Obasanjo Meets New PDP Governors

The Governors of the New PDP has met with the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo to proffer solution to the crisis rocking the party. 

The meeting which lasted for about two hours had five out of the seven governors in attendance. 

The Amaechi Rotimi(Rivers) drove the car leading  Kwakwanso Musa(Kano), Babangida Aliu(Niger), Sule Lamido(Jigawa), Muritala Nyako(Adamawa) to the former president's house while governors from Kwara and Sokoto state were absent. 

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Babangida Aliu disclosed that it was consultation as part of the group's effort to solve the crisis.

FRSC Deploys 2,220 Officers To Accident Prone Area

No fewer than 2,220 senior officials have been deployed to accident prone highways across the country to ensure zero-tolerance on road traffic crash.

The Deputy Corps Marshal in charge of Motor Vehicle Administration, Danjuma Garuba told newsmen in Ibadan on today that the FRSC had identified six major accident prone areas in the country.

He said in an attempt to reduce to the barest minimum road traffic crashes in these areas, the FRSC management had deployed the officers to monitor and ensure safety. 

He added that the "Operation Octopus" was also to sensitize motorists and other road users on the need to obey traffic rules and regulation.

According to him, the 14-day exercise at the designated accident prone areas is to enlighten and check motorists on over speeding, over loading and imbibe safety culture.

He said it would ensure that motorists especially commercial drivers "obey traffic rules, avoid fatigue and alcohol which often lead to road traffic crashes."

The Deputy Corps Marshal who is in charge of zones 8, 5 and 11, disclosed that during the exercise, Mobile Courts would be put in place at the affected areas to try erring motorists.

Police High Command To Deploy 5 Policemen In Each Polling Unit In Anambra Election

The Police high command has concluded plans to ensure at least five Policemen are deployed to each polling unit in the November 16th Governorship election in Anambra state.

Deputy Inspector General in charge of operations, Philemon Leha dropped the hint while addressing officers and men of the Anambra state command during a working visit of the Police management team to assess the readiness of the force to effectively police the forthcoming gubernatorial poll.

Leha said the decision to flood Anambra  state with tens of thousands of policemen ahead of the election is part of strategies to counter intelligence reports that politicians are planning to sew fake police uniforms for hoodlums to engage in electoral fraud.

Fashola Presents 489.690 Billion Budget Estimate For 2014

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Wednesday presented to the State House of Assembly for approval a total Budget Estimate of N489. 690 billion for the 2014 financial year saying the focus would be to complete on-going projects and consolidate on the gains of the past budgets.

The amount, which is about N7.587 billion short of the 2013 Estimate, as is traditional with the Governor Fashola administration, prioritizes Capital over Recurrent Expenditure with Economic Affairs, General Public Service and Education taking the lion share.

According to details of the Budget presented in the Chambers of the new House of Assembly, Capital Expenditure took N255.025 billion while Recurrent Expenditure got N234.665 which represents a Capital to Recurrent Expenditure ratio of 52:48 as against 58:42 ratio for 2013.

In sectoral allocation, according to the Budget details, Economic Affairs got the lion share with N160,046,436,169 or 32.68 percent followed by General Public Service which got N100,215,966,990 or 20.47 percent while Education with N77,423,827,872, representing 15.81percent of the Budget Estimate, came third.

Other sectors of the economy that got priorities include Housing and Community Amenities N50,537,201,984 billion or 10.32 percent, Environmental  Protection N39,727,711,248 or 8.11 percent, Health N37,812,553,057 or  7.72 percent, Public Order & Safety N17,977,368,027 or 3.67 percent, Recreation, Culture & Religion N3,482,081,806 or 0.71 and Social Protection which brought up the rear with N2,466,309,939 representing 0.50 percent of the Budget.

Governor Fashola said the amount allocated to Economic Affairs would be deployed towards the implementation of various IPP projects, development of Enterprise Zone in Gberigbe, Ikorodu and Upgrading of Yaba Industrial Park as well as advancement of the 10-Lane Lagos-Badagry Expressway / Blue Rail Line Corridor, completion of other on-going Road Construction Projects and pedestrian bridges and implementation of the Agric-YES, Accelerated Food Expansion Program: Rice, Animal Husbandry, Root and Cash Crops

For General Public Service, the Governor said  the allocation would go for settlement of Pensions, implementation of the on-going Residents Registration exercise and issuance of permanent residents’ card and the implementation of Public Procedure Law while allocation to Education will be utilized to improve Science and ICT facilities in Public Schools as well as pursue improvement of Science and continuous rehabilitation/upgrading of Public School buildings and facilities.

 The N50,537,201,984 billion allocated to Housing and Community  Amenities would be deployed towards implementation of the Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (H.O.M.S), rehabilitation of small scale rural water schemes /implementation of rural electrification projects, provision of rural roads, electronic Certificate of Occupancy project and upgrading of slum areas, the Governor said.

Abia Government Recalls Sacked Non Indigene Workers

Abia state government has called on all the non indegenes it transferred back to their home states during the minimum wage saga to re apply for employment in the state civil service.

Commissioner for Informationand Strategy,Eze Chikamnayo who announced this in Umuahia as part of resolutions of the state EXCO meeting, said this decision came following plans by government to employ new workers.

He said this decision covers all categories of persons relieved of their appointment based on state of origin.

The commissioner further disclosed that  state government has approved the immediate establishment  of an airport in the state, saying already a technical committee headed by the Deputy governor, Emeka Ananaba has been set up to work out the modalities.

He stated that the committee which has three weeks to submit its report is expected to swing into action immediately.

Teenage Scammer, Accomplice Remanded for $40m Scam

Two fraudsters Tobechukwu Igbokwe (Alias David Prince)and his accomplice Ifeanyi Obi who are alleged to have duped an America of $40million are to remain in prison until December 3, 2013 Justice Lawal Akapo of the Lagos State High, Ikeja on Monday October 28, 2013 remanded the duo in prison custody after they were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a 12- count charge bordering on forgery,  conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretences contrary to section 8(a) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No 14 of 2006.

Specifically, Igbokwe, 19 year-old secondary school leaver, was alleged to have severally duped his victims, many of them foreigners of huge amount of money through the internet under fraudulent guises.

He allegedly worked in concert with Obi to dupe an American, Micheal Silva of $40 million in an inheritance scam. Silva was made to believe that Igbokwe and his accomplice had a huge inheritance which they wanted to move to a foreign account for safe-keeping.

The victim was asked to send money to “process” the transfer and in the process, he wired $40m in several instalments  through  Western Union Transfer to Igbokwe and Obi.

When the charges were read to them, the defendants pleaded not guilty. EFCC counsel, Fadeke Giwa prayed the court for a trial date and  to remanded the accused persons in prison custody.

However, counsel to the first defendant, D. A Omougbai  asked for a short date to file his bail application. Also, counsel to the second defendant, D. A Eimuejel  prayed  the court to accept the bail application he filed on behalf of his client.

Justice Akapo, however, adjourned the matter till December 3, 2013 and ordered that the defendants be remanded in Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Lagos.

Nigeria Loses Over 2 Billion Naira To Medical Tourism Annually

Nigeria loses over 2 billion naira annually to medical tourism around the world.  State Chairman of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA),Dr. Olusoji Jagun  who disclosed  this to newsmen while addressing a press conference lamented the poor state of health services in the country.

He disclosed further that Nigeria incur the loss because of the poor state of health delivery in the country.