Trump leaving the White House for the last time as president

 

President Donald Trump has finally departed the White House for the last time. He left for Joint Base Andrews, for a short farewell ceremony at the base before one last presidential flight to Palm Beach.

The soon to be former president thanked reporters at the White House and said it had been the 'honor of a lifetime' to serve as president.

At Joint Base Andrews, Trump, after receiving a 21-gun salute gushed over his family.

To his supporters present, Trump said:

"We love you. I can tell you that from the bottom of my heart. This has been an incredible four years. We've accomplished so much together.

"I want to thank you for your effort, your hard work - people have no idea how hard this family worked and they worked for you. They could have had a much easier life but they did a fantastic job."

President Donald Trump has finally departed the White House for the last time. Photo: CNN

By leaving town, Trump is the first president since 1869 to snub his successor's inauguration.

Trump stopped briefly to speak to reporters, saying it had been the 'honor of a lifetime' to serve as president. Photo: cnn

Meanwhile.Joe Biden, the new United States (US) president visited the Lincoln Memorial's reflecting pool that has 400 lights in honour of 400,000 Americans whose lives were cut short by COVID-19.

Biden, alongside his wife, Jill were said to have been at the sobering spot where a solemn song (Hallelujah) was being sung by Yolanda Adams.

Also present at the grand venue was Biden's vice, Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff.

Barely two days before the expiration of the tenure of Donald Trump as the president of America and the inauguration of Biden as the new president, the Capitol building in Washington DC was on lockdown owing to a security threat.

It was on record that the Capitol, which was home to the US Congress, was attacked by a pro-Trump mob on Wednesday, January 6, leaving many people dead

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Kayode Fayemi appoints permanent secretary as judge of high court

 

Gov. Kayode Fayemi on Sunday appointed Mr Adeniyi Familoni, a Lawyer and current Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Chieftaincy Affairs as Judge of the High court of Ekiti State.

The appointment followed the recommendation of the National Judicial Council which found Familoni suitable for appointment, government said.

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Olayinka Oyebode made this known in a statement made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti.

According to him, Familoni began his career in as a Legal Officer in the then old Ondo State Ministry of Justice in 1996, and later, Ekiti State Ministry of Justice.

The statement said during his service years in the Ekiti justice ministry, Familoni, at various times held offices such as the Director, Law Review, Director Citizens Rights, Director Civil Litigations and Director Public Prosecutions.

He was appointed Permanent Secretary in the Ekiti State Civil Service in April, 2019 and posted to Bureau of Chieftaincy Affairs.

According to the statement, Fayemi would formally swear in Familoni on Tuesday 19th January at the Conference Hall of the Governor’s Office.

Dana Air introduces flexible ‘no change fee’ policy

 

Dana Air announced that the airline has introduced a flexible ‘no change fee’ policy as part of its promises to serve its customers better.

Its Communications Manager, Mr Kingsley Ezenwa announced the development in a statement issued on Sunday in Lagos.

Ezenwa explained that the policy was introduced to offer innovative products to support customers’ ever-changing travel desires.

“Dana Air understands that the exigencies of daily activities can make planning a trip difficult.

“So with this new policy, our customers will now only be charged a fare difference (If Applicable) without a change fee when they make up to two changes on their ticket at least two hours to their flight.

“However, if the changes are made after the flight is operated or one hour to the flight, the fee will be applicable.

“This new policy is part of our promise to offer an improved service delivery, innovative and supportive products to meet their travel expectations,’’ he said.

Ezenwa added that its 10 per cent on base fare web discount was still available to encourage guests to embrace the multiple, safe and secure online platforms.

He said its guests were advised to visit website www.flydanaair.com, call 01 2809888 or send a chat on WhatsApp 07051190363 for further details.

 Dana Air has a mixed fleet of nine aircraft and daily flights from Lagos to Abuja, Port Harcourt and Owerri.

 Source: NAN. 

Lagos-Ibadan Expressway ready in phases, carriageway completion in December – official

 

 

Mr. Funsho Adebiyi, Nigeria’s Coordinating Director, Highway Construction and Rehabilitation has said that the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will be completed and totally opened to traffic in December.

Adebiyi, who spoke against the backdrop of an inspection tour of the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan Expressway rehabilitation and reconstruction project, said the dual carriageway would be completed, but the bridges would be completed in April 2022.

He reafirmmed the completion figures earlier presented by Mr Adedamola Kuti, the Director, Federal Highways, South West who said that by December the entire carriageway would be completed.

Kuti said that the project had reached 49.6 percent completion on the first section being handled by Julius Berger and 56.8 percent on the section handled by RCC.

He said that 32 out of 43.6 kilometres of work had been completed and section two which is 84 kilometers has more than 50 kilometres completed on both carriageways.

“This corridor of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway apart from all the fly overs by the time we are coming to December this year, I think there will be substantial progress .

”Section one is 49.6 per cent completed, section two is 56.8 per cent, so, we are making progress,” he said.

He assured speedy completion of all ongoing works in Lagos and the rest of the South West.

Shedding more light, Adebiyi said that the entire dual carriageway would be completed and opened to traffic while work continues on the bridges.

“Our plan is that by the end of this year, the entire stretch of the road will be available, the pavement, carriageway will be completed but you have the interchanges before the end of April next year,” he said.

He said discussions were on with the Oyo State Government on Right of Way recovery for reconstruction works to continue around the toll gate area.

While inspecting section two of the highway being constructed by RCC, he said that a thickness of 300mm materials were compressed on various layer to make the road strong and durable.

He said 55km of work was completed on the Ibadan bound lane and 44 km on the Lagos bound carriageway.

He said measures were on to ensure that the number of houses to be demolished on the alignment on of the section one, adding that, enumeration of properties on the Right of Way were on to pay compensations.

“Compensation issues are sensitive matters, I am extremely careful in talking about it, but no structure can be demolished except we have evaluated correctly the contents of that structure.

”Again, we confirm the ownership, and we have estate surveyors who have been appointed to go round these houses, evaluate them and report back to us,” he said.

Adebiyi who was accompanied on the trip by the controllers of Lagos, Oyo and Ogun states on the trip listed various alternative fundings to fast track the highway linking the nation’s port.

The reconstruction/rehabilitation of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway was flagged-off in 2013 and was awarded to two firms.

Julius Berger is constructing section one which stretches from Ojota in Lagos to Sagamu Interchange, while RCC is working from the Sagamu Interchange to Ibadan.

President Buhari makes new appointment in ministry of labour and employment

 

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the nomination of Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo as the acting Director-General (DG) of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

A presidential aide, Bashir Ahmed disclosed in a Tweet on Monday, January 18 that the president has notified the minister of state, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, about the approval.

President Buhari makes new appointment in ministry of labour and employment

Ahmed stated that Fikpo would serve as the Dg of the (NDE) pending the appointment of a substantive DG for the Agency.

Insecurity: APC governor issues 7 days quit notice to herdsmen, gives reason

 

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has given herdsmen 7 days ultimatum to quit all forest reserves in Ondo state.

Akeredolu issued the ultimatum on Monday, January 18, in a thread of tweets.

He said the decision was taken to address the root causes of kidnappings and other crimes in the state.

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu  Ondo state. Photo: RotimiAkeredolu

According to the governor, security reports had indicated that some bad elements masquerading as herdsmen were behind the cases of abductions reported in Ondo.

Akeredolu said:

“As the Chief Law and Security Officer of the State, it is my constitutional obligation to do everything lawful to protect the lives and property of all residents of the State…”

He also stated that henceforth, the movement of cattle within cities and highways is prohibited.In addition to the order to vacate the forest reserves, the governor said herdsmen are banned from night-grazing.

The governor further outlawed under-aged grazing of cattle in Ondo state.

Akeredolu disclosed that security agencies have been directed to enforce the ban.

He said he will give a grace period of seven days for herders in the state to register their cattle-rearing business.