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Tag: Nigeria News

Kaduna community constructs maternity clinic

Gwauro Community in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State has embarked on the building of maternity to stem the high maternal and infant deaths in the area.

Malam Umar Galadima, head of the community, told newsmen on Monday in Gwauro that lack of access road and hospital had led to the death of several pregnant women and infants in recent times.

“We have been losing lives of so many pregnant women and children as a result of the distance between our village and near-by towns to access hospital services.

“We have to travel about 25 to 30 kilometres from this community to locate any hospital outside the town for medical attention.

“Due to the distance, most pregnant women were left at the mercy of traditional birth attendants.

“So the seven bedroom maternity clinic we are constructing is to curb maternal and child mortality.

“We are tired of seeing our women, sisters and mothers dying due to lack of proper healthcare services.

“The maternity clinic being constructed by the entire community is now at roofing level,” Galadima said.

He village head disclosed that the area consisting mainly of farmers, has a population of more than 5,000 residents coexisting peacefully for many years.

He also said that the community require access road to ease their transportation difficulties.

Malam Saidu Rohugi, another member of the community, called on the state government to complete the clinic project.

NAN

October 30, 2017
Automotive policy biting harder on economy – LCCI

The automotive policy is biting harder on the economy and must be urgently reviewed, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( LCCI ) said on Monday in Lagos.

The Director-General of LCCI, Mr Muda Yusuf, who made the observation in an interview, said that the review was necessary for facilitated economic growth.

Yusuf said that the policy, which raised tariff on imported cars from 20 per cent to 70 per cent, had put the cost of vehicles beyond the reach of many individuals and corporate bodies

“There is the need to act quickly to reverse the unsavory situation,” he said.

The automotive policy was introduced in 2013 as a strategy to reduce importation of vehicles and boost the capacity of domestic vehicle assembly plants.

“The automobile sector was hit by the double shock of currency depreciation and a hike in tariff from 20 per cent to 70 per cent (in the case of new cars).

“Whereas, there is very little that can be done about the currency depreciation, a great deal can be done about the policy, which is a creation of government,” Yusuf said.

Yusuf said that years into the implementation of the policy, much progress had yet to been made.

“The affordable vehicles promised at the inception of the policy are yet to be seen. The economy has suffered incalculable consequences and shocks as the cost of vehicles reached levels that are unprecedented in the history of the country.

“Virtually all aspects of our economic and social lives have been adversely affected by the situation because over 90 per cent of the country’s freight and human movement are done by road, which implies heavy dependence on cars, commercial buses and trucks.

“Manufacturers and other real sector investors suffer from sharp increases in haulage cost because of the high cost of trucks; school buses have become unaffordable by many institutions.

“Many hospitals cannot afford new ambulances; many corporate organisations have drastically cut down on their fleet. Car ownership is now completely beyond the majority of the middle class,’’ he said.

He said that the consequences of the policy on the economy and welfare of citizens were immeasurable.

According to him, the cost of vehicles rose by between 100 per cent and 400 per cent due to the policy.

“ A new car of 1.8-litre engine capacity now costs as high as N18 million; two-litre engine capacity costs N20 million and a 3-litre new Japanese car costs as high as N30 million.

“A 30-seater bus costs about N45 million and an 18-seater bus costs N29 million.

“Not many investors and citizens have the capacity to absorb these outrageous prices.

“Even big corporate organisations are now buying used vehicles. This scenario is most inappropriate for an economy that is heavily dependent on road transportation,” he said.

Yusuf added that the policy had caused loss of maritime business and increased smuggling due to high import duty and levy with a huge duty differential compared with those of neighbouring countries.

He said that the policy also caused huge loss of Customs revenue due to reduction in vehicle importation.

The director-general also said that the policy resulted in increased cost of transportation which affected all sectors of the economy.

“Import duty on commercial vehicles and used cars should be reviewed downwards to 20 per cent.

“Complete Knocked Down ( CKD ) and Semi Knocked Down ( SKD ) should all attract zero duty,” the LCCI boss advised.

According to Yusuf, the government should grant further tax concession and waiver to assembly plants and retain incentives for machineries and tyre industries as contained in the policy.

Yusuf said that similar incentives should be extended for local production of vehicle spare parts.

He urged the government and its agencies to encourage patronage of locally assembled vehicles to boost growth of the industry.

Yusuf said that review of the policy would restore jobs in the automobile industry and boost activities in the maritime sector.

NAN

October 30, 2017
FUBK gets new VC

The Federal University Birnin-Kebbi ( FUBK ) governing council, has approved the appointment of Prof. Bello Shehu, as the new Vice Chancellor of the university for a single term of five years.

This approval was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the registrar of the university, Mr Ibrahim Mungadi.

Mungadi said that the appointment of the new Vice Chancellor was approved by the council at its 9th meeting held on Oct. 26.

The new Vice Chancellor, who was born on Feb. 13, 1958 in Birnin-Kebbi, would replace the Acting Vice Chancellor of the institution, Dr Sahabi Jabo.

Until his appointment, the statement stated that Shehu was the provost of the university’s College of Health Sciences.

He was at various times, the Chief Medical Director of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Abuja and Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Birnin-Kebbi.

Shehu, a neurosurgeon, is a Fellow to several professional institutions including the West African College of Surgeons, Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland, American College of Surgeons and National Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria.

NAN

October 30, 2017
Nasarawa warns residents against illegal connection of pipe borne water

The Nasarawa State Government, on Monday, warned residents of the state against connecting pipe borne water without obtaining approval from the government.

The Acting General Manager of the state water board, Mr Abdullahi Agbo, gave this warning when he visited the state water board area in Keffi, Keffi Local Government Area.

Agbo urged those who were involved in the illegal connection of water to desist from the act in their interest in order to boost water supply in the state.

He added that the illegal connection of pipelines had affected water supply in the state negatively, hence the need for the people to avoid illegal connection.

Agbo reinstated the commitment of the board to continue to provide potable water supply to communities across the state.

He said that providing water to the communities would not only improve on the people’s living standard but the nation’s development.

The General Manager said that the state was doing its best to provide potable water to communities across the state.

Agbo urged the members of staff of the board not to relent in their efforts towards disconnecting illegal water pipelines in their respective areas.

He also called on the relevant stakeholders to support the State Government in its efforts to improve water supply to communities across the state.

NAN

October 30, 2017
FG committed to developing creative industry – Lai Mohammed

The Federal Government( FG ) says it is irrevocably committed to growing the creative industry in view of its importance to the economy.

The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the statement while declaring open the African International Film Festival in Lagos on Sunday night.

He said the government recognised the great potential of the industry to grow the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and had been supporting the sector to realise its potential.

Mohammed, who described the creative industry as the next oil, expressed delight that players in the industry had already placed the country on the global map with their great talents.

He said the government was proud of Nollywood and its achievements, and was taking steps to propel the industry to greater heights.

“The Nigerian government is proud of Nollywood and we are engaging stakeholders constantly to grow the sector.

“I will reiterate a few of the initiatives we have pursued to grow the sector.

“We are pursuing single digit interest loans towards infrastructural development in the sector.

“We are supporting about 100 community cinemas evenly spread across the country.

“We are almost closing on a world class pre and post production facility using existing infrastructure.

“We want to ensure that such world class facility is located in each geo-political zone to boost movie productions and other contents.

“Finally, in the area of digital television, we are ensuring that set-up boxes are enabled to allow customers in about 30 million homes to access and buy our movies for the development of the sector,” he said.

Mohammed said the African International Film Festival had contributed to the growth of the sector on the continent by allowing Africans to tell their own stories.

He said the festival had helped practitioners to showcase their talents and also helped in the area of capacity in the sector.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed said he and the government identified with the festival in view of its potential to take the movie industry to greater heights.

Sen. Godswill Akpabio was among prominent personalities present at the opening.

Also, a galaxy of local and international movie stars as well as technical experts and showbiz personalities witnessed the opening.

Earlier, the minister, at a programme organised by the Copyright Society of Nigeria ( COSON ) tagged “COSON in the Church,’’ said the government was committed to protecting intellectual property in the creative industry.

Mohammed said piracy was a threat to the development of the industry and that government was taking steps to end the menace.

He said that the government had set up a task force to check the activities of people who pirated creative works and the step was yielding results.

“The task force has made a few arrests including the Kingpin of Piracy in Alabama and he is currently facing prosecution.

“We will continue to do more and ensure we deal with the problem,’’ he said.

The minister commended COSON for its efforts at ensuring that artists were paid what was due to them by those who used their works.

Mohammed said this would ensure that the beneficiaries did not labour in vain but reap from their talents.

He said the government would continue to support COSON in its cause to uplift the creative industry, and was was doing its best to attract the much needed investments in the sector.

The President of COSON, Chief Tony Okoroji, said the essence of the programme was to pray for peace in Nigeria and for the country to reach its potential.

Okoroji said Nigeria had everything to be great, saying that with prayers and doing the right thing, the country would attain greatness.

According to him, the creative sector is a major part of the country’s life and will continue to support the country in achieving greatness.

Prayers were offered for the progress of the country at the programme, while gospel artistes took turns to entertain guests.

NAN

October 30, 2017
Ohanaeze urges Igbo to make friends across Nigeria

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, an Igbo socio-cultural group, has urged its people living in the north to court more friends so as to actualise the ethnic group’s quest to produce Nigeria’s President in 2023.

The call is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in the 19 northern states and Abuja. The meeting, held in Minna, ended Sunday night.

The communique restated the group’s resolve to promote one indivisible Nigeria with equal opportunities for all, and urged Igbo people resident in the north to live in harmony with their host communities.

It lauded the contributions of Mr John Nwodo, President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, toward a united and prosperous Nigeria, and urged him to continue to defend the interest of the people.

The cultural group extended its hands of fellowship to other Igbo associations the world over, and called for more unity in the pursuit of Nigeria’s presidency in 2023.

The reports that 44 chapters of the group, drawn from across the 19 states of the north, attended the meeting.

NAN

October 30, 2017
Anambra best in SDGs projects in Nigeria – Obiano’s aide

Mr Geoffrey Uba, the Senior Special Assistant ( SSA ) to the governor of Anambra on Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ), says Anambra is one of the best in the implementation of sustainable development goals projects in Nigeria.

He said the state was also among the best three in the country in terms of security, road networks, economic development, and collaborations with international donor organisations.

Uba in Awka on Monday that Anambra which was listed among the educationally disadvantaged states in the South-East now ranked the first in education.

The governor`s attributed the successes recorded in the state to the well articulate manifesto of the All Progressives Grand Alliance ( APGA ) and prudent management ability of Gov. Willie Obiano.

Uba, however, dismissed the rating of APGA by some people as a one state party, saying “APGA is a national party.’’

“ Let me emphasize that APGA is a national party. It is not a one state party. We have elected members at the state and national assemblies. In Abuja, we have a mayor of APGA extraction,” he said.

Uba, a chieftain of the party, said that Nigerians should remember that Imo used to be an APGA state before it joined the All Progressives Congress.

He said that the party was proud of the achievements of Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra in three and half years.

“APGA has achieved a lot in Anambra state. Anambra used to be ranked as one the backward states in the country.

According to Uba, Gov. Obiano has used the party`s platform to take the state to greater heights and will do more if re-elected on Nov. 18.

“These are the core democracy dividends and Anambra people are very happy and we will demonstrate this happiness on Nov. 18 election.

“Anambra state under Willie Obiano has demonstrated so much passion for the welfare of the people,” the SSA said.

NAN

October 30, 2017
Bauchi to disburse N46m to health facilities under NSHIP

The Bauchi State Government, has approved the disbursement of N46 million to 16 health centres in Dass Local Government Areas (LGAs) under the Nigerian states health Investment Project, (NSHIP).

The Project Coordinator, Dr Adamu Muhammed, made this disclosure in a statement issued by Mr Suleimen Dambam, the state Information Officer, Primary Health Care Development Agency.

The statement, which was made available on Monday in Bauchi, stated that the fund was in addition to the N28 million earlier disbursed to the heath facilities.

According to him, the disbursement serves as first and second quarter remittance of the implementation of the project.

Muhammad, however, said that the fund would be distributed to the benefiting facilities based on performance.

He explained that each facility was verified on the quality and quantity of services rendered to the people.

In the statement, the state Programme Manager, ‘Save One Million Lives’, Alhaji Abdullahi Zakshi, urged facility managers to always prioritise saving of lives for the wellbeing of the people.

Zakshi advised health workers to improve on their human relations, especially with patients, adding that cordial relationship with clients would improve healthcare delivery system in the state.

In a remark, the Director, Primary Health Care of the council area, Alhaji Sulaiman Abdu-Kirfi, lauded the State Government for selecting the beneficiaries in the LGA for the pilot implementation of the project.

NAN

October 30, 2017
IAEA D-G calls for increase in use of nuclear power for world’s energy needs

International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) Director-General Yukiya Amano on Monday, called for an increase in the use of nuclear power to provide the world’s energy needs.

Amano made the call at the IAEA ministerial conference on nuclear power in United Arab Emirates.

He said:“more use of nuclear power will also be needed to provide the steady supply of electricity to power modern economies if countries are to meet the goals of greenhouse gas emissions they have set for themselves in the Paris Agreement.”

The three-day international ministerial conference sponsored by the IAEA started in Abu Dhabi is to discuss the role of nuclear energy in the 21st century.

“Clearly the pace of construction of new nuclear power plants needs to be stepped up if the world’s energy needs as well as climate change goals are to be met.

“There are now 448 nuclear power reactors in operation in 30 countries, and 57 reactors are under construction, mostly in Asia.

“Around 30 counties are interested in nuclear power,” Amano added.

The Paris climate deal was adopted within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in December 2015 and came into force in November 2016.

The accord which is focused on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions has been signed by more than 190 countries and ratified by 169.

NAN

October 30, 2017
Liberia’s ruling party backs challenge to presidential result

Liberia’s Unity Party ( UP ) said it would back a legal challenge to the result, accusing President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of interfering in the vote.

UP, Liberia’s ruling party candidate finished runner-up in the first round of this month’s presidential election.

Unity Party said in a statement that the Oct. 10 poll, meant to usher in Liberia’s first democratic transition of power since 1944, was “characterised by massive systematic irregularities and fraud”.

The statement, read to reporters by Unity Party Chairman Wilmont Paye, said Johnson Sirleaf had acted inappropriately by meeting privately with elections magistrates before the vote.

“Greed has resurfaced in its most callous form, sowing seeds of discord yet again with the intent of disrupting the fragile peace of Liberia,” the party said in its statement.

Unity Party officials said they were supporting a legal challenge by Liberty Party of the third-place candidate Charles Brumskine, which has petitioned the elections commission for a re-run of the first round.

The All Liberian Party of businessman Benoni Urey also said on Sunday it was backing the complaint.

“It doesn’t mean we will not take part in the (run-off),” Augustine Ngafuan, Unity Party’s national campaign chairman, told Reuters.

“We hope the court can rule before the run-off. If not, we will decide what next to do.”

An official from the elections commission said it expected to hear the formal complaint on Monday.

he commission’s findings can be appealed in the Supreme Court.

At Johnson Sirleaf’s residence, where she was celebrating her 79th birthday, her spokesman Jerolinmek Piah told reporters that he would comment on the accusations later as he did not want to overshadow the festivities.

International observers from the European Union, the Carter Centre and the National Democratic Institute have said they saw no major problems with the vote.

Unity Party’s statement cements a falling out between Johnson-Sirleaf, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and her party’s leadership after 12 years in power that saw the country consolidate a post-war peace but it also drew sharp criticism over alleged corruption and underdevelopment.

Joseph Boakai has served as Johnson Sirleaf’s vice president since the president’s inauguration in 2006.However,

Johnson-Sirleaf declined to endorse him and he distanced himself from the last administration.

George Weah, a former soccer star in Europe, won the first round with 38.4 per cent of the vote to Boakai’s 28.8 per cent and has momentum heading into the run-off.

On Thursday he picked up the endorsement of former warlord Prince Johnson, who won eight per cent of the vote in the first round.

Morluba Morlu, a senior official from Weah’s CDC party, said those challenging the result were “opting to stage trouble”.

“But no matter what they do … they cannot stop the election of Ambassador Weah,” he added.

Weah has been a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.

NAN

October 30, 2017