The Nation Newspaper

Tag: United Kingdom

  • Stop transfer of prisoners from UK, Senate urges FG

    Stop transfer of prisoners from UK, Senate urges FG

    The Senate on Tuesday asked the Federal Government to stop receiving prisoners under the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, (TSP) from the United Kingdom.
    The Senate said the government should wait for the regularization of the agreement between the country and United Kingdom on the issue before any prisoners should be received.
     It resolved to invite Attorney General of the Federation (AGF)and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama and Minister of Interior, Gen. Abdurahman Dnabazau to shed light on the TSP arrangement.
    The resolutions followed a motion, titled “Urgent need to regularize the agreement between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the government of the United Kingdom on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons” sponsored by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu .
    The ministers were asked to appear before the joint Senate Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, and Foreign Affairs.
    The Senate said that Danbazau should be specifically invited to brief  on his level of involvement in complying with the agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
     It said that the Committee should invite the Minister of Justice to give update on the status of ratification of all treaties from 1999 to 2017.
    In his lead debate, Ekweremadu said that the agreement was made by both countries on January 9, 2014 by former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke on behalf of Nigeria and UK’s Minister of Justice, Jeremy Wright respectively.
    Ekweremadu added that “Based on this agreement, the government of the United Kingdom has commenced the return of several prisoners to Nigeria, and has currently initiated the application for the transfer of more prisoners to Nigeria.
     “The United Kingdom Government has referred to this agreement as compulsory, whereas the content of the agreement made no mention, nor indicated that the agreement was compulsory.
    “The senate is cognizance that international law is based on cooperation of states, as such the rule of international law implies that where parties have contracted a cooperation agreement, they are expected to do all that is necessary to ensure a successful implication of the agreement by following the essential internal constitutional and legal procedures required.”
    He was disturbed that the provisions of Nigeria’s constitution regarding section 12(1) has not been complied with, saying that “the agreement in this instance signed by the then Attorney General of the Federation was not subjected to legislative scrutiny or enactment by the National Assembly; the agreement is therefore, not in force”.
    He further expressed worry that the British National Offender Management Service may not be under a misinformed impression that all the internal procedures have been completed warranting the entity into force of the agreement on September 29.
    Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu informed the Senate that there were 321 memorandum of understanding with only 93 signed but not yet ratified.
  • Nigerian singer, Mo Adeniran wins The Voice UK

    Nigerian singer, Mo Adeniran wins The Voice UK

    Mo Adeniran, 21 year old Nigerian singer, has emerged the winner of the 2017 edition of The Voice, United Kingdom.

    “After months of stellar performances, battle rounds and public votes, Mo Adeniran was crowned the winner of The Voice UK during Sunday night’s live final,” according to Dailymail UK.

    Flabbergasted as the result was announced, Adeniran looked on in shock whilst his mentor, singer and Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson immediately burst into tears of happiness.

    Adeniran who worked night shifts at a hotel prior to the show, came to the show with his best friend, Max Vickers, who made it through to the semi-finals.

    He beat other contestants with his rendition of Iron Sky which had the judges turning their chairs. His victory left him in shock while his mentor, Hudson, burst into tears of joy.

    Adeniran who scooped the title with winning performances of Paolo Nutini’s Iron Sky and Unsteady by X Ambassador looked stunned as host Emma Willis announced his name.

    He thanked his mentor, Hudson, for her support. “An amazing thank you to the most phenomenal person I have ever met, thank you Jennifer,” he said.

    Adeniran’s stirring performance of “Unsteady” had Hudson struggling to contain her emotions.

    Blinking back tears, she told him: “Mo, we feel your heart.

    He won praise from all the coaches, with Gavin Rossdale gushing: “You have the voice of a generation.”

    Adeniran was adopted into a family at the age of three – only to be taken away again at the age of eight after it was discovered his adoptive mother was abusive.

    The star was then placed back into social services and his turbulent family life led him to go off the rails as a teen.

    This came to a head when Mo lost his close pal in 2015 after he died from a drug overdose.

    Mike Carter, who was one of Mo’s band mates, battled with an addiction to painkillers which he was taking for chronic back pain.

    Tragically, Mo suffered another personal loss when his friends from the band Viola Beach died in a car crash last year.

    The band were to play at a tribute concert for Mike before the accident Sweden which killed Kris Leonard, River Reeves, Tomas Lowe, and Jack Dakin.

    Adeniran was congratulated by his fellow contestants, Jamie Miller and duo, Into The Arkas as confetti fell on the stage.

    His mentor, Hudson who could not control her tears, tweeted her delight at his win.

    She wrote: “Now that I’m kinda done crying ….OMG!!!!!! CONGRATS @imjustcalledmo #Teamjhud #TheVoiceUk”.

    He is now headed to the studio to record his winner’s EP.

  • United Kingdom deports 23 Nigerians

    United Kingdom deports 23 Nigerians

    The government of the United Kingdom has deported 23 Nigerians for committing immigration-related offences in the country.

    The deportees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMlA), Lagos about 6am yesterday.

    The deportees, all males, were brought back in a chartered aircraft.

    DSP Joseph Alabi, the spokesman of the Lagos Airport Police Command, confirmed the development .

    The deportees were received by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) , the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Police.

    Also on ground to receive them were officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

    The deportees were profiled by immigration authorities before they were allowed to leave for their respective destinations.

     

  • DotAfrica: Abuja residents commend AU launch of internet domain

    DotAfrica: Abuja residents commend AU launch of internet domain

    Some Abuja residents on Sunday said they were excited about the recent launch of  DotAfrica (.Africa) by the African Union (AU) which aimed at  bringing Africa together as an internet community.

    DotAfrica is a generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) established by Africans for Africa and the rest of the world for better access to e-commerce, technology and infrastructure.

    The domain has been created to give Africans an opportunity to forge a unique online identity which will associate their products, services and information with people in Africa and beyond.

    Some of the individuals who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday shared their views on the African domain that was launched on Friday by the AU.

    Mrs Bukola Adeyemi, a software programmer, told NAN that the creation of dotAfrica was a good step to putting Africa on the digital map which was beneficial for e-commerce.

    “It is nice to see that Africa now has a position on the digital map which would be beneficial to Africa’s development especially with the use of e-commerce; thanks to AU.

    “This means the dotAfrica which is represented as .Africa on the internet would be used in place of the popular dotcom represented by .com when typing an address on the internet.

    “However, this should be made available to only African businesses and internet pages or websites to internationally showcase Africa’s productivity and potentials.

    “It serves the same purpose as the dotUK representing United Kingdom, dotZa for South Africa and dotNg for Nigerian websites.’’

    Similarly, Mr Tonye Jack, who is also a software programmer, said it was high time Africa had its own domain as AU had identified a qualified organisation to ensure the dotAfria domain was successful.

    “I am happy that AU identified the need for Africa to have its own domain.

    “The organisation responsible for handling this new African domain is known as ZA Central Registry and it is located in South Africa.

    “With over 15 years experience, the organisation is responsible for one of the first African internet domains known as dotCo-dotZa (.co.za) which is mainly used by South Africa.

    “AU identified the organisation as the organisation most qualified to handle this new domain. So I am sure they would do a good job in maintaining and managing websites set on the domain.

    “This is a big step for Africa,’’ he said.

    Mr Tekenna Dagogo, a civil servant, said that “this domain creates a good opportunity for Africans to showcase Africa’s potentials which would help attain economic development.

    “And will definitely encourage better online trade and exchange of information between continents which can promote economic development.

    “Although different African countries have their own domain, it is beneficial for Africa as a whole to have a domain of its own represented on the internet to showcase Africa as a whole.

    “This means that organisations that have interest in developing Africa as a whole can stop using dotcom and use dot Africa instead; this will show the focus, target and origin of the organisation.

     

  • Wild jubilation in Katsina over return of Buhari

    Wild jubilation in Katsina over return of Buhari

    People of Katsina trooped out to the streets on Friday to celebrate the safe return of the President Muhammadu Buhari to Nigeria after a medical trip to the United Kingdom.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the residents staged a procession in several vehicles round major streets of the ancient city thanking Allah for the president’s safe arrival.

    Some of the residents carried posters of the President while others had placards with inscriptions “Oyoyo Baba”, “Sai Baba Buhari”.

    One of the residents, Amiru Lukman told NAN that the show of jubilation was in solidarity with them and to display their love for the President, who hails from Daura in Katsina State.

    Lukman solicited for continued prayers to Allah to give the President good health and ability to discharge his duties more effectively.

    He commended Nigerians for their support and prayers during the President’s stay in London.

  • Cambridge University trains 100 Niger teachers

    Cambridge University trains 100 Niger teachers

    The Niger State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hajiya Fatima Madugu, says the Cambridge University in the United Kingdom (UK)  had trained  100 teachers in the state.

    Madugu said this on Wednesday while defending the ministry’s 2017 budget proposal at the State House of Assembly ‎in Minna.

    She said the state paid N89million for the training as part of its efforts to transform the educational sector.

    ‎“The teachers were trained on the quality of instruction they will give to their pupils in‎ their classes and modern teaching technologies.

    “’We are trying to transform the existing educational practice in Niger by creating an educational system that is efficient with modern facilities and equipment‎,’’ she said.

    The commissioner added that the ministry had hired consultants to identify the problems and challenges facing education in the state.

    “They are still working on the report and about to submit the draft which we will go through and make any amendment and input before the final report is ready,’’ she said.

    She said that the ministry’s budget performance for 2016 was 44 per cent, adding that the 2017 budget would focus on rehabilitation and renovation of more schools in the state.

    The Chairman of the House Committee on Education, Science and Technology, Bako Alfa, and his members ‎cautioned the ministry against reckless spending.

    ‎The committee particularly frowned at the N174 million the ministry spent to engage consultants to transform the educational sector‎.

    It wondered if the ministry lacked technocrats and experts who could do the job of the consultants to save cost given the state’s dwindling revenue base.

  • Education: NUC collaborates with NAB Ghana, Sussex University

    Education: NUC collaborates with NAB Ghana, Sussex University

    The National Universities Commission (NUC) is collaborating with the National Accreditation Board (NAB), Ghana and Sussex University, United Kingdom, to develop a proposal to reposition higher education for sustainable development.

    This is contained in a current NUC bulletin made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

    Prof. Abubarkar Rasheed, Executive Secretary, NUC, said the collaboration was with a view to winning the Strategic Partnerships for Higher Education Innovation and Reforms (SPHEIR) Grant.

    The SPHEIR Grant is a creation of the UK Department for International Development (DFID) programme, geared towards the transformation of higher education in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

    Rasheed expressed hope that the collaboration would go beyond the current initiative.

    He said that the myriad of challenges bedeviling the African continent could be attributed to the lack of investment in higher education and research.

    He said this was responsible for the prevailing level of socio-economic development vis-à-vis the global ranking of African Universities and African nations in the committee of universities and nation.

    The NUC scribe underscored the importance of trans-border collaboration amongst higher education institutions in the continent, particularly in the areas of teaching and research.

    He noted the uniqueness of Ghana and Nigeria within the West-Africa Sub-Region, saying that the collaboration would no doubt rekindle the Pan-African spirit among higher education within the region.

    He further called for the streamlining of curriculum and adoption of a common policy on credit transfer to encourage academic mobility of students and faculty in the continent.

    He assured the delegation from Ghana that the management of NUC would always be ready to welcome laudable ideas and support the ongoing synergy.

    In his response, the leader of the delegation and Executive Secretary, NAB Ghana, Prof. Kwame Fatty expressed delight for the willingness of the commission to partner NAB in accessing SPHEIR grant.

    He said that only academic cooperation and collaboration between both countries would promote academic excellence and elevate the continent above its challenges.

     

  • Stop celebrating Ibori’s release – Uduaghan

    Stop celebrating Ibori’s release – Uduaghan

    Former Delta state governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan has cautioned supporters of his predecessor and cousin, Chief James Ibori not to create more problems for Ibori through unbridled celebrations of his recent release from London prison.
    The London residence of Ibori has become a Mecca of sort for the state’s  politicians since his release from prison where he served 13 years for money laundering and other corruption related crimes, last week.
    Uduaghan, who spoke with our reporter on telephone, expressed concern that the Ibori’s well-wishers actions could expose him (Ibori) to more political problems.
    Among politicians who have visited Ibori are Speaker of the state house of assembly, Chief Monday Igbuya, PDP stalwart, Chief Ighoyota Amori among others like Senator Peter Nwaoboshi who sensationally declared that Ibori facilitated the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki and Rt Hon Taking Dogara as Senate President and Speaker House of Representatives respectively.
    Nwaoboshi, in a video widely circulated on social media, said Ibori made governors, ostensibly incumbent Ifeanyi Okowa, senators ( himself as one), made his daughter, Eriatake Ibori a state lawmaker among others.

    Uduaghan however lamented that such statements and showoffs by Ibori’s supporters, could turn to haunt him.

    He said that such utterances and boisterous cerebration were capable of creating more problems for the ex-convict former governor.
    “For those going London to see Chief James Ibori and posting pictures and making statements, please stop it.
    “We appreciate your love for him. But you can go quietly without the unnecessary publicity.
    “You are creating problems for him than you can ever imagine.
    “Nigeria is a complex country and you must understand and respect people’s sensibilities,” Uduaghan added in a statement posted on his Facebook.
  • PRE-SEASON: Ifeanyi Ubah to tour five foreign countries

    PRE-SEASON: Ifeanyi Ubah to tour five foreign countries

    The Management of FC Ifeanyi Ubah have concluded plans to embark on a two-week European tour of five countries – United Kingdom, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Turkey.

    The planned tour is a move to prepare the team for next season’s Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), Federation Cup and CAF Confederation Cup campaigns.

    The Anambra Warriors won the 2016 Federation Cup final after beating Nasarawa United 5-4 on penalties.
    However, management has approved and released cash reward (winning bonuses) for the players, management and the supporters club to appreciate them for their commitment and determination throughout the season and the eventual Federation Cup triumph as follows:
    a) N10, 000, 0000 for the footballers.
    b) $10,000 for the Head Coach/Technical Director, Mitko Dobrev and Assistant Coach, Rafael Everton.
    c) N3, 000,000 for the management and coaching staff.
    d) N2, 000,000 for the supporters club.
    The management has also approved a minor reorganization in the top level of the coaching staff aimed at repositioning the team.
    In this regard, management announced the appointment of Kenichi Yatsuhashi, a Japanese-American and former Head Coach of Accra Hearts of Oak as the new Head Coach of FC Ifeanyi Ubah.

    He holds a USSFA and National Youth Coaching licence, a CONCACAF Internatonal Coaching licence, an NSCAA Goalkeeping Diploma and a KNBV Advanced Diploma, IFA GK Certificate and FIFA and FIFA/AFC Grassroots Certificate.
    The board also appointed Mr Yaw Preko as the new Assistant Coach/Physical trainer of the Club. Yaw Preko joins Fc Ifeanyi Ubah from Accra Hearts of Oak where he was acting Head Coach. Yaw Preko is also currently the Acting Head Coach of Ghana’s national Team (Black Stars of Ghana) and a former top striker in Turkish football club, Fenerbahce S.K.
    Similarly, management promoted its Bulgarian Head Coach, Mitko Dobrev to the position of the Technical Director of the Club.
    On another note, following the successful utilization of the N100,000,000 war chest handed down to the team by the Management during the mid season, the management is pleased to announce the approval and release of the sum of N150,000,000 to the club for the enhancement of the club, signing of additional players and vigorous preparation for next seasons.
    The road show, presentation of the cup to the people of Anambra State and official unveiling of newly appointed technical officials will take place on the 16th of November, 2016.

  • Activist urges Buhari to reject Boko Haram swap

    Activist urges Buhari to reject Boko Haram swap

    A United Kingdom based Nigerian activist, Philip Agbese has urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to accept the call to swap Boko Haram prisoners with the Chibok girls, saying such move will put the country in grave security risk.

    Agbese in a letter to the President described the offer of the prisoners swap as a “poisoned chalice”. He said it is best imagined what the realease of 1000 Boko Haram detainees will do to the current security situation in the country.

    It would be recalled that the Bring Back Our Girls Group (BBOG) say they are planning a protest to pressure government into trading the girls as demanded by Boko Haram.

    But the activist said when it happens, their protest is going to offer a needed distraction to the western media that are by now tiring of their newfound poster boy in Syria, adding that the Nigerian government and military would be demonised and the protestors would offer the validation that is needed to make the image of a failing state stick.

    According to him what they are however asking for could eventually sink not just Nigeria but the entire West Africa and the Maghreb with some spill over to Central and East Africa.

    He said, “The ongoing orchestra that is whining for terrorists considers everything with the exception of one. Recidivism. These groups and individuals that have been canvassing a swop of Boko Haram prisoners for the abducted Chibok Girls do so without regards for the penchant for recidivism among terrorists like any other type of criminals.

    “Recidivism is the chances of a previously arrested, detained or convicted terrorist returning to extremism or violence. Military records would probably show that some of these people we are being asked to free are in incarceration because it was not their first time of being tied to terror.

    “Mr President, recidivism is difficult to measure, particularly so in a country like Nigeria where we are still working to bring our statistics and research capabilities up to date. But cases like the US Guantanamo Bay facility and Indonesia record anywhere between 10 and 30 percent instances of re-offense among released terrorists. That means if Nigeria frees 1000 Boko Haram detainees there is a fair chance that we are putting anything in the range of 300 terrorists back on the streets. It took fewer than that number to abduct the girls in the first place.”

    He said in the case of what has been witnessed in Nigeria so far, not many of those that would be released would return to being farmers, artisans or becoming informants to the security agencies. Instead, the reality is there is the risk of them returning to the war front to re-stock Boko Haram’s fighting ranks.

    He said worst still is the fact that the level of our infrastructure equally means the released terrorist cannot be adequately tracked so they could flee to Syria, Somali, Yemen or other terror strongholds, make new connections there, build new cells and revive a Boko Haram that is almost completely wiped out.