News

Wike Honours El-Rufai, Fayemi, Fubara, Others

Published

2 years ago

May 29, 2023

The outgoing governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, has conferred the highest Rivers State honours, the Grand Service Star of Rivers State (GSSRS), on eight personalities in the country.
The recipients include governors of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma; Mallam Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna) and Rivers’ governor-elect, Sir Siminialayi Fubara.
Others were the governors of Kebbi State, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu; Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa); former governors of Akwa Ibom, Godswill Akpabio; John Olukayode Fayemi (Ekiti), and Senator Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari (Zamfara).
Governor Wike, while delivering his valedictory speech at a State and honours award night in Port Harcourt on Saturday night, said the second, third, and fourth- categories of honourees cut across a broader spectrum of society.
The governor said the seven governors and former governors honoured by the State belong to the country’s highly intelligent, committed, and hardworking servant-leaders who have distinguished themselves in public service with phenomenal performance records.
“Most of all, they are prominent power brokers among the Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who signed, undertook, and worked day and night to deliver our collective aspirations for a southern president in the 2023 general elections at significant risks to their political lives.
“Their lives, reputation, exploits, and achievements are like open books, so we all know who and what they are, what they stand for, and which interests they represent and project. They have proven to be leaders made for the times rather than the ones the times and circumstances accidentally produced.
“We honour and celebrate these fellow compatriots’ inspirational achievements, exemplary leadership, profound service, love for the motherland, and contributions to national cohesion, democracy, equity, and justice”, Wike said.
The governor noted that the inception of his administration was rough and turbulent, because the then outgoing governor, Rotimi Amaechi, was very hostile and rancorous.
According to him, he also met an empty State treasury, huge public debts, a hostile political environment, and a hostile Federal Government that turned against his government, courtesy of the former governor.
“He initially struggled to prevent us from being sworn in by going to three different courts for restraining orders. When this failed, he challenged our electoral victory and had it nullified at the tribunal and the Court of Appeal.
“Our mandate was restored by the Supreme Court after nearly one year of legal battles. But, all three senatorial seats, a sizeable number of the House of Representatives, and over half of the State House of Assembly seats were nullified, leaving the State without representation at the National Assembly and a functional State House of Assembly. Our candidates for these offices were later subjected to a series of tempestuous re-runs before some managed to reclaim their mandates”, he recalled.
Wike accused Amaechi of laying social and economic landmines such as the shut down the State House of Assembly complex and courts with the sole intent to cripple his administration.
He alleged that having decimated the State’s governance institutions, Amaechi shifted his targets to the State’s treasury, including the statutory reserved funds, and emptied it with impunity.
According to him, “He (Amaechi) sold our valued assets, realized over $415,000,000.00 (four and fifteen million United States Dollars), and siphoned it entirely out of the State’s treasury in under two weeks. He embarked on some bogus projects he never intended to execute but to serve as conduit pipes to fritter State resources for himself, political cronies, and business partners.
“The less than one-kilometre monorail project, the multi-story Karibi-Whyte Hospital, the new Rivers State University, the Greater Port Harcourt City, and the M10 road projects are some of the elephant projects he purportedly initiated but failed at foundation levels after expending billions of public funds. He piled up debts by stopping to pay contractors and salaries to civil servants and other categories of workers, including pensioners and sportsmen and women.”
Despite initial challenges that beset his administration, the governor said he was able to overcome them to reposition the judiciary, delivered unprecedented 12 flyovers and constructed over 900 kilometres of Trunk-A roads and over 200 kilometres of internal roads across the State.
The governor boasted that Rivers State would remain a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) State for the foreseeable future, saying however, that the interest of Rivers State transcends political party confines and affiliations.
He maintained that it is the right of the people of Rivers State to participate in decision-making at the highest level as well as follow the political path that guarantees a better deal for the State and people.
“Accordingly, we made the right choice when we opted for unity, equity, fairness, and justice in our consideration for a Southern Presidency during the 2023 general elections. I assure you that we are in the right direction. Rivers State is politically connected to the Centre and will be better for it more than ever this time. There is nothing to regret.”

News

FG Shops For New Accountant General, Plans Exams, Interviews

Published

45 mins ago

January 28, 2025

The Tide

The Federal Government has initiated the process of appointing a new Accountant General of the Federation and filling vacancies for permanent secretaries in the Federal Civil Service.

A memo from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, dated January 24, 2025, and signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Career Management Office, Fatima Mahmoud, outlined the timeline for the process.

The memo was addressed to the Offices of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief of Staff to the President, ministers, and heads of ministries, departments, and agencies.

President Bola Tinubu had earlier, in December 2024, appointed Babatunde Ogunjimi as the acting Accountant General of the Federation.

The appointment, announced in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, followed the commencement of pre-retirement leave by the then-incumbent AGF, Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein.

However, Madein returned to her duties after receiving a directive extending her tenure until March 7, 2025.

This development led to the reassignment of the acting AGF, Ogunjimi, who was redeployed to the Public Service Institute of Nigeria as Director of Accounts.

The directive authorising Madein’s continuation was reportedly issued by the Head of Service of the Federation.

According to the spokesperson for the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, the directive reinstated Madein to her role as AGF, enabling her to oversee treasury operations until her retirement.

Mokwa clarified that under civil service regulations, embarking on terminal leave is optional, raising questions among staff about the implications of Madein’s reinstatement on Ogunjimi’s prior appointment as acting AGF.

The new memo by the Head of Service noted that accreditation of eligible candidates for the position of OAGF will commence on January 28 and end on February 1, 2025.

“Stage 1: Written Examination for eligible Candidates from North-West Zone and Oyo State on Monday, February 10, 2025.

“Stage 2: Written Examination for eligible Candidates/Directors (Accounts) in the Pool of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation on February 11, 2025.”

The memo further noted that further stages will hold on February 12 and 13, respectively and will be in the form of computer-based tests, while the final lap, which is the oral interview, will hold on February 14, 2025.

News

FRSC Records 9,570 Road Crashes, Arrests 21,580 Offenders In 2024

Published

1 hour ago

January 28, 2025

The Tide

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it arrested no fewer than 21,580 traffic offenders between January and December 2024 across the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The FRSC Corps Marshal, Malam Shehu Mohammed, disclosed this while addressing the reporters on the 2024 special patrol operations in Abuja, yesterday.

Mohammed said that the Corps recorded a reduction in the number of offenders recorded in 2024 as against 29,220 within the same period in 2023.

“This signifies a 26 per cent increase in compliance to traffic rules and regulations.

“The total number of offences committed stood at 25,942 representing 23.5 per cent reduction in traffic law violation compared to the data of the same period in 2023,” he said.

Mohammed said that the analysis of the Corps’ annual performance indicated a drastic reduction in Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs).

This, he said, was as well as in the number of people injured compared to the annual record of 2023.

“From Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024, a total of 9,570 RTCs were recorded nationwide. This figure is against 10,617 RTCs recorded in 2023 which signify a tremendous reduction of 10 per cent.

“Furthermore, 31,154 people were injured in 2024 while 31,874 were injured in 2023 representing a two per cent decrease.

“However, the Corps recorded a seven per cent increase in fatalities as 5,421 people were killed in 2024 while 5,081 people were killed in 2023.

“Meanwhile, a total of 70,530 people got involved in RTCs in 2024 compared to 70,092 of 2023 signifying an increase of one per cent, ” he said.

The FRSC boss emphasised that out of the total fatalities that occurred in 2024, 411 deaths, representing 7.6 per cent of the total deaths, were not primarily caused by the crashes.

Mohammed said that the crashes were caused by a secondary factor which he described as the very monster the Corps was fighting; scooping of fuel from fallen tankers.

“This, therefore implies that without the casualties recorded from scooping fuel from crashed tankers, the Corps would have recorded 5,010 deaths in 2024.

“This will be as against 5,081 in 2023 signifying a 1.4 per cent reduction in the total number of people killed,” he said.

The FRSC Corps Marshal reiterated that the alarming rate of crashes and fatalities occurred as a result of loading of trailers with goods and persons.

This, he said, was in addition to fatigue, speed violations, overloading, dangerous driving as well as poor vehicle maintenance within the period under review.

News

JAMB Introduces Mock UTME For Underage Candidates

Published

1 hour ago

January 28, 2025

The Tide

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has introduced a mock Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for candidates below the age of 16.

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, explained that the mock UTME is not for the purpose of tertiary institution admission but for underage seeking to test their ability.

Oloyede spoke, last Sunday at a meeting with media executives in Lagos, where he also announced that this year’s UTME will hold on March 8, 2025.

“We are starting the sale of forms on the 31st of January till 5th of March. There will be a mock exam on the 23rd of February and on the 8th of March there will be UTME,” the JAMB Registrar said.

Oloyede said that JAMB would be introducing a mock for trial-testing examination only this year.

He explained that the mock-trial-testing examination is for individuals who would not qualify for admission into universities, polytechnics or colleges of education because they are below the age of 16 years.

He added that to qualify to write UTME and secure admission into universities, polytechnics or colleges of education, candidates must be 16 years old on or before September 30.

According to the don, candidates who do not desire admission for 2025 but wish to have CBT experience could register for mock only for trial testing.

He noted that the sale of Direct Entry application documents and e-PIN vending would commence on March 10 and April 7.

Oloyede explained that those wishing to write UTME with mock would pay N8,200, UTME only (without mock) N7,200, trial-testing mock only (for underage or testing only) and direct entry candidate N5,700.

The JAMB registrar explained that the board would be enforcing the 16-year age limit for this year’s UTME registration, noting that only gifted candidates below 15 years old be allowed to register.

He added that to qualify to secure admission as an underage, the candidate must score not less than 280 marks in UTME and perform exceptionally in its senior secondary certificate and post-UTME examinations.

“The policy meeting on admission adopted 16 years as the minimum for 2024 admission. JAMB tried to assist by extending the date to accommodate more candidates, but we were taken to court to reverse the extension to 16 years,” he explained.

Former Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, announced last year that only candidates aged 18 and above would be admitted into tertiary institutions in the country.

The declaration attracted a lot of criticisms from Nigerians, which forced the Federal Government to reverse the decision.

Mamman’s successor, Dr Tunji Alausa, suspended the 18-year admission benchmark for tertiary institutions in the country in November 2024.

Meanwhile, Oloyede disclosed that 870 computer-based test centres had been screened and provisionally listed for the 2025 UTME compared to 747 approved last year.