The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Local Organising Committee

  • NSF 2020: Edo LOC strategises for impressive outing

    The Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 20th National Sports Festival (NSF), has said that Edo State is set for an impressive outing, even as the state’s team is geared to give other states a run for their money for top medals at the competition.

    Chairman, LOC sub-committee on Media and Communication for the 20th National Sports Festival (NSF), Mr. Anegbe Anthony Akiotu, disclosed this in a press briefing after the second meeting of the sub-committee, at Government House in Benin City.

    He said Edo State is hosting to win the 20th edition of the festival, noting, “Edo is determined and focused on winning 160 gold medals and we are ready to give our athletes the best exposure by way of preparation. Our athletes are going to be camped early enough and we are going to expose them to the best of facilities, weather and good feeding condition to enable us achieve the objective of winning a minimum of 160 gold medals.”

    Akiotu said all facilities to be used for the game are undergoing renovation and upgrade before the festival, adding, “For us as a state, we are not just hosting, but we are hosting to win in a clean and clear way. This festival is like the Olympics in Nigeria.

    Read Also: Edo’s roads of nightmare

    “We have extended the date for submission and entry of logo and mascot by two weeks. We have also charged professional musicians in Edo State to come up with a befitting song that will propel and motivate Nigerians for the game.”

    He assured that the state is also making plans to predict and forestall any hitches, noting, “I assure you that we are not going to ask for a postponement of the date for the festival. We are going to host one of the best festivals in the history of the game.”

    Mr. Akiotu said 33 sports will be featured at the 2020 National Sports Festival themed ‘Excellent Sportsmanship and Unity,’ to promote unity and discover talent.

    Chairman of Protocol, Mr. Henry Nzekwu, said the state will benefit from the massive infrastructural revamp, as the money being spent will impact on the economy of the state.

    The Chairman on Transportation, Mrs. Edugie Agbonlahor, said the meeting was held to harmonise all the work plans and budgets of the various sub-committees to enable an integrated approach towards achieving excellence in the festival.

     

     

  • ITTS: why we’re honouring tourism, aviation, FCT ministers, others

    THE Chairman, Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the International Tourism and Transport Summit (ITTS) billed to hold on 29 and 30 of this month in Abuja, Chief Abiodun Odusanwo, has given reasons for  the summit’s  organising committee’s decision  to honour some notable Nigerians with awards during the summit.

    He said the awardees had contributed to the development of tourism and transport in the country.  He said these Nigerians had brought leadership styles that had enhanced governance with positive impact on the people.

    Odusanwo, in a chat with the press, spoke on the awards: “We actually have different committees that handle different aspects of the summit. You know the summit is multi-sectoral. We drew individuals from these sectors-marine, aviation, road, railway, tourism and so on.

    “We picked those that are actually making impact on these sectors. They made suggestions in terms of nominations. For example, if you look into the case of Dr. Dakuku Peterside, he has made so much contribution in terms of what the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has been able to achieve.

    “They’ve trained many marine persons; they have done so much in the area of marine regulations. You will see that the volume of trade coming into Nigeria has actually increased. The same thing goes for the Managing Director of  Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Haji Hadiza Bala Usman.   She has reduced the congestions at the ports and the time items coming into Nigeria stay has been reduced. She has been able to work with other agencies to reduce congestions at the ports.”

    The head of the ITTS organizing committee also spoke of the achievements of the Minister State for Transport (Aviation), Alhaji Hadi Serika.

    He said: “He has also done so much. We had the case when Abuja airport was shut down. He gave us a time line of six months to complete the renovation and re-open it. The job was done within six months, even early. That is commendable.

    “We are  seeing his efforts to revive Nigeria Airways. It is during Serika’s time that the old Nigerian Airways staff were paid. The issue had been dragging on since two or three past regimes. These are some of the reasons we are honouring them. It is also a reflection of the leadership they are bringing  into their organization.

    “The committee also recommended the FCT minister, Malam Mohammed Bello. We have seen what he has been able to do in terms of leadership. We now have an improved rail system that helps transport mobility within the city. These people are operating with the same budget like the past. What has changed? It is their leadership style. It has made them to actually achieve more.

    “The same goes for  Mr. Kayode Opeifa; he has brought the excellence in leadership while in Lagos to his national assignment.”

    Odusanwo said this year’s summit would build on the success of last year. He complained that the general elections this year reduced the period the committee had to reach out.

    “The terrain this year is a bit challenging in the light of the elections that just took place. We didn’t have much time to communicate with stakeholders like we did last year, but because they were already aware of the summit because the summit really is a product of the National Council on Transportation held in Sokoto  which more or less mandated the Federal Ministry of Transportation and all other agencies to partner. This year we will  try and achieve as much as possible  taking into consideration our experience of last year,”he said.

    Others to be honoured include Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transport; Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture; Otunba Segun Runsewe, Director General, National Council of Arts and Culture (NCAA); Captain Mukhtar Usman, Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA); Muneer Bankole, Managing Director Medview Airlines; Captain Abdulsalami Mohammed, Rector, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology; Mr. Freeborm Okiria, Managing Director, Nigerian Railways Corporation,Mr. Wale Ojo-Lanre, Nigerian Tribune; Okorie Uguru, The Nation Newspapers and many others.

  • APC members seek to restrain INEC from accepting Katsina candidates’ list

    Two aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Katsina State – Garba Dankani and Muhammad Mainasara – have asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission from accepting list of candidates submitted by their party for the next general elections.

    Dankani said he was a governorship aspirant, while Mainasara aspired for the senatorial said.

    The plaintiffs in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1035/18 alleged that the APC in Katsina State, failed to conduct ward congresses

    They argued that the APC’s alleged failure to conduct ward congresses in the state’s 34 Local Government Areas implied that the party could not make valid nomination of candidates to INEC for the 2019 general elections in the state without first conducting valid congresses in the state.

    The plaintiffs relied on the  provisions of Section 85(3) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended), Articles 12(12)(ii), 12(15), 12(16), 13(10), 13(12)(ii) and (iii) and 20(i)(a) as well as 20(iv)(a)(b) and (d) of the Constitution of the APC, 2014 (as amended) and the Guidelines for the Conduct of Wards, Local Government Areas and States Congresses of APC, 2018.

    Dankani (the 1st plaintiff), in a supporting affidavit, said that on May 5, 2018, when the ward congresses were scheduled to hold  in the 34 Local Government Areas in the state, “neither members of the Ward and Local Government Committee nor person(s) purporting to be member(s) of any Local Organizing Committee was seen at any of the wards to conduct the congresses”.

    “The congress was therefore aborted and could not hold and no official of the 2nd defendant (INEC) attended the congress,” the deponent added.

    Dankani added that aspirants for various positions subsequently met “and in a resolution, reiterated the fact that congresses did not hold in all the wards comprised in all the local government areas of Katsina State”.

    “I also know as a fact that the 1st defendant (APC) could not validly hold local government area congresses and state congresses of the All Progressives Congresses in Katsina State without first holding valid ward congresses that would elect delegates and wards executives that would participate in the local government congresses and state congresses as required by our party constitution and the Guidelines for Wards, Local Government Areas and State Congresses, 2018.”

    Dankani claimed that even when the ward congresses did not hold, the Ward and Local Government Congress Committee “submitted a list of purported elected delegates and acclaimed members of the All Progressives, Katsina State to the 1st defendant (APC).

    The plaintiffs want the court to declare the local government and state congresses of the APC which held in Katsina State on May 12 and May 19, 2018 as null and void.

    They are also seeking an order restraining APC and INEC from recognising any person or group of individuals by whatsoever name called or described as elected, ward, local government or state executive committees’ members in Katsina State pending the conduct of valid congresses in the state.

    Read Also: ‘Abuja-based APC chieftains causing problem in Imo’

    The plaintiffs want the court to restrain both APC and INEC from recognising any person or group of individuals as elected delegates or members of electoral college of APC pending when the party valid ward, local government and state congresses in the state.

    Dankani and Mainasara want the court to compel the APC to organise congresses for the state to elect principal officers of the various levels of executive committees of the party in the state, and which INEC must attend, observe and supervise.

    The plaintiffs, sought “an order of injunction restraining the 2nd defendant (INEC) from accepting any aspirant nominated by the 1st defendant political party, as candidates in any election to be conducted by the 2nd defendant, in respect of elective offices in Katsina State, without the 1st defendant holding a prior election of members of its executive committees in that state…”

    When the case was called on Thursday, the plaintiffs were represented by Olu Olanipekun, while INEC (sued as the 2nd defendant) was represented by Umar Bukar. APC, listed as the 1st defendant) was not represented by a lawyer.

    Justice Folashade Giwa-Ogunbanjo adjourned to November 8 for hearing.

     

     

     

  • International humanities scholars storm UI

    International humanities scholars storm UI

    No fewer than 18 international scholars and 25 young doctoral participants in the field of humanities will storm the University of Ibadan for the first ever Humboldt Kolleg Conference to be held in the premier institution.

    The international conference which will attract participants from Tanzania, Zambia, Kenya, Nigeria, Togo and other African countries is entitled: “Of Texts, Spaces, Signs, and Symbols: Questing Corpora for Translational Research in the Humanities”, would hold at The Conference Centre of the University from Monday 19th to Thursday 22nd, February 2018.

    The conference is sponsored by the Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung Foundation, a German-based organization.

    Dignitaries expected at the opening include the Consul General, Federal Republic of Germany in Nigeria, Mr. Ingo Herbert (Special Guest of Honour), Prof. Sussane Gehrmann of Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany (key speaker), Emeritus Prof. Ayo Banjo (Chairman of occasion) and the Vice Chancellor, UI, Prof. Idowu Olayinka.

    The Convener of the conference, Prof. Aderemi Raji-Oyelade while speaking at a press conference to herald the said the main focus of the four days conference is to provide opportunity for career networking between established, renowned and accomplished scholars in the field of humanities with the young minds who are aspiring to make their parts and contribute to knowledge.

    According to Raji-Oyelade who was also a 2017 winner of the Humboldt Kolleg Award, many of the international scholars expected to deliver a paper at the conference are coming to Nigeria for the first time and would as such create the opportunity for young scholars to learn and even share their new ideas for improvement.

    Flanked by other members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), the former dean of the Faculties of Arts, explained that the conference will also among other things help to create a new culture of making Africans see themselves  as Africans, understand the similarities, codify same and seek ways of harnessing the potentials through the humanities.

    Noting that text, spaces, signs and symbols as adopted in the title of the conference, have shaped studies in the humanities over the years and as such define the international interrelations and activities.

    He warned that the way scholars are relegating the studies of humanities to the sciences may pose some danger for development in the coming years, noting that the time is ripe for scholars in the field of science to embrace the basis of all knowledge which is humanities if solutions must be proffered to the myriads of socio-economic challenges of the time.

    Speaking in same vein, the Chairman of the LOC of the conference, Dr. Adedoyin Aguoru said the young scholars at attending the conference will not only learn from the globally recognize scholars but would be allowed to express themselves during the workshop sessions so as to have a firsthand assessment of how they are going about their research and how to get globally acclaimed result. She emphasized that the opportunity of the rapport will also give room for better mentoring of the young scholars by the renowned international scholars.

    Other members of the LOC at the briefing include, Mr. Akin Tella, Dr. Senayon Olaoluwa, Dr. Charles Akinsete and Dr. Demola Idowu.

  • ITF fixes Sept 21 deadline for Governor’s Tennis Cup

    ITF fixes Sept 21 deadline for Governor’s Tennis Cup

    The International Tennis Federation, ITF, has fixed Thursday, 21 September as the deadline for players willing to participate in the pro circuit competition.

    This is in readiness for the 17th Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship scheduled for 6th-21st October, 2017 this year.

    This was contained in a notice published on the website of the ITF with other instructions on how the players could register for the two weeks event in Lagos, after payment of a $40 entry fee.

    The ITF also directed that Tuesday, 26 September will be the deadline for withdrawal of any player who is not willing to play in the competition after registration. The ITF said that the qualifying matches for the first leg (Fixtures 4) of the tournament will be played from 7th-8th October, while the Main Draws will be held from 9th-14th October at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan.

    For the second leg (Fixtures 5), a deadline of Thursday, 28 September has been fixed for registration, while the 3rd October date has also been fixed for withdrawal.  The second leg will end with the final matches and presentation of trophies on 21st October.

    However, Tournament Director, Prince Wale Oladunjoye has hinted that the $100,000 prize money championship is going to be bigger this year with lots of attractive packaging that will make the tournament more glamorous. He said the Local Organising Committee (LOC)  headed by Chief Pius Akinyelure in conjunction with the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) will leave nothing to chance to ensure that the 17th Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis lives up to its bidding.

    This year’s competition will likely attract more players across the world than the previous editions, going by the interest shown by the emerging world tennis players to visit Lagos. They are not only coming to win the dollar prize money; but they will play in the competition and pick points to enhance their rating in the world.

    The Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship has been a tournament staged every year to celebrate the sitting Executive Governor of Lagos State, one of the largest mega cities of the world.

    There has been no year without the Governor’s Cup being staged since the administration of Honourable Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.  The incumbent Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, since he assumed office, showed exceptional interest in seeing that the annual competition meets up its dates on the ITF calendar.

    “This year is not an exception,” said Prince Oladunjoye, who commended the Governor for the support and other friends of the Governor who have over the years showed their unflinching support for the Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis.

    “This competition started with Asiwaju Tinubu, whom we all know as a great leader. Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola succeeded in improving on this tournament and we are so happy that Governor Ambode, with his love for sports, has ensured that the Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis becomes a bigger tournament that will attract more players to the city of Lagos,” Oladunjoye said.