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  • Kebbi NLC tasks workers on selfless service

    Kebbi NLC tasks workers on selfless service

    The Kebbi chapter of the Nigerian Labour Union (NLC) on Thursday urged workers to offer selfless service for the growth and development of the county.

    Umar Halidu, the state NLC Chairman, said in an address in Birnin Kebbi to mark the 40th anniversary of the NLC, said as managers of government policies and programmes, the workers must work tirelessly to ensure success.

    He also urged workers to unite in their struggle for better condition of service that would encourage them to do more in the service of the nation.

    The NLC chairman decried the prolonged hardship faced by workers in some states over nonpayment of salaries and entitlements, assuring that the union would continue to ensure that workers and retirees receive their dues.

    “We will continue to work and improve on our mandates of negotiations on behalf of workers welfare under a democratic rule”, he said.

    Halidu commended Gov. Atiku Bagudu for prompt settlement of workers entitlements.

    Read Also: NLC: we’re reviewing demand for new minimum wage

    “We must applaud the good efforts of the present state administration for prompt payment of salaries and pensions as well as workers promotion.

    “We also applaud them for the present effort at settling outstanding workers benefits.’’

    He however urged the governor to ensure prompt implementation of the annual salary increment for workers.

    In his remarks, the state Head of Service, Alhaji Abubakar Idris, urged the NLC to be independent, transparent and shun all forms of corruption.

    Idris advised the union to always settle dispute through dialogue, and evolve measures to improve the welfare of its members.

    NAN

  • Efficient utilisation of resources should be govt’s priority – Bukar

    Efficient utilisation of resources should be govt’s priority – Bukar

    Mr Kharkiv Bukhara, the Chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), says concern for the economy should go beyond mere growth narrative to ensuring resources are efficiently utilised.

    Bukar made the observation in Lagos during Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce (NSACC) February Breakfast Meeting in Lagos on Thursday.

    He was delivering a paper on “The Nigerian Economic Outlook and Imperative for Inclusive Growth and Development”.

    Bukar said that the nation’s growth model needed a rethink and placing priority on inclusiveness should be a pre-eminent consideration.

    He said that if resources were efficiently utilised and benefits of growth equitably distributed, resilience would be built against downside risks economically.

    “Making growth inclusive is not a negotiable priority for the government. The average citizen must contribute to and benefit from the growth process.”

    Bukar said that the key socio-economic indicators had not fared well in spite of the recovery of the economy from recession in 2017.

    “The latest report of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that unemployment and underemployment rate rose from 35.2 per cent in 2016 quarter 4 to 40 per cent as at 2017 quarter 3.

    “Implying that over four million Nigerians lost their jobs in the same period.

    “Likewise, over 85 million Nigerians lived below the national poverty line, even as Nigeria remains in the category of countries with low Human Development Indicators (HDI), according to the World Bank’s HDI Report.

    “This points to one fundamental fact, Nigeria’s economic growth needs to be inclusive to provide employment opportunities and lift millions out of poverty,” he said.

    According to him, policymakers should pay attention to pillars of inclusive growth which are achieving growth that is broad-based and led by the productive sectors such as manufacturing, construction and agro-processing.

    Read Also:  Sen. Bukar trains 400 youths on yoghurt making, poultry production

    “Pursuing Social Inclusion with reforms in Education, Health and Skills Development, and providing Social Safety Nets for the poor and vulnerable citizens’’.

    Bukar said that to make the pillars effective, they must be backed and supported by good governance and strong institutions.

    According to him, to achieve growth that is broad-based and led by the productive sectors, the following policy recommendations are crucial.

    “There is need to ensure macroeconomic stability and this can be achieved by maintaining exchange rate stability and sustaining existing policies that ensure foreign exchange availability.

    “Ensure price stability by intervening urgently to prevent fuel scarcity, provide interventions in the agricultural sector to increase food supply and ensure availability of foreign exchange.

    “Implement growth-enhancing policies (including intervention funds) for sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, construction and transportation.

    “Maintain favourable interest rate which will spur economic growth, implement ease of doing business reforms across states and implement reforms to reduce regulatory bottlenecks across sectors’’.

    Bukar stressed the need to review and implement the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) toward providing a clear strategy to develop sectors like manufacturing, agro-processing, metals and solid minerals, oil and gas as well as services.

    “We believe that if the NIRP is appropriately implemented, Nigeria will achieve a well-diversified economy, with the productive sectors contributing significantly to GDP growth and unemployment reduction.

    “A well-diversified government revenue base, export and foreign exchange earnings as a result of expansion in manufacturing and agricultural sectors’’.

    The NESG boss said there was need to increase the capital budget performance to stimulate the construction sector and enhance provision of infrastructure toward creating an enabling environment.

    “Focus on targeted infrastructure projects that can spur the growth of the industrial sector and Implement the debt re-balancing strategy to reduce interest payments on government debt and free-up funds for capital projects.’’

    Bukar urged government to embark on procurement reforms to reduce delays and inefficiencies in the budget process and strengthen monitoring and evaluation capacity within the government.

    NAN

     

  • Court remands man for allegedly defiling 9-yr-old girl

    Court remands man for allegedly defiling 9-yr-old girl

    A Federal  High Court sitting in Kano, on Thursday, remanded a 36-year-old man, Abdulkarim Dan-malam in prison, for allegedly defiling a nine-year-old girl.

    The presiding Judge, Justice Jude Dagat, ordered that the accused be remanded in prison, pending the determination of the case.

    Dagat adjourned the case until March 25 for further hearing.

    The accused, a resident of Gaida quarters in Gwale Local Government Area of Kano State, is charged with unlawful canal knowledge of a minor.

    He, however, pleaded not guilty to the offence.

    Read Also:  Court jails man 60 years for child defilement

    The Prosecutor, Abdullahi Babale, had told the court that accused committed the offence in his residence, Gaida quarters, Gwale, on Nov.11, 2017.

    Babale said the accused gave the victim N10 before defiling her.

    He said Dan-malam was found removing the girl’s trousers and having canal knowledge of her.

    The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 16 (1) of Trafficking in Persons Act, 2015.

    NAN

     

  • Ebonyi NULGE urges state legislators to re-visit LG autonomy bill

    Ebonyi NULGE urges state legislators to re-visit LG autonomy bill

    The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees ( NULGE ) Ebonyi chapter, has urged the Ebonyi House of Assembly to re-visit the constitution amendment, seeking autonomy for local government areas in the country.

    Mr Leonard Nkah, Ebonyi NULGE President, via a statement he issued on Thursday in Abuja, wondered why the lawmakers rejected the amendment.

    Nkah in the statement made available to the News men, was reacting to the outcome of returns from state assemblies on the review of the constitution.

    Report of the Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution submitted by Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, showed that 20 states rejected the amendment.

    The 20 states that  voted against are: Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kwara, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Rivers, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.

    States that gave the yes votes are: Adamawa, Anambra, Abia, Bauchi, Benue, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau and Sokoto states.

    The amendment which was rejected stated that: “A local government council not democratically elected shall not be recognised by all authorities and persons and shall not be entitled to any revenue allocation from the Federation Account or the state government.

    Read Also: NULGE endorses Ayade for 2019

    “It shall not also exercise any function exercisable by a local government council under this Constitution or any law for the time being in force; and shall stand dissolved at the expiration of a period of four years, commencing from the date the members of the council were sworn in.”

    Nkah expressed shock that the Assembly voted against a bill of such importance, where the interest of over 80 per cent Nigerians was said to be left unattended to.

    According to Nkah, the Local Government Autonomy bill ought to be the number one to be voted in favour, but that it is regrettable that the House of Assembly voted “No” to it, but was quick to vote “Yes” for its own financial autonomy.

    “This is rather a selfish action that does no good to the development of the state, leaving the local government to suffer retardation.

    “It is high time members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly rose to their legislative duties like so many other states, that have respected the yearnings and aspirations of the people of Nigeria by voting yes to the long overdue bill,’’ he said.

    Nkah also said that the Union was disappointed by the action, considering the advocacy visit it paid to the House.

    He expressed disappointment that the Assembly decided to give itself a bad name by voting against local government autonomy, in spite of the maximum support and solidarity from the people, especially local government workers.

    The NULGE boss, however, called on the legislators to rekindle the trust the people bestowed on them, by re-visiting the bill to appease majority of the workers who toy day and night for a better Ebonyi.

    Nkah said: “If the honourable members in their thinking understand Local Government Autonomy as a tier that will be existing in a different world and have nothing to do with the state government, then their thinking and understanding is wrong”.

    NAN

  • Chinese develop pesticide to reduce contamination

    Chinese develop pesticide to reduce contamination

    Chinese researchers have developed a new pesticide with nano slow-releasing technology that can increase efficiency and decrease pollution in the soil.

    A team led by Wu Zhengyan of the Hefei Institute of Physical Science under the Chinese Academy of Sciences said this on Thursday.

    Zhengyan said soluble starch was used as a template and porous calcium carbonate micro spheres as carriers to make a nano-controlled release pesticide.

    It can control the migration of pesticide molecules in the environment, reducing pesticide loss and damage to environment.

    The results were recently released in an academic journal published by the American Chemistry Society called the ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering.

    Read Also:  Chinese scientists develop new flu vaccine

    Zhengyan said China’s agriculture industry relies heavily on the use of pesticides, using an estimated more than one million tonnes annually.

    However, only 30 per cent of pesticides have an effect on crops and the rest are simply washed away.

    Conventional farming, therefore, requires several rounds of pesticide spraying each day, which not only raises the cost, but also causes serious environmental contamination and excessive pesticide residue.

    Zhengyan says the pesticide release technology is environmentally friendly and cost efficient, providing a good solution to bottlenecks in China’s agriculture industry.

    NAN

  • Heavy drinkers at risk of dementia

    Heavy drinkers at risk of dementia

    According to a definition by Wikipedia, dementia is a broad category of brain diseases that cause a long-term and often gradual decrease in the ability to think and remember that is great enough to affect a person’s daily functioning.

    Other common symptoms include emotional problems, problems with language, and a decrease in motivation.

    A newly published study has analyzed that more than a million patients diagnosed with the illness between 2008 and 2013. More importantly, heavy drinkers are at serious risk of dementia.

    The study which was published in the Lancet Public Health journal, included 1,109,343 patients discharged from French hospitals during the period.

    The study revealed that alcohol use disorders were the strongest modifiable risk factor for the disease.

    Researchers said nearly 40% of the 57,353 cases of early-onset of the disease (below 65 years) were directly alcohol-related, and 17.6 per cent had an additional diagnosis of alcohol use disorders.

    It is advisable that heavy drinkers go for regular medical care, with treatment or intervention done when necessary.

    Lead author Michael Schwarzinger also noted in the report that the research showed damage done to the brain by alcohol is never repaired.

    For heavy drinkers who had been sober for a time, the level of risk of the disease is “about the same”, he said.

    Some common types of dementia are:

    1. Alzheimer’s disease
    2. Vascular dementia
    3. Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB)
    4. Syphillis
    5. Parkinson’s disease
    6. Frontotemporal dementia
    7. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
    8. Normal pressure hydrocephalus
    9. Huntington’s disease
    10. Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
  • Davido releases locations, dates for `30bn Africa tour

    Davido releases locations, dates for `30bn Africa tour

    David Adeleke a.k.a Davido, has released dates for his latest “30 billion Africa tour, ” after expressing excitement on his social media platform successes recorded from his two hit singles, “If” and Fall”

    The two songs, ‘If’ and ‘fall’ have gone diamond and platinum respectively.

    Davido who just completed a “UK tour” which included performances in Birmingham, Manchester and London said the tour will include to five different countries.

    The current Best African Act (MOBO) revealed the different countries in a picture to his fans on Twitter and Instagram.

    Read Also: Davido, Wizkid, Tiwa top 2017 Africa’s social media report

    He wrote in a caption, “30 billion Africa tour starts next month!! What countries will you be attending” #30BillionAfricantour!! We are not stopping. New music comes too”.

    30 billion Africa tour will kick off on March, 3rd, 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda.

    The music star will showcase his talent to Central Africa when he will be performing in Kinshasa and Brazzaville respectively.

    West African cities, Niamey and Dakar will also have the opportunity to see the music star perform some of his hottest hits.

    NAN

  • Herdsman bags one year jail for theft, grievous hurt

    Herdsman bags one year jail for theft, grievous hurt

    A Jos Upper Area Court, sitting in Kasuwan Nama, Jos North Local Government Area, on Thursday sentenced a 28-year old herdsman, Adamu Abubakar, to one year imprisonment for theft and causing grievous hurt.

    The Judge, Mr Yahaya Mohammed, sentenced Abubakar after he pleaded guilty to a two-count charge.

    Mohammed, however, did not give the convict an option of fine.

    Prosecutor M. Labaran had told the court that one Yusuf Abdullahi reported the matter at Angwan Rogo Police Station on Dec. 30, 2017.

    Read Also:  Fulani herdsman killed in Ekiti

    Labaran said the complainant reported that Adamu Abubakar, 28; Sabiu Ibrahim, 25; Yusuf Sulieman and Lawiza Mohammed now at large, conspired and attacked him.

    He said the convict and his gang members injured the complainant on the neck and head, collected N3, 000 cash and cell phone worth N10, 000.

    Labaran said the convict made confessional statement and admitted the crime.

    The prosecutor said the offence contravened sections 288 and 103 of the Penal Code.

    NAN

  • Fire razes ultra-modern IDP camp in Plateau

    Fire razes ultra-modern IDP camp in Plateau

    The newly constructed ultra-modern Internally Displaced Persons ( IDPs ) Camp in Shendam Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau has been razed by fire.

    The camp was constructed by the Presidential Committee on Flood, Relief and Rehabilitation, which came into being after the 2012 flood disaster that ravaged 24 states in the country.

    Mr Bintan Wuyep, Director, Relief and Rehabilitation, Plateau Emergency Management Agency ( SEMA ) confirmed the inferno while speaking with our reporter in Jos on Thursday.

    Wuyep, who is the Acting Executive Secretary of the agency, said the disaster occurred on Tuesday.

    He said, however, that SEMA had been unable to assess the level of damage due to paucity of funds.

    “We don’t have funds even to fuel our vehicle to go to the camp to ascertain the cause of the inferno and assess the extent of damage.

    “We have gone everywhere even for a loan, but we have not succeeded.

    “Hence, we cannot give the exact level of damage caused by the sad incident,” Wuyep said.

    The Acting executive secretary described the incident as “a big loss to Plateau and Nigeria as a whole.’’

    According to him, the camp was meant to house Displaced Persons that might be affected in future disaster in any part of the state.

    Wuyep added that SEMA had already informed the Presidential Committee of the sad development.
    “The committee told us to assess the damage and formally write a report informing them of the cause and extent of damage.

    “But like I said earlier, we are constrained by lack of funds,” he said.

    Wuyep appealed to the State Government to empower the agency with funds to enable it function according to the law establishing it.

    He commended the State House of Assembly for its resolve to investigate the cause of the inferno.

    Wuyep stated that the action was not just timely but necessary.

    NAN

  • Council boss commends Army for renovating PHC

    Council boss commends Army for renovating PHC

    The council boss said this shortly after the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. – Gen. Tukur Burutai, inaugurated the renovated clinic.

    Mr Emma Yaro, the Overseer of Akun Development Area, Nasarawa State, on Thursday commended the Nigerian Army for renovating a Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) at Akpata.

    Yaro made the commendation while speaking with the Newsmen on Thursday in Akpata, headquarters of the development area.

    He said the commendation became imperative considering the importance of healthcare to the socio-economic development of the people.

    “We are grateful to the Nigerian Army as the project would go a long way in meeting the health needs of the people of this area and the state at large.

    Read Also:  Council presents N1.3b budget

    “I told my people that the military that you see around are not for war, but for war against diseases,’’ he said.

    Yaro assured that the facility would be put to good use for the benefit of the people.

    He also commended Gov. Tanko Al-Makura for his developmental strides in all fields of human endeavours.

    He urged the people to continue to support President Muhammadu Buhari and Al-Makura in their efforts at improving the lives of Nigerians.

    Yaro also appealed to the people to live in peace and tolerate one another irrespective of their ethnic, religious and political affiliations.

    Buratai had earlier said the gesture was executed under the civil-military relations project to complement government efforts in providing medical services to the needy.

    NAN