The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria newspaper

  • N8bn currency scam: Court refuses bail to ailing accused

    N8bn currency scam: Court refuses bail to ailing accused

    A Federal High Court in Ibadan on Thursday refused the bail applications filed by the seven accused persons standing trial over alleged N8 billion currency scam.

    The accused are; Kolawole Babalola, Muniru Olaniran, Kayode Togun, Isiaq Akano, Festus Adeyemi, Akeem Oyebanji and Ayodele Alese.

    Justice Joyce Abdulmaleek in a ruling turned down the applications believing that the accused might jump bail and refuse to show up for trial.

    “I have previously refused similar bail application and I know that the only option left for the applicants is to appeal the decision of the court.

    “The accused persons have also failed to convince this court that their ailment was contagious even though they said that the medical facilities in the prison were not adequate to cater for their deteriorating health.

    “In exercising my discretionary power, I see the possibility of the accused persons jumping bail if granted bail.

    “Therefore, the application for bail is refused and dismissed accordingly,” she ruled.

    After the ruling, the judge adjourned the case till Nov. 21, for continuation of trial.

    Earlier, Mr R. O. Sadiq, counsel to all the applicants had tendered a bail application, citing deplorable health conditions of his clients as reason for the bail application.

    Sadiq had asked the court to consider various portions of the constitution as well as the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) in her decision.

    Mr Adebisi Adeniyi, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ), hwever, opposed the bail application, saying the accused persons might jump bail.

    Adeniyi also reminded the court that it had rejected all previous bail applications tendered by the accused.

    Similarly, the court also turned the bail application tendered by one Esther Olunike-Afolabi in a sister case.

    Olunike-Afolabi was earlier convicted and jailed in the case when she opted for plea bargain arrangement with the EFCC.

    Due to her involvement in another case, she was produced in court, but her bail was rejected.

    Meanwhile, in another sister case, Mr Eddwin Ennah, a former Head of Currency Processing and Disposal Unit, Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN ) Ibadan office, who testified in the case, said he was shocked to see newspapers cut to the size of Naira notes in a box meant to contain N10 million.

    Testifying before Abdulmaleek, Ennah stated that the box was supposed to be containing N10 million made up of N500 notes all through, however, the box was interleaved with N100 notes and cut papers.

    “My lord, another terrible thing during that box inspection period was when our then Branch Controller asked us to cover up that discovery.

    “However, I disagreed with him.

    “The Branch Controller asked each of us to contribute certain amount to make up the loss sum in the box that was interleaved,” Ennah told the court.

    The witness further pointed out that election fraud was not the only avenue of great corruption in Nigeria, but also that several billions of Naira were usually lost to such exercise at the CBN.

    Babalola, Olaniran and Togun along with others have since 2015 been facing multiple charges bordering on conspiracy, conversion, forgery, recirculation of mutilated currencies and stealing of N8 billion at Ibadan office of CBN.

    NAN

  • UNESCO, CBAAC to celebrate 40th anniversary of FESTAC 77

    UNESCO, CBAAC to celebrate 40th anniversary of FESTAC 77

    UNESCO in partnership with the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) would mark the 40th anniversary of FESTAC 77 to push for the preservation of images captured across the globe for posterity.

    This is contained in a statement by Mr Olushola Macaulay, UNESCO’s National Information and Programme Officer in Abuja, to mark the World Day for Audio Visual Heritage.

    He said that the event would come up in Lagos from Nov. 6 to Nov.11.

    FESTAC 77, also known as the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, was held in Lagos from Jan. 15 to Feb. 12, 1977.

    It was a celebration of African culture, music, fine art, literature, drama, dance, and religion.

    FESTAC 77 placed audio visuals in the spotlight, and UNESCO, at its 21st General Conference on Oct. 27, 1980, agreed to safeguard and preserve the images and consequently initiated the World Day for Audio Visual Heritage.

    According to Olushola, people still capture moving images across the world, but lack the ability to preserve them.

    “Everyday, all over the world, people capture moving images to record all facets of life, from science to culture or to education.

    “Some of the images depicting different events and situations of life are lost due to inappropriate preservation.

    “The World Day for Audio visual Heritage, therefore, provides a platform for preserving and promoting our heritage.

    “Not only does it provide a platform for highlighting audio visual preservation, it also provides an avenue for building dialogue around it.

    “As conserved material, audio visual archives form a cornerstone for the memory of the world and preserve recordings for future generations.

    “UNESCO in collaboration with CBAAC celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the Second World African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC 77), holding in Lagos from Nov. 6 to Nov.11,” he said.

    “FESTAC 77, places in the spotlight, the role of audio visual preservation in ensuring that the memory of FESTAC 77 is kept for future generations to see,” he said.

    He added that the celebration would feature panel discussion with the theme “The Histori-cultural Importance of Audio Visual Preservation and the presentation of the Archive Digitisation Project.’’

    NAN

  • Police arrest five suspects for breaking into 10 shops

    Police arrest five suspects for breaking into 10 shops

    The Police in Jigawa on Thursday announced the arrest of five persons suspected of breaking into 10 shops in Dutse, the state capital.

    The command Public Relations Officer, Jinjiri Abdu, confirmed the arrest in an interview in Dutse.

    According to him, the suspects have been terrorizing shop owners along the popular Hakimi street in Dutse and other parts of the town.

    Abdu alleged that those arrested had broken into over 10 shops in the last three months and carted away goods and other valuables.

    The command spokesman explained that three of the suspects believed to be directly involved in the alleged crime were apprehended in the locality while two others were arrested in Kano for alleged receipt of stolen items.

    He said the suspects would be charged to court on conclusion of investigation and urged residents to be vigilant and report any suspicious character to the nearest police station for prompt action.

    NAN

  • Lawyer urges FG, states to prioritise civil servants welfare

    Lawyer urges FG, states to prioritise civil servants welfare

    An Ilorin-based legal practitioner, Mr Toyin Abayomi, has called on the Federal Governments( FG ) and State to prioritise issues that affect the welfare of the civil servants across the country.

    Abayomi, in an interview in Ilorin, said that government must do more to improve the conditions of civil servants in the country in fulfillment of its change agenda.

    He lamented the situation where Nigeria’s leaders both military and elected were fond of maltreating civil servants by denying them their meagre entitlements as and when due.

    ”Civil servants in the country have been relegated to a position of slaves at work year-in, year-out and at the end of the month and their working career, they go home with nothing.

    “Rather than consider their welfare, State Governors travel abroad at their expense for tourism with available resources which they spend on some grandiose and bogus ideas like erecting statues while owing workers salaries.

    “The civil servants and their children go through hard time as they have school fees, house rent and other pressing needs to settle. Where do you want them to get money from?” he asked.

    He said that civil servants needed to be carried along in the provisions by the government in the much touted dividends of democracy as they were sacrificing everything to make the country get better.

    He appealed to the Federal Government ( FG ) and State at all levels to stop denying civil servants their entitlements and to make provisions to carry them along.

    “Let them feel and taste the dividends of democracy, enough of the maltreatment, they are sacrificing everything to make the country grow so they deserve better welfare,” he said.

    According to him, it is time for the government at all levels and policy makers to prioritise civil servants welfare by settling all arrears and entitlements owed them.

    “The government should consider improving on the minimum wage paid in the country to boost their moral,” he said.

    NAN

  • FG terminates payment of OBC, FBC certification fees

    FG terminates payment of OBC, FBC certification fees

    The Federal Government( FG ) on has terminated payment of Outline Business Case (OBC) and Full Business Case (FBC) Compliance Certification fees with effect from Oct. 19.

    Mr Chidi Izuwah, the Acting Director, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission ( ICRC ) announced this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

    Izuwah, the Acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation, directed that all Public Private Partnership (PPP) stakeholders in Ministries, Departments and Agencies ( MDAs ) of the government should immediately discontinue payment of the fees.

    According to him, removal of the OBC and FBC fees will ease doing business on PPP procurement by MDAs in line with the change agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “It is hoped that this will provide the needed impetus to MDAs and other key stakeholders in the development and deployment of an avalanche of PPP projects,’’ he said.

    Izuwah explained that the decision by the government was in accordance with the high cost of PPP project preparation in the country.

    He said “this follows a feedback from stakeholders and potential investors with respect to the cost and procedure of Public Private Partnership (PPP) project preparation.

    “It is in a bid to give additional push to the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria, policy of the current administration that the ICRC initiated steps aimed at mitigating the bottlenecks that impede the successful conclusion of PPP projects’’.

    NAN

  • Aisha Buhari tasks women on participation in active politics

    Aisha Buhari tasks women on participation in active politics

    The wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, on Wednesday stressed the need for more women to show interest and participate in partisan politics.

    Buhari made this assertion at a 2-day Nigeria Women Political Stakeholders Summit in Abuja with the theme: “Increasing the Participation of Women in  Governance process in Nigeria,” organised by the National Council of Women Societies ( NCWS ).

    The wife of the president noted that the decline in participation of women in governance has led to poor national development in the country.

    According to her, in spite of the good intention of this administration to actively engage women in governance, there has been an alarming decline of women participation.

    Mrs Buhari, who was re‎presented by the former deputy governor of Plateau State, Dame Tallen, lamented the alarming decline in the statistics of women participation in governance, saying it would not augur well for national development.

    “Since 1999 there has been an alarming decline in the statistics of women in governance, something has gone terribly wrong, and we women need to speak out and do something about it.

    “We make up 50 per cent of this country’s population and we cannot continue to be sidelined in the decision making process of this country”.

    Earlier, Gloria Shoda, President of NCWS, said that insensitivity of the government was responsible for most problems confronting women.

    She opined that the recurring issues of women are not limited to poverty, unemployment, lack of access, lack of any social support system, inequality and the abysmal levels of women participation and representation in decision making in the political parties structures an in government.

    Shoda added that the society has decided to fight for the thirty five percent affirmative action to help change the narratives of Nigeria’s politics.

    She said that going forward the society would, henceforth, negotiate with and partner with any political party that would implement the 35 per cent affirmative action in filling it’s political party leadership positions.

    “We will partner with parties that will respect the 35 per cent affirmative action in selection of candidates for the 2019 general elections, prioritise women issues in its manifestos, and implement the 35 per cent action in its appointments when it wins the elections”.

    The chairman House of Representative ‎on Women Affairs and Social Development,  Mrs Stella Ugwu representing the Speaker of the House of representative, noted that the representation of women in the house was quite low.

    According to her, in the house of representatives there are only 22 women out of the 360 members, which is not too impressive.

    NAN

  • Bello proscribes JAC, trade union activities in state institutions

    Bello proscribes JAC, trade union activities in state institutions

    Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi on Wednesday announced the ban on the activities of Joint Action Committee (JAC) of trade unions and all forms of trade unionism in state-owned tertiary institutions.

    Bello, who made the announcement in a broadcast in Lokoja on Wednesday accused trade unionism in tertiary institutions of impeding government holistic reforms.

    He said he had respect for the rights of all citizens to responsibly associate and pursue their welfare within the ambits of the law and norms of a democratic society.

    The governor said his administration had made tremendous progress in resolving all issues relating to adequacy and frequency of remuneration for all categories of Civil Servants in the State.

    He reiterated his respect for the rights of labour unions in relations to the responsibilities of the owners and proprietors of tertiary academic institutions.

    Bello, however, regretted that the state-owned tertiary institutions’ trade unionism had let itself to impeding government’s efforts to carry out “holistic reforms in the civil service through its unjustified industrial actions.

    “The branch of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) in Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, has proceeded on yet another strike for alleged non-payment of salaries and emoluments irrespective of clear evidence of government’s good faith and efforts contradicting JAC’s position,” he said.

    The governor said there was evidence of massive embezzlement at Kogi State Polytechnic’s earnings in excess of N157m committed under JAC’s nose.

    Bello assured that his government remained committed to meeting its obligations to all genuine employees of the state as promptly as available resources would permit.

    “Government will work to ensure uninterrupted academic calendar, henceforth, in all basic education, secondary and tertiary academic institutions in Kogi State.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, and except where specified otherwise, references herein to the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Trade Unions of Tertiary Institutions owned by Kogi State are referred to:

    “The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU). The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP). The Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU). The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) and The Senior Staff Union of Colleges of Education in Nigeria (SSUCOEN).

    “Others are the National Associations of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and any other Union operating in any tertiary Institutions owned by the Kogi State Government,” he said.

    NAN

  • Police rescue two suspected robbers from mob in Enugu

    Police rescue two suspected robbers from mob in Enugu

    The operatives of the Police Command in Enugu State say they have rescued two suspected robbers from mob and lynching in Amuri road near Enugu.

    The Police Public Relations Officer ( PPRO ) for the command, Asp. Ebere Amaraizu, said in a statement on Thursday in Enugu.

    He said that the suspects, who attempted to flee after they made effort to steal a motorcycle, were rescued on Oct. 22.

    The police image maker noted that the rescue was carried out by police operatives from Agbani Division of the command.

    The spokesman said that the two suspects, name with held, hailed from Ogbaku in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo.

    “The two suspects received beating of their lives from the mob that promptly descended heavily on them for allegedly stealing a Top Star Motorcycle from where it was parked at Amuri Road at Agbani,’’ he said.

    He said the owner of the said motorcycle had gone to purchase some items from Eke Agbani Market.

    “It was gathered that suspects, having been sighted by good citizens, were promptly given a hot chase by members of the public who eventually closed them up.’’

    “They gave them the beating of their lives which left them with various degrees of injuries before the arrival of police operatives who immediately rescued them from being lynched.’’

    Amaraizu, who said the suspects were receiving medical attention while the motorcycle has been recovered, said the command had begun full scale investigations into the matter.

    NAN

  • Fitdasi Shekau’s wife feared dead after airstrikes on Durwawa – NAF

    Fitdasi Shekau’s wife feared dead after airstrikes on Durwawa – NAF

    Human Intelligence has indicated that the wife of Boko Haram leader, Malama Fitdasi Shekau, appeared to have been killed in recent successful airstrikes on Durwawa settlement on the outskirts of Urga, near Konduga.

    The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

    According to Adesanya, Fitdasi was reported to have been representing her husband in a coordinating meeting with other insurgents at the location of the airstrikes.

    He said NAF had carried out aerial attacks on large number of insurgents at Durwawa on Oct. 19.

    “Battle Damage Assessment had indeed revealed that the aerial attack set off a fire, causing damage to the insurgents’ structures within the settlement.

    “The airstrike also succeeded in neutralising most of the insurgents with a few of them fleeing the location,” he said.

    Adesanya said further that efforts were ongoing to confirm the reported killing of Shekau’s wife, alongside other insurgents.

    Read Also: Troops kill 3 Boko Haram insurgents, recover arms in Borno

  • Kwara gets new NYSC Coordinator

    Kwara gets new NYSC Coordinator

    The Director-General of NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Zakari Kazaure, has appointed Mr Amaefule Remigius as the new State Coordinator of the corps for Kwara.

    The NYSC state Public Relations Officer, Mr Oladipo Morakinyo, said this in a statement in Ilorin on Wednesday.
    It said the new coordinator would take over from Mrs Esther Atamenwan, who retired recently from service.

    The statement said Amaefule was until his new appointment, the Deputy Director, Corps Welfare and Inspectorate at the headquarters in Abuja.

    It added that the appointee has also served in several managerial capacities within the scheme.

    It described the new coordinator as an astute administrator, youth manager and mobiliser.

    The statement also announced that the formal handover ceremony would soon take place at the NYSC Secretariat in Ilorin.

    “While congratulating the new State Coordinator on the appointment, it is our prayer that the tenure shall be fruitful,” it added.

    NAN