The Nation Newspaper

Tag: News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

  •  APC will not manipulate Ondo guber primary – chairman

     APC will not manipulate Ondo guber primary – chairman

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman in Ondo State, Chief Isaac Kekemeke, says the party will not manipulate the process of the Aug. 27 governorship primary in the state.

    Kekemeke told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Akure on Tuesday that the electoral process would be “free and fair.”

    NAN reports that 23 governorship aspirants will participate in the primary with over 3000 delegates.

    “As far as the forthcoming governorship primary in Ondo State is concerned, there is no basis for manipulation and there will be no imposition of candidate.

    “It is the delegates (voters) that will speak and whoever the delegates pick becomes the candidate of the party.

    “As the chairman of the party in Ondo State, I have no specific role to play in the conduct of the primary,’’ he said.

    The chairman said the primary would be conducted by the leadership of the party at the national level without bias.

    “I know that the leadership of our great party at the national level has put in place mechanism to ensure free and fair conduct of the governorship primary on Saturday, Aug. 27,’’ Kekemeke said.

    He described the current disaffection within the state chapter of the party as “family affair’’ that would be resolved within the family.

    He said that the party had commenced the process of reconciling aggrieved members to form a formidable party aimed at defeating the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state at the Nov. 26 Governorship Election.

    “We have started working as a team toward routing PDP out of power in Ondo State comes Nov. 26.

    “Although, we are not ruling out having moles amongst us, but APC as a party, has what it takes to deal with such situation,’’ the chairman said.

    Kekemeke assured the people of Ondo State that APC government in the state would complement the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to deliver on the dividends of democracy to the people.

  • Father remanded over sexual intercourse with daughter

    Father remanded over sexual intercourse with daughter

    A 56-year-old man, Abdullahi Zakari, who allegedly had sexual intercourse with his 18-year-old daughter, is to remain behind bars pending the perfection of his bail condition, a Lagos court has ruled.

    A Surulere Magistrates’ Court, which gave the order, said the man should be remanded in Ikoyi Prisons until the bail conditions were met.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Magistrate, Mrs. M.I. Dan-Oni, had admitted the accused to a bail of N500,000 with two responsible sureties in like sum.

    One of the sureties, she said, must be a blood relation of the accused and the other must be living in his own house.

    In addition, the magistrate said the sureties must show evidence of tax payment to Lagos State Government.

    Zakari, who lives at No.42, Gaskiya St., Ijora-Badia in Apapa area, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    But the prosecutor, Sgt. Anthonia Osayande told the court that the accused committed the offence at his apartment between February and August.

    “It is a shameful act that should not be condoned.

    “This is a serious offence and an abomination. The complainant said the father used to fondle her breast anytime she was in the room.

    “The accused had sex with the daughter against her wish,” she said.

    The offence contravened Section 258 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    The case was adjourned to Sept.19 for mention.

  • 200 Indonesians celebrate country’s Independence in Nigeria

    200 Indonesians celebrate country’s Independence in Nigeria

    The Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Harry Purwanto, on Monday announced that no fewer than 200 Indonesians in Nigeria recently joined their compatriots globally in celebrating their country’s 71st Independence anniversary.

    Purwanto told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that about 50 Indonesians participated in the celebration in Abuja, while about 150 converged in Lagos for the anniversary.

    The envoy said that the uniqueness of the celebration in Nigeria was that it had further strengthened ties between Indonesians and their Nigerian friends and business partners.

    “Because of our friendship and the importance of Nigeria and Nigerians to us, about 200 Indonesians living in Lagos and Abuja decided to celebrate our country’s 71st Independence anniversary in here.

    “Many of us did not want to travel to Indonesia for the celebration because we now see Nigeria as our second country.

    “The celebration of the anniversary in Lagos and Abuja has further fostered Nigeria and Indonesia people-to-people relationships as well as promoted our two countries bilateral relations,” he said.

    The ambassador said that there was a growing interest of more Indonesian investors and products manufacturers in coming to live and do business in Nigeria.

    He said that Indonesians currently living in Nigeria had expressed satisfaction with the peaceful co-existence they had continued to enjoy in Nigeria so far.

    Purwanto also said that cultural exchanges between Nigeria and Indonesia were gradually increasing through marriages, tourism, products exchanges and in other areas.

    He also said that more Nigerians were becoming interested in travelling to and doing business with Indonesian businessmen and manufacturers.

    “Let me say that Indonesians and Nigerians have a lot in common, and for those of us living here, we have continued to enjoy Nigerians’ hospitality.

    “Indonesians really like Nigeria and many more will in the near future want to come and invest and do business in Nigeria,’’ he said.

    Purwanto urged Nigerians to always see Indonesians in their communities as their friends, brothers and sisters, as well as business partners.

  • Finance Minister seeks Islamic Bank’s support

    Finance Minister seeks Islamic Bank’s support

    The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun has called on the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to support Nigeria in rebuilding the North Eastern part of the country ravaged by Boko Haram.

    She made the appeal on Monday in Abuja during the inauguration of the IDB Country Gateway office.

    Adeosun said that Nigeria was striving towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and would welcome the IDB’s support to achieve them.

    “I call on the IDB Group to work with development partners in operationalising the recovery and peace building assessment and implementation of the recently constituted June 2016 Buhari plan for the revitalisation of the North-East.

    “This entails addressing aspects of interventions relating to peace building, stability and social cohesion.

    “Also, to support critical productive infrastructure and service delivery and provide capacity building and programme management support in national, state and local government institutions.’’

    Adeosun enjoined the Bank to scale up its concessional resources and increase its overall financing to Nigeria and other African member countries.

    She said that the new office would further enhance focus on implementation and decentralisation of activities for speedy completion of projects and better impact of development intervention.

    The IDB president, Dr Ahmad Ali, said that the bank would give Nigeria its utmost support in alignment with the nation’s development priorities.

    He said that the nation’s exemplary leadership and drive for national development, through good governance and zero tolerance for corruption, was an inspiration to the group and other development partners.

    “This determination would go a long way in fast tracking the implementation of development programmes in Nigeria.

    “The IDB group considers the education sector and particularly bilingual education among its priority areas in Nigeria and a key tool to counter extremism,“ he said.

    Ali said that the bank would also focus on health, agriculture, infrastructure, small and medium enterprises and regional integration.

    He added that the establishment of the country gateway office would enable the group to be more service-centric and closer to the Nigerian clients in both public and private sectors.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the IDB is a multilateral development financing institution established in 1975 in Saudi Arabia and Nigeria became its 56th member country in 2005.

  • Nigeria equities shed 0.06%

    Nigeria equities shed 0.06%

    Transactions on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Thursday ended on a negative trend, reversing the three consecutive days upward growth of stocks.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the market indicators posted marginal loss, dropping by 0.06 per cent due to price loses achieved by some highly capitalised stocks.

    The All-Share Index lost 16.26 points or 0.06 to close lower at 27,420.99 points compared with 27,437.25 posted on Wednesday.

    Similarly, the market capitalisation which opened at N9.42 trillion shed N6 billion to close at N9.42 trillion.

    Guinness recorded the highest price loss to lead the losers’ pack with N3.51 loss to close at N89.99 per share.

    Total followed with N2 to close at N249 per share, while Mobil Oil dipped N1.73 to close at N167.94 per share.

    GT Bank dropped 30k to close at N24.70 and Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN) lost 20k to close at N5.81 per share.

    On the other hand, Lafarge Africa topped the gainers’ table with a gain of 70k to close at N56 per share.

    Zenith Bank followed with 30k to close at N15.30 and Stanbic IBTC appreciated by 15k to close at N14.1 per share.

    Eterna Oil grew by 12k to close at N2.62 and Africa Prudential increased by 9k to close at N2.61 per share.

    Further breakdown of market transactions indicated that United Bank for Africa was investors delight, exchanging 120.73 million shares worth N507.69 million.

    It was trailed by Diamond Bank which accounted for 36.84 million shares valued at N39.96 million and GT Bank with 36.76 million shares sold at N917.31 million.

    Access Bank came fourth with a total of 15.26 million shares valued at N81.71 million, while FBN Holdings traded 14.59 million shares worth N45.87 million.

    NAN also reports that the volume of shares traded closed higher by 5.31 per cent as investors bought and sold 313.28 million shares valued at N3.60 billion in 2,883 deals.

    This was in contrast with 297.48 million shares worth N2.29 billion achieved in 3,438 deals on Wednesday.

  • ASUU okays admission screening in universities

    ASUU okays admission screening in universities

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Friday said it was satisfied with the ongoing admission screening process in some universities across the country.

    The National President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, made the remark in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    NAN reports that following the scrapping of the post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) by the Federal Government, the universities came up with fresh measures to screen candidates for the 2016/2017 admission.

    Ogunyemi, who is also a lecturer at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun, said, “I want to say that so far, we are satisfied with the screening procedure.

    “We cannot be in all the institutions at a time, but reports reaching us and from our observations, the universities are on the right track.

    “You see, no dictation from outside the universities can stop the institutions from doing this screening.

    “It is part of the procedures spelt out by the Senate of the various universities for admission of candidates.

    “Government can only provide guidelines such as quota for the academically less-advantaged areas, but the issue of merit is strictly for the universities to determine.’’

    He urged the universities not to lose focus in ensuring that only qualified candidates were admitted into the respective programmes in the institutions.

    According to him, the screening will also raise the quality of undergraduates which will transform to quality graduates.

    The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, had recently announced the scrapping of post-UTME while declaring open a Combined Policy Meeting on admission into the tertiary institutions.

    Adamu said it was unnecessary to subject admission seekers to another round of examinations after the UTME which was conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

  • Boko Haram : NEMA re-unites 200 children with parents

    Boko Haram : NEMA re-unites 200 children with parents

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Friday said it had reunited more than 200 children with their parents affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

    Mr Sa’ad Bello, the Head of Operations, Adamawa and Taraba office of the agency, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola.

    Bello said that the successful re-unification was conducted with the collaboration of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) under Restoring Family Link Programme.

    He said that the children, mostly of between the age of five and 12, were from Bama and Baga in Borno.

    “Meanwhile, we still have about 165 unaccompanied children in four designated camps in Adamawa,” he said.

    The official said some families from Bama visited some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Yola where they identified their children.

    He said after intensive investigation by appropriate authorities concerned, the children were handed over to their parents.

    He said that the agency with the support of ICRC, was working hard, through appropriate channels, to identify the parents of the remaining unaccompanied children.

    NAN reports that family reunification during armed conflicts is a right under international law.

    The development is in line with the fourth Geneva Convention.

    The convention states that governments should facilitate the reunification of separated families according to the standards of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

  • FG bans PTAs from collecting levies in Unity colleges

    FG bans PTAs from collecting levies in Unity colleges

    The Federal Government has banned the collection of development levies by Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) in the 104 unity colleges across the country, the Federal Ministry of Education says.

    The ministry in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday said the ban, aimed at alleviating the sufferings of parents, would take effect immediately.

    The statement was signed by Mr Bem Goong, Deputy Director, Press, in the ministry.

    “No PTA of any unity college is allowed to initiate any development project in any of the unity colleges without the express or written authorisation of the Federal Ministry of Education.

    “The new measures are aimed at arresting the shocking trend where development levies imposed on parents by PTAs are becoming higher than the school fees charged by government which established the unity schools,’’ the ministry said.

    The ministry said that the Minister, Malam Adamu Adamu, had noted excessive PTA levies in Kings College, Lagos, and Federal Science and Technical College, Yaba, Lagos.

    It said that in the two schools, fees charged for JSS1 in the first term was N69, 400 while the PTA collection was N70, 000 at Kings and N74, 000 at Yaba.

    “This brings the total paid by parents in these two schools to N139, 400 and N143, 400 respectively.

    “With the reduction on development levies and ban on charges for new projects as well as pegging of the development levy to a maximum of N5, 000, parents of JSS1 in these two schools will now pay N88, 000.

    “I acknowledge the complementary roles played by parents and the support provided by the PTA to the colleges but I will not allow the PTAs to constitute themselves into a government within a government at the level of unity schools and at the expense of parents,’’ the ministry quoted Adamu as saying.

    It said that Adamu expressed concern that PTAs in unity colleges had formed themselves into national associations and said that running additional organisations, such as National Parents and Teachers Association of Federal Government Colleges (NAPTAFEGC), increased the burden on parents.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that NAPTAFEGC recently rejected an alleged 300 per cent increase in school fees of unity schools.

    Dr Gabriel Nnaji, National President of NAPTAFEGC, had told newsmen that the alleged increase from N20, 000 to N75, 000, was unacceptable to parents.

    He said that an average parent with more than a child in unity schools would not be able to afford the cost.

    However, Adamu on Tuesday denied knowledge of the increment in fees.

  • 21 LGAs to experience flooding in North – NEMA

    21 LGAs to experience flooding in North – NEMA

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), says about 21 Local Government Areas will be affected by flood in the North West zone.

    The North-West Zonal Coordinator, Musa Ilallah, made this known while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on Tuesday.

    The coordinator said that the agency has taken all a proactive measures to curtail the flood menace .in the zone.

    According to him, NEMA has reached out to relevant agencies in the affected states and within the zone to be on alert.

    He mentioned the Local Govenments to be affected in Kaduna as Kaduna North and South, Igabi, kubau, Soba Kajuru and Kachia While in Kano, Wudil, Warawa, Tudun Wada, Bebeji, Gwarzo, Dawakin Tofa, Kiru and Bagwai.

    Others are Katsina; Malumfashi, Funtua, Daura and Baure also Jigawa; Hadejia, Auyo,Kafin Hausa, Ringim, Taura and Jahun.

    He also disclosed that, the river basin cut-across Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and Katsina states, while river Hadejia cut across Jigawa, Kano and part of Bauchi.

    He urged the State governments to urgently embark on a massive sensitisation programme on the affected Communities to see the need of moving away from the prone areas.

    “On our part, NEMA and Executive Secretary of Hydrological Services Agency already carried out a Hausa programmes on radio in cognizance of targeting this communities that are likely to be affected.

    “The alert shows that if the rain continues as experienced in the last one week for the next four days, it is a signal that part of river Niger will be flooded.

    “And by implication a number of places will be affected with flood and going by the warning the experience of flood in 2012 will be a Child’s play this year while several states will be affected.

    “My concern is the north west, particularly Kaduna, Jigawa , Kano and Katsina states following the warnings by the Director General of the agency.

    “Though we are able to reach out to States Emergency Management Agencies to enable them alert the communities living along the river banks linked with river Niger.

    ”It was just two days ago Nigerian government received an alert from the Niger issuing a warning that all people living along the river banks should be evacuated.” he said.

    Illalah warned residents against indiscriminate dumping of refuse and building along water ways.

    He enjoined relevant authorities in the states to be up and doing to check flooding.

  • ‎Budget padding not possible without executive-Na’Abba

    ‎Budget padding not possible without executive-Na’Abba

    A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Ghali Na’Abba, has called for proper investigation of the role played by officials in the executive arm in the current budget padding controversy.

    Na’Abba made the call while answering questions from Energy Correspondents, at a workshop organised by Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) in Kano.

    He said it was impossible for the budget to be padded without the connivance of government officials.

    “This stealing of funds cannot be possible without active connivance with some members of the executive arm,” he said.

    On calls for the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara to resign, Na’Abba said that the call was “unwarranted” as there was no formal indictment of the speaker.

    “According to my understanding, where the issue being referred to as padding comes into play, is a situation where some members go behind and add items of expenditure to what has already been agreed upon.

    “For either stealing the funds or doing whatever they feel like doing with it.

    “So far, accusations are being traded amongst members of the house, but no investigation has been conducted.

    “On the call for the resignation of the Speaker, the question is, what has the Speaker done to warrant his resignation?”

    He called for full investigation to ascertain the level of involvement of members of the House mentioned in the allegation before calling on anyone to resign.

    “I expect that for 16 years of return to democracy, Nigerians would have understood the responsibilities of the National Assembly.

    “For some weeks now, there has been controversy over what is called padding.

    ‘As far as I am concerned, the National Assembly has the responsibility to pass the budget, approve it and allow the executive arm to execute it.”

    On whether padding constituted an offence, Na’Abba said, “It all depends on what angle you look at it, I just told you that the responsibility of appropriation belongs to the national assembly.

    “If padding is seen as an offence, then it is when some members of the national assembly decide to add items of expenditure through the back door after the bill has been passed by the two legislative arms.

    “It therefore behooves on Nigerians to decide who represent them in the national assembly.”

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 30 selected Journalists from the Kaduna Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) attended the three-day workshop, designed sharpen their skills in reporting the Oil and Gas sector.