Blog

Inauguration

By Victor Adeoti

Osogbo, Sept. 14, 2018 (NAN) Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Saturday inaugurated 20,000 unemployed youths into Osun Youth Empowernment Scheme (OYES).

Osinbajo, while perfoming the inauguration at the Osogbo City Stadium, urged the new employees to be committed and dedicated to their duty.

The vice president said the Federal Government’s Npower Programme was designed to be similar to OYES.

Osinbajo, who noted that Federal Government had employed 500,000 youths into Npower programme, said it was designed to prepare the youth for entreprenurship life.

While commending Osun Government for putting up the scheme, the Vice President said the country would benefit greatly, if OYES could be embraced by other state governments.

He, however, urged the employed youths to contribute positively to the development of the state.

” As you are inaugurated today, you have a duty not only to yourself but to the state and the nation at large.

“You are a leader of today because the future belong to you and we are looking forward to your leadership greatness,” the vice president said.

Earlier, Gov. Rauf Aregbesola said the youth were inaugurated into the scheme to engage them positively.

Aregbesola said 20,000 youths were inaugurated into the scheme, adding that 250,000 applications were received across the 30 local government areas in the state, when the job offer was advertised.

He said the inauguration was the 4th since the begining of his administration in 2010.

Aregbesola said that due to youths engagement in productive engagement, the state had the least of crime rate in the country.

” Youths are the future of any nation and any nation which did not engage youths in productive ventures is doomed.

“But because of our belief in youths engagement, that is why we are engaging our youths in this scheme,” Aregbesola said. (NAN)

VE/IA

Lawmaker trains 3350 youths on skills acquisition

Graduation
By Mohammed Lawal
Zaria (Kaduna State), Sept. 15, 2018 (NAN) Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa’i of Kaduna State on Saturday lauded Dr Abbas Tajuddeen for training 3350 youths on different skills to enable them become self reliant.

El-Rufa’i stated this Zaria while inaugurating series of projects executed by Tajuddeen, member representing Zaria federal constituency on the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC).

He said the member was alive to his responsibilities, hence the need for people of Zaria federal constituency to support his bid for re-election.

The lawmaker said the state government had released N200 million loan to Commissioner for Women Affairs to be disbursed to people trained on different skills across the state.

“The essence is to support people like you to get something as take off grant for your businesses. Therefore, you should be united and form cooperatives to be able to benefit from such gesture.

“I pray God Almighty to bless Tajuddeen, bless his struggle and I pray what he has done will be a milestone toward more success in life.”

In his speech, the Reps member pledged to offer more quality service to the constituency.

“I am glad that Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa’i had honoured my invitation and come to Zaria to commission some of my constituency projects, which are meant to change the lives of the constituents.

“This is a great honour I will never forget in my life. Your Excellency, time will not permit us to commission all the new projects numbering about 26, however, I am glad you were able to inspect and commission some of them.

“But I hope you will come next time to commission more projects and bless those projects as well as the people of Zaria.”

He recalled that during his first tenure as member of House of Representatives, he was able to secure only two projects for his constituency.

Tajuddeen, however, expressed satisfaction that he was able to secure 26 new projects in his second tenure.

“I have sponsored 41 bills in three years and presented 17 motions. I stand bold to say that in the whole of Northern Nigeria, no lawmaker has made such contributions to the house.”

He said the youths were among those who benefited from the skills acquisition programme he initiated introduced in 2013.

The Manager, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) of the training centre, Alhaji Buhari Musa described the graduation ceremony as historic in view of the fact that the governor was in attendance.

He charged the beneficiaries to make effective use of what they learned to become employers of labour and holistically contribute to societal growth and national development.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Governor had also commissioned two Junior Secondary Schools at Unguwan Dankali and Wucicciri, four blocks of three classrooms at Limanchi among others. (NAN)
KLM/MZA
========

Flood: FG approves N3bn to respond, mitigate disaster

Flood
By Lizzy Okoji
Abuja, Sept. 15, 2018 (NAN) The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMATODE) has received N3 billion to respond to the looming flood disasters following a red alert issued on Sept. 7 by the National Hydological Services Agency (NHISA).

Mr Mustapha Maihaja, Director General, NEMA, made this known on Saturday in Abuja during a meeting of NEMA with stakeholders to assess the reports from the fact finding committees after visiting the flood prone states.

According to Maihaja, President Muhammadu Buhari approved N3billion for the first stages of preparedness, response disaster mitigation.

Maihaja said that the agency has immediately swung into action in case there are more worrying indications of a looming flood.

He said that reports from the fact finding committees are worrisome as some states including Niger, Kogi, Delta and Anambra have already started witnessing flooding.

“From the first response, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved up to N3 billion for the first response.

“We are here today to assess the already alarming situation, with declaration of red alert done on Sept. 7.

The declaration further culminated to the constitution of six committees that went round twelve States.

“NiMet has reported that from today to the next 72 hours, there would be continuous rain in the North, the Central and the Southern States of Nigeria.

“NHISA has reported also that today, the levels at the measuring stations, at the confluence of the Rivers Niger and Benue at Lokoja is 10.98 meters.

“This confirms that the volume is still increasing and with the threatening in flow at Lagdo Dam, with the level as at yesterday recorded at 21.4 meters when compared to the highest level.

“They will be forced to discharge at 21.6 meters that means we are left at 0.2 meters to get to that level and the continuous inflow makes it more worrisome,’’ Maihaja said.

Maihaja said that it was on that note that stakeholders under the coordination of NEMA have activated a National Contingency Plan, a policy document, which gives NEMA the power to establish operational structure.

The director general said that an operational structure has being put in place with a National Emergency Operational Centre domicile at the NEMA headquarters and five Zonal Emergency Operational Centres (EOC).

Maihaja said that EOC A, will be responsible for operations in the following States; Kebbi, Niger and Kwara States.

He said that EOC B will be responsible for operations in Edo and Kogi States, while EOC C will be operational at Amambra and Delta States.

He listed EOC D to be responsible for operations in Benue, Taraba and Adamawa and lastly, EOC E to be responsible for operations in Rivers and Bayelsa.

Maihaja said that the NEMA situation room was also being activated for collecting data, analyzing the data for information sake to guide the operations of the national EOCs and the Zonal EOCs.

He said that the nation would be given regular information and updates on further developments.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on Friday, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered Maihaja to declare a “national disaster’’ in the event that anticipated flooding turns a reality in some parts of the country.

The President’s directive follows a warning from NHISA that Rivers Niger and Benue have almost reached the levels that resulted in the 2012 flooding. (NAN)
LIZ/AFA
======
Edited by Felix Ajide

Appeal

By Mustapha Sumaila

Abuja, Sep 15, 2018 (NAN) The Ona of Abaji and Chairman, FCT Traditional Ruling Council, Alhaji Adamu Yunusa, has appealed to the National Assembly to enact law for compulsory HIV test for intending couples in the country.

Yunusa made the appeal while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of a conference.

The conference was on harnessing Demographic Dividend (DD) for sustainable development in Nigeria, the role of Muslim religious leaders by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Abuja.

He explained that HIV was being spread through marriages in rural communities and cities hence the need to check it with such law in place.

The monarch said that when HIV test was made compulsory for any intending couple, it would drastically reduce the spread of the disease.

“I am appealing to the National Assembly to come up with law prevailing on anyone who intends to marry to go for HIV test to prevent the spread of this disease in the country.

“At community level, we have started it, if we are joining people together now as husband and wife in communities in my domain, we ask for result of HIV test to know the status of the couple concerned.

“When this is made compulsory all over the places through a law, it will help in no small measure in reducing or eradicating HIV/AIDS,” he said. (NAN)

MS/IA

NAFOWA trains 68 students on skill acquisition in Kaduna

Graduation

By Mohammad Tijjani

Kaduna, Sept 15.2018(NAN)The Nigerian Air Force Officers Wives Association ,(NAFOWA), Air Training Command (ATC), on Saturday said it had graduated no few than 68 students on skill acquisition in three months.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report that the 68 students were trained in tailoring, fashion designs, catering crafts and computer appreciation.

The Chairperson, Mrs Nabila Idris said the National President of NAFOWA, Hajiya Hafsat Abubakar, initiated the skills acquisition and vocational training programme.

“We have continued to show commitment in complementing the Federal Government effort at decreasing the level of unemployment amongst youths and women.”

She said that the beneficiaries were drawn from the Nigeria Air Force Bases and surrounding communities.

“The NAFOWA Kaduna vocational center has been able to create a website for better communication and advertisement and reaching out and informing the people both within and outside base about the various vocational training and it’s affordability.

“This is to encourage the youth and other individuals to be gainfully employed after their training .”she said.

Also, the Commandant, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, AVM Lawal Shittu-Aloa, commended NAFOWA for the initiative.

He called on the beneficiaries to use what they learnt to earn decent income and further their education.

“The skills that you acquire should be with you for life; on our part we will continue to support you all the time, and to  NAFOWA for it to live up to their responsibility, “Shittu-Aloa assured. (NAN)

TJ/MZA

Godfatherism

By Adekunle Williams
Lagos, Sept. 15, 2018 (NAN) The Gubernatorial candidate of the Alliance for Democracy in Lagos State, Mr Owolabi Salis, says poverty level in the country had made godfatherism popular in Nigeria.

Salis made the assertion while speaking with newsmen on his arrival from the U.S. on Saturday at the Murtala Muhammad International Airports (MMIA), Ikeja.

He said the country still had high level of poverty because the government had not really practiced true governance.

According to him, true governance bridges the gap between the rich and the poor in meeting the needs of the people.

This, he said, was in terms of providing basic education, health facilities and housing for the people which Lagos State and the country at large lacked.

“The issue of godfatherism is a major challenge in the country because politicians see themselves as gods.

“Aspirants now worship their godfathers just to attain their desired position.

“What we now have in Lagos State and in the country as a whole is that we now worship godfathers.

“Everybody is now preaching sir sir sir just for the aim of getting to a position,” he lamented.

“People now engage with godfathers just to get what they want from them and as soon as power get to their hands, then they now see the real life.

“Such persons will now be after his godfather alone or sometimes neglect him. It has happened in the past and it is still happening and it will continue to happen if poverty is not reduced to the nearest minimum,” he said.

Salis said godfatherism was not only common in the All Progressives Congress (APC), but 0was also in other parties as well.

He said they would raise someone that din’t understand the grassroots politics in the state and impose it on other aspirants.

Salis said this practice should be stopped because it was already affecting the political economy.

The governorship candidate said that the main objective of his ambition was to take Lagos commonwealth back to residents.

Salis said, “My concern is about the economic impact of the less privileged. There is currently a big challenge in Lagos State and at the moment, the gap is not bridged, rather than being  bridged between the rich and the poor, is widening.

He said that the rich people were getting richer while the poor were getting poorer, adding that his main purpose was to bridge that gap in basic needs of the people.

Salis said: “If you look at the health, education and the housing situation, they are negliged in the state, the rich people are leveraging on the resources and population of the state to enrich themselves while the poor are being neglected.

“We have a lot of resources in the state but it is just going into the private hands. We want to take government and give it to the people.

“We are going to set up grassroots governance, I don’t want to release the procedural approach but the basic idea is that we are going to practice a grassroots system whereby the people will be involved in how their resources are being used. (NAN)
WAC/PDE
=======
(Editing by Peter Ejiofor)

Examination

By Chinyere Nwachukwu
Lagos, Sept. 15, 2018 (NAN) The School of Foundation, University of Lagos (UNILAG), is to conduct the second entrance examination for the 2018 academic session.

The Director of the School, Prof. Timothy Nubi, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos.

According to him, the second entrance examination is to give another opportunity to all candidates who missed the first one that was conducted on Aug. 27 and Aug. 28.

NAN reports that students, who successfully completed the foundation programme, will be offered direct entry admission into the second year of degree programmes through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

The examination is administered by the Joint University Preliminary Examination Board (JUPEB).

Nubi said that preparations for the smooth conduct of the second entrance examination into the school have already been concluded.

“We are ready for the second entrance examination as we will commence the sales of forms on Monday Sept. 17

“The sales of forms will last for only 10 days and the examination will take place on Sept. 27 and it is for just a day.

“We therefore, call on prospective candidates to visit our website for more information on how to go about the registration,’’ he said.

NAN further reports that over 5, 000 candidates participated during the first batch of the entrance examination and the results have since been released.

The director advised candidates to get familiar with the use of computer.

“I admonish candidates who are not computer literate to start familiarising themselves with it and ensure they prepare well,’’ he said.
(NAN)
CCN/ESAN/PDE
===========
(Edited by Abiodun Esan/Peter Ejiofor)

Aircraft
Kaduna, Sept. 15, 2018(NAN ) The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar, has said that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) acquired 30 aircraft and activated 13 grounded ones in the last three years.

Abubakar disclosed this on Saturday at the inauguration of the new Headquarters of Air Training Command, and the Sports complex at the Air Force Comprehensive School in Kaduna.

He said professionalism was about providing serviceable equipment and making case to the Federal Government to provide equipment required.

“I am very happy in the last three years, we were able to acquire 18 aircraft, similarly the Federal Government have paid for additional 12 aircraft, if put together is 30,” Abubakar said.

“Professionalism is also ensuring that we activate what currently we have; hence we embarked on renovation of our grounded aircraft.

“So far, we have activated 13 aircraft and working on the 14 to15 ones both in Port Harcourt in Rivers State,’’ Abubakar said.

According to him, professionalism is having the right structure, hence the decision to unbundle the former Training Command to Air Training Command and Ground Training Command.

He disclosed that the NAF increased its manpower from 1,000 a year to 1,500 minimum annually.

“We also recognised the need to have required numbers of officers, in addition to the one coming from Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and that is why we enlisted 400 Direct Short Service Commission Officers’’ he said.

The CAS also pledged to improve the welfare of personnel hence it embarked on construction of accommodation and renovation of existing ones including office accommodation.

He said that the NAF was able to make the achievements through the support of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Earlier, the Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Air Training Command, AVM Muhammad Idris, commended Abubakar for his visionary and well thought leadership.

He said the construction of the air training command headquarters was completed in eight months. (NAN)
TJ/FAT/MNA
========
Edited by Fatima Sule/Maureen Atuonwu

Malpractice

By Chinyere Nwachukwu
Lagos, Sept. 15, 2018 (NAN) The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has urged the Federal Government to enact a law that would enable it to demobilise networks in all centres during the conduct of its examinations.

The Head, Public Affairs of the council, Mr Damianus Ojijeogu, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos.

Ojijeogu said this would help to further tackle the rising cases of examination malpratice among candidates in the country.

He spoke against the backdrop of activities of some fraudulent persons who operated rogue websites and use it to defraud candidates by posting wrong questions and answers during its examinations.

“You know, WAEC is not a national body. It is a regional body and as a result, we must always strive to operate within the ambit of the law that sets up the examination body.

“The fight against malpractice has remained one of our key challenges in ensuring that the integrity of our examination is not compromised.

“As such, we want all stakeholders, especially the Federal Government to join hands with us in taking it seriously and fighting the scourge.

“Indeed we want to appeal to the Federal Government to assist us further by passing a law that will enable WAEC to jam the respective networks in all centres during our examinations.

“This is because countries where this has been successfully carried out, it is the governments of such countries that made it possible, for the sake of the future of their children and their education,’’ Ojijeogu said.

According to him, the council on its own, is doing all it can to tackle the menace by continually deploying cutting edge technologies and training and re-training of staff, to be able to detect and nip all forms of malpractice before it can be carried out.

“It will be recalled that we use persons who are not WAEC staff during the conduct of our examinations and therefore, we must always be proactive by being ahead.

“We are always putting measures in place to ensure that operators of those rogue websites are also apprehended and charged to court.

“In April this year, during the conduct of our West African Senior School Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, some operators were caught and paraded, same as last year.

“For this year, we have also been notified about their activities at our ongoing second series 2018 WASSCE for private candidates and we are already investigating to find out their location.

“We are indeed working hard to get as much information as possible in order to assist the police to swing into action.

“So far, about 12 persons who have been arrested in connection with these fraudulent activities have been charged to court and our expectation is that the law will take its full course to serve as deterrent to others,’’ he said.

Ojijeogu noted that the fraudsters were currently working hard to defraud gullible candidates writing the WASSCE for private candidates by posting past questions of some subjects using various social media platforms.

“These questions are papers already taken at the Gambia and Sierra Leone and we want to admonish candidates not to fall prey to these persons as it is capable of compromising their performance and their future,’’ he said. (NAN)
CCN/PDE
=======
(Editing by Peter Ejiofor)

2018 hajj: First batch of 551 Katsina State pilgrims arrive home

Pilgrims
By Zubairu Idris
Katsina, Sept. 15, 2018 (NAN) The first batch of Katsina State pilgrims numbering 551, arrived home after completion of the 2018 hajj.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the pilgrims were from Funtua zone comprising Bakori, Dandume, Funtua, Faskari and Danja Local Government Areas of the state.

The pilgrims arrived Umaru Musa Yar’adua International Airport at about 4:30 p.m. on Friday.The pilgrims also arrived with both their handbag and suitcases.

Some of the pilgrims thanked the Almighty Allah for giving them the opportunity to perform the pilgrimage and return home safely.

Alhaji Zahraddeen Umar, one of the pilgrims, commended the state government for taking care of them during the hajj.

Umaru said that both the state and Federal Government deserve commendation for providing them with accommodation at Madina and Makkah.

Umar, who is among the media team, said that the 2018 hajj recorded successes, even though there were some problems here and there.

He also expressed appreciation to the state government for feeding them well during the pilgrimage.

Another pilgrim, Alhaji Nura Muhammad, commended the state government for sponsoring preachers and medical workers who guided and assisted the pilgrims during the hajj.

NAN also gathered that the second batch of the state’s pilgrims were already at King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jedda, Saudi Arabia on their way home.

About 2,800 people performed the 2018 hajj from the state. (NAN)
ZI/COO/MZA
=======
Edited by Cecilia Odey