News
Jonathan On Pilgrimage To Israel,Today …Marketers In N963.7m Subsidy Fraud
L-R: Managing Director, Enertek, Mr Mathias Hiebi, Technical Director, Mr Manfred Haase and representative of Adamawa State Government, Alhaji Ali Dandiyya, at the renewable energy and efficient energy projects stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja last Monday.
President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to leave the country today for pilgrimage and official visit to Israel
He will also meet with President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset.
A statement issued by his media aide, Dr. Reuben Abati, said talks between President Jonathan’s delegation and Israeli government officials were expected to focus on the enhancement of bilateral relations between Nigeria and Israel in areas including trade, economic development, infrastructure, transportation, agriculture, communications, culture, education and tourism.
The President, according to the statement, is also slated to meet with the President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mr. Mahmoud Abbas.
It added that President Jonathan, who would be accompanied on the trip by Senator Emmanuel Paulker, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Akinwunmi Adesina, the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, the Minister of Works, Arc. Mike Onolememen, the Minister of State (Foreign Affairs), Prof. Viola Onwuliri, and the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, will undertake a tour of some locations in Israel which are revered by Christians because of their association with the earthly mission of Jesus Christ.
The statement also dismissed reports that the President would lead 19 governors to the Asian nation.
“While the President may meet and interact with some other Nigerians who are already on a pilgrimage to Israel, reports in the media that he is leading 19 state governors and about 30,000 Nigerians to Israel are a misrepresentation of facts. Irrespective of President Jonathan’s visit, thousands of Nigerians visit Israel annually during the pilgrimage season which goes on for months and they will undoubtedly do so again between now and early next year.It is entirely fortuitous for some of these Nigerian pilgrims therefore that their visit to Israel this year will coincide with President Jonathan’s,” it stated.
The President is expected back in the country early next week.
Meanwhile, a prosecution witness, Mr Ihechukwu Ireogbu, yesterday testified that an oil marketer, Rowaye Jubril, forged some documents to fraudulently obtain N963.7 million subsidy payment from the Federal Government.
Ireogbu, Managing Director, MGI Inspection Ltd., gave evidence at the resumed trial of Jubril before Justice Lateefat Okunnu of an Ikeja High Court.
Our correspondent reports that Jubril was charged to court alongside his company, Brila Energy Ltd.
They are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ireogbu, who was cross-examined by Jubril’s counsel, Mr Raphael Oluyede, said that his firm had a prior business relationship with the defendant.
He, however, testified that MGI Inspection Ltd. did not participate in the inspection of the 13,500 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) purportedly imported by Jubril.
The witness said that the claim by Jubril that the company inspected the product on Jan. 26, 2011 and Jan. 27, 2011 at off-shore, Cotonou in Benin Republic, “was completely false.”
Ireogbu said that he instructed Mr Felix Iweka, an employee of the Port Cargo Services – a subsidiary of the company – to go to Cotonou to carry out the inspection.
According to him, Iweka later confirmed that he did not inspect ship-to-ship transfer of the product between the mother vessel, MT Overseas Lima, and the daughter vessel, MT Delphina.
“He only carried out a survey on another vessel and not this particular transaction,” the witness said.
Also testifying, Mr Akinwunmi Olarenwaju, an employee of the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), said that the agency made fruitless efforts to contact the purported supplier of the product.
Olarenwaju, who was led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Mr Seidu Atteh, said that the defendant had claimed that he purchased the product from Napa Petroleum Trade Incorporation, Panama.
He said: “The EFCC requested a tripartite meeting between the suppliers, the oil marketers and the PPPRA in respect of the transactions.
“We invited Napa Petroleum, Mercurial Trading and Namax Petroleum for the meeting.”
The witness testified that Napa Petroleum did not respond to its letter and failed to attend the said meeting.
The case has been adjourned till January 21, 2014 for continuation of trial.
L-R:Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Dr Folashade Esan; Minister, Mr Labaran Maku and acting Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Otunba Jide Adebayo, at the Minister of Information’s monthly world news conference in Abuja yesterday
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.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
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
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.