News
Tonto Dike Advocates more Inclusion of Youths, Women in Policy Making, Leadership

Yemi Akinsuyi
Director, Socials and Empowerment Committee of Youths on Mobilisation and Sensitisation (CYMS), Tonto Dike has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to include more youths and women in policy making in the country.
Dike made the call at the monthly National Policy and Development Summit (N-PoD), organized by the office of the Senior Special Assistant, SSA, to President Muhammadu Buhari on Policy Development Analysis held in Abuja on Tuesday.
She said: ”Growing up, I heard that children are the leaders of tomorrow, so it’s only just fair in time that children start to get included for the things they are going to encounter in future.
”I always believe in leadership and I believe in hierarchy in leadership. I believe in who has been there tutoring who is going to come in.
”Including our youths in office actually means having a sector where youths can participate in policy and decision making.
”We want to hear that we belong, we want to know that we are responsible and be included in things that matter in the country,” she said.
She noted that the women should also be given greater inclusion as much as the men for a more balanced gender equality in governance.
”Not just youths that should be involved but also women. The Buhari government has tried to curb this but a lot more needs to be done.
”Including more women will change the country for the better. Women are natural leaders and you can’t take that away from us.
”We have a lot to give, so we should be given the opportunity to speak and contribute our quota to the society,” she said.
According to Dike, deliberate steps need to be taken in ensuring that the various institutions of government stand the test of time.
She said:”for any legacy to stand the test of time, there must be continuation, effectiveness and a positive effect on its beneficiaries .”
On his part, Social Activist, and a Nollywood actor, Dr Kenneth Okonkwo, commended efforts of President Buhari in ensuring continuity in the various projects left by his predecessor.
Okonkwo, however, urged the president to choose a youth to succeed him in office.
”The best way to preserve your legacy is to choose men out of the people. He should choose a younger man to face the challenges of Nigeria.
”The greatest legacy of the president is continuity. This is because when he came into power, all the pending projects of the past administration, he tried to complete them,” he noted.
On security, he said the present administration had done a lot in ensuring security of lives and properties in the country but more still needed to be done.
He said the issue of security should be delegated and not left in the hands of one man to ensure the security of millions of Nigerians.
The President, Chartered Institute of Loan and Risk Management of Nigeria Ltd., Dr Harriet Akubuiro, said it was imperative for the legacy of the present administration to be sustained.
Akubuiro said:” Mr President should please give the country the best free and fair election, for this will lead to the emergence of another competent and visionary leader as our President.
”He should encourage such a leader to engage knowledgeable technocrats and provide support to them even after he is gone so as to sustain these legacies.
”He should also establish a risk management commission that would assist in regulating institutional function in this country,” he said.
Similarly, the Managing Director , Soul Sight Nigeria Ltd, Joko Okupe, urged citizens to stop the blame game and strive to work for the good of Nigerians.
”We should try to ensure continuity in government irrespective of party and strive as citizens to close all gaps.
”The President has done his best within the resources available to him, let us try to build on things that are landmark which the president has done,” she said.
News
At last, NLC backpedals, suspends indefinite strike with fresh directives to workers

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have backtracked on their initial declaration to commence indefinite strike scheduled for October 3, 2023, in response to the elimination of fuel subsidies.
The two trade unions have agreed to suspend the strike action.
It will be recalled that the NLC had directed its affiliate member unions across the country to mobilize and shut down the country in response to the government’s refusal to adhere to the seven points demand made by the NLC and the TUC to alleviate the suffering of the country’s teeming Nigerian workers and impoverished masses.
The President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Comrade (Prince) Dr. Adewale Adeyanju also issued directives that all the nation’s seaports, jetties, Oil & Gas platforms, and terminals be shut down accordingly for operations.
However, following the outcome of emergency meeting summoned on Monday, October 2, 2023, between the federal government and labour leaders, the NLC and TUC had jointly agreed to suspend the strike to allow for implementation of the NLC demands.
Consequently, the National Executive Council (NEC) of the NLC had directed that all its affiliate members should direct their members to return to work tomorrow, October 3, 2023 as the planned indefinite strike has been suspended.
Comrade Adeyanju, the Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, had equally directed that all members of the Maritime sector should resume work Tuesday as instructed by the NLC.
News
Group tells Abia gov to desist from funding Peter Obi’s case with State money

***Condemns sacks of 10,000 civil servants
The national body of the All Progressives Youths of Abia, on the platform of Abia Youths Interest Group (AYIG), has cautioned the state governor, Alex Otti to stop funding presidential court case of Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Otti is the only elected governor on the platform of the opposition Labour Party (LP).
Peter Obi, who came third in the 2023 presidential election, is challenging in court the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Addressing a press conference at the weekend, leaders of the Abia Youths Interest Group said if the state governor continue the funding of the presidential case it will have negative effect on the economy, welfare and development of the state.
A speech read by the head of media AYIG, Henry Chigozie, said the funding of Peter Obi’s case has led to the retrenchment of about ten thousand civil servants in the state, thereby depriving Abians of the dividends of democracy.
The statement reads: “We, the Abia Youths Interest Group, a National Umbrella Body of all progressive Youths of Abia irrespective of political affiliation, has observed with dismay the following dangerous developments, that if not immediately checked will plunge our dear state into avoidable socio-political crisis and financial quagmire:
“That Mr. Alex Otti is funding the Presidential Court case of Mr Peter Obi with Abia money, leading to massive retrenchment and sacking of citizens, thereby depriving Abians of the dividends of democracy. So far, in less than 3 months, over 10,000 Abia workers have been retrenched. This is unacceptable.
“In Otti’s Abia, transparency and accountability have been relegated to the background. No one knows the costs of projects nor contractors working on projects in Abia. This is to continuously siphoned and inflate projects cost so that Mr Alex Otti can be using Abia funds to sponsor Labour Party operations across Nigeria in his nefarious desire to destabilize the progressive government of Nigeria under the able leadership of President Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu.
“That Mr Alex Otti is creating crisis and instigating political unrest in Imo state, thereby creating political instability in the Southeast. By asking a sister governor to immediately write his handover note, such an unguarded and reckless statement that is capable of creating disunity amongst these states can also lead to crisis amongst unsuspecting citizens.
“In view of the foregoing we wish to draw the attention of the nation, well meaning Abians and the relevant security agencies to these sinister activities and urge all concerned to take necessary steps to ensure that the interest of our great State and Nation is not jeopardized.”
Also speaking, Spokesperson of the group, Dr. Stephen Ukpai Ukwa said the LP-led Abia government should bear in mind that the youths of the state are watching and will resist any act that will endanger the wellbeing of Abia people.
“Mr. Governor should know that Abia youths will resist any act that will cause problems between we and the President of Nigeria. We will resist any act that will endanger the lives of Abia people. So, any act that will lead to the mismanagement of Abia state fund should stop forthwith.”
News
Kogi CSDA renovates 75-year-old Ochadamu Leprosarium with N15m

By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.
KOGI State Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA) has flagged off renovation work on the 75-year-old Leprosarium, now known as Holey Memorial Hospital, Ochadamu.
Chief Dauda Momoh, General Manager of the Agency presented a cheque for the first stanche of the N15 million intervention on Wednesday at Ocharamu, Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi.

He said the intervention was part of the 16 micro project interventions under the Basic Services Infrastructure of the Nigeria Covid-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Programme.
Represented by Engr. Bayode Oladipo, Operations Manager of the Agency, the General Manager hinted that the Leprosarium which was established 1948 as a leprosy and rehabilitation centre with a twin male and female colony now enjoys support from Kogi State NG-CARES Programme.
Chief Dauda Momoh said the renovation work entailed renovation of Ward, Toilets, Pharmacy building with Supply of drugs and equipment and was expected to cost ₦11,193,546.00
He said that renovation of classroom s and furnishing would take ₦3,803,887.50 bringing the total projects cost to
N14,997,433.50.
He said that the projects would reinvigorate the leprosarium with healthcare and sanitation facilities.
Momoh added that the Group Development Plan (GrDP) had revealed that the intervention also aimed to revamp the educational facilities provided for the children of the affected persons.
The General Manager explained that the GrDP would be implemented through the Group Project Management Committee of the Association of Persons Affected by Leprosy in Ochadamu.
He charged the group to ensure quality and timely completion of the intervention projects as he assured them that quality delivery would attract further intervention especially, in the area of termite eradication, to the hospital.
The Holey Memorial Hospital Administrator, Rev. Uduak H. Mmah who resumed duty barely a month ago, pledged seamless collaboration and support of the management with the implementing team and the Agency.
Mr Mark Abu, Finance and Administration Manager of the Agency, tasked the Community Projects Monitoring Committee (CPMC) on proper book keeping saying that various monitoring teams would be coming to monitor the projects from time to time.
Mr Akpa Adaji, Chairman of the Community Projects Implementation Committee assured of due diligence in the project implementation as he pledged the committee’s resolve to deliver within the stipulated time frame.
In his vote of thanks, the Hospital Secretary, Mr Daniel Ameh thanked God for the intervention and commended the CSDA, management of the hospital and the CPMC for making it a reality.
Highlight of the occasion was the presentation of a cheque of of N3.274 million to the committee as first tranche of the total project sum of N14,997,433.50. (Ends)
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