Oyo State Government is set to screen Three Hundred and Forty seven thousand, three hundred and four (347, 304) individuals as ‘Project 10 Million Know Your Numbers, Control Your Numbers’ commences in Ibadan. The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi stated this at the unveiling of the Project 10 Million with the members of the State Executive Cabinet at the office of the Governor. According to the Commissioner, the Project 10 Million is a nationwide screening initiative, aimed at screening 10 million Nigerians for hypertension and diabetes across the 36 states of Nigeria and the FCT within a 7 days period in October, 2024. Dr. Ajetumobi explained that the objective of the project is to screen 10 million Nigerians for hypertension and diabetes, promoting early detection, prevention, and control of cardiometabolic diseases, using the slogan – “Know Your Numbers, Control Your Numbers” She added that “knowing your vital health metrics empowers you to take timely actions and make the right decision concerning your health, while controlling them prevents complications that may arise from ignorance or neglect”. The Commissioner added that the screening will include blood pressure and blood sugar tests to detect hypertension and diabetes, alongside other anthropometric measurements that pertain to the health of the heart, blood vessels and general body metabolim processes. She stressed that the screening process is safe and uses standard, point-of-care testing. “The Nigerian Health Commissioner’s Forum is initiating the project and executing in partnership with professional bodies, developmental agencies, and Donors. Project 10 Million will utilize a team of trained healthcare workers who will visit various communities within each state. They will set up temporary screening stations at designated locations, making the screening accessible to the community”, she said. The Commissioner concluded that everyone aged 18 years and above are eligible for the screening and the screening is absolutely free. “This means that you do not have to make any payment for the registration as well as other services accessed during the screening exercise”. Dr. Ajetumobi said participants will receive their test results and counseling on the spot. People who have abnormal results will receive some first contact care or be referred to nearby government-owned health facilities for further evaluation, treatment and follow-up care, she said.
Sell Petrol To Us At Dangote Price Or Return Our Money – IPMAN Tells NNPC
The National President of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Abubakar Shettima, has urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) to sell Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, to its marketers at the same rates offered by Dangote Petroleum Refinery. Shettima, while speaking Thursday on Channels Television, also demanded a refund of the funds owed to the oil marketers, which have been held by NNPC for the past three months. He stressed the financial strain that the prolonged delay in refunds had placed on petroleum marketers, urging the NNPC to take immediate action. “Our major challenge now is that already, we have an outstanding debt by the NNPC and the company collected product through Dangote refinery at a lower rate — not up to N900. “Presently, our money has been with them (NNPC) for almost three months. “But with the recent changes, we have requested that they sell to us at Dangote price or return our money. That’s the current situation and is the reason for the scarcity. We started negotiation yesterday,” he said. According to him, the national oil company has directed the IPMAN members “to buy the product from them at the rate of N1,010 in Lagos, N1,045 in Calabar, N1,050 in Port Harcourt, and N1,040 in Warri”. Expressing displeasure at the NNPC’s stance that marketers should buy petrol directly from the Dangote refinery, Shettima said: “We have a problem with that because already, we buy products from them. “So when they made this increment, they told us to add money and buy above what Dangote is selling products to them. “That is the reason we told them to return our monies to our banks so that we can go directly to Dangote refinery and buy, if that’s the case.” “The NNPC does not sell on credit and we buy products ahead of loading. Anytime they have products, they will call us to collect our products.”
Oyo Govt Temporarily Shuts Down Alao-Akala Highway To Install Weighbridges
Oyo State Government has shut down temporarily the 76.67km Alao-Akala Memorial Highway to construct weighbridges on it. Commissioner for Public Works, Infrastructure and Transport, Professor Dahud Kehinde Shangodoyin, who disclosed this on Thursday said the move was necessitated by the desire to preserve the road. He said when completed, the weighbridges would be deployed to determine the weight of heavy duty trucks plying the road, adding that while trailers within the permissible weights would be allowed to use the road after paying the stipulated fees, heavy duty trucks with excess weight would be turned back. The Commissioner stated that fee payments on the road would only be applicable to trailers. He maintained that the move is to protect the new road designed to serve as a link between Ogbomoso and Iseyin as well as other parts of the state and the country, noting that the weighbridges will help to reduce the burden on the road and enhance its longevity. According to Shangodoyin, though the design and construction of the road were done with quality in mind, it is a Trunk B Road that should be plied by heavy duty trucks and articulated vehicles that are within permissible weight.
Woman, 3 Other Suspected Criminals Arrested In Oyo State With N12 Million Cash, Weapons, And Marijuana
Four individuals, including a woman, on Wednesday apprehended by police in Iwere-Ile, the headquarters of Iwajowa Local Government Area, after being found in possession of N12 million in cash, firearms, and marijuana. The arrests resulted from a collaborative effort between members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) and local police forces. According to sources within the vigilante group, the suspects drew the attention of residents due to their suspicious behavior, which prompted a call to the authorities. An anonymous informant revealed that the suspects had been under surveillance for some time, as community members suspected them of masquerading as charcoal dealers while being involved in criminal activities, including kidnapping. “Their pretense as charcoal dealers raises serious concerns. With proper investigation, we believe criminal activities such as kidnapping in the community can be linked to them,” the source stated. The suspects were taken into custody and have been handed over to the Iwajowa Divisional Police headquarters in Iwere-Ile for further questioning and investigation. Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, confirmed that an investigation is underway. “We are actively looking into this matter. Updates will be provided as the investigation progresses,” he said.
FG Increases Price Of Driver’s License And Plate Number, See New Price
The Federal Government has announced that from November 1, 2024, vehicle owners will be expected to pay N21,000 and N15,000, respectively, to obtain a five-year and three-year driver’s license. The new rates followed a review recently approved by the Joint Tax Board (JTB). Also, a revised price to obtain a five-year and three-year driver’s license for a motorcycle/tricycle will be N11,000 and N7,000 respectively.
Power-Drunk Soldiers kill Policeman For Stopping Colleague Driving Against Traffic In Lagos
Soldiers attached to the Ojo Cantonment Barracks led by a yet-to-be-identified colleague, who was accosted for driving against the traffic around Volks Bus Stop, along the Ojo Iyana Iba Road area of Lagos State have stabbed a policeman, Saka Ganiyu, to death. Punch online gathered that the soldier, who was not wearing his uniform, while driving an unregistered T4 Volkswagen commercial bus against the traffic, was stopped by policemen on enforcement duty at Volks Bus Stop. Angered by the action of the policemen, it was learnt that an altercation ensued and the soldier contacted some of his colleagues, who reportedly trooped out of the Ojo Cantonment Barracks and attacked the policemen. A document chronicling the circumstances surrounding the soldiers’ attack on the policemen indicated that Ganiyu sustained varying degrees of injury during the attack and was rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital for urgent treatment. However, the injured Inspector (Saka Ganiyu) later died in the hospital while undergoing treatment. The corpse was deposited at the hospital’s morgue for preservation and autopsy. “Meanwhile, the Commander 9 Brigade, Ikeja Cantonment, has been contacted and the erring soldier was taken into custody at their base,” the document read. Our correspondent gathered that the identity of the soldier was yet to be revealed by the military authority as a thorough investigation by the homicide detectives had been initiated to ensure justice for the policeman. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundenyin, did not respond to calls and had yet to respond to a text message sent to his mobile phone as of the time of filing this report. The spokesperson for the 81 Division Nigerian Army, Olabisi Ayeni, when contacted for a reaction, said, “Let me do my findings and get back to you.” He had yet to get back to our correspondent as of the time of filing this report. Meanwhile, soldiers are usually in the news for allegedly attacking and killing policemen in the line of duty in Lagos State. In August 2022, an Inspector serving with the Lagos State Police Command, Orukpe Monday, died from the injuries he sustained during torture by soldiers who attacked him and his colleagues in the Trade Fair area of the state. The soldiers were said to be on their way to a training programme at the Ojo Military Cantonment when they realised that the movement of the vehicle conveying them to the destination had become slow. During an attempt to ascertain the cause, the soldiers, upon realising that policemen had stopped the vehicles ahead of them, got down and started challenging them, creating a fracas that escalated and led to Monday’s arrest and the torture that reportedly claimed his life. PUNCH
Former Nigerian GoalKeeper In Critical Condition, Seeks Financial Support
Former Nigerian national team goalkeeper, Peter ‘Apo’ Fregene, who is fighting for his life at Obule Medical Centre in Sapele, Delta State, currently needs urgent financial assistance for transfer to Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara. The 1968 Olympian and veteran sportsman, has been struggling with health issues, sparking concerns among Nigeria’s sports community. A fellow sports legend, and former Super Eagles captain, Dr. Olusegun Odegbami, who disclosed via a WhatsApp message the current health situation of Fregene, expressed frustration over the lack of support for retired athletes, highlighting the need for a welfare scheme to care for their health in old age. He said that Fregene requires urgent medical attention at Oghara Teaching Hospital, Delta State but faces financial constraints. According to him; “The attached picture was taken yesterday afternoon at Obule Medical Centre in Sapele, Delta State. “It is of Peter ‘Apo’ Fregene, a 1968 Olympian, and former goalkeeper who kept goal for Nigeria’s national football team across three decades, the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. I am frustrated because I am publishing this ‘horror’ picture, wishing I could do what needs to be done for a colleague without having to resort to yet another public appeal to the same few Nigerians that have, through the years, intervened in the matter of ill-health of a few retired, suffering Nigerian football heroes. “By now, we must have exhausted any remnant of ‘goodwill’ we have with Femi Otedola, Mike Adenuga, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Babatunde Fashola, Benson Ejindu, Allen Onyema, and a few other Nigerians that often came to the aid of a few lucky sports heroes several times in the past. Even if they have not complained, we are ashamed to go back to them again. Why don’t we have, or why can’t we set up, even on our own, a simple welfare scheme for active and retired athletes across all sports in the country, to take care of our declining health in old age, long after our sports careers? “Doing so does not require knowledge of rocket science. What is needed are the will, hard work, and a few good and committed people of integrity. “The danger now is that the number of retired aging sports heroes languishing in poverty, neglect, and ill health is legion already, and growing. Their stories are ugly and shameful. The evening of our lives is dark and dank (forget about the ‘packaging’ and ‘coded’ optics). “The government has demonstrated time and again that Sport is not a priority. 64 years after Independence they cannot and will not see it differently, period. “So, Peter Fregene is a reminder to us all again. As I look at him lying comatose on a hospital bed in Sapele and experiencing the suffering he must be going through, my frustration is mounting. “It appears doing something for, and beyond, Peter is a responsibility that ‘fate and metaphysical aid’ seem to have put around my neck. So, we shall see, as our people would say when they do not know what’s coming next. So, what is the situation with ‘Apo’ now? He is still waiting for help to come to be moved by ambulance to the Oghara Teaching Hospital, Oghara, Delta State. He has been waiting since yesterday. He expressed optimism that Globacom, which had previously supported his medical needs, wouldn’t relent in coming to his aid again, saying that a friend appealed to him for assistance., Tony Ojesina, has donated funds for the ambulance.
More Trouble For Damagum As Engr Utaan Moves To Replace Ayu As PDP National Chairmanship
The battle to reclaim the National Chairmanship position by the North Central Zone of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken another dimension, as Engr. Conrad Terhide Utaan, has indicated interest to serve out the tenure of the zone. Recall that since Senator Iyorcha Ayu was sacked by the court as PDP National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum, has occupied the position as the party Acting National Chairman for more than a year now. Section 47(6) of the PDP Constitution expressly stated that “where a vacancy occurs in any of the offices of the party, the Executive Committee at the appropriate level shall appoint another person from the area or zone where the officer originated from to serve out the tenure of the officer.” Interacting with newsmen on Wednesday while opposing the continued stay of Damagum as the Acting National Chairman, Engr. Utaan expressed concern that Damagum was becoming more or less like the substantive National Chairman as against the party Constitution. He said: “What came to us in the North Central was the national chairman of the PDP, and then all of a sudden, we discovered that Damagun was becoming more or less a substantive chairman. And then nobody was saying anything, you know, so again, I took it upon myself to give it a challenge. You know, for my zone, it happens when Muazu left as the national chairman and the chairman goes to another zone, the North East, battled until the chairmanship was return to the Northeast. “And this our case should not be an exception. The Chairman of PDP is for the North Central Zone. If the party, or the National Executive Committee of the party decides that Damagum should be a substantive chairman, you should come out and tell North Central, okay, the Deputy Chairman North that Damagu was before he ascended to position of the chairman becomes vacant. So North Central brings the replacement, North East cannot have both deputy national chairman, national chairman at the same time when we North Central are left with nothing, you know.” Utaan warned of the implication of denying North Central its rightful position, adding, “the APC, as much as we hate to take it, may just stroll into another term. If the PDP continues this way, that is the reason why we are in this and by the way, this term ends in November 2025, I’m not running to be chairman for four years. I’m running to complete the term of the North Central, the term of Benue, the term of Benue North West Central district, even if it’s for two days, it belongs to the North Central. It belongs to Benue. It belongs to zone B of Benue. It’s ours, even if it’s for two days. “Common justice requires that the PDP should return back to the North Central, what truly belongs to the North Central. Political interest has kept us where we are, but we are making headway. The recent ward local government and state congresses across the country has thrown up a group of young people, who are going to place a demand on this party, and look, this process does not require a national convention. That’s not what the law says, it’s for Benue to approach the North Central Zonal Executive Committee of the party with a replacement. “Now that Iyorchia Ayu is no longer the Chairman, this position was zoned to us. This is our consensus candidate for Benue. And it will be upon the Zonal Executive Committee (ZEC) of the party, in North Central to present that name, to the NEC of the party on the 24th of October. 2024.” Utaan disclosed that he is more than prepare to occupy the position of the party National Chairman, stressing, “look I’m ready to engage anybody, who wants to replace Iyorchia Ayu in an open debate, trust me, I’ll floor them. “I have what it takes, not only academically or intellectually, but I have a real feel, the pulse of the people on the street, ordinary members of the PDP can connect to me better than any former national secretary, any former governor or former senator or former minister or former anything to connect with me better. “I have met with the leaders of this party across all strata. I’ve met with my party at the local level, I’ve met with them at the state level last week, I addressed the North Central Executive Committee of the party. My message resonated with them. “Probably I have brought a new fire that will awaken the North Central, and by extension, awaken the PDP, yeah, our campaign may be slow, unassuming, because, ofcourse, we are new names. We are new face. It is my desire to lead this party with humility, with sacrifice. Independent NG
NULGE Declares Date Direct Allocation To LGs Will Start
By the end of October, the Federal Government will implement the direct transfer of funds into the accounts of local government councils nationwide. The President of the National Union of Local Government Employees, Ambali Olatunji, disclosed this during an interview. This move marks the full rollout of financial autonomy for local governments, ensuring they receive their allocations without interference from state governments. This decision aligns with the Supreme Court’s July ruling, which declared that state governors lack the authority to control funds designated for local councils. The court ruled that only democratically elected local government administrations are constitutionally recognized, rendering state-appointed caretaker committees invalid. While some governors had sought time to organize council elections, they were granted a three-month period for this purpose. As the implementation deadline approaches, local governments are expected to gain better access to funds, enhancing their capacity to deliver essential services and drive local development. Olatunji said, “Come October 11, the implementation of financial autonomy for local government will take full effect. We hope that by the end of October, local government allocations will directly reach council accounts across the country.” Olatunji added that NULGE had submitted a position paper on how local government councils should be administered to the technical committee set up by the Federal Government for the implementation of financial autonomy. He urged the federal and state governments to put in place measures to ensure that the funds were not diverted by the council administrators.
Ogun Begins Repairs Of Major Sporting Complexes, Prepares For NSF
The Ogun State Government has commenced reconstruction and renovation works on the MKO Abiola International Stadium and the Alake Sports Centre, Ijeja, Abeokuta, ahead of the National Sports Festival (NSF), tagged “2024 Gateway Games.” Speaking after inspecting the two facilities, the Commissioner for Sports Development, Hon. Wasiu Isiaka, assured that the renovation works would be completed within the stipulated time and would be tested before the games. The scraping of the pitch at the main bowl of the stadium, the removal of the tartan tracks, as well as the roofs at the indoor hall of the Alake Sports Centre, Ijeja, are ongoing simultaneously as the commissioner led journalists to the sites. He revealed that the VIP section of the stadium would be expanded, while an Olympic-sized swimming pool, tennis courts, and handball courts would also be constructed within the stadium. The commissioner noted that the current administration is intensifying its efforts to develop sports and youth development programs in the state, as well as to discover and nurture young athletes. He highlighted the importance of harnessing the potential of the youth and channeling their energy into productive ventures for their personal success and the socio-economic gains of the state, reiterating the government’s commitment to organizing a world-class National Sports Festival. Hon. Isiaka submitted that the festival will bring together the best athletes from the state, inspiring the next generation of athletes, promoting the rich cultural heritage, and promising to reward outstanding performances. He stated that the massive renovation will not only help develop the skills and dedication of local athletes before, during, and after the games but will also underscore the commitment and readiness of the state government to host the National Sports Festival, calling on corporate organizations and other well-meaning individuals to join hands with the government to make the NSF a huge success. The Commissioner addeded that the Sports Festival is a moment for the state to shine and show the world the abundance of talents, potentials and inherent hospitality in the state. He, therefore, reaffirmed the readiness of the state government to host a befitting festival, adding that the facilities would be top-notch and would attract national and international events. The National Sports Festival has been slated to hold between January 12 and January 26, 2025.