Govt; All Civil Servants involved in Pension fraud will be prosecuted accordingly
Govt; All Civil Servants involved in Pension fraud will be prosecuted accordingly
Govt; All Civil Servants involved in Pension fraud will be prosecuted accordingly
Gov. Alex Otti has vowed that anybody implicated in the mismanagement or theft of pension funds in the state will face prosecution.
Otti made the remark during the November edition of the monthly chat with the media at the Government House, Umuahia on Thursday night.
He said that recent investigations revealed that some civil servants were involved in pension fraud.
He said that the government would work diligently to investigate and hold accountable anyone involved in pension fraud as part of the efforts to sanitise the civil service.
“I am sure you would have heard some reports about some civil servants who were involved in pension fraud.
“We have zero tolerance for corruption, once we got convincing information we had to arrest the people involved.
“Coincidentally, the opposition went on air to castigate the government.
“My question is somebody stole and I arrested him and you went to press to say that I shouldn’t arrest a thief, that means you are a thief yourself.
“I think we have responded to them and we are continuing with their prosecution,” Otti said.
He said that he received a report of the investigation from the security agency handling the matter and authorised that the perpetrators should be arraigned in the next few days.
On health, he said that the government would soon commence the rehabilitation of the Primary Healthcare Centers (PHC) in the state to improve access to quality healthcare services.
“I have just signed off the reconstruction of about 200 primary healthcare centers in the three senatorial districts and 17 Local Government Areas.
“If you look around you will see that work would start in the PHCs.
“When we are done with the approved 200, we would move to the next 200, until we have touched every primary healthcare center,” the governor said.
He further said that the government had commenced the rehabilitation of 22 secondary healthcare centers across the state.
According to him, government was making serious efforts to attract the right personnel to work in the state-owned health facilities and pay competitive compensation package to all of them.
Otti also spoke on road construction, saying that contract had been awarded for the reconstruction of some roads to further drive socioeconomic development in the state.
He listed the roads to include the 5.5-km Onuimo-Abia Tower Road, 29-km Onuinyang-Okporoenyi-Oboro-Ikwuano Road, 11.5-km Ntigha-Mbawsi-Umuala Road and 11.1-km Obehie-Umudobia-Owaza Road.
Other roads are the.11.7-km Mbala-Umuaku-Ngodo Road, Umuogo-Nsukwe Ring Road,13-km Ohanze-Ntighauzo-Obete-Umuoha-Obende-Akirikaobo Road and 6.92-km Umuopara Ring Road.
On agriculture, he said that he had approved the disbursement of funds to the 300 Abia youths sponsored by the government for training on improved agricultural practices.
“I have just given instructions that the funds we approved for them be released to them so that they can hit the ground running,” Otti said.
He affirmed his administration’s commitment to infrastructure development and capacity building in order to enhance growth in the various sectors of the state’s economy.
On economy, Otti said that the government had made significant improvements in enhancing the ease of doing business in the state.
“The National Bureau of Statistics published a report that showed that our state came from number 27 in terms of attraction of foreign investment to number three out of 37, immediately following Lagos and Abuja.
“We think between June 2023 and June 2024, our state attracted almost $150.9 million to place 3rd.
“We have always said that foreign investment as a matter of fact is not emotional but rational, so investment and investors don’t listen to platitudes they look at action,” he said.
Otti expressed his determination to continually work toward creating an enabling environment that will make Abia to remain a choice destination for investors. (NAN)
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JUST IN; Oyo Governor, Makinde names Olubadan as Chairman Oyo Council of Obas
JUST IN; Oyo Governor, Makinde names Olubadan as Chairman Oyo Council of Obas
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has inaugurated the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, declaring that the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, will be heading the council for a period of 2 years.
The declaration follows the passing of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs (Further Amendments) Bill, 2025, by the state House of Assembly, and the signing of the same into law by the governor.
Recall that the lawmakers had amended Clause 5 of Section 28 of the Chieftaincy Law to make the Council chairmanship rotational among the Alaafin of Oyo, the Soun of Ogbomoso, and the Olubadan of Ibadanland.
While inaugurating the Council, Governor Makinde said he had consulted with the trio of the Alaafin, the Olubadan and the Soun, with the three of them reaching a consensus that the chairmanship should start with the Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty Oba Rashidi Ladoja.
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NPF committed to community policing, says IGP Egbetokun
NPF committed to community policing, says IGP Egbetokun
The Inspector General of Police (I-GP), Dr Kayode Egbetokun, has assured that the police remained committed to community policing to ensure that criminals were drastically reduced in the country.
The I-GP, who was represented by the Assistant Inspector of Police ( AIG) Zone 17, Dr Ajani Musibau, stated this at the Police Community Relations Committee ( PCRC) National Leadership Training and Conference on Thursday in Akure.
The theme of the conference is: “Inclusivity and Diversity: the New Leadership Paradigm.”
He said that security could not be achieved by only the police, but with the support from the community.
The I-GP stated that security was a joint work and responsibility of all, commending the current leadership of the Nigeria Police for a paradigm shift towards modern policing.
Also, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, Mr Adebowale Lawal, said that bandits could not infiltrate the state due to community policing strategy embraced by the command.
He explained that bandits would have infiltrated the state through Kogi and Edo, but intelligence reports from members of PCRC had been a great help to the police command.
According to him, the support and logistics received from the Inspector General of Police, Dr Kayode Egbetokun and Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa had also motivated police personnel to work earnestly.
He said that effective community policing was a sure way to curb activities of criminals, and implored members of the public not to relent in their efforts to provide police and other security agencies with useful information.
Lawal also commended other conventional security agencies, forest guards and vigilantes for their support to the police in fighting bandits
In his remarks, the National Chairman of PCRC, Alhaji Ibrahim Mogaji said that the conference was to strengthen leaders of PCRC in the South-West zone and encourage them to redouble their efforts and support in fighting crimes.
According to Mogaji, the occasion also enabled the association to appreciate Gov. Aiyedatiwa, I-GP, the AIG Zone 17 and the state Commissioner of Police.
He advised the participants to moblise other members of PCRC and orientate them on their roles to continue to fight crime in the country.
The PCRC national chairman asked Nigerians to respect the dignity of police and to be civil when interacting with them.
Mogaji said that the leadership training would be replicated in other geo-political zones of the country.
Also, Aiyedatiwa, represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Security, Mr Gbenga Atiba, commended the PCRC , AIG Zone 17, and the Commissioner of Police for their unrelenting efforts to guarantee peace across the state.
Aiyedatiwa promised that the state government would give PCRC attention and continue to support police and other security agencies with appropriate logistics that would make policing more effective.
A guest lecturer, Comrade Yinka Folarin asked members of the public to give respect and dignity to members of the police, saying that they also had rights that must be respected.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PCRC honoured Gov. Aiyedatiwa, AIG Zone 17 and the Commissioner of Police with awards. (NAN)
News
Increase salary, welfare packages for Police other security personnel – FG told
Increase salary, welfare packages for Police other security personnel – FG told
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for improved welfare packages for armed forces personnel and all members of the security and intelligence community to aid their effectiveness and efficiency.
National Chairman of PDP, Tanimu Turaki, made the call in a statement in Abuja on Thursday to mark the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day.
Turaki also urged the Federal Government to adequately fund security agencies to effectively neutralise those he described as agents of insecurity, and restore peace to the country.
He expressed PDP’s condolences to the families of members of the armed forces who died in active service while executing their mandate of protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
“On a day like this, we acknowledge that they paid the supreme price for the continuous existence of our country.
“We advise all actors, whether state or non-state, not to engage in actions capable of destabilising the country.
“In honour of those who have died to keep our country safe, we pray that their deaths may not be in vain and their labours not forgotten,” Turaki said.(NAN)
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