The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abuja

  • Supreme Court did not nullify Pinnick board’s election, NFF says

    The Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF ) on Friday in Abuja assured that there was no reason to get worried about a Supreme Court decision on the 2014 elections into its Executive Committee.

    The football body, on its twitter handle some moments after the court’s ruling, said the Supreme Court in Abuja did not nullify Amaju Pinnick’s election as NFF President.

    It said its reaction followed news to the contrary ongoing on social media.

    The newsmen reports that a football stakeholder, Chris Giwa, had been contesting the authenticity of the Pinnick-led board.

    While the Proprietor of Jos-based Giwa FC was elected NFF president at an NFF Congress in Abuja, Pinnick was elected at another NFF Congress in Warri on Sept. 30, 2014.

    Giwa took the matter to the apex court, after losing out at the Appeal Court and at the Court of Arbitration for Sport ( CAS ).

    Read Also: Supreme Court to go digital July 16, says Onnoghen

    NFF’s counsel, Festus Keyamo, was quoted in the tweet as saying: “Nobody should cause unnecessary panic in Nigeria’s football. That’s my case.

    “Supreme Court did not nullify Amaju’s election. The Supreme Court did not remove Amaju from office.

    “The Court only referred the case back to the Federal High Court to be tried properly, to know which of the elections held in 2014 was right.

    “Amaju was not a party to the case at the Supreme Court. So, the court could not have removed a party from office without joining the party and hearing from the party.’’

    NAN

  • Student docked over alleged theft of gas cylinder

    The police on Friday arraigned a 20-year-old student, Andrew Dominic, before a Kubwa Grade 1 Area Court over alleged theft of gas cylinder.

     Dominic, a resident of Kubwa Village in Abuja, is facing a two-count charge of trespass and theft, but he pleaded innocent.

    The prosecutor, Babajide Olanipekun, told the court that one Mr Azubike Chidebere ‎reported the case at the Kubwa Police Station on April 23.

    Olanipekun said that the accused  trespassed into the complainant’s compound and stole his gas cylinder worth N12, 000.

    He said that Dominic was caught while attempting to escape with the cylinder.

    Read Also:  Nigeria, others lose $3.5b to cyber crime

    The prosecutor submitted  that Dominic had been convicted for a similar offence in the past.

    He noted that the offences contravened Sections 342 and 287 of the Penal Code.

    The Judge, Mohammed Marafa, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000 with one surety in like sum.

    Marafa held that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction.

    He  adjourned the case until June 18 for hearing.

    NAN

  • PDP member tells electorate to obtain Permanent Voter’s Card

    A Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) chieftain in Plateau, Mr Gwaman Datong, has urged the electorate to take part in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration ( CVR ) to empower them for voting in the 2019 general elections.

    In a statement issued in Abuja by him on Friday, he said taking part in the exercise was the only way the electorate could have their choice of leaders.

    “I have been going round and meeting people telling them to make sure that they get registered and obtain their Permanent Voter’s Card ( PVC ).

    “This is because we can’t make the change we desired without getting the PVC,’’ Dalong, who is seeking PDP’s nomination to contest the state governorship election in 2019.

    He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) to engage in more aggressive campaign towards sensitising the electorate to CVR.

    “We need strong running system that will give constant information, especially those at the grassroots on the exercise,’’ Datong said.

    Stating his plan for the state if he became the governor of Plateau, Datong said his vision was to lay a solid foundation for the development of the state.

    “We will start by encouraging science education right from primary school because am looking at building for the future.

    “We are going to encourage going to the sciences because in the nearest future, we will have people to build the future for Plateau.

    Read Also: Southwest PDP tackles APC

    “Am not looking at the agricultural sector in terms of produce alone but how do we process the produce a little to add value.

    “I visited an incubation centre in Jos and I was shown carrot oil, I was surprised, because this is what we can harness as we have lots of carrots in the state.

    “So if we can work towards processing our carrots to a certain level, we will make lots of money from both internal and export market.

    “We also have lots of yam in the state, people come and buy them remove the water and send them back to us as yam powder; we can start processing them locally to make extra money,’’ Datong said.

    “Similarly, emphasis should be on women development programmes because women constitute more than 50 per cent of the population in the state,’’ Datong said.

    NAN

  • NACA to check high prevalence of HIV among key populations

    The National Agency for the Control of AIDS ( NACA ), on Thursday, is to begin work with stakeholders to check the high prevalence of HIV among key populations including homosexuals.

    The NACA Programme Officer, Ms Favor Iyamu, made this pledge at an interactive media meeting organised by the International Centre for Advocacy on Right to Health in Abuja on Thursday.

    Iyamu explained that men, who had sex with men also known as MSM were among the key populations with rising cases of HIV prevalence now higher than that of the general population.

    She said that an integrated biological surveillance survey of 2014 had also shown that the HIV prevalence among this group of people increased from 13.6 per cent in 2007 to 22.9 percent in 2014.

    Read Also: NACA to youths: avoid risky behaviour

    According to her, this group of people believes that HIV cannot be contracted through the way they have intercourse.

    “It is important we work with stakeholders to reduce this high prevalence in MSM in our quest to fight the scourge of HIV in the country.

    “Every person or group is important and no population is more important than the other,” she said.

    Iyamu said that NACA was committed to work with relevant stakeholders and nongovernmental organisations to eradicate HIV in the country.

    NAN

  • Olamide storms Abuja for Kings Meet

    Popular singer, Olamide  otherwise known as ‘Badoo’ is expected to storm Abuja come Thursday, 26th of April for an event organized by the Kings of the North.

    The singer is expected to attend the maiden edition of ‘Kings Meet’.

    The event which will be holding at Moscow Underground, Abuja is being supported by the distinctive Hennessy xo.

    According to the organizers, ”Come Thursday night, Moscow Underground will be intrigued and filled with Queens and Kings

    ” The night will be overwhelming intrigues in a place of victors of conquests. It will be celebrated by Kings and Queens as it will be filled with royalty. It’s place where royalty will meet royalty. The event is made for the great,” the organisers said.

     

  • Why religious event caused traffic gridlock in Abuja – FRSC

    The Federal Road Safety Corps ( FRSC ) has blamed the traffic gridlock caused by a recent religious event in Abuja on a last minute change in venue.

    Spokesman of the Corps, Mr Bisi Kazeem, told our correspondent that the change in venue disrupted the initial traffic management plans of the FRSC for the event.

    Between April 13 and 14, the Abuja city centre and environs were on lockdown by members of the Tijjaniya Islamic sect, who were celebrating Maulud Nabiyyi, the birth of Prophet Muhammad ( PBUH ).

    The event held at the National Mosque located in the Central Business District.

    The mammoth crowd of sect members, who came in their thousands from different parts of the country, spilled over to the Eagle Square about two kilometres from the Mosque.

    They set up camps on major roads and streets around the venue resulting in a traffic gridlock that left residents and motorists groaning.

    Kazeem said the leadership of the sect notified the FRSC ahead of time through a letter, and “adequate planning” was made to manage the situation.

    “The problem was that some of them came in the evening and at night, and they were many.

    “What actually disrupted the plan was that the event was initially planned for the National Stadium, and resources were deployed to make sure that the roads leading to the stadium were adequately covered.

    “But all of a sudden, when they were denied use of the stadium or something like that, they decided to trek to the Eagle Square.

    “This change in plan would need change in tactics and traffic control system arrangement, and this momentarily affected our initial plan,” he said.

    The FRSC spokesman said the Corps rose to the occasion by issuing traffic alerts and press releases to inform residents and motorists of the situation.

    Describing the situation as regrettable, Kazeem, however, said it was an eye opener for the FRSC to avert a re-occurrence.

    NAN

  • Melaye never evaded arrest – media aide

    Mr Gideon Ayodele, the Special Adviser (Media) to embattled senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Sen. Dino Melaye, said the lawmaker never evaded arrest by the police.

    Ayodele in statement in Abuja on Tuesday said: “for the avoidance of doubt, Sen. Melaye had never evaded police invitation before now because there was none extended to him in the first place.

    Read Also: Breaking: Melaye jumps out of SARS vehicle, injured

    “Rather, what the Police Force Public Relations Officer Mr Jimoh Moshood had been doing was to summon the senator through media briefings, a practice unconventional.”

    Our reporter recalls that the Nigeria Police had on Monday laid siege at residence of the lawmaker.

    However, a statement earlier on Tuesday quoted the police as saying that Melaye as law-abiding citizen voluntarily submitted himself to operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) who laid siege to his private residence since around 3.35 p.m. of Monday, April 23, 2018.

    The statement added that “he (Melaye), along with his lawyers and personal aides, were driven in his private car to the SARS office in Guzape district of Abuja, among numerous police vehicles earlier deployed to his house.

    “With the media hype the whole saga generated especially his unwarranted travails in the hands of Immigration officials at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on Monday and the attendant but dramatic police siege to his private residence thereafter, it became necessary for Melaye to end the drama, hence his choice to appear before the police.”

    Melaye’s aide said “we are constrained to make the record straight sequel to avalanche of calls by well-meaning Nigerians and supporters.

    NAN

     

  • NiMet predicts cloudy skies, rain showers on Wednesday

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted cloudy weather conditions over the central states of the country on Wednesday morning with chances of localised rain showers over Abuja, Minna, Bida, Ilorin, Lokoja, Mambilla and Jalingo axis.

    NiMet’s Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office in Abuja on Tuesday also predicted day and night temperatures in the range of 33 to 41 and 25 to 28 degrees Celsius respectively.

    It added that places like Yola, Jos, Kaduna and Makurdi axis were expected to be under the influence of localised thunderstorms during afternoon and evening hours.

    The agency predicted that the southern States would experience cloudy conditions with chances of isolated thunderstorms over Ogoja, Ikom, Obudu and environs in the morning hours.

    It also predicted isolated thunderstorms over the southwest and coastal axis during the afternoon and evening hours with day and night temperatures of 32 to 35 and 21 to 26 degrees Celsius respectively.

    According to NiMet, Northern States will experience partly cloudy to cloudy conditions in the morning hours with chances of localised thunderstorm over Maiduguri and Kebbi axis.

    “Northern States are expected to have day and night temperatures in the range of 43 to 43 and 26 to 30 degrees Celsius respectively.

    “With moisture as far as the extreme north, thunderstorms are probable across the country within the next 24 hours,” NiMet predicts.

    NAN

     

  • Ex-BBNaija , BamBam, realises N25m from “Bam beauty oil ‘’launch

    Ex-BBNaija housemate, Bamike Olawunmi, popularly called BamBam late on Monday launched a skin care product, “Bam beauty oil” to mark her 29th birthday and realized N25 million.
    The event took place in Abuja according to what she posted on her instagram page.
    BamBam said that she sold the first 5,000 pieces of the product at N5,000 each and grossed home N25 million.
    The newsmen reports this happened about 24 hours after the end of the third edition of the 2018 BBNaija TV reality show titled “Double Wahala’’.
    She unveiled the product at a party bash hosted for her by Famouspotatoesng in Abuja late on Monday.

    Read Also: BBNaija: TeddyA, Bambam grace magazine’s cover

    Also the family members of Teddy, another housemate in the BBNaija reality show as well as BamBam’s other fans graced the party.

    BamBAm was one of the housemates in the just concluded TV reality show in the BBNaija before her eviction from the house.
    The newsmen also reports that while Bambam was in the house, she was romantically involved with Teddy A who was her strategic partner.
    The pair appeared to have taken their love to another level, as Teddy A, organised a surprise birthday party for her.

    NAN

  • Presidential panel sues Reps over planned probe

    The Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property has sued the House of Representatives over the green chamber’s plan to investigate the legality of the panel’s operations.

    A copy of the summons served on the house was made available to our reporter on Monday in Abuja.

    The other plaintiff in the matter is Mr Okoi Obono-Obla, the Chairman of the panel while the other defendant is the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Activities of the Panel.

    The suit, which was instituted by Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN), raised five questions for the court to determine.

    They are “Whether the resolution passed by the house on March 22 to set up the ad hoc committee to investigate the modus operandi of the panel is not tantamount to exercise of executive/supervisory power over the plaintiffs.

    “Whether the resolution passed by the house to investigate the legality of the panel is not tantamount to the exercise of judicial powers over the panel and its chairman.

    “If the answer to the first question is in the positive, whether by the provisions of Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, the house and the committee are legally empowered to exercise executive/supervisory powers over the panel.

    “If the answer to question two is in the positive, whether by provisions of Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, the house and the committee are legally empowered to exercise judicial powers over the panel and its chairman.

    “And, if the answer to questions three and four is in the negative, whether the letter written to the chairman of the panel on March 28, compelling him to forward certain documents to the committee is not illegal, null and void.”

    The panel, therefore, urged the court to declare that the House’s March 22 resolution to set up the ad hoc committee to investigate its “modus operandi” was tantamount to exercise of executive/supervisory power over it.

    The panel also asked the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the House from further taking any step against the plaintiff in respect of the resolution to investigate it.

    The panel also wants the court to declare that by provisions of Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, the house and the committee are not legally empowered to exercise judicial powers over it and its chairman.

    In an affidavit deposed to by Mr Yohanna Shankuk, a litigation clerk in Keyamo’s chambers, stated that the panel was constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He stated that the constitution of the panel was pursuant to the powers vested on the President by Section 1 of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act.

    Shankuk further deposed that the law, upon which the panel was set up and headed by the chairman, had not been repealed.

    The deponent maintained that the panel believed that if the court did not intervene in the matter, the house would wrongly proceed to exercise its powers under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution.

    NAN