Blog

NAN-H-95

Wages

By Chinyere Bassey
Lagos, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), on Tuesday called on the Federal Government to come up with a living wage for workers.

The TUC gave the advice in a statement signed by its President, Mr Bobboi Kaigama and its General Secretary, Simeso Amachree respectively in Lagos.

According to the statement, it is insensitive to spend N3.6 billion on the purchase of exotic cars by law makers  when the country is in economic recession.

“The delivery of 28 units of Peugeot 508 being part of the 360 exotic cars ordered by members of the House of Representatives in the midst economic downturn is a misplaced priority.

“This is a bane of the nation’s development. It is sad that the system favours some group of people at the expense of the impoverished masses’’, the statement said.

It said that law lawmakers should justify the constituency allowance collected monthly by making laws that would positively affect the lives of the people.

The TUC said the hope of the masses was being dampened by some unfavourable policies at a time the country was struggling with recession.

It called on the government to take up the issue as a challenge as part of its anti-corruption crusade. (NAN)

CHIN/EAL/IEA
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Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi/Idahosa Asowata

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Jigawa Govt. orders arrest of cattle grazing at night

NAN-AE-10
Arrest
Dutse, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) The Jigawa Government on Tuesday in Dutse ordered for the arrest of any cattle seen grazing at night.
The State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Hadejia, gave the order at a farmers/pastoralists stakeholders meeting organised by the Jigawa Police Command.
Hadejia explained that the law on grazing barred herdsmen from grazing at night or using under-aged children to control their cattle.
He said that most of the clashes recorded in the state were as a result of night grazing and encroachment into farmlands.
The deputy governor directed the police and the farmers/pastoralists board to henceforth confiscate cows seen grazing at night or encroaching into farmlands and sell them to compensate the victims.
“It is unfair that what a farmer used four to five months to cultivate, get destroyed within 30 minutes.
“For instance, one hectare of rice farm now costs N1 million and it won’t be good for such to be destroyed in a jiffy,” he said.
Hadejia also cautioned farmers not to encroach on grazing reserves in the state, adding that
government had established several grazing reserves and gazetted 57 of them.

According to him, farmers and herdsmen clashes were the greatest challenge in the state and the present administration was committed to providing lasting solutions.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Momoh Umar, said that night grazig, encroachment into cattle routes by farmers and unabated movement of pastoralists from neighbouring countries were the main causes of clashes.
Umar said that the police would work with other security agencies in the state to resolve the problem. (NAN)
MS/OU/OU

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Edited by Obike Ukoh

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WhatsApp introduces video calling feature to platform

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WhatsApp
By Constance Athekame
Abuja, Nov 15, 2016 (NAN) WhatsAPP in the next couple of days will introduce video calling features to its platform, a statement has said.

The statement was issued by Red Media Africa, the PR and Empowerment Marketing division under the parent brand, RED.

It quoted WhatsApp, the instant messaging apps as saying that  over one billion users would be able to make video calls across iOS, Windows and Android platforms.

“With excitement, WhatsApp is announcing its latest feature -WhatsApp video calling. In the next couple of days,’’ it said.

According to WhatsApp, “we’re introducing this feature because we know that sometimes voice and text just are not enough.

“There is no substitute for watching your grandchild take her first steps, or seeing your daughter’s face while she’s studying abroad.

“And we want to make these features available to everyone, not just those who can afford the most expensive new phones or live in countries with the best cellular networks.

“Over the years, we have received many requests from our users for video calling, and we’re excited to finally offer this feature to the world.

“Thank you for using WhatsApp, and we promise to keep working hard every day to improve the service,” it said.

WhatsApp’s said that its goal had always been to help as many people as possible stay in touch with friends, family, and others they care about.

According to it, “that means making a product that is simple, easy to use, and accessible no matter where you are.’’

It added that the company started with messaging and Group Chat, then added voice calling, in a way that works across thousands of device and platform combinations all over the world.

More than 1 billion people in over 180 countries use WhatsApp¹ to stay in touch with friends and family, anytime and anywhere.

WhatsApp is free and offers simple, secure, reliable messaging and calling, available on phones all over the world, and the name WhatsApp is a pun on the phrase “What’s Up’’ and data charges may apply.

“WhatsApp started as an alternative to SMS. Our product now supports sending and receiving a variety of media: text, photos, videos, documents, and location, as well as voice calls.

“Our messages and calls are secured with end-to-end encryption, meaning that no third party including WhatsApp can read or listen to them.

“Behind every product decision is our desire to let people communicate anywhere in the world without barriers.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that WhatsApp was founded by Jan Koum and Brian Acton who had previously spent 20 years combined at Yahoo.

WhatsApp joined Facebook in 2014, but continues to operate as a separate app with a laser focus on building a messaging service that works fast and reliably anywhere in the world. (NAN)
COA/GY
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Edited/Controlled by Grace Yussuf

FFS says fire consumes N16bn property in Abuja, Lagos

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Fire
By Angela Atabo
Abuja, Nov.15, 2016 (NAN) The Federal Fire Service (FFS) on Tuesday said property worth over N16 billion was lost in 809 fire incidents in Abuja and Lagos from January 2015 to June 2016.

A document made available to newsmen in Abuja by the FFS also disclosed that within 18 months property worth N70b was saved, while 29 people lost their lives, and 58 were rescued.

The document further said that the incidents involved 79 public and government buildings, 239 private buildings, three educational establishments, nine shops and 61 petrol stations, among others.

It said that electrical equipment was responsible for 28 fire incidents; electric sparks were responsible for 119, gas explosion was responsible for five; while high voltage was responsible for five and bomb blast responsible for two of the incidents.

The document said that most of the fire outbreaks were as a result of human failing, and therefore, expressed the need for people to be more careful and watchful in this dry season to minimise the rate of fire incidents.

“Fire is friendly as we handle it carefully, but destroys and kills on our carelessness; most fires in our homes start from the kitchen and kitchen fires result mainly from human failings.

“Therefore, kitchen fire outbreaks can be minimised by doing the following: not leaving what you are cooking unattended to,putting your gas cylinder outside your kitchen and returning a leaking cylinder to the dealer .

“If your clothing catches fire, stop, drop to the ground and roll over and over on the ground.

“Do not run as it will only fan the flames then cover your face with your hands to protect your throat, and limbs from burns,’’ the document said.

The service also advised Nigerians to cool a burn with running cool water for five to 10 minutes to prevent continued burning and relieve the pain.

It urged people not to put their generator close to the window or along the corridor because the fumes or smoke could kill quietly .

It also advised people not to hoard fuel at home, office or both as it could lead to fire outbreaks and burn persons, adding that people should also stop fueling their generator while the engine was on as it could spark up fire.

“We should take the issue of fire safety seriously and join hands to prevent it by abiding by the safety rules and regulations, especially the during the harmattan season so as to guarantee the safety of lives and property,’’ the service said.(NAN)
ATAB/AK/AMY

Edited by Akin Makajuola and Abdullahi Yusuf

NAN-HE-24

Seizure

By Modupe Seriboh

Ibadan, Nov.15, 2016 (NAN) The Oyo/Osun Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service on Tuesday said it had arrested a Bullion Van concealed with imported smuggled rice.
The command said it also made some seizures which included 30 fairly used vehicles at different locations in the area.
The Area Controller, Mr Tolutope Ogunkua, who disclosed this to newsmen, in Ibadan, said that the bullion was intercepted in the Saki axis of Oyo state.

He said that the arrests would send a serious signal to recalcitrant saboteurs of the Nigeria economy.
Ogunkua said it was worrisome that some Nigerians had remained unrepentant even with the clampdown and the losses they suffered, adding that the command remained unshaken to deal with them.
According to him, two persons were apprehended with the bullion van and have since been in the custody and will be charged to court soon.
He said that the command had been on the trail of the particular bullion van which usually went with police escorts.
Ogunkua said that the surveillance men of the command had a gun duel with the suspects before they were apprehended.
“You will recall that I had reiterated our resolve to increase the revenue profile of the command and to tirelessly reduce the incidence of smuggling.
“In keeping to this promise, the command initiated new anti-smuggling strategies which led to remarkable exploits evidenced in the situation on display today.”
The Customs boss urged well-meaning members of the public, who wished to engage in legitimate business to come forward for verification for trade facilitation and other inquiries.
“The recalcitrant ones, who still insist on engaging in illicit business of smuggling, should be well advised that they will not escape the long arm of the law, especially as the yuletide approaches” he said. (NAN)
MAM/OPI/OPI

Edited by Olisa Ifeajika

NAN-S-14
Training
By Babatunde Ogunrinde
Lagos Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) The Lagos State Basketball Association (LSBBA) on Tuesday began a four-day training course, tagged “Train-the-Trainers Course’’ for coaches to be licensed under the guidance of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training, which began at the Mobolaji Sports Complex, Yaba, had no fewer than 25 participants being instructed by Seyi Oyebode, a sports enthusiast.

Also, a former senior national team, D’Tigers Coach, Ayo Bakare is conducting the course.

Babs Ogunade, the Chairman of LSBBA, told NAN on the sidelines of the training that the exercise was to reposition basketball at the grassroots.

“The essence of this training is to reposition basketball at the grassroots and by so doing, we want to train coaches and bring them to the fore knowledge of the game.

“At the end of the training, the coaches will have to pass their examinations and receive certification and license to work as a coaches in Lagos.

“They will also have a social platform where they will have to connect with the association on areas they require guidance and technical support,’’ Ogunade said.

He added that the ongoing exercise was far different from what it used to be because of its uniqueness that would engineer a new concept in basketball development in the state.

“We intend to embark on clinics and run several programmes of which we will need capable hands to carry out the task ahead.

“For those coaches that pass the exams they will be part of that team that will handle the clinics and be certified to coach basketball in primary/secondary schools and tertiary institutions.

“We have a target of 3,000 to 5,000 young players that will be trained across 24 centres in Lagos, but this is just the follow up after the trainers have been certified,’’ Ogunade said.

Similarly, Seyi Oyebode, a sport enthusiast who tutored the coaches on the day one programme, said that he was pleased with the way Lagos State was going about sports development.

“It is very important to develop the coaches with the right techniques for imparting knowledge to the young players.

“If they are well equipped they will indeed deliver a good uniformed job that will harness the good talents that will be nurtured to stardom,’’ Oyebode said.

NAN reports that Coaches Lateef Erinfolamin of Lagos Islanders, Scot Nnaji of the Customs of Lagos and Shola Shomola of the Deepwaters of Lagos among other upcoming coaches were in attendance. (NAN)
BAO/ENN/PDE
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(Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Peter Ejiofor)

Economist urges CBN to monitor intra banks dollar transfers
‎NAN-HE-22
‎Dollars

Lokoja, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN)Mr Bankole Adeniyi, an economist, has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to monitor Forex ‎ transfers within banks in Nigeria regularly.

Adeniyi said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) in Lokoja on Tuesday that commercial banks were mainly responsible for scarcity of dollars in the country.

He noted that banks sold dollars to Bureau de Change  operators directly instead of bringing it to the bank for proper banking to customers.

Adeniyi said Nigeria had no reason to be in recession.

Adeniyi urged President Buhari to sack managers of the economy and replace them with capable hands that to move the nation forward.(NAN)

WAL/IA

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

AUDIO: FG donates N10m at inauguration of Armed Forces remembrance emblem, appeal fund
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Emblem
Abuja, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday inaugurated the 2017 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Emblem and Appeal Fund with the donation of 10 million naira to the Nigerian Legion.

The amount is in support of the legion’s humanitarian activities.
Buhari was represented at the event which held in the Council Chamber of the State House by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
The President praised the sacrifice and commitment of the veterans, fallen heroes and their families and promised to do everything possible to address their challenges and uplift their living standards.
Cue in audio (Osinbajo)

“The Federal government will continue to commit itself to addressing the challenges facing our veterans.

“To this end we have recently implemented the recommendation to increase their pensions.

“We are also happy to note that the military pension scheme is running efficiently even as verification exercises for ex-service men and women were successfully conducted recently.

“The Ministry of Defence has been charged to come up with programmes that would enhance the living standards of the veterans.

“We appreciate the efforts of the state governors who are patrons of the Legion in their respective states for promoting the Legion and urge them to continue to lend their support and give concessions to the veterans and families of the departed.’’

Cue out audio (Osinbajo)

Buhari acknowledged the gallantry and sacrifices of the veterans in the first and second World Wars, peace keeping operations and internal security operations, particularly the on-going campaign against terror.

He said it was fitting, worthwhile and noble to honour the veterans as some of them paid the highest price while many others devoted significant parts of their lives through service to the country and the world at large.

He noted that since independence 56 years ago, the country had witnessed a number of internal strife and survived a civil war but had remained united and people had consistently showed a commitment to remaining as one people.

Accordingly, he said that commitment  in itself honours the sacrifices of the heroes, heroines and veterans who rose up and continue to rise up to confront the security challenges of the day.

Buhari described as apt, the theme of the year’s celebration, which is `Appreciating the resilience of the Nigerian Armed Forces’.

According to him, the theme demonstrates the perseverance and dedication of servicing and departed men in uniform.

“Those great attributes are particularly on display in these trying times in our national lives and many of our men and women of the armed forces made variant efforts to bring down the insurgents.

“Let it be said over and over again that as an administration, we will continue to honour our military forces in their arduous on-going fight against terrorists.

“And we will do all we can to remember their sacrifices and appreciate their families, who bear the brunt at different levels of pain and loss.

“As a nation, we are grateful to you our loyal and gallant troops for ensuring that terrorism and hate do not prevail in our land and doing so with such commitment and fervour.

“To their families, we owe an even greater debt of gratitude and a permanent duty not to forget what their husbands and wives did, but also to ensure that we remember them materially,’’ he said.

The President also noted with satisfaction the courage and sacrifices of the armed forces in grappling with militancy, oil theft and piracy in parts of the country.

He said they had deployed unalloyed loyalty and commitment to Nigeria.

He, therefore, urged Nigerians to consider the situation and conditions under which the heroes died or suffered physical incapacitation and contribute meaningfully to the welfare of the families and dependents.

“Those of us, who are beneficiaries of their sacrifices, carry a compelling moral duty to do our best to contribute towards the welfare and sustenance of their families and dependents,’’ he stated.

He commended the Nigerian Legion for introducing empowerment programmes for its members.

According to him, the empowerment will enable them to continue to contribute to the growth and development of the country.

He hailed the legionnaires for their steadfastness, perseverance and exemplary conduct.

He also appealed to all relevant bodies in the public and private sectors to do all they could to support the organisation’s creative initiatives including its humanitarian programmes.

The President further appealed to Nigerians to purchase and wear the remembrance emblem with pride to identify with the sacrifices of the veterans.

He expressed the hope that such support would be replicated in all other tiers of government.

The Minister of Defence, Brig.-Gen. Dan Ali, said at the event that the nation is proud of the officers and men, who paid the supreme sacrifice for national unity and security.

Ali said the armed forces had played a very significant role in maintaining peace, particularly in the sub-region and especially in the fight against insurgency.

“The campaign against terrorism and other security challenges in our country has tasked the resourcefulness of our armed forces.

“In the course of these campaigns, many lives were lost and many degrees of injury were sustained by officers and men.

“Those, who lost their lives, were responsible members of the society, who had dreams, families and loved ones.

“They gave their tomorrow for our yesterday, today and even tomorrow,’’ he said.

Accordingly, he said, the country owed them love and support.

He expressed appreciation to the President for encouraging the legion in various ways.

The minister also called on Nigerians to wear the remembrance emblem with pride.

The National Chairman, Nigerian Legion, Col. Micah Gayya (rtd), thanked Nigerians, clergymen and members of the diplomatic corps for their solidarity with the veterans and urged them not to relent in playing their role for Nigeria’s future. (NAN)
DCU/LAB/YEE
Edited by Lydia Beshel/Emmanuel Yashim

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Osinbajo’s audio

NAN-H-86
Education
By Isaac Aregbesola
Abuja, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) The 2016 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange (IEE) has revealed that 10,674 Nigerians are studying in the U.S. during the 2015/16 academic year.

A statement by the U.S. Embassy in Abuja on Tuesday ranked Nigeria as number one in Africa and 14th worldwide as a source of international students in the U.S.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the report is published annually by IIE in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The figure, according to the report, is 12.4 per cent higher than previous academic year’s figure of 10,568, the highest number of Nigerians studying in the U.S. since 1986/87 academic year.

“Students from Nigeria study primarily at the undergraduate level: 50.8 per cent undergraduate; 35.6 per cent graduate; 11.5 per cent Optional Practical Training; and 2 per cent non-degree programmes or short-term studies.

“Interestingly, the top five institutions that have received the most Nigerian students are all located in the state of Texas.

“They include Houston Community College, the University of  Houston, the University of North Texas, Texas Southern University, and the University of Texas at Arlington,” it stated.

According to the report, other African countries with over 1,000 students in the U.S. during this period include Ghana with 3,049, Kenya with 3,019 and South Africa with 1,813.

The report also indicated that the number of international students at U.S. colleges and universities surpassed one million for the first time during the 2015/2016 academic year.

“This represents an increase of seven per cent from the previous year to a new high of nearly 1.044 million students,’’ it said.

It quoted IIE President Allan Goodman as saying “this strong growth confirms that U.S. remains the destination of choice in international higher education.

“In 2015/16, there were nearly 69,000 more international students in U.S. higher education compared to the previous year.

“The U.S. hosts more of the world’s 4.5 million globally mobile college and university students than any other country in the world, more than double the number hosted by the UK, the second leading host country.

“The Open Doors findings show that international students value the quality, diversity, and strong reputation of U.S. institutions and recognise that these institutions will give them opportunities that can help them.”

According to the statement, the release of the new Open Doors data marks the celebration of International Education Week, a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and Education.

As part of the International Education Week celebration, it stated that EducationUSA Nigeria would host an annual virtual college fair that would target high school and graduate students from all over the country.

It added that American officers would visit high schools to talk about their U.S. and international study experience, and EducationUSA advisers would visit several schools within Lagos and Abuja.

It stated, “Nigerians wishing to pursue studies at any level in the U.S. can visit the EducationUSA Advising Center at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja or Lagos office or visit http://nigeria.usembassy.gov/educational_advising.html”. (NAN)
IAA/GY
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Edited/Controlled by Grace Yussuf

NAN-HE-6

Inflation

By Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

Lagos, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) Some financial experts on Tuesday expressed concerns on the continuous rise in the country’s inflation rate, saying it would lead to continuous downturn in the Nigerian stock market.

They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the nation’s bourse would be the worst hit with the persistent rise in inflation rate currently at 18.3 per cent.

NAN reports that the financial experts were reacting to October’s inflation figure of 18.3 per cent against 17.9 per cent in September,  released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Nov. 14.

Dr Uche Uwaleke, Head of Banking and Finance Department, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, explained that the increasing rate of headline inflation in an environment of shrinking growth in output was not healthy for the stock market.

Uwaleke said that the spike in inflation rate would further dampen the confidence of domestic investors, particularly now that foreign investor participation had been on the decline.

“There is a correlation between inflation rate and stock market performance.

“Recall that on the first day of January this year, the Nigerian Stock Exchange All Share Index was around 28,000 points, with inflation rate still single digit at less than 10 per cent.

“Currently, the year to date return is negative with the NSE All Share Index struggling to stay above 26,000 points,’’ he said.

According to him, when the inflation figure of 18.3 per cent is factored in, it becomes obvious that the stock market has lost so much this year in terms of real returns.

Uwaleke said that the fate of the market was, therefore, tied to the recovery of the macro-economic fundamentals, including subdued inflationary pressure.

He explained that the key drivers of inflation, such as high cost of electricity, fuel, housing and food, had remained the same over the last few months.

Uwaleke stated that government’s commitment to invest in agriculture and infrastructure remained the only way forward.

Mr Ambrose Omordion, Chief Operating Officer, InvestData Ltd., said that the consumer price index for October should be a serious concern for the government.

Omordion said that government needed to revisit its fiscal and monetary policies at this moment to improve the economy.

“Inflation rate at 18.3 per cent is alarming, coupled with high Monetary Policy Rate of 14 per cent and banks interest rate in the region of 25 per cent,’’ he stated.

Omordion said that government, as a matter of urgency, should reconsider the current fiscal and monetary policies for the country to come out of recession.

He said that quoted companies would continue to struggle due to high cost of doing business with low purchasing power due to high cost of living.

Omordion stated that low purchasing power would continue to affect the corporate earnings of many companies, leading to poor performance and increasing unemployment rate.

“The negative macroeconomic indices will lead to high cost with falling earnings for companies and the people.

“Investors should focus on value stocks with good fundamentals and must trade with caution,’’ Omordion said. (NAN)
JNC/FF/SOA

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Edited by Fela Fashoro/Oluwole Sogunle