The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abuja

  • Flavour, BBN finalists to grace The Dome opening in Abuja

    All is set for the re-launch of The Dome, a modern entertainment center  that boasts of some latest facilities in Abuja on Friday.

    Expected at the grand opening is Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and celebrities like the wave-making highlife pop musician, Flavour, Nollywood producer and actor, Funke Akindele and finalists of the recently concluded Big Brother Naija reality show.

    According to the Public Relations and Marketing Manager of The Dome, Charles Ndubem, a complete turnaround had been carried out on the complex with the introduction of world class facilities, including a spa, lounge, bowling alley, pool bar, five star hotel and bakery.

    Located in the Central Business District and close to the Abuja’s twin towers, the renovated complex is expected to provide the same quality services that entertainment-loving Nigerians travel to Dubai, USA and Europe to experience.

    Ndubem said: “We have reinvented The Dome in response to the yearnings of our teeming customers. What we did was to cut down the entire facility and built it again from scratch. We are working with professional consultants. The Dome was shut down with a vision in mind. We have diversified. It was known before as a place of just night fun. But now you can come in the morning, your organisation can book rooms, lounges, restaurant, spa or honeymoon.

    “You don’t need to go to Dubai, USA, or London. We have brought all these things home. I believe we will be leading in the market place in tines to come. People have a certain affinity to the dome being the first entertainment center in Abuja. We are here and we are here to lead the industry. There is nothing like this on the country. We are the trendsetters in the moment.”

    He said the organisation would also invest in the nation’s entertainment industry with the aim of discovering local talents and turn them into international stars in addition to turning the hospitality industry into money making sector.

    The Dome, he said, is set to change the seeming lull in night life activities in Abuja with the formal opening by Osinbajo.

  • 27 Nigerians languishing in Tanzania prisons without trial

    A former Chairman of the Law Society Charity organization, Nigel Doddy, on Wednesday raised alarm about the cases of 27 Nigerians languishing in Tanzania prisons without trial.

    He took the matter to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Doddy, who is from the United Kingdom and had visited Tanzanian prisons, urged the Nigerian government to step in and ensure that the Nigerians get justice.

    He said: “I’m here to follow up on some reports I gathered in Tanzania two years ago, concerning Nigerians being detained without trial. I was able to identify 27 Nigerians who were detained at the time without trial

    “Importantly, at least four of them remain detained today. The problem is detention without trial. I’m not concerned about whether they are guilty or innocent, what I am concerned about is that they should be taken to courts for trial.

    “The delays provide opportunities for evidences to get lost or stolen.” he said

    He pointed out that Tanzanian lawyers have been extorting monies from those Nigerians in prisons without doing anything for them.

    He also said that the other issue that concerns him was the humanitarian matter concerning Nigerians in Tanzania.

    According to him, he was able to identify three humanitarian cases.

    He said “The first was a pastor being detained for immigration reasons, awaiting deportation back to Nigeria. For six to eight months, this has not been done. Most seriously, a youth who also has immigration issues and in mental hospital, was sent to prison. He has been there for several months, and I think the Nigerian high commissioner should take action to secure his return to Nigeria

    “The third humanitarian issue is a Nigerian woman who has been sentenced to life imprisonment, clearly guilty. She should be repatriated to Nigeria to serve her sentence here.” he said

    He also alleged of rampant stereotype issues against any Nigerian entering Tanzania.

    While noting that diplomatic missions cannot interfere with judicial processes of other countries, he said that they can mount pressure on officials of the country to respect their own rules.

    Speaking at the brief meeting, Dabiri-Erewa, thanked him for his concern for the 27 Nigerians in Tanzania prisons.

    “We will look at these matters and ensure that justice is done quickly.” she said

    She assured that the new Nigeria High Commissioner in Tanzania would be on top of the issues.

    She also appealed to Nigerians wherever they go to continue to remain good ambassadors of Nigeria.

    For the woman sentenced to life imprisonment in Tanzania, she noted that nothing can be done with her case since there is no transfer treaty between Nigeria and Tanzania.

  • 2019: NPC to generate records of dead persons for INEC

    The National Population Commission ( NPC ) said it had commenced the listing all dead persons in the country for the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    Mr Eze Duruiheoma, Chairman of the Commission, told the News men in Abuja on Tuesday that the NPC would complete the process and hand over the accurate data to INEC within two months.

    “In the next one month or two, the data will be made available but we have to be sure of the numbers before we make it available to INEC.

    “We do not have 100 per cent coverage in registration of deaths and births.

    Read Also: Under-age voting: Disquiet over non-release of report by INEC

    “But the 50 per cent we have from it will be made available to INEC for them to clean out dead names from voters register,’’ he said.

    He said that the final stage of a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU ) between INEC and NPC would be implemented soon.

    He reassured that the partnership between the two agencies would help ascertain records of dead people nationwide.

    The News men recalls that INEC recently requested for the list of dead citizens in the country from NPC, beginning from 2015, to enable it to “sanitise’’ the voters register.

    NAN

  • NAF neutralises scores of Boko Haram terrorists in Koleram, Borno

    The Nigerian Air Force ( NAF ), said it neutralised scores of Boko Haram terrorists in Koleram town in Borno. AVM Olatokunbo Adesanya, NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, who confirmed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the operation was conducted on Monday.

    “The successful air strike by the NAF Alpha Jet aircraft followed calls from the General Officer Commanding ( GOC ), 8 Division of the Nigerian Army that troops conducting clearance operations at Koleram had come in contact with the insurgents.’’

    According to him, the NAF also provided Close Air Support ( CAS ) to ground troops.

    Adesanya said the GOC, therefore, requested for support from the NAF, adding that the Alpha Jet aircraft was immediately deployed to provide CAS.

    Read Also: ‘Boko Haram no longer holds our territory’ – Nigeria tells UN

    “On arrival over the location, there were exchanges of fire between the terrorists and our ground forces.

    “The crew of a NAF Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance ( ISR ) aircraft established contact with the ground troops and guided the Alpha Jet aircraft crew to the major source of fire from the Boko Haram terrorists, which was seen coming from a particular settlement.

    “Consequently, the NAF Alpha Jet aircraft engaged the target with rockets and cannons, thus neutralizing the insurgents and destroying their weapons,’’ he said.

    The NAF spokesman said the Air Task Force would continue to conduct missions on request in support of the efforts of “our troops in the counterinsurgency operations in the North East.’’

    NAN

  • Enlist in military, NYSC boss urges corps members

    Brig.-Gen. Suleiman Kazaure, the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps ( NYSC ), has urged corps members to consider enlisting in the armed forces.

    Kazaure gave the advice in an interview with the News men on Tuesday at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Sagamu, Ogun.

    The director-general, who inspected various physical and combat activities of the 2018 Batch ‘A’ corps members deployed to Ogun, said he was impressed by their level of discipline.

    Kazaure, who also watched the quarter-guard,  Man-O-War regiment, martial arts combats as well as the  band display of the corps members, said   he was certain that they would excel in the military.

    He described the Ogun Orientation camp as one of the best in the country, noting that it had been persistent over the years in maintaining excellence in the training of corps members.

    “With what I have witnessed here today, I can confidently state that this has been by far the best set of corps members ever received in Ogun State camp.

    “Their level of discipline and adherence to the teachings of their instructors has been excellent and I urge them to maintain the status quo.

    “The orientation programme was designed to help prepare corps members for the challenges ahead during their service year and these ones will do very well to cope.

    “To join the army, there are guidelines. You must be physically, medically and mentally fit.

    “The army will subject you to a lot of exams both written and oral before the final selection. If you meet all the required indices, you will be enlisted,” he said.

    Kazaure also said he was inspired by the display of the band to pioneer the NYSC inter-state band competition for corps members with added rewards for outstanding groups.

    He urged the corps members to be good ambassadors of the NYSC during their service year by promoting the ideals of the scheme.

    Read Also: NYSC DG laments poor state of Ebonyi orientation camp

    Kazaure added that the NYSC would be considering posting more corps members to farms under the scheme in Oyo, Abuja, Bauchi and Kebbi.

    The Ogun NYSC State Coordinator, Mr John Okpo, thanked the director general for the visit while reiterating the commitment of the NYSC in Ogun in complementing the scheme in nation building.

    He said the 2018 Batch ‘A’ corps members comprising 2,513 individuals including 1,161 males and 1,352 females distinguished themselves by arriving very early in camp.

    Okpo urged the corps members to equip themselves with the necessary skills for self-reliance through the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development ( SAED ) programme.

    The NYSC official said the orientation, which commenced on April 19, would close on Wednesday.

    NAN

  • AEDC retrenches 500 staff in Niger, Nasarawa, Abuja

    The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC),  has retrenched 500 workers in its offices in Abuja, Niger and Nasarawa states.

    The affected persons were served their sack letters between Tuesday and Thursday.

    The Nation learnt most of the affected staff were the casual staff who were engaged when the AEDC took over from the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and some senior staff who were over 35 years of service.

    A visit to the AEDC office in Niger State revealed that the sack was true as a lot of the affected staff were wearing long, mourning look as they were being consoled by those who were retained.

    Our correspondent learnt that the management had promised to pay the entitlement of those affected soon.

    The development was confirmed by the AEDC Director of Corporate Affairs, Ahmed Shekarau who said the sack was to ensure transformation takes place in the organization.

    He said that the management needed to replace redundant and uneducated staff in order for it to move forward adding that the number of those sacked is lower that what is being peddled but refused to state the actual number of staff affected.

  • Man gets 10 strokes for stealing Quran, shoes

    A man, Auwal Muazu got ten strokes of cane for dishonestly stealing a copy of the Holy Quran and a pair of shoes of a worshiper in a mosque.

    A Karmo Grade I Area Court, Abuja, gave the order on Friday following a guilty plea by Muazu, who resides at Utako village, Abuja.

    Muazu was docked on a count charge of theft.

    The Judge, Mr Abubakar Sadiq, said that the court gave Muazu a “light punishment” because he did not waste the court’s time.

    Sadiq who warned Muazu to shun crime and become good citizen, hoped that the sentence would serve as a deterrent to others.

    Earlier, the prosecutor, Mrs. Okagha Ijeoma, told the court that Muazu committed the offences on April 27 at 1.30 p.m.

    Ijeome told the court that the complainant, one Hadiyatullahi Abdulgani of National Forum headqutater Utako Abuja, reported the matter at the Utako Police Station on the same date.

    Ijeoma said that on April 27 at 1.30 p.m. the convict con to be a worshipper and entered into the National Forum Mosque and dishonestly stole a copy of Quran.

    Ijeoma added that Muazu also stole a pair of shoes belonging to a worshiper but he was arrested and handed over to the police for proper investigations.

    She said that the police recovered the stolen items from Muazu during investigations.

    The prosecutor said that the offences contravened the provisions of Section 288 of the Penal Code.

    Ijeoma had prayed the court to try the accused summarily under Section 347 of the Administration of Criminal Justices Act, 2015, following his admission of guilt.

  • Calling Policemen of Mpape, Abuja

    Sir: Let me start by commending men of the Nigeria Police Force at Mpape police station in Abuja for their efforts toward the protection of lives, property and also ensuring that there is peace and order within their given area of control.

    However, at the same time I still have to report them for arresting and collecting money from motorcyclists and some residents of Mpape at night in the name of late hours.

    Abuja is a busy city and many places in Abuja are business areas that operate for twenty four hours. People go to work on daily basis and some return late because of the nature of their jobs, coupled with the heavy traffic on the ever busy roads in Abuja.

    Therefore, it is not fair for the police in Mpape to be arresting and collecting money from motorcyclists and the residents for late hours. Let me accept that they may be doing their job but at the same time, there is no place in the constitution of the nation that allows policemen in Mpape and any other part of the country to be arresting and collecting money from people at night for keeping late hours.

    Nevertheless, I am aware that the salaries and allowances of policemen in the country are very poor and that may be one of the reasons you see some of them engaging in unprofessional activities to enable them make extra money to cater for the wellbeing of their families but they must also be cognizant of the fact that if everybody should go into unlawful activities due to the failure of the government to do the needful for its citizens, then, our problems are going to be terribly compounded.

    I therefore appeal to the DPO of Mpape Police Station and by extension, the Commissioner of Police in charge of Abuja, to ensure that the unlawful activities of the police in Mpape and Abuja in general are curtailed.

     

    • Awunah Pius Terwase,

    Mpape,

    Abuja. terwaseawunah@gmail.com

  • FCTA begins resettlement of seven communities – Official

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Thursday, has begun the resettlement of seven communities in the territory.

    The Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Mr Umar Jibril stated this at the handing over of a Police Post constructed by the FCDA to the Nigeria Police Force at Shere Galuwi Resettlement in Abuja.

    According to Jibril, the land mass is 900 hectares where 2,276 houses comprising 2,261 two bedroom houses and 74 bedroom houses for the chiefs, four police posts and a police station are being constructed.

    Read Also: Engage in agriculture, FCT FADAMA coordinator urges youths

    “We have Utako, Maje, Jabi Yakubu, Jabi Samuel, Mabushi, Kpadna and Zilu coming here.

    “1,318 houses have been fully completed and in weeks we will see the movement of those who are coming in, the Jabi Yakubu.

    “The FCTA is not leaving anything to chance from this event of today the subsequent activities will eventually correlate to the movement of the first community to be here which is Jabi Yakubu,’’ he added.

    The executive secretary said there is so much activities going on that include renovating and rehabilitating of some building, which were dilapidated over time, especially the infrastructure work.

    He assured the people that the administration will put pressure on the contractors to ensure speedy work toward completion of the rehabilitation.

    Odige Anthony, Director, Public Building said, “at Shere Galuwi resettlement we are expecting to resettle seven villages, which are presently in phases 2 and 3 in the city, development structure is slow there due to their presence.’’

    The director said the administration decided that the resettlement of the villages has to be in phases, adding “because of that they are concentrating on Jabi Yakubu as all arrangements to resettle them have been concluded.’’

    “FCTA said without security it will not be safe to bring them here, the security of lives and property has to be secured, so it was decided that we have to complete and furnish the police post we are handing it over to police so that they can take care of the security.

    “As there are some illegal occupants on the property and having some resistance, with the presence of the police here we can be move out, while the construction will continue,’’ he said.

    Baba Ahmad, Director, Resettlement and Compensation said the completion of Apo resettlement and ongoing work at Shere Galuwi underscores the administration commitment in resettlement.

    Ahmad noted after acquiring the 900 hectares and compensation paid; the government made sure that the communities involved were not short-changed.

    He maintained that the administration is ensuring that the security and lives of the residents is not compromised which was the reason for the building of the police post.

    The post was received by the Mpape Divisional Police Office, CSP Davis Olabisi on behalf of the FCT Commissioner of Police.

    NAN

     

  • Police drag man to court for alleged criminal force, assault

    A man, Chris Mario of Jabi, Abuja, on Thursday, appeared before a Karmo Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on a two-count charge of  criminal force and assault.

    The prosecutor, Zannan Dalhatu, told the court that Aondona Fiase of the same address with the defendant, reported the matter at the Utako Police Station, Abuja, on April 21.

    Dalhatu said that on the same date, the defendant allegedly broke into her apartment and beat her up, and in the process, she lost a tooth and sustained bodily injuries.

    According to the prosecutor, the offences contravened Sections 264 and 246 of the Penal Code. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty.

    The judge, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, granted him a bail of N50,000 with one surety in like sum. Sadiq said that the surety must reside within the court jurisdiction. He adjourned the case to May 30 for hearing.

    NAN