It was reported that Ethiopian Airlines will begin airlifting passengers touring abroad from Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. The airline informed travellers that ticket pricing from Enugu Airport is now competitive when compared with Lagos and Abuja.
Accordingly , Ethiopian Airlines has appealed to the Igbos who wish to travel outside Nigeria to contact Ethiopian Airlines through Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for overseas trips
According to the report, the Manager of the company, Henok Sirak, made this disclosure whereas speaking to journalist, noting that there isn’t any need for the residents of the south east to travel to Lagos or Abuja to board International flights.
Speaking further, Sirak stated that international travellers from Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, Port Harcourt, Imo, and Abia can now fly and ship their import and export from Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu to over 125 Countries.
He concluded that Ethiopian Airlines is now ready to do business with Ndigbo and reduce their pains of traveling to Lagos or Abuja before embarking on international trips.
A stray bullet has k1lled a young woman identified as Chinenye Ajunwa in Ebem Ohafia, headquarter of Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia.
Soldiers and gunmen were engaging in a gun duel in the community when a stray bullet hit Chinenye on Wednesday, August 17, 2022.
At least three others, including a yet-to-be identified soldier, who was serving at 14 Brigade Headquarters, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Barracks, Ohafia, were also k1lled.
According to The Nation, the soldiers were responding to a distress call from one of their colleagues who escaped being k1lled in Ebem community.
The rescued soldier had gone to Ebem market to buy groceries when he noticed that he was being trailed by some armed men.
A source said: “He heard when the gunmen were asking about a soldier that Okada just brought and quickly hid somewhere, and from his hideout he sent an SOS message to the Brigade.”
Soldiers were mobilized for his rescue and the gunmen engaged the soldiers.
Two of the gunmen were k1lled.
It was while the soldiers were on patrol in the community, after rescuing the other soldier, that they discovered that the gunmen had k1lled a soldier in the same community.
Chinenye, who was in her shop with her father during the gun battle, was struck by a stray bullet.
The deceased, said to be from Amuta in Isuikwuato local government area resident in Ohafia, d1ed before help could get to her.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has said it spent the whooping sum of N18.9billion on bush clearing, land preparation, others during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The Ministry stated this while being probed by the Public Account Committee of the House of Representatives Committee (PAC) on how it spent the said sum.
An investigation was launched after the agric ministry gave out an N18.9 billion contract for bush clearing, preparing the ground, and restoring soil plant laboratories during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown.
The Chairman of the committee, Wole Oke, speakingon the investigation said,
During the lockdown of the country as a result of COVID-19, some companies took contracts worth about N18 billion for bush clearing from the federal ministry of agriculture for land preparation, rehabilitation of soil plant lab and others. We cannot shave their heads in their absence.
We have invited them to come and give us their own side by responding to the issues and show us the places they are supposed to have cleared. They have to take us to the land they cleared.
We have invited the ministry of agriculture, and they have made (a) submission. But some of our members whose constituencies these projects were supposed to be domiciled doubted the existence of these projects, and for (a) fair hearing, we have invited the companies that got the contract for them to come and tell this committee where and when the jobs were executed.”
Sets to complete abandoned Government House, others in 18 months
In fulfillment of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo’s campaign promise to immediately commence the urban regeneration of Okpoko slum in Ogbaru Local Government Area, the Anambra State Executive Council, A SEC has approved the rehabilitation of nine roads in Okpoko.
The roads measured 14.053 kilometers with dual carriage, reinforced concrete media and sidewalks on both sides.
Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu who disclosed this in post ANSEC Media release in Awka, the state capital, revealed that the roads would cost N9 billion and would be completed in 12 months.
According to Nwosu, “ANSEC also approved the full scale desilting and dredging of 62,034 cubic metres of Nwangene drainage which has been a source of nightmare to road users. The project which will cost N241,439,316.29, is going to completed in 3 months.
“The rehabilitation of the failed carriage way and embankment at Mmili John section of Oba-Ojoto road and the dredging of Mmili John was equally approved by ANSEC. The work will cost N61,494,541.88 and is expected to be completed in 6 weeks.”
He further briefed that the memo on the abandoned government house and 25 other peripheral structures was presented by the Commissioner for Housing and considered by ANSEC.
He noted that the project which would cost N6.088 billion and completed within 18 months was approved by ANSEC.
“Also endorsed for construction are gate houses, police posts, perimeter fence measuring 2.22 linear kilometers and other internal works such as drive ways, parking areas, walk ways, drainages, water supplies, green area, etc. All of these will be complete at the cost of N1.317 billion and delivered in nine months”, he said.
The Commissioner pointed out that ANSEC frowned at the frequent cases of youths incursions into the lands of people who had appropriate government titles adding that this was illegal and can no longer be tolerated.
He said, “ANSEC has therefore directed relevant law enforcement agencies to immediately arrest such errant youths and prosecute them according to the law. Section 6, sub section (1) of the Prohibition of Fraudulent Practices on Land and Property law of 2012 prohibits illegal collection of fees on lands as follows: ‘Any person who demands or collects any fee not approved by law from any person who is developing or improving on an already existed property in the State shall be guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for five years or to a fine of five hundred thousand naira or both.”
Sir Nwosu also observed that the effort to rid the roads and streets’ corners of refuse was beginning to yield some obvious results saying, “Government, therefore, urges households and the general public to desist from indiscriminate refuse disposal.”
“Anambra State Waste Management Agency (ASWAMA) is gradually transiting to door-to-door refuse collection and anybody found disposing refuse at unauthorized locations will be promptly sanctioned”, he added.
He continued, “It came to the attention of ANSEC that some unscrupulous elements are selling parts of Mamu Forest Reserve. Government is poised to arrest and prosecute all those that are culpable in these unlawful land transactions. For the avoidance of doubt, Mamu Forest Reserve is not for sale and any property developer or member of the public who allows him/herself to be lured into purchasing parcel(s) of land there will have him/herself to blame.
“To further improve the quality of health care delivery in the State, government through the Ministry of Health placed a vacancy advert two months ago for medical consultants and officers, pharmacists, nurses, radiographers, medical laboratory scientists and technicians. ANSEC directed the Commissioner for Health to interview the 4,400 applicants who applied for the jobs so that they would be immediately employed and deployed to our health care facilities.”
Photo: Commissioner for Information, Anambra State, Sir Paul Nwosu.
Reverend Chris Okotie. the founder of Household of God Church has stated that restructuring Nigeria will not lead to recession.
This was made known on Wednesday by his media adviser, Ladi Ayodeji via a statement signed and released to newsmen
The interim government campaigner allayed thefears of those who think that any attempt to restructure the country would lead to disintegration.
Okotie, who has been campaigning for theinauguration of an interim government with themain objective of restructuring the country, said his concept of Aboriginal Democracy upon whichhe anchors the restructuring of the federation, would address all the prevailing defects in thecurrent system and usher in a new era of politicalstability for Nigeria,” the statement partly read.
It further revealed that Okotie has “observed that his quest to lead the interim government being proposed is to ensure that, as an impartial arbiter, he would join other stakeholders to ensure that the future of the country is preserved in an atmosphere of justice, equity, and fairness.”
Thestatement continued, “He noted also that theresistance to restructuring in certain quarters is because of fears that such an exercise would disfavor one ethnic group or spark off another civil war.
“The Reverend insists that the present Presidential system which has created a dysfunctional federation, corruption, top-heavy government, agitations, and protests over alleged marginalization, has divided the nation along ethnic and religious lines.
He argued that, with Aboriginal Democracy, all the prevailing fault -lines would be addressed to the satisfaction of all Nigerians because they would be the architects of the new constitution.
“He again warned that, should the 2023 general election be held without first restructuring thecountry, the post-COVID socio-political and economic crisis currently sweeping through theworld would have a more devastating effect on our country because the present weak governance structure can’t cope with such monumental problems.”
Former spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Brig.-Gen. Kukasheka Usman (rtd), yesterday, spilled an untold story that would shock many Nigerians, as he revealed how ex-Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd), was pressured to topple President Goodluck Jonathan following the passing of President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2010.
Usman made the disclosure in Abuja at the 2022 Blueprint Newspapers Annual Public Lectures and Impact Series/Award. He said Dambazau not only resisted the pressure from people the former army spokesperson described as enemies of Nigeria, but he also promised the international community, which got wind of the development, he would do no such thing.
The revelation came as Dambazau suggested a drastic reform of the entire security sector after the 2023 general election.
Relatedly, Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni warned that no individual or collective interest was worth plunging the country into war for in order to win the forthcoming election. Buni cautioned against hate speech, saying Nigeria’s interest must be uppermost at all times.
Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello also said those responsible for the country’s security crisis could not be trusted to find a lasting solution to it. Bello said with serious commitment, the security challenges could be successfully tackled within six months.
Recounting how Dambazau resisted pressure to overthrow the Jonathan government, Usman said, “One thing Nigerians do not know is that if we are counting champions of democracy in this country, there is no way you will not mention Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, and I will tell you why.
“Way back in the days when President Umar Yar’Adua was sick, he was the Chief of Army Staff and I had the privilege of being public relations officer in the office of the army chief. I had the privilege of moving with him. We always moved together and I knew.
“Even though he is a prolific writer, he is yet to come out with his memoir and part of that memoir should be an expose of those people that undermined democracy in this country.
“I am saying this with every sense of responsibility, because that time the same group of politicians were the ones lobbying him to take over government unconstitutionally. We have the records and when he started writing the memoir, with due respect to him, I told him that he had to mention the names of the individuals so that posterity will remember them for who they are.
“Up till now, we are still contending with that issue and I know that the international community showed concern, to the extent that they had to meet with him, where he promised that he will not take over government.
“We still live with the flaks, where in some parts of the country, they call us women, because an opportunity came and we did not take advantage of it to take over government. Now, what am I driving at? All these issues that we are talking about lack focus on critical issues, discussing mundane issues; they are threatening the very corporate existence of this nation.
“When we visited 44 Reference Hospital, Kaduna, people were asking when is the announcement going to be made about taking over government. I’m so happy Gen. Akinyemi, the GOC 3rd Amoured Division (Jos) is still alive. You can ask him.
“A simple phone call to him to roll out the tanks and Gen. Dambazau would have been head of state, but he resisted that temptation, simply, because he had the interest of this nation at heart and he knows that democracy is the best form of government for this country.”
Recall that Dambazau was at the time accused of ordering troops to Airport Road, Abuja, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport without Jonathan’s authorisation at the death of Yar’Adua. It was also alleged that the then Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike (rtd), once restricted Dambazau’s movement to his residence as army chief over his suspected “ambitious moves”.
Dambazau was later replaced while he was in the United States with Jonathan.
Delivering a lecture on the topic, “2023 Politics: National Security and Nigeria’s Stability”, at the Blueprint Newspapers event, Dambazau proposed a drastic reform of the security sector post 2023 election.
According to him, “A significant part of security sector reforms is security governance, centred on strengthening the effectiveness of security institutions. One of the areas we need to focus our attention on is emergency response planning and coordination.
“National response to emergencies must be robust and people-centric, taking advantage of the unique competencies and resources of each entity at all levels. If we had effective and integrated system that responds to national emergencies, the terrorists would not have had the audacity to conduct their Abuja-Kaduna train and Kuje prisons attacks, and even left the scenes without trace after spending hours conducting their operations.
“The second area of focus, also relating to our experience, is defence material needs identification, procurement, and acquisition procedures and processes. Who has the mandate for defence procurements? We are aware of the controversies following allegations of diversion of funds meant for arms procurement for the North-east operations by the Office of the NSA, during the administration of former President Jonathan.
“As far as I am aware, the business of the NSA office in defence procurement process is to issue end-user certificates only. Is defence procurement not the exclusive mandate of the Ministry of Defence? Or do the individual services also have the mandate for not only needs identification, but also procurement and acquisition? What are the processes and procedures in a democratic environment like ours?”
The former army chief said, “Answers to these questions should provide clear guidelines that would streamline aspects of defence procurement for better transparency and accountability. Inadequate oversight, lack of transparency, and poor accountability allow corruption and abuse to thrive, thereby weakening the capabilities of the armed forces.
“The misplacements, underutilisation, and misuse of civilian security agencies and personnel are issues of interest for security sector reforms. The Nigerian Customs Service, for example, aside the revenue it makes for the government, what informs the positioning of such a strategic border security agency to be under the supervision of Ministry of Finance?
“Likewise, why should a public safety agency, the Federal Road Safety Corps, be under the supervision of the Office of the SGF, when it is clearly the mandate of the Ministry of Interior? Or the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, a health security outfit, not under the supervision of Ministry of Health? These are only a few examples.”
He stated that with such misplacement of supervision and oversight, “We cannot guarantee effective and efficient performance, neither can we guarantee accountability and transparency.”
Dambazau said the police were both underutilised and misused, stressing that this situation poses difficulties for efficient law enforcement.
He explained, regarding the Nigeria Police, “With a strength of about 400,000, a significant percentage are deployed for private security for individuals, organisations, and institutions.
“The best example for an agency being underutilised is the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and they could serve same purpose as the US National Guard, thus, creating a force between the military and the police.
“If my push, as then Minister of Interior, for the establishment of the Agro Rangers unit in the Corps had been funded to take off, most of the attacks on farmers and cattle rustling would have been checkmated, thereby protecting our food security.”
Buni, who was the chairman of the occasion, said, “As patriots with the zeal to ensure the unity of Nigeria, there is no election or interest of any single individual that is worth sending Nigeria to war.”
He said the theme, “2023 Politics, National Security and Nigeria’s Stability”, was apt in view of the security threats that usually accompanied national elections and the already existing security challenges in the country.
“The success or otherwise of the 2023 elections hugely depends on us, the politicians, the political parties, candidates, and their supporters, and, of course, the political umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” the Yobe State governor stated.
He added, “The need for peace to conduct the elections and to have good governance and development cannot be overemphasised. It, therefore, becomes obvious for all of us to make sacrifices and consider national interests above personal interests for a free and peaceful election in 2023.”
Buni said Nigeria had had many experiences of unfortunate events, under various regimes, from the civil war to ethno-religious conflicts, bloody border clashes, and lately, the Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, and secessionist pressures.
He said these conflicts robbed the country of rich and valuable human and material resources, stressing that Nigeria cannot afford to have any more of such skirmishes.
Buni said, “Therefore, for us to succeed, we must, as a deliberate policy, avoid politics of hate, and the promotion of religious and ethnic sentiments that are gradually eating deep into the fabric of our nationhood.
“The government, with the collaboration of stakeholders, should create the required awareness among our supporters and the people of Nigeria, generally, to condemn and discourage inciting propaganda for a peaceful and successful election in 2023.”
The governor said the choice of Dambazau as main lecturer on the topic of discussion, was most appropriate, as he was an accomplished and brilliant professional.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Blueprint Newspapers Limited, Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi, in his remarks, advised the federal government to do more to protect lives and property across the country.
The Kakaaki Nupe, who commended all the security agencies in the country, however, called for synergy between the government and the people to tackle insecurity.
He stated, “I, therefore, use this opportunity to call on the Federal Government of Nigeria, on whose shoulders rests our national security, to do more to protect lives of citizens from terrorists, bandits and other militias that are rampaging our cities, forests and creeks. Our security challenges must be overcome at all costs. Critically, we must not allow the issue of insecurity to define the debates of 2023.”
In the face of lingering industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has denied getting a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve the protracted strike in two weeks.
During the weekly Ministerial Briefing on Thursday in Abuja, the minister told State House Correspondents that the President instead told him to resolve the issues within the shortest possible time, contrary to what the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, told the media.
He insisted that he will not succumb to ASUU’s demand for their members to be paid the backlog of salaries withheld within the period of six months that they were on strike, noting that it is the penalty for their action.
The minister also disclosed that five of the university-based unions will likely call off their strike within the next one week while that of ASUU remains uncertain.
Adamu argued that in spite of the N2.5 trillion expended on education by President Buhari’s administration through the Tertiary Education Fund (TETFUND) as well as Universal Basic Education (UBEC), surpassing the N1.2 trillion demanded by ASUU, lecturers have maintained their position to embark on a needless strike.
However, he, noted that ASUU had begun consultations with their members to determine whether to call off their strike as well.
The minister also faulted figures by UNICEF as well as the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs pegging the number of out-of-school children at 10.5 million.
According to him, that figure has since 2020 declined to 6.9 million.
This is as he said the government has further recorded impressive enrollment in the last year, particularly in frontline states such as Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Gombe, Bauchi, Adamawa, Taraba, Rivers, and Ebonyi states.
The minister equally added that the attitude of Northern governors depicts that they are trying to destroy the primary school education system, except for a few, no governor can boast of a sound primary education in their states.
According to him, lack of cooperation from states has crippled his ability to intervene as minister to help states rescue primary schools as it will amount to nothing if the foundation of the education system is already rotten.
Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo has reportedly declined to support the presidential ambition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Former President Obasanjo made his stance known when the later paid him a courtesy visit at his Otta residence in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
We had earlier reported that the APC presidential candidate met the former President today in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The meeting, the report said, is part of Tinubu’s ongoing consultation and fence-mending process to actualise his presidential ambition.
According to sources close to Obasanjo, however, during the meeting he simply told the APC presidential candidate that he ought not to be in the race because of the poor performance of his party, the ruling APC.
Also, he stated that it is important to be fair to the South East for equity and all-inclusiveness to reign and asked his visitor to give the region a chance.
It could be recalled that in 2019, Tinubu had called on Nigerians to “dump Obasanjo in the dustbin” , adding that “Obasanjo is expired milk”.
He stated this during his speech at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on Saturday, February 9, 2019, during the APC presidential campaign rally.
He also accused Obasanjo of being behind the greatest election rigging in the history of the country.
He had said: “Obasanjo is the greatest election rigger in this country.
“He’s an expired milk. Dump him in the dustbin. Forget Obasanjo.”
Reacting to the name-calling, former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode noted that Bola Ahmed Tinubu is an ugly and repugnant little creature who lives in and presides over the affairs of Lagos state.
He said that Tinubu comes from a long line of slave-dealers even though he is of questionable parentage, adding that “many claim that his real name is not Bola Ahmed Tinubu but rather Hameed Sangodele or Yekini Amoda Ogunlere or Bobo Chicago”
“Whatever his real name is or whatever anyone chooses to call him, at every available opportunity this creature insists on insulting President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan accusing them of deceit, theft, incompetence, graft, corruption and all manner of atrocities.
“He claims to be holier and better than them yet the truth is that he is not fit to be used as toilet paper to clean their either of their rectums.
“He suffers from low self-esteem, he has no conscience and he will do anything or sell anybody for money and power.
“He is a traitor to the Yoruba, a traitor to the south, a traitor to the progressives and a traitor to the oppressed. He is the Judas of Nigeria, the first born of hell and the supreme leader of the accursed.
“He is a conflicted, compromised, corrupt, filthy, parasitic and sociopathic leech and a professional loafer that has sold his soul to Satan and that has traded his nation, his people, his heritage, his conscience and his honor to Beelzebub in return for a few choice morsels at Buhari’s table.
“The truth is that he is not fit to be Obasanjo’s or Jonathan’s houseboy let alone join issues with either of them or insult them in the way that he has been doing.,” Fani-Kayode added.
The suspended Transition Committee Chairman of Nnewi North Local Government Area, Mr Mbazulike Iloka, whose wife, Chidiebere, died in controversial circumstances has been arrested by the state Police Command.
Iloka was suspended by the state government on Friday, pending the conclusion of investigation into the alleged murder and to avoid any interference.
A source had told our correspondent that the embattled suspended LG chair, also known as Mba Mba is currently being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka, Anambra State, under charges of culpable homicide.
The Anambra State police spokesperson, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the arrest to our correspondent on Wednesday.
Ikenga, however, called for caution from the public, saying that the case is being investigated as an autopsy will prove the cause of the wife’s death.
He is in our custody now and we urge the members of the public to be patient as the autopsy shall prove the cause of the wife’s death. Meanwhile, investigation is still ongoing please,” Ikenga added.
The source said his arrest was consequent upon a petition by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, on Monday and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police Usman Alkali Baba at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters.
HURIWA reportedly dragged the suspended council boss to IGP Baba over issues bordering on domestic violence.
Although, Mba Mba had claimed that the deceased slumped and died while serving him food.
After three hours of talks, the much-awaited meeting between Federal Government officials and representatives of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, ended with no formal agreement signed by the parties.
Leaders of the striking lecturers met with the Nimi Briggs Committee renegotiating the 2009 Agreements with the university unions at the National Universities Commission (NUC) Secretariat.
A source at the meeting told our reporter that what the government team proposed to the ASUU was a far-cry from the demands of the striking varsity teachers union.
The source said: “The meeting didn’t end well. What the government proposed was a far cry from ASUU’s demands.
“The meeting didn’t meet the demands of ASUU. What the government was proposing was a far cry from the expectations of ASUU.
“If the government feels there is no money for them to pay and they want the universities to remain shut, it is okay.”
It was gathered that the committee begged ASUU to call off the strike with the pledge that their demands would be captured in next year’s Appropriation Act.
The lecturers, it was further gathered, rejected the plea and insisted on its demands being met before calling off the strike.
The meeting which started about 12 noon ended around 3pm in a stalemate
On February 14, ASUU members embarked on a strike to press home their demands for a better welfare package, revamping of the nation’s education sector among others, a situation that has forced many Nigerian students to be at home.
Worried by the lingering industrial dispute, President Muhammadu Buhari had on July 19 directed Adamu to proffer a solution to the challenge and report back to him in two weeks.
Adamu offered to take over negotiations with the university unions from Labour and Employment Minister Senator Chris Ngige, who had been at the forefront on the negotiations on July 19, 2022.
The minister subsequently gave himself two to three weeks to reach agreement with the unions and revert to the President.
Nothing has been heard of the efforts made by the Education minister since the ultimatum ended on August 9, a development that forced the union to extend the six month-old strike by four weeks.
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, said last week that the Federal Government was not in a position to borrow N1.2 trillion yearly to resolve the long running strike embarked by ASUU.
He said: “Should we go and borrow to pay N1.2 trillion yearly?”, Keyamo said napped while fielding questions on Channels Television.
“You cannot allow one sector of the economy to hold you by the jugular and then blackmail you to go and borrow N1.2 trillion for overheads when our total income would be about N6.1 trillion. And you have roads to build, health centres to build, other sectors to take care of.”
