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The Enugu State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Uche Eze, has stressed the need for constant and periodic training of teachers toward the development of basic education system in the state.
The commissioner said this in an interview in Enugu on Wednesday.
He said that the training would expose teachers to the various teaching techniques and skills.
Eze added that the government would soon send teachers to the Nigeria Teachers Institute (NTI) for retraining so as to improve their knowledge and skill, in conformity with modern day realities.
He also stressed the need to motivate teachers in order to enhance their efficiency, boost their moral and enthrone competition among them.
He noted that "it is widely said that any system without reward will not bring out the best among the manpower that make up the system.
"Government must pay attention to rewarding teachers as this will encourage them in the task of impacting knowledge to our children.
"The issue of welfare packages to teachers, especially those in basic education can never be overemphasized."
The commissioner said that the state government had concluded arrangements for prompt payment of teachers' salaries and allowances so as to avoid incessant industrial action that characterised basic education in some parts of the country.
Eze also said that the state government would ensure that those due for promotion were elevated immediately without delay and their retirement should not be delayed in any form.
"This will go a long way in encouraging those that are still in active service to restore sanity in our basic education system," he said.
He pointed out that one of the greatest problems facing basic education was inadequate funding, adding that currently, the federal and state governments had been collaborating with the Universal Basic Education Board to fund schools through counterpart fund.
He said that the local government areas had been providing educational materials like chalk, pen, pencil, writing materials and some science text books for various schools.
Eze emphasised the need for efficient management of funds and support provided by these government agencies in order to improve the standard and quality of teaching in the country.
According to him, heads of basic education boards should be held responsible for any misappropriation of fund and support provided by government.
Government on its own part, should evolve appropriate measures to monitor and sanction erring school heads to serve as deterrent to others.
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has urged its members to desist from reducing quantity and quality of their goods owing to the scarcity of foreign exchange (Forex).
Mr Frank Jacobs, the President of the association, gave the advice in Abuja.
He said such move would further impact negatively on the economy.
Jacobs said it was not in the interest of any manufacturer to reduce the quantity of his or her product, adding that such practice would negatively affect customers' patronages.
"The moment you do that, these buyers, who already know the size of the product, will react by boycotting the products.
"You know the implication of this. Once a consumer is lost, it is usually expensive to regain his or her confidence back.
"On the issue of quality, it is difficult for any manufacturer who wants to remain in business to reduce quality of product for the same reason mentioned above,'' he said.
He, however, said that some manufacturers could be tempted to do so in order to make some profit, adding that such a smart move had its consequences.
" The world is a global market where competition is high and productivity and sales income dependent on prices and quality of products.
"Sometimes, it becomes inevitable to increase prices especially at a time of higher production costs.
"Unfortunately, there is a lot of resistance to price increase of manufactured products,'' Jacobs said.
Jacobs, therefore, urged the Federal Government to expeditiously deploy expertise to stabilise the economy, adding that the manufacturers would not go around the recession for too long.
He said that government should provide requisite infrastructure support, appropriate monetary and fiscal policy measures, as well as a conducive manufacturing environment for the market players.
He, however, advised manufacturers to continue to imbibe best manufacturing practices and efficiency. (NAN)
Suspected gunmen on Wednesday attacked the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) office in Onitsha, Anambra, torching some equipment and Star Times section in the premises.
Acting Manager of the station, Mr Chris Nwigwe, told newsmen in Onisha that the incident occurred at about 1.40 a.m.
"Some armed men tried to attack the staff on duty but only succeeded in burning down the Star Times building," he said, adding that no life was lost in the attack.
An eyewitness said that an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was planted at the security post of the station, while tyres were set around the premises to set the station ablaze.
"There was a gun duel between the armed men and policemen who are manning the office.
"They managed to burn down the Star Times office while the fire was later put out with the help of people around.
"This type of incident has never happened," the source said.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Sam Okaula, who visited the scene with the Anti-Bomb Squad to evacuate the explosive device, confirmed that three suspects had been arrested in connection with the incident.
He said that investigation had begun to unravel the reason for the attack.
Okaula lauded policemen manning the office for their bravery, saying that their quick intervention prevented loss of lives and destruction of more property in the attack.
He warned people against taking laws into their hands, and assured that the police would get to the root of the incident.
"Those who take laws into their hands should be ready to face the repercussion," he stressed, adding that the suspects would be prosecuted in court after investigation was concluded.
Three police patrol vans had been stationed in front of the station to beef up security. (NAN)
The police in Jigawa on Wednesday said it had arrested a 30-year- old man, Haruna Barde, for allegedly killing a 70-year -old woman and her son in Jahun Local Government Area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PRRO), Alhaji Jinjiri Abdu, confirmed the arrest in Dutse, saying that the incident occurred on Sept. 13 at about 10.30 p.m. in Nahuce village of Harbo town in Jahun Local Government Area.
Abdu said that the victims were 70-year-old Zainab Abubakar and her 50-year-old son, Hassan Abubakar.
He added that "yes, on Sept. 13, we received a report around 10.30 p.m. that one Haruna Barde of Nahuce, Harbo town in Jahun, allegedly attacked one Zainab Abubakar with machete.
"The 30-year-old Barde also attacked the woman's son, Hassan Abubakar, who tried to save her.
"Upon reception of the report, our men immediately arrived at the scene, rescued and took the victims to hospital and arrested the suspect.
"However, the woman and her son both died minutes later due to injuries they sustained."
The police spokesman said corpses of the deceased had since been handed over to their family for burial.
He said investigation into the case had commenced, noting that "it is only after investigation that we will know the reason for the attack." (NAN)
Lagos – The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has commenced enforcement action on Globacom for not adhering to the 10 per cent threshold for interconnect traffic by telecom companies.
This is contained in the organisation's 2016 Q1 Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Report.
It said that the NCC monitored compliance of the telecommunication company with regards to the commission's directive on routing of a minimum of 10 per cent of interconnect traffic through interconnect exchange licensees.
The report said that pursuant to Section 53 (1) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, NCC issued a direction in April 2009.
According to the report, the directive mandated all operators to route a minimum of 10 per cent of their inter-operator traffic through licensed Interconnect Exchange Operators in locations where they have point of presence (POP) across the country.
"This direction is aimed at providing interconnection of traffic across the networks.
"It will encourage routing of traffic through interconnect exchange operators, which is necessary to reduce network congestion and mitigate the quality of service challenges,'' it said.
The report further said the directive was consistent with the mandate of the commission to monitor and ensure that operators complied with extant rules, regulations, directions and guidelines.
It said that the Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement department carried out a compliance monitoring check to confirm the level of compliance to the directive.
"Our monitoring process involved collecting traffic data for the period of December 2015 and January 2016 (inbound and outbound) from the network operators, as well as from the major interconnects exchange houses.
"Having reviewed the data, it was revealed that all the mobile network operators, except Globacom complied with the 10 per cent minimum threshold of interconnect traffic to be routed through the interconnect exchange operators.
"Consequently, the commission has commenced the necessary enforcement action for this breach,'' the report said.
It said that the telecommunications umpire's activities were consistent with Section 89 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.
The report added that the section mandated NCC to "monitor all significant matters relating to the performance of all licensed telecom service providers and publish annual reports at the end of each financial year.''
It also said that NCC had developed Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement strategies to ensure fair competition, ethical market conduct and optimal quality service in the telecommunications industry.
Umuahia – Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC) on Wednesday announced that it would conduct council elections in the state on Dec. 17, 2016.
Chairman of the commission, Justice Igbozuruike Akomas (retd), made the announcement in a statement in Abuja.
He said that polls would hold in the 292 wards in the 17 local government areas in the state.
"The development is in exercise of the powers conferred on the commission by Part II, Third Schedule, Section 4, Sub-section `a' and `b' of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
"It is in pursuant to the Fifth Schedule, Section160 of Abia State Local Government Law No. 9 of 2002," Akomas said.
He urged interested candidates of political parties to visit the headquarters of the commission for collection of nomination forms before October 14.
He said that details relating to the conduct of the election would be communicated to all the concerned parties in due course.
A syndicate of fraudsters has successfully used the name of the current Head of Service of the Federation to seamlessly smile to the bank.
The con artists have been able to have their way to the pockets of Nigerians by creating a phantom Facebook account of Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita and use same to solicit for cash from employment-seekers.
Abuja – The Federal High Court, Abuja, has declared as unlawful, the arrest and continued detention of retired Air Commodore Umar Mohammed, a member of the Presidential team investigating the arms deal in the country.
The judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, made the declaration on Wednesday when he delivered a judgment in a suit filed by Emeka Ohazurike and 19 others.
Dimgba said that the continued detention of Mohammed by the DSS, even after he had perfected his bail conditions was illegal.
He said that if the DSS continued to detain Mohammed even after the court had signed for his release, it would be an assault on the judiciary which is the third arm of government.
The judge held that his detention was unlawful and asked the counsel to the DSS, Mr Shimana Adzer, to convey the message.
Dimgba, however, said that the issue of money and an apology were personal, adding that since he was sure Mohammed did not authorise the suit, he could not grants such reliefs.
The judge had berated the DSS for refusing to produce Mohammed in court following a court order when he was arrested on June 19.
Ohazurike and his group sued the Department of State Services (DSS) for alleged violation of the fundamental human rights of Mohammed.
Some of the reliefs sought, included that the court should declare that the arrest and detention of Mohammed was unlawful, unconstitutional, malicious and an abuse of his rights to human dignity.
They also wanted the court to order the DSS to pay N500 million damages to Mohammed as well as publish an apology to him in at least two national newspapers.
The group, who said they were acting on behalf of Mohammed as human rights activist, also sought an order directing the DSS to release the defendant.
The DSS had arraigned Mohammed over allegations of money laundering, possession of fire arms and violation of Official Secret Act.
Mohammed had pleaded not guilty to the charges and was admitted to bail in the sum of N100 million.
The Kano State government says it spends N70 million weekly to feed public primary school pupils in the state.
The acting governor of the state, Hafiz Abubakar, said the expenditure is aside N68 million the government spends weekly on boarding schools. He made the disclosure on Wednesday when he received the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sunusi II, on the emir's traditional Sallah homage to Government House, Kano.
Mr. Hafiz noted that the feeding program was an arrangement involving the state, local governments and host communities of schools.
The acting governor however lamented that the local governments and host communities have not always come up with their parts of the contribution.
Mr. Hafiz said the state government has even been releasing about N700million every month to the local governments to ensure they pay their workers' salaries and meet running cost.
He further disclosed that the state also pays N300million as scholarship to students studying in Nigeria and abroad.
The acting governor said the state government plans to recruit 1000 officers to compliment house to house enforcement of sanitation in communities around the state.
He also revealed that the state was poised to complete an independent power project this year.
Mr. Hafiz said despite its numerous commitments, Kano remained one of the few states in the country not defaulting in salary payment.
In his remarks, the emir urged government at federal and state levels to seek advice from economic experts on way out of the current economic hardship in Nigeria.
He said the economic problem was surmountable if government followed good expert advice. He urged Nigerians to support and pray for their leaders to enable them deliver on their promises.
Sen. Abubakar Kyari, Chairman, Senate Committee on INEC, has said that the last minute shifting of the Edo Governorship election to Sept. 28, will not affect the expected outcome. Kyari was reacting to accusation made by the PDP that the postponement of the poll was aimed at manipulating the outcome by the ruling APC.
He told newsmen in Maiduguri on Wednesday that the postponement was inevitable. "Up till Wednesday, INEC was ready for the election because I spoke with INEC chairman who was already in Benin and he said there was no going back. "He (chairman) said that INEC can only shift the election if there was strong and tangible reasons for that," Kyari said.
He added that the commission was forced to shift the election after seeing some evidence from security agents. "But unfortunately, the reasons given by the police and the State Security Service (SSS) were so strong that within a short while INEC began to see some semblance of planned attack.
"So INEC had to cave in and postpone the polls, I remember that even the police had made arrangement to mobilize 23, 000 personnel for the polls before the last minutes shift," Kyari said. The senator noted that it was sad that some politicians were accusing the government of collaborating with INEC to shift the polls for political gains.
"The election was postponed due to the security situation and not because of any political reason. I do not think it was because the APC could not win. "Like I said, the postponement cannot affect the outcome or give advantage to the ruling APC as being alleged by in media reports," he said.
Kyari recalled that the 2015 elections were postponed and the outcome was not affected. "You will remember that even last year's elections were postponed by weeks and the outcome was not affected. "Whatever you do in election matter, it will not affect the outcome because the people have already made up their minds," he said.
The INEC committee chairman, who represents Borno North in the National Assembly, also defended the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu on the prevalence of inconclusive elections. "Yakubu is a man of integrity and a first class technocrat, so the issue of inconclusive elections is not peculiar to him.
"Even in 2011 there were inconclusive elections, we just forget so soon; last year elections in Imo State were inconclusive and that was when Prof. Mahmud Jega was INEC chairman," he said. Kyari said that attention was being focused on inconclusive elections now because they were happening in bye-elections rather that during general polls.
He attributed the reason for rising cases of inconclusive elections across the country on the desperation by politicians to win at all cost. "We now have two strong parties; the APC and the PDP who are almost at par in terms of strength. "Some politicians are now desperate, sometimes employing violence to disrupt elections leading to inconclusiveness.
"INEC has no choice but to declare election inconclusive once election materials are hijacked and elections disrupted on a large scale. "Of course this has to do with election guidelines which must be adhered to by INEC," he said.
The senator also defended INEC decision to declare elections inconclusive rather than declare one of the candidates' winner in an election marred by violence.
"INEC cannot disregard election guidelines and declare wrong candidate winner of an inconclusive election because it had a reputation to protect. "INEC reputation will be a subject of ridicule once the other candidates go to court to seek redress," Kyari said.
President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the Jamaican-born veteran journalist, Carlton Lindsay Barret, on his 75th birthday.
The President's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, said in a statement on Wednesday that Buhari joined the media and literary world in wishing Barret, born on Sept. 15, 1941, a happy birthday
The president noted that the poet, novelist, academic and versatile journalist, had lived and worked in Nigeria for 50 years.
He commended Barret for "his love for Nigeria, which inspired his relocation from the Caribbean to settle in the country, raise a family and also take up Nigerian citizenship in the 80s''.
According to him, the thematic thrusts of Barret's writings on Africa, Africans in Diaspora and Afro-Americans have contributed significantly to global discourse on the history and identity of the black race.
He further noted that his writings had renewed interest in the future of Africa and people of African descent.
The president prayed that Almighty God would grant Barret longer life, good health and strength to keep projecting his ideas.
Maj.-Gen Kasimu AbdulKarim, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division, Ibadan, says the Nigerian Army has totally decimated the activities of Boko Haram insurgents in the country.
AbdulKarim disclosed this on Tuesday during an interactive session with newsmen at the Tiger's Den, Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment, Ibadan.
"If you look at what has been happening before now and make a comparison yourself, you will know that the Armed forces are in charge. "We have not been having incessant attacks on either hard or soft targets," he said.
AbdulKarim said that the division would continue to provide adequate security within the western region of the country.
According to him, "this division has not actually had so much security challenges as compared to other areas. "The western region is the most peaceful in the country and we will uphold it," he said.
He said the division had been able to deal decisively with issues of kidnapping, robbery, cultism and herdsmen clashes.
"Some of the suspected Boko Haram members arrested within our division have been handed over to the police for prosecution," he said.
Dr Adeoye Abdulmalik, an Ilorin based medical practitioner, has said that women, who rested well enjoyed better genital arousal, compared to those who had not slept for a long time.
Abdulmalik made this observation on Wednesday while speaking with newsmen in Ilorin. According to him, studies have shown that good sleep is important for healthy sexual desire and arousal in women, even when they are mentally and medically healthy.
"The message is that sleep is therapeutic and important for many areas of our daily living. "Good sleep has been shown to improve mood, energy, concentration, overall health and even sexual desire and arousal. "Some researches have also shown that sleep increases sex hormones, which can influence feelings of sexual desire.
"When women sleep well, they feel aroused, whether by man or other women, as such interaction makes the body reacts in different ways. "There will be increased blood flow into the genitals in women, which also helps to promote an increase in a woman's natural vagina lubrication," he added.
A 36-year-old husband, Samson Ebiniyi, on Wednesday urged an Ikorodu Customary Court, Lagos, to dissolve his 10-year-old marriage to his, wife Modinat, for alleged stubbornness and arrogance. Ebiniyi, who resides at No. 7, Otunla Str., Majidun, Ikorodu, Lagos, also cited lack of motherly care for their four children as reasons for the dissolution.
At the resumed hearing, the petitioner told the court that he was fed up with Modinat's ways. "Modinat has become used to not sleeping at home and does not care if her actions hurt me or the children. "I cannot continue to tolerate her stubbornness toward me and her arrogance toward other people, especially my neighbours,'' he told the court.
Corroborating the husband's claim, the petitioner's witness, Happiness Otunla, said that Modinat was stubborn and adamant and had allegedly refused to heed several pieces of advice to stop her bad behaviour. "Samson is like a son to me and he usually reports his wife to me and I have corrected Modinat many times to no avail.
"But, I beg this court to settle them instead and make peace reign in their home,'' Otunla pleaded with the court. Otunla, who was cross-examined by Modinat's uncle, Mr Gbade Akintotu, told the court that both parties had at different times committed acts likely to breach the peace of the marriage.
"The two of them owe each other apologies for wrong done against each other as husband and wife. "It will be in the interest of the children for Samson and Modinat to remain as husband and wife,'' Otunla testified. While one of the Modinat's witnesses, Jimoh Babatunde, said that the children of the marriage would suffer psychologically trauma should the court grants the application.
"We in the compound, where Samson lives, know how the children love their parents. But, Modinat, in her defence, told the court that the petitioner did not show her enough love, saying that her husband was in the habit of threatening to divorce her at the slightest provocation.
The President of the court, Mrs Omolara Abiola, however, urged the couples to maintain peace pending the determination of the case. She said that adjourned dated would be communicated to all the parties after this court receives vital information that would help it to settle this matter.
India's Foreign Minister has taken up the cause of a British couple who had a surrogate daughter in India but could be forced to leave her in an orphanage due to delays by London in processing her passport. Chris and Michele Newman are in Mumbai on a medical visa that is valid until October 7.
They applied for their daughter Lily's passport in early June, days after her birth in May. The couple said they were told by Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office that they should be prepared to leave without their daughter.
"We cannot believe that we could be forced to do the unthinkable and leave our baby in India," the couple, both in their forties, wrote in an online petition on change.org. The minister, Sushma Swaraj wrote on Twitter, underlining her stand against commercial surrogacy and defended India's recent introduction of strict surrogacy laws.
"Will the advocates of commercial surrogacy suggest a solution and help this baby?'' she wrote, adding in a later tweet that Commercial surrogacy is banned in Britain. Report says the British couple is among the last to have a surrogate baby in India after the government decided to ban commercial surrogacy and said only a close relative can be a surrogate.
Meanwhile the British Home Office has said a passport would be issued after checks to ensure that the child's "interests are protected" and claim to British nationality are verified.
As she recovers from pneumonia, Hillary Clinton has promised to release more information about her health and Donald Trump has followed suit — a shift for both presidential candidates who have so far kept noticeably quiet on the subject.
The pair have been engaged in a grueling campaign for more than a year, and they are among the oldest people to run for the world’s most powerful job.
But Clinton’s health scare Sunday at the 9/11 memorial ceremony in New York and the disclosure from her doctors that she has pneumonia reminded American voters how little is known about their candidates’ health.
Here is what we know so far:
– Diagnosis: pneumonia –
After publicly falling sick on Sunday — Clinton, 69 next month, was seen wobbling as she was helped into a car — the Democratic candidate for president initially avoided questions, simply telling the press she was fine. This file photo combination shows Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton(L) on April 4, 2016 and Republican challenger Donald Trump on February 16, 2016. November’s US presidential election is taking shape: Republican billionaire Donald Trump and Democratic power player Hillary Clinton look set for an ugly battle for the White House after a bruising primary season. Trump knocked out his only serious challenger Ted Cruz on May 3, 2016 in Indiana’s key primary, winning 53 percent of the vote against 37 percent for the Texas senator, who raised the white flag and surprisingly pulled out of the race. / AFP PHOTO The campaign did not reveal her pneumonia diagnosis until later in the day — fueling accusations of a cover-up.
Saddled with a nasty cough while campaigning in Cleveland a few days earlier, Clinton had joked that she was allergic to her Republican rival Trump. (She blamed the cough on seasonal allergies.)
The Clinton campaign promised the new medical disclosures would show her only problem is the pneumonia.
On Monday, Clinton told CNN by telephone that she felt dizzy during the 9/11 ceremony and lost her balance for a minute but soon recovered.
She played down the episode and insisted she is much more transparent on health issues than her Republican opponent.
– Clinton’s record so far –
The only official medical record made public on the Democrat’s health so far gives a general overview.
It is an eight-paragraph letter signed by her doctor Lisa Bardack and dated July 2015. The letter said Clinton was in excellent physical condition.
The doctor recalled that in 2012, while she was secretary of state, a stomach virus and dehydration caused Clinton to faint, bringing on a concussion.
Doctors found a blood clot on the brain. Clinton saw double for a couple of weeks, but later received an all-clear.
The physician said Clinton also suffered from seasonal allergies, hypothyroidism, had deep vein thrombosis in 1998 and 2009 and took medication for the thyroid condition and an anti-coagulant.
A checkup in 2013 showed complete resolution of all the effects of the blood clot and the thrombosis was gone completely, the doctor wrote.
– Trump’s ‘astonishing’ record –
At age 70, Trump would be the oldest president ever elected. So far he has released only four paragraphs, written hastily by his doctor Harold Bornstein in December 2015, gushing about his state of health.
Bornstein said Trump’s blood pressure and laboratory test results were “astonishingly excellent.”
“If elected, Mr. Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency,” Bornstein wrote.
He recently disclosed that he dashed off the paragraphs in five minutes as a limo waited to deliver the document to Trump.
Following Clinton’s pneumonia, Trump has vowed soon to release “very, very specific numbers,” from a recent check-up.
He was scheduled to appear on “The Dr. Oz Show,” a medical-themed talk show, on Thursday, US media reports said.
– Past practice –
There’s a tradition of American presidential candidates releasing health records to reassure the public that they are physically ready to serve in the nation’s highest office.
In perhaps the most striking example, Senator John McCain, the Republican candidate for president in 2008, invited 20 journalists to go through 1,173 pages of his medical records to assuage concerns over his battle with skin cancer.
With just over 50 days to go until the election, “the more transparent they are about their health record, the better it would be,” said Robert Shapiro, a political scientist at Columbia University.
He said this could be done without making everything public.
For instance, a group of doctors could go through the candidates’ records and, without providing details, state if they are fit to be president.
Or members of Congress could vet the information, he added.
– Should there be a limit? –
“How much do we need to know?”
That’s the question posed by David Lublin, a professor of political science at American University in Washington.
“Even in the US, where we have the endless belief in our right to know the personal about our political candidates, health at some point becomes somewhat of a limit,” he said.
Should a sexually transmitted disease be made public, for example? Lublin said minor medical issues do not warrant being made public, just big ones like cancer or other major illnesses.
But he acknowledged the issue is important, citing the example of Paul Tsongas, a former senator who sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1992.
Tsongas started his campaign without revealing that he had been treated in 1987 for a recurrence of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after previously being declared cancer-free.
He died after becoming ill following treatments for the cancer.
“Had he been the nominee he would have died during his first term,” Lublin said.
Lagos – A 19-year-old man, Jelili Afolabi, who allegedly raped a 16-year-old girl was on Friday arraigned at a Surulere Magistrates' Court in Lagos.
Afolabi, whose address was not provided, is charged with rape.?
The prosecutor, Sgt. Anthonia Osanyade, told the court that the accused committed the offence at Konga Meji Ibeshe beach, Lagos, at about 7.30 p.m. on Aug.17.
She said the accused ?invited his victim to a quiet part of the beach and forcefully had sex with her.
The offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011. ? The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Ipaye Nwachukwu, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum. ? She ordered that one of the sureties must be a blood-relation to the accused, and that both sureties should provide evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government. ? Nwachukwu adjourned the case to Nov.1.
A Nigerian newspaper and Online version of the Vanguard, a daily publication in Nigeria covering Niger delta, general national news, politics, business, energy, sports, entertainment, fashion,lifestyle human interest stories, etc
The Police Command in Anambra said 14 suspected Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) members had been arrested in Onitsha over alleged illegal procession.
File: MASSOB protests
Mrs Nkeiruka Nwode, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Onitsha on Tuesday.
Nwode said that the arrests were carried out in different parts of the town during a procession by the group to mark 17 years of its existence.
She explained that the persons were arrested for illegal procession, adding that no life was lost in the confusion that followed the arrest of the members.
However, Religious Administrator of MASSOB, Rev. Apostle Ezichukwu, claimed that more than 50 members were arrested, with 20 missing and one person allegedly shot by the police.
Ezichukwu, who said that the procession was peaceful, wondered why the police arrested members of the group.
He alleged that security personnel from the Army, Police, Navy and NSCDC were detaining MASSOB members at the Army Barracks, Onitsha, police headquarters, Awka and other police stations.
Also speaking, the Anambra North Zonal Leader of MASSOB, Mr Benjamin Omenka, appealed for the release of those arrested and urged members of the group to be patient.
According to him, the present call for restructuring by some segments of the country came as a result of the fear for Biafra independence by those who have tied the country down.
"Let the whole world know that we are resolute in our stand for a Biafra Republic.
"It is not compulsory that we shall remain one indivisible nation, so they should allow us to go to our Promised Land," he said, adding that the agitation would remain a peaceful one.
Dr Ben Ugheoke, the Chairman Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU), University of Abuja chapter, has denied issuing strike notice to the Federal Government.
Ugheoke, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja said that he did not grant any interview or issue a statement on pending strike contrary to reports.
"My attention has been drawn to a publication online and on social media captioned- ASUU: union to begin strike October 2nd.
"The story is said to have been authored originally by Press Team of University of Abuja.
"The general public and ASUU National Executive Council (NEC) should know and note that no one came, either as journalist or any Press Team to interview me.
"I hereby denounce such a publication as the work of mischief makers, targeted at misleading the unsuspecting public about the trajectory of the struggles of ASUU.
"That are aimed at revitalising the university and indeed the education system of Nigeria."
He urged members of the public and stakeholders to disregard the report as it did not originate from him.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Yusjib Industrial Medicare, Ilorin, Dr Yusuf Abdulraheem, says he has discovered a young lady that has been faking pregnancy for close to nine months.
Abdulraheem told newsmen on Tuesday in Ilorin that he discovered that the lady used clothing as a disguise for the pregnancy by stuffing them under her normal clothes to make her appear pregnant.
According to the doctor, he made the discovery while trying to examine the lady who is in her early twenties.
He said that the lady identified herself as Azeezat Abubakar.
The CMD said that the lady who was brought to the hospital for delivery, identified herself as Azeezat Abubakar.
He added that he became suspicious when she refused to be examined.
"She has been using my hospital name to claim money at home, telling her family she is doing her ante-natal in Yusjib.
"When her family brought her, I noticed that i had never seen her face before, but for the benefit of doubt, I told her to remove her folder which she could not locate.
"In the absence of one, I opened a new folder for her; I requested she come to the couch for examination only for her to be squatting.
"It was her mother-in-law who forced her to the couch and as I tried to examine her tommy, I discovered it was clothes she padded there'', Abdulraheem said.
The doctor condemned the incident and urged mothers to monitor their young girls with closely.
He also wondered why the mother-in-law did not discover the fake pregnancy for close to nine months.
All efforts to reach the family for comments proved abortive as they were not returning calls or text messages.
By LAWANI MIKAIRU Arik Air has just confirmed that it is suspending flight operation due to its inability to immediately renew its aircraft insurance.
A statement by its Spokesman, Mr Adebanji Ola said "Arik Air, West and Central Africa's largest airline has alerted all air travelers of a temporary disruption to its operations, pending approval of aircraft documentation related to insurance renewal."
"The airline said that it was working around the clock to resolve the necessary documentation, which has been a challenge due to the long weekend holidays due to Ed al Adha."
Acting Auditor-General for the Federation, Mrs Florence Anyanwu, has said that environmental audit of the River Niger would begin soon to prevent it from drying up like Lake Chad river.
She said this on Tuesday in Abuja during the 6th Annual Meeting of African Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions Working Group on Environmental Audit (AFROSAI WGEA).
The theme of the meeting is "Working together for a healthy and sustainable environment in Africa.''
Anyanwu said that the River Niger was drying up gradually on the Onitsha side and that in some countries where it flowed to, it had dried up.
She said that Nigeria represented the largest coastal area of the river and that there were lots of economic activities that it represented.
"There is also a whole lot of prospective power and navigation activity, so it is very relevant and important even in terms of agriculture.
"We do not want to sit back and watch what happened to Lake Chad to happen to River Niger.
"So the earlier we can address it as Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs), the earlier we can come up with recommendations to assist our member countries to be able to address them in policy formation and implementation.''
Anyanwu said that at the end of the meeting, the commencement of the auditing would begin "although the policy itself and the agreement to start that audit have already been adopted by the AFROSAI WGEA".
She also said that Nigeria would particularly like to see that the Niger Basin Authority comprising Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d' Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger agree to commence the cooperative environmental audit project.
In her speech, Chairperson of AFROSAI WGEA, Mrs Mbah Fomundam, said that the meeting would address issues of wild legal poaching and illegal trade, bio-diversity and plastic pollution.
She said that for some years now environmental sustainability had become a global challenge that was synonymous to responsibility towards future generations.
"It therefore behoves on the SAIs to make sure that the governments are implementing the policies, because the environment is not only for us but for posterity, for the future, our children and our grandchildren.
"In this regard, good governance is important in ensuring that commitments taken in the area of environmental protection and sustainable development produce credible results.''
Fomundam said that the results of the audit of the Lake Chad had been submitted to the different governments, and that the different governments would meet to know the next step to take.
"The audit report was to look at the laws of each country, the international laws adopted as far as the Lake Chad is concerned or the environment concerning water and forestry.
"What laws have been adopted, what has the countries done to implement these laws, are they respecting these laws?''
Declaring the meeting open, the Minister of Environment, Mrs Amina Mohammed, said that environmental auditing was an essential component of sustainable environmental management.
Represented by the Director of Forestry, Mr Philip Bankole, she said that such audit provided the mechanism to know what had gone wrong over time while highlighting the need for urgent policy action.
She, however, said that the protection of the environment was the responsibility of all and that government would continue to provide the enabling atmosphere for sustainable environmental management.
Mr Tassilo Droste, Technical adviser to AFROSAI, in his remarks said that the report on the drying-up of Lake Chad was so important and that it was time for the recommendations to be implemented.
According to him, Lake Chad has become smaller than it was 40 years ago and as a shallow lake without sufficient rain, if it does not replenish fully will not serve its purpose.
"So the lake is smaller than it used to be and that happens in a context where there is more population; so you can imagine less water and increasing population at the same time.
"That means that there is more pressure on the environment, so more people have to share less water and that is obviously problematic."
Droste said that there was a multiplier effect to the drying of the river because people lived on fish and agriculture which needed water.
"If people do not have them, people would be forced to move into the big cities and there may be conflicts because of migration and so these are linked to how we manage the water in the Lake Chad area.''
The meeting which began on Monday would end on Thursday.
Angelique Kerber, the newly-crowned world number one in women tennis, says she has nothing left to prove after clinching the U.S. Open for a second Grand Slam this year.
Angelique Kerber
The German said at a news conference in Munich following her return to Germany on Tuesday that she now has to enjoy the benefits of her place in the record books.
The 28-year-old became the oldest player to rise to that rank when the new list was published on Monday.
It helped in capping a memorable summer that also included the Olympic silver medal at Rio de Janeiro and a Wimbledon final appearance.
Her success in Rio was followed up by a final defeat in Cincinnati to Katerina Pliskova, who she then beat in the U.S. Open final.
"In Cincinnati, that is where the questions about number one started coming up and that is where the additional pressure started,'' she said.
Kerber had started the year by winning the Australian Open but said her triumph in New York on Saturday, coupled with the number one ranking, had now taken off any pressure.
"Winning the second grand slam, it was a bit different,'' she said.
"I don't have anything to prove anymore. I am at the top, number one. I waited for this moment all my life,'' she said.
"Melbourne was different as it was my first grand slam. I had to deal with a lot of things off the court after that.''
Kerber had beaten Pliskova in three sets in New York, having secured the top spot days earlier following Serena Williams' exit.
Looking back, she said her improved fitness and mental strength had been key to her success.
"This year everything came together. The experiences, specifically dealing with pressure. I am even fitter now than earlier this year.
"I am more positive and can deal with things even if they do not go that well.
"This mental strength was a life-saver when I was trailing 3-1 in the third set," she said. "At 28, I am now at the peak of my career and can enjoy it."
Kerber said she would now put her tennis racquet to the side for a few days and would treat herself to a special gift with some of her $3.5 million prize money.
"It will probably be in the direction of jewellery. But exactly what it will be I do not know yet."
Rolling out the second-generation Apple Watch this week, Apple has positioned fitness, and fitness alone, as the device's main selling point. High-end fashion, and friend-to-friend gestures like the heartbeat share, were hardly mentioned. Exercise was the unrivaled star of the watch reveal.
Tim Cook's keynote introduced the new "Series 2" device with a promotional video dominated by sports: color bursts of swimming, tennis, basketball, cycling, stairs, skateboarding, jogging and on and on. The watch's featured hardware changes, in addition to the requisite processor upgrade, were a GPS chip and a new "swimproof" water rating.
The upgraded operating system, watchOS 3, is all about fitness too: new Activity watch faces, workout sharing, additional health metrics, and a new "Breathe" app. Cook called the watch the "ultimate device for a healthy life." He said he expected the new version to be "especially popular with runners" - and proceeded to invite Nike's brand chief to introduce a full-fledged, standalone unit: the Apple Watch Nike+. The Nike version, with its own specialized bands and watch faces, was hailed as the "perfect running partner."
Equally prominent, in that first unveiling, were the watch's communication features. The Dick Tracy phone calls, the intimate "Digital Touch" messaging, the dedicated "Friends" side button: The stress, back in 2014, was on new, "subtle ways to communicate." With the Series 2 version, most of that fell away. Even the side button has been repurposed as an app-loading dock. And now it's your Activity rings - the addictive circles that track standing, movement and exercise - you're encouraged to share.
The business angle of Apple's pivot to fitness isn't that interesting. The company is following its customers and the broader wearables market - where lower-cost wristbands like Fitbit are reportedly picking up market share. The Nike+ deal isn't an aspirational bid to tap an underserved market. Instead, right now at least, exercise tracking is the reason consumers are buying smart watches and "basic" wearables like the Fitbit.
The intriguing thing about Apple's shift in marketing is its elevation of self-improvement over self-expression. The original watch was promoted as a custom display of personal style - as an identity statement on par with clothing. Cook described the original watch as the "most personal device Apple has ever created," and the device's web copy reinforced the point: Apple Watch is "more than a tool. It's a true expression of your personal taste." Or, in a later rendition: "From the way it works to the way it looks, Apple Watch isn't just something you wear. It's an essential part of who you are."
The new web copy, however, drops all the expressive language: The Series 2 Watch is "designed for all the ways you move," full of features that "help you stay active, motivated and connected."
Apple switches its flavor of self-help
The shift represents a victory of one mode of self-help over another. As sociologist Micki McGee observed in Self-Help, Inc., a pair of ethics have long competed in the American self-improvement market, one emphasizing self-mastery and the other self-discovery. Think Tony Robbins versus Oprah Winfrey: Robbins asks us to treat ourselves as objects to (relentlessly) work on, while Winfrey preaches meditative fulfillment.
What's novel about Apple's move is that self-discipline is getting delegated to a device. In a sense, watch wearers are outsourcing their superegos to a publicly traded company, the world's most valuable. With every tap-to-stand and Activity report - "a nudge when you need it" - the watch becomes more like a personal trainer, one coded by Apple engineers. By baking in fitness-sharing ("Healthy loves company"), the new watch appeals to social comparison and competition too - "whether it's to send encouragement or a little smack talk." And Apple's exercise-centric messaging is built around quantitative self-monitoring, via bar graphs and calorie counts and beats-per-minute tallies. The Series 2 "tracks all the ways you move throughout the day," reads new web copy. "Select up to five metrics to view at once."
Exercise is a good thing. But we shouldn't pretend the design and promotion of devices like the Apple Watch are value-neutral. By the time they're slotted under flawless in-store glass, they already have a set of ideals preinstalled. In the Apple Watch case, those values reflect their California origins: Our selves are objects to work on, to sculpt and measure, in competition with others. Indeed, the watch echoes the subculture of dedicated self-quantifiers, who - to a deliberate extent - define themselves in metrical terms.
The watch's new "Breathe" app is a fascinating case in counterpoint. The app, which encourages periodic deep breathing, is meant to "help you practice mindfulness every day." Here is a reminder of Silicon Valley's long flirtation with New Age mysticism - as well as the gauzy repurposing of Buddhist meditation for the self-help industry. If anything, the Breathe app is a throwback to Apple's expressivist marketing campaigns. And in that respect the new watch echoes a century-old American injunction: If you want to get ahead, go find yourself.
Rolling out the second-generation Apple Watch this week, Apple has positioned fitness, and fitness alone, as the device's main selling point. High-end fashion, and friend-to-friend gestures like the heartbeat share, were hardly mentioned. Exercise was the unrivaled star of the watch reveal.
Tim Cook's keynote introduced the new "Series 2" device with a promotional video dominated by sports: color bursts of swimming, tennis, basketball, cycling, stairs, skateboarding, jogging and on and on. The watch's featured hardware changes, in addition to the requisite processor upgrade, were a GPS chip and a new "swimproof" water rating.
The upgraded operating system, watchOS 3, is all about fitness too: new Activity watch faces, workout sharing, additional health metrics, and a new "Breathe" app. Cook called the watch the "ultimate device for a healthy life." He said he expected the new version to be "especially popular with runners" - and proceeded to invite Nike's brand chief to introduce a full-fledged, standalone unit: the Apple Watch Nike+. The Nike version, with its own specialized bands and watch faces, was hailed as the "perfect running partner."
Equally prominent, in that first unveiling, were the watch's communication features. The Dick Tracy phone calls, the intimate "Digital Touch" messaging, the dedicated "Friends" side button: The stress, back in 2014, was on new, "subtle ways to communicate." With the Series 2 version, most of that fell away. Even the side button has been repurposed as an app-loading dock. And now it's your Activity rings - the addictive circles that track standing, movement and exercise - you're encouraged to share.
The business angle of Apple's pivot to fitness isn't that interesting. The company is following its customers and the broader wearables market - where lower-cost wristbands like Fitbit are reportedly picking up market share. The Nike+ deal isn't an aspirational bid to tap an underserved market. Instead, right now at least, exercise tracking is the reason consumers are buying smart watches and "basic" wearables like the Fitbit.
The intriguing thing about Apple's shift in marketing is its elevation of self-improvement over self-expression. The original watch was promoted as a custom display of personal style - as an identity statement on par with clothing. Cook described the original watch as the "most personal device Apple has ever created," and the device's web copy reinforced the point: Apple Watch is "more than a tool. It's a true expression of your personal taste." Or, in a later rendition: "From the way it works to the way it looks, Apple Watch isn't just something you wear. It's an essential part of who you are."
The new web copy, however, drops all the expressive language: The Series 2 Watch is "designed for all the ways you move," full of features that "help you stay active, motivated and connected."
Apple switches its flavor of self-help
The shift represents a victory of one mode of self-help over another. As sociologist Micki McGee observed in Self-Help, Inc., a pair of ethics have long competed in the American self-improvement market, one emphasizing self-mastery and the other self-discovery. Think Tony Robbins versus Oprah Winfrey: Robbins asks us to treat ourselves as objects to (relentlessly) work on, while Winfrey preaches meditative fulfillment.
What's novel about Apple's move is that self-discipline is getting delegated to a device. In a sense, watch wearers are outsourcing their superegos to a publicly traded company, the world's most valuable. With every tap-to-stand and Activity report - "a nudge when you need it" - the watch becomes more like a personal trainer, one coded by Apple engineers. By baking in fitness-sharing ("Healthy loves company"), the new watch appeals to social comparison and competition too - "whether it's to send encouragement or a little smack talk." And Apple's exercise-centric messaging is built around quantitative self-monitoring, via bar graphs and calorie counts and beats-per-minute tallies. The Series 2 "tracks all the ways you move throughout the day," reads new web copy. "Select up to five metrics to view at once."
Exercise is a good thing. But we shouldn't pretend the design and promotion of devices like the Apple Watch are value-neutral. By the time they're slotted under flawless in-store glass, they already have a set of ideals preinstalled. In the Apple Watch case, those values reflect their California origins: Our selves are objects to work on, to sculpt and measure, in competition with others. Indeed, the watch echoes the subculture of dedicated self-quantifiers, who - to a deliberate extent - define themselves in metrical terms.
The watch's new "Breathe" app is a fascinating case in counterpoint. The app, which encourages periodic deep breathing, is meant to "help you practice mindfulness every day." Here is a reminder of Silicon Valley's long flirtation with New Age mysticism - as well as the gauzy repurposing of Buddhist meditation for the self-help industry. If anything, the Breathe app is a throwback to Apple's expressivist marketing campaigns. And in that respect the new watch echoes a century-old American injunction: If you want to get ahead, go find yourself.
A cleric at the Redeem Christian Church of God, Mr Julius Olalekan, has said that God has not failed Nigeria in the fight against corruption. He also urged Nigerians to get closer to God to end current challenges facing the country. Olalekan, who is Pastor-in-charge of Ogun Region 12 of the church, made the call on Tuesday at the inauguration and dedication of the Provincial Headquarters, Ogun Province 18 of the church in Mowe, Ogun.
"Our leaders should have the fear of God in them; if there is the fear of God in our hearts, corruption will be removed from our hearts, and we will not steal the tax payer's money. "If we have the fear of God, it will be the beginning of wisdom; once there is the fear of God, the wisdom to excel, good governance and good leadership will come automatically.
"The government should pay attention to the plight of the citizens; the earlier the better, because if they allow things to degenerate further, it will amount to lots of losses. "Poverty and hunger should be addressed; the government should try to make the man on the street a little comfortable,'' he said.
In his speech, the Pastor-in-Charge of the new province of the church, Mr Lawrence Olunifesi, said that Nigeria was endowed with enormous resources.
"So far God has not failed Nigeria; we have mismanaged our God given resources; over time we have been complacent. "We have opportunity to have expanded; we have opportunity to become a producing country, but we have so much depended on oil revenue or resources alone,
"The church is praying hard that Nigeria will recover from its current challenges and there will be reduction in poverty. "For any government to succeed, the ordinary man on the street should be a bit comfortable. "But right now, we are educating our people not just to acquire certificates but to acquire skills and ability to be able to do something with their hands and be self-dependent.
"Nigeria is blessed with enormous land; we should go back to farming, and food scarcity will be reduced. "We should work with our hands; we should be able to create the change we needed, government and church alone cannot do it,'' he said.
City Police's senior officers in London have turned down a request from Premier League clubside West Ham to help secure their stadium on match days. Their action was based on the fact that the £700 million ground does not have a "satisfactory'' radio system. The club had requested a police presence in the ground after crowd trouble.
The Hammers only moved to the London Stadium at the start of the season. "Until there is comprehensive radio coverage, officers will not be routinely deployed within it,'' said the Metropolitan Police's Peter Terry. Terry, who is deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and in charge of specialist crime and operations, added: "The stadium operators are responsible for the safety and comfort of their customers and staff.
"This issue was highlighted to the stadium operators in October 2014 and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has been in negotiation with stadium operators regarding the provision of Airwave radio inside the stadium. "During this time, the MPS had spoken to the stadium operators several times to highlight the consequences of not installing such a system.
"The MPS is not able to provide Special Policing Services at this time as it would normally, as there is no satisfactory radio system across the ground.'' All of Great Britain's emergency services and more than 300 public safety organisations use the Airwave radio system to communicate. West Ham confirmed that 10 fans were ejected from the stadium during the 4-2 defeat by Watford on Saturday.
There were more disturbances during the first home Premier League game against Bournemouth last month. West Ham is a tenant at the London Stadium, which is owned by E20 and was built to host the 2012 London Olympics. E20 says it is addressing the recent trouble.
Documents released last year showed the taxpayer - not the club - would foot the bill for much of the match day operating costs, including security.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it has discovered 41 fake and unlicenced service providers operating in the country's telecommunications landscape. The regulatory body made this known in its "2016 Q1 Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Reports", made available to newsmen, in Lagos.
It said there was compliance monitoring regarding the engagement of unlicenced service provider, providing internet/data access in Nigeria. The report stated that following the commissions' surveillance and intelligence gathering exercise, it was discovered that some financial institutions engaged the illegal providers for their internet and data services.
According to the report, in line with the commission's compliance processes, these banks were requested to provide the names and details of their service providers in this regard. "Arising from this compliance check, the Commission has discovered that 41 companies engaged were operating without the requisite authorisation.
"To this end, the Commission has commenced the necessary enforcement process in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003," it said. The report said that the telecommunications umpire's activities were consistent with Section 89 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.
It said that the section mandated NCC to "monitor all significant matters relating to the performance of all licensed telecom service providers and publish annual reports at the end of each financial year".
The report noted that NCC had developed Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement strategies to ensure fair competition, ethical market conduct and optimal quality service in the telecommunications industry.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has told Air Force personnel involved in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents in the Northeast that President Muhammadu Buhari is very happy and appreciates their efforts.
Abubakar made the statement on Tuesday during an Eid El Kabir celebration lunch with Air Force troops at Yola Air Force Base. The CAS was represented by Chief of Policy and Plans, NAF headquarters, AVM James Abubakar. Abubakar said Buhari was full of appreciation for the troops and urged them to sustain the efforts toward bringing peace to the Northeast and Nigeria.
"The good work you are doing is appreciated by the commander-in-chief; he is sending his greetings to you at this festive time. "He commends your efforts and urges you to sustain your commitment for peace in the Northeast and Nigeria as a whole.
"We also want to use this opportunity to thank the commander-in-chief for his support to the Nigerian Air Force,'' Abubakar said. He said that NAF was also happy with the troops' performance and would continue to ensure their welfare and those of their families.
Earlier in an address of welcome, the Air Officer Commanding Tactical Air Command, AVM Muhammed Mohammadu, thanked the CAS for his commitment to their welfare and for always identifying with them to boost their morale. "We want to pledge our support and loyalty to Nigerian Air Force and the nation," Muhammadu said.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Tuesday identified Nigeria's over-dependence on oil as responsible for the present economic recession the nation was passing through. Mohammed made the assertion at a news briefing in his residence in Oro, Irepodun Local Government Area in Kwara.
He said that the prevailing economic situation was not about trading blames, pointing out that "those who understand knew that this recession was bound to happen in such circumstance". He said that the crash in global price of oil exposed the country's defective economic policy, with oil accounting for over 60 per cent of the nation's Growth Domestic Product (GDP).
The minister stated that the situation was further compounded by inadequate reserve to cushion the effect of oil "misfortunes'' on the country.
"We have a very defective economic structure, which depended largely on a single platform of crude and fuel. "Crude oil accounts for between eight and 12 per cent of our GDP and another 53 per cent of the GDP which we call non-oil, unfortunately also depend on the same oil.
"When the price of oil now crashes in the international market, definitely you are bound to have this kind of shock in the economy," he said. He decried the citizens' preference for imported goods to local products, saying that substantial amount of the country's foreign exchange earnings was being expended on importation of goods and services.
Mohammed also blamed past administrations' inability to achieve massive investment on infrastructure to assist manufacturing industries and boost agriculture production for part of current probelm.
According to him, such inadequacies are responsible for the socio-economic imbalance being experienced in the country today. The minister, who acknowledged that there was growth in the nation's economy between 2010 and 2014, however, said the growth was only fueled by consumption.
"The growth was not fuelled by production or fuelled by investment, and that explains why it was short lived," he said. He said that the present administration's efforts to correct past anomalies could not be felt immediately because the rots in the system were too enormous for short term remedies.
Mohammed disclosed that the administration inherited a whooping debt of N67 billion on fertilizer procurement alone. He listed part of the administrations palliative reforms to include massive investment in infrastructure and agriculture production. "People say we should not talk about what happened yesterday but it is pertinent to learn, understand and move away from past mistakes.
"In the whole of 2014 the government then, expended about N18 billion on roads, but spent N35 billion on travels. "This year alone, we have spent N70 billion on roads. "People say why are these steps not being felt immediately; it is because the last government refused to pay contractors between 2012 and 2015 even when crude was selling at 100 dollars per barrel.
"Out of the N70 billion being owed Julius Berger, we have paid N14 billion. "If government was not owing Julius Berger in the past and we paid N14 billion to them, you would have seen them busy on the roads," he said.
He said that "Change Starts with Me" initiative launched by the Federal Government on Tuesday was to instill discipline and the needed change of attitude on both the leaders and the led. According to the minister, such remained the basic foundation and the driving force for actualising socio-economic transformation for the country.
"Nigerians have to change their attitude from the past; it is not only about the leaders but also the followers. "This is the only way we can achieve our desired progress, growth and development," he said.
Rising musician, Olusegun Olowokere aka Iceberg Slim has pleaded openly with colleagues in the music industry not to copy his latest hairstyle.
Olusegun Olowokere aka Iceberg Slim
The musician who is set to dole out cash to a lucky winner of his dance competition which is tagged The #WaveChallenge, in a chat with pressmen, pointed that his voice and his hairstyle are the unique features which distinguish him from other musicians.
According to Iceberg slim "I don’t sound like anyone else, from my accent to my tone/diction. Secondly, I try to constantly reinvent my hairstyle, so as to not look like anyone else either. So far, these two things have been distinguishing factors.
When I started the MoHawk in Nigeria, I saw the likes of Phyno and Peter (P-Square) replicate it. I later changed my hairstyle and decided to just do one single braid going to the back, now I see X-Busta and a few others have reproduced it, once again. If they weren’t entertainers, this would probably be fine. Well, I’ve changed it yet again! Please o, no more copy copy" He warned.
The musician who draws his inspiration from notable superstars like Drake, Kanye West, and 2Face, lauded the Nigerian music industry, affirming that it has definitely come a long way, and still has a long way to go. According to him "I’m honestly impressed at the level of success and global recognition we’ve achieved thus far. It can only get bigger and better with time."
Speaking on what prompted him to unveil the dance competition, he said "I asked everyone to do an Instagram video of themselves or someone else being creative to my song, “Wave”. They can sing, dance, rap, act, anything, while the video with the most views wins N100,000. It's just my way of appreciating my fans.
Other songs released by Ice berg include 'Too Much Money' featuring Banky W, 'Ayanfe (remix)' featuring M.I., I. He has also been featured by 2Face on the track titled “Best I Can Be”, and Tiwa Savage in the tracks 'Shout-Out' and 'Make Time'.
The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki on Tuesday, assured Nigerians that the present economy recession rocking the country will soon be tackled through legislative support.
Saraki
Saraki, gave the assurance in Ilorin during an interaction with Journalists, while also affirming that Nigerians were really suffering.
According to him, the major preoccupation of the Senate upon resumption in September 20, will be on finding solutions to the economic recession.
"We are going to have an exhaustive and comprehensive debate on fixing the country's economy when we resume next week.
"Already, all the economic priority bills are being analysed and collated so that we can hit the ground running when we resume. We understand the pains that Nigerians are going through and we do not take this for granted.
"Additionally, the Senate intends to invite everybody involved in the management of the economy to address the Nigerian people through the parliament on the steps that are being taken to get us out of this mess," he said.
He said ,"We fully intend to hold all those involved in the economic management of the country accountable.
"However, we will do so in a manner that is transparent and beneficial to the country as a whole".
The Senate President said it was equally important to begin to formulate and actualise both legislative frameworks and executive policies to minimise the effects of the recession on Nigerians.
He added that it was also important for the parliament to start asking questions that will lead to plausible solutions.
"We need to ascertain our actual level of borrowing and what effect the devaluation of the naira has had on our economy.
"In every crisis, there is always an opportunity for positive reforms, in this regard, in order to solve this crisis, all hands must be on deck.
"Ideas should be sourced from all quarters, all arms of government, people of different political beliefs, from all socio-economic backgrounds and every part of Nigeria must work together at this time," Saraki said.
He reiterated his call for a broader and bolder economic plan with input from both legislative and executive arms of government, the private sector and professional groups.
All the groups, according to him, must work together to put in place interventions that will create more jobs, strengthen the naira, bring more investment into the country, and attain fiscal responsibility.
Saraki harped on the need for Nigeria to rally its best economic minds both from within the country and in the Diaspora in order to tackle the economic recession.
"This recession does not identify with any one party, we need to tap into the expertise of our best economic minds to come up with plans that both the executive and the legislature can evaluate and implement", he said.
Saraki therefore called on Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia to pray fervently for the recovery of the nation's ailing economy.
Enugu State Government has launched an interactive internet online platform "MY STEWARDSHIP" to engender people-oriented social engagement needed for an inclusive and responsive governance.
Speaking on the development to newsmen on Tuesday in Enugu, the State Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi gave the name of the interactive on-line platform as www.mystewardship.ng.
He said the digital ecosystem had become a veritable tool for good governance and citizen participation in government affairs.
"We are in the age of ideas and the world of Internet has provided a critical enabler for citizens to express themselves freely and willingly on issues of state resource management and value allocation. "As a government, it has increasingly become clear to us that we need to engage the people much more robustly to ensure we filter the best of ideas, views and opinions.
"That is why I have decided to launch this two-way social communication platform," he said. He noted that his government is determined to reach out to more people to enable them to understand better how the state was being managed and create an information exchange that would enrich policy issues and people-oriented programmes.
Ugwuanyi said he was fulfilled seeing the robust discussions and expressions of views by citizens of the state on the social media. He added that the time had come to harness these ideas and the people behind them into a community for easy harvest. "The past few months have been very challenging for us as a government, the country is going through a disturbing economic recession.
"We have also found ourselves confronting security challenges of very strange dimensions. "But I must admit that while there were a number of errors in commentaries on the issues, especially as it affect security, which bothered on lack of proper understanding of the workings and processes of government," he said.
He however said that there have been positive inflows of suggestions and ideas that we have been able to leverage in revamping and strengthening the security structure of the entire Enugu State.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday paid a visit to former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida and former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar in Minna,Niger State.
The Minster of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola had said all businesses involving movement of trailers and tankers on Nigeria roads were to revert to rail transportation even as he blamed the past administrations for the recessions in the country.
Fashola, in Abuja Tuesday, expressed dismay at the rate the roads and bridges are collapsing as a result of stress of cargoes on them by the tankers and trailers, warned that unless the trend is reversed, the transportation business would be adversely affected.
The Minister promised to collaborate with the Minister of Transportation on ensuring that cargoes were routed through the rail.
Fashola said in pursuing the rail project, there is a lot of inter-ministerial collaboration between his Ministry and that of Transportation adding that the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, who, according to him, understands the issues more than any other person, would be in a better position to explain the progress being made in the sector.Minister of Power, Fashola
"Plans will take time to evolve. You will see that his Ministry has delivered the Abuja - Kaduna rail. You see that the Lagos-Kano rail project and all of that were high issues during the budget presentations. I think that all of us now in the Executive and in Parliament are on one page; we are all agreed and there is an understanding of what needs to be done", he said.
The Minister said there was need for all the stakeholders including government and all those in the transportation business, especially those in the trailer and tanker business moving cargo across the country, to agree on reverting to the rail transportation as means of moving heavy cargo in order to save the roads.
Recalling that he had in the past suggested to the drivers of articulated vehicles moving heavy cargos to begin to think of alternative means, seeing the damage they cause on the roads, Fashola pointed out that if this was not done in time the roads may collapse and so would their business.
"In the past, I told all the tanker drivers that if they could move from rail transport to tanker and container transport on roads and we have seen the damage we have done, there is no reason we cannot move back", the Minister said adding that although it may take time but there must be a common agreement to move off the roads "because if the roads fail, the transport business dies".
He declared, "So in the same way they import trailers to move their cargo, they can begin to make arrangements to import wagons. We must all agree that this is the way to go. I am convinced that this is the way to go for the future", adding that Nigerians have even designed tankers beyond the capacity found in any other parts of the world. "We must all agree because this is not sustainable", he said.
Fashola suggested that instead of building and reconstructing the rail-lines, the same containers and tankers could be configured to run on tracks adding, that the present administration was now moving cattle by rail from the North to Lagos and that, according to him, is how it should go to save the roads.
On the rehabilitation project, the Minister, who described it as an emergency intervention, added, "This is why Ijora-Apapa Bridge failed because it was just over burdened with cargo for a very long time and after sometime it could not hold it anymore".
Explaining his reason for the inspection, the Minister said, "I am here to see things for myself so that those who will give me budgetary support when they ask me for details I can give to them", adding that the project could not be appropriated in the 2016 budget but would be accommodated in the 2017 budget.
According to him, "The Chairman Senate committee on works is someone who is also committed to this project and to finish it. Unfortunately the appropriation did not deal with it this year probably next year in a sense that we give some relief to the people of Apapa and the environs and we hope that as we go on we will be able to revive the old rail tracks even if all it does is to move our cargo". The Ministry of Transportation, he said, is working to revive the rail transportation.
On how the Tin-Can Apapa Bridge and other roads in the area got to its present situation, Fashola, who recalled that Apapa was the nation's first industrial estate, declared, "You need to understand the history of Apapa itself. This is I believe Nigeria's first industrial estate; that is what led to the ports in the early twentieth century".
"If you go behind the ports you will see all the rail tracks to evacuate cargo from the ports. They were used to evacuate petroleum products from the depots. They go right behind Breweries past Iponri and to Iddo and then out. This is important because when we are seeking to understand what we are doing today or why we are where we are today, we must ask ourselves what we did yesterday", he said, adding, "It is an important question. Those who don't want to hear about yesterday have a problem because they won't understand today".
According to the Minister, "There is an appreciation of what is left undone which is what we had done yesterday. Clearly, they have come to haunt us. The analogy is when you go to a doctor to complain of stomach upset, the first question he will ask you is 'what did you eat yesterday' and that is where the treatment starts. If he does not get the right diagnosis that means you must go for a scan. If he discovers an intestinal obstruction that means you are going for surgery".
"So what we did yesterday is important in understanding what we must do today. Across the sectors and in all the places where we should have built, contractors were not paid for two to three years. We were coordinating and managing the economy and making budgets", he said.
The Minister, who said government was going through detailed scope of what needs to be done on the bridge, pointed out that what was being done at the moment was a temporary intervention adding, "That is why it is limited traffic that can pass here. We don't want an accident here; we don't want a disaster here while we are re-scoping the engineering work that needs to be done".
Pointing out that the expansion joints on the bridge have not been changed for a long time, Fashola explained further, "So that is what we are trying to see how we can change all that" adding that all the light fittings that came with the bridge which had all gone would be brought back to improve the security of the area and also the commuter experience.
"We are waiting for the final details and hoping that we would have it in good enough time so that we can then make appropriation for it in the next budget for them to start the work in full speed next year", the Minister said adding that efforts were also being made to get the structural drawing to enable the contractors know how to proceed.
The Minister, who said the contractor that built the bridge could not be reached, explained that the present contractors would need the drawing to know all the parts and joints where they need to change adding, "As soon as we get the drawings there is nothing that cannot be done. But I don't think that is what should delay us. I am sure the contractors want to start work in full swing".
He however blamed the present economic recession on the profligacy of the previous administrations, Fashola declared, "So that is what we did yesterday; so when you hear recession, workers were laid off, they were not paid and they couldn't pay school fees. While we were buying and selling, contractors were staying at home. So what you see now is a result of what we ate yesterday. So we must just change that diet and fund contractors".
A former senator, Sen. Abubakar Sodangi, has reiterated that he did not decamp from PDP to All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest for the governorship seat in 2019. Sodangi represented Nasarawa West at the National Assembly between 1999 and 2011 under the platform of PDP.
He made this known on Tuesday when he spoke with newsmen in his country home, Nasarawa, Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state. Sodangi debunked rumours making round in some quarter in the state that he defected to the APC to contest for the governorship seat in 2019 as not only false but unfounded.
He added that he was not contesting for governorship seat in 2019. "First and foremost, I want to use this medium to heartily facilitate with President Muhammadu Buhari, Gov.Tanko Al-Makura and all other Muslim faithful on the successful celebration of Eid-el-Kabir.
"I want to call on the Muslim ummah and other Nigerians to see sallah celebration as a way of transforming their faith with God and their brothers and to live in peace, unity, tolerate one another for the progress and development of our nation. "I want to use this medium to make it clear to the people of the state and the entire world that I did not leave the PDP to APC to vie for the state governorship seat in 2019.
"What made me to dumped the PDP for APC in the state is impunity, impostition of candidates, lack of internal democracy, lack of good party leadership among others. "And if anybody that said I defected to APC because of governorship seat, it is not true. "I defected to APC to add value and my experiences to the party through giving them positive advices and ideas that would bring much more progress and development to party, the state and the country at large," he said.
He said he would continue to assist his people, while urging the wealthy individuals and other Nigerians to assist the less privileged to better their standard of living. Sodangi urged Nigerians to support the APC-led government to enable them succeed in the task ahead of them.
He urged Nigerians, especially the youths to be law abiding, respect constituted authority and to engage in meaningful ventures in order to be self-reliant and contribute their quota to national development. The former senator urged the people of the state and other Nigerians to live in peace and tolerate one another irrespective of ethnic, religious and political affiliation for the overall development of the country.
