The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian news

  • EU pledges job creation support to Nigeria

    EU pledges job creation support to Nigeria

    The new EU envoy to Nigeria, Amb. Ketil Karlsen, has expressed the desire of the union to support the Nigerian government in creating employment opportunities for young Nigerians.

    He said that creating employment opportunities for Nigerians would discourage them from embarking on dangerous trips to European countries.

    The EU’s pledge of assistance comes against the backdrop of the increasing rate of young Nigerians embarking on dangerous trips to European countries in a bid to secure better living conditions.

    Speaking In Lagos on Monday, Karlsen, who is the Head and Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said the union was eager to support Nigeria to facilitate a better future for youths.

    “It is really heartbreaking to see many young Nigerian girls being trafficked and made to suffer so many difficulties.

    “It is natural that young people everywhere should look for job opportunities and better living conditions outside their countries.

    “But, I must say that the right way to do it is not to be allowed to expose themselves to dangers and different forms of abuses, while taking dangerous routes from their countries.

    “We would, therefore, want to see more efforts at creating sustainable job opportunities and better living conditions for these young Nigerians in Nigeria.’’

    He said the EU was prepared to support Nigeria on a long-term strategic planning for sensitising young Nigerians on the dangers of travelling illegally.

    Karlsen said that the EU was willing be part of any initiative by the Nigerian Government to create employment opportunities for young Nigerians in Nigeria.

    He argued that it was imperative to create better living conditions for young Nigerians to reduce their desperation for migration abroad.

    The envoy said that young Nigerians should not be allowed to continuously expose themselves to dangers and abuses in their bids to travel to Europe and other countries.

    “I think that we need to work together, create more investments and job opportunities for these young Nigerians in their communities.

    “We have to make these young Nigerians know that there are currently better opportunities for them in their country than abroad,’’ Karlsen said.

    NAN

  • Plateau CP warns new recruits against extortion, other crimes

    Plateau CP warns new recruits against extortion, other crimes

    The Commissioner of Police in Plateau, Mr Udie Adie, has warned the new recruits posted to the state against extortion of money from the people or intimidating them.

    Adie who gave the warning on Monday in Jos during an induction lecture organised by the state Police Command for the constables warned them to steer clear any act of criminality.

    190 newly trained policemen who hail from Plateau have been posted to serve in the state.

    The police boss advised them to live within their means to enable them to avoid the temptation of indulging in unlawful acts in order to sustain their lifestyles.

    “You must learn to live within your means because by doing so the urge to get involved in criminal acts that mostly give the police a bad name will be curtailed.

    “I must specifically warn you to desist from extortion, intimidation, harassment and other criminal acts.

    “You will be sent to the communities not to harass or extort money from people, but to serve and ensure security of lives and properties,” he said.

    The commissioner added that any of them caught indulging in any crime would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

    Adie advised the constables to be disciplined, adding that the force would not spare anyone found disrespecting senior officers.

    He said that the 174 male and 16 female constables would be posted to various divisions across the state.

    NAN

  • Court docks man over cell phone theft

    Court docks man over cell phone theft

    A 29-year-old man, Akinola Emmanuel, was on Monday arraigned in an Osogbo Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing a Tecno W 4 cell phone.

    Emmanuel is facing a two-count charge on theft and break-in.

    The Prosecutor, Sgt. Sunday Ajayi, told the court that the accused committed the offences on Sept. 30 at about 2:00 p.m., at Fan Milk Street, Ajegunle in Osogbo.

    Ajayi said the accused unlawful entered the apartment of one Ogunleye Aderinsola and stole a Tecno W4 mobile phone before he was tracked and arrested.

    He said the offences contravened Sections 412 and 390(9) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol.11 Laws of Osun, 2003.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty.

    The Magistrate, Mrs Mariam Oloyode, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000 and two sureties in like sum.

    Oloyode said the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and with evidence of tax payments.

    He also ordered that the sureties must provide two passports photographs, attached with an affidavit of means.

    The case was adjourned until Nov. 2 for mentioned.

    NAN

  • Turkey docks 143 soldiers in failed coup

    Turkey docks 143 soldiers in failed coup

    One hundred and forty three former Turkish soldiers went on trial on Monday in Istanbul over their deadly clashes with civilians on a bridge on the night of a coup attempt in 2016, local media reported.

    Thirty-four people were killed on the bridge over the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul as clashes erupted between civilians and soldiers trying to seal off the bridge at the start of a coup bid by some in the military on July 15, 2016.

    A close friend of Turkish President Recep Erdogan was among the dead and 318 others were injured in the clashes on the Bosphorus Bridge, which was later renamed July 15 Martyrs Bridge by the government to honour the dead civilians, who resisted the plot.

    If convicted, the dismissed soldiers each will face aggravated life imprisonment over “murder and attempting to overthrow the parliament and government,” press reports said.

    Turkey believes that the coup attempt, in which 250 people were killed across the country, was orchestrated by the U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen and his followers in the military.

    Turkey has been pushing for Gulen’s extradition, while a continuing crackdown has put more than 50,000 in prison and 150,000 others dismissed from their posts.

    NAN

  • FG urges holistic approach to tackle cancer

    FG urges holistic approach to tackle cancer

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has stressed the need for holistic approach to enhance early detection and proper management of cancer in the country.

    Adewole made the call in Enugu on Sunday at the first ‘Nationwide Go Pink Day Ball’, an event organised by a group called Breast Without Spot ( BWS ) to create awareness on cancer.

    The minister, represented by Dr David Atuwo, the National Cancer Control Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Health, said this had become necessary to reduce spread of the disease in the country.

    He pointed out that government alone could not handle it and solicited support of private organisations and well meaning Nigerians in fighting the scourge.

    In his remarks, the former Minster of Power and Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said to manage the disease requires proactive measures from both government and private sector.

    Nebo noted that people were afraid to go for screening especially for breast and cervix “but early detection was the first step toward curing cancer.”

    The former minister commended the President of BWS, Prof. Ifeoma Okoye, for organising the event to create awareness and pledged his support for the cause.

    The Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo, who declared the event open, described cancer as one of the greatest killer diseases in the world.

    Ezeilo, who said she lost her husband to prostate cancer, called for improved strategies for awareness against the scourge, regretting that efforts toward it were not yielding desired results.

    According to her, statistics has shown that cancer is one of the greatest killer diseases in the world, with breast cancer as the most common and accounting for 70 per cent mortality rate.

    The deputy governor, however, called for the establishment of cancer patients’ fund to assist people suffering from the illness.

    The Anglican Archbishop of Enugu Episcopal Province, Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, expressed worry at rising cases of the disease in the country.

    Chukwuma regretted that government at all levels were not doing enough to control the scourge, noting that it was the reason some people embarked on medical tourism abroad for treatment.

    “Why is cancer now prevalent in Nigeria? It is a disease that must be stamped out urgently,’’ he said.

    Earlier, the President of BWS and Consultant Radiologist, Prof. Okoye, said the initiative was to promote actions and policies that would ensure that Nigerian women were aware and practice best breast and cervical healthcare.

    Okoye stressed the need to break the fear of breastcancer by going for screening annually, adding that the disease could be cured if detected early.

    She appealed for support for its Breast Cancer Patient Treatment Intervention Fund to reduce the burden.

    The event featured experiences of some survivors and candle light for those who died of the scourge.

    NAN

  • Economy to lose N150bn daily to PENGASSAN, NUPENG strike – LCCI

    Economy to lose N150bn daily to PENGASSAN, NUPENG strike – LCCI

    The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( LCCI ), has warned that the economy would lose an estimated N150 billion daily, if the proposed strike by PENGASSAN and NUPENG is not averted.

    The Director-General of LCCI, Mr Muda Yusuf, disclosed this in an interview on Monday in Lagos.

    Yusuf said that it would not be a good development for an economy that was just emerging from recession.

    The two unions had threatened to embark on an indefinite strike over delay in the payment of N800 billion subsidy arrears to oil marketers.

    Yusuf urged the Federal Government to engage the unions and propose a credible payment plan to settle the arrears.

    He noted that the consequences of the proposed strike would be severe because of the strategic and critical nature of the oil and gas sector.

    “It would paralyse the chain of logistics in the economy as economic activities are driven largely by road transportation, both for commuting and freight.

    “It will impact on revenue as the upstream sector would be affected as well. It would impact the power sector which is largely powered by gas,“he said.

    The LCCI boss noted that the fuel subsidy phenomenon had become a recurring distraction in the management of the country’s economy.

    “It is regrettable that government has over the years got itself entangled in a problem which should not have arisen in the first place,“he said.

    He alleged that the country’s economy had suffered serial scandals and monumental corruption in the oil and gas sector because of the phenomenon of petrol subsidy.

    “We have consistently argued that the government should completely decouple itself from the business of importation, refining, transportation and retailing of petroleum products.

    “This arrangement has created considerable distortions and stagnated private investment in the downstream sector because these are enterprises that the private sector is best suited to manage,“he said.

    Yusuf said that government has no business fixing prices and subsidising the players.

    He said that in spite of  the monumental problem  the economy had from the subsidy regime, government has not taken urgent steps to put an end to price fixing for PMS.

    “The economy cannot sustain this arrangement. The current debt of N800 billion is 151 per cent of the total capital allocation for the Federal Ministry of Works, Power, and Housing in the 2017 budget.

    “It is 1,568 per cent of the capital allocation to health; it is 305 per cent of the capital allocation to Federal Ministry of Transportation; and 1,600 per cent of the capital allocation to education.

    “This raises vital questions about the optimality and efficiency of resource allocation and utilisation by government,” he said.

    He called for speedy passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill ( PIB ), adding that it will help to normalise the oil and gas sector.

    Yusuf urged the government to replicate the telecoms sector model in the oil and gas industry, adding that it would free resources for investment in critical infrastructures like power, roads, the railway, health and education sector.

    He stressed that the model would improve product availability, eliminate fuel queues, and create more jobs for the teeming youth in the downstream oil sector.

    NAN

  • Domestic airlines airlift 3m passengers in 6 months

    Domestic airlines airlift 3m passengers in 6 months

    Domestic airlines in Nigeria lifted a total of 3,287,310 passengers in the first six months of this year.

    The figure, however, represents a 21 per cent decrease, compared to the 4,193,862 passengers airlifted within the period last year.

    According to the Consumer Protection Directorate of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA ), the decrease is due to the current economic hardships in the country, which is affecting air travels adversely.

    Records obtained from the NCAA show that only 45 airplanes are currently in active service out of the 74 planes in the fleet of the eight domestic airlines servicing Africa’s most populous nation at present.

    The airlines are Aero Contractors, Arik Air, Azman Air, Dana Air, Med-View, Overland, First Nation and Air Peace.

    The top three performing domestic airlines in the first half of this year are Air Peace, which leads the performance chart with 6,715 flights, Arik Air 4,069 flights and Dana Air 3,261 flights.

    But the flights operated by the airlines also declined by 28 per cent as they were only able to operate 21,662 flights in the first half this year.

    The eight airlines collectively operated 30,100 flights within the first six months of 2016, according to NCAA records.

    The drop in the number of flights operated by the airlines was not unconnected with the steady depletion of airplanes in the fleet of the airlines.

    Commenting on the development, the President of the Airline Operators of Nigeria ( AON ), Capt. Noggie Meggisson, argued that a safety and economic policy must have to be put in place for the airlines to survive.

    He noted that some critical issues also needed to be addressed before the sector could actualise its potential fully.

    Meggisson said that some of the issues that needed to be addressed included removal of value-added tax for domestic airlines and a review of the five per cent ticket sales charge to a flat rate.

    The AON chief also called for a harmonisation of what he called the over 35 multiple charges that were becoming huge burdens to the airlines.

    Meggisson named other problems plaguing the airlines as poor navigational and landing aids that were limiting operations to only daytime at most Nigerian airports.

    He similarly, identified high cost and epileptic supply of aviation fuel, Jet A1, saying that the problems were hindering the ease of doing business in the aviation sector.

    Also, the President of the Aviation Round Table, Mr Gbenga Olowo, advised the Federal Government to urgently review Nigeria’s Bilateral Air Service Agreements ( BASAs ), which he said, had granted multiple entry points to foreign airlines.

    “The issue of giving multiple destinations to the foreign airlines is not good for the country economically because it is killing our domestic airlines.

    “My advice is that the BASAs should be reviewed to stop this open-sky arrangement, where one foreign airline can fly to Abuja, Lagos or any other of our international airports.’’

    He also advised the domestic airlines to consolidate to survive the harsh operating environment in Nigeria.

    Olowo said that operators should stop their cut-throat competition, which according to him, is doing no good to the aviation industry.

    http://nan.ngNAN

  • Agro-entrepreneur urges FG to ban importation of starch

    Agro-entrepreneur urges FG to ban importation of starch

    An agro-entrepreneur, Mr Goke Adeyemi, on Monday urged the Federal Government ( FG )to ban the importation of starch as way encouraging  starch production from cassava in the country.

    Adeyemi, who is the Chairman of the Harvest Feed and Agro Processing Limited ( HFAP ), made the call in an interview in Abuja.

    He underscored the need for the government to protect local starch producing industries from unfair competition from foreign products, saying some companies were importing starch to the detriment of the local industries.

    “Nigeria is the leading cassava producer in the world, producing a third more than Brazil and almost doubling the production capacity of Thailand and Indonesia, which is opportunity for us to stop corn starch importation.

    “We have enough raw materials to produce edible cassava starch for local use and exportation to earn foreign exchange but government needs to help local producers.

    “Cassava has the potential to industrialise Nigeria more than any other product; if the potential is properly harnessed, it is a key instrument for job creation and catalyst for development,’’ he said.

    The agro-entrepreneur commended FADAMA III Additional Financing (AF) Programme for its intervention in the country’s agricultural sector and described its partnership with his company as “wonderful”.

    “We are into processing cassava into edible starch; we have a wonderful relationship with Osun State FADAMA, which involves the cultivation a 300-hectare cassava farm.

    “The FADAMA in Osun State is very organised; they are on top of their game and they supervise their farmers properly. They have also facilitated the interface between the off-takers and farmers very well, we have a seamless relationship,’’ he said.

    Adeyemi, however, urged the National Office of FADAMA to increase the size of the farmers’ farmlands because the farms were too small to meet the off-takers’ demand.

    “FADAMA should strive to develop commercial farmers; particularly those farmers who can cultivate 10 to 50 hectares of farmlands.

    “The arrangement will be beneficial to industrial users like us in HFAP, rather than smallholder farmers that are cultivating less than five hectares.

    “All the same, cassava farmers that are cultivating less than five hectares are also good for food market but FADAMA needs to  do more to help both farmers and off-takers,’’ he said.

    Adeyemi urged the FADAMA programme to encourage smallholder farmers to adopt the use of equipment such as tractors, harvesters, planters and ploughs, among others, in place of the traditional farm implements such as hoes and cutlasses.

    “This is the only way to encourage the youth to become interested in agriculture and engage in mechanised farming.

    “We can go into partnership with the FADAMA programme in the area of agricultural equipment but this should not a short-term relationship, it must be a long-time relationship like five years, such that we can recoup our investments.

    “We started our engagement with FADAMA sometime in July by off-taking cassava from their farmers, and we are able to solve transportation problem by off-taking directly from their farm, instead of waiting for them to bring their produce to us,’’ he said.

    Adeyemi identified the challenges they encountered awhile ago to include the price issue, saying that the price of cassava had started to drop, regardless of the agreed price.

    “Even though we agreed on a certain amount, the price we agreed to pay was too high, compared to the current market price.

    “We had to do some negotiations again; we reached an agreement and started doing our business together,’’ he explained.

    He, however, said that that HFAP had its own cassava farms in Ogun State, adding that his company, nonetheless, patronised FADAMA farmers, while off-taking cassava from other farmers.

    “We provided inputs to the farmers and they do the farming and after a year, we buy from them and deduct whatever we had spent on them. However, my challenge is that our farmers still need more education because there is a lot of side-selling taking place.

    “I am planning of engaging in in-grower schemes aside from out-growers schemes, which I am doing presently. In this case, I will own the land and will ask farmers to come and cultivate it.

    “We will also sign an agreement with the farmers, it will be better for me to control the processes; I will like to work with FADAMA and any other programme or organisation to develop the model.

    NAN

  • NYSC to offer free medical services in Zamfara

    NYSC to offer free medical services in Zamfara

    No fewer than 10,000 residents are expected to benefit from the 2017 Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers Scheme ( HIRD ) being organised by the National Youth Service Corps ( NYSC ) in Zamfara state.

    The state coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps, Hajiya Rahamatu Sanda, made the disclosure on Monday in Gusau in an interview.

    She said the medical outreach, which would commence on Tuesday in Nahuche town, Bungudu local government area in Zamfara, and would end on Friday.

    She added that the 2017 NYSC U-report week would also been unveiled during the four-day exercise.

    The coordinator said that residents of several communities in the state had been selected for medical outreach.

    She added that the outreach is expected to provide free medical and healthcare services to over 10,000 beneficiaries.

    “In each of the selected communities, we are targeting a large number of beneficiaries,” she said.

    Sanda explained that the scheme was initiated by the NYSC to assist rural dwellers with free medical and healthcare services.

    She noted that several people from the rural areas suffer from various diseases and could not afford to seek medical help in hospitals due to financial constraints.

    “That is why the NYSC came up with this initiative to assist people, especially the poor at the grassroots.

    “Various diseases such as malaria, diabetes, cholera and typhoid will be treated during the outreach,” she said.

    Sanda said that medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists, community health officers, NYSC health officials and members of the NYSC Health Community Development Service ( CDS ) group, had been mobilised for the exercise.

    “We have also invited other stakeholders such as health care service providers, including government and private health institutions for the exercise.” she added.

    The coordinator appealed to the benefiting communities to cooperate with the NYSC by availing themselves for the exercise.

    NAN

  • Customs seized 497,279 bags of rice in two years – DG

    Customs seized 497,279 bags of rice in two years – DG

    The Nigeria Customs Service ( NCS ) says it has seized 497,279 bags of imported rice between 2015 and August, 2017 with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N3.8 billion.

    The Comptroller-General of the service, retired Col. Hameed Ali, disclosed this in a document obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday.

    Ali said that 90,073 bags of rice were seized in 2015 with DPV of N693 million while 280,109 bags of rice were impounded in 2016 with DPV of N2.156 billion.

    He added that between January and August 2017, no fewer than 127,097 bags of rice were seized with DPV of N978 million.

    “From January to March this year, about four enterprises registered with Tinapa Free Trade Zone (FTZ) Calabar in Cross River State syndicated the importation of 533 containers of rice.

    He said the containers loaded with 299,564 bags of rice were brought into the free zone through Onne Port in Port Harcourt, Rivers.

    “Certainly, this rice cannot be consumed within Tinapa and there is no value added through further processing as to bring it to Nigerian territory.

    “It took the Nigeria Customs Service a big battle with the importers and Tinapa authorities to compel them to re-export it out of Nigeria.

    “As at Sept. 19, this year, 299 containers were re-exported.

    “If this is to be allowed, it has the potential of undermining the food security policy of the Federal Government.

    “With the attendant consequence of driving all the industries in the chain of production out of business, primarily the local farmers and rice millers,” Ali said.

    He said that in the past, the Federal Government had introduced policies like Operation Feed the Nation and Green Revolution to ensure food sufficiency.

    He added that the major cause of failure of these policies was smuggling.

    According to him, it is the realisation of this that made the Federal Government to ban the importation of rice through the land borders.

    “The ban of rice importation through the land borders has made the task of fighting smuggling by the NCS more challenging.

    “Because major rice importers in the country have decided to shun the use of Nigerian ports and now divert their cargo to Cotonou where they bring it into Nigeria in trickles,” he said.

    NAN