Fubara, Rivers APC clash over N144bn allocation spending.

Fubara, Rivers APC clash over N144bn allocation spending.

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, on Tuesday, challenged Governor Siminalayi Fubara to account for the N144.2bn federal allocation received by the state in the last five months, claiming that there was nothing on the ground to show for the funds.

But defending the governor, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, accused the APC of playing politics.

The Chairman of the state APC Caretaker Committee, Chief Tony Okocha, during a visit to the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, questioned Fubara’s management of the state’s resources.

Okocha said, “As a party in opposition in the state, we have received data of the sum received by the Rivers State Government from the Federal Allocation from June 22, 2023 to November 2023.

“The Rt Hon. Speaker, it is our finding that a whooping sum of N144,291,667,791.1 has been received from the federal allocation under the governor. This amount is outside the Internally Generated Revenue of the state, which is put conservatively at N10bn every month.

“We regret that this humongous amount has not translated to action in any way in terms of development in the state. What we see are heavily funded street processions and media-sponsored rallies in support of unnecessary political imbroglios.

“Fifth columnist and crisis entrepreneurs feed fat from our commonwealth. As a party, we shall not hesitate to punish any member of our party who is in the cohort in this gross financial malfeasance of our dear Rivers State.”

The APC leader urged the Assembly Speaker to keep a close watch on the governor, saying “And if you do nothing you are equally complicit.”

Responding, the Assembly Speaker, Amaewhule, said the legislature would continue to make laws that would benefit the people while it would amend those harmful to the people.

He stated, “Rest assured that the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly will not do anything outside the law. Whatever we do today is for the interest of the state so that when we are out, others coming after us will feel the impact of the service and legislation we offered to the Rivers people.”

But in a swift reaction, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Johnson, insisted that the Fubara administration had been prudent and accountable.

He said, “When we come to the accountability forum, the Rivers people will see what we have done and, of course, they know that we are on course.

“Even though it is too early to assess this government, I’m sure we have since hit the ground running.

“He (Okocha) forgot that we have given about N150bn legacy project for the Ring Road, which surpasses the N144bn he is talking about. We have paid 77 per cent of it.

“We are doing 20, 000 hectres of land for housing units.

“So you don’t just raise issues or mention figures without a proper understanding as to how government works. That’s why I said it’s his own imagination.

“We have promoted civil servants who had not been promoted for over eight years. All those funds, if you calculated from June to November, it speaks volumes about what has entered. Our wage bill is N2.6bn just from the promotion of teachers alone.

“So, he needs to go back to the drawing board and ask what and what has not been done and what has been done.”

Tinubu directs special committee to end food crisis.

Tinubu directs special committee to end food crisis.

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Special Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention to immediately step into the worsening food security crisis in the country and stem the tide.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who disclosed this to journalists at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday after the Committee’s meeting, also gave assurances that there is no food shortage in the country.

He also informed government had discovered an alleged sabotage in food prýicing by some elements whom he said were hiding behind Naira’s depreciation in the foreign exchange market to escalate pricing.

The committee’s meeting held on the heels of protests in some parts of the country over recent high cost of food items, which has worsened general cost of living for most families nationwide.

However, in response to the rising public agitation over the situation, the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, convened the special committee’s meeting Tuesday evening, at the behest of President Tinubu.

Disclosing some of the action plans of the committee to journalists, Idris said government would be releasing food items from the National Food Reserves to boost food availability, just as it will be working with major millers and commodity traders on easing food prices.

“We just rounded off a meeting. It is a special presidential committee to address the issue of food shortage or lack of enough food on the table of most Nigerians.

“What I will tell Nigerians is that the President has directed that government needs to step in to stem this tide. Government will not fold its arms and see the way Nigerians are suffering in terms of the availability of these food items.

“Now, some of these will involve unlocking the foods that are available in most of the storage facilities (National Food Reserve) around the country. You know that the Federal Minister of Agriculture has some food reserve. That is going to be made available to Nigerians. ⁣

“The government is also talking to major millers and major commodity traders, to also see what is available in their stores. To open it up, so that government will provide some intervention, discuss with them, provide some intervention to make this food available to Nigerians.⁣

“What the government is noticing is that actually there is still food in this country. Some people are taking advantage of the situation, especially because of the high cost, the depreciation in the value of our currency that has led to the cost of these food items also going up.⁣

“So all these issues were discussed, the Governor of Central Bank was here, the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy is in that meeting and of course, the Chief of Staff and the National Security Adviser, because it also has some national security implications.

“So all these have been discussed and like I said, this conversation or discussion is going to to continue. ⁣

He also assured that the government would continue working and taking steps to mend the current situation until it is finally sorted. ⁣

“This is just the beginning of that meeting. It is going to continue tomorrow and day after tomorrow. The government is very concerned about what Nigerians are going through, especially what has happened in Minna yesterday, and therefore government is taking some action to ensure that Nigerians have some relief in terms of the availability of food on the table.⁣

“Of course, this meeting is not by itself exhaustive. It’s just like I said, the beginning. It is going to continue tomorrow and the day after. ⁣

“So I want to plead with you to understand with the government. By the time these meetings are concluded, we’ll be able to issue a definite statement on what the position of government is in this regard. But all I can say is that discussions are ongoing, and very soon a solution is in sight for Nigerians.⁣”

Asked if there were any immediate actions to follow the meeting, he said: “Some of them are dependent on the follow-up meeting on all this hardship. The government is stepping in a big way to ensure that Nigerians have succour going forward”.

Oyebanji’s interventions will curb health workers’ migration — NMA.

Oyebanji’s interventions will curb health workers’ migration — NMA.

The Ekiti State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association has said that the interventions by Governor Biodun Oyebanji in the health sector would help to reduce the migration of doctors and other health workers.

The NMA hailed the Governor for repositioning the health sector by accepting to implement the recommendations made to him by the body.

NMA state Chairman, Dr Babatunde Rosiji and Secretary, Dr Moses Dada, stated this in a statement jointly signed and released in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday.

The NMA said, “We strongly believe that these will slow the velocity of both internal and external migration of doctors and other health workers from the state.”

The NMA listed the governor’s interventions to include approval of hazard allowance and pay parity for clinical workers and approvals of the Medical Residency Training Fund.

Others, the NMA said, included the release of funds for capital projects across hospitals and the recent increase in the subvention of Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital alongside other tertiary institutions in the state.

Rosiji and Dada jointly said the interventions in the sector would bring lasting solutions to the recurring financial problems in the institutions, adding that they would “in no small measures boost the morale of health workers in the state”.

They stated, “Following the meeting he (Oyebanji) had with our association in November 2022 shortly after inauguration where NMA presented the problems bedeviling the health sector in the state and proffered possible solutions, Mr Governor said he identified with the challenges and promised to actualise the recommendations we made to him.

“He emphasised the premium his administration attaches to the health sector and promised to do everything possible to make the workers happy. We are delighted that less than a year after the reassurances, the promises he made have become a reality”.

The NMA, urging Ekiti people to join hands with the government towards building the state, appealed to citizens of the state “to show understanding with health workers while seeking treatment across the hospital network in the state.

“While we promise to offer the best healthcare services possible, we advise citizens not to resort to the barbaric practice of assaulting health workers as we experienced recently”.

The doctors also condoled the governor and Ekiti people on the murder of the driver of the Apostolic Faith Group of Schools and two traditional rulers in the state.

They stated, “We want to commend the governor and security operatives on the role played in the rescue of the recently abducted school children and we believe they will leave no stone unturned to identify the perpetrators of these gruesome and barbaric acts and others promoting crime and violence in the state.

“While we use this opportunity to also appreciate the security agencies for the hard work they are rendering to keep the state safe, we call on them to do more,” the NMA stated.

Lagos, Netherlands partner on food security.

Lagos, Netherlands partner on food security.

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has expressed his government’s willingness to expand its relationship with the Netherlands in different sectors, especially the agricultural sector to ensure food security in the state.

The Deputy Governor, Kadri Hamzat, while receiving the Netherlands Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Geoffrey Leeuwen, and his contemporary in Migration, Eric Burg, at his official residence in Ikoyi, on behalf of the governor, stated that the bilateral relationship between Nigeria and Netherlands had existed for over 400 years.

This is according to a Tuesday statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor (Media), Office of the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Tunde Alao.

Sanwo-Olu said his administration was ready to strengthen the existing relationship with the Netherlands in different sectors like agriculture, technology, health care, circular economy, and energy among other sectors.

“We are willing to implement some of the lessons we have learnt from the Netherlands, particularly to enhance food production, storage, amongst others,” he said.

On his part, Leeuwen said the Netherlands government was committed to working on transitions that were crucial to the economy and business opportunities in both Netherlands and Nigeria, with specific interest in Lagos.

“We are looking forward to continuing our excellent economic cooperation with the governor and his cabinet. We will continue to bring high-level visits and trade missions to the Center of Excellence,” he said.

As part of its drive for food security, the Lagos State Government last month said it was activating plan for the state red meat Initiative with the establishment of a feedlot system, a butchers’ academy and a meat shop in the state.

FG plans sanction for hospitals rejecting gunshot victims.

FG plans sanction for hospitals rejecting gunshot victims.

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, on Tuesday, expressed concern over the continued rejection of gunshot victims by hospitals in the country.

This, the ministry said, was against the provisions of the Gunshot Act 2017, “which mandates all medical facilities to provide for the compulsory treatment and care for victims of gunshots and related matters.”

In a statement by its Director of Information, Patricia Deworitshe, the ministry called on medical facilities to comply with the Act, noting that “strategies are being put in place by the ministry to ensure compliance to the Act by Nigerian healthcare facilities.”

The statement quoted the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, as stressing that gunshot victims must be attended to by hospitals because they “come under medical emergencies that require urgent attention to save the life of the patient or victim.”

The Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017 was signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Act stipulates that every hospital in Nigeria, whether public or private, shall accept or receive, for immediate and adequate treatment with or without police clearance, any person with gunshot wounds.

It also mandates all citizens, including security agents, to render every possible assistance to and ensure that a person with a gunshot wound is taken to the nearest hospital for immediate treatment.

However, the health minister on Tuesday noted that in recent times, the country had witnessed a rise in the loss of lives of gunshot victims and those who escaped from one-chance kidnappers as a result of the refusal of health facilities to attend them on the excuse that the victims failed to present police reports.

Deworitshe said, “It has come to the knowledge of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, of the slow or non-compliance by most medical facilities going contrary to the Gunshot Act 2017, which mandates all medical facilities to provide for the compulsory treatment and care for victims of gunshots; and related matters.

“In line with this mandate, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is concerned about the spate of gunshot incidences and the refusal of some of the health facilities to administer treatment and care for the victim or patient without a police report.

“The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Pate, therefore calls on all medical practitioners to comply with this national law by providing prompt treatment and care for these victims to prevent death while, strategies are being put in place by the ministry to ensure compliance to the Act by Nigerian healthcare facilities.”

The Minister also urged the police to comply with and enforce the provisions of the Act with promptness.

He reassured health facilities in the country that treatment of gunshot victims is not illegal.

Insecurity: Tinubu inducts two combat helicopters.

Insecurity: Tinubu inducts two combat helicopters.

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday reiterated his administration’s commitment to fighting the insecurity plaguing the country.

The president stated this when he inducted two T129 Attack Combat Helicopters and one King Air Beechcraft 360ER mobility aircraft for use by the Nigerian Air Force.

Represented by his Vice, Senator Kashim Shettima, the president said that the acquisition of the helicopters and the induction symbolises the commitment of his administration to the nation’s security.

The induction ceremony was held at the 131 Engineering Group Hanger, Nigeria Airforce Base, Makurdi.

The president said that the acquisition and induction of the new platforms would now improve NAF’s airpower in the ongoing war against terrorism.

The President acknowledged that since its establishment in 1964, “NAF has been playing a critical role in the nation’s security, international operations, and humanitarian needs.

“Let me commend the Chief of Air Staff, Officers, and men for their commitment to enhancing national security, I assure you that the Tinubu administration will continue to support NAF and another military, indeed, the Armed Forces of Nigeria towards combating terrorism, oil theft and other criminal activities.”

The president said that substantial progress had been achieved in ongoing counter-terrorism efforts but noted that there should be no cause for celebration yet until the security challenges are fully addressed.

The president called for a change in mindset, strategy, and tactics in addressing the menace.

Earlier in his speech, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, said that NAF had taken delivery of no fewer than seven aircraft.

He listed the new aircraft to include two Diamond 62 surveillance aircraft, 2 T-129 ATAK helicopters, and a King Air 360 ER.

The CAS, however, expressed assurance of NAF’s plan to induct 46 new aircraft of various types over the next 18 months

The CAS disclosed that currently, 170 NAF Pilots and 533 technicians are undergoing training locally and internationally.

In his remark, Minister of Defence, Mohamed Badaru, commended Tinubu for his foresight and dogged support of Nigeria’s armed forces.

He said the induction of the newly acquired aircraft is the testimony of the President’s resolve to tackle the problem of insecurity in the country and charged the personnel to handle them with care and always maintain them for efficient air operations.

Experts at the event said that the T129 ATAK is a twin-engine, tandem-seat, multi-role, all-weather attack helicopter based on the Agusta A129 Mangusta platform, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries in partnership with Leonardo SPA.

The helicopter, it is understood is designed for armed reconnaissance and attack missions in hot and high environments and rough geography in both day and night conditions.

Highlights of the event were the signing of the handing over documents and aerial display by the T129 Attack Combat Helicopter.

Afenifere asks S’West govs to equip Amotekun.

Afenifere asks S’West govs to equip Amotekun. 

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Tuesday said the rising cases of killings, abductions and other heinous crimes pervading the country and the South-West zone required a different approach, especially from the governors to protect citizens’ lives and property.

Afenifere also called on South-West governors to adequately equip Amotekun Corps to be able to checkmate the marauders perpetrating various evils in the zone.

This was as Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State called on the Afenifere leaders to close ranks.

Afenifere leaders made this known in Ado Ekiti during a visit to Governor Oyebanji over the killing of two traditional rulers and kidnapping of five school children and teachers of Apostolic Nursery and Primary School, Emure.

The leader of the Afenifere delegation, Chief Korede Duyile said, “We are here in Ekiti on the instruction of our leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, to deliver the message of Afenifere and to commiserate with the governor and people of Ekiti on the killing of our revered traditional rulers and the abduction of school children.

“We are for the interest and progress of Yoruba people, including those in Kwara and Kogi states and we are bound to show concern at this difficult period.

“In this precarious situation in our region and country, our governors must cooperate among themselves to tackle the invasion of our land by these criminal elements.

“It is obvious now that the Amotekun Corps must be fully armed to be able to confront the enemies. The governors should ensure that Amotekun operatives are given sophisticated weapons to tackle the marauders,” he said.

Duyile spoke on the need for President Bola Tinubu to engineer the process of true federalism, saying, “This measure will enable the governors to take charge of their respective states, especially in the area of security.”

Oyebanji, who praised Afenifere leadership for the visit, described as sacrilegious the killing of the two traditional rulers and assured that those behind the killings and abduction of the school children and teachers would be arrested and prosecuted.

He assured the group that governors in the region would soon come up with a workable plan that would ensure the security of life and property across the state.

He said, “We have listened to you, we will look inward to defend our people, even though we know the legal constraints of Amotekun as regards arms and ammunition, but we will do our best for the people.”

The governor challenged Afenifere to close ranks, saying, “Afenifere must be united at this period to defend our people. We need your ideas and suggestions for us to protect our people. You can’t be here and some people are bringing war, it should not be happening.”