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CDD: Monitoring and evaluation vital in tracking fight against corruption
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) says monitoring and evaluation is vital in tracking the fight against corruption in Nigeria. Speaking at a three-day monitoring and evaluation capacity-building workshop for Anti-Corruption Agencies (ACAs) on Monday in Calabar, Idayat Hassan, CDD director, said monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is a process that helps track the progress in the fight against corruption in the country. The workshop was organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) in partnership with the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-corruption Reform (TUGAR). It also had support from the MacArthur Foundation. Represented by Emmanuel Akomaye, the centre’s project consultant on anti-corruption, Hassan said the CDD believes that it is important to bring all...
ICPC drops forgery charges against ex-presidential aide
File Photo The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has amended the corruption and certificate forgery charges it filed against an ex-presidential aide, Okoi Obono-Obla. The amendment, coming less than two months after Obono-Obla and his co-defendants were arraigned by the commission, reduced the number of counts from 10 to five. The amended charges filed at the High Court of the FCT, in Apo, Abuja, on March 4 and seen by newsmen on Sunday, also revealed that the anti-corruption agency has backtracked on its allegations of certificate forgery sensationally levelled against Obono-Obla in 2019. Obono-Obla, a former special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Prosecutions, was suspended by the President as the chairman of the Special Presidential Inv...
Véron Mosengo-Omba appointed CAF general secretary
FIFA has confirmed that Véron Mosengo-Omba will leave his role as Chief Officer of the FIFA member associations (MAs) division with immediate effect to take on the position of CAF General Secretary. Mr Mosengo-Omba initially joined FIFA in 2016 as Director MAs with responsibility for Africa and the Caribbean, and subsequently spent the past two years supporting all FIFA 211 MAs to implement the FIFA Forward development programme, as well as managing relationships with all FIFA MAs and continental confederations in his role as Chief Officer of the division. A native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mr Mosengo-Omba was particularly involved in supporting the 54 African MAs in their FIFA Forward projects, in the development of youth and women’s football throughout the continent, and i...
EFCC arraigns three FIRS directors, six other officers for N4.5 billion fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Thursday, arraigned Peter Hena, former Coordinating Director of Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS and eight other officers of the agency before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja. The others are Mohammed Bello Auta (Director of Finance), Amina Sidi (Finance and Account department), Umar Aliyu Aduka (Internal Audit), Mbura Mustapha (Deputy Manager), Obi Okeke Malachy (Services Group), Obaje Napoleon Adofu (Head of Budget), Udo-Inyang Effiong Alfred (Officer II) and Benjamin Jiya (Assistant Director) . They were docked on a 42- count charge bordering on corruption, fraud and criminal misappropriation of funds to the tune of N4,558,160,676.9 ( Four Billion, Five Hundred and Fifty-eight Million, One Hundred an...
Nigerian Army appoints new NDA commandant
Major-General Sagir Yaro has been appointed as the commandant of the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA). The NDA is a military university based in Kaduna. Bashir Jagira, the academy’s spokesperson, in a statement on Wednesday said Yaro is taking over from Jamil Sarham, also a major-general who is now to proceed on a senior research course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, Plateau state. Jaguar described Yaro as a seasoned military officer of the Nigerian Army Corps of Engineers, and member of the 36th regular course of the NDA, who has held several appointments cutting across command, staff and instructional. Until his appointment, Yaro was the general managing director, Nigerian Army Welfare Limited by Guarantee (NAWLG). While addressing principal staff o...
Electricity customers fault DisCos move to phase out obsolete meters
Electricity consumer groups on Thursday faulted directive by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to power Distribution Companies (DisCos) to replace obsolete meters under their networks. The groups in an interview with newsmen in Lagos, urged the DisCos to focus on issuing meters to unmetered customers under the ongoing National Mass Metering Programme of the Federal Government. Adeola Samuel-Ilori, the National Coordinator, All Nigeria Electricity Consumers Forum, said the directive by NERC was not a priority for the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry. “The DisCos have a history of not complying with NERC’S directive and giving them power to take away customers meters under the guise of being obsolete is not the right way to go. “This will only lead to more customers b...
UNESCO scores President Buhari high in women inclusion in governance
Mr Steven Onyekwelu, Spotlight Project Manager, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), on Monday, said President Muhammadu Buhari demonstrated great inclusion of women in governance. Onyekwelu said this at the occasion of the International Women’s Day (IWD) in Abuja, with the theme of this year’s celebration “Choose to Challenge.” The project manager said UNESCO was satisfied with President Buhari’s commitment to women empowerment and equality. “We are satisfied, as a matter of fact, His Excellency the President is doing a lot to ensure that inclusion in every area, in terms of governance, education, in terms of health, women are included,” he said. The UN official, who congratulated women on the IWD, noted that UNESCO had through the spotlight project, ...
NIOB, PSN, 28 others seek more roles for Nigerian professionals
Pool Photo Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) as well as 28 other bodies under the umbrella of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) have called for more patronage of indigenous professionals. Speaking during the Board Meeting of the Association, president of APBN, Surveyor Akin Oyegbola said it has been proven that Nigerian professionals can hold their own anywhere in the world. The NIOB which is the professional body for Builders in Nigeria as part of its roles act as body which the Government or other official or unofficial authorities or organisations in Nigeria can seek advice, assistance or the expression of views on any subjects of concern or interest, to the Building profession in Nigeria. Oyegbola also said the APBN wi...
NGA chief: Nigeria’s gas reserve can sustain West African market
Nigeria has abundant gas resources which, if harnessed, will meet the energy demand of over 350 million people and the industrial needs in the West African sub-region. According to the newly inaugurated president of the Nigeria Gas Association (NGA), Ed Ubong, “Nigeria, which ranks as the 9th largest gas reserve in the world and clearly the largest in West Africa, needs to develop this resource base and connect the existing local supply and demand with physical and virtual pipeline infrastructure, while also exploring closer integration of roads, seaports and rail infrastructure.” Speaking, at the just concluded NGA’s 12th International Conference and Industry Awards in Lagos last week, Ubong who is also the managing director, Shell Nigeria Gas Limited, however, advocated an improved inves...
Lagos agency pledges orderly, liveable communities
The Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA), has put in motion plans to create orderly and livable communities in the state. To achieve this and also in concert with the new developmental realities in the state, the agency evolved a new mission statement “Making Lagos an heritage for orderly, spatial planning and development for economic and livable community” In a chat in his office at Ikeja, LASPPPA, General Manager, Funmi Osifuye, said the new mission statement is as a result of the new resolve of LASPPPA to conform with present realities of Lagos as a smart city. He said henceforth, the Monitoring and Compliance Unit of the Agency will be zoned into 5 operational and enforcement locations according to the five Divisions of the State. While noting the need to focus on t...
Nigerian Army appoints new GOCs, PSO, others
The Nigerian Army has announced the appointment of new General Officers Commanding, Principal Staff Officers, commandant of tri-service institution and army training centres, corps commanders, among other positions to man the various divisions, units and commands of the service. Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier-General Mohammed Yerima, who made this known on Saturday, said the redeployment, approved by Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant-General Ibrahim Attahiru, is aimed at repositioning the service for optimal performance. He said all the postings and appointments takes effect from March 10, the COAS urged the new appointees to carry out their responsibilities in the most professional manner and with absolute loyalty to the Commander-in-Chief and in defence of the Constitution of th...
ECOWAS suggests compensation for coronavirus vaccine adverse reactions
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Vaccine Taskforce has recommended compensation for citizens who suffer side effects or injury from the COVID-19 vaccination. Professor Stanley Okolo, the Director-General of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), disclosed this at the 5th Regional Steering Committee meeting of the Regional Disease Surveillance Systems Enhancement (REDISSE) project on Saturday in Abuja. Okolo said that the recommendation was one of the resolutions adopted by the taskforce and presented to the ECOWAS Ministerial Coordinating Committee to encourage citizens to receive the vaccine. He explained during the REDISSE virtual meeting that the issue of indemnity was being taken up by the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, the global initiative aimed at equit...
