The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria newspaper

  • Liberia set to elect new president

    Liberia set to elect new president

    Voters in the West African nation of Liberia are set to elect a new head of state, as President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf prepares to step down after 12 years in power, an official poll has said on Tuesday.

    Report says Tuesday’s polls are expected to mark the first time in 73 years that a democratically elected president is peacefully handing over power to a successor chosen by the people.

    Twenty candidates are in the race for president, with 72-year-old Johnson Sirleaf, a Nobel Peace Prize-winner often dubbed the “Iron Lady,” retiring after two six-year terms in office.

    The official report said that there are only three contenders who analysts believe have a real chance of winning.

    They are Vice President Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party ( UP ), former international football star George Weah, who leads the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change ( CDC ) and Charles Brumskine, the head of the Liberty Party ( LP ).

    Boosting the economy, creating jobs and fighting corruption are high on the agenda of all candidates’ campaigns.

    The last peaceful transfer of power between two democratically elected presidents took place in Liberia in 1944 when former President Edwin Barclay handed over to William Tubman.

    Liberia remains one of the poorest countries in the world and continues to struggle with the aftermath of the 2013-15 Ebola crisis, which killed over 4,000 people nationwide.

    As well as a brutal 14-year civil war that ended in 2003 after having claimed over 250,000 lives and displaced about a million people.

    The roughly 2.2 million registered voters in the country of 4.1 million are also set to elect 73 members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

    NAN

  • Court charges 2 men, companies with N3.3bn oil fraud

    Court charges 2 men, companies with N3.3bn oil fraud

    Two men, Ogbor Eliotand, Godwin Okoronkwo were on Monday arraigned Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo of a Federal High Court in Lagos charged with N3.3 billion oil fraud.

    Also charged alongside the men are two companies  Danium Energy Services Ltd and Petrosol Energy Ltd.

    They are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) on a 10- count charge bordering on fraud.

    The accused, however, denied the charges.

    Justice Oguntoyinbo remanded them in the custody of the EFCC until Oct. 11 when their bail applications will be heard.

    According to the prosecution, the accused conspired to defraud a financial house to the tune of N3.3 billion.

    The EFCC said Eliot and Danium Energy Services Ltd had on Jan. 30 or thereabouts conspired to induce the new generation bank to deliver to Danium Energy Services Ltd a sum of N3.3 billion.

    The funds were said to be paid on the pretext that Total Nigeria Plc contracted the energy firm to supply 15,000 metric tonnes of Automotive Gas Oil (diesel).

    It was also alleged that Eliot and the energy firm on Feb. 3 induced the financial institution to deliver to Danium Energy Services N3.3 billion for the supply.

    Besides, the anti-graft agency alleged that the duo on or before Feb. 9 also conspired to commit fraud to the tune of N2.8 billion by making similar false representation.

    The offences contravened the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences 2004.

    NAN

  • Monkey pox: Enugu urges residents to avoid contact with animals

    Monkey pox: Enugu urges residents to avoid contact with animals

    The Enugu State Ministry of Health has urged residents of the state to be wary of touching or coming in contact with wild animals, for self protection against Monkey-pox virus.

    The ministry’s Director of Public Health Services, Dr Okechukwu Ossai, gave the advice when he spoke on Tuesday, on measures taken by the ministry to prevent the disease in the state.

    Ossai said the ministry had begun sensitisation in local radio and television stations about the disease, its signs and symptoms.

    He said that the ministry had also gone ahead to orientate its disease surveillance officers in all the local governments and border areas on the disease.

    The orientation, he said include the physical manifestations and signs of the disease.

    “At the grassroots, we have alerted our health focal persons to monitor the environment and ensure that no one incubates any strange disease in his or her house,’’ he said.

    The director said that personal, family and environmental hygiene especially hand washing, was key and necessary for all residents of the state to observe, to avoid any form of virus or contagious disease.

    He said monkey-pox could be contacted through touching the body or body fluid of wild animals, adding that apart from monkeys, antelopes and wild rats could also harbour the virus.

    “I will also urge hunters, butchers and those that prepare bush meat from these animals for consumption to be wary.

    “However, if the meat from these animals mentioned are cooked very well beyond boiling point, the meat is safe as the virus is destroyed via proper boiling.’’

    Health experts explain that Monkey-pox, a virus found in monkeys and other wild animals is, however, rare in humans, adding that  it belongs to the same family of Chicken-pox and Small-pox.

    NAN

  • Ex- Thailand PM denies insulting monarchy

    Ex- Thailand PM denies insulting monarchy

    Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has denied insulting the monarchy, following media reports that the authorities were seeking to charge him with lese-majesty.

    “I have no intention to offend the institution at all,’’ Thaksin tweeted on Monday in Bankok.

    “I do not know the individual in question, I will seek legal actions against anyone who involved me in their defamation against the monarchy,’’ he said.

    It is unclear which individual or incident Thaksin is referring to, but he was accused of defaming the monarchy by mentioning the country’s regent in a 2015 interview with a South Korean media outlet.

    Thailand’s strict lese-majesty law prohibits criticism, defamation, threats and insults made against the king, queen, heir apparent or regent.
    Perpetrators face up to 15 years in prison per offence, if found guilty.

    Speaking at a news conference upon beginning his new post as Attorney-General on Friday, Khemchai Chutiwong said his predecessor had decided that there was enough evidence to charge Thaksin.

    The authorities had not charged Thaksin because his presence is required, but Khemchai said it was now up to police to locate him to proceed with the charge and extradition request.

    In 2008,  Shinawatra was sentenced to two years in prison over land corruption.
    He fled Thailand shortly before the verdict and never returned.

    Thaksin is known to live in self-imposed exile in Dubai and London.

    His daughters’ social media posts indicated he was in London in September before moving back to Dubai last week.

    Thailand does not have an extradition treaty with the United Arab Emirates.

    NAN

  • Kaduna to employ 25,000 teachers

    Kaduna to employ 25,000 teachers

    Gov. Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State  says the state will employ 25,000 primary school teachers as parts of efforts to restore dignity and quality to its education sector.

    The governor, who stated this when he received a World Bank delegation in his office in Kaduna on Monday said this would also entrench equity in the distribution of teachers across the state.

    He explained that recruiting teachers had became necessary due to the acute shortage of qualified primary school teachers in the state.

    The governor stated that his administration would disengage about 20,000 unqualified primary school teachers to restore confidence in public schools.

    According to him: “we tested our 33,000 primary school teachers, we gave them primary four exams and required they must get at least 75 per cent but am sad to announce that 66 per cent of them failed to get the requirements.

    “The hiring of teachers in the past was politicized and we intend to change that by bringing in young and qualified primary school teachers to restore the dignity of education in the state,” the governor said.

    He stressed that teachers would be redeployed across the state to balance the issue of teacher-pupil ratio.

    “We have a challenge with the teacher-pupil ratio in the urban schools; there is concentration of teachers that are not needed.

    ‘’In some LGAs, it’s a teacher pupil ratio of 1-9 while in some places it’s 1-100,” he said.

    El-Rufai said that in a bid to improve the education sector, the school Directors decided to enrol their children in public schools starting from this academic session.

    Speaking earlier, the World Bank representative, Dr Kunle Adekola, expressed appreciation to the state for investing in education and for the  priority given to the girl child.

    “This state has demonstrated and supported us to achieve our goals,” he said.

    Adekola said the Bank would invest N30 million in Rigasa Primary School, which has a population of about 22,000 pupils, as part of its support for the state.

    The Education Intervention Fund by the World Bank and other collaborative development partners, is rendering support to about 13 Northern states and a state from each of the other four geopolitical zones of the country.

    NAN

  • VC urges old students to support FUT, Minna

    VC urges old students to support FUT, Minna

    Prof. Musbau Akanji, Vice-Chancellor ( VC ), Federal University of Technology, Minna, has urged old students of the school to support its quest toward becoming a leading technology institute in the world.

    Akanbi, in a speech at the maiden Alumni Reunion programme held at the university on Monday, said that it was the turn of the students to give back to the school that trained them.

    A statement by Mrs. Lydia Legbo, the institution’s Public Relations Officer, quoted Akanbi as challenging the old students to strive toward making the institution a model university that others would seek to emulate.

    Akanbi, who praised the old students for being good ambassadors that had made the institution proud, said that they were the pride of its founding fathers.

    “The university is happy with the numerous commendations received from employers and government agencies on the performance of its alumni.

    “The institution is very proud of your achievements; you are the real owners of the university and should initiate measures toward making it a centre of excellence,” he said.

    He disclosed that the university was doing well based on the latest webo-metric and 4ICU rankings.

    “I am pleased to inform you that FUT, Minna is now number five in 4ICU ranking in Nigeria, and 45 in Africa, out of more than 4,323 universities ranked by international organizations,” he said.

    He said that the institution had also been ranked the best among specialised universities in Nigeria.

    Akanbi informed the alumni that the university had re-engineered its transcript delivery process from three
    months to one week, adding that graduates could get their certificates on the day of
    convocation.

    Speaking earlier, the Chairman, National Caretaker Committee of FUT, Minna Alumni, Dr. Mohammed Jiya, thanked his colleagues for the deep interest in the school, saying that the Reunion programme was geared at re-connecting graduates.

    “The idea is to build a robust alumni association that every graduate of the university will be proud of,” he said.

    The event witnessed the presentation of awards to former Vice-Chancellors( VC ) and alumni that had distinguished themselves in their chosen fields.

    NAN

  • Zamfara partners NGO on child development programmes

    Zamfara partners NGO on child development programmes

    The Zamfara Government has commended Save the Children International, an NGO, over its various child development programmes in the state.

    The state Commissioner for Women and Children, Hajiya Balkisu Bungudu, gave the commendation in Gusau on Monday at the inter-local government food demonstration competition organised by the NGO to commemorate the 2017 Nutrition Week in the state.

    The zamfara state government is partnering with the Save the Children International on child development, child protection and survival.

    Bungudu, represented by the Director, Women Development of the ministry, Hajiya Hafsatu Kakale, noted that the state government in partnership with the NGO have introduced various programmes on childcare and development.
    She said: “We have seen various achievements, especially in the areas of children education, health and nutrition.”

    “Several women, individuals, groups or societies across the state have benefited from the empowerment and child care development programmes, which have improved their level of awareness on child care, development and protection,’’ she said.

    She reiterated the state government commitment to continue partnering with any organisation, be it governmental and NGO, to improve the lives of women and children in the state.

    The Advocacy and Communication Coordinator of the NGO, Malam Isah Ibrahim, said the competition was part of the activities of the organisation to commemorate the 2017 Nutrition week.

    According to him, the programme was aimed to educating women on how to provide balance nutritional diet for their children.

    “We learn that most of our women, especially in the rural communities lack the knowledge on how to prepare good nutritional foods.”

    Ibrahim said the state and the organisation have been partnering since 2011 and had recorded various achievements towards improving the lives of people of the state, especially women and children.

    NAN

  • Gbenga Daniel says no plans to step down

    Gbenga Daniel says no plans to step down

    A national chairmanship aspirant of the PDP, Chief Gbenga Daniel, said on Monday in Lagos that he had no plan of stepping down for any of the other contenders.

    Reacting to speculations that he might be stepping down for Chief Olabode George, another aspirant for the position, Daniel said he had no intention of stepping down for anybody.

    Daniel is a former Governor of Ogun, while George served as a former national deputy chairman of the now opposition PDP.

    The zoning of the PDP’s chairmanship position to the South West, five major contenders are currently jostling for the position.

    The other contenders are Mr Jimi Agbaje, the 2015 governorship candidate of the PDP in Lagos State, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, a former Minister of Education and Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, a former Minister of Sports.

    Daniel told reporters that although George was a respected leader of the PDP, he would not back down for the Lagos chief but would see the race to its logical conclusion.

    “All the aspirants for this position are my friends and competent people but I am the bridge builder and the best man for the job.

    “I will not step down for anyone because I did my consultations during our convention in Port Harcourt and I know so many leaders in Yorubaland who support me.

    “People contest for various reasons. Some people contest to enrich their curriculum vitae, some contest to get donations while some run to win.

    “It is not a do-or-die affair. It is an in-house contest and I’m running to win so as to bring my experiences to bear on the party and work on re-positioning the party,’’ Daniel said.

    According to him, with 2019 around the corner, the PDP cannot afford to make mistakes in choosing its leaders because it is germane to the rebuilding of the party.

    “PDP is spread across the length and breadth of Nigeria. The fragmentation in the party cuts across all political parties in Nigeria.

    “However, most of our members who defected to other parties left, due to the internal challenges within it.

    “The moment those who leave see a new leadership committed to fairness and justice, they will return’’ the former governor said.

    On the PDP’s zoning of the presidential slot to the North, Daniel described the decision as sacrosanct, noting that it was commonsense for the party to look for a candidate from the northern part of the country to square up with the APC.

    Speaking further, he debunked an alleged strife between him and Sen. Buruji Kashamu from Ogun, stating that they had no personal issues and that they had no quarrels.

    Daniel, however, expressed his support for the clamour for Nigeria to be restructured, arguing that the nation’s potential would be maximised when restructured.

    “We must begin to examine the system to give equal opportunities to all parts of the country,’’ he added.

    NAN

  • Kebbi procures drugs for pneumonia, diarrhoea

    Kebbi procures drugs for pneumonia, diarrhoea

    The Kebbi State Government has procured drugs for management of common ailments of malaria, pneumonia, diarrhoea and meningitis.

    The state Commissioner for Heath, Alhaji Umar Kambaza, said this on Monday in Birinin Kebbi that the drugs would soon be distributed to the 21 local government areas.

    Kambaza explained that the communities would be provided with basic health commodities needed for effective service delivery at the primary healthcare centres as contained in the national minimum service package by the state government.

    “These commodities include drugs for management of common ailments of malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea, preposition drugs for meningitis, delivery beds, ante-natal care bed, baby beds, laboratory equipment, examination tables, screens and stretchers,” he said.

    Kambaza also explained that worldwide maternal and newborn mobility and mortality were associated with delays in decision making, reaching health facilities and delay in receiving adequate healthcare.

    He said the delays were being addressed by all stakeholders in the state to reduce the incidence of maternal and new-born deaths.

    NAN

  • Cross River launches cocoa nursery in Akamkpa communities

    Cross River launches cocoa nursery in Akamkpa communities

    The Cross River Government on Monday launched the first phase of the nursery of one million cocoa seedlings in Akim/Osomba communities in Akamkpa Local Government Area.

    Gov. Ben Ayade, who was represented at the ceremony by his Special Adviser on Cocoa Development, Mr Oscar Ofuka, said that the project was part of his administration’s efforts to make cocoa the largest revenue earner for the state.

    He said that the location of the cocoa nursery in Akamkpa Local Government Area (LGA) was to prove that cocoa could be cultivated in every area of the state.

    “Today is a great day for the people of Akim/Osomba communities; we want to prove to the world that Cross River is the largest producer of cocoa in Nigeria.

    “Cocoa is our heritage and with the ongoing cocoa revolution programme in Cross River, we have decided to look at every nook and cranny of the state to revive this age-long heritage.

    “Very soon, Cross River will not have to depend on allocations from the Federation Account to fund our projects because our cocoa can give us the much-needed revenue to do whatever we want,’’ he said.

    Ayade said that the state government, through its Department of Cocoa Development, had already acquired 300,000 hectares of land in the two communities for the project.

    “Right now, we have raised 800,000 seedlings nurseries and within the week, our one million target will be achieved for the first phase,’’ he said.

    The governor said that the cocoa seeds for the nursery were acquired from the Cocoa Research Institute, Ikom, adding that within three months, the seedlings would be due for planting.

    Ayade said that the cocoa estate, which would be large enough to accommodate a school and a hospital, would be provided with electricity, just as in other cocoa estates in Ikom and Etung local government areas of the state.

    He urged the people, especially the youths and women in the communities, to take advantage of the opportunity to engage in farming to make life more meaningful to them.

    In his goodwill message, Prof. Augustine Ogogo, the Dean of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Calabar, commended the state government for deciding to revive cocoa production in the state.

    He pledged that the faculty would be ready to partner with the state government by using the cocoa estate for its practical sessions for students.

    He stressed that agriculture was the most dependable revenue earner in the world, saying that the era of oil revenues was fast fading away.

    “Agriculture remains the most stable revenue earner today because the era of oil is almost over. I assure you that the faculty will partner with you and send our students here for practicals,’’ he said.

    The head of Akim/Osomba communities, Mr Boniface Offion, thanked the state government for the project and expressed the hope that it would be beneficial to the communities and the state in general.

    He pledged that the communities would fully support the government’s efforts to ensure the success of the project.

    NAN