The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Strike: ‘ASUU will wait till FG gets money’

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities will sustain its ongoing strike until the Federal Government gets the money to meet its demands, an ex-officio member has said.

    The immediate past chairman of the union at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Aloysius Okolie, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Nsukka, Enugu State on Friday that the government should not allow a total collapse of tertiary education in the country.

    Okolie said that no country had attained enviable height economically and technologically without adequate funds for the education sector.

    He said the sector remained the engine room of national development.

    “The National Assembly and some executive members are paid jumbo salaries but when it comes to education funding the government has no money.

    “How will the country be able to achieve its vision 20:2020 of being among the 20 leading economies if the education sector is not well-funded,’’ he asked.

    The former chairman solicited the understanding of the students and their parents, saying the union’s demand was to ensure quality teaching and learning in the universities.

    “It is unreliable that in some universities student receive lectures under the trees and in stadium.

    “Books, laboratory equipment in our libraries and laboratories are outdated while some politicians and government officials are wasting money in building houses in every state capital and buying fleets of exotic cars.

    “The demands will enable the universities to produce quality graduates employable in any part of the world,’’ he said.

     

  • Northern governors greet Babangida at 72

    Northern governors greet Babangida at 72

    The Northern States’ Governors Forum has felicitated with former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), as he turns 72 on Saturday.

    This is contained in a statement issued on Friday in Minna by the Chairman of the forum, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Aliyu commended IBB’s untiring efforts at preserving the unity of the nation.

    He said Babangida’s life symbolised statesmanship, patriotism, vision and courage which were some of the excellent leadership virtues that had guided him through his years of active public service.

    According to the statement, Babangida has excelled in his chosen profession and showed rare vision, courage and exemplary leadership during his leadership of the country.

    It said the former military ruler had consistently remained on the path of promoting national unity, integration and development with his influential networks cutting across the length and breadth of Nigeria and beyond.

    It stated that the history of Nigeria would be incomplete without paying tribute to “IBB’s contributions and achievements to the socio-economic and political development of our country.”

     

     

  • Women pivotal to Nigeria’s future – Jonathan

    Women pivotal to Nigeria’s future – Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan said on Friday in Abuja that women were pivotal to the future development of the country.

    The president made the remark when he received the “Lifetime Icon Award’’ for women’s rights from the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) at a dinner on Thursday that ran into the early hours of Friday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the dinner was organised to round off a rally on National Women’s Day for Peace organised by the council.

    “Indeed, Nigerian women have championed significant national social transformation programmes that have had an enduring impact on the well-being of the country.

    “’You are all witnesses to the important and visible roles being played by women in this democratic dispensation by ensuring that democracy, not only strives but that value is added to the lives of our people,” the president said.

    Jonathan said that the Nigerian woman was not only an important part of the country’s history, but a pivot of future development as a nation.

    “I strongly believe that we cannot accomplish the goals of our transformation agenda, if women, comprising about 50 per cent of our population, are not truly integrated into our developmental efforts and programmes.”

    He pledged his continuous support for women and the use of their expertise should the need arose.

    “This administration on its part has served ample notice that it will take every measure necessary that will bring on board the resources that women have to offer.

    “Our track record in this regard is very clear. As an ardent supporter and promoter of women empowerment, I accept with appreciation the Lifetime Icon Award that has been bestowed on me today, “he said.

     

  • Lottery commission’s board inaugurated

    The Federal Government on Friday inaugurated an eight-man board for the National Lottery Regulatory Commission to reposition it.

    Inaugurating the board in Abuja, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, charged the members to improve the potential and revenue generation of the commission.

    Anyim noted that the commission had not been effectively playing the role expected of it.

    “We have observed with concern that with Nigeria’s huge population and efficient mobile communication networks, lottery has not effectively played the role expected of it,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the SGF as saying during the inauguration.

    He said the commission was a veritable source of additional revenue for government to pursue good causes and provide employment, improve the lives and material conditions of the citizens.

    Anyim added that government was desirous of making the lottery industry realised its full potential as revenue generator, employment provider and facilitator of healthy social interaction among the citizens.

    “It is for these reasons that the board is constituted as partners of the government to help lottery take its place and make its contributions to our collective efforts at transforming our country.

    “I therefore charge the board to immediately hit the ground running. We expect to begin to see clear positive changes in the fortunes activities and operations of the commission soon,’’ he said.

    The SGF, however, advised the members to be credible in the discharge of their duties, adding that the Federal Government would give the board the supports require to succeed in the assignment.

    The board has Mr. Damian Dodo as chairman, while Mr. Adolphus Ekpe is the director-general of the commission.

    Malam Mohammed Annur, Alhaji Hassan Abba, Chief Vincent Aondaakaa, Chief Greg Mandu and Mr. Olugbenga Adewusi would serve as members.

    Responding on behalf of his colleagues, Dodo noted the confidence reposed in them by the government and promised that they would to carry out the assignment effectively.

     

     

  • ‘Nigeria is Negotiable’ for Launch in Abuja

    ‘Nigeria is Negotiable’ for Launch in Abuja

    The book ‘Nigeria is Negotiable,’ a compilation of essays on Nigeria’s tortuous road to democracy and nationhood, will be presented in Abuja next week.

    The launch of the book, authored by Chido Onumah, a journalist and activist is slated for August 20 at the National Press Centre, Abuja. It will be reviewed by Nnimmo Bassey, Director, Health, Mother of Earth Foundation (HOMEF).

    Onumah who is Coordinator of African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) said, in an exclusive interview with The Nation that the book is a compilation of his essays that had appeared in top Nigerian newspapers in the last 20 years.

    Chido spoke on the need for the compilation of some of his essays into a book: “This, for me, is more or less like a lifetime work. This is a product of over 20 years of writings and I chose the topic deliberately.”

    The media guru who has also worked in Ghana, Canada, United States and Canada is an advocate of political restructuring of the country: “In the last 20 years of my political engagement, both at the level of being a journalist and a political activist, I have come to find out that the structure of our country is flawed and that a lot of the problems that confront us as a people emanates from the flawed structure of the country,” he said.

    “It’s not as if there’s no corruption, violence in other parts of the world but much of the corruption and violence in Nigeria is sustained because of the structure of the country. We claim to be a federal republic yet we do not live by tenets of federalism. My writings have reflected the thinking that we need to restructure this country. People should not misunderstand me; I am not saying if we restructure Nigeria, it would solve all our problems.”

    The book, according to the governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, “re-maps the contours of the remarkable events and processes that have brought our country, Nigeria, to this crucial juncture in its history, and particularly the crises spawned by June 12, 1993 elections and its aftermath, which have – to great extent – careered the country to this vortex of possibilities in its transition towards a more wholesome cultural and political expression.”

    ‘Nigeria is Negotiable’ is a 460-page book that can be judged by its cover – it’s a book for keep.

    The author released his first book, titled ‘Time to Reclaim Nigeria’ published in 2011 which borders on the state of the nation and the quest to save the country from its unpalatable status.

    Secrets are kept in the book, it’s left for Africans to read it!

     

     

  • No short cut to economic prosperity – Jonathan

    No short cut to economic prosperity – Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday said that there are no short cuts to economic prosperity as he urged Nigerians to put in their best in whatever occupational activities they found themselves.

    He made the remark through Vice President Namadi Sambo at the 13th National Productivity Day Celebrations and Conferment of the National Productivity Order of Merit Award in Abuja.

    He said: “No matter our calling, it is only through hard work, diligence and discipline that success can be achieved.”

    The President admitted that there was need for motivation and favourable working conditions in order to improve productivity.

    According to him, his administration was working assiduously to re-engineer attitudinal outlook, which would “emphasise the dignity of labour, integrity, honesty, discipline and hard work in the workplace.”

    “We are also resolved to effect new service reward system that will promote productivity, efficiency and excellence,” he added.

    To this end, the president said his administration was not only strengthening the National Productivity Centre, but also addressing the infrastructure deficit through the development of a National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP).

    He said that the government was vigorously diversifying the economy to drive wealth and job creation.

     

     

     

  • Sambo replies el-Rufai on debt allegations

    Sambo replies el-Rufai on debt allegations

    …Challenges ex-minister to substantiate claims

    Vice President Namadi Sambo on Thursday replied the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, over allegation of huge debt burden during his tenure as Governor of Kaduna State.

    In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Umar Sani, Sambo challenged the former Minister to back up his claims with documents.

    He said: “My attention was drawn to a statement said to have emanated from Nasir El-Rufai a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, alleging that the Vice President left a huge debt as a Governor of Kaduna State, stressing that anyone in doubt should verify at the debt management office and that the Vice Presidents company failed to execute the Zaria water project having received payment for same.

    “While it is not in the character of the Vice President to trade words or join issues with anyone, the compelling need to set the records straight has necessitated that a clarity of the issues raised be proffered for posterity.

    “As a patriot and one who is determined to expose corrupt practices it will have served members of the public some good if such records which were made available to him are published for all to see.

    “I therefore challenge El-Rufai to publish the debt profile of Kaduna State from 1966 to date for the public to decipher and judge whether huge debts was bequeathed to Kaduna State or not by the Namadi Sambo administration.”

    He went on: “In his haste to drag the name of the Vice President to the mud and muster some continuous relevance in the media, he failed to conduct an elementary check on the status of the Zaria water project.

    “The contract for the reactivation of the two treatment plants built separately by the defunct North Central State government and later the Kaduna State government was awarded to Nalado Nigeria Limited to return it to its original capacity of 60 million liters per day water treatment plant. At the time of the award of the contract it was operating at a minimal 10 million liters per day.

    “The contract was executed successfully and handed over to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources. However after an audit of the water situation in Zaria was conducted it was discovered that Zaria requires about 150 million liters daily to stabilize in terms of water supply so under the Namadi Sambo administration the current 150 million liter per day water supply contract was awarded to MotherCat Nigeria Limited after a competitive bidding process and we have it on good authority that it is at 90 per cent completion.”

     

  • Benue governor’s aide slumps, dies

    Tragedy struck in Benue on Thursday as a Personal Assistant to the state governor on Security, Patrick Gwar, slumped and died right inside the Government House in Makurdi.

    The unfortunate incident occurred at exactly 2pm on Thursday in one of the rooms located within the Chief of Staff to the governor, Prof. Saint Gbilekaa’s office.

    A staff in the state Government House told The Nation that the Gwar died shortly after he attended a meeting of the Governor’s aides.

    “He sat on a chair in the waiting room located within the Chief of Staff to the governor, Prof. Saint Gbilekaa’s office, after attending the meeting of the Governor’s aides. Thereafter he started feeling uneasy and was having difficulty breathing. Suddenly he collapsed and before any help could come he died on the spot, “the staff told our correspondent.

    Confirming the incident, the Public Relation Officer for the Forum of Governor’s Aides, Comrade Samuel Adzegeh, described the deceased as a very dedicated and committed man.

     

     

  • Obama condemns Egypt’s bloodshed

    Obama condemns Egypt’s bloodshed

    … Cancels joint military exercises

    United States President, Barack Obama, has strongly condemned the violence against Egyptian civilians, and has cancelled joint military exercises.

    He said force was not the way to resolve political differences.

    BBC says Mr. Obama’s comments come a day after security forces broke up the protest camps of Muslim Brotherhood supporters, leaving at least 500 people dead.

    Brotherhood members had been protesting for weeks about the army’s overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi in July.

    In the latest violence on Thursday, hundreds of Brotherhood members set fire to a government building near Cairo.

    Local TV footage showed firefighters evacuating employees from the building – which housed the offices of the Giza local government.

    State-run Nile News TV also reported clashes between Brotherhood members and residents in a suburb of Alexandria.

     

  • 2015: INEC takes delivery of 20m voters’ cards

    2015: INEC takes delivery of 20m voters’ cards

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Thursday said it has taken delivery of 20 million permanent voters’ cards for 2015 general elections in the country.

    The Resident Electoral Commission (REC), in charge of Akwa Ibom, Mr. Gabriel Ada, disclosed this in Uyo at a stakeholders meeting organised by the commission.

    He said the voters’ cards would help to phase out the temporary voters cards in the system.

    The REC said the permanent card has a micro-chip with bio-data of every voter.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that other features  include a readable card which every registered voter would present at the polling unit before being allowed to vote.

    Ada said the equipment was designed to record the total number of people that are accredited and the total votes cast at each polling unit during elections.

    He said the initiative would help to fashion out irregularities in the system and also check unhealthy activities of desperate politicians during election.

    The REC said the commission has been restructured to enhance its operations.

    Ada said over 6,000 field officers have been employed to help institutionalise core values in the organisation.