The Delta State Police Command has concluded a local training to intensify efforts to combat crime in the state.

The state Commissioner of Police, Ikechukwu Aduba speaking at the event urged the officers to ignore corruption in order to win the confidence of the citizens. He warned that anyone caught extorting money from Nigerians will face the consequences.

He further encouraged the officers to be of good behaviour and abide by the code of conduct of the police force.

Following the training some newly confirmed and promoted were decorated by the police commissioner.

Inspector Adeniyi Dare who responded on behalf of the officers appreciated the state police boss for the promotion and promised, on behalf of his colleagues, to do their best and make the police force proud.

By Citizens Platform
President Goodluck Jonathan has said his government will keep focusing on delivering the Transformation agenda to Nigerians and will never allow itself to be derailed from pursuing it to a logical conclusion.

He said this on Monday while receiving a high-powered delegation of the Congress for Equality and Change led by elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark and former Senate President, Ameh Ebute.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned the Federal government against sacking workers as it implements the White Paper of the presidential committee on rationalisation and restructuring of the civil service.

The NLC in a statement by its President, Abdulwaheed Omar, said there was no assurance that the cost of governance would reduce if government should carry out the rationalisation exercise as recommended by the committee, headed by a former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Steve Oronsaye.

According to him, a perfunctory audit would reveal that workers’ salaries in the civil service constitute a negligible percentage of government’s running costs.

He explained that high cost of governance is caused by grossly over bloated contracts, ridiculously high numbers of political appointees whose duties add little or no value to the system, weak internal governance structure and poor accountability.

He urged the federal government to fight corruption and invest in human capital development, adding that this would help in realising one of the government’s objectives of having a functional and effective civil service.

The statement reads “The Nigeria Labour Congress wishes to call for utmost care and sense of responsibility as the Federal  Executive Council (FEC) commences the comprehensive review of the draft White Paper on the Presidential Committee on the Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies, otherwise known as the Oronsaye Committee. While government’s overriding interest is how much money it could save from this exercise, the NLC would have the government focus on the enthronement of transparency, competency and other time-honoured values of service.

“It will therefore frown at, and even resist any attempt to make workers victims of the exercise.

“Congress gives its unwavering support to the establishment of a functional and dynamic bureaucracy, capable of making the nation proud and believes this process can be achieved not through the mindless creation of a labour market crisis. A perfunctory audit will certainly reveal that workers’ salaries in these establishments constitute a negligible percentage of their running costs. High cost of governance is made inevitable by grossly over bloated contracts, ridiculously high numbers of political appointees whose duties add little or no value to the system, weak internal governance structure and poor accountability.

“In our view therefore, that getting rid of corruption and investing in human capital development will help in no small way in realising this objective instead of “saving costs” as the primary objective.

“For the purpose of emphasis, there is no assurance that even if the parastatals were reduced  to 10 without demonstrable commitment to a noble philosophy or objectives capable of transforming the public service,  that there would  be a reduction in the running cost of  government. Government, we believe, should also note that unlike the private sector, its primary objective is not profit. Its penchant for ‘ad-hocism’ without regard for due process created the situation it has found itself. This exercise avails it the opportunity of redressing this wrong and restoring powers, resources, rhythm and functionality to ministries.”

“Similarly, this exercise, the on going constitutional review and specific efforts at remodelling the Revenue Mobilisation and Allocation and Fiscal Commission all provide the needed opportunity to abrogate the offensive disparity in wages between civil servants and political office holders who in spite of their advantages, always manage to arrange for themselves gratuity and pension when they are not deserving of any. They eat their cake and have it. In the end, we shall hold government by its promise that this exercise “is not targeted at pushing anybody out of work…” or “…in making life difficult for anybody”.

11 people have been killed by the insurgent  group Boko Haram in separate attacks in Yobe state.
Confirming the attack, the Military Joint Task Force in the state said Boko Haram attacked the Government Secondary School and a military checkpoint in Damaturu, the state capital.
The military spokesman in the state, Lieutenant Eli Lazarus, in a statement on Monday, explained that two teachers, seven students and two insurgents were killed during the attacks. According to him, three soldiers, were critically injured in the clash that lasted for over five hours.
“Three of the suspected Boko Haram members were caught alive and were currently in the custody of the JTF” he said.
According to the Medical Officer of the Damaturu Specialist Hospital, Salem Umar, 11 corpses were brought to the hospital. The corpses included seven students of the GSS Damaturu, two teachers of the school and two members of the suspected Boko Haram members.
Six students also sustained various degrees of injuries and were currently receiving treatment at the Damaturu Specialists Hospital.

The Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) has allocated N167 million for the upgrade of electricity supply to Zuru Emirate in Kebbi.

The Senior Special Assistant on Power Sector Advocacy to the Minister of Power, Alhaji Mohammed Danjuma, made this known in an interview with journalists in Zuru on Monday.

Danjuma said the amount would be spent on the upgrade of electricity facilities in Zuru, Sakaba, Danko/Wasagu and Fakai local government areas of Kebbi.

He said new transformers and electrical materials would be installed for improved power supply to the areas, noting that the measure was due to irregular supply of electricity to the areas over a long period.

According to him, power supply will improve nationwide by the first quarter of 2014 when the National Independent Power Projects (NIPP) is expected to be completed.

He said that the increase from 400 megawatts to 10,000 megawatts, generation, transmission and distribution would eliminate irregular electricity supply.

He noted that other sources of power supply such as solar, hydro and coal would also be explored to end “load shedding.’’

Rivers state Governor Rotimi Amaechi has called on members of the Nigeria Governors Forum to ignore a meeting called by Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau state.

The two governors have been in a tussle as to who is the real chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum.

The Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang had scheduled a meeting with the NGF members on Monday 17th June by 7pm.

However Governor Amaechi who was returned as the Chairman of the forum in an election has asked his fellow governors to ignore the meeting by Governor Jang.

The Rivers State Governor told his colleagues that for the avoidance of doubt, the only meeting is that with President Goodluck Jonathan holding in the Presidential Villa, at 9pm on Monday.

In a counter response, Governor Jang said he is aware of the meeting with the president, but that the meeting he is asking the governors to attend will hold about 7pm before the 9pm meeting with the President.

It would be recalled that the governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola who is in support of Governor Amaechi approached the court on behalf of the NGF asking the court to stop Governor Jang from parading himself as the governor of Nigerian Governor’s Forum.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru, has called for a swift conclusion of the Prisoners Transfer Agreements (PTA) between Nigeria and countries in Europe.
The Minister made this call on Monday, 17 June 2013 at a two-day seminar organized in Berlin for Heads of Nigerian Missions in Europe.
Ashiru while speaking during the opening of the seminar said:
“One strategy we need to deliberate upon to ameliorate the plight of Nigerian prisoners is the prospect of concluding the PTA.
“This Includes, the legal framework for orderly repatriation of Nigerians who have lost their rights to remain in their host countries”.
Under this agreement, Nigerian’s serving prison terms in Europe could be transferred home to complete their sentences.
In related development Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany, Amb. Abdu Abubakar expressed the hope that the seminar would proffer solutions to some of the problems affecting the embassies and missions.

International News network Al-Jazeera has called on the Niger government for a release of four of its crew members held by Niger authorities in the town of Zinder.

Al Jazeera’s correspondent Yvonne Ndege, camera operator Romuald Luyindula, producer Mohammed Abubakar and driver Rabiu Abdullahi have been held for the past three days despite repeated assurances of their release at the highest level of government, the network said on Monday.

The four crew members have not been currently charged with any crime, yet remain detained in harsh conditions without any further information regarding their release.

Al – Jazeera network says it calls for an immediate release of four- member team who have been detained for the past three days.