Blog

NAN-H-10
Sanction
Abdullahi Shugaba
Dutse, Nov 1, 2016 (NAN) Alhaji Muhammad Iya, Jigawa Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has warned vandals of electricity cables and other criminals to desist or face full wrath of the law.
Iya gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Tuesday.
He said the command had been directed to ensure that all electrical cables were protected and secured from vandals.
The commandant pledged that he would not leave any stone unturned in fighting criminals to a standstill in the state.
Iya appealed to members of the public to help with useful information on the activities of criminals in the state.
According to him, “getting rid of bad eggs in the society is the collective responsibility of all and sundry” (NAN)
AIS/EAL/WOJ
(Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi / Wale Ojetimi)

NAN-H-32

Accreditation

Akwanga (Nasarawa State) Nov.1, 2016 (NAN) Dr Rebecca Isaac, Provost, College of Education, Akwanga, Nasarawa State says the state government has released N20million for the accreditation of 28 courses in the institution.

She said that the measure was part of the government’s determination to improve on the standard of education in the college.

Isaac made this known on Tuesday when the Nasarawa State House of Assembly Committee on Education, Science and Technology paid an oversight visit to the college in Akwanga.

She said that the college had been able to execute some projects with its internally generated revenue to improve on the living standard of lecturers and students.

“Apart from payment of staff salaries, the college has not been able to implement most of its capital expenditure due to lack of fund facing the nation.

“But we are happy to inform you that the state government has released N20million for the accreditation of 28 courses at the institution.

“Out of these 28 courses presented for accreditation, 26 courses have been successful accredited, while two courses are to be accredited soon.

“We also want to inform you that with the internal revenue of the institution, we are able to executive projects such as renovations of staff offices, classrooms, lecture halls, and perimeter fencing of the school among others.”

Isaac commended TETFUND for its intervention in the construction of many lecture theatres and halls that had direct bearing on the college and called for its sustenance.

According to her, shortages of man power, stagnation of staff and annual increment as well as lack of subvention to the school among others, are some of the problems facing the institution.

The provost commended the committee for facilitating the return of payment of staff salaries to the institution from the state Bureau of Salary Office.

Earlier, Mr Daniel Ogazzi, Chairman, House Committee on Education, Science and Technology said that the visit was to assess the 2016 budget performance of the institution with a view to addressing any challenge.

“It is only when the committee knows the budget performance of the institution in the 2016 fiscal year that it will serve as a guide for the 2017 fiscal year,” he said.

The lawmaker assured the institution of the committee’s readiness to address some of its challenges in order to improve the standard of education in the state. (NAN)

AKW/MO/

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Edited by Morayo Omolade

NAN-H-33
Impersonation
By Mohammed Lawal
Zaria (Kaduna State), Nov. 1, 2016 (NAN)The police on Tuesday arraigned a female accused, Fatima Ibrahim, at a Chediya Magistrates’ Court in Zaria, Kaduna State, for impersonation.

The Prosecutor, Sgt. Abubakar Ibrahim, said the police had on Oct. 17 received a petition bordering on impersonation from Augustine Agum, Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Zaria branch on behalf of the association.

Ibrahim said that the accused had been parading herself as a lawyer having not been trained and qualified as one.

He told the court that in the course of police investigation, the accused neither affirmed nor denied the allegation against her.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 179 Penal Code.

Fatima confessed committing the offence and said that circumstance made her do so.

The accused immediately retracted her guilty plea shortly after the prosecutor applied for her summary trial under Section 157 of Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).

The accused counsel, Abdurrasaq Ahmed, thereafter applied for her bail, arguing that the alleged offence was bailable.

The Chief Magistrate, Auwal Musa, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in the like sum.

Musa said that the sureties must present bank account statements, letter   from a traditional ruler, authentic residential address and telephone number.

“It is not an easy case because it tempers with the reputation and credibility of members of the bar profession, therefore, we are all affected,” he said, and adjoined the case till Nov. 15 for hearing. (NAN)
KLM/KOO/OFN
Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa//Felix Nwadioha

NAN-H-30

Camps

Maiduguri, Nov. 1, 2016(NAN) The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Borno remained 32 in spite of recent return of some persons to liberated communities.

The North-East Coordinator of the agency, Malam Muhammad Kanar, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Maiduguri.

Kanar said that 16 of the camps were located in Maiduguri, while 16 were cited in some local government areas.

He said that the number of displaced persons in the camps in Maiduguri ranged from 120, 000 to 130, 000.

“We still have 32 camps in the state; 16 of the camps are in Maiduguri, while 16 others are in the local government areas, which we call satellite camps.

“The number of persons in the 16 camps in Maiduguri fluctuates between 120,000 and 130,000; sometimes it is 120,000, sometimes it is less depending on the situation,” Kanar said.

He said that the number of IDPs in satellite camps was 400,000, adding that no fewer than 1.2 million IDPs were also staying with relatives in the communities.

He said that the agency had been striving hard to provide welfare for the IDPs wherever they were located.

“We have gone far in the management of the camps; we have graduated from central cooking system which was problematic, to dry ratio system which has been successful.

“What we do is to supply the required food items for the feeding of the IDPs to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) every month in line with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that we have,” Kanar said.

“The state government will thereafter supply the condiments and other items to the IDPs. They also provide cooking materials to them,” he added.

He said that the system had been very successful as it had ended the era of complaints of poor feeding by the IDPs.

“We are working in partnership with about 50 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in offering humanitarian services to the IDPs.

“But, only about 10 of them have been most active, with some taking over the feeding of an entire camp,” he said.

Kanar disclosed that NEMA was working on plans to offer help to IDPs leaving inside communities through collaborative effort with some of the NGOs. (NAN)

ABI/OPI/OPI

Edited by Olisa Ifeajika

School proprietor sues LASG over school acquisition
NAN-H-6
Schools
By Moji Eniola
Ikeja, Nov. 1, 2016 (NAN) A 92-year-old woman, Mrs Roseline Ololo, has sued the Lagos State Government (LASG) at an Ikeja High Court over alleged acquisition of two schools belonging to her.
The schools are Metropolitan College and Isolo Secondary School.
The Attorney-General of Lagos and the Lagos State Commissioner of Education are joined as co-defendants in the suit.
Ololo, an indigene of Abia, alleged that she and her late spouse established the Metropolitan College in 1956.
She also claimed in her affidavit that her family ran the schools until 1976 when the schools were acquired by the military administration of Commodore Adekunle Lawal by virtue of the Education Private Secondary Institutions (Special Provisions) Law of 1976.
According to her, “the civilian government of Alhaji Lateef Jakande split my school into two namely; the Metropolitan College and the Isolo Secondary School.
“This was in order to accommodate the influx of students occasioned by the free education policy of the government.”
The nonagenarian claimed that she and her late spouse rejected the LASG government’s compensation in 1976 because the compensation offered was grossly inadequate.
According to Ololo’s counsel, Mr Maxwell Omirhobo, in 2001 during the administration of Governor Bola Tinubu, all private schools were returned to their original owners.
“By virtue of the Education Private Secondary Institutions (Repeal) Law 2001, all schools acquired by the LASG were returned to their owners.
“However, since 2001 my client’s schools have not been returned to her by the government which has been running the schools and making profit.
“This is despite repeated demands and protests by Mrs Ololo that her schools should be returned to her.
“My client, as a Nigerian citizen, has the right to own landed property anywhere in the country as guaranteed under Section 43 of the constitution,” Omirhobo said.
NAN reports that Ololo is asking the court to declare that the refusal of the LASG to return the schools to her is a violation of her human rights.
She is also seeking a declaration of court that the action of LASG amounts to “discrimination along ethnic lines”.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, Counsel to the LASG, Mrs O.I Ologe, told the court that the state government had filed a counter-affidavit to Ololo’s claim.
“We have received their application and filed our counter-affidavit,” she said.
The Judge, Justice R.I.B Adebiyi, adjourned hearing in the case until Dec. 5. (NAN)
MAE/HAS/TA
Edited By Hajia Sani/Tajudeen Atitebi

NAN-H-27
Allocation
By Sunday John
Lafia, Nov. 1, 2016 (NAN) Mr Ahmed Tijani-Aliyu, Nasarawa State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, has said that the 13 Local Government Areas in the state shared N1.4 billion from Federal Account for October.

The commissioner disclosed this on Tuesday in Lafia shortly after the state’s LGAs Joint Account committee’s meeting.

The meeting had in attendance all the Interim Chairmen of the 13 LGAs and officials of the state chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).

According to him, there is shortfall of over N500 million in the allocation of LGAs in the state for October compared to September’s allocation.

“In September, the 13 LGAs got and shared over N1.9 billion, but the allocation dropped in October to N1.4 billion,” he said.

Tijani-Aliyu explained that the LGAs got the following amount: Akwanga N52 million, Awe N49. 8 million, Doma N61.3 million, Karu N72.9 million, Keana N51.2million, Keffi N47.9 million.

Others are: Kokona N55. 2million, Lafia N88.1million, Nasarawa N81.4million, Nassarawa-Eggon N61.6million, Obi N58.8million, Toto N62.7 and Wamba N49.7million respectively.

The commissioner added that the amount given to each LGA is to be paid to all categories of staff of the LGAs as salaries for October.

He attributed the shortfall to the economic crunch in the country.

Tijani-Aliyu, therefore, appealed to all workers and Nigerians to continue to pray for President Muhammadu Buhari in his efforts to get the country out of current economic recession. (NAN)
SDJ/AFA
Edited by Felix Ajide
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NAN-H-28

Amendment

Maiduguri, Nov. 1, 2016 (NAN) Senate Leader, Alhaji Ali Ndume, said amendment of Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) Act had nothing to do with ongoing trial of the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki.

Reacting to the debate which the issue has generated among Nigerians, Ndume told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri on Tuesday that the National Assembly had no particular interest in the bill.

“It is insulting on us to say that we are doing the bidding of Saraki, because laws are not made in retrospect.

“If we make a law today, it cannot immediately invalidate the existing laws on the same issue,” he said.

He said that the main concern of the National Assembly was to make the organization more effective in its functions.

“The amendment focused mainly on two things: that is the age of the chairman of the CCB and the number of persons to be appointed as members of the bureau or the tribunal,” Ndume said.

He added that other issues in the amendment of the Act were secondary to the main ones, pointing out that the Bill for the amendment “did not even emanate from the senate’’.

“Nigerians should know that the bill emanated from the House of Representatives; our own duty was just to concur.

“Since I became the Senate Leader of the 8th Assembly I made a proposition that all bills coming from the house must not be allowed to suffer set back, so, we look at those bills every Thursday for consideration,” he said.

Ndume added that as far as he was concerned “there is no big deal in the bill; laws are not made for individuals.

“The Senate President is Saraki, but Saraki is not the Senators’ president,” he stated.

He cautioned that rather than criticize the bill blindly, Nigerians should look at its merit and other sides, in the interest of the country. (NAN)

ABI/TO/OPI

Edited by Tola Okinbaloye and Olisa Ifeajika

NAN-S-4
Trophy
By Olayinka Owolewa
Ilorin, Nov. 1, 2016 (NAN) The Chairman of Kwara Football Association (FA), Malam Busari Ishola, has donated a trophy for All Primary Schools soccer championship in Ilorin West Local Government Area.

Ishola made the donation to the Chairman and members of Ilorin West Games Masters and Games Mistresses Association on Tuesday in Ilorin.

He said the cardinal objective of his administration in developing football at the grassroots will be pursued with all seriousness.

The FA chairman added that the abundant talents at the grassroots deserved to be accorded the right platform to launch them to stardom.

Ishola, who is also the Chairman of Ilorin West Football Association, thanked the organisers for their sacrifice and promised to continue to support the association in sustaining the initiative.

Receiving the trophy, the Chairman of the association, Alhaji Abubakar Majiyagbe, commended Ishola for the gesture, promising that the platform would be sustained.

He said that apart from football, other sports that are part of the annual competition among primary schools in the area, and that has been on for close to 15 years are table tennis, volleyball and athletics, called on others to emulate the FA Chairman.

A member of the state FA, Dr Isaac Oloruntoba, who was present, charged the association to take advantage of the opportunity and the grow talents.

He also commended the FA Chairman for the gesture and for pursuing the objectives of his administration tenaciously.

At the event were the representatives of the nine zones in the Local Government, observers from other Local Governments, the Sports Officer of Ilorin West Local Government Area and Mohammed Usman Ubandawaki among others.(NAN)
OOH/PDE
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(Edited by Peter Ejiofor)

NAN-HG-2
Doctors
Jos, Nov. 1, 2016 (NAN) The Plateau Government has approved a new condition of service for medical doctors in the state in order to attract more indigenous doctors.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Kunden Kamshak, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Jos.

Kamshak said the new condition of service would  finally put an end to the paucity of medical doctors being experienced in the state due to poor remuneration.

The commissioner said that a great number of doctors left Plateau for other states as a result to poor remuneration.

“When this administration assumed office we discovered that in the health sector we had paucity of doctors in the various health establishments.

“We also discovered that most of our indigenous doctors worked in other states. We discovered that most doctors left the state due to poor remuneration and condition of service.

“As a means of addressing this issue, the governor gave the approval and we came up with an improved condition of service for our doctors, which was implemented in September this year.

“With this we are hoping to attract more doctors who left the state due to the initial poor condition of service,” he added.

Kamshak said that the government would be reviewing the condition of service for the doctors along with other cadres of healthcare workers. (NAN)
UBO/AOM/YAZ
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(Edited by Abdullahi Mohammed/Yusuf Zango)

1. Gov. Lalong of Plateau meets with leaders of the leaders of All Farmers Association of Nigeria in Jos over measures to minimise post-harvest losses in the state.
2. The Police Command in Kogi arraigns 2 herdsmen over armed robbery.
3. Taraba Commissioner for Agriculture briefs newsmen on steps toward promoting mechanised farming in the state.
4. Senate Committee on Agriculture visits International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, over a proposed partnership deal.
5. An HIV/AIDS programme, organised by USAID in partnership with the Kwara State Government holds in Ilorin.
6. Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun holds interactive session with youths to commemorate the 2016 African Youth Day.
7. Ajumuse Food Bank, an initiative of the wife of the Oyo State Governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, organises activities in Igboora.
8. The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, meets with senior police officers at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
9. House of Representatives’ Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration meets with the Director-General of NIMASA in Abuja.
10. Senate resumes plenary to consider the report of the Committee on Customs service.
11. Dave Omokaro Foundation, an NGO, organises workshop in Abuja on ageing policy in Nigeria.
12. The Court of Appeal hears the appeal filed by the Caretaker Committee of the PDP against affirmation of Ali Modu Sheriff as National Chairman of the party.
13. The trial of Olisa Metuh, a former PDP National Publicity Secretary, continues in Abuja.