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Nasarawa Gets More Military Troops To Beef Up Security

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Nasarawa Gets More Military Troops To Beef Up Security

President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the immediate deployment of troops to maintain law and order in Nasarawa state.

There had been clashes over the weekend between the Eggon and Alago ethnic groups which claimed several lives and left others injured just as many houses were set on fire.

Military spokesman, Ibrahim Attahiru, told journalists in Abuja that the deployment of the troop is to further beef up security in the state.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission on Wednesday said it would partner with the Nasarawa state government to tackle security challenges in the state.

The director of Conflict, Ethics and Good Governance of the commission, Tina Nwodu, said this while exchanging views with Sani Yakubu-Awa, the state commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, in Lafia.

She said that the commission was concerned about the loss of lives and destruction of properties taking place in the state.

“Crises do not just erupt, it has traces, and early warning responses will assist to get firsthand information for it to be nipped in the bud. We are prepared to partner with the state government to ensure enduring peace and stability,” Nwodu said.

She said that crisis caused all kinds of abuses on law-abiding citizens, with children and women being the most affected victims.

The director explained that the agency would meet with the community and women leaders, market associations and youth groups to discuss on peace and unity of the people of the state

 

Navy Yard Gunman Exhibited Abnormal Behaviour – Police

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Navy Yard Gunman Exhibited Abnormal Behaviour – Police

Rhode Island police warned the U.S. Navy last month that Washington Navy Yard gunman, Aaron Alexis, had reported “hearing voices,” raising further questions about how he gained security clearance at the complex where he went on a shooting rampage.

Alexis, a Navy contractor and former Navy reservist, opened fire at the Naval Sea Systems Command on Monday, killing 12 people before police shot him dead.

Police in Newport, Rhode Island, say they were so concerned about Alexis’ behaviour on a business trip to the Navy Yard in August that they alerted the Navy police.

Alexis had told the police he believed people were following him and “sending vibrations into his body,” according to a Newport police report.

He said he had changed hotels twice to avoid the noise he heard coming through the floor and the ceiling of his rooms, and that the people following him were using “some sort of microwave machine” to prevent him from sleeping.

“Based on the naval base implications and the claim that the involved subject, one (Aaron Alexis) was ‘hearing voices,’ I made contact with the on-duty Naval Station police,” a Newport police officer wrote.

The Newport police report said Navy police had promised to check if Alexis was in fact a naval base contractor.

Asked for comment, a spokesman said the Navy was looking into the matter, without confirming any details.

In addition, CNN reported that Alexis had contacted two Veterans Administration hospitals recently and was believed to be seeking psychological help.

“Initial reports indicate that this is an individual who may have had some mental health problems,” U.S. President Barack Obama told the media.

“The fact that we do not have a firm enough background check system is something that makes us more vulnerable to these kinds of mass shootings,” he added.

The Navy gave Alexis an honourable discharge despite a series of eight to 10 misconduct charges, ranging from traffic offenses to disorderly conduct.

Using a valid pass as an information technology contractor with a private company, Alexis entered the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters with a shotgun – bought legally in Virginia – and gained access to a handgun after he started firing, officials said.

He started picking off victims in a cafeteria from a fourth-floor atrium, witnesses said. Eight people were hurt, three with gunshot wounds, before Alexis was killed in a gun battle with police.

A Defense Department Inspector General’s report published on Tuesday revealed security lapses that allowed 52 convicted felons to gain access to Navy facilities because budget cuts had undermined vetting.

The Pentagon said it would review security at military installations around the world and the White House promised to review standards for federal government contractors.

 

Labour Protests Decentralisation Of Minimum Wage

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Labour Protests Decentralisation Of Minimum Wage
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, led workers on Wednesday to the National Assembly to protest the decision of the Senate to remove the minimum wage law from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list of the proposed amendment to the 199 constitution.

The Senate had during the recent constitution amendment exercise voted for the decentralization of negotiations on the national minimum wage, but the House of Representatives overwhelmingly shut down the proposal.

While the proposal awaits harmonization of both houses, the leadership of the NLC and TUC say they will resist moves by the Senate to remove minimum wage and other labour matters from the exclusive legislative list as such a move is not in the interest of workers and ordinary people.

labour protest

The Edo state governor, Adams Oshiomole, who joined in the protest, said the consequences of removing labour from the exclusive list goes beyond wages.

He explained that if the Senate removes labour from the exclusive list to the concurrent list, every state would withdraw basic protection for workers such as health and safety and social security.

Last month, NLC President, Abdulwaheed Omar threatened that the union would embark on a nationwide strike and mobilise Nigerian workers to fight against the removal of the minimum wage clause.

In his reaction, the Senate President, David Mark, promised the Nigerian workers that the National Assembly will revisit the issue.

5 Killed In Train-Bus Collision In Canada

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5 Killed In Train-Bus Collision In Canada

A passenger train collided with a double-decker city bus in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city on Wednesday, killing at least five people.

The accident occurred mid-morning just outside a suburban train station in the city’s west end.

Television images showed a heavily damaged red double-decker bus, with firefighters and ambulances at the scene. The front of the bus appeared to be severed due to the collision.

Ottawa Fire Services spokesman, Marc Messier, told CTV News the initial estimate is that five people have been killed.

VIA Rail, which operates the national passenger service in Canada, confirmed the crash and said there were no major injuries reported on the train.

Canada’s two big railroads – Canadian National Railway Company  and Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd – are reviewing safety standards after a deadly train crash on July 6 that killed 50 people and destroyed the center of a small Quebec town.

 

Tukur Asks Court To Strike Out Baraje’s Suit

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Tukur Asks Court To Strike Out Baraje’s Suit

The national chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Bamanga Tukur, on Wednesday asked an Ikeja High Court to strike out a suit filed by a faction of the party.

Tukur made the request in a preliminary notice of objection filed by his counsel, Joe Kyari-Gadzama.

In his argument, Kyari-Gadzama urged the court to strike out the suit filed by the Abubakar Baraje-led faction of the PDP for want of jurisdiction.

Baraje’s faction filed a suit on September 1, seeking to stop Tukur and other members of his executive council from parading themselves as national officers of the party.

Kyari-Gadzama on Wednesday said: “I am asking the court to strike out the case because it lacks the territorial jurisdiction to entertain the suit. The subject matter of this suit is the PDP which has its registered office in Abuja and none of the defendants is resident in Lagos State”.

He said the course of action which is the purported removal of the defendants and the election of the claimants arose in Abuja and not in Lagos, adding that the writs of summons did not comply with the mandatory requirements of Section 97 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act because they were not signed.

“It is quite elementary that every court is a creation of law and thus a court of law has its jurisdiction limited and circumscribed by the constitution. The general position of the law on territorial jurisdiction of a court is that a court’s jurisdiction is confined to matters that arose within it, or where the defendants reside or carry out business,” the lawyer said.

The presiding judge, Oludotun Adefowope-Okojie, adjourned the matter to September 25 for further hearing.

Gov. Aliyu Warns Education Minister To Steer Clear Of Niger State

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By Nma Shekwolo

The Niger State governor, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu has warned the acting minister of education, Nyeson Wike not to interfere with the affairs of the state.

Aliyu, who said this while signing into law the state University of Education Bill at Government House, Minna, was reacting to some uncomplimentary remarks allegedly made by Wike on the state of the education sector in Niger state.

“I don’t know when he got into education. Education is not for riff raffs. Wike should be warned to stay clear of Niger state. If he (Wike) can fight the governor of his state (Rivers) he cannot fight other governors. He should take his time,” the governor warned.

While endorsing the bill to become law, Aliyu lamented that most states in the region could not boast of 50 per cent qualified teachers to man primary schools.

He said the University of Education in Minna will attempt to bridge that gap, as it will provide avenue for the training of teachers not only for primary and secondary schools in the state but for the entire northern Nigeria where there is presently no such institution.

He said the dearth of qualified teachers in all the states in the northern part of the country informed the setting up of the specialised university.

Aliyu said when the university becomes operational government will set deadline for unqualified teachers in her employment to be certified.

In his remarks the Speaker of the Niger state House of Assembly, Adamu Usman, said between 2007 and this 2013, the chamber had passed 30 bills, adding that the laws have impacted positively on the lives of people in the state.

Usman added that the Bill on the University of Education mandates the government to set aside at least 2 per cent of its budget for the funding of the university.

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He assured that the establishment of a new university will not affect the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University at Lapai which is also owned by the state government.

Two other bills – the Vision 3:2020 Law and the Pilgrims Welfare Commission Bill – were also signed into law.

The Vision 3:2020 law legalised the state Vision 3:2020 programme introduced by the administration in 2007 while the amendment to the Pilgrims Welfare Commission law would give executive powers to the chairman of the commission.

I Will Not Resign – Okonjo-Iweala

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I Will Not Resign – Okonjo-Iweala

Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has dismissed resignation call suggested by some governors, saying Nigeria’s economy is doing reasonably well.

Speaking on the state of economy in a press briefing addressed in Abuja, Okonjo-Iweala said she is still the minister of finance for the country and works for President Goodluck Jonathan.

She rejected the governors’ call adding that she will not  be derailed by political issues in discharging her duties.

“I will not involve myself in political issues with the state governors, we are here to manage the economy for the good of the nation and what we are doing here is based on facts on the ground. I am minister for the economy, am working for President Goodluck Jonathan and  I am answerable to him. Do I look like someone who is preparing to resign? I am not resigning, I dey kampe. I have a very committed and dedicated team and so I am not going to respond to such issues,” Okonjo-Iweala said.

On Tuesday, members of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum called on the Minister of Finance, who is also the Coordinating Minister of the Economy,  Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to resign her appointment if she knew she would not be able to adhere strictly with the Appropriation Act 2013.

They stated that the non-compliance with the revenue projections of the Federal Government 2013 Budget was also a direct breach of the provisions of the Appropriation Act, 2013. These decisions were part of the resolutions of the Governor Rotimi Amaechi-led NGF, which met in Abuja on Tuesday evening.

The governors also called for the immediate dissolution of the Economic Management Team.

Reacting to the governors’ claims, Okonjo-Iweala gave instances of a sound economy as portrayed in the fact that nine state governments have expressed interest to float bond from the Nigerian capital market. She noted that the state governments would not have had the confidence to float the bonds if the economy was unhealthy.

Commending the nine state governors who have shown interest in floating the bonds for the confidence they have in the economy by floating the bonds, the minister urged the citizens and legislatures of the states to monitor the proceeds from the bonds together with the federal government and the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC.

On macro economy, Okonjo-Iweala said Nigeria’s macro-economic fundamentals are strong with $46 billion in the foreign reserve and of this amount, $5.1 billion is in the excess crude account. She cautioned that the $5.1 billion in the excess crude account will be drawn down today after payment has been made from it to oil marketers whose payments she said has been due.

According to her, the economy saved a lot of money with the measures put in place to pay oil marketers as a fall out of the subsidy row in 2012. These measures include avoiding conflicts of interest, and the introduction of checks and balances.

The minister said that N2.2 trillion was paid to oil marketers in 2011 but after the measures were instituted and a forensic audit carried out, N971 billion was paid in 2012 and there are wrong indications that about N950 billion will be paid to marketers in 2013. She noted that inflation and exchange rate fundamentals have remained stable with GDP growth more than six per cent, thus making Nigeria “one of the fastest growing economies worldwide.”

Convinced on the soundness of the economy, Okonjo-Iweala disclosed that the September salaries of civil servants were paid yesterday. She added that over $2 billion has so far been generated from the sale of the Generation Companies and Distribution Companies, Gencos and Discos, and part of these proceeds will be used to pay off staff of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN.

Speaking on 2014 budget, the minister said that Nigeria has to prepare and plan to be prudent with its spending especially with the recent discoveries of shale oil and arctic oil. She, however, assured that the economy will further develop if the executive and legislature work together towards removing bottle necks.

 

Many Killed, Vehicles, Houses Destroyed in Fresh Boko Haram Attack

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Many Killed, Vehicles, Houses Destroyed in Fresh Boko Haram Attack

Residents and motorists at Benishiek community in Borno were on Tuesday evening attacked by suspected members of Islamist extremist group Boko Haram dressed in military uniforms. The insurgents manned checkpoints, killed an unspecified number of people and set ablaze dozens of houses and vehicles.

Confirming the attack, an adviser to the state governor, Garba Ngamdu, said at least five local residents were killed in addition to an unknown number of motorists travelling through the area, while about 50 buildings housing shops and homes were burnt.

“A large chunk of the victims were motorists travelling on the highway, although we do not have a tentative figure yet,” Ngamdu added. An army spokesman confirmed the attack and said a number of residents and tanker drivers had been killed, but declined to provide further details.

Residents recalled seeing bodies littering the street and said the invaders were targeting only those from Borno State. The reason for targeting Borno indigenes seems unclear, but Boko Haram members have repeatedly carried out revenge attacks against residents over the emergence of vigilante groups popularly known as civilian JTF that was formed to assist the military.

“The militants arrived in military vans and uniforms around 6:00 pm,” Isa Manu, a motorist who escaped unhurt, told journalists in the Borno state capital Maiduguri.

“They set up checkpoints on the Damaturu-Maiduguri highway and ordered motorists to park and identify themselves.”

The attack is lesser than two weeks that fighting ensued in Benishiek between suspected Boko Haram gunmen and vigilantes which led five Islamists and 13 vigilantes dead.

Emergency rule launched in May aiming to end Boko Haram’s four-year insurgency appears to have pushed the insurgents outside of major cities and into more remote areas where attacks have been occurring.

Separately on Wednesday, the military claimed a strike on a Boko Haram camp in the northeast last week left about 150 Islamists and 16 soldiers dead, amid reports of dozens of troops killed.

 

 

PRESTIGIOUS CHEVENING SCHOLARSHIP OPENS

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PRESTIGIOUS CHEVENING SCHOLARSHIP OPENS

Applications for the 2014-2015 Chevening Scholarship, the prestigious global program of the UK government are now open.

The Scholarship is funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations.

The programme will this year support over 600 established or emerging leaders from 118 countries worldwide.

It provides full or part funding for full-time courses at postgraduate level, normally a one-year Master’s degree, in any subject and at any UK university.

An applicant must:
– Be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country, with the intent to return there at the end of the period of study;
– Hold a degree that is equivalent to at least an upper second-class honors degree in the UK;
– Achieve the minimum Chevening English language requirement;
– Have completed at least two years’ work or equivalent experience before applying for a Chevening Scholarship;
– Be able to obtain the correct visa, and receive an unconditional offer from a UK university.
– Not be employees, relatives of employees, or former employees, who left within the past two years of the UK government including British embassies and high commissions, a partner, a sponsoring UK university, or a staff member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities
– Have a minimum of two years’ work experience.

Applications for the 2014-15 Chevening Scholarships must be submitted online at http://www.chevening.org. Instructions on submitting your application can be found in the Guidance for Applicants.

Further guidelines will be posted on the official website, and must be read before the submission of applications. Closing dates and priority subject areas are available on the country pages of the Chevening website at http://www.chevening.org

Established in 1983, Chevening, a merit-based, open, international competition, gives awards to outstanding scholars with leadership potential from around the world to study postgraduate courses at universities in the UK.

There are over 42,000 Chevening alumni around the world who together comprise an influential and highly regarded global network.

GRANT FOR JOURNALISTS REPORTING TOBACCO CONTROL

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GRANT FOR JOURNALISTS REPORTING TOBACCO CONTROL

Grants between US$700-US$1,000 await winners of the Tobacco campaign control project competition organized by the Environmental Rights Action, ERA, and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center, CISLAC.

Funded by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, CTFK, the grant is for practicing journalists working with national print, electronic or online media organisations with story ideas revolving around the Tobacco.

The story idea may be on tobacco farming, tobacco & health, marketing of tobacco to minors, tobacco smuggling, tobacco industry’s corporate social responsibility, tobacco prevalence and National Tobacco Control Bill legislative process.

To be considered, journalists must send in a short synopsis or proposal, outlining the topic they seek to pursue. The synopsis should include proposed places to be visited, persons to be interviewed, a list of planned photos to go with the story and other fact-finding activities.

In addition, a tentative schedule and a budget for necessary expenses to implement the story must be included.

Submission should not exceed 1,000 words, and must be sent in electronic format to tcjournalistfellowship@eraction.org not later than September 20.

Successful candidates will be announced on September 30 and will be eligible for a grant of between US$700-US$1,000 each to implement their story ideas.

A team of senior and experienced journalists with experience in reporting tobacco control issues will examine the entries to pick out the best six.

The grant is part of CTFK’s efforts to build the capacity of the Nigerian media to report on tobacco control from informed perspective in line with its fight to reduce tobacco use and its deadly toll around the world.

The initiative is also aimed at building and improving the public’s awareness on tobacco control and its related issues.

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