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The Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, has been named “Outstanding Citizen of the World Year 2017” by Enugu City Centre Rotary District 9142. The District’s President, Mr Okezie Nwanjoku, who made this known in Enugu on Tuesday, said the award would be conferred on Ekweremadu on Dec. 2. Nwanjoku said that deputy senate president was adopted after a vigorous screening of 150 people shortlisted from across the world. According to him, the award is given by a credible committee and not influenced by wealth or other primordial consideration. “If one of the members of the committee vetoed the choice, then there will be no award. The committee was unanimous in its decision,” Nwanjoku said. He pointed out that Chief Arthur Eze won the award in 2015 while the candidates nominated for 2016 were vetoed by members of the committee. The district president also said that the club would also unveil its over N50 million service projects for 2017/2018. Nwanjoku said that ...

Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has confirmed the destruction of over 50 shops after Monday’s fire incident at the Yoruba section of Watt market in Calabar. Mr John Inaku, SEMA Director General, who disclosed this after an assessment visit to the area on Tuesday, said the cause of the fire was still unknown. “Up till now, the cause of the fire is still unknown; over 50 shops were affected during the tragic incident. “I am here on the directives of the State Government to ascertain the cause of the outbreak and to report back so that something can be done to alleviate the plights of the victims. “If you take a critical look at the shops, they are closely located. This makes it easy for the fire to spread quickly from one shop to another. “My advice to shop owners is that they should always put off their appliances after close of business; this would go a long way to prevent disasters like this,’’ he said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that...

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed state governments to ensure payment of outstanding workers’ salaries in their various states, to enable workers to “smile to banks”, and to happily celebrate the forthcoming Christmas. Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo confirmed this development to State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with the President in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday. He said workers’ issue took the centre stage during the meeting, saying that the president was so much concerned with those who depended on salaries to feed their families, pay school fees and their house rents. He said President Buhari specifically directed the governors to ensure that they kept workers and pensioners happy by paying their outstanding salaries and allowances from the balance of the outstanding Paris Club refund which would soon be paid to them. He said the President was so much concerned with those who depended on salaries to feed their families, pay school fees...

The heads of military formations in Lagos on Monday assured the state government of their continued support in the maintenance of peace and security in the state. The top military officers, led by Air Vice-Marshal J’afaru Yahaya, Air Officer Commanding Logistics and Communications, gave the assurance during a courtesy visit to Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode at the Lagos House, Ikeja. Yahaya commended the governor for providing vehicles and other logistics support to security agencies. He said that the security agencies would continue to make judicious use of the available resources to ensure continued peace and security in the state. In his response, Ambode thanked the security agencies for their cooperation and promised to continue to provide them necessary support  in the overall interest of residents. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the military delegation included the General Officer Commanding 81 Division, Major-Gen. Peter Dauke. (NAN)

Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo on Monday sought the House of Assembly’s approval to present the state’s 2018 budget estimates for its consideration and approval on Wednesday, Nov. 29. The request of the governor was conveyed in a letter dated Nov. 17 and signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Osarodion Ogie. The letter, titled “Presentation of the Year 2018 budget” was read by the Clerk of the house, Mr James Omoatamae, during plenary. It stated that the presentation of the budget earlier scheduled for Monday, Nov. 27, 2017 was, however, now rescheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 29. The Speaker, Mr Kabiru Adjoto, however, urged members to be available for the budget presentation on Wednesday. Obaseki presented an Appropriation Bill of N150b for the fiscal 2017 to the State House of Assembly in Benin on Dec. 19, 2016. NAN

The Independent National  Electoral Commission ( INEC ), on Monday in Abakaliki, Ebonyi, commenced three-day training on Information Communication Technology (ICT) for its staff in the state. Prof. Godswill Obioma, the State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), who declared the workshop open, said that the initiative was to train and equip the staff with basic knowledge of computer and application of ICT. According to him, the training is part of strategies being put in place to ensure credible, free, fair and efficient conduct of the 2019 general elections. He said that the ICT training was the 5th batch in the series, slated to enhance the capacity of the staff of the commission. He said that 300 staff of the commission at its headquarters in Abakaliki would first undergo the training before it would be stepped down to the staff at the various local government areas. “Election is a process and the training we are organising for our staff is to equip and enha...

Presidential spokesman Femi Adesina says President Muhammadu Buhari will attend the 5th European Union-African Union (EU-AU) Summit in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, between Tuesday and Wednesday. Adesina, in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, said the president would participate in working sessions on the summit theme: “Investing in the Youth for a Sustainable Development.” He said that on the margins of the summit, Buhari would meet with a number of African Heads of State and their EU counterparts. The presidential aide said the president would use the occasion of the summit to reiterate Nigeria’s readiness to work with African and European countries to address the challenges affecting both continents, such as peace and security. “The Nigerian leader will attend the official luncheon to be hosted by the government of Cote d’Ivoire in honour of visiting Heads of State and Government and other delegations,’’ he added. According to Adesina, the governors of Akwa Ibom and Bauchi...