Subsidy committee members arraigned over gratification

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Four members of the Presidential Committee on Fuel Subsidy Verification, who allegedly received gratification from the Integrated Oil and Gas Ltd., on Wednesday appeared in court on  three counts.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the committee members were arraigned  before  a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, along with three executives of the oil company, who allegedly offered them N1.5 million as gratification.

The committee members are: Buhari Ganiyu (37), Alalade Abioye (30), Oni Oluwanishola (34) and Chukwujekwu Akabueze, whose age was not stated. Alalade and Akabueze are women.

Those from the Integrated oil and gas are: the Managing Director, Anthony Ihenacho, 57; Assistant General Manager, Humphrey Nwosu, 44; and Financial Controller, Akinwusi Julius, 50.

The three of them are male.

All the defendants are standing trial for alleged conspiracy, offering and receiving of gratification.

They, however, pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor, SP Asuquo Effiong, said that the company executives, had on August 30 at the company’s office at Marine Road, Apapa, given the money to the committee as gratification.

He said that the committee members were being prosecuted for receiving the money in order to refrain from exercising their duties according to the rules.

Effiong said that the offences contravened Sections 409, 64, and 63 (1)(a)(b) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, 2011.The magistrate, Mr Martins Owumi, earlier turned down their bail application on personal recognition, and later granted each of them bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

He adjourned the case till November 10 for further hearing.

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Source : punchng[dot]com

FG to engage 1,500 workers in irrigation project

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The Federal Government will engage 1,500 workers through the Integrated Irrigation Dam Project in Eyekonrin-Araromi, Kwara, an official has said.

Managing Director of the Lower Niger River Basin Authority, Ilorin, Kwara State, Alhaji Abubakar Aduagba, announced this in Eyekonrin, Asa Local Government Area during the National Good Governance Tour to the project on Tuesday, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

Aduagba explained that the construction of the dam started in 2009 as constituency project of a member of House of Representatives, Mr. Ayo Adeseun, which was funded by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

According to him, the 1.3 cubic metre dam will also provide 5,000 gallons of water per day for the people living in the area.

He also said that the National Directorate of Employment took advantage of the project to build structure in the area to train graduates in farming and fishing.

“The dam, which was built by a local contractor, is now 100 per cent completed and the full irrigation processes will start next year.

“The NDE is also taking the advantage of the project to build their structure in this area to train people in farming, fishing among others,” he said.

He, however, noted that the dam would not be operated by the Federal Government but by individual farmers who would be formed into cooperative groups.

Aduagba told the inspection team led by the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, that the project cost was N630 million.

In another development, the Director-General of Michael Imoudu National Institute of Labour Studies, Ilorin, Dr. John Olanrewaju, said the Federal Government would spend N550 million on the construction of the institute.

Taking the team round the ongoing project in the institute during the tour, the director-general said N148 million had so far been spent on the construction of auditorium and road network.

Olanrewaju explained that the construction work in the institute would require N350 million while furniture and other facilities would take the rest amount.

He appreciated the Federal Government for accelerating development in the institute, saying that the institute, established in 1983, had suffered neglect in the past.

The director-general explained that the institute had now become a regional centre as labour unions across the West Africa were coming to the centre for trainings.

He commended the Federal Government for the support and lauded the state government for donating two blocks of hostel to the institute.

In his remarks, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Chukwuemeka Wogu, said that the accelerated effort given to the institute was more than contribution from the previous government.

He added that the effort had made the institute a foremost trade union centre in Africa.

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Source : punchng[dot]com