News

NDE trains 30 unemployed persons on environmental beautification in Imo

Published

9 months ago

August 31, 2023

NDE trains 30 unemployed persons on environmental beautification in Imo

(Photo: Organisers and beneficiaries of a training on environmental beautification by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Owerri, on Wednesday.)

The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) says it has begun the training of 30 unemployed persons on environmental beautification skills in Imo.

The Director-General of NDE, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu-Fikpo, disclosed this at the inauguration of the exercise in Owerri, on Wednesday.

Nuhu-Fikpo, represented by the Imo Coordinator of the NDE, Mrs Chisara Egwim-Chima, said the 30 trainees drawn from all 27 council areas of Imo, would undergo training for a period of three months.

He pointed out that the training, organised by the directorate’s Department of Special Public Works (SPW), was aimed at equipping unemployed persons with viable skills to enable them earn a living without necessarily waiting for white collar jobs.

He thanked President Bola Tinubu for continuing to use the NDE in the reduction of unemployment and urged beneficiaries to make the best use of the skills to be taught.

“ You are the fortunate few selected from among a pool of applicants and I congratulate you.

“My advice is that you show commitment to the training and listen to your trainers so that in turn, you will make excellent entrepreneurs and be able to further reduce the unemployment rate in Nigeria “, he said.

Speaking, Egwim-Chima, a lawyer, who was represented by Mrs Theresa Nwachukwu, an Assistant Director with the directorate, advised the trainees “to take the training serious, as a lot of money had been expended on the exercise”.

She also thanked the director of the SPW department, Mrs Roseline Olaomi, for her tireless efforts in promoting training programmes for Nigerians through the department.

Also, the directorate’s Head of Department, SPW in Imo, Mrs Kechikarere Anochiri, mentioned the skills to be taught to include soft and hard landscaping as well as Plaster of Paris (POP).

She added that the directorate would present the trainees with start-up packages at the end of the training period.

One of the trainees for hard landscaping, Mr Ebere Osuagwu, thanked the NDE for the opportunity and promised to make the best use of the skills learned.

Headline

Prince Harry visits sick Nigerian soldiers in Kaduna

Published

3 days ago

May 11, 2024

Alero Danjuma

Prince Harry and his team visited the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna to interact with wounded soldiers who are receiving treatment.

The Duke of Sussex is in Nigeria with his wife to champion the Invictus Games, which Harry founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans.

Nigeria joined the Invictus Community of Nations in 2022 becoming the first African country to join.

Prince Harry’s visit to Kaduna came 68 years after his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II visited the state during the time of the late Premier of Northern Region Sir Ahmadu Bello.

News

Senate approves death penalty for drug traffickers

Published

5 days ago

May 9, 2024

Alero Danjuma

Senate on Thursday, May 9, approved the death penalty for those convicted on the charge of drug trafficking in the country.

The punishment prescribed in the extant NDLEA Act is a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The resolution of the Senate followed its consideration of a report of the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and Drugs and Narcotics, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

The Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights & Legal Matters presented the report during plenary, Senator Mohammed Monguno (APC-Borno North).

The bill, which passed its third reading, aims to update the list of dangerous drugs, strengthen the operations of the NDLEA, review penalties, and empower the establishment of laboratories.

Section 11 of the current act prescribes that “any person who, without lawful authority; imports, manufactures, produces, processes, plants or grows the drugs popularly known as cocaine, LSD, heroin or any other similar drugs shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for life” was amended to reflect a stiffer penalty of death.

Although the report did not recommend a death penalty for the offence, during consideration, Senator Ali Ndume moved that the life sentence should be upgraded to the death penalty.

During a clause-by-clause consideration of the Bill, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session, put the amendment on the death penalty to a voice vote and ruled that the “ayes” had it.

But Senator Adams Oshiomhole objected to the ruling, saying that the “nays” had it.

He argued that matters of life and death should not be treated hurriedly, but Barau said it was too late, as he failed to call for division immediately after his ruling.

The bill was subsequently read for the third time and passed by the Senate.