The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Team Nigeria claims 2 gold, 3 silver in freestyle wrestling

    Team Nigeria capped a memorable outing in wrestling as the men won two gold and three silver medals in the Freestyle events on the penultimate day of the 2019 African Games in Morocco.

    Twenty four hours after the ladies impressively won five gold medals and one silver, the men followed suit, accounting for five more medals.

    Multiple African champions Daniel Amas (65kg) and John Emmanuel Ogbonna (74kg) won gold, while Soso Taramau (97kg), Ebikwenimo Welson (57kg) and veteran Sinivie Boltic (125kg) settled for silver medals  in the finals  held at the Salle El Jadidam Morocco.

    Read Also: African Games: Female wrestlers deliver 5 gold, one silver

    Amas defeated Gambia’s Cumba Mbal 3-1 in the final, while three-time African champion, while John Emmanuel won his first African Games gold medal by beating Egypt’s  Moustafa Samy to win gold.

    Weldon had to settle for the silver medals after losing 3-1 to Kherbache Abdelhak of Algeria, while Tamarau also lost 3-1 to Egypt’s Merghany Hosam and Sinivie beaten 3-1 by another Egyptian, Abdalla Khaled.

    Their performance brings to 12 (7 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze), the number of medals won by Team Nigeria to win the wrestling event at the 2019 African Games.

    Egypt came second on the medals log with 5 gold, 4 silver and 7 bronze medals, while Algeria finished third with 4 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze medals.

    2019 African Games

  • Troops neutralise two terrorists in Borno

    Two Boko Haram terrorists have been killed by troops of Alaka Dodo, a component of Operation Lafiya Dole in the northeast, the Nigerian Army  has announced.

    According to its spokesman, Col Sagir Musa, the troops also thwarted plans by the terrorists to plant explosives on commuters and troops main supply route.

    He said in a statement that the exchange of gun fire between the troops and the terrorists was a consolidation on the set up of Super Camps in the northeast.

    Col  Musa said :”troops of 26 Task Force Brigade under the auspices of Operation HALAKA DODO, Theatre Command Operation LAFIYA DOLE successfully thwarted Terrorists efforts to plant Improvised Explosive Device (IED) for commuters and troops’ Main Supply Route.

    “The  troops laid an effective night ambush for terrorists in the midst of heavy downpour, encountered the terrorists IED party at Wala crossing point attempting to emplace the lethal device..

    “Troops responded swiftly  in a fire fight with the terrorists killing 2, while others scampered for their dear lives with likely gun shot wounds under the cover of darkness.

    “The following items were recovered from the criminals:

    2 AK 47 riffles

    3 magazines. 32 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition

    and 4 primed IEDs

    Read Also: Troops begin new strategy to counter Boko Haram’s attacks

    “It would be recalled that earlier in the week, the terrorists suffered heavy losses when they failed in their attack on the headquarters of 26 Task Force Brigade, Bitta when the attackers were overpowered by national forces which caused the death of many terrorists and recovery of some weapons.

    “Accordingly, the merits of the new concept (super Camp) in the operational arena has already started yielding results with troops becoming more mobile, agile, robust and unpredictable.

    ” Hence, troops continue to dominate the Theatre  with mobile patrols, ambushes, deliberate attacks and raids thereby denying the terrorists/criminals freedom of action.

    “Already, Acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division and Commander sector 1, Operation LAFIYA, Brig Gen AK Ibrahim has commended the troops for their efforts and urged them to sustain the tempo to completely stamp out all vestiges of the terrorists in the area of Operation.”

  • Firm to build $700m gas plant in Imo

    An indigenous oil company, Seplat Petroleum Development Company, has commenced the construction of a multi- million dollars Gas Processing Plant in Ohaji Egbema Council Area of Imo state.

    Chairman of the firm,  Dr. Bryant Orjiako, made the disclosure in Owerri, when he led the Management team on a courtesy  call on the Imo governor,  Emeka Ihedioha at the Government House,  Owerri.

    Orjiako explained that the proposed company, which develops and commercialises gas, when fully functional will transform the state in all spheres.

    Highlighting the achievements of Seplat in the Niger Delta with regards to oil exploration and production, Orjiako called on the state government and the host communities to create the enabling environment for the project to materialise.

    According to him: “Shortly after we acquired our asset in Imo state in 2016, the asset OML53 which was originally owned by Chevron, we have incrementally ramped up the production from less than 3,000 barrels per day,  we are currently doing 9,000 barrels per day.

    “We are hoping that in the next 12 months we should be thinking of 15,000 barrels per day and that is the beginning of the things we are set to achieve.

    “More importantly, we emphasise that we are a company that commercialises gas and also develops it and as at today, we produce 30 per cent of gas to power in Nigeria and we are the only indigenous company doing this.

    “Early this year we made an investment decision to invest 700 million dollars in the ANOH project phase one, this project is going to be situated in Imo state.

    “The most significant thing to say about this is to say that this project has been in the pipeline for over 3 decades but once we took over the asset, we made it a priority and obviously the trickledown effect of that project in Imo state is capable of completely synergizing with your vision for the state and will transform development in Imo state. What we expect is to have the right cooperation and for Imo state to also position itself and create the right environment for us to do business”.

    Read Also: Aiteo: Optimal gas utilisation can solve power supply issue

    Also on the team is the Chief Executive Officer of Seplat Mr Austin Avuru,  who further explained the benefits of the project.

    He assured that the company will fulfill its Corporate Social Responsibility to the state and especially the host communities as the company has done in Edo and Delta states.

    In his words: “We will build trust with the communities and also build trust with your government, we will not come to disturb you, probably you won’t see us again but your key cabinet personel will monitor the things we do and report back to you.

    “We supply one-third of the gas to plant in Nigeria, we are building another one of 75 MMscfd in Sapele, we will build this one in Ohaji Egbema because we supply gas to the domestic market.

    “Most companies offer token to buy peace, so if there’s any troublesome person in that community we go to him and do certain things so he won’t trouble us, we don’t do that.

    “Those that are fighting us in Sapele, we fought them, those who are going to work with us, we work with them, when those who are fighting us saw what was happening to those working with us, they turn around to work with us, we don’t pretend, we give you jobs we can do and develop your capacity to do bigger jobs.

    “We will like to see the growth of indigenous capacity in delivering jobs, that’s how we operate and our flagship corporate social responsibility programmes like the ‘Eye can See’ program is the most famous medical outreach in Edo and Delta states, we have a system and structure that can handle problems”.

    Responding, the Governor commended Seplat for the choice of Imo and promised to provide all enabling environment and support for the project to thrive.

  • Nigeria emerges overall winner in athletics

    Nigeria emerged the overall winner in Athletics event at the 2019 Africa Games with a total of 23 medals (10 gold, 7 silver and 6 bronze) after winning gold in Women’s 4x400m, Women’s Shot Put; silver in Men’s 200m on the final day of the Track and Field event on Friday.

    Kenya came second with 10 gold, 7 silver and 3 bronzem while Ethiopia came 3rd with 5 gold, 5 silver and 8 bronze medals.

    Team Nigeria quartet of Kemi Francis, Patience Okon-George, Blessing Oladoye and Favour Ofili ran the race of their lives to win gold in the Women’s 4x400m final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex.

    The Nigerian ladies ran 3:30.32 to finish ahead of Botswana (3:31.96) and Uganda (3:32.25).

    Sade Olatoye increased the country’s medals haul by winning gold in the Women’s Shot Put event.

    Olatoye, who also won bronze in the Hammer Throw, threw a distance of 16.61m to secure her win.

    South Africa’s Senekal Ischke came second with a throw of 16.18m while South Africa’s      Strydom Meike won the bronze with 14.64m.

    The quartet of Shedrack Akpeki, Nathaniel Samson, Ifeanyi Ojeli and Chidi Okezie ran a SB of 3:03.42 to win the 4x400m bronze medal.

    Botswana won the race in a time of 3:02.55m while South Africa went home with the silver medal after finishing with a time of 3:03.18.

    It was an upset for pre-Championship favourite in the Men’s 200m, Divine Oduduru as he could only finish in second position with his 22.35s run.

    Zambia’s Sydney Siame emerged the African Games Champion after finishing in a time of 20.35. South Africa’s  Jobodwana Anaso won the bronze with 20.56 in a race that saw Nigeria’s Ogho-oghene Egwero finishing 6th in 21.00

    Team Nigeria also won bronze in the Women’s 400mH Final Abasiamo Akpan ran a time of 57.66s to place third.

    Nnamdi Chinecherem also picked up a bronze medal in the Javelin Throw, with a distance of 73.24m.

  • APC postpones Bayelsa guber primary again

    For the second time in four days, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has postponed its Bayelsa governorship primary to between Tuesday and Wednesday in compliance with an interim order of a State High Court restraining the party from using direct primary.

    A statement by APC spokesman, Lanre Issa-Onilu, on Saturday morning said the APC took the decision to postpone the primary after a stakeholders meeting in Yenagoa on Friday night.

    “In deference to a court order, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has shifted the date for the Bayelsa governorship primary to Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4, September, 2019,” Issa-Onilu said.

    Some members of APC in Bayelsa under the auspices of Concerned APC Stakeholders had gone to court to oppose the use of direct primary to elect the standard bearer of the party in the Nov.16 guber election.

    They secured an interim order on Thursday restraining the use of direct primary.

    Read Also: Bayelsa governorship: APC disqualifies ex-Cross River REC Briyai

    Messrs Japan Christopher, Evinson Olotu , Oddu Onyimiebi and Onyimiebi Isaih took the National Chairman of APC and 23 members of his executive and Bayelsa chapter executives to court over the decision to use direct primary, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

    The judge, E.G Umokoro, also ordered an accelerated hearing of the substantive suit and abridged the time frame for the respondents to file their response and counter affidavit to seven days given the timeliness of the matter.

    The party had on Wednesday postponed the governorship primary from the initial Aug. 29 to Aug. 31.

    It had cleared six of its seven governorship aspirants.

    The cleared aspirants are Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, immediate past Minister of State for Agriculture, Aganaba Steven, Ebitimi Amgbare, Diseye Poweigha, Lyon Pereworimini and Ongoebi Etebu.

    A former Cross River Resident Electoral Commissioner, Briyai Frankland, was disqualified.

    (NAN)

  • OPC lost over 2,500 lives during June 12 struggle, says Gani Adams

    AFTER 25 years of its existence, National Coordinator, Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) Otunba Gani Adams said the group may have to restrategise, particularly in liberating the Yoruba nation from the shackles of “poverty, oppression and other injustice over the past years”.

    Adams noted how OPC started with nine members at Palm Avenue in Mushin, Lagos in 1994, to liberate the Yoruba nation and restore the mandate of late business mogul and philanthropist, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, who won the 1993 presidential election.

    The election was adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country’s history.

    He lamented that the struggle achieved little so far despite that over 2,500 of its foot soldiers were killed.

    Adams, who is the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, spoke on Thursday at the 25th anniversary of OPC in Lagos.

    Adams lamented that the ultimate aim of OPC, which is to ensure restructuring, has been repeatedly defeated and leaving the socio-political organisation with little or no choice than to restrategise to improve the living standard of its over six million members  across the nation, especially in the Southwest.

    Read Also: OPC to celebrate 25th anniversary

    He said: “The most  irreducible for those, who have followed this restructuring, is for the Federal Government to implement the recommendations of the National Conference convened by the administration of Goodluck Jonathan.

    “It is in the light of this that I say that in the next few months, if there is no tangible evidence that this country will be restructured, then OPC will become partisan. We are still keeping the details to our chest.”

    Adams, who also bemoaned the increased wave of kidnapping and ritual killings across the Southwest, expressed confidence that the standing army of OPC is up to the task.

    His views were supported by Pa Ayo Adebanjo, spokesman of Afenifere Yinka  Odumakin, his wife, Joe, Comrade Femi Aborishade and a professor of Political Science, Tunde Babawale.

    Babawale, who was the guest speaker, urged OPC to team up with organisations of like minds to push for restructuring.

    Inspector General of Police, who was represented by AIG Adeleye Oyebade of Zone XI, Osogbo, noted that owing to the wave of insecurity nationwide, the police are adopting new strategies by emphasising more on community policing.

     

  • Banker accused of stealing customers’ N11m

    A 34-year-old banker, Ramon Rilwon-Olayiwola, on Friday appeared at a Tinubu Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly stealing N11 million from bank customers’ accounts.

    The defendant, a resident of 8, Sultan Bello Street, Owutu, Ikorodu, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

    He, however, pleaded not guilty.

    Prosecuting Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Edet Okoi told the court that the defendant committed the offences on July 22, at about 7:20pm, at Access Bank head office in Lagos.

    He alleged that the defendant, an employee of Access Bank Plc., while working at the bank’s Contact Centre Executive Unit, used his position to fraudulently access customers’ details and withdrew money from their accounts.

    Okoi alleged that the defendant withdrew N11 million from customers’ accounts.

    “The defendant conspired with some other employees to change some customers’ details on the system and made unauthorised withdrawals from their accounts without the customers’ consent.

    “During internal investigation, which the bank carried out, the CCTV footage showed that it was only the defendant that used the system for accessing customers’ details on the said date,” he said.

    Chief Magistrate Tajudeen Elias granted the defendant N5 million bail with two sureties in the like sum and adjourned the case till September 29.

  • Governors reject NDDC board nominees

    Governors of the Niger Delta states have rejected President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominees into the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    Rising from a meeting last night in Abuja, the governors expressed concerns over the way and manner the appointments were made, saying it does not reflect effecting governance mechanism.

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson said the aggrieved governors would seek audience with President Buhari to address the imbalance.

    According to Dickson, their concerns arose from protests being staged by people and stakeholders across the nine member states of the NDDC.

    The governors, however, urged calm and restraint in the states, promising to ensure that the grievances of were addressed.

    “We will meet with President Muhammadu Buhari to discuss the issues,” however, adding that the governors would not discuss the specifics until they meet with the President.

    Other governors who attended the meeting were Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo); Godwin Obaseki (Edo); Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom); and representatives of two other states.

    Niger Delta Entrepreneurs Forum (NDEF) has faulted the dissolution of the Prof. Nelson Brambaifa-led board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    Read Also: N/Delta Govs reject Buhari’s nominees into NDDC board

    The forum, in a statement by its Coordinator, Kester Okele and Secretary Ebipade Timi, said the development was not in tandem with the NDDC  Act.

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

    “How come Edo is being gifted the chairmanship of the board after Cross River State took the last shot?’’ they asked.

    The stakeholders queried Part IV, Section 12 (1), which states: “There shall be a managing director and two executive directors who shall be indigenes of oil producing areas, starting with the member-states of the commission with the highest production quantum of oil, and shall rotate among member states in order of production.”

    They wondered why a state, such as Rivers, which is among the first three top oil producers hosting two refineries, and refines the highest amount of crude, was left out in the management committee of NDDC.

    The All Progressives Congress in Ovia North East Local Government of Edo State has kicked against the nomination of Dr. Pius Odubu and Chief Victor Ekhator as board members.

    Odubu was nominated as chairman while Ekhator was nominated as Edo commissioner in the board.

    APC, in an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, said while Ovia North East, as an oil producing council, has had nobody in the board since inception, Orhionmwon and Ikpoba-Okha councils had enjoyed this privilege.

    The letter, signed by its Chairman, Blessing Idubor and Secretary Orhinokpa Osayande, said Odubu and Ekhator hail from Orhionmwon and Ikpoba-Okha.

    It said the chairman of Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Commission (EDSOGPADEC) Kennedy Osifo, was from Ikpoba-Okha.

    The letter reads: “…with a careful analysis and assessment of all the issues…and if your opinion and position is not in doubt but in the affirmative, Ovia North East should be given the opportunity to serve on the board of NDDC.

    “Orhionmwon representatives have served in NDDC for 18 years, while several representatives from Ikpoba-Okha have served for eight years. We pray Your Excellency to…consider …the principle of rotation and zoning as provided by the NDDC Act Section 2 (1) and reserve the NDDC chairman and commissioner positions to …Ovia North East who have been denied any representation in the past 26 years.

    “We pledge our loyalty … and assure you that we will hold the office in trust for the people of Edo South.”

    Also, some youths in the council marched on major streets of Benin, protesting the nominations.

    The youth, led by Imadeyogie Stephen, said Ekhator was imposed as Edo NDDC commissioner by Adams Oshiomhole.

    They protested to the House of Assembly and the Government House.

    “We demand equal representation in the NDDC. This is marginalisation of the highest order. We want relevant authorities to ensure that Ovia North East is not cheated,” Stephen said.

  • IPOB: Nigerians in America write Trump, seek immediate clampdown on emerging terror group

    A Forum of Nigerian Professionals in Atlanta, Georgia, has urged United States President, Donald Trump, to put measures to in place to stamp out the Indigenous People of Biafra’s (IPOB) terror activities.
    These well-meaning Nigerians made this known in a letter jointly signed by Pat Alao- Moses and  Moses Omotosho, its President and Vice-President, addressed to The White House on Friday.
    According to the professionals, the piece was necessitated by IPOB’s persistent threat to their compatriots in the US and other parts of the world.
    The group reminded President Trump of IPOB’s long-history of intolerance, disregard for constitutional authorities, bloodshed as well as failed attempts to constitute itself into a parallel government.
    It is on this premise the Nigerians called on the US to activate all the necessary mechanism towards ensuring that IPOB members are well-monitored.
    Being a terrorist group in Nigeria, the Forum advised Mr Trump to set up firewalls to deny fugitive leader Nnamdi Kanu entry into the country – else a repeat of the unfortunate 9/11 attack could be on the cards.
    Read full address below:
    Mr. President may wish to recall that the Nigerian authorities recently raised a red flag on the activities of a group operating under the name Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
    This is on the heels of the attack on a former Deputy President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Germany by members of this group.
    Mr. President may wish to be informed that the history of IPOB in Nigeria is replete with tales of blood and sorrow, and they have attempted to constitute themselves into a parallel government in Nigeria which was resisted by the Nigerian military.
    IPOB as a group has exhibited a great disdain for the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and has in times too numerous to mention declared the creation of Biafra from the Nigerian state.
    Mr. President, the nefarious activities of IPOB in Nigeria is not limited to confronting security agencies, burning down police patrol vehicles, attacking critical government infrastructures such as oil pipelines, government buildings, and vehicles, as well as killing and maiming innocent Nigerians who do not share in their ideology.
    Mr. President, the last three years in Nigeria, has witnessed an uprising by IPOB, which has consequently resulted in avoidable deaths of over 300 innocent people that consists mainly of women and children.
    This action prompted the Nigerian security agencies to move to address the situation quickly, and in the process, its leader, Nnamdi Kanu escaped from Nigeria alongside many of his lieutenants to other parts of the world including the United States of America.
    Mr. President, you may wish to know that IPOB now has links with global terrorist networks and its continued operations in the United States of America may have far-reaching consequences for the safety of the lives of American citizens.
    Mr. President may wish to see the threat posed by IPOB as real, and therefore there is an urgent need to activate all the necessary mechanism towards ensuring that IPOB members that dot the nook and cranny of the United States of America are monitored and consequently shown the way out of the United States.
    Mr. President may wish to know that in Nigeria, IPOB has been proscribed as a terrorist organization and its leader Nnamdi Kanu jumped bail in his ongoing treasonable felony trial before a Federal High Court. Nnamdi Kanu as its stands is a fugitive on the run, and there is a tendency that he might seek to enter the United States of America from where he can coordinate the activities of IPOB.
    Mr. President, we consequently wish to inform you that IPOB members are scattered across in the United States of America and they have been suspected to be holding nocturnal meetings at residences, offices, restaurants, pubs, clubs to evade the prying eyes of the security agencies.
    Mr. President, we are afraid for the consequences of the continued existence of IPOB in the United States of America and wish to send an SOS to you to do all within your powers to nip in the mud the threat posed by the presence of IPOB in the United States of America.
    Mr. President, the Forum of Nigerian Professionals Atlanta-Georgia, USA, is sending an SOS to you to ensure that Mr. Nnamdi Kanu is not granted permission to enter the United States of America under whatever guise.
    This is because his presence might have unpleasant consequences for Nigerians residents in the United States and who do not share in the ideology of his terrorist group, as well as Americans who are going about their daily endeavours.
    Mr. President, The Forum of Nigerian Professionals in Atlanta-Georgia, USA is counting on the support of the United States to protect every citizen and residents of the United States of America from the terrorist activities of IPOB.
    Mr. President, the unfortunate attack of 9/11 is still fresh on our minds hence this letter of appeal for your urgent intervention in addressing the security threat posed by IPOB members in the United States and its leader, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu should not be allowed entry into the United States of America.

  • Six junior students to represent Nigeria in Qatar

    Six under-16 students will represent the country at the 16th edition of the International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) in Qatar.

    The students, who are the best science students selected from all the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), will compete in the natural sciences – Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

    The Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu said only the best is good for Nigeria.

    He said the selection of the nation’s best junior science students was done to create a new Nigeria where items currently imported will be produced locally country.

    The minister spoke yesterday in Abuja, the nation’s capital, when he met with the team of the nation’s representatives to the IJSO competition.

    He expressed the confidence that Nigeria will soon get to the point where no one will want to cross the Sahara or Mediterranean to travel to Europe for better life.

    Onu said: “We are always happy to see young Nigerians show great interest in science. We congratulate you and know that you will do your very best for the country. As you bring the gold medal back to Nigeria, you must recognise that only the best is good enough for Nigeria. We can no longer do with second best.

    Read Also: Govt to reduce flour importation for cassava bread

    “We are doing this because we believe that the future of our great nation is in the hands of young people. It is only people who are creative and innovative that can help Nigeria to recreate itself because we are looking for a new Nigeria. The President is working very hard to help us recreate our nation. We want a Nigeria where most of the things we import will be produced locally so that our people who want to work can have jobs to defeat poverty.”

    “As I look at you, I am very confident that in future, no Nigerian will take the risk of passing through the Sahara Desert or Mediterranean Sea to go to Europe for better life.”

    For the competition, all states’ ministries of Science and Technology as well as Education, with the Federal Territory (FCT), selected their best students via a competitive examination.

    The best students were subjected to further preliminary examinations at their geopolitical zones, where 35 students participated.

    Bayelsa and Borno states did not participate.

    Based on their performances and age, 12 students were selected from 12 states.

    They are: Abia, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Cross River, Kaduna, Kwara, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Imo and Taraba as well as the FCT.

    The students have been in a training camp since August 16 for final round of examination to select the best six to represent the country at the competition.