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Govs Forum demands 1% consolidated revenue for PHC

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Healthcare

Abuja, Oct. 25, 2016 (NAN) The Governors Forum has demanded that no fewer than one per cent of the of the country’s consolidated revenue be earmarked to improve primary healthcare service.

This was part of the resolutions of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum’s meeting held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa Abuja.

The Chairman of the Forum and Zamfara Gov. Abdulaziz Yari, announced this to newsmen at the end of the meeting.

According to him, the decision followed the presentation by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, on the malaria, Lassa fever and Polio pandemic in the country.

Yari said that Adewole presented the situation of malaria, Lassa fever and polio in the country to enable the states and the federal government to determine joint intervention mechanisms.

He also said that the minister had presented the plan for the establishment of rural health centres in different parts of the country.

“He is eventually looking for the setting aside of one per cent of the consolidated fund of the federation for primary healthcare.

“On the issue of Polio, it is no longer news that we have outbreak which has set us back in Borno.

“And all of us can understand why in Borno because of lack of access by health workers.

“All hands are on deck and I believe the minister of health has explained to you the actions we (the federal and the states government) are responding to,’’ Yari said.

According to the chairman, various presentations and issues were raised at the meeting, which were deliberated upon, including issues of water resources development.

He said that the Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, briefed the forum on a World Bank programme on water sanitation to enable the states interested in the programme to key in before the end of 2016.

He said the “World Bank programme will run like a Sustainable Development Goals programme from now to 2030’’.

Yari noted that states were already responding and would collaborate with the ministry of water resources for better water sanitation for the people. (NAN)
DCU/YMU/MST

Edited by Yakubu Uba/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

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Environment
Sydney (Australia), Oct. 25, 2016 (dpa/NAN) The success of ongoing negotiations to create large marine sanctuaries in the waters surrounding Antarctica depends on Russian cooperation, environmentalists said on Tuesday.

The environmentalists said more than 24 nations plus the European Union are currently in Hobart, Australia.

The meeting is holding in order to negotiate the creation of marine protected areas as part of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).

In 2015, all participants except for Russia agreed to one of the deals.

“We know that domestically, Russia has taken significant decisions for environmental protection,’’ Mike Walker, the Project Director of the Antarctic Ocean Alliance, said.

He said the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, and Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov,
discussed marine protection in the southern waters.

The waters surrounding Antarctica are one of the areas in the world least affected by humans and are home to thriving populations of species such as krill, fish, whales and penguins.

Last month, the Russian Federation voted to increase marine protected area coverage to 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030 at the World Conservation Congress.

Russia had now declared 2017 as the Year of Ecology and recently significantly increased the size of the protected marine area around Franz Josef Land in the Arctic.

The size of one of the proposed protected areas, home to more than 14,000 unique species, is approximately 5-6 million square km,” Carl Lundin, the Head of the Global Marine Programme said.

The landmass of Antarctica is already a designated protected area.

However, the Antarctic waters have long been an area of dispute for conservationists and commercial fishing interests.

Earlier proposals for broader protected areas have been repeatedly blocked due to lack of consensus among member states.

A single veto can block the deal.

Lundin said some of the countries want “limited amount of time for the protection.

“Conservationists are “hesitant because it’s a fisheries management tool, not for marine protection.

“All scientific and anecdotal evidence show that marine protection works best when it is a fixed, large area.”

Meanwhile, scientists said more species would move toward the Antarctic as the water got warm, making no-take marine reserves important.

Also, reserves would act as ‘climate refuges’ for marine life as species struggled to adapt to warming waters so as not to put fishing under extra pressure.

Antartica’s penguin population is among those vulnerable to climate change in the region, as the reduction of ice cover diminishes their habitat, while fishing poses threat to their food source.

“Protected areas also help to create resilience among species and from overfishing, Sharks live a very long life but they have low reproduction,’’ an environmentalists said, adding that sharks are easy to fish and wipe out quickly.

“These are the types of species we will be protecting, most of this fishing is for luxury food dishes,” he added. (dpa/NAN)
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(Edited by Damilola Oyewole/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu)

Ganduje urges media enlightenment on tax payment

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Enlightenment

By Adewumi Bukola

Abuja, Oct. 25, 2016(NAN) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has underscored the need for the media to enlighten the public on the importance of paying taxes.

Ganduje said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

“Since oil has failed us, your role is to help educate members of the public to pay their taxes so as to generate the needed revenue to get the country out of recession.’’

 He said that the government needed monies accruing from taxes to grow the economy.

He noted that states and the Federal Government were evolving ways to get the country out of the current recession.

He, however, said that Nigerians and business organisations needed to contribute to the effort by paying their taxes.

The governor urged journalists to do their work without fear or favour and highlight corruption cases so that indicted government officials would be punished.

He attributed the under development of the country to corruption and the lack of political will on the part of previous governments to fight the scourge.

Ganduje commended journalists for their reportage on insurgency in the country, especially in the North East. (NAN)

BOL/EEM/NKO

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Edited by Emmanuel Mogbede/Nkechi Okoronkwo

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Appeal
By Akeem Abas
Ogbomoso (Oyo State), Oct. 25, 2016 (NAN) Crown FC of Ogbomoso says it will appeal the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) Disciplinary Committee’s verdict on the controversial Federation Cup semi-finals between Ifeanyi Uba FC and the club.

The club’s Media Officer, Oyekunle Oyeleye, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Ogbomoso that the club would explore available legal and reasonable mechanisms to press for justice.

NAN reports that the committee had in its verdict on Oct. 24, cleared FC IFeanyi Ubah to play in the final of the 2016 Nigeria Federation Cup.

“We reject the verdict and will file an appeal against the judgment. The judgement is unfair,’’ he said.

He wondered why the NFF was silent on the disallowed goal when it admitted that the match officials acted unprofessionally in the way they officiated the game.

The media officer said that Crown management will pursue the case to a logical conclusion for posterity’s sake.

Oyeleye said that the club would not relent until justice was done.

“If it takes only Crown FC to stand up to injustice, decay, un- professionalism and favouritism we shall do that for we know posterity will someday judge each person accordingly.

“We are prepared to make an academic history from this very case so much that generations yet unborn will sometime make it a discourse for academic purposes.

“We are not fighting because the judgement of the Disciplinary Committee did not favour us, rather, for perpetual assault on Nigeria football by a class of bourgeoisie murdering football for parochial interest,’’ he said.

NAN reports that the committee had ruled that the 1-2 results in favour of Ifeanyi Uba stands and consequently awarded the sum of N200,000 against the petitioner for encroachment.

The committee equally referred the Match Commissioner and Referees to the various disciplinary committees for unprofessional conduct during the match.

It said that the officials having been found to have acted unprofessionally were referred to the NFF Referees Committee for Disciplinary actions.

It said that they should not be appointed for any match until the outcome of the committee’s decision.

The committee, however, said that all parties had the right to appeal its decision if not satisfied with the verdict. (NAN)
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(Edited by Peter Ejiofor)

China accuses senior officials of bribery amid anti-corruption drive

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Corruption
Beijing, Oct. 25, 2016 (dpa/NAN) Chinese prosecutors on Tuesday filed bribery charges against two senior officials, as the ruling Communist Party’s elite holds a closed-door meeting on party conduct.

He Jiacheng, Former Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Governance, which essentially serves as a government-run think tank, and Lyu Xiwen, Former Deputy Party Chief of Beijing, were accused of accepting bribes.

The Supreme People’s Procuratorate said that the accused sought illegal benefits for others.

China’s most senior Communist Party leaders were holding talks in Beijing that could set the tone for the rest of President Xi Jinping’s tenure.

The four-day plenum of the party’s Central Committee which began on Monday is aimed at improving party discipline and supervision.

Since Xi came to power in 2012, more than one million officials have been punished for corruption.

The campaign ostensibly aims to take on corrupt officials in both high and low positions, and has lasted longer and struck at a more senior level than many analysts expected.

The most senior political figure to be tried so far is Zhou Yongkang, the Former Head of China’s security apparatus.

He was handed a life sentence on June 11, 2015, for accepting bribes, abuse of power and deliberately disclosing state secrets.

Some observers said the anti-corruption drive has been used by Xi to purge political rivals.

He is widely expected to serve another five-year term as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China.  (dpa/NAN)

(Edited by Damilola Oyewole/ Julius Enehikhuere)

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Sanction

By Victor Okoye

Abuja, Oct. 25, 2016 (NAN) The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has ordered Crown FC of Ogbomoso to pay N200,000 e to FC Ifeanyi Uba for disrupting the semi-final match of the 2016 Federation Cup between the two side.

According to the NFF website the rule was provided in Art. 3.11 (A) of the federation status.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that match involving Ifeanyi Ubah Crown, which was played in Kaduna on Sept. 29, was abandoned in the 87th minutes due to pitch invasion.

Ifeanyi Ubah was leading 2-1 when the match referee, disallowed a goal scored by Yakub Ahmed of Crown.

The Assistant Referee  adjudged the goal to be good pointing to the centre circle, while the centre referee disallowed it.

This led to the invasion of the pitch by the angry fans of Crown FC.

But NFF said that it took decision after a meeting of the federation’s Disciplinary Committee which deliberated on the petition tabled before it.

“The decision was based on the submitted independent reports presented before the committee as well as the committee’s interaction with the match officials.

“These included, match commissioner (Mr. Bege N. Kwasau), referee (Audu A. Ibrahim), AR1 (kabiru Adamu) and AR2 (Abubakar Yusuf).

“The match officials were found to have acted unprofessionally in their conduct during the second half of the match,” the committee said.

It said that based on the above, the committee ruled that Crown FC shall forfeit the match for encroachment resulting in the disruption of the match as provided for in Art. 3.11 (A).

“Therefore the scores at the time of disruption (i.e Crown FC 1 -2 FC Ifeanyi Ubah) stand.

“That Crown FC is hereby fined the sum of N200, 000 as provided for in Art. 3.11 (A).”

The federation said it found the match commissioner, Mr. Bege N. Kwasau, to have acted acted unprofessionally and was subsequently,  referred to the NFF Match Commissioners Committee for disciplinary action.

“That pending this, he should not be appointed for any match as a match commissioner until the outcome of the committee decision.”

Similarly, all the referee, Audu A. Ibrahim as well as his two assistants were found to have acted unprofessionally and were also  referred to the NFF Referees Committee.

They were also barred from officiating any match until the outcome of the committee’s decision.  (NAN)

VO/DEB/YAZ

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Edited by Debo Oshundun/Yusuf Zango

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Arrest
Bosede Olufunmi
Kano, Oct. 25, 2016 (NAN) The Kano State Hisbah Board has arrested nine Beggars for allegedly violating the law banning street begging in Kano metropolis.

The Officer In Charge of the Anti-begging Unit of the board, Malam Musa Tsangaya, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Tuesday.

“Our men arrested nine street beggars along State Road, Kofar Dan Agundi and Nassarawa Hospital, who violated the law banning street begging in Kano metropolis.

“The figure includes two females and seven males and all of them adults, who were found begging in public places such as restaurants,” Tsangaya said.

“We will screen them and immediately release those who are first offenders on bail, while those who are habitual beggars would be referred to our Legal Department for legal action,” Tsangaya.

He warned that the board would intensify efforts to stop street begging in the area.(NAN)
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Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf

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Fraud
Deborah Akpede
Lagos, Oct. 25, 2016 (NAN) For allegedly attempting to defraud a bureau de change operator of N14 million, a civil servant and a student on Tuesday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

The accused – Nnamdi Azibiantu, 46, and Samuel Okonkwo, 21 – were charged with conspiracy and fraud before Magistrate E. Kubeinje.

According to the prosecutor, Insp. Essien Ndarake, the accused defrauded Mr Amodu Abba on Oct. 12 at Tourist Hotel, Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja.

“The accused attempted to dupe the complainant of N14 million under the pretext of exchanging foreign currency.

 
“The duo asked the complainant to come with N14 million to a hotel where they lodged to change the money.

“The complainant agreed, but when he was going to the hotel, he went with some policemen because he had been duped before in such a manner.

“On getting to the hotel, the complainant discovered that the accused were not in possession of any foreign currency.

“That was how they were arrested by the policemen that accompanied the complainant,” he said.

The prosecutor said that the accused later confessed that they wanted to dispossess the complainant of his money.

He said that the offences contravened Sections 312 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 312 provides for 15 years imprisonment for convicted fraudsters.

The accused, however, pleaded innocent, and were granted bail each in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties each in like sum.

The case has been adjourned till Nov. 17 for mention. (NAN)
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(Edited by Razak Owolabi/ Ijeoma Popoola)

NATO launched anti-Islamic State surveillance flights

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Surveillance
Brussels, Oct. 25, 2016 (dpa/NAN) North Atlantic Treaty Organisation  (NATO), has began operating surveillance flights in support of the international coalition fighting the Islamic State extremist group in Syria and Iraq, alliance Chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday.

Report says that the trans-Atlantic military alliance had long been wary of direct involvement in the campaign.

However, it agreed at its Warsaw summit in July to assist with Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS) surveillance plans and military trainers.

“The first NATO AWACS flight in support of the coalition fighting ISIL took place on Oct. 20,” Stoltenberg said using an acronym for the Islamist group.

He said that “Several” more sorties will take place, without going into detail.

“The operation will help supply “a better air picture and also provides surveillance and information” to the coalition air forces.

“This would help increase air safety in the “complex and complicated” situation over Syria and Iraq, he noted.

The planes, equipped with modern radar and communications technology, can observe aerial manoeuvres over the conflict zone from Turkish or international airspace,’’ Stoltenberg said.

Germany, which is to provide 15 to 20 soldiers around a third of the staff for the AWACS fleet of 16 planes is not yet participating in the operation as parliament has not yet given its approval.

Report says the Bundestag vote is planned for November.

Stoltenberg also announced that NATO’s training of Iraqi soldiers, currently taking place in neighbouring Jordan, will be expanded into Iraq itself “in the coming months.” (dpa/NAN)

Edited by Damilola Oyewole/Julius Enehikhuere

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Pensioner
By Deborah Akpede
Lagos, Oct. 25, 2016 (NAN) A 60-year-old pensioner, Emmanuel Effiong, on Tuesday appeared in an Ikeja Magistrate court for alleged unlawful entering into the arrival lobby of Murtala Mohammed International Airport terminal.

Effiong, a resident of Abule-Egbe, Ikeja Area, Lagos, is being tried for breach of peace and unlawful entering.

Prosecutor Essien Ndarake told the court that the accused committed the offences on Oct. 18 at the arrival hall of Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

He said that the accused unlawfully entered into the airport which was a restricted area without any reasonable case or permission.

“The accused was found inside the airport lobby without permission or authority from the Federal Airport Authority on Nigeria (FAAN),” he said.

Ndarake said that the accused engaged himself as a tout by rending unsolicited assistance to both intending and arriving passengers without permission.

“The accused was found seeking unsolicited assistance from passengers. When he was accosted and asked about his mission, he started making noise and disturbing the peace of passengers,” he said.

The offences contravened sections 166 and 310 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, which provides three-year imprisonment for offenders.

The accused pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum.

The Magistrate, Mrs E. Kubeinje, adjourned the case till Nov. 10 for mention. (NAN)
DOA/YMU/OFN
Edited by Felix Nwadioha