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  • Nepal PM Deuba steps down to pave way for formation of new govt

    Nepal PM Deuba steps down to pave way for formation of new govt

    Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Thursday stepped down to pave the way to the left alliance for formation of a new government.

    After making an address to the nation following a cabinet meeting this morning, Deuba put forth his resignation in the wake of completion of the electoral processes of provinces, House of Representatives and National Assembly.

    Election Commission had submitted the final results of the federal and provincial assembly elections to President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Wednesday.

    “Under my leadership, the three-tiers of crucial elections were held successfully, which has set the foundation for a long transition,’’ he said in the address, highlighting the major roles of the incumbent government.

    Deuba was sworn-in as Nepal’s 40th prime minister on June 2017 under the alliance with CPN Maoist Centre, replacing Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

    He served as the prime minister of Nepal from 1995 to 1997, from 2001 to 2002 and from 2004 to 2005.

    Deuba was sacked by the then King Gyanendra Shah in 2005 over failing to hold elections and bring Maoist rebels to the negotiating table.

    Deuba’s exit came at a time when the Himalayan country is implementing the federal set-up as provisioned in the constitution promulgated in September 2017.

    Read Also: Nepal arrests human trafficker

    Nepal successfully held three-tier elections of local bodies, provinces and parliament in 2017 under the leadership of Deuba, giving high expectations that the country will usher in much-needed political stability and development.

    Deuba is lauded for bringing the agitating Madhes based parties who were against the new constitution to the election board.

    However, Deuba’s Nepali Congress faced humiliating defeat in the polls as the party President Deuba is blamed for his poor leadership role.

    The opposition parties had been lashing out Deuba for sticking in power for almost two months even after the completion of elections.

    He is also criticised for taking some controversial decisions as the outgoing prime minister.

    Meanwhile, CPN-UML, which emerged as the largest political party in the elections, has officially claimed for the formation of the new government with support from the CPN Maoist Centre.

    The CPN-UML Standing Committee meeting held on Wednesday decided to put forth its Chairman KP Sharma Oli as the next prime minister.

    NAN

  • Loverboy docked for allegedly setting girlfriend’s house ablaze

    Loverboy docked for allegedly setting girlfriend’s house ablaze

    A 27-year-old man, Ifeanyi Ede, on Thursday appeared in a Kubwa Grade I Area Court for allegedly setting his girlfriend’s house on fire.

    Ede, who lives at Pipeline Kubwa Village, Abuja, pleaded not guilty to a three-count charge of criminal trespass, causing mischief by fire and criminal intimidation.‎

    Prosecutor Idowu Lawal had told the court that ‎Esther Yahaya of Kubwa, Abuja, reported the matter at the Kubwa Police Station on Feb. 5.

    Lawal said the accused criminally trespassed into the complainant’s house and set the house on fire on the said date.

    He said the complainant lost her valuables worth N94,000 in the fire.‎

    Lawal also said the accused while in police custody, threatened the complainant.

    Read Also: Man accused of raping 12-year-old, tells court she’s girlfriend

    He said the offence contravened sections 342, 337 and 397 of the Penal Code.

    After taking the accused’s plea, the judge, Mohammed Marafa, granted him bail in the sum of N150,000 with one surety in like sum.

    Marafa ordered that the surety must produce evidence of means of livelihood and identification.

    He adjourned the matter until March 5 for hearing.

    NAN

     

  • EEDC loses N15m to Aba power outage

    EEDC loses N15m to Aba power outage

     Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has lost over N15million to power outage, following equipment failure at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), which has thrown Aba, Abia into darkness.

    Chukwuemeka Eze, Head, Communications, EEDC, made this known in an interview with the Newsmen in Aba on Thursday.

    He explained that the blackout happened on Saturday, February 10, following a Circuit Breaker failure at TCN, Aba station.

    He said that the Circuit Breaker failure had caused the disconnection of some EEDC feeders in Aba resulting in the blackout being experienced in most parts of the commercial city since Saturday.

    Read Also:Vandalism: EEDC  secures conviction, remand of offenders

    Eze said that the failure affected 91 transformers causing power outage in most parts of Aba for more than a week now.

    He noted that the affected transformers were located in areas within Aba North, Aba South and Obingwa Local Government Areas.

    According to him, areas most affected were Ogbor Hill, Housing Estate, Ehere, Akwarandu, Ikot Ekpene road and New Phase of Umuobe.

    Eze noted that all the affected customers being served from the EEDC’s IGI 33KV and Opobo Road 11KV Feeders are out of supply now.

    He, however, said the Circuit Breaker failure was getting urgent attention to ensure timely restoration of electricity to the affected customers.

    Eze said the company regretted the inconveniences the disruption had caused its customers and assured them of speedy re-connection once the problem was solved.

    NAN

     

  • 2019: Be wary of desperate politicians, lawyer cautions youth

    2019: Be wary of desperate politicians, lawyer cautions youth

    An Ilorin-based legal practitioner, Mr Tope Abolaji, on Thursday cautioned youth in the country to be wary of desperate politicians as 2019 Election draws closer.

    In an interview with our reporter Ilorin, Abolaji observed that most politicians appeared to be desperate and could do anything to protect their selfish interest.

    ” The year 2019 is around the corner; some politicians will use money to attract youth to work for them as thugs, just to get what they want.

    Read Also: Of politicians  and serial killers

    ” Youth must stand firm and reject to any offer; your future should be your priority.

    ” Youth must value their life; you can also become a leader one day; do not serve as thugs for ungrateful people,” he advised.

    The legal practitioner also called on journalists, religious leaders and parents, to join in the fight against political thuggery.

    NAN

     

  • Zimbabwe offers to pay for Tsvangirai funeral expenses

    Zimbabwe offers to pay for Tsvangirai funeral expenses

    Zimbabwe is ready to help foot the bill for the funeral arrangements of Morgan Tsvangirai in a tribute to the opposition leader who died after a long battle with cancer, a government spokesman said on Thursday.

    Tsvangirai’s death on Wednesday in a South African hospital cast his Movement for Democratic Change party into unknown territory less than three months after the army ousted Zimbabwe’s veteran ruler Robert Mugabe.

    Arguably Zimbabwe’s most popular politician, Tsvangirai’s career was ultimately defined by his tussles, bother literal and figurative, with 93-year-old Mugabe, who resigned after a de facto coup in December.

    Read Also:  Zimbabwean Breakingopposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is dead

    “The Zimbabwean Embassy in Pretoria has been instructed to help in any way appropriate in the circumstances, including assuming the costs that are attendant to the proper handling of the body of the late (Tsvangirai),” said George Charamba, who is also the presidential spokesman.

    Zimbabwe’s new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has made no public statement yet on the former trade union leader’s death but postponed a trip to Bulawayo in the south of Zimbabwe due to other “pressing commitments”, the state-owned Herald newspaper said.

    Elections are due within the next six months in Zimbabwe and Tsvangirai’s illness and now death leaves his party in disarray, to the advantage of the ruling ZANU-PF party, now led by Mnangagwa, Mugabe’s former deputy.

    NAN

  • Lent: Muslims group urges Christians to pray for peace, stability in Nigeria

    Lent: Muslims group urges Christians to pray for peace, stability in Nigeria

    Muslim Clerics and Youth Organization on Thursday felicitated with Christians on the commencement of the Lenten season and urged them to use the occasion to pray for peace and stability in the country.

    Head of the organization, Malam Gambo Abdullahi, made the appeal when he led members on a solidarity visit to Pastor Yohanna Buru, General Overseer of Christ Evangelical Intercessory Fellowship Ministry in Kaduna.

    “The Lenten period is a very special Holy season to all Christians, we as Muslims, who also fast during Ramadan, understand the significance of fasting and prayers to the Almighty God.

    “Hence, we came as a team to felicitate and wish all Christians success from the beginning of the holy month till the end”.

    He said the visit was also to encourage peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance.

    “We must be our brother keepers through appreciating and encouraging one another irrespective of our religious differences to make the country move ahead”.

    He urged Christians to pray for God’s intervention for Nigeria to overcome its security challenges.

    Read Also:  Buhari to Christians at lent:  pray for Nigeria’s unity, progres

    Gambo recalled that Christian clerics also used to felicitate with Muslims during Ramadan in a show of solidarity and oneness.

    “We also came to extend the same thing to our brothers, as we are from one family, Adam and Eve, and we all worship one God and all believe in Paradise and Hell, therefore, we all must learn to live in peace and harmony with one another.’’

    Responding, Buru appreciated the organisation for the visit, saying it would boost efforts at promoting peace and religious tolerance in the country.

    He canvassed for the inclusion of peace education in school curriculum, so as to steer the minds of the youth to goodness, brotherliness and love of one another irrespective of religious and tribal boundaries.

    NAN

     

  • Alex Ekwueme varsity withdraws 232 students, suspends 218 for poor performance

    Alex Ekwueme varsity withdraws 232 students, suspends 218 for poor performance

    Two hundred and thirty-two students of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (AE-FUNAI), Ebonyi state have been withdrawn from the school for poor academic performance.

    Also, another 218 of the students have been sent home by the university management for one year for same reason.

    A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Iyke Elom said Vice-chancellor of the University,  Professor Chinedum Nwajiuba  disclosed this during the 6th matriculation of the institution in which over 2, 000 were matriculated.

    The VC noted that the university has no room for indolent students and urged them to take their studies seriously.

    “It is painful to note that of the 1,750 students that we admitted in the 2016/17 session, about 232 were asked to withdraw and another 218 sent home for a year at the end of the session for reasons of poor academic performance.

    “We expect this set to be different. To be different, you have to focus on the main purpose for your coming to FUNAI. You are here simply here to study. Every other thing is secondary. Work hard and behave well, and you will be successful”, he admonished the new students.

    Read Also: FG renames Varsity after Ekwueme

    “In the university you must pass every course you register. This is not a secondary school where you may fail a subject and still move on. I reiterate, you must pass every course you register. You must also attend lectures as attendance to lectures is a prerequisite to sit for examinations”, he charged the students.

    He stressed that out of more than 12,000 applicants who made the University their first choice institution in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination only over 2,000 were admitted to study in the University after going through its Post-UTME test and meeting the other requisite admission criteria.

    Nwajiuba further enjoined the students to work hard in their studies by attending lectures, doing their assignments and participating actively in all their academic activities to avoid the consequences of academic failure.

    Charging the students to shun social vices, the vice-chancellor maintained that the university has zero tolerance to cultism, examination malpractices, sorting, sexual harassment, indecent dressing, stealing and other unwholesome behaviours.

    He warned that culprits would be fished out and sent home. He also informed them that the foundation of the university was built on excellence and

    Integrity, adding that lecturers are not allowed to sell hand-outs while recommended books were only to be purchased in the university bookshop.

    He equally assured them of a serene and conducive learning environment as the challenges faced by their predecessors have been arrested.

     

  • Expert tasks FG to utilize rising oil price for economic growth

    Expert tasks FG to utilize rising oil price for economic growth

    A financial expert, Dr Samuel Nzekwe, has advised the Federal Government to utilise the rising oil price in the international market to achieve sustainable economic growth for the country.

    Nzekwe, who was the former President, Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), gave the advice on Thursday in Ota, Ogun.

    He made the comment while reacting to the increase in the nation’s external reserves.

    Mr. Isaac Okorafor, the Director of Communication, CBN, on Monday in Abuja, said the nation’s external reserves increased from 38.2 billion dollars in December to 40.4 billion dollars in January.

    According to Nzekwe, the increase in the reserves due to rise in the price of oil at the international market is encouraging because it will support the country’s export for some time.

    The former ANAN president also said the international community would now be willing to do business with the country because it now had adequate financial back up.

    Read Also: Oil price slips below $65/bbl

    Nzekwe, however, warned that the nation’s external reserve was still fragile because any volatility in the petroleum sector would negatively affect it.

    “Any informal shock in the international market would hit the country, and the external reserves would not be able to move forward, rather it would decrease,” he said.

    The expert urged the Federal Government to focus on massive infrastructure development to support the productive sector.

    He said investment in infrastructure would attract more revenues.

    “The ability of the Federal Government to leverage on this development would attract foreign investors as well as achieve sustainable economic growth for the country.

    NAN

     

  • Governors, NASS to interface on state police

    Governors, NASS to interface on state police

     

    The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) is to nominate a team from their members to interface with National Assembly over the creation of State Police.

    State governors and the federal parliament had agreed to allow states to have their police.at the closing of a two-day summit last week on national security organised by the Senate.

    They had supported Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo who stated at the opening of the event that state police was “the way to go.”

    The NGF meeting holding at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja on Wednesday night will raise the team.

    Other issues on the agenda NGF’s meeting was the Recovery of stamp duties and Improving Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) through harmonized motor registry/traffic management system by Dimensions Information Technology.

    The meeting which started around 9pm is presided over by the NGF Chairman and Zamfara State Governor, Abdulazeez Yari.

    Read Also:  Governors back state police 

    Those in attendance as at the time of filing this report were, governors of Bauchi, Mohammed Abubakar, Borno, Kashim Shettima, Kebbi, Atiku Bagudu, Kogi, Yahaya Bello, Kwara, Abdulfatah Ahmed, Jigawa, Ibrahim Hassan, Ekiti, Rotimi Akeredolu, Kaduna, Nasir El-Rufai, Nasarawa, Tanko Al-makura, Kano, Abdullahi Ganduje, Edo,  Godwin Obaseki.

    The deputy governors in attendance are Benue, Benson Abounu, Ebonyi, Kelechi Igwe, Enugu, Cecelia Ezeilo, Plateau, Sonni Gwanle Tyoden, Osun, Titi Laoye-Tomori, Rivers, Ipalibo Banigo, Ogun, Yetunde Onanuga, Akwa Ibom, Moses Ekpo Ekiti, Kolapo Olusola, Sokoto, Ahmed Aliyu,  and Lagos, Dr. Oluranti Adebule.

     

  • NSCDC arrests man for stealing six goats

    NSCDC arrests man for stealing six goats

    The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps ( NSCDC ) in Jigawa said it had arrested a 20-year-old man over alleged theft of six goats.

    The corps’ Spokesman, DSC Adamu Shehu, told our reporter in Dutse on Wednesday that the suspect was arrested in Buji Local Government Area of the state.‎

    Adamu said that the suspect allegedly conspired with three others, now at large, and stole the goats in Shafori village.‎

    He explained that the suspect was arrested after owners of the stolen goats traced them to one of the markets in the area.

    The spokesman added that the owners quickly reported the matter to the Community leader who later reported it to the NSCDC office in the area.

    “The suspect was nabbed by our men after we received a report about the incident from the head of Shafori community.

    “He was arrested at about noon on Tuesday and his three accomplices are now at large,” the spokesman said.‎

    According to him, investigation into the case is ongoing after which the suspect would be charged to court.

    Adamu said the corps had launched a manhunt to arrest the three fleeing suspects.

    NAN