The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • No plane crash in Lagos, says NEMA

    The National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA), has denied reports of an  plane crash or crash landing of any aircraft in Igando/ Isolo area of Lagos.

    In telephone interview with The Nation, the information officer, South West office of NEMA, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye explained that no aircraft either crashed or crash landed in any area of Lagos.

    He said :” NEMA confirms that there is no air crash in Lagos. No aircraft crash landed into either Igando or Mangoro area of Lagos.

    “What we learnt is that on Wednesday night, about 11.20 pm, some persons were transporting scraps of disused aircraft in a truck from the airport vicinity. This triggered anxiety among resident that saw it, people took the photographs and circulated it on social media, thinking it was wreckage of an aircraft that had a crash.  This is the cause of the anxiety. There is no crash in Lagos.”

    Meanwhile, aviation authorities at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA), Nigeria Airspace Management Agency ( NAMA), and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN), have clarified that there is no air crash in Lagos.

  • FUTA student wins Olumhense’s column logo contest

    FUTA student wins Olumhense’s column logo contest

    A Masters student of Industrial Design (Graphics option) of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Olugbenga Adejoro,  is the winner of the contest for the logo of the forthcoming Sonala Olumhense Syndicated column.

    He beat 17 others to win the token US$300 prize.  The runner-up is Oluwaseyi Ayoade, a mass communication student of Bowen University, Iwo.

    Competition Judge, Mr Ogbenyi Egbe, a computer graphics design whiz and Creative Director of Harpostrophe Limited, which co-ordinated the competition, described Adejoro’s design as “well thought-out and balanced.”   The artiste’s creative use of the writer’s silhouette, he said, “helps to humanise the column and give it a personality.”

    Egbe also praised Ayoade, citing his “simple use of two colours which complement each other.”   He added:  “The all-seeing eye in the ‘o’ is graphically very appealing as it helps describe the column’s purpose.”  His prize is US$200.

    Reacting to his choice as the winner, Adejoro gushed in an email: “I can’t hold my joy, Am sooo happy!!! Short of words for now, kindly permit me to respond properly later. Thanks so much.”

    Mr Olumhense, currently based in the United States, on 28 April wrote his last exclusive column for The Guardian newspaper, after 30 years; opting to henceforth syndicate his column, which will be known as Sonala Olumhense Syndicated. On 11 May, a contest to choose the logo was thrown open to graphics arts students in Nigeria.

    The second prize winner, a mass communication student of Bowen University, decided to contest as he had noted that he’s “learning to be a skilled writer and designer.”

     

  • WCQ: Nigeria 1- Namibia 1

    Nigeria Green Eagles on Wednesday forced Namibia to a a 1-1 draw in the World Cup Africa zone Group F qualifying match played in Windhoek

    Namibia  led in the 77th minute  through the goal by Hotto Kavendji 77 while Nigeria’s Oboabona scored in the  83rd minute.

     

  • Jonathan mourns Fatai Rolling Dollar

    President Goodluck Jonathan has  joined other Nigerians and music lovers worldwide  to mourn the accomplished and multi-talented musician, Pa Fatai Olayiwola Olagunju, popularly known as   Fatai Rolling Dollar, who passed away on Wednesday.

    Jonathan, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati expressed grief over the death of the illustrious entertainer, master singer, guitarist and exponent of the native thumb piano who continued to perform and exhibit his unqualified love for the music profession at an age when most of his contemporaries had long retired.

    It states: “The President believes that the late Fatai Rolling Dollar who enthralled his teeming followers throughout his career of over 64 years will, even in death, remain an enduring influence on African music and that the vacuum his death has created in the Nigerian entertainment industry will be hard to fill.”

    “He extends heartfelt condolences to the late musician’s family and prays that God Almighty grant his soul eternal rest.” The statement added

  • Jonathan mourns late national anthem composer

    President Goodluck Jonathan has commiserated with the family, colleagues, associates and friends of the composer of Nigeria’s National Anthem, Pa Benedict Odiase, who died on Wednesday.

    In his condolence message,  President Jonathan said the late police officer, who was the Director of the Nigerian Police Band until he retired in 1992, will always be remembered and honoured whenever the National Anthem which captures the vision of Nigeria as a great nation is played.

     He urged Pa Odiase’s family, former colleagues in the police and friends across the country to be consoled by the knowledge that the late police officer lived an exemplary life, and in passing on, bequeathed an indelible legacy to the nation.

     

  • SMEDAN to create 5m jobs through NEDEP

    The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN plans to create five million new jobs through its National Enterprises Development Programme, NEDEP before 2015.

    Director-General of the agency, Alhaji Bature Masari, disclosed the plan on Wednesday at an interactive session with journalists in Abuja, stating that with NEDEP, it would be easier to implement the One Local Government One Product, OLOP scheme nationwide.

    “NEDEP would cover all states of the federation and Abuja with a view to conducting survey of every products being produced in each local governments as part of the strategies mapped out by SMEDAN to achieve the goal.

    “Our objective is that within the few years of implementing NEDEP and other programmes to be initiated, we will generate an estimated five million direct and indirect jobs.

    “I came here with a mission. My mission is to contribute immensely to the growth of MSMEs all over the country. MSMEs play the lead role in creating additional employments, wealth generation and poverty reduction, ” the DG stated.

    He added that SMEDAN, which will identify skills of each youth, would work in conjunction with the Industrial Training Fund, ITF which would train them and the Bank of Industry, BoI for finance.

    The D-G disclosed that the pilot scheme  started in Kano and Niger States will developed to create jobs, generate wealth and eradicate poverty in the country.

    He said this would be done through the micro, small and medium enterprises, MSMEs sector for effective skills training and acquisition as well as business services development.

  • Homosexuals protest trial of members

    More than 50 men  from different parts of Anambra state suspected to be homosexuals on Wednesday created a scene at the Atani Chief Magistrate Court , Ogbaru local council area of Anambra state when they  disrupted proceedings in the court.

    The Nation gathered that the  disruption of proceedings was sequel to the docking of two of their members for alleged same sex offence. They had stormed the court premises as early as 9am in solidarity with their two members.

    They demanded unconditional release of two men who were charged with two count charge relating to same sex and promised to continue to fight for their rights despite the challenges they face in the National Assembly.

    The Homosexuals chanted anti police songs in protest over the trial.

    The two suspects were later remanded in prison custody on the ground that the magistrate court had no jurisdiction to hear the matter.

  • 220 federal parastatals may be scrapped

    220 Federal Government’s parastatals, agencies and commissions may be scrapped in the on-going restructuring and rationalization exercise of the government.
    Briefing State House correspondents at the end of Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday,  Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati said that the White Paper Drafting Committee have accepted 321 out of the 541 Federal parastatals, commissions and agencies recommended by the Presidential Committee on the Rationalisation and  Restructuring  led by ex-Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Steven Oronsaye.
    But he noted that the final decision on the recommendations of the two committees would soon be taken by the Federal Executive Council.
    He also assured that the on-going exercise is not meant to witch-hunt but to boost efficiency, reduce cost of governance towards delivering quality service to Nigerians.
    “There is no cause for any anxiety. The Oronsaye Committee considered suggestions, recommendations from different quarters and in total, that committee looked at 541 federal parastatals, commissions and agencies. The white paper drafting committee out of that accepted 321, noted some recommendations, rejected some.“At the end of the day, the FEC will take final decision on this recommendation and when that is done, the white paper will be made public. I don’t think we should jump the gun, the thing to note is that all of this is being done to ensure efficiency, to reduce the cost of government, to avoid leakages and wastage and to make government far more effective in delivering quality service to Nigerians.

    “This is not targeted at pushing anybody out of work, this is not an exercise in making life difficult for anybody. This is just government restructuring for better level of efficiency. People should not be unduly anxious,” Abati stated.

  • Mandela’s condition still ‘serious but stable’

    Mandela’s condition still ‘serious but stable’

    Former South African president and anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela’s condition remained unchanged at “serious but stable”, a government spokesman told local radio on Wednesday morning.

    Mandela, who is spending his fifth day in hospital for a recurring lung infection, continued to receive close care from doctors, Reuters quoted Presidency spokesman, Mac Maharaj, as saying to SAFM radio.

    President Jacob Zuma also plans to visit the 94-year-old global statesman, Maharaj said.

    “President Zuma will be visiting him as soon as his diary allows,” he said.

     

  • ‘World’s oldest living’ person dies in Japan

    A Japanese man recognised as the world’s oldest living person, and the oldest man recorded in history, has died aged 116, local officials said.

    Jiroemon Kimura died of natural causes on Wednesday in a hospital in Kyotango, Kyoto, a government statement said.

    In December, Guinness World Records recorded Mr. Kimura as the oldest man ever verified to have lived.

    He reportedly had seven children, 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and 13 great-great-grandchildren.

    The BBC reports that Mr. Kimura was born on 19 April 1897, the same year as aviator Amelia Earhart.

    He worked in his local post office until retiring and was said to have helped his son with his farming until he was around 90 years old.

    He became the world’s oldest living person in December, when the previous title-holder died.

    In an interview in December, his nephew, Tamotsu Miyake, said Kimura had “an amazingly strong will to live.”

    “He is strongly confident that he lives right and well.”