Blog

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Police
By Suleiman Shehu
Ibadan, Oct. 19, 2016 (NAN) Mr Dan Bature, an Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of Police in Charge of Zone 11 comprising Oyo, Osun and Ondo states, says any policeman checking vehicle particulars on the highways is on illegal duty.

Bature said this on Wednesday in Ibadan during a two-day familiarisation visit to Oyo State.

He said that the duty of the police was not to check vehicle particulars but to ensure safer roads.

Bature warned policemen against blocking high ways, saying police patrol vehicles were not supposed to be toll gates.

He said the Inspector General of Police (IGP) was committed to changing the negative image of the police and supporting the anticorruption war of the Federal Government.

Bature advised officers unable to key into the laudable initiatives of the IGP to resign from the force.

He said that a lot was expected by the public from the police, adding that this informed the monitoring of officers.

“The Inspector General of Police is determined to improve on your welfare and pursue the increment of your salary.

“But this can only be achieved when the people have good perception about the police, “Bature said.

Earlier, Sam Adegbuyi, the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, said that the officers were dedicated and patriotic.

Adegbuyi said that in view of the population of Oyo State, the command needed to create three more Area Commands in addition to the existing four commands.

He commended the AIG, Oyo government and the Police Community Relation Committee for the successes recorded so far in the fight against crime. (NAN)
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(Edited by Remi Koleoso/Mufutau Ojo)

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Accreditation
By Auwalu Yusuf
Birnin Kebbi, Oct. 19, 2016 (NAN) The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) has advised the National Teachers Institute (NTI) on timely provision of course books and other teaching and learning materials in its distance learning centres in Kebbi.

Mr Steven Dauda, the NCCE leader of delegation for accreditation of the institute’s distance learning study centres, made the remark on Wednesday in Birnin Kebbi.

He said the timely supply of course materials would enhance the academic performance of the students and teachers.

Dauda also said that the delay in the release of such documents would retard the students’ academic progress.

He said that the delay in the release of the course materials would also affect the credibility of the programme.

Dauda lauded NTI on the team’s findings at a study centre in Federal Polytechnic, Birnin Kebbi, due to the steady conduct of classes and the serene environment.

He said the team was also impressed with the response of students and teachers at the centre.
“ I urge you to keep it up, as this was one of the best study centres,’’ he said.

Prof. Garba Azare, Director-General, NTI, represented on the occasion by Dr Bello Lawal, Deputy Director, Field Operation and Students Services, assured that the institute would ensure timely supply of course materials.

Azare said the new leadership of the institute was committed to institutional reforms and prudent management of resources to reposition it.

He said the institute had the best course materials, as all their programmes were coordinated by experts from eight cooperating universities. (NAN)

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(Edited by Folorunso Poroye/Adeleye Ajayi)

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Environment
By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus
Ilorin, Oct. 19, 2016 (NAN) The Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency ( KWEPA ) has arrested 15 truck drivers within Ilorin metropolis for violating environmental and public health law.

The General Manager of the agency, Mr Sunday Adefila told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Ilorin that the drivers failed to cover their trucks carrying granites and sand.

He said the arrest was aimed at curtailing the impunity with which health and safety laws were being abused by the truck drivers.

“The action of many truck drivers is reckless and this has caused the untimely death of several innocent people.

“We want to urge people to be more proactive to report when they see things like this,” Adefila said.

He said that the abatement notice served on the offenders required that they report at KWEPA office within 24 hours of the arrest.

“Any violator that fails to report within the stipulated time will be prosecuted in a court of law,’’ Adefila told NAN. (NAN)
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(Edited by Bola Akingbehin/Adeleye Ajayi)

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Apostles
By Ugwu Donald
Abuja, Oct. 19, 2016(NAN) Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has charged clerics to do all within their powers to delegitimise all apostles of hatred and bad creed in the world.

He gave the charge while addressing World religious leaders at a dinner to usher in a conference of faith groups with the theme “Faith Works Africa: Partnership for Peace and Prosperity.”

The Vice President noted the myriads of problems facing the world, including poverty, terrorism and armed conflicts, and attributed many of them to bad religious doctrines.

“It is crucial that we delegitimise all apostles of hatred and bad creed,’’ he said.

The Vice President noted that religion was meant to foster togetherness and ensure progress of societies.

According to him, the Federal Government believes in the sanctity of all human beings and their right to belong to any religion.

He added that government would do everything possible to protect that sanctity.

Osinbajo expressed gratitude that no fewer than 40 religious bodies had sought to build consensus on problems besetting humanity and urged it not to relent.

Also speaking, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, noted that the country had its problems and was fully aware of them.

The Sultan noted that Nigeria is the only country in the world where with equal Christian and Muslim populations, the worshipers co-existed in peace most of the time.

He said the citizens had to work with the President to salvage the country “because a stable Nigeria is a stable Africa and a stable world’’.

He also urged the clerics to condemn what was happening in different parts of the world in the name of religion and to help in proffering solutions to other global problems.

“We have problems in Nigeria but in the shortest time possible we shall overcome them,’’ the Sultan declared.

The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, added that the group wanted to make religion to work for peace and progress in the country.

Onaiyekan said there were persons giving bad name to religion for some inordinate reasons, but said their moves would be made unpopular by the faithful.

“We are willing to make religion to work for peace and progress in Africa and the entire world.

“Nigeria is still an ideal nation to experience how Muslims and Christians lie together and share spiritual values,’’ he added.

Rev. Canon Grace Kaiso, the Secretary-General of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa, observed that Africa is a continent of faith, yet its people remain brutal to one another.

He noted that Africans live along political and ethnic lines, thereby making it difficult to nurture political stability in many countries.

“As we think of the future of the continent, how do we restore confidence in the institutions that work for the people?

“We have this challenge of nurturing national solidarity so that people will think about who they are as nationals before thinking about their ethnic groups,’’ he said.

Kaiso said people had abandoned dialogue in managing their differences, adding that dialogue would eliminate the culture of guns.

According to him, Africa is a continent that is badly wounded and needs leadership that is nurturing and healing.

“Every generation has its calling and our generation has been called to make sacrifices for the future,’’ the cleric said.

President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Dr. Samson Ayokunle, represented by Rev. Dr. Testimony Onifade, expressed thanks to the body for converging on Nigeria at this time and pledged to support its peace initiatives.

The CAN president called for fervent prayers and united action in the continent to ensure enduring peace, so that Africa would join others in the world to achieve global peace.

Ayokunle noted that “faith works and the importance of faith cannot be undermined in any circumstance.’’(NAN)
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Edited By Adeboye Ajayi and controlled by Maharazu Ahmed

Court hears dismissed Lance Cpl Rafiu’s suit against Army Nov.11
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Army
By Doris Esa
Abuja, Oct.19, 2016 (NAN) The National Industrial Court, Abuja, will hear Lance Cpl.  Zuberu Rafiu’s case against the Nigeria Army on Nov.11.

Rafiu is challenging his purported dismissal by the Nigeria Army on May 13, 2014 for allegedly being Away Without Leave, known as AWOL.

The claimant prayed the court to reinstate him and tender a public apology for his alleged detention without trial and subsequent dismissal.

The claimant also prayed the court to compel the Army to defreeze his salary account.

At the resumed hearing for adoption of addresses, the trial could not proceed because respondent’ s counsel, Mr Shehu Mohammed, had written a letter seeking for an adjournment on health ground.

The Counsel to the claimant, Mr Gift Ejekela, opposed the application, saying that respondent’s counsel should have assigned another counsel to hold brief for him.

The judge, Justice Peter Lifu, held that fair hearing demands that the suit be adjourned to enable counsel adopt their written addresses.

“Mr Ejekela, let us give respondent counsel one more chance, let him come and adopt his address. In the interest of fair hearing this suit is adjourned to Nov.11 for adoption of counsel written addresses,” Lifu said. (NAN)
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Edited by Felix Nwadioha

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By Usman Aliyu
Gbugbu (Kwara),  Oct. 19, 2016 (NAN) The Kwara Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) on Wednesday inaugurated tax clubs for some secondary schools in the state.

The inauguration, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports,  was held at Government Day Secondary School in Gbugbu, Edu Local Government Area of the state.

Alhaji Musa Yeketi, the state Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, commended the efforts of the agency for carrying students along through the formation of tax clubs.

According to him, there was no better way to prepare for the future than to invest in the lives of the young generation.

The commissioner, who was represented by the Deputy Director for Schools, Mr Kayode Alabi, pledged the full commitment and cooperation of the ministry in the formation of tax clubs in schools.

Earlier in his remarks, the Executive Chairman of the revenue body, Dr Muritala Awodun, said the formation of tax clubs was to prepare students for the future as well as to open doors for diverse opportunities such as scholarships.

Awodun, however, called on all the stakeholders to give the club maximum cooperation, support and dedication. (NAN)
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(Edited by Bayo Sekoni/Mufutau Ojo)

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Adultery
By Deborah Akpede
Lagos, Oct. 19, 2016 (NAN) Worried by his wife’s adulterous acts, Mr Kolawole Okeeyi, a businessman, on Wednesday approached the Igando Customary Court in Lagos to terminate his 31-year-old marriage.

Okeeyi, 51, accused his wife, Funmilayo, with whom he had five children of infidelity.

“My wife is having affair with my pastor, I got to know when I did not have credit on my phone and wanted to use her phone to call our pastor to report her for starving my mother of food.

“I picked her phone and I saw on the screen “sent message” I mistakenly press it and the message opened, I saw several love messages my wife sent and received from our pastor.

“I showed her the messages when she came in, but she begged me, I seized the phone and later confronted our pastor with those text messages, but he told me to do my worst.

“I also caught her with my brother in a hotel in Oyo State; I wanted to ignore them, but I later confronted them so that they will not deny later,” he said.

The petitioner said that his wife was after his life and that he had been attacked on two occasions.

“In Aug. 20, 2013, I got to the front of my gate, as I horned for my children to open the gate, suddenly three men jumped down from a motorcycle, pointing gun at me.

“But for the timely intervention of the police, I would have been killed. When I entered my house, I told my wife what happened, but she did not say anything.

“Four months later, while coming from work, three men intercepted me, pointing gun at me to come down and enter the booth, I complied and they drove me off.

“But luckily for me, my phone rang, one of them picked it, the caller addressed me as pastor and said that I should come to the church early that I will be ministering, but I am not a pastor.

“One of the guys said that they should not kill me that I am a pastor; that in the bible God said that they should not touch his anointed or do his prophet harm.

“After a hot argument among them, they stopped the car, stripped me naked and absconded with my car.

“A good Samaritan gave me clothes to wear. When I got home, I told my wife again about the incident, but she said nothing.

“That same 2013, my only three buses that plied Port-Harcourt, Akure and Abeokuta were involved in accident and were condemned, I again informed my wife, but no response from her,” he said.

Okeeyi said that because of these calamities and threat to his life, he ran away from the house he built same year to start squatting with friends.

He pleaded with the court to dissolve the union that he was no longer in love as his life was no longer safe.

However, Funmilayo, 43, trader, denied all the allegations. She said that she was not having affair with any man.

“Those text messages on my phone were forged; I never sent nor received any love messages from our pastor.

“My husband saw me and his brother in a hotel, but we are not dating, his brother just followed me to book for a room when I went for a burial in Oyo State.

She accused her husband’s family of battery.

“When I was pregnant for our fifth baby, my husband’s family stormed our house, accusing me of having an affair, they beat me to pulp, in fact, I don’t know how I got to the hospital,” she said.

The mother of five boys begged the court not to grant her husband’s wish as she was still in love.

The Court President, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, adjourned the case to Nov.29 for further hearing. (NAN)
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Edited by Debo Oshundun/Tajudeen Atitebi

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Employment
By Shuaibu Tatu
Brinin Kebbi Oct. 19, 2016 (NAN) Labana Rice Mill Ltd, a privately owned rice producing company in Kebbi State, has recruited 1,000 additional workers, the General Manager, Alhaji Abdullahi Zuru, has said.

Zuru told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Brinin Kebbi that with the recruitment, the company’s staff strength had increased from 2,000 to 3,000.

He said tha the company, established five years ago, has two milling plants for processing paddy rice bought from local farmers.

He said that the farmers were assisted by the company to grow the quantity of paddy rice required by the company.

He said the two milling plants have the capacity to process 16 tones of paddy rice per hour.

The GM said that the company would soon expand production, recruit more staff and provide assist for local farmers to grow rice.

He urged youths in the area to go into the cultivation of rice to reduce employment and make them self reliant. (NAN)
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Edited by Archibong Asuquo

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Concession
By Solomon Asowata
Lagos,  Oct. 19, 2016 (NAN) The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agents (NANTA) has lauded the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to grant concession to airlines on access to foreign exchange.

The group welcomed the move in a statement jointly signed by President of the association, Mr Bernard Bankole and Publicity Secretary, Mr Olumuyiwa Adebayo in Lagos on Wednesday.

NANTA said the move was bound to strengthen the confidence level of airlines in Nigeria’s economy.

It also hailed the Minister of State for Aviation, Capt. Hadi Sirika, for intervening in the removal of capital controls placed by government, which were stifling development in the aviation sector.

“We want to commend the CBN and the minister for the forex concession that was recently granted to airlines.

“We are happy that our advocacy on the importance of government implementing favourable policies in the aviation sector is beginning to pay off.

“This decision is bound to strengthen the confidence level of airlines in Nigeria’s economy and reverse all the drawbacks that the industry has suffered in the past couple of months,’’ the group said.

It added that the concession would give room for the airlines to clear the backlog of unremitted funds in various banks in Nigeria, which would invariably create opportunities for Nigerians to enjoy more affordable travel.

NANTA said this was because travel agencies would no longer be compelled to sell tickets in dollars, which would reduce their cost.

It, however, urged the government to take further steps that would ease doing business in the sector and give investors more confidence to come to the country.

“The government should focus on the domestic carriers by creating an aviation intervention fund to help them stabilise and compete with their peers in other markets.

“Government should also consider granting licenses to companies that intend to set up Maintenance, Repairs and Overhauling (MRO) facilities in the country.

“This will help in areas of developing manpower, by offering training simulations to our personnel within the industry,’’ the association said.

NANTA said it was ready to partner with government, its agencies and other professional bodies in the sector to build a world class aviation industry for the country. (NAN)
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(Edited by Abdullahi Mohammed/Oluwole Sogunle)

Russian Aukhadov stripped of 2012 Olympic silver medal

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Stripped
Berlin, Oct. 19, 2016 (Reuters/NAN) Russia’s Apti Aukhadov was stripped of men’s weightlifting silver medal he won in the 85 kg category at the London 2012 Olympics after he tested positive to banned substances in re-tests of samples.

The development was made known by the International Olympic Committee.

The IOC said on Tuesday that Aukhadov’s sample came back positive for steroids turinabol and drostanolone.
Iran’s Kianoush Rostami won bronze and Egypt’s Tarek Abdelazim finished fourth in that competition.

Both athletes could be upgraded now.

Ukraine’s Maksym Mazuryk, who had competed in the men’s pole vault event at the same Games, also tested positive to steroids in the re-tests, the IOC said.

A total of 98 samples have come back as positive for banned substances in reanalysis from the 2008 and 2012 Games, as the IOC attempted to root out cheats and stop them from going to the Rio Games.

Several Russian athletes have been stripped of their medals from those two Games, and the country’s track and field team was banned from the Rio Olympics in August following revelations of a state-backed doping system.

The IOC stores samples for a decade to test with newer methods or for new substances.

The ruling body conducted targeted re-tests before the Rio Olympics. (Reuters/NAN)
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Edited by Emmanuel Okara/Tony Nezianya