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Buhari meets new service chiefs, charges them to be patriotic
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday met behind closed doors with the new service chiefs at the Presidential Villa.
The service chiefs, who were appointed on Tuesday, arrived at the villa in their old official vehicles at about 4.00p.m. The new service chiefs are – Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor, Chief of Defence Staff; Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Adm. Awwal Zubairu Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff and AVM Isiaka Amao, Chief of Air Staff – may be decorated with their ranks by the president at the meeting.
The service chiefs replaced former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin; former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas and former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar
At the end of the meeting, the president’s spokesman Mr Femi Adesina said the President charged the newly appointed Service Chiefs to be patriotic, and serve the country well.
Adesina, quoted Buhari as saying: “We’re in a state of emergency. Be patriotic, serve the country well, as your loyalty is to the country.”
The president congratulated the service chiefs on heading their various services, adding:
“There’s nothing I can tell you about the service, because you are in it. I was also in it, and I will pray for you. I also assure you that whatever I can do as Commander-in-Chief will be done, so that the people will appreciate your efforts.
“You know the stage we were in 2015, you know the stage we are now, and the undertakings we made. We promised to secure the country, revive the economy, and fight corruption. None has been easy, but we have certainly made progress.”
Buhari also charged the Service Chiefs to be concerned about the morale of their officers and men, saying they should be made to feel physically and professionally secure.
He pledged that government would do its best in terms of equipment and logistics.
Fielding questions from State House correspondents after the meeting, Gen. Irabor said they would work to bring security to lives and properties.
He said, “We have just seen Mr President and we are mindful of the demands. We can only at this stage pledge our ulmost best to bring safety and security to lives and properties across the country.’’
According to the CDS, they (service chiefs) will ensure that value is added to the lives of citizens.
“On behalf of the Service Chiefs, I am assuring the nation peace and security. We believe there will be value that will be added to the security disposition of the nation,’’ he added.
On the message from the president, he stated: “The message from the president is that we, knowing the current security environment, must do everything possible to add value to the security disposition and the expectations are high and that we are quite mindful of that expectations. So, we collectively, will work to achieve that.”
The new service chiefs were appointed by the president following the resignation of their predecessors on Tuesday
By Matthew Denis
The Federal Ministry of Works has terminated contract numbers 6,136, 6,137 and 6,138 with Mothercat Ltd, Dantata & Sawoe Construction Ltd and RCC Ltd, respectively.
The projects affected by the termination are the dualisation of Obajana – Benin road, section II (Okene – Auchi) in Kogi/Edo State; the dualisation of Obajana – Benin road, section III (Auchi – Ehor) in Edo State and the dualisation of Obajana – Benin road section IV (Ehor – Benin) in Edo State.
This was contained in a statement released by Orji Uchenna Orji, Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister of Works on Monday.
According to the government, the termination became necessary in view of the alleged inordinate delay by the affected companies in job performance and their failure, neglect and refusal to fulfil their contractual obligations as required by the Standard Conditions of Contract.
Orji stated that this had affected the timely completion of the projects and thus resulted in the expiration of the contracts by effluxion of time.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Ogbe has stated that the board remains on track to achieve its target of achieving 70 percent local participation in the oil and gas industry by 2027.
The NCDMB ES made this known yesterday at the Nigerian Oil and Gas conference (NOG) holding in Abuja.
Engr. Ogbe, speaking at the opening of the Nigerian Content Seminar, said jobs in the industry can only be out-sourced when there was no in-country capacity.
He said the board would continue its stringent monitoring of projects in the country to ensure that where local capacity exists, Nigeria companies were given the opportunity to bid for the jobs.
He stressed that the “board will only approve local content plans that consist of contractors meeting the legal definition of Nigerian companies and demonstrating the capacity to execute projects within Nigeria.”
He added the NCDMB would continue to ensure that all services provided in the industry “generate values within the country.”
On his part, the Director, project Certification and Authorisation, NCDMB, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele said a lot of progress has been made in growing local capacity in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, disclosing there are currently over 13,000 indigenous oil service firms registered by the board and over 120 operators registered also.
The Federal Government has announced that the Governing Councils of Federal universities, polytechnics, and other tertiary institutions will be inaugurated on July 4, 2024. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the composition of the newly constituted governing councils, stating that the list is dominated by retired politicians rather than experts in academia or relevant fields.
ASUU’s national President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, expressed concerns over the trend in the appointment process, emphasising that the union demanded the reinstatement of the ‘illegally’ dissolved governing councils, not the constitution of new ones.
Despite ASUU’s ultimatum, the Federal Government has proceeded with the inauguration, which is expected to take place on July 4.
President Bola Tinubu approved the reconstitution of the Governing Councils and Boards of federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, with 560 individuals appointed to the governing councils and boards of Federal Government-owned tertiary institutions.
The approval was given for the effective management of Nigerian tertiary institutions across the country.
It was gathered that the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Aisha Maikudi, announced the inauguration date during her acceptance speech on Monday, while assuming the institution’s affairs.
A total of 560 individuals were appointed to the governing councils and boards of Federal Government-owned tertiary institutions.
For the University of Ibadan, the President appointed Chief Bisi Akande as the Chairman of the governing council. The board members are Alexander Ajipe, Nelson Alapa, Ifeoma Nwankwo, and Prof. Emmanuel Alo.
Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) was appointed as the Chairman of the governing council of the University of Lagos. The council members are Bello Kumo, Prof. Idowu Mark, Niyi Akande, and Bola Njoku.
Isa Yuguda chairs the board of the National Open University. The council members are Goddy Etta, Yomi Balogun, Deborah Apah, and Hingah Biem.
Siyan Oyeweso has been named as the chairperson of the governing council of Obafemi Awolowo University. Joining him are Edward Sarki, Joseph Abaagu, Wahaab Owokoniran, and Abubakar Kachaalla, who have been appointed as council members.
Additionally, Adebayo Shittu, Muiz Banire, and Senator Florence Ita Giwa have been appointed as chairpersons of the governing boards for David Umahi University of Medicine in Ebonyi State, Federal University of Transportation in Katsina State, and Federal Polytechnic in Ugep, Cross River State, respectively, among others.
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