Nigerian universities ready to resume – Union

 

The National Coordinator, Congress of University Academics (CONUA), Niyi Sunmonu, says its members are ready to resume work.

This was contained in a statement he issued on Saturday after a National Executive Council meeting.

Sunmonu told the federal government to reopen universities and put in place infrastructure and COVID-19 protocols.

He stressed that the education sector cannot continue to stagnate.

Sunmonu said COVID-19 would continue to be a threat, adding that everyone must strive to live a normal life.

”The Union urges the government to make available everything that can help our universities to resume work as it is being done elsewhere in the world,” NAN quoted him as saying.

He condemned the harassment of some of its members by some university administrations and other unions within the university system.

Sunmonu declared that no amount of molestation or vilification can take the union away from the path of progressive unionism.

“Adequate measures, as far as the law and constitution of Nigeria permits, will be taken against anyone who is using intimidation or employing any other odious means to threaten our members.”

The coordinator lauded university administrations that held meetings to promote academic staff members during the COVID-19 lockdown.

- DAILY POST

ICPC quizzes NDDC directors over ‘N5.4bn fraud

 

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has quizzed top management staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) over allegations of  procurement fraud and misappropriation of  COVID-19 funds.

In a statement on Saturday, Azuka Ogugua, spokesman of ICPC, said some directors of NDDC were interrogated at the commission’s headquarters after months of intelligence gathering.

Oguagua said the interrogation followed receipt of petitions from Nigerians on the alleged illegalities and contracts fraud by some officials of NDDC.

He said they are being investigated for their complicity in the alleged diversion of N5.474 billion meant for the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers handling the COVID-19 pandemic in the nine states.

Oguagua said ICPC is also investigating the payments of millions of naira to NDDC for foreign training during the COVID-19 lockdown “which were never attended”, as well as the non-payment of entitlements to students on foreign scholarships.

Other allegations being investigated by ICPC include “the selling of back-dated contract award letters for projects and awards of contracts that were not captured in the budget of the NDDC”.

“ICPC had already retrieved relevant documents with which to continue investigations towards the recovery of diverted funds and prosecution of breaches of the law,” the statement read.

The national assembly had also probed the alleged mismanagement of funds by the interim management committee (IMC) of the NDDC.

- THECABLE

Over 12,400 COVID-19 victims yet to recover in Nigeria

 Over 12,400 victims of COVID-19 are yet to recover in Nigeria, according to the latest figures released Friday night by the NCDC.

Though confirmed cases of the coronavirus are plateauing in the country with just 160 on Friday, recovery rate have also been high.

As at Friday, 41,017 patients have been discharged out of 53,477 cases.

The FCT Abuja leads with 3,548 COVID-19 patients in hospital, out of total cases of 5,108.

It has the poorest rate of recovery.

In contrast, Lagos has discharged 15, 228 of its 18,083 cases, leaving just 2,653 in isolation centres.(See table)

And countrywide, 1,011 have also died as at Friday.

The NCDC. reported only 160 cases, with Plateau again seizing the grim leaderboard.

The state in Middle Belt Nigeria recorded 44 cases, while Lagos with the biggest caseload recorded 27 new cases.

Katsina has 18 new cases, Edo 15 and the FCT, which has the second biggest caseload, reported just 14 new cases.

Here is the state by state breakdown:

Plateau-44
Lagos-27
Katsina-18
Edo-15
FCT-14
Ondo-10
Oyo-9
Kwara-6
Abia-4
Nasarawa-4
Kano-3
Ekiti-2
Kaduna-2
Kebbi-1
Ogun-1

53,477 confirmed
41,017 discharged
1,011 deaths

- PM NEWS

Female paediatrician abducted by gunmen in Cross River

 A paediatrician, Dr. Vivien Otu attached to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) in Calabar Municipal local government area of Cross River State has been kidnapped by gunmen in Calabar.

The victim, who works in the paediatric department of the Hospital, was said to have gone to eat in a food joint called “Belash” along Marian Road, when she was abducted.

“After eating, she was about to enter her car when gunmen drove into the compound of “Belash”, shot many rounds in the air, carried her into their car and zoomed off,” a source disclosd.

When DAILY POST correspondent contacted the former Chairman of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr Agam E. Ayuk via phone on Saturday, he admitted that the victim is their member and regretted the incident.

He said he was informed that the victim was picked shortly after her meal.

When our reporter contacted the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Irene Ugbo on Saturday via phone, she confirmed the incident.

“We shall continue to chase them with a view to rescuing the victim and arrest the suspects.

“We are on it and will soon get the victim released while the suspect (s) would be arrested. The Commissioner is not sleeping as he is out to return criminals and kidnappers to where they belong,” she said.

- DAILY POST

Man commits suicide over huge debt

 

A 45-year-old man, Chinedu Peter Ogwa has taken his own life at his home situated at Wokoma street in Mile 3 Diobu in Rivers state on Thursday night August 27.

It was gathered that Peter Ogwa left behind a suicide note where he blamed huge debts among other reasons for snuffing life out of himself.

The businessman who hailed from Ebonyi State but traded at Ikokwu spare parts market in Diobu, Port Harcourt, reportedly killed himself over his failure in his business undertaking.

Chidinma Ogwa, wife of the deceased, discovered that her husband started behaving strangely on Monday, August 24 and finally drank rat poison at his residence on Thursday night.  

According to the note, Ogwa appealed to his wife and their children to forgive him.

The wife said her late husband blamed his action on frustration, lack of business success, as well as inability to recover his debts among others.

Speaking with newsmen on Friday morning, Mrs Chidinma Ogwa explained that she came back from church with her children and observed that the door was locked while a torch was inside the house.

Mrs Ogwa revealed that she collected the key from where they usually keep it and opened the door and was greeted with the lifeless body of her husband and a substance suspected to be poison.

She disclosed that her screaming attracted neighbours who after observation advised that the matter should be reported to Nkpolu Police Division in Mile 3 Diobu Port Harcourt to incident the matter.

Mrs Ogwa said he asked for forgiveness from her and children in the note he left behind while he claims there is nothing to show for his over 15-years business operation.

The note also instructed them to sell the goods in his shop within three months and also left instructions on some of his possessions and the people he was owing.

She also dismissed insinuation that she was having a problem with her husband before his death. The widow claims the only issue she had with her husband is for him to stop going to ministries whom she felt were ripping him of his resources.

- PM NEWS

RESTRUCTURE NIGERIA !! Nigerian govt to restructure Power Ministry, inaugurates team

 

The federal government has commenced the process of restructuring the Ministry of Power.

A spokesperson for the ministry, Egwim Perpetual, made this known in a statement.

It quoted Minister of Power, Sale Mamman, as explaining that the overhaul was to achieve the set goals and objectives.

Mamman has inaugurated a 9-man committee for the purpose.

The minister noted that the power sector was “in the process of undergoing long term structural market reform.”

He said with the first phase of privatization achieved, the next step was to attract more investments and improve service delivery.

The committee is tasked with establishing the modalities for restructuring of departments and units.

Didi Walson-Jack, Permanent Secretary in the ministry is the Chairman; Dafe Adesida, Director – Human Resources, will serve as Secretary.

Members are Amonia Standfast, Director – Planning, Research and Statistics; Bernard Nwachukwu, Director – Reform; Clement Assam, Director – Legal; C. C. Onyeneke, Director – Electrical.

Others are Umaru Ahmadu, Deputy Director – Organization Design, Head of Civil Service Ofiice; Usman Musa Yola, Senior Special Assistant to Minister of State; and Aliyu Abba, Special Assistant (Policy) to the Minister.

- DAILY POST

Ohanaeze: Nigeria will be transformed if Igbo president emerges in 2023

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, apex Igbo socio-cultural group, says Nigeria will be transformed if an Igbo president emerges in 2023.

Nnia Nwodo, the president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, stated this in a congratulatory message to Nigerian-born Kelechi Madu, the newly appointed minister of justice and solicitor general in Alberta, Canada.

With his elevation from his previous role as minister for municipal affairs, Madu became the first African to be appointed minister of justice in Canada.

In the congratulatory message signed by Emeka Attamah, his media adviser, Nwodo commended Madu for the achievement.

He said Ohanaeze Ndigbo is highly honoured by the exploits of Madu in Canada, adding that an Igbo president, if elected in 2023, will tranform the country.

Nwodo appealed to the federal government to stop marginalising persons of Igbo origin in order to explore the talents therein for the benefits of all.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo is highly honoured by the exploits of Kaycee Madu in far away Canada as an Igbo son. Mr Madu had contested and won a seat into the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, representing the electoral district of Edmonton-South West from where he was appointed and sworn in as Minister of Justice and Solicitor General by the Premier of Alberta, Jason Kenney, on April 30, 2020,” the statement read.

“On behalf of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, I commend the sterling qualities of Mr Kaycee Madu, as well as other Igbo sons and daughters who have excelled so much outside the country, such as the recently appointed first black Vice Chancellor of Leeds Trinity University in the UK, Prof Charles Egbu, and many others.

“The exploits of Igbo sons and daughters both within and outside the country are indices of the cerebral capability and ingenuity of the people which Nigeria could exploit to advance its development.

“The Federal Government should stop marginalising and victimising the Igbo in the country so that the latent creative potentials could be harnessed for the good of all. Nigeria would witness a turn around in her fortunes if a president of Igbo extraction was allowed to emerge in 2023.”

- THECABLE