The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Friday

  • Friday, Monday are public holidays for Easter

    Friday, Monday are public holidays for Easter

    THE Federal Government has declared Friday and Monday as public holidays to mark this year’s Good Friday and Easter Monday celebrations.

    The Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government.

    In a statement by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Abubakar Magaji, the minister enjoined all Christians and Nigerians to extend the spiritual benefits of Easter celebrations, which are love, peace, justice and kindness to their daily living.

    Wishing Nigerians happy celebrations, the minister urged them to use the occasion to pray for the country’s peace and unity.

  • Social Media Awards holds in Lagos Friday

    Social Media players across Africa will converge on Lagos between Friday and on Saturday for the annual Social Media Awards Africa initiative sponsored by Sterling Bank Plc.

    This between according to a statement, follows the closure of the voting window for the continent-wide initiative on social media development, #SMAA2015 across Africa last December. With a Summit scheduled for Friday, the Award presentation follows the next day.

    The event will bring together social media influencers; experts, enthusiasts and policy makers that would explore and forge new developmental paths for Africa. SMAA is a premier continental initiative, which seeks to recognise and reward creativity, excellence and impact in the usage of social media across Africa.

    The voting phase, which is part of the process led to the emergence of 45 Finalists for the four Categories. A total of 923 nominations were received. They are: Personality Based (468), Platform Specific (266), Institutional (115) and INDIGENOUS (74). Also, during the window period, over 5.5 Million Connections, at least 821,886 Retweets and 29 Million accounts were reached through all 22 social media platforms where the messages were promoted.

    Each winner will take home a cash prize of US$1,000 and a SMAA Plaque. Other benefits include: Social Media training, access to memberships and attendance of Social Media events, publications on Social Media and complimentary advertising on Social Media Africa portal.

  • Nembe City storm Maiduguri by air Friday

    Nembe City storm Maiduguri by air Friday

    Players and officials of Nembe City will travel to Maiduguri for their Week 25 Globacom Premier League match against El-Kanemi Warriors by air on Friday, club officials have said.

    The club’s president, Victor Baribote, who disclosed this to SportingLife, said the team will travel aboard Arik Air from Abuja to Maiduguri on Friday.

    Baribote said the club’s management on Monday paid for the team’s ticket to and fro Abuja.

    He added that the team would arrive in Abuja on Thursday from Yenagoa by road boarding a flight to Maiduguri for Saturday’s league match.

    The former Nigeria Premier League boss said the management took the decision to protect the players from suffering fatigue.

    “The management decided to fly the players to avoid fatigue. Their welfare is very important to us at the club. So this is part of the management’s programme for the team.

    “We hope they will reciprocate the gesture with a good result in Maiduguri,” Baribote said.

    Nembe defeated Nasarawa United 1-0 on Sunday to improve their position on the log.

    Jonathan Zikeye’s 44th minute goal from outside the 18-yard box gave the Yenagoa-based side all three points at stake in the match.

     

  • Thursday, Friday are holidays

    Thursday, Friday are holidays

    The Federal Government yesterday declared Thursday and Friday, as public holidays to mark the Eid-el-Fitri Salah celebration.

    Minister of Interior Comrade Abba Moro, who spoke on behalf of the Federal Government, enjoined Muslim faithful and Nigerians in general to extend the spiritual benefits of Ramadan, which are love, joy, peace to their daily living and through this, contribute to the development of the nation.

    Moro also advised Nigerians to seize the opportunity of the holiday to reflect on the imperative of peace in nation building.

    He wished all Nigerians a most rewarding and peaceful celebration.

     

  • Governors to elect chair Friday

    Governors to elect chair Friday

    The Nigeria Governors Forum(NGF) will on Friday elect a new chairman.

    The contest will be between the incumbent Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and either Governor Ibrahim Shema (Katsina) or Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State.

    The Presidency is to back either Shema or Yuguda.

    Pro and anti-Amaechi supporters are lobbying the Northern Governors Forum for support.

    As part of steps to form a united front for the poll, a meeting of the Northern Governors Forum will hold tomorrow in Abuja.

    A notice has been sent to all the 36 governors on the election, which will hold between Friday night and Saturday morning.

    A source said: “Although the tenure of Amaechi will end on May 29, 2013, the election has been slated for Friday.

    “All the parties have intensified lobbying of NGF members, especially those in the Northern Governors Forum with 19 votes.”

    The Director-General of the NGF, Mr. Asisana Okauru, said: “The governors are meeting on Friday and election is part of the agenda.The election is for Forum members.”

    As at press time, investigation confirmed that the two sides had intensified their lobbying.

    “In fact on Monday, the anti-Amaechi forces led by the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Chief Godswill Akpabio and Governor Gabriel Suswam met with the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Dr. Babangida Aliyu on why Amaechi should be eased out of office.

    “Soon after they left, those for Amaechi also had an audience with Aliyu . There is no doubt a serious jostle for Northern votes. This is the case because Southern governors have been highly polarised.”

    It was learnt that the Northern governors will meet on Thursday in Abuja to take a position on who to back.

    Another source said: “ The Northern governors will meet to weigh options and X-ray the candidates.”

    But a former Chairman eof the NGF, Senator Bukola Saraki has intervened to ensure that the poll does not divide the Forum which he put on solid footing.

     

    The notice of Friday’s meeting and its agenda was made available last night by the secretariat of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF).

    Director General of the NGF, Asisama Okauru, announced the notice of the sixth meeting of the NGF in 2013 saying:

    “The chairman Rt. Hon, Rotimi C. Amaechi has requested for a meeting of all members as follows: Date: Friday24th May 2013.

    “Time: 400pm prompt, Venue: Rivers State Governors Lodge, Abuja. Address No. 5 Justice Mohammed Bello Street,

    “Agenda: 1, Election of forum officials: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Vacant Seats on the Board of Trustees NC1, NE1, NW2, SW 1, SE1

    “For members of the executive committee representing geopolitical zones (the chairman and vice chairman automatically represent their zones)

    “2. AOB

    “Notice of intent to run for these positions should kindly reach the secretariat before May 24, 2013. Thank you.”

     

  • Eagles get US visas Friday

    Eagles get US visas Friday

    MEMBERS of the home-based Eagles, including the team’s coaches and officials that appeared yesterday at the American Embassy in Abuja will get their visas on Friday, May 3rd, 2013.

    The players and officials, backed by the Nigeria Football Federation, submitted their International Passports and other documents to the US Consulate yesterday, “…and the process was very smooth”, SportingLife learnt.

    “Just like the German Embassy did, the US Embassy officials were fantastic. They were very accommodating. They treated us like kings and promptly attended to us. By the look of things, they have promised us that our visas would be ready on Friday this week”, a source close to the team told SportingLife yesterday.

    The Eagles had to process their American visas in Nigeria so that the transition from the United States of America, where they will play an International friendly match with Mexico, and then back to Germany their camp site for the 2014 World Cup qualifying matches and the FIFA Confederation, would be smooth.

  • Ekiti declares Friday work-free for Deputy Governor

    Ekiti declares Friday work-free for Deputy Governor

    The Ekiti State Government has declared Friday work-free. This is to honour the late Deputy Governor, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka, who will be buried on that day.

    Mrs. Olayinka died on April 6 at St. Nicholas Hospital in Lagos after a protracted battle with cancer.

    She was 52.

    The Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Tayo Ekundayo, told reporters yesterday that all government offices, including public schools, will be closed on Friday.

    The remains of the late Mrs. Olayinka may be interred at a location close to the Enterprise Bank in Fajuyi, Ado-Ekiti.

    Her body will arrive at Ado-Ekiti from Lagos on Wednesday for the funeral rites, which will last three days.

  • Osun to bury Eso on Friday

    All is set for the final rites of the late Justice Kayode Eso.

    The Osun State Government yesterday mapped out activities for his funeral.

    Chairman of the State Burial Committee Oguntola Toogun, who is the Assistant Chief of Staff to the Governor, said Eso, who died at 87, would be laid to rest at his Ilesa home town on Friday.

    Speaking with reporters in Osogbo, the state capital, Toogun said adequate security had been put in place to ensure a hitch-free ceremony.

    He said the state government was determined to give the late jurist a befitting funeral because of his Omoluwabi traits, which are worthy of emulation.

    Describing the late Eso as “courageous and fearless”, Toogun said he was known for his “brilliance and illuminating judgment” in the Judiciary.

    He said the deceased had to his credit many landmark judgments that stood him out as an exceptional jurist, thereby making him the only judge in the world that was invited twice by the United States Supreme Court for refresher programmes.

    Toogun noted the case of the Shagari vs Awolowo election judgment in 1979, where Eso’s was the only dissenting judgment, and the celebrated case of Prof. Wole Soyinka.

    On the funeral programme, Toogun said the Service of Songs would hold today at the Bodija International School.

    The Osun State Government will receive the body of the jurist tomorrow at Asejire, the border between Oyo and Osun states.

    The Christian wake will hold at the Anglican Church of the Risen Christ at Oke-Omi-Iru, Ilesa.

    A farewell oratory session in honour of the jurist will be held at the Governor’s Office in Osogbo.

    His remains will be laid to rest on Friday after a funeral service at the Cathedral Church of Holy Trinity, Omofe, Ilesa.

  • Eid-el-Kabir: FG declares Thursday, Friday public holidays

    Eid-el-Kabir: FG declares Thursday, Friday public holidays

    The Federal Government has declared Thursday and Friday as public holidays to mark the 2012 Eid el-kabir celebration.

    Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, who announced this in Abuja on Monday, called on Nigerians to imbibe and emulate the worthy tenets of Islam as practiced by the holy Prophet Mohammad.

    A statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Mrs. Daniel Nwaobia, quoted Moro as urging the citizens to pray for peace and prosperity of the nation.