The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, was founded in 1888 and was incorporated as a non-profit organisation in 1950.
On this edition of the programme, the newly installed President of the institution, Mr Remi Bello speaks on his vision for the LCCI and speaks on related matters.
In a bid to rid the nation’s commercial nerve centre of crime, the Lagos State Government established the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, by law, which was the first to be passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly in September 2007. The agency was inaugurated in November of the same year.
On this episode of Question Time, the executive secretary of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Mr Fola Arthur Worrey, sheds more light on the agencies activities and how it has been able to ensure that security agencies in the State, particularly the Lagos State Police Command carry out their duties effectively.
He also speaks on benefits and challenges facing the Fund.
Chief Eexecutive Officer of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology in Zaria, Captain Chinyere Kalu (MFR) speaks on issues in the aviation sector particularly those affecting the college.
On this edition of the programme, the Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDs (NACA), Professor Jan Idoku spoke about the agency’s plans in helping to combat AIDS in the country.
On the agency’s mandate, Mr Idoku explained that three of NACA’s missions are vital, including: to develop the policy and plan for the control of HIV, coordinate activities for the plan in the public; private; civil society sectors as well as with development partners and monitoring the progress of policies.
On the issue of enlightening the Nigerian populace, Mr Ijoku stated that the agency’s job is to develop and coordinate and not implement policies and plans.
The operational plans developed by the different states of the Federation are also infused into the agency’s central plan for the sake of uniformity.
Recently, the Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, directed the agency to develop a two-year operational plan to uplift its current level closer to the ‘reversal access target’.
On this edition of Question Time, we interviewed the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, David Banadang, who was commissioned as the agency’s 13th boss in the history of the service on June 10th, by President Goodluck Jonathan.
He spoke on circumstances leading to his appointment as well as his plans to restructure, re-engineer, and transform the service to be efficient with regards to delivery.
The Comptroller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Olusegun Okebiorun, has revealed that Nigeria loses about N50 billion worth of properties to fire outbreaks.
He made this known during an interview on Channels Television’s Question Time, while speaking about the activities and challenges of the agency.
Mr Okebiorun who said the management of fire emergencies is capital intensive complained of the agency’s dwindling resources.
“We have not done too badly,” he said adding that “we have pursued that responsibility vigorously within the limit of our resources.”
He also disclosed that there is a dearth in infrastructure available to the agency as “without the infrastructure you cannot be the best in terms of emergency management” which is about preventing emergencies from occurring.
The manpower that the service has is not enough to prevent incidences.
He highlighted that the service is expected to visit offices and homes at least once in a year, however, the number of agents is ‘grossly inadequate’.
Speaking about the National Search and Rescue and Epidemic Evaluation Plan, which is collaboration between the agency and other responders, such as NEMA, Mr Okebiorun said the plan is to give a guideline as to the responsibilities of all stakeholders in the event of an emergency which they all respond to.
The plan also stipulates the function of the fire service in different scenarios such as flood, fire outbreak, collapsed building or road accident.
The Nasarawa state Governor, Mr Tanko Almakura has revealed the reasons why he ditched the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the now defunct Congress of Progressive Change turned All Progressives Congress, adding that, he would have been extinguished if he had stayed on in the PDP.
However, he described the APC as the proverbial “Ark of Noah” which will save the nation.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Question Time, the business man cum politician stated that although he was a founding member of the PDP in his state, he faced serious challenges and scares after declaring his intention to run for the office of governor.
“We made the PDP what it used to be,” he said, adding that, he was discriminated against “in spite of the fact that we are the people that brought the party to the level it was”.
If I had succumbed to that mischief, discrimination and terror by the party I probably would have not been a governor”
He continued by saying that he would have stayed in the party and fought and got “completely extinguished” which would have put an end to his aspirations.
He implied that the party did not adhere to democratic tenets.
The APC “is the best for people like me” he said. “These are people that have pedigree and integrity as well as good record of credibility, he added.
“I am inviting all Nigerians to come; this is the Ark of Noah.”
Asked why he chose to run for governor, he said “I have been very interested in what happens within my domain and by virtue of being in the political arena all this while, one cannot but participate more actively by taking positions so you can influence and direct things the way you think will move your people forward”
“A real, sincere, honest feeling for my people” and not “ambition or quest for any ego or any aggrandisement” influenced his decision, he said.
The Director General, Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), Prof Danladi Matawal has assured Nigerians that his agency is up to the task as regards finding lasting solutions to bad roads in the country.
Speaking on this edition of Question Time, he explained that the agency’s mandate is to conduct integrated research and development activities into several aspects of the construction industry.
The agency has been carrying out underground work in Abuja and Lagos in order to formulate models of traffic characteristics which will be used in research in other states of the country.
“We have research staff in Ota, who has been placed to assess and give us insight into traffic characteristics in Lagos.”
The agency has also approved research on Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway to look at traffic, pavement situation and create models to use in recommending a number of measures to alleviate failure of pavements.
“We are taking the bull by the horn on the issue of road pavement failure,” he said.
He however complained of inadequate funding which caused the agency setbacks in 2011. “The resource was so small; we couldn’t meet most of our plans” he said.
The DG attributed the low funding to “lack of appreciation for research”.
The National Co-ordinator, Hydro-Carbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP), Joy Nunieh-Okunnu, has said that what oil thieves need is enlightenment on the effects their illegal activities have on the environment and the communities in which they operate.
“The only thing that you can do is to give them some form of enlightenment, to teach them the effects of Hydro Carbon.”
Speaking on this edition of Question Time, Nunieh-Okunnu talks about the efforts the environmental pollution clean-up unit of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources is making to ensure the well-being of the Ogoni people and other communities affected by Hydro-Carbon pollution.
She revealed that plans are underway to introduce the subject to students in secondary schools.
She said that the minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has asked that a team of professors be commissioned to prepare resources to be used in teaching students, the effects of hydro-carbon, in secondary schools.
She added that there are plans to carry out a campaign in the affected communities but urged individuals living along the pipeline right of way to relocate.
HYPREP is part of the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) in Nigeria.
The Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Professor Innocent Ujah, has disclosed that the agency has no record documenting the prevalence of the Human Papillomavirus in Nigeria.
In this edition of Question Time with Ayo Balogun, Mr Ujah discusses the activities, achievements and challenges of the institution which recently acquired a COBASS 4800 machine.
The machine, he said, can detect the virus in an individual.
The HPV is known to cause cancer.
In this edition of Question Time, the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Sports of the National Assembly, Mudashiru Hussein voices his opinion about President Goodluck Jonathan’s second year in administration.
Speaking with Channels Television, Mr Hussein, a senator from Osun west senatorial district, gave the President a low score and called him to resign for failing to solve the problem of unemployment and poor infrastructure.
“If you cannot cater for the young people in this country he should resign,” he said.
He also compared Nigeria’s economy to that of the United States of America, adding that his many years in governance have given him access to the financial capacity of the nation.
The Commissioner, Public Complaints Commission in Lagos, Funso Olukoga, has blamed the military regime for the citizens’ ignorance regarding the existence of the agency.
The Commissioner, during an exclusive interview on Question Time, agreed that many Nigerians are not aware of the ombudsman’s operations in the different states of the federation.
He blamed the military regime for this, adding that “it was difficult to really operate under the military system and criticise the system,” although that is the commission’s mandate.
He also said that many Nigerians are not aware of the existence of the PCC, stating that the body was not ‘fully constituted’ until 2012.
The Public Complaints Commission (PCC) was established in 1975 to promote social justice, receive complaints against government, its agencies and officials from general public and investigate against all governments, including the highest authority.
Mr Olukoga disclosed that 37 commissioners were appointed in May 2012 to revitalize the agency.
“There has been some appreciable impact, “he said.
