The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria News

  • AfriBritish NGO holds Lagos retreat

    The African-British Diaspora Returnees Organisation had a retreat in Lagos on Tuesday to chart a course for the organisation to fit into objectives of the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs).

    The retreat which was coordinated by the deputy country manager, comrade Hassan Bode, was also a period to reflect on Nigeria at 59 and align with the agenda of the NGO, with headquarters in UK, towards making Nigeria a better place as well as for Nigerians in diaspora.

    According to the country manager, Demola Sanyaolu, the retreat was necessary to revamp the organisation for better performance after 10 years of operations.

    In attendance were team leads of Ogun (Adeola Adegbenro), Lagos (Olajide-Ojora Oloruntoyin) and Edo (Godwin Aghedo) amongst others.

    African British Diaspora Returnees Organisation has a three-pronged objective for migration, rehabilitation and women/children empowerment.

    The northern version of the retreat is billed to hold later in the month.

  • Alleged Sexual assault: Israeli court orders arrest of Australian school principal

    An Israeli court on Wednesday ordered a former Australian school principal, suspected of sexual assault, and who Australia is seeking to extradite, released from prison to house arrest.

    Implementation of the Jerusalem District Court’s decision was delayed until Friday to give the prosecution time to appeal.

    Australia has been pressing Israel to extradite Malka Leifer, who fled from Australia in 2008, with what Australian authorities believe was the assistance of the insular Adass Jewish community, after accusations against her surfaced.

    “The (court’s) decision strengthens our argument that the evidence is not there,’’ one of Leifer’s attorneys, Tal Gabai, said.

    Leifer is the former principal of Adass Israel School, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish girls’ school in Melbourne.

    She is wanted by Australian Police on 74 sexual assault charges, including rape, involving girls at the institution.

    The Israeli court ruled in 2016 that Leifer, who has denied the charges, was mentally unfit to face extradition and trial.

    She was re-arrested in 2018 after a police investigation raised questions about the state of her health and has been in prison in Israel awaiting an extradition ruling.

    Read Also: Ondo varsity decries sexual assault on student

    Yehuda Fried, another lawyer for Leifer, said he hoped that house arrest would lead to his client “returning to her home (in Israel) and receiving the medical care she deserves’’.

    In September, the district court, in considering extradition said more psychiatric evidence was needed before it could decide the issue and ordered a new panel of experts to assess Leifer’s mental condition and deliver a report in December.

    In August, Israeli Police recommended indicting Israel’s Deputy Health Minister on suspicion he tried to pressure court-appointed psychiatrists to support Leifer’s mental illness claims.

    It will be up to state prosecutors to decide whether to accept the police findings and charge the politician, Yaakov Litzman, who has denied any wrongdoing.

    (NAN)

  • Int’l day of older persons: charting a course for the elderly

    October 1st, every year is a time to raise awareness on the impact of an ageing population and the need to ensure people grow old with dignity and continue to live in the society as citizens with full right and style.

    In Africa like other parts of the world, the role played by older persons both to their families and the community where they live, cannot be over-emphasized.

    No wonder the United Nation set out a day (October 1) to celebrate the older persons while at the same time chart a course for their betterment in the society.

    In ensuring fairness and justice in all ages, the United Nations has developed a slogan of “Leaving No-One Behind” which necessitates the deep understanding that age matters for suitable and sustainable developments and that the population should be shaped into the key changes in the world.

    According to the UN, if our ambition is to “Build the Future We Want”, we must address the population of over 60 which is expected to reach 1.4 billion by 2030.

    The theme for this year International Day of Older Persons is The Journey to Age Equality.

    The 2019 theme is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10 and focuses on pathways of coping with existing and preventing future old-age inequality.

    Read More: Don urges govt to make provisions as older persons’ population rise

    SDG 10 sets to reduce inequality within and among countries and aims to “ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of the outcome,” including through measures to eliminate discrimination, and to “empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.”

    Often, disparities in old age reflect an accumulated disadvantage characterized by factors such as location, gender, socio‐economic status, health, income etc. Between 2015 and 2030, the number of people aged 60 and over is expected to increase from 901 million to 1.4 billion- In this regard, trends of ageing and economic inequality interact across generations and rapid population ageing, demographic and societal or structural changes alone can exacerbate older age inequalities, thereby limiting economic growth and social cohesion.

    The objectives of this year International Day of Older Persons are:

    To help draw attention to the existence of old age inequality, and how this often results from a accumulation of disadvantages throughout life -and highlight intergenerational risk of increased old-age inequality.

    To bring awareness of the urgency of coping with existing and preventing future old age inequality.

    To explore societal and structural changes in view of life course policies: life-long learning, proactive and adaptive labour policies, social protection and universal health coverage.

    To reflect on best practice, lessons and progress on the journey to ending older age inequality and changing negative narratives and stereotypes involving “older age”.

    In addition, this year celebration is expected to focus on the care sector as a contributor of decent work, lifelong learning, proactive and adaptive labour policies, universal health coverage and social protective measures for older people.

  • Court remands conductor for defiling, impregnating 14-year-old girl

    An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday ordered that a 22-year-old conductor, Dapo Amakwe, who allegedly defiled and impregnated a 14-year-old girl, be remanded in prison, pending the receipt of legal advice.

    The magistrate, Mrs B.O. Osunsanmi, did not take the plea of the defendant.

    Osunsanmi ordered the investigating police officer to send the case file to the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPPs) for legal advice and adjourned the case until Oct. 11 for mention.

    The defendant, who resides in Bariga area of Lagos state, is being tried for defilement.

    Earlier, Prosecutor Ezekiel Ayorinde had told the court that the defendant committed the offence on Nov. 23, 2018 in Bariga.

    He alleged that the defendant and one Kazeem Bello, now at large, conspired and had carnal knowledge of the teenager.

    “The girl went to buy something when the defendants accosted her, dragged her into an uncompleted building and they defiled her in turns.

    Read Also: ‘Bus driver defiled my two-year-old’

    “They threatened to kill her if she should expose them.

    “The teenager got pregnant as a result of the defilement and was delivered of a baby in August.

    “The defendant was arrested while his accomplice ran away,” the prosecutor said.

    According to the prosecutor, the offence violates Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 which prescribes life imprisonment for convicted offender.

    (NAN)

  • Lawmaker shot dead by suspected assassins in Delta

    A  councillor and Majority Leader of Sapele Local Government Legislative Arm, Delta state Chief Venture Kagbude, has been reportedly shot dead by suspected assassins.

    It was gathered that the tragic incident occurred at about 6 pm on Tuesday along the Sapele/Effurun/Warri Road.

    Chief Kagbude, was the Chairman of Okirighre community in Sapele council area, as well as the chairman of the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM), in the local government area, until his death.

    According to reports, the deceased was returning from Okuoke community located along the said road, where he had gone to inspect a house under construction for his mother.

    Unfortunately, the unknown gunmen waylaid and shot him dead.

    Director of the Asaba and Osubi International Airport, Austin Ayemidejor, while reacting to Kagbude’s death said, “it is sad news, a young man dreams to build a better society and is cut short by gunmen. He will surely be missed”.

    However, an undisclosed source related to the victim claimed that the late lawmaker was one of the frontiers against cultism and ritual activities in the area, adding that his demise must have resulted from his efforts, alongside the LGA chairman, “against cultism few months ago. I am sure his death must have come from there.”

    A senior police officer at the Sapele Police Area Command, name withheld, confirmed the development, stating that a search for the killers has commenced.

    But efforts to get official comments from the Delta State Police Command proved abortive, as repeated calls to the State Police Commissioner, Mr. Adeyinka Adeleke, mobile phone were not answered as at the time of filing this report.

  • BREAKING: Senate probes loss of $21bn to non-review of PSC Act

    The Senate on Wednesday directed its revenant committees to probe the loss of $21bIllion revenue accruable to the Federal Government due to the failure to amend the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) Act.

    This resolution followed a motion entitled: “Urgent need to review and recover additional revenue accruable to the government of the Federation from the Production Sharing Contracts pursuant to Section 16 of the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract Act CAP D3 LFN 2004 and amend the Extant Act.”

    The motion was sponsored by Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (Anambra South) and co-sponsored by 16 other senators.

    In his lead debate, Ubah urged the Senate to note that “as a result of the non-review and amendment of the PSC Act, the Federal Government has lost about US$21 billion (about N7trillion) over a period of 20 years due to the failure to review and amend the PSC Act as stated by the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources following the meeting of the Federal Executive Council on the 14th day of December, 2017.”

    Read Also: MTEF to be tabled before House of Reps on Thursday

    Senator Ubah’s prayer which is to: “Mandate the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources Upstream to investigate the reasons for the failure to review the salient provisions of the PSC Act, identify the best fiscal regime for the PSCs and review the provisions of the PSC Act to ensure that beyond the crude oil price of US$20, the share of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) in the additional revenue is adjusted in accordance with the provisions of the Act,” was unanimously adopted when it was put to voice vote by the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan.

    Details shortly…

     

     

  • BREAKING: Sokoto: Tribunal admits facts presented by APC’s Lead Counsel

    Tribunal says facts presented by Mr Alex Izion Lead Counsel to APC are in total conformity with as ruled by at the ongoing judgement.

     

    Details Shortly…

     

  • Suspected hoodlums kill LG majority leader in Delta

    Suspected hoodlums on Tuesday allegedly killed the Majority leader of Sapele Local Government Legislative Arm, Chief Venture Kagbude along the busy Warri/Sapele Road in Delta State.

    Kagbude who is also the Chairman of Okirighre Community in Sapele was allegedly returning to Sapele where he had gone to inspect a house he was building for his mother at Okuoke along Warri road, when he ran into the gunmen at Okwadede, close to the Sapele/Warri main road, at about 5pm.

    The Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Onome Onovwakpoyeya could not be reached for comments but a source at the Sapele Police Area Command confirmed the incident.

    Read Also: Insecurity: Nigerians in Diaspora deplore killings, back state police

     

    A young lady who is a family relation to the late Community Chairman said Kagbude was killed by suspected assassins, saying that it was painful that hoodlums have been having their way along the Sapele/Warri road with full comfort without interruption from security agents.

    She said the late Chairman had always led the battle with the local government Chairman against cultism few months ago, and that she is sure his death must have come from there.

  • BREAKING: MTEF to be tabled before House of Reps on Thursday

    Medium Term Expenditure Framework is to be tabled before House of Representatives for further deliberation on Thursday, Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has said.

    The Speaker made the announcement at the resume plenary of the House on Wednesday.

    He directed the House Committee on Finance to conclude work on the document by the end of work on Wednesday.

    Details Shortly…

  • Australian researchers develop computer game to diagnose mental illness

    Researchers from Australia’s peak scientific body developed a computer game capable of helping diagnose mental health disorders.

    The game, developed by the Data61 team at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) presents users with two choices and tracks their behaviour as they respond.

    That data was then analysed by artificial neural networks that are able to distinguish the nuanced differences between healthy players and those with bipolar disorder or depression.

    It was tested on 101 participants, 34 with depression, 33 with bipolar disorder and 34 without either.

    Amir Dezfouli, the neuroscientist who led the study, said it represented a possible step-change in the emerging field of computational psychiatry.

    Read Also: ’90 per cent of suicide cases have traces of mental illness’

    “Currently, 69 per cent of bipolar patients are initially misdiagnosed and around one-third of these patients might remain misdiagnosed for 10 years or more,’’ he said in a media release on Wednesday.

    “If we can understand how the brain works, we can develop more accurate processes for diagnosis and more effective treatments for people with mental health disorders.

    “Characterising mental health disorders in granular detail could allow clinicians to develop more personalised treatment plans based on an individual’s unique diagnosis.’’

    (Xinhua/NAN)