TheNewsGuru

Tag: Minister

  • Foreign Affairs minister, Tuggar reports perm sec over sexual harassment

    Foreign Affairs minister, Tuggar reports perm sec over sexual harassment

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has formally lodged a complaint with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation regarding allegations of sexual harassment levelled against the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Ibrahim Lamuwa.

    According to PUNCH, in a letter addressed to the HOCSF dated May 27, 2024, and sighted on Tuesday, Tuggar expressed his concern over the serious nature of the allegation levelled against the permanent secretary by Mrs Simisola Ajayi.

    He emphasised the importance of addressing the matter urgently and thoroughly.

    The letter was titled, “Re: Official Complaint Regarding Sexual Harassment Of Mrs Simisola Fajemirokun Ajayi By Ambassador Ibrahim Adamu Lamuwa (Permanent Secretary Ministry Of Foreign Affairs).”

    It read, “I am compelled to write to inform you of a formal complaint against the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ibrahim Adamu Lamuwa, on allegations of sexual harassment.

    “Bearing in mind the gravity of the matter, I feel it necessary to draw your attention to it and ask that you handle it accordingly,”

    The letter included an attachment of the complaint received via email, and Tuggar assured the HOCSF his full cooperation in the investigation.

    “May I also assure you that I remain available to provide you with any assistance required in discharging your responsibilities,” he added.

    The spokesperson for the Ministry, Amb. Eche Abu-Ode, confirmed the development in an interview with our correspondent on Tuesday.

    “Yes. The complaint is true,” Abu-Ode said when asked to confirm the authenticity of the letter.

    When contacted on the phone for his reaction, Lawuwa declined comment.

    “I am in a meeting. Sorry, I cannot talk, please,” he simply said after our correspondent introduced herself and issue she wanted him to react to.

    He has also yet to respond to a message sent to his WhatsApp on the matter as of the time of filing this report.

    Also, when contacted, the Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the
    Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alkasim Abdulkadir, simply said, “No comment. The matter is being looked into by the relevant authorities.”

    Ajayi, had a petition dated May 29, 2024, addressed to Tuggar, accused the permanent secretary of serial sexual harrasment.

    Ajayi, through her lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), called for a thorough investigation into the actions of Amb. Lamuwa.

    The petition, signed by Adebayo A. Oniyelu LP of Falana & Falana’s, was titled “Request For An Investigation Of Amb. Ibrahim Lamuwa’s Conducts Of Sexual Harassment At The Place Of Work, Abuse Of Office, Official Intimidation And Discrimination.”

    According to the petition, Ajayi narrated multiple instances of harassment allegedly by Lamuwa, which have created an unsafe and uncomfortable working environment.

    She claimed for instance that during a policy retreat on October 7, 2023, Lamuwa allegedly made inappropriate advances towards her, suggesting she joined him in his hotel room.

    He reportedly continued with inappropriate remarks throughout the retreat.

    She also cited an incident on November 10, 2023, where Lamuwa allegedly invited Ajayi to travel to Hong Kong, promising significant personal benefits from the trip.

     

  • I’m being threatened as minister – Dele Alake

    I’m being threatened as minister – Dele Alake

    The minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, has admitted has opened up on being threatened by people who are affected by the reforms he is overseeing in the solid minerals sector.

    Alake spoke at the Ministerial Sectoral Updates which is part of activities lined up to mark President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s one year in office as Nigerian President.

    While presenting his scorecard in the last one year of the administration to the media, the Minister was asked if he was safe carrying out his functions.

    “I’m being threatened,” he said

    “But this issue is beyond me as an individual. If I’m removed today, someone else will come there and do more because we have established and really given the direction and our vision is that when we would’ve left, Nigerians would have been so used to a higher standard of governance that they’ll not accept anything lower than that. I’m very safe.”

  • JUST IN: Tinubu’s Minister Withdraws suit against Speaker who planned to marry off 100 orphaned girls

    JUST IN: Tinubu’s Minister Withdraws suit against Speaker who planned to marry off 100 orphaned girls

    Finally, the Minister of Women Affairs , Uju Kennedy -Ohanenye, has withdrawn a suit she earlier filed against the speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, following his decision to marry off 100 orphans from his constituency.

    Speaking with reporters, the minister noted that the ministry in collaboration with the speaker of the Niger state assembly, and traditional rulers from the state, are currently investigating the ages of the girls to ascertain if they are within the stipulated age for marriage.

    According to her, the Ministry of Women Affairs will, for now, focus on empowering girls, as well as others affected by insecurity in the state.

    Last week, the speaker, Sarkindaji, announced plans to marry off 100 orphans in his constituency as part of measures to alleviate their sufferings.

    While the development had sparked national outrages, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), urged the minister to withdraw the litigation and petition she wrote to the Inspector General of Police.

    The Chairman, Kano State Chapter of MURIC, Malam Hassan Indabawa, who made the call on Thursday night in a statement, urged Nigerians to learn to respect one another’s culture and traditions.

    “We found the harsh and hasty decision taken by the Honourable Minister for Women Affairs over a matter that is entirely beyond the scope of her ministry.

    “The minister’s attempt at media demonisation of marrying off of 100 poor and orphaned girls, who were largely traumatised for losing both parents to brutal and bloody banditry and insurgency, exposed her ignorance to the culture and traditions of the Muslim North.

    “This elaborate media blitz, over the matter, MURIC observed, was deliberately done to sway public opinion against the marriage institution, and an attempt to vilify Sarkin-Daji, after demonstrating his genuine concern for the needs of members of his constituency,” Indabawa said.

    The marriage arrangement in question is slated to take place on May 24, 2024.

  • JUST IN: EFCC arrests Ex-Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika over alleged N8bn scam

    JUST IN: EFCC arrests Ex-Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika over alleged N8bn scam

    Ex-Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC over alleged N8billion scam.

    This development comes amidst a growing probe into corruption within the aviation sector.

    Sirika, who served as Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, was arrested at the EFCC’s Federal Capital Territory Command at about 1:00 pm on Tuesday.

    He is currently undergoing questioning related to allegations of fraudulent contracts awarded during his tenure.

    According to reliable sources within the EFCC, Sirika is facing allegations related to fraudulent contracts awarded to Engirios Nigeria Limited, a company owned by his younger sibling, Abubakar Sirika.

    The contracts, totaling over N8 billion, cover a range of projects within the aviation sector, including construction, maintenance, and procurement.

    The contracts under investigation include the construction of the Terminal Building in Katsina Airport, the establishment of a Fire Truck Maintenance and Refurbishment Center in Katsina Airport, and the procurement and installation of equipment for Aviation House in Abuja. The EFCC is also examining the contract for the procurement of Magnus aircraft and a simulator for the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria.

    Abubakar Sirika, the younger brother of Hadi Sirika, was previously arrested and detained by the commission. He is the sole signatory to Engirios Nigeria Limited’s accounts and is believed to have played a significant role in the alleged fraud scheme. The EFCC is investigating a transfer of N3,212,258,930.18 to the company’s bank accounts, with no trace of completed work related to the awarded contracts.

    As the investigation unfolds, more details are expected to emerge about the alleged conspiracy, abuse of office, diversion of public funds, and contract inflation during Hadi Sirika’s tenure as Minister of Aviation. The EFCC’s continued efforts to combat corruption in high-profile cases are being closely watched, and this arrest is likely to attract significant public attention.

  • Tinubu@72: Minister visits inmates in Kuje Correctional Service

    Tinubu@72: Minister visits inmates in Kuje Correctional Service

    Dr Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, on Friday visited the inmates of Nigerian Correctional Service, Kuje to  commemorate 72nd birthday of President Bola Tinubu.

    The minister, who was represented by his aide, Nafisa Bello, said the visit was to celebrate President’s birthday with inmates by providing them packs of food to put smile on their faces.

    Tijani, who wished the President a happy birthday, said the gesture was a way of commending the President’s resilience, pragmatic leadership and commitment to service.

    He said even though the president had instructed that no one should organise a birthday party or place any birthday goodwill advertorial messages in newspapers, it was a special day.

    “We are here to celebrate President Bola Tinubu’s 72nd birthday and share love with the inmates. We have distributed food packs, we have met and had good conversations with some of them.

    “We wish the president a happy birthday, long life and property,” minister said.

    One of the inmate, Chiwendu Hart, who spoke on behalf of all the inmates described the gesture as an act of love, adding that they were not in the correctional service for punishment but correction.

    He thanked the Federal Government and the correctional officers for rehabilitating and integrating the inmates to come out and live a crime free life.

    According to him, the Nigerian Correctional Service has set up degree courses, ran by the National Open University (NOUN) and some skills to keep the inmates busy while undergoing trials.

    He said that he had graduated and had a Masters in theology and waiting to enroll for his PhD.

    “I am a beneficiary of NOUN, I came here with secondary school certificate but today, I am a graduate and have my Masters in theology.

    “Even if after you leave the correctional centre, you can still come back and finish up the courses or the skills you started with.

    “Once we leave here, we will go out there and explore what we have learnt in order to live a good life.”

    He urged the Federal Government to equip some of the vocational programmes with study materials, tailoring machines, carpentry and shoe making tools.

    He wished the President a happy birthday.

  • Kidnappers of students must be fished out, punished – Minister

    Kidnappers of students must be fished out, punished – Minister

    The Federal Government will soon fish out and prosecute kidnappers of school children, information minister Mohammed Idris has said.

    Idris spoke in Kano on Wednesday in an interactive session with media executives and practitioners organised by the Ministry of Information and National Orientation.

    He said President Tinubu had directed all security agencies to expedite action toward ensuring that school children recently abducted in Kaduna were rescued unhurt and reunited with their families.

    The minister advised journalists to desist from amplifying the activities of kidnappers and bandits on the pages of national dailies.

    “Mr President is disturbed that journalists celebrate the activities of kidnappers and bandits on the pages of national dailies.

    “He believes that such publicity encourages the unpatriotic elements,” he said.

    He said that the federal government is currently putting adequate modalities in place to overhaul the agricultural sector towards ensuring food security.

    “Mr President is insisting that Nigeria must be self sufficient in food production.

    “Proactive measures have been adopted by the federal government to ensure adequate provision of  assorted fertilizer to farmers at subsidize rates,” he said .

  • Electricity supply will improve within 6 months – Minister

    Electricity supply will improve within 6 months – Minister

    The Minster of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, has assured Nigerians that the ongoing power upgrade and investment in power sector would improve electricity supply within the next three to six months.

    Adelabu gave the assurance during a working visit to some ongoing projects in Maryland and Alausa substations on Thursday in Lagos.

    Adelabu visited Ikeja Electric and other ongoing projects in Lagos metropolis.

    He disclosed that upgrading some substations in Lagos by Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) had commenced on 30MVA transformers to 100 MVA and 205 MVA in Maryland and Alausa, respectively.

    The minister maintained that the Federal Government’s position on the implementation of a cost reflective tariff for the power sector was inevitable.

    He said that investment across Distribution Companies (DisCos) was low due to the unavailability of funds to carry out infrastructure upgrades, appealing to the companies to ensure good service delivery to justify tariff review.

    He said the ministry would do all it could to ensure that DisCos up their games through massive investment, noting, “if that fails, it will resort to legal backing.”

    Adelabu bemoaned the rising cases of vandalism of power assets across the country, recommending capital punishment for vandals.

    He labelled vandals of power assets as “killers of people and saboteurs of business growth”.

    “We need scapegoats. We are ready to give them the right punishment in terms of prosecution.

    “Punishment for vandals should go beyond six months jail term. Capital punishment should be meted out for power vandals. They kill people, and they kill businesses,” he said.

    Adelabu added that all hands must be on deck among operators within the power sector value chain.

    He said it remained worrisome that the country with an installed capacity of 13,000MW was generating a paltry 5,000MW.

    The minister said the government to further advance his strategy of overcoming the present impasse, Adelabu pledged to change his master plan from top-to-bottom approach to bottom-to-top.

    ”Going forward, efforts will now be concentrated on development and infrastructure upgrade from DisCos to GenCos and then transmission.

    “If we get it right at the DisCo level, then we are most certain that we are almost getting there. The meeting is planned, not accidental. You have made landmark achievements in the last 10 years.

    “You have done well in relation to other DisCos. We can just shake your hands and leave, but they said the biggest room is the room for improvement.

    “You are a model DisCo, the biggest in terms of revenue collection. I don’t know the one that is bigger between you and Ibadan DisCo, in terms of industrial clusters, because I am aware there are a lot of industries within your catchment areas,” he said.

    Adelabu urged Nigerians to continue contributing positively to the growth of the country in spite of the current economic challenges.

    “It is a bad time for the country. I mean, if you look at the hardship in terms of commodities and prices, these have affected the purchasing power of a lot of people.

    “I believe that this is the time for all of us to wake up and do things well for the country.

    “Though, I am bothered about what is happening, but I am not discouraged.

    “This is the time that you (DisCos) should work hard with us to get desired improvements in power supply to people and businesses,” he added.

    He urged DisCos to work closely with the government to expedite national development through a sustainable power sector for reliable and cost-effective sustainable power supply.

    Earlier in her address, the Chief Executive Officer of Ikeja Electric, Mrs Folake Soetan, while reeling out some of the giant strides recorded by the company, said that the company had achieved a lot in terms of infrastructure upgrades and capital expenditure.

    Soetan said that the company’s total CAPEX in 2015 was N5 billion but grew to N50.58 billion in 2023.

    She added that average revenue collection in 2015 was N3.75 billion and grew to N18.22 billion as at 2023.

    On metering, she said 30,000 meters were deployed to consumers as at 2015, while the figure hit 800,000 as at 2023.

    Soetan lamented that revenue collection in the industry was largely hampered by the huge metering gap and non-payment of bills.

    She worried that meter bypass and energy theft contributed immensely to the losses recorded by DisCos.

    The Ikeja Electric boss said power generating capacity was still significantly lower than the demand for electricity.

    This she noted that had resulted in frequent power outages and load shedding.

  • Japa: How 16000 medical doctors abandoned Nigeria in five years – Minister laments

    Japa: How 16000 medical doctors abandoned Nigeria in five years – Minister laments

    The Federal Government has disclosed that the phenomenon of brain drain, often referred to as ‘Japa Syndrome’, has deprived Nigeria of its top talent in the health sector, with no fewer than 16,000 doctors leaving the country in search of better opportunities abroad.

    The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, disclosed this during an appearance on a national tv program on Sunday.

    Pate lamented that Nigeria has witnessed a generation of young doctors, health workers, tech entrepreneurs, and various professionals abandoning the country for better opportunities abroad.

    His words: “In the last five years, the country lost about 15,000 to 16,000 doctors to the Japa syndrome, while about 17,000 had been transferred,” he said.

    “There are about 300,000 health professionals working in Nigeria today in all cadres. I am talking about doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, and others. We did an assessment and discovered we have 85,000 to 90,000 registered Nigerian doctors.

    Not all of them are in the country. Some are in the diaspora, especially in the US and UK. But there are 55,000 licenced doctors in the country.

    “The issue overall, in terms of health professionals, is that they are not enough. They are insufficient in terms of the skill mix. Can you believe most of the highly skilled professional doctors are in Lagos, Abuja, and a few urban centres? There is a huge distribution issue.”

    The minister, who provided a detailed account of the doctors currently practicing in major Nigerian cities, highlighted that the doctor-to-patient ratio was insufficient for the country.

    “The population of doctors overall is about 7,600 in Lagos and 4,700 or thereabout in Abuja. The doctor to population ratio in Abuja is 14.7 per 10,000 people. These are numbers that you can verify. In Lagos, it is about 4.6, even though the average is 2.2 by 10,000.

    There are huge distributional issues, and they are, of course, the opportunities even for some of those who have been trained to get into the market.

    “So you have to look at it from a holistic perspective. Not only doctors but other cadres are important in the delivery of health care. For doctors, we have been losing many that have been trained.”

    Pate affirmed that the government is making efforts to expand the training scheme and motivate those who choose to stay back and serve their country.

    Now to the Japa you talked about, it is not only limited to Nigeria. It is a global phenomenon. Other countries don’t have enough.

    “They are asking to take more. It is not only in Nigeria. It is happening in India, the Philippines, and other parts of Africa. In the last five years, we have lost about 15,000 to 16,000, and about 17,000 have been transferred. We’re barely managing

    That’s why expanding their training will become logical. The same thing happens with nurses and midwives; they are also leaving. That’s why expanding the training is important to ensure those still around are well trained.

    “We are beginning to take steps to expand the training and work environment, taking some steps to encourage salaries and incomes commissions to do certain things that will encourage them to feel at home.

    “But even the issue of working hours that has come about recently, particularly for the junior doctors, is being addressed.

    This is because when some of their colleagues leave and they remain at home, the burden has not been reduced.

    “And so they work extremely hard. We’ve listened to that. We are looking at how we can alleviate that, and with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, we are looking at how, within the code of ethics and the guidelines for the physician, to provide some safeguards to ensure they are treated as valuable assets so they are not burnt out,” the Minister said.

  • Alleged N3trn budget padding: Karimi, Zam, Sheu disagree With Ningi

    Alleged N3trn budget padding: Karimi, Zam, Sheu disagree With Ningi

    Three senators – Steve Sunday Karimi, Titus Tartenger Zam and Kaka Sheu have said the allegation of budget padding against Senate President Godswill Akpabio by some senators was unfounded, baseless and a figment of their imagination.

    They warned against what they described as the antics of blackmailers bent on creating an atmosphere of crisis in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly.

    Karimi, Zam and Sheu, speaking on behalf of the Northern Senators’ Forum, also said no room should be allowed for division and acrimony between senators from the North and South by those who may not want to accord priority to national unity and harmony.

    In their statement, Karimi, who is from Kogi State, Zam from Benue State and Sheu from Borno State, on behalf of the Northern Senators’ Forum, said they can not be used to blackmail the budget process, which was done in good faith.

    At a meeting last week,some northern senators accused the Senate President of inserting projects worth N4 trillion in the 2024 budget.

    They alleged that the projects, which had no locations, were inserted into the budget, which they also claimed was lopsided against the North and some parts of the South.

    The northern senators also accused Akpabio of railroading the senators to hurriedly pass the budget, adding that it favoured Akpabio and his cronies.

    However, sheding light on what transpired at the meeting, Karimi, Zam and Sheu said it was only resolved that the report of the consultant engaged by the Northern Senators Forum be subjected to further scrutiny, as the entire appropriation process was a combination of work, from the executive, actively represented by the minister of budget and national planning and other ministers, the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation and the Senate Committees on Appropriation.

    Dismissing the allegation of padding as a ruse, they said while the executive brought a budget proposal of 27.5 trillion, the Senate passed a budget of 28.77 trillion.

    They queried: “The difference was N1.27 trillion, coming from all three arms of government. Where is the additional so-called padding of three trillion coming from? It was resolved that the Northern Senators’ consultant report be looked into by essential committees of the Senate and House of Representatives before jumping to a conclusion.”

    Karimi, Zam and Sheu urged the Northern Senators Caucus Leader, Abdul Ningi, to “rein in those who think a crisis-ridden Senate would better profit them.”

    Noting that the North has provided leadership in Nigeria and enjoyed the support of other regions seamlessly, the representatives of the North should not appear to act as instruments of destabilisation now that power has shifted to the South.

    In their view, the North can agitate for a fair share of the national pie, but within the ambits of decency, decorum and diginity.

    They added: “Senator Ningi has not given a correct information. He is yet to even give the Senate President or the Speaker of the House of Representatives a copy of what he claims to have discovered in the 2024 Appropriation Act before levelling allegations of budget padding against the President, the Senate President and the Senate.

    “President Tinubu presented a budget estimates of over N27 trillion on 28th November to the National Assembly, which passed a budget of over N28 trlllion ; which became an Act of Parliament on 1st January 2024.

    “Where did Sen Ningi get his Appropriation Act of N25 trillion?What about the extra requests that chairmen of appropriation committees of both chambers claimed came from the Executive after submission of the initial over N27 trillion proposals by Mr President?

    “So, how did Sen Ningi’ s budget analyst get the N3trillion budget padding allegations? Must we attempt to give a dog a bad name to hang it? Are APC members of Northern Senators Forum that PDP Senator Ningi claims to lead oblivious of the anti-Tinubu/Akpabio undertones. The National Assembly should not be denigrated.”

  • FG moves to address stakeholders’ concerns on Expatriate Employment Levy

    FG moves to address stakeholders’ concerns on Expatriate Employment Levy

    Minister of interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said stakeholders’ concerns over the recently-launched Expatriate Employment Levy (EEL) would be addressed by the Federal Government.

    Tunji-Ojo stated this at a meeting with a delegation led by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Doris Uzoka-Anite, to address concerns and seek clarifications on the EEL guidelines.

    A statement signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Interior, Ozoya Imohimi, said that meeting which held on Friday, 8th March, 2024 in Abuja aimed to foster constructive dialogue and explore ways to enhance the implementation of the policy while ensuring the welfare of Nigerians and promoting investment.

    The statement said that during the discussions, Dr. Tunji-Ojo stressed the Federal Government’s commitment to listening to stakeholders and engaging in meaningful dialogue.

    He was also reported to have noted the importance of striking a balance between attracting foreign investment and prioritising human capital development to benefit Nigerians.

    “We understand the concerns raised by stakeholders, and we are committed to finding solutions that promote investment while safeguarding the interests of Nigerians,” the Minister was quoted to have said.

    He also reportedly added that the EEL policy was initiated to discourage abuse of the Expatriate quota system and promote the development of the local workforce.

    According to the statement, Dr. Tunji-Ojo further reiterated government’s focus on security and economic prosperity, emphasising the need for transparent and law-abiding business practices.

    The minister assured stakeholders of the Ministry’s willingness to engage further and find mutually acceptable solutions.

    The meeting, the statement noted, resolved that the implementation of the policy should be put on hold for further dialogue among stakeholders.

    The statement declared that the Ministry of Interior remained committed to pursuing strategic partnerships to ensure that “our processes align with modem standards and safeguard Nigeria’s national interests.”