011207

Peter Obi order contractors to complete job

Contractors in Anambra State have been directed to work twenty-four hours with the aid of floodlights to enable them complete all major road projects on schedule.
Governor Peter Obi who gave the directive said the gesture was to ensure that no contractor would have reason not to complete its project on schedule.
Some of the contractors blamed the inability to source manpower locally, for their failure to deliver projects on schedule.
The Governor had promised the people that all township roads would be motorable before the Yuletide period.

NHRC: Police exercise restraint

The National Human Rights Commission wants the police to exercise restraint while carrying out arrest in order not to infringe on the rights of the people.
The Head of Legal Department of the Commission, Mr. Zaccheaus Senbanjo, stated this on Know Your Rights, the Radio Nigeria Human Right Programme.
Mr. Senbanjo explained that as a suspect surrenders to arrest; such should be treated with dignity.
On arbitrary arrest by the police, Mr. Senbanjo urged the force to take urgent step to correct the excessiveness among some of its officers.

He Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Agborebe Akpoebi said the Inspector- General of Police had directed all commissioners of police to appoint an officer to man the police human rights desk to entertain all complaints from the public.

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301107

Police to arrest fake registration plates

The police will soon impound all vehicles plying the roads without clear registration number plates.
The nation’s Chief Cop. Mike Okiro made this known at a meeting of the police hierarchy in Abuja.

Mr. Okiro said the move was necessary to check indiscriminate use of plate numbers by some motorists who commit offence on the highways. He specially cautioned those who use plate numbers written “Pilot” one and Escort one. He also directed the withdrawal of some police orderlies to personalities which he described as unnecessary.

He urged commissioners of police to beef up security in their states as the festive period approaches. Newsmen quote the police boss as saying that its Anti-terrorism squad has commenced training and will be deployed to Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Port-Harcourt after completion.

Bamidele warns Nigerians to travel safe

An expert in transportation, Mr. Bamidele safe has advised road transport outfits to see security and convenience as major factors to consider before investing in the sector.

Mr. Bamidele who said this at a seminar on effective transportation in the FCT, told newsmen that though investors should expect profit in business, but they should see satisfaction of their passengers as a priority.

He also cautioned travellers not to play with their lives in order to save money.
He noted that many passengers had suffered various forms of mishap due to unreliable means of transportation.

Mr. Safe said the organisation had lunched a new transport outfit known as “wise ride” aimed at satisfying travellers at the shortest notice with world class service.

He noted that the concept of wise ride was not the conventional park mode of transportation but was a one-on-one basis through modern communication. 

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281107

US establishes AIDS centres

United State based Military Research Programme is to establish four additional centres in the country to enhance its operations to achieve strong military response to the HIV\AIDS pandemic in Nigeria.

The centres will be located in Calabar, Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Owerri.

The leader of the team, Mr.Nelson Michael said when he led a delegation to the Office of the Minister of the State for Defence, Mrs.Fidelia Akubata Njeze in Abuja.

He said the new centres would complement the existing sites in the campaign.

Responding, the Minister, Mrs.Njeze said supply of drugs, kits and other consumables by the programme to the already established sites had been consistent.

She appealed for more training programmes to empower staff of the Ministry.

Musharaf steps down as Army Chief

President Musharaf of Pakistan has stepped down as a military leader of Pakistan and handed over the command of the Army to General Ifsraqkhan.

This effectively ends his eight years of military rule and Chief of Army Staff, which is regarded as the most powerful position in the country, but on Thursday will be sworn in a civilian President.
Pakistan has been under emergency rule in the past weeks amidst request by oppositions for the resignation of President Musharaf.
Top on the list of the opposition candidates are the former Prime Ministers and Benaizer Bhutto and Wawaz Sheriff.
Just few days ago, Pakistan was suspended from the Commonwealth as a result of the political crises in that country.

Sudanese obstacle to Darfur Peace – Jean-Marie

The Head of UN Peacekeeping, Jean-Marie Guehenno has said the Sudanese obstacles could mean the UN mission in Darfur is not viable.
He told the UN Security Council that excessive demand from Khartoum would make it impossible for the mission to operate.
Among other demands, Sudan wants advance notice of troop movements and to be able to shut down communications.
Mr. Guehenno said the UN would have to consider whether a deployment would be worthwhile under such conditions.
The twenty – six thousand strong UN and AU Peacemaking Force, Unamid is due to take over protecting the people of Darfur in a month’s time.

Relief as Prisons get depopulated

Prison inmates in the country will now heave a sigh of relief as the ministries of Interior and Justice are putting heads together to make the population of the jail houses lighter.
This is because a National Committee on Decongestion Prisons is in the offing.
Minister of State for Interior Alhassan Haruna, dropped the hint when he visited the Kuje Prison in Abuja.

Alhaji Alhassan said the Committee would work out ways to ensure speedy dispensation of justice on the back log of awaiting trials across the nation’s prisons.
He noted that the problem of prison congestion was a cause for concern. The inmates had appealed to the government to come to their aid.
Earlier, the controller of Prisons, FCT Command, Abdulrahaman Ashafa stressed the need for the provision of a female wing in the prison as female convicts are being taken to Nasarawa or Niger States.
Our man reports that Kuje Prison has capacity of about three hundred inmates but is presently occupied by eight hundred and twenty-nine inmates, including those awaiting trial.