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NAN-AE-12

Disease
By EricJames Ochigbo

Abuja, Sept. 20, 2016 (NAN) A veterinarian, Dr Junaidu Maina, has urged the Federal Government to take proactive steps towards checking the prevalence of avian influenza in the country.

Maina gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.

NAN reports that the disease, which first broke out in the country in 2006 was brought under control in 2008, but resurfaced in 2015 and affected 322 poultry farms in 18 states while destroying more than 1.1 million birds.

NAN further reports that by Jan. 2016, the disease had become prevalent in 21 states of the federation, including the FCT and had destroyed 70,000 more birds.

Cue in audio

“The emergency preparedness document that we used in 2006 and 2008, we updated it and it is there.

“So all that is required is just to follow those steps and I think this is what is not happening probably, but there is no miracle about it.

“There is an emergency preparedness document that spells out exactly what to do, including what I call SOPs – Standard Operational Procedures – for every activity.

“And these were the exact steps we took in 2006 and 2008.

“It is laid out there; so if there is anything; it is probably the implementation of the emergency preparedness plan that is not probably done.

“That is the unfortunate thing.

“But the real danger is, if the disease becomes endemic – meaning if it stays with us forever – it will spell real disaster for our poultry industry.’’

Cue out audio

Maina said the implementation of the emergency preparedness plan was crucial to eliminating the disease. (NAN)

EOO/LAB/YEE
Edited by Lydia Beshel/Emmanuel Yashim

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Ozone Layer: NGO wants ban on refrigerator, air-conditioner

NAN-AE-13
Ban
Benin, Sept. 20, 2016 (NAN) A Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), “Save the Ozone” has called for a gradual ban of fully assembled refrigerator and air-conditioner equipment and appliances and their accessories in Nigeria.

Executive Director of the organisation, Mr Ozaveshe Balogun, made this call in Benin on Tuesday as part of activities to mark this year’s International Day for the preservation of the ozone layer.

He said the expected hitches such action could serve as a springboard for local industries to transfer the technology, thereby creating jobs for the unemployed.

This, he said, would create new opportunities for local marketers in Nigeria.

Balogun said Nigeria has the needed manpower and the required infrastructure to assemble or completely manufacture refrigerators and air conditioner equipment and appliances.

He said the United Nations General Assembly Resolution of 1994 set aside Sept. 16 every year as the International Day for the preservation of the ozone layer.

He said the theme for this year’s event is “Ozone and climate change; restored by a world United.”

Balogun said Nigeria should take advantage of the phase down of both ozone depleting substances and hydroflourocarbon refrigerant, to reduce the negative effect of climate change. (NAN)
ESI/AFA
Edited by Felix Ajide
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NAN-HE-8
Fund
By Ella Anokam

Abuja, Sept. 20, 2016 (NAN) Some aggrieved contributors to the National Housing Fund (NHF) Scheme have expressed disappointment over the difficulties in accessing the fund after meeting the necessary requirements.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NHF scheme, administered by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) through Primary Mortgage institutions, is designed to provide affordable housing to Nigerian workers.

Some contributors from the NIGCOMSAT Ltd Abuja, who spoke to NAN on Tuesday, called for government to address their plight.

The affected contributors told NAN that in 2011, they had expressed interest in buying houses from JEDO Investment Company Ltd., an estate developer.

Mr Kayode Babalola, Senior Manager, Network Operations Centre, NIGCOMSAT Ltd, Abuja, described the delay as “uncalled for and annoying’’, urging the Federal Government to review the scheme with immediate effect.
“I applied for a three-bedroom fully detached house at the rate of N12.7 million and in June 7, 2013, I paid equity of over N3.8 million, being 30 per cent of the cost of the building.

“I took a commercial loan from Heritage Bank Plc which I am repaying despite its high interest rate; but up till now, I have not been able to access the fund neither is the house made available to me.

“Immediately after the payment of equity, I also applied for the NHF loan of over N8.8 million in 2013 which is the remaining balance of the cost of the housing.

“Since then, no house, no NHF loan and no refund and I have been paying house rent and repaying the commercial loan I took from the bank for equity payment.’’

Babalola said that all NHF applicants, including himself, were moved from Trans Atlantic Mortgage Bank which was said not to be fully recapitalised with CBN, to Resort Savings and Loans Ltd.
“The Resort Savings and Loans Ltd. still requested us to pay the same N100, 000 processing fee which we already paid at the former PMB that was packaging us. We all paid, still our money is hanging.
“It was until we went to FMBN that we were notified that Resort Savings and Loans Ltd. had problems. If we had not gone there, we would not have known.
“We later moved to Mutual Alliance Mortgages Ltd., another PMB and were told to pay again, though the bank promised to intercede for us to have access to our houses,’’ Babalola said.
Another contributor, Mr Japheth Zubairu, Senior Manager, Satellite Control Centre, NIGCOMSAT Abuja, said that he had been contributing to the NHF scheme since 2008 as a private contributor and later merged the account when he became a government employee.
Zubairu said that as an active contributor to the scheme, he got a three-bedroom semi-detached house from the estate developer at the rate of N13 million and paid an equity of 30 per cent with a bank loan in June 2013.

“The FMBN promised us then that we will get our houses within six to nine months but we waited up to 2014; then started putting pressure on them till this moment.

“After an investigation on the scheme, it was revealed that FMBN has not been able to pay one per cent of its subscribers.

“I have contributed more than one million naira; FMBN deducts close to N25, 000 from my salary monthly,’’ he said.
Zubairu appealed to the government to sanitise the FMBN and put credible people who could serve the people in a transparent manner.

“There is a misappropriation of this fund somehow; those who don’t have houses are being given the cash while those who have the houses are being denied for no just reason,’’ he added.
Another contributor, Mr Nuhu Jimoh, Deputy Manager with NIGCOMSAT, said he also applied for a three-bedroom at N14 million, paid equity and met all requirements.
He said that many financial transactions had been done in respect to securing a house for his family.

He said he was sad when asked to pay another processing fee by the PMB after an initial processing fee paid to the former PMB.
The contributors told NAN that they had written to the Department of State Service (DSS) and the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, apart from several letters written to FMBN.

They said they also wrote to EFCC, ICPC and Consumer Protection Council in 2014 still the matter was unresolved.
NAN learnt that the developer was also awaiting the housing loan to be disbursed to him before giving the contributors access to the house or a guarantee for the payment if actually they would have access.

Reacting to the complaints, the FMBN Acting Managing Director, Mr Richard Esin, told NAN that the issue was receiving his attention.

Esin said that the FMBN had had several meetings with the estate developer in order to resolve the issue because the bank was committed to the well-being of its contributors.

“The NHF is from workers’ salaries; so if there is any fund in this country that should be administered with the highest level of transparency, objectivity, prudence and diligence, it is the NHF,’’ Esin said. (NAN)
ELLA/FF/NKO

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Edited by Fela Fashoro

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NAN-H-67
Case
By Tukur Muntari
Warawa (Kano State), Sept. 20, 2016 (NAN) A Magistrates’ Court sitting in Warawa, Kano State, on Wednesday adjourned the case involving six herdsmen and a rice farmer, Alhaji Adamu Mohammed, over alleged destruction of rice farms by the herdsmen to Oct. 4 for hearing.

The accused were charged for inciting disturbance and mischief.

The State Counsel, Mr Mutawakil Isaq, had on resumption of the case told the court that although the case was fixed for hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 20, he had yet to receive the case diary from the Police Area Command, Wudil.

Similarly, he said he intended to join the two cases to have a single information before the court for ease of prosecution.

“This is because the complainants, the accused and witnesses are the same.

“Further more, the subject matter of the two cases is the same and happened on the same date and time.

“More importantly, there are suspects who are still at large and they cannot be tried in absentia,”  he said.

He, therefore, urged the court to adjourn the case to another date for hearing, adding that in the interim, we would do the needful to come ready and prepared to prosecute the case.

The Defence Counsel, Mr A. M. Usman, said in his submission that he had no objection to the application to merge the two cases.

He wondered why the state counsel could not receive the case file during the last adjournment date.

The presiding officer, Magistrate Asma’u Mohammed, said in view of the reasons given by state counsel, the court had no option than to adjourn the case to Oct. 4, to enable the state counsel get the case diary.

She, however,  said that the bail of the accused should continue. (NAN)
MTM/IM
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(Edited Ibrahim Mammaga)

NAN-H-71
Remand
By Ugochi Ugochukwu
Abuja, Sept. 20, 2016 (NAN) A Lugbe Grade 1 Area Court in Abuja on Tuesday remanded a 29-year-old security guard, Awuapila Benjamin, in prison for alleged negligent conduct.

Benjamin, a resident of Chika Estate, Airport Road, Abuja, was arraigned on a one-count charge of negligent conduct.

He was employed by one Onuigbe Eucharia to guard and secure his premises.

The Senior Judge, Mr Garba Ogbede, ordered that Benjamin be remanded in Kuje Prison till Oct. 7.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Ndidi Ukoha, had informed the court that Eucharia, of the same address, reported the matter in Lugbe Police Station on Sept. 8
Ukoha told the court that Benjamin left his duty post as a security guard and in the process unknown persons came into the compound and made away with the complainant’s properties.

She said that the worth of the properties was yet to be estimated.

Benjamin pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor informed the court that the offence contravened Section 196 of the Penal Code. (NAN)
UGO/TA
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Edited/Controlled by Tajudeen Atitebi

NAN-H-67
Centre
By Kazeem Akande
Lagos, Sept. 20, 2016 (NAN) The Electronic Payment Providers’ Association of Nigeria (EPPAN) on Tuesday canvassed for establishment of a risk information centre to enhance banking sector’s vigilance on fraud.

The EPPAN Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Onajite Regha, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the centre would act in the interest of the industry in maintaining a comprehensive banking fraud database.

“Such information centre will serve as a nodal point for information analysis and dissemination on bank fraud.

“It will also provide relevant support for law enforcement agencies, and drive industry awareness programme for the general public,’’ Regha said.

According to Regha, the centre will drive institutional local and international collaborations to fight fraud and support the banking industry in designing and implementing collaborative programmes.

“The advantages of such a centre are multi-dimensional for the banking industry.

“It will contribute to making the country’s banking sector safer and instill customer confidence.

“The beauty of a central banking risk information centre is that individual companies and institutions can preserve their original mandates as it relates to crime fighting,’’ Regha added.

She said that the centre would support existing processes in the industry without duplicating any function or upsetting existing ecosystem in the criminal justice process.

According to Regha, the centre will reduce the cost of fighting cybercriminals in terms of finance and other resources.

She said that it would provide a holistic view by which every individual organisation could appraise its positions and ensure immediate alert system.

Regha added that the centre would help to eliminate   occurrence of same crime type in different organisations.

She urged organisations in the banking sector to unite against cybercrime. (NAN)
AKA/COF/IGO
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(Edited by Oluyinka Fadare and controlled by Ijeoma Popoola)

NAN-H-68
Chicken
Alex Enebeli
Enugu, Sept. 20, 2016 (NAN) A businessman, Mike Onu has dragged two brothers, Eugene Okeke, 55 and  Francis Okeke, 45, before an Enugu North Magistrates’ Court for alleged willful destruction of his frozen chicken worth N3.5m.
The two accused persons were said to have denied the complainant access to the cold room at No 14 Mgbemena St, Coal Camp, in Enugu where he kept his frozen chickens for sale.

Onu told the court during cross examination on Tuesday that the accused prevented him and his workers from collecting the chicken from the cold room for weeks, thereby making them to go bad.

The complainant said that the accused claimed ownership of the house while he paid rents to another person who also claimed to be the landlord of the building.

The complainant said he reported the matter to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Enugu and the accused persons were arrested and that they agreed to compensate him with N3.5m.

He said that one of the accused only paid him N500, 000 and their reluctance to pay the balance made him to institute a criminal case against them.
The Magistrate, Ifeoma Oruruo adjourned the matter to Oct. 4, for continuation of hearing. (NAN)
AAE/MNA/BOS

(Edited by Maureen Atuonwu, controlled by Dele Bodunde)

Samsung Galaxy Note7 not officially introduced in Nigeria – Official

NAN-H-65
Samsung
By Constance Athekame and Happiness Obi
Abuja, Sept.  20, 2016 (NAN) An official of Samsung Electronic West Africa, Mr Zain Mamudu, says the Samsung Galaxy Note7 has not been officially introduced into the Nigerian market.

Mamudu, who is Manager, Samsung Customer Service Centre in Abuja told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday that the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was slated to be introduced in the country in October.

NAN recalls that the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) issued a directive that the company should recall the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 within seven days.

This development followed worldwide reports of dozens of the phone exploding while being charged due to fault in the battery.

However, a statement from the Samsung Electronics West Africa Ltd., which earlier announced the postponement of the launch said that the devise was isolated due to battery cell problems.

“Although the Galaxy Note7 has not been released in Nigeria, the current Galaxy Note7 users are kindly advised to visit the nearest Samsung Authorized Service Centre for immediate assistance about replacement programme.

“We acknowledge the inconvenience this may have caused in the market, but this is to ensure that Samsung continues to deliver the highest quality products to Samsung customers.

“Samsung is completely committed to fixing this problem and ensuring the highest level of safety and satisfaction for its customers,” Samsung said.

A Samsung distributor of Mehdi Global Ltd, who requested not to be named, told NAN that the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was not supplied to the company or any of the company’s dealers.

He however said that even if the phone got into the country, it was probably bought in Dubai or elsewhere because not all the units manufactured had problem.

Another phone dealer, Miss Joan okechukwu also told NAN that her company never sold the Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

“We never sold the said phone but heard of the directive by Consumer Protection Commission asking Samsung West Africa to withdraw the phones from the country,” she said.

NAN reports many shops visited also said that they did not sell the phone. (NAN)
HOU/COA/GY
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Edited/Controlled by Grace Yussuf

NAN-HE- 20

Economy

By Cecilia Ologunagba

Abuja, Sept. 20, 2016 (NAN) The Ministry of Budget and National Planning says it has designed a fiscal stimulus strategy that will help the country to come out of its economic recession.

This is contained in a document entitled “ Turning a Crisis into an Opportunity: the Economy and the 2017 Budget,’’ obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

The document was presented by the Minister of Budget, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma, at the recent Ministerial Retreat, to harvest ideas to come out of the economic crisis.

Udoma said that Economic Management Team had been working on a plan to generate an immediate large injection of funds into the economy.

He said that the team had plans to generate and inject large amount of funds, principally in foreign currency, estimated at 10 to 15 billion dollars into the economy.

The minister said that funds would be generated through Asset Sales, Advance Payment for Licence renewals, infrastructure concessioning, use of recovered funds etc, to bridge the funding gap.

“To achieve this speedily, we will need to fast-track procedures through Presidential directives and legislation; a bill is almost ready for submission to National Assembly.’’

The minister, however, emphasised the need for the country to spend its way out of recession through injection of large amount of money into the economy.

“The 2016 Budget performance is reflective of the low revenue out-turns attributable to the global and domestic developments earlier highlighted.

“Oil revenues fell significantly in the second quarter compared to the first quarter as a result of increased oil pipeline vandalism and production shut-ins.

“Non-oil revenues also declined due to the acute shortage of foreign exchange,’’ Udoma said.

The minister said that the failure to diversify the economy and implement the national goals due to lack of discipline in the past had made the country witness negative growth.

He said that the government had put measures in place to diversify the economy.

He said some of the measures included “ tackling challenges inhibiting private sector participation in the upstream petroleum sector and building on the petroleum products deregulation (7.9 billion dollars or about 30 per cent of Forex demand in 2015).

It will also boost agricultural production for food sufficiency, as food imports has the third highest demand for Forex (3.4 billion dollars in 2015 or about 8 per cent of total demand).

The minister said another measure was “growing non-oil exports in the light of competitive and comparative advantage created by devaluation following the introduction of a market reflective exchange rate’’.

In addition, he said that the government was working hard to resolve the militant disruptions in the Niger Delta.

Udoma said the major factor responsible for the recession was the over dependence of the economy on revenues from a single commodity, petroleum.

According to him, revenue source is not sustainable since the country doesn’t control the price of crude oil.

He said unsustainable structure was characterised by some indices, including “oil sector less than 9 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but about 80 per cent of government revenue and 95 per cent of Forex.

Other indices are “non-oil sector about 90 per cent of GDP (of which 52 per cent was indirectly dependent on Oil) but less than 20 per cent of government revenue.

According to him, another index is declining capital expenditure with rising recurrent expenditure (2015 about 10 per cent capital) and import dependent consumption growth model with stagnant growth in Investment to GDP.

Other indices, the minister said,  included collapse of crude oil prices from over 110 dollars per barrel in 2014 to less than 30 dollars per barrel in the first quarter of 2016 (recently rising but still less than 50 dollars per barrel).

The collapse in the crude price has also led to reduced confidence,  leading to declining Equity and Foreign Investment Capital Inflows from 9.7 billion dollars by end of second quarter 2014, to 0.64 billion dollars at the end of second quarter of 2016.

NAN reports that Nigeria’s economy formally entered recession in the third quarter of the year when its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in real terms declined by -2.06 per cent in second quarter, according to National Bureau of Statistics.

The figure was lower by 1.70 per cent points from the negative growth rate of 0.36 per  cent recorded in the preceding quarter.

By economic principles, an economy enters recession when the contractions are observed at least two quarters (NAN).

CIA/GOM/IA

Edited by Gregory Mmaduakolam/Idris Abdulrahman

NLC seeks youth participation in trade union

NAN-H-63

Youths

By Bukola Adewumi

Abuja, Sept. 20, 2016 (NAN) Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) President Ayuba Wabba, on Tuesday in Abuja urged Nigerian youths to participate actively in trade union activities.

Wabba made the call at the NLC National Youth Conference with the theme “Promoting Youth Participation in Trade Union,”

He noted that in as much as NLC is the most vibrant in Africa, leading other Africa countries in trade unionism, it was doing itself a great disservice by not allowing youth participation in its activities.

“We need to encourage youths from the local council to the national level to fully participate in trade union activities.

“NLC has ordered its affiliate bodies to set up structures that will accommodate the youth.

“The youths need to be given a chance; they need to come in and get their right of place to drive the process of change that the country is yarning for at the moment.

“I started my trade union career in 1989 when I was barely 21 years old; I passed through the rudiments and was fully involved in the activities of the union until I got to where I am today.”

He said that it was high time youths replaced the aging workforce, adding that they would be able to drive the new face of labour unions, if the elders gave them the needed space.

According to him, youths remain the centre of leadership and must be supported.

He said that allowing youths to exercise their energy on unionism would help to build a lasting structure which must come with integrity and commitment to the union.

Also speaking, Mr Christopher Johnson, the Programme Director for African Solidarity Centre, said there was the need to build workers’ power with the youth as the driving force.

He said that youths were technologically savvy, young people were better positioned to lead the old; hence, they must be given a chance in the trade union

“Seventy per cent of Nigerians are between the ages of 18 and 35 and if such people are not given a chance to move into labour union, then something is fundamentally wrong.”

Comrade Lucy Offiong, the Chairperson, Youth Conference Planning Committee, said it was time to bring in the youth who should be trained and educated on the ideals of NLC.

He advised the youths not to allow the NLC to regret the action of bringing them into trade union activities, adding that they should feel free to ask  the President any questions agitating their minds.

“We want the labour union to succeed so that when we are leaving, we can be sure we are handing over to a vibrant and committed youth.”

A participant, Mayowa Abutu, and member, Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), lauded the move by the NLC to give the youth a chance.

She said that this act would encourage many youths to get fully involved in trade union activities and urged youths to avail themselves of the opportunity provide by the NLC to enage in trade unionism. (NAN)

BOL/NKO/NKO

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(Edited by Nkechi Okoronkwo)