Folarin Kehinde

Ahead of the November 11 gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State, some stakeholders in the State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, have mocked the party’s governorship standard-bearer, Chief Timipre Sylva, for naming himself the Director General of the Campaign Council.

Reacting to the constitution and inauguration of the campaign council, the stakeholders and chieftains of the party under the auspices of Bayelsa APC Integrity Group, said the development has vindicated the group which had accused the party Sylva of running a one-man show in the party.

The reaction by the group is contained in a statement signed on Thursday by its coordinator, Chief Ebipadeowei Oyinkuro.

The group recalled that only a few years ago, APC was not only in the heart and mouth of the people of Bayelsa State but was also at the commanding height of goodwill in the State, regretting that weeks to the forthcoming election, all that had evaporated.

The statement read: “The party not only appears to be going into battle with its flanks wide open, but it is deep in tatters and also showing signs that it requires oxygen.

“Well-regarded and influential members of the party in the state who could rightly be described as the first and best 11 have all turned their backs against Chief Sylva.

Many other party stalwarts who never set out from the onset to be dissidents are also openly pitching their tent with the candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Sen. Douye Diri.

“They are angry over the high-handedness of Chief Sylva and for conducting himself as if the APC in the state is his personal estate.

“His governorship ambition comes across to them like an entitled birthright. Nothing better tells the story other than the fact that Chief Sylva is both a Gubernatorial Candidate and Chairman of his own campaign.

“His cousin, Chief Dennis Otiotio, who is the state Chairman of the Party is Alternate-Chairman, while the running mate, Joshua Macaiver is the co-chairman. The majority of the rest of the campaign council are from Sylva’s circle.”

The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji–Ojo, on Wednesday reiterated the need for the Federal Fire Service (FFS) to undergo a transformative rebranding and expansion of its responsibilities.

He said this at the Commissioning of Firefighting Trucks and Ford Rapid Response Vehicles at the Federal Fire Service headquarters, Garki, Abuja.

Tunji-Ojo said once signed by the President Bola Tinubu, a proposed fire and rescue service bill will play a key role in Nigeria’s national development.

The proposed rebranding of the Fire Service as the Federal Fire and Rescue Service seeks a shift in focus towards comprehensive risk assessment and a commitment to safeguarding lives and property.

“The Federal Fire Service, very soon when the bill on fire and rescue service is assented, we will play a major role in our national development. For any country to attain its potential, the position of fire service cannot be taken for granted. I say this to the FFS, you are a sleeping giant. The time to wake up to your responsibility is now,” he said.

The minister added, “Nigeria is one of the world’s biggest economies. This means that for us as a people, we cannot continue to neglect the issue of fire service. My personal opinion, as well as my position as a minister of the interior, is that the fire service should be and will be a major employer in Nigeria.

“Beyond just considering our barriers, we need to realize that the ideas we possess transcend any obstacles we might encounter during our development. I said this when I visited the Fire Academy, it is time for the fire service to rise up to a higher responsibility.

“Your responsibility isn’t just about combating fire. Your duty includes forecasting danger, and we need to transition from an era of corrective activities to an era of a proactive approach, leading to preventive measures that can save us billions of lives.

“As your minister, I don’t want to just value the number of buildings saved from fire. Rather, I want to see the effectiveness of your preventive measures. Your responsibilities go beyond firefighting; they encompass rescue management. You are supposed to be, and must be, the first respondent during emergencies. Your responsibilities extend beyond fire management to protecting lives, and properties, and rescuing people during emergencies such as accidents, road traffic collisions, and even natural disasters. These remain part of your duty,” he said.

Tunji-Ojo added that the agency is expected to start collecting information, assessing risks, and protecting the health and safety of workers in their line of duties.

Five unnamed police officers in Lagos State have been summoned to the headquarters for alleged unprofessional conduct.

This was disclosed by the spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, on Wednesday.

An X (formerly Twitter) user, 99% Oppressed @PIDOMNIGERIA, had in a post alleged that a young man in a red Toyota Corolla was driving out of a filling station after buying fuel at Ijede Road in the Ikorodu area of the state on Wednesday when some police officers tried to double-cross him.

The poster alleged the police officers opened fire on the young man inside the filling station.

A video shared under the post showed that the red Corolla car had some of its parts damaged.

“This happened a few minutes ago, at Ijede Road Ikorodu Gbaga bus stop, at about 11:10 am,” 99% Oppressed said with an accompanying video.

“The young man in the red Corolla just bought fuel from the filling station and was driving out when this criminal police team tried to double cross him with their unmarked tinted glass Korope bus. He tried to reverse back out of fear, but the next thing they opened fire on him right inside the filling station.

“Even with a petrol tanker inside the station. The people around felt they had killed the driver so they trooped out to confront the police team in anger. The next thing the rogue police team bolted away when they saw the crowd, and realized they were being recorded.

“@BenHundeyin you must unmask these criminals and bring them to book. They wore face masks, caps, and glasses just to disguise themselves because they knew they were on illegal duty. The young man would just been wasted for nothing, because of their rascality if not for God. They destroyed his car and ran away.

“The entire area would have been on flames if the bullet had penetrated that fuel tanker.”

But reacting, Hundeyin said the officers had been identified and summoned to the headquarters for further investigation.

He, however, said that preliminary investigation suggests the driver of the car drove out of the filling station, driving against traffic when the policemen saw him and tried to stop him.

According to him, upon sighting the officers, the said driver reversed back into the filling station, adding that the scratches on the car as well as the cracks on the windscreen were allegedly a result of the Corolla hitting a parked trailer while in reverse.

“The five men led by an ASP, all serving at Area N, Ijede, have been identified and summoned to the headquarters for further investigation and necessary actions.

“Preliminary investigation suggests that the driver of the red Corolla with registration number JJJ685GD headed out of the petrol station, driving against traffic. The policemen saw him and attempted to stop him. Upon sighting the officers, the Corolla driver drove in reverse back into the petrol station. All the scratches on the car and cracks on the windscreen allegedly emanated from the Corolla hitting the parked trailer while in reverse.

“The officers were confronted by an irate crowd as the incident escalated. In their bid to prevent further confrontation with the already charged crowd, they left the scene,” Hundeyin said via his X handle @BenHundeyin.

“A detailed investigation is being launched into the incident to ascertain the extent of unprofessionalism of the police officers. The driver of the vehicle and eyewitnesses are encouraged to give useful information, physically or electronically through our various channels.

“The public will be kept updated on the progress of the investigation,” he added.

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of new and returning Chief Executives to fresh terms in office across multiple agencies under the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy.

LEADING REPORTERS gathered that the appointments were announced by the Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale.

They are:

1. Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) – Aminu Maida
2. Managing Director/CEO, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) – Nkechi Egerton-Idehen
3. Director General/CEO, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) – Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi
4. National Commissioner/CEO, Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) – Dr. Vincent Olatunji
5. Postmaster General/CEO, Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) – Tola Odeyemi

Additionally, the president has approved the appointment of a new Special Adviser to the President on Technology and Digital Economy, Idris Alubankudi.

The full statement reads:

PRESIDENT TINUBU APPOINTS NEW LEADERSHIP ACROSS THE COMMUNICATIONS, INNOVATION, AND DIGITAL ECONOMY SECTORS

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of new and returning Chief Executives to fresh terms in office across multiple agencies under the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy:

(1) EVC / CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) — Aminu Maida

(2) MD / CEO, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) — Nkechi Egerton-Idehen

(3) DG / CEO, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) — Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi

(4) National Commissioner / CEO, Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) — Dr. Vincent Olatunji

(5) Postmaster General / CEO, Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) — Tola Odeyemi

Furthermore, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s determination to maximally leverage on Nigeria’s proven technological and digital economic prowess to reposition the nation’s economy toward greater financial inclusion, the President has approved the appointment of a new Special Adviser to the President.

Special Adviser to the President on Technology and Digital Economy — Idris Alubankudi

By this directive of the President, the above-mentioned appointments take immediate effect.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

October 11, 2023

Kidnappers responsible for abducting four students of Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK) have demanded the sum of 20 million naira for their release.

Leading Reporters gathered that the kidnappers made contact with the school authorities on Tuesday and demanded the said amount for the release of the abducted students.

Recall that the students were abducted on Monday night when gunmen attacked the Angwan Kare area near BCG.

Leading reporters earlier reported the identities of the abducted students as Rahila Hanya (SLT 100 Level), Josephine Gershon (Computer Science 100 Level), Rosemary Samuel (Business Administration 100 Level), and Goodness Samuel (Geography 100 Level).

A student union leader in the school confirmed that the kidnappers had reached out to the school authorities and demanded the sum of 20 million Naira.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, has charged hospitals in the country to prioritise saving lives above any other thing.

There have been outcries over the years for hospitals demanding police reports from gunshot and accident victims before the commencement of treatment, which has led to many of the victims losing their lives on many occasions.

But speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, Pate lamented this situation and said that the Federal Government has issued a directive to hospitals to always save lives first before making any other demands.

“Recently there have been concerns about patients who show up at the emergency facilities and police reports being asked about gunshots or accidents. That’s really unfortunate, but in all federal teaching hospitals, for instance, I was in Maiduguri at the weekend, life has to be saved first.

“Life first and we have reemphasised that. All our hospitals I believe are doing that. No person should come with an emergency, or life-threatening challenge and be made to lose their life while awaiting police report.

“Saving lives comes first and that is the direction we have given; that is what we would pursue and we hope that all hospitals including private hospitals will have this mindset that in health, it’s save lives first,” Pate said.

The Health Minister said that it is expected that states across the nation will also follow up with the Federal Government’s directive in their various hospitals. He also reiterated that private hospitals also have the obligation to follow the same directive, reminding them that as health practitioners, saving lives comes first everywhere.

The President Bola Tinubu-led federal government is proposing new social media regulations in a fresh bill sent to the National Assembly.

According to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the bill is seeking to repeal and reenact the NBC act, CAP L11 laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004.

Speaking when he hosted Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, at the commission’s headquarters on Tuesday, Balarabe Ilelah, NBC director-general, described the ills of social media as a “monster”.

Ilelah said the current law does not give the NBC the right to regulate social media.

He said: “We want to tell you that a bill for an act to repeal and amend the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) act, CAP L11 laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004, to accommodate the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting service, also to promote quality audio and video, efficient management of the spectrum, Nigeria Broadcast Institute, social media regulation and related matters has been read for the first time on the floor of the national assembly,” the DG said.

“All these that are mentioned are not captured in the present act of the commission. We have already submitted a bill to amend the act.

“One of our major problems now is social media. Unless there is a law that allows NBC to act on social media issues, the issue will continue to be a monster in our daily lives in this country.”

Ilelah said the commission has the right to punish any broadcaster in line with the act establishing NBC.

“We have powers, we derive our powers from the act, and we have the powers to sanction stations. We don’t want to sanction, we prefer to bring them together for negotiation, for understanding,” he said.

“We only apply sanctions when there is no way out of it. We don’t want the stations or the stakeholders to see NBC as an enemy. If you mention NBC anywhere, the first impression is sanctions.

“In 2023, a total of 1,238 warnings were given, while during the same year, six different stations were penalised.”

On his part, the information minister said the NBC should work with the media so they do not see the commission as “punitive”.

Thereafter, the minister took a tour of the facilities of the commission.

Nigeria’s currency, the Naira, slumped to N1,025 per dollar at Tuesday’s parallel foreign exchange market as forex scarcity worsened.

Ahmed Gazali, a Bureau De Change operator in Wuse Zone 4, confirmed this on Wednesday.

According to him, the situation in the forex market may worsen if the Federal Government does nothing to halt the crisis.

The scarcity is hard to explain at the moment. The situation is not decreasing. It may worsen if nothing is done. The foreign currency is not available”, he said.

Meanwhile, at the official window, the figures from the FMDQ showed that the Naira fell slightly and closed at N765.83/$ on Tuesday from N765.02/$ on Monday.

LEADING REPORTERS reports that on June 14, 2023, the Central Bank of Nigeria directed commercial banks to trade Naira at the forex market freely. Consequently, the country’s currency had been in a freefall.

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives ordered CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso to devise a monetary policy to nip the forex crisis.