164 ex-corps members bag FG’s employment, scholarships

President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday announced automatic employments and scholarships for post-graduate studies for 164 former members of the National Youth Service Corps.

Jonathan made the announcement at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during the 2014 President’s NYSC Honours Award and the flag off of the NYSC Hope Alive Programme aimed at helping corps members who suffer permanent disabilities during their service.

The 164 awardees were drawn from the 2012, 2013 and 2014 service years for their exceptional performances during their service.

While 55 persons were selected from 2012; 52 were picked from 2013 and 57 selected from 2014 service year.

Jonathan promised that awardees who would be absolved into the Federal Civil Service were those who have not yet been employed by their state governments.

He promised to continue to accord priority to youth empowerment programmes by initiating policies and programmes that would focus on youths.

“A nation that does not build the youth is building a nation for disaster,” Jonathan said.

Niger Delta ministry workers protest unpaid wages

No fewer than 20 contract workers, rendering cleaning and security services in the Cross River State office of the Ministry of Niger Delta, on Monday protested against the nonpayment of their wages for four months.

The workers said beside being owed wages, the ministry had in December decided to terminate their running contract, rendering them jobless.

The protesters, who carried placards bearing various inscriptions to the office of the ministry along Parliamentary Road in Calabar, said they were last paid in August 2014.

Inscriptions on the placards included ‘Labourer deserve his or her wages’, ‘We are not for violence, we are for peace’, and ‘Pay us our wages’.

Our correspondent learnt exclusively that the ministry, had since 2009, disengaged its own cleaners and security workers from services due to financial constraints and decided to outsource the services.

Speaking on behalf of the workers, one of the outsourced security personnel, Mr. Victor Akata, said it was unfortunate that the ministry decided to lay them off without paying their salaries.

He said, “We have been working since 2009 in this state office of the ministry. Most of us are graduates but because of lack of job, we decided to stick to this one. We were initially owed seven months but they paid three months out of it last year.

“Now they have laid us off without paying our backlog. How do they want us to survive? Most of us could not even come to join in this protest because they do not even have transport fair.”

A source in the ministry, who preferred anonymity, told our correspondent that since the contract was outsourced to local contractors, each of the nine state offices, under the ministry, had been saddled with the responsibility of paying between N1.5m and N1.7m per month to these categories of workers.

She said, “What is happening here now will also have ripple effect in other state offices because they have not been paid as well. The ministry decided to disengage these categories of workers in 2009 and outsourced them.

“Again, in December 2014, they decided to terminate the contract altogether due to lean resources. Unfortunately, the workers have not been paid for some months. This is not happening in Cross River alone; it is all over the nine states where the ministry operates.”

However, speaking on behalf of the ministry, the accountant, Mr. James Adeboye, confirmed the workers’ claims, saying the message had been relayed to the ministry’s head office in Abuja for necessary action

Bayelsa begins ‘operation show your PVC

Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson and a former Governor of the state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, on Monday led the campaign for the collection of Permanent Voter Cards.

The governor had declared Monday as public holiday in the state to enable residents who had yet to collect their PVCs to do so.

As part of the efforts to encourage the people to collect their PVCs, the governor and his entourage, which comprised various candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, went to many wards and units to sensitise the people on the significance of PVCs.

Areas visited by Dickson were Igbogene, Agudama, Igbogoro, Down Yenagoa and other places in the Yenagoa Metropolis.

He reminded the people that the state government would not take it lightly with any public or civil servant that failed to collect their PVCs.

He said as from Wednesday, this week, the government would embark on ‘Operation Show Your PVCs,’ noting that any civil servant or public servant that failed to get theirs would have themselves to blame.

He also told the prospective voters that their PVCs were their power to exercise their franchise in the forthcoming polls.

Dickson said, “Your vote in this democracy is your power. That is why we say in the PDP, power to the people. Power resides with the electorate. Without you, those in government are powerless.

“Soon, I am going to lead one man one vote campaign for the PDP in the state. Let me say that your PVC is very important. It is the instrument you can use to show your power which resides with electorate.

“As from Wednesday, we will embark on operation show your PVC. Before you will be attended to in schools, hospital and other public institutions, you must show your PVC or you will not be attended to. Everybody must show their PVC. Make sure you have your PVC.”

He commended the Independent National Electoral Commission for the work so far done, urging them to deal with PVCs challenges in some areas, particularly some units in Yenagoa.

In his remarks, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Bayelsa State, INEC, Mr. Baritor Kpagih, stressed the importance of the PVC, saying without it, one would not be allowed to vote.

He said the call by some people for the use of the Temporary Voter Cards did not suffice, saying the electoral umpire would not go back to that.

Jonathan’s bribes won’t give him victory – Senator

The senator representing Osun East Senatorial District at the Senate, Babajide Omoworare, has said President Goodluck Jonathan will not win the coming presidential election despite allegedly bribing influential Nigerians to support his re-election.

Omoworare said this at a press conference organised by the Osun State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists in Osogbo on Monday.

The senator said the election was postponed to enable Jonathan buy time but he stated that Nigerians had made up their minds to vote out Jonathan because of ineptitude and corruption.

According to the senator, Nigerians are fed up of Jonathan administration which he said entrenched corruption and allowed Boko Haram to kill thousands of Nigerians before taking any step to stop them.

APC to PDP, Fani-Kayode: Produce evidence of Osinbajo’s oath-taking

Abuja – The All Progressive Congress (APC) has asked the Peoples Democratic Party and its Presidential Campaign’s Director of Media and Publicity Femi Fani-Kayode to produce evidence on their purported claims of oath-taking and resignation of Prof Yemi Osinbajo for national leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the event that General Muhammadu Buhari wins the March 28 presidential election.

The APC Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO) in a statement in Abuja, Monday,  warned the PDP and Fani-Kayode to either show evidence of the oath-taking or retract the libelous claims within 72 hours or be ready to be charged to a court of law.

“For the PDP through Fani-Kayode to state publicly that an erudite Professor of law, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a reputable Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God swore an oath to vacate his seat as the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, should the party win the forthcoming election is an attack on the hard-won integrity and the reputations of these great Nigerians and APC stalwarts ,” said Mallam Garba Shehu, Director, Media and Publicity of the Campaign.

“We view this as both slanderous and libelous and therefore will not leave the matter to chance. To this effect, we hereby give Femi Fani-Kayode and the PDP 72 hours to produce evidence or in the alternative issue public apology to Pastor Yemi Osinbajo, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and our party the APC or be prepared to be charged to the court of law.”

Nigeria Navy hands over 11 suspected oil thieves to EFCC

Navy Captain Noel Madugu, Commanding Officer, Forward Operating Base, Brass, says the Nigerian Navy has handed over 11 suspected oil thieves to the Economic and Financial Crime’s Commission (EFCC) for prosecution.

Madugu made the disclosure when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa.

He said that the suspects were on board the vessel “MT Redemption’’ which was arrested by Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) in Badagry.

The commander said that the vessel was subsequently transferred to the Naval Base in Brass.

The naval base is saddled with the responsibility of handling oil theft-related matters where the impounded vessel is currently held.

Madugu said the vessel was laden with some 100,000 litres of stolen crude which weighed about 1,000 metric tons.

He said the captain of the ship on interrogation, claimed that the content of the tanks and drum was bitumen.

“The Captain of the vessel said that the cargo in the drum was bitumen but what we discovered was petroleum product suspected to be crude oil.

“We subjected the products to laboratory tests on Jan. 20, 2015 at Nigeria Agip Oil Company laboratory and it turned out to be crude oil.

“We have handed the suspects to the EFCC for further investigation and prosecution.

“A Senior Detective, Abraham Rege of the EFCC, was here at the handing over ceremony performed on Feb. 23, 2015,” Madugu said.

He said that MT Redemption belonged to Omar Oil Agency Ltd., a firm based in Tema, Ghana and owned by one Alhaji Omar Sulleman.

He said that the captain and crew members are all Nigerians.

Madugu said MT Redemption concealed the products in some external tanks comprising of 5×1000 litres container and 28 drums on the main deck.

He reiterated the command’s zero tolerance for oil theft and warned anyone contemplating disrupting the forthcoming elections to desist or have themselves to be blamed.

The commander also urged the people to give the Navy useful information to clamp down on oil theft and illegal oil bunkering.

Netanyahu denies split with US over speech

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied Monday that his upcoming speech to the US Congress was a slight to President Barack Obama, and insisted the US-Israeli alliance remains strong.

“You are here to tell the world that reports of the demise of the US relationship is not only premature, but it is wrong,” the Israeli leader told delegates to a pro-Israeli conference in Washington.

Netanyahu is due to address Congress on Tuesday to lobby against ongoing US efforts to reach a deal with Iran to curtail its nuclear program.

His visit to Washington has been criticized as a breach of diplomatic protocol: He was not invited by Obama and his speech will oppose White House foreign policy.

But Netanyahu told the annual AIPAC policy conference that the disagreement over the Iran talks would not harm the enduring alliance.

“My speech is not intended to show any disrespect to President Obama or the office that he holds. I have great respect for both,” he said.

“I deeply appreciate all the President Obama has done for Israel: Security cooperation, intelligence sharing, support in the UN and much more.”

Photo Scandal: He isn’t my father says Osinbajo

Vice Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has cleared the air on an alleged photograph of his father which went viral recently.

Osinbajo stated on his Twitter handle that the photograph was taken during a campaign tour in Yewa last week.

He explained in another tweet, “He isn’t my father, brother uncle or blood relative. But. He is a Nigerian father. He deserves our respect.

“We need to change a govt. that has impoverished our people by grand corruption and misgovernance.

From mass employment, mass low cost housing, conditional cash transfer to the extremely poor. Never before, in the history of this country, has a govt. been this corrupt” He said

FG establishes bank for SMEs

ABUJA – FEDERAL Government, Monday, disclosed that it had concluded plan to establish a bank for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), just as it assured civil servants of prompt payment of February salary.

The bank tagged; ‘Development Bank of Nigeria’ will assist the small scale business owners to access fund for a long period of time.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who stated this at a Stakeholders’ Conversation on Communicating Government Policies, Programmes and Activities to Traditional Rulers, Market Men/Women organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA), in Abuja, said the bank would be launched next month.

Her words; “There are many people who has business ideas here, and they are unable to access funds, and it always taken two to three years to establish. But when you go for a loan if you are lucky what do they tell you? They will start telling you to pay after a year, you are not able to march the timing of the loan you get with the timing of your investment.

“This administration is creating a bank called ‘Development Bank of Nigeria’ that would allow people borrow from five to seven years.

Jonathan worried by slow rate of PVC collection in Bayelsa-Dickson

Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, Monday, led political leaders in the state on a sensitization tour of wards and units in the Yenagoa council area due to slow pace of collection of Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs in the state.

Dickson, accompanied by the first civilian governor of the state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, visited the palaces of the Obenibe of Epie Kingdom, HRM Malla Sasime, the paramount ruler of Ekeki community, Chief B. Z Odoki, said though the number of registered voters in the state is the smallest in the federation, the slow rate of collection is worrisome to the state and the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

The slow pace of collection he said informed his administration declaration of today (Monday) a public holiday as part of deliberate effort to ensure quick collection of the PVCs.

“As at the last data from the INEC, we have attained 66 per cent, though a pass, we need to attained 95 per cent collection. Anytime they count us, they don’t count those in the fishing settlements, this is why we are the least in terms of voting population. With this small population, God gave us a mighty position of producing a President,” he said.

Some of the royal fathers visited, including the Obenibe of Epie Kingdom, HRM Malla Sasime made royal pronouncement urging their subjects to come out en masse and collect the PVC.

The various collection centres visited, witnessed huge turn out of prospective voters for the collection of Permanent Voters Cards.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Barido Gbagi, in his assesment of the sensitisation tour conducted by the state governor, commended the state leadership for the initiative and also the registered voters for coming out in large turn to pick up their PVCs.

He noted that over 40,000 Permanent Voters Cards are still being expected in some units of the state adding that the  huge turn out will ensure increase collection in the state.

Oil marketer remanded over alleged N36.7m fraud

Lagos — An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Oyingbo, Lagos State has remanded an oil marketer, Otunba Aremu Lola-Anjorin, in prison custody pending when he is able to meet his bail applications over alleged N36.7 million fraud.

The oil marketer and his firm, Bonvic Gold Oil Limited, were charged before Magistrate O. Olatunji, on a four-count charge of obtaining money under false pretence, stealing and issuance of dud cheque.

The prosecutor, Inspector Goddy Osuyi, told the court that the defendant, 42, and a resident of 4, Aladelola Street, Ikosi-Ketu, Lagos State, and his oil firm, were alleged to have received petroleum products from different people between 2012 and 2014, and failed to pay them. He also told the court that the defendant also issued Ecobank and FCMB cheques which were returned upon presentation at the bank for lack of funds in his account.

Some of the people defrauded by the defendant include Ernest Uduebor, N2.5 million; Kenneth Eromosele, N20.9 million; Basil Ogoha, N8.9 million; and Ibukunoluwa Otesile, N4.8 million. Magistrate Olatunji admitted the defendant to the bail in the sum of N1 million with two responsible sureties. He, however, ordered that the defendant be remanded in prisons’ custody, pending the time he was able to perfect his bail. The case was adjourned till March 27 for mention.

Russia changed forever by Nemtsov murder

Russia has been changed forever by the murder of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov a day after thousands marched through central Moscow in his memory. “The reaction to the murder of Boris Nemtsov turned out to be as extraordinary as the politician himself,” wrote the Kommersant business daily in a front page article that ran alongside a photo of Nemtsov carried at Sunday’s memorial march.

Organisers said that 70,000 people marched through central Moscow, crossing the bridge where Nemtsov was shot, a turnout that Kommersant said had not been reached since the mass opposition rallies of 2011 against President Vladimir Putin’s return to the Kremlin.

Nemtsov’s murder within sight of the Kremlin walls “crossed a psychological boundary, after which Russia will inevitably be different,” wrote the business daily Vedomosti in a front-page editorial.

“After Nemtsov’s shocking murder, a lot of people have said that we woke up in a different country,” wrote Gazeta.ru website, calling the march in memory of Nemtsov “a march against fear.” “In fact we have for at least a year lived in a country where thinking differently was equated with treachery, and some were ready to kill for this. It’s just that yesterday they were killing with words, and today they have started with bullets,” Gazeta.ru wrote.

Opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta wrote that Nemtsov regularly received death threats but did not take them seriously. “In recent years I have seen a huge number of provocations, threats and acts of meanness. And I’ve developed a certain immunity to this,” it quoted Nemtsov as saying last April. Commenting on pressure from Russia’s authorities, Nemtsov said: “Well maybe they could kill me, I don’t know, but it’s more likely they would put me in prison.”

Popular pro-Kremlin tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravada, however, dismissed the possibility that Nemtsov was killed for his political beliefs. “Who has ever been killed in our country for purely political reasons?” it asked in an editorial.  “This isn’t Ukraine after all… Here a lot of people are killed for money but you don’t find people killed for politics.”

Novaya Gazeta however described Nemtsov’s murder as a “point of no return, of radical destabilisation of Russia’s domestic politics, whose consequences cannot yet be predicted.” Kommersant pointed out that the repercussions of Nemtsov’s murder will affect Russia’s image globally and if it is not adequately investigated, “could be a serious argument for supporters of a hard approach towards Moscow.”