The Nation Newspaper

Category: News Update

  • African ministers seek overhaul of curricular

    African ministers seek overhaul of curricular

    African finance ministers on Tuesday identified the need for comprehensive overhaul of their educational systems in favour of technology and skills acquisition.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the ministers made the demand at the ongoing 4th Korea-African Economic Cooperation Ministerial Conference (KOAFEC) in Seoul, South Korea.

    The ministers, who reviewed their nations’ development strategies against the backdrop of the South Korea’s success, identified the lopsidedness as the bane of the continent’s dismal response to global technological activities.

    According to the ministers, the medium and long-term solution to Africa’s quest for sustainable economic development and provision of social infrastructure lies in making Africans educationally competitive.

    Tanzania Minister of Finance, Dr. William Mgimwa, said that Africa must respond adequately to the issue of technical human capital by increasing budgetary allocations to education and re-creating a continental mindset for knowledge.

    Mgimwa described skilled or technological education as the driver of inclusive development and warned that in overhauling the educational system, the continent must proactively establish infrastructure to absorb the labour force.

    He said that experience of South Korea showed that only skilled human capital could make nations to sustain economic development and be globally competitive.

    Uganda’s Minister of Finance, Maria Kiwanuka, said the need to overhaul the education system was due to the role of skilled manpower in sustainable economic growth and development.

    Kamara argued that African natural resources would only be meaningful to development drive of the continent by conscious exposure of the continent’s youth to skills and technology based knowledge.

     

  • Anambra to set up committee on flood victims’ resettlement

    Anambra to set up committee on flood victims’ resettlement

    Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, has announced the state government’s plan to set up a committee for the resettlement and rehabilitation of flood victims in the state.

    Obi announced this in Awka when a philanthropist, Chief Nnaeto Orazulike, the Chief Executive Officer of Genesis Food, donated two truckloads of the company’s products to the flood victims at Government House on Monday.

    He said the committee would help raise the necessary funds to assist the victims rebuild their homes, businesses and make a fresh start.

    The governor, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, reiterated the determination of the state government to lessen the burden of the victims and raise their morale to pick up their lives.

    Obi urged those wishing to assist the displaced persons with relief materials to go through the appropriate committee to ensure proper documentation and transparency.

    The governor expressed gratitude to President Goodluck Jonathan for personally identifying with the displaced persons and also commended other public spirited individuals that had made donations for the welfare of the victims.

    Earlier, Orazulike explained that he was encouraged by the bold and prompt steps taken by the state government to provide succour to those affected by the flood.

     

  • Anti-Islam film protest at Google

    Up to 3,500 people have protested outside the headquarters of Google in central London over an anti-Islam film.

    Buckingham Palace Road in Victoria was closed for three hours by the demonstration.

    The protesters called for the trailer for the United States-made film, Innocence of Muslims, to be removed from YouTube, which is owned by Google.

    Google has said the video is “clearly within our guidelines and so will stay on YouTube.”

    The trailer for the film has provoked anger for its abuse of the Prophet Muhammad.

    YouTube has blocked access to the video in some countries such as Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and India.

    Khalid Mahmood, of campaign group Voyce, said it was the first demonstration against Google in the United Kingdom and other action would follow.

    He said: “This is a demonstration against hate speech on the internet and YouTube in particular.”

    A YouTube spokesman said: “We work hard to create a community everyone can enjoy and which also enables people to express different opinions.

    “This can be a challenge because what’s OK in one country can be offensive elsewhere.”

     

  • Ex- Eagles goalie Rufai slumps, rushed to hospital

    Ex- Eagles goalie Rufai slumps, rushed to hospital

    FORMER Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai, slumped on Monday night in his office.

    He was rushed to Toki hospital in Surulere, Lagos, where he is receiving medical attention.

    One of his brothers told The Nation that the former Go-Ahead Eagles safe hand complained about some discomfort and needed to walk around.

    The brother followed him moments later, only to find Rufai on the floor.

    He raised an alarm and neighbours helped in rushing the ex- international goalkeeper to the hospital.

    Meanwhile his younger brother, Bruce, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday that the ex-Super Stores goalkeeper is now in a stable condition at the hospital.

    “He is responding well now, it all happened on Monday night but we are grateful his condition has stabilised, we are thankful for that.

    “We don’t know for now the cause of the illness, the doctors are yet to tell us what exactly happened. We are waiting for their reports,’’ Bruce said.

    When asked by NAN when Rufai would be discharged, he said the doctors were yet to ascertain when he would be discharged.

    “The doctor is coming back this afternoon to give the final say; but we don’t know when he would be discharged for now,’’ the brother said.

     

     

  • Daniel returns to court

    Daniel returns to court

    …Seeks stay of proceeding on charges against him

    Former Ogun State governor, Gbenga Daniel, returned to Court on Monday after seeking medical treatment in the United Kingdom for an undisclosed health condition.

    However, the former governor moved a motion asking the court to strike out some of the charges levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

    Daniel also prayed in the alternative, that the court should either stay all further proceedings in respect of those charges or adjourn trial of it indefinitely pending the determination of a case between him and the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and six others in suit M/74/2012.

    The charges which Daniel wants the court to quash are count 1 to 13 bordering on “fraudulent allocation of Land in Ogun State,” by Daniel, his associates and associated companies. They formed part of the 38 count charge filed against him by the anti – graft agency last April.

    According to Daniel, the application is predicated on the reality that among other reasons, he has “already been indicted/adjudged guilty of fraudulent allocation of land by Judicial Commission of Inquiry into all land allocation, acquisition, sales and concessions of government properties and administration of Land Policies Rules between 2004 and May 2011.”

    The former governor reckoned that having been “sanctioned/punished as a result of the recommendations of the Land Commission, he ought not to undergo trial in counts 1 – 13 of the charges, whose sanction may result in imposition of another punishment” on him.

    But Taiwo Osipitan, who appeared for Daniel in company of Mrs Titi Akinlanwon(SAN) and others, said though his client’s application was not yet ripe for hearing, but if it would affect EFCC’s witnesses, the motion could be withdrawn.

     

  • Alao-Arisekola’s son to remain in EFCC custody

    Alao-Arisekola’s son to remain in EFCC custody

    A Lagos High Court in Ikeja on Monday refused to grant bail to Abdullahi Alao and Olanrewaju Olafusi in their on-going trial over alleged involvement in fuel subsidy fraud.

    The court, however, granted bail to co- defendant, Opeyemi Ajuyah, one of the oil marketers standing trial alongside Alao.

    Alao and Olafusi are to remain in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission pending the hearing of their bail application on Wednesday, October 17.

    Abdullahi is the son of Ibadan-based businessman, Abdulazeez Arisekola-Alao.

    Justice Lateefat Okunnu granted Ajuyah bail in the sum of N75m with two sureties in like sum after the hearing of her bail application.

    Justice Okunnu could not grant bail to Alao and Olafusi because the EFCC sought for time to file counter-affidavits to their applications.

    She, however, fixed October 17 for the hearing of their applications after the accused pleaded not guilty to the eight- count charge of fraud.

    Following the application for “abridgement of time” filed by the defendants, the court re-scheduled the hearing of the application for Wednesday.

    Alao’s counsel, Mr. Babatunde Akoni (SAN) questioned the failure of the EFCC to respond to his client’s application while it did to the applications of other defendants since they all served their separate applications on the EFCC on the same day.

    Akoni urged the court for a short adjournment by which time which he expects that the commission would have filed their opposition to their applications.

    Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), who led Ajuwah’s defence team, had alleged that EFCC’s counter-affidavit to her bail application was speculative.

    Ruling on her bail application, Okunnu said EFCC’s “assertion that she will jump bail is bereft of any evidence.”

     

  • Jonathan reassures flood victims of government support

    Jonathan reassures flood victims of government support

    President Goodluck Jonathan has reassured flood victims of government’s support to enable them pick up their lives again.

    Jonathan gave the assurance on Monday, while addressing flood victims in Gurin Village in Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa.

    “I am here to give you assurance that we will work with the state government to make sure that as you go back home you will be assisted to start your life again.

    “On behalf of the Government of Nigeria, I assure you that we will do our best,” he said.

    The president said that government was making all efforts to ensure that displaced people do not spend long period in camps.

    He said that government agencies including, the Army Engineers, had been mobilised to tackle the situation.

    In his speech, Governor Murtala Nyako, commended the president for his show of concern by visiting the state, and said that the state government had set up 68 camps for displaced persons across the state.

    Nyako said that so far many of the camps had been closed as the flood water receded leaving only 30.

    He said that his administration was planning a comprehensive package for farmers, who lost their crops, adding that they would be provided with early variety seeds of rice and maize that would mature in 60 days.

    “We have also ordered for irrigation pumps to be made available to the farmers,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted Nyako as saying during the president’s visit.

    In his speech, the Chairman of Adamawa Flood Committee, Mr. Kobis Thimnu, said the flood was the worst in the state since 1948.

    Thimnu said the flood was caused by the release of water from Lagdo Dam in neighbouring Cameroon, as well as from the Dadin Kowa and Kiri Dams in Nigeria leading to loss of lives and property worth billion of naira.

     

  • Court refuses Capital Oil boss, others’ bail application

    Court refuses Capital Oil boss, others’ bail application

    Detained Managing Director, Capital Oil and Gas Limited, Ifeanyi Ubah and four principal officers of his company on Monday suffered setback in their bid to regain freedom.

    Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Lagos refused their ex-parte application in which they sought to be released by the police.

    Also detained are Nsikan Usoro (Head of Trading), Godfrey Okorie (Depot Manager), Chibuzor Ogbuokiri (General Manager, Operations) and Orji Joseph Anayo (Executive Director, Operations).

    They were arrested on October 9 by men of the Police’s Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Ikoyi, Lagos, for allegedly defrauding the country of N43.291billion in fuel subsidy fund.

    Last Thursday, a Magistrate’s Court at Tinubu, Lagos, presided over by Magistrate Martins Omowunmi, granted a request for remand, brought pursuant to Section 264 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos by the police, and ordered that they be kept in police custody for 14 days.

    The police said they were being investigated for offences bordering on economic sabotage, obtaining money by false pretences and stealing.

    They are accused of defrauding the Federal Government of the said sum “by falsely pretending that the company had imported and sold 538, 74 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit during the 2011 fiscal year through 26 transactions.”

    On Monday, their lawyer, Joseph Nwobike (SAN) argued the ex-parte application with which he sought their release pending the determination of a substantive suit challenging their continued detention.

    Listed as respondents in the application were – the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Commissioner of Police, SFU and Francis Idu Alonyenu (a Chief Superintendent of Police).

    The application marked: FHC/C/CS/1203/2012 contained two prayers.

    The first was for an order directing the respondents to admit the applicants to bail or release them from detention pending the determination of the substantive suit.

    The second was for an order of interim injunction restraining the respondents and their agents from further arresting and detaining the applicants in relation to the same fuel subsidy issue pending the determination of the substantive suit.

     

  • Police kill suspected kidnappers in Zamfara

    Police kill suspected kidnappers in Zamfara

    The Police in Zamfara said two suspected members of a syndicate that specialised in kidnapping and trading in human parts have been killed during a raid on their hideout.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Malam Usman Gwary, who stated this on Monday at a press briefing in Gusau, said a five-year-old girl was rescued in the raid.

    Gwary said that two suspects were killed in a cross fire with the police along the Sokoto-Gusau highway.

    He said the suspects were first intercepted as they were trying to negotiate the sale of the five-year-old girl in Zamfara.

    The commissioner of police said that his men acted on a tip-off and laid ambush for the suspects at strategic points on the border between Zamfara and Sokoto States.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the suspected criminals abducted the child from a private school in Imo sometime last week.

    Gwary said the girl was to be delivered for sale to another syndicate in Niger Republic through the Sokoto-Zamfara border.

    He further said the police sourced N600,000 for a phony purchase deal, having been briefed that the syndicate usually collected between N500,000 and N1,000,000 as price tag for sale of their victim.

     

  • Canada condemns attack on Muslim worshippers

    Canada condemns attack on Muslim worshippers

    The Canadian government has condemned the Sunday’s attacks on Muslim worshipers in Kaduna State.

    The attacks by some unknown gunmen killed 24 persons and injured many in Dongo Dawa village in Gwari Local Government Area of the state.

    A statement issued by the Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister, John Baird and released in Abuja on Monday expressed shock over the development.

    He reiterated the commitment of Canada to work with the Nigerian government in order to tackle the security challenges in the country.

    He said: “I’m troubled and shocked by reports of Sunday’s deadly attacks on Muslim worshipers in the Nigerian village of Dogo Dawa. Canada strongly condemns these heinous acts.”

    “On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my sincere condolences to the families and friends of those killed, and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”

    “Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Nigeria at this time. As I told Minister Olugbenga Ashiru during my visit earlier this week, Canada is committed to working with the government in Abuja to address security challenges in Nigeria,” he stated.