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Flood kills 18, destroys 6,637 houses in Jigawa -Official

NAN-AE-1

Flood

Dutse, Sept. 20, 2016 (NAN) The Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said flood had killed 18 persons and destroyed 6,637 houses in about 19 local government areas in the state.

It’s Executive Secretary, Alhaji Yusif Sani, said this while briefing newsmen on the activities of the agency on Tuesday in Dutse.

Sani said that the incidents occurred during the current rainy season.

He explained that the persons died in Gwaram, Dutse, Jahun, Gumel and Ringim local government areas of the state.

The executive secretary said that the flood destroyed 141 houses in Dutse; 419 in Jahun; 525 in Hadejia, 417 in Babura; 525 in Ringim; 822 in Gumel; 529 in Malammadori and 126 in Birninkudu local government areas.

According to him, the disaster also claimed 68 houses in Taura; 120 in Kazaure; 691 in Maigatari; 336 in Gagarawa; 67 in Buji; 96 in Kirikasamma; 101 in Garki; 856 in Kiyawa; 87 in Kafinhausa; 57 in Gwaram and 54 in Suletankarkar local government areas.

Sani added that some of deaths were as a result of building collapse, adding that three persons also sustained injuries when some of the buildings crashed.

He said the state government had already intervened by providing cash assistance to be given to the victims in phases.

“The state has already started intervening in order to mitigate the suffering of the victims.

“We started with Jahun Local Government Area where we gave over N2.3 million to the victims to buy foodstuff.

“And this will continue until we reach all the victims in the state,” he said. (NAN)

MNB/AMY

Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf

NAN-HG-1
Outreach
Omu-Aran (Kwara), Sept. 20, 2016 (NAN) The Aro Bamgbose Biannual Medical Outreach, an NGO, says it has offered free treatment to no fewer than 6,000 patients for different ailments in Omu-Aran, Kwara, in three years.

Dr Musa Bello, the Coordinator of the Outreach, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Omu-Aran on Tuesday on the sidelines of a 2-day biannual free medical outreach of the group.

Bello expressed delight at the large turnout of beneficiaries.

He said that the free health care services being rendered by the outreach had attracted patients from across the three wards of Omu-Aran community and other neighbouring towns in Irepodun Local Government Area of the state.

The coordinator said the programme included health sensitisation and education counseling on breast cancer, Lassa fever and other related ailments aimed at safeguarding the health of the people.

Bello added that most of the beneficiaries received free medical tests, diagnosis and drugs for ailments such as malaria, typhoid, hypertension and diabetes.

According to him, the organisation is geared toward bringing health care delivery closer to the people, especially those at the grassroots.

“The programme is also intended to compliment the services of the various basic and primary health care centres across the communities.

“It is our belief that such intervention will assist the people to know their health status and take precautionary measures to avert escalating bad health conditions,” he said.

Bello stressed the need to cater for the medical challenges of the people so that they could channel their resources to other areas to impact on their immediate and extended families.

He praised the effort of the community leaders, market and transport unions, and religious leaders for making the biannual medical outreach a success.

Chief Adekunle Oyinloye, the Chairman of the occasion and sole financier of the outreach, expressed happiness that the NGO had lived up to the expectation of its target population.

“I feel that taking care of the health needs of the people is a collective responsibility of all the stakeholders, private participation inclusive.

“People nowadays are scared of seeking medical attention in both public and private health institutions, even for ailments that cost less than N1, 000.

“It is true that people have to enjoy the dividends of democracy they have laboured for, but more importantly, they should be in the best form of health to have comfortable living,” Oyinloye said. (NAN)
ISHO/DUA/AMY
Edited by Dada Ahmed and Abdullahi Yusuf
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2016 Hajj: Jigawa loses 2 pilgrims

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Death

Muhammad Bashir

Dutse, Sept. 20, 2016 (NAN) The Jigawa State Pilgrims Welfare Board has confirmed the death of two pilgrims from the state in Saudi Arabia during the 2016 Hajj.

The Public Relations Officer of the board, Alhaji Ibrahim Hashim, confirmed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Dutse.

Hashim said the male and female pilgrims died after brief illness.

He said the male faithful hailed from Birniwa Local Government Area, while the female was from Dutse Local Government Area.

The spokesman said the deceased had since been buried in accordance with Islamic rites.

NAN reports that no fewer than 2,369 pilgrims from the state performed the 2016 Hajj. (NAN)

MNB/AMY

Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf

BOI earmarks N10 bn for FG’s Youth Entrepreneurship Support Programme

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Entrepreneurship

by Inuwa Baba Ali
Maiduguri, Sept. 20, 2016 (NAN) The Bank of Industry, said on Tuesday it had set aside N10 billion this year for the Youth Entrepreneurship Support (YES) Programme of the Federal Government.

Malam Aliyu Umaru, North East Regional Head of the bank, made the disclosure in Maiduguri at the opening of a five-day capacity building workshop for participants under the programme.

Umaru said that the bank would engage 25, 000 youths quarterly for the programme nationwide.

“We had about 71, 788 applications based on the two online registration batches that we did.

“Based on this, we are envisaging that we will be getting 25, 000 participants every quarter and that makes it about 100,000 participants in a year,” he said.

He said that the participants were selected based on their business proposals and workability of their plans.

Umaru said that the participants would be granted loans of up to N5 million to set up their businesses at the end of the training.

“At the end of the training, we will determine the exact requirements for each of the participant to set up a business.

“It is based on this that we will determine the actual amount that will be granted as loan to him or her,” he said.

Umaru said that the bank had put in place mechanism to prevent fraud or default by the beneficiaries.

“If you are into groundnut oil production, we will visit your site, inspect the place and get your equipment requirements.

“Rather than give you cash, we will order the equipment direct from the sellers and pay them the actual price on your behalf.

“We will also make sure that the equipment are installed and production commences to avoid diversion,” he said. (NAN)
ABI/MZA

[Edited and Controlled by Maharazu Ahmed]

N-Power job scheme enters another phase Sept. 20 — Akande

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Job
Abuja, Sept. 19, 2016 (NAN) The Federal Government has released a schedule for the next phase of the N-Power Programme, the job creation and empowerment initiative of its Social Investment Programme.

A release issued by  Mr Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Vice President, on Monday indicated that the selection process would begin on Sept. 20 and end on Oct. 18.

It said that under the new phase, candidates would be assessed in phases based on their specific chosen programmes before the final selection.

According to the release, under this phase, applicants are to log in and fill in their phone numbers and surnames as contained in their original application, using their personal profile (which has been opened for every applicant).

It added that all candidates would be notified by Short Message Service (SMS) of their assessment.

“All assessments will include some personal questions and other questions testing basic knowledge of English, General Knowledge and Quantitative Reasoning.

“Applicants should also note that they will be tested on other programme-specific questions depending on the programme they applied for.

“Applicants are to note also that they can take their tests on a smart-phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer provided that the devices have internet connection,’’ the release added.

It said successful applicants would be selected to participate in the N-Power programme.

The release said that applicants could only gain access to their profile for assessment as represented in the schedule “which breaks down applicants in batches by the first letter in their surnames.

“Based on the schedule, applicants for the N-Power Teach programme will be first in line, starting on Tuesday Sept. 20.

“Applicants whose surnames fall between the letters of the alphabet V to Z (e.g. Venda, Wushishi, Xiaver, Yusuf, Zikora) should log in and take their assessments on the stipulated date.’’

The assessment is to enable the panel to pick the final 500,000 for the two-year volunteer positions of  the N-Power, which also has programmes for non-graduates.

A schedule for each programme’s assessment indicated that N-Power Teach would hold from Sept 20 to Sept. 28; N-Power Agro, Sept. 29 to Oct. 1; N-Power Health, Oct. 2 to Oct. 3; while N-Power Community Education is from Oct. 4 toOct. 6.

Others are N-Power Creative, Oct. 7 to Oct. 9; N-Power Tech (Software), Oct. 10 to Oct. 12; N-Power Tech (Hardware), Oct. 13 to Oct. 14; and N-Power Build,  from Oct. 15 to Oct. 18.

The release noted that about a million Nigerian undergraduates applied online for the N-Power programme of the Buhari presidency. (NAN)
DCU/NKO/NKO
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Edited by Nkechi Okoronkwo

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FCTA summons emergency security meeting on begging, hawking, okada

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Meeting
By Kabir Muhammad
Abuja, Sept. 19, 2016 (NAN) The FCT Administration has restated that begging, street hawking, cattle grazing and commercial motorcycle (Okada) remain banned in the Federal Capital City, Abuja and must be enforced by the security agents.

The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, said this after an emergency FCT Security Committee meeting held in Abuja on Monday.

According to him, the FCT Administration will continue to collaborate with the security agencies to ensure that the ban is made effective.

Bello said that the institutions must be strengthened to carry out their statutory duties in line with the Change agenda of the Federal Government.

He, however, commended the security community in the FCT for the high-level intelligence sharing that had so far assisted the administration to nip in the bud any security breach  in the territory.

The committee condemned the illegal attempt by some criminals who stormed the Vocational and Rehabilitation Centre, Kuchiko in Bwari Area Council, trying to rescue some of the inmates following the arrest of 687 beggars/destitute.

The committee also decried the illegal use of uncompleted buildings by destitute people, miscreants and criminals in the city, warning that owners of such property would be held responsible for any security breach traced to their property.

The minister reiterated that owners of such uncompleted buildings must provide security in and around such property and also ensure the cleanliness of the surrounding areas.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye, FCT Police Commissioner, Commandant, Guards Brigade, Garrison Commander, heads of Navy and Air Force in the FCT and Director of FCT DSS attended the meeting.

Others were Chairmen of the six FCT Area Councils, Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) as well as Mandate Secretaries, Ona of Abaji and the heads of para-military organs in the FCT. (NAN)

KM/NKO/NKO

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(Edited by Nkechi.okoronkwo)

Osinbajo calls for community policing to tackle security challenges

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Security
By Yetunde Fatungase
Abeokuta, Sept. 19, 2016 (NAN) Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said on Monday that community policing had become necessary to tackle internal security challenges facing the country.

Osinbajo made the call at the 20th Memorial Service of the first female industrialist in Nigeria and third Iyalode of Egbaland, late (Mrs) Esther Bisoye Tejuoso.

The Memorial Service and Symposium at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, was organised by the Tejuoso Royal Family in conjunction with Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission.

Osibanjo noted that the Nigeria Police have not been able to “resolve” the puzzle behind the murder of the matriarch of Tejuoso dynasty 20 years after.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Chief (Mrs) Esther Bisoye Tejuoso, mother of a prominent Egba traditional ruler, Oba (Dr) Adedapo Tejuoso, was reportedly assassinated by 10 gunmen in her Lagos home on Sept. 19, 1996.

The Vice President recalled how the late industrialist gave him N12,000 in 1984 when his rented apartment in Lagos was gutted by fire.

He said that Nigeria, with a population of about 170 million people, could not be adequately policed from Abuja Central Command.

“State police or something like community policing is the way to go to tackle the nation’s security challenges.”

Osinbanjo revealed that while there were less than 15,000 cases of conviction in Nigeria regarding criminal offences, 2.2million convicted criminals were behind bars in the U.S.

He said that the data on convicted criminals showed that either “Nigeria has more well behaved citizens or there is something wrong with the criminal justice system in the country.”

The Vice President, however, stressed that the administration of justice in Nigeria must be properly examined  and that the Police should also deploy hi-tech equipment to investigate and unravel crimes and their perpetrators.

NAN reports that dignitaries at the occasion included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Babachir Lawal, Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, among others. (NAN)
YAF/FAT/NKO
(Edited by Fatima Sule/Nkechi Okoronkwo)
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Navy avert hijack attack on Hanze Kochi, destroys more illegal refineries

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Hijack

By Yahaya Isah

Abuja, Sept. 19, 2016 (NAN ) The Nigerian Navy said on Monday that it had averted hijack an attack on `Hanze Kochi’, a marine tanker, and destroyed more illegal refineries.

A statement signed by the Director of Information, Commodore Christian Ezekobe, in Abuja, said that operatives of the Nigerian Navy successfully repelled the attack by suspected sea robbers on the marine tanker enroute Lagos from Port Harcourt.

“The attackers made spirited efforts to board the vessel 50 nautical miles off Bayelsa on Sept. 16, at about 0250 hrs but were heavily engaged and overpowered in a gun duel by naval personnel,” Ezekobe said in the statement.

Meanwhile, a patrol team deployed by FOB Bonny in Rivers had arrested Marine Vessel (MV) FB PERE IPAMO at Shell Slot Jetty in Bonny for alleged involvement in illegal bunkering activities.

“At the time of the arrest, on Sept. 14, the vessel was carrying about 500 tonnes of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).

“Similarly, on Sept. 17, a patrol team deployed by NNS DELTA conducted anti-crude oil theft operations in which two illegal refinery sites were raided,” he said.

He explained that the sites were located at Lakpaje and Ubeje Creeks in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta.

“During the raid, the patrol team destroyed about 18,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and 15,000 litres of suspected refined AGO.

“The feat achieved by the Nigerian Navy in cracking down the activities of the criminals in the maritime domain is a pointer that there is no hiding place for any criminal,” the director said.

He reiterated the commitment of the service to safeguarding the nation’s maritime environment.(NAN )

YI NKO/NKO
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(Edited by Nkechi Okoronkwo)

Perm Sec says FG will reward Paralympians, urges Nigerians to emulate them

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Emulate

By Dorcas Jonah

Abuja, Sept 19, 2016 (NAN) Chinyeaka Ohaa, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youths and Sports, says the Federal Government will reward the patriotic spirit of the Paralympics athletes.

Ohaa, who made this known on Monday when he led top management staff of the ministry to receive the second batch of the 2016 Paralympics athletes from Rio, Brazil, at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja, urged Nigerians to emulate their patriotism.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a reception was organised at the airport for the Team Nigeria to Paralympics Games, which won 12 medals in Rio.

He affirmed the federal government’s resolve to reward athletes who excelled in various sports at the Olympics and Paralympic Games in Rio.

Ohaa promised that the athletes would be handsomely rewarded for their efforts when President Muhammadu Buhari returns to the country.

According to him, this is one of the most astonishing performances that have brought great honor to this country.

“It goes to prove that beyond strength, there is also ability in disability.

“You told us that you were going to make Nigerians proud and you fulfilled your promise.

“It was a wonderful outing because Nigeria are leading in Africa in Paralympic Games and we are 17th in world,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary commended the Presidency for creating enabling environment for the athletes through training and ensuring prompt payment of all camp allowances and other financial obligations.

“We are proud of you, and we did our best by making sure that during your training, we took care of you and paid all your training allowances.

“These great athletes brought honor to this country and that is why we are showcasing them today,” Ohaa said.

Lauretta Onye , a gold medalist and current world record throw in, said she was inspired to win gold for the country by her coach and her passion to bring honor to her fatherland.

“I am so excited . I am very happy and I give God the glory for what He has done. A lot of things inspired me but what inspired me the most was my training.

“I trained very hard to make it possible to get there. I was inspired by my coach to go there and conquer. I was inspired by my country to go there and win” Onye said.

The second batch comprised of para-athletics and para-table tennis.

The athletes jubilated as they danced to the music by the Nigeria Football and other sports supporters club. (NAN)

DE/AFA
Edited by Felix Ajide

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PTDF endows 8 Professorial Chairs to research on solutions in oil, gas sector

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Oil

By Kingsley Okoye

Abuja, Sept. 19, 2016 (NAN) The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) says it has endowed  Professorial Chairs in eight Nigerian universities  to carry out indigenous research  in the  oil and gas sector.

PTDF’s Head of Press and External Relations, Mr Kalu Otisi, made this known in a statement available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.

Otisi stated that the Chairs were endowed to find solutions to the persistent problems plaguing the oil and gas industry and develop material inputs it required for effective operations.

He said that the Chairs had the mandate of conducting research in the different areas of oil and gas to proffer lasting solutions to the problems.

According to him, areas of the research endowments include Petroleum Engineering, Gas Engineering, Renewable Energy, Basinal Studies, and Petroleum Geology.

He also listed Petroleum Chemistry, Geology and Mineral Science and Chemical Engineering as other research areas that would engage the activities of the chairs.

He  said that the endowment programme would enhance the capacity of local researchers to conduct industry relevant researches.

He said that the programme was being managed and coordinated by a National Board of Trustees with Vice Chancellors of the eight universities as members.

Otisi further stated  that the PTDF would convene a meeting of the of the National Board of Trustees to strengthen and sustain the activities of the Chairs and enhance research development.

He said that Vice-Chancellors of the eight universities, the deans of their respective faculties and the chair holders would attend the meeting to review the implementation of the endowment programmes and other crucial issues affecting the scheme. (NAN)

KC/NKO/NKO

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(Edited by Nkechi Okoronkwo)