Blog

NAN-S-4
Golf
By Victor Okoye
Abuja, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) The inaugural Nigeria Masters is expected to tee off at the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja from Nov. 17 to Nov. 20.

Emeka Okatta, the President, West Africa Golf Tour, made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said a maximum field of 72 players would compete in the tournament to be played over 72 holes, adding that the format would be stroke play.

“The prize money for the tournament is 25,000 dollars and the winner will take 4,000 dollars.

“The tournament is proudly sponsored by FORTIS Micro Finance Bank.

“The leader of the Order of Merit, Andrew Odoh, will be flying back from South Africa where he has been competing on the Sunshine Tour to participate at the Nigeria Masters.

“Eight of the top 10 players of the Order of Merit have also confirmed their participation in the event,’’ Okatta said.

He noted that the tournament would be the last opportunity for players to qualify for the West Africa Golf Tour Championships to be staged in December in Owerri. (NAN)
VO/JPE/PDE
==========
(Edited by Joseph Edeh/Peter Ejiofor)

NAN-H-12
Road
By Dianabasi Effiong
Ogoja (Cross River) Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) The contracting firm handling the rehabilitation of dilapidated portions of Ogoja-Abuochichie Federal road in Cross River has been directed to complete the project without further delays.

The Chairman, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Mr Victor Muruako, gave the directive on Tuesday in Ogoja when he led a Verification Team of the Commission on tour of the project.

Muruako also directed that the contracting firm should deploy more hands and equipment to ensure accelerated completion of the project to meet its 2018 deadline.

He said there was no justification for further delay of work on the project when funds had been released by President Muhammadu Buhari for most capital and infrastructure projects.

Muruako told the contracting firm that commuters expected easy passage on the road, adding that the President also expected improved work performance on rehabilitation of all Federal road projects.

Also speaking at the project the project site, the Federal Controller of Works in Cross River, Mr Chinwuba Agbara, said that he would ensure effective supervision.

According to him, this is to ensure the Federal Government gets value for the money so far released on the project.

Agbara, who did not mention the amount so far released for the project, said that contractors only did the work commensurate to what they get.

Responding the Project Manager, Mr. Yang Zhidong, said already about 2, 380 metres of drainage had been completed while 5, 700 metres drainage would soon be embarked upon.

He told the visiting team that his firm would strive to meet the new Jan. 31^, 2018 completion deadline of the project

In another development, Muruako decried the lack of performance and shoddy job on the rehabilitation of Alesi-Ugep road project in the Central Senatorial District of Cross River.

He expressed displeasure at the level of performance of the contracting firm, Sermatech Nig. Ltd., adding that the level of work attained fell short of the funds so far released for the project.

Muruako, who did not state the amount so far released for the road project, urged the contracting firm to sit up because Buhari’s administration would not condone shoddy work.

The engineer attached to the project from the Federal Ministry of Works, Mr. Obot Akpan, said that only 9.45 per cent of the project had been attained.

He also attributed delay of the project to delay in releasing funds by the Federal Government.

According to him, no fund is appropriated for the project in the 2016 fiscal year. (NAN)
DOE/AJA
=======

(Edited by Adeleye Ajayi

NAN-H-39
Police
By AbdulFatai Beki.
Ilorin, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) The Kwara Police Command will not be partisan in the dispute between the two factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state over ownership of the party’s secretariat in llorin.

The State Commissioner of Police, Mr Olusola Emmanuel-Amore, gave the assurance on Tuesday in llorin in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said the command would only ensure that no law was broken by members of the two factions contesting the ownership of the secretariat.

“I am not aware of any dispute over the ownership of PDP secretariat in llorin.

“I do not look into party dispute, I look into crime and if a crime is committed I will take action.

“If a crime is committed and the case is reported, I will investigate the crime and charge whoever is involved to court,” Emmanuel-Amore told NAN.

Chief Iyiola Oyedepo, the chairman of one of the factions, accused the other faction led by Chief Sunday Fagbemi of committing crime by forcing open the secretariat of the party in llorin.

Oyedepo told NAN that the matter had been reported to the police commissioner who promised to charge members involved in the act to court.

Oyedepo said that members of his faction of the party refrained from ejecting the other faction from the secretariat in order not take law into their hands.

Reacting to the accusation, Fagbemi, the chairman of the other faction, refuted the claim that his members forced the secretariat open.

He said that he and other elected executive members of the party moved peacefully into the secretariat located on Asa Dam Road, llorin, on Oct. 31.

“The secretariat is the property of the PDP and as the PDP chairman, I moved in without violence.

“All members have access to the secretariat; the other factions are free to come and some of them have been coming to the secretariat”, Fagbemi said. (NAN)

BEKI/AOS/AEA
============

Edited by Bayo Sekoni/Archibong Asuquo

House Committee tasks Jigawa LGs on revenue generation, utilisation

NAN-H-41

Committee

Dutse, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) The Jigawah House of Assembly Committee on Local Governments has charged the 27 local government councils in the state to make good use of the revenue collection law of Growth and Employment in the state (GEM3) to improve their revenue base.

Alhaji Ibrahim Hussein (APC), the Chairman of the committee and member representing Gagarawa constituency, gave the advice when the committee visited Gagarawa Local Government Area.

The Information Officer in charge of Gagarawa, Malam Ahmad Sulaiman, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Tuesday.

Sulaiman said Hussein noted that the use of the law would enable the councils to generate more revenue and execute projects that would improve the quality of lives of the people.

According to him, the chairman emphasised the importance of revenue collection to the local government councils as regards the provision of social amenities.

He said the committee, therefore, urged the councils to discover unexplored sources of revenues, so as to diversify their revenue base. (NAN)
MNB/AMY/AMY

Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf

NAN-H-35

Dasuki

By Shu’aib Sadiq

Kaduna, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) A renowned Islamic scholar, Dr Ahmad Gumi on Tuesday described late former Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki as a reformist, progressive and goodhearted person.

Gumi spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Kaduna shortly after the death of the late Sultan.

“We have lost a father. The nation has lost a father figure and one of the last few standing pillars of an ending era.

“His concerns were genuine; his advices were candid and true; humble in triumph and magnanimous in trials.

“The first Sultan without concubines and who shakes the hands of his subjects and abhor to be bowed unto.

“A reformist of the traditional institution. A progressive and goodhearted person. The Sultan of the Sunnah of our blessed Prophet – alaihis salam.

“May Allah give us and his family the solace of this monumental loss, may Allah have His mercy on him and forgive him his shortcomings; may Allah Guide us all after him,” Gumi said.

Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki, 93, father of Sambo Dashiki, former National Security Adviser to former President Goodluck Johnathan died on Monday night in Abuja.(NAN)

SSA/MZA

Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

NAN-HG-8

Amputation

Jos, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) Mr Chima Adindu, a diabetes educator with the Jos University Teaching Hospital, has cautioned diabetic patients against poor management of wounds as it could lead to outright amputation.

Adindu gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Jos.

He said that poorly managed wound in diabetes was now the highest cause of amputation because it usually led to fungal infection of the bone.

He said that when this occurred, the only way such a patient could be healed was to have the affected bone removed.

“If the wound is not managed or poorly managed, it can become infected because bacteria can easily thrive in it.

“In such a situation, fungi infection also finds its way there and amputation is the only way through which the body can get its healing back,” he said.

Adindu also disclosed that people with diabetes were prone to having foot problems from complications, resulting in the damage of the patient’s nerve (neuropathy) and poor blood circulation.

“Neuropathy causes loss of feeling in the feet and discomfort. So in this case, it is a bit difficult to detect an injury or irritation.

“Such wounds are not felt and can be left untreated while poor circulation in the feet reduces the ability to heal,” he said.

The educator cautioned that such patients should always ensure that they did regular foot checks.

He advised patients to ensure that they had no cracks on their feet, ensure regular toe nail cutting and wearing of fitted foot wears to help protect the feet against injuries.

Adindu advised that people drank plenty of water, saying that it helped body metabolism but warned against indiscriminate consumption of packaged drinks. (NAN)
UBO/EMO/AMY

Edited by Ejike Obeta and Abdullahi Yusuf

NAN-S-3
Boxing
By Babatunde Ogunrinde
Lagos Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) The Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C) says plans are underway for an amateur boxing competition scheduled for Dec. 5 in Lagos.

Jerry Okorodudu, Nigeria’s boxing hero, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.

He said that the one day event would be a spectacle of awesome boxing fights.

Okorodudu said the competition would have the best armature boxers that had been tested and deserved recognition.

“We are organising a one day boxing competition that will host the best young boxers in the armature level, who are yearning for the opportunity to prove their competitiveness.

“The event is bankrolled by the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C) and it is going to be the best event to crown the year at the armature boxing level.

“It is an event that we want many fans of boxing to witness because we know there is so little that is being done to promote good boxing bouts in the country.’’

He also urged sports journalists to throw more weight on local content rather than concentrate so much on foreign competitions.

“This is because, there are so many things happening in the boxing world in Nigeria but unfortunately, we hardly see the media reports on them daily.

“When you look up the news on our dailies all that we see is the news from foreign lands occupying front pages, this is not fair.

“I oblige that they should do more on local competitions and find out more on what is happening locally,’’ Okorodudu said.
BAO/ENN/MO
========
Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Morayo Omolade

System
NAN-H-9
Dutse, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) The World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHCDA) office in Jigawa, have provided eight public address systems to improve public enlightenment on polio immunization there.
The information officer of Garki Local Government Area of the council, Malam Lawan Sulaiman, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday that they would be deployed in the council area.
According to him, WHO consultant in the area, Malam Muhammad Sani, announced the provision during the November round of polio immunisation in the council.
The spokesperson said Sani noted that the gesture was to sensitise parents on the importance of polio vaccination, hence the need for them to make their children and wards available for every round immunization.
Meanwhile, Sulaiman said no fewer than 59,076 children were targeted in the ongoing polio immunisation in the council.
He said that the council had received enough doses of Oral Polio Vaccines (OPVs) for the exercise.
He added that 498 trained ad-hoc staff was currently conducting the exercise in the area. (NAN)
MNB/PAD
========
Edited and controlled by Peter Dada

NAN -H-1
Convocation
By Modupe Seriboh
Ibadan, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) A total of 117, out of 5,598, graduating students of the University of Ibadan, emerged in the first class category at the institution’s 2016 convocation ceremony on Monday.

The Vice Chancellor, of the Prof. Idowu Olayinka who disclosed this at the ceremony, said that the graduands were from four Faculties, as well as its Distance Learning Centre,

Olayinka said that 1,407 came out with Second Class Honours (Upper Division), 3,020 Second Class Honours, (Lower Division), 666 Third Class Honours, 74 Passes and 314 Unclassified Degree .

A further breakdown, according to him, showed that 13 out of the 117 First class graduands, were from the Faculty of Arts; 25 from the Faculty of Science,

Also one each emerged from the Faculties of Basic Medical Sciences, Clinical Sciences and Public Health.
‎

The VC appealed to the graduands to be good ambassadors of the University wherever they may find themselves.

” As you leave Ibadan, I encourage you to take charge of your future. I know that with your intelligence, inspiration and ambition, you have what it takes to make your future a huge success.

” Our alumni and alumnae can be found holding top positions in every imaginable field.

“It is a great honour and privilege for you to join this prestigious hall of fame that includes a Nobel Laureate in Literature, business icons, enterpreneurs, countless technocrats, bureaucrats, including politicians,

“I also admonished you to always remember that, ‘If it is from UI, it must be of outstanding quality’. The joy of today will last forever”, he said. (NAN)
MAM/YAZ