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Suspected Boko Haram raid kills 10 in Cameroon village

Suspected Boko Haram militants killed at least 10 villagers in northern Cameroon on Sunday night in what army and local officials said was revenge for attacks by Cameroon’s army.

Cameroon’s semi-arid far North region has been a target of Boko Haram suicide bombings and raids for eight years as the Islamist insurgency spilled over the border from Nigeria, killing 20,000 and uprooting nearly three million in the Lake Chad region.

Cameroon forces have tried to beat back insurgents but have struggled to stop unpredictable attacks that have been the hallmark of Boko Haram’s bid to carve out an Islamic state.

A senior army source said the attackers came to the village of Gouderi at 11 p.m. on Sunday and killed 11 people.

Two local officials told Reuters by phone that “about 10” had been killed.

“It looks like revenge because the army killed Boko Haram members in this village and forced others to retreat to Nigeria,” the army source said.

NAN

October 30, 2017
Hospital to spend N1 bn on equipment, others

Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, Kaduna plans to spend over N1 billion on new equipments and completion of projects in 2018, its Chief Medical Director, Prof. Abdulkadir Tabari, has said.

Tabari told newsmen on Monday in Kaduna that the hospital has uncompleted projects spanning over the last five years.

He said that the focus would be on providing relevant equipment to improve services and to meet accreditation requirements.

“We are proposing N1 billion for the new projects and N78 million for the ongoing projects,” he said.

According to the CMD, the new focus is to ensure that the hospital meets its core mandates in teaching and research, providing medical services and medical enterprises.

Tabari disclosed that the medical center would partner with private organisations to enhance the quality of services offered to the general public and in imparting knowledge to relevant health workers.

NAN

October 30, 2017
Former attorney-general urges Bayelsa Government to appoint new judges

Mr Francis Egele ( SAN ), a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Bayelsa, has urged Bayelsa Government to appoint new judges in order to quicken dispensation of justice in the state.

Egele made the call on Monday in Yenagoa at a ceremony to mark the official commencement of the state’s 2017/2018 legal year.

He noted that the last time a judge was appointed in the state was 12 years ago, adding that some other states had within the period “appointed over eight to 10 judges.”

Egele said the executive arm of government could not be absolved of blame for the state’s inability to appoint judges because it has not been able to comply with the stipulated requirements.

According to him, states’ requesting to appoint judges are required by the National Judicial Council ( NJC ) to among other things, provide befitting cars, accommodation and library for any judge that is to be appointed.

He also attributed the prevailing situation to lack of financial independence of the judiciary as contained in the extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Egele, who advocated for the capacity building of judges and members of the bar in the state, said that the NJC has again offered Bayelsa two chances for the appointment of judges and it would lapse in December this year or January 2018.

He appealed to the Seriake Dickson-led administration not to allow the state miss the opportunity on account of lack of funds and facilities, as the appointmen would reduce the work load on judges and ensure speedy trials.

“I crave the indulgence of His Excellency the Governor to ensure that, for the first time, this administration joins the league of administrations that have made it possible for the appointment of judges.

“I am privy to the fact that since 2012, the governor has proposed the building of judges’ and magistrates’ quarters.

“I do hope and urge that before our colleague leaves office, this laudable project should be achieved.

“It is suggested as acknowledged by the Chief Justice of the Federation on Sept. 18, 2017 that such buildings could be owned on the retirement of such judicial officers or it be monetised for them at reasonable and affordable prices,” Egele said.

NAN

October 30, 2017
Updated: Buhari, Ouattara meet over Togo, Liberia, other issues

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday met behind closed doors with the Cote d’Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The leaders discussed issues bordering on the situation in Togo, Liberia, among other issues.

The meeting also deliberated on issues of mutual benefit to the countries.

Speaking with reporters in the State House, Ouattara said “It is a great honour and privilege to be in Abuja to see my brother and exchange views with him on the bilateral relations between Nigeria and Cote D’Ivore and to see how our sovereign nation is doing and also of course we had the opportunity to exchange views on major issues on the continent and the world.

“I will like to thank President Buhari for his invitation. I had expressed the wish to come and see him, we had been in touch and I came to tell him that we are very happy that he is back in good health. This is important not only for Nigeria but for the whole of West Africa and our continent. We pray God that his health continues to be strengthened and be better for him to lead our sub region.

“The leadership of Nigeria is quite important to all of us which is something that is obvious but I think it needs to be said.

“President Buhari has shown a great leadership with the fight against Boko Haram, insecurity in the sub region and also on economic matters.

“I expressed to him the fact as an economist and having worked in Nigeria many years ago, I am impressed by the measures which have been implemented to lift Nigeria out of recession.

He said that Nigeria and his country have similar experiences resulting from crash in the prices of the two countries’ main export commodities at the international market.

He specifically commended the President for the measures engaged to bring Nigeria out of recession.

“Nigeria has seen sharp drop in the price of oil and Cote D’Ivore has also experienced an important decrease in the price of cocoa. As you are all aware, Cote D’Ivore produces 40 percent of world cocoa, two million tons and the price dropped early this year by 40 percent.

“So this has had negative effect on our economy. I know what Nigeria went through with the sharp drop in the price of oil. So I expressed to him my admiration for all the measures which have been taken to lift Nigeria out of recession and to wish all the Nigeria people well because our sub region has made a lot of progress over the past few years and we need to strengthen the bilateral relationship between Cote D’Ivore and Nigeria. This is what we discussed and we have committed ourselves to do so.

“We also discussed the situation in Togo and situation in Liberia on those we have complete consensus on how we should go about to strengthen democracy in our sub region.” he said

According to him, President Buhari has promised to attend the AU/European meeting in Abidjan at the end of November.

October 30, 2017
Court remands land agent for alleged racketing

A Sokoto Magistrates’ Court on Monday ordered the remand of 48-year-old estate agent, Lawali Maigara, for alleged land fraud.

The defendant was accused of defrauding one Mubarak Bello of Fakon Iddi area of Sokoto of N400,000 on land transaction.

The defendant was arraigned on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust and cheating, offences contrary to Sections, 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.

The Prosecutor, Sgt. Abubakar Mohammed, had told the court that the defendant sold a plot of land to the victim at N380, 000, alongside N20, 000 agency fee.

Mohammed said that when the victim started developing his land, the accused went and sold the same land to another person, leading to the destruction of the victim’s building.

This prosecutor said the incident occurred sometimes in 2014.

The accused, however, denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Chief Magistrate, Abubakar Adamu, ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody until police investigation is completed.

Adamu adjourned the case until Nov. 8, for further mention.

NAN

October 30, 2017
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
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