The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria News

  • FG to improve reading culture

    FG to improve reading culture

    The Federal Government ( FG ) has reaffirmed its commitment to promotion of reading culture among Nigerians.

    The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, said this at the Grand Finale of the 2017 Readership Promotion Campaign of the National Library of Nigeria in Abuja.

    The theme of the programme is “Working Together to Build a Virile Reading Nation: Challenges and Strategies’’.

    Adamu, who was represented by the Director of Education Support Services, Mrs Justina Ibe of the ministry, said that it was imperative for all to cultivate a positive attitude to reading.

    He said the ministry had partnered with the National Action Committee on Read Campaign and this partnership had yielded immeasurable benefits.

    According to him, readership promotion is a strategy which will address the issue of falling standard of education in the country.

    “It will also mobilise the citizenry to read, write and contribute to rejuvenation and actualisation of total literacy culture in Nigeria.

    “Appropriate measure should, therefore, be adopted to turn the country to a reading nation and her citizens to a reading people.

    “Federal government ( FG ) will also strive to provide adequate funds to acquire sufficient, current and relevant library materials for schools and libraries.’’

    Adamu urged Nigerians to encourage shared reading, saying that children should be educated on the importance of books and reading to their education and future lives.

    He further called on civil servants to have the veracity to read letters, memoranda and reports, minute to them to handle as this would add to their career development.

    Earlier in his remarks, the National Librarian, Prof. Lenrie Aina, said that the target of the National Library of Nigeria had been to encourage secondary school children to embrace a reading culture.

    Aina said that it would also extend such exercise  to pregnant women, saying that studies had shown that in the later stages of pregnancy, unborn babies are aware of the vibrations that the voices produce and can recognise them with ease.

    “Our objective is to cover the whole strata of the Nigerian society. It is my desire that as many as that have come to witness this occasion would imbibe the culture of reading, particularly the students.

    “Also representatives of schools, especially teachers, should ensure that students are encouraged to read and parents should endeavour to read always to the admiration of their children.

    “Parents should make books available to their children; to lavishly present books as gift to their children during special events of their lives such as birthday, religious and cultural festivals,’’ he advised.

    He encouraged Nigerians to establish libraries in their domains as waiting for the government to do everything may take time.

    In his remarks, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said that the importance of reading in any nation could not be overemphasised.

    Mohammed, represented by Mr Makna Sallau, the Acting Director, Entertainment and Creative Services in the ministry, said a nation which citizens had lost interest in reading would be backward.

    According to him, there is no developing or developed nation where the culture of reading is not given adequate attention that it deserves in order to promote and advance socio-economic, technological  and infrastructure development.

    “It is worthy to note that knowledge is power and most of the ideas that rule the world today are all written in book form for us to figure them out.

    “Hence, there is an urgent need for us to promote the culture of reading in our country,’’ he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that about 12 schools within the FCT participated in the readership promotion campaign.

  • Mining sector generates N4.96bn in two years – RMAFC

    Mining sector generates N4.96bn in two years – RMAFC

    Mr Shettima Abba-Gana, Acting Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission ( RMAFC ) says the mining sector was generating less than capacity due to activities of illegal mining.

    In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN ) on Thursday in Abuja, Abba-Gana said the sector generated only N14.9 billion between 2015 and 2016.

    Read also: Mining is long-term investment, PwC chief tells investors

    He said that the revenue accrual from the sector was not encouraging and “too low’’.

    “RMAFC believes that the revenue from the solid minerals sector is still below 20 per cent.

    “This is mainly due to the activities of illegal miners who constitutes more than 70 per cent of mining activities and do not pay tax.

    “While the price rates of the minerals in the international market keep rising, the rates of the minerals in Nigeria remained constant at lower rates.

    “Therefore, if all leakages are blocked, the sector can generate up to N500 billion,’’ he said.

    Abba-Gana also said the sector generated N16.2 billion from 2008 until date, adding that the total shared was N9.9 billion with a balance of N6.29 billion left.

    He noted that the observed variance/amount in the escrow account was N1.34 billion.

    According to him, N1.34 billion is still in the solid mineral Federation Accounts Allocation Committee ( FAAC ) sub-account in the Central bank of Nigeria ( CBN ) awaiting submission of data from Ministry of Mines and Steel Development ( MMSD ) for attribution.

    The RMAFC monitors accruals into the federation account and the disbursement of revenue from it.

  • Court remands man who bolted with N1.7m

    Court remands man who bolted with N1.7m

    A 25-year-old trader, Samuel Owoeye, who allegedly obtained N1.7 million loan from a man on the pretext of repaying it at due date, on Thursday appeared before an Apapa Magistrates’ Court , Lagos.

    Owoeye, a resident of Apapa area of Lagos, is standing trial on a two-count charge of stealing and obtaining under false pretences to which he pleaded not guilty.

    The prosecutor, Sgt. Olusegun Kokoye told the court that the accused committed the offences on Jan. 14 at Mogaji Street, Olodi-Apapa in Lagos.

    He alleged that the accused fraudulently obtained N1.7 million from the complainant, Omosegbon Oluwole, on the pretext of returning the money after five months.

    Kokoye claimed that the accused invested the money in his business and refused to pay back the money to the complainant when dur.

    The prosecutor said the accused just kept giving flimsy excuses for his failure to defray the loan.

    “When the complainant got tired of Owoeye’s excuses, he reported the case  to the police and the accused was arrested.”

    The offences contravened Sections 287 and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 314 prescribes 15 years imprisonment for obtaining under false pretences.

    The Senior Magistrate, Mr M.A. Etti, in his ruling, granted the accused bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

    Further hearing in the case was fixed for Oct.30.

  • Civil servant killed by lightening

    Civil servant killed by lightening

    A 47-year-old civil servant, Salami Adekunle, was on Thursday  struck to death by lightening  in Oro, Kwara, the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN ) reports.

    NAN gathered that the deceased was until his demise a staff of the Registry Department of the College of Education, Oro,  Irepodun Local Government Area of the state.

    The deceased was said to be leaving the institution’s examination office for the Registry Department  at  about 10 a.m.  when the lightening struck during a downpour.

    The lifeless body of the deceased, who hailed from Ilesa in Osun  was sighted  lying at the spot of the incident preparatory to spiritual cleansing.

    Mr  Adesola Adewoye, the institution’s Public Relation Officer, who confirmed the incident, said that all  efforts   to rescue the deceased  proved abortive.

    “The staff and management swung into action immediately the deceased was struck, but all our efforts to resuscitate him proved abortive,’’ he said.

    He described the deceased as an easy going, loyal and dedicated staff who will stop at nothing to impress his employer.

    “Our prayer is for God to give the family, friends and associate the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss,” he said.

    A NAN correspondent, who visited the scene of the incident,  reports that staff of the institution were seen in group discussing the development.

    Some traditional religion worshippers were said to have later  performed  some rites  on the corpse of the  deceased before it was taken away for burial.

  • ‘Illiteracy rate in Nigeria alarming’

    ‘Illiteracy rate in Nigeria alarming’

    The Federal Government on Thursday described the illiteracy rate in the country as alarming.

    The Minister of Education, Alhaji Adamu Adamu, made the remark when he paid a courtesy call on Gov. Alhaji Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN ) reports that the minister and the delegates were in the state for a two-day International Literacy Day conference organised by the National Commission for Mass Education.

    Adamu said the country had about 65 million to 75 million illiterates, describing the figure as unbecoming and high, considering the country’s population.

    “Education is the bedrock of any country’s development and any country that does not educate its populace is bound to fail.

    “Unfortunately, in Nigeria we have a very large population of illiterates; the illiterates figure, considering our population, is unbecoming,’’ he said.

    Adamu, who was represented by Mr Jonathan Mbaka, the Director of Basic and Secondary Education, Federal Ministry of Education, said that the federal government was targeting educating out-of-school children.

    The minister said this was part of its strategic plan to reduce the number of the illiterates in the country.

    “The government is doing all it can to reduce the number of children that are out of school.

    “This includes the adoption of inclusive education where every Nigerian will be given the opportunity to go to school, regardless of background, ethnicity and gender,’’ he said.

    Adamu commended the governor’s wife, Hajiya Aisha Bagudu, for reducing the number of out-of-school children and illiterates in Kebbi State through her Mass Almajiri Literacy and Poverty Alleviation Initiative ( MALPAI ).

    Responding, the governor said that most of the security challenges the country faced were manifestations of the level of illiteracy in the country.

    “We have an army of people whose inability to read can be exploited by divisive elements in the country

    Bagudu commended them for ignoring the fears and tension created by a few group of people by assembling in the state to deliberate on how to reduce illiteracy in the country.

    “I am very proud that we are hosting eminent delegates from across the federation at the time like this,where there is tension, and fear in Nigeria.

    “For you to ignore fears that a few people cannot intimidate us is commendable.

    “Our destiny remains in our hands and not allowing inconsequential elements to determine our fate is also commendable,’’ he said.

    The governor attributed the high illiteracy rate in Nigeria to Boko Haram insurgency, saying that many of the sect’s followers only knew the Quran but could not interpret and digest its meanings.

  • Man docked over car battery theft

    Man docked over car battery theft

    A 28-year-old vulcaniser, Tope Ogunwa was on Thursday arraigned in an Okitipupa Magistrates’ Court sitting  in Ondo State for allegedly stealing a car battery valued at N35,000.

    The defendant of No. 16, Ona-Opemipo Street, in Okitipupa is standing trial on a one-count charge of stealing.

    The Prosecutor, Insp. Zedekiah Orogbemi told the court that on Aug. 21, at old garage, the defendant stole the battery of a Toyota Picnic, property of one Tade Gbadeyanka.

    He said that the car with registration number Ondo KTP 601 AP, was kept in his custody but when the owner came to pick up the car, the battery had been removed.

    He added that the defendant was unable to give a satisfactory report on the missing battery.

    Orogbemi said that the offence was punishable under Section 390(9), Criminal Code, Cap.37, Vol.1, and Laws of Ondo State 2006.

    The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge leveled against him.

    The Magistrate, Mr Banji Ayeomoni granted the defendant bail in the sum of N30, 000 and a surety in like sum.

    He added that the surety should produce evidence of one year tax clearance.

    He, However, adjourned the case untill Sept. 28, for further hearing.

  • Hajj: 4,155 kaduna pilgrims return home

    Hajj: 4,155 kaduna pilgrims return home

    Hajj 4,155 The Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Board on Thursday, said a total of 4,155 of its pilgrims have so far returned home.

    The Board Public Relation officer, Alhaji Yunusa Abdullahi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an telephone interview in Kaduna, that the pilgrims were transported back home in eight flights.

    Abdullahi said the 9th batch with 218 pilgrims returned early Thursday morning via Med-view airline.

    “Med-view airline is allotted 2,776 pilgrims from the state to be transported back home.

    “Max – airline has however completed transporting back home the 3,937 pilgrims allotted to them.

    “Max Air and Med-view are the official airlines that were engaged in transporting pilgrims from Kaduna State back home,” Abdullahi said.

    NAN reports that 6,713 pilgrims performed the 2017 Hajj from Kaduna State.

  • Cultural diplomacy will solve Nigeria’s challenges – Runsewe

    Cultural diplomacy will solve Nigeria’s challenges – Runsewe

    The Director General, Nation Council for Arts and Culture, Olusegun Runsewe, said on Wednesday that Nigeria must use cultural diplomacy to address social and economic challenges facing the country.

    Runsewe told journalists in Kaduna that the spate of hate speeches and ethno-religious crisis would be tackled if effective use of culture was made to bring Nigerians together.

    The DG who was in Kaduna for the 47th meeting of the Executive Council on Culture, said Nigeria must learn from history and deploy culture effectively to cement bonds of friendship and interaction among the different tribes in the country.

    “We going to adopt cultural diplomacy to solve most, if not all of the challenges we are facing.

    “We are learning from history and the best option is cultural diplomacy which is what we are going to adopt this time; if we have respect for our individual cultures from different region,there won’t be hate speech.

    “So, we are inculcating and reawakening the consciousness of our people that we can use our culture to solve a lot of problem in our society.”

    The DG also said the country needed to exploit its cultural potentials to boost its Gross domestic Product ( GDP ).

    “We need to prepare ourselves for the rainy day; 17 countries in Africa gather their GDP from culture and tourism, so why not Nigeria, we have the resources, manpower that can take care of all these things.

    “Creative industry alone can change the narrative of this country. In this industry, no one is a waste, everybody useful, because you have to have one thing or two to contribute.

    “This is the sector that will save this country from the challenges we have.”

    Runsenwe disclosed that the council meeting was preparatory to the National Festival of Art and Culture ( NAFEST ), to be held in Kaduna from Oct. 14-21.

    “We have 17 directors from different states of the federation and we have toured facilities to be used for the festival.

    “It is a good strategy that we have gone round to check all the places, I believe Kaduna state is ready for the business of hosting NAFEST, I believe it’s good to go.”

  • NANS urges FG, NASU, SSANU to shift ground

    NANS urges FG, NASU, SSANU to shift ground

    The National Association of Nigerian Students ( NANS ) on Thursday urged Federal Government and Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities ( NASU ) to shift ground for industrial harmony.

    NASU National President Kadiri Aruna made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN ) in Enugu.

    NAN reports that NASU’s members and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities ( SSANU ) had been on strike for past three weeks over certain demands.

    Aruna said that the strike which was called off by Academic Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU ) early this week would not make much impact if NASU remained on strike.

    He, however, said that NANS would engage the Federal Government as well as the leadership of NASU and SSANU to look to the plight of students and find a way to resolve issues.

    “As a matter of fact, by next week we are going to write officially to Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education, NASU, SSANU and other stakeholders in tertiary education sector for them to consider Nigerian students.

    “The recent call-off of strike by ASUU will not make an impact if the non-academic staff members of universities are not working.

    “The strike of non-academic staff of universities means that the campuses, although opened, but cannot function normal,’’ he said.

    Aruna, however, urged students to return to campuses and resume classes in order to meet up and cover the academic activities for the session.

    “We want our members, Nigerian students, to resume lectures forthwith in order to show our commitment to learning and appreciate lecturers that had resumed classes,’’ he said.

  • ‘NCC committed to achieving 30% broadband penetration by 2018’

    ‘NCC committed to achieving 30% broadband penetration by 2018’

    The Nigerian Communications Commission ( NCC ) says it is committed to achieving the 30 per cent approved National Broadband Implementation Plan by 2018.

    Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, said this on Wednesday at the Nigeria Digital Innovation Conference in Ibadan.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference is sponsored by Centre for Cyber Awareness and Development ( CECAD ) in conjunction with Federal Ministry of Communication and NCC.

    The theme of the conference is “Building a New Nigeria in Digital Economy: Policy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship’’

    Danbatta, who was represented by Mr Reuben Muoka, NCC Head of Public Affairs, said that the plan was part of the 8-point agenda conceptualised for comprehensive national economic growth.

    He said that Nigeria’s broadband penetration was empirically adjudged by the global telecom regulator, the International Telecommunications Union ( ITU ), as 21 per cent in 2017.

    “We have witnessed the success of online shopping malls, online banking and other transactions in a way that it is being experienced in far more developed countries.

    “We are supporting ICT innovations in our institutions of higher learning and among several youth organisations across the country,’’ he said.

    Danbatta said that the Commission had taken the agenda as its guide in measuring regulatory impact and aligning development agenda in the course of regulating one of Africa’s biggest telecom market.

    The Executive Vice Chairman said that the NCC would not relent in its effort at promoting investment opportunities and selling the country’s investment potentials to the international telecom community.

    The NCC boss also said that the toll free 622 secondary consumer complaints initiative had been upgraded, adding that the success rate of resolution of consumer complaints on the platform had reached 75 per cent.

    “We have intensified our monitoring and compliance activities to achieve sanity and compliance to the rules of the game.

    “We are in the process of introducing a mandatory corporate governance code to improve the level of integrity of the industry,’’ he said.

    Also speaking, Mr Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative Nigeria ( PIN ), said that lack of commitment to innovative ideas accounted for the 56 per cent unemployment rate in the country.

    Sesan, who recalled how he made headway through strong innovation in 1997, charged students to stop giving excuses, saying such could limit their future.

    “I don’t think there is a reason for any student to graduate without a skill with the presence of the internet. Stop complaining about government.

    “What you become in the future is the product of whatever you start now,’’ he said.

    Mr Sunday Afolayan, President, Nigeria Internet Registration Association ( NIRA ), said the association was committed to ensuring that the identity and investment of Nigerians was maintained and protected.

    Afolayan also said that the association would ensure that Nigerians participated favourably in the digital space.

    Mr Bayo Oyeleke, Deputy Rector, The Polytechnic Ibadan, thanked the organisers for choosing the institution as the venue for the conference in the South West Zone.

    Oyeleke said that the conference would open the windows for students who participate actively.

    NAN reports that the conference was organised to promote innovation in tertiary institutions and as an avenue for students to interact with stakeholders and experts in the digital innovation world.