The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Anambra: PDP rakes in N186m, screens 17 aspirants

    Anambra: PDP rakes in N186m, screens 17 aspirants

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raked in N186 million from 26 aspirants that initially indicated interest in the November governorship election in Anambra State.

    A total of 26 aspirants paid N1 million each for the expression of interest form, raking in N26 million for the party.

    At the close of nomination on Monday, only 17 of the aspirants had eventually paid for the N10 million nomination form, totaling N170 million.

    Prominent among the aspirants are Senator Andy Uba, Nicholas Ukachukwu, Akachukwu Nwankpo, Sylvester Okonkwo, Obinna Uzor, Charles Odunukwe, Jerry Ugokwe, Senator Emmanuel Anosike and Mrs. Josephine Anenih among others.

    Nine of the aspirants failed the first hurdle as they could not pay the N10 million nomination fee. Consequently, they have been excluded from the screening exercise.

    As at press time on Tuesday, the 17 aspirants were still undergoing screening at the party secretariat by a five- man committee, headed by Alhaji Aminu Wali.

    Zoning and consensus option are the two contentious issues that have pitted the party leadership against the aspirants.

    While a handful of the aspirants said they would go along with the decision of the party leadership over zoning and consensus option, majority of them have insisted on a level playing field for all.

     

     

  • Nasarawa killings: Fulanis accuse government of bias

    Nasarawa killings: Fulanis accuse government of bias

    The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Socio-Cultural Association on Tuesday accused the Governor of Nasarawa State, Tanko Al-Makura and some officials in his administration of bias.

    The Secretary of the Nasarawa State branch of the association, Mohammed Hussaini, told the Judicial Commission of Inquiry probing the killing of security agents and other incessant conflicts in the state that the government has not deem it fit to visit and commiserate with the Fulani communities as it has done to their Eggon neigbours.

    The association is the umbrella body of Fulani cattle rearers across the country.

    Hussaini, while presenting the association’s memorandum to the panel, said: “We are dissatisfied with the handling of the crisis by officials of the state government. It is a fact that up to date, neither the governor nor officials of the state government had visited our community to commiserate with our people.

    “This is making our people not to be happy with the state government. The governor and some envoys had visited Eggon towns and villages to commiserate with them. Why are we treated differently?”

    He blamed the various conflicts in the state involving the Fulanis on “rumours, wild allegations, mutual suspicion and feeling of injustice.”

     

     

     

     

  • Armed robbers shoot two YABATECH students

    Two students of Yaba College of Technology have been shot by suspected armed robbers during a robbery incident at their Bariga residence.

    The incident occurred on July 27.

    Residents said the masked gunmen were more than 14.

    The Nation gathered that the gunmen stormed Awofodu and Ajiun Streets in the Lady Lak area of Bariga, robbing and raping residents.

    Eyewitnesses disclosed that at Awofodu Street, the robbers carted away phones, two laptops and raped a lady.

     

  • FG begins payment of PHCN workers’ severance package

    FG begins payment of PHCN workers’ severance package

    The Office Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) has commenced the payment of N34.585 billion to 3,938 staff of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

    The affected workers are those of Generation Companies (GENCO) and the PHCN Headquarters.

    According to an official of the Implementation Committee on the settlement of PHCN staff terminal benefits headed by Godswill Igali, names of the affected staff had been forwarded to the OAGF for payment.

    The official noted that “as at August 5, another 16,366 staff of the Distribution Companies (DISCOs) had been cleared by the auditors and are ready for onward transmission to the OAGF for payment and the amount is N84.5 billion.”

    The official added that, “so far 20,304 workers have been cleared. Hopefully, more staff would be cleared by the auditors before the end of this week as it is a continuous process.”

     

     

     

  • Fashola’s father buried

    Fashola’s father buried

    Lagos was agog on Tuesday as late Alhaji Demola Ibrahim Fashola, father of Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola was buried at the Vaults and Garden, Ikoyi.

    Late Alhaji Fashola died on Monday.

    His final journey home began at his 31, Ladipo Labinjo Street, Surulere, residence where eminent personalities gathered for the lying in state.

    His corpse arrived the residence from the mortuary in a black Mercedes Benz jeep at about 11:55am, while the lying in state was held in his honour at the Surulere Senior Secondary School opposite his residence.

    Among the early callers at the residence were Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Chief Rasak Okoya, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, Alhaji Lateef Okunnu, Subomi Balogun, Surulere Council boss, Tajudeen Ajide, Kayode Opeifa, Joe Igbokwe, Onigbongbo LCDA boss, Babatunde Oke, Representatives of Arewa and Ndigbo, Service Chiefs and members of the State Executive Council, among others

    Members of Eko Club, who were present at the lying in state to pay their last respect, described him as a jolly good fellow and prayed for smooth repose of his soul.

    The entourage then moved to the Central Mosque in Obalende where prayers were offered.

    A Mercedez Benz M350 4matic car belonging to MIC Funerals with the inscription “Alhaji Demola Fashola” conveyed the corpse to the mosque.

    Governor Fashola was accompanied by his siblings and close family relatives as they alighted from their vehicles and escorted the corpse on foot from a distance to the mosque.

    The interment at the Vaults and Garden was performed in a newly built marble-carved tomb, a stone throw away from where the late Abibat Mogaji, mother of former governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was buried.

     

     

     

  • Boko Haram: Emergency rule is working – Presidency

    Despite the recent attacks and killings by the Boko Haram sect in northern part of the country, the Presidency on Tuesday claimed the emergency rule declared in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe is effective and working.

    Speaking on FRCN Network programme on Tuesday, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Dr. Reuben Abati, said that normalcy is returning to the areas and the terrorists are being uprooted and dislocated from their enclaves.

    He said: “The first point to note is that before the declaration of state of emergency, the situation in the affected states was really bad, socio-economic activities had practically ceased. There was anxiety in the communities and other affected parts of the country. On a regular basis, there were either cases of detonation of bombs or harassment of people. There was a state of fear.

    “But since the declaration of state of emergency by President Goodluck Jonathan, a lot has been achieved. It was a very good tactical and strategic move, as well as a very good demonstration of leadership, determination and focus by this present administration.”

     

  • Fashola’s father death, irreparable loss to nation – PDP

    Fashola’s father death, irreparable loss to nation – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja on Tuesday described the death of Pa Ademola Fashola , father of Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, as an “irreparable loss’’ to the nation.

    This is contained in a statement issued by the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Tony Okeke, in Abuja.

     

    It said the deceased, until his death, remained a shining example of humility and a source of inspiration for the younger generation.

    The statement added that the deceased was well known for his forthrightness and candour in handling issues and it earned him the love and respect of all who came around him.

    “The passage of Fashola, even at the ripe age of 80, has indeed, left a big vacuum not only in the Fashola family, but in Lagos State and the entire nation at large.

    “The leadership and entire members of the PDP hereby commiserate with Lagos State governor over the death of his father, “the statement said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the deceased, who retired from Daily Times Plc, died in Lagos, while the son was on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

     

  • Rivers crisis: Lloyd in court, pleads ‘not guilty’ to charges

    Rivers crisis: Lloyd in court, pleads ‘not guilty’ to charges

    The Majority Leader of the Rivers House of Assembly, Mr. Chidi Lloyd, on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to the six-count charge levelled against him.

    Lloyd was arraigned before a Port Harcourt High Court on a six-count charge of attempted murder, conspiracy, wounding, assault, and malicious damage.

    The Judge, Justice Latan Nyordee, said the plea of the accused could be taken on the ground that he had been properly arraigned before court.

    Nyordee said the earlier oral announcement of the Attorney-General of the state, Mr. Nwogu Boms, taking over the case was premature.

    “Now that the accused is properly arraigned, he could take his plea,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Lloyd pleaded not guilty to the six-count charge preferred against him.

    The Attorney-General of Rivers announced his appearance and took over the case.

    The Police Counsel, Mr. Donald Demwigwe, told the court that since the accused had been properly arraigned and his plea taken, he was not opposed to the attorney-general taking over the case.

    Mr. Beluolisa Nwofor, Counsel to Lloyd, said that he had applied for his bail through a motion on notice which the court graciously allowed him to argue.

    Nwofor later told journalists that he argued a motion for his client’s bail because all his offences were bailable and he (Lloyd) had been in detention beyond the number of days allowed by law.

    But the Rivers Attorney-General said that he wanted the counter affidavit filed against the bail of the accused to be struck out.

     

  • Gunfire, explosions rock Borno town

    Gunfire and explosions shook a town in Borno State on Tuesday while soldiers slapped a round-the-clock curfew on another in the region hit by waves of insurgent attacks, the military and residents said.

    Clashes broke out in the town of Gamboru Ngala on the border with Cameroon on Monday night and continued on Tuesday, a resident said. The military had not commented on the situation there and details remained unclear.

    Gamboru Ngala is the headquarters of the Ngala local government area of Borno State.

    The situations in the two towns did not appear to be linked as they are located hundreds of kilometres apart in Africa’s most populous nation.

    In Gamboru Ngala, one resident told AFP the fighting began after someone who runs errands for immigration officers was shot and wounded.

    “We have been bombarded with explosions and sounds of gunfire since yesterday evening,” the resident told AFP.

    Residents over the border in Cameroon also reported hearing gunshots.

    In Potiskum, residents said soldiers were conducting house-to-house searches in two neighbourhoods and word had spread in the town that troops were looking for high-profile members of Boko Haram sect.

     

  • Man beheads son for N1m in Adamawa

    The Adamawa Police Command on Tuesday confirmed the arrest of a middle-aged man (name with-held) in Ganji village of Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa, for allegedly beheading his five-year-old biological son.

    Arrested along with the suspect, was a village head (name with-held), alleged to have requested for a human head at a fee of one million naira, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

    Parading the suspects before journalists in Yola, the Command’s spokesman, DSP Muhammed Ibrahim, said the killing occurred on July 24, in Ganji village.

    According to the Police, Alti Alhaji, father of the first suspect, reported the case to the Gombi Police Divisional Headquarters that the suspect took his son (Alhaji’s grandson), to a bush but did not return with the boy.

    The spokesman said when Alhaji asked the suspect where he left his grandson, he replied that the deceased was on his way home.

    ”After a while, the grandfather and some members of the family went to the bush to find out what exactly happened.

    ”It was after searching the nearby bush that they discovered the dead body of the boy, which had been beheaded and dumped in the bush,” Ibrahim said.

    He said when arrested, the suspect confessed that he committed the crime.

    “ During interrogation, he confessed and pointed at a village head as the one who directed him to bring a fresh human head, at a cost of one million naira,” Ibrahim further revealed.