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NURTW S’West leaders slam NLC over transport union’s crisis

Published

5 hours ago

November 20, 2024

NURTW S’West leaders slam NLC over transport union’s crisis

Some leaders of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the South-West have blamed the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) led by Joe Ajaero over the lingering leadership crisis with the transport body.

The leaders gave the position in a statement issued on Tuesday under the auspices of the South-West NURTW Forum and signed by Alhaji Nosiru Komolafe, a two-term National Treasurer of the union.

They specifically accused the NLC of bias, claiming it decided to take sides when the crisis started.

They stated that if the leadership of the NLC had played its role as unbiased umpire the crisis could have been nipped in the bud.

This, they said, was not done and it allowed the crisis to fester, resulting in litigations and creation of factions.

Komolafe recalled, “The the union under Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin adopted a rotational presidency so as to give all the six geopolitical zones a sense of belonging.

“And the whole arrangements started with Yoruba and Baruwa was put forward as the Yoruba candidate, despite serious opposition from Ogun State council, his home state.”

Komolafe explained that at Baruwa’s inauguration as president in 2019, all the six states in South West were under the umbrella of the union.

“But shortly after resuming office, he started causing confusion between the union and various state governments and because of his uncompromising attitude, nearly all the state governments in South West were forced to proscribe the union in their various states (Oyo,Ogun, Osun, Ondo and Lagos).

“So, by the time he was preparing for a second term, there was no union in the South West again to endorse him.”

He said the aggrieved members of the union from Lagos, Oyo and Ogun states wrote a series of protest letters/petitions to the NLC, stating all the alleged atrocities of Baruwa, but ignored them until the problems escalated.

He said, “And to our surprise, since the beginning of the crisis, the NLC has pitched its tent with Baruwa against the rest of union members.

“The NLC that’s supposed to be an impartial arbiter decided to take sides contrary to the disposition of the past leaders of NLC such as Pascal Bafyau, Abdulwahid Omar and Adams Oshiomhole had waded into the union crisis without necessarily aligning with any faction but the reverse is the case under Joe Ajaero who wants to install Baruwa at all costs because of his own selfish and sinister motive.”

According to him, members of the union, especially in the South-West cannot endure “another four years of suffering and stagnation under Baruwa, hence the decision to endorse Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya as our candidate for the presidency.”

metro

7 officers missing as NSCDC neutralises 50 Boko Haram elements

Published

2 hours ago

November 20, 2024

Trends Admin

7 officers missing as NSCDC neutralises 50 Boko Haram elements

A special squad of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, yesterday, neutralised 59 bandits, who had ambushed them in Kaduna State, shortly after conducting a patrol of the national grid installation in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.

The incident occurred about 3:40 p.m., when the convoy of the special monitoring squad comprising of nine officers and 71 other ranks drawn from the Commandant General Special Intelligence Squad, CG SIS, operatives, FCT Command and Kaduna State Command respectively, were ambushed at Farin- Kasa Area of Chukun LGA in Kaduna State.

Confirming the incident, Corps Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi said seven personnel of the Corps were still “missing in action” as of the time of filing this report.

He said the team was crossing from the Shiroro axis after the surveillance of the installations.
Recall that the nation experienced total blackout recently due to the incessant collapse of the national grid as a result of continuous attacks on the facilities by bandits, a development which led to the setting up of the Special Monitoring Squad by the Commandant General, Dr. Ahmed Audi.

Afolabi said: “The combined team which embarked on patrol of the National Grid Installation from Shiroro along some flash points and vulnerable areas, however, came across some stranded expatriates in the bush around Dagwachi village axis returning from a mining site at Tutu area of Niger State, that joined the convoy in a bid to protect them through Farin- Kasa Area of Chukun LGA in Kaduna.

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“Unknown to them, over 200 armed Boko Haram elements had laid ambushed on a vengeful mission against security operatives who they claimed had been giving them problems. And from the top of a hill located at Farin-Kasa, they opened fire upon sighting the long convoy of the NSCDC monitoring team using different sophisticated weapons.

“The Combined NSCDC operatives in the ambush, however, not overwhelmed by terrorists, repelled the attack and successfully neutralized over 50 of the terrorists in the crossfire. Seven operatives of the NSCDC are currently missing in action and efforts are currently underway to locate them in the bush, while a few others who sustained various degrees of injuries are currently undergoing medical treatment in a medical facility.

“The NSCDC as the leading agency in the protection of critical national assets and infrastructure will not be cowed or be deterred by any attack by terrorist or any group of saboteurs trying to sabotage the efforts of government towards actualizing the renewed hope agenda of Mr. president in ensuring the revival of the power sector for a stable electricity supply nationwide.’

“In the meantime, the Commandant General while awaiting the full brief on the incident from the officers on the field described the attack on NSCDC personnel as callous, unfortunate and an attack too many on security operatives who have sworn to the defence of the country.”

7 officers missing as NSCDC neutralises 50 Boko Haram elements

metro

ICPC tracks N610bn constituency projects in 21 states, FCT

Published

3 hours ago

November 20, 2024

Trends Admin

ICPC tracks N610bn constituency projects in 21 states, FCT

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Tuesday announced that it has kicked off the 7th phase of the constituency and executive projects tracking exercise involving 1,500 schemes valued at N610 billion.

The Spokesperson for the ICPC, Mr Demola Bakare, who disclosed this in a statement he issued in Abuja, said the exercise is an initiative of the commission that began in 2019.

He said it focused on how well money allocated to critical sectors like education, health, agriculture, water resources and power amongst others, were utilised.

”The 7th phase, involving 1,500 projects with a total project value of N610 billion, commenced on Nov.18 in the FCT and 21 states across the six geopolitical zones.

”They are Kwara, Niger, Kogi, Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River, Delta, Imo, Abia and Enugu States and FCT.

”The tracking exercise will cut across agencies of government, including intervention agencies such as North-East Development Commission (NEDC) and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC),” he said.

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He said other agencies were the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).

Bakare said it also included the National Primary Health Care Development Authority (NPHCDA), the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and the Ecological Fund Office.

He said the objective of the exercise was to deepen adherence to due process in the execution of government projects and improve value for money.

According to him, it is also to entrench the culture of compliance with the scope and specification as contained in the contract documents.

”The ICPC tracked a total of 1,900 projects valued at N500 billion in the 6th phase of the exercise across 24 states of the nation’s six geopolitical zones.

”The projects were tracked within the focal sectors of Education, Water Resources, Agriculture, Power, Health, Energy, and Roads.

”These projects in the 6th phase were awarded to a total of 1,355 contractors in 176 MDAs”, he said.

ICPC tracks N610bn constituency projects in 21 states, FCT

metro

VIRAL VIDEO: Couple ‘assaulted’ by Army General in Abuja demands N150m

Published

3 hours ago

November 20, 2024

Trends Admin

VIRAL VIDEO: Couple ‘assaulted’ by Army General in Abuja demands N150m

A soon-to-wed couple allegedly assaulted by Nigerian Military personnel has filed a lawsuit against the officers.

A viral video circulating on social media captures the alleged assault of Mr. Vershima Mker and Miss Lami Iorvihi by the officers over claim they obstructed a military convoy in the Gwarinpa area of Abuja.

The couple, according to a copy of the lawsuit shared by broadcast journalist, Rufia Oseni on Tuesday, stated that the military officers subjected the couple to abuse, and subsequently detained them for eight hours.

A follow-up video also shared by Oseni captured some details of the incident.

In the amateur footage, a female voice could be heard groaning, screaming and pleading with the officers.

At first, the video opened with Mker asking the personnel repeatedly, “How did I bash your car?” then followed with, “Oh God!”.

The officers briefly left the car, only to return with a horsewhip.

Mker was dragged out of his car and was later seen holding his head in a manner that appeared he had been hurt.

“Jesus! Jesus! He is not feeling fine”, Iorvihi said as she pleaded with the officers.

This, however, fell on deaf ears as the officers were captured using the horsewhip on the male driver. Lorvihi was also heard saying she had sustained injury from the clash with the officers.

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When the officers found out she was recording the situation, one of the officers asked her to hand him the phone.

The officers were heard struggling to collect the phone, and eventually, the footage went blank.

In their lawsuit, the duo demanded “immediate payment of N150m compensation for the assault, inhuman treatment and injury caused to (A) Master Vershima Mker and (B) Miss. Lami Iorvihi.”

The lawsuit read partly: “We are solicitors to MASTER. VERSHIMA MKER and MISS. LAMI JENNIFER IORVIHI on whose full and firm instructions we demand for the immediate dismissal of Major General G.S. Mohammed and Corporal A. Abubakar and the sum of N150 million for their inhuman treatment of our clients by beating, subjecting them to abuse, wounding and causing them to be detained at the Police without them committing any known crime.

“Our clients are university graduates who are intending to get married soon and as part of their preparations, were in Gwarinpa vising relations and intending guests.

“While driving on 3rd Avenue, Gwaringpa the said Major General G.S. Mohammed driving with his convoy also joined the road with sirens blaring from behind.

“Despite the crowded sideways, our clients made haste and parked for the Major General.

“Yet the Major General G.S. Musa and his convoy blocked our clients and started beating and insulting them in a way that even prisoners of war are never treated.

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“The video coverage and pictures released to us by our clients show Gen. G.S. Musa personally beating up our clients alongside Corporal A. Abubakar.

“The brutal army general and his details handcuffed our clients, pushed them into the boot of one of their vehicles and took them to the Gwarpa Police Station where the Army General ordered our clients to be detained until he would give word for their release.

“And true to his word, our clients were detained for 8 hours until General G.S. Musa personally came to the Police Station with armed soldiers and compelled our clients to write an apology to him under duress before they were released.”

Army Chief Orders Probe

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Army has ordered an immediate investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the altercation.

A statement signed by the Director of Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu, read: “The attention of the Nigerian Army (NA) has been drawn to a viral audio-visual recording circulating on social media platforms, purportedly showing a senior Army officer and 2 other soldiers in an altercation with a man and woman within the Abuja metropolis.

“The circumstances leading to this incident are not clear at the moment. However, the Acting Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has ordered an immediate investigation to unravel the true circumstances surrounding this altercation.

“The NA remains committed to serving and protecting all law-abiding Nigerians as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Therefore, we urge the public to be rest assured that due diligence will be applied to reach a logical conclusion on this matter.”

WATCH: @HQNigerianArmy Major General and Escorts Brutally Assault Man for 'Overtaking Their Vehicle' and Attack Female Passenger for Recording the Encounter pic.twitter.com/TSnCiOrc5p

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) November 19, 2024