The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • FG earmarks N792m for internet, live TV on Presidential jet

    By Nduka Chiejina, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

    President Muhammadu Buhari has earmarked N792m to upgrade and install live television and internet service on a jet, the BBJ (5N-FGT) which is among the Presidential Air Fleets (PAF).

    This is contained in the budget of the State House Buhari presented to a joint session of the National Assembly last week.

    The presidency also wants to carry out what it called compliance with mandatory upgrade and installation of internet service on
    another presidential aircraft, the G550 (5N-FGW) at the sum of N50million.

    For another mandatory upgrades on a PAF Aircraft, the Presidential Air Fleet is asking for N650m next year.

    The elite presidential air unit is also proposed to buy three staff cars for N43,500m install a luggage conveyor belt truck for N20m, purchase fire fighting vehicle for N90m and construct an aircraft equipment shed for N25m.

    In the next fiscal year, the PAF seeks to construct and furnish the fIre bay for N75m; construct an armoury for N120m and an automated roller security system at PAF entrance for N83,500m.

    This is aside from the construction of 2X turn and slide access control pedestrian gate to the PAF with card identification for N27,622m.

    Some Presidential jets will undergo overhaul of aircraft engines for N200,994,640 even as the PAF plans to refurbish and furnish the Presidential kitchen for N15m.

    The Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) will also get a refund of N1,220,000,000 from the Presidential Air Fleet for asset acquisition.

    The sum of N2,712,000,00000 is also being requested in the new budget year for the purchase of air navigational equipment.

    The Directorate of State Security Service (DSS), on its part, is asking for N199,786,908 to purchase surveillance drone with precision camera payload capabilities and N225,957,000 for body armour – bulletproof vest and helmets with night vision goggles and N692,911,009 for tactical counter terrorism equipment.

    To buy arms and ammunition, the DSS is asking for N208,367,377 for the purchase of Tavor Arms CTAR – 5.56 X 4mm and another sum of N433,768,098 for safe city project (Phase II).

    The DSS also requested for N268,367,107 for ACE-32 7.62 X 39mm, N198,000,000 for NEGEO SF 5.56 X 45mm, N166,367,107 for Jericho F .9 x 19mm, N229,809,879 for the procurement of Extract-Transform Load (ETL) technology.

    Read Also: Muhammadu Buhari University: ASSU under fire for describing proposed institution ‘a joke’

    The agency also wants to buy Vehicle Direction Finders for the Service at N394,512,500; set up of Control and operation Room (OPS Room) at the NHSS for N223,567,098 and purchase cyber security equipment for the Service at N212,985,633.

    On the other hand, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) is a big money spending office and 2020 will not be different.

    Next year, ONSA is asking to be given N1,429,229,600 for its ultra sensitive STRANVISKY PROJECT 2.

    The ONSA also wants to spend N1,284,108,505 to construct operation defence equipment; N3,109,000,000 for Counter Terrorism Centre (All Eye Project).

    For the renovation of ONSA annex buildings, the office is asking for the sum of N615,082,285 and N1,806,500,000 for vehicle procurement for security operations – Special Protected Vehicle.

  • Ayade’s deep seaport will wipe our tears- Displaced Bakassi people

    The displaced people of Bakassi in Cross River State have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to grant the state government a sovereign guarantee for the construction of its Deep Seaport project.

    The deep seaport project embarked upon by Governor Ben Ayade recently attained a major milestone with the issuance of the Outline Business Case (OBC) certificate by the Federal Government.

    They said the granting of the sovereign guarantee will help the realisation of the project, which according to them, will wipe away their tears from years of hardship occasioned by their displacement.

    Noting that they will benefit the most from the project, the displaced Bakassi people are hopeful that “the construction of the project will make up for the many losses suffered by us and the state since the ceding of their ancestral homeland to Cameroon.”

    Camped at Saint Marks Primary School in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of the state since 2013, the displaced Bakassi people say the project holds a new hope for them.

    The deep seaport, according to them, “will open up new frontiers of opportunities for us and by extension, rewrite the stories of our ugly past occasioned by the ceding of our ancestral roots to the Republic of Cameroon.”

    Speaking on the project, Blessing Edem urged President Buhari to assist the state realize the project.

    Read Also: Ayade’s Bakassi deep seaport dream inches towards reality

    “We are begging the Federal Government to give our governor, Sir Ben Ayade the power (sovereign guarantee) to enable him build the seaport. It will be of tremendous benefit to us here because our living condition at the moment is very bad,” she said.

    Another displaced person, Anthony Oqua-Edem, believes the project will impact on them in the most positive manner.

    His words: “We are pleading with the Federal Government to assist His Excellency, Sir Ben Ayade with granting a sovereign guarantee for the project. This is because the campers here, the youths of Bakassi will benefit from this project.

    “This Project will create jobs and when there are jobs, we the returnees will help ourselves out. The youths of Bakassi will also be meaningfully engaged. They will have the means to take care of their needs.”

    Speaking in like manner, Michael Bassey George, says the project will ameliorate their present condition, which is characterized by hunger and hopelessness.
    Sent from my iPhone

  • No bra day: Breast cancer awareness

    What is No Bra Day?

    Some think no bra day is all about flaunting their boobs, both sexy and non-sexy ones. No!! That’s not what no bra day is all about.

    No Bra Day is an annual observance on October 13 on which women are encouraged to forgo wearing a bra as a means to encourage breast cancer awareness. No Bra Day was initially observed on July 9, 2011, but within three years it had moved to October 13, the month of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

    Nevertheless, check out some braless Nigerian celebrities.

     

    1. BamBam

    2. Khloe

    3. Tiwa Savage

    Read Also: Nollywood celebrities who dumped Christianity

     

     

     

     

  • Nigeria vs Brazil: Rohr names first XI

    Super Eagles gaffer Genorht Rohr has named the eleven players that will defend Nigeria’s colours against five-time World Champions Brazil in a friendly match.
    The match, which holds at the National Stadium Singapore, starts by 1pm local time.

    In goal is Francis Uzoho with Ekong(Captain), Awaziem, Ajayi and Collins completing the defence line.

    The midfield will have the trio of Aribo, Wifred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi.

    Read Also: Nigeria vs Brazil: ‘Troost-Ekong will be ready’

    In attack are Moses Simon, Chuwkueze and rave-of-the moment Victor Osimhen.

  • Kidnapped Adamawa cattle breeders regain freedom

    By Onimisi Alao, Yola

    Six people kidnapped last weekend from where they were breeding cattle in Gurin, Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa State, have regained their freedom.

    The six who were abducted on October 5 from their cattle grazing field around the Gurin-Fufore Road, returned home Sunday morning, according to a source close to the victims.

    The source, Dahiru Abubakar Gurin, who is close to four of the kidnap victims, told newsmen on Sunday that the six returned home earlier in the day.

    “The six persons kidnapped in Gurin last week regained their freedom this morning,” Dahiru Gurin said in a text message.

    He did not say how much ransom was paid and further attempts to get the information from him failed.

    The Adamawa State Police Command also confirmed the release of the kidnapped six.

    Read Also: Again, Senate decries banditry, kidnapping in Nigeria

    The Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Sulaiman Nguroje, said on phone that the Command had intensified efforts to trace the kidnappers and have them prosecuted.

    The kidnap of the six nine days ago threw the Gurin town into distress.

    The Police had immediately confirmed that four were abducted but Dahiru Gurin who later shed further light on the incident, explained that the community first believed that the victims were four, only to find out later that two others were missing.

  • Kogi 2019: Only Yahaya Bello can defeat GYB – APC

    By James Azania, Lokoja

    The Kogi State All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Campaign council has declared that with the array of personalities in its fold and the swell of support across the state, only Governor Yahaya Bello can defeat himself in the November 16 governorship election.

    The Chairman of Media and Publicity of the Bello/Onoja campaign, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, in a statement, said that the APC candidate will shatter all records in the election.

    Fanwo is also the Direction General on Media and Strategy to the Governor.

    According to him: “From (Kogi) East to the Central and West, the groundswell of support across the state has demoralized the opposition PDP ahead of the election. The state has never been this united behind a governorship candidate.

    “The Senator Smart Adeyemi-led campaign council is made up of the the movers and shakers of Kogi politics. With the arrival of Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, and aspirants who contested with the governor, it has shown that APC will win the coming governorship election massively.

    “It is a bad time for the PDP and we sincerely sympathize with the main opposition party. They have lost their leaders to the APC; they have lost thousands of their members to the APC, and also recently lost their only senator (Dino Melaye) in the state. He will soon be replaced with a competent senator, in person of Senator Smart Adeyemi.

    “No matter their grandstanding, we know they are in a big crisis. They are imploding and exploding. We won’t allow them to dictate the direction of our campaign, as we are poised to campaign with the giant strides of the GYB administration.

    “Our candidate has united the state, provided more educational facilities, revamped our health institutions, built the second largest rice mill in the state and many infrastructural facilities like roads and many others.

    “We urge our supporters to make peace the fulcrum of our campaign, as the governor abhors violence. We also urge our opponents to sign up to our Peaceful Election Initiative.”

    Read Also: I’ll return as governor, says Yahaya Bello

    He asserted with his landmark achievements, the governor has made his campaign easy, insisting that the giant strides of the governor are enough to win him reelection.

    He commended the people of the state for standing resolutely with their leader and get, saying that the governor will not disappoint.

    “The reality in Kogi State is on the faces of the enthusiastic women, youths and men, who are determined to re-elect the governor. We thank the Guild of Investigative Journalists, for the unbiased report that has given impressive commendation to the state government.

    “We are not perfect but posterity will be kind to our group for his legacies as the best governor ever in the history of Kogi State,” he added.

  • Global Breast Cancer Awareness: Naval Officers’ wives association advocates annual screening

    By Agency Reporter

    The Naval Officers Wives Association (NOWA) on Sunday joined in the campaign for women to go for breast cancer check-up regularly.

    Dr Feyisayo Daji, the NOWA Co-ordinator, Western Naval Command, advocated for early detection among women by going for annual screening, imaging and engaging in monthly self-help breast examination to detect the disease early.

    “If you are above 40, you need to screen with mammogram yearly, so that as soon as anything is detected, you go further in the imaging; if it is cancer, it can be dealt with early.

    “If you are below 40, I advocate the self-help breast examination every month after your monthly period to see if there is any abnormality,’’ she said.

    Daji said that early detection and seeking help from qualified personnel could save lives, stressing that husbands should support their wives by speaking up early and not to patronise unorthodox places that do not guarantee help.

    “Husbands should not let their wives go to unorthodox places where they claim they cure cancer and are made to drink all sorts of things.

    “At the end, these women come to the hospital late and you hear that they died; they didn’t die because of the disease, they died because they came at the time that nothing could be done.

    “Survival rate, if detected early, is as high as 98 per cent,’’ she noted.

    Deji also said that some women die because of some religious beliefs, thereby presenting the case late.

    “I urge women not to keep mum over such issues. The survival rate in Nigeria is low because of late presentation.

    “Some wish it away and this idea has religious undertone and that’s why some don’t go to hospital early enough,’’ she said.

    She thanked the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Ibok-Ete Ibas and NOWA President, Theresa Ibas, for making it possible to organise the programme and providing the imaging centre.

    “I want to appreciate the CNS, who has provided what it takes to fight breast cancer. I say so because we have the best you can think of in imaging to detect breast cancer no matter how small it is.

    “I also want to appreciate NOWA President who is the convener of the programme and her resilience in trying to ensure that people that need attention in any area of their lives, not just for cancer, get it.

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    “The orphans, the widows; she is always there to give her best and that’s why she does a lot to make sure that this programme holds every year,’’ Daji said.

    The Command’s NOWA coordinator said that the awareness was important because everyone needed to stand up to face and fight the menace in the society.

    Mrs Preye Dick, the Director of NOWA, Lagos Zone, also urged women to have regular check-ups in order to detect cancer early and get treated.

    “It is good for women to check themselves; some women don’t even know how to check themselves in the house. This programme is good and enlightening,’’ she said.

    Prof. Rachael Akinola, of the Lagos State University College of Medicine, also said that women should get checked regularly in order to detect the disease at the early stage.

    Akinola, who is the president of Breast Imagining Society of Nigeria, listed some of the symptoms of breast cancer to include abnormal growth in the breast, discharge from the nipples and one breast bigger than the other.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 700 participants, including officers, ratings and civilians attended the awareness programme at Navy Town, Ojo barrack.

  • Minimum Wage: NLC tells state councils to prepare for strike

    By Agency Reporter

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has directed its state councils to prepare for strike on Oct. 16 if negotiation breaks down again with Federal Government.

    In a circular sent to state councils, signed by its General Secretary, Mr Emmanuel Ugboaja, NLC said this was a notice in case the proposed negotiations slated for Oct. 15 with the Federal Government broke down.

    “You will recall that a joint Communiqué was issued by the NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Committee (JNPSNC) stating that two weeks from the date of the said communiqué, industrial harmony could not be guaranteed in the country should an agreement not be reached with the Federal Government on the Consequential Adjustment of Salaries as a result of the New National Minimum Wage of N30,000.

    “You are hereby directed to coordinate preparations with TUC and JNPSNC in your States for necessary industrial action should the time expire without an agreement as contained in the circular.’’

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the organised labour demanded 29 per cent salary increase for officers on salary level 07 to 14 and 24 per cent adjustment for officers on salary grade level 15 to 17.

    The Federal Government had, however, presented a proposal of 11 per cent salary increase for officers on grade level 07 to14 and 6.5 per cent adjustment for workers of grade level 15 to 17.

    Read Also: FG, Labour meet to end minimum wage logjam

    NAN reports that implementation of the new wage has remained a problem, arising from the issue of relativity and consequential adjustments.

    On May 14, the Federal Government inaugurated the relativity and consequential adjustment committee, which in turn set up a technical sub-committee to work out a template for the adjustment of salaries of public service employees.

    However, government and labour have failed to reach an agreement over relativity and consequential adjustments for the implementation of the new minimum wage more than six months after it was signed into law.

  • EFCC helps FG to save N4.5bn monthly from ghost workers – Magu

    By Agency Reporter

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said its intervention had assisted to save N4.5 billion monthly, lost to ‘ghost workers’ on the federal government’s payroll.

    A statement on by EFCC Spokesman, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, quoted the commission’s Acting Chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu, as saying this while delivering a lecture on Thursday at the National Defence College (NDC) in Abuja.

    Magu spoke on the topic “Corruption and Anti-corruption Strategies in Nigeria: Way Forward,” at the Course 28 Study Programme of NDC with the theme: “Economic Diversification and National Development”.

    He reiterated the commitment of the current administration to rid the country of corruption, adding that the involvement of the EFCC had helped in fighting corrupt practices.

    Magu also commended the introduction of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) into salary payment, which he said had assisted to save such amount for the government.

    “The involvement of the EFCC in tackling the scourge of ghost workers in the civil service has led to a redemption of over N4.5 billion naira monthly.

    “The EFCC has been engaged in eradicating ‘ghost workers’ from the federal government’s payroll which has resulted in saving as much as N4.5 billion naira monthly.

    “The Bank Verification Number (BVN) has been an effective tool in carrying out investigations effectively, as it has curtailed the opening of fake bank accounts by fraudulent individuals.

    “The only gateway to development is through fighting corruption.

    Read Also: EFCC raids Zamfara INEC office, recovers 4 ‘Ghana-must- go’ bags

    “If Nigeria breaks away from corrupt practices in government businesses and in the private sector, we will transform into a model state overnight,” he said.

    The commission’s acting chairman disclosed that the commission had secured up to 2,165 convictions over a period of 10 years between 2009 and 2019.

    He added that 70 per cent of it was achieved between 2016 and September 2019 under his watch.

    The EFCC boss called for more collaboration among security and law enforcement agencies through the National Anti -Corruption Strategy aimed to bring about coherence and synergy among security agencies in the country.

    The Commandant of NDC, Rear Adm. Markson Kadiri, emphasised the need for proper utilisation of funds, urging participants to key into the corruption fight.

    “We all have a role to play to ensure that monies meant to be used for public good will be applied according to what and how they are meant to be utilised,” he said.

  • Girls no longer free with teachers, says TUC

    By Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

    The Trade Union Congress(TUC) has lamented that female children in the country, especially in schools and tertiary institutions, are no longer safe with their teachers and lectures because of abuses.
    The TUC noted that after parents, female children related and were free with their teachers, noting that that had changed with the prevalent levels of sexual harassment and abuses.

    TUC President, Quadri Olaleye stated these in a speech delivered at an event in Abuja to mark the 2019 International Day of Girl Child with the theme: “With Her: A Skilled Girl Force.”

    Annually, October 11th is set aside by the United Nations to raise awareness on gender inequalities, girl-child marriages, female genital mutilation, access to medical care, legal rights, good nutrition and access to education.

    He said: “Comrades and friends, there is hardly any day we do not read news of parents, uncles, neighbours, teachers, even security operatives abusing young girls.

    “The latest happened at one of our highly revered tertiary institution in the country. After parents the next set of people children relate and are free with used to be their teachers, unfortunately the girl children are no longer safe with them. Where do we go from here?

    “I must commend the Senate for taking it upon themselves to correct the anomaly. I urge them to come up with capital punishment for people who indulge in such to deter others.”

    Olaleye noted that the living conditions and survival of the girl-child in Nigeria and the preferential treatment of male children was disturbing.

    He argued that the trend in the society had witnessed some changes but at a very slow rate.

    “There are actually many things a skilled girl child, nay the female folk can achieve when given the opportunity. History is replete with women who have impacted lives and their generation.

    “Nobody would have heard about late Margret Ekpo and Funmilayo Ransom-Kuti; former and current Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Zainab Ahmed, former USA first Lady Michelle Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel if they were not skilled and focused. Education ( not only in reading and writing) is key.

    “A skilled girl is a potential to her generation. Government at all levels and parents must focus and channel more resources on girl child training. The injustice against the Girl Child must stop immediately. If you are here and you place your male children above the female then you must have a change of heart.

    Read Also: Osinbajo, Ngige, TUC President meet over minimum wage

    “Learn from the parents of the great women mentioned above. Discriminatory laws and beliefs should be done away with,” he said.

    He commended women for standing up despite the myriad of challenges they face.

    “You may not be there yet but I can testify that you have made some reasonable progress. Like Oliver Twist I urge you to continue to seek more avenues to advocate and secure a better life for the Girl Child.

    “We all must stand up against under-aged marriage which interferes with their education and acquisition of skills needed for survival. Government must outlaw under-aged marriage,” he added.