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Forge Common Front To Sack Buhari, Wike Tells PDP Presidential Aspirants …Says Rivers Safest State In Nigeria

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has called on all Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirants to forge a common-front to sack the non-performing All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government.
He urged all presidential aspirants to support whoever emerges as the PDP candidate after the presidential primary, because power comes from God.
He spoke, yesterday at the Government House, Port Harcourt, during a condolence visit by PDP presidential aspirant and former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa over the death of the Attorney General of Rivers State, Hon Emmanuel Aguma (SAN).
He said: “What we are saying is that all of us must put our heads together to remove this government that does not mean well for Nigerians.
“Power comes from God. If God says it is you, there is nothing any man can do about it. Man can only struggle”.
Wike said every member of the PDP must work as a team for the party to emerge victorious in 2019.
On the death of the Attorney General of Rivers State, Hon. Emmanuel Aguma, Wike thanked the former Sokoto State governor for his condolence visit.
He said the burial process would begin on September 12, 2018 with a lecture on the life and times of the late Senior Advocate of Nigeria, while actual burial would be on September 15, 2018.
The governor described the late Attorney-General of Rivers State as a dependable ally who stood by his administration to the end of his life.
In his remarks, former Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa prayed God to grant Rivers people the strength to bear the loss.
He said that the visit was to condole with the Rivers State governor.
He said that all human beings would taste death at some point, praying God to grant the late Attorney-General of Rivers State paradise.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has described the state as the safest in the country, and that the establishment of the neighbourhood safety agency was a statement of the government’s commitment to safety and security of law abiding residents of the state.
Wike, who was represented by Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Bureau, Office of Secretary to State Government, Sir Chidi Adiele, made the call at Nonwa-Gbam, Tai Local Government Area, during the official opening swearing in ceremony of batch ‘B’ Steam 2, corps members of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
The state governor, who also sees the state as a home of true democracy and freedom of aspiration, urged corps members to concentrate on the various programmes of the course meant to make them see the orientation as a reality and not a myth.
Wike said that the NYSC scheme has impacted positively on the psyche of Nigerians and contributed to the building and development of the rural areas through various community development service projects.
The state governor also implored corps members to shun cultism, religious intolerance political violence, and all forms of anti-social behaviour, charging them not to allow disgruntled and unpatriotic individuals to use them for selfish and destructive purposes.
Wike assured that his administration would spare no resources in ensuring that the security of lives and property of corps members was guaranteed throughout their service year in the state.
Earlier in his welcome address, the state Coordinator of NYSC, Mr. Chinendu Chukwu, who thanked the state government for making welfare of corps members a priority, said that the service has sensitized their host communities towards understanding and embracing government programmes.
Chukwu also said that the scheme has provided a continuous fight against HIV/AIDS scourge, provision of free legal services to the less privileged, sensitization of the public on fundamental human right and enhance the educational standards of the rural communities, among other needful services.
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FG To Seize Retirees’ Property Over Unpaid Housing Loans

The Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board says it has begun the compilation of list of retired civil servants who have defaulted on the full repayment of housing loans obtained.
Head of Information and Public Relations, FGSHLB, Mrs Ngozi Obiechina, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, yesterday.
Obiechina quoted the Executive Secretary of the Board, Mrs Salamatu Ahmed, as saying that the move was aimed at recovering mortgaged properties from retirees who failed to meet their loan obligations.
Ahmed noted that the decision followed a recent memo issued by Mrs Patience Oyekunle, Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
According to her, the memo reminded public servants of the mandatory requirement to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness to the FGSHLB and MDA Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society as a precondition for retirement.
The Executive Secretary said that the board would take necessary legal steps to repossess properties where applicable, in line with the terms of the loan agreements.
She said this was in line with the provisions of the Public Service Rules 021002 (p), issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
“I am directed to bring to your attention the provision of Public Service Rule (PSR) 021002 (p), which mandates all public servants to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness as a prerequisite for retirement.
“The Federal Government will commence the seizure of mortgaged properties belonging to retiring federal public servants who have failed to fully repay housing loans obtained from the board,” she said.
Ahmed explained that the FGSHLB reserves the legal right to repossess any mortgaged property in cases where a public servant exits service without fully repaying the loan.
She reiterated that the directive also applied to already retired officers who were still indebted.
She urged all affected public servants to regularise their loan status and obtain the required clearance certificate without delay.
“The board is currently compiling a list of such retirees, which will be forwarded to relevant regulatory agencies for debt recovery.
“The FGSHLB remains committed to enforcing compliance and ensuring proper loan recovery procedures are followed, “ she added.
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FG Begins Induction For New Permanent Secretaries, Accountant-General

The Federal Government has kicked off a three-day induction programme for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and the Accountant-General of the Federation, aimed at equipping them for strategic leadership and effective policy implementation.
The induction, according to a statement yesterday by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Eno Olotu, which commenced on Wednesday, is being held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, congratulated the new appointees and described their roles as pivotal to governance and national development.
“Permanent Secretaries are the engine room of the government. They are critical to driving policy implementation, institutional performance, and reform across the service”, she said.
The Federal Government has kicked off a three-day induction programme for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and the Accountant-General of the Federation, aimed at equipping them for strategic leadership and effective policy implementation.
The induction, according to a statement yesterday by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Eno Olotu, which commenced on Wednesday, is being held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, congratulated the new appointees and described their roles as pivotal to governance and national development.
“Permanent Secretaries are the engine room of the government. They are critical to driving policy implementation, institutional performance, and reform across the service”, she said.
“The expectations are high, and the responsibility is immense. But with commitment and teamwork, we can deliver a more efficient, accountable, and citizen-centred public service.
“This final lap of FCSSIP 25 calls for urgency, accountability, and strategic focus. You must translate vision into measurable results,” she stated.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, described the programme as a strategic investment in leadership capacity and institutional effectiveness.
The sessions featured expert-led discussions, simulations, and strategic briefings facilitated by a distinguished faculty, including Engr. Suleiman Adamu, former Minister of Water Resources; Dr. Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination; Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice; Alh. Yusuf Addy, retired Federal Director; Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Amb. Mustapha Lawal Suleiman, Mr. Adesola Olusade, and Dr. Ifeoma Anagbogu, all retired Permanent Secretaries.
Participants include Dr. Obi Emeka Vitalis, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, Mr. Danjuma Mohammed Sanusi, Mr. Olusanya Olubunmi, Dr. Keshinro Maryam Ismaila, Dr. Akujobi Chinyere Ijeoma, Dr. Umobong Emanso Okop, Dr. Isokpunwu Christopher Osaruwanmwen, Mrs. Oyekunle N. Patience, Dr. Kalba U. Danjuma, Mr. Nadungu Gagare, Mr. Onwusoro I. Maduka, Dr. Usman Salihu Aminu, Mr. Ogbodo Chinasa Nnam, Mr. Ndiomu Ebiogeh Philip, Dr. Anuma N. Ogbonnaya, Mr. Adeladan Rafiu Olaninre, and Mr. Mukhtar Yawale Muhammed, alongside the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi.
The induction programme will feature sessions on public sector leadership, policy delivery, ethics in service, digital transformation, and performance management.
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NNPCL To Undergo Forensic Audit Soon -FG

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has announced that a forensic audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) will begin soon.
Edun revealed this at the ongoing Nigerian Investor Forum, held alongside the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC.
The minister explained that the recent changes in the NNPCL management are part of a broader effort by the Federal Government to clean up and examine the company closely.
While addressing top global investors, including representatives from J.P. Morgan, Edun shared key reforms the government has introduced to revive the economy and restore investor confidence.
He told the investors that the government’s bold economic steps have laid a strong foundation to attract private investment.
He stated, “Our goal is not just to maintain this momentum, but to accelerate it. We are targeting seven per cent annual growth, and we believe the policies we have implemented have laid the groundwork to achieve this.”
Edun highlighted that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has rolled out major reforms that are already making a difference.
He added that the Nigerian economy grew by 3.84 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024 and recorded a 3.4 per cent growth for the year.
Edun further stressed the importance of the reforms, describing them as “unprecedented,” adding that, “We said we would do it, and now we have done it. This time, we’re staying the course.”
He pointed out signs of progress such as lower budget deficits, a better trade balance, and a more stable exchange rate.
He also said that the focus is now on growing key sectors, especially agriculture.
According to Edun, agriculture is at the top of the government’s agenda, with the aim of improving food supply and increasing productivity.
“We aim to close the food supply gap, not by importing more, but by enabling domestic producers to scale and innovate,” he said.
On infrastructure, Edun revealed that the government has rolled out 90,000km of fibre optic cable to improve internet access.
He said this move is crucial for supporting young Nigerians and tech startups.
He also noted that 4,000km of roads have been offered for private sector participation, with the first 1,000km already approved for construction.
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