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  • Customs impounds N25m donkey Leather, 80 bags of rice, others

    Customs impounds N25m donkey Leather, 80 bags of rice, others

    The Comptroller General of Customs Compliance Team yesterday in Kano burnt over 2, 700 pieces of raw Donkey hides and skins valued at N25 million which was intercepted at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), in an attempt to export the commodity abroad.
    The Head of the CG Compliance Team, Comptroller Ahmed Abubakar Azarema who was flanked by the Kano/Jigawa Customs Command Comptroller, Mr. Yusuf Abba-Kassim, described the exportation of unprocessed hides and skin as criminal and economic sabotage.
    According to him, “it is disheartening to note that some Nigerians are now indulged in unpatriotic business of exporting unprocessed leather, while we have our tannery industries here. Doing this means killing our economy, doing this means outing hundreds of thousands of our teeming youths out of employment.
    “We have the resources and needed man power to process these leathers here and export them as finished products. We also have a number of industries here engaged in production of shoes, bags belts and other leather-related products.
    “We need to help ourselves; we need to protect the future of our children. This is why Nigeria customs has come all out in tandem with the economic agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari, to ensure that these unpatriotic citizens engaged in this kind of illegal business must be stopped, arrested and brought to book.”
    Comptroller Azarema who hailed good spirited Nigerians for given customs information on illegal activities of smugglers and illegal exporters, said no arrest has been made so far, adding that, “we are current using the clearing agent to get at those behind this crime.”
    He also displayed over 80 bags of smuggled rice and sugar concealed inside bags of Tiger nuts.
    According to him, Customs intercepted the goods loaded in a J5 vehicle with registration number KRD 943XC, along Katsina Road, heading to Kano from Katsina.
    He added that the driver and other occupants of the vehicle fled into the bush when the CG Complain team on duty apprehended the vehicle.
    He, however, warned smugglers to desist from economic sabotage and look for decent business to do, adding that the Nigeria customs will not fold its hand and  allow criminals ruin the nation’s economy.
     
  • Man pleads guilty to raping daughter, friend

    Man pleads guilty to raping daughter, friend

    A 60-year-old man, Nuhu Mohammed, on Thursday pleaded guilty to raping his 12-year-old daughter and her 13-year-old friend.

    Mohammed, who appeared before a Minna Magistrate’s Court, is standing trial on a one-count charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with two minors.

    The offence runs contrary to Section 18(2) of the Child Rights Law of Niger State 2010.

    Mohammed, after pleading guilty to the offence, begged the court for leniency.

    His plea was, however, not taken by the Magistrate, Fati Auna, on the grounds that her court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.

    Auna directed the Police to forward the case file to the State Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice, and ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison pending the advice.

    She, thereafter, adjourned the matter until Nov. 16, for further mention.

    The Police Prosecutor, Mr Emmanuel Danladi, had told the court that one Ahmad Aliyu of Garatu village in Bosso Local Government of Niger, reported the matter at the Kpakungu Police Station, on Oct. 17.

    Danladi alleged that the defendant had lured the two minors into his shop and had carnal knowledge of them.

    He further told the court that the defendant confessed to the crime during police investigation.

    NAN

  • Abia generates N1.4bn from Made-in-Nigeria products

    Abia generates N1.4bn from Made-in-Nigeria products

    Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia said on Thursday that the state had generated N1.4 billion from the sale of Made-in-Nigeria goods, since the campaign began.

    The governor disclosed this while addressing state House Correspondents in Abuja after conferring with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on the proposed committee on the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises ( MSME ) Council.

    “Part of the direct fall out of our campaign since the past 24 months is that today some parts of Ariaria market, where the shoe making enterprise is flourishing, has enjoyed steady power for three weeks now.

    “It is on a pilot scheme courtesy of the agency in charge of rural power supply.

    “Beyond that we are interfacing and having better relationship with funding agencies now.

    “And we were able to attract about N1.3billion or N1.4 billion on direct sales from the Made-in-Aba shoes, made in Abia dresses and all that,’’ he said.

    The governor stated that besides the investments the Made-in-Aba fashion show was held in Abuja and another one was held in New York where they (manufacturers) came face to face with world class designers “and we did not do badly at all’’.

    “The Made-in-Nigeria campaign has assumed international dimension now,’’ he added.

    He said the visit to the Vice President was because, “we are trying to set up a committee for the MSME Council and I am a critical stakeholder in that because Abia state is the SME hub of Nigeria today.

    “We are actually interested in what happens; the patronage of Made-in-Nigeria products in Abia is going up,’’ Ikpeazu explained.

    On what the state had done to encourage local industries, the governor stated that having direct sales of N1.4 billion was not a joke and ensuring that there was constant and uninterrupted power supply for three weeks was not also a mean feat.

    According to the governor, exposing them to fairs as far as to New York is not something you sweep under the carpet.

    “Confidence is returned; everybody now places“ Proudly Aba, Proudly Nigeria’’ on his ware.

    “If our youths are happy doing what they are doing then we have started something.

    Ikpeazu stated that his administration had been working on infrastructure steadily including roads, electricity, security as all of them were part of enablers that would drive the vision.

    According to him, this government has completed about 45 roads and about 25 of those roads are in Aba.

    “We are doing the first flyover in the entire Abia state in Aba and the cement roads we are doing; our roads have survived three rainy seasons now and they are standing.’’

    On Nnamdi Kanu’s whereabouts, the governor described him as his brother but noted that Kanu was not in the custody of Abia government.

    “Those who are looking for him may have a better knowledge and have the capacity to determine the location of anyone in Nigeria.

    “There are people who are trained to track people and it is their responsibility not mine,’’ the governor stated.

    Kanu was the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra ( IPOB ).

    NAN

  • Army killed three Boko Haram insurgents in Borno

    Army killed three Boko Haram insurgents in Borno

    The Nigerian Army on Thursday said its troops had killed three Boko Haram insurgents conveying logistic into Sambisa Forest.

    Brig-Gen. Sani Kukasheka, the Director Army Public Relations, said in a statement issued in Maiduguri.

    Kukasheka said that the troops ambushed a group of insurgents at Lumda village few kilometres away from Maiduguri while trying to cross into Sambisa Forest.

    He said that the troops killed three insurgents while others escaped with gunshot wounds.

    Kukasheka added that the troops recovered five bicycles, mechanic kits, sacks and mosquito nets.

    “Troops of 112 Task Force Battalion of 22 Brigade deployed in Dikes on Operation LAFIYA DOLE in furtherance of the ongoing clearance operation at the early hours of Thursday, 26th October, 2017, successfully ambushed a group of Boko Haram terrorists.

    “The terrorists were attempting to cross into Sambisa Forest through Lumda village, some few kilometres away from Maiduguri – Dikwa Road in Borno State.

    “The troops sprung the ambush on the unsuspecting terrorist and neutralized three of them while several others escaped with gunshot wounds. They also recovered 5 bicycles, mechanic tools, sacks containing various items and some mosquito nets from the scene of the attack”.

    Kukasheka called on the people to remain vigilant and report suspicious movement of persons in their communities.

    NAN

  • Nigeria’s inflation rate to fall to single digit in mid 2018 – Emefiele

    Nigeria’s inflation rate to fall to single digit in mid 2018 – Emefiele

    Nigeria’s Central Bank Governor ( CBN ) Godwin Emefiele said on Friday he expected inflation rate to fall at a faster pace and hit high single digit rates mid-next year.

    “We are very optimistic that food prices will come down and as they come down, it will help to complement the reduction in core inflation,” Emefiele told journalists on the sidelines of an investment conference at the London Stock Exchange.

    “I expected a more aggressive moderation.

    “We are hoping that by the middle of next year we should begin to approach the high single digits,” he said, adding that around nine percent would be a good target.

    Annual inflation in Nigeria slowed for an eighth month in September, easing to 15.98 per cent.

    Read also: Emefiele wins Forbes Achievement Award

    NAN

  • Technical varsity to run disruptive model

    Technical varsity to run disruptive model

    When pioneer students of the Technical varsity, founded by the Oyo State government, resume next month, they will find they need more than reading their books to make good grades.
    Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof Ayobami Salami, said their grades would be determined by the right balance of scores they get in the theoretical and practical aspects of their courses.
    Salami spoke when he led a team from the university to the headquarters of The Nation in Lagos on Thursday, where he was received by the Editorial Board Chairman, Mr Sam Omatseye, and other senior editorial board members.
    The former Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics) of the Obafemi Awolowo University ( OAU ), Ile-Ife, said courses would be graded on a 60:40 ratio – with theory attracting 60 per cent of score and practical 30 per cent.
    He said students would be taught by both academics and experts on the field (including artisans). While lecturers teach and grade the theoretical aspects, experts with hands-on experience in the field – regardless of their educational qualifications – would teach and grade the practical aspect of the courses.
    Salami said with this system, the university hopes to groom students thoroughly conversant with their subject areas who can fit seamlessly into technical roles required by their programmes of study.
    He said: “If you score 55/60 in theory and score 15/40 in skill that will be 70 which will give you an A in any university but a failure in Technical University because it has not been balanced.  Whether you have A, B, C or D is not a matter of the total mark you scored but the distribution.  So you can score 60 per cent and score B and someone can score 80 per cent and score C depending on the balance of the skill and the theory. That is the way we want to go.  So that by the time the graduate comes out of our university, he is not loaded with the theoretical concepts and principles.  He has the skill to back up the certificate.”
    However that is just one area the university plans to be different from others.
    The Vice-Chancellor said all students of the institution are expected to graduate bilingual as well as get training in two vocations.
    Surrounded by 13 Francophone out of the 18 countries that make up the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Salami said Nigerians have been losing out on international jobs because many professionals cannot speak French.  He said Technical University graduates would be able to claim these juicy international appointments after undergoing the institution’s Language programme, which would include two immersion sessions at the French Language Village in their first two years of study.
    Regarding vocational training, Salami said by their third year, each student would have been certified experts in two vocations with which they could start their own businesses.
    He said the best ideas would also learn to write proposals and get funding to run
    Courses being run by the university which sits on 200 hectares of land along the Ibadan-Lagos expressway are dictated by the needs of the Nigerian economy.  Salami assured that the institution’s aim to remain on the cutting edge of teaching and learning necesitates that its curriculum is designed in collaboration with industry experts, who he said would also be involved in its implementation.
    He said this was a departure from the norm in conventional universities where academics sat to design courses based on what they think society needs.
    When asked about the sustainability of the institution beyond the present political dispensation, Salami said the institution would not depend on the Oyo State government for funding in perpetuity and would charge competitive fees.
    He said: “Oyo State government is starting this university – mid-wifing it – let me say serving as a facilitator.  It is not going to be funding it in the long run.  So there is an exit plan. The plan is that government will midwife it – for now they are paying for everything – but after a while there is a systematic programme that maybe 20 per cent this year; I am just talking hypothetically – from 100-60-20-30 to zero. Overtime, the university will be paying for its own staff while the government will be responsible for just infrastructure.
    “The model is actually a PPP model.  So, let me say that we are going to charge like private universities.  It is government university but with a private sector orientation.  However, in order not to shut out children of the poor, there must be safety nets.  We have created a scholarship basket for which we are approaching government at all levels, corporate organizations, foundations, philanthropists to contribute.”
  • Our problems will persist until we find enduring solutions to identity – CHAMS GMD

    Our problems will persist until we find enduring solutions to identity – CHAMS GMD

    Chams Plc, one of Nigeria’s leading companies has evolved over the last 3 decades from computer and hardware maintenance to the provision of enterprise technology solutions in identity management and identity transaction systems for the public and private sectors.

    Recently, it facilitated the identification process for the government of the state of Osun. The initiative called ‘Kaadi Omoluabi’ has received several accolades and commendations from the Osun citizenry and other stakeholders within and outside the state.

    Mr. OLUFEMI WILLIAMS, the Group Managing Director of the firm, in an interview with The Nation reporter MOSES EMORINKEN sheds some light on the relevance and ubiquitous benefits and solutions of data capturing to the social, economic and political problems bedeviling the country.

    What is the relevance of the Omoluabi Identity Card to the Osun citizenry?

    As His Excellency, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the executive governor of the state of Osun mentioned at the launch of the initiative on Tuesday, the Identity Card Initiative is about knowing the people that he governs. There is no way the government can plan or manage the affairs of the state, especially with respect to what the people want without detailed understanding of biometric statistics.

    It also helps the government measure the effectiveness of the services it delivers to the people.

    It creates a platform for any member of the state to conveniently transact with the government and vice-versa.

    For instance, if the government wants to build new schools or construct new roads, it can easily make objective and informed decisions about which part(s) of the state needs these infrastructural facilities depending on the population of the people, where economic transactions are preponderant, etc.

    It allows government institutions to have interconnected database. It cuts out the duplicity in registering and capturing biometric data of its citizenry. This initiative provides a unique number that can be used for such purposes.

    We did it for students and the impact was major. Immediately, the cost of managing, sponsoring and promoting affairs around the educational sector was optimized. Before then, there were haphazard approaches because of the paucity in statistics.

    Now, with the touch of a button the educational details of a child for can be generated. This leads to measurable results over time.

    How long did it take CHAMS to come up with this solution?

    This is the forte and core competence area of CHAMS. We have participated in similar projects in the past. We have been on this project for four years. The reason was because the government had more pressing project at the time before very recently it decided to take up the Identity Card Initiative.

    This novel innovation in identity capturing is not only opened to indigenes of the state but also to residents within the state.

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    What is the level of response of the people of the state to this initiative?

    The responses have been very encouraging from members of private organisations and the civil society. They believe that the initiative is very timely and custom-made for the people and government of the state.

    Does CHAMS have plans to diversify into other real sectors?

    Our core focus lies in delivering intelligent business solutions. However, there are two major industries we intend to dominate in the next few months, they are – Agriculture and Health acre. For now, that is all we can reveal.

    Is it possible to have a central database for the biometric data of Nigeria to avoid proliferation and duplicity?

    This can be answered in two ways – technical and political. I have an authoritative response to the former but with little or no political explanations for the later.

    Technically, one of the projects awarded for data capturing in 1976 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo would have solved it. However, the problems of awarding and re-awarding contracts have brought us to where we are today.

    The only solution is what the Federal Government is trying to do – which is harmonization. There is a need to harmonize these databases together. The process will be challenging but not impossible to do. At the moment there exists huge repository of data at the Federal Road Safety Commission ( FRSC ), sim card registration centres, Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ), Nigerian Communications Commission ( NCC ), states etc. There are solutions and technologies that can harmonize data effectively.

    What exactly is CHAMS as an organisation doing differently?

    Every business goes through series of transformations. For CHAMS, we have evolved overtime according to the overwhelming changes in the needs, expectations and taste of consumers. We started as a Computer Hardware and Maintenance Company, to Networking and then to Smart Card Technology. It was the Smart Card Technology that led to the formation of value card; which was the first successful payment card in Nigeria.

    After a while, we moved into Identity Management because we realised that the problem(s) of this country will not disappear until we solve the processes of identity. Identity is like the Certificate of Ownership (C of O) for land. The (C of O) is an ordinary document, however, because we believe that the (C of O) represents a land somewhere, we can conveniently do a transaction with it. The same things can be done with the identity number to represent a person.

    The next phase for us is to translate the business from just Identity Management into intelligent businesses that can be built on identity. We have the human capital to deliver. We have a bunch of experienced, versatile and energetic executives to drive the processes.

    What should we expect from charms in the next 5 years?

    We would have dominated two industries and be listed on the London Stock Exchange.

  • HEARTS…a story of love, heartbreak and life [CONCLUDING PART]

    HEARTS…a story of love, heartbreak and life [CONCLUDING PART]

    It is 3:30am in the early hours of the morning. The cock is yet to be astir to herald the dawning of a new day. Silence seemed so loud, and the only company Amarachi had was the chirping of crickets, and the “tick tack” rhythmic sounds from the humongous wooden clock that hung on the wall of their living room. Her eyes were heavy and deluged with bags and intermittent downing of tears; her entire being was overwhelmed with sordid emotions.

    Ping! Ping!! Ping!!! Femi’s Blackberry phone buzzed with pings from Amarachi. “Where did this Yoruba boy drop his phone?” she said with a slightly worried and contoured face. “Only God knows what he is doing at the moment? He might as well be with a girl, or is he drunk again with his friends…, wait a minute, hope he is not in trouble?” Amarachi’s mind paced back and forth with very squalid thoughts of what her “partner” Femi might be up to.

    While Femi was chasing and wooing her, he did not have to overstretch his luck and masculine prowess to win the primed and already vulnerable heart of Amarachi. Femi didn’t only look or talk the part, he also “acted” the part; he sent her gifts, took her to beautiful and exotic places; their lifestyle seemed so perfect that anytime they went out, ladies all around would go green with envy – wishing they were in Amarachi’s shoes. As the saying goes, “only the wearer of a shoe knows where it pinches”, looks can be very deceptive.

    Read also: HEARTS…a story of love, heartbreak and life [PART ONE]

    If the envious ladies had been more discerning to look closely at the corner eye of Amarachi which was covered with a dark shade of fancy spectacles, they would have noticed her left eye was black; one that Femi so graciously brandished with constant battery, bludgeoning and pummelling. Maybe then, they would not have admired but pitied her condition.

    During the early days of their relationship, she had noticed quite a few unsettling behaviours that Femi would usually display. He would call her obnoxious and derogatory names, hit her slightly in the head when he is upset with her, and would hang out with different ladies at different times at night clubs and beer parlours. Because of her desperate need and fixation for a “father figure”, affirmation, and validation she stuck with him, in the hope that she would change him one day.

    Read also: HEARTS…a story of love, heartbreak and life [PART TWO]

    Now, it is 3:30am in the early hours of the morning. The cock is yet to be astir to herald the dawning of a new day. Silence seemed so loud, and the only company Amarachi had was the chirping of crickets, and the “tick tack” rhythmic sounds from the humongous wooden clock hanging on the wall of their living room. Her eyes were heavy and deluged with intermittent downing of tears; her entire being was overwhelmed with sordid emotions. It seemed like history was about to repeat itself because her mother went through a similar ordeal in the hands of her dad. The only difference was that she wasn’t married to Femi yet, but they were already cohabiting.

    Being in a relationship with Femi didn’t complete her because she still felt the void from two years earlier when her parents’ marriage of over twenty years dissolved like a melting ice. There is still a hole in her soul that wouldn’t heal.

    Knock! Knock!! Knock!!! “Would you come and open this door for me this minute before I break you with the door?” Femi said. He was outside wallowing in the cesspool of his vomit; he had gone clubbing with his cronies and had gotten himself drunk again. This seems to be the new normal for Femi. Amarachi rushed to the door, her fragile hands were shaky and wobbly because she did not know what to expect after she opens the door. As she summoned the courage to unlock the door, Femi bashed into the house very angrily, irrational, and unsteady because of the excessive alcohol he had drowned his system with.

    “Rain, rain, go away, come again another day…hmmm…ahhhh…” Femi sang as he staggered and took a giddy posturing. “Woman, how dare you lock me outside? I will deal mercilessly with you!” Before Amarachi could explain and calm him down, he launched out his already positioned hand and landed a debilitating slap on her already battered face. She fell to the ground, stood up and ran for dear life. He threw his half empty bottle of vodka at her but missed as she pranced and traversed all the corners of the living room. As she ran up the stairs, Femi ran after her; he grabbed her so tightly that she could hardly breathe, and as she struggled with him on the stairs she inadvertently pushed him just to free herself from his bestial clamp. Nooo…she screamed and watched as Femi rolled and desultorily fell down the stairs. SHE SCREAMED…SOME BODY HELP ME!!!

    Whether you find yourself in the position of Amarachi or Femi, or neither of the two, it is very important to understand that the coming together or joining of hearts is not meant for two unstable and emotionally infantile individuals.

    “Hurting people” hurt people.

    A romantic relationship will not cure your inordinate cravings and addictions; neither will it fill the emotional void you constantly feel as a result of trauma or neglect. You cannot steer the ship of your relationship successfully having the wrong notions, mind-sets, and unrealistic expectations.

    Looks can be very deceptive. They say not all that glitter is gold, however, as an addendum, not all that is gold is good for you! This might be the singular determinant of whether your life will be a worthy example or a complete disaster. If you feel lost and vulnerable, please don’t suffer in silence, talk to somebody, preferably a counselor.

    If you are going through domestic violence or know someone who needs help, please can contact the appropriate agency of government.

     

    By Moses Emorinken

    Email: brandphase@yahoo.com

    Twitter: @memorinken

    Instagram: @memorinken

  • Nasarawa sacks polytechnic rector, others

    Nasarawa sacks polytechnic rector, others

    The Nassarawa State Government has sacked the rector, registrar and bursar of the state polytechnic, Lafia with immediate effect.

    A statement by Malam Mohammed Abdullahi, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), issued to newsmen in Lafia on Thursday, also said the government would investigate activities at the institution since 2014.

    The government directed the Rector, Silas Gray, Registrar, Labani Joseph and Bursar, Abdullahi Akya, to proceed on compulsory leave.

    “The government has taken the decision in pursuant to its desire to reposition the state-owned tertiary institutions.

    “And in compliance to the relevant laws establishing all the state owned tertiary institutions and as a Visitor to all the tertiary institutions in the state,” he said.

    The statement further directed the three officials to handover the affairs of their offices to their respective deputies.

    It added that fact-finding committees would be inaugurated soon to investigate activities of the polytechnic, College of Education, Akwanga and College of Agriculture, Lafia from 2014 to October 2017.

    Read also: ‘Nasarawa Polytechnic generates N120 million IGR annually’

    NAN

  • Of love, infatuation, obsession and lust

    Of love, infatuation, obsession and lust

    It is common and very normal to confuse lust, obsession, and infatuation for love.

    By definition, lust is an emotion or feeling of intense sexual desire. By implication, it is more of a physical attraction that pushes a person to seek sexual gratification. Teenagers are more susceptible to confuse lust for love.

    However, as we grow older, become wiser and get more experience in life, we are able to differentiate love from lust.

    God created us to have physical urges, desires and needs. In themselves, they are not wrong or bad. But when we yield to them at the wrong time, for the wrong reasons and with the wrong person, they can become destructive.

    Infatuation according to Wikipedia is the state of being carried away by an unreasoned passion, usually towards another person for which one has developed strong romantic feelings. Unlike lust, infatuation has its origin in something more transcendental than just feeling attracted to the physical appearance of someone.

    It is usually an unguided passion towards someone you most likely do not have knowledge of or any aorta of familiarity with. All you feel for the person is physical or sexual attraction; He or she might not even return or share the affection you have for them. Infatuation is usually unrealistic but very idealistic.

    Obsession on the other hand can be very easily confused for great love, when in reality, is just an ailment of the mind that keeps the person emotionally and mentally enslave to someone else. It is an overwhelming desire to possess another person with an inability to accept rejection or failure.

    It is often mistaken for love especially among youths these days. Recently, there have been several cases of ladies committing suicide over guys that left them for someone else; since they couldn’t cope with rejection, they decided to put an end to their own life.

    While the stubborn ones among them believe if they can’t have the person they are obsessed with, then no one will; they try to either hurt or (in extreme cases) kill the person.

    LOVE is a feeling especially in the soul; a connection that goes over and beyond physical appearances.

    When you truly love somebody and that person loves you back, you feel an overwhelming sense of value and worth; unlike lust, infatuation and obsession which render their undiscerning victims empty, dry and finished.

    You don’t have to chase after it, because if it is love, it happens naturally. When you are in love with someone, His/her happiness becomes your happiness and you can’t imagine life without him/her which is why you might think you are obsessed.

    But you also need to understand that if the feeling is not reciprocated you won’t want to force the other person to be with you. Love makes you selfless; it brings out the best in you and sometimes the worst which your other half will accept willingly if he/she truly loves you.

    Love is never enslaving but liberating. It never lays absolute claim to its significant other.

    It is always patient and kind. Never jealous, boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish. It does not take offense and it is not resentful.

    After all have been said and done, what really matters the most is how much we have given and experienced love.

    People really do not care how much you know, but want to know how much you care. SHOW SOME LOVE TODAY!