Staff
US workers enticed with bonuses, time off to get coronavirus vaccine
As Covid-19 vaccination drives get into gear across the United States, some businesses are offering transportation, paid time off and bonuses of up to $500 to encourage workers to get the jab. Labor-intensive industries like slaughterhouses, supermarkets, and farms, whose workers are at higher risk of contracting the virus, have taken the lead, with several large grocery chains offering two to four hours of paid leave time for employees to get vaccinated. “Providing accommodations so employees can receive this critical vaccine is one more way we can support them and eliminate the need to choose between earning their wages and protecting their well-being,” Jason Hart, CEO of supermarket chain Aldi, said in January. Others have taken advantage of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention re...
Nigerian government tenders foreign currency in ‘money laundering’ trial of ex-NAF chief
The Federal Government, on Thursday, tendered before the Federal High Court, Abuja, different currencies of dollars stashed in three bags as evidence in the money laundering charge against Air Commodore Umar Mohammed (rtd.) Counsel to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Magaji Labaran, tendered the bags of money before Justice Inyang Ekwo while leading the only witness in the case, Stephen Olatubosun, in evidence. Newsmen report that Mohammed (1st defendant) and his company, Easy Jet Integrated Service Ltd (2nd defendant), are being charged with three counts bordering on money laundering, illegal possession of firearms and possession of classified documents without lawful authority. The retired air officer and his company are alleged to have received the sum of one million, thirt...
Japan releases softball squad for Tokyo Olympic Games
Japanese softball team head coach Reika Utsugi has urged her players to capture Olympic gold on home soil after naming a 15-strong squad for Tokyo 2020. The team features Yukiko Ueno, captain Yamada Eri and Yukiyo Mine who helped Japan clinch softball gold at Beijing 2008 – the last time the sport featured at the Games. Pitchers Yamato Fujita and Miu Goto, who was named Most Valuable Player in last season’s Japan Women’s Softball League, as well as star outfielder Saki Yamazaki are other notable names. Haruka Agatsuma, Nayu Kiyohara, Mana Atsumi, Yuka Ichiguchi, Hitomi Kawabata, Minori Naito, Yu Yamamoto, Nodoka Harada and Sayaka Mori have also been chosen. “Of course, skills and physical competence are the necessary elements,” said Utsugi. “But in selecting the 15 members, we also took th...
2023: INEC reassures on continuous voters registration
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it plans to resume Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) across the country in the second quarter of 2021. Mrs Wunmi Balogun, INEC Head of ICT, Ibadan, said this at the training of electoral officers and assistants electoral officers on access to Polling Units (PUs) in Ibadan on Monday. Balogun added that the commission would be using INEC Voters Enrolment Devices for the CVR instead of the Direct Data Capturing Machine. Mr Mutiu Agboke, the state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) said the training was to address the challenges being faced by voters on access to polling units during elections. Newsmen report that the workshop was specifically held for INEC’s head of departments, electoral officers and assistants electoral of...
Controversy over ex-minister threatening his aide with hammer in trending video
A video released by Sahara Reporters showing former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, interrogating his former Personal Assistant with a hammer in his right hand, has been trending on social media and generating reactions. In the video, Fani-Kayode can be seen visibly holding the hammer in his right hand until he discovered that he was recovered before hiding it with his body. The video was recorded by his estranged wife, Precious Chikwendu, who can be heard in the background saying the former Minister had a hammer in his hand. Meanwhile, Fani-Kayode has released a statement denying that he threatened his former PA with a hammer. The press release was signed by his Media Aide, Jubril Oladimeji Olaiya. The statement said: “The allegation that Chief Femi Fani-Kayode is a violent man th...
Kaduna abduction: Group urges government not to negotiate with bandits
The Global Peace and Life Rescue Initiative (GOPRI), has condemned the abduction of 39 students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna State, who were abducted by bandits on Friday. The group urged Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai not to negotiate with bandits. In a statement by its Executive Director, Ambassador Melvin Ejeh, the group said the abduction was orchestrated to blackmail el-Rufai over his position on non-negotiation with bandits. According to the group, no responsible government should negotiate with terrorists. It hailed the governor for his prompt response that resulted in the rescue of 180 distraught students and members of staff of the school. It expressed optimism that the remaining 39 students still not accounted for would soon be rescued. The st...
Official: Three teachers kidnapped in Kaduna school attack
Three teachers were kidnapped in the attack Monday morning by bandits on a primary school in Kaduna State. According to the state government, two pupils initially declared missing after the attack have been found. The state goverment had earlier on Monday announced the attack on the primary school in Rema, about 150 kilometres from the state capital, but said it was awaiting details on the incident. In an update he provided later, the state’s Commissioner of Internal Security and Homeland Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said only three teachers were kidnapped in the attack. He said this was according to the report provided by the school authorities and as gathered by security operatives and the state government. According to Mr Aruwan at a press conference in Kaduna, after the state government com...
Lagos hospital presents medical records of Lekki tollgate victims
Reddington Hospital Lagos, Saturday produced the medical records of some of the patients it treated following the Lekki toll gate ‘shootings’ of last October 20. One of the hospital’s trauma and orthopaedic surgeons, Dr. Babajide Lawson, presented the case files to the Lagos State Judicial Panel on Restitution for Victims of SARS and the Lekki Tollgate Incident. The Nigerian Army has been accused of opening fire with live bullets on peaceful protesters at the Toll Gate demanding an end to police brutality using the hash tag #EndSARS. Some of the protesters have submitted petitions to the panel alleging that men of the Army’s 81 Division shot at and killed several #EndSARS protesters that night, a claim the Army denied. The Army has, however, shunned further appearance at the panel, without...
President Buhari wants rapport between NDDC, National Assembly sustained
President Muhammadu Buhari has lauded the cordial relationship existing between the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the National Assembly. The president, who spoke on Thursday at the virtual commissioning of the NDDC headquarters building in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, called for such relationship for the development of the Niger Delta region. While commending the management and staff of the NDDC for staying the course and keying into the reform agenda of his administration, President Buhari said: “I am particularly pleased to note the cordial relationship between the NDDC and the National Assembly and hope that this relationship will be strengthened further for the benefit of the people of the Niger Delta region.” He said: “I, therefore, use this opportunity to ...
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...
Borno governor extends service years of tertiary institution staff to 65
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has approved the service elongation of academic staff of tertiary institutions in Borno State. Zulum has assented to the bill passed by the Borno State House of Assembly on the service elongation. A statement from the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Governor, Baba Sheikh Haruna, indicates that, the tenure of service year of the academic staff is now 65 years of retirement age and 40 years of service. ” The approval followed a bill sent to the legislature by the Executive for the elongation of service year of academic Staff of tertiary institutions in the country. ” The Nine tertiary institutions in Borno to benefit include the Ramat Polytechnic Maiduguri, Kashim Ibrahim College of Education Maiduguri, Umar Ibn Ibrahim College of Education Science and ...
