With the breath of fresh air ushered in by the new
administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, after a peaceful elections
and a successful handing over of power, Nigerians are expecting a
change that would lead to a better society within the duration of four
years.
President Buhari, INEC, unpaid workers’ salaries, First lady’s advice to those soliciting to see Mr. President as well as some eminent Nigerians that have declared war against cancer dominates the national dailies for Monday, June 15, 2015.
THISDAY reports that President Muhammadu Buhari has in an exclusive interview with ARISE News, a THISDAY sister television network, revealed that he is not in a hurry to appoint ministers to his cabinet, and wondered why there was so much anxiety over the makeup of his cabinet.
The President, who spoke on Sunday, June 14, after the dinner held for the heads of government attending the African Union (AU) summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, among other issues, also commented on the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as the Senate president. He tasked members of the National Assembly to sort out the division created from the election.
President Buhari on Sunday also ordered the release of $21 million (N4.16 billion) out of the $100 million pledged by Nigeria to the Multi-national Joint Task Force (MNJTF) set up by Nigeria, Republic of Benin, Cameroun, Chad and Niger against the terror group.
He gave the directive while chairing the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) meeting at the weekend in Johannesburg. He said the order, which is in response to the decision by the leaders of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and Benin in Abuja to quickly fund the MNJTF with not less than $30 million should be carried out in a week.
According to THE UNION, Independent National Electoral Commission may be facing serious issues of property grab as terminal date of the incumbent nears with lobby for extension. It was gathered that as some INEC’s leadership prepares to wind up its five-year tenure ending this month, some of its commissioners have allegedly engaged in a last-minute move to mop up public assets and converting same for private use.
Reports say while the Federal Government monetization policy is still operational, some national commissioners of the commission have devised a means to ensure private ownership of homes built for INEC staff in the Guzape District of Abuja as parting gifts. This is even as intense lobby has mounted for tenure renewal for top INEC officials, whose tenure would elapse by end of the month.
It is reported that INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega might have been nudged into extension scheme by commissioners as well as some political influence wielders from the northern part of the country. The lobbyists, it was gathered, are also dropping card readers and PVCs as bait, arguing that a change of guard at this time, might negatively affect future election as the card readers may be jettisoned.
Meanwhile, Mr. Nick Dazang, deputy director publicity and voters education for INEC denied knowledge of such move. While speaking on the justification for the last-minute foreign trips by the commission’s chairman and some officials, he said the essence was to share experience and better the Nigerian electoral process from the development so far.
Dazang said Jega and some INEC big shots went to Mexico on the invitation of the Mexican government to observe the elections, adding that the experience sharing would better the country’s electoral process.
VANGUARD investigations have revealed that huge expenditures on capital projects and sundry overhead are part of the reasons many state governments are unable to pay their workers’ salaries for some months now. Currently, no fewer than 18 state governments currently owe their workers’ salaries for periods ranging from two to 11 months as at the end of May, 2015. The affected states comprised Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Ekiti, Imo, Katsina, Kogi, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers and Zamfara.
It was gathered that the states pledged their federal allocations to contractors executing various capital projects by signing irrevocable payment orders with various banks. As a result, payments to contractors and other debt instruments are deducted at source and have become first line charge on their lean resources.
In response to the indebtedness of some states government, the Nigeria Labour Congress General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, on Sunday, June 14, said the body through the Transition Committee of the President has sent the names of state governments owing workers months of unpaid salaries and other benefits to President Muhammad Buhari for immediate action.
Moving away from the indebtedness in some states, THE NATION reports that Nigeria’s First Lady, Aidha Buhari, while speaking on Saturday night during an appreciation dinner at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in honour of All Progressives Congress women and youths, who played a major role in President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory in the March 28 election, warned influence peddlers never to collect money from people who want to see the President.
The first lady promised that Buhari’s administration would run an open government that would be a clear departure from what obtained in the former president Goodluck Jonathan’s administration when people were allegedly asked to pay money in foreign currency before they could see the President or his wife.
She, however, revealed that she did not take part in the campaigns of her husband in the first three times he contested and failed, noting that her active participation in the last electioneering made the difference. She further revealed that APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu encouraged her to play an active role in the Buhari campaign.
Meanwhile, some eminent Nigerians have declared war on cancer, which is not a respecter of any individual and usually responsible for several deaths. THE GUARDIAN reports that the nation-wide campaign for early detection and treatment of cancer on Sunday, June 14, got a boost as eminent Nigerians rallied behind the ‘Big War Against Cancer’ initiative. The initiative, led by the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) Nigeria, is raising funds for 37 Mobile Cancer Centres (MCCs), at N120 million each, to go round the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. It was reported that a total of about N4.44 billion would be required.
The eminent Nigerians, who gathered at Banquet of Stars Against Cancer (BOSAC) and celebration of Lagos State governor’s birthday in Lagos, said early detection and treatment services were critical to defeating the common enemy as well as to prevent over 240 cancer-related deaths daily in the country.
Notable Nigerians, who pledged their support to the project include; Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode; his Deputy, Dr. Idiat Adebule; Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III; Cardinal John Onaiyekan; Prof. Pat Utomi and Fola Adeola. Others are Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa; Amb. Christopher Kolade; Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Oscar Onyema; Publisher of The Guardian Newspapers, Maiden Ibru and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu among others.
Speaking also at the event, Dr. Abia Nzelu, executive secretary, CECP, said no fewer than 100,000 new cases of cancer are recorded in Nigeria yearly while 80,000 die as four out of every five cancer patients die in the country.
President Buhari, INEC, unpaid workers’ salaries, First lady’s advice to those soliciting to see Mr. President as well as some eminent Nigerians that have declared war against cancer dominates the national dailies for Monday, June 15, 2015.
THISDAY reports that President Muhammadu Buhari has in an exclusive interview with ARISE News, a THISDAY sister television network, revealed that he is not in a hurry to appoint ministers to his cabinet, and wondered why there was so much anxiety over the makeup of his cabinet.
The President, who spoke on Sunday, June 14, after the dinner held for the heads of government attending the African Union (AU) summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, among other issues, also commented on the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as the Senate president. He tasked members of the National Assembly to sort out the division created from the election.
President Buhari on Sunday also ordered the release of $21 million (N4.16 billion) out of the $100 million pledged by Nigeria to the Multi-national Joint Task Force (MNJTF) set up by Nigeria, Republic of Benin, Cameroun, Chad and Niger against the terror group.
He gave the directive while chairing the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) meeting at the weekend in Johannesburg. He said the order, which is in response to the decision by the leaders of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and Benin in Abuja to quickly fund the MNJTF with not less than $30 million should be carried out in a week.
According to THE UNION, Independent National Electoral Commission may be facing serious issues of property grab as terminal date of the incumbent nears with lobby for extension. It was gathered that as some INEC’s leadership prepares to wind up its five-year tenure ending this month, some of its commissioners have allegedly engaged in a last-minute move to mop up public assets and converting same for private use.
Reports say while the Federal Government monetization policy is still operational, some national commissioners of the commission have devised a means to ensure private ownership of homes built for INEC staff in the Guzape District of Abuja as parting gifts. This is even as intense lobby has mounted for tenure renewal for top INEC officials, whose tenure would elapse by end of the month.
It is reported that INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega might have been nudged into extension scheme by commissioners as well as some political influence wielders from the northern part of the country. The lobbyists, it was gathered, are also dropping card readers and PVCs as bait, arguing that a change of guard at this time, might negatively affect future election as the card readers may be jettisoned.
Meanwhile, Mr. Nick Dazang, deputy director publicity and voters education for INEC denied knowledge of such move. While speaking on the justification for the last-minute foreign trips by the commission’s chairman and some officials, he said the essence was to share experience and better the Nigerian electoral process from the development so far.
Dazang said Jega and some INEC big shots went to Mexico on the invitation of the Mexican government to observe the elections, adding that the experience sharing would better the country’s electoral process.
VANGUARD investigations have revealed that huge expenditures on capital projects and sundry overhead are part of the reasons many state governments are unable to pay their workers’ salaries for some months now. Currently, no fewer than 18 state governments currently owe their workers’ salaries for periods ranging from two to 11 months as at the end of May, 2015. The affected states comprised Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Ekiti, Imo, Katsina, Kogi, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers and Zamfara.
It was gathered that the states pledged their federal allocations to contractors executing various capital projects by signing irrevocable payment orders with various banks. As a result, payments to contractors and other debt instruments are deducted at source and have become first line charge on their lean resources.
In response to the indebtedness of some states government, the Nigeria Labour Congress General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, on Sunday, June 14, said the body through the Transition Committee of the President has sent the names of state governments owing workers months of unpaid salaries and other benefits to President Muhammad Buhari for immediate action.
Moving away from the indebtedness in some states, THE NATION reports that Nigeria’s First Lady, Aidha Buhari, while speaking on Saturday night during an appreciation dinner at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in honour of All Progressives Congress women and youths, who played a major role in President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory in the March 28 election, warned influence peddlers never to collect money from people who want to see the President.
The first lady promised that Buhari’s administration would run an open government that would be a clear departure from what obtained in the former president Goodluck Jonathan’s administration when people were allegedly asked to pay money in foreign currency before they could see the President or his wife.
She, however, revealed that she did not take part in the campaigns of her husband in the first three times he contested and failed, noting that her active participation in the last electioneering made the difference. She further revealed that APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu encouraged her to play an active role in the Buhari campaign.
Meanwhile, some eminent Nigerians have declared war on cancer, which is not a respecter of any individual and usually responsible for several deaths. THE GUARDIAN reports that the nation-wide campaign for early detection and treatment of cancer on Sunday, June 14, got a boost as eminent Nigerians rallied behind the ‘Big War Against Cancer’ initiative. The initiative, led by the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) Nigeria, is raising funds for 37 Mobile Cancer Centres (MCCs), at N120 million each, to go round the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. It was reported that a total of about N4.44 billion would be required.
The eminent Nigerians, who gathered at Banquet of Stars Against Cancer (BOSAC) and celebration of Lagos State governor’s birthday in Lagos, said early detection and treatment services were critical to defeating the common enemy as well as to prevent over 240 cancer-related deaths daily in the country.
Notable Nigerians, who pledged their support to the project include; Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode; his Deputy, Dr. Idiat Adebule; Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III; Cardinal John Onaiyekan; Prof. Pat Utomi and Fola Adeola. Others are Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa; Amb. Christopher Kolade; Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Oscar Onyema; Publisher of The Guardian Newspapers, Maiden Ibru and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu among others.
Speaking also at the event, Dr. Abia Nzelu, executive secretary, CECP, said no fewer than 100,000 new cases of cancer are recorded in Nigeria yearly while 80,000 die as four out of every five cancer patients die in the country.
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