KICNEWS

Category: Lifestyle

  • Buy locally-assembled CNG vehicles, FG advises Nigerians 9th July 2024

    Buy locally-assembled CNG vehicles, FG advises Nigerians 9th July 2024

    The Federal Government has appealed to Nigerians to take advantage of the CNG initiative to reduce by buying locally-assembled CNG vehicles.

     

    This is expected to reduce pressure on the use of Premium Motor Spirit and diesel in the country.

     

    After the removal of fuel subsidy, the Federal Government had provided N100bn for the purchase of 5,500 CNG vehicles (buses and tricycles), 100 electric buses and over 20,000 CNG conversion kits, alongside spurring the development of CNG refilling stations and electric charging stations.

     

    President Bola Tinubu has also encouraged Nigerians to venture into the CNG initiative.

     

    Reechoing the admonishment of the government, the Director General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, Oluwemimo Osanipin, described the CNG as best for Nigerians from all fronts considering its affordable cost.

     

    The NADDC DG said this during an assessment tour of Lanre Shittu assembling plant in Lagos on Monday.

     

    While appealing to Nigerians to buy CNG buses, the DG added that the government was ready to do anything within its power to ensure that the assemblers of CNG flourish in their business.

     

    He said, “My appeal to Nigerians is for all of us to start adopting this initiative and start buying Nigeria-assembled CNG vehicles. It will save us from more expenses. Just like we just heard from one of the engineers now, a 60k of CNG will cover more than 300 kilometres, if you compare that to a petrol or diesel-powered vehicle, you will know that CNG is good for Nigerians.

  • Sit-at-home: NSCDC beefs up security in Anambra

    Sit-at-home: NSCDC beefs up security in Anambra

     

    The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Anambra State command, said it has deployed personnel across the state to protect critical national and state assets as part of efforts to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

     

    The Anambra State Commandant of NSCDC, Maku Olatunde, stated this in Awka, on Monday while monitoring the deployment of personnel for its renewed launch operations to encourage economic and commercial activities and combat the effect of Monday’s sit-at-home.

     

    Olatunde described it as a proactive move focusing on banks, financial institutions, parks, schools, government offices and potentially vulnerable points to maintain public trust and respond to security breaches.

     

    He said, “The exercise aims to boost economic activities, prevent miscreants, criminals, vagrants, vandals, hooligans, unruly individuals and economic saboteurs from attacking lawful residents of the state, particularly on Mondays.

     

    We emphasised the need for all personnel participating in the exercise to conduct themselves professionally and courteously in enforcing civil order while following established rules of engagement and standing operational procedures.

     

    “This deployment is to ensure the protection of critical national assets and infrastructure, in Anambra State, including banks, markets, parks, recreational centres, schools, government offices and other strategic locations. You must be vigilant in the discharge of your duties, be professional, courteous and responsive to the needs of the public.”

  • Flood: Man electrocuted in Lagos

    Flood: Man electrocuted in Lagos

    The police in Lagos State said that a yet-to-be-identified 61-year-old man lost his life after being electrocuted during the flood incident.

     

    Police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the death in a post he shared on his X handle @benHundeyin on Thursday.

     

    He said that the incident happened on Wednesday during a downpour in the Orile-Iganmu area of the state.

     

    During the rain yesterday in Orile-Iganmu, a 61-year-old man, while wading through the floods, held on to a street light pole and sadly got electrocuted,” the spokesperson said.

     

     

  • Anambra police recover 14 vehicles from gunmen’s camps, invite owners for collection

    Anambra police recover 14 vehicles from gunmen’s camps, invite owners for collection

    The Police in Anambra State have recovered 14 vehicles after raiding camps belonging to gunmen terrorizing the state.

    A press release by the spokesperson of the command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga said the raids on the camp and the recovery of the vehicles were done in different parts of the state.

    In a release sent to DAILY POST, Ikenga said: “This is to inform the general public and good people of Anambra State that during several operations on a raid of criminal camps, vehicles, tricycles, and motorcycles were recovered.”

    He said the vehicles were either snatched through armed robbery, stealing, murder and forceful/criminal dispossession of properties by men of the underworld.

    “Owners are requested to come to the office of the State Criminal Investigations Department, Awka, with valid proof of ownership for a claim,” he said.

    He added that the Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam assured members of the public that the Command was committed to ensuring that stolen properties were always recovered and returned to their rightful owners to assuage the sense of deprivation the victims of such crimes went through.

    He listed the vehicles to include: Space Wagon Passat with reg number: NNE 48 AS, Volkswagen Golf with reg number: THE 479 AA, shuttle bus with reg number: AGU 364 ZW and a Mitsubishi bus with reg number: CN 25 ABJ.

    Others are a shuttle bus with reg number: JJT 442 ZF, another shuttle bus with reg number: AWK 913 ZQ, a TVS tricycle without reg nos, another TVS tricycle with reg number: AAH 410 VW, a Topstar motorcycle without reg number, a Honda today without reg number, a Honda cub without reg number, a Sanyang motorcycle without reg number, a Keystone motorcycle without reg number, and a Honda today motorcycle without reg number.

     

  • Konga ex-CEO’s death: Househelp reveals last conversation with deceased

    Konga ex-CEO’s death: Househelp reveals last conversation with deceased

    LAGOS—The maid of the former Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian e-commerce giant, Konga, the late Nick Imudia (names withheld), has disclosed the last conversation she had with her boss before news of his death was announced last week.

    Vanguard, meanwhile, gathered that the late Imudia’s family had requested his body for burial.

     

    The maid, according to a close friend of the deceased, who spoke with Vanguard on the condition of anonymity, said late Imudia called her a day earlier and handed her a piece of paper with five telephone numbers, including that of his brother in the United States of America.

     

    According to the deceased’s friend, “She said Nick told her to keep the numbers, that she would need them at the appropriate time. Thereafter, she said he went into the bathroom and heard the shower running, indicating that he was having a bath.

     

    “She said after some time, she observed that the shower was still running and wondered what he could still be doing for so long. She knocked on the door, but there was no response and she left.

     

    Moments later, she said the private guard knocked on the door and informed her to come and see what had happened to Nick. She rushed downstairs and found him in a horrible state. Immediately, she rushed upstairs and still met the shower on. By the time she opened the door, she discovered there was nobody in there.”

     

    Meanwhile, the family, according to the deceased’s friend, had requested the release of Imudia’s body for burial.

     

     

     

  • NLC kicks against calls for different minimum wage for states

    NLC kicks against calls for different minimum wage for states

    NLC kicks against calls for different minimum wage for states

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has opposed the call by some politicians for decentralizing minimum wage negotiations allowing states to have different minimum wages.

    In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Ibadan, the Secretary of NLC in Oyo State, Mr. Adebayo Aribatise, stated that decentralizing minimum wage negotiations would disadvantage workers in some states.

    Explaining the broader implications of a centralized minimum wage, Fayemi noted that only a small percentage of the population benefits directly from minimum wage negotiations.

    However, Aribatise strongly opposed decentralizing minimum wage negotiations, stating that it is not ideal for the country.

    He pointed out that some states have not yet fully implemented the old N30,000 minimum wage despite the efforts of the NLC at both the national and state levels.

    He said, “The fact remains that the law binds states to pay national minimum wage. It is expected that the federal government will continue to set the minimum wage. If not, some governors will continue to do as they like.”

    “Some governors will bastardise the agreement if we allow it and junior workers will continue to earn nothing worthwhile,”

    Backstory

    Former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, had earlier emphasized the need for states to conduct wage negotiations with their labour unions independently from the Federal Government.

    Fayemi explained that the position of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, which he once chaired, was that states should be allowed to negotiate with their labour unions separately, as “fingers are not equal.”

    What you should know

    The negotiation for a new minimum wage has lingered on in the past months due to the difficulty of different stakeholders in reaching a consensus.

    While the federal government and the private sector have agreed on a new minimum wage of N62,000, organised labour led by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) are proposing N250,000.

    According to organised labour groups, a N62,000 minimum wage is not enough for the average worker in light of the significant increase in the cost of goods and services across the nation.

    The federal government had earlier stated that it cannot sustain the proposed minimum wage by organised labour which would amount to around N19 trillion yearly.

    On the other hand, the private sector led by NECA had also complained that it cannot meet the demands of labour unions now or any time soon stating the goal of the tripartite committee is to focus on job creation.

    The negotiation for a new minimum wage has been thorny leading to strike action that nearly crippled the economy with the shutting down of the national grid.

  • BBNaija season 9 to kick off in July

    BBNaija season 9 to kick off in July

     

    Organizers of Big Brother Naija have announced that the season nine of the reality TV show will kick start in July 2024.

     

    They made the announcement in a post shared on its official X account on Sunday, June 30, 2024.

     

    The theme of the new edition was teased in a creative photo.

     

    The post read “One Sunday in July. Get ready.”

     

    This comes amid controversy over the failure of the season seven, Level Up edition’s sponsors to fulfil their promises to the winner, Phyna.

     

  • Security: ICYMI: Nigerian Army promotes first female officer trained in UK military academy to Lieutenant

    Security: ICYMI: Nigerian Army promotes first female officer trained in UK military academy to Lieutenant

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, has ordered the promotion of Second Lieutenant Oluchukwu Owowoh to the substantive rank of Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army.

     

    The Nigerian Defence Academy disclosed this in a statement on X.com on Wednesday.

    The statement by the NDA on Wednesday partly read, “Speaking during the decoration ceremony that took place today, June 26, 2024, at the Nigerian Defence Academy Officer’s Mess and Golf Club, the NDA Commandant, Major General JO Ochai, extolled the track record of excellence of Lt. Owowoh as a cadet, which accorded her the rare privilege of becoming the first female Nigerian to be trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as well as her promotion to the new rank.

    The event was attended by senior military officers, academic and non-academic staff, and family members, among others.”

  • Grant’s Whisky gets new ambassadors

    Grant’s Whisky gets new ambassadors

    Blended Scotch whisky brand, Grant’s, has recruited three music groups as its new brand ambassadors as part of its Crew Nights campaign.

     

    Grant’s Whisky unveiled its brand ambassadors, including the musical band Alternate Sound, and two duos consisting of Maze and Mxtreme, and Handi and Wanni at the company’s Ledrop Nigeria Corporate Office in Lekki, Lagos, on Wednesday.

     

    In a statement, the Scotch whisky brand described the brand ambassadors as embodying the spirit of excellence, togetherness and creating memorable experien

     

    In a statement, the Scotch whisky brand described the brand ambassadors as embodying the spirit of excellence, togetherness and creating memorable experiences.

     

    “The new brand ambassadors are not only celebrated in their respective fields but are also passionate whisky enthusiasts, making them ideal advocates for the brand,” it stated.

     

    Grant’s Whisky said it chose Alternate Sound, a musical band known for using advanced technology to deliver high-quality live band experience and regarded for their work with stellar dossiers of artists on both local and international stages.

     

    According to the brand, the two musical duos, Maze and Mxtreme, who make electronic music, are known for performing as disc jockeys and Wanni and Handi, a disc jockey act of twin sisters known for their energetic performances.

    Grants noted that it looked forward to working with its new ambassadors on its Grant’s Crew Nights campaign, which it referred to as “an initiative promoting the spirit of togetherness and fostering communal experiences”.

     

    ces.

  • Just In: Zamfara Govt Rejects Tinubu’s Permanent Secretary Appointment

    Just In: Zamfara Govt Rejects Tinubu’s Permanent Secretary Appointment

    The Dauda Lawal-led Zamfara State Government has rejected the federal permanent secretary appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday night.

    Naija News reports that Tinubu had on June 28 approved the appointment of Maryam Ismaila Keshinro and seven others as permanent secretaries to fill existing and impending vacancies of some states and geo-political zones in the top administrative cadre of the Civil Service of the Federation.

    Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media, Ajuri Ngelale, disclose that the appointees were selected after a diligent selection process by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

    But the Zamfara State government rejected the appointment of Ismaila, claiming that she is not an indigene of the state and is also not qualified to hold the position.

    According to Premium Times, Zamfara’s Head of Service, Ahmad Liman, in an earlier letter in the selection process dated 24 May and addressed to the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, claimed that Mrs Ismaila is not an indigene of the state and cannot legally represent the people of the state, hence, must be dropped.

    The letter stated: “Consequent upon the commencement of the appointment process of the Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Civil Service, issues arose that stirred the collective attention of the good people of Zamfara State as the par representative capacity of candidates deployed in the process, most especially the potential candidate pencilled for the appointment on the post of a permanent secretary purported from Zamfara State.

     

    The moves not only failed to meet the requirements provided under the eligibility criteria enshrined in the Public Service Rules (as revised) but also the requisite for the said post offends the content of a recent Federal Government Circular No. MH.7205/T/31 dated 7th September 2023, on Tenure policy respecting clinical Officers/Personnel since the potential candidate that wrongly claimed representation of the good people of Zamfara State is clinical personnel.

     

     

    “It’s worthy of note to clarify from the onset, that the candidate infracted the key provision of Eligibility Criteria of the PSR, especially Rules 020811 (e) (f) which linked the requirements to indigeneship

     

    For all purposes and intendment, the candidate is never an indigene of Zamfara State and would not legally claim or enjoy representation for the sake of the good people of Zamfara State. Furthermore, no purported documentation in that respect will legally qualify her to be a bonafide indigene of Zamfara State.”

     

    “It’s against, this background, that I am therefore, directed to appeal to the collective conscience of the offices of the Head of the Federation and indeed all critical stakeholders to drop the candidacy of MARYAM IBRAHIM ALIYU or by whatever name called (Keshinro Maryam Ismaila) for the post of a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service in representation for the good people of Zamfara State to allow bonafide indigene of Zamfara extraction in the Federal Civil Service to legally and positively compete for the post.