by Admin | Jul 12, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI Ibadan–IN response to various calls made by concerned Nigerians on lecturers of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology to resume duties, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of the institution has insisted that its members would not return to work unless its demands from the owner states of Oyo and Osun are met. This was disclosed by the Chairman ASUU, LAUTECH, Dr Abiodun Olaniran while speaking in Ibadan yesterday. He stressed that solution to the issue had transcended newspaper appeals but that the owner state governors should tackle what he described as chronic under-funding of the university. He said; “Issue of ultimate survival of the institution as a proper university in the comity of other universities elsewhere” was never negotiable. “While ASUU is eager to put this ugly situation in LAUTECH behind us, we are interested in a honest and holistic address of the issues that forced us to proceed on the current strike”, he added. “It is gratifying that even the visitation panel set up by the owner states clearly called attention to this problem.“ Apparently making reference to the call by Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, the academic Union maintained that, “For the governor to be calling on the striking staff who have been reduced to paupers due to months of unpaid salaries is the peak of insensitivity to the plight of the workers”, he complained. The institution has almost lost a session as a result of the strike and yet there appears no solution in sight. Assembly probes LAUTECH Hospital contract Meantime, the Oyo State House of Assembly yesterday, inaugurated a special committee...
by Admin | Jul 11, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI ABUJA—In its determination to ensure improved electricity supply, the Federal Government has commenced disbursement of the N701.9 billion intervention funds to power Generation Companies, GENCOs. The N701 billion was approved for Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading, NBET, under the Power Purchase Guarantee Funds to enable it pay for power purchased. Disclosing this, yesterday, at the 17th Power Sector Stakeholders’ monthly meeting at Apo Injection Substation in Abuja, Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, announced that the payment was part of various measures being taken to address liquidity crisis in the power sector. Meanwhile, the Federal Government has commissioned the Kukuaba 2x60MVA/132/33Kva transmission sub-station in Abuja in order to boost electricity supply to Lugbe area of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. Electricity Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power, Mr. Louis Edozien, Fashola explained that the payments for the month of January had been completed, while that of February had almost been completed. Speaking on the newly commissioned Kukuaba transmission sub-station, the minister said the sub-station was further evidence of Transmission Company of Nigeria’s commitment to keep transmission wheeling capacity ahead of all generation capability on the grid and also ahead of distribution requirements of the companies. In his welcome address, Managing Director of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, Ernest Mupwaya, promised that the company would roll out 120,000 meters this year under its mass metering project. Mupwaya explained that since the flagged off of its mass metering of Small Power Users, SPUs, in December 2016, close to 90,000 had been metered so far, adding that currently, additional 30,000 meters were being installed...
by Admin | Jul 11, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI An American, Marco Ramirez, who allegedly defrauded three Nigerians of 565,000 dollars in an American Green Card scam, was granted bail on Monday. Ramirez was granted bail in the sum of $250,000 by an Ikeja High Court. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ramirez was earlier remanded in Kirikiri Prisons, after his arraignment on June 22 over the alleged scam. Justice Josephine Oyefeso, while granting the bail said: “the defendant is hereby granted $250,000 bail or its naira equivalent with two sureties in like sum. “The current exchange rate should be put into consideration. “One of the sureties should be resident in Lagos, be a director of a reputable company and have landed property in Lagos State. “The sureties must show evidence of source of livelihood and swear to an affidavit to show same. “A copy of the ruling should be sent to all immigration agencies both land and air. “The defendant must report to the Lagos or Abuja offices of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) once a week.” NAN recalls that the EFCC had slammed a 16-count charge, bordering on obtaining 565,000 dollars under false presences from three Nigerians to get them American green card. Mr. Ramirez, the Managing Director of three companies – USA Now Plc., Eagleford Instalodge Group and USA Now Capital Group – committed the offences between February 2013 and August 2013, according to the EFCC. The American was alleged to have fraudulently received 545,000 dollars from one Godson Echejue to invest in Mr. Ramirez’s company. The plan was to procure an American green card (permanent residence card) for...
by Admin | Jul 11, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI The Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday granted the former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Umar Dikko, permission to travel abroad for medical checkup. Dikko, who was head of the Nigeria Air Force from September 9, 2010 to October 4, 2012, is facing a seven-count charge of money laundering before the court. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that he used looted funds to purchase six choice properties in Abuja, Kano and Kaduna. At the resumed hearing of the case, the defendant, through his counsel, Ibrahim Bawa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, begged the court to allow the defendant to travel abroad for medical checkup. In his ruling, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba said he was disposed to granting the motion since it was not opposed by the...
by Admin | Jul 11, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI An investigator yesterday told an Ikeja High Court in Lagos how a former Nigerian Maritime Adminstration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director General and five other officials stole N754 million belonging to the agency. Mr Chukwudi Orji of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) spoke during his testimony in the ongoing trial of ex-NIMASA Director General Patrick Akpobolokemi and six others on a 13-count charge of stealing and fraud. Akpobolokemi’s co-defendants are: Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Governor Juan, Vincent Udoye, Adegboyega Olopoenia and a company — Gama Marine Nigeria Ltd. Orji told the court: “Vimsat Committee, a committee of NIMASA, opened an account in a bank, which had only two inflows. “On Aug. 29, 2015, N498.4 million was paid into that account by NIMASA and on May 20, 2015, N318 million was also paid into that account by NIMASA. “This gave the account a total inflow of N816.2 million. On Sep. 29, 2015, there was a transfer of N11 million into the account of one Lakewood Garden Ventures Ltd from the Vimsat Committee account. “The money was never used for research work as it was mandated to be. This money was part of the sharing formula of the defendants.” Orji, explaining the role of Vincent Udoye, one of the defendants in the alleged scam, said:”On March 6, 2015 N7.8 million was transferred from Vimsat account into the another account with Diamond Bank account with number -0020802815 of the fifth defendant (Udoye). “On June 4, 2015 he transferred N5 million from that account into another Diamond Bank account with number 006567038 which was also operated by him. “The...
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