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Tag: Nigeria News

  • NUT seeks better package for primary schools

    NUT seeks better package for primary schools

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers ( NUT ), Lagos chapter, has called the State Government to address primary schools and improve the welfare of their teachers.

    Mr Adeshina Adedoyin, the state Deputy Chairman of the union, made the appeal in an interview on Monday in Lagos.

    Adedoyin noted that primary school infrastructure needed uplift, while teachers had not benefitted from the government especially in the area of promotion.

    He said though the state government had been informed about the development and had in turn promised to address the situation, an urgent solution was needed.

    Read also: NUT begins strike over teachers’ sack in Kaduna

    According to him, delay in the implementation of the welfare with reference to promotion will affect so many things.

    “As schools resume in this new year, it is important that primary education be considered especially the welfare of teachers and in the scheme of things.

    “It is because it could boost the morale of the teachers if they are given the same treatment as their counter parts in secondary schools.

    “I know that the state government have being workers friendly and would do the needful to address the situation,” the unionist said.

    However, he appreciated the state government for the 30 per cent bonus that was given to workers during the yuletide.

    The labour leader also urged teachers to put in their best to appreciate the effort of the government which pays salaries as at when due.

    “Members should do more to complement the effort of the government; all hands should be on deck.

    “Lagos state government have maintained a good name generally and I know that the good name will not be dragged into the mud.

    “Teachers should not bask in the euphoria of the improved annual performance impression of students but do more so as to sustain it,” he said.

    Besides, the unionist urged government to ensure that schools prone to security threat especially the boarding houses were secured with community policing and para-military.

    NAN

  • 2nd quarter GDP ranked most uploaded report in 2017 – NBS

    2nd quarter GDP ranked most uploaded report in 2017 – NBS

    Dr Yemi Kale, the Chief Executive Officer of National Bureau of Statistics ( NBS ) said the Second Quarter 2017 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Report was one of the most uploaded reports in 2017.

    Kale, the Statistician – General of the Federation said this in his 2018 message posted on the bureau’s website.

    He said the report was followed by the National Survey on Corruption Perception, each with more than 5000 uploads within 120 days of their release.

    “My personal engagement with a vastly diverse sample of our clients convinces me of the growing appreciation for Nigeria’s official statistics. Yet, we can and must do better,’’ he said.

    Kale said with the country’s emergence from economic recession in the second quarter, came greater demand for data by policymakers and business leaders seeking to identify how to sustain the recovery.

    “Also to sustain the implementation of policies, prioritise programmes and ensure that the Nigerian economy gets on a more sustainable path of inclusive growth.

    “Concerned citizens, eager to witness immediate changes in their socio-economic circumstances, also paid closer attention to statistical reports,’’ he said.

    The statistician-general said 2017 witnessed a considerable uptick in activities of NBS, driven in large part by an ever-growing demand for more and better data by governments, businesses and citizens.

    “As 2018 beckons, it is clear that we are unlikely to see a slowdown in such demand, and I am pleased to affirm that NBS is ready, willing and able to rise to the occasion again this year.

    Read also: NBS to release 179 reports on economy

    “No doubt, 2017 was a remarkable year. A total of 198 reports were released, an increase of 85 per cent over 2016,’’ he said.

    According to him, NBS is committed to surpassing these milestones in 2018, as seen in its revised data release calendar, 189 reports are already planned.

    “As usual, they will be accompanied by clear, informative infographic materials, and disseminated widely across all our social media platforms.

    “We remain committed to quality improvement across all our service delivery channels, in order to continually justify our multiple awards in 2017.

    “As ever, the bureau will remain steadfast in guarding its professional and operational independence granted by the Statistics Act (2007), especially as the political climate builds up.’’

    The statistician-general said that efforts would be made to provide adequate explanations and context for data releases, and prioritise statistical advocacy efforts to limit the misuse of data.

    Kale, however, acknowledged the support of government at all levels and institutional partners towards improving the availability and quality of official statistics in the country.

    The statistician-general prayed that 2018 would be a year of better statistical funding, both at the federal level and to state statistical agencies.

    He said the importance of statistical data for identifying development priorities and shaping public policy should not be subjected to vagaries of the socio-economic or political climate.

    “Rather, leaders must continually emphasise and utilise evidence-based approaches, whether in policy or business.

    “If this is not done, it becomes impossible to objectively identify key areas in our society that actually require change.

    “It will be difficult to accurately determine what policy prescriptions will best respond to the real needs of the country or take advantage of the next big business opportunity in this resilient economy.

    “We are confident that the year will bring numerous opportunities for us to effectively support policymakers.

    “We look forward to another fulfilling year for us at the bureau, our partners and data users,’’ Kale said.

    NAN

  • NANS sets up monitoring team on petrol prices, sales

    NANS sets up monitoring team on petrol prices, sales

    The National Association of Nigerian Students ( NANS ), has set up a monitoring team on petrol pricing, distribution and sales, its President, Mr Chinonso Obasi has said.

    Obasi, in a statement made available on Monday in Abuja, said Nigerians were facing hardship imposed on them by profiteers.

    He regretted that Nigerians during the Yuletide experienced challenges by paying over 300 per cent hike in transport fares moving for both Christmas and New Year celebrations.

    According to him, the hardship has not abated as Nigerians still buy petrol at N250 per litre in some places.

    He called on Nigerians to resist the rip-off and also reject any hike in petrol price.

    “It is an undeniable fact that petrol is being sold at prices inimical to the economic well-being of consumers; across the nation, the prices rather than decreasing is increasing. This is totally unacceptable.

    Read also: NANS describes killings as ‘cruel’, condoles with victims, government

    “No doubt, in spite of the availability of the petrol, many unmerited yet unexplainable reasons have been given as excuses for this unabated exploitation.

    “As the official pump price remains at N145, we urge Nigerians not to pay more; the NNPC and the independent marketers should urgently resolve this hardship and assure Nigerians that their days of worries over petroleum prices are a priority.

    “To this end, we hereby announce the setting up of NANS Task Force Committee on Compliance on Petroleum Distribution, Pricing and Sales.’’

    He said Nigerians could no longer continue to bear the brunt of the activities of saboteurs.

    He said the committee would begin work immediately and was saddled with the responsibility of working with government agencies willing to ensure compliance.

    “NANS wishes to solidarise with Nigerians by condemning this man made hardship imposed on Nigerians and unreservedly call on the Department of Petroleum Products and Public Procurement Regulatory Authority to swiftly halt the exploitation of Nigerians,’’ he said.

    NAN

  • Yam farmers assure Nigerians of increased production, price increases

    Yam farmers assure Nigerians of increased production, price increases

    Yam Farmers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria has assured Nigerians of increased yam production in 2018 so as to boost the yam export initiative of the Federal Government.

    The Acting President of the association, Prof Simon Irtwange, gave the assurance in an interview in Abuja on Monday.

    He said farmers had been mobilised to increase their production in order to make provision for the local consumption and export requirements.

    Irtwange, who is also the Chairman of the Technical Committee on Nigeria Yam Export Programme, said efforts were made to build the capacity of yam aggregators to buy exportable yams in large quantities from farmers after harvests.

    He said yam exporters, instead of going to markets to buy yams, could procure the yams from the aggregators who already knew the standards for exportable yams.

    He said the committee was partnering with the Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, for the production of seedlings of exportable yams so as to boost the production of the yams and encourage farmers.

    “I will not agree that export has anything to do with the local production because not every yam variety can be exported.

    “The ones that are exportable are the ones that meet export standards. The export requirements include 2kg. yams that are slender and smooth, while the non-export yams are purely for local consumption.

    Read also: Yam export: Committee plans export of 480 tonnes monthly

    “We have also encouraged yam production; this year, we would have more output than what we had in the previous year because farmers are now sensitised and they have gone into massive production. So, there will be enough yams for the local market and export.

    “We have already selected the yam varieties we want to promote for export but the seedlings for those varieties are the major challenge right now.

    “So we have gone into partnership with Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. They will produce the seedlings for us and IITA is also involved in the project.

    “After production, we have aggregators who will off-take the yams from the farmers and will aggregate for the exporters,’’ he said.

    Irtwange, who noted that over 20 per cent of exportable yams often rotted away because of poor preservation techniques, said that aggregators would have cooling systems for the produce.

    “Concerning the aggregators, what we require from them is that they will have warehouses, they will have cooling systems and they will store the yams under the correct temperature.

    “Through that way, we can also give assurance of the quality of what we are exporting.

    “The assurance is that we have done the trials, we have learnt from our mistakes and we have put in place measures to correct all the drawbacks.

    “The essence of the trials is to see where there are challenges, so that we can see how to solve the problems.

    “Now, we have known what the challenges are and we are going to face them squarely.

    “We have all learnt our lessons and we think that this year, the yam export programme is going to be better than what it was last year,’’ he added.

    NAN

  • Fire breaks out in Trump Tower

    Fire breaks out in Trump Tower

    A fire has broken out on the roof of the Trump Tower building in Manhattan, the New York Fire Department has confirmed.

    Firefighters are currently making sure it did not spread.

    The New York City Fire Department said that the fire started on the terrace and was quickly contained.

    U.S. President was not currently at Tower but at Washington. D.C. at the time of the incident.

    Read also: I’m a very stable genius, declares Trump

    While Trump and the First Family now live in the White House, he maintains a palatial apartment in the 58-story tower.

    So far, only one person has been reportedly injured in the fire incident in the building, which houses both residences and businesses.

    Smoke was captured pouring out of the 21st floor of the building and reports said investigators were looking into what may have sparked the blaze.

    NAN

  • Ilorin residents groan as fuel scarcity bites harder

    Ilorin residents groan as fuel scarcity bites harder

    Fuel scarcity has apparently not abated in Kwara, as parents and students among other residents, on Monday, expressed dissatisfaction with the lingering problem.

    Various motor parks including roadsides in Ilorin, passengers in their scores, were waiting to board the few available commercial vehicles.

    Some of the passengers and drivers said the fuel scarcity was becoming unbearable, as motorists continued to queue for petrol endlessly at filling stations.

    Anthony Ibe, a student of the University of Ilorin, said he had been on the queue for more than an hour without any hope of leaving soon.

    “My lectures start by 8 a.m., and this is after 10 a.m. and I am still waiting to get a cab to school.

    “The situation is getting out of hands; what is the essence of going to school when we are already missing lectures.

    “There have been a lot of push and fights here today, because everyone just wants to get into any available cab,’’ he said.

    Mrs Ireti Ademola, a parent with two school children bemoaned the situation, saying: “how do I cope with these children everyday without the ease of transportation?

    “I cannot carry both of them and at the same time struggle to get a cab, hence our little children are not left out in this suffering; they are already late.

    “I just hope this scarcity will come to an end soon or government  should just postpone resumption of schools,’’ she said.

    Read also: Fuel scarcity: ‘Attempt to arm twist the government’, cleric urges

    A student of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ismail Abdulkadir, said, “this is not encouraging at all, imagine going to school late because you cannot get a cab.

    “We, the students, are always at the receiving end, we have to trek long distances as well as pay higher transportation fare.

    “Please, how much is our pocket money that I have to pay more than N200 to and from school and very soon, the price of sachet water may increase.

    “This is just too much suffering to bear, the government should consider the plight of students and intervene in the lingering problem,’’ he said.

    At the College of Education in Ilorin, students also lamented the hike in transportation fare and dearth of commercial vehicles.

    A transporter, who simply identified himself as Sheu, blamed the increase in transport fare on the troubles motorists encountered before getting fuel.

    He said that most of the time, they had to sleep over at petrol stations in order to be able to get fuel early.

    “Sometimes, we slept over at petrol stations or even went out of the town to get fuel, because most of the filling stations here claimed they didn’t have fuel.

    “And we bought fuel at N200 per litre, black marketers sold five litres for N1,500, so you can imagine what we are passing through.

    “This is why transport fare has increased, remember that we also have to make profit,’’ he said.

    NAN

  • Sokoto to distribute 3, 500 pasta-making machines to women

    Sokoto to distribute 3, 500 pasta-making machines to women

    The Sokoto State Government on Monday says it will distribute 3,500 pasta-making machines to women as part of its poverty alleviation programme.

    Gov. Aminu Tambuwal said in a statement issued by his media aide, Imam Imam in Sokoto that the beneficiaries would be drawn from across the state.

    According to the governor, the administration has pursued the poverty alleviation programme consistently through the introduction of vocational skills for women and youths in the state.

    He said that the state had made a name for itself as centre for social welfare interventions.

    “This is aimed at transforming the lives of the less-privileged and also reducing dependency on handouts.

    Read also: Sokoto distributes 22 boats to enhance transportation

    “The underlying theme behind government’s poverty eradication strategy is to create job opportunities and sustainable means of livelihood for the vast majority of the populace.

    “This principle has guided government’s policy since it came on board over two years ago,” the governor said.

    According to him, the government will procure thousands of units of sewing machines, grinding machines and additional 400 units of tricycles for disbursement in all the 23 local government areas.

    Tambuwal added that the government would reactivate existing cottage industries this year to train youth on various youth empowerment programmes.

    NAN

  • Schools reopen in Maiduguri for 2nd term academic session

    Schools reopen in Maiduguri for 2nd term academic session

    Borno State Ministry of Education had directed the re-opening of primary and secondary schools on January 8, after the Christmas and New Year break.

    Academic activities resumed in most schools in Maiduguri metropolis, including temporary learning centres at Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.

    In his comment, Alhaji Bulama Abiso, the Chairman, Borno chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), tasked teachers to comply with the resumption calendar.

    Abiso said the teachers should ensure that they report to their posts and dedicate themselves to duty.

    He also called on the state government to implement the N18, 000 minimum wage and pay the annual increment and promotion arrears to teachers particularly at basic education level.

    Abiso noted that such measures were necessary to motivate teachers to put their best toward enhancing academic excellence.

    “We commend the government over the reconstruction and rehabilitation of school structures destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents.

    “Improvement of teachers’ welfare is imperative to provide enabling teaching and learning environment,” Abiso said.

    Also, Master Abba Ahmad, a class 4 pupil at Sanda Kyaremi Primary School, expressed joy over the school resumption.

    Ahmad said they were provided with bags and instructional materials by development organizations.

    Maryam Muhammad, a 16-year old displaced person, called on the government to adopt proactive measures to enhance enrolment of displaced children in school.

    She noted that some of the displaced children were attending classes in temporary learning centres at the Bakassi IDP camp.

    “Most of us could not attend classes due to lack of space at the centre, I want to go back to school and called on the government to help me”.

    Statistics of the United Nations Children Education Fund ( UNICEF ) showed that over 2, 295 teachers were killed and 19, 000 others displaced during years of insurgency in the state.

    It also indicated that 1, 400 schools were destroyed since the start of the Boko Haram insurgency in 2009.

    The UN agency indicated further that three million children in the northeast are in need of support to keep learning.

    It revealed that the organization was working closely with the government and partners to put children in the northeast back into learning environments.

    According to the report, more than 525, 000 children had been enrolled in school in the 2017/2018 academic year, while over 37 temporary learning centres have been established, and about 92, 000 packs of learning materials distributed to help children continue their education.

    “UNICEF’s education response in the northeast remains critically underfunded, with just 54 per cent of the $31.4 million appeal received, leaving a funding gap of $14.4 million,” it added.

    NAN

  • Katsina cautions youths against misuse of social media

    Katsina cautions youths against misuse of social media

    The Katsina State Government has cautioned youths against using social media platforms to insult and abuse elders, as a result of political differences.

    Alhaji Ahmad El-Marzuq, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the state, gave the warning in an interview on Monday in Daura, Katsina State.

    He described as  unfortunate and saddening the manner in which youths used social media platforms to insult elders without remorse.

    Read also: Center to organise free training on social and digital marketing

    According to him, social media platforms are meant to accelerate development, now that the world has been reduced to a global village.

    Marzuq, who noted that such abuses and unguarded comments could bring about disunity and misunderstanding among people, said that all religions emphasised morality and abhorred indiscipline.

    He explained that the Nigerian legal system had adequately taken care of any action relating to insult or abuse be it in the social or conventional media, hence the need for those in such habit to desist from it for their own good.

    The commissioner, who described the judiciary in Katsina State as “highly independent”, attributed achievements in the administration of justice in the state to cordial working relationship between the three arms of government.

    He said the Gov. Aminu Masari-led administration would continue to operate within the four cardinal principles of equity, fairness, accountability and objectivity.

    Marzuq, therefore, called on the people of Katsina State to continue to support the administration’s drive in bringing development to the doorsteps of residents, irrespective of party differences.

    NAN

  • Gridlock on ports’ access roads will reduce in January

    Gridlock on ports’ access roads will reduce in January

    The Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria ( STOAN ) on Monday said it expected the Apapa gridlock to reduce before the end of January as a result of decline in importation activities.

    The STOAN Chairperson, Mrs Vicky Haastrup, in a statement in Lagos said the reduction of the gridlock on access roads to Lagos ports was being expected due to an anticipated drop in importation.

    “The last quarter of every year usually marks the peak of importation activities at the port.

    “Now that the 2017 importation peak season is over, the number of trucks coming to the ports is expected to reduce, thereby, providing temporary relief to road users.”

    Haastrup said the situation, however, meant less cargo and less volume in the port, especially in the first quarter of 2018.

    The terminal operator said the off-peak period provided opportunity for the Federal and Lagos State Governments to address the root cause of the gridlock.

    “The reasons for the gridlock are along two major lines.

    “One is that there is a proliferation of petroleum tankers due to the preponderance of fuel tank farms and petroleum depots in the Apapa community.

    “This is an anomaly, which should urgently be corrected by the Federal Government. The correction is to facilitate the distribution of petroleum products through pipelines and not using trucks.’’

    Read also: Lagos-Ibadan rail will solve Apapa gridlock, says FRSC chief

    According to her, once government can get the refineries working, there will no longer be need for tank farms in Apapa, which attract these trucks.

    “The other reason for the gridlock is the dilapidated state of roads leading into and out of Apapa as well as the absence of truck parks.

    “Government can address these by taking advantage of the off-peak season to intensify road rehabilitation works and make relevant provision for truck holding bays before the next cycle of high level activities set in.

    “There is also an opportunity to begin implementation of the much-touted truck call up system to ensure that only trucks that have business to do at the ports are granted access into Apapa,’’ she said.

    Haastrup also urged the Federal Government to review its tariff policy on some imported items including vehicles, rice and fish to reduce smuggling.

    The STOAN chairperson said the nation’s seaports had been positioned to support the Federal Government’s economic diversification and export drive.

    According to her, terminal operators across the various ports have made substantial investments in development of their various areas of operations.

    “We have carried out major investments in terminal upgrades, acquisition of modern cargo handling equipment and training of port workers.

    “All these were done with the view of supporting government’s economic aspirations for the country, including the drive to diversify the nation’s economic base and promote non-oil exports,’’ Haastrup said.

    NAN