NAN-H-57

INEC
By Segun Giwa

Owo,(Ondo state) Dec.21, 2016 (NAN) Chief Rotimi Akeredolu, the Governor-elect of Ondo State , said on Wednesday that the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) was moving toward the level of acceptable elections in the country.

Akeredolu, who won the Nov. 26 governorship election in the state on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said this during an interview with newsmen in Owo.

NAN also reports that the 30 days for contention of the result under the electoral had law passed with no petition filed at the tribunal.

Akeredolu commended the maturity of his fellow contestants, especially his major contestants; from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Alliance for Democracy (AD), for not challenging his victory at the tribunal.

“They must be commended. They have shown that they are true sportsmen,” he said

“I will not have to pay for legal services, but whether I like it or not, it conserves money. It is a welcome development in the interest of the state and my personal interest too.

“My party feels everything was free and fair and i am sure most of my other contestants too saw it that way.

He added that their action showed that the election was truly free, credible and fair.

“It is not because I won the election. I believe INEC is perfecting its act. It is moving toward the level of acceptable election.

“If INEC gets to that level, so many more elections will not be contested at the tribunal.”

He expressed delight that the development would give him more opportunity to provide dividends of democracy to the people.
“It gives us more time to execute other programmes and hit the ground running without being distracted.(NAN)

GSD/DO/DUA
Edited by David Onilede/Dada Ahmed
================================

Killer of Jordanian writer sentenced to death

NAN-F-22

Sentence
Cairo, Dec. 20, 2016  (dpa/NAN) A Jordanian court sentenced a man on Tuesday to be hanged for killing a prominent writer who had been charged in a blasphemy case, state news agency Petra reported.

The writer, Nader Hattar, was shot dead in September outside a courthouse in the capital Amman where he was about to face trial on charges of inciting sectarian hatred.

Hattar, 56, a secular Christian, had outraged many in majority Muslim Jordan when he posted an anonymous cartoon on his Facebook page that many deemed blasphemous.

The killer, a former Imam of a mosque according to reports in Jordanian media, was arrested shortly after the attack.

Two other defendants were jailed for their role in selling a gun to Hattar’s killer, Petra reported, citing the prosecutor general of the state security court.

The caricature posted by Hattar showed a man in heaven sleeping with two women and asking God to bring drink.

The writer removed the cartoon shortly thereafter. (dpa/NAN)

(Edited by Julius Enehikhuere)

Red Cross says, 25,000 evacuated from east Aleppo

NAN-F-21
Cairo, Dec. 20, 2016 (dpa/NAN) A total of 25,000 people have been evacuated so far from the rebel enclave of eastern Aleppo, a spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Tuesday.

More evacuations are expected in the course of the day, Ingy Sedky told journalists that ICRC and Syrian Red Crescent workers have accompanied the evacuees.

A source close to the Syrian military said it would likely announce that all of Aleppo was under its control later on Tuesday.

A final convoy of 62 buses was expected to leave the enclave in parallel with a second group of evacuees leaving two government-held villages that are besieged by rebels, the source, who declined to be quoted by name, said.

The army would then move in to secure the estimated 2 square kilometres of Aleppo still held by rebels after government forces swept through the enclave in recent weeks, he said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, disputed the ICRC figures on the number of evacuees, putting them at a total of 16,200.

It estimated some 2,000 to 3,000 people, including rebel fighters, remained inside eastern Aleppo on Tuesday.

An official with an aid group helping receive the evacuees in rebel-held areas outside Aleppo said that their main concern was finding shelter, heating and washing facilities given the large numbers and below-freezing night-time temperatures.

People were hungry but there were no cases of severe malnutrition, despite eastern Aleppo having been besieged by government forces for most of the last five months, Mohamed Katoub of the Syrian American Medical Association said. (dpa/ NAN)

(Edited by Julius Enehikhuere)

NAN-H-36
Tax
Lokoja, Dec. 20, 2016 (NAN) The Kogi government has suspended collection of taxes on trucks carrying produce pending the resolution of the crisis that led truck drivers to block the Abuja-Lokoja-Okene highway on Dec. 19.

Alhaji Yakubu Oseni, the chairman, Kogi state Board of Internal Revenue Service, made the disclosure to newsmen on Tuesday in Lokoja.

He said that the action was also in compliance with a letter from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture which directed suspension of collection of taxes on produce.

He said that the drivers decided to block the highway in their bid to give effect to the letter from the ministry.

He said that the board was not aware of the existence of the letter until the action.

Oseni however clarified that collection of taxes on produce would resume as soon as the crisis is resolved.

He said that the board, the consultants handling the collection of taxes on produce, the leadership of the truck drivers and other stakeholders would meet on Dec. 21 to find lasting solution to the crisis.

He expressed hope that the meeting would arrive at modalities for collection of taxes on produce being moved through the state.

The Chairman said that the current official rate charged for vehicles conveying produce was between N1, 000 and N1, 500 per truck.

He criticised the consultants for charging above the official rate without the knowledge and approval of the board.

He admitted that the consultants approached the board for a review of the rates from January 2017 but added that government was yet to agree to the proposal.

“What the consultants are currently remitting to the coffers of the government is N18 million per month as against the N2 million per month being remitted under the previous administration.

“We have also been able to recover arrears of seven months remittances which were outstanding under the immediate past administration,” he said.

In the early hours of Dec. 19, scores of truck drivers blocked the Abuja- Lokoja-Okene highway to protest collection of exorbitant tax ranging from N5, 000 to N10, 000 from them by the consultants.

The action led to traffic jam on the busy highway with passengers and commuters trapped for more than five hours. (NAN)
KKA/AEA
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NAN-S-3
Deaf
By Kemi Ajayi
Lagos, Dec. 20, 2016 (NAN) Kamiludeen Banjo, Coach of the National Deaf Football Team, on Tuesday appealed for financial support to ensure the nation’s participation in the 2017 Africa Deaf cup in Mali.

Banjo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that paucity of funds prevented the team from participating in the 5th edition held in Senegal this year.

“We did everything humanly possible to get funds to travel down to Senegal for the Deaf Cup this year but unfortunately, we missed the competition.

“We wrote various letters to the Sport Ministry and personal letter to the Minister of Youths and Sports but up till date no single response to the letters.

“Some of the players are still morally down because we did not participate in the 5th edition after all the preparations and honestly they feel rejected because they are deaf.

“We don’t want the same thing to happen next year, so I am appealing for any form of support we can get to be part of the competition next year,’’ he said.

NAN reports that the nation has won the competition three times since its inception in 2012.

He added that participation in the African tournament would prepare the team for the 2017 Deaflymics Games holding in Ankara, Turkey, from July 18 to July 30. (NAN)
KOA/ENN/DUA
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(Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Dada Ahmed
======================================

Union decries Dangote drivers’ recklessness

NAN-H-41
Truck
By Bola Akingbehin
Lokoja, Dec. 19, 2016 (NAN) Mr Ade Eseyin, the Secretary, Kabba Drivers Union, Onitcha chapter in Kogi, has decried the spate of recklessness among Dangote truck drivers on the Obajana-Kabba road.

Kinsey told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja on Monday that he was almost killed by one of the truck drivers along the route.

Eseyin said that he was on his way from Kabba to Lokoja when a Dangote truck ran into his car and destroyed his car and wounded some of his passengers.

He noted that when he reported to ‎the Dangote authorities, he was told by one Mr Sanni Bello to either take 10,000 or take the driver to court.

Bello also threatened that Dangote would always win even if the complainant (Eseyin) should go to court.

The scribe urged the state government to address the injustice done on other motorists by the Dangote group drivers and assist the victims.

Mr Segun Ademola, also a driver, complained that Dangote drivers drive with reckless abandon just as if the road was built for them only.

Ademola appealed to the Chairman of Dangote Group to urgently look into the matter with a view to stopping the acts indiscipline on the roads.

He also called on the Kogi Government to mitigate the sufferings of motorists on the road. (NAN)

WAL/AAB/MST
Edited By Adeboye Ajayi/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

NAN-H-63

Blockade 2

By Kola Adeyemi

Lokoja, Dec. 19, 2016 (NAN) Gradual movement of traffic has started on Abuja-Lokoja-Okene highway which was blocked for many hours in the early of Monday by protesting truck drivers.

The drivers were protesting exorbitant taxes by the Kogi State Board of Internal Revenue Service.

According to the state Commissioner of police, Mr Abdullahi Chafe , the drivers and other stakeholders will meet on Dec. 21 to find a lasting solution to the problem.

The protest led to total blockade of the major highway for hours, thereby inflicting serious pains on passengers coming to and from the Northern and Southern parts of the country.

The drivers eventually called off their protest after a meeting with the officials of the board and the state Commissioner of police.

The state FRSC Sector Commander, Mr Abayomi Omiyale, said that normal flow of traffic on the road will be restored within three hours.

He appealed to drivers to be patient and not to resort to over speeding because of the long delay. (NAN)

KKA/IS

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Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

NAN-H-47

Blockade

By Kola Adeyemi

Lokoja, Dec. 19, 2016 (NAN) Gradual movement of trafic has started on Abuja-Lokoja-Okene highway which was blocked for many hours in the early of Monday by protesting truck drivers.

The drivers were protesting exorbitant taxes by the Kogi State Board of Internal Revenue Service.

According to the state Commissiiner of police, Mr Abdulahi Chafe , the drivers and other stakeholders will meet on Dec. 21 to find a lasting solution to the problem.

The protest led to total blockade of the major highway for hours, thereby inflicting serious pains on passengers coming to and from the Northern and Southern parts of the country.

The drivers eventually called off their protest after a meeting with the officials of the board and the state Commissioner of police.

The state FRSC Sector Cimmander, Mr Abayomi Omiyale, said that normal flow of traffic on the road will be restored within three hours.

He appealed to drivers to be patient and not to resort to over speeding because of the long delay.

Protesting truck drivers have blocked the Abuja-Lokoja-Okene highways since the early hours of Monday, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The drivers were protesting the N10,000 daily tax imposed by the Kogi State revenue Service.

The state government, police and the Federal Road Safety Corps were, however, taking measure to ensure free flow of traffic.

No official reaction yet from the state government but the state police Commissioner, Mr Badulahi Chafe is currently in a meeting with the leadership of the truck drivers to end the blockade.

One of the motorists trapped in the gridlock, Mr Isaac Ighure said that he had remained on the same spot on the road for over three hours .

Igure described the development as bad for the state and the country, especially when it is happening few days to Christmas.

The gridlock has stretched to over 30 kilometres as at the time of this report.

The meeting with officials of the truck drivers is holding at the state police command headquarters.

The Police Public Relations Officers, ASP William Aya, who confirmed this to NAN said that the issue would be resolved soonest in order to ease the hardship on motorists and the travelling public. (NAN)
KKA/IS

======

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

Russia challenges U.S. to prove hacking allegations

NAN-F-30
Hacking
Moscow, Dec. 30, 2016 (dpa/NAN) Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman challenged U.S. officials on Friday to prove their accusations that Russia was involved in cyber attacks to influence the U.S. presidential election.

“They should either stop talking about that or produce some proof at last. Otherwise it all begins to look unseemly,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in comments carried by state news agency TASS.

Peskov earlier described the allegations as groundless, “ludicrous nonsense,” following a report by American broadcaster NBC that alleged Putin was personally involved in Russian hacking to influence the U.S. election.

The report said unnamed US officials alleged that Putin had personally directed how hacked material from Democrats was leaked and otherwise used.

The unnamed officials said the intelligence on the matter had come from diplomatic sources and spies, the report said. (dpa/NAN)

(Edited by Julius Enehikhuere)

NAN-H-60
Kidnap
Lokoja, Dec. 16, 2016 ( NAN) The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on the police to ensure the release of abducted female lecturer, Ms Christie Angbuku.

Dr Bemgba Anjembe, the Chairman of ASUU, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, made the appeal on Friday in Lokoja at a news conference.

Anjembe, who spoke through Dr Ishaq Eneji, Secretary of the University’s Chapter of ASUU, said that he was dissatisfied that the police had not been able to rescue Agbulu, who was kidnapped on Nov. 16 while on a visit to Kogi.

He said that the victim was kidnapped as soon as she arrived in the state, adding that the abductors later used her phone to call to demand a ransom of N150, 000.

“One hundred thousand Naira was paid into her account and her abductors quickly withdrew the money using her ATM card.

“The balance of N50,000 could not be paid just as the matter was reported to the police,” he said.

He said that the leadership of the ASUU met with the officials of the state police command on Dec. 1, during which the police assured them that they would do their best to save her.

“Today is 17 days after we first came to Lokoja in search of our colleague, and there is no information about her whereabouts,” the official said.

According to him, the development forced the union to write a petition to the Inspector-General of Police on Dec. 5.

He said that the union had yet to get a response.

The unionist appealed to the president to intervene to rescue Agbulu – a Lecturer 1 in the Department of Biological Sciences of the university.

The ASUU chairman also appealed to Nigerians to volunteer useful information that could lead to the rescue of the lecturer.

He also appealed to the lecturer’s abductors to leave her unhurt in the interest of the unity of the country.

He official said that the lecturer was a dedicated and committed Nigerian.  (NAN)
KKA/IGO
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(Edited by Ijeoma Popoola)