Global Naija Info

Kelechi Iheanacho celebrates after scoring for Man City Celtic forward Patrick Roberts’ early goal stopped parent club Manchester City winning all three Champions League home group games for the first time. The on-loan 19-year-old cut inside from the right flank, firing the Scottish champions ahead with an angled drive. The hosts, who were already assured of finishing second in Group C, equalised when Kelechi Iheanacho drilled in. City’s Nolito had a goal ruled out for offside after the break as already-eliminated Celtic earned a point. Pep Guardiola’s side will find out who they will play in the last 16 when the draw is made on Monday.

Arsene Wenger Arsenal finished top of Champions League Group A, thanks to a Lucas Perez hat-trick and Paris St-Germain’s draw with Ludogorets Razgrad. Needing to beat Basel and hope PSG dropped points at home, the Gunners took control through two Perez tap-ins. Perez drove in his third from the edge of the box and Alex Iwobi rolled in a fourth before Seydou Doumbia cut through for a Basel consolation. A 2-2 draw in Paris left Arsenal top for the first time since 2011-12. -BBC

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State The Oyo State Government has sacked 662 workers for certificate forgery and removed 2,021 fictitious names from its payroll. Soji Eniade, the Head of Service (HoS), told journalists in Ibadan on Tuesday that the dismissed workers were identified after a thorough verification exercise. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 662 affected workers include 305 from the local government service, 152 from MDAs and 149 from the Teaching Service Commission. Twenty-eight others are from parastatals, 26 from higher institutions of learning and two from the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). Mr. Eniade said the State Executive Council had, at its last meeting, discussed the need to restructure the civil and public service of the state in terms of quality and quantity. “In terms of quantity, we want to have the right size or figure of civil and public servants in the state institutions, and our intention is to have institutions with...

President-elect Donald Trump US President-elect Donald Trump has said he wants to cut government costs by cancelling the order for new planes to carry the American president. Six weeks ahead of taking office, he tweeted: “Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion. Cancel order!” The government has a contract with Boeing to build two or more new planes. They would enter service around 2024. Boeing shares fell more than 1% after the president-elect’s tweet. Mr Trump would not fly on the new planes unless he won a second term in the 2020 US election. But the US Air Force has urged a faster schedule, saying the current jets are becoming too expensive to repair. As president and commander-in-chief, Donald Trump will have the power to cancel the contract with Boeing for the new planes. But if he does, it could cost the US taxpayer even more as the new president tries to save money. The US government ha...

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State Tourism in Lagos is one of the diversification channels the state aims to woo investments in the non-oil sector. Varying efforts have been aggregated to ensure the potentials inherent in its intriguing coastal landscape among other fascinating resources are maximally utilized. A WTTC Annual Economic Reports over 184 countries and 25 regions of the world indicate tourism made 10% direct contribution to Global Domestic Product (GDP). Travel & Tourism, according to the report, generated $7.6 trillion and 277 million jobs (1 in 11 jobs) for the global economy in 2014. “The direct contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP was US$458.0bn (2.6% of total GDP) in 2014, and is forecast to rise by 3.0% in 2015, and to rise by 3.8% pa, from 2015-2025, to US$684.6bn (3.0% of total GDP) in 2025,” it said. Recognizing this viability of the gaming industry in achieving a robust tourist hub, the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode transferred the a...

The convicts being taken out of the Federal High Court A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos southwest Nigeria Tuesday sentenced three Bolivians to 36 years imprisonment for unlawful production of controlled drug known as Methamphetamine, a drug similar to Cocaine, Heroin and LSD. The jailed Bolivians are: Reuben Ticono Jorge, Yhugo Chavaez Moreno, and Yerko Artunduago Dorado. The court on Monday, November 21, 2016 convicted the three Bolivians after they changed their plea from their initial plea of not guilty to guilty on the two count charge levelled against them by the National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Their conviction was followed after the NDLEA’s prosecutor, Mr. Abu Ibrahim, had reviewed the facts of the criminal charge filed against them. While reviewing the facts of the charge, the prosecutor, Mr. Ibrahim tendered several documentary evidences, which include certificate of test analysis, drug analysis reports, their written statements written in English and ...

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers The All Progressives Congress (APC) alerts security agencies on reports of a massive arms build-up by the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike-led administration in the lead up to the December 10, 2016 legislative re-run elections in the State. In a statement issued by Hon. Mai Mala Buni, National Secretary, All Progressives Congress, he said that nobody is after Wike, urging the public to disregard his lies. “The report by the Rivers State government and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alleging the withdrawal of Wike’s security aides and an assassination threat on the Governor is a hoax meant to deflect attention from the reports of an arms build up and other sinister plots the Wike-led PDP administration plans to execute on election day. “Nobody is after Wike. The governor and the PDP’s diversionary and false alarm is hinged on the reality that they will lose the legislative re-run elections once security is tightened in Rivers State. “Again, the...

Governor Kashim Shettima Gov Kashim Shetima of Borno on Tuesday presented food items to the 2016 Batch ‘B’ corps members posted to Borno undergoing their orientation exercise at the Institute of Education, Kangere, Bauchi state. The gesture included 13 cows, 50 bags of Beans, 65 cartons of Maggi cube, 100 bags of rice and 65 cartons of spaghetti. Shettima, who presented the items when he visited the camp, assured the 1,387 Corps members that peace had returned to Maiduguri, the state capital He said that Borno had no record of death of Corps members posted to the state of recent, promising that the state government would do its best to ensure their safety. “There will be bounties of opportunities for you in Borno state as both International and local Non-Governmental Organizations are there to support you. “The war is over in Borno and we are on the path to sustaining the peace being experienced now. “The state has never recorded any death of a Corps member due to insecurity, ...

NDLEA operatives The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Gombe State Command, had arrested 85 drug suspects, seized 130.922 kilograms of cannabis and 1,206.303 kilogrammes of psychotropic substances between January and November 2016. The Commandant of the agency in the state, Mr Aliyu Adole, disclosed this to newsmen in Gombe on Tuesday. “Within this period, we have arrested 82 male and 3 female suspects and we removed from circulation 130.922 kilogrammes of cannabis and 1,206.303 kilogrammes of psychotropic substances,” Adole said. He also said that within the period, the agency had convicted 64 suspects who were presently serving their various jail terms. Adole said the agency had 19 pending hard drug cases against suspects, while 32 clients were counseled in the new NDLEA rehabilitation center. He said that the new centre was yielding positive result and commended the state government for the gesture. The commandant called on members of the public to provide infor...

The Dangote Group has dismissed 109 workers at Obajana Cement Company in Kogi State, after being found guilty of various offences, Mr Abdulahi Magaji has said. Magaji, the Coordinator of the company’s Patrol Team, announced this to newsmen on Tuesday at the Obajana premises of the company. Magaji said that the dismissed workers were among the 244 suspects arrested between May and November. According to him, they include erring drivers, owners of illegal haulage, and those stealing the company’s properties among others. He said that other 115 workers were being remanded in prison custody pending the determination of their cases. “I am happy to inform you that we have arrested and recovered five stolen trucks; but unfortunately, the products have been stolen. “It is interesting to note that one of the kingpins, Samaila Yakubu, who specialised in stealing our trucks in collaboration with some drivers and buyers, has also been arrested. “It is this group that has been terrorising o...

The body of late Miss Rachael Oladepo being laid to rest at her Odogbo residence. The House of Representatives on Tuesday, resolved to investigate the death of Miss Rachael Oladepo, a corps member at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp in Kano. The resolution of the House followed a motion by Rep. Olufemi Fakeye (Osun-Osun), which was unanimously adopted by members through a voice vote. Moving the motion, Fakeye expressed concern over the media reports, last week, on the demise of Oladepo while at the Kano orientation camp. He noted that Oladepo, before her demise, was aged 26, a first class graduate in Aviation Transport Management of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho and a native of Osun. Fakeye explained that Oladepo became, sick few days after she reported at the orientation camp on Nov.25, 2016 and reported her condition to the camp authorities. The lawmaker further informed the house that, the late Oladepo was admitted at the camp cl...

IDPs The Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr Ibrahim Idris, said two policemen, three Soldiers, one prison official, one Air Force personnel, a staff of Borno Ministry for Agriculture and two members of the Civilian JTF had been arrested for alleged abuse of IDPs. The Human Rights Watch in its report, had accused the Police, Nigerian Army, vigilante groups and camp leaders of raping young girls and women in various IDPs camps. Following the report, the I-G set up a special investigation panel to investigate the cases. Idris made the disclosure at the Inspector-General of Police Conference in Abuja on Tuesday. He said that the police would liaise with the Army and Air Force to make their men available for a thorough investigation. Idris said that after the investigation, any suspects found guilty of the offence would be dismissed and taken to court for prosecution. “We are going to conduct a thorough investigation and if anyone is found guilty we will dismiss him then take hi...

Mike Okiro, Chairman, Police Service Commission Names of successful applicants into the Nigeria Police Force in the just concluded recruitment exercise have been released by the Police Service Commission (PSC). The commission in a statement signed by its spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, said the recruitment was based on merit, federal character and geographical spread. The commission advised applicants to check their names on its website. Read the full statement issued by the commission below: ”The Police Service Commission has concluded the recruitment of some Nigerians into the Nigeria Police Force. This is in fulfilment of the directive of Mr. President, at a Security Summit in Abuja last year where he announced the federal government’s decision to inject 10,000 police men into the Force. The commission has conclusively completed the recruitment of the General duty applicants made up of 500 Cadet Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASP), 500 Cadet Inspectors and, 7,500 Constables. ...

president Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari will present the 2017 budget proposal to the National Assembly on Dec. 14. This is contained in a letter to the Senate and read by the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, at the floor of the upper chamber on Tuesday in Abuja. The letter reads: “I crave the indulgence of the National Assembly to grant me the 10.00 hours on Wednesday Dec. 14, to formally address a joint session of the National Assembly on the 2017 budget proposal.’’ The president will also address the joint session on plan to get the country out of recession. “Please extend, Mr Senate President the assurances of my highest regards to the distinguished senators as I look forward to addressing the joint session.”

NDLEA operatives A 35-year-old man, Abinbila Etuk, on Tuesday admitted before a Federal High Court in Lagos that he deals on illicit drugs. Etuk, a scavenger was arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on one-count charge bordering on dealing on banned narcotics. He had no legal representative and pleaded guilty to the charge. Following his plea, the prosecutor, Mr Jeremiah Aernan, prayed the court for a remand of the accused, while he sought a date for a review of facts. The judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, ordered the accused to be remanded in prison custody and fixed Dec. 19, for a review of facts. The prosecutor had told the court that the accused was arrested on July 29, at the Aradagun area of Badagry Lagos. According to the prosecutor, 1.6 kg of cannabis sativa was seized from the accused, reported to be a supplier of the narcotics to customers. He said that the accused was accordingly arrested and charged. The offence contravened the provisions of ...

PDP-logo Mr Babatope Akinyele, Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Saturday’s Ifako/Ijaiye Federal Constituency by-election in Lagos, has accepted defeat. The poll was credible, blaming PDP’s defeat on divisions and rancour in the party. Mr Nurudeen Akinwunmi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the poll, which resulted from the death of Mr Elijah Adewale, who represented the constituency in the House of Representatives. Adewale died in Abuja on July 20. According to Akinyele, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was neutral in the poll. “The electoral body, with what I saw, was neutral; I did not see any bias from it. INEC did its job well. “I think INEC has improved; the way and manner it conducted this election was good. “I analysed the results, polling unit by polling unit; APC candidate, as far as I am concerned, won and the INEC was neutral. “There is no reason I should not congratulate the winner. If I have Akinwunmi’s phone contac...

Magistrate-court An Okitipupa Magistrates’ Court in Ondo State on Tuesday granted bail in the sum of N30,000 each to two men, who were allegedly wandering around residential houses. Magistrate Banji Ayeomoni also ordered each of the defendants to provide a surety who must have evidence of one year tax payment. Femi Menukuro, 23, and Ileri Ibiyemi, 20, both of whom do not have a fixed address and occupation, were charged on two counts. The prosecutor, Insp. Zedekiah Orogbemi, had told the court that the defendants were wandering on Araromi Street, with the intention to commit felony on Oct. 29 . Orogbemi said that the offences were punishable under Sections 516 and 250 (6) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ondo State, 2006.

nurses No fewer than 66 nurses on Tuesday retired from the Ogun State service, with a big gap created in the ministry. Speaking at the retirement service, Dr Babatunde Ipaye, the Commissioner for Health, described nurses as the “engine room of the health sector’’. According to him, their care-giving role, which gives speedy healing power to patients, has been of great benefit to the service. Ipaye said that the “nursing profession is a service to humanity’’ while commending the retirees for their selfless services during their service years. The commissioner said that because of the large number of nurses that retired within a year, a need analysis would be conducted to identify the areas that needed to be replaced. “There is need for replacement and the ministry would do the needful within the shortest time. “We’ll conduct a need analysis; look at the gap that has been created with their retirement and do needful to ensure the gap does not affect service delivery,’’ Ipaye sai...

The three suspects The Nigerian police said they have arrested three of the kidnappers who murdered one of the employees of Dangote Group and kidnapped five other expatiates of the conglomerate. The police said the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector General of Police, IGP, armed with credible intelligence, between November 27 and December 3 arrested three of the kidnappers. The name of the suspected kidnappers are Abubakar Gide, 24; Abdullahi Salihu, 22 and Babuga Adamu 25. They were arrested in Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State; Epe Forest, Lagos State and Ajase Ipo Forest – kwara state respectively. A statement from the Force Public Relations Officer, Don Awunah on Tuesday said the suspects confessed to kidnapping and releasing all five initial victims after receiving N5.6 million ransom as well as confessed to kidnapping and murdering the ransom transporter, Mr. Istifanus Gurama, also of Dangote group. Awunah, however, said it was imperative that relations of kidnapped vi...

court-of-law A Tinubu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Tuesday remanded a 20-year-old labourer, Umoru Idrisa, in prison for stealing a sack containing handbags valued at N100, 000. Idrisa who is facing a charge of theft pleaded guilty. The prosecutor, Insp Richard Odigie, told the court that the accused had on Nov. 30 at about 3:30p.m., at Ajah Modern Market in Lagos State stole a sack containing some handbags. He said that the bags valued at N100,000 belonged to one Hassan Dauda. “Idrisa stole the bags from the warehouse where Dauda kept them; he was sighted by a market woman who raised an alarm to alert the owner, “he said. Odigie said the offence contravened Section 285 (5) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The magistrate, Mrs F.O. Ikobayo, ordered that the accused should be remanded in Kirikiri Prison. She adjourned the case to Dec. 15 for facts and sentencing.

Iran-helicopter-crash The head of Rescue Organisation of Iran’s Red Crescent Society on Tuesday said two people on board a rescue helicopter are missing as it crashed in a lake near capital Tehran. The Head of the rescue organisation, Morteza Salimi, said six others who were also on board the helicopter were rescued and dispatched to hospital. He, however, said that report on the crash did not specify the number of people on board the aircraft. The report said that the helicopter crashed in the Shohadai-e-Khalij Fars Lake in Chittoor district of Tehran at 11.40 a.m. local time (0810 GMT) on Tuesday.

National Youth Service Corp members A National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member serving in Ebonyi, Goldshield Kanjal has started planting of over 6,000 economic trees across the state. The trees include orange, bush mango, guava, oil palm, avocado pear, cashew, among others. Kanjal, who hails from Cross River,said the exercise was aimed at tackling the effect of climate change and reducing poverty among the populace. He remarked that he was putting to practice the contents of various global resolutions on climate change, when the exercise took off from Achara Community School, Ugwu-Achara. “It is pertinent for stakeholders to implement such resolutions, especially at the grassroots where the climate change effects are mostly felt. “These effects include global warming threats on the environment, intense rainfall, flood, severe and frequent heat waves, among others,” he said. The corps member said that he would dedicate his one-year service period to tackling the effects of cl...

Mr Emmanuel Ojukwu, Enugu State Police Commissioner,[/caption The Enugu state Police Command, has rescued Miss Chinenye Nwobodo, 18, a kidnapped victim in Ugbawka forest in Nkanu East Local Government Area. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Ebere Amaraizu, made the disclosure on Tuesday in Enugu in a statement issued to newsmen. He said the victim was rescued in the early hours of Dec. 5 through intelligence information obtained by police operatives at Nkanu East Division He said that the four suspects arrested, gave their names as Saidu Ali, Nwobodo Chibuzor, Nwankwo Monday and Ogbu Emeka. “The police gathered that on Sunday at about 10 a.m., gunmen suspected to be kidnappers operating in a Golf car, stormed Umuaragu-Nara community of Nkanu East Local Government Area. “They allegedly abducted daughter of the Neighbourhood Watch Chairman of Umuawaragu-Nara, identified as Chinenye Nwobodo. “The kidnappers later abandoned their Golf car on noticing that police operat...

Mrs Iyuadoo Tor-Agbidye, radio-journalist The Benue Police Command on Tuesday confirmed the release of a Radio Journalist, Mrs Iyuadoo Tor-Agbidye, who was kidnapped four days ago in her house in Makurdi. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Moses Yamu, confirmed the release in Makurdi. Yamu said that the kidnapped journalist was released in the early hours of Tuesday, adding that no ransom was paid. He explained that police investigations revealed that the kidnappers might have had strong connection with the family. He disclosed that some arrests were made in connection with the crime, stressing that investigations were ongoing to ensure full punishment of the culprits. The kidnapped journalist is married to Mr Achim Tor-Agbidye, the Zonal Manager of the First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Makurdi.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz A Saudi Court on Tuesday sentenced 15 people to death for spying for the kingdom’s arch-enemy, Iran, Saudi-owned media reported, in a ruling that could further stoke tension between the two rival powers. The Specialised Criminal Court in Riyadh sentenced 15 other suspects to prison terms ranging from six months to 25 years, and acquitted two. It said the suspects, comprising 30 Saudi Shi’ite Muslims, one Iranian and an Afghan, was detained in 2013 on charges of spying for Iran and went on trial in February. Report says the rulings are subject to appeal, and death sentences must go to the king for ratification. “The trial is the first in recent memory in which Saudi citizens have been accused of spying. “It comes at a time of high tension between Saudi Arabia, the regional Sunni powerhouse, and Iran, a non-Arab Shi’ite theocracy, over influence in the Middle East,’’ it said. In January, Saudi Arabia executed a...

UNIJOS-professor-caught-cheating The University of Jos (UNIJOS) has suspended one of its academic staff who was allegedly caught cheating while writing an examination on May 4. Benedicta Daudu, an associate professor of law and former head of the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law of the Faculty of Law in UNIJOS, was allegedly caught copying from a prepared answer during an examination for a Master’s degree in Research and Public Policy in the Faculty of Social Sciences of the same university. The development was exclusively reported by PREMIUM TIMES on May 21, frustrating what some staff and student described as a plot by the university to cover up the matter. After the report, Mrs. Daudu’s membership of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption was immediately suspended. Insiders at UNIJOS have revealed that the lecturer has been suspended from work, and from the masters programme. “I can confirm to you that the Senate Disciplinary Committee found ...

The suspect at the police station The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 28-year-old man, Haruna Abubakar who allegedly killed his colleague, cut him into pieces and dumped the corpse in the bush. The spokesperson for the police in the state, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed this to newsmen on Monday in Ikeja. According to Badmos, the suspect was arrested upon discreet investigation and intelligence reports. “The suspect and victim are co-workers in a farm in Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos, where the suspect is a guard and the victim a Fulani herdsman. “On Dec. 3rd, 2016, the suspect had an altercation with the victim of about 27 years old. “The altercation resulted to a physical fight and in the process, the suspect hauled down the deceased with a dagger, cut him into pieces, packed him in a sack and dumped him in the bush. The remains of the deceased packed in a sack “The brother to the deceased, one Adamu, reported the case of a missing person to the police after his brothe...

Lamido Sanusi Lamido: Emir of Kano Jamiu Yisa A Kano State based pro-democracy group, Coalition for Democratic Norms (CODEM), has cautioned the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to desist from his incessant attack on the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to avoid unnecessary consequences. The group, in a statement jointly signed by Balla Abbe Kazaure and Usman Dan Numa Gazkiya, National Coordinator and General Secretary respectively was of the view that, “Emir Sanusi, going by his position must have had several open channels to get to the presidency to ventilate his ideas on economy than attacking the seat of power openly.” According to the group, the emir seemed not to have learnt from history that whoever lived in a glass house should not throw stone, asserting that, “no emirship has the capacity to defend any glass house when the act of throwing stones boomerangs.” Though the group agreed that everybody had the right to advise or criticise the government, it however wa...

Abuja-carnival President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated Federal Government’s support for the creative industry as part of measures to grow the economy. Buhari, who was represented by Malam Mohammad Bello, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said this at the “Command Performance’’ held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa on Monday night in Abuja. The event was part of activities at the ongoing Abuja Carnival. According to him, effort is being made to develop the creative industry to boost economic growth and development of the country. “The issue of economic growth which is the primary focus of this event is one of the central issues of the change agenda. “Precisely on 29 May, 2015, when I was sworn-in, I did mention that the economy will require a lot of work and careful planning. “I also mentioned that we will make a lot of efforts towards addressing the economic challenges as well as so many others that will prompt development acceleration. “I wish t...

Abuja-carnival President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated Federal Government’s support for the creative industry as part of measures to grow the economy. Buhari, who was represented by Malam Mohammad Bello, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said this at the “Command Performance’’ held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa on Monday night in Abuja. The event was part of activities at the ongoing Abuja Carnival. According to him, effort is being made to develop the creative industry to boost economic growth and development of the country. “The issue of economic growth which is the primary focus of this event is one of the central issues of the change agenda. “Precisely on 29 May, 2015, when I was sworn-in, I did mention that the economy will require a lot of work and careful planning. “I also mentioned that we will make a lot of efforts towards addressing the economic challenges as well as so many others that will prompt development acceleration. “I wish t...

FRSC Six security personnel have been reportedly hit by a motorist, resulting in the death of four of them in Talata-Mafara, Zamfara, a Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) official said on Tuesday. Mrs Mary Wakawa, the FRSC Zonal Commanding Officer (ZCO), in charge of Zone RS 10 made this disclosure in Sokoto. Wakawa told newsmen that three of the deceased personnel belonged to the corps while one was an official of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). She gave the names of the dead FRSC officials as Bello Lawal, Bello Abdullahi and Bashiru Ango while the deceased NSCDC official was Bashir Yakubu. According to her, the names of the survivors are Sgt. Haruna Ilyasu of the police and Abubakar Sodangi of the FRSC. ”Both the deceased officers and the survivors were part of a mobile court sitting, as at the time of the incident along the Sokoto-Gusau highway in company with a magistrate. ”One of our most formidable challenges is the inability of some unruly motorists ...

Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare (second right), Permanent Secretary, Ministry of the Environment, Eng. Adeyemi Saliu (Right), Guest Speaker, Dr. Lukemon Adeoti and Director, Admin and Human Resources, Ministry of the Environment, at the 2016 World Soil Day Commemoration organised by the Ministry in Lagos on Monday. The Lagos State Government has charged miners in the state to desist from degrading its environment through their mining activities. Speaking at the 2016 World Soil Day celebration in Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Monday, Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, said miners must adopt measures aimed at reducing environmental impact on the soil. Adejare pointed out that even though the activities of the miners were meant to generate money to feed their immediate families, mining activities should not be done to degrade the soil and environment, stressing that government would not do anything to take away their means of liveliho...

Magistrate-court Two women were on Tuesday ordered to be remanded in Ilesa Prisons by an Osogbo Magistrate’s’ Court for disrespecting the court. The Chief Magistrate, Mr Olusola Aluko, ordered the accused, Cecilia Okoli, 25, and Elizabeth Ankira, 30, to be kept behind bars for contempt of court without an option of fine. Aluko revoked the bail application by the Defence Counsel and ordered that the accused be kept behind bars . The magistrate ordered the accused persons to be coming to court from the prison. Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. Taiwo Adegoke, told the court that the accused persons committed the offence on Nov. 25 at about 9.a.m., at the Osogbo Magistrates’ Court. Adegoke said the accused refused to show up in their case number in MOS/ 359c/ 2016 when it was called by the court clerk. He said the offence contravened Section 133 of the criminal code cap 34 vol.11 laws of Osun, 2003. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty. Counsel to the accused, Mr Najite Okobie,...

FRSC -checking-vehicles The Unit Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Sango-Ota, Ogun, Mr Leye Adegboyega, has urged stakeholders to collaborate with officials of the agency to ensure sanity on the roads. Adegboyega made the plea at the 4th Quarter Durbar organised by the Command on Tuesday in Ota, Ogun. He urged officers to be dedicated and disciplined in discharging their official duties. The Durbar is a form of social interaction between the officials to express their opinion about some policies of the management. A Corps Marshal-Mujeeb Alliu and an official -Adebola Babalola, were rewarded as the best performing staff for fourth quarter. Adegboyega said the essence of organising the Durbar was to let the management know areas where it should adjust some of its policies. He added that the platform was meant to celebrate and enjoy with each other for the grace of God in preserving their lives. The unit commander said that three recommendation letters were received by...

Polio Immunization The Bunza Local Government Council of Kebbi, says it targets 700 children in the area for immunisation against polio which starts next week. Malam Junaidu Gwandu, the Director of Health in the council, said this on Tuesday in Bunza town, that the council had received 80,000 doses of vaccines for exercise. Gwandu said appropriate personnel have been assembled and trained for the exercise. “We will conduct house-to-house and school-to-school exercise to ensure that all the target persons are reached,’’ he said. Gwandu explained that the area had not recorded any case of polio outbreak in the last four years and that the council hopes to sustain the record. He called on parents to make their children available for the immunization. Gwandu stressed that his department would closely monitor the exercise to stem incidences of rejection by some parents. NAN reports that the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency declared Kebbi polio free in 2012.

United-Nations The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has launched Africa Human Development Report 2016 to accelerate gender equality and women’s empowerment in the continent. The report was jointly launched on Tuesday by Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, UN Assistant Secretary General and UNDP Africa Director and some Federal Government officials at the ongoing 3-day African Economic Conference in Abuja. Dieye said that the issue of women empowerment started with Beijing Declaration, noting that a lot of progress had been recorded since then. “ We have seen progress on gender equality and women’s empowerment; it is moving on the high rise trend since Beijing. “We want to credit the rise to the Millennium Declarations because when you look at Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 5 – Improve maternal health- It has the highest total multiplier effect. “Countries that have been investing on MDGs 5 have seen the political and economic impact on women,’’ he said. The UN chief said that two events ...

Nigerian soldiers The Nigerian Army on Tuesday gave dedicated GSM lines for the general public to call for any information or request for help during the ongoing Exercise Python Dance in the South East. According to a statement by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, the numbers are: Headquarters 14 Brigade, Ohafia, Abia- 07068688482. The others are, Headquarters 302 Artillery Regiment, Awka, Anambra- 07011115583. Headquarters 24 Support Engineer Regiment, Abakaliki, Ebonyi -09053974736. Headquarters 82 Division Garrison, Enugu- 08063282844. Headquarters 34 Brigade, Owerri, Imo- 08171609638 and 08065642870. The Python Dance, a training exercise to update troops in the South East on operational rudiments was launched by the army on Nov. 27 and expected to round off on Dec. 27.

chevron Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) has announced the appointment of Mr Esimaje Brikinn as General Manager of Policy, Government and Public Affairs (PGPA). Mr Sola Adebawo, the CNL Manager, Communications, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos. According to Adebawo, Brikinn replaces Mr Deji Haastrup who recently retired from the company after 21 years of distinguished service to CNL and Chevron Corporation. He received Bachelor of Engineering degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Federal University of Technology Akure in 1989 and a Master’s degree in Production Engineering (Industrial Engineering option) from the University of Benin in 1993. He also holds a certificate in Sustainable Environmental Management from the College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley. Brikinn joined Chevron Nigeria on April 1, 1996 as an Operator Trainee for the Escravos Gas Project. He moved to PGPA department in year 2000 as Field Public Affairs Representati...

Mr Emmanuel Ojukwu, Enugu State Police Commissioner, The Enugu State Police Command has commenced the trial of a suspect who allegedly killed his friend over a lady friend. Enugu Police Command Spokesman, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, via a statement issued on Tuesday in Enugu, said the incident occurred on Sunday. “The alleged incident occurred on Sunday at about 7 a.m. at Amaeke village of Egede Community in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State. “On that day, the deceased, Friday Owusa, 43, was hit with pestle on the head by one Nwaotobo Ozoha from same village. “The fight allegedly broke out between them over what is suspected as struggle for a woman friend identified as Ijeoma. “The victim after the hitting became unconscious and was rushed to a nearby hospital by relatives and sympathizers, before he was transferred to Parklane Hospital, Enugu, where a doctor confirmed him dead,’’ he said. Amaraizu said that the body of the deceased was deposited at the Mortuary of Parklane Hosp...

Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) says it has sealed 10 filling stations in Sokoto and Kebbi states for allegedly selling petrol above the pump price of N 145. The Sokoto operations Controller of the Department, Mr Mohammed Makera, disclosed this to newsmen in Sokoto on Tuesday. Makera said 11 of the axed stations were in Sokoto State while eight were in Kebbi. He said f 18 of them were owned by independent marketers,while one was a major oil company. Makera added that all the stations were allegedly selling petroleum at between N 148 and N 150. He added that they were each fined N 100,000 per pump as well as placed on a two-week suspension. Makera said officials of the department would ensure that the unsuspecting motorists were not cheated by the marketers. The controller also assured that there were adequate supplies of petroleum products, urging motorists to desist from panic buying.

NPFL referees The Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) has said that its members were ready to continue to officiate creditably in the 2016/2017 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL). The President of the association, Tade Azeez, gave the assurance to Nigerian soccer fans on Tuesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos. According to him, the NRA has been organizing programmes to prepare the referees ahead of the season scheduled to kick-off this month. “We have just concluded physical fitness test to assess the fitness level of the referees. “Immediately after the fitness test, we had a seminar to acquaint them with the latest development as far as the laws of the game are concerned. “Hopefully, we are very ready and we are set for the league,’’ he said. He urged the League Management Committee (LMC) to make adequate provision to protect referees during and after matches, noting that referees would boycott match venues that would endanger their li...

Crude rose above 55 dollars a barrel on Monday as rising prospects of a tightening market after last week’s OPEC landmark deal to cut production has given speculators impetus to increase bets on higher prices. Monday’s gains take the rally since the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ agreement was struck on Wednesday to 19 percent for Brent and 16 percent for U.S. crude. Last week’s 12.2 percent increase was the largest one-week rise since February 2011. “OPEC sentiment continues to support oil markets. Speculative short positions are still at elevated levels and as more traders unwind these positions they could trigger more support for oil prices,” said Hans van Cleef, senior energy economist at ABN Amro in Amsterdam. Brent crude rose to hit 55.33 dollars , its highest since July 2015. U.S. crude West Texas Intermediate (WTI) traded at a peak point for the day of 52.42 dollars, also the highest since July 2015. About 380,483 lots of the front-month contract wer...

Governor Tanko-Al-Makura of Nasarawa State Gov. Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State on Monday renewed his administration’s resolve to deliver quality and affordable healthcare services to the people. Al-Makura gave the assurance while inspecting medical facilities at the state’s General Medical Store in Lafia. The governor said that quality healthcare delivery to the people was one of the primary concerns of his administration. “The state government is seriously committed to ensuring that people of the state get access to quality and affordable healthcare. “The state government will channel more resources to the health sector and ensure the training and re-training of health workers in the state for optimum performance. “We have declared a state of emergency on the education and health sectors; we are determined to tackle the outbreak of any epidemic for good of the people in the state,” he said. Al-Makura said his administration would not relent in its determination to me...