Blog

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Carrier

Beirut, Nov. 8, 2016 (dpa/NAN) The Russian Defence Ministry on Tuesday announced that its first ever attack on Syria from an aircraft carrier is to take place imminently.

Fighter jets from the Admiral Kuznetsov and heavily armed escort ships are to bomb anti-Syrian government positions in the beleaguered city of Aleppo in the coming hours.

“The attacks are to hit the long-range approaches to the city,” a Defence Ministry spokesman said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stresses, however, that there would be no airstrikes directly on the embattled eastern parts of the city.

A monitoring group said that an airstrikes on rebel-held areas in Syria’s north-western province of Idlib killed at least 20 people on Tuesday, among them are children.

The Britain-based Syrian Obervatory for Human Rights said airstrikes hit Khan Sheikhoun and Barabo in south and south-western Idlib.

“Among the people who are killed are 11 in Barabo and nine, among them seven children and two pregnant women, were killed in Khan Sheikhoun,’’ the monitoring group said.

Rami Abdel-Rahman, head of the observatory, said the strike hit a street where children were playing. “Three of the dead children were from one family,” he added.

Abdel Rahman was unable to determine whether the planes were Syrian regime jets or Russian.

Russia began its air campaign in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Sept. 2015.

The observatory said elsewhere, regime troops managed to score “strategic advances” against positions manned by rebels in South-West Aleppo city.

It said that government forces and their allies had seized full control of the so-called 1070 Apartment Project and Minian.

“The government troops are trying to regain posts they lost to rebels when the opposition rebels launched their wide-scale attack on regime-held areas on Oct. 28,” Abdel Rahman said.

An alliance of opposition fighters, including Islamist militants, started a major offensive on Oct. 28 to break the government siege that has been in place on eastern Aleppo since July.

An estimated 300,000 people are trapped in the eastern part of Aleppo, where residents report declining or damaged supplies of basic goods, including food, water, electricity and medicine.

Russia and its allies in the Syrian army had on Friday, imposed a 10-hour humanitarian ceasefire to allow civilians and rebel fighters to leave eastern Aleppo.

However, none of them agreed to leave through the corridors manned by Syrian troops and their allies. (dpa/NAN)

OYE/IS

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Edited by Damilola Oyewole/Ismail Abdulaziz

NAN-S-17
Eagles
By Emmanuel Afonne and Donald Ugwu
Abuja, Nov. 8, 2016 (NAN) Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday urged the Super Eagles to go all out and defeat the Algerian National team in the World Cup qualifier as a stepping stone to the global fiesta.

Osinbajo gave the charge when he visited the players in training at the National Stadium, Abuja.

He said “to our great team of history makers, I think this is a very special team indeed because just following what has just happened so far in this world cup qualifier, you have proved that you are going to definitely make history.

“Beating the Zambians in Ndola in Zambia was an incredible feat and by being able to break that old jinx, it has shown that we are certainly going to go for the World Cup.

“But not just get to the World Cup, we are going to come back with the kind of victory that will stun the world.”

According to him, defeating Algeria will be a stepping stone and that he is aware that the team is
set and prepared to go.

“Frankly, I think we have everything it takes to win and to win very decisively and so we have all our hopes and aspirations for you to win squarely.

“We will be looking forward to victory and we are almost certain that we will give all the support that we can give.’’

The `vice president acknowledged that there were financial needs for the team and assured that the administration would do its best to provide “so that our country will be portrayed in the very best light and this great team of ours will win.’’

Osinbajo added that the nation was looking forward to incredible victory and so many more victories.

He described the match against Algeria as very important one, adding that “if we win this match, we are practically there.

“The others in our group have already drawn so we are set for qualification.’’

He said all that was needed was to be very ready and prepared, hopeful and prayerful and expressed his belief that God would help the country to win and qualify and to record an outstanding performance in the world cup. (NAN)
EMAF/DCU/HA
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Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

NAN-H-115

Policy
By Kazeem Akande/Augusta Uchediunor
Lagos, Nov. 8, 2016 (NAN) The LAGBUS Assets Management said on Tuesday that the prohibition of its buses from the Ikorodu-CMS BRT Corridor was aimed at attracting more private investors into the business.

The Managing Director of LAGBUS, Mr Idowu Oguntona, disclosed this at a news conference in Ikeja while reacting to the suspension of LAGBUS operations on Monday by the company’s Captains, following their prohibition from plying the BRT corridor.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that all LAGBUS Franchise Operators on Monday suspended their bus services across routes in the state to protest the state government’s directive prohibiting the company’s buses from plying the Ikorodu-CMS BRT corridor.

Oguntona said, “As part of the ongoing Lagos State Transportation Reform Agenda, there has been a government directive that LAGBUS and its Franchise operators should discontinue using the Ikorodu-CMS BRT dedicated lane.

“Government’s responsibility is to create an enabling environment to attract investors; this directive was done to create clarity in terms of policy. It is clear that the corridor was dedicated for the use of private operators.

“I see it as a policy that will reassure potential investors that government has policies and that it is strong in enforcing the policies. We don’t want a situation where policies are created and necessary enforcement of such regulations is absent.

“I believe that the Lagos state government is so much committed to creating an enabling environment that would attract investors that will comply with its policies and regulations.”

Oguntona said that the red buses should , therefore, continue to operate on the express road, which had been the practice at the inception of the scheme, as directed by the state government.

According to him, the red buses will still be plying Ikorodu road, however, but not on the dedicated corridor restricted for the use of the BRT buses.

The LAGBUS chief executive tendered an apology to its customers over the inconveniences they experienced on Monday, following the suspension of services by the operators.

He added that, “Regrettably, despite the various stakeholder engagement sessions, our bus captains reacted to the directive by boycotting work, due to security concerns, including the potential wrath of passengers and roadside miscreants.

“However, having put in place measures to address the concerns raised, normal operations have since resumed.

“We apologise for any inconveniences that may have been caused to our esteemed customers and wish to reaffirm our commitment to providing quality transportation services to the people of Lagos.”

Oguntona appealed to captains of the red buses to ensure compliance with the directive of the state government.

He assured that captains of buses would not be disengaged, saying that the company was ready to absorb whatever potential losses that might arise as a result of the change in policy.

The LAGBUS chief executive said there were 18 Franchise Operators in the company, having their dedicated routes of operation.

LAGBUS Asset Management are operators of the high-capacity red buses in Lagos State. (NAN)
AKA/ANU/PIO/PIO
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Edited by Idonije Obakhedo

Supreme Court to hear government’s Brexit appeal in December

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Appeal

London, Nov. 8, 2016 (dpa/NAN) The Supreme Court says it will hear the government’s appeal on Dec. 5 against a ruling that parliament must vote before formal negotiations begin on Britain leaving the European Union.

Prime Minister Theresa May’s government appealed after the High Court.

It said that parliament must vote on triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which sets the rules for a two-year negotiating process for a nation leaving the EU.

May argues that she has a sufficient mandate through a referendum in June, when 52 per cent opted to leave the EU, to proceed with Brexit negotiations without involving lawmakers.

She has told European leaders that she will still trigger Article 50 by the end of March. dpa/NAN)
OYE/AMY

Edited by Damilola Oyewole and Abdullahi Yusuf

Clinton, Trump cast ballots in US presidential election

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Ballots
Washington, Nov. 8, 2016 (dpa/NAN) Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump joined voters across the U.S. on Tuesday in casting ballots for president in an election that brings a long and bitter campaign to a close.

Clinton started her day by casting her vote in Chappaqua, New York, where she and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, have lived since he left office in 2001.

“I know the responsibility that goes with this,” she said, as she greeted people at the polling station.

“So many people are counting on the outcome of this election and what it means for our country, and I’ll do the best I can if I’m fortunate enough to win today.”

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has also cast his ballot in New York City at the polling station nearest his home in Trump Tower.

The candidate arrived with his wife Melania, who also cast a ballot.

“Everything’s very good,” he said when asked what he had heard about early returns.

People shouted “loser” and booed the candidate from behind a barrier set up by police on the street.

Some also shouted, “Go, Donald” and gave him a thumbs up.

At a polling station in Williamsburg, a neighbourhood in New York City’s Brooklyn borough, Jasmin Stein said she felt somewhat tired of the divisive campaign.

However, she said she was glad that the election cast a spotlight on underlying anxieties among Americans.

“A lot of things have been coming to the light that I think the country feels and I kind of would rather have it out in the open than it just be in peoples’ homes,” Stein, 29 said.

Another voter, Matt Sutton, who works in public relations, said he didn’t want to take any chances to let Trump get elected.

“It’s amazing that I voted for the first woman president.

“I didn’t know if I would even see that in my lifetime,” 29-year-old Sutton said.

He said he was planning to go to Times Square in the evening to await the results.

Jessica Quinn, 37, who brought her 8-month-old daughter, Emma, to the polls, said she got so anxious about the elections.

She said that she volunteered to work for the Clinton campaign on Monday, making about 30 phone calls.

“I needed to do something productive with all of my anxiety about what was happening with the election,” Quinn said.

Both campaigns kept up the pressure until the end.

Clinton’s campaign ticked down the minutes until the start of the polls with calls to vote and to “build bridges, not walls,” a dig at Trump’s promise to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico to keep out illegal immigrants.

Trump highlighted his final round of campaign stops, saying on Twitter: “Today we are going to win the great state of MICHIGAN and we are going to WIN back the White House!”

Clinton is favoured to win based on nearly all surveys of likely voters.

However, the race marked by ugly rhetoric and personal attacks has been surprisingly close, especially since many Americans considered Trump’s campaign little more than a novelty when it began in 2015.

Since then, he has built a strong campaign around people who feel they have been left behind by the political system.

Voters are also electing members of the lower chamber House of Representatives and one-third of the U.S. Senate.

Voting continues until polling stations close in Hawaii, the state furthest to the west.

Polls will begin closing at 6 p.m. in the Eastern Time zone, and early results are expected shortly after that.

The winner will become the 45th U.S. president on inauguration day, Jan. 20, and will succeed Barack Obama, the nation’s first African-American president. (dpa/NAN)
OYEAFA
Edited by Damilola Oyewole/Felix Ajide
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LAUTECH

By Akeem Abas
Ibadan, Nov. 8, 2016 (NAN) A group, the Oyo Patriotic Front (OPF), has called on the management of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho and the Unions to resolve their differences and allow academic activities to resume in the school.

The group made the appeal in a statement signed by its Chairman, Chief Jare Adepoju, on Tuesday in Ibadan and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

It noted that the lingering crisis between the union and the school management was affecting the students’ life, adding that their academic programmes was also suffering.

OPF explained  that education was not only important but must be timely and not be truncated by people or the system.

“LAUTECH students have been home for over two months. At the initial stage, we thought the problem was because of the government inability to pay its subventions to the institution regularly.

“We observed that other institutions in the two owner states, Oyo and Osun, are not having the same problems as LAUTECH,” it said.

The OPF said that it investigated the cause of the closure and discovered that the problem was internal, which made them believe that the problem with the institution was peculiar.

According to the group, “we see nothing wrong if the management of the institution decide to use the internally generated revenue to pay salaries.

“It shows that the management is thinking outside the box to ensure that the school is financially independent which should be seen as a plus rather than a cause of disagreement.

“We urge LAUTECH ASUU to soft pedal on their stance and consequently call on the national body of ASUU to prevail on their members,” they added.

It said that the governments of Oyo and Osun had raised a panel of inquiry to resolve the issues, calling on the management and unions to sheathe their swords.

“We appeal to the governments to equally task the management on the immediate resumption while the panel set up continues with their assignment. We believe that the students should not be allowed to suffer unnecessarily,” it said (NAN)

TAA/UDO/IS

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Edited by Udochukwu Ifionu/Ismail Abdulaziz

Scotland demands parliamentary consultation before Brexit talks

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Consultation

London, Nov. 8, 2016 (dpa/NAN) Scotland’s government on Tuesday demanded a debate in the devolved parliament before Britain opens formal talks on leaving the European Union.

It said that Brexit will “directly affect devolved interests and rights in Scotland.”

The demand could complicate the legal battle facing Prime Minister Theresa May, who has rejected High Court ruling that the approval of the British parliament in London is required before Brexit negotiations begin.

“Scotland’s highest legal officer, the Lord Advocate, “will lodge a formal application to intervene” in the appeal once May’s government has formalised its appeal to Britain’s Supreme Court,’’ the Scottish government said.

The Supreme Court said that it will hear the government’s appeal over four days from Dec. 5.

Following the High Court decision, May told European leaders that she still planned to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

The Lisbon Treaty Article 50 sets the rules for a two-year negotiating process for a nation leaving the EU by the end of March.

“The Scottish government is clear that triggering Article 50 will directly affect devolved interests and rights in Scotland.

“And triggering Article 50 will inevitably deprive Scottish people and Scottish businesses of rights and freedoms which they currently enjoy.

“It simply cannot be right that those rights can be removed by the UK government on the say-so of a prime minister without parliamentary debate, scrutiny or consent,” Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said.

According to the report, campaigners hailed the High Court decision as “a victory for parliamentary democracy.

However, May insisted that she has a sufficient mandate through a referendum in June, when 52 per cent opted to leave the EU, to proceed with Brexit negotiations without involving lawmakers.(dpa/NAN)
OYE/AMY

Edited by Damilola Oyewole and Abdullahi Yusuf

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Impersonation

Isaac Aregbesola

Abuja, Nov. 8, 2016 (NAN)The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa has raised an alarm over some fake `Face book’ accounts opened in her name by some fraudsters.

Dabiri-Erewa, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said some fraudsters have created phony accounts in her name on Facebook to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

The statement signed by her Special Assistant on Media Abdur-Rahman Balogun warned members of the public to be wary of such accounts stressing that Dabiri-Erewa had no “FACEBOOK’’ accounts.

She said that the scammers opened 11 different face book accounts  using the fake FB pages to send all manners of scam letters to dupe the unsuspecting and innocent Nigerians.

The Presidential aide advised members of the public to disregard any such FB page purportedly belonging `Abike Dabiri-Erewa` as she does not operate any Facebook account.

The SSA said she was always available and members of the public could reach her on: ssa@diaspora.gov.ng on issues pertaining to her office.

While noting that she had reported the issue several times to Face book, she urged Facebook to look into such easy method of cloning peoples’ identity.

“The issue is already being handled by the security agencies to track down those behind creation of these fake accounts,” she said (NAN)

IAA/YAZ

Edied Yusuf Zango

10,000 women in Bauchi State to access FG`s soft loan – Minister

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Loan
Bauchi, Nov. 8, 2016 (NAN) The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Aisha Alhassan, has said that 10,000 women in Bauchi State would access  Federal Government`s soft loan under the National Women Empowerment Fund (NAWEEF)

Alhassan, who stated this in Bauchi on Tuesday during an interactive session with women from the 20 Local Government Areas of the state, said the loan would empower them and boost economic activities in the state.

She said that NAWEEF would commence its pilot scheme in eight states that cut across the six geo-political zones.

The minister said the National Women Empowerment Fund (NAWEEF) was initiated by the Federal Government to empower women across the country.

She said the aim of the programme was to provide women with a start up seed capital for their petty trade and small enterprises.

According to her, women, with the exclusion of civil servants, are to benefit from the programme.

She said that intended applicants must form groups and register with appropriate authorities before accessing the funds.

“The NAWEEF programme is meant for only women, especially at the grassroots.

“Through the micro soft loan, women will be able to access from N10, 000 to N100, 000 payable in six months and without collateral or interest.

“The funds can only be accessible through women groups, women associations and women organisations.

“Beneficiaries will be credited through their individual accounts after filling their forms with account details and their BVN,” she said.

Earlier, the Wife of Bauchi State Governor, Hajiya Hadiza Abubakar, said that in line with its women empowerment programme, the state government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs, had trained and empowered 700 women across the state.

She said that more of such programme would be introduced to ensure that women were engaged in enhancing the economic development of the state. (NAN)

AE/MOL/ASH
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi.
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Hemp
By Victor Adeoti
Osogbo, Nov. 8, 2016 (NAN) The Osun Police Command has arrested four persons over alleged cultivation of Indian hemp in the state.

Briefing newsmen on Tuesday in Osogbo, the Police Commissioner, Mr Fimihan Adeoye, said that the four suspects were arrested at Irewole Local Government Area of the state.

The CP said the operation, which led to the arrest of the suspects, was led by Deputy Commissioner in the Command, DCP Aminu Koji.

Adeoye said the operation was aimed at cutting the supply of Indian hemp as well as to prevent youths from taking it.

He said that the Indian hemp planted in the farms were destroyed with herbicides while the already harvested ones,  packaged and ready for market were burnt.

The CP said, “We have declared a total war against Indian hemp cultivation and supply in Osun.

“This is necessary to prevent youths from getting the weeds to smoke and this strategy was designed to nip crime in the bud.

“Most criminals get energised when they take cannabis and that is why we are trying to cut the supply of India hemp in Osun and other neighbouring states.

“This we believe will reduce crime rate to the barest minimum in the state,” he said.

Adeoye said the suspects would be made to face the full wrath of the law to serve as deterrent to others.

The CP commended Gov. Rauf Aregbesola for providing the enabling environment for the police to fight crime in the state. (NAN)
VE/AOS/AFA
Edited by Bayo Sekoni/Felix Ajide
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