Nation
THE STATES
Abuja
There are allegation of fraudulent practices in the salary department of the National Assembly.
Quite a number of complaints have been made by many against the staff on the department which is situated at the Annex of the National is supposed to have been done by the Auditors, who would have collected 10 percent of the amount in question.
Benue
Councillors in Ogbadibo local council of Benue State are presently at dagger drawn with the council chairman for allegedly mismanaging the recently released excess crude funds.
This was coming after repeated warnings from the Benue State government to invoke necessary sanctions against local government council leadership in the state that pilfer the excess crude funds released to the councils for development purposes.
The councilors who have commenced impeachment proceeding against the council chairman, Mr. Clement Agada, are also venting their anger on the chairman for his alleged total disregard for the principles for accountability and transparency in the handling of the council’s funds.
The aggrieved councilors reached the decision after a committee set up to investigate the management of the last allocation of excess crude totaling N78 million released to the council in December discovered that the council chairman allegedly misapplied the funds.
Aside the impeachment proceedings, the local government legislative council under the leadership of Mr. Julius Ali had directed the immediate freezing of the council’s account in three commercial banks to forestall further illegal withdrawals from the affected accounts.
For now the only authorised withdrawal is for the payment of workers’ salaries to save the council workers the agony as a result of the crisis.
Ondo
The commissioner representing Ondo State in the Niger Delta Development Commission, NNDC, Mr. Benson Enikuomehin assured the people of the communities of adequate and unprecedented development and fairness to all the communities in the region.
Enikuomehin gave the assurance in Akure during a reception organised for him by leaders from Ilaje council area of the state.
According to him, the areas have suffered in the past and within the next four years some developmental projects would be inaugurated.
He said plans are on to reclaim an expanse of land in the oil rich community of Ilaje while some road projects would be awarded to link it with other towns in he hinterland.
Communities which would benefit from road projects according to him include Ugbo, Ugbonla and Mahin township roads.
Enikuomehin said the contract had been included in this years’ budget.
He lauded the governor for nominating him for the board appointment and promised to justify the confidence reposed in him.
The commissioner pointed out that the “door of NDDC is opened for anybody irrespective of political affiliations because as a Peoples Democratic Party member I was nominated by Labour Party administration in the state.”
Enikuomehin said he would not work against the interest of the governor but work with him for the Development of the Niger Delta region areas of the state.
Plateau
Teacher in Plateau State have threatened to resume their suspended strike, accusing the government on reneging on the agreement reached with them.
Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, in the state Comrade Gunshin Yarling alleged that the state government had failed to abide by the agreement reached on the 27.5 percent Teachers salary structure, TSS, and outstanding three years leave transport allowance.
He said the teachers were dissatisfied with the implementation of the agreement reached to end the over four-month strike and would not return to classes until their demands were fully met.
However, the state government in a swift reaction denied the allegation saying it had infact, started a gradual implementation of the agreement.
Commissioner for Education, Prof. Angela Miri told journalists that the NUT had been trying to resist the verification exercise which would see unqualified teachers being eased out of the system.
“Our children are suffering from the strike. The implementation of the agreement has started. I have been asking the chairman of State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, about the progress being made and she said NUT was trying to resist the verification exercise that we are going to do which is part of the agreement,” she said.
She appealed to the teachers to consider the negative effect of another strike on school children who were get to regain lost ground fro last year’s four month strike, adding that those of them with requisite qualification or evidence of having started NCE programme had nothing to fear.
The Gbony Gwon Jos, Da Gyang Buba had in October last year brokered an agreement between the state and the teachers to end the protracted crisis.
Lagos
Federal Bureau of Investigations, FBI, agents have carried their investigation of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab into Ghana, trying to piece together his time in the West African nation before he embarked on a journey that ended with his Christmas Day attempt to blow up a U.S. plane.
Abdulmutallab arrived in Lagos, Nigeria December 24 from a flight originating in Ghana. He then flew to Amsterdam where he boarded a plane bound for Detroit on Christmas.
Details are scarce because “this is a security issue,” James Agyenim-Boateng, the country’s Deputy Information Minister, told our source. He said the FBI had been in the country since last Saturday and that no arrests have been made as of yet.
Agyenim-Boateng said Abdulmutallab, upon arriving in Ghana Dec. 9 from Ethiopia, had listed one hotel where he was staying on his immigration form, but actually stayed in a different hotel.
Investigators, he said “have put that part of the puzzle together.”
Ghana, the official said, was unhappy about not having information on Abdulmutallab after his father reported the young man’s radical views on the United States and other foreign security agencies.
“Fighting terrorism is a collective responsibility of every country and it is therefore important that we share security information of this nature if we are to fight terrorism,” Agyenim-Boateng told our correspondent earlier this week.
“If we have heard this information (given to the US embassy in Nigeria) from our Nigerian counterparts, the suspect would have been subjected to a more thorough screening,” he said.
In Detroit, Abdulmutallab is due in federal court Friday for his arraignment on charges that he failed to detonate a chemical-laden explosive on the Detroit-bound Northwest Airlines flight. But with so much evidence stacked against him, experts say his defense team is left with few options as the case moves forward.
Attorneys outside the case say the 23-year-old’ s lawyers can challenge incriminating statements to the FBI, seek a mental-health exam for Abdulmutallab – and seriously consider a plea deal.
“This is not a case of mistaken identity or a whodunit. For the defense, it’s damage control,” said Joseph Niskar, a defense lawyer who was involved in a 2001 terrorism case in Detroit that fell apart for the government.
Former U.S. Attorney David Griem, who gave CBS News the government’s perspective, agrees.
“This a no-lose trial for the prosecution. .. You have a combination of two factors; One, that the crime was so horrific and, two, overwhelming evidence,” Griem told our source.
The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has called on the Management of Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC to embark on the water projects in Buguma city in Asari Toru Local Government Area, Rivers state
The Group called on the Rivers state government to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
On the water project in Buguma, MOSIEND said the population of Buguma has increased tremendously as the residents need more water projects to enhance the daily livelihood of the people
The Group also appealed to the Chairman of the council to assist in making the project a reality and attracts more developmental projects to the city
This call was on Rhythm 93.7 FM Port Harcourt, Radio program, Talk of the Town, by MOSIEND Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn alongside Mark Ojuka,Chairman of Buguma and Hon Sandra Owunari JP Chairman Obuama and monitored by our correspondent
Comrade Ojuka also called on the Management of Liquidifed Natural Gas NLG to embark on a free medical outreach in all Kala bari communities to improve their health status
He appealed to LNG to award scholarship to indigens of Kalabari communities in tertiary institutions to better their education, noting the company is doing same in Bonny, abandoning Kalabari communities
“We need contracts, free medical, scholarships and employment including skill acquisition programs for our teeming youths in Kalabari extractions ”
On Security, Mark Ojuka said security in Buguma is at zero level with the help of the Ama Ma soldiers the city is more peaceful and investors friendly as the youths of area have cordial relationship with the security agencies in the area
“Security is very secured in Buguma clan”
He called on the Rivers state to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
“The youths are asking for human capacity building in the area to reduce unemployment”
“The revamping of the Buguma fish farm will also reduce youth violence”
Also Speaking, Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn called for more improve in infrastructures in Kalabari community, especially in electricity
There is little improvement in terms of electricity in Buguma city
He decried the deplorable condition
of Buguma Health Centre, saying that the hospital is near functional
“Our sisters that are pregnant and our sick parents can not access the health centre for a better treatment ”
Describing the Health Centre as an eye saw, he called on Rivers state government and Buguma Local Government chairman Hon William to improve on facilities in the centre and make it more medically accessible to the sick persons in the area
Buguma, Tammy Bruce said is the spiritual headquarter of Kalabari people as such deserve more modern facilities from the government to improve lives
The Coordinator called on government, stakeholders and oil companies to assist and improve the poor infrastructural facilities in area
“We need first class hospitals, qualified medical doctors and nurses in the health centres and hospitals”
On the oil spilled in Obuoma Chairman MOSIEND Obuoma, Hon Sandra Owunari said the spill destroyed their crops and Rivers even polluted their only source of drinking water
She expressed displeasure that Rivers state government did not send any relief materials to the people in the affected community
On Chieftaincy title to women in Obuama, Hon Sandra Owunari said the community do not install Chieftaincy title to women, saying that Chieftaincy title is only reserved for men only in the community
CHINEDU WOSU
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