President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said Nigerian women would continue to have pride of place in his administration.

He said this at State House, Abuja, while receiving in audience the Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Winnie Byanyima.

“Women hold strategic positions in this administration. The Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning is headed by a woman.

“The Civil Service of the Federation is headed by a woman. And many others like that. We will continue to do our best to empower our women,” President Buhari said.

The president said Nigeria had lost good opportunities for infrastructure renewal.

He, however, said that “we can’t continue to cry over spilt milk. We are now doing our best in concert with some developed countries.”

The UNAIDS Executive Director described Buhari as “a Nigerian and African hero,” stating that exploits by Nigeria in the control of the COVID-19 pandemic and HIV/AIDS are quite commendable.

“I salute your leadership in Nigeria and Africa. It is very robust. I praise you for it,” Byanyima added.

The Senate, on Wednesday, passed for second reading, a bill seeking to establish the National University of Health and Medical Sciences in Suleja, Niger State.

In his lead debate, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), who sponsored the bill, said the establishment of the institution had become imperative to create more access to higher health and medical studies in view of the large number of qualified candidates, who are annually stranded in their failed attempt in gaining admission into higher institutions in the state.

He said the establishment of the National University of Health and Medical Sciences would encourage the advancement of learning, as well as develop and offer academic and professional programmes leading to the award of diplomas, first degrees, postgraduate research and higher degrees with an emphasis on planning, adaptive, technical, maintenance, developmental and productive skills in the field of Medicine, biomedical engineering, scientific, and allied professional disciplines relating to health resources.

The Deputy Whip, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC, Niger North), said the establishment of the institution would address the dearth of health professionals, and provide an opportunity for students who choose to specialize in the area of medical sciences.

He added that the University, when established, would “remove the frustrations of young Nigerians”, emphasizing that “this type of university is long overdue.”

The bill, after scaling the second reading, was referred to the Committee on Health for further legislative inputs.

Similarly, the Senate also considered a bill seeking to amend the University Teaching Hospitals (Reconstitution of Boards) Act 1985, to accommodate the Federal University of Lafia Teaching Hospital.

The University Teaching Hospitals (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which scaled second reading during plenary, was sponsored by Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura (APC, Nasarawa South).

Al-Makura noted that the inclusion of Lafia Teaching Hospital in the Principal Act was to give full recognition to the hospital.

According to the lawmaker, the proposed amendment when passed, would complete all the required legislative enactments to bring the Federal University Lafia Teaching Hospital into full operation.

“I wish to state that in compliance with Order 77(3) of the Senate Standing Orders, 2015 as amended, this bill when passed will have no immediate financial burden on the Federal Government treasury as the facilities for the immediate takeoff of the proposed Teaching Hospital for the Federal University, Lafia and its Management Board have been donated by the Nasarawa State Government,” Al-Makura added.

Also, the Red Chamber passed for second reading a bill seeking to revive an international hospital that would specifically focus on the treatment of leprosy, skin cancer and other skin related diseases.

The National Dermatology (Specialist) Hospital Bill, 2021 was sponsored by Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed (APC, Adamawa Central).

Leading debate on the bill, the lawmaker recalled that as far back as 1929, an International Hospital was established in Garkida, Adamawa State by the Church of the Brethren Mission (USA) for treatment of leprosy and other illnesses.

The lawmaker, however, lamented that 92 years after, “this noble work of providing tertiary health care at the reach of the common man was neglected and allowed to decay in vigor and extent, thereby became weak and inconsequential.”

Ahmed bemoaned the fact that the existing international tertiary dermatology hospital in Garkida Adamawa State has been conspicuously left out in the federal government’s drive to provide tertiary health care services to Nigerians.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday re-arraigned embattled Judge of the Federal High Court Lagos, Rita Ajumogobia, on allegations of money laundering.

The agency applied before the re-arraignment to withdraw the name of Godwin Obla, a senior advocate of Nigeria, changed alongside Ajumogobia.

Ajumogobia becomes the sole defendant in the amended 15-count charge of money laundering and breach of public trust.

She pleaded not guilty.

EFCC has applied for a trial date to calls its witnesses.

The court has ruled Ajumogobia will continue on conditions of an earlier bail granted.

A trial will continue on April 21 and 28.

EFCC had on April 18, 2019, arraigned Ajumogobia before Justice Aikawa on an 18-count charge, bordering on breach of trust, false statement and unlawful enrichment

According to the amended charge, the defendant was alleged to have committed the offence on or about July 11, 2014 in Lagos

The prosecution accuses the defendant of indirectly concealing the total sum of N12 million in the Ciamond Bank account of Nigel & Colive Ltd opened and operated by her.

According to the commission, the defendant ought reasonably to have known that the money forms part of proceeds of an unlawful act of criminal breach of trust.

Mr Nkem Timothy, who was arrested with a substance suspected to be cocaine, said he was offered the sum of N500,000 to deliver the ‘stuff’ in Algeria.

In an interview with newsmen in Sokoto, he said he was introduced into the business by a friend.

“It was a friend of mine that we were living together in Algeria that offered me the money to deliver the stuff for him.

“This was not my business to start with. I was selling leather jackets and ladies’ shoes and bags.

“When I get to Algeria I buy them, come back to Nigeria, sell, collect my money and go back.

“He was just like mocking me that I am not getting anything.

“So, we met at a wedding party in Nigeria. He told me that if I will be able to take it [the substance] to Algeria, he would give me N500,000.

“He asked if he can go with me, I said no because at that time I have not collected my balance.

“He then left for Algeria about two weeks ago.

“So, that is how it happened. I don’t want to go further, please,” Timothy said.

The arrest

The acting Commander of the Sokoto Command of the National Drugs Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr Amos S. Bamidele, said on the 25th of February, 2021 at about 5:15 pm men attached to the Illela border, intercepted one Nkem Timothy who tried to smuggle cocaine into the Niger Republic on a motorcycle.

“His bag was searched and two bottles of Yoghurt were found inside the bag.

“Inside those two bottles, 62 wraps of substance suspected to be cocaine that weight 1.550 kilograms were concealed.

“Curious search into other luggage led to the discovery of an ECOWAS passport.

“The name on that passport read ‘Auwalu Audu’ but his real name is Nkem Timothy.

“I think he did this so that he would be allowed to live in Algeria because he is based there.

“His story was that he travelled home, met someone through whom he got the substance, which he was taking back to his base, Algeria.

“We have commenced an investigation. After the investigation, we will take the next step that is required by law and our regulations,’ Bamidele said.

He added that this was the first time a suspected cocaine trafficker was arrested in the state in recent years.

“This is an eye-opener because it has helped us a lot to beef up our presence in that place so that not even a pin will go through henceforth,” he noted.

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has donated a 30-hectare land for the proposed Air Traffic School to immortalise the former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Nsikak Eduok.

The Governor presented a Certificate of Occupancy for the property to the Chief of Air Staff, Isiaka Amoo while on a condolence visit over the demise of the former Airforce Chief, Air Marshal Nsikak Eduok.

Emmanuel declared the readiness of the state government to strengthen its partnership with the Nigerian military in its training and logistics needs.

He disclosed that the terminal building under construction in the state-owned airport once completed will offer an in-country Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) facility that would support the training facility without need for foreign exchange.

According to him, “our major gateways of development are at advanced stage. Our road network is one of the best in the whole country. Talk about air, our airport has an upgraded category two runway that can still take commercial flights even in bad weather.

“By the time we finish our terminal building, it will have no rival in Africa. Even our taxiway is built as a proper runway so it can serve anytime we want to resurface the main runway. So you can’t have air training school anywhere in this country better than in Akwa Ibom.

“We have a lot in terms of infrastructure that we can partner. Our MRO will soon be ready, so flying your aircrafts abroad for servicing will no more be fanciful. Pay us naira, use our facilities and you save your foreign exchange”.

Governor Emmanuel appealed to the Chief of Air Staff and other military chiefs to improve on the quota allocated to Akwa Ibom people for recruitment into the Nigerian Air Force and other military services in the country.

Speaking at Ibom Hall Ground in Uyo during the funeral service of Late former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Nsikak Eduok(Rtd), Governor Emmanuel said with the renowned sterling attributes of Akwa Ibom, the indigenes should be given more opportunities in the military services in the country.

“I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the Chief of Air staff that every year you advertise, our people apply in numbers. Please we will use this occasion to solicit for a larger percentage of our people in the Armed Forces,” he said.

He bemoaned a situation where only nine people were considered from the state, despite the hundreds of brilliant young people who applied for recruitment into the service from his state. He expressed deep grief over the demise of the late Air Marshal Eduok, whom he described as a trial-blazer, an epitome of courage and a decorated Air Force Officer who will be greatly missed by all.

“I stand here today filled with a deep sense of loss and grief on behalf of the Government and the good people of Akwa Ibom State, to bid farewell to a quintessential Nigerian patriot, a trail-blazer, an epitome of courage and bravery, a decorated Air Force Officer and above all, a husband, father and a devout Christian the Late Air Marshall Nsikak Eduok”, he stated.

The governor eulogized the sterling characteristics of honesty, transparency, integrity and inspiring ideals and innovations the late Air Force Officer brought to bear in the course of his career where he rose to the pinnacle of the service.

The Governor thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, for sending his condolences to the family of late Air Marshall Nsikak Eduok, and also used the occasion to condole with the families of the Airforce officers who lost their lives in the recent plane crash near the Abuja Airport and congratulated the new Airforce Chief on his elevation and prayed that his efforts in curbing insecurity in the various parts of the country yield results.

In an earlier remark, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Amao, thanked the Governor for the warm reception accorded him, the logistics support given for the burial of late Air Marshall Nsikak Eduok and for the C of O allocating 30 hectares of land for the Air Traffic School in the state.

He admitted that the state is the best location for the establishment of the Air Training School.

He assured the state government that the Nigerian Airforce will expedite action towards the establishment of the school.

He described late Nsikak Eduok as his personal mentor, and a role model to both serving and retired Air Force officers, saying, “he was a mentor to so many of us both serving and retired and changed the landscape of the service”

There seems to be no end in sight to the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-West over the forthcoming zonal congress, Daily Trust Saturday reports.

The party has been polarised following vested interests of the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde and a former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose over who becomes the next zonal chairman of the party.

The zonal congress has been postponed several times before the March 6 date was fixed, but the Makinde bloc is raising the alarm over an attempt to postpone the congress again.

The group said the party may sink deeper in crisis if the NWC colludes with some “reactionary elements” in the party to postpone the election.

Our correspondent learnt that there is a move by some stakeholders of the party to file a court case to stop the congress as division deepens over who becomes the national vice chairman, South-West.

Also, yesterday, another group of stakeholders in the zone, under the aegis of “PDP Collectives” warned that the party might be treading a path of “self-destruction” by postponing the South-West zonal congress scheduled for March 6.

The chairman of the ‘PDP Collectives,’ Professor Tejumade Akitoye-Rhodes, said the postponement would be “totally unacceptable.”

When contacted, the national publicity secretary of the party, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, asked the stakeholders to await a final decision, saying it would be communicated to them soon.

At least, two soldiers were killed and dozen travelers, including a newly-wed bride and her friends, were abducted in separate attacks launched by suspected insurgents along the Maiduguri/Damaturu highway on Friday.

According to sources, the insurgents ambushed commercial vehicles plying the highway yesterday afternoon and forced many passengers into the forests.

Daily Trust Saturday learnt that the abductions took place between Mainok and Jakana axis in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State, around 3:30 pm.

According to a family source, only an elderly woman was left with instructions that the others have been kidnapped by the insurgents.

The source were in grief over the incident, saying all the passengers in the three vehicles who accompanied the bride to Damaturu had been forcefully taken away.

Similarly, suspected insurgents attacked a troop stationed between Mainok and Benisheik in the Kaga LGA and killed two soldiers in the process.

A security source who confirmed the incident, said the other soldiers were yet to report to their stations.

“We lost two soldiers and their hilux vehicle had been carted away with ammunition”, he said.

Cattle and Foodstuff dealers under the aegis of Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria (AUFCDN), will today commence nationwide strike following the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum given to the federal government to attend to their demands.

AUFCDN, an affiliate of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) had on Sunday at a press briefing said the union was demanding protection of its members, payment of N475 billion compensation for lives of members and properties lost during the #EndSARS protest and Shasa market chaos.

The union also demanded that the government should order dismantling of all road blocks on federal highways due to problems its members get subjected to when carrying out their duties.

The Grand Matron of AUFCDN, Hajia Hauwa Kabir Usman, while giving an update during an interview with our correspondent, warned the police not to disturb task force of the union who will carry out enforcement of the strike by ensuring that no food and cattle were moved from North to the South.

Usman said, “The leadership of the union has already made a strong plan to ensure that all our exits (our borders) between the Northern and Southern part are closed.

“Every truck that will go out has to be checked. If you carry any food or cattle, you cannot take it out except you take it back or be destroyed there. None of the security agents should dare intimate our task force members because if they do, we will fight it legally.”

Usman vowed that the union would not compromise until the federal government attended to their demands, saying they had earlier given a 21-day ultimatum without any response from the government.

Civil servants working at Aguyi Ironsi area of Maitama in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, were on Wednesday morning stranded following picketing of the headquarters of Corporate Affairs Commission by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

The protesters, led by NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, were in solidarity with the staff of CAC under the aegis of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), who had accused the commission’s Registrar-General, Garba Abubakar, of stalling their promotion.

Our correspondent reports that the entrance and exits of the building were blocked as early as 8:00 am by the visibly angry protesters – a development that also restricted vehicular movement.

They insisted that they would paralyse the activities of the Commission for three days.

Addressing newsmen at the protest ground, Wabba also alleged that the CAC’s boss committed various anti-union offences, ranging from corruption, illegal redeployment of married women out of the commission, stopping staff’s promotion arrears among others.

Wabba said Abubakar brought in environmental experts to fumigate the agency for N35 million in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, including contracting someone to paint the Zone 5 annexe office for N25 million.

It would be recalled that the AUPCTRE, through its branch chairman, Comrade Ibrahim Makirfi, in an interview with Daily Trust, gave an ultimatum to the Federal Government to avert a crisis in the commission after series of letters detailing offences of the CAC boss.

“The issue we have with the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has to do with the promotion of staff of the commission and other issues.

“There are some entitlements meant for staff that are not negotiable. For instance, the issue of promotion.

“There is no motivation to any worker anywhere except promotion,” Makirfi said in an interview with Daily Trust.

A man simply identified as John has explained why victims of the air force jet that crashed on Sunday were not rescued.

John, who told Daily Trust that he was among the first set of persons who got to the scene of the accident, said the victims were alive after the the aircraft crashed.

He said it took over 30 minutes for rescue officials to get to the scene, disclosing that those on ground attempted to rescue the trapped occupants but smoke billowing from the ill-fated aircraft prevented from doing so.

John said while they were trying to put out the smoke, the aircraft exploded and they all fled to safety.

He said the crash happened 100 meters away from Bassa village, hence, no confirmed cases of ground casualties.

Daily Trust reports that the aircraft crashed few minutes after leaving the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, killing all the seven persons on board.

Ibikunle Daramola, spokesman of the force, confirmed the incident, saying investigation was ongoing.

Our correspondent at the scene of the accident said at about 12pm, the black box and the cockpit recorder were all recovered.

He also saw lifeless bodies being taken into body bags and hauled into waiting ambulances.

Working with the Airbforce personnel, the investigators immediately began to map out the body parts of the aircraft lay strewn around the crash site.

The aircraft was said to have reported engine failure at 10:39am and crashed on the final approach path of Abuja runway 22 at 10:48am.