The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • We remain resolute in anti-terror fight- Chief of Air Staff

    From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

    The Chief of Air Staff of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Sadiq Abubakar has said the Nigerian Air Force will continue to demonstrate courage and remain resolute in fighting terrorism in all its ramification

    The Air Chief who made this known on Thursday in Kano during the Nigeria Airforce Airport Security Exercise (Asex)2019 tagged “STEEL DOME2″ held at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA). Said the main reason behind the simulation exercise is to prepare the officers agaisnt any eventuality.

    ” We want to prepare our men to be proactive in tackling terrorism at the nation’s Airports. He said Similar exercise were carried out at the Nnamdi Azikwe Airport, Abuja Murtala Mohammed International Airport and also that of Akwaigbom Airport expected to come up soon.

    Abubakar also assured Nigerians of the commitment of the Air Force in protecting the territorial intergrity of the nation.

    He said that it is the duty of the Air Force as a fighting force to protect passengers at our Airports. He expressed the readiness of the Nigerian Air Force to ensure a collaborative efforts with other Security operatives at the Airport to counter terrorism.

    ” Most of our men have paid supreme price in their efforts to see to the existence of Nigeria as one corporate indivisible entity. We always look forward to the maintainance of law and order in order to have a secured nation.

    Read Also: Boko Haram: Group tasks EFCC, ICPC to probe NGOs undermining Nigeria’s fight against terror

    However, the Chief of Staff said that the Air Force have started Manufacturing locally made Hydraulic Accumulator Diaphragm of L- 39ZA Aircraft. In order to reduce cost and to boost the nation’s economy.

    In his remarks Kano state Governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje said ” Kano state is one of the most peaceful state due to the well Co-ordinated synergy that exist among Security operatives in the state”

    He said all the Military and para military forces have been up and doing in the maintenance of peace and order in the state .

    He used the opportunity to commend the Laudable initiative of the Chief of Air Staff Air Vice Marshal SadIq Abubakar for introducing the the STEEL DOME 2 Stimulation Exercise with a view to keep all his men on their toes by being proactive all the time.

  • Obaseki congratulates Buhari, Osinbajo on Supreme Court verdict

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on their triumph at the Supreme Court, on the validation of their election by a Supreme Court ruling delivered on Wednesday, October 30.

    The governor, in a statement, said it was refreshing that the apex court has stamped the last and final seal on the president’s victory, noting that the matter has been laid to rest and the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government can now fully concentrate on the business of governance.

    According to him, “It is with delight that we received the verdict of the Supreme Court on the case challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari. The verdict is as refreshing as it is instructive in closing the chapter on the matter.

    Read Also: Supreme Court verdict is supremacy of the people – Malami

    “The government and people of Edo State heartily congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari and his vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on their well-deserved victory. While we appreciate the need to test the integrity of the victory at the apex court in the land, we are gladdened that all doubts have been put to rest.”

    Noting that the victory was an affirmation of the will of the people, he said, “The verdict just like the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal ruling affirms the choice of Nigerians. It is a victory for democracy; it affirms Nigerians’ vote for a progressive march towards national rejuvenation.

    “The verdict is another watershed on our political history, and we are glad that the will of the people prevailed all through till this point.”

  • Ikoyi prison rot: Aregbesola commends undercover investigation

    Alao Abiodun

    The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has commended one of Nigeria’s foremost investigative journalists, Fisayo Soyombo and the publisher of The Cable Newspaper, Simon Kolawole for their undercover investigation at the Ikoyi Correction Center.

    The ministry through its official twitter handle further said, “While we await the outcome of the investigation to determine if what was reported was right or wrong, the intention of the publisher, undercover reporter and everyone involved in the reportage is worth celebrating”.

    Aregbesola further condemned the dehumanisation of inmates, saying maltreating them hinders their reformation as productive members of society.

    Read Also: 95 inmates still at large out of 122 prison escapees

    “You cannot permit dehumanisation of confined people and expect them to be anything less than an animal when they come out. The only way you can get a sane human being out of confinement is to… (educate), and that is what we use,” he said.

    It should be recalled that Fisayo, in his undercover report, spent two weeks in detention — five days in a police cell and eight as an inmate in Ikoyi Prison — to track corruption in Nigeria’s criminal justice system, beginning from the moment of arrest by the police to the point of release by the prison.

  • Police arrest four tricycle snatchers in Adamawa

    From Onimisi Alao, Yola

    The Adamawa State Police Command has arrested four people for allegedly manhandling a commercial tricyclist and snatching his tricycle.

    The Command said the four belong to a syndicate which specializes in snatching commercial tricycles (Keke NAPEP) around the state capital, Yola

    According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Sulaiman Nguroje, the suspects in their latest act, tied the tricyclist around the neck and took his Keke NAPEP away.

    “They tied the neck of the KeKe NAPEP driver with rope and pushed him out, but luckily for the driver, he survived,” the PPRO told our correspondent on Thursday.

    Read Also: Police nab robbers terrorising Yola-Gombe highway

    He said the incident occurred earlier in the week, explaining, “On October 27, 2019, the Command patrol team in Yola in the night apprehended four suspected armed robbers who specialise in snatching KeKe NAPEP after injuring or killing the rider.”

    He added that the suspects had already gone off the scene of the robbery with the Keke NAPEP when they were rounded up.

    “They were arrested while they were trying to escape after they inflicted injuries on the KeKe NAPEP rider,” Nguroje said.

  • TRCN says 45,301 teachers qualify for licenses

    Agency Reporter

    No fewer than 45,301 teachers who wrote the October Diet of the Teachers’ Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) have qualified to register for teaching licenses.

    Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, the Registrar, Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    NAN recalls that the examination, which was conducted in 47 centres across the country, started on Oct. 11 in states with large number of candidates and ended on Oct. 12.

    Ajiboye said that the results had been approved by the Governing Council of TRCN, adding that the 62,895 out of 66,354 teachers that registered participated in the examination.

    “The result was not bad because the average performance of those who passed the examination is 72.03 per cent, which is 45,301 candidates, while 27.97 per cent which is 17,594 candidates failed.

    “Going by the states performances, the teachers from Lagos State recorded 88.19 per cent followed by Enugu State with 85.76 per cent and Kano State with 84.69 per cent.

    “The performances of the candidates from other states are also very encouraging and the Federal Ministry of Education and TRCN Governing Board are happy with it,” he said.

    He said that even though PQE was not an achievement test, it was important to ensure that an individual registered as a professional teacher.

    He stressed that the council would not issue teaching certificate and license to any teacher without writing the examination.

    “We are now preparing for November/December diet of PQE, for the council to meet up with the deadline of Dec. 31.

    Read Also: TRCN inducts 1,348 teachers at FCET Umunze

    “We are organising this Batch C to meet up the requests from many teachers who wish to meet the December deadline and the registration of the candidate will end by Nov. 8.

    “The conduct of the November/December PQE is schedule for Dec. 6 and Dec. 7. Those who failed Oct. diet have the opportunity to re-enroll and re-write the examination with the new set.

    “Those who also passed should go ahead to register at the centre close to them to be able to get their certificates and licences as qualified teachers,” he said.

    Ajiboye gave assurance that TRCN would not back down on its position to flush out unregistered or unqualified teachers out of the education system by Dec. 31.

    “It is not only TRCN’s position but the position of National Council on Education that has to be implemented. We will make sure we enforce the law and by January 2020, we will begin to move around for enforcement,” he said. (NAN)

  • FUOYE killings: Lawyer sues IG, demands N1bn damages

    By Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado Ekiti

    A human rights lawyer, Morakinyo Ogele, has filed a fundamental human right enforcement suit before Ado-Ekiti High Court over alleged shooting of two students of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE) by some policemen during a protest.

    The students had on September 10 staged a violent protest in Oye-Ekiti over epileptic power supply in the host community and other adjoining towns, leading to attack on Erelu Fayemi’s convoy while on empowerment tour to the town.

    The policemen attached to Governor Fayemi’s wife engaged the protesting students in a ‘mortal combat’, which resulted into the alleged killing of two students Kehinde Dada, a 100 level student of the Department Agriculture and Horticulture and Okonofua Joseph , a 300- level Biology Education student.

    The application was brought pursuant to Order 11 Rule 1 of the fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure Rules) 2009.

    Joined in the suit are: The Nigeria Police Force(1st respondent), the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Muhammad Adamu (2nd), and the Police Commissioner, Ekiti Command(3rd).

    In a suit number HAD/A09RFRM/2019 filed at the Ado Ekiti High court on October 30, 2019 , the applicant urged the court to determine whether it was lawful for officers of the respondents to allegedly kill the students in such a brutal manner.

    He urged the court to also determine “whether it is lawful for the court to award damages against the respondents under the circumstance”.

    Read Also: FUOYE killings: Family of slain student petitions Gbajabiamila

    In an eight-paragraph written address attached to the application, the applicant described the shooting “as an abridgement of the rights of the deceased as enshrined in section 33 of the 1999 constitution and that such action amounted to extra judicial killing”.

    Ogele sought a declaration that the killing was a breach of the constitution and also demanded for an order directing the respondents to conduct a serious investigation within the Ekiti State Police Command and identify the officers responsible for the killings.

    He demanded for: “An order directing the police to prosecute the officers. Also, being sought is an order compelling the respondents to conduct compulsory psychiatric test on their officers for the safety of the Nigerian citizens and order directing the respondents to pay a sum of one billion naira (N1,000,000,000) as damages to the families of the students.

    “The families of the students must be compensated, because they were only exercise their constitutional rights of protest when they were murdered by the men of the respondents.”

  • Olawepo-Hashim congratulates Buhari on Supreme Court victory

    Former presidential candidate in the last general elections Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on his victory at the Supreme Court.

    He said with the pronouncement, it was time to move the nation forward.

    Olawepo-Hashim, who ran an essentially issue based campaign, said in Lagos that the problem with Nigeria required a collective effort beyond partisan politicking.

    According to him going into the immigration of any country attracts the collective identity of the Nigerian as against being identified because of local party affiliation.

    His words: “We are first and foremost Nigerians, before we are identified as a member of one party or the other. The important thing, therefore, is to build a nation where we can all be collectively proud.”

    Read Also: What next for Atiku?

    Easily seen as one of the few cerebral politicians in the clime, Olawepo-Hashim stressed Nigerians have played much of partisan politics and what we do need now is unity amongst the political elites.

    “Our situation needs urgent attention, through a unity of political leaders” Olawepo-Hashim stated, stressing “We require collective wisdom to take our nation out of the woods. Victory at the court should not be seen as an end in itself, but as a means to an end

    The business man added: “Mr. President should be magnanimous in victory, while the losers should also be gallant in defeat. There are many challenges bedeviling our political and electoral processes, and all hands have to be on deck to resolve them, in the interest of the growth of our democracy.”

  • New president for Inner Wheel Club

    By Olaitan Ganiu

    The Inner Wheel Club of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital District 911 Nigeria Idi Araba, Lagos, has elected IWM Asiwaju Dada Oluyemisi Olamide as President for 2019/2020.

    The induction at the Surgical Skill Centre, LUTH, attracted top personalities including past presidents of the association in attendance.

    Speaking during the programme, Charter President, IWM Lolami Fakeye said that the purpose of the club was to reach out to the less privileged children in the LUTH community .

    Read Also: New president for Lions Club

    Fakeye further said the objective of the club was promoting true friendship, encouraging the ideas of personal service and foster international understanding among members and the outside world.

    She stated the club had touched the hearts of people by helping the less privileged children.

    Olamide is now the second president of the club since its inception three years ago.

    Pix Caption: IWM Asiwaju Dada Oluyemisi Olamide (middle) flanked by past presidents

  • APC urges Buhari to use electoral victory to reconcile warring members

    Agency Reporter

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to use his electoral victory at the Supreme Court on Wednesday to reconcile warring members of the party across Nigeria.

    Chief Eze Nwachukwu, state Chairman of the party, gave the advice on Thursday in Abakaliki while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), adding that the victory should also galvanise unity in the party.

    Nwachukwu further urged the president and the party’s national leaders to immediately initiate peace move in all warring chapters of the party with all litigations against Buhari’s election victory have been set aside.

    “This is to achieve lasting peace among members and reduce internal bickering to the barest minimum.

    “The Supreme Court has affirmed that Nigerians gave their mandate to the party and we are expected to unite in order to effectively deliver our electoral promises to them,” he said.

    The APC state Chairman, however, noted that the bickering among members across the country was normal as nothing had gone out of control.

    “Anybody thinking that there would be no absolute peace in political parties, especially vibrant ones such as ours, is a dreamer.

    “Political parties are entities where people of diverse interests come together to pursue certain goals and promote varying interests.

    “There are therefore agreements, disagreements, alignments, re-alignments among others and whenever interests come to terms, there would be absolute peace,” he said.

    He noted that other political parties also had their share of the bickering except in the parties, owned, managed and funded by one or two persons.

    Read Also: Supreme Court: ACF tells Atiku to accept verdict

    “The president’s victory at the Supreme Court is an indication that APC is poised to win the forthcoming gubernatorial victories in Kogi and Bayelsa.

    “We advise the opposition party in the country and its presidential candidate to support the Buhari-led administration as it continues to deliver its ‘next level agenda’ to Nigerians.

    “We also advise the opposition party’s presidential candidate to return to the APC and identify with progressive ideals that have lifted the country from doldrums.”

    Nwachukwu said that the party’s silence in Ebonyi should not be misconstrued as it was still intact and projecting to occupy the political space of the state.

    “It is a pity that the Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (INEC) declared the electoral results against us but we know we won the elections.

    “The electoral petition tribunal which declared that our candidate for the Ikwo/ Ezza South Federal Constituency seat emerged victorious is an indication that Ebonyi people gave us their mandate.“

     

    (NAN)

  • ‘Why Buhari should reappoint Magu as EFCC boss’

    President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to re-appoint Ibrahim Magu for another four-year term as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC).
    An anti-corruption group, Nigerians Against Corruption, made this call in a statement made available to our correspondent.

    The Coordinator of NAC, Abdulmalik Adamu, said Magu deserved another four-year term following the arrest of high profile graft perpetrators and cyber-crime operators across the country.

    According to him: “Mr President, we have all seen the works of Ibrahim Magu at EFCC – the high profile arrest and the constant arrest of yahoo-yahoo boys who are trying to give Nigeria a bad name.
    “Unlike in the past were EFCC engages in media trial, the agency under Magu has shifted from that era to real trial and arrest. This is a clear example that Magu means business.

    Read Also: Buhari meets Saudi Crown Prince, Abdulaziz, in Riyadh

    “Take a look at the agency’s collaborative efforts with the FBI and the recovery of a large number of exotic cars as well as properties suspected to have been acquired through the proceeds of crime.

    “The commission has also recovered several millions traced to various commercial banks. Only a dedicated chairman like Magu can achieve these feats despite the fact that corruption is fighting back. Even politicians of the ruling party are not left out in the fight against corruption.”

    Adamu added that if Buhari is serious about anti-corruption war, Magu should be re-appointed to finish what he had started.

    “Bringing in a fresh hand will not help the fight against corruption because he will spend the next four years learning on the job,” he stressed.