The Nation Newspaper

Tag: bans

  • Ebola scare: Anambra bans corpses from outside

    Ebola scare: Anambra bans corpses from outside

    •Six patients relocated from hospital housing suspicious corpse

    Corpses are henceforth barred from being taken into Anambra from outside the state,at least for now.

    This follows the scare triggered by the deposit of the corpse of a native of the state at the morgue of a private hospital at Nkwelle Ezunaka,in Oyi Local Government Area of the state.

    The man died in Liberia which,along with Guinea and Sierra Leone ,is waging a battle against an Ebola outbreak.

    The cause of the man’s death is yet unknown .

    The scare was partly on account of the death in Lagos last week  of a Liberian,Patrick Sawyer.

    Mr Sawyer died of the disease.

    Six patients  who were on admission in the Nkwelle Ezunaka hospital have been relocated to the  Umueri General Hospital in Anambra East Council Area.

    A  medical team  from the Federal Ministry of Health was being expected in the state yesterday  to investigate the cause of the man’s death.

    But as  a precaution,Governor  Willie Obiano yesterday ordered security agencies  in the state not to allow any corpse to be brought into the state from  outside.

    He said there was no confirmation yet that the man died of Ebola.

    The governor who addressed women  at the Women Development Centre ,Awka said only an investigation by experts could confirm the cause of the man’s death.

    Sources said security men yesterday prevented  relations of the deceased  from allegedly smuggling his corpse from the mortuary.

    It was also gathered that the six patients were removed from the hospital as a precaution.

  • CBN bans debtors with N250m NPL from accessing fresh loans

    CBN bans debtors with N250m NPL from accessing fresh loans

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has banned banks from lending to all debtors  of closed banks with non-performing loans (NPLs) of a maximum of N250 million from accessing new facilities in any deposit money banks.

    This was disclosed by the Managing Director, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) Umaru Ibrahim during the Bank Examiners’ Conference held in Lagos at the weekend.

    He said the decision followed a request from the corporation, adding that the lenders have been notified of this development while NDIC examiners are expected to ensure compliance. He said the names of the debtors will be populated through the CBN’s Credit Risk Management System and approved private sector credit bureau.

    Ibrahim said the implementation of risk-based supervision, has led to significant improvement in risk management practices such as macro prudential supervision, sustainable banking, International Financial Reporting Standards, Basel II /III and consolidated supervision have been substantially implemented in the bid to strengthen the system.

    The NDIC boss also said banking in Nigeria faces some surmountable challenges that have to be addressed to achieve seamless services.

    He said challenges of lending in Nigerian environment, corporate governance, impact of fixed income securities on financial positions of Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), technological innovations including mobile money have remained critical in providing banking services to the population.

    Ibrahim also said the conference theme: Sustaining a Safe and Sound Financial System through Effective Banking Supervision- is apt. He said there is need to focus on the challenges faced by examiners in appraising the affairs of the banks. He said the future of banking will be more complex in terms of product offerings using the latest form of Information Communication Technology (ICT) tools.

    He said that in NDIC, aside the above challenges, it continues to face challenges of debt recovery in terms of debt owed the closed banks, some of which remain unrecovered since 1994.

  • 2015: INEC bans parties, politicians from campaign

    2015: INEC bans parties, politicians from campaign

    Politicians were warned yesterday to pull the brake on campaigns for 2015.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) issued the ban, which is coming six months after a letter was written to all political parties in January.

    Politicians seem to have rejected INEC’s warning.

    Besides President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign posters for the 2015 election, there have been others and leaflets for Vice-President Namadi Sambo, Governors Sule Lamido/ Rotimi Amaechi ticket and Governor Babangida Aliyu. There are ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar branded 2015 shoes on the Internet.

    The story is the same for aspirants seeking to contest at the state level.

    Although some of these political figures and aspirants have disowned the posters, INEC believes they were testing the waters in defiance of the Electoral Act.

    In a statement, INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Kayode Robert Idowu, said violators of the Electoral Act would henceforth be arrested by security agencies.

    The statement said: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has observed that some politicians and registered political parties have begun unbridled campaign towards the forthcoming general election, thereby heating up the polity.

    “It is observed that campaign posters are being indiscriminately displayed, while electioneering broadcasts are being aired outside the statutory provision for campaigning towards elections into various elective offices.

    “This trend is unhealthy and portends ill for the political process. Indeed, it is a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.

    “The Commission hereby reminds all players of the provision of Section 99(1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (As Amended), which states as follows:

    “For the purpose of this Act, the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 90 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day.”

    “Political parties are advised to note that campaigning outside this provision is a violation of the law, and the Commission will not hesitate to apply appropriate sanctions against culprits as provided by relevant sections of the law.

    “Meanwhile, INEC calls on security agents to apprehend violators, whose activities in this regard pose a threat to public order.

    “The Commission enjoins all parties to play strictly by the rules, as part of a collective effort to ensure the success of the 2015 elections.”

    A source in INEC, who spoke in confidence, said: “When the commission was worried about the poster war in January, it wrote a letter to all political parties to call their members to order.

    “But INEC management has observed that these politicians have not relented, although they are clever to admit not being the brain behind such campaigns.

    “Heating up the system with 2015 campaign and posters amounts to lawlessness and unwillingness of these politicians to respect the rules of the game. We will not take kindly to it.”

  • Delta bans okada in Ethiope East

    The Delta State Government yesterday banned the use of motorcycles in Kokori and other parts of Ethiope East Local Government.

    Troops of the 3 Battalion of the Nigerian Army swooped on the area on Monday in a manhunt for one of the most notorious criminals in the Niger Delta.

    Kelvin, a notorious hoodlum, believed to be responsible for the death of over a dozen security operatives, including soldiers, police and prison wardens, is reportedly holed in a remote part of the area.

    Over 80 per cent of crimes around the area, which is the “headquarters” of kidnappers and robbers in the state, are traced to him.

    He was fingered for the daredevil attack on a convoy conveying prisoners, including kidnappers and robbery suspects, to court last month. Those freed included a suspect said to be his close friend.

    At the time of this report yesterday, uneasy calm pervaded the community as soldiers continued to patrol the streets and suburbs around the hitherto sleepy town.

    It was gathered that the ban on Okada, announced by the Secretary to the State Government, Ovouzorie Macaulay, was part of measures aimed at reducing the criminal’s mobility and bring the search to a quick end.

    Addressing reporters after a security council meeting in Warri yesterday evening, the SSG said: “One of the real outcome of today’s meeting is the fact that the security council has decided to place a ban on Okada in Kokori town.

    “Any Okada riding in Kokori is banned with immediate effect.

    “In other words, from this moment onwards, no Okada of whatever type commercially is allowed in Kokori. Seven days from now in every part of Ethiope East Okada will not be allowed.

    “In other words, whether in Kokori, Isiokolo, Okpara, Abraka, Eku, all use of Okada remain banned.

    “But the other villages and towns have seven days grace from today. By next Wednesday, Okada remains banned in the whole of Ethiope East. But with effect from this moment, Okada is banned in Kokori Town.”