Blog

NAN-H-76
SON
By Victor Adeoti
Osogbo, Nov .1, 2016 (NAN) Mrs Bose Kehinde, the South-West Regional Coordinator of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), says 40 per cent of the total electrical and electronic appliances imported into Nigeria are substandard.

She disclosed this at a one-day workshop organised by SON for the Electrical and Electronics Dealers Association in Osogbo.

The theme of the workshop was “ Understanding the Dangers of Substandard Electrical/Electronics: A panacea to Economic Growth.’’

The SON coordinator warned the Nigerians against importation of substandard electrical and electronic appliances.

She said that the usage of such products had made many families to become victims of fire disasters with destruction to lives and property.

Kehinde stressed the need to protect consumers from the danger of using substandard appliances.

The south-west coordinator expressed the commitment of SON to continued sensitisation of Nigerians on the need to eschew buying of substandard products.

Mr Richard Adewumi, the guest speaker at the workshop, said that substandard electronic and electrical appliances enjoyed more patronage because they were cheaper compared to quality ones.

Adewumi said that substandard appliances constituted a hazard to public health, lives and property.

Accordingly to him, it is very challenging to control importation of fake appliances because some importers often evaded inspection by regulatory agencies at the point of entry into the country.

Adewumi urged importers to always ensure that the products they import into the country complied with standards.

He also disclosed that 15 per cent of the imported products into the country were counterfeits.

In his remarks, the SON Coordinator in Osun, Mr Sunday Badewole, urged importers to always buy products with warranty and users’ manual.

“Refuse patronage of importers of substandard products because the law will always deal with whosoever sells such products.

“Consumers should avoid products that have no country of origin or manufacturer’s name and address,’’ Badewole advised. (NAN)
VE/DUA/OJO
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(Edited by Dada Ahmed/Mufutau Ojo)

School-age children in Niger LGAs abandon school for artisan mining

NAN-AE-13

Children

By Aminu Garko

Keteringi (Niger), Nov. 1, 2016 (NAN) Children in Keteringi in Kacha Local Government Area of Niger have abandoned school for artisan mining activities in the area, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

A check on some of the mining sites by a NAN Correspondents showed that children of about 10 to 15 years, who were supposed to be in school, were engaged in mining minerals.

Some youths, aged men and pregnant women were also seen in large number participating in the business.

Bashir Ibrahim, one of the teenagers, told NAN that “we are looking for gold as means of livelihood.

“We don’t have any other work to do hence we need to participate in the mining business ”.

Ramatu Isa, a pregnant woman, said: “I am in this business to enable me to cater for my family.

“I am aware that this is not healthy for me and the baby I am carrying, but I cannot just be idle; I have to support my husband.

I usually get N3,000 per day, depending on the number of gold found while breaking stones.“

Malam Abubakar Dogo said: “I came from Kaduna State because I got information that the mining business is profitable.

“The business is very lucrative. We sell one gramme of gold for N10,0000 which is very good, “ he added.

Kabiru Musa said “we have sponsors that provide mining equipment which make our work easy and we share the profit together.

“I built my personal house, got a new wife from the business and of recent bought a motor cycle.

“I am not ready to quit the business as I am planning to buy a new set of mining equipment so that others can rent from me, “ he said.

Reaction, Mr Adamu Garba, Director of Mining, Niger Ministry of Environment, advised artisan miners to join mining cooperative societies.

He said this would enable them to follow due process in obtaining permit from the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.

He said that if they were registered, they could be employed by registered mining companies and contribute positively towards enhancing the  nation`s revenue base.

He described the participation of children in the mining as child labour, which should be frowned at.

The director also advised youths in the area to form cooperative societies to legalise their activities.

He urged parents to desist from allowing their children to participate in mining business but enroll them in schools to acquire formal education. (NAN)
AAG/MOL/IA
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Idris Abdulrahman

Nigerian scientist upgrades social network website to aid business, social transactions
NAN-H-48
Upgrade
By Muhammad Suleiman Tola
Abuja, Nov. 1, 2016 (NAN) Mr Emmanuel Gabriel, a young Nigerian scientist, has upgraded a social network platform, known as OpenBinacle, which he developed, to promote smooth business and social transactions across the world.

Gabriel made the disclosure in an e-mail to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.

Gabriel, in his 30s, who currently lives in Germany, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of OpenBinacle.

He is also a Java and Robotic programmer.

He listed the six new features released as “WHEEL ADS’’, “ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE’’, “PUBLISHER’’, “CROWDFUNDING’’, “e-UNIVERSITY APP’’ and “e-CHURCH APP’’.

“Our Wheel Ads is with a great difference. A very powerful app built to empower people in Africa to become financially powerful. Users get paid whenever they spin our wheels and interact with Ads.

“This is completely different from Google Adsense. You are not required to own a website or blogs with a lot of viewers before you can earn money from us.

“Just spin the wheel and users can earn as much they can when they interact with Ads in their networks,’’ he explained.

On artificial intelligence, the scientist said the “OpenBinacle new facial recognition artificial intelligence algorithm can now detect voice and facial expressions/moods (sad, happy, disgust and angry) of our users and then use the detected information to provide suggestive health tips and other relevant information to our users’’.

According to him, the publisher allows people to build their own websites, blogs and publish their content and as well host their websites by themselves on OpenBinacle for free.

It also allows computer programmers to build their own projects and webapps and host for free on OpenBinacle.

Gabriel described CROWDFUNDING as an engine which allows venture capitalists, angel investors to set up their own funding website on OpenBinacle.

It would enable people to build their own crowdfunding pages, crowdfund projects and entrepreneurs within that geographical location to apply for funding.

On e-UNIVERSITY APP, the scientist said: “We have also just built our open-source university faculty departmental result and transcript management portal.

“This will also allow university management to process student’s entire session results and transcript and many more.’’

Besides, Gabriel explained that the e-CHURCH APP would help standardise social church solution work processes, boost work efficiency and enable knowledge accumulation.

“This will increase the competitiveness and efficiency of the church administrative systems and supporting the development of a modern church research.

“It is a conceptually advanced tool, thus creating transparencies, saving days of hectic work of thousands, millions of church financial transactions. It is developed for church scientific and religious research and development.

“Also we are currently testing our video call and video conferencing apps, which will be available on our upcoming Android and IOS apps soon.’’

NAN recalls that the platform was launched in July 2015 to offer free digital broadcast streaming services through locally produced chips and sensors to enable people across the world to interact uninterruptedly.

Gabriel had said during the launch of platform that several applications were introduced to harness, promote and exploit social, economic, health, education, science and technology as well as other fields of human endeavours.

He listed some of the benefits of the upgraded system to include getting better jobs or contracts, new businesses and getting more clients to businesses.

Others are gaining influence, becoming an expert in one’s field of endeavour as well as getting immediate feedback from business partners.

“Having a blog is the single most important thing a business or person can do to advance online.

“Even though blogging has hit it big, most people do not get what makes blogging so powerful, helpful and beneficial. Static websites do not attract many new clients or customers.

“But a regularly updated blog can produce a constant stream of good leads from all around the world,’’ he said.

OpenBinacle is a “next generation of social media and artificial intelligence portal’’ that captures all sectors of human endeavour and provide free advertisements, he added.

Gabriel said the platform is currently competing favourably with Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram and other global digital platforms.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has called on Nigerian inventors in Diaspora to return home and contribute to national development.

The Director-General, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Dr DanAzumi Ibrahim, made the appeal while reacting to the success story of Gabriel.

Ibrahim told NAN in Abuja that the exposure of Nigerian inventors to the Diaspora would help fast track the country’s socio-economic development.

However, he said that the country lacked the framework to harness some of the innovations and develop them in commercial quantity.

Ibrahim said such inventors needed to sojourn the Diaspora, to exchange ideas and experiences with other experts and broaden their scope.

“There is no structure in the country that can help them move their research to the next level; if that structure doesn’t exist I don’t think it’s wise to say they should not go outside.

“If the inventor can get a partner outside that can help him or her to translate that research and development effort into products and services, then the knowledge is broadened and can be better harnessed,” the director-general said.

According to him, most of the ancient inventors used the same methodology.

“We need that exposure; our inventors need to see other opportunities so that when they come back to Nigeria, they may be able to solve some of the problems we are facing,’’ he said.

Ibrahim said it was “important for Nigerian inventors to get that international exposure” adding that, historically, the most striking innovations could be traced back to external interactions.

He noted that most Nigerians in the Diaspora were patriotic and always willing to come back home to contribute to national development.

“They are itching to come home to see how they can contribute to the development of the country; what they need is the encouragement, sincerity of purpose and qualitative leadership.

“They are our strength and we just need to encourage them; I am happy that we have a Special Adviser on Diaspora who is working tirelessly to harness these strengths for national good.”

However, the director-general said that government had seen the need to close the gap between inventors and commercialisation of research findings by setting up an innovation body.

“I am also happy about the coming of this administration particularly the Minster of Science and Technology; he is now vigorously pursuing the establishment of a National Research and Innovation Council.

“The bill, I learnt, has passed second reading in the Senate; the bill when passed into law, will establish the council and allow it to have a dedicated fund that can take all the innovations to the next level which is the commercial level.

“So, we are making progress although it is at a very slow pace; this is not uncommon in developing countries; there will problems, but we will get over them,” Ibrahim said. (NAN)
PUO/MST/JCE
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola/Chukwudi Ekezie

NAN-H-73
Bail
By Wandoo Sombo
Abuja, Nov. 1, 2016 (NAN) Amarachi Enyinnaya, a defendant standing trial for alleged money laundering, on Tuesday in Abuja broke down in tears when Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja denied her bail.
Enyinnaya and four others–Abuchi Anthony Igwe, Kelechi Iwuoha, Obioma Nwagu (at large) and Blessed Obialo Nig. Ltd–are standing trial on a 12-count charge bordering on money laundering and impersonation.
Abang, in a ruling, struck out the bail applications of the 1st and 3rd defendants for incompetence and also refused the oral application of the 2nd defendant.
The judge ordered that the defendants should be remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He asked the defence counsel to file written applications for bail, saying that the court would give an early date to hear the applications.
Abang adjourned the case till Dec. 14 and Dec.15 for commencement of trial.
In the charge, Igwe was alleged to have had in her possession documents representing her to be the wife of the late Col. Muammar Gaddafi and was looking for where to invest some money.

Igwe, who is the 1st defendant, was also accused of impersonating one Stella Jones, a United States soldier serving in Afghanistan.
The defendants were also accused of allegedly taking proceeds from an unlawful act, thereby committing an offence contrary to section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charges and Abang entered a not guilty plea for the company.
Earlier, Mr O.C. Ezeofor, counsel to Igwe, had asked the court to grant his client bail.
Ezeofor said that he had filed the bail application before his client was arraigned because the charge had already been served on the defendant.
Mr U. Agubam, counsel to Iwuoha, the 2nd defendant, prayed the court to allow him make an oral application for bail.
However, Mr E.O. Nwafor, counsel to Enyinnaya, who is the 3rd defendant, asked the court to order that she continue to enjoy the administrative bail that was already granted her by the EFCC.
He appealed that if the court was not inclined to make such an order, she should be remanded in EFCC custody rather than in prison.
This, he said, was to enable her take care of her baby.
The prosecution counsel, Mrs Elizabeth Alabi, opposed the bail application for Igwe, saying that it was an abuse of court process to apply for bail before arraignment.
Alabi said the case was criminal, adding that every criminal case commences at arraignment.
On the oral application by counsel to the 2nd defendant, she said that the prosecution was opposed to oral application and prayed the court to make an order for a written bail application.
Alabi earlier prayed the court to remand the defendants in EFCC custody and later changed the plea to prison custody.(NAN)
WS/AOS/OJO
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(Edited by Bayo Sekoni/Mufutau Ojo)

NAN-H-72

Boom

Abuja, Nov. 1, 2016 (NAN) Mr Victor Dike, a phone repairer in GSM village told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Tuesday that he still received high patronage by customers despite the country’s economic recession.

“Even senators come here to repair their phones. You can see the car park, and you can see the number of cars there, which means there is patronage despite the economic recession”, he said.

Another phone repairer, Mr Chitex Obi, said people must repair phones even if every business in Nigeria was affected by recession.

“If you have started using phone and it developed a problem, you will not say you will not fix it because there is recession, of course you will fix it.

“The only challenge is that when customers bring their phone and they are charged, they complain that the price is too expensive and that there is no money.

“But then the work is still coming like before because GSM is the fastest means of communication, so business is still going on’’, Obi added.

Mr Abayomi Williams, who also repairs and sells phone accessories said the economic recession was affecting his business as a result of the increase in the exchange rate of naira to dollar.

He said that fairly used phones that were sold for N5,000 were being sold for N10,000, adding that bulk phone accessories they bought for N50,000 now cost N100,000 because of the dollar exchange rate.

“Customers are complaining because they are been charged highly and that is because the prices of things have changed and electricity tariff is high too.

“Customers drop their phones with little or no money and this really affects business a lot. It was not like this,” he told NAN.

Williams also pleaded with the Government to check the fluctuating rate of dollars to Naira.

Mr Mike Dickson, another phone repairer, said that things are not going on well as expected, adding that sales have dropped as a result of low patronage.

“Things are not going on well as expected, as it is now you can see that the market is not full like it used to be.

“Customers are few unlike before when the market used to be crowded; I would say we need change in this our country to increase business.

“Since we get the spare parts very expensive, we tend to charge the customers high too so we wouldn’t run at a loss.

“And since customers have budget on what they want to spend to repair their phones, they find it difficult to pay when they are charged”, he said.

He urged the government to look into the economy and put the right things in place.

HOU/COA/IS/IEA

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Edited by Constance Athekame/Ismail Abdulaziz

NAN-H-71
Inauguration
By Sunday John
Lafia, Nov. 1, 2016 (NAN) Gov. Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State, on Tuesday in Lafia, inaugurated the first Command Science Secondary School in the country.

In his speech at the occasion, the governor, represented by his Deputy, Silas Agara said that educational development was the topmost priority of his adminstration.

He said that his administration had made huge investment in education through the provision of facilities and construction of new structures at all levels of the sector.

Al-Makura promised to assist the school with logistics to create good leaning environment and ensure smooth running of its activities.
He said that the establishment of the school would not only broaden access to education, but would also enhance science education and provide opportunity for the students to pursue carrier in the military.

The governor pledged that the state government would construct over 10 kilometres road to the school.

“We will flag-off the construction of the road in the next few weeks.

“I assure you the project will be given to a reputable company that will complete it within the stipulated period,” he added.

Al-Makura assured the people of Nasarawa state that his administration would continue to attract developmental projects to the state.

Earlier, the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai, represented by Maj.-Gen. Amadu Abubakar, Chief of Administration, Nigeria Army, commended the state government for providing land and other logistics for the take off of the school.

He said that the occasion marked another step by the military to enhance civil/military relationship for national development.

“This partnership will sow the seed for the development of the state in particular and the entire country as we both invests in the education of our children.

The COAS assured that the military would pay special attention to the school to ensure that high standard is maintained all times. (NAN)
SDJ/JPE/AEA
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Edited by Joseph Edeh/Archibong Asuquo

NAN-H-61

Recession

By Adekunle Williams/Solomon Asowata

Lagos, Nov.1, 2016 (NAN) A travel and tourism expert, Mr Ikechi Uko, has urged government at all levels to harness the potential of the tourism and aviation sectors to accelerate Nigeria’s exit from economic recession.

Uko, who is the promoter of the Akwaaba African Travel and Tour Market, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the exhibition holding in Lagos.

He said Nigeria was blessed with various tourist destinations, which when combined with aviation, would help to reduce the scarcity of foreign exchange that had been having an adverse effect on the economy.

“The Federal Government has been talking about diversifying the economy by reducing our dependence on oil.

“For me, I think aviation and tourism is the best way to go because they can contribute to our Gross Domestic Product if properly harnessed.

“For example, thousands of people both within and outside Nigeria have participated in the 2016 Akwaaba Travel Market and have been spending money on feeding, accommodation and transportation.

“This is just a one-man show, but if a government decides to do something like this, of course, it will be bigger and will attract more people and more countries,” Uko said.

According to him, countries like United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia have successfully integrated aviation and tourism and are recording growth in both sectors.

“I think this is the time government at all levels should begin to look inward and come up with creative ideas and policies that will maximise the tourism potentialities of their areas.

“On aviation, the Federal Government needs to do more for the sector, particularly on areas of infrastructure development and creating enabling environment for airlines to thrive,” he said.

NAN reports that Akwaaba African Travel and Tour Market 2016, which held from Oct. 30 to Nov.1, had participants and exhibitors from over 16 countries showcasing their travel and tourism potential. (NAN)

WAC/ASO/SOA

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Edited by Oluwole Sogunle

GMO products: NBMA`s DG urges Nigerians not to panic

NAN-AE-11
Products
By Ebere Agozie
Abuja, Nov.1, 2016 (NAN) The Director- General, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr Rufus Ebegba, has advised Nigerians not to entertain fears concerning the issues of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) products.

Ebegba gave this assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday in reaction to the directive to withdraw all genetically modified foods from departmental stores.

“Nigerians do not need to worry, there is no cause for alarm, and the agency will make sure that things are done right in this country.

“One thing that I want people to understand is that, we are not saying that genetically modified organisms are bad but to be sure that what we are consuming are safe. “

He said the essence of the directive was to ensure that no genetically modified organism product that was not tested would find its way into the nation`s markets.

“The directive was to all department stores and super stores that are selling genetically modified foods, and not specific ones as reported by the press.

“It is to further streamline imported products and to strengthen the fact that Nigeria should not serve as a dumping ground for all kinds of GM foods.

“We must ascertain their status before they are allowed to be sold and the intention is not to target any super store because the media mentioned some, but we never mentioned any in particular. “

He said that although most genetically modified foods from other countries were certified, relevant agencies in Nigeria must do what needs to be done by doing its own certification to be double sure.

“NBMA is working to enforce the Nigerian laws and as well as to make sure that the international acceptable standards are met.

“I want to tell Nigerians that they should not panic, they should be rest assured that there is no genetically modified foods that are released in this country that is not safe.

“We want to create and enhance local knowledge in biosafety because it is not easy to identify these genetically modified foods if they are not labelled. “

He, however, said that experts are working together to make sure that all GMOs in the country are all labelled. (NAN)
EPA/MOL/AFA
Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Felix Ajide
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NAN-H-59
Fees
By Victor Adeoti
Osogbo, Nov. 1, 2016 (NAN) Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun on Tuesday said it was not true that the government was planning to reintroduced payment of school fees in public primary and secondary schools in the state.

The governor said this while playing host to newly-elected executive members of the National Association of Osun State Students (NAOSS) in Osogbo.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government was operating the free education policy in its public primary and secondary schools.

Aregbesola said that education in the state still remained free, in spite the harsh economic condition facing the state and the country.

The governor said that qualitative and functional education, particularly at the lower level, was very important and must not be neglected and abandoned by any responsible government.

He said the state government would continue to give education priority, regardless of the shortage in allocation and the economic meltdown in the state.

Also speaking, the Deputy Gov., Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori, who doubles as commissioner for education, said that on no account had government asked parents to pay fees for their children in public schools in the state.

According to Laoye-Tomori, the state government, in agreement with parents and guardians, only introduced a school infrastructural maintenance levy to ensure proper maintenance of all the newly-built schools in the state.

“We did not also ask any of our pupils or students to pay tuition fees, as being speculated around the state.

“We have only directed that all the pupils in the Elementary Schools should pay N2000 in three tranches per annum.

“The pupils in this category will pay N1000 for the first term, and N500 each, for the second and third terms.

“For Middle School, they are to pay N3000 in three tranches, per annum.

“The students in this category will pay N1000 for each of the three terms, while High School students are to pay N6000 per annum at N2000 per term.

“This is not school fees but rather a maintenance levy because it is only introduced to pupils and students of our new schools, not those in the old schools .”

Earlier, the NAOSS National President, Comrade Oladejo Bashir, commended Gov.Aregbesola for building sound minds through the provision of quality education. (NAN)
VE/PIO/PIO
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Edited by Idonije Obakhedo

NAN-H-58
Rape
By Edith Nwapi
Abuja, Nov. 1, 2016 (NAN) The police in FCT on Tuesday re-arraigned a cleric, Rev.fr Anthony Ochigbo, charged with raping a 10-year-old girl.

Ochigbo appeared before an FCT High Court in Maitama, where Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf adopted the bail conditions previously given him.

The re-arraignment was due to the transfer of the case to Baba-Yusuf from Justice Olukayode Adeniyi.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ochigbo was arraigned before Adeniyi on Aug. 30 during court vacation.

NAN also reports that Adeniyi granted the cleric bail in the sum of two million naira and two sureties, who must be on Grade Level 14 and above in public service.

The prosecution counsel, Mr John Ijagbemi, submitted on Tuesday that 44-year-old Ochigbo, of the Catholic Church of Assumption, Asokoro, Abuja, sexually abused the girl on Aug. 15.

He said that Ochigbo had unlawful sexual intercourse with the child in the church, in contravention of the provisions of Section 31(1) of the Child Rights Act, 2003, and punishable under Sections 32(2) of the Act.

Ochigbo, however, pleaded not guilty.

His counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN) applied for his bail and prayed the court to allow him to continue on the existing bail conditions.

Objecting, Ijagbemi submitted that the cleric was re-arraigned, and that the court could give fresh bail conditions.

The case has been adjourned till Jan. 31 for substantive trial. (NAN)

NEO/IGO
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(Edited by Ijeoma Popoola)