The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • AUPCTRE, SSANU urge FG to address security challenges

    Frank Ikpefan and Austin Bello, Abuja

    The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) has urged the federal government to step up its efforts in the areas of security, economic diversification and basic infrastructure.

    The union said this in a communiqué issued in Abuja at the end of its National Governing Council Meeting which held in Calabar, the capital of Cross River state.

    The union, in the communique signed by its National President, Benjamin Anthony and National Secretary, Raphael Imade, frowned at the deteriorating state of the nation.

    They charged the government to quickly tackle some of the challenges confronting the country.

    One of the key challenge identified by the union was that of insecurity, where it frowned at the high spate of kidnapping, robberies, ritual killings and other vices.

    It charged the government to increase its investments and monitoring of infrastructures.

    It insisted that the collective wealth of the nation should be managed by the government and not left in the hand of private individual who are only about profit making.
    It frowned at the situation where a lot of government agencies are manned by people who are on active appointments and lacked powers to implement government policies.
    Meanwhile, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has told the Federal Government to forget the idea of regulating the social media and face the challenges of insecurity and infrastructural decay in the country.
    The union called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Service Chiefs and replace them with vibrant officers with ideas on how to deal with the increasing wave of insecurity and terrorism in the country.

    At its 37th National Executive Council, (NEC) meeting at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba – Akoko, Ondo State, the National President of SSANU, Comrade Samson Ugwoke said that social media was the only opposition platform in the country.

    Read Also: SSANU, NASU accuse Fed Govt of discrimination

    Ugwoke, in a statement in Abuja yesterday, warned against any attempt to regulate the social media, describing the move as an attempt to gag the people from criticising bad policies of government.

    He commended the government for the closure of borders but also advised that it should be total in all the borders and not only the ones in the south.

    The SSANU boss backed the decision of the federal government to enrol all categories of workers on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, adding that those kicking against the policy have ulterior motives.

    Ugwoke said: “It is because government is not performing that is why it doesn’t want criticism and wants to gag Nigerians.

    “SSANU is against control of social media, social media should be allowed to thrive so that we can talk. In fact, the only opposition party in this country is the social media, every other party has gone underground and bought over.

    “So, we want the social media, government should face the challenges of hunger, unemployment, infrastructural decay, kidnapping, menace of bandits and road construction and leave social media.”

  • 50 per cent of schools in Nigeria lack basic water, sanitation facilities – WaterAid Nigeria

    Frank Ikpefan and Austin Bello, Abuja

    An international non-governmental organisation, WaterAid Nigeria, has said that 50 per cent of all schools in Nigeria do not have basic water and sanitation facilities.

    According to the organisation, this implies that the brunt of challenge of poor access is borne by people in the lowest economic quintile and those living in rural areas and small towns.

    Country Director of WaterAid Nigeria, Dr. ChiChi Aniagolu-Okoye, disclosed this during the unveiling of a report which analysed the situation of sanitation in Kano, Warri and Enugu state, in Abuja, on Wednesday.

    She said: “This poor access has significant implications on education, health and developmental outcomes. For instance, Nigeria loses 60, 000 children under the age of five yearly to diarrhoeal diseases caused by poor access to water and sanitation.

    “Poor water supply and sanitation also costs the Nigerian economy 1.3 per cent of its gross domestic product which is about $4.8 million annually.

    “Nigeria is also experiencing rapid urbanisation which is putting further strain on an already inadequate wash infrastructure.”

    The country director said that the study was conducted to provide insights into the key barriers and opportunities in expanding exclusive sanitation access and the management of human waste across the sanitation value chain.

    She explained that this was necessary towards addressing faecal sludge management in the country.

    Read Also: “Put education, the poor at the centre of development financing”

    “The study specifically looked at institutional and legislative framework for managing sanitation in the cities, the current sanitation situation in each city, past and current interventions by different stakeholders, the existing business opportunities and evaluation of existing opportunities for financing in the sanitation sector.

    “The study is part of WaterAid’s commitment to supporting states and cities to utilise the window of the National Action Plan (NAP) in improving access to safely managed and inclusive sanitation services,” she said.

    Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, in his remarks, said that only 20 per cent of people living in urban areas have access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene services.

    Adamu, who was represented by the Director, Water Quality Control in the ministry, Emmanuel Awe, said that Nigeria had not performed well on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) six for water and sanitation.

    “Goal six of the united nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) is focused on ensuring an inclusive and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water, sanitation and hygiene for all and ending open defecation however it is unfortunate to state here that Nigeria have not performed so well on the target and basic indicators.

    “Only 20% of Nigerians living in urban areas have access to basic wash services,” the minister said.

  • APC suspends lawmaker-elect for absenteeism

    Osagie Otabor, Bénin

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Okada East local government area of Edo State has suspended Mr. Vincent Uwadiae from the party for his continued absence from sittings at the Edo Assembly.

    Uwadiae was elected to represent Ovia North East Constituency II in the Edo State House of Assembly and he is among the 14 lawmakers-elect that refused to present himself for inauguration.

    He has since joined others to remain in Abuja.

    Read Also: Atiku, PDP kick as Buhari, APC celebrate victory

    The suspension of Uwadiae was contained in a letter addressed to State Chairman of the APC, Barr. Anselm Ojezua by Chairman of APC in Ovia North East, Chief Etinosa Ighodaro and other party executives.

    In the letter, Uwadiae was accused of making the people lose adequate representation during plenary session at the Assembly.

    According to the letter: “We reject the continued absence of Mr. Vincent Uwadiae from the Edo State House of Assembly.

    “The refusal of Mr. Vincent Uwadiae to attend the meeting of October 15 to appeal to him and direct him to resume sitting is an expression of intolerance that are contrary to the values that define Ovia people.

     

    “We call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to commence the process of recall of Mr. Uwadiae as elected members representing Ovia North East East.”

  • Why I serially raped my 12-year-old daughter – Suspect

    Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado Ekiti

    A 52-year-old engineer, Noel Davies, has confessed to operatives of Ekiti Police Command that he serially raped his 12-year-old daughter out of foolishness.

    The suspect, who was said to be a staff of ICT department of Ekiti State University, pleaded to the police not to punish him as he had carnal knowledge of the victim often.

    He said his wife had sometimes got to know of the incident but it was resolved and concealed within the family.

    But the clandestine amorous affairs was later exposed when the young girl confided in her school teacher during a lecture on sex education.

    The suspect was arrested by the operatives of the police following a tip off by chairperson of Federation of Women Lawyer FIDA, Ekiti State chapter, Mrs. Seyi Ojo, who was contacted by the school authorities.

    While narrating her ordeal, the victim disclosed that the issue started few years ago when her father told her about how special she meant to him.

    Read Also: ‘I raped my daughters to test my manhood’

    She said her father started caressing her breast for some months before he began to have carnal sex with her.

    In a statement by the Command’s spokesman , DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, in Ado Ekiti , David was said to have confessed to the crime.

    “The suspect had been having unlawful carnal knowledge of his biological daughter of 12 years for over three years.

    “The suspect was arrested on the 29th of October, 2019 by our operatives after thorough investigation.

    “However, the suspect confessed to the commission of the crime and he will be charged to court upon conclusion of our investigation”.

  • Woman ‘steals’ four-month-old baby in Ogun

    By Precious Igbonwelundu

    A Lagos resident has been arrested by the police for alleged baby theft in Ogun State.

    Falilat Olatunji, a resident of 23 Jawando Street, Ayobo in Ipaja, allegedly sneaked into a woman’s room at Iyana Lajola, Mile Two, Abeokuta and stole her four-month-old son who was sleeping.

    It was alleged that the child’s mother identified as Taiwo Bello was doing laundry within the premises and when she returned to her room, her child Ibrahim had disappeared.

    Bewildered by the situation, the woman was said to have raised alarm which attracted neighbours and a search for the kid commenced.

    When the baby was nowhere in sight, a community leader Alhaji Abdul Dawodu, it was gathered, ran to the Sabo Ilupeju Division to report the baby’s disappearance which prompted the police to be on alert.

    Police spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP) said a search was immediately mobilised and operatives put on notice which paid off as a woman was sighted with a baby that fitted the description at Ilewo Orile and immediately arrested.

    Read Also: ‘Greed led me into kidnapping’

    “On interrogation, the suspect confessed to have stolen the baby on order to deceive her husband he was the product of the pregnancy she told him.

    “Investigation revealed that the suspect was once squatting in the same house with the parents of the baby and that she was present during the naming ceremony of the same baby.

    “The baby has been reunited with his parents. The Commissioner of Police Bashir Makama has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) for further investigation and prosecution.

    “He appealed to members of the public to always beware of people around them because there are a lot of wolves in human skin,” said Oyeyemi.

  • Why Electoral Act Amendment Bill failed, by Gbajabiamila

    By: Victor Oluwasegun, Abuja

    Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila has said the Electoral Act Amendment Bill did not pass because most of the provisions were targeted at President Mohammadu Buhari.

    The Speaker made the disclosure while hosting a team from the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) led by its Executive Director, Clement Nwankwo, during a courtesy call in his office on Thursday.

    He said: “The issue of reordering of elections, for instance, we felt it was targeted at the sitting president. You can’t do laws to target somebody.

    “There was also the issue of who has the right to reorder elections. There were arguments that the constitution says INEC should do that.”

    Gbajabiamila, who noted that the two chambers were in the hands of the opposition at the time, said there were a lot of “surreptitious moves” during the attempt to amend the electoral law.

    “Where in the world are the two chambers (of Parliament ) headed by the opposition?” he asked.

    He said nonetheless, the House will revisit the amendment of the Electoral Act, amendment of the Constitution, the NGO Regulatory Bill and others.

    He also said the House would give attention to the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), the Police Reform Bill, the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) amendment bill, among others.

    This time around, the National Assembly would ensure a thorough work, which will help ensure the President assents to the bills, unlike what happened during the last Assembly where both the constitutional and Electoral Act amendments bills were rejected by the President, Gbajabiamila said

    His words: “The roles of the CSOs, no doubt, we all know what your roles are anywhere in the world. You’ve enumerated quite a number of bills. As you know, the 9th House is a House of reforms. ‎We’re going to be doing all that.

    “You did talk about pending legislation such as electoral laws. We’re on the same page on this. We can’t move forward if we don’t understand the history and circumstances that led to the inability to do some things.

    “On the issue of police reform bill, we’ll look at it once again. On NABRO bill, we will also look at it. The PIGB, the CAMA Bill and the rest, we’ll work on them and get them to the president for his assent,” he said.

    Read Also: Coscharis Motors to unveil Edge at Abuja Auto show

    Responding to the concerns raised by the PLAC Executive Director about regulations targeting non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the Speaker said whatever the House would do would be to strengthen their activities, noting that regulations are normal in every society.

    “I want us to be very objective when we talk about nation building. The NGOs are so important. If you mean well, you cannot strangulate NGOs. But the freedom to operate mustn’t be to the detriment of the state.

    “We had a meeting with the service chiefs where they made allegations about some NGOs. You and I know that there are some NGOs that are giving others a bad name. We want to strengthen NGOs, we’re not going to kill them. No. We want to make your work more efficient.

    “We should have a public hearing where all of us will sit down and discuss these issues. I agree that regulations hamper businesses, but NGOs are not businesses. There’s nothing wrong with regulations. Once we find a lacuna somewhere, we have to amend. Even the constitution is amended. You just talked about the Electoral Act. So, we have to come in when we see things go wrong.”

  • Ex-militants urge Senate to confirm Buhari’s NDDC nominees

    By Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

    Niger Delta ex-militants have called on the Senate to confirm persons nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari to serve on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    The ex-agitators said the Senate should not waste time in confirming the commission’s Chairman and Managing Director designates, Dr. Pius Odubu, and Mr. Bernard Okumagba; Executive Director, Finance and Administartion, Maxwell Oko; and Executive Director, Project, Otobong Ndem, among others.

    The ex-militants, in a statement by their National Coordinator, Tonye Bobo, popularly known as Sir T and Secretary, Karo Edor, aka OBJ, after an enlarged meeting in Yenagoa, further appraised the activities of the NDDC in the region.

    They commended President Buhari for his sincerity in the rapid development of the region and urged all the stakeholders to sheathe their words for the general interest of the Niger Delta.

    Read also: JUST IN: Senate screens Odubu, Okumagba, 12 others for NDDC Board

    The former creek warlords said those nominated by the President were competent, credible and deserving to discharge their responsibilities in the commission.

    They said: “We also call on all stakeholders to support the constitution of the new NDDC board.We throw our weight behind the forensic probe of NDDC, since its inception to date.

    “Those, who were at the helms of affairs only siphon money and award contracts of the commission to their cronies and political juggernauts without any meaningful development to show for.

    “We also lament the deplorable state of roads across the nation. Nigerians can no longer move from one part of the country to another and we urge the Federal and state governments to work in synergy to fix the roads to save the nation”.

    END.

  • Gov. Ihedioha charges workers on improved service delivery

    Damian Duruiheoma, Owerri

    Governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State has challenged public servants in the state on improved service delivery, urging them to justify the present administration’s huge investments in them.

    The governor also said he has put machinery in place to ensure total reform of the state civil service, describing it as necessary for the success of his administration

    The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Gerald Irona, said, “This Summit has been convened with a view to reviving and reinventing the Imo State Public Service and aligning it with our vision to rebuild, reposition and transform Imo State to become one of the three most developed economies in Nigeria by the year 2025.”

    Gerald Irona, who gave the explanation while speaking at a public service Stakeholders’ Summit organized by the state government on Thursday in Owerri, described the public service as the engine room of the public sector, adding that a vibrant and motivated public service is necessary for the success of every administration.

    “The public service, as we are all aware, is the engine room of the public sector. Governments either rise or fall on the shoulders of their public service. We are, therefore, committed to re-engineering the Imo state public service, with a view to bringing it to line with global best standards. This Summit is part of the efforts aimed at restoring public service back on track.”

    “We are proud that Imo State is a leading state when it comes to human resources. However, the productivity level of the public service has left much to be desired. Eight years of abuse, engendered by nepotism, delayed salaries and a spate of under-payments by, sometimes, as much as 30 percent of salaries due left the otherwise virile Imo State public service comatose. We are also aware of years of abuse of the public service procedure and the infusion of invasive species through imposition of strange personnel without regard to due process.”

    Read Also: ‘Imo to get functional primary health care’

    Continuing, the Governor stressed: “the present government, under its Rebuild Imo Agenda has embarked on a series of reforms designed to restore the morale and capacity of public service, improve service delivery and boost productivity. You would recall that this government had earlier set up a review committee to look into cases of improper or irregular appointments, promotions and other related matters. While we awaited the final report, we approved the restoration of payment of 100 percent salaries to all workers in the State. In the same vein, Local Government workers were paid the backlog of salaries owed them by the last administration.”

    Speaking on some transparency initiatives of the present administration, the state helmsman explains:

    “At the inception of this government, we set up a structure for transparency and accountability in the governance process. This includes my signing into law, Executive Order 005, known as Treasury Single Account (TSA) Order designed to consolidate all government revenues under one account. We are also implementing the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) in compliance with international public service best practice.”

    “It may also interest you to note that my administration has applied and is in the process of joining the Open Government Partnership – OGP, a multi-stakeholder initiative, with a view to entrenching openness and transparency in governance.”

  • Kwara Assembly confirms 16 commissioner-nominees

    By Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

    Kwara Assembly has confirmed the 16 commissioner- nominees forwarded to it by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

    This was after the screening of the last batch of four nominees by the House in plenary.

    The four nominees screened are Mrs. Oyedun Juliana Funke(Isin), Agbaje Wahab Femi (Offa), Arinola Fatimoh Lawal and Joana Nnazua Kole

    Others earlier screened are: Ayinla Jawondo Salman (Asa), Engr. Suleiman Rotimi Iliasu(Moro),Arc. Aliyu Mohammed Saifudeen (Kaiama) and Harriet Adenike Afolabi-Oshatimejin (Ifelodun).

    Others are Sa’adatu Modibo Kawu (Ilorin South), Dr. Raji Rasaq (Ekiti); Alhaji Muritala Olarewaju (Oyun)
    (8) Aremu Abosede Deborah (Irepodun) and Aisha Ahman Patigi.

    Read Also: AbdulRazaq sends six commissioner-nominees to Kwara Assembly

    Also confirmed commissioners are: Oyeyemi Olasunbo Florence (Oke-Ero), Lafia Aliyu Kora Sabi (Baruten),Ahmed Fatima Bisola (Ilorin West), Oyedun Juliana Funke (Isin), Agbaje Wahab Femi (Offa), Joanna Nnazua Kolo (Edu) and Arinola Fatima Lawal (Ilorin East).

    During the screening, members eulogised a former Governor Mohammed Lawal for his tremendous efforts in ensuring the survival of democracy in Kwara State.

    The House, being satisfied with all the nominees, asked each of them to take a bow and leave.

  • Buratai explains why military is holding ‘Operation Positive Identification’

    Agency Reporter

    The Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai on Thursday said that the Operation Positive Identification (OPI) would not hinder the day-to-day activities of Nigerians.

    Buratai made this known while fielding questions from the House of Representatives Committee on Army in Abuja.

    Represented by the Chief of Civil-Military Affairs, Maj.-Gen. Usman Muhammed, Buratai said that the army had submitted a detailed report on the OPI to the committee.

    He said that the military is involved in ‘Operation Lafia Dole’ in the North East and that are other subsidiary operations within the major operation.

    Buratai said that the OPI is one of the subsidiary operations which is ongoing in the North East zone.

    According to him, based on credible intelligence on Boko Haram terrorists, they are no longer in their in enclaves, they are making a lot on in routs, spreading out away from their traditional strongholds.

    The Chief said that the OPI which started on Sept. 22 in the North East was based on the intelligence.

    Buratai said that the military has a tradition of initiating operations towards the end of the year to reduce crime during the Yuletide.

    “We have exercise Ayama Kpatuma in the North Central, Atilogwu Udor in the South East and Crocodile Smile in the South South are aimed at addressing the security challenges in those zones.

    “It is a training exercise and at the same time, it is a true operation whereby we use the opportunity to carry out activities to checkmate criminality and crime within those areas.

    “This time around, we feel that we can extend the OPI to some of these areas where we are going to conduct some of these exercises,” he said.

    He explained that the OPI is an intelligence led activity based on credible information by which the army go to specific areas and effect arrests.

    Buratai said that some insurgents had been arrested though the process in the North East where the operation is ongoing.

    He said that the citizens would not notice any change in their day-to-day activities and that there would not be extra check points.

    Buratai said that there would not be additional troops on the streets and the rules of engagement would thoroughly observed.

    He said that the operation was in collaboration with other security agencies like National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Department of State Service (DSS) among others.

    “The exercise is nothing too different, it is something that is going to assist us add value to what we are doing in the north east,” he added.

    Read Also: Insurgency can’t be defeated by warfare alone – Buratai

    Buratai said that President Muhammadu Buhari was in support of the operation as well as the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff.

    Earlier, the Chairman, Rep. Abdulrazak Namdas (APC-Adamawa) said that the house has it on good authority that the Army intends to commence OPI on November 1 nationwide.

    He said that majority of Nigerians understand the OPI as carrying some form of identification when they go about their dialy activities.

    Namdas said that though the major role of the army is to safeguard the territorial integrity of Nigeria, when there critical internal security challenges, the army could be invited.

    According to him, we are happy that the army has been doing that in the South South, North West, North Central and in the North East.

    Namdas said that there were a lot of issues in the zones ranging from Boko Haram, pipeline vandalism, kidnapping, cattle rustling, banditry among others.

    “Giving the quantity of issues at hand, we are shock to hear that the military is adding to its authority by taking the job of the police or Immigration.

    “So we felt that it was necessary for us to sit down with the military; you have your roles to play and we expect that you cannot add for yourself especially roles not envisaged in the Constitution.

    “Today’s military is subservient to the civil rule and you take authority from the civil; as a parliament, we will not rely only on information the papers and so we called you to explain more,” he said.

    Namdas said that the committee and indeed Nigerians needed to know what the OPI is about and how it would be implemented.

    Rep. Prestige Ehiriodu (APGA-Abia) urged the army to put on a human face when carrying out the operation.

    He said that it was important for the citizens to see the army as friends and not as enemies while carrying out the operation.

    Also, Rep. Shina Peller said that the army should commended and supported for coming up with new ideas to deal with security challenges in the country. (NAN)