Blog

NAN-H-93

Arraignment

By Monday Ijeh

Abuja, Nov. 9, 2016 (NAN) The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned three suspects — Kenneth Samuel, Collins Ugwu and Cosmas Okechukwu — before an FCT High Court over N6 million bribe allegation.

Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, the spokesperson of the ICPC, who revealed this  in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, said Boss Engineering Nigeria Ltd, was also arraigned before Justice Angela Ataluka.

Okoduwa said that the suspects were arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on bribery, criminal conspiracy and forgery.

She said that the suspects were alleged to have offered to pay the sum of N6 million through Okechukwu as an inducement to the Procurement Committee of the Federal Ministry of Works.

According to her, the payment was to facilitate the procurement of a contract in favour of Boss Engineering Nigeria Ltd.

She said that the suspects were also accused of forging a Tax Clearance Certificate purportedly belonging to Boss Engineering Nigeria Ltd and presenting same to the Procurement Committee of the Ministry of Works.

Okoduwa said that the document was forged for the purpose of prequalification for  the award of the contract.

She said the suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them by the ICPC.

Mr John Kalu, Counsel to the accused persons, urged the court to grant his clients bail on a liberal condition.

In his reaction, Mr Ephraim Otti, Counsel to the ICPC who did not oppose  the bail application, urged the court to attach conditions that would compel them to attend trial.

In her ruling, Ataluka granted the suspects bail in the sum of N2 million and two sureties each in like sum.

She said that the sureties must be FCT civil servants of not below Grade Level 14, who must present evidence of being currently in service.

The judge said the retirement of the sureties must not be due in the next five years.

She, thereafter, adjourned the case to Nov. 21 for further hearing. (NAN)

IMC/DO/NKO

Edited by David Onilede/Nkechi Okoronkwo

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NCC to licence 38 GHz to reduce pressure on existing microwave frequency

NAN-H-86

Licence

By Constance Athekame

Abuja, Nov. 9, 2016 (NAN) The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) says it will licence the 38 gigahertz bands (GHz) to reduce pressure on the existing lower microwave frequency bands and increase broadband across the country.

The gigahertz, abbreviated GHz, is a unit of alternating current (AC) or electromagnetic (EM) wave frequency equal to one thousand million hertz (1,000,000,000 Hz).

Prof. Umar Dambatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, said this on Wednesday in Abuja, while delivering a lecture on the “National Broadband Plan as a Catalyst for Social and Economic Transformation: the NCC Mandate”.

The 2016 lecture was delivered at the Nigerian Academy.

“The commission plans to licence the 38 GHz (range 37-39.5 GHz) and 42 GHz (range 40.5-43.5GHz) bands.

“Both bands are suitable for short hop (1-5km) and point to point terrestrial links.

“The bands also support 3G/4G/LTE backhaul and a high degree of frequency re-use due to the high directivity of their antennas.

“The term 4G LTE is really two terms. 4G means the fourth generation of data technology for cellular networks ̶ following 3G, the third generation.

“LTE stands for Long Term Evolution and is short for a very technical process for high-speed data for phones and other mobile devices,” he said.

Dambatta also said that the commission was in the process of licensing priced regulated infrastructure companies that would be saddled with the task of bridging the gaps between national and planned fibre networks in Nigeria.

He said that Backbone Transmission Infrastructure, a Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) project , was to connect the rural and semi-urban areas to the National Transmission Backbone Infrastructure through Optic Fibre Cable across the six geographical regions of the country.

The NCC boss said that so far, over 1000 km of Optic Fibre Cable (OFC) had been deployed.

“Provisional approval has been for the deployment of 4G LTE by NATCOM Development and Investment Limited, which made the first VoLTE called on February 2016.

“The commission has licensed six out of the 14 slots of 2.6GHz band to MTN, Nigeria. This band supports capacity spectrum for deployment of broadband services, especially in urban cities and 4G/LTE services.

“The commission has articulated a robust framework that will enable strategic and systematic licensing and deployment of broadband infrastructure across the country – The Open Access Model.

“It has established a broadband implementation and monitoring committee to give proper assessment on regular of broadband infrastructure deployment.

“Fine-tuned the infrastructure provision licenses awarded for the Lagos and North-Central zones.

“Advertised the bidding and selection process for interested service providers infrastructure companies (Infrancos) in the remaining five zones namely; North-East, North-West, South East, South –South and South West,” he said.

Danbatta said that the mandate of the Infracos was to provide and operate infrastructure services and to facilitate broadband penetration to provide and optimise access to and use of affordable fixed and mobile broadband everywhere in the country. (NAN)

COA/TO/MST

Edited by Tola Okinbaloye/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

NAN-H-26

Arik

By Adekunle Williams/Solomon Asowata

Lagos, Nov.9, 2016 (NAN) The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has granted Arik Air Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation, which allows it to operate to any European country.

The airline made the announcement in a statement by its Communications Manager, Mr Ola Adebanji, which was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday.

The statement said the TCO authorisation was a requirement for all non-European Union registered commercial operators that fly to EU countries under the Air Operator Certificate (AOC).

It said:” An airline is given the authorisation after meeting stringent safety and security standards.

“The TCO is obtained from EASA after the agency has scrutinised the airline’s manuals and after the airline has scaled its regulations, which may include an interview.

“Only very few airlines have the authorisation in Africa and Arik Air is the only airline that has TCO in West Africa.

According to the statement, this enables the airline to operate to any part of Europe, according to the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) the airline has with individual countries.

The statement quoted the Deputy Managing Director of Arik Air, Capt. Ado Sanusi, as saying that the airline could fly to all European member states with respect to BASA agreement with each country.

“This is a great achievement for Arik Air because it is a confirmation of the airline’s high operational standard and safety by such a renowned agency. With the TCO authorisation, Arik can overfly to any EU member state.

“Arik is the only airline in West and Central Africa that has the authorisation and it took the airline short time to attain this. I am aware that it took some major airlines a very long time to obtain this authorisation.

“Some of them made use of consultant firms to enable them pass the rigid examinations before they were given the authorisation,” Sanusi is quoted as saying.

The statement said the EASA TCO authorisation had further confirmed the high standard of the airline’s operations. (NAN)

WAC/ASO/SOA

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Edited by Oluwole Sogunle

NAN-H-91

Project

By Monday Ijeh

Abuja, Nov. 9, 2016 (NAN) Residents of Kuje and Gwagwalada Area Councils of the FCT have called for the intervention of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in the completion of Kuje-Gwagwalada road project.

Some of the residents who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Kuje, decried the slow pace of work on the project.

Mr Dogo Dantani, a resident said the delay in the completion of the project was not in the interest of farmers, drivers and commuters in the area.

Dantani blamed the delay on lack of commitment on part of successive FCT administrations that awarded the contract.

He claimed that contract for the rehabilitation of the road had been awarded severally without execution.

According to him, the last administration again awarded the contract and commenced the execution but abandoned the project for reasons not known to residents.

“The contractor who only executed about 20 per cent of the project abandoned it and later returned after the emergence of the current administration.

“As I speak to you, the project has again been abandoned with complaints that funds were not made available by the government,” he said.

Mrs Salamatu Musa, another resident, accused successive FCT administrations of playing politics with the road.

Musa, a civil servant who lives in Kuje and works in Gwagwalada, however, appealed to the current minister to come to the aid of residents of the area.

She said that the deplorable state of the road was discouraging, adding that she had stopped driving her car to work.

She attributed the delay in the completion of the project to lack of political will and commitment on the part of past FCT administrations.

“Some members of staff of the construction company handling the project are our neighbours and their complaints have been that government has not released funds for the project.

“We are appealing to the FCT minister to make funds available for the completion of the project,” she said.

Similarly, Mrs Sarah Dikko, a poultry farmer residing in the area, said she had lost eggs worth thousands of naira due to the deplorable state of the road.

She that the lack of access road to convey their products, particularly eggs to the market, constituted a major challenge.

Dikko urged the relevant authorities to complete the project for the benefit of all residents and in line with their campaign promises to provide democracy dividends. (NAN)

IMC/GOM/NKO

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Edited by Gregory Mmaduakolam/Nkechi Okoronkwo
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NAN-H-25

Scholarship

Makurdi, Nov 9, 2016 (NAN) Gov Samuel Ortom on Wednesday approved the sum of N20 million for the payment of allowances to students on scholarship in the state.

Ortom made the disclosure in Makurdi when the members of National Union of Benue State (NUBESS) organised a peaceful protest over the non-payment of their yearly allowances.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the students were being owed five years scholarship allowance by the government, amounting to over N300 million.

NAN reports that each student who is a Benue indigene schooling in any high institution, under the scholarship scheme, is entitled to collect N5,500 yearly from the board.

The governor directed the commissioners for Education and Finance to work with the leadership of the Union to draw up the modalities for the payments and list of beneficiaries.

He said that the issue of scholarship arrears started with the previous administration, promising that he would ensure that all scholarship arrears are paid as soon as the economy improves.

Earlier, Vincent Iorshe, who spoke for the National Union of Benue State Students (NUBESS), said that they were protesting the non-payment of their five years scholarship allowances.

Iorshe disclosed that the arrears was around N368 million and the situation was becoming worrisome.

NAN reports that protests by students started during the last administration, when they complained of non-payment of three years allowances.

AEB/SOA
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Edited by Oluwole Sogunle

NAN-H-85

Safety

By Kabir Muhammad

Abuja, Nov. 9, 2016 (NAN) The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), is to begin soon the prosecution of pedestrians, who are not using the pedestrian crossing.

Mrs Olanipekun Omolola, the Director, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), made this disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to her, those people, who cross the roads without using the pedestrian crossing, risk their lives and this has become worrisome to the government.

“I know that very soon, the government will take the right step, that is to enforce the laws, as the right measure for the safety of lives.

“It is of no use to try to cut corners because at the end of the day, you are risking your life but I believe that the rightful department will soon come up with something to enforce it.

“You know everything depends on the power of the law. For now, it is not that the law does not capture it in the AEPB Act, but our concern is for the safety and security of the lives,’’ she said.

On the artisans doing their businesses all over the city, Omolola said it was an unfortunate happening now in the city of Abuja that could be attributed to population explosion.

“Population explosion and the in-flow of people into the city, ridicule a lot of critical environmental issues that need attention.

“You know these artisans have association or a body, even if you allocate a place for them, you will continue to have them where they are, trying to disobey the laws.

“They will be seen in areas not designated for them, we will not relent in our efforts, we will continue to go after them till they relocate to the appropriate places,’’ she said.

She noted that AEPB and Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), had met to make the artisans understand and know the places marked out for them.

“These places are meant for them to build their shops and do their business. We will move them to the designated places. We are doing all these so that the city is not defaced,’’ she said.

She pledged the board’s commitment under the administration to do everything humanly possible so as to bring sanity, cleanliness and order into the city.

According to her, whatever the board is doing is within the ambit of the laws that establish it. (NAN)

KM/TO/YEMI

Edited by Tola Okinbaloye

Controlled by Yemi Idris-Aduloju

NAN-AE-11
Weather
By Sumaila Ogbaje
Abuja, Nov. 9, 2016 (NAN) The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted sunny and hazy weather with night time temperatures of 29 to 35 degrees Celsius over the central states of the country on Thursday.

NiMet made the prediction in the Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

It also predicted that the southern states would experience cloudy to partly cloudy conditions in the morning with night time temperatures of 32 to 33 degrees Celsius.

The agency also predicted isolated thunderstorms over some areas in the coastal cities of Port Harcourt, Calabar and Eket in the evening and night hours.

According to NiMet, northern states will experience sunny and hazy conditions with night time temperatures of 33 to 37 degrees Celsius.

“ Northern part will experience hazy condition in good visibility.

“Cloudy to partly cloudy conditions are expected over the inland and isolated thunderstorms in few places around the coastal cities,’’ NiMet stated. (NAN)

OYS/DOE/AMY
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Edited by Dianabasi Effiong and Abdullahi Yusuf

NAN-H-84
Materials
By Sumaila Ogbaje
Abuja, Nov. 9, 2016 (NAN) Rev Tor Uja, the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), says the commission will design materials that will aid the spiritual development of pilgrims in order to maintain constant  relationship with God.

A statement by Mr Celestine Ogugua, Head of Media, NCPC, on Wednesday in Abuja, said that Uja disclosed this while inaugurating the Spirituality and Counselling Committee for the 2016 pilgrimage to Israel, Rome and Greece.

He informed the committee that one of his goals was to ensure that every pilgrim returned with improved spiritual relationship with God.

NCPC boss also disclosed that the commission planned to organise leaders’ pilgrimage in 2017.

He said that he was desirous of raising an army of people prepared to take up the challenges of re-defining the spiritual content of pilgrimage.

Uja further disclosed that the commission would also organise a conference for all Chaplains and members of the Spirituality and Counselling Committee in 2017.

According to him, `the `Day with Jesus’ programme of the Commission will be sustained and extended to two and half days to include orientation for participants on the first day.

Responding on behalf of the committee, a member, Mr Isaac Okpanachi, thanked the executive secretary for counting them worthy for the assignment, adding that NCPC had taken the right direction.

Okpanachi suggested that pilgrimage should go beyond sight-seeing  and focus more on soul winning.

The committee will be chaired by Uja, while Bishop Benjamin Kururdu, will serve as the deputy chairman, and e the NCPC Chaplain, Rev. Ayodele Jato, as the secretary.
(NAN)
OYS/NKO/NKO
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Edited by Nkechi Okoronkwo

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NAN-S-19
Players
By Victor Okoye
Abuja, Nov. 9, 2016 (NAN) Super Eagles looked sharp in training on Wednesday ahead of their crucial match against Algeria, the Fennecs, and would certainly have a mountain to surmount in Uyo on Saturday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the team had their final training at the National Stadium, Abuja, before flying to Uyo in the afternoon.

It was a full house as all 23 players invited by Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr for Saturday’s 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Algeria participated in Wednesday’s training session.

Belgium defender Elderson Echiejile, who was the last to arrive the team’s camp on Tuesday evening, also took part in the training

NAN recalls that Rohr and his assistants had on Tuesday put the players through their paces twice; in the morning and evening.

The final training was, however, more intense as the players were pitched against themselves in a one hour test match.

Team A had Goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi, Kenneth Omeruo, William Trost-Ekong, Shehu Abdullahi, Musa Mohammed, Leon Balogun, Mikel Obi, Oghenekaro Etebo, Kelechi Iheanacho, Alex Iwobi and Victor Moses.

While, goalkeeper Dele Alampasu, Uche Agbo, Wilfred Ndidi, Elderson Echiejile, Ogenyi Onazi, John Ogu, Wilfred Ndidi, Brown Ideye, Moses Simon, Odion Ighalo and Ahmed Musa made up Team B.

Goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa watched the game from the bench.

Though the game ended in a barren draw, it was an exciting match, full of fireworks from both sides.

Notably were Moses and Iheanacho, whose shots rattled the goal posts on two occasions.

They also had three shots each on target which tested the reflexes of goalkeeper Alampasu.

The likes of Captain Mikel, Iwobi and Etebo also showed class in the midfield, while Musa and Moses were also effective on the wings.

NAN also observed that the trio of Balogun, Ideye and Abdullahi who were nursing knee and ankle injuries seemed to have recovered as they showed no signs of pains.

The Super Eagles go into Saturday’s match on a four-match winning streak, going back to the summer when they defeated Mali 1-0 in Rouen, France and spanked Luxembourg 3-1 in Luxembourg City; both were friendly matches.

In September, the Eagles pipped Tanzania 1-0 in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Uyo, before edging Zambia 2-1 in Ndola at the start of the 2018 FIFA World Cup race on October 9.

Manchester City of England’s youthful forward Kelechi Iheanacho scored in all four matches. (NAN)
VO/AFA
Edited by Felix Ajide
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NAN-H-83
Witnesses
By Suleiman Shehu
Ibadan, Nov. 9, 2016 (NAN) Two prosecution witnesses in a case of murder against a female lawyer,Yewande Oyediran, have demanded N500,000 as transport cost to attend the court session

Oyediran, a staff of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the Oyo State of Ministry of Justice, allegedly murdered her husband, Lowo, by stabbing him with a knife on Feb. 2 at Akobo area of Ibadan.

The private prosecutor, Mr Sanya Akinyele, informed an  Oyo State High Court in Ibadan at Wednesday’s hearing that the case could not proceed because of the demand made by the witnesses.

Akinyele said that the two witnesses vowed not to testify until the money was paid.

The prosecutor said the landlord of the deceased, Mr John Akinpelu, and his wife, Esther, were the vital witnesses in the case.

He urged the court to summon the witnesses, saying they ought to testify before the other witnesses in the case.

Akinyele also urged the court to direct the Chief Registrar to pay N5,000 to each of the witnesses to cover their transport expenses.

Justice Munta Abimbola said that it was disheartening for a witness to demand for money in a case of this nature.

Abimbola ordered a witness summon to be issued on the duo, saying failure by them to comply would attract sanction.

The judge also ordered the Chief Registrar to pay N5,000 to the two witnesses to cover their transport expenses.

The money, he said, was to be drawn from the internally generated revenue of the Oyo State High Court.

He adjourned the case till Dec. 5 for continuation of hearing as well as consideration of the bail application filed by the defendant’s counsel, Mr Abioye Ashanike.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that three witnesses were earlier called on Tuesday in the matter. (NAN)
SYS/OJO
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(Edited by Mufutau Ojo)