NEWS
Adulteration: Abuja Residents Task FG on Petrol Import Regulation
Some FCT residents have urged the Federal Government to ensure strict supervision of importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS ) into the country.
They gave the advice on Monday in Abuja during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
According to them, some of the PMS importers` activities had led to the circulation of adulterated PMS nationwide.
Mr Samuel Onime, a lecturer at Citi Polytechnic, Abuja said adequate supervision and regulations of petroleum industry ought to be strengthened to ensure fake PMS are not found at the nation’s filling stations.
He further said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other relevant agencies ought to be dedicated to their duties in the importation and distribution of quality petroleum products into the country.
Also speaking with NAN, Mrs Rita Lashuji, a public servant, said that the circulation of the adulterated fuel had caused a lot of damages to end users.
She said the fake product had impacted negatively on end users such as car owners, motorcyclists and business owners.
She said many car owners had spent a lot of money to fix damage caused to the vehicles by the fake product
Lashuji stated that circulation of the adulterated PMS by the importers was a deliberate act to maximise profit for themselves.
Mr Christopher Baya, a motorcyclist also told NAN that his colleagues were also victims of the adulterated fuel.
He said the adulterated PMS had done more harm to the society compared with the gains that could be obtained by the importers.
Baya appealed to the Federal Government to strengthen existing regulations toward punishing independent importers and marketers who found to have been involved in the importation and distribution of the fake PMS.
Spokesperson NNPC, Garba-Deen Muhammad, had confirmed that a technical committee had been set up to look into the matter, and how the contaminated products would be managed.
According to him, it is important that the contaminated fuel is not in circulation adding that the committee would determine how best to handle the task.
NEWS
Explosion: Jigawa Distributes Relief Materials to 210 Affected Families
The Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (JISEMA) has distributed relief materials to the affected families of Majia tanker explosion, which occurred in Taura local government area of the state.
The items distributed by the agency on Saturday in Majia town include 25kg bags of rice, 25kg bags of millet, cartons of spaghetti, Maggi cube, seasoning, detergents, soap, semolina, gallons of vegetable oil and 110 rubber mats.
Dr Mairiga Haruna Mairiga, Executive Secretary of the agency, said the materials were donated by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, the National Emergency Management Agency, and JISEMA.
Mairiga said this after the distribution, that the items were distributed to the families of the 210 people affected by the tanker explosion.
Some of the beneficiaries who received the items, commended the Federal and State governments as well as wealthy individuals who assisted them since the incidence in October.
Mr Muhammad Habibu, father to a deceased victim, said the relief materials would assist them at a time that they lost a helper.
Another beneficiary, Mr Auwal Abdullahi, whose son is on admission at Rashid Shekoni hospital in Dutse, said the materials would reduce the hardship encountered due to the incident.
They commended JISEMA for coming to their aid and prayed to God to continue guiding the state Governor Umar Namadi, towards the right direction.(NAN)
Education
Veritas University Graduates 795 in 13th Convocation Ceremony
The Veritas University, Abuja, on Saturday, graduated a total of 795 students in various disciplines from six facilities during its 13th Convocation ceremony
Report says that 716 of the graduands bagged first degrees while 79 graduated from the post graduate school.
56 if the first degree graduands came out with first class honours, 329 with second class upper division, 291 with second class lower division and 40 with third class.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof.
Hyacinth Ichoku, said that the impact of the institution had reflected in its standard of education.Ichoku said the students had recorded outstanding breakthroughs by winning awards for the school and country both at the national and international levels.
”Our students have continued to shine in the last years. The Software Engineering Department of the institution won the African Global Engineering Competition.
”We have also won the Commonwealth debating championship as well as an AI competition involving 150 university,” he said.
He added that the institution had inaugurated its endowment fund with the aim to generate funds to address the infrastructural need of the university.
He also said that the institution had just completed the construction of two separate hostels, each to accommodate 500 students, while also expanding its digital hub that would facilitate international teaching and learning.
He said pledged that the institution was planning the construction of its faculty of engineering and innovation.
In a goodwill message, the Acting Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Chris Maiyaki, lauded the institution its achievements.
Maiyaki said that the milestone resulted from years of hardwork, resilience and commitment in inculcating academics and moral values for the educational advancement of the country.
The institution’s Pro-chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council, Dr Matthew Kukah, said that the country was at the crossroads as a result of numerous challenges the country is faced with.
Kukah said that with the emergence of a new terrorist group, there was need for the country to brace up to this challenge to avert future problems.
He charged the graduating students to deliver on the confidence reposed in them to help the country find a lasting solutions to some of the challenges.
Highlight of the event included award of prizes to the outstanding students in their various departments and faculties.
Prominent Nigerians also bagged the institution’s honorary doctorate degree award.
The honorees were the Asagba of Asaba Kingdom, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, and the Executive Secretary, Sahara Power Group, Kolawole Adesina.
Others are Archbishop Emeritus of Ibadan Archdiocese, Most Rev. Alaba Job and Archbishop Emeritus of Owerri Archdiocese, Most Rev. Anthony Obinna.(NAN)
NEWS
Abortion Allegation Against Military: CDS Hails Outcome of Investigation
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, has hailed the outcome of investigation on the allegation of forced abortion leveled against the Nigerian military by the International Committee of the Red Cross ( ICRC) and Reuters.
Musa made this known in a statement by the Director Defence Information, Brig.
-Gen. Tukur Gusau, on Saturday in Abuja.Musa commended the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations in Counter Insurgency in the North East for exonerating the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) from indictments regarding allegations on forceful abortions and other infractions in the sub-region.
He recalled that the report of the panel specifically stated that the allegations of systematic abortions, torture, rape and extra juducial killings levelled against the military were false.
The CDS commended the 7- man panel led by retired Justice Abdu Aboki for painstakingly carrying out a thorough job since its inauguration in March 2023 by the Nigerian Human Rights Commission.
He reaffirms the commitment of the armed forces to the defence of human rights and resolve to ensure that peace reigns in the country.
According to him, no amount of false accusations will distract the armed forces from exercising its constitutional mandate of protecting the territorial integrity of the nation. (NAN)