NEWS
LAGFERRY Launches Promo to Reward Water Transport Users with Cars
The Lagos State Ferry Service Company (LAGFERRY), has launched a promo package for ferry passengers as part of efforts to reward them and encourage water transportation in the state. Its Managing Director, Mr Ladi Balogun, in a speech at the flag-off of the Mega Raffle Draw tagged “SAILIN ‘N’ SMILIN RAFFLE Promo”, held in Lagos on Thursday, said that the exercise was to create more awareness on water transportation.
Balogun said that the promo was targeted at rewarding loyal LAGFERRY customers to popularise the usage of water transportation to ease congestion on the roads. He recalled that Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on February 4, 2020, inaugurated the Ferry Terminal at Badore, adding that 502,000 passengers had been moved across waterways since operations began on February 6, 2020.“With the support of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), LAGFERRY has never recorded a single accident on waters ways in all the 13 ferry terminals in the state since February 2020.“This is because the regulator (LASWA), ensures that our captains, deckhand and other personnel are adequately trained to sail Lagos passengers safely. “Gov. Sanwo-Olu has approved, and we have taken delivery of, seven additional boats, making 20 boats, between February 2020 to June 2021, which will be inaugurated soon. “In Nigeria, no boat operator owns up to 20 fleets in operation. We are making history by having that much in our fleet,” Balogun said. He particularly recalled that the Lagos State Government transported the Super Eagles from Lagos to Benin Republic through the waterways, adding that the team testified that the water transportation added to the level of their productivity. Balogun said that water transportation was the safest means of movement in Nigeria, adding that connecting the road to the water was becoming easier with the launching of “First and Last Mile bus” by Gov. Sanwo-Olu. He urged Lagos residents to patronise water transport which he described as the safest means of transportation, and win prizes that would be given at the end of the third quarter. Balogun said that the raffle would begin on July 1.According to him, the consumer authority of Lagos State would be involved to ensure that passengers rights were not infringed upon by either LAGFERRY or other stakeholders. Mr George Ogan, Chief Executive Officer of Elivate 9JA, in a remark, said that the partnership would excite ferry users, and explained that there were lots of prizes such as microwaves, washing machines, television sets, cars, among others. Ogan said that there would be refreshment for early passengers of LAGFERRY during the promo. Mr Fuad Lawal, Chairman, Obalende Local Government Community Development Area (LCDA), said that the promo was a win-win situation for both Lagos State Government and ferry users. He said that the promo would also generate money for government without increasing ferry fares, adding that the development area would extend the awareness to increase participation.In his goodwill message, the General Manager of LASWA, Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, commended the collaboration from both the public and private sector, adding that no single sector could harness it potentials alone. Emmanuel commended LAGFERRY for the initiative and commended the support of other agencies for making the promo possible. Also speaking, the General Manager, Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency, Mr Afolabi Sholebo, said that involving consumer protection had shown the level of sincerity of the stakeholders in the promo. Sholebo assured passengers that their rights would be protected “to the last minute”, and urged them to patronise water transportation. The Chief Executive Officer, Lagos State Lottery and Gaming Authority, Mr Bashir Are, represented by Senior Consultant Officer, Oyinkan Usamot, assured boat users that the outfit would ensure compliance to the promo guidelines. Are commended LAGFERRY for creating awareness that was boosting the quest to ensure that Lagos residents shifted from road to water transportation. Mr Abiona Babarinde, General Manager, Marketing, Coscharis Groups, in a remark, said that collaboration with Lagos State was adding value to water users in the state. Babarinde said that the promo would give opportunities to Lagos residents to become car owners, courtesy of LAGFERRY, adding that the game would be transparent.(NAN).NEWS
Gunmen Attack Police Station, Kill 2 in Anambra
The Police Command in Anambra says gunmen have burnt its station in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area, killing two officers.SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, announced this in a statement issued in Awka on Monday.He said that the gunmen attacked the police facility with improvised explosives, shooting sporadically, which caused a fire to burn part of the station.
He said further that during the attack, two police operatives on duty were killed when they attempted to resist the gunmen. Ikenga stated that the bodies of the deceased policemen had been recovered and taken to the morgue.He also noted that joint security forces, including the police, army and navy, among others, had recovered five unexploded improvised explosives.Ikenga noted that the Commissioner of Police in Anambra, CP Nnaghe Itam, had visited the scene for assessment.He said that Itam called on anyone with information that could assist in the investigation to come forward, assuring then that such information would be treated confidential.(NAN)NEWS
IPPIS Data Base not Compromised, OAGF Assures Employees
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has reiterated the Federal Government’s determination to maintain and operate a secure and efficient personnel and payroll system.In a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mr Bawa Mokwa on Monday, the OAGF maintained that the Integrated Personal and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) database has not been compromised, assuring that employees personal data on the IPPIS database is safe and secured.
The OAGF, which manages the IPPIS and other financial management initiatives of the Federal Government, said it is already implementing its ICT Security Policy that aims to ensure that its digital assets are secured in line with global best practices. The Office explained that no data is saved on its website, adding that the IPPIS uses the website to only share information and not for any transaction. “The IPPIS is not using the OAGF website for any transaction. The website is actually the medium to share information. Neither payroll nor payment is made through the website, therefore, no data is contained in the website”, it said. The OAGF stated that the IPPIS validation portal that was recently developed for updates of employees information was deployed for a period and after the exercise was over, the data were pulled out and the site shut down permanently.According to the statement, “the IPPIS Validation Portal was deployed on a secure platform. A secured database and application were purchased from the popular HELIX-FONS.”The Office acknowledged that the IPPIS is of utmost importance to Nigerian workers, thus it became imperative to assuage the fears of any loss or breach of employees personal data in the IPPIS database. The OAGF noted that the IPPIS has put in place necessary mechanism to resolve any problem that may arise in its operations and advised workers that observe anomalies in their salaries to follow the official procedures inorder to get such issues resolved.NEWS
Again, Inflation Drops to 32.15% in August
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
Nigeria’s headline inflation dropped to 32.15 percent in August, according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report
The report released on Monday said the inflation eased the second time in 2024 after a 19 month increase that peaked at 34.19 percent in June.
“Looking at the movement, the August 2024 headline inflation
rate showed a decrease of 1.
It however, said on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 6.35 percent points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2023 (25.80%).
“This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in August 2024 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.
e, August 2023).Furthermore, on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in August 2024 was 2.22%, which was 0.06% lower than the rate recorded in August 2024 (2.28%).
” This means that in August 2024, the rate of increase in the average price level is lower than the rate of increase in the
average price level in July 2024.”
The report added that food inflation rate in August 2024 was 37.52 percent on a year-on-year basis, which was 8.18% points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2023 (29.34%).
It said the rise in food inflation
on a year-on-year basis was caused by increases in prices of; “Bread, Maize Grains, Guinea Corn, etc (Bread and Cereals Class), Yam, Irish Potatoes, Water Yam, Cassava Tuber, etc (Potatoes, Yam & Other Tubers Class), Palm Oil, Vegetable, etc (Oil & Fats Class) and
Ovaltine, Milo, Lipton, etc (Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Class).”
But on a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in August 2024 was 2.37 percent, a 0.10% decrease compared to the rate recorded in July 2024 (2.47 percent).
“The fall can be attributed to the decline in the rate of increase in the average prices of Tobacco, Tea, Coco, Coffee, Groundnut Oil, Milk, Yam, Irish Potatoes, Water Yam, Cassava Tuber, Palm Oil, Vegetable etc.”
It added that the average annual rate of Food inflation for the twelve months ending August 2024 over the previous twelve-month average was 36.99 percent, which was 11.98 percent points increase from the average annual rate of change recorded in August 2023 (25.01 percent).