Fire Scare At CBN Headquarters

News made rounds yesterday evening that the headquarters of the apex bank of Nigeria was on fire with residents in the area panicking.

 

Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor

 

There was confusion at the headquarters of the Central Bank of Nigeria on Tuesday following a fire incident at the generator house.

 

The fire was said to have started few minutes after 6pm and lasted for about 30 minutes before it was put out.

 

A correspondent, who visited the headquarters of the CBN, observed that men of the Federal Fire Service were at the scene to ensure that the fire did not get out of control.

 

Apart from the Federal Fire Service that deployed two firefighting trucks in the scene of the incident, a truck belonging to Julius Berger was also sited at the apex bank’s headquarters.

 

The Assistant Comptroller, FFS, Bello Atayin, who spoke with a Punch correspondent, said the fire started at the generator house.

 

He attributed the fire incident to a technical fault at the generator house, adding that the service was quick in putting it out before it got out of control.

 

Atayin said, “The fire incident started at the generator house on the west side of the building and we were alerted.

“It was a minor fire incident and it has been put under control.”

 

When contacted, the Acting Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, Mr. Isaac Okorafor, however, said there was no fire at the apex bank.

 

In a statement issued on Tuesday night, he said, “Reports that the Central Bank of Nigeria’s head office building is on fire are false.

“Passers-by, who saw a pall of exhaust from the generator house far away from the building apparently mistook the exhaust for fire smoke.

“The CBN maintains a total security system that triggers safety alarms in the presence of smoke and so all fire engines and personnel received the alert only to discover that it was an unusual pall of exhaust.

“The affected generator has been rested and normal work has been uninterrupted, while the engineers are working to rectify the issues with the generator.

“We hereby assure the general public that there has been no fire at our building.”

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Yul Edochie reacts to being left out of Anambra 2017 Gubernatorial debate

Nigerian actor and flagbearer of Democratic People’s Congress in Anambra State 2017 Gubernatorial election, Yul Edochie, has reacted to being left out of Gubernatorial debate organized by Channels TV for the Governorship aspirants.

Yul Edochie who is still optimistic about winning regardless of the debate, tweeted;

“I wasn’t invited to the debate. But its nothing to worry about. We’ll keep the spirit high and keep campaigning. Its time for the masses to have a say. November 18th, stand with me, the future is in our hands.”

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Akwa Ibom commissioner, Prof. Eno Ikpe is dead

Akwa Ibom state Commissioner for Investment, Commerce and Industry, Professor Eno Blankson Ikpe, is dead.

Professor Ikpe’s death was announced in a statement signed on Thursday by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Charles Udoh.

“It is with great sadness that the Government of Akwa Ibom State announces the passing away of Professor Eno Blankson Ikpe”, it read.

“The sad event occurred on November 8, 2017, after a protracted illness.

“Our hearts go out to her immediate family and loved ones, and we ask God to grant them the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss.

“Funeral arrangements will be announced after consultations with members of her family.

“In a symbolic show of respect for the departed member of the Akwa Ibom State Executive Council, His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel has directed that all flags in the state be flown at half-mast until further notice.

“Let us pray for the departed soul of Professor Eno Ikpe and for her bereaved family. May her soul rest in Eternal Peace!”.

The deceased, who hailed from Etinan LGA, was a recipient of various academic awards, including the prestigious awards of the German Academic Exchange Service.

She gathered her working experience from the University of Magdeburg (Germany), University of Lagos and the University of Uyo.

While at the University of Uyo, she served variously as Director, Centre for Cultural studies; Head, Department of History and International Studies; Vice Dean, Faculty of Arts; Dean faculty of Arts; adjunct professor, Akwa Ibom State University. She also sat in many committees.

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2018 Budget Buhari presents N8.612 trillion proposal to National Assemblyl

President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara at the National Assembly
» more President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara at the National Assembly

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja presented about N8.612 trillion as the 2018 Appropriation bill to a joint session of the National Assembly, saying the projected expenditure would drive rapid economic recovery.
He said at the session that with a benchmark of $45 per barrel at an exchange rate of N305 to a dollar in 2018, the budget would consolidate on the achievements of previous budgets to aggressively steer the economy to the path of steady growth.

"With the economic recovery made so far, it is clear that we made the right decisions. And I urge you all to support the Federal Government’s policies towards economic recovery," he said.

Buhari said that the government would continue to develop infrastructure and increase investments in agriculture to attain food security and reduce importation.

He added that while the Federal Government was committed to identifying alternative means of funding new projects, there was need to continue to pursue public-private partnership, to provide more infrastructure in the country.

According to him, the Federal Government has been able to construct or rehabilitate about 776-kilometer roads in 2017.

The president said that the construction of Abuja metroline had attained 98% completion, adding that work had commenced on the Ajaokuta-Itakpe rail line which was abandoned for 17 years.

He said that the project would be delivered in September 2018, adding that the country's power sector would witness a turn around.

"The power sector reform is still work in progress as we have increased power generation but we still have some challenges in transmission and distribution network," Buhari said.

He added that the Federal Government was committed to green alternative energy.

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OKOROCHA PLANNING TO SPEND N850M ON CHRISTMAS TREE - GROUP

A socio-political group, G42 Imo Liberation Forum, has warned the Okorocha government to desist from "waste of tax payers’ money".

The group said it received information that the administration is set to spend N850m on erecting a tree ahead of Christmas celebration.

Okorocha was recently criticised by Nigerians for erecting a statue of South Africa president Jacob Zuma, in Owerri.

In a statement on Saturday by G42 Director of Communications, Dr. Walter Duru, the forum described the alleged plan as misplaced priority and a sign of government's insensitivity.

It read: "The attention of G-42 Imo Liberation Forum has been drawn to an alleged plan by the Imo State Government under the leadership of Chief Rochas Okorocha to spend about Eight Hundred and Fifty Million Naira on a meaningless tree ahead of the 2017 Christmas celebration."

"This is coming at a time Civil Servants and Pensioners in the state are being owed several months arrears of salary and other entitlements; while poverty is at its highest level in the history of the state.

"The situation is made worst by the fact that the dust raised by the over Five Hundred Million Naira allegedly spent in the building of a Statue for the President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma is yet to settle.

"We refuse to treat this as mere speculation as history has shown that this is not far from the style of the present administration in the state; a government that is not accountable to anyone and is run in utmost secrecy.

"The government must tell Imo people how much it actually spent on erecting the ridiculous Jacob Zuma Statue and others there-in, as well as the said Christmas tree.

"The G-42 Imo Liberation Forum, a Socio-political group in the state sees this as the highest level of insensitivity, misplaced priority and share waste of the people's resources and hereby condemn it."

"The present APC-led government must realize that it is holding the people's resources on thrust and therefore accountable to the people. This administration has treated Imo people with so much disrespect and disdain that we can no longer fold our arms to allow this anomaly to continue."

"We therefore call on the state government to discontinue the wanton waste of the peoples’ resources and invest in areas that are beneficial to majority of the citizens."

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