Blog

Pinnick
By Victor Okoye
Abuja, Sept. 20, 2018 (NAN) Amaju Pinnick, the 1st Vice President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) was on Thursday re-elected as the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the election into the NFF Executive Committee 2018-2022, which took place in Katsina saw Pinnick polling a total of 34 votes to re-emerge as the NFF President.

Former NFF president Aminu Maigari finished second with eight votes, while Taiwo Ogunjobi, a former NFF Secretary-General came third after polling only two votes.

He was followed by Chinedu Okoye, the proprietor of amateur league club, Bimo F,C who was Unable to poll any vote.

The battle for the 1st Vice President position pitted Seyi Akinwunmi and Otunba Dele Ajayi.

Akinwunmi polled 41 votes return as 1st Vice-President of the board, defeating his opponent, Ajayi, who polled only three votes.

Meanwhile, Ifeanyi Ubah pulled out at the last minute in the race for Chairman of Chairmen on the board for incumbent Ibrahim Gusau to be returned unopposed. (NAN)
VO/IS
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Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

Closure of Obasanjo farms not politically motivated – Official

Revenue
By Ibukun Emiola
Ibadan, Sept. 20, 2018 (NAN) The Chairman, Oyo State Board of Internal Revenue, Mr Bicci Alli, has said the closure of Obasanjo farms in Ibadan was not politically motivated as being speculated in some quarters

The board chairman said this in Ibadan on Thursday to newsmen while reacting to the closure of the business of the former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in Ibadan.

“Our process and procedures are not driven by political consideration, we work for the state government and the intention is to bring in revenue following the due process.

“We have been doing some exercises in the last two days, unfortunately people are trying to read political meanings to our action; we never did that because of politics.

“We went to enforce and restrain the activities in Obasanjo farms in Ibadan because the organisation did not pay what it was supposed to pay as tax.

“I am glad to tell you that they have come back to pay what they are supposed to and their business premises has since been reopened,” he said.

Alli, however, urged Nigerians to separate statutory duties and functions from politics.

He noted that payment of taxes is statutory and moral duty; which is the civic responsibility of all citizens.

“There is no relationship between tax payment and politics as far as we are concerned and we do the needful whoever is involved we make sure they pay,” he said.(NAN)
IBK/AFA
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Edited by Felix Ajide

IPAC
By Victor Adeoti
Osogbo, Sept. 20, 2018 (NAN) Ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Osun, the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has called for credible, free and free election.

Mrs Aye Dakpokpo, IPC National Secretary made the call during a news conference on Thursday in Osogbo.

Dakpokpo urged the political gladiators not to see the election as a do-or-die affair, adding that they should put the interest of the masses above their personal interest.

She said IPAC was in Osun to sensitise the people on the need to shun violence before,during and after the election.

“We are here in Osun to educate the populace on the need for free and fair election and you will agree with me that this is one of the strong pillars of democracy.

“We are focusing on no violence during the election and the need to minimise election malpractices.

“And the need for political parties not to encourage violence during the election and that the reason for election is for people to elect a leader that will serve them and not to rule them,” Dakpokpo said.

She also urged the political parties and their candidates to accept the outcome of the election “as long as it is accepted to be credible”.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that IPC members including representatives of all the 48 political parties that will participate in the election, they later staged sensitisation rally in the state.(NAN)
VE/MO/EAL
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Edited by Omolade Michael/Ekemini Ladejobi

Primaries: Adamawa APC committed to level playing ground for aspirants

APC

By Yakubu Uba

Yola, Sept. 20, 2018 (NAN) The Adamawa chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) says it will provide level playing field for all its governorship aspirants.

The party gave the assurance on Thursday in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi.

The statement came in response to speculations that the party only recognised the aspiration of the incumbent Governor, Muhammadu Bindow.

“We hereby reiterate our commitment to ensure a level playing ground for all aspirants and encourage them to capture the manifesto of the party in their campaign programmes,” Abdullahi said.

He said that three governorship aspirants – Marcus Gundiri, Mahmood Halilu and Gov. Muhammadu Bindow had visited the state party secretariat to notify it of their aspirations and that the party had assured them individually of its commitment to free, fair and credible primaries.

The Adamawa APC State Executive Council has adopted indirect primaries for selection of party candidates for the 2019 elections. (NAN)
YMU/AMY

Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf

Mortality
By Yashim Katurak
Abuja, Sept. 20, 2018 (NAN) Mr Effiom Effiom, Country Director, Marie Stopes International Organisation Nigeria (MSION), has called on Nigerian elites to support the fight against maternal mortality in the country.

Effiom made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.

He said that the rate of maternal mortality in Nigeria was still at 836 for every 100,000 women, which represented one of the worst indices in the world.

He said that this indices remained high in Nigeria due to the inability of most women especially those living in rural communities to access family planning methods.

Effiom said that more resources still needed to be committed to reaching citizens in remote parts of the country in spite of efforts by the Federal Government and other stakeholders.

According to Effiom, there is an influntial and high network Nigerians who can assist in the fight, adding that the well being of a woman was very crucial to the development of any society.

“The funding to adequately address maternal mortality in Nigeria is not there. We need funding support to help make available more family planning methods and reach more individuals in all parts of the country.

“One major challenge in reaching everyone is the enormous population. The total population in some countries is just the size of one state in Nigeria. This means more finance needs to be available for us to achieve good results.

“Sierra Leone has seven million people and they have 12 outreach teams, MSION has just 20 outreach teams for over 180 million people in Nigeria. Kano state alone has about 17 million people with over 44 local governments and we only have two teams to provide these services.

“We all need to come on board in this fight because irrespective of religion or cultural belief, the rights of women cannot be tampered with; their role towards the growth of the society is incomparable.

“A lot of families have lost a female gender either during child birth, abortion or due to their inability to access good medical services.

“Around 15 to 23 per cent of women who have died would not have died if there was adequate family planning methods available in Nigeria; who will like to see this continue, who wants their sister to get pregnant every year or their daughter pregnant at an early age.

“Our vision is very clear; children by choice and not chance and we will continue to remain that way. Women have a right to choice but right now they have to travel long distances to get the services that they need because lack of funding has created a huge barrier for them.”

Effiom said that providing the right sensitisation on the importance of family planning to all sexually active women in all parts of the country was also another challenge.

Effiom said: “Only 24 per cent of women in the country who are of reproductive age use a modern contraceptive method and 24 per cent will like to use one form of this method but are unable to access them.”

He said that in 2017, the organisation provided just about 1,356,000 women in the country with high quality contraceptive services, saying that this was the highest number it has ever reached in Nigeria.

The country director said that this effort prevented thousands of child and maternal deaths, over 10,000 unsafe abortions and unintended pregnancies.

Marie Stopes International (MSI) is a global organisation providing personal contraception and reproductive health services to women and girls across the world.

MSION, an affiliate of MSI, was established in Nigeria in 2009 to increase access to affordable and high-quality modern contraceptives and confidential reproductive health services for both married and single women. (NAN)
KRY/IS
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Operators
By Adekunle Williams and Solomon Asowata
Lagos, Sept. 20, 2018 (NAN) The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) on Thursday commended the Federal Government for taking bold step to suspend the planned National Carrier Project in the interest of the nation.

The Chairman of AON, Capt. Nogie Meggisson, said that the move was in response to cries for reason put forward by the operators.

Meggisson said that the operators had continued to call for a rethink by the Federal Government regarding the project.

The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, had on Wednesday announced that the Federal Government had decided to suspend the Air Project in the interim.

Meggisson said that suspension of the carrier was in the light of the tough economic situation in the country today and the fact that it was a moribund idea.

He said: “We thank President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for listening to our many calls for the suspension of the idea.

“In our opinion, we believe the process was neither transparent, nor did it clearly define the role of private investors in the entire process.

“At this time of our national limited resources and struggle to recover from recession, AON will like to state that there are private Nigerian airline investors ready to invest.

“They are already investing heavily in the sector and only asking for a more friendly operational environment and infrastructure support.”

According to him, putting the issue into perspective, setting up of National Carrier will cost Nigeria at least three billion dollars because a single B777 Aircraft as of today costs about 320 million dollars.

“Is it wise and our priority as a nation to take three billion dollars from the Nigerian coffers today and put into a venture that will for sure go down the drain within a maximum of five years to establish a `National Carrier’?

“This is bearing also in mind that the National Carrier will need an additional cash injection of 500 million dollars subsidy per year on average for the next 10 years to keep the airline afloat,” he added.

Meggisson noted that majority of Nigerian masses today were grappling for the basic necessities of life like food, shelter, electricity, water, education and good roads.

He said Nigeria had overtaken India as the country with the largest number of people living in extreme poverty according to recent reports in the media.

The AON chairman said that the national carrier was only an idea driven by pride, because most airlines earlier owned by governments such as Lufthansa and British Airways had been privatised.

He said: “Just about 10 days ago, on Sept. 12, was a clear indication of what obtains in the true world.

“Boeing financed a private Nigerian airline, Air Peace, for purchase of 10 Boeing 737-8MAX airplanes in a deal valued at 1.5 billion dollars.

“This is much more than the Nigeria National Carrier and a clear indication of the future and where the world is today.”

Meggisson maintained that Nigeria needed strong private airlines allowed to operate in a friendly operational environment with a level playing field and policies that ensure their survival.

“Nigeria is a natural Hub for Africa. However, airlines don’t make a hub; but it is world-class infrastructure that makes a hub. Then, the airlines and airplanes will come in.

“Government should go back to the drawing board and engage the private sector with transparency on how to position Nigeria as the hub for Africa to take advantage of our God-given gift of geographical location,” he said.

Meggisson said that this would make aviation a major economic contributor to the Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (Product) and a serious replacement of the country’s dependence on oil alone. (NAN)
WAC/ASO/GOK
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Edited by Olagoke Olatoye

HIV
By Yetunde Fatungase
Abeokuta, Sept. 20, 2018 (NAN) Dr Sanni Aliyu, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), says no fewer than 1.1million persons living with HIV/AIDS are currently on treatment in Nigeria.

He said this at a briefing to recount the activities of the Nigeria AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) on Thursday in Abeokuta.

Aliyu, who said 17,000 persons and 800 pregnant women were currently receiving treatment for HIV in Ogun, noted that only the survey could ascertain the baseline.

“What we’re not certain of is the gap that currently exists. Out of those 17,000 on treatment, what proportion are we currently having? Is it more than a 100,000 or less than 50,000.

“We’re not sure of those figures; which is why we’re doing the survey.

“The survey will give us more precise estimate of the HIV prevalence in Ogun. It’ll allow us to do more effective advocacy and seek for resources that can be used judiciously.

“We’ll also be able to identify the hot-spots and target them,” he said.

He explained further that the survey which began nationally in June would last for a six month period in each zone, just as it would last four weeks in each state visited.

According to Aliyu, the NAIIS is the largest single country HIV survey ever done in the world, “and just like science, if you’re sampling, the more people you sample, the more accurate you get.

“This is why we’re putting in resources to define the epidemic more clearly,” the director general said.
He said the survey in Ogun had been successful; 90 per cent of the enumerated areas had been covered in three weeks.

He, however, attributed the success to the hard work from his team, commitment from state government, community leaders and religious institutions.

“We started three weeks ago and we’ve covered 20 local government areas and 112 enumeration areas which represent 90 per cent of the total enumeration areas.

“We have just one week to finish with Ogun and move to Ondo.

“Three out of every four households we visited have accepted to be part of the survey, which made it easy for us,” Aliyu said.

The NACA boss advised sexually active and non sexual active persons alike to endeavour to know their statuses.
He, however, said the total results of the survey would be available by June 2019.

Earlier in an address, the Ogun Commissioner for Health, Dr Babatunde Ipaye, commended the team for working tirelessly to achieve the desired goal.

Ipaye, who was represented by Dr Nofiu Aigoro, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, thanked the director-general for making the state to benefit from the survey.

He said the current administration was committed to the health of its citizenry, pledging to provide total support to the agency. (NAN)
YAF/MO/EAL
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Edited by Omolade Michael/Ekemini Ladejobi

Murder

By Teniola Ibitola
Lagos, Sept. 20, 2018 (NAN) An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court  on Thursday remanded a man, Roxy Edebor, at Ikoyi Prison, Lagos,
for allegedly smashing a brick on the face of a man.

The accused, 34, is standing trial before the Chief Magistrate, Mrs A.O. Komolafe, on a charge of murder.

The Chief Magistrate, who gave the order, said the accused should remain behind bars until the next adjournment.

Earlier, Police Prosecutor Kehinde Olatunde told the court that the accused committed the offence on Aug. 27 at Council Bus Stop,
Pipeline, Idimu, a Lagos suburb.

According to him, the accused picked a brick and smashed it on the face of Adebola Ajayi, 28,  now deceased.

The offence contravened Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 which stipulates death sentence.

Counsel to the accused, Mr Spurgeon Ataene, urged the court to grant him bail but was opposed by the prosecutor.

The case has been adjourned until Sept. 26 for ruling on the bail application. (NAN)

OAT/HS/DA

Edited by Halima Sheji/Dele Akinsola

Seizure

By Uchenna Eletuo

Lagos, Sept. 20, 2018 (NAN) The Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Lagos, said on Thursday that it had seized contraband valued at N81 million in the last one month.

Benjamin Binga, the new Comptroller of Customs, Western Marine Command, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Binga said the seizures in Idiroko, Yekeme and Badagry axis were made were made possible through intelligence gathering efforts of the officers.

He listed the seized items to included 800 bags of rice, 806 wraps of cannabis sativa (Indian hemp) and 15,000 kegs of petrol each containing 30 litres.

The comptroller, who took over the command on Aug. 6, reassured the public that “there will be no hiding place for smugglers.’’

“Barely four days after I assumed office there was massive seizure of wraps of cannabis along the Badagry creeks, signaling a purposeful start.

“Within thirty days other seizures were made, showing that the officers actually read my lips when I declared zero tolerance on smuggling during the handover ceremony,’’ Binga said.

The comptroller said that the seizures had been auctioned to the public and some security agencies.

Binga also warned economic saboteurs to stay clear the zone as the command was poised to stop their illegal dealings. (NAN)

EUC/AOM/EMO
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Edited by Abdullahi Mohammed/Ejike Obeta