06112109

42—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019
Osinbajo for two-day biz clinic in Delta tomorrow
By Festus Ahon
A SABA—VICE
President Yemi
Osinbajo, accompanied by
delegates from over 25
agencies, will attend a twoday
business clinic for
micro, small and medium
entrepreneurs, MSMEs,
billed for November 6 and
7 in Asaba, Delta State,
which will attract over 1,500
participants.
By Ike Uchechukwu
CALABAR—NO fewer
than 500 science
teachers, yesterday,
blocked the office of
Governor Ben Ayade of
Cross River State,
demanding reinstatement
into service and payment of
their September and
October salaries.
Vanguard learned that the
affected teachers’ names
were allegedly removed
from the state government’s
payroll, even as it was
considered as sack in some
quarters.
Some of the affected
teachers, who carried
various placards with
inscriptions such as
“Reinstate our names into
payroll, we deserve better
treatment as nation
builders,” “Ayade: Don’t
take away our food,” among
others, prevented
movement in an out of the
governor’s office, during
the protest.
Teachers’ mouthpiece
Spokesperson of the
teachers, Mr. Henry Abu,
a teacher in Government
Girls Secondary School,
Biq-qua Town, Calabar,
Briefing newsmen on
behalf of the planning
committee, Chief Economic
Adviser to Governor Ifeanyi
Okowa, Mr. Kingsley Emu,
said Vice President
Osibanjo is expected as the
special guest, adding that
agencies being expected
include those involved in
facilitating the ease-ofdoing
business and
development finance
institutions.
He listed some of the
institutions as Central Bank
of Nigeria, CBN;
Standards Organisation of
Nigeria, SON, and Bank of
Industry, BoI, explaining
that they would display an
array of products.
Emu said over 95 percent
of businesses in Nigeria are
MSMEs, noting that the
clinic has become
imperative to address
challenges of access to
finance and institutions for
the
budding
entrepreneurs.
He said: “We hear loads
of money being voted by
development finance
institutions to be made
available to MSME, but
most of them can’t run
down.
“So these challenges are
what we believe the Vice
President and his team
should be able to address.”
DONATION: From left— National Welfare Secretary, Federal Government College Ugwolawo
Old Students Association, FGCUOSA, Grace Ikani; alumni and kidney transplant patient, Momoh Lawal;
President-General, Unity Schools Old Students Association, Mr Lawrence Wilbert; President, Lagos Chapter,
Chinedu Okoli, and, Director of Social, Helen Olowu, both of FGCUOSA, during the presentation of N4
million cheque to assist Lawal, at his Onike, Iwaya, Lagos residence, yesterday.
500 teachers block Gov Ayade’s
office over removal from payroll
•We’re fishing out ghost workers—Cross River govt
said 500 of them were
delisted from the state
government’s payroll in
September and to that effect
salaries of September and
October had not been paid.
He said: “We are out on
this protest today
(yesterday) because from
our investigations, we
found out that our names
were removed from the
payroll without due
process. It’s been two
months now and we have
not been paid. We have
families to feed and we have
to pay our children’s and
wards’ school fees.
“The governor promised
us food on the table, but as
it stands now we can’t even
feed from the crumbs. The
governor has betrayed our
confidence in him. We are
here to ask him to reinstate
us and pay us our two
months salaries arrears. 500
Science Teachers in the
state are affected by this
sack.”
Also speaking, Mr.
Asuquo Ita, an affected
teacher, said the
recruitment that brought
them to service was done
by an Indian firm, Educom,
in 2015.
He said former governor
of Cross River, Senator Liyel
Imoke, spent a lot of money
in the recruitment process
to ensure transparency and
quality of teachers
employed into the service.
His words: “How can an
interview that was done
transparently by an Indian
firm be faulted four years
after? The governor has
refused to tell us exactly
why he has refused to pay
us.
“What we are facing is an
issue of fraud and
conspiracy. The Special
Assistant on Payroll to the
Governor, Mr. John Odey,
is not competent and we
demand his immediate
sack.
“He claimed that they
were fishing out ghost
workers from payroll. If you
are fishing for ghost
workers, does it amount to
stopping salaries of 500
teacher?”
Govt’s reaction
Contacted, Special
Adviser Media and
Publicity to Governor
Ayade, Mr. Christian Ita,
told Vanguard on phone
that the governor was
doing a cleansing of the
state payroll in order to
delete ghost workers.
He said: “Nobody has
sacked them. Government
has realised that because
approval was given for
employment in some areas,
the people in charge
resorted to overemployment.
“Where 200 persons were
approved for employment,
the people saddled with the
responsibility recruited 700
staff. So nobody has been
sacked.
“Those whose
employment were
genuine have been given
letters for re-validation.
This means that those that
were genuinely employed
are to be restored back to
the payroll.”
‘Manager’s victory reflects
electorate’s choice’
By Onozure Dania
DEACON
Arede
Edeinmene,
Executive Assistant on
Political Matters to
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa
of Delta State has
congratulated Senator
James Manager, saying
his victory at the Appeal
Court was the true
reflection of the electoral
decision of Delta South
senatorial district’s voters.
Edeinmene described
the verdict of the appellate
court as good for
democracy and shown that
the court remains
undiluted and the last
hope of the common man.
The Okowa’s aide, who
spoke to journalists after
the court ruling in Warri,
also showered thanks on
Governor Okowa for his
support to Senator
Manager and all elected
National Assembly
members that have cases
at the appellate court.
Recall that Edo State
Court of Appeal, Monday,
upturned the decision of
the National Assembly
Election Tribunal, which
By Alermm Aliu
BENIN CITY— A
former Assistant
Inspector General of
Police, Ambrose
Aisabor(retd) has lashed
out at the leadership of
Myetti Allah Kautal Hore,
calling on the Federal
Government to arrest the
leader of the group for hate
speech and threatening
the integrity of the country.
Reacting to recent
comments by the leader of
the group that state
governments should
provide spaces and
modern facilities for
herdsmen to guarantee
peace, the former police
chief said such comments
amount to “subtle threat”
against the country.
He told Vanguard in
Benin City, Edo State,
yesterday: “National
nullified the senatorial
election in Delta South
won by Senator Manager
of Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP.
The tribunal, sitting in
Asaba, the state capital,
had nullified Manager’s
election in a petition filed
by former governor of
Delta State and
candidate of All
Progressives Congress,
APC, in Delta South, Dr.
Emmanuel Uduaghan.
In the ruling in
September, the tribunal
cancelled the election
and ordered Independent
National Electoral
Commission, INEC, to
conduct fresh poll in the
district within 30 days.
However, the Justice A.
Jauro-led appeal panel
in a judgement delivered
on Monday, set aside the
judgement of the
tribunal and affirmed
Senator Manager as the
authentic winner of the
election in Delta South.
The appellate court
dismissed the petition by
Uduaghan, urging it to
declare him winner of the
election.
Ex-AIG calls for arrest of Myetti
Allah leader over hate speech
President of Miyetti
Allah Kautal Hore must
be arrested for hate
speech.
“He was quoted
recently to have said
states could only enjoy
peace when land and
amenities are created for
herdsmen. This is hate
speech and a threat.
“Nigerians are waiting
for the Minister of
Information to act
decisively. He should not
treat some Nigerians as
sacred cows.
“Only states interested
in RUGA should be
encouraged. A word is
enough for the wise.
“This country belongs
to all of us and we have
existed as one for 59
years now. We survived
a Civil War; so no group
or individual can hold
Nigeria to ransom.”
‘NDDC audit too sensitive for interim mgt c'ttee’
By jimitota
onoyume
WARRI—A group, Ijaw
Human Rights
Monitor, has said the
forensic audit of the Niger
Delta Development
Commission, NDDC, is too
sensitive to be under the
supervision of an interim
management committee
“hurriedly set up under
questionable
circumstances.”
Coordinator, Ijaw
Human Rights Monitor,
Mr. Fred Brisibe, made the
observation yesterday in
Warri, Delta State, saying
President Muhammadu
Buhari should go ahead
and inaugurate the board
of the NDDC, following its
confirmation by the Senate.
Brisibe said the interim
committee of the
commission was creating
deep division across the
Niger Delta, adding that
many saw it as a move to
perpetuate fraud.
He added: “It is urgent,
therefore, for the President
to inaugurate the board,
which has already
undergone the required
process of screening and
approval of the Senate.”