Home Blog Page 2260

Buhari, Saudi Crown Prince set to launch Nigeria-Saudi Council

Lukman ABOLADE
-
0
Buhari, Saudi Crown Prince set to launch Nigeria-Saudi Council

NIGERIAN President Muhammadu Buhari and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud have agreed to establish a Nigeria-Saudi Council.

Buharia, currently in Riyadh, Saudi-Arabia has accepted an invitation by Mohammed bin Salman for the establishment of Nigeria- Saudi Council as effort to enhancing investments and fostering relations between both countries

According to a press statement released on the Presidency official Twitter handle,  the decision was the high-point of the bilateral meeting between Buhari and Mohammad bin Salman on margins of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference.

Initially, the meeting was scheduled to hold in the crown prince’s office but he insisted that he would meet with Buhari at his hotel room in The Ritz Carlton, Riyadh Saudi Arabia.

The council is set to be established in two months and will be made up of government officials and business leaders from the two countries with focus on mutual economic growth and development, investment in oil and non-oil sectors and security cooperation.

Buhari and the Crown Prince decided that the first step for the Council is to establish a legal and operational framework that will facilitate investments beneficial to both countries.

Muhammad bin Salman agreed with Buhari that the Council after establishment will hold meeting twice in every year while the Leadership of both countries will meet at least once every year to review progress of the council and foster the established relations.

Appreciating the Crown Prince, Buhari said “Nigeria has a large population mainly made up of dynamic, young people and partnerships of this type will help them to be productive & prosperous.”

He said his government will continue to provide the enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the country.

Mohammad bin Salman noted that the security challenges in the Sahel should be seen as a global issue. “Saudi Arabia is prepared to participate in the engagement and sensitisation of the whole world to the problems in sub-Saharan Africa,” he said

On bilateral issues, the Crown Prince reiterated the preparedness of the Kingdom to support Nigeria’s development agenda, noting that the country had the potential to be among the top 20 economies in the world.

“Saudi Arabia is eager to support Nigeria and we want to be a part of Nigeria’s journey to be among the top 20 economies in the world,” he said.

Mohammad bin Salman said Saudi Arabia has invested 40 billion U.S. dollars in India, 10 billion dollars in Pakistan and 20 billion dollars in Indonesia and are willing to do the same in Nigeria given the favourable business environment.

Speaking on regional and international issues, Buhari agreed with the Crown Prince that with the collapse of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, the next frontier for terrorism is the Sahel region of Sub-Saharan Africa.

 

World Cities Day: Cleaner air, speed management, tobacco restriction…, needed to improve cities- WHO 

Rebecca Akinremi
-
0
World Cities Day: Cleaner air, speed management, tobacco restriction…, needed to improve cities- WHO 

THE World Health Organisation has launched a report that offers guidance and tools for urban leaders to tackle some of the leading causes of death in cities.

The report was published on Thursday on the occasion of the 2019 World Cities Day that is set aside by the United Nations to address challenges of urbanization and contribute to sustainable urban development around the world.

With the underlying theme of “Better City, Better Life”, WHO’s report was titled ‘The Power of Cities: Tackling Non-Communicable Diseases(NCDs) and Road Traffic Injuries’. And it was geared towards local government officials and city policy planners.

It outlined ten key interventions on how city leaders could tackle the drivers of NCDs that include tobacco use, air pollution, poor diets and lack of exercise;  and improve road safety.

By enforcing legislation to create a smoke-free area, improving pedestrian and bicycle networks, reducing air pollution and increasing seat belts and helmet use are some of the ways to tackle traffic injuries and non-infectious diseases in the cities.

The WHO’s strategies are highlighted below:

  • Monitor NCD risk factors: Conduct a population-based survey of behavioural risk factors for NCDs, such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, dietary habits and physical activity.
  • Create a smoke-free city: Protect people from second-hand smoke through the introduction, passage and enforcement of legislation that makes all indoor public places 100 per cent smoke-free.
  • Ban tobacco advertising: Comprehensive bans on all forms of direct and indirect tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
  • Reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages: Establish and implement policies to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, such as taxes on the production or sale of sugar-sweetened beverages.
  • Reduce salt consumption: Implement key components of the evidence-based WHO SHAKE package for salt reduction
  • Create walkable, bikeable, livable streets: Improve pedestrian and bicycle networks and infrastructure across the city to ensure safe and equitable access to services, and to promote more walking and cycling for recreation and transport.
  • Cleaner air: Reduce ambient air pollution through interventions in polluting sectors, such as in transport, solid waste, and industries, and promote cleaner indoor air through access to cleaner fuels and technologies for cooking, heating and lighting.
  • Reduce drink-driving: Increase enforcement of drink-driving laws.
  • Speed management: Establish lower speed limits and strengthen existing speed-limit enforcement.
  • Increase seat-belt and helmet use: Increase enforcement of seat-belt and motorcycle helmet use.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes kill 41 million people worldwide every year, and road traffic crashes kill 1.35 million.

In Nigeria, NCDs are estimated to account for 29 per cent of deaths in the year 2016, according to the WHO’s NCD country profiles published in 2018. It indicated that of the 2,128,000 deaths in the country in 2016, 617,300 were deaths from non-communicable diseases.

There are lots of bad incidents that have occurred on the Nigerian road.

According to the Federal Road Safety Commission, more than 48,000 people have died in over 78,000 road accidents across the country within 2007 and 2016.

The data obtained from the FRSC website in 2018 noted that more auto crashes happened in Abuja, the federal capital city, than any other place in Nigeria.

The Safe Cities Index 2019 ranked Lagos as the least safe city globally where above 50 per cent of its residents reside in slums.

Fake medical doctor attempts escape from prosecution – ICPC

Olugbenga ADANIKIN
-
0
Fake medical doctor attempts escape from prosecution – ICPC

THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Thursday says Martins Ugwu, a fake medical doctor who fraudulently raked N17.2 million as salaries and allowances from the Federal Ministry of Health from 2006 and 2016, has temporarily escaped prosecution. 

He was scheduled to appear before Justice Abubakar Kutigi at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Gwagwalada, Abuja in an on-going trial for alleged impersonation as a medical practitioner but the trial was stalled due to his absence in court.

Until his arrest, he was a top official of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

“When we looked at our archives, we discovered there is actually somebody that bears the name Dr. George Davidson Daniel but the picture is not the same as was sent to us,” lead investigator Dr. Henry Okwuokenye had stated.

“The actual person that bears that name is a doctor doing his residency at teaching hospital in Jos.”

However, according to a statement by Rasheedat Okoduwa, Spokesperson of the ICPC, the accused person is currently being remanded at the Keffi Prisons over another crime.

Ugwu is accused of  impersonating a certain Dr. George Daniel Davidson to gain employment into the Federal Civil Service (FCS), an offense said to have contravened Section 25 (1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Act, 2000 and punishable under Section 25 (1) (b) of the same act.

Moreover, the commission, in February 2016, filed a 7-count charge before Justice Kutigi, against Ugwu, for allegedly making false statement to the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, through which he secured the false employment into the health ministry, in 2006.

“Ugwu allegedly used the fake documents to procure a staff identity card bearing the name of Dr. George Daniel Davidson, apply for annual leave as well as a post-graduate training programme which would have conferred on him, a Masters degree in the Field of Epidemiology Practice,” the statement read.

However, when the case was raised for trial at the court, David Ajaba, the defense counsel claimed not to know his whereabouts since 6th October. He pleaded for an adjournment in order to meet with the accused persons and present him in court but he was reminded of his detainment at Keffi prison.

In his submission, Ekoi Akponimisingha, Counsel to the ICPC, told the court to issue a ‘production warrant’ for the defense counsel to provide the accused in court.

However, Justice Kutigi adjourned the matter to 22nd January 2020.

He said this would enable the defense counsel to meet with the accused, stressing that the adjournment became vital as Ugwu also has the right to fair hearing as provided by the constitution.

Nigeria to leverage on U.S facility to address energy problem

Nneoma BENSON
-
0
Nigeria to leverage on U.S facility to address energy problem

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari says Nigeria will leverage on the United States of America’s (USA) facility to address the current challenges confronting the nation’s power sector.

The President made this statement on Wednesday while speaking at the meeting held on the margins of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) forum.

The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu also tweeted about the president’s plan on Thursday.

Buhari expressed the willingness of the Nigerian government to mobilise additional capital from development finance institutions for the upgrade of critical infrastructure in the country.

The president met with the U.S Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin in Riyadh, where they talked about investments in Nigeria under the new, United States Int’l Development Finance Corporation (USIDFC) providing $60bn for investments in developing nations.

President Muhammadu Buhari meets with U.S Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin

Both leaders discussed strengthening Nigeria’s ongoing collaboration with the U.S to stop the act of financing terrorism.

Buhari appreciated the U.S government’s support to clamp down on terrorism in Nigeria and,  in accessing the $60 billion infrastructure fund under the USIDFC.

Earlier on Wednesday, the president met with King Salman of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh and both spoke about developing relations in the areas of trade, technology, education and agriculture.

Buhari and the Saudi prince reviewed aspects of cooperation between both countries and agreed to advance cooperation in the areas of oil and gas, given the similarities of both countries as big producers of the commodity.

Salman assured the President of the willingness of Saudi Arabia government to invest in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, strengthening a partnership between the Saudi Energy company, Aramco, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The President instructed the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo and the General Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari to work with the Saudis and expedite modalities for investments.

Why we are protesting against bad roads in Ogun State ― NBA

Lukman ABOLADE
-
0
Why we are protesting against bad roads in Ogun State ― NBA

THE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ogun State Branch on Thursday protested in Sango-Otta against the deplorable conditions of roads in the state.

In a statement made available to The ICIR, the lawyers lamented the condition of roads in the GateWay state, expressing concerns that the poor state of the roads has led to the loss of lives and caused bodily injuries on commuters.

Chairman of the association, Isaac Ogbah who signed the statement specifically cited Sango-Ota-Owode-Idiroko expressway, Atan-Agbara expressway and the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway, among others that have been causing major accidents in the state.

“Bad roads in Nigeria cause Nigerians annual losses in terms of vehicle maintenance, the estimated sum of N133.8 billion. Out of every two vehicles you see on Nigerian roads today, one must be damaged and perhaps, off the road, within a month,” Ogbah said.

According to him, the bad condition of the roads has contributed to the incidents of robbery, kidnapping, sexual molestation and accidents.

.

During the protest,  an accident also happened as a result of the deplorable state of the Sango-Otta-Abeokuta road.

“Last year May, the Federal Government was reported to have awarded the re-habilitation of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, to Julius Berger Plc. The contract sum was N22.387 billion,” the NBA chairman said.

“Julius Berger Plc. came to fix less than one kilometer out of the over 50 kilometers road and up till this moment, no further substantial improvement has occurred on the road.”

“Most of the other roads in the Ota area are terrible, Obasanjo and Oju-Ore area, in particular, has become a nightmare, and a source of heartaches to the Ota people. It has taken the notoriety of Oshodi-Lagos of the old,” he added.

In a telephone chat with The ICIR,  Ogbah said many properties have also been destroyed due to erosion within the Ota community stating that it is very difficult to travel to Lagos State through the Ijoko axis of Ogun State.

He also said the Itori-Ewekoro-Papa Alanto road is as worse as  Iyana-Ilogbo, Papa-Sagamu Road and Sona-Igbala-Joju road.

The ICIR contacted the Permanent Secretary of Ogun State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure; Kayode Ademolake who said the ministry had spent over N15.8 billion on roads in six month.

He added that most of the roads being referred to by the NBA were federal roads and that the previous administration couldn’t have fixed all the roads in the state.

NIS Recruitment Scam: Witness reveals how ex-minister Moro abused office

Nneoma BENSON
-
0
NIS Recruitment Scam: Witness reveals how ex-minister Moro abused office

ADENIYI Adebayo, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has testified against the former minister of Interior, Abba Moro in his ongoing trial over allegation of the Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS) recruitment scam.

Adebayo who is the 12th prosecution witness told the court that Moro, alongside three others, created an e-recruitment portal to fraudulently collect funds from job applicants.

His accomplices include the former permanent secretary in the ministry, Anastasia Daniel-Nwobi; an ex-director in the ministry, Felix Alayebami, and Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd.

Moro and others were been prosecuted for laundering and procurement fraud, thus, using his office to unilaterally contrive a policy that would short change Nigerians while enriching a private company ── Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd.

Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited is the firm that was given the recruitment contract into the NIS, held on March 17, 2013, when Moro (the first defendant in the suit) was interior minister.

The EFCC, in a statement released on Thursday, noted that Adebayo in cross-examination by counsel of the first defendant, Paul Erokoro, (SAN) said Moro and Drexel Tech Nig. Ltd did not follow the rules of the Procurement Act.

Adebayo testified that the “contract agreement was done with Drexel Tech Global Ltd but that Drexel Tech Nig. Ltd was used to execute the contract which it did not bid for”.

According to the paper, the witness said the board of Immigrations, Fire Service, Civil Defence and Prisons were not carried along in the contract award process.

“This act, according to Adeniyi, constituted an abuse of office on the part of Moro,” the EFCC said.

The trial was adjourned by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba until November 25, for the continuation of the cross-examination of the witness.

The accused had intermittently been faced with trials bordering on an 11-count charge of procurement fraud and money laundering.

They were alleged to have defrauded a total of 675,675 Nigerian job seekers who were made to pay N1,000 each as application fee through an e-payment platform for recruitment into the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, on March 17, 2013.

The exercise, which was shoddily handled, led to overcrowding of venues and death of not less than 20 applicants in various centres across the country.

In September 2016, a retired director and secretary of the board of the NIS, Tabugn Sylvanus had testified against Moro, telling the court the sum of N45 million was released to conduct the tragic recruitment exercise, out of about N1 billion generated from the sale of forms at N1000 each.

He also revealed that the initial number of expected participants at the Abuja exam venue was 6,800, but increased to over 66,000 due to a last-minute decision.

Moro, however, under the immediate past administration of Goodluck Jonathan in April 2014 took responsibility for the botched exercise.

Meanwhile, in January 2018, the EFCC requested that the court ordered the interim forfeiture of properties linked to Drexel Tech Nig. Ltd, which were purchased with proceeds from the recruitment exercise into the NIS that left some applicants dead.

The EFCC requested “an order stopping the disposal, conveyance, mortgage, lease, sale or alienation or otherwise tampering with the properties/assets’ which are located at No 1, Lahn Crescent, Maitama, Abuja and No. 2, Sigure Close, Off Monrovia Street, Wuse II, Abuja”.

However, S. I. Ameh, SAN, representing Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited, opposed the motion describing it as “overwhelming and prejudicial”.

Court to hear N950m Odinkalu suit against El-Rufai, 4 others

Lukman ABOLADE
-
0
Court to hear N950m Odinkalu suit against El-Rufai, 4 others

FORMER Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu has filed a suit demanding N950 million damages from the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai and four others.

The suit listed the Kaduna State Attorney-General, Kaduna State Director of Public Prosecution, State Commissioner of Police and the Inspector-General of the Police as defendants in the case.

A Federal High Court in Abuja is set to commence hearing on Thursday before the sitting judge of the case, F.O Giwa-Ogunbanjo.

In a suit filed by Odinkalu’s counsel, Mabiem Gloria Ballason, the plaintiff alleged violations of the provision of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and multiple violations of his fundamental human right.

He alleged that the state’s action is a violation of his fundamental human rights including free speech, due process, fair hearing and human dignity as provided by the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Odinkalu alleged that El-Rufai lied when he said 66 people were killed in Maro, Kajuru local government of the state.

During a live programme on Channels Television on 16 February, 2019, he said the causalities in the incident were not more than 11 but El-Rufai was playing politics with lives when he reported through his media aide that about 66 people were killed at the incident.

“That story, if you noticed, that story was broken by the Kaduna State governor with his publicist, Muyiwa Adekeye standing by his shoulder. No police officer, no SSS officer, no security person in the vicinity and he was throwing out words that were calculated to be very incendiary on the eve of very difficult elections about a location that is very difficult and has had historical problems of violence across communities,” Odinkalu said.

“And he was dropping this bromide like he was on some substance, with all due respect. I spent all of last night from all the sources in Kajuru and nobody can verify or substantiate that there has been a killing of 66 people in Kajuru over the past few days.”

In reaction to Odinkalu’s statement, Kaduna State Government filed a suit dated March 18, 2019, accused the human rights lawyer of inciting disturbance and furnishing false information which is punishable under the state’s penal codes.

The government  asked that criminal summons be issued against Odinkalu for “inciting disturbance, injurious falsehood, public nuisance, and furnishing false information punishable under section 77, 373, 104, and 150 respectively of the Penal Code Law of Kaduna state, 2017”.

Nigerian judiciary undermined, sabotaged by dictatorial cabal ― Atiku

Lukman ABOLADE
-
0
Nigerian judiciary undermined, sabotaged by dictatorial cabal ― Atiku

FLAG-BEARER of the People’s Democratic Party in the 2019 Presidential Election, Atiku Abubakar said the Nigerian judiciary has been undermined and sabotaged by an overreaching dictatorial cabal, following the Supreme Court verdict on his tribunal appeal on Wednesday.

The panel dismissed the PDP and its candidate 66-ground appeal against the judgment of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal on September 11.

Atiku in a statement on his official Twitter handle said the dictatorial cabal has undone almost all the democratic progress PDP administrations nurtured for sixteen years before 2015.

He noted that while democracy has rolled back, the economy, society, and judiciary will not be far behind.

“While I believe that only God is infallible everywhere, and only Nigerians are infallible in our democracy, I must accept that the judicial route I chose to take, as a democrat, has come to a conclusion.”

“Whether justice was done, is left to the Nigerian people to decide. As a democrat, I fought a good fight for the Nigerian people. I will keep on fighting for Nigeria and for democracy, and also for justice,” he wrote.

Atiku said those who think they have broken him, that his spirit is not broken because he’s too focused on Nigeria to think about himself.

“I gave up that luxury twenty years ago. The question is not if I am broken. The question is if Nigeria is whole?”

“One man, one woman, one youth, one vote, should be the only way to make gains in a democracy. And when that is thwarted, the clock starts to tick,” he said.

Thanking all Nigerians who have stayed on course with him, he said the judgment is part of democratic challenges Nigerians must face as a nation.

“The judgment is part of democratic challenges we must face as a nation. Can Nigeria continue like this?”

Recently, former United States Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, averred that Nigeria had rolled back the democratic gains she made in 2015.

He said in a democracy, a strong judiciary, a free press and an impartial electoral umpire are needed and Nigeria has none of the three elements.

“Today, the nail has been put on the coffin and the gains we collectively made since 1999 are evaporating, and a requiem is at hand.”

Quoting Sophocles, Atiku said: “If we are to keep our democracy, there must be one commandment: “Thou shalt not ration justice”.

He said Nigeria is an independent nation and the citizens are the architects of their fate.

“I was a democrat, I am a democrat, and I will always continue to be a democrat, May God bless Nigeria,” he said.

FUOYE resumes 11 Nov, announces new Deputy VC

Editorial
-
0
FUOYE resumes 11 Nov, announces new Deputy VC
By Vincent UFUOMA (Student  reporter)
THE Federal University of Oye-Ekiti(FUOYE), Ekiti State is resuming academic activities on November 11 after several weeks of being shut down over a protest on irregular power supply in the school.

The decision to reopen the school was reached on Wednesday during the Senate meeting of the institution that looked into a report based on the readjustment of academic calendar submitted by the committee of Deans of the University chaired by Professor Oladele.

Godfrey Bakji, Public Relations Officer of the university confirmed the resumption date to journalists on Wednesday evening.

He also announced appointments of the two deputy vice-chancellors.

Professor Sola Ojo of the Department of Geology was appointed the new Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) while Professor Abayomi Fasina still remained the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), said Bakji.

A member of the senate and head of a department who spoke to this reporter under the condition of anonymity said the committee had proposed three alternative dates for resumption- November 4, 11 and 18.

The November 4 was dropped because it was a few days away while November 18th was said to be far considering the academic calendar, he said.
So the 11th day was picked after some amendments to the calendar to avoid writing examinations during the yuletide season.

 

The school was closed down on September 11 because of the violence that trailed the protest conducted by students of the institution over irregular electricity supply.
It was reported that the protest went deadly when a conflict occurred between some officers from the Counter-Terrorism Unit of the Nigerian Police attached to the wife of the Ekiti State governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, and the Students of the university.
Two students were reportedly shot dead and several injured from gunshots.

S’Court Verdict: Secondus says victory comes from God

Lukman ABOLADE
-
0
S’Court Verdict: Secondus says victory comes from God

NATIONAL Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP), Uche Secondus has reacted to the judgement of the Supreme Court on Wednesday which ruled against the Party’s appeal on lack of merit.

In a statement signed by the SA on Media to the National Chairman, Ike Abonyi, Secondus said the apex court has given its judgement but the final judgement comes from God.

Secondus said Nigerians know they voted PDP, even All Progressive Party, APC knows that Nigerians rejected them in the February 23 elections and the International community knows Nigerian voted PDP.

“If Supreme Court of seven justices says otherwise, leave it to God the ultimate Judge,” the statement read.

He saluted Nigerians for their commitment and support for the party, most especially their commitment to democracy and its tenets despite inhibiting factors.

He also commended the press their commitment to democracy and good governance in Nigeria, urging them not to relent in their roles of holding politicians accountable to the people.

The party Chairman said the people should remain resolute in their prayers since the country is in such an untidy state, and that only God could bail her out.

A seven-man panel led by the Chief Justice of the Nation, Ibraheem Tanko Mohammed has upheld the decision of the Presidential Electoral Petition Panel that ruled that the PDP and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar could not prove their case beyond reasonable doubt that APC candidate, Muhammadu Buhari won the February 23 Presidential Election.

1...2,2592,2602,261...3,439Page 2,260 of 3,439