The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Poor funding threatens INEC’s operations – Jega

    Poor funding threatens INEC’s operations – Jega

    The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, on Wednesday decried under funding of the commission, saying it was a big threat to its operations.

    He made the statement at the quarterly meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja.

    Jega said that in spite of its enormous responsibility to the nation, the commission was not getting adequate funding.

    “It is a very challenging task indeed, because a lot of the activities required funds and budgetary provisions. Regrettably, we don’t always get what we need all the times, to be able to address the challenges.’’

    “There is the need to fund INEC properly for it to be able to carry out its functions; poor funding is a big threat to INEC’s operations,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the INEC chairman as saying at the meeting.

    Jega said the commission would continue to engage government and the lawmakers, to have more resources to be able to improve the working conditions and other needs to make its job satisfactory.

    He, however, stressed that INEC could not afford any delay in the execution of its programmes toward 2015 general elections.

    The chairman said the activities of the electoral body required that the trend be reversed in good time for effectiveness and efficiency of the commission.

    He said that in spite of challenges facing the commission, “remarkable progress” had been recorded under his stewardship.

     

  • Lagos CJ releases 119 awaiting trial inmates

    The Lagos Chief Judge, Justice Ayotunde Phillips, Wednesday released 119 awaiting trial inmates from the Maximum and Medium Security Prison, Kirikiri, Lagos.

    At least 99 inmates secured freedom from the medium security prison while 20 were released from the maximum security prison.

    They included inmates believed to be brothers – Dare and Dada Egbebunmi.

    The released inmates were believed to be on awaiting trial list for over 13 years.

    The exercise was aimed at decongesting the prisons and in exercise of the Chief Judge’s powers under Section 1 (1) of the Criminal Justice Release from Custody Special Provision Act CAP C40, 2007, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

    Justice Phillips had earlier released 279 inmates from the Kirikiri Maximum and Medium Security Prisons and Ikoyi prisons last year.

    The Chief Judge, who was accompanied by senior members of the judiciary, including judges and the Chief Registrar, admonished the freed inmates to be of good behaviour.

    “I release all you today 25th day of September, 2013 from custody pursuant to the powers conferred on me and admonish you to go and sin no more,” she said.

    She asked the freed inmates to go out and begin to do what is right adding, “we don’t expect to see you here again. It is painful when we release you and we come again and you are here.

    “So, I admonish you to do what is right and don’t put us into shame for releasing you. Go and say bye-bye to prison,” she said.

     

  • ASUU strike will end soon – NUC chief

    ASUU strike will end soon – NUC chief

    The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie, on Wednesday said he is confident that the protracted strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will soon be called off.

    Okojie, who spoke in Abuja at a media parley with journalists, said the commission was doing everything within its powers to ensure a speedy resolution of the issues raised by ASUU so that students could return school.

    “We are part of the system and we understand the issues, we are meeting with members of the union all the time and the issues are being tackled.

    “So, we are optimistic the strike will soon be called off and our children can go back to school in the shortest possible time.’’

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that he also reacted to the call by ASUU for NUC to be scrapped, saying “the call is not in good faith as the commission has not gone to sleep over its duties.”

    Also speaking on the recurrent disagreements between the commission and some professional bodies over accreditation and running of certain courses by some universities, Okojie acknowledged that there were issues that needed to be resolved between both parties.

    “There is no country in the world where regulatory bodies and professional bodies go to regulate at the same time.

    “So, it is true we are having problems with professional bodies in carrying out our mandate, but the issues too will soon be resolved and we can move on.

    The executive secretary, who said the commission had closed many faculties not fit to run courses in certain universities, admitted that; “it is not easy to be a regulator.”

    According to him, the commission was “silently regulating the system’’ having to also pay professional fees and encourage professors to do accreditation.

     

  • BREAKING NEWS: Delta most wanted kidnapper Ibruvwe arrested

    BREAKING NEWS: Delta most wanted kidnapper Ibruvwe arrested

    Niger Delta most wanted criminal and kidnap kingpin, Kelvin Ibruvwe, was on Wednesday morning captured by operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    The notorious kidnap suspect was nabbed seven days after he issued a 60-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to develop Urhobo areas of Delta State in order to avert unprecedented attack on oil facility.

    A special squad deployed from SSS Headquarters, Abuja and local security operatives in Delta State traced him to a hotel where he was arrested at about 3am.

    Meanwhile, an intense gunfight is raging between his supporters and security operatives in Kokori, his hometown at the time of this report.

    It was gathered that youths armed with sophisticated weapons opened fire on troops sent to secure the town.

     

  • Mark averts crisis in Senate over nPDP

    Mark averts crisis in Senate over nPDP

    Senate President, David Mark, averted a major rumpus on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday over the reference to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a factionalised political party by Senator Mohammed Danjuma Goje.

    Goje, who represents Gombe Central Senatorial District, while contributing to a motion on the demise of a former Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Agagu, described himself as a member of the New PDP.

    He added that the New PDP led by Alhaji Abubakar Baraje is the authentic one.

    What followed was applaud by some Senators and shout of “no, no, no” by others.

    Senators Smart Adeyemi, (Kogi West) quickly moved a Point of Order to stop Goje from further reference to PDP as a divided party.

    When Mark gave Adeyemi the floor, the Kogi State born lawmaker said that Goje used “offensive, abusive and insulting words against the PDP.

    At this stage, the disorder in the chamber got louder and Mark was forced to intervene to bring the situation under control.

    The Senate President cautioned that “this is the upper chamber, don’t let us reduce it to a market place.”

    He asked Adeyemi to continue with his Point of Order.

    Adeyemi said, “As far as I know it is wrong for anybody to use offensive and abusive words against a political party.

    “It is absolutely uncalled for and uncharitable for a former governor who has not defected to another party to stand up on the chamber of the Senate to insult the PDP and members of the party.”

    He noted that Goje should be made to withdraw the alleged offensive statement, insisting that it was “wrong for Goje who is a PDP member to insinuate that PDP has two factions.”

    Goje did not take the interjection of Adeyemi kindly.

     

  • World Cup playoffs: Walya Antelopes host Eagles October 13

    World Cup playoffs: Walya Antelopes host Eagles October 13

    Ethiopia will host Nigeria in a 2014 World Cup playoff on October 13 in Addis Ababa.

    MTNFootball.com reports that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had earlier complained that Ethiopia had not confirmed the match day.

    The General Secretary of the Ethiopia Football Federation (EFF), Yigsaw Bezuayehu disclosed that the match will be played on October 13.

    “We have played our home games on Sundays and the match against Nigeria will not be an exception,” said the EFF top official.

    This then means that Nigeria will fly out of Abuja on a chartered flight on Saturday, October 12, so as to beat the effects of the high altitude in Addis Ababa.

    Nigeria has picked Saturday, November 16 as the date for the return leg match at the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar.

    The overall winners of this playoff matches will qualify for next year’s World Cup in Brazil.

     

  • Jonathan, Ban discuss violence, developments in Nigeria

    Jonathan, Ban discuss violence, developments in Nigeria

    President Goodluck Jonathan met on Tuesday with the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, where both discussed recent developments in Nigeria, particularly the persistent violence in northern part of the country.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that they also discussed the need to ensure that humanitarian aid remained accessible to all civilians.

    Both parties also exchanged views on the welcome progress achieved in Mali and Guinea-Bissau as well as implementing the Green tree agreement between Nigeria and Cameroon.

    Ban, however, reaffirmed the readiness of the UN to continue to support Nigeria’s efforts to restore peace and security, and to protect civilians in the northern part of the country.

    He underlined the importance of the post-2015 agenda, while he welcomed the critical role that Nigeria would play as co-chair of the Intergovernmental Expert Committee on Financing Sustainable Development.

    The secretary-general also met with the President of South Africa, Mr. Jacob Zuma, and they discussed political developments in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, especially Zimbabwe and Madagascar.

    Both parties also focused on Guinea-Bissau and the Central African Republic.

     

  • Taraba acting governor reaffirms loyalty to Suntai

    Taraba acting governor reaffirms loyalty to Suntai

    The Acting Governor of Taraba State, Alhaji Garba Umar, on Tuesday reaffirmed his complete loyalty to ailing Governor Danbaba Suntai.

    Umar made the declaration during his meeting with traditional rulers and local government chairmen in Jalingo.

    He stressed that there was no division in the structure of government in the state.

    “Let me restate the fact that there is no division in the structure of government in the state.

    “This government remains the Suntai administration and we are all aware of the circumstances that necessitated my being designated as acting governor.

    “I am happy to note that the medical condition of Governor Suntai is improving by the day,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the acting governor as saying at the forum.

    Umar urged the people of the state to support the good programmes of Suntai’s administration, which he was carrying on with to ensure the rapid development of the state.

    The Chairman of Ussa Local Government Council, Mr. Abershi Musa, noted that the meeting provided an opportunity for stakeholders to look into how to move Taraba forward after the political crisis which engulfed the state over Suntai’s health condition.

     

  • U-17 World Cup: Nigeria cancels Qatar training

    U-17 World Cup: Nigeria cancels Qatar training

    The Nigeria U-17 team has cancelled a proposed training camp in Qatar due to logistic reasons, officials have said.

    MTNFootball.com gathered that the Aspire Academy in Doha, Qatar, where the Golden Eaglets would have trained is fully booked.

    The team will now fly directly to the United Arab Emirates to train for at least two weeks before the FIFA U-17 World Cup kicks off on October 17.

    “The Golden Eaglets’ players are still in the country training in the final phase of local preparation. They could not go to Qatar due to logistics reasons,” said the General Secretary of the Nigeria football Federation (NFF), Musa Amadu.

    “But the Federation is making frantic effort to see that the team train for at least two weeks in UAE to help the team acclimatise ahead of the World Cup.

    “We will decide later this week where in the UAE the team would camp, but the boys would have at least two weeks of closed and concentrated training in the UAE,” he added.

    Nigeria will play in Group F alongside defending champions Mexico, Sweden and Iraq.

     

  • China to execute toddler killer

    A court in China has sentenced a man to death for killing a two-year-old girl in Beijing over a parking space row, state media report.

    Han Lei, 39, pulled the toddler out of her pram and threw her to the ground after her mother refused to make way for his car in July, BBC reports.

    He fled the scene but was captured. The girl later died from her injuries.

    He said the killing was unintentional, as he was drunk and had thought the pram was a shopping cart.

    “I did not know there was an infant inside,” he previously said.

    The case has provoked widespread outcry in China, with many people expressing their anger online, state media reported.

    The trial started on September 16 at the Beijing No 1 Intermediate People’s Court.

    Prosecutors had recommended the death sentence for Han, who committed the crime within a year of being released from prison, the Xinhua news agency said.

    Han also beat the girl’s mother during the altercation in Beijing’s Daxing district.

    Another man, Li Ming, who drove Han away from the scene, is also facing charges.