The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerians

  • ‘Nigerians ignorant of warranty terms’

    Many consumers of electronic products in Nigeria do not know what warranty terms entail. This ignorance has led some of them to go into litigation, thereby losing their money and wasting their time, the Managing Director of Slot Systems, Nnamdi Ezeigbo, has said.

    Speaking at a forum organised by the firm and the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) in Ikeja, Lagos, the Managing Director of Slot Systems, Nnamdi Ezeigbo, lamented that lack of proper awareness about the terms of warranty has led many customers to seek legal redress which they lose.

    According to him, the warranty terms given by the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are the same that are extended to the customers, adding that the firm cannot give what it does not have.

    He listed the damages not covered by warranty on mobile phones to include those arising from water/moisture/sweat, accidental fall and other such damages that are not “factory faults.

  • 3,000 Nigerians flee anti-terrorism war to Cameroon, says UN

    3,000 Nigerians flee anti-terrorism war to Cameroon, says UN

    •Jonathan thanks U.S. for bounty on  Shekau, others

    No fewer than 3,000 Nigerians have fled the battle against Boko Haram in the northeast and relocated to Cameroon, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said yesterday.

    The agency earlier reported the presence of some fleeing Nigerians in Niger.

    Also yesterday, the Borno State government lamented that about 19,000 rice farmers had relocated, hinting at a possible food shortage at the end of the year.

    The UN agency said people continued to flee the crises in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states with the refugee exodus now spreading to Cameroon, where more than 3,000 Nigerians have fled.

    UNHCR said thousands of Nigerians began crossing into Cameroon one week ago. The new arrivals tell aid workers they fled a confrontation between the army and Boko Haram rebels.

    UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards said the fighting occurred just 10 kilometres from the Nigerian-Cameroon border. Most of the refugees, he said, were women and children.

    “Primarily, the refugees are being looked after by the host communities and … churches are also part of the networks providing help to people as they immediately come across,” he said.

    “As with all of these crises,” Edwards added, “the worry for us is when you have refugees in areas very close to the border, which might be volatile, might be unsafe. We are looking at moving people to other locations. But, in terms of their current accommodations, most people are living in the community.”

    The UNHCR said refugees were continuing to arrive in neighboring Niger, adding to the more than 6,000 refugees that are already there.

    Edwards said most of the new arrivals in Niger were women and children coming from rural villages across the border and from the towns of Maiduguri and Baga.

    “On 11 June, gunshots were heard in Malam Ftouri, a village on the Nigeria side, close to the border, prompting the population of the village to flee across the border. They travelled by foot, by motorbike,” he said. “They found refuge with host families just across the border. Hundreds of new arrivals have also been reported further north of Diffa, according to local authorities.”

    Aid workers on the ground report some displaced people from Nigeria are returning home after a few days in Niger. Others, they said, were shuttling between the two countries depending on the security situation in Nigeria.

    Chad, a third possible destination for Nigerian refugees, has officially closed its border. As a consequence, the UNHCR reports no Nigerians have arrived there besides the 155 refugees who came last week.

    Islamic militants have driven 19,000 rice farmers from their land while a military crackdown is preventing thousands more from working their fields, raising fears of imminent food shortages, officials warned yesterday.

    Food shortages would add to the misery in Northeast. The area abandoned by farmers is a fertile one in the semi-arid Sahel, a regional bread basket created by the receding waters of Lake Chad.

    “We anticipate general hunger this year because all roads linking the cities to the farming hinterlands have been closed down,” Agriculture Commissioner for Borno State Usman Zannah told The Associated Press in an interview yesterday, adding: “Farmers have been locked out of their farm lands while those in the hinterland cannot come to the city for tractors or labourers to get their farms tilled for the next cropping.”

    President Goodluck Jonathan has thanked President Barack Obama and the United States government for their “evident solidarity and support’’ for the country in its committed fight against terrorism.

    The North America Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the President stated this in a June 4 letter, which was released on Monday.

    Jonathan noted that the U.S. government’s declaration of a bounty on the head of the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, along with other terrorist leaders across the Africa was most welcome.

    “As I indicated in my earlier letter to you, Nigeria is unwaveringly committed to successfully prosecuting the fight against the scourge of terrorism in all its ramifications in our country.

    “In frontally facing up to the threat of Ahlul Sunna li daawa wal Jihad (Boko Haram), our law enforcement agents are under strict instructions to adhere to the clearly defined rules of engagement.

    “They are not to engage in acts that may have the effect of compromising the human rights and safety of innocent citizens in the areas of operation,’’ Jonathan stressed.

    He added that “in this quest, Mr President (Obama), we are with the U.S. in the belief that an act of terrorism against any nation or group is an attack against our common humanity, and it must be resolutely resisted by all legitimate means.’’

    “I fully acknowledge your committed leadership of the global fight against international terrorism as well as your government’s steadfast support for us and other nations which have come under terrorist attacks over the years.

    “I very much look forward to even closer cooperation between our two nations in the fight against this global menace.’’

  • Nigerians and the war on terror

    Nigerians and the war on terror

    SIR: Since President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, some Nigerians, especially politicians and simpletons have continued to kick against it. But are these not the same people who cried blue murder when terrorists struck at the UN building in Abuja, who were united in grief when people were killed in a Catholic Church on a Christmas day, who think that the president has been too soft on the perpetrators and who expect that their president should do his constitutional duty of protecting them?

    Nigerians can’t have their cake and eat it. Even now the terrorists are unrelenting and unrepentant for according to AFP; the leader of the insurgents in a recent video claimed that they are dealing blows on the Nigerian soldiers and that they the insurgents had sustained little damage. He even called on foreign Islamists in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq to join the fight. Just recently in Maiduguri, Borno, it was reported that the insurgents hid their Kalashnikov guns inside a coffin while driving through military checkpoints to avoid being searched and launched an attack with them against a group of vigilantes, killing 13 of the youths. All efforts must be made to stop this madness. And while this is so, it is imperative too that neighbouring countries cooperate with the Nigerian government to help apprehend, and hand over their nationals who are terrorists operating on their soil as a token on the war on terror. The US and the UN’s support have been encouraging.

    Nigerians must now help themselves. They must shut up and take the good with the bad. The president is doing the right thing. The terrorists have been given a long rope, enough to hang themselves. Some people make us sick to the stomach when they use every opportunity to politicize everything, even something as serious as national security. Even June 12 has not been spared. There’s really no winning with them.

    Dr Cosmas Odoemena,

    Lagos.

     

  • PDP, Jonathan have failed Nigerians, says Tinubu

    PDP, Jonathan have failed Nigerians, says Tinubu

    ACN leader lashes govt on economy, security

    APC files registration request at INEC

     

    President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration is confused about how to tackle Nigeria’s challenges, especially poverty and insecurity, a leader of the newly-formed All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has said.

    He said the Federal Government promised peace and security, but under its “unwatchful eye” insecurity has grown and Boko Haram “has turned large tracts of northern Nigeria into no man’s land”.

    But, a bright future, he said, is on the horizon as the APC, which he called “the government in-waiting”, would rescue Nigeria from its confused state.

    “As leaders of the new party and government in-waiting, we intend to pursue dynamic, time-tested and bold policies that will liberate our people by making sure our wealth works for us,” Tinubu said.

    Nigerians, said Tinubu, have become increasingly divided as a people because the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government continues to take faulty steps in addressing poverty and injustice.

    “They have ignored the cause and gone after the symptoms,” the former Lagos State Governor told a packed audience inside the Grand Committee Ballroom, Westminster Hall, House of Parliament, London on Monday. He identified failed policies on power, employment, economy and security as evidence of bad leadership.

    Tinubu, the keynote speaker at the British African Diaspora Conference, spoke on “Leadership, national development and the people”.

    He urged the Federal Government to apply a consistent policy of targeted law enforcement operations along with an active programme of economic development, negotiations and potential amnesty for penitent Boko Haram members.

    He said rather than take this step, the nation has been treated to series of government inaction and indiscriminate use of force, which culminated in the declaration of a state of emergency in three states.

    “The Jonathan government set up a special Committee on Boko Haram and Security matters, but sadly before they could perform, he declared State of Emergency in three Northern states: Yobe, Borno and Adamawa.

    “This is symptomatic of a confused leadership. If there is security in this jumbled policy, neither I nor the majority of Nigerians can find it!”

    To the fomer Lagos governor, if Nigeria is to mature as a democracy, its electoral system must be improved. He decried the fact that those who control the system manipulate elections with such impunity that they now see misconduct without sanction as a normal way of life.

    Said he: “Look at the recent controversy surrounding election of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) chairman… A group comprising all the nations’ governors could not even conduct a simple 35-person election without a disputed outcome.

    “With this recent experience, I fear the length those in power would go and the means they would employ to manipulate results when the battleground is the entire nation and the stakes are the general elections in 2015.

    “The NGF debacle symbolises a disdain for democracy and the popular will. If we are to save Nigeria, we must rescue the electoral process from its abusers,” Tinubu said.

    In his view, a great philosophical gulf separates the government from the progressives. “This current Nigerian government is a retrogressive one. Much of what they claim as growth is but the harsh redistribution of wealth from the bottom to the top. The bottom gets squeezed while the top expands. They are serving us the salad of corruption.

    “They consume our today and squander the nation’s tomorrow. For 14 years, the PDP-led government cannot turn anything around. A new leadership is required to put a stop to this.”

    Tinubu criticised Nigeria’s economic policies, saying the economy is being reconstructed “as an oasis for a small few and a stark desert for the many” while the government pretends to endorse the same budget-cutting austerity policies as much of Europe.

    “We are not Europe; we are a Third World economy. That these policies have failed in European nations with higher standards of living than Nigeria gives our leaders no concern.”

    Tinubu said the people live in dire straits, yet the government would rather waste the money than spend it on public benefit because they do not believe the people deserve it.

    He said the progressives would bring pragmatic solution to the country’s woes because in their approach to the political economy, they do not rely on textbook answers as they do not “live in textbooks.

    He said: “We live in the real world and thus seek answers from real world experiences. Here is a real world fact: No large nation has ever attained sustained growth without government running budget deficits to build the required infrastructure and without other government policies promoting development of the key industries that would become the spine of national development.

    “Here is another such fact: No populous nation ever attains prosperity solely by extracting its raw material to exchange them for the finished goods of other large nations. We must industrialise and diversify our economy

    “It is for this reason – to save the nation from the stranglehold of permanent poverty and poor governance – that the members of the progressive opposition political parties have decided to put aside personal ambition (including my own ambition) to form a new party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). We do this because Nigeria has entered a critical state of economic depression.”

    According to Tinubu, because of the unfair nature of the electoral processes and the gross imbalance of its political economy, the people have been props in a drama for which they should have been the main characters. “We must change this,” he said.

    He said the progressives must move Nigeria away from a place where the whims and narrow wishes of self-centered reactionary elite dictate the fate of over 150 million people.

    “On our side, we will take our chances with a free and fair election, for we shall offer the people an innovative programme consisting of a national industrial policy that includes radical infrastructural development and employment targets,” he said.

    The former Lagos governor spoke of “the Glorious Nigerian Revolution”, which he said has nothing to do with force of arms.

    His words: “The Revolution of which I speak has two major parts. First, is the peaceful conversion of our quasi-democracy into a full-fledged one. Second, is the implementation of policies turning the political economy away from its retrogressive, elitist bearings.

    “We seek policies pointing in a progressive direction affording the average person a chance at a dignified life. This will be through the provision of gainful employment, quality education and essential social services for those who need the helping hand of government to survive.

    “I see no shame in believing progressive government can improve the political economy and the lives of the people.”

    Groups and personalities at the event included representatives of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Business Council for Africa , the British African Business Alliance, Ministers from Nigeria High Commission UK7; an association of Nigerians in top British government employment – British Nigerians in Government (BIG) and Chairman, the African Professionals in the Diaspora (TAPID), Tope Olodo.

    •Full speech tomorrow

  • ‘Prominent Nigerians haven’t redeemed promises to relief fund’

    Several prominent Nigerians, who promised to donate to last year’s flood disaster fund in the presence of President Goodluck Jonathan, have not redeemed their promises, six months after, it was learnt yesterday.

    Ironically, among the defaulters are those enjoying the tax incentives attached to the financial pledges.

    A Presidential Flood Relief and Rehabilitation Committee, co-chaired by business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and frontline lawyer, Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), was put in place to administer the fund.

    It has threatened to publish the names of the defaulters should they fail to remit their promises on or before June 30.

    Advising the defaulters to respect their honour and integrity and pay up, the committee vowed to publish defaulters’ names in national dailies in the next three weeks.

    The 34-man Presidential Committee, which targeted N100 billion, held a fund raising dinner at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    On the occasion, donations and pledges made by prominent Nigerians amounted to N11.35billion.

    Dangote and the Federal Government led the list of donors with N2.5 billion apiece; Jim Ovia, Chairman of Visafone and Tony Elumelu donated N1 billion each.

    The Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Deziani Alison-Madueke, and her Telecommunications counterpart promised to mobilise indigenous oil companies and telecommunications firms for the fund.

    The companies, though invited, were absent at the dinner.

    President Jonathan announced tax incentives for corporate organisations that would donate to the flood relief fund, which is meant to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians who were affected by last year’s floods.

    A statement in Lagos by the co-chairmen said the committee would publish the names of defaulters in the newspapers and other social media blogs, if by June 30 they fail to redeem their promise.

    The statement, titled: Public Notice: Redemption of Pledges, reads: “The Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation expresses its profound gratitude and appreciation to all who answered the clarion call to be our brothers’ keepers through their generous donations and pledges at its fund raising dinner in November, 2012, for the relief and rehabilitation of flood victims in Nigeria. We thank you immensely.

    “As we proceed to the implementation stage of the planned rehabilitation projects, we hereby call on all those who have not redeemed their pledges to please do so on or before June 30, 2013, as a mark of honour and integrity. The names of defaulters will be announced in all national dailies and social media blogs.

     

  • Nigerians need God

    Upon the socio-political and economic crises Nigeria is witnessing, I have a prophetic message in this 2013 that the federal Government need to declare a national day of prayers and fasting in order to seek God’s face for favour and mercy.

    Sincere prayers and fasting will change bad things to good and prayers will also influence God to turn the hearts of those in authority from doing evil. The National Day Prayer and fasting would connect Nigeria and her people to the power of God.

    The prayers would influence God to look down on Nigerians and heal the nation. Prophetically, the prayers of the saints had been holding this country together, as, things would have fallen apart.

    Also, collective prayers would aid Nigeria to overcome her problems and rise again, as, God would deal with the Pharaohs and Egyptians of the country. For God’s intervention, redemption and deliverance to manifest in Nigeria, Nigerians must humble themselves, pray and seek God face and turn from their wicked ways, as, these would move God to forgive Nigerians their sins and heal the country (2 Chronicles 7 : 14)

    Also, the Bible teaches us that prayer and intercession be made for all men, including those in authority. If we do not pray for our government, the will of satan would be upon them.

    Prophetically too, our leaders should be warned that unfaithfulness and corruption will continue to make people frustrated and the more frustrated the people are, more problems should be expected in this nation. Our leaders in every sphere of any governance should read the handwriting on the wall and repent, hence, they should be expecting more problems for the nation, because – Proverbs 15 : 27 – “He who is greedy for gain, troubles his own house, but, he who hates bribe will live”. Also, Proverbs 14 : 34 says “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people”

    Therefore, let our leaders repent from their wickedness, selfish ways, so that, God can hear our prayers. When a country is well governed, there will be peace, prosperity and progress throughout the nation.

    Prophet Oladipupo Funmilade-Joel.

    The General Overseer, The Way of Reconciliation Evangelistic Ministries

  • ‘Why Nigerians don’t believe in govt programmes’

    Until her appointment as the Delta State Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Anthonia Ashiedu worked as a development expert with international organisations as UNDP, UNICEF and the World Bank. She spoke with Shola O’Neil on the state government’s micro-credit programme. 

    From where the micro credit scheme started in 2007, where are you today?

    I’m much fulfilled and I feel quite happy because the programme started on a very cynical mood. Cynicism came from those the programme was meant for – the so-called ordinarily man. People were very skeptical, because they were not sure if the government would actually live up to what it promised. The good thing for us was that in conceiving the programme, the governor made it a bottom-up model meaning that we have to go down to the people. The programme is not run from the office; it is basically a field affair. Trust is very critical, because every development expert will tell you that for any programme to succeed, the people must believe in it and be part of the project circle. The level of cynicism, for me, was justified because programmes like this have failed in the past.

    Do you have the wherewithal to meet the expectations of the people?

    Yes that’s the interesting thing about programmes like this. If you run them very well, you have a way of attracting outside assistance. When this programme started, we didn’t go to anybody to ask for assistance. We said let us run it assiduously and eventually let us see what we can achieve and our achievement would be the track record that would attract foreign assistance and recognition. The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) sought us out and is collaborating with us to create a leather works village, to create some of these beautiful shoes you see. We have produced, even belts and anything that has to do with leather. So we are taking the programme from the level of micro businesses to a lot higher.

    The partnership with UNIDO was announced months ago, what is the level of the union now?

    When the governor signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UNIDO, he told them that land would be provided immediately and that land has been provided; 2.6 hectares of land have been provided for the purpose. He also said that money required for the work and action plans to be put in place would be provided. That money, as I speak to you today, has been paid to UNIDO’s headquarters. In a couple of weeks, action will start on the site because all the work plans, action plans from both parties have been met.

    You have various agric support programmes, what are the measures you have to ensure that they do not end up with this administration?

    That can only happen to a programme that is built on quick sand, lacks structure and not popular with the people. It would be a political hara-kiri for any new administration in this state not to build on the micro credit programme because the people are taking ownership of it.

    Do you intend to help your clients export their produces outside the country?

    We are very proud of our products, especially our spices. If you go to any Shoprite in Nigeria or Africa, you will see our products. This is one thing that gives me joy. If I enter Shoprite in Lekki, I go straight to the spice corner because I am proud to see them on display. Also the ones in Enugu, Abuja or Ikeja and I have been told authoritatively that they sell it elsewhere now. During the last Olympic Games in London, we had the opportunity to take these products to London and the acceptance was so good, especially for the spices. For the other products, what we have done is to try and get them registered with NAFDAC. For us to succeed, what we tell everyone in the programme – we call our people clients of the programme, we don’t call them beneficiaries so that they don’t think it is another national cake – is that we must compete with anybody doing same business with us. In competing, you must raise the bar of whatever you are doing. We must also make sure that we comply with the regulations.

    Many DMCP clients are going into palm oil farming; do you have a data on volume of oil palm they produce?

    We have a lot of palm tree estates in Delta State. It didn’t just start now; this is what our forefathers have been doing. Now, we have pumped in a lot of money into palm oil production for all our groups who are into palm oil production. I would give you an example of one of our groups in Agbor. You need to see this group when they are loading trucks of palm oil; destination is the North, even across Nigeria, sometimes Cotonou and Ghana. They also supply a lot of palm oil to the East. They supply to Onitsha. Keep in mind that we are also fortunate to be located near the biggest market in West Africa, that’s Onitsha, which serves as a good distribution point for us.

  • Echiejile thanks Nigerians

    Echiejile thanks Nigerians

    Super Eagles left back Elderson Echiejile has heaped praises on Nigerians fans for their support to the team during their Wednesday’s 2014 World Cup qualifying match against Harambee Stars of Kenya.

    Nigeria defeated Kenya 1-0 to move to the top of the Group F and brighten their chances of qualifying for the next stage.

    The Sporting Braga defender said the team cherished the three points against Kenya, stressing that he and his colleagues are poised for another win in their next game against Namibia.

    “It was a great three points against Kenya. Many thanks go to Nigerians who came out to support us. You guys were great! Next on our mind is Namibia game!,” Echiejile said.

    The former Rennes defender has also informed his followers through his Facebook account on his proposed website that will be opened soon.

    “My official website http://t.co/wxAUtbRId4 will soon go LIVE! You can follow me on this site, it’s the BOMB!!!.”

  • WORLD CUP SHOCKER: Blackout awaits Nigerians

    WORLD CUP SHOCKER: Blackout awaits Nigerians

    •$100,000 CAF fees threaten live broadcast
    •No Eagles/ Harambee tie on television
    •Late minute moves to get FG to pay cash likely

    NIGERIANS craving to watch today’s 2014 World Cup qualifier between Kenya’s Harambee Stars and Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the Moi Sports centre Kasarani live on terrestrial television had better think of something else to do.

    Sportinglife scooped exclusively that the much hyped game will not be shown on terrestrial television because of a bogus $100,000 broadcast fees fixed by the broadcast firm working with the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF), said to be too expensive.

    Nigeria’s broadcast body frowned at the bogus fees since it wouldn’t allow any of the terrestrial television stations to insert any corporate sponsorship, which many of the eggheads of the stations couldn’t understand where they would recoup their cash, in the event that they pay the fee.

    Sportinglife sought the views of one of South Africa’s-based all sports station Supersport chiefs who pleaded anonymity, if the game would be shown live on their network, he said: “No. Supersport does not have the broadcast rights. It is the Africa Independent Television (AIT).”

    AIT buffs informed Sportinglife as at 9pm on Friday that it was doubtful if the game would be shown live. But he still nursed the hope that the Federal government could cough up the cash as part of the government’s social responsibility to its citizenry.

  • APC: Nigerians must be allowed to choose

    SIR: When the ACN Convention held in Lagos a few weeks back, I made some comments about the necessity for INEC to act above board in ensuring that this merger succeeded and to afford the parties seeking to merge every lawful opportunity and assistance to do so.

    Recent developments, largely by well-meaning and many concerned Nigerians who have asked me about the purpose and importance of this merger compels me to go back to the issue of INEC’s role.

    Although I said INEC must act above board; that alone will not be enough. INEC must also be seen to have acted above board.

    If it is true that our worried opponents have any plans or any hand in scuttling the merger, they must re-think and desist.

    If they believe that the merger offers no ideology, it is not for them to decide that.

    That is the decision the people of Nigeria, who own Nigeria’s sovereignty have to make and live with.

    More importantly, every personnel of INEC, from chairman to the most junior officer must see the consummation of this merger as a historic milestone in the political history of Nigeria.

    It is true that all previous merger attempts have been unsuccessful. That is a matter of old but relevant history.

    It is also true that a new merger is increasingly becoming possible.

    If I was in INEC today, I will seize the moment and write my name in history for many generations to come as being a part of the team that delivered Nigeria’s first successful political merger.

    Of course there is the possibility that some people see history in the making and turn their backs.

    In that case they can only be recorded amongst the list of people who did nothing.

    For our part, we will do everything to depart from a history of mergers that have failed.

    This is why I feel privileged to be present to witness the CPC convention being held to approve the merger.

    All of you here have participated in a historic event. By coming here and voting for the merger, you have done your bit.

    The most important thing that this merger will achieve, is that it gives the people of Nigeria a real choice as to who to trust with their affairs.

    This is instructive because a choice between the PDP and the PDP is not a choice.

    As you can see, we do not know in May, what the state of our country’s budget is.

    If they know that the people have a choice, they will understand the people’s intolerance for this dysfunctional arrangement that they call a government.

    They will know that you can make a change at the ballot.

    That is the essence of this merger.

    A government without a budget is like an automobile workshop without basic tools.

    It cannot fund power projects.

    It cannot fund security agencies.

    It cannot fund anything.

    When we create that choice and the people of Nigeria decide that they want to stay with the party that has brought us this far then they will have made their choice – A REAL CHOICE.

    • Babatunde Raji Fashola,

    Alausa, Ikeja.