All Posts in "Day: July 5, 2023"

Abuja: Police Recover Stolen Mercedes Benz In Asaba

Mohammed Shosanya

A Mercedes Benz SUV stolen in Abuja has been recovered in Asaba by police operatives of Delta State Police Command.

The Mercedes Benz ( GLA 250) was stolen by the suspect who disguise to be a buyer on June 30, 2023,according to reports.

The suspect,who pretended to be a supposed buyer of the N35 Million suv, drove off with the car while test running the vehicle

According to the car dealer simply identified as Sani, ““The vehicle as snatched during a fuel stop at a filling station during the inspection, the supposed client then drove away with the car while the salesman went to pay for the fuel.

I raised alarm on social media via my Twitter page after which I informed the police about the situation”.

The suspect was nabbed by police operatives working with available intelligence, operatives of the CP-Decoy Squad stormed Ughelli town on July 3,2023 where the stolen vehicle was recovered in a bush along Oteri road by Doctors Quarters Ughelli North LGA.

Police said that a manhunt is ongoing for the suspect whose whereabouts will soon be hacked by the Delta Police Command.

admin by — July 5, 2023 in Crime/Metro 0
I’ll Fire Non-Performing Commissioners In 6 Months -Gov.Yusuf

Mohammed Shosanya

Kano state Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf,Wednesday told his commissioners that their appointment into cabinet position will run for six months probation.

He addressed the cabinet members at his maiden executive Council Meeting in Kano,where he also said those who performed well within the six month period will be appreciated.

He said those who were however found wanting would be shown the way out,according to a statement signed by Hisham Habib,the spokesperson to the governor.

“I am reminding you that your appointment is on probation of six months period after which a monitoring and evaluation team under my headship will be monitoring the performances of the ministry’s and those who performed well will be appreciated and those who under performed will be pulled out.

” Let me urge you all to sustain the tempo of loyalty, dedication, commitment to duty and be honest in the discharge of your duties, be honest, accountable, and mindful of the confidence repose in us by the good people on us,” he was quoted in.the statement.

He implored the commissioners to work as one family for the people of Kano believing that they are the best team to salvage the state from the mismanagement by the immediate past administration and deliver the dividends of democracy in the nooks and cranny of the state.

admin by — July 5, 2023 in Politics 0

Mohammed Shosanya

The federal government and Oyo state government,Wednesday,unveiled a new software application National Animal Disease Information System (NADIS) Mobile Application, to track and report animal disease outbreak in Oyo State.

The Co-ordinating Director, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Gideon Alade,disclosed this in a statement.

In a training organized for private and public animal health workers, the lead facilitator, Dr. Olaseju Taiwo, a Veterinary and Pest Control expert from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, explained that the new software has two applications, the NADIS-mobile which is for collection of data from the field, and NADIS-admin for viewing reported diseases and for analysis.

The application can be downloaded on Play Store as VETSARK or via mobile browsers by typing nadis.mobile.ng,he said.

He also disclosed that the app will enable veterinary outfits, both public and private or the University sectors to accurately report cases of disease outbreak near them, which will be followed by prompt intervention from government at all levels.

He said,by doing so, disease outbreaks can easily be curbed before causing much damage

He explained that the purpose of the training session was to teach private and public Vets on how to use the National Animal Disease Information System (NADIS), and also to improve and expand their surveillance points.

The Head, State Disease Reporting Records Collation and Epidemiology Unit, Dr. Kareem Akeem,in his presentation,stated that disease reporting must be systematic and timely.

He added that it is a form of communication about diseases affecting animals which involves the collection and submission of data on disease cases to the appropriate authorities, responsible for surveillance and control.

Dr. Akeem added that Laboratories, livestock producers, research institutions, animal owners and government agencies are key entities that play a role in identifying and reporting disease cases.

Speaking, the Co-ordinating Director, Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Opawusi Olalekan, said the purpose of the training is to equip animal health workers with the needed knowledge on disease reporting.

He said the training will help them on how to improve their practice at their various veterinary outfits for the good of the public.

Welcoming participants to the training session, the State Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. (Mrs.) L.S. Azeez said the training was timely considering the recent outbreak of deadly zoonotic diseases such as Anthrax, that ravage few African countries, killing animals and people.

She added that the training will assist the State Government to have timely and accurate disease reporting format and also to curb and prevent outbreak of disease.

Dr. Azeez implored the private veterinary outfits to give their maximum cooperation to the government officers in collation of disease reports throughout the State.

admin by — July 5, 2023 in Health 0
Ondo Woos More Energy Investors

Mohammed Shosanya

This year’s Ondo Investment Summit will focus on energy, gas, tourism,blue economy and agriculture.

The chairman of the summit, who is also the state Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Engr. Razaq Obe, told neesmen on Wednesday that the state is targeting investors who would explore the untapped natural resources in the state.

He explained that the deep seaport, which the state has got the licence to build and operate, is one of the major sectors the state is yearning to engage investors who would partner with the state to build.

The summit tagged: “Develop Ondo 2.0,” which would be declared open by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would assemble captains of industry at The Dome, Alagbaka, Akure, to interface on the theme: “Developing Possibilities” from July 24 to July 26, 2023.

According to him, the focus of the state is to attract Investment into the state that would complement the existing ones and also help build the local cottage industries as well as mop up the unemployment market.

On the desire for Investment in energy sector, the commissioner said that the state government has already mapped out the state into different cluster offtakers in order of their demands.

He added:”We are going to exploit the new bill on power assented to law by President Bola Tinubu which granted right to states to generate and distribute power for the development of our state.

“Though we already have communities which are enjoying.power supply from solar mini grids, we are going to engage more investors in the sector and we are going to alot to them the mapped out cluster offtakers according to magnitude of power they will generate and the demands in such areas.

“This will help us in sustenance of existing and new industries that berth in the state. Our cottage industries also would experience boost and more would spring up as well as resuscitating moribund ones.

“There’s no doubt, power is a major contributory factor to industrialization, we are not relenting on ensuring improvement on power supply across the state.”

He disclosed that at the Investment Summit, the state would acquaint the investors with list of opportunities abound in the state, noting that doing business in the state has become easy as bureaucratic bottlenecks had been removed.

He said: “We will present an array of investment opportunities across various sectors. From agriculture to manufacturing, tourism to technology, renewable energy to infrastructural development. Ondo State offers a diverse range of sectors where investors can hamess the untapped potential and contribute to the growth of our economy.

“Ondo State is blessed with abundant natural resources, including vast arable land for agriculture, solid minerals, and a significant coastline for maritime activities and tourism. We encourage potential investors to explore these sectors which hold immense opportunities for sustainable development, employment generation, and wealth creation.”

admin by — July 5, 2023 in Oil&Gas 0
Tough Times Await Smugglers -Customs

Mohammed Shosanya

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’,says its onslaught against smugglers will be fiercer with a renewed determination to uncover them using intelligence-backed enforcement in the second half of the year.

Hussein K Ejibunu, Acting Controller of the Unit disclosed this at a press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday.

He said:“We shall get recalcitrant traders and their agents arrested and prosecuted in addition to seizing their wares.At this point, members of the trading community are advised to further embrace compliance and shun any act that would place them on the wrong side of the law.

“We advise them to keep themselves abreast of the import and export prohibition lists because claims of ignorance will not suffice as an excuse whenever they are caught.”

He disclosed that the unit arrested a total of 60 suspected smugglers between January and June, 2023.

It also intercepted and seized 580 smuggled goods valued at N4,022,960,075 during the period under review.

Ejibunu, a Deputy Comptroller of Customs (DC), said the Unit also recovered a total of N400,599,515.66 as revenue through the issuance of Demand Notices (DN).

He said,prominent among the seizures, s rice, which amounts to 36,742 bags X 50kg foreign parboiled rice, equivalent to 62 trailer-load.

He said that some of them were ferried through bush paths by smugglers who used motorcycles and rickety vehicles as means of conveyance.

Other seizures are 14,015 (7,728) parcels of Indian hemp; 1,064 bales of used clothing, 450 x 106 kg drums of carbide, 2 x 20 containers of unprocessed wood; 1,448 pieces of foreign rugs, 30 units of used motorcycles; 44 units of used vehicles (Tokunbo), 218,575 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 860 cartons of foreign poultry products and 833 pieces of used tyres.

Speaking further, DC Ejibunu said: “While this briefing dwells on our ant-smuggling activities which aim to protect our economy and prevent revenue loss, it is also aimed at discouraging unlawful activities especially those that contravene the Customs extant laws.

“Within the first six months of the year, our activities resulted in a high volume and value of seizures with some suspects arrested. We also succeeded in preventing the entry of dangerous or harmful substances like illicit drugs into the society.

“Our strategic intervention also achieved recovery of revenue through the issuance of demand notices to complete underpaid duties into the federal government coffers that were being evaded by some importers and their agents.

“For the period under review, we made 580 seizures with a duty-paid value of N4,022,960,075. We also arrested 60 suspects and recovered a total of N400,599,515.66 as revenue through the issuance of demand notices.

“We wish to express our profound gratitude to sister security agencies for their unflinching synergy in the course of our operations; special mention to the Department of State Security Services- Oyo State Command for the arrest of a notorious suspect that was on the wanted list for attack on a Customs patrol team escorting exhibits.

“Interestingly, this suspect was arrested and handed over the Unit yesterday.Through the federal high courts, 11 suspects were convicted for committing offences of improper importation, assault of Customs officers, being in possession of foreign parboiled rice and for being in possession of Pangolin scales meant for export.

“While some other smuggling and related cases instituted in the courts are at various stages of prosecution and would be followed up diligently”

admin by — July 5, 2023 in Business 0
Alleged Forged Result:Reps Halt Further Action On Ejikeme Mmesoma

Mohammed Shosanya

The House of Representatives has directed
the Joint Admission And Matriculation Board,JAMB to suspend further actions on alleged Falsification of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) against Miss Ejikeme Mmesoma.

The action was necessary to pave way for the lawmakers to conclude investigation of the allegation which they have set in motion.

The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante, lawmaker representing Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro federal constituency of Rivers state.

The motion reads: “The House notes that the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is primarily charged with the general control of the conduct of Matriculation Examinations for admissions into Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education in Nigeria.

“Also that graduating Secondary School leavers and others with prerequisite WAEC, NECO and other qualifying results apply to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) through the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) every year to gain admission into Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.

“The House further notes that students who sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) are expected to log into the JAMB portal to check their results once released by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board.

Aware that Miss Ejikeme Mmesoma of Anglican Girls Secondary School, Nnewi, Anambra State sat for the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations and scored 362.

“The House is aware that on 2 July, 2023 JAMB, Head of Public Affairs and Protocol, Dr. Fabian Benjamin made a public pronouncement accusing Miss Ejikeme Mmesoma of manipulating her UTME results that she actually scored 249 instead of the 362 as claimed.

“Further aware that Miss. Ejikeme Mmesoma came out to defend herself, that she actually printed the result from the JAMB Buncharitable and had been a brilliant child all through her Nursery and Tertiary education, coming first in all the Examinations she has been taken before the UTME, hence she posited that she is not capable of manipulating her UTME
result.

“Cognizant of the fact that uploading or downloading result of examinations or polls electronically, in Nigeria, glitches can occur at any time, hence the need to establish the facts before any blames;

Worried that Dr. Fabian Benjamin, JAMB Head of Public Affairs and Protocol alleged that some of the 2023 UTME Candidates are parading fake scores in order to get undue advantage from the public, hence the need to investigate the allegation.

Contributing to the motion,the lawmaker commended the mover of the motion, as they believe it is timely and call for a thorough investigation of the allegation against Miss Mmesoma.

Hon. Iduma Igariwey said there should be an investigation to know if the young lady was manipulated and the investigation would reveal if JAMB had a structural issues.

He said the inventory will reveal all that happened so that things does not continue that way.

For Hon Ademorin Kuye (APC Lagos) stated that” We must prove the innocence on the part of the girl and at the same time we must presume that JAMB has acted in pursuant to the law establishing them”.

Hon. Ugonna Ozuruigbo (PDP Imo) said that it is shameful that the board is discussing authenticity of it’s results with a student.

“We are enjoy talking about jamb but other examination board.I was privy to see a video where a lady was demonstrating how you can manipulate jamb results. Is it that jamb website is so porous. It is shameful that the jamb will be dragging the authenticity of their own result with a student”.

The House resolves to set up an Adhoc Committee to investigate the matter.

The House adopted the motion and also urged Jamb to desist from taking further actions on the matter till investigation is concluded.

admin by — July 5, 2023 in News 0
LP Petition: Tinubu Closes Defence,Tenders 18 Documents As Exhibits

President Bola Tinubu and his Vice, Kashim Shetima,Wednesday closed their defence at the on going Presidential Election Petition Court sitting in Abuja.

They are second and third respondents respectively in the petition filed by the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, challenging the outcome of the February 25, 2023, presidential election.

Their lead counsel, Wole Olanipekun SAN, had called one witness, after tendering 18 documents at the tribunal before closing the defence.

Most of the documents tendered and admitted in evidence were Tinubu’s educational credentials from the Chicago State University.

Obi and his party had predicated their joint petition seeking nullification of Tinubu’s election on the ground of not having requisite educational qualification, conviction for drug related offences by a US Court among others.

Also admitted in evidence was an acknowledgement letter of withdrawal by Kashim Shetima from the Borno Central Senatorial race, having been picked to be Vice Presidential candidate.

Tinubu and Shetima are relying on the 18 documents, duly certified by relevant bodies to defend the allegations of non qualifications to stand for the 2023 presidential election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, through it’s counsel, Abubakar Mahmoud SAN, and Lateef Fagbemi SAN, representing the All Progressives Congress (4th respondent) did not oppose admissibility of any of the 18 documents tendered by Tinubu and Shettima.

Among the documents admitted in evidence by the PEPC were a letter from the Nigeria Police Force to the US Embassy dated 3rd February 2003, asking for some information about Tinubu, and the response from the US Consulate dated 4th February 2023; a bundle of educational credentials of Tinubu duly certified and with receipts of certification by the Office of Legal Affairs Chicago State University.

Others include data pages of Tinubu’s Nigerian passport issued on 2nd February 2011, and another one issued on November 28, 2019.

Various US Visas issued on February 4, 2011, 12 July 2017, July 26, 2019, and 18 November 2021, duly certified by the Nigerian Immigration, were equally admitted in evidenec by the PEPC.

admin by — July 5, 2023 in News 0