The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • NURTW to combat highways crimes with e-tracking

    NURTW to combat highways crimes with e-tracking

    By Toba Adedeji, Osogbo

    The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) said it will track members’ vehicles electronically to address the spate of kidnapping and insecurity on expressways.

    The union during the National Executive Council meeting at the Zone II Secretariat, Ikirun road, Osogbo, Osun state capital, said it is imperative for them to use electronic tracking device in curbing the menace of kidnapping and insecurity on expressways in the country.

    Its National President, Alhaji Tajudeen Baruwa, lamented that in recent times, the union has lost many members to banditry while many were kidnapped.

    He said: “We have resolved to use tracking to monitor our members’ vehicles. This will help us to alert our members of impending dangers.

    “We admonish our members to be security conscious, the issue of insecurity in the country is worrisome. Many times our members are been kidnapped across the country, we have lost many members as a result of insecurity and there is no compensation from the government. So we really need to be careful and vigilant when we are on the steering. E-tracking will help passengers and our members after we put it to use”.

    Baruwa thanked members for their support and confidence in his administration.

    He said the administration was faced with serious financial challenges and the emergence of the COVID19 affected their revenue.

    He confessed that it was a miracle to survive the devastating effect of the lockdown.

    The NURTW boss called on members to diversify its investment which will reduce the dependent on the union tickets.

  • ‘Legislators not following impeachment procedures’

    ‘Legislators not following impeachment procedures’

    By Tajudeen Adebanjo

    A commissioner with the Lagos State Local Government Service Commission, Hakeem Bamgbola, has called on councillors  to follow the due process before impeaching their chairmen .

    According to him, the impeachments declared so far by various legislative arms of  councils were illegal.

    Legislators in Onigbongbo, Ikosi-Isheri, Isolo and Surulere councils are at loggerheads with their chairmen. They had declared their chairmen impeached.

    Bamgbola, who is a former Secretary-General of Conference of 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas (Conference 57), said the procedure for impeaching a council chairman was similar to that of a governor.

    “If the legislators discovered any breach or breaches of the law, they will first write the chairman through the secretary to the council and give him 14 days to respond. If they are not satisfied with his response and consider the impeachment option, they will write to the chief judge of the state to set up a panel that will look into the allegation(s). If the panel exonerates the chairman of wrongdoing, that is the end of the process, but if the panel finds the chairman guilty, then, the legislators can go ahead with the impeachment process,” he said.

    According to him, none of the aforementioned councils’ legislators followed these processes.

    This, he said, made their actions null and void.

    Bamgbola, however, backed councillors’ rights to demand contractual agreement for the projects executed by the executive and other spendings.

    He urged the chairmen and councillors to always find amicable way of settling their misunderstanding.

    He also enjoined party leaders to use the internal resolution mechanism to resolve conflicts that could lead to impeachment.

  • PDP committee hails Southwest leaders over congress

    PDP committee hails Southwest leaders over congress

    By Emmanuel Oladesu, Deputy Editor

    The National Reconciliation and Strategy Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday hailed the leadership of the party in Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos, Osun and Ogun states for the recent successful zonal congress in Osogbo, Osun State, where officers were elected in a free, fair and peaceful poll.

    Its Secretary, Linus Okorie, said in a statement that Southwest PDP leaders disappointed their detractors, who had been fuelling division in the party.

    He said it was commendable that the congress did not end in chaos.

    Okorie said the maturity, peaceful disposition, unity, devotion, good spirit of brotherliness and sportsmanship displayed at the congress deserved emulation by PDP leaders in other zones.

    He added: “With what happened in Osogbo, our leaders in the Southwest have demonstrated that the PDP can retake the Southwest in 2023 and that with the incompetence being displayed by the ruling party, a united and refocused PDP is a better option for the enlightened people of the Southwest.”

    Okorie recalled how last month the Reconciliation Committee intervened in what looked like an unresolvable stalemate in the Southwest when the Fayose group insisted that there was a court case in which an order had been given for the congress not to hold.

    He said the committee, which at various times had to also appeal to Governor Seyi Makinde to concede the hosting of the congress outside Ibadan, also ensured that the court case was not used to stall the congress.

    Okorie added: “While we hail the stakeholders who have yielded to the pleas of the Reconciliation Committee to shift from their original position and made way for peace, we also want to emphasise that the success of the PDP Southwest zonal congress is another achievement recorded by the National Reconciliation and Strategy Committee.

    “It shows that the committee has continued to break new grounds and record more achievements. The members of the committee feel inspired by the positive turn of events in the Southwest PDP that we are now reassured that we will fully reunite every state chapter of the party by the end of the second quarter of this year.”

  • Osun govt distances from secession call

    Osun govt distances from secession call

    Osun State Government has dissociated the state from a seditious group going round public schools, disseminating secession message of the Yoruba nation to pupils.

    The government, through the Ministry of Education, has suspended head teachers of the three schools who allowed the seditious group into the premises to speak with the pupils.

    Reacting to a viral video, which showed the group talking to the pupils about the plan of the Yoruba nation to secede from Nigeria, Education Commissioner Folorunsho Bamisayemi said the Governor Adegboyega Oyetola administration was not aware and never gave consent to the body to speak with public school pupils.

    Bamisayemi, who stressed that the current administration frowned at any move to disunite the country, said the state had never associated with any group on what he described as a move capable of hindering the country’s unity.

    The Special Adviser to Governor Oyetola on Education, Mr. Jamiu Olawumi, said it was unfortunate that some unscrupulous elements were going about polluting the minds of young children because they knew that they were still naive.

  • ‘Why Odumakin would be missed’

    ‘Why Odumakin would be missed’

    A pan-Igbo think-tank, Nzuko Umunna, said yesterday that the late Afenifere spokesman, Yinka Odumakin, would be missed for his role in strengthening the bond between the Southeast and the Southwest.

    Chairman of Board of Trustees Prof. Pat Utomi led a delegation of Igbo and Yoruba leaders, including former minister Modupe Adelaja on a condolence visit to the families of Messrs Yinka Odumakin and Innocent Chukwuma.

    Utomi said Odumakin played a pivotal role as one of the facilitators of the “Handshake Across the Niger” conference, an initiative of Nzuko Umunna, which was hosted by Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Afenifere.

    He said the late Odumakin was “instrumental in rekindling the bond of brotherhood between Ndigbo and their Yoruba brethren,” adding that this would go down in history as one of his many laudable contributions to peace-building and national development.

    Utomi said the late Chukwuma was a towering figure in Nigeria’s human rights community, adding that his exploits, especially during the volatile military era, would remain indelible in the annals of Nigeria’s history.

    He prayed for the repose of the souls of the departed activists.

    The delegation was received by the spouses of the deceased.

    Members of the delegation included Senator Chris Anyanwu, Lady Onyeka Onwenu, Amb. Folake Marcus-Bello, Pastor Paul Bankole, Mr. Chido Nwakanma, Mr. Greg Muonyililo and Mr. Pat Okoye.

     

  • Buhari praises scientists for tackling COVID-19

    Buhari praises scientists for tackling COVID-19

    By Okwy Iroegbu­-Chikezie

    President Muhammadu Buhari has commended  scientists and engineers for helping to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who represented Buhari, stated this at a public forum organised by the Nigerian Academy of Engineering.

    The President also commended the engineers for using their experience and competence to assist in time of need.

    He said: “I think the pandemic has truly opened up the immense talents and creativity of Nigerian scientists and engineers and if the current momentum is supported, the next few years could be incredibly exciting.”

    He praised the academy and its membership, saying: “We are proud of Nigerian Academy of Engineers; your membership is made up of accomplished Nigerian engineers across all disciplines, industry sectors of engineering in Nigeria and in the diaspora. This provides it with the depth and diversity of experience and competence to provide advice on virtually all areas of engineering in the country.”

    On the important role of Science, Technology, and Engineering in dealing with the pandemic, the President noted that the world “turned to these disciplines for immediate solutions and answers. I am sure that as engineers, you will agree with me that one of the most poignant lessons of the response to the pandemic is the critical interdependence of science and engineering”.

    Giving an update on the production of a local vaccine, the President noted that the African Centre of Excellence for the Genomics of Infectious Disease at Redeemer’s University, Ede, has “developed an efficacious rapid test for COVID and have been working on a vaccine, in collaboration with DIOSynVax (Digital Immune Optimised Synthetic Vaccines), Cambridge United Kingdom (U.K.), using the DIOSynVax genomic-based technology”.

    He added: “There are also efforts going on therapeutics of various kinds. The development of vaccines, tests, and therapeutics these days are aided by automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence, so this is a strong point of synergy between science and engineering.”

    Citing the opportunities presented during the pandemic lockdown, President Buhari stated the “huge potential for the creation of effective technologies for telework, including Telemedicine and Fintech.”

  • Colgate, others partner to touch lives

    Colgate, others partner to touch lives

    By Okwy Iroegbu­-Chikezie

    As part of activities marking the World Oral Health Day, Colgate, a leading toothpaste brand, collaborated with the Nigeria Association of Dental Students (NDSA) and the Nigerian Medical Students Association (NMSA) to reach out to 44 locations in rural communities across 31 states.

    At each location, activities started in the early in the morning with oral health sensitisation walk; Colgate team, dental students and medical students combed densely populated areas around the activation points such as the markets, residentials raising awareness about preventing dental cavities and the importance of ensuring a good oral hygiene practice. After wards, everyone had the opportunity to visit the Colgate Dental Checkup stands to have their mouth screened at zero cost by licensed and certified dentist.

    In Abuja, the team visited Paiko community, Gwagwalada engaging families, market women, children and conducted household calls to preach the message of adopting a good oral care habit in alignment with the theme “Be proud of your smile”.

    Colgate Palmolive Tolaram Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Girish Sharma, said: “We are, particularly, excited about this year’s World Oral Health Day campaign as it holds the potential to transform the lives of many across the nation.”

    “Colgate’s partnership with NDSA and the NMSA made the impact even more far-reaching as it facilitated the possibility of combing through the nooks and crannies of over 44 communities across 31 states daily.

    “Although the target population reach for this exercise is over 18,000 for adult and children,  in line with Colgate’s 2021 goal of touching more than two million people through its Free Dental check ups.

    “Oral care is a very important aspect of the human overall health and wellness, and preventing cavity is one of the cardinal parts of enjoying a good oral health. It is therefore imperative to create awareness around oral care.

    “We are committed to proffer effective solutions to the spread of tooth cavities as well as aggressively promoting preventive oral care in Nigeria which is why we decided to go national with the campaign to deeply penetrate the rural communities ensuring they also benefit from the free dental screening opportunity.”

    President of NADS, Michael Adejumo said: “We embarked on this campaign to support our brand, Colgate and to enhance publicity on good oral care habits across every state in Nigeria and around the world.”

    NMSA President, Dan-Buba Mohammed  said: “It is a responsibility of medical Students and medical profession to be able to make advocacy campaign that while doctors treat diseases in the hospital, medical students will be preventing the occurrence of these diseases.”

    WOHD is celebrated throughout the world each year, with a wide range of awareness-raising activities organised by dentists, dental students, and NDAs. It offers the dental and oral health community a platform to take action and help reduce the global disease burden of oral disease.

  • Firm deploys crowd funding to make housing accessible

    Firm deploys crowd funding to make housing accessible

    A firm Richlife Properties  has deployed crowd funding to help Nigerians have access to decent housing across Lagos and Ogun states, with plans to spread to the Southwest.

    Its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bankole Babatunde, made this known at the weekend, during the unveiling of the firm’s product in Lagos called ‘Real Homes’and its first brand Ambassador, a Yoruba thespian, Bukunmi Oluwasina.

    He said Oluwasina was chosen  based on her social media followers of about 2.3 million fans.

    “Our new product requires crowd pulling and we realise that it has up to 2.3 million followers who are actually our target audience, especially the majority of Nigerians  who cannot own  land or houses of their own.

    ‘’She is free of scandals, her integrity is legitimate and we feel she is just right person for us,” Babatunde explained.

    On how the home scheme works, Bankole said: “It only requires a subscriber to deposit N60,000 for subscription of between 18 and 24 months’ repayment plan. You will be a proud owner of a two-bedroom apartment in any part of Nigeria that we have presence. It is a kind of crowd funding that we need the large number of our brand ambassador’s social media followers to sustain it.”

    According to him, the product is geared towards making housing affordable and accessible to millions of Nigerians who can neither afford to buy land nor house.

     

  • 17,500 Police operatives, others for Rivers council poll

    17,500 Police operatives, others for Rivers council poll

    By Rosemary Nwisi, Port Harcourt

    No fewer than 17, 500 police officers would be deployed across the 23 Local Government Areas (LGA), and other strategic places in Rivers state for Saturday’s Council elections.

    Commissioner of Police(CP), Eboka Friday, who disclosed this in a statement in Port Harcourt, the state capital, said, this was aside deployments by other security agencies for the exercise.

    In the statement signed by spokesman of the Command, Nnamdi Omoni, a Superintendent of Police(SP), Friday said: “To realise the full objectives of the council elections and engender a seamless exercise, the command has deployed a total of 17,500 personnel to be complemented by deployments from other sister security agencies.

    “This is aimed at providing safety, security and the due maintenance of law and order, before, during and after the Elections.”

    The CP, who is also the chairman, inter-Agency consultative committee on election security, announced movements will be totally restricted in the state from midnight night Friday for proper security during the election.

    ” All entry and exit points to the state will be completely blocked until the elections are over. No commercial activities will be allowed close to the polling units.

    “Police and security agencies will be moving around to ensure that there is strict compliance to this order and possibly arrest and prosecute violators,” the Police chief said.

    He also warned politicians against going beyond their polling units during the period, stressing Very Important Persons(VIPs) should also not go to polling units with arm- carrying security personnel.

  • Group plans essay competition on SDGs for Abuja students

    Group plans essay competition on SDGs for Abuja students

    By Jide Orintunsin, Abuja

    To inculcate innovation and creativity among youngsters, an Abuja- based finance outfit is organising an essay competition for secondary school students to mark this year’s United Nations World Innovation and Creativity Day celebration.

    The literary competition is to advocate among students and younger generation the needs to embrace sustainable model and system in Nigeria.

    The group Managing Partner, Olufemi Adedipe, who disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja, said the literary competition was to further drive conversation around global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a view to engaging younger generation.

    “This has become imperative because civilization and technology is threatening human’s healthy living and existence.

    “We also know that technology is at the same time empowering seamless living. We have found new easier and far more faster ways to do a whole lot of stuffs in a short period of time.

    “Therefore, we must constantly seek new ways to ensuring that human civilisation, technology and healthy living co-exist in such a way that the environment is sustained and our future guaranteed.

    “As an organisation that embraces sustainable model and systems, we believe that everyone should be concerned about the safety of our environment and ultimately the human lives, and we have constantly advocated for this,” Adedipe stressed.

    He said the objective of the competition “is to build an exciting platform for school kids aged 10-16 in Abuja to leverage on their creative prowess to generate, create and write an original innovative, sustainable model that supports and proffers solutions to any of the UN SDGs.

    “Bring together exceptional school children who are very innovative and gifted under a platform to provide acceleration and mentoring for them.

    “Breed deeper levels of interaction amongst participants to enhance cultural tolerance for nation building and intra-generational learning.”

    Three top candidates will get cash award, plaques and inducted into “The Pistis Alpha Scholars Club” while their schools get 50% of their cash prizes.

    “The grand finale will be a two-hour event where invited schools and their representatives, media outfits, UN representatives, government officials from the ministries of education, science and technology will also be in attendance,” he explained.