The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abuja

  • NSWG partners U.S. for united, peaceful Nigeria

    NSWG partners U.S. for united, peaceful Nigeria

    The Nigeria Senior Working Group ( NSWG ), a group of Nigerian senior civic leaders, have converged on the United States Institute of Peace, Washington, D.C., to rekindle hope for peace and stability in Nigeria.

    The group of eminent Nigerians was in the U.S. for a symposium on Nigeria tagged ‘Peace in Nigeria: How to build it, and America’s role’, organised by the U.S. Institute of Peace, Washington, D.C.

    The group has as members the Archbishop of Catholic Archdiocese Abuja Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Sultan of Sokoto Sa’ad Abubakar, Gen. Martin Agwai (rtd) and Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.

    Others are Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili, Prof. Attahiru Jega, Amb. Fatima Abubakar, Dr Nguyan Feese, Dr Chris Kwaja, Dr Usman Bugaje, Dr Jibrin Ibrahim and Aisha Murtala Muhammed-Oyebode.

    The group was brought together by the United States Institute of Peace in 2016 to represent public issues about Nigeria.

    They also lend their expertise in support of the efforts of the State Governors and national policymakers to address the social, religious and political forces that fuel extremist violence and instability in Nigeria.

    Amb. Hassan Hassan, Ambassador/Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, at the symposium, emphasised that Nigeria needed peace now more than any other time in its history.

    The Nigerian envoy also said  that “once there is peace in Nigeria, “it will vibrate across Africa because peace in Nigeria means peace in Africa”.

    Hassan identified the prominent cause of instability and breakdown of peace in Nigeria as religious animosity and rivalry among the adherents of the Christian and Muslim faiths.

    The Nigerian envoy tasked the group to carefully, effectively and incisively consider the issues at stake in Nigeria, extend it to Africa and the world at large.

    Speaking on behalf of the group, Agwai stressed that one of the group’s task was to help the Nigerian government to resolve insecurity, especially the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast.

    He said that their mandate was to liaise with the U.S. Government through its Think Thank and policy makers to proffer solutions.

    According to him, the group is also mandated to suggest steps Nigeria should take to build and sustain peace as Africa’s most important country.

    Agwai said  the Nigerian government was determined to achieve sustainable peace and development in the country.

    He stressed that there could not be peace without development and there could be no development without peace.

    The outcome of the discussion was to reduce instability and re-weave the social fabrics of the country.

    Amb. Johnnie Carson, the Senior Adviser of United States Institute of Peace, remarked that Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari had made military gains against the Boko Haram extremist group.

    Carson emphasised that conflict resolution, peace and security would not be achievable purely through military solutions alone.

    To achieve sustainable peace in Nigeria, he advised that all levels of government, non-governmental organisations, and other stakeholders must get involved.

    He said every Nigerian  should join to fight to defeat the Boko Haram insurgency, corruption and other security challenges through dialogue, community policing and promotion of good citizen.

    Thomas Shannon, the U.S. Under-Secretary for Political Affairs, praised the various initiatives by the government towards establishing and preserving  peace.

    Shannon said peace was required to foster a prosperous Nigeria and Africa, stressing the U.S. Government will continue to encourage the Nigerian government to take up a call as peace-loving government.

    The U.S. envoy noted that President Buhari had demonstrated that his administration was positioned to strengthen Nigeria’s dignity in the world.

    NAN

  • Buhari mourns AVM Mohammed

    Buhari mourns AVM Mohammed

    President Muhammadu Buhari has described late retired Air Vice Marshal Mukhtari Mohammed as “one of the finest, most principled, patriotic and loyal military officers’’ he had ever known and respected.

    President Buhari stated this in a condolence message issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Monday.

    The president also described late Mohammed, one-time Military Administrator of Kaduna State and Chairman of Freedom Radio Kano, as a fountain of inspiration who loved the progress of Nigeria at all times.

    “AVM Mohammed was so passionately committed to his principles and beliefs that he had to leave his military career earlier than expected on account of those principles.

    “Very few Nigerians are ready to lose their jobs or offices on account of their beliefs, but the late Mohammed was an exception to this ugly reality of Nigeria, a society where public office holders respect power more than principles,’’ he said.

    The President also recalled the significant role played by the late Air Force Officer in the realization of his people’s desire for the creation of the present Jigawa State.

    He extended his condolences to the government, the family and people of Jigawa and Kano States over the loss of this illustrious public figure.

    President Buhari prayed to Allah to forgive his gentle soul.

    Late Muhammad, who was the Wazirin Dutse in Jigawa, died on Sunday in a London hospital after a protracted illness.

    He was also the first Governor of Kaduna State, after its creation in 1977, by the defunct military administration of Olusegun Obasanjo.

    NAN

  • Fed Govt praised on commitment to PLWHA

    It sends a message of hope to people living with HIV/AIDS or  PLWHA in Abuja and other parts of the country.

    Since the 1980s when the epidemic named HIV/AIDS arrived the shores of Nigeria, it has wrecked lived and gulped huge amounts of money and other resources while scientists across the world have been working tirelessly to find a curAe.

    Concerned about Nigeria’s position as the country with the third largest infected population (about 3.2 million) of PLWHAs, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNAIDS had ratcheted  up efforts to ease the burden of taking  proper care of those already infected with the virus

    That informed their joint involvement in the celebratory mood recently over the Federal Government’s new commitment to use domestic funds to provide antiretroviral drugs to an additional 50,000 people living with HIV each year.

    “We are encouraged by the enthusiasm that the Federal Government is showing towards putting more of its own financial resources to the HIV response. This is one sure way of helping Nigeria to end AIDS by 2030,” said the Director General of NACA, Dr Sani Aliyu.

    “UNAIDS is thrilled by the new momentum and firm commitments that the Government of Nigeria is bringing to its HIV response. We are eager to support the process of putting more people living with HIV in Nigeria on treatment,” said the UNAIDS Country Director for Nigeria, Dr Erasmus Morah who recently resumed in Nigeria after serving in some eleven countries.

    It is all more heartwarming and indicative of progress when one notes that now, a new national HIV survey, a Trust Fund and support for local manufacture of ARVs in pipeline.

    For NACA, WHO and UNAIDS as well as a huge number of HIV-positive Nigerian citizens, including those living in Abuja, it is a welcome development that instead of complete dependence on foreign donors’ assistance, the Federal Government has now committed itself to using domestic funds to provide antiretroviral drugs to an additional 50,000 people living with HIV each year.

    Nigeria’s commitment was announced in a speech by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the successfully concluded high-level side event convened by the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, in collaboration with UNAIDS, during the 72nd United Nations General Assembly in New York, USA. The side event was meant to accelerate action and get countries on the Fast Track to end AIDS by 2030.

    “We recognise the impact of the global financing environment and the need for shared responsibility in order to end AIDS in Nigeria by 2030,” said President Muhammadu Buhari in a statement read on his behalf by the Director General of NACA, Dr Sani Aliyu.

    “Thus, we have committed to increased domestic resourcing of the AIDS response. In the light of this, the Government of Nigeria is committed to maintain the current 60,000 plus clients on life saving medicines and an additional 50,000 new clients per year,” President Buhari said. He announced that Nigeria had already put more than one million people living with HIV on treatment.

    Other important new commitments announced by President Buhari included working with partners to conduct a national population-based HIV survey to gather new evidence to guide Nigeria’s response, a plan to establish a private-sector funded AIDS Trust Fund as well as securing of HIV funding commitments from the States. President Buhari also expressed commitment to offering an enabling environment for the local manufacture of antiretroviral drugs in support of Nigeria’s policy to immediately put any person who tests positive for HIV on treatment.

    While Matthias Adamu, an activist for HIV-positive persons describes the development as part of a much-needed change that Nigeria had been waiting for, Charles-Martin Jjuuko, a Communications and Global Outreach Officer at UNAIDS in Abuja emphatically asserts that such joy and the new ray of ray of hope is really justifiable when past and current circumstances are duly considered.

  • Court jails Ex-convict over motorcycle theft

    Court jails Ex-convict over motorcycle theft

    A Karmo Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on Friday sentenced a 34-year-old ex-convict, Friday Glory, to eighteen​ months imprisonment for being in possession of a stolen motorcycle.

    The convict, of no fixed address, was convicted on a two-count charge of possessing property reasonable suspected to be stolen and for being an incorrigible vagabond.

    Glory had pleaded guilty to the charge, saying he acted out of ignorance and urged the court to temper justice with mercy.

    He also promised to be of good behaviour and get a decent job.

    The judge, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, however, did not give the convict any option of fine and said the sentence was to serve as deterrent to other habitual offenders.

    The prosecutor, Florence Avhioboh, had earlier told the court that Glory was arrested on Sept. 23, trying to sell a Jincheng motorcycle to one Zaharadeen Abubakar of Karmo Panteka Junction.

    The convict was later taken to Karmo Police Station where he confessed that he stole the motorcycle from Kado village, Abuja.

    The prosecutor said that the offence was punishable under Sections 319 and 407 of the Penal Code.

  • Court jails student for wristwatch theft

    Court jails student for wristwatch theft

    A Grade 1 Area Court in Karu, Abuja, on Firday, sentenced a 23-year old student, Abdulrazak Yahaya, for stealing a Piaget wristwatch worth N100,000.

    The Presiding Judge, Mr Hassan Ishaq, found the convict, who hails from Maraba in Nasarawa state, guilty of the two-count charge of criminal breach of trust and theft, and sentenced him to seven months imprisonment.

    Ishaq however, gave the convict an option to pay N17, 000 as fine, as he pleaded guilty and begged for the court’s mercy.

    The magistrate ordered the recovered wristwatch be returned to the complainant.

    Earlier, the Prosecutor, Mr Mahmud Ismail’a, told the court that on Sept. 27, the complainant, one Alamin Garba of Karu, reported the case at Karu police station.

    He alleged that the complainant had accommodated the defendant in his apartment, having attended a birthday party and stayed out late in the night in Karu.

    Ismail’a told the court that as soon as the defendant left the complainant’s apartment in the morning, he discovered that his luxury Piaget wristwatch purchased for N100, 000, was missing.

    He said the complainant immediately reported the matter at the police station, whose operatives promptly arrested the defendant in his home and found in his possession, the stolen wristwatch.

    The prosecutor, who said the offences contravened Sections 312 and 287 of the Penal code, added that the recovered wristwatch was in police custody.

  • States seek take over of Federal roads

    States seek take over of Federal roads

    To revive the near total collapse of most federal roads across the country, states governors on Thursday urged the Federal Government to hand over such roads to them.

    This was one of the major resolutions adopted by the National Economic Council (NEC), chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    NEC comprises of the Governors of the 36 states of the Federation, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and some Ministers.

    Council members expressed concern over issues of roads construction, damage and maintenance and suggested that the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing should come up with strategies to regulate the weight of heavy duty vehicles plying the roads as this may be responsible for road damage and collapse.

    Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, while briefing State House correspondents after the NEC meeting said the Governors were disturbed by the state of the roads and urged the federal government to hand over the roads for repairs.

    He noted that already discussions were on amongst the states to collaborate with investors and fix the roads on Public private partnerships arrangement which will allow states toll such roads to recover funds expended on them.

    He said “We are highly concerned about the failure of our roads, even after fixing the roads, they would collapse with six months and we identified that the over loading is one of the major factor because in road design you take an axial load.

    “Most of the time you don’t use an axial load of more than 35 tonnes but we have noticed that a lot of our trucks carrying majorly fuel do 45,60,70 tonnes and that’s a major concern to state governors and we said that the minister for works and housing should come up with a strategy to regulate the weight of heavy trucks plying the roads which have been fingered as the root causes of road collapse.

    “The state governors are very much concerned about these failures, its being agitating our minds and we are thinking about strategies and we are soliciting that federal government give out some of the federal roads to states so that states can fix the roads through investors and toll the roads and we believe strongly that it will be more effective because the number of federal roads that is being handled by federal government there is no amount of budget that can fix it but if some of these roads are given out to state government and they maintain a handful of it and ofcourse the budgeted funds” he said

    Council therefore resolved that interested States could write to the President requesting approval for States to take over some of the Federal Roads to ensure proper and efficient maintenance.

    NEC also expressed willingness to take a wholistic approach on the issue of such roads across the country.

    He said “The Minister of Finance had earlier made a presentation on special accounts of the federation and gave us the closing balances.”

    It was revealed that Stabilization Account Balance as at 26 September 2017 stand at N4.354,300,295,64k

    Development of Natural Resources Account balance as at 26 Sept. stand at N84.693,588,214,54k, while Excess Crude Account balance as at 22nd of sept stand at $2,309,577,899.02

    “You know there was a gentleman agreement entered into between the Minister of Finance in the NEC and the 35 governors and Lagos is not participating and that is a programme we call budget support and the agreement was because of the down turn of economic challenges that endangers a number of states not being able to pay salaries”

    “So, we came to understanding that every month the total sharable revenue in the federation account any time it is less than N600billion then the Minister of Finance will give each state budget support, we concluded that in the last twelve months and that continued for the second year, states have done very well some states have been able to pay their accumulated salary debts and then also increase their commitment to infrastructure and generation of revenue”

    “From July that was not paid and in the month of August I think about seven states were paid because according to the minister other states did not comply with the set down rules, the most outstanding of that was the non remittance of virety from the states, so those seven states have been paid but more states have complied but we requested that those states that have complied should be paid.”

    “The good news is that in the month of September the shareable amount is N630billion so there would be no budget support for the states.” he said

  • FG, stakeholders begin review of agric sector performance

    FG, stakeholders begin review of agric sector performance

    The Federal Government ( FG ) has commenced the review of the performance and developments recorded in the agriculture sector between 2010 and 2016, in collaboration with some development partners.

    Chief Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, disclosed this at the Nigeria’s Agricultural Joint Sector Review in Abuja on Thursday.

    The minister said the review was to assess the progress made in policies implementation in the sector in line with the Malabo declaration.

    Ogbeh, represented by Mr Auwal Mai-Dabino, the Director, Planning and Policy Coordination in the ministry, noted that the assessment was geared toward highlighting the successes and challenges faced in the sector over the years, with a view to tackling them to sustain the current growth rate in the sector.

    According to him, the review will help to reposition the sector for better performance.

    The minister said the Federal Government ( FG ) had articulated 10 key areas to double productivity and improve access to export markets in line with the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan ( ERGP ).

    He listed some of the priorities given to agricultural projects to include comprehensive livestock development, input transformation, produce and commodity storage systems, expansion support project and nutrition among others.

    “This review will assist the government in setting sector policy and priorities, programming, budget preparation and execution, monitoring and evaluation.

    “This will help in sectoral planning process to achieve national goals and targets, assess how well state and non-state actors have implemented pledges and commitments for overall development of the sector,’’ he said.

    Assessing the performance, Prof. Olomola Aderibigbe from the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), emphasised the need to transform the agricultural marketing system.

    Aderibigbe, who said that poor market strategy was a major challenge in the agriculture sector, noted that agriculture experienced slow growth within the years under review.

    “As much as we put emphasis on boosting production and promoting export and investment in agriculture, we should not lose sight of the marketing aspect.

    “There is need for transformation in agricultural marketing, so that we can have better prosperity to share for the farmers.

    “Farmers find it difficult to sell their produce, to earn from their venture.

    “Nigeria has been lagging behind in the area of marketing and without market transformation, growth in the sector will not be sustained,’’ he said.

    Dr Kehinde Makinde, the Country Team Leader of the Alliance for Green a Green Revolution in Africa ( AGRA ), appealed to the government at all levels to create an enabling environment for businesses, especially industries to buy raw materials from farmers.

    Makinde commended the review process, adding that it would help the government make informed decisions that would promote the agriculture sector.

    AGRA, is one of the facilitators of the review and development partners of the programme.

    Chief Daniel Okafor, the Vice National Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria ( AFAN ), commended the Federal Government and other development partners for instituting the review.

    He said the review, which was the first of its kind, would help government fashion out ways of creating markets for farmers to sell their produce.

    “Nigeria’s population is growing and every stakeholder needs be involved to find ways of increasing food production.

    “Now that farmers are involved in the review, we will speak out on what we need to boost production,’’ he said.

    Mrs Nkiruka Nnaemego, the Founder of the Fresh and Young Brains Development Initiative, appealed to the Federal Government to support the youths in agriculture by providing agricultural land to young farmers.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Malabo declaration on agriculture was adopted at the 23rd Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in June 2014 during which AU Heads of State and Government.

    It is geared toward accelerating agricultural growth and transformation for shared prosperity and improved livelihood.

    The 2014 declaration was a formal commitment by AU Heads of States and Governments to provide effective leadership to achieve some specific goals by the year 2025.

  • Osinbajo endorses ACP endowment fund for growth

    Osinbajo endorses ACP endowment fund for growth

    The Vice-President, Prof.  Yemi Osinbajo, has endorsed the establishment an endowment fund for the African, Caribbean and Pacific ( ACP ) group.

    He described the initiative as timely to put members on the path of sustainable growth and development.

    The vice-president spoke in Abuja on Thursday when he received an ACP delegation, comprising its Chairman, Amb. Amadou Diop, the Secretary General, Dr Patrick Gomes, among others.

    “Setting up of an endowment fund like the one proposed will, in a way, guarantee an independent ACP.

    “Because if our development partners continue to give us the kind of support that they are giving now, they will definitely want to determine our course of development in the future,’’ he said.

    The vice-president pledged Nigeria’s unalloyed support for ACP, especially in its agenda on climate change and others, and urged member-nations to remain united in pursuit of the organisation’s objectives.

    “Nigeria remains firmly in support of the ACP because we have benefited so much from the organisation.

    “But I also want to emphasise the need for us to stay together.

    “The ACP has the potential to achieve a lot, especially in the focal areas of climate change, security and economic emancipation,’’ he said.

    Osinbajo, however, emphasised the need for the group to review existing international regulations as it strove to address challenges of terrorism and armed conflicts within ACP member-nations.

    He commended the leadership of ACP for the work done so far and promised to convey the group’s message to President Muhammadu Buhari.

    In separate remarks, Gomes and Diop commended the role played by Nigeria in advancing the cause of ACP  on the African continent and the world.

    They solicited Nigeria’s support in the actualisation of ACP objectives, especially in the establishment of the fund.

    “The key of Africa and the region is Nigeria hence the respect accorded the country by the ACP,’’ Gomes said.

    The vice-president also received Mohamed Al Oraby, a special envoy of Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa.

    The envoy who delivered a special letter from the Egyptian president, sought Nigeria’s support for Egypt’s candidate, Ms Moushira Khattab, in the November 2017 election for the Director-General of UNESCO.

  • Court remands man for alleged possession of cocaine

    Court remands man for alleged possession of cocaine

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday ordered the remand of a 32-year-old man, Ya’kau Audu, for alleged illegal possession of 2.7 grammes of cocaine.

    Audu, who was arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA ), is standing trial on a count charge, bordering on unlawful possession of cocaine.

    Counsel to NDLEA, Mr Mike Kassa, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Sept. 10 at Nyanya, Abuja.

    Kassa said the defendant was arrested on the same date by the police with 2.7 grammes of cocaine while driving a Honda Civic car.

    He said the offence contravened Section 19 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

    The defendant pleaded guilty to the one-count charge.

    Kassa, who urged the court to summarily convict the defendant having pleaded guilty, however, asked for a short adjournment to enable him present facts of the case.

    He also informed that the defendant was once convicted for one year imprisonment on Dec. 2, 2013 by Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for trafficking seven grammes of cocaine.

    Counsel to the defendant, Mr Victor Edeh, however pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, adding that the defendant had become remorseful and self-reformed.

    Edeh said the defendant did not waste the time of the court by pleading guilty and had been cooperating with the prosecution in its investigation.

    The judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, consequently ordered the remand of the defendant in prison and adjourned the case until Oct. 4, for review of facts of the case.

  • Man jailed for stealing fan

    Man jailed for stealing fan

    A Karmo Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on Tuesday sentenced a 23-year-old man, Abubakar Joseph, to four months imprisonment for stealing a standing fan.

    Joseph, of no fixed address, had pleaded guilty to a count charge of stealing, contrary to Section 287 of the Penal Code.

    The Judge, Abubakar Sadiq, in his judgment, said the defendant admitted committing the offence and the court had no option than to sentence him accordingly.

    He said that the punishment would serve as deterrent to other would be offenders.

    The Prosecutor, Florence Auhioboh, had told the court that one Garba Yusuf of Road 351, Gwarinpa Estate, Abuja, reported the matter at the Gwarinpa Police Station on Sept. 25.

    Auhioboh told the court that at about 11 p.m. the convict dishonestly and smartly trespassed into Yusuf’s compound through the fence.

    He said the convict stole Yusuf’s standing fan and his car engine fan worth N20,000, but he was apprehended with the items.

    She said during police investigation and interrogation, Joseph admitted committing the offence.