Author: Lawal AbdulSalam Olawale

The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has directed all federal tertiary institutions that have been granted waivers to recruit staff to publicly advertise the available vacancies in at least one national daily newspaper, on their respective websites, and in other relevant academic and professional journals.

This directive aims to ensure a transparent, open, and competitive recruitment process that offers equal opportunity to all eligible Nigerians.

This follows the waivers granted to Federal Tertiary Institutions based on submissions made by these institutions concerning their manpower requirements, in line with the Ministry’s commitment to enhancing the capacity of our higher education institutions.

In addition, all federal tertiary institutions are reminded to submit their recruitment needs to the ministry for review by the Committee on Waiver and Recruitment.

A statement to this effect by the Director of Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, said the ,”The Ministry has put in place adequate mechanisms to ensure compliance and will not hesitate to apply sanctions against any institution that fails to adhere to this directive.”

The Federal Ministry of Education remains firmly dedicated to promoting integrity and fairness in all matters related to the Nigerian higher education system,” the statement added.

Just hours after a road accident claimed seven lives on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Ogun State Sector of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed that 18 people died in a multiple-vehicle crash along the Ikorodu/Sagamu road, while four others sustained injuries.

According to the chief Route Commander and Public Education Officer for the Command, Florence Okupe, the crash involved 7 vehicles.

The registration numbers of the vehicles involved are AGL752YC TOYOTA HIACE BUS, T14007LA DAF TRUCK, HT680 HONDA CAR, DAF TRUCK NO REGISTRATION NUMBER, STF10204 PICKUP, AGG448Q MOTOR BIKE, PKA214WS BAJAJ BIKE.

READ ALSO: Seven Dead, Four Injured In Multiple Accident On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

“The Federal Roads Safety Corps Mosimi Unit Command carried out rescue operation on Ikorodu – Sagamu road on a crash that occurred on Saturday 5 April at about 1600 hrs.

A total of 22 people were involved in the multiple crash, 04 people were injured and 18 persons were killed including one of the rescue officers who happened to be an FRSC personnel.

She said that the accident happened when vehicle one and two crashed and the FRSC rescue team were carrying out the rescue operation when another vehicle rammed into them as a result of brake failure

“The injured victims were taken to Dasochris Hospital Gbaga while the deceased were deposited at OOUTH.

“The Sector Commander is pained over the recklessness of drivers and the number of crashes recorded today and is attributed to speed and brake failure

President Bola Tinubu, in a sweeping reconstitution of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC, Limited board, has sacked the Group Chief Executive Officer, GCEO, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari, and the board chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure.

President Tinubu also removed all other board members appointed with Akinyelure and Kyari in November 2023.

This was made public via a statement issued in the early hours of Wednesday by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga.

According to the statement, the new 11-man board has Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the Group CEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as non-executive chairman.

The statement further stated that Adedapo Segun, who replaced Umaru Isa Ajiya as the chief financial officer last November, has been appointed to the new board by President Tinubu

Six board members, non-executive directors, represent the country’s geopolitical zones. They are Bello Rabiu, North West; Yusuf Usman, North East; and Babs Omotowa, a former managing director of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), who represents North Central.

President Tinubu appointed Austin Avuru as a non-executive director from the South-South, David Ige as a non-executive director from the South-West, and Henry Obih as a non-executive director from the South-East.

Mrs Lydia Shehu Jafiya, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, will represent the ministry on the new board, while Aminu Said Ahmed will represent the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

Continuing, the statement said, “All the appointments are effective today, April 2.

“President Tinubu, invoking the powers granted under Section 59, subsection 2 of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, emphasised that the board’s restructuring is crucial for enhancing operational efficiency, restoring investor confidence, boosting local content, driving economic growth, and advancing gas commercialisation and diversification.

President Tinubu also handed out an immediate action plan to the new board: to conduct a strategic portfolio review of NNPC-operated and joint venture assets to ensure alignment with value maximisation objectives.

“Since 2023, the Tinubu administration has implemented oil sector reforms to attract investment. Last year, NNPC reported $17 billion in new investments within the sector. The administration now envisions increasing the investment to $30 billion by 2027 and $60 billion by 2030.

“The Tinubu administration targets raising oil production to two million barrels daily by 2027 and three million daily by 2030. Concurrently, the government wants gas production jacked to 8 billion cubic feet daily by 2027 and 10 billion cubic feet by 2030.

“Furthermore, President Tinubu expects the new board to elevate NNPC’s share of crude oil refining output to 200,000 barrels by 2027 and reach 500,000 by 2030.

The new board chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, is from Borno State. He is an alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he received a degree in civil engineering in 1984. He also obtained a postgraduate diploma in petroleum engineering from the Institut Francaise du Petrol (IFP) in Paris.

“He started his career in the oil industry at Elf Petroleum Nigeria and later joined Total Exploration and Production as a trainee engineer in 1985.

“Musa became Total Nigeria’s Deputy Managing Director of Deep Water Services in 2015. Last year, he became an Independent Non-Executive Director at Pan Ocean-Newcross Group.

“Apart from his oil industry career, Ahmadu Musa Kida is a former basketballer and the president of the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) board.

“Ojulari, the new NNPC Limited Group CEO, hails from Kwara State. Until his new appointment, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company. His renaissance recently led a consortium of indigenous energy firms in the landmark acquisition of the entire equity holding in the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), worth $2.4 billio.

Like Kida, Ojulari is also an alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. He worked for Elf Aquitaine as the first Nigerian process engineer to begin a stellar career in the oil sector. From Elf, he joined Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd in 1991 as an associate production technologist.

“Apart from working in Nigeria, he worked in Europe and the Middle East in different capacities as a petroleum process and production engineer, strategic planner, field developer, and asset manager. In 2015, he became the managing director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO).

“During his career, he was chairman and a member of the board of trustees of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE Nigerian Council) and a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.

“President Tinubu thanked the old board members for their dedicated service to NNPC Limited, particularly their efforts in rehabilitating the old Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, which enabled them to resume petroleum product production after prolonged shutdowns. He wished them well in their future endeavours.

(NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola  Adeyeye in a refreshing mood  after a string of successes against drug counterfeiters, etc)

Flowerbudnews

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced that the medicine market at Bridgehead, Onitsha, was reopened on March 7, following a shutdown for comprehensive sanitisation.

Dr Martins Iluyomade, the NAFDAC Director for the Southeast, confirmed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.

NAN reports that he agency had closed the Ogbo Ogwu and three adjoining markets from February 10 to March 7 to sanitise the medicine distribution system.

Iluyomade explained that there were administrative conditions every shop owner had to fulfil before their shops, previously sealed during the operation, could be unsealed.

He said that the process was put in place to prevent the recurrence of the issues that led to the market’s closure.

He highlighted that pharmaceuticals were highly regulated due to their impact on public health and national security, adding that NAFDAC’s mandate, under the NAFDAC Act, was to regulate and control the sales and distribution of drugs.

Iluyomade also clarified that the market had not been closed, contrary to reports from some media outlets.

He said that the process underway was focused on documenting and regularising the shops, ensuring that no shop would be unsealed without completing the necessary clearance procedures.

He said NAFDAC had set up a special desk to facilitate this process efficiently.

Iluyomade thanked the market leadership and the Anambra state government for their cooperation and understanding.

He further stated that the agency was not aware of any internal conflicts within the market.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has warned that he will remove form office any traditional ruler in whose domain violence re-occurs.

This is as Governor Adeleke warned of stern state action against traditional rulers of Ifon, Erin Osun and Ilobu communities if they fail to sustain current peace and de-escalation of the crisis in their communities.

Governor Adeleke’s warning was contained in a statement issued by Olawale Rasheed, his spokesperson, on Monday in Osogbo.

gathered that the warning was issued against the backdrop of online reports that some faceless groups across the conflict areas were planning another round of attacks.

The statement reads, “In the midst of Sallah celebrations, I got reports of some people planning another round of conflict around Ifon, Ilobu and Erin Osun towns. The security agencies have tightened surveillance to ensure no attacks take place.

“The security agencies are also speeding up the interrogation of key chieftains and actors in the conflict. I will remind top leaders of the towns that the peace undertaking they are signing are not for joke. They will be held accountable. There will be accountability before the law

The curfew we relaxed was on humanitarian grounds. As a compassionate government, we know many innocent people are suffering because of the evil agenda of a few elements across the conflict areas. Any attempt to exploit the adjustment of the curfew for renewed violence will be met with full re-imposition of the 24-hour curfew.

“Additionally, I will remove from office, any traditional ruler where violence recurs. This card is on the table. Royal fathers of each town must call their subjects to order. I will wield the big stick. Enough is enough,” the statement concluded.

The state government had earlier relaxed a 24 hour indefinite curfew earlier imposed on the three earring communities for the Eid-el-Fitr festival..

The tenure of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Kemi Nandap has been extended till December 31, 2026, by President Bola Tinubu

The new moon of Shawwal 1446AH has been sighted.

Sultan of Sokoto and President General of Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, to give details in his official announcement shortly.

Details later…