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FG Okays Salary Increase For Port Workers

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The Federal Government has approved a salary increase for the staff members of the Nigerian Ports Authority.

The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, said this over the weekend at the long service award organised by the management of the NPA.

Sambo commended the management of the agency for their commitment to staff welfare.

The Minister also commended the Managing- Director, NPA, Mohammad Bello-Koko, for what he described as his unprecedented performance in revenue generation and remittance.

He said, “In my median visit to the NPA upon resumption of office, as minister of transportation I was commending the NPA MD, for his unprecedented performance in revenue generation and remittance, he has solicited my backing and support to fast track the processes and procedures for the implementation of salary increase which I immediately acceded to and today I am delighted that it has been achieved.”

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Sambo however congratulated the awardees and the entire staff of NPA for their commitment.

“Let me also tell you that the ministry under my watch will continue to provide everything possible for the welfare of the staff of the ministry,” he added.

READ ALSO: Tragedy: Varsity Student Commits Suicide In Ondo

Earlier, the MD, NPA, Bello-Koko, thanked the Federal Government for their support towards the ensuring increment of staff salaries, saying, “we will like to use this opportunity to appreciate everyone here for their support towards the deliver of salary increase for our dedicated staff.”

Bello-Koko said equipping the human capital resource to be the best has been one of the overriding objectives of the management.

He added that the agency would make good move in this noble cause.

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Our drive towards ensuring 100 per cent occupational health and safety for our staff which has resulted in the ISO certification of Calabar and Onne ports, and we are not relenting on it,” Bello-Koko said.

 

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I Was Tied For Three Days, Abducted Lagos Editor Recounts Ordeal

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The abducted Editor of FirstNews Newspaper, Segun Olatunji, on Thursday, recounted his ordeal at the hands of the military personnel who abducted him from his Lagos home.

Military authorities had earlier on Thursday, yielded to pressure and released Olatunji, who was abducted from his home in Lagos State on Friday, March 15, 2024.

The PUNCH confirmed that he was released to some media stakeholders, including Yomi Odunuga of The Nation newspaper and Iyobosa Uwugiaren of Thisday Newspaper in Abuja after sustained pressure from the media.

They were asked to guarantee that they would make Olatunji available if needed again.

The International Press Institute, the Nigeria Guild of Editors, and Olatunji’s employers had in separate statements faulted his incarceration, asking authorities to either release the editor or charge him to court.

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READ ALSO: INEC Disowns LP’s National Convention

Narrating his ordeal after his release at a press briefing organised by the leaderships of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Nigeria Union of Journalists and IPI in Abuja, Olatunji said he was blindfolded and flown to the Federal Capital Territory where he was moved to a cell in handcuffs and leg chains for almost three days.

He said, “Someone came claiming to be from the military. He identified himself as Colonel Lawal. Immediately, he seized my phones.

“I went to the room to dress up. By the time I got downstairs, I saw soldiers inside the compound taking positions. Outside the gate, I saw about three vehicles with Air Force personnel, Army, Defence Intelligence Agency, and others all fully armed.

READ ALSO:Israel Bombs Gaza, Fights Hamas Around Hospitals

“I was handcuffed and taken straight to the office of the National Air Defence Corps where we waited for three hours. I did not know that they were waiting for an aircraft to pick me up to Abuja.

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“When the aircraft landed, I was blindfolded and moved to the aircraft, and we landed in Abuja shortly. I was leg cuffed also. They removed my clothes and I was left with my boxers. I was taken to Cell 9.

“There, I was left with leg and handcuffs. And at a point, one of the officers came and tightened the right leg and the right hand, and I was there groaning in pain. They did not loosen it until about two or three days after.

“Up till now, I could still feel the pains in my hands and legs.”

READ ALSO: Man Stabs Four To Death In US

Olatunji said those behind his ordeal were close to the government based on the questions he was asked.

He added, “They were asking me questions about certain stories that FirstNews had published.

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“They first told me that I was one of those abusing the Chief of Defence Intelligence (Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye). They did not say much about that.”

He said they also asked him about a story FirstNews had published about the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu (Mr Femi Gbajabiamila), which he described as a “major thing”.

“That is why I told some people earlier that those behind my arrest are people in the corridors of power who are not happy with FirstNews is doing and are bent on taking their own pound of flesh,” he added.

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JUST IN: Secondus, Sekibo, Others Declare Support For Tinubu, Fubara

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A former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus; and members of the Presidential Campaign Council of the party for the 2023 general elections in Rivers State have declared loyalty and support for President Bola Tinubu and the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

A former Minister of Transportation and the Director-General, PDP-PCC Rivers State, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, made the declaration during a news briefing in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Nigerian Lady Set To Drive From London To Lagos

Present at the briefing were Secondus; former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Austin Opara; Celestine Omehia, former deputy governor of the state, Tele Ikuru; Senator Lee Maeba; and former Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Gabriel Pidomson. among others.

The council supported the PDP presidential candidate in 2023, Atiku Abubakar, in the last elections.

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Details later…

 

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INEC To Publish Edo Gov Candidates’ Credentials Saturday

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Ahead of the September 21, 2024, Edo State governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission has said it would publish the particulars of 17 governorship candidates and their running mates on March 30, 2024.

The personal particulars of the candidates would be published by displaying copies of Form EC9 along with all academic credentials and other documents submitted by each candidate at the state headquarters and the 18 local government offices across Edo State.

INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this on Wednesday.

READ ALSO: [JUST IN] Okuama Killings: Army Declares Eight Persons Wanted [FULL LIST]

Olumekun said, “Following the conclusion of party primaries, 17 political parties have uploaded their candidates’ nomination forms for the Edo State Governorship Election by the deadline of 6 pm on 24th March 2024 when the dedicated portal automatically shut down.

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“The personal particulars of the governorship candidates and their running mates will be published on Saturday 30th March 2024, a week from the last date for the submission of nominations as provided in Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.

“The commission shall publish the personal particulars by displaying copies of Form EC9 along with all academic credentials and other documents submitted by each candidate at the state headquarters and the 18 local government offices across Edo State.”

READ ALSO: Man Slumps, Dies During Fight In Kwara

The commission appealed to Nigerians to scrutinise the document (particulars of the candidates) when published.

“We appeal to Nigerians to scrutinise the documents. Any aspirant who participated in his/her party primaries with reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by the candidate is false can challenge the nomination in a Federal High Court as provided in Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022,” the National Commissioner said.

The INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, had last week expressed the frustration of the electoral body over the rancorous primary elections in various political parties ahead of the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State.

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Yakubu, who spoke in Abuja at the first regular quarterly consultative meeting with political parties, said INEC found the infighting within political parties disruptive of its activities, adding that INEC also wastes funds to defend litigation arising from controversial primaries.

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