Nation
THE STATES
FCT
Three more political parties were Tuesday registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) bringing the number of parties to 57.
In a statement, INEC Director of Public Affairs, Mr Emmanuel Umemegere said the commission approved the registration of the parties after having satisfied all the requirements specified in section 222 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He said the approval was given at the commission meeting Tuesday.
They include the National Transformation Party (NTP), Democratic Party for a Peoples Federation (DPPF) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).
Benue
The Benue State House of Assembly has insisted that the Pesident, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, must appear before it to make firm commitments on the agreement he entered into with the Benue State Government, which he has allegedly breached by reducing the shares of the state at Benue Cement Company Plc (BCC).
Addressing reporters at the assembly complex Tuesday after Dangote failed to appear before the House for a second time over the share crisis between Dangote Group and Benue State, House of Assembly, Speaker, Terseer Tsumba, stated that the Assembly had given the business mogul the last opportunity to appear before the lawmakers on January 12, 2010.
He said the last two dates given to Dangote to appear before the house failed to yield any results as the business mogul only sent his representatives.
Tsumba said that Dangote Tuesday chose to send a deputy managing director of his group who was in company of some senior staff of the BCC Plc. He stressed that the House was not satisfied with the action of the BCC core investor; hence the decision to give him the last chance to appear before the Assembly.
Plateau
Mr Biran Dadi of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) was Tuesday sworn in as chairman of Lantang North Local Council, Plateau State.
His inauguration followed a judgement by the State’s Local Government Appeal Tribunal, which deemed him the lawful winner of the council polls earlier given to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) by the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC).
Swearing in Dadi Tuesday, the Governor Jonah Jang lauded the council chief for his diligent pursuit of his mandate through the courts.
Jang said the swearing-in was another demonstration of his administration’s resolve to live by the rule of law.
The Local Government Appeal Tribunal has so far upturned three council elections in favour of the opposition parties. The Action Congress (AC) has retrieved Lantang South and Bokkos councils from the PDP through the appeal.
Kaduna
Officials of the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE) Tuesday in Kaduna urged the presidency to relieve the minister of Agriculture, Dr. Sayyadi Abba Ruma of his appointment for allegedly undermining the Nigerian Agricultural Cooperative and Rural Development Bank Limited (NACRDB), as well as the nation’s peasant farmers. The NACRDB branch of NUBIFIE accused Ruma of gradually killing the bank because of his selfish interest with all sorts of uncivilised policies that are against the survival of the bank.”
The union in a statement jointly signed by NUBIFIE, NACRDB chairman, Ade Martins Odigie and the president at the association, Bala Waziri and made available to journalists in Kaduna, alleged that Ruma, whose ministry is not even part of the shareholders of the bank, had continued to undermine the financial institution in addition to running it like his personal estate. The unions further claimed that the alleged “selfish activities of the minister have brought untold hardship to millions of Nigerian farmers who relies solely on credit facilities from the agric bank.
Ekiti
Legal Luminary, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) and proprietor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) has criticised universities operating from rented facilities saying such universities were set up for profit making. Speaking Tuesday at the inauguration of the governing council of ABUAD, Babalola said the need to make a difference in university education informed the setting up of his own university, adding that ABUAD has set the standard for future private universities in the country.
He maintained that many of those who got license to operate a university and are doing so from a rented apartment are after profit, saying this ought not to be the situation.
Babalola pointed out that many great universities all over the world were not established for profit making, adding that ABUAD is meant to operate like them, giving to the society quality university education.
Also, while playing host to the management at ABUAD, Ekiti State governor, Mr. Segun Oni, said the state government has spent N8 billion on the funding of state-owned tertiary institutions in the last two and half years.
He said the amount surpasses the N7.5 billion expended on the same tertiary institutions by previous administrations in the state during a period of 11 years.
Gombe
Accounting profession in the country may be on the verge of losing out in the global standard practice due to inflation and pervading political insensitivity to critical economic issues, the National President of Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Mrs I.F. Gafar has said.
Gafar explained that the challenges in the practice of the profession, due to the unsavory external environment, has made data compatibility impossible because of poor handling of accounting historical records.
The ANAN boss, who made the assertion while delivering her address at the sixth session of the mandatory continuing professional development programme held recently, in Gombe, noted that the greatest challenge facing accountants in the country was the ability to improve reporting standard that would suit the pace of global development.
She therefore challenged the professional accountants to be alert and watchful as that would enable them to prepare for the unforeseen financial changes in the world economy in which the Nigerian economy was an integral part.
Gafar had therefore re-emphasised the need for continued training and retraining of accounts, as it was required by the profession in compliance with the international ethics and best practices of learning about new practice opportunities.
Plateau
The Plateau State budget performance in 2009 financial year was negatively affected by the November 2008 civil unrest in Jos, the state capital, fall in oil price and non reimbursing of the state of over N10 billion as its shares of excess foreign debt reductions handed over to Nassarawa state.
Governor Jonah Jang who lamented that all these adversely affected the state government projections, noted that the resources gulped by the management of the Jos mayhem would have been expended on the provisions of water and other social amenities.
According to him, it increased internal borrowing to cover the envisaged budget deficit, which impacted negatively on 2009 budget performance.
The state is to spend N74.8 billion in 2010, as against N78.4 billion in 2009, representing N4.5 billion decrease. Chief Jang, spoke while presenting 2010 Appropriation Bill to the state legislature recently.
According to him, the estimated Recurrent Revenue for 2010 is N33.5 billion as against N38.2 billion for 2009, while the Recurrent Expenditure gulped N25.8 billion in 2009 financial year.
Lagos
The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice I. Akerele Tuesday freed 34 inmates of Ikoyi prison.
Akerele who ordered the release of the inmates during a visit to the prison said her action was pursuant to section 1 (II) of the criminal justice release from Custody Special Provision Act Cap 340, 2004 law of the Federation of Nigeria.
The freed inmates were those who had been in custody longer than the maximum period of imprisonment which they could have served if convicted of alleged offence.
She said the move was to decongest the prison and urged the beneficiaries to go and sin no more.
Ondo
The lingering agitation by the organised labour movement for better wages for workers in the nation’s public sector may end on a positive note early next year.
The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Adetokumbo Kayode (SAN), declared in Akure, Ondo State capital Tuesday that “a new wage regime that would put smiles on faces of Nigerians, would take off soon.”
According to the minister, who is on a three-day official visit to Ondo State, final arrangements are already being put in place by all the concerned stakeholders in the wage issue to prepare a workable and acceptable framework in the first month of the new year.
He disclosed that the Justice Alfa Belgore panel, which was set up by President Umaru Yar’Adua to streamline issues pertaining to agitation over the wage matter, has been approved by the Federal Government.
His words: “The issue of minimum wage is under process. The Federal Government approved the Justice Belgore Panel, which hasp Labour, employers and government as members. We have been divided into sub-committees and we have been working and it is for the committee to round off its assignment.
“I asked them to round off early next year so that we can move on. We want to change from minimum wage to living wage. We want to have a salary that can allow people to live purposeful life and take care of the vagaries of the effects of the global and national economies on our social lives.”
Julius Berger Maintains Commitment to Timely Delivery with Holiday Work Schedule In the spirit of progress and dedication, workers on the Bodo-Bonny Road project, a transformative construction project awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, have continued their efforts undeterred by the Yuletide season. For many, the opportunity to contribute to the development of their communities through this landmark infrastructure project is a source of pride and fulfillment.
The 37.9 km road project, which connects Bodo in Gokana Local Government Area to Bonny Island in Rivers State, stands as a beacon of hope for the operational communities.
Julius Berger’s workforce, comprising a significant number of local indigenes, has been steadfast in their commitment to ensuring the project’s timely completion despite the challenging technical and logistical demands
The construction of this critical infrastructure requires specialized techniques and construction methodologies, including extensive sand filling for soil stabilization, to ensure a suitable foundation for construction.
The project also necessitates meticulous planning and coordination by the workforce and their supervisors, further underscoring the skill and precision involved in executing this project.During the holiday season, workers were seen diligently engaged in other activities such as base course installation, and sand-cement stabilization at key sections, including Apha Creek Bridge and Opobo Channel Bridge, the sight of heavy equipment from leading manufacturers like Caterpillar and Volvo further revealed the scale and complexity of the project.
Speaking about the project, John Hart, a member of the project team from Gokana, shared the pride he and his colleagues feel about the project,
“This road means everything to us. It connects our people to opportunities and development. For those of us working here, it’s more than a job, it’s our contribution to building a future for our communities.
Even during the holidays, we’re happy to give our all.”
Appreciating the team’s dedication, The Project Manager, Tim Nippert noted that, “Our workforce continues to exceed expectations. Working through the holidays and navigating the difficult terrain demonstrates their resolve and passion for delivering this project. Their ability to maintain steady progress under these conditions is truly remarkable.”
The Bodo-Bonny Road project is a critical component of Nigeria’s infrastructure development agenda. Featuring a 2-lane road with hard shoulders, 17 bridges spanning 3,200 meters, and reinforced concrete pavement on Bonny Island, it is designed to overcome environmental challenges while improving connectivity and stimulating socio-economic growth.
In a bid to meaningfully engage secondary school students in Ogoniland during the Christmas holidays and beyond, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has trained them on petroleum jelly and liquid soap making.
This is even as the Project has partnered with the National Orientation Agency(NOA) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA) to keep the students away from crime and other related social vices during the Yuletide, by giving them pep talks that would put them on their toes during the period.
This came to the fore as HYPREP recently organised an Ogoni Young Men Mentorship programme and life skill workshop with the theme, ‘Career Coaching: Developing The Young Minds’ at Birabi Memorial Grammar School, Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The beneficiaries of the programme are essentially members of environmental clubs in 13 schools in four local government areas of Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme.
At the event, both NOA and NDLEA gave career talks to the students, aimed at keeping them off social vices like drug abuse and addiction as well as negative peer influences through out the Christmas holidays and beyond.
Speaking at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof NeinibariniZabbey said the Project deemed it necessary to invite the National Orientation Agency and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA) to speak to the students in order to shield them from negative peer influences as they are preparing to go for the Christmas holidays.
He explained that the workshop would enable the students to know when the signs of the negative peer influences start coming.
Zabbey, who was represented at the occasion by HYPREP’s Head of Sustainable Livelihood, Mrs Josephine Nzidee, said the Project is not only going to train the beneficiaries but also give them the tools and skills that would grow them in the future so that they would start making money for themselves.
Also addressing the students, the Rivers State Coordinator of the National Orientation Agency(NOA), Mr Young Ayo-Tamuno expressed delight for meeting young minds, to discuss issues on values, describing it as a great opportunity.
He noted that there are seven values which constitute the role and commitment of the government towards the citizenry and another seven core values which constitute the code for the citizens.
While commending HYPREP for organising the event, Ayo-Tamuno said team work is key to making Nigeria a better place for all, as both the government and the citizens have their respective roles to play, with each staying committed and focused.
The Chief Programme Officer of NOA, Mr Henry Ayede was the one who actually mounted the rostrum and drilled the students on the seven core values embodied in the National Value Charter for citizens, and stressed the need for them to imbibe them and put them to practice as they grow up.
Ayede listed the values to include discipline, duty of care, leadership, tolerance and respect, transparency, environmental awareness and resilience.
He also underscored the need for the students to imbibe the spirit of hard work and dignity of labour, contending that while hard work and dedication contribute to success, every job can contribute to national development.
According to him, dignity in labour is the foundation of success.
On his part, Mr Bill Ebiokpo of the Media/ Advocacy Unit of NDLEA, who represented the Bori Area Commander of the agency, advised the students to guard against drug abuse and addiction, which he said have far reaching consequences.
The Principal of the Senior Secondary of Birabi Memorial Grammar School, Barrister Bob Agbozi thanked HYPREP for organising the programme, which he said enriched his knowledge and that of the students on the core values guiding the society, saying inculcating such values in young people and teaching them practical skills have contributed immensely to the greatness of advanced countries and even countries like Rwanda in Africa.
He noted that the career coaching would change the behavioral pattern of the students particularly during the Yuletide.
He also thanked NOA for the career talks and urged it to replicate the programme in other places, not only in schools but also in market places.
The training of the students on petroleum jelly and liquid soap making was anchored by an expert, MrsLekpa Abel, with HYPREP workers lending a helping hand.
It was, indeed, a practical session with the students, who came face to face with the production materials of the products.
Donatus Ebi
It was celebration galore as the people of Isu Community in Etche Local Government Area of River State held a civic reception in honour of the Council Chairman, Dr Uzodinma Nwafor .
The epoch- making ceremony which took place recently at the community ancestral home saw the attendance of the political class, the clergy, opinion leaders, the academia, youths, women, elders and chiefs gather to honour their brand new chairman.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Etche Local Government Council, Dr Uzodinma Nwafor expressed gratitude to the people for according him such honour, saying it shows their unwavering support to the development of Etche.
Nwafor announced the readiness of his administration to embark on electrification of Ozuzu clan including Isu community.
The Etche council boss also said the market at Isu will be reconstructed to improve the economic life of the people.
He revealed that the two projects will commence in January as efforts are on to mobilise the contractors.
Nwafor told the mammoth crowd that his major concern remains, peace and unity of the entire Etche, saying security of lives and property remains top on his agenda as no meaningful development can thrive in an atmosphere of violence.
He urged parents to encourage their wards and children to refrain from violence and embrace peace. “Let us allow Etche to be at peace .Don’t allow any body to use you set Etche ablaze. Parents advise your children to stay away from crime .We must stay in peace and unity. Our children must shun violence ,it can’t take us anywhere as a people ,” he declared.
He thanked the people for their support as well thank their son, former commissioner for Energy ,Okey Amadi for being a Pilar of his political sojourne.
Earlier, the Isu opinion leader and Principal, Community Secondary School, Mgbosomini in Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area, Mr Chijioke Amadi said the honour done Etche chairman was a collective division of his people.
Amadi described the council boss as an illustrious son who has contributed immensely to the wellbeing of the community.
He declared that his community and the entire Etche will keep supporting him because he is doing well.
Amadi urged the people to keep praying for him and the Rivers State Governor to succeed in delivering dividends of democracy.
