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Ex-militants Seek Decentralisation Of Surveillance Contract, Vow To Resist Imposition

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Former Niger Delta militants in Ondo State have called on President Bola Tinubu to decentralise the surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services.

The PUNCH reports that Tantita, a private security company owned by an ex-Niger Delta agitator, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, was awarded a multi-billion naira contract to secure the oil pipelines in the country in 2022.

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The ex-militants, under the umbrella of The Niger Delta Coastline Vanguard, said the group had been preventing the activities of vandals in the area, adding that the surveillance contract should be decentralised to accommodate them.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, the president of the group, Job Omotuwa, appealed to the president to allow his group to cover Ondo, Ogun, and Lagos State littoral corridor.

READ ALSO: Navy Goes After Sponsors Of Oil Bunkering In Rivers

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Omotuwa said, ”The Niger Delta Coastline Vanguard is a group of ex-militants who, under the Presidential Amnesty Program submitted weapons and were granted pardoned in 2017 with a promise to be properly integrated into the Federal Government Amnesty program with all accrued benefits.

“‘We are also licensed to operate under a registered company called Steve-Latcon Security Services and Niger Delta Coastline Vanguard which have impressive records of waterway security within and outside the state over a long period.

“It is on records that on 14th November 2021 at Abereke, a riverine community in iIlajelocal government, about 8 persons were arrested in four boats loaded with drums of Automotive Gas Oil popularly called diesel, this arrest was carried out by our security service, the NDCV Patrol Team lead by me(General Omotuwa) in conjunction with the Antivandal Unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, Ondo State Command. In an earlier effort, on 28th October, of the same year, a vessel was equally arrested by our team when the suspects engaged in illegal dealings in petroleum products business on the high sea.”

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READ ALSO: Arms Factory Uncovered In Lagos, Blacksmiths Arrested

He called on the president to consider the group’s appeal for the sake of equity, fairness, and peace in the region.

Omotuwa said, “We appeal to the President to consider NDCV in the ongoing decentralization plan of the pipeline surveillance contract to handle the entire corridor of the South West littoral States (Ondo, Ogun, Lagos) in the project for equity, fairness, and peace in the region. Also, for the Presidential Amnesty Commission to give full integration of this body into its plans, policies and program.”

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He vowed that ex-militants in the state would resist the imposition of any organisation to secure pipelines in the region.

“We shall not allow or accept any deliberate attempt by government or agent of the government to impose someone from another region who does not belong to our ethnic nationality on us to sustain the existing peace in the region, ” Omotuwa added.

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Lagos Suspends BRT Lane Enforcement On Eko Bridge, Odo Iya-Alaro

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The Lagos State Government has temporarily suspended enforcement of the Bus Rapid Transit lane along the Eko Bridge and Odo Iya-Alaro corridor to ease growing traffic congestion.

This gridlock is a result of the ongoing structural rehabilitation on the Ogudu-Ifako Bridge expansion joint.

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Special Adviser to the Lagos Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa announced the suspension on Wednesday, describing it as a strategic move to tackle gridlock in affected parts of the city.

This remedial measure, conceived as a palliative response to mitigate commuter hardship, aligns with the Lagos State Government’s forward-thinking and adaptive transportation strategy under the THEMES Plus Agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, particularly within the framework of sustainable traffic management and infrastructure modernisation,” Giwa said.

READ ALSO:Lagos Monarch Dethrones Six Chiefs For ‘Impersonating’ Him At Labour Party Campaign

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He explained that the temporary suspension is a transitional and conditional measure aimed at absorbing the anticipated vehicular overflow caused by the partial closure of the Ifako-bound carriageway of the Third Mainland corridor.

We are fully cognizant of the immense strain currently imposed on key ingress routes into the Lagos Mainland. Consequently, this tactical suspension of BRT lane enforcement is a calculated response designed to deliver immediate relief, reduce commuting time, and preserve the fluidity of vehicular movement throughout the duration of the bridge repairs,” he added.

According to him, the directive takes immediate effect and allows general vehicular access to previously restricted BRT corridors on Eko Bridge and Odo Iya-Alaro, particularly during peak travel periods.

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He said this move is expected to expand available road capacity and ease traffic along critical routes.

READ ALSO:Lagos Opens Teacher Recruitment Portal For Two Weeks

Giwa, however, stressed that commercial buses and articulated vehicles must remain in compliance with existing safety rules and loading guidelines to avoid worsening traffic conditions or compromising public safety.

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He also disclosed that the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has been mobilised to strengthen its presence along the affected corridors.

Enhanced personnel deployment and traffic equipment are now in place to ensure orderly conduct, prevent exploitation of the temporary suspension, and respond promptly to any emergent traffic disturbances,” Giwa stated.

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Lagos Opens Teacher Recruitment Portal For Two Weeks

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The Lagos State Government has announced the reactivation of its teaching job recruitment portal to allow qualified individuals to apply for entry-level teaching positions.

In a notice issued by the Lagos State Teaching Service Commission on Tuesday, the portal will be open for applications from Tuesday, July 1 to Monday, July 14, 2025.

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The Lagos State Teaching Service Commission is set to reactivate its Recruitment Portal as a bold step towards improving access to employment opportunities, equity, and fairness.

READ ALSO:FG Gives Overstaying Foreigners Ultimatum To Regularise Visa

The job portal, which will be accessible for two weeks (Tuesday, July 1st 2025, to Monday, July 14th, 2025), is intended to provide a centralised platform where individuals can apply for State Teaching jobs at the entry level (GL 08) in their relevant fields,” the notice read.

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The move, according to the Commission, is aimed at improving access to employment opportunities in the education sector while ensuring equity and fairness.

TESCOM urged interested applicants with a degree in Education or other relevant qualifications to visit the official portal https://tescomjobs.lagosstate.gov.ng and apply for teaching roles at Grade Level 08.

The notice was signed by the Chairman of the Lagos State Teaching Service Commission.

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FG Unveils N50m Grant To Boost Student Innovation, Entrepreneurship

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The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has announced a N50m Student Grant Venture Capital Initiative to support scaling student-led enterprises in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.

Alausa said the initiative aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry by turning homegrown research into commercially viable products and services.

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The minister made the announcement on Wednesday in Abuja when he inaugurated the Research and Innovation Commercialisation Committee.

READ ALSO:NSCDC, Immigration, Others: FG Postpones Recruitment, Changes Portal

He said the scheme, which will be anchored by TETFund in partnership with the Bank of India, targets undergraduate students in 300-level and above with viable business models and innovations ready for market expansion.

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According to the minister, the development is aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda of transitioning Nigeria from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-driven one.

We have hundreds of thousands of young geniuses across our institutions. This fund is designed to unlock their potential and help them build globally competitive enterprises,” the minister said.

READ ALSO:FG Gives Overstaying Foreigners Ultimatum To Regularise Visa

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On her part, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, described the inauguration as a landmark moment in Nigeria’s education and innovation history.

For too long, research in our tertiary institutions has been reduced to tools for promotion rather than solutions for development. This must change,” she said.

In his response, the Committee Chairman, Dr. Tayo Aduloju, described the RICC as “a matter of national urgency”, noting that Nigeria’s research investment as a percentage of GDP is among the lowest when compared to peer nations.

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