The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Intl friendly: Jordan pips Nigeria

    Intl friendly: Jordan pips Nigeria

    Nigeria lost 0-1 to Jordan in a lack luster friendly played on Monday in Amman, supersport.com reports.

    The Super Eagles fielded an all domestic team and hoped to use this as a tune up for the 2014 CHAN in South Africa.

    Jordan meanwhile used the game as preparation for the World Cup qualifier against Uruguay.

    The game was a ding dong affair that mostly unfolded in the midfield with each team occasionally breaking away to test the goal keepers.

    A rather questionable penalty called on Kano Pillars Ali finally broke the dead lock in the 42nd minute when captain Hatem sent  Chigozie Agbim the wrong way.

    The second half was more of the same with both teams looking sluggish and uncoordinated and though the Nigerians had ample chances they failed to convert even with the African Nations Cup hero Sunday Mba on the field.

     

     

  • Suntai’s suit referred to Appeal Court

    Suntai’s suit referred to Appeal Court

    The High Court in Jalingo –the Taraba State capital on Monday referred the case filed by Governor Danbaba Danfulani Suntai against the Speaker Haruna Tsokwa and the state House of Assembly to the Court of Appeal for “guidance and direction.”

    Suntai, through his lead counsel, Alex Izinyon (SAN), is praying the court to interpret Section 190(2) in relation to the letter he transmitted to the Assembly on August 26 on his readiness to resume duty but was turned down by the lawmakers, who said he must appear on the floor of the House and address them.

    The defendants are seeking referral of the case to appeal court, on grounds that the interpretation of section 190(2) has never attracted any judicial interpretation.

    In his ruling, Justice Ali Andeyangtu, said there was need to refer the matter to a higher court for judicial pronouncement that would become a reference point, owing to the “importance of the case to Taraba people.”

    “Transferring the case to the court of appeal is pertinent because no previous judicial pronouncement has been made on this section of the constitution in the country,” he said.

    The judge, however, noted that “the matter requires the application and interpretation of section 190(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.”

    Section 190(2) talks about transmission of letter and resumption of duty by a governor.

    The plaintiff and the defendants had asked the court, three weeks ago, to allow them settle their dispute out of court but were unable to reach compromise within the time given by the court.

     

     

  • Court determines Kaduna ex-Speaker’s fate December 6

    Justice Dogara Mallam of the Kaduna High Court will on December 6 decide whether the impeachment of the former Speaker of the Kaduna House of Assembly by 18 of the 34 lawmakers in the house was in accordance with the country’s constitution.

    The former Speaker, Usman Muazu Gangara and his deputy, Dogara Mato were impeached by 18 of the lawmakers, but Gangara and his supporters in the House are challenging the procedure employed by members.

    Justice Malam fixed the date after listening to argument from counsel to the plaintiff, Jacob Atung and that of the 18 lawmakers and the Assembly Yunus Ustaz Usman (SAN).

    Usman had told the court that it has no jurisdiction to entertain the case, pointing out that no court of law can interfere in the appointment, removal and impeachment of any officers of the House of Assembly.

    He added that the issue the issue at stake was purely an internal affair of the legislator and is therefore out of the court’s jurisdiction.

    While asking the court to dismiss the suit for lack of Jurisdiction, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria said the impeachment of the Speaker and his deputy was a punishment meted on them by members of the House.

     

     

  • Cholera: 74 confirmed dead

    Cholera: 74 confirmed dead

    The death toll from the current cholera outbreak in some parts of the country has been put at 74.

    According to the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, about 373 Nigerians have been affected.

    Plateau, Sokoto, Zamfara and Lagos States had recorded cases of cholera outbreak in the last one week.

    Zamfara State has recorded 1,117 cases with official confirmation of deaths in two weeks.

    The minister, who was disturbed by the outbreak urged Nigerians to take the issue of sanitation very seriously.

    Chukwu spoke on Monday during the “2013 Physicians Week” with the theme: “Federalism and Nigeria’s Healthcare system-An appraisal of the Primary and Secondary healthcare systems.”

    The programme was organized by the Nigerian Medical Association.

    He said, “As at yesterday (Sunday), 373 Nigerians have been recorded having suffered cholera in this current outbreak out of which we have lost 74. We still got a report just yesterday (Sunday) that few of the cases can do with antibiotic.

    “Each Nigerian must commit to certain things; can we stop going into the bush to defecate? Open defecation is not neglected but every Nigerian must know that it is unhealthy. Even market people are paying N5:00 to use toilets in the market place and that is what they do outside this country.

    “My role as the Minister of Health is limited; as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I will continue to advocate that every sector keys into what each sector should do and individuals should preach to every Nigerian to do proper things in terms of sanitation.”

    He pointed that, what was important is that Nigerians must do everything to stop open defecation and have access to clean water.

     

     

     

  • No hearing date on appeal against Odili’s injunction – EFCC

    No hearing date on appeal against Odili’s injunction – EFCC

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said on Monday that five years after the commission appealed the perpetual injunction granted former Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili, it was yet to get a hearing date.

    Kayode Oladele, the Chief of Staff to EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, made the disclosure in Lagos at a workshop on financial and economic crimes reportage organized for journalists by the commission.

    He decried the frustrations the EFCC goes through as a result of the lapses in the criminal justice System, just as he blamed the judiciary for taking advantage of those lapses to favour suspects.

    “Immediately the permanent order was given, we quickly appealed it at the Appeal Court, Port Harcourt Division. But five years after filing the appeal, we have not been given a hearing date.

    “We feel that any case that involves public interest as such should not have been so treated by the court. In a case that involves corruption, how can you grant a permanent injunction of not being prosecuted? It is as if someone is being shielded from prosecution?” he queried.

    Oladele urged journalists to make the judiciary account for delays in prosecution, stressing the need for media practitioners to utilise the Freedom of Information Act.

    According to Oladele, the EFCC has put in a lot of efforts in combating corruption in the country, noting that many have gone unnoticed because they do not involve politicians.

    “Our mandate is very wide and like I said earlier we have filed over 300 cases since the beginning of this year but because it does not involve politically exposed persons not many people are talking about them.

    “The EFCC handles over 8,000 petitions in a year, some of them we refer to other agencies that we feel are also competent to handle them, those that are frivolous, we discard and those who have established a case against, we charge to court,” Oladele said.

     

  • David-West to Jonathan: Call police to order over G-7 governors

    David-West to Jonathan: Call police to order over G-7 governors

    A former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Prof. Tam David-West, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to call police to order on their alleged unconstitutional acts.

    David-West was reacting to the news of how police allegedly aborted a planned meeting of seven governors opposed to Jonathan in Abuja Sunday evening.

    The governors belong to a new faction within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). They are Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara).

    The meeting was slated for Sokoto State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja but they were forced to relocate to another location for the meeting.

    David-West decried the act and described it as “unconstitutional and illegal.”

    He stated that the act was against the constitution that guarantees freedom of association and assembly for all Nigerians.

    He said: “Police have no right whatsoever to stop the G-7 meeting. Their action is unconstitutional and illegal and should be condemned by all peace-loving Nigerians. Section 40 of the Constitution of Nigeria guarantees all Nigerians freedom of association and assembly.

    Section 41 guarantees right to freedom of movement and these are under fundamental rights and guiding principles of the constitution of Nigeria. So what the police have done is not only against the constitution but should be condemned.”

    The former minister urged Jonathan to call the police to order, stressing that his failure to do so amounts to giving “tacit support” to the illegalities which, he said, is contrary to his oath to protect the constitution of the country.

    “President Jonathan should condemn the police for their unconstitutional and illegal act against the G-7 governors meeting. If he fails to do so, it means he also tacitly supported the unconstitutional act.

    “I will remind Mr. President that he swore to protect the constitution of Nigeria. So if he gives tacit support to the police in preventing Nigerians from enjoying their constitutional rights, he should resign because that is what he swore to protect,” David-West said.

     

  • Jonathan greets Oba Akiolu at 70

    Jonathan greets Oba Akiolu at 70

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday congratulated Oba Rilwan Babatunde Akiolu I of Lagos as he attains the age of 70 years on Tuesday.

    In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the President noted Oba Akiolu’s exemplary dedication to service.

    He joined the people of Lagos and Oba Akiolu’s friends, associates and peers across the country in felicitating with the monarch who has “exhibited exemplary wisdom, courage, selflessness, philanthropy and dedication to the service of his people” since his ascension to the revered throne over ten years ago.

    According to him, the Federal Government will continue to work diligently and cooperate with all other tiers of government towards progressively improving the living conditions of people in his domain and all other parts of Nigeria.

    “President Jonathan prays that God Almighty will grant Oba Akiolu continued good health and many more years of commendable service to the people of Lagos and Nigeria,” the statement said.

     

  • Prevail on FG to honour agreement – ASUU

    Prevail on FG to honour agreement – ASUU

    The National President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Nasir Fagge, has urged Nigerians to prevail on the Federal Government to honour the agreement it signed with the union.

    Fagge told the News Agency of Nigeria on telephone in Lagos that Nigerians should stop appealing to the union to call off its strike.

    He stressed that rather than prevailing on ASUU to call off the strike, Nigerians should look at its demands and see their relevance to national development.

    “Why is it that when issues like this come up, Nigerians will start begging ASUU to call off strike in the interest of the children and the country in general, rather than prevailing on government.

    “I want to state here that we have a lot of respect and appreciate the concern of all Nigerians who have prevailed on ASUU to reconsider its stand and call off the strike.

    “But sincerely, I think if people really care about this country and want to move it forward, they should refocus their thinking to government and prevail on them to implement the agreement and then we can start from there.

    “The National Assembly had in the time past appealed to us to bend over and we did in the interest of the country– while negotiations lasted– but look at what is happening now!“ he said.

    The ASUU president noted that when the union embarked on strike in 2011 over the same demands, the same appeal came from concerned Nigerians, with the assurance that the matter would be looked into urgently and its demands met.

    He said that because of the need to respect the views of these Nigerians and to keep the system going, the union called off the strike and that, unfortunately, nothing was done about it.

    “We shall no longer be coerced into calling off the strike and returning to classes because the last time we had such a strike was in 2011– when I was the Vice-President– and two years after, we have embarked on another strike over the same issue.

    “I think as a nation, there is need for us to try and do the right thing by way of extracting commitment from our leaders because we cannot continue this way.

    “Our system is getting bad every day to the extent that when we go out with our certificates, it no longer commands the respect it ought to, and that is why we must do all we could to re-engineer the system.

    “You know that if products from our universities continue to study with little or non-existent infrastructure in place, as it is obtained today, they will fail to deliver and the entire responsibility falls back on our shoulders, “ Fagge said.

    According to him, ASUU is committed to deliver on its mandate in order to produce students who are well equipped and see them contribute positively to national development.

    He noted that it was on this premise that Nigerians must prevail on government to do the right thing once and for all.

     

  • Confusion over Akhigbe’s health

    Confusion over Akhigbe’s health

    There is anxiety in Edo State following a report that the former Chief of General Staff, Vice Admiral Augustus Ahhigbe (rtd) had died in a London hospital.

    However, the immediate elder brother to the former CGS, Chief Joseph Alemon Akhigbe, who spoke to The Nation on Monday, expressed shock over what he described as “wide speculation.”

    He added that his younger brother is stabilizing in a United States hospital and not in London as erroneously reported.

    He said, “As I speak to you now the newspaper’s report in my opinion is a pure speculation. The paper said he died in a London hospital, but my brother is in a United States hospital stabilizing.

    “The wife, son-in-law and his daughter are with him. My immediate younger brother in Abuja who spoke to the wife in America confirmed to family members that Admiral Akhigbe is stabilizing; the news of his death is totally untrue.”

    The former navy chief’s younger brother, Mr. Aselenmen Akhigbe, said he spoke with him on telephone at about 5: 00am on Monday morning and advised people not to play with false and unconfirmed reports about death of people or personalities.

     

  • EFCC denies selective investigation of corruption cases

    EFCC denies selective investigation of corruption cases

    The Economic and Financial Crime Commission on Monday denied that the agency only goes after those that fell out of favour with the government.

    The Chairman of the commission, Ibrahim Lamorde, made this clarification in Lagos while declaring open a workshop on economic crimes reporting.

    Lamorde, who described the situation as “less desirable” said there was no truth whatsoever in the notion now making the round that it has gone to sleep.

    “This is sad,” he said, pointing out that this is not so because corruption threatens all sectors of the economy, the media inclusive.

    He remarked that nobody found to have committed economic and financial crimes either against the country or other Nigerians is free from the searchlight of the organisation.

    The EFCC chairman, who was represented by the Director of Operations of the agency, Mr. Olaolu Adegbite, urged the media to lend its investgative skills to assist the EFCC to fight corruption rather than allowing itself to be sucked by the corrupt individuals.

    “The media must exercise its constitutional mandate as the fourth estate of the realm with the highest sense of responsibility.

    “Issues about corruption and economic crimes are sensitive and there is need for journalists to always verify their facts before publication,” he said.

    Stressing the need for the media to support its activities more than ever before, Lamorde said the media is a very critical stakeholder in the anti-graft war, pointing out that they could make or mar the fight against economic crimes and corruption.