Blog

NAN-ELS-1
Film
New York, Oct.5, 2016 (Reuters/NAN) The heated rivalry between Swede Bjorn Borg and American John McEnroe, is the centrepiece of a new film on the famous battles between the tennis greats both on and off the court.

“Borg/McEnroe,” starring Swedish actor Sverrir Gudnason as Borg and U.S. actor Shia LaBeouf as McEnroe, traces the rivalry between the two tennis players at the 1980 Wimbledon final.

The encounter was considered to be one of the best tennis matches ever played.

It was their different styles of playing tennis as well as their temperament that made their rivalry more intense in the eyes of spectators.

Borg, then 24, was cool, calm and collected, while McEnroe, 21, was seen as tennis’ bad boy with a fiery temperament, sometimes getting into shouting matches with referees.

“I think it’s a story about two people who were seen as opposites, but had more in common than most people know of,” Danish director Janus Metz Pedersen told reporters at a news conference in Sweden on Tuesday.

Gudnason added, “They became close friends later in life and I think it’s much about them understanding each other.

“They have made the same journey.”

The film, currently shooting in Sweden and scheduled to debut in the fall of 2017, will also star veteran Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard as Borg’s coach Lennart Bergelin.

LaBeouf said he is “pretty confident” about the film, and hoped McEnroe would be one of the first to see the movie.

“I’m excited to show him the movie and I’m sure he’ll see it before everybody,” LaBeouf said.

“We love John on this side you know. It’s been very inviting from our camp to his and we’re gonna link up eventually and I’m sure he’ll like what we did.”

Skarsgard shared his own memories of watching the match between Borg and McEnroe in the summer of 1980, which he said had gotten him hooked on the sport.

“That final quickly stopped being sport. It became huge drama and it was fantastic to see and I ended up just as interested as all sports freaks,” Skarsgard said. (Reuters/NAN)
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Controlled by Maharazu Ahmed

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Financing
By Bayo Sekoni
Ibadan, Oct. 5, 2016, (NAN) A total of 15 micro finance institutions have accessed N338 million from the FGN/IFAD-assisted Rural Finance Institution Building Programme (RUFIN) to lend to farmers and micro enterprises in Oyo State.

The South West Coordinator of RUFIN, Alhaji Musa Abayomi, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Tuesday.

Abayomi said that the agency had reoriented microfinance banks to serve the rural communities and not just those in urban areas.

The coordinator said that RUFIN groups in three local government areas of Oyo State –Atisbo, Ibarapa East and Akinyele –had benefitted from loans from microfinance banks to enhance poverty reduction.

He said that the microfinance banks get money from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at an interest rate of two per cent and disburse same to farmers and micro enterprises at 9 per cent interest.

According to Abayomi, rural financing should not be for profit but to meet social needs.

The RUFIN coordinator said that the model created by the agency for rural business plan, if implemented and sustained, would ensure that businesses outlive their owners.

He explained that the model entails sets of members in the groups guaranteeing the loans obtained by others from the micro finance institutions thereby ensuring the continued existence of the business.

Similarly, the Oyo State Microfinance Officer/Coordinator of RUFIN, Mr Emmanuel Ogundiran, said that the activities of the agency had in the last six years assisted in raising financial inclusion in rural areas.

Ogundiran, however, said that the inability of the state government to pay its counter-part fund in the last five years had hindered the extension of the programme to the 33 LGAs in the state. (NAN)
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(Edited and controlled by Mufutau Ojo)

Court jails teenager 1 year for rape
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Rape
By Monday Ajogun
Benin, Oct. 5, 2016 (NAN) An Oredo Magistrates’ Court in Benin on Wednesday jailed  a teenager, Taofeek Ibrahim, to one year imprisonment for unlawful attempt to have carnal knowledge of a five-year-old girl.

Ibrahim, 14, was tried on a one-count charge of unlawful carnal knowledge.

The Magistrates’, Mrs J.O Ejale, however, gave the convict an option to  N20, 000 as fine.

The Prosecutor, Sgt. Thomas Ojo, told the court that the convict committed the crime on July 14, 5015, at No. 37, at Iwehen Str., Benin.

Ojo said the offence contravened Section 218 of the criminal Code. (NAN)
AJOM/OFN

Economy: Expert advises MDAs to operate as business
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MDAs
By Cecilia Ologunagba
Lagos, Oct. 5, 2016 (NAN) An economist, Mr Adams Ohida, has advised Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to operate as business to enhance economic growth and development in the country.
Ohida told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos after addressing participants at the workshop on “Strategic Planning, Plan Formulation and Effective Linkage to Budgeting Process’’.
Ohida, who spoke on “Strategic Planning: Concepts, Processes and Functions,’’ urged MDAs to take the issue of efficiency seriously and plan strategically to achieve results.
“For example, how many banks do we have before? How many do we have today? We have 25 different banks now.
“If they were thinking strategically, they wouldn‘t have found themselves in such mess where some were eliminated and some were able to merge with other banks.
“In fact, you will remember that as many as nine banks merged; so that is what we are talking about, we must be thinking strategically,’’ the economist said.
Ohida, an Assistant Director with Centre for Management Development (CMD), said that the economic situation warranted thinking outside the box.
He said that most businesses, even those that were flourishing years back, could not function again while some government agencies had ceased to exist.
“Some are phased out and some have been merged with others: For example, CMD absorbed National Centre for Economic Administration.
“These are strategic issues; the idea of strategic planning is issue of effective and management of resources,’’ he said.
According to him, management planning is to align whatever you are doing with the vision, objectives and goals of the organisation.
“You have to think outside the box and think ahead; you have to be proactive, unlike the traditional management where they are reactive rather than proactive,’’ the director said.
He advised participants to use the knowledge acquired at the workshop to better themselves as well as their organisations.
NAN reports that about 450 officials drawn from 50 Federal Government MDAs attended the three-day workshop on planning and budgeting skills.
It was organised by the Ministry of Budget and National Planning and facilitated by CMD. (NAN)
CIA/WOJ
(Edited and controlled by Wale Ojetimi)

NAN-H-7
Training
Dutse, Oct. 5, 2016 (NAN) The Jigawa Government on Wednesday said it had trained 225 youths in apiculture (beekeeping) across the state.

Alhaji Muhammad Mujaddadi, Special Assistant to the state Gov. Muhammad Badaru on Economic Empowerment, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse.

Mujaddadi said that the beneficiaries were drawn from nine selected local government areas of the state.

He said that 25 youths benefitted from the training in each of the selected council areas.

The local government areas are Gwaram, Birninkudu, Buji, Guri, Auyo, Kirikasamma, Taura, Gwiwa and Garki.

The special assistant added that the trainees were given kits with which to start their businesses and become employers of labour.

According to him, the gesture was to reduce unemployment and youth restiveness.

 “As you are aware, the concept of youth economic empowerment is a top policy thrust of this administration,’’ he told NAN.

Mujaddadi advised the beneficiaries to utilise the kits well.

He also urged them to use skills they acquired to contribute meaningfully to the welfare of their families, communities, the state and the nation.

He gave the assurance that the state government would continue to initiate policies and programmes that would uplift the youth. (NAN)

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(Controlled by Ijeoma Popoola)

FG provides materials to reconstruct 5, 278 houses in Buni Yadi

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Reconstruction

Buni Yadi (Yobe) Oct. 5, 2016 (NAN) The Federal Government has provided building materials for the reconstruction of 5, 278 houses destroyed by Boko Haram in Buni Yadi, Yobe, a local official said on Wednesday.

Malam Bulama Bukar, the Chairman, Gujba Local Government Resettlement Committee said that the materials were provided through the Presidential Initiative on the North-East.

Bukar said that the materials include; 9,850 bundles of Zinc, 700 bags of cement and 300 bags of nails.

He said that a total of 5, 278 houses were destroyed in Buni Yadi with Ngomari area having the highest number of 1,302, Kasatchia, 862 and Shuwari, 824.

Others include; Hausari, 751, Fulatari, 501, Baburti, 479, Shehuri, 229, Zazzagawa, 132, Sabon Pegi 117 and Low Cost Housing Estate, 81 houses.

The chairman of the committee directed security operatives to arrest any person found selling the materials.

“Government will not tolerate any act of diversion or misuse of the materials. The security operatives are therefore mandated to arrest any person or group selling the materials.

“Government will continue to support displaced persons; we should exercise patience, support government and avoid any act of sabotage to these laudable efforts” he said.

He said that the materials were distributed in accordance with scale of destruction suffered by individual victims.

Alhaji Kyari Batarama, Chairman, Gujba Local Government, also urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the materials.

“We appreciate this generous donation by the Federal Government.

‘’We also call on the international community, non-governmental organisations and development partners to assist the victims reconstruct their houses and rehabilitate their lives” he said. (NAN)

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Edited by Dada Ahmed and Controlled by Maharazu Ahmed
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CORBON insists on statutory registration for builders

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Registration
By Emmanuella Anokam and Uche Bibilari

Abuja, Oct. 5, 2016 (NAN) The Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) has said that practitioners in the building industry must be registered and licensed by the council to qualify to bear title  `builder’.

CORBON is a government regulatory agency under the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing established in 1989 to regulate and control building technology profession practices.

Its mandate essentially is to determine who should be a builder, to regulate what a builder does as a professional either for a contracting organisation or as a technical personnel within the public sector.

CORBON Registrar, Dr Peter Kuroshi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday that anyone who wanted to function in the building industry must be duly licenced.

This measure, he said was aimed at curbing the menace of building collapse in the country.

“Unless a person has CORBON registration and licence; we don’t expect such a person to use the title ‘builder’ or to present himself as a builder in order to take up the responsibilities of a registered builder.

“So, we require that whoever is going to function in the industry as a builder must have CORBON registration and licence.

Kuroshi explained that by training, builders were responsible for building production management by exercising the duty of project quality management, safety management, construction programming as well as building maintenance.

He noted that the requirement for the council’s registration and licencing included tertiary education certificate and certificate of experience.

“Candidates for CORBON registration and licencing are supposed to have HND or BSc certificate in building as minimum qualification.

He added that the candidate was also expected to have worked under the supervision of an experienced registered builder for a period of time.

According to him, the experienced registered builder is the one who will take responsibility for whatever happens in the course of building projects.

However, he said, prior to approaching the council for registration and licencing, prospective candidates were required to pass through the Nigeria Institute of Building (NIOB) for professional examinations that would qualify them for registration.

“With that, the candidate is required to go through the NIOB to sit for some prescribed examinations; the terminal point is the attainment of corporate membership status.
“So, with that, the candidate can approach CORBON for registration and licencing.

Kuroshi described the recent collapse of a building owned by the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) in Gwarinpa District as unfortunate.

He emphasised that it was CORBON’s  responsibility, as a regulatory body, to ensure that only registered builders managed building production processes.

He, however, expressed regret that many project sites in the country were being handled by unregistered builders. (NAN)
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Edited by Cecilia Odey/Nkechi Okoronkwo

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Farmers get N247m for commercial agriculture in Cross River

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Agriculture

By Dianabasi Effiong

Calabar, Oct. 5, 2016 (NAN) Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River has approved the release of N247 million to 100 farmers trained under the World Bank supported Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP).

Mr. Ducham Amah, the Project Coordinator, made the disclosure in Calabar on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

“Each beneficiary gets between N2.4m and N2.5m and as I speak, all of them have received alert of this money as paid into their account.”

Amah said that the money would be released to the farmers in tranches.

The coordinator disclosed that the government had approved N85 million to train another set of 600 people in Songhai farm.

“We forwarded the list of 600 to the World Bank and to His Excellency, and two months ago he approved that list.

“He not only approved the list but also approved N85 million being the budget for the training of this 600 in Songhai farm. They are to commence their training this month.

“Not only that, we have also sent a proposal to him for the empowerment of this 600 and he has approved the sum of N1.5 billion to be spent on their empowerment.”

Amah said that the state would receive up to $26.34 million under the commercial agriculture programme.

He dismissed reports in the social media that the state was unable to access the funds.

“The state is not losing any money to World Bank because the total portfolio of the state is $26.34 million.

“So we don’t have anything to worry about. The beneficiaries are happy and the state is happy.”

Amah added that the state government was making efforts to pay its counterpart fund contribution to allow for engagement of more youths.

“In addition, the governor is making arrangement to ensure the release of the state contribution which is the counterpart fund to the project so that we can take more youths.

“The project was supposed to end in November 2016 but the World Bank had granted another extension so that we can train and empower this set of youths and women.

“Commercial agriculture programme is implemented in five states of the federation, Cross River, Kano, Kaduna, Enugu and Lagos and states.

“Cross River was selected because we have comparative advantage over other states in three value chain which is oil palm, cocoa and rice.

“We started in 2009 and expected to end in November 2014. It was further extended to enable the state utilise all the funds that were meant for the programme.

“Cross River state ranks very well among the five states in terms of performance,’’ Amah said. (NAN)

DOE/MZA

Edited by Dianabasi Effiong and Maharazu Ahmed

1. The Association of Micro-Entrepreneurs of Nigeria (AMEN) holds news conference in Lagos on the state of the economy.

2. Ekiti State Government distributes new cars to best performing teachers in recognition of the state’s performance in the last NECO examination.

3. The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) organises a Skill Acquisition/Youth Empowerment Programme in Akure.

4. An NGO, Community Peace Partnership Initiative (CPPI), meets with traditional rulers in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, to find lasting solution to the crisis in the area.

5. National Veterinary Research Institute NVRI), Jos, briefs journalists on new research devices by the institute.

6. Kokona Local Government of Nasarawa holds peace and security meeting in Keffi.

7. Taraba Coordinator, Legal Aid Council, briefs journalists in Jalingo.

8. A case of a man who allegedly raped a minor comes up at Egor Magistrate’s Court in Benin.

9. The Executive Vice-Chairman, Nigerian Communication Commission, inaugurates the inter agency professionals for the evaluation of the 2016 research submitted by the academics.

9. Breast Without Spot, an NGO in Enugu, marks World Cancer Awareness Day.

10. House of Representatives conduct investigative hearing on alleged corruption, malpractices and breach of due process in the award of oil prospecting licence.

11. House of Representatives continues plenary to deliberate on a Bill for an Act to provide for the Administration and Political Structure of Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory and Other Related Matters.

12. Senate continues deliberation on the recent earth tremours in Kaduna State and other legislative matters.

13. Chief of Army Staff addresses a news conference on the opening of 2016 Nigerian Army Sports Festival in Abuja.

14. Abuja International Trade Fair Continues.

15. The trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, for alleged false asset declaration, continues at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Abuja.

16. FCT High Court, Maitama, continues hearing in a case of alleged money laundering against retired Col. Sambo Dasuki, former National Security Adviser.

17. National Industrial Court hears a case of alleged unlawful dismissal, filed by some aggrieved staff against the Nigeria Police Service Commission.

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Herdsmen

By Temitope Ponle

Abuja, Oct. 4, 2016 (NAN) The ECOWAS has set up a working group to develop modalities to address clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the sub-region.

Mr Marcel de Souza said this when he was presenting the Community Status Report at the ongoing Second Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja on Tuesday.

De Souza was represented by the commission’s Vice President, Mr Edward Singhateh.

He said that the working group was expected to develop a holistic approach to address the situation by October.

“There is an initiative between ECOWAS and the military colleges in Jaji and Bamako and several funding agencies like Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), to take into consideration concerns of all parties involved.

“We are looking at coming up with holistic solutions to transhumance by October.”

Transhumance is an action or practice of moving livestock from one grazing ground to another in a seasonal cycle.

He said that the increased number of clashes between farmers and cattle breeders was regarded as a security concern for the region.

De Souza said that there was a need to implement a coordinated system for exploiting natural resources linked to transhumance which would promote a conflict-free environment and beneficial to both parties.

He explained that a Ministerial Task Force comprising Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Benin and Togo had been set up to appraise the situation and adopt measures aimed at reducing such clashes.

On the political situation in member states, de Souza commended the successful elections that were held in Benin and Niger.

He said that three elections were scheduled to hold in Cape Verde, Ghana and The Gambia.

“On the risk of tension in The Gambia, a call has been made for credible and peaceful elections,’’ he said. (NAN)

TOP/MO/OFN

Edited by Morayo Omolade//Felix Nwadioha