Blog

Shares
By Lilian Okoro
Lagos, Sept. 5, 2018 (NAN) Equity transactions on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Wednesday reversed to the negative trend after appreciating for one day as market capitalisation depreciated by N19 billion.

The News Agency of Nigerian (NAN) reports that the market capitalisation decreased by 1.49 per cent to close lower at N12.563 trillion from the N12.753 trillion recorded on Tuesday.

Commenting, Mr Fakrogha Charles of Stockbroker, Foresight Securities and Investment Ltd., said that the depreciation was as a result of price losses recorded by major stocks in the market.

Charles also said that profit taking by most investors was another factor that contributed to the depreciation.

Meanwhile, the All-Share Index, which opened at 34,933.68, dropped by 519.31 points or1.49 per cent to close at 34,414.37.

Seplat Oil led the losers’ chart by N47 to close at N603 per share.

Dangote Cement depreciated by N7 to close at N223 per share, while Stanbic IBTC lost 1k to close at N47 per share.

FlourMill dipped by 8k to close at N21.2, while ETI fell by 45k to close at N19.55 per share.

On the other hand, Forte Oil and International Breweries led the gainers’ chart by N1 each to close at N20 and N33 per share respectively.

Nigerian Breweries gained 5k to close at N93.5, while Cileasing grew by 27k to close at N2.99 and Oando Oil appreciated by 1k to close at N1 per share.

UBA emerged as the most traded stock, accounting for 22.48 million shares worth N180.35 million.

Stanbic IBTC exchanged 19.24 million shares valued at N904.22 million, while FCMB sold 19.12 million shares worth 34.93 million.

Skye Bank traded 18.50 million shares valued at N9.67 billion, while AIICO sold 15.23 million shares worth 14.37 million.

In all, investors exchanged a total of 200.28 million shares worth N2.16 billion in 3,224 deals.

This was against the 240.46 million shares valued at N3.61 billion traded in 3,400 deals on Tuesday. (NAN)
LUC/GOK
Edited by Olagoke Olatoye

NSCDC arrests 46-year-old for peddling fake dollars in Gombe
Arrest
By Uwumarogie Peter
Gombe, Sept. 5, 2018 (NAN) Gombe State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Wednesday said it arrested a suspect for peddling fake dollars in Gombe.
Mr Buhari Sa’ad, Public Relations Officer of the command, said, at a press briefing in Gombe, the arrest was based on credible information from the members of the public.
Sa’ad said the suspect, Augustine Samuel, was arrested with 30 pieces of fake 100 dollar notes.
He said the incessant racketeering and issuance of fake dollars was of great concern, and that the command had re-strategised to stop the disturbing trend.
“Today, 46-year-old suspect who specialises in defrauding members of the public of their hard earned money by issuing them fake dollar notes in exchange for genuine naira bills has been arrested.
“The suspect was arrested based on credible information from the members of the public. The incessant racketeering and issuance of fake currency has been of great concern to the command.
“This criminal act is worrisome because of its consequences and untold hardship rendered on victims in the state. However, our strategy to end this crime is yielding expected results,” he said.
Sa’ad said investigation was on-going, and that the suspect would soon be charged to the court.
The NSCDC Gombe command PRO appealed to the public to continue to cooperate with security personnel, while warning criminals in the state to have a re-think (NAN)
UP/SA
Edited by Salif Atojoko
=================

Strike
By Lydia Ngwakwe
Lagos, Sept. 5, 2018 (NAN) Resident doctors at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, on Wednesday began its three days warning strike, demanding for recruitment of more doctors.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the doctors under the aegis of the Association of Resident Doctors in LASUTH (ARD) had on Sept. 2 directed members to embark on the warning strike.

This followed what the association described as acute shortage of resident doctors and house officers in the teaching hospital.

NAN reports that skeletal services were going on in some of the clinics visited at the hospital.

At the Dental Centre, Haematology Clinic and Surgical Outpatient Department, consultants and other categories of health workers, including nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians and cleaners were seen attending to patients.

Commenting, Dr Ibrahim Ogunbi, the acting President of the association, said that emergency cases would be attended to during the warning strike to stabilise the patients before referring them to the general hospitals.

According to him, we will be doing this because the strike is just a local one.

Ogunbi urged the public to bear with the doctors, saying that the strike was in the best interest of the public.

“The strike is not about the doctors; it is about the public; it is about the delivery of good healthcare system to people of Lagos.

“If more resident doctors and house officers are employed, we believe that the long waiting hours at the hospital will be reduced drastically.

“We believe that patients that are for elective surgeries will be attended to frequently and regularly, thus ending long waiting lists.

“All other hospitals in Lagos, including primary health centres are actively working.

“But for now, all our clinics are closed,” he said.

Ogunbi, said that if after the expiration of the warning strike and the state government failed to meet the doctors’ demands, they would commence an indefinite strike.

He said that the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, met with the association on Tuesday, assuring them that an approval would be obtained from the government.

“Our members took the decision at a congress and our congress has not reconvened to decide otherwise.

“If this has been done earlier, this strike would have been shelved.

“We are not happy going on strike, but we have been pushed to the wall,’’ the association president said.

Idris had urged the doctors to consider the plights of the masses who always bear the burden of such actions.

He said: “There were plans by the state government to employ more house officers and resident doctors.

“We have started that already.

“If you will recall that the Lagos State Health Service Commission care facilities have an approval to recruit more house officers and we are working on the other approval for the teaching hospitals.

“So, we are aware of the agitations and we are working seriously on how to address the issue.

“I appeal to the doctors to shelve their strike in the interest of the people.’’ (NAN)
LED/CHOM/GOK
=========
Edited by Chioma Ugboma/Olagoke Olatoye

Police arrest two alleged teenage burglars, receivers in Lagos
Burglars
By Moses Omorogieva /Mateen Badru
Lagos, Sept. 5, 2018 (NAN) The police in Lagos on Wednesday said they had arrested two alleged teenage burglars and two adults who specialised in receiving stolen goods.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Imohimi Edgal, told newsmen that the suspects were arrested by operatives attached to Ejigbo Police Division in Ejigbo.

He said the teenagers, aged 13 and 14, were arrested after they allegedly broke into shops at Jakande Estate, Ejigbo and stole many valuables.

“The suspects made away with one generator valued at N15,000; HP laptop computer worth N90, 000; an amplifier worth N40,000 and CD mixer valued at N150, 000.

“On further investigation, police detectives arrested their adult collaborators who had bought the stolen HP laptop for N2,000,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the teenage suspects were handed over to the Gender Section for appropriate action while the adults will be prosecuted in a court.

Similarly, he said operatives at Ejigbo Police Division, while on neighbourhood patrol on Sept. 3, arrested another teenager while attempting to steal a water pump at a house on Egbe Road, Ejigbo.

The commissioner said the suspect would be charged to court. (NAN)
BOM/MIO/JI/AMY
Edited by Joseph Idika and Abdullahi Yusuf

Conference

By Yunus Yusuf

Lagos, Sept. 5, 2018 (NAN) Dr Ibe Kachikwu, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources would join other speakers to address energy infrastructure deficiency in Sub-Sahara Africa at the Africa Oil and Gas Summit in Kenya.

The Convener of the summit, Mr Oladeji Olawale, said at a news conference on the summit in Lagos on Wednesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report that the conference, tagged, “Sub-Sahara Africa Oil, Gas and Energy Summit, (SSAOGES 2018)“ is  billed to hold October in Nairobi, Kenya

He said that Kachikwu had confirmed his participation, adding that he would address experts on prospects of investing in those critical sectors.

The convener said that key operators in the Sub-Sahara oil, gas and energy industry were preparing to congregate to find answers to decades of lack of clear policy in the sector.

Olawale said that the operators would also find direction among governments in Africa to support deployment of key infrastructures to harness its abundant energy resources.

He said that stakeholders in the industry were now looking at ways to see that adequate energy supply would be produced.

This, he said would help to support the projections by United Nations that Africa’s population would hit 2.3 billion by 2050.

Olawale said that stakeholders were also looking at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), projections that the continent with average 6.5 per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.

He said to achieve this, an energy summit, was being put together to build effective multi-stakeholder partnerships, particularly with private sector across Sub-Sahara Africa.

According to him, the planned event will help to facilitate needed investments into the oil and gas industries and explore possibilities of the gas revolution in the region.

Olawale underscored the importance of the summit, stressing that when put the projections of the UN and IMF side by side, it showed that Africa had a lot to do to achieve economic prosperity and energy efficiency.

“With increasing population growth become increase in demand for energy.

“Africa as a continent, though with enough energy reserves to serve its teeming population does not have the infrastructure to produce enough energy to meet the continents need.

“This scenario will only get worse if urgent steps are not taken to ensure energy efficiency,” he said.

Olawale further explained that the summit was organised around presentations, panel discussions and breakaway sessions evaluating identified themes bothering on oil and gas and energy infrastructure in Sub-Sahara Africa.

He said that the it would also help to evaluate the penetration of the oil and gas industry into various parts of the economy, foster and build inter regional partnerships.

The convener said that summit would also focused on cooperation among nations in the Sub-Sahara Africa, explore and create better connections between the gas industry and other domestic sectors.

“The forum is expected to open honest conversations among stakeholders, policy makers, infrastructure development financiers and international oil companies.

“Others include national companies, power generating companies, renewable energy and power distribution companies with the goal of fashioning out efficient ways to begin to develop the needed infrastructure for the energy of the future.“
(NAN)
YO/DUA

Edited by Dada Ahmed

Arrest

By Mateen Badru and Moses Omorogieva

Lagos, Sept. 5, 2018 (NAN) Ten suspected killers of  one Sgt. Collins Isiabo at Ifako-Ijaye area of Lagos State  had been arrested by the officers of the state police command, reports the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Imohimi Edgal, confirmed the arrest to newsmen on Wednesday.

NAN reports that on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2018, a police patrol team was attacked by an irate mob at College Road, Ifako Ijaiye in Ogba, Lagos State.

During the attack, Sgt. Isiabo with service No. 260326 was attacked and killed while the police patrol vehicle conveying the team was also vandalised by the rampaging mob.

Edgal said that the incident was shocking to the command because it had a good working relationship with the community.

“I assured Lagiosians then that I would leave no stone unturned in unravelling the suspects.

“Today, I am happy to announce that 10 key suspects had been arrested.

“Among the suspects is their herbalist who helped to extract a bullet from the principal suspect following the injury he sustained while struggling to take the deceased policeman’s rifle.

“The principal suspect had been traced to a town in Ondo State and will be arrested very soon.

“One of the suspects revealed to the police during interrogation that they were members of the dreaded “Aiye’’ cult.

“Investigation also revealed that the suspects were returning from where they had gone to bury a member whom they thought had been killed by the police and decided to attack the patrol team.

“However, their member had died when he sighted the police and tried to escape. He missed his step and fatally injured himself,” he said.

The CP added that investigation into the case was ongoing with a view to arresting other suspects still at large.

He also appealed to the youth and Lagosians to always seek redress from platforms provided by the command.

He said that several people had used the platforms to seek redress and got justice.

“This is a civilised society and we will not allow people to get involved in jungle justice,” the CP advised. (NAN)

BOM/MIO/PAD
=============

Edited by Peter Dada

Bauchi residents, corporate bodies owe N1 billion Water Bill

Bill
By Mohammed Ahmed Kaigama
Bauchi, Sept. 5, 2018 (NAN) Residents and Corporate bodies in Bauchi state are owing the State Water and Sewage Corporation (BSWSC) over one billion Naira of unsettled water bills.

Alhaji Aminu Gital, the Managing Director of the BSWSC, disclosed this at a meeting between the management of the corporation and some Civil Society Organisations, (CSOs) in Bauchi on Wednesday.

He told the CSOs that the corporation registered over 22,000 water consumers in the state, but only 1,020 of them settled their monthly bills regularly.

“Water rate in the state is one of the lowest in the country because we charge N500 for high density areas, N750 for housing estates and N1000 for residents of the GRA, but despite this gesture, water consumers remain reluctant to settle this meagre bills,” he lamented.

He said that the huge debt was hindering the corporation from fulfilling its mandate of providing potable drinking water to the 20 Local Government Areas of the state.

Gital outlined other challenges facing the corporation to include huge maintenance cost associated with payment of NEPA bills, fueling  of generating plants and purchase of chemicals.

He expressed willingness to collaborate with the CSOs in sensitising customers on th need to settle water bills.

“We are ready to partner the CSOs in our efforts to sensitize the public on the need to settle their bills in view of the fact that supply of potable drinking water has the potential to reduce the cost of treatment of water borne diseases, “Gital said.

Earlier, Coordinator of  Water, Sanitation and Hygiene  (WASH) Project (USAID supported project), Engr. Soni Elisha, had listed areas of support from the CSOs to include water source monitoring, water treatment monitoring and water quality measurement from source to end point, among others.

News Agency of Nigeria reports that at the end of the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the management of BSWSC and Network of Society for Water and Sanitaion (NEWSAN), an umbrella body of CSOs working on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Bauchi . (NAN)
MAK/KOLE/ASH
==========

Edited by Remi Koleoso

Development
By Uchenna Eletuo
Lagos, Sept. 5, 2018 (NAN) The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), on Wednesday said it had raised $200 million (about N72 billion) to facilitate local content development in the oil sector.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the board had the statutory mandate of promoting Nigeria content development, especially in the oil and gas sector.

Mr Naboth Onyesoh, the NCDMB Manager, Corporate Communications, who spoke to newsmen about the operations of the board, said the fund was contributed by the stakeholders.

 The fund, called “Nigeria Content Intervention Fund (NCIF), was launched in 2018 with various applications for the loan already received.

 “The stakeholders are the various oil and gas servicing firms operating in Nigeria.

 “The fund which has been deposited with the Bank of Industry (BOI) for proper management is meant to be disbursed as loans to enable firms acquire platforms.

 “The ideology behind the fund is to facilitate local content development to bolster facility ownership in the multibillion naira businesses that happen to be the life wire of the Nigerian economy.

“The process of getting the loan is made seamless for all the stakeholders with only local contractors in the oil and gas that are non contributory beneficiaries of the NCIF,’’ Onyesoh said.

He said that LADOL and STARZ were two firms that benefited from the former regime of the fund.

Onyesoh said that the organisation would soon look at the pool of applications for the fund, with a view to drawing up list of beneficiaries for fund disbursement. (NAN)
EUC/AOM/DUA

Edited by Abdullahi Mohammed/Dada Ahmed

Primaries

Abakaliki, Sept. 5, 2018 (NAN) A group known as `Dozie Ebonyi’ has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi, to adopt direct primaries in choosing the party’s candidates for the 2019 general elections.

The group gave the advice in a statement signed by Messrs Godwin Igboke and Chidubem Egwu, its state secretary and Public Relations Officer, respectively on Wednesday in Abakaliki.

The group, a progressive movement within Ebonyi APC said that direct primaries would afford registered party members the opportunity to participate in choosing credible candidates for the various elective positions for the 2019 general elections.

It said that direct primaries was more democratic and would do away with god-fatherism, imposition of candidates and undue manipulation that often characterise selection of party candidates for elective positions.

The group noted that direct primary elections would reduce the usual rancour, acrimony that often associated with indirect primary elections.

It expressed concern over alleged moves by some stakeholders and elders of the party to compel the state leadership to jettison direct primaries in selecting the party’s flag bearers.

The group called on the state APC chairman, Chief Eze Nwachukwu and members of the State Working Committee (SWC), to resist any attempt by some politicians to thwart the will of the members.

“Many lovers of ideal democracy in our nation are already registering in their large numbers as members due to the resolve of our party to adopt direct primaries.

“It will, therefore, spell doom for the APC in Ebonyi if some persons in any guise want to frustrate this move by majority who are willing to actively participate in choosing their party’s flag bearers.

“We believe that the only way to guarantee free, credible, fair and leveled playing ground for all the aspirants is to adopt direct primaries for the selection of candidates for the various elective positions,” the group said.

It explained that it was only through direct primary elections that credible and competent candidates could emerge.

“The quest to unseat the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led government in the state can only be achieved when a governorship candidate with character, competence and credibility emerges and this can be made possible through a direct primary,” it said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that direct primaries involve the participation of all party members in the selection of party candidates while indirect primaries involves use of delegates, basically party leaders at local government levels, political appointees as well as elected officials in electing party candidates. (NAN)

ODO /AZA/MNA
======
Edited by Polycarp Auta/Maureen Atuonwu

Flood kills 9, injures 5 in Kano State
By Tukur Muntari
Flood
Kano, Sept. 5, 2018 (NAN) The Kano State Government has confirmed the death of nine people and injury of five others from a recent flood disaster in nine local government areas of the state.

The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (SERERA), Alhaji Ali Bashir, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Wednesday.
Bashir said the disaster also affected more than 4,475 persons in the nine local government areas of the state.
He explained that five persons lost their lives in Rimin Gado, three at Gabasawa and one in Getso town, Gwarzo Local Government Area.
“So all in all nine persons lost their lives and five others sustained injuries in the disaster. A total of 4,475 people were affected by the flood,’’ the scribe said.
According to him, the agency’s personnel are still compiling reports from five other local government areas hit by the disaster.
“We have a total of 15 local government areas that were hit by flood and so far we have completed assessment of the situation in nine of the 14 LGAs,” Bashir said.
He assured that a comprehensive report would be produced for the consideration of the state government as soon as the team completed the assessment of the affected areas. (NAN)
MTM/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola