NAN-H-76
Leave
By Victor Adeoti
Osogbo, Nov. 11, 2016 (NAN) Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun  says the compulsory annual leave he ordered for all the  directors in the state’s public service was not meant to retrench them.

This is contained in a statement issued on Friday in Osogbo by Mr Semiu Okanlawon, the media aide to the governor.

The  governor said  the  directive was necessary in view of the constitutional right of every worker to benefit from leave annually as enshrined in civil service rules.

Aregbesola, who described workers in the state as the live-wire of socio-economic  development, said on no account had his administration contemplated reducing the workforce.

The governor said the compulsory annual leave was not meant to hurt or dehumanise any worker but to strengthen the laid down civil service rules in the bid to enhance greater productivity and effectiveness.

The decision, he said, was reached after he had been informed of the accumulated leave of some top officials in the civil service.

Aregbesola reaffirmed that in spite of the effects of the current economic recession, the state under his watch would not for any reason depopulate the workforce in the state.

“It is disheartening that some people have become perpetual rumour peddlers.

“ They never live by the truth but rather derive pleasure from spreading propaganda and falsehood.

“Our administration has never intended to sack any worker. We never aimed to retrench or reduce workforce.

“ This is what we built and we can never collapse it.

“Our directive on compulsory leave was in line with the operational framework that established civil service.

“ We only enforced it because we felt that those affected were due for leave.

“As we all know, leave is a work-relief benefit for workers and it is expected of every worker that is due for it to do so.

“In view of this, our government’s action was aimed at ensuring that those workers benefit from their accumulated leave from 2014 till date.

“We are not sacking any worker under pretence as being rumoured but rather enforcing the conventional rules and civil service principles,’’ he said.

Aregbesola warned disgruntled politicians to  shun  propaganda and falsehood that could bring about disaffection in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Aregbesola had directed  all directors to proceed on compulsory annual leave.

The directive was contained in a circular dated Nov. 2 and signed by Mr Samuel Aina,  the Permanent Secretary in the Public Service Office.

The governor said all officers occupying the position of director, either in acting  or substantive capacity, who had not proceeded on annual  leave since 2014 to 2016  to do so with immediate effect.(NAN)
VE/OJO
======
(Edited by Mufutau Ojo)

NAN-H-75
Anniversary
By Usman Aliyu
Ilorin, Nov 11, 2016 (NAN) Some prominent indigenes of Ilorin on Friday extolled the virtues of the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, as the monarch marked  his 21st anniversary on the throne.
They described the reign of the traditional ruler as era of peace and tranquility.
Some of the dignitaries who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of the special prayer organised to mark the 21st anniversary commended the style of his leadership and outstanding qualities.

Prof. Abdulrasheed Na’allah, the Vice Chancellor of Kwara State University, Malete, described the monarch as an achiever.
He said that the reign of Sulu-Gambari had brought unprecedented achievements to the ancient city in term of expansion and amenities.
According to him, the purposeful emirship of the monarch has placed Ilorin on the global map as a result of the peaceful atmosphere.
The don, who felicitated with the traditional ruler, sought for cooperation and prayers from the sons and daughters of the Ilorin Emirate to grant the Emir long life on the throne.
Also speaking, Dr Mashood Elelu, the Rector of the Kwara state Polytechnic, Ilorin, said the reign of the emir had exposed the city of Ilorin to rapid development.
He noted that high numbers of the citizens were elevated in their various callings.
“Nothing is used to assess a monarch than the upliftment of his community and his people”, he said.
The Magaji Nda of Ilorin, Alhaji Solihu Woru, applauded the style of leadership of the emir.
Woru prayed for a long reign for the emir and called for more cooperation from the subjects to move the town forward.
Earlier, the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji Mohammed-Solihu Bashir, had led other Islamic clerics on a thanksgiving prayer for the emir.
NAN reports that Sulu-Gambari became the 11th Emir of Ilorin on Nov .11, 1995. (NAN)
AUO/DO/AFA
Edited by David Onilede/Felix Ajide
=========================

Gov Oshiomhole inaugurates four more projects
NAN-H-
Oshiomhole
Benin, Nov 11, 2016 (NAN) Gov Adams Oshiomhole of Edo on Friday inaugurated four  roads  as part of his administration’s  ‘Finishing well and strong agenda’.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this brings to 12 the projects  inaugurated within the week.

The projects include network of roads at Abudu, the Orhiomwon Local Government Headquarters as well as the five Kilo metres second east circular road from the Sakponba Road axis to the Sapele Road axis.

The other roads were the 4.5 Kilometres Upper Lawani Road with Nine Kilometres side drains and the 10 kilo metres Upper Mission Road with 20 kilo metres side drains.

Govs Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto and Mohamed Abubakar of Bauchi were on ground to help him inaugurate the Second East circular, Upper Mission and Upper Lawani roads.

Oshiomhole said that he invited his colleagues to help inaugurate the projects as part of solidarity and to let the people of the state know that they have brothers in other states.

He also said the dualisation of the roads which were hitherto single lanes was part of the state urban renewal programme.

Governor Oshiomhole’s eight year tenure ends tomorrow.

(NAN)
DCO

NAN-HE-27

Incentive

By Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

Lagos, Nov. 11, 2016 (NAN) The Federal Government on Friday says it will consider introduction of incentives to ensure listing of multinationals and telecommunication companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice President, said this during a courtesy visit to the NSE in Lagos.

Osinbajo said government would encourage more companies to list on the NSE in order to create prosperity for the investing public.

He said that the new investors of the privatised state-owned-assets had the prerogative to go public, but the government could persuade the boards to list.

He said that government would work with the NSE and encourage an incentive regime to ensure listing of more companies on the NSE to create deepen the market.

The vice president said that partnership with the broker-dealer community was needed to tackle the current economic challenges.

Osinbajo stated that government would also support private sector partnership, noting that private sector held the economy.

He said that private sector must work hand in hand with the government to tackle the country’s economic challenges.

“We must see ourselves as partners working together to move our nation forward,” Osinbajo stated.

Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, NSE Council President, commended the vice president for the visit and promised that the NSE would work with the Federal Government to overcome economic challenges.

Aig-Imoukhuede said that the NSE had consulted with Osinbajo over time on difficult issues in the market and the economy.

He stated the NSE would follow up on the federal government’s plans for the market.

He said that the vice president had given hope and confidence to the market community to overcome economic and financial market challenges.

“We are going through difficulty times no doubt but very soon we will see better times,” Aig-Imoukhuede stated.

Alhaji Rasheed Yussuf, the doyen of stockbrokers, said that the present government had taken some bold steps to strengthen the economy.

Yussuf commended the vice president for the role playing in ensuring listing of multinationals and oil were listed on the exchange.

He called for proper interaction between the stock market community and the federal government to ensure growth and development of the economy.

Yussuf who is also the Managing Director, Trust Yields Securities Ltd., urged Osinbajo to ensure incorporation of one of the stockbrokers in the government economic team.

“We want to have one of us on the federal government economic management team to ensure friendly policies that will lift the market forward,” Yussuf said.

He said that most of the policies taken in the past were not investor friendly, noting that, the capital market was a barometer for any economy. (NAN)
JNC/TA
Edited by Tajudeen Atitebi

NAN-ELS-8
Movie
New York, Nov.11, 2016 (Reuters/NAN) Oscar-winning movie director, Ang Lee,
said he chose drama about American soldiers returning home from Iraq to showcase groundbreaking extra-fast high resolution imagery.

He said that the movie, “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk’’ was based on satirical 2012 novel by Ben Fountain, shot in 3D and 4K resolution and 120 frames per second.

“This is five times faster than an ordinary movie; the aim is to immerse the audience in the experience of the film’s conflicted 19-year-old protagonist, he said.

The movie follows young soldier Billy Lynn, portrayed by newcomer Joe Alwyn, who returns from Iraq with his squad in 2004 for a victory tour of the United States after being hailed as heroes.

The soldiers took part in the surreal spectacle of a Thanksgiving football halftime show on the eve of their return to war.

Lee said the high-definition technology was to underline the contrast between the soldiers’ sensation of being on the battlefield and the noisy patriotism of their reception back in the United States.

“I think it makes it easy to see things through his (Billy’s) eyes.

“One of the hardest things was translating from the book to the film; it’s very internal; One day the boy is experiencing bullets and the next, the halftime show and the still fresh memory of battle.’’

“The movie opens in New York and Los Angeles on Friday – Veterans’ Day in the United States – in a tribute to the military,’’ he said.

It comes a decade after a slew of films about the Iraq war that largely failed at the U.S. box-office a decade ago.

However, the Oscar-winning Director said he hoped the movie will give audiences “a little more understanding of what soldiers’ experience; they are the people who do things we don’t want to do.”

According to him, only a handful of U.S. movie theatres are equipped to handle the new technology.

“This means that most Americans will see the film in regular format or 3D when the opening expands on Nov. 18.

“The movie also has Kristen Stewart as Billy’s cynical sister, Steve Martin as a football team owner and Vin Diesel as Billy’s military mentor,’’ Lee said (Reuters/NAN)
HA
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Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

FG signs MoU with 42 Microfinance institutions to boost sanitation, hygiene
NAN-AE-14
MoU
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Nov. 11, 2016 (NAN) The Federal Ministry of Water Resources has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 42 Microfinance Institutions and three Micro-credit Banks to provide affordable loans to households for the construction of sanitation facilities.
The ministry`s Permanent Secretary, Hajiya Rabi Jimeta, made this known in Abuja on Friday.

She said that the partnership was also to implement the Partnership for Expanded Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) programme in the country, which needed no fewer than N510 billion.
Jimeta said the partner financial institutions would incorporate sanitation financing into their existing micro-credit portfolio and provide loans in collaboration with UNICEF and the State and Local Government agencies.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the ministry recently inaugurated the PEWASH strategy to seek out ways of funding to meet the sanitation and hygiene needs in the country before 2030.
She said the ministry was already partnering with UNICEF and Association of Non-Bank Microfinance Institutions of Nigeria (ANMFIN) to seek out practical ways of providing funds to meet this target.
She reiterated the Federal Government`s commitment to ending open defecation in Nigeria by 2025, saying that this was possible with full implementation of the PEWASH strategy.
Jimeta said there was an urgent need for a pool fund to ensure availability of cheaper loans to promote uptake of improved toilets.
She stressed that the Federal Government fully supports setting up pool fund and would leverage all available opportunities and partnerships with international development partners, financial institutions and small scale entrepreneurs.
Jimeta noted that this step would facilitate the provision of sanitation facilities across the country and also provide means of financing for sanitation for individuals.
The permanent secretary also called on the development partners to contribute to the pool fund.
“Developing a pool fund through the generous contribution of WASH stakeholders is essential to bring dedicated financing for rural WASH sector, “ she said.
Chief, WASH Section at UNICEF, Mr Kannan Nadar, said presently, no fewer than 120 million people in Nigeria lack access to improved sanitation facilities, thereby exposing them to public health hazards.
He said Nigeria needed an investment of N850 billion for households to construct 25 million toilets by 2025, saying “Reaching the SDGs target on Sanitation requires us to multiply our current efforts by fifteen. “
The DFID representative, Ms Kemi Williams, reassured of UK Government’s continued support to the Federal Government in achieving its SDG targets and helping out the poorest and most vulnerable in the process.
The CBN`s Deputy Director, Mr Osita Nwanisobi, presented the lessons from existing micro, small and medium enterprise development fund and agreed to work with FMWR towards creation of the pool fund.
The PEWASH programme is to contribute to improvement in public health and eradication of poverty in Nigeria through the achievement of SDGs six, especially in rural areas where access to quality water and sanitation are grossly inadequate. (NAN)
TAK/MOL/AFA
Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Felix Ajide
============================

NAN-H-71

Preaching

Damaturu, Nov. 10, 2016 (NAN) Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe says government has incorporated de-radicalisation of formal and non-formal Islamic education in the state’s development plans.

Gaidam made the announcement at the North-East Regional Conference on Peace and Scholarship organised by International Organisation of Tijjaniyya Brotherhood in Damaturu on Friday.

The governor advocated comprehensive reform of the Tsangaya Islamic school system and also charged Islamic clerics to help check unauthorised persons from preaching in public.

He reiterated the need for post-mortem into the Boko Haram insurgency which claimed thousands of lives and millions of naira worth of property in the North East.

“The Boko Haram insurgency had negative impact on Yobe state in particular and North-East of Nigeria in general.’’

He said the move by the federal government to unveil the origin, remote and immediate causes of the movement, its sponsors and international connections will guard against future occurrence.

.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar, represented by the emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwan Adamu, said Islam is based on peace and Justice.

He charged Islamic scholars in the country to continue to preach the message of peace and “legacies geared towards the establishment and sustenance of peace, justice and civilisation.” (NAN)

MM/ASS/IEA
===========

Edited by Idahosa Asowata

NAN-HE-8
Shares
By Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma
Lagos, Nov. 11, 2016 (NAN) Transactions on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Friday closed on a downward note, following price losses suffered by major blue chips, as market capitalisation depreciated by N17 billion.

Specifically, the market capitalisation shed N17 billion or 0.19 per cent to close at N9.009 trillion compared with N9.026 trillion posted on Thursday.

Similarly, the All-Share index shed weight by 50.87 points or 0.19 per cent to close at 26,170.88 from 26,221.75 posted on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that investors exchanged 2.26 million shares worth N2.63 billion transacted in 3,346 deals.

This was higher than a total of 137.6 million shares valued at N990.9 million exchanged on Thursday.

On the price movement chart, Mobil Oil led the gainers’ table, growing by N14.99 to close at N190 per share.

Flour Mills followed with a gain of 87k to close at N18.92 and Forte Oil increased by 45k to close at N104.50 per share.

Zenith International Bank improved by 43k to close at N15.13, while International Breweries grew by 36k to close at N19.89 per share.

On the other hand, 7UP topped the losers’ chart, shedding N7.54 to close at N143.32 per share.

Wapco trailed with a loss of N4.14 to close at N48, while Okomu Oil dropped N2.23 to close at N42.47 per share.

Cadbury lost 58k to close at N11.12, while Stanbic IBTC was down by 35k to close at N16.50 per share.

NAN also reports that Standard Insurance traded a total of 2.12 million shares valued at N1.07 billion and Zenith Bank sold 22.39 million shares worth N337.32 million.

It was followed by Sterling Bank which accounted for 18.58 million shares worth N14.86 million and GT Bank sold 18.01 million shares valued at N394.82 million. (NAN)
JNC/JEO/GOK
============
Edited by Jane-Frances Oraka/Olagoke Olatoye

NAN-H-61
Teaching
By Chiazo Ogbolu
Lagos, Nov. 11, 2016 (NAN) The Emeritus Professor of Education, Prof. Pai Obanya, of the University of Ibadan, on Friday called for the adoption of a new teaching method that goes beyond telling.

He made this known at the 2nd edition of the Microsoft and Fliplearn Creativity in Learning in Lagos.

Obanya, who spoke on the “Teaching for Learning in the Context of the 21st Century,’’ insisted that teachers must be prepared to change their teaching methodology.

“Teachers will need to be re-profiled and teaching must go beyond mere telling,’’ he said.

“The 21st Century is one of turbulence and has led to radical and rapid changes in the way we live; learn, and work.

“Education and teaching must adopt the requirements of these changing times to remain qualitative and relevant.

Obanya said that for the teachers to adopt such, their skills should no longer be just subject and methods but life-long learning skills.

He also said that the life-long skills would enable the teachers to be able to impact the needed knowledge and the regenerative knowledge to the children.

Obanya said that a regenerative knowledge would enable the student generate more knowledge and be able to adapt to what the world provides.

He said that for a teacher to excel and get the best out of the children, “he had to be kind; compassionate; positive; be a builder, empathetic and inspire.’’

“What you know remains important but it must fully complement with who you are and what you can do with what you know through who you are,’’ Obanya said.

He, however, listed some rules that would guide them in teaching as, to remember at all times that teaching is not simply telling, a highly interactive activity drives process.

“Others are that a teacher is considered successful only if the learner has learnt; teaching becomes rewarding only when the job is mastered.

He said that teachers transformed lives through creative teaching and its effect on learners was that they would be flexible, diverse in the activities and be able to face challenges.

Obanya said that when the lives of the children are transformed, it would remove the spectre of un-employability such as; ill-prepared, ill-informed and ill-equipped. (NAN)
CAN/AOM/AJA
============
(Edited by Abdullahi Mohammed and Adeleye Ajayi)

FG to complete Galma Dam to boost all-year-round farming in Zaria
NAN-AE-11
Farming
By Mohammed Lawal
Zaria (Kaduna State), Nov. 11, 2016 (NAN) Rep. Abbas Tajuddeen on Friday said the Federal Government would soon complete the Galma Dam to boost all-year-round farming in Zaria and its environs.

Tajuddeen (APC), who represents Zaria federal constituency at the House of Representatives, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Zaria, Kaduna State.

He said the dam when completed would provide drinking water to eight local government areas in Northern Kaduna Senatorial District, apart from providing water for irrigation.

“It gladdens my heart to state that work on Galma Dam will provide job opportunities to our teeming unemployed youths.

“Part of the project is to carve out some water channels in virtually all the villages on the edges of the dam to boost dry season farming, “ he said.

According to him, when people are giving the opportunity to farm all-year-round, it will be a stepping board toward feeding the nation.

He stressed the need for the Federal Government to expand its dam programme across the country to incorporate many states to stimulate dry season farming all over the country.

“When it is done that way, there ought to be substantive improvement in our national food security. We are happy Nigerians now realise the importance of farming. “

Tajuddeen appealed to Nigerians to be patient and constantly pray for President Muhammadu Buhari to enable his government to tackle the economic recession.

He said the call became imperative in view of the current difficulties being experienced by the citizenry.

Tajuddeen promised to assist Kaduna State Media Corporation (KSMC) sub-station, Queen FM, Zaria, to the best of his ability.

“We will do our best to assist Queen FM, Zaria and we will forward whatever is beyond our power to Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa’i for necessary action.

“Remember, Gov. El-Rufa’i is also from Zaria, I believe he has the station at heart, “ he said. (NAN)
KLM/MOL/AFA
Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Felix Ajide
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