The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian news

  • NLC against proposed amendment of Pension Reform Act 2014

    NLC against proposed amendment of Pension Reform Act 2014

    The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) on Thursday kicked against the proposed amendment of the Pension Reform Act 2014 to exclude some agencies of government from the contributory pension scheme.

    Mr Issa Aremu, NEC member of NLC, made this known on Thursday in a statement issued in Kaduna.

    Aremu urged stakeholders on pension matters to reject the proposed controversial bill seeking to exclude members of the Nigeria Police, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Prison Service, Nigeria Immigration Service and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from the Contributory Pension Scheme.

    He said the bill is sponsored by Rep. Oluwole Oke and has passed its second reading.

    “Pension reform Acts of 2004 and 2014 were outcomes of executive bills, which addressed the delicate interests of the pensioners, government and the economy.

    “In principle, a private member bill informed by narrow and vested interest consideration cannot do justice to all.

    The labour leader also said that any private member bill, which seeks to erode the gains of the 13-year-old Contributory Pension Scheme in terms of coverage and resource pool is “counterproductive” and should not be encouraged.

    Aremu said pensions of the nation’s working men and women in security services are better secured in a national contributory Scheme than the old “unfunded and unsustainable discredited ‘Defined Benefits Scheme’ ( DBS ).

    According to him, until the recent contributory pension reform “all stakeholders bore witness to ugly features of corruption, inefficiency and share looting”.

    He added that this characterized the old Defined Benefits Scheme ( DBS ), adding that to return to the old era would mean bringing back corruption to pension administration through the National Assembly.

    Aremu advised the National Assembly against what he called “the pitfalls of frequent self-serving out sourced amendments” of the Pension Act.

    He observed that the pension Act has just been amended through executive and all inclusive review two years ago.

    The labour leader said with all its globally acknowledged successes, the contributory pension covers only 7 million workers.

    Aremu lamented that to ask for exclusion of the security agencies will undermine the scheme with all the attendant negative implications for Nigerian economy just coming out of recession.

    He, therefore, called all members of the Assembly to reject the private bill, which will return pensioners to the bad old days of non-payment of pensions.

    Aremu urged legislators to through their oversight ensure appropriate budgetary appropriation for the accrued benefits arising from the old unfunded scheme is paid.

    He also said that 60 million workforce in both informal and formal private sectors and states civil services are covered in the compulsory Contributory pension scheme.

  • Borno agency unveils operation zero pothole

    Borno agency unveils operation zero pothole

    The Borno Road Maintenance Agency ( BORMA ) on Thursday said it unveiled “Operation Zero Pothole” to repair roads in the state.

    The Chairman of the agency, Alhaji Satomi Ahmad, told newsmen in Maiduguri that the road repairs project was on major towns in the state.

    Ahmad said the agency had completed arrangements to commence work on the roads in Maiduguri metropolis, adding that similar projects would be executed in Biu town.

    He listed some of the roads to be fixed to include Post Office-Industrial Court, Jidari-Polo and Pompomari-Jidari.

    The chairman said that a surface dressing work would be on the Gomari-Pompomari-Tashan Kano road to control flood in the area.

    He added that “BORMA will repair potholes and failed sections on major roads in Maiduguri metropolis and major towns.

    “We will use the curfew period in Maiduguri to work on the roads to avoid causing traffic congestion during the day.”

    The agency boss disclosed that BORMA would resume work on Biu township roads by direct labour.

    He explained that the agency would establish a zonal office in Biu to facilitate coordination of rehabilitation work in southern parts of the state.

    According to him, the agency plans to introduce toll gates and initiate commercial ventures to enhance its operations.

    “We will introduce toll gates and engage in commercial viable activities to boost revenue sources to
    enhance our operations.

    “The agency has fleet of heavy duty equipment including pay loaders, excavators and tippers, which can be leased to sister organisations to generate income,” he said.

    He reiterated borno government’s commitment toward road development projects to open up the state and ease movement of goods and services.

  • Batshuayi strikes late to give Chelsea win

    Batshuayi strikes late to give Chelsea win

    Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi came off the bench to snatch a 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday with the last kick of the game.

    The result took Antonio Conte’s side top of Champions League Group C.

    France international Antoine Griezmann rammed a penalty kick beyond former Atletico goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to give the home side a barely-deserved lead in the 40th minute.

    He was scoring the first European goal at their new stadium after striking the first Liga goal there this month.

    Former Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata, who also spent time in Atletico’s youth system, pulled Chelsea level by glancing in Eden Hazard’s cross in the 60th minute.

    This was after the visitors had failed to make their first-half dominance count.

    Batshuayi replaced Morata with seven minutes remaining and inflicted a first home defeat on Atletico since September, 2015.

    It turns wide a Marcos Alonso cutback from close range deep into stoppage-time.

    “It’s very difficult when Atletico score [first] to come back, but in spite of this we deserved to win. We continued to play with good personality, we kept our heads on the pitch in every moment,” Chelsea coach Conte told a news conference.

    “We must be pleased with the performance and overall the personality we showed.

    “I always tell my players that it doesn’t change when you play at home or away, you have to play with the same personality and desire to play and try to deserve to win.”

    Atletico coach Diego Simeone has likened his side’s new home to the Circus Maximus in Rome.

    The club’s famously vociferous fans made a noise fitting of the biggest game in the stadium’s short existence, but Chelsea soon calmed the crowd.

    Hazard, without a goal in the Champions League since March 2015, was Chelsea’s chief creator.

    He dashed through the middle to lay the ball off for Morata to screw wide and then hitting the woodwork himself with a ferocious long-range strike.

    “Chelsea felt more comfortable than us and won the game deservedly,” said Atletico coach Simeone.

    “They were superior tactically and physically. They are a very competitive team, they showed more maturity than us and we have to congratulate them.”

    Atletico struggled to get into Chelsea’s half but capitalised from their first real foray forward.

    A deflected shot from Saul Niguez earned a corner kick from which David Luiz hauled Lucas Hernandez to the floor, leaving Griezmann to score a third goal in four games.

    Simeone’s side could have grabbed a second on the cusp of halftime when Courtois could only hold Koke’s stinging shot but Saul slotted the rebound just wide of the near post.

    A two-goal deficit would have been grossly unfair on Conte’s adventurous side, who also had the better of the second half.

    Morata wasted a chance to strike again when he skipped towards goal unchallenged, scuffing the ball wide of Jan Oblak’s goal.

    But Belgian international Batshuayi needed just one chance to grab the win that was as dramatic as it was deserved.

  • Court remands man for alleged possession of cocaine

    Court remands man for alleged possession of cocaine

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday ordered the remand of a 32-year-old man, Ya’kau Audu, for alleged illegal possession of 2.7 grammes of cocaine.

    Audu, who was arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA ), is standing trial on a count charge, bordering on unlawful possession of cocaine.

    Counsel to NDLEA, Mr Mike Kassa, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Sept. 10 at Nyanya, Abuja.

    Kassa said the defendant was arrested on the same date by the police with 2.7 grammes of cocaine while driving a Honda Civic car.

    He said the offence contravened Section 19 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

    The defendant pleaded guilty to the one-count charge.

    Kassa, who urged the court to summarily convict the defendant having pleaded guilty, however, asked for a short adjournment to enable him present facts of the case.

    He also informed that the defendant was once convicted for one year imprisonment on Dec. 2, 2013 by Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for trafficking seven grammes of cocaine.

    Counsel to the defendant, Mr Victor Edeh, however pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, adding that the defendant had become remorseful and self-reformed.

    Edeh said the defendant did not waste the time of the court by pleading guilty and had been cooperating with the prosecution in its investigation.

    The judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, consequently ordered the remand of the defendant in prison and adjourned the case until Oct. 4, for review of facts of the case.

  • No industrial growth with paper certificate alone – Obaseki

    No industrial growth with paper certificate alone – Obaseki

    Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo said investment in vocational education is fundamental to job creation and industrialisation of the state as well as the country as oil revenue continues to dwindle.

    Obaseki said this on Tuesday when he received donations made by the Nigerian Employers Consultative Association ( NECA ) in collaboration with the Industrial Training Funds ( ITF ), at Government Science Technical College, Benin.

    He commended the organisations for the donating electrical equipment and tools to the technical college.

    According to him, no country can grow industrially with `paper certificate’ alone; it must have technical skills to make the needed difference.

    The governor noted that most industrialised countries had in their workforces, people with vocational training who might not be university graduates.

    He said that plans were underway to set up three or five megawatts of power on the Government Science Technical College premises for its light industrial park to ensure constant electricity supply.

    The governor gave the assurance that the donated items would be judiciously utilised.

    Earlier, the Director-General of NECA, Mr Olusegun Oshinowo, thanked the state government for emphasising improvement in vocational and technical education.

    Oshinowo said that the biggest challenge facing Nigeria was that of unemployment due to lack of technical skills to make youths employable.

    He urged that all hands should be on deck to tackle the challenge.

    The Principal of the college, Mrs Bose Imafidon, said that the benefitting electrical department was one of 10 departments with highest enrolment.

    Imafidon pledged to use the equipment for the intended purpose.

    The News Agency og Nigerian (NAN) reports that the other equipment and tools included desktop monitors, contact voltage regulators, prismatic fluorescent fittings and bundles of cables.

  • UniAbuja to commence academic activities Oct. 3

    UniAbuja to commence academic activities Oct. 3

    The University of Abuja( UniAbuja ) is to commence full academic activities on Oct. 3, following the suspension of the  nationwide strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) .

    The Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr Waziri Mohammed,
    disclosed this on Wednesday in an interview with the New Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gwagwalada .

    He told NAN that since the university has formally resumed  after the ASUU strike, the management had been working on the time table for revision and examinations at all levels.

    Meanwhile, the President, Students Union Government (SUG),  Ajiboye Okoyekola, had earlier forwarded messages to students briefing them on issues regarding resumption.

    He enjoined them to stay off the hostels as fumigation and general cleaning was ongoing.

    “The students should please bear with any inconveniences this decision may bring,” he said.

    He, however, urged the students to study hard, adding that exams would likely start on Oct. 9.

  • Ambode inaugurates DNA centre to reduce crime

    Ambode inaugurates DNA centre to reduce crime

    Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos on Wednesday inaugurated the state’s Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) and Forensic Centre to accelerate collection of evidence and improve its quality to quicken justice dispensation.

    The centre is located at CMS on Lagos Island. The centre is the first government-owned in Nigeria.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that DNA is a molecule that reveals the chromosomes in the centre of cells of living things.

    Ambode said: “Before now, most of, if not all DNA analysis and testing, were performed outside Nigeria, a situation that caused longer turn-around time and an overall higher cost of bringing closure to a case.

    “I am, therefore, convinced that the establishment of the centre will assist our courts in quick dispensation of justice.

    “This centre is a definite boost for our administration’s justice sector reform programme, and it will further transform the system of administration of justice in Lagos in particular and Nigeria as a whole.’’

    The governor said that the centre had the capacity to provide the police, prosecutors, defence attorneys and private citizens with crime scene processing and serological screening for blood and semen.

    He said that it would also provide services such as DNA analysis of bone, teeth and hair; maternal and paternal relationship DNA analysis, expert witness and case handling services.

    “Besides, it will help in paternal and maternal ancestry DNA analysis; cold case file review and mass disaster human identification.

    “With the successful completion of this stage of the facility, our administration plans to include additional capacity in the areas of toxicology, trace evidence and controlled substance analysis, fingerprint and latent prints, firearms, ballistics and tool marks, digital forensics and questioned documents examination.

    “The development of these other forensic sections at the facility will complement the DNA and forensic section and enhance the level of services offered today.

    “This will be helpful when dealing with organised crimes, as scientific methods can now help prosecutors to exonerate or convict a suspect, thereby reducing incidence of crime in the state,” Ambode said.

    He said that his administration established the centre in the realisation that security was vital for good governance and sustainability of investment.

    Mr John Bray, the U.S. Consul-General in Nigeria, said that the centre would better equip Lagos and Nigeria to deal with social challenges in an effective and scientific manner.

    He said that the centre was set up in partnership with an American company – IPSI Bio-Science Company – adding that U.S. would continue to collaborate with Nigeria to bring about growth and progress.

    Dr Richard Somiari, Managing Consultant of the centre said that the project was initiated in 2016 for consultation on old and new cases, crime scene processing and evidence collection.

    Somiari said that the centre could carry out serological screening for blood, semen, saliva and mass disaster victims’ identification and cold case files’ review.

    The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin, lauded Lagos State Government for establishing the centre, saying that it would also help to fight insurgency.

    Mr Imohimi Edgal, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, said that the centre would make police investigations and prosecution easier.

    “It will help in solving crime cases; even our old and pending cases will now have closure with this centre,’’ he said.

    Mr Adeniji Kazeem, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, said that efforts at transforming the judiciary and fighting crime would be incomplete without a modern crime laboratory centre.

    Kazeem said that lack of proven scientific evidence had made trial of many cases difficult.

    “We can now move away from relying on confessional statements,” he said

  • Police parade three armed robbers in jigawa

    Police parade three armed robbers in jigawa

    The Police Command in Jigawa has arrested three suspected armed robbers who had been terrorizing the residents of Kazaure Local Government Area of the state.

    The command’s Spokesman, SP. Abdu Jinjiri, who paraded the suspects before newsmen in Dutse on Wednesday said the suspects were arrested along Kazaure-Daura road.

    Jinjiri said that they were apprehended after they had blocked the road and robbed motorists of their money and other valuables.

    He explained that the suspects, hailed from Kusada, Kankiya and Malumfashi Local Government Areas of Katsina State.

    “On September 22, our officers in Kazaure local government area received a distress call that there were some armed robbers who blocked the Kazaure-Daura road and were robbing motorists.

    “We swiftly moved to the scene and luckily enough we arrested three of them. They were arrested in collaboration with the residents of the area.

    “During their arrest, cutlasses, sacks of rice, sticks and some amount of money they allegedly collected from the motorists were recovered from them,” Jinjiri said.

    The spokesman added that investigation into the case was on and that they would be charged to court afterward.

    It will be recalled that the command had on Sept. 20 arrested three other suspects in Dutse after they allegedly robbed a widow of N80,000

  • Court docks man for defiling minor

    Court docks man for defiling minor

    A 24-year-old man, Oribamise Jimoh, on Wednesday appeared in an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly defiling an 8-year-old daughter of his neighbour.

    Jimoh who resides at No 9, Owonikoko Street, Ayobo, Lagos, is facing a two-count charge of defilement and breach of peace.

    The Prosecutor, Insp. Clifford Ogu, said that the offence was committed on Sept. 16 in the apartment of the accused.

    Ogu told the court that the accused lured the minor into his room on the pretext of sending her on an errand and defiled her.

    “The accused defiled the girl in his room, gave her N30 and told her not to tell anyone and that if she did, she would die.

    “The girl walked strangely and her mother’s sister who noticed it called the mother’s attention to it.

    “The girl narrated everything that the accused did to her to them,” the prosecutor said.

    He said the offence contravened Section 137 and 166 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the section prescribes life imprisonment for offenders.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The Chief Magistrate, Taiwo Akanni, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum each and adjourned the case until Oct. 10 for mention.

  • Few private schools have complied with teachers’ registration – TRCN

    Few private schools have complied with teachers’ registration – TRCN

    The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria ( TRCN ), said on Wednesday that only 50 per cent of private schools in the country have complied with its directive to deploy only professional teachers to classrooms.

    Malam Adamu Bello, the Deputy Director, Professional Operation of the council made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Wednesday.

    Adamu said the council would continue to enforce the directive until all teachers get the mandatory certification to teach in schools across the country.

    He stressed that the 2017 deadline for all categories of teachers in the country to obtain the required professional qualification remain sacrosanct.

    The official disclosed that TRCN would prosecute unqualified and incompetent teachers nationwide as from 2018.

    “Very soon, those people that think it is a joke for the 17 years we have been drumming it for them to professionalize, will be arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned.

    “The council will go after them with the full weight of the law even as we seek state governments’ cooperation to rid the country of quack and unqualified teachers,’’ he said.

    Adamu emphasised that the certification programme of the council was necessary for all teachers, irrespective of the type of certificate they possess after their graduation.

    “It is meant to strengthen and upgrade the standard of education as all professionalized teachers will attend periodic re-certification lecture and examination to keep them abreast of modern best practices,’’ he said.