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  • Tiv/Jukun leaders in Taraba agree to ceasefire

    The leaderships of the Tiv and Junkun waring factions in the Southern part of Taraba on Thursday, agreed to a ceasefire to allow the return of normalcy to the area.

    This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a two-day peace meeting held in Jalingo, Taraba, with representatives of the tribes, government officials and state security chiefs.

    Government officials and security agencies in the state also attended the meeting.

    According to the communiqué, speakers at the meeting condemned the crisis and stressed the need for cessation of all forms of hostilities between the two communities to have way for the peace building effort being spearheaded by the state government.

    Read Also: Jukun-Tiv conflict: Catholic bishops call for peace

    “The meeting noted that the crisis had been hijacked by criminal elements from both the Jukun and Tiv communities and therefore, the two communities should expose the criminal elements amongst them.

    “We also resolved to stop reprisal attacks or revenge from both parties but report all from of security breaches to the security agencies for appropriate action.

    “There is every need for government to take deliberate steps to encourage the Internally Displaced Persons to return to their homes since adequate security operatives have been deployed to the affected communities to protect lives and property,’ the leaders said.

    The leaders urged journalists to be more positive in their reportage while the parties also charged the communities to be wary of rumours that are capable of inciting the people and destabilising the entire peace process.

    The communiqué was signed by the Deputy Governor, Haruna Manu as representative of the state government, Mr Danjuma Adamu and John Mamman signed for the Jukun community while Mr Jime Yongo and Mr Isaac Waakaa signed on behalf of the Tiv community.

    The communal crisis between Tiv and Jukun of Taraba has claimed many lives and property worth billions of Naira in Takum, Wukari and Donga local government areas of the state.

    (NAN)

  • National Hospital losing original focus – Maryam Abacha

    The National Hospital Abuja is losing its original focus on women and children, widow of former Head of States, Maryam Abacha has stated.

    She stressed that it is becoming a secondary care provider instead of playing the role of a national referral facility.

    Mrs. Abacha disclosed this on Thursday in her address at a lecture organised for the 20th anniversary celebration of the National Hospital Abuja.

    The former First Lady said: “Conceived as National Hospital for women and children, this hospital is a principal and cardinal outcome of the FSP as outlined by the blueprint in the health sector.

    “The hospital has carved a niche for itself institutionally, not only within our nation but beyond our shores, especially ECOWAS sub region and the African continent.

    “I have since its establishment, even after leaving office, taken keen interest on the activities, progress and developments at the hospital. Please permit me to highlight equally some other developments which I think, do not augur well for the image and progress of the hospital.

    “Some of these developments include alleged negligence. There have been other complaints such improper or inadequate attention to patients, long registration processes and waiting time by patients, attitude problem by hospital staff towards patient, unavailability of prescribed drugs, etc.

    “It must be acknowledged that these complaints may not be peculiar to only the National Hospital. However, the National Hospital as centre of excellence needs to do better in service delivery devoid of complaints of this nature.

    READ ALSO: American Council on Education accredits Maryam Abacha varsity in Niger

    “Added to this is the pain I have that the hospital with its original focus on women and children, is seemingly losing focus and becoming a secondary care provider instead of playing the role of a national referral facility.”

    She said that the hospital was a product of Family Support Programme, which was one of her husband’s policies on heath development and meant to cater for women and children.

    “The National hospital as well known is a symbolic national monument for all Nigerians which should be devoid of prejudices, politics, creed, religion, ethnic bias or sentiment.

    “Also through my interaction with some persons who frequented attend this hospital, I got to know of some other observations.

    “The hospital is not fully IT compliant as it does not have area network arrangement between preawith no network arrangement between prescribing doctors, laboratories, pharmacies and other departments, such that patients do not have to physically hand-carry lab examination results to the doctor for action,” she added.

  • Ekiti varsity bows to pressure, suspends new tax policy

    The management of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti on Thursday suspended implementation of its new tax policy and presentation of primary six certificates by the its staff.

    The decision was reached after EKSU management, under the leadership of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Edward Olanipekun, met with the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) of the university over the controversial issues.

    The meeting followed a protest by NASU members on Thursday against the new tax regime and presentation of primary six certificates by the staff.

    The workers in their large number barricaded the entrance to the administrative block to press home their demands.

    READ ALSO: Ekiti varsity student ‘kills’ boyfriend over hair money

    They alleged that the new tax regime was 70 percent and to be implemented in arrears, describing the initiative as an exploitative policy.

    A statement by EKSU Head, Directorate of Information, Bode Olofinmuagun, said the “management has decided to put on hold both issues”.

    According to him: “Management agreed to meet with the national leadership of NASU to further deliberate on the grey areas, particularly bothering on the presentation of primary school leaving certificate and implementation of the new tax regime”

    He, however, advised members of the university community to go about with their normal official duties.

  • One killed, several injured as commercial drivers clash in Ekiti

    A violent clash among members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has claimed one life in Igogo-Ekiti, in Moba Local Government area of Ekiti State.

    Several others, who were also injured in the fracas, are currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed medical facility in the state.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State command, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, confirmed the death of one of the drivers.

    “We heard that it was a clash between two drivers and one of them was said to have hit the deceased with a substance suspected to be a charm and died.

    “Due to the fact that a life was lost, it got escalated, but the Commissioner of Police, Mr Asuquo Amba, quickly drafted more men to the area and normalcy has since been restored,” he said.

    Ikechukwu said that the principal suspect had been arrested and detained by the police, adding that investigations had commenced on the incident.

    READ ALSO: One killed, five injured in drivers, volunteers clash

    Sources within the town disclosed that trouble started over issuance of daily tickets, as one of the drivers, who disagreed over the ticket, allegedly beat his colleague to death.

    An eye witness said one of the drivers had obtained a ticket earlier and reportedly declined payment when asked to come and pay after some hours.

    The situation, the source added, resulted in hot argument which thereafter snowballed into a free for all.

    “As they started exchanging blows, one of them brought out a substance suspected to be a charm and hit the other.

    “He fell immediately and became unconscious, and all efforts to revive him proved abortive,” the source explained.

    Another source said that the commercial drivers used all kinds of dangerous weapons like cutlasses, cudgels and bottles during the fracas.

    The clash paralysed commercial activities in the town before the policemen were drafted to the scene.

    When contacted, the state Chairman of NURTW, Mr Osho Farotimi, condemned the incident, describing it as a sad development.

    (NAN)

  • EU supports Nigeria with 150m euro

    The European Union (EU) has supported Nigeria with 150 million euro to tackle the challenges of climate change in the country.

    The EU ambassador to Nigeria and Head of delegation, Mr. Ketil Karlsen, disclosed this at the European Union Climate Sustainability Event with the theme: “Renewable energy for a sustainable future”, held on Wednesday at the Dangote Business School, Bayero University, Kano.

    He said the union would also give Nigeria additional eight million euro for technical support for effective implementation of renewable energy projects so that the country could be in tune with the issue globally.

    “We are supporting Nigeria with €150 million for the renewable energy programme. Another €8 additional millions specifically targeting technical assistance on non-climate change issues. It is a huge priority for us and one of our biggest priorities.”

    Read Also: Lagos, NCC, EU, others support innovation

    Karlsen said there was an urgent need for the Federal Government to rise up to the challenges of climate, which could affect agriculture and the environment as well as human beings.

    “I want to urge the Federal Government to take the issue of climate change seriously so as to find a way forward and the biggest players should rise to the occasion by coming on board where everybody should play their roles and responsibilities.”

    Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje said the government would partner and continue to support EU to ensure success in the renewable energy project.

    Ganduje, represented by the Head of Service, Dr. Kabiru Shehu, noted that electricity was in bad shape in the country and stressed the need to take urgent steps and action that would ensure that Nigerians benefit from the renewable energy project.

  • Bayelsa guber: Dickson moves to fortify Southern Ijaw

    Bayelsa Governor Seriake Dickson has undertaken measures to regain the confidence of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, popularly called the Bayelsa Kano in terms of voting, ahead of the November 16th governorship election.

    There were fears that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in Southern Ijaw, which has the second voter population after Yenagoa, were making plans to move to the All Progressives Congress (APC) after losing the party’s governorship ticket.

    Dickson and the party leaders were said to be worried by defections of PDP members in the council and the likely mass exodus that could hit the party in the area if nothing was done to assuage them.

    About eight out of the 21 PDP governorship aspirants in the just-concluded primary election came from Southern Ijaw but they all lost the poll to Senator Douye Diri, who hails from Kolokuma-Opokuma, in the same Central Senatorial District.

    Despite pressure mounted on the governor to back down on Diri and support one of the Southern Ijaw aspirants especially the state revenue boss, Dr. Nimibofa Ayawei, Dickson was said to have insisted that since the council had produced a governor, the slot should go to Kolokuma-Opokuma in the same district in the interest of justice and equity.

    It was, however, gathered that following the decision of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hand over its flag to Chief David Lyon, who hails from Southern Ijaw, the governor was making moves to counter the APC raging influence in the council.

    The decision of the governor and PDP leaders to appoint Ayawei, the Director-General of Diri’s campaign organisation was said to be one of the moves to reposition the PDP in Southern Ijaw.

    A statement by the State Secretary of the PDP, Chief Godspower Keku, said that Dr. Ayawei’s appointment was part of the key resolutions of a meeting of the Gubernatorial Campaign Advisory Council of the State Chapter of the PDP.

    It is believed that with such key positions, confidence and a sense of belonging would be restored in the council and aggrieved PDP members would be persuaded to work for the party at the main election.

    Sources said the decision of the PDP leaders to force the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Tonye Emmanuel Isenah, to resign his office was also part of the moves was in the interest of votes from Southern Ijaw.

    Though Isenah earlier said he was not going to resign, it was learnt that following sustained pressure mounted on him, the speaker would have no option but to leave his position.

    The Special Adviser to the speaker on Social Media, Ranami Afagha, indicated that PDP leaders were blackmailing the speaker to leave the office for a lawmaker from Southern Ijaw.

    He said they were telling Isenah that his stepping down was crucial for the PDP to win the forthcoming poll.

    He wrote: “‘Mr Speaker Rt Hon Tonye Emmanuel Isenah if you step down as speaker then the PDP will win the governorship election.

    “If PDP did not win then then you are the cause because you refuse to stepdown as speaker’. One of the blackmail against Mr speaker”.

    Afagha, however, advised the speaker to step down if the PDP insisted they needed his office to win the election with less than 50 days to election.

    He said some of the leaders also resorted to blackmailing the Speaker with an allegation of bribery to change the tide of public opinion against him.

    READ ALSO: Bayelsa graduates back Diri on guber race

    He said: “Please kindly disregard any blackmail being peddled by those who want the Rt hon Tonye Emmanuel Isenah the Bayelsa 6th Assembly speaker out of office.

    “Their blackmail is to incite the public who are always standing with the speaker from when he becomes an Assembly member from the labour party to when he was elected speaker, this they are doing to incite the masses to rebel against the speaker, who are always there standing with the speaker.

    “This is why they are out with this blackmail that the speaker has collected money to step down as Speaker. All they want is public rebellion against the Speaker.

    “The Speaker will not betray the trust of the masses. The Speaker still stands with the public and whatever decision he will take is for the good of the public and the masses who have always stood with and by him from the day he was elected speaker.

    “The Speaker has not collected a kobo from anyone and will not collect. The Speaker will address the public and tell you why he will step aside for the house of Assembly to function in full for the sake of the masses and the public”.

    To reach the aggrieved youths of Southern Ijaw ahead of the poll, Dickson redeployed the Commissioner for Youth Development, Udengs Eradiri, to the Ministry of Environment.

  • IMF appoints new MD

    Bulgarian economist Kristalina Georgieva has been selected as the new managing director of the International Monetary Fund.

    Ms Georgieva, who was previously chief executive of the World Bank, becomes the first person from an emerging economy to lead the IMF.

    Ms Georgieva has been appointed for a five-year term, starting on 1 October.

    She will succeed Christine Lagarde, who is leaving to become head of the of the European Central Bank (ECB).

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    Ms Georgieva was the only nominee for the job.

    The 66-year-old economist, the daughter of a civil engineer, studied political economy and sociology at the Karl Marx Higher Institute of Economics in Sofia while Bulgaria was still under communist rule.

    After graduating in 1976, she got her first taste of capitalism in the UK, as a British Council scholar at the London School of Economics.

    Speaking after her selection by the IMF’s executive board, she described herself as “a firm believer in its mandate to help ensure the stability of the global economic and financial system through international co-operation”.

  • The Nation reporter wins International security award

    In recognition of her diligence and deep-rooted investigative journalism, Security Watch Africa (SWA) has awarded The Nation’s Correspondent Precious Igbonwelundu Best Investigative Crime and Security Reporter in West and Central Africa (print).

    Ms. Igbonwrlundu’s story “Southern Cameroon’s chilling tales” beat two other nominees to cliche the coveted Silver Crystal which will be presented to her in November at Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

    The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, Inspector General of Police (IG) Mohammed Adamu and Anambra Governor Willie Obiano are billed to deliver keynote and other addresses at the event.

    Other award recipients this year include Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu; Chief of Army Training and Operations (CTOPS) Lt.-Gen. Lamidi Adeosun; Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Logistics Taiwo Lakanu; Lagos Police Commissioner Zubairu Muazu; Commander Rapid Response Squad (RRS) DCP Tunji Disu; former General Manager Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Adesina Tiamiyu; Commander Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Lagos Command, CSP Peter Gana and military/police officers who have distinguished themselves in various internal security operations across the country.

    In 2017, Ms. Igbonwelundu’s story “Inside war-torn Lagos, Ogun communities” also clinched the Best Investigative Crime and Security Reporter in Nigeria at a star-studded event held in Ghana.

    SWA is the highest security and safety sector award in the continent with previous recipients cutting across West, Central and South African countries.

    Presenting the letter at the Lagos Police Command in Ikeja, International Coordinator of the award Patrick Agbambu said the panel of judges considered her entry after a meticulous assessment of her official and personal drive in the support of crime fighting, provision of security and safety “through deep-rooted investigative journalism in Nigeria.

    READ ALSO: The Nation reporter, seven others are safety ambassadors

    The letter, which was co-signed by former Chief of Ghana’s Armed Forces Gen. Joseph Nunoo-Mensah (rtd), who’s Chairman SWA Board of Trustees said: “We, on behalf of the Security Watch Africa’s Board of Trustees, Executive Committee and 2019 International Awards’ Panel of Judges, write to notify you, that you have been found worthy to be conferred with this award.

    “The award conferment will be at the 16′” Africa Security Watch Awards, Conference and Exhibition scheduled to hold on November 6 and 7, 2019 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

    “The final decision to confer you with this award was made after a careful assessment of your intellectual disposition, intuitiveness and incisive write-ups in security information dissemination which has contributed to the provision of security and safety in Nigeria.

    “This year’s event which is in partnership with the Stellenbosch University, South Africa promises to be credible, classy, glamorous and full of finesse and will be attended by top dignitaries and participants from Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Liberia, Kenya, The Gambia, Senegal, Cote D‘Ivoire, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Namibia and Mozambique.”

  • Fed Govt approves N310b to fix three roads

    THREE critical roads – Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Expressway, the roads linking the Second Niger Bridge to Asaba and Onitsha and Kano-Katsina Highway are included in the N310 billion road projects approved at yesterday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

    The projects were contained in three memos, Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola told State House reporters at the end of FEC meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa.

    He spoke in the company of Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajuba and the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande.

    According to him, FEC approved N79.82 billion for the Ibadan-Ilesa-Ife road, N200.176 billion for roads linking Second Niger Bridge to Asaba and Onitsha and N29.654 billion for Phase II of the Kano-Katsina Highway.

    He said: “The Ministry of Works and Housing presented three memoranda and they were approved by the council: construction of Ibadan -Ilesa-Ife Dual Carriage Way, they are connected to Oyo and Osun State at the cost of N79.829 billion.

    “Secondly, for the link-road that connects the second Niger Bridge to Asaba and Onitsha. The Asaba link-road was awarded to Julius Berger and the Onitsha link-road was awarded to RCC at the total cost of N200.176 billion.

    “So, this completes essentially the access road that will link the bridge in the short time. You might recall that these roads were under-designed when the bridge was awarded.

    “It is this administration that completed the design and we now awarded them so that you can have a bridge that has link-roads. This was awarded initially under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) and the bridge in 2010 administration.

    Read Also: Fed Govt, Access Bank list N30.3b bonds

    “The third approval was for phase two of the Kano-Katsina High Way from the point known as Gidan-Mutum Daya, all the way to where Katsina Steel Rolling Mill is. This is a 78-kilometre stretch approved at the sum of N29.654 billion.

    “That road is a 152KM road linking Kano and Katsina road from Kano. It was a single length highway until it was awarded in 2013 by the previous administration in phase 1.

    “So, we inherited it and we have continued to execute it. The award was to then expand the road into a dual carriage highway way. That means we are constructing the existing one and building another new one. It was awarded for the first 70-kilometre plus for the Phase I, What we have now done is to complete the award to the same contractor so that there is a uniformity of construction,” he said

    Nwajuba disclosed that contracts amounting to N1.83 billion were approved for his ministry under Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).

    The first, he said, is N915 million for construction of Faculty of Environment at the University of Abuja and the second contract of N918 million for the construction of Faculty of Education in the same institution.

    He said: “The memorandum approved was in respect TETFUND intervention programme in respect of University of Abuja. A key component of that was the award of contract at the sum of N915 million for the construction of the faculty of environment.

    “Another was also approved for the sum of N918 million to build the faculty of education. Those are the two components arising from the special intervention programme that was awarded in 2017. So, we have to act to give effect to them so that they can process the delivery.”

  • Court remands housewife for beating mother-in-law to coma

    An Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court has remanded in prison a housewife, Adenike Olowookere for allegedly attempting to kill her mother-in-law.

    The 30-year-old was accused of ruthlessly beating her 63-year-old mother-in-law, Mrs Comfort Olowookere, which almost led to the death of the latter.

    The mother-in-law was saved by the intervention of Good Samaritans who rescued her from the grip of her daughter-in-law.

    Adenike’s attack left the mother-in-law in a state of coma in an undisclosed hospital where she was rushed to after the incident.

    Police Prosecutor, Inspector Bankole Olasunkanmi, told the court that Adenike committed the offence on September 9 in Ado-Ekiti within the Ado Ekiti Magisterial District.

    READ ALSO: Court remands housewife charged with kidnaping husband for N5m

    Olasunkanmi said a charge of attempted murder has been slammed on the accused whose address was not provided.

    The offence, according to Olasunkanmi, contravened Section 320 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

    The prosecutor urged the Court to remand the defendant in prison pending legal advice from office of Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

    The plea of the defendant was not taken.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mr. Abdulhamid Lawal, ordered the remand of the defendant and adjourned the case until October 17 for mention.