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Cut Cost Of Governance, Spare Country From Borrowing, Labour Tells FG

Published

3 years ago

July 25, 2021

Leadership of the Nigeria Civil Service Union at the Federal Capital Territory has called on the Federal Government to cut the cost of governance in the country both at the federal and state levels to safe the country from avoidable borrowing.

This was part of the highlights of a communique issued at the end of the union’s meeting held recently in Abuja.

The communique posited that “in view of the dwindling resources, the Union regretted that hundreds of millions of Naira are being used in maintaining and paying political office holders while a greater percentage of Youth are unemployed and facing abject poverty.

“The meeting therefore urged government at all levels to cut down the size of political appointees in order to save resources to meet up with other developmental programmes”

The communique which was signed by the Chairman, Federal Council, Comrade Timothy Odebunmi and the Council’s Secretary, Comrade Daniel Otakpo, expressed worry over the level of high rate poverty, rise in prices of food items and its attendant effects on insecurity, rising crime rate, corruption, kidnapping, cultism, herdsmen/farmers clashes, banditry and other social vices despite efforts by security agencies against these unfortunate incidences.

The union therefore counseled the Federal Government to mitigate these torrendous security milliew by putting up measures that will address the level of poverty and unemployment as a guarantee for social security and peaceful co-existence in the country.

On job efficiency and effectiveness in the public service, the union advocated good working environment which according to it can only come to fruition if relevant working materials are provided and the urgent renovation of Federal Secretariat.

The union also expressed worry over shortage of working materials in some ministries Department and Agencies (MDAs) this has slowed down the rate of output by Workers in different MDAs

The union therefore suggested a redouble efforts and advised some Head of Departments to follow financial guidelines and regulations to prevent diversion of funds for personal aggrandizement serving as salary supplement which it said is antithetical to the public service philosophy.

Other highlights of the communique include a call to deploy adequate fund for education and training programmes which has declined in recent time.

On need for adequate training in the public service, the union admonished both federal and state governments to urgently adapt a training package for all cadres in the public service inorder to equip officers and personnel with requisite skills and competence in order to reposition the industry to be responsive, efficience and transparence.

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Man, 38 Escapes Assassination Attempt In Benin

Published

9 months ago

July 22, 2023

Editor

Innocent Omoruyi

By Omokha Andrew

A 38-year-old activist, Innocent Omoruyi, narrowly escaped assassination in the early hours of Wednesday, July 19, 2023 as his residence at Obe Community,Sapele Road in Benin city was attacked by yet to be identified gun men.

The attack which eye witnesses say was viciously executed on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 bore the markings of a dreaded cult group terrorizing Benin City, the state capital.

The Obe, Sapale Road incident, it was learnt, happened soon after Omoruyi left the house to attend to matters of interest some few metres away from his home.

The assailants were said to have shot sporadically in their frustration as residents scampered for safety.

However, Omoruyi escaped unharmed.

One of the eye witnesses who craved anonymity said: “The felons apparently went for the kill, weilding guns and other dangerous weapons. “We are shocked that they didn’t see Innocent Omoruyi who was just some few metres away from home when they arrived”.

“How that happened, only God knows and it was obvious that it wasn’t his time to die yet and just before that not long ago his business place on Lagos Street, Benin City was burnt down in the middle of the night by unknown arsonists.

“This sequence of events is not ordinary. We know it’s politically motivated due to the role he played in the last general elections. He has been advised to go into hiding at the moment for his personal safety”, he concluded.

When contacted, the police Public Relations Officer Chidi Nwabuzor said he was yet to get any information as regards the latest incident. He promised to feed our correspondent with relevant details as soon as they become handy.

Our information source however revealed that the matter has already been incidented at the Love World Police station on Sapele Road, Benin city.

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Nigeria To Earn Over $4bn Revenue As FEC Okays Concession Of Abuja, Kano Airports

Published

11 months ago

May 18, 2023

Editor

Nigeria will earn over $4 billion in nominal revenue as the Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday okayed the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, to the Corporacion American Airport Consortium, a Luxembourg-based company.

James Odaudu, the Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the Minister of Aviation, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

According to him, the Council also approved that the Federal Ministry of Aviation would be renamed the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace.

The statement noted that the company would make combined upfront payments of $8.5 million for the concession of NAIA and MAKIA.

He added that the development would spur evidential growth within the Nigerian aviation industry.

“In alignment with the Aviation Roadmap, approved by Mr President on 18th October 2016, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace is delighted to inform all stakeholders, both local and international, and the media, that the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano has been approved by the Federal Executive Council,” the statement said.

In December 2022 and January 2023, Corporacion American Airport Consortium was announced as the preferred bidder for the airport’s concession after scaling through a series of evaluations of technical and financial bids.

Nominal revenues mean income not adjusted for inflation and decreasing purchasing power.

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Russia Expelled From Council Of Europe Amid War With Ukraine

Published

2 years ago

March 16, 2022

Editor

The Council of Europe says it has expelled Russia with immediate effect after 26 years of membership because of the Ukraine war.

The Committee of Ministers took the decision in a special session, the rights body announced in the French city of Strasbourg on Wednesday.

Earlier, Russia had already declared its withdrawal from the Council of Europe after it had taken steps to exclude it.

On Tuesday evening, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted unanimously in favour of Russia’s exclusion.

Russia joined the Council of Europe on Feb. 28, 1996.

Together with the formal notification of the withdrawal, the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe also received information from the Russian Federation on Tuesday about its intention to denounce the European Convention on Human Rights.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, the leaders of the Council of Europe once again condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

They expressed their solidarity with the Russian people, who continue to belong to the European family and share its values.

The body said it would continue to stand by Ukraine in the fight against the aggressor.

The Council of Europe monitors the observance of human rights in its 46 member states and is not part of the European Union.

The body reacted to the Russian invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago by suspending Russia’s membership, this decision was considered historic.