The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Nursing mother of twin babies kidnapped in Aba

    A nursing mother whose name cannot be immediately ascertained has been reportedly being kidnapped in Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State.

    The incident, sources in the area disclosed took place at Umuebeke in Aba South Local Government Area of the state at about 1 am.

    The woman whose husband was said to be a scrap dealer was said to have been taken away from her residence, leaving her newborn twin babies with the husband.

    It was learnt that the gunmen who gained entrance into the compound after breaking the fence have contacted the family and were making demands of N3million before they could release the nursing mother.

    A source close to the family who couldn’t confirm if any ransom was paid, told our reporter that the victim’s family dropped the sum of N50, 000 to the kidnappers at Umugo, a community of about 10-15 minutes-drive from the place of the incident.

    Read Also: Seven held for ‘kidnapping’ in Adamawa

    According to the source, the kidnappers claimed that the N50, 000 was the money that they used in treating the nursing mother who took ill in their custody.

    “Life has been the same for the family. They have been living in fears every day. The children are sick because they have not been able to suck their mother’s breast since she was taken away from their house.

    “The husband is begging them for the release of the wife. He said that he can no longer cope with handling the twins alone. Each day without their mum is making them sick.”

    But a member of the security outfits in Aba who craved anonymity told our reporter that the nursing mother at the time of filing this report has been reunited with the family and denied that the family paid any ransom for her release.

  • Cleric calls for new government policies, implementations

    The convener of The Platform, Nigeria, Pastor Poju Oyemade, has said there is a need for a change in government policies, implementations and individuals’ approach to the national issues and concerns.

    He said this during his opening speech at The Platform 2019, themed ‘Re-designing the Nigerian economy with new ideas,’ held on Independence Day at the Covenant Place, Lagos.

    According to him “our dream for a better Nigeria requires nourishment from institutional knowledge gathered over the years. Which is why we host this program, and we invited people who can inject information that will make the country achieve the dream of a better Nigeria. Which is why we have some of the best economic minds in Nigeria at this conference who also have experience in governance.

    “There is need for a change in government policies and in the hearts and minds of people. This is where faith can be used to appeal to transformation of the conscience of men. Faith can play a huge role in transforming Nigeria as a nation, and that is why we have invested so much in The Platform to ensure it is done twice a year.”

    Speaking at the event, the former Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, said that a better Nigeria is that which is powered by the country’s greatest asset—human capital plus technology and not one dependent on oil.

    “Nigeria urgently needs a new Fiscal Responsibility Act to constrain irresponsible fiscal behaviour and provide incentives to create wealth,” he said.

    “A new fiscal regime should ensure that never again shall we need a wholesale bailout of state governments.”

    Soludo urged the citizens not to be discouraged, saying: “Of course Nigeria has a long list of problems, but adversity comes with opportunities. With a will to overcome, the problems should not stop us. Nor should a few thousands of miscreants – kidnappers, terrorists, internet scammers, bandits, drug barons, robbers, and treasury looters – define us. As we build the foundation for the next Nigeria, we must seize the narrative and sing a new song to rebrand Nigeria. As we bemoan the rising poverty and unemployment, we still remind ourselves that ours is still the largest economy in Africa and Nigeria as home to the most populous black nation on earth.”

    Read Also: Oyemade calls for new government policies, implementations

    Also speaking at the event was the CEO of Financial Derivatives Limited, Bismarck Rewane, who said “What our economy needs is a mental discipline to learn from the mistakes of the past. Our vulnerability has increased because we have not learned from the mistakes of our past and that of other countries.”

    He noted that things outside the country’s control are more than things within its control. “When the institutions of conflict resolution are broken, the alternative to what you have is anarchy. The social contract between the rulers and the ruled is very important as it’s so cheap to just talk than to act.”

    Recall that Rewane and Soludo are members of the eight-man Presidential Economic Advisory Council (EAC).

    Also, the Lagos State governor, during an interactive session at the event said that he is aware of the need to fix basic infrastructures and tackle the challenges in the health and education sectors.

    Other speakers at The Platform 2019 included the former Anambra State governor, His Excellency, Peter Obi and leading expert on Strategy, Globalization and Emerging Markets, Dr. Anil Gupta.

  • Edo LG holds economic summit

    Ovia South-West Local Council of Edo State has held its maiden economic summit to deepen the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration’s investment drive in the grassroots.

    Speaking at the event which held at the council’s secretariat in Iguobazuwa, the Executive Chairman, Ovia South-West LGA, Hon. Destiny Enabulele said the summit christened “Oduwa 2019,” was organised to highlight and expand the economic space and opportunities available within the local government area.

    He added that the summit was in line with Governor Godwin Obaseki’s charge to local councils in the state “to design programmes aimed at attracting investors from different sectors of the economy as well as put measures in place towards ensuring and advancing purposeful engagement of our teeming youth in productive ventures.”

    Edo State Deputy Governor, who was represented by the Commissioner of Finance, Hon. Joseph Eboigbe, applauded the council chairman’s initiative to harness the economic potential in the area.

    The keynote Speaker at the summit and Executive Director, Environmental Rights Action (ERA), Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo, commended Hon. Enabulele for the development of the council area.

    Read Also: We have created employment opportunities for 150,000 in Edo – Obaseki

    Ojo urged the local council to build a social security scheme, to ensure community participatory governance model and create opportunities for community development, among others.

    Other speakers at the event include former Dean of Students Affairs, University of Benin (UNIBEN), Prof. Osarhieme Osadolor; Bursar UNIBEN, Dr. Victor Imagbe, among others.

    Guests at the event include government officials and members of the organised private sector, traditional rulers, community leaders, owners of micro small and medium businesses, among others.

    PHOTO CAPTION:

    L-R: Former Dean of Students Affairs, University of Benin (UNIBEN), Prof. Osarhieme Osadolor; representative of Edo State Deputy Governor and Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Joseph Eboigbe, and Executive Chairman, Ovia South-West Local Government Area, Hon. Destiny Enabulele, at Ovia South-West LGA’s maiden economic summit, held at the council’s secretariat in Iguobazuwa.

     

  • Lions wreak havoc as they raid village in southern Tanzania

    At least three lions from the Selous Game Reserve on Monday raided a village in southern Tanzania, causing villagers sleepless nights, a civic leader said.

    The Selous Game Reserve is a protected area in southern Tanzania covering a total area of 50,000 square kilometres and is home to African bush elephant, black rhino, hippopotamus, lion, cape buffaloes, giraffe, zebra and the crocodiles.

    The acting Ward Executive officer, Msisima ward, Saidi Geho, said the three lions invaded Matempwende village in the Southern region of Ruvuma, killing three cows.

    Geho siad the lions feasted on the three cows, adding that the incident forced the village authorities to seek help from game rangers from Namtumbo districts, Department of Natural Resources.

    The Lands and Natural Resources officer for Namtumbo district, Simon Sambalu, said following the request from the village authorities, his department deployed a team of game rangers to guard the village against the invading lions.

    Read Also: Bauchi to upgrade Yankari Game Reserve

    “A team of game rangers have camped in the village to stop the lions from causing disastrous attacks to humans and domestic animals.

    “A wave of wild animals, including elephants, from the nearby Selous Game Reserve that raid villages in Namtumbo district has been on the increase for quite some time.

    “The Selous Game Reserve was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 due to its wildlife diversity and undisturbed nature,“ Sambalu said.

  • GITEX 2019: Nigeria ready for 5G network, says Communication minister

    In line with global requirements of communications, Dr Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications, said Nigeria was ready to deploy 5G network across the country to ease network flow.

    Pantami said this on Monday at the ongoing 39th Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) holding in Dubai (United Arab Emirates).

    GITEX is a global technology exhibition that brings together over 200,000 trade visitors, investors, innovators, IT experts, countries, Information Communication Technology startups from over 145 countries of the world, to share trends of ICT and ways of advancing technology innovations.

    Nigeria’s participation in GITEX, which is spearheaded by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is a week long programme holding from Oct. 6 to Oct. 10.

    5G mobile network is the next-generation standard for wireless communication, set to start taking over the mobile network environment in 2019. 5G delivers vastly increased capacity, lower latency and faster speed.

    The minster said “ Nigeria is ready for 5G network but preparation is key. We are ready but need deployment and before that we need pre-deployment and post-deployment.

    “We are working to handle the challenges of pre-deployment but the approval has been given for the trial.

    “Nigeria is not yet into the 5G network deliberately. Some of the telecom operators are ready to deploy the 5G network but the proposal was put on hold, so we can be productive and proactive.

    “There could be potential challenges that could obstruct 5G network, which include regulations. You cannot just rush into it without preparing your ground,’’ he said.

    He said that the Federal Government is engaging some security agencies like the National Intelligence Agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Nigeria Police, among others to ensure a seamless process, while establishing regulations on deploying the 5G network.

    The minister also said that 5G network cannot be deployed across the country yet due to some gaps in citizens being unable to access 2G, 3G and 4G networks.

    Read Also: Pantami, Dambatta, others for MoDiTECH 2019

    “At the pace we are moving, some places do not even have 2G, there are over 200 cluster areas in the country and with this you cannot say we can move to 5G when some people are yet to access 2G, 3G.

    “The gaps are already there, it is not a new one but you cannot delay advancement because other people are not benefiting, what we should do is to bridge the gap.’’

    He added that Nigeria was not doing badly in technology, however, patriotism and confidence in indigenous products and services was lacking.

    Pantami recalled that a Nigerian in the UK was the first person globally to develop, build and design first real time 5G network dedicated to self-organised networks in the UK , using general purpose processors.

    According to him, we usually fail to deploy what we produce, we are so much addicted to foreign products and whenever we hear anything local it appears to us as inferior.

    “That perception of undermining our effort is what we need to change.’’

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria Postal Service, Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited, Nigeria Petroleum Exchange Commission, Petroleum Equalisation Fund Management Board are some agencies representing the country at GITEX.

  • Vice principal allegedly had sex with student for months

    An assistant principal at a North Carolina high school had sex with a student six times over a four-month span, police said.

    Lisa Rothwell, a 34-year-old educator at Stuart Cramer High School in Belmont, was arrested Friday for having sex and oral sex with a student between April 1 and July 31, the Gaston Gazette reported, citing arrest warrants.

    Rothwell, a 10-year employee of Gaston County Schools, was ordered held on $1 million bond during a court appearance late Friday. She’s facing six counts of felony sexual activity with a student by a school employee, jail records show.

    Rothwell, who earns more than $66,000 annually, taught gifted children at North Gaston High School and Stanley Middle School prior to landing her current position in 2014, the Gaston Gazette reported.

    Read Also: Rape allegations: Police arrest former Speaker in Nepal

     

    A message seeking additional comment regarding Rothwell, of Charlotte, was not immediately returned early Monday by Gaston County Schools, but her profile page on its website has been removed. She has been suspended with pay following her arrest, according to WSOC.

    The alleged sex acts between Rothwell and the student occurred three times in April and three times in July, sources told the station.
    Rothwell, who was emotional during her initial court appearance Friday, is scheduled to return to court Monday to seek a reduction in her bond, according to the Gaston Gazette.

  • Court softens journalist Abiri bail condition

    The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday softened the bail conditions for a Bayelsa based journalist, Mr Jones Abiri.
    On June 24, Abiri was arraigned on a three-count charge of terrorism, economic sabotage and fraud.

    Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu had earlier granted him N100 million bail with one surety in like sum, wherein she ordered that the surety must own a landed property in Abuja metropolis.

    Abiri was unable to meet the requirements to regain his freedom, forcing his counsel, Mr Samuel Ogala, to apply before the court to vary the bail terms.

    The judge, however, on Monday gave Abiri new bail conditions.

    In the varied bail terms, Ojukwu ordered one Mr Frederick Lokpobri, a level 14 officer of the Federal Ministry of Power who elected to stand as surety for Abiri, to swear to an affidavit.

    The judge ordered Lokpobri to swear to an affidavit of means commensurate with the bail sum earlier granted.

    He was also asked to in furtherance, deposit originals of the title documents of his landed property situated at the Nassarawa axis before the court registrar.

    Read Also: Court orders interim forfeiture of border agency’s boss’ property

    Ogala in a motion dated Sept. 2 and filed on Sept. 3, informed the court that his client was unable to meet the previous bail conditions because Abiri knew no one with a landed property within Abuja metropolis.

    The Federal Prosecutor, Mr Bagudu Sani, opposed the bail application in a counter affidavit, urging the court to discountenance it.

    Counsel to Abiri, argued that the prosecution failed to adduce cogent reasons why the application for variation should not be granted.

    Ojukwu granted the bail application and adjourned the matter until Oct. 17 for trial.

    While addressing newsmen after the court proceedings, Ogala said he hoped Abiri would be released after perfecting the new bail conditions.

  • Adesina, Onu, Awosika eight others bag role model awards

    The Hallmarks of Labour Foundation on Sunday night conferred 11 accomplished Nigerians with its highly coveted annual Role Model Awards.

    The recipients include Supreme Court Judge, Justice Clara Ogunbiyi, who bagged the Life-Time Achievement Award for exemplary/courageous service to the advancement of the legal system and President of African Development Bank (AfDB) Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, who received the Emeka Anyaoku Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his performance as Nigeria’s outstanding international icon.

    Minister of Science and technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu also received the Life-Time Achievement Award for excellence in leadership and good governance.

    Six others received Role Model Awards for excellence in different spheres of endeavour.

    They are Justice Banji Orilonise, Prof Anya O. Anya, Prof Oladele Kale, Prof Nimi Dimpka Briggs, Prof Idris Mohammed and the only female recipient, Mrs Ibukun Awosika who is the Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria.

    Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Registrar, Prof Is-Haq Oloyedesaid, won the Umaru Shehu Award, while Channels TV Chairman John Momoh took home the Christopher Kolade Award.

    Adesina, who spoke on behalf of the awardees, said they were not heroes but servants in the cause of Nigeria’s progress.

    He thanked the foundation and other Nigerians for being “excellent examples for us.

    “You have cleared a path for where we are today. We stand on your very broad shoulders tonight and we stand on your very broad shoulders and we thank you very much.

    “Heroes they may call us, but we are not, but servants we are. We have been entrusted with a sacred responsibility to serve by emptying ourselves.

    “We have been provided a rare exceptional opportunity to serve our dear nation, the lion that has given us air in our lungs, thank you to the Hallmarks of Labour Foundation for this great honour.

    “We have all been providentially placed in Nigeria for a time like this. We all have a part to play in our little ways and in our respective spheres of influence.

    “We’ve been called on to make a difference to stand out as ambassadors of this great nation, for ours is a nation that cannot be hidden. Nigeria’s future is bright and it will continue to shine.”

    A former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Mariam Aloma Mukthar chaired the occasion; Chief Anyaoku was Special Guest of Honour while Chairman HLF Board of Trustees, Prof (emeritus) Umaru Shehu was also present.

    Activist lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, who delivered a lecture, praised the foundation for its painstaking efforts to identify worthy Nigerians for the awards.

    Read Also: Trio win medicine Nobel for work on how cells adapt to oxygen

    Falana added: “For all the awardees, one thing you have exhibited in your careers is that at the end of the day this country is proud of you and any country will be proud of our awardees.

    “For the foundation I’m going to advise that please try as much as possible henceforth if you’re honouring 10 people, ensure that five of them are women, not just one woman out of 10 people.”

    He appealed to the Foundation to “go out there and identify even if it’s just one young man or woman who has also done the country proud so that for their generation can be made to appreciate the need for honouring integrity and achievement.”

    Guests at the occasion included former External Affairs Minister Prince Bolaji Akinyemi, Former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, Dr Wale Babalakin SAN, Dr Yusuf Ali SAN, among other eminent Nigerians.

    The HLF was established in 1996 to promote honesty, hard work and integrity through character emulation and role modeling.

    Members of its Board of Trustees include Prof Shehu, Dr Kolade, Senator (Mrs) Oluremi Tinubu, Prof Grace Alele Williams, Prof Itse Sagay, Mrs Grace Giwa and Patricia Dede Otuedon-Arawore.

    So far 59 Nigerians have been honoured with the awards since 1997. Sunday was the 23rd anniversary of the event.

  • BEDC begins distribution of 67,452 prepaid meters in Ekiti

    Benin Electricity Distribution Plc on Monday launched the Meter Asset Provider scheme with a target of providing 4,000 units of meters monthly.

    The BEDC said a total of 67,452 meters would be rolled out in Ekiti state within the next two years in compliance with the directive of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.

    Osinbodu said the meter installation would be preceded by enumeration of customers on feeders servicing to avoid energy theft.

    The BEDC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Funke Osibodu, represented by the Executive Director in charge of Commercial said the meters would be provided to consumers in all its coverage areas with a view to ensuring that power generated and distributed was efficiently utilised to avert illegal consumption of electricity.

    Osinbodu said consumers’ metering is imperative to encourage development of independent and competitive meter services, eliminate estimated billings, attract private investments, close the metering gap and ensure revenue assurance in Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry.

    “The customers’ premises will be cleared whether you want a single or double faces before you are metered. Metering will start from Ado Ekiti and move to other local governments. We warn that customers should not pay cash to enumerators or mappers; they should pay to our designated banks.

    ” An average of 13,542 megawatts is supplied to Ekiti on monthly basis and 14 percent of the power generated is lost due to poor Network facilities and technical losses caused by non- payment of bills and theft.

    “We want our customers to cooperate with our officers as they move around to capture them in the two exercises, because the enumeration process will help in resolving almost 60 percent of the complaints from customers”, he said.

    Osibodu lamented that the greatest challenges of electricity supply in Ekiti have always been the transmission bottlenecks, vandalism, massive energy theft, high community unrest and huge debt owed on bills.

    Read Also: Magboro residents protest IBDEC’s crazy bills, erratic power supply

    She urged government to implement relevant laws to prevent vandalism and energy theft in protecting BEDC from loss, suggesting that mobile court can be constituted to try those indulging in this nefarious act.

    “We have been able to correct some of these challenges through rehabilitation of some of the damaged facilities like Ikogosi/Erinjiyan /Ipole Iloro on Aramoko 33KV, commissioning of Ado Ekiti 2.5MVA 33/11KV injection substations to increase power supply from six to 12 hours.

    The BEDC official in charge of Ekiti and Benin, Mrs Kunbi Labiyi, said the company has been trying to improve electricity supply despite the administrative and technical hitches it suffers , saying some communities have been energised to boost the economy and diversify the economy from the civil service structure.

    Labiyi added that the BEDC is also tapping into the off grid electricity generation options, in partnership with the state government for improved electricity supply and robust economy.

    Osibodu assured Gbonyin and Ekiti East local government areas of the state that they will be reconnected to the national grid after the scheme, saying the power outage in the councils was caused by rejection of bulk billings by consumers in the affected areas.

    “We are sure that their issues will be resolved after this enumeration”, she said.

  • Niger Assembly receives Commissioner-nominees

    Niger House of Assembly has received the list of Commissioner-nominees for the state executive council.

    Indication of the receipt of the last has been making rounds like rumors but on Monday, The Nation authoritatively confirmed that the list of nominees is in the Legislative House.

    A hint of the receipt was stated when members of the Forum of Education Secretaries paid a courtesy visit to the Speaker Abdullahi Bawa Wuse on Monday.

    The Chairman of the forum, Kpetu Ahmed, expressed appreciation that one of the Executive Secretaries was selected as a Commissioner-nominee saying that the Forum is certain he will meet up to expectation.

    Read Also: Niger State secures N2bn loan for 10, 000 teachers

    The Speaker, who did not confirm or deny the availability of the list of Commissioner-nominees, acknowledged that he was aware the Executive Secretary being mentioned was selected as a Commissioner.

    “Yes, it is the same person, I believe in him and he has been selected to serve as a Commissioner. His commitment and dedication led to his recommendation.”

    When questioned after the courtesy visit, the Speaker told The Nation that the members of the House of Assembly would be conveying on Tuesday, “Then you will know. It will be announced then.”

    The Commissioner list is coming after four months of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello’s inauguration into office for the second term.