The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Pirates kill headmaster in Bayelsa

    ... Snatch teachers’ salaries

    Pirates operating in the waterways of Bayelsa State have shot dead a headmaster of a community primary school in the state and snatched undisclosed amount of money meant for the school teachers.

    The Nation gathered that the victim was killed when the gunmen attacked a passenger boat along the waterways of Aleibiri and Tuomo communities in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state.

    The deceased identified as Weky Akparakazi, was said to be the head teacher of the Community Primary School, Foutorugbene, in the council.

    Some top management of the State University Basic Education Board (SUBEB) who confirmed the report said the attack occurred at about 9.45pm on the day of the incident.

    It was learnt that the assailants waylaid their victims with matchetes and other weapons.

    Those said to have sustained injuries in the attack were one Daula Garuwa of Isampou community in Yenagoa Local Government Area and an unidentified former secretary of education in the council.

    A source said the friends of the deceased were shocked by the development and decried incessant attacks on coastal travelers by gunmen.

     

  • These parties can’t take us anywhere – NLC chief

    The Vice President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Issa Aremu, said in Kaduna on Thursday that political parties operating in the country today lacks the ideological base to operate and take the country out of the wood.

    Aremu, who spoke at a one- day conference organised by the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Kaduna said the parties have no visible programme for the development of the country as it was in the Second Republic.

    According to him, in the second republic, the proscribed Unity Party of Nigeria stood for free education, the National Party of Nigeria stood for housing, the Peoples Redemption Party stood for redemption for the poor while the Great Nigeria Peoples Party stood for politics without bitterness,”

    The labour leader, who is also the General Secretary of the National Union of Textiles Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria lamented the infighting within the existing parties, saying that disagreement within the parties is not based on issues that will lead to the development of the country.

    He said, “The disagreement is not about bad roads, electricity, closed factories or massive unemployment. The government should take measures for re-industrialization of the country for any meaningful development to take place.

    “Industrialization is at the heart of development discourse as it delineates between growth and development of nations. Where the economy is diversified, industrialization serves as a source of foreign exchange and it also serves as a source of employment for greater number of the population and invariably reduces income poverty.

    “The contribution of manufacturing to the Gross Domestic Product which has been declining over the years reached a level of only about six per cent in 1996. The sector’s utilisation of local raw materials is only about 55 per cent of total industrial input.

    “Linkages between manufacturing and other sectors remain weak and manufacturing contributes only about 0.5 per cent of Nigeria’s export earnings.

    “The structure of the economy remains unchanged and the economy is still mono-cultural, the primary product now being crude oil, instead of agricultural produce as it was in the 60s and 70s.”

     

  • Lagos Assembly to ASUU: End strike in honour of Iyayi

    The Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday appealed to university lecturers to end their strike in honour of their late colleague, Dr. Festus Iyayi.

    The House made the appeal in a statement issued in Lagos.

    The statement was signed by the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy, Security and Publicity, Mr. Segun Olulade.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Iyayi, a former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), died on Wednesday in a road accident on the Okene-Lokoja Road.

    He was on his way to Kano for a National Executive Council meeting of ASUU scheduled for Thursday.

    ASUU has since postponed the meeting due to the tragic event.

    “Since Iyayi was on a mission to end the strike, the union should consider ending the strike in honour of the late comrade,” the House said.

    It appealed to drivers to avoid recklessness to reduce road accidents, regretting that accidents on the Okene-Lokoja Road had claimed many lives.

    The legislature expressed sympathy with the deceased’s family and the academic community.

    NAN reports that ASUU embarked on an indefinite strike on July 1 to protest Federal Government’s non-implementation of an agreement it entered into with the union in 2009.

     

  • Air crashes: Senate makes U-turn on Oduah

    Air crashes: Senate makes U-turn on Oduah

     …Minister now to appear before committee

    The Senate on Thursday rescinded its resolution that the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, should appear and brief the Senate at plenary about recurring air crashes in the country.

    The rescission followed a motion by Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, entitled: “Rescission of Senate resolution on the invitation of the Minister of Aviation to brief the Senate.”

    The motion was seconded by Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Ganiyu Solomon.

    Before he read the wordings of the motion, Ndoma-Egba invoked Order 53 rule 6 of Senate standing Orders (as amended)

    Order 53 rule 6 states “It shall be out of Order to attempt to reconsider any specific question upon which the Senate has come to a conclusion during the current session except upon a substantive motion for rescission.”

    Armed with the Order, Ndoma-Egba recalled that on Tuesday, 8th October, 2013, the Senate among others resolved to invite the Minister of Aviation and Chief Executives of the Aviation parastatals to brief the Senate on the state of the aviation sector and the high number of aviation incidents in the country.

    He added that the Senate at its Executive Session resolved that the briefing (by the Minister) should be now held before the Senate Committee on Aviation.

    He prayed the Senate to resolve to rescind its earlier resolution that the Minister of Aviation and Chief Executives of the Aviation parastatals brief the Senate at plenary.

    He further urged the Senate to resolve that the Minister of Aviation and Chief Executives of Aviation parastatals do brief the Senate Committee on Aviation on the state of aviation sector and high number of aviation incidents in the country.

    The two prayers were unanimously adopted, but before their adoption, Senate President, David Mark, asked “any comment from anybody?”

     

  • British Airways rolls out special Xmas offer to UK, Europe

    British Airways rolls out special Xmas offer to UK, Europe

    British Airways has announced a special Christmas price discount on its popular World Traveller (economy) cabin for its Nigerian customers.

    Known as the “Christmas Sale Special,” the offer comes just a few weeks after the end of the airline’s 53rd Independence Anniversary Special and the Companion Fare Special which offered customers special discounts to United Kingdom, Europe and North America.

    Giving details of the offer, British Airways Commercial Manager for West Africa, Mr. Kola Olayinka, said the Christmas Sales Special presents the airline’s customers the opportunity to travel to London, the United Kingdom, and selected destinations in Europe from Lagos and Abuja for as low as $360!

    He, however, advised customers to hurry to confirm their bookings, as these amazing return fares are limited.

    These fares, he said, are available for purchase until December 23 and return by January 31, 2014.

    “We know it’s not Christmas yet, but we just can’t wait to share our gifts with our customers this season. This is why we are announcing our Christmas Sale Special this early. Apart from enabling our customers to make fantastic savings while travelling on our award-winning World Traveler (economy) cabin, we also believe that it will also help them plan well ahead for their Christmas travels this season,” Olayinka said.

     

  • Burundian arrested with heroin

    Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Thursday apprehended a Burundian at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, over illegal substance found out to be heroin.

    The arrest of the 38- year old woman found with 2.0390 kilogramme of heroin coincided with the arrival of two detectives from Switzerland Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) on a drug control cooperation mission in Nigeria.

    The suspect boarded Air Rwanda from Burundi.

    According to NDLEA Airport Commander, Mr. Hamzar Umar, the suspect concealed the drug in her hand luggage.

    He said, “A Burundian by name Uwimana Aisha had in her hand luggage two parcels of powdery substance that tested positive for heroin weighing 2.390kg. The case is under investigation,” Hamza stated.

    The suspect in her statement claimed the bag was given to her by her boyfriend.

    “My Nigerian boyfriend gave me the bag in Tanzania.

    |”He promised to marry me and take care of my only daughter. We were to come to Nigeria together but he later said that he will join me the following day. I trusted him because he was nice to me,” Aisha told investigators.

    The Chairman of the NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, reaffirmed the agency’s resolve in counter-narcotic operations through effective collaboration.

    Giade, who spoke while receiving two Swiss investigators, Carlo Crespi and Daniel Mona said the global counter-narcotics campaign demands both local and international partnership.

    “Nigeria’s drug control scorecard today is enviable on account of our determination to partner with other stakeholders. The sophistication of drug trafficking cartels demands that nations should join forces against transnational crimes like drug trafficking, money laundering and human trafficking. It enhances exchange of intelligence, capacity building and use of improved technology in crime control,” he stated.

     

  • Jobs of the Day

    1. Structural Engineers, Structural Draughtsmen and Secretary/Computer Operator Wanted

     

    A reputable Civil/Structural Engineer Consulting Firm requires for immediate employment the services of the following:-

    1. Civil/Structural Engineers

    2. Civil/Structural Draughtsmen

    3. Secretary/Computer Operator

     

    Qualifications for 1 above

    (i) Candidates should be COREN/NSE registerable

    (ii) Minimum of 8 years relevant professional experience in firms of relevant practice

     

    Qualifications for 2 above

    (i) Not less than 4 years working experience on AutoCard drafting in Civil/Structural Engineering Firm

    (ii) Should be conversant with Civil/Structural Detailing of building structures and Road works of various types.

     

    Qualifications for 3 above

    (i) OND/SSCE with 3 years working experience on MS Word, Excel, Corel draw and Secretarial Duties.

     

    Interested candidates should submit applications are not later than 2 weeks from date of this advert to:-

    The Manager P.O. Box 5382, kawo, Kaduna.

     

    2. Training Officer at Bemil Nigeria Limited

     

    Bemil Nigeria Limited is a reputable security organisation seeking for a qualified candidate to fill the role of a Training Instructor.

     

    Job Title: Training Officer

    Location: Lagos

    Responsibilities:

    Plans convene and deliver security training courses designed with the overall intention for improving the competence and quality of security operatives.

    Keep up to date with development sin training methodology and security issues.

    Contribute to the planning and reviewing of the course taught.

    Work with Head Human Resource & Training to ensure consistency in use of materials and training practice.

    Liaise and offer support where appropriate to other department through training.

    Any other reasonable tasks or duties as required by the Line Manager or organisation.

    Qualifications and Requirements:

    Minimum of OND in any related course

    Minimum of 3years work experience

    Good interpersonal skills

    Strong communication and writing skills

    Analytical skills

    Good record keeping and report writing skills

    IT skills

    Preferably a male

    Application Closing Date

    4th December, 2013

     

    Method of Application

    Interested candidates should send CVs to: hr@bemilnigeria.com

     

     

    3. Social Media Interns at Leeds Bryan International

     

    Leeds Bryan International Limited, a one stop global consulting firm is organized to assist both local and global corporations in meeting the challenges of today’s complex business environment. We are experienced in handling a wide variety of assignments from Recruitment and Outsourcing, Human Capital Management and Strategy, Project Management & Training to Organisational Development programs and we offer a wide range of research driven programs tailored to the specific requirements of the individual client, guaranteed to stay and work within budget and delivering on time.

     

    Leeds Bryan International is recruiting to fill the vacant position of:

     

    Job Title: Social Media Interns

     

    Successful Interns will be performing the following tasks:

    Creating new profiles and pages (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.)

    Finding users to follow/friend/like our business and also Writing and posting blog posts/tweets/updates, etc.

    Tracking the growth and the impact of social media on our business

    Report findings to the team

    Consistently learn and grow, ask pertinent questions

    Skills and attributes interns are expected to have:

    Excellent written and verbal communication, strong editing skills

    Be creative with an eye for design

    Ability to develop a detailed and professional marketing plan

    Knowledge of digital media software – Photoshop,coreldraw or other graphic design software, etc. is preferred

    Knowledge of social media – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, blogs, etc.

    Willingness to write press releases, and Facebook posts daily

    Energy, with a desire to come up with fresh ideas on how to grow our online presence

    Ability to identify a target market and “speak” to that consumer through social media

    Experience proofreading and editing and Ability to deal with uncertainty

    Update website, Track website statistics as needed

    Must be detail oriented, team player and technologically savvy

    Must be comfortable with Microsoft Products

    Ability to contribute individually, and participate in cross-functional teams.

     

    Qualification:

    Minimum of OND

     

    Application Closing Date

    2nd December, 2013

     

    Method of Application

    Interested candidates should send CVS to: info@leedsbryaninternational.com

     

    4. God Is Good Motors Limited Job Vacancies (4 Positions)

     

    We strictly abide to our recruitment policy in hiring people who match the criteria for filling available roles in the company. An important part of our strategy is to attract and retain only outstanding people who can really make the difference. We encourage diversity as people bring fresh ideas, different approaches and individual flair that will strengthen the business and engender success. We look for people who will not only excel in their jobs but also have the ability to develop the standard further.

     

    As a truly career-minded individual, you will see the value of investing your time.

     

    Due to massive expansion, we currently require the services of the following professionals for immediate engagement:

     

    1.) Lawyers

    2.) Web Developers

    3.) Network Administrators and

    4.) Animators.

     

    Location: Lagos

     

    Requirements

    Applicants must have good knowledge and experience of their respective fields.

    Possession of relevant certifications would be an advantage.

    Application Closing Date

    30th November, 2013

     

    How To Apply

    Interested candidates should forward their resumes and applications to: hr@godisgoodmotors.com

     

     

    5. Head Teacher at a Reputable Primary School

     

    A primary school situated in the Maryland/Anthony area requires a Female Head Teacher.

     

    Job Title: Female Head Teacher.

    Location: Lagos

     

    Minimum requirements:

    B. A./ B. Sc Education or degree and diploma in Education

    Must have held the position of Head Teacher in a reputable primary school for 7 years or more

    Age 40 and above

    Attractive salary

    Application Closing Date

    29th November 2013

     

    Method of Application

    Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV’s to: gatts2010@gmail.com

     

    DISCLAIMER!!!

    The Nation hereby disclaims any and all responsibility arising from, or have arisen from reliance on this information.

     

  • 2015: U.S declares interest in Niger Delta

    2015: U.S declares interest in Niger Delta

    The United States has declared her interests in the Niger Delta region ahead of the 2015 general elections.

    A statement issued by Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the Chief Press Secretary to Bayelsa State Governor, said the US Consular-General, Mr. Jeffrey Hawkins, spoke in Yenagoa, the state capital.

    Hawkins insisted that America had rekindled interest in the oil-rich region ahead of the 2015 elections.

    He described the region as the economic nerve centre of the country and said his country would focus more on Niger Delta than other parts of the country.

    Hawkins was said to be in the state for a one-day official visit.

    He begged Dickson for his assistance in realising America’s interests in the region.

    He said: “As we move closer to the big show in 2015 i.e. the general election, we definitely want to be in touch with you. The United States is really focusing on the Niger Delta again in a lot of ways that will be very positive.

    “I really want to get your advice on our engagements in the Niger Delta on our efforts to support what government is doing.

    “We are very interested in supporting a dialogue between the people of this region who are so important for the future of this country and the leadership of the region.”

    In his remarks, Dickson said his administration was prepared to partner with the U.S in the areas of security, environment and other issues militating against the development of the state.

    He lauded America’s efforts in re-establishing and deepening its bilateral relationship with Nigeria.

     

     

     

  • NIGERIAN BLOG (TNC) WINS 3 WEBLOG AWARDS, USA

    NIGERIAN BLOG (TNC) WINS 3 WEBLOG AWARDS, USA

    Nigeria dominates again on the international scene as The Naked Convos (TNC) a Nigerian blog, wins 3 awards at the Black Weblog Awards which took place at The Ensemble Theatre, Houston, Texas, USA, on Saturday 2nd November, 2013.

    Out of 35 categories, TNC was nominated for 5 separate categories which include: Best Relationship Blog, Best Blog Post Series, Best Group Blog, Best Writing in a Blog, Best International Blog. Out of 5 nominations, TNC proudly walked home with three awards, namely best Relationship Blog, Best Blog Post Series and the most desirable award being; Best International Blog.

    Olawale Adetula, founder of the site, said in a brief interview that winning the awards indicates a movement in the right direction not just for the TNC team but bloggers in Africa generally.

    “I’d just like to say a big thank you to all the members of the TNC team and our amazing readers for making this happen. This wasn’t as a result of anyone’s individual effort. For the past three years, we’ve been writing some awesome stories; we shared great art on Tuesdays, we wrote some amazing relationship posts on Mondays and Wednesdays, we had exciting series on Thursdays, did some thought-provoking polls on Fridays, helped other young people like us on Saturdays and Sundays and made everyone laugh with our fantastic humour packed news roundup on Saturdays. All of this boils down to the collective effort of a very young, very dynamic and very hardworking team,” He said, in a brief interview.

    The Naked Convos is an interactive initiative designed to create safe spaces where young men and women engage in open and honest conversations about anything and everything as driven by thought-provoking articles by young writers. The platform, which has been running since August 2010, celebrated its 3rd Anniversary recently with upgrades to its user interface and the launch of its mini-social networking engine.

    On the recent improvements on the site, Wole Talabi, Online Editor at TNC stated that it was about time TNC took the big step to accommodate its ever-growing audience.

    “After two years of pushing out some of the best original content in the African web space, we decided to take things one step further and, fully exploring our ‘express you’ payoff line. We modified the site into a micro-social network,” Wole said. “No, it’s not Facebook! No, it’s not Twitter. It’s just TNC.”

    According to him, visitors are now able to register as members, build their own profile, send and receive private messages from other members and also start their own conversations under different groups.

    With their success at the Black Weblog Awards and the exciting new features of TNC 3.0, The Naked Convos is making a statement in the blogging world that it is here to stay.

    The Black Weblog Awards was founded in 2005 to give recognition to Black bloggers (and those of the African diaspora) who have been previously overlooked by other Internet award events online. The Awards has been featured in several mainstream and online media outlets, including NPR, CNN, and others with winners also appearing in other media outlets such as MSNBC, the Huffington Post and BET.

    The Naked Convos Website (www.thenakedconvos.com)

  • Alleged fraud: Polish woman remanded in EFCC custody

    Justice Abubakar Umar of a Federal Capital Territory High Court on Thursday ordered that a Polish woman, Mrs. Dora Gilmaska be remanded in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission custody till November 26.

    The judge gave the order after he withdrew the bail granted Gilmaska because she failed on two occasions to appear in court for her trial.

    “I remember that on September 26 the EFCC applied for the bench warrant because the accused could not be located. I issued a bench warrant for her arrest,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the judge saying on Thursday.

    The judge then ordered the accused counsel to file a written application, stating reasons why the court should admit her to bail again.

    “The accused is hereby remanded in EFCC custody pending hearing of the application by the accused counsel,’’ Umar said, and adjourned the case to November 26 for hearing.

    Earlier, the accused counsel, Mr. Justin Okoli, who is holding the brief of his principal counsel, Mr. Selekowei Larry (SAN), apologized for Larry’s absence.

    The EFCC is prosecuting Gilmaska, the Executive Officer of Icon Media and Marketing Agency Limited, for allegedly forging and issuing a dud cheque of N 9 million to one Tayo Olugbemi in 2012.