Mr. President
I slapped Senator Akpabio because he harassed me sexually – Ex-NDDC boss
The suspended Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Interim Management Committee, Joi Nunieh, has revealed that she once slapped the Minister of Niger Delta, Godswil Akpabio, for sexually harassing her. She made this known while fielding questions on Arise News on Monday but said what Akpabio attempted to do could not be regarded as ‘attempted rape’. Justifying why she slapped the minister, the former NDDC MD said Akpabio was always scheduling a meeting with her either at his guest house in Apo or in the hotel. She said when he (Akpabio) could not succeed to sleep with her, the Minister then came up with accusation of insubordination to suspend her from office. Ms Nunieh says: “When Akpabio saw that I cannot bring out the money, he now tried Plan B, a case of i...
Festus Keyamo to appear again in National Assembly over 774,000 jobs controversy
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo, SAN, will appear before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Labour on Tuesday to defend the 774,000 job recruitment across the country. The Minister is going on the invitation of the Joint Committee after the earlier meeting ended in shouting match. But Keyamo has made it clear to the lawmakers that he was sending a written submission on issues surrounding the programme ahead of his appearance to avoid a repetition of what happened during the last sitting. He also expressed reservations that he might not get a fair hearing from the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Labour, alleging that the Committee Chairman was the one at the forefront of insisting on controlling and dictating the execution of the programme...
774,000 jobs: National Assembly can’t suspend selection process – minister
The Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo (SAN), says members of the National Assembly cannot stop the selection process of the 774,000 Special Public Works Programme jobs. He stated that the Joint Committees on Labour of both the Senate and the House tried to “control the programme as to who gets what, where and how”. The minister insisted that he would not surrender the programme to the lawmakers’ control “since their powers under the constitution does not extend to that”. He, therefore, directed the state selection committees to proceed with the recruitment process. Keyamo, in a statement issued after his meeting with the NASS committee ended in a fiasco on Tuesday, said, “There was a misunderstanding between us when they questioned why I did not privately submit the programme to ...
Senator: NNPC’s audit report underscores readiness for transparency
Sen. Bassey Akpan, Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Upstream, says the published Audited Financial Statement of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is an indication of its readiness to ensure transparency in its operations. Akpan made this known while briefing newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday. “The recently published audited financial statement of the NNPC, also goes a long way to underscore the readiness of the new management under the GMD, Malam Mele Kyari, toward pursuing transparency, good governance and also accountability in the industry. “Nobody used to know what happens in the NNPC; but I think we are beginning to see results, and we can actually attest to the fact that this is in line with the new spirit. “I must commend President Muhammadu Buhari for the trust an...
Nigeria declares telecoms facilities critical national Infrastructure
In response to the yearnings of industry stakeholders to declare telecom facilities Critical National Infrastructure, President Muhammadu Buhari, has finally approved and also directed that necessary physical protective measures be put in place to safeguard telecommunications infrastructure deployed across the country. This followed a proposal by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Ibrahim Pantami, to the President to identify telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure, with a view to protecting them from vandalization and theft, amongst other things. Recall that telecom operators and industry players had over the years been consistent in their demand for the Federal government to declare all telecoms facilities across the country critical nat...
Gombe Assembly passes local government joint project bill
The Gombe State House of Assembly has passed into law a bill for a law to provide for the establishment of a joint project development agency and other matters related thereto. However, the bill did not have a smooth sail following the ‘dust’ raised against the bill by Mr Rambi Ibrahim Ayala, representing Billiri East State Constituency. Mr Rambi is also the Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary. The State Governor, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya had sent the bill which in other words, subjects initiation and execution of Local Government projects to the proposed agency. During its sitting on 4th February, 2020, the House, in receipt of the bill, after deliberations, referred the bill to the joint committee for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and that of Judiciary for further scruti...
PTF decries continued refusal by hospitals to treat patients for fear of coronavirus
The Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 (PTF) has decried the continued refusal by medical institutions including federal tertiary institutions to receive and treat patients for fear COVID-19. PTF lamented that this development has resulted in several unfortunate and avoidable fatalities. Meanwhile, the PTF will conclude its assessment on the impact of the measures put in place and further recommendations would be submitted to the President for a decision within the next seventy hours. Chairman of PTF and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, who disclosed this at the daily Press Briefing in Abuja, noted that Nigeria is having more deaths from non-attendance to other diseases than even COVID 19 adding that the reason for the greater emphasis on COVID 19 is ...
Ayo Adebanjo: President Buhari not sincere about keeping Nigeria together
President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, John Nwodo, elder statesman and Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, and former Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, have described Nigeria’s constitution as illegal. They spoke in a video conference organized by Governance Index titled: “Coronavirus Pandemic: Is it time to reevaluate the political structure of the country?” Opening the session, Nwodo said the constitution was given to Nigerians by a military government which was not elected, adding that in 1999, politicians went into the election without knowing the parameter that will guide the democratic process. He said the military wrote the constitution and abandoned regionalism. At the video conference which was the fifth edition of the weekly conference series: Covid-19: Turning a crisi...
NMA laments security maltreatment of members
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), on Wednesday, lamented the maltreatment of its members on essential duties by security personnel and has directed doctors to leave all official duty and close when it is exactly 4 pm daily. The directive, according to the President of NMA, Dr Francis Faduyile, is to stop the doctors from working late and reduce the embarrassment they face in the process of carrying out their lawful duties. “That with effect from today, Wednesday, May 20th 2020, all medical and dental practitioners should henceforth work between the hours of 8.00 am and 4.00 pm, to give enough time for them to return back home,” the NMA president said. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Dr Faduyile said: “The NMA observed with dismay the pains and anguish foisted on our members return...
Governor Umahi: Another lockdown likely to defeat coronavirus
Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi has stated there may be another lockdown if Nigeria is to defeat coronavirus. He stated this during a live broadcast to residents on Wednesday. He attributed the increasing cases of the virus in the state to the easing of the lockdown, especially in Lagos. He said: “I want to commend Mr. President in the manner and wisdom he is handling this pandemic. You see, when the lockdown was there the cases were trickling in but when the lockdown was relaxed, the cases are coming in surprising manner”. “It is the Nigerian people that will advise themselves to isolate, to be careful. I expect another serious lockdown if the cases continue to increase like this and this will be by consensus agreement of the general public. We have to lockdown to defeat this ...
PDP raps SGF Mustapha, President Buhari over coronavirus broadcast
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has criticized President Muhammadu Buhari for not announcing the extension of gradual lockdown ease himself. Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, had yesterday announced the extension in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States. The president was expected to address Nigerians on Monday as the cases of coronavirus surged sharply since the gradual easing of the lockdown kicked off on May 4. Aliyu Sani, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 announced on Sunday that the president will address the nation. It was expected to be the president’s third broadcast since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic but the Presidency stated that none was planned. Special...
Rivers monarchs accuse IGP of reversing presidential lockdown order
President Muhammadu Buhari has been asked to reverse the order of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on the movement of agricultural produce, livestock, goods and services in Rivers State. The call was made on Saturday by the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, which noted that the IGP had set up a Joint Technical Task Force at the instance of the Federal Ministries of Agricultural and Rural Development, Defence, Environment as well as various security agencies, to ensure free and unhindered movement of food, livestock, agricultural inputs and others into the State. The State Chairman of the Council, King Dandeson Jaja, speaking on behalf of the council in Port Harcourt wondered why the IGP would unilaterally lift the ban on the Presidential order restricting interstate movement...
