Jesusegun Alagbe

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has said that for the country to be able to provide universal healthcare for all citizens, its current “disjointed” health care system must be urgently reviewed.

According to a statement by his Special Assistant on Print Media, Chuks Okocha, Saraki stated this when the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, briefed the leadership of the Senate on the Community Health Influencers, Promoters and Service Providers, a programme of the agency.

He said, “I was a governor of my state [Kwara] for eight years and I have practical experience. If we have these pockets of projects scattered across different programmes in the health care sector, we will not achieve what we are meant to achieve.

“We must have something that is sustainable – something that we are sure will always be maintained, always have provisions for human resources and always have adequate funding. This must be a holistic approach.”

Saraki also asked the NPHCDA and all agencies under the Federal Ministry of Health to come up with a comprehensive programme that would integrate all existing health care programmes in the country under one umbrella for better coordination and funding.

He said, “The National Assembly will ensure that the health sector gets one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for health care. However, right now, I am told that one of the major issues that are coming up is where exactly that money is going to be housed. There must be a clear message on how these funds will be applied.

“What should guide all our decisions, actions and programmes is that every Nigerian deserves a universal and affordable health care – particularly at the primary health care level.”

Speaking, Shuaib commended the leadership of the Senate for promising to make one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund appropriated for primary health care in the 2018 budget.

“This is an unprecedented show of leadership that will lead to the provision of basic health care to millions of Nigerians. This is something that we have yearned for several decades,” he said.

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Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party has said that the concerns raised by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in respect of the former ruling party have been extensively addressed by the new leadership of the party.

It said that the reforms and rebranding efforts in the party, particularly, the full entrenchment of internal democracy, all-inclusiveness and re-engineered mechanisms for good governance, had returned it to a political platform representing the aspirations of Nigerians ahead of the 2019 general elections.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement in Abuja on Friday, said that in the last five months, since the coming of the new leadership, under Prince Uche Secondus, the PDP had undergone extensive re-engineering in direct responses to suggestions, criticisms and wide-ranging constructive advice from Nigerians.  He said, “The transparent processes leading to the peaceful conduct of an open, credible, free and fair governorship primary in Ekiti State, at a time when other political parties are enmeshed in impunity-induced crisis and violence, is a loud testimony of the democratic credentials and principles of the repositioned PDP.

“Furthermore, the reconciliatory efforts of the Governor Seriake Dickson-led committee as well as the rebuilding of the party, through the Contact and Integration Committee, are yielding tremendous dividends as manifested in the mammoth crowd that graced our rallies in Jigawa, Katsina and Osun states.

“Our party remains the only political platform with genuine followership and structure in all the electoral wards across the local government areas, states and the six geo-political zones in the country.

“It is also instructive to add that majority of Nigerians still identify with the PDP as the vehicle for national cohesion, unity, economic prosperity and personal freedom of our citizens.”

Furthermore, he said that the party’s initiative towards the nation’s economic recovery had commenced with the development of a robust and all-inclusive blueprint that he said would reopen the economic space, redirect the productive energies of Nigerians through deliberate wealth creation policies and opportunities in all sectors.

He added that the repositioned PDP was resolute in defending the rights and freedom of Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnicity, creed or political persuasions, against the alleged unrelenting impunity, violations and dictatorial proclivities of the All Progressives Congress.

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Tony Okafor, Awka

Thirty inmates in various prisons in Anambra State will die by hanging.

The Anambra State Controller of Prisons, Mr. Emmanuel Nwakaeze, stated this in a press briefing on Friday in Awka, the state capital.

He told journalists that the condemned prisoners had stayed upwards of two years in jail.

He said no fewer than 1,574 inmates out of the 1,761 in prisons in Anambra State were awaiting trial for various offences, which he said constituted 78 per cent of the total number of inmates in the state prisons.

The Controller said the Awka prison housed 374 inmates; Onitsha Prison, 887 inmates; Nnewi Prison, 282 inmates; and Aguata Prison, 218 inmates.

He said the inmates, who had opted to pay fines instead of serving jail terms were released by the state governor and the Chief Judge between December 2017 and March 2018.

He said, “Others are still awaiting conclusion of their trial and so, they still have to remain in prison custody until the court pronounces otherwise.”

On the allegations that prison officials extorted money before taking inmates to court, Nwakaeze described that as “absolute falsehood”.

He said, “No prison official will ever extort money from prisoners for any reasons whatsoever.”

On the welfare of inmates, the Controller said congestion was the major challenge to the command because it created room for unhealthy environment that could lead to outbreak of cholera, tuberculosis and other diseases.

He appealed to the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano, nongovernmental organisations and philanthropists to assist the command with waste disposal tanks, transformer, ambulances and other life-saving amenities.

He said, “We have few vehicles that take inmates to courts and back from there. Our clinics are not properly equipped to take care of the sick ones among them.

He commended the Controller General of Prisons, Alhaji Ja’afaru Ahmed, for the transformation he had introduced in the prison system, especially on the welfare and promotion of staff and other measures put in place to decongest the prisons across the country.

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Kamarudeen Ogundele and Peter Dada

A man attempted suicide in court on Friday in Ado Ekiti, capital of Ekiti State, after he was sentenced to life imprisonment for a rape charge.

Ajewole Fulani, 24, was convicted for robbing, kidnapping and raping two female students of the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti, on November 7, 2015 along Ikere-Igbara Odo Road.

Justice John Adeyeye held that the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.

The convict became emotional, furious and restless after the judgment was interpreted to him by the court’s registrar.

In a twinkling of an eye, he hit the court’s window, broke the louvres and stabbed himself with a piece of broken glass. He also attempted to stab people in the courtroom.

It took the intervention of security personnel, who grabbed the convict from injuring more people inside the court.

He was subsequently handcuffed and bundled into a waiting van.

Ajewole had on the day he committed the offence, conveyed the two college students in his commercial vehicle but soon diverted into a bush, tied them to a tree and raped them one after the other.

The victims later escaped from the scene and reported the incident at the Ikere Main Police Station along College Road.

Ajewole was first arraigned at an Ado-Ekiti Magistrate’s Court but the case was transferred to the High Court after an advice from the office of Director of Public Prosecutions.

Meanwhile, a Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital has ordered the remand of a middle-aged man, Oyeke Ikechukwu, in prison custody for allegedly raping a minor.

The accused person was said to have been arrested by the men of the Ondo State Police Command after allegedly committing the offence at Onile Street, Osukoti Akure, on May 5, 2018.

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Jesusegun Alagbe with agency report

The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State took a new dimension on Friday when some youths stormed the state’s High Court in Port Harcourt, chasing lawyers, judges and litigants out of the premises.

The youths, reportedly led by the Senator representing Rivers South-East District, Magnus Abe, had gone to the court to seek an injunction restraining the faction led by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, from holding the local government congress of the party on Saturday (today).

Abe had alleged that there was no congress across the 319 wards in the state but Amaechi said the exercise held peacefully, TheCable.ng, an online news medium reported on Friday.

One person had died last week after supporters of the APC leaders clashed at the party secretariat in Port Harcourt.

The battle had continued on Friday as suspected thugs broke into the court premises, vandalising vehicles, chasing away the judges, lawyers and preventing the court from siting.

Before leaving, the intruders locked up the main gate of the court.

Meanwhile, hours after the disorderliness, the state’s Governor, Nyesom Wike, stormed the court with some of his supporters, who broke the locked doors as they went round inspecting the havoc wreaked by the hoodlums.

The spokesperson for the APC in Rivers State, Chris Finebone, had on Thursday said in a statement that there was an attempt to use the court to stop the local government congress scheduled for Saturday (today) from holding.

“By this notice, the All Progressives Congress, Rivers State chapter, is hereby notifying the state, federal judiciaries and the general public that at no time was the APC served any court process and at no time did the APC secure the services of any counsel to handle such a matter in any court.

“The APC reiterates that any court or persons dealing with any such unauthorised person(s) do so at their own risk as the Rivers State chapter of the APC has neither been served any court process nor briefed any lawyer to deal on any such matter on the party’s behalf whatsoever,” he had stated.

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Simon Utebor, Etim Ekpimah, Peter Dada, Gibson Achonu

Several patients have been left helpless at hospitals across the country following the protracted strike action by health workers under the aegis of the Joint Health Sector Unions.

JOHESU – which draws membership from the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives; Medical and Health Workers Union; Senior Staff Association of University Teaching Hospitals, among others–had on April 17 announced an indefinite strike.

The union has cited poor remuneration of its workers as the main reason for the strike action and listed some conditions the Federal Government needs to fulfill to enable them end the strike.

to call it off to include an upward adjustment of the CONHESS Salary Scale, arrears of skipping of CONHESS 10, and employment of additional health professionals.

Our correspondents, who visited some hospitals across the country on Friday, observed as several patients were waiting helplessly for the strike action to be called off, while some patients’ families have started relocating their loved ones from the hospitals.

One of our correspondents who visited the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, saw as scores of patients were left stranded.

A patient, who gave his name simply as Nathaniel, said that because of the strike action, his physiotherapy session at the hospital had been put on hold, adding that his child who was also supposed to be immunised  at the hospital had not been immunised.

Another patient, Mrs. Blessing Owei, said her health had been deteriorating because of the strike action.

“See what we [patients] are going through. Without the health workers, the doctors cannot operate. The strike is as if the entire public health sector in the country has been shut down.

A doctor at the hospital, Dr. Charles Tulagha, confirmed that the strike action had paralysed activities at the centre.

He said because of the strike, doctors couldn’t do anything, however, expressing optimism that it would soon be called off.

At the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State, several patients were also left stranded while some patients’ families told Saturday PUNCH that they were already planning to move their loved ones out of the hospital.

It was gathered that doctors at the hospital were only attending to emergency cases even as new patients were no longer being admitted.

But the Chairman of the Resident Doctors Association in the hospital, Dr. Ibikunle Fakorede, said the doctors were still attending to patients, saying that patients with only serious issues were referred to other hospitals.

“We are trying our best to attend to the patients in spite of the strike action,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Acting Chairman of the Ondo State chapter of JOHESU, Mr. Yinka Adedire, has said they have suspended the strike action as the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, is ensuring that their demands were given the necessary attention.

One of our correspondents who visited the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Akwa Ibom State, also saw as some patients were left stranded as a result of the strike action.

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John Alechenu, Abuja

The Founding Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Chief Edwin Clark, has said restructuring is what is required to improve and sustain the peace currently being enjoyed in the Niger Delta region.

According to him, the current federal structure which cedes 52 per cent of revenues accruable to the federation account is not sustainable in a nation desirous of catching up with the rest of the world in terms of development.

Clark said this while receiving in audience the newly elected leadership of the group in his residence in Abuja, on Friday.

He explained that his support for restructuring was borne out of a desire to see a more prosperous Nigeria where every citizen will have a true sense of belonging.

The elder statesman said a restructured Nigeria will be a nation “where equality of citizenship, equal development of all areas and where power will shift to the states or regions.”

He noted that the current situation where federal government receives over 52 percent of the national revenue, will not lead to an egalitarian society.

Clark observed that PANDEF was established in 2016 to help resolve the crises in the Niger-Delta region and vandalization of oil pipelines. He noted that there is peace in the region today due to efforts of PANDEF.

He recalled that the group met with President Buhari on November 1, 2016 and presented a 16-point agenda to him, adding that despite that, nothing has been done to develop the region.

He said, “We wanted dialogue with the President so that he will know what is going on in the region, the oil pollution, the eco system that has been destroyed and environmental degradation.

“PANDEF was formed to draw the attention of the federal government to the fact that the region is very much undeveloped”.

He further said “Except for the take off of the Maritime University and the upgrading of the Maritime Academy, Oron, which has passed second reading at the National Assembly, other items in the 16-point agenda presented to President Buhari have not been attended to”.

Earlier, Chairman of the group, and former military governor of Akwa Ibom State, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (Retd.) explained that PANDEF’s visit was specifically to express gratitude to the elder statesman for his contributions in the emancipation of the people of Niger-Delta and to ask for his blessings.

Responding, the Coordinator of Amnesty Programme, Prof. Charles Dokubo said,

“I believe in the course of the Niger-Delta. I believe that a powerful organization like PANDEF can collaborate with us and guide our people because we cannot afford to fail them.

“We have to empower our people and stabilize their lifestyle so that they can fit in this technological age. This Amnesty programme is a work in progress.”

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John Alechenu, Abuja.

The current leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress appears set to leave the grievances of members of the New Peoples Democratic Party power bloc for the incoming leadership to resolve.

Saturday PUNCH learnt in Abuja, on Friday that members of the current leadership of the party had an unwritten understanding to concentrate on the upcoming congresses and the national convention.

A highly placed member of the party’s National Working Committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media on the issue, said this “outburst” was long in coming.

He explained that the rest of the party had expected what the nPDP bloc had done long before, adding that what surprised the party was their decision to “come out in the open and as a bloc.”

The source said, “Issues raised by our party members from the nPDP block are not new.

“These grievances were articulated by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar before he left to rejoin the PDP.

“Although as a party, the APC has not met to deliberate on the letter, there is this understanding Oyegun’s successor will work with the President to resolve all these issues.”

According to him, most of the key issues in the nPDP letter boarder on appointments and general patronage by government which are issues only the President can address.

Another party leader, who spoke in a similar vein equally pleaded anonymity because the matter “has yet to be discussed at party level” said, the issues go beyond appointments.

He said, “What is happening goes beyond the issue of allegations of marginalisation.

“If you look at it critically, there have been contestations for power and positions right from 2015 after we won the elections.

“For those who can read in between the lines, the real issue is the prosecution of key members of the nPDP for various offences some of which were committed long before APC was born.

“Take a look at the list of those undergoing trails over corruption related cases people like the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, Senators Danjuma Goje, Abdullahi Adamu and Abdulaziz Nyako were all members of the nPDP who joined the APC.

“They feel they are being targeted by the other power blocks that control government in a deliberate ploy to keep them down.”

Another party leader however said, there was very little the party could do if a member has made up his mind on a cause of action.

The party leader said complaints about lack of patronage especially in the area of appointments was a general problem even within the power blocks controlling government at the moment.

He said, “Every power block even members of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change where the President himself comes from are complaining about this.

“If you listen to several interviews granted by Engineer Buba Galadima who was the party’s National Secretary, you will understand what I mean.

“Even state governors whom ordinarily you can say have the President’s ears complain in private.

“They complain that they were not consulted before certain persons were given federal appointments from their states.”

The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Timi Frank, told Saturday PUNCH, that the issue raised by members of the nPDP were germane and should be resolved.

He said, “I have said it several times, we have not been treated fairly since our party, the APC came to power in 2015.

“This is a party we were part of from the very beginning, everything our members got within this party were taken by force; it was not given. As I speak, our leaders are being dragged before courts and humiliated.

“Today, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki is being dragged before the courts for daring to become Senate President against the wish of some people within our party, is that how to build a party?”

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Kamarudeen Ogundele, Ado Ekiti

The Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State has picked a former chairman of Ado Local Government Area, Kazeem Ogunsakin , as the running mate to its governorship candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola.

The state Chairman, PDP, Gboyega Oguntuase, broke the news on Friday in Ado Ekiti while briefing newsmen.

He said the decision was reached on Friday after extensive consultations with various stakeholders, including the youths and the Muslim community in the state.

“The choice of a 39-year-old economist and banker was informed by the need to involve the younger generation in the governance of the state in line with the global trend as well as give the Muslim community in the state a sense of belonging.

“Furthermore, it is our belief that Ado Ekiti, being the state capital with the largest voting population, deserves consideration for the deputy governorship position,” Oguntuase said.

Ogunsakin also holds a Masters’ degree in Business Administration from the University of Lagos.

Until his nomination, he was the head of the Due Process Office.

Meanwhile, the PDP has described the defection of Prince Dayo Adeyeye as a desperation taken beyond reasoning and a politics taken for selfish aggrandisement.

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Jesusegun Alagbe

The Lagos State Government on Friday said arrangements were in top gear to deploy additional 10,000 high-definition closed-circuit television across the state as part of the comprehensive Smart City Programme designed to provide a 24-hour driven economy.

Speaking at the annual Ministerial Press Briefing to mark the third anniversary of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration, the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Hakeem Fahm, said the smart city initiative was intended to allow the people and companies operate in a safe and secure environment, thereby creating more jobs and increasing the Gross Domestic Product of the state.

According to the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Habib Aruna, Fahm said the focus of the initiative included the provision of security and surveillance, implementation of a metro fibre network and e-Governance.

He added that apart from the HD cameras with gantries deployed in the first phase, other aspects of the project involved the integration of the deployed cameras with Centralised Emergency Command and Control Centre, provision of road signature structure and streetlights across the state.

He said, “In the second phase of the project, we will be deploying 10,000 HD cameras, world class e-Government solutions and data centre solutions, one key alarm, metro fibre network to serve as backbone for communication and unified communications with smart phones for first respondent agencies such as police, fire service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Lagos State Ambulance Service, Vehicle Inspection Office, among others.”

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Ihuoma Chiedozie and Tony Okafor

Scores of youths in Anambra State on Friday protested against what they called frequent invitations to the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, by the Senate.

The protesters took the protest to the headquarters of the Anambra State Police Command, Amawbia in Awka South Local Government Area of the state.

Describing such invitations as unconstitutional, the protesters said the Senate was distracting the IGP by so doing from doing his job.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Mr. Anthony Ogbu said if the Senate did not stop such unconstitutional actions, they would mobilise millions of Nigerian youths to march on the National Assembly.

The protest came on the heels of a declaration by the Senate on Thursday that the IGP was an enemy of democracy and as such was unfit to hold public office.

The protest caused gridlock on the Nnamdi Azikiwe Road, Awka for over two hours.

Addressing the protesters, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Owolabi, representing the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Garba Umar, assured the youth that the police were on top of the security situation in the country.

He said the protesters’ message would be passed to right quarters.

In a related development, the Enugu State Police Command has passed a vote of confidence on Idris.

The development followed the ‘vote of no confidence’ which the Senate passed on the police chief on Wednesday.

Reacting to the Senate’s resolution on the IGP, Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Danmallam Mohammed, in a statement he personally signed, said the action of the Senate was ‘unfortunate and uncalled for’.

Mohammed listed some of the IGP’s achievements since assuming office to include the arrest of a suspected kidnapper, Evans.

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Oladimeji Ramon

The Registered Trustees of the Synagogue Church of All Nations on Friday opened their defence before the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere where they are facing trial for allegedly building without the state’s approval.

The case stemmed from the collapse of the church’s six-storey building in the Ikotun area of Lagos State in September 2014 which claimed no fewer than 116 lives, mostly South African nationals on religious pilgrimage to SCOAN.

Standing trial alongside the Registered Trustees of SCOAN are the two engineers who built the ill-fated building – Messrs Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun.

The engineers were charged with 110 counts of involuntary manslaughter alongside their companies – Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company and Jandy Trust Limited.

The Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions said the defendants violated Section 75 of the Urban and Regional Planning Law of Lagos State 2010 as well as Section 222 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

They were arraigned on April 19, 2016 but they pleaded not guilty.

They opened their defence on Friday following the dismissal of their no-case submissions by Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo on March 8, 2016.

Testifying in the defence of the defendants on Friday was Mr. Alaba Haruna, an assistant commissioner of police, who was then the divisional police officer in Ikotun at the time of the incident.

The policeman narrated to the court how about noon of September 12, 2014 when the incident happened, an aircraft was seen flying low over the collapsed building.

Led in examination-in-chief by counsel for the church, Mr. Oluseye Diyan, Haruna narrated, “On that fateful day on September 12, 2014 at about 12:30 hours, there was a radio communication from the police control room at Ikeja that they were receiving calls from the public of an aircraft flying at low altitude over the church.

“I was directed by the Area Command to confirm the incident and monitor the aircraft’s activities.

“I wanted to go out and direct my men to watch out for the aircraft when I received another report of an airplane flying at a very low altitude.

“I went outside but I couldn’t see it; by that time it had gone. I received a call later from Inspector Lucky Ugbaja, stationed at the church, that one of the church’s buildings had collapsed.”

According to him, the radio room had earlier radioed the Police Airport Command to confirm whether it was carrying out any activity in the SCOAN vicinity.

Haruna said when he arrived on the church’s premises there was a large crowd and the few policemen there were trying to manage the situation.

“More onlookers kept trooping in and the crowd spilled to the roads outside

Haruna told the judge, adding that he called for more policemen, which was provided.

He said his men cordoned off the scene in an attempt to restrict entrance to only those who could assist the church members and other worshippers in the rescue operation.

According to him, the floors of the collapsed building were lying on one another and the church members and others at the scene were engaged in rescue operations.

“Those I met there were SCOAN worshippers, they were bringing out so many people from under the rubble. Most of the victims were alive. Some were injured, some were not.

“…Later the Red Cross, Life Savers, National Emergency Management Agency, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency arrived and joined us in the rescue.”

The witness stated that the LASEMA General Manager complained of difficulty in gaining access to the scene of the collapsed building because of the crowd and that the journalists in his entourage were denied access, following which he apologised and ordered his men to let the journalists in.

He said the rescue mission lasted about seven days.

During cross-examination by prosecution counsel, Dr. Babajide Martins, Haruna insisted that he could not recall any instance when LASEMA officials, or the then Commissioner for Physical Planning, Mr Toyin Ayinde, were prevented by the church members from gaining access to the site.

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Adeniyi Olugbemi, Sokoto

The Federal University Gusau has conducted its first screening and accreditation exercises and subsequently promoted a total of 262 employees, after serving the university for three years.

The promotion, according to the Information Officer of the school, Umar Usman, in a press statement, was approved by both the Senior and Junior Staff Establishment Committees after consideration of recommendations of the heads of departments of the promoted employees.

The number of teaching staff promoted to various levels was 55; senior non-teaching, 56; junior staff promoted to senior cadre, 80; while the number of junior staff promoted but remained in the junior cadre was 71.

The vice-chancellor of the university, Prof. Magaji Garba, said the promotion was done to make the employees feel comfortable working with the institution.

The statement further noted that all the promotions would take effect from January 1, 2018 and that the beneficiaries had already been paid their arrears.

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Justin Tyopuusu, Jalingo

Taraba State Governor, Mr. Darius Ishaku, has asked the World Bank to help in tackling the problem of Internally Displaced Persons in the state and other North-East states.

Ishaku disclosed this on Friday in Jalingo after his arrival from Abuja where he received an award from the Nigerian Medical Association for transforming the state’s health sector.

The governor said that during his visit to Abuja, he had a meeting with top officials of the bank, who were in the country on a fact-finding mission and that he requested their support for the IDPs who were forced to leave their homes following attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram insurgency.

According to the governor, Taraba State has been the target of killings by suspected herdsmen, which have worsened the problems of the IDPs.

“Series of crises in Taraba State have rendered health and other social facilities inadequate because of the increase in the population of those in need of care and attention.

“So, during my meeting with the World Bank team, I solicited for help from the bank in the promotion of agriculture and other areas to help deal with the problem of IDPs.

“During our meeting, I also intimated the team on the dangers posed by desertification and called for assistance in the area of dealing with desertification, which has made grasses inadequate for herdsmen, forcing them to move from one point to the other and this is a source of some herdsmen/farmers conflicts,” he said.

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Umar Muhammed, Lafia

The Nasarawa State government has said that it has concluded arrangements to collaborate with the Joint Tax Board to find ways to increase its Internally Generated Revenue so as to abolish the payment of incomplete salaries to workers across the 13 local government areas and 18 development areas of the state.

The state government said it was worried by the persistent shortfall in the local government allocations from the Federation Account to the state.

The state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Haruna Iliya-Osegba, disclosed this on Friday while addressing journalists after the Joint Account Allocation Committee meeting in Lafia.

According to him, there is a shortfall of N84m in the federal allocation to the 13 local government and 18 development areas of the state for the month of March when compared to what was received in February.

He said the state would not pay full salaries to local government workers even though it had taken care of the shortfall with the entire stabilisation account.

The commissioner also lamented that there were scores of ghost workers in the payroll of the local governments, urging the Auditor-General of the state to probe the local government pensions list, primary health care staff list and that of the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board, which were directly under local government payroll, to remove names of dead workers.

He added that after all statutory deductions from the Federal Allocation for local government areas in the state, the 13 local government areas and the 18 development areas shared over N1.2bn.

He, however, maintained that the state government, in finding a lasting solution to the payment of incomplete salaries to local government workers, had identified increasing Internally Generated Revenue as the solution to the problem.

He added that the state government would partner with the Joint Tax Board to find a way to boost the revenue base of local government areas.

He said, “In the course of our discussion, we met with the Joint Tax Board and we presented this issue to them. Subsequently, we are going to meet with the Joint Tax Board to ensure that we are able to resolve this issue of Internally Generated Revenue in Nasarawa State.”

The commissioner explained that local government workers would be paid between 70 and 90 per cent of their salaries, expressing hope that the situation would improve in subsequent months.

He said, “If we are able to generate N1m per day in some local governments, the local government should be able to generate N30m a month and it will go a long way to close the gap for us to pay local government workers 100 per cent salary.”

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Godwin Isenyo, Kaduna

The Kaduna State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has deployed 6,000 men to monitor the local government election scheduled for Saturday (today) in the state.

The NSCDC also warned youths against thuggery before, during and after the election.

Speaking on behalf of the state Commandant of the NSCDC, Alhaji Modu Bunu, the command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Orndiir Terzungwe, said that apart from the 6,000 personnel the command had deployed, there would also be reinforcement from neighbouring states like Kano, Zamfara, Plateau, Nasarawa, Niger and the Federal Capital Territory.

“The corps, in synergy with other agencies, has made arrangements to ensure the security of lives and sensitive election materials at the polling units, collation centres and the [Kaduna] State Independent Electoral Commission offices across the state,” he said.

Bunu stated that among the personnel deployed to monitor the poll were heads of departments, area commanders, divisional officers and head of units and outposts.

He warned that anyone found sabotaging the efforts of the corps would face the full wrath of the law.

While calling on youths to eschew violence and shun political thuggery, he warned that perpetrators of such acts would not only be arrested but also sanctioned accordingly.

Meanwhile, ahead of today’s local government and councillorship elections in the 23 local government areas and 255 wards in the state, the Kaduna State Government on Friday announced the restriction of movement between 6am and 5pm on all state roads.

A statement by Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, said that the restriction order was sequel to a request by the KASIECOM.

The governor noted that security had been tightened to ensure the smooth conduct of the election just as security agencies had been mandated to enforce the movement restriction order.

The governor also urged residents of the state to shun violence and conduct themselves peacefully and also respect the integrity of the voting process.

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Olaleye Aluko, Abuja

Troops of the Nigerian Army on a clearance operation have clashed with gun-wielding bandits in the Numan area of Adamawa State, during which 10 of the attackers were killed.

Our correspondent learnt that during the exchange of gun fire which lasted for one hour, one bandit, identified as Adamu Umar, was also arrested and handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.

According to the army, troops recovered several weapons during the encounter, including four guns and 13 rounds of ammunition.

It was learnt that the corpses of the 10 bandits were also handed over to the police, while troops continued the clearance operations.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Texas Chukwu, who confirmed the deaths and arrest, said the residents of Adamawa and other states in crisis must report suspicious activities to troops and other security agencies for prompt action.

He said, “Troops conducting a clearance operation in the Numan general area of Adamawa have neutralised 10 bandits following an encounter. Items recovered include: 18 motorcycles, two Dane guns, one submachine gun, one double-barrelled gun, four cartridges, 13 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and one cutlass.

“One of the bandits was captured during the operation. Preliminary investigation is ongoing while the suspect and the remains of the bandits have been handed over to the police.

“The public is hereby advised once again to always report any suspicious activities to the law enforcement agents for prompt action.”

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Eric Dumo

In a bid to give more Nigerians access to quality primary healthcare services across the country, the Federal Government is set to train civil servants on how to carry out routine immunisation.

According to a statement by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the civil servants will at a workshop in Abuja on Monday be taught by leading experts how to key into the programme and provide basic health services to individuals and households in many Nigerian communities.

The workshop, which will be opened by the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Etta, will also have in attendance the Executive Director, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, representatives of major development partners and civil society organisations, who are expected to make useful contributions.

While addressing members of the National Steering Committee for the initiative, Shuaib described civil servants as the leading agents and drivers of the success of any government’s programmes and policies.

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Jesusegun Alagbe

The Benin Electricity Distribution Plc has called on organisations to ensure strict compliance with highest safety standards with a view to reducing occupational hazards.

A statement by the company quoted the Safety Manager, BEDC, Mr. Gilbert Nweke, as making this call in commemoration of the 2018 World Safety Day, which held on April 28.

Speaking as a panelist during the day’s celebration at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin, Nweke said every organisation needed to put in place a safe working environment for its workers.

He said other responsibilities organisations must bear included providing the needed tools for the employees to do their jobs safely; ensuring actions were taken to correct cases of hazard; making available the safety policy to workers; and enforcing compliance with the use of Personal Protective Equipment.

According to him, BEDC has been at the forefront of adopting top safety measures, including collaboration with state governments to drive the campaign on the dangers of residing or performing commercial activities under power lines; and enlightening the public on the need to imbibe safety culture while using electricity.

Nweke also said that the company had been providing on-the-job training for young graduates, in partnership with the Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State.

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Gbenro Adeoye

The Coalition for Nigeria Movement, a group formed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has described the records of uncollected Permanent Voter Cards by the Independent National Electoral Commission as ridiculous and unbelievable.

The CNM’s Director of Media and Public Communications, Mr. Akin Osuntokun, on Thursday, said the recent statistics released by INEC that there were about 1.4 million uncollected PVCs in Lagos State, while Kano State had about 195,000, showed an “absurd disparity”.

INEC had said it was still in possession of 7,920,129 PVCs yet to be collected from its offices across the nation and that a breakdown of the uncollected PVCs as of March 2018 showed that Lagos had the highest number with 1,401,390 PVCs yet to be collected, while Kano had 195,941.

The data showed that Oyo State had 647,586 uncollected PVCs, while Edo and Bauchi states had 449,001 and 15,542 respectively.

But according to Osuntokun, the disparity appears to show that there is an agenda to ensure that a fewer number of voters emerge in the South and more in the North in the 2019 presidential election.

He said, “If you look at the figures presented by INEC critically, you will see that there is a disparity that is very absurd and peculiar. And it seems that the ground is being prepared for fait accompli. I find the figures released by INEC inexplicable and a little bit absurd.

“You are saying that about 1.4 million PVCs have not been claimed in Lagos State but in Kano, it is less than 200,000. Is that possible? How do you explain that kind of drastic variation in the attitude of the electorate? What INEC is saying is that about five per cent of the electorate in Lagos State are likely to vote and 95 per cent of the electorate in Kano State are likely to vote.

“It doesn’t make sense that in terms of compliance, authenticity and validity of the voter register. Going by what we have been told, it means that Kano State has 95 per cent compliance if they are saying that it is only about 190,000 out of about two million registered voters, that have not collected their PVCs.

“Historically, what we are being presented with is not possible. Are they saying the electorate in Lagos State are five per cent compliant and those of Kano State are 95 per cent compliant?”

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