11052021 - Insecurity: Bandits attack Katsina mosque, abduct 10

8 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021
:Vanguard
News
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INAUGURATION: From left —Minister of State for Transportation, Ms Gbemisola Saraki; Minister of Transportation,
Hon. Chibuike Amaechi and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, during the inauguration
of the Panel of Inquiry to investigate the activities of Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, from 2016 till date, in Abuja,
yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.
Amaechi inaugurates 11-man panel to
investigate NPA activities
...As Reps Minority caucus urges EFCC to probe
suspended MD, Bala Usman
By Dirisu Yakubu &
Tordue Salem
ABUJA — The Minister
of Transportation, Rotimi
Amaechi, yesterday inaugurated
an 11-man panel to
investigate the activities of Nigerian
Ports Authority, NPA,
from 2016 till date. The panel,
led by the Director, Maritime
Services of the Ministry
of Transporation, Mr. Suleiman
Auwalu, as chairman,
has the Director of Procurement,
Dr. Hussaini Adamu
and Director of , Transport
Planning and Coordination,
Mrs. Mercy Ilori as members.
Other members are Mr.
Muhiy-deen Awwal, Director,
Human Resources Management;
Mr. Gabriel Fan, Deputy
Director, Legal Services;
who is secretary of the panel;
Ben Omogo, Director, Organisation,
Design and Development;
Mrs. Blessing Azorbo,
Director, Legal Services; Mohammed
Usman, Director, Finance
and Accounting; Mohammed
Lawal Garba, Director,
Audit. Other members include
Mrs Rose Olaniyi, Deputy
Director, Administration;
and Dauda Ismail, Assistant
Director, Procurement.
Vanguard reports that on
May 6, President Muhammadu
Buhari approved the
recommendations of Amaechi
to set up an administrative
panel of inquiry to investigate
the management of the
NPA under the stewardship of
Bala-Usman.
Inaugurating the panel yesterday,
the Minister charged
the members to be diligent in
order to do a thorough job.
The committee’s terms of
reference include examining
and investigating the administrative
policies and strategies
adopted by NPA’s Managing
Director, Hadiza Usman,
and confirm compliance
with extant laws and rules
from 2016 till date.
Others include to “examine
and investigate issues leading
to the termination of other
contracts of NPA and confirm
compliance with the terms of
the respective contracts, court
ruling and presidential directives;
examine and investigate
compliance with communication
channel, as obtained in
the public service.
“Examine and investigate
the procurement of contracts
from 2016 to date; come up
with suggestions and advice
that would strengthen the operations
of NPA and forestall
such occurrences in future;
and any other matter that may
be necessary in the course of
the assignment.”
In his brief remarks, Amaechi
said the decision to take a
look at the books of the agency
was in furtherance of the
mandate of the ministry to
oversee the activities of agencies
and parastatals under its
supervision.
He said: “This is in the discharge
of our responsibility as
a ministry and I don’t see why
anybody is complaining.
What is wrong in looking at
what is happening in NPA? I
don’t see what is wrong in that.
As the Minister of Transportation
for four years, I hardly
know what is happening and
I want to know now.
“The President agrees with
me that it’s my responsibility
as minister to find out what is
going on. It worries me that
people are saying we should
not ask questions. Nobody has
been indicted. Can we know
what is going on in NPA?
That’s the question. If everything
is right, why do we have
to bother at the end of the day?
“When you have completed
your assignment, we will be
glad to pass on the report to
the President, but don’t forget
your assignment will include
activities of procurement and
its processes from 2016 till
date. “That is why you do not
have a time limit. So, it will
take you some time. You are
not auditing, but to find out
the processes. Please be diligent,
invite anybody you want
to invite, including the minister,
if there are infractions you
need me to clarify.’’
A source close to the minister
said there was no procedural
breach in asking Hadiza
to step aside for the investstigation
to commence. The
source said constitutionally,
the President has the power to
hire or fire any of his appointees
at any point in time.
According to him, the order
for her to setp aside was from
the President, not the minister.
According to Amaechi,
NPA is an agency that manages
maritime trading activities
in Nigeria which is expected
to generate huge resources
for the government to run the
country.
Also speaking, Minister of
State (Transportation), Senator
Gbemisola Saraki, said
the investigation was within
the purview of the ministry.
“This is why the ministry
supervises and part of that role
is looking, asking questions
and ensuring that things are
done with due process.
“For the panel, there is so
much noise, so it’s best you
block your ears. Keep your
head down and do what is in
the interest of the entire country,”
Saraki said.
Responding, chairman of
the committee, Suleiman Auwalu,
who doubles as Director
of Maritime Services of the
ministry, pledged the commitment
of other members to diligently
carry out the duties
assigned to them.
“I assure you that we are
going to work; we are going
to be honest and fair in the discharge
of this responsibility.
At the end of the day, we want
to turn up a report that will be
true and it will be in the interest
of the country. So, we are
seeking God’s guidance for us
to do the right thing at the right
time,” Auwalu said.
The 11-man committee is
made up of five directors from
the Ministry, while the remaining
six, including the cochairman,
Ben Omogo, are
drawn from the Office of the
Head of the Civil Service of
the Federation.
It would be recalled that
President Buhari last week,
directed Hadiza Bala-Usman
to step aside for the entire duration
of the investigation,
and directed Mohammed
Koko (Director, Finance and
Administration of NPA) to step
in in acting capacity.
Meanwhile, the Minority
caucus of the House of Representatives
has called for investigation
of the allegation
against the suspended managing
Director of Nigeria Ports
Authority, Hadiza Bala Usman.
The lawmakers described
as another sad commentary,
the controversy in the APC
admnistration. It, therefore
asked the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission,
EFCC, to immediately take in
the Managing Director and
commence a system-wide investigation,
with a view to prosecuting
her, if found wanting.
The caucus in a statement
signed by the Minority Leader
of the House of Representatives,
Ndudi Elumelu (PDP-
Delta) yesterday, insisted that
“such incident should not be
left to an administrative panel
of enquiry, but committed
to an anti-graft agency for independent
investigation.
The lawmakers expressed
concerns that by committing
the allegation to an administrative
panel, political manipulations
and partisan influences
had taken precedence
over what should have been a
system-wide investigation into
a monumental fraud.
The statement read: “Our
caucus holds that the mere
suspension of the Managing
Director of the NPA, Hadiza
Bala Usman, and the resort to
an administrative panel of
enquiry, even after the report
by the Supervising Minister of
Transport, Rotimi Amaechi,
exposed an unremitted operating
surplus of N165 billion,
amounts to romancing and
perfuming corruption. “The
Minority caucus also believes
that the recourse to an administrative,
instead of a full-scale
criminal investigation, can
only serve as decoy to shield
some other officials.
“This is because, apart from
the unremitted N165 billion
cited by the Minister, other
documents and reports from
the Office of the Auditor General
of the Federation had also
uncovered several other allegations,
including unremitted
deduction to Federal Inland
Revenue Service (FIRS)
amounting to N3,667,750,
470. $148,845, 745.04, Euro
4,891,449.50 and
£252,682.14.
“This is in addition to audit
query of N15.18 billion spent
on Corporate Social Responsibility,
CSR, projects/programmes
under the watch of
the suspended NPA Managing
Director. We imagine that
such resources if channelled
to the security sector and well
managed would have made a
world of difference in addressing
the problem of insecurity
in the country. ’The APC administration
had crippled the
national economy and
brought untold hardship and
suffering to Nigerians and
therefore demanded more
drastic step by anti-graft agencies
to recover the stolen funds
as well as prosecute all involved
in the looting spree..’’
Burglars raid Chief of Staff's
residence in Aso Rock
By Johnbosco
Agbakwuru
ABUJA—Burglars on the
early hours yesterday,
made an attempt to break into
the official residence of the
Chief of Staff to the President,
Professor Ibrahim Gambari,
around the Presidential Villa,
Abuja.
It was gathered that the men
of the underworld attempted
to break into the house at
about 3am on but were apparently
unsuccessful.
The Chief of Staff, Prof.
Gambari, confirmed the incident
to journalists covering the
Presidential Villa made enquiries.
But the Chief of Staff,
through the Senior Special
Assistant to the President on
Media and Publicity, Mallam
Garba Shehu, said there was
nothing to worry about.
The presidential aide was,
however, silent on whether any
arrest was made, given the level
of tight security network
around the residence.
Shehu in a text message last
night said: “The Chief of Staff,
2021 UTME: 845,517
registered so far, 38,886 for
Direct Entry — JAMB
By Joseph Erunke
ABUJA — A total of
845,517 candidates
have so far registered to sit for
the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation
Examination,
UTME, conducted by the
Joint Admissions and Matriculation
Board, JAMB.
Similarly,38,886 persons
have also registered for
JAMB’s Direct Entry for possible
admission into universities.
It would be recalled that
the 2021 UTME/DE is due to
close on May 15, 2021.
The board, which disclosed
this in its weekly news bulletin
yesterday, said the numbers
captured were as of Sunday,
May 9, 2021. It also disclosed
that mock examination
slips for its UTME could now
be printed out in preparation
for the exercise.
According to JAMB, the slip
contained candidates’ details
Uber jacks fares by 13% in
Lagos
By Juliet Umeh
LAGOS — Ride hailing
app, Uber said it has increased
the rate of its UberX
ride option by 13 percent in
Lagos.
The increase according to
the app takes effect today.
In an e-mail correspondent
to its drivers, the company
said: “At Uber, we remain
committed to providing a reliable
earning opportunity for
driver-partners, as well as a
reliable and affordable service
for riders. With this in
mind, starting 11th May
2021, we are increasing prices
on UberX by about 13 percent.”
The new billing structure
will affect both peak and offpeak
periods. It also reflects a
time-based pricing that enables
drivers to earn more at
certain periods during the day.
Uber highlights that Monday
08:00 am to 12:00 pm
and Tuesday from Friday
Professor Ibrahim Gambari
has confirmed that there ‘was
a foolish attempt’ to burgle his
residence at 3:00am this
morning but it turned out to
be unsuccessful.
“Professor Gambari, whose
house is on a street next to the
Villa has assured that there is
nothing to worry about from
the incident.”
Recall that an online newspaper,
The Gazette, had exclusively
reported that armed
men suspected to be robbers
had raided Gambari’s residence.
The report claimed that the
robbers also raided the residence
of the CoS’ Admin Officer.
It said, among others:
“Armed men suspected to be
robbers invaded the residences
of two senior aides to President
Muhammadu Buhari
inside the precinct of the Presidential
Villa, administration
officials and security sources
have told Peoples Gazette, raising
fears that the rising insecurity
across the country was
drawing closer to the elite than
previously estimated.
such as registration number
and the centre to which they
are to sit for the examination
within their chosen examination
town.
In the bulletin released by
its Head of Media and Protocol,
Dr Fabian Benjamin,
JAMB said: “Candidates who
had registered for the 2021
Unified Tertiary Matriculation
Examination and indicated
interest to sit for the optional
mock examination are to
print their mock notification
slips from Sunday, May 9.
“This is in preparation for
the mock examination scheduled
for Thursday, May 20.
The optional mock notification
slips can be printed from
anywhere candidates find to
be convenient, provided they
have access to the internet.
“Candidates are to visit
https://www.jamb.gov.ng
then click on e-facility and
print their slips,” it an
05:00 am to 12:00 pm riders
will pay a minimum fare of
N538 and base fare of N237.
This translates to a kilometre
fare of N70 and per minute
fare of N12. Other time periods
include a minimum fare
of N575; base fare: N255; Per
kilometre fare: N75 and Perminute
fare: N12.5.
Uber first launched in Lagos,
in 2014, and changed the
way people in the metropolitan
city move around.
Shortly after it launched in
Lagos, it also debuted in Abuja
and then in Benin City in
July 2019.
In September 2019, the ride
hailing app was also to leverage
on the massive patronage
it enjoyed in those cities, to
announced plans to launch
UberBus, a public bus system
in Lagos and also UberBOAT,
a boat taxi service in partnership
with Texas Connection
Ferries, a Lagos-based ferry
transportation service, and the
Lagos State Waterways Authority,
LASWA.