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Lalong goes on a revenue drive to make way for more projects to be executed

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Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau state launched a high-powered revenue drive on Thursday, just weeks after signing the newly passed Revenue Law, Property and Land Use Charge Law, as well as the Plateau Geographic Information Systems Law. The goal is to increase the state’s monthly revenue base to about 5 billion monthly.

Governor Lalong, who flagged off the exercise at the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service Headquarters in Jos, said the revenue drive aims to change the state’s income in order to fund more projects and programs that are currently hampered by a lack of funds.

Lalong, who paid his personal property’s ground rent, said he chose to lead by example in order to show citizens that no one is above the law or will be left out of the process.

“I’m not asking citizens to do what I say; I’m asking them to do what I DO,” he said. As required by law, I am not only Governor, but also Chairman of the Plateau State Revenue Council. Leaders, as the saying goes, “lead from the front.” Nobody will default now that I have personally demonstrated this level of civic responsibility as the State’s most important citizen.”

“We are all subject to the law, and those who break it will suffer the consequences. As a result, I expect all citizens, particularly elected and appointed political leaders, to rally behind me and do the same. The time has come for you to lead.”

Governor Lalong stated, “I plead with every citizen, particularly the “big men,” to comply because “I will not entertain anyone begging me to intervene when the law catches up with you.” This is about the law, not about me or anyone else. I’m paying for myself today because I don’t want to beg or embarrass anyone,” he explained.

He explained that he recently signed the Plateau State Revenue (Consolidation) Law, the Plateau Property and Land Use Charge Law, and the Plateau Geographic 1Information Services Law, among others, all of which are aimed at providing legal support for all revenue-generating activities and improving the tax environment.

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Governor Lalong, on the other hand, warned against default, warning that anyone intending to use some Plateau State Government services will soon be needed to produce proof of tax payment. This is critical because we cannot enjoy or claim rights or benefits without taking responsibility for them.

Dashe, the PSIRS’s Executive Chairman, emphasized that the effort, which includes taxpayer sensitization, awareness creation, and on-the-spot checking of registration licenses and permits, will continue indefinitely.

He urged all stakeholders to perform their civic responsibilities by paying all taxes, levies, fees, and fines freely in order to increase our IGR.

A juju doctor arrested with a ‘homemade’ explosive

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Benneth Okoli, an alleged member of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), was detained in Imo carrying an improvised explosive device (IED).

Mr Abutu Yaro, the Commissioner of Police, confirmed this on Thursday.

”After a meticulous forensic and technical intelligence gathering, the suspect, Benneth Okoli, 49, was detained in his shrine at Akuma in Oru East LGA of Imo, according to a statement from the CP’s office.

“During the examination of the shrine, one locally built IED, charms, and cannabis-like marijuana were discovered.

Read also: Breaking: In Ondo, police prevent a robbery attempt on a bullion truck

“During interrogation, the suspect provided important information and is now assisting the police in apprehending the remainder of his group, who are currently on the run.”

”The arrest comes just a few days after bandits in the region had a run-in with the cops.

The CP despatched the command’s tactical teams led by ACP Benjamin Osuji in response to the attack on the Omuma Police Station in Oru East by bandits thought to be remnants of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and ESN terror organisations.

“The crew was told to conduct a quiet investigation and apprehend the bandits who attacked the police station.”

The CP praised the command’s commanders and troops for their bravery and urged them to keep up the pace.

The CP also expressed gratitude to the people of Imo for their cooperation and requested an all-society approach to maintaining the state’s substantially strengthened security architecture.

Cholera Outbreak: Kano Records 5,221 Cases,169 Deaths

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Kano State said it has recorded no fewer than 169 deaths in the state, following the outbreak of cholera that affected 41out of the 44 local government areas of the state.

READ ALSO: Makinde is being urged by a Muslim group to compensate the families of late lawyers

This was disclosed by the Kano State Director of Public Health, Dr. Ashiru Rajab, on Thursday.

Rajab explained that the casualties were recorded within the last three months in the state.

“A total of 5,221 persons were affected by the disease, while about 4,860 had so far been treated and discharged.

” 191 affected persons are currently receiving treatment in various health facilities across the state.

“We have recorded 5,221 cases in the last three months. About 4,860 were treated and discharged. Currently, we have 191 active cases in different facilities across the state, while 169 deaths were recorded across 41 LGAs of the state,” he said.

NCC urges PPP model to bridge digital infrastructure gap

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To bridge the digital infrastructure gap, the NCC recommends a public-private partnership (PPP) strategy.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has proposed the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model as a means of closing the country’s massive digital infrastructure gap.

According to Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, the company’s Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PPP should be used to build resilient infrastructure that will help the country achieve its digital goals.

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The NCC chief said the concept of PPP has become one of the most commonly used models of collaboration during a keynote during a panel session during a two-day 2021 virtual conference and exhibition on Information Communication Technology and Telecommunications (ICTEL) organized by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) with the theme: “Disruptions, Resilience, and Governance in Digital Economy.”

Danbatta, whose presentation focused on how Public Private Collaboration (PPC), also known as PPP, is fostering long-term collaboration between the private and public sectors for the advancement of the country’s digital ecosystem, said the importance of PPP in infrastructure development cannot be overstated.

According to him, the bedrock of communal and societal development is adequate, robust, resilient, and functional infrastructure.

Read also: 2023.: CAN advocates for a Christian president

“As a result, in order to meet future challenges, we must upgrade our industries and infrastructure by developing a long-term PPP model that serves all sectors of the economy,” he said.

The government’s concern and search for an alternative means of providing infrastructure for the teeming population, according to Danbatta, is due to the high level of infrastructure deficit and its effect on the country’s socioeconomic development.

He recalled that the Federal Government established the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) in 2005 with the goal of accelerating national infrastructure investment through private sector funding and assisting the Federal Government of Nigeria and its Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in establishing and implementing effective PPP processes.

“It’s encouraging to see state governments adopting PPP models to address infrastructure challenges in their jurisdictions,” Dambatta said.

Read also: NNPC: Mallam Mele Kyari pledged that the current 614-kilometer Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project will be completed on time

“If the telecom and ICT sector is the true ‘Infrastructure of Infrastructure,’ as it is often referred to due to its impact, efficiency, and effectiveness on the growth of other sectors, it follows that the telecom sector is the most important sphere in which PPP should be used.

“Intriguingly, a 2012 World Bank report already documented how public-private partnership (PPP) projects have been used to provide broadband access nationally, regionally, or in rural areas to improve broadband access to unserved and underserved locations to improve broadband access to unserved and underserved locations.”

 

Breaking: A well-known Highlife musician die

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Felix Odey, aka ‘Feladey,’ a veteran Highlife musician, has died.

In the early hours of Thursday, July 29, his death was reported.

Before he died, the multi-talented musician who gave Rex Lawson’s hit song “Sawale” and the succeeding single “Band Boys” national popularity in the 1990s suffered a brief illness.

He will be recognized for his excellent achievements and works in the music business, including the popular and original NTA 2 Channel 5 trademark song.

Since then, condolences have poured in for the late music maestro.

Read also: Breaking: In Ondo, police prevent a robbery attempt on a bullion truck

Makinde is being urged by a Muslim group to compensate the families of late lawyers

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Makinde is being urged by a Muslim group to compensate the families of late lawyers who were denied judgeships.

On Thursday, the Political Awareness Group urged the Oyo State Government to honor three Muslim attorneys who were nominated as high court judges but died when Governor Seyi Makinde blocked their confirmation.

Dr. Moruf Yusuf, Vice-Chairman of PAG, an Association of Muslim Professionals and Technocrats for Good Governance, made the appeal during a news conference at Ibadan’s Secretariat, Ososami.

The attorneys’ names were Alhaja Fatima Badirudeen, Mr. Wasiu Adetunji Gbadegesin, and Mr. AbdulRasaq Bolaji Agoro, according to him.
Apart from immortalizing them for depriving them of the prestigious advancement from the bar to the bench, Dr Yusuf believes their families should be appropriately paid, and the Muslim Ummah should be consoled by the Oyo State Government.“It’s terrible to think that the three Judges-denied had finally, and miraculously, given up the ghost. Fatimo passed away in December 2020, Gbadegesin in April 2021, and Bolaji in July 2021. Is being a Muslim a capital offense in Oyo State, Makinde? Now that they’ve all died, it’ll be critical to immortalize them, recompense their families, and offer condolences to the Muslims of Oyo State.”

Dr Yusuf explained that the state had introduced an examination for the first time to fill the three vacant positions of judges of the high court, with a cut-off mark of 70%, and it was agreed that the most qualified applicant in each of the State Judiciary, Ministry of Justice, and Nigeria Bar Association, NBA would be selected.

“Around mid-year 2019, the Government of Oyo State was recommended to nominate three more eligible people to fill the empty position of Judges of the State’s High Courts. As a result, the State Judicial Service Commission sought applications from adequately competent legal practitioners, and 36 lawyers applied. As requested by the then Attorney General of the State, Professor Oyewo, the Commission, chaired by the Chief Judge of the State, conducted a thorough examination for the applicants (first of its kind in the history of the State) in order to meritoriously select the most creditable three of the applicants. The Commission also decided to choose the best competent applicant from each of the State Judiciary, Ministry of Justice, and NBA.”

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He said that out of the 36 candidates, Alhaja Badirudeen, Mr. Wasiu Gbadegesin, and Mr. Agoro were the first to be approved by the State Judiciary, Ministry of Justice, and NBA, and questioned why their confirmation by the National Judicial Council was halted by the state government.

“Alhaja Fatima Badirudeen (of blessed memory) was not only a qualified candidate and lawyer with a score of well over 70%, but she was also the State’s Chief Registrar. As a result, she was chosen as one of the three Judges-nominees from the Judiciary. Mr. Wasiu Adetunji Gbadegesin (of blessed memory) was not only a successful applicant and lawyer with a score of well over 70%, but he was also the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary of the Oyo State Ministry of Justice. As a result, he was chosen as one of the three Judges-nominees from the Ministry. Mr. AbdulRasaq Bolaji Agoro (of blessed memory) has a wide range of abilities. He received a score of well over 80%. He was a wise elder who was also a member of the NBA’s Ibadan Branch. As a result, he was chosen as one of the three Judges who would never be by the Commission from the Nigerian Bar Association. The three successful Judges-nominees were all Muslims, by chance.

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“The Commission forwarded the list of three Judges-nominees to the National Judicial Council for its recommendation to Governor Oluseyi Makinde for appointment as Judges, as provided for in Section 271 (2) of the Constitution. Surprisingly, the then-Attorney General of Oyo State, Prof. Oyewo, petitioned for the list to be removed on the Governor’s orders. Why? The Governor has yet to respond to this query. Prof. Oyewo, on the other hand, justified his behavior by claiming that the duo of Fatimo Badirudeen and Wasiu Gbadegesin, who climbed through the ranks of their cadre to the top, were from the same Oyo community, and that the three Judges-nominee were Muslims. Is it a hardship to be a Muslim?”

Breaking: In Ondo, police prevent a robbery attempt on a bullion truck

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In Ondo, police prevent a robbery attempt on a bullion truck.

Armed thieves attempted to attack a bank bullion truck in Ondo State, but were unsuccessful.

The robbery was claimed to have occurred in Ondo town, the seat of the Ondo West Local Government, when the thieves attempted to rob an old generation bank’s bullion truck.

Security personnel were stationed in several areas following the unsuccessful attempt, generating alarm among locals.

Read also: Bill introduced in the legislature to extend the term of the chairmen of the FCT council to four years

“It was a failed attempt on a Bank’s bullion vehicle traveling to Akure,” one of the residents said. One individual was injured and was sent to the hospital. The thieves were unsuccessful, but no arrests have yet been made. “For the time being, the situation is calm.”

DSP Tee-Leo Ikoro, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the event, saying the thieves’ attempt was thwarted.

This comes only two weeks after thieves held a bank in Ilara-Mokin in the state’s Ifedore Local Government Area, killing three people, including journalist Bunmi Afuye.

NNPC: Mallam Mele Kyari pledged that the current 614-kilometer Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project will be completed on time

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Mallam Mele Kyari, Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has pledged that the current 614-kilometer Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project will be completed on time, generating huge employment opportunities and ensuring the country’s stability.

Dr. Kennie Obateru, the NNPC’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, stated this Thursday during the Gas Sector Stakeholders’ Forum in Kano, Kano State, with the theme: “Optimizing the Economic Development Capacity of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline Project.”

Mallam Kyari claimed in a paper titled “The AKK as an Economic Development Game-Changer – NNPC’s Vision, Contributions, and Plan Forward” that the AKK gas project will assist overhaul 232 industries, resulting in huge job possibilities and wealth for the people.

Upon finished, he added, it will also function as a gas supply connection to other African countries and Europe.
“This project has been in the works for 30 years, with the goal of delivering gas to Europe via the Trans-Sahara route. What we’re witnessing now would initially supply at least 2 billion standard cubic feet of gas to the domestic market, with the potential to grow. This means that the whole country’s gas supply network will be debottled,” Mallam Kyari explained.

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He said that the AKK gas project will also result in the construction of three independent power plants (IPPs) in Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano, which would enhance energy supplies and encourage the growth of small and medium-sized businesses in Nigeria.

“I want to be clear: this meeting would not have been feasible if we didn’t have a clear view of the AKK gas pipeline project’s completion. This is achievable as a result of Mr. President’s clear instruction on the need to increase domestic gas use in order to benefit from the vast gas resources we have as a country. He has provided us with all of the necessary resources and incentives to complete this project,” he said.

Mallam Kyari stated that the AKK gas project will benefit the agricultural, industrial, manufacturing, and power sectors, as well as the nation’s general economic prosperity.

He said that the AKK gas pipeline project was in accordance with the Federal Government’s desire to decrease the country’s carbon footprint as part of the worldwide effort to combat global warming and climate change, as well as the Decade of Gas initiative.

According to him, gas is a key driver of prosperity around the world, and it cannot be any different in Nigeria, pointing out that the extensive industrial layout in the Otta area of Ogun and Lagos States is anchored on the NNPC’s and its partners’ gas supply, which is creating jobs and other opportunities for people.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, said in his keynote address that the Gas Sector Stakeholders Forum would ensure collaboration among stakeholders aimed at kicking-starting the required activities that would ensure full use of the gas to be delivered through the AKK pipeline when it is completed.
Chief Sylva stated, “Today’s ceremony underlines our commitment to realizing the inherent potentials of gas consumption as a national catalyst for attaining economic diversification from crude oil and as a transition fuel from today’s fossil fuels to tomorrow’s renewable energy.”

Major players in the oil and gas value chain, as well as Kano Governor Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, were in person, while the governors of Nasarawa, Niger, and Kaduna, as well as the Hon Minister of Finance and Alhaji Aliko Dangote, participated remotely. A delegation from the Governor of Kogi State was sent.

Bill introduced in the legislature to extend the term of the chairmen of the FCT council to four years

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A bill has been introduced in the legislature to extend the term of the chairmen of the FCT council to four years.

A plan that would extend the term of area council chairmen in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from three to four years could become law before the February 2022 council elections.

Alhaji AlHassan Sokodabo, a member of the House of Representatives representing the FCT’s Abaji/Kwali/Gwagwalada/Kuje Federal Constituency, indicated that the project was developed to give third-tier government workers ample time to execute services.

He also stated that the bill aims to align the period for electing political leaders at the local level with that of the National Assembly elections in order to relieve the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] of the burden of planning and conducting area council elections following federal elections.

“At the National Assembly, we are trying to extend the tenure of area council chairmen from three to four years, so that they do not continue to moan about a lack of time to deliver democratic dividends to our people.

“Even the election schedule for the elections that follow other federal elections will be harmonised to coincide with our own election date,” the parliamentarian revealed.
During the recently concluded Eid-el-Kabir holidays, Alhaji AlHassan Sokodabo made the disclosure while chatting with newsmen in Abaji.

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He also praised the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] parliamentarians’ stance on the contentious electoral bill modification, particularly as it relates to the electronic transmission of results, noting that the party’s position on the issue was adopted by every PDP delegate in the National Assembly.

Sokodabo urged the three levels of government to review the country’s outdated environmental legislation to ensure that culverts are cleared of debris and sand, which prevents water from flowing freely, and that the materials are removed to prevent them from re-entering the gutters.
“Only in Nigeria will people be paid to clean waste matter from culverts, and the materials taken will be left at the mouth or edge of the gutters, where the waste stuff will quickly return to the gutter that was cleared,” he stated.

Abba Kyari replied to claims linking him to infamous fraudster Hushpuppi

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DCP Abba Kyari, a top cop, has replied to claims linking him to infamous fraudster Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, also known as ‘Hushpuppi.’

According to US court filings, Abbas allegedly paid off Kyari to arrest a colleague with whom he had a feud. Kyari, on the other hand, has made a statement in response to the charges.

“Abbas, who we later came to know as Hushpuppi, called our office around two years ago and told us that someone in Nigeria had threatened to kill his family, and he sent us the individual’s phone number, pleading with us to intervene before the person attacked his family.”

“We located and apprehended the Suspect, and after further inquiry, we learned that there was no actual threat to anyone’s life, and that they are long-time friends who are having financial difficulties, therefore we released the Suspect on bail and he was not transferred to any jail.”

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“Abbas Hushpuppi was not asked for a kobo. Our main goal was to save people’s lives who were allegedly in danger.”

“Later, he spotted some of my Native Garments and Caps on my social media profile and said he liked them and that he knew the guy selling the clothes, so he gave roughly N300,000 directly to the person’s account. The Native Clothes and Caps (5 sets) were delivered to our office, and He dispatched someone to collect them.

Nobody asked Abbas Hushpuppi for money, and nobody took anything from him.”

“We responded to a distress call he made about a threat to his family and released the Suspect after determining that the Suspect posed no threat to his life.”

“This is the real deal. Vincent is still alive and may be reached.”

Read also: EFCC arrests an ex-governor and his wife on corruption charges

“Those who are claiming that this is an accusation against us and citing some fictional Big Money will be disappointed once more, as our hands are clean and our record of service for the past two decades is accessible to all to see. They will continue to see us serving our fatherland, and we will continue to respond to ALL distress calls from ALL Nigerians, as long as the situation is life-threatening.”

“For good Nigerians who value our service, please don’t be concerned; our hands are clean, and they should not respond to those who are celebrating and fabricating numerous false narratives without evidence. We’re used to folks like these, as well as fake newsmakers and distributors.”

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