Connect with us

News

Boko Haram: UN, #BBOG, CAN Condemn Hauwa’s Murder …As Four Die In Adamawa Mob Attack

Published

on

The United Nations has condemned Monday’s execution of another International Committee of the Red Cross worker by Boko Haram terrorists.
The UN Secretary General, António Guterres called for the prosecution of the terrorists.
Hauwa Liman was killed after a deadline given by the terror group for government to meet its demands elapsed, on Monday.
The terror group had executed Ms Liman’s colleague, Saifura Khursa, in September, before threatening to kill Ms Liman and a third staff of the outfit, Alice Ngaddah, in October.
The three ICRC officials were kidnapped in March in an IDP camp in Rann, a community in Borno State.
The terror group promised to ‘enslave’ Ms Ngaddah and a Dapchi student kidnapped by the group in February, Leah Sharibu.
The killings have been condemned by local and international groups, across the world.
In the statement by the global body, Mr Guterres called on the Nigerian government and local authorities in the North-east to ensure the protection of humanitarian workers in the war-torn region.
The UN statement was signed by Mr Gutteres’ spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric.
“The Secretary-General is appalled and strongly condemns the killing of an aid worker from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in north-east Nigeria on Monday. The aid worker, Hauwa Mohammed Liman, had been held hostage since March 2018 and was killed by her captors.
“The Secretary-General expresses his deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Ms Liman and expresses his solidarity with the President and staff of the ICRC. Those responsible for this killing must be brought to justice.
“The Secretary-General expresses his concern for the safety and well-being of the remaining hostages and calls for their immediate release.
“The Secretary-General emphasises that all parties to the conflict must protect aid workers who provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to the millions of people in need in north-east Nigeria.
In a similar reaction, the #BringBackOurGirls group joined other Nigerians in condemning the execution, describing it as an unfortunate consequence of the government’s failure.
“Today is yet another dark day in our nation. The heart-breaking news of the death of Hauwa Leman comes as an extreme shock which leaves us devastated by the deeply regrettable consequences of the Government’s failure,” the group said in a statement signed by its leaders, Edith Yassin, Nifemi Onifade and Gapani Tanya.
The #BBOG lamented what it described as government’s obvious neglect of the remaining 112 Chibok girls and called on government to ensure the safe release of the girls and Ms Sharibu.
The #BBOG staged a protest on Tuesday in Abuja to highlight its demands.
Also, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) condemned Ms Liman’s murder. In a statement issued on Tuesday, it prayed for the repose of the victim’s soul.
“CAN prays to God to give the families of the bereaved, the leadership of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), their friends, colleagues, and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss.
“May God console and comfort you all. Our heart goes with you and ask God to heal your wounds and restore sanity to our country. May those responsible for the wanton killings in the country repent and reconcile with the entire populace in Jesus’ Name.”
Meanwhile, Adamawa Police Command yesterday confirmed the killing of four travelers with four others hospitalized in an attack by some youths in Bali village of Demsa Local Government Area of Adamawa.
The Spokesman of the command, SP Othman Abubakar, who confirmed the incident, said investigation had begun to arrest the perpetrators.
Abubakar who said no arrest had been made so far called for calm and cautioned against reprisal attacks.
“We are doing everything to bring the suspects to book, there is no need for reprisal attack as two wrongs do not make a right,” Abubakar said.
Speaking on the incident, the driver of the affected truck, who identified himself as Adamu, said they left Numan on their way to Jalingo when some armed youths directed them to stop.
“I refused to stop seeing that they were armed but they chased me using motor-cycles and caught up with us near Pasham.
“I stopped and we tried to run but they caught up with me and others and started beating us before the people of Pasham came to our rescue.
“Four of my passengers were killed and some injured,” Adamu said.

Continue Reading

News

Shettima In Ethiopia For State Visit 

Published

on

Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.

Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.

Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”

During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.

The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.

In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.

 

Continue Reading

News

RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers

Published

on

The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.

 

This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.

 

The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.

 

The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.

 

Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.

 

The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.

 

He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.

 

According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the  financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts  inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.

 

At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.

 

He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.

 

Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.

 

According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.

 

At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.

 

He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.

 

Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.

 

He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.

 

However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.

 

At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.

 

He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.

 

Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.

 

Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.

 

In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.

 

At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.

 

Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.

 

Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.

 

John Bibor

 

Continue Reading

News

Tinubu Orders Civil Service Personnel Audit, Skill Gap Analysis 

Published

on

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.

The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.

“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.

Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.

He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.

“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.

President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.

He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.

“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.

“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.

Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.

Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.

She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.

Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.

 

 

 

Continue Reading

Trending