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  • Anambra election: Igbo leader urges full participation by residents

    Anambra election: Igbo leader urges full participation by residents

    The Anambra State Indigenes Welfare Association, Kaduna Branch, has advised people of Anambra to go out en masse and vote the candidate of their choice in the Nov. 18 governorship election.

    The President General, Chief Humphrey Okolie, gave the advice in an interview  in Kaduna on Friday.

    Okolie was speaking against the backdrop of calls by some agitators, particularly the Indigenous People of Biafra, urging people in Anambra to boycott the election.

    “Let them not allow themselves to be deceived; on that day, let everybody go out and vote.

    “Go and vote for the right candidate; don’t sell your vote; don’t vote by sentiment; don’t vote along party lines – whether party A or party B, but vote the person you believe can perform and deliver Anambra state.’’

    The president general added that Anambra residents should vote during the election in order to avoid a vacuum of leadership.

    “How can they say election will not hold? Election must hold.

    “If they boycott election and the tenure of the incumbent governor elapses what happens?

    “Does the state stay like that without a governor in a democracy?

    “No state will function effectively without a substantive governor or administrator to see to the affairs of the state.’’

    Similarly, the Biafra Nations Youth League leader, Princewill Obuka said the group had no plans to interfere in the exercise, “as we recognize the people’s right to vote or boycott”.

    NAN

  • Stakeholders in Onicha LGA pledge support for Umahi’s second term bid

    Stakeholders in Onicha LGA pledge support for Umahi’s second term bid

    Stakeholders in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi have pledged their support for Gov. Dave Umahi second term ambition in 2019.

    They spoke at Isu, headquarters of Onicha Local Government Area, during the inauguration of “Rachael Umahi Women for Akubaraoha 2019,’’ a political support group.

    Mr Obasi Odefa, the Deputy Speaker, Ebonyi State House of Assembly, who spoke, said that the people would speak through action not by words when the time comes.

    “I assure you that Onicha people will vote massively even beyond what was seen during the last general election.’’

    The deputy speaker said that Onicha Local Government would remain a strong base of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Another member of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Valentine Okike-Uzo, who spoke, also assured the governor come 2019.

    The assembly member also said that the governor’s wife, Rachael Umahi, had impacted positively on women and children in the area.

    “Your passion for upliftment of widows, downtrodden, women and children through your pet project, Family Succour, has changed their lifestyle; we are committed in supporting you, “Okike-Uzo said.

    Prof. Chigozie Ogbu, former Ebonyi Deputy Governor and Pro-Chancellor of Ebonyi State University, who also spoke, assured the present administration of total support of people of the area come 2019.

    Ogbu who was also the chairman of the occasion, commended Gov. Umahi for executing  development projects across all the communities of Onicha Local Government Area.

    Mrs Rachael Umahi expressed appreciation to the people for their support and solidarity.

    She urged eligible voters to ensure they registered, as well as collect their voter’s cards, ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    Mr Felix Igboke, Chairman of Onicha Local Government Council, said that Gov. Umahi has transformed the state and should be given a second term to enable him complete his good works.

    He said that the people of the area would vote massively for Gov. Umahi in 2019.

    NAN

  • NFF postpones referees fitness test indefinitely

    NFF postpones referees fitness test indefinitely

    Nigeria Referees Association’s ( NRA ) fitness test for all categories of referees and assessors earlier scheduled for Nov.16 has been postponed indefinitely by the Nigeria Football Federation( NFF ).

    Sani Zubairu, Nigeria Football Federation’s ( NFF ) Head of Referees Unit, said that the decision was based on conflicting medical reports.

    Zubairu said that the central medical team of NFF were not satisfied with some alterations on medical reports of some of the referees.

    ‘’The central medical team discovered some alterations on the medical reports of some of the referees from various states.

    ‘’So, we decided to postpone the test indefinitely to enable persons affected to come up with acceptable reports without alterations,’’ he said.

    The NFF’s Head of Referees Unit, however, said that his office would meet with the committee on Nov. 15 to address the issue.

    NRA had scheduled Nov.16 as date for commencement of pre-league season fitness test for all categories of its members.

    NAN

  • How we resolved UNILAG MSSN face-off – Bello

    How we resolved UNILAG MSSN face-off – Bello

    The out-going Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Rahamon Bello, says the crisis of the institution’s Muslim students’ society was resolved through dialogue.

    He said that all members of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria ( MSSN ) drafted a new constitution that resolved the conflicts within the society.

    At a forum in Lagos, Bello said management also ensured that the society’s first allegiance was with the institution.

    “The university authority didn’t get into there and say MSSN short down. No.

    “Every student’s organisation in the university reports to the Dean of Students Affairs (DSA) because you are registered.

    “Whether you are a religious group or you are a disciplined group or whatever, you must be registered and report through the DSA, to the management.

    “In the case of the MSSN, they had a challenge and the problems were from within them; so, they became factionalised.

    “At a point, they had up to four factions and each of the factions was now writing to tell of the problems they had within and planning to disturb the peace of the community.

    “So, we watched them over a period. It has to do with leadership problem.

    “If you are familiar with the MSSN constitution, they also have relationships with external bodies.

    “The allegiance to the external bodies was far more than the internal body.

    “They are students; they are supposed to be there for at least four years, so the allegiance should be more to the university.

    “So, what we have done is to re-orient those situations.’’

    The Vice Chancellor expressed happiness that the MSSN now has a new leadership that would sustain peace on the campus.

    Explaining the new structure put in place, Bello said “there are Muslims in every faculty and each faculty has its own Muslim groups associations.

    “So, the choice of the leadership was by what they call in Islam, “The Shurah Committee”.

    “So, what we have done is to use the Shurah committee, which is a combination of all the faculty representations, in bringing out a leader.

    “So, they are all happy and the executive will be inaugurated as soon as they come back from holiday for the new academic session and then they move on.’’

    NAN

  • Shell supports Bayelsa youths with N12m start-up capital

    Shell supports Bayelsa youths with N12m start-up capital

    The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) on Thursday presented a business support grant of N12 million to 30 participants of its youth entrepreneurship scheme.

    Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Yenagoa, Mr Igo Weli, General Manager, SPDC, said that the company had so far empowered 6, 580 youths from the Niger Delta under the ‘LIVEWIRE’ entrepreneurship programme for youths between age 18 and 35.

    Weli, who was represented by Mr Kiri Obomanu, Head of GMoU Maturation Unit of SPDC, said that the beneficiaries had undergone training in essential business and entrepreneurship management.

    He said that 150 young entrepreneurs participated in the 2017 edition of the Shell LiveWIRE programme in the Niger Delta region.

    According to him, the scheme enables young people to start their own businesses and create employment, rather than seeking for elusive employment opportunities.

    “It provides budding young entrepreneurs with access to the essential business knowledge and customised support they need to transform their enterprising ideas into a viable and sustainable business.

    “LiveWIRE programme is targeted at young people between ages 18-35 to inspire, encourage and support them to start their own businesses or expand existing ones.

    “We do this by providing them requisite training and start up finance.

    “It is hoped that with legitimate alternative means of livelihood, our young men and women will turn their backs on vices,” he said.

    Mr Collins Cocodia, the Bayelsa Commissioner for Youths Development, urged SPDC to strengthen its collaboration with the state government on youth empowerment.

    Cocodia applauded the oil firm for the initiative and urged the beneficiaries to maximise the opportunity by taking their peers off the employment market.

    Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Miss Bertha Erekosima, whose specialty is on bags and shoe production, commended SPDC for the scheme and pledged to uphold the objectives of the programme and expand their businesses.

    Mr Sapele Lawrence, who specialised in fish farming, said that he would deploy the grant to expand his existing farm.

    “This grant is a welcome development, I have only one pond and have been yearning to expand my ponds, my dream is to have six ponds and this grant will go a long way and I will have to hire more hands.

    “I am also looking at producing fingerlings because here in Bayelsa, we don’t have anyone involved in breeding and fish farmers travel to Delta to get fingerings, so I will further deploy the grant into these areas,” Lawrence said.

    NAN

  • 2018 Budget: LCCI lauds 30.8% capital allocation

    2018 Budget: LCCI lauds 30.8% capital allocation

    The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has commended the Federal Government for allocating 30.8 per cent of the 2018 Federal Budget to capital projects.

    The Director-General of LCCI, Mr Muda Yusuf, gave the commendation in a statement on Thursday in Lagos.

    President Muhammadu Buhari presented the N8.6 trillion 2018 Federal Budget to the National Assembly on Nov. 7.

    The N8.6 trillion 2018 Budget represents a 16 per cent increase in nominal term over the 2017 Budget of N7.44 trillion.

    “We welcome the priority accorded to infrastructure in the budget proposal focusing on roads, railways, power projects, water projects and second Niger bridge.

    “Reference was made to the embarrassing state of the access to the ports and the public private initiative to fix it.

    “We welcome the decision to connect the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge to the Apapa and the Tin-Can Island port.

    “But time is of the essence.

    “There is an urgent need to save the private sector and investors from the agony of persistent gridlock at the Apapa and Tin-Can ports which accounts for over 70 per cent of import and export cargo in the country,” he said.

    Yusuf said that it was imperative to formulate policies to mobilise private sector capital into the infrastructure space.

    He said that consideration should be given to further reduction in cost of governance and scaling up remittances of surplus from MDAs to the coffers of government.

    The LCCI boss also said there was the need to refocus government’s tax drive from direct to indirect taxes in line with the National Tax Policy.

    “A disproportionate focus on direct taxation is detrimental to investment and hard work.

    “There is also need to curb the growing incidence of multiplicity of taxes and levies on businesses at all levels of government,” he said.

    According to him, as the budget appropriation process progresses, there is need for clarifications on the status of budgetary appropriation for petroleum subsidy both for the current fiscal year and 2018.

    “It is also necessary to throw some light on the status of the estimated N800 billion debt to oil marketers.

    “Investors in this sector would like to see a sustainable framework for the management of petrol subsidy,” Yusuf said.

    He also called for clarification on the status of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) debts estimated at about N5 trillion within the debt management framework of the government.

    Yusuf said that clarification on the framework for payment of contractors’ arrears which cuts across various MDAs should be provided.

    “The non-payment of contractor’s arrears has taken a huge toll on many contractors.

    “The amount involved has been estimated at over N1 trillion,” he said.

    The LCCI boss appealed to the National Assembly to ensure speedy consideration of the appropriation bill toward normalising the budgetary cycle and bringing greater predictability to the economic management process.

    NAN

  • Court remands man over alleged armed robbery

    Court remands man over alleged armed robbery

    A Sango- Ota Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ogun, on Thursday ordered the remand of 22-year-old Isamaila Jimoh, in prison over alleged armed robbery.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs B. B. Adebowale, ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison, pending legal advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions.

    Adebowale adjourned the case until Dec. 21 for hearing.

    The defendant, whose address was not given, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and army robbery.

    The prosecutor, Cpl. Abdulkareem Mustapha, said that the defendant and others still at large, committed the offences on Sept. 8 at about 10.30 p.m. at Arise and Shine Bus-Stop, Itele, Ota.

    Mustapha said that the defendant and his accomplices used a local gun to rob one Musa Ali of his Bajaj Motorcycle valued at N205, 000.

    The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Sections (1) (2) (a) of the Robbery and Fire Arms Act Cap R11, Laws of theFederation, 2004.

    Read Also: Court remands man caught with Indian hemp

  • Senate approves $350m World Bank loan for Ogun Development Policy Operation

    Senate approves $350m World Bank loan for Ogun Development Policy Operation

    The Senate at plenary on Thursday approved 350 million dollars World Bank loan for Ogun State Development Policy Operation ( DPO ) as contained in the 2016-2018 Rolling Plan.

    The approval followed the presentation of a report on the loan by Chairman, Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, Sen. Shehu Sani.

    Presenting the report, Sani said that the committee observed that the Ogun State DPO budget for the loan had been approved by World Bank in 2016.

    He added that the loan was further captured in the 2016-2018 borrowing plan as approved by the National Assembly.

    Sani noted that the committee also observed that the credit facility had an attractive low financing rate of 125 per cent interest, moratorium of five years and a five-year maturity term.

    He said “the facility has already been captured in the 2016-2018 Medium Term Expenditure Framework.

    “It also has low and acceptable loan sustainability level, therefore it is eligible to borrow.

    “The DPO loan will further help to enhance the capacity of the state government.

    “The state has met the various conditions laid by World Bank and as such qualified for the loan.

    “It has also put in place institutional framework for transparent and accountable budgetary and financial purpose.”

    He explained that the projects to be funded by the facility would engender economic growth, increase revenue generation and create employment opportunities.

    “The committee recommends that the Senate should go ahead and approve the loan as contained in the 2016-2018 external borrowing rolling plan of President Muhammadu Buhari,’’ Sani added.

    The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary, put the report to  voice vote and was adopted by the lawmakers.

    NAN

  • NGO distributes condoms, empowers 200 people in Port Harcourt

    NGO distributes condoms, empowers 200 people in Port Harcourt

    A Non-Governmental Organisation ( NGO ),Minds Development Initiative, on Thursday, said it trained and empowered more than 200 people in different fields.

    Its Director-General, Dr Constance Amad said this in Port Harcourt on Thursday that the organisation focused on assisting underprivileged persons.

    The members the eight-year-old organisation, in a roadshow on major roads and streets in Port Harcourt, distributed condoms to residents.

    Amadi said that the condoms were worth N1.6 million, adding that the organisation also
    bought and distributed wheel chairs to physically challenged persons.

    According to her, the distribution of condoms is to save the live of residents who cannot abstain from having sex.

    She said the organisation had branches in all states of the federation except Gombe State, where the head was allegedly murdered by Boko Haram terrorists.

    The director-general said that the roadshow was to create awareness about the existence of the group and to mark its eighth anniversary.

    She added that the organisation had carried out free medical services in local communities in the country.

    Read Also: NGO provides shelter to 99 indigent children in Plateau

    NAN

  • Pope Francis recognises “heroic virtues” of predecessor, John Paul I

    Pope Francis recognises “heroic virtues” of predecessor, John Paul I

    Pope Francis has agreed to recognise the “heroic virtues’’ of his predecessor, John Paul I, bringing the Italian-born pope closer to Catholic sainthood, the Vatican said on Thursday.

    A candidate with heroic virtues earns the title of “Venerable’’ and is two steps away from sainthood.

    Beatification, which gives a person the right to the “Blessed’’ title, is next in line for John Paul I.

    Born Albino Luciani in northern Italy, the late pope led the Catholic Church for only 33 days, died on Sept. 28, 1978, at relatively young age of 65.

    The official cause of death was heart attack, but conspiracy theorists suggested that John Paul I was murdered by people afraid of his plans to clean up the Vatican’s murky finances.

    Earlier this week, a journalist also involved in John Paul I’s canonisation process published a book, claiming to have found evidence that there was no foul play.

    John Paul I suffered chest pains hours before his death but turned down medical assistance, neglecting symptoms of fatal heart trouble, Stefania Falasca wrote, quoting confidential medical report.

    Normally, miracles would have to be attributed to John Paul I to justify his beatification and, later, sainthood, but Francis could waive such requirements.

    Many popes made it to sainthood, most recently John Paul II and John XXIII in 2014.

    NAN