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  • One dies in Third Mainland Bridge accident

    One dies in Third Mainland Bridge accident

     

    Accident

    By Chiazo Ogbolu

    Lagos, June 29, 2024 (NAN) One person was confirmed dead in an accident that occurred on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos on Saturday morning.

    The fatal accident involved a Mini Truck (MUS 489 XS) and a Toyota Camry (KRD 470 JD).

    “Preliminary investigations revealed that the accident was caused by excessive speeding during a heavy downpour this morning,” the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said in a statement.

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Mr Sola Giwa, in the statement signed by Mr Adebayo Taofiq, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA, said that three others were rescued at the accident scene.

    He said that operatives of LASTMA responded swiftly to the accident, which occured near the Unilag waterfront, heading towards the Iyana-Oworonsoki area of Lagos.

    Giwa said that despite the government’s ongoing campaign to educate motorists about speed limits, drivers continued to flout the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018.

    He urged both commercial bus drivers and private car owners to avoid exceeding speed limits on the Third Mainland Bridge and other roads throughout the state.

    Giwa said that the deceased was promptly removed by State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) officials, while LASTMA cleared the accident vehicles to ensure smooth traffic flow on the bridge.

    He extended his condolences to the family of the deceased and emphasised the importance of road safety. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

    CAN/YMU/SOA

    Edited by Yakubu Uba/Oluwole Sogunle

     

     

  • Police arrest man for alleged possession of pistol

    The suspect

    Arrest

    By Deborah Akpede

     

    Lagos, June 29, 2024 (NAN) Police in Lagos State have arrested a 25-year-old man, Toibu Hassan, for alleged possession of a pistol.

    Police spokesperson in the state, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest in a post he shared on his X handle @benHundeyin on Saturday.

    He said that the suspect was arrested on Saturday at the Agege area of the state.

    “Today, at 6: 00 a.m., under the Agege Pen-Cinema bridge, Toibu Hassan, aged 25, was arrested by officers from Elere Division.

    “When searched, one locally made pistol and one expended cartridge were recovered, ” the spokesperson said.

    According to the image maker, investigation is ongoing. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    DOA/YMU/YGA

    Edited by Yakubu Uba/Gabriel Yough

  • Provost/staff conflict engulfs college of education in Lagos

     

     

     

    Intervention

    By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu

    Lagos, June 29, 2024 (NAN) Mr Christopher Olamiju, Deputy Registrar, Federal College of Education  (Technical), Akoka, Lagos State,  has urged the Federal Government to intervene in the crisis rocking the institution over agitation for removal of the provost.

    Olamiju made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos.

    NAN reports that some  staff of the college under the aegis of ‘Concerned Staff’ are claiming that the five-year tenure of the Provost, Dr Wahab Azeez, has expired.

    The staff said that Azeez should, therefore,  vacate the office to usher in  a new administration.

    According to the deputy registrar, Azeez  assumed office on May 26, 2019,  and has completed his five-year tenure.

    He was reacting to Azeez’s  claim of threat of  eviction on him by the ‘Concerned Staff’.

    The provost had at a news conference on Thursday in Lagos claimed that the threat came from the ‘Concerned Staff’.

    According to Olamiju, it is false that the ‘Concered Staff’ embarked on a protest, disrupted academic and administrative activities and  attempted unlawful eviction of the provost from his official lodge.

    Olamiju said that the provost had claimed that the above happened.

    “The provost has served for five years; by law, his tenure has expired.

    “Meanwhile, his administration has taken this college 10 years backward. The workers’ unions are concerned about this issue and we are soliciting for his removal.

    “We need an acting provost pending when the authorities will appoint a substantive provost.

    “It is worthy to note that the same law caught up with the college’s bursar, librarian and the registrar, who observed the law and exited office without any problems.

    “Those currently in that position are in acting capacity,” he added.

     

    The provost had at a virtual news conference on Thursday alleged that  activities of a group which called itself  ‘Concerned Staff’ had been disrupting the smooth running of the institution.

     

    According to him, the group threatened him with a seven-day quit notice from an apartment.

    He added that the group was  threating  peace and security of the academic environment.

    The provost said that the activities of the  ‘Concerned Staff’  started on May 27.

     

    He said that the concerned staff occupied the college’s premises and organised a protest with the intent to forcefully remove him from office as the provost.

     

    According to him, the ‘Concerned Staff’ claimed that his tenure as the provost expired on May 26, contrary to the provision of the Federal Colleges of Education Act of 2023.

     

    “I wish to also bring to your attention that the  group organised a protest on the college’s premises.

     

    “This protest is basically for the mischievous purpose of removing the provost from continuing in office, with a claim of expiration of tenure from 26th May, 2024.

     

    “They have  locked up the entrances to the provost’s offices since Monday, May 27, and have denied me and the staff access to the offices, preventing the smooth running of the college and interrupting time-bound administrative decisions.

     

    “All efforts and re-engagement made to the  ‘Concerned Staff’ have been frustrated and rebuffed,” he stated.

     

    The provost noted that on June 12 and June 13, a five-member team from the Federal Ministry of Education visited the college to listen to the complaints of the leaders of the aggrieved group.

     

    “Documents were collected from the staff, and they were promised that the minister would do due diligence on their grievances and get back to them.

     

    “Surprisingly, I got a phone call on June 26, at about 1.00 p.m. that some of the concerned staff came to the provost’s lodge for the second time.

     

    “They came with some staff to harass my wife, who is also a lecturer in the college, and my children. They placed a quit notice on the provost’s lodge and gave us seven days to vacate the building,” he added.

     

    On his achievements in the college, Azeez said  that, under his watch, the institution recorded significant feats.

     

    “We have overcome challenges, celebrated triumphs and evolved into an educational institution that stands strong.

     

    “My leadership has sustained uninterrupted academic calendar, improved on surveillance and security.

     

    “The first ever Centre for Vocational Technical and Entrepreneurship Development was achieved under this administration.

    “Let me seize this opportunity to also call on the Federal Government and law enforcement agencies to quickly intervene in the situation to avert further breakdown of law and order,” he said. (NAN)(www nannews.ng)

    MIL/BEKl/IGO

    ============

    Edited by AbdulFatai Beki/Ijeoma Popoola

     

     

  • Plateau govt. donates tractor to Qua’an Pan LGA to boost farming 

    Plateau govt. donates tractor to Qua’an Pan LGA to boost farming
    Tractor
    By Peter Amine
    Jos, June 29, 2024 (NAN), The Plateau Government, through the Agricultural Services and Training Centre (ASTC), has donated a tractor to Qua’an Pan Local Government Area to boost farming in the area.
    Mr Luka Dakul, Mangu Site ASTC Manager, while handing over the tractor to Mr Christopher Manship, Chairman, Transition Implementation Committee, Qua’an Pan LGA on Saturday in Jos, said the gesture would boost food sufficiency.
    Dakul restated the state government’s commitment to revive the state economy through agriculture and reposition Plateau as the home of peace and tourism.
    The manager further said that the tractor would help farmers cultivate their farms effortlessly as a mesaure  to enhance food security in the state.
    He expressed confidence that the partnership between the state government and ASTC would encourage robust and sustainable economic growth through farming.
    Manship, who received the tractor on behalf of the local government, thanked Gov. Caleb Mutfwang and ASTC for the laudable initiative.
    The chairman assured the people that his administration would ensure that the tractor reached the farmers directly to revive agriculture in the local government.
    He restated  the local government’s resolve to work with relevant partners to improve the well-being of the people of Qua’an Pan. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
    PAT/YGA
    =======
    Edited by Gabriel Yough

  •  Institute certifies GBB Data Centre for excellence, reliability

    Certification

    By Jessica Dogo

    Abuja, June 28, 2024 (NAN) The Uptime Institute Professional Services has certified Galaxy Backbone’s (GBB) Tier IV Data Centre for its excellence and reliability.

    This is contained in a statement in Abuja on Friday by Mr Chidi Okpala, Head Marketing and Corporate Communications, GBB.

    Okpala said the prestigious Tier IV Certification of Constructed Facility (TCCF) marked a significant milestone in its commitment to excellence and reliability in digital infrastructure services.

    “This prestigious certification recognises GBB’s commitment to delivering the highest standards of reliability, security, and operational excellence in its Cloud and Data Centre operations.

    “The Tier IV certification is the maximum level of Data Centre certification offered by Uptime Institute, signifying a facility that offers 99.995 per cent availability.

    “It affirms that the GBB’s Data Centre meets stringent criteria for fault tolerance, redundancy, and robust operational processes, enhanced security and providing unparalleled service to its clients.”

    He highlighted Galaxy Backbone’s Tier IV Data Centre as fault tolerant, which designed the centre to withstand multiple equipment failures and maintain continuous operations, ensuring maximum uptime for critical applications.

    “Redundancy in power, cooling, and network systems, ensuring no single point of failure can disrupt services.

    “24/7 monitoring and management of advanced systems and a dedicated team of experts providing round-the-clock surveillance and management of the facility.

    “Enhanced State-of-the-art security measures, including biometric access controls, surveillance systems, and multi-layered security protocols, protect the integrity and confidentiality of client data.

    “Sustainable practices including energy-efficient technologies and environmentally friendly operations, aligning with global sustainability goals,” he said.

    Okpala quoted the Managing Director of GBB, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, as saying that this was a testament to unwavering dedication to the agency’s excellence in cloud, data centre and business continuity services.

    Adeyanju said this would strengthen GBB’s drive and commitment around data sovereignty, which encourages public and private sectors to host and collate its IT applications within the country.

    He said the achievement would further position Galaxy Backbone as a preferred partner for organisations seeking robust and resilient data centre solutions.

    He said this certification would not only reinforce GBB’s position as a leader in digital transformation services, but also assure its clients reliability for the highest levels of service availability and security.

    “We remain committed to driving innovation and delivering world-class services to support the digital transformation of Nigeria and beyond.

    “This certification thus, complements its already existing Tier III Uptime certified Data Centre in Abuja and presents a critical milestone for Galaxy Backbone as it continues to expand its services.

    “This also strengthens GBB’s drive and commitment around data sovereignty, which encourages public and private organisations to host and collocate its IT applications within the country.

    “Galaxy Backbone is a transformation enabler, a platform and aggregator of digital services for effective delivery across public and private sector organisations.

    “Beyond its world class data centres, Galaxy Backbone has connected about 30 states with its fibre optic cables providing secure, high-speed connectivity to and between organisations.

    “Its Security Operations Centre (SOC), ensures the provision of secure digital services across its stakeholders and customers,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    JEZ/ADA

    Edited by Deji Abdulwahab

  • UNIBEN shuttle service increases transport fare

    UNIBEN shuttle service increases transport fare

    Increment

    By Usman Aliyu

    Benin, June 29, 2024 (NAN) University of Benin (UNIBEN) Students Shuttle Service Committee has increased transport fare on campus and other routes in Benin with effect from July 1.

    The committee said the decision was part of strategies to beat the high cost of operation as a result of the increase in pump price of petroleum products due to the removal of subsidy.

    In a statement on Saturday by Collins Obhiozele and James Olawale, secretaries of the committee and the students union, cab fare would now be N200 from N150.

    The statement said shuttle fare across Ugbowo and Ekehuan campuses would attract N100, while transportation between the university and New Benin market and King Square would cost N300 and N250 respectively.

    Under the new pricing, boarding a cab by an individual on UNIBEN Campus will cost N400.

    The statement sued for strict compliance by the students, but advised them to look out for deviants and report appropriately.

    The statement said the committee would issue warnings and establish an enforcement team to address drivers’ refusal to ply certain destinations and check unauthorised fare hikes.

    It also commended the students for their understanding and cooperation in this period of power outage in the university, assuring that steps had been taken to address the challenge.

    “While this compromise did not meet the driver’s demands, we successfully negotiated a balance between their needs and those of the students, who are also facing challenges.

    “We addressed drivers’ refusal to visit certain destinations and authorised fare increases.

    ‘And the shuttle service committee has assured us that they will issue warnings and establish an enforcement team to ensure compliance,” the statement said. (NAN) (www.nanews.ng)

    AUO/JI

    Edited by Joe Idika

  • Southern Kaduna youth forum commits to peace building, civic participation

  • Troops nab 47 suspected rail track vandals in Kaduna

    The railway track vandals arrested by troops of 1 Division Nigerian Army.

     

    Troops nab 47 suspected rail track vandals in Kaduna

    Arrests
    By Mohammed Tijjani
    Kaduna, June. 29, 2024(NAN) The 1 Division Nigerian Army  Kaduna said its operatives have arrested 47 suspected rail track vandals.
    The division’s acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations Officer,  Lt.- Col, Musa Yahaya, made the disclosure on Saturday in Kaduna.
    Yahaya said , “The arrest was made by the troops while on routine patrol along  Kakau Daji- Anguwan Ayaba, they intercepted and arrested 47 suspected rail track vandals on June 26.”
    He said the suspects had loaded  two  trucks with the vandalized rail tracks before their arrests.
    Yahaya stated that the suspects revealed that they were employed by one Alhaji Babawo, who is at large, to load the vandalized rail tracks and off- load the same in a nearby bush along the road.
    He disclosed that the  suspects were profiled  at the 312 Artillery Regiment Kaduna.
    The acting Commander, 1 Division Provost Group, Lt..- Col. IY Rena, was quoted as stating that the suspects were  profiled to ascertain their level of involvement  during preliminary investigation.
    He further stated that the suspects were also individually interviewed and cross-examined while efforts were in place to arrest the gang leader who is currently at large.
    Rena added that on visit to the crime scene, some of the vandalized rail tracks were found concealed in the nearby bush waiting to be evacuated by the criminal syndicates.
    The suspects were handed over to the authorities of  the Nigerian Railway  Corporation, Kaduna Station , represented by the Divisional Crime Officer.
    Rena urged the relevant security agencies to make adequate arrangements and deliberate efforts to secure the rail tracks from further vandalisation.
    The representative of the corporation and Divisional Crime Officer,  ASP Inuwa Dahiru,  commended the troops for their proactiveness and  collaboration  with other security agencies in tackling the mirage of security challenges confronting the state.
    He assured the Nigerian Army that all the 47 suspects would be thoroughly investigated before they were charged to Court  to serve as a deterrent to  other criminally-minded persons.
    The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Division Nigerian Army and Commander Operation Whirl Punch, Maj.-Gen. Mayirenso Saraso, commended the troops for their professional conduct during and after the successful arrest of the suspects.
    Lt- IY Rena handing over the rail track vandals to ASP  Inuwa Dahiru.
     He also charged the troops to remain resilient and focused in order to bring all the criminal elements in the division’s ‘Operational Area of Responsibility’ to their knees.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
    TJ/BRM
    =========
    Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

  • NEMA receives 103 Nigerians deportees from Turkiye

    Some deportees from Turkiye with Federal Government officials at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Friday

    NEMA receives 103 Nigerians deportees from Turkiye

    NEMA

    By Philomina Attah
    Abuja, June 29, 2024 (NAN) A total of 103 Nigerians deported from the Republic of Turkiye back to Nigeria were received by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other Stakeholders.

    The deportees who arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Friday at 7pm through the pilgrims wing of the airport were received by the Federal Government officials led by NEMA

    A Southwind Airlines flight TCGRB conveyed the deportees from Turkiye to Nigeria.

    Addressing the returnees, the Director General NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, admonished them to accept their experience in good faith and be law abiding.

    The DG NEMA, who was represented by the Director, North Central Zone, Alhaji Bashir Garga, said the returnees were received with dignity to assuage their experience and assured the concerns of Federal Government over their plights.

    Umar announced that a token of financial support had been provided to assist in their transportation to their various locations.

    After being screened by officials of Port Health authority, profiling was done by NEMA and NCFRMI, they were cleared by NIS and were given transportation to aid their movement to their various destination.

    Other stakeholders that joined to receive the deportees were officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), National Commission for Refugees Migrant and Internally Displaced Persons (NCRMID), National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

    Other are the Federal Airport Authority of Nigerian (FAAN), Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Others were officials of Port Health Authority and National Intelligence Agency. (NAN)
    (www.nannews.ng)
    APA/MNA

    Edited by Maureen Atuonwu

  • Child Labour: NBS rating not true reflection in C’River – Commissioner

     

    Rate

    By Ehigimetor Igbaugba (07030464940)

    Calabar, June 29, 2024 (NAN) The Government of Cross River has described the state rating on child labour by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) as “spurious” and not a true reflection of what is happening in the state.

    The government demanded to know the parameters used by the NBS to carry out the research that rated Cross River number one in the country involved in child labour with 67.4 percent.

    The state Commissioner for Information, Mr Erasmus Ekpang who made the demand in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said Cross River remained the most “child friendly” state in Nigeria.

    Ekpang explained that Cross River showed the value it placed on the rights of every child by being among the first state in the country to domesticate the Child Rights Law.

    “The United Nations is aware of what we are doing in this regard. So, it is preposterous for us to degenerate into such a high lows even when there are a number of violations of the law.

    “To say the least, we are concerned about such statistics and would want to verify this claim which I still consider as spurious.

    “We have continued with sustained advocacy on the existence of the Child Rights Law in the state. The Law provides for criminalisation of violators and offenders of the law.

    “As a state, we created a special Ministry to be in charge of this, which is the Ministry of Women Affairs with Desk Offices established in the 18 council areas to cascade this advocacy to the wards and villages.

    “Government has gone ahead to involve traditional rulers, opinion leaders and women groups to strengthen this campaign against child labour and child abuse respectively.

    “Of course, note that some violators have been and are being prosecuted in the courts. Even in my ministry of information, my orientation department has been doing a lot to sensitise and orientate the citizenry on the existence of the Law and implementation in the state.

    “All these are helping and would continue to change the narrative in this regard,” he stated.

    The NBS report indicates that over 24 million Nigerian children are involved in child labour, with 14.3 millions of these children engaged in hazardous work as of 2022 when the last report was conducted.

    The northwest geopolitical zone bears the brunt of these figures, with the highest number of child labourers (6,407,102) and children in hazardous work (3,266,728).

    The South East region emerged the highest in terms of percentage prevalence of child labour with nearly half of the children involved in child labour at 49.9 per cent.

    Nationally, 39.2 per cent of children (24,673,485) are in child labour, and 22.9 per cent (14,390,353) are involved in hazardous work, painting a grim picture of the conditions under which nearly two out of every five Nigerian children live.

    The report also shows that children in the 5–17 age group in child labour commit an average of 14.6 hours of work per week.

    The data further revealed the top 10 states grappling with high percentage of child labour in Nigeria.

    According to the data, Cross River, Yobe, Abia, Plateau and Taraba are are top five with 58.6, 58.9, 60.1, 62.6, and 67.4 percent respectively.

    Taraba State is followed by Ebonyi with 56.2 per cent, Imo with 56.2 percent, Kogi with 54.4 per cent while Bauchi and Akwa Ibom came 9th and 10th with 53.3 and 52.2 percent respectively. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
    ESI/MNA

    Edited by Maureen Atuonwu