The Nation Newspaper

Category: News

  • Fed Govt engages hoteliers, workers to check insurgency

    Fed Govt engages hoteliers, workers to check insurgency

    The Federal Government yesterday started a two-day workshop to create security awareness among hotel owners and employees.

    The workshop was jointly organised by the Presidency, and Special Services Office (SSO) office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

    Declaring the workshop open, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki said that one of the strongest strategies to end the security challenges in Nigeria is to raise security consciousness of those in constant contact with the larger populace.

    Dasuki, who was represented by the Coordinator, Counter-Terrorism Office of the NSA, General Sarkinyaki Bello (Rtd), said that the government has put in place institutional arrangement to encourage inter-agency intelligence collaboration for effective response.

    As stakeholders, he said that the beneficiaries of the workshop should be part of the vanguard to mobilize the general public to generate awareness and ensure everyone imbibes the spirit of cooperation by providing actionable information to the security enforcement agencies.

    Delivering the welcome address, the Permanent Secretary (SSO), Ibrahim Mahe, represented by the Director (SSO), Abdullahi Shehu, noted that the insurgency started with incessant killings and deliberate damages to public property and attack on security agents.

    According to him, it has now degenerated into armed robbery, abduction of innocent citizens, and drafting of women as suicide bombers.

    The aim of the workshop, he said, is to give the beneficiaries necessary security tips to enhance their capacity to respond to the security challenges and be able to confront the situation if the occasion calls.

    The workshop is intended to look at the essentials of hotel management, power of observation/facial identification and reporting queer activities and their role in crime identification, reduction and reporting.

    Also other topics to be discussed understand terrorism include the need for personnel and organizational safety and provision of safety measures and emergency responses.

     

     

  • Chibok girls: Disallow your kids from 100 days’ rally, govt tells parents

    Chibok girls: Disallow your kids from 100 days’ rally, govt tells parents

    Few days to the proposed rally by the #BringBackOurGirls campaigners to mark 100 days of the abduction of over 200 Chibok schoolgirls, the Federal Government yesterday cautioned parents and guardians to disallow their children from participating in the rally.

    National Information Centre (NIC) Coordinator, Mr Mike Omeri, spoke in Abuja during the routine briefing on the government’s mission to rescue the schoolgirls and the security situation in the country.

    Omeri said: “The information available to us is that some groups are planning to mobilise children across the country to hold rally to mark 100 days since the Chibok schoolgirls were abducted from their school.

    “It will be wise for parents not to allow their children to participate. If they want to, they should be conscious of who they are releasing their children to for the rally.”

     

     

  • Jonathan to meet Chibok parents today

    Jonathan to meet Chibok parents today

    President Goodluck Jonathan will today meet with some parents of the over 200 secondary schoolgirls abducted in Chibok, Borno State, last April.

    Also expected at the meeting, which will hold the Banquet Hall of the State House are some of the escaped abducted schoolgirls.

    The Pakistani girl-child education campaigner, Malala Yousafzai, urged President Jonathan to meet the parents when she met him last week Monday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

    An earlier meeting with the parents, scheduled for last week Tuesday, could not hold as they were said to have left for Borno State.

     

  • Why our society degenerated, by Ladigbolu

    Why our society degenerated, by Ladigbolu

    Retired Methodist Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu has said criminality and culture of sabotage significantly reduced in any nation that treats its nationals as human beings, with self-respect and dignity.

    The cleric, who spoke yesterday at a seminar in Oyo town, noted that Nigerians are not inherent criminals, but have capacities for self-determination and self- direction in good and noble things.

    He added that due to corrupt leadership, things have continued to fall apart, while the centre ceased to hold.

    “Education should increase the consciousness level of Nigerian youths and socialise them into the national culture. But what do we find today, education without morals due to lack of power monitoring and clear-cut policies devoid of political sentiments in regulating education or meaningful development.

    “Ideally, politics influences education through the policies and decisions that are made by the political leadership to ensure the realisation of national, state, and

    party objectives.  As a result of these notions, there are many political problems that jeopardised educational management in the country.”

    The priest advised the youths to make accountability their righteousness and justice their watchword as prescription for nation-building.

    He pointed out  that “the society has degenerated from a community of people with high moral values and dignity to a state of near madness, collapse of moral values and tolerance of immorality.”

    According to him, “dignity has been thrown away by both young and the old. Our society now embrace immorality, sexual sin is freely committed without any sense of shame, and indecent dressing mostly among ladies is now the order of the day. Many young ladies, even mothers, dress to reveal their bodies. It is extremely indecent and very shameful for ladies to flaunt their breasts or expose other parts of their bodies in the name of fashion.”

    He also advised parents and guardians to inculcate in their wards the right type of values and attitudes for their survival, and the society.

    “Proper upbringing will not only foster respect for the worth and dignity of the children, but as well ensure the right moral and spiritual values in inter-personal  and human relations. Parents should give their children  the opportunity to develop whatever talents they are endowed with within the context of aims of their society.”

    Education,  Ladigbolu noted, is a very personal thing, and the benefit of it flow first to the individual before it can be of any benefit to society.

    These benefits, he said, are indirect proportion to the level of education attained by each individual.

     

  • LP candidate: I ’ll adopt Chinese model

    LP candidate: I ’ll adopt Chinese model

    OSUN State standard-bearer of the Labour Party (LP), Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, has pledged to adopt the Chinese model for the state industrial development if voted as the governor in the August 9 poll.

    His media director, Mr. Kayode Oladeji, in a statement, noted that proper management and the utilisation of human and material resources available in the state was capable of generating several thousands of jobs.

    He explained that the Chinese model would provide industrial incubators at small, medium and large scales, noting that necessary incentives would equally be provided to ease their operations for the benefit of the state and country as a whole.

    He said: “The abandoned Free Trade Zone (FTZ) will be resuscitated and be made to function as industrial incubators that will reduce greatly the initial financial outlay of the investors. Buildings that will serve as accommodation will be provided while linkage to machine fabricators as well as banks for loans will be explored.”

    Akinbade, who said that the government would serve as guarantor for viable projects, pointed out that the development would enhance the utilisation of locally available agricultural products and mineral resources.

  • Parents rally support for Aregbesola’s re-election

    Parents rally support for Aregbesola’s re-election

    PARENTS of public primary and secondary school pupils in Osun State have rallied support for the re-election of Governor Rauf Aregbesola in the August 9 state governorship poll.

    The parents, in their thousands, unanimously endorsed Aregbesola, who is the standard-bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the election.

    After presenting awards to some selected teachers at a colourful ceremony on the football field of the Government Technical College, Osogbo, the state capital, the parents, under the aegis of Parents Teachers Association (PTA), declared their support for the governor.

    They  said they were convinced that Aregbesola would do more for the state better than he has done in his first term, if given another term.

    The state PTA chairman, Dr. Ademola Ekundayo, who spoke on behalf of the over 200,000 parents, said the parents endorsed Aregbesola based on his achievements in the education sector.

    Ekundayo, who highlighted the achievements of the governor in the education sector, noted that he has set a pace, which would be difficult to meet by any other administration.

    He assured Aregbesola that parents in all the 30 local government areas would mobilise support for him.

    According to him: “It will be very easy to draw support for Aregbesola as he had already campaigned with his numerous achievements. So, I am calling on the people not to jettison the future of their children by calling for the right candidate. Ignoring Aregbesola for any other candidate would amount to jettisoning the lives of the students and pupils in various public schools.”

    Aregbesola, in his remarks, expressed gratitude to the parents, pledging to dedicate his second term in office to the development of the state, with special concentration on education sector.

    He promised not to disappoint the people, especially parents of public school children, if given the opportunity to serve for a second term in office, stressing that his administration would remain committed to the course of good governance.

  • Religious mischief

    When some religious charlatans otherwise known as professional clerics want to be mischievous, they call Nigeria a secular state. Without being told, they, themselves know how mischievous they are. Such a controversial claim is an example of how to eat one’s cake and still want to have it.

    How can a state be said to be secular when her constitution allows for worship according to faith; when most of her public holidays are determined by religious festivals; when her government’s seat of power  (Aso Rock) accommodates official Mosque and official Church; when Muslim and Christian pilgrims boards are formally established with full time officials paid from the tax-payers money; when all government public functions start and end with religious prayers and a religious consultative forum called NAREC is put in place to advise government on religious matters?

    Shouldn’t some so-called religious leaders show good example via decorum by calling a spade a spade and not a hoe if only to demonstrate leadership in the way of God as they claim? If, for material gains, religious leaders are the ones to tell blatant lies on obvious matters, who will preach the truth to the populace especially the younger generations? Given the undeniable facts chronicled above, Nigeria is evidently a MULTI-RELIGIOUS and not a SECULAR STATE.

    Therefore, let not our children be taught how to tell lies by our so-called religious leaders. Truth is like the sun. Denial of its rays by blind people does not stop its existence.

  • Glo introduces Islamic applications

    Telecommunication giant Globacom has introduced Islamic applications for Muslims yearning to know more about their religion.

    The three products are Ibadat App, Islamic Portal and the Islamic Digest. The Ibadat App which runs on ios and android operating systems, offers prayer alerts, the Qibla compass, the reading of the Holy Quran, a virtual Tasbih, live relay of prayers from Mecca and beautiful Islamic wall papers.

    The app can be downloaded from http://ibadatapp.com and has been widely embraced by the Muslim Ummah just like the special SMS and IVR Islamic services that the company also offers during Ramadan.

    According to Globacom’s Head of Value Added Services, Mr Nagasai Saridey, all the features combine to assist the Muslim faithful in their spiritual devotion all year round.

    “The Ibadat app, which is very easy to use, is designed to contribute to the spiritual edification of our Muslim subscribers,” Saridey said.

    Globacom said its subscribers wishing to use the IVR service to access Islamic Portal and listen to Quranic verses, Qunuts, Duas, Islamic songs, Hadith and sermons should dial 77020 to enjoy the bouquet of services.

    The company further stated that Muslim subscribers on the network can enjoy numerous services on its Islamic Digest platform by texting Dua or Reflect or Quran to 50550.

    “This gives them access to use any of the three sms subscription plans for daily Duas, daily Reflections and daily Quranic verses,” he said.

  • Be vigilant, Oshiomhole’s aide urges youths

    Be vigilant, Oshiomhole’s aide urges youths

    ALL Progressives Congress’ (APC) youths in Osun State have been urged to mobilise themselves and ensure the sanctity of the ballot process on August 9.

    Executive Director, Youths Affairs to Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole and APC Youths Leader, Comrade Emma Yakubu told journalists yesterday in Benin.

    He said the youths should embark on civil policing of the polling units by ensuring there is no intimidation and irregularities on the election day.

    Yakubu said as Edo youths resisted the militarisation and intimidation of APC members during July 14, 2012 governorship election, “Osun State youths should do the same thing because the election is about their future.”

    He urged the youths to mobilise themselves and occupy all polling units in Osun to ensure the sanctity of the ballot process.

    “PDP attempted to rig the Edo State governorship election, but the youths resisted.

    “Youths in Ekiti State was molested, intimidated and the whole state was militarise by President Goodluck Jonathan. At the end, they had their ways with all form of manipulations, which they couldn’t do in Edo State.

    “I urged you all to resist any form of intimidation, harassment and molestation. Soldiers cannot kill every person in Osun State.

    “They should checkmate all irregularities the PDP may plan to execute, because they are known for manipulation, thuggery and all forms of election manoeuvres,” he said.

     

  • ‘We ’ll double youth employment under Aregbesola’s second term’

    ‘We ’ll double youth employment under Aregbesola’s second term’

    OSUN State All Progressives Congress (APC) will not relent in providing more jobs for youths as well as take transformational programme across the state, if Governor Rauf Aregbesola wins August 9 election.

    The Deputy Director, the State Bureau of Communication, Mr. Sola Fasure, who spoke to The Nation in Lagos, explained that the APC-led administration plans to create more jobs through self-empowerment programme.

    Fasure said the government engaged about 20,000 youths in the last three and half years, adding that a new mandate for the governor would take no fewer than 20,000 more youths off the streets.

    The deputy director expressed satisfaction that Aregbesola would remain “popular because he is a grassroots’ governor.”

    His word: “If it is about stomach infrastructure, Governor Aregbesola has put in place stomach infrastructure in the state. You will recall that for almost three years now, he puts in place an O’meal programme, whereby primary school pupils are being fed, the aged are being catered for and the youths being engaged.

    “The programme is so successful that the British parliament sent a delegation to know about it, with the intension of recommending it to other states in Nigeria.”

    Fasure added that government would complete the construction of ongoing roads and undertake new ones to make the state accessible from all parts.

    He added that the construction of the airport would open the state to local and international businesses, making Osun the new business hub of the Southwest.

    He said the state’s growing agricultural skill would be harness to conveniently feed the people and export to other states that are in short supply of agricultural produce.

    Fasure also noted that the effort would make impact in other sectors.

    “If you develop agriculture, the processing industries will develop around such environment. So, if you set up one industry, this may lead to the emergence of other 10 industries.

    “Already, the construction of the airports is nearing completion; the super highways are advancing simultaneously. We are going to take our education to a higher level,” he said.