Commissioner
Private labs take over coronavirus testing in Lagos
Lagos State Government has announced the take over of COVID-19 testing by a consortium of health professionals and private laboratories. Commissioner for Health Prof Akin Abayomi, who made the disclosure during a press conference today at Alausa, Ikeja, added that that test for the novel coronavirus disease remains free of charge at various government centres. While putting the cost of the test at government facilities at between N40,000 and N50,400, Abayomi said the inclusion of the private consortium in the testing infrastructure was part of the moves to expand the state government’s COVID-19 response capacity. He added that the accreditation of seven private laboratories will boost its testing capacity and three private hospitals for case management. According to him, the government com...
Abia gives EFCC seven days to issue apology for sealing state property
The Government of Abia State on Monday issued the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) a seven-day ultimatum to remove what it described as ‘offensive’ notices placed on some of its property, saying they are assets of the state government. The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Uche Ihediwa, who issued the ultimatum while speaking on the recent sealing of some property in the state by the EFCC, said some of the property purported to belong to a highly placed politician in the state are owned by the state. Ihediwa, according to a release by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of the state, Mr Onyebuchi Ememanka, demanded that the EFCC tender an unreserved apology to the state within seven days in view of the inconvenience its action has caused the st...
Police ‘withdraw’ Ondo deputy governor’s escort – aide
The Ondo State Deputy Governor, Mr Agboola Ajayi, has raised the alarm that his police escort has been withdrawn on the order of the state Police Commissioner, Mr Bolaji Salami. The deputy governor has been in the centre of the crisis in recent times after his defection from the All Progressives Congress to the Peoples Democratic Party. The CP had on Saturday blocked the deputy governor on his way out of the government house with his official vehicle. In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Tope Okeowo, the deputy governor said the withdrawal of the escort had been putting his life, that of his family and staff in danger. He said, “We are not oblivious of their surreptitious move to undermine the security of the deputy governor and strip him of his security appa...
CP: Police recruitment to begin this week
The Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Kenneth Ebrimson, has disclosed that the recruitment of special constables in the state would commence this week. Ebrimson said the recruitment which is aimed at fighting crimes at the grassroots, is part of efforts to encourage community policing in the state. Ebrimson said this on Wednesday, after the inauguration of the new state chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee, Samson Popoola. He added that the recruitment would commence shortly after arrangements have been finalised at the Area Command, Local Government Areas and the divisional levels, this week. The Commissioner noted that the constables would be trained on police operation and would be given police uniform, although without badge. According to him, the constables would a...
ICPC tracks 67 constituency projects in Nasarawa
File Photo The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Wednesday said it has started tracking 67 selected constituency projects in Nasarawa State. Mr Clement Obaniyi, the commission’s Commissioner in Benue, also overseeing Nasarawa and Plateau, told newsmen in Makurdi on Wednesday, noting that the projects were 2016 constituency projects of National Assembly members in Nasarawa State. Obaniyi said that the selected projects ranged from construction of boreholes, HIV campaign projects, provision of buses/cars, erosion control and flood, electrification, dams and road construction. He added that the projects were selected for tracking by a team from Budget Office of the Federation, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, ICPC, National Instit...
Group faults community’s plan to disown former Ebonyi commissioner
Edda Professionals’ League (EPL), a body of eminent experts and professionals of Edda extraction, has vowed to resist any plan aimed at humiliating Chief Abia Onyike, former Commissioner for Information and State Orientation in Ebonyi. EPL announced its plan to scuttle such humiliation in a statement signed by its National Secretary, Mr Ikenna Emewu, on Monday in Abakaliki. The group described the former commissioner as one the community’ most illustrious sons, that had contributed immensely to the development of Edda land, describing those behind the plot as “busy bodies.” The statement noted that some government functionaries, leaders of interest groups and traditional rulers from Edda in Afikpo South Local Government Area of the state, were forced to sign a document, where they were plo...
Akwa Ibom governor appoints commissioner as chief of staff
Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom has appointed Mr Ephraim Inyang-eyen, the state’s Commissioner of Works, as his Chief of Staff (CoF). Emmanuel had not appointed a chief of staff since he assumed office as governor in 2015. The Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Udoh, announced the appointment in a statement made available to newsmen in Uyo on Friday. According to the commissioner, the appointment takes immediate effect. Udoh added that Inyang-eyen would continue to supervise the ministry of works until a new substantive commissioner was appointed. “We congratulate the commissioner for works on his new appointment and wish him success in the discharge of duties in his new office,” Udoh said. Newsmen report that Inyang-eyen, had been the commissioner for works since 2015 when Gov Emman...
Delta medical practitioners declare two-day warning strike over kidnap of colleague
Medical doctors in Delta have declared a two-day warning strike to protest the kidnap of a Principal Medical Officer Dr. Wisdom Iboyitete, who was kidnapped at the General Hospital, Ojobo, in Burutu Local Government Area of the state on Monday. The warning strike, it was learñt took effect this morning, Tuesday, June 2, 2020. Iboyitete was whisked away by arms-wielding gunmen who pretended to be patients in the wee hours of Monday and reportedly whisked him to unknown location through the creeks in the Ijaw riverine community. The two-day warning strike was declared on Monday night by the state branch of the National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP) at the end of an emergency meeting of the body. In a statement obtained by newsmen on Tuesday, the...
Governor Fayemi: Lockdown violators swell Ekiti internal revenue by N2 million
Governor Kayode Fayemi on Friday disclosed that not less than N2million has accrued to the coffers of the State being the various fines paid by the lockdown violators since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The governor also said that over 100 offenders have been prosecuted. Speaking during the press briefing, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, said the laboratory located at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital will be commissioned by Governor Kayode Fayemi. “We are still perfecting some regulatory procedure with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, but everything will be finetuned before Monday. “We have had 20 COVID-19 cases so far, two are still active, we have recorded two deaths and 16 have been treated with investigational drugs and discharged,” she...
Kogi gives conditions for coronavirus test
The Kogi State government has insisted the State is still free from the rampaging Coronavirus disease even as it has given condition for recognizing any Covid-19 test conducted outside it’s boundaries by it’s citizens. This is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by Dr. Saka Haruna Audu, Commissioner for Health. He said the major interest of the government is to secure lives and not in politics. “Kogi State till this very moment is Covid-19 free. We have developed full testing capacity and have conducted hundreds of tests so far which have come back negative. “We have also continued to insist that we will not be a party to any fictitious Covid-19 claims which is why we do not recognise any Covid-19 test conducted by any Kogite outside the boundaries of the State except those initia...
Lagos to create more Islands to curb land scarcity
To further increase land availability for housing and infrastructure development, the Lagos State Government has expressed the desire to continue to create more man-made islands at its waterfront across the State. Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Arch. Ahmed Kabiru Abdullahi, disclosed this on Wednesday at the 2020 Ministerial Press Briefing at JJT Park Alausa, Ikeja, to mark the first year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration. According to the Commissioner, work has begun on the reclamation of 100 hectares of the land proposed for mixed-use development named “Ostia Islands”, beside Orange Island at Eti-Osa Local Government Area. Abdullahi added that approval was also granted for the reclamation of 54.58 hectares at Makoko for redevelopment, while the Maji...
Lagos partners Microsoft to train 18, 000 teachers – commissioner
Mrs Folashade Adefisayo, Commissioner for Education, Lagos State, said the state government had partnered Microsoft to train 18, 000 teachers to enhance computer literacy towards achieving a world best teaching and learning practices. Adefisayo said this while discussing plans of the Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration for education on an online show, Covinspiration, moderated by Special Representative to the United Nations, and British Council Global Change-maker, Mr Dayo Israel. Newsmen report that the event was to keep the public abreast of the activities of administration in the last one year. The commissioner said: “This COVID-19 lockdown period avails us the opportunity to improve our teachers. For instance, we partnered with Microsoft and they are teaching 18,000 of our teachers ...
