Blog

NAN-H-118
Date
Kano, Oct. 11, 2016 (NAN) Kano State Consumer Protection Council (KCPC) said it had
confiscated 1,000 cartons of adulterated dates worth millions of Naira from a warehouse at Ibrahim Taiwo Road in Kano.

The KCPC acting Executive Secretary, Malam Abubakar Yusuf, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Tuesday that the Council was at the warehouse on Monday at about 2 p.m.
following a tip off.

According to him, the Council recently received reports of fake and adulterated products found in shops and markets across the state.

He said there were reports of fake and adulterated food items such as baking powder and cooking oil, among others, as well as rice rebagging.

He added that such unwholesome products were being sold to the consuming public by business men and women who were just after their selfish interest of making money at all cost.

He then advised customers to always take time to check the products they buy, especially the expiry date, quality and taste if possible.

“Consumers should always pay attention to the quality of products they buy; they should even inspect and ask questions on the labelling, packaging and expiry date of an item before buying if in doubt.”

He said that the Council had conducted regular education programme to enlighten consumers on what to look out for when buying an item.

Consumers were sensitised on the consciousness of expiry date of all products purchased, he added. (NAN)
BO/HA
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(Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu)

NAN-H-103

Arraignment

By Emmanuel Acha

Enugu, Oct. 11, 2016 (NAN) A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia, Chief Benjamin Apugo, has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for N36 million fraud.

A statement made available to newsmen in Enugu by the EFCC zonal office said that Apugo was arraigned at the Federal High Court in Umuahia on Tuesday on a three-count charge.

When the charges, which bothered on obtaining substantial amount of money from his victims by false pretence was read, the accused pleaded not guilty.

The Prosecuting counsel, Mr Joshua Saidu, prayed the court to remand Apugo in custody pending his trial.

But, Counsel to the accused, Mr R.M Udechukwu (SAN), prayed the court to uphold the administrative bail his client was enjoying from the EFCC

Udechukwu said that the defence was in the first instance averse to the arraignment of his client.

He predicated his argument on a pending application at the appellate court challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to entertain the suit.

In a ruling, Justice Daniel Osiagor, granted the accused bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum.

Osiagor said that the sureties must be senior civil servants not less than deputy director., adding that one of them must own a landed property within Umuahia urban and must deposit the title documents with the court registrar.

He said that the earlier appeal against the arraignment of the accused had been overtaken by his arrest.

Osiagor directed that the prosecution, defence counsel and court registrar would jointly verified the sureties.

He ordered that Apugo be remanded in prison custody pending fulfillment of his bail conditions.

The matter was adjourned till Nov. 17 and Nov.18 for trial.

It would be recalled that the accused popularly known as ‘B.B. Apugo’ was arrested on Sept. 30 by the EFCC following a warrant of arrest.

The EFCC had severally accused him of surreptitiously evading arraignment on the charges preferred against him.

He was alleged to have fraudulently sold six plots of land valued at N36 million belonging to the Nigeria Railway Cooperation located at Umunwulari Nkata Ibeku Layout, Planning Scheme Umuahia. (NAN)

EOA/OFN

Edited by Felix Nwadioha

FG inaugurates Sokoto-Rima Youth Empowerment Scheme
NAN-AE-9

Inauguration

By Tosin Kolade

Talata Mafara (Zamfara) Mr Suleiman Adamu, the Minister of Water Resources on Tuesday inaugurated the Sokoto-Rima River Basin Graduate and Youth Empowerment Scheme in Talata Mafara, Zamfara.

He said that the scheme was in line with the Federal Government’s policy of boosting food production and creating employment.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the scheme aims at promoting all-year farming and aquaculture through the use of water and land provided by the river basin authorities.

He said that the scheme would be executed by all the 12 river basin authorities.

Adamu, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Hajiya Rabi Jimeta, said government was committed to improve the livelihood of Nigerians.

According to him, the scheme is part of the short and long term strategies of the Blueprint and action plans to meet the food security challenges and reduce youth unemployment in the country.

Adamu said that agriculture provided the largest opportunity to create jobs for the teeming youths, adding that with functional river basins, the goal would be achieved.

“The event we are witnessing today is yet another milestone to revitalise our river basin development authorities, which were established to boost agricultural production, all year round farming and achieve integrated rural development.

” The Buhari administration is committed to complete overhaul of the structure of our economy, which has largely been dependent on crude oil for decades.”

The minister said that the scheme would be replicated in the 109 senatorial zones.

Alhaji Mukthar Anka, Managing Director of the Sokoto-Rima River Basin Authority, commended the Federal Government for its efforts aimed at strengthening river basins across the country.

Anka said the basin contributed in surface and underground water management for Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara states.

He said that project managers have been mandated to begin dry season farming early to forestall unnecessary delays that may come up.

“When the basin functions properly, it has the capacity to produce rice that would feed the nation,” he said.

NAN recalls that the Federal Government recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Songhai Farms Limited in Porto Novo to reposition the river basins across the country.

Part of the provision is the introduction of the Graduate and Youth Empowerment Scheme to boost food security.

The scheme had been inaugurated in Kampe-Omi Dam in Lower Niger River Basin and Abeokuta in the Ogun-Osun River Basin authorities. (NAN)

TAK/ADA/OU

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Edited by Deji Abdulwahab/Obike Ukoh

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NAN-S-22
Continuity
By Akeem Abas
Ibadan, Oct. 11, 2016 (NAN) Isiaka Salami, the Vice-Chairman, Nigeria Football Coaches Council (NFCC), on Tuesday in Ibadan blamed the problem of sports in Nigeria on lack of continuity in sports administration.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the problem started from the Ministry of Sports, where ministers were not given enough time to actualise policies before being changed.

Salami, who is also the Director of Sports at the University of Ibadan, lamented the fact that lip service was being paid to grassroots sports development.

He said Nigeria recorded a woeful performance at the last Olympics Games in Brazil because the country’s contingent embarked on training only few months to the event.

“Many countries in the world had by then rounded off their trainings, which they began four years back before Nigeria began their training,” the sports official said.

Salami, who described poverty as a great issue, lamented also the lackadaisical attitude of Nigeria’s football coaches in the performance of their professional duties.

He decried the fact that the country’s universities which ought to help in producing talents focused more on academics.

“They are rather developing athletes, instead of fine-tuning those discovered at secondary schools level,’’ the official said.

Salami said University of Ibadan was not among universities which gave concession to athletes.

“These are people who do not perform well in academics as a result of their involvement in sports.’’

He said there was the need for the country to embrace continuity in sports administration and encourage the enhancement of discovered talents from the grassroots.(NAN)

(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

NDLEA arraigns 23-year-old deaf,  dumb man for hemp peddling

NAN-H-102
Arraignment
By Sandra Umeh
Lagos, Oct. 11, 2016 (NAN) The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Tuesday, arraigned a 23-years-old deaf and dumb man, Abass Hamed, in a Federal High Court in Lagos for drug peddling.

The NDLEA Prosecutor, Mr Jeremiah Aernan, told the court that the accused was arrested on Feb.18, 2014, along Agege Motor Road in Lagos.

Aernan said that one kilogramme of Cannabis Sativa, a banned weed, was recovered from the accused who traded on the narcotics.

He said the offence contravenes Section 11(c) of the NDLEA Act Cap N30, Law of the Federation, 2004.

Before the charge was read, Aernan informed the court that the accused, had been in the anti-drug agency since 2014, when he was arrested.

He added that his arraignment had been stalled due to lack of a sign interpreter, who he said, was recently provided.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Consequently, the prosecutor urged the court to adjourn for trial of the accused, as he has submitted himself for trial.

The Counsel to the accused, Mrs. O. Ozobia, did not oppose the application for adjournment and trial of the accused

Ozobia, however, urged the court to give a date for the hearing of his bail application.

The judge, Justice Jude Dagat, adjourned the trial of the accused till Nov. 5 and Nov. 7. (NAN)
UNS/OFN
Edited by Felix Nwadioha

NAN-H-115
Scholarship
By Desmond Ejibas
Port Harcourt, Oct. 11, 2016 (NAN) Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) on Tuesday awarded N270.90 million to 509 undergraduates from different universities in five states in
the Niger Delta.

Mr Igo Weli, the General Manager, External Relations, said at the award giving ceremony in Port Harcourt that the SPDC-JV-sponsored scholarship sought to provide opportunity to undergraduates to enable them pursue their academic dreams.

He said that out of about 12,000 undergraduates who wrote the 2014/2015 SPDC-JV University Scholarship examination, only 509 passed after undergoing transparent test process.

Represented by SPDC’s Manager, Social Performance and Investment, Mrs Gloria Udo, Weli
added that “this Shell scholarship which began in 1953 has endured for over half a century to become a leading private sector-driven sponsorship in education in the country.

“The scholarship programme is a testament to SPDC commitment to education in Nigeria to
provides platform for young Nigerians to become beneficial to their families and society.

“The 509 awardees will join the expanding group of the many young Nigerians, particularly those from the Niger Delta, who have become leaders in various professional fields through this scholarship scheme.”

He said that the company had other scholarship schemes for secondary school students and primary school pupils.

He added that the oil company, through its Secondary School Scholarship Programme, provided
annual financial support to more than 1,000 students in its operational areas.

Weli noted that SPDC had also awarded hundreds of scholarships to indigent primary school leavers from public schools and provided other pupils secondary education in reputable private secondary schools.

He said that “in 2009, we added overseas postgraduate scholarship to our portfolio of education interventions and all these are designed to build a talent pipeline in our host communities.”

He announced that adverts for the scholarships could be found on www.shellnigeria.com and its social media platforms, regional and national newspapers, and in its host communities and universities in the country.

He urged interested and qualified candidates studying in Nigeria to always check the various platforms to enable them to apply.

Addressing the beneficiaries, Prof. Ndowa Lale, the Vice-Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), commended the company for the scholarship scheme and urged other corporate organisations to emulate it.

He said that without scholarships, many successful and eminent Nigerians wouldn’t have been able to realise their dreams and make contributions to national growth.

Lale said that the Federal Government’s current solution to addressing tuition fees in universities was counter-productive.

“The thinking of the Federal Government is that if tuition fee is pegged at N45,000, many Nigerians will be able to afford university education.

“The consequence of this is that the quality of education will also be going down because there won’t be money to run the university.

“The university is a very expensive system, and so if other corporate organisations emulate SPDC by assisting student’s education, then we will be able to maintain the quality required in university education.”

Lale, who was represented by the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Anthony Ibe, urged beneficiaries to take the opportunity to better themselves and the society.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the beneficiaries received cheque for their scholarships. (NAN)
DES/HA
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(Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu)

NAN-H-114

NYSC

By Chijioke Okoronkwo

Abuja, Oct. 11, 2016 (NAN) The Committee of Vice-Chancellors (CVC) has urged universities to upload the names of all eligible graduates for the 2016 Batch `B’ of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

A statement by CVC on Tuesday in Abuja said that the committee’s stance was sequel to its meeting with the Director-General of NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Sule Kazaure.

The statement was co-signed by Prof. Adebiyi Daramola, CVC’s President and Prof. Michael Faborode, the committee’s Secretary-General.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that NYSC had in a memo to universities recently, directed them to cut their mobilisation for the scheme by 60 per cent due to financial constraints.

The CVC said that the stakeholders agreed with NYSC that paucity of funds was responsible for the slash in the percentage of mobilisation.

It said that its meeting resolved “that all authentic graduates of universities be uploaded by universities for NYSC to mobilise as appropriate.

“All universities are expected to comply immediately and ensure that graduates of part-time programmes and over-aged graduates are not included in their list.

“The CVC and the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU) plead with the government and the National Assembly to provide resources needed for full mobilisation to stave off impending problem of partial mobilisation.

“We appeal to all graduates and prospective corps members to show understanding and exercise restraint while awaiting further directives from NYSC.’’

The statement said that the CVC meeting with NYSC authorities was preceded by a one with the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission on the issue. (NAN)

CJ/OPI/OPI

Edited by Olisa Ifeajika

N50m Bank Loan: EFCC arraigns man for forgery

NAN-H-112

Forgery

By Emmanuel Mogbede

Abuja, Oct. 11, 2016 (NAN) The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Wahab Amoo and his company, Wahab Amoo and Sons Nigeria Limited, before Justice Adedayo Akintoye of the Lagos State High Court.

Mr Wilson Uwujaren, the commission`s Head of Media and Publicity, made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

Uwujaren said in the statement that Amoo was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N50 million.

Uwujaren said the accused allegedly conspired with his company, the 2^nd accused person, to defraud Fidelity Bank Plc of the sum of N50 million by using forged documents to secure a loan facility.

This, he said, he did through a property which was under caveat at the Land Registry, Lagos, thereby preventing the bank from perfecting the legal mortgage.

The EFCC spokesman said the accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him.

“In view of his plea, Prosecution Counsel Fadeke Giwa, asked the court for a trial date and also requested that the defendant be remanded in prison custody.

“Defence Counsel Eric Uteh told the court that he served the prosecution the bail application for his client, but Giwa said she was served in court and would need time to reply,’’ Uwujaren said.

He added that the accused had been remanded in prison custody, pending hearing of the bail application, while the matter was subsequently adjourned to Oct. 19 for hearing. (NAN)

EEM/NKO/NKO

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Edited by Nkechi Okoronkwo

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NAN-H-110
Employment
Abuja, Oct. 11, 2016 (NAN) Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says plans for the effective commencement of a number of social investment programmes of the Buhari presidency has reached advanced stages.

Osinbajo told journalists and producers at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday that the selection of the first 200,000 unemployed graduates to get jobs was now being completed.

“We expect that before the end of the month, we will engage 200,000, out of the 500,000 unemployed graduates the Buhari administration plans to hire in the N-Power jobs programme’’, he said.

According to him, the direct government jobs are meant to keep young people occupied, pay them some amount of money and also give them a device.

He said the device would also help them to learn several skills that they could develop with time.

Osinbajo added that “we expect that before the end of this month, we should have engaged 200,000 of them and we are hoping that before the end of the year we should have engaged more.”

The vice president also disclosed that the Home-Grown School Feeding programme was set to begin in several states in October.

“Definitely before the end of this month, we expect that several states would have come on stream with their Home-grown School Feeding Programmes”, he added.

“The Home-Grown School Feeding programme will energise agriculture in the states because it is what you plant that you feed the children with.

“We will be hiring caterers, cooks, et cetera in each state because it will be Federal Government-funded from Primary One to Primary Three.

“The state governments hopefully would be able to cater for the other classes.”

According to the vice president, the Home-Grown School Feeding programme is another section of the Social Investment programmes that impact directly on the lives of Nigerian children and families.

He said many states would start implementing the Home-grown School Feeding Programme before the end of October.

The VP also stated that the Micro-Credit scheme for no fewer than one million Nigerian artisans, traders, market women and others would also commence in October.

“For women across the country, we are giving loans, micro credit loans to about 1.5 million women; we are focusing on market women and artisans, loans between N60,000 and 100,000 each.

“We are working through the Bank of Industry (BOI). They are going to be giving out these loans, we‘ve already identified the banks and everybody who is involved in this.’’

The vice president reassured Nigerians that the current administration was well focused on ameliorating the plight of the citizens of the country.

He noted that the administration was feeling the pains of the citizens and was committed to assuaging them.

On the economy, Osinbajo said government was committed to developing it to enable citizens to find opportunities within the country.

“I want to assure Nigerians that the government of President Buhari is a very focused and determined government.

“We are committed to ensuring that we are able to develop the Nigerian economy in such a way that Nigerians are able to find opportunities in their own country’’, he said.

He listed the ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ project, moving away from import dependence, boosting agriculture, and encouraging manufacturing as some of the urgent actions being pursued by government.

The vice president also emphasised the Buhari administration’s zero tolerance for corruption, as corruption is “the major drain on the country’s resources.

“No one would be spared in the fight against corruption because even the close friends of the President know that they will not be spared; he will not cover for them.

“Fighting corruption is a priority,” he stressed.

On the current recession, the vice president said the fall in oil prices and pipeline vandalism were the immediate causes of the recession, as they reduced the country’s revenue drastically.

He assured that government would adequately manage the little being realised.

“We were producing up to 2.2 million barrels a day but all of a sudden, the vandalism of our terminals caused us to lose up to a million barrels a day.

“So when you lose up to 60 per cent of your revenue or even more, there must be a shock because you are really earning very little.

“We will ensure that that very little that we are earning is as well managed as possible”, he said. (NAN)
DCU/IEA
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Edited by Idahosa Asowata
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Onigbinde decries lack of professional football coaches in Nigerian clubs

NAN-S-17

Onigbinde

By Emmanuel Afonne

Abuja, Oct. 11, 2016 (NAN) A former CAF and FIFA Instructor, Adegboye Onigbinde, has attributed the lack of professional coaches in most Nigerian football clubs to the slow pace of football development in the country.

Onigbinde who spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday in Abuja, noted that most professional coaches in the country were unemployed.

He said that the non-employment of professional coaches in Nigerian football clubs had forced most of them to seek for employment abroad.

“The few coaches we have produced are not employed by clubs because of the Nigerian factor, which many a times dwells on connections rather than quality and knowledge.

“This is because we are running a system of who is right and not what is right, and who you know and not what you know.

“The best professionals, accountants, doctors and engineers Nigeria has produced are not in the country today and it is happening in our football.

According to Onigbinde, Nigerian football will remain underdeveloped if clubs continue to employ the services of untrained coaches.

He wondered why clubs which register players at the beginning of every football season would not register their coaches for proper verification.

“Most of our coaches are outside the country where they will be able to express their knowledge and experience; look through our football clubs today, how many of their coaches are trained.

“Some of them we trained under the CAF Licencing Coaching Course are still roaming the streets.

“In an ideal situation, clubs register their coaches just the way they register players at the beginning of every season,” he added.

The former Super Eagles coach likened the lack of professional coaches in football to a situation where government abolished Teacher Training Colleges and replaced it with National Certificate in Education (NCE).

He said: “Anyone teacher without the necessary training cannot impact knowledge; who taught the person how to transfer knowledge? It’s the same thing in football.’’

If you want to improve the standard of education in this country, produce quality teachers, likewise football; if you want to improve the standard of football in Nigeria, employ quality and trained coaches. (NAN)

EMAF/OU

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Edited by Obike Ukoh

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