News
Alia urges Benue women to embrace Renewed Hope Initiative
As Benue speaker’s wife hails Alia, Tinubu’s leadership
By Titus Atondu, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia has enjoined Benue women to take advantage of the Renewed Hope Initiative from office of the First Lady of Nigeria, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu to improve the standard of their lives and families.
Alia gave the charge on Saturday, at IBB Square, Makurdi during the official flag off of the Project 774 Explode, an empowerment initiative from the office of the Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Hon. Dr. Mary Idele Alile.
The Governor acknowledged the role of women in the election that brought him on board as the Governor of the State, assured that his administration will continue to promote gender sensitive reforms that will facilitate women’s direct engagement in decision making in the state.
He appreciated the First Lady of Nigeria, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu for her continued support, disclosed that 50 Benue citizens are on scholarship, food palliatives and many other assistants given to Benue State through her Renewed Hope Initiative.
He expressed profound gratitude to the national woman Leader of APC, for chosen Benue State as a suitable destination to flag off her 774 Explode.Project.
The governor maintained that Benue women will continue to queue into the policies and ideologies of President Tinubu’s administration and added his voice to the call by the National Woman leader of APC for Benue women to come out in their numbers to contest for political positions in the next general elections.
He offered 23 selected women one from each Local Government Area for free skills acquisition training in any field of their choices and promised to give each a grant of five hundred thousand naira to start a business, even as he said his administration was conscious of the 774 Explode initiative he would continue to support programs that would empower women in the state.
In her address, the APC National Woman leader, Dr. Mary Idele Alile acknowledged the pragmatic leadership of the state Governor, described him as a champion of transformation.
She outlined the benefits of 774 Explode to women in Nigeria, thanking Benue women for turning out en masse to embrace the program.
In his keynote address, Hon. Denis Dzawua enlightened women on gender inclusiveness in politics and called on Benue women to come out and participate in the forthcoming local government elections.
The Special Advisor to the Governor on Women Affairs, Hon. Scholastica Ben-sor, explained that women huge presence at the occasion was a sign that Benue Women were all out to embrace the initiative of the APC National Woman leader.
The State Acting Chairman of APC, Hon. Benjamin Omakolo while delivering his goodwill message said Benue APC under the leadership of Governor Alia is very proud of the good work that President Tinubu is doing and they were solidly behind him.
The wife of the Honourable Speaker, of the 10th Benue state house of Assembly, Hon. Mrs. Kundumiyol Aondona Dajoh, in her good will message, lauded the initiative of the APC National Woman Leader which according to her has direct bearing on the lives of Benue women and the country at large.
Mrs. Dajoh thanked Mr. President and his amiable wife for having the plight of women at heart and implementing policies and programs that would better the lives of Nigerian women.
She also thaked the executive Governor of Benue state Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia for bringing lasting succour to Benue women and the state at large, described his uncommon leadership disposition that has the plight of the common people at heart as commendable.
She described the APC National Woman Leader appointment as a round peg in a round hole that is making Nigerian women proud.
Nigerian NewsDirect reports that the state women’s personalities present at the occasion were; the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon. Ann Itoto represented by Eunice Tachia, the wife of the Deputy Governor of Benue State, Christie Ode, and wife of Speaker of Benue State House of Assembly, Hon. Cynthia Kundumyol Dajoh.
The Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission Hussani Ishaq Magaji, SAN, has approved the distribution of palliatives (foodstuff) to the entire Staff of the Commission nationwide.
This commendable act took place yesterday at the Commission’s Headquarters.
Presenting the items to Staff, the Director Human Resources Mrs. Olayemi Oyeniyi who represented the Registrar-General revealed that the RG’s magnanimity was in line with his promise to prioritise staff welfare as captured in his 4-Point Agenda as well as his own way of felicitating staff on the recently observed Eid-el Adha celebrations.
Staff from various Departments and Units who were elated by the gesture expressed their gratitude to the RG and wished him the very best as he continues to pilot the Commission to greater heights.
…We won’t disappoint on judicial procedures – CJN assures Tinubu
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, led the groundbreaking for the new Court of Appeal complex in Dakibiyu, Abuja, marking a milestone in Nigeria’s judicial infrastructure development.
The state-of-the-art five-storey building will house ten courtrooms and offices, greatly expanding the Court’s capacity in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Justice Ariwoola expressed profound gratitude to Minister Nyesom Wike and the Federal Capital Development Authority for their visionary leadership and support.
“We appreciate the government’s commitment to strengthening the judicial system, ensuring access to justice, and promoting the rule of law in Nigeria,” he said.
FCT Minister Barr. Nyesom Wike revealed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has made judicial infrastructure a top priority.
“When I presented the memo, the President’s immediate response was ‘Approved!’ That speaks volumes about his commitment to the judiciary,” Wike said.
The Attorney General, Lateef Fagbemi, expressed concern that the judiciary has become inaccessible to all but the wealthy, while the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, commended Wike for fulfilling his promise and noted that the edifice will facilitate swifter justice in Nigeria.
NBA President, Yakubu Maikyau, thanked Tinubu and Wike for initiating the long-awaited complex, 48 years after FCT’s creation, despite 16 past ministers neglecting the judiciary’s needs.
“Justice is essential to human existence, and we urge Court Justices to remain focused and eagle-like in administering justice to citizens,” Maikyau said.
“The new facilities will greatly enhance the Court’s functionality, and the judiciary is committed to utilising them effectively to serve the nation. The project is expected to be completed by the third quarter of next year, and FCDA has pledged to maintain world-class engineering standards.
“This 37-billion-naira project has already been allocated 30 billion naira in the budget. I’m committed to delivering it within the scheduled time frame, not in two years as usual. We’ll get it done as planned, thanks to Mr. President’s vision and support,” Wike pledged.
Honourable Minister of State for the FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, expressed gratitude to Barrister Nyesom Wike, Minister of FCT, and FCDA management for their support and vision. She also thanked guests, partners, and stakeholders for their contributions, acknowledging the organising team’s hard work.
She concluded by urging everyone to remain committed to justice, fairness, and the rule of law as they look forward to the completion of the Appeal Court complex in Abuja.
Executive Secretary of FCDA, Engr. Shehu Hadi Ahmad, in his address of welcome and project overview said the project is awarded to Messrs Visible Construction Nigeria Limited and is expected to be completed by the third quarter of next year.
He emphasised the project’s importance in fulfilling the administration’s commitment to providing a conducive working environment for judicial officers, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda.”
The complex will feature ten courtrooms, suites for justices, administrative offices, file rooms, and conveniences, ensuring a comprehensive and efficient judicial system. FCDA has pledged to maintain world-class engineering standards, urging the contractor and supervision team to deliver high-quality work and meet the expected timeline.
By Esther Agbo
Retirees from the now-defunct Nigeria Airways have formally requested President Bola Tinubu to reinstate them into the Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS), aligning their pension benefits with those of other sectors.
In a letter endorsed by Stephen Onuh and Ahmed Sulugambari, the Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively, and addressed to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, the retirees outlined their appeal.
The letter argued that re-enrollment in the DBS would ensure they receive pensions comparable to other retired civil servants.
Operating under the banner of the Airways Retired Workers of Nigeria, the retirees highlighted that until the airline’s dissolution in 2004 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, they were participants in the scheme. They contended that their removal from the DBS post-liquidation was contentious.
The petition emphasised that, contrary to expectations, the pensioners were not fully compensated and should receive payments for life. The group includes those who retired before and those affected by the 2004 liquidation.
“The N45 billion paid to our members were part-payment of our accumulated pension arrears for over 10 years. We were on the monthly pension payroll before the liquidation in September 2004.
”In pursuance to make sure that the pensioners are paid monthly pension, relevant government authorities have made interventions, directing that the pensioners be pay-rolled into the monthly pension scheme of the Federal Government,” the petition read.
It further mentioned that governmental bodies have previously intervened to ensure monthly pension payments for these retirees.
The Senate conducted a public hearing on pension matters in 2012, subsequently resolving that the retirees should be immediately added to the Federal Government’s monthly pension scheme. Additionally, in 2013, the House of Representatives urged the government to integrate these retirees into the monthly pension payroll.
However, the group claims this directive has been ignored by the authorities.
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