Blog

NAN-H-40
Peace

By Sunday John

Lafia, Nov. 18, 2016 (NAN) Daniel Yaro-Anyuabaga, National President, Eggon Youths Movement (EYM), has advised the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of Eggon extraction, returning to Dedere Community of Nasarawa State to be vanguards of peace.

The EYM president made the call on Friday in Lafia when he was addressing the returnees, who fled Dedere in 2013 due to the crisis that engulfed the area.

Yaro-Anyuabaga warned the returnees to refrain from any activity that could bring about the re-occurrence of the crisis.

He said that the parties involved in the crisis had lost a lot of things and urged them to embrace genuine forgiveness and be the vanguards of peace in the area.

The EYM president also advised all parties to live together in peace as brothers and sisters and report whatever problem confronting them to the constituted authority.

“You people must be at the forefront of the propagation of the gospel of peace and shun every rumour capable of bringing problem.

“If there is any misunderstanding or problem, please run to the Village Head, District Head, Traditional Ruler or the law enforcement agencies to report and do not take laws into your hands.”

He, however, commended Gov. Umaru Al-Makura and the state Traditional Council for their intervention and ensuring the return of Eggon people to Dedere.

Yaro-Anyuabaga appealed to the state government and traditional council to also intervene to ensure the return of Eggon people to Assakyo and other communities as peace had returned to the areas.

Speaking on behalf of the returnees, Zakari Audu, expressed gratitude to the government and traditional rulers for their various roles in ensuring peace and their returns.

He promised that the returnees would embrace peace and avoid anything that would bring about disorderliness in the area.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Dedere community was engulfed in crisis on Sept. 13, 2013. (NAN)

SDJ/DUA/MO
Edited by Dada Ahmed/Morayo Omolade
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NAN-H-30
Recession
By Awayi Kuje
Keffi (Nasarawa state), Nov. 18, 2016 (NAN) Dr Hassan Lawal, a former minister of Labour and Productivity, has urged Nigerians to be patient and prayerful while President Muhammadu Buhari strives to fix the economy.

Lawal made the appeal on Friday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the maiden Keffi Polo Tournament in Keffi, Keffi Local Government Area of the state.

“ The policies and decisions being undertaken by the APC-led administration under President Muhammadu Buhari would soon end the economic recession that has brought hardship to the people.

“ I want to use this medium to appeal to Nigerians to be more patient and prayerful as President Buhari strives to fix the economy so as to improve the standard of living of the people.

“Sustained prayers by the adherents of the two major religions in the country will definitely assist the president, other elected and appointed leaders to overcome both economic and security challenges hindering the growth and speedy development of the country.

“Nigeria is passing through a phase as most developed countries of the world today also passed through this phase.

“ I believe that no condition is permanent, the economy will develop and the hardship will no longer be there as lots of blessings will come to the country,” he said.

Lawal also appealed to the people of the state and Nigerians to bury their differences and unite for the overall development of the country.

The former minister stressed the need for Nigerians to be united and live in peace with one another, adding that “ without peace and unity, socio-economic development will continue to elude any society.’’

“ History has shown that countries that make progress are those whose communities live in peace with each other,’’ he added.

He also commended Alhaji Ahmed Wadada, a former House of Representatives member, for the establishment of a polo ranch in Keffi,

Lawal said the project would bring development closer to the people of the area and the state at large as well as create jobs.

“ The establishment of a polo ranch in Keffi by Hon. Wadada is a very good development not only for Keffi but for Nasarawa State and Nigeria at large.

“ We are very happy and proud of Hon.Wadada for establishing the polo ranch in Keffi. (NAN)
AKW/OJO
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(Edited by Mufutau Ojo)

NAN-H-17
Summit
By Idris Olukoya
Lagos, Nov. 18, 2016 (NAN) The Badagry Convention and Visitors Bureau, says it would hold the maiden edition of Badagry Economic Summit, in conjunction with the Lagos State Government in January 2017.
Mr Ashamu Fadipe, the Bureau’s Chief Executive, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Friday, said that the actual date for the summit would soon be announced.
He said that top tourism experts and investors were being mobilised for the summit to explore investment opportunities in the area.
Fadipe said that the summit would showcase the abundant investment opportunities in Badagry so as to lure investors and tourists to the area.
“There is no doubt that investment opportunities abound in Badagry, we have all it takes for investors to invest in.
“The community is blessed with rich historical and cultural heritage, crude oil, serene beaches, coconut plantation, seaport and massive land for development.
“If all these potentials are properly utilised, it will boost the economy of Badagry and increase the Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) of Lagos State,” he said.
He called for the continued preservation of the heritage sites and monuments in Badagry in their natural state.
Fadipe said keeping the sites intact would go a long way in telling their stories to tourists in order to give them a sense of belonging.(NAN)
SIO/DUA/WOJ
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(Edited by Dada Ahmed / Wale Ojetimi

NAN-H-29
Legislature
By Shuaibu Tatu
Birinin Kebbi, Nov.  18, 2016 (NAN) The Kebbi State House Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs on Friday visited Dandi and Bunza Local Government Councils as part of its over sight function.

The Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Faruk Aliyu, said that the visit to local governments was in order to inspect all the projects in the council areas.

Aliyu said that the committee would also look at the accounts of the councils, including revenue generation records, receipts and also the evidence of remittance of revenue to the state government.

He added that the committee would assess the level of work on the construction of the 10 housing units embarked upon by the local government and the issue of salaries.

Aliyu urged the council administrators to evolve new strategies to ensure revenue generation.

Responding, the acting Chairman of the Dandi Local Government, Alhaji Yahuza Kamba, said that the council had challenges in payment of salaries to workers.

Kamba said that payment of workers’ salaries was stopped following the constitution of an audit committee to verify the number of workers in the council.

” We urge the legislature to intervene on this issue because the local government is having serious problems in the payment of salaries to its workers,” the council chairman said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a similar visit was also paid to Bunza Local Government council where the committee members were received by the acting Chairman, Ibrahim Tunga.

The team inspected the accounts of the council and also some vehicles that had been grounded and directed the chairman to make efforts at putting them back on the road.

The vehicles inspected included tractors, pay loaders, tippers and some cars.

According to Aliyu, the vehicles would better serve the council if on the road than in their present state.

In his remarks, Tunga told the committee that his local government was not in default in payment of salaries.

Other members of the committee include Sarkin Shikun Kamba and Alhaji Mohammed Zarumai. (NAN)

SZT/AOS/OJO
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(Edited by Bayo Sekoni/Mufutau Ojo)

NAN-H-38
Tout
By Oluwatope Lawanson
Lagos, Nov. 18, 2016 (NAN) A 23-year-old suspected tout, Tosin Oyedele, on Friday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly damaging a car and snatching a hand bag in traffic.

The accused, a resident of No. 17 Oyewole Agbado in Ogun, was arraigned on a two-count charge of misdemeanour and unlawful damage.

He however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecutor Nwosu George told the court that the accused committed the offences on Nov. 16, at about 4.00p.m. along Oshodi/Anthony Express road, Lagos.

He said the accused damaged the back door glass of a Toyota Jeep with registration number KTU 565 DZ valued at N150, 000 property of KPI limited.

He said that the accused damaged the car under the pretext of begging for alms while the complainant one Mr Jason Meredith was stuck in traffic along Oshodi/Anthony road.

“Before the complainant and his driver knew what was happening, Oyedele broke the back door glass of their car and started dragging a hand bag containing a laptop.

“The complainant raised an alarm for help and the accused was caught by pedestrians,” George said.

The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Sections 21 and 348 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

Section 348 stipulates two years imprisonment for willful and unlawful damage to property.

The Magistrate, Mr A.A. Adesanya granted bail to the accused in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.

“The sureties must be blood relations, gainfully employed and should show evidence of tax payment to Lagos State government.

“The prosecutor should verify the tax payment and the address of the sureties as part of the bail conditions,’’ Adesanya said and adjourned the case till Dec. 5 for trial. (NAN)

LAW/AEA/AEA
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Edited by Archibong Asuquo

NAN-DS-2
Bombing
Maiduguri, Nov. 18, 2016(NAN) The Borno Police Command on Friday confirmed two more explosions after a separate suspected suicide bombing in Maiduguri.

Mr Damian Chukwu the Commissioner of Police, made the confirmation while speaking with newsmen in Maiduguri.

” Aside from the explosion near a mobile police location in Jiddari, we had two other suicide bombings along Maiduguri-Gamboru road.

” In the first case, a suspected male suicide bomber detonated his explosive after he was stopped at the entrance of the Muna Garage, killing himself instantly, ” Chukwu said.

He said that another suspected male suicide bomber detonated his explosive on the same road few meters away killing himself and two local vigilantes called Civilian JTF.

” In all, we recorded six deaths, comprising four suspected bombers and two vigilantes.

“This is about the sixth or seventh suspected suicide attack in the last couple of days, the police and other security agents are working hard to stop the ugly trend,” Chukwu said.(NAN)
ABI/FAT/AMY

Edited by Fatima Sule and Abdullahi Yusuf

NAN-H-28
Media
By Awayi Kuje
Akwanga (Nasarawa State), Nov. 18, 2016 (NAN) The Evangelical Reformed Church of Christ (ERCC) has commended the Nigerian media for disseminating quality information inspite of the challenges facing the industry.

The ERCC President Nation wide, Dr Jerry Madibo, gave the commendation on Friday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Akwanga.

Madibo spoke on the sidelines of the centenary celebration of the church.

The ERCC president, who said that no society could achieve speedy development without the media, urged journalists not to relent in their mandate of “ speaking for voiceless Nigerians.’’

He cited the challenges being faced by the media to include inadequate manpower, poor working condition, poor remuneration and hostile operating environment.

Madibo, however, said that commendation must be given to the media for withstanding these challenges by ensuring dissemination of quality information.

He also described the media as a veritable tool for the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Journalists, he added, must adhere strictly to the ethics of their profession as well as promote peace and national development.

The ERCC president also paid tributes to Arthur Judd who left South Africa and led the missionary work that resulted in the establishment of the church in Nigeria in 1916.

“Aside from the primary mission of evangelising, the missionaries also considered education and health care services as their cardinal objectives as the church established many tertiary institutions, secondary and primary schools among others.

“ERCC has over 45 primary schools, over 12 secondary schools, nine tertiary institutions and a vocational training institute for women and widows and clinics across the state .

“The church is not left out in the area of peace promotion, sensitisation of our members and other Nigerians on good government policies and programmes.

“ We have achieved all these with the help of the media which partnered with us in publicising our activities,” he said.

Madibo, who reiterated the commitment of the church to promoting policies that have direct bearing on Nigerians, called for adherence to the rule of law and respect for constituted authority.(NAN)
AKW/OJO
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(Edited by Mufutau Ojo)

WAMASON calls for enlightenment on waste disposal
NAN-H-15
Waste
By Chidinma Agu
Lagos, Nov. 18, 2016 (NAN) Prof. Oladele Osibanjo, the President, Waste Management Society of Nigeria (WAMASON), on Friday called on states and waste managers to embark on public enlightenment on waste disposal.
Osibanjo made the call at the end of three-day training for waste managers on Waste Handling and Collection in Lagos.
According to him, wastes have been proven worldwide as valuable raw materials for other products.
“There is waste everywhere because people do not see the economic values in them.
“Waste is a resource and one man’s waste may be another man’s wealth.
“Opportunities are unlimited in waste, that is why there should be massive and intensive awareness creation on the resources in waste,’’ he said.
Osibanjo said that people should think that the wastes they wanted to throw away would be useful to someone else before doing that.
He said that waste management was a trillion dollar business, adding that it could be another goldmine than oil and gas.
The WAMASON President said that waste disposal was capable of reducing unemployment in Nigeria.
“Collecting e-waste alone is enough to provide a meaningful livelihood to somebody and takes him out of unemployment.
“The world is transiting to a green community where waste is treated as a resource,’’ he said.
Osibanjo said that there was the need to characterize and separate wastes before doing anything with them,
He said that waste characterisation and separation should start from the home, hence the need to carry out massive awareness campaign on waste disposal.
According to him, waste is supposed to give wealth and health, and not illness as it is today.
Osibanjo said that the primary healthcare challenges like the country’s high record of typhoid fever were caused by mismanagement of waste.
Mr Ola Oresanya, the Lead Facilitator at the training, said that the training was to develop the human capacity in waste management.
“This will enable the country to benefit from syndicated international financing strategy that is key to solving environmental and ecological problems of the nation,’’ he said.
According to him, Nigeria will not benefit from the fund without a national action plan on waste management and developing the human capacity to drive it.
Oresanya said that environmental and ecological problems in the country included desertification in the North, ocean surge, coastal and land erosion in the South.
He said that WAMASON was aggressive in developing the human capacity in waste management to be able to play its role in combating climate change. (NAN)
ACA/ENN/TA
Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Tajudeen Atitebi

NAN-H-12
Theft
By David Adeoye
Ikole (Ekiti) Nov. 18, 2016 (NAN) Two men, Jacob Asorobo and Hotyo Agbion, on Friday appeared before an Ikole Magistrates’ Court in Ekiti State for allegedly stealing a blackberry cell phone valued at N68,000.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Gbenga Adebayo, told the court that the accused committed the offences on Sept. 18 at about 4.45p.m.
He said that the men committed the offences on Itapaji Road, Oke Ako Village in Ikole Local Government area of Ekiti State.
Adebayo said that the accused dispossessed Mr Abayomi Olorunfemi of cell his phone, but were later apprehended.
He said the offences committed contravened Sections 516 A(1) and 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Cap 16, Vol. 1, Ekiti State Laws of Nigeria, 2010.
The accused persons, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted N50, 000 bail with one surety each in the like sum.
The Magistrate, Mr Adedayo Oladija, said that the sureties should reside within the jurisdiction of the court and adjourned the case to Nov. 24 for hearing (NAN)
DAK/AOS/TA
Edited by Bayo Sekoni/Tajudeen Atitebi