Blog

NiMet predicts cloudy, rainy, hazy weather for Saturday

NAN-AE-16
Weather
By Sumaila Ogbaje
Abuja, Oct. 28, 2016 (NAN) The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), has predicted partly cloudy weather conditions over the central states of the country on Saturday morning.
NiMet gave the prediction in the Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office (CFO) on Friday in Abuja.
It added that isolated thundery showers were expected over few areas like Lokoja, Makurdi and Ilorin axis during evening/night hours with night time temperatures of 28 to 34 degrees Celsius.

The agency predicted that the southern states would experience cloudy morning with night time temperatures of 32 to 34 degree Celsius.
It also predicted prospects of localised thunderstorms over Akure, Oshogbo, Owerri, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Lagos, Eket and environs in the evening/night hours.
According to NiMet, northern states will have moderate dust haze within 3 to 5 kilometres with night time temperatures of 35 to 38 degrees Celsius.
“ Dust haze condition is expected to persist over the north and some parts of central cities due to dust in suspension, while the southern cities may experience isolated cases of thunderstorms. (NAN)
OYS/OU
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Edited by Obike Ukoh

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NAN-ELS-3
Facebook
By Collins Yakubu-hammer
Abuja, Oct. 28, 2016 (NAN) Ms Ebele Okobi, the Public Policy Director, Facebook, Africa, says Nigerians are free to upload the country’s 1999 constitution on its platform.

Okobi said this on the sideline of the second “Media, Citizens and Good Governance Conference’’ in Abuja.

She said ‘`Facebook doesn’t create content; we create a platform and then people get content; if Nigerians are passionate about the constitution, they can put it on facebook; it’s free.

“We have created a platform that makes distribution of content easy.

“However, Facebook is not a place where everything goes; we do have rules because we want to create a community that maximises people feeling safe online.”

On alleged misuse of facebook, Okobi defended users by saying that the fact that people express themselves freely on the platform does not amount to abuse.

She said that the organisation had content policy, adding that there were some specific things that it would not allow on its platform.

“We don’t allow hate speech, certain type of nudity and violence; we have a community standard.” (NAN)
CMY/JEY/HA

Edited by Johnson Eyiangho /Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

Clinton has money advantage in last weeks of campaign-Documents

NAN-F-22

Campaign

Washington, Oct. 28, 2016 (dpa/NAN) Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, has a clear advantage over Republican Donald Trump in the money she has to spend in the final days of the US presidential election, campaign documents show.

Trump sought to narrow the gap by sending 10 million dollars of his own money to his campaign on Friday morning, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed campaign advisers.

Clinton’s campaign had 62.4 million dollars of cash on hand as of Oct. 19, while Trump’s campaign had just 16 million dollars, according to new documents filed with the Federal Elections Commission.

Clinton’s campaign had raised 52.8 million dollars during the first two and a half weeks of October, and Trump had taken in 30.5 million dollars, the filings showed.

Those figures include only funds that went directly to the campaigns not those raised by Clinton or Trump for other party candidates or for outside groups that aid in their campaign.

Trump plans to use his personal contribution towards television advertising in crucial states.

(dpa/NAN)

OYE/OU/OU

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Edited by Damilola Oyewole/ Obike Ukoh

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PDP leadership tussle: Court of Appeal reserves ruling on Makarfi, Obi’s application

NAN-H-82

Tussle

Abuja, Oct. 28, 2016 (NAN) The Court of Appeal on Friday in Abuja reserved ruling on a motion seeking to commence action against affirmation of Ali Modu Sheriff as Acting National Chairman of PDP.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Sen. Ahmed Makarfi and Sen. Ben Obi are seeking leave to appeal the June 29 decision of the Federal High Court that affirmed Sheriff as chairman.

Justice Hanatu Sanke deferred the ruling after counsel to parties adopted their written addresses.

The two applicants, who are chairman and secretary of the caretaker committee of the party respectivly, had sought for leave to be allowed to appeal against the decision of the lower court.

They are also seeking for an extension of time to file the appeal against the decision of Justice Abang Okon.

NAN reports that the respondents are Sheriff, INEC, PDP, among others.

Mr Dayo Akinlaja (SAN), counsel to the applicants argued that the Ondo State officials of the party had rode on the judgment to conduct governorship primary ahead of the Nov.26 governor election.

“We are contending the fallout of this misappropriation of rules that brought in Jimoh Ibrahim as the governorship candidate of the party in Ondo State,’’ he said.

He said the judgment of the lower court erroneously bestowed power on Sheriff to constitute the committee that conducted the Ondo State governorship primary.

On why the applicants waited for three months before signifying interests to challenge the judgment, Akinlaja said it was immaterial, adding that Sheriff was at that point not viewed as the chairman of the party.

According to him, the applicants have reasonable interests to commence the action being officials of the party.

Dr Alex Izinyon (SAN), counsel to Sheriff urged the court to discountenance the motion, adding that the action was an afterthought.

He argued that the applicants were not desirable parties and therefore could not be instituting the action.

Izinyon further said the applicants had not shown course why their prayers should be granted, adding that they had approached the court as members and not officials of the party.

“My lords, this is firmly captured by the way they have asked to be joined after three months of delivery of a judgment.

“The question is what is their interests and what do they stand to lose if the motion is struck out.

“PDP had accepted the judgment in good fate as they did not also appeal against it. I am urging the court to dismiss this motion for want of merit,’’ Izinyon said.

NAN reports that the court granted applications for withdrawal of two motions filed by counsel to the applicants.

Akinlaja said he was compelled to ask for the withdrawal of a motion seeking order to restrain INEC from recognising Ibrahim as governorship candidate due to commission’s pre-emptive action.

He said the commission on Oct. 27 gave the acclaimed candidate the Certificate of Return during the pendency of the suit.

Izinyon, was however, quick to interject on this submission, adding that Akinlaja was yet to be accepted as an interested party in the matter.

He said INEC only went ahead to carry out the Oct. 27 judgment of the Federal High Court that upheld Jimoh Ibrahim as the governorship candidate of the party.

NAN also reports that appearance of Mr Olagoke Fakunle (SAN) and Mr Robert Erakpo to hold PDP’s brief forced the court to adjourn a motion filed by the party. (NAN)

OMO/OU/OU

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 Edited by Obike Ukoh

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AEDC commits $1.8m to metering of electricity consumers

NAN-H-81

Metering

By Kingsley Okoye
Abuja, Oct .28,2016(NAN) The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) says it has expended 1.8 million dollars to install modern electricity meters for 4,000 electricity consumers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger states.

The Managing Director of the company, Mr Ernest Mupwaya, said this at the commissioning of a Large Power Users’ (LPU) meter in Abuja on Friday.

Mupwaya said the commissioning of the LPU meter was one of the many achievements recorded by AEDC in its three-year existence.

According to him, the company has recorded huge improvements in its network and Information Technology (IT) infrastructure.

Other areas of achievement included an improvement in the billing and vending systems, and a 24/7 call centre that enhances speedy customer complaints resolution for improved customer service delivery.

The managing director said that the company was already working to accelerate the metering of small power users, adding that it had placed an order for 30,000 meters.

He said that the process of signing for another 50,000 of such meters had begun.

He appealed to AEDC’s customers to desist from tampering with their meters or engaging in any fraudulent activities, while assuring them of improved service delivery.

The Acting Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Dr Vincent Akpotaire, commended the company for the numerous projects it had executed to improve electricity supply to its customers.

Akpotaire said that achievements by AEDC had justified the Federal Government’s decision to privatise the power sector.

He said that the issue of metering of customers was a significant aspect of the Privatisation Agenda.

“Metering creates integrity for the billing, it also enhances energy accountability as much as totally reduces if not completely eliminates the vexatious issue of estimated billing.

“It also eradicates the potential for fraud through connivance between readers and customers,” he said.

Akpotaire said he was delighted that the commencement of metering of the small power users had reached advanced stage.

He expressed hope that the privatisation of the power sector would be successful despite the challenges, adding that all stakeholders must be committed to ensuring the success of the power sector.(NAN)

KC/JEO/AMY

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Edited by Jane-Frances Oraka and Abdullahi Yusuf

Gurara Hydro Power Plant to generate 30 megawatts -Fashola

NAN-H-79

Megawatts

Kaduna, Oct. 28,2016(NAN) The completion of the Gurara Hydro Power Plant in Kaduna State would generate additional 30 megawatts, the Minster of Power, Works and Housing , Mr Babatunde Fashola, has said.

Fashola spoke on Friday in Kaduna when he visited the  Gurara Dam project to assess the level of work.

The project is an earth-fill-rock dam, a multipurpose project, consisting a dam, water transfer tunnel, a power house, a power transmission line, an irrigation scheme, a spillway, a bottom outlet access roads and associated works.

Fashola said   the current administration was determined to increase the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in the country using various energy mix.

“ But you see that your country is developing wind power in Kastina, it is developing hydro power here in Kaduna.

“It is developing   hydro power in Kasibila, we have been to Jebba, we have been to Kainji,  Shiroro, slowly the energy mix is coming  together,’’he said.

He said that government would soon complete and begin the evacuation of electricity from the plant, adding that approval has been granted by the Federal Executive Council to complete the Gurara- Kudanda substation.

The minister said that there was collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing in the Gurara  project.

He expressed the hope that the project would be completed early next year.(NAN)

KC./OU/OU

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Edited by Obike Ukoh

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UN says withdrawal of countries from ICC sends `wrong message`

NAN-H-78

ICC

Isaac Aregbesola

Abuja, Oct. 28, 2016 (NAN) The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, says the announcement by three African countries of their intent to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) sends a ‘wrong message’ to the world.

Ki-moon was quoted as saying this in a message twitted by the United Nations radio in its official twitter account @UN-Radion on Friday.

Ki-moon in a message twitted by the United Nations radio was quoted as saying this in a meeting at UN Security Council Chamber on Friday.

The UN chief said that pulling out of the court undermined the commitment to justice on the part of South Africa, Gambia, and Burundi.

Ki-moon said that the world had made “enormous strides” in the international justice system, with the ICC as its centrepiece, which had secured “ground-breaking convictions.”

He acknowledged that not all countries accepted its jurisdiction, and that, so far, only Africans had been convicted, in spite of evidence of crimes of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity elsewhere.

``But withdrawal by the three countries would be a mistake.

“I regret these steps, which could send a wrong message on these countries commitment to justice.

“These challenges are best addressed not by diminishing support for the court, but by strengthening it from within,” he said.

 Ban added that deterring genocide and defending the rules of war, were too important to “risk a retreat from the age of accountability” that leaving the court, would signify. (NAN)

IAA/OU/OU

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Edited by Obike Ukoh

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Quality lifestyle prevents stroke – Expert

NAN-HG-13
Stroke
By Olasunkanmi Onifade
Abuja, Oct. 28, 2016 (NAN) Dr Biodun Ogungbo, Director, Stroke Action Nigeria, an NGO, on Friday advised Nigerians to imbibe quality lifestyles to prevent stroke.

Ogungbo gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja ahead of the World Stroke Day, scheduled for Oct. 29.

According to him, hypertension is the most single most risk factor for stroke.

“It’s cheaper to prevent high blood pressure though life style changes, compared to drug treatment.

“In the same way, it’s cheaper to treat hypertension than to treat complications of stroke or heart attack,” Ogungbo said.

He enjoined Nigerians to cultivate the habit of checking their blood pressure to avoid stroke.

He said stroke is preventable, treatable but not curable, adding that once the brain is damaged as a result of stroke, it will be difficult to be normal.

Ogungbo said high blood pressure usually may present no obvious symptoms and many people have it without knowing.

He said the only way to know if one had high blood pressure was to check through medical personnel or have a personal blood pressure machine.

Ogungbo said the essence of the stroke day was to increase the advocacy, awareness on the causes and preventive measures of stroke.

“We have an acronym to identify the warning signs of stroke called FAST which means weakness of the Face, Arm, Speech and Time meaning there was no time to waste in taking the patient to the hospital.

“If one wastes time after all the warning signs the person could lose the brain, the sooner the better,” he said.

Ogungbo also advised Nigerians to make a healthier lifestyle choice which includes proper diet, adequate exercises and avoid smoking.

He said as part of activities to mark the World Stroke Day, the organisation would be walking from Garki to Millennium Park to sensitise Nigerians on the risk associated with stroke. (NAN)

OEO/BOLA/MST

Edited by Bola Akingbehin/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

NAN-AE-15
Conveniences
Aisha Ahmed
Kano, Oct. 28, 2016 (NAN) The Kano State Ministry of Environment has warned operators of public conveniences in the state to clean them regularly or face sanctions.

The state Commissioner for Environment, Dr Haruna Makoda, gave the warning on Friday while monitoring the monthly sanitation exercise on markets, motor parks and workplaces in Kano on Friday.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Alhaji Sadik Wali, the commissioner said government was concerned about public health.

He said since the public conveniences were commercial, the regulators must find means of cleaning them regularly.

The warning was particularly directed at the operators of the conveniences at Yankaba Market in Nassarawa Local Government Area, having been issued with similar warnings earlier by the ministry.

Makoda threatened to sanction the market association if the public conveniences were not cleaned.

The Spokesman of the market, Malam Abubakar Audu, commended the government for its concern about public health and pledged to sanitise the conveniences. (NAN)

AAA/CEO/AMY
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Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf

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Bank

By Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

Lagos, Oct. 28, 2016 (NAN) Access Bank Plc on Friday declared a profit before tax of N72 billion for the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2016.

The bank’s Head, Media Relations, Mr Abdul Imoyo said the figure indicated an increase of 19 per cent when compared with a profit before tax of N60.4 billion achieved in 2015.

The bank’s profit after tax (PAT) grew by 19 per cent to N57.1 billion from N48.1 billion in 2015.

Its gross earnings rose by seven per cent to N274.5 billion against N257.6 billion in the corresponding period of 2015.

He said that the growth in gross earnings was driven by 17 per cent increase in interest income on the back of continued growth in the bank’s core business.

Similarly, the bank’s operating income increased  by 12 per cent to N199.3 billion from N178.1 billion in 2015, while customer deposits grew by 25 per cent to ₦2.10 trillion from ₦1.68 trillion in December 2015.

Imoyo also said  the bank’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) remained solid at 19 per cent as at September 2016, well above the regulatory minimum.

Mr Herbert Wigwe, the bank’s Group Managing Director said the company’s performance in the first three quarters of 2016 remained strong and consistent.

Wigwe said that the performance reflected a stable business with the capacity to deliver sustainable returns, particularly during a period underlined by significant macro headwinds.

He said the group maintained stable asset quality with Non Performing Loan (NPL) of 2.1 per cent and Cost of Risk Ratios (CRR) of 0.9 per cent, respectively.

He explained that the bank’s capital and liquidity position remained above regulatory levels, noting that the bank would continue to implement a disciplined capital plan to support growth.

“We remain committed to our cost containment plan, as we strive to balance operational efficiency with earnings growth in a constrained environment.

“The bank will remain resilient in the achievement of its strategic imperatives; maximising our strong market position and solid capital base, while leveraging on digital innovation to improve service touchpoints,” Wigwe said.

Imoyo said that the bank  was currently serving  over seven million individual and corporate account holders, through 370 branches and with more than 1,500 ATMs in major centres across Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa, among others. (NAN)
JNC/YAZ

Edited by Yusuf Zango