Upperhill News is committed to promoting accurate information on African stories, issues relating to the Girl-child, gender-based violence, health, politics, sports as well as national and international events of public interest.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has appointed Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Yetunde Longe, as the first female Force Secretary of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement on Wednesday, announced that the appointment was in alignment with the vision of promoting gender inclusivity and equality within the Police Force.
Adejobi noted that Longe, has a wealth of experience and expertise which she was bringing into her new role, having demonstrated exceptional dedication and competence in her career journey .
“She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Forensic Toxicology, which has significantly contributed to her proficiency in crime management and investigation. Her professional development is further enriched by her participation in advanced courses such as the Advanced Detective Course and Intermediate Command Course at Police Staff College Jos, and the Protection of Civilians course in Italy,” Adejobi stated.
“Since her appointment as Cadet ASP on March 3, 1990, AIG Longe has held several key positions, including Administrative Officer, Crime Officer, Commandant in Lagos, Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Corporate Investment at the NPF Cooperative; Area Commander in Lagos, Deputy Commissioner of Police at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in both Bauchi and Lagos States, and DCP Admin at Zone 2, Lagos,” Adejobi noted.
“The Inspector-General Egbetokun emphasised that the inclusion of women in strategic roles is crucial for the comprehensive development and effectiveness of the police force. “The Inspector General of Police reiterates that gender sensitivity in police appointments and operations remains a non-negotiable principle as his administration is poised to promote gender equality and empower female officers to attain leadership positions within the Force,” he noted.
Egbetokun assured that the Force will continue to foster an inclusive environment where merit and capability would remain the primary criteria for advancement, irrespective of gender. “The inclusion of women in strategic roles is crucial for the comprehensive development and effectiveness of the Police Force,” he stated.
No fewer than 100 indigenes of Ogun State who were trained and empowered with start-up packs through the Industrial Training Fund (ITF)-National Economic Recovery Growth Programme (NERGP) have been urged to make good use of the opportunity to improve their economic status, impact lives and contribute to the growth of the nation’s economy.
The ITF-NERGP is a training and empowerment programme implemented by the Federal Ministry of National Budget and Economic Planning in collaboration with the ITF, which has trained 4,000 Nigerian youths on different vocations including, crop production, welding and metal fabrication, electrical installation and maintenance, carpentry (furniture making) and tilling.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olu. Ola. Aikulola made the appeal during the closing ceremony and distribution of start-up packs to the beneficiaries of the programme held at the ITF, Abeokuta Area Office in Abeokuta, the State capital.
Aikulola said the skills acquired during the programme were not just trades but empowerment which would enable the beneficiaries contribute meaningfully to the economy, reduce unemployment and curb idleness, adding that, trainings like the ITF-NERGP training serve as panacea for socio-economic challenges faced by the youths.
He urged the participants not to sell the startup packs that have been given to them to start their businesses stating that, effective utilisation of the equipment can result in exponential income in the long run.
“I am particularly proud of the 100 beneficiaries from Ogun State for your dedication and commitment throughout this training programme. As you step out today, you do so not just with a certificate but with the confidence and skills to build a sustainable livelihood and by extension, contribute to the development of our great State and nation,” Aikulola stated.
The Permanent Secretary who recounted his past experience of working as a barber, photographer and Printer during his motivational speech, urged the participants not to feel inferior to others adding that the acquired skills if well harnessed could help make them wealthy.
Aikulola who reiterated the Ogun State government’s commitment to supporting and creating enabling environment for skills acquisition and entrepreneurship lauded the ITF and the Federal Ministry of National Budget and Planning for organising the programme.
In her address, the Area Manager, ITF Abeokuta Area Office, Mrs. Bolanle Ajibade said the ITF-NERGP is a three-month programme which exposes participants to two months of practical training and one month of internship advising the 100 Ogun State indigenes who benefitted from the programme to use the knowledge gained to contribute positively to the development of the country’s economy.
Ajibade while giving account of different programmes that have been organised at the Abeokuta Office since its creation in 1990 disclosed that, another window of opportunity called the Skill-Up Programme for Artisans (SUPA) is currently open for artisans adding that those interested can register for the programme via http://www.supa.itf.gov.ng.
The Area Manager noted that the SUPA which is an initiative of the ITF in collaboration with the Federal Government is aimed at upskilling, licensing, certifying and empowering ten million artisans across the country.
Speaking in separate interviews, a sexagenarian, Mr. Olufemi Idowu-Onasile and a Creative designer, Mrs. Ruqqayat Dairo, who both benefited from the programme said the training has been a source of empowerment through which they have been earning income adding that, Nigerians irrespective of age or academic qualifications need to leverage different ITF programmes to contribute to the growth of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has commended the Nigeria Police Force for its efforts at securing lives and properties in the state.
Abiodun gave the commendation on Tuesday when he received the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of the South-West region, Mr. Abiodun Alabi, who was in his office on a courtesy call.
He said police personnel in the state have been up and doing in the discharge of their constitutional roles in collaboration with other sister agencies.
“We have enjoyed the cooperation of the police. Their collaboration with other security agencies like the Army, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) and of course our Amotekun has led to the peaceful atmosphere that we enjoy and this has also encouraged investors to come and do business in our state,”Abiodun said.
The Governor also lauded the collaborative efforts of the Ogun, Oyo and Lagos state commands in tackling criminal activities, particularly on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, stating that this has brought down the rate of criminality in that corridor.
He applauded DIG Alabi for touring the region to see how his men were faring and how they relate with the people. He commended the Inspector General of Police for his support and the Commissioner of Police for doing a wonderful job in the State.
Speaking earlier, DIG Alabi said there was the need for interface with relevant stakeholders to ensure effective community policing in the country, adding that his visit was in line with the directive of the IGP for the six DIGs to tour their regions to assess security situation and come up with strategies to deal with such.
He thanked Governor Abiodun for always supporting the force, even as he pledged the readiness of his men to up their game and provide the State with the needed security.
While fielding questions from newsmen after meeting the governor, DIG Alabi said that though there are pockets of kidnapping and cultism and other related crimes, the Southwest was relatively peaceful when compared to other regions.
“There is no society that is crime free, as you all know. Crime is a galloping phenomenon. Today, it can be brought down to almost zero level. Tomorrow, there is that tendency for it to be up again. It is now left for us to go back to the drawing board and re-strategize and emplaced strategic policing plan to deal with it decisively,” he said.
He added that his team has taken notice of the areas crimes are prevalent, assuring that his men would work towards providing security in all parts of the southwest region.
DIG Alabi maintained that Ogun State, despite being the industrial capital of the country, remained one of the most peaceful, assuring the people that more security measures would be put in place to sustain the peaceful atmosphere.
The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has appointed three consultants to man the aviation sector in the state.
This was contained in a statement on Tuesday, signed by the Secretary to the Ogun State Government (SSG), Mr. Tokunbo Talabi.
The appointment is in readiness for the take-off of the iconic Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport.
According to the statement, the experts appointed to take responsibility for specific areas in the fast developing aviation sector in the State are Capt Dapo Olumide – Consultant on Airport Management; Engr. Benedict Adeyileka – Consultant on Regulatory Matters (Aviation) and Engr Mohammed Odunowo – Consultant on Aviation.
“Please note that the above appointments by His Excellency were based on the relevant and cognitive expertise and experience of the appointees in national and international aviation sector,” the statement added.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have suspended their industrial action for one week.
The strike, which was called due to disagreements over a new minimum wage and a recent hike in electricity tariffs, has been put on hold for one week.
This decision was announced by the President of TUC, Festus Osifo on Tuesday after an extraordinary joint National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held by both unions in Abuja.
“A joint NEC meeting of TUC/NLC has approved to relax the industrial action for one week with immediate effect,” Osifo informed Channels Television.
He further said that an official communique detailing the decision and its implications would be issued soon.
The strike, which began on Monday, aimed to express the unions’ dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the new minimum wage negotiations and the abrupt increase in electricity tariffs.
The industrial action led to a near-complete shutdown of critical sectors across the nation, including schools, businesses, hospitals, and airports, thereby creating a widespread disruption.
In addition, the national grid was shut down, plunging the nation into utter darkness and worsening the situation for millions of Nigerians.
The unions’ decision to halt the strike for a week suggests a potential window for dialogue and resolution.
The government and other stakeholders are expected to utilize this period to address the pressing issues raised by the unions.
The suspension provides a temporary relief to citizens and businesses who were grappling with the consequences of the strike.
As the unions and the government head back to the negotiation table, there is cautious optimism that a more sustainable solution will be reached.
The outcome of these discussions will be closely monitored by all parties involved, including the general public, who are directly impacted by the outcome.
The NLC and TUC have made it clear that their grievances are rooted in the need for a fair and livable minimum wage and a more reasonable approach to utility tariffs.
The unions argue that the current economic conditions have made it increasingly difficult for workers to maintain a decent standard of living, hence their firm stance on these issues.
The temporary suspension of the strike marks a critical juncture in the ongoing negotiations. It remains to be seen whether the government can address the concerns of the unions adequately within this one-week window or if further industrial actions will be necessary.
The Federal Government has announced the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to achieving a national minimum wage that is above N60,000.
This was one of the resolutions at a meeting between the Federal Government and the organised Labour on Monday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, in Abuja.
The meeting followed a nationwide industrial strike called by the Labour, led by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) over national minimum wage disagreements.
Reading out the outcome of the long-drawn meeting, Akume announced that to arrive at a mutually agreeable national minimum wage, the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage would resume negotiations from Tuesday.
He also affirmed that no worker would be victimised as a result of the industrial action.
“The Federal Government, in the National interest, convened a meeting with Labour held in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, on Monday 3rd June, with a view to ending the strike action.
“After exhaustive deliberation and engagement by both parties, the following resolutions were reached:
“The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria is committed to a National Minimum Wage that is higher than N60,000;
“Arising from the above, the Tripartite Committee is to meet everyday for the next one week with a view to arriving at an agreeable National Minimum Wage;
“Labour in deference to the high esteem of the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria’s commitment in (ii) above undertakes to convene ameeting of its organs immediately to consider this commitment; and
“No worker would be victimized as a result of the industrial action,’ the agreement read.
The agreement was signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammed Idris and the Minister of State for Labour and
and Employment, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, on behalf of the federal government.
For the Organised Labour, President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, and the President of the TUC, Festus Osifo, signed.
The Organised Labour would be meeting with its affiliate members on Tuesday to deliberate on the next line of action.
Real Madrid, on Monday, announced the signing of French superstar, Kylian Mbappé.
The Spanish giants and the 25-year-old forward have reached an agreement that will see him wearing the iconic white jersey for the next five seasons.
The official statement from Real Madrid read, “Official statement. 03/06/2024 Real Madrid C.F. and Kylian Mbappé have reached an agreement whereby he will be a Real Madrid player for the next five seasons.”
According to reports from Le Parisien, a Spanish media outlet, Mbappé, widely regarded as one of the best finishers in the world, will initially wear the number 9 shirt at Real Madrid.
However, the report further revealed, “Kylian Mbappé will wear the number 9 shirt during his first season with Real Madrid. He will then recover the number 10 shirt from Luka Modrić when the Croatian leaves in 2025.”
Earlier, Mbappé removed his former club, Paris Saint-Germain, from his bio on Instagram, confirming his departure from the team.
Organised Labour shut down the national grid, plunging the country into darkness.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), confirmed this development in a statement released early Monday.
The grid shutdown comes in the wake of a strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC) and Trade Union Congress ( TUC) due to their ongoing dispute with the Federal Government.
The unions are demanding a new minimum wage and the reversal of the recent electricity tariff hike.
The General Manager of Public Affairs of the TCN, Ndidi Mbah, who confirmed the development in a statement, said: “The Transmission Company of Nigeria hereby informs the general public that the Labour Union has shut down the national grid, resulting in a blackout nationwide. The national grid shutdown occurred at about 2.19 am this morning, 3rd June 2024.
“At about 1:15 am this morning, the Benin Transmission Operator under the Independent System Operations unit of TCN reported that all operators were driven away from the control room and that staff that resisted were beaten while some were wounded in the course of forcing them out of the control room and without any form of control or supervision, the Benin Area Control Center was brought to zero.
“Other transmission substations that were shut down, by the Labour Union include the Ganmo, Benin, Ayede, Olorunsogo, Akangba and Osogbo Transmission Substations. Some transmission lines were equally opened due to the ongoing activities of the labour union.
“On the power generating side, power generating units from different generating stations were forced to shut down some units of their generating plants, the Jebba Generating Station was forced to shut down one of its generating units while three others in the same substation subsequently shut down on very high frequency. The sudden forced load cuts led to high frequency and system instability, which eventually shut down the national grid at 2:19am.
“At about 3.23am, however, TCN commenced grid recovery, using the Shiroro Substation to attempt to feed the transmission lines supplying bulk electricity to the Katampe Transmission Substation. The situation is such that the labour Union is still obstructing grid recovery nationwide.
“We will continue to make effort to recover and stabilize the grid to enable the restoration of normal bulk transmission of electricity to distribution load centres nationwide.”
The industrial action called by the organised labour leaders commences at 012.00 am on Monday morning following the stalemate in the meeting called by the federal lawmakers and the executive branch to prevail on the workers’ unions to shelve the indefinite strike.
Organised labour had made some demands on the federal government including an N494,000 salary given the current economic realities in the country, reversal of the hike in electricity tariff without consulting the stakeholders as required by law to N225/kwh to N66/Kwh and the alleged apartheid categorisation of Nigerian electricity into bands.
The federal government offered N60,000 minimum wage which the workers’ unions considered insufficient given the inflation in Nigeria which peaked at 33.69 per cent in April 2024.
However, at the meeting initiated on Sunday night by the government comprising the executive and the legislature, InsideBusinessNG gathered that the labour leaders insisted they would have to meet with Congress to discuss the National Assembly leadership’s appeal to suspend the strike and allow for further dialogue.
The meeting was attended by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau; Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele; House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere; and the Chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on Labour, Employment and Productivity, Diket Plang and Gboyega Adefarati, respectively,
Also, the representatives of the Federal Government present at the meeting included: Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite; Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi; Head of Service, Folasade Yemi-Esan.
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has described the past five years of his administration as challenging, but added that his faith in God had brought the victory he desired.
Speaking during his 64th Birthday and 5th Year Thanksgiving Service held in his honour at the Ogun State Government House Chapel, Oke-Igbein, Abeokuta, on Sunday, Governor Abiodun recalled his journey to power despite all odds, attributing his victory to God Almighty.
“The process through which I emerged as Governor was a very unusual one; one in which my predecessor who was in the same party with me was fighting me and campaigning for another person in another party, and I will sit down and ask myself, ‘Baba God, this is very unusual, why do I have to go through so much to assume this office?’ And then I will answer myself that it is because God wants to take that glory.
“The last five years of governance over the state of Ogun for me has been one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. It’s been extremely turbulent, it’s been very challenging, particularly, it has been rancorous. But the most important thing is that in all of this, God has given us victory.”
Abiodun said his government was taking giant steps to reshape the economy of the state and that the steps were yielding results.
One of such steps, according to him, is the plan to make Ogun an oil producing State, as the Ministry of Petroleum Resources would soon begin oil exploration in the state.
“Only on Friday, the leadership of the Ministry of Petroleum led by the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, was here with three others and the chairman of Shell to make an announcement that they would soon begin to drill oil in Ogun State,” he said.
Prince Abiodun also seized the opportunity to respond to comments by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last general election, Ladi Adebutu, on the Sagamu-Iperu road project.
Adebutu had criticised the 8-kilometer Sagamu-Iperu road project of the state government.
The governor said his focus was to continue the positive trajectory of the Gateway State and not to dwell on the submission of a man who could not see the over 600km of roads across the length and breadth of Ogun State done by his administration.
Abiodun said he had learnt not to respond to people who had developed the habit of barking whenever they are no longer in the spotlight.
“I read on one of the papers that someone was saying that he was embarrassed that I was commissioning an 8-kilometre road, and a counterpart of mine was commissioning a 77-kilometer road,” he said, adding that he had learnt not to respond to such ignorant remarks.
He wondered that despite the stupendous wealth of the Adebutu family, the road that runs through their house was in a deplorable state for a long time and the family could not deploy a fraction of their wealth to repair it.
Governor Abiodun promised that his administration would continue to make life comfortable for the people of the state by embarking on the provision of more infrastructure that would, in turn, improve their well-being.
Earlier in his message, the Shepherd in charge of Grace Baptist Church, Abeokuta, Rev (Dr) Emmanuel Ajayi, who took his sermon from Psalm 92 verse 1, said that it was a good thing to praise the Lord because of who He is.
Rev. Ajayi, giving thanks to God brings more blessings to those who praise Him.
While calling on the people of God to imbibe the culture of giving thanks to God in their closet, Rev. Ajayi said that praises help Christians to show their gratitude to God Almighty.
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Hon. Kayode Akinmade had, in an earlier statement in response to Adebutu’s comments, said the defeated PDP governorship candidate lacked the requisite mental capacity to assess Governor Abiodun’s performance in office.
He said: “It is rather laughable if not completely bizarre to learn that a suspect in the on going case of money laundering and electoral banditry in the 2023 gubernatorial election in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, could summon courage to speak on any issue whatsoever in the public space, not to talk of issues pertaining to governance.
“Adebutu’s recent gibberish in the media, where he queried the leadership capability of Governor Dapo Abiodun and his administration’s performance eloquently gives out the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate as a man with little mind and zero cognitive capacity.
“Obviously, no right thinking individual with sound mind could just wake up on the wrong side of his bed and start discrediting what the global community is applauding from all fronts. While we understand the limitations of Oladipupo Adebutu as a certified indolent and overfed brat, we never realized his mannerless tendency had grown to this level of nuisance.
“For crying out loud, what does a man that could not manage an ordinary small-scale business know about the government that superintend the affairs of over six million people in a geographical location of over 16000 square kilometres.
“Adebutu antecedents are majorly rooted in the life of recklessness and uncontrollable verbal diarrhoea, with no single achievement except the free money of his octogenarian father.”
Akinmade also said Adebutu pretended to be blind to the developmental projects and policies of Governor Abiodun in all the sectors of the State’s economy, ignorantly thinking he could score cheap political points and sneak out of his present oblivion.
“Like he himself rightly observed, he should be ashamed of himself for coming from the same town with a personality like Prince Dapo Abiodun, who has showcased leadership acumen and rare sagacity for inclusive governance beyond expectations.
“We hereby advise Adebutu to concentrate on his criminal case in court and face it squarely, while it is necessary for him to go for rehabilitation after facing the full wrath of the law on his atrocities,” he said.
Upperhill News 