News
Keyamo denies plan to move firefighting equipment to Lagos
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By Francesca Hangeior
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has denied claims that the ministry is planning to relocate a firefighting simulator from the Nigerian College of Technology, Zaria, Kaduna State, to Lagos State.
Keyamo in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood, stated that the rumour is nothing but the handiwork of mischief makers bent on destabilising the course of the nation
In the statement, titled ‘Aviation Ministry Refutes Unsubstantiated Rumour Regarding Movement Of Fire-Fighting Simulator From Zaria To Lagos’, the minister noted that the rumour is nothing but the handiwork of mischief makers bent on destabilising the course of the nation.
He added that there was no iota of truth in the rumour because the originator, who is a member of the House of Representatives referred to an unsubstantiated plan by the ministry to relocate the fire-fighting simulator out of the Nigerian College of Technology, Zaria to Lagos State.
The statement reads, “The attention of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has been drawn to a video making the rounds of a motion moved on the floor of the House of Representatives by an Honourable member making reference to an unsubstantiated plan by the ministry to move a fire-fighting simulator out of the Nigerian College of Technology, Zaria to Lagos State and urging the House to restrain the move.
“The rumour is nothing but pure mischief by agents of destabilisation and is untrue. Whilst we acknowledge the patriotism of the House entertaining the motion, we think it was totally unnecessary since the Speaker already had a private audience with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development a few days ago when this issue came up and the minister assured Mr. Speaker that there was no iota of truth in the rumour.
“The minister further put a call to the Rector of the school who re-assured Mr Speaker that it was an unfounded rumour and purely a mischief. So, why the motion?
“We urge the public to disregard any such rumour and it amounts to grandstanding by anyone still trying to make political gains out of nothing.”
The Northern Elders Forum on Sunday expressed grave concern over the rumoured relocation of the simulation equipment from the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology in Zaria, Kaduna State.
A statement on Sunday issued by Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, Director, Publicity and Advocacy/Spokesperson, NEF, commended the House of Representatives for taking a bold stance against this unacceptable relocation plot, especially in light of the suspicious transfer of key departments from the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria from their original locations in Abuja to Lagos.
Suleiman noted that these actions raise serious concerns about a deliberate effort to undermine Federal institutions located in Northern Nigeria.
News
Tinubu Fires Top Appointee Over Alleged N1.4 Billion Embezzlement
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President Bola Tinubu has sacked Sani Auwalu Balarabe from his position as HoD, Chief of the Intercountry Centre for Oral Health for Africa, ICOH, over an alleged embezzlement of N1.4 billion during his tenure.
As far as one could gather from the People’s Gazette, the appointment of Balarabe was terminated on the 18th of July, following a spate of petitions that related to financial misconduct and investigations. The president appointed one Taiwo Olaniyi to replace him.
In January, several petitions were sent to the House of Assembly, EFCC, Ministry of Health, and other government agencies to investigate activities of Balarabe at ICOH. The petitions leveled accusations against Balarabe, saying that he had not conducted any research despite the institute receiving huge budgetary allocations, which is its core mandate.
One of the petitions dated January 16 had this: “Despite all these budgetary allocations, the centre has not produced a single oral health research project, which is its core mandate and the reason for its establishment.
It further brought to the fore that projects initiated under Balarabe’s administration, such as the construction of a remodeled dental clinic and administration block and the procurement of project vehicles, costing over N700 million, were never completed.
The petitions also accused him of backdating the appointment letters for new staff and paying them arrears of their salary, with such money to be returned to a particular account. These funds are said to have been applied toward some expenses at ICOH.
The sacking of Balarabe clearly typified President Tinubu’s commitment to corruption fighting and making those in charge of public institutions accountable.
News
Finally, IGP approves hunger protests across Nigeria
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The Nigerian police has finally approved the planned nationwide protests and outlined conditions for participants.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, revealed this on Friday while addressing journalists in Abuja.
He urged all groups planning to participate in the proposed nationwide protest to submit their details to the Commissioners of Police in their respective states.
The police boss said this was to ensure the protest was peaceful.
Egbetokun said, “We acknowledge the constitutional right of Nigerian citizens to peaceful assembly and protest.
“However, in the interest of public safety and order, we urge all groups planning to protest to provide necessary details to the Commissioner of Police in the state where the protest is intended to take place.
“To facilitate a successful and incident-free protest, they should please provide the following information: state the proposed protest routes and assembly points; expected duration of the protest; and names and contact details of protest leaders and organisers.”
The police boss said the information expected from the organisers also include measures to prevent hijacking by criminal elements, as well as key identifiers for possible isolation of potential troublemakers.
By providing the information, he said, the police will be able to deploy adequate personnel and resources to ensure public safety.
He said the police needed to know the specific routes and areas for the protest to avoid conflicts with other events or activities.
Mr Egbetokun said the police will “establish clear communication channels with protest leaders to address any concerns or issues that may arise; minimise the risk of violence, property damage, or other criminal activity.
“We encourage all protesters to cooperate with the police, obey the law, and adhere to global best practices for peaceful assembly to guarantee a safe and successful exercise of their rights.
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Reps North-West Caucus Beg Youths, Citizens In The Region Not To Join Planned Protest
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