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Low turnout of workers as work resumes in Abuja

Only a few workers resumed duty on Tuesday at the various ministries of the Federal Secretariat, Abuja after the New Year holiday.

Official activities were still at a low ebb due to the poor turnout of workers at their duty posts.

It will be recalled that the Federal Government declared Monday, December 25, Tuesday, December 26 and Monday, January 1 as public holidays for Christmas, Boxing Day and the New Year.

The commercial activities at the secretariat were equally low, as many traders around the complex had yet to report for business.

Some of the workers, who spoke with NAN, however, expressed optimism that the country would experience a better turnaround in the New Year.

Mr Tony Ihuoha, a civil servant said that it was time for Nigerian workers to rededicate themselves to work for greater productivity.

“If we can work harder to improve on our contributions to national development, Nigeria will be better for it.

He, however, argued that the low turnout of workers could be because many of them who travelled for the holidays had yet to return.

At the phase 3 of the secretariat, including the Ministry of Education, some civil servants were seen treating files and attending to people.

Mrs Dorcas Babatunde, a civil servant, said the holidays had come and gone and it was necessary for workers to be at their duty posts.

Babatunde said that though, work had resumed, full activities had yet to pick up in the offices.

“The year has started on a good note; some workers have resumed work while others are yet to return to office.

“I believe that by Monday, activities would have taken shape at the secretariat.

Miss Chinenye Eze, a recharge card seller said that business was dull as many of her customers had not resumed work.

Read also: ‘24 trucks meant for Abuja diverted to South East’

Eze, who was hopeful that things would get better as soon as many of the workers return, said sales were very low on resumption of work.

Also Mrs Iyabo Agbaje, a food vendor, said it was a normal thing on the resumption of work to experience low sales.

“I have learnt from experience that there would always be a low turnout of workers the first day of work.

“What I did was to cook little food that I know I can finish selling before the close of work, as I have had the experiences of having to throw food away due to low patronage,” she added.

The ever busy car park at the Eagles Square was empty, as few vehicles were parked there.

A car park attendant, Mr Abdul Ilori, described as unimpressive, the resumption of work by civil servants after the New Year holiday.

Ilori admitted that patronage was also low, blaming the situation on the fact that most civil servants had yet to resume.

NAN

January 2, 2018
NSCDC arrests 26 suspects for various offences

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps ( NSCDC ), Nasarawa State Command, says it has arrested 26 suspects for various offences committed between December 28, 2017 and January 1, 2018.

The Corps Commandant, Muhammad Mahmoud-Fari, told newsmen while parading the suspects on Tuesday in Lafia, that they were apprehended for cultism, theft, defilement, breach of trust and assault.

Mahmoud-Fari said that seven of them were arrested for theft, four arrested for assault, 13 for cultism, one caught for defilement and another suspect for breach of trust.

He said they were apprehended from various locations in the state.

“Eleven suspected cultists, belonging to a group known as ‘Assist Group’ were arrested, while two others belong to another group known as “Touch and See’’.

Read also: NSCDC deploys personnel to filling stations

The suspected cultists were arrested at the polytechnic in Lafia.

“After completion of our investigations, the suspects will be charged to court and prosecuted accordingly to serve as a deterrent to others,” he said.

Mahmoud-Fari said that the arrest of the suspects was done in collaboration with the officers of Nasarawa Youth Empowerment Scheme ( NAYES ) and members of the public who shared information with NSCDC.

“That is why I always appeal to the public to assist us.

“We need their understanding and co-operation, because when you fight collectively, you succeed.

“We are not calling civilians to go and fight, but to be our informants,” he added.

NAN

January 2, 2018
Court jails two for stealing yam

A Mararaba Grade 1 Area Court, Aso Pada in Nasarawa State, on Friday sentenced two labourers to six months imprisonment each for stealing 50 tubers of yam.

The judge, Upside Yaqub, however, gave the convicts, Habibu Kabiru, 25; and Salisu Hamidu, 22, both residents of Old Orange Market Mararaba, an option of N5, 000 fine each.

Yaqub warned them to desist from committing crimes and ordered that the tubers of yam be returned to the owner.

The convicts had pleaded guilty to a four-count charge of criminal conspiracy, trespass, mischief and theft.

Following the guilty plea, the Prosecutor, Agabi Auta, urged the court to try them summarily under Section 347 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

Earlier, Auta had told the court that the complainant, Utume Clement of Kudu village, Mararaba, reported the incident at the ‘A’ Division Police Station, Mararaba, on Dec. 22.

He said that the convicts and one Musa Iliya, now at large, went to the complainant’s farm at Kudu village, Mararaba, and harvested 50 tubers of yam.

The prosecutor said the convicts were apprehended while trying to put the yam in a sack and were handed over to the police immediately.

He said the offences contravened Sections 79, 347, 348 and 287 of the Penal Code.

NAN

December 30, 2017
Court remands Mother for pouring hot water that led to son death

An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ court on Friday remanded Mary Eze, in Ikoyi prison for allegedly pouring hot water on her seven-year-old son for misplacing N200 which led to his death.

The accused, 40, a petty trader appeared before Chief Magistrate, Mrs Oluyemisi Adelaja, on a charge for murder, but her plea was not taken by the court.

The Investigating Police Officer, (IPO) Insp. Chris Akpanomo, had told the court that the accused committed the offence on Dec. 8, at No. 670, Ikorodu Road, Owode Elede in Ikorodu.

He alleged that the accused had sent the deceased with the last N200 she had, to buy food for her, but he returned to tell her that he had misplaced the money.

According to Akpanomo, out of annoyance she poured hot water on him, locked him in the house and went about her daily routine.

He added that it was his persistent shouts that attracted neighbours, who rushed him to the hospital where he later died.

The offence contravened section 222 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 which stipulates a death sentence for convicts.

The Chief Magistrate ordered that the accused be remanded at the Ikoyi Prisons pending the outcome of legal advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP’s).

She, however, adjourned the case until January 24, 2018 for legal advice.

NAN

December 30, 2017
Unemployed woman absconds with church property

A 45-year-old unemployed woman, Olabisi Usman, who allegedly stole church property valued at N154,000, was on Friday hauled up before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

The accused was arraigned before a Magistrate, Mrs. Y.O Ekogbulu, on a charge of stealing.

Usman, who resides at Meiran area of Lagos, however, pleaded not guilty and was admitted to a bail of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Ekogbulu said that the sureties should be gainfully employed and show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

The prosecutor, Insp. Clement Okuoimose, said that the accused committed the offence on November 26, at Olagoke Street, Meiran, Lagos.

He said that the accused unlawfully entered into Foursquare Gospel Church and stole some property.

“The accused stole one musical speaker, one tiger generator, a standing fan, a ceiling fan and four plastic chairs. Total value of items stolen was N154,000,” he said.

Read also: Man ‘dupes’ church of N1m

Okuoimose said that the accused was a tenant in the church premises and entered through the window to steal.

“The accused, who just packed into the compound two months earlier, was later found out to be behind the theft.

“When she was arrested and questioned, she confessed that she stole the items and sold it to one Malam.

“But the buyer could not be located,” he said.

The offences contravened Sections 287 and 308 (2)of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015(Revised).

The accused may be jailed for three years if found guilty of stealing according to the provisions of Section 287.

The case was adjourned until January 17 for mention.

NAN

December 30, 2017
Court remands man for murder of friend’s wife

An Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, has remanded 27-year-old Opeyemi Zachaeus, for alleged conspiracy and murder of his friend’s wife, Adejoke Kalejaiye, 25.

Zacheaus is standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.

The Prosecutor, Sgt. Kehinde Olatunde, had told the court that the accused committed the offences on Dec. 14 at about 2.00 p.m. at Agemuwo in Badagry area of Lagos State.

Olatunde alleged that the accused had helped the husband of the deceased, Mr Kalejaiye, to conceal her remains and to dispose of her phone and other valuables.

Read also: Court remands Mother for pouring hot water on son

He said that the offences contravened Sections 223 and 233 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The plea of the accused was denied.

The Chief Magistrate, Kofo Ariyo, ordered the remand of the accused at the Ikoyi Prisons, pending legal advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP’s).

The case was adjourned until February 7, 2018 for legal advice.

NAN

December 30, 2017
Zimbabwe President appoints VP as defence minister

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed Vice President, Retired Gen. Constantino Chiwenga as the country’s defence minister.

Acting Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Justin Mupamhanga, said in a statement on Friday that Mnangagwa had also put Co-Vice President, Kembo Mohadi in charge of National Peace and Reconciliation portfolio.

The two vice presidents were sworn in on Thursday by Chief Justice Luke Malaba.

Mupamhanga noted that “in terms of Section 99 of the Constitution, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe may assign functions to vice presidents to assist him/her in the discharge of his/her functions.

Read also: Ex army boss sworn in as Zimbabwe VP

“The president may also assign functions to vice residents including the administration of any ministry of department or Act of Parliament.”

President Mnangagwa took over from former president Robert Mugabe in November after Mugabe resigned following military and public pressure.

(Xinhua/NAN)

December 29, 2017
Over 20 Palestinians injured in anti-Trump protest – officials

Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets of Gaza and West Bank for the fourth Friday in a row in protests against U.S. President Donald Trump ’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Palestinian health officials said at least 20 protesters were wounded by live fire, mostly along the Gaza border.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said soldiers had shot at “main instigators” who posed a direct threat to the troops and who were trying to damage the border security fence.

The spokesperson said about 4,000 Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza, some throwing rocks and fire bombs and setting tires alight, confronted Israeli soldiers who responded mainly by firing tear gas.

In Gaza, demonstrators chanted “Death to America, death to Israel, and death to Trump” and militants fired rockets into Israel, drawing strikes by Israeli tanks and aircraft.

The military said it targeted posts that belonged to Hamas, the Islamist group that controls the Palestinian enclave, after intercepting two of the three rockets fired into Israel.

Police said the third struck a building, causing damage.

No casualties were reported in those incidents.

Trump outraged Palestinians and sparked anger in the Middle East and among world powers with his Jerusalem declaration on Dec. 6.

That reversed decades of U.S. policy on one of the most sensitive issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel considers Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital.

Palestinians want the capital of an independent Palestinian state to be in the city’s eastern sector, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East War and annexed in a move never recognised internationally.

Most countries regard the status of Jerusalem as a matter to be settled in an eventual Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, although that process is now stalled.

A UN General Assembly resolution passed on Dec. 21 rejected Trump’s Jerusalem declaration.

However, a total of 128 countries voted for the UN resolution, nine opposed it and 35 abstained while 21 countries did not cast a vote.

(Reuters/NAN)

December 29, 2017
Nigeria must regain its pride in food exportation – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday in Abuja reiterated Federal Government’s determination to continually review and strengthen ongoing reforms in the agriculture sector “until Nigeria regains its pride of place as food exporting country.”

The president said this when he received a delegation of All Progressives Congress ( APC ) from Kebbi, led by the state Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu in the Presidential Villa.

He added that the country’s rice import bill had dropped significantly, noting, however, that “beyond self-sufficiency, Nigeria must strive to become net exporter of food commodities.

“We are not doing badly in the agriculture sector: Nigerians and indeed the world, are beginning to appreciate our efforts. We will work harder until we start exporting food.

“We are happy that rice and beans importation into the country have gone down by over 90 per cent, and everyone can see how productive states like Kebbi turned out to be and states like Lagos, Ogun and Ebonyi are following the example.”

The President said Kaduna, Katsina, Kano and Sokoto states had already reported remarkable turn-around in the agriculture sector, with more youths taking interest in entrepreneurship.

Buhari, who disagreed with the astronomical food import bill presented by the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN ) from the inception of the administration, pointed out that it was later discovered to be “fraudulent practices’’ by some elite to deplete the foreign reserves.

He said “when I was told that the CBN had no savings after the windfall of selling oil for more than 100 dollars per barrel for many years and production was 2.1 billion barrels per day, I did not believe them.

“I did not believe them because majority of Nigerians cannot afford imported food; they rely on what is locally grown. It turned out that 50 per cent of the export bills were fraudulent, courtesy of the Nigerian elite.

“Unfortunately, we will not know all that happened because the elite worked in collusion with institutions in developed countries like insurance firms, shipping companies and other financial outfits, to perpetuate the fraud.”

On security, President Buhari said the return of farmers to their farm lands in the North East, with glaring results of high yields, was a testimony to the relative peace that had been achieved.

He assured that more would be done to check the mayhem of suicide attacks.

The President said his administration would put in more effort to reposition the education and health sectors to compete with other global institutions.

While introducing the delegation, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, commended government’s policies toward reviving the agriculture sector.

The Kebbi Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, said “the state government and the APC family was pleased with the performance of Federal Government in securing the country, reviving the economy and fighting corruption.”

Bagudu and members of the delegation, which included former Governor of the state, Alhaji Usman Dakingari and other former PDP stalwarts, prayed for the quick recovery of the President’s son, Yusuf Buhari who was involved in a bike accident.

NAN

December 29, 2017
Obaseki assents to 2018 budget of N150bn in Edo

Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo on Friday assented to the 2018 budget of N150.09 billion pledging 95 per cent implementation before the end of 2018.

Edo House of Assembly on December 21 passed the state’s budget with an increase of about N3.4 billion.

Gov. Obaseki, had on November 29, presented a budget proposal of N146.6 billion, made up of N66.7 billion recurrent and N79.8 billion capital expenditures to the legislature for consideration.

Assenting to the budget in Benin, the governor described the occasion as ‘historical’, noting that it was the first time in the history of the state a budget was given assent before the beginning of the new fiscal year.

“It shows seriousness of both arms of government and it also demonstrates the level of alignment between the legislative and the executive,” he said.

The governor commended the legislature for fine-tuning the budget, saying that the increment of about N4 billion was realistic going by the current crude oil prices.

“The ratio of capital to expenditure is now better; 2018 will be much better than what we experienced in 2017.

“We will implement the budget to bring succour to the people of the state,” he said.

Earlier, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Kabiru Adjoto, had said the budget was designed to meet with the prevailing realities as well as for the benefit of the people of the state.

Adjoto said the legislature increased the budget allocation for agriculture and infrastructure to allow for revenue generation for the state.

NAN

December 29, 2017