The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Coast clear for new Censors Board boss

    Coast clear for new Censors Board boss

    …Lists importation of pornographic movies, others as priority
    The question had arose in some quarters of the film industry on whether the confirmation of Ms Patricia Bala, as new Director General of of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), was backdated to August 2012, the date she started off in acting capacity. But confirming to the press, Mr. Yunusa Tanko Abdullahi,  the board’s Deputy Director/Head Corporate Affairs, said Bala’s confirmation took effect from September 13 and would  span a period of four years. “This was contained in a letter signed by the Secretary to the Federal Government of Nigeria, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim,” he stated.
    Ms Bala, it would be recalled, took over from Mr. Emeka Mba in August 2012, as the most senior Director in NFVCB, following the expiration of the latter’s tenure. She had served in acting capacity for one year, before her appointment was confirmed as the board’s substantive Director General.
    An elated Ms Bala, according to Abdullahi, has promised to address the concern in the movie industry by providing leadership and building bridges between the stakeholders and board.
    Abdullahi said the issues of growing concern to the board are the illegal importation of pornographic movies from abroad, selling and rental of uncensored movies. He noted that his Director General has also promised to review and carry out an objective evaluation of the effectiveness of some of the board’s initiatives and schemes like the distribution framework, media literacy programme and the Shared responsibility project. The review will help the Board formulate a strategic plan for growth and future of the movie industry in Nigeria.
    Bala was born in Garkawa, Mikang LGA of Plateau State. She attended Our Lady of Fatima Convent School, Saint Louis College all in Jos before proceeding to the School of Basic Studies Zaria for her ‘A’ Levels. She graduated from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria with a BA Hons in drama in 1978. She has attended several international courses including Television production techniques for drama from the Ohio University, United States.
    The new NFVCB boss also Participated in Film ,Governance and Society: Red tape and Celluloid at the Public Administration Institute in United Kingdom.

  • Yobe attack: One more victim dies

    One out of the five students that survived the attack on college of Agriculture, Gujba, died on Monday morning at the General Sani Abacha Specialist Hospital.
    The death of the student has now put the death toll to 41 after 40 dead bodies were brought to the mortuary on Sunday.
    The college Provost, Molima Mato, who confirmed this to our correspondent, also said 38 bodies have been evacuated from the mortuary for burial, leaving only three.

  • Canada condemns Yobe terror attack

    Canada has strongly condemned Sunday’s attack at the College of Agriculture, Gujba, Yobe, where more than 40 students were killed.

    This is contained in a statement issued by Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, John Baird, on Monday.

    The European Union also joined in condemning the dastardly act, while the United States Embassy in Abuja condoled with the families of those who lost their lives in the violent attack.
    Baird said: “We condemned the perpetrators of this abhorrent act targeted innocent students while they were sleeping.
    “On behalf of all Canadians, I extend my deepest sympathies to those injured in the attack and to the families and friends of those who lost their lives.”
    The Canadian foreign minister expressed the hope that the perpetrators of  “this despicable act’’ would be brought to justice and pledged Canada’s support to help Nigeria fight terrorism.
    Meanwhile, a statement from the spokesperson of Catherine Ashton, the EU top diplomat, reiterated EU’s firm rejection “of such unjustifiable violence.’’
    The EU noted that the perpetrators of the attack clearly targeted children and students and contended that those responsible be brought to justice and held responsible for their acts.
    The statement also pledged EU’s support to Nigeria in the fight against terrorism, under the principles of the rule of law, respect and protection of human rights.
    A tweeter message from the U.S Embassy in Abuja said: “ our hearts are with the families of those who lost their lives in Gujba, Yobe.
    “We stand united with all Nigerian in this time of tragedy,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the embassy as saying in the message.

  • Kogi deputy governor in auto crash

    The Kogi State Deputy Governor, Mr. Yomi Awoniyi, on Sunday escaped unhurt in an accident which involved his convoy on the Abuja-Lokoja highway.

    A statement issued by his Press Secretary, Mr. Michael Abu, said an escort van in the convoy ran into two stationary vehicles which were involved in an earlier accident.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the affected vehicles, a Mercedes Benz jeep with Lagos registration number, YAB 966 AQ and a Honda Accord with Lagos registration number LND 742 BE had earlier collided before the van ran into them near Kwali.

    The statement which said the driver of the Honda Accord lost control while trying to overtake the Mercedes Benz, added that Awoniyi, who was on his way to Lokoja after an official engagement in Abuja, escaped unhurt.

    Abu disclosed that those in the escort van sustained minor injuries along with four policemen and were receiving treatment at the Kwali General Hospital.

     

  • NPFL now ends October 20

    NPFL now ends October 20

    The League Management Company (LMC) has announced that the Nigeria league will now end on October 20 against the earlier date of October 13.

    MTNFootball.com reports that the LMC effected changes in the earlier released amended fixtures which were necessitated by the decisions of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) organising and disciplinary committee (O and D) on various cases arising from league games.

    A statement from the office of the LMC chief operating officer, Salihu Abubakar, reads: “In view of the appeals received from some of the clubs on the decisions of the NFF Disciplinary Committee and the need for us to have smooth ending of the season, matches of the Glo Premier League are now to be played as follows – Matches of Week 35 will now be played on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 with Week 36 matches slated to be played on Saturday, October 12. Week 37 matches will hold on Wednesday, October 16, and the season-ending matches of Week 38 will be decided on Sunday, October 20.

    “The new schedules took into consideration the Super Eagles World Cup qualifier against Ethiopia, which has been scheduled for October 13 to free the day for Nigerians to focus on the game.”

    Enyimba, who has already clichéd the Federation Cup, lead the 20-team table with 58 points from 34 matches.

    The top two teams will represent Nigeria at next year’s CAF Champions League, while the third-placed club will feature in the Confederation Cup.

     

  • Kenya to probe Westgate intelligence

    Kenyan MPs have started an investigation into alleged intelligence failings over the deadly Westgate shopping centre attack.

    The head of the parliament’s defence committee says “people need to know the exact lapses in the security system.”

    There are reports the NIS intelligence agency issued warnings a year ago.

    BBC recalls that some 67 people were killed and many injured after al-Shabab militants stormed the Westgate centre in the capital Nairobi on September 21.

    Kenya’s Red Cross says the number of people still believed to be missing is 39, down from an earlier figure of 61.

    Five militants were killed by the security forces during the four-day siege and 10 people have since been arrested, the authorities say.

    Al-Shabab, a Somali Islamist group, said the attack was in retaliation for Kenya’s military involvement in Somalia.

    Security sources have told the BBC that the militants hired a shop there in the weeks leading up to the siege.

     

  • Popes to be declared saints next year

    Popes to be declared saints next year

    The late Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII will be declared saints on 27 April 2014.

    BBC quoted Pope Francis as saying on Monday.

    Details later…

     

  • Jim Iyke falls strangely in TB Joshua’s church

    Jim Iyke falls strangely in TB Joshua’s church

    It was not clear what the mission of Nollywood actor, James Ikechukwu Esemougha, popularly called Jim Iyke was at the popular Synagogue Church, located in Ikotun, a suburb of Lagos, but a two-minute video on the church’s website shows the actor struggling with several officers of Pastor TB Joshua, the head of the church, as they fought to keep him still.
    A facebook post and video subtitling on the incident revealed that the actor, who is famous for the ‘bad boy’ movie roles, was on Sunday being delivered of perceived negative spirit that has prevented him from getting married.
    The energetic prayer session soon got the thespian sprawling on the floor, after falling several times, and shouting incoherent words. “What do you guys want from me,” asked the actor, apparently recovering from frenzy. “Take it easy, the man of God will like to see you after the service,” replied one of the church ministers, as the led the actor away from the middle of the congregation, looking bevildered.
    Effort to reach the actor on his encounter is still ongoing.

  • Boko Haram cannot frustrate Nigeria, says Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday declared that the activities of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram or any other group cannot frustrate Nigeria.

    Speaking at the 53rd Independence Anniversary Interdenominational Church Service in Abuja, he condemned the killing of 21 Agriculture students in Yobe State yesterday.

    According to him, the challenges and obstacles Nigeria is going through are transient and the country will soon get over them.

    He said that Nigeria has got to the turning point where it will join other developed nations as it is perfecting the starting point of conducting free and fair elections.

    Stressing that the country is almost there, he said that there are some forces in the country working against the nation.

    He said that all those trying to cause problem for the nation will not succeed, saying that his administration will leave the country better than it met it.

    He said: “No Boko Haram or any group can frustrate this country. We may suffer pains just like our Lord Jesus said at the critical moment that though the spirit is willing but the body is weak.
    Sometimes our body is very weak, we feel the pains of those who are our direct relations of those who have been killed carelessly. These are things I believe is the creation of the devil to slow down our  progress as a nation.”

    “Today you will agree with me that if you were in my shoes you will lack words to say. We had this programme in mind, we went to bed last night so that by this time today we will all gather here to thank God for what he has done for this country. But then only few minutes after 12 last night about 21 students were murdered in Yobe state by a group that describes themselves as Boko Haram.”

    “If you were wearing my shoes, what courage will you have to stand here before Nigerians, what message would you send to Nigerians, the parents of these young people, our future leaders, students in the school of agriculture.”

    “Do you say that the killing of these students is political? Which of the political parties do the students belong to? People who killed them don’t even know them. Do you say it is ethnic? Which ethnic group do the students belong to? Do you say it is religion or belief? These students are they Christians or Muslims?” He queried

    “This is the situation that plays almost on a daily basis.
    It is quiet depressing. But having listened to the message of the CAN President you will agree with me that all of us have hope and by God’s grace we will get to where we want to go as a nation.” He added

    “The journey of a nation is like the journey of an individual, we must have obstacles. Sometimes they say it is even darker when it is getting to the dawn of the day. The challenges we are seeing now are very transient and we will get to the end of it.

    Stressing that Nigeria is at the dawn of greatness, he said: “Nigeria is at the turning point where I believe we must move and join the global society. If you look at the journeys of nations, first and foremost before you liberate people you must make sure that they have a civilised way of electing their leaders and we have almost reached there.”

    “We must make sure we conduct free and fair elections, but forces of evil don’t want it that way. They want a situation where they will continue to impose themselves or whoever they like on the people. Look at the successes in the telecom industry and we now say the power sector that immediately we liberalise it will now be like the telecom industry.”

  • Olawale Ojo is Project Fame’s best

    Olawale Ojo is Project Fame’s best

    The decision had been taken by fans of MTN-sponsored Project Fame West Africa music reality show who voted for their preferred candidates among the ‘Sensation Six’, as this year’ finalists were called.

    With just the collating company, Alexander Forbes armed with the result, the last ceremony continued Saturday night at the Ultima Studio, Lekki, Lagos, as the contestants graced the stage, singing their last songs, each, just to entertain the studio guests.

    Amidst the tension and anxiety that pervaded the studio, petit-frame contestant, Olawale Ojo,  was declared winner of the sixth edition of the continental music show.

    That night, the last shot at music, by the 400level Agronomy Student of Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, was a near-perfect rendition of Asa’s Beautiful. He had sang it half-way when he delved into the Fuji genre, not losing focus of the theme of the song. He had sang his mother’s praise in a high tempo tempo fuji beat and sliding back smoothly, to Asa’s slow and sonorious tune as he wraps up a performance that got the audience clapping excitedly.

    Even though he is more at home with the Jazz genre, perhaps his versatility was what endeared fans to him, gathering the highest number of votes that upstaged other five finalists.

    ‘The Pimp’, as he is fondly called by friends, won for himself, N5m cash prize, a brand new car and one-year recording contract for his effort in the competition .

    Olawale becomes the sixth winner of the popular TV show, joining past winners Iyanya, Myke, Chidinma, Monica and Ayo.

    Immaculate Patience, the 22-year-old belle from Benue State, was named first runner-up, winning a cash prize of N3m and a car, while Margaret Cephas, a Liberian and the only Non-Nigerian to make it to the top six came 3rd place, winning N2m and a car.

    Niniola Apata and Omolayo Babawale, received N2m and N1m respectively for comining fourth and fifth positions, while Roland Ricketts went home with N500,000 for being number six in the competition.

    The show kicked off in June 2013 with a Project Fame tour held in three cities – Abuja, Port Harcourt and Lagos