Senate summons Itse Sagay over comments on NASS

By Olaotan Falade

The Senate on Wednesday summoned the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay, over his comments that the upper chamber was full of people with questionable characters.

TheNewsGuru.com reports that Sagay had on Tuesday while reacting to the Senate’s refusal to confirm the 27 Resident Electoral Committees (REC) nominees sent by President Muhammadu Buhari said the upper chamber was full of ‘childish and irresponsible’ people.

Enraged by the comment, the Deputy Senate Leader Bala ibn Na’allah, during Wednesday’s plenary raised a Point of Order, calling the attention of senators to comments in a national daily credited to  the Sagay.

The however unanimously agreed to invite Sagay over the said comments questioning the character of National Assembly (Senate) members.

Sagay, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, stated that Buhari would not be cowed by the Senate’s action, which he described as an affront on the Presidency.

He said: “That action is childish and irresponsible. Do they think Buhari is a man that can easily be threatened? My God! How can people of such character occupy the highest legislative office in the country? Nigeria is finished.

“It is a great mistake and they will regret it.”

Asked what appropriate action Buhari could take, Sagay explained that the President could continue to appoint people in acting capacity where necessary.

He said the refusal to confirm the RECs was of no effect since officials of the INEC had been acting as RECs for over a year.

Sagay added: “Where the Senate is required to approve a person for a particular position and they refuse to do it, the person could continue to act depending on the nature of the appointment.

“However, if the nominee is coming from another sector, just like in the case of the RECs, it means they cannot act. However, people below that rank in INEC can continue to act as RECs all over the country as it has been done.

“What this action means is that the Senate is being occupied by the most unserious set of Nigerians in history. Nigeria is currently at its lowest level because we have people who have no sense of responsibility, who have no feeling and are there for just vanity and are ready to bring down the country in order to feel important, it is the worst case of abuse ever.

“Let them do what they want, they will regret it.”

·         Source: The News Guru

Anti-corruption: PDP slams EFCC for inviting Oshiomhole to talk about holiness

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo state has slammed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for inviting former Edo state governor, Adams Oshiomhole, as a guest speaker to the National Anti-Corruption Stakeholders’ Summit.

Adams Oshiomhole

According to the PDP, the invitation of Oshiomhole showed that the country had a long way to go in the fight against corruption, Daily Post reports. PDP slams EFCC for inviting Oshiomhole to talk about.

 In a statement by Chris Nehikhare, Edo PDP publicity secretary, the party wondered why Oshiomhole, who has over 15 pending petitions against him was invited “to give a talk on holiness and sainthood”. Nehikhare said the PDP is ready to tender relevant documents to prove its case against Oshiomhole if EFCC commenced investigation.

He said: “Oshiomhole has till this moment not told Edo people about the $54m he collected from the federal government in December 2014. Edo people and Nigerians only got to hear of that money because NNPC books were audited. The only good thing that can come out of the just concluded seminar is for Oshiomhole to submit himself for full scale investigation.

 ”There can be no better way to start the anti-corruption war than inviting Oshiomhole to answer for his financial crime against the state. We join others to urge EFFC to swing into action. No need for glamorous talk shows of anti-corruption with tainted characters. God help Nigeria.”

 Meanwhile, NAIJ.com has gathered that Oshiomhole recently gave reasons why President Muhammadu Buhari will be conveniently re-elected, if he seeks for a second term in office when the 2019 elections come around. He said the Buhari-led administration would have further consolidated on its numerous giant strides by 2019.

·         Source: Naij.com 

Establish true federalism, save Nigeria from imminent disintegration, Victor Attah warns

Nigeria is currently not having the best of times economically, while the country's leaders must act fast to save the country from collapse, Obong Victor Attah, former governor of Akwa Ibom state, has said.

Victor Attah hinted that Nigeria will soon disintegrate, warning that the only solution is for the country to immediately commence the practice of true federalism. He says only true fiscal federalism can save Nigeria.

 Attah, who is the co-chairman of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), reportedly spoke on a private radio station in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom state on Tuesday, March 28, 2017, The Sun reports him as saying: “Under a fiscal regime, as it were in the days of the regions, states, would contribute 50 percent of their resources to the central government and use 50 percent for development of their territories, such that multiplier effects would douse 90 percent of tensions in the country.”

Attah, a former chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, was governor between 1999 and 2007, and has been fighting for resource control. He believes that some states are not viable and that if granted true federalism, they would look inwards to generate revenue.

NAIJ.com learnt that he argued that Nigeria would have achieved more significant development if the country was practising true fiscal federalism. Many other Nigerians have also argued in the same line. The former governor also advocated for the adoption of two-party system urging parties with similar ideologies to merge.

“Two major political parties are good for this country, so that when one is not doing well, the people should have a choice to vote the other,” he said, even as he urged Nigerians to defend their votes in every election and demand for accountability from their governors at every point in time. He also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his achievements so far.

·         Source: Naij.com

DSTG to address shortage of pharmacists

The Delta state Government has expressed its readiness to address the issue of shortage of Pharmacists in the State as part of measure to boost health care delivery in the state.

The secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr. Festus Agas, made this known in Asaba when members of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria Delta State Chapter paid him a courtesy visit.

Agas noted that the Okowa-led administration placed a high premium on human capital development and assured the group that the government would look into their appeal objectively with a view to proffering a lasting solution.

He said payment of workers’ salary in the state was no longer easy to the present administration but pledged that the Government would take the challenges of the Pharmacists in the state seriously. He thanked the group for the visit and enjoyed them to continue to do their best in their profession.

The leader of the group Dr. Kenneth Otene said they were in the SSG's office to congratulate him on his appointment as the secretary to the state Government and to solicit the state Government's support towards alleviating the plight of the Pharmacists in the state.

Dr. Otene who noted that the Pharmacist was involved in many activities to enhance the well being of the individual patient said Delta state in the past had about 78 pharmacists which had now reduced to 58 due to retirements and death, adding that Delta state has over 62 hospitals under the Hospital management Board. He pointed the challenges facing the Association to include shortage of Pharmacists and appealed to the state Government to take the issue of employing more Pharmacists in the state seriously.

In a related development, the secretary to the state Government has affirmed government’s commitment towards eradicating malnutrition in the state. The Secretary to State Government, Hon. Festus Agas gave the affirmation when members of the State Committee on Food and Nutrition SCFN Advocacy team paid him an advocacy visit in Asaba.

Hon. Agas said the state Government has been doing its best to eradicate the menace and pledged its continued support in the operations of the body. While commending the group for the advocacy visit, He said the state Government would always release the intervention funds to the group as at when due.

Earlier in her address, the team leader of the group Mrs. Millie Amitaye said they were with the SSG to advocate the need for quality nutrition for children, adding that malnutrition is becoming a serious threat to the effective growth and development of children. She solicited Government support and urged all hands to be on deck in order to tackle the menace.

She further said the SMART Agenda is in tandem with the goal of the SDG but urged Government to do further to rid the state of malnutrition. She commended Govt. for free maternal health care and other health care policies, adding that malnutrition needs to be kicked out totally like polio melitis

DSTG SET TO EMPOWER WOMEN WITH STATE OF THE ART EQUIPMENT

In a bid to accelerate the industrialization of the state through the SMART agenda of the present administration, the Delta State Government has concluded plans for the empowerment of over two hundred women with state of the art equipment in the weaving of Akwa-Ocha.

                      

The move by the State Government which is as a result of the cry for financial assistance to facilitate access to modern Akwa-Ocha production technique by the Akwa-Ocha weavers in the state, has led to the purchase and planned installation of ten of those equipment at the Delta State Micro, Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Centre, Issele-Uku in Aniocha North Local Government Area.

The Executive Secretary, Delta State Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, Mrs. Shimite Bello disclosed that the empowerment packages will come in batches of 65 persons at a time after which each of the beneficiaries will be given a machine that will be paid within a stipulated period of time.

The Mrs. Shimite Bello stated that the sensitization programme was necessitated because of the discovery of new weaving equipment which is easy to operate and produces faster as against the commonly found one that is tedious to operate and produces one wrapper for a month.

The women while expressing their appreciation to the state Governor for the gesture prayed that God will guide and sustain him as well as give him the zeal to continually touch the lifes of Deltans positively through its programmes and policy.  

OKOWA FLAGs OFF 2017 NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION PLUS DAY

Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has flagged-off the 2017 National Immunization Plus Day (NIPD), campaign for the eradication of Polio with a promise to ensure ‘Prosperity for All Deltans.”

Governor Okowa gave this commitment in Ewu-Urhobo, in Ughelli South Local Government Area.

The Governor who was represented by the Commissioner for health, Dr. Nicholas Azinge stated that the people oriented programmes of the present administration is on course to providing Prosperity for All Deltans through the Universal Health Care (UHC) and the Delta State Contributory Health Insurance Scheme programme, saying that his government will pilot the one Primary Health Care per Ward strategy and strengthen the Primary Health Care (PHC) under One Roof System.

He lamented the re-listing of Nigeria among the Polio Endemic Countries of the World after the reported four confirmed cases of Wild Polio Virus disease from Borno State in the North East, saying that it is not only a set-back for Nigeria but for the global community in the eradication of polio.

“Delta State has come a long way since the start, let us finish strong and end polio now” I have learnt to look at anything impossible and that includes, especially, the eradication of polio” the Governor stated.

He urged parents, guardians and caregivers to have their children and wards within the target age of 0 – 59 months vaccinated irrespective of previous immunization status of the child, saying that the vaccine is safe and will immunity on the child against the polio disease.

Speaking, the Chairman, Delta State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Richard Kofi advised the parents and guardians to availed themselves of the March 2017 National Immunization Campaign to immunize their children against the dreaded disease, polio virus, saying that it is for the benefit of the children and the parents.

On his own part, the Chairman, Ughelli South Local Government Area, Evang. Paul Etega, while thanking the State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa for his immense efforts to ensure prosperity for All Deltans, stated that in spite of the peculiarities of Ughelli South Local Government where 52% of the inhabitants live in the riverine area which are difficult to reach the Local Government has ensure the provision of assistance by way of logistics and other inputs to ensure effective coverage.

Evang. Etega appealed to parents and guardians to come out en mass to immunize their children and wards.

Highpoint of the flag-off was the immunization of little children by the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Nicholas Azinge, Chairman DSPHCDA, Dr. Kofi, Ughelli South Local Government Area Evang. Paul Etega among others.

Delta Govt to provide enabling environment for investment, says Aniagwu

·       Meets with Community Newspaper Publishers

The Chief Press Secretary (C.P.S) to the Delta State Governor, Mr. Charles Aniagwu has assured that  the state government would provide the needed enabling environment for investment to thrive in the state.

Speaking at a meeting with Community Newspaper Publishers in the state Tuesday (28/3/17) in Asaba, Mr. Charles Aniagwu said government was partnering with private investors and organizations to create more jobs for Deltans.

Aniagwu, in a group photograph with the publishers.

According to him "The business of government is to create enabling environment for private investors to employ more people, that is the way to tackle unemployment because government alone cannot employ all the unemployed in the state, when government empowers you through advertisements in your newspapers it will enable you expand your outfit and employ more hands, with this you have created jobs for the people."   

He noted that the great role played by the community newspapers during the campaign of Senator Okowa  in sensitizing the grassroots would not be forgotten and charged them to continue to inform the people of government achievements within the state

Aniagwu  explained that government was committed to improving the welfare of community newspaper publishers in the state despite the current recession in the country promising more patronage of their outfits by government

"The recession has also affected our ability to address the welfare of journalists in the state effectively through adverts, l hope that the economy will improve, so that we can patronise you more"

He expressed his joy on the peace and harmony existing among the publishers saying " The harmony that now exist among you (publishers) is a welcome development, you can now speak with one voice and work in unity for the progress of this forum."

ln a brief remark, the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Orientation, Barrister Eugene Uzum, charged the publishers not to relent in doing their job as they are the conscience of the grassroots and that the government appreciates the good work they are doing " The synergy we have with you today will go a long way in communicating government’s progranmmes and policies more to the grassroots”

In a welcome address, the Chairman Community Newspaper Publishers, Prince Orhomonokpaye, said their mission was to solicit for patronage from the government through advertisements and improved welfare package " we have always supported this administration, we have projected the policies and programmes of government to the grass roots and need to benefit from government."