The Nation Newspaper

Tag: The Nation newspaper

  • Makinde, ALGON trade words over council funds

    The Oyo State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has faulted Governor Seyi Makinde’s claims that the judgment restraining him and the House of Assembly from sacking the council chairmen and members of the Board of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has been vacated.

    Makinde had stated on Southwest Political Circuit, a political interview programme on Ibadan-based Fresh FM at the weekend that the judgment has been vacated.

    He spoke through his Special Adviser on Legislative Matters, Hon. Samuel Adejumobi (aka Agbara po).

    The judgment had restrained the governor and the House of Assembly from sacking the elected chairmen, conducting another election or tampering with the funds of the councils. But the chairmen were sacked two hours after the new governor was sworn in on May 29.

    Reacting to the claim on Sunday in a telephone chat with The Nation, ALGON Chairman, Hon. Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, challenged Makinde to produce the evidence that the judgment had been vacated.

    He said the appeal filed against the judgment by the state government was still pending at the Court of Appeal, adding that the appellate court was yet to fix the date of hearing because the judges went on holiday.

    The ALGON boss challenged the state government to name the court that vacated the judgment and the date such decision was taken. He urged Makinde to stop deceiving the public over his alleged wrong steps, stressing that integrity should be the hallmark of a governor.

    Read Also: Makinde: my victory triumph of truth over falsehood 

    Makinde also said that his administration was not borrowing to pay staff of local governments and Local Council Development Areas as claimed by the ALGON chairman.

    He said council funds are intact but that the government was paying salaries from it without borrowing.

    Makinde said ALGON came out with the allegation of borrowing because it did not understand how his administration was handling the prompt payment of salaries which he accused the past administration of having inflated by about N1 billion shortly after the March 9 governorship election which it lost.

     

     

     

  • Ogun may establish two additional universities

    The Ogun State Government has revealed that it may establish two additional universities to address the agitation of the people of the Central and Western Senatorial districts respectively.

    The existing universities – Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago – Iwoye, and Tai Solarin University of Education(TASUED), Ijagun- are located in Ogun East senatorial district.

    Governor Dapo Abiodun made this known at the weekend during a stakeholders forum in Abeokuta, the state capital, with the theme “Re-positioning education for outstanding performance.”

    Abiodun said he was aware of the demands of the two senatorial districts to have institutions of a university status, adding that this would be done gradually, taking the state’s financial position into consideration.

    “We have been able to settle the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) issue. It is a win – win for everybody. If the people of Ogun Central still want a University, they will have it and if the people of Ogun West say they want a university, university they will have. But we are going to take it one step at a time and also consider the financial position of the State,” he said.

    Read Also: Governor Abiodun’s ‘Oko Owo Dapo’

    The Governor, who described the State as the education capital of Nigeria, said more than 10 public and private universities and other tiers of tertiary education are running in the state, assuring that his administration was poised at reposition education in order for the State to regain its lost glory in the sector.

    “In the past, Ogun State’s position used to be in a digit, but now we are at the bottom five. This is unacceptable as the State is known to be first in every facets of our nation life. We cannot continue and we are doing everything possible to reverse the trend.

    “As you all know, during my inauguration on May 29, I declared an emergency in the education sector. We are following it up with the rehabilitation of 236 primary and secondary schools in each of our wards.

    “We set up Committees to resolve issues that affected smooth running of academic activities in some of our tertiary institutions.

    “The Committees have since submitted their reports and recommendations. I want to assure our good people that education which is one of our pillars, will continue to receive due and prompt attention,” the governor added.

    Abiodun, while assuring that teaching and learning conditions in public schools would be improved, added that teachers and non teaching staff would be trained and retrained in latest teaching methods and schools’ administration.

    He promised that their welfare would also remain paramount to ensure improved performance of students in both local and international examinations.

  • IBB charges the Igbos to promote Nigeria unity

    Former Military Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) has charged the Igbos to work hard towards promoting the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria.

    He said that Nigerians, Igbos inclusive, should ensure they uphold the ideals of Nigeria’s founding fathers.

    Babangida stated this when he played host to the Igbo Delegates Assembly (IDA) from the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja who paid him a courtesy visit at his Uphill residence in Minna.

    He challenged the Igbos to continue to allow their positive impact to be felt amongst host ethnic nationalities in the country urging them to use their spirit of enterprise to promote peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.

    “An indivisible Nigeria is very necessary and we must do everything possible to remain as one family though we differ in tribes and tongue.

    READ ALSO: IBB hails Niger lawmakers on performance

    “The indivisibility of the country is not negotiable and this we must all promote at all times. The Igbos have done well to keep Nigeria together.”

    The delegation led by its President, Chief Chikezie Okezie and the Eze Igbo of Minna, Eze Pampas Ngozi Wahiwe had earlier told General Babangida that the purpose of the visit is to congratulate him on his 78th Birthday and prayed God to continue to grant him strength and wisdom to offer advice that would help Nigeria in solving its challenges.

  • Shock as ladies identify ‘one chance robber’ in public

    Police in Ogun state have arrested one Abiodun Makinde, a suspected ‘one chance’ robber upon being sighted and identified in public by two lady – victims.

    Makinde is believed to be a member of a one chance syndicate that that terrorise commuters along Sango/Owode Idiroko road, Ogun State.

    His arrest followed a distress call by his victims – Gloria Edoh and Saidat Akinola, who reported that they were attacked and robbed when they boarded a taxi from Owode to Sango, but on getting to Olokopupo area of Atan Ota, two men they met in the car, suddenly pulled knives with which they forced them to give up their belongings.

    The Police Public Realtions Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who made this known in a release, stated that while the sum of N37,000 was snatched from one, N480,000 was also forcibly collected from the other by the gang as well as techno phones before shoving their victims off the taxi and sped away.

    Abimbola, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), added that the two ladies managed to find their way to a hospital for treatment of the injuries sustained but while leaving the hospital, they unexpectedly sighted and identified Makinde as one of the robbery suspects that robbed them and quickly raised an alarm.

    READ ALSO: One chance robbers nabbed for ‘attacking’ woman

    “The alarm they raised attracted the Divisional Police Officer, Atan Ota, Abiodun Salau; a Superintendent of Police(SP) who happened to be on patrol of the area with his men, hurried to the scene and arrested the suspect with help from members of the public.

    “On getting to the station, one woman (name withheld) who had earlier complained of similar incident also identified the suspect as one of the hoodlums who robbed and raped her on the 12th of September and made away with her pants.

    “The suspect has confessed participating in the two robbery incidents,” Abimbola stated.

    According to the Police Spokesman in the state, the Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama, has directed that the suspect should be transferred to the Special Anti – Robbery Squad (SARS) for proper investigation.

  • Woman arrested for allegedly stealing two-month-old baby in Ekiti

    The Ekiti State Police Command, on Sunday, said it had arrested a woman who was alleged to have stolen a two-month-old baby boy in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, on Friday.

    The police told newsmen in Ado-Ekiti that the 39-year-old Mercy Momoh was arrested at her residence in Odo area of the state capital by operatives of the command.

    NAN reports that Momoh, who hails from Edo State, was alleged to have stolen the baby from his mother, Mrs Funmilayo Sunday, on Friday, at the state government secretariat.

    She was said to have tricked the baby’s mother into following her to the secretariat under the guise of helping her influence the collection of some relief materials being given to flood victims by the state government.

    The suspect was said to have asked the baby’s mother to help her buy a recharge card and that she should drop her phone and leave the baby with her.

    Momoh was, however, alleged to have disappeared with the baby before the mother returned from the errand.

    The command’s Spokesman, Caleb Ikechukwu (DSP), said that investigations were still ongoing to unravel the circumstances behind the incident.

    “It is confirmed that the woman, who stole a two-month-old baby, has been arrested by the operatives of the Ekiti Police Command.

    Read Also: Five die, many injured in Ekiti road crash

    “The suspect is Mercy Momoh, a 39-yr-old lady from Edo State. She was apprehended through a tip off and will be prosecuted after the conclusion of investigations.

    “The suspect was apparently nice to the mother of the victim and that was why she was able to get the baby easily.

    “Investigations are still ongoing. More details will come on what really transpired.

    Ikechukwu called on members of the public to be careful in their relationship with strangers, adding that they should not get carried away by any act of kindness being shown by them.

    NAN

  • EPL: Liverpool beat Chelsea to maintain perfect start

    Liverpool retained their five-point lead at the top of the table as they became the first team to win their opening six Premier League games in successive seasons with a fiercely-fought victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

    Jurgen Klopp’s title pace-setters looked on course to win in comfort as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s magnificent free-kick and Roberto Firmino’s header gave them complete control at the interval.

    Chelsea, who had been denied an equalizer when Cesar Azpilicueta’s close-range effort was ruled out for offside by VAR, were in no mood to capitulate and made Liverpool fight every inch of the way to maintain that perfect record.

    Read Also: Free-scoring Liverpool make Premier League history

    Tammy Abraham had chances to increase his tally of seven goals this season, particularly when he was denied by Liverpool keeper Adrian when clean through in the first half, but it was left to N’Golo Kante to set up a grandstand finish with a superb strike with 19 minutes to play.

    Liverpool, however, held on, surviving missed chances from Michy Batshuayi and Mason Mount, to produce an instant response to Manchester City’s 8-0 win over Watford on Saturday.

    BBCSports

  • BREAKING: #BBNaija: Frodd wins Ultimate Veto Power

    Frodd has won the ultimate veto power in the Big Brother Naija game.

    This power gives him the ability to nominate five housemates up for eviction

    This win got him 200 Bet Naija coins, and each housemates got 100 Bet Naija coins.

    His win came as a result of his picture aligning with the one in the red box. It was the same box that caused pandemonium in the house during the week, as it got misplaced and a fight ensued, especially between Tacha, Mercy and Diane.

    Big Brother on Saturday issued a strike to Diane, Cindy and Elozonam, concerning the box.

    Reacting to his ultimate veto power win, Frodd shouted “Thank you Jesus”

  • Suspected yahoo boy runs mad, strips self naked in Ekiti

    There was drama on a major highway in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, when a young man suspected to be an Internet fraudster ran mad in full public glare on Sunday evening.

    The suspected Yahoo boy stripped himself naked completely and was making strange statements nobody could understand.

    The incident happened in Adebayo area near the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) School of Nursing.

    Eyewitnesses revealed that he had earlier parked a Lexus Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) by the roadside, emerged from the vehicle and removed his clothes one after the other.

    Nobody knew where the guy, who is believed to be in his early 20s, came from before he started behaving abnormally.

    He went ahead to remove his singlet and boxers and was stark naked, a scene which drew bystanders and passersby.

    Read Also: Five die, many injured in Ekiti road crash

    At intervals, the young man would kneel down and stand up singing some songs and making incoherent statements.

    He later moved from one place to the other with some residents shaking their heads in disbelief while others were recording the drama with their mobile phones.

    His action cause disruption of traffic along the federal highway with some motorists and commercial motorcyclists parking their vehicles and bikes to behold the drama.

    A good samaritan had tried to save the young guy by trying to tie his hand but he broke loose again and ran forward to continue the show.

    An eyewitness said: “This is what we have been telling our young men that they should stop mad pursuit of wealth.

    “This guy that has just run mad showed traces of a Yahoo boy and the rituals they are into has backfired and the result is what we are seeing now.

    “A good number of them have run mad and died in places like Ado and Ikere and this is a lesson to others who are into Yahoo scam and Yahoo Plus.”

     

     

  • Group demands unconditional release of Sowore, others

    A group, Peoples Alternative Front (PAF) has demanded the unconditional release of Omoyele Sowore and Olawale Bakare detained by the State Service (SSS) for alleged terrorism and treason.

    They described as unfounded, allegations of terrorism, treason and money laundering against Sowore insisting he was arrested for insulting President Muhammadu Buhari.

    A statement released on Sunday by PAF secretary Alloysius Eze said Sowore had been detained for almost two months contrary to the 45-day granted by a Federal High Court, and the DSS was yet to substantiate its allegations against him.

    “After detaining Mr. Sowore for almost two months the SSS found no evidence to substantiate the reckless allegations. Instead of releasing him from illegal custody Mr. Sowore has now been charged with insulting President Buhari by criticizing him at Arise Television interview and treasonable felony by planning to stage protests against unpopular government policies on August 5, 2019.

    “Mr. Sowore has also been charged with money laundering for transferring the sum of $19,975 (N7.2m) from his personal bank account to Sahara Reporters, an online medium published by him!

    Read Also: Release Sowore now, Ondo Monarch tells Buhari

    “With respect to Mr. Olawale Bakare (aka Mandate) he was arrested in Osogbo, Osun State during the revolution protest on August 5. Other comrades arrested with him have been charged with unlawful assembly at the Magistrate Court, Osogbo, Osun State by the Nigeria Police Force.

    “All efforts to contact Mandate since then have proved abortive as the SSS had denied detaining him. Mandate who has been held incommunicado contrary to Section 2 of the Anti-Torture Act, 2017, has now been charged with treasonable felony along with Mr. Sowore.

    “Since it has been established that both patriots have been detained for several weeks for terrorism without any legal basis we hereby demand for their unconditional release from the illegal custody of the SSS.

    “We also call on the Inspector General of Police to release Messrs Agba Jalingo and Ekanem Ekpo being detained in police custody for terrorism for insulting Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River State by publishing allegations of official corruption in Cross River State.

    “We agree with Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) that there can be no legal or moral basis for harassing patriotic citizens by the Buhari regime which is currently negotiating with terrorists and bandits, bribing them with public funds and granting them amnesty for arson and looting, gang raping women, kidnapping and killing innocent people.”

     

     

  • Senior Naval Officer murdered in Kaduna military cantonment

    Decomposing body of a Senior Officer in the Nigerian Navy and Commandant of Command Secondary School of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, has been found in a well in a village close to the Jaji military cantonment, Kaduna State.

    The Officer identified as Commander Oluwayemisi Ogundana with service number NN/ 2367, was declared missing last Friday.

    She is however suspected to have been murdered by some known persons, including a staff of the college she presided over.

    Though, efforts to reach the spokesman of AFCSC, Major Umar proved abbortive, The Nation gathered that, two suspects, including a teacher at the Command Secondary School, Jaji and one other have already been arrested in connection to her murder.

    A source in Jaji told our Correspondent that, when the military officer was not seen, efforts were made to reach her via her telephone but it was discovered that the phone was left in her room which was locked.

    According to the source, “the door to her room was forced open because the phone was ringing inside the sitting room and efforts to reach her other numbers, failed”.

    READ ALSO: Murdered Ondo varsity lecturer buried

    It was further learnt that blood stains were observed on her beddings and clothes as well as on the floor from the bedroom to the bathroom. Her vehicle, a Toyota SUV was also missing.

    It was learnt that authorities of the military in Jaji kept some of her immediate staff and family members under close observation which finally paid off when two persons were arrested in Zaria while trying to dispose of her car.

    Upon interrogation, they confessed to participating in the gruesome murder of the senior military officer and subsequently led the investigators to Agwanloyo by the railway inside an abondoned shallow well near the Deeper life Church in Jaji cantonment.

    It was learnt that the corpse of the murdered Naval officer was dismembered and put in a big sack before being dumped in the shallow well.

    The deceased was married with three kids, who are in their Lagos residence with their father.