The Nation Newspaper

Category: News

  • Army hands over six suspected vandals to Civil Defence Corps

    Army hands over six suspected vandals to Civil Defence Corps

    Men of the Nigeria Army (NA) serving at Ikere Local Government Area, Ekiti State have arrested six suspects   vandalising telecommunication equipment, including cables.

    The suspects were consequently handed over to the State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

    The Corps Public Relations Officer, Mr. Afolabi Tolulope, in a statement, said the suspect were caught following a search for the vandals inside a tunnel dug to excavate cyber optic cable belonging to a telecommunication company.

    The suspects paraded by the NSCDC included a policeman. Their identities were however not disclosed to reporters.

    Items recovered from them included a Nissan Micra car, earthmoving equipment, digger, jack, screwdrivers, saw, saw blades and ladder.

    State Commandant of NSCDC, Mr. Shem Obafaye, who said the suspects would soon be charged to court when investigations were concluded, noted that efforts were on to apprehend others outside the state.

    Obafaye urged the general public “to give viable information on how to curb and arrest vandals before they vandalise critical national asset in their domain.”

    He also urged contractors dealing in electrical and communications materials in the state to desist from buying stolen cables from vandals to discourage them from perpetrating the act.

    According to him, the state command would soon embark on the search for dealers in such stolen cables.

    The Commandant praised the cooperation between the Army and the corps, which he said had been producing positive results to rid the society of criminals.

     

  • Allegations wild, totally unsustainable, says President

    Allegations wild, totally unsustainable, says President

    President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday urged former Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari not to blame him for what is happening to his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    In a statement last night by Presidential Adviser Reuben Abati, a response to Gen. Buhari’s comment on the state of the nation, the President described Buhari’s allegations as “wild and totally unsustainable”.

    The President said instead of Gen. Buhari and the opposition working to put their house in order and resolve the leadership crises and internal contradictions that have plunged their party into a downward spiral, they have resorted to blaming the President for their woes.

    The statement reads: “We have noted with much surprise and regret, the statement issued by General Muhammadu Buhari today in which he made some wild and totally unsustainable allegations against President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

    “Although he tries very hard to deny it in the statement titled “Pull Nigeria Back From the Brink”, there can be no doubt that General Buhari has sadly moved away from the patriotic and statesmanlike position he recently adopted on national security, which President Jonathan publicly commended, and has now reverted to unbridled political partisanship.”

    “There can be no other explanation or justification for the completely unwarranted and very uncharitable assault on the conduct and integrity of President Jonathan which the statement he issued today represents.”

    “General Buhari’s main grouse which clearly motivated his ill-considered statement appears to be what he called “the gale of impeachments or the utilisation of desperate tactics to suffocate the opposition and turn Nigeria into a one-party state”.

    Noting that the processes for impeaching an elected Governor are clearly stipulated in the National Constitution which Nigeria has operated since 1999, the statement said that the President of Nigeria is not assigned any role in that process and that “President Jonathan has certainly not played any role in the recent impeachment of Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa or in the impeachment drama currently being played out in Nasarawa State.”

    The President, it said, remains fully committed to upholding the letters, principles and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution as he has sworn, and defending the rule of law and integrity of the democratic process with all his might.

    “General Buhari talks about anarchy. He needs to be reminded that President Jonathan from his humble beginnings as a Deputy Governor in Bayelsa state to date, has never in his acts, or utterances, recommended or promoted violence as a tool of political negotiation.”

    “Contrary to whatever General Buhari and his new friends may imagine, President Jonathan fully respects the rights, powers, authority and independence of elected representatives of the people, including the members of the state assemblies who have concluded or initiated impeachment proceedings against their state governors on grounds which they consider justifiable.”

    “The constitution does not give the President any power to intervene in such proceedings and President Jonathan has never  arrogated such powers to himself  or sought to exert any nefarious and unconstitutional influence on state assemblies in Adamawa, Nasarawa or anywhere else in other to secure undue political advantage for his party as General Buhari unjustifiably alleges.”

    “President Jonathan remains true to his declaration that no political ambition of his is worth the life of a single Nigerian. The President has definitely not declared war on his own country or deployed federal institutions in the service of partisan interests as General Buhari falsely claims. Neither has he been using the common wealth to subvert the system and punish the opposition, as the former Head of State inexcusably asserts.”

    The statement also said that President Jonathan has never at any time ordered that any Nigerian should be kidnapped or that anyone should be crated and forcefully transported in violation of decent norms of governance.

    “We therefore urge General Buhari to tarry a while, ponder over his own antecedents and do a reality check as to whether he has the moral right to be so carelessly sanctimonious.”

    “It may well be time to pull the brakes, as General Buhari says in his statement, but it is he and others who have resorted to idle scapegoating and blaming President Jonathan for their self-inflected political troubles who need to stop their inexcusable partisanship and show greater regard for the truth, democracy, constitutionalism, the rule of law, peace, security and the well-being of the nation.” It stated.

     

     

  • Iraq: PM condemns attacks on Christians

    Iraq: PM condemns attacks on Christians

    Iraq’s prime minister on Sunday condemned the Islamic State extremist group’s actions targeting Christians in territory it controls, saying they reveal the threat the jihadists pose to the minority community’s “centuries-old heritage.”

    The comments from Nouri al-Maliki come a day after the expiration of a deadline imposed by the Islamic State group calling on Christians in the militant-held city of Mosul to convert to Islam, pay a tax of face death. Most Christians opted to flee to the nearby self-rule Kurdish region or other areas protected by Kurdish security forces.

    At the Vatican, Pope Francis expressed his concern Sunday for Mosul’s Christians, offering prayers in his traditional Angelus blessing for Iraqi Christians who “are persecuted, chased away, forced to leave their houses without out the possibility of taking anything” with them.

    Residents in Mosul also say the Islamic State group’s fighters recently have begun to occupy churches and seize the homes of Christians who have fled the city.

    These actions stem from the harsh interpretation of Islamic law the group seeks to impose on the territory it controls in Iraq and neighboring Syria. Already in Mosul, the extremist group has banned alcohol and water pipes, and painted over street advertisements showing women’s faces. It has, however, held off on stricter punishments so far.

    The U.N. special representative to Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov, condemned the persecution of all minority religious communities, including Christian, Shabak, Yazidi and Turkmen, in Mosul and the surrounding province of Ninevah. Mladenov said the U.N. will provide humanitarian assistance to the displaced.

    Al-Maliki also tried to rally support for those uprooted from their homes, calling on government agencies to provide “all the necessities for a decent life” for them. He also took the opportunity to urge “the whole world to tighten the siege on those terrorists and stand as one force to confront them.”

     

  • Insurgency: Jonathan stops ethnic registration, ‘deportation’

    Insurgency: Jonathan stops ethnic registration, ‘deportation’

    The National Security Council (NSC) meeting, presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday stopped the registration and “deportation” of non-indigenes across the country.

    Some states had begun the registration of residents to enable them identify visitors and check Boko Haram deadly activities.

    Addressing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the Director-General of State Security Service (SSS), Ita Ekpeyong, explained that such exercises were more dangerous than Boko Haram activities.

    The SSS chief, who in company of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Abubakar, said Nigerians are free to settle anywhere they like.

    He said another NCS meeting will be held next week to discuss the development.

    Ekpeyong said: “The IGP has told you what was discussed at the meeting: the fight against Boko Haram, the government’s efforts to rescue the Chibok schoolgirls and the issue of ‘deportation’, registration of Nigerians in some states. We regard this as even more potent than Boko Haram.

    “The council discussed in detail the issue of registration of Nigerians in any part of the country, being subjected to registration, being subjected to deportation, being taken away from one part of the country to the other.

    “The council discussed the reaction by some groups in Kano State and other parts of the country. It observed that this threat was more potent than Boko Haram and could disintegrate the country.

    “We take this very seriously: for some people to deport other people; for some people to take other people from one place to the other; for the registration of indigenes. No matter where they are, they are free to settle anywhere they like.

    “The council resolved that the issue of registration of Nigerians anywhere in the country and ‘deportation’ should stop forthwith. To emphasise the importance the President attached to this, that is why he asked the IGP and I to address the press. This must stop forthwith.”

    The SSS director-general said security operatives had been directed not to be involved in the registration of Nigerians who are resident outside their states or in banishing people from their state of residency.

    Ekpeyong said: “If the police, the SSS are found to be involved, they will be severely dealt with.”

    The SSS chief also warned youths to desist from fomenting trouble over the matter because the government was taking steps over the matter.

    He said: “The government is doing everything possible to stem this from getting out of control. As a matter of fact, to show the urgency, the NCS meeting will be held anytime next week to discuss this issues.”

    On the fight against terrorism, Ekpeyong said: “The fight against Boko Haram is ongoing. We kept saying that the fight against Boko Haram is like the footballer. You know when the Germans played the Argentines, it was only just one goal they scored that everyone is remembering. The other goals that were stopped, nobody will remember them.

    “There are several things the government is doing. There are several attacks government has stopped. But nobody will remember those ones because we don’t tell you. But several things are going on.

    “On the Chibok schoolgirls, the government is making efforts (to rescue them). We know where they are, but we don’t want to endanger their lives. That is the truth. We want to take it gradually and release them at the appropriate time. We know where they are you can go to bed with that.”

     

  • Council bosses shun PDP lawmakers

    Edo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Lucky James and the 18 local council chairmen have shunned the invitation by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers.

    The PDP lawmakers have earlier passed a resolution calling on James and the council bosses to present receipts and expenditure of revenue allocations.

    But three of the council bosses appeared before the APC lawmakers to present briefs of their performances.

    Those who appeared were Joseph Akeredola (Akoko-Edo), Victor Enobakhare (Egor) and Solomon Eramhahemhen (Esan Central).

    Speaker Uyi Igbe urged the council bosses to embark on projects that must be completed within their three years tenure.

    The Speaker said the present administration would not want any abandoned projects in the localities.

    He said an ad-hoc committee would be set up to visit the councils.

  • Momoh: Nyako’ll return to Govt House

    Momoh: Nyako’ll return to Govt House

    Former Minister of Information Prince Tony Momoh has said impeached Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako will return to the Government House.

    Momoh said the impeachment of opposition governors is to weaken the All Progressives Congress (APC) in next year’s election.

    He told The Nation that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had arrived at the conclusion that the best way to confront the APC is decimate the party by impeaching the governors.

    Momoh said: “The way to confront the APC is by destabilising, undermining and destroying it. That is the strategy, and PDP has started doing it. They did it with Adamawa State; they have started it with Nasarawa State.”

    The former minister said Nyako was only out temporarily.

    “Impeachment is a very serious step taken by the legislators, who are supposed to represent the people. When they take that step, then the person who is elected by the people leaves office.

    “So, the procedure for removal must be very thorough and we know that the Adamawa procedure was not thorough. So, I can assure you that the Adamawa State governor is only out temporarily, he will return.

    “Look at what is happening in Nasarawa, the Nasarawa scenario is step to the battle line being drawn. The people who elected the governor say they don’t want him out. So, look at what we are trying to do to ourselves because of greed of power.

    “The reaction that is coming from the people may even lead to a revolution, where due process is undermined because of the greed of power. The presence of APC has established a balance of power, this makes the PDP jittery,” he said.

    He warned the political class of the dire consequence of undermining the democracy which they fought hard to achieve. “Nobody should push issues to distract the state to a situation where there will be the balance of terror.”

  • Group warns Jonathan against taking $1b loan

    Group warns Jonathan against taking $1b loan

    A Niger Delta group, the Centre for the Vulnerable and the Underprivileged (CENTREP), has cautioned President Goodluck Jonathan against enslaving Nigeria with his proposed $1 billion (about N165 billion) loan “in the name of fighting Boko Haram”.

    Its Executive Director Oghenejabor Ikimi said any loan obtained in the guise of fighting terrorism would go down the drains, like previous defence budgets.

    He said such loans would be frittered away because of official corruption and mismanagement in the polity.

    Ikimi, a lawyer, noted that it was absurd for Nigeria to resort to taking loans to equip the military.

    He said: “We went through a 30-month civil war without borrowing a dime from international creditors. We prosecuted same to its conclusion with internally generated funds.

    “We are also not oblivious of the fact that since independence, defence budgets have consistently taken the lion’s share of our national cake such that if the money allocated in the defence budgets were judiciously spent by successive governments, the military would have had no reason to be ill-equipped.”

    The activist recalled that over N960 billion was set aside for defence in this year’s budget out of which, quoting the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Finance Minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, over N360 billion was released between January and April.

    He said the President had also approved another N37 billion for immediate disbursement to the military.

    Ikimi said: “Are these funds properly monitored? If yes, by who? The biggest obstacle to successive budgets, since independence, has been official corruption and mismanagement of public funds by those trusted with managing these budgets.

    “If the type of insurgency taking place in the North today had been envisaged by our short-sighted military chiefs, maybe our Armed Forces would have been much more equipped with the money realised from successive budgets. Do our leaders plan at all for the future? Our answer is in the negative.”

    The activist noted that instead of borrowing, the Federal Government should downsize and reduce its spending spree to shore up additional funds for equipping the military.

    He said: “There is a lot of waste of public funds at the centre. We are aware that the insurgents are better equipped and the Nigerian military is not winning the war against terrorism.

    “But resorting at the same time to borrowing foreign loans to equip our military in the face of the Federal Government’s present spending spree is an absurdity.

    “We call on President Jonathan to jettison the idea in the interest of the vulnerable and the underprivileged Nigerians.”

     

  • Anger in Bayelsa over pirate attacks

    There is anger among residents in Bayelsa State over persistent attacks on travellers on the state’s waterways.

    Residents condemned last Friday’s attack on a passenger boat by pirates who killed three travelers, including Awotimigha Iyabi, an aide to the former Commissioner for Information, Nathan Egba.

    Iyabi’s killing infuriated stakeholders, who described him as a peace-loving gentleman.

    Friends and relatives thronged his Yenagoa home to sympathise with his wife and four children.

    Members of the Maritime Workers Union (MWU) lamented the porosity of the Nembe-Brass waterways.

    Sailors under the MWU were said to have planned an emergency meeting to review the situation.

    There were indications that the sailors were planning to go on strike over what they described as”insensitivity of the government” and “poor” security situation in the state waterways.

    Also, the indigenes of coastal communities of Brass and Nembe appealed to relevant authorities to step up surveillance operations in their areas.

    It was gathered that the marine officers of the state security outfit, Operation Doo Akpo, have been deployed in the waterways and creeks.

    A civil rights activist and State Coordinator of the Environmental Right Action, Morris Alagoa, confirmed the rising fear on the waterways.

    Alagoa said the Brass, Nembe and Southern Ijaw areas had been turned into a killing field by the pirates.

    He said: “While we appreciate the efforts by the state and local government councils, it is important for the authorities to redouble their efforts and put adequate logistics in place.

    “Funds should be mobilised to take care of equipment and men to go after the pirates.

    “Communities habouring these criminals should be identified and turned over to the police and Joint Military Task Force. Also, marine police checkpoints should be beefed up. Those arrested should be prosecuted.”

  • Ekiti SIEC submits referendum’s result to Assembly

    EKITI State Independent Electoral Commission (EKSIEC) has submitted results of last Saturday’s referendum it conducted on the creation of 18 local council development areas (LCDAs) to the State House of Assembly.

    Chairperson of the Commission, Mrs. Bosede Adelusi, who submitted the report,  clarified that it committed no error in conducting the referendum as opposed to claims by the opposition parties.

    While receiving the results, the Speaker,  Dr. Adewale Omirin, promised the Assembly would accord it accelerated attention.

    The speaker, who praised the commission for the exercise, said the move by Governor Kayode Fayemi’s administration was meant to draw governance nearer to the people at the grassroots.

    He consequently referred the document to the Chairman, Ad-hoc Committee on Local Government Creation, Chief Taiwo Orisalade, who is also the Deputy Speaker for further consideration.

    Orisalade promised to hasten the process of consideration of the document  and refer same back to the whole House for a final decision.

    The SIEC Chairman had in an earlier parley with journalists announced detailed results of the referendum, the breakdown of which showed that in Ado Local Government, total “Yes” vote was 3,521 with nil “No” vote.

    Others were: Ekiti East where “Yes” votes were 2,310 and “No” votes (256); Ekiti West “Yes” votes were 8,729 while “No” (one).

    Ekiti South West had 17,725 “Yes” votes and nil “No” vote while Gbonyin Local Government had 5,163 “Yes” votes and  26 “No” votes..

    Also, Ido-Osi Local Government had 2,845 “Yes” votes and 49 “No” votes while Ijero had 6,059 “Yes” votes as against 1,076 “No” votes.

    The commission chairman added that Ikere Local Government had 3,427 “Yes” votes against nil “No” vote, while Ikole Local Government recorded 2,518 “Yes” votes and 1,183 “No” votes.

    Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government had a total of 4,926 “Yes” and 223 “No” votes, while Moba Local Government 10,088 “Yes” votes and nil “No” vote and Oye Local Government had 4,398 “Yes” votes and one “No” vote.

  • Hotelier arrested

    The proprietor of Kenbrill Hyatt Hotel, Ken Owie, has been arrested by the Tax Intelligence and Enforcement Department of the Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS) for allegedly breaking government seal.

    The hotel was sealed off for alleged non-remittance of consumption taxes.

    Director of Tax Intelligence and Enforcement Department Victor Okube said Owie broke government seal on his hotel as well as in other sealed hotels.

    He advised those whose hotels were sealed off to visit the consumption tax department.

    Okube dismissed insinuations that the enforcement was selective, adding that over 160 hotels, eateries, event centres have failed to remit consumption taxes, since 2011.

    Owie said he had secured a court order preventing the EIRS from sealing off the hotel. He said he was being victimised.