News

Senators Screen Service Chiefs In A Closed Session

Published

10 months ago

July 13, 2023

Editor

Forty- eight hours after the Senate received Communication from President Bola Tinubu, the Senators have begun the screening of the Service Chiefs.

The newly appointed Service Chiefs on Thursday arrived the National Assembly to face the Senators at the hallowed chamber for confirmation of their appointments in line with the Constitution.

The top security Chiefs are Major General Christopher G Musa, Chief of Defence Staff; Major General T.A Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, Chief Naval Staff and Air Vice Marshal H. B. Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff.

To begin the process, the Service Chiefs arrived the National Assembly Complex at about 10.00am for an appointment that was slated for 11.00am.

They were still outside the Chamber until the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabío acknowledged their presence during the plenary

After their presence were acknowledged through a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Senator Michael Bamidele Opeyemi, Senate President suspended Order their Order 60 in the Senate Standing Orders 2022 as Amended to enable the Chamber attend to them.

Opeyemi said: “That the Senate do consider the request of Mr President and Commander-in -Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the confirmation of the nomination of Service Chiefs.”

At this point, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on National Assembly Matters( Senate), Senator Abdullahi Gumel ushered the Service Chiefs to the hallowed chamber.

Thereafter, the visitors to the Senate were given two minutes each to introduce themselves before the Chamber dissolved into a Committee of the whole behind closed doors at 12. 42pm.

Recall that President Tinubu had on Tuesday written the Senate, seeking for the screening and subsequent confirmation of the new Chief of Defence Staff and service chiefs.

The request was contained in a letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

Akpabio who read the letter during Plenary, said that the request was in line with the Act establishing the Armed Forces.

Recall that President Tinubu had, last month, appointed Major General Christopher Musa as the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Major General bTaoreed Lagbaja as the chief of Army Staff.

Tinubu also appointed Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla as the Chief of Naval Staff and Air Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar as the Chief of Air Staff and Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye appointed the Chief of Defence Intelligence.

He urged the Red Chamber to consider his request expeditiously.

Akpabio, after reading the letter, referred the request to the Committee of the Whole as there was no Standing Committee on Armed Forces, just as this means that the Service Chiefs would be screened on the floor of the Senate, not at the Committee level.

News

Nigeria Medical Association Gets New President

Published

59 seconds ago

May 12, 2024

Editor

A professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bala Audu, has been elected as the new President of the Nigeria Medical Association.

The election took place during the annual delegates meeting held in Calabar, Cross Rivers state.

Audu obtained a degree in Medicine from the University of Maiduguri in 1988 and a Master’s degree in Obstetrics and Gynecology from the University of London in 1994.

He’s also a Fellowship in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1997.

In 2008, he obtained a hospital administration and health services certificate from the National Institute of Public Health, Japan.

Before his election, Audu served as the Provost of the College of Medical Sciences at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, in 2017 and later as Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, in Bauchi state.

Audu is recognized for his contributions to the field of medicine, having trained many young obstetric doctors and conducted numerous research works on cancer prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment.

Other leaders elected during the meeting include Benjamin Olowojebutu as Vice President, Usha Anenga as Vice President 2, Ben Egbo as Secretary-General, Wale Lasisi as the Assistant Secretary-General, Celestine Ugwoke as Treasurer, Harrison Omokhua as Financial Secretary, and Manir Bature as the National Publicity Secretary.

The NMA has announced that the new leaders were selected from NMA branches across the country and will lead the association’s activities from 2024 to 2026, after which another leadership cycle will emerge.

News

Hunters Rescue Baby Buried Alive In Benue

Published

1 hour ago

May 12, 2024

Editor

Photo: file copy

Some hunters have found a baby reportedly buried alive in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State.

The incident, according to a resident of the local government who simply identified himself as Terna happened in the Ashav Kusuv community.

Terna said that hunters found her and brought her alive from the forest where she was buried alive.

“Some hunters on Saturday found a baby girl and said that they found her buried alive in a forest. The baby is currently being taken care of at Ashav Kusuv community,” he said.

Chairman of the local government, Iorkyaan Agber who spoke to our correspondent on the phone on Sunday confirmed the report and stated that the baby was found in a forest by some hunters.

“Some hunters indeed found a baby in the forest but we are investigating to know who went and dropped a baby in the forest and the reason for doing that,” he said.

Efforts to get the reaction of the Benue Police Spokesperson, Catherine Anene, were not successful as her phone rang out.

News

Edo: Man Arrested For Posting Obscene Photos Of 4-year-old Daughter Online

Published

1 hour ago

May 12, 2024

Editor

The Edo State Police Command has arrested a father who uses his 4-year-old daughter for adult contents.

This follows an alert from Nigerians on social media who drew the attention of relevant authorities to the obscene photos of the minor posted on an Instagram account handled by the suspect.

Some of the photos include those of the minor in suggestive poses and thongs.

Others photos were taken at hotels in the company of her father and grown men.

The father also posted a flyer with a photo of the minor naked except for an underwear, announcing her birthday party scheduled to hold on May 28, 2024, at Spring Leaders Montessori School in Auchi.

Social media users feared that the minor is a victim of sexual exploitation and called on the police to immediately arrest the men, including the photographer who took the birthday photos.

Reacting to the photos and subsequent outcry by Nigerians in a statement, Nigeria Police Force, Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said investigation revealed that the father of the girl was involved and was consequently arrested.

His statement reads in part: “The Nigeria Police Force acknowledges the public outcry in response to disturbing images and videos involving a 4-year-old child with the Instagram handle @officialsarah_ig, circulating on social media.

“The content portrays the young child in inappropriate poses, akin to adult contents. The Force expresses profound shock and grave concern over the apparent exploitation of this vulnerable child and unequivocally condemns such actions in the strongest terms possible.

“Prima facie investigations indicate the involvement of the child’s father, who has been apprehended by the Police at the Auchi Divisional Police Headquarters, Edo State Police Command.

“Every necessary measure is being implemented to ensure that justice is swiftly served. As the investigation unfolds, it is imperative to establish proactive measures to guide and counsel parents, preventing the proliferation of such anomalies in our society.

“In light of the above, the Force emphasizes the importance of implementing support systems for parents and guardians to protect the safety and well-being of their children.

“It is crucial for caregivers to also prioritize the security of minors and seek assistance or guidance when required.

“The Nigeria Police Force remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding children and upholding the law.”

Also reacting to the disturbing posts, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) urged the public to desist from further sharing photos of the child.

“This is Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSCAM) which is a crime. We are working on contacting Meta to bring down the accounts while we track the offenders,” the agency stated.

“We urge the public to desist from further sharing unsanitised pictures of this child; you are adding to the distribution of SCAM which is also a crime.”