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Tag: plans

  • Our plans for Togolese asylum seekers, by Lagos

    Our plans for Togolese asylum seekers, by Lagos

    Lagos State yesterday said the Togolese asylum seekers who it accommodated at its Relief Camp in Igando are safe and sound.

    They had besieged the Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos Office of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) last week.

    The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) General Manager, Mr Michael Akindele, took reporters on a tour of the camp to see how the asylum seekers are faring.

    There are 110 Togolese at the camp, made up of 27 families. Among them are 60 adults (35 males and 25 females) and 50 children (24 males and 26 females).

    There are five furnished dormitories with double beds and mosquito nets, each of which can accommodate between 2000 to 5000 persons.

    Also within the premises is a dinning hall, a kitchen and clinic/sick bay with two doctors and nurses.

    Armed guards provide security, while a Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) official was seen teaching the asylum seekers English language in a large air-conditioned hall.

    The Camp Commandant, Fakilade Olatubosun, said the asylum seekers have been cooperative.

    He said they are fed three times daily. Beside receiving English and Mathematics lessons, they also engage in sporting activities. He said only a few of them speak English.

    Akindele said before being accommodated, each of them were screened by medical experts, and those with serious health problems were referred to the Igando General Hospital and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

    According to him, NCFRMI officials will send an Eligibility Committee today to determine those to be granted refugee status.

    He said: “Last week, Governor Akinwumni Ambode gave a directive that we should move in and relocate them to a secure location.

    “It was borne from his passion for security of lives not minding where they are from but so long as they are already within Lagos,” he said.

    The asylum seekers expressed gratitude to the Lagos State Government for treating them like VIPs.

    One of them, Sogbo Mounou, said they were among opposition members who fled Togo to Benin Republic in 2005 following threats to their lives due to a political crisis during presidential election.

    According to them, the Benin Republic government, after nearly 10 years, did not recognise them as refugees, hence their decision to seek asylum in Nigeria.

    Agbokou Komlan, 42, who has a wife and a child, said they are already in love with Nigerian food, especially “Semo”. “Nigerian soup is nice,” he said.

    Akindele said: “So long as they are in Lagos, they will receive the best treatment. We did not need to obtain approvals before relocating them because it was an emergency situation. Imagine if all this children had been outside till night or if it began to rain.

    “Immediately the Federal Government saw the action of the state government, the NCFRMI Southwest office in Ikoyi informed us about the statutory steps they are also taking.

    “The office is in contact with us. Tomorrow (today), the Eligibility Committee comprising the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), will be visiting the migrants to assess their eligibility status.

    “Until the committee concludes the assessment, we cannot say how long they will be in the camp. We operate with the best international standards.

    “We have a standard clinic with doctors, nurses and pharmacists running a 24-hour shift. We have a caterer on stand-by who cooks their three-square meal. All these are been done out of Governor’s passion for the life of everyone in Lagos.”

  • Siasia confesses: Clubs frustrating my plans

    Siasia confesses: Clubs frustrating my plans

    Head Coach of the U-23 National Team, Dream Team, Samson Siasia has cried out to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to come to his aid by talking to clubs in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) to release their players for preparation for next month’s All -Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville.

    Siasia expressed this frustration during Tuesday evening’s training session at the FIFA Goal Project when he had only eight of the invited players, as the others were not released by their clubs after he permitted them to play last weekend games.

    “How can I prepare well for a competition as important as the All Africa Games (AAG) when clubs in the local scene have refused to release their players for the camping exercise? We have barely two weeks to our first game and up till now I have only eight players to work with.

    “Most of the club managers called to appeal that we allow their players play last weekend games, a request I approved, with an appeal to them that they should release the players on Monday. This is Tuesday and I still have not seen the players as most of them have called to say their clubs are holding on to them for mid-week games. This is not fair.”

    To make matters worse, some of the invited players who arrived camp earlier, had to leave camp to report to the Super Eagles camp to which they have also been invited by coach Sunday Oliseh.

    According to  Siasia, he had to make this appeal to the NFF who are his employers to intervene on the issue because as things stand now, he cannot submit a list of players for the AAG, as some of his players have gone abroad to sign for clubs.

    Appealing to the clubs to help him out, the U-23 coach said they should give him all the assistance and cooperation they gave him in the early stages of his preparations for the qualifiers as that is the only way he can make the nation proud.

    As at Tuesday’s training only eight players – Segun Oduduwa, Sincere Seth, Ikechukwu Okorie,  Oliseh Ndah, Etebong Elisha, Oladapo Augustine, Mohammed Yusuf and Abiodun  Akande  -trained, while Tonbara Tiongoli, Semiu Laidi and Ndifreke Effiong sat out due to various injury concerns.

    Meanwhile, Siasia has invited three more players to beef up the team. The invited players are Stephen Eze (Sunshine Stars), Lawal Shittu (Giwa FC) and Christian Pyagbara (Sharks FC).

    Siasia said he expects all the invited players to report to camp by Thursday after their mid week games.

  • Developer plans N3.8b Green Estate for Calabar

    Efforts to reduce the housing deficit in the country has received a boost as an indigenous firm, Turn – Over Plus Limited, has concluded plans to intervene. The firm, with its Green City Estate, Calabar, project, hopes to change the landscape of housing.

    The Green City Estate is located in Ikot Offfiong, Ambia, said to be the most serene part of Calabar metropolitan city, with a clean, beautiful, well developed infrastructure, hospitable and good safety and security facility.

    The Green City Estate which will be fully flagged off in August, currently houses a number of two to three bedroom apartments spread over three bays, just as duplexes are also been developed.

    Apart from the planned modification of the existing structures to meet the green city codes, the management of the city plans to develop additional 140 future homes within the next 12 months.

    According to the Acting Managing Director of the firm, Dr. Adedayo Felix, the project is conceived out of determination and strong planning, and is set out to offer residents huge avenue of cozy, luxurious and healthy living. He further stated that a stay in the city will guarantee total rejuvenation and access to neighbourhood centres.

    The estate will boast of clean environment, clean energy, sound infrastructure, green areas, neighbourhood parks and guests’ houses for visitors. It will also be all encompassing as it will also be a host to event centres, educational institutions for residents’ children, auto garage, pharmacy, city security, city – wide security fence and future homes to mention but a few.

    Adedayo, therefore, urged investors to take advantage of the opportunity by investing in its facilities like real estate, commercial stores, entertainment centres, hospitality/extended – stay facilities, staff  housing scheme, student hostels and independent rental homes because it is offering the best opportunity to reap huge financial returns from minimum investment

    The minimum investment in the green city housing development opportunities is N5 million which is projected to generate 100 per cent return on investment by the end of five years

  • No plans to slash salaries, says Okorocha

    No plans to slash salaries, says Okorocha

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has denied reports that his government plans to cut salaries of public servants by 30 per cent.

    He described as unfounded, allegations that an audit of workers will be done to reduce the workforce.

    A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo explained that the office of the Head of Service is collecting civil servants data for record purposes, which is different from staff auditing.

    The statement reads: “This is to inform civil servants that the Rescue Mission Government or the governor did not order a 30 per cent salary cut as being speculated, and has no plans to do so.

    “It is also not true that the state government is conducting staff audit of civil servants for the purpose of reducing the workforce. The office of the Head of service only embarked on the collection of individual data for record purposes. The exercise is different from staff auditing.

    “Our governor is known for humanitarian gestures and does not engage in any venture that would cause pain to individuals and groups in the state. That is why for the first four years of his administration, he tolerated street trading, illegal motor parks, rampant erection of kiosks and others until now,  but the situation has gone out of hand and calls for action.

    “It is also important to let the people know that those who are not happy with the victory of Governor Okorocha in the election are behind these rumours. Before now, they said the governor had scrapped free education, and banned Keke Napep. This time, they have come up with the falsehood of the government cutting salaries by 30 per cent and working to reduce the state work force.

    “All these are unintelligent lies that are neither here nor there and we appeal to the people to disregard such lies. All these are blatant lies. Governor Okorocha loves the people and will not take any action that would affect them negatively”.

  • Olam unveils plans to raise stake in rice industry

    Olam unveils plans to raise stake in rice industry

    As part of efforts to aid the realisation of Federal Government’s self-sufficiency target and job creation efforts, Olam Nigeria Limited has unveiled plans to increase its stake in the rice industry.

    General Manager, Olam Rice, Reji George, said his company has concluded plans to kick-start  milling of 200,000 metric tonnes of paddy rice in Doma Council, in Nasarawa State, by June 1.

    He said the firm’s backward integration plan in the sector is expected to aid local rice production and job creation.

    The firm had earlier this year unveiled its locally produced rice to the local market.

    Its Business Head for Rice, Anil Nair explained that the launch was designed to meet growing local demands for the commodity as well as reduce its importation.

    He explained that the launch of the commodity in Lagos was strategic since the state holds the largest market. His words: “There is lots of paddy being produced and Lagos being the biggest market in the country is having local rice coming to it.

    “It is a sign of good things to come and we hope that two years from now, we will be able to bridge the gap. We have a milling capacity of about 800,000 tonnes in the country and we hope to help this country eliminate import completely.”

    On placing a total ban on the commodity, George said: “I believe it should be a gradual process. Before you ban rice or any agricultural commodity, you must have to develop the local strength of rice production. If you plan the ban of importation of rice, companies like Olam is into commercial production of rice with 6,000 hectares in two cities, making it 12,000 hectares that would definitely help bridge the demand and supply gap, and with support from other companies, in addition to the role government is playing.”

  • IMF plans risk-based approach to tackle money laundering

    IMF plans risk-based approach to tackle money laundering

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is developing a risk-based approach to Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT)  supervision in Nigeria, Acting Director, Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Francis Oka-Philips Usani has said.

    Speaking during a workshop organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) on AML/CFT regimes in Nigeria, he said the determination to tackle the menace has resulted in the development of similar procedures across all regulatory authorities as well as the financial intelligence unit. This, he said involves the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Securities and Exchange Commission, (SEC) the National Insurance Commission and the NFIU.

    Usani, who spoke on ‘New International Initiatives in Combating Money Laundering,’ said the Presidential Committee with these agencies is at the fore of the national risk assessment to provide a basis for further developing the overall AML/CFT regime and strategic framework.

    He said more than 20 African countries including Nigeria have ratified the United Nations Convention against corruption, article 14 of which deals with measures to prevent money-laundering. “The Convention calls for all states to implement a regulatory and supervisory regime which minimises the possibility of money laundering through customer identification, reporting of suspicious transactions and record keeping,” he said.

    He explained that there is also a recommendation which requires that states establish methods to monitor the movement of cash and negotiable instruments across borders. “Like most of the other regional and global initiatives, the Convention calls all signatory states to criminalise the act of money laundering,” he said.

    The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in October, 2013 removed Nigeria from the list of countries identified as jurisdictions with significant deficiencies in their AML/CFT regimes.

    This came on the heels of the 2012 and 2013 amendments of the MLPA, 2011 and the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 respectively. The global anti-money laundering body gave its countenance to Nigeria’s significant progress in improving its AML/CFT regime and noted that the country had established the legal and regulatory framework to meet its commitments in its Action Plan regarding the strategic deficiencies that the FATF evaluators had identified previously.

  • APC: Fed Govt plans to arrest our leaders still on

    APC: Fed Govt plans to arrest our leaders still on

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday alleged that the plan by the government to arrest opposition leaders on trumped-up charges has not been shelved.

    Its spokesman Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is bent on decimating the opposition party.

    Mohammed, who spoke at a news conference in Lagos, said the list of persons to be arrested had been expanded to cover more leaders of the party across the states.

    He noted that though when on March 21, the APC issued a statement and raised the alarm over a plot to arrest some of its leaders, especially Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on trumped-up charges, the PDP denied it; the plan is still in the pipeline.

    The APC spokesman said: “Though they rushed to deny it, we have it on good authority that they have not given up on that evil plot. In fact, they have now cast their net wide to ensnare more APC chieftains, including Senator Bukola Saraki, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Senator Femi Ojudu, Hon Dakuku Peterside, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, Senator Sola Adeyeye, Alkali Abdulkadir, Senator Serika Hadi, Senator Jide Omoworare, Hon Nathaniel Agunbiade and Hon Bimbo Daramola.”

    According to him, “the plot is to plant ammunition, Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and Smart Card Readers (SCRs) jammers, which they have dubiously acquired, in the residence, office or vehicle of these APC chieftains. The APC chieftains will then be arrested with fanfare and subjected to trumped-up charges.

    “As newsmen yourselves, you are undoubtedly aware that, since this campaign started, the PDP-led Jonathan administration has dwelt less on issues and more on mudslinging. In particular, it has thrown everything but the kitchen sink at our presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

    “They say he does not have a secondary school certificate, even when the school he attended publicly released his results. They say he is suffering from a terminal disease, even when it was clear that the medical report they used to back that claim was forged. They say he won’t be the one to rule; they say he will approve same-sex law; they say he will jail all Nigerians and they say he is a religious bigot. Plus they commissioned and ran the most untruthful and irresponsible documentary ever made, just to demonise him.

    “When all the muck-raking failed, woefully, because the stock of our candidate rose in direct proportion to the mud-slinging he was subjected to, they went and commissioned an American media man, Richard Grenell, whom they fraudulently called an ex-United States (US) envoy, to write an uninformed opinion piece that Gen. Buhari would Islamise Nigeria if he is elected.

    “Out of their desperation, they resorted to lies and frittered away millions of naira. After commissioning Grenell to write his misleading and unintelligent article, they then went ahead to advertise the trash on the front page of many newspapers for several days, at a huge cost of more than N400 million! There is no better illustration of the idiomatic expression: Grasping at straws! Left with nothing more to use against Gen. Buhari, they held on tight and celebrated what is nothing but trash!”

    He also alleged that there is a massive wasteful spending on the part of government.

    Mohammed said: “Apart from being fraudulent, this PDP-led Jonathan administration is also patently wasteful and corrupt! Or  how else does one describe an administration that has been wooing voters with huge bribes?

    “Never in the history of our country has a president superintended over such a morally-repugnant act as the massive bribery of Nigerians in recent times, especially in the six weeks for which the elections were cunningly postponed.

    “We make bold to say that no president has ever encouraged bribery and corruption as President Goodluck Jonathan has done by ferreting public funds into the pockets of a few in the desperation to woo voters.

    “What this President has done by wooing voters with money amounts to undermining democracy, an action that is unbecoming of a democratically-elected leader of any country. “According to the information in the public domain, an immense amount of money, some as high as $250,000  per head, was given to traditional rulers, youths, entertainers, market women, ethnic militias and artisans.

    “If the money being recklessly given away is from the public treasury, the implication is that they want to loot the treasury to such a level that if they lose the elections, the next government will have no money to spend. If they say the bribe money is not from the public treasury, then where is it from? If the money being nonchalantly frittered away is the president’s personal money, where did he get that kind of money from?”

    To make the matters worse, the bribe money has transformed, in the Jonathan administration’s skewed meaning of that word, from naira to the dollar, a clear indication that the administration has lost confidence in the national currency and has nothing but disdain for it.

    The APC urged Nigerians to ignore Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Suleiman Abba’s directive that voters should leave the polling station after casting their ballot, saying they should stay behind to protect their votes.

  • APC: PDP plans to have Buhari try his party men

    APC: PDP plans to have Buhari try his party men

    The APC Presidential Campaign Organization says that the PDP-led Federal Government is working extra hours to raise malicious charges against the leaders and suspected financiers of the opposition All Progressives Congress ,using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in order to force Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to “try his own men” in a test of his bid to fight corruption without fear or favor.

    In a  statement ,the APCPCO Media Director, Garba Shehu said  that the federal government planned to take advantage of a vow by General Buhari that if elected, he will not investigate the past, but that all on-going cases will be allowed to run their course without any hindrance.

    The campaign organization cited  an alleged memo to EFCC from the Chief of Staff to the President,Brig-Gen Jones Arogbofa (rtd)  which  it described as a mischievous attempt to railroad the Presidential Candidate of the APC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to subject his own supporters to trial and conviction.It accused Arogbofa of  recommending senior APC leaders, businessmen and company CEOs  for investigation and trial by the commission.

    On the list are former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Gov. Rotimi Amaechi, Gov. Adams Oshiomhole, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal and Gov. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State.

    Others are Senator Danjuma Goje, Senator Bukola Saraki, Faruk Ahmed, Executive Director PPPRA; Sulaiman Barau, a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank; the MD of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Habib Abdullahi and the DG of the NCAA, Captain Mukhtar Usman.

    The rest are the MD of NDIC, Umaru Ibrahim; Governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed; the Group Executive Director of the NNPC, Aisha Abdulraham; the Governorship candidate of the APC in Taraba State, Senator Aisha Alhassan; the PDM candidate for Adamawa Governorship election, who was formerly the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Ahmed Modibbo as well as the former Minister of Education, Professor Ruqqayyatu Ahmed Rufai.

     

  • Our plans for physically-challenged, by Osinbajo

    Our plans for physically-challenged, by Osinbajo

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) will ensure that the physically-challenged achieve their fullest potentials if elected, its vice presidential candidate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, said yesterday.

    He said the party would formulate policies and programmes that would be friendly to the physically-challenged and enhance their contributions to national development.

    The former Attorney General of Lagos vowed that never again would disabled Nigerians with talents and skills end up on the streets should the APC wins the March 28 presidential election.

    Osinbajo spoke at a novelty basketball match to mark his 58th birthday by the Wheel Chair Sport Foundation in Lagos.

    He said: “The APC is committed to making sure that every skilled and talented physically-challenged Nigerian achieves their potentials.

    “We will make sure that no Nigerian with physical disabilities is useless and stranded in life.

    “We value every Nigerian, regardless of physical status, and moreso, those with disabilities. So, we will never allow anyone suffer for disabilities from May 29th by the grace of God.”

    He said he was celebrating his birthday with the disabled athletes to demonstrate the APC’s determination to better the lots of physically-challenged Nigerians.

    Osinbajo told the disabled not to despair, but to support the party to win the presidency for their conditions to change.

    “If you make the change happen, we will change your conditions and situations for the best in a way that you and the nation will be better for it,” he stressed.

    Coordinator of the foundation Tope Ogunyemi said the athletes decided to organise the surprise birthday bash for Osinbajo in appreciation of his support for them over the years.

    “He’s been like a father to us. He has been supporting us and we felt this is the least we can do in his honour.

    “We have nothing to give a man like him, but to express our gratitude to him for unalloyed support over the years,” he stressed.

     

  • Fresh plans big for Niger FA

    Fresh plans big for Niger FA

    • Insists on improvement at all levels

    Chairman of Referees Appointment Committee, Nigeria Football Federation, Ahmed Yusuf Fresh has declared that the game will frog jump into Eldorado if all stakeholders play by the rules at all levels.

    He made the submission shortly after emerging chairman of Niger State FA, following elections held at the Safara Hotels in Kontogora.  Fresh, who claimed 29 out the 30 to emerge winner, promised to uphold NFF, CAF and FIFA rules in the course of his administration

    “One of the ways of ensuring that football grows and remains  a unifying force is to constantly play by the rules, not just at the international and national level but also at the states and grassroots levels,” he said

    Fresh, who has Yabagi Baba and Kabiru Mohammed respectively as his first and second Vice Chairmen, also has six other members from the three senatorial districts of the state in the team.

    The six members include Sani Alhaji Sallawu, Awaisu A B Kuta,  Lawal Mohammed, Ala Abdulmimin, Sani A Paiko and  Alfa Kurna Agaie.

    Cross-section of the football stakeholders in the state expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election while giving the electoral committee a pat on the back for conducting a poll devoid of acrimony and rancor. Fresh and his new board will pilot the affairs of Niger FA for the next four years.