The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Leaders must build democratic institutions – Tambuwal

    Leaders must build democratic institutions – Tambuwal

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, on Wednesday urged those in authority to build institutions of governance to allow democracy thrive in the country for the good of generations to come.

    Tambuwal in a statement issued in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Malam Imam Imam, to commemorate Democracy Day, urged Nigerians to nurture and protect the country’s democracy by participating actively in governance process at local, state and federal levels.

    He said one of the cardinal principles of democracy is “openness and transparency.”

    “Therefore, those in authority must be open and transparent in the conduct of their activities at all times,” the Speaker said in the statement.

    He said though the country is faced with various challenges in its march towards nationhood, Nigerians should roll out the drums and celebrate the 14 years of its democracy.

    Tambuwal said the devastating effect of military rule and how past dictatorships have stunted the growth of the country and severely hampered the freedom of choice of Nigerians should not be forgotten in a hurry.

     

  • Paris suspect admits to ‘soldier stabbing’

    A suspect arrested in connection with the weekend stabbing of a French soldier in Paris has admitted carrying out the attack, Paris prosecutor Xavier Molins said.

    He added that the man, named only as Alexander D, had converted to Islam and was probably acting on his “religious ideology.”

    Mr. Molins told a press conference the man “admitted to the act” during his arrest early on Wednesday in the Yvelines region just west of Paris.

    The prosecutor said the suspect had “a fairly clear intent to kill” during the attack, which took place in a busy underground shopping and transport hub.

    Private First Class Cedric Cordiez, 23, was stabbed in the neck while he was on patrol with two colleagues on Saturday evening.

    The attack echoed the killing of Drummer Lee Rigby in south London a week ago.

    Authorities have not yet established a link between the two cases, however, French officials have claimed that the stabbing could have been inspired by the Woolwich murder.

    The head of investigative police, Christian Flaesch, said there had been no previous indications of the suspect’s involvement in violent extremism.

    “Other than the praying in the street, there were no other elements that could have indicated he was dangerous,” Mr. Flaesch said.

    He added that the man was from a “family that seems completely honourable.”

     

  • Good leadership sustains democracy – Sultan

    Good leadership sustains democracy – Sultan

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III on Tuesday identified good leadership as key to wooing the confidence of the governed for the sustenance of democracy.

    He described Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State as a tested figure who has demonstrated the foresight of a good leader to the people of the state.

    “You are doing tremendously well and keep it up”, Abubakar told Wamakko.

    Sultan Abubakar spoke in Kalambaina town, Wamakko local government area while laying the foundation stone for the construction of 500 housing units by the state government.

    The foundation laying event for the housing units comprising market, mosque and school among other facilities at the cost of N3.7 billion was part of activities marking democracy day in the state.

    Already, Wamakko’s administration has constructed not less than 4,000 housing units across the state.

    He told the governor to keep consolidating his strides, urging people of the state to extend their cooperation and support to the governor for the sustenance of his policies and programmes in the interest of all.

     

     

  • Emergency rule to end soon – Mark

    Emergency rule to end soon – Mark

    President of the Senate, David Mark, on Wednesday said the state of emergency declared in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States would be over soon.

    Mark stated this at a church service to mark the 2013 Democracy Day at St. Mulumba Catholic Chaplaincy, Apo, Abuja.

    He explained that the state of emergency proclamation in some states of the federation was a last resort to tame the lingering menace of insecurity and bring normalcy back to the land.

    He said: “I know it is yielding positive result. Very soon, it would be over as our military formations are living up to the task.”

    He admitted that there are challenges militating against the nation but said they are surmountable.

    “All we need is a collective resolve to confront our challenges and find a lasting solution to them,” he added.

    The Senate President in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Paul Mumeh, in Abuja urged Nigerians to be a good Apostle of peace in the country in order to facilitate delivery of the dividends of democracy.

    He stated that the nation is currently passing through some difficulties especially in the areas of security and socio-economy challenges, pointing out that “We can collectively resolve to say enough is enough.

    “All our efforts towards development would come to naught if the crisis continues,” Mark added.

    He thanked Nigerians for their perseverance and cooperation in the propagation and sustenance of democracy, adding that democracy is a process everyone should uphold in order to benefit from its dividends.

     

  • Moses ‘sad’ to miss Eagles matches

    Moses ‘sad’ to miss Eagles matches

    Chelsea winger Victor Moses has said he is devastated that injury has ruled him out of upcoming matches for Nigeria.

    MTNFootball.com reports that the Super Eagles take on Mexico in a friendly in Houston, Texas, on Friday. The team then travel to Kenya on June 5 and a week later move to Namibia for World Cup qualifiers before jetting out to Brazil for the FIFA Confederations Cup.

    Moses has pulled out of all these games and his club has announced he will only be fit again by July 6 after undergoing treatment.

    The player said on his Tweeter handle Wednesday @VictorMoses: “Devastated not to be able to represent my country this summer but have to respect medical advice on injury. I’ll be supporting though #nigeria.”

    Moses represented England at various age-group levels, but made his Eagles debut against Rwanda in a Nations Cup qualifier two years ago and went on to shine as Nigeria won a third Nations Cup in South Africa earlier this year.

    Injury-hit Spartak Moscow striker Emmanuel Emenike and Kalu Uche from Turkish club Kasimpasa have also pulled out of the Nigeria squad ahead of a hectic summer schedule.

     

  • UK confirms holding up to 90 Afghans

    UK confirms holding up to 90 Afghans

    British forces are detaining 80 to 90 Afghan nationals in a holding facility at Camp Bastion, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has confirmed.

    United Kingdom lawyers acting for eight of the men said they had been held for up to 14 months without charge in what could amount to unlawful detention.

    They compared it to when the public became aware of Guantanamo Bay and want the UK High Court to free the men.

    But Mr. Hammond said their release would put British troops at risk.

    BBC reports that British forces in Afghanistan are allowed to detain suspects for 96 hours.

    However, in “exceptional circumstances” – to gather critical intelligence, for example – they can hold them for longer.

    The lawyers said their clients were arrested by British soldiers in raids in villages in Helmand and Kandahar provinces and have been held for between eight and 14 months without charge.

    But the defence secretary dismissed claims that the UK is operating a secret facility in Afghanistan as “patently absurd.”

    Mr. Hammond told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Parliament had been informed by this government and the previous one about the detention of Afghan suspects.

    He declined to say how long some had been held and said the precise number of detainees fluctuated.

    A spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Defence, General Zahir Azimi said the detentions were illegal and inhumane.

     

  • Eagles arrive Houston for Mexico friendly

    Eagles arrive Houston for Mexico friendly

    Super Eagles  arrived Houston, United States of America  on Tuesday at about 2.40pm local time (8.40pm Nigeria time).

    After airport formalities, the team checked in at the  Westin Galleries Hotel in West Alabama, Huston at 4.20 pm local time, had lunch and trained at 7.30pm (1.30am Nigeria time).

    The Chief Coach of the team Stephen Keshi during a short interaction with the local press  said “All is well with the team and we are looking forward to a great game against Mexico on Friday.”

    Chief coach Keshi stated that while taking the game against Mexico seriously, it will afford him to try some players in preparation for the Africa World Cup qualifying matches with Kenya and Namibia respectively.

    While rating Mexico highly, he further said they will not find it easy against Nigeria.

  • Gadzama heads PDP panel to probe Amaechi

    The leadership of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has named Mr. Joe Gadzama SAN, as chairman of an 11-member investigation panel to handle matters in connection with the suspension order clamped on Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi by the leadership of the party.
    National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh who announced the setting up of the panel at a briefing on Monday  said the panel was expected to submit its recommendation to the party’s NWC at the conclusion of its assignment.
    Metuh isolated the decision to suspend Amaechi from the crisis arising from the outcome of Friday’s election of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum won by Amaechi against the expectation of powerful stakeholders in the ruling party.
    He based Amaechi’ s suspension on his refusal to rescind the decision by the Rivers State House of Assembly suspending the executive council of the Obiokpor local government in Rivers State.
    According to him, it was incumbent on the Governor to rescind the decision, as directed by a faction of the executive committee of the Rivers chapter of the PDP.
    “Going by the party’s constitution, the Governor was expected to have rescinded the suspension order handed the executive council of the Obiokpor local government by the Rivers State Assembly”, Metuh added.
    Asked whether the suspension of the Rivers council was the first of its kind in PDP controlled states, Metuh said it was the first under the Bamanga Tukur led NWC.
    He stressed that the party was less concerned with similar suspension of councils in other states under previous leadership of the party.
    The PDP spokesman said the decision to suspend Amaechi was not meant to pull the governor down.
    “We did not take the decision to pull anyone down. We are not out to destroy or condemn the governor. We are not saying that Ameachi is wrong. When you are administering a party, you must ensure there is discipline in the party”, Metuh stated.
    Asked whether as the national leader of the party, President Goodluck Jonathan, was consulted before the decision to suspend Amaechi was taken, Metuh said the party did not have to consult the President before taking a decision.
    Other members of the Gadzama panel are: Victor Kwom, Inalegwu Onche, Friday Nwosu, Udorji Amedu, Ola Kukoyi and Wakil Mohammed.
    The list also include Yusuf Jangwe, Mrs. Bola Doherty, Tanimu Adamson and Anicho Okoro who is to serve as secretary to the panel.
    Metuh did not give a time frame within which the panel is expected to submit its report to the leadership of the party.

  • NCS, others partner over computer misuse, cybersecurity

    A tripartite agreement has been reached by the Nigerian Computer Society (NCS), Computer professionals (Registration Council of Nigeria) [CPN] and the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) to hold a one-day workshop on ‘Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity.’

    The workshop, billed for June 12th 2013, at Lagos Sheraton Hotel, is to sensitize IT practitioners and the public of cyber threats, ways people could fall prey to cyber-attacks, Cyber Security Bills presently before the National Assembly.

    According to a statement, the outcome of the workshop will form the basis of a new Information Technology (IT) bill that will be sent to the National Assembly for passage into law.

    Expected to be in attendance are all stakeholders in IT industry, service providers, State Security Service, (SSS), Police, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) and members of the public.

    Organisers say paper submission/presentation and oral presentation are welcome from professionals knowledgeable in cyber security.

     

  • Huawei, others partner over Windows 8 phone

    Huawei, others partner over Windows 8 phone

    ICT firm and equipment vendor, Huawei, has partnered Microsoft and chip set maker, Qualcomm to produce a Windows 8 mobile phone named Huawei 4Afika.

    Speaking at the launch of the mobile phone in Lagos, Senior Director of Business Development and managing director of Qualcomm’s West Africa operations, Alexander Dadson, said the firm was proud to be associated with the new mobile phone.

    According to him, Qualcomm developed the processor (chip set), the computation engine that made things happen. He disclosed that the new phone has two big engines, adding that it is a product of advanced technology in terms of hardware and software. For him, the new mobile phone is a computer with multimedia functionlaity.

    “We are deeply ommitted to Africa. We may have missed the PC era but the smartphone is as good as the PC. We must support this device. PC is too expensive but the device is cheaper,” he said.

    Country Manager, Microsoft Nigeria, Emmanuel Onyeje, said the technology firm is deeply committed to developing Africa, deepening device penetration to the continent there by empowering them. He said the time has come for Africa’s renaissance, adding that when devices are made available to the youths, they will take advantage of new opportunities in e-commerce, tele-medicine and e-learning.

    He said the firm is empowering Africans to showcase their skills, encouraging them to build local applications for Africans, adding that as a Windows phone, it easily integrates with existing system.

    The smartphone is 10.15 mm slim and features a 4-inch IPSLCD 480×800 touch screen woth OGS technology, powered by the high-end Qualcomm Snadragon s4 MSM8230 dual core 1.2Ghz processor and Adreno 305 GPU, with a 1950 mAH battery, the Ascend W1 has 470 hours of stand by time, the longest among all smartphone in its class.