Home Blog Page 3340

Borno Deputy Gov Denies Rift With Shettima

Editorial
-
0
Borno Deputy Gov Denies Rift With Shettima

Caption: Deputy Governor, Borno State, Zannah Mustapha

The Borno State deputy governor, Zannah Mustapha, has denied having any rift with Governor Kashim Shettima over the leadership of the All Progressive Congress, APC in the state.

Mustapha denied the alleged rift, news of which had been making the rounds in Maiduguri, when he paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Biu, Mustapha Aliyu, in his palace on Saturday.

He said it was not true that he had teamed up with former Borno State governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, to take over the control of APC in the state.

The Deputy Governor said the rumoured disagreement with his boss was the handiwork of mischief makers.

“In my opinion, Governor Kashim Shettima remains the leader of the APC in Borno. I want to say without fear of contradiction that Governor Shettima is the only APC leader in Borno. We are 100 per cent behind him”.

Mustapha said he was in Biu, headquarters of Biu local government council to register in the ongoing APC membership registration and urged his supporters to ensure that they were also registered.

He said despite challenges of insecurity, the governor has delivered on his campaign promises in the areas of building houses, roads, health centers, job creation and tireless efforts in restoring peace.

According to him, the APC remains the credible alternative party in Nigeria and called on his people to obtain their membership card in order to be fully recognized as members of the party.

Mustapha told the Emir that thenparty’s registration in the state has been successful.

“Your royal highness, we are witnessing impressive turnout of people across the 27 local government areas for registration, in fact, the cards have finished in some places but the exercise will continue and everybody will get his card,” he said.

In his response, the monarch urged politicians to shun violence, stressing that the essence of politics is to provide services to the electorates.

Nasarawa Chief Judge Pardons 28 Prisoners

Editorial
-
0
Nasarawa Chief Judge Pardons 28 Prisoners

The Chief Judge of Nasarawa State, Justice Suleiman Dikko, on Friday, granted pardon to 28 inmates awaiting trial in four federal prisons located in Lafia, Keffi, Nasarawa and Wamba areas of the state.

The Chief Judge announced the pardon when he visited Nasarawa Prison as part of his tour to decongest prisons in the state.

Justice Dikko named the pardoned inmates as Samaila Agidi, Jineidu Fahomu and Kenneth Yohana from Lafia Prison and Jummai Mohammed and Felix Amadu from Wamba Prison.

Also released are Joshua Daruwana from Nasarawa Prison and Abdullahi Usman, Hassan Adamu, Bashiru Yakubu, Hassan Hassan, Anayo Chuku, Ali Abdulkarim and Vincent Amos from Keffi Prisons.

Others are Hakilu Musa, Abdullahi Musa, Samuel Makama, Mohammed Musa, Luckman Usman, Masuwudu Abdullahi, Danjuma Audu, Ishaya Asentu, Vitalis Enji, Abdullahi Hassan, Abdullahi Maikarfi from Keffi Prisons,

The rest, from Keffi Prisons, include Chika Aleke, Ismaila Musa, Shemsudeen Mohammed and Adamu Abdullahi.

“My decision to discharge the inmates is in line with my determination to ensure justice to those who were wrongly imprisoned and to decongest prisons in the state.

Plateau Invests N2 Billion To Resuscitate Jos Wild Life Park

Editorial
-
0
Plateau Invests N2 Billion To Resuscitate Jos Wild Life Park

The Plateau State government said on Friday it had earmarked N2 billion to resuscitate the Jos Wild Life Park.

The commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Abraham Yiljap, said this in Jos when he inspected facilities at the park.

“We have now set aside N2 billion for resuscitating the wild life park. What we are going to see would just be the first phase of the handling, because we require much more than that,” he said.

According to the commissioner, between N7 billion and N9 billion is required to completely transform the Jos park into a modern one that would attract tourists and boost the revenue of the state.

Yiljap said that facilities at the park would be upgraded and linked to the internet so that the people would access the park from any part of the world.

He also explained that funds had been set aside to upgrade facilities at the Solomon Lar Amusement Park in Jos.

“Even for the Solomon Lar Amusement Park, we have N150 million that was set aside to tackle the expansion that would take care of the children’s playground, for example. We want the whole family to come in there. We want to secure the place for them and we want to have more facilities that would enable people to relax with their families,” he said.

The commissioner said that the state government would take steps to reclaim park lands that had been encroached upon and that a stakeholders meeting would be convened to discuss the issues before any decision would be taken so that people with genuine cases would be listened to.

Earlier, the manager of the Jos Wild Life Park, Victor Damar, listed some of the challenges facing the park such as trespass, vandalism of facilities, poaching and absence of some animals.

FCTA Demolishes Illegal Structures In Kubwa

Editorial
-
0
FCTA Demolishes Illegal Structures In Kubwa

By Kevwe Ebireri, Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, on Friday commenced the demolition of illegal structures at Chikakore Layout, Kubwa, Abuja.

Old, new and on-going structures were pulled down during the exercise amidst wailing and lamentation by the residents.

The demolition began 72 hours after Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Abuja High Court dismissed a suit filed by residents of the layout to stop the exercise.

Residents of the area had sued the FCT minister, Bala Mohammed; the FCDA and Bwari Area Council, praying the court to restrain the defendants from reallocating their plots.

They had also urged the court to compel the defendants to conclude the re-certification of their plots which were allocated to them by Bwari Area Council.

But Justice Halilu, on February 5, ruled that area councils in the FCT area councils had no authority to allocate land.

“The issue of deemed grant, which is a product of the Land Use Act, was deliberately made inapplicable to lands within the FCT,” he said.

Halilu added: “It is also clear from the position of the FCT Act that all lands in the FCT vests absolutely on the Federal Government of Nigeria, who through the FCT Minister, grants right of occupancy to residents.”

Halilu dismissed the said suit, saying that it was lacking in merit.

The head of public relations, department of development control, Kalu Emetu, said the residents of Chikakore should be aware that area councils in the FCT had no authority to allocate land.

“The plots in Chikakore have been in dispute for some years and when we initially moved to demolish them, the residents got a court order restraining us. Now, after hearing all sides, the court has amplified what we have been saying, that the FCT Minister is the only one authorised to allocate plots,” Emetu said.

SURE–P, NAN, NTA, FRCN Get New Heads

Editorial
-
0
SURE–P, NAN, NTA, FRCN Get New Heads

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday approved the appointment of new heads for the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, all parastatals under the information ministry.

He also appointed new helmsmen for the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P.

The appointments were made known in a statement issued by the special adviser to the President on media and publicity, Reuben Abati, in Abuja.

While Sola Omole was appointed as the new director-general of the NTA, Ima Niboro, former spokesman to Jonathan, becomes managing director of NAN and Ladan Salihu takes over as director-general of FRCN.

Also, President Jonathan has appointed Martin Luther-Agwai, a retired general, as chairman of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P and  Tanwa Olusi as the deputy chairman.

The Presidential spokesperson also announced the appointments of Fidelia Njeze as special adviser, New Partnership for Africa’s Development, NEPAD, and Suleiman Ajadi as special adviser on National Assembly Matters.

All the appointments are with immediate effect.

Abati said further that the appointments were made in furtherance of efforts to continually strengthen Jonathan’s administration on all fronts.

Niboro is the immediate-past special adviser to President Jonathan on Media and Publicity. Luther-Agwai, until now, was the deputy chairman and acting chairman of SURE-P, while Njeze is the current Nigerian Ambassador to Switzerland.

20-Year-Old Invents Drone In Edo

Editorial
-
2
20-Year-Old Invents Drone In Edo

Caption: A crowd converged at the King’s Square in Benin to watch the takeoff of Ajine’s drone.

A twenty-year-old Nigerian from Delta State, Aghogho Ajine, on Thursday launched his version of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle more commonly known as drone which he built from plywood.

The incident which took place at the King’s Square in Benin,  Edo State, drew a large crowd that gathered to watch the invention as it flew through the sky, controlled from a hand-held device.

Ajine in an interview with newsmen said he had never been to a formal school and got the idea to construct the drone from personal home study.

drone prep“I am from Delta State. I have not been to any school before. My house is my school. I learned it at home from my research. I used plywood to build it,” he said.

The display at the King’s Square however caused heavy traffic in the area, prompting officials of Edo State traffic agency to seize the young inventor, forcing him to part with an unnamed sum of money as payment for his offence.

However, those who had watched the exhibition protested at the action of the officials, compelling them to refund the money collected.

The first drone to be locally built in Nigeria was designed and manufactured by the Nigeria Air Force, NAF in conjunction with other local institutions and was launched in December 2013 after eight years of work.

The drone which was named “GULMA”, meaning “gossip” in the Hausa language, cost of $3 million.

It is believed that the invention can be deployed to the troubled North East region to monitor the activities of the Boko Haram sect, which has been coordinating and launching guerrilla attacks from the rugged mountains and forests of Maiduguri, Borno.

Drones are deployed in war situations to gather intelligence in areas where ground troops can not easily accede and are popular with the American military operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

However, many people are increasingly advocating for the use of drone in non – military situations. For example, journalists are already exploring the possibility of deploying drones in crisis or disaster situations to gather information and photographs in places where on – the – ground reporters can not safely reach.

Rivers State Gets New CP As Joseph Mbu Is Removed

Editorial
-
0
Rivers State Gets New CP As Joseph Mbu Is Removed

The Police Service Commission, PSC, has approved the redeployment of Rivers State police commissioner, Joseph Mbu, along with 12 others.
 
Mbu is now to head the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, command, while the commissioner in charge of the Special Fraud Investigations Unit in Lagos, Tunde Ogunshakin, is to replace him as the new commissioner for Rivers State command.
 
The other 11 police commissioners affected by the reshuffle include Ambrose Aisabo, Felix O. Uyanya, Abdulmajid Ali, Benjamin U. Onwuka, Ibrahim Maishanu, Adamu Ibrahim, Aderenle Shina, Umaru U. Shehu, A. J. Abakasanga Kalafite H. Adeyemi and Ibrahim Idris.
 
The redeployment is with immediate effect.
 
Chairman of the commission, Mike Okiro, urged all the officers to put in their best in their various commands in order to provide a secure environment for business and life to thrive.

Okiro, equally admonished the newly redeployed officers to put in their best in their various Commands’ operations, so as to provide a secure environment for business and life to thrive.
 
Mbu has been at the centre of the political crisis rocking Rivers State and there had been constant calls from across the country for his redeployment.

Ogunsakin, an experienced investigator, was director of operations at both the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before his last posting ton the Special Fraud Unit, Lagos.

SSS Finally Arrests Asari Dokubo Over Inciting Comments

Editorial
-
0
SSS Finally Arrests Asari Dokubo Over Inciting Comments

The State Security Service, SSS, has arrested former Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo, for making inciting comments about the 2015 general elections.

Dokubo had in his usual style threatened on Tuesday that the Nigerian economy would be crippled if President Goodluck Jonathan is not re-elected for a second term in 2015, and warned the north to steer clear of the seat.

“In less than one hour, the way we would strike, the world will be shocked. If anybody does anything against Jonathan, we will retaliate. What we will do will shock the whole world. We will cripple the economy of the country not only in the creeks, but also on the nation’s territorial waters, no vessel will be allowed to enter Nigeria’s territorial waters,” he said.

The ex-militant had also previously threatened that there would be bloodletting in the country if his preferred candidate is not voted in for a second term and his daring remarks have often sparked criticisms from various groups calling for him to be cautioned.

Last week Monday, the SSS interrogated the deputy national secretary of the All Progressive Party, APC, Nasir El-Rufai, after securing an arrest warrant from a court for saying that the next election is likely to be violent leading to deaths if they are not free and fair.

Many Nigerians on the social media had condemned the action of the SSS for arresting El-Rufai for making perceived inciting comments about the forthcoming 2015 election but doing nothing to Dokubo, whose comments are seen as even more damning.

In its reaction to Dokubo’s latest comments, the APC said “Nigeria has not witnessed a clearer and louder call to war than Asari-Dokubo’s senseless vituperation since the country’s civil war ended in 1970.”

National publicity secretary of the party, Lai Mohammed, said Asari-Dokubo has overstretched his luck by even trying to dictate to political parties to field only South-south candidates for the presidency in 2015.

Court Remands Killer Cop In Prison

Editorial
-
0
Court Remands Killer Cop In Prison

From Jefferson Ibiwale, Benin

A Chief Magistrate Court in Benin has remanded a Police corporal, Valentine Ufumaka, 39, in prison custody for allegedly shooting one Osagie Aisagbonbuomwan to death last Saturday.

The killer cop and another now at large were said to have shot the victim, a truck driver, following a heated argument that ensued between them.

The offense committed is punishable under section 324 and 316 of the criminal code.

The presiding Chief Magistrate, Jonathan Ogbeide, however, declined jurisdiction to entertain the matter due to its nature and, consequently, no plea was taken from the accused person.

The court ordered that the accused personnel’s case file be duplicated and forwarded to Edo State director of public prosecution for legal advice.

The case was thereafter adjourned to March 7, 2014 for mention.

Three Conmen Arraigned For Attempting To Defraud David Mark Of N45 Million

Editorial
-
0
Three Conmen Arraigned For Attempting To Defraud David Mark Of N45 Million

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has charged three suspects before an Abuja High Court for allegedly forging the signature of Senate President David Mark in an attempt to fraudulently withdraw the sum of  N45 million from his bank account.

Emeka Ukor, Anthony Uzonwanne and Babayemi Bukola were on Wednesday arraigned before Justice S. E Aladedoyinbo on a seven count charge bordering on conspiracy and forgery.

They were arrested by operatives of the commission following a complaint from the Senate President that the accused persons conspired and forged a FinBank cheque leaflet with No. 00684074 dated August 28, 2009 in an attempt to fraudulently withdraw the sum of N45million from his account.

The offence committed contravenes section 286 (1) of the Penal Code Act cap.532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990 and is punishable under section 287 of the same Act.

During the hearing of the case, prosecution witness Benedict Agweye who was led in evidence by counsel to EFCC, Shata Jamila, told the court that the FinBank cheque with which the accused persons attempted to pull out money from Senate President’s account was forged.

Agweye said he came to this conclusion after carrying out series of forensic analysis on the document, including simulation of the signatures, stereomicroscopic and spectral analysis which revealed that the author of the known specimen signature was not the author of the disputed FinBank cheque leaflet.

Justice Aladedoyinbo adjourned the case till March 10, 2014 for continuation of hearing.

1...3,3393,3403,341...3,439Page 3,340 of 3,439