NYSC Working In Harmony With PTF To Reopen Orientation Camps – DG

The Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier-General Shuaibu Ibrahim has assured young Nigerians eagerly waiting to be mobilized for the National Service to exercise patience.

According to the DG, efforts are ongoing with the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 on safe Orientation Camp resumption, saying that NYSC is on the verge of reopening the camps.

Brigadier-General Ibrahim, in a statement on the official Facebook of the scheme, conveyed his deepest appreciation to all  Prospective Corps Members (PCMs) who have been at home in the past six months, waiting to be mobilised to the NYSC Orientation Camps nationwide for the commencement of the national service.

The DG said, “It is very important to state that nobody anticipated the sad disruption of the operations of the Scheme, and other national programmes arising from COVID-19,  a global challenge threatening over two hundred countries.

“The long period of waiting, no doubt has been quite challenging and frustrating as it seemingly constitutes a big drawback to all your planned actions for the year.

Abducted ex-ambassador freed after N11m ransom

Former ambassador to Venezuela, Senator Felix Oboro, has been freed by his abductors after 23 days in captivity.
His family said they paid N11 million to the kidnappers before they released him on Saturday.

Oboro is a one-time Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government (SSG) as well as a former Senator who represented Bayelsa West Senatorial district and currently a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State.

He was kidnapped on Friday, September 4, 2020 at his hometown, Elemebiri in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.

It was learnt that gunmen numbering about 15 stormed his residence, 24 hours after he returned to the community.

The kidnappers, who were said to be dressed in army uniforms, shot into the air before whisking him away.

It was gathered that the kidnappers, after abducting him, saw a bank alert balance of over N5m in his account and demanded a ransom payment of N50m which they later reduced to N11m.

A stepson of the former envoy, Tuebi Sapre-Obi, confirmed Oboro’s release on Saturday, saying that a three-man delegation of family members travelled on boat to drop the N11m ransom demanded by the gunmen.

Sapre-Obi said “contrary to the expectation of the family, Father (Felix Oboro) is strong and in a healthy state. When the news of his release came, everyone was happy and jubilating.”

Reacting to the development, a former Secretary of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Comrade Morris Alagoa and the National spokesman for the Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, (IYC), Comrade Ebilade Eerekefe, condemned the abduction of the elder statesman.

They called on the security agencies to ensure the arrest of those who whisked him away.

Alagoa described the abduction and release of Ambassador Oboro as a very sad commentary.

Ekerefe on his part expressed concern over the development and condemned the abduction of Oboro, describing him as as a well-respected Ijaw leader and an elders statesman who had served the Ijaw nation and Nigeria in different capacities.

He stated: “It’s quite unfortunate that he was treated unfairly by his abductors. He does not deserve the kind of treatment he’s going through considering his health challenges as an elderly man.

“The IYC will beef up its intelligence gathering system within the clans to support the security agencies’ effort at bringing the kidnappers to book.”

The Bayelsa State Police Command led by CP Mike Okoli were said to have arrested possible suspects in Imo and Bayelsa states following phone calls kidnappers after tracking Felix Oboro’s number.

But the two suspects from Owerri and Yenagoa were said to have been released after interrogation showed they were mistakenly telephoned by the kidnappers.

The police command in the state had a few days ago, through its spokesman, SP Asinim Butswat, assured Oboro’s family of his safe return, saying CP Okoli was on top of the matter to ensure freedom for Oboro.

Obaseki: we will do more in second term

Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has assured the people that he and his deputy, Philip Shaibu, will perform better in their second term than they are doing in the first term.

He said his administration will work for peace to pave the way for greater development of the state.

Obaseki spoke yesterday at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin, then state capital, during the thanksgiving service organised by the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for him and Shaibu.

He said: “The victory is to show us that we must continue to do what we have been doing through sacrifice and service. God willing, we will do more than we did in our first term.

“We will continue to do things that will be pleasing in the sight of God and the people of our great state. I also assure everyone that we will work to create peace and harmony, without which we cannot continue to develop our state.”

NLC, TUC suspend nationwide protest fixed for today

The two major labour groups in Nigeria have suspended their planned nationwide protest scheduled to hold today.

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) had scheduled September 28 for a nationwide rally to protest increases in the prices of petrol and electricity.

They suspended the strike and rally after a late-night meeting with a federal government team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

They also resolved to review their decision in another two weeks to see if their agreement with the government is being complied with.

The suspension of the protest was announced by the minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, and contained in a communiqué signed by all the parties involved in the meeting which ended in the early hours of Monday.Mr Ngige said the unions decided to suspend the strike after fruitful deliberation.

“Consequently, the NLC and TUC agreed to suspend the planned industrial action,” he said.

Speaking on the electricity tariff, Mr Ngige said the parties agreed to set up a Technical Committee comprising Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government as well as the NLC and TUC, which will work for a duration of two weeks from today.

He said the responsibility of the committee is to examine the justifications for the new policy in view of the need for the validation of the basis for the new cost-reflective tariff as a result of conflicting information from the field.