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  • NAN MD challenges management staff on strict supervision

    NAN MD challenges management staff on strict supervision

     

     

    .Lagos:  Malam Ali Muhammad Ali, the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), has emphasised the need for strict supervision of workers to boost efficiency.

    “We have to set targets we must meet. We have to rebrand NAN.

    “My vision is clear, and I have tried to give a clear picture of what I want NAN to be. We expect strict supervision so that we can achieve set goals,” he said on Thursday at a meeting with management staff of the Lagos Directorate of the agency.

    He said that he would hold the supervisors responsible for the conduct of those under them.

    Ali noted that NAN has huge potential and challenged the workers to step up their game to attain greater heights.

    He urged heads of departments and units to set performance targets for those placed under them.

    “It is based on these targets that we can assess our workers.

    “Each year, supervisors assess their workers. Sometimes, you see superlatives, but if you check productivity, it could be zero,” he said.

    He promised to work out more training opportunities to enhance performance, especially for members of the editorial department.

    The Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Malam Ali Muhammad Ali (right) during a visit to Lagos Directorate of the Agency

    He also promised to look into the request for more tools to boost performance.

    He particularly emphasised the need for NAN Reporters to remember the agency’s cardinal focus on speed and accuracy in their reportage.

    “It is the speed and accuracy that give the edge. Our Reporters must keep this in mind when handling our copies,” he said.

    He also promised to reward hard work while indolence would be sanctioned.

    Ali added that the Rewards and Sanctions Committee would be revived so that workers would get the appropriate rewards for their actions.

    Ali said that he had been inundated with requests requiring a lot of money and explained that management was looking at more avenues to source for funds.

    He urged NAN workers to bring up ideas to improve the agency’s services and finances, saying that he would run an open administration that would carry everyone along.

    Ali also emphasised the need for exclusive stories and features so as to boost the quality of NAN’s news content.

    He promised to offer special incentives for marketers, urging them to work harder to provide NAN the funds to meet pressing needs.

    “The era of sole dependence on subventions is gone. We must all wake up to this hard truth,” he said. (NAN) / Flowerbudnews

    Edited by Philip Yatai

  • Indians in Lagos celebrate “Dussehra” festival Festival

    Indians in Lagos celebrate “Dussehra” festival Festival

     

    By Taiye Olayemi
    Lagos: Indians in Lagos State have celebrated the ancient Dussehra Festival, which symbolises the victory of good over evil and the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya.

    Sanjay Srivastava, President, Overseas Friends of Bhartiya Janata Party (OFBJP), in a statement said the festival was a celebration of the goddess Durga’s victory over demons.

    According to Srivastava, the event organised by OFBJP Nigeria had over 1000 Indians participating in the festivity on Tuesday.

    He said the celebration did not only showcase Indians’ rich cultural heritage but also conveyed a powerful message about the importance of practicing cultural values and leaving a lasting impression on the younger generation.

    Srivastava highlighted the commendable efforts of Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s Government in extending its outreach to the Non-Resident-Indian (NRI) community.

    He underscored the government’s dedication to restoring the spiritual glory of Bharat.

    “As the festivities of Dussehra fade away, the OFBJP Nigeria extends warm greetings for the upcoming festival of lights, Diwali, to the Indian diaspora and the host community.

    “May the light of Diwali bring happiness, prosperity and vanquish the devils from everyone’s lives.

    “We appreciate the Geeta Ashram Trust Nigeria as they have proven to be perfect hosts, providing an ideal venue for this cultural extravaganza,” he said.

    L-R : Sanjay Srivastava, President OFBJP Nigeria; Chandramauli Kern, Consular General of India, Lagos; Shri N Mahesh, Head of Chancery, O/o CGI; Shri Dhirendra Chouhan, Vice President, OFBJP NG; and Pravin Kumar, General Secretary, OFBJP NG.

    Amb. Chandramauli Kern, the Consulate General of India in Lagos addressed the audience and ceremoniously burnt the effigy of Ravana, while also commending the organisers of the festival.

    Also, Mr Pravin Kumar, General Secretary of OFBJP, expressed heartfelt gratitude to all participants, parents, choreographers and sponsors, including Speciality, Daraju Group, Deekay and Omnic groups, Green Fuel, MM Tours, GBMT, Enjoy Food, Nature and Pepsi.
    He emphasised the invaluable contributions of these supporters in making the event a grand success.
    The highlight of the evening was the energetic stage performances by children, captivating the audience and beautifully preserving the rich tapestry of Bhartiya culture for the generations to come.

    The event was coordinated by a dedicated team, including Mr Pravin Kumar, Mr Vipin Singh, Mr Dheerendra Chaouhan, Mr Shanti Bhushan, Mr Sabir Ali, Mr Vikas Arya, Mrs Raakhi Bilanadani, Mrs Supriya Sinha and Mrs Jyoti Nautiyal.

    Other members of the team are Mrs Palna Pareekh, Mrs Ritu Tyagi, Mr Najam Jaidi and Mr Sanjay Jha, alongside many other esteemed EXCOM members. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng /Flowerbudnews

  • DTAC to strengthen soft-power diplomacy in promoting Nigeria’s interest – DG

    DTAC to strengthen soft-power diplomacy in promoting Nigeria’s interest – DG

     

     

    By Maureen Okon

    Abuja:   Dr Yusuf Yakub, the new Director-General, Directorate of Technical Aid Corps (DTAC), says he will focus on strengthening soft-power diplomacy in promoting Nigeria’s interest.

    Yakubu said this when he paid a courtesy visit to the Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

    In a statement on Wednesday in Abuja by Mr Nkem Anyata-Lafia, his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Yakub said he would work with NiDCOM to strengthen collaboration in areas of common interest beneficial to Nigeria.

    He explained that the DTAC was in the business of promoting the nation’s bilateral and multilateral ties across the globe through the deployment of technical aid to African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

    He added that DTAC aimed to widen its scope of coverage through the use of soft-power diplomacy, which remains the way to go in a world where instruments of coercion were no longer needed to wield influence.

    The DG said that the visit to NiDCOM was to share his vision for synergy and collaboration to strengthen the mandates of both agencies in deepening relations with the global community.

    He said that the collaboration was important because every deployed volunteer from DTAC is automatically a member of Nigerians in the Diaspora.

    Yakub urged Nigerians in the Diaspora to work with Nigerian Missions to serve as the greatest marketers of the Nigerian dream, “as against the present situation where the Diasporans hardly see the Missions as home abroad”.

    “I also propose the establishment of a Desk Office manned by NiDCOM officers, who will ensure a smooth and seamless liaison between the Missions and the Diasporans in the bid to fully involve them in driving foreign direct investments for Nigeria,” he added.

    Responding, the NiDCOM Chairman said she was optimistic that collaboration with DTAC would be in the best interest of the nation.

    Dabiri-Erewa urged the DG to deploy his experience as a former Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, to advance Nigeria’s interest across the globe. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng) /Flowerbudnews

  • Africans can achieve full democracy without foreign aid, says Don

    Africans can achieve full democracy without foreign aid, says Don

    By Taiye Olayemi

    Dr Ugo Aniga of the Department of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo State, says Africans can only achieve full democracy when its leaders jettison foreign aid.

    Aniga made the remark during the 2023 Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) annual public lecture, on Tuesday in Ibadan.

    According to Aniga, the future of Africa’s democracy depends on the operations of its leaders with their western counterparts.

    The theme of the lecture is: “Culture, Security and The Future of Democracy in Sub-Sahara Africa”.

    He said Africans must learn to confront their challenges and proffer solutions to them independently without western influence or aids.

    “The only way to achieve full democracy is to run away from foreign aids, we must learn to confront our problems and proffer African solutions to African problems.

    “Africans’ greatest problem is neo-colonialism and we must be conscious of the fact that democracy cannot triumph where there is neo-colonialism, injustice and bad governance.

    “African governments  must also note that insecurity cannot be curbed when the masses are hungry,” he said.

    Also speaking, Dr Adetayo Ogunlewe, Secretary General, Platform for African Culture and Development (PACUD), Ibadan, described democracy as a state of mind and borrowed ideology instilled on Africans.

    Ogunlewe said to achieve full democracy, democratic studies must be inculcated in schools’ curriculum to acculturate Africans to its dictates.

    “We need to teach democratic studies in schools from primary level through to the tertiary institutions, so that we all can understand what we want to achieve,” he said.

    Dr Temitope Bello of the Department of Political Science, Kola Daisi University, Ibadan, noted that to tackle the problem of insecurity in Africa, the African culture of selflessness, honesty and taking responsibility must be displayed by every African.

    “Conspiracy, cover-up and extremism practiced in the nation, which are not reported, is against the African culture of honesty.

    “We must go back to the status-quo as Africans and begin to bridge the gap between ethnic loyalty and national unity, we must desist from covering up crimes but be one another’s neighbour,” she said.

    On his part, Dr Sola Olorunyomi of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan (UI), said that Africans must take cognisance of upholding indigenous languages to achieve continental development.

    He said Africans must desist from playing dumb to the issue of promoting their languages which could be considered a vital aspect of culture capable of enhancing knowledge in individuals.

    “Being able to speak our local languages will help in accessing great education from technical knowledge to scientific information, to the lowest impulses,” he said.

    Earlier,  Oluwabunmi Amao, Director-General of CBAAC, noted that the democratic journey of the

    African continent had been quite a tortuous one as the democratic gains were fast being eroded on account of insecurity.

    She said that this was a sad departure from the African Union’s aspiration for peace on the continent and the subsequent designation of the year 2020 as the year for “silencing the guns”.

    She said that was supposed to be the deadline for achieving the end to violent conflicts, prevention of genocide, gender-based violence, civil wars, and all other wars in the region.

    She said Africans were increasingly losing faith in democracy and democratic governance as a means of guaranteeing improvement in the human condition on the continent.

    According to her, this is evidently reflected in the general jubilations that has greeted the recent waves of coups in some countries in Africa, especially the West African region.

    “To state that Africans’ democratic journey has been marred by conflict and insecurity is to say the least, it is important to interrogate the future of democracy within the African region,” she said.

    Prof. Kayode Adebowale, Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan (UI), represented by Dr Seunfunmi Olutayo, Director, Institute of African Studies, UI, said,  “Let us remember that Sub-Saharan Africa is not just a region of challenges; it is a region of boundless potential.

    “By understanding the role of culture, addressing security concerns and nurturing democracy, we can work toward a future where the people of Sub-Saharan Africa enjoy peace, prosperity, and the full realisation of their democratic aspirations.” (NAN) (nannews.ng)

  • Court acquits Chinese directors of alleged forgery

    Court acquits Chinese directors of alleged forgery

     

    Abuja: A Federal High Court, Abuja has discharged and acquitted two Chinese; Hao Aijun and Liu Yangxi, and a Nigerian, Obi Anthony-Chibuzor, who were charged with conspiracy, forgery and fraud.

    Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, in a judgment, upheld the arguments of the lawyer to Hao and Liu , Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, and counsel to Chibuzor, Anozie Obi, that the prosecution, represented by M. O. Omosun, failed to prove its case.

    According to Justice Dimgba, from the totality of the evidence given in this case, most especially the testimony of the 1st prosecution witness (PW1), PW2 and PW5, none of their testimony has been able to link the defendants with any act of forgery.

    The News Agency iof Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defendants, who were directors of BN Ceramics Industry Nigeria Limited, were accused among others, of forging the company’s board’s resolutions.

    A 13-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/77/2017 was preferred against them by the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police.

    At their arraignment, they pleaded not quilty, following which the trial was conducted and the defendants made a no-case submission, which was partially upheld by Justice Dimgba.
    The development led to the striking out of eight out of the 13 counts.

    The defendants subsequently entered defence in relation to the remaining five counts.
    Delivering the judgment, Justice Dimgba discharged and acquitted them on the five counts.
    Justice Dimgba upheld the arguments of counsel for the defendants that the prosecution failed to prove its case.

    “Even the testimony of the handwriting experts and the reports of their findings, as manifested in Exhibits HA4, HA5, HA11 and HA13, did not link the defendants to the document, the signature of the PW1 said to have been forged,” he said.

    The judge added that the prosecution failed to call necessary witnesses, who would have supplied vital evidence.

    “Consequent on the above, I hereby find the defendants not guilty of the charges preferred against them.

    “I hold that the prosecution has failed to prove the offence of conspiracy against the defendants by the standard required by law, which is beyond reasonable doubt,” he declared.

    NAN reports that the police had filed the charge upon a complaint by one of BN Ceramics’ directors, Zhang Xing, following a boardroom disagreement.

    In an earlier judgment, Justice Donatus Okorowo of FHC stuck out the civil suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/606/2016 filed against other directors of BN Ceramics by Xing.

    Listed as defendants in the suit were: BN Ceramics, Hao, Chen Enlai, Liu Yangxi, Zhang Qide and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

    Justice Okorowo held that the suit was incompetent and that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear it, the plaintiff having failed to comply with the condition precedent to initiating such an action.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)/ Flowerbudnews

  • BREAKING: EFCC chairman bans night raids by operatives

    BREAKING: EFCC chairman bans night raids by operatives

    The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has ordered that sting operations at night be stopped in all the commission’s commands.

     

    Olukoyede gave the directive in Abuja on Wednesday, in reaction to the arrest of 69 suspected internet fraudsters in Ile-Ife, Osun State, by operatives of the Ibadan zonal command of the EFCC.

     

    The spokesperson for the anti-graft agency, Dele Oyewale made the development known in a statement obtained by our correspondent.

    Oyewale said, “The chairman gave the directive in Abuja on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 in reaction to the arrest of 69 suspected internet fraudsters in Ile-Ife, Osun State, by operatives of the Ibadan zonal command of the commission.

     

    “Already, many of the suspects duly profiled by the command have been released, while profiling of suspects yet unreleased will be completed, without further delay.

     

    “The commission wishes to assure the public that it will not relent in its adherence to the rule of law, in the exercise of its mandate.”

  • Osun APC threatens suit over dissolution of statutory commissions

    Osun APC threatens suit over dissolution of statutory commissions

    The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has faulted the dissolution of the statutory commissions by the State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, saying the dissolution would be challenged in court.

     

    Adeleke had on Monday announced the dissolution of the State Civil Service Commission, the Judicial Service Commission, the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, and the Osun State House of Assembly Service Commission.

     

    Reacting, Osun APC chairman, Mr. Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement obtained in Osogbo on Wednesday, said the dissolution of the tenured statutory commissions was a ‘flagrant act of an illegality and crass exhibition of administrative ignorance which won’t see the light ofday

     

    He said, “With this dissolution of the statutory commissions, Adeleke is making the state a laughing stock among the comity of states nationwide.

     

    “Let it be known that this shenanigan and an arrant display of an act of lawlessness by Governor Adeleke and his co-travelers would not be allowed to go unchallenged through legal means.

     

    “If Adeleke does not rescind the illegal decision to dissolve the statutory commissions with his obnoxious executive order, he should be prepared to face the music as Osun State is not a private enterprise that can be run according to the whims and caprices of an individual.”

     

     

  • Photos: OAU students storm EFCC office, Ibadan

    Photos: OAU students storm EFCC office, Ibadan

    Students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, stormed the Ibadan zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, protesting the arrest of their students

    The anti-graft agency operatives raided two off-campus hostels, arresting over 70 students in the process.

    The students’ Union leadership led other students to occupy the commission office in a bid to secure the release of the student.

     

    Akinremi Abass, the Students Union President, said the students would not leave the premises of the commission if the arrested students were not released

  • FCTA introduces e-booking, ticketing of vehicles to block revenue leakages

    FCTA introduces e-booking, ticketing of vehicles to block revenue leakages

    By Philip Yatai

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has introduced e-booking and e-ticketing of vehicles in the Federal Capital City, Abuja, to block revenue leakages.

    Dr Abdulateef Bello, Director, Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), FCTA, made this known during a training of operational staff of the directorate on e-booking and e-billing systems in Abuja on Wednesday.

    Bello explained that the move was to curb revenue leakages, promote transparency, accountability, and effectiveness in the FCT traffic management system.

    He said that the implementation of the e-ticketing system would begin in the city centre due to the heavy traffic before it would be extended to the suburbs in days to come.

    The director explained that the system would allow offenders to appeal or protest unsatisfactory bookings to ensure justice and address discrepancies.

    “This evolution will empower DRTS officers to serve the public better by delivering services that are not only seamless but efficient and transparent.

    “The new paperless system exemplifies our commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to serve our community with unparalleled efficiency and integrity.

    “This will equally eliminate the challenges associated with manual systems. It will also help us to manage fines and ticketing systems while minimizing revenue leakages,” he said.

    Bello said that with the e-platforms in place, the directorate would be able to have a comprehensive record of all transactions.

    This, he said, would ensure that every money due to the government goes to the government and accounted for.

    He added that the systems offer seamless payment options for offenders and would enhance their overall experience while interacting with the officials of the directorates.

    “It provides easy access to penalty records from various endpoints, audit trail history and other related data analytics.

    “This will ensure accountability and informed decision-making,” he added.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training was attended by all operational staff from the 22 commands of the directorates.

    NAN