The Nation Newspaper

Tag: plans

  • Hope Waddell plans for 120th anniversary

    Hope Waddell plans for 120th anniversary

    The Hope Waddell Training Institution in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, has started plans to mark 120 years of its existence next month.

    Missionaries of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland established the secondary school in 1895.

    Some its notable alumni are Eni Njoku, first vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG); John Ogbu, Nigerian-American anthropologist and professor; Dennis, Osadebay, politician, poet, journalist and premier of the Mid-Western Region of Nigeria; Akanu Ibiam, medical missionary, Governor of Eastern Region, Nigeria and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s first president among others.

    A statement signed by the Principal, Prince Samuel Ikpeme; chairman, 120th Founders Day, Central Planning Committee, Sir Emman O’Neill; and the national chairman of the Hope Waddell Old Students Association (HWOSA), Dr Usen Uwah noted that the theme of the celebration is “Hope Waddell: A treasured legacy”.

    They also hope to use the programme to raise funds to renovate two dormitories.

    The statement reads in part: “Hope Waddell is on record the 5th oldest college in Nigeria, the first in Eastern Nigeria and the first comprehensive college in West Africa.

    “As a foremost citadel of education in Nigeria, the institution has churned out generations of quintessential professionals and individuals from all works of the world, across all ethnic and religious boundaries who have and are still proving their mettle in their respective walks of life, having inculcated requisite knowledge through a well articulated curriculum which captured every aspect of human development heart, mind and body.

    “To mark this great event, our desire is to renovate and make habitable for use by the students, a dormitory block (storey building hosting two houses – Macgregor and Luke Houses) thus contributing in restring facilities in the institution since 1895. This building is to be commissioned in March 2015.”

    Activities to mark the event would include inter-house sports competition, awards, endowments, novelty football match, HWOSA Annual General Meeting, inauguration of projects, college lunch, and anniversary lecture/dinner, among others.

  • Bobbi Kristina: Angry discussions over funeral plans

    Bobbi Kristina: Angry discussions over funeral plans

    •As foul play investigations targets boyfriend

    As the life of late Whitney Houston’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina, hangs in the balance, the family is discussing funeral plans, even as the Browns are said to be preparing for war, because of the way they were treated when Whitney Houston died.

    Sources connected with the Brown family told TMZ, they are a united front to this extent and will refuse to be disrespected the way they feel they were at Whitney’s funeral.

    It will be recalled that Bobby Brown stormed out of the funeral after security refused to let him sit with Bobbi Kristina during the service. There are indications the feud has already reignited, as the Houston family security set up a perimeter around Bobbi Kristina’s room shortly after she was taken to the hospital and there was a passcode to gain entrance. Many people in the Brown family were not given the code and it caused uproar.

    “If something happens to Bobbi Kristina, we will not be treated like children,” said a member of the Brown family.

    Despite being shunned in these areas, the fate of Bobbi Kristina lies in Bobby Brown’s hand, as he reserves the decision to either continue to keep his daughter on life-support or let her pass away.

    But Bobby Brown was quoted as saying he “can’t pull the plug” that holds Bobbi Kristina’s life, hoping that God will save her.

    Bobby’s feelings are not shared by doctors, who have advised him she will not improve and pulling life-support is an appropriate action. But Brown and his family believe doctors cannot account for miracles, which the family has seen before.

    Meanwhile, a foul play criminal investigation is ongoing, with accusing fingers pointing at Bobbi Kristina’s boyfriend, Nick Gordon.

    Law enforcement sources have said that Bobbi Kristina had certain injuries that have piqued their interest. The suspicion followed a history of violence between Bobbi Kristina and Gordon.

    Police are said to be looking into a possible altercation more than an hour before Bobbi Kristina was found submerged in a bathtub.

    Max Lomas, the friend who discovered Bobbi Kristina in the tub, arrived at around 9am that Saturday. He said he hung out with Nick but did not see Bobbi Kristina. He was told she was in the bedroom. Nick wandered away and Max said he didn’t pay attention to his whereabouts.

    The cable guy showed sometime after 10am and Max said he let him in – Nick was nowhere to be seen. The cable guy said he needed access to the bedroom so Max let him in and discovered Bobbi Kristina in the tub. He screamed for Nick, who ran in and administered CPR.

    Max claimed Nick allegedly cleaned up the home and removed blood stains.

    The police interviewed both Max and Nick and they want to debrief Max again, but law enforcement sources say Max’s lawyer insisted on immunity before he spoke again. As at Friday morning, Max hadn’t gotten immunity or talked to the cops.

  • Presbyterian Church plans centenary celebration for Mary Slessor

    The Presbyterian Church of Nigeria (PCN) is set to celebrate Mary Slessor, a Scotland missionary, who helped to stop the killing of twins among other fetish practice in Nigeria, precisely in present day Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Abia and Ebonyi States.

    Mary Mitchell Slessor was born in Gilcomston, Aberdeen, Scotland in 1846 and was appointed by the Mission Board, United Presbyterian Church, Edinburgh, to Calabar in 1876.

    In a media interaction at the Akwa Synod of the Church on Wellington Bassey Way, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State over the weekend, the Synod Moderator, Rev (Dr) Moses Edem, recalled that the young lady abandoned her marriage proposal at 28 years when she received the call to serve God and thereafter dedicated the rest of her life for the good of mankind in Nigeria especially in the present day Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Abia and Ebony States.

    He said: “The Presbyterian Church of Nigeria (PCN) is set to celebrate the life and times of one of the greatest early missionaries to Nigeria whose sacrificial service, particularly in the crusade for the preservation of the sanctity of human lives in the country are legendary –  Mary Mitchell Slessor.

    “Her crusades yielded many positive results such as: the stoppage of the killing of twin babies and the banishment of their mothers. The stoppage of the application of “Esere beans” on people suspected of witchcraft in Okoyong, ltu, and lkot Obong areas.”

    The Moderator added that though Mary Slessor came basically as a missionary of the Church of Scotland now PCN, she also played the role of a teacher, magistrate, medical officer and peacemaker.

    Her activities helped to bring about a new lease of life to the areas administered.

    The moderator who gave a rundown of the centenary celebrations which kicked-off since November 10 will end with a memorial/thanksgiving services to be held at the PCN, Duke Town, Calabar with the governors of the four states and top echelons of the church expected.

     

  • Nigerians hail NHIS healthcare plans

    Nigerians hail NHIS healthcare plans

    The National Health Insurance Scheme campaign on its new programmes came to Lagos few days ago.

    It moved on to Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, and to the Southeast, including Asaba, Onitsha and Enugu.

    Residents of the cities hailed the government for the scheme.

    The campaign, which featured a road show and market storm in Lagos, rocked major parts of the city, from Ikeja to a village square meeting at Tabon-Tabon community in Agege Local Government Area.

    Community leaders at Tabon-Tabon were educated on how to register and benefit from NHIS programmes.

    NHIS Lagos State Coordinator, Mrs. Evelyn Olokun, who was represented by Senior Manager, Chika Amahalu, educated the audience on several platforms available to the people to enjoy the numerous NHIS programmes, including those offering direct benefits to people in the communities.

    She said: “The community-based programme is the one that will serve the community people the more. The good thing about this is that the community residents choose the hospital to use and manages their contributions by themselves through a seven-man Board of Trustees (BoT) that will be formed to oversee the programme for the community. And because the money is collectively paid, it runs into a “pool” of funds that will enhance the capacity of the community to take advantage of the NHIS Community-Based Social Insurance Programme.”

    On the possibility that the pool of fund may not be large enough to cover the healthcare needs of the community, Mrs Amahalu explained that all enrolees are not likely to get ill at the same time.

    She said this means the funds would be available every time to take care of those who require treatment.

    The programme, the coordinator said, also covers expectant mothers and children under five to access it free for three years, beginning from the commencement of the programme in their communities.

     

     

  • Niger Delta Exploration plans $450m stock sale for fields

    Niger Delta Exploration plans $450m stock sale for fields

    Niger Delta Exploration & Production Plc plans to raise $450 million to acquire and develop crude fields in the country.

    The Lagos based firm is planning a “public offer, or special placement of shares. The first tranche of $200 million will be raised before the end of 2014,” Chief Executive Officer, Layi Fatona told Bloomberg.

    Smaller Nigerian oil producers are expanding operations as international companies, including Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Chevron Corporation scale back operations amid unrest, violence and crude theft in the Niger River Delta.

    Exxon Mobil Corporation, Shell, Chevron, Total and Eni SpA, pump about 90 per cent of Nigeria’s oil through ventures with state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

    FBN Capital Plc and Chapel Hill Denham, have been appointed financial advisers for the fundraising, which will happen on local or international markets, Fatona said.

    He didn’t say when the rest of the cash will be sought, but said NDEP also plans to expand in South Sudan and Zambia.

  • Ebonyi understudies Akwa Ibom plans

    The Ebonyi State Government is understudying the development strategies that have led to the development of Akwa Ibom State, particularly Uyo, the state capital.

    The Chairman and other key officers of Abakiliki Capital City Development Authority (ACCDA) of Ebonyi State at the weekend concluded a two-day visit to their Akwa Ibom counterpart, the Uyo Capital City Development Authority (UCCDA).

    The Ebonyi State team, led by its chairman, Mr Edward Nkwegu and General Manger Justin Ogedo, held an interactive session with the UCCDA last Thursday at their conference hall at Esuene Street, Federal Housing Estate, Abak Road, Uyo. They were received by UCCDA Chairman Imo Edet Inyan and his team.

  • Union Dicon Salt Plc reviews strategy, plans to diversify business

    Union Dicon Salt Plc reviews strategy, plans to diversify business

    The management of Union Dicon Salt Plc has hinted of plans to turnaround its business in the coming years.

    Chairman of the company, Gen. (Rtd.) T. Y. Danjuma speaking on the future prospect of the company at the 21st annual general meeting in Lagos yesterday said, the company is embarking on a major diversification exercise by investing in the Agricultural and industrial goods sector of the economy.

    He said that the company intends to amend its memorandum and articles of association to accommodate the diversification.

    He assured the shareholders that the management and board of Union Dicon are committed to the continuous review of company’s strategy and operations.

    “Our company will experience a significant improvement in fortunes, before the end of the next financial year,” Danjuma said.

    The financial statement of the company at the end of 31st December, 2013 shows an improvement as its profit after tax moved from negative figure of N20.415 million in 2012 to N11.814 million at the end of the 2013 financial year.

    Although, its current liabilities still exceeded its current assets by N917.499 million and the company had a negative shareholders fund of N1.082 billion at the end of 2013 financial year.

    It would be recalled that in the last quarter of 2013, CBO Capital Partners became a significant minority shareholder in Union Dicon Salt, by acquiring 44 million units at the par value, having 15 per cent of Union Dicon and also being awarded a board management contract.

  • APC alleges plans to rig in 10 councils

    APC alleges plans to rig in 10 councils

    •Don’t recruit OYES cadets, PDP urges INEC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have accused each other of plans to rig Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.

    APC alleged that the PDP planned to rig the election in 10 local government areas and influence the selection of “a pliable person” as the returning officer.

    In a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the APC said President Goodluck Jonathan’s utterances showed that “he wants victory for his party at all cost”, adding that this would shape security agencies’ perception of the election as a do-or-die affair.

    The party said: “Nigerians from all walks of life, desirous of a free and fair election on Saturday, are reaching out to us with useful information on the plan by the desperate PDP to rig the forthcoming election, and we are taking the information seriously.

    “For example, we learnt that the PDP has identified Ife Central, Ife East, Ife North, Ife South, Olurunda, Iwo, Ifelodun, Osogbo, Odo Otin and Aiyedade as places where it plans to perpetrate massive rigging. Two results have allegedly been written ahead of the election and three vice chancellors, one from the Northcentral and two from the Southwest, have been pencilled down to serve as returning officer. The incentive for the returning officer who can announce the doctored results is N1 billion.”

    APC said with the massive deployment of security agents in Osun to “harass and intimidate the opposition, the huge amounts of cash being moved into the state via Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) and the electoral malfeasance specialist-ministers, who have landed in Osun, it is clear that the PDP is working hard to ensure that the election is anything but free, fair and credible”.

    It urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to appoint a honest returning officer and pay special attention to the 10 local governments allegedly targeted by the PDP.

    APC said: “No one will accept the result of an election in which the returning officer is compromised with filthy lucre. This is why we are calling on INEC to ensure that only a person of integrity serves in that important post.”

    It said its agents would not sign false election results and urged the international community to pay attention to the allegations.

    APC said: “The biggest danger to Saturday’s election is the unbridled desperation of the PDP to win at all cost. This explains why the party’s candidate, Mr. Iyiola Omisore, has lied so shamelessly about a purported USAID survey that puts him ahead of Governor Rauf Aregbesola. But for USAID, which quickly put a lie to the peddled story, Omisore would have continued to use it as a campaign tool.”

    In another statement, Osun APC Publicity Director Kunle Oyatomi alleged that the PDP had got access to INEC’s database and was replacing information about registered voters with those of mercenaries from Lagos, Oyo and Ondo states.

    Oyatomi said: “According to our field intelligence report, permanent voter cards produced after accessing INEC’s database are being distributed to young men and women contracted from the neighbouring states.

    “Information reaching us is that 62 young men and women equipped with laptops have been camped in two main hotels on Ibadan Road in Ile-Ife to effect the stealing of the data and alteration of personal information of registered voters for the purpose of producing fake electoral materials that the PDP intends to use for its rigging purpose.

    “Work on this project is taking place at a radio station believed to be owned by a PDP chieftain. Our source confirmed that the car, which brought the materials on which the men and women are working, was a black Land Cruiser with Abuja number plate.

    “Computer experts from some universities in the Southwest have said that if INEC’s database was hacked into, a high number of registered voters, who foolishly allowed the PDP to collect the VIN number of their voter cards, would not be able to vote on August 9 because their data and photographs would have been altered.

    “Reliable reports from field intelligence and insider sources of the PDP showed that the VIN numbers of the voter cards produced fraudulently will be listed, polling unit by polling unit, and handed over to youth corps members serving as electoral officials to secretly tick as having been accredited to vote.

    “It is during accreditation that the original voter will discover that his/her data and photograph had vanished from the computer records and will be disqualified from voting. However, computer experts said that it is impossible to break into INEC’s database without insider collaboration.

    “The experts said only INEC’s database administrator can, during editing, effect such comprehensive alteration.”

    The PDP has warned INEC against recruiting members of the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) as electoral officials.

    In a statement, the party’s Media Director, Prince Diran Odeyemi, said: “The PDP has been informed that some APC chieftains have infiltrated INEC and fraudulently listed OYES cadets for recruitment for election duties. Many APC chieftains were alleged to be involved in this desperate move to avert defeat and commit fraud through the OYES cadets that are being recruited in place of Youth Corps members for the poll.

    “What they have been doing is to substitute the NYSC members with OYES cadets and get uniforms of corps members for them.”

    Urging OYES members not to allow themselves to be used for fraudulent acts, PDP said: “Any OYES cadet caught by security operatives will face the consequences alone because those behind the illegal move will go underground immediately they are caught.

    “These cadets are citizens of Osun and we will not like any calamity to befall them. They should learn from what happened to members of the criminal group called “State Boys”, who were caught in Ilesa and ferried to Abuja by security personnel.”

    PDP National Publicity Secretary Chief Olisa Metuh has said Omisore “is already coasting to victory”.

    In a statement yesterday, Metuh described Omisore’s “massive acceptance by the voting population, widespread political structure, and a track-record of abiding affinity and loyalty to Osun people” as trump cards.

    He said: “The fact that the PDP allowed a free and fair primary, which threw up the people’s choice as its candidate, also gave it an early mileage ahead of the APC as was the case in Ekiti State.”

    Metuh described Omisore as “a popular and hard working candidate with extensive political structure”.

  • INEC plans heavy security deployment for poll

    THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will  deploy heavy security in the August 9 governorship election in Osun State just as it was in Ekiti State.

    State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Segun Agbaje spoke in Abuja yesterday at an event tagged: “Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room.”

    The event was a platform provided by a group, the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), for civil society organistions to assess the level of INEC’s preparedness for the Osun election.

    Agbaje said the decision was informed by Osun’s heightening security situation, arising from the unfriendly utterances of the major political players.

    “There will be improved security deployment. I cannot say the level of security deployment in Osun will be less than that of Ekiti. This is because of the utterances of the political leaders and the heavy threat of violence,” he said.

    But the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday sued President Goodluck Jonathan to a Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, where it is seeking an order restraining the President from deploying soldiers to Osun during the election.

    Joined in the suit is the Attorney-General of the Federation.

    According to the originating summons filed by M.A. Banire & Associates, the legal chamber of the National Legal Adviser of the APC, Dr. Muiz Banire, the suit was brought pursuant to Order 3, Rules 1, 6 and 9 of the FHC (civil procedure) Rules 2009; Sections 217 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

    The party is contending that by provisions of the 1999 Constitution, it is ultra vires for the President to deploy members of the Armed Forces in Osun State for the election.

    The REC, however, said of the 1,407,222 total registered voters, INEC had distributed Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to 63 per cent, translating to 792,200 of the registered voters. He said 1,250,569 of such PVCs were received from the INEC headquarters as at July 11.

    Agbaje said 19 candidates had been cleared to contest the election. He said no voter would be allowed to cast the ballot without a PVC. He assured that as against the case in Ekiti, any voter with valid voter card will be allowed to vote.

    The REC, who said his commission would engage in its final phase of PVC distribution on July 26 and 27, assured that INEC has done all it can to ensure that the Osun election serves as an improvement on the Ekiti poll and a prelude to the perfect job it envisages in 2015.

    “The Anambra case was not as bad as being portrayed.  If Ekiti is said to have been an improvement, we want to build on that improvement with the Osun election to ensure that we have the best in 2015,” he said.

    The REC said aside the security challenge, INEC was working on ways of overcoming the challenge of the state’s prevailing political culture of violence, where all the politicians see election as a do-or-die affair.

    He said although non-sensitive electoral materials have been deployed since last Thursday, the commission would allow the release of the sensitive materials from the state’s branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from August 6.

    Agbaje said about 7,000 mats had been ordered to complement available bedding facilities provided in all the Registration Areas Centres (RACs) to afford INEC officials the minimum comfort preparatory to their deployment to the field.

  • Amaechi: PDP plans to use police, military to rig 2015 polls

    An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has said leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) plan to use the police and the military to rig next year’s elections.

    The governor said the plan would not be allowed to see the light of day.

    He urged women to vote en masse for APC.

    Amaechi noted that if security personnel and PDP’s thugs attacked APC’s men, it would be difficult for them to fight the women.

    The governor, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), urged women to participate in politics and win elective positions in the forthcoming elections.

    The NGF chairman spoke at the weekend in Port Harcourt, the state capital, when he received members of the Local Government Elected Executives and Legislators’ Forum in Rivers State. The group was accompanied by the governor’s wife, Dame Judith Amaechi.

    He said: We hear the PDP will use the police and military to rig the 2015 elections. But, do you know how to stop them? On the day of the election, let all the women come out. If the police or military want to shoot; if it is the men, they will fight. But as women, dress in your traditional attire and come out for the election and vote. They cannot stop you.

    “So, the women need to come out and take power. What I am telling you here is that you need to assert your number. Whether you are from Kalabari, Ikwerre, Okirika, Ogu/Bolo, Ogoni or Opobo, you need to establish yourselves, unit by unit. That way, you can tell us, ‘I want to run for an election’. If you win your primaries, the party will support you.”

    Amaechi also said there was no law in Nigeria that prohibited women from holding elective positions, when voted for by the electorate.

    The governor stressed that women qualified to hold elective positions currently being held by men.

    He said: “I told my wife, if you look at the voting pattern in Nigeria, the actual people who vote are women. So, why can’t women take power from men? What you cannot take away from them is that men are your husbands. There is no law in Nigeria prohibiting women from becoming governors or the President.

    “You have been intimidated and you have to first and foremost liberate yourselves as women who are ready for politics.

    “There is a woman I have told to contest for the chairmanship position in her local government area and she said: ‘They will not allow me.’ I asked her: ‘How do you know?’

    “You have to come out. There is no need asking for help or to say ‘please, give us 30 per cent affirmative for women’. Come out on your own. By the time you come out, you will see that you will surely get the 30 per cent you are looking for.

    “What politicians do is to bring out money, hold meetings and mobilise people, especially women. And, if you do that, you will also get elected.”

    The NGF chairman assured that his administration would give scholarships to Rivers women to study overseas.

    Amaechi said this would enable them to improve their educational standard.

    The governor said the process must be transparent with the assurance that it would be for young but poor women.

    He said: “We want Rivers girls to be educated because it is important that our women are educated so that we stop ‘women oyeh’. In a democratic setting, you take power by coming out to campaign and when that is done, you are then sure of the 30 per cent.

    “This time, it is not for sharing money. Go home, to your local government area; start mobilising your fellow women from your usual small meetings, in your units and cells. Start mobilising and expanding.

    “I hear you are doing a project to support women. This administration will support your Women Empowerment Scheme.

    “Appointive positions are not too important. What are important are elective positions. Mobilise enough women to support you. You need to show the capacity to deliver your local government areas, and once you do that, nobody has the right to ignore you.”

    The Coordinator of the Local Government Elected Executives and Legislators’ Forum in Rivers State, Dame Maureen Tamuno, noted that Amaechi supported Rivers women during the 2011 elections.

    She said this led to the emergence of the 37 women councillors, four women local government vice-chairmen and a local government chairman.

    Mrs Tamuno, who is also the Chairman of Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area, said: “Today marks another milestone in the political space of Rivers State. We symbolically represent the new Rivers women to renew our bond of friendship, loyalty, commitment and submission to you and our dear party, the APC. “