NAN-HE-2
KOCCIMA
Aledare Akinwale
Lokoja, Sept 28, 2017 (NAN) Mr Rajan Suleiman, Director General of Kogi Chambers of Commerce and Industry(KOCCIMA), has commended the efforts of Federal Government to put smiles on faces of Nigerians.

Suleiman told the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) in Lokoja on Thursday that the new emphasis on agriculture was the best step taken by the government and this had made many Nigerians to go back to the farms.

He said that the economy had stagnated for more than three decades, but the economy had improved in the last quarter.

“The country is witnessing drastic growth in the economy because so many industries are springing up and this has helped to improve the economic recovery.

“Immediately this government came into power in 2015, politicians and the high and mighty in the society procured excessive dollars to import several things, but they ended up not importing any material.

“This was the major cause of the unbeaten increase in the dollar over the Nigerian currency, “he said.

Suleiman said that lives of ordinary Nigerians were now getting better, stressing that the economy was also gradually getting better.

“The prices of commodities are coming down over time, especially the foods being consumed by the common man, like garri.

“We are not where we want to be as a nation yet, but we are gradually getting there because the country is gradually moving out of recession and I am sure that by the end of this year, Nigerians will start to smile.”

He commended the Kogi State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr Yahaya Usman, for his expertise and initiative toward improving the economy of the state.

“We, KOCCIMA and the state ministry of commerce will be holding a trade fair in December this year, ” he said.

Suleiman said that the fair would be a time to invite farmers across the state to showcase all they had to the world and also seek market for them nationally and internationally to sell their products.

He said that it would also create awareness about products that were available in the state.(NAN)
WAL/AAB/TÁ

Edited By Adeboye Ajayi/Tajudeen Atitebi

NAN-AE-1
Warning
By Stanley Nwanosike
Enugu, Sept. 28, 2017 (NAN) Enugu State House of Assembly Committee on Petroleum Resources and Environmental Management, will ensure new fuel stations at wrong places in Enugu are shut.

The Chairman of the committee, Mr Obinna Okenwa, gave the assurance in Enugu on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Okenwa, who represents Enugu South Urban Constituency, warned against the siting of fuel stations  in residential areas.

He said the step to stop the siting of filling stations in residential areas was part of safety measures by the legislature and the state executive to ensure safe environment.

Okenwa said the committee was also working to ensure safe operating environments for petroleum and gas businesses in the state.

The chairman advised managers of oil and gas plants to be sensitive to the environment in carrying out their businesses and to ensure they did not compromise safety rules.

“The government and the state house of assembly will continue to provide conducive environment for oil and gas businesses to thrive.

“I must commend Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for providing an enabling environment for the petroleum sector to thrive in the state,’’ Okenwa added.

The chairman said his committee would embark on a sensitisation campaign to enlighten owners of fuel stations on how to operate their plants to prevent fire outbreaks.

“The sensitisation will enshrine best practices and how to use state-of-the-art equipment to forestall infernos and ugly developments,’’ he said. (NAN)
KSN/OFN/AEA/JCE
==============

Edited by Felix Nwadioha/Archibong Asuquo

NAN-DS-5

Employment

By Dada Ahmed

Lokoja, Sept.27, 2017 (NAN) The Kogi State Association of People Living With Disabilities has appealed to the State Government to employ some of the association’s members as Informants in the state’s Vigilance Group.

The Chairman of the association, Mr Ibrahim Arome, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja on Wednesday.

Arome said the association had many members with proven integrity and expertise on security matters in spite of their disabilities, assuring that the knowledge could immensely help toward curbing crime in the state.

“It is a fact that we don’t have able legs and hands, but our physical challenges do not affect our brain.

“We have eyes and ears and we can observe the security terrain in our environment and report suspicious movements to the security agents for prompt action.

“However, we may not be able to perform effectively unless we are part of the security organisation,’’ he said.

According to him, the recent high rate of kidnapping, armed robbery and other forms of insecurity in the state have been a source of worry to the association.

The chairman, however, commended the Gov. Yahaya Bello administration for putting various measures in place to check the menace.

He said tackling security challenges in the state should be a collective responsibility, adding that persons with disabilities, too, could play vital role toward ensuring peace in the area.

He also lauded the State Government and the Federal Government for appointing persons with disabilities into decision-making positions.

Arome said by such appointments, the APC-led government had given a sense of belonging to the physically challenged in the society and further confirmed that  “there is ability in disability’’.

He urged members of the public to stop discriminating against persons with disabilities, stressing that physically challenged persons were also capable of contributing to the development of the society.

Kogi came to limelight in recent times, following a wave of crime, especially kidnapping, a development that prompted the state government to order the demolition of some houses harbouring suspected criminals in some hideouts in the state. (NAN)

DUA/AMY/AMY

Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf

NAN-S-7

Tennis

By Franklin Ohaegbu

Lagos, Sept. 26, 2017 (NAN) Barely 29 days in IMG Tennis Academy in US, Nigerian tennis prodigy, Marylove Edwards, opened her first American account, edging past her opponent, Nina Sidhu, 6-0, 6-1 to win the USTA Celsius Level 6 girls’ 14 & Under tournament.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the game she won helped claim her first trophy on US soil.

The final was the climax of a competition where she dominated, winning all her matches convincingly in two sets apiece.

On her way to the final, Marylove defeated Anastasiia Pestereva in the round of sixteen in two straight sets of 6-3, 6-2.

She followed up on her remarkable form, beating Nicole Ciemark in a 6-0, 6-1 in the quarter finals before ensuring her place in the final with a 6-2, 6-0 defeat of Stella Rundova.

With support from her Lagos-based pan-African talent agency, Temple Management Company (TMC), the twelve year-old has been on a roll.

The organisation focuses on harnessing and marketing creatively endowed individuals and has been propelling the career of the Nigerian sensation.

After a one week training stint at the IMG Academy, Florida US in April, Marylove returned to Nigeria to shock keen observers of the Nigerian tennis circuit.

NAN reports that she emerged as the first junior to make it to the finals of the CBN Women Seniors.

On close observation, IMG founder, Nick Bolletieri singled out Marylove for her unique double-fisted style.

His words, “Now this young girl is very different: super athlete. Very handy. Only a few can get away with that style.”

Committed to her development, TMC was able to secure financing to help the starlet return to IMG Academy to begin a full academic session in September at the prestigious tennis intuition.

The tennis institution which has produced the likes of the Serena and Venus Williams, Andre Agassi and Monica Seles among others.

Speaking from her IMG Academy base, Marylove expressed her excitement at her new achievement.

“I have been training very hard since I started at IMG and was so happy to win my first trophy,” said an excited Marylove.

Also, TMC Head of Sports, Koye Sowemimo, in a statement on Tuesday said “we are focused on our commitment to ensure that Marylove continues to make progress.

“And such as her latest triumph both on and off the court.

“This is a great step in that direction and we firmly believe it is just the beginning of what we will be a great future for her, ” Sowemimo said. (NAN)

FOE/WOJ
=======
(Edited by Wale Ojetimi)

NAN-AE-6
Honey
By Kudirat Musa
Abuja, Sept. 26, 2017 (NAN) An official of Sehai Food Ltd., Mr Segun Thomas, has urged Nigerians to always consume pure organic honey produced in the country to enjoy healthy living.

Thomas made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at ongoing Agrik Expo and Nigerian Agribussiness Group (NABG) conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said that apart from healthy living, honey also helped in preventing all kind of diseases.

Thomas, who is the Business Development and Sales Lead for the company, added that consumption of the pure organic honey had different health benefits such as prevention of cancer, heart disease, increase in athletic performance, healing of cough and throat irritation.

He said that honey could also be used to manage sleep disorder (insomnia), heal wound, burn, boost sexual performance, improve and rejuvenate skill cells.

Other uses are reduction of ulcers and other gastrointestinal disorder.

According to him, some Nigerians are importing honey from South Africa, China, U.S., which may turn out to be adulterated and can be dangerous for citizen’s health because most of them are collection of sugar syrup.

“Some also collect maize syrup that has been put together; unfortunately it is falling below the standard of Nigeria to determine what good honey should be.

“The Nigerians will see our honey in the shop and be comparing it with foreign ones which are not of the same standard due to Nigerians madness for foreign goods.

“Though, the local honey keepers need to improve on their production to meet the demand and should also improve on their packages,’’ he said.

Thomas said that the business of honey production was still very fallow and unstructured in the country.

“I believe there is a lot of potential in the bee keeping business presently in Nigeria which is not fully exploited.

“I feel that the Federal Government can come in, in terms of funding bee keeping business, providing low or no interest rate for the sector so that we can expand the business.

“Apart from that, the Federal Government can also provide training to build the capacity of the bee keepers.

“Nigeria should not have any business importing honey; we should be producing enough honey in Nigeria to feed ourselves,’’ he added.

Thomas said that Nigeria’s honey is 100 per cent natural and pure organic, adding if well packaged, it could compete with any international honey.

“Our honey here has been certified by SON and NAFDAC for its uniqueness and being genuine.

“We are careful, we do not pasteurised by heating it, by heating means you have de-nature the honey.

“We only filter using ultrafine to remove all impurity and the wax on the honey to get it 100 per cent natural,’’ he said.

NAN reports that pasteurisation is a process of purification used in the food industry, which subjects the materials to intense heat for a short period. (NAN)
ROK/APA/KM/GY
==============
Edited by Kabir Muhammad/Grace Yussuf

NGO sensitise teenagers against early pregnancy

NAN-H-25

Teenage

By Oluwakemi Oladipo and Omowunmi Alake

Lagos,Sept. 24,2017(NAN) Stand To End Rape (STER), an NGO, on Sunday sensitised over 50 teenage boys and girls at Bogije Community in Ibeju Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State on prevention of sexual violence and early pregnancy.

STER Executive Director, Ayodeji Osowobi, told participants at Bogije Primary Health Centre that the campaign woud also help parents and community leaders in protecting the girls against early pregnancy so as not to jeopardise their future.

“To enhance their knowledge on dangers of having unprotected sex which leads to unwanted pregnancy,stigma and unsafe abortion.

“We decided to come to this community because we have many records of teenage pregnancy between 12 and 15 years old in this community​.

“We discovered that most of them are sexually active because they do not have information on sexual prevention,” Osowobi said.

She said that teenagers needed right education and information about sexual and reproductive health to make right decisions.

“That is the main reason why we visit different local governments on how the teenagers can protect themselves from sexual violence and teenage pregnancy.

“We need government intervention and support by creating more awareness and public enlightenment on sexual violence and teenage pregnancy.

“This is because information and education are necessary to reduce the risk of abortion and other sexual and reproductive health problems that occur among teenagers,” Osowobi said.

She urged both federal and state governments to improve judicial systems in order to fast track all cases in court , especially rape cases.

Mr Edosa Oviawe, spokesman of IPAS Nigeria, an NGO, said that causes of teenage pregnancy were lack of access to sexual and reproductive health education and services.

“Girls who have received low amount of education are five times more likely to become a mother than those with higher levels of education.

“According to National Health Service (NHS), 7.3 million girls become pregnant before the age of 18 each year worldwide.

“We have more numbers of teenage pregnancy nowadays because most of them are ignorance.

“Teenage pregnancy increased when girls are denied the right to make decisions about their sexual health and well-being.

“Child marriage is a key factor of teenage pregnancy; approximately 90 per cent of births by teenage mothers in developing countries occur within marriage,” Oviawe said.

He called on government to introduce comprehensive sexual education to schools curriculum.

“Every sexual education you give to teenagers will reduce the number of teenage pregnancy.
“Parents should also be free with their children by educating them on abstinence from any sexual activities,” he said.

Chief Sharafa Musudiku,the traditional ruler of Bogije, thanked the organisers for the sensitization campaign against teenage pregnancy in his community

Musudiku advised that parents should allow their female children attain maturity and better education before given them in marriage.

NAN reports that STER is a youth-led organisation founded in 2014 to end all forms of sexual violence and abuse through education and advocacy.

STER offers free medical, legal and psychological services and empowers every victims.(NAN)

AOI/OKG/WOJ
(Edited by Wale Ojetimi)

NAN-H-14
Strike
Lokoja, Sept. 23, 2017 (NAN) The organised labour in Kogi has called on prominent traditional rulers in the state to intervene in the ongoing industrial dispute in the state.
The Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) made the call in a statement issued in Lokoja on Saturday.

The unions said their call for the intervention of the traditional rulers followed a recent charge given by President Muhammadu Buhari to traditional to mount pressure on state governors to pay workers’ salary.

According to the statement signed by Mr Olakunle Faniyi, Mr Kolawole James and Mr Isah Abubakar of TUC, NLC and JPSNC respectively, the traditional rulers cannot turn their face the other way when thousands of their subjects are dying avoidable death.

Workers in the state embarked on strike on Sept. 22, demanding payment of outstanding salary arrears and leave bonuses, among others.

The workers called on the Kogi government to set up a team to dialogue with them over their demands instead of embarking on propaganda.

Faniyi, James and Abubakar also frowned at the use of threat, intimidation and dishing out of outright falsehood about their dispute by the agents of the state government.

According to them, the threat of no work no pay in a circular sent to ministries, departments and agencies by Mrs Folashade Ayoade, the Secretary to the State Government, will not in any way make the workers to abandon the struggle.

Mr Kingsley Fanwo, Director-General, Media and Publicity to the governor, in a statement insisted that the signatories to the labour’s letter to the government were not civil servants in the state.

Also, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the state government to quickly resolve its industrial dispute with the labour.

Mr Bode Ogunmola, the Publicity Secretary of the party in a statement, urged government to make workers’ welfare a priority and halt what he called the gradual trend of the state to stagnation.

He urged government to urgently address the workers’ grievances and refrain from the temptation to criminalise or politicise the strike.(NAN)
PR/KKA/KAY
==========

Edited by Kayode Olaitan

NAN-H-77
Strike
Lokoja, Sept. 22, 2017 (NAN) The ongoing indefinite strike by workers in Kogi has stopped all activities at government secretariat in the state, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Some workers of government establishments in Lokoja complied with the shun-work-order issued to them by the leaderships of the Trade Union Congress and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

NAN reports that public offices were under lock and key by workers, a development which frustrated attempts of some directors and management staff to enter their offices.

The indefinite strike also paralysed activities at the state broadcasting corporation, waterworks, while senior secondary schools across the state refused to open.

Students of public senior secondary schools were seen returning after waiting for teachers and non-teaching staff to no avail.

Residents have also been thrown to panic and fear as houses had started experiencing shortage of water since early hours of Friday due to the strike.

The organised labour had on Sept. 21 directed workers to stay off their duty posts following the alleged state government’s refusal to honour their demands as contained in a seven-day strike notice served on Sept.14.

The workers are demanding full payment of their arrears of salary and allowances, leave bonus, yearly incremental and promotion arrears, among others.

They are also kicking against the introduction of clock in, clock out policy introduced by the state government which they described as punitive and an attempt to witch-hunt workers.

But Mr Kingsley Fanwo, Director-General, Media and Publicity to the state governor described the strike action as a failure, insisting that most workers reported for duty.

In his reaction, the state secretary of the NLC, Mr Olaniyi Fakunle said the strike was actually called at the request of the workers.

He said the strike would be grim later when basic education, health and local government workers would have joined.

Fakunle reiterated that workers would stay-off work indefinitely until government showed willingness to dialogue with them and honour their demands.(NAN)
KKA/MTM/KAY
===========

Edited by Tukur Muntari/Kayode Olaitan

NIS advises against patronising touts for passport application
NAN-H-42
Passport
By Adepote Arowojobe
Lagos, Sept. 22, 2017 (NAN) The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has advised the public against patronising touts or agents in processing application for passport.
The Assistant Comptroller General of Immigration (ACG) in charge of Zone A, Mr Ishaku Hamad, gave the advice during a parley with journalists on Thursday in Lagos.
Hamad urged the public to apply online and submit completed application form as well as proof of payment to the passport office for processing.
According to him, the Comptroller General of Immigration, Muhammed Babandede, has provided additional equipment and posted more officials to Lagos due to the high demand for passport in the area.
“Henceforth, there will be no more delay in the issuance of passport in all the passport offices.
“The Comptroller General has posted some senior officers from the headquarters with enough working materials to ease passport delivery in Lagos Zone,” Hamad said.
Also speaking, Passport Control Officer, Ikoyi, Lagos, Segun Adegoke, said that the online application was a “smooth and seamless process’’ aimed at facilitating quick delivery of passport.
Adegoke assured that passport should be ready for collection 24 hours after capturing the applicant’s data once all supporting documents, including proof of online payment, were provided.
“Here in Ikoyi Passport Office, we ensure due diligence and there is no deliberate attempt to delay the process.
“We run a transparent service for a smooth process; since it is computer-based, you don’t have to know anybody before you process a passport; you can do it yourself.
“We have sufficient materials to ensure that there is no more delay in issuing the passport,’’ Adegoke said.
Sunday James, NIS National spokesman, also urged the public to avoid touts who posed as immigration agents to dupe unsuspecting passport applicants. (NAN)
ADEX/WOJ
=========
(Edited by Wale Ojetimi)

NAN-H-26

Festival

By Chimezie Anaso

Awka, Sept. 22, 2017 (NAN) Uju Nwogu, Commissioner for Sports and Youth Entrepreneurship, Anambra, has inaugurated the Main Organising Committee (MOC) and subcommittees for the 9th Anambra Sports Festival.

The Festival is billed to commence on Oct. 9.

Inaugurating the committees on Friday in Awka, Nwogu called on members of the committees to do their best for the event to be the best of its kind in history of Anambra.

She said the game was in line with the administration of Gov. Willie Obiano’s resolve to give attention to the development and empowerment of youths through sports.

Some of the subcommittees inaugurated include; Technical, Ceremonial/Entertainment, Facilities/Venues, Protocol, Media and Publicity, Secretarial/Documentation.

Others are;Marketing, Finance/Store, Medical and Disciplinary.

In his remark, the Chairman of MOC, Basil Eze, a veteran handball coach, promised that the committees would work assiduously to ensure that the noble aim of the festival is achieved.

Eze also urged the various subcommittees to commence work in earnest for a successful competition.(NAN)

APC/YMU/DUA

Edited by Dada Ahmed