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Tag: Nigerian Newspapers

  • Outrage over hoodlums’ extortion of motorists

    Some motorists in Lagos on Monday went on the social media to express their anger over extortion and intimidation by hoodlums.

    The hoodlums, they said, have constituted themselves as ‘constituted authority,’ thereby making life unbearable for people.

    According to the motorists, the hoodlums usually arrest unsuspecting people under the guise of working for councils.

    Many people, they said, have fallen victims, parting with a huge amount.

    A motorist, Abbey Omotayo, said the hoodlums printed and issued receipts with the letterhead of the councils they were operating from.

    Lagos State Government on January 31,2017 banned local government officials from controlling or engaging in traffic duties.

    The government said “… only the Nigeria Police, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Task Force on Special Offences and Rapid Response Squad (RRS) can perform traffic duties.”

    Read Also: Lagos-Ibadan Expressway: LASG allays fears of motorists on planned closure

    Adebimpe Adeoti yesterday on Facebook urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to look into the menace at Igando-Ikotun Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

    Adeoti said the hoodlums terrorised motorists.

    Another motorist, Alli Azeez, alleged that the hoodlums worked in conjunction with some police officers.

    “The annoying thing is that they will take you to BRT park and ask you to pay,” he said.

    A commuter, Khadijat Kawonise, said the hoodlums arrested and collected N15,000 from her driver.

    Samuel Ogungbe said: “At Oshodi, very close to the local government secretariat, we did nothing, we were asking for direction. Suddenly those guys in mufti attacked us, marched us into the local government secretariat, everyone including an expectant woman. The woman wept. I was fined N25,000 and we were delayed for more than five hours. Governor Sanwo-Olu has to do something about these illegalities.”

  • Falconets break African Games ‘final jinx

    NIGERIA has ended the 12-year wait for a spot in the final of the African Games after thrashing Algeria 3-0 in the semi-final in Morocco on Monday.

    The West Africans won the competition twice but had failed to reach the final stage since 2007, when they last won in Algiers. Having advanced to the semi-final for the third time in four attempts, the Nigerians were hoping to subdue the Desert Foxes to boost their chance to reclaim the glory on North African soil.

    After the restart, Christopher Danjuma’s side failed to impose their dominance over Naima Laouadi’s team until substitute Zainab Olapade added a third in additional time to wrap up the victory.

    The result also means Danjuma, on his birthday, has led the nation to the final for the first time on the second attempt, after he failed to achieve the feat in Brazzaville four years ago.

    Nigeria will take on the winner between Cameroun and host Morocco in the final at the Boubker Aamar Stadium on August 29.

  • Osinbajo decries high port charges

    VICE President Yemi Oshibanjo has decried the imposition of arbitrary high charges by shipping lines in West and Central African countries.

    He also urged the Union of African Shippers Council to adopt common political and diplomatic strategies to check the operations of shipping lines servicing the ports in the sub-region.

    Prof Osinbanjo who spoke yesterday in Abuja while declaring open the sub-regional summit on unfair shipping surcharges and high local shipping charges at the ports of West African sub-region, said some of the charges were unnecessary.

    He listed the charges to include bunker adjustment factor, currency adjustment factor, war risk surcharge, confession sub charges, peak season surcharges, extra risk insurance sub charge, freight rate surcharge, and port operation recovery surcharge.

    Read Also: ACFTA: former President Obasanjo urges FG to sign

    He said the surcharges amounted to huge sums of illegal capital flight from the countries of the sub-region and has been depleting the countries foreign reserves. He also said data obtained from the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) showed that about N2billion is repatriated by multi-national shipping firms from reasonable of demurrage charges for Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in each quarter of the year.

    Attributing the poor transport infrastructure development  to one of the reasons for the high port charges, he urged AU member-states to prioritise the development of transport infrastructure for the work-ability of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA).

    The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, also condemned the unilateral manner in which service providers introduce and increase freight rates  in the sub-region through various surcharges.

    He said the Gederal Government, through its partnership with the Global Shippers Forum (GSF), has started checking claims of terrorism, piracy, armed attacks on ships and other negative activities in the Gulf of Guinea  to increase charges and introduce more surcharges in Nigeria

  • ‘Ogun Anchor Borrowers loan’ll attract single digit interest’

    THE Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, on Monday said Ogun State Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) will provide inputs, service support and training required for farmers through a single digit loan and a guaranteed off-taker.

    He spoke in Abeokuta while inaugurating the steering committee  to oversee the state’s ABP.

    He said his administration was fully committed to providing an environment that would ensure a better life for the people of the state, adding that  under his leadership, the state would ensure the development of all sectors of the economy.

    He said his government appreciates the immense potential of the agricultural sector.

    According to him, the target of his administration was to attain self sufficiency in food by producing more, adding that providence had blessed the state with favourable climate, fertile soil that sits on over 16,000 square meters, of which 80 per cent is arable.

    Read Also: Leave Buhari, Tinubu, Osoba out of my cabinet list delay — Dapo Abiodun

    He said: “The target of our administration is to produce enough food to attain self sufficiency in food security in the short term and over the long term, produce enough food for other states and for export. “Providence have blessed us with favorable climate and fertile soil for agriculture, we sit on  a land mass that is over 16,000 sqm, 80 per cent of which is arable, that is we have over 12,800 sqm of arable land.”

    He said government and the people should come together to chart a way forward for the development of agriculture in the state, adding that it was disheartening to note that the state had never accessed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) ABP.

    “While we have seen the success of the anchor borrowers scheme in other states, it is disheartening that Ogun State has never accessed the CBN ABP through the public window,” he said.

    He said the inauguration of the committee was a practical demonstration of his administration’s commitment to the development of the agricultural sector, adding that the programme would be targeting over 40,000 farmers, of which 10,000 would be attended to in the first instance.

    “In this programme, we are targeting the empowerment of over 40,000 farmers; we are going to be starting in the first instance with an initial 10,000 farmers to which we are going to allocate 10,000 hectares of land,” he said.

  • Makinde revokes controversial Moniya-Iseyin road contract

    Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has announced the revocation of the Moniya-Iseyin road contract awarded during the administration of the immediate past government for N7 billion.

    Makinde, who made the disclosure while speaking at the launch of a $5 million Agribusiness Project initiative by Farmcrowdy, said that the road was central to the government’s resolve to promote agribusiness.

    According to him, the previous government awarded the contract to an Engineering firm that did not have the capacity to handle the project, adding that even though the owner of the firm was known to him, he could not mix friendship with the business of governance.

    A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted the Governor as saying that the contract was revoked to enable him to address the challenges of moving farm produce around the state.

    He added that the state government would go ahead to re-award the contract, noting that when completed, the road would redress the challenges of moving farm produce from Oke Ogun area to Ibadan, the state capital.

    The Governor maintained that Oyo was ready for agribusiness, noting that since his administration had promised to expand the state’s economy through agribusiness, the state was set to turn farm settlements around.

    Read Also: I’m still communicating with Ajimobi on policies, says Makinde

    At the event attended by the Deputy Governor, Engineer Raufu Olaniyan; the Chief of Staff, Chief Bisi Ilaka; the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Olubamiwo Adeosun and other government functionaries, Makinde welcomed the launch of the Farmcrowdy initiative saying: “I welcome you to a partnership that I believe will be mutually beneficial to you and the people of the state.”

    The Governor, who pointed out that the state government was fully committed to revolutionising agriculture, indicated that his administration had begun the steps towards using agriculture to revamp and expand the economy of the state by identifying and recruiting one of the best names in agribusiness in Africa, Dr Debo Akande, who was appointed as Executive Adviser on Agribusiness.

    He added that in line with his commitment on agriculture, the state government had a retreat on agribusiness in Cotonou, Benin Republic, noting that his government would execute the report of the retreat to the letter

    Executive Adviser to Governor Makinde on agribusiness, Dr Akande, stated that agribusiness would take the centre stage in the state, noting that the state would explore the Public Private Development Partnership model to achieve its aim on agriculture.

    He maintained that bringing Farmcrowdy to Oyo State was a thing of pride to the Makinde government, saying: “One thing that is very sure is that if you follow the trend of what has been happening in the agriculture sector, when farmers engage themselves in production and they cannot sell, they will get discouraged. What we are trying to do is that we want to ensure that when farmers produce, there is a market for them.

    “Market determines production. We will ensure that those who want to buy get value.”

    In his speech, the Managing Director of Farmcrowdy, Kenneth Obiajulu, said that through crowd-funding, Farmcrowdy had been able to impact 25,000 farmers and worked in 14 states out of 36, noting that it was launching the initiative as a partnership on agriculture to help Oyo state.

    The Deputy Director-General of IITA Partnership for Development, Mr Kenton Dashiell, while speaking, noted that IITA was ready to be a partner with Farmcrowdy in increasing agribusiness in Oyo State, saying: “we have been working with farmers in Oyo State for 52 years but two things are missing: markets and access to quality yields.”

  • Power generation dips to 2,970.3MwH

    THE electricity generation companies (Gencos) said power generation which was 3,183.2megawatts (Mw) on Saturday dipped to 2,970.3Mw Sunday.

    The System Operation of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) from which The Nation got the hint, said the lowest generation on Saturday was 2,991.3Mw.

    While peak generation was 4,439.8Mw on Saturday, it declined to 4,321Mw.

    The energy generation that was 86,033.72Mwh an equivalent to 3,584.7Mw on Saturday decreased to 84,320.95Mw an equivalent of 3,513.3Mw on Sunday.

    The Daily report of TCN on its website also said the peak generation that was recorded August 23, 2019, was 4,439.8Mw.

    It added that energy recorded in that day was 86,033.72Mwh which is equivalent to 3,584.7Mw. At 06:00hour of Saturday, the Daily Operational Report showed that energy generation was at 3,183.2Mw.

    Read Also: Power generation stands at 2,854.3Mw

    The decline in generation was not unconnected to the electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos’) low demand for power, which culminated in the reduction of generation and zero level production of some of the GenCos. Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Company, Managing Director, Dr. Marilyn Amobi, last week said in the last payment,  the firm bore a payment of N181billion to five GenCos for electricity that Nigerians did not use.

    According to her, in the context of the N701billion power sector intervention fund, the Federal Government paid N105billion as five per cent to GenCos for unused electricity.

    The payments, she said, were due to the power purchase agreements that government had with the companies.

    Meanwhile, the Market Operator of TCN, Engr. Edmund Eje, also disclosed said the Federal Government has approved N600billion that is to be injected into the nation’s electricity market

  • Court dismisses suits over dispute, primary

    A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja has dismissed two suits filed by some members of the Kogi State All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The suits were in relation to the disputes over the party’s leadership and its choice of mode of primary for selecting a candidate for the forthcoming governorship election.

    In two judgments on Monday, Justice Taiwo Taiwo dismissed both suits.

    The first suit, filed by Haddy Augu Ametuo and another, prayed the court to determine the true leaders of the party from the two sets two factions, claiming entitlement to its leadership.

    The second, filed by Destiny Eneojoh Aromeh, Isah Abubakar, Noah Aku and Mrs. Joy Onu, queried the decision of the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC) to adopt indirect primary in choosing the party’s candidate for the election.

    The plaintiffs were of the view that the choice of the mode to be adopted could not be determine while the leadership question in the state chapter of the party was yet unresolved, with the pendency of the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/ 581/2018.

    Justice Taiwo, in the first judgment, dismissed the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/ 581/2018 for being statute barred on the grounds that it was not heard within the 180 days stipulated under Section 285(10) of the Constitution.

    The judge upheld the preliminary objection filed against the suit, agreed with the defendants that it was a pre-election case and held that the suit is caught by the statute of limitation as contained in Section 285(10) of the constitution.

    Read Also: Primary: APC committee in Kogi approves Bello, 3 others

    He noted that as of August 15, 2019, when the suit was heard, it was over 400 days, since the suit was filed.

    Justice Taiwo noted that the issue in this matter has to do with the question regarding who is the authentic exco of the 1st defendant (APC) in Kogi State.

    He added that it might appear not to be a pre-election matter, in that it has to do with the election of the Executive Committee (EXCO) of the 1st defendant in Kogi State and not election into elective offices.

    The judge, however, held that by the Supreme Court decision in the case of APC v. Umar, the process or exercise embarked upon by a political party, such as congresses, nomination exercise, etc, are all pre-election matters or exercises.

    He added: “I am bound by this decision and I cannot decide otherwise. There is no doubt that this suit was filed more than 400 days ago.

    “The court ought to have decided this matter within 180 days. However, this is not the case. I find and hold that this court will be in contravention of Section 285(10), 4th Alteration No 21 Act, if it goes beyond this premise in this matter.”

    In the second judgment on the case marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/833/2019, Justice Taiwo held since this suit was predicated on the first suit, which had been dismissed and it was unnecessary determining issues raised in the suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/833/2018) on the grounds that they have become academic.

  • Kwara’s health system is on intensive care, says AbdulRazaq

    KWARA State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Monday said the state’s healthcare system is on intensive care.

    He added that the sector requires surgical operation and urgent attention.

    AbdulRazaq said this in Ilorin, the state capital, at the opening of two days health symposium.

    He added that “this is why we have called this symposium to develop practical and innovative solutions that can be deployed in the short, medium, and long-term to improve the current state of healthcare in the state”.

    Accordingly, he added that “this administration has paid N232 million in counterpart funds to address maternal and child health, nutrition and malaria. Part of this fund will enable the state to access the Basic Healthcare Provision Funds, which would provide subsidized healthcare, especially for the poor and the vulnerable.”

    AbdulRazaq, who was represented by his deputy, Kayode Alabi, said: “I have also recently approved the sums of N26.9 million for a medical outreach in partnership with the Kwara State Association of Nigeria

    North America Inc. and Sakinah Medical, which I’m sure, are ably represented at this event. That upcoming outreach involves nine surgical procedures with beneficiaries drawn from the state. The procedures shall include Spina Bifida and hydrocephalus shunting, among others.

    “We have also taken immediate steps to tackle the menace of vaccine-derived polio, which broke out in January this year, by mobilising resources for the agencies in charge for the benefit of our children.

    “Yes, we have some structures scattered across the state. But what makes a good hospital is not the structure. It is the presence of qualified and adequate health workers, basic facilities and drugs. Our hospitals are short-staffed. The facilities are mostly obsolete. I have also learnt how medical doctors and other medical personnel don’t want to stay with the state government. I must at this point commend the few ones who have stayed back to serve our people.

    “They are our heroes. I thank all of them on behalf of our people. I recently visited the Sobi Specialist Hospital, where I was shown a moribund oxygen plant, among other problems facing the hospital. The

    Ilorin General Hospital, the flagship hospital in the state, is one giant structure without basic amenities befitting of its status as our premier hospital.

    “We inherited some preliminary works towards bringing back the health insurance scheme but our position is that we must fix the facilities on the ground first so that the scheme will achieve its aims.”

    Read Also: 17 die in Kwara auto accident

    In their separate goodwill messages at the event attended by dozens of top healthcare experts and government officials, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Primary Health, Senators Dr. Ibrahim Oloriegbe and Sadiq Umar, said the symposium was an eye-opener for the state government and commended AbdulRazaq for what they described as a right step in the right direction towards making health system work for all in the state.

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Health Matters Prof. Wale Suleiman, emphasised the need for a collective effort to evolve a health system that would work for all and expressed hope that the outcome of the symposium would bring out workable recommendations to help the government improve the health sector.

    Prof. Sulaiman, until his appointment the chairman of a global healthcare development company RNZ Global Ltd., is an expert in transformational changes in the design, delivery, access, safety and quality of healthcare utilising modern technology.

     

  • Court orders AGF, EFCC to justify planned seizure of Yari’s assets

    A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja as ordered the Attorney General of the Federation and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to show cause why it should not grant the request by ex-Zamfara State Governor Abdulazeez Yari for an order restraining them from tampering with his assets.

    Justice Evelyn Maha gave the order on Monday while ruling on an ex-parte motion by Yari, which was argued by is lawyer, Mahmud Magaji (SAN).

    Justice Maha also ordered Yari to serve the respondents  – AGF and EFCC – with the motion and other accompanying documents within 48 hours and for them to show cause why the reliefs sought by the ex-governor should not be granted.

    The judge adjourned till August 30 for hearing of the motion and the response to be filed by the respondents.

    Yari, in documents filed with the motion, accused the respondents of persecuting him and members of his family over the turnout of political events in Zamfara State.

    He accused the respondents of seeking to deploy Executive Order 6. Of 2018 to confiscate his assets.

    He traced the genesis of recent travails to the political events within the Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that led to the party’s loss of all elective offices in the state to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) following the judgment of the Supreme Court.

    He said: “After the decision of the Supreme Court, some aggrieved individuals, who are very powerful, decided to use agents of the 1st and 2nd respondents against the applicant.

    “These individuals thus decided to carry out a vendetta and revenge against the applicant, including instigating the respondents against the applicant upon their spurious conclusion without evidence that he was guilty of corrupt practices as former governor of Zamfara State and was in breach of the Code of Conduct Act.

    Read Also: Navy transfers suspected oil thieves to EFCC

    “This witch-hunt is clearly politically motivated, baseless and has been designed only to discredit and humiliate the applicant in a bid to decimate him politically.”

    Yari stated that the action of the EFCC has made it impossible for him to exercise his right or his freedom of movement without fear of being arrested and intimidated.

    The ex-governor said  he fully declared all his assets in accordance with the Code of Conduct requirement for public officers prior to assuming office as a governor.

    He added that he has not committed any offence to warrant the threats of seizure of his assets and properties, most of which were acquired even before he became governor of the state.

    Yari  then prayed the court for “an order of interim injunction restraining the respondents from seizing, impounding, taking over, confiscating or otherwise forfeiting his assets and properties wherever they may be located within Nigeria or anywhere in the world pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

    He also sought “an order of interim injunction restraining the respondents from unlawfully interfering with his rights to sections 34, 35, 41 and 43 of the 1999 Constitution until the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

    Yari is, in the substantive fundamental rights enforcement suit, praying the court for the following orders a declaration that the respondents have no authority or justification to interfere with his fundamental right to own property in Nigeria by seizing, impounding, taking over. confiscating or otherwise forfeiting the assets and properties of the applicant wherever they may be located within Nigeria or anywhere else in the world (all of which were legally acquired from the legitimate resources of the applicant) on the basis of the Executive Order 6 of 2018 or any regulation or other law whatsoever.

     

  • Three die as truck rams into BRT in Lagos

    Two employees of Primero and a female passenger were killed on Tuesday morning after a Dangote truck rammed into a Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) at Majidun in Ikorodu.

    Over 55 other passengers were said to have sustained varying injuries while the BRT driver was allegedly unconscious and his leg decapitated.

    It was gathered that the cement-laden truck had a brake failure and suddenly skidded into the BRT lane crushing an oncoming mass transit bus with registration number LSR228XS.

    The BRT, it was gathered had a total of 60 passengers on board with 20 of them standing.

    Announcing the death of his workers, Primero boss Fola Tinubu said there was nothing the BRT driver could do as the truck jumped from his lane and hit the bus head-on.

    He said: “A Dangote truck jumped from the regular lane on to the BRT lane and hit our bus head-on. There was nothing our driver could do to prevent the accident.

    “Unfortunately, we lost two of our staff and one passenger in the accident. We are working with the authorities to apprehend the truck driver.

    Read Also: Truck crushes Army officer to death in Ogun

    “Right now our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the deceased and we are praying for full recovery for the injured.

    “All our vehicles are fully insured and our passengers are also insured but that will not bring back the dead. I pray for God to grant the deceased souls eternal rest and we’ll continue to investigate the accident.”

    According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osayintolu only one mortality was recorded in the accident.

    He said the bus was carrying 40 seated and 20 standing passengers, adding that all the passengers on board suffered injuries.

    “All passengers on board suffered various degrees of injuries with one female passenger losing her life. The driver suffered severe life threatening injuries with his leg totally decapitated.

    “The combined efforts of the agency’s assets (Medical Unit, Tiger unit, Papa Eagle and Cobra unit) are on ground working alongside LNSC, Police, FRSC and LASTMA to ease vehicular movement and ensure a swift recovery of the accidented truck. Recovery operation is ongoing,” he said.