The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Vincent Ikuomola

  • Chibok girls set free without swap deal – FG

    …We got a credible lead, says Minister

    The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alh. Lai Mohammed on Thursday said the 21 Chibok girls were released by Boko Haram without swap deal.

    He said it was based on painstaking negotiations and trust on both sides which were facilitated by a friendly European country and a renown international humanitarian organization.

    He also claimed that the government got a credible lead which led to the negotiations.

    He said the government will work towards the release of other girls in custody.

    Mohammed, who made the disclosure at a World Press Conference in Abuja, said: “We can confirm that 21 of the girls were released, safely, to us by 5.30 this Thursday morning and they were flown to Kaduna from the location of their release. This is the most glaring manifestation to date of the unwavering commitment of Mr. President to secure the safe release of the girls and reunite them with their families.

    “It is also a result of the round-the-clock efforts by the Administration to put a closure to the sad issue of the kidnap of the girls.

    “We expect the released girls to land in Abuja shortly. Ahead of their arrival, we have assembled a team of medical doctors, psychologists, social workers, trauma experts, etc to properly examine the girls, especially because they have been in captivity for so long.

    “They will also be adequately debriefed. We have the list of the 21 girls but we are now contacting their parents as part of the necessary verification exercise. As soon as that is concluded, we will release the names to the public.”

    Mohammed gave insights into how the girls were released.

    He added: ” Gentlemen, as we have always said, we have been working on the safe release of the girls and following all the leads available. In this instance, the moment we had a credible lead, Mr. President gave the green-light to the DSS to pursue it.

    “We can confirm that the DSS pursued the lead in collaboration with a friendly European country and a renowned international humanitarian organization. The DSS was supported by the military.

    “As soon as the necessary confidence was built on both sides, the parties agreed on the date and the location of the release of the 21 girls. Please note that this is not a swap. It is a release, the product of painstaking negotiations and trust on both sides.

    “We see this as a credible first step in the eventual release of all the Chibok Girls in captivity. It is also a major step in confidence-building between us as a government and the Boko Haram leadership on the issue of the Chibok Girls.

    “We want to thank all Nigerians for their support and for never losing confidence in the ability of Mr. President to secure the safe release of our Chibok Girls.”

    Responding to a question, the Minister said the release of the girls could mean a new phase to the conduct of the war against terrorism.

    He added: “Whatever it will take to get Boko Haram insurgency under control, we will do it through military operation, peace talk, dialogue and whatever. I think all in all, when you are fighting insurgency, it is a combination of carrot and stick. The Federal Government will continue to adopt carrot and stick approach.

    “The release of 21 out of the Chibok girls does not mean the end of military operation it could mean a new phase to the conduct of the war against terrorism.

    “These negotiations are very delicate bearing in mind that we still have more girls in captivity we must not do anything to jeopardize their release.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari has made it clear that what it will take to get the girls in captivity from the Boko Haram insurgents we will do it.

    “We have always been looking for leads. This time around, we were able to have a credible lead.”

    On the insinuations that some members of Boko Haram were swapped to secure the release of the girls, the minister responded: “That is not true.”

    “If you listen, I said this particular release is significant because it is a first step in what we believe will lead to the eventual release of all our girls in custody.

    “And it is significant also because we have been able to establish ever than before a kind of confidence in the core leadership of Boko Haram and Nigerians. And I am not aware of any monetary transactions.

    “This is not a swap. This was a release effected because over time we succeeded in confidence building. This is unique because we also used friendly approach and friendly organization and friendly countries. I repeat this is not a swap.”

    He expressed confidence that the government will work towards the release of other girls in Boko Haram custody.

    “This particular release is significant because it is just a first step in what we believe will eventually lead to release of other girls in custody.

    “The Federal Government will not relent until the whole girls gain total freedom,” he said.

  • Edo polls: WAEC relocates candidates to Delta, Ondo

    Edo polls: WAEC relocates candidates to Delta, Ondo

    The West African Examination Council (WAEC) on Tuesday said it has secured examination centres in Agbor, Delta state and Ore in Ondo state for candidates writing the General Certificate Examination (GCE) on Saturday,  September 10 in Edo state.

    It will be recalled that Edo state governorship election is expected to hold on the same day secondary schools students in the state are expected to sit for their mathematics paper.

    This is just as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed on Tuesday that it would go ahead with the poll as planned despite protest from secondary school students who called for a shift in the date of the election to allow them write their papers.

    INEC through the Chief Press Secretary to the chairman of the commission, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, also said it would not be involved in the relocation of the candidates.

    It added that the idea to relocate candidates to other states for examination is purely the responsibility of the state government, adding that INEC would not compensate any candidate.

    The Head, Public Affairs for WAEC Nigeria, Demianus Ojijeogu, who spoke with our reporter in Abuja yesterday, said the council would go ahead with the examination on that day.

    Ojijeogu also stated that WAEC would not be responsible for the relocation of the candidates to the two states, adding that the council is hoping the state government would assist with the relocation of the candidates.

    He added that WAEC officials would be on ground to conduct the examination for candidates who would be at the venue of the examination.

    “We went to Agbor, we have already secured venue. We went to Ore in Ondo state to secure exam centres for them. So that is where we are. Yes we have. Agbor in Delta state and Ore in Ondo state. We have secured centres already.

    “No. It’s our belief that the Edo State Government being the guardian of the candidates can make such an arrangement & also provide security for them.

    “If push comes to show, we will go and wait for them. Our exam officials will be in Ore in Ondo and Agbor in Delta state in the centres designated for that exams on that day. Those that come we will conduct exams for them but we still believe that something is going to happen between now and tomorrow,” he said in a text message sent to our reporter.

    He explained that WAEC wrote a letter to INEC to allow the candidates and WAEC officials free movement on the day of the examination after proper accreditation.

    According to him, the request was turned down for security reasons, adding that the police insisted on restriction of movement on that day.

    He said: “We wrote to INEC headquarters in Abuja and copied the state INEC in Edo state, copied the commissioner of police alerting them that our mathematics paper is clashing with the election.

    “Our view was that they should exempt our examination officials who will be properly accredited and candidates who will also be identified, they should grant them exemption from the restriction of government on that day so that they can write the paper because the subject is a core subject. It is mathematics.

    “The next thing we got a reply from INEC and even the commissioner of police inviting us for a meeting in Benin City. That was on august 25th. I was at the meeting and then when we got to the meeting we discovered that they had already met on the level of inter-agency consultative committee on election in edo state and trashed our issue that WAEC should relocate the candidates to states that is closer to Edo state.

    “We told them that this thing is not workable. Because one, research has shown that when you move candidates from where they have prepared for exams to another state or where they have been writing exams to another location if affects them psychologically.

    “On Wednesday, on the 29th of august we got a letter INEC sent to us saying that the commission in liaison with the security operating in Edo state after our joint meeting with officials of the organization advised WAEC to relocate the candidates to any state that are… to Edo state. This position is borne out of the fact that movement of every Nigerian living in edo state will be restricted on the election Day and such security arrangement cannot be compromised.

    They said that they cannot grant our request for the exemption of examination functionaries and candidates from any movement on the day of the election so we were left with nothing. There is nothing else to do. The exam must be conducted. It is an international exam in the sense that the paper will be written in the Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, as well as in Nigeria at the same time.

    “We have one other thing to do since they don’t want a gathering on the election day because they said it will compromise election security for the sake of these children let us move these centres to neighbouring states- delta, and Ondo.

    “We are also pleading with the government. We are expecting that the government can shift ground and say okay, since there will be free movement on that day for eligible voters that the candidates can also be allowed to go and write the exam as long as they are properly identified. We are still expecting that to happen.”

  • INEC may conclude suspended Rivers elections in October

    INEC may conclude suspended Rivers elections in October

    Indications on Tuesday emerged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may conclude the suspended Federal and State Constituency elections in Rivers State in October, 2016.

    The National Commissioner in charge of Electoral Operations, Hajiya Amina Bala Zakari, dropped the hint recently when she addressed Stakeholders in Port Harcourt.

    The May 19 re-run elections were suspended at various stages due to violence.

    Zakari urged stakeholders, especially members of the political class to co-operate with the Commission in order to bring this about.

    She said that the Commission was worried that some parts of the Rivers State had no representation at the National and State Assemblies, hence the convening of the Stakeholders’ Forum to discuss issues emanating from the conduct of the May 19, 2016 re-run elections which were suspended as a result of violence.

    She said violence was evidence at various stages, including post-collation, pre-collation and during collation.

    Therefore, she further explained some “cooling off” period was allowed by the Commission to re-strategize on how to return to the affected areas to conclude the elections”. Hajiya Zakari informed the Forum consisting of political leaders and candidates of the 28 political parties that participated in the re-run elections that INEC was determined to conclude them and had earlier fixed the date on July 30. She regretted that it could not hold because of security reasons, non-compliance of the political class with the peace resolution signed by them and the arson which took place at INEC’s Bori Khana LGA Office on July 21st, 2016.

    She stated that in spite of the efforts of Mediators, the conditions earlier set as precedent for the conduct of the elections by the Commission were not met in Rivers State. She said that the elections in Imo and Kano States were conducted because they satisfied INEC’s conditions.

    She emphasized that INEC was non-partisan and was interested in strengthening Nigeria’s democracy by providing political parties and contestants a level playing field.

  • USAID commits fresh $4.1m to education in Borno

    USAID commits fresh $4.1m to education in Borno

    The government of the United State has committed fresh $4.1 million (N1.435billion) to address education crisis in Norther Eastern state of Borno that has been struggling with insurgency for a long time. It is coming through the United State Agency for International Development (USAID).
    The objective of these efforts is to provide assistance to approximately 60,000 internally displaced children and youth, ages 6 to 17, and their host communities.
    Consequently, this expansion into Borno state will open 150 non-formal learning centers that will provide access to schooling to nearly 6,000 internally displaced children and youth.
    Since early 2015, USAID’s Education Crisis Response activity has opened 408 non-formal learning centers, providing schooling to approximately 37,000 internally displaced children and youth.  The project has also trained 923 learning facilitators.
    Already active in the northeastern Nigerian states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, and Yobe, USAID’s expansion of its Education Crisis Response activity into Borno has been described as  a major milestone.
    This expansion adds to the $130 million of USAID’s humanitarian activities in northeast Nigeria since 2014.
    “The United States stands as a proud partner of the Nigerian people in their fight against violent extremism. Borno state is the epicenter of that fight,” said USAID Mission Director Michael Harvey.
    USAID Mission Director further added: “We will not shy away from our commitment to those hardest hit in this humanitarian crisis. Our expansion of education efforts into Borno indicates progress that we all can be proud of.”
    The ongoing conflict in Nigeria’s northeast has created a complex humanitarian and economic crisis that has affected millions of people.  Insurgents have targeted schools in local communities, disrupting teaching, constraining children’s access to schooling, and placing significant stress on the communities hosting displaced families fleeing violence in their home areas.  In response to this situation, USAID has supported local and state initiatives that are responding to the urgent educational needs of these children and youth.

  • Board: Medical council seeks exemption from dissolution

    Board: Medical council seeks exemption from dissolution

    The Nigeria Medical and Dental Council (NMDC), has  expressed concern with the way the board of the council was dissolved alongside other government parastatals and agencies.

    The council is pushing for a review of its establishing law that will exempt it from  government arbitrary dissolution.

    Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Medical and Dental Council (NMDC), Dr. Abdumumuni Ibrahim  said arbitrary dissolution of board hampers the council’s operations.

    The  council, he said, has been in abeyance since last July when the last board was dissolved by President Muhammadu Buhari alongside other boards of parastatals and agencies.

    Ibrahim said in the last one year,the council has received about 60 complains about medical practitioners and health facilitates but has been  unable to  investigate the cases due to the absence of board.

    He explained that by the  Act establishing the Council, it is only the board that can order an investigation and trial of practitioners.
    The way out he further explained is the review of the At, which the council is working on right now.

    He said: “The council is in abeyance. You all know very well that the journalist, last year in July the present government dissolved all boards of parastatals, including some commissions and councils that were not listed in the portion of the constitution of this country that includes this our… So currently it is the secretariat that works in conjunction with some aspects that requires clearance from the honorable minister of health.

    “Currently we are reviewing the Act, this will involve  presentation of all amendments and part of the amendment, we want the council to continue to exist in perpetuality,  that is the council should never be dissolved by the government, when boards of most of the parastatls are dissolved. Because, the council is made up of professionals and not politicians, so we are pleading with the government not to dissolve the council again.

    “So that whatever complain  made against practitioners can be promptly investigated and any doctor found wanting tried before the tribunal. So almost a year now the council has been in abeyance. Between then and now we have  received a lot of complaining against practitioners and this complaint cannot be investigated.

    “In the absence of the council, we report to the honorable minister when the council is in place, the chairman of the council lead the council and execute any policy that is formulated by the council decision. The implication of this dissolution is quite enormous because I made mention in my speech that we have disciplinary organs which includes the investigation panel and the medical and dental Tribunal. The investigative panel is the panel that investigates any complaints made against the doctors either practicing in public health institution, private health facility.”

  • FG orders for full investigation of global fund grants 

    FG orders for full investigation of global fund grants 

    Federal Government of Nigeria has directed the Anti-Corruption Agency, Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to commence full investigation of the allege misappropriation of Global Fund Grants Nigeria received from 2010 – 2014.

    In a statement signed by Mrs. Boade Akinola, Director Media & Public Relations, ministry of Health, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has set-up two high-powered investigative panels to look in to the affected programmes and the financial transactions.

    Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, and the Auditor General of the Federation – Mr Samuel Ukura  chair the two panels.

    Quoting the minister of Health, the statement stated, “President Muhammadu Buhari gave the directive as part of government’s effort and commitment to fight corruption in the country. The President has also directed the Secretary to the Government of Federation to review earlier audit reports from the Office of Inspector General (OIG)”.

    The first panel headed by Adewole will conduct in-depth review of all programmes,  while the Ukura panel was expected to review all financial transactions during the period. The two committees were expected to submit their reports within 4 weeks.

    “Mr President assured members of the international community that all funds received by Nigeria would be well utilised and accounted for under his watch to avoid national embarrassment”, he said.

    He further said that all indicted officials would be given fair hearing and those found guilty would be sanctioned to serve as deterrent to others.

    The recent OIG report by Global Fund indicted three agencies of Federal Government of Nigeria for misappropriation of specific intervention grants released.

     

  • INEC schedules CVR in Kogi, Bayelsa

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is to conduct Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in Kogi and Bayelsa States from 2nd to 7th September, 2015.
     
    The exercise is coming ‎ahead of the governorship election in the two States scheduled for 21st November and 5th December, 2015,
    The five-day exercise will afford an opportunity for three groups of eligible registrants to register in order to vote:
    ·      Those who were eligible but did not register before the 2015 General Elections;
    ·      Those who are eligible but whose names are not in the Voters’ Register, and
    ·      Those who have attained the age of eighteen (18) years since the last Voter Registration exercise.
    ·
    The CVR exercise will take place at the Local Government Area (LGA) level. It will also commence daily (during the scheduled five days of the exercise) from 8.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.
    On Friday last week, the Commission addressed stakeholders in Lokoja, Kogi state, urging prospective registrants to turn out in large numbers and to take advantage of the exercise to register in order to vote.  A similar stakeholders’ forum will be held on Thursday 27th, August, 2017 at Yenegoa, Bayelsa State.
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