The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Popular Nigeria News

  • Breaking: FG declares emergency on public health

    The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has declared a state of public health concern on maternal newborn and child death occurring at the primary health centres.

    Similar declaration is expected in states in the next few days to track maternal and child mortality.

    Nigeria has one of the worst records in maternal and child mortality in the world. It is recorded that in Nigeria approximately 145 women under the age of 15-45 die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth while 2300 children under five years old die mainly from preventable causes.

    Consequently, the agency said it will establish a national coordination centre within the agency to provide oversight on the outlined activities.

    Read Also: Experts push for maternal, child deaths reduction

    The centre, according to the Executive Director of the agency, Dr. Fasal Shuaib shall be called the National Emergency Maternal and Child Health Intervention Centre. (NEMCHIC).

    Already, the country has received support worth $1.3l million which is to be matched by the government $1.97 million for the next ten years. This fund is to support the country’s immunization programme as part of the effort to reduce maternal and child mortality in Nigeria.

    The states also assured of their buy-in to ensure that the initiative achieves its purpose.

  • Late Akunyili unforgettable, says Aisha Buhari

    The Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, on Friday eulogised former Director- General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), late Prof. Dora Akunyili.

    She described Akunyili as a very dedicated, hardworking and transparent in her service years while speaking at the 25th anniversary of the Agency in Abuja.

    The wife of the president said her family became interested in the affairs of Akunyile during her days at the Petroleum Trust Fund, because of her transparent, hard work and dedication to service.

    “She was hardworking, transparent and dedicated to her duties and Nigeria will continue to miss her valuable contributions to national development,” she said.

    TYhe wife of the president also said late Akunyili was a firm believer in President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision for a corruption-free society, adding that the deceased contributed immensely to shaping the destiny of NAFDAC.

    Read Also: Onnoghen’s resignation: Buhari is vindicated, says APC

    “My family and I actually became interested in the affairs of NAFDAC through my intimacy with late Prof. Dora Akunyili. A close relationship forged when she worked with my husband, who was the Chairman of the then Petroleum Trust Fund.

    “May her soul continue to rest in peace.”

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that late Akunyili was also Minister of Information and Communications.

    She received national and international recognitions due to her significant contributions to the development of pharmaceutical industries in Nigeria.

  • Jonathan names Nze Nwankpo personal envoy

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed his former aide, Nze Sullivan Akachukwu Nwankpo as his personal envoy.

    Announcing the appointment in a statement by his spokesman, Ikechukwu Eze, the former President described Nze Nwankpo as ‘a friend and trusted aide’.

    The statement reads; “By this appointment, Nze Nwankpo is returning to familiar ground as he had been in the service of the former President since Dr. Jonathan’s days as Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State.

    “He was appointed the Desk Officer on Niger Delta and Senior Special Assistant Special Duties to the President by late President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua.

    “Nze Nwankpo later became Senior Special Assistant Special Projects, and Special Adviser Technical Matters to President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Read Also; Anambra most wanted criminal suspect remanded

    “Subsequently, he was appointed Secretary of Presidential Taskforce on Power and Secretary SURE-P, from which position he resigned to contest the 2013 gubernatorial election in Anambra State, under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    “Mr. Nwankpo also had a sterling career in the Private Sector as a strategist and conflict resolution consultant, brokering peace between communities and oil companies in the Niger Delta for over 15 years.

    “A graduate of philosophy, public administration and law, Mr. Nwankpo is also a University of Cambridge certified partnership Broker.

    “Nze Nwankpo is a Catholic knight of the Order of St. John International and a highly decorated cabinet Chief of numerous communities in Anambra State. He is from Okija in Ihiala Local Govt Area of the State,” it stated.

  • Court remands Inspector charged with murdering Kolade Johnson

    An Ebute Meta Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on Friday remanded till May 6, a dismissed Police Inspector, Olalekan Ogunyemi, charged with murdering a football fan, Kolade Johnson.

    Magistrate A.O. Salawu remanded Ogunyemi at Ikoyi Prisons, pending advice from Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

    The court’s order was sequel an application by the police.

    Ogunyemi, 45, of No. 17, Alhaji Ede Street, Igando, was docked on a one-count charge of murder.

    Prosecuting Inspector Kehinde Olatunde told the court that the defendant committed the offence on March 31, at about 5:10pm, at Onipetesi Estate, Idi-Mangoro, Lagos.

    He alleged that Ogunyemi, who served in the Anti Cultism Unit of Lagos State Police Command, shot Johnson, a 36-year-old father of one, to death, with his Ak47 rifle.

    Read Also:  Police Inspector who killed Kolade Johnson dismissed

    The offences, the prosecutor said contravened Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    Olatunde informed the court that he had a remand application order by the police to remand the defendant for the next 30 days.

    The plea of the defendant was not taken by the court, because magistrates’ court don’t have jurisdiction to try a charge of murder.

    But the defendant’s counsel, Sola Adeyemi, opposed the 30-day remand request.

    Adeyemi prayed the court to instead remand the defendant for the next 14 days.

    In a bench ruling, Magistrate Salawu upheld the prosecutor’s application and adjourned till May 6.

  • Nigeria in final stage of MIPDOC contest

    Nigerian media company, Salt and Truth, has secured their way into the final round of this year’s Mipdoc competition, making them the biggest content market in the world.

    MIPDOC is a global pitch competition where producers, writers and developers from around the world speak to a carefully chosen panel on their projects and ideas in the hope of commission.

    Among thousands of entries round the globe, five finalists were shortlisted including the Nigeria’s young and vibrants mind of the Salt and Truth, the only Africans and the youngest on the list.

    Founded by John Adewusi and Jola Ayeye, Salt and Truth is a story-driven production company whose chosen mandate is to create rich, authentic, Nigerian stories and African stories for global audience.

    “The team is confident that our works would earn us a good point and further place us on a larger platforms across continents. We foster the success of the productions and Misson for Nigerian stories.

    “The project we are working is titled, ‘House girls.’ It about the underage domestic helpers in Nigeria,” the team said.

    Other finalists are from Germany, France, Norway and Italy.

    The annual event, held in Cannes, South of France, is where all the major networks buy, sell and distribute shows with representatives from all over the world.

  • 2019 election: Tribunal orders service of another petition on Buhari

    The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) has ordered that President Muhammadu Buhari be served a petition, challenging his victory, through the National Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    A three-man panel of the tribunal, led by Justice Abdu Aboki, gave the order on Friday in a ruling on an ex-parte motion filed by the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) and its presidential candidate, Pastor Aminchi Habu.

    The tribunal ordered that copies of all the processes filed by the petitioners be served on President Buhari through the APC’s National Legal Adviser at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

    Read Also: Buhari salutes Oshiohmole for building strong, unified party

    Petitioner’s lawyer, Aliyu Lemu, while arguing the motion, told the tribunal that the bailiff had problem serving President Buhari in his office.

    He said it was necessary that the President, who is listed as the second respondent be served through substituted means so that their petition could be heard within the stipulated 180 days.

    The petitioners are, in the petition, praying the tribunal to invalidate the 2019 presidential election.

    They also want the tribunal to order a rerun, for omitting the name of its party’s presidential candidate from the ballot papers used in conducting the election.

     

     

  • We’ve enough petroleum stocks, NNPC assures

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has advised motorists and other petroleum products consumers not to engage in panic buying, saying there is enough petroleum products stock in 55 depots across the country.

    Listing the depots that have adequate petroleum products stock, NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, in a release on Friday in Abuja, stated that 23 depots in Lagos, seven in Port Harcourt, 11 in Warri, six in Calabar and eight in Kaduna were fully stocked with white products.

    He explained that two vessels of 50million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol, would arrive the shores of Nigeria every day from tomorrow.

    Read Also: NNPC pushes for zero gas flare

    The release assured Nigerians of an eventful Easter period just as the just ended Yuletide, even as it cautioned depot owners or terminal operators not to sell petrol above the official ex-depot price of N133.28k per litre.

    The corporation also advised petroleum products marketers not to sell the product above N145 per litre.

    The release said the subsisting ex-depot petrol price of N133.28k per litre was consistent with the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency’s (PPPRA) template and should be adhered to.

    He advised Nigerians to remain vigilant and volunteer information to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), the Industry regulator or to any law enforcement agency around them, on any station which sells petrol beyond N145 per litre.

  • Fayemi inaugurates 14 commissioners, five advisers Tuesday

    Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi will on Tuesday swear-in 14 commissioners recently screened by the State House of Assembly.

    This follows their confirmation by the State House of Assembly on Thursday.

    Also to be sworn-in are the Special Advisers recently announced by the Governor.

    The would- to- be Commissioners are Dr Adio AFolayan, Dr (Mrs) Moji Yaya Kolade, Chief (Mrs.) Moji Fafure, Mr. Emmanuel Foluso Daramola, Mr Folorunso Olabode, Engr. Dele Faparusi and Mr. Gbenga Agbeyo.

    Others are Mr. Olusoga Davies, Mr. Sola Adebayo, Mr Michael Awopetu, Mr Muyiwa Olumilua, Mr Femi Ajayi, Alhaji Ayodele Jinadu and Mr Febisola Adewale.

    Read Also: Fayemi appoints five more advisers

    The Special Advisers for inauguration include: Barrister V.O Kolade (Special Adviser, Social Affairs); Alhaji Ademola Bello (Special Adviser, Inter – Party Relations and Allied Matters); Barrister Abiola Olowokere(Special Adviser, Legislative Affairs); Dr Sikiru Eniola(Special Adviser, Tertiary Education) and Dr( Mrs.) Kofoworola Aderiye (Technical Adviser , Education).

    The swearing –in ceremony will hold at the Osuntokun Pavilion, Government House Ground, Ado-Ekiti by 11am
     

     

  • Killers of Serbian Reporter sentenced to varying jail terms

    A Belgrade Court on Friday sentenced four former secret service officials to long term imprisonment for the murder of Radovan Karadzic, a journalist, 20 years ago.

    The former state security chief, Radomir Markovic, and the head of the Belgrade section, Milan Radonjic, were handed 30 years imprisonment each, while agents Ratko Romic and Miroslav Kurak got 20 years each.

    Markovic, who is already serving a 40-year-sentence for other political murders and Radonjic were sentenced for ordering the killing, while Romic and Kurak, who is at large, carried it out.

    The rulings can be appealed.

    A prominent journalist and publisher, critical of Slobodan Milosevic’s regime, Curuvija was gunned down in front of his home in Belgrade on April 11, 1999.

    Serbia was at the time waging war against ethnic Albanian rebels in Kosovo and was bombed by NATO, which was trying to stop the fighting.

    The legal process, which faced obstruction from the defence, took just a few days under 20 years to convict the four accused of the killing.

    It did not resolve questions surrounding possible political motivations nor the apparent links to the Milosevic family.

    Read Also: Ex-CAMPUSLIFE reporter dies weeks to PhD award

    The prosecutors said the assassination order came from an unidentified person at the very top of the regime.

    In the opening statement in 2015, the prosecutor said Curuvija was killed because he “criticised the political authorities and his influence on the public he could have had’’.

    “The murder was committed for the preservation of the Milosevic regime,’’ prosecution said.

    Milosevic was toppled in massive protests in October 2000, after a 12-year reign, marked by the oppression of the media and political opponents at home and wars in the former Yugoslavia.

    He died in 2006 while facing a war crimes trial at the UN tribunal in The Hague.

  • Bandits kill 50 civilian JTF, others in Zamfara

    No fewer than 50 persons, including members of Civilian Joint Task Force(CJTF) were killed in Zamfara by bandits on Tuesday, Speaker of the Zamfara State House Assembly, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji, stated on Friday.

    Rikiji, who revealed this during a condolence visit to Kaura Namoda emirate, attributed the incidence to CJTF confrontation with bandits in a community in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of the state.

    The Speaker, who led the state government delegation on the visit, decried the worsening security situation in the state.

    “We were told that the members of Civilian JTF have mobilised people from Sakajiki community in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area and confronted the bandits in the forest which led to the killing of over 50 persons including members of CJTF,” he said.

    Rikiji, who is the Chairman of the State Government Relief and Damage Assessment Committee, described the act of the CJTF as unprofessional, saying ”confronting the bandits is not the duty of CJTF members.

    “Their duty is to support security personnel to carryout operations not to lead operations; only security agents have the right to organise operation to confront bandits,” he added.

    He urged traditional rulers in the state to caution CJTF members in their respective domain to avoid taking laws into their hands.

    “This is the directive from governor Abdul’aziz Yari that CJTF members should not confront bandits again; let them cooperate with the security personnel.

    “We have already received the list of the number of the deceased and other affected victims from the local government Chairman aimed at assisting them.

    Read Also: Better equipped bandits?

    “The state government would provide assistance to the families of the deceased and other victims of the incident very soon,” he added.

    Responding, the emir of Kaura Namoda, Alhaji Muhammad Asha, thanked the state government for the gesture and assured of his palace’s continued support and cooperation with government to address the problem.

    He said the emirate had embarked on special prayers to seek Allah’s intervention over the security challenges in the state.

    “We have already mobilised our Imams of Jumu’at Mosque and Ulamas to offer special prayers in this regard during Jumu’at prayers,” the emir said.

    The Chairman of the council, Alhaji Lawal Abdullahi, thanked the state government for the assistance to the victims.

    Abdullahi assured of the council’s continued support to the state and federal government in fighting insecurity in the area and the state.