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  • Fight against corruption becoming tougher – Magu

    Fight against corruption becoming tougher – Magu

    The EFCC Chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu, has said that the fight against corruption is becoming tougher, urging all Nigerians, including children, to use every weapon at their disposal to fight it.

    Magu said this in Lagos on Friday during the sensitisation forum on the plan to launch “EFCC – Creative Youth Initiative Against Corruption (CYIAC) Corruption Busters”.

    He said the fight against corruption was not personal and therefore called on Nigerians, including those in Diaspora to join hands in the fight, stressing that the commission was already mobilising Nigerians outside the country for support.

    “The fight against corruption is becoming tougher. We cannot fight it alone. We want to mobilise everyone in the fight; the more people in the fight, the better.

    “I am determined in the fight against corruption. I urge other Nigerians not to get exhausted. Don’t expect anyone to thank you for fighting corruption. It is a thankless job.

    “Whatever weapons you have, use it against corruption. Use your strategic thinking; the fight must go on with or without me, it is not a personal thing.

    “The press have a lot to do in this fight. If they do more, the battle would be half solved,’’ Magu said.

    The Coordinator of CYIAC, Ms Foluke Michael, said the corruption busters would be launched on Dec. 9 to mark the UN International Anti-Corruption Day.

    Michael said that her platform was EFCC’s preventive project, stressing that the forum was a sensitisation programme targeted at the children, youths and women meeting global goals by 2030.

    She said that the CYIAC was launched in 2016 with the pilot scheme tagged; ‘My New Nigeria; Free from Corruption’, stressing that 2017 edition would kick-start with online campaign to sensitise children, youth and women.

    “The online campaign will be followed by the launch of CYIAC APP and nationwide registration portal on Nov. 1 for participants between ages 9 and 14 for category 1, and 15-25 years for category 2.

    “Participants will also be required to submit essays, short stories or creative ideas online based on the theme: `Imagine the World free from corruption’ between Nov. 1 and Dec. 15,’’ she said.

    Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, President, Women Arise and Chairman, a steering committee for Movement Against Corruption said both organisations had endorsed CYIAC as a vehicle to reach out to children, youths and women.

    “The idea to involve young people in advocacy and fight against corruption is a movement in the right direction.

    “Corruption must be destroyed from the root in Nigeria if the sufferings of the masses will be alleviated,’’ she said.

    Some Youth Corps members, civil society groups and secondary school students in Lagos selected as CYIAC Ambassadors using arts, painting, dance and music to speak against corruption, were part of the occasion.

  • Average price for petrol drops, kerosene increases – NBS

    Average price for petrol drops, kerosene increases – NBS

    The average price paid by consumers for Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) dropped by 1.2 per cent year-on-year, the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics ( NBS ), has said.

    According to a report on the NBS website, the Bureau also listed states with the highest and lowest average price of petrol in comparison with the approved government price of N145.

    “The average price paid by consumers for PMS decreased by 1.2 per cent year-on-year and increased by 0.1 per cent month-on-month to N144.5 in September 2017 from N144.4 in August 2017.

    “States with the highest average price of PMS were Yobe N149.7, Bayelsa N147.1 and Taraba N146.1, while states with the lowest average price of petrol were Abuja N142, Osun N142.8 and Ondo N142.9,’’ the NBS said.

    On Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), the Bureau said the “average price per litre paid by consumers for kerosene increased by 17.28 per cent month-on-month.

    “It decreased by -8.38 per cent year-on-year to N264.48 in September, 2017 from N225.52 in August, 2017.

    “States with the highest average price per litre of kerosene were Plateau N316.67, Yobe N294.44 and Kaduna N294.12.

    “States with the lowest average price per litre of kerosene were Abia N240.56, Edo N240.00 and Ekiti N233.33,’’ the NBS said.

    NAN

  • NYSC has achieved mandate, says Gowon

    NYSC has achieved mandate, says Gowon

    A former Military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, says he is proud of the National Youth Service Corps ( NYSC ) for achieving its mandate in its 44 years of existence.

    Gowon made the statement in Abuja on Friday when the NYSC Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Sulaiman Kazaure, and other top management staff of the organization paid him a courtesy visit at the Yakubu Gowon Centre on his 83rd birthday.

    He said that his administration fought to establish the NYSC in 1973 after the Nigerian civil war, to use it as a tool to promote national unity and integration of the country.

    Gowon said that the organization had achieved beyond its mandate, contrary to some opinions.

    According to him, some people have shown their determination to kill the NYSC.

    “They are saying it should be scrapped. They believe that the NYSC has out-lived its usefulness and so is no longer relevant to the society.

    “The scheme has done a lot to bring about national unity and integration.

    “There is no community you go to today where corps members are not serving and the support they bring to local communities is great.

    “The reason my government established the NYSC was to initiate reconciliation among Nigerians after the civil war.

    “We also sought to establish it for Nigerians to know each other more; promote national unity and encourage the NYSC to offer services to communities around them.

    “We fought to establish it and I am proud of the scheme and all it has achieved and continue to do for the youth and the country.

    “The NYSC should not be taken out of the constitution. Although some persons have said it should be scrapped.

    “If you listen to public opinion, you will find out that corps members are against the scrapping of the scheme.

    “This is because they understand and know its relevance and importance to their development and future,’’ Gowon said.

    He advised the scheme to operate an open-door policy where it can entertain suggestions from past and serving corps members on how to move the scheme forward.

    Earlier, Kazaure said the management of the scheme was on the visit to identify and celebrate with Gowon on his birthday.

    He lauded Gowon’s efforts in establishing the scheme, stating that corps members were in all parts of the country, carrying out their national service.

    The director-general said the corps members were bringing growth and development to communities and helping to foster unity and integration.

    “The NYSC says thank you for all you have done for the scheme; 44 years after, the scheme is still standing strong.

    “We will keep the scheme alive to continue to bring about unity and development for the youth and the nation.

    “On behalf of the NYSC, we wish you a happy birthday,’’ Kazaure said.

    The NYSC was established on May 22, 1973 during the Gowon administration.

    The company was established in a bid by the regime to bring foster rehabilitation, re-construction and reconciliation after the civil war.

    Gowon turned 83 years on Oct. 19.

    NAN

  • Ambode tasks judiciary on speedy dispensation of justice

    Ambode tasks judiciary on speedy dispensation of justice

    Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Friday urged the state judiciary to step up in the area of speedy delivery of justice, without compromising the fundamental principle of fair hearing and the rule of law.

    Ambode made the call at the swearing-in ceremony of Justice Opeyemi Oke as the new Chief Judge of the state at the Lagos House, Ikeja.

    Oke came into office following the exit of Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade, who attained the statutory retirement age of 65 on Sep.24.

    The new Chief Judge joined the State Judiciary as a Senior Magistrate on May 1, 1986 and was appointed a Judge of the High Court on July 17, 1996. She becomes the 6th female and 16th Chief Judge of Lagos State.

    Ambode Governor congratulated Oke on her confirmation by the state lawmakers, describing it as a positive affirmation of her competence, experience and character to preside over the sacred temple of justice in Lagos State.

    “I have absolute confidence in your intellectual capacity to steer the ship of the state judiciary on a smooth sail.

    “One area of our judicial system which I consider as work in progress is the speed of justice delivery in the State.

    “We have made significant progress in this regard with the various reforms that have been initiated and implemented, however, I believe strongly that we can do more by stepping up our efforts.

    “I do understand that our judges are currently facing enormous work load due to the fact that the Lagos judiciary is the busiest in the country and this will naturally affect the turnover of cases in our courts.

    “It is for this reason that I once again recommit our administration’s determination to seek a significant increase in the number of judges that we have on the Lagos bench,” he said.

    Ambode said his administration planned to establish a designated Commercial Courthouse with the objective of ensuring speedy consideration of commercial matters.

    “There is no gainsaying that Lagos is the commercial nerve centre of the country and it deserves a modern state-of-the-art first class Commercial Courthouse to speedily address commercial disputes in the State.

    “It is hoped that this courthouse will accommodate all commercial-related organs of the judiciary in order to drive commerce and improve the ease of doing business.

    “Our administration will continue to cooperate with the judiciary in developing and implementing appropriate strategies to ensure justice is done speedily.

    “I want to assure you of our commitment to do whatever is required of us to ensure that the on-going reform in the judicial sector achieves the desired effect,” Ambode said.

    In his remarks, Mr Adeniji Kazeem, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, said the event marked the beginning of a new dawn for the state judiciary.

    According to him, it provides the direction for renewed vigour in the discharge of the highest standard of responsibility and the dispensation of justice in accordance with the rule of law and good conscience.

    Oke, in her remark, pledged to make speedy dispensation of justice and zero tolerance for corruption the hallmark of the judiciary in the state.

    She said that she would ensure an efficient, effective and transparent judiciary where there would be total confidence of the public in their ability to provide quick dispensation of justice.

    The Chief Judge lamented the high number of old cases, saying that the total number of cases from five years upwards in the Lagos Judicial division could be estimated to be in the region of 4, 000.

    According to her, when cases drag for over five years and above, they constitute an embarrassment to the image of the judiciary.

    “We need an urgent and immediate plan to clear the backlog of old cases. We, therefore, suggest a Backlog Elimination Programme to tackle the issue of backlogs and congestion.

    “The task requires extra work, more efforts and resources, new hands, including judicial officers,’’ she said.

    Oke said that information technology would be deployed to achieve an efficient and effective judiciary.

    “I’m calling on all and sundry to support and put our shoulders together and get the Lagos State judiciary moving at the fastest pace possible, without compromising on the virtues of love, equity and justice,” Oke said.

    NAN

  • Court orders six strokes of cane on man for stealing ladder

    Court orders six strokes of cane on man for stealing ladder

    A Karmo Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on Friday ordered that 28-year-old man, Ibrahim Yunisa, be given six strokes of cane for stealing a ladder.

    Yunisa, of no fixed address, had pleaded guilty to one-count charge of theft and begged for leniency.

    The Judge, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, told the convict that he mitigated the sentence because he pleaded for leniency.

    Sadiq said the court might not be lenient with him the next time he appeared.

    Read also: http://staging.thenationonlineng.net/police-arraign-man-stealing-cooking-pot-ibadan-poly/

    The Prosecutor, Mrs Florence Avhioboh, told the court that the convict committed the offence on Oct. 12.

    She said the theft was reported at Karmo Police Station by Jacob Friday of Mararaba area in Nasarawa State.

    She added that the convict, who was found with the ladder at Dape village, Abuja, could not give satisfactory explanation on how he got it.

    Avhioboh said Yunisa had confessed that he stole the ladder at a building under construction in Abuja, an offence against Section 288 of the Penal Code.

    NAN

  • My husband has turned me into a punching bag, woman tells court

    My husband has turned me into a punching bag, woman tells court

    A 20-year-old loveless marriage between Bukola and her husband, Jimoh Olajire, was on Friday dissolved on the orders of an Ibadan Customary Court, citing  wife’s battering.

    “My husband has turned me into a punching bag; beating me all the time unmindful of the burden of single-handedly feeding the six children of our union.

    “I am tired of the marriage and I want it dissolved,” the estranged wife told the court.

    Upholding the request of the woman, the President of the court, Chief Mukaila Balogun, said the dissolution of the marriage had become necessary because the evidence before it showed that there was no more love between them.

    Balogun added that the respondent has agreed to the dissolution of the union as requested by his estranged wife, the court is handicapped to mediate in a bid to resolve the matter.

    “Based on this evidence, the marriage is thereby dissolved and the custody of the first three of the six children of the union is given to the respondent.

    “The remaining three children should remain with the plaintiff (Busayo).

    “The respondent should forthwith pay N9,000 monthly as feeding allowances for the three children in the custody of the plaintiff,” the court ruled.

    Earlier, Busayo, who had approached the court for dissolution, accused her ex-husband of turning her to a punching bag.

    She also accused the man of neglecting his responsibility as a husband and father to the six children and herself.

    “My husband was in the habit of beating me always without considering my efforts in single-handedly feeding the six children of our union.

    “He used to accuse me wrongly of having extra-marital affair with his junior brother.

    “The allegation is disgusting and embarrassing because I see no reason why my husband would believe such,” she said.

    In his defence, Olajire denied the allegations, but urged the court to uphold the divorce request being sought by his wife, whom she described as “a disobedient wife”.

    He urged the court to grant him the custody of the six children of the marriage.

    NAN

  • My husband seeks his father’s permission before intercourse, wife tells court

    My husband seeks his father’s permission before intercourse, wife tells court

    A 22-year-old housewife, Rashidat Adewuyi, told an Idi-Ogungun Customary Court in Ibadan on Friday that her father-in-law slept on the same bed with her and her husband whenever he visited them.

    Rashidat made the statement on Friday when she testified in a divorce petition filed by her husband, Lukman Adewuyi.

    She said her marriage of two years with Lukman had been  characterised by agony and regrets due to interference by her father-in-law, who never allowed her to have free access to her husband.

    According to Rashidat, her husband always takes permission from his father on every issue between her and her husband.

    “Even he seeks his father’s permission before intercourse and my father-in-law always sleeps on the same bed with me and my husband whenever he visits.

    “I used to dress or change my pants in the bathroom because my father-in-law would not leave our one-room apartment whenever I wanted to dress up,’’ she said.

    Rashidat further said that her father-in-law instigated her husband to file the petition so as to have total control over him.

    She urged the court to grant the prayer of the petitioner but that he be given responsibility to maintain the only child of the relationship.

    Earlier, Lukman had pleaded with the court to dissolve the  marriage on the ground that the respondent wanted to stab him to death.

    He said his wife was in the habit of cursing him and threatening to kill him whenever they had a quarrel.

    “There was a particular night that she brought out a knife and wanted to stab me because another woman called my cell phone number.

    “It took the intervention of my landlord before she agreed not to stab me and such incident made me to file a divorce suit,” Adewuyi said.

    The President of the court, Chief Mukaila Balogun, and the court assessors, Aare Samotu and Ganiyu Alao, made efforts to prevail on the couple to resolve the matter amicably but failed.

    The court, thereafter, ordered the dissolution of the marriage as the parties wished.

    Balogun also ordered the plaintiff to pay N3,500 as monthly feeding allowance for the only child of the union and warned the parties to maintain the peace and stay away from each other.

    NAN

  • We will use tourism, festivals, carnivals to boost revenue – LASG

    We will use tourism, festivals, carnivals to boost revenue – LASG

    The Lagos State Government ( LASG ) on Friday said that it would use tourism – related activities such as festivals, carnivals, exhibitions and conferences to boost the revenue base of the state.

    Mrs Adebimpe Akinsola, Acting Commissioner of Tourism, Arts and Culture, said that tourism is a veritable platform that can be used to drive revenue earnings of a state.

    According to her, the policy thrust of the government is to partner with the private sector in boosting the revenues of the state.

    “The government door is open for public and private partnership to increase its Internally Generated Revenue ( IGR ) through tourism and other related activities.

    “Lagos State Government is ready to partner any individual and corporate body with laudable initiative that will move the tourism industry forward, and indeed other sector of economy, ”she said.

    Akinsola said that festivals draw attention of international participants, tourists and investors closer to feel and see what a state or country could offer in terms of its tourism, arts and culture potential/assets.

    “It will also help to boost foreign exchange earnings, create jobs for indigenes, boost commercial activities, increase hotels and other related tourism outfit patronage, ”she said.

    She said that local and foreign visitors would visit tourist sites, patronise local cuisines, buy locally-made goods/souvenirs and also do business.

    “When hotels and other tourism outfits are selling, they pay their tax, and by extension, revenue is coming to the state,” Akinsola said.

    The acting commissioner assured local and international tourists/visitors of maximum security in all the tourist sites across the state.

    “The government is working closely with security agencies to ensure adequate security in the state.

    “As far as security is concerned, all hands are on deck to combat any unforeseen challenges; the emergency and safety in Lagos State is intact, ”she said.

    She said the Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration was working assiduously in placing the state as premium destination for tourism.

    “The state government has partnered many organisations on tourism programs such as beer festival, tourism summit, art exhibitions, cultural day and several others.

    “Government is still ready to collaborate with more organisations and provide opportunities for new investors in the sector,”she said.

    NAN

  • NIMC advises Nigerians to obtain national identification numbers

    NIMC advises Nigerians to obtain national identification numbers

    Mr Aliyu Aziz, the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission ( NIMC ), has advised Nigerians and other residents in the country, to get their National Identification Numbers ( NINs ).

    Aziz said in a statement on Friday in Lagos that Nigerians should regard the NIN as a most crucial feature of their lives, since it was the unique identifier for all in the country.

    He said that Nigerians should regard the NIN the same way Social Security Number was regarded in the United States, the National Insurance Number in the United Kingdom or AADHAR number in India.

    According to him, what is common in all the countries mentioned is just the number.

    “Therefore, you need a unique NIN from cradle to grave,” he said.

    The NIMC boss advised Nigerians and residents in the country to present themselves to be enrolled for NIN to avoid any rush.

    He said that rush might arise with the enforcement of the mandatory use of NIN for transactions and access to services, as stipulated in Section 27 of the NIMC Act of 2007.

    “By law and along the entire lifecycle of individuals in Nigeria, you need to present your NIN, whenever you need to be identified for services such as passport issuance.

    “You will need to present NIN during banking services, land transactions, insurance services, pension, health insurance, payment of taxes, voter’s registration, consumer credits and all government services.

    “In all these, there is nothing temporary about the NIN slip issued after registration, the NIN is your identity and is considered more important than the card.

    “NIMC’s current focus is on the number – NIN, and not the card.

    “We are already in a digital economy driven by unique index numbers and not by physical tokens such as a card.

    “The law specifies that we should issue general multipurpose smart cards as the exercise continues,’’ he said.

    Aziz said the commission was mindful of the demands of the public for the physical cards and efforts were being made to meet them.

    The NIMC director general said however that provision of the physical cards had huge financial implication for the nation.

    According to him, the number of people with their NINs is 23.3 million, an increase from seven million in November 2015, when he took over the mantle of leadership in NIMC.

    “So, please enroll for the NIN, encourage everyone you know to do same, including children and legal residents.

    “This is necessary as all other government agencies will follow soon and make their respective announcements on the mandatory use of the NIN,’’ he said.

    NAN

  • Plague kills 94 in Madagascar, WHO working to prevent spread

    Plague kills 94 in Madagascar, WHO working to prevent spread

    A plague epidemic has killed 94 people on the island of Madagascar and could spread further, the WHO said on Friday.

    WHO’s Africa emergencies director, Ibrahima Fall, told reporters in Geneva the organization was racing to stop both the Madagascar plague and an outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg virus in Uganda that it was confident it could contain.

    The world body said plague is endemic in Madagascar, but the outbreak that has caused 1,153 suspected cases since August is especially worrying because it started earlier in the season than usual.

    The WHO said it has hit towns rather than rural areas, and it is mainly causing pneumonic plague, the most deadly form of the disease.

    The outbreak already looks big when compared with the 3,248 cases and 584 deaths reported worldwide from 2010 to 2015.

    Fall said the risk to Madagascar remained very high, although the international risk was very low.

    WHO has delivered antibiotics to Madagascar to treat up to 5,000 patients and as a prophylactic dose for up to 100,000 people who might be at risk, as well as 150,000 sets of personal protective equipment.

    He said about 2,000 healthworkers are tracing people who have had contact with plague sufferers, which should allow the disease to be controlled relatively quickly.

    “I‘m confident that with the strong team we have on the ground, combined with more partners coming and health workers, we will be able very quickly to reverse the trend.”

    In Uganda, WHO hopes to halt an outbreak of Marburg, a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola, which killed a 50-year-old woman on Oct. 11, three weeks after her brother died of similar symptoms.

    “The positive thing is that Uganda is very used to managing this kind of outbreak,” Fall said. In the past decade, Uganda has already had four outbreaks of Marburg.

    An outbreak can kill up to 90 per cent of the people who catch the disease.

    Several hundred people may have been exposed to the virus at health facilities and at a traditional burial of the dead woman’s brother, who worked as a game hunter and lived near a cave inhabited by Rousettus bats, natural hosts of the Marburg virus.

    One suspected case and one probable case are being investigated.

    “The teams have already investigated the area, identified potential contacts and monitoring these contacts.

    “We are getting daily updates from the team, we are confident that… we will be able to contain it very quickly,” Fall said.

    NAN