The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board has clarified the approved dress code for candidates shortlisted for the oral interview in its ongoing 2024/2025 recruitment exercise.

The Board, in a statement issued on Thursday by its Head of Press and Public Relations, Okeh Juliet, said the oral interview would commence on September 7, 2026.

“This clarification supersedes the earlier one and becomes necessary following enquiries from candidates on acceptable attire.

“The approved dress code is as follows: White T-shirt with short or long sleeves. (the long sleeve is optional for ladies) White shorts or white long trousers (the long trouser is optional for ladies),” the statement read.

CDCFIB added that the approved dress code also includes white sneakers and white socks, while headscarves are optional for female candidates.

“All candidates are advised to strictly adhere to the dress code stated above. Candidates who fail to comply will not be granted access to the interview venue,” the statement said.

The Board wished all candidates success in the oral interview.

The oral interview is the final stage of the 2024/2025 recruitment exercise into the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigerian Correctional Service, Federal Fire Service and Nigeria Immigration Service.

The Board had earlier announced that candidates who applied under the Graduate Category were to check their shortlisting status on the official recruitment portal between August 31 and September 2, 2026, while candidates who applied with NCE, OND and SSCE qualifications were scheduled to check from September 7 to 9.

Shortlisted candidates are required to select a venue nearest to them, as well as a date and time, and print their invitation letters.

The Board had also warned applicants against paying anyone for employment, stressing that the recruitment process was free of charge.

Source: punchng.com

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The Federal Government says it remains resolute in remedying the decades-long environmental degradation suffered by the people of Ogoniland in Rivers State.

Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, gave the assurance in Bodo City, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, during the 10th anniversary of the Ogoni Cleanup project and the official unveiling of the Ogoni Cleanup Monument on Thursday.

Lawal said President Bola Tinubu remained committed to the full completion and restoration of the Ogoni environment.

The minister declared that the monument served as a permanent symbol that the government had fulfilled its pledge and had not abandoned the Ogoni people.

“Ten years ago in this very place, the flag-off of the Ogoni cleanup took place. Today, we return to affirm that commitment. The monument stands as a permanent reminder of a promise made and a promise kept,” Lawal said.

He noted that Tinubu issued a direct marching order upon assuming office to ensure the project’s speedy conclusion, adding that ongoing operations under the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project reflected the resolve.

Highlighting tangible progress made so far, the minister pointed to physical infrastructure developments in the area, including the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, a specialist hostel, a cottage hospital, and the Ogoni Power Project.

“The Centre of Excellence is built on vast land that will attract international collaboration and research. It will place Ogoniland on the global map of environmental research and remediation efforts,” Lawal stated.

Beyond physical structures, he emphasised that significant progress had been recorded in soil and groundwater remediation, mangrove restoration, public health interventions, and the provision of potable water.

The minister described the return of aquatic life to local waterways as clear evidence of ecosystem recovery.

“One of the most important developments is the evidence of ecosystem recovery. The fish, periwinkles, crabs, and shrimps are back. This is vital for the local economy and community livelihoods,” he said.

Lawal also disclosed that four local government areas in Ogoniland recently received Ramsar accreditation certificates, an international designation recognising wetland conservation efforts which he said would open doors for global funding and support.

Announcing the flag-off of phase two of the shoreline cleanup project, Lawal noted that simple and medium-impact remediation sites had been completed, paving the way for work on complex sites alongside the second phase of shoreline cleanup.

He urged stakeholders in Ogoniland to communicate regularly with the leadership of HYPREP to achieve more development instead of engaging in divisive actions.

In his remarks, the HYPREP Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, described the Ogoni cleanup as the world’s largest oil remediation project, and its mangrove restoration as the largest restoration of oil-degraded mangroves globally.

“Ten years is a significant milestone, offering all stakeholders an opportunity to reflect on where we started, where we are today, and where we are going,” Zabbey said.

He noted that as part of the Phase II shoreline cleanup flag-off, HYPREP presented International Maritime Organisation and Swim Test Certificates to 1,420 community workers, bringing the total number of direct jobs created for Ogoni youth and women to over 8,500.

Zabbey, however, appealed to shoreline communities to guard against overharvesting returning aquatic life and indiscriminate cutting of mangroves.

He warned that controlled harvesting was necessary to sustain ecological gains, even as he acknowledged that while the project had faced challenges such as community disputes, access issues, and misinformation, stakeholder cooperation had helped overcome many obstacles.

Leaders from Ogoniland who also voiced their perspectives during the ceremony included the member representing Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Dumnamene Dekor.

The lawmaker appealed to the minister to fast-track the completion and energisation of the Ogoni Independent Power Project, describing electricity as a key catalyst for regional industrialisation, development and youth empowerment.

On his part, the board chairman of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Magnus Abe, urged Ogoni leaders and residents to unite, end internal media disputes, and maximise the support extended by the President.

“Nobody can organise or strategise for us; those are things we must do for ourselves. The prosperity and development of Ogoniland cannot wait for anybody anymore. We must move together,” Abe stated.

He urged the stakeholders present to maintain constructive engagement and avoid disruptions that could delay project delivery.

“Disruption and division will only delay the benefits meant for the people. Let us choose the path of partnership, transparency, and mutual respect,” he added.

The senator representing Rivers South-East District in the National Assembly, Olaka Nwogu, called for the humanisation of HYPREP to include interventions in education, economic empowerment, and community safety to complement environmental remediation.

Speaking earlier during the third Quarterly Key Regulators and Asset Owners meeting on Ogoniland cleanup, the HYPREP boss had said the agency had surpassed UNEP recommendations in healthcare.

While noting that the quarterly meeting was in line with the project, the HYPREP boss said the meeting provided an opportunity for stakeholders to sit, brainstorm, and discuss successes and challenges facing the projects.

According to Prof Zabbey, the project had surpassed UNEP recommendations in some areas, especially in healthcare delivery and livelihood programmes, even as he mentioned that the project had done 100 per cent shoreline cleanup and mangrove restoration in Bomu Community in Gokana LGA.

Source: punchng.com

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The Presidency has clarified that the ongoing Freedom of Information Act case involving President Bola Tinubu before the United States District Court for the District of Columbia is a civil records-disclosure dispute and not a criminal case.

In a statement on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said the case did not amount to a criminal charge, trial, or judicial finding against Tinubu.

It also said the court had not found the President guilty of any criminal wrongdoing.

“For clarity, the matter is a civil records-disclosure dispute under the United States Freedom of Information Act. It is not a criminal case against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, nor has the court found him guilty of any criminal wrongdoing,” the statement said.

The Presidency said the matter dated back to 2022 when Aaron Greenspan submitted FOIA requests to several US government agencies seeking records relating to Tinubu.

According to the statement, the agencies withheld certain records or declined to confirm or deny their existence, prompting Greenspan to commence Civil Action No. 23-1816 before the US District Court for the District of Columbia in 2023.

The court subsequently permitted Tinubu to participate in the proceedings as an intervenor.

The Presidency also referenced a February 4, 2003, letter from the American Consulate in Lagos to the then Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun, stating that an FBI records check found no criminal arrest records or warrants for Tinubu, who was then governor.

It said that during the proceedings, the defendants invoked the “Glomar defence,” which it described as a standard defence used from time to time by US law enforcement agencies.

“It simply means the government agency is not ‘in a position to deny or admit’ the existence of an investigation. It protects government personnel and the techniques and sources law enforcement agencies use to investigate and prosecute crimes,” the statement explained.

The Presidency said the US District Court subsequently granted summary judgment in favour of the CIA, EOUSA, Department of State, Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service, removing them from the proceedings.

It added that aspects of the claims involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration remained under consideration.

According to the statement, the FBI and DEA produced 399 pages of records in compliance with the court’s orders, with portions redacted under exemptions provided by US law.

The plaintiff subsequently challenged the decisions of the FBI and DEA to redact portions of the documents.

The Presidency said the FBI and DEA, through the US Department of Justice, opposed the application for the unredacted documents, citing several FOIA exemptions.

It listed the exemptions as including records protected by law from public disclosure, including Grand Jury proceedings and certain information relating to pen registers or trap and trace devices.

It also cited documents covered by attorney-work product and attorney-client privileges, documents prepared for law enforcement purposes, information whose disclosure could constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, and information that could reveal confidential sources or law enforcement techniques.

The statement said Tinubu, on the advice of his lawyers, had also asserted his rights under FOIA Exemption 7(C).

The Presidency said the plaintiff had until September 11, 2026, to file any opposition and reply to the processes filed by the defendants and the President as intervenor.

It added that the FBI, DEA and the intervenor would have until September 18, 2026, to respond to any processes filed by the plaintiff.

The Presidency stressed that the release or withholding of records under FOIA did not establish criminal liability.

“The release or withholding of records under FOIA does not, by itself, establish criminal liability. The case concerns access to government records and the proper application of statutory exemptions,” it said.

It further stated that the case was under the control of Judge Beryl A. Howell of the US District Court, who would determine its outcome based on the evidence, applicable law, and arguments of the parties.

“The Nigerian media should note that this case is exclusively within the control of Judge Beryl A. Howell of the United States District Court. She will determine its outcome, based on the evidence, applicable law, and the parties’ arguments, not the wishful preference of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar or his agent, Mr Von Batten,” the statement said.

The Presidency also dismissed recent commentary by Karl von Batten, saying he and his client were not parties to the case.

“Recent public commentary by Mr Karl von Batten has inaccurately portrayed him and his client as central to the proceedings. Neither is a party to the case,” it said.

It reiterated that the litigation was a civil records-disclosure dispute and that the outstanding issue was whether the redactions made by the FBI and DEA were lawful.

“The litigation is a civil records-disclosure dispute under FOIA. It does not constitute a criminal charge, trial, or judicial finding against President Tinubu. The FBI and DEA have produced records with redactions, and the remaining question is whether those redactions are lawful,” the Presidency said.

It added that the court would determine the issue based on the filings and applicable US law.

“The United States District Court will decide that issue based on the filings and applicable US law, not political commentary,” the statement said.

The Presidency therefore urged the media and the public to distinguish between verified court proceedings and partisan speculation.

Source: punchng.com

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