An FCT High Court in Kubwa on Friday admitted a dismissed Nigeria Immigration Service officer, Mohammed Abdullahi to bail in the sum N1.5 million for allegedly defrauding job seekers.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Commission (ICPC) charged Abdullahi, with four counts bordering on job scam.

In a ruling for bail, Justice Kezziah Ogbonnaya, ordered the defendant to produce two sureties.

Ogbonnaya said one of the sureties must have a landed property in Abuja and the other must have at least N1.5million in a recognised bank account.

He ordered the defendant to ensure he appears in court for his trial and adjourned the case till Oct.10 for hearing.

Earlier, the Defence Counsel, Stanley Ofoegbu told the court that the defendant informed him that his second wife had been pregnant for 10 months with no means of getting medical attention due to lack of funds.

” The defendant’s two children are presently very sick too and he was arraigned in November, 2021 and has been in custody since then,” he said.

The ICPC Prosecution Counsel, Olubunmi Olugasa, alleged that the defendant, an NIS officer, collected N775, 000 from Abdullahi Musa on Febuary 2019.

Olugasa said the defendant collected the said sum at the Immigration headquarters, Sauka Airport Road, Abuja as benefit for himself to assist Musa get employment for his sons, into the service.

She also said the defendant received N435, 000 from one Zakariah Jeremiah to assist him secure employment into the service.

The offence she said, contravened the provisions of Section 19, 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.

The Federal Government says over 10 million Nigerians are actively engaged in primary and secondary fisheries operations in the subsector of the economy.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, made this known at the close of the Internal Coordination Meeting of Implementation of Fisheries Governance Project Phase 2 (FisheriesGov 2), on Thursday in Abuja.

Abubakar said government would support them to boost local production in order to reduce imports, as it is currently encouraging backward integration through commercial aquaculture production.

” The Fisheries and Aquaculture subsector is very significant to the Nigerian economy in terms of employment creation, income generation, poverty alleviation, foreign exchange earnings and provision of raw materials for the animal feed industry.

” It is estimated that over 10 million Nigerians are actively engaged in primary and secondary Fisheries operations, thus creating wealth for our people and we will be happy if they can benefit from this project.

” Nigeria’s total demand for Fish is 3.6 Million Tons annually while we are producing 1.1 Million Tons from all sources (Artisanal, Aquaculture,  and Industrial sectors).

“Leaving a deficit of about 2.5 Million Tons that my ministry is working hard in collaboration with the private sector to supplement by way of import reduction through backward integration.

” To boost local production in order to reduce imports, Government is encouraging backward integration through commercial aquaculture production (pond and cage culture) for local consumption and export and this is yielding positive results,” he said.

The minister said that Federal Government had also put in place measures to boost the fisheries subsector.

” It is gratifying to bring to your notice measures the Federal Government has introduced to enabled the Fisheries subsector gain the desired prominence.

” These measures include: establishment of Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) in Lagos and Abuja to monitor and control Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing along Nigeria Continental Shel.

” Also Fish Storage, Processing and Marketing Project to increase shelf life/ keeping quality and curtail post harvest losses of Fish and Fishery Products.

” As well as Fish Farm Clusters to increase Fish production and engage the teeming youths and women and Lake Enhancement Project to increase Fish Production and make for sustainable livelihood for the Fisher folks.

” All these programs are tailored towards job and wealth creation, poverty reduction, arrest and prevention of youth restiveness and food nutrition security,” he said.

He said that recommendations from the workshop would be used to improve Nigeria’s governance mechanism for maximum productivity in her fisheries subsector.

Abubakar tasked stakeholders at the meeting on subjecting every item on the agenda to scrutiny and come up with sustainable and practicable governance strategies for implementation to boost fish production in Africa.

Earlier, Dr Nick Nwankpa, Acting Director, The African Union Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), said the project recognised the importance of institutional collaboration for the sustainable exploitation and management of fisheries, aquaculture and other blue economy resources.

He said the fisheries governance would also take cognisance of functions of the various African Union Commission (AUC) departments, when well-coordinated.

He said this could contribute significantly to the integrated development of the sector and the socio-economic advancement of the continent.

Former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen has warned that unless the Supreme Court is adequately funded, it might soon, at best, end up as a glorified high court.

He lamented that justices of the apex court had been suffering in silence since 2008 when their salaries and emoluments were last reviewed by the Federal Government.

Onnoghen, who spoke yesterday, in Abuja, at the public presentation of Nigeria’s first book on Construction Law, regretted that some justices of the apex court still live in rented apartments in unsuitable areas within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Besides parlous residences, the ex-CJN clarified that the chambers of the judges were unbefitting of their status. He, therefore, appealed that the court be properly funded and a conducive environment provided to enable the justices to perform optimally.

The Cross River State native recalled that while in office, he headed a team, comprising the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Solicitor General of the Federation, which prepared a new welfare scheme on the order of government.

He decried that since his exit, the Welfare Scheme Report, which would have enhanced the condition of service of the jurists, had been jettisoned.

Onnoghen, consequently, pleaded that funding of the judiciary should be immediately looked into with a view to improving the arm of government due to its critical role in nation-building.

He commended the author, Ewuwuni Onnoghen-Theophilus, urging that youths should be encouraged to contribute meaningfully to the development of the country.