FIRE GUTS PART OF OYO HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

A WILD fire, this afternoon broke out in a part of the Oyo State House of Assembly complex located within the Government Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

The fire started a few minutes after 2:00p.m, shortly after the lawmakers concluded the first plenary after months-long recess.

The fire which started from the generator sited close to the complex, gutted part of the room allocated to newsmen assigned to cover the House proceedings.

A satellite dish mounted close to the generator was also not spared from the inferno: it was razed to ashes.

Some lawmakers who were holding a House committee meeting within the complex and staff in the building quickly fled on seeing the raging fire heralded by thick black smoke that billowed uncontrollably into the skyline.

With alacrity, men from the state fire service, led by their director, Mr Kareem Oyekunle, rushed to the scene of the outbreak with a well-equipped and well-manned fire ambulance and put out the fire within 15 minutes.

Speaking with newsmen, Oyekunle, who said he was informed about the incident by Mr Abimbola Adekanmbi, Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Abiola Ajimobi, attributed the cause of the fire to overheating of the generator.

He suggested that more than one generator be deployed to power the multiple adjoining buildings in the complex and the alternate use of such generators as a precautionary measure against recurrence.

Also speaking, a member of the House, Honourable Kehinde Subair, told newsmen that the generator had aged and gone weak, having been serving the whole of the complex since 2000 when it was purchased by the Alhaji Lam Adesina administration.

He explained that although provision had been made for a new generator in the 2012 budget for which money was yet to be released, they were “still managing” the burnt generator, adding that they had been complaining about the weakness of the equipment for a long time.

He observed that no part of the complex would have been affected in the incident if the generator house had been built far away from the complex, saying that a new generator would be sited metres away from the building.

The lawmaker commended the swift response of the fire fighters and urged them to tackle possible fire outbreak that may occur in any part of the state.

Court Seeks Police Assistance To Reinstate Tokyo As Oyo NURTW Chairman

An end may not be in sight to the crisis rocking the Oyo State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), as the Federal  High Court sitting  in Ibadan , the Oyo State capital,  has ordered the  state Police Command  to re-instate  Alhaji Lateef Akinsola (a.k. a. Tokyo), as the chairman of the union  in compliance with the judgement of the court.

 In a  letter dated 3^rd September, 2012  and signed by A.A. Tahir, Deputy Chief Registrar of the court, it  urged  the police to implement the court judgement delivered by Justice Johnson Shakarho on 25^th May, 2012.

 The letter which was addressed to the state Commissioner of Police and copied the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 11,  titled,  “Application for Police Assistance in respect of the execution of court order in suit number FHC/IB/CS/30/2012”,   stated, “ kindly avail the bailiff of this Honourable  Court  with the police assistant in executing the court judgement delivered by this Honourable Court on 25^th  May 2012.”

 It will be recalled that Justice Shakarho  in a judgement delivered on the 25^th May, 2012,  declared that the proscription of the National Union Road Transport Workers in Oyo State was a violation of  Tokyo’s fundamental human rights as enshrined in section 33, 40, and 42 of the 1999 constitution and article 3, 4, 5, 10 and 22 of the African chapter of human and people’s  rights.”

The judge then  declared  his  removal  as the chairman of the union in the state,  “as ultra vires, unconstitutional, null and void, as NURTW is a trade Union Registered under the trade Union  Act cap t14 LFN 2004.”

Lagos ACN Blasts President Jonathan on Boast of Capturing South West

The Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria has described President Goodluck Jonathan’s boast that the PDP will take over the South West states in upcoming elections as laughable hallucination borne out of acute political ignorance. It rather insists that Nigerians will do away with the nuisance the PDP has constituted in thirteen years of awful leadership that has wrecked the country by 2015,

In a release in Lagos, signed by the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Joe Igbokwe, the party says that while it sees the need to inflate the sagging hopes of what remains of the South West PDP, boasting of winning the South West with the kind of mediocre leadership Jonathan has demonstrated since he became president is the height of political ignorance. It advices the president to rather seek ways of restoring the confidence of Nigerians to his capacity to steer the wobbly Nigerian state and not make vague political boasts that are in clear contrast to the political reality on ground,

“We feel that time has come for the president to measure his words and ensure they conform to reality rather than making awkward and contradictory statements that have greatly devalued the worth of the Jonathan presidency in the eyes of Nigerians. We feel embarrassed that Nigerians have come to attach less value to the words of their president and that marks the shrinking of worth that has hit the Jonathan presidency since it berthed.

“Perhaps Jonathan and his PDP are so stuck in the art of conning unmerited power through shameless electoral manipulation but he needs to be tutored that the PDP, with its notorious leadership in the center for the past harrowing thirteen years and its hazardous feel at power in the South West, is a relic that has been consigned to the dustbin of history as far as the politics of the South West is concerned. We may not be surprised that this president does not know the intricacies of politics in the South West but he needs to be tutored on the fact that PDP is an aberration in the South West and this they redoubtably proved when it was forced on the region till the period it was shamefully thrown out of power in the region.

“We know that this president and his party are apostles of power without responsibility and he may honestly nurse the dream that with its barren outing in the last thirteen years which has crumbled the sixth largest oil producer in the world to a land of seamless suffering and penury, PDP can ‘win’ any election by merely wishing and deploying its notorious rigging power. By this, the president is demonstrating his well known bare understanding of politics and issues, which informs his woeful performance as president so far. In this, he is at home with the clowning club of frustrated political speculators called South West PDP who are now laughable parodists in their desperate search for relevance.

“We want to lecture President Jonathan and his storm tossed band called South West PDP that wishing for a PDP comeback in the South West is tantamount to a curse, which the people of the South West has outlived and would never ever be afflicted with again. We want to let him know that the PDP in the South West is a dying group of parodists whose false rise to relevance through election rigging has been successfully frustrated by the people of the South West. We want to let him know that what remains of South West PDP is a bunch of political featherweights who have no known political base and who have turned into bitter vendors of puerile gossips and acidic propaganda with the hope this will curry political relevance to it.

“But above all, we urge Jonathan to strive to make a meaning from the presidency he covets instead of always struggling to make awkward statements that belittle the presidency. We want him to concentrate on giving Nigerians something to take away from his barren regime instead of engaging in wild political hallucinations that would lead to nowhere. We want him to realize that Nigerians are presently united by how to ensure that his regime, which Nigerians see as a huge obstacle to their progress, is democratically offloaded to give way for the start of the quest to recover Nigeria. President Jonathan must know the minds of Nigerians to the fact that the PDP has become a noxious burden, which Nigerians are desperate to offload and that by 2015, PDP and its negative values that have wrecked Nigeria will become history.”

Bauchi Government dissolves Caretaker committees, appoints Sole Administrators

For effective service delivery at the third tier of governance, Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda has approved the dissolution of the Caretaker Committees of the twenty Local Government Councils in the state.

The dissolution was contained in a press statement issued from the office of the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Ahmed Ibrahim Dandija copies of which was made available to Journalists in Bauchi Monday.

Part of the statement stated that, “the dissolution of the Caretaker Committees was informed by the need for effective service delivery and political neutrality in Local Government administration.

The statement further contained that “Consequently, Sole Administrators who consist largely of civil servants have been appointed to run the affairs of the local governments pending the conduct of Local government council elections”, adding that the appointments take immediate effect just as the out-going Caretaker Committee Chairmen have been directed to hand over to the Sole Administrators by 10^th September, 2012.

The appointed Sole Administrators are; Yohanna Usman Yashi for Alkaleri LGA; Lawal Baba Ma’aji for Bauchi LGA; Simon Bukata Taimako for Bogoro LGA; Kabiru Adamu Sade for Darazo LGA and Ahmed Aliyu Jalam for Dambam LGA while Danlami Baraza is for Dass LGA.

Others are; Kabiru Garba for Gamawa; Abdul Hassan for Ganjuwa LGA; Musa Manari for Giade; Ya’u Ibrahim Gadau is for Itas\Gadau LGA; Adamu Aliyu Suleiman is for Jama’are LGA and Abubakar Dahuwa is for Katagum LGA while Garba Sabo is for Kirfi LGA.

Also appointed as Sole Administrators are; Ibrahim Waziri Zadawa for Misau LGA; Saidu Saleh for Ningi LGA; Maigari Mohammed Kanna for Shira LGA; Iliyasu A. Gital for Tafawa Balewa LGA, Barrister Aliyu Ibn idris is for Toro while Comfort Ganya is for Warji LGA and Mohammed Babaji Katagum is for Zaki LGA.

FASHOLA APPROVES APPOINTMENT OF DAVID OLABANJI SUNMONI AS NEW ACCOUNTANT-GENERAL OF THE STATE

The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has approved the appointment of Mr David Olabanji Adewale Sunmoni as the new Accountant -General of the State.

His appointment takes effect from 31 August 2012 when the appointment of the former AG, Mr.  Akin Ambode lapsed.

 Mr. Sunmoni who was born on 16 of January 1959 has served as the State Auditor -General from 2010 until his new appointment.

A Master Degree holder in Business Administration (MBA) from the Lagos State University, Sunmoni is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) and Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (FCCA) as well as an Associate of Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN).

Among the institutions he attended are London School of Accountancy, London, Methodist High School, Lagos and Oriwu College, Ikorodu.

Since he joined the State Public service, he has served in various capacities including  Assistant Director, Teaching Service Commission TESCOM Pensions from 2002 to 2006, Lagos State Treasury Office as deputy director treasury operations from 2006 to 2009, Ministry of Waterfront as director of accounts from 2009 to 2010.

He has also worked with different organizations like A.G. Leventis Nigeria Plc, Pfizer Products Plc, Beta Glass Plc and Livestock Feeds Plc in different capacities like Senior Accountant, Financial and Management Accountant, Group Financial Controller and Company Secretary.

Mr Sunmoni has attended several professional courses and training programmes both locally and internationally. He is a Lay preacher at the Methodist Church of Nigeria Ikorodu Diocese.

The new Accountant General belongs to the Oriwu Club in Ikorodu and Lagos Country Club and is married with children.

ONE OF DANA VICTIMS COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE 6 BATTALION NIGERIAN ARMY, BURIED

The remains of one of the Victims of the ill- fated Dana air crash and commanding officer of the  6 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Abak , Akwa Ibom state, Lt. col. Owoicho Jumbo Ochigbo  were today committed to mother earth amidst tears and wailing.

Top government officers including the president of the Senate, Senator David Mark, his wife Helen, minister of interior Comrade Abba Morro,  Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio,top military brass led by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) , 82 Division who represented the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika, wives of Military Officers, community leaders among others witnessed the emotion laden burial.

In his tribute at the grave side, the Senate President  lamented the untimely death of late Ochigbo whom he described as an officer and a gentleman in every sense of it.

He counseled the bereaved family and the Nigerian Army to take solace in the fact that the deceased lived an exemplary life worthy of emulation.

To lessen the pains of the bereaved , senator Mark announced scholarship to university level for the three children of late Ochigbo. He also adopted them as his children.

In his tribute, the chief of Army Staff, lamented  that  late Ochigbo will be greatly remembered for his gallantry, good sense of purpose and selfless service to his fatherland.

Akwa Ibom  state governor who had earlier paid a condolence visit to the bereaved family in Otukpo, Benue State described late Ochigbo as a very committed officer who would be missed greatly.

Late Ochigbo was the commanding officer of 6 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Abak in Akwa Ibom state. He was among the 153 passengers of the ill- fated Dana Airline on June 3, 2012, in Lagos.

Akwa Ibom seeks Urgent Reprieve For Bakassi Returnees

The Akwa Ibom State government has warned against undue politicization of the sufferings faced by the displaced Bakassi people, emphasising that Bakassi Peninsula was about people who lost their land, property, territory and means of survival in the aftermath of the lCJ Judgement and not just about oil as touted in some quarters.

This call was made during a fact finding visit to the state by the House of Representatives Committee on Treaties and Agreement, led by its Chairman Hon Dayo Bush-Alebiosu.

Addressing the delegation yesterday at the Banquet Hall, Uyo, venue of the stakeholders interactive session with the House of Representatives Committee, Governor Godswill Akpabio, represented by the secretary to the state government, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, expressed dissatisfaction at the alleged maltreatment of Akwa Ibom indigenes who are residing and carrying out their normal fishing businesses in the Bakassi area, by the Camerounian authorities, and made a case for the federal government to address the ugly development.    

Governor Akpabio described as frustrating the continued suffering experienced by returnees from the State who looked up to Akwa lbom State Government for their shelter, means of livelihood and general survival.                                                                    

He noted that Akwa Ibom state had been a victim of the entire  Bakassi saga with its communities moved by executive fiat without any provision for their welfare or alternative home.

He told the fact finding committee that the real owners of Bakassi are yet to be compensated by the federal government adding that those who benefitted from the compensation were not the real Bakassi owners.

The governor expressed hope that their visit would bring to rest, series of stories and fabrications that had been peddled against the innocent and law-abiding Akwa Ibom people resident in the peninsular.

The chairman of the fact finding committee Hon Dayo Bush-Alebiosu said that his committee has been able to make a ‘headway’ in its assignment, following the submissions so far received from those he described as the “real victims and owners of Bakassi”.

Mr. Bush-Alebiosu who had earlier toured the settlements of the Bakassi people at the Ibaka and Okobo areas, said he was impressed by the volume  of information gathered in the state regarding areas of breaches of the Green Tree Agreement.                                                       

The law maker explained that following complaints of human rights abuse and other related inhuman treatments allegedly meted on Nigerians who are residing and doing business in the disputed Bakassi Peninsula, that  which was ceded to the Republic of Cameron by the International Court of Justice, the Federal House of Representatives mandated his committee to commenced investigation into the matter with a view to ascertaining the level of allege breach of the Green Tree Agreement by the Camerounian authorities.

However stakeholders who made various submissions before the National Assembly Committee in Uyo all lamented the annexing of Bakassi to Cross River State by the military administration of Late Gen Sanni Abacha, and subsequent loss of the territory to Cameroun.

They included the member representing Okobo in the House of Assembly Mr. Efefiong Antigha,  , President of Okobo community in Bakassi, Mr, Anthony Ukpong, Clan Head of Ebughu,Ovong Edet.O.Isemin, Head of Civil Service Mrs. Cecila Udoessien, , President Atlantic Deep Sea Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Prince Umojoya Ogunfeyimi among others.