Kebbi govt. provides land to FHA for construction of 500 housing units

By Editor

The Kebbi State Governor, Comrade Dr Nasir Idris has provided land to the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) for the construction of five hundred (500) housing units for civil servants in the state.

The Governor disclosed this on Thursday when he received the Managing Director/CEO Federal Housing Authority Abuja, Hon. Oyetunde Oladimeji-Ojo who was in Government House on a courtesy visit.

He added that his administration would provide an enabling environment for them to provide a beautiful and befitting housing estate for the workers.

"My administration promised to give quality houses for the civil servants in the state, I am ready to collaborate with the federdal housing authority and any financial institution that will bring changes and development to my administration and give my people a sense of belonging," he said.

The governor applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for championing the course of renewed hope agenga and his strive to ensure smooth democratic process in the country.

Dr Idris assured the team that his administration would pay for the land compensation and promised to give any other necessary support required.

Responding, the Managing Director/CEO federal housing authority, Mr Oyetunde Oladimeji-Ojo commended the governor for embarking on developmental projects that had direct bearing to the lives of people of the state.

The Managing Director who was accompanied by the permanent Secretary Ministry of Land and Housing TPL Abubakar Ahmed said that the essence of the visit was to seek collaboration with the state government and any financial institution to provide housing units to the workers.

"The visitation that I embarked on across the country is part of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's renewed hope agenda targeted at providing dividends of democracy to the people. We want to choose Kebbi state for a grand ceremony where Mr president will flag-off the programme" he added.

He then thanked the governor for the worthm reception accorded them since they arrived Kebbi state.

Those in attendance are the Secretary to the Kebbi State Government Yakubu Bala-Tafida, Head of Service Alhaji Safiyanu Garba-Bena, Hon. Commissioner for finance, Alhaji Abubakar Chika, Hon. Commissioner Environment Musa Tunbulawa, and the permanent secretary ministry of land and Housing TPL Abubakar Ahmed who lead the team for the assessment.

Seat of God FC Not Disbanded- Management

By Editor

The attention of the management of the Seat of God FC has been drawn to a malicious and unsubstantiated news making the rounds as being peddled by enemies of the club that the club has been disbanded.

The information is not true and certainly the greatest of lies from the pit of hell to tarnish the image of the club and draw it into the mud by such rumours.

For the records, the Seat of God FC has not been disbanded and there is no such plan either now or in the future to disband it.

Recall that the Seat of God FC has played consistently the Nationwide League One (NLO) for the past four seasons.

We therefore call on the good people of Kaduna State, the management of the NLO and Nigerians to disregard such malicious rumour as it is the opinion and imaginations of the peddlers.

 

For the record,  the management only addressed the players,coaches and other crew at the end of the season to take a short break to allow the management take proper assessment of the 2024 NLO season and how the team has performed  and come up with ways of making it better preparatory to the 2025NLO season.

The Seat of God FC is still intact and will resume preparations for the next season after the break stronger and more focused to get promotion to the NNL by the grace of God.

We implore you all to disregard the rumour of disbandment in its entirety as there is no element of truth in it.

Yoruba youths ask Tinubu to sack Chief of Naval Staff over allegations against him

Passes vote of no confidence on Ogalla

By Editor

The Yoruba Youth Council, YYC, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sack the Chief of Naval Staff, CNS, Emmanuel Ogalla for allegations of supporting oil thieves levelled against him.

Besides, it passed a vote of no confidence on Ogalla, and called on the President to order a thorough investigation of the CNS, in view of what it described as recurring allegations of large-scale corruption and support for oil theft syndicates against him.

In a statement on Sunday by its National President Comrade Eric Oluwole, the coalition, which is an umbrella body of Yoruba youths nationwide, accused the CNS of sabotaging the President's efforts against oil theft in view of allegations levelled against him.

The coalition spoke against the backdrop of allegations by another group of Nigerians of large-scale corruption and involvement in procurement fraud and contract splitting, in violation of the Procurement Act against the CNS.

That group in January had levelled the allegations against the CNS in a petition to the Fedral Government  Tunubu led administration, who had vowed the administration's zero tolerance for corruption.

The YYC said that it was disturbed that allegations were still flying around that the CNS is sabotaging Mr President's efforts in fighting oil theft.

For instance, it said there are allegations that a ship recently arrested by private security for oil theft was released to its owners after series of agitation by stakeholders; and that tank vessels were being allowed to evacuate or dilute exhibit in the name of taking samples, which ideally are taken in small bottles for laboratory tests.

The YYC said it gathered that the President had ordered the re-arrest of the said ship and sanctioned full investigation. 

It named the vessels involved in the alleged recent oil theft incident tagged MT PRESITGOUS AT BONNY ANCHORAGE.

Oluwole said: "It is in view of these disturbing allegations, and a strongly-worded petition to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in January that we the YYC call on the President to sack the CNS and order a full-scale probe into his activities while in office.

"We are fully in support of the ongoing efforts of the President and his administration to fight head-on oil theft, and stop its long-term bleeding of the Nigerian economy. 

"Therefore we call on the President to remove any stumbling block on his path to successfully fight this monster called oil theft which he inherited, and sanitise the entire oil sector."

A group of concerned Nigerians comprising of lawyers, human rights activists and anti-corruption crusaders, had in January petitioned Federal Government expressing concerns over some allegations against the CNS.

According to their petition: “At a time when the country is grappling with significant revenue losses due to crude oil theft, it is distressing to discover that the Chief of Naval Staff, whose primary responsibility it is to safeguard Nigeria’s waterways against oil theft and other forms of criminality, is allegedly colluding with the perpetrators of these heinous crimes against the Nigerian state.”

Hardship: Financial institutions, others ready to grant business loans to corps members - NYSC DG

From AbdulGaniyu Alabi


With the country facing economic hardship and graduates finding it difficult to secure white collar jobs, the Director General (DG) of the National Youth Service Corps, (NYSC) Brigadier General Yushau Dogara Ahmed has stated that  financial institutions and other stakeholders are prepared to grant soft loans to corps members start businesses.



The Director General made this known while fielding questions from journalists shortly after the orientation closing ceremony for Batch A Stream 2 Corps members in Kaduna. 


The Director General who charged the corps members to utilize the skills they acquired during the orientation course, stating that  “the scheme is in collaboration with so many stakeholders that are prepared to give them( corps members) soft loans to start businesses.

“Our hopes and prayer is that the corps members should not be waiting for job after service. They should be able to have something they can hold on and be independent”,he added.

General Ahmed however urge the corps members avoid embarking on unnecessary journeys capable of jeopardizing their lives. “If they must travel, they must not embark on night journey because traveling at night poses danger to the corps members.”

In his remarks, the kaduna state’s NYSC coordinator, Mr Hassan Taura also urged the corps members “to take part in the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) post- camp training. Locate your trainers with the help of your Local Government Inspectors and perfect the skills you have chosen in the camp. It will definitely empower you to be self- reliant. I have no doubt, that you are fully equipped with the requisite knowledge and skills needed to tackle various challenges during your Primary Assignment.”


Meanwhile, the Governor of the state, Mallam Uba Sani in his remark urged the corps members   posted to various places of primary assignment across communities in kaduna  to embrace the “values of selflessness, patriotism, and community development. You are ambassadors of peace and progress, tasked with bridging cultural and socioeconomic divides.”

Oil theft: Overhaul Naval High command, Ohanaeze youths urge Tinubu

 

By Editor

Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has called for a thorough overhaul of the Naval high command.

It said the call became necessary in view of endless allegations of oil theft in the Niger Delta region despite the huge presence of naval officials. 

In a statement made available to journalists on Monday by Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, he said there were disturbing allegations of high calibre oil theft still ongoing in the Niger Delta region. 

According to Okwu, only a few days ago, there were allegations “that on 3rd of May, 2024, MT MONTAGU went alongside MT PRESTIGIUOS and discharged 104,4033 BBL of crude. The crude was loaded from MT BYRANSTON Stationed at NEWCROSS Facility SAN BARTH OML 24 Marginal oil field. 

“MT MONTAGU only discharged into MT PRESTIGIUOS and did not take away any product from her. 

“The ship was arrested by private security and it was released by the naval officials who said they were acting on orders from above, after a series of agitation by stakeholders.

“Even when there was a counter order that the ship be re-arrested, the navy officials allowed another Tank vessel to either evacuate the exhibit or dilute it, in the name of taking samples, which ideally should be taken in a small bottle for lab test. What was the vessel doing there as shown in one of the pictures.”

Okwu, who said it appeared the naval officials were sabotaging the Federal Government’s efforts to ramp up oil production, said the avowed promise by President Tinubu rid the country of corruption must be demonstrated through the immediate overhaul of the naval high command. 

While re-calling the group’s support to President Tinubu during the 2023 general elections, he said Nigerians were going through excruciating pains whereas a few individuals were living in opulence.

He said, “we are alarmed, like many other Nigerians, over what is going on in the Niger Delta region. 

“We stand for zero tolerance for corruption and support for the growth of the economy and total support for the Tinubu-led Federal Government’s anti-corruption fight.”

“Based on the allegations we have sighted as narrated, we call for the sack of the Naval hierarchy, starting from the Chief of Naval Staff under whose watch the officials have been unable to tame oil thieves.

“However, we urge Mr President to appoint another Igbo man as his replacement.

“This is the only way to restore sanity to the oil production chain,” Okwu added.

Sabotage: Niger Delta Youth passes vote of No Confidence in Chief of Naval Staff

By Editor 

The Niger Delta Youth Congress, (NYDC) has passed a note of No confidence on the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla for economic sabotage. 

In a statement of the National coordinator of the group, Comrade Israel Uwejeyan, he said the Niger Delta Youth Congress (NDYC) is deeply disheartened by the recent revelations of criminal activities within the Navy. We are deeply concerned about recent reports implicating the Navy in nefarious activities such as crude oil theft, diversion of crude oil, and providing security escorts for crude oil thieves on our waterways.

“We are extremely distressed by recent revelations of criminal activities which are tantamount to sabotaging the efforts of the President Bola Tinubu administration and bringing the Nigerian Navy into disrepute.

The NDYC, representing the youth of the Niger Delta region, cannot overlook the egregious actions and tarnished reputation that have characterized the Navy's operations under Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla's command. Therefore, we express our loss of confidence in his ability to lead effectively.

“It is imperative to reiterate that the primary mandate of the Navy is to secure our waterways, protect maritime resources, and ensure the safety of all maritime activities. Any involvement in criminal activities not only undermines the security apparatus,  the security and economic stability of our nation but also directly sabotages the efforts of the Government 

“The NDYC condemns in the strongest terms actions by the Navy that compromise the security and integrity of our waterways. We call on the appropriate authorities to thoroughly investigate these allegations that includes the recent criminal incident that occurred on Friday the 3rd of May 2024 involving MT PRESTIGIOUS and MT MONTAGU and those found culpable must be brought to justice to serve as a deterrent to others and to restore the integrity of the Navy.

“At a time when our country is in desperate need of all available resources to alleviate the suffering of the masses and stabilize the economy, it is incredibly saddening and unacceptable for such activities that not only undermines the efforts to stabilize our economy but also exacerbates the suffering of the Nigerian people to be taking place. 

“We therefore pass a vote of no confidence on the Chief of Naval staff Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla and call for swift and thorough investigations into these criminal activities and those found culpable must be brought to justice to serve as a deterrent to others and to restore the integrity of the Navy.

“In conclusion, the Niger Delta Youth Congress NDYC vehemently denounces the scandalous activities within the Navy under the leadership of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla. It is imperative that swift and decisive action is taken to rectify these egregious transgressions. 

“Our collective efforts must be directed towards promoting lawful and sustainable maritime activities for the benefit of all Nigerians.”

Board lauds NAHCON for selecting Kebbi to kick-start airlift of Nigeria's intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia

By Editor

The Kebbi State Pilgrims Welfare Board appreciated the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for selecting Kebbi to flag off the airlift of intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.

The excercise will commence from Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport, Birnin Kebbi on May 15, 2024.

Commending NAHCON for finding Kebbi worthy of the exercise, the Chairman, Kebbi State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Faruku Musa-Enabo said selection of Kebbi to kick-start the 2024 Hajj exercise was not by accident but by the gigantic efforts His Excellency, Comrade Dr Nasir Idris Kauran Gwandu.

"The selection of Kebbi is not by accident but it is part of the fruits of labour of His Excellency, Comrade Dr Nasir Idris, Kauran Gwandu, who did everything possible to fix modern facilities at the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport.

"The effort of Kauran Gwandu has yielded positive results. We must therefore appreciate the governor for facilitating the take off of pilgrims from Kebbi," he said.