Vanguard, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012—11
Why we're building new banquet hall —FG BY BEN AGANDE BUJA—THE Fed eral Government, yesterday, said the decision to build a new banquet hall in the Presidential Villa, was borne out of ‘a necessity and not a duplication,’ saying that provision for its construction was captured in the 2012 budget. Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed, whose ministry is in charge of the project, said contrary to widely held belief that the new
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INSPECTION: From left: Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State; Mr. Mohammed Hurdi, Acting Commissioner of Police, Edo State, and Mr. David Jimwan, Area Commander, Auchi Command, during the governor's inspection, yesterday, of the Police Area Command and other places attacked by criminals in Auchi, last week.
Lagos holds emergency preparedness summit
Auchi attack: Oshiomhole wants I Police probed BY SIMON EBEGBULEM
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ENIN—GOVER NOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has called on the InspectorGeneral of Police to investigate how criminals sacked the Police Area Command and Divisional Police Station, freed inmates and held Auchi town in Edo North hostage for over three hours with no response from the police. The governor, who made the call yesterday during an inspection of First Bank, Access Bank, Ecobank, soldiers’ quarters and police formations attacked by bandits in Auchi, said there was need for the police to do a soul-searching to see if policemen compromised the security of the town. Oshiomhole said: “To think that a police station with arms could be attacked and the police could not gun down one criminal gives cause for worry. “I was not happy that the police had to park the Armoured Personnel Carrier behind the Area Commander’s office instead of being at strategic locations in Auchi town. It shows that the police are not using the funds given to them maximally. I am not impressed because the APC ought to be in operation. “The fact that the APC was parked behind the
station where it was bombed means that it was not put to maximum use. It is unacceptable. They should begin to account for their negligence of duty, incompetence or both. “Until we begin to do that, this lamentation will continue and criminals will continue to operate and demystify the state and make us look like a collection of mushrooms that can be consumed with minimal effort. “I believe the police will have to investigate to reassure us that we are safe. The fact that
they can attack two police formations and do that kind of damage shows the need to revisit the role of policing and their operational order.” The governor, however, praised the Army for the five soldiers who repelled the attack and killed one of the bandits who attacked and attempted to bomb a private residence where the soldiers reside. “The point has been made that if you attack a military base, you will pay a huge price. For me, that is a little relief that one of the bandits was killed by the soldiers
Another strike rocks UPTH BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI
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ORT HAR COURT— BARELY one week after a three-day warning strike by resident doctors at University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH, hospital workers under the umbrella of Nigerian Union of Pharmacists, Medical Sciences and Professionals Allied to Medicine, NUPMTPAM, have begun another five days warning strike. The current strike by the union, which began yesterday, is caused by perceived non-implementation of a circular on staff promotion and
non-inclusion of health professionals and industrial unions under its fold on the Advisory board of the teaching hospital. Mr. Awoibi Kristhien, Chairman of the union, said management of the hospital should reverse independent call duties for trainee resident doctors in medical laboratory services, saying since they were not trained as laboratory scientists, they were giving erroneous results harmful to clinical services for patients. Awoibi said the five days warning strike could progress into an indefinite action if management failed to address their demands.
in the sense that his identity will assist the security agencies in their investigations,” he noted.
project was a duplication of the existing one, the new one is meant to ease the work of the President because it will be located close to the President’s office. He said: “The new banquet hall will help ease the work of the President as it would be attached to the President’s office. It is not a duplication or replacement of the existing one.” He explained that the banquet hall will contain a private lounge and broadcast facility.
BY LAMIDI BAMIDELE
N its efforts to im prove the level of emergency preparedness, Lagos State Government is hosting a summit for South-West and Edo State on December 6 and 7. The theme of the summit is Promoting Safety and resilience in the South-West. Lagos State Governor,
Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN is the chief host, while guests speakers include Mr. Ade Ipaye, Lagos State Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Jide Idris, Commissioner for Health; Mrs Dominga Odebunmi, Director General, Safety Commission; Dr Femi Osanyintolu, Genaral Manager, LASEMA and other resource persons.