The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • 3SC’s Moses Ogaga dies

    3SC’s Moses Ogaga dies

    Shooting Stars’ striker, Moses Ogaga, is dead.

    Goal.com reports that the striker who joined the Oluyole Warriors from Jigawa Golden Stars died in Ibadan after a long battle with a protracted illness on Wednesday.

    Though, the circumstances surrounding the death of the 26-year-old were still sketchy at the time of this report, his death was confirmed to Goal.com by Jubril Arowolo, media officer of the Ibadan-based Nigeria Premier League outfit.

    Ogaga’s sickness started long ago when he was diagnosed of typhoid in Ibadan before he was moved to Lagos for proper medical attention.

     

  • Air crash: Representatives of aircraft insurer arrive Nigeria

    Representatives of the insurers of the Associated Aviation Embraer 120 aircraft, Lloyd’s of London, on Wednesday arrived the country to carry out assessment on the circumstances leading to last Thursday’s crash near the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

    The advance team of the Blake Group, a United Kingdom based international crisis management firm, are in Nigeria to work with the airline, families that lost their relatives in the crash and other stakeholders including the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Accident Investigation Prevention Bureau (AIPB), as well as the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

    According to a source, the Blake Group is an advanced team of the insurers that will arrive on Thursday for comprehensive documentation of relevant details about the crash.

    The group visited the site of the crash to equip itself with relevant details, even as the team made a brief stop at the headquarters of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Accident Investigation Prevention Bureau (AIPB) and LASUTH.

    The group is also coordinating the DNA samples that will be sent abroad for examination.

    A source hinted that the visit of the Blake team to Nigeria is to confirm the veracity of the valid insurance cover Associated Aviation has with Lloyds of London.

     

     

  • Farmer kills lover’s husband

    The Plateau State Police Command on Wednesday paraded a 25-year-old farmer, Nanbul Samson, suspected to have killed one Nanbol, the husband of a woman he was going out with.

    Also paraded was Mrs. Yakbyen Nanbol, 25, who was Samson’s lover.

    According to Mr. Chris Olakpe, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Samson committed the offence in Langtang North Local Government Area on Sept. 13.

    He said that the suspect would be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to other residents that were “incapable of keeping their libido down.”

    Samson, who later spoke claimed that he was prompted to commit the act by the decreased’s wife, whom he admitted, was his lover.

    “She compelled me to kill her husband so that she could marry me.’’

    He confirmed that he had enjoyed a secret affair for some time with Yakbyen, but that the woman, at a point, suggested the need to get rid of her husband so as to have a smoother affair.

    Samson said that the decreased, a bricklayer, was his friend, explaining that he butchered him on his return from a business trip to Port-Harcourt.

    “I paid the deceased a visit on his return and stabbed him with a knife,’’ he explained.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the deceased’s head was severed from the rest of his body and had to be put together for reporters who insisted on taking pictures.

    Yakbyen, who also spoke to NAN, confirmed the story of her lover, admitting that she actually suggested that her husband be killed.

     

  • UI, WAEC, NYSC clear Akume of certificate forgery

    UI, WAEC, NYSC clear Akume of certificate forgery

    The University of Ibadan (UI), the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have denied claim that former Benue State Governor, George Akume forged his education certificates.

    An Abuja-based businessman, Philip Agbese had sued Akume before the Federal High Court, Abuja, accusing him of forging his educational certificates.

    The denial by UI, WAEC and NYSC is contained in their responses to the suit.

    UI, WAEC and NYSC, in separate applications, confirmed that Akume sat and passed requisite examinations and was awarded certificates and issued with a discharge certificate.

    UI, in an application, confirmed that Akume attended the institution and was awarded a B.Sc Degree Certificate in Sociology in 1978. WAEC also confirmed that Akume sat and passed its examination in 1971 having attended Government Secondary School, Otukpo Benue State between 1967 and 1971.

    The NYSC admitted that Akume participated in the mandatory one year national service and was issued with a discharge certificate after his service at the Advanced Teachers College, Akwanga in the then Plateau State (now in Nasarawa State).

    Also sued with Akume are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Inspector General of Police.

    The presiding judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, on Wednesday warned against undue delay in the hearing of the case.

    Justice Mohammed issued the warning after plaintiff’s lawyer, Amobi Nzelu, stalled proceedings by applying for adjournment to enable him respond to the preliminary objections raised by WAEC and NYSC.

    Justice Mohammed observed that “the application for adjournment is very unfortunate.

    “I would want a situation where this matter is prosecuted diligently.

    “Nobody wants to be taken to court. And if you take somebody to court over an allegation, you are expected to speedily prosecute the case so that he or she will know his fate.

    “The 2nd to 3rd respondents (WAEC and NYSC) served you (Nzelu) before vacation, but you did not reply on time. You are expected to be diligent as plaintiff’s counsel,” Justice Mohammed said.

    Akume’s lawyer, Sebastine Hon (SAN) also complained about the altitude of the plaintiff’s lawyer, which he said showed an attempt to delay hearing in the case.

    “The history of this case has left so much to be deserved. You rushed somebody to court, who is a former governor and a Senator of the Federal Republic, over allegations of certificate forgery and you are now not in a hurry to proceed with the case.

    “My lord, I want a quick resolution of this matter on its merit. That is why we did not file any preliminary objection,” Hon said.

     

  • Two arrested over Lagos Housing Scheme scam

    Officials of the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit have arrested two suspects alleged to have dupe residents to the tune of N2.31 million in connection with the scam rocking the Lagos Home Ownership Scheme.

    The state government had three weeks ago raised the alarm over activities of some people who specialized in selling forms for the yet to be launched scheme to Lagosians, promising to help them purchase houses in the scheme.

    The government made it clear that it had not begun the sale of forms for the HOMS and those residents should beware of scammers trying to dupe them.

    The two suspects – Femi Okeidairo (30), from Osun State and a father of six, Benson Adedeji (59) were arrested in Ogba area and confessed to be the brains behind the scam.

    They reportedly duped 58 unsuspecting victims and raked in N2.31 million from the sales of forms and processing fees from their victims.

    They claimed that they printed the HOMS form from the state government’s website only to duplicate the forms and start selling to people between N15,000 and N20,000 and later collected purported processing fees of N25,000 each from their victims.

    Unsuspecting customers were also asked to pay the money into an account at a new generation bank or they would have their applications canceled.

    They were let out when one of the duped victims called the government to inquire when allocation for the HOMS would be made, having paid for the form and the processing fees.

    This made the government to raise alarm over activities of scammers.

     

  • Alaibe heads Bayelsa tourism board

    Alaibe heads Bayelsa tourism board

    The former managing director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Timi Alaibe, has been appointed the Chairman of the Bayelsa State Tourism Development Board.

    Alaibe was appointed by the state Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, shortly after the governor constituted the board on Wednesday.

    A statement signed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, also named other members of the eight-man board.

    They are – Mr. Ephraim Fallogi, Fred Nyananyo, Air Vice Marshall Atti Samuel (rtd), Mr. Fyneman Wilson, Mr. Claudius Enegesi, Mr. Solomon Apreala and Miss Bini Ayafa.

    Dickson said the board would be inaugurated at a later date.

    Among other things, he said the board should realise the proposed Tourism Island.

    He said: “The Tourism Island, expected to form an integral part of the new Yenagoa City, spanning over 15,000 hectres lying between the Epie Creek and River Nun stretching from Igbogene to Tombia in the North down to Yenaka will be more of a private sector driven project.

    “The Tourism Island, which is already in the early stages of what is expected to be a robust project, will have facilities such as a six-star hotel, an 18 hole- Professional Golf Association (PGA) Golf Course and world class Polo field among other facilities.

    “It is hoped that, the new Tourism Development Board, made up of persons of proven integrity and disposition, will use their wealth of experience in the times past to attract the much needed private sector participation as well as translate government’s dream of developing a flourishing world class tourism facility to reality.”

    Dickson said his administration had identified tourism as having the potential to stabilise the post oil and gas economy.

    He said the government would not joke with the sector, adding that “Bayelsa will within the foreseeable future become an international tourism hub and destination.”

     

  • Tade Ipadeola is 2013 NLNG prize winner

    Tade Ipadeola is 2013 NLNG prize winner

    For his book, the Sahara Testament, poet and author, Tade Ipadeola has emerged winner of the 2013 Nigerian prize for literature organised by the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG.

    Making the announcement at the Oceanview Restaurant earlier today, General Manager, External Relations of NLNG, Kudo Eresia-Eke, said that in arriving as winner, Ipadeola used “Sahara as a metonym for the problems of Africa and indeed the whole of humanity.”

    Tade’s book, The Sahara Testaments, beat the other 200 entries for this year’s edition of the prize that is worth $100, 000.

    The winner was announced yesterday at The World Press Conference in Lagos.

    According to the judges, the poet demonstrates “an outstanding level of intellectual exposure and knowledge, language use, awareness of literature.”

    Ipadeola’s work deat Promise Ogochukwu’s Wild Letters ad Through the Window of a Sandcastle by Amu Nnamdi.

    Responding to the announcement, Ipadeola said: “I am elated; it is not everyday that one wins such a previous prize as the NLNG”

  • Voters’ guild charges Nigerians on 2015 elections

    The Nigerian voters’ guild had studied the nation’s political situation since independence, most especially our present condition and called for change in the 2015 general election.

    The guild said in a statement released during the week that Nigeria’s political situation in its hundred years since the amalgamation of the north and south protectorates in 1914 is laced with problems and challenges.

    The guild said, “Before independence, Nigerians generally enjoyed relative peaceful atmosphere in all part of the country, our leaders made effort to make every Nigerian irrespective of their tribe and religion to feel save while living in any part of the country, working and practicing their religious belief peacefully.

    “As a nation of many religion, the rise of religious intolerance is a growing concern and the issue of terrorism, kidnapping and increase in violent crime should be taking care of as a national emergency.

    “Without comprehensive education we can’t fulfils our God- given potentials as human being and as a nation. We need to pay crucial attention to the deplorable condition of our educational system, making every effort to repair, upgrade, and expand facilities in our institution.

    “Presently, we are faced with the problem of high unemployment with a resultant increase in the number of people living below the poverty line. The government should be able to create an enabling environment for job creation and also stabilize the power sector because it is the basis for national development in our country.

    “We implore continue improvement of our roads to make for save driving, maintenance and development of other infrastructures as all this will affect the way people assess any government for general election in 2015.

    “However, we call on Nigerians to start preparing themselves, because 2015 election should be the time to put in place good governance that will put the country on the path of progress.”

     

  • Three win Nobel Prize for chemistry

    Three win Nobel Prize for chemistry

    Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt and Arieh Warshel won the 2013 Nobel Prize for chemistry for the development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems, the award-giving body said on Wednesday.

    “(The scientists) laid the foundation for the powerful programs that are used to understand and predict chemical processes,” Reuters quoted the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences as saying in a statement when awarding the prize of 8 million crowns ($1.25 million).

    “Computer models mirroring real life have become crucial for most advances made in chemistry today.”

    Chemistry was the third of this year’s Nobel prizes. The prizes for achievements in science, literature and peace were first awarded in 1901 in accordance with the will of businessman and dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel.

     

  • Eagles won’t fail in Ethiopia – Kwambe

    Eagles won’t fail in Ethiopia – Kwambe

    Super Eagles defender, Solomon Kwambe, has assured the side will not disappoint against the Walya Antelopes of Ethiopia on Sunday.

    The African champions will confront the Ethiopians in the first fixture of the two-legged African World Cup play-offs at the Addis Ababa National Stadium.

    Kwambe said victory is already assured in the crucial game given the winning aura his teammates are bringing into the match as shown in their smiles upon arrival at the camp.

    “The mood in camp and among the players is charged with anticipation of resounding victory against the Walya Antelopes in Sunday’s duel in Addis Ababa.

    “There is no iota of panic among the players in camp as the new arrivals wore broad smiles.

    “Victory is written on everybody’s faces, all the players are smiling indicating that fortune will smile at us on Sunday.

    “I don’t think there is any cause for alarm, we just need the support and prayers of every Nigerians to further soften the challenge.

    “It won’t be an easy game, it’s a match one can’t predict straight-forward the outcome as the Ethiopians are surely preparing and want to win the duel as well as ourselves.

    “I’ve heard a lot about the harsh weather over there in Ethiopia but that’s nothing compared with the winning mentality right now among the players.

    “Twice of the anticipated harsh weather nor the Ethiopians won’t stop us from winning the match right there in Addis Ababa.

    “We’re the African champions and we must demonstrate the stuff that made us African kings in whatever and wherever we see ourselves, we’ll surely triumph against the Ethiopians,” said the Sunshine Stars strongman to supersport.com.