News

Insecurity: Ebonyi shuts illegal parks to check arms movement

Published

3 years ago

May 5, 2021

admin

Ebonyi State Government and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) have directed the shutdown of illegal motor parks in Abakaliki, the capital.

They said the closure, which is with immediate effect, is to check movement of arms and ammunition, as well as a precautionary measure.

Commissioner for Capital Territory Development Onyekachi Nwebonyi and the Chairman of NURTW, Anthony Oko Ewa, announced the ban on Tuesday in a statement in Abakaliki

The government said loading and offloading of commercial vehicles in the capital should take place at approved motor parks.

They said: “In view of the rising insecurity in the country, the Ministry of Capital City Development has directed that loading and offloading of vehicles in Abakaliki should only take place at approved public and private motor parks.

“This is to check movement of arms and ammunition, as well as criminals in and out of the state, as undercover security and precautionary measures are being put in place to avert further security breaches.

READ Canadian PM Trudeau tests positive to COVID-19

“As a result, illegal and private motor parks not approved by the Ministry of Capital City Development are hereby closed.”

The duo warned motorists and travellers to adhere to the directive, as anyone found contravening the order will be treated as a security threat and will be prosecuted.

“Passengers boarding commercial vehicles or alighting from such vehicles at unauthorised places, that is, any place other than the approved public and private parks, will be arrested with the drivers,” they said.

They announced the ban on parking of vehicles along major roads in the city, which include Afikpo Road, Ogoja Road, Waterworks Road, Nkaliki Road and Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja Expressway.

“Any vehicle parked along the aforementioned roads, whether serviceable or unserviceable, will be confiscated by the Ministry of Capital City Development and the owners will be prosecuted.”

They said tippers and heavy duty vehicles have their park at Ochudo Centenary City, opposite Margaret Umahi International Market, Abakaliki and also a mega park beside Akanu Ibiam Flyover (Spera In Deo), Abakaliki.

READ Insecurity: OPC condemns killing of Ekiti monarchs, expresses readiness to secure S/West

News

FG extends FEC meeting to Tuesday, says ‘far-reaching decisions will be made’

Published

8 hours ago

May 13, 2024

admin

The Federal Government has extended the federal executive council (FEC) meeting to Tuesday.

Mohammed Idris, minister of information and culture, announced the extension of the FEC meeting on Monday while speaking with State House correspondents.

The FEC meeting was held on Monday for the first time since March.

Idris said the FEC meeting will continue on Tuesday at 12pm.

“The council meeting will continue tomorrow, therefore, there will be no press briefing today,” the minister said.

“A lot of far-reaching decisions are being taken and the conclusions will be made available to you tomorrow. FEC will continue at 12 noon tomorrow.”

During the FEC meeting, President Bola Tinubu swore in two additional commissioners of the National Population Commission (NPC).

The two commissioners are Fasuwa Johnson from Ogun state, and Amidu Raheem from Osun state.

Earlier, the cabinet observed a minute’s silence in honour of the late Fabian Osuji, a former minister of education; and Ogbonnaya Onu, a former minister of science and technology.

READ Canadian PM Trudeau tests positive to COVID-19

News

Electricity tariff hike: We’ll go back to drawing board, FG tells labour

Published

9 hours ago

May 13, 2024

admin

The Federal Government has said it will go back to the drawing board with relevant stakeholders to address the issue of the electricity tariff hike.

Mamudah Mamman, permanent secretary at the federal ministry of power, spoke in Abuja on Monday while addressing members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Members of organised labour were out to picket offices of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), ministry of power and the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in Abuja over the tariff hike.

The NERC on April 3 approved an increase in the electricity tariff for elite customers.

Organised labour is calling for a reversal of the increase and a return to the negotiating table.

Mamman said members of the national assembly have told the ministry to do a wide consultation with relevant stakeholders on the matter.

The permanent secretary assured that the ministry would sit down next week with the leadership of the NLC to see how the issues could be resolved.

READ Insecurity: FG not weak, has capacity to defeat bandits, terrorists –Lai Mohammed

“The national assembly had written the ministry to go and do a wide consultation with all the relevant stakeholders,” he said.

“What the ministry does is give policy directions. We realise that the policy direction given is pushing Nigerians to the corner, and we need to do things differently.

“What we need to do is for all of us to come to the table, look at it, and decide what is the best way. I don’t have the power to reverse the tariff, so we will go back to the drawing board with the regulator and NLC.

“I’m going to take your message to the relevant authority, and we will look at it and inform you.”

News

Reverse electricity tariff — we won’t accept band classification, Ajaero tells NERC

Published

12 hours ago

May 13, 2024

admin

The president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, says the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) should reverse the electricity tariff.

Ajaero spoke on Monday when members of the labour body picketed the headquarters of the NERC in Abuja over the increase in electricity tariff.

The NERC on April 3 approved an increase in the electricity tariff for elite customers.

Ajaero said the protest was due to NERC’s unresponsiveness to the multiple letters sent by the NLC.

He added that the increase in tariff was arbitrary, noting that NERC did not consult relevant stakeholders before taking the decision.

The NLC president argued that Nigeria has 4,000 megawatts of electricity for over 200 million people, as against the global index of 1,000 megawatts for one million citizens.

“We are here on a peaceful protest having written so many letters to NERC that they cannot increase tariff without meeting with Nigerians, that the process of adjusting tariffs in every tariff methodology requires that they meet with all stakeholders, including labour, that we don’t know where this tarrif is coming from,” Ajaero said.

READ Bandits kill Kaduna lawmaker, Rilwanu Gadagau

“And that NERC is not oblivious to the fact that Nigeria is wallowing in power poverty, that while the whole world gave a global index of one million people for 1,000 megawatts, Nigeria has 4,000 megawatts for over 200 million people.

“What Nigeria is generating today is not enough for Lagos, and it is bad enough to say some Nigeria are better than others; some will get 20 hours, some will get two hours; even in South Africa, such has never happened.

“Use the same magic that you are using to give some Nigerians 20 hours to give everybody in Nigeria 20 hours. Nigerians are saying no to discriminatory power allocation.”

He noted that the Manbilla power plant in Plateau state can generate 3,600 megawatts of renewable hydropower but has remained underperforming 30 years after its inauguration.

Ajaero urged the federal government to put an end to all taxes that could further increase the burden on Nigerians.

READ Buhari vows not to leave Nigeria in crisis