Author: Isah Mukhtar

Apapa-Wharf Road to be opened to traffic on Thursday, says official
NAN-H-56
Road
By Grace Alegba/Chioma Arazu
Lagos, March 7, 2018 (NAN) The Section One of the ongoing Apapa Wharf Road project undergoing reconstruction is completed and will be opened to traffic on Thursday, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

A very senior engineer from AG Dangote Construction Company Ltd.,  involved in handling the project confirmed this to NAN on Wednesday in Lagos.

The engineer said that the section had been completed and was being “cleaned to be opened to traffic tomorrow.

“Section One is completed and will be opened to traffic tomorrow. This job is a very careful project and a lot of work has gone into it.

“We are working on Section 2 and we have started placing concrete. On Sections 3 and 4, we are doing earthworks,” the engineer who preferred anonymity said.

NAN reports that Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, had on June 17, 2017, signed a N4.34 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AG Dangote Construction Company Ltd., and other stakeholders for the reconstruction of the four-kilometre Apapa-Wharf Road.

The road was however closed to traffic to allow for construction on July 7, 2017, after deliberations with various stakeholders.

The project is being funded by AG Dangote Construction Company Ltd., the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Flour Mills of Nigeria.

The engineer, however, noted that the challenges on the project were “still the same, that of utility relocation on the Right of Way (RoW)”.

NAN also reports that work on the  two kilometres of the project under construction had been  divided into four sections.

A NAN correspondent who visited the site reports that Section One which is a distance of about 500 metres had been cleaned from rubbles and construction materials.

Crash barriers had  been painted with red and white colours to demarcate the entire lane on the Ijora/CMS bound carriageway.

On Section Two of the project which is another distance of about 500 metres, workmen were seen using concrete laying machines to lay cement mix over iron rods on the same carriageway.

Workmen were also seen excavating some portions on Section Three, a distance of about 350 metres. (NAN)
GA/CARA/ENN/PAD
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Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Peter Dada

Gov. Bello directs arrest of suspects in Okene, Okehi, Adavi violence
NAN-H-82
Arrest
Lokoja, March 6, 2018 (NAN) Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi has directed the arrest of suspects in the recent attacks on some political leaders in Okene, Adavi and Okehi local government areas.

In a statement in Lokoja on Tuesday, the governor said he would ensure that the perpetrators faced justice.

The statement, signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mrs Petra Akinti–Onyegbule, condemned the attack, saying it was unacceptable.

“The governor has since directed the relevant security agencies to ensure a thorough investigation into the allegations and bring the perpetrators and their sponsors to justice.

“This is irrespective of political parties or personalities involved,” she said.

According to her, the governor has raised a high-powered delegation led by his Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Sadiq Ohere, to visit the victims to express government’s condolences to them.

“This is in pursuance of lasting peace and tranquillity in the land, and to reassure them of his commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and property of every resident of Kogi State,” Akinti-Onyegbule added.

She said that the special adviser had since commenced visits to the homes of those affected, including members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who were allegedly attacked, to give them support.

“This government will not condone any form of crime or violence in any part of the state, the government is responsible for the security of lives and property of all residents of Kogi, irrespective of political affiliation,” he said.

He said that perpetrating violence in the name of political support and thuggery was alien to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the culture of the people of the state.

The governor stated further that his administration would not condone any act of violence or attack against innocent and law abiding citizens.

He refuted allegations that the APC masterminded the violence and advised the PDP to stop playing to the gallery.

He assured the PDP and other political parties in the state that his government would never indulge in political violence, urging them to stop playing politics with security.

Bello appealed to people to embrace peace, unity, love for one another while going about their normal businesses without fear. (NAN)

Violence erupted in Okene on March 3 during an empowerment programme sponsored by a lawmaker.

It however escalated to Okehi and Adavi local government areas on Sunday during which hoodlums unleashed mayhem on political rivals in the areas.
KKA/JIE/IA
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Edited by Julius Enehikhuere/Idris Abdulrahman

Okene violence escalates, houses, vehicles vandalised at Adavi, Okehi LGs
NAN–H–94
Violence
Lokoja, March 5, 2018 (NAN) The political violence that erupted in Okene area of Kogi on March 3 has spread to Okehi and Adavi local government areas with many houses vandalised and several people injured.

Some of the victims of the violence told newsmen on Monday in a telephone interview that the armed and masked men moved about in four vehicles, attacking them from late Saturday night till the early hours of Sunday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that seven houses and nine vehicles, including a motorcycle, were vandalised by the hoodlums in both local government areas.

Three persons were also injured by the attackers in Okehi area.

Among the victims were a two-term member of the House of Representatives, Abdulkarim Salihu, Mr Jude Sule, the state Financial Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) and the Chairman of the party in Okehi, Mr Adinoyi Aroke.

Other victims include the immediate past council leader of Adavi Local Government, Mr John Adebisis , Mr Yakubu Isiaka, the PDP youth leader in Okehi and one other person simply identified as Haruna.

Both Isiaka and Haruna were among seriously injured by their attackers.

Narrating his experience, a victim, Salihu said he was attacked at his house at Oboroke, Ihima, Okehi Local Government Area at about 11:30 p.m.

He said that he immediately called the police who arrived promptly, saying that the hoodlums had vandalised four vehicles including a Jeep and the house before policfe arrival.

Salihu, a legislator, said that the timely arrival of policemen saved him and members of his family from the attackers.

He alleged that some members of a political party were behind the attack, saying that he had mentioned their names in a petition to the Commissioner of Police.

According to him, the attackers came to his house at Oziokutu in Ogaminana area of Adavi Local Government Area at about 12 midnight.

He said that the suspected political thugs were able to get into his compound but could not gain entrance into the main building, saying that they vandalised the building, a motorcycle and also made away with another motorcycle.

The violence erupted in Okene at about 9 a.m. on March 3, when armed hoodlums invaded AFIMS Hotel, venue of an empowerment programme organized by Sen. Ahmed Ogembe.

Reacting, the Divisional Police Officer of Okehi Local Government, SP Clement George, confirmed the incidents but said that the situation had been brought under control.

George also said that the matter had been transferred to the police Criminal Investigation Department at Lokoja, the state capital. ( NAN)
KKA/IA
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FAO praises Nigeria’s strides in reducing emission from deforestation
NAN-AE-11
Praise
Abuja, March, 5, 2018 (NAN) Officials of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have commended Nigeria for its strides toward becoming a full-fledged ‘‘Reduced Emissions from Deforestation’’ (REED) and forest project nation.

Marieke Sandker, FAO Forest Officer and Forest Reference Level (FRL) Technical Officer in Rome, gave the commendation at a workshop on ‘‘Reference Emission Level, Methodology and Submission’’ in Abuja on Monday.

She said participation in REED+Forest Reference Emission Level and/or Forest Reference Level was one of the elements countries needed to develop to partake in REDD+.

‘‘Nigeria and 34 other countries, which include Tanzania, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guyana, Mexico, Nepal, Mozambique and Ghana, have complied with the dynamic process.’’

Sandker lauded government and non-governmental stakeholders for reviewing the document, which she said had been submitted to the UN-REDD Policy Board (UPB) for further action.

She stated that the document was being examined to determine what inputs to generate the needed level of emission.

The officer noted that the review of the document had become imperative because it would be submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for further deliberation.

Sandker stated that UNFCCC had defined the FREL/FRLs as benchmarks for assessing each country’s performance in implementing REDD+ activities.

The UNFCCC is an international environmental treaty adopted on May 9, 1992 and opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from June 3 to 14, 1992.

Mr Jonathan Robberts, Forest Expert, FAO, Roam, noted that Nigeria had been pro-active in meeting the country’s obligations to the UNFCCC.

He recalled that the United Nations adopted the Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992 “With the realisation of the potential dangers of global warming and the consequent socio-economic implications to the whole world.

‘‘The objective of the Convention is to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with climate system.’’

He said due to the implications of the convention’s decisions, REDD+ had enumerated five eligible activities that developing countries must implement to reduce emissions and enhance removals of greenhouse gases.

The activities include reducing emissions from deforestation, reducing emissions from forest degradation, conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

Roberts explained that the workshop was working toward submitting a clean note to the UNFCCC.

Mr John Fonweban, FAO Forest officer REED+ Programme, said that FAO was determined to develop a National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS) capable of measuring the status and evolution of forest resources in compliance with the requirements of the UNFCCC for Nigeria.

He said that the goal of FAO on the programme was to enable Nigeria to contribute to climate change mitigation through improved forest conservation and enhancing sustainable community livelihoods.

Fonweban said the organisation had embarked on this by using Cross River as a demonstration model with the building of a REDD+ mechanism in the state.

‘‘The programme is structured in four outcomes; two at the federal level and two focusing on Cross River State,’’ he said.

He said the workshop was designed to improve the institutional and technical capacity at the national level.

He said that FAO had supported the Federal Government to develop its REDD+ readiness process by expanding the process initiated at Cross River through a UN REDO Programme to Nassarawa and Ondo states.

Fonweban disclosed that parts of the readiness funds had been allocated to undertake forest land cover/land use mapping and change detection for the entire country.

He gave assurance that FAO would continue to support the implementation of the activity through a Technical Assistance Agreement signed with the Federal Government.

Stakeholders across the country are expected to generate activity data and create national mosaic for Nigeria. (NAN)
FHO/MOL/IA
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Idris Abdulrahman
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NAN-H-79
Anniversary
By Chukwudi Ekezie
Abuja, March 5, 2018 (NAN) Mr Bayo Onanuga, the Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja on Monday inaugurated the planning committee for the celebration of the agency’s 40th anniversary.

Established by law in 1976, NAN began operations on Oct. 2, 1978, through the circulation of news to the Nigerian media and by Oct. 2, it will be 40 years of service to the nation.

Onanuga said while inaugurating the committee that he had interacted with other news agencies in Africa and found that NAN had stood out and shown class over the past 40 years.

“No other agency is as relevant as NAN; we have to blow our trumpet,’’ he said, adding: “I am proud to be part of the celebration.”

Onanuga said although the celebration was coming at an austere period in the life of the agency, “we must do something symbolic and relevant.’’

The managing director said the committee was not limited in its assignment and that it could consider commissioning the writing and presentation of a book about NAN as well as organising a lecture for the celebration.

The committee is headed by Mr Joe Bankole, Special Assistant  to the Managing Director on Social Media.

Other members are Mrs Nkechi Okoronkwo, Managing Editor/Director (State Operations), Mr Chukwudi Ekezie, Managing Editor/Director (Production/Quality Control), Mr Biola Lawal, Director (Marketing), and Mr Obiora Chukwumba, General Manager, NAN BIZCOM. (NAN)
JCE/NKO/NKO
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NAN-AE-3
Potato
Abuja, March 5, 2018 (NAN) The Federal Government has expressed its willingness to support Irish potato farmers toward increasing their productivity and modifying the value chain in 2018.

Chief Daniel Okafor, the National President, Potato Farmers Association of Nigeria (POFAN), dropped the hint in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

He said that the government had already put the association into its programme and ready to distribute disease-resistant seeds to the farmers.

Okafor stressed the need for potato farmers to capture their data, including the size of their farm, location and the number of existing farmers.

According to him, government is going to give every state what it deserves to increase potato production.

“It is not going to be business as usual because farmers will be working with the Central Bank of Nigeria and Bank of Agriculture.

“All the government is going to do is allocate certain amount of money to Irish potato value chain products, give farm inputs, tractors and create tractor-hiring centre in each local government.

“Government does not want to manage it but ready to give stakeholders to encourage the farmers to form cooperative within them so as to access loans and farm inputs.

“The company we are going to use will control the tractors as a centre.

“In that centre, we will have people in-charge of mechanisation, all types of inputs, irrigation pump, disease control and anything that is going to help us,’’ he said.

Okafor said that whenever farmers needed anything like fund and technical services, the centre would provide the support.

“The company that is buying our produce will come and buy at our price and after buying; the centre will collect the money and give us our balance.

“The centre will serve as a link between farmers and the company, so that farmers will not be cheated,’’ Okafor said. (NAN)

ROK/FLP/MNA

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Edited by Folorunso Poroye/Maureen Atuonwu

Thugs invade Senator Ogembe’s empowerment event

NAN – H –

Attack

Okene ( Kogi) , March 3, 2018 ( NAN) Hoodlums today invaded the venue of the  empowerment programme, organised by Senator Ahmed Ogembe  for women in Okene, Kogi state.

The Afims Hotel venue was already filled up  by guests , party members and the would-be-beneficiaries of the empowerment programme, when the hoodlums came calling, wielding dangerous weapons, attacking  people and disrupting the seating arrangement for the event.

The few security men at the hotel were said to have been overwhelmed by the thugs, who scattered tables and chairs and triggered a bedlam.

The thugs said to be armed with dangerous weapons searched frantically for Ogembe who is representing Kogi Central Senatorial district but could not lay hands on him.

Ogembe of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) was said to be a few meters away from the hotel when the thugs came.

The thugs later fled the hotel in different directions to escape arrest.

However, many guests, some political associates of Ogembe and  beneficiaries of the empowerment programme were injured during the bedlam.

Ogembe who later showed up at the venue ordered that the injured be taken to hospital for treatment and appealed to the remaining people at the venue to remain calm.

The Senator , after due consultation with his party members announced that the ceremony must hold.

Addressing journalists , Ogembe said that the incident had been reported to the police.

Attempts made to get the police to comment on the incident proved abortive as calls made to the telephone line of the state police command spokesman, ASP William Aya were not answered.

One thousand and two hundred  women from five local governments of Adavi, Okene, Okehi, Ajaokuta and Ogori -Magongo , making up the senatorial district were selected to benefit from the programme.

Senator Ogembe gave each  woman  N20,000 to start a  business.

The Senator explained that the gesture was a follow up to an earlier one during which tricycles, motorcycles, grinding machines, generators, sewing machines and other valuable items were given to 1,000 people.

He said that he had also  sunk 35 motorized boreholes,  fitted with overhead tanks in the five local government areas in the district.

The senator urged the beneficiaries and communities where the projects were sited to make the best use of them. ( NAN)
KKA /
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Kogi APC Chairman, other exco members expelled from  party

NAN-H-79
Expulsion
Lokoja, March 2, 2018 ( NAN) The Chairman of the Kogi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) , Alhaji Hadi Ametuo and other members of his executive have been expelled from the party.

The Acting state Chairman of the party, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahovi announced the expulsion of Ametuo and others during a press conference in Lokoja on Friday.

Ahovi, who is leading a faction of the party loyal to Gov. Yahaya Bello, said the expulsion was with immediate effect.

According to him, the action became necessary following Ametuo’s failure to appeal the decision of the North Central Zonal Executive of the party which had earlier pronounced him guilty of anti-party activities and recommended his expulsion to the national body.

He said that Ametuo-led executive failed to appeal the decision within 14 days as stipulated by the constitution of the party, saying that the failure to abide by the provision meant consent.

Ahovi said that the party would not hesitate to get Ametuo arrested and charged with impersonation should he fail to stop parading himself as the state chairman of the party.

The factional chairman thereafter inaugurated other new state executive members of the party to replace those expelled.

Ahovi, was until now the state Vice Chairman of the party.

He condemned the recent formation of a body, Save Kogi Group, saying that members of the group were only out to cause disaffection, disunity, hatred among the people of the state.

However, in his reaction to the announcement the embattled chairman described his purported expulsion as illegal and unconstitutional.

Ametuo, who spoke to journalists on phone from Abuja, said that the faction led by was not known to the National Working Committee of the party.

He described members of Ahovi faction as “political jobbers who are only out to frustrate the ongoing efforts to reconcile aggrieved members of the party nationwide.

Ametuo said that the faction was not also conversant with the constitution of the party, saying that state working committee has no power to expel but to suspend which is also subject to the NEC ratification.

The Chairman advised members of the party to remain calm and be law abiding, saying that the action of the faction should not be seen as an opportunity to aggravate the crisis in the party.  ( NAN)
KKA /YAZ
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08033702984

NAN – H –58

Registration

Lokoja, March 1, 2018 ( NAN) The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) says its allegation of double registration against Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi State still stands.

“The allegation of double registration has not been swept under the carpet; we cannot prosecute Bello now because he enjoys immunity as a sitting governor.

“He has committed an offence and we shall prosecute him when he is out office,” INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kogi, Prof. James Apam, said in Lokoja on Thursday.

He said that the recent issuance of a temporary voter’s card to the governor did not mean that the issue of double registration had been swept under the carpet.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that INEC had, on Feb. 26, issued a temporary voter’s card to the governor after applying for the transfer of his permanent card from Abuja to Okene.

INEC last year declared the second registration done by Bello, on May 23 at the Government House, Lokoja as illegal and contrary to the Electoral Act.

The electoral body, through one of its Federal Commissioners, Mr Emmanuel Shoyebi, said that the registration, which was done outside the designated registration centre, also amounted to double registration which is a criminal offence.

Shoyebi said that Bello did his first registration at Wuse Zone 11 in Abuja, on Jan. 30, 2011.

For their involvement in the double registration saga, a senior official of INEC was compulsorily retired from service while two others were summarily dismissed last month.

Apam, however, explained that a temporary voter’s card was issued to the governor based on legal advice, saying that the governor would surely face the consequences of his crime at the appropriate time.

He said that INEC’s legal advisers had advised the electoral body not to deny Bello his right to vote and be voted for since he could not be tried at the moment.

On the ongoing Continued Voters Registration exercise, Apam said that INEC had registered 176,866 new voters in Kogi between April 2017 and February, 2018.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner said that the new registrants comprised of 90,553 male voters and 86,313 female voters.

During the period, he said that the organisation had transferred 7,169 permanent voter’s cards and replaced 9,400 lost or defaced cards.

Similarly, INEC said it distributed 57,148 permanent cards to their owners within the same period, while 202,289 voter cards were still uncollected.

Apam restated INEC’s readiness to conduct a free and acceptable election in 2019, urging all stakeholders to help in achieving that. ( NAN)
KKA/ETS

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Edited by Ephraims Sheyin

NAN-H-20
Road
By Grace Alegba
Lagos, March 1, 2018 (NAN) Some road users in Lagos on Thursday appealed to the Lagos State Government to put in place measures to prevent accidents and gridlock on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway under construction.

The road users told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that debris from excavations in the construction site had further narrowed the highway, posing danger.

They called for warning signs to avert accidents and reduce gridlock.

Mr Dayo Ogunware, a civil engineer in Shasha area of the state, said that the construction was not being properly managed.

He urged engineers on the site to adopt safety measures.

“I feel that the engineers and other workers on the site are not adopting the right measures.

“By standard, jersey barriers are meant to be used to prevent pedestrian from impending hazard around the excavations made for line drains.

“This was not taken into consideration; it is, therefore, risking the lives of commuters on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway,’’ he told NAN .

Ogunware  added that some trenches were without proper safety signs to warn of dangers ahead.

“The project engineers are not managing space because excavated materials have taken more than half of the road.

“Materials that are not in use should be carried away from the construction zone,” he said.

Ogunware also appealed for suspension of construction at the site at daytime to reduce gridlock.

A civil servant who lives in Ayobo, Mr Dapo Aromasodu, appealed to the state government to speed up the construction to reduce hardship.

Aromasodu also called for warning signs to prevent accidents.

A businessman in Ayobo, Mr Kolawole Olofintunyi, advised that drains should be constructed before any other aspect of the project.

Olofintunyi said that abandoning construction of drains halfway on some sections was increasing travel time on the road.

A health worker, Mrs Eunice Omotayo, also called for enough safety signs to avert accidents and reduce heavy traffic.

“They should remove all those heaps of sand, and put warning signals so that vehicles would not go over them.

“People can also fall into the gutters,” she said.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor under construction on Lagos-Abeokuta Road

An estate agent in Iyana Ipaja, Mr Seun Akinola, also appealed to the contractor to clear the debris from excavations which, he said, had covered almost one lane of the road.

A NAN correspondent, who took a trip to the highway, saw heaps of excavated construction materials between Dopemu and Cement Bus Stops on the Oshodi-bound carriageway. (NAN)
GA/ENN/IGO
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Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Ijeoma Popoola