Ahead of the February elections, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi on Monday declared a two-day public holiday from Thursday to Friday to enable all civil and public servants, including schools, to collect their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, in the state.

The governor stated this in a statement issued in Abakaliki by the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Mr Uchenna Orji.

According to him, the move was in consideration of the deadline issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for eligible voters to collect their PVCs.

“This is to enable the good people of Ebonyi, who are yet to collect their PVCs to proceed to their respective Local Government PVC Collection Centres to collect theirs, bearing in mind that the last day of collection is on Sunday, Jan. 29,” Umahi said.
https://www.otowngist.com/?p=161038

Following the arrival of three Ship-to-Shore cranes and 10 Rubber-Tyred Gantries, critical to the beginning of operations of the Lekki Deep Seaport June last year, the first commercial vessel berthed at the port yesterday. This came ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari’s inauguration of the $1.5 billion Lekki Deep Sea Port.

Breaking the news on its official Twitter handle, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), yesterday, said the arrival of the vessel owned and operated by French shipping firm, CMA/CGM, represented a major step toward birthing Nigeria’s first deep seaport.

NPA stated, “Ahead of President’s commissioning of @LekkiPort for commercial operations tomorrow (Monday), one of the largest container vessels, the CMA-CGM, has berthed at the port. Once more, @NigerianPorts has proven that it is prepared to offer marine services for seamless port operations.”

Buhari is billed to inaugurate the Lekki Deep Seaport for commercial operations in Lagos State today.

The Lekki Deep Seaport is a state-of-the-art facility that is the largest seaport and one of the biggest in West Africa that would revolutionise the way goods are transported and traded in Nigeria.

Speaking to newsmen recently, the promoters disclosed that the Lekki Port would not only improve efficiency and connectivity, but would also serve as a major driver for economic growth in the region.

An official of the company said, “The port’s main breakwater is 1.5 km long with a turning circle of 600 meters, enough for a vessel up to 16,000 standard containers (teu) and an approach channel of 11 km long. The port has three terminals: the container terminal, the liquid terminal and the dry bulk terminal. The container terminal has an initial draft of 14 metres, with the potential for further dredging to 16.5 metres.

The terminal is able to handle 2.5 million twenty-foot standard containers per year.

“The deep-sea port of Lekki is the first port in Nigeria with ship-to-shore cranes. It has three of these container gantry cranes; they belong to the ‘Super-post-Panamax’ group – this means that they can reach and unload the rearmost row of containers even if the container ship is wider than the Panama Canal (49 m or 160ft maximum boat beam).”

He added, “The STS cranes have a fixed rail at the quayside. They can lift 65 tons in twin-lift mode, 50 tons in single-lift mode or 85 tons under a hook. The port’s computerised system will allow container identification and clearance from the office, and human interaction will be minimal in the physical operations. When the phase 2 is completed, the deep sea port will have 3 liquid berths.

“The liquid cargo terminal will handle vessels up to 45,000 DWT (dead weight tonnage) and can expand to reach a capacity of 160,000 DWT. Liquids (like petrol or diesel) will be handled at a tank farm near the port. The docking area is equipped with loading arms. It is also connected by pipelines along the breakwater.”

Speaking ahead of the commencement of operation, Managing Director of the company, Du Ruogang, assured that after the official commissioning by Buhari, the port would be fully set for the start of commercial operations.
https://www.otowngist.com/2023/01/ahead-of-buharis-inauguration-first-commercial-vessel-berths-at-1-5bn-lekki-deep-sea-port/

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has said Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lacks the character to be the country’s president.

Bayo Onanuga, Director, Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

The statement was the council’s reaction to the latest call by the PDP on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the EFCC to investigate Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate, over drug trafficking.

The PDP had also alleged that Mr Tinubu, a former two-term Lagos State governor, was involved in illegal drug-related business as recently as 2015.

“It is obvious that the PDP and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, are yet to recover from the bombshell the APC PCC released last week,” Mr Onanuga said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the APC PCC, at a recent news conference, questioned the morality of Atiku to remain in the presidential race, following his alleged damaging self-confession in a leaked audio clip.

The APC at the news conference, called on security agencies to arrest, investigate and prosecute Atiku, a former vice president, for running Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) used to divert public funds.

“Since the scandal broke out, along with legal action to compel anti-graft agencies to perform their role, Atiku and his party, PDP, have laboured in vain to deflect and cover-up with their series of ad hominem arguments.

“Instead of Atiku to apologise to Nigerians for abusing his office and position of trust as vice president in the past, his spokesmen continue to dig deeper in the hole they already found themselves,” Mr Onanuga said.

He said Atiku and his party were doing this by raising many false allegations against Mr Tinubu.

He added that the latest chapter in Atiku and PDP’s comedy was the rehash of old tales and fables that had no basis in facts and reality against Mr Tinubu.

“Our stand remains that Atiku Abubakar lacks the character to be the president of Nigeria.
https://www.otowngist.com/2023/01/atiku-lacks-character-to-be-nigerias-president-says-apc-campaign-council/

Kano State government has recorded four new cases of Lassa fever across the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa disclosed this while briefing newsmen in the state.

He said the 26- year- old index case of Lassa fever (names withheld) was admitted on January 10, 2023 at the Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital.

He said three other cases were uncovered from 10 samples obtained from the high-risk contacts of the index case, while three persons tested positive.

“The four confirmed cases are presently at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Isolation Centre,” he said.

According to him, the last confirmed case of Lassa fever in Kano was in January 2020 with three persons dead and 292 cases on the watch list.
https://www.otowngist.com/2023/01/lassa-fever-kano-records-4-new-cases/

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday in Abuja dismissed reports on the withdrawal of Gov. Yahaya Bello from the campaign team.

This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Felix Morka, the APC National Publicity Secretary in Abuja.

“The story that Gov. Bello, a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has tactically withdrawn support for our presidential candidate Bola Tinubu, is maliciously false and a figment of the imagination of its author and sponsors.

“Gov. Bello who serves as the National Youth Co-ordinator of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, is a solid, resourceful and committed campaigner for our party’s candidate.

“He is leading a massively successful outreach to youth voters across the country,” the APC spokesman said.

He said the report ostensibly intended to float an imagined rift between Bello and James Faleke, Secretary APC PCC was the desperate and disgraceful conjecture of opposition elements unsettled by APC giant campaign strides.

Morka assured that both loyal party men were unquestionably committed and working tirelessly for the resounding victory of Tinubu in the coming Feb. 25 presidential election.

He urged the party’s compatriots and Nigerians generally to disregard the fake news.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Kogi Commissioner for Information and the Director of Media and Publicity, Kogi APC Campaign Council, Kingsley Fanwo, tagged the report as one done in bad faith.

”The story was spurious, malicious and a badly delivered hatchet job,” he said.

Fanwo, however, assured the public that Bello’s commitment to the campaign was not in doubt among committed stakeholders of the APC at all levels.

“GYB is constantly on the drawing board, galvanising Kogites and youths across Nigeria to massively support the man he calls the President-in-Waiting, Sen. Tinubu.

“This will not go down well with open and veiled detractors of our presidential candidate, who would go to any length to paint a picture of crisis where there is absolutely none.

“Aside from winning and sustaining the support of the majority of Nigerian youths for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Gov. Bello has effectively mobilised the people of Kogi to deliver not less than 95 per cent of Kogi votes to the presidential candidate of our party.

”It is therefore not a surprise that those who want to share in the glory of the impending landslide victory without contributing to the efforts are hiding behind “the evils of journalistic anonymity’ to cause disaffection,” he noted.
https://www.otowngist.com/2023/01/apc-dismisses-report-on-bellos-withdrawal-from-campaign-team/

Socio- Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued President Muhammadu Buhari and three others at the Federal High Court, Lagos over failure to “reverse the unlawful, unjust and unreasonable increase in electricity tariff and to probe the spending of public funds as ‘investments and bailouts’ to DisCos (Distribution Companies) and GenCos (Generation Companies) since 2005.”

Joined in the suit as respondents are Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET).

Following reported approval by the NERC, electricity tariffs were increased across DisCos last month. Several prepaid customers have supposedly confirmed the increase.

The Minister of Power and NERC have, however, refused to confirm the increment.

In the case numbered FHC/L/CS/99/2023 and filed at the weekend by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Adelanke Aremo, SERAP is asking the court to compel Buhari to direct NERC to reverse the hike.

The rights group is also asking the court to compel Buhari to order Malami and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly investigate the spending of public funds as investments and bailouts to DisCos and GenCos since 2005.

In the suit, plaintiff is arguing that regular and uninterrupted access to electricity is a fundamental human right, stating: “Electricity is an essential public service but millions of Nigerians continue to pay the price for corruption in the electricity sector – staying in darkness.”

The applicant is insisting that the hike did not follow due process of law.

SERAP continued: “It is entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended), Electric Power Sector Reform Act and country’s international human rights obligations.

“The increase is unjustified, especially given the unreliable, inefficient and poor quality of electricity in the country. Millions of Nigerians continue to live in darkness despite the spending by governments of trillions of naira as investments and bailouts to electricity companies.

“The government has legal obligations to effectively and progressively provide affordable, regular and uninterrupted access to electricity as a matter of human rights.

According to the body, the Federal Government has a legal responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability in how the investments and bailouts to electricity companies are spent to reduce vulnerability to corruption and mismanagement.

The lawsuit reads in part: “The increase in electricity tariff would exacerbate the extreme poverty across the country and undermine the ability of millions of Nigerians to satisfy basic human needs.

“The consequences of corruption in the electricity sector are felt by citizens on a daily basis. Corruption exposes them to pay additional costs and crazy electricity bills. Electricity supply remains inadequate and irregular.”

No date has been fixed for hearing of the matter
https://www.otowngist.com/2023/01/serap-others-sues-buhari-over-electricity-tariff-hike/

The Federal Government has released half of November 2022 check-off dues deducted from the salaries of all lecturers of federal universities in the country to the Academic Staff Union of Universities,

The PUNCH had exclusively reported how the Ministry of Labour and Employment withheld the check-off dues of the union.

The ministry’s spokesman, Olajide Oshundun, in an interview with The PUNCH said the decision of the government was based on the failure of ASUU to submit its audit reports.

The PUNCH reports that check-off dues are the money deducted from an employee’s pay for membership in a union or an organisation that represents workers in a particular industry.

The chairperson of ASUU, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof Gbolahan Bolarin, told one of our correspondents on Sunday that the government remitted half of the money deducted from the salaries of members after the report by The PUNCH.

He said, “After the report by The PUNCH, the union received an alert intimating us of the receipt of the check-off dues. However, what we noticed was that we did not receive full payment. Instead, we received less than what was due.

“The funny aspect is that the government made full deductions from the salaries of our members. Our question now to them is where is the balance of the check-off dues?

“You can’t make full deductions and then remit half of what you deducted into the account of the union. The government needs to let us know what they plan to do with the money still with them.”

Efforts to get the comments of the spokesperson of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Oshundun, proved abortive as calls and messages sent to his line remained unanswered as of the time of filing this report.

ASUU warns

Meanwhile, branches of ASUU have concluded congresses organised over the recent happenings between the union and the Federal Government.

Some of the recent happenings include the decision of the government to pay the withheld salaries of lecturers under the aegis of the Congress of Nigerian Universities Academics and threats to deregister ASUU as a trade union.

The PUNCH gathered that branches commenced their branch meetings on January 18, 2022.

Though most of the branches are yet to make public the decision taken at the meetings, Bolarin noted that his branch resolved that the government must return to the negotiation table to forestall fresh strike in the university system.

Bolarin told The PUNCH on Sunday that while ASUU called off its strike on October 14, 2022, in obedience to an Appeal Court ruling in favour of the Federal Government, none of the issues that led to the strike has been addressed by the government.

While faulting the government’s decision to withhold the salaries of lecturers during the period of the strike, the university teacher identified teaching, research and community service as the three legs on which a lecturer’s role in the university stands.

Bolarin said, “The public must be aware that the storm is not over. The ASUU suspended the strike on October 14, 2022, in accordance with the Appeal Court’s ruling. Our members have since gone back to work as law-abiding citizens, despite the financial hardship and mental stress occasioned by the withheld salaries.

“The issues that prompted the strike were the conclusion of the 2009 agreement renegotiation, funding for revitalisation of public universities, payment of the Earned Academic Allowance, the release of the visitation panel report, testing and adoption of University Transparency and Accountability Solution, and university proliferation.

“These issues have not been resolved, no agreement has been reached, and no meaningful effort has been made by the government to address them.”

CONUA begs FG

Meanwhile, the leadership of CONUA has appealed to the Federal Government to be magnanimous and pay all university lecturers their eight months withheld salaries.

Though the Federal Government had commenced the process of paying members of CONUA the withheld salaries since they refused to join the strike, the president of the newly-registered union, Dr Niyi Sunmonu, however, appealed that all lecturers should be paid.

Sunmonu spoke on Saturday during CONUA’s maiden National Executive Council meeting held at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, where he was ratified as the pioneer national president.

Maintaining that CONUA did not declare a strike, Sunmonu said, “The only thing we can do at this stage is to appeal to the Federal Government to be magnanimous to pay everybody. But along the line of principle, CONUA did not declare a strike and the no-work-no-pay policy will be unjust to be applied on it.”
https://www.otowngist.com/2023/01/asuu-protects-as-fg-pays-incomplete-check-off-dues/