NAM-ELS-3

Policies

By Vezi Isike

Lagos, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) An upcoming artiste, Agabi Joe, popularly known as Joe page on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to enact policies to encourage creativity and sustainability in the industry.

Joe told the news Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that creating an enabling environment would enhance and yield more resources for the sector.

According to him, earmarking funds by government to empower relevant authorities in fighting the ills plaguing the country through songs will go a long way in changing the mindset of Nigerians.

“Musicians do not have support and that is why we are calling on government to provide special funds of single interest rate that are accessible across board.

“Funds should be so flexible that even without collateral, practitioners can access such facilities,’’ he said.

Joe said that there was the need for the government to partner with associations in the industry to build state of the art studios across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

“Entertainment has played major role in curbing criminal activities over the years, but am sure the government can do more.

“If we have studios in every state where youths can simply go into and produce songs for little or nothing, we will have a crime free nation,’’ he said.

According to him, it is the responsibility of government to assist her citizens who do not have the capacity to build their talents by creating facilities that can aid them.

He also appealed to the government to support the various musical associations in their quest to fight piracy to enable artistes reap the fruit of their labour. (NAN)

VOI/UDO/EEE

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Edited by Udochukwu Ifionu/Ese E. Ekama

NAN-H-45
Road
Lafia, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) The Nasarawa State Government says it will spend about N 1.3billion on construction and channelisation of 1.2km Lafia East/Tudun Kauri road.

The Managing Director, Nasarawa State Urban Development Board (NUDB), Alhaji Adamu Sule-Mohammed, disclosed this on Wednesday in Lafis.

He received members of the State House of Assembly Committee on NUDB and Town planning , who were on oversight visit to the project site in Lafia.

Sule-Mohammed said the road would improve on the standard of living of the people of the area and the state at large.

He commended the contractor for good quality work, adding that the completion of the road would reduce the hardship of the people of the area as well as those plying the road for the overall development of the country.

“My honourable members, we are all aware that the importance of embarking on the construction of roads and bridges by any government cannot be over-emphasised.

“Apart from boosting the socio-economic development and the revenue base of the state, it will also help in reducing the plight of the people.

“This is why the state government has decided to embark on bridges, channelisation of road, road construction across the state in order to fight poverty, youth restiveness and unemployment.

“I want to disclose to you that the construction and channelisation of 1.2km Lafia East/Tudun Kauri road will cost the state government about N1.3 billion and already N197.2 million has been paid to the contractor,’’  the managing director said.

He said the state government was committed to initiating projects that would touch the lives of residents of the state for the overall development of the country.

Earlier, Mr Suleiman Alhassan (APC-Uke/Karshi), the Chairman, State House of Assembly Committee on NUDB and Town planning, said that the oversight visit would enable the committee to assess the 2016 budget performance of the ministry.

Alhassan, who spoke through the Majority Leader of the House ,Umar Tunga (APC-Awe-North) said, “We are here to see by ourselves what and what the board has done with the funds allocated to it in the 2016 budget with the view of addressing any challenge if discovered’’.

He commended the state government and the contractor for the quality work done and called for its sustenance.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee also inspected 2km Emir Palace Road Rehabilitation, 650m UAC /GSS Lafia road construction and Tomatoes market road/drainage construction, all in Lafia (NAN)
AKW/AJA
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(Edited by Adeleye Ajayi)

NAN-DS-9
Donation
By Mohammed Mamman
Damaturu, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons has donated foodstuff and relief materials to Yobe Government for resettlement and rehabilitation of IDPs in the area.

Hajiya Sadiya Faruk, Chief Executive of the commission, presented foodstuff, drugs, chemicals and sanitary materials worth millions of Naira to the state government on Wednesday in Damaturu to support the IDPs.

She said the commission had also provided hair dressing saloon, kitchen/restaurant, carpentry and tailoring materials to promote self reliance among IDPs returning to their communities.

Sadiya assured of the commission’s resolve to partner with the state government to improve the lives of the victims of insurgency.

“This is a palliative measure, we will intervene more with sustainable measures to support the resettlement and rehabilitation process of victims of insurgency in the North-East,’’ she said.

The Yobe Deputy Governor and Chairman of the state Resettlement and Rehabilitation Committee, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, commended the commission for supporting victims of insurgency in the North-East and the state in particular.

He said the state would partner with governments and Non-governmental Organisations (NGOS) to support the resettlement of IDPs in the state.

Aliyu said with the improvement in security in the communities, most of the IDPs had returned to their original communities.

“Government has closed down one of our camps at Bukar Ali Primary School, while we still have the Pompomari IDPs camp in Damaturu operating with other IDPs in some host communities.

“The committee has been taking food and non-food items to the returnee communities to support their resettlement and rehabilitation in their communities,’’ he said.

Aliyu expressed the commitment of the state government to partner with other organisations for the resettlement of victims in their communities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that, the commission donated 350 bags of rice; 111 bags of Guinea corn; 185 bags of millet; 233 bags of maize; 270 bags of Garri; 127 bags of beans; cooking oil; sugar and seasoning to the IDPs.(NAN)
MM/LAB/AMY
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Edited by Lydia Beshel/Abdullahi Yusuf

NAN-H-52
Candidates
By Lydia Ngwakwe

Lagos, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) Mr Olugbenga Owolabi,the candidate of African Democratic (AD), in the Saturday by-election in Ifako/Ijaye Federal constituency, Lagos state, has advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remain impartial.

He gave in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Lagos on Wednesday.

“All I want from INEC is for it to be unbiased and an impartial judge.

‘’It should ensure strict monitoring of the election and ensure that those who registered for the election are those that will vote.

“The commission should do everything humanly possible to see that things are done rightly and maintain fairness in its dealings.

“We all know that presently, we have the APC at the helm but that should not make the election to be one sided,’’ Owolabi said.

He also urged the commission to consider the volatility of the state and the constituency and conduct a transparent poll to ensure peace.

Another contestant, Mr Yusuf Fatai, of the Action Alliance also urged INEC to remain honest.

He said, ‘’only honesty can bring about a peaceful, free, transparent and credible election.

“For INEC to achieve this, everything has to be on ground and in order; the card readers must be functioning.

Effort should be made to check them properly to avoid what happened in Ondo state governorship election happening in Lagos.

“However, in the event that they malfunction, INEC should quickly fall back on the voter’s register and ensure that only those who registered are allowed to cast their votes,’’ Fatai said.

NAN reports that parties fielding candidates for the election are: Action Alliance (AA), Alliance for Democracy (AD), All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The election is due to the death of Mr Adewale Oluwatayo, (APC Ifako/Ijaye), House of Representatives, who slumped and died on July 21 in his Abuja residence. (NAN)
LED/FF/DUA
Edited by Dada Ahmed
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NAN-DS-7
Skirmish
Kafanchan (Kaduna state) Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) Normalcy has returned to Samaru and Zankwa towns in Zangon Kataf local government area of Kaduna state following skirmish that ensued at Tudun Wada village in Jema’a local government area.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the skirmish erupted following the alleged killing of a youth in Tudun Wada village.

NAN gathered that the unrest occurred on Tuesday evening when angry youths mounted barricade and obstructed flow of traffic to protest the killing of the youth.

Yakubu Mohammed, the Vice Chairman, Zangon Kataf Interim Council, confirmed to NAN on Wednesday in Zonkwa that the obstruction caused pandemonium in the nearby Samaru market resulting in the death of a trader.

Mohammed said the miscreants took advantage of the situation and burnt four vehicles in Samaru and two others in Zankwa.

“The miscreants attempted to give the situation a religious under tone but were prevailed upon by opinion and community leaders,” he said.

The Vice Chairman said the leaders provided refuge for traders who are none indigenes and succeeded in bringing the situation under control.

He commended the leaders for their detribalised and peaceful disposition and cautioned the youths against taking the law into their hands.

Some eye witnesses, who sought anonymity, told NAN that they were at the Samaru market to buy foodstuff and saw people running helter skelter. (NAN)

MGK/DS/AEA
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Edited by Archibong Asuquo

NAN-H-39

Nigerians

By Ebere Agozie

Abuja, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) Some concerned Nigerians in the Diaspora have appealed to Nigerians to embrace the Federal Government’s “Change Begins With Me’’ programme to foster love and harmony in the country.

They made the appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

Dr Philemon Gora, the President Global Funds Inc Florida U.S., stated that the day to day application of the programme would also engender understanding among the citizenry.

“If I love my neighbour and am at peace with him, I will not think of harming him, rather, I will look for a way to help him progress.

“When we are in peace with ourselves, neighbours and the country, we will help our leaders to achieve peace globally,’’ he said.

Mr Augustine Chigbolu, the Vice-President, Nigeria Entrepreneurs Forum, noted that if Nigerians fully and sincerely embrace the programme, they would be able to forgive one another and co-exist peacefully among themselves.

“Peace is key to life; key to success. Peace is the bedrock of all good things in our lives and communities because if we do not find peace, much anticipated change will not come.

“If Nigeria will move forward, we must forgive and forget the past, find peace among ourselves,’’ he said.

Mrs Lizzy Omini, the Commandant-General, Global Initiative for Harmony in Nigeria, urged Nigerians to always seek ways of living in peace with one another.

“Nobody can do this for us; we must begin to see ourselves as brothers and sisters irrespective of the community we find ourselves.

“Be an agent of peace in your home, office and your community,’’ she said.

Dr Peter Isibor, the Chairman, Peterson Clor International Group, said that no country would be able to record any meaningful progress in an atmosphere of peace and rancor.

“We must pursue peace with all men and give peace a chance to reign in our lives, in our country, and Africa in general.

“If we immerse ourselves in crisis, everything including the socio-economic development of our country will remain stagnant or, worse still, deteriorate.

“We must collaborate to bequeath to our children and generations yet unborn a blissful society devoid of all forms of crisis.’’ (NAN)

EPA/MOL/EEE
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Ese E. Ekama

NAN-DS-8
Deaths
Dutse, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Wednesday said 5,440 people died in 9,734 Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) across the country in 2015.

The Jigawa FRSC Sector Commander of the corps, Mr Angus Ibezim, disclosed this in Dutse at the launching of the 2016 Ember Months campaign.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the campaign is: “Crash the Crash, Kill the Speed”.

Ibezim said that 940 people were also killed in 1,145 RTCs in Zone 1 of the corps comprising Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Jigawa states.

“A review of 2015 annual report shows that 5,440 people were killed in 9,734 cases of RTCs in Nigeria.

“Also, 940 were killed in 1,145 cases in this zone comprising Kano,Kaduna, Katsina and Jigawa states.

To reduce the menace of TRCs, he said, the command had improved its enforcement in 2016 as compared to the previous year.

He also said that the command had outlined different campaign programmes to enlighten the general public.(NAN)
MNB/AMY/AMY

Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf

Six detained after Turkish dormitory fire kills schoolgirls

NAN-F-15

Fire
Aladag, (Istanbul), Nov. 30, (Reuters/NAN) Authorities in southern Turkey, detained six people on Wednesday over a fire in a dormitory that killed 11 schoolgirls and one other person, the state-agency said.

Flames swept through the mostly wooden interior of the two-storey dormitory in the town of Aladag late on Tuesday, causing the roof to collapse.

European Affairs Minister Omer Celik, a ruling AK Party lawmaker who represents the surrounding province in the national parliament, said the suspected cause was an electrical fault.

But the opposition complained of lax regulation and criticised an education policy that has seen a growing number of such dormitories set up to house poor students from villages where there are no state schools.

Local media said the dormitory was run by one of the several religious movements in Turkey that operate such facilities. Elif Dogan Turkmen, a lawmaker from the main opposition Republican People’s Party, said she had unsuccessfully tabled several proposals in parliament to improve the inspection and supervision of such buildings.

“The AKP has abandoned all state authority on education to religious movements and cults,” Turkmen told Reuters. “They throw children from poor families into the lap of cults by not building dormitories themselves.”

Local mayor Huseyin Sozlu was quoted by the Hurriyet newspaper as saying the door to a fire escape was shut, trapping some of the victims inside. But Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak denied that was the case.

“The initial information passed on from investigators and our prosecutor suggests there was no lock on the door,” he said.

Kaynak rejected claims of insufficient inspections, saying the building had been audited in June as well as last year and that it had the necessary license.

The fire began on the ground floor but quickly spread through wooden fixtures and carpets, according to a CNN Turk correspondent who said children had smashed windows on the upper floor as they tried to escape.

Twenty-four people, many of them schoolgirls, were injured. One of the people detained was the dormitory manager.

Such incidents are not uncommon in Turkey. In 2008, an explosion triggered by a gas leak in a religious preparatory school in the central province of Konya killed 18 girls and wounded 29. Charges were brought against the dormitory manager and other officials but the case is ongoing. (Reuters/NAN)

(Edited by Julius Enehikhuere)

NAN-S-3
Games
By Victor Okoye
Jos, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) The male and female volleyball teams of the Ministry of Information and Culture on Wednesday made it three wins from three at the ongoing Federation of Public Service Games (FEPSGA) in Jos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that FEPSGA, which began on Nov. 23, is expected to end on Dec. 3.

FEPSGA, which is in its 35th edition, saw the number one seed, Information and Culture male volleyball team, drawn against Team Niger Delta, National Assembly and National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Group A.

The Information and Culture team assembled by Coach Christopher Odhomi was ruthless, sweeping all its opponents by two straight sets to emerge winner of Group A.

They trashed Team Niger Delta in their opening match 25-5, 25-7, while first timers, National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) were humbled 25-5, 25-6.

Team NOA was also not spared as it was thrashed by the 2015 silver medallists who won 25-3, 25-4.

The team’s victory was largely due to a barrage of spikes from its hit men, Godwin Sam and Abraham Robo, whose thunderous strikes frequently ripped through the opponents’ porous defence.

Also, the team’s reliable setter, Emmanuel Oteta, delivered his passes with precision, catching the opponents off-guard on several occasions.

In the female category, Team Information and Culture, which could not participate in last year’s Games in Owerri due to paucity of funds, was drawn in Group C.

Its opponents were number four seed, Ministry of Agriculture and its Defence counterpart and the Federal Character Commission (FCC).

Like its male counterparts, the Information and Culture female team dominated its group also, defeating its opponents in straight sets to emerge winner of Group C.

The 2013 gold medallists lived up to expectation as they beat opponents in Team Agric. 25-10, 25-15 and defeated their Defence counterparts 25-12, 25-16.

Team FCC which made its debut in the Games was not spared as it lost 6-25, 8-25 to a formidable Information and Culture side.

The team’s victory was also largely due to sporadic combinations of powerful front and back attacks from the duo of Chichi Godwin and Esther Effiong which the opponents found difficult to handle.

Also, the team’s Setter, Sekinat Ibrahim, played a vital role in the team’s overall success, displaying some exceptional volleyball skills which earned crucial points for the 2013 champions.

The Ministry of Information and Culture volleyball male team will now lock horns with the runners up of Group C in the quarterfinals.

The Group comprises of 2013 champions, National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, National Emergency Management Agency, Ministry of Water Resources and Youth and Sports.

Their female counterparts are expected to clash with the runners up of Group A which comprises of defending champions, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), NOA and National Museum and Monument. (NAN)
VO/HAS/PDE
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(Edited by Hajia Sani/Peter Ejiofor)

NAN-H-31
Pension
By Mustapha Sumaila
Dutse, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) The Executive Secretary, Jigawa Local Government Contributory Pension scheme, Alhaji Suleiman Kiyawa, on Wednesday said that the scheme had commenced the disbursement of N278.4 million entitlements of retirees and death benefits for October.

Kiyawa announced this while speaking with newsmen in Dutse, after the disbursement of the first batch of the funds to beneficiaries.

He explained that N206.2 million of the fund would be used to pay 126 retirees that completed their 35 years or 60 years of age in service.

Kiyawa said that N58.8 million would be disbursed to the families of 37 civil servants that died in active service as death benefits.

According to him, N13.2 million would be given as entitlements to 22 people that retired and later died.

Kiyawa stated that the exercise was a continuous one, as it was done on monthly basis.

He said that the state contributory pension scheme was committed and transparent in ensuring that all retirees and workers that died got their due entitlements as quickly as possible. (NAN)
MS/ORO/PIO
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(Edited by Razak Owolabi/Idonije Obakhedo)