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By Okon Okon The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) says its upcoming Annual Labour Adjudication and Arbitration Forum will address the nation’s labour crisis and promote industrial harmony. Its Director-General, Mr Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, said this on Tuesday at a news conference on its forthcoming forum scheduled to be held on Feb. 13 in Abuja. Oyerinde stated that the forum would feature the Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Mr Gilbert Houngbo, and focus on key issues affecting industrial relations between employers and workers in Nigeria. “Without industrial peace, discussions about Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and national development become irrelevant. This forum will provide a platform for discussions on labour, indu...

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Tuesday solicited for the support of security agencies in tackling the twin menace of vote and delegate buying in the country's electoral system.INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu made the appeal at the first regular meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, for the year 2025.The INEC boss stressed that attention must be paid to the menace of vote-buying.He said: “ There is of course a lot of work to do, especially in combating vote buying.“ The Commission is happy with our collaboration with the law enforcement agencies, particularly the anti-graft agencies. Beyond the arrest of vote buyers on Election Day, our active partnership has so far resulted in the successful prosecution of some offenders in t...

By NAN The National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), has trained over 20 rice farmers in Abuja, from Badeggi community of Niger State on a two-days capacity building workshop on community rice seed production to help promote food security in the country. In his keynote address, the Acting DG of NASC, Dr. Ishiak Othman Khalid, said the workshop is aimed at promoting aimed at empowering local community Based seed producers in ensuring  sustainable agriculture, food/nutritional security, and environmental conservation. Dr. Khalid, reiterated that the Departments initiative also seeks to address the pressing need to improve farmers’ access to quality seeds, knowledge, and other resources for small-scale farme...

By NAN The National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), on Monday Feb. 10-11, 2025, held a two-days capacity building workshop on community rice seed production among Rice farmers for Badeggi community and environs of Niger State to help promote food security in the country. In his keynote address, the Acting DG of NASC, Dr. Ishiak Othman Khalid, said the workshop is aimed at promoting aimed at empowering local community Based seed producers in ensuring  sustainable agriculture, food/nutritional security, and environmental conservation. Dr. Khalid, reiterated that the Departments initiative also seeks to address the pressing need to improve farmers’ access to quality seeds, knowledge, and other resources for...

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts on Monday directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to invite two former Permanent Secretaries of the Federal Ministry of Labour, Williams Alo and Yerima Tafa, over a financial infraction amounting to N3,201,583,662.65 during their tenure.The committee expressed dissatisfaction with the increasing disregard by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) for parliamentary summons, as many have failed to respond to audit queries from the Auditor General for the Federation.The Committee Chairman, Bamidele Salam (PDP, Osun), revealed that the ministry had ignored seven letters inviting it to appear before the committee without offerin...

No fewer than six CBT officials have been blacklisted by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board.The six officials were alleged to have engaged in blank registration in the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination registration.JAMB Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed this on Monday while speaking with Journalists after monitoring some CBT centres in Ilorin, Kwara state capital.Oloyede said, “Six CBT individuals engaged by JAMB from various institutions in the country have been blacklisted for life from participating in jamb-conducted examinations.“The people were caught in alleged examination malpractice, adding that we have their particulars and we will be monitoring them wherever they go even if they become professors and are to be appointed as Vice Chancellors.“One senior...

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has declared four individuals wanted for their alleged roles in a drug trafficking syndicate linked to Lagos drug kingpin, Alhaji Suleiman Ganiu, also known as Barryshine.Barryshine was arrested on August 26, 2024, two years after coming under the radar of the anti-narcotics agency.A statement by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, on Monday, said the suspect, who is the Managing Director/CEO of Barryshine Suleiman Nigeria Ltd., came under the agency’s watchlist over his alleged role in four foiled attempts to export cocaine to Saudi Arabia and Qatar through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, between 2022 and 2024.Babafemi stated that many of Barryshine’s drug mules had been arrested by the NDLEA, prosecuted, and convicted...

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, has forbidden police operatives in multi from carrying guns.Egbetokun directed that henceforth, “No operative should be seen carrying assault arms (rifles) while dressed in civilian attire (mufti).”He also issued a stern warning to all officers regarding serious breaches of human rights, emphasizing the duty of the Force to uphold these rights.Speaking during a virtual meeting he convened with strategic police managers, Monday, Egbetokun frowned at such acts, having received various complaints regarding human rights violations through the Force’s complaint channels.A statement by Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, yesterday, said the meeting was in a bid to reinforce operational integrity and ensure effective manageme...

By Joan Nwagwu The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), has called for strategic interventions in Small and Medium Enterprises (MSEs), skill development to address the nation’s unemployment crisis. Mr Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, Director General of NECA made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja. Oyerinde said that job creation cannot happen by chance but through deliberate policies that foster business growth and skills development. He stressed that government must provide the enabling environment for the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to thrive and encourage skills acquisition among the youths. “The country needs an environment where skills development can take the centre stage. Also, government must con...

After days of power outage, the Kaduna Electric Distribution Company Friday announced that power has been restored to its franchise area of Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi states. The Kaduna State government convened a meeting with the management of the Kaduna Electric Distribution Company and the two in-house labour unions at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, where it was resolved that power be restored immediately. A statement issued after the meeting indicated that the parties had agreed to review past actions and work together to find an amicable settlement. A source said Governor Uba Sani acted as a guarantor and promised to ensure fairness to both sides. He also praised the unions for their understanding and the unions commended the management of Kaduna Electric, led by Dr. Um...

By Marian Okpe--'Abuja The Senate Committee on Aviation has applauded H. E. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Captain Chris Ona Onajomo as Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation,.NCAA This was confirmed on Wednesday 5' February at the National Assembly Complex where members of the Senate Committee on Aviation sat to screen the man of the moment, Captain Chris Ona Onajomo. Few of the senators present at the event were. Sen. Agadaga Friday, from Bayelsa, Sen. Okechukwo Eze representing Enugu East, Sen.Wasiu Sanni, representing Lagos Central, Sen. Samaila Dogowa Kaula, Representing Bauchi North, and very importantly, Sen. Ireti Kingibe, representing FCT. The event was chaired by Sen. Fatai Buhari, representing Oyo North respectively. The senators described the appointmen...

Vice-President Kashim Shettima says patients from the United States and other countries are thronging Nigerian hospitals to seek affordable and high-quality kidney transplants. Shettima said this during a courtesy visit by the Nigerian Association of Nephrology at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, ahead of the association’s 37th Scientific Conference. He attributed the choice of Nigeria for treatment to affordability and high-quality expertise within the country’s medical community. “There is reverse medical tourism these days fundamentally because of the level of care at some of our hospitals. “Recently, 13 patients from the United States came to Nigeria for kidney transplants at Zenith Medical and Kidney Centre, because it is much cheaper here. “They received the same level ...

Soun of Ogbomoso Land, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, Orumogege III, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State and the Emir of Gombe, Dr Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III, after the courtesy visit in Government House, Gombe. Inspired by the peaceful atmosphere and the ease of doing business, the Soun of Ogbomosho Land, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, Orumogege III, has has made a commitment to relocate one of his businesses to Gombe. The monarch made his intention known during a courtesy call on Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya at the Government House, Gombe in continuation of his week-long visit to the State. The royal father, who described Gombe State as a shining example of peace, progress, and harmonious coexistence in Nigeria, noted that his expectations were exceeded, particularly reg...

Nigeria has commenced a move to repatriate 7,790 of its citizens taking refuge in Chad Republic. The refugees, most of them indigenes of Borno, were displaced for nearly ten years at the height of Boko Haram activities, taken shelter at Baga Sola in Tchad Republic. Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum led a delegation of government officials from Nigeria to kick start the repatriation of 7,790 refugees. The delegation which includes the Minister of State, Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Yusuf Sununu, and the Federal Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) was received on Wednesday in Baga Sola by the Governor of Lac Province, Saleh Haggar Tidjani. In the first batch of...

Four suspects have been arrested for allegedly involved in illegal possession of firearms, gunrunning, kidnapping, banditry and Job racketeering. The suspects were arrested by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). A statement on Thursday by the spokesman of the NSCDC, Babawale Afolabi said the arrest by the NSCDC Commandant General's Special Intelligence Squad in its ongoing effort in combating economic sabotage and fighting Insecurity across the country. He said the CG's SIS also recovered two automatic rifles with three magazines; an AK47 with 15 live ammunition, one FN rifle with two live ammunition, one live cartridge with nine locally fabricated pistols, one bionet, two pairs of Nigerian Forest Security Services uniform among others items. Babawale said th...

In his bid to diversify the economy while giving a boost to the agricultural sector, Cross River governor, Prince Bassey Otu, has directed all 18 local government areas in the state, to go into the cultivation of cash crops that would serve for export. Otu stated this during a Coffee Estate Development Roundtable Conversation, held at the Metropolitan Hotel in Calabar, the Cross River capital. The governor who spoke through the Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Hon Johnson Ebokpo, noted that the directive was imperative as the state must take advantage of its comparative advantage as a unique destination in the country, where varieties of coffee can be grown. "Every local government must be able to have a cash crop, an export crop, as nobody would be left b...

The Yobe state government team visited Morocco's World largest fertilizer company, OCP/Jorf Lasfar fertilizer complex.This is part of the efforts to resuscitate the Yobe state fertilizer blending plant. The team led by the Secretary to the State Government, Baba Malam Wali, had the commissioners of Agriculture Hon. Mustapha Goniri, Higher Education Prof. Bello Kawuwa, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ibrahim Adamu Jajere, and the Chairman of Damaturu Local government council Hon. Bukar Adamu. The Facility Information Officer of the complex, Amine Jamaleddine, who conducted the delegation around the facility on Thursday, said "the OCP/Jorf Lasfar fertilizer complex is the biggest fertilizer company in the world with an all year round production capacity.” She explain...

In what many critics have called misplaced priority, North East Development Commission (NEDC) donated essential office equipment to the North East Governors’ Forum (NEGF). The donation was made to the operations office of the NEGF in Maiduguri on Wednesday. The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NEDC, Mohammed Alkali made the donation to the Director General of North East Governors’ Forum, Alh. Umar Gulani at the Commission’s headquarters in Maiduguri. The donation was made in order to ease the operations of the NEGF coordinating office based in Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital. Alkali, while giving out the items, said: “We had donated a vehicle to the North East Governor’s Forum and this time around we’re supporting the Forum with some office equipment to assi...

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced significant leadership changes at several federal universities, including the University of Abuja, now known as Yakubu Gowon University. These changes are effective immediately. At Yakubu Gowon University, President Tinubu dissolved the entire governing council and relieved Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi of her duties as Vice-Chancellor. Senator Lanre Tejuoso, currently Pro-Chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, has been appointed Pro-Chancellor of the Yakubu Gowon University. He will be succeeded in Makurdi by Senator Joy Emordi, now pro-chancellor of Alvan Ikoku University of Education. To succeed Maikudi, President Tinubu appointed Professor Lar Patricia Manko as Acting Vice Chancellor at the Yakubu Gowon University for...