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FG Orders NSCDC to Take Over Protection of Transmission Lines
FG Orders NSCDC to Take Over Protection of Transmission Lines
By: Michael Mike
The Federal Government has ordered the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to take over the protection of transmission lines and towers across the nation.
The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunjo-Ojo gave the order on Friday during the passing-out parade of the 2nd batch of mining marshals of NSCDC in Abuja, decrying that: “It is not acceptable for a country to spend billions on power infrastructure for it to be vandalized.”
The Minister while expressing deep concern over the constant vandalism of transmission lines, towers and transformers, described the oft-repeated vandalism of critical national assets as economic sabotage which must be nipped in the bud.
Tunji-Ojo added that: “I will speak with my brother, the Minister of power, the rate of vandalism , the rate of destruction of our critical infrastructure in the sector and a lot of sabotage going on with our transmission lines, our generation points and all the rest has to be looked into.
“It is your job to make sure that no critical asset of government is destroyed and we are ready and I believe NSCDC is up to the task.
“The next time I come here, I want to see my Power Rangers, I mean people that will protect our distribution lines, people that will protect our Gencos people that will protect every power sector. it’s not reasonable, it’s not acceptable for the for a country like Nigeria to spend billions of dollars on power infrastructure all for it to be vandalized no country grows or develops without the power sector so NSCDC it is time for you to play your part.
“In terms of the power sector we will take this sector by sector. I have decided that the solution towards you accomplishing your mandate is sectorization of your responsibility.”
Tunji-Ojo also assured Nigerians that the country would do everything it takes to win the war against illegal miners.
He said: “Today, I can tell you the revenue from the solid mineral sector is not where it used to be, it has improved. The security in terms of our mines has improved and of course Nigeria is a big country therefore, we need to train more, we need to deploy more personnel into making sure that all our mines and all critical assets of Nigeria are well protected.
“We have seen that there is no solution to our problems that Nigerians cannot prefer yes we’ve not yet won the war but we know we will win the war.”
On his part, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake acknowledged that the revenue in the mineral sector has improved after the introduction of NSCDC Mining Marshals.
Alake, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Mary Ogbe, however warned miners to formalise their operations or face the law.
He said that the illegal operations of the miners have continued to cause land degradation.
In his remarks, the Commandant General of NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Audi lamented that the nation’s security especially the mining sector is being threatened by the nefarious activities of illegal miners, bandits, kidnappers, terrorists, among others, noting that this has led to a major setback in the development of the country’s otherwise very lucrative mining sector that is very critical to the country’s socio-economic development.
Audi said: “There is no gainsaying the fact that Nigeria is blessed with abundance of mineral resources which if properly tapped and managed, could significantly boost Nigeria’s revenue base which represents another giant stride towards stabilising the economy.”
He noted that adequate security measures towards strengthening security and safeguarding our collective patrimony needs to be put in place, while insisting that there is need for a robust policy guideline backed by legislation, for a robust regulatory measures to combat and criminalise illegal mining.
The CG explained that this measure will no doubt attract and encourage genuine investors (both indigenous and foreign) to the mining industry.
On the new mining marshals, he said: “I am of the firm believe that this intensive training has sufficiently equipped the participants with the requisite skills and knowledge to discharge their duties diligently and professionally. Let me at this juncture remind today’s graduands of the expectations of Government and to charge you all to maintain a high sense of professionalism, integrity, discipline, civility, humility, and level headedness and to ensure that knowledge gained in the course of the training is effectively utilized to fortify security at all mining sites across the country.
“You are also expected to imbibe the spirit of patriotism, absolute loyalty and to eschew acts or unethical conduct capable of dragging the image of the Corps in the mud as anyone found wanting will be appropriately sanctioned. Furthermore, you are to shun any act of unhealthy rivalry with other Security Agencies but rather regard yourselves as partners in the wheel of progress and development of this great Nation.”
FG Orders NSCDC to Take Over Protection of Transmission Lines
Career Progression Courses Are Now Mandatory for Promotion in NSCDC, Insists Audi
By: Michael Mike
The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Audi has announced that henceforth, career progression courses are now mandatory prerequisites for the promotion of personnel in the agency.
The Commandant General disclosed this in a keynote address he delivered at this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the NSCDC Cooperative and Investment Society at the National Headquarters, Abuja.
He maintained that all the NSCDC training institutions are given a new phase lift and training curricular for all cadres developed, and currently awaiting full implementation.
The CG also announced that his administration is committed to ending stagnation in the Corps for personnel on grade level 14 and below; he explained that beneficiaries have been paid arrears and applauded President Bola Tinubu for all the support as he tasked Corps personnel to justify the gesture through hard work.
On the welfare of staff, the NSCDC helmsman, who is the grand patron of the society, commended the National Headquarters executive for their programmes in providing succour and palliative for members and warned that misappropriation of funds in the society won’t be condoned but sanctioned accordingly.
Speaking earlier, the President of NSCDC National Headquarters Cooperative Society Limited, Assistant Commandant of Corps, ACC Aina Oladeji Jones, expressed gratitude to the CG and Management team for all the support to the cooperative in their four-year tenure, citing the 90 houses completed and ongoing work in some at the Kuje Housing Estate.
Continuing, he said from a membership of 1500 the society is now over 1,800 and disclosed that a philanthropist has pledged to assist fund the Streamview Hotel and Resort Project to conclusion.
Other highlights of the AGM were the presentation of goodwill messages by a Deputy Director of FCT Cooperative, Segun Salako and a representative of Corrections Cooperative Multipurpose Limited, CSC Okechukwu Edward, as well as the presentation of cheques to retirement beneficiaries and next of kin of deceased NSCDC members who were in the Cooperative and Investment Society Limited.
Career Progression Courses Are Now Mandatory for Promotion in NSCDC, Insists Audi
News
Tunji-Ojo: We are Over 80,000 Passport Booklets in Reserve, Nigerians Need Not Entertain Fear of Delay in Issuance of Passport
Tunji-Ojo: We are Over 80,000 Passport Booklets in Reserve, Nigerians Need Not Entertain Fear of Delay in Issuance of Passport
By: Michael Mike
The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has said Nigerians should not fear of delay in collection of international passport as at present there are over 80,000 passport booklets waiting to be issued.
The Minister, speaking at a media parley in Abuja on Friday, said in recent time the passport booklet in reserve have not gone below 50,000.
He said all backlogs of passports have been cleared, noting that the Nigeria Immigration Service, (NIS) no longer owe its service providers regarding printing and supply of passports.
Tunji-Ojo said: “We now have about 80,000 passports in stocks, both the 32 pages and the 70 pages.”
He promised that Nigerians in diaspora would henceforth enjoy seamless acquisition of passports, especially those in United States, Canada and United Kingdom, disclosing that this would come into effect as the Federal Government activates Automated Application system by October.
The Minister said: “Henceforth Nigerians in the diaspora would not need to travel from one country to another to obtained Passports, saying the era of wasting working hours, resources and risking their lives on long journey is gone.
“We are going to do a pre-launch of this automated systems very soon. And by October they will be fully operational. We have a situation in London where we have 16,000 Nigerians applying for Passports, and the capacity of our systems in the Embassy is about 200.
“But now that we have this systems in place, Nigerians would not have to embark on different journeys across the world for Passport acquisition,” Tunji-Ojo said.
Tunji-Ojo while justifying the increase in passports fees, said it is a matter of cost benefits analysis especially “when you look at the rate of dollar compared to naira”.
He also said the increase didn’t affect the cost of passports outside Nigeria, adding that the increase was only about 45 percent.
He noted that the government is not exploiting Nigerians but only increased to cover the cost of procurement of passports.
“If at all government should subsidize anything, I don’t think it should be passports. The increase is just from N35,000 to N50,000 naira. No increase outside Nigeria.”
Tunji-Ojo: We are Over 80,000 Passport Booklets in Reserve, Nigerians Need Not Entertain Fear of Delay in Issuance of Passport
Bobrisky: FG Suspends Senior Prison Officers
By: Michael Mike
The federal government has suspended some senior officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service over an allegation infractions raised by Idris Okuneye (alias Bobrisky)
A statement on Thursday by the Secretary, Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Board. Ja’afaru Ahmed read:
“Following the viral video trending on social media on alleged infractions by Officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service relating to Mr. Idris Okuneye, widely known as Bobrisky, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board has suspended forthwith the following Senior Officers of the Service:
“Michael Anugwa, Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC), In-Charge of Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kiri-kiri, Lagos State; and
“Sikiru Adekunle, Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC), In-Charge of Maximum-Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kiri-kiri, Lagos State;
“Also, the Board has suspended ASC II Ogbule Samuel Obinna, serving at the Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Afikpo, Ebonyi State, for allegedly accompanying a convicted inmate out of the Custodial Centre to a location outside the facility.”
In another related development, the Board has equally suspended another Senior Officer of the Service, Iloafonsi Ikechukwu, Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC), In-Charge of Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kuje- Abuja, for allegedly receiving monies on behalf of an inmate.
Ahmed said: “The suspension of these Officers is to allow for further investigation on the various allegations while assuring that the outcome would be made public when concluded.”
Bobrisky: FG Suspends Senior Prison Officers
Career Progression Courses Are Now Mandatory for Promotion in NSCDC, Insists Audi
Tunji-Ojo: We are Over 80,000 Passport Booklets in Reserve, Nigerians Need Not Entertain Fear of Delay in Issuance of Passport
Bobrisky: FG Suspends Senior Prison Officers
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