Akwa Pluz

Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello said yesterday over 10,000 people had been displaced by flood. He spoke when he visited the affected areas, including Sarkin Numa and Ganaja villages. The governor also visited Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs’) camps. He said anytime it rained heavily, River Niger and Benue overflowed their banks and the effect was felt more by the indigenes. Bello said communities in Ibaji, Ajaokuta, IgalaMela/Odolu, Bassa, Koton-Karfi and Lokoja were also affected. He urged the Federal Government to assist the state. Said he: “Kogi is in need of humanitarian interventions. “Houses have been submerged by flood in Lokoja and Ibaji. The situation is pathetic. Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has been overstretched. The government is providing interventions within its financial capacity, but what it has done is inadequate. “Besides Nataco, Sarkin Numa, Ganaja and other areas in Lokoja where floods have taken over, residents of Ibaji commu...

Nigeria’s N6.5 trillion pension asset is under threat as the National Assembly is proposing 10 bills to amend the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2004 repealed by PRA 2014. But stakeholders in the pension industry are kicking, insisting that the bills, if passed into law, may render contributors and retirees vulnerable and destabilise the financial system. OMOBOLA-TOLU-KUSIMO looks at the contentious issues. Thirteen years after its introduction, the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2004 repealed by the PRA 2014 is facing its worst threat ever. There are fears that if the bills before the National Assembly (NASS) seeking to amend the PRA 2014 sail through, the fate of contributors and retirees hangs in the balance. Stakeholders in the pension industry are apprehensive that if the bills, about 10, are passed into law, they will render contributors and retirees vulnerable, insecure and also destabilie the financial system. The PRA Act 2004 established the Contributory Pension Scheme ...

Following security advice, there were indications yesterday that the Presidency is weighing options on how to tackle the Coalition of Northern Youths and the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for the actualization of the Republic of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Security agencies, sources said yesterday, have advised the Federal Government to embrace dialogue and give the two groups final warning instead of arrest, outright crackdown and revocation of Kanu’s bail. It was learnt that some of the options were presented at the sessions which the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo had with Northern and Igbo leaders a few days ago. Osinbajo, it was learnt, had reviewed intelligence reports on the Northern youths, IPOB and the renewed separatist agitations in the country with service chiefs, security chiefs and the police hierarchy on Sunday. At the meeting, the Presidency was briefed that “some war mongers and divisive elements” were behind the Northern youths and I...

Popular comedian Francis Odega, who is currently working on a TV series, has said he is not in competition with anybody, as regards comic TV series. “I have my project that is ongoing, and it is called ‘Gerrahea’ TV series, that stars people like Omo Baba, Chigurl, myself and a whole lot more,” said Odega. “So, it is hitting your screen sooner than later.” On taking after the footsteps of Funke Akindele popular series,  Jenifa’s Diary , the actor said: “I wouldn’t say I am taking after her. I am at the moment focused at giving what I am called to give. Before Funke, there (was) somebody there. So, what is the need looking at any other person when I can break the grounds. “It is not a competition, I am not competing with anybody, and I am just here to entertain people. So if the audience prefer mine to hers, it is better. But the truth is we are not even in the same categories, I am not doing her style, I am coming out with a complete different style. So I am not compe...

Concerned stakeholders in Irun, Akoko Northwest local government area of Ondo state Thursday debunked the report of insecurity in the ancient town as reported in the media. They described the claim as unfounded and baseless; stressing that the purported petition written to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris by some indigenes in the community was mischievous. The petition was entitled:’Re-illegal installation, threat to lives, murder and destruction of properties at Irun-Akoko’. According to the Olisa of Irun-Akoko,Chief Rufus Ajakaye,the security agents within the local government could testify that peace is reigning supreme in the town. He said the socio-economic activities were booming in the town without any disturbance,while the youth leader in the area,Kola Ariyo corroborated the notion. Ajakaye stressed that the choice of Oba-elect, Prince Adeusi Bada was widely accepted by the cross section of the community. Ariyo denied that the Onirun-elect had...

I read recently that a certain ‘Mr. Evans’, a notorious kidnapper who operated his ‘business’ on the million-dollar scale, had been ‘kidnapped’ by the police. Imagine that, and I heard he was caught after a gun battle. I’m not sure but I don’t think he’ll be ‘negotiating’ his release soon. We wait and see, because man, this is Nigeria. Anyhow, I hear he’s singing to the police in a sweet tenor voice right now, and his opera is titled ‘Why he should not be kept with poor criminals’ because he is a ‘wealthy’ owner of ‘mansions’! I honestly did not know that criminals had grades. I thought everyone who does the crime sooner or later ends up in the place made of concrete and iron grills to do the time. Concrete has its uses, but have you ever walked over a cracked concrete pavement? No? It’s a bad experience I tell you. You’re never sure if the next step you’ll take will catch a corner of your toe and twist it and, you know, kidnap it. On a cracked pavement, you can lose a toe or your...

Some loyalists of Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose have moved to the camp of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant, Prince Dayo Adeyeye. Among those who dumped the governor are: former Commissioner for Public Utilities, Mr. Deji Adesua; former factional House of Assembly Speaker, Dele Olugbemi; and a Special Assistant, Alhaji Musa Kanga. They were among thousands of supporters, who welcomed Adeyeye yesterday to his campaign office on Ikere Road, and staged a road show for him. Kanga led scores of fellow Hausa PDP members in the state, pledging their loyalty and support for Adeyeye’s governorship ambition. Other ethnic nationalities that identified with the aspirant are: the Urhobo, the Idoma and the Igbo. Addressing reporters after meeting his supporters, Adeyeye said many prominent party members holding government and party posts would soon join him ahead of the primary. The aspirant described the September 6 adoption of Deputy Governor Kolapo Olusola...

Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu yesterday signed this year’s Appropriation Bill into law. On Monday, the House of Assembly approved a budget of N170 billion. After signing the appropriation bill, the governor said debt service would gulp N8.127 billion, while statutory transfers would take N8.374 billion. The governor said the recurrent expenditure is N95.159 billion and capital expenditure is N59.187 billion. According to him, the state is facing a serious financial challenge due to low Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). He said his administration would adopt new strategies to improve revenue generation. Akeredolu said his administration was aware of the challenges the state was facing on budget implementation because of paucity of funds. He said: “We are, however, determined to improve our fiscal circumstances substantially through revenue generation.” The governor, who stressed the need to invest into the future, pledged that the state’s tax base would ...

NIGERIA medical industry has continued to suffer shortage of professionals.  Emigration of health personnel compounds the challenges as a sizeable number of physicians, nurses and other medical professionals are lured out of the country in search of lucrative jobs in developed countries because of our broken down healthcare system, inadequate infrastructure and poor compensation packages. For instance, statistics shows that in 2005, 2,395 Nigerian medical doctors practiced in the United States (US), and 1,529 in the United Kingdom. Similarly, most people living in Nigeria do not have access to good quality healthcare services.  Where it is available, it is too expensive for the average earner to afford.  Even at that, the rich and highly placed in government and private sectors do not have confidence in the available healthcare system.  Due to their discontentment with the poor quality of available medical facilities, they boost the medical tourism of United Kin...

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)  and lenders involved in the disbursement of N220 billion Small, Medium Enterprises (SMEs) funds to small businesses have traded blames over the slow pace of the disbursement of the funds. The Group Head, Specialised SMEs of Fidelity Bank, Mr Ndubuisi Onuoha blamed the CBN for the slow pace of disbursement of the funds when asked by a participant why the bank was yet to fund his business over a year after meeting all the requirements. “Fidelity Bank has done over N3billion disbursements; CBN is slowing things down; there is close to N2 billion pending with the CBN; we are doing everything to get the funds for SMEs. The problem is not with Fidelity Bank, we are only a conduit for passing the money to SMEs,” he said. Onuoha spoke in Abuja during the third stream training of SMEs yesterday. In its reaction, the CBN dismissed the allegation. Its spokesman, Mr. Isaac Okorafor said it is “not true. No bank will disburse to a project that is...