Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has dissolved and suspended the council and management respectively of the state-owned tertiary institution, Abia State Polytechnic Aba, ABN TV reports.
This comes barely 24 hours after the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE Kaduna withdrew the accreditation of the institution over non-payment of salaries for about thirty months.
The governor in a statement on Wednesday by the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Chris Ezem also announced the setting up of a task force headed by Prof. Ikechi Mgboji to ensure the restoration of the lost accreditation in 30 days.
The governor said the action of NBTE is embarrassing and capable of destablizing the current peace and harmony existing in the state, noting that the fate of the students of the institution appears to be jeopardised.
He said, “It must be placed on record that Academic activities have been ongoing in the institution without interruptions; the teachers and staff of Abiapoly were not on strike and have remained committed to their duties.
“As part of the measure to reposition the institution, Government hereby announces the immediate dissolution and suspension of the council and management of the institution respectively.’
Members of the task force include, Dr. John Nwadioha, Hon. Jude Ude Achara, Rev.Fr. Kelechi Anyanwu, Mrs Love Ezema, mni, and Mr Stanley Nwankpa (SUG) President of Abia Polytechnic.
Residents of Aba, Umuahia, and environs will now heave a sigh of relief and witness improved power supply at officers of Abia State police command have arrested 11 suspects who engage in vandalizing the installations of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC.
ABN TV reports that the suspects were arrested in Umuchiala Owerrinta in Isiala Ngwa South LGA on 18 July, 2022 with the assistance of the Internal Security team of the Nigeria Navy College of Account and Finance, Naval Base Owerrinta in conjunction.
Parading the suspects at the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Office Aba North LGA, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Abia State Police Command, Geoffrey Ogbonna gave the names of the suspects as Ojukwu Ogba, Eze Michael, Chinecherem Ihendu, Williams Ifeanyi, and Okoro Diogo.
The rest are Ukaoma Ezindu, Emmanuel Igwe, Orji Chijioke Oluwaseyi Great, Okorocha Uchenna and Kingsley Nzeh.
Items recovered from them include six GSM phones, two buses with registration numbers Rivers BGM 447 XA and XW 640 ABM, two ignition keys, three big sack bags, one metal cutter, and one marine rope.
The PPRO said further, “The suspects are suspected to be among the syndicates that specialize in vandalizing and stealing Electrical Installations which sabotages the efforts of Communities and EEDC in rendering their services.
“Meanwhile, they have confessed to the crime and are helping the investigation in tracking their receivers. Suspects will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.
“Communities are enjoined to mobilize their vigilante groups to extend their services to government installations within their areas to avoid this and other economic sabotages.”
President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kashim Shettima as the running mate for the APC Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The President was quoted in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, saying “I will respond to your speech when I am handing over to you and your boss. God willing, you are going to win.”
The statement further read, “I wish you the best. Your consistency in the party is very respectful. You served your two terms as governor and finished well. You have kept touch with your base.
“At every important occasion or event, you are maintaining support for the one who succeeded you. This is commendable.”
The suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, Abba Kyari, who is facing drug trafficking charge, on Wednesday, gave an insight into what transpired on the night insurgents attacked the Kuje Correctional Facility in Abuja.
The attack, which occured on July 5, led to the escape of about 879 inmates, including all 68 imprisoned Boko Haram members.
Kyari, who was inside the prison facility when the insurgents struck, told the court that he hid himself like a rat.
The attackers were later identified as members of the Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, a breakaway faction of the Boko Haram terrorist sect.
He told the court that though the terrorists had, after seizing the facility for over three hours, opened all the gates and forced inmates to escape, he declined to run away, along with four other members of the Police Intelligence Response Team, IRT, that were also remanded with him.
Addressing the court through his lawyer, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu(SAN), Kyari, who hitherto led the police IRT, argued that the prison attack established “a special and exceptional circumstance” that should warrant the court to release him and his men on bail, pending the determination of the charge the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, preferred against them.
“My lord, every living soul in this country will agree that there was not just a breach, but that there was a grand terrorist attack by an organization that not only successfully invaded the Kuje Prison, but took control of it for over three hours.
“However, the applicant, being a law-abiding citizen, refused to take off.
“If there is any thing to establish that the defendants will not jump bail, it was that circumstance.
“The gates of the prison were left open for over three hours.
“Infact, the Defendant hid like a rat, because the organization that conducted the attack went from cell to cell, saying they want to take him and the others to the desert.
“I don’t know where else in the world, where certified crime fighters that have endangered their lives and abandoned their families to serve the country, are kept in the same cubicle, with same criminals they made their arrest possible, with some of them facing death penalty.
“These people have suffered. They are traumatised by the events of that night. You can imagine what it felt like, witnessing the attackers planting explosives everywhere in the prison.”
Noting that the defendants anticipated that the prison facility could be attacked, Ikpeazu stressed that it was the reason they earlier applied for bail.
He further contended that the defendants, having been suspended by the police and in detention for over five months, do not have the capacity to interfere with witnesses the NDLEA intend to produce against them.
“They cannot even have access to the two convicts that are presently under the protection of the powerful prison service.
“Moreover, there is constitutional presumption of innocence in favour of the defendants,” Ikpeazu added.
He prayed the court to ignore NDLEA’s contention that Kyari and his men are being investigated over their alleged complicity in money laundering.
Likewise, Mr. Gboyega Oyewole(SAN), who represented the 2nd Defendant, noted that the NDLEA had in a counter-affidavit it filed in opposition to the fresh request for bail of the detained police officers, averred that; “hoodlums who undertook the breach, seized the prison facility for over three hours, but to the glory of God, no one died.”
He accused the agency of lying, noting that a security operative was killed during the attack.
He equally argued that NDLEA’s counter-affidavit was grossly unreliable as it was not deposed to by a prison official.
The Nigerian Senate, on Wednesday, passed the Electricity Bill, 2022.
The bill’s passage was sequel to the consideration of a report by the Committee on Power.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Gabriel Suswam (PDP, Benue North East), in his presentation, said the bill seeks to, amongst others, provide an ideal legal and institutional framework to leverage the modest gains of the privatisation phase of the electricity sector in Nigeria.
He added that when signed into law, the bill would improve the utilisation of generated power through increased investments in new technologies to enhance transmission and distribution of generated power to minimise aggregate value chain losses.
According to the lawmaker, the piece of legislation would “reinvigorate the Institutional framework for the reform of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) initiated and implemented by the Federal Government.”
He disclosed that the provisions of the Bill seek to promote policies and regulatory measures that would ensure the expansion of power transmission networks in Nigeria to address any imbalance in the existing transmission infrastructure.
Suswam noted that the bill would stimulate policy and regulatory measures to scale up efficient power generation, transmission, and distribution capabilities of the sector; as well as address technological limitations and outdated infrastructure that are responsible for value chain losses.
The Senate President, midway through consideration of the bill, sought to know the role and operational capacity of banks that had taken over distribution companies (discos) indebted to them.
Responding, Senator Suswam explained that the take-over of entities (Discos) by banks was duly carried out in collaboration with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NER) and Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE).
According to him, there was a transitional process put in place during the take-over of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) by the United Bank for Africa (UBA) to ensure efficiency in service delivery.
He noted that such a transitional process usually involves the invitation of new investors to scale up generation and distribution capacities.
He further disclosed that the Federal Government had disbursed $100 million (USD) to Siemens to kickstart transmission in the distribution end of the power sector.
On his part, Senator Ahmad Babba-Kaita (PDP – Katsina North), said the faulty way in which Discos were created was largely responsible for their inability to live up to expectations.
He, therefore, advised the federal government to ensure a transparent process in the selection of companies to take-over power generation and distribution across the country.
The Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC – Niger North), noted that the aspect of renewable energy in the bill, was given prominence amidst the energy mix.
The Electricity Bill, 2022, after a clause-by-clause consideration of the Committee’s report by the Committee of the Whole, was passed by the upper chamber.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, in his remarks after the passage of the bill, said, “because of its importance and sensitivity, we would like to see a quick concurrence by the House of Representatives, because time is of the essence as far as Nigeria is concerned when you talk about electricity and energy supplies in Nigeria.
“So, we would like to see that this bill is fully processed in the National Assembly and sent to the Executive side of government for the consideration for assent by Mr. President.
“We believe that this piece of legislation can change the fortunes of the electricity industry in Nigeria for the better.”
Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has handed over 13 patrol vans to the security agencies to enable them to provide effective security in the state.
The Police received 6 vans, the Army 3 while the Navy, the DSS, and the Correctional Services got one each.
Handing over the vehicles at Government Lodge, Aba, Gov. Ikpeazu who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Chris Ezem, said the donation were made to encourage the security agencies to double their efforts at combating criminals and ensuring the safety of lives and properties in the state.
He explained that the state government would provide more patrol vans to ensure that the needs of the security agencies are met in overcoming the security challenges affecting the state and Nigeria.
He said; “The donation of more patrol vehicles is a further step in securing Abia state and Nigeria and encouraging the security agencies to double their efforts in chasing criminals and overcoming the security challenges bedeviling Abia state and Nigeria. We commend the synergy between the Abia state government and the security agencies. We will continue taking these steps, we know it won’t go round but we will continue the donation. As we progress, we will do more in enduring that the needs of these agencies are met. The police will receive 6 vans, the Army 3, the Navy gets one, while the DSS will receive one and the Prisons will also receive one to enable them to convey inmates to court.”
Expressing gratitude to the state government for the donations, DSP Lambert Ekwekwe, assured that the Police and other security agencies would continue to do their best to provide security and urged residents to volunteer useful information to help combat crime.
He also pledged that the police would maintain the patrol vans.
Leicester City manager, Brendan Rodgers says Super Eagles midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi’s latest injury is not as serious as what was initially predicted.
The Nigerian international has been making speedy recovery after he suffered an injury that made him miss the latter part of the last campaign, and was expected to be fit for Leicester City’s preseason game against Hull City today, only to cope with another injury during training few days ago.
However, Speaking withLCFC TV, Rodgers stated that Ndidi’s injury wasn’t serious and will be fit to face Preston North End and Derby County in preseason games.
“Wilf’s twisted his ankle in training a few days ago. We don’t think it’s too serious,” manager Brendan Rodgers told LCFC TV. “It’s a high ankle sprain, so he had a scan on it and it’ll hopefully be okay.”
Personal life
Ndidi grew up in a barracks as his father was a serving Army officer before his retirement. Discipline and education were the priority there, while football was a passion his father frowned upon. “Any time my dad went to work I would go and play,” Ndidi said in an interview with BBC World Service.
In May 2019, Ndidi married his longtime girlfriend Dinma Fortune in Abuja.
In 2019, Ndidi started studying for a degree in Business and Management at De Montfort University.
Nigeria defender Calvin Bassey has linked up with Eredivisie champions, Ajax Amsterdam from Rangers.
Bassey penned a five-year contract with the former European champions.
Ajax parted with €23m including variables, which could increase to €26.5m. to secure the services of the versatile defender.
The 22-year-old comes in as a direct replacement for Argentina international Lisandro Martinez, who recently joined Manchester United.
Bassey joined Rangers two years ago from Leicester City for €230,000.
The defender played a key role in the Gers’ run to the final of the UEFA Europa League last season where they lost on penalties to Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side won the Scottish Cup a few days later.
Bassey has already linked up with his new teammates for pre-season training in Austria.
Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola has debunked reports claiming that he has the intention of signing Paris Saint German (PSG) star, Neymar this summer.
The 30-year-old, who has been linked with City and their Premier League rivals, Chelsea, this summer, has been called into question this summer, with new PSG sporting director Luis Campos willing to offload him in the current window. العاب ربح
However, in an interview with the UK Sun, Guardiola noted that he admires the Brazilian international but has no plan to sign him to his squad.
“I’m sorry but it’s not true. Their information is not right. كازينو 888
“Neymar is an incredible player and the info I have he’s an incredibly nice guy. But it’s not right.
Prince Uche Secondus, the immediate past national chairman of the main opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has praised the leadership qualities of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP.
Secondus also expressed optimism that Obi holds hope for the chances of Nigeria having a credible leader.
He stated this while congratulating the former Anambra Governor for attaining 61 years old yesterday (Tuesday).
Secondus, in a statement by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, stated that Obi exhibited “exemplary leadership” and “frugal attitude” during his eight years as governor of Anambra State, adding that he stood out as a “generational leader.”
He said, “Obi’s exemplary Leadership quality as exhibited in his eight-year tenure in Anambra state stood him out as a generational leader.
“Your frugal attitude to public funds is worthy of emulation, especially for a struggling country like ours.”
Secondus also stated that the strength of character and reputation Obi has brought into the nation’s polity has added enormous value to the nation’s political system.
The PDP former chairman described Obi as his friend, stating that he had brought a “unique and positive style” into the nation’s public life and wished him more blissful years ahead.
