The Nation Newspaper

Tag: News Agency of Nigeria

  • Edo rainstorm victims seeks govt.’s assistance

    Victims of rainstorm disasters in Etsako East and Akoko Edo Local Government Areas of Edo have renewed their appeal to the government for assistance.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the rainstorms, which occurred on March 7 and April 1, left three people dead and ravaged about 150 residential buildings in the two local government areas.

    The victims, who spoke with NAN in Okpella on Thursday, said that the affected communities were still counting their losses after the natural disasters.

    One of them, Christopher Yakubu, said that the victims had yet to receive any assistance from the Federal Government or the state government.

    “Since the incident happened, we have yet to get any assistance from government. I am appealing to the relevant authorities to come to our aid, so as to cushion the effects of the rainstorm,’’ he said.

    Another victim, Muhammed Muhammed, said that the affected communities had been appealing to the government for assistance, adding, however, that they had yet to get any response from the government.

    He urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the state emergency management agency to assist the rainstorm victims with relief materials and other palliatives, so as to improve their living conditions.

    “The disaster came at a time when most of us are facing cash crunch.

    “We are appealing to NEMA and the state emergency agency to give succour to us in order to cushion the effects of the rainstorm,’’ he said.

    Esther Obanga, another victim, said that many government officials, who had visited the affected communities to ascertain the level of destruction, pledged assistance for the communities.

    She, however, expressed regret that the residents of the communities had yet to receive any assistance from the government.

    “Some government officials have visited the affected communities to ascertain the level of destruction, with a view to providing us with relief materials and shelter.

    “‘But as l speak to you now, we are yet to get anything from either the Federal Government or the Edo State Government,’’ she said.

     

  • Kaduna Fire Service records 80 fire outbreaks in three months

    The Director, Kaduna State Fire Service, Mr Paul Aboi, on Thursday said that 80 fire outbreaks were recorded between January and April in the state.

    Aboi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna that the incidents occurred mostly in markets and residential areas.

    According to him, 17 fire incidents occurred in January, 35 cases in February, 16 in March while April had 12.

    He said the fire service could not ascertain what triggered off the fire incidents, but attributed remote causes to negligence.

    Aboi appealed to the residents to desist from throwing stones at fire trucks and harassing fire men, as such attitude discourage other organizations from assisting the service during fire outbreaks.

    He said the inability of fire men to arrive on time at fire scene was not intentional, adding that speed bumps, traffic jam and distance to location of the fire incident were sometimes responsible.

    The director also advised residents to avoid acts that could cause fire outbreak at all time.

     

  • Man in court for theft of motor parts

    Olalekan Olatise, 32, aluminium fabricator, was on Thursday arraigned before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court for alleged vandalism and theft of motor parts valued N70, 000.

    The accused, who resides at No. 26, Bolaji Street, Sango-Ota, Ogun, is standing trial on a charge of stealing.

    The Prosecutor, Sgt. Donjor Perezi, told the court that the accused committed the offence on March 29, at about 2.00 p.m, at Sule Abubakar crescent, Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos.

    Perezi said the accused entered the compound of the complainant, Mr Ojo Babajide, vandalised and stole the side mirror of a Lexus car valued N20, 000, and the side mirror and crown of a Toyota corolla car valued N50, 000.

    He said the accused was apprehended by the security guards in the estate, who found the stolen items in his possession and handed him over to the police.

    He said the offence contravened section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 285 stipulates three-year jail term for convicted offenders.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs O.A. Layinka granted the accused N50, 000 bails with two sureties in like sum.

    She said the sureties should show evidence of payment of two years of tax to Lagos state government and adjourned the case till May 2, for mention.

  • Invest in girl-child education, educationist urges parents, guardians

    Invest in girl-child education, educationist urges parents, guardians

    Mrs Folake Sunday, an educationist, has advised parents and guardians to invest more in the girl-child education to ensure effective nation building.

    Sunday, the Proprietress of Excellent Nursery and Primary School, Tanke, Ilorin gave the advice during in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Thursday.

    She said the advice was necessary because girl-child education was important for the nation building and should not be taken with levity.

    The proprietress said that though acquiring knowledge was compulsory for both male and female, girl-child education should not neglected.

    “Girl-child education is as important as male-child education.

    ‘’Parents must ensure that their daughters are well educated and not to see their education as a waste of resources.

    “Female children also deserve western education and should not be used to hawk wares on the streets as believed by many African parents.

    ‘’It is necessary to teach female children morals and western education that will secure a better future for them,” she said.

    Sunday also called on parents not to tag their female children as men’s property who will soon be given out in marriage.

  • INEC flags-off CVR exercise in Lagos

    INEC flags-off CVR exercise in Lagos

    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially flagged-off the Continuous Voters’ Registration (CVR) exercise in Lagos State.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was held on Thursday in Lagos at the INEC office in Surulere Local Government Area.

    It marked the commencement of CVR exercise nationwide.

    Ogunmola, the Supervisory National Commissioner in charge of Ondo, Ogun and Lagos States, urged leaders of political parties to encourage and mobilise their supporters to register and collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    “This event represents an important milestone in INEC’s mandate to deliver free, fair and credible elections.

    “The primary aim of this event is to register eligible voters who have just matured into the voting age of 18 years and those who could not register previously.

    “This will afford them to participate in the forthcoming general elections,” he said.

    According to him, the aim is also to update voters’ register to reflect transfers and deaths in accordance with Section 10 of the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended.

    Ogunmola noted that the Act required the commission to update the voters’ register and make it available to every political party within 60 days after each year of registration.

    He added: “Uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) will be distributed to their owners at the registration centres.

    “The local government offices of the commission or any other suitable location designated by the state offices of the commission would be used.”

    Ogunmola said that the CVR exercise would be held in all the 774 local government areas of the federation Monday to Friday weekly, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., excluding public holidays.

    The supervisory INEC commissioner said eligible persons for the CVR must be citizens who have attained the age of 18 year on or before the registration day.

    He said that such person must be resident, working or originally from the local government area or registration ward covered by the registration centre.

    According to him, an eligible person must not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote under any law, rules or regulations in force in Nigeria.

    He said that those who could not register during the previous registration exercise were also eligible.

    Ogunmola said that an eligible person must present himself or herself to the CVR officers for registration and must be able to provide proof of identity, age and nationality, if requested.

    He said that the exercise would also take care of persons who had registered before but their names, photographs, finger prints were not captured.

    Ogunmola said such persons must provide their Temporary Voter Card (TVC).

    He added that the exercise would also address cases of those who had PVC or TVC but their names were not on the register of voters.

    “INEC acknowledges the issue of transfer of voters. Therefore, we want to encourage people that have moved to a different location to seize the opportunity that is being provided to transfer their registration.”

    The commissioner advised those who were already registered not to do so again as it was an offence to register more than once.

    According to him, to facilitate the successful conduct of the CVR, the commission has mobilised a team of four Registration Area Officers and a Distribution officer in the INEC LGA offices.

    He said that the Preliminary Register of Voters would be displayed for public scrutiny at registration centres by the end of every quarter before the printing of PVCs is commenced.

    Ogunmola said that TVCs would be issued to registrants at the point of registration, adding that PVCs of voters registered in the 1st quarter should be ready for collection in the 3rd quarter.

    According to him, the PVCs of voters registered in the 2nd quarter should be ready in the 4th quarter.

    He added that cases of lost or omitted PVCs and test of PVCs using Smart Card Reader (SCR) would be attended to.

    The commissioner said the exercise would be all year round and urged eligible voters to participate so as not to disenfranchise themselves.

     

  • NGO facilitates malaria prevention in 10,000 employees of ExxonMobil

    NGO facilitates malaria prevention in 10,000 employees of ExxonMobil

    Africare, an international NGO working in ExxonMobil host communities of Akwa Ibom and Rivers, says it has facilitated the prevention of malaria in 10, 000 employees of ExxonMobil.

    Dr Patrick Adah, the Africare Director, Malaria Programme, disclosed this on Thursday in Ibeno Council Area of Akwa Ibom during a medical outreach, organized to mark 2017 World Malaria Day.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the outreach was organized by Africare in collaboration with ExxonMobil, tagged, ‘Malaria Prevention in Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN)-supplier communities (MAPS-C).’

    Adah said that the 10,000 beneficiaries of the MAPS-C project were members of staff of over 295 contracting oil firms working for ExxonMobil in both Akwa Ibom and Rivers.

    He further said that the project, which started in 2015, had also benefitted 84, 000 individuals drawn from two oil bearing communities in the two states.

    Adah said the communities were; Eket and Ibeno in Akwa Ibom and Bonny and Ogu/Bolo in Rivers.

    He further said under Africare-ExxonMobil partnership, a new device for testing malaria in individuals, called Deki Reader, was introduced in the two states last year.

    Adah advised the citizens of the affected communities to sleep under the long lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) at night and also go for test before treating malaria.

    He warned them against taking malaria drugs on the slightest feeling of headache and fever, adding that they should always do test to confirm the presence of malaria parasites before treatment.

    Adah also advised the people to keep their environment clean to prevent breeding of mosquitoes responsible for transmission of the malaria parasites.

    Speaking on behalf of ExxonMobil, a pharmacist in the Medical and Occupational Health Department of the company, Mrs Enobong Etuknwa, thanked Africare for organizing the programme.

    Etuknwa noted that ExxonMobil had made significant progress in its workplace malaria control programme and had averted 2,000 cases of malaria.

    “No ExxonMobil employee has died of malaria since 2007. Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease,” she said.

    Etuknwa also said that ExxonMobil had so far committed $163 million to malaria control and elimination efforts so far between 2000 and 2017.

    She also said that since 2000, the company had supported the distribution of 14 million bed nets, administered anti-malarial treatment to four million persons and also trained 590, 000 health workers.

    “We believe that these investments are our responsibility as good citizens and are in our interest as a business with global footprint,” Etuknwa said.

    In his address, the Chairman, Ibeno Mkpanak village council, Chief Okon Mfon, also thanked Africare for bringing the outreach to his village to help reduce malaria prevalence in the area

    Mfon, however, appealed to Africare-ExxonMobil partnership to assist the community by providing equipment and personnel in its community health center.

    He further appealed to ExxonMobil to provide financial incentive to the members of staff of the health center, to motivate them for effective healthcare delivery.

    The one-day outreach is to demonstrate how Africare and ExxonMobil are playing their parts in responding to the question in this year’s slogan, “what is your role” in malaria prevention”?

    Experts demonstrated to the gathering at the occasion the correct use of long lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and counseled the people on malaria prevention, testing for malaria parasites and treatment.

  • Two security guards docked for stealing employer’s N3.5m bus

    Two security guards docked for stealing employer’s N3.5m bus

    Two security guards, Mohammed Alli and Cletus Imuzogbe, who allegedly stole their employer’s bus valued at N3.5million, were on Tuesday charged before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

    Alli, 38, and Imuzogbe, 68, are facing a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing.

    The prosecutor, Insp. Ezekiel Ayorinde, said that the accused committed the offences with some others still at large on April 9, at College Road, Ifako-Ijaiye, Agege, and Lagos.

    He said the accused stole the bus with Registration No. AKD 468X4, property of F.M Best Bargain Ltd. Supermarket.

    According to Ayorinde, the accused unlawfully damaged burglar proof to gain entrance into where the bus was parked.

    “They were, however, apprehended by the police after the complainant reported the matter,’’ he said.

    The offences contravened Sections 287, 308 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused may be jailed for three years if found guilty, according to the provisions of Section 287.

    Both accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The Magistrate, Mrs O. Awope, granted the accused bail in the sum of N500, 000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

    Awope adjourned the case till May 5 for mention

  • ‘1.4m PVCs yet to be collected in Lagos’

    ‘1.4m PVCs yet to be collected in Lagos’

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State says there are 1, 425, 282 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) yet to be collected in the state.

    The new Administrative Secretary of INEC in the state, Dr Mudashiru Mustapha disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    He spoke on the sideline of the commission’s Stakeholders’ Meeting with political parties on Tuesday.

    NAN reports that the event, which had no fewer than 20 state chairmen of different political parties in attendance, was organized by INEC to seek support for the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR).

    The CVR exercise, scheduled to be flagged-off by the commission on April 27 nationwide, will also provide avenue for people who were yet to collect their PVCs to do so.

    Mustapha said: “There are so many PVCs yet to be claimed by their owners in Lagos State. We want residents to go to INEC offices in each of the 20 Local Governments in the state.

    “We want to canvass for the support of leaders of political parties for mobilization of eligible residents for the forthcoming nationwide Continuous Voters Registration exercise.

    “The commission needs your understanding, support and cooperation to mobilize residents for this continuous voter’s registration, even though we have done the needful in awareness campaign.

    “There is no way we can achieve success without leaders of political parties, we want to solicit your support because you are closer to the people and live among them.

    “Voter card is the power people have to elect their representatives, they must be encouraged to come out en masse and get registered. Help us sensitize and mobilize the people.”

    Earlier, Mustapha assured the party representatives that the commission had put necessary measures to ensure a hitch free exercise.

    Mrs Seye Soriyan, the Head of Department, ICT/Voters’ Registry, also highlighted the eligibility and procedures for the fresh registration, transfer and distribution of PVCs.

    Soriyan said that the exercise would be from Monday to Friday every week between 9 a.m. and 3.p.m. at the INEC office in each of the 20 local government areas of the state.

    According to her, each of the local governments will have five Registration Area Officers who will register eligible residents and distribute PVCs ready for collection.

    Soriyan said eligible persons for registration include those who turned 18 years after the last exercise in 2015 and those who did not register before.

    She added that those who want to transfer their voting centers were also free to register during the exercise.

    Soriyan explained that those registered would be given temporary Voter Cards, before their PVCs became ready after six months.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that party leaders at the meeting had urged the commission to make the exercise less stressful by decentralizing it to the ward level.

    Political parties represented at the meeting include All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, Accord Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance, KOWA Party, Labor Party, and Young Democratic Party (YDP) among others.

     

  • Police arrest 11 kidnap suspects in Port Harcourt

    The Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) has arrested 11 kidnap suspects in Port Harcourt.

    The suspects include Anthony people, who is also known as “Urban Gorilla” and a suspected member of Niger Delta Avenger, a militant group in the Niger Delta.

    The Commander of the IRT, ACP Abba Kyari, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday.

    Kyari gave the names of the other suspects as Sahhed Adekunle (Black Devil), Hillary Wogu, 41, Ogbungbada Chima, 36, Chief Aghara Lobito, 31, Lucky Marako, 36 and Igbiki Sokari 38.

    Others were Dokubo Ipalibo, 28, Okwudili Pascal, 41, Candy Nwankwo, 30 and Tony.

    He said that People was well educated and was a staff of SAIPEM, a multinational oil servicing company, adding that he had worked in the company’s offices in Nigeria and Abu-Dabi, UAE.

    “Upon his arrest, Anthony people confessed to being a key member of the Niger Delta Avengers and the mastermind of the cold-blooded murder of one Saboma George, a militant commander, in 2009.

    “He also confessed to being the kingpin of a kidnap syndicate that was known for targeting medical doctors, pharmacists and other unsuspecting residents of Port Harcourt since 2015.

    He listed some of the victims of the kidnap gang to include Mr Onomake Monday, a pharmacist,
    Prof. Rosemund Osahogulu, a former Vice Chancellor and Mr Ignatuis Ajuru of University of Education, Port-Harcourt.

    “Exhibits recovered from the syndicate were one AK-47 rifle with bridge No. 4398, two SUV cars and a Volkswagen Golf car used for their operations,” he said

     

  • Kwara Govt. sets continental target for Falcons basketball team

    The Chief of Staff to Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara, Alhaji Abdulwahab Babatunde, has said that the government would support its basketball club, Kwara Falcons, to play in the continental championship next season.

    Babatunde told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Ilorin that the players must give their all in every one of their games.

    According to him, it will be good for the players and the state in general, if the team gets a continental ticket at the end of the season.

    Babatunde said that his recent romance with the Kwara Falcons was meant to support the team because of the governor’s love for sports.

    “We are giving serious support to all sportsmen and women in the state. We are also working out plans for the special basketball players too.

    “We are working on how to get them wheelchairs to play with and other equipment,” the governor’s aide said.

    Babatunde said that as part of the government’s target for a continental ticket, the Indoor Hall of the state’s stadium complex would be remodeled to international standard.