DAILY TRUST
Wednesday, May 18,2011
Widow, children held over fraud
SSANU threatens'strike over retirement age By Francis Okeke SENIOR Staff Association ofNigerian Universities (SSANU) yesterday threatened to down tools if government refuses to ensure the passage of the agreement it reached with the union increasing retirement age from 60 to 65 for SSANU members. SSANU President Comrade Promise Adewusi issued the threat in a text message to our reporter where he urged the Senate to pass
the bill before it on the implementation even though he did not specify the date for the commencement of the industrial action Comrade Adewusi said, "it will be most unfortunate for this 6th Senate to close without concurring with the Universities' Retirement Bill already passed by the House of Representatives. As far as SSANU is concerned, we shall interpret it to mean a repudiation and breach of the 2001 FGN I SSANU agreement. And we shall be
at liberty to resume our suspended national strike without recourse to
notice:' He added that "it will defInitely n ot be enough for the executive to claim that they sent the bill to the National Assembly. Theagreement is between the Federal Government and SSANU and the Federal Government encompasses the Senate. Therefore the non-passage of the bill by the Senate is a conclusive breach by the Federal Government.
By M~bahu Bashir
"The Senate still has tinle enough to do the needful on the bill instead of ~asting precious time over selfserving scheming of who emerges Senate President of the 7th Senate. Let Nigerians of good conscience prevail on the government to honour the agreement they freely entered into. The maxim is 'pacta sunt servanda: It will be regrettable for this government to be cited as one, that does not respect agree-
ments:'
Ministry to
" PIC: BALOGUN BASHIR
revoke unused mining licenses
residence. Hannah, attached to the police secret registry was arrested alongSide her brother Eni Markson at Afum's residence when the police team couldn't fInd him. While the two were still being detained, a Toyota Rav 4 jeep allegedly belonging to Hannah's mother, Ekeatte, was reportedly impounded. Ekeatte then went to the CID in Enugu with tile alleged vehicle particulars which ASP Njoku collected from her and ordered her immediate detention. They were eventually released but were re-arrested after three weelcs in their house in Akwa !born State. Those arrested were Mrs. Ekeatte and her children, Dennis Markson, Udor Markson and Hannah Mark-
By Abdulkadir Badsha Mukhtar THE Ministry of Mines and Steel Development insists on revoking all approved minerals titles and permits if not used accordingly. Ministe r of Mines and Steel Development, 'Musa Muhammad Sada made the comment yes terd ay while co mmissio ning the new omce of the Nigerian Mining Cadastre Omce Complex in Abuj a. Sada said it is part of the omce's responsibilities to fully apply the policy of "use it or lose it" in the mineral administration. He said the Mining Cadastre Omce of the ministry has so far received 11 ,777 applications out of which 7,550 h ave been granted. " On tile o ngoing mining reforms, the minister said, "the impact of reforms is noticed in the industry. Contributions to tile Federation Account 'and exports have increased by double digit. T here is no doubt that the development of mining sector will achieve the objectives of the Vision 20-20-20 by 20 15:' He said Nigeria to day is a major d e.stination fo r global mining investment and is currently h os t to several mining exploration flrrns. In his sp eech, the Director General Mining Cadastre Office, Mohammad K. Amate related the downfall of the sector in the past with undue political interference.
A widow, Ekeatte Markson, ' is being held by the police in connection with alleged fraud against a police officer attached to the police pay office in Enugu. On March 29, 201 1, a team of policemen attached to the Crinninal Investigation Department (CID) unit in Enugu State, led by ASP Okereke Njoku, went to the house of SP Victor Afum, attached to police pay office in Enugu State Police Command as the Officer Commanding Mechanized Salary Section (MSS) for his arrest in connection with fraud and met Markson's daughter, Corporal Hannah Markson instead, at the said officer's
son.
Report: Unity colleges need fresh hands By Bo(o Edet FEDERAL Unity Colleges in Nigeria are in dire need ofO'esh hands as a large percentage of the current teaching staff
are near retirement age. This formed part of recommendations in the Ministerial Assessment Committee Repo rt on the 104 Federal Unity Colleges across the country subm itted to the Minister of State for Edu' cation, Kenneth Gbagi. ' Gbagi while receiving the report noted that laclc of operational guidelines
for prinCipals has been the bane,of poor , ':'leet pres~t day demand, continuous administration of the ,schools. He said training and retraining of the teachers to unless urgent steps are taken to address' keep them abreast of global trends and the appalling state of the Federal Unity 'establishment of the proposed National Colleges, they would be U/lable to serve Quality Assurance Commission. as model for other providers of secondAlso speaking, the Perm anent Secary education in the country as intended. retary, Federal Ministry of Education, He noted that the report would Prof. Nicholas Damachi, said that the enrich the policy direction of governareas of need identifIed in the report, ment in repositioning tl)e schools. such as inadequate stafflng, insufflThe committee's recommendations cient teaching and learning m ateriinclude provision of func tional workals as well as the security of lives and shops and science laboratories and equipproperties in the colleges would be ment, review ofNABTEB cUrriculum to addressed timely.
Dennis and Udor Marksons were detained at Eket police station in Akwa-!bom while their mother was moved to Enugu State Police Command to be detained. Hannah has also been in the custody of the Force CID in Abuja. When contacted, the Dep-. uty Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Yemi Ajayi said the widow and her children were arrested in connection to SP Afam's case of misappropriation of public fund He said Afam opened bank accounts in Hannah's name and deposited monies alIegeelly belonging to the police. He was also said to have alIegeelly bought vehicles for her, Ajayi said the matter is being investigated by the police.
Jonathan endorseslndorama's $1.8bn fertilizer, methanol plants Rv H~mi ~1I Muh:.mm;ui
PRESIDENT Gooell uck Jonathan h as endorsed the establishment of two world-class fertilizer and methanol plants by Indorama
Corporation, core investors in Elem e Petrochemicals Company Limited (EPCL). The projects, worth $1.8 billion or N275 billion would be located
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The President gave this endorsem ent when he hosted the C h airman of Indorama Corporation, Mr. S.P Lohia, and the Managing Director, Mr. Manish Mund ra at the Presidential Villa onMonday. A press release issued by Jossy Nkwocha, special adviser to the
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with the plans ofIndorama Gro up to build world-class fertilizer and methanol plants in Nigeria. Chairman of Indorama, Mr. Lohia, had earlier informed the President tllat the fertilizer plant, when completed, would deliver one million tons of ammonia and
said, would also serve as alternative fuel for public transpo rtation and for industries to enh ance the
adequate power supply and gas availability while local manpowe r was being mobilised. "We are co mmitted to the development of the economy of Nigeria and the welfare of the Niger ian people through our investments," Mr Mundra said.
energy sector. The MD, Mr. Mundra yesterday also 'formally announced tile Il]ulti-billion Naira projects, adding that a lot of work has already