Blog

Driver to spent 2 months imprisonment for fraud
NAN-H-69
Fraud
By Ugochi Ugochukwu
Abuja, Oct. 26, 2016 (NAN) A Karmo Area Court in FCT, Abuja, on Wednesday jailed a 34-year-old driver, Ojo Shakiru, two weeks for fraud.

Shakiru of Dutse Bokum, Bwari Area Council, Abuja, was convicted on a two-count charge of criminal breach of trust, cheating, which he pleaded guilty and begged the court for leniency.

The Area Court judge, Abubakar Sadiq, gave Shakiru an option to pay N10, 000 as fine.

Sadiq said that the punishment would have been stiffer if the convict had not saved the court the pains of protracted prosecution.

He warned the convict to be of good behaviour and also ordered that him to pay the complainant N134, 000 as compensation.

Prosecutor Dalhatu Zannah had told the court that on Oct. 14, Idris Kaseem of Oppsite Eagle line Utako, Abuja, reported the matter at Utako Police Station.

Zannah said that on April 15, 2016 the complainant bought a Honda Accord car for N160, 000 from the convict and pay N134, 000.

He said after the payment the convict handed over the said car to the complainant but the convict criminally came back, deceived him and collected the car.

He said the convict dishonestly converted the N134,000 to his personal use.

The prosecutor added that during police investigation the convict made a confessional statement.

Zannah said the offence contravened sections 79 and 288 of the Penal Code. (NAN)
UGO/HS/OFN
Edited by Halima Sheji//Felix Nwadioha

Multiple fires in Calais migrant camp as evacuation proceeds

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Migrants
Paris, Oct. 26, 2016 (dpa/NAN) Multiple fires were set off overnight at a migrant camp near Calais, as a week-long government operation to evacuate the “Jungle” camp and dismantle the makeshift shelters continued on Wednesday.

French firefighters had put out the fires, and there were no reports of serious injuries.

Regional prefect Fabienne Buccio said that setting off fires was a tactic migrants had used previously to destroy parts of the camp before leaving.

He said that it was mostly makeshift shops that were set alight overnight.

More than 4,000 people have been taken to shelters, either in accommodation centres around France where they can apply for asylum.

Others were taken to a container site near Calais where minors are waiting to see if they can be reunited with family in Britain.

Officials expect the operation to become more difficult over the course of the week, as everyone who volunteered to leave is transported to shelters and those reluctant to give up on reaching Britain remain. dpa/NAN)

Edited by Damilola Oyewole/Julius Enehikhuere

NAN-HG-13
Stroke
By Sunkanmi Onifade
Abuja, Oct. 26, 2016 (NAN) Dr Mijinyawa Bashir, a consultant physician with the Wuse General Hospital Abuja, has advocated regular exercise among middle-aged people to avoid stroke.

Bashir gave the advice Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

He said that regular exercise improves the mood and relieve one of stress which he said could lead to stroke in the body.

Bashir explained that stroke was a condition in which blood supply stops flowing to an area of the brain as a result of the blockage of a blood vessel.

“The blockage could result to weakness and inability to function in the affected parts of the brain.

“Stroke occurs when a blood clot or a cholesterol plaque wanders into the brain until it reaches a narrow point where it becomes trapped.

“The blockage of an artery in the brain by a clot is the most common cause of stroke; part of the brain could stop pumping blood and become affected.

“As a result of the deprived blood and oxygen, the cells of that part of the brain die and the part of the body that it controls stops working,’’ he said.

The physician said that high blood pressure was among the leading causes of stroke as it could cause small arteries inside the brain to burst and increases pressure on the body.

He, however, said that people from the age of 60 and above have doubled risk of a stroke than the youths, adding that men have more risk of stroke than women.

“ Cigarette smoking, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, lack of physical activities and high level of bad cholesterol are some of the causes of stroke.

“The symptoms of stroke start with a temporary interruption in blood flow to part of the brain but last for a shorter period of time and do not leave noticeable permanent damage.’’

He said stroke could result in minor problems such as weakness in an arm or leg and lead to paralysis or death.

Bashir said many stroke patients were left with weakness on one side of the body, difficulty in speaking and bladder problems.

According to him, management of patients with acute stroke remains multifaceted and includes several aspects of care that have been tested in clinical trials.

He called on government at all levels to ensure adequate healthcare delivery system to enable people have proper treatment. (NAN)
OEO/JEY/AFA
Edited by Johnson Eyiangho/Felix Ajide
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NAN-H-41

Centre

Bauchi, Oct.26,2016 (NAN) The only female legislator in Bauchi State House of Assembly, Mrs Maryam Begel, said she had concluded plans to construct a 250 capacity Community Resource Centre in Dass town of the state.

Begel, representing Dass constituency, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi Wednesday that she had saved some amount to start the project and would also solicit for contributions from prominent individuals and organisations to realise her dream.

“About N80 million will be required to complete the project, which will be equipped with vocational training centre, multipurpose hall, cafeteria, library and ICT training centre , among others.

“I have made contacts with prominent individuals and organisations who have expressed willingness to provide financial assistance.

“If completed, the ICT unit can serve as a centre for JAMB’s computer-based exam and this will help youth from my constituency as they may not have to travel far to sit for such exam,” she said.

She however lamented that having secured a land for the project from Dass Local Government Council, getting the authorities concerned to settle N3 Million compensation to the land owners had become a problem.

“Dass Local Government Council has assisted by providing the land but the relevant ministry that is supposed to facilitate the payment of N3 million compensation, is dragging its feet on the matter.

“Some people are thinking that I will out-shine them by the time the project is realized; it is unfortunate that politics have crept into a laudable idea meant for my people to enjoy dividends of democracy,” she lamented.

Speaking on efforts made to enhance the education of people in her constituency, Begel said with the shift from paper to computer-based UTME, she organised computer training for 103 youths.

“The 103 youth that underwent the computer training programme, had also registered to sit for the UTME.

“They sat for the exam and interestingly, when the result was released, 50 per of them secured over 200 points, 80 per cent of them garnered the minimum cut-off points and none of them got less than 150 points,” she said. (NAN)

AE/ASH/ASH

NAN-H-42
Recruitment
By Bukola Adewumi

Abuja, Oct. 26, 2016 (NAN) A non-governmental organisation has expressed concern over plans by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recruit ad hoc staff who are not NYSC members for the Ondo governorship election.

Mr Samson Itodo, the Executive Director, Youth Initiative for Advocacy Growth and Advancement (YIAGA),  said in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja that deviating from the tested recruitment pattern, would create credibility problem for the poll.

“This new approach is subject to abuse by INEC officials and desperate politicians who continue to devise means to compromise and undermine the credibility of elections.

“INEC should not take the risk to compromise the integrity of the Ondo governorship election on the basis of funding challenges or economic recession.’’

Itodo said that no price would be too much to pay to protect the integrity of the elections.

He urged INEC to immediately commence the recruitment of NYSC members from neighbouring states such as Ekiti, Edo and Osun, if the number of NYSC members in Ondo was inadequate.

 He noted that the atmosphere in the state suggested that INEC was working hard to ensure a credible, fair, violence free, transparent and conclusive election.

“YIAGA commends Ondo REC and his team for their openness, transparency and commitment to properly organise the forthcoming elections as well as their engagement with stakeholders.’’

“The success of the election would be dependent on how all stakeholders engage the electoral process in line with the principles of transparency, accountability and justice,’’ he said. (NAN)

BOL/DEB/NKO

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Edited by Debo Oshundun/Nkechi Okoronkwo

Monitor your children to stem drug addiction, NDLEA appeals to parents

NAN-DS-3
Parents
By Maureen Ojinaka-Nwanosike
Enugu, Oct. 26, 2016 (NAN) The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has appealed to parents to monitor their children and wards to prevent them from being influenced by negative peers to drug abuse and addiction.

Mr Eugene Iguoma, the Assistant Commander of the NDLEA in Enugu State,  gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Wednesday.

Iguoma, who is in-charge of operations, decried the high rate of drug abuse among youths, and urged parents to join hands with the agency in the campaign against illicit drug use.

According to him, drug abuse is a habit done in secret and the only way it can be identified in children is at the primary or secondary school levels.
The NDLEA official advised parents and guardians to monitor the company their children and wards keep to prevent them from going astray.

“I always say that parents should be able to monitor their children closely because drug abuse is a secret habit which may be difficult to identify.

“The moment a child starts school, try and keep a watch on him or her and monitor their daily activities, ‘’ he said.

Iguoma said that there were parents whose children had drug abuse challenges, but did not know how to get solutions; noting that some had died while others were confined to psychiatric hospitals.

He urged parents and guardians not to be provoked by the involvement of their loved ones in drug abuse, but rather support them to seek attention and counsel. (NAN)

OJI/KSN/AOS/OU
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Edited by Bayo Sekoni/Obike Ukoh

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NANFeatures/Vol.10/No.245/2016 (Oct. 26)

Curbing road crashes via enforcement of Speed Limiting Device

By Angela Atabo, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) claims that Nigeria records more than 345,908 deaths from road traffic crashes since independence in 1960 to 2015.

According to the commission, driver and human factors are responsible for 82 per cent of the crashes, while technical or car factor is responsible for 13 per cent and bad road accounts for three per cent.

Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, the Corps Marshal of the commission, said that speed also contributed to the severity of the impact of the crashes.

He added that with speed of 80 kilometre per hour, the likelihood of death was 20 times what it would have been with speed level of 30 kilometre per hour.

He also noted that 91 per cent of the world’s fatalities on the roads occurred in low and middle-income countries such as Nigeria.

He said between January 2015 and June 2016,  9,734 speed related crashes occurred in Nigeria, killing 5,440 people.

Oyeyemi said this record made the enforcement of the use of Speed Limiting Device imperative “to detect how fast a driver is moving and automatically check it.’’
He said that a vehicle’s speed is locked at the approved speed level and when the driver accelerated beyond it, the device would check it.

“Speed limit violation accounts for the highest number of road crashes in Nigeria; the irony is that speed related road deaths are avoidable if we resolve to prevent them.

“That is why the corps has adopted the speed limiting device approach and it is pertinent for us to embrace this speed limiting strategy to curb this monster on our roads,’’ he said.

But some cynics allege that the device is another avenue for the government to exploit the common man while some Nigerians have even taken the FRSC to court to stall the implementation.

“You may recall that an earlier date for commencement of compulsory use of Speed Limiting Device was June, 2015 but the implementation and enforcement of the device witnessed four postponements from its initial launching date before its final approval by the presidency.

“The first hiccup it experienced was the intervention by the National Assembly to suspend the enforcement to enable the Committee on FRSC to conduct a public hearing to determine the desirability of the use of the device.

“After the submission of the committee’s report and its debate at the plenary of the House, the recommendation for the lifting of the suspension order was adopted and the House gave go ahead for the enforcement of the device.

“The Federal High Court also cleared the corps for having the powers as legally mandated to introduce the device more so the final approval was given by President Muhammadu Buhari for the enforcement and implementation of the device from Oct. 1, 2016.

“There is no going back on the Speed Limiting Device; that is the stand of the corps. We need to carry out our own responsibility to save lives,’’ Oyeyemi said.
He said that the corps would continue with advocacy, education and enlightenment, known as the advisory enforcement.

“This time around, it will be speed limiter installation checks, the exercise shall therefore be known as Speed Limiting Device Verification Checks and shall continue to January 2017.
“Carrying through this phase, the individual commercial operators will be separated from those operating fleet.
“The data will enable the corps further steps in the right direction towards the final and strategic persuasive enforcement,’’ he said.
Appraising the initiative, Mr Salimonu Oladiti, Chairman of Petroleum Tanker Drivers’ Association, said the initiative was a good development.
He urged Nigerians to show compassion for the carnage of human lives on our roads and allow the scheme to work to save lives.
“We want to save the lives of our members on the roads because they are they are breadwinners of their various homes and we have lost one too many.
“Some of them who have fitted the devices have been relaying their positive experiences in recent times.

“I can tell you that it’s the best thing that can happen to tanker drivers because it will help to reduce cases of brake failure among others,’’ he said.
In the same vein, Alhaji Najeem Yasin, the National President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, said the device would prolong the lifespan of vehicles.

“We know very well the danger of speeding. It is very important to save the lives of our drivers and passengers.

“I hope it will not end with commercial operators at motor parks but be extended to private vehicles as well,’’ he said.
Similarly, Mr Kassim Bataiya, the President of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, said there was a stakeholders meeting with FRSC, where all the transport unions aligned with the corps on the implementation of the policy.

All in all, Oyeyemi call on Nigerians to adhere to the use of the Speed Limiting Device because it will reduce crashes on Nigeria roads, insisting that it has yielded significant positive results in more than 33 countries where it has been adopted.(NANFeatures)

**If used, please credit the writer as well as News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

NAN-H-40

Withdrawal

Bauchi, Oct.26,2016 (NAN) Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, Bauchi House of Assembly, Mrs Maryam Begel, said female students in some schools in the state were being withdrawn to engage in menial jobs to generate capital for their marriage.

She told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi on Wednesday that an interactive session she had with 60 girls of a particular secondary school in the state, revealed such practice.

“I had an interactive session with 60 girls of a particular tertiary school in Bauchi state and what I gathered from them was shocking.

“They complained that some parents were in the habit of withdrawing their daughters from school when they reach JSS two or three.

“They said such parents initiate their daughters into engaging in menial jobs to generate funds that would be used in buying items preparatory to their marriage.

“The girls were so disturbed and were lamenting that a lot of their colleagues have had their education either temporarily suspended, or completely terminated, on such grounds,” said Begel, who once served as a Child Protection Officer with an international  non-governmental organization, ‘Save the Children’ (UK).

The lawmaker lamented that such action by parents was inimical to the development of the Girl-Child at a time campaign was being intensified to encourage the education of female children.

Speaking on the reluctance of most Northern state governments to domesticate the Child Rights Act, Begel blamed this development on those that started the campaign for its application.

“From the beginning, the effort at explaining the content of the document was scanty as a lot of people had not been adequately sensitized.

“Most of the contents of the document are also backed by our religions and tradition, for example, Right of child to education, good health and humane treatment.

“Alongside the rights enshrined, are also obligations. The campaigners however ignored the obligations and harped on the Rights, thereby giving a negative perception of the document,” she observed.

According to her, the document can be domesticated to tally with traditional and religious demands, but added that such move is too late because the negative impression created in the minds of most people, is already deep-rooted.

“As it is now, no political office holder or lawmaker in some Northern states of this country will be willing to talk about the document.

“In fact, you dear not touch the issue, even with a long stick, otherwise you kiss goodbye to your political career,” she said. (NAN)

AE/ASH/ASH

NAN-H-20

Scholarship

Lafia, Oct. 26, 2016 (NAN) The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has urged the state scholarship board to hasten the payment of scholarship to qualified indigene students of the state.

Mr Daniel Ogazzi, the Chairman, state House of Assembly Committee on Education, Science and Technology made the call on Wednesday, adding that the harsh economic condition made it imperative.

Ogazzi spoke while the Executive Secretary of the Scholarship Board, Alhaji Suleiman Abdulwahab was before the committee to give clarification on the delayed payment of the 2015/2016 students’ scholarship.

He said that the education committee decided to invite the Secretary to explain the delay, in spite of the approval given by the state government in April.

“We did not invite you to witchhunt you but we, as the representatives of the people and other people of the state, we want to know what is the cause of the delay in the payment, despite approval by the state government.

“What are you doing towards the prompt payment of scholarships to students– owing to complaints by both parents and students across the state.

“Because the payment of the scholarships to students will not only improve the standard of education but will also reduce the financial burden on parents and guardians, as well as improve the standard of living of  students”.

Earlier, Abdulwahab said that the state government released N100 million out of the N294 million required for the payment of the students’ scholarships.

“Part of the money released was used to print cards for 19,764 qualified students, after the screening of over 20,000 applicants that applied for the exercise,” he said.

He appealed to the students to be patient as the state government was making concerted efforts to commence the disbursement of the scholarships.

Abdulwahab pledged the board’s determination and commitment to give premium attention to the welfare of students in order to improve the quality of education in the state and the country at large. (NAN)

BAB/ORO/BOS

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Edited by Razak Owolabi/dele bodunde

Court in Benin jails 23-year-old man 3 months for stealing friend’s phone
NAN-H-39
Stealing
Monday Ajogun
Benin, Oct. 26, 2016 (NAN) An Egor Magistrates’ Court in Benin on Wednesday sentenced a 23-year-old man, Marcus Agabi, to three months imprisonment for stealing his friend’s Sunny phone.

Magistrate E.E Edokpayi, who sentenced Agabi after he pleaded guilty to a one-count charge, gave him an option to pay N30,000 as fine.

Edokpayi decried the manner the convict breached the trust his friend reposed on him.

Agabi was arraigned on a one-charge of stealing his friend’s phone, which he pleaded guilty and begged for leniency.

“I begged for forgiveness, this is my first time of stealing, I don’t know how it happened. My poor background is the major cause, why am not doing well in life, ” he said.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Violent Soyemi, had told the court that the offence was committed on Oct. 5 at, at No 11, Agbonta Street, off Channel 55 Road, Egor Quarter, Benin.

Soyemi said the convict came to pass the night at Godspower’s house who happened to be his friend but when he woke up, he discovered that the convict stole his phone.

She said the phone valued at N18,000, belonged to Agbonta.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code. (NAN)
AJOM/OFN
Edited by Felix Nwadioha