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Tag: tackles

  • Lagos Assembly tackles Mark over Obanikoro’s confirmation

    Lagos Assembly tackles Mark over Obanikoro’s confirmation

    Lagos State House of Assembly has berated Senate President, David Mark, over the confirmation of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro for ministerial appointment.

    Condemning the confirmation which it said was done in a very controversial circumstance over the credibility of the embattled former Senator and former Minister of State for Defence, the spokesperson of the House and Chairman of the House Committee on Information and Security, Hon Segun Olulade, in a press release said what Mark did is an attempt to show “disgraceful loyalty to President Jonathan and his party the PDP which negates his honour as President of the senior chamber of nation’s legislative arm of government.

    “By his display of undue and dishonourable loyalty, the Senate President has dragged his esteemed status in the mud by stage-managing the passage for the ministerial nominee even when it is obvious that the nominee is battling with serious integrity issue laden with insecurity, rigging and fraudulent acts.

    “The crime committed by David Mark in that unholy and damaging confirmation is more than tearing of the national flag. It is less criminal to take Nigerian flag to the public and tear it off than a Senate President confirming somebody alleged to have committed a crime to serve as senator especially when such person is being designated to take security portfolio like Minister of State for Defence with the plan to return him to do more serious damages against the nation during the forth-coming general election by supervising rigging using the Army”, Olulade said.

    He stressed further that, “I am sure neither the American Senate President nor head of the British Parliament could take such awful and criminal decision against the ethics of their respected offices and against the nation’s overall interest”.

    The lawmaker said confirmation of Obanikoro under the present circumstance is no less than threatening the nation’s security, murdering justice and setting agenda for President Jonathan and the PDP to use devil advocate for their obnoxious interest.

    Olulade also  reminded Senator Mark that the Senate had in the past refused confirmation of non-credible nominees with lesser controversial records than Obanikoro. He wondered why President Jonathan’s administration is constantly in short supply of credible personalities that can serve in his government, stating that as same reason why the nation is rejecting his second term bid as his habitual romance with Nigerians who lack integrity and are corrupt as the only people that can work with him.

    “I want to sincerely commend the APC lawmakers in the upper chamber for their doggedness and steadfastness against injustice by refusing to endorse Senate’s confirmation of Obanikoro as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under present circumstance.”

  • Hausa community tackles security challenges

    The Hausa community in Agege, a popular Lagos suburb, has conducted a census  to ascertain its population.

    The Sarkin Hausawa, Alhaji Musa Mohammed, said, the exercise was aimed at ensuring that insurgents are not living there, adding that his domain, which is predominantly inhabited by northerners, is safe.

    The Boko Haram sect, a fortnight ago, claimed responsibility for the explosion at a fuel depot in Apapa and threatened to attack some unidentified parts of the state too.

    However, the community leader said there was no cause for alarm, adding that adequate security measures had been taken to prevent such an occurence in his domain.

    “We have just concluded headcount of our people in Agege”, he said.

    Speaking after a prayer for peace in Nigeria, Muhammed said: “We know ourself here in Agege. Nobody comes here and claimed to be Hausa that we would not know his root. You don’t just come and settle here simple because you are a Northerner, no, you must have an established link with an existing resident, which we must know well.”

    The prayer, which was organised by the Abnaul Faidha Islamic Society of Nigeria, took place at the Agege Central Mosque yesterday.

    Chairman of the society, and the Majidadin of Agege, Alhaji Alli Abubakar, said the organisation’s tenets include the propagation of the real teaching of Islamic religion and urged all Muslims to embrace the concept.

    He added that the purpose of the prayer was also to sensitise youths in Agege and its environs of the need to embrace peace.

    The Chairma, Agege Local Government, Alhaji Jibrin Muhammed, said: “We have gone a step further to ensure that we have our people’s identities. We have been working together for peace and how it will continue to endure; even after my administration, peace will never elude Agege.”

  • NFF tackles corporate bodies over infringement on World Cup rights

    Ahead of Thursday FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has reiterated its earlier warning to corporate organisations against any form of infringement around the Super Eagles.

    The NFF added that the fresh directive became necessary given the fact that Nigeria Breweries Plc has been queried over what it called ‘deliberate infringement on the rights of its sponsors to the Nigeria Super Eagles, Guinness Nigeria Plc.

    It added that on Monday it wrote to the leading brewer through its General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu, decrying the fact that the said firm “had launched communication materials across Nigeria featuring ex-players of the Super Eagles giving the impression that it was an official sponsor of the team”.

    The NFF’s letter to the brewer read: “we have equally noticed other outdoor materials with un-named faces in green and white jerseys all in an attempt to associate with the Super Eagles’ participation at the forthcoming FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil, and gain undue advantage.

  • Group tackles NEITI over N1.7b fund

    A civil society group, Civil Society Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), has expressed worries over the continued funding of the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITTI) to the tune of N1.7 billion without corresponding remediation over the years.

    Its Senior Programme Officer,  Mr. Kolawole Banwo, said the group was concerned that NEITI process had been reduced to churning out various forms of reports while remediation action, which entailed the implementation of recommendations from the reports to correct the deficiencies identified had remained elusive.

    He noted that beyond NEITI audit reports, there had been several other reports, which have only served to confirm and reinforce the NEITI reports. Kolawole said: “The Harts Group was contracted for the 1999-2004 audits at the cost of $2.3 million (about N345 million). The two audits for 2009-2011 cost about N364 million. By the end of the on-going 2012 audits, we would have expended well over N1 billion on NEITI audits alone.

    “This is without the costs of the KPMG report commissioned by the Ministry of Finance and the several presidential probe panels and the National Assembly panels set up post-2012 fuel subsidy crisis,” Banwo said, recalling that some major outcome of NEITI reports, aside winning laurels, also uncovered $9.7 billion loss to the nation out of which $2.4 billion had been recovered.

    Besides, it provided detailed report that gave Nigerians information on events in the oil and gas sector that was hitherto unknown and increased revenue to government since the commencement of the transparency body’s implementation. In spite of this feat, he said the group was concerned that Nicholas Shaxson’s rhetorical remarks about NEITI reports being just glorious audits as far back as 2009, may have been confirmed to be true five years after.

    On the position of the group, he said it was time to move beyond reports to remediation, stressing that in the group’s previous shadow reports of NEITI process, CISLAC had insisted that it was time to go beyond validation and move from audit to action.

    While insisting that remediation is the missing gap in the implementation of NEITI in the country and it is the ultimate goal, he asked, “Of what use are reports if all they do is reveal scandalous losses and corruption of monumental proportion? “How useful is it for Nigerians to know that over $7 million are unaccounted for? That there are no metering facilities and we depend on buyers to determine how much resources are extracted from our shores?

    “That the NNPC sells crude oil under terms set by it and using interest rates set by it as though it is above the law?”

    Banwo also blamed the awkward process on the docility of the Inter-Ministerial Task Team, arguing that the body, which should have taken the responsibility to ensure things were properly done was docile due to lack of commitment.

    Meanwhile, the National Assembly has expressed its determination to ensure that findings in the annual oil and gas industry audit report of NEITI are extensively implemented.

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Account, Senator Ahmed Lawan, disclosed this in Abuja at a round-table meeting on remediation issues raised in various oil and gas industry audit reports of NEITI.

    The lawmakers say the move had become necessary following the need to enthrone good governance in the management of Nigeria’s hydrocarbon resources. “All of us, regardless of our political persuasion, must support the full implementation of the NEITI reports. I believe in NEITI reports. It is a fact that our oil wells have not brought the desired good and wellbeing for our citizens,” Lawan said.

    He explained that for the fact that the country’s oil wells have not serviced the wellbeing of the people; the full implementation of NEITI’s audit report should be considered an instrument to bring the full benefits that are embedded in the country’s oil and gas industry.

    “If the statistics say the Nigerian economy is the fastest growing economy or whatever, the fact remains that we are performing very poorly in terms of governance,” he said.

    Continuing, he said: “If good governance were to exist and deliver to Nigerians what is right to us in oil and gas then NEITI reports must be taken very serious. We want a better accountability, better probity and transparency in oil and gas industry particularly.”

  • Group tackles unemployment in Lagos community

    A Lagos-based non-governmental organisation, The Genuine Redemption of Underprivileged People, otherwise called The GROUP, has held a five-day entrepreneurship programme for residents of Ojo Local Government Area.

    No fewer than 1,600 people – male and female – enjoyed the empowerment programme aimed at eradicating poverty in the society.

    The group’s chairman, Hon. Rasaq Sijuade Adam, said: “This programme was organised due to the high unemployment rates in Nigeria. We believe government alone cannot do it; we all need to contribute our quotas. “

    He disclosed that the group would assist the participants with interest-free soft loans on completion of their training to enable them start their own businesses.

    “They are expected to use the loans judiciously for a period of six months. They will, however, refund the loans within three months,” he added.

    The participants were trained in making liquid soap and insecticides, events decoration, beads, jewelry and perfume, among others.

    A participant, Olatunde Atunwa, who expressed gratitude to the group, said: “The trainers really took their time to explain everything to us . We were also allowed to practise what we were taught during the training.”

    The group was established in 2008 to empower the underprivileged. Out of the 20 local governments in the state, the training programme had been organised in 11.

  • Adamu tackles Peru’s Oblitas

    Adamu tackles Peru’s Oblitas

    •Esther Godwin, Ogeh Ogochukwu bow out

    Team Nigeria’s Isah Adamu will today tackle Peru’s Oblitas in the -63kg at the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF)-organised 2014 Youth Olympics Qualifiers taking place in Taipei City, Chinese Taipei.

    In the female category, however, Esther Godwin and Ogeh Ogochukwu were shown an early exit on Thursday as their inexperience came to the fore against more exposed opponents.

    Ogochukwu was the first culprit as she fell to Chile’s Francisca Rios 16-0 in her first international outing in the female -49kg.

    According to taekwondo buffs, Ogochukwu’s nervousness coupled with her small stature may have contributed to her wide margin loss against the Chilean. Nevertheless, they argued that although the difference between the two athletes was evident, it was a good experience for the Nigerian.

    Her compatriot Godwin was also no match for Russia’s Turutina Yulia in the female -63kg as she was defeated 13-0 by the more experienced Russian.

    However, taekwondo tacticians believe that with more exposure, Godwin posseses the quality to be a world-class fighter. They described her as a potential for the future. Aside Adamu, who will be fighting today, Mohammed Bashir and Iniobong Ekong will also taste action.

    Ekong will battle the winner between Croatia’s Ivina Babic and Canada’s Jerom Andrea in the female -55kg, while Bashir will confront Cote d’Ivoire’s Aaron Fran in the male -55kg. The qualifiers end today and 100 athletes made up of 50 males and 50 females will secure their slots for the 2014 World Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China.

    Other athletes will have another shot at making it to China during the continental qualifiers.

  • NUPENG tackles Fed Govt on insecurity

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has  called on the Federal Government to explain to Nigerians why the level of insecurity in the country could not be controlled.

    In a statement, its President, Comrade Achese Igwe, said the killing of over 65 people is one death too many, calling on the government to arrest the situation.

    He lamented that despite the formation of the 7th division of the Nigerian Army in Borno, the senseless killings have continued unabated in Maiduguri and its environs.

    He said: “We are not happy with the poor handling of the crisis in Rivers State by security agencies, which made the peaceful environment to become hostile again,” urging that security agents should not be partisan nor take sides in the crisis but should ensure that law and order is maintained.

    It said the government should frontally address the insecurity, adding that the recent appoinment of new service chiefs, should provide a new method and approach to handling the security challenges.

    “We are more worried that the insecurity situation is hindering the coming into the country of the much-needed foreign investors because of the international media blitz on these killings. We call on the Federal Government to ensure that more men, equipment and intelligence gathering should be deployed in the affected areas to reduce the attacks,” Igwe said.

    The labour leader stressed the use of modern technology in tracking the insurgents as they communicate, meet and train on the use of high calibre weaponry without detection.

    ”These insurgents are not ghosts and it is, therefore, up to the security agencies to be alive to their responsibilities to device ways of putting a stop to the senseless killing of innocent Nigerians. We also call for concerted efforts by all Nigerians to be watchful and be their brothers’ keepers in the quest for achieving peace and security in the land. We also use this opportunity to  call on the Federal Government to pay the security agencies their allowances as at when due in order not to lower their fighting spirit in the ravaged areas,” he added.

  • Lagos tackles graduate unemployment

    The Lagos State Government yesterday said it had spent N1billion to support about 400 graduate farmers to set up their own farms.

    Commissioner for Agriculture and Co-operatives, Mr Gbolahan Lawal, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the beneficiaries were those trained under the state’s Agricultural Youths Empowerment Scheme (AGRIC-YES).

    “The support is to give them a head-start in their farming businesses. We are currently operating a modern farm settlement scheme in Araga, Epe area of Lagos, where graduates are trained in different areas of agriculture under our AGRIC-YES programme.

    “No fewer than 400 graduates, divided into four groups, are being exposed to practical and sustainable ways of practising aquaculture, poultry and crop cultivation, among others, using modern, fully automated equipment,’’ he said.

    The commissioner said the essence of the programme was to create a generation of modern farmers, while creating job opportunities and promoting food security.

    “In the last one year, the state government has spent more than N1billion in form of inputs, tractors, cash and other essentials, to enable the graduates set up their own farms,” he said.

    Lawal said that the programme was fully residential, adding that the government only recently inaugurated 200 units of two-bedroom apartments at the programme site, to improve the living standards of participants.

    He said that the state government was committed to the food security of the state, adding that AGRIC-YES was one of government efforts to demonstrate it.

    Lawal noted that Lagos was a top producer of poultry and that the government was assisting farmers to boost poultry production.

    He added: “Maize is one of the major ingredients used in poultry feed mill and in order to ensure that farmers have all-year supply of this ingredient for their animals, the government sells directly to them at subsidised prices. We have a poultry estate in Erikorodo in Ikorodu and the government is upgrading facilities and even providing more to boost production.’’

    Lawal said government was also assisting fishermen in coastal communities of Ojo, Badagry and other parts of the state with boats and other input needed in their business.

    He added that the state government recently acquired land in Osun State and Abuja for livestock and crop production.

  • Ekweremadu tackles Chime on projects

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu yesterday decried the alleged plot by Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime to sabotage his efforts to attract projects to the state.

    A statement by the Special Adviser (Projects) to the Deputy Senate President, Mr. Bethel Onyenyiri, said Ekweremadu’s office had information about an alleged meeting Chime held with some functionaries to initiate a campaign of calumny against the deputy Senate president.

    Onyenyiri said the alleged plot involved plans to discredit his boss and disrupt the projects he had attracted to the state.

    The statement reads: “My attention has been drawn to the plans by Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime to disrupt Federal Government’s projects attracted to the state, particularly in Enugu West, by Ike Ekweremadu.

    “The governor allegedly met with some government functionaries in the state to initiate a campaign to discredit, sabotage and disrupt projects attracted by the deputy president of the Senate.

    “We do not care about their pull-him-down campaign; it is left for our constituents to judge if Ikeoha Ndigbo has lived up to his mandate.

    “We call on our constituents and the indigenes to guard the projects within your localities.

    “We urge you to report suspicious movements around such projects to the security agencies.

    “It must be stressed that the a public officer should build and not destroy. It is a mandate to sow and nurture peace, not acrimony.

    “It is a mandate to champion development, build an egalitarian society, bring good news to the poor, the broken-hearted and release captives and free those in the prisons of injustice and deprivation.

    “This is Ikeoha’s crusade of transformation. Rest assured that he is committed to this divine call to service.”

  • Council tackles maternal, infant deaths

    THE Chairman, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State, Comrade Ayodele Adewale, has said that there is no cause for fear of maternal and infant deaths in his domain. He stated that he had put machineries in place to put an end to such occurrences.

    Adewale, who spoke to The Nation last Friday, said the death of any expectant mother or an infant, is unacceptable in his council area.

    “As far as we are concerned in Amuwo Odofin, the death of any expectant mother is unacceptable. I mean, it must not happen here. That is why we have prioritised Primary Health Care (PHC) delivery system to provide health services to residents in every nook and cranny of the local government area,” he said, adding: “We have not only done the needful on our health care facilities across my domain; we have been relentless in encouraging our people to make use of them in their interest because health is wealth. When there is good health, people will be in the best position to contribute to developing their environment in conjunction with us.”

    He further said that the local government “now boasts good roads networks to ensure easy access to the primary health care centres with drugs and other facilities in the area.”

    “We have engaged more doctors to discourage residents from patronising Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) whose practices are not standardised,” he said.

    He added that council was working with the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board (LSTMB) to train the TBAs to be useful, adding, however, that they are to refer expectant mothers to appropriate facilities.

    Ayodele revealed that the council is in partnership with the private sector and had also engaged volunteer workers to boost the council’s health care manpower.

    He said children less than 16 years and adults above 60 get free drugs, while others enjoy 10 per cent discount.

    Just last Friday, the council hosted the Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris and other stakeholders at the Lagos West Two Senatorial District Town Hall Meeting on Maternal and Child Mortality Reduction (MCMR).

    He scored his administration high on its performance, especially its efforts to have judiciously used the council’s revenue in people’s interest on all fronts, saying: “We are poised to serve our people better.”

    “This man (Adewale) is truly committed to developing this environment. He has touched every sphere of people’s lives here. More of people like him are needed for grassroots development in this country,” a resident, Mrs Adebola Samuel told The Nation on Friday.