The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian news

  • BREAKING: Court rejects suit against composition of FG, Service Chiefs’ appointment

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a suit challenging the composition of the Federal Government and appointments made in military and paramilitary agencies of the Federal Government.

    Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment on Monday, held that the plaintiff lacked the locus standi (the legal right to approach the court) to file the suit.

    Justice Ekwo held that not only was the subject of the suit outside the objectives for which the plaintiff – Incorporated of Kingdom Human Rights Foundation International (KHRFI) – was registered, the group, on whose behalf it claimed to have filed the suit – Igbo Youths Democrats – was not a registered body with the power to sue and be suit.

    Read Also: Five held for real estate ‘scam’

    The plaintiff had, in the suit, filed in 2017 and marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/81/2017, argued among others that the exclusion of Nigerians of Igbo extraction from the appointments made in most of the agencies of the Federal Government, particularly the military and paramilitary agencies was discriminatory against the Igbo of Nigeria and a breach of the Federal Character principle contained in the Constitution.

    Details shortly…

  • Photo: Fire razes car on Abuja highway

    A car on Monday caught fire on the outer Northern Expressway by Phase three junction at Kubwa in Abuja.

    NAN

  • PHOTOS: Sowore arraigned before Fed High Court Abuja

    Convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, has arrived the Federal High Court in Abuja for his arraignment on charges of treasonable felony and other sundry offences instituted against him by the Federal Government.

    The DSS on August 3, 2019 arrested Sowore for calling for a revolution through a protest scheduled to hold on August 5.

    This is the first time Sowore will appear in court and any public place since he was arrested.

  • Native doctor, five ‘robbers’ held in Imo

    Police have arrested a native doctor and five robbery suspects in different locations in Imo State. Two of the suspects sustained serious injuries during a gunfire exchange with police.

    Parading the suspects at the Command headquarters Thursday,  Commissioner of Police Rabiu Ladodo gave the names of the suspects as Ikenna Eze, aka Fela, 23, Chukwudi Ezeala aka Infinity, 33, John Ogubuike, 23, Harrison Okoroafor aka Doctor, 21, Abdul Ahmed, 41, and Eze Emeka, 33.

    He said Ogubuike, an alleged notorious armed robber, who had been terrorising Ideato North and South councils of Imo State was arrested on September 4th, 2019 at about 2 pm at Rock View area Owerri, Imo State, by SARS operatives led by ASP Banjoko Oluwemimo.

    Ladodo said the suspect confessed to the crime and took operatives to Isiala Mbano on September 4th,  2019 at about 4.30 pm where one Harrison Okoroafor aka doctor was arrested, adding that Harrison Okoroafor confessed to the crime that they all belong to a five-man armed robbery syndicate.

    “On 11 September 2019 at about 8.30 pm the arrested suspect John Ogubuike took the operatives to their criminal hideout at Anara in Isiala Mbano L.G.A of Imo State, where the leader of the gang Ikenna Eze aka Fela and Chkwudi Ezeala aka Infinity were arrested.

    Read Also: Native doctor jailed 21 years for raping, impregnating daughter

    The police commissioner said during the arrest there was the exchange of gunfire and in the process, Ikenna Eze aka Fela and Chukwudi Ezeala aka Infinity sustained gunshot injuries on their legs. According to the CP, they were later rushed to hospitals for treatment.

    “They further took police operatives to Lumpata Gariki Market along Abia Okigwe Expressway Abia State, where one Abdul Ahmed was arrested on 18 September, 2019 while  Abdul Ahmed, in turn, took operatives to North Bank Area of Makurdi in Benue State, where the robbed Toyota Spider 2017 model saloon car black in color was recovered.

    “On 20 September 2019 at about 8 30 pm, one of the arrested notorious armed robbers Chukwudi Ezeala aka Infinity took police to Igbele Enugu Ezike in Igbueze North L.G.A of Enugu State, where one Eze Emeka a native doctor was arrested.”

    The police boss said immediate search was conducted in the native doctor’s shrine which led to the recovery of the gang’s weapons: one double-barrel gun cut to size; one locally made single barrel gun, one live cartridge and one expended cartridge.

    Eze Emeka confessed to the crime, stating that he bought the guns from Chukwudi Ezeala aka Infinity.

    On 23 September, 2019 the arrested suspects Ikenna Eze and Chukwudi Ezeala aka Infinity further took operatives to Anara in Isiala Mbano L.G.A of Imo State, where one robbed Toyota sienna bus color blue was recovered in a Mechanic workshop. The recovered Toyota Spider saloon car was robbed on 6 August 2019 at about 8.30 pm from the owner one Mbah Romanus along Umueshi Dikenafai Road Ideato South L.G.A of Imo State on gunpoint.

  • Ezeli eyes Olympic Games with D’Tigers

    Former NBA champion Festus Ezeli is eyeing a spot in the D’Tigers team to next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

    Ezeli, who won the NBA trophy with the Golden State Warriors in 2015, was in Abuja at the weekend to support the Power Forward Basketball Championship.

    Ezeli, who has been out injured for about two seasons, disclosed that he was close to full fitness after recovering from a nagging knee injury. He also stated that he is now able to run without pains and he is in line to make a comeback with Portland Trailblazers.

    He stated that playing for the Nigerian national team has been his dream and would work hard to achieve his aim at next year’s Olympic Games. “I have always said I wanted to play in the National team but injury put paid to that but I will resume playing soon and I hope to get into the Nigerian team in time for next year’s Olympics.

    Read Also: FIBA rankings: D’Tigers’ progress excite Kida, Ahmedu

    “The Nigerian team has grown stronger and I have teammates in the team. The team did well in the World Cup where they got an Olympic ticket and this shows that we have a team we can be proud of,” he added.

    He also said that winning the championship with Golden State Warriors was a big achievement, considering that he was told he couldn’t play basketball. “I can’t put how I felt into words. It was surreal, I didn’t want to sleep because I could wake and find out it wasn’t real,“ he added.

    Ezeli, enjoined the students who took part in the Power Forward event, to be hardworking, persevere and give their best at all times, assuring that these attributes would take them to the top.

    Using himself as an example, Ezeli said they can get to the top if they take their craft seriously and study hard in school. “I started playing basketball at the age of 16 after getting to the US at 14. They said I couldn’t play but someone spotted me and taught me the game and the rest is history.

    “I am sure you can also attain greater height, not only in basketball, but in everything you set out to do,” he added, while commending ExxonMobil and Africare for supporting the event.

  • ‘States attaching conditions to minimum wage implementation’

    The Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (CANMPSSAN) at the weekend accused some governors of threatening to abandon the new minimum wage if their states’ statutory allocation is not reviewed upward by the Federal Government.

    Speaking with The Nation, its President, Comrade Abdul Gafar Mohammed, said the union was  disturbed that workers were being subjected to another round of negotiations after the new minimum wage had been okayed.

    “In the labour movement, we are disturbed and concerned with the continuous over politicisation of the minimum wage issue, which before it finally became law was unfortunately turn into a complex  debacle with state governors threatening not to pay.

    “They have  given conditions that unless the revenue sharing formula is reviewed upwards, they will not comply with the law.

    “We have had to use everything at our disposal to get the bill sent to the National Assembly  and had to deploy even greater pressures in getting to different arms of the National Assembly to pass the bill into law,” he said.

    Mohammed urged employers in the private sector, who still pay below the approved benchmark, to comply with the new law.

    He urged the Federal Government to confront headlong the hydra-headed monster of inadequate power supply that had crippled the nation’s industrial , social and economic growth.

    He said: “The privatisation of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) would have been meaningful, if the needful were done. It could have been profitable if those companies that bought over the electricity sector have thought of building their own power plant from the scratch.”

    Mohammed said unemployment continues to be the number one problem in the nation, adding that the challenges of national development is to manage the economy in such a way as to promote job-led growth rather than the present situation of jobless growth.

    “In our country, many graduates and skilled youths are roaming the street in search of job. All the  promises by the government to create jobs have not yielded any dividend. It is a shame that the government is politicking with the unemployment by releasing spurious figures of jobs they have created only on the pages of newspaper,” he said.

  • 2019 IAAF WC: Oduduru hits semifinal in 200m

    Divine Oduduru has qualified for the semifinal of the men’s 200m after recording one of the fastest time among the losers at the 17th IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019.

    He finished fourth with a 20.40secs behind Great Britain’s Adam Gemili (20.06), Turkey’s Ramil Guliyev (20.27) and Netherland’s Taymir Burnet (20.37) in the first heat in the men’s 200m.

    Among the seven heats, Oduduru remains the fastest among the losers even better that third place finishers in some of the heats.

    Oduduru’s nearly missed competing in the 200m but a quick appeal from the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) to IAAF ensured he took part.

    Read Also: Ndidi scores as five-star Leicester beat Newcastle

    Okagbare and Oduduru failed to show up for the 100m on Friday and they were expected to be prevented from competing in the 200m, but a quick appeal by AFN saved the day as the sprinters were given the go-ahead to compete.

    Just like Oduduru, Okagbare will take to the track today as she competes against her rivals in the women’s 200m with the top three advancing to the semifinal.

    In the women’s 400m, Patience Okon-George and Favour Ofili will battle it out with the best in the world for places in the semifinal.

  • Ndidi scores as five-star Leicester beat Newcastle

    Wilfred Ndidi produced a Man-of-the-Match performance yesterday  as Leicester City produced a clinical performance to trash 10-man Newcastle 5-0 at the King Power Stadium.

    The win puts Leicester in the third position with 14 points, two points behind Man City who sits in second place and seven points behind leaders, Liverpool who they face on Saturday.

    The Nigeria international hit the scoresheet with the fifth goal in the final minute of the game, converting from Ben Chilwell’s cross.

    It was Ndidi’s second goal of the season having already scored in the Foxes 1-1 draw against Chelsea earlier this season.

    Earlier goals from Ricardo Pereira followed by a brace by  Jamie Vardy as well as the own goal by  Paul Dummett  helped Leicester to its biggest ever Premier League win.

    Meanwhile, other Nigeria Internationals in action yesterday  included William Troost-Ekong who played the entire match but  got a yellow card in  Udinese’s  1-0 win over Bologna.

    Anthony Nwakaeme and John Mikel Obi started for Trabzonspor with the former Super Eagles captain getting a yellow card  while  Nwakaeme scoring the last goal in the 4-1 thrashing of Besiktas.

    In Greece, Super Eagles prospect Chuba Akpom started from the bench in PAOK Thessaloniki FC 2-2 clash with AEK Athens. Anderson Esiti was on the bench and didn’t play any part.

  • Elumelu seeks $2.5b Japanese investment for Africa

    Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, has asked Japan to invest $2.5 billion representing  five per cent of its $50 billion commitment to Africa.

    Elumelu, African investor and philanthropist, spoke at the seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Yokohama, Japan.

    “At TICAD 2016 in Kenya, Japan pledged $30 billion for Africa. This year you have generously increased this to $50 billion. If we invested just five per cent in Africa’s new generation of entrepreneurs, following my Foundation’s robust, proven model of getting capital directly to those best placed to catalyse growth and create real impact, we could touch 500,000 lives, across the 54 African countries, broadening markets, facilitating job creation, improving income per capita, and laying the key foundation for political and economic stability”, Elumelu said.

    Read Also: Elumelu challenges global leaders to empower African entrepreneurs

    His statement captured his vision of a relationship between Japan and Africa, which prioritises economic and shared prosperity. He outlined the three key pillars of a bold and transformative structure: investment in infrastructure, partnership with the African private sector, and investment in Africa’s youth.

    He urged Japan to learn from the example of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which champions empowering African entrepreneurs, as the most sustainable means of accelerating the development of Africa. The Tony Elumelu Foundation, in just five years has assisted over 7,500 African entrepreneurs across every African countries, with seed capital, capacity building, mentorship and networking opportunities through its $100 million Entrepreneurship Programme.

  • OAU collaborates with academy to offer advanced professional certificate course

    Africa’s first Practical School of Integrated Brand Experience and Idea Management, Orange Academy and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State are collaborating to offer a new academic programme to be known as the ‘Advanced Professional Certificate in Brand Experience Design and Communication Arts’.

    The formal announcement of this collaboration and the new programme was made at the 10th Orange Academy Immersion and Art of Positive Thinking (APT) ceremony held at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja-Lagos.

    The ceremony, which is an annual rite of passage for every graduating Brand Experience Specialist of the Academy, celebrated the graduation of 75 graduands who now join an army of over 5000 alumni that are often referred to as ‘Orange Minds’.

    The event was also attended by family members and friends of the graduands, Orange Academy alumni, Orange Academy board members and stakeholders, who were delighted to warmly receive the team from the Obafemi Awolowo University led by Dr. Adeola Ogunrin of the Department of Adult Education and Lifelong Learning, who made the collaboration officially public.

    Read Also: OAU ex-student wins UNICAF scholarship

    Ogunrin, while addressing the gathering on behalf of the Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof.  Eyitope Ogunbodede, said: “This evening we have come before you to say that Orange Academy has become a part of us. We have studied Orange Academy very closely and believe very strongly that they are worthy of this collaboration. The Obafemi Awolowo University will ensure that the highest standard that we are known for is strictly adhered to during this programme and collaboration. The programme, Advanced Professional Certificate in Brand Experience Design & Communication Arts, fits into the vision of our department which is to fill the gap in vital areas of developing manpower, training, professional and other important components of adult life. The curriculum has been so designed to cater for relevance and advances at the workplace to impact lives positively for a better Nigeria.”

    The Advanced Professional Certificate in Brand Experience Design & Communication Arts programme is a two semester course that spans a six-month duration of major practical sessions, which upon completion will earn participants the Advanced Professional Certificate in Brand Experience Design & Communication Arts from the Obafemi Awolowo University.

    Speaking on behalf of the Provost, Faculty, Management and the entire workers of Orange Academy, spokesman for the academy Femi Odukoya said: “We are so delighted that after such a conscientious journey of creating and offering of the brand experience programme for 10 years, the Obafemi Awolowo University’s collaboration with us is an attestation to our commitment and vision of ‘This One thing’. Our vision of ‘This one thing’ is to discover and nurture the inner creative self to tell stories that can change businesses, brands and people for good.