FG BANS CIVIL SERVANTS FROM TAKING CHIEFTAINCY TITLES

The Federal Government on Tuesday banned the conferment of chieftaincy titles and “other sundry awards” on civil servants until after their retirement or disengagement from service.
The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, in a circular sent to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government however directed that where the traditional titles were mandatory by inheritance, “due clearance must be obtained from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation” through his office.

UK VISA BOND: SENATE REJECTS POLICY, THREATENS RECIPROCATION

ABUJA – THE Senate has rejected the proposed UK visa policy that seeks to compel visitors from some countries including Nigeria to deposit 3,000 ponds bond before its immigration authority at entry point, saying it would not accept Nigeria in the list.
The upper legislative chamber threatened that it would push for the same treatment on the UK citizens in Nigeria or those seeking entry into the country by the time Nigeria is officially notified of the new development.
Source: Vanguard

MY REGRETS, BY CONDEMNED PRISONER

ThankGod Ebohs, the prisoner whose execution was delayed on Monday has said that his only regret was his inability to see the three children delivered to him by three different women.
He is to die by firing squad but his execution was delayed because Robbery and Firearms Tribunal was abolished in Edo State in1999.
ThankGod spoke to reporters in 2010 inside the Benin Prisons when he joined other inmates to enroll in an educational facility provided for the inmates by Patrick Eholor.

STATE OF NATION ADDRESS BILL UNCONSTITUTIONAL – JONATHAN

…Proposes amendment
President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday declared the State of the Nation Address bill passed by the National Assembly and transmitted to him for assent as unconstitutional.
Jonathan said that some clauses of the bill contradict provisions of the Constitution especially Section 67.
He also said the bill offends that principle of separation of powers as enshrined in the Constitution.
He returned the bill and proposed some amendments to enable him sign the bill.
The President in a letter read by the Senate President, David Mark, insisted that certain sections of the bill should be altered in line with Constitutional provisions.
He said that the Constitution has made ample provision for the kind of address the National Assembly wanted in the bill.

WHY OBAMA CAN’T VISIT NIGERIA – US DEPUTY NSA

Fresh facts emerged on Tuesday that security challenges facing the nation might have accounted for Nigeria’s exclusion from President Barack Obama’s three-nation shuttle to Africa.
But the exclusion will not affect bilateral relations between the United States and Nigeria.
The U.S government said the trip will focus on trade and investment, democratic institution-building, young people, and unleashing economic growth.
The clarifications were made at a briefing by American Deputy National Security Advisor, Ben Rhodes.
The joint briefing was addressed jointly with the Senior Director for African Affairs Grant Harris and Senior Director for Development and Democracy Gayle Smith, on President Obama’s upcoming visit to Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania.

DAKAR'S SMALL PEOPLE 'BUNKERED' FOR OBAMA'S VISIT

Ordinary Senegalese are drawing lessons from the past and leaving nothing to chance so that they avoid “foreseeable” embarrassing circumstances during President Barack Obama’s visit, which commences on June 26.
Enduring long hours in traffic jams while waiting for high profile visitors to pass through, being unable to hawk their wares freely in the streets and being virtually “held prisoner in one’s house” are some of the embarrassments they recall from the 1998 visit of former American president Bill Clinton.

AHEAD NGF MEETING: AMAECHI CONFERS WITH OBASANJO

Governor of Rivers State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Amaechi, is leaving nothing to chance as he consolidates his victory in the forum’s election held on 24 May.
Today, Amaechi who has fixed a meeting of the forum for tomorrow at the Rivers State Governors’ Lodge, Abuja, is set to meet former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta in company of the Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Though Amaechi is yet to arrive for the meeting with Obasanjo as at the time of filing this report, P.M.NEWS gathered that the meeting earlier fixed for yesterday could not hold because the governor failed to show up.

FG BARS FOREIGN GRADUATES FROM NYSC

Nigerians who graduated from foreign universities without possessing basic requirement entry  as demanded by Nigerian universities are henceforth to be barred from participating in the  mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.
The Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai, disclosed this yesterday, while receiving the Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier-General Nnamdi Okorie Affia, in her office in Abuja.

DON’T IMPOSE YOUR DAUGHTER ON MARKET WOMEN –PDP

Former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has been asked to rescind his decision to impose his daughter, Shade Tinubu-Ojo, as the new leader of market women in the state.
Peoples Democratic Party, in a statement on Monday by its Lagos Publicity Secretary, Taofik Gani, urged him to allow democracy to prevail in the selection of a new leader.
“You should allow the simple tenets of democracy to prevail in the selection of a new leader for the market women, more so as there is no cogent evidence that the nominee is a full-time market woman,” the statement said.

JONATHAN, AMAECHI MAY CLASH OVER DINNER, NGF MEETING

THE perceived rift between President Goodluck Jonathan and Rivers State governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, is set to take a dramatic turn tomorrow, as both parties test their mights in Abuja.
Information at the disposal of the Nigerian Tribune confirmed that the Rivers State governor, who is leading a faction of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), had fixed a meeting of his faction to clash with a mid-term dinner to be hosted by President Jonathan on the same day.
Amaechi’s invitation to governors for the NGF meeting, scheduled for tomorrow, was sent out on Monday afternoon, with details of the agenda being received at the government houses of governors loyal to his faction.

£3,000 VISA BOND: FG SUMMONS BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER

A diplomatic row seems to be brewing between Nigeria and the United Kingdom following a proposed policy by the British Government requiring Nigerian travellers to the UK to deposit £3,000 as bond in case they overstay their visa limits.
On Monday, the Federal Government summoned the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Andrew Pocock, over the development while the House of Representatives which flayed the policy, argued that it could have negative impact on the relationship between the two countries.
Nigeria, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Pakistan and India are listed by the UK as countries whose citizens are to deposit the £3,000 under the proposed policy that will take off in November.

POLICE KILL BAMIGBETAN’S KIDNAPPERS, ARREST TWO

The Lagos State Police Command says it has arrested members of a kidnapping syndicate suspected to have kidnapped the Chairman, Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, Kehinde Bamigbetan.
According to the police, the suspects were arrested shortly after kidnapping an Indian, Vivex Changrani, in the early hours of Monday.
The Commissioner of Police for the command, Umar Manko, said the suspects were not based in Lagos but only operated in the state on weekends after which they would flee to Ghana.

JULIUS BERGER BEGINS WORK ON 2ND NIGER BRIDGE

 

Work on the long-awaited second Niger bridge has commenced. Wolfgang Goetsch, Managing Director of Julius Berger stated this at the 43rd annual general meeting of the company in Abuja.
Goetsch also said the Federal Government had given Julius Berger a letter of intent, which would enable it to do preliminary work such as, soil testing and engineering design.
According to him, the bridge is to be built under the private public partnership arrangement.
Goetsch said: “A consortium that included a company from South Africa participated in the bidding for the project. In January 2013, our group became the preferred bidder. We are excited because it will be the first of its kind in Nigeria”.

AS ELECTRICITY SUPPLY DROPS NATIONWIDE, FG ADMITS POWER SECTOR CHALLENGES ARE GETTING OUT OF HAND

The federal government  Monday  admitted that it was facing serious challenges fixing the problematic power sector, adding that the sector was bedevilled by a lot of man-made challenges as well as that of age-long neglect.

Nationwide power generation had dropped to 2,290 MW, leaving a large number of the country's about 160 million people  in darkness.

Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said in Abuja, while receiving the report of a technical investigative panel on system collapses in Nigeria's electricity sector headed by former official in the Ministry, Mr. Fatai Olapade, that Nigerians must see and protect public infrastructure as their own.

NSA WARNS AGAINST HIRING SUSPICIOUS PEOPLE AS SECURITY PERSONNEL

With the level of insecurity in the country occasioned by the Boko Haram insurgency, Nigeria is not taking chances with plugging all loopholes that terrorists and their sponsors could exploit to unleash more terror on the country. From mass deportation of illegal aliens, majority of whom have served as foot soldiers for the terror merchants, the federal government is switching its attention to private individuals and organisations with a warning that they should be mindful of the kind of people they employ as security guards.