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Tag: cautions

  • Wada cautions APC over directive to lawmakers

    Kogi State Governor Idris Wada decried yesterday the call by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to its members in the National Assembly to block proposals by the Presidency.

    Wada called for caution among the political class, saying such directive could derail the fledgling democracy and obstruct national progress.

    The governor spoke in Isanlu, Yagba East Local Government through his deputy, Yomi Awoniyi, at the constituency briefing, organised by a member of the House of Assembly, Henry Ojuola, who is an APC member.

    The event, which was attended by APC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders, also witnessed the distribution of vehicles, sewing machines, refrigerators, farming and medical equipment donated by the lawmaker.

    Wada said: “This event becomes better appreciated against the directive by the National Executive Committee of the APC that its members in the National Assembly should block proposals by the Presidency.

    “There is need for circumspection in our politics. Opposition is not synonymous with warfare.

    “How do we explain a situation where the president is in Switzerland, marketing our country, while some people in the name of politics are advocating anarchy and painting a picture of disharmony and discord back home?”

    The governor praised Ojuola not only for the “enviable account” he has rendered of his stewardship “but for the enduring, empowering and transforming gestures he has demonstrated toward the people of his constituency.”

    “In the face of what is happening today, the lawmaker’s attitude should neither be taken for granted nor be assumed to be the norm. It is more of an exception in our political climate where opposition is far being equated with enmity,” he said.

     

  • NCAA cautions airline

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) yesterday cautioned an airline firm, Aero Contractors, to always comply with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCAR).

    In a letter to the airline, the NCAA said it viewed the poor handling of passengers on its Abuja-Calabar flight on November 8, last year, as a gross disregard to aviation rules.

    The letter, made available to aviation correspondents, was signed by Mr Pollie Okoronkwo, NCAA’s Secretary, on behalf of the Director-General, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu.

    The letter reads: “On November 8, 2013, our Consumer Protection Officers in Abuja reported a disruption of your flights.

    “Specifically, our investigation showed that you failed in exercising the duty of care owed to passengers in the event of delay or cancellation.

    “This failure is a violation of Part 19.4 and Part 19.5 of NCAR 2012.

    “Having taken into consideration the circumstances surrounding the incident, the corrective action taken by you as well as the mitigating factors regarding the matter; we hereby commit the legal enforcement action to a warning.

    “By this notice, you are seriously warned. This letter will be made a matter of records in accordance with extant law.

    “We expect strict compliance with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations and your Disruption Management Manual in future.”

    The NCAA also urged passengers to be patient and tolerant in the event of unavoidable delays or cancellations of flights in the interest of safety.

    It advised pilots to adhere strictly to specified weather minima, especially during the prevailing harmattan period.

    The statement said NCAA was committed to strict compliance to safety regulations in the interest of safe flight operations, adding that violations would be viewed seriously.

  • PDP crisis: Ex-aspirant cautions members

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains have been urged to close ranks to prevent the party they laboured in building from collapsing.

    Chief Ugochukwu Okeke-Enyioha, an aspirant in the just-concluded PDP governorship primaries in Anambra State, said this yesterday in a statement made available to The Nation in Onitsha. It was signed by his associate, Ugochukwu Adilieje, a lawyer.

    Okeke-Enyioha advised the party’s stakeholders to close ranks and work for its progress, to save it from collapsing.

    He enjoined the major players in the current dispute to put personal interests aside and work for the unity of the PDP.

    Said he: “We as party faithful must align ourselves and be loyal to President Goodluck Jonathan. We must support him to move this country to greater heights.”

    Okeke-Enyioha said the transformation agenda of the President should be allowed to run its full course, adding that he had transformed the aviation sector, power sector, agricultural sector, petroleum sector and educational sector.

    He lauded President Jonathan and the conveners of the 19th Nigeria Economic Summit for highlighting the importance of agriculture in developing the country.

    Okeke-Enyioha said if such measures as discussed in the summit are implemented in Anambra State, it will create employment opportunities and increase the nation’s agricultural output.

    He said Anambra needed a good candidate like himself to help transform its fortunes.

    Okeke-Enyioha urged the major gladiators in PDP in Anambra to come together for the betterment of the people.

  • NAFDAC cautions against intake of toxic substance

    THE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians about a toxic substance, Aflatoxins, found in maize, rice, groundnut, among others.

    The drug control agency, which has begun an awareness programme, in collaboration with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), said this became necessary in view of the dangers in the consumption of the fungus.

    The Director- General, NAFDAC, Dr. Paul

    Orhii, who was represented by the agency’s Director, Laboratory Services, Mrs. Stella Denloye, spoke in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, yesterday at a workshop organised by NAFDAC, IITA and other international organisations.

    He said the toxin could cause liver cancer.

    His words: “Records have shown that there are efforts all over the world, directed at the introduction of preventive strategies to reduce the risks associated with Aflatoxin contamination and toxicity, particularly the incidence of liver cancer.

    “Elimination of Aflatoxins after serious contamination has proved difficult if not impossible. Therefore, prevention and mitigation strategies would need to be the focus for reduction of their presence to acceptable levels.”

    The Deputy Director-General, Partnerships and Capacity, Dr Kenton Dashiell, said Aflatoxin is a major food poison problem in Nigeria, stressing that it cannot be seen or touched and causes liver cancer.

    He went on:” We are meeting here today to sensitise the public and give farmers solution to the fungus, especially people, who process and store grains. With this, it will reduce Aflatoxins in our food.”

  • Ex-Rangers defender cautions against rushing Emenike back

    Ex-Rangers defender cautions against rushing Emenike back

    Vincent Okpalaka, a former Rangers International FC of Enugu defender, has urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to allow Emmanuel Emenike to recover from injury before inviting him for duty.

    Okpalaka told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abakaliki that the striker should be allowed to regain full fitness before inviting him for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

    It would be recalled that Emenike sustained a hamstring injury during the Super Eagles’ 4-1 drubbing of the Stallions of Burkina Faso in the semi-final of the recently concluded 2013 AFCON.

    The player, however, said on Saturday that he was back to fitness and ready to resume training with his club Locomotive Moscow of Russia.

    “Inviting him to play for the Super Eagles now, especially against Kenya in a World Cup Qualifier on March 23, would pile intense pressure on him which might be counter-productive.

    “He should at least be allowed to concentrate on club duties for at least two months to enable him get fully prepared to withstand the rigours of international football,’’ he said.

    The former Rangers defender urged the NFF to emulate the Ghana FA that decided to allow two of its key players more time with their club sides in order to be fit.

    “Ghana conceded to Michael Essien and Sulley Mundari’s requests, to be allowed to concentrate on club duties, to regain full fitness after recovering from injuries.

    “Their subsequent exclusion from the AFCON 2013 squad, made them to regain their places in their respective clubs thereby placing them in a good stead for future invitations,’’ Okpalaka said.

    He advised Coach Stephen Keshi to use the opportunity to test some new players to also come and prove their mettle.

    “Instead of rushing Emenike back to national team duties, players like Kalu Uche and Obafemi Martins, should be invited. Such invitation would bring out the desired competitiveness from the players and ensure optimum result for the team,” he said.

    Okpalaka, however, warned Keshi not to invite players such as Shola Ameobi and Danny Shittu, who shunned the team’s invitation for the Nations Cup. Inviting both players now would dampen the morale of players who had displayed unbridled patriotism to national team cause. Such an act can affect the current harmony being experienced in the team,” he said.

  • FOREIGN CONTRACTS KESHI CAUTIONS HOME-BASED EAGLES

    FOREIGN CONTRACTS KESHI CAUTIONS HOME-BASED EAGLES

    HOME-BASED players featuring at the Africa Cup of Nations currently going on in South Africa for Nigeria have been told not to rush into signing foreign contracts that could end up jeopardizing their careers.

    Instead they have been warned to concentrate on the tournament to make sure they give their best.

    SportingLife gathered from a competent source that this is the advice of Chief Coach Stephen Keshi to the the players all first timers.

    The coach has been drumming it in the ears of the players even before they arrived at the Rainbow city last Thursday.

    “He has to do because it is possible that some of these players maybe nursing such thoughts of just signing any contract that comes their way. Most of them you would

    agree rush into signing without reading through the details of the papers carefully and at the en become slaves,” said the source.

    Our source also informed that Keshi is so worried with the way Africa players sell themselves cheaply to foreign clubs due to the desperation to play abroad.

    “It is an insult when national players go for trials particularly the locally based players. Clubs sign you when you do well at tournaments. That is why the coach has told them to use this opportunity very well,” he said.

    “I was part of the meeting where Keshi told the players that this is the theatre to shine because the whole world is watching. But they need to be focused and patient,” said the source.

    Several Nigeria players have been victims of signing contracts that lead to slavery.

    A very prominent case was Golden Eaglets attacker Phillipn Osondu after the 1997 Under-17 World Cup.

    In his time Keshi led an exodus of Africa players to play their trade in Europe.

  • Ogun cautions two community leaders

    The Ogun State Government yesterday restrained two community leaders, Chief Aliu Malomo and Alhaji Alani Darafunjo, from parading themselves as the Baale of Idi-Emi, Abeokuta North Local Government Area .

    Malomo and Darafunjo have been entangled in a rivalry over who would become the next traditional head of the community.

    It was gathered that the prescribing authority, the Omola of Imala Kingdom; Oba Adegboyega Olabode, was favourably disposed to one of them, but the community does not agree with his choice.

    Yesterday, the state government, through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, waded into the matter.

    It suspended the two contestants after a peace meeting with stakeholders.

    It also constituted a seven-man Ruling Committee to take over the administration of the community, pending lasting solution to the crisis.

  • Lawal cautions on Eagles’ list

    Lawal cautions on Eagles’ list

    Former Nigeria international Garba Lawal has cautioned Nigerians on the lists of players that were invited by Stephen Keshi for the team’s camping in Portugal ahead of the 2013 Nations Cup.

    Reactions have trailed Keshi’s provisional list which does not have space for the likes of West Brom’s Peter Odemwingie, Levante’s Obafemi Martins and Dynamo Kiev’s Taye Taiwo whom many believes should be part of the list due to the form they have shown in their clubs but Lawal disagreed: “We are not the coach; our thinking is different. We have to wait and see the team in South Africa. We have to pray for their success because the success of the team will be that of all Nigerians.

    “The argument will always be there because everybody can’t have the same list. It is Keshi’s list and he is in charge of the team. He said he needed players that will show much commitment; maybe he is in doubt of their commitments or maybe the other players are showing bigger commitment and that is why he is settling for them.”

    Lawal, who won bronze with Nigeria in Mali 2002, however admitted that the dropped trio mentioned are doing well for their teams and it was rather unfortunate that the coach did not consider them in his plans.

  • Legislator cautions agencies on death penalty

    Legislator cautions agencies on death penalty

    The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary, Dr Ali Ahmad has cautioned international agencies from meddling into the affairs of Nigeria concerning its death penalty law.

    Ahmad therefore threw his weight behind the Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s recent approval of the execution of two condemned prisoners in the state.

    He asked the international agencies opposed to the decision to allow Nigeria implement its law “since death penalty is still part of Nigeria’s legal document.”

    The lawmaker told reporters in Ilorin, Kwara State shortly after donating a transformer and electrical poles worth about N5 million to Duma community, Oja-gboro, Ilorin and a block of three classrooms to Isale-Asa LGEA Primary School, Ilorin.

    He added that the position of the House of Representatives on the controversial issue is that, “Edo Governor was right to sign the execution of the two condemned prisoners”.

    Ruling out arbitrariness in the decision of the Edo State governor, Ahmad noted that the same governor had granted two condemned prisoners amnesty and commuted the sentence of one other into life jail, adding that, “two others whose execution order is causing ripples were said to have committed grievous offence which precludes them from governor’s leniency”.

    He added: “The position of the House is that death penalty is still part of our law in Nigeria and anybody that is saying that death penalty should not be carried out is saying that the law of the country should not be implemented. So, on that core, I disagree with them.

    “On a personal note as a lawyer, let me put a caveat that for now, I support death penalty in principle, because those who oppose it do so in principle. What they say is that death penalty is an inhuman punishment but we disagree with them.”

    “I think the problem is that they take hook, line and sinker whatever comes to them through the West just like the same-sex marriage; they want to push it through our throat and say that we should legislate and legalize same-sex marriage because it is there in America or whatever country,” he further said.

  • Akungba mayhem: NANS cautions Mimiko

    Akungba mayhem: NANS cautions Mimiko

    ReactionS continue to trail last Wednesday crisis among Labour Party (LP) supporters in Akungba Town of Ondo State. Two youths allegedly lost their lives in the fracas that followed a visit to the town by Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

    The latest comment on the matter came from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Zone D. The studdent body while decrying the incident, called on the governor of the state to be careful with the way he carries out his electioneering campaign.

    In a statement signed by Olufemi Metufo, the Director of Publicity for Zone D NANS, the organisation condemned any type of political campaign that will lead youths to attack one another for whatever reason.

    The student body said it is more worrisome because report had it that the youngsters were fighting over a large sum of money allegedly doled out to them by Mimiko after his campaign speeches.

    “For us at NANS Zone D, it is no longer comfortable to fold our arms while some politicians plan to burn down the region. The incident that happened in Akungba on Wednesday is indeed a sad commentary of the relationship between politicians and youths.

    We wonder what mannner of campaign should lead to youth to attack one another with dangerous weapons. When you consider the information that the crisis was over a large sum of money doled out to these youths by the governor after his speech, then it becomes more worrisome.

    The incident is a confirmation of our earlier position that the government in Ondo State is not youth friendly. A government that has refused to empower the young ones now give them money to act as political thugs. It is a shame and we want it to stop,” Metufo said.

    NANS also told Governor Mimiko to ensure that such incidents do not happen during his campaign again.

    “Be that as it may, it is our position that the governor of Ondo should henceforth prevent the killing and maiming of youths in the name of election campaigns. We refuse to sit down and watch lives being wasted by politicians,” the statment said.

    Metufo said the association will not shy away from the need to take action against the governor and his party in the event of any other bloody occurence anywhere in the state.

    “In the event of any other bloody occurence at Mimiko’s campaign location anywhere in the state, NANS will not hesitate to take necessary and immediate action against the governor and his party,” he said.