The Nation Newspaper

Category: News Update

  • 380 Africans benefit from Australian scholarship

    380 Africans benefit from Australian scholarship

    At least 380 recipients of the Australian Scholarship Awards in Africa will begin studies in different schools in the country in January 2013.

    Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ian McConville, said this in Abuja at a pre-departure event organised for the award recipients in Abuja on Thursday.

    McConville said that out of the 4,343 persons that applied for the Masters’ Scholarship, 380 had received the awards.

    The High Commissioner added that 1,776 African professionals from 51 countries benefited from the training opportunities offered in 2012 under the Australian Awards and the Australian Partnership Facilities.

    He added that the monetary value put in by the Australian government for the 2011/2012 financial year was 50 million dollars.

    He explained that this was to maintain a constant number of scholarships awarded.

    He noted that short course awards would be open in a month’s time to expand the number of awardees in West and Central Africa.

    “The Australian government provided about 30 million dollars in 2009 and 2010 for this purpose and this is likely to be worth around 50 million this financial year.

    “The aim is to maintain the number of scholarship awardees at a minimum of 1,000 to Africa; so that number should be constant over the years to come.

    “We are delighted that we have got 51 awardees from three countries: Nigeria, Cameroon and Gambia, who are doing their Masters programme.

    “There is still more than that number that will be undertaking the short course awards which are now open for application and that will be decided over the next month.

    “That will expand the number significantly for those studying in Australia,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the high commissioner as saying during the event.

    The pre-departure event, which included a workshop and dinner, hosted 52 recipients from Ghana, Cameroon and Nigeria.

    The scholarships focus on supporting Africa’s efforts towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals and targeting priority areas of partner governments.

    These include areas where Australia is recognised for its expertise in agriculture, natural resource management, mining, governance, water and sanitation and health.

    Speaking with NAN, the Team Leader, Australian Awards for Africa, Tony Crooks, said the Short Term Awards, which were 600 each year, involved a mutual partnership with Australia and the African governments involved.

     

  • Lagos to establish wildlife park

    Lagos to establish wildlife park

    The Lagos State Government on Friday said it had concluded plan to establish a wildlife park in Tekunle Island, Lekki.

    The Commissioner for Tourism and Intergovernmental Relations, Mr. Disun Holloway, disclosed this in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ikeja.

    Holloway said the wildlife park would be inaugurated in 2013.

    According to him, the park would consist of gorillas, tigers, monkeys, elephants and other animals.

    The commissioner said the ministry had initiated discussions with some South African experts on how the animals would be transported to Lagos.

    “The ministry is talking with hoteliers in South African in order to have adequate knowledge about the running and maintenance of the resort,’’ he said.

    Holloway said the park, when completed, would boost the tourism in the state.

    “The government is also rehabilitating old tourist sites in the state and developing new tourist destinations,’’ he said.

     

  • Police arrest six suspected assassins in Nasarawa

    The police in Nasarawa State said on Thursday that they had arrested six suspected assassins in the state.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Michael Adah, said the suspects were arrested while they were attempting to kill a businessman in Keana, headquarters of Keana Local Government Area.

    Parading the suspects, Adah said the suspects were alleged to have been paid to kill one Mr. Anthony Eze, a Keana-based businessman over a dispute.

    He said luck ran out of the suspects when the attention of the residents was drawn to their suspicious movement after missing their target.

    According to him, the residents immediately reported the matter to the police.

    Adah said the suspects had boarded a vehicle hired by the principal suspect on their way to execute the assignment when detectives attached to the Special Investigative Unit arrested them.

    Some of the items recovered from the suspects were one locally made pistol, two cartridges and N25, 890 cash.

    One of the suspects told journalists that he took the decision to kill the businessman because of threats to his life

    Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abayomi Akeremale, called on members of the public to be law-abiding and report any suspicious character.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that he has ordered a full investigation into the case.

     

  • Afghan roadside bomb kills 18 wedding guests

    Afghan roadside bomb kills 18 wedding guests

    A massive roadside bomb has killed at least 18 people on their way to a wedding in northern Afghanistan.

    At least 15 others have been wounded in what the BBC described as one of the worst such attacks in the country for some time.

    A minibus was carrying men, women and children to the wedding in the Dawlatabad district of Balkh province when it was struck by the bomb.

    It is not clear whether they were the intended target.

    No-one has yet claimed responsibility.

    Officials said they expect the number of dead to increase.

    BBC reported that Northern Afghanistan has generally been one of the safest parts of the country since the United States-led invasion in 2001.

    But Balkh has seen an increase in Taliban activity in recent years, which NATO forces – despite their extra numbers – have been unable to suppress.

    A United Nations report in August said civilian casualties had actually fallen for the first time in five years in Afghanistan – suggesting both sides in the war are becoming increasingly sensitive to the impact of civilian deaths.

    But the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama), which published the report, said it was concerned that the number of civilian deaths and injuries “remains at a high level.”

    There are no exact figures for the number of civilians killed since the war began in 2001, but most estimates calculate a minimum of 20,000 civilian deaths.

     

  • Central African Republic foils another coup

    Central African Republic foils another coup

    Security forces in Central African Republic arrested three men suspected of plotting to overthrow President Francois Bozize, the country’s chief prosecutor has said.

    CAR is one of the world’s poorest and least stable countries, and the government of Bozize has claimed over the years to have uncovered several coup plans, including one earlier this year.

    “Interrogations are ongoing, but the three plotters have already confessed their plan to overthrow the head of state,” Reuters quoted Alain Tomo as saying at a press conference.

    Tomo said one of the suspects is former Chadian army officer Job Nendobe Bergueba, who was hoarding a stash of automatic rifles, grenades and communications equipment at his residence.

    The three were arrested on October 9.

    Bozize came to power in 2003 after leading a rebellion and he has since won elections broadly criticised as flawed.

    He sacked his finance minister in June after accusing him of plotting a separate putsch.

     

  • Syndicate arrested for ‘selling’ free govt textbooks

    Security operatives have arrested a syndicate selling free Universal Basic Education (UBE) books.

    Minister of State for Education Nyesom Wike sad officials of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) are involved in the crimes.

    He said from next year, independent monitors would be drafted to monitor the distribution of textbooks to schools across the country.

    The minister said the ministry and its security partners would work to ensure that saboteurs in the book distribution chain are arrested.

    Suspected members of the syndicate are officials of the Niger State Universal Basic Education Board and the Niger State House of Assembly.

    Members of the syndicate arrested include: Mohammed Abubakar Kutigi, a staff of the Niger State House of Assembly and facilitator between traders, Mohammed Ndako, Chief Store Officer, SUBEB, Mohammed Sani, Principal Store Officer SUBEB and Tanko Abdulahi, principal store assistant, SUBEB.

    Wike said investigations led to Kutigi’s arrest, the mastermind who identified other suspects.

    He said: “The command established that the source of the UBE, Federal Government ‘not for sale textbooks, have been seen in markets in Onitsha, Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Kano.”

    Kutigi said he served as a link between the SUBEB store officers and traders.

    He admitted to have sold 50,000 books to the traders at N80 each.

    A trader from the Onitsha Market, Ikpe Okorie, said upon buying the books at N80 per copy, they sell at N100.

    The four suspects were arraigned before a Minna Magistrate’s Court.

  • Kogi ousted Speaker cries out to Jonathan, IGP

    Kogi ousted Speaker cries out to Jonathan, IGP

    … Says, ‘I’m not safe’

    Embattled Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdullahi Bello, on Thursday appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to save the state legislature from annihilation.

    Bello flanked by 12 members of the House addressed a press conference in Abuja.

    He lamented that when the members went to the House to resume legislative duties on Thursday, they were prevented from entering the Assembly Complex by policemen allegedly acting on the orders of the state commissioner of police.

    12 members of the 25-member Kogi State House of Assembly had on Tuesday announced that they have met and impeached Bello and other principal officers of the House.

    Most Nigerians have condemned the action, saying the 12 lawmakers did not meet the constitutional requirement of two-third (17 members), needed to carry out the impeachment.

    He also vowed to challenge the action of the 12 lawmakers in court to ensure that sanity is restored to the state.

    Bello said: “All these things that are happening across the states, particularly in Kogi State would not have been happening if not that some people around Mr. President are trying as much as possible to cause a problem for the Federation.

    “The President that I know, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is a man of honour and rule of law.

    “If you look at the last general election in the country, he ensured a very free and fair atmosphere for the election to be conducted.

    “So there is nobody that could have used the name of Mr. President to perpetuate illegality in any part of the Federation, particularly in Kogi State.

    “So I appeal to Mr. President as the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces and the number one citizen of this country to rescue the Kogi State legislature from absolute annihilation by the executive arm of government in the state. This is because what happened in Kogi State is an executive influence and maximum force which led to the compromise of the police.

    “I therefore want to appeal to Mr. President to come to the aid of Kogi parliament because without parliament there is no democracy.

    “The absence of parliament means that what we have is absolute dictatorship.

    “So if any governor of a state decides to muzzle the parliament, what we have is elected sole administrator as governor of the state.

    “So we want Mr. President to address this situation as a matter of urgent public importance.”

    He said his life was in danger as the commissioner of police in the state had withdrawn all his security aides.

    Bello also urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to look into the matter and ensure that the rule of law prevails.

    He added: “The commissioner of police, at an ungodly hour of the day of Wednesday withdrew all my security.

    “You know what it means for my security to be withdrawn without informing me.

    “That to me is an abuse of power, it is an affront on the constitution, it is against the rule of law and it is unjust.”

     

  • Minister seeks D-8 support on air safety

    Minister seeks D-8 support on air safety

    As part of efforts to achieve safety in the aviation sector, the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, on Thursday, called for collaborations with members of the D- 8 countries

    The D-8 member nations are – Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan.

    The minister is seeking partnership in training, airport operations, airline operations and financing.

    Oduah spoke at the 6th D-8 Working Group on Civil Aviation (WGCA) and Director Generals Meeting, held in Abuja.

    She stated that it is imperative for member nations to merge resources to achieve sustainable growth especially as regards aviation safety, security and capacity building.

    She said: “There already exists cooperation and business affiliation between our airlines and other D-8 countries’ maintenance providers in the provision of heavy maintenance for Nigerian registered aircraft.

    “Other areas that Nigeria urgently requires cooperation are capacity building, airport operations, airline financing and operations.”

    The minister urges member nations to make the sector an engine of economic growth.

    She added that the G-80 terminal at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos will be commissioned next Monday.

    Describing the terminal as classic, she stated that other airports’ terminals will be commissioned on weekly basis.

    In his remark, the Director General DG, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren, said participants will deliberate on vital issues such as safety and security, air navigation and traffic management.

     

  • 2015: Judge’s absence stalls ruling in suit against Jonathan

    2015: Judge’s absence stalls ruling in suit against Jonathan

    Judgment in a suit filed by a Peoples Democratic Party member, Mr. Cyracus Njoku, asking an Abuja High Court to stop President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2015 election was on Thursday stalled.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the judgment was not delivered, due to the absence of the Presiding Judge, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi.

    No reason was however, given for the judge’s absence.

    Oniyangi had fixed October 18 to deliver judgment on whether Jonathan will have a place in the 2015 presidential elections after entertaining arguments from parties to the suit.

    Njoku, from Zuba Ward in the Abuja Municipal Area Council with PDP registration number 1622735, had urged the court to declare that Jonathan could not swear to an oath thrice in view of section 137(1) (b) of the 1999 Constitution.

    In the suit, Njoku also wants the court to declare that the President’s tenure began on May 6, 2010 and that his two terms shall end on May 29, 2015, having taken his second oath of office on May 29, 2011.

    He also wants the court to declare that by virtue of section 136 (1) (b) of the Constitution, no person (including Jonathan) shall take the oath of allegiance and the oath of office prescribed in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution more than twice.

    Njoku is also praying for an order, restraining Jonathan from further contesting or attempting to vie for the office of president after May 29, 2015 when his tenure shall by the Nigerian Constitution, end.

    He is also seeking an order, restraining the PDP from further sponsoring or attempting to sponsor Jonathan as candidate for election to the office of the President in 2015.

    He also wants an order of court directing the Independent National Electoral Commission not to accept the name of Jonathan, where sponsored by his party again to run for the Office of President in 2015.

    But Counsel to Jonathan, Mr. Kelechi Normeh, in a preliminary objection, asked the court to discountenance the suit.

    Normeh, who is holding brief for Ade Okeaya-Inneh (SAN), described the suit as “frivolous and vexatious” and meant to make the court to labour in futility because the suit was purely an academic exercise.

    He also urged the court to hold that the suit instituted by Njoku, failed to disclose reasonable cause of action.

     

  • Pension fraud: Court to rule on suspect’s application

    An Abuja High Court will on November 14 rule on whether to quash the criminal charges against the former head of finance of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Hassan Tukur.

    The court, presided over by Justice Maryann Anenih, on Thursday reserved the ruling after hearing an application by Tukur asking the court to quash the criminal charges against him.

    Tukur, the former Acting Director, Finance and Accounts, along with Babatunde Abisuga and Mohammed Ndakupe, all accounts officers of the commission, are standing trial for allegedly stealing N109 million from the Pension Fund.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had on April 3 arraigned the three accused on a 12-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, dishonesty, and stealing.

    The anti-graft agency said the accused committed the crimes between October 2010 and November 2010. They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    At the resumed hearing of the case on Thursday, EFCC counsel, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, said the matter had been slated for hearing.

    But Tukur (first accused), through his counsel, Mr. Ego Umukoro, had filed a motion urging the court to quash and dismiss the charges on the grounds that the EFCC had no evidence against him.

    He insisted that there was no nexus linking him with the commission of the alleged offence.

    Particularly, Tukur said that from the proof of evidence and witness’ statements presented by the EFCC, the commission could not prove to the court that he committed any offence.

    Counsel to Abisuga (second accused), Mr. Umoh Eyo, and Ndakupe (third accused), Mr. Anthony Agbonlahor, did not oppose the application.

    However, the EFCC, in a counter affidavit, urged the court to dismiss the application.

    Tahir in opposing the application urged the court not to hear the motion but to proceed with the trial.

    He accused Tukur of employing delay tactics to frustrate the case and urged the court to resist attempts by the accused to delay trial.