By Ibironke Ariyo

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Rivers has uncovered a warehouse of compressed cannabis Sativa in Abuja Estate in Port Harcourt, Rivers.

The state Commander, Rachael Shelleng, who announced this in a statement on Sunday, said that officers of the agency stormed the cannabis warehouse in the early hours of Feb. 20.

Shelleng said that the operation resulted in the recovery of 23 bags of compressed blocks of cannabis Sativa, weighing 621 kilogrammes and 0.029kg of cocaine.

According to her, after evacuating the exhibits, officers proceeded to the slaughter area of Trans Amadi, in Port Harcourt metropolis where they also recovered 0.006kg of heroin and 0.048kg of methamphetamine.

“The seized cannabis Sativa has been estimated to have a street value of over N17 million.

“Three male suspects were apprehended in connection to the seizures and taken into custody for further investigation,’’ she said.

Shelleng said that both Abuja Estate and Slaughter areas of Port Harcourt have been identified as very notorious spots for illicit drug peddling.

She added that the agency would stop at nothing to ensure that the black spots and the entire state were sanitised of illicit drug menace.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the agency’s Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa directed the operatives across the country and special commands to intensify the heat and take the battle to the criminals’ hideouts.

“With the support of all stakeholders, this war is winnable.

“The arrest a few days ago in Lagos of a suspect who has been on the run for over 10 years confirms that the maxim of the new NDLEA, that the criminals can only run, they can’t hide, is working because we will smoke them out of their hiding places,’’ Marwa was quoted as saying.

By Gabriel Yough

The Taraba Chapter of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) on Monday, suspended its two-month strike.

Announcing the suspension at a news conference in Jalingo, the President of ARD, Dr Gabriel Ahmed, said the decision followed several meetings, dialogue and discussions with relevant stakeholders in the state.

Ahmed said the congress of the association agreed to suspend the strike and support efforts at curtailing the increasing cases of COVID-19 disease and Lassa fever within the state.

“Also, due to public outcry and appeal from well-meaning stakeholders and traditional rulers to consider the citizens and people of Taraba, the association deemed it fit to suspend the strike.

“Gov. Darius Ishaku has met some of the demands made by the association, while some of our demands are receiving attention.

“Based on the above premise, the strike action is hereby suspended with effect from 12:00 p.m. today, Feb. 22, 2021.

“All ARD members are hereby directed to report to their various stations by 8:00 a.m. tomorrow, Feb. 23,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the doctors had on Dec. 24, 2020 embarked on an indefinite strike action over Taraba Government’s inability to honour and implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in September 2020.

The strike was also declared over lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for doctors; lack of running cost to the secondary healthcare facilities; and non-implementation of 100 per cent adjusted Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).

Other demands of the doctors were skipping new minimum wage, non-payment of COVID-19 inducement and hazard allowance for all healthcare workers in the state.

They also include their demand for the commencement of internship training at State Specialist Hospital for Medical Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacist and Laboratory Scientists.

They were also demanding for adoption and implementation of medical residency training Act of 2017 to improve the quality of healthcare services to the people of the state, among others.

By Constance Athekame

Mr Kassim Abdullahi, the Executive Director, Generation, Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), says the firm is working to export power to Togo Republic through the Calabar Power Plant.

Abdullahi disclosed this in a statement signed by Mrs Olufunke Nwankwo, NDPHC’s Head, Communication and Public Relations on Monday in Abuja.

The statement followed an inspection of the Calabar Power Plant in Odukpani, Cross River State recently.

Abdullahi said that the company already had a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to supply 70 Megawatt (MW) of power to Togo, a West African nation from the power plant.

While stating that the firm was also in discussion to supply another 100MW to Paradise City in Calabar, he assured Nigerians of improved power supply through the eligible customer framework.

“This is the way to go; we are working tirelessly in getting more eligible customers to ensure that this available stranded power that we have in most of the power stations are dispatched.

“More especially, most of the power stations that we have in NDPHC today are limited in their operations because of the dispatch challenges.

“We are hardly doing the full capacity because of grid constraints but with the eligible customers framework we are able to commence some serious drive and engagements with willing buyers of our power,” he said.

Abdullahi said that the plant, wholly owned by NDPHC under the Nigerian National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) programme, had five units Gas Turbines with a total designed capacity of about 600MW.

He described the plant as one of the best amongst NDPHC plants with uninterruptible gas availability and a good dispatch network.

The executive director explained that the inspection was part of the routine maintenance done on all power stations.

He said when all three units are firing, Calabar power plant has a total capacity of 560MW available power for dispatch.

Also speaking, Mr John Oyewale, Chief Operating Officer of Calabar Power Plant explained that the plant had remained the best through the support of NDPHC management and the operation and maintenance team.

“Even though there are lots of challenges, we are able to surmount them because of the cooperation between NDPHC and us.

“With the experience we have gained over time from other power plants, we are able to keep the plant going because of the existing cooperation in the Operations and Maintenance team,” he said.

He thanked the company’s management for supporting the team, saying “each time we want something from them they quickly get it to us and allow us to progress”.

Oyewale said that at the time of the inspection when two units were working, the plant was sending 225MW to the national grid due to frequency control.

By Sumaila Ogbaje

Fierce battle between Abubakar Shekau-led Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has broken out in the terrorists’ camps leading to the killing of several of their fighters.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Yerima, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

Yerima said the incident which took place in a border area between Nigeria and the Niger Republic was revealed by Al Thabat, an al-Qaida affiliated media outfit.

He said that Al Thabat, in a statement, said Jama’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihad, commonly known as Boko Haram, killed ISWAP insurgents in the village of Sunawa on the Nigeria-Niger border.

According to him, the battle occurred after ISWAP abducted dozens of women linked to Boko Haram.

“The group subsequently attacked the ISWAP base and rescued the women.

“It will be recalled that ISWAP broke off from the Shekau led Boko Haram in 2016, and since then, a bitter war of attrition and violent confrontations between both factions have been recurrent.

“This incident has once again exposed the disorganised and disoriented nature of these criminals,” he said.

Yerima said that the Nigerian Army in recent operations continued to dismantle all logistics and operational bases of the insurgents along the Lake Chad Basin axis and Sambisa forest area.

He said the troops had in one of its operations in Sambisa forest discovered and destroyed Abubakar Shekau’ farm and rescued abducted victims.

“The Nigerian Army wishes to use this medium to reassure Nigerians of the determination of troops to clear the remnants terrorists out of the Nigerian territory,” he said.

By Emmanuel Mogbede

Mourning

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says it is deeply saddened by the fatal crash of a military aircraft, Beechcraft KingAir B350i, at Basa village near Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The party said this in a statement by Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, the
National Secretary of APC’s Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), on Sunday in Abuja, while reacting to the development.

APC said the unfortunate and fatal plane crash brought to fore the tireless work, sacrifices and hazards faced by armed forces and other security services in their daily efforts to keep the country safe.

“As directed by the Chief of Air Staff, we are confident of a quick and thorough investigation into the plane crash,” the party said.

It condoled with the Nigerian Air Force, particularly the families, loved ones and colleagues of the seven Air Force personnel that lost their lives in the crash following a reported engine failure.

The party prayed for the peaceful rest of the souls of those who died in the crash.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that all seven passengers on board the aircraft died in the ill fated crash.

By Rita Iliya/Obinna Unaeze

Gov. Abubakar Sani-Bello of Niger has received the 53 abducted passengers of the state-owned Niger State Transport Authority (NSTA).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor received the abducted passengers at the Government House, Minna, on Sunday at about 11:35 p.m.

NAN recalls that the NSTA passengers were seized by armed bandits in Rijau on Feb. 14.

The passengers were on their way to Minna but were intercepted at Kundu Village on Minna-Tegina Road in the Rafi Local Government Area.

The governor said that the victims were released by their abductors after thorough negotiations and consultations between the government and the suspected bandits.

“We thank God for helping us to secure their release. We went through one week of consultations and sleepless nights to secure their release,” he said.

He said that before they would rejoin their various families, the state government must ensure that they undergo a thorough medical checkup.

The released passengers were 20 women, nine children and 24 men.

NAN observed that the victims were all looking tired and hungry, as some of them could barely walk.

However, the governor said that the abducted 27 students of Government Science College, Kagara, were still in the hands of their captors, adding that effort was being intensified for their safe return.

He assured the residents of the state that very soon the government would secure their release.

By Joan Nwagwu

Federal Government will meet with state governors and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Thursday to find a solution to issue of right pricing for Premium Motor Spirit(PMS) in the country.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, said this while speaking with newsmen at the end of a meeting between the Federal Government and Organised Labour in Monday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting is continuation of the series of meetings held in 2020 in a bid to persuade labour unions from embarking on industrial action over the increase in the price of petrol and electricity.

Ngige said that the meeting with organised labour was peaceful and productive.

“As for the issue of the price of PMS, it is a work in progress. The governors are to discuss this on Thursday at the National Economic Council and hopefully there will be a way out of the situation,” he said.

He also said that both sides have resolved to allow more time in order to look into ways of tinkering with the template for fixing domestic fuel price.

Ngige said on the issue of electricity tariff that the report was well recieved by both sides and the committee was asked to continue further work on grey areas.

He said that the meeting with organised labour was adjourned till April, after the Easter celebration.

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Ayuba Wabba, said they were able to point out areas of the report on PMS pricing that labour was not in agreement with.

Wabba also said that labour maintained that it was not comfortable with the import pricing method that was adopted by the country.

“This means that we import 100 per cent of all the PMS used in the country, whereas we have refineries.

“The reports were presented and we pointed out areas that we are not comfortable with and also made some  suggestions which will form the basis of decisions on the matter,” he said.

The Federal Government had in November 2020 raised the depot price of petrol from N147.67 to N155.17 per litre, enforcing marketers to sell between 165 and 173 Naira per litre.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson kicked off the online G7 meeting on Friday with a call for a joint effort to defeat the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).

“We’ve got to make sure the whole world is vaccinated because this is a global pandemic and it’s  of no use one country being far ahead of another.

“we’ve got to move together,’’ he said, according to the Press Association news agency.

Vaccines must be distributed `at cost around the world, he said.

By Justina Auta

An NGO, Comfort Stream Aid Foundation (CSAF) on Friday in Abuja, distributed pocketbooks to individuals and groups on strategies to end Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).

Project Coordinator, CSAF, Theresa Anthony said the effort was in collaboration with the Coalition of Feminists for Social Change (COFEM).

According to her, the collaboration comprised  leaders, activists, practitioners, and academics working globally to end VAWG.

Anthony said the inauguration and distribution of pocketbooks to various groups will serve as resource material to support those working in humanitarian and development setting.

This, she noted was to articulate and implement approaches to addressing VAWG.

She said it would also empower them with skills to enable critical engagement with policy makers.

Anthony said that the pocketbooks would also provide a forum for connection, discussion, problem solving, mutual support and activism to advance women-centered strategies for ending VAWG.

“The pocketbook is about mechanism or a guideline that enables those working toward ending Gender Based Violence (GBV) on  how to go about women intervention programmes, advocacies, how to involve policy makers, how to identify and tackle issues.

“This book will help us to dig deeper to be able to respond to issues that has to do with women and children and intervene on GBV,’’ she said.

The coordinator added that it would also bring new possibilities to promote the rights of women and girls, elevate the dialogue on equal gender representation, policy reform and advocacy.

According to her, it will also collectively identify and implement strategies and actions to overcome the challenges feminist-informed efforts faced in addressing VAWG.

She attributed some of the causes of GBV to include,  discrimination against the female gender, inequality, culture and traditions.

She, therefore, stressed the need to encourage girl-child education, promote gender equality, involve men and other stakeholders in eliminating VAWG as well as ensure perpetrators of such acts were prosecuted according to the law.

One of the resource person, Lola Ibrahim, Founder, Women Against Violence and Exploitation (WAVE) Foundation, stressed the need to take advocacies on ending VAWG to the grassroots level, where VAWG and other harmful traditional practices were prevalent.

Ibrahim, represented by a member of the organisation, Miss Bidemi Adedire also harped on the need to enlighten women and girls on their human rights and the need to speak out where necessary.

A participant, Ene Jonathan, Global Integrity Crusade Network (GICN) attributed the increasing cases of GBV to cultural and traditional inhibitions that had restricted women and girls from speaking out when faced with such situations.

Jonathan called for more advocacies using the various media platforms, as well as partnering with traditional and religious leaders to eliminate the practice in the society.