The Commander, 34 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Obinze, near Owerri, Brig.-Gen. Usman Lawal, has declared Imo safe for the Yuletide celebrations, going forward.

The commander said this, while addressing newsmen in Owerri, on Saturday, following a raid of troubled spots in the state by a combined team of security operatives.

The joint team comprised the military, police, DSS and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

The Army boss said that the security forces had successfully decimated criminal elements in Ezioha and Eziama Obiato Communities of  Mbaitoli council area of the state as well as other terrorised areas in Oru East and Njaba council areas, where some bandits had gone into hiding.

He commended the personnel of the joint team for their gallantry in ensuring that peace returned to the localities and assured Imo people that no stone would be left unturned in ensuring that they can return home for the festivities.

He, therefore, called on the residents to go about their legitimate businesses as their lives and property would be protected at all cost.

 “We intend to neutralise criminal activities in the affected areas so that we can have peaceful Christmas and New Year celebrations.

 “The criminals planted Improvised Explosive Devices in almost the entire community to deter us from moving, but we have carefully detonated most of them, and we are still operating.

 “The operation is ongoing, the terrain is a challenge, but by the grace of God, we are moving, we are gathering intelligence and peace is gradually returning to the areas,“ he said.

The Imo Commissioner of Police, Mr Aboki Danjuma, said the essence of the operation was to restore the public love and confidence in the security agents to safeguard lives and property.

 “The whole areas were deserted when we came, as the people do not know where to run to but I believe that after this operation, the community people will return to their homes,” Danjuma said.

Also, Gen. Joseph Chima (rtd.), the Special Adviser on Security Matters to the Imo Governor, gave assurance that government would do everything within its powers to ensure adequate security to enable the people to return to their homes, especially during the Yuletide.

“We are going to devise all available means to ensure the people return home as security has been beefed up,” Chima said. (NAN)

The former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Yakubu Dogara, says President Bola Tinubu is a leader prepared to lead with courage even at a personal cost considering his tax reforms stand.

Dogara stated this at the 14th convocation and 17th Founders Anniversary of the Achievers University, Owo in Ondo State.

The former speaker said that any transformation leader must be brave, stating that a good leader must not just allow history to happen but make it.

According to him, the lack of good leadership plunged the country into its current state of mess.

“ With what President Bola Tinubu  has done, whether it’s the freeing of local government areas from the choke-hold of economic stagnation the states had hitherto subjected them to or the groundbreaking bold tax reforms proposals he had placed before the National Assembly, I see a glimmer of hope that we may be dealing with a leader who is prepared to lead with unbridled courage even at personal cost.

“ It gladdens my heart that we are now dealing with a leader who is not avoiding stubborn tasks and very much unwilling to put off difficult conversations.

“ With him, courage has become a habit and that habit has the power to transform our leadership as the miracles we are desperately yearning for may well lie in the tasks and difficult conversations we are avoiding.

“ I support president’s tax reforms not because they are perfect, but because it is the right thing to do.

“ However, I must concede the fact that those opposed to it have the right to do so.

“But I do not share their jaundiced nay tenuous and puerile position that because they disagree with some aspects of the reforms, then the reforms must be withdrawn or killed,

“ Leaders who are dedicated to reforms and progress don’t make such poor judgement calls, at all,” he said.

Dogara said that those that  are opposed to the reforms should clearly spell out what they are disagreeing with and make better proposition than that of the president for Nigerians to compare and contrast in order to make informed choices.

The former speaker, who is the Chancellor of the Achievers University, said that a call to do nothing about the reforms was either bad politics or sheer buffoonery or a combination of both.

According to him, addressing Nigeria’s economic challenges requires bold, decisive and coordinated actions across multiple fronts.

He said that achieving the vision of desired transformation would demand sacrifices, accountability and collective resolve from all Nigerians .

The chancellor called the youths to be at the centre of transformation, stressing “through education, innovations and a shared commitment to excellence, we can build a Nigeria that fulfils the aspirations of its people.”

Dogara, therefore, tasked Nigerian universities to be centres of learning and innovation that would come out with practical solutions to the country’s economic problems.

He said that universities must partner with industries and government to ensure that the knowledge generated have real-world applications.

Also speaking, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Achievers University, Dr Bode Ayorinde, called on the graduands not to wait for opportunities, but create them.

He said that the future of Nigeria depended on their ability to dream big and act decisively.

The pro-chancellor urged the Nigerian government to embark on massive industrialisation.

“ The great nations of the world achieved their status as trillion dollar economies by harnessing the power of industrialisation.

“ It is industrialisation that creates jobs, drives innovation, generates wealth, reduces crime and insecurity and fosters societal stability.

“To achieve this, we need to develop industries that process our raw materials locally, create value-added products, reduce import dependency and boost exports.

“This requires a collaborative effort from the government, private sector  and institutions like the Achievers University.

“ We need to create an enabling environment that encourages entrepreneurship, innovation, and investment in key sectors.

“ We are committed to producing graduates who are equipped with the skills, knowledge and values necessary to succeed in the industrial economy,” he said.

In her speech, the Vice Chancellor of the Achievers University, Prof. Omolola Orinoye, said that 700 graduates were awarded degree certificate with 71 students graduating with First Class Honours.

Orinoye said that 303 students had Second Class Honours (Upper Division) and 243 graduated with Second Class Honours ( Lower Division) while 35 had Third Class Honours.

The vice chancellor said that 46 postgraduate  students in 17 different academic programmes would receive their certificate awards.

The vice chancellor said that no fewer than 319 students had  benefitted from its 12-tuition-free academic programmes.

She stated that the gesture was in pursuance of the institution’s philosophy of promoting access to higher education to young people who might be denied the opportunity for lack of huge resources.

The vice chancellor said that the institution’s Governing Council had also approved the granting of 65 per cent to 80 per cent tuition scholarship for UTME and Direct Entry candidates in 20 other academic programmes.

Three Nigerian personalities: Gov. Umar Bago of Niger State, Oba Adedokun Abolarin, Orangun of Oke Ila, Osun State and Dr Fidelis Ayebae, were given doctoral honorary award for their outstanding contributions to the Nigerian society. (NAN)

Nicholas Dekera, Kaduna

The Medical Director, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Kaduna Dr Aishatu Armiyau has won the Minister of Health Unique Award for year 2024.

Speaking during the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Dinner and Award Night held on Wednesday, at the hospital Premises, Dr.

Aishatu Armiyau said “we celebrate hard work dedication and integrity. So base on the Public Service Rule 2021 there’s a section which recommends motivation for hard working staff, some of the awards are from the public service rule, while some are awards given to retirees, in the last two years there a cash reward for staff of the month award and at the end of the year, the staff of the year award is also given and fortunately this year I got an award, the Minister’s Unique Award. And I didn’t know about it. This award is very dear to me, because it is given by my staff who voted and came out with my name, I would have stepped it down if I had know earlier but they refuse to tell me because they felt that I deserve to get that award and I am please and am Happy to have that award of Excellence, my staff are my back bone, I have been here leading as a leader not as a boss and I have a fantastic team of players and it’s like a chess game and this our Chess Game now has become a good team not a group working to getter. “

Earlier while announcing the staff of the month award, the Medical Director commended the staff for hard work, Mrs Hamira Sani. She announced a twenty five thousand naira prize for her for emerging as staff of the month.

Integrity Award of the year Balarabe Usman and the Medical Director Staff Award of the year went to Mrs Blessing Luka
According to Dr. Aishatu Armiyau ” from 23rd of August 2022 when I resumed work here, I come to work by 6:35 am yet this staff, Luka Blessing comes before me”

While announcing a scholarship for Luka Blessing Child for 3 academic sessions she said staff must hold their jobs with integrity.

On dialysis and other non medical treatments Dr. Aishatu Armiyau said, ” Health is not compartmented, for me health is whole and if we are dealing with people that have mental issues then they will definitely have other issues and during the COVID-19 erra, the COVID -19 funds were gotten by the hospital and the hospital now have a COVID-19 section with equipments they were already bought and were not put in use, Government cannot spend billions to bring in Dialysis machines, ultrasound machines, x-ray machines, molecular lab machines and we put them into use and we breach the gap.