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NYSC Denies Bomb Blasts At rientation Camps

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The  National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Maharazu Tsiga, has debunked media reports of bomb blasts in some orientation camps in the country.

In an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri yesterday, Tsiga expressed surprise at the reports, saying they were baseless.

“The issue of bomb explosion in Maiduguri NYSC orientation camp is not true, and no corps member died because the camp has at no time recorded any blast.

“Our camps are very peaceful nationwide. Our corps members are in high spirit all over the country, training in the camps.”

Tsiga said the reports were “mischievous and targeted at causing unnecessary tension in the country”.

“The publications are untrue. How can somebody claim that people died when the camp is still on?.

“I want to repeat that our camps are peaceful, and activities are going on peacefully in all parts of the country.”

He said the wrong information was capable of causing distractions among the corps members, who are busy undergoing their orientation in the camps.

“I can’t understand why people are trying to create panic among the corps members for no reason.”

Tsiga also referred to some text messages by anonymous persons claiming that there were explosions  in the orientation camps, describing them as false.

He appealed to the public to disregard such text messages.

In Yobe the  Police Command has directed landlords to furnish it with detailed information about their new tenants and land buyers as part of security measures to contain the activities of criminals.

Mr Hyacinth Medugu, the command’s Deputy Commissioner of Police, told newsmen yesterday in Damaturu that the measure became necessary to check the influx of questionable characters into the state.

He explained that the command was closely monitoring the movement of people in and out of the state, especially those relocating to the area, in view of the current security challenges in some states.

“The command is partnering with other security agencies to check possible movement of arms and ammunition.

“We have, since the April elections, formed a working relationship with other security agencies and opinion leaders to monitor security situation in the state.”

Medugu said the command had also initiated meetings with commercial motorcycle operators and retired police officers to re-strategise for a collective approach to security related issues.

He noted that the command had also re-strategised its operations with more patrol vehicles deployed in the field, stressing that the measure had assisted the police to recover some stolen vehicles.

Our correspondent reports that the command recently took delivery of armoured vehicles to be deployed at strategic locations, including public utilities and bank premises to check possible security breaches.

Similarly, Kogi Government has dispatched seven buses to Maiduguri to bring home more than 300 students of the state origin trapped in the Borno capital.

The President of the National Association of Kogi Students (NAKOSS), Mr Dare Zacheus, confirmed the buses’ dispatch to newsmen in Lokoja yesterday, saying they left for Maiduguri early in the morning.

He said the students would start to arrive in batches as from Friday and described the state government’s intervention as a relief to NAKOSS and parents of the stranded students who, he noted, had run out of money and food for days.

Our correspondent recalls that NAKOSS had in a save-our-soul message on Wednesday asked for government’s assistance in rescuing the trapped colleagues, mostly students of the University of Maiduguri.

The university was closed down indefinitely on Monday following persistent threats of attack on it by members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect.

Zacheaus specially thanked Gov. Ibrahim Idris for providing money and security back-up for the evacuation team, which included himself.

The student leader promised that NAKOSS would reciprocate the good gesture by being partners in progress with the state administration.

The association reiterated its earlier call on security agencies and the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to the security problem in the country.

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LASG Makes Over N500m From Traffic Offences

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April 29, 2024

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The Lagos State Commissioner of Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, has disclosed that the recently introduced Traffic Management Solution Device (TMSD) has successfully captured 26,816 real time traffic infringements over the last three months.
Osiyemi, who stated this during a ministerial press briefing recently, said this development has made enforcement more effective and safe for officers to carry out.
The figure is arrived at based on the fact that the least fine for road traffic offence in the state is N20,000, and when multiplied by 26, 816, it comes to N536,320,000.
The government also vowed to intensify enforcement activities on fake enforcement officials across the State.
The Commissioner further disclosed that the Ministry, through its task force team, would carry out sting operations in different areas of the State until all impersonators are eradicated within the metropolis.
He explained that revealing details of the enforcement operations would sabotage its effectiveness and success, as the impersonators will devise methods to elude the State Government and persist in their unlawful act.
The Commissioner also disclosed plan by the State Government to take the transportation system to another level, through introduction of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses by private investors, assuring that the State Government’s commitment to public transportation is to promote a transport system that is integrated and give options to its citizens.
According to him, towards facilitating the daily transportation needs of nearly 25 million commuters within Lagos State, a series of strategic initiatives have consistently served as instruments pivotal in advancing the first pillar of the THEMES+ development agenda.
Consequently, he said, there will be an expansion of infrastructure within the metropolitan, with the development of deep port in Badagry and construction of 4th Mainland Bridge, which are expected to commence soon.
Noting that the renewed effort of the Government towards making transportation in Lagos seamless for commuters, the Commissioner also said 250 electric cars have been shipped in by private investors to improve transportation in the State, while conserving the environment from air pollution through emission.
The Hon. Commission for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotosho, in his opening remarks described how important the Transportation Sector is to the economy and the well being of Lagosians.
Giving his remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa, stressed that the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) is the only body backed by the Law to carry out enforcement and manage traffic within the state, saying Local Governments do not have traffic officers and they are not authorized by the law to apprehend motorists who commit traffic infractions.
Giwa also urged members of the public to avoid negotiating fines on the road with alleged enforcement officers to avoid being victims of impersonators.
Debunking the claims that fake enforcement officers apprehended last week around Cele axis worked for the Ministry of Transportation, the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olawale Musa, confirmed that many of them are impostors, adding that it will be an anomaly for the Ministry to arrest and publicly shame its staff.
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Boat Mishap: CILT Advocates Safety Culture On Waterways …Claims 300 Nigerians In 2023

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April 29, 2024

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The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), Nigeria, has expressed displeasure over the frequent loss of lives associated with passenger ferries on coastal and inland waterways.
Calling for more safety culture measures by users and stakeholders, President of CILT Nigeria, Barrister Mfon Usoro, in a statement last Thursday, disclosed that the institute’s Committee investigated incessant boat mishaps in Nigeria and discovered that over 300 lives were lost on the waterways in 2023.
Usoro, a former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), said “An independent online investigation by the CILT, Nigeria Publicity Committee, revealed that over 300 lives were lost to different boat accidents across the country in 2023”.
Giving a vivid explanation on the mishaps in the nation’s brown waters, he said, “Recent ferry and boat fatalities recorded include: 5 Nollywood actors and crew in Asaba, Delta State; 3 medical students in Calabar, Cross River State; 3 passengers in Ibeshe, Ikorodu, Lagos State; 8 dead and estimated 100 persons declared missing in Borgu district, Niger State; 8 passengers in Anambra State.
“Overwhelming cause of the ferry disasters were the occurrence of one or a combination of the following factors: overloading, non-use of lifejackets, adverse weather conditions, human error, sub-standard boats and ferries, mechanical failures like engine breakdowns, inadequate safety measures, absence of navigational aids, non-availability of search and rescue services and regulatory gaps”.
She stated that safety of lives and property at sea/rivers is of paramount concern to everyone, especially in the light of recurring boat mishaps.
According to her, the incidents not only result in tragic loss of lives, but also pose significant economic and environmental risks.
The CILT boss stated that “While we support the use of inland waterways, it is saddened by the frequent loss of lives associated with passenger ferries in our coastal and inland waterways.
“While we support the use of inland waterway transports as an alternative and viable mode of transportation, the incessant ferry-related incidents resulting in fatalities has prompted a closer look at the deficit in safety culture and non-adherence to safety measures by the parties responsible for safety in our waters”.
Usoro, who is also a the former Secretary, Abuja MoU, said all stakeholders that constitute the “circle of responsibility” in safety of water transport “must work in collaboration to improve safety consciousness of ferry operators, jetty owners, and persons that use waterways transport”.
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‘Women Exclusion From Digital World Costs $1trn Worldwide’

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April 29, 2024

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The exclusion of women in the digital world has resulted in a whooping loss of $1trillion in the economies of developing nations in the last decade.
Chairman of the “MMS Hall of Famers’ Initiative”, Amb. Dr. Unyime-Ivy King, stated this during part of events to commemorate the 2024 “International Women’s Day” in Lagos State.
Making a presentation as Chairman of the occasion, with the theme, “Inspire Inclusion of Amazons”, Amb. King said the loss will increase by 50 percent in 2025 if nothing is done in this regard.
According to her, “Beside economic benefits, enhancing women’s safety and equal access to digital technologies, she noted that women-to-women support ranks as the greatest catalyst in achieving gender balancing.
Urging women over the world to reject the primitive customs that confines them to the kitchen, she said, “When we inspire others to understand and value women’s inclusion, we forge a better world. And, when women themselves are inspired to be included, there’s a sense of belonging, relevance and empowerment. Today, we are here to applaud them.
“One of our struggles is the sparse number of women in positions of power. From corporate boardrooms, to the courts and political leadership around the world, the small percentage of women in senior positions continues to stymie progress on issues from pay to humanitarian aid to discrimination in all its forms.
“The sooner we understand that the small number of women in leadership roles holds back not only women, but all people, the sooner we will be able to advance society as a whole”.
She emphasized that “the biggest challenge facing women today is patriarchy. This is especially evident in the realm of politics. Regardless of a woman’s experience, education or abilities, the patriarchal nature of the society fosters the perception that women are less qualified and less competent than men.
“What patriarchy has done is convince people that a strong and intelligent woman represents a problem; a disruption to the social order rather than an integral part of it. It is, therefore, no coincidence that many countries are completely out of step when it comes to electing a woman as President”.
Speaking further, she noted that Africa is notorious for creating the greatest challenge to the emancipation of women, especially in political leadership, saying that the era where women were confined to the background as domestic and family caretakers was over.
“While women have maintained the highest office of leadership in Liberia, India, the United Kingdom, Croatia, Dominica, to mention a few, the same cannot be said in Africa or globally. I believe the time has come for more women to get into top leadership positions in this country in various sectors”, she said.
She applauded women that have been selected to be inducted into the MMS Plus Hall of Famers, and urged them to be the torchbearer of gender balancing and empowerment.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), MMS Woman of Furtune Hall of Fame Initiative, Mr. Kingsley Anaroke, said the theme of this year’s IWD is “Inspire Inclusion”, saying it’s “a muse that has provided another moment of sober reflection on the struggles over decades on gender diversity and request for the elimination of the inhibitive streams of bias and stereotypes.
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