FocalPoint Reports

Nigerians are afraid of Police than criminals The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has declared that the 9th House is committed to overhauling policing in Nigeria. The Speaker stated that Nigerians are scared of police than criminals. Gbajabiamila stated this in his opening remarks at the resumption of the House following a two-month holiday. He commended the President for signing the police reform act into law. He added that the Nigeria Police force as presently constituted had failed to meet expectations of Nigerians. “Two weeks ago, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, signed the Police Reform Act into law. The Act is the first significant reform effort in a generation. It is the beginning and not the end of such measures. The Nigeria Police Force, as it currently operates, has too long and too often failed to meet the expectations of the Nigerian people. “In many parts of our country, people are more afraid of encounte...

Coalition of CSO's Protest: Israel Joe, Ogedebe, others Demands Immediate Reduction Of Petrol, Electricity Tariff A coalition of Civil Society groups in Delta State has called for immediate downward review of fuel and electricity tariff. Leaders of the Groups made the call on Monday in Effurun, Delta State.  Leader of the group, Comrade Isreal Joe, lamented the increase in electricity tariff and price of petrol, saying “it is a repressive policy that would put the wellbeing of the Nigerian people in jeopardy.”  He noted that in the current times, Nigerians have endured untold hardship occasioned by the advent of the novel Covid-19 pandemic. A development he said called for liberal government policies to lessen the suffering of the people, but not otherwise.  He also berates the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress for suspending its planned industrial action and protest over the increase in prices of petrol and electricity tariff. Barr. Omes Ogedeg...

Breaking: President Buhari to present 2021 budget next week President Muhammadu Buhari …As Senate confirms receipt of PIB President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari would next week present the 2021 budget estimates to a joint sitting of the National Assembly. Lawan made this known on Tuesday during plenary in a speech delivered to welcome lawmakers back from the Senate’s annual recess. The Senate President while commending the Joint Committee on Finance and National Planning for carrying out comprehensive legislative work on the 2020-2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper, stated that consideration of its report by the upper chamber would precede presentation of the 2021 budget estimates next week by the President. “The Joint committee will present it’s report to the Senate today for consideration. This is a precursor to the presentation of the 2021 Budget Estimates by the Executive Arm of Gove...

Buhari Orders Extension Of Itakpe-Warri Railway To Link South And North Before 2023 A section of the ITAKPE-AJAOKUTA-WARRI rail line. PHOTO: Twitter@toluogunlesi   President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday ordered that the newly commissioned Itakpe-Warri railway be extended to link with Abuja creating a direct line between the north and the south. The President said this should be achieved before the end of his tenure as President in May 2023. He gave the directive while virtually commissioning the 326km Itakpe Warri Railway and ancillary facility yard from the Conference Hall of the State House in Abuja. The President also directed that the railway stations be renamed after Nigerians who have contributed immensely to nation-building. President Buhari commended all who in the 33 years of its creation made the project a success urging host communities for the rail line to maximise the potential the rail line avails them. The Federal Ministry of Transportation tweeted on Monday ...

FG to unveil blueprint for economic diversification for Niger Delta Minister of state for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade AgbaBy Emmanuel Elebeke The federal government has begun the process of drafting policies and instruments to assist in the urgent diversification of the Niger Delta economy into agriculture. The plan is in collaboration with technocrats and development partners and backed by the Rome-based Agencies (RBAs): the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP). Declaring the stakeholders’ meeting open in Abuja, the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, said the region has more than oil to offer the country. He said that the initiative seeks to launch emergency agricultural intervention projects to quickly diversify the region and create jobs for the vast majority of youths who are without jobs. According to Agba, the move is a...

Delta LG Polls: Burutu will function without FG allocation under me ― Forteta Chairmanship hopeful for Burutu local government area of Delta State, Tamaraukuro Forteta, has promised to reposition the council if elected stressing that he will be anchoring his agenda on “Burutu beyond federal allocation” in the administration of the council. Forteta who is a youth leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP from the area, made the disclosure to newsmen yesterday following the conclusion of his consultation to leaders of the party in the area. Promising to reposition the council in the consolidation of achievements by leaders of the party in the area, he stated that amidst monthly allocations from the federal government, Burutu council will operate and function independently without waiting cap in hand for such allocations. Speaking on his confidence in emerging as council boss for the area, he hinted that though he has no political godfather, he is relying on God and the people of B...

NBS to begin business sample census October 12 The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS is to commence National Business Survey after 22 years. The statistician General of the Federation, Dr. Yemi Kale announced this on Monday while delivering a keynote address at the Training of Trainers for the National Business Sample Census (NBSC) 2020 in Abuja. Kale said the information emanating from the census activity would be primarily useful in understanding the nature and structure of the economy, as well as providing a sound business frame for the conduct of economic surveys in the country. The Business Census also known as an Economic Census is a statistical exercise that involves the enumeration of formal and informal business establishments across the country. During this process, commercial and industrial business operations in fixed locations would be listed with valuable information including the nature of the economic activity of the establishments, the number of employees they ...

Me celebrate Nigeria at 60? Sorry, no!!! Ozekhome Many Nigerians at home and abroad, including elder statesmen and women, rights activists, NGOs, journalists and social media czars, have severally called upon me in the last one week to comment on my personal feelings about “Nigeria at 60”. I had hitherto resisted this invitation, lest I painted a horrifically gloomy picture of despondency. However, because the questions will not stop cascading in like a torrential rainfall, I am now compelled to share my honest, but very modest, thoughts about Nigeria at 60. I am extremely sad about Nigeria at 60. Very, very sad indeed.Surely, a 60-year and above old man or woman, is already a senior citizen; a grandfather, or grandmother. I am one. This means such a man or woman has grown; or is at least, presumed to have grown, in maturity and development. But, I am sad that Nigeria, “our own dear native land” (words taken from the beautiful lyrics of the unfortunately di...

Yoruba will be at war for another 100 years if Nigeria breaks up – Akande Chief Bisi Akande, a former governor of Osun and pioneer Interim Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), has appealed to those agitating for Nigeria’s break-up to bury such thought. Akande made the appeal on Monday in Ibadan during the inauguration of a project owned by Chief Adebayo Adelabu, a former CBN deputy governor and APC governorship candidate in the 2019 elections. The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that Akande, alongside other prominent Nigerians, were in Ibadan for the 50th birthday anniversary of Adelabu. He said that allowing Yoruba to break away from Nigeria might lead to bloodshed and avoidable civil war that would further decimate the people. Akande called on those agitating for a Yoruba nation to bury the idea, saying the nation couldn’t afford to witness another war. “Those agitating for a Yoruba nation should have a rethink. This country must remain unite...

Forteta commends Okowa’s reappointment of Oritsewinor as EA Diaspora Affairs A Burutu local government area chairmanship hopeful on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Tamaraukuro Forteta, has applauded the governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa for reappointing Hon. Kelvin Oritsewinor Olu as Executive Assistance on Diaspora Affairs. Forteta in a statement on Tuesday, commended the governor for the appointment describing it as a strategic move anchored on the diaspora experience of Hon. Olu who he said will further enthrone the good governance agenda of the governor. According to Forteta, “Having performed exceptionally well in his first time in office, Governor Okowa in his usual style of rewarding good work with more assignment has reappointed him to finish what he started. “As a grassroots politician and chairmanship aspirant for Warri North local government area in the last council polls, he has contributed immensely to the growth and devel...

Just In: FG commissions Itakpe-Warri rail line All is now set in Agbor, Delta state for the official commissioning ceremony for commercial operation of the Itakpe-Warri rail line and railway ancillary facility yard by the federal government. President Muhammadu Buhari will preside over the commissioning and is expected to present a brief speech on zoom. Present at the Goodluck Jonathan Railway Complex, venue of the event, is a sea of heads drawn largely from officials of the Delta state government, Nigerian Railway Corporation and Federal Ministry of Transportation. Expected at the event is the Delta state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi amongst others. Details later…

Uduaghan Dumps APC, Returns To PDP Former Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan (file).   Former Governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan has today returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after dumping the All Progressives Congress (APC). Dr Uduaghan today officially made a return to his former party where he served as secretary to the government and governor for eight years. The former governor was received back into the PDP fold today at his ward, Aigborodo Ward 6, in Warri North Local Government Council of Delta State. Mr. Uduaghan told Channels Television that for several months now, he has been persuaded to return to the PDP. The former governor of Delta State defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in August of 2018. At the time, he said in a statement titled  ‘Moving On To The Bigger Playing Field’,  that he decided to join the ruling party because of the Muhammadu Buhari administrat...

Oil firms spill 3,346 barrels of crude oil in eight months ― Investigation •Cleanup, remediation of 66 spill incidents to cost N25trn — Expert •PCOVID-19 slows down firms’ response OIL and gas companies operating in Niger Delta spilled 3,346.94 barrels of crude oil, an equivalent of 532,078 litres, in eight months, from January to August 2020, according to data obtained from the National Oil Spill Detection Response Agency, NOSDRA. The agency established by the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Act of 2006 as an institutional framework to co-ordinate the implementation of the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP) for Nigeria, regularly embarks on Joint Investigation Visits and ensures the remediation of impacted sites. Breakdown A breakdown showed that the volume of oil spilled in the first eight months of 2020, represented a decline of 82.84 per cent, compared to 19,505.07 barrels of crude oil spilled in the same period in 2019. The value of crude oil s...

Corruption: Buhari vows to check `greed of a callous few’ President Muhammadu Buhari has stressed the need for all arms of government to deploy resources to address the common needs of all citizens rather than the greed of a callous few. The president made the call at the 2nd National Summit on Diminishing Corruption and launch of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy, organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in Abuja on Monday. The summit has the theme: “Together Against Corruption’’. According to him, the National Ethics and Integrity Policy project the government’s aspiration for the rediscovery of cherished traditional ethical values of honesty, integrity, hard work, truth, justice, unity, faith, and consideration for one another, irrespective of status or background. He reiterated his earlier call on the judiciary to undertake reforms that would fast-track the delivery of justice for the common good, adding that the nati...

Monday Whiskey, Media Coordinator of HOSCON Now Monarch In Delta   Monday Whiskey,Media Coordinator of HOSCON, a senior journalist and former South-South editor of National Daily Newspapers, Now a Monarch In Delta State. Prince Monday Obukowho Whiskey, has emerged the Ovie-elect of Idjerhe Kingdom in Ethiope West Local Government Area of the State Niger Delta today reports that almost two years after His Royal Majesty, Edward Igho Otadaferua, Erhiekevwe 1, joined his ancestors in 2018. The monarch-elect, HRM Monday Obukowho Whiskey, Udurhie l, was selected by kingmakers and installed as the new traditional ruler of the second largest Kingdom in Urhoboland on Monday after marathon of selection processes. There had been crisis in the kingdom since HRM, Erhiekevwe 1, whose reign lasted for 12 years. Udurhie 1, who had his first and second degrees in Mass Communication, is a current PhD student at the Delta State University, Abraka. He became the second journalist and edito...

JUST: FG, Labour Reach Agreement, Strike Suspended The  Federal Government  has reached an agreement with Labour unions in Nigeria over a nationwide strike proposed by the  Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) . FOCALPOINT  reports that the Federal Government and the Labour Unions reached an agreement at exactly 2:53 am on Monday, September 28, a tweet on the micro-blogging site, Twitter by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment,  Festus Keyamo (SAN)  revealed. According to the Minister, the agreement reached between the Federal Government and the Labour Unions means that deregulation will stay with the Federal Government rolling out palliatives for labour. The details of these palliatives, the minister said would be made known in the next two weeks. Keyamo also revealed the electricity tariffs has been suspended by government for 2 weeks with a joint Committee headed him (Keyamo) to examine the justification for the new policy. The Minister of State for ...

Delta LG elections will not hold January 2021 ― Okowa Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, on Sunday disclosed that the local government council elections in the state will not hold in January 2021 as being speculated. Okowa who stated this at a thanksgiving service advised aspirants to exercise restraint in their consultations and campaigns. He said: “Delta Council election is not coming up in January, so please you must all slow down and not waste your money before time.” The governor also urged Nigerians to support the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP back to power in 2023 to restore good governance, including infrastructural development in the country. According to him, the PDP would do everything possible with the support of Nigerians to win the 2023 presidential election. He said the party was working very hard to win more states in the country as a precursor to getting back control of the presidency which it lost in 2015. The Governor said with the abysmal performance of the All...

Erosion: Fear Grips Delta Ijaw Community  Begs Government For help As Community Maybe Wiped Out Soonest Lamments that James Manager, Nicholas Mutu's Representation Unimpactful  Palpable fear, tension and anxiety has enveloped residents of Abari Community in Patani Local Government Area of Delta State over erosion which poses grave threat to the community as over fifty houses has been wiped away into the river Niger. Abari is one of the Communities in Patani Local Government Area that is situated along the bank of the River Niger. Their major occupation is fishing, farming and trading. They are hand working people, peaceful and loving people among the Ijaws of Delta State. At the National Assembly, they are represented by one of the longest serving Senators in Nigeria, Senator James Manager and as well as one of the longest serving Honourable member in the house of representative, Hon. Nicholas Mutu. Both at different time has chairman the house committe...

Bear with us, suspend nationwide strike Lai Mohammed pleads with NLC Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture has pleaded with the Nigerian Labour Congress to call off its strike scheduled to take off on Monday September 28. The Minister who made the appeal while addressing online publishers in Lagos, said the increase in the price of fuel and electricity tariff will benefit ordinary Nigerians in the long run. He insisted that the timing of the increase in the petroleum and power sectors was a necessary coincidence and not a plan by the government to increase the current economic realities of Nigerians. Lai Mohammed also argued that despite the increase, Nigerians still pay less for fuel compared to neighbouring countries. Here is the full text of the Minister's Saturday briefing below;  TEXT OF THE BRIEFING BY THE HON. MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE, ALHAJI LAI MOHAMMED, DURING MEETING WITH ONLINE PUBLISHERS IN LAGOS ...