Blog

NAN-H-53
Function
Lafia, Oct. 31, 2016 (NAN) The Nasarawa State House of Assembly said on Monday that its tour of higher institutions in the state was to assess their performance in the 2016 budget implementation.

The Chairman of the assembly committee on education, science and technology, Mr Daniel Ogazzi (APC-Kokona East), announced the intention during an oversight visit to the State Polytechnic, Lafia.

He expressed the assembly’s readiness to collaborate with the various higher institutions to improve the standard of education in the state.

He said the findings would guide the assembly on the requirements for the 2017 budget in the education sector.

“The aim of this visit is not to witch-hunt but to assess the 2016 budget performance of the institutions with a view to addressing any challenges,” he said.

Ogazzi assured the institution of the committee’s readiness to address some of its challenges to improve the standard of learning in the state.

He added that the committee would be up and doing in boosting education to leave the best legacy.

The committee chairman restated the commitment of the assembly to make laws that had direct bearing on the lives of the people.

The legislator called on the public to give the assembly the necessary support to succeed in the task ahead.

Earlier, Mr Augustine Ali-Gabu, the Deputy Rector of the polytechnic, said that apart from the payment of staff salaries, it had not been able to carry out any capital project due to lack of funds.

Ali-Gabu commended the efforts of the committee  for facilitating the return of payment of  staff salaries to the institution from the state bureau of salary.

He also made a case for the accreditation of science programmes in the institution. (NAN)
BAB/TO/MVO
(Edited by Tola Okinbaloye/Mbadiwe Okwor)

NAN-H-55
Defilement
By Boboye Moronke Tinuola
Lagos, Oct. 31, 2016(NAN) For allegedly defiling his friend’s 10-year-old daughter, Godwin Itta, was on Monday docked at an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court.
Itta, a factory worker who resides at Balogun Street, Orile Agege, a suburb of Lagos, is facing a charge of defilement.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Rafael Donny, told the court that Itta committed the offence on Oct. 22 at Jibowu Street, Orile Agege during a visit to his friend’s house.
“The victim, a 10-year-old girl, was the only person the accused met at home.
“The accused pulled the girl on the floor and defiled her,’’ he said.
The offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The accused entered a non-guilty plea.
The chief magistrate, Mrs Badejo Okusanya, granted the accused to a bail of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
She adjourned the case to Dec. 12 for mention. (NAN)
MTO/DEB/PAD
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Edited by Debo Oshundun and controlled by Peter Dada

 NAN-HE-14
Markets
By Usman Aliyu
Ilorin, Oct. 31, 2016 (NAN) The Kwara Government said it would open new markets and re-organise existing ones in the state to create specific commodity-based markets.

Alhaji Mohammed Rifun, the state’s Commissioner for Commerce and Cooperatives, said the plan would create competition of various commodities and services and decongest the already existing markets across Ilorin, the state capital.

Rifun listed the proposed markets to include the motor spare parts market on Oke Oyi-Share road, motor dealers on Okolowo road, abattoir at Sobi road, while the mechanic village would be located on Airport- Eyekonrin road.

“Presently the state has concluded plans to establish a motor dealers’ market, spare parts market, mechanic village and abattoir, among others.

“We are going to arrange the various markets so that customers can easily identify where to get particular goods and services,’’ he said.

He stated that the ministry would soon consult various market associations to fine-tune the arrangement. (NAN)
AUO/OIF/IA

(Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo/Idris Abdulrahman)

NAN-H-44
Prison
By Aminu Ahmed Garko
Minna, Oct. 31, 2016 (NAN) The Nigeria Prison Service (NPS) in Niger State on Monday said that it was taking proactive measures to prevent any attempt of jail break in the state.
The prisons in the state currently have 1,500 inmates.
Mr Baba Gana, the Comptroller of Prison in the state, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna.
Gana that the prison service along with other security agencies had put in place security measures against any unforeseen circumstance.
He said that well armed security personnel had been deployed to effectively manage the prisons at Kontagora, Bida, Minna old prison, New Bussa, Agaiye, Lapai, Kagara and Minna new prisons.
Gana said that the prison command would continue to accord attention to health care needs of the inmates.
“We have well equipped clinics and medical personnel comprising of medical doctors, pharmacists and nurses providing quality health care to our inmates,” he said. (NAN)
AAG/ORO/TA
Edited by Razak Owolabi/Tajudeen Atitebi

NAN-H-50

INEC

Abuja, Oct. 31, 2016 (NAN) Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to be intimidated by politicians ahead of Nov. 26 governorship poll in Ondo state.

National Coordinator of the organisation, Mr Emmanuel Onwubiko, gave the charge in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

He said that INEC should strive to ensure that the election was credible and transparent in spite of perceived intimidation by some politicians and their parties.

According to Onwubiko, the commission cannot afford to compromise, especially as it already has credibility problems following complaints from the Sept. 28 Edo governorship poll.

He described the allegation by a politician, Mr Jimoh Ibrahim, that an INEC official demanded one million dollars bribe from him as “sensational’’, and urged the commission not to distracted.

He charged INEC authorities to ensure that the independence of the commission was not compromised, adding that it should focus on improving on what happened in Edo.

Onwubiko added that the commission should not to be cowed by antics of politicians, saying that the emergence of Eyitayo Jegede as Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in the state complied with the Electoral Act.

“ By virtue of our extensive monitoring of the media, there is publication to show that Eyitayo Jegede is the democratically-elected candidate of the PDP.

“Any attempt by fifth columnists to stampede INEC into imposing a non-card-carrying member as the candidate of PDP in the Ondo state election will be futile and unpopular.

“It is imperative that democracy is not scuttled on the platter of sponsored and orchestrated anarchy such as introducing someone unknown to members of the party,’’ he said.

Onwubiko advised that the Ondo chapter of the PDP should be allowed to pick the candidate who would win the election for the party. (NAN)

COO/OPI/OPI

Edited by Olisa Ifeajika

NAN-HE-6

Committee

By Moses Kolo

Kafanchan (Kaduna) Oct. 31, 2016 (NAN) The Kaduna Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS) on Monday inaugurated eight Local Government Revenue Committees in zone three of the state, towards curbing sharp practice.

The Local Government Areas in zone three of the state (southern Kaduna) include Jaba, Jama’a, Kachia, Kagarko, Kaura, Kauru, Sanga, and Zango Kataf.

The Executive Chairman of KADIRS, Alh. Mukhtar Ahmed, said at the inauguration ceremony in Kafanchan that the committees are expected to assess and serve taxpayers with notices.

Ahmed, however, stated that only the state Internal Revenue Service is empowered to collect monies for taxpayers.

He said that at the end of every month, the revenue collected from all the 23 local government areas in the state would be reconciled, while the state’s Joint Revenue Committee would be responsible for sharing the proceeds.

The executive chairman charged the committee members to bring their experiences to bear on finding ways of improving revenue generation and collection in the state.

Secretary and Legal Adviser to KADIRS, Mr Francis Kozah, said all previous tax laws were repealed and replaced with the Kaduna State Tax Codification and Consolidation Law in March 2016.

According to Kozah, the new law seeks to professionalise the service, block all leakages by criminalizing cash collection and empowering the service as the collector of all revenue on behalf of the state.

He identified multiple legislation, leakages, and arbitrary assessment as some of the challenges undermining revenue generation and collection. (NAN)

MGK/OIF/YEE

Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo/Emmanuel Yashim
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NAN-HE-11

NAICOM

By Lucy Nwachukwu

Abuja, Oct. 31, 2016 (NAN) The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) said it would open six branches before the end of 2016 as part of efforts to improve insurance penetration and relationships with state governments.

The Commissioner for Insurance, Mr Mohammed Kari, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday that the number of branches was reduced by 50 per cent due to the present economic crises.

Cue in audio

“One fundamental development in the opening of the branch is, because of the recession, we had earlier budgeted to open 12 branches, but we’ve reduced it by 50 per cent now because the year is already gone.

“We will try and achieve at least 50 per cent of that. Next year, we can make up for more.’’

Cue out audio

Kari urged state governments to domicile the laws of insurance in their various states as was done by Lagos Government to allow for easy enforcement of the regulator.

The commissioner said that some states, including Gombe, had promised to domesticate insurance laws.

He stressed the importance of having insurance locations directly in states as it would ensure proper monitoring and implementation of insurance policies.

“We are very hopeful because when we have locations directly in states, we can, on a daily basis, follow them up.’’

He expressed regret that the current economic recession had affected the industry negatively as the premium collected was a factor of how well consumers were doing.

“Because there is recession, some people will not necessarily sell their cars, but may park it and reduce their comprehensive cover to third party fire and theft only.

He said that the commission focused on certain necessities that would change the fortunes of the sector in the country such as rebranding the industry.

Kari said a roadmap for the Risk Based Supervision had been released which might affect the operations of insurance companies in the country.

“Capital review or structural review will definitely affect the fortunes of the companies because there are components of the risk based supervision that may require financial expenditure.

“We have also had extraneous issues coming in to delay or sometimes frustrate projects we have anticipated.

“For example, there is a possibility that the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) code of governance recently released may affect the operators of our industry beyond what we have planned in 2017,’’ Kari said.

NAICOM is a statutory agency of Federal Government established by law to regulate and supervise the Nigerian insurance sector.

The commission derives its regulatory powers from the National Insurance Commission Act 1997 and the Insurance Act 2003.

The principal goal of the commission is to ensure effective administration, supervision, regulation and control of insurance businesses in Nigeria. (NAN)
LCN/MNA/IA

(Edited by Maureen Atuonwu/Idris Abdulrahman)

NAN-ELS-3
Festival
Havana, Oct.31, 2016 (Reuters/NAN) A woman in a floaty dress wrestles a Minotaur who reflects her inner demons, in “Errand into the Maze’’, one of Martha Graham Dance Company works that made its Cuban premiere last weekend.

The epochal performance drew a thunderous applause at the Havana ballet festival.

The troupe was performing in the Communist-run Island for the first time since 1941 and is one of seven American companies participating in the 10-day event.

The development underscores greater U.S.-Cuban cultural exchange in the wake of the détente between the two former foes.

“The standing ovation said it all,’’ said a beaming Cuban spectator, 64-year-old Maria Antonia Armas.

“It was fabulous. I just hope this exchange will continue to flow.’’

The Cuban and American ballet worlds have a deeply entwined history and the founding father of Cuban dance, Ramiro Guerra, studied under Graham in New York in the 1940s.

Yet ties suffered during the five decades of ideological hostility following Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution.

“We keep hearing there is a Martha Graham world in Cuba that we have been apart from for decades,’’ the company’s artistic director, Janet Eilber, said in an interview.

“We know it has evolved in its own way and in New York we have evolved in our own way, so to come together and meet our long lost relatives has been very interesting.’’

While there have been some exchanges between Cuban and American dance in the last two decades, the detente announced nearly two years ago is enabling a broader opening, Eilber said.

For one, it has made travelling and securing financing much easier, she said.

Regular commercial flights were re-established in August, and American companies such as Jetblue are keen to provide sponsorship in order to gain market recognition in Cuba.

Cuban spectators said the modern and contemporary U.S. choreographies performed during the opening weekend of the 25th Havana ballet festival, were like a breath of fresh air.

While Cuban ballet has fused the best from the Russians, French, Italians, English and Americans with Latin flair and Afro-Cuban sensuality, its style has also been criticised as outdated.

It is based on the approach of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba’s 94-year-old founder, Alicia Alonso, a principal dancer in the 1940s with the company now known as American Ballet Theatre.

Alonso’s choreographies to classics like Swan Lake, Giselle and Sleeping Beauty, feature heavily throughout the biannual festival, which from this year onwards will be named after her.

New York City Ballet choreographer Justin Peck, who brought four works to the festival, said he aimed above all to keep “pushing the envelope’’.

“Classical ballet is an evolution so it should take certain careful steps forward,’’ the 29-year old told a news conference.

Peck and others said it was a treat to perform in a society where the public is so enthusiastic about their art.

Ballet may not be avant-garde in Cuba but it is mainstream entertainment, with tickets costing less than half a dollar and performances shown on public television.

“They have one of most sophisticated palates for ballet, for dance and for art in the world,’’ said Peck.

Dancers and companies representing sixteen countries in total will participate in the festival.

They include for the first time South Korea’s Universal Ballet Company and the lead dancer from the National Ballet of Mongolia. (Reuters/NAN)
ERO/PDE
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(Edited by Emmanuel Okara/Peter Ejiofor)

NAN-H-37
Stakeholder
By Adekunle Williams/Solomon Asowata
Lagos, Oct. 31, 2016 (NAN) Stakeholders in the aviation sector have urged African governments to give priority to air transportation in order to maximise its benefits for the continent.
They said Africa was set to become one of the fastest-growing aviation regions in the next 20 years, with annual expansion averaging nearly five per cent.
According to them, this opens up incredible economic opportunities for the continent’s 54 nations.
They gave the advice while speaking on the topic, “Aviation in Africa and Why Airlines Fail,” at the 2016 Aviation Day of the Akwaaba African Travel and Tour Market on Monday in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that those who spoke include: Mr Richard Aisebeogun, a former Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Mr Chris Aligbe, an aviation expert.
Others are : Capt. Dapo Olumide, former Managing Director of Virgin Nigeria, Mr Yomi Jones, a former Managing Director of the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited and Capt. Mike Omokore, a search and rescue expert.
“By transporting some 70 million passengers annually, aviation already supports 6.9 million jobs and $80 billion of economic activities on the African continent.
“However, the growth of the sector is being constrained by the highly industry cost, inadequate infrastructure at several airports, and slow implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision.
“The potential of aviation are under-utilised. This means that there are huge opportunities for the airlines to thrive.
“Therefore, for the continent to realise its full economic potential, aviation – particularly, air transport- must be priotised,’’Aisebeogun said.
The former FAAN boss, therefore, called on the African Union (AU) to fast track the implementation of a common passport for Africans to enable people travel across the continent for business and leisure purposes.
Aisebeogun also stressed the need for modernisation of African airports to be in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) standards.
Also speaking, Capt. Dapo Olumide observed that nearly all the 37 airlines launched on the continent within the past 12 years, including 25 from Nigeria, had failed.
“The biggest problem with African aviation is lack of corporate governance. The financial models of the airlines are wrong and they also lack maintenance culture,’’ Olumide, a former Managing Director of Virgin Nigeria, said.
He, however, commended the Ethiopian Airlines for breaking the jinx, stressing that the non-interference in the operations of the airline by the government had led to its success story today.
Similarly, Mr Yomi Jones said that it was possible for Nigeria to have a successful national carrier, especially if there was the political will by the government.
Jones, a former Managing Director of the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited (NAL) said that Nigeria with over 170 million populations remained a viable market for aviation.
He said this should be supported with the right policies and a conducive environment for airlines to thrive.
Also, Mr Chris Aligbe said the infrastructural deficits at most African airports could be addressed through concessioning and private-sector participation.
Earlier, Mr Ikechi Uko, the Promoter of the Akwaaba African Travel and Tour Market, urged the governments to also address the scarcity of aviation fuel.
He said this was having a negative effect on airlines’ operations on the continent. (NAN)

WAC/ASO/ENN/PAD
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(Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu, controlled by Peter Dada)

NAN-H-48
Judgment
By Doris Esa
Abuja, Oct. 31, 2016 (NAN) A panel of the National Industrial Court will deliver judgment in the dispute between the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Federal Ministry of Education on Dec. 5

SSANU also joined the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission as co-respondents.

Justice Benedict Kanyip, who led two other justices to fix the date, said that the judgment earlier slated to be delivered on Oct. 31 was not ready.

“This case was slated for judgment today (Oct. 31), unfortunately, the judgment is not ready. We have to take another date, the case is accordingly adjourned until Dec. 5 for judgment,” he held.

The panel also ordered that hearing notices be served on the Federal Ministry of Education, the first respondent.

The Association dragged the Federal Government to the National Industrial Court for alleged failure to honour a 2009 collective agreement with the union.

The union said that it came to court because the agreement had been breached.

The union is asking the court to give interpretation to the clause in the agreement regarding government giving assistance to universities.

According to Chapter 2, Section X (i) of the Agreement, Universities shall bear the full capital and recurrent costs of the university staff primary school. (NAN)
ORD/HAS/OFN
Edited By Hajia Sani//Felix Nwadioha