The Board of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Thursday announced the indefinite suspension of six directors of the organisation over allegation of corruption.

According to Punch, the suspension which was carried out by the newly inaugurated Board was in connection with an ongoing probe of the finances of NEMA by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Department of State Services.

Barely 24 hours after road sweepers in Edo State protested the non-payment of salaries Governor Godwin Obaseki, has sacked the Commissioner of Environment and Sustainability, Reginald Okun.

The General Manager, Edo State Waste Management Board, Aiyamenkue Akonofua, has also been retired on the approval of the state governor.

In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie, the governor gave the directive on Wednesday, adding that it is with immediate effect.

The Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC, has explained the recent sack of some workers, saying the exercise at the embassy followed due process.

According to NAN, senior officials at the embassy had disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja approved the disengagement of the workers due to ongoing rationalization exercise in the embassy. The embassy however said efforts toward ensuring the payment of their entitlements had reached advance stage.

“In February 2017, there was a decision to disengage some of the local staff. However, they pleaded to an arrangement to be on contract for another one year, which lapsed in February 2018. The ministry from Abuja approved their disengagement. As I am talking to you, we have received approval from Abuja to pay their benefits and they would be paid very soon. It is true that some of them have put in up to 30 years of service.

The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja (NAIA) has been voted the most improved international airport in Nigeria for the year 2017 at the 8th Nigeria Aviation Award.

The award ceremony, which took place on Monday, also saw the Airport Manager for NAIA, Mr Sani Mahmud as the Airport Manager of the year.

The organisers of the event, Nigeria Aviation Awards (NIGAV), acknowledged the improvement recorded by NAIA management in ensuring the timely completion of the runway rehabilitation in 2017.

Centre for Citizens with Disability (CCD), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NG0), has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari not to deny or delay assent to the Disability Bill whenever it is transmitted to him by National Assembly.

Executive Director of the centre, Mr David Anyaele, made the appeal at a stakeholder’s forum on Thursday in Abuja, to examine the state of the bill at the National Assembly.

President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, had on February 28, promised to ensure that the bill was transmitted to the president within 30 days for his assent.

Five of the 110 Dapchi schoolgirls that were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents died as a result of heart attack and trauma, one of them has revealed.

The insurgents had kidnapped the girls from their school in Dapchi, Yobe state, on February 19.

On Wednesday, 105 of them were released with one still in their custody.

“Five of our colleagues died of heart attack, trauma and stress as a result of the long trip,” Khadija Grema, one of the freed girls, told Channels TV.

“They didn’t allow us close to them. One of us was held back on the religious ground. She is a Christian and refused to denounce her religion.”

Grema said they were “well treated” while in the custody of the insurgents.

She said after being taken away from their school, they travelled through the bush and “as we continued (the journey), they (Boko Haram members) asked for those who are fasting among us. They then serve us drinks, meat and food after which we say our prayers and continue the journey.

“We crossed several rivers and streams and into one house where we leave on till our departure day.

“But to be honest we were well treated. They didn’t torture us as they treated us well throughout our stay in captivity, neither did they subject us to any molestation (or) any kind of sexual harassment.

“We didn’t know why they brought us back but they told us we are Muslims and we share the same faith and they don’t want us to suffer.”

The federal government has said the girls were released “unconditionally”.