Category: General News

By Olanrewaju Akojede
The Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), on Thursday said its viewing centres still enjoyed massive turnout of fans; in spite of the exit of the Super Eagles from the World Cup.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Lagos State Government had installed World Cup viewing Centres across the state to enable fans to watch matches under a festive atmosphere.
Other viewing centres were also established by LSSC in partnership with International Breweries, Nigeria, makers of Trophy Lager Beer, Hero and Budweiser.
The Executive Chairman, LSSC, Mr. Kweku Adedayo Tandoh, told NAN that he was not surprised by the turnout of spectators at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.
“The security put in place by the Lagos State Government and the atmosphere here is very conducive for people to enjoy watching the games,” he said.
The Head of Public Relations, LSSC, Mr. Titi Oshodi, said the spectators were still trooping to the viewing centres not minding the Eagles’ ouster from the biggest football fiesta.
“Spectators continued to troop out to watch the remaining matches at various viewing centres located at Campos Mini Stadium, Lagos Island, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Abesan Playground, Alimosho, Naval Barracks Ajegunle.
“Other centres across the state such as Bishop Aggrey Youth Centre, Mushin, Epe Recreation Centre, Ikorodu Town Hall, Ikorodu and Badagry Grammar School, Badagry are also enjoying same patronages.
“Some of the fans we spoke at the Campos Mini Stadium Viewing Center said Lagos Football lovers will continue to troop out to watch the remaining World Cup matches at the viewing centre,” said Oshodi.
He said this was because the atmosphere at the centres was good and the security was readily available and at the same time there was fun and musical interlude.
The LSSC Coordinator at Epe Recreation Centre, Mr. Ishola Safari, said after the ouster of the Super Eagles, the turnout of spectators remained the same because people felf comfortable at the centre. (NAN)
KOJE/ERO/SA
Edited by Emmanuel Okara/Salif Atojoko
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Arrest
By Olajide Idowu
The Osun Police Command on Thursday arrested the wife of a traditional ruler and two persons suspected to have set ablaze the house of her rival, killing her three-year-old step daughter in the process.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Olafimihan Adeoye, said the husband of the suspect and a traditional ruler, Oba Morufudeen Olawale, reported the incident to the Force.

Olawale is the Alabudo of Abudo in Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun,

Adeoye alleged that the suspect and her accomplices at about 1. am on June 6 left their base in Ede for Abudo where the other wife and her late daughter reside and set her house ablaze while both were inside.

He said the inferno led to the death of the minor while the other wife was seriously injured.

The police commissioner said she was currently receiving treatment at a private hospital.

Adeoye said police investigation revealed that the suspect was the third wife of the monarch while the victim’s mother was the fourth.

He said the three suspects would soon be charged to court. (NAN)
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(Edited by Mufutau Ojo)

Breaking News:

Former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Adamu Ciroma is dead.

Family sources said the elder statesman died in a Turkish hospital, Abuja, on Thursday after a protracted illness.

He was 84 years old.

The deceased, a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was Finance Minister under President Olusegun Obasanjo administration from 1999 to 2003.(NAN)

By Afusat Agunbiade-Oladipo
An Ilorin Magistrates’ Court on Thursday remanded in prison a farmer, Kabiru Garuba, for allegedly cutting off the left hand of one Mohammed Haliru, a herdsman.

Chief Magistrate Kudirat Yahaya, who ordered that the accused be remanded at the Federal Prison Yard, Oke-Kura, Ilorin, adjourned the case till July 12 for further mention.

The prosecutor, Insp Mathew Olongbonsaye, told the court that the accused, a resident of Kpada Village in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara, had cut off the victim’s hand for grazing his cattle on his farmland.

He said the accused was arraigned on a charge of causing grievous hurt which contravenes Section 247 of the Penal Code.

Ologbonsaye said the accused was arrested following a complaint lodged on June 10 at the Divisional Police Headquarters in Patigi by one Wakili Abubakar of Fulani Camp, Reshe-Kpada Village, Patigi.

Abubakar, according to the prosecutor, had claimed that the accused attacked Haliru, his nephew, with a cutlass.

The prosecutor had also objected to bail for the accused, urging the court to remand him in prison custody pending the determination of the case.(NAN)
AGF/FLP/OJO
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(Edited by Folorunso Poroye/Mufutau Ojo)

The Head of the Federal Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita has re-emphasized the commitment of the Federal Government to reposition the Nigerian Civil Service for a better and more efficient service delivery in line with the change agenda of the present administration.

Mrs. Oyo-Ita stated this commitment during the visit of the bench marking and study tour group of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Heads of Service in the States and Federal and State Permanent Secretaries to the Public Service Commission and Public Service Department of Malaysia on Monday, 2nd July, 2018.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation said the visit to Malaysia by key officials responsible for the formulation and the charting of the course of governance in Nigeria is to understand how Malaysia achieved its success story in public service administration.

Mrs. Oyo-Ita commended the widened recruitment drive of the Malaysian Government. According to her the online recruitment which has made it possible for Malaysian graduates all over the world to apply for employment from anywhere in the world and track the progress of their application which is valid for one year is a good innovation.

The Head of Federal Civil Service of the Federation said she was equally impressed by the encompassing requirements listed for recruitment into the public service. She was impressed that the recruitment has been widened to encompass different areas of competence. This includes talent, physical /fitness, leadership and aptitude tests and not just paper qualification.

Mrs Oyo-Ita said the pensionable length of service pegged at three (3) years is admirable because it allows for easy exit for officers who are not getting job satisfaction.

The move according to her will make for a vibrant service which will be populated with people who are interested in the job and are determined to make a career in the service.

The Head of Civil Service of the Federation reiterated the role of the Civil Service as the base and engine room for development of any nation. She therefore emphasized the need to expose the relevant people to drive the process to the best practices as it obtains in some countries.

The places visited in Malaysia include Office of the Chief Secretary to the Government of Malaysia, Mr Tan Sri Ali Hamsa, Public Service Commission and Public Service Department of Malaysia, National Institute of Public Information Administration (INTAN) and leading Public Service Agencies.

The one week bench marking and study visit is from Monday, 2nd July to Saturday, 7th July, 2018. Participants will visit select institutions in Malaysia and Singapore.

The visit will afford the Nigerian delegation the opportunity to interact, share experiences and explore areas of partnership aimed at improving the Nigerian Civil Service and possibly sign partnerships agreements in the areas of capacity building and training, talent management, performance management, innovation, culture change and Human Resources Management system and process automation.

The tour was organized by the Public Service Institute of Nigeria under the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
The members of the delegation include the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita as Chairman, Chairman, House Committee on Public Service, Honorable Gogo Bright Tamuno, Federal Permanent Secretaries, the Administrator /Chief Executive Officer of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria, the Director General of Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, Heads of Service in the States of the Federation, Chairmen of States Civil Service and Permanent Secretaries in the States of the Federation.

By Olawunmi Ogunmosunle

The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, is leading a high- powered delegation consisting of top officials from Federal and State Governments on a one-week Bench Marking and Study visit to Malaysia and Singapore.

The visit was part of efforts at achieving global best practices in the Nigerian Civil Service.

It would be recalled that upon assumption of office in 2016, Mrs Oyo-Ita said her dream was to restore the integrity and dignity of the service.

To achieve this, the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) has developed a home-grown plan, the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP), with eight priority areas, towards addressing the challenges the service with a view to repositioning it for effective service delivery.

The Head of Service and her delegation, during the visit, will interact with top officials of Malaysian Public Service, including the Chief Secretary to the Government, Ali Hamsa, Director General, National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN), Seri Arpah Binti Abdul Razak, Director General, Public Service Department (PSD) Malaysia, Datuk Seri Zainal Rahim Seman, Director, UNDP Global Centre for Public Service Excellence (GCPSE), Dr. Max Everest-Phillips and a host of others.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday said his administration would soon reorganise the nation’s judiciary to ensure effective fight against corruption in the country.

Buhari said this at a joint news conference with the visiting Namibian leader, Mr Hage Geingob, after a closed door session at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to him, his administration plans to dedicate some judges to deal with corruption cases where all those found wanting in their dealings will be prosecuted.

“So we are willing but it’s very difficult under this multi-party democracy system; We are getting the cooperation of  countries.

“We are trying to sell the assets wherever we found them and bring the money into the Nigerian treasury. This is all I can say at this stage because we are reorganising the judiciary.

“We are going to dedicate some judges to deal with corruption cases and try to put forward and prosecute all those that investigations proved that they have questions to answer.

“So that is what I’m telling you that we haven’t given up; we are doing our best and we will recover as much as humanly possible,’’ he said.

On his part, President Geingob thanked Nigerian government for its support and assistance to Namibia via the deployment of volunteers under the Technical Aid Corps.

According to Geingob, he is in Nigeria to pay his last respect to late Prof. Adebayo Adedeji, whom he described as his mentor.

Adedeji, onetime Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission of Africa who died on April 25 at the age of 87, will be buried on July 7.

President Geingob congratulated the Nigerian leader on his efforts in dealing with corruption in Nigeria and beyond.

He lamented that corruption in Africa was becoming a serious case and hence strong people like Buhari were needed to tackle the social ill.

He noted that President Buhari had taken steps towards fighting corruption in Nigeria worthy of emulation by his country.

“He (Buhari) is taking steps that will encourage all of us. I declared war against poverty and corruption.

“I declared my assets publicly. I therefore emulate my brother here,’’he added.(NAN)

Wednesday said his administration would soon reorganise the nation’s judiciary to ensure effective fight against corruption in the country.

Buhari said this at a joint news conference with the visiting Namibian leader, Mr Hage Geingob, after a closed door session at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to him, his administration plans to dedicate some judges to deal with corruption cases where all those found wanting in their dealings will be prosecuted.

“So we are willing but it’s very difficult under this multi-party democracy system; We are getting the cooperation of  countries.

“We are trying to sell the assets wherever we found them and bring the money into the Nigerian treasury. This is all I can say at this stage because we are reorganising the judiciary.

“We are going to dedicate some judges to deal with corruption cases and try to put forward and prosecute all those that investigations proved that they have questions to answer.

“So that is what I’m telling you that we haven’t given up; we are doing our best and we will recover as much as humanly possible,’’ he said.

On his part, President Geingob thanked Nigerian government for its support and assistance to Namibia via the deployment of volunteers under the Technical Aid Corps.

According to Geingob, he is in Nigeria to pay his last respect to late Prof. Adebayo Adedeji, whom he described as his mentor.

Adedeji, onetime Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission of Africa who died on April 25 at the age of 87, will be buried on July 7.

President Geingob congratulated the Nigerian leader on his efforts in dealing with corruption in Nigeria and beyond.

He lamented that corruption in Africa was becoming a serious case and hence strong people like Buhari were needed to tackle the social ill.

He noted that President Buhari had taken steps towards fighting corruption in Nigeria worthy of emulation by his country.

“He (Buhari) is taking steps that will encourage all of us. I declared war against poverty and corruption.

“I declared my assets publicly. I therefore emulate my brother here,’’he added.(NAN)