Blog

Court adjourns Metuh’s case till Nov.22
NAN-H-54
Metuh
By Comfort Bulus and Edith Nwapi
Abuja, Oct. 10, 2016 (NAN) An FCT High Court on Monday adjourned a former Peoples Democratic Party spokesman’s case, Olisa Metuh, till Nov. 22.

The judge, Justice Ishaq Bello adjourned the case after the prosecuting counsel, Mr Sylvanus Tahir closed his case.

Metuh was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a two-count charge of destruction of evidence.

At the resumed hearing, Metuh’s Counsel, Mr Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), cross-examined the prosecution witness Mr Saed Junaid, an officer of EFCC, who investigated the matter.

Junaid told the court that he wrote the cautionary word not the statement, because the defendant could write, but admitted that the third page of the statements did not bear the signature of the Metuh.

He further told the court that the reading by the team members was to make sure that what was in the statement addressed the issues raised in the matter.

The witness said the defendant had the right to cancel what he had written, but he tore the third page and I told him to stop.

The second prosecution witness, Mr Ibrahim Miringa, leader of the investigation team told the court that when the matter got to EFCC sometime in November 2015, it was assigned to his team.

Miringa said that it was reported that some money was paid to some companies without contractual agreement or approval from the office of the National Security Adviser.

He told the court that among the companies was Destra Investment Ltd., which upon investigation was found to be Metuh’s company.

The witness further told the court that this company received N400 million, on Nov. 24, 2014; he was invited on Jan. 5

“The team interviewed him in respect of the case after which I instructed Saed to give the defendant the EFCC statement forms for the him to put all that was discussed in writing.”

He said that Juniad carried out the instruction; he guided the defendant before he commenced his writing.

“ While I was going through the papers I heard him lamenting “why did I give so much repeated ‘ after I went through the papers I instructed Juniad not to give the defendant all the papers to endorse at once.”

He said after endorsing two statement forms, he tore the third and said they should wait for his lawyer to come before he could make further statements.

Juniad when cross examined by Ikpeazu told the court that cancellation and mutation was not allowed in the statement.

He said that this guideline was important but it was not written rather it was verbal. (NAN)
CBG/NEO/OFN
Edited by Felix Nwadioha

Lagos businessman docked for unredeemed N4m bank facility

NAN-H-30
Bank
By Chinyere Omeire

Lagos, Oct. 10, 2016 (NAN) A 33-year-old businessman, Babatunde Olagun, who allegedly obtained N4 million from a microfinance bank in Lagos under the guise of using the money to improve his business, was on Monday docked at an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court.

Olagun, who resides at No. 2, Fasuba link Road, Gateway Zone in highbrow Magodo Phase 1, Lagos,  was, however, granted bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum after he pleaded not guilty.

He is standing trial on a five-count charge of conspiracy, fraud, forgery, issuing dud cheque and stealing.

According to Prosecutor Olajide Tubi,  the accused committed the offences on July 14 at 11:00 a.m. at Addosser Microfinance Bank located at No. 32, Lewis St., on Lagos island.
He said the accused obtained N4 million from the bank on the pretext of growing his business and entered into an agreement or bond to repay the money within two months.
“The accused ran away with the money, but when he was apprehended, the accused issued two different bank cheques which were dishonoured on presentation due to insufficient funds.”
Tubi told the court that the accused also forged a Local Purchase Order of one Hyundai Heavy Industrial Ltd for a vehicle which he presented to the microfinance bank as collateral for the loan.
He said the accused’s failure to repay the loan amounted to stealing the money property of Addosser Microfinance Bank Plc.
The offences contravened Sections 78 (b), 285, 319, 363 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The Magistrate, Mrs O. M. Ajayi,  said the sureties must show evidence of tax payment to the state government and credible means of livelihood.

She adjourned the case to Oct. 25 for mention.  (NAN)
OCC/ENN/DA
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Controlled by Dele Akinsola & edited by Edwin Nwachukwu

Expert advocates indepth investigation on sensational stories of violence

NAN-HG-10
Reports

By Talatu Maiwada

Abuja, Oct. 7, 2016 (NAN) Dr Olusola Epharaim-Oluwanuga, a Chief Consultant Psychiatrist with the National Hospital, Abuja, has called for indepth investigation and documentation of sensational stories on cases of violence in the society to create more awareness.

Oluwanuga made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

She attributed the intake of hard drugs such as cocaine, Indian hemp and alcohol, among others, to the increasing rate of violence in the society, hence the need for indepth investigation.

She said hard drugs, also known as psycho-active drugs affects the mind and the way people think, feel or behaves which could result to an adverse action.

Oluwanuga said that such investigation could reveal the causes, thereby creating more awareness on the dangers of such substances.

“We need to do indepth investigation and documentation in Nigeria of sensational stories on violence.

“This is necessary particularly on how people die from cases of violence in the country with little awareness on the causes of such act.

“We find sensational stories on papers like `man kills wife after lunch’, but details of whether that man acted under the influence of one drug or another may not be included,’’ she said.

Oluwanuga identified alcohol as the most abused drug in the society, noting that it is not illegal however dangerous to humanity.

She said people drive under the influence of alcohol and kill innocent people or get themselves killed.

She added that it could lead to violence among partners or couples further inflicting injury on their partners.

“The whole concept of hard drugs is actually becoming obsolete because drugs are drugs whether they are hard or not,’’ she said.

Oluwanuga explained that the intake of hard drugs could have mental, social and economic consequences on persons or partners who indulge in such act.

“Drug addicts could become homeless; among their drug circle they take temporary residence, because they can no longer hold any job.

“Couples or partners who take such drugs, feeling high under such circumstances, experience  lack of patience, which results to argument, fight and even death.’’

Besides, the consultant identified violence and abuse as some of the social ills children could experience when groomed under the influence of drug abuse by their parents or peers.

Oluwanuga noted that children who are exposed at an early age in life indulge in various vices in the society such as drinking, smoking and stealing.

However, she advised Nigerians on the dangers associated with the intake of drugs, urging adults to be role models to the younger generation. (NAN)

TIM/MST/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

NAN-H-49
Highway
By Emmanuel Mogbede
Abuja, Oct. 10, 2016 (NAN) Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, says that the Federal Government is committed to the dualisation of the entire section of the trans Sahara route in Nigeria.

The minister gave the assurance while declaring open the 65th session of the Trans Saharan Road Liaison Session on Monday in Abuja.

Fashola, who was represented at the occasion by Alhaji Abubakar Magaji, the Permanent Secretary in the Works and Housing sector of the ministry, described the session as appropriate.

This, he said, was so because it came at a time when there was a compelling need for integration of socio-economic activities among African countries.

The minister said that the session offers member countries the opportunity to strengthen their existing bilateral relations and provide avenues to assess the extent of work that had been undertaken.

“I will like to assure this gathering that plans are underway for all major routes in Nigeria that link the trans-Saharan route to be upgraded.

“It is evident that connecting Africa with an efficient road network remains the most effective way to improve the socio-economic development among nations.

“Nigeria attaches great importance to the development of the trans-Sahara route and government is making significant progress in ensuring the project’s success,’’ he said.

According to Fashola, the government’s effort is obvious in that the section of the road between Lagos and Ibadan dual carriageway, with a length of 127.70 km, is currently under reconstruction.
He added that the road was being expanded from two lane dual carriageway to three lanes on each side.

The minister said that other sections of the route from Jebba to Mokwa up to the border town of Kongolam were also being considered for reconstruction and dualisation.

He commended the efforts of member countries at developing other sections of the route within their borders.

Fashola further commended the other development partners for their roles in the realisation of the common dream of developing the route.

He said that it was a great achievement that out of a total length of 9,500 km on the route, more than 8, 000 km of it had been surfaced with bituminous materials.
The minister expressed optimism that more achievements were underway to maintain and ensure the serviceability of member countries and its people.

In his remarks, Mr Mohammad Ayadi, the committee’s Secretary General, thanked the Nigerian authorities and other member countries for their commitment.

Ayadi gave an overview of the continental highway, saying that the committee’s best achievement so far was not in road construction but in the exchange of information and technology amongst member countries.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Algeria, Mali, Tunisia, Chad and Niger were represented at the occasion.

The project is expected to ensure integrated development and help achieve economic prosperity by facilitating the traffic of goods and services among member countries.

Algeria has completed its section of the route–Algiers to the extreme south– which is over 3,000 kilometres. (NAN)
EEM/COF/OJO
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(Edited by Oluyinka Fadare and controlled by Mufutau Ojo)

Odusile’s audio on quackeryAudio Attached

NAN-H-45
Audit
By Grace Alegba
Lagos, Oct. 10, 2016 (NAN) The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) says it will soon embark on a nationwide audit of journalists in order to rid itself of quacks.

The President of NUJ, Mr Waheed Odusile, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos that impostors interested in joining the profession should enrol in a school of journalism.

• Cue in audio

“Quackery is something that is of major concern to us in NUJ and one of the ways we want to fight it is to have a proper register of journalists in Nigeria.

“We’ll build a data bank of journalists; we give them a proper identity card, such that when their identity is being called to question, we can use that card to verify whether actually they are journalists or not because, most of these people parading themselves as journalists and truly they are quacks.

“They do not have valid identity cards; we believe if we start with that we would have been able to rid the union of about half of these quacks.

“And some of those quacks really want to practice as journalists but they do not know how to go about it.

“So we’ll make it possible for them, anybody that want to be journalist, we welcome them but they should come and train first as journalists.

“And that is where we want to upgrade our International Institute of  Journalism in Abuja to be like a post-graduate school for training of journalists in Nigeria, such that that when you come there you know you are being trained as a journalist.

“The same way lawyers go to law school, the same way we want people to either go to Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) in Lagos or IIJ in Abuja.

“By the time we upgrade the training this issue of quackery would have been reduced to the barest minimum.’’

• Cue out audio (NAN)

GA/ERO/YEE

Edited by Emmanuel Okara/Emmanuel Yashim
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NAN-H-47

Corruption

Damaturu, Oct. 10, 2016 (NAN) A cross section of Nigerians in Damaturu, on Monday, faulted the reaction of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to the arrest of some judges by the Department of State Security Service (DSS).

An opinion poll conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday indicates that the residents are  satisfied with Federal government’s war against corruption.

Musa Babale, a civil servant, said “nobody is above the law as such the judges should not be treated differently.

“It is very unfortunate that the judges and lawyers are deliberately confusing Nigerians and making the arrest to look like a war by the Executive against Judiciary.

“Nigerians know that this is an issue concerning the individual judges and not the Judicial as an institution,” he said.

Abubakar Mohammed, a trader, said the action of NBA was a clear indication that the lawyers wanted  selective application of the law on Nigerians.

“The professional body was in this country when army Generals, public officers and others, were arrested by EFCC and DSS, but never complained, until now that it affects people from their constituency” Mohammed observed.

Balkisu Umaru, a university student, noted that corruption  in Nigeria had reached an alarming proportion.

“It is like everyone is involved, so the law must be blind and just, no matter who is involved if the country is to move forward,” she said. (NAN)

MM/ASH/ASH

NAN-H-29

Training

By Olayinka Olawale
Lagos, Oct. 10, 2016 (NAN) The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mr Adesina Odeyemi, says research has shown that students learn faster and better with instructional materials than when they are just told things in abstract.

Odeyemi said in a statement on Monday that the state government, in line with the research, was building the capacity of teachers in rural and riverine areas, to achieve better results.

He said the training would develop the teachers’ abilities to design, produce and use of instructional materials from available local materials, in order to achieve academic excellence among students in public schools.

According to him, the present administration has since inception embarked on training and retraining of teachers and will not relent in doing so.

“This initiative, therefore, is in line with government objectives because research has proven that students learn easier, faster and better with instructional materials than just being told things in abstract.

“This is what is termed learning from ‘known to unknown’,“ he said.

Odeyemi said the ministry would commence the nine-day training on Oct.11and it would hold in the Six Education Districts in the state.

The training, he said, was designed to build teachers’ capacities to identify and source local components to produce instructional materials that the students could easily identify with in the classroom.

“The ‘mobile workshop’ is a capacity building workshop for teachers on the design, production and utilisation of instructional materials using locally sourced materials for the purpose of improving the academic performance of the students”, he said.

Odeyemi urged the teachers to be dedicated and focussed during the training.

He said the workshop would commence at the education District III office on Oct. 11; while it would move to District IV, at the New Era Secondary School, Surulere on Oct.12 and District V on Oct.13, at Awori Ajeromi Hall.

Others are scheduled as follows; District VI, Oct. 18, at Ikeja Grammar School hall;  District I, Oct. 19, at Egan Junior Grammar School, and District II, on Oct.20 at its conference hall.(NAN)
OOG/SOA

Edited by Oluwole Sogunle

Drivers, tricycle operators applaud judges arrest
NAN-H-48
Judges
By Yakubu Ubah
Yola, Oct. 10, 2016 (NAN) Commercial motorists and tricycle operation in Adamawa have hailed the Federal Government for arresting some alleged corrupt judges from the judiciary.

They spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola on Monday.

The drivers said that everything possible needed to be done to sanitise the judiciary as the last hope of the common man from corruption.

Musa Habu, a driver, said, “I am in full support of this move to sanitise the judiciary and there should be no sacred cow. If politicians and military men are being arrested for corruption, judges should not be excluded.”

Hamza Bappa and Peter Ishaku, both drivers, declared their support and condemned threats by the Nigerian Bar Association over the development.

“I swear we are ready for those enemy of progress; it’s between us – supporters of anti-corruption -and them.

“Where are they (NBA) when pick pockets were being sent to long jail term while corrupt government officials were given light sentences or have their conviction  being delayed or frustrated by corrupt judges,” Ishaku said.

Some tricycle operators, Habibu Danjuma and Kabiru Mubi, also declared support for the arrest of the judges,

They said the measure had gone a long way to convinced Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari’s  administration was committed to the fight against corruption.

“It’s now that I am convinced that Buhari is committed to fighting corruption; we are with him on this. We voted for him for such change,” Danjuma said. (NAN)
YMU/OFN
Edited by Felix Nwadioha

Adamawa Govt inaugurates panel to probe Nyako

NAN-H-4

Panel

Yola, 10, 2016 (NAN) The Adamawa Government has constituted a five-man committee to investigate the execution of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) projects during the tenure of former Governor Murtala Nyako.

The panel was inaugurated on Monday in Yola by the Deputy Governor, Mr Martins Babale.

The panel, which has 12 terms of reference, was given four weeks to submit its report.

The investigation would determine total projects executed under MDGs since inception, money received from Federal Government, and total amount paid by the state as counterpart fund.

It was also mandated to “ascertain the total number of capital projects and contracts awarded, all contractors involved, projects location from inception to date.

“To ascertain level of compliance with Due Process and Procurement Act in all capital projects.

“And to ascertain the compliance of all expenditures inline with the provision of the yearly budget.”

The Chairman of the panel, Alhaji Alfa Belel, said that the committee would carry out the assignment without fear or favour. (NAN)
YMU/MZA

Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

Expert wants FG to implement National Mental Health Policy
NAN-HG-6
Mental
By Olasunkanmi Onifade
Abuja, Oct. 10, 2016 (NAN) Dr Olusola Ephraim-Oluwanuga, a Chief Consultant Psychiatrist at National Hospital, Abuja, on Monday called on the Federal Government to implement the national mental health policy.

Ephraim-Oluwanuga made this call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja to commemorate the World Mental Health Day.

According to her, the Nigerian Mental Health Act 2013 was re-introduced to the National Assembly and yet to be passed.

“We are not saying government did not do anything, what they need is to step it up and look at the National Mental Policy.

“Government need to increase its investment in mental health, pass the Mental Health Bill and have a health policy on mental health as practiced in other developed countries,’’ she said.

Ephraim-Oluwanuga said mental health systems are subsystem of the healthcare system, and how these services are organised, delivered and financed is significantly influenced by the way in which the overall health services system are run.

She said the theme of this year’s mental health day was tagged “Psychological First Aid’ (PFA), adding that it is a technique designed to reduce the occurrence of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Ephraim-Oluwanuga said people react to similar events differently, saying that not all people who experience a potentially traumatic event would actually become psychologically traumatised.

The consultant said Internally Displaced Persons could be traumatised in one way or the other psychologically due to their experienced at killings and bombings.

Ephraim-Oluwanuga said disasters, conflicts and health problems have severe psychosocial consequences.

She said the emotional wounds may be less visible than the destruction of homes, but it often takes far longer to recover from emotional impact than to overcome material losses.

“Early support and adaptation processes – which respect local customs in mental health or psychosocial healing – allow an affected population to cope better with a difficult situation.

“Social effects are the shared experiences caused by disruptive events and consequent death, separation, sense of loss and feeling of helplessness,’’ she said.

Ephraim-Oluwanuga said psychosocial support can be adapted in particular situations to respond to the psychological and physical needs of the people concerned, by helping them to accept the situation and cope with it.

NAN reports that the World Mental Health Day (WMHD) is marked on Oct. 10 annually to raise global mental health education, awareness and advocacy.

The 2016 WMHD campaign aims to achieve these goals by encouraging people to take personal ownership of their own mental health and wellbeing. (NAN)
OEO/MST/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola