The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Shettima’s U.S trip aborted

    Shettima’s U.S trip aborted

    • Tuggar to represent Tinubu at U.S.-Africa Business Summit

    Vice President Kashim Shettima has aborted his official visit to the United States where he was scheduled to represent President Bola Tinubu at this year’s U.S-Africa Business Summit in Dallas, Texas.

    He was scheduled to have left Abuja on Sunday evening.

    The change of plans followed a technical fault in his aircraft, forcing him to make a detour.

    A statement yesterday in Abuja by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, confirmed the development.

    “The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, will now represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 2024 U.S-Africa Business Summit in Dallas, Texas.

    Read Also: Aircraft technical fault forces Shettima to aborts US trip

    “Vice President Kashim Shettima, who was originally scheduled to represent the President, was unable to make the trip following a technical fault in his aircraft, forcing him to make a detour on the advice of the Presidential Air Fleet. 

    “The Vice President will carry on with other national duties.

    “The high-profile summit, taking place at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Centre, will bring together political and business leaders from across Africa, the United States, and other regions. It features high-level dialogues, networking sessions, and plenaries.

    “Among the African heads of state expected are: President Joseph Boakai of Liberia, President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi, President Joao Lourenço of Angola, President Mokgweetsi E.K. Masisi of Botswana, President José Maria Neves of Cabo Verde, and Deputy Prime Minister Nthomeng Majara of Lesotho.

    “The U.S-Africa Business Summit aims to foster economic cooperation and explore investment opportunities between the United States and African countries,” the statement said.

  • Alleged $9.6b P&ID scam: Court  adjourns suit against fleeing Briton, firms

    Alleged $9.6b P&ID scam: Court  adjourns suit against fleeing Briton, firms

    A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday adjourned two separate money laundering suits filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against a British national, James Nolan, and two other companies for judgment.

    Justice Donatus Okorowo adjourned the suits for judgment after counsel to the EFCC, Bala Sanga, and the defence lawyer, Michael Ajara, adopted their final written addresses and made their submissions in the matters.

    Ajara prayed the court to dismiss the two suits for lack of jurisdiction, insisting that the court lacked jurisdiction because the charges were defective.

    Read Also: Tinubu can govern the country from anywhere – Bwala

    The lawyer said all the evidence by the anti-graft agency through its witnesses were hearsay.

    But Sanga disagreed with Ajara, arguing that under Section 220 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, the irregularity of a charge does not affect the jurisdiction of the court and neither does it affect the validity of the charge.

    The lawyer averred that Ajara’s objection was belated as this should have been raised during arraignment.

    Sanga also argued that the matter could not be caught up by hearsay rules because the documents obtained by the prosecution’s investigating officers were visible in evidence.

    The lawyer submitted that the knowledge derived from day-to-day work cannot be described as hearsay.

    He prayed the court to convict the defendants and order the forfeiture of the companies’ assets to the Federal Government.

    After listening to the arguments, which lasted till evening, Justice Okorowo adjourned the matters for judgment.

    The judge said the judgment date would be communicated to parties in the suits.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the court had, on April 14, fixed yesterday for adoption of the final addresses after Nolan, who jumped bail and fled Nigeria in the alleged $9.6 billion Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) Limited scandal, opened his defence in absentia without calling any witness.

    Ajara had told the judge that he did not intend to call any witness upon resumed hearing.

    The lawyer said after his evaluation of the EFCC’s evidence, he would rely on the case of the prosecution.

    Sanga did not object, and the matter was fixed for adoption of written addresses.

    NAN also reports that the EFCC is prosecuting Trinity Biotech Nigeria Limited and Nolan as the first and second defendants in the case.

    Also, the EFCC is prosecuting the sister case filed against Resorts Express Concept Nigeria Limited, another company, and Corrado Fantoli as first and second defendants before Justice Okorowo.

    Fantoli, also a foreigner and an associate of Nolan, was one of the suspects behind the alleged $9.6 billion P&ID fraud.

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  • NiMet boss urges agency’s workers to comply with budgetary provisions

    NiMet boss urges agency’s workers to comply with budgetary provisions

    The Director General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Charles Anosike, has urged the agency’s workers to ensure strict compliance with budgetary provisions.

    He said doing so would help its management and workers to achieve the set goals in the course of the budget year.

    Anosike, who spoke at a budget retreat organised for the agency’s workers yesterday in Abuja, said his advice was in line with the performance bond NiMet signed with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN).

    Read Also: NiMet boss seeks compliance with budgetary provisions

    He said: “The NiMet budget retreat is fundamental for the new management and workers. It is an opportunity for us to improve our budgetary practices and discuss the 2024 budgetary provisions.

    “The anticipated outcome of the retreat is that all will embrace performance-based budgeting, which will lead to transparent and accountable budgetary processes.

    “This will help the management and the workers to achieve our set goals during the budget year, in line with the performance bond signed with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.”

  • Fed Govt releases employment letters of regularised unity school teachers

    Fed Govt releases employment letters of regularised unity school teachers

    The Federal Government has released the employment letters of regularised teachers of its Unity Schools.

    Leaders of the Concerned Teachers of Parent Teachers Association, Akinloye Olaide, and James Chris, confirmed this in a statement yesterday in Abuja.

    Over 50 of the 2018/2019 PTA teachers were affected.

    The teachers lauded the roles played by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSoF), Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan; the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa; a Director at the Head of Service (HoS), Mr. Bayo Odejimi, and the Director of Communications for HoS, Mohammed Sabo.

    The statement reads: “On behalf of the remaining 2018/2019 PTA part-time teachers whose appointment letters were recently released, I want to express my profound gratitude to the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, for her swift response to our appeals and agitations. It is my prayer that the good Lord will continue to make your ways prosperous as you strive to make quality and merit the bedrock of civil service.

    Read Also: AIDO holds 6th convention to celebrate African culture in Nigeria

    “I equally want to appreciate the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, for his fatherly role in wiping off our tears of anguish and the psychological trauma we went through for a period of four years. May you always be remembered for good.

    “I cannot forget in a hurry the roles played by Director Bayo Odejimi and Director Mohammed Sabo, the Director of HoS and the Director of Communications for HoS, in making sure that our letters were released promptly. Thank you very much, sir; I am indeed grateful.

    “I strongly believe that the few officers whose appointment letters are still being processed will in no distant time get theirs.

    “I also have this strong conviction that our appeal as regards the grade level disparity so we can enjoy the same privilege accorded our colleagues in 2020, which has been tabled before the Honourable Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, would be looked into and would be given a favourable consideration.”

  • Judge threatens Trump with jail for violation of gag order

    Judge threatens Trump with jail for violation of gag order

    The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal hush-money trial yesterday held him in criminal contempt for the 10th time and warned he could face jail for continued violations of a gag order.

     Juan Merchan’s admonition to Trump came in response to the Republican presidential frontrunner’s repeated commentary on trial witnesses and jurors, which flouts the judge’s order barring him from speaking about those who are testifying at the high-profile proceedings and panelists weighing his fate.

    Merchan’s decision which imposed a $1,000 fine came less than one week after Trump was held in criminal contempt and fined $9,000 for violating the gag order on other occasions. The order was in response to Trump’s comments on the jury, which described their selection as rushed.

     “Mr Trump, as you know the prosecution has filed three separate motions to find you in criminal contempt. It appears that the $1,000 fines are not a deterrent.

    Read Also: Donald Trump gag order reinstated in New York civil fraud trial

    “The last thing I want to do is put you in jail. You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well … but at the end of the day, I have a job to do and part of that job is to protect the dignity of the judicial system,” Merchan said.

    He also said that Trump’s actions: “constitute a direct attack on the rule of law. I cannot allow that to continue.

    “So as much as I do not want to impose a jail sanction,” Merchan added sternly, “I want you to understand that I will, if necessary and appropriate.”

    The dramatic development unfolded moments after Trump entered Merchan’s courtroom for the 12th day of his criminal hush-money trial.

    Trump, wearing a deep blue suit, said “good morning” to someone as he crossed into the well, and dropped a set of papers onto the defense table, which fell with a low, orderly whack.

    The first witness called this week was Jeffrey McConney, former Trump Organization comptroller and senior vice-president. Through McConney’s testimony, the prosecution sought to show that Trump had intimate knowledge of his personal and companies’ finances – and that repayments to Cohen were out-of-the-ordinary for his boss.

  • Russia threatens UK military, orders nuclear drills after ‘provocation’

    Russia threatens UK military, orders nuclear drills after ‘provocation’

    Russia has threatened to strike British military facilities and ordered its military to hold battlefield nuclear weapons drills in a move the Kremlin described as a response to comments from the French president, Emmanuel Macron, on Western troops fighting in Ukraine and from the British foreign secretary, David Cameron, on using British-supplied weapons against Russia.

    The Russian defence ministry said in a statement that troops from the southern military district would “practise the issues of preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons in response to provocative statements and threats by certain western officials against the Russian Federation,”

    The announcement came days after Macron said he would “not rule out” the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine and Cameron said it was up to Kyiv how it used British weapons, including against targets inside of Russia.

    The UK Ambassador, Nigel Casey, and his French counterpart in Moscow were summoned by the Kremlin yesterday.

    Read Also: VCDF, LAWMA, Iru LCDA conduct ‘street hygiene & cleanliness’ campaign

     The Russian foreign ministry issued a formal protest to Casey over Cameron’s recent statements that Ukraine had the right to use British weapons to strike inside Russia.

    It said that the remarks made the UK a de facto party to the conflict. The statement came after a Ukrainian strike on Iskander short-range ballistic missile systems stationed in the annexed Crimean peninsula.

    “Casey was warned that in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory with British weapons, any British military facilities and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and abroad” could be targeted, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

    “The ambassador was called upon to reflect on the inevitable catastrophic consequences of such hostile steps by London and immediately refute the belligerent provocative statements of the head of the Foreign Office in the most decisive and unambiguous way.”

  • 15 people die due to heat-aggravated conditions

    15 people die due to heat-aggravated conditions

    At least 15 people have died from heat-aggravated conditions during a blistering heatwave in parts of cover the past two weeks, the government confirmed.

    Three of them died in the 24 hours till 11:00 a.m. local time yesterday, said the Health Emergency Operation Center and Control Room under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

    Read Also: Jega in 10-member Commonwealth team for Bangladesh poll

    Officials said most of the deaths were reported in Magura district in the country’s southwestern region, where the mercury rose to a record 43.8 degrees Celsius in the past week.

    Most parts of Bangladesh are currently grappling with one of the most severe heatwaves in recent years.

    To cope with the unbearable heat, the government kept schools, colleges, madrasas and technical education institutions across the South Asian country closed.

    Experts said heatwaves would likely escalate in the coming years due to erratic rainfall and high temperatures, posing a threat to Bangladesh, one of the world’s biggest victims of global warming.

  • U.S ‘reviewing’ Gaza ceasefire proposal, opposes Rafah invasion

    U.S ‘reviewing’ Gaza ceasefire proposal, opposes Rafah invasion

    The United States has said it is reviewing a Hamas response to a Gaza ceasefire proposal while refusing to provide any details about the deal or what exactly the Palestinian group has agreed to.

    Officials at the White House and Department of State were tight-lipped about the ceasefire talks yesterday, but they reasserted that the release of Israeli captives in Gaza remains a top priority for the U.S.

    State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller said Washington will “withhold judgement” on Hamas’s response to the deal until it has time to fully review it.

    Read Also: Aircraft technical fault forces Shettima to aborts US trip

    “I can confirm that Hamas has issued a response. We are reviewing that response now and discussing it with our partners in the region,” he said.

    Miller declined to say whether Hamas agreed to a US-backed offer or a different version of the proposal.

     The administration of US President Joe Biden has been pushing for a temporary ceasefire for months, arguing that such an agreement would get Israeli captives out of Gaza, allow for more aid to enter the territory, and provide a chance for a lasting solution to the war.

    Hamas had announced earlier on Monday that it informed Egyptian and Qatari mediators of its agreement to a deal proposed by the two countries.

  • ‘Our mission is to fight food insecurity in Africa’

    ‘Our mission is to fight food insecurity in Africa’

    Foodpreneurs Hub has secured a $5 million investment from Fusen Funds, led by American billionaire, Chris Klaus, to revolutionise the food industry

    Founded by two United States-based Nigerian women – Olushola Oladejo and Yosola Oke-Akinrinola, Foodpreneurs Hub empowers entrepreneurs in food processing through coaching, mentorship, and strategic partnerships. It aims to drive entrepreneurship, promote food security, and foster development.

    Foodpreneurs offers coaching that covers product development, market research, business planning, and quality control. Its commitment to excellence and sustainability will impact food processing, setting standards for quality and efficiency.

    Read Also: FIRS seeks African-led tax solutions

    One of such coaching programmes is The FoodStars Business Scale-Up, a six-week initiative to empower entrepreneurs involved in all aspects of the industry, including farmers, food manufacturers, restaurant owners and others, through mentorship, training, and access to capital. Participants will pitch their ventures, to vie for funding of up to N1 million, among other prizes.

    According to Oladejo, Foodpreneurs Hub aims to bridge the gap between theory and practical, ensuring students navigate challenges and seize opportunities in the industry.

    “I am passionate about nurturing the next food processing entrepreneurs in Africa. By providing coaching and support, we empower students to innovate, create jobs, and contribute to food security…”

    Oke-Akinrinola said Foodpreneurs is the chance to actualise her dreams of empowering entrepreneurs to prosper.

    “I am thrilled to be part of Foodpreneurs and to work with Olushola in fulfilling our mission. This endeavour is more than a business—it’s a calling to empower food entrepreneurs and drive positive change in our communities.”

  • Firms unveil fiscal independence idea

    Firms unveil fiscal independence idea

    The Transition Train, with Patrick Ogunjobi & Co, a real estate firm, is champoining financial independence amid challenges. Together, they’re reshaping lottery, offering prizes and pathways to a bright future.

    Princess Adesuwa Obaseki, founder of Transition Train, said with N1000, N5,000, participants could win furnished houses.

    The grand prizes will be presented on December 3.

    Read Also: Real estate firm Kemsan Acres Global celebrates at five, lists future plans

    At a briefing in Ikeja, Princess Obaseki stressed the partnership was a catalyst for positive change, aiming to empower individuals and foster financial stability despite economic hurdles.

    “In a country with talent and potential, economic obstacles hinder opportunities,” Adesuwa noted, decrying rising costs and the struggle to make ends meet, amid expenses and limited opportunities. She envisioned the lottery platform as a means to address challenges by giving individuals control over their financial destiny.

    The lottery offers more: cars, vocational tools, and  small-trade/business setups. Patrick Ogunjobi, principal partner of Patrick Ogunjobi & Co, noted.