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Ebonyi Lawmaker, Joseph Ununu denies threatening to remove Ricemill Chairman

By
Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
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0

The member representing Abakaliki South Constituency in Ebonyi State House of Assembly and former Chairman of Ebonyi Rice Mill Industry limited, Chief Joseph Ununu has denied the reports making rounds that he threatened to remove the incumbent Chairman of Ricemill, Mr Linus Obeji when he emerges as the deputy Speaker of the State Assembly.

Barr.Ununu made this known to the Press on Thursday, he described the allegation as laughable and a mere fabrication aimed at tarnishing his image, he maintained that his legislative business has nothing to do with Ricemill industry.

The lawmaker advised the leadership of the industry against taking unilateral decision without involving relevant stakeholders in the interest of peace and oneness.

He, however, faulted the leadership style of using security agents to intimidate and harass members of the industry by the Chairman, Mr Obeji, which he said could affect the activities and smooth operation of the industry and scare rural farmers away who constitute greater customers to the company.

“Abakaliki Rice mill industry is of great interest to all of us, it is a place that feeds the whole nation. It is not a place one can toil with. If the Chairman discovers that there is sharp practices in the mill, he shouldn’t take it up alone. He should carry all the stakeholders along in it. I have governed that rice mill company for two good tenures and God elevated me to House of Assembly.

“We are about nine patrons of the company, the past leaders of that company must be carried along in whatever that is going on in the company, so that we join hands and discuss the way forward instead of him killing the mill. We, the stakeholders of that mill are annoyed over his leadership. He is deviating from what we told him to do there.

“Instead of him looking for a way to make that mill more productive, he wants to use trouble to indict people. He should stop harassing people in the mill.

“The Chairman should stop using police to intimidate members of the rice mill. The constitution of the mill frowns at it. You must explore internal mechanism of resolving issues arising from the mill first. You don’t use police in your governance in the rice mill, people will run away from the mill. If people coming from rural areas see police there, they will run away from the mill.

“We have rice mill police station in the mill, if there is any fraud committed in the mill, the police station is the right people to handle it and not going to the police command to bring policemen there and start intimidating people in the rice mill”, he stated.

 

Ebonyi Lawmaker, Zuma Fights Dirty Over Alleged Involvement In Rice Fraud

By
Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
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0

The lawmaker representing Abakaliki south state constituency, Mr Joseph Ununu has reportedly engaged in a fight with the management of the Abakaliki rice mill over his alleged involvement in rice fraud at the company.

Ununu, a 2 term former chairman of the rice mill company, in the early hours of the day hard resisted a team of taskforce during a routine check on the activities of individuals who are selling rice with bad scale.

The lawmaker allegedly threatened to remove the incumbent chairman who was duly elected, when he eventually becomes a deputy speaker of the State House of Assembly.

Trouble started when Mrs Nnena Ununu, one of the wives of the lawmaker was discovered to have imposed illegal levies on women’s wing as their leader and encouraged them to use the bad scale for customers.

She boasted that the rice mill chairman would do nothing to stop her because of the protection of her husband, and when the team of taskforce arrived at her shop, she called the lawmaker who came with a team of thugs and dispersed them.

According to an Eye witness (Name withheld)”on the 13th of March, it was discovered that Mrs Nnena Ununu, the wife of the Honorable member representing Abakaliki south, who happens to be the head of the market women imposed an unauthorized levy on them.

“She asked them to pay the money forcefully to amend their scale, by making sure that anybody who is coming to buy rice in Line C buys 17 kg instead of the 25 kg standard measurement.

“When it got to the attention of the rice mill chairman, he swung into action and dissolved the executives of the union and told her not to pilot the affairs, he then appointed a 7-man committee to confiscate those adjusted scales.” She said.

Mr Linus Obeji, the chairman of the rice mill company who confirmed the incident described it as unfortunate, that a former chairman of the company who is now a lawmaker would abandon his legislative function to encourage his wife who allegedly sponsored the bad practice and create bad image for the State.

“We summoned all the market women and told them that such evil cannot prevail in Abakaliki rice mill, that we are determined to make things right.

“Nobody whatever, no matter how highly placed you are can do such evil against the people of the rice mill, against our customers, and the government of Ebonyi State who stands against corruption.

“Today, the committee went to confiscate those adjusted scales and were attacked by Chidinma Ununu, (daughter of the lawmaker) who took the phone of the pressmen that came to Cover the event.

“The wife immediately called her husband who came with his boys and chased them out, bragging that he would use his gun and kill anyone that comes to his shop.

“He said he has institutionalized the practice and no one can stop him, he fought them, the question is, is he now the owner of the rice mill or has he left legislative function to impose himself on us, he should leave us alone”. Obeji said.

Speaking with our reporter, the chairman of the task force committee, Mr. Chikodili Ibe, other members, Mrs. Ann Nwofenyi and Fidelia Nwam, condemned the lawmaker’s action and appealed to the State Government to caution him to leave the rice mill company and focus on his legislative functions.

“We are begging His Excellency Engr David Nweze Umahi to warn Nnena and Joseph Ununu to leave the rice mill and focus on his job, let him allow us to run the business and satisfy our customers, Abakaliki rice mill does not need any fraud against our customers,” they appealed.

However, attempt made by our reporter to reach him proved abortive as his contacts were unreachable as at the time of filing this report.

IBM Reveals new set of technology

By
Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
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0

By Mercy Otozi

IBM has announced its quantum-safe roadmap, a technology that is a comprehensive set of tools, capabilities, and approaches combined with deep expertise for an end-to-end journey to make organisations safe.

IBM disclosed this while launching the ‘IBM Quantum Safe Technology’ at its annual Think event.

According to IBM, the Quantum-Safe Roadmap aims at using technology to equip industries with the cybersecurity capabilities required for this new era.

IBM said that it had developed three out of the four quantum-resistant algorithms for standardisation announced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology last July, which was the world’s wake-up call to start the quantum-safe transition.

Quantum-safe cryptography as defined by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, refers to efforts to identify algorithms that are resistant to attacks by both classical and quantum computers, to keep information assets secure even after a large-scale quantum computer has been built.

“At IBM, we had already started making our technology quantum-safe, including the IBM z16 mainframe, and IBM Tape storage technology. But we realized that our clients have unique needs when it comes to embarking on their own quantum-safe transitions.

“Our end goal for clients is crypto-agility in the increasingly fast-paced world of cybersecurity. Crypto-agility is the ability to protect your systems against emerging vulnerabilities, adapt to meet new compliance requirements, and respond to breaches in a way that maximizes resource efficiency and minimizes operational disruption,” IBM noted.

The firm further revealed that it launched the IBM Quantum-Safe due to the need for agility which comprises three key actions: discover (identify cryptography usage, analyse dependencies and generate a Cryptography Bill of Materials), observe (analyse cryptography posture of compliance and vulnerabilities and prioritise remediation based on risks) and transform (Remediate and mitigate with crypto-agility and built-in automation).

For each key action, an end-to-end solution with technology capabilities to prepare clients for the post-quantum era was developed including IBM Quantum Safe Explorer, IBM Quantum Safe Advisor, and IBM Quantum Safe Remediator for the discover, observe, and transform stages respectively.

IBM added, “For the Discover stage, we developed IBM Quantum Safe Explorer to scan the source code and object code to surface all cryptographically relevant artefacts, pinpoint their locations, and uncover dependencies.

Ebonyi Govt moves to boost animal feed local production, usage

By
Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
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0

By Amarachi Michael

Ebonyi Government has embarked on campaign to boost the local production and usage of animal feeds in the state.

The Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Dr Stephen Odoh, said that the campaign is aimed at encouraging Ebonyi people to use locally-produced animal feeds to encourage producers and boost patronage.

Odoh, made the disclosure in Abakaliki during an interactive session with stakeholders on the production and usage of animal feeds in the state.

He urge Ebonyians not to purchase animal feeds outside the state because patronising the local producers would create more jobs and reduce poverty.

“When production increases, capacity will also increase and it is pertinent to note that we had a fruitful engagement.

“We had in attendance, feed producers, poultry, piggery and fishery farmers, among other stakeholders,” Odoh said.

He said that to achieve the desired aim, relevant committees were inaugurated and relevant information verified.

“We also solicited more facts to ensure that our farmers are supported to grow and create market for the products of those involved in feed production,” Odoh said.

According to him, the campaign would not be affected by the political transition, considering that the incoming administration in the state was part of the incumbent one.

“People should not be afraid because whoever comes on board will continue to promote what we are doing,” he said.

The Chairman of Ezza North Local Government Area, Chief Ogodoali Nome, urged farmers to cooperate in enhancing their businesses and well-being.

“Many farmers plant, harvest, process and package their products but people prefer to buy such products from Enugu and other states.

“How do we convince our people that products, such as animal feeds which they buy in Enugu, among other places, are in Ebonyi?”, he asked.

He encouraged farmers to always ensure that off-takers are available to buy off their produce, adding that they should also place emphasis on keeping farm records.

The Head, Nigerian Export Promotion Council in Ebonyi, Mr Emmanuel Unanam, said the organisation would continue to support steps to enhance the patronage of locally-produced goods.

“We will continue our enlightenment programmes on patronage of home-made goods because this is a veritable way of enhancing the economy of states and the nation,” Unanam said.

An animal feed producer, Mrs Tina Ifedi, thanked the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for organising the programme.

Ifedi, however, called for more government support to aid production.

FG commences payment of Salary arrears to University Lecturers

By
Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
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0

Federal government has began to pay backlogs of salaries of professors in the basic medical sciences, basic clinical sciences, and medicine departments at some federal universities

The lecturers are under the Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics, one of the two splinter groups licensed by the government to reduce the influence of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
The government had in 2022 implemented a no-work-no-pay rule against lecturers for seven months due to the strike embarked upon by the ASUU.
Efforts to get the government to pay the lecturers the withheld salaries for the duration of strike by ASUU proved abortive.

But the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, a body which encompasses medical doctors in the academics and other consultant medical doctors, explained to the government that medical schools were not shut down during the period of strike hence the salaries of their members should not be withheld.

Speaking with our correspondent in Abuja, a source from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, confirmed that medical lecturers have been paid their withheld salaries.
“This is currently causing confusion in the school. Medical lecturers have started receiving their salaries. Other lecturers have not but we have been told to stay calm.”

Another medical lecturer at the University of Maiduguri said, “It is true, medical lecturers who worked during the time of strike have started receiving theirs.”
Confirming the development, the chairperson of ASUU, FUTMinna told our correspondent that even though not all the medical lecturers have been paid, he could confirm the payment of medical lecturers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University.

FG appoints Ogbole as Member of Legal Education Council

By
Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
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0

By Precious Onwe

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (Retired), approved the appointment of Paul Ogbole, SAN, as a member of the Council of Legal Education (Nigerian Law School).

This is contained in a letter signed by the Solicitor General of the Federation, Mrs Jedy Agba in Abuja.

Ogbole

Agba said the appointment of Ogbole, a former member of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Board, took effect from May 13 and would last for four years.

Established in 1962, the Council for Legal Education, oversee and undertake accreditation of Nigerian Law Schools.

It is responsible for legal education and professional training and discipline of bar aspirants.

State Govt debunks rumour of Umahi’s Convoy involved in Autocrash

By
Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
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0

The Ebonyi State government has debunked the news making round that the Governor’s convoy was involved in a fatal crash.

This was made known to The Voice in a Statement signed by the SA to the Governor on  Media.

The statement reads “the attention of the Executive Governor of Ebonyi state has been drawn to a most malicious and wicked rumour making the rounds that his convoy was involved in a fatal crash along the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport Road, Onueke.

“Not only is this a satanic conjecture, it is false, misleading and an attempt to cast a slur on the smooth commissioning of projects going on in the state.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Governor’s convoy was not involved in any kind of crash or anything related to it.

“While there was a crash of a Toyota Sienna vehicle with a motorcycle along that road, the Governor’s convoy was nowhere near the incident.

“The general public is thus enjoined to disregard the fake news.” It stated.

 

Reasons behind Tinubu’s Meeting with Kwankwaso in France

By
Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
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0

By Precious Onwe

Less than two weeks to the May 29 inauguration of a new administration to be led by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, indications have emerged of moves by the president-elect to co-opt the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso into the incoming government.

The Voice gathered that the president-elect, and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who flew the flag of NNPP in the February 25 presidential election, met for four hours in Paris, France, on Monday to discuss the possibility of working together.

It was confirmed that at the centre of the discussion was a possible involvement of Kwankwaso in the new administration under Tinubu who plans to form a government of national unity that will entail giving certain positions to the opposition parties.

A senior aide to Kwankwaso declined to confirm the meeting with Tinubu but said his boss actually travelled to France.

The Voice also  gathered that the meeting actually took place and discussed issues around the election of the legislative leaders ahead of the June 13 inauguration of the 10th national assembly.

It was further scooped t that Tinubu’s representatives have also been meeting with key figures in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Paris meeting between Tinubu and Kwankwaso started at 12.30 pm and ended at 4.45 pm.

Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the House of Reps was said to have attended the meeting while Abdulmumin Jibrin, an NNPP rep-elect and former leader of a Tinubu campaign organisation, accompanied Kwankwaso.

Oluremi Tinubu, senator and wife of president-elect received Kwankwaso’s wife, Salamatu.

Tinubu was a senator while Kwankwaso was deputy speaker in the House of Reps.
Daily Sun gathered that the high profile meeting has not been concluded as both parties agreed to go for more consultations with stakeholders on both sides.

Tinubu is expected to brief Kashim Shettima, the vice-president elect, APC governors forum and other party leaders while Kwankwaso will do the same with his party leadership.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has zoned the two top positions in both chambers but some of its members are kicking against the formula and threatening to go into an alliance with the opposition parties to scuttle the arrangement.

While APC has 59 senators and 175 members of the House of Representatives, NNPP has two and 19 respectively.
A simple majority of 56 senators and 181 reps are needed to elect the top two leaders in the respective chambers.

Two EFCC Officers allegedly killed colleague over Suspect’s belongings

By
Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
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0

Two officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Deputy Superintendent Apata Odunayo and Superintendent Tochukwu Ogbuji, have been charged with the murder of their colleague Superintendent Abel Dickson.

According to EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, the incident occurred when the trio had a disagreement over the procedures for the custody of items belonging to a suspect in detention.

Briefing journalists in Abuja, yesterday, Bawa said the altercation between the officials resulted in a physical fight, which led to the death of Inspector Dickson.

He said: “We have invited you this morning to brief you about an unfortunate incident that happened at our Sokoto Zonal Command, which is suspected to have led to the death of one of our young officers, Inspector of the EFCC, Abel Dickson.

“The officer passed away on May 7, 2023, at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, where he was receiving treatment for injuries he sustained, two days earlier, in a scuffle with two other staff: Odunayo and Ogbuji.

“They had disagreed over procedures for the custody of items belonging to a suspect in detention, leading to a fight, a conduct which the commission frowns at.

“The two officers with whom he had a disagreement have been suspended by the commission and handed over to the Nigeria Police for further investigation and possible prosecution.

“The latest information is that a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide have been filed against them at a Chief Magistrate’s Court, Gwiwa in Sokoto, both offences are punishable under Sections 60 and 191 of the Sokoto State Penal Code Low, 2019.

“Without prejudice to the Police investigation, they will in addition face further disciplinary measures in line with the commission’s staff regulation.”
Two officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Assistant Superintendent Apata Odunayo and Inspector Tochukwu Ogbuji, have been accused of killing a fellow officer, Inspector Abel Dickson.

According to EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, the incident occurred when the trio had a disagreement over the procedures for the custody of items belonging to a suspect in detention.
Briefing journalists in Abuja, yesterday, Bawa said the altercation between the officials resulted in a physical fight, which led to the death of Inspector Dickson.

He said: “We have invited you this morning to brief you about an unfortunate incident that happened at our Sokoto Zonal Command, which is suspected to have led to the death of one of our young officers, Inspector of the EFCC, Abel Dickson.

“The officer passed away on May 7, 2023, at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, where he was receiving treatment for injuries he sustained, two days earlier, in a scuffle with two other staff: Odunayo and Ogbuji.

“They had disagreed over procedures for the custody of items belonging to a suspect in detention, leading to a fight, a conduct which the commission frowns at.

“The two officers with whom he had a disagreement have been suspended by the commission and handed over to the Nigeria Police for further investigation and possible prosecution.

“The latest information is that a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide have been filed against them at a Chief Magistrate’s Court, Gwiwa in Sokoto, both offences are punishable under Sections 60 and 191 of the Sokoto State Penal Code Low, 2019.

“Without prejudice to the Police investigation, they will in addition face further disciplinary measures in line with the commission’s staff regulation.”

The EFCC chairman, who was represented by Wilson Uwujaren, expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased officer and assured the public that the commission would do everything within its power to ensure justice is served.
By Precious Onwe.

Nigeria needs a new terminal in Lagos.-FAAN

By
Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
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0

By Precious Onwe

Despite federal mitigation measures to preserve Murtala Muhammad International Airport, there are signs that the terminal can no longer function effectively.

The Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria FAAN, Capt Rabiu Yadudu, who described the airport facilities as obsolete, insisted yesterday on the need for a new international airport in the state.

He said all measures put in place at the terminal could no longer work, insisting that the country needed a new terminal in Lagos.

Speaking at the ongoing FAAN’s National Aviation Conference, FNAC2 in Abuja, Yadudu said: “We need to construct a new Lagos international airport terminal. This entire palliative cannot work. All components are obsolete.

“The baggage landing, runway, and central cooling system, among others, are more than 40 years old and should be replaced.

“Nigerians who travel through the airport in Lagos have also lamented the depreciation of facilities at the terminal, which makes travel a horrible experience.

“Owerri is one of our big earners in South East. Abuja is about overtaking Lagos in domestic traffic and that is understandable because Abuja is at the centre and very strategic.”

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