The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Sultan to clergy: Preach with fear of God

    Sultan to clergy: Preach with fear of God

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, has called on Islamic and Christian clergy to preach with the absolute fear of God in the country.

    The Sultan said this in his Sallah message to the Muslim faithful in Nigeria to mark the Eid-el-Fitri celebrations.

    Abubakar said the clergy they should fear Allah and live above their own selfish interests while preaching to their followers.

    “They should avoid provocative statements that could lead to the breach of peace and lead to violence in the country.

    “They should also know that staying attuned to the religious teachings is the only way that bring mutual respect and love which eventually lead to the desired peace in the nation,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the Sultan as saying in the message.

    The monarch also said that it was not right for a non-Muslim to interfere in the affairs of the Muslims and Islam or to impose his views on the religion he did not profess.

    Abubakar also commended the Federal Government for constituting the committee on the security challenges in the north.

    He said that those calling for the scrapping of the committee were enemies of peace and were “unpatriotic,’’ and charged Nigerians to give the committee the necessary support to accomplish its job.

    “It is a known fact that no peace could be achieved except through constructive dialogue.

    “On our part, we are satisfied with the work of this committee and we are ready to give it all necessary support to succeed,’’ he promised.

    The Sultan also called on leaders at all levels to fear Allah by accomplishing the trust placed on them in leading their subjects.

     

  • AfDB commends Nigeria’s ports reform

    AfDB commends Nigeria’s ports reform

    The African Development Bank (AfDB) said Nigerian Ports Reform Policy and its economic partnership with ECOWAS and European Union have enhanced its export drive.

    The bank said in a book, the African Economic Outlook, on Thursday in Abuja, that Nigeria’s export to African countries currently stood at 11 per cent of its total exports.

    This notwithstanding, the bank said Nigeria had yet to tap into the huge potentialities in the region for growth, economic diversification and integration.

    The News Agency of Nigeria quoting the bank report said that the West African market provided a tremendous opportunity for the country’s financial sector.

    The bank also observed that inflation rate, escalating budget deficits in some countries, rising wage bills and increasing domestic interest payments, among others, had hindered full monetary integration of the ECOWAS member states.

    It commended Nigeria’s effort aimed at encouraging local manufacturing, insisting that the major challenge to manufacturing was poor trade network and infrastructure within the region.

     

  • Nigeria won’t break up – Jonathan

    Nigeria won’t break up – Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday assured that Nigeria will not break up pointing out that the country’s diversity is a great strength yet to be tapped.

    Speaking while receiving the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, who led the Muslim community on the annual Sallah homage, faulted the United States report that predicted that Nigeria will break up on or before 2015.

    Congratulating the Muslim brothers and sisters for successfully observing the Ramadan, he urged them to continue to pray for peace in Nigeria and all over the world.

    He noted that fasting wasn’t an easy task, saying he participated in the 30 days fasting every year in solidarity with Muslims in the country.

    He said: “For us, we cannot imagine a Nigeria without Muslims and Christians; you can call it another name, but not Nigeria. So it is a blessing that this is one country that you have significant population of Muslims and Christians and this religious diversity will enhance our development because we can get across the whole world, wherever we go we are accepted. That helps us in so many ways.

    “We are not even exploiting our diversity because of the myopic views about situations. Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters and we must live together, those who are predicting that this country will separate based on our frontlines as at the time of amalgamation, by 2015 they will know that these predictions will not be true.

    “Today is a unique day, and I urge our Moslem brothers and sisters that they should continue to pray for peace not just in Nigeria but all over the world. If you watch television these days, more than 60 percent of the time is spent on showing crises all over the world and for the world to move ahead and for Nigeria to move ahead. For us to develop first and foremost, there must be peace and security. Nobody will come and invest in an environment where you are not sure of the safety of your workers and investment.”

     

     

  • Ebonyi governor sacks environment commissioner

    Ebonyi governor sacks environment commissioner

    Governor Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State on Thursday ordered the immediate removal of Engr. Paul Okorie as Commissioner for Environment.

    A statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Emmanuel Chike Onwe, said Okorie, a two- time Commissioner for Works and Transport, was sacked for engaging in acts inconsistent with his mandate.

    The statement further directed the commissioner to hand over all government properties in his possession.

     

     

  • NDLEA clears MBGN for Indonesia trip

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has cleared Nigeria’s most beautiful girl 2013, Miss Anna Ebiere Banner, for her trip to Jakarta, Indonesia, for the forthcoming Miss World Beauty contest.

    The beauty queen who visited the agency’s headquarters in Ikoyi Lagos was accompanied by the Principal Manager Human Resources of Silverbird Group, Emmanuel Amadi and Rights Acquisition Manager, Silverbird, Patricia Ndubuisi.

    NDLEA congratulated her for winning the 2013 beauty contest and wishes her success at the global beauty pageant.

    The warm regards of the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Ahmadu Giade was conveyed by the Head of Public Affairs, Mr. Ofoyeju Mitchell.

    He said, “On behalf of management, I welcome you to the agency’s headquarters. This crown is well deserved and I congratulate you for being the best by winning the 2013 beauty contest. I wish you flying colours at the Miss World Beauty Pageant. I am optimistic that you will fly the country’s flag high above others and ultimately make us proud.”

    He added that Banner’s request for visa clearance certificate was approved on merit having met the stipulated requirements.

     

     

  • Friendly: Musa predicts Eagles’ victory over Bafana

    Friendly: Musa predicts Eagles’ victory over Bafana

    CSKA Moscow striker, Ahmed Musa, has predicted a Nigeria win over South Africa in next week’s high-profile friendly in Durban.

    Musa, who has told MTNFootball.com he will arrive Durban on Monday ahead of the Mandela Challenge clash, said he expects an interesting match with the Super Eagles eventually carrying the day.

    “I am ready for the match against South Africa, though it is a friendly I want to win it. I will arrive South Africa on Monday,” he disclosed.

    “It will be an interesting game, a nice game to play. It is coming at a good time to keep the team in good shape ahead of our September World Cup qualifier (against Malawi).”

    The dashing forward, who has been in great form for double Russia champions CSKA in the new season, said he expects a full house at the Moses Mabida Stadium in Durban on Wednesday afternoon.

    “We won the African Cup of Nations in South Africa and going back there will bring back good memories. The country is nice, the people are good and supported us during the Nations Cup,” he said.

     

     

  • Venezuela’s election appeal rejected

    Venezuela’s highest court has rejected an appeal by opposition leader Henrique Capriles against April’s contested presidential election result, BBC reports.

    The Supreme Court of Justice described the appeal as “inadmissible.”

    After the ruling Mr. Capriles tweeted that there was a “lack of justice” in Venezuela.

    Nicolas Maduro, Hugo Chavez’s handpicked successor, won the election by less than 1.5 percentage points – about 200,000 votes.

    The opposition alleged that the vote had been marred by fraud.

    In June the Venezuelan National Electoral Commission (CNE) confirmed President Maduro’s victory in an audit on millions of votes, but Mr. Capriles denounced the audit as “a fake.”

    In her ruling on Wednesday, Justice Gladys Gutierrez said the opposition had not offered “sufficient proof” to back up their allegations.

    The 10-point appeal had been lodged by Mr. Capriles, the opposition coalition and several citizens.

    On Tuesday, Mr. Capriles criticised the court’s delay in making a ruling and said that he would take the case to “international bodies.”

    April’s election was called after the death of Mr. Chavez on March 5 following a long battle with cancer.

     

     

  • FG committed to national transformation – Jonathan

    FG committed to national transformation – Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan in a Sallah message to Nigerians on Wednesday reassured his resolute commitment to overcoming all distractions and delivering on his promise of good governance and national transformation.

    Wishes all Nigerians happy Eid-el-Fitri celebrations, he congratulated all Nigerians of the Islamic faith who have successfully completed the month-long Ramadan fast.

    In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the President thanked all Moslems in the country who responded to his calls for special prayers during the Ramadan for greater peace, security and progress in Nigeria.

    He joined them and all other patriotic citizens in the pious expectation that God Almighty will hearken to the supplications of the faithful and bless Nigeria abundantly with peace, political stability and national prosperity.

    The statement reads: The President assures Nigerians that his administration will continue working tirelessly to build on the firm foundations for sustainable national development which it has already established in key areas such as public infrastructure, power supply, roads, transportation, aviation, agriculture, education, healthcare, youth employment and electoral reform.”

     

  • ‘Why FEC was suspended’

    The weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting was suspended because some Muslim cabinet members have travelled to their home states for the Eid-el-Fitri.

    The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Wednesday in Abuja.

    According to Abati, some other council members are also taking part in the lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

    He said it is part of the cabinet members’ constitutional rights to carry out their religious obligations.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the meeting, which holds on Wednesdays, is normally presided over by the President or the Vice- President.

     

  • PPPRA to NEITI: Stop confusing the public

    PPPRA to NEITI: Stop confusing the public

    The Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency has appealed to the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative to desist from confusing the public further on its audit report which said that the agency should remit N4.423 billion to the Federation Account.

    In a swift reaction to NEITI’s statement affirming that it stood by its controversial audit report, the Executive Secretary of the PPPRA, Mr. Reginald Stanley, told reporters in Abuja on Wednesday that “NEITI appeared to have embarked on a wild-goose chase, instead of addressing the issues at stake.’’

    He said there was never a time the audit report was `signed-off’ by the management of the PPPRA, challenging NEITI to make a copy of the sign-off public, to prove its claim against PPPRA.

    On July 29, NEITI released its 2009-2011 audit report on the oil and gas sector, recommending that the PPPRA should remit N4.423 billion, arising from “over-recovery’’ to the Federation Account.

    “We challenge NEITI to tell Nigerians where the N4.423 billion it claims was warehoused. If NEITI is indeed, desirous of efficiently doing its job, we challenge it to go and consult the records at the Central Bank of Nigeria, where the Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) account is domiciled.

    “It should also go a step further by visiting the records at the Federal Ministry of Finance to confirm if certain amount of money as claimed was remitted accordingly or not by the PPPRA.

    “To all intents and purposes, it is apparent that NEITI is on a wild-goose chase and self-seeking in its putrid claims,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the PPPRA boss as saying to journalists.

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