Cloned Nigerian Anchor

Category: News

Sanwo-Olu, 53 brands honoured at BrandXchange Consumers Value Awards

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and 53 other brands, products, and services, was on Friday honoured at the second edition of the BrandXchange Consumers Value Awards (CVA) held in Lagos.

The event aimed to celebrate and recognize achievements in consumer protection and brand excellence.

The Consumer Value Awards, conducted through online voting by consumers, highlighted the rights of consumers and promoted brand excellence in Nigeria. It brought together brand owners from various sectors of the economy after three months of online voting involving over 300 brands.

Represented by Mrs. Oluremi Ososanya, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Governor Sanwo-Olu commended the organizers for their initiative in protecting consumer interests and raising awareness of consumer rights.

He emphasized the government’s responsibility to ensure citizens’ welfare and security, including safeguarding them from exploitation and ensuring they receive value for their expenditures.

The event’s organizer, Mr. Akonte Ekine, noted the overwhelming response from consumers across the country, who nominated and voted for their favourite brands. This showed the active and discerning nature of consumers, with over 300 brands nominated and more than 50 brands recognized as providing the best value for consumers’ money.

The awards were seen as a symbol of the brands’ commitment to consumer-centricity, reflecting their dedication to exceeding consumer expectations. Several regulatory bodies, including the Nigeria Communication Commission, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Agency, Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency, and Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, also conveyed goodwill messages at the event.

09/08/2023
Tinubu commits to strengthening Military at NDC graduation

In a commitment to bolster the capabilities of the Nigerian military, President Bola Tinubu, represented by Defense Minister Alhaji Mohammed Badaru, pledged to utilize his constitutional powers to ensure the military is well-equipped and prepared to fulfill its constitutional mandate of safeguarding the nation. This announcement was made during the graduation ceremony of participants from the National Defense College (NDC) Course 31, held in Abuja on Friday.

President Tinubu praised the Armed Forces of Nigeria as one of the nation’s most esteemed institutions and assured that the government would consistently recognize the dedication and patriotism of the military’s brave men and women.

He commended the commandant and management team of the college for their diligent efforts in nurturing a group of strategic leaders for the armed forces, various government ministries, departments, agencies, and even representatives from allied countries in the course.

The president acknowledged the college’s track record of producing intellectually adept, courageous, patriotic, and morally upright military and civilian leaders.

He noted that the college’s approach of fostering comprehensive knowledge across diverse thematic areas had contributed to identifying sustainable solutions not only to Nigeria’s security and development challenges but also extending its impact across Africa and beyond.

President Tinubu expressed his confidence that the graduates of Course 31 would effectively apply the knowledge, expertise, and skills they acquired during the program to tackle the current and emerging security and developmental issues facing the nation.

This commitment to empowering the Nigerian military stands as a testament to the government’s dedication to ensuring the country’s security and prosperity.

“Our dear country is faced with the flora of challenges including insecurity, social economic hiccups, climate change and migratory issues, ‘the so-called Japa syndrome’.

“We are confronted by systematic corruption, crude oil theft, reduce national productivity, weak infrastructure, weak revenue base, rising domestic and external debt among others.

“Those challenges demand creative and purposeful driving leadership to mitigate.

“Since coming into office, I have rolled up my sleeves myself to confront and address them frontally and we shall overcome with the special grace of God.

“I must admit that those challenges will require the deployment of knowledge and insight you have acquired from this college,” he said.

The president said he had taken some essential policy steps such as removal of oil subsidy and liberalisation of foreign exchange rate among others, to reposition the Nigerian economy for prosperity and inclusive growth.

He added that he rejigged the leadership of the armed forces and police among others to usher in fresh perspective to dealing with the security challenges, urging the participants to go back to their respective services and agencies and align with the visions of the new leadership.

Tinubu said the world was currently faced with myriads of threats such as the disruptive effect of emerging technologies, cyber threats, unconstitutional change of government in African sub-region.

He urged the military to help the governments to build resilience against the recent spate of the democratic recession in West Africa and building stronger assistance and mitigation to all the challenges.

“I am banking on you to provide creative leadership solutions towards addressing those national, regional and global challenges,” he added.

The president also pledged to ensure the completion of the college’s permanent site before the end of his first term to enable the college to conveniently transmute into a full-fledged Defence University.

09/08/2023
EFCC returns property to American internet fraud victim

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has successfully returned recovered assets to an American fraud victim, Cheryldene Cook, following the conviction of the fraudster, Aisosa Ohue, also known as Frederick Leonard.

The handover ceremony took place in Abuja and included various valuable items.

In a statement released by the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, it was revealed that the returned assets comprised N19 million in cash and a three-bedroom semi-detached duplex located in Ward 36A Amagba Community, Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.

Additionally, a Lexus E350 saloon car, an iPhone 13 Pro Max, and a Samsung A31 phone were among the items presented to the victim.

Cheryldene Cook, who had flown in from the United States of America to receive the recovered assets, was accompanied by her lawyer, Dr. Mike Nwosu.

During the ceremony, Cook expressed her gratitude to the EFCC for its efforts in recovering her assets.

The forfeiture of the assets was ordered by Justice C.E Nwecheonwu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Kuje, in January. Aisosa Ohue was convicted on three counts, including obtaining money by false pretence, for defrauding the victim in a love scam by impersonating the famous actor Frederick Leonard.

09/08/2023
Suspected cable thief electrocuted in Minna

In the early hours of Friday, an unidentified man met a tragic end while attempting to steal transformer cables within the premises of the Niger State Printing Press in Minna.

The lifeless body of the individual was discovered hanging on the transformer by employees of the printing press on Friday morning.

Aminu Ubandoma, the Head of the Legal Unit at the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), confirmed the incident to the media.

He revealed that the AEDC had been receiving numerous reports of transformer vandalism in the region and emphasized the need for immediate action to curb this alarming trend.

The company has been collaborating closely with law enforcement agencies, particularly the police, to tackle the issue and minimize instances of transformer vandalism.

DSP Wasiu Abiodun, the spokesperson for the Niger Police Command, also provided confirmation of the incident. According to Abiodun, at approximately 11:00 am on Friday, a report was received regarding a suspected case of electrocution and vandalism.

The incident transpired within the premises of the old secretariat area, located at the printing press, where the lifeless body of an unidentified adult male was discovered near a transformer.

Also found at the scene were a cable cutter and several vandalized cables, suggesting the individual had been attempting to steal them.

The unfortunate victim is believed to have been electrocuted during his unlawful act.

Following the discovery, the body was promptly transported to the General Hospital Minna by a Morris patrol team, where it was subsequently confirmed that the individual had tragically lost his life.

Efforts are currently underway to identify the deceased and locate his next of kin. The incident remains under investigation, with the collaboration of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and law enforcement agencies to uncover further details surrounding the incident.

09/08/2023
Nigeria has recorded appreciable success on UN TB control –FG

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare says the country has made significant progress in the implementation of the 2018 UN High-Level Meeting (UNHLM) declaration on Tuberculosis (TB) control.

Dr. Chukwuma Anyaike, its Director of Public Health, said this on Thursday in Abuja at the Pre-UNHLM on TB National Stakeholders’ Consultation.

The event was organised by Stop TB Partnership Nigeria in collaboration with the National TB and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP).

The 2018 UNHLM on TB resulted in the adoption of the Political Declaration on the Fight against TB in September 2018.

Nigeria committed itself to implementing the declaration to achieve the targets set forth.

TB remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria, with the country ranking among the top 10 with the highest burden of the disease in the world.

Anyaike, who was represented by Dr. Urhioke Ochuko, a Deputy Director who currently oversees the Childhood Tuberculosis Unit, said that Nigeria had increased the number of TB cases detected and treated.

“We have detected more than 285,000 cases; we had a 60 per cent achievement of the target in 2022,” he said.

He said the country had also strengthened health systems.

“Nigeria has prioritised the strengthening of its health systems to improve TB control, including the training of healthcare workers and the establishment of more TB treatment centres.

“TB preventive treatment for Nigerians has also improved significantly from the pre-2018 levels,” he said.

He said that the Nigerian government had shown increased political commitment to TB control with some additional funding to TB control by the government and partners.

He, however, said that there were still significant challenges that the country was facing in achieving the targets set forth in the political declaration.

The official listed the challenges to include inadequate funding, low child TB case detection and low enrolment of diagnosed DR-TB patients on treatment,

He called on participants to equally explore the possibility of more investment for TB treatment as well as innovative TB financing strategies to match funding with the multiple interventions being rolled out.

Mr Mayowa Joel, Executive Secretary of Stop TB Partnership, said that the 2023 UNHLM special session would serve as an opportunity for a comprehensive review of the political declaration.

“The theme of 2023 UNHLM on TB is: ‘Advancing science, finance and innovation, and their benefits, to urgently end the global TB epidemic by ensuring equitable access to prevention, testing, treatment and care,” he said.

He said that the UNHLM on TB is the most significant political meeting ever held on TB and the biggest opportunity to raise the political priority of TB.

“It secured commitment from Heads of State and governments for a coordinated global response, resulting in a substantial increase in financial resources for TB.

“That led to millions of lives being saved from premature deaths from TB,” he said.

He emphasised the need for Nigeria to develop a comprehensive and coordinated response to UNHLM.

09/08/2023
Wike rejects repeated variations of Ushafa–Bwari Road project cost

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has rejected the repeated variations of the Ushafa – Bwari Road project contract amount.

Wike declared his rejection while briefing journalists after a visit to the project sites along with the Minister of State, FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud and other government officials in Abuja on Thursday.

He described the consistent variation of the contract cost of the project as “very embarrassing”, saying “this is not what we are going to take.

“The job was awarded in 2017 at N20 billion. In 2020, the contract was revised to N50 billion. As I speak to you, they have paid about N50 billion and what is outstanding is about N900 million.

“Now they are telling us that the N900 million is not enough to complete a job they said had reached 90 per cent completion.

“Therefore, asking for another variation, we are not going to accept. Even the engineering services, we are going to overhaul the system,” he said.

The minister complained of so many variations in contract amount being handled by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), which he described as “worrisome”.

“I have never seen a thing like this in my life. What we see in FCDA contract variations from N10 billion to N119 billion and from N50 billion to N200 billion is alarming, and I am not going to accept this,” he said.

Wike, who equally visited the rehabilitation of Lower Usuma Dam Water Works, Gurara Road in Bwari, also expressed displeasure on the delivery of the water project.

The minister said he was told that the project was awarded as an emergency contract, but realised on getting to the project site that it has not been awarded fully.

He said that he just found out that what was given to the contractor was just a letter of intent in Aug. 2022.

“I knew the importance of this project in supplying water to our people within the city and its environs. Water is very important and so I have directed that the project is no longer an emergency,” he said.

Wike said that the project would be re-awarded, adding that his office would supervise the procurement process and invite other companies to bid for the project.

On abandoned projects, the minister said that more than 10 contracts have been selected and approved for completion, adding that agreements have been concluded with the contractors.

He said that the Executive Secretary, FCDA, Mr Shehu Hadi, had been directed to make sure that all the files approved since last week goes to the Director of Treasury.

He added that he has directed all payments to contractors be made latest by Friday.

He explained that based on the tagging of each project to Internally Generated Revenue, each contractor would be paid a certain amount of money every month based on the agreed project completion period.

“We agreed with some companies to deliver the projects in six months, and some 15 months.

“In fact, like the millennium tower, they (contractors) have agreed to finish it in two years’ time, and we are paying them N3 billion every month.

“On Monday we are flagging off the resurfacing of most of the roads in Garki, Maitama and Wuse because the roads are terribly bad,” the minister said.

09/08/2023
Crude Oil Theft: Nigeria has lost N16.25trn in 11 years, says Speaker

Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas on Thursday said that Nigeria lost N16.25 trillion to crude oil theft between 2009 and 2020.

The speaker said this while inaugurating the ad hoc committee to investigate crude oil theft and loss of revenue in Abuja.

He said the menace of crude oil theft had hampered the growth of the country’s oil production, with between five and 30 per cent of crude oil production lost daily.

He said that critical agencies in the oil and gas sector like the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Ltd, Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Ministry of Petroleum Resources among others failed to honour invitation.

Represented by the Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Upstream, Al-Hassan Ado-Doguwa, the speaker said if decisive action was not taken to address the issue, the country may be thrown into a deeper fiscal crisis.

This according to him is due to dwindling revenue from the oil and gas sector.

Quoting data from the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Abbas said Nigeria’s oil production declined from 2.51 million barrels per day in 2005 to 1.77 million barrels per day in 2020.

He said “NEITI reports also show that 619 million barrels of crude valued at 46 billion dollars were stolen in the period 2009 to 2020″.

He added that Nigeria had continually failed to meet its daily production quota as set by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

According to him, recently, Nigeria’s OPEC quota was reduced from 1.742 million barrels per day to 1.38 million barrels per day.

“Yet, the country is still struggling to meet this quota as daily production output was 1.184 million barrels per day and 1.249 million barrels per day in May and June 2023 respectively.

“On the average, current daily production output is a far cry from the budget assumption of 1.69 million per day. The implication is clearly manifest in the economic crisis that the country is facing.”

He said the nation had been facing a major fiscal crisis, adding that global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine had continued to cast a cloud of uncertainty on the oil and gas industry.

Al-hassa Runrum, the Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee said the volume of losses occasioned by oil theft in the country and its associated impact on the economy was unacceptable.

He said this would not be tolerated by any government, who sincerely loves its citizens.

He added that such act of sabotage and breach on the nation’s security and sovereignty makes a caricature of the nation’s pride

“It is an affront on the government and its institutions, which must be tackled without further delay,’’ he said.

He said the committee was determined to bring the ugly trend to an end otherwise there might be no future for “our children who have not yet “jappered’’ to other countries in search of survival.”

09/07/2023
Police arrest 10 suspects linked to FUOYE student’s death

The Ekiti State Police Command has taken ten individuals into custody in connection with the tragic demise of Atanda Deborah, a second-year Nursing student at the Federal University, Oye Ekiti.

Atanda Deborah had been reported missing, and her body was subsequently discovered in a shallow grave, approximately 30 meters behind the Nursing Lecture Hall of the university on September 5th.

In a statement released on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti and signed by the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Sunday Abutu, the police urged the public to remain calm.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ogundare Dare, has ordered a comprehensive investigation to identify the culprits and ensure their prosecution.

Dare encouraged anyone with pertinent information regarding the incident to visit the Oye Divisional Police Headquarters in Oye-Ekiti or contact the State CID.

Useful information can also be relayed through phone calls to 09064050086 or 08053499199.

The arrests signify a significant step towards obtaining justice for the late student and addressing the circumstances surrounding her untimely demise.

09/07/2023
Tribunal affirms election of Edo LP Rep

The National/State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Benin on Thursday affirmed the election of Mr Omoruyi Osaro of the Labour Party (LP) for the Egor/Ikpoba-Okha Federal Constituency of Edo.

In a unanimous Judgement by the three-member panel, led by Justice O. A. Chijioke, the tribunal dismissed the petitions of the candidates of the PDP, Mr Okhuarobo Henry and that of APC Mr Crosby Eribo for lack of merits

The tribunal held that the two petitioners could not prove a case of non-compliance with the electoral act, corrupt practices and non-qualification allegations against the LP candidate in the election.

Delivering the judgement, Justice O.A. Chijioke held that the petitioners failed to prove their cases, and thereby dismissed the petitions for lack of merit.

“We hold that the petitioners failed to prove any of the grounds raised in the petitions and the petitions are hereby dismissed for lack of merits, ‘’ he said.

The petitioners, Henry and Eribo had approached the tribunal to challenge the election of Osaro on the grounds that he was not qualified to contest for the election.

They claimed non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022 in the conduct of the election, as well as Osaro’s dual nationality adding that the LP could not have had a candidate in the said election.

However, the Justice Chijioke led election panel resolved all the grounds and averred that the petitioners merely dumped documents on the tribunal without any probative value.

Eribo had alleged that the LP candidate was a citizen of the U.S and his standing for election negated Section 77 of the Electoral Act, 2022 as well as Section 66 of the Constitution of Nigeria.

He also contended that Osaro was not validly nominated by the LP for the election, which by inference meant that the LP had no candidate in the election.

09/07/2023
FG launches 5-year national strategy on potato

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has launched a five-year National Strategy on Potato.

Speaking at the event on Thursday in Jos, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, said that the strategy would run from 2023 to 2028.

Represented by Mr Abdullahi Abubakar, the Director, Department of Agriculture of the ministry, Umakhihe said that the move was timely, following President Tinubu’s recent directive on the intensification of crop production.

The permanent secretary said that the move would usher in an era of productive competitiveness in the Nigerian potato industry.

He explained that the essence of the strategy was aimed at ensuring sustainable food and nutrition security in the country

Umakhihe added that the move also aimed at catalysing the rapid transformation of the Nigerian potato sector into a commercially viable sub-sector of the agricultural value chains into a major export product.

“Our goal is to stimulate economic growth through various agricultural value chain activities, thereby creating employment opportunities and improved livelihoods for our teeming youths and women.

“Let me assure you that food and nutrition security is a priority for the ministry and we are committed to achieving it.

“The ministry is embarking on massive production, processing, value addition and product development to be the bedrock for driving our industries.

“I have no doubt that the Nigerian Potato industry has the potential to become globally competitive given the country’s strong comparative advantage in production,” he said

The permanent secretary maintained that potato could be commercially grown in twelve states, adding that it holds well for the activities of many stakeholders.

He said government is aware of the challenges farmers are currently facing, adding that modalities have been adopted towards addressing them.

“The ministry is aware of the challenges in the agricultural sector, nevertheless I assure that necessary measures are taken to address them accordingly.

“Proactive initiatives, such as this National Potato Strategy creates avenue for inclusive collaborations to chart the way forward.

“I am optimistic this potato strategy document would be a springboard for the realisation of Nigeria’s aspiration to achieve food and nutrition security,” he added.

The permanent secretary thanked GIZ, a German organisation for supporting the initiative.

He explained that it is supporting the national strategy through its global programmes, Green Innovation Centres for the Agriculture and Food Sector-Nigeria (GIAE), and the International Potato Centre (CIP) Nairobi, Kenya.

09/07/2023