Author: radmin

The Kaduna government says it is collaborating with the state House of Assembly to make laws on rickety vehicles and traffic violations in the state.

The state Governor, Sen. Uba Sani said this at the inauguration of the 2023 Ember Months Campaign by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kaduna Sector Command, on Monday in Kaduna.

The theme of the campaign is: “Speed thrills but Kills: Drive responsibly and avoid Overloading”.

Sani was represented by Hamza Ibrahim, the state Commissioner for Public Works and Infrastructure.

He said the state government recently inaugurated the State Road Safety Advisory Council in line with the Nigerian Road Safety Strategy II, to bring sanity on roads within the state.

The governor said that the state government had established five computerised vehicle testing centres as part of efforts in ensuring vehicles complied with all safety standards in the state.

Sani commended the previous government for doing “exceedingly well in infrastructural development in the state” through the Kaduna State Urban Renewal Project as a deliberate effort in improving the state’s road network.

He said the efforts were in conformity with global best practices and in line with second pillar of the UN Decade of Action Safe System approach of safer mobility.

The governor restated the government’s commitment towards enhancing the operations of FRSC in the state, and urged the people of Kaduna to always adhere to all safety standards and guidelines on road usage.

He also urged the people to take road safety as a personal responsibility and support FRSC in achieving the desired result of reducing road traffic crashes to the barest minimum.

Inauguration of 2023 Ember Months Campaign on Monday in Kaduna

Earlier, Mr Kabiru Nadabo, the Sector Commander, FRSC, Kaduna Sector Command, said ember months which began in September to run through December every year came with heavy vehicular movement across the country.

He said that as a proactive government agency, FRSC, over the years, had come up with ideas and initiatives to scale up the level of its preparedness on patrol and rescue activities.

He said it also held robust public enlightenment and engagement with its stakeholders as part of measures to arrest ugly trends on the road.

Nadabo said the programme formed part of the sustained preparations by the corps to step up efforts towards reducing the spate of road crashes commonly witnessed during the ember season through a formal flag off.

He said that the theme this year’s campaign was deliberately designed to draw the attention of all road users on the need to comply with traffic rules and regulations while driving in order to stay safe.

“The corps has recorded a comparative reduction in road traffic crashes in the 3rd quarter of 2023.

“This is monumentally huge and we will not relent in our efforts,” Nadabo said.

He thanked the Kaduna State Government for its sustained support to road safety through the provision of logistics for the corps’ activities and road rehabilitation for safer motoring environment within Kaduna and its environs.

He also commended the government for inaugurating the Road Safety Advisory Council (KASARC) to bolster the FRSC collective efforts towards effective road safety management and traffic administration in the state.

The Sector Commander said that FRSC and KASTLEA had developed an effective synergy and areas of mutual collaboration to train and retrain staff on patrol and rescue activities for general safety on Kaduna roads.

He urged road users to continue to obey traffic rules and regulations to complement the concerted efforts by the FRSC to cut down on road crashes during the yuletide and beyond.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highpoint of the event was an award presented to the first female tanker driver in Nigeria, Hajiya Rabi Abubakar, popularly known as Rabi Dangote.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has called for a salary benchmark for oil and gas workers in the country.

Mr Festus Osifo, National President of the union, made the call at the Second Edition of the PENGASSAN Energy and Labour Submit on Monday in Abuja.

The three-day event is titled: “Petroleum Downstream Deregulation and Gas Utilisation, for a Sustainable Energy Future in Nigeria’’.

Osifo said that the call was imperative due to the recent policy direction by the Federal Government.

He said policies by the government included the PMS subsidy removal and the floating of the naira-dollar exchange rate.

“Part of the decisions of floatation has only benefited the government and the oil and gas companies in Nigeria.

“This has necessitated a call for salary benchmark for oil and gas workers, aligning with the instrument of trade of oil and gas commodity,’’ he said.

He, however, said that in Angola, legislations pegged workers’ salaries in dollars and paid them the legal tender equivalent.

Usifo said the Angola template was a testament to the possibilities of safeguarding the interests of workers amidst currency fluctuations.

He added that the floating of the naira in the official market had exacerbated the challenges faced by our workers.

“We must explore innovative solutions to restore financial losses to workers by preventing undue gains to oil companies and ensuring a fair and equitable environment for all.

“PENGASSAN will do all it can to push for this just and equitable distribution across its branches’’.

Osifo, while speaking on the theme, said it was carefully chosen due to the multifaceted challenges and opportunities inherent in the energy sector.

“Over the next three days, we will engage in enlightening discussions, share insights, and formulate strategies to address critical issues such as divestment, PMS subsidy removal and the place/role of the ever ready Nigeria workers in the oil and gas industry and it commitment value chain

“We are witnessing a significant shift in our landscape of the energy in the country, marked by the divestment action of companies such as Mobile Producing Nigeria, Nigeria Agip Company, SPDC, and others,’’ he said.

On his part, Mr Mele Kyari, Group Managing Director of the NNPC Ltd, said that Nigeria was witnessing some positive outcome of the subsidy removal in spite of challenges.

Kyari said that most construction companies had started moving back to sites as more resources became available to execute projects.

According to him, by 2024, Nigeria will become a net exporter of refined petroleum products based on ongoing policy interventions by the present administration.

“The meaning of this is that we will have sufficient volumes in-country, when we refine locally, we do have advantages.

“That is by creating wealth, creating taxes, and all forms of value chain, creating employment, and so on and so forth,’’ Kyati said.

He added that what Nigeria needed was to adjust its realities as it imported 100 per cent of its production.

“No resource-dependent country does this and that is why we must deliver on our mandate,” he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) Postal Manager in Kaduna, Mrs Tabitha Tauna, says its services still exists, as advent of technology only improved the organisation’s service delivery.

The theme for the year’s World Post Day is “Together for trust, collaborating for safe and connected future”.

Speaking to newsmen at the sideline of a road show in commemoration of the day, on Monday in Kaduna, Tauna said that contrary to peoples thinking and assumptions on NIPOST existence, the organisation still exists and operates vibrantly.

She noted that some challenges which included absence of street names and numbers in some parts of Kaduna, among other problems, were surmounted with phone calls (Technology), where one could be called to describe his/her location or go to the post office for collection of item.

“With this, the mobile phone which is perceived as a technology that ousted postal services, has only made our operations easier,” she said.

Tauna also said that beyond delivery of letters and sales of stamp, NIPOST had diversified in areas of e-commerce, which also had to do with internet and mobile phones.

She said that people could order for items via online, where certainly it could not be delivered online, but had to engage human factor for delivery and made it a point of interjection with NIPOST.

The Postal Manager noted that NIPOST, which also engaged in agency services, was also the regulatory body of all logistics services.

She disclosed that the logistics regulations arm of NIPOST from Lagos would soon come to Kaduna for clamp down on illegal operators.

She called on people who were interested in operating logistics outfits to go to NIPOST for the appropriate steps, stressing that absence of such, means one is operating illegally.

She called on Kaduna residents to visit NIPOST office in the state for enquiry about their new services, while committing the organisation’s will to embark on public sensitisation on its operations, mandate and services.

Also, the Head of Operations, NIPOST, Kaduna, Mr Ibrahim Mohammed, said the organisation had over the years kept to its virtue of entrustment of public confidence and parcels for delivery across the nation and the world at large.

He added that despite challenges such as the economic crunch, fuel subsidy removal and other factors, NIPOST in Kaduna has kept to its mandate of delivering peoples letters and parcels within the stipulated time of 72 hours nation wide.

“Despite the challenges, NIPOST has not relented in delivering peoples trust. NIPOST still exists, and even stronger,”Mohammed said.

Also, Mr Ibrahim Musa, the Head, Corporate Communications of NIPOST in Kaduna, said that the main significance behind the celebration of the day is to raise awareness about the postal sector.

He explained that the day was celebrated to remind everyone of the contribution of the postal sector to social and economic development.

Musa urged Nigerians to patronise NIPOST, adding that its charges were still the best in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that NIPOST Kaduna, which commemorated the day with a road show within the state’s metropolis, was accompanied by dance and music.

NAN also reports that the World Post Day was established by the Universal Postal Union (UPU), the second oldest international organisation worldwide.

UPU has no fewer than 192 member-countries, and it is the primary forum for cooperation between postal sector players.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has sought the collaboration of the European Union (EU) to strengthen the economy of the federal capital, Abuja.

Wike made the appeal when the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms Samuela Isopi, visited him in his office in Abuja on Monday.

He said that the EU could partner with the FCT Administration in the areas of agriculture, tourism, and security.

The minister said that FCT was open for cooperation and investments in the aforementioned areas towards building a viable economy in FCT.

According to him, increased cooperation, and partnership in agriculture, tourism and security will help to unlock the economic potentials of the FCT and create jobs for the teeming populace of the city.

He expressed optimism that the visit of the Ambassador would create something tangible that would impact on the lives of the residents of the city.

Wike, who said he did not believe in mere visits, stressed the need to finalise on what needed to be done.

“Not just coming to tell me we are here to partner with you, we are here to work with you.

“It is good, but at the end of the day, the people will want to see what the achievements are, which for me, is a priority.

“You know that Abuja is one of the best cities in terms of available facilities. The landscape is beautiful, and it is a tourist and agricultural area.

“These are areas we can partner with you sincerely.

“Maybe, when we meet with the member countries, it becomes specific, which of these areas we can deal with, maybe agriculture, tourism, and security as the case may be,” the minister added.

He added that as part of the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu, Wike said that the FCT Administration had submitted a proposal for the establishment of a Secretariat that would deal with women development issues.

This, he said, would ensure inclusion and promote the participation of women in governance.

Earlier, the EU Ambassador, said that the Union was refocusing its cooperation towards improving agricultural value chains and renewable energy.

This, according to her, would assist Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Enugu Urban Butchers Association (EUBA) has pledged its commitment to safe and hygienic meat for Enugu residents in both independent butcher’s shops and counters.

The newly-elected Chairman of EUBA Ogbete Main Market Branch, Chief Nnaemeka Nworie, made this known in Enugu immediately after being sworn after its election on Monday.

According to Nworie, having stringent food safety practice in a butchers’ shops is essential when it comes to running a successful and healthy meat selling business.

“We will strictly abide by the food hygiene guides in our place of business. The meat must not be contaminated during handling or packaging in the butcher’s shop.

“Any utensil used to handle meat should be cleaned thoroughly after each use. If utensils are not used, anybody handling meat should use disposable gloves and practice good hand washing hygiene,” he said.

On the association, the new chairman promised to run an inclusive administration, adding that butchers line in Ogbete Main Market would continue to be a good place for business to thrive.

“I thank the electoral committee that conducted the election which brought us in as executive of Enugu Urban Butchers Association.

“Today, we have taken the oath of office to abide by the constitution of the association in piloting the affairs of butchers in Enugu.

“Henceforth, I am assuring butchers that butcher’s line will be a better place to do business. I am here to serve everybody,” he said.

Earlier, the legal adviser of the association, Mr J.C. Nwankwo, while administering Oath of office, charged them to abide by the constitution of EUBA.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria