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Otuaro Lauds President Yar’Adua For Establishing Presidential Amnesty Programme
Published
2 months agoon
By
Editor
Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro, has applauded the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua for proclaiming amnesty for former agitators of the Niger Delta and also establishing the progamme.
In a statement, Mr Igoniko Oduma,
Special Assistant on Media to the PAP boss, said Otuaro spoke at the 2nd President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Leadership Conference and Awards, organised by the Global Initiative for Leadership Success in Abuja on Saturday.
The event, which was themed: “Electoral Management Institution: Midwife of True Democracy, Development, and Prosperity,” the PAP boss was to also received a corporate service award in recognition of his efficient administration of the PAP.
Represented by his Special Assistant on Data and ICT, Monabe Mitee, Otuaro noted that Yar’Adua also created the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs before inaugurating the PAP as part of his response to the civic demands of the region’s people.
READ ALSO: Amnesty Boss, Otuaro, Pledges Inclusive Programme For Niger Delta Communities
The PAP boss, while describing him as ‘a selfless leader and a patriot,’ said Yar’Adua, who governed the country from May 29, 2007, to May 5, 2010, was deeply concerned about the need for guaranteed sustainable peace, stability, and development in the region.
The PAP Administrator, while paying tribute to the former Katsina State governor’s memories, extolled his exemplary and exceptional leadership as well as his high ethical and moral values in public service.
“President Yar’Adua was a listening leader, and this was evident in his response to the civic demands of the Niger Delta people.
“He not only proclaimed amnesty for the region’s freedom fighters at the time, but he also established the Presidential Amnesty Programme which I am heading today by the benevolence of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and as a precursor to the programme he also created the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs,” Otuaro said.
READ ALSO: King Ateke Breaks Silence On Rumoured Clash With PAP Boss, Otuaro
He further said that Yar’Adua operated an efficient administration in Katsina State as a governor and left indelible development footprints with profound impacts on education and infrastructure across the state.
He said Yar’Adua had a deep understanding of the burden of leadership and brought this to bear in the governance of the country when he was elected president in 2007, ‘showing an unwavering commitment, zeal, and dedication to fix and transform Nigeria’ through his seven-point agenda.
Otuaro noted that the insight and reasons that informed the organiser’s initiative were noble, saying they had provided a platform to celebrate, honour and immortalize Yar’Adua and his legacies.
The PAP Administrator added, “He also ran a government of national unity to demonstrate his faith in a nation united by common aspirations for the attainment of national development, peace, security, progress, and shared prosperity and greatness.
“I believe that President Yar’Adua would have contributed much more of his quota to the country’s development process if his tenure had not been cut short by his protracted illness and eventual demise in office.
“He would be remembered for his selfless service. He was, indeed, a patriot!”
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News
ITF Warns Organisations, Employers Against Rejection Of IT Students
Published
2 hours agoon
September 4, 2025By
Editor
The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has warned organisations and employers nationwide against rejecting students seeking attachment for their Industrial Training (IT) exercises.
ITF Area Manager in Bauchi, Dr Ashore Paul, issued the warning on Thursday during the orientation exercise for prospective IT students of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi.
Represented by Mrs Nanzem Yilshuut, Head of Training at the ITF Bauchi Area Office, Paul said that “the act establishing the Fund mandates every organisation to accept students for industrial attachment.”
He further stated that any employer or organisation found in breach of these provisions was liable to conviction and sanctions.
READ ALSO:ITF Trains 120 Youth In Plumbing, Solar Power Installation, Others In Bauchi State
Paul also urged the prospective IT students to adhere to the rules and regulations of any organisation they joined and to be willing to learn and fulfill their responsibilities.
“When these students come back, we expect that there is a difference.
“They should have learned something new because definitely, what they learned in school, would be expected to be put into practicals.
“This will help them in their academics and also assist them in their future endeavours.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Provide Update On Missing N3bn Within 48 Hours, Reps Tells ITF
“They must participate 100 per cent, they must be disciplined and they must be willing to learn.
“We go round to ensure that they are doing what they are expected to do at their places of attachment.
“When we go for supervision, we ensure that what they are learning is in line with their courses,” he said.
The Rector of the institution, Sani Usman, said that the industrial attachment was an activity that enabled polytechnics to fulfill their mandate as technology and skill-driven institutions.
READ ALSO:Edo Govt Lauds ITF On Training Of 100 Edo Youths On Skills
“Our students are given industrial experience during their first year so as to be registered in their minds that all of them are meant to be skilled class men and women and that is why the industrial attachment is very important.
“It enables them to build on what they have learned in their respective classrooms and practicals during the year,” he said.
Usman emphasised the importance of proper supervision during industrial training.
READ ALSO: I’m Being Impersonated – Goodluck Jonathan Disowns Social Media Account
According to him, it will ensure students not only attend their placements but also carry out their assigned tasks effectively.
“The supervision is also to see that the employers or the places they have been sent to do their Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) do not exploit them to the level that is not required by the institution”, he said.
He further revealed that 3,000 students across all departments in the institution were going for this year’s SIWES.

A Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, in the department of surgery, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Uyo, Prof Eyo Ekpe has warned cigarettes smokers and patients with diabetes to take adequate of their chest in order not to fall a victim of cardiac arrest .
He said that these health conditions trigger certain types of abnormal heartbeats called arrhythmias responsible for sudden cardiac arrest.
Professor Ekpe gave the warning on Wednesday while delivering the 117th Inaugural Lecturer of the University of Uyo, titled “My Chest! My Chest!! My Chest!!!: Relieving Chest Pain, Preventing Death and Restoring Health”
He disclosed that many Nigerians have died for ignoring cardiac arrest triggers, preventing them, or seeking late medical attention to chest related ailments.
READ ALSO:Tobacco Kills 1.3 Million Non-smokers Yearly — WHO
“Chest pain should not be ignored. Symptom of chest pain that is reported early would afford the clinician the opportunity to obtain adequate medical history from the person, medically examine the person thoroughly, optimally conduct the necessary laboratory tests to unravel the cause, and apply an evidence based treatment modality to relieve the chest pain, prevent death and restore heath.
“People should guard their heart diligently to prevent heart attack. Cigarette should not be smoked, high blood pressure should be prevented or controlled, diabetes mellitus should be prevented or controlled, and high blood cholesterol and lipoprotein should be prevented or controlled. A culture of regular physical exercise must be intentionally domesticated.
“People should guard their heart diligently to prevent cardiac arrest. Causes and triggers of arrhythmias should be prevented by preventing stress, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, coronary artery disease and electrolyte disorders, and avoiding cigarette smoking and alcohol abuse,” he stated.
READ ALSO:Marijuana Smokers Prone To Head, Neck Cancers — Study
Ekpe said medical consultation for chest problems should be with qualified medical doctors to avoid misdiagnosis, wrong treatment and complications, adding that regular medical checks and timely reports of symptoms of ailments must be prioritised.
“Safe-driving habit and road safety must be taken as a serious business. Seat restrained-belt should be used by all occupants of moving vehicles.
“Bicycles, motorcycles and tricycles should not ply traffic-congested roads. All victims of chest pain and chest injuries must be attended to by qualified medical doctors in a timely manner,” he advised.
News
FirstBank’s Digital Banking Channels Suffers Downtime
Published
4 hours agoon
September 4, 2025By
Editor
FirstBank has suffered a temporary disruption to its major digital banking channels, which will prevent some customers from completing transactions.
In a notice issued on Thursday, the bank said the downtime is affecting services on FirstMobile, FirstOnline, and its *894# USSD platforms.
“Please be informed that we are currently experiencing some downtime affecting transactions to other banks on FirstMobile, FirstOnline, and USSD platforms. Customers may therefore experience delayed or declined transactions,” the circular read.
READ ALSO:Sterling Bank Unveils First 30 Beneficiaries Of N2bn Scholarship
The bank apologised for the inconvenience and assured customers that its technical team, working with partner service providers, is making every effort to restore full services as quickly as possible.
The disruption occurred less than two months after FirstBank introduced facial biometric authentication on its FirstMobile app, designed to enhance the customer experience and security.
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