By Ifeanyi Olannye

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Delta on Thursday announced the suspension of the strike embarked on over the failure of the federal government to fully implement the new N30,000 minimum wage.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NLC in the state had on Tuesday embarked on strike to protest what it considered a failed negotiation by the Joint Negotiation Council (JNC) on the new minimum wage.

Addressing newsmen on the sideline of the 5th Quadrennial State Delegates Conference of State Chapter of the Medical and Health Workers Union on Thursday in Asaba, Mr Goodluck Ofoburuku, the NLC Chairman, announced the suspension of the strike.

He said that the strike was suspended in Delta State following intervention and directives from the national body for it to be allowed to conclude the negotiation on the consequential adjustment on the new minimum wage.

The initial directives that we received was that, if negotiation was not concluded by Tuesday, we should commence strike by Wednesday, which we complied with.

That is why, yesterday our people moved out to ensure that there was a compliance but based on the advice of the national body, we have advised our members to return to work and gradually they are going back to work.

We have been told that significant progress has been made by the Joint Negotiation Council (JNC), the chairman said.

Ofoburuku , however, said that the NLC in the state would await further directive from the national body should the negotiations fail.

We have soft pedaled but waiting for directive from the national should the negotiations fail.

The truth of the matter is that the state government has committed itself to pay the minimum wage once the template is ready.

However, if it is unsuccessful, the national headquarters will tell us what to do; I have no regret for taking an action that I am directed to take.

I was elected to fight for the interest of my people and if it means that going on strike is what will make the union get what it is asking for, I will not regret it, Ofoburuku said.

The NLC chairman, who is the outgoing State Chairman, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, said that his administration achieved some goals, including salary reviews, encouraged the building of capacity of workers and in house training for members.

But lately, those of our members who had in house training are finding it difficult to be converted after their education, it is a challenge that I want the incoming executive to take up that issue, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Following three days of negotiations by Government and the Organised Labour on the consequential adjustments of the implementation of the new minimum wage of N30,000, both parties have finally reached an agreement.

The Concillators to the agreement are Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige and his state counterpart, Dr Festus Keyamo.

Witnesses to the agreement from the Government side are; Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, Ag. Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and Mr Olusegun Olufehinti, Director IPPIS, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

On the Labour side are Mr Simon Anchaver, Ag. Chairman, JNPSNC and Mr Alade Bashir, Secretary General, JNPSNC.

A communiqu was issued and the end of the negotiations and signed by all parties.

Following the threat by Organised Labour not to guarantee industrial peace after Wednesday, October 16, 2019, as a result of the deadlock in the ongoing negotiation on the Consequential Adjustment of emoluments in Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) arising from the New National Minimum Wage of Thirty Thousand Naira (N30, 000.00) as imbued in the National Minimum Wage Act, 2019, the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment in exercise of his powers under the Trade Dispute Act, CAP T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004, apprehended the trade dispute and called the parties to conciliation meetings.

He met each of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) on Wednesday, 9th October and Monday 15th October, 2019. Thereafter, joint meetings were held on 16th, 17th and 18th of October, 2019, after which the following Terms of Settlement and Agreement pertaining to the Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustments in the Public Service were reached.

The consequential adjustment for Consolidated Public ServiceSalary Structure(CONPSS), called group one is;
GL 07 -23.2 per cent, GL 08 -20 per cent, GL 09 19 per cent, GL 10 14 is 16 per cent, while GL 15-17 is 14 per cent.

The second Group consists of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), Consolidated Tertiary Educational InstitutionsSalary Structure(CONTEDISS), Consolidated University AcademicSalary StructureII (CONUASS II).

Others are; Consolidated Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Academic Salary Structure (CONPCASS) and Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS).

For Grade Level seven and its equivalent, it is 23.2 per cent, GL 8-14 Equivalent at 16 per cent, and
GL 15-17/Equivalent at 10.5 per cent.

Confirming the agreement, the Trade Union Congress in a statement, said it was a win-win situation for Nigerian workers and commended the Federal Government and organised labour for their patience while the National Minimum Wage negotiations lasted.

The statement jointly signed by President of the Congress, Mr Quadri Olaleye and Secretary General, Mr Musa-Lawal Ozigi, said it was not an easy journey, applauding governments team for their wisdom and sincerity.

We commend the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan and her team for their sincerity.

Though they argued that government cannot afford to meet our earlier demand of N30,000 minimum wage across board, because of the economic situation in the country, we made them understand that some people cannot be more Nigerian than others, If we are tightening our belts, government should also do so.

The Union said as an organisation and a major stakeholder in the Nigerian project, they believe that the parties have done well.

We shifted grounds and that is why we were able to resolve things without major injuries. It is a win-win situation.

The TUC boss said he was particularly happy with the agreement, because it has addressed some salary discrepancies and overlapping issues that workers have agitated about.

This is a unique agreement and we promise to build on that by Gods grace, he added.

Earlier, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige said the new minimum wage was a national law and it must be obeyed by all tiers of government.

We have often repeated that the essence of that law was for the president to lift the vulnerable working force both in the private and public service.

This is a national law and it must be obeyed by all; state government, local government and all persons concerned that employ more than 25 persons in their organisation.

We have decided to fast tract discussions. We are fast tracking it because we need to put an end to the issue of minimum wage till the next five years, when it will arise again.

We need to finalise this today, The suspense is too much for the people. Even your constituency- workers, if we dont conclude today, they will be thinking otherwise.

They will start thinking that you have been compromised, even the government side, if we dont conclude today, they will start saying you people are influencing us.

This negotiation should be, in the spirit of give and take, in the spirit of one nation, end this thing. If we decide to empty the purse so that the nation will go broke, it will affect all of us.

If we do give and take, look at government purse and know that this purse has been badly depleted, make some concession, it will be in the interest of Nigeria.

NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, had earlier said that the organised labour would continue to be open minded and would keep up with the principles of collective bargaining.

We on this side of the table we are ready to ensure that we bring the entire process to a conclusion.

In the normal practice of Collective Bargaining, you look at issues from both sides, you look at the situation with workers, vis a viz their pockets and what will make the workers happy and very productive.

If wishes were horses, we would have wished that this entire negotiation was concluded yesterday. (NAN)

Source: NAN

By Emmanuel Afonne

A joint committee of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and House of Representatives Committee on Human Rights have urged the National Assembly (NASS) to recommend adequate compensation and recognition for troops fighting Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East.

The call was made in Abuja in a report of preliminary findings submitted to the leaderships of NASS after investigation on allegations of human rights abuse made against the Nigerian military by some foreign media organisations.

The committee while absolving the soldiers of wrong doing said the troops have approached the war on insurgency with international standards on human rights and as such deserved to be compensated to serve as source of motivation and encouragement to others.

Chairman of the committee, Dr Isaac Dikko, said the committee sacrificed a lot during the investigation because of national security.

Dikko stated: if not for the interest of national security, nobody would dare to have a committee secretariat situate in the North-East for firsthand information given the low and gloomy media reportage of the military successes in the region especially by foreign media organisations.

It is also to fact check if the war against insurgency is being truly successfully prosecuted.

Unknown to us like majority of Nigerians, a lot of successes have been made in the war against insurgency in the North East.

The only challenge is resettlement, rehabilitation and rebuilding of infrastructure hitherto destroyed; but this is beyond military mandate and will take time, he said.

According to the chairman, the committee dared the region with double pronged view to validate or invalidate the allegations against the military authorities and censor the activities of the non-governmental organisations operations in the North-East.

This, he said was to come up with facts that are verifiable.

The report was coordinated by a foreign NGO, the Mahatma Gandhi Peace Foundation Nepal.

Senior Programme Officer for the foundation, Rev. Solomon Semaka noted that their involvement in the committees fact finding mission was to ensure that the interest of NGOs and media organisations were represented and given fair hearing.

He acknowledged on behalf of NGOs that the representations in the report were fair given the glaring evidence and testimonies the committee received.

Semaka said: One of my lowest points and greatest shocker as a development worker, whose interest in the committee was to protect NGOs was when a medical doctor and Staff member of ACTION AGAINST HUNGER (AAH), one of the NGOs working in the North-East region, confessed before the committee that truly, they offer random treatment and provide food to wounded insurgents.

However, under cross examination, he admitted that the action was not their major purpose in the North-East.

Semaka rejected the confession of the doctor that they offer medical assistance to the insurgents just to protect themselves.

The committee therefore recommended to the NASS that issues of human rights abuse are subjective, and that the National Assembly leadership submit in clear terms expulsion as a punishment for erring Non-Governmental organisations in the country.

The committee also demanded that the National assembly Leadership legalise the auditing of non-governmental organisations by security agencies and also invite Action Against Hunger and Amnesty International with a view to answer why they should not be banned from operating within the Nigerian territory. (NAN)

Source: NAN

The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) has expressed concern over the myriad of challenges facing the nation.

At a meeting of its National Governing Council (NGC), AUPCTRE expressed grave concern over the high rate of unemployment, poverty insecurity, medical tourism among others.

AUPCTRE President Benjamin Anthony who spoke at its 23rd plenary session in Calabar, expressed worry that the challenges have assumed dangerous dimensions.

He said that the situation called for serious concern of all patriotic Nigerians.

The President expressed displeasure at the delay by the government to reach an agreement on the approved minimum wage.

He decried that poverty has been on the increase, urging the government to work assiduously to tackle the challenges.

AUPCTRE however commended the

The union called on government to bring back the defunct Nigerian Marketing Board to regulate the price of agricultural produce.

On his part, Raphael Imade, General Secretary of AUPCTRE said that the NGC is the second highest organ of the union which is expected to take stock of the union activities.

Also speaking, Director General, National Orientation AgencyDr Garba Abari who bagged AUPCTREs Best Manager in Industrial Relations Practice Award 2019, thanked the union for its efoorts at ensuring cordialindustrial relations in the work place.

Dr Abari urged the labour Union to also be in solidarity with the government, adding that they should emulate international best practices.

Source: NAN

European Union (EU) leaders have confirmed the appointment of Frances Christine Lagarde as the next head of the European Central Bank, thus removing the final hurdle between her and the powerful post.

She is elected to the position for a non-renewable term of eight years, the EU leaders announced in a statement on Friday.

Lagarde is set to succeed the incumbent head of the Frankfurt-based financial institution Mario Draghi on Nov. 1 as the first woman to occupy the post.

The former International Monetary Fund chief was nominated for the job as part of a top personnel package thrashed out by EU leaders in July. (dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN

European Union (EU) leaders have confirmed the appointment of Frances Christine Lagarde as the next head of the European Central Bank, thus removing the final hurdle between her and the powerful post.

She is elected to the position for a non-renewable term of eight years, the EU leaders announced in a statement on Friday.

Lagarde is set to succeed the incumbent head of the Frankfurt-based financial institution Mario Draghi on Nov. 1 as the first woman to occupy the post.

The former International Monetary Fund chief was nominated for the job as part of a top personnel package thrashed out by EU leaders in July. (dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN

By Moronke Boboye

A sexagenarian, Charles Chikwe, on Friday appeared before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates Court in Lagos charged with duping a woman of N150, 000 and valuables worth N627, 000 on the pretext of marrying her.

Chikwe, 60, who is unemployed and resides at No. 26, Mohammed St., Ijegun, Lagos, is facing charges of obtaining by false pretenses and stealing.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Chekube Okeh told the court that the defendant committed the offences sometimes in October 2017 at Igando, Lagos.

Okeh said that the defendant met the complainant, a 50- year-old widow, wooed her and promised to marry her.

The defendant later obtained N150, 000 from the woman and promised to pay back; he also collected documents of her land then valued at N627, 000, he said.

Okeh explained that the defendant failed to marry the complainant as promised, refused to pay back the money he collected from her neither did he return the land documents.

The offences, the prosecutor said, contravened Sections 287, 314 and 318 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
However, the defendant, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs A.O Akinde, granted the defendant N100, 000 bail with two sureties in like sum.

Akinde adjourned the case until Oct. 30 for mention. (NAN)

Source: NAN

By Emmanuel Antswen

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) says he is planning, in collaboration with newspaper owners, to sponsor a bill to penalise media establishments that owe journalists.

Mr Christopher Isiguzo, National President of NUJ, stated this in Makurdi at an interactive session with members of the union in the state, to appreciate members for electing him and also know their challenges.

The members had also complained of regular intimidation, harassment and detention, over their reports like ordinarily criminals.

Isiguzo said that when the bill is passed into law, media houses would no longer owe media workers salaries.

He said there was need for stakeholders to respect journalists and desist from abusing them.

According to the president of NUJ, the practice of journalism is gradually being viewed as a crime in Nigeria, as members are no longer honoured in the job.

He said that journalists need to be accorded respect and where they violate the ethics, should be reported to the union or court of law, rather than resort to unlawful ways.

He said he had already informed President Muhammadu Buhari, Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum, Mr Kayode Fayemi and other governors, on the incessant harassment of members.

Isiguzo said that the union was engaging with the information and the Interior ministries, to ensure proper identification of genuine journalists in the country.

We are going to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Interior and security agencies, so that our members will be easily identified anywhere. We believe the cases of intimidation, harassment among others will be addressed with this move.

We need to up our game and embrace social media to continue to maintain leading space in the media world. We need to be very serious with our media engagement.

He said the union was planning to bring together all the online media organisations for effective regulation.

In her remark, Mrs Victoria Ashar, Chairman of Benue Council of NUJ, commended the president for the visit and said that the union under her watch would continue to support him to actualise his laudable programmes. (NAN)

Source: NAN

By Constance Imasuen

Electricity Generation Companies (GenCos), comprising gas-fired and hydro stations said that they could not generate 2,352.5 megawatts of electricity on Wednesday due to unavailability of distribution infrastructure.

This is contained in a daily energy report by the Advisory Power Team, office of the Vice President, a copy of which was obtained by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.

The report also attributed the 2,352 .5 megawatts not generated to high frequency.

It also noted that 1.55 megawatts of electricity was not generated due to unavailability of transmission infrastructure during the period.

Similarly, it saidthat 1,551 megawatts was not generated due to unavailability of gas.

The report, however, said that the GenCos released an average of 3,500 MegaWatts-Hour of electricity into the national grid.

It said that the electricity sent out by the GenCos was up by 98.87 megawatts from the 3,401 released on Tuesday.

The report said zero megawatts was recorded as losses due to water management procedures.

The report revealed that the power sector lost an estimated over N1.94 billion due to insufficient gas supply, distribution and transmission infrastructure.

On sector reform/activities, it said that the dominant constraint for Wednesdaywas high frequency resulting from unavailability of distribution infrastructure.

The report said that the peak generation attained on Monday was 4, 140 megawatts.

Source: NAN

Chinas securities regulator on Friday approved the Initial Public Offering (IPO) applications of four companies.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), said in a statement that GRG Metrology/Test Ltd. Lihero Technology Ltd., Shandong Taihe Water Treatment Technologies Ltd. and Zhubo Design Group Ltd. would be listed on the A-share market.

However, the statement did not specify the total amount of funds to be raised.

The companies and their underwriters promised to confirm IPO dates and publish their prospectuses following discussions with the stock exchange.

Under the current IPO system, new shares are subject to approval from the CSRC.

China is gradually switching from an approval-based IPO system to one based on registration. (Xinhua/NAN)

Source: NAN

Food should be more than a substance that fills up the belly; eating a meal ought to be primarily about adding value to the body or boosting one’s well-being. In most cases however, we tend to put the cart before the horse - we just want to ingest anything edible. Notwithstanding, it pays that one gets educated or be in the know about the nutrients that a particular meal/food contains and what these nutrients can do in one’s body.

So, today in this article, I will like to shed some light on dietary fiber and its benefits to human body. Fiber is used to describe plant-based carbohydrates that cannot be broken down by the enzymes in the digestive system. Fiber can also be obtained from meat albeit in a relatively minute quantity.

Despite the fact that it is not usually broken down, it plays a significant role in the way other nutrients are absorbed in the digestive system. Fiber is basically categorized into two - soluble and insoluble fiber - based on its dissolution or non-dissolution in water. Examples of foods that are high in fiber include oats, oranges, whole grain, vegetable, apples, banana, tomato, nuts, etc.

• Improves gastrointestinal health: One of the major benefits of regularly taking a meal that are rich in fiber is that it improves the health of the gastrointestinal system, especially as fiber enhances bowel movement with ensuing increase in faecal mass. This is probably one of the ways fiber aids in the prevention of constipation. Furthermore, fiber supports the growth of probiotic bacteria which contribute to the overall health of the gut.

• Reduces cholesterol level: Fiber has also been found to reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the bloodstream. More specifically, fiber sourced from edibles such as oats, beans and whole grain are particularly (more) valuable in this respect.

• Improves cardiovascular health: This can be viewed as an offshoot of the role fiber plays in lowering cholesterol level. Besides, fiber aids in the prevention of heart disease and also lowers blood pressure. Generally, it is good for maintaining a healthy heart.

• Minimizes the risk of diabetes: With the high prospect of controlling the level of blood sugar, fiber does help to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes occurring. Examples of high fiber foods that are useful here include cereals and vegetables.

• Protects against cancer: Fiber has also been reported to be effective in preventing certain types of cancer like colon cancer and stomach cancer. This is traceable to the bulky faecal mass that is achievable with the regular intake of dietary fiber.

• Aids in weight control: Fiber can also be highly beneficial for anyone that is going through a weight-loss/weight-control routine. This is due to the fact that fiber - especially one gotten from flaxseed, oats, broccoli, banana, beans, etc - tends to be more filling and gives you the energy needed to run your activities for a considerable amount of time. In essence, with fiber in your system, the craving for more (food) to munch is quenched.

Culled from WalkRigid
Source: https://walkrigid.com/2019/10/15/6-benefits-of-fiber/

The cliché that ‘anything goes‘ is one that we are quite familiar with in this part of the world; it is a saying that clearly highlights the poor state of the reverence for the rule of law and/or justice system. Time and again, we have seen and heard of how perpetrators of dastardly acts walk free and left off the hook as though nothing happened. This has often left those have been directly short-changed - with respect to having an unbiased judgement - as well as a number of concerned Nigerians frustrated about the unbalanced/ineffectual structure of the justice system.

While the voices of many persons might have been drowned by the prominence of the ‘high and lofty‘ subverters but there remains a few that would not be silenced and with these ones have found a great help in a ‘lousy and never-tiring‘ medium called the Internet.
As you read the topic of this particular discourse, you must have perceive or have an inkling of what inspired the write-up that is about to follow, and as the persons involved have no hiding place to save their shamed faces so has the hand-writing been made profound.

Long before I became a University undergraduate, the issue of sex-for-grade had pervaded the university community and while I traversed my university campus, the matter was never unheard of - then, with the news currently trending, it could be assuredly concluded that the last of the such incidences is yet to be seen or heard of.

The common thing about these events is that we kept hearing the stories of different students that have been alleged abused but never got to hear of concrete disciplinary action(s) being taken against the ‘high-handed‘, erring lecturers that were involved. This alone makes the whole issue look like a norm - a course that further highlights the rot that exists in the justice system firstly in the universities and then the country at large.

It is the lacunae that is noticeable in seeking justice for (female) students who have been picked on by lecturers with wanton desires that spurred Kiki Mordi - with the backing of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) - into action to unravel the faces of perpetrators as we now have on videos that have gone viral on the internet. And, the vastness of this ‘unforgiving‘ tool (that is, the internet), has now drawn huge attention with many persons now raising their voices to call for justice. But then how much of an elixir could this act of public shaming be in a system with long history of unresolved cases surrounding social justice?

It is quite obvious that the purpose of the one-year investigative journalism anchored by Kiki Mordi has achieved its aim - maybe in the interim though. However, in order to achieve a far-reaching outcome, it is incumbent that the authorities [in various universities and other tertiary institutions], as well as, the government take issues hovering around sex-for-grade to heart and work out an effective means of curtailing such incidences in the future. More so, avenues to have students safely report lecturers with illicit advances should be put in place, and such students should be given assurances that there will be no reprisal attack(s) to their life or academics. The ethics committee in these institutions has to be proactive in dealing with these cases to adequately protect the interest of the student body and the institution on the whole.

Beyond sex-for-grade
Without making any attempt to water down the magnitude of the infamy attached to sex-for-grade, it has to be emphasized that there are other forms of abuses that lecturers often subject students to without them (that is, lecturers) being call to order. In such circumstances, these lecturers play ‘god‘ over the students and end up putting students that dared to cross their path into some sort of academic misery. This kind of scenario has sometimes driven some students who could not handle the problem suicidal. All these abuses obviously show the lapses that exist in institutions of higher learning where you expect a high degree of sanctity.

In the meantime however, it is apparent that it is no longer business as usual and issues like we have in the sex-for-grade cases cannot be swept under the carpet. Even if there be any attempt to do so, those that are aiming to do so should be reminded that the internet never forgets.

It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen - John Wooden

Whenever discourse on insecurity arises, it is not out of place to see people pinpointing such things as the slack policing, high rate of unemployment and the straitened state of the Nigerian economy [in general] as the underlying reasons that the lives and properties of unsuspecting citizens are usually endangered. While these factors cannot be waved aside, permit me to spare some thoughts on aspect that has often been overlooked.

It has to do with the optimization of technology in taming the scourge of insecurity. As we already know technology is quite vast and in this article, I shall be narrowing the option to the very little things which could have aided in the fight against insecurity in no small measure. The ‘little things‘ here are closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and solar-powered street lights.
It is really alarming that in this age, government across different states and corporate organizations [with CSR initiatives] find it difficult to install these basic amenities within their areas of influence. They seem to have lost grasp of the little details that could have massively doused the menaces which further contribute to insecurity in the land. Moreover, security operatives ought not to have neglected these small things as they canvass for more comprehensive/sophisticated security frameworks.

The lack of these technological innovations is there for all to see; for one, the gross darkness that results from poor lighting is simply undeniable. At least, on my part, I have had to stare through the window of my apartment [at night and during the early hours of the morning] to be faced with this thick darkness that is capable of concealing the most grievous of evil. And come to think of it; we have got street lights installed - but they are not functional, and this is even in an area that is known for notorious activities like gang war and petty theft. Mine is just one of the many places with poor lighting within Lagos state and probably Nigeria as a whole.

So, what will it cost to have solar street lights installed to improve security in these communities? Inasmuch as these lights may not quell the danger entirely or dissuade maligned individuals from carrying out their heinous acts, it could prevent a host of prospective victims from falling prey. Hence, in essence, it is of utmost necessity that these lights be made available within every 100 - 200 meters and should be regularly monitored to ensure proper functioning.

Now unto CCTV camera; have you ever imagined how the installation of CCTV cameras will be beneficial on our roads? The issue of highway robbery has been on for awhile now - particularly on roads with high traffic congestion. Motorists on these roads have been left to their fate as the men of underworld strike time and again. It is understandable that the Nigerian Police Force may be short-staffed if it embarks on posting its officers to designated spots - not just the ones that are known for nefarious activities - on our highways. But with CCTV cameras installed around, events within various road networks will be closely monitored. More so, even though the perpetrators may carry out their operations at a certain instance, the chances of apprehending them will be higher upon reviewing the video captured by the cameras.

While complaints keep rending the air over the increasing rate of insecurity in the land, we cannot shy away from the fact that the continued neglect, exhibited by those in authority, in incorporating and optimising technological innovations - especially at the basic level - has further emboldened the security challenges that the citizens are faced with.

By Kelechi Ogunleye

A Federal High Court on Monday in Abuja ordered the temporary freezing of 45 bank accounts belonging to three companies allegedly involved in smuggling of rice into Nigeria.

The companies whose accounts were domiciled with ten commercial banks in Nigeria are Sun Sam A1 International Limited, Sun Sam International Limited and Sunchrist O. Trans Nigeria Limited.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed directed the Head offices of First Bank Nigeria PLC, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Union Bank PLC, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Zenith Bank PLC, Sterling Bank, Access Bank, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Polaris Bank and Eco Bank Nigeria to freeze forthwith all transactions from those accounts for 45 days.

Justice Mohammed said that this was pending the outcome of the investigation and inquiry currently being conducted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Ruling on an ex-parte application on behalf of the apex bank by its counsel, Nosike Nicholas, to freeze the accounts for 90 days, the Judge granted the apex bank permission to freeze the accounts for only 45 days.

He said that the order of freezing for 45 days was subject to renewal for further days upon an application by the CBN, in the event that its investigation could not be concluded within the first 45 days.

Nosike anchored the application on section 60, Paragraph (B) of the Banks and other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) 1991 as amended.

He told the court that there was an ongoing investigation against the defendants who are customers of the commercial banks.

According to him, transactions under the accounts can cause significant financial loss to the rice industries in particular and the Nigeria economy in general.

The case was adjourned to Dec. 12 for further hearing.

Source: NAN

By Ummul Idris

Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) on Monday urged Federal Government to give more attention to patients who found themselves in an unconscious state from traumatic cause.

The NMA Chairman in FCT, Dr Ekpe Phillips, made the call at the 2019 Physicians week in Abuja with the theme Care of the Unknown Patient: An Overview.

The Physicians Week is an annual event to celebrate physicians all over the world.

Phillips said that issues affecting Nigerians who found themselves in unconscious state from traumatic cause needed urgent attention from Federal Government.

He noted that the theme for the 2019 physicians week was chosen to bring to fore, issues affecting Nigerians who suddenly found themselves in traumatic situations.

He added that majorly, road traffic accident or medical conditions like cardiovascular diseases or simply from whatever that significantly impairs the consciousness of the patient with attendant difficulty in proper identification is traumatic.

He, therefore, urged government to implement the National Health Act (Enacted in 2014) which provided for the care of patients in emergency situations, including those with identity challenge.

According to him, there is no enduring policy to cater for victims of Road Traffic Accident (a major cause of morbidity and mortality) which accounts for large number of unknown patients.

He said another good example is the care of victims of gunshot injury with
broad provision in the NHA 2014 and again, there is no policy statement that clearly addresses the various components of the emergency care services for this set of patients.

Phillips said it was pertinent to emphasise that though there was
provision of fund for emergency care within the framework of NHA 2014, the disbursement procedure was ambiguous.

He then listed poor emolument, irregular payment of salaries with
arrears running to 12 months or more in some states as some of the problems doctor face in the country.

Phillips stated that in spite of the challenges, Nigerian physicians
continued to render desirable healthcare services to citizens and would continue to do so to improve the health of the people.

He commended physicians who had been working assiduously at
ensuring that Nigerians are healthy. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has re-ordered the 2019 Budget of the state with a letter to the State Assembly seeking a loan of N250 Billion.

According to the letter by Sanwo-Olu, the 2019 Budget proposed by ex-Gov. Akinwumi Ambode could no longer be funded hence the need for its re-ordering and sourcing for more funds.

The governors letter was read on the floor of the House during plenary on Tuesday by the Clerk to the Assembly, Mr Sani Azeez.

According to the letter, the loan was broken down as: a fixed rate bond of N100 billion from the capital market and an internal loan of N150 billion.

The governor explained that the budgetary provisions of recurrent and capital budget of ministries, departments and agencies were not likely to be utilized before the end of the year, saying that N34.050 billion could be re-ordered.

In the letter, the governor stated that his administration was constrained by the lack of revenue for the remaining months of the year and that it would not be in a position to propose a supplementary budget, which informed the recourse to re-ordering 2019 budget.

He said the budget as at 31st August, 2019 had a 71 per cent overall performance, which was below the set target of 100 per cent.

Further analysis shows that the recurrent expenditure stood at 80 per cent while capital expenditure was at 64 per cent performance, portending a 49:51 capital/recurrent ratio against the target of 55:45.

It should be noted that some of the major MDAs that are supposed to implement the capital expenditure are performing below expectation, while others have almost exhausted their budgetary provisions, Sanwo-Olu explained in the letter.

According to the governor, all other arms of government should cooperate with him by ensuring that they improve on spending in priority areas, adding that the administration was desirous of keeping its electoral promises to the citizens and had resolved to take advantage of clement weather condition in the latter part of the year to complete various projects.

The projects, he said would benefit from the re-ordering were: completion of Lagos-Badagry express road; Agege Pen cinema overhead bridge; Agric-Isawo road; Bola Ahmed Tinubu-Igbogbo road; rehabilitation of schools; initiate and complete smart city project and zero tolerance for portholes, among others.

Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa subsequently committed the governors request to the joint committees on Finance and Budget and Economic Planning.

They are to report back to the House on Monday.

Source: NAN

..Inaugurates 42-member advisory board

By Ifeanyi Olannye

Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta has approved the appointment of 11 Permanent Secretaries (PS) in the state.

The approval was contained in a statement by the state Head of Service (HoS), Mr Reginald Bayoko on Tuesday in Asaba.

Bayoko stated that those appointed are- Dr Francis Onojeta, Mr Paul Osahor, Mr Joseph Uwalogho, Mrs Ngozi Nwanze, Mr Cletus Obieaba, Mrs Charity Ehimen-Babigha and Mrs Oghenekeve Agas among others.

He said the appointees would be sworn in by Gov. Okowa at a later date.

Meanwhile, a 42-member Advisory and Peace-Building Council has been inaugurated by Gov. Okowa with a charge to members to avail his administration with adequate guide that would engender effective governance in the state.

He said at the ceremony in Asaba that the council was expected to support the government regularly with expert advice and services without prompting.

The governor said that the main responsibilities for the council included the power to study the general socio-economic and political situations in the state and offer advice to the government.

According to him, the council will advise on issues that can lead to a healthy relationship between the three arms of government Executive, Legislature and Judiciary.

This objective shall also be adopted with regards to the local government councils as it will also render advice on issues, which can strengthen the harmonious relationships with the Federal Government and states.

It will also study the causes of conflicts among various communities in the State and advise on measures to effectively mitigate them, and further advise on appropriate peace-building mechanisms to ensure the sustainability of various peace programmes of government.

The council is also expected to deliberate and advise on any matter referred to it by government and bring up new initiatives for the administrations sustained efforts at maintaining the peaceful co-existence of our people, including residents in the State.

The state government is at all times, seeking for ways to strengthen the base for the peace and unity of the different ethnic nationalities, in addition to inter and intra-community relations in the State.

This is, because no meaningful development can take place in the absence of peace. By the special grace of God, in the last four years, we have had a largely peaceful state; that is one major reason we were able to achieve the much we did, he said.

Okowa stated that some of the credit for the achievements would go to the Advisory and Peace Building Council.

He congratulated the 42-member Council, and urged the members to always work for harmonious, peaceful co-existence in every part of the state.

He appealed that to the citizens to continue to cooperate and partner his administration to ensure sustainable development in every part of the state, adding that the government would continue to tap from the wealth of experience of elders.

The council has Prof. Sam Oyovbaire as Chairman, while members are Chief Benjamin Elue, Prof. Amos Utuama, Prince Sam Obi, Chief Chris Agbobu, Chief Brodrick Bozimo, Brig.-Gen. B. Demeyeibo (retd), Chief Mike Adiotomre and Chief Ignatius Agidi.

Others are Chief Patrick Egone, Mr John Nwagimeje, Senator Stella Omu, Chief Paul Enebeli, Senator Patrick Osakwe, Dr. (Mrs) Felicia Nwaeze, Prof. E.C. Nwanze, Dr. Pius Sinebe, Chief Joseph Ejigba, Chief Eddie Sorhue, Chief (Mrs) Esther Uduehi and Chief E.O. Oborfukoro.

Also inaugurated as members are Chief Robert Ejifoma, Pa. John Edah, Dr. Roland Oritsejafor, Chief E. E. Ebimani, Chief Judith Enamuotor, Rev. Gideon Oyibo, Mr Joseph Ikhena, Chief Denis Etaluku, Prof. Sam Ukala, Chief Jonathan Uyeri and Chief Samuel Okoro.

Mrs Felicia Ajagu, Chief Theodora Giwa-Amu, Chief (Mrs) Felicia Sani, Rev. Oke Akokotu, Mr Ayo Odonmeta, Chief Emmanuel Okumagba, Rear Admiral Mike Onah (retd), Chief Margaret Unukegwo, Chief (Mrs) Grace Boyo and Rt. Rev. Justus Mogekwu are among the members.

Responding on behalf of the members, Oyovbaire thanked the governor for the confidence reposed in them, and said we know that you listen and that you are focused.

We will work with you and do our best to make our state better, because you are a peace builder.

Source: NAN

By Mustapha Yauri

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it is partnering with Uganda to immunise more than 18 million children against measles, rubella and polio.

A statement made available by WHO Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja said of the 18 million, 8.2 million children who are younger than nine months would receive the oral polio vaccine.

It said that the five-day mass immunisation campaign was funded by the Government of Uganda; GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance; the United Nations Childrens Fund; and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The statement added that the campaign would be conducted in schools for the first three days and in communities for the last two days.

It added that the campaign also targets all children younger than 15 years, whether previously immunised or not, in order to interrupt circulation of these diseases.

The statement quoted Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, as saying that this is an extremely important exercise.

Moeti said the campaign represents an impressive level of commitment to healthcare that we need more than ever across the Africa to prevent diseases, deaths and to avoid unnecessary expenditure when caring for people who are sick.

She noted that the Government of Uganda acknowledges the importance of immunisation against various diseases to attain Sustainable Development Goal 3, which underlines the need for good health and well-being.

Similarly, the Dr Jane Aceng, the Uganda Minister of Health, said the campaign would be a launch pad to introduce the measles-rubella vaccine into the countrys routine immunisation schedule.

This campaign does NOT replace the routine immunisation schedule. Parents, caregivers and all concerned must ensure that all children receive and complete all the vaccines specified on our immunisation schedule after the campaign, she said.

Aceng said that the mass campaign provides opportunity to intensify sensitisation of communities on measles, rubella and polio as well as disease surveillance and to investigate any unreported but suspected cases of these diseases.

She added the campaign was particularly important because of the declining trend in routine immunisation coverage in the country.

Dr Yonas TegegnWoldermariam, the WHO Representative in Uganda, appealed to parents, caregivers and guardians to take their children younger than 15 years for immunisation against measles, rubella and polio during this mass exercise. (NAN)

Source: NAN

By Ibironke Ariyo

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Tuesday warned the public against fraudsters and scammers claiming to have shortlisted candidates for the recruitment exercise on behalf of the agency.

Mr Jonah Achema, Head of Public Affairs, NDLEA, gave the warning in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Achema said that the agency would not shortlist secretly, noting that many innocent people had been victims of such fraudsters.

Fraudsters have started sending NDLEA employment letters and messages to people.

This was a message received by an applicant, Dear X, Congratulations for Joining NDLEA. Your service number is 00721/REC08/A22. Please keep it safe.

Another one stated from Dear X, NDLEA training kits to get are: 3 Set of uniforms, both short and long sleeves and overall, 2 ceremonial suits, 2 cardigans, 12 Pieces of white T-shirt and shorts respectively.

2 belts, 2 face caps, 2 barrette, 2 pairs of boot, 2 pairs of cover shoe, 2 pairs of canvas 1 88 mattress, 1 bed sheet, 1 pillow and its case. Total cost= N105,350 only.

This is not from NDLEA. The agency still maintains that the collation of applications is very much ongoing after which successful applicants will proceed to the next stage before final screening.

It is still a relatively long way to go, contrary to claims by scammers that the process has been completed, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN

By Joshua Olomu

The Embassy of South Korea in Nigeria has donated two Hyundai buses to the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), to boost its operations.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Lee In Tae, Ambassador of South Korea to Nigeria, handed the vehicles to Hameed Ali, Comptroller General of Customs, on Monday at NCS headquarters in Abuja.

According to the Ambassador, NCS as an agency of government needs the support and cooperation of all stakeholders for it to deliver more effectively on its mandate.

The Nigerian Custom Service is a great organisation, doing great job, and needs to be supported.

These two buses are being donated by our embassy to support its operational activities, Tae said.

The CG, in his response, commended the Ambassador for the kind gesture, saying, the NCS would make efficient use of the vehicles in its operations.

He said: We are grateful for this kind donation, and I assure you that they will be properly maintained.

The vehicles will sure boost our activities as an organisation in carrying out our functions and in securing our nations borders.

Ali, who received the keys to the two buses in company of his management team, said that NCS was ready to work with stakeholders. (NAN)

Source: NAN