The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian news

  • APC knows fate today as court rules on primaries

    The Court of Appeal has reserved ruling on the order of a Sagbama High Court in Yenagoa stopping the All Progressives Congress (APC) from holding its Bayelsa State governorship primary elections using the direct method.

    The Publicity Secretary, Doifie Buokoribo, confirmed that ruling on the matter had been reserved for today.

    The APC has been battling to vacate the order which distorted its schedules for the primary poll. It shifted the primaries from August 29 to 31 citing logistic issues, but further postponed it indefinitely following the order stopping the planned use of direct method in conducting the internal poll.

    An electoral committee headed by the Yobe State Governor, Mai-Mala Buni as Returning Officer, was already in Yenagoa at the weekend to conduct the primaries but decided otherwise after waiting in vain for a vacation of the order on Friday.

    Read Also: Tension as PDP elects governorship candidate in Bayelsa

    But a party source said everything was being done to vacate the order.

    He said: “Everything is in motion to vacate the order on Monday (yesterday) or today. Surely the order will be vacated. We would have gone ahead to hold the primaries because based on the Electoral Act that injunction is illegal.

    “Section 87(10) of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended, provides that nothing in this section shall empower the courts to stop the holding of primaries or general election or the thereof under this Act pending the determination of a suit.

    “But the party doesn’t want any legal impediments to its primaries. It is only reasonable to counter the order since there is still time to do so. All we know is that the order will be voided and the primaries will be conducted within the stipulated time.”

    Announcing the postponement, Secretary of the Electoral Committee, Senator Emmanuel Ocheja, described the APC as a law-abiding party with respect for its constitution and the laws of the land.

    He said in a statement: “The APC is aware of conflicting orders from courts of equal jurisdiction on the Bayelsa governorship primary election. As a result of these conflicting orders, and following a meeting that Governor Mai-Mala Buni had with the aspirants and party stakeholders, it was resolved that the primary election should be postponed until the committee headed by the governor receives clear direction from the party headquarters on the matter.”

  • Wike seeks federal, state partnership against oil theft

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has called on the Federal Government to partner  states to fight oil theft. Wike reiterated that oil bunkering has continued to worsen because of the participation of security agencies.

    A statement by the governor’s media aide, Simeon Nwakaudu, said Wike spoke yesterday when a delegation of Konrad Adenauer (German Foundation)  visited him at the Government House in Port Harcourt.

    He said oil bunkering had continued to worsen because of the participation of security agencies.

    The delegation was led by Dr Vladimir Kreck,  Andreas Lammel, and Dr Joachim Pfeiffer, of the German parliament.

    Wike said: “Some of the security agencies are involved in oil theft. When you see oil bunkering, the security agencies are involved. They are fully involved.

    Read Also: Wike seeks creation of state police

    “If the Federal Government comes strongly and partner the states, we will solve some of the problems. Also, we have the problem of politicisation of security; this is unfortunate in this country.”

    The governor said the security framework of the state was negatively affected by oil majors patronising cult groups for surveillance jobs.

    He noted that the state security council was liaising with oil majors to stop the patronage of cult groups for such jobs.

    “We have told oil majors to patronise official state security agencies and stop patronising cult groups for surveillance jobs. This is because part of the problem is the oil majors’ continued patronage of cult groups,” he said.

    Wike called for collaboration with Germany and the foundation to fight insecurity.

    He sought the foundation’s partnership to attract German investors in agriculture to create jobs.

    Kreck said the visit was aimed at advancing economic development.

    He said: “We have been providing support for the democratic development of Nigeria since 2001. In Rivers State, we have been providing capacity building for lawmakers and security agencies.”

    Kreck noted that the foundation invited two German lawmakers to Nigeria to acquaint themselves with the country’s economic development programmes.

    Lammel said the main objective of the visit was to understand the economic development process and discuss oil production and development in the state.

  • Ekiti to prosecute parents keeping kids out of school

    Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has said parents who keep their school-age children out of school risk being prosecuted, stressing that the state’s Child’s Right law provides that all children must be given access to education.

    The government last week began school enrolment drive aimed at ensuring that all school-age children register for the forthcoming 2019/2020 academic session.

    Read Also: Fayemi urges positive change

    Speaking in Eporo, Emure-Ekiti during the sensitisation programme, Fayemi, who called on all parents and guardians to key into the free education programme of his administration, said education is not only free but compulsory in Ekiti State.

    He added that it is an abuse of Child’s Right for any parent or guardian to deny school-age children the opportunity to go to school.

  • OOUTH ADR embarks on indefinite strike over poor working condition

    Doctors at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, on Monday embarked upon an indefinite strike to protest the worsening conditions of service and the unwillingness of successive state government to address the situation.

    The doctors under the aegis of Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), OOUTH chapter, lamented that they have been overburdened with work load because of the “enormous and persistent decline in workforce,” saying they were now compelled  to resort to strike action to draw attention to their plights when several meetings with both previous and current state governments became a thing of no effect.

    Rising from its meeting in Sagamu, on Monday, the OOUTH’s ARD said the teaching hospital had witnessed grave reduction in its workforce, which culminated in the  loss of accreditation for full training of the resident doctors.

    Read Also: Abiodun approves recruitment of doctors for OOUTH

    ARD added that the reduction in workforce has also taken a serious toll on the health of few doctors still working in the teaching hospital.

    In a statement issued at the end of its meeting by  the chapter chairman and secretary of the Association: Dr. Osikoya Oludotun and Dr. Ajose Oluwafemi, ARD said its decision to embark on the industrial action became inevitable to force the state government to do the needful for the hospital.

    The resident doctors also  accused the state government of paying lip services to their plights and condition of the hospital, particularly the manpower shortage, stating that they were aware of the last administration’s caveat to the management not to exceed a certain wage bill, wondering why wages of resident doctors who had exited the system could not be freed for the employment of new doctors.

    They also claimed that the workload is so enormous that it had prevented them from adequately preparing for their postgraduate examinations.

  • Ogun begins recruitment of doctors, health workers

    Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has approved the immediate recruitment of resident doctors for the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH).

    This is in line with the interim recommendations submitted by the Administrative Panel he set up to look into the remote and immediate causes of the challenges facing the institution.

    Also to be recruited are nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists and all other categories and cadres of healthcare professionals.

    Read Also: Abiodun expresses worry over scourge of depression

    Abiodun ordered that advertisement should be immediately rolled out in all departments where manpower shortage exists, adding that that recruitment should take immediate effect.

    In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin the nine-man committee chaired by Dr. Yemi Onabowale, the Chief Medical Director of Reddington Hospital, advised the government to recruit competent medical doctors to fill all the manpower shortage at the teaching hospital.

    The governor had frowned at the infrastructural and staff deficits facing the hospital during his visit in June. He had also promised to return the tertiary healthcare facility to its past glory.

    Inaugurating the committee, he had urged members to assess the operational modalities of the hospital and to suggest how to improve the standard in tandem with acceptable universal standard for medical training, research and tertiary health care services.

  • Court slams N.5m damages on ExxonMobil worker

    An Uyo High Court in Akwa Ibom State, presided over by Justice Margaret-Mary Udoma, has ordered Ms Mfon Abia to pay N500,000 to Mrs. Regina Udobong, the former manager, Public and Government Affairs, Joint Venture Operations of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, (MPNU),  as damages for libel.

    Justice Udoma, delivering judgment in Suit No: HU/375/2018 between Udobong and Abia, also ordered Ms Abia to write and publish a written apology to Mrs. Udobong in the same social media, the LinkedIn Online Professional Platform.

    The judge asked Ms Abia to pay N50,000 as cost of action.

    Read Also: Diezani paid $865,300 cash for jewellery, EFCC tells Court

    She said: “In the interest of justice pursuant to Order 20 Rules 1 and 9 of the High Civil Procedure Rule 2009 of Akwa Ibom State and the Supreme Court decision in the case of Banna Vs Telepower Nig Ltd (2007,144 LRCN pg.440 at 455 ratio), the instant motion on notice of 13/6/2019 is granted.”

    The judge ruled that the defendant (Abia) was guilty of falsely and maliciously publishing libellous materials concerning Udobong on social media in the LinkedIn Online Professional Platform to the entire world, read by numerous persons within and outside Nigeria.

    Udobong had sued Abia (a separated employee of the company in 2016) for allegedly denigrating her person and character, through sundry social media attacks between October 26, 2018 and November 4, 2018.

  • APP national chair arraigned for alleged forgery

    The National Chairman of the Action Alliance Party (APP), Kenneth Udeze, was on Monday arraigned at a Magistrates’ Court in Osogbo, Osun State, for alleged conspiracy and forgery.

    The accused was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, alteration and forgery.

    The police prosecutor from the Office of the Assistant Inspector-General, AIG Zone X1, Mr. James Famuyini, told the court that the accused conspired with others at large to forge documents of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and thereby committed an offence.

    The accused was also alleged to have altered the INEC document and presented same to the commission during the governorship primary election in Osun State last year.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    Read Also: UPDATED: Court remands AA Nat’l chairman, Udeze in prison

    Defence counsel Wemimo Animasahun urged the court to grant his client bail in self recognition, noting that he is a lawyer of 15 years at the bar.

    He prayed the court to grant the accused bail in the most liberal term, promising that he would not jump bail.

    The police prosecution opposed the bail for the accused person, saying he has been evading arrest for more than one year.

    Ruling, Magistrate Rofiyat Olayemi, who noted that the offences are bailable, said bail is a constitutional right of the accused.

    She granted the accused N200,000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.

    Olayemi said one of the sureties must be a civil servant not below level 5 and must be resident in Osun State.

    She added that the second surety must be an indigene of Imo State where the accused hailed from and must live in Osun State.

    The judge adjourned the case till November 5.

  • Three rape suspects remanded

    Three students of the Ondo State College of Health Technology, Akure, who allegedly raped a female student of the institution, on Monday appeared at a Magistrates’ Court in Akure.

    The suspects, Adeboboye Damilola, Blessing Michael and Eyitayo Charles were arraigned by the police following their alleged involvement in the rape of the victim from the Environmental Health Technician department.

    The accused, who allegedly committed the crime last month at “Barristers Lodge,” Olofinlade Layout, Oda Road, Akure were arraigned on an eight-count charge, which borders on armed robbery, rape, cultism and illegal possession of firearms.

    Read Also: Suspected hoodlums rape 16-yr-old girl to death

    The suspects were also alleged to have before the incident, raped a student of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) and attempted to forcefully have carnal knowledge of another woman, Miss Oladele Damilola.

    Besides, the defendants were alleged to have robbed Israel Segun and Adedayo Foluso of their money, phones and laptops at gunpoint.

    Police prosecutor Mr. Abdulateef Suleiman, who sought the remand of the accused in prison custody, was countered by counsel to the second defendant as well as counsel to the first and third defendants, Messrs. Banjo Ayelakin and Olutoye Adeyanju, as they argued that they were served with the application a few hours before the court proceeding.

    They prayed the court to adjourn the case to enable them study the application properly.

    Ruling, Magistrate Mrs. Victoria Bob-Manuel admitted the prayer of the counsel and ordered the remand of the accused in police custody.

    She adjourned the case till September 5.

  • Police arrest suspect for ‘killing’ motorcyclist

    Ekiti Police Command has arrested a suspect who allegedly killed a middle-aged commercial motorcyclist, Mr. Sunday Olorunleke, in Ado-Ekiti.

    He was allegedly stabbed to death in his home at Aba, Ado-Ekiti, last weekend.

    Command spokesman Caleb Ikechukwu said the suspect was nabbed following a tip-off.

    Ikechukwu, who did not reveal the identity of the suspect, said he would be paraded after completion of investigation.

    “I can confirm that we have arrested a suspect over the killing of Mr. Olorunleke.

    Read Also: Police arraign hotelier for ‘killing’ motorcyclist

    “We got a report of the incident last weekend and swung into action. Through our intelligence, we apprehended the suspect who allegedly stabbed the man. He is in our custody, we will parade him any moment from now,” he said.

    The Nation gathered that the deceased was alone in the house when the incident happened, as his wife and children had travelled. They returned on Saturday morning to find him in a pool of blood.

    A source, who confirmed the killing, said the incident might have happened between Thursday night and Saturday morning, adding that the man was seen in the neighbourhood on Thursday morning.

    The source said: “The deceased’s wife called some of their neighbours on Thursday when she could not reach her husband on the phone and they told her that they saw him that day.

    “We were shocked after the wife arrived on Saturday morning and met the door closed. She sought the help of people to break the door and found his body on the floor in a pool of blood.”

  • One feared killed, others injured as groups clash on Lagos Island

    One person was on Sunday feared killed and others injured after hoodlums clashed on Lagos Island.

    The crisis, which was said to have disrupted the annual Egungun festival, was allegedly caused by rancour within the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

    It was gathered that warring factions of the NURTW got street gangs from Oke-Arin, Sura, Apongbon and Agarawu/Idumagbo to attack their opponents, forcing people to run for safety.

    The Nation gathered that there had been tension on Lagos Island since Friday night, with  violent attempts by the factions quelled by security operatives.

    It was learnt that another violence erupted on Sunday at Apongbon, leaving a man identified as Junior dead and at least two others injured.

    Not satisfied, the gangs were said to have continued the fight yesterday evening, forcing people to flee their shops and houses.

    A source said the violence continued on Monday evening at Oke-Arin, forcing traders and workers to flee.

    “There was crisis along Simpson, by Sura. It was between Okesuna and Patey boys. People ran in different directions.

    Read Also: Six killed as suspected cultists clash in Ikorodu

    “The Egungun festival started today, but there has been tension in the area since last weekend. This festival will last several weeks and only God knows how we will survive the violence.

    “Before this Oke-Arin fight this evening (yesterday), there were attempts to attack the Agarawu/Idumagbo group early in the morning, but security operatives prevented it.

    “But they continued at Apongbon and killed one Junior. They injured at least two people

    “Those responsible for this fight are the Idumota and Oke-Arin boys and they are led by factional members of the NURTW,” the source added.

    But the police denied that death was recorded in the attacks, insisting that they had no such record.

    Spokesman Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said he was only aware of the two who sustained injuries during Sunday’s clash, adding that the victims were taken to hospital.

    “The information I have is that there were issues there last weekend and two people sustained injuries. We do not have record of death and the police did not see any corpse.

    “The clash is connected to the NURTW issue. The street gangs have links with the union and warring factions are using them.

    “Three suspects were arrested. There is increased patrol in the area. The Rapid Response Squad (RRS), task force and other operatives have been patrolling the area.

    “The area commander said there was no clash today. People might have been running as a result of panic. They had issues on Saturday and Sunday, but the area is peaceful today (Monday) because patrols have been intensified.

    “The patrol is still ongoing. We are working on some names. There are names given among those that participated in the clash. Our men are working on them and picking them up.”