National
ICPC tasks engineers on transparency, standards
The ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Aliyu, SAN, has urged engineers to embrace transparency, integrity and adhere to required standards for accelerated infrastructural development across the country.
Mr Demola Bakare, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Spokesperson, said in a statement on Thursday, that Aliyu made the call in Abuja.
Bakare said the ICPC boss was speaking when Prof. Sadiq Abubakar, President, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), and other management members paid him a courtesy in Abuja.
Aliyu, who expressed concern over the current challenges facing Nigeria, particularly in the construction of roads and buildings, pledged that the commission would ensure compliance with established standards.
He underscored the need for both ICPC and COREN to be committed to transparency and integrity, making their collaboration crucial for improving infrastructural development and ensuring adherence to required standards.
The ICPC boss pledged the determination of the ICPC to collaborate with COREN to leverage their expertise in infrastructure development across the country.
“ICPC is committed to working with you because you have the expertise, and we have the enforcement power,” he said.
He noted that COREN’s expertise would be invaluable to the Constituency and Executive Project Tracking Group (CEPTG) initiative of the ICPC.
COREN’s President Abubakar said the purpose of the visit was to review the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two agencies to strengthen their partnership.
He said that the review of the MoU with ICPC would reinforce their partnership and hold accountable those responsible for substandard infrastructure.
The COREN Chief expressed his expectation for the establishment of a joint committee to update the MoU, which was originally signed in 2014, to reflect current realities
“We must strengthen our collaboration with ICPC, as our predecessors saw the importance of formalizing this relationship through an MoU,” he said.
In his remarks, the Secretary to ICPC, Mr Clifford Okparaodu, echoed the need to revise the existing agreement in line with the present situation in the country
He commended COREN’s leadership for recognising the concerns of the ICPC Chairman and the Nigerian public, assuring that a committee would be formed to work closely with the COREN team.(NAN)
Apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has condemned the arrest of businesswoman Aisha Achimugu at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Achimugu was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Her lawyer, Chief Chikaosolu Ojukwu, who confirmed her arrest said , “Aisha Achimugu, who arrived voluntarily into the country from London, was arrested by the EFCC around 5 a.m. on Tuesday.
‘In light of what transpired in court on Monday, my client returned based on the undertaking before the court to honour the EFCC’s invitation, but was arrested at the airport.”
Ojukwu criticised the EFCC’s action, describing it as a violation of a court order.
Reacting, the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike described the arrest as an affront on the judiciary.
Okwu said it was strange that someone who returned to the country in line with her own averments before the court could be whisked away in such a manner.
He stressed that, “we had thought that the EFCC has stopped such action but this manner of arrest speaks volumes.
“From every record available, Aisha Achimugu filed an affidavit in court to voluntarily report to the EFCC today, Tuesday, then appear in court tomorrow, Wednesday.
“It is then strange that having returned to the country on her own volition, the EFCC had to swoop on her at the airport despite the subsisting court order.
“This confirms our earlier fears that her trial is political and is totally unfortunate.
“We urge the EFCC to respect the sanctity of the rule of law by releasing her.”
Okwu urged the commission to resist the temptation of being used by politicians to fight perceived political enemies.
A total of 92 visually impaired candidates participated in the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) at the Kano centre.
Prof. Muhammad Yahuza-Bello, JAMB Coordinator for the Kano centre, made the announcement while monitoring the exercise on Monday.
The examination took place at the School of Continuing Education, Bayero University Kano (BUK), under the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG) initiative for candidates with special needs.
Yahuza-Bello, a former vice-chancellor of BUK, explained that the 92 candidates were drawn from Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara, and Kaduna States.
He added that among the candidates, two had Down syndrome, while two others had autism.
The candidates, both male and female, were provided with specialized gadgets such as typewriters, braille machines, slates, styluses, and paper to facilitate their participation in the exams.
The coordinator also said over 500 candidates with special needs-ranging from visual impairments and albinism to Down syndrome and autism-had registered to take the exam at 11 centres across the country.
He said, unlike regular Computer-Based Testing (CBT) centres where candidates interact with screens and keyboards, special needs candidates benefit from adaptive materials to eliminate barriers to education.
Since its introduction in 2017, JEOG has seen positive results, with an increasing number of special needs candidates gaining admission into tertiary institutions.
Yahuza-Bello pointed out that while approximately 25% of regular candidates gain admission, over 33% of special needs candidates are successful in securing placements.
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National
Court Approves Federal Government’s Request to Protect Witness Identities in Nnamdi Kanu Trial
A federal high court in Abuja has authorized the federal government’s request to keep the identities of witnesses in the trial of Nnamdi Kanu confidential.
Kanu, who leads the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been held by the Department of State Services (DSS) since 2021 on charges of terrorism and treasonable felony.
On Tuesday, prosecution attorney Adegboyega Awomolo informed the court that he had submitted an ex parte application on April 10 to safeguard the identities of the witnesses. He requested that the court provide screens and masks to ensure their anonymity.
“The purpose of this request is to ensure the safety and security of state officers who will serve as witnesses,” he stated.
Kanu Agabi, the defendant’s counsel, did not contest the application.
The trial is underway, with the first witness, a DSS operative, already called to testify.
Kanu was re-arraigned on March 21 before Judge James Omotosho of the federal high court in Abuja.