Blog

Election

By Christian Ogbonna

Yenagoa, Sept. 12, 2018 (NAN) The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) in Bayelsa has urged INEC, security agencies and others stakeholders strive to enforce the electoral law to ensure credible 2019 general elections.

The state Chairman of the congress, Mr Tari Dounana, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Yenagoa.

Dounana said the survival of democracy depended largely on free, fair and credible election and the electoral body and security agencies could ensure this through the enforcement of the electoral laws.

He said, however, that politicians, especially the contestants, had great role to play in ensuring credible elections in the country,

Dounana condemned political thuggery and the increasing incidents of vote buying in the country’s electoral process and urged politicians and the electorate to respect electoral rules and regulations.

“We are appealing to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to step up the game and ensure that all aspirants respect the electoral laws.

“All critical stakeholders, including the INEC, security agencies, politicians, youths and supporters of political parties need to abide by the rules of the game.

“Let us remember that we do not have any other country than Nigeria and we must all see that the democracy we have practised is sustained.

“People should not get involved in anything that will truncate the democracy that we are enjoying; the political gladiators must know that winning election should not be by violence and vote-buying.

“Voters should not sell their rights or youths should not be used for thuggery. So, we must abide by those tenets that will continue to promote the progress of our country,” he said.

He further reminded Nigerians that the proceeds from vote selling were short-lived while the agony of helping to install bad governance could last a life time.

“Respect the law, vote for the right candidate of your choice that will be able turn around the country for the best.

“Avoid selling your vote; it is  dangerous to the system,”  he added. (NAN)

OOC/OSA/EMO

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Edited by Shittu Obassa/Ejike Obeta

Child adoption: Cleric rejects baby factories
By Richards Nzemeke
Factories
Port Harcourt, Sept. 12, 2018 (NAN) Dr Awotien George, a Pastor at Glorious Covenant Church, Port Harcourt, has advised parents against “adopting or buying children from baby factories in the country.
George gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt on Friday.
He urged parents who want to adopt children to go to the state Ministry of Social Welfare to ensure the due diligence.
According to him, adopting a child from the ministry is not cumbersome at all.
George, who said himself adopted a child, noted that it involved only two parties; the ministry and adopter and not through an agent (third party).
He said an application would be filed to the ministry, indicating that the applicant want to adopt a child.
According to the priest, the application is processed among other formalities.
The pastor said at the end a certificate was issued if the application received favourable consideration to make it a legal transaction.
“It must be made legal. The aim of adopting is to care for the child and not otherwise. Child adoption in Rivers is not difficult” he said.
George, who is also a senior lecturer in River State University, Port Harcourt, however, noted that some persons that “adopted’’ children from “baby factories’’ used them for rituals.
“Some people adopt children from baby factories for rituals, but children are heritage from God.
“If you are doing the wrong thing you will not get good result. Bad blood and criminality will be brought into the family,” he said.
The cleric also urged the police to smash baby factories in the country, arrest the owners and prosecute them.
“Running a baby factory is evil. They should stop the business or face the wrath of God. It is not the will of God that we market our babies,” he said.
He said the owners of baby factories operating under the guise of maternity clinics assist the young girls with unwanted pregnancies.
“But they could be assisted without keeping them in the `factories’,’’ he said.
According to him, the factory owners are solely out to make money.
George emphasised that such practice was not only an abomination, but a crime against humanity and a sin against God. (NAN)
RN/DOE/MST
Edited by Dianabasi Effiong/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

UNFPA seeks media support on reproductive healthcare
By Talatu Maiwada
Partnership
Abuja, Sept. 12, 2018 (NAN) Dr Mabingue Ngom, the Regional Director, West and Central Africa Office, has called on journalists to support and promote reproductive healthcare and demographic dividend issues for national development.
Ngom made the appeal during a visit to the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
He solicited for a stronger partnership between UNFPA and media organisations to engage with stakeholders such as religious and traditional leaders in addressing issues of population in the country.
“The Millennium Development Goal recognises partnership and has been elevated in the 17th goal, so we recognise partnership as an objective that will help us reach out to different places we can’t go.
“It is important for organisations like the UNFPA and the News Agency of Nigeria to partner and engage local and traditional leaders in the country.
“This will go a long way in avoiding some of the misunderstandings, mis-interpretations and confusion among the larger communities.
“We have a vital role to play if we must make progress in Nigeria before 2030, because there is no way Africa can succeed and Nigeria does not succeed.
“We cannot have a better world without a better Africa,’’ he added.
Responding, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the Managing Director of NAN, pledged the agency’s commitment in raising awareness on UNFPA’s transformative agenda, including delivery of Demographic Dividend (DD) in the country.
Onanuga also promised to raise public awareness on the three key three key thematic areas of UNFPA; namely: ending maternal deaths, unmet needs on Family Planning (FP) and Child Spacing (CS) and Gender Based Violence (GBV) in line with SDGs 2030.
He said that NAN was committed in ensuring a strong partnership with the organisation in championing the interest of women, girls and young persons in the country.
He stated that due to the importance of reproductive healthcare issues, the agency had designated a specialised desk that addresses the issues of women and children.
“Part of your mandate in UNFPA is concerned with delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, where every child birth is safe and every young person’s potential will show.
“Our agency is committed to all UNFPA stands for and all your campaigns on reproductive healthcare.
“Following the mandate of your organisation is something any news organisation would definitely like to partner with,’’ he said.
Onanuga noted that NAN was the right media to partner with as it has offices in all parts of the country with no fewer than 500 journalists.
He said that most media organisations subscribe to NAN for news text, pictures, audio and video clips, adding that some subscribers translate NAN news into local languages for local communities.
The managing director expressed the agency’s desire to deepen relationship with UNFPA in addressing issues of demographic dividend, population growth and reproductive healthcare.
Also speaking, Mr Mohammed Tola, the Head of Health and Gender Desk of NAN, appreciated the partnership and intervention of UNFPA in the provision of operational equipment to the agency.
However, Tola called on UNFPA to scale up its funding and technical support to the agency in order to build a robust relationship to enable NAN deliver better services.
“The funding support has drastically dropped from N10 million in 2015 to about N3.6 million this year, which is yet to be accessed.
“This is adversely affecting our working relationship.
“From January this year till date we have covered and published not less than 30 of UNFPA’s intervention activities across the country from the three approved in our agreed Annual Work Plan (AWP).
“`We therefore call for a scale up in funds to strengthen our partnership towards effective delivery of services to UNFPA,’’ he said. (NAN)
TIM/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Aspirant

By Sumaila Ogbaje

Abuja, Sept. 12, 2018 (NAN) An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Rivers, Mr Tonye Cole, said he would unseat the present government in the state in 2019.

Cole, who is aspiring to succeed Gov. Nyesom Wike, if given the ticket of his party, said that he would tackle economic and security challenges which the present administration had failed to do.

He told newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, after submitting his nomination form for the party’s primaries that he would attract foreign direct investment into the state.

According to him, Rivers has the capacity to attract investors if conducive business environment is created.

Cole, therefore, said that he would use his experience and connection in business world to actualize the dream of improving on the economic status of the state, if given the opportunity.

He also said that wealth distribution at the grassroots was a major objective of his aspiration, adding that he would ensure that rural people were lifted out of poverty.

“Wealth distribution among the grass root people is extremely vital.

“I want to make sure that everybody in Rivers at the grassroots, who have been down, who has been impoverished, who does not have peace and security, are taken care of.

“From an industry perspective, I have been operating at the global level; I travel a lot, I have worked with a lot of people and people know me for doing business with passion.

“We believe that we can attract investment and secure investment in Rivers.

“Rule of law will be protected and they would be able to generate employment for the people of the state,’’ he said.

On security, Cole said that he would engage with the people for them to understand the negative impact of insecurity and crime on the lives and their communities.

According to him, the long term outcome of insecurity is that poverty continues to increase.

“Security is a relationship thing as well; it has to deal with people because people who perpetrate crime and bring insecurity are human beings like you and me.

“One of the things that we are going to do is to engage with them wholly to make them understand what the outcome is as it affects them, not just their families but as it affects their communities.’’ (NAN)

OYS/OPI

Thunderstorms, rains to prevail over most parts on Thursday

Weather

By Sumaila Ogbaje

Abuja, Sept. 12, 2018 (NAN) The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) on Wednesday forecast prospects of thunderstorms and rainfall activities in most parts of the country on Thursday.

NiMet’s Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office in Abuja envisaged localised thunderstorms over the north central cities, including Jos, Makurdi, Minna, Lafia, Lokoja and Abuja in the morning.

According to NiMET, there will be thunderstorms over the high grounds areas and cloudy  skies in other parts in the afternoon and evening with day and night temperatures of 28 to 30 and 20 to 22 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The agency weather forecast also expect many northern States to experience partly cloudy to cloudy conditions with chances of thunderstorm over southern Borno in the morning and localised thunderstorms over the entire northeast.

The forecast also expect partly cloudy to cloudy conditions over northwestern cities in the afternoon and evening hours with day and night temperatures of 30 to 31 and 21 to 22 degrees Celsius, respectively.

According to NiMet, Thunderstorms and rains are anticipated over some southern cities like Shaki, Enugu, Ikom, Umuahia, Awka, down to the coastal cities in the morning hours.

“Later in the day, there are prospects of moderate rain over most inland and coastal cities, with day and night temperatures of 28 to 31 and 20 to 23 degrees Celsius, respectively,” NiMet said. (NAN)

OYS/KTO/MZA

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Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo/Maharazu Ahmed

Prophesy

By David Adeoye

Ibadan, Sept 12, 2018(NAN) A housewife, Deborah Olusola, on Wednesday urged an Idi-Ogungun Customary Court, Agodi in Ibadan, that her husband, Pastor Sunday Olusola, lured her into marry through fake prophesy.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Deborah had approached the court seeking for dissolution of her 18 months union with the pastor over insincerity, infidelity, nagging, and brutality.

In her testimony before the court, the 23-year-old woman, narrated how Olusola approached her and promised to assist her spiritually.

”My lord, he promised to assist me but later told me that God said both of us should become one through marriage.

”I believed the prophesy because I thought it was truly God’s voice and we got married after few weeks.

”Again,  he prophesied that my mother should resign from her place of work and relocate to our matrimonial apartment.

”He said God would kill her if she didn’t obey the purported God’s voice and my mother yielded to the prophesy because she too believed him as a man of God.

”He began showing his true colour immediately I got pregnant, maltreating me, became less concerned about my well-being and brutalised me.

”I passed through hell during the pregnancy of the only child of the marriage.

”His parents too nagged and beat me, and even extended the hatred to my mother by treating her as slave.

”The worse he did was that I caught him sleeping with his blood sister and threatened to deal with me if I expose him.

”I couldn’t believe my eyes until I read text message conversations between him and his sister on his cell phone which confirmed what I saw.

”My relationship with him in the last one and half years was not friendly and his ways of life didn’t prove him to be a man of God.

”I pray the court to separate us because I can’t cope anymore with the marriage because of his devilish ways of life,” she stated.

In his defense, Olusola, 28, denied all the allegations and blamed the plaintiff for the break-up.

He urged the court to uphold the divorce request of his wife and pledged to abide with the judgment of the court.

Chief Mukaila Balogun, the President of the court, dissolved the marriage and gave the custody of the child to the plaintiff.

Balogun further ordered the respondent to pay N3,500 monthly for the upkeep of the child.(NAN)

DAK/AAB/MZA

Edited By Adeboye Ajayi/Maharazu Ahmed

Flooding
By Mateen Badru
Lagos, Sept. 12, 2018 (NAN) The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Wednesday said it was prepared  to collaborate with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in managing flooding issues across the country.

Air Vice Marshal Nnamdi Ekeh, the Air Officer Commanding (AOC), Logistics Command, NAF, gave the assurance while recieving NEMA Director Genaral, Mr Mustapha Maihaja, at the Sam Ethnan Base in Ikeja.

Ekeh said officers and men in the command would give NEMA all the support it needed to perform its roles in flood management.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that NEMA has issued flood alerts to residents in some states.

It listed some of the states likely to be affected to include Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Adamawa, Taraba and Benue.

“We are ready to collaborate and assist NEMA and the entire team to ensure they carry out their statutory responsibilities and roles,” the AOC said.

The NEMA boss said that flooding became alarming on Sept. 7, but the agency was not relenting in its effort to avert any bad situation.

“NEMA has been monitoring the situation for over a month and the state of preparedness not only on the people, but on frontline states has been on.

“We have been trying to enlighten them and we have called an emergency meeting with all stakeholders including the Defence Headquarters and we set up a team to go to the 12 identified frontline states to carry out certain assignments like sensitisation.

“Where we also see that sone communities are under serious threats, we will commence evacuation just like Taraba State. We evacuated some people and identified some areas wherever we could move them to,” he said.

He assured Nigerians that the level of NEMA’s preparedness was appreciably high.

NAN reports that the NEMA boss also played a visit to where the C130 aircraft that can be used to deliver relief materials if the need arises is. (NAN)
BOM/TA
CHOM/TÁ

Edited by Chioma Ugboma/Tajudeen Atitebi

1. Disaster

By Zubairu Idris
Katsina, Sept. 12, 2018(NAN) The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has urged local government councils in the country and other stakeholders to intensify efforts in collaborating with the agency to ensure prompt response to disasters.

The NEMA Northwest Zonal Coordinator, Mr Ishaya Isah, made the call on Wednesday at a critical stakeholders meeting in Katsina.

‘’There is the need for collaboration, planning and commitment to deal with disaster issues timely particularly by the local government councils.

‘’Let me at this juncture warn that unless disaster management and risk reduction are effectively driven at all levels, their impacts will be extremely difficult and costly to address,” he said .

He said the agency has mandate to ascertain the capacity of all its critical stakeholders and monitor their state of preparedness.

‘’This is with a view to proffer solutions toward efficient and effective disaster management,” he said.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA) Alhaji Haruna Musa, said that the state government has approved the construction of permanent IDP camps in Funtua and Daura.

He said that the agency needed ambulances and IDP tents to be used in emergency situations.

The Managing Director, Katsna State Hospital Services Management Board, Dr Abduljalil Umar, said the state has four highway ambulances with life saving facilities stationed at different areas in case of road accidents.

Umar said that most of the state’s health facilities do not have required manpower to treat life savings during emergencies.

The state Chief Fire Officer, Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar, said the state has 14 operational fire vehicles, adding that each of the 34 local governments has a functional vehicle.

He, however, said that the agency has no equipment to use in saving lives and disaster management at high buildings.

Mr Usman Bala, the state Red Cross Coordinator said that they have about 500 volunteers in the state.

He, however, said that they lacked functional office, operational vehicles and ambulances to respond to emergencies.(NAN)
ZI/MTM

Edited by Tukur Muntari.

Murder
By Teniola Ibitola
Lagos, Sept. 12, 2018 (NAN) A 34-year-old man, Mayowa Olabiyi, was on Wednesday brought before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly hacking a man to death over N200.

Olabiyi had appeared before the Chief Magistrate, Mr O.O. Olatunji, on a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.

His plea was not taken and was remanded at the Ikoyi Prison, Lagos for the next 30 days.

Olatunji directed that the case file should be sent to the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.

Earlier, Police Prosecutor, Oladele Adebayo, told the court that the accused committed the offences on Aug. 26, at 6.30 p.m., at No. 23, Irepodun St., Shangisha, Magodo.

He alleged that the accused and two others now at large, had hacked Akeem Ajilogba, 23, with a matchet during a brawl over N200.

The offences, Adebayo noted, contravened Sections 223 and 233 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015 which stipulates death sentence for offenders.

The case has been adjourned to Oct. 11, for the DPP’s advice. (NAN)

OAT/BOLA/MZA
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Edited by Bola Akingbehin/Maharazu Ahmed

Osun govt tells PDP candidate to stop rumour mongering

Diversion

By Victor Adeoti

Osogbo, Sept. 13, 2018 (NAN)The Osun State government  has warned  Sen. Ademola Adeleke, the Osun Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate to stop spreading rumours over the use of the N16.6 billion Paris Club refund released to the state by the Federal Government.

Adeleke, at a news conference on Wednesday in Osogbo, accused the government of  diverting  the fund, which he said  was meant for the payment of workers’ salary arrears and pensions.

The PDP candidate said that any attempt by the state government to divert the fund would be resisted by the party.

But Mr Kunle Oyatomi, the Osun All Progressives Congress (APC) Publicity Secretary, said there was no plan by government to divert any fund.

Oyatomi said that the Rauf Aregbesola-led administration is a responsible and worker-friendly administration, which had set aside substantial amount of money to pay some  arrears of workers salaries.

He said the PDP candidate should stop spreading falsehood.

The PDP candidate further warned that any attempt to divert the fund for bogus contractor payments or for any electoral purposes will be resisted by our people.

“Every kobo from the refund must go to settlement of outstanding salaries and emoluments of workers.

“If anything contrary is done in the handling of the fund, we will ensure full recovery of the last kobo once our government is voted into office.

“All those involved in such diversion of the Paris club refund or any other funds meant for the welfare of workers and pensioners will be pursued, arrested and prosecuted.”

Adeleke, who also alleged that similar funds running into several billions of naira was released to Osun state government in the past, said it was worrisome that workers were still being  owed 34 month salary arrears.

“Let me make it abundantly clear that the criminal diversion of this latest release will be resisted.

“The government officials who are directly or remotely connected with the application of this new release must ensure workers’ salaries, pensions and arrears are paid without further delay, “Adeleke said.(NAN)

VE/KOLE

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Edited by Remi Koleoso