Blog

NAN-H-15

Concert

By Nabilu Balarabe

Jalingo, Oct. 30, 2016 (NAN ) A Nigerian born singer based in Australia, Simon Oshi, on Sunday said he had concluded arrangements to hold a peace concert in Jalingo.

Oshi, 31, who is also a comedian, told journalists in Jalingo that he would use the concert to promote the importance of peace to societal development.

He said he was in the state purposely for the peace project coming up next week, which would be managed by his record label, “Prolifick Entertainment”.

“My desire for sustainable peace in the country is what informed my decision to come here all the way from Australia.

“I appreciate the efforts of Gov. Darius Ishaku in ensuring peace within the shortest period he has been in power.

“But that effort must be complimented by individuals and non governmental organisations for the peace to be sustained, “he said.

Oshi, who hails from Kaduna, said he would also take his campaign to the remotest parts of Taraba, to empower the youth and assist Internally Displaced Persons.

“With our limited resources, we have come up with some empowerment programmes for the youth, especially those that have chosen entertainment as a career.

“We will also assist the internally displaced persons and also give scholarship to two indigenes of Taraba to study abroad,“ Oshi said. (NAN)
NB/JPE/MZA
Edited by Joseph Edeh/Maharazu Ahmed
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Transfer of CCB, CCT to NASS self serving – Senator

NAN-H-14

Condemnation

Birninkudu (Jigawa), Oct. 30, 2016 (NAN) Sen. Abdullahi Abubakar, representing Jigawa North West in the Senate, on Sunday said the decision of the National Assembly to take over the supervision of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Code of Conduct Tribunal was self serving.

Abubakar made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birninkudu.

The senator, who said he was away on oversight duties when the amendment was made, stressed that he was completely opposed to the decision.

The lawmaker said: “Laws are meant to outlive individuals not meant for individuals.’’

The Senator also said the current Bill on inheritance before the Senate negates the provisions on freedom of worship, as such would not see the light of the day.

According to him, Christians and Muslims in the country are against the law.

“We are there as representatives of the people and anything that the people don’t want will not scale through.

“We will make sure that the aspirations of the people we represent are not sacrificed at the altar of a few members of the Senate.

“Even though the bill has passed second reading, I believe any law can be stepped down at any stage and this is not an exception,’’ Abubakar added. (NAN)
MS/HAS/MZA
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Edited By Hajia Sani/Maharazu Ahmed

Edo AFAN seeks collaboration on local cows production

NAN-ND-10

Cattle

By Joy Odigie

Benin, Oct. 30, 2016. (NAN) The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Edo chapter, says it is seeking collaboration with stakeholders in the agricultural sector  to boost local cattle production.

The Chairman , Chief Emmanuel Odigie stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Sunday.

Odegie said that the collaboration was aimed at increasing supply of beef and boosting the economy of the state.

According to him, there is a breed of cattle in the state, which when produced in large scale, would boost the state’s interally generated revenue.

“These local cattle are found mainly in Ugo community of Orhionmwon Local Government Area of the state.

“The cattle are allowed to graze freely in the community, but we are working towards large scale production of the specie.

“This will increase the supply of beef in Edo and the neighbouring states,’’ he said.

He said that the association needed collaboration in research, construction of farm buildings and provision of special grass for the breeding of the specie.

‘’We need a demonstration farm, where the cattle can be reared. We need a farmland of about five hectares which has to be fenced round.

‘’Some buildings have to be constructed for the animals as shelter within the farmland.

‘’Also, feeds in form of specific grasses have to be planted and we need a borehole in the farm for water supply,” he added. (NAN)

OOJ/EMO/OU

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Edited by Ejike Obeta/Obike Ukoh

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NAN-H-29
Bowls
Dutse, Oct. 30, 2016 (NAN) The Jigawa Consumers Protection Committee (CPC) has concluded arrangements to distribute 12,000 standard measuring bowls to grain sellers in the state to eliminate cheating.

The state CPC Chairman, Alhaji Farouk Abdallah, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Sunday that the move was to stem the current practice where different markets adopt different measures.

Abdullah said that the standard measures would be distributed to traders in Hadejia, Guri and Babura Local Government Areas of the state.

He explained that the bowls would also be distributed to traders in Shuwarin International Grains Market and Furji Grains Market in Kiyawa and Kazaure Local Government Areas.

He said the bowls to be distributed were in both the big and small-sizes, adding that “it is to checkmate the activities of traders who fleece consumers by indulging in sharp practices using unapproved measures”.

Abdallah said it would also protect consumers from cheating traders as well as provide consumers the opportunity to get correct value for their money.

Besides, he said the aim was to sanitise the business environment around the state and ensure accuracy in measurements of articles bought in all commercial transactions in the state.

He said that lack of standardised weights and measures had been responsible for the disparity in the sizes of bowls used by traders in the markets.

“Some of the traders deliberately use substandard bowls to short change unsuspecting buyers.

“The committee will ensure that it distributes the bowls to all traders and grains sellers in all the markets across state.

“So, henceforth, any trader found using any bowl rather than the one approved by the state government will face the full wrath of the law,” he warned.

He said that the CPC earlier in July distributed 5,000 of such bowls to grain sellers in Gujungu International Market in Taura Local Government Area of the state.

NAN reports that the CPC on May 1, raided markets and confiscated several fake measures from grains sellers in the state. (NAN)
MNB/ECN/OFN
Edited by Emmanuel Nwoye//Felix Nwadioha

NAN-H-27
Fund
Maiduguri, Oct. 30, 2016( NAN) Senate leader,  Muhammad Ndume, on Sunday, objected to the use of on-line registration to select beneficiaries of Federal Government’s N500 billion Social Intervention  Fund.
Addressing newsmen in Maiduguri, Ndume, who represents Borno South at the National Assembly, observed that using internet registration for the programme would deprive many qualified Nigerians from benefiting .
” The N500 billion Social Intervention Fund has started on a wrong footing, so we are not going to agree; we are not going to let it pass like other previous interventions without tangible gains.
” We do not want it to be like the SureP where nobody was sure, ” Ndume said.
He pointed out that the new concept on MPower requiring teachers, market women and graduates, to register online, was faulty.
“How can they say that everybody must go on-line and register when most states are off-line;
in fact, Borno is even worst than off-line, ” Ndume said.
He said that registering on-line will end up in corrupt practice as some individuals used fake names to register.
“The National Assembly is going to insist that the programme must be done on Local Government Areas (LGA) basis, or even on ward basis, because there is no ward in Nigeria without a qualified graduate.
” So let each ward or LGA be represented like we did during the police recruitment, ” Ndume said.
He said that he position was based on the outcome of similar programs in the past.
” Most often what they do is to hire a consultant who will charge about 5 percent of the total money as his fee and by the you remove 5 percent of N 500 billion you have already started depleting the resources.
” Again the consultant will start asking the participants to go to one portal and register with scratch card, this is also unacceptable, “Ndume said.
He said that the National Assembly would take a stand on the issue next Wednesday to ensure that the right thing was done in the implementation of the programme. (NAN)
ABI/ASH/ASH

NAN-H-10
Attempt

By Ali Baba Inua
Maiduguri, Oct. 30, 2016 ( NAN) The Nigerian Army on Sunday foiled another attempt by a suspected suicide bomber to attack the Bakassi Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Maiduguri, its spokesman, Col. Sani Usman, said in a statement.

Usman, who issued the statement in Maiduguri, said: “At about 9.00a.m. this morning, troops of Operation Lafiya Dole deployed behind Bakassi IDP camp, Damboa Road, Maiduguri, on security duty, intercepted a suspected male suicide bomber.

“He had attempted to sneak through the troops’ inner parapet towards the IDP camp before he was shot dead.”

He said that “the vigilant sentry sighted the bomber and lay in wait until the suicide bomber came close.

“The sniper instantly shot and killed the terrorist as he tried to force his way to the western flank of the IDP camp fence.”

Usman said the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) vest strapped on the bomber failed to detonate, adding that ‘’a combined team of military and police Explosive Ordinance Device (EOD) have been called to safely detonate the IED’’.

He said that the situation at the camp and the general area was calm.

On Saturday two female suicide bombers killed nine persons in Maiduguri.

Usman, who confirmed the attacks, said after the first bomber detonated her bomb, the second, in a tricycle, tailed a fuel tanker that was about to discharge fuel at a station.

All three occupants of the tricycle died, the army spokesman said.  (NAN)
ABI/ENN/JCE
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Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Chukwudi Ekezie

Committee accuses companies in A ’Ibom of violating Local Content Law

NAN-ND-7

Companies

By Bassey Bassey

Uyo, Oct. 30, 2016 (NAN) The Akwa Ibom Local Content Compliance Monitoring Committee (LCCMC), had alleged that more than 1,000 companies operating in the state failed to comply with the Local Content Act 2010.

The Chairman of the committee, Mr Samuel Afobi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Uyo.

Afobi noted that many companies operating in the state had violated the law six years after it was enacted.

He said that many companies operating in the state did not employ the indigenes or engaged local contractors as provided by the law.

“The state government has frowned at the lukewarm attitude of these companies towards compliance with the provisions of the Local Content Act.

“These companies do not carry out community development projects and have not shown evidence of engaging in their Corporate Social Responsibility.

“The LCCMC is poised to ensure that the multinational oil companies as well as the indigenous ones and their contractors fully comply with the law,” Afobi said.

He said that the committee in July wrote to the companies, especially those operating in Eket-Ibeno industrial axis, on the need for compliance.

The chairman said that the committee would commence the enforcement of the law this week.

“It is unacceptable that the companies have failed to comply with Sections 25, 26, 27 and 28 (1&2) of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act 2010.

“Some of these companies have also violated the Oil Companies and Vessels Regulation of Business, Registration and Plying Levy Law 2006 of Akwa Ibom State,” he added.

Afobi explained that sections 25, 26 and 27 of Nigerian Local Content Act 2010, provided for location of office in and engagement of personnel from the project area.

He said that Section 28 (1&2) of the law provided for engagement of reasonable number of personnel from areas of significant operations.

The chairman appealed to all the companies in the state, especially those in the oil and gas sector, to comply with the laws.

He expressed optimism that there would be industrial harmony in the state when the companies complied with the laws. (NAN)

BB/EMO/OU

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Edited by Ejike Obeta/Obike Ukoh

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NAN-H-13

Joint-Account

Birninkudu (Jigawa), Oct. 30, 2016 (NAN) The Chairman, Senate Committee  on State and Local Government Affairs, Sen. Abdullahi Abubakar, on Sunday said provision has been made in the ongoing Constitution amendment process to totally abolish the contentious joint account between states and local governments.

Abubakar, who made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birninkudu, Jigawa, also said the lawmakers plan to abolish States Independent Electoral Commissions.

He said that the decision was taken at a recent retreat in Lagos by Speakers of State Houses of Assembly and Members of the House of Representatives.

Abubakar explained that the decision was taken to strengthen local government administration, for optimal performance.

The Senator said that the National Assembly was working tirelessly to dialogue with State Governors to allow local governments operate independently.

Abubakar said it was unfortunate that only 10 out of 36 states in the country had conducted election into local government councils.

“This means that 75 per cent of the local government leadership in the country occupy the offices unconstitutionally and unelected.

“From my tour to some local governments, the third tier of government has been rendered useless, empty, and nothing meaningful is happening at the grassroots government.’’

He believed that a stronger local government administration would impact more positively in local areas, help tackle rural-urban drift and rising security challenges.

“If our local governments function well, the youths in the areas would leave their houses and go to work and return home without any problem,” he said.

Abubakar, who is also a member of Constitution Amendment Committee, said SIECs would be abolished to guarantee free, fair, credible and acceptable election at the local level.

“It will be the responsibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct local government polls.

“We are doing all these so that political parties can vie for positions freely during local government elections without any fear of intimidation by the ruling party in a state.

“We have made far reaching changes in the spirit of the change mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari,’’ Abubakar said. (NAN)
MS/HAS/MZA
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Edited By Hajia Sani/Maharazu Ahmed

NAN-H-35
Arrest
By Mohammad Tijjani
Kachia (Kaduna State), Oct. 30, 2016 (NAN) The Commandant, Nigerian Navy School of Armament Technology, Kachia, Kaduna, Commodore Timothy Dakwat, has said that the command arrested two cattle rustlers and recovered 285 cows and seven sheep from them.

Dakwat made this known when he presented the suspects and the cows to newsmen in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Sunday.

He said the suspects were arrested on Oct. 29, at about 1.00 a.m., following an intelligence report on the hide out of the rustlers.

“Acting on a tip off on their hideout at Maro, Gidana  Auta and  Rijana  village, in Kachia Local government, we mobilised our patrol team and ambushed the rustlers which led to the arrest, recovery and evacuation of the cows.”

He said there was exchange of fire between the security operatives and the rustlers before the security officers overpowered the bandits.

Dakwat, who said nobody died in the incident, stated that one of the suspects sustained injury and was taken to the hospital.

“One of the main kingpins is still at large but we will trail him and make sure that he faces the law,” he added.

He said working closely with communities in a manner called civil-military relations had yielded results.

“Those communities had been under the spell of those cattle rustlers as they dehumanised them, raped women, extorted them and stole their animals.”

Dakwat said “with the government on our side and support of the communities we will be able to serve the society better.

“We assured members of the pubic that our source of information will be well protected to ensure that we achieve success.”

The commandant said the arrest of the rustlers was the collective effort of the security operatives under the Kaduna State Government-coordinated security outfit, code-named “Operation Yaki”.

He said the suspects, the cows and sheep would be handed over to the appropriate authority after investigation.

The commandant urged the public to support the security agents with useful information to curtail the activities of undesirable elements in the state. (NAN)
TJ/MOL/OFN
Edited by Mustapha Lamidi//Felix Nwadioha

Jigawa govt. distributes 16,000 bags of fertilizers to 1,620 farmers

NAN-H-18
Fertilizers
Birninkudu (Jigawa), Oct. 30, 2016 (NAN) Gov. Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa says his administration has distributed 16,000 bags of assorted fertilizers to 1620 farmers in the state this year.
Badaru disclosed this on Sunday in Birninkudu at the distribution of empowerment items and scholarship awards by Alhaji Da’u Aliyu, member, House of Representatives representing Birninikudu/Buji Federal Constituency.
He said that 60 notable farmers were selected from each of the 27 local government areas of the state.
According to him, each of the farmers got between eight and 10 bags of fertilizers, adding that the distribution team ensured that the items got to the right people.
“There is transparency in the system now unlike in the past where fertilizers meant for farmers were diverted and conveyed in trucks to sell in neighbouring states,’’ he said.
The governor said that his administration would make farming a profitable business in order to tackle poverty and create employment opportunities for the citizenry.
He advised the farmers to cultivate crops that had economic value, promising that his administration would soon distribute harvesters, milling machines and threshers to youths interested in rice farming.
He expressed his administration’s commitment to reducing youth unemployment through agriculture so as to enhance the living standard of the people. (NAN)
MS/MOL/WOJ
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(Edited by Mustapha Lamidi / Wale Ojetimi)