Owerri
Imo governor abolishes pensions, gratuities for former governors, speakers, deputies
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has assented to a bill repealing the law that created pension allowances and gratuities for former governors, deputy governors, assembly speakers and deputy speakers. Signing the bill into law in Owerri on Friday, the governor noted that the erstwhile law runs contrary to the 1999 Constitution as amended, which stipulates that a pensioner must have worked for at least 10 years and must be up to 45 years of age. He regretted a situation where some of the beneficiaries of such payments also get a huge amount of money as salaries and allowances in other positions they occupied, such as serving as senators or members of the House of Representatives. He said: “Apart from the inconsistency of such a law to the provisions of the ground norm, which is the Consti...
YCN, IPC warn Imo governor over suspension of journalist
The Young Citizens of Nigeria (YCN) has asked Imo State Government to reverse the indefinite suspension of a journalist, Vivian Ottih. This was contained in a statement on Tuesday by its Director of Media, Augustine Nwaobi. Ottih, also a lawyer, is a Senior Editor with Imo Broadcasting Corporation-owned Orient FM in Owerri, the state capital. YCN advised the Governor Hope Uzodinma and his administration to “thread cautiously on issues of public importance”. They condemned the suspension of Ottih, the Chairperson of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), over the request for payment of three months’ salary on Facebook. YCN noted that one of the characteristics of a progressive government is the ability to respond positively to issues affecting citizen’s welfare. “Imo Governor sho...
Nigeria: 10 die of coronavirus in Kano, Ogun, three other states
No fewer than seven patients died of coronavirus-related complications in Kano and Ogun states on Friday. Three other patients also died of COVID-19 in Bauchi, Kaduna and Sokoto. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control made this known in its 70th Situation Report on COVID-19 published on Saturday. According to the report, 10 COVID-19 fatalities were recorded in the country as of 11.30 pm on Friday. The 10 new COVID-19 fatalities bring the total deaths recorded in the country to 117. Of the 117 fatalities, 33 died in Lagos, Kano, 18; FCT, four; Borno, 14; Katsina, eight; Bauchi, one; Ogun, four; Kaduna, two; Sokoto, nine; Jigawa, one; Edo, four; Zamfara, three; Oyo, two; Osun, four; Nasarawa, one; Rivers, two; Delta, three; Akwa Ibom, two; Yobe, one and Ekiti one. Part of the report read, “3...
