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http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Favour Nnabugwu Abuja—The Federal Government has charged permanent secretaries, as well as heads of departments and agencies to ensure successful implementation of the Economic Recovery Growth Plan, ERGP. Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, who made the call at a dialogue session with permanent secretaries and heads of government establishments in Abuja yesterday, said the ERGP would not succeed without the commitment of the civil servants. She said Nigerians are always known for intelligent and wonderful programmes, but what seems to be lacking is effective implementation which rest on the shoulders of civil servants. “The implementations rest on the shoulders of the public service because it is the public service that actually does the day to day work activities of the government. ‘’Whatever the public service is doing, if it is not done effectively and efficiently it cannot move the private sector and cannot move the econ...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Chris Ochayi Abuja— The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, said Nigeria’s power stations generated 3,687 Megawatts of electricity in first quarter of 2017. The NBS stated this in “Daily Energy Generated and Sent Out for 1st quarter 2017” report posted on its website in Abuja, yesterday. The report stated that Afam VI Power Plant contributed about 12.64 per cent share of the average energy generated in the quarter. This, it stated, represented the highest generation among 23 power plants within the period under review. It said: “Daily energy generation attained a peak of 5,846 mw on the 24th January and daily energy sent out on same date was 5,747 mw. “Similarly, the highest daily energy generated per hour attained a peak of 140,316 mwh on the 24th January, 2017 and daily energy sent out per hour on same date was 137,920 mwh “This represents the highest level of energy generated and sent out in the month of January 2017 and in the first quarter.” Howeve...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Henry Umoru ABUJA—FORMER Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Chief Nduese Essien, has taken a swipe at South West leaders, accusing them of  insincerity in the call for restructuring of Nigeria. Reacting to a particular reference to last week’s opposition by the Leader, House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila, to a motion, which urged companies operating in oil producing areas to relocate, Essien noted that leaders of the South only support restructuring when it favoured them and kick against it when it didn’t. Essien, a former member of the House of Representatives and a delegate to the 2014 National Conference, said:  “I begin to wonder whether the South-West is sincere about its agitation for restructuring. ‘’South West leaders, at every forum, over the years, propagated the restructuring of the Nigerian federation but each time an opportunity comes, they renege on restructuring. ‘’When their son, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, was the Pres...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Dayo Johnson Akure—A 14-year-old housemaid attempted to poison her 63-year-old master, Nasiru Akinlosotu, by mixing rat poison in a meal of beans, because he scolded her over an incident. The suspect, a primary four pupil in a public school in Ondo town, has been arrested by the state Police Command. Vanguard gathered that the victim, who resides at Adetomowo Street in the town, escaped eating the poisoned meal by sheer luck. His wife, Sikirat, was said to have told the suspect, who had stayed with the couple for two years, to prepare the meal and serve her husband before she returns from her shop. The suspect, police source said, prepared the food for three, but mixed a powdered rat poison in the victim’s dish. The police source added that the victim discovered that the smell from the beans was unusual and after questioning the suspect, he raised alarm and the maid confessed in the presence of their neighbours. ‘How I survived’ Narrating how he escaped...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Gbenga Olarinoye Osogbo—Osun State government and the the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Lasun Yussuff have disagreed over the reconstruction of the 102-year-old Ojutu Bridge, which links Osogbo, the state capital and Ilobu, an adjoining town. Both the state government and the  lawmaker are claiming that they facilitated the approval for the reconstruction of the road, which also links Osogbo in Osun and Ogbomoso in Oyo State. Speaking through his Special Adviser, Dr. Aderemi Ajala at a press conference weekend, Hon Yussuff, who is representing Irepodun/Orolu/Olorunda/Osogbo Federal Constituency of Osun State claimed that he facilitated the project as one of the capital projects attached to his office as the Deputy Speaker in the 2016 Budget with personal efforts to its speedy execution. Governor Aregbesola had at a programme tagged: “Ogbeni Till Daybreak” – an audience participatory live programme – at the weekend asked the people of th...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Unknown gunmen, Saturday night, abducted the mother and sister of Mr. Kassim Mohammed-Kassim, member of Nasarawa State House of Assembly (APC Akwanga South). Police spokesman in the state, DSP Kennedy Idirisu, who confirmed the abduction yesterday in Lafia, said the gunmen, in their numbers, stormed the residence of the lawmaker at Moroa in Akwanga at about 8p.m. and shot sporadically before whisking the women away. He said that the police was collaborating with the vigilante group in the area to locate the victims. “As we speak, our men are already combing the areas in search of the victims and to apprehend the perpetrators,” Idirisu said. He, however, appealed to members of the public to assist the police with useful information that could lead to the women’s rescue. Meanwhile, a family source, who preferred anonymity, said the abductors have contacted the family and demanded a ransom of N30 million. Efforts to get the lawmaker’s reaction proved abortive a...