The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abuja

  • Buhari still awaiting 2016 Budget details – Presidency

    Buhari still awaiting 2016 Budget details – Presidency

    The Presidency on Tuesday raised the alarm that President Muhammadu Buhari was still waiting for the details of the 2016 Appropriation bill almost a week after it was passed by the National Assembly.

    A presidency source who does not want his name in print, said that the President is anxious to assent the bill.

    The delay, the source said, is slowing down quick implementation of government programmes contained in the budget.

    He said: “The President has just received the transmission of the Appropriation Bill (2016 Budget) from the National Assembly and is very anxious to sign it into law, but the National Assembly only sent in the highlights without the details of the budget.

    “As result, the President has been handicapped in signing the Bill because he does not know what is contained in the details and what adjustments the National Assembly must have made to the proposal sent to them.

    “Although he is anxious to sign the document so that implementation of the provisions could start immediately and ease the tension in the economy and polity, he is afraid he may later discover, when the details are sent, that what is contained therein is not implementable.

    “He wishes the National Assembly could send in the details speedily so that it could be considered for assent.

    According to him, Ministers are also eager that the budget be signed so they could start implementing their programmes,

    He added: “But they are unable to push the President to sign what has been transmitted because they also do not know what is contained in the details.

    “They are particularly worried that the year is gradually aging and the provision of the law in respect of spending the previous year’s budget is not helping matters because of the low Capital provision for 2015.

    “Because of the low provision made last year for capital expenditure, spending 50% of that provision for the first half of this year will make no impact on provision of infrastructure.

    He also said that the Budget Office cannot work on the Budget for implementation because it is the details, and not the highlights, that they convert into implementable templates for the respective MDAs.

    He said: “This development confirms speculations that the National Assembly either did not complete work on the budget or are playing politics with the documents which affects the life of both the country and its citizens.

    “The National Assembly may just have passed the bill to pass the buck to the executive and escape the wrath of the public which was gradually suspecting it of sabotage.” He stated.

  • Chibok girl: Cameroon begins treatment of suspected bomber

    Cameroonian health and security officials on Monday started treatment on an arrested suicide bomber who claimed to be one of the 219 missing Chibok Girls.
    The girl was found to be heavily drugged and bore several injuries on her body.
    The girl’s health condition had delayed her movement to the far north regional capital of Cameroon, Maroua, as earlier planned.
    Pictures of the arrested suspected bomber obtained by Nigerian officials indicated that the girl was likely a minor, between ages nine to 12 years.

    Her accomplice was about 30 years or more, and both spoke only in Kanuri language.

    Considering the well-known guidelines regarding the publication of photography of minors, the statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said that it has decided to forward the pictures of the suspected bomber to the Murtala Mohammed Foundation for verification by interested Chibok community stakeholders.

    “The Ministry of Women Affairs, the Nigerian High Commission in Cameroon and other agencies of government will continue to work together with other stakeholders to verify all the issues”, the statement said.

  • Again, Metuh asks judge to disqualify self

    Again, Metuh asks judge to disqualify self

    • Intensifies move to stall trial
    Barely a week after he requested the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to transfer his trial to another judge, spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh has asked Justice Okon Abang to withdraw from his case.
    Metuh’s fresh request is contained in an application he filed asking the judge to disqualify himself from further presiding over his trial.
    Metuh is being tried before the court with his company, Dextra Investment Limited on a 7-count charge of money laundering, among others.
    The prosecution concluded his case after calling eight witnesses. When asked to open his defence, Metuh elected to make a no-case submission, which the court later dismissed.
    When again, asked to open his defence, Metuh wrote to the Chief Judge, claiming the judge was bias and that he (the judge) was his (Metuh’s) classmate in the Law School.
    Metuh raised similar claims in his  application for the judge to disqualify himself. He said himself and the judge attended a function organised by their set in Uyo late last year.
    ‎Justice Abang said on Thursday that he had responded to the petition sent to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and same was now part of the records of the court.
    Metuh has also filed a fresh application, asking the court to stay further proceedings indefinitely pending the determination of an appeal he just filed against the judge’s ruling.
    Yesterday, Metuh was scheduled to open his defence, but the judge elected to first hear the two pending applications filed by the PDP spokesperson.
    Lead prosecution lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir opposed the application for adjournment made by Metuh’s lawyer, Emeka Etiaba.
    But he said needed to reply to the motion praying for the judge’s disqualification which was served on him in the open court on Thursday.
    After entertaining further submissions from parties, Justice Abang adjourned to April 8 for hearing of the motions.
    He said the outcome of his rulings on the applications would determine the future of the case, adding that if the two applications failed Metuh would be given the last opportunity to open his defence.
    ‎”If the application for stay of proceedings fails, the defendant will  be at liberty to open is defence for the last time,” the judge said.
  • Reps panel backpedals on use of CBT by JAMB

    Reps panel backpedals on use of CBT by JAMB

    House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education yesterday backpedalled on the use of computer-based test (CBT) by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions.

    The committee had earlier rejected the system.

    The House, in its sitting, had urged the Federal Government to direct JAMB to revert to the paper and pencil test (PPT) for candidates taking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), following protests over the use of CBT.

    Chairman, House Committee on Basic Education, Zakari Muhammed during a visit to one of the centres in Bwari, FCT, Abuja yesterday, told reporters that the use of CBT was in line with global practice to sanitize the education system

    He noted that the House never took a position on the use of CBT by JAMB.

    Muhammed added that the House only discussed the conduct of the examination by the board.

    He said those who wrote the examination outside Nigeria were leveraging on the flexibility and advantage of CBT.

    According to him, the use of PPT by candidate was cumbersome and characterized with several irregularities and unwholesome activities.

    “The House of Representatives Committee on Education is in support of the use of CBT by JAMB. The world is flying and we cannot be crawling.

    “Today, those candidates are writing a rescheduled examination some of whom are sick because of the flexibility of CBT without which they would not have had this opportunity,” he said.

    The chairman advised parents to be patient with the board, adding that the process was not as complex as it had been made to look.

    He called on JAMB to identify the hitches and address them, adding that the House would support JAMB in putting infrastructure together to see that the new examination regime was stress-free.

    Registrar, JAMB Prof. Dibu Ojerinde said the rescheduled examination was one of the flexibility of the CBT.

    According to him, the conduct of the rescheduled examinations for candidates, who missed the UTME because of change in centres, was due to the use of the CBT.

    He noted that the major objective of the board was to completely eliminate malpractice through the conduct of the CBT.

    “Only CBT has the capacity to address all the challenge of the conduct of public examination in the 21st century.

    “The 21st century child in Nigeria irrespective of where he or she comes from has no problem with CBT. The complexity developed by perpetrators of malpractice can never be detected by Paper and Pencil Test,” he said.

    Ojerinde noted that so far, over 37 per cent of candidates scored 200 and above compared to the 32 per cent last year.

    He added that 59 per cent scored 180 and above compared to the 55 per cent recorded last year.

    He said this year’s performance was better than last year’s exercise.

  • Abuja, Lagos likely Al Qaeda targets – Safety expert

    Abuja, Lagos likely Al Qaeda targets – Safety expert

    The president of the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON), Dr. Ona Ekhomu, has warned that an attack from terror group, Al Qaeda, is imminent in Nigeria.

    Ekhomu, in a statement yesterday, said that the recent wave of terrorist attacks in West Africa showed that Nigeria was the probable next target.

    “The most likely cities are Abuja or Lagos,” he added.

    The security expert said that intelligence analysis conducted by the School of Management and Security, Lagos, from open source materials on the current phase of Jihad mounted by Al Qaeda on West African nations, showed that “Nigeria was in the next logical target for an active shooter attack by a six-man team of terrorists.”

    “The odds are in the favour of the terrorists to cause mass deaths in these attacks,” Ekhomu added, and advised the government and corporate security executives to take urgent proactive steps in preventing the attack.

    He said: “I urge the government to increase police visibility and also inject plain clothes police assets into high risk facilities.

    “The Al Qaeda threat is more serious than the Boko Haram threat and it is hoped that the government and corporate security will take this threat more seriously and act to prevent spectacular attacks against soft and unprepared targets.”

     

  • Amnesty office disowns students

    The Presidential Amnesty Office on Wednesday disowned a group of students who claimed to be under the sponsorship of the Amnesty programme in Turkey who alleged that their fees has not been paid for the past two years.

    In a statement signed by the Media & Communication Consultant to the Amnesty Office, Owei Lakemfa, the office said it has fully paid the fees of students under its sponsorship studying in Turkey to the end of the 2015/2016 academic session.

    He wondered how the students could be going from one media house to the other when they are supposed to be studying in Turkey and had to wait till 2016 to protest when their fees has not been paid for two academic sessions.

    The statement reads: “The Presidential Amnesty Programme wishes to bring to the notice of the public, particularly the Mass Media, the activities of some elements who claim to be students of the Amnesty Programme scholarship in Turkey.

    In the past few months, this group has been visiting Media Houses, spreading falsehood about the Programme and seeking to blackmail the organization.

    “In the first place, if this group claims to be students in Turkey, how come they live in Nigeria?  Is it possible that they roam Media Houses in Nigeria while simultaneously attending lectures in Turkey?

    “This group claimed that the last time the Amnesty Programme paid their school fees was in the 2013/2014 Session. How come they still claim to be students in Turkey if their fees have not been paid for two sessions and waited till 2016 to run to the press?

    The statement said further that reports in the media quoted a letter from the European University of Lefke (EUL), Turkish Cyprus which claimed: “As we have already commenced the new Academic Year 2014/2015, I would like to remind you of the outstanding fees ($212,400USD) to be paid  for the students on a scholarship programme”

    The statement also said: “The fact is that this fee was paid to EUL in Reference “70/RFB/BNG 2014/2015 Academic Session Tuition Fee for John Adobu and 24 others” Also, the Amnesty Office has paid all fees, including accommodation to all students in Turkey up to the end of the 2015/2016 Session, and in December, 2015, paid in advance, a cumulative $14,700 In-Training-Allowance up to February 2016.”

    Giving a background to the issue, Lakemfa said: “the Amnesty Office, through the Zuma Institute, placed 75 beneficiaries in EUL in 2012. But they protested against conditions in the university, and the Office had to return them home for placement in other universities.

    “But 26 of them indicated willingness to return to Turkey. One of them, Miss Horsfall Regal Adokiye, was for Post Graduate studies and has since graduated. The fees and allowances of the remaining 25 were fully paid  until four of them; Ombo Cotterell, Amaran Tari, Winnifred Anabrabra and Qeenette Hart graduated in Febrauary – March, 2015, although they continued to draw  allowances for another eight months.

    “These four claim they are doing post-graduate degrees, but no organisation automatically grants continuation of scholarship, in any case, they need to report to the Amnesty Office after the completion of their degree programme. As stated earlier, all the remaining 21 students were actually paid their allowances up front.

    “The Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig. General Paul Boroh asserts that the Amnesty Programme is important to the general wellbeing of the country as it ensures peace in the Niger Delta, therefore, it is necessary to protect it and reject all attempts to divert its attention or defraud it.”

    He appealed to the media to always cross check fact relating to the amnesty programme from strategic communication department of office before rushing to the press.

  • Police arraign man for allegedly beating co-tenant

    Police arraign man for allegedly beating co-tenant

    A 27-year-old man, Nnaji Uchenna, on Tuesday appeared in a Kado Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, for alleged beating a lady, Elizabeth Ifenkwe.
    Uchenna, who resides in Makeni Street, Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, was arraigned on a two-count charge of criminal force and assault.
    The Prosecutor, Zeerah Douglass, told the court that the complainant of the same address with the defendant reported the matter at the Utako Police Station, Abuja, on March 7.
    Douglass said that the defendant allegedly beat her up for no reason and the complainant did not know the reason for his action.
    The prosecutor told the court that the defendant did not say anything during the police investigation.
    She said the offence contravened Sections 263 and 265 of the Penal Code.
    Uchenna pleaded not guilty to the charges.
    The Judge, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N20,000 with one surety in like sum.
    Sadiq ordered that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction, and adjourned the case till May 3 for hearing.

  • Abuja gets personal with Share a Coke II

    Residents of Diamond Park, Market Road, Kubwa, woke up to a delightful surprise over the weekend as Coca-Cola stormed the prestigious community with the Share-a-Coke activation. Thousands of residents could not believe their luck as they filled the activation venue to get their own personalised Coca-Cola cans and be a part of the fun event.

    The residential community is one of the numerous consumer groups in Abuja to savour the Share-a-Coke campaign, which has continued to spread excitement across the country since the launch of its second edition in December.

    Savouring a PET bottle of iced cold Coca-Cola given freely to all consumers during the activation, Ibrahim Mogaji, an engineer who customised 15 cans for his friends and loved ones, expressed joy and applauded Coca-Cola for re-introducing the novel campaign to the Nigerian market two years in a row.

    Mogaji said that “I am so excited that Coca-Cola has re-introduced this campaign to Nigerians. Last year, I was not fortunate to have my name on a Coca-Cola bottle. Now, not only has Coca-Cola re-introduced the campaign, it has also brought it right to my door-step. My wife and I are even more excited about having our favourite phrases on Coca-Cola cans, along with our names.

    ‘’It is like playing romance in a new way. Using all internet things, the emoticons to personalise my Coca-Cola cans at the same time is really interesting. I must confess that this indeed is a great experience to have such a big international brand work tirelessly to connect with all of its customers in Nigeria.”

    Speaking on behalf of the brand, Marketing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Patricia Jemibewon, disclosed that Coca-Cola recognises Nigerians’ ever-growing love for indigenous names and smileys with its Share-a-Coke campaign.

    According to Jemibewon, “Coca-Cola is happy to bring the second edition of its Share-a-Coke Campaign to Nigerians. After the successful introduction of the campaign in two years ago, the personalised bottles have been highly sought after nationwide; and the demand for customised bottles have substantially increased.’’

  • Why there are many divorce cases in Abuja – Residents

    Why there are many divorce cases in Abuja – Residents

    Some residents of Abuja on Monday identified some causes of divorce among couples.

    In separate interviews, they cited infidelity, lack of commitments, carelessness and undermining the importance of dialogue in dispute resolution, among others, as some of the causes of divorce.

    They noted that most of the causes of divorce were avoidable by respecting the law of marriage and being faithful.

    For instance, Mr Michael Eke, a civil servant with Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, identified insubordination, wife battery and interference from outsiders as other causes of divorce.

    He advised couples, especially those with crises in their relationships, to imbibe the culture of dialogue in resolving matrimonial issues and save their marriages.

    Eke said that the effects of divorce were indicated in the children of such affected home, insisting that such children were often delinquent.

    “Children from such homes are prone to abuse such as child labour and rape, among other social vices, especially the females.

    “Most couples take things that matter most for granted and a marriage that is taking for granted has a good chance of ending in divorce,’’ he observed.

    Eke said that marriages could be protected from crumbling if the couples had the fear of God in their dealings.

    Sharing similar sentiments, Ms Joyce Chukwuma, a staff member of Federal Ministry of Information, Abuja, cited infidelity, religious differences and infertility as parts of the causes of divorce in some cases.

    She urged couples to shun extra-marital affairs to build a lasting family and decent society, noting that divorce “builds up slowly when people overlook things that matter most.

    “Lack of commitment to the principles of marriage has also been identified as one of the factors leading to divorce.

    “When partners seek physical and emotional support elsewhere; when one party is not ready to forgive other, then divorce comes in.

    “The social effects of this (divorce) for the children can be traumatic as they may feel unloved or isolated’’.

    In her opinion, Mrs Mariam Abdullahi, a house wife in Abuja, urged couples to avoid misunderstanding, advising them not to always look for faults.

    “When couples start listening to what people are saying, they can start having issues which, if not well tackled, can lead to divorce,’’ Abdullahi said.

    She called on couples to dwell more on the culture of togetherness, cooperation, making win-win decisions and preventing anger from degenerating into break up in relationships.

    To reduce the rate of divorce, Mr Obinna Okemuo, a banker, advised that potential couples should go into marriages when they were primed for the union.

    According to him, getting married at a very young age increases the likelihood of divorce because those who marry in their teens have much higher divorce cases.

     

  • FIRS director, mother of four arraigned over tax fraud

    FIRS director, mother of four arraigned over tax fraud

    • Granted N1m bail each
    A Deputy Director, Regional Tax Office of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Abumere Joseph Osagie and a mother of four, Jamila Ojora were arraigned on Thursday before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Maitama.
    They were, in a 2-count charge filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged with criminal conspiracy and receipt of gratification.
    Osagie and  Ojora were said to have approached the Chancellor of Baze University, Abuja, Senator Datti with  a tax assessment of N20,029,496.00  on January 27, 2016,  through a letter of intent, which he paid.
    Senator Datti was said to have later requested for the assessment certificate, which the two allegedly  refused to issue him.
    The EFCC said rather than issue Datti with the assessment certificate, the defendants  allegedly demanded for N5million gratification.
    The commission said, in a bid to establish the legitimacy of of the defendants activities, marked N5million was delivered to Osagie through Ojora, in a sting operation, which led to her arrest. Ojora’s confession was said to have led to Osagie’s arrest.
    The offence contravenes Section 17(1)(a) and punishable under 17 (1) (c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
    One of the counts reads:
    “Abumere Joseph Osagie and Jamila Ojora on or about January 27, 2016 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, corruptly accepted the sum of N5,000,000.00 (five million naira) from one Senator Ahmed Datti as a gift for having done a tax assessment for Baze University”.
    The two defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge yesterday when they were arraigned before Justice Olasunmbo Goodluck.
    Although prosecution lawyer, Joseph Uzoh opposed bail for the defendants, Justice Goodluck upheld the oral arguments for bail by defence lawyers – Mrs. J . O. Obono-Obla (for the 1st Osagie) and Samuel Monokpo (for Ojora) – and granted bail to the defendants.
    The judge ordered the defendants to be remanded in either in prison or the custody of the EFCC until they are able to perfect their bail.
    Justice Goodluck adjourned to April 27 for trial.