Month: December 2023

 

By Flowerbudnews

Enugu:   A police advocacy group, the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), has cautioned students against joining cult groups and criminal gangs that would ruin their future.

The POCACOV Team Lead for Nsukka, Mr Dozie Akomas, gave the warning while speaking to cross sections of students and community members of University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) at two separate venues in the institution on Friday.

Akomas also urged the students to resist the temptation of engaging in alcohol and drug abuse.

“POCACOV is appealing to you to resist pressures that will take you into belonging to unlawful societies and indulging into substance and drug abuse as well as other forms of negative vices.

“These negative tendencies and life-style are capable of making you not be focused to actualize your dreams, pursuits and goals in life as a champion,” he said.

According to him, you ought to know your friends and the company you keep as they can help make you or deviate you from a successful and focused life.

The POCACOV team lead also spoke on healthy life and habits as well as on positive coping methods as it affects improvement of their mental and body health through regular exercise.

He also advised students on drinking safe water regularly to overcome the effect of climate changes (dehydration) as this may make them vulnerable health-wise.

Some of the students, who spoke during the engagements, expressed happiness with the move, while commending the Nigeria Police on the initiative.

Mr Obinna Nwosu, a student of UNN, said that POCACOV had presented the Nigeria Police in a good light and “as a friend”.

“We are delighted with the initiative which is purely on changing mindsets and attitudes rather than arresting and prosecuting,” Nwosu said.

Another student, Miss Joy Anike, said that the engagement had taught her a lot; adding that she would strive to get focused in life in order to make a great future.

POCACOV is a Nigeria Police initiative and a Public Relations tool of the Nigeria Police as well.

The non-kinetic initiative is working with different stakeholders and multi agencies and galvanizing their partnership as well as enhancing participation towards problem solving for safe, peaceful and secure communities.

POCACOV uses its extensive advocacy measures to help cut conveyor belts and supply chains of vices and criminality capable of shutting young minds from becoming a champion. (Flowerbudnews)

Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has offered automatic employment to a corps member serving in the state for donating 101 wheelchairs to Persons With Disabilities (PWDs).

 

Mr Chikumega Nwanga, an indigene of Ebonyi State, was posted to the Ministry of Special Duties, Lafia for his primary assignment.

 

In a speech at the distribution of the wheelchairs on Friday in Lafia, the governor lauded the corps member for embarking on a project that would bring succour to the lives of PWDs.

 

He directed the Head of Service, Mrs Abigail Way, to present an appointment letter to the corps member to appreciate his kind gesture.

 

Sule also offered half a million naira to the corps member and directed all the ministries, departments and agencies to offer employment to PWDs, in line with the State Government’s policy.

 

“I want to thank you sincerely for the wonderful job that you are doing.

 

“When we did our youth service, we wanted to excel and do something special that we could be identified with.

 

“You have already paid your due and you have identified yourself as someone who has a lot of commitment, selflessness and initiative for this country.

 

“For you to leave Ebonyi State and come to another state and donate wheelchairs to PWDs is indeed a wonderful thing and we are really proud of you.

 

“I want to tell you that you have got automatic employment in Nasarawa State because you have accepted the state as your second home by this kind gesture,” Sule said.

 

The governor also advised the beneficiaries not to sell the wheelchairs, but use them to ease their movement problems.

 

In a remark, Margret Eleyo, the Commissioner for Special Duties, Humanitarian Affairs and Non-governmental Organisations, said the ministry would put machinery on ground to ensure that the items were used for the purpose they were meant.

 

Eleyo commended the corps member for the gesture and described his exceptional dedication to transform the lives of the vulnerable as uncommon.

 

The donation of the wheelchairs was co-sponsored by Beautiful Gate Handicap Centre, Jos.

 

In an address of welcome, the Nasarawa State NYSC Coordinator, Abdullahi Jikamshi, said the donation was part of the Community Development Service (CDS) carried out by the corps members.

 

Jikamshi said that the commission had impacted immensely in various sectors, ranging from education to sanitation and health, amongst others.

 

He expressed gratitude to the governor for being present to personally witness the event.

 

He said that the governor demonstrated the commitment of his administration towards inclusivity and community development by being part of the ceremony.

 

He also thanked the Centre for supporting NYSC and appealed to other organisations and public-spirited individuals to support the scheme in its effort to add value to the country. (NAN)

Four healthcare workers have been jailed after they were caught on camera physically and emotionally abusing an elderly patient, reports The BBC on Thursday.

 

While Ame Tunkara and Morountaro Adefila were found guilty of ill-treatment and wilful neglect and sentenced on December 8 to four months in prison, Danny Ohen and Bridget Aideyan were also found guilty of the same offences and sentenced to six months and four months, respectively, on November 14.

 

The police revealed that the workers were caught on camera manhandling the 89-year-old woman who had vascular dementia and could not speak

In February 2020, the woman’s family had secretly installed a camera and recorded footage over four days after noticing bruising on her arm.

 

It showed the woman being handled roughly, hit with a pillow, and treated with a lack of dignity and respect.

 

The woman meanwhile sadly passed away in October with a police official saying “she should not have spent any of her remaining years suffering such ill-treatment.”

Lecturers in Nigerian tertiary institutions have complained that they are rotting away due to neglect and abandonment by the federal authorities as well as the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, for participating in the eight months strike.

In an interview, a lecturer who has taught for 27 years, Prof. Ilami Kramah, of the Rivers State University of Science, said hunger and mounting debts have taken a toll as some of them have died.

 

Lecturers in most Nigerian universities, under the umbrella body, ASUU, in February 2022 downed tools for eight months over several unmet demands by the Federal Government.

 

During the period, public universities were shut across the country.

 

The National Industrial Court affirmed the validity of no-work-no-pay policy in a judgement on a suit filed by the Federal government against ASUU.

 

Kramah said since the strike was called off none of the lecturers has received any salary for the period the strike lasted.

 

The very painful aspects are that neither the leadership of ASUU nor the Federal Government is picking our calls anymore, or making any moves towards the outstanding salaries.

 

“Many of us are now living from hand to mouth. Many lecturers have since died out of hunger, frustration, depression and debts. Many are rotting away. Some of us are with families and no more younger to also flee the country,” he said.

The media team of Senate President Godswill Akpabio has debunked reports that he collapsed on Thursday at the colloquium to mark his 61st birthday in Abuja.

 

Reports had claimed that the former Akwa Ibom governor collapsed during the event and had to be rushed to the National Hospital

But the media team, in a statement signed by Eseme Eyiboh, debunked the reports, describing the claims as “fictionalised extensions of the Senate President’s assertion of being tired at the end of the programme”.

The rumours have been fanned by some social media news channels with notoriety for the dissemination of phony news flashes.

 

“It is disconcerting that the conjectures on the wellbeing of the Senate President came after he was celebrated by the crème-de-crème of the nation’s leadership at the colloquium that was focused on defining a legislative agenda for Nigeria.

 

“Akpabio spoke on his feet for more than 30 minutes. As the programme ended and President Bola Tinubu left the venue, his expression to some of those around him that he was tired was escalated to a fainting spell or collapse.

 

“Some adventurous purveyors of lies, in their thrilling escapade of fiction, even claimed that he is currently in a critical condition at the National Hospital, Abuja.

 

“This is wholly untrue and I declare firmly that besides saying he was exhausted to the hearing of those around him, he was certainly not rushed in a stretcher to the national hospital or indisposed.”

 

 

 

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The Supreme Court, on Friday, nullified the judgment of Court of Appeal that ordered the Federal Government to release the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, from detention.

 

Though the apex court, in a unanimous decision by a five-member panel of Justices, acknowledged that FG acted “irresponsibly” when it forcefully brought Kanu back to the country from Kenya, against all known laws, however, it held that it was not enough to divest the trial court of its jurisdiction to continue with the case.

 

It held that there is no legislation in the country that stripped the trial court of the jurisdiction to go ahead with Kanu’s case, despite the illegal action that FG took against him.

 

In the judgement that was prepared by Justice Garba Mohammed but read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court held that the remedy open for Kanu was for him to institute a civil action against the government.

 

The court however slammed FG, saying it must be conscious of its image, both locally and internationally, even as it knocked the trial court for revoking Kanu’s bail after he escaped to save his life following the invasion of his home by security agents.

 

The IPOB leader, who was first arrested by security agents in Lagos on October 14, 2015, has been in detention since June 29, 2021

 

 

Sen. Alli empowers 1,000 constituents on e-commerce, vocational training

 

By Akeem Abas

 

In a bid to alleviate poverty and promote self-reliance, no fewer than 1,000 constituents have benefitted from the e-commerce and vocational training sponsored by Sen. Sharafadeen Alli (APC-Oyo South).

 

The two-day training programme held in Igboora and Ibadan from Nov. 12 to 13 with participants drawn across the 99 wards of the nine local governments that make up Oyo South Senatorial District.

 

Alli said that the programme, which is a great economic tool for self-reliance, targeted poverty alleviation and job creation.

 

“We sincerely believe those who participated in the two trainings will be able to use it in their different trades. It will afford some to start a different trade on their own.

“We have about a thousand participants for the e-commerce and other two sets of vocational trainings.

 

“It is spread across the 99 wards in the nine local governments that make up Oyo South Senatorial District.

 

“In the next one or two weeks, we are also going to distribute fertilizers to people of Ibarapa and the agrarian parts of Ido Local Government which is up to five wards making 35 wards,” he said.

Dr Chubby Egu, a Petroleum Chemist from Trato Nigeria Limited, said the training was facilitated to empower constituents to create businesses for employment.

 

“It will benefit so many of them because they would be able to start-up their business and generate income to take care of themselves.

 

“They will acquire knowledge to do a lot of things. It is a very good thing that our distinguished Sen. Sharafadeen Alli actually brought this to his constituency,” he said.

 

Alhaji Mojeed Olaoya, the APC Senatorial Chairman for Oyo South, commended Alli for the training and for representing his district in the senate.

 

“I want to say that for the first time in the history of Oyo South, our senator, in less than a year, has wonderful empowerment as well as palliatives for the people of the constituency.

 

“I must confess to you that he is doing wonderfully well. We are proud of him in this constituency,” he said.

Shuaibu Sani, one of the beneficiaries, appreciated the empowerment, describing it as a stepping stone to poverty eradication in the district.

 

“I think this is a stepping stone towards eradicating poverty out of my life and the entire people participating.

 

“If we put this into use, we can forget anything about poverty and it will give us food and everything on our table,” he said.

 

Another beneficiary, Mrs Bunmi Agbaje, thanked the senator for his commitment to implementing beneficial programmes and initiatives.

 

“It is very exciting. We give it to our amiable Sen. Sharafadeen Alli for this programme and initiative given to us. We say a big thank you to him.

 

“He said it, he made it and will continue to be doing it. We all say a big thank you to him,” she said.

 

While participants on e-commerce went home with android phones, others in the vocational training section went home with work materials.

 

All participants would also receive start-up funds in their various registered bank accounts at the end of the training.

 

It would be recalled that Sen. Alli, in the last six months, has supported more than 3,000 widows, 3,000 traders, sank boreholes, installed streetlights, repaired transformers and facilitated ICT centres for schools. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)