The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abuja

  • Gov. Okorocha supports FG’s housing programme

    Gov. Okorocha supports FG’s housing programme

    Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo has expressed support to the ongoing Federal Government’s National Housing Programme (NHP) across the country.

    Okorocha, represented by Mr Kingsley Uju, his Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, spoke on Wednesday during the inspection of the NHP site in the state by the Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Mustapha Shehuri.

    The minister was in Avu, Owerri Local Government Area, as part of a nationwide inspection tour of the sites for NHP projects.

    The governor commended the Avu community for sacrificing its ancestral land to make sure development was recorded in the area.

    Okorocha promised the land owners that none of them would be denied their statutory rights in the course of the development.

    He appealed to the contractors to always carry the people of the area along in their activities to prevent agitations.

    Okorocha noted that the state would be laying foundation of another housing project in line with the Federal Government promises of providing houses for a greater percentage of Nigerians.

    He called for the cooperation of the citizens toward the realisation of the housing project.

    The minister said that the Imo project site was the best out of the sites visited in the country.

    Shehuri promised to address issues of payment to contractors squarely, adding that payment would be made as soon as it was due to facilitate timely project completion.

    Dr Victor Nwaneri, Chairman, Avu Land Owners of Federal Housing Estate, said it was gratifying that the Federal Government approved the siting of the housing estate in the area.

    Nwaneri urged the Federal Government to consider Avu indigenes first in appointments in the ongoing project.

    He also appealed for the revival of the dualisation of Avu-Egbema road in the interest of many communities around it.

    “All other life changing amenities should be extended to Avu community to propel the community to donate more lands to the government as the need arises.”

    The Team Leader, NHP, IMO state, Mr Cosmos Ikejiofor, noted that there was a legal tussle between the ministry and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri.

    In his progress report on implementation of the programme in the state, he said that the challenges were yet to be resolved.

    He said that Interim Valuation and Payment Certificate (No. 1) has been raised for the contractors that have completed work on the ground floor concrete slab in their projects.

    “These have been forwarded to the ministry’s headquarters at Abuja for further necessary action,” he said.

    NAN

  •  Sports summit opens in Abuja

     Sports summit opens in Abuja

     

    A 5-day Sports Summit and Exhibition Programme has opened at the Indoor Sports Hall, Package B of the Abuja National Stadium.
    The summit, organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports in collaboration with Spring Vision International Koncept Limited is themed ‘Nigerian Sports and its economic diversification into entrepreneurial investment to enhance talents, empowerment and employment ; a security tool to make sports more productive’, aimed at empowering youths in the country to become sports entrepreneurs.
    Declaring the programme open, the Minister of Youth and Sports Barrister Solomon said sports has not only become entertainment but a global business.
    “This Summit is timely especially as sports is rated globally as the second largest employer of labour. It is focused on sports investment, resource mobilization and infrastructural development. Its mission is to create awareness on fund generation in sports, investment potentials, infrastructure/facilities provisions, sports business windows through Public Private Partnership, security for sports men and women as well as developing talents within the country.
    ” As a Ministry,  we are set to create a level playing ground for private investors and investment to strive for optimal productivity in sports in line with the present administration’s policy to encourage the use of Public Private Partnership to drive the economy of sports as entrenched in the theme of the summit.”
    The Minister also enumerated problems facing the growth of sports in the country promising equal attention to all sports.
    “Over the years, the country’s sports has suffered seriously due to late planning, unnecessary bottlenecks in identifying grassroots talents, poor funding, preference for certain sports, under utilized infrastructure etc.
    “As an apostle of sports, all sports must grow together and equally too. I’m therefore assuring Nigerians and sports stakeholders that the present administration will give preference to the development of all sports and no longer a few, or any, called king of sports. We are fashioning out ways in which our sports federations and other private teams will add more investment values in engaging in competitions with financial accruements in companies in Nigeria and outside the country setting out huge sums for competing teams”
    In his remarks, the Speaker House of Representatives Rt Hon. Yakubu Dogara who  was represented by the Chairman House Committee on Sports Hon Buka Lawan congratulated the various sports federations for their recent achievements in different international competitions and expressed delight in the organization of the summit.
    “I understand that the PPP unit of the Ministry of Youth and Sports is desirous of having a successful and sustainable means of advancement in terms of performance, welfare for athletes and technical crew especially sponsorship and funding for the organization of events and improved infrastructure for sports.
    “As legislators we are ready to support this lofty initiative and partner with you to give the concept the attention it requires.”
    There will be presentation of papers by various guest speakers, exhibitions and presentation of awards to stakeholders, administrators and participants drawn from the Presidency, National Assembly, states, local governments and sports federations in the sporting industry .
  • Buhari vows to improve aviation infrastructure

    Buhari vows to improve aviation infrastructure

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday emphasized the determination of his administration to speed up the improvement of aviation infrastructure in the country for the benefit of the country’s economic development.

    Speaking while receiving the President of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Muyiwa Aliu, at the State House, Abuja on Monday, President Buhari declared his total support and commitment to work with regulatory agencies in the aviation sector to make air travel safer throughout the country.

    The President, who received three awards recently won by Nigeria from ICAO, expressed delight with the high ranking accorded Nigeria in safety and security at the airports, following measures put in place to address gaps in airport security.

    On the setting up of a national airline, President Buhari said he was under tremendous pressure from many patriotic Nigerians desirous of establishing one.

    Buhari, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said: “I equally support a national airline for both patriotic and economic reasons. We have enough trained citizens including pilots and engineers. But Nigerians need to know how we lost the one we had before,” referring to the defunct Nigeria Airways.

    The Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who led the ICAO delegation, informed President Buhari that Nigeria was hosting the meeting of International World Aviation Forum in Abuja starting on Tuesday, the first time such conference will hold anywhere outside Montreal, Canada.

    He said over 40 aviation ministers and representatives from 70 countries, the World Bank, African Development Bank, manufacturers of planes and aviation equipment will attend this year’s conference focusing on “Financing Development of Aviation Infrastructure.”

    The President of ICAO, who is a Nigerian, commended President Buhari for fast-tracking policy initiatives that changed the fortunes of air travel in Nigeria, describing the reconstruction of the runway at the Abuja airport as a rare feat.

    On behalf of the ICAO, Mr Aliu presented a certificate of recognition of the School of Aviation, Zaria as a regional center of excellence; the certification of both Abuja and Lagos airports which have attained ICAO standards for the first time in history, and another certificate marking the attainment of the International Organization for Standardization ISO 9001, 2015 by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.

  • Absence of judge stalls Kanu ’s trial

    Absence of judge stalls Kanu ’s trial

    The trial of leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra ( IPOB ), Nnamdi Kanu was stalled on Monday in Federal High Court, Abuja, due to the absence of the judge.

    The official of the court informed parties that the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyanko, had gone to attend Judges’ Conference within the city.

    Nyanko had ordered Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, who stood surety for Kanu to appear in court on Nov. 20 to account for his whereabouts.

    The order was predicated on report from Kanu’s Counsel, Mr Ifeanyi Ejiofor, who claimed on Oct. 18 that his client could not be found.

    Abaribe, who was in court, however, told journalists that the military unsettled Kanu, adding that his whereabouts was not known to him either.

    The lawmaker said it was on the basis of that uncertainty that he filed an application to withdraw his suretiship.

    Also ordered to account for Kanu’s whereabouts were Tochukwu Uchendu and Jewish Chief High Priest Immanuel-El Shalom Oka-Ben Madu.

    Mr Shuaibu  Labaran, the Prosecuting Counsel had through an application demanded that Kanu’s sureties be made to produce him to allow the trial to continue.

    Kanu is standing trial on treasonable charges along with Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuis.

    Read Also:  IPOB leader Kanu whereabouts unknown as trial resumes today

     

  • Minister mischievous against Cattle tracking bill, Says Miyetti-Allah

    The National President, Miyetti-Allah Kautal Hore Fulani cultural association, Alh. Bello Bodejo has said the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh is either mischievous or ignorant of the essence of the bill for an Act to establish the National Animal Identification Bureau.

    Bodejo during a briefing, yesterday at the National headquarters of the association in Nasarawa, said the Minister should have supported it rather than condemning the bill.

    He noted that the bill when passed into law would address lingering crisis confronting the livestock sector, especially the clashes between farmers and herdsmen.

    According to him, the bureau would encourage innovations such as tracktracking cing and labelling of cattle up to the abattoirs.

    The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development recently, through Senator Abu Ibrahim, sponsored a bill that will ensure animal tracking, registration and identifications but was rejected by the Minister on the basis of dual responsibility, as a department of livestock already exist in the ministry.

    Bodejo said: “The idea of creating an agency is to ensure there is identification, tracking and management of livestock in this country. It is an internationally best practise because if that agency is in place, every Cattle you have in this country will carry a chip. So the question of someone trespassing into a farm and you don’t know him will no longer be there.

    “It will address the security problem. If you say Cattle has trespassed into a farm, arrest one and then the chip will identify the owners and if they rustle Cattle, it’s just to activate and you know where your Cattle are.

    “All abattoirs will not accept Cattle that are not tagged. The technology will address lack of accountability and this issue of unknown gunmen.”

    Reacting to claims that there is an existing department in charge of livestock and Poultry in the ministry, which caters for concerns of the pastoralists, he emphasised that the department already failed in its duties.

    Describing the situation as a deliberate sabotage, he claimed of an underlining politics stressing that most officers in charge of policies in the livestock department had background in crops production.

    “They have this bias on livestock. The Minister should see that policy as a complementary one because there are technological companies that have this innovation to tag Cattle for the identification purpose,” Bodejo added

    In his remarks, Secretary of the association, Engr. Alhassan Saleh insisted on their disapproval on the Anti-Open Grazing law.

    He said it was a deliberate action to chase the pastoralists out of Benue, stressing that both farmers and pastoralists are interested in the equal share of the natural resources.

    Saleh, who blamed the Federal Government of being partial in the share of budgetary allocation called for proper attention to the livestock industry.

    He said the industry was not getting needed attention both from local and international partners aside from government bias.

    Speaking on the livestock bureau, he said the department should be unbundled from the ministry and created as an independent body.

    “As it is today, the psychology and body language of Audu Ogbeh is not ready to bring any positive support to the pastoralists and that’s the truth.”

    National Coordinator, Miyetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), Garus Gololo accused the Benue State Government to have sidelined the association before implementing the anti-open grazing law.

    He called for an holistic approach to solving problems of both pastoralists and the farmers.

  • Health experts urge govts to focus on primary healthcare

    Health experts urge govts to focus on primary healthcare

    To improve quality and reduce cost of accessing healthcare, federal and state governments should direct reforms and policies to deliver primary healthcare, provide health insurance for the poor and allow for private sector actors to handle tertiary and emergency healthcare.

    This was the submission of experts during the plenary on social welfare targeted at healthcare at the Alaghodaro Investment Summit, organised at the weekend by the Edo State Government, in Benin City.

    The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, who was the discussion leader at the plenary, said that the Edo State government is on the verge of domesticating the National Health Act, noting that the move will greatly improve healthcare delivery in the state.

    According to him, “Not only is the Edo State government on the verge of domesticating the National Health Act, it is also working to have a health insurance scheme that will cover all. The state will also serve as a pilot for the implementation of the primary healthcare programme.”

    Former Chief Medical Director at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Prof. Michael Ibadin, said that there was need for more private sector participation in healthcare delivery.

    Arguing that the dominance of government in health sector has stifled growth, he said, “We can improve healthcare delivery when we get more private sector participation. When we do this, we would have less incessant strikes. There is evidence that private hospitals are delivering good services. But most people have been left to suffer because a lot of people depend on service in public hospitals. We need this trend to change.”

    Dr. Christopher Otabor of Alliance Hospital, Abuja, said that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s experience in the private sector is one of the greatest assets he is bringing to governance, noting that government should provide guarantees that will allow people access healthcare cost-efficiently.

    “When it appears healthcare is anchored on private sector investment and accessing services is hard for the poor, government can provide insurance. The stage is being set in Edo State for this. Government doesn’t necessarily have to bring money to fund hospitals. It can provide guarantees and ensure that there is a stable environment for hospitals to thrive,” he said.

    Prof. Jonny Ikimalo of Prime Hospital said that the reason for poor health indices in Nigeria is due to poor budgetary allocations, condemning the fact that a lot of people have to pay for services out of their pockets when they are already in hospitals.

    According to him, “Healthcare is expensive and I have a problem when people talk about health insurance for the poor. People think that anything that relates with insurance is expensive because what we ordinary associate with insurance are cars, life and the likes. We should rather call it health plans. Healthcare is a social responsibility. So, much as we suggest that government should allow private investment, it should also provide cover for the poor.

    “What I understand from the visionary stance of the state governor, is that the state is already putting in place a health insurance scheme which will provide health coverage for everybody, including the underprivileged. I think it is work in progress and it is expected that this summit will make input into it.”

    Rev. Fr. Anslem Adodo of Pax Herbal Clinic noted that there was need to promote traditional medicine in the quest to attain universal health coverage, noting, “One of the surest means to provide healthcare to the people is to recognise the place of traditional healthcare. But to do this, we must reform and integrate traditional medicine in our health system in Edo State.”

  • Court remands man, 65, for alleged homosexuality in Niger

    Court remands man, 65, for alleged homosexuality in Niger

    A Minna Chief Magistrate’s  Court on Tuesday remanded a 65-year-old man, Patrick Kalu, in prison for allegedly having anal sex with a 15 years old boy.

    The accused who resides in Railway Quarters, Minna, pleaded guilty to the offence.

    The Chief Magistrate, Hassan Mohammed, however, ordered that the accused be remanded in prison and adjourned the case until Jan, 25, 2018.

    Earlier, the Prosecutor, Abdullahi Maiyaki, had told the court that the accused was arrested on Nov. 8, for having sex through the anus with a 15-year-old boy.

    He said that Kalu was arrested during the act, adding that he had kept the victim in his house for over one year.

    Maiyaki said that the accused lured the unsuspecting victim from Karimo area of Abuja on the pretext of securing him a job.

    He said that the offence contravened Section 284 of the Panel Code Law.

    The section prescribes a 14-year jail term with no option of fine, upon a High Court conviction.

    NAN

  • Taxify launches in Abuja

    Taxify, the fastest-growing ride-sharing platform in Europe and Africa is in Abuja to offer quality and safe service to its clients, with hundreds of drivers signing up to the platform to partner.

    Uche Okafor, Taxify’s Operations Manager in a statement said “Abuja is an exciting and thriving market with an outgoing population for private urban transport. We have a solid team on ground in Abuja and are excited about the launch.

    “We are confident that Taxify can effectively contribute to healthy competition by improving the quality of service and lowering the prices for the end customer.

    “Taxify takes only 15% commission from its drivers, compared to the 25% that competitors take. The lower commission allows Taxify to offer lower prices for riders and ensure that drivers still keep more money in their pockets.

    “Taxify treats our drivers better so that they can in turn treat our clients well. We ensure drivers earn more driving on our platform than on any other platform. This combined with our end to end support ensures that our drivers are happier driving on Taxify and are ultimately able to provide better quality service for clients. Taxify also believes in providing exemplary customer service to riders, with a local customer support team that offers real time over the phone support.”

    Taxify is an international urban ride-sharing platform founded and headquartered in Tallinn, Estonia. It is operates in 20 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Central America. Taxify has a global team of over 300 employees, and is considered one of the fastest-growing ride-sharing platforms in Europe and Africa. In August 2017, Taxify announced a strategic partnership with Didi Chuxing, the world’s leading mobile transportation platform.

  • JAMB meets with ‘critical stakeholders’ to review UTME

    JAMB meets with ‘critical stakeholders’ to review UTME

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board ( JAMB ) says it will meet with “critical” stakeholders in education on Wednesday to appraise the general conduct of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination ( UTME ).

    JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, said this on Monday in Lagos that the meeting, scheduled to hold in Abuja, would brainstorm on the conduct of the examination and identify possible areas for review.

    Among the stakeholders expected at the meeting were Foreign Affairs Ministry officials, university lecturers, vice- chancellors and rectors of polytechnics, he said.

    “We are also expecting top media executives, state commissioners of education and heads of colleges of education.
    “Other stakeholders expected at the meeting are labour unions of Nigeria universities such as ASUU, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), among others,’’ he said.

    Benjamin said the board had held a similar meeting with owners of Computer Based Test (CBT) centres and administrators nationwide to appraise the registration and conduct of the 2017 UTME.

    The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is’haq Oloyede, had during meeting with administrators of the CBT centres announced new measures that would further strengthen the integrity and general conduct of the examination.

    Oloyede had also banned the use of pens, wrist watches and other devices as part of the newly introduced measures for the 2018 UTME.

    According to him, experience has shown that some candidates were using the devices to perpetrate examination malpractices.

     No fewer than 617 centres had been accredited nationwide for the examination while 72 others waiting for approval.

    NAN

  • Toyota stages auto show in Abuja

    Toyota stages auto show in Abuja

    Toyota (Nigeria) Limited will play host to auto lovers at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja between November 21 and 23.

    According to Bukunola Ogunnusi, the Toyota Auto Show is an exhibition aimed at bringing the different models of the Toyota brand closer to the public.

    She said: “It is indeed a platform for customers to experience the wide range of vehicles from the Toyota range.

    “The exclusive auto show will showcase the beauty and elegance of the engineering mastery of Toyota craftsmanship imbued in all its models. Some of the vehicles that will be on display in the alluring environment are the new Coaster which has undergone a complete overhaul to reflect modern trends in engineering and design.  The Land cruiser and Avensis which have also received aesthetic touch-ups will be on exhibition. Also the Yaris, Corolla, Hilux; a workhorse described as “Beyond Tough” for its resilience and strength to take on any terrain.

    Lucky customers will be able to buy some of the vehicles on display at special discount during the three-day show.”