The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian news

  • Sokoto cement donates educational materials to primary schools

    Sokoto cement donates educational materials to primary schools

    The Cement Company of Northern Nigeria ( CCNN ), trading under brand name of Sokoto Cement, on Friday distributed educational materials to primary schools in Sokoto State.

    The company’s Managing Director, Alhaji Ibrahim Aminu, said the gesture was part of the company’s support packages aimed at complementing efforts of Sokoto State Government to develop its education sector.

    Aminu, represented by his Director of Maintenance, Mr Alex Ijiga, said the company was also assisting the state through portable water supply, electrification, rural roads, health-care, women and youths empowerment as part of its corporate social responsibility activities.

    He said the company was running a school and had awarded scholarship to 30 indigent students in tertiary institutions.

    “The present educational materials donation is mainly for primary schools, basic and secondary education to complement enrolment sustenance.

    “It’s our honest intention toward complementing the state of emergency declaration; it’s a pilot scheme that will be expanded,” Aminu said.

    Aminu promised more partnership with the state ministry of education to explore areas of more assistance for the benefit of the state.

    The state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Jabbi Kilgori, described the support as strategic in recognition of importance of instructional materials to students.

    Kilgori, who was represented by the Director of Quality Assurance in the ministry, Alhaji Jodi Tambuwal, said the gesture would reduce parents’ burden.

    He enjoined other companies and well-to-do persons to emulate Sokoto Cement in its efforts to assist people, especially the less privileged.

    Speaking on behalf of the beneficiary schools, the Education Secretary of Wamakko Local Government, Alhaji Aminu Jabbi-Durbawa, expressed appreciation for the gesture, noting that it would support learning among students.

    Jabbi-Durbawa urged companies, community based groups, School Based Management Committees (SBMCs), Parents-Teachers Associations (PTAs) and others to complement government’s efforts through such initiatives.

    The event was attended by school headmasters and Alhaji Marfa Danbaba, the CCNN Director (Marketing), among others.

    NAN

  • Hand washing practice reduces risk of diseases by 40% – UNICEF

    Hand washing practice reduces risk of diseases by 40% – UNICEF

    The United Nations Children’s Fund ( UNICEF ) says that hand washing practice can reduce the risk of contracting diarrhoea and other communicable diseases by 40 per cent.

    The UNICEF’s Country Representative, Mr Mohamed Fall made the assertion in Akure on Friday when he paid a courtesy visit to Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State.

    Fall stressed the importance of promoting sanitation and hand washing in complementing the achievements of the state government in the areas of healthcare and quality education.

    He pointed out that partnership between UNICEF and the state government will go a long way to improve sanitation in the state.

    Fall noted that access to quality education and good healthcare is crucial to human capital development.

    Driving home the position of Nigeria in African Affairs, the country representative said, “if Nigeria does not make Sustainable Development Goals, Africa will not make it, especially the sub Saharan Africa.”

    He also commended the state’s achievements in the area of child survival, saying “From all indicators on child survival, the state is doing well, Ondo State is standing as one of the best performing state in under five (child) survival.

    “All investments might be lost without having good sanitation, but with joint effort must be geared towards better sanitation in the state,” he said.

    Fall urged the governor to ensure security of lives and property of the agency’s staff posted to Akure, saying, “Akure has the best sub-office so far.”

    Responding, Gov. Akeredolu thanked the UNICEF for its concerns about improving the sanitation in Akure and other parts of the state.

    The governor also assured UNICEF of adequate security of lives and property of all and sundry living in the state, saying that his administration was committed to achieving the SDGs and promoting hand washing and sanitation.

    He promised that measures would be taken to ensure that all houses have toilets to enhance the state’s environment and reduce open defecation.

    Billboards on importance of sanitation and having toilets were visible at the main entrance of the governor’s office.

    NAN

  • ‘Bayelsa IGR hits N1.3bn in September’

    ‘Bayelsa IGR hits N1.3bn in September’

    The Bayelsa Government has recorded N1.3 billion as Internally Generated Revenue ( IGR ) in September, the Deputy Governor, retired Rear Adm. John Jonah, asaid on Friday.

    Breaking the financial statement for September in Yenagoa, Jonah said the state had realised abhout N1.3 as IGR in August.

    It can be recalled that Bayelsa had collected N868.58 million in the previous month.

    The deputy governor attributed the increase to tax reforms which hiked tax drive on oil firms operating in the state.

    He noted that the state Board of Internal Revenue was compelled to approach the courts to seal some companies that defaulted in paying their taxes.

    Jonah said that the development had also increased the cost of collecting the huge revenue to N88 million.

    On the revenue accrued to state from Federation Account for September, the deputy governor said Bayelsa had received N12.1 billion as against N9.94 billion in August.

    Jonah said total deductions in September amounted to N1.8 billion as against the N1.7 billion deducted in August, leaving the state with a net inflow of N8.28 billion.

    He said that the wage bill of the state for August salary captured in September’s statement stood at N3.7 billion for civil servants while N298 million was spent on the emoluments of political appointees.

    NAN

  • Kabba Cultural Festival: Okun people to honour Ooni of Ife

    Kabba Cultural Festival: Okun people to honour Ooni of Ife

    The Okun people in Kogi have concluded arrangements for the Nov.3  Kabba Festival of Cultural Heritage with royal banquet to  honour the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II.

    Mr Raphael Okomoda, the Vice Chairman of the Organising Committee, disclosed this in a statement made available on Friday in Abuja.

    According to him, the festival which is aimed at promoting love, unity and cultural development of the Okun, will feature multi-faceted carnival.

    He said that the carnival train would be led by carnival queens and kings on a royal cart.

    The vice chairman said different cultural groups from Owo in Ondo State, Atinugun in Benue, Edo Dancers, Igbo dancers, Hausa-Fulani dancers and others would participate in the festival.

    “The Kabba festival of cultural heritage is tailored towards bringing our people together in an atmosphere of love, unity and for the socio-economic development of our community.

    “It is also aimed to drive into extinction, hate, bigotry and primordial sentiments that will further divide us.

    “There will be royal banquet in honour of the Ooni of Ife who will be joined by other traditional rulers from the Okun nation and the Kogi Traditional Council.

    “Also, a pageant contest to select Miss Kabba 2017 will be held to officially draw the curtain for the festival. The pageant will witness performance by different hip-hop artistes led by Debie Rise.

    “Security and medical arrangements have been concluded to ensure a hitch free festival that will promote love and unity among our people,” Okomoda said.

    NAN

  • ‘NAF medical outreach in IDPs camps, Borno, successful’

    ‘NAF medical outreach in IDPs camps, Borno, successful’

    The medical outreach of the Nigerian Air Force ( NAF ) in Borno is yielding result with the successful general and eye surgeries performed on 69 Internally Displaced people ( IDPs ) from various camps.

    The NAF’s spokesman, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja, said that the programme would be extended to over 4,000 IDPs in Monguno.

    Adesanya quoted the NAF’s Chief of Medical Services Branch, AVM Saleh Shinkafi, as saying that the programme was designed to get the support of the locals in the conflict areas.

    According to him, during the programme, free medical treatment will be provided to IDPs.

    “There number could increase as a result of the intensive day and night aerial bombardments by NAF.

    “The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, had also directed that surgeries be conducted, at no cost to the IDPs, for those requiring surgical interventions.

    “A team of additional medical specialists has been deployed to NAF 105 Composite Group Medical Centre to augment the existing medical manpower for the programme.

    “Upon deployment, the medical team immediately started attending to critical surgical cases in IDP camps around Maiduguri.

    “So far, NAF medical outreach team has successfully performed 21 general surgeries and 48 eye surgeries on IDPs from the various camps at no cost to them,” Shinkafi was quoted as saying.

    Adesanya said the director said further that another set of 250 will benefit from free surgical interventions within the 2-day period.

    “This is the fifth cycle of free surgical interventions lined up by NAF for the IDPs in the past two years, during which an average of 200 surgeries were carried out per cycle,” he said.

    The NAF commenced Operation “RUWAN WUTA II”, a few days ago, to further degrade the capability of the insurgents.

    NAN

  • Plateau polytechnic student jailed four years for rape

    Plateau polytechnic student jailed four years for rape

    A Plateau Polytechnic student, Musa Nyam will be out of school in the next 48 months and be behind bars following his conviction for raping a girl at a birthday bash.

    A Jos Upper Area Court sitting in Kasuwan Nama gave the verdict on Friday after Nyam pleaded guilty to the charge of rape.

    He had invited a 23-year-old girl to his house for a birthday party before he sexually assaulting her, the prosecution said.

    The Judge, Mr Yahaya Mohammed, rejected the convict’s plea for mercy and slammed four years imprisonment on him without an option of fine.

    “The sentence will serve as a deterrent to others,” he said, citing Section 157 of the Criminal Code as the punishment section.

    Earlier, Police Prosecutor Ibrahim Gokwat told the court that on Oct. 18, the rape victim (name withheld) reported the incident at Nassarawa-Gwom Police Station and the case was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department.

    Ibrahim said the accused invited the girl to his house for a birthday party, overpowered her and had carnal knowledge of her without her consent.

    The offence contravened Section 283 of the Penal Code.

    NAN

  • Jigawa approves N18m for procurement of anti-malaria drugs

    Jigawa approves N18m for procurement of anti-malaria drugs

    Jigawa Government has approved N18million for the procurement of anti-malaria drugs for distribution to the 27 Local Government Areas and nine General Hospitals across the state.

    Dr Abba Zakari, State’s Commissioner for Health, disclosed this while addressing newsmen in Dutse on Friday.

    He said the purchase of the drugs was necessary to curtail the malaria scourge in the state.

    The commissioner said that the rising cases of malaria was as a result of the down pour experienced in the state this year, which created breeding environment for mosquitoes.

    Zakari stated that mosquito bites are the causative agents of malaria and all hands must be on deck to tackle the situation.

    He advised people to keep their environment clean and cut the grasses around houses to prevent hatching places for mosquitoes.

    The commissioner stated that the Jigawa state government has commenced vaccination against malaria across the state with a view to tackling the scourge.

    Zakari said that government is determined to address all health issues challenges facing the people in the state.

    NAN

  • NULGE suspends indefinite strike in Adamawa

    NULGE suspends indefinite strike in Adamawa

    The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees ( NULGE ), Adamawa Chapter, has suspended the indefinite strike it embarked upon to press for the payment of backlog of salaries owed local government workers.

    We recall that the workers on Tuesday embarked on the indefinite strike to protest non-payment of outstanding five months salary arrears and four years leave grant.

    Speaking to NAN on the suspension, Adamawa NULGE President, Hammanjumba Gatugel, said the strike was suspended following the intervention of the Local Government Service Commission.

    “We suspended the strike following the intervention of the Local Government Service Commission and the commissioner; you know they are our custodians, we want to give them the benefit of doubt,” Gatugel said.

    He lauded the solidarity and maturity shown by the workers during the strike and assured the workers of the union’s commitment to continue to fight for their rights and welfare.

    NAN

  • Customs impounds N25m donkey Leather, 80 bags of rice, others

    Customs impounds N25m donkey Leather, 80 bags of rice, others

    The Comptroller General of Customs Compliance Team yesterday in Kano burnt over 2, 700 pieces of raw Donkey hides and skins valued at N25 million which was intercepted at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), in an attempt to export the commodity abroad.
    The Head of the CG Compliance Team, Comptroller Ahmed Abubakar Azarema who was flanked by the Kano/Jigawa Customs Command Comptroller, Mr. Yusuf Abba-Kassim, described the exportation of unprocessed hides and skin as criminal and economic sabotage.
    According to him, “it is disheartening to note that some Nigerians are now indulged in unpatriotic business of exporting unprocessed leather, while we have our tannery industries here. Doing this means killing our economy, doing this means outing hundreds of thousands of our teeming youths out of employment.
    “We have the resources and needed man power to process these leathers here and export them as finished products. We also have a number of industries here engaged in production of shoes, bags belts and other leather-related products.
    “We need to help ourselves; we need to protect the future of our children. This is why Nigeria customs has come all out in tandem with the economic agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari, to ensure that these unpatriotic citizens engaged in this kind of illegal business must be stopped, arrested and brought to book.”
    Comptroller Azarema who hailed good spirited Nigerians for given customs information on illegal activities of smugglers and illegal exporters, said no arrest has been made so far, adding that, “we are current using the clearing agent to get at those behind this crime.”
    He also displayed over 80 bags of smuggled rice and sugar concealed inside bags of Tiger nuts.
    According to him, Customs intercepted the goods loaded in a J5 vehicle with registration number KRD 943XC, along Katsina Road, heading to Kano from Katsina.
    He added that the driver and other occupants of the vehicle fled into the bush when the CG Complain team on duty apprehended the vehicle.
    He, however, warned smugglers to desist from economic sabotage and look for decent business to do, adding that the Nigeria customs will not fold its hand and  allow criminals ruin the nation’s economy.
     
  • Man pleads guilty to raping daughter, friend

    Man pleads guilty to raping daughter, friend

    A 60-year-old man, Nuhu Mohammed, on Thursday pleaded guilty to raping his 12-year-old daughter and her 13-year-old friend.

    Mohammed, who appeared before a Minna Magistrate’s Court, is standing trial on a one-count charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with two minors.

    The offence runs contrary to Section 18(2) of the Child Rights Law of Niger State 2010.

    Mohammed, after pleading guilty to the offence, begged the court for leniency.

    His plea was, however, not taken by the Magistrate, Fati Auna, on the grounds that her court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.

    Auna directed the Police to forward the case file to the State Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice, and ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison pending the advice.

    She, thereafter, adjourned the matter until Nov. 16, for further mention.

    The Police Prosecutor, Mr Emmanuel Danladi, had told the court that one Ahmad Aliyu of Garatu village in Bosso Local Government of Niger, reported the matter at the Kpakungu Police Station, on Oct. 17.

    Danladi alleged that the defendant had lured the two minors into his shop and had carnal knowledge of them.

    He further told the court that the defendant confessed to the crime during police investigation.

    NAN