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Powers

Lausanne (Switzerland) , Oct. 8, 2016 (NAN/Reuters) The International Olympic Committee (IOC), says it will give more powers to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in the fight against drug-cheating by athletes.

The IOC said this on Saturday that it agreed at a meeting of world sports leaders that WADA should oversee the testing of athletes.

It said that sanctions would be decided by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

“Testing is currently conducted by either national anti-doping agencies or international sports federations, which also decide sanctions.

“WADA’s role is mainly a regulatory one which includes compiling the list of banned substances’’, it said.

The so-called Olympics Summit, held behind closed-doors at a luxury hotel in Lausanne, also proposed that WADA should have more control over national anti-doping agencies, and should supervise national anti-doping programs.

The IOC said the proposals would be put to WADA, which has the final say on whether to approve them at their next meeting in November.

“We are to be given substantial additional authority and substantial additional power, so I am fairly happy with that,” WADA president Craig Reedie told reporters.

“We have been given powers on compliance and we are going to produce a whole range of potential sanctions for different degrees of non-compliance and we will do that.”

He said it was hoped to have the new system in place by the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

Relations between the IOC and WADA have been strained since two independent reports commissioned by WADA revealed evidence of widespread, state-sponsored doping in Russia.

The IOC resisted calls for a blanket ban on Russians competing in the Rio Games due to the country’s doping record, leaving decisions on individual athletes’ participation with their sports federations.

Last month’s Paralympics, however, did ban all Russian athletes.

Reedie has complained that WADA’s annual budget of $30 million funded partly by national governments and partly by the IOC, was not enough.

It said that the IOC President Thomas Bach agreed that it would now need an increase.

“If these reforms were to be implemented 100 per cent, this will mean substantial commitments and a substantial increase in the tasks and responsibilities of WADA,” Bach said in a teleconference.

He said that national Olympic committees could divert the money they currently spend on anti-doping to WADA and provide it with personnel.

He said he did not think that the bill could be passed on to sponsors and broadcasters.

“I do not see this as a solution because I think it is the obligation and the duty of the sport organisations to fight against doping and to protect the clean athletes,” he said.

“To have sponsors and broadcasters paying for anti-doping appears to me to be not to be the right way, but indirectly it will happen anyway because our money comes from sponsors and broadcasters.” (NAN/Reuters)
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Editor: Docas
Controller: Idahosa Asowata

NAN-H-31

Condemnation

Makurdi, Oct. 8, 2016 (NAN) Benue Government on Saturday condemned Friday night’s attack on Mr Armstrong Chir, a social media activist, by unknown hoodlums suspected to be political thugs.

This is contained in a press statement issued by Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Information and Communication Technology, Mr Tahav Agerzua. in Makurdi

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Chir was attacked in his Makurdi residence Friday night and sustained a fracture in one of his legs.

Agerzua said the Governor had already directed security agents to track and apprehend those responsible for the act which he described as reprehensible and condemnable.

“The brutality of the attack which resulted in a fracture on one of the legs of the victim one week after his father was laid to rest and while he was still mourning underscored the heartlessness of the attackers and their sponsors.”

“Gov.Ortom abhorres violence in all its ramifications. He won the 2015 elections without resorting to thugs or violence.’’

He said that the governor was determined to eliminate thuggery and violence and their use to achieve political objectives in the state.

He described those who use such means as discredited politicians who have lost the support of the people and the ability to engage decently in discourse hence their intolerance toward differing opinions.

According to him, the use of force to counter intellectual engagements was a demonstration of lack of cerebral capacity and an unacceptable conduct which has no place in a democratic dispensation that cherished plurality of ideas and opinions.

Agerzua explained that the Ortom led administration has endured all manner of campaigns of calumny, falsehood, and deliberate character assassination without directing anyone to physically attack the perpetrators of such.

“The government would support security agencies to get to the root of the matter.”

The adviser appealed for restraint in the face of what he described as unwarranted provocation and assured that the culprits would be traced and brought to book. (NAN)

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Editor: Emmanuel Antswen
Controller: Idahosa Asowata

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Hurricane
Florida, Oct. 8, 2016 (NAN/Reuters) Hurricane Matthew killed almost 900 people and displaced tens of thousands in Haiti before plowing northward on Saturday just off the southeast U.S. coast.

This caused major flooding and widespread power outages.

The number of deaths in Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, jumped to at least 877 on Friday as information trickled in from remote areas.

Previously cut off by the storm, according to a Reuters, tally of tolls from officials.

Matthew rampaged through Haiti’s western peninsula on Tuesday with 145 mph (233 kph) winds and torrential rain.

Some 61,500 people were in shelters, officials said, after the storm hurled the sea into fragile coastal villages, some of which were only now being contacted.

At least three towns in the hills and coast of Haiti’s fertile western tip reported dozens of people killed, including the farming village of Chantal.

The mayor said 86 people died, mostly when trees crushed houses. He said 20 others were missing.

“A tree fell on the house and flattened it. The entire house fell on us. I couldn’t get out,” said 27-year-old driver Jean-Pierre Jean-Donald.

“People came to lift the rubble, and then we saw my wife who had died in the same spot,” said Jean-Donald.

Jean-Donald has been married for a year and his young daughter stood by his side, crying “Mommy.”

With cell phone networks down and roads flooded, aid has been slow to reach hard-hit areas in Haiti.

Food was scarce and at least seven people died of cholera, likely because of flood water mixing with sewage.

The Mesa Verde, a U.S. Navy amphibious transport dock ship, was en route to Haiti to support relief efforts.

The ship has heavy-lift helicopters, bulldozers, fresh-water delivery vehicles and two surgical operating rooms. (NAN/Reuters)
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NAN-H-27

Kidnapping (open)

NAPTAN

By Yinka Olawale

Lagos, Oct. 8, 2016 (NAN) The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) on Saturday appealed to Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode to urgently provide 24-hour security surveillance in all boarding schools in Lagos State.

Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, the Deputy President of the association, made the appeal while reacting to the kidnapping of six persons from a school in Epe on Thursday.

Ogunbanjo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the spate of kidnapping was becoming “one incident, too many’’.

NAN reports that four students, a teacher and the principal of the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe Local Government, Mr Oyesola, were kidnapped by unknown gunmen Thursday morning.

Ogunbanjo recalled that similar incident happened in a private school in Ikorodu area of the state earlier in the year.

“Now, a repeat, indicating that there is serious security lapses, which must be addressed urgently,’’ he said.

The deputy president urged the state government to to facilitate the drafting of police and civil defence personnel to protect schools until normalcy returns.

He said the kidnappers were professionals, judging from the skills and tools they displayed during the operation.

“Before now in Lagos State, about 15 to 20 years back, we used to have Man O’ War in schools to beef up security and ensure that students stay in school, but all these are no more.

“We must now start to do something like that to safeguard the lives of our children.

“The Civil Defence Corps should rise up to the situation and start to protect our schools.

“This is an eye opener for the government to do something about it.

“Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode should start to protect our schools and ensure that students are safe during school hours.

“Government must provide 24-hour security in all our boarding schools.

“We condemn kidnapping of innocent children, just as the Chibok schoolgirls incident that had remain unsolved,’’ he said.

The deputy president appealed to parents to remain calm and allow the government take measures to protect schools.

“Parents should not panic because the government is now doing something reasonable to ensure that students are protected,’’ Ogunbanjo said.

He also suggested that the government may give a one-week break, to fully strategise and organise adequate security to all public schools. (NAN)

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Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde/Maharazu Ahmed

Herdsmen set up 18-man disciplinary committee in Nasarawa, to end  clashes with farmers

NAN-H-14

Dialogue

Nassarawa Eggon (Nasarawa state), Oct. 8, 2016 (NAN) An 18-man disciplinary committee has been set up in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area to monitor and punish any herdsman found disturbing the peace.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee was set up after a meeting between leaders of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACABA) and Eggon Cultural and Development Association (ECDA), on Saturday in Nasarawa Eggon, Nasarawa State.

The ECDA is also expected to form similar committee to identify and monitor trouble makers in the community, and take appropriate action to preserve the peace.

The meeting identified alcoholism and intake of hard drugs among youths as the major cause of clashes between farmers and herdsmen, and between communities in the area.

The meeting, therefore, called on the state government to ban the sale of hard drugs and close down any outlet engaged in the practice.

In their separate speeches, the state chairman of MACABA, Alhaji Muhammad Hussaini, and the ECDA President, Mr James Manza restated their commitment to jointly preach peace to their members.

They agreed that peaceful co-existence between farmers and the herdsmen was necessary in boosting agricultural production and socio economic development.

The two leaders, therefore, urged their members to live peacefully with one another and report anyone engaged in acts that would compromise the peace and stability of the community.

They said that, henceforth, any breaches recorded should be promptly reported to security agencies, traditional and community leaders as well as leadership of the associations, for amicable settlement.

Earlier, Mr Akolo Success-Ahmed, the Chairman, Interim Management Committee of the local government, urged farmers and herdsmen to embrace dialogue in settling their differences.

“As a politician and a stakeholder, my role is to preach peace, unity and to advise my subjects and others Nigerians to live in peace and tolerate one another irrespective of ethnic, religion and political affiliation for the overall development of the country.

“Because no nation or society can develop in an atmosphere of rancour and confusion.

“The security challenges facing some parts of the country had affected our lives and socio-economic development of the country negatively.

“It is in view of this, I want to call on all of us, especially the farmers and herdsmen, not to take the law in to their hand but to embrace dialogue and report their grievances to the appropriate authority in order to fast track development in the state and the country at large.

“Violence can only do more harm than good to a society, hence the need for Nigerians especially the farmers and herdsmen to see dialogue as the best conflict resolution mechanism, so as to boost food production and achieve speedy development in the society.”(NAN)

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Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

Trump apologises after lewd remarks about women revealed

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Trump
U.S, Oct. 8, 2016 (NAN/Reuters) Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump scrambled to prevent his campaign from falling apart early on Saturday with a hastily prepared video statement expressing regret for making lewd comments about women.

Trump declared himself a changed man but raised the infidelities of former President Bill Clinton and slammed his Democratic opponent in the Nov. 8 election.

Hillary Clinton said he would talk more about their past in coming days.

Disclosure of a 2005 video of Trump talking on an open microphone showed the then-reality TV star speaking openly about groping women and trying to seduce a married woman.

Democrats have sought to highlight such behaviour to prevent women voters from supporting him with less than a month to go for the election.

The video landed just ahead of the second presidential debate on Sunday night which had been seen as critical for Trump.

He tries to rebound from a dip in some opinion polls after a rocky performance in the first debate.

“This is nothing more than a distraction from the important issues we’re facing today,” he said, before turning to former President Bill Clinton’s infidelities.

“We will discuss this more in the coming days. See you at the debate on Sunday,” Trump said in his statement.

The bombshell development rocked Trump’s campaign to its core and some Republican lawmakers disavowed him.

House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan withdrew an invitation for Trump to visit Wisconsin on Saturday.

He also called for the New York businessman to step aside to let his vice presidential running mate, Mike Pence, become the party’s standard-bearer. (NAN/Reuters)
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Nasarawa, Benue partners with institute on environmental safety
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Environment
By Sunday John
Lafia, Oct. 8, 2016 (NAN) Nasarawa and Benue Governments are partnering with Environment Safety Management Institute (ESMI) to sensitise indigenes on the needs to adhere to Environmental Safety Laws.

The governments of the states said this at the sensitisation and induction programme organised by ESMI to new members in Lafia on Saturday.

Gov. Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State said that the synergy became imperative to curtail some practices that impact negatively on the environment.

Al-Makura, who was represented at the programme by his Chief of Staff, Danazumi Mohammed, said they would collaborate with different groups to encourage environment-friendly practices.

“Human practices such as mining, bush burning; falling of tress, duping of rubbish in waterways, among others, are part of the things affecting the environment negatively.

“We as government have established Waste Management Bureau to complement efforts of other agencies to promote environmental-friendly activities,” he added.

Also, Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue, said that the government would commence the building of massive public toilet in the state in the first quota of 2017.

Ortom, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Environment, Sanitation and Public Utility, Nathaniel Ikyur, advocated the introduction of environmental safety education in schools.

Earlier, Benedict Chia-Utile, Director-General of ESMI, said the programme was organised to certify and inducts new members into the institute.

Chia-Utile said that the institute’s objective was to train people on safety environment, document environmental resources, among others.

Matha Eche, who represented the Nasarawa Sector Commandant of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Fustina Alegbe, urged motorist to observe safety rules to curtail the rate of accident on the highways.

She advised them to install speed limit device so as to ‘kill speed before speed kills them’. (NAN)
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(Edited by Dorcas//Felix Nwadioha)

AGN calls for probe of Nollywood’s N3 bn Intervention Fund

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AGN

Yola, Oct. 8, 2019 (NAN) Emeka Ike, National President, Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), on Saturday called on the Federal Government to probe the utilization of the N3 billion Nollywood Intervention Fund.

Ike alleged that the money had been “hijacked by a cabal” to the detriment of the film industry.

The AGN president told newsmen in Yola that the film industry had not benefited from the grant.

According to him, the few beneficiaries of the fund had not invested anything into the industry, but are rather buying houses in Abuja and Lagos.

Ike further claimed that most of the 247 actors said to have been trained at the cost of N899 million abroad from the fund, could not be traced.

“What the cabal do is to bring faces for Mr President; that’s what they did in the last administration, they are scavengers, and I am begging us here today to expose them.”

Ike advised the government to always relate directly with  associations in the film industry such as AGN, ANTP and Kannywood, instead of individual actors.

The AGN president said he was in Adamawa to participate in a programme organised by the state Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, to encourage youth on self reliance.

He said that the film industry has the potentials to boost the nation’s economy, if properly funded.

The AGN president said he would strive during his tenure,  to address problems of sexual harassment, all forms of indiscipline and exploitation in the  film industry.(NAN)
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Nigeria needs state police to effectively tackle insecurity — Fagbemi

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Police

By Suleiman Shehu

Ibadan, Oct. 8, 2016 (NAN) Mr Lateef Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), on Saturday canvassed for the creation of state police in Nigeria, to effectively tackle insecurity challenges.

Fagbemi said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan that current security challenges warrant the decentralisation of policing in the country.

“ I have before criticized the chiding of the authority over policing to the states, but the event which followed have showed that we need to give it a trial.

“ It has worked in other areas like the United States, where they have the local police authority and state police authority with defined functions.

“I think we can try as much as possible to borrow a leaf from them and give it a trial,’’ Fagbemi said.

He stressed that stemming crime was the collective responsibility of local, state and federal government, as such it was necessary to allow people to monitor and secure their areas by devolving policing duties to states.

According to the senior lawyer, the country can no longer afford to run away from the issue in spite of the misgivings expressed by opponents of the idea.

Fagbemi said that any step in life involved risks, as such the country should explore the benefits inherent in the establishment of state police.(NAN)

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Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

NAN-H-17
Handover
By Sunday Bassey
Ikot Abasi (Akwa Ibom), Oct. 8, 2015 (NAN) The Nigerian Navy has handed over 17 suspected oil thieves with 47,450 litres of diesel to Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Akwa Ibom for prosecution.

The Commander, NNS Jubilee, Ikot Abasi, Commodore Saidu Garba, who spoke at the handing over in Ikot Abasi on Saturday, said the suspects were arrested by naval special patrol team.

Garba added that 13 of the 17 suspects were arrested at Mobil Jetty in Ibeno Local Government, while four suspects were arrested at Ataba Community.

“Let me reiterate that the Chief of Naval Staff strategic directive is aimed at stamping out all forms of illegalities and criminality in the Niger Delta region.

“It is therefore our firm resolve to vigorously pursue this agenda and rid out bad elements in the region,’’ Garba said.

He said that items recovered from the suspects, include 47, 450 litres of liquid suspected to be diesel, five Cotonou wooden boats and 188 empty drums of 250 litres each.

“These illegal activities amount to assault to the collective interest of the nation and constitute huge economic sabotage running into millions of naira,’’ Garba said.

According to him, the Navy will continue to provide adequate security and combat all security challenges within the nation’s maritime domain for national development.

The NSCDC commandant, Mrs Obiageli Obiagulu, who received suspects and exhibits, commended the Navy for being an effectively and reliable partner in the fight against oil theft.

Represented by Mr Abel Ojimba, the NSCDC Divisional Officer in charge of Ikot Abasi, Obiagulu praised the Navy for its effort in ridding the state of other criminalities in the maritime domain.

“We must expect the best as far as prosecution is concerned because due process has been followed in the handing over. I want to commend the Commander of NNS Jubilee for making sure that the documentations are ready,’’ Obiagulu said.

Obiagulu assured that the intelligence and legal departments of the corps would immediately effect thorough investigations with a view to prosecuting the defaulters.

She said the suspected products would be taken to the exhibit yard for testing and reassured that whoever was involved in the oil theft would not go scout-free.

Obiagulu said that the command was synergising with Nigerian Navy to ensure that oil theft and other criminalities were stamped out in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the suspects were arrested between Sept. 10 and Oct. 5 in the state. (NAN)
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Edited by Dada Ahmed//Felix Nwadioha