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Subsidy: Like Kwara, Edo Government Reduces Work Days For Public Servants To Three

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Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, South-South Nigeria has reduced workdays for public and civil servants in the State.

Obaseki disclosed this in a statement he personally signed on Tuesday. The Governor noted that this was “In the wake of fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government, fuel prices have increased astronomically leading to a rise in prices of goods and services and overall cost of living.”

The statement read, “The Edo State Government shares the pains of our people and wants to assure everyone that we are standing with them in these very challenging
times.

“We want to reassure our people that we will do all within our powers as a sub-national government to reduce the pains and ameliorate the sufferings our people are currently facing due to the current realities.”

Obaseki noted that “As a proactive government, we have since taken the step to increase the minimum wage paid to workers in Edo State from the approved N30,000 to N40,000, the highest in the country today.”

The Governor assured residents, “We will continue to pay this amount, while we hope to increase it even farther, if more allocation accrues to our State from the Federal Government in view of the expected savings occasioned by the removal of the fuel subsidy.”

Governor Obaseki, while adding that the state government is aware of the hardship caused by the policy said, “We know the hardship that has been caused by this policy which has radically increased the cost of transportation, eating deep into the wages of workers in the State. Therefore, the Edo State Government is hereby reducing the number of work days that civil and public servants will have to commute to their workplaces from five days a week to three days a week till further notice. Workers will now work from home two days a week.

“Similarly, for teachers and parents, their commuting to school will be reduced as the government is working on deepening the EdoBEST Home initiative to create more virtual classrooms, thereby reducing the cost of commuting for parents, teachers, and pupils. The Edo SUBEB will provide details on this initiative in the coming days.”

The statement read further, “To lower the rising cost of energy on our people, we will continue to work with the electricity companies in the State to improve power supply to homes and businesses.

“Similarly, fiber optic connections are being made available to help our people work remotely, thereby reducing their cost of transportation.

“While government intensifies these efforts to alleviate the burden of the fuel price increase on the people during this very challenging period, we want to call on everyone to remain calm and go about their daily businesses lawfully.”

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Libya Arrests Four Nigerians Over Drug Trafficking, Health Risks [VIDEO]

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Libyan authorities have arrested four Nigerians in Sabha and Bani Walid on charges related to drug trafficking and testing positive for infectious diseases.

The arrests were announced on Monday by Migrant Rescue Watch, an advocacy group, through a post on X (formerly Twitter).

In Sabha, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) conducted a raid at the residence of two Nigerian suspects and seized 1,200 hallucinogenic pills along with other illicit substances. Both suspects were handed over to the Sabha Security Directorate for further investigation.

In a statement, Migrant Rescue Watch confirmed: “CID in Sabha carried out a raid on a reported location and arrested two Nigerian drug traffickers. During a search of the premises, police found 1,200 hallucinogenic pills and other illicit drugs. Both individuals were transferred to the Sabha Security Directorate.”

In a separate incident, two Nigerians, a male and a female, were detained in Bani Walid during a routine health screening after testing positive for infectious diseases.

The Directorate for Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM) in Bani Walid transferred the suspects to Tripoli, Libya’s capital, for further processing and eventual repatriation to Nigeria.

Migrant Rescue Watch’s statement read, “DCIM Bureau in Bani Walid transferred two Nigerian #migrants (female and male) who tested positive for infectious diseases to Tripoli for repatriation.”

Bani Walid, located south of Tripoli, is known as a transit hub for migrants attempting to cross into Europe. Libyan authorities continue to crack down on illegal activities and enforce public health measures within the region.

 

Watch video below:

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BIG STORY

Two US-Based Nigerians Bag 30-Year Jail For $3.5m Romance Scam

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Two Nigerians, Anthony Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu, have been sentenced by a United States federal jury to a combined 30 years in prison for defrauding US citizens of $3.5 million.

The sentencing was announced in a press release made available on the US Department of Justice website on Monday.

According to the statement, Ibekie and Aniukwu deceived their victims by claiming they had received substantial inheritances that required money to be claimed. The duo would then ask the victims to send money with the promise of reimbursement once the inheritances were secured.

The statement also highlighted that the pair carried out romance scams, building online relationships with their victims to gain their trust, only to later demand money.

It read, “An undercover law enforcement investigation has resulted in federal prison sentences for two Nigerian nationals residing in the Chicago suburbs who conducted online inheritance scams and other fraud schemes.

“Using aliases, Anthony Emeka Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu communicated with victims throughout the United States, convincing them they had received substantial inheritances and needed to send money to individuals associated with the defendants in order to claim it.

“In addition to the inheritance scam, the pair carried out an online romance scam that involved communicating with victims via social media and dating websites, building trust with the victims through a purported online romance, and convincing them to send money to a predetermined recipient. Aniukwu and Ibekie also orchestrated a ‘business email compromise’ scam that targeted corporate email accounts.

“The fraud schemes were uncovered by a covert law enforcement investigation. The scams resulted in losses to victims of at least $3.5 million.”

The statement further noted that after facing at least 14 charges, Ibekie and Aniukwu pleaded guilty to the accusations. As a result, Ibekie was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday, while Aniukwu received a 10-year sentence on November 8.

The statement continued, “A federal jury earlier this year convicted Ibekie, 59, of Oswego, Ill., on all 14 counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, making false statements to a bank, and passport fraud. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger on Thursday sentenced Ibekie to 20 years in federal prison.

“Aniukwu, 50, of Romeoville, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud and money laundering charges. Judge Seeger on Nov. 8, 2024, sentenced Aniukwu to 10 years in prison.”

Meanwhile, an accomplice of Ibekie and Aniukwu, US citizen Jennifer Gosha, is set to be sentenced on December 18 following her guilty plea.

“A third defendant, Jennifer Gosha, 52, a U.S. citizen from Oak Park, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges of wire fraud and making false statements to a federal agent. Gosha is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Seeger on December 18, 2024,” the statement concluded.

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BIG STORY

JUST IN: Ebonyi Governor Suspends Health, Housing Commissioners Over “Gross Misconduct, Negligence Of Duty”

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The Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, has suspended the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, and his counterpart in Housing and Urban Development, Francis Ori.

The suspensions occurred on Monday during the State Executive Council meeting in Abakaliki, the state capital.

A statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor, on Tuesday morning, read, “Following cases of gross misconduct and dereliction of duties by some government officials and matters related thereto, the Chairman of Council directed the indefinite suspension of the Honourable Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development and three months suspension of the Honourable Commissioner for Health respectively.”

Reports suggest that the suspensions may be linked to the alleged theft of government property by officials in the Ministry of Health and the reported underperformance of the Housing and Urban Development commissioner, particularly regarding his poor management of the Amaeze Housing Scheme in the Ishielu Local Government Area.

It is also recalled that the governor visited the health ministry’s premises on Saturday night, where six officials were allegedly caught diverting government materials. He subsequently ordered their arrest and prosecution.

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