The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria

  • U-23 Nations cup: Nigeria to battle Zambia South Africa in Group B

     

    The Nation’s Under 23 side will face Zambia, South Africa and Cote d Ivoire in Group B of this year U-23 Nations Cup holding in Egypt.

    Draw for the championship was held in Wednesday in Alexandria with host country Egypt pitched against Mali, Cameroon and Ghana in Group A. The championship proper which will hold from November 8 and 22 will begin with opening match on the 8th between hosts Egypt and Mali at the Cairo international stadium.

    The Total U-23 Africa Cup of Nations is held every four years and showcases some of African football’s emerging talents while also acting as a qualifier for the Summer Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

    Former Egyptian forward Emad Meteab assisted CAF Director of Competitions, Samson Adamu to conduct the draw that pitted the eight qualified teams into two groups of four teams each.

    Zambia under 23 side

    Group A games will be played at Cairo international Stadium while Group B matches will be played at the Al Salam Stadium.

    The top three teams of the Total U-23 Africa Cup of Nations will qualify to represent Africa at the Summer Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

    Nigeria has made three appearances in the tournament emerging as champions in the 2015 edition.

    Cameroon and Ghana are debutants of the championship .

    Group A – Egypt, Mali, Cameroon, Ghana

    Group B – Nigeria, Cote d’ivoire, South Africa, Zambia

     

     

     

     

  • NDLEA charges two cousins with drug trafficking

    Two cousins, Jude Edward Okeke and Ifeanyi Okeke, who were allegedly caught in possession of hard drugs, were on Wednesday brought before a Federal High Court in Lagos.

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arraigned the defendants before Justice Saliu Saidiu on a two-count charge of unlawful possession of the substances.

    Prosecution counsel Mr Abu Ibrahim alleged that the duo committed the offence on or about September 6, 2019, at their residence, No. 45, Vincent Ogumba Street, Startimes Estate, Off Ago Palace Way, Okota Lagos.

    He said the defendants, without lawful authority, knowingly possessed 24.9 kilogrammes of methamphetamine, a psychotropic substance under International Control and 16.9 kilogrammes of ephedrine, a prohibited precursor chemical.

    The court heard that the substances were prohibited and criminalised under Section 19 of the NDLEA Act.
    The defendants pleaded not guilty.

    Ibrahim prayed the court to remand both men in prison custody pending commencement of trial.
    But defence counsel Mr E.U. Nnolu opposed him.

    Read Also: Man ‘sells’ marijuana at NDLEA office

    “My lord, we have a bail application which has been served on the prosecution. We pray your lordship to allow us move the application,” he said.

    Obtaining the judge’s permission, Nnolu applied that the defendants be granted bail “in the most liberal terms.”
    He added: “The first defendant, Jude Edward Okeke, is not in a good state of health.”

    In a bench ruling, Justice Saidiu upheld his prayer.

    The judge admitted each defendant to bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties.

    One of the sureties must be a property owner within Lagos while the order must be a civil servant not below grade level 14 in the service of the Federal Government or the Lagos State Government, among other conditions.

    “The defendants are hereby remanded in prison custody till they perfect their bail terms,” the judge added.
    The case continues on November 4.

  • 2020 Budget: Buhari to chair extra-ordinary FEC Saturday

    Towards presenting the 2020 budget proposals to the National Assembly next week, President Muhammadu Buhari will on Saturday preside over an extraordinary Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

    This was disclosed by a top government official on Wednesday.

    The new efforts are towards returning the Federal Government budget cycle from May-June to January-December.

    The FEC meeting on Saturday is expected to cross the ‘t’s and dot the ‘I’s in final preparation for the submission to the two chambers of the National Assembly.

    Read Also; Buhari presides over FEC meeting in Aso Rock

    The presentation was meant to have taken place in the third week of September, but was stalled by President Buhari’s participation at the 74th United Nations General Assembly.

    Buhari had also on Wednesday proceeded to South Africa on state visit to honor the invitation of South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, towards discussing welfare of Nigerians, and finding common grounds for building harmonious relations with their hosts.

  • Xenophobia: Oyo receives 32 returnees, gives N30,000 each

    Oyo state government on Wednesday received 32 indigenes of the state who were part of the nationals recently returned back to the country following series of xenophobic attack on foreigners in South African.

    The figure includes 30 adults and two minors.

    This is as the returnees were given N30,000 monetary gift by the state government with a promise of conducting a profiling on them to ascertain their areas of need.

    The returnees who were led by the Director of Media, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Mr Abdulrahman Balogun were received by the State Deputy Governor, Mr Rauf Olaniyan, at the state government secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

    While receiving the Oyo state born indigenes, Mr Olaniyan reiterated the states commitment to ensure that the returnees find their footings on time by carrying out a proper and comprehensive profiling to confirm their particular areas of needs and ensure how to attend to them.

    Announcing the monetary gift of N30,000 to each of the state’s returnee, the deputy governor advised them to be creative by identifying and tapping into the various investment and job opportunities in the state.

    He also pointed to the various funding opportunities by the Bank of Industry (BOI), urging them to come up with business proposals to further their areas of specialization.

    In their separate remarks, some of the returnees including, Olakojo Sotunde, Okeleye Oluwaseun, Lawal Bolatito said they are looking up to the government for startup capital and jobs, narrating their ordeals that led them to decide to return to the country unprepared.

    Read Also; Xenophobia: Six Nigerian students cancel trip for robotics competition in South Africa

    Olakojo said, “I would like the government to assist us in any way they can. We need jobs. I am a graduate of History and International Relations from LASU. Back in South Africa, I had a registered business and was doing well until all of a sudden xenophobia started.

    “I have two cars at the car lot that I wanted to sell because I had the intention to come back home no matter what. I came home two times last year but when I came, there was really nothing, so I had to go back.

    “I was contemplating on staying back in South Africa or coming back to Nigeria. Lo and behold, xenophobia started last month and the whole story changed. I will like the government to assist us in any way they

    can. There are some of us that need jobs. Some other people are business owners. If you can get us jobs, can set us up in businesses, we will be glad.”

    Similarly, Okeleye said, “It was ups and downs for me in South Africa. I studied Agriculture and sought a country that was practised mechanized farming hence the reason I went to South Africa. We need help. I now have to start again from scratch. The federal government should interview us per person and know what we want.

    “In South Africa, I see people attacked. Most of their drivers have guns. They see Nigerians as intelligent, smart and they envy us; they feel we bully then. Nigerians are everywhere in South Africa, especially in the medical sector. They suffer an inferiority complex.”

    Earlier in his remarks, the Director of Media, NIDCOM, Mr Abdulrahman Balogun cautioned Nigerians keen on leaving the country that the land abroad may not be greener as envisaged.

    He noted that President Muhammadu Buhari was scheduled to meet with South African authorities on the issue of Xenophobia, and that at least another 400 Nigerians in South Africa had expressed interest in returning to the country.

    Balogun said, “As of last night, over 400 Nigerians have indicated their interest to return home. The President is concerned on the issue and would embark on eye to eye diplomacy by leading a delegation with seven governors, five ministers, special advisers to meet with his South Africa counterpart. We hope things will be normal with the meeting.

    “If after the discussion, South Africa is ready to make some concession, those Nigerians may decide to stay back.

    “The commission usually tells those who travel out to be a good representative of the country. As we are having this batch, we have similar issues in Asia, Saudi Arabia in which we have a sizeable number of people from this state.

    “I am currently working on one calling for our attention. We usually counsel our young people that there is nothing green in those places people are going to. You are better off here. With little assistance,

    you can do well rather than go somewhere and be killed, attacked and cannot move or do business freely. The younger ones should come together for us to nurture the nation. We have better opportunities

    here in Nigeria.

    “We have partnered with some other agencies to assist them, re-orientate, re-integrate them, and do some form of empowerment to fully integrate them into the system. And we have profiled them

    according to their states and have been reaching out to states. Of 17 states, Oyo state is first to do formal re-integration for its citizen.”

  • LG primaries: APC aspirants protest, reject alleged imposition

    The crisis rocking the All Progressive Congress(APC) in Ekiti on Wednesday deepened as some of its aggrieved local government chairmanship aspirants protested against alleged imposition of candidate.

    The protesters led by Mrs. Tosin Aluko and Tajudeen Gidado, who are chairmanship aspirants in the council for the December 7, 2019 elections in the state besieged the Secretariat at about 9.30 am to express their grievances.

    The party had earlier last week Saturday suspended primaries in Ado, Ikole and Ekiti East local governments over alleged security threat and rumour that some members were planning to disrupt the process in a violent manner.

    It was gathered that the Deputy Governor and leader of the party in Ado Ekiti council, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi and 35 others had picked Mrs Omotunde Fajuyi against the wishes of the two other aspirants.

    The two aspirants faulted and rejected the consensus process that produced Mrs Fajuyi as the candidate, saying such was a flagrant violation of party’s constitution, which stipulated that there must be indirect primary when consensus option fails.

    They said the decision doesn’t reflect the interest and free will of the party members, saying the principle of internal democracy should not be inhibited but rather strengthened.

    But the APC State Publicity Secretary, Hon Ade Ajayi, said the party was not interested in imposition of candidates.

    Ajayi also exonerated Governor Kayode Fayemi of complicity in the crises that dogged the primaries, warning that nobody should bring the governor into the controversial issue.

    “Some group of people came to protest here today and said they rejected the consensus option in Ado Ekiti. They were led by Mrs Tosin Aluko and Mr. Tajudeen Gidado.

    “They came with placards carrying inscription that they rejected imposition, that they wanted primaries. We have never contemplated imposition as a party.

    Read Also; APC loses Chief Security Officer

    “The party will look into their protest vis- a vis the letter signed by the Deputy Governor and 35 leaders . You know that the Deputy Governor is the leader of the party in Ado Ekiti and you know what it means for him to have signed for consensus. The state exco will meet on the issue and take a position.

    “We are not ready to impose anybody and nobody must bring the name of Governor Kayode Fayemi into this matter”.

    Ajayi said the party has set up intervention and reconciliation committees to interface with the aggrieved aspirants on how to resolve the crises trailing the conduct of the primaries in the three councils.

    He said the party took a proactive measures by postponing the primaries on Saturday in the three councils upon realising that some hoodlums wanted to hijack the process to allegedly burn down some marked houses .

    On efforts being made to pacify the aggrieved candidates, the APC spokesman said : “We are getting representations from various communities, because we recognise the right of every individual to contest in our party without being deprived.

    “We have invited leaders from Ikole, Ekiti East and Ado Ekiti , so all the issues are being attended to and it will be resolved amicably”, he assured.

  • Obaseki sacks SAs, SSAs

    Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has sacked all Special Assistants and Senior Special Assistants.

    Governor Obaseki had appointed 192 Special Assistants representing each ward in the state and 54 Senior Special Assistants comprising three persons from each local government areas

    Obaseki later appointed 18 Special Assistants (females) on Gender.

    In a letter signed by Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Osarodion Ogie, the sacking of the SAs and SSAs was with immediate effect.

    Ogie said the sacking was in line with efforts to reorganise governance structure to enhance efficient service delivery to Edo people.

    Read Also; Don’t sell Azura power plant, ex-aide tells Obaseki

    He said the sacked appointees should hand over government properties in their possession.

    The letter said fresh appointments would be announced within 30 days.

  • Stop linking APC candidate, Agip to terrorism, lawmaker tells Dickson

    A member of the House of Representatives, Isreal Sunny-Goli, has told Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, to stop accusing the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and the candidate All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief David Lyon, of funding terrorism.

    Dickson earlier accused NAOC of outsourcing terrorism in Bayelsa through pipeline security and surveillance contracts and named Lyon as one of the company’s contractors.

    The governor said that the oil firm was giving out surveillance contracts to outlaws in the oil-producing communities created and sustained by them.

    But Sunny- Goli, who represents Nembe/ Brass Federal Constituency, described governor’s allegations as hogwash saying the governor was afraid of Lyon’s popularity.

    He exonerated the oil multinational of the allegation saying the firm had nothing to do with the growing popularity and acceptability of the APC candidate in Bayelsa.

    He said the governor was in shock following his realisation that the APC and Lyon were more popular than the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Senator Douye Diri.

    The lawmaker explained that it was widely known that Agip as an oil firm never mixed politics with its business of oil exploration since it commenced activities in Nigeria.

    He appealed to Dickson to stop blaming his political woes and the rejection of his party and its candidate on innocent oil firms and individuals.

    Sunny-Goli said the governor should rather concentrate on using his remaining months in office to improve the living conditions of Bayelsans

    He said: “First and foremost, Governor Dickson is in a confused state. He is confused in the sense that he is spreading lies.

    “Agip is not a party to the growing popularity of APC in Bayelsa State; Agip is not a party to our acceptability in this state as the only alternative to the PDP in Bayelsa.

    Read Also; I waited for 15 years after wedlock to give birth – Dickson’s wife

    “I want to ask Dickson some questions was it Agip that told him for the past seven and half years not to pay workers full salaries? Was it Agip that told him not to utilise the Paris Fund to pay gratuities and pensions to retirees? Was it Agip that told Dickson not to complete the construction of the 7km road Isaac Boro Express road?

    “He should go to Rivers State and see the roads his colleague Governor Nyesom Wike is constructing. The truth of the matter is that Dickson is a drowning man. Bayelsans have rejected him and the PDP completely because of the mismanagement of the affairs of the state.

    “So he is trying to come out to feed Bayelsans with lies. It has become obvious to Bayelsans that Dickson has been lying for the past seven years and there is no way to remedy it again so all he is trying to do is blame his woes on innocent firms and individuals but this cannot save him.

    “Agip is innocent of all the allegations levelled against it. The allegations are baseless and vague. There are issues of governance for him to tackle he should come home and tackle them instead of going around to deceive Nigerians.”

  • Court remands 2 friends for unlawful possession of Cannabis

    A Federal High Court in Osun on Wednesday ordered that two friends be remanded in a correctional facility for allegedly being in possession of Cannabis Sativa.

    Justice Peter Lifu, ordered that Akanni Kenny and Abidoye Obafemi, be remanded in a Nigerian Correctional Service centre in Ile Ife, due to the magnitude of the alleged offense committed.

    He overruled the bail application filed by defence counsel, Mr O.N. Benson.

    Justice Lifu adjourned the matter until Oct. 30.

    Earlier, the NDLEA Counsel, Mr O.F Azugo, told the court that the defendants committed the offence on Aug. 24 ,at Ipetu-Ijesa town ,Osun.

    Read Also: Senate to ensure prosecution of airport drug cartels

    Azugo alleged that the defendants were apprehended by the command when transporting the illicit drugs.

    He said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 19 and 20 (1)(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap 30, laws of the Federation ,2004.

    They pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    (NAN)

  • Osinbajo pledges ‘uncompromised loyalty’ to Buhari

    Despite recent reports of cracks in the Presidency, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has pledged his uncompromised loyalty to President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigeria.

    This was contained in a magazine entitled, ‘This is Nigeria’ and circulated at the 1st October 2019 Independence Day Dinner on Tuesday night at the old Banquet hall of the State House, Abuja.

    Osinbajo’s message with the title ‘Uncompromised Loyalty’ was contained in page 15 of the Brands International Special Edition of the magazine, which is the official magazine for Mr. President’s Next Level Agenda, 9th Assembly and One Nigeria, locally and internationally.

    The message reads “Vice President Yemi Osibanjo Commemorates With Nigerians On The 59th Anniversary Celebration, While Pledging His Loyalty To President Muhammadu Buhari

    “This day means everything to us as a people, because it is our day of freedom. Let me first congratulate my Boss,
    President, Muhammadu Buhari, His Excellency, Ahmed Bola Tinubu our National Leader, Dr. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, First Lady and mother of the nation.

    “Also, I celebrate every Nigerian out there on the street trying to make ends meet, not forgetting those who stand out in different areas of human endeavours, home and abroad.”

    He went on “Fellow Nigerians, be rest assured that President Muhammadu Buhari is totally committed to his promises and the Next Level Agenda. He is he best Boss and I find it thrilling to serve Nigeria under him. It is only responsible of me to give my unwavering loyalty to President Buhari and Nigeria as I promise to stand by him, while contributing my quota at all times to the growth of Nigeria.

    Read Also: Osinbajo, Ortom meet over Benue, Ebonyi land crisis

    “I call on all well-meaning Nigerians to queue behind President Buhari as he leads us to build a stronger bigger and greater Nigeria.” he stated

    But speculations about the division in the Presidency was fueled by the recent replacement of the Economic Management Team headed by Osinbanjo with the Economic Advisory Council mandated to report directly to Buhari.

    The reported removal of government agencies from under Osinbajo, which he had been the board chairman, had also supported the reports of hostilities in the Presidency.

    The agencies included National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA), the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), National Boundary Commission (NBC), Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), and National Council on Privatisation (NCP).

    Also, the announcement on 1st October national broadcast of movement of the Social Investments Programmes (SIP) from under the Vice President to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development also fueled the rumour of crack in the Villa.

  • ‘Southwest governors, proactive to new security challenges’

    Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Wednesday said his colleagues in the Southwest geo-political zone were responding comprehensively to various security challenges facing the zone.

    Akeredolu, who is also the Chairman, Southwest Governors Forum, disclosed this in Akure during at a church service for the state’s covenant renewal day 2019.

    The Governor who was represented by his deputy, Agboola Ajayi said the state was working in collaboration with sister states to re-jig the security architecture of the zone to respond adequately to new challenges.

    He said “It is no longer news that our country is going through security challenges. Therefore, all hands must be on deck to salvage it together.

    “We are doing our best to respond comprehensively to the new challenges. Ondo State is working in collaboration with sister states in Southwestern zone to re-jig the security architecture of the zone to make it respond adequately to the new challenges.

    ” Government has never relented on its efforts yo curb crime and criminalities within our boundaries. We will continue this until our people can sleep with their two eyes closed.

    “Nigeria must survive its challenges and it is possible if we all agree and pray together in unison,” he said.

    The Governor described the church service as an opportunity to renew strength and pray to God for future life the state, said no government or organisation could achieve craved height.

    He recommended that other states of the Federation and the Federal Government should renew their covenant with God on yearly basis.

    According to him “There is, therefore, a compelling need for collaboration of all stakeholders in the task of building a virile and egalitarian society.

    “It is indeed heartening to be in the presence of several eminent spiritual leaders of Christian body for 2019 edition of this special programme.

    “It will be recalled that I gladly participated in the last edition, because we know that our dear state and indeed Nigeria needs continuous prayers.

    “Our administration since inception has partnered the Ondo State chapters of PFN,CAN and other groups, in almost all their programmes and events.”