|
||||||||||||
| Re: D’Tigress Captain, Sarah Ogoke, Gets First Job | ||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
| Re: D’Tigress Captain, Sarah Ogoke, Gets First Job As A Medical Doctor | ||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Previous thread:
Meet The Medical Professionals In Nigeria’s National Sports Teams https://www.nairaland.com/7798286/meet-medical-professionals-nigerias-national |
||||||||||||
Former and current captains of D’Tigress, Aisha Mohammed (now Aisha Balarabe) and Sarah Ogoke. |
D’Tigress Captain, Sarah Ogoke, Gets First Job As A Medical Doctor
Staff has the Right to resign voluntarily from Service- Industrial Court tells Nigerian Air Force
Hon. Justice Olufunke Anuwe of the National Industrial Court, Abuja judicial division has validated the resignation of a medical doctor, Dr. Elkanah John from service of the Nigerian Air Force effective from 22nd July 2019.
Justice Anuwe noted that Dr. Elkanah John has an unconstrained right to resign from his appointment with the Nigerian Air Force and no special approval is needed for the exercise of a person’s constitutional right to resign.
The Court set aside any subsequent action carried out by the Chief of Air Staff and the Nigerian Air Force against Dr. John concerning his resignation and perpetually restrained the Chief of Air Staff and the Nigerian Air Force from carrying out any action, which is an offshoot of resignation, against Dr. John.
From facts, the claimant- Dr. Elkanah John a medical practitioner had submitted that he was commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force vide a Direct Short Service Course on 4th July 2014. He added that he forwarded a letter of resignation to the defendants on 22nd July 2019, and contended that by his resignation notice, the Chief of Air Staff and the Nigerian Air Force cannot turn around to complain about his resignation or to declare that he is still in the service of the Air Force.
He argued that any law prohibiting him from enjoying his right of resignation is inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution and as such null and void to the extent of such inconsistency.
In defence, the defendants- the Chief of Air Staff and the Nigerian Air Force averred that Dr. John is presently considered a deserter and that while Dr. John’s application for voluntary retirement was being considered by the appropriate authorities, Dr. John exited the service of the Nigerian Air Force unofficially, contrary to laid down procedures as dictated by the Armed Forces Act, 2004.
The Nigerian Air Force argued that Dr. John ought to have obtained the final approval of the Chief of Air Staff of the Nigerian Air Force before exiting the service of the Nigerian Air Force and Dr. John did not exhaust the available remedies provided under the Armed Forces Act, 2004 if he felt aggrieved with the delay in approving his application for voluntary discharge by the Chief of Air Staff urged the court to strike the case for being incompetent.
Counsel argued that any attempt to voluntary discharge or retire from the Armed Forces ought to be in line with the Armed Forces Act and not under the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and further that the absence of obtaining a certificate of discharge implies that Dr. John’s resignation was not accepted and that makes the claimant a deserter.
In opposition, Dr. John’s Counsel, M. A. Danmama Esq counsel stated that his client is not subject to the service law of the defendants having voluntarily exited from the service in exercise of his constitutional right, as such, he is not expected to exhaust the administrative procedure laid down in the Armed Forces Act, urged the court to dismiss the objection and grant the reliefs sought.
In a well-considered Judgment, the Presiding Judge, Hon. Justice Olufunke Anuwe held that when the Constitution provides that the resignation takes effect when the letter of resignation is received by the relevant authority, it implies that the authority has no input to make to the resignation.
The Court reiterated that every person employed or appointed into an employment or contract of service, whether common law employment or statutory employment, has the right to resign from the employment.
Justice Anuwe held that Dr. John voluntarily joined the service of the Nigerian Air Force and he has the right to voluntarily resign from the service.
Justice Anuwe stressed that Military service is not slavery and as such the Chief of Air Staff and the Nigerian Air Force cannot force Dr. John to remain in the service when it was his desire to exit the service and he had accordingly given notice of his resignation.
The Court held that Dr. John, having resigned from service before instituting this suit, is no longer an officer in the service of the 2nd defendant and he is not under any obligation to comply with the provisions of section 178 of the Armed Forces Act before approaching the court.
Visit the judgment portal for full details www.nicnadr.gov.ng/judgement
We Are Financially Enlightened, Not Jumping At Any Loan — Alex Otti
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti has described his administration as financially enlightened, noting that it is not interested in jumping at any loan that comes its way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUsiS8NN7mI
The governor in an interaction with journalists in Umuahia said the state has been receiving offers for loan from commercial banks within but has not drawn on any of them.
He further revealed that the state has approval for loans from Islamic Development Bank to the tune of $125m.
Additionally, the governor said the African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved another loan for the state, stating that their documentation will be signed and later accessed by the state.
He denied allegation by opposition that the state has secured N145bn loan, saying there is no truth in such allegation.
He called on the “authors of this garbage” to apologize for deceiving Abians
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti has described his administration as financially enlightened, noting that it is not interested in jumping at any loan that comes its way.
The governor in an interaction with journalists in Umuahia said the state has been receiving offers for loan from commercial banks within but has not drawn on any of them.
He further revealed that the state has approval for loans from Islamic Development Bank to the tune of $125m.
Additionally, the governor said the African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved another loan for the state, stating that their documentation will be signed and later accessed by the state.
He denied allegation by opposition that the state has secured N145bn loan, saying there is no truth in such allegation.
Your message has been sent
FG Names 15 Terrorism Financiers, BDCs, Plans Sanctions
The Federal Government says it has uncovered the identity of 15 entities, including nine individuals and six Bureau De Change operators and firms, allegedly involved in terrorism financing.
Details of the development were revealed by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, in an email sent to our correspondent on Tuesday night, entitled “Designation of Individuals and Entities for March 18, 2024.”
The document revealed that the Nigeria Sanctions Committee met on March 18, 2024, where specific individuals and entities were recommended for sanction following their involvement in terrorism financing.
“The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation, with the approval of the President, has thereupon designated the following individuals and entities to be listed on the Nigeria Sanctions List,” the document read in part.
Among the individuals named in the document was a Kaduna-based publisher, Tukur Mamu, who is currently being tried by the Federal Government for allegedly aiding the terrorists who attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train in March 2022.
According to the document, Mamu “participated in the financing of terrorism by receiving and delivering ransome payments over the sum of $200,000 US in support of ISWAP terrorists for the release of hostages of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack.”
The document said one of the individuals is “the suspected attacker of the St. Francis Catholic Church Owo, Ondo State on June 5, 2022 and the Kuje Correctional Center, Abuja on July 5, 2022.”
Another was described as “a member of the terrorist group Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladissudam, the group is associated with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
“The subject was trained and served under Muktar Belmokhtar, aka One Eyed Out, led Al-Murabtoun Katibat of AQIM in Algeria and Mali.”
The NFIU said the individual “specialises in designing terrorist clandestine communication code and he is also Improvised Explosive Device expert.
“The subject was also a gate keeper to ANSARU leader, Mohammed Usman aka Khalid Al-Bamawi. Equally, he was a courier and travel guide to AQIM Katibat in the desert of Algeria and Mali. He is into carpentry. Subject fled Kuje correctional centre on July 5, 2022. He is currently at large.”
Another was identified as “a senior commander of the Islamic State of West Africa Province Okene.”
The agency said, the individual “came into limelight in 2012 as North Central wing of Boko Haram.
“The group is suspected of the attacks carried out around Federal Capital Territory and the South West Geographical Zone, including the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.”
Another was described as “a financial courier to ISWAP Okene. She is responsible for the disbursement of funds to the widows/wives of the terrorist fighters of the group.”
According to the document, another of the individuals “in 2015, transferred N60m to terrorism convicts.”
He was also said to have “received a sum of N189m between 2016 and 2018.”
The same person is said to “own entities and business reported in the UAE court judgment as facilitating the transfer of terrorist funds from Dubai to Nigeria.”
Another individual was said to have “received a total of N57m from between 2014 and 2017.”
Another was said to have “had a total inflow of N61.4 bn and a total outflow of N51.7bn from his accounts.”
The document further revealed that, in accordance with Section 54 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, institutions and individuals are required to:
“(a) immediately, identify and freeze, without prior notice, all funds, assets, and any other economic resources belonging to the designated persons and entities in your possession and report same to the Sanctions Committee;
“(b) report to the Sanctions Committee any assets frozen or actions taken in compliance with the prohibition requirements.
“(c) immediately file a Suspicious Transactions Report to the NFIU for further analysis on the financial activities of such an individual or entity; and
“(d) report as a Suspicious Transactions Report to the NFIU, all cases of name matching in financial transactions prior to or after receipt of this List. ”
It said the “The freezing obligation required above shall extend to
“(a) all funds or other assets that are owned or controlled by the designated persons and entities, and not only those that are tied to a particular act, plot, or threat of terrorism or terrorism financing;
“(b) those funds or other assets that are wholly or jointly owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by designated persons or entities;
“(c) the funds or other assets derived or generated from funds or other assets owned or controlled directly or indirectly by designated persons or entities; and
“(d) funds or other assets of persons and entities acting on behalf of, or at the direction of designated persons or entities.”
Naira Rises To N1,580/$ In Parallel Market
The Naira yesterday appreciated to N1,580 per dollar in the parallel market from N1,590 per dollar on Monday.
Similarly, the naira yesterday appreciated N1,560.57 per dollar in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM).
Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative exchange rate for NAFEM fell to N1,560.57 per dollar from N1,572.86 per dollar on Monday, indicating N12.29 appreciation for the naira. The market recorded an intraday high of N1,626.5 per dollar and an intraday low of N1,415 per dollar resulting in a N211.5 margin.
The volume of dollars traded (turnover) in the market fell by 38 percent to $195.13 million from $315.21 million traded on Monday. Consequently, the margin between the parallel market rate and NAFEM widened to N29.43 per dollar from N17.24 per dollar on Monday.
Tinubu’s Support Group Laments Neglect, Being ‘used And Dumped
Tinubu’s Support Group Laments Neglect, Being ‘Used And Dumped,’ Warns That Another Presidential Election Is Near
Farmers Movement for Jagaban 2023, a political support group that worked for the emergence of Bola Tinubu as the President of Nigeria has decried abandonment after the election victory.
The group accused the President of appointing members and supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party in positions to spite the supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
A statement on Tuesday by the group’s National Coordinator, Rilwan Ahmed stated that the “Support Groups, PCC (Presidential Campaign Council) Members and foot soldiers of Asiwaju are not useless as you all may think.”
Ahmed said that they had cooked and it would be a great sin to stop them from eating the food when it was ready.
He warned that another election is in three years and that they will remind everyone about President Tinubu’s failed reward system.
The statement partly read: “President Bola Tinubu and his groups of Generals who had direct interactions with supporters and foot soldiers prior to his emergence as the candidate of our party and later president of Nigeria have all abandoned their now used and dumped supporters.
“Didn’t they say power corrupt absolutely? No wonder power has made them forget their much talked about reward system.
“(Abiodun) Faleke, (Simon) Lalong who were at the helm of the affairs of the presidential campaign, who directly worked with those supporters, who today have been neglected after much assurance during the eve of election deserve every shame Nigerians are directing to those neglected supporters.
“It is now of concern and more disgraceful that the generals who were directly interacting with the president and his supporters have been shielding its members from getting their rewards from President Tinubu.
“Our bamboo has worked and it is worrisome and disappointing that none of our known soldiers have been appointed into ministries, departments, and agencies. Even though we heard the ministerial list was for the highest bidder, reason we have the worst cabinet since 1999.”
The group described the situation as the handiwork of President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima “by their ways of determining who to appoint or not to appoint”.
It said, “The buck stops at their table and nobody should be blamed except them.
“It is very unfortunate that Faleke and Lalong who oversaw the activities of Support Groups and Presidential Campaign Council members are shying from pressing the reward system buttons, or has the sudden power let go of those buttons promised?”
The group also accused President Tinubu and Shettima of rewarding undeserving individuals and politicians who have no value.
It also slammed the President for allegedly appointing only people from Lagos, Osun, and Rivers states that embraced opposition parties and never delivered victory for his emergence. It said, “The percentages are for everyone to see. What a Shame?
“It is also thought-provoking seeing the president appointing members of the PDP and Labour Party to spite APC supporters because of Wike who never believed in this struggle during the pre-primaries, or was it not after he lost primaries to Atiku and was dropped as his running mate that he joined the struggle?
“He even boasted that he single-handedly appointed minister of petroleum and two other ministers.”
“I think Wike will deliver Nigeria to him in 2027,” Ahmed said. “The same President went to Kaduna during a campaign to beg Mallam to work with him after the government was formed. He turned around to disgrace the same man that took a bullet for him during the election to the extent that northern leaders challenged his audacity and called him out but stuck to Asiwaju. What went wrong with our beloved Asiwaju
“Many may be surprised that 90 percent of those who worked for Tinubu’s success are children of nobody that also like to become somebody without knowing anybody. The slogan then was that Asiwaju rewards loyalty.
“We’ve seen sons and daughters of president’s friends being appointed into political offices they never worked for, or who would tell us where they were when we were all tussling under the sun and in the rain for Asiwaju’s victory.
“Support Groups, PCC Members, and foot soldiers of Asiwaju are not as useless as you all may think. We have cooked and it will be a great sin to stop us from eating from the food we have cooked.”
“Election is in two years and we will remind everyone about your failed reward system,” the statement partly read.
FG Eyes $3.6bn In Historic Talent Outsourcing Initiative With Lab Four
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, yesterday supervised the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the ministry and Lab Four for channeling of 50,000 full-time Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) jobs to the country.
The minister said jobs generated through partnership could attract about $1.2 billion annually into the Nigerian economy over the next three years, through remuneration to the employed persons as well as unlock about $60 million to develop the BPO ecosystem through direct support to the individual BPOs.
Essentially, the MoU would be executed by the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), which was launched on the sidelines of the 2023 edition of the United Nations General Assembly to connect Nigerians to employment opportunities outside the country through two channels – physical talent export and BPO.
Uzoka-Anite said through NATEP, Nigeria could honourably export its talents in a mutually beneficial and reputation preserving way, significantly reducing illegal migration.
NATEP is also positioning the country as an outsourcing destination of choice as it catalyses the growth and development of the micro, mini and mega BPO ecosystems and industries in the country.
Speaking at the ceremony, the minister said NATEP would ride on some strategic advantages of the Nigerian market that position the country as a service export and outsourcing destination of choice.
She identified some of these advantages to include strategic location and time zone, highly skilled workforce, cost-effective services, robust digital infrastructure, language and cultural compatibility, government support and stability and data privacy and security, among others.
She explained that by 2030, about 85 million jobs will remain unfilled globally due to skill shortages resulting in a loss of $8.5 trillion.
Uzoka-Anite said Nigeria, with a large, youthful and skillful population could take advantage of this in a way that can significantly benefit our economy.
While commending the partnership, the minister said the move was in line with President Bola Tinubu’s 8-point agenda on job creation, adding that it remained a crucial solution towards addressing the problem of insecurity in the country.
The minister, who also launched the NATEP Strategy document, said, “The federal Government’s message through the launch of National Talent Export Programme is clear; Nigeria is ready to become a global hub for talent exports and business process outsourcing. We have the vision and commitment and we seek the partnership and trust of Nigerians and the global community as we embark on this mutually beneficial journey.”
She noted that the services industry had been a top player in the economy, consistently providing over 50 per cent of GDP over the last 10 years, averaging 51.96 per cent between 2012 and 2022, adding that the government remained committed to strengthening the industry and using it as a catalyst for job creation.
According to her, the global talent-sourcing industry was valued at $620.381 billion in 2020 and is forecasted to reach $904.948 billion by 2027.
She said with a youthful population and about three million graduates from higher educational institutions joining the workforce each year, Nigeria has the potential to provide high-quality talent for the global service export and outsourcing industry.
She said, “As a country, we have a significant value proposition for regional and global markets for the export of services. We will actively target Greenfield and Brownfield job opportunities in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, among others.
“We will also take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement to access the African market.
The minister said as part of the strategy towards achieving the agenda for job creation, the ministry had initiated the NATEP for Nigeria, which targets to create one million jobs for Nigerians over five years, adding that the president had endorsed the programme and approved its launch on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 2023 in New York, United States of America.
However, National Coordinator, NATEP, Dr. Femi Adeluyi, said the MoU will explore opportunities in telesales, customer service, virtual administrative assistant, marketing/social media assistant and tech/cybersecurity.
He said NATEP has had extensive meetings with stakeholders as well as forged strategic partnerships with the Cybersecurity Institute at Lab Four.
Cybersecurity Institute at Lab Four is an accredited, non-traditional training provider based in Memphis, United States of America with over 15 years of experience helping people start and advance their careers in the Information Technology (IT) and Cybersecurity fields.
Their remote work platform is a marketplace focused on connecting skilled professionals in the world to remote work opportunities in the West.
He said, “They are democratising BPO for small and medium-sized Western employers who want to leverage these opportunities to grow, while simultaneously providing opportunities for economic growth and liquidity in developing countries.”
Representative of the United States Embassy in Abuja, Mr. John Dunham, described the initiative as a “game-changer for Nigeria”.
He said, “The most valuable resource that Nigeria has is the talents of its population. The most exciting part of that is the rapid growth of IT entrepreneurs and experts in this country particularly among young people.
“And I am proud to see the US play its role to encourage the growth of the sector. It would be a game-changer for Nigeria; it is a leader in Africa in IT development. It does provide a lot of hope and excitement for a prosperous future in Nigeria.”
Alaoji: Another Power Plant (1074MW) Getting Ready To Be Launched In Abia State
The Alaoji power plant with a capacity of 1074MW combined gas turbine is undergoing serious upgrades under PPP. Chrome group owned by Emeka Offor in addition to EEDC is in charge of the renovation and upgrades of the power plant.
Governor Alex Otti visited them and told them that he will do everything necessary to make sure that they complete the project.
Once complete the power plant will supply the remaining local governments in Abia state including Umuahia with 24/7 electricity. The rest will go to the south east and Nigeria.
According to Emeka offor, the upgrades of Alaoji power plant will take between 18 to 24 months to complete.
Lagos’ Fourth Mainland Bridge To Be Africa’s Second Longest Bridge
Fourth Mainland Bridge in Lagos, Nigeria, will become Africa’s second-longest bridge when it opens in 2027.
A new bridge planned to span almost 24 miles costing £2.3bn with eight lanes and three toll booths is set to be built in Africa.
Fourth Mainland Bridge in Lagos, Nigeria, will become the continent’s second-longest bridge when it opens in 2027, with authorities hoping it will ease congestion on the Third Mainland Bridge which was built in 1990.
It will be built by the CCECC-CRCCIG consortium, led by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, with each carriageway made up of four lanes taking traffic from Lagos Island across the Lagos Lagoon to Ikorodu.
The Chinese group beat out six other bidders to get the contract for the project. Government officials had hoped to have the bridge up and running by 2019, but the project saw a number of delays and work is still yet to begin.
When construction finally does begin, it is thought some 800 homes will need to be demolished to make way for the bridge, a significantly lower amount than the 4,000 originally proposed by the Nigerian government.
Construction companies are planning to align the bridge with eight existing roads including the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Igbogbo-Lagos road.
Once it is complete, drivers will be able to nip across it at high speed with a speed limit of 75mph in place.
Abia State Assembly Passes Bill To Stop Pension For Ex-Governors, Deputies
Former governors and deputies from Abia state will no longer enjoy pension benefits after their tenures have expired.
On Tuesday, the Abia House of Assembly passed a bill to stop the payment of pensions to former governors and their deputies in the state.
The bill is entitled: “A Bill (H.A.B 11
for a Law to Revoke The Abia State Governors and Deputy Governors Pensions Law No 4 of 2001 and for other Matters connected in addition to that.”
It was sponsored by Hon. Uchanna Okoro, the Majority Leader and member Representing Arochukwu State Constituency.
The Speaker, Mr Emmanuel Emeruwa, announced the bill’s passage after its first and second readings, consideration at the committee of the whole, and third reading during the day’s plenary.

Emeruwa, while congratulating members, said that the bill would reduce the state’s governance expenses and redirect resources towards development.
He said that once the governor assented to the bill, it would be known as “Abia State Governors and Deputy Governor’s (Repeal) Law 2024.”
The Speaker said the bill would take effect immediately, Tuesday, March 19, 2024.