The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • LAGBUS goes up in flames

    Commuters at the Ojodu/Berger terminal of LAGBUS on Friday took to their heels in panic after a bus which had just driven into the station suddenly burst into flames.

    A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, reports that the commuters fled in different directions when flames erupted under the front wheels of the bus with registration no: XP 962 AKD.

    The driver, simply identified as Amuda, and other officials of the LAGBUS Asset Management Company, operators of the buses, however, were able to promptly bring the fire under control.

    A commuter, Mr. Oyewole Kayode, told NAN that some friction on the brake linings may have caused the fire.

    Kayode, who claimed to be a technician, lauded the officials for putting out the fire, without any causality.

    He described the situation as unfortunate, saying it could have happened to anyone.

     

  • FG hands over Kano electricity firm to core investor

    FG hands over Kano electricity firm to core investor

    Vice President Namadi Sambo on Friday challenged core investors in the power sector to transform it into a world class industry in terms of quality of service and customer satisfaction.

    Sambo made the call in Kano in a message at the hand-over of the Kano Electricity Distribution Company to the core investor, Sahelian Power SPV Limited.

    Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Solid Minerals, Mr. John Jegede, the vice president said the Federal Government would not hesitate to sanction any investor found wanting.

    “The Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Bureau of Public Enterprise will continually monitor the operations of the successor companies.

    “It would not hesitate to sanction any core investor that does not deliver on the performance agreement that was executed with the government,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted Sambo as saying at the forum.

    In his remark, the Chairman of Sahelian Power, Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, assured the general public of the company’s readiness to improve power distribution in the zone, which comprises Kano, Jigawa and Katsina States.

     

     

  • Akhigbe’s body arrives Saturday

    Akhigbe’s body arrives Saturday

    The body of late former Chief of General Staff, Vice-Admiral Mike Akhigbe, is expected to arrive in Nigeria on Saturday, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    Nigeria’s Consul-General in New York, Amb. Habib Habu, told NAN on Thursday that the body would depart New York on Friday night.

    “Earlier on Friday, a church service in honour of the former Naval chief will take place at the Holy Family Church located at 315E, 47th Street in New York,’’ he said.

    NAN recalls that Akhigbe died on October 28 at the age of 67.

    Habu said members of staff in the offices of the Nigeria Permanent Representative to the United Nations and the Nigerian Consulate had been encouraged to attend the service.

     

     

  • Eaglets set to break Uruguay hoodoo

    Eaglets set to break Uruguay hoodoo

    Golden Eaglets will on Saturday aim to halt Nigeria’s losing run against Uruguay this year.

    In June, Uruguay full international team beat the Super Eagles 2-1 at the FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil and the South Americans recorded the same win at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey in a round of 16 clash.

    Besides gunning for the scalp of Uruguay, the Nigeria youngsters also seek a place in the last four of the U-17 World Cup as they stay on course for a fourth world title at this age level, while the Uruguayans are looking for their first title.

    This is the first time both nations are meeting at this level.

    Uruguay finished second in the last edition of the competition after losing to Mexico 2-0 in the final.

    MTNFootball.com reports that Uruguay has met African opponents at the U-17 World Cup four times, lost two times and won twice.

     

     

  • Kerry admits NSA spying ‘went too far’

    Kerry admits NSA spying ‘went too far’

    United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, has said that in some cases, the U.S spying has gone too far.

    BBC reports that Mr. Kerry is the most senior Obama administration official to have commented directly on an issue that has upset America’s European allies.

    He said he will work with the president to prevent further inappropriate acts by the National Security Agency.

    His comments come as Asian countries have protested at claims that Australia was involved in a U.S-led spy network.

    China has demanded an explanation of the reports, while Indonesia has summoned the Australian ambassador to Jakarta.

    In his comments, Mr. Kerry also defended the need for increased surveillance, saying it had thwarted terrorist attacks.

    “We have actually prevented airplanes from going down, buildings from being blown up, and people from being assassinated because we’ve been able to learn ahead of time of the plans,” Mr. Kerry told a conference in London via video link.

    “I assure you, innocent people are not being abused in this process, but there’s an effort to try to gather information. And yes, in some cases, it has reached too far inappropriately.”

     

  • UAE based Nigeria company boss rally support for Eaglets

    UAE based Nigeria company boss rally support for Eaglets

    Chairman of United Arab Emirates (UAE) Brothers in Business, Daniel Amobi has vowed to continue to rally Nigerians in the country behind the Golden Eaglets of Nigeria until the team finally wins the ongoing FIFA U- 17 World Cup in the UAE.

    Amobi had been supporting the Nigeria Ambassador to United Arab Emirates, Alhaji Ibrahim Awali to encourage Nigerians residing in the country to troop out in large numbers to venues of the Golden Eaglets matches.

    Amobi who had lived in Sharjah for the past 17 years, however, declared total support for the Golden Eaglets team.

    “The Eaglets have brought us joy and also made us very happy. I count myself and all members of UAE very lucky to have this wonderful team here in UAE where we live and do our business. It’s our great pleasure to assist the team in anyway the need our assistance.

    That’s the reason I have worked very hard together with the other members of the Association to ensure the stadia are filled to capacity any time the Golden Eaglets were playing at any of the world cup venues in the country, ” he told  NationSports in Dubai.

    Amaobi said that the Eaglets have brought absolute joy and delight to all the Nigerians living  in the United Arab Emirates and will continue to support the team until Nigeria eventually emerge Champions of the world.

    “We are very confident the Eaglets team will be crowned world Champions at the end of the competition. We have also concluded plans to present special gift to the team after winning the competition”, Amobi disclosed.

  • APC North America youth wing launched

    The youth wing of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in North America has been launched.

    According to a statement by its representative, Rilwan Oshinusi, the wing is a community organisation serving as a conduit for discussing, galvanizing and sensitizing constructive and progressive ideas for a new egalitarian democratic future for Nigeria.

    “It is aimed at bringing together the abundant human resource talents from the Nigerian Diaspora community in North America with the aim of brainstorming and delivering enlightened and practical solutions to the pressing socio-political and economic issues that afflicts our dear nation presently.

    “ Issues like the attainment of True Federalism, Poverty elevation, improved infrastructure development, identifying key sectors in line with a cost benefit analysis to having a robust fiscal and economic growth, good governance, electoral reform, fortifying and strengthening key democratic institutions and other lingering issues in the Nigerian body Polity will be our main focus, ” he stated.

    The wing will also propagate in a constructive, instructive and civil manner the ideologies of APC.

    “ The new youth wing hopes to make use of the North American media infrastructure in other to bring about a tailored message of support for the course of transforming Nigerian yet again into the giant of Africa and once again, a respectable alley in the League of strong economic democracies in Global Affairs,”   Oshinusi.

    Persons that want to join are advised to strictly adhere to web etiquette.

    For all prospective members, the youth wing welcomes insightful persons of Nigerian global intelligentsia to the ‘new phalanx of Nation builders’. Interested persons can follow APC North America Youth wing on:

    Facebook :https://twitter.com/APC_YNA
    Twitter :https://www.facebook.com/pages/APC-Youth-North-America/1425841740973785
    Email   :apcyouthna@gmail.com

  • LEAP trains youths

    With the aim of impacting soft skills-leadership, work and values, a four -day Youth Empowerment Programme (YEP) played host to 100 Nigerian youths ranging from 18-35 years of age in Lagos.

    The programme which is an initiative of Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability and Professionalism (LEAP) Africa, a non-profit organisation in partnership with Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPco) held on October 28-31.

    According to Director of Programmes LEAP Africa, Mr. Oje Ivagba, YEP is born out the need to bring positive change in Nigeria through the orientating of young Nigerians.

    “This is a platform to teach actionable knowledge that will bring about transformed young Nigerians. Our young people will be equipped with the right skills needed to lead today in a morally upright manner,” Ivagba added.

    YEP which takes a participatory method of engaging participants and facilitators is an initiative of LEAP Africa which has worked in 26 states of Nigeria, reached over 250,000 people through its numerous speaking engagements both internationally and locally.

    Among the 100 participants, Ayodele Okundalaiye didn’t hide his satisfaction at the wealth of knowledge garnered from the programme.

    “I am very excited about this life changing opportunity. It has afforded me the visa to learn a whole lot of leadership qualities. This has indeed been educative, interactive and inspiring,” Okundalaiye said.

    As a result of the programme, Okundalaiye promises to pass down the experience gained from the programme to others in order to bring about change.

    He said : “I have attended several similar programmes in the past, but this particular one is different. With these skills gained, I promise to train others so that the society will be a transformed place.”

    While commending LEAP Africa for putting up the programme, Ishola Ebenezer, President, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lagos, called on other institutions to key into impacting youths of Nigeria to salvage the already eroding values.

    “This is a commendable and worthy programme. It has helped in instilling positive values in the youths. As we all know, the erosion of values remains one of the major challenges stunting Nigeria’s development. I advise other companies to look into this direction for their CSR activities because there are a lot of such positively impacting endeavours lacking support,” Ebenezer said.

    Oluseyi  Ojurongbe, Programmesn Co-ordinator, LEAP Africa,  believes YEP will help bridge the gap of leadership that has exist in Africa adding that  YEP will help then participants connect to their inner self and be better people of Nigeria.

    For Tosin, a participant at YEP, she confessed that she has been able to discover herself and the skills needed to make a good leader.

    “With this programme, I have learnt that I do not need to be the governor to lead nor effect change. But from my little corner at home, in my community, among friends we can lead and promote moral and ethical values needed to transform a nation,” she added.

     

  • N255m cars: I did nothing wrong – Oduah

    N255m cars: I did nothing wrong – Oduah

    The Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, on Thursday absolved herself of blame in the purported purchase of two bullet-proof armoured cars by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    Oduah while speaking before the House Committee on Aviation probing the purchase of the cars said the fact that she gave approval for the purchase of the two cars does not mean she encouraged NCAA not to follow due process.

    The minister said while she was approving the purchase, she told the NCAA to “do the needful.”

    The “needful” according to her, meant they should follow due process.

    The minister not only defended herself at the session, but went a step further to stick her neck out for the NCAA.

    Oduah, who read a prepared speech, spoke on the allegations against her.

    She said, “In the last few weeks, I have received all sorts of bashings in the media. Many persons have also risen to my defence. Many have abused me, some out of a genuine sense of outrage that I allegedly spent $1.6 million of government funds to purchase for myself two bulletproof BMW cars.”

     

     

     

     

  • N255m car scandal: Ministry denies granting waiver

     The federal ministry of Finance has denied allegations that it granted waivers for the importation of the N255 million armoured cars allegedly purchased for the embattled minister of aviation
    A statement from the ministry signed by Paul Nwabuikwu, Special Adviser to the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance said the ministry only granted waiver to the Lagos state government for its National Sports Festival.
    The ministry said it did not grant any exemption for the importation of armoured cars.
    According to Paul Nwabuikwu, “reports which claim that the Federal Ministry of Finance granted a waiver to Coscharis Motors Nigeria Ltd for the purchase of armoured cars are totally false and without foundation.”
    Rather, he disclosed that “on June 23, 2012, the Lagos State Government applied for Waiver of Destination Inspection Charges and Duty Exemptions for Coscharis Motors Nigeria Ltd, the official Automobile Partner for the National Sports Festival (“EKO 2012”), to purchase 300 vehicles on its behalf for the event. Since the Lagos State Government met the laid down criteria, the waiver was granted.”
    He emphasised that “the waiver granted to the Lagos State Government for the event did not include the purchase of armoured vehicles.”
    A Deputy Comptroller of Customs in charge of Modern Research and Economic Relations, Manasa Daniel Jatau had disclosed at the House of Representatives public hearing on the scandalous purchase of two armoured vehicles for the minister of aviation for N255 million, that N10,133,505.74 which should have come to the federal government was waived for Coscharis.
    In 2012, the Lagos state government was granted waiver by President Goodluck Jonathan on import duty, value added tax, ETLS, CISS and other port charges to import 300 units of BMW, Ford, Land Rover, Range Rover, Lexus, Mercedes, Escalade, Jaguar and buses for use during the 18th National Sports Festival (EKO 2012) to be imported through Messrs Coscharis Motors Nigeria Limited.