The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Stakeholders urge Buhari to review new board of NDDC

    Niger Delta stakeholders at the weekend urged President Muhammadu Buhari to review the composition of the new board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    The stakeholders under the auspices of the Niger Delta Entrepreneurs Forum (NDEF) faulted the way and manner the Presidency replaced the Prof. Nelson Brambaifa-led board.

    NDEF, in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Kester Okele and Secretary, Ebipade Timi, said the development was not in tandem with the style of Muhammadu Buhari-led Presidency and the Act establishing the commission.

    Timi explained that Section 4 of the Act establishing the NDDC was clear on the rotation of the chairmanship position of the commission in alphabetical order.

    “How come Edo is being gifted the chairmanship of the Board after Cross River State took the last shot?”

    He queried and questioned why part IV of the Act was not respected in the entire process.

    He said the part of the Act provides for a Managing Director and two Executive Directors, who must be indigenes of oil-producing areas beginning from states with the highest production quantum of oil.

    Read Also: Row over appointment of Ondo NDDC Commissioner

    Timi wondered why a state like Rivers, classified among the first three highest producers of oil, playing host to two refineries and refining the highest amount of crude oil, was  left out in the appointment of the management committee of the NDDC.

    He pointed out loopholes in the procedure of the new appointments and the announcement by the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) asking appointees to come with their updated documents.

    He said it was usually the function of the office of the President to forward a letter to the Senate to approve and confirm such appointments.

    He noted that the previous set of appointments by the President in January was duly signed by the President’s Spokesman with a directive that the NDDC should come under the supervision of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs rather than the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

    Timi commended the President for appointing two sons of the region to serve as Ministers in the Niger Delta Ministry, but appealed to Buhari to direct the withdrawal of the alleged controversial and procedurally-defective appointment of the new Board of the NDDC.

    He queried the parameters deployed in the move and demanded to know the who the stakeholders consulted before taking such a historical decision.

    He frowned  on the speedy manner the dissolution of the Brambaifa-led board was carried out describing it as a larger plot to discredit the President.

  • BBNaija4: I need my girlfriend back, Tacha’s boyfriend cries out

    Tacha’s boyfriend, popularly known as King Ladi has pleaded with Big Brother Naija reality show to quickly wrap up the programme so he can be with his girlfriend.

    He said this via a post he shared on his Instagram page @kingladiofficial, where he attached a crying emoji saying he needed his girlfriend back home.

    Meanwhile, the popular but controversial housemate had said countless times that she intends to be in the house till the 99th day.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Tacha had recently celebrated her boyfriend’s birthday in the big brother house with a lot of emotions.

    She called him “my twiny’’’ while also reciting a touchy love-letter she wrote for him, capable of melting the hearts of many viewers.

    Read Also: BBNaija2019: Tacha vows to limit her pride

    Ladi had also recently reacted to how the talk show host, Ebuka recently put his boo on the spot during the live show.

    Also taking to his Instagram page, he wrote, “I don’t get why the confidence of Tacha is a grown man’s problem.

    “I understand when regular people talk trash about her and trying to bring her down but when it’s coming from somebody like @ebuka it’s just really sad but no wahala WE MOVE #bbnaija”

    Simply Tacha is currently one of the most popular housemates of the ongoing BBNaija Pepper Dem.

    The big brother pepper dem contestant is also an Instagram sensation and social media influencer who has always wanted to be on the show.

    She’s one of the trending housemates on social media alongside Jackye and Mike.

  • Border closure: Sen. Uzodinma hails Buhari for making Nigeria work again

    Sen. Hope Uzodinma, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari over the closure of Nigeria’s border with Benin Republic and other neighbouring countries to check rice smuggling.

    Uzodinma, who spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said it was evident of the president’s determination to get Nigeria working again.

    He described the move as a right step in the right direction.

    Uzodinna, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate in the February 2019 election in Imo said “it can only take a man who has the interest of his country and the political will to work his talk’’.

    Uzodinma, who was once Chairman, Senate Committee on Customs, said that his committee in the course of its oversight functions then, discovered the humongous amount of money the country was losing to rice smuggling and other illicit activities.

    “When I was the Chairman, Senate Committee on Customs, I recommended the closure of the borders because of the quantum of illicit transactions taking place at the detriment of the country.

    “The security implication of the activities at the borders was also a serious concern to us then, because they are very porous.

    Read Also: Border closure: Cushion effects of rising prices of foodstuffs, traders, consumers tell FG

    “Those areas are landlocked with so many track roads and so many things happening there that have not helped our economy.

    “So, if the Federal Government in its wisdom decided to close the borders to check all those, I support it.

    “This is because beyond checking smuggling of rice, it will check kidnappers and other criminal elements from thronging the country to commit all manner of atrocities.

    “So for me, the land borders should be closed until we can find a lasting solution. For now imports can come in through our seaports,’’ he said.

    On recent ministerial appointments, Uzodinma said the president in his wisdom chose those that would work with him, consistent with provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    He added that from his assessment, the president appointed credible people as ministers, adding that they should be given the benefit of doubt.

    Reacting to concerns by some Nigerians that some of the ministers may not perform optimally due to several reasons, Uzodinma said it was hasty for anyone to draw conclusion.

    Speaking specifically on concerns of age raised about the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, the governorship candidate said “you do not condemn or disqualify what you have not seen.

    “Let us allow him to work and if he is not performing up to expectations then we will know what to say.

    “The minister is a Nigerian and there is nowhere in the Constitution that says that age is a barrier for the appointment of a minister.

    “I do not think that is fair about the new Minister of Agriculture. He should be given the opportunity to contribute his quota to the development of the nation.

    “There must be something Mr President saw in him before appointing him. So, let nobody condemn anybody. He is a Nigerian and he is entitled to also serve,’’ he said.

    He expressed optimism that Nanono and the other ministers would perform optimally by working in line with the next level agenda of the president.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government had on Aug. 21, ordered a partial closure of the borders to check smuggling activities around Benin, Niger and Chad Republics.

    Some of the smuggling routes around the country include Seme-Lagos in Lagos State, Jibiya in Katsina, Idiroko in Ogun, Illela-Koni in Sokoto State, Kabo, Saki, and Sikanda in Oyo State. (NAN)

  • Rivers guber: Court of Appeal again dismisses ADP’s appeal

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt has dismissed the interlocutory appeal filed by the Rivers State Action Democratic Party ( ADP), and its governorship candidate in the last governorship election, Victor Fingesi challenging the disqualification of some of the witnesses he pleaded in in the petition he filed to challenge the victory of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

    The Rivers State Governorship election tribunal led by Justice J. A  Ojiako had disqualified some of the ADP witnesses from testifying because  the ADP undertook to call witnesses predicated on INEC and deviated from their undertaking.

    Read Also: Alleged non-qualification: Court of Appeal to deliver judgment today

    The Court of Appeal affirmed that the position of the  State Governorship election tribunal on the issue.

    On Friday the Court of Appeal also had dismissed the interlocutory appeal of the ADP challenging the striking out of some paragraphs of their petition by the election tribunal.

    Ruling on suit  number CA/PH/PPT/373/2019, Justice Philomina Ekwe said that  State election tribunal was right to strike out the paragraphs that premise on criminal allegations.

  • PDP primaries: Alaibe’s kinsmen endorse Senator Diri

    Kinsmen of former Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Timi Alaibe in Kolokuma-Opokuma at the weekend endorsed Senator Douye Diri for the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the party’s September 3 primaries.

    Top leaders of the PDP,  stakeholders, youth and women groups were said to have abandoned Alaibe, who is also an aspirant, to unanimously adopt Diri, who represents the Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly.

    The decision of the critical stakeholders to endorse Diri reportedly dealt a blow to the aspiration of Alaibe to to fly the flag of PDP in the November 16, 2019 gubernatorial election in the state.

    It was learnt that the meeting where the decision to back Diri was taken was presided over by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Tonye Isena, who also hails from the local government area.

    The meeting was attended by the Chairman, Kolokuma Okpokuma Local Government Area, Deinye Obaragu, a former Chairman of the Council, Wisdom Fafi, who represents the area in the Assembly and others.

    The leaders said their decision  to adopt Diri was based on his sterling  records of performance in the public service  and his effective exploitation of various public offices he had so far occupied to promote and develop society.

    Read Also: Bayelsa primaries: APC battles to vacate court order, mulls consensus

    They said Diri was the preferred aspirant because Bayelsa needed an experience public figure of tested capacity to build on the eight years of exploits by the State Governor, Seriake Dickson.

    They noted that Diri had proven to be a visionary’s leader with  passion for the protection of the general good.

    The stakeholders added that Diri’s years as a crusader for Ijaw interest in the Ijaw National Congress (INC), the House of Representatives and the Senate showed clearly that he had the will, the courage and capacity to protect the interest of Bayelsa and the Ijaw nation.

    But Alaibe in a media chat at the weekend said he had all the  qualities required to fly the flag of the PDP and win the general election adding that he came into the race prepared for governance.

    He appealed to the delegates to make a wise choice on September 3 adding that any bad decision would plunge the state into misery and regrets for four years.

    While saying that other PDP aspirants in the race were qualified to govern Bayelsa, Alaibe noted that he was better positioned with the requisite experience and connections to develop Bayelsa.

  • Assailants hack commercial motorcyclist to death in Ekiti

    A middle-aged man, Mr. Sunday Olorunleke, was has been reportedly stabbed to death by unidentified assailants.

    The Nation gathered that the deceased who was identified as a commercial motorcyclist, popularly called Okada rider, was allegedly killed in his residence located in Aba area, a suburb of Ado Ekiti.

    A source, who craved anonymity, revealed that the man and father of two, was alone in the house when the incident happened.

    The source added that his wife and children were said to have traveled out of Ado Ekiti since Wednesday and returned on Saturday morning to meet the  corpse of the man in the pool of blood inside his room.

    A source, who confirmed the killing, said the incident was suspected have happened between Friday night and Saturday, adding that  the deceased  was sighted in the neighborhood on Thursday morning.

    “The wife of the deceased put a call across to the some of the neighbors on Thursday when she could not reach her husband on phone and they informed her that they saw him that very day.

    Read Also: Man arrested for alleged human trafficking

    “We were shocked after the wife arrived yesterday (Saturday) morning and met the door closed and sought the assistance of people to break the door where she found her husband corpse on the floor lying in pool of his own blood.”

    Speaking with newsmen via telephone, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Ekiti State, Caleb Ikechukwu, confirmed the killing.

    He revealed investigation had commenced in a bid to arrest the perpetrators, calling on the people to go about their normal lawful activities.

    The police spokesman advised residents of the state to monitor strange faces and movements within their neighborhood and report to the police for  immediate action.

  • Three die, several injured in Suleja tanker explosion

    Three people have been confirmed dead and several others injured as a fuel ladened tanker exploded in Suleja, Niger state.
    At least 19 vehicles were said to have been burnt in the explosion.
    The explosion occurred on Friday night at Dikko junction on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway.
     One person was burnt to death during the explosion while the other two died at the hospital.
    The cause of the explosion remain unknown, however, investigations by the Niger state Emergency Management Agency  (NSEMA)  is ongoing.
    The corpse of the deceased have been deposited in the morgue at the Umaru Musa Hospital, Sabon Wuse while those injured are also receiving treatment at the same facility.

    Read Also: Nine deadliest fuel tanker explosions in Africa

    The Director General of NSEMA, Ahmed Inga, who confirmed the incident, said it occurred around 10:30 p.m. on Friday saying that the number of injured persons remain unknown.
     “We received a report from our Suleja Desk Officer that there was a tanker explosion and many people were affected.
    “We cannot give the actual number of people that lost their lives, we will confirm that during our assessment; but from the report of our Suleja Desk Officer, one person died in the incident.
    “Many people were injured and several vehicles were completely burnt.”
    Inga further said that the federal and state fire service have been able to bring the fire under control.

  • ‘Seven dead bodies abandoned in ATBUTH’

    The Chairman Medical Advisory Committee  of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi (ATBUTH) , Dr.Saidu Abubakar Kadas  has disclosed that  seven bodies  were yet to be claimed  at the hospital’s  mortuary.

    The Nation gathered that the dead bodies comprise of one female and six males.

    Kadas who made the disclosure in an interview  with the Nation on Saturday  said the bodies  which were deposited by the police within February – August, 2019  were yet to be identified.

    He said further that the victims were casualties of road accidents within the state  who were brought in by the police and road safety personnel.

    ”Within this year (2019) we have had 7 bodies deposited at the mortuary between February and August . Apparently, none of their relations have come to claim the bodies.

    ”Going by the nature of the corpses in the mortuary, almost all of them were brought by the police. Some were as a result of road  accidents in the state, there are also some unidentified bodies deposited by  road safety personnel,” he stated.

    Kadas  who alerted members of the public over the unclaimed bodies advised that there should be regular visit to the mortuary especially in cases where there are missing persons.

    He said the teaching hospital may proceed on medical evacuation when the corpses start to decompose adding that the hospital was yet to decide on the deadline for the relatives of the victims  to come identify them.

  • Tribunal dismisses petition challenging Gov Fintiri’s election

    The Adamawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed a petition by the Action Peoples Party (APP) and its substitute candidate in the last governorship election,  Bitrus Meda, challenging the election of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri.

    The APP and Bitrus Meda had asked the tribunal to nullify the election because they were excluded ‘unlawfully’ from the election.

    Delivering judgement on the petition on Saturday, however, the tribunal said it could not grant the prayers of the petitioners because they failed to give valid proof of their claim of unlawful exclusion.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had presented the name Rukaya Audu as the APP candidate for the last governorship election, because although Rukaya Audu who was the original candidate had announced intention to withdraw from the poll, she did so only verbally.

    The APP which had relied on that verbal action of Rukaya Audu to substitute her with Bitrus Meda, went to the tribunal after INEC had gone ahead to print Rukaya Audu on the ballot, resulting in a 180-vote for the APP with not Bitrus Meda but Rukaya Audu as the candidate known to the electorate.

    Read Also: Election Petition Tribunal changes sitting date

    Chairman of the governorship election petition tribunal,  Justice Adediran Adebara, who read the text of the judgement, said the petitioners had no valid case, considering the issues around it.

    He dismissed the petition and awarded legal cost of N1 million against the petitioners.

    In a response to the judgement, Counsel to the petitioners, Solomon Garba, said they had accepted the judgment in good faith.

    On his part, Counsel to the PDP, Tahir Shehu, said: “We knew quite early enough that the petition was frivolous, and the tribunal just confirmed our position.”

    Also making a remark, Governor Ahamadu Fintiri attributed his victory to God.

    Speaking to newsmen Saturday afternoon at the Government House, Yola, Fintiri said: “All praises to Allah the giver of power who has made it that this time I should be the governor of Adamawa State

    “For the judiciary, I congratulate them for reaffirming what Adamawa people demonstrated last general election.”

  • Buhari won’t give up on Leah Sharibu, says Presidency

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, has assured that the Buhari administration will not give up on the safe return of Leah Sharibu.

    She was one of the students of Government Girls Science and Technical Secondary School, Dapchi kidnapped by a faction of Boko Haram terrorists in February 2018.

    Speaking to a group of journalists on Saturday in Abuja, Shehu said: ‘‘Instead of giving up, the government is carrying forward processes that should hopefully yield her release by her captors.”

    The presidential spokesman was responding to worrying cycle of speculations on whether Leah Sharibu, the kidnapped Dapchi school girl had been harmed by her abductors.

    He told reporters emphatically that much of what is written about the girl in the press is false news.

    Read Also: We are confident Leah Sharibu is alive – ECWA

    “Lines of communications remain open with the kidnappers, ISWA, to secure the release of Leah Sharibu.

    ‘‘Contrary to false reports, she is alive – given assurances from our security agencies-, and the government is committed to her safe return, as well as all other hostages to their families.

    “Kidnapping for ransom should never be encouraged. This means not capitulating to the demands of terrorists: refrain from rewarding their heinous crimes with payment.

    ‘’With the abduction of loved family and friends, the government understands how difficult these time are for them, but government is pursuing many options to ensure the safe return of Leah Sharibu.

    “We must commit to law and communication, using the breadth of strategies at our disposal: legal initiatives, stakeholder cooperation, involvement of all relevant parties and the use of the latest hostage negotiation techniques.

    ‘‘Kidnapping for ransom is rising across the Sahel. We must – collectively – make sure we implement best practice to prevent its exploitation,’’ he said.

    Appealing for patience in dealing with the challenge the case poses, the Presidential spokesman assured that the administration is fully conscious that any misstep on a delicate issue as this can be costly.