • Navy boss to officers: Protect civilians, shun fraternity with criminals

    Navy boss to officers: Protect civilians, shun fraternity with criminals

    Newly promoted Nigerian Navy officers have been advised to always protect civilians in the course of their duties and shun fraternity with criminal minded persons.

    The advice was given by the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command (WNC) Rear Admiral Sylvanus Abbah at the weekend at the decoration of 17 officers attached to the command with their new ranks.

    Among the decorated officers were the command’s Information Officer, Commanders Chinwe Umar and Barivure Firima.

    Abbah, who reminded them of their call to service to the nation, stated that the navy would not hesistate to dismiss anyone found to have painted it in bad light.

    He said: “There are so many criminals around us. You are not to fraternise with them. Try to expose them and make way for the innocent citizen of this nation to live in peace.

    “Remember you murder your sleep to make sure the citizens sleep well because you are a happy man when there is peace in the country.

    “When there is no guaranteed peace for people to operate peacefully then you are failing in your calling as a professional soldier.

    “Before now, the threat we used to have as a nation was the threat around the area of Bakassi but now there is no part of the country that you don’t have one form of crisis or the other.

    “You know the hope of the nation lies on the military, so you must defend this nation by land, air and sea, which is why we are defending at the sea and wearing white.

    “So for you to be considered worthy of this promotion just know that much is expected of you.”

    On containing illegalities in the maritime domain, Abbah said: “If you look around you will see that most of our facilities are undergoing repairs especially the jetty. Most of our capital ships are at sea already and the one in Lagos area are ever ready to arrest and deter whatever actions the criminals want to carry out.

    “Also remember to keep a ship at sea is not an ordinary venture, that is why we have the falcon eye and Regional Maritime Awareness Centre to be able to monitor what is happening at sea.”

     

  • NAF builds 400 modern shops for officers’ families

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) yesterday kick-started the construction of a modern market with 400 locked-up shops for the welfare of the families of its officers.

    The facility, which is located at the Sam Ethnam Base in Ikeja, the Lagos State capital, will be leased out to spouses of NAF personnel, who would pay by instalments.

    Performing the ground-breaking ceremony, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar said the initiative was to cushion the effects of the recent recession.

    Abubakar, who was represented by the Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Ibrahim Yahaya, said: “It is true we live in perilous times with several challenges. The impact of global socio-economic challenges on our everyday lives further includes domestic stress arising from the demand and supply of our daily needs.

    “We need markets to create an interaction that will lead to the ultimate desired goal in our daily lives. Anyone with a product or service cannot expect that a customer will regularly look for your goods at your home. This underscores the need for a modern market with standard facilities to satisfy the needs of the personnel and other beneficiaries from our host communities.

    “The design of the market was conceived to meet modern standards and in conformity with NAF culture of excellence. There will be no room for criminal elements to be harboured. The facility is designed with adequate provisions to carter for all our social needs.

    “Moreover, to ensure high standards, our personnel would be given prime priority to acquire and operate the new market facilities.”

    The Managing Director of NAF Properties Limited, Air Commodore Musa Tanko said the project would boost the morale of the officers to give their best in their service to the nation.

    He said: “It’s a truism that welfare is a morale booster to personnel. This will reinforce the culture of self-reliance and prudent management of resources.”

    “As part of the several efforts to consolidate on the achievements of the current administration on personnel welfare, NAF Properties Limited keyed into the vision of the CAS by desiring to construct about 400 locked-up shops with modern market facilities to serve personnel in Lagos and members of our host community.”

  • Pension for ex-Biafran police officers

    SIR: The commencement of payment of pension benefits by Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to Nigeria Police officers who fought on the side of Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War from 1966-1970 is a commendable initiative by the present administration.

    At the end of the Civil War in 1970, officers of the Nigeria Police, military and paramilitary who fought on the side of Biafra were dismissed from service. This was contrary to the spirit of no victor, no vanquished and reconciliation espoused by the then General Yakubu Gowon administration.

    Since their unfortunate dismissal from service, the affected officers and their families have had to live with the unpleasant agony of being denied their benefits. The various administrations in the country, both military and civilian, were unable to resolve this intractable problem which had remained a sad chapter of the Biafra saga.

    However, their hope was restored in 2000 when President Olusegun Obasanjo granted them presidential amnesty, which commuted their dismissal to retirement. But the process of getting their pension benefits had been quite tortuous and frustrating.

    For 17 years, these aged and frail former police officers had to undergo series of verification exercises conducted by the now defunct Police Pension Office, which not only lacked the capacity but unnecessarily over-bureaucratic in handling pension matters.

    What makes their matter very interesting and unique is that 47 years after the civil war ended and 17 years after the amnesty was granted, they now have every reason to celebrate. This is because the Pension Trust Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has embarked on payment. The exercise which was flagged off in Enugu on Friday, October 20, involved a total of 162 officers who are still living and 57 next-of-kin of their dead colleagues who were paid their pension benefits. Though this was coming 47 years after the civil war, it was better than never.

    One must acknowledge the magnanimity of President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the payment to the ex-Biafra Police officers. This is a clear demonstration that the president has a listening ear and also willing to accommodate the interest of all Nigerians irrespective of tribal or ethnic background.

    Equally deserving commendation is the Executive Secretary of PTAD, Barrister Sharon Ikeazor, for the prompt and efficient resolution of the pension palaver. The executive secretary, who is barely one year in office, has shown that she is capable of providing the required leadership that will redefine pension administration is Nigeria.

    To a large extent, those who are clamouring for restructuring or crying of marginalization are doing so because they feel that the country has not given them a sense of belonging. But the commitment of PTAD and the Buhari administration in the payment of pension benefits to ex-Biafran police officers and those who fought on the side of Biafra in the ill-fated 30 months civil war would certainly go a long way to build bonds of unity and accelerate genuine reconciliation among the people.

     

    • Ogechukwu Ajuzie,

    Abuja.

  • SMEDAN trains MSMEs officers

    SMEDAN trains MSMEs officers

    The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) is training its Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises  (MSME) officers for the implementation of its One Local Government One Product (OLOP) Programme.

    Declaring the event open in Kaduna, its Director-General, Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda, said the agency was re-launching the OLOP programme in line with the vision of the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERPG).

    He said OLOP is a rural economy revitalisation plan built around the well-known drivers of its globally-renowned equivalent – One Village One Product – which originated from Japan.

    Radda told the desk officers that the One Local Government One Product, is a process  in which each local government identifies a valuable local resource in which it has competitive and comparative advantage to promote to the rest of the country through its value-addition, sales and marketing activities.

    He said the programme was focused on identifying local distinctiveness, value-addition, and branding and market access.

    He reiterated that  OLOP  would enable the agency achieve the goal of  identifying and galvanising  rural communities around their natural endowment for wealth creation.

    OLOP would also enhance technical, technological and business management skills of MSMEs (especially existing ones) as basis for expanding business opportunities of local communities and it will  facilitate emergence of value-added products, with emphasis on quality control, packaging and branding, he aded.

    Radda also pointed out that senatorial districts would be used as  the platform for the selection of the products, as the agency would be anticipating 109 products from the senatorial districts.

  • NPA advises officers, truck drivers on safety standards

    • As new image maker resumes

    The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, has directed officials to ensure that truck drivers at the seaports observed the Minimum Safety Standards (MSS) in their operations.

    Ms Usman gave the directive at the opening of a capacity building workshop for the drivers, organised by the NPA and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

    Represented by the General Manager, Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), Mr. Ahmed Yusuf, Ms Usman said the agency would continue to collaborate with agencies at the ports to build an effective synergy that would ensure that trucks doing business at the ports complied with  minimum safety standards.

    Ms Usman, while commending the organisers of the workshop, urged the participants to practise what they learnt from the event.

    In his welcome address, the Lagos State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr. Hyginus Omeje, said the MSS was first introduced in the oil and gas sector when the FRSC commenced the implementation of the scheme

    Omeje, represented by the Legal Officer of the Command, Bonaventure Nnamani, lauded the NPA for the partnership and also enjoined participants to open their minds to safety standards.

    The NPA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the FRSC on the implementation of MSS for trucks operating at the ports.

    The MoU empowers NPA and FRSC to raise Joint Inspection and Certification (JIC) teams to oversee its full implementation.

    Meanwhile, the new General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications Division of the NPA, Alhaji Aliyu Abdullahi Goje, has assumed duties.

    Goje was the general manager, Eastern Zone, before his redeployment to the division.

    He began his  career with the Borno State Government as Land Officer in the Ministry of Land and Survey, shortly after his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) assignment in 1983, and rose to  Deputy Director in charge of Land Administration in 1992.

    He transferred his service to the NPA in August 1993 as traffic manager, and has since managed the Traffic Department effectively.

    He was senior traffic manager in Lagos Port Complex, assistant general manager at Eastern and Western Zones, and port manager, Onne Port Complex, among others.

    The Borno State indigene attended the University of Maiduguri and Bayero University, Kano where he bagged Bachelor of Science Degree (B.Sc.) in Geography and a Masters in Land Resources.

    He has attended several management courses in and outside Nigeria, among which are Port and Shipping Management, Logistics, Transportation and Port Training in New York; a performance culture in a concessioning system, South Africa; Strategic Management and Policy.

    In an interactive session with the officials of the division, Goje directed his officers to key into the management thrust, which is anchored on “Excellence of Service” prioritising a most“effective synergy with team work as our theme”.

    According to the new image maker, result is key in the activities of the divisions, adding that this must be geared towards the NPA brand appreciation through commendable information management and dissemination.

    “I have high hopes we will deliver on our targets and responsibilities,” he said, adding, “As professionals, we have to think of the best way to ensure we sustain plausible publicity mileage for the NPA and its management utilising technology and innovations.’’

  • Four police officers held for extorting money from victim

    Four police officers attached to Ogudu Divison have been detained for allegedly extorting money from an unnamed person.

    The officers were alleged to have fleeced their victim via fund transfers after going through his phone and bank details.

    According to the Officer in Charge of the Public Complaints Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU), Abayomi Shogunle, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris has ordered that the case be investigated.

    Shogunle said Idris also ordered their removal from frontline duties.

    The decision, Shogunle added, was reached after a social media post, which went viral, showed some police officers forcibly trying to collect a victim’s phone.

    Narrating what he went through in a report submitted to the unit, the complainant alleged that two officers; Mathew Olasiji Olaadujoye and Oba Roland stationed on Ogudu Road pulled him over and asked for his cell phone.

    His report reads: “I refused to hand it over because I felt it was an infringement of my privacy but it was forcibly taken and my messages were viewed along with my account details and other private areas in the phone and they extorted money from me.

    “The excuse for this was that they saw from my Google application that I had more than one Gmail log in. They tagged me a Yahoo boy and I was detained for four hours and my car keys were taken from me. I wasn’t released until I transferred a total of N15,000 to Matthew’s account “

    On what the police did after the complaint was received, Shogunle said: “The PCRRU immediately registered the case and a ticket number PCRRU972905 was issued.

    “The author of the post was contacted and a meeting between him and PCRRU investigators took place at the Force Headquarters Annex, Moloney Street, Lagos on Monday 21st August, 2017.

    “The police officers involved; two Inspectors and two Sergeants attached to Ogudu Divison, Lagos State have been identified and removed from duty that involves any form of contact with members of the public pending the conclusion of a detailed investigation.”

    Explaining the outcome of preliminary investigation, Shogunle said: “PCRRU preliminary investigation shows that the policemen on the 16th of August, 2017 at about 11:00am intercepted the complainant along Ogudu Road and in the course of their interaction went beyond their mandate by going through the contents of the complainant’s mobile phone.

    “Bank statement of account confirms that the complainant, following the orders of one of the officers, transferred the sum of N15,000 into the account of a third party.

    “The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, however, directed the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2 Lagos to carry out a detailed investigation into the alleged misconduct and appropriate disciplinary action taken against anyone found to have erred.”

    On the status of the officers, the police said: “All four policemen and bank statements of account have been handed over to the AIG Zone 2 today (yesterday) by PCRRU investigators for the required action.”

  • SERAP seeks prosecution of public officers on double pay

    SERAP seeks prosecution of public officers on double pay

    A rights group, Social-Economic Right and Accountability Project (SERAP), has urged the Federal Government to prosecute indicted former governors, senators and ministers, who are receiving double pay and pension.

    SERAP Executive Director Adetokunbo Mumuni, in a statement yesterday, urged the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami to recover the over N40 billion the affected public officers accumulated within seven days after acknowledging the receipt of its letter.

    The group considered the action of the former governors and minister exploitative, noting that it would institute legal proceeding to compel compliance with Nigeria’s international anti-corruption commitment.

    Mumuni said: “SERAP is concerned that several serving senators and ministers are receiving salaries and life pensions running into billions of naira from states that are currently unwilling or unable to pay their workers’ salaries.

    “Public office is a public trust, and as such, citizens depend upon their governors, senators and ministers to act in the public interest, not for their own or another’s profit or benefit.

    “Under the UN Convention against corruption to which Nigeria is a state party, it is forbidden for any public official to engage in self-dealing, and place him/herself in a position of conflicting interests, and to hold incompatible functions or illicitly engage in providing to him/herself emoluments deemed unacceptable under international law. This is a clear case of the former governors placing their private or personal interests over and above their entrusted public functions, and unduly influencing the level of benefits they receive.”

  • FRSC deploys 40 officers on Owo-Oka-Okene Road

    FRSC deploys 40 officers on Owo-Oka-Okene Road

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has deployed 40 officers to reduce traffic congestion on the Ilesa-Owo-Oka-Akoko-Okene Road.

    Commuters were having a hectic time on the road, occasioned by the recent collapse of the two bridges linking the North and South at Mokwa, Niger State.

    The development forced motorists to divert from Jebba-Mokwa Road to Lokoja-Okene-Oka-Akure-Ilesa Road, resulting in a heavy gridlock.

    FRSC officials were having a tough time yesterday controlling the traffic on the route.

    FRSC’s Zonal Commander for Osun, Ondo and Oyo commands, Augustine Aipoh said the development followed the diversion of long vehicles from Mokwa-Jebba Road to ensure that travellers did not have to sleep on the road.

    He said: “We are here on the directive of the Corps Marshal to control the severe traffic gridlock along the axis.

    “There has been a massive increase in the volume of traffic here. This was caused by the Mokwa-Jebba bridge collapse, which the Federal Government is making effort to fix.”

    “We have deployed about 40 additional workers, towing vehicles, reflecting jackets, torch lights, ambulance and other necessary things to enable us put the situation under control.

    The FRSC zonal commander said the deployed officers were from Osogbo (Osun) and Akure (Ondo) offices.

    He urged long vehicle owners to fix their vehicles before setting out on a journey.

    Aipoh advised his men to be more dedicated to their duties.

    Also, the Ondo state Sector Commander Vincent Jack said the additional workers would be on the busy road for two weeks to control traffic.

    The Olubaka of Oka-Akoko, Oba Adebori Adeleye, expressed appreciation to the Corps Marshal for tackling the traffic challenge.

  • NLC to workers: prepare to vote out public officers

    NLC to workers: prepare to vote out public officers

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on workers to obtain their voter card with a view to voting out anti-labour public officers, who contribute to non-payment of salaries across the states.

    Its President, AyubaWabba, who stated this in Abuja, while reacting to the complaints of non-payment of salaries by local government workers through the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE)President, Ibrahim Khaleel, urged workers to vote out political office holders who oppose minimum wage.

    His words: “We must prepare to vote out governors or any political officer holder, who is refusing to pay us salary. We must continue to lament. We have the power, so we must use it this time. Workers, pensioners and their households, who are in one way or the other suffering the inhumane treatment of non-payment of workers’ wages, must be voted out of office in the next election.”

    He urged unions and workers to unite for a vibrant struggle against oppressive employers, adding: “Every member of the labour movement, irrespective of the union, must understand that it is only in unity that we can achieve our objective.

    “Therefore, we all must in solidarity play our part in order to achieve success. So, commitment, which,  of course, will bring us to working together, is the key.

    “And every leader, no matter the union or association in the labour movement, must consciously see the welfare of its members as very essential in all we do. It is, therefore, important that anytime we have a need for national action, all affiliates must deem it sacrosanct to mobilise their members for such action.”

    Also, Wabba stressed the importance of local government autonomy, saying: ‘’Local government areas are very important to the social-economic welfare of every citizen in Nigeria, because we all come from one LGA or the other. So, granting autonomy to LGA system in the country will in so many ways make things better for us all. In fact, it will pay the political elite a lot if they strengthen development in LGAs. Both influxes of people from rural areas to the urban cities and other vices that accompany rural-urban migration will drastically reduce’’

    Khaleel, who appreciated the leadership of NLC for initiating the familiarisation visits, urged the  the Congress to strengthen its relationship with affiliates and see all of them as important aspects of NLC’s existence.

    He further stressed that capacity building and inclusiveness are crucial in the effort of the NLC to survive the challenges ahead and succeed as an umbrella body of labour movement, which every other union and association should look up to and run to in times of need.

    While he expressed worries about the persistent trend of non-payment of salaries, especially to local government council workers, he said the N6,000 minimum wage, which the Zamfara State Government has continued to pay its workers was worrisome and shameful.

    He then called on the NLC to specifically intervene in cases involving the NLC Chairperson in Ogun State and the state government, and the seizing of Akwa Ibom State’s NULGE chapter’s check-off dues for five months by the state.