The Nation Newspaper

Tag: sacks

  • Jonathan sacks PEF boss

    Jonathan sacks PEF boss

    •President makes new appointments

    President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday continued his last-minute sacking of public officials working in his outgoing government with the removal of the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) Mrs Sharon Adefunke Kasali.

    He replaced her immediately with the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development Mrs. Asabe Asmau Ahmed.

    Mrs. Kasali has been the Executive Secretary of PEF since 2007.

    According to a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the new PEF Executive Secretary hails from Niger State and holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, respectively.

    “She is expected to put her years of experience in public service to good use in re-engineering, repositioning and re-invigorating PEF for present and future challenges.”

    President Jonathan also approved the appointment of Mr. Denzil Amagbe Kentebe as Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Management Development Board (NCDMB).

    “Mr. Kentebe, an architect with years of experience in strategic planning and policy management, takes over from Engineer Ernest Nwapa who has been Executive Secretary of the NCDMB since April 2010.”

    Also yesterday, Former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel and former Osun State deputy governor and one-time Minister of State for Defence Mrs.Olusola Obada, were among those inaugurated as chairman of the governing councils of the 12 new universities.

    The Councils were inaugurated in Abuja by Minister of Education Ibrahim Shekarau.

    The Pro-chancellor of University of Ibadan and governing councils of four new polytechnics and the board of the National Library of Nigeria were also inaugurated by the minister.

    The universities and polytechnics are; Federal University Lokoja, Federal University, Lafia, Federal University, Kashere, Federal University, Wukari, Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, Federal University, Dutse, Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Federal University, Otuoke, Federal University, Birinin-Kebbi, Federal University, Gusau, Federal University, Gashua, Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Bonny, Federal Polytechnic, Ile-Oluji, Federal Polytechnic, Ukana and National Instiitute of Construction Technology, Uromi.

    Obada is chair of the governing council of the Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State while Daniel will chair that of the Federal University, Kashere.

    Also yesterday, the president wrote the Senate to confirm the appointment of his nominee for the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Mr. Munir Gwarzo.

    Others nominees to be confirmed for appointment by the Senate according to Jonathan’s letter read by Senate President David Mark  include the Chairman and members of the National Hajj Commission.

    The nominees are: Abdullahi Lugga Mohammed (Chairman), and Yusuf Adebayo

    Abdullah Madibbo Saleh, Ibrahim E., Adeyemi Ademola, Adamu Mohammed, Hajiya Aisha Mohammed and Danjuma Salihu Usman as national commissioners.

  • Oshiomhole sacks two commissioners

    Oshiomhole sacks two commissioners

    •Governor names replacements, two aides

    Edo State Transport Commissioner Orobosa Omo-Ojo and his Lands and Survey counterpart, Donald Osikhena-Boih, have been sacked.

    No reasons were given for their sack.

    Two new commissioners and two Deputy Chiefs of Staff were appointed.

    Those appointed are: Joseph Ayegbeni Ugheoke, Kenneth Edebiri, Saturday Idehen Uwulekhue and Prestly Ediagboya.

    A statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Public Affairs, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said Oshiomhole also appointed two Deputy Chiefs of Staff – former House of Assembly’s Majority Leader Frank Okiye (Administration) and Mr. Kenneth Ehesikhien (Political Matters).

    It said the names of the commissioner-nominees had been forwarded to the House of Assembly for screening.

  • MASSOB crisis: Uwazuruike sacks Director of Information, security aides

    ‘…sack us and I’ll expose how you took bribe, betrayed MASSOB’ – Madu

    In a bid to exert his authority, the embattled leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, yesterday expelled the Director of Information, Uchenna Madu, and his personal security aides who were occupying the administrative headquarters of the group in Okwe, Onuimo Local Government Area of Imo State, in defiance to his ejection order.

    Uwazuruike, in a general meeting of the group, held at the Ojukwu Memorial Library in Owerri, the Imo State capital, accused the expelled members of inciting other members to rebel against the leadership of the group and other anti-MASSOB activities, stating that they were working in concert with politicians to destabilise the movement.

    In a statement issued at the end of the meeting by MASSOB Deputy Director of Information and Uwazuruike’s Personal Assistant on Media, Maxi Chris Muocha, the MASSOB leader warned that the affected persons would no longer represent or speak on behalf of MASSOB in any capacity.

    The statement also cautioned the public not to transact any business with the expelled members on behalf of MASSOB or the leader, stating that anyone who ignores the directive does so at his or her own risk.

    However, when contacted, Comrade Madu challenged Uwazuruike to personally announce his purported expulsion from the struggle and bear the consequence.

    According to him, “Muocha, who is my junior in the struggle, cannot announce my sack. Let Uwazuruike personally announce it and I will expose his secrets on how he betrayed the Biafra struggle back then in prison to regain his freedom, which members were not aware of and the secret documents he signed with agents of government for Nigerian unity.”

    He further vowed to let MASSOB members and entire Ndigbo into the secret behind most of the actions taken by the MASSOB leader. “I will also expose the real reason Uwazuruike ordered the sit-at-home in June, which was mistaken as a boost to the struggle and how he took bribe to scuttle the killing of MASSOB members, whose corpses were found floating on Ezu River in Anambra State.

    “I will also expose to the members and Ndigbo, why the international communities were no longer responding to the Biafra struggle as was the case in the past. I will equally expose how he has been spending the millions accruing from the dues and levies paid by poor MASSOB members on women and drinks.”

  • Sacks maker Riggs to expand production

    Sacks maker Riggs to expand production

    Despite increasing its production from nine million sacks to over 60 million last year, Riggs Ventures West Africa Plc, manufacturers of polypropylene sacks, is set to further expand its production capacity.

    Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer Mr. Yomi Tokosi broke the news at the company’s 2014 Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos. He said the management planned to further expand the installed production capacity of the company’s plant.

    Board of Directors Chairman Chief Rasheed Williams highlighted the company’s achievements in the last one year.

    He said with assistance from African Export Import Bank and Nigerian Export Import Bank between 2012 and last year, the board and management achieved a major expansion.

    The expansion includes the diversification of the firm’s production lines with the addition of cement and industrial sack to the agro sacks line, which existed before the expansion .

    The company increased the installed production capacity of its plant from nine million sacks to over 60 million sacks per annum, with significant increase in man power after the expansion exercise.

    Williams also told the firm’s shareholders that the company registered its issued shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), with a view to listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in the next few months.

    Tokosi said having completed the first phase of the company’s expansion, there was need to harness its potentials to meet the rising demands of its clients, including major cement manufacturing firms.

    He also informed shareholders that the board and management of the company plan to dispose its unissued shares to reputable institutional investors. “This exercise will facilitate the commencement of the next phase of expansion, which will entail the acquisition of additional state-of-the-art machines from the company’s equipment suppliers and technical partners – Bags Solutions Worldwide of Austria,” Tokosi added.

    The National Chairman, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mr. Boniface Okezie, who spoke on behalf of the shareholders, lauded the efforts of the board and management in steering the ship of the company successfully through the expansion.

  • Rivers disagrees as youth council sacks exco

    The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has dissolved the Rivers State Executive Committee (exco) of the body, hours after the state government passed a vote of confidence in the displaced leadership.

    The Commissioner for Youth, Owene Wonodi, at the weekend passed vote of confidence in the Kingsley Ibanichukwu-led state Executive Committee of the NYCN, saying the government recognised no other leadership in what appeared to be a pre-emptive opposition to the dissolution declared later by the national leadership of the apex youth body.

    At an extra-ordinary emergency meeting held yesterday in Port Harcourt, the National President of the NYCN, Yakubu Shendam, said the action was taken to correct irregularities, including abuse of power and financial misconduct by the Ibanichukwu-led Rivers State leadership.

    He said: “Many things have gone wrong in Rivers State. We will not tolerate the activities of the NYCN being run like a personal property. We cannot watch our youths being led astray. In accordance with the constitution governing the council and by the power vested in me, I hereby dissolve the Rivers

    State Executive Committee led by Ibanickukwu.

    “We are inaugurating an interim committee pending investigation, resolution and possible by-election for a new Rivers State Executive Committee. This inauguration also

    affects local government area coordinators where the interim body will appoint and swear in new leaders. We task the interim committee to be committed in the service of the youths.”

    The Deputy President of the body, Chinwendu Ordua, who hails from Rivers State, said: “The body has decided. The Commissioner for Youth has no choice over this matter. This is strictly a National Youth Council affair and we have acted in order.”

  • POOR PERFORMANCE: Gov sacks Tornadoes’ management

    POOR PERFORMANCE: Gov sacks Tornadoes’ management

    The management team of National league side Niger Tornadoes, led by Abdullahi Abdul Paiko, has been kicked out of office.

    Niger State governor Muazu Babaginda Aliyu, who sent the former management team packing Thursday during State Executive Meeting at the Council Chambers in Minna, named former footballer and Director General of the Mellennium Development Goals (MDGs) Alhaji Dattijo Aliyu as new chairman of the Board of Niger Tornadoes.

    Those who will function alongside Dattijo Aliyu include Alhaji Adamu Bosso who is now the Welfare officer of the club, Alhaji Mohammed Legbo Assistant Welfare officer, Alhaji Usman Garba Team Manager and Mr George Daniya Public Relations Officer .

    Governor Aliyu also named Mallam Mukhtari Shehu, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, Alhaji Abubakar Sayyuti Alhaji Abdulmumuni Madami and Alhaji Abubakar Garba Mohammed as other members of the new board.

    Reconstitution of the Board according to the Governor is aimed at improving the performance of the team in the next football season.

    While challenging the new board to live up to the expectation , Governor Aliyu regretted the avalanche of problems surrounding the Minna landlords, describing it as unfortunate despite huge investment being made by his administration.

    He accused some members of the former management of diverting resources meant for the club to their personal pockets which accounted for the low fortunes and the need to effect a change .

    Earlier, the Commissioner for Sports Mr Daniel Shashere recalled that the club was relegated to the National Division Two league at the end of the 2012/2013 season and was placed 9th on the league table at the end of the just concluded season.

    He was however optimistic that with the support of the government the team will ultimately return to the premier league hopefully at the end of 2013/2014 season .

  • Suntai sacks SSG, Chief of Staff, commissioners

    Suntai sacks SSG, Chief of Staff, commissioners

    Taraba State Governor Danbaba Suntai spoke last night to the people of the state — his first since he arrived from a 10-month overseas medical trip.

    He praised them for their prayers which, he said, enabled him to recover fast.

    The governor’s address was broadcast on the Taraba Television (TTV) during the 7pm news. It was short.

    Suntai, who had earlier dissolved the executive council, wore a sky blue suit with a striped shirt. He had no tie. Suntai sat reading from a script. He congratulated the people on the state’s anniversary. The state turned 22 on Monday.

    Suntai also urged the people to continue to live in peace.

    He said: “I congratulate you on our 22 years anniversary as a state. We are indeed a great state and we shall become greater.

    “I thank you all for your support throughout my moment of crisis. Thank you for your love, patience and understanding.”

    There was jubilation on the streets of Jalingo after the governor spoke on television.

    People were singing and dancing as music blared from loud speakers. Suntai’s campaign poster when he sought reelection in 2011 were being waved by some excited supporters.

    The governor reportedly inaugurated the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and the Chief of Staff.

    Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Hassan Majjiyawa said the leadership of the House of Assembly also met with the governor last night.

    Speaker Haruna Tsokwa could not be reached for comments, but Mijinyawa said the Speaker said their conversation with Suntai was “meaningful”.

    Tsokwa had earlier said that the House leaders were prevented from seeing the governor.

    Suntai’s arrival and “return to work” has sparked some confusion.

    The governor’s return, besides dividing the House of Assembly, has also disunited the state.

    Suntai dissolved the State Executive Council yesterday. He appointed a new Secretary to the State Government and Chief of Staff.

    But the House of Assembly began to collect signatures to remove the governor. Speaker Haruna Tsogwa said Suntai is yet to resume from his 10-month medical leave because he has not addressed the House.

    But House Majority Leader Joseph Albasu said having transmitted a letter to the House following his arrival of Sunday, Suntai had resumed.

    The House is said to be divided over the situation. There are 24 members, 22 of them of the PDP. The remaining two are of the All Progressives Congress (APC), having been elected on the ticket of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

    Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Timothy Kataps, accused the Speaker of misinterpreting the Constitution. “Misinterpreting the law, as the Taraba Speaker is doing is capable of causing discord to our people who may not have access to the Constitution and may not know the correct position of the law,” he said.

    Kataps said Suntai had indeed returned to work. He spoke to reporters shortly before the dissolution of the executive after which he emerged as the SSG.

    His words: “I am clarifying the issue because civil society organisations have written me to speak on the true position of the law. Section 190(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended states: In the event that the governor is unable or fails to transmit the written declaration mentioned in subsection 1 of this section within 21days, the House of Assembly shall, by resolution made by simple majority of the votes of the House, mandate the deputy governor to perform the functions of the office of the governor as acting governor, until the governor transmits a letter to the speaker that he is now available to resume his function as governor.

    “Now, on October 25, last year, His Excellency Governor Danbaba Suntai had this unfortunate air crash. That took him away to various hospitals in the country and abroad. But, of course, we are also aware that in that circumstance, the governor wouldn’t have transmitted a letter to the House within the 21 days. But on the 19th day of the 21days, we advised the House professionally on what the constitution says. And we commend the House of Assembly, as of then, because on the 20th day they empowered and mandated the deputy governor to assume office as the acting governor of this state. And the deputy governor has been holding that position until Monday when the governor, by the express provision of Section 190(2), transmitted to the House, a letter informing them he is back to resume duty as the executive governor of this state. Now, the letters of that section is the word AVAILABLE. … until the governor transmits a letter to the speaker that he is now available to resume his function as governor. And that is what the governor did, by his letter to the House of Assembly on Monday.

    “Once a governor transmits a letter to the House of Assembly, simplicita. Every other status reverses back to status quo ante.

    “So, the governor of Taraba has resumed office as the executive governor. And with all respect, the Speaker is not taking this matter right; he has misinterpreted the provision of the constitution. Section 190(2) does not give the House of Assembly the discretion to add conditions to the letter of the governor of Taraba State. The three arms of government have the duty to govern in a democratic dispensation for the betterment of the state.”

    Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity Mrs Silvanus Giwa announced the dissolution of the executive and the new appointments at a news conference in Jalingo, the state capital. Besides Kataps as SSG, Alhaji Aminu Jika was appointed Chief of Staff. The appointments take immediate effect.

    Giwa said he was speaking on the orders of Suntai, adding that commissioners and special advisers had been relieved of their appointments.

    He passed the governor’s appreciation to the outgoing commissioners and special advisers for their services to the state, and wished them well in their future endeavours.

  • Monarch sacks three chiefs in Ondo

    The paramount ruler of Mahin kingdom in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Lawrence Omowole, yesterday removed three chiefs (baale).

    They are the Baale of Ago Agbeni, Chief Estrome Agbeni, the Baale of Lerenren, Chief Charles Temetan and the Oloja of Kofawe, Chief Juwon Semudara.

    Amapetu-in-council said they took actions that were contrary to the oath of their traditional offices.

    Speaking to reporters in Akure on behalf of Oba Omowole, the Yasere of Mahin Kingdom, who is the Prime Minister of Mahin Kingdom, Chief Godwin Balogun, accused the sacked chiefs of some illegal actions.

    According to the monarch, the development has affected the progress of the area.

    He said the baales refused to attend the meetings convened by the Amapetu-in-council and thereby committed insubordination.

    Amapetu-in-council said: “Following this development, the Mahin council of chiefs considers these community heads as unfit to further hold their offices, hence their removal.

    “Henceforth, your certificates of appointments have been revoked, withdrawn and rendered null and void.

  • Taraba acting governor sacks two advisers

    Taraba State Acting Governor Garba Umar yesterday sacked two Special Advisers: Tonyonga Binga (Education) and Joseph Magaji Tahwa (Rural Development).

    It was not clear what led to their sack.

    Umar simply said he no longer required their services.

    “The services of the affected Special Advisers are no longer required,” he said in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kefas Sule.

    Binga and Tahwa were appointed by ailing Governor Danbaba Suntai, who is recuperating in a United States hospital from injuries he sustained when a plane he piloted crashed near Yola, Adamawa State, last October.

    The sack of the two governor’s aides came a few days after the former Secretary to the Government (SSG) Emmanuel Njiwah, five commissioners and two advisers were sacked by the acting governor for allegedly embezzling the N400 million flood funds provided by the Federal Government.

    Njiwah and his group have sued the government, seeking a declaration that their sack is null and void.

  • Refuse sacks Aba markets

    Residents and traders in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, have appealed to Governor Theodore Orji on the mounting environmental challenges in the city.

    The traders lamented that if drastic measures were not taken to rid the streets and markets of refuse, “it may lead to an outbreak of epidemic”.

    A businessman, Anaelechi Ozurumba, noted that in the last one year, the State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA), under the leadership of Ikechukwu Apugo, has succeeded in cleaning up Aba and Umuahia, the state capital.

    He, however, noted that while the capital remained clean, refuse has returned to Aba and has sacked major streets and markets in the city.

    At the Eziukwu Market, a trader, who gave her name as Omobong Esther, said: “At the end of last year, Aba was wearing a new look and we were all happy and applauded the government but suddenly heaps of refuse have returned, making the city look dirty. It is even worse now that the rainy season is here.

    “We, the business community, are appealing to Governor Theodore Orji to revive the agency and return it to its former status to enable it meet up with the challenges of keeping the state clean, especially the major cities of Aba and Umuahia.

    “In front of this market, the heaps of refuse there sometimes cause traffic gridlock, especially in the evening.

    “Recently, some groups of persons were in the market with Navy and Army officers collecting both ASEPA, environmental, stall fees and other levies.

    “They shouldn’t say Aba people don’t want to pay sanitation or ASEPA fees. We have paid and they should justify the money they have collected from us.”

    Ibemesi Nwaka, a resident of World Bank Housing Estate, said more trucks need to be provided to meet the challenges of waste disposal in the commercial city.

    The Abia State government last night said it is addressing the Aba refuse situation as appropriate.

    The governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Ugochukwu Emezue, said: “Government is not overwhelmed.”

    He said: “Aba probably generates the biggest waste, more than any other city in the country and the people dump refuse not at designated places but indiscriminately,” adding that “government will continue to appeal to them.”

    He said government had deployed more waste trucks in Aba than Umuahia.

    Emezue said to address the peculiar situation in Aba, the government has split the waste management authority into two with Okezie Ikpeazu leading the team working in Aba, saying “they are working round the clock”.