The Nation Newspaper

Category: News Update

  • ‘545 women die annually during child birth in Nigeria’

    ‘545 women die annually during child birth in Nigeria’

    At least 545 women die during child birth annually in Nigeria, a research carried out by the BBC Media Action has revealed.

    The National Coordinator of BBC Media Action, an NGO, Mr. Yusuf Gusau, made the disclosure on Tuesday in Gusau at a workshop organised for media practitioners and some selected NGOs and health providers on the use of contraceptives and importance of child spacing.

    He said the figure represented 10 per cent of global mortality rate with 545 mothers dying in every 100,000 live births while infant mortality had also risen to 110 in every 1,000 births in the country.

    He blamed the situation on inaccessibility and poor awareness of family planning products and methods as well as poor attitudes of the service providers.

    Yusuf said his organisation, which established another arm known as Expanded Social Marketing Project in Nigeria (ESMPIN), was already working towards creating more awareness in 15 selected states in the nation.

    He further explained that in Zamfara State, the body had selected three communities in each of the four local government areas of Bakura, Bukkuyum, Maru and Zurmi and would soon extend to more areas in the state.

    In order to achieve the set objective, the coordinator said, ESMPIN held a meeting with traditional rulers, religious and community leaders over the use of contraceptives in order to ensure that births were well spaced between children so as to achieve healthier live.

    “We are not in any way supporting abortion but we want to ensure that children are spaced for at least two years in between one birth and the next, so that infant mortality can be reduced to the barest minimum and mothers given enough time to recuperate after every child delivery,” Gusau said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the BBC Media Action is among other NGOs established to help reduce poverty, provide access to media to the rural poor, create awareness, share opinions and shape peoples’ lives so as to develop communities and earn better life.

     

  • Ivory Coast exiles set up strategic command in Ghana

    Ivory Coast exiles set up strategic command in Ghana

    Exiles supporting Ivory Coast’s former President Laurent Gbagbo have established a base in neighboring Ghana from which they are working to destabilize the current Ivorian government, according to excerpts from a new report by a United Nations expert panel.

    The supporters of Gbagbo, who is awaiting trial in The Hague for crimes against humanity, have a “military structure,” have hired mercenaries in Ghana and Liberia and have established several training camps in eastern Liberia, the report said.

    “They (Ivorian exiles) have established a strategic command in Ghana,” it said, adding that their goal was to “destabilize” the government in Ivory Coast and return to power.

    Reuters says the observations were in an interim report from the so-called U.N. Group of Experts, which monitors compliance with the Ivory Coast sanctions regime.

    The group plans to discuss its report with members of the U.N. Security Council’s Ivory Coast sanctions committee on Friday, diplomats said.

    Excerpts and information from the report, which also mentioned some less serious potential violations of the U.N. sanctions regime by the Ivorian government, were given to Reuters by a U.N. official and Security Council diplomats.

    The findings appear to add credence to allegations made by the Ivorian authorities that military and civilian officials of the former government, many of whom fled across the border at the end of a brief conflict last year, are continuing their fight against President Alassane Ouattara’s government from Ghanaian soil.

     

  • Senate condemns killing of UNIPORT students

    Senate condemns killing of UNIPORT students

    The Senate on Tuesday expressed outrage over the gruesome killing of four students of University of Port Harcourt, River State.

    The followed the adoption of a motion entitled: “Motion condemning the murder of students of the University of Port Harcourt and one other person at Omuakiri Village, Aluu, Rivers State.

    The motion was sponsored by Senator Ayogu Eze (Enugu North) and supported by 90 other Senators.

    On October 3, the Senate decried the reprehensible murder of 46 students of Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Adamawa State.

    Senate President, Senator David Mark, described the gory incident especially as posted on social networks as totally condemnable and atrocious.

    Mark noted that the manner of the death of the students has brought to the fore the urgent need for state police in the country.

    The Senate President particularly deplored the inability of security agents to apprehend perpetrators of crimes in the country.

    But he insisted that Nigeria should not be classified as a failed state, saying the existence of the legislature, judiciary and executive arms of government in the country clearly show that the country is not a failed state.

    He said, “There is no doubt that this act is condemnable. We feel for the students who have lost their lives, we feel for the parents of the students who have lost their lives but there is a local saying that when you point a finger to someone else four others are pointing at you.

    “So we all have a share in ensuring that there is safety of lives and property in this country.

    “It is not that crimes don’t happen elsewhere but the difference between crimes elsewhere and crimes in Nigeria is that outside this country, the perpetrators are arrested as quickly as possible and brought to book.

    “The reason why people don’t want to commit crime is the fear of punishment that is the consequences of it.

    “Here if you commit crime and you think you can go scot free then it is jungle justice.

    “I must also emphasize that the legislature exist in this country, the judiciary is there and the executive is there and this clearly are not signs of failed states.”

     

  • Jonathan inaugurates sovereign wealth fund board

    Jonathan inaugurates sovereign wealth fund board

    President Goodluck Jonathan has again insisted on the need for the three tiers of government to work together for the preservation of the country’s commonwealth.

    He spoke on the background of the series of disagreement that trailed the establishment of the Sovereign Wealth Fund which was created to replace the Excess Crude Account.

    The president, who recognised the administrative reality of federal system of government, however noted that the Sovereign Wealth Fund belongs to all Nigerians.

    He posited that all tiers of government must work to preserve the commonwealth and guarantying the future “prosperity of our nation.”

    The president spoke on Tuesday when he inaugurated the management board of the Sovereign Wealth Fund.

    One billion dollar take off seed grant was agreed by the three tries of government from the excess crude account.

    The Board of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority is headed by Mahey Rasheed, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

    The management of the fund has been an issue of contention between the federal government and the states.

    The governors had raised concerns about the management of the fund as they feared that it will be manipulated by the executive arm who is the custodian of the fund.

    Besides, the governors had also nursed the fear of arbitrary use of the fund by the federal government.

     

  • Three books shortlisted for 2012 Nigeria Prize for Literature

    Three books shortlisted for 2012 Nigeria Prize for Literature

    The Advisory Board for the Nigeria Prize for Literature has approved a final shortlist of three books out of the initial shortlist of ten released last month.

    According to a statement signed by Ifeanyi Mbanefo, Manager, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs for NLNG, the organizer of the award, the books are Onaedo: The Blacksmith’s Daughter by Ngozi Achebe, Only a Canvas by Olusola Olugbesan and On Black Sister’s Street by Chika Unigwe.

    Chairman of the Board, Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo, said the eventual winner of the competition will be announced on 1st November, 2012, at a world press conference in Lagos.

    Onaedo: The Blacksmith’s Daughter is the story of Onaedo, a young teenager of Igbo extraction, in the time before the English colonialists, her daily struggles of being a woman in a patriarchal society and how she dealt with life, love and at some point, an unloving husband. Ngozi Achebe, a medical doctor by training, lives in the United States with her children, Jennifer and Nnamdi and is a practicing physician. Onaedo: The Blacksmith’s Daughter is her first novel.

    Only a Canvas is a tale of exhilarating characters from different backgrounds with dreams intricately woven together to create a tapestry of life. Olusola Olugbesan is an architect, married with three children and writes as a hobby. Only a Canvas is Olugbesan’s first novel.

    On Black Sister’s Street tells a gripping story of the lives of four African migrants working the red light district of Antwerp in Belgium brought together by bad luck and big dreams into a sisterhood that will change their lives. The Enugu-born graduate of English Language and Literature, Chika Unigwe, lives in Belgium. She is married with four children.

     

  • Court grants subsidy fraud suspects bail

    Court grants subsidy fraud suspects bail

    Justices at the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, on Tuesday granted bail to eight oil marketers standing trial over alleged fuel subsidy fraud.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the eight marketers and their companies were arraigned on October 5 for allegedly defrauding the Federal Government of N3.7 billion.

    Justice Lateefat Okunnu granted Aro Bamidele and Abiodun Bankole bail in the sum of N100 million each with three sureties in like sum.

    The judge ordered that each of the sureties must be resident in Lagos, gainfully employed and should depose to an affidavit of means, showing that they could meet the bail bond.

    She said that two of the sureties for each of the defendants must own landed property in Lagos State while the other surety must be a director in a quoted company in Nigeria.

    The judge directed that the sureties must produce three years’ tax clearance certificates, and that the documents should be verified by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

    Okunnu ordered the defendants to deposit their international passports and other travelling documents with the court’s Chief Registrar.

    She directed that the defendants should not travel out of Nigeria without the court’s permission and must report to the EFCC office once a month throughout the duration of the trial.

    On his part, Habeeb Abiru granted bail to Ifeanyi Anosike, Emeka Chukwu and Ngozi Ekeoma in the sum of N75 million each with two sureties in like sum.

    The judge also granted bail to Adamu Maula, George Ogbonna and Emmanuel Morah in the sum of N50 million each with two sureties in like sum.

    He directed that the sureties must be gainfully employed, should depose to an affidavit of means and own landed property in Lagos State worth, at least, N50 million.

    The judge ordered the sureties to produce three years’ tax clearance certificates, adding that they should deposit their international passports with the court’s Chief Registrar.

    NAN reports that the defendants are facing charges of conspiracy, obtaining by false pretences and forgery.

    They had all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    Bamidele, Bankole and their company, A.B.S Investment Company Limited, were charged to court for allegedly collecting N1.3 billion from the Petroleum Support Fund.

     

  • Pension scam: Court to rule on suspects’ application October 16

    Pension scam: Court to rule on suspects’ application October 16

    An Abuja High Court has further adjourned to October 16 ruling on an application to quash the criminal charges in the N32.8 billion Police Pension Fund scam against three of the six accused persons.

    Justice Abubakar Talba had on July 17, fixed October 9 for ruling on the motion filed by Atiku Kigo (a former permanent secretary), Mrs. Veronica Onyegbula (cashier) and Sani Zira (ICT officer).

    The trio, who are charged along with Esai Dangabar (director), Ahmed Wada (director) and John Yusufu (assistant director), are members of staff of the office of the Head of Service of the Federation, currently on suspension.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that they were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.

    The EFCC said the alleged fraud was perpetrated between January 2009 and June 2011.

    On arrival in the court, its clerk, Malam Garba Isa informed the counsel to the accused, Mr. Ricky Tarfa and that of the EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs that the ruling was not ready.

    He said the judge had asked the counsels in the case to pick another date for the ruling.

    NAN recalls that the three accused persons want the court to quash the charges on the grounds that the EFCC has no evidence against them.

    They insisted that there was no nexus linking them to the commission of the alleged offence.

    Particularly, Onyegbula insists in her application that the EFCC could not prove to the court that she signed any document from the pension office, to collect the said money.

    She also argued that she was just “an errand girl” and that since she was not in position of authority at the pension office, she could not have influenced any decision on the sharing of any money.

     

  • Passage of tobacco bill will save lives – Minister

    Passage of tobacco bill will save lives – Minister

    The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Muhammad Pate, said on Tuesday the passage of the tobacco bill will save hundreds of thousands of lives in the years to come.

    Pate told the News Agency of Nigeria that the bill would enable the country to regulate the sale and marketing of tobacco.

    “There is a measure which unfortunately has been neglected and that is the issue of tobacco control.

    “Tobacco control will save hundreds of thousands of lives of youth and adults of this country in the years to come if we are able to get the tobacco bill that is effective in regulating the sale, marketing and access to tobacco by our population,” he said.

    He said that President Goodluck Jonathan had directed the ministry to work towards reviving the tobacco bill and getting it passed.

    The minister advised the executive and the legislature to see the passage of the bill as one of their major obligations for this year.

    According to him, it will protect the present and future generation of Nigerians from the ill effects of tobacco.

    Pate said tobacco companies could not be asked to regulate the package of tobacco without a legal basis.

    “Everything has to have a legal basis; how can you require tobacco companies to adjust the package of tobacco if you don’t have a legal basis? They are private enterprises.

    “So, the first step is to get the law that it is illegal to have a tobacco package that has certain things and not certain things and that prescribes who can be sold tobacco and cigarettes.

    “A child of 16 should not be able to go and buy cigarettes; you can’t stop that unless there is the law,” Pate told NAN.

     

  • Jonathan to present 2013 budget Wednesday

    Jonathan to present 2013 budget Wednesday

    President Goodluck Jonathan will present the 2013 budget to a joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday.

    The President in a letter addressed to Senate President, David Mark, on Tuesday in Abuja, which was read out to the senators, urged the NASS to allow him to present the budget by 10am.

    The letter reads in part; ‘’As a follow up to my letter of September 21, 2012, I write to crave your kind indulgence to grant me the slot of 10am on Wednesday, October 10, 2012.

    “This is to enable me formerly address a joint session of the National Assembly on the 2013 budget.’’

    Jonathan thanked the senators for their constant support and assured them of his highest esteem.

    The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the president had earlier sought the approval of the NASS to present the budget on October 4, but the date was shifted due to requests by the lawmakers.

    The Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, moved a motion, which was unanimously adopted, that the senators move to the House of Representatives Chamber on Wednesday to receive the document.

    The senators, however, resolved to hold plenary session by 9am on Wednesday to enable them quickly deliberate on some issues before the budget presentation.

     

  • Floods: Bayelsa shuts schools

    Floods: Bayelsa shuts schools

    The Bayelsa State government on Tuesday announced the indefinite closure of all schools in the state.

    The move is aimed at curtailing the damaging effects of floods in many parts of Bayelsa.

    A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Mackson, said the decision was taken to “safeguard the lives of children and to keep them away from possible dangers that could arise from the flood.”

    The government appealed to parents and guardians to accept the decision as it was taken in the “interest of Bayelsans.”

    “We want to assure you that normal academic activities will resume as soon as the situation is brought under control, “the statement said.