Immediate past Executive Secretary of Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) and Minister of state, Environment, Bar. Sharon Ikeazor has warned pensioners against falling prey to fraudsters.

Ikeazor gave the warning on Wednesday during the commissioning of the liaison office in Awka, Anambra State.

She urged them to avoid dealing with unauthorized persons in the name of facilitating the resolution of their complaints and payment of their entitlements.

“Always contact us at our offices or through our various channels to reach us for your issues. We’ve dedicated telephone lines you to contact us,” she said.

According to the Minister, the idea of a state liaison office was to bring the world class pension services to the doorsteps of pensioners.

“We also want to discourage and stop our senior citizens from traveling long distances to get their complaints or other issues resolved,” she added.

Appreciating the governor of the state, Willie Obiano for allocating space for the organization, Ikeazor urged the retirees to take advantage of the facilities to better their lots.

Earlier, the Executive secretary of PTAD, Dr. Chioma Ejikeme applauded the numerous legacies of her predecessor, pledging to build on her achievements.

She said, “Before, pensioners come with mats to collect their entitlements as they have to sleep waiting to be attended to.

“There was no dignity, rather it was frustrating and humiliating for the retirees.

“But the story is no longer the same today, especially when Bar. Ikeazor held sway. Pensioners cases were dispatched with speed.”

The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has cleared five more aspirants to contest the party governorship primary scheduled for Thursday, August 29 in Lokoja.

This brings to nine the number of aspirants out of the 16 that purchased nomination forms to contest the election.

The NWC also approved the disqualification of seven others.

It further upheld the disqualification of the immediate past Resident Electoral Commissioner for Cross River state, Frankland Briyal saying it could find evidence of his membership of the party, having joined less than one month to the primary in Bayelsa.

Among those whose disqualification has been approved are Babatunde Irekura and the two sons of late Prince Abubakar Audi, Mustapha and Mohammed Abubakar Audu.

The screening committee headed by Senator Hope Uzodinma had disqualified 12 of the 16 aspirants for the primary for not meeting some of the requirement spelt out in the guidelines.

Those who will contest the party ticket are current Governor Yahaya Bello, Hadiza Iyoma Ibrahim,  Yahaya Odidi Audu,  Sani Lulu Abdullahi, Engr. Abubakar Bashir, Engr. Danlami Umar Mohammed, Yakubu Mohammed, Hassan Abdullahi and Ekele Aishat Blessing.

The party however refused to give their approval to Prof. Mohammed Seidu Onaili, Usman Oyibe Jibrin. Mustapha Mona Audu  Rukkaya Ibrahim, Gen. Patrick Adenu Akpa, Babatunde Ayo Kunle Irukera and Muhammed Abubakar Unukwu Audu.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said in a statement that the party relied on the provisions of its guidelines and the electoral act in arriving at a final decision.

The statement reads: “the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has deliberated on the reports of the screening and appeal committees for the Party’s Kogi Governorship aspirants.

“After a comprehensive review of the submissions by the two committees, relying on the party’s guidelines and the provisions of the Electoral Act, nine aspirants were finally cleared to contest the August 29, 2019 Indirect Governorship primary. Seven other aspirants did not meet the requirements for participation in the exercise.”

On Bayelsa, he said the NWC upheld the reports of the screening and appeal committees clearing six of the seven aspirants that bought nomination forms.

A FORMER Abia State governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, on Tuesday said he did not steal N7.2 billion while in office between 1999 and 2007.

He said during his tenure, the state had no such fund.

Kalu spoke while continuing his testimony before Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court in Lagos to prove his innocence of the allegation levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Responding to a question from his lawyer, Prof. Awa Kalu (SAN), during a cross-examination, the former governor said there was no way he could have stolen what did not exist.

“Abia State didn’t have such amount. Even on the day I was leaving, we borrowed money to pay salaries. Abia State didn’t have even a billion naira in any account at the time I was governor,” he said.

To back up his claim, Kalu, who is currently the Senate Chief Whip, emphasised the difficulties he encountered in running the state with Federal Government allocations.

He said: “The monthly allocation for Abia State when I took over in June 1999 was N168 million. It was averaging between N168 million and N172 million monthly. The first month that I came in, there was even no money to buy diesel. I spent my own money to run the state for six months.

“In the Year 2000, the monthly allocation was between N170 million and N189 million. In 2001, it came from about N302 million to about N380 million. I can recollect in 2002 that it was almost the same, and in 2003, when the revenue allocation was changed, we were having about N400 million.

“The highest money I got as governor was in 2004 when we had about N1 billion. From that time up till May 2007, before I left, what we had was N1.6 billion.

“Throughout my stay in office, I never owed salary and pension. When I took over as governor and before I left, we moved it up to N500 million. It was from this we were able to do a lot of things.”

In his evidence, Kalu had told the court that he was a successful businessman before venturing into politics.

Speaking on his line of businesses before he began his political journey, he said: “I was running a group of companies under Slok Nigeria Limited. I have a big furniture factory in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. I was also trading in cows. The cows were coming from Chad to Umuahia, the Abia State capital. I also had a vegetable oil factory in Aba supplying to people in Kano and Maiduguri.

“I was also into shipping activities with major oil companies. We also have a very big corn farm in the East and Bauchi.

“We were a major shareholder before another shareholder bought off First Bank. In 1994, the then Hallmark Bank had a problem and I later bought the majority stake in the bank. We also had major interests in banks in DR Congo, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia and the then Sudan before crisis set in.”

The former governor also said he dealt in buying and selling of property.

Kalu added that he made his statements to the EFCC under bad treatment from some police officers.

“When I learnt they were looking for me, I called Ibrahim Lamorde (the then EFCC Chairman) that I was in the United States and that I would show up upon my return to the country.

“But when I returned to Nigeria, they were waiting for me at the airport and they whisked me away to their office. After I was beaten up thoroughly by police officers, I asked them what was my offence and they told me I had been insulting (then) President (Olusegun) Obasanjo. Mallam Nuhu Ribadu (pioneer EFCC Chairman) and Ibrahim Lamorde later came to apologise to me.”  Further hearing in the matter continues tomorrow.

There was pandemonium in Abakaliki on Wednesday as traders at the Abakpa main market clashed with revenue officials over Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) which allegedly led to the death of one person.

Incensed by the death, the traders rioted and were on the verge of vandalising shops of some the market leaders allegedly working with the government when Police intervened to disperse them.

A source at the market narrated that trouble started when the Special Adviser to Governor David Umahi on IGR, Martin’s Okwuegbu and the Commissioner for Internal Security and Border Peace, Stanley Emegha led some youths to collect the IGR from some traders in the market.

The youths it was gathered, were members of Ekubaraoha Youth Assembly (EYA).

The source alleged that the ‘revenue collectors’ were using the IGR collection as cover to close down the shops of some traders who took the state government to court over the leadership dispute in the market.

According to him, the traders had gone to court to challenge the removal of the market leadership before the expiration of their tenure and imposition of a new interim leadership on them by the state government.

“They came to the market and were taken to the shops of the traders that took them to court and they started closing their shops accusing them of not paying IGR”.

“One of the sons of one of the traders entered into altercation with them and in the process a fight broke out”.

“As they were beating him he fell on the ground forcefully and hit his head on the ground and lost consciousness”.

It was gathered that the traders immediately mobilized and attacked the IGR team and beat some of them up while others escaped.

Not done, the traders began rioting. They went to the shop of one of the leaders believed to be working with the government and attempted to vandalise it when Police arrived and chased them away.

The Police tear gassed many of them to disperse them and arrested many others.

Our Reporter on a visit to the market saw Police men brutally assaulting passersby and whisking them into their car in a brutal manner.

Police spokesman, Loveth Odah denied that anyone was killed in the incident.

She confirmed that one person sustained injury on the head and was rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki for treatment.

Mr. Mark Onu, Leader of Ekubaraoha Youth Assembly and Umahi’s Special Assistant on Youth Mobilisation denied involvement in the incident.

“I am not aware of that, I wasn’t there. You can go and ask the SA on Markets what happened,” he said

He also said that no government official has the right to deploy his members for any purpose without informing him.

The Commissioner for Internal Security, Stanley Emegha denied that anyone was killed.

He noted that he, in company of the Special Assistant on IGR, Martin’s Okwuegbu, went to the market to seal some shops.

According to him, five shops were sealed for various reasons ranging from refusal to pay IGR to the shops being used for criminal activities in the market.

Okwuegbu on his part said about seven shops were sealed for not paying their taxes.

He denied knowledge of any fracas or death adding that the exercise was peaceful.

“We sealed the shops and left peacefully. I am just hearing from you that someone died. Nothing like that happened while we were there”, he said.

Mr. Okwuegbu denied that the exercise was used to victimise some traders opposed to the government action on the market leadership.

“We served them notice to pay three times before going to seal their shops. If anyone says he or she has paid let them come and present their records and we will immediately open the shops”, he said.

Special Adviser to Ebonyi Governor on Market Development, Karian Emeka Ofoke also denied the incident.

He said that the former Chairman of the Market was removed for embezzlement of government revenue he collected from the traders.

“We as government went there to enforce the evaders of tax and levies. We locked up their shops and left, later we heard there were trouble whereby we sent security agents to ensure there is no breakdown of law and order in the market and that’s all I know. I don’t even envisage that somebody died. I was there in the morning and I left without resistance”

“There is no leadership crisis in the market because the said Chairman was suspended for financial misappropriation; where somebody embezzled money you don’t have to protect him especially this period we are fighting corruption. So, there is nothing like leadership crisis in the Market,” he said.

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the results of 2019 June/July examinations with 829,787 candidates, representing 71.59 per cent, making five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.

Its Acting Registrar/Chief Executive, Abubakar Mohammed Gana, added that the number of candidates, who made five credits and above, irrespective of English Language and Mathematics, is 1,041,986 – representing 89.90 per cent.

Gana, who announced the release at the NECO Headquarters in Minna, adjudged the 2019 June/July SSCE as a huge success, stating that NECO has “once again delivered on its mandate”.

He recommended three schools in Kastina, Kebbi and Oyo states for de-recognition from conducting its Senior Secondary School Examinations (SSCE) for two years.

According to him, the schools were de-recognised for their involvements in mass cheating and being special centres.

Gana said 17 supervisors were also blacklisted for various offences ranging from poor supervision, aiding and abetting and connivance with non-candidates to write answers on the chalkboard.

He added that 40,630, representing 3.53 per cent of the candidates who sat for the examination, were involved in various forms of malpractice. The number of malpractice cases when compared to 2019 increased with over 50 per cent, the Acting Registrar said.

He explained that the reason for the higher figure of malpractice cases in 2019 was not unconnected with the deployment of the new biometric verification device used in the 2019 SSCE, “more robust monitoring by staff and external monitors also contributed to more sensitivity in detecting malpractices”.

Gana said some members of NECO staff alleged to have been involved in malpractice cases have been recommended to face the appropriate disciplinary measures, stressing that once they fail to satisfactorily defend themselves, they would be dismissed or punished appropriately.

Giving an analysis of the performance of the candidates, the acting registrar said 1,151,016 candidates, including 146 blind candidates, sat for the 2019 June/July SSCE examination.

He said 984,152, representing 85.50 per cent of the candidates, made credit and above in English Language while 954,399, representing 83.03 per cent of candidates, made credit and above in mathematics.

The registrar also debunked an online publication which urged candidates to log on to a different website to assess their results even when the results were not yet released by purchasing scratch cards.

Gana emphasised: “NECO has abolished the use of card in all its operations as everything is now 100 per cent online.

“The approved website of NECO remains www.neco. gov.ng and has not changed. We advise parents, schools and candidates to disregard that publication and to visit only the approved site to check their results as well as to get information on our operations.”

THE Presidency came hard on Tuesday on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the February 23 presidential election Atiku Abubakar over the latter’s allegation that President Muhammadu Buhari plans to frame former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

It said the former vice president got it wrong by assuming that the one-time president could be framed by any other person more that he (Atiku) had done.

Atiku had on Monday declared that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was bent on framing Obasanjo to stop his criticism of the  Buhari’s administration.

In a statement by his media office, Atiku also alleged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was feeding the media with falsehood to cause disaffection between him and Obasanjo on one hand, and between Obasanjo and Nigerians in general.

But a Presidency source told The Nation in confidence that Atiku had so much framed Obasanjo that nobody could beat his record.

The source said: “When Mr. Atiku Abubakar reflects on some of the things he said of President Obasanjo, he will realise that having framed the former President so well in the past, Obasanjo cannot anymore be framed by anyone, no matter how he tries.

“On the unresolved issue of the mismanagement of the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) under their government, Mr Atiku’s revelation before the Senate was that Obasanjo took N10 billion to kick-start his third term campaign.

“This is how the press captured it: ‘Abuja — The ill-fated third term agenda re-echoed yesterday in Abuja at the public sitting of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) when Vice President Atiku Abubakar alleged that President Olusegun Obasanjo approved the immediate release of N10 billion in the thick of the battle to push the agenda in the National Assembly.’”

Another source recalled what Atiku said about Obasanjo on the $16 billion spending on electricity, which he noted nothing to show.

The second source quoted Atiku as saying: “The issue of electricity is a thing that I feel very emotional about it, because I believe if we had handled the issue of electricity when we were in office by 2005 we would have provided enough electricity for the people of this country; but unfortunately we did not follow that route.

All products from The La Casera Company (TLCC) conform to the highest quality standards, having not only been produced in line with the globally accepted code of good manufacturing practice (GMP) but also been continuously certified by the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON). The Managing Director of TLCC, Mr Chinedum Okereke, said this in a statement released to the media.

Managing Director, The La Casera Company (TLCC), Mr Chinedum Okereke

According to Okereke, “the meticulous work including rigorous quality assurance that precedes the final production of all our products, has a singular objective: to ensure that our consumers enjoy products that are healthy, wholesome and refreshing.”

Referring to TLCC production facilities located at Mile 2, Okereke stated that every one of the automated production lines continues to work to exceed target standards in areas such as quality, human safety and environmental preservation. “On an incremental basis we continue to automate our processes,” said Okereke. “Indeed, with a multi-billion naira investment in improving our manufacturing processes, our production plants would rank favourably among the most automated and modern beverage plants around the world.” The company’s major aim is the continuous enhancement of the quality of products it makes available to its consumers, he added.

According to Okereke, the global nature of our business requires that TLCC system has the highest standards and processes for ensuring consistent product safety and quality across our entire value chain – from concentrate production to bottling and product delivery. We measure key product and package quality attributes indices to ensure our beverage products in the marketplace meet statutory/regulatory, company requirements and consumer expectations. To establish a governance process, each business within TLCC system implements, documents and maintains a safety and quality system in accordance with global best practices in the industry. Compliance is monitored system-wide to further support the integrity of our products as consistency and reliability are critical to our product quality and to meeting regulatory requirements and company standards.

Our consumers deserve safe, refreshing and high-quality beverages and across TLCC system, we work tirelessly to meet the highest standards of product safety and quality. We follow stringent product and ingredient standards, designed to ensure the safety and quality of each of our products and we will continuously deliver quality products through application of the highest standards of good manufacturing practice.

“Each of these steps is rigorously monitored for conformity to all necessary global standards which we regard as basic, as we always aspire to exceed the much higher standards that have been set internally by TLCC”. The high quality of products from TLCC factory,” he said, “has been attested to continually not only by NAFDAC but also by SON, as well as the internal quality controls of TLCC.”

The La Casera Company Plc established its factory in Mile 2, Badagry Expressway, Lagos, Nigeria in 1999. Since then it has remained an integral player in Nigeria’s manufacturing space, introducing PET bottle into the market. It has been commended on several occasions not only for its commitment to quality and safety but also towards the growth and development of the Nigerian economy.

A truck loaded with granite on Friday, crushed a soldier, identified as R. A Nata’ala, to death in Abeokuta.

The accident occurred at Iyana-Mortuary near Oja-Gbangba, Ijaye, Abeokuta around 10:30 a.m.

The victim was said to be on his motorcycle when the truck with registration number JJJ833XW suffered brake failure, swerved off its lane and crushed the soldier to death.

An eye witness told our correspondent that the truck was coming from  Ajebo-Idi-Aba Road, and heading towards Ijaye when the incident occurred.

The eye witness explained that the traffic light had stopped some vehicles going towards Idi-Aba including the victim’s motorcycle when the truck rammed into his motorcycle and dismembered his body.

It was learnt that soldiers from 35 Artillery brigade, Alamala have come to take the remains of their colleague.

The Public Relations Officer of Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, Babatunde Akinbiyi confirmed the incident.

The Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District,  Senator Dino Melaye, on Friday described the ruling of the Kogi West National Assembly/State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal nullifying his victory in the March 22 election and ordering a fresh election as a total miscarriage of justice.

In a statement, he said his legal team was already studying the judgement, adding that he would appeal it.

He said he was confident that the Appeal Court would upturn the judgement of the lower tribunal.

According to him, the judgement was full of importation of information that was alien to the case.

Melaye said, “I, however, commend the courage and moral strength of the Chairman of the tribunal for resisting evil and standing on the part of justice.”

“I have confidence in the Appeal Court to right the wrongs as contained in the pronouncements of the judgement.”

He added, “I also want to tell those jubilating that their jubilation will be short-lived while appealing to my teeming supporters to remain calm as their mandate is safe and secure and cannot be taken through any mischievous means.

“However, our legal team is already working on appealing the judgment and I assure all that justice will prevail.”

Singer, David ‘Davido’ Adeleke has asked fans to help him title his upcoming album.

News Agency of Nigeria reports that the ‘Fia’ singer posed the challenge to his fans through his Twitter account @iam_davido on Thursday.

He tweeted, “Gimme a name for my Album. Three songs left to record !! I want a fan to name my Album.”

Fans went on to give their opinions on what the new album should be named, often debating among themselves.

Most of them, however, asked that the album be named Psalms after the bible book written by his namesake, King David.

@Jaymiller1 said, “You can also use ‘Psalms’  ’cause guess who wrote it? King David.”

@Badass_Nigerian wrote, “Psalm. Psalm was written by King David. This would be an album made by a king named Davido.”

@Bawaolayinka tweeted, “Imade would actually make sense. I am not your fan tho just saying.”

@ItsOladeni said, “Billboard We Coming” will be a good name. It’ll attract billboard and you’ll appear on their hot 200.”

@BallerOxlade said, “Livin davido loca.”

NAN reports that fans had repeatedly asked the singer to release a new album following the success of his singles.