TheNewsGuru

Tag: Rauf Aregbesola

  • BREAKING: FG announces public holidays for Easter

    BREAKING: FG announces public holidays for Easter

    The Federal Government has declared Friday, April 7 and Monday, April 10 as public holidays for the 2023 Easter celebration.

    This is contained in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Intrerior, Dr Shuaib Belgore.

    Belgore said that the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, made the declaration on behalf of the federal government.

    Aregbesola urged Christian faithful to emulate the virtues of sacrifice, togetherness, forgiveness, Kindness love peace and patience which were attributes and practices of Jesus Christ, as exemplified by His ministry on the earth.

    He also called on Nigerians to use the occasion to pray for an end to the security challenges in some parts of the country, adding that security was everybody’s business.

    He also enjoined them to love their neighbours through acts of kindness and generosity of spirit, with the well to do sharing their substance with the less privileged around them.

    He urged Nigerians and foreigners resident in the country to display high sense of citizenship and public spiritedness by supporting the efforts of the security agencies.

    This the minister said was with a view to ensure peace and security of lives and property of Nigerians.

    He said that the federal government was doing all that was necessary in ensuring a peaceful transition of government following the peaceful conduct of the 2023 general elections.

    “The nation is persistently on the part to greatness and I urge all Nigerians to positively deploy their creative energy to the full realisation of the coming prosperity, as there is surely light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

    The minister wished all Christian faithful a most blissful celebration and all Nigerians a happy holiday.

  • Just In: FG declares Friday, Monday public holidays for Easter celebrations

    Just In: FG declares Friday, Monday public holidays for Easter celebrations

    The Federal Government has declared Friday 7th and Monday 10th April 2023, which are Good Friday and Easter Monday, to be public holidays to mark this year’s Easter celebrations.

    The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, made the declaration in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Shuaib Belgore, on Wednesday in Abuja.

    He urged Christians to emulate the virtues of sacrifice, togetherness, forgiveness, kindness, love, peace and patience which were attributes and practices of Jesus Christ, as exemplified by His ministry on the earth.

    The Minister called on Christians and all Nigerians to use the occasion of this year’s Easter celebrations to pray for an end to the security challenges in parts of the country.

    “Security is everybody’s business. I, therefore, urge Nigerians and foreigners resident in our country to display a high sense of citizenship and public spiritedness by supporting the efforts of all security agencies in bringing peace and security of lives and property of the citizenry,” he said.

    The Minister assured that the government was doing all that is necessary to ensure a peaceful transition of government following the peaceful conduct of elections.

  • Aregbesola tasks states on prisons decongestion

    Aregbesola tasks states on prisons decongestion

    The Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, has said states have a huge role to play in decongesting correctional centres.

    He pointed out that about 70 percent of inmates awaiting trial were state offenders.

    The minister called on states to either fast-track the trial of the inmates awaiting trial or build holding facilities for them. He said the Federal Government was ready to provide personnel that would man the facilities.

    Aregbesola, who spoke through his media aide, Sola Fasure, in an interview on Friday, expressed the readiness of the Federal Government to work with states in decongesting correctional centres.

    He stated, “The most important step in decongestion has to be taken by the states and this is where we should all be looking into. More than 70 per cent of inmates awaiting trials are state offenders.

    Aregbesola tasks states on correctional centres decongestion

    “The states can do either or both of two things. First, and more importantly, is accelerating the criminal trial process so that the cases are promptly dispensed with. Long and seemingly indeterminate trials are responsible for the disproportionate number of inmates awaiting trial.

    “In many of these cases, the inmates have spent more time in custody than they would have been punished for the offence they were charged with if they had received a guilty verdict in time. It is double jeopardy for them if they were found to be innocent in the end. The second is for the states to build holding facilities for awaiting trial inmates. We can provide the personnel to run them.”

    He said the custodial centres were only to house and take care of the inmates and that they lacked the power to free anyone in the facility.

    He added, “We cannot on our own bring anyone into custody and we cannot set them free. They come and go only through a valid court order. Our responsibility is to take good care of them and keep them safe while they are in our custody.”

    He said further that the Federal Government was currently working on providing more custodial services to decongest the facilities in addition to constructing new ones.

    Aregbesola tasks states on correctional centres decongestion

    He noted that the Nigerian Correctional Service was constructing six ultramodern custodial centres with 3,000 inmate capacity in each of the six geopolitical zones. He pointed out that when the facilities are completed, “we would have increased our capacity by 18,000 and this will go a long way in solving this challenge.”

    “The congestion conundrum in custodial facilities is basically an urban phenomenon. By implication, only facilities caught up by urbanisation are experiencing this conundrum. This means less than five per cent of the 253 custodial centres nationwide are congested.

    “Secondly, we are improving our logistics so as to quicken inmates’ court attendance and redistribute excess numbers in congested facilities to less congested facilities. Most of our custodial centres are located in semi-urban and rural areas and are actually filled below capacity. In the past six months, we have provided operational vehicles, with the most recent being for Armed Squad Commanders in all the commands nationwide,” he said.

  • 159 Nigerians renounce citizenship as demand for passport soar

    159 Nigerians renounce citizenship as demand for passport soar

    The Permanent Secretary (PM) of the Ministry of Interior, Shuaib Belgore has disclosed 159 Nigerians renounced their citizenship in 2022, the figure Belgore said was higher than the 15 years preceding 2022.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Belgore made the disclosure on Thursday at the ministerial media briefing hosted by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he appeared alongside the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola.

    This is even as the Minister of Interiors claimed in his statements that the increasing emigration of Nigerians from the nation in quest of better opportunities, a phenomenon now known as “Japa syndrome,” is driving up demand for passports.

    According to Belgore, 150 Nigerians gave up their citizenship between 2006 and 2021, while Aregbesola disclosed that during the past two years, at least 70 foreign nationals have been deported for a variety of offences.

    “In the last two years, the Minister issued a total of 70 deportation orders for the deportation of different nationals from Nigeria due to one infraction or the other. The majority of those deported were from the Democratic Republic of Korea, Egypt, Sri Lanka and a host of others,” he disclosed.

    The Minister also disclosed that the Nigerian Passports issued by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) increased numerically from one million in 2021 to 1.9 million in 2022, representing about 80 per cent increase, which Aregbesola described as unprecedented.

    The Minister said that the Ministry of Interior is working with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to constantly reform the passport administration process in order to deliver improved services to Nigerians at all times.

    Speaking at a State House Press Briefing Series, Aregbesola assured that the coming general elections will be conducted under a peaceful and secure atmosphere.

    According to the Minister, “peace and security are necessary conditions for election. All the security agencies in the country, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), are therefore on top of their game.

    “They will leave no stone unturned to provide adequate security for the conduct of free and fair elections. Nigerians should therefore keep their minds at rest”.

    Speaking on the progress of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Ogbeni Aregbesola assured that custodial centres are now fully secured, as the personnel guarding the centres are now well trained and fully equipped. They now have the capacity to withstand and repel any form of attack.

    He added that “the Correctional Information Management System (CIMS) which captures the records and biometrics of every inmate in the custodial centres to facilitate quick dispensation of justice has been deployed in all the States of the Federation and the FCT.

    On the operations of the Federal Fire Service, Aregbesola disclosed that the statistics of Service from 2020 till date casts a beam of hope for personal and corporate security.

    “The statistics show that the Fire Service responded to 10,659 fire calls, made 696 Emergency Rescues, saved 2,225 lives and an estimated property worth 25 trillion from 2020 till date”. He said.

    Commending the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for living up to its mandate of protecting critical national assets and infrastructure, the Interior Minister stated that the NSCDC is not only active on land but also on water, fighting off oil theft, illegal oil bunkering as well as pipeline vandalism.

    The session was chaired by Mr Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity.

    The event was attended by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaib Belgore; Controller General, Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa; Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Idris Isah Jere; Controller General, Federal Fire Service, Abdulganiyu Jaji; Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ahmed Abubakar Audi and the State House Press Corps members amongst several others.

  • Aregbesola urges LGs to generate revenue, drive development

    Aregbesola urges LGs to generate revenue, drive development

    Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola has urged Local Governments to generate revenue to drive development at that level.

    This is contained in a statement issued by Aregbesola’s Media Adviser, Mr Sola Fasure, on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Speaking at a one-Day dialogue with the theme, “2023 and Beyond: Tracking Campaign Promises for Good Governance” organised by NPO Reports in Abuja, the minister said:” local governments, though closest to the people are dependent on the federation account for funding.

    ”They really have no business waiting from handouts every month from the central government.

    “The Local Councils must generate revenue to drive development at that level. No local government will be accountable with handouts. Charity doesn’t make people responsible.”

    Aregbesola advised that people of a locality must fund their local government.

    This, he said when done, would enable them not to exact responsibility and accountability from that government.

    “People can hardly hold a government accountable, whose funding they are not responsible for. This applies to state governments too.

    ”I ask myself, is local council a tier of government in a federation. Examples abound world over of countries that practice federal system like ours.

    “In Australia, Germany, the U.S. and many others, there are only two tiers in a federal system which is usually the central and the regional governments. The local government is not one of them.”

    The minister commended the organiser of the dialogue, Alhaji Semiu Okanlawon, CEO, Proumou Media Consulting Nigeria Ltd Editor-in-Chief/Publisher, NPO Reports for his professionalism.

    He urged Okanlawon to continue to stand for the best tradition of responsible journalism.

    ”I am here in my capacity as ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and not as the Minister of Interior, and I will expect to be quoted as such.

    “I came here because of my personal relationship with Semiu. The topic he has chosen to celebrate at this One-Day Dialogue on the 12th anniversary of his publication, is very apt.

    “All the erudite scholars who spoke have done adequate academic justice to the topic.

    “When I was the governor in Osun, I created a government department called the Bureau of Social Services with the acronym ‘BOSS’, to track government programmes, projects and interventions.

    “I also had a Policy and Economic Team (PET) to track projects and initiatives of my office.

    “I also engaged private social, political and economic consultants to do the performance monitoring and perception review.”

    The minister, however, added that beyond the tracking of these projects, the next thing was tracking productivity.

    “Before we can track productivity, we must mobilise Nigerians for productivity. I heard some speakers talking about tracking the productivity of all tiers of government.

    ”President Muhammadu Buhari is investing rightly in infrastructure so Nigerians can be mobilised for productivity.

    “With his promise to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty, if half of that number can be mobilised for productivity through the different initiatives the government is championing.

    “Nigeria will in no time be competing with the first world nations,” the minister added.

    Earlier, the former governor of Ekiti, Dr Kayode Fayemi, said that while in office, he had a very efficient Monitoring and Evaluating Unit that tracked all government projects.

    “But according to the topic of the day’s dialogue, sometimes politicians cannot fulfil their campaign promises due to factors totally out of their control.”

  • Finally, FG announces Christmas, New Year holidays

    Finally, FG announces Christmas, New Year holidays

    The Federal Government has declared December 26 and 27, 2022 as public holidays to mark Christmas and Boxing Day.

    It also declared Monday, January 2, 2023, as a holiday to mark the New Year.

    The announcement was made by Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, in a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, on Thursday in Abuja.

    The minister felicitated Christians and all Nigerians at home and in the diaspora on the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

    Aregbesola enjoined Christians to emulate virtues of Jesus Christ in deeds and follow his teachings, especially on faith, hope and love.

    “We must imbibe the life of Jesus Christ in his practice and teachings on humility, service, compassion, patience, peace and righteousness that his birth signifies.

    “This will be the best way to portray Christ and celebrate his birth”, he said.

    The minister emphasized that peace and security were critical conditions for economic development and prosperity.

    He therefore urged Christians and Nigerians to make the best use of the festive period to pray for the total eradication of any vestige of insecurity in the country.

    Aregbesola reminded Nigerians that 2023, was an election and political transition year, as such they should make it a huge success by voting peacefully and avoiding anything capable of undermining the exercise.

    He assured that the Federal Government has put in place effective measures for the security of lives and property.

    The minister, however, said getting the desired peace requires all Nigerians to support the efforts of security agencies by providing timely and useful information that would assist them to discharge their duties effectively.

    He urged Nigerians to be security conscious at all times and report any suspicious persons or activities to nearest security agency and through the N-Alert application on Android and IOS.

    “When you see something, do N-Alert, as this would elicit prompt response from security agents,” he added.

    The celebration calls for spartan discipline to protect lives and properties of everyone in our community and the nation as a whole, he said.

    The minister advised Nigerians to celebrate moderately, act responsibly and refrain from spreading fake news on the country, the government and people around them.

    Aregbesola admonished all citizens to remain focused, assuring that  the 2023 would be a better year for everyone.

    He wished Nigerians happy Christmas, and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.

  • FG to replace prison officers that “cannot shoot to kill”

    FG to replace prison officers that “cannot shoot to kill”

    Rauf Aregbesola, the Minister of Interior, has ordered that the Nigerian Correctional Service should train or replace officers who ‘cannot shoot to kill’.

    Aregbesola gave the directive on Monday, December 5, while unveiling the new service logo and uniforms and the commissioning of new staff quarters, ICT infrastructure and operational vehicles at the Service headquarters.

    The Minister who rewarded twenty-five personnel who displayed gallantry to repel a bandits’ attack on a custodial facility in Niger State at the event, commended them for their act of gallantry. He also expressed dismay that some personnel in other custodial centres chickened out when faced with attacks by criminals.

    Aregbesola stated that the custodial centres are now red zones and personnel should shoot to kill whenever an intruder attempts an attack.

    He said;

    “Riffles are not for play, they’re meant to kill criminals. Any officer that cannot shoot to kill, any lilly-liver officer that cannot shoot on the head should be trained or replaced.

    “Criminals should not sustain injuries. Those people who cannot shoot to kill, if you don’t want to dismiss them, redeploy them to female prisons.

    “People who will be in maximum and medium custodial centres must be tough.

    “We’ve had too many embarrassing attacks and we must put a stop to it.”

    He also said that most of those wrecking havoc in the South-East region of the country are escapees from the custodial centres in Imo State.

    The Minister further added that anyone who tries to attack any custodial centre should pay the supreme price going forward.

  • OBAJANA: Dangote Cement Plant reopens after 10-day rift with Kogi State Government

    OBAJANA: Dangote Cement Plant reopens after 10-day rift with Kogi State Government

    After a 10-day disagreement between the Dangote Group and the Kogi State Government, the Dangote Cement Plant located in Obajana, Kogi State, has been reopened.

    Recall that the cement plant was closed by the Kogi State Government over issues bordering on the legality of the company’s acquisition of the defunct Obajana Cement Company.

    TheNewsGuru.com gathered that the development followed an order by the National Security Council on Friday directing the reopening of the cement plant.

    The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, told journalists that an agreement had been reached between the Dangote Group and the Kogi State Government on the need to reopen the factory while urging both parties to respect the agreement.

    In a series of statements by its Commissioner of Information, Kingsley Fanwo, the Kogi State Government had maintained that the acquisition of the cement plant by Africa’s richest man did not follow due process.

    The state government, backed by its House of Assembly, maintained that process involving the acquisition of the plant translated to asset-grabbing.

    On its part, Dangote Industries Limited, DIL, the parent company of Dangote Cement Plc had maintained that its acquisition of Obajana Cement Company followed due process.

    A statement by DIL insisted that Kogi State had no equity interest in Obajana Cement Plc.

    The statement noted that the plant and machinery were conceived, designed, procured, built, and paid for solely by DIL, well after it acquired the shares in Obajana Cement Company.

    The company further said that the land on which the Obajana Cement Plant is built was acquired solely by Dangote Industries Limited in 2003, and that taxes paid to Kogi Govt yearly since production commenced in 2007.

    The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, the Trade Union Congress, and the Shareholders Associations in Nigeria, had also waded into the conflict.

  • NIGERIA AT 62: FG declares Monday public holiday

    NIGERIA AT 62: FG declares Monday public holiday

    In line with marking the nation’s 62nd Independence Anniversary Celebration, the Federal Government has declared Monday, October 3, 2022, as a public holiday.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that this was made known by the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

    While making the declaration, the Minister congratulated all Nigerians on this year’s celebration and assures them of the government’s commitment to tackling all the challenges facing the nation and bringing smiles to the faces of all the people.

    In his words: “The world is going through dire economic and security challenges which have also affected our nation. However, I am assuring us all that the government will not abandon the people, but will continue to confront all these challenges with all the might at our disposal until respite comes our way.”

    Aregbesola reiterates the eminent position of Nigeria in the comity of nations and the greatness ahead of the country if we work hard at it as a people.

    “Our warmth, welcoming spirit and love as well as our unbounded human capital and the richness of our land, make Nigeria unarguably the leading black nation in the world and Africa’s pride and beacon of hope. If we can rally ourselves together to harness our potentials, we shall be the greatest nation on the earth.

    “A country of over 200 million people whose natural talents, grit and passion glitter like the precious diamond that we are; Nigerians are sparkling like diamonds in the pack, whether in the academia, science and technology, business, innovation, music, entertainment, fashion or culture” he said.

     

    The Minister admonished Nigerians to use the occasion of the celebration to reflect on the challenges facing the nation and the role individuals can play in addressing them. He urges Nigerians to work hard, shun any attraction to get rich through criminal and other immoral means, saying only through productivity can an individual and the nation create wealth and get rich.

    While wishing Nigerians a memorable independence celebration, he reminds them of the fact that our founding fathers, in spite of the differences in faith, tribe and tongue, still came together for Nigeria’s independence.

    “Though our nation is going through challenges, especially on security, these challenges are temporary and do not define us. We are defined by the greatness of the Nigerian people in our diversity, strength, ingenuity and resilience.

    “We shall overcome all the challenges. A time is coming when we shall look at this period in retrospect and give thanks to the Most High for the stormy waters we have waded through and the triumphs we have recorded over the challenges that look so huge and gargantuan today,”

    He, therefore, called on all Nigerians to join hands together with the Muhammadu Buhari Administration in its quest to ensure a better Nigeria for all citizens, both at home and abroad as this, he said, shall be a befitting tribute to our hero’s past.

    The minister urged Nigerians to shun violence of any kind and be security conscious, asking them to report any suspicious persons or activities to the nearest security agency and through the N-Alert application on Android and IOS, saying “when you see something do N-Alert for prompt response from security agents”

  • FG declares Monday as public holiday

    FG declares Monday as public holiday

    To commemorate the nation’s 62nd Independence Anniversary Celebration, the Federal Government has declared Monday the 3rd of October 2022, as public holiday.

    This was disclosed by Rauf Aregbesola, the Minister of Interior, who congratulated Nigerians on this year’s celebration and assures of government’s commitment to tackling all the challenges facing the nation and bring smiles to the faces of all the people.

    “The world is going through dire economic and security challenges which have also affected our nation. However, I am assuring us all that the government will not abandon the people, but will continue to confront all these challenges with all the might at our disposal until respite comes our way”, the Minister said.

    Ogbeni Aregbesola reiterates the eminent position of Nigeria in the comity of nations and the greatness ahead of the country if we work hard at it as a people.

    “Our warmth, welcoming spirit and love as well as our unbounded human capital and the richness of our land, make Nigeria unarguably the leading black nation in the world and Africa’s pride and beacon of hope. If we can rally ourselves together to harness our potentials, we shall be the greatest nation on the earth.

    “A country of over 200 million people whose natural talents, grit and passion glitter like the precious diamond that we are; Nigerians are sparkling like diamonds in the pack, whether in the academia, science and technology, business, innovation, music, entertainment, fashion or culture” Aregbesola said.

    The Minister admonishes Nigerians to use the occasion of the celebration to reflect on the challenges facing the nation and the role individuals can play in addressing them. He urges Nigerians to work hard, shun any attraction to get rich through criminal and other immoral means, saying only through productivity can an individual and the nation create wealth and get rich.

    While wishing Nigerians a memorable independence celebration, he reminds them of the fact that our founding fathers, in spite of the differences in faith, tribe and tongue, still came together for Nigeria’s independence.

    “Though our nation is going through challenges, especially on security, these challenges are temporary and do not define us. We are defined by the greatness of the Nigerian people in our diversity, strength, ingenuity and resilience.

    “We shall overcome all the challenges. A time is coming when we shall look at this period in retrospect and give thanks to the most high for the stormy waters we have waded through and the triumphs we have recorded over the challenges that look so huge and gargantuan today,”

    He therefore, called on all Nigerians to join hands together with the Muhammadu Buhari Administration in its quest to ensure a better Nigeria for all citizens, both at home and abroad as this, he said, shall be a befitting tribute to our heroes past.

    The minister urged Nigerians to shun violence of any kind and be security conscious, asking them to report any suspicious persons or activities to the nearest security agency and through the N-Alert application on Android and IOS, saying “when you see something do N-Alert for prompt response from security agents”