Daybreak, Politics, Entertainment, Sport

Author: Alpha Maidawa

Police arrest man with 13 bags of suspected cannabis in Edo
The Edo Police Command on Wednesday said it has arrested a man with 13 bags of substance suspected to be Cannabis sativa.
The Edo Commissioner for Police, CP Lawan Jimeta, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the command’s achievements in the last two weeks.
Jimeta disclosed that the suspect was arrested last Friday at about 08:00 hours along Lagos-Benin Expressway.
He, however, said that the case would be transferred to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further necessary action.
According to him, the arrest was in continuation of the onslaught against crime and criminality by the command in the state.
“You will recall that in the command’s last press brief held on the 26th of February, 2020 some of the suspects arrested were paraded and achievements recorded presented to members of the press.
“Amongst them were the kingpin of the kidnap gang that killed three policemen at Ogba Zoo in 2017 and other criminal gangs, including the conman that was using the name of the Commissioner of Police to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
“However, I am delighted to inform you that as a result of strategies emplaced by the command to checkmate crime and criminality in the state, there has been a downward drop in crime since the beginning of the year”, he said.
He also disclosed that within the period two suspects were arrested for alleged child abuse.
He explained that the suspects, aged 26 and 24 years, were arrested on March 3 along the Third East Circular Junction, off Upper Sokponba Road, in the state capital.
He said they were caught with a set of twins and two other babies of different mothers and also for conspiring with the mothers of the said children and using them to beg for alms.
The CP further disclosed that within the period under review, the command arrested no fewer than 30 suspected cultists belonging to different confraternities for cultism, disturbance of public peace, armed robbery and murder.
He however said that 13 of them have been charged to court after the conclusion of investigation.
He also disclosed that the command within the period arrested five suspected kidnappers two of whom were involved in the kidnapping of four lecturers and 13 students of the Department of Geology, University of Benin.
He said that the victims have been rescued unhurt and have returned to their institution.
Jimeta disclosed that a total of 41 suspects were arrested within the period.
He said the figure were five suspects arrested for alleged kidnapping, 30 for alleged cultism and one for alleged robbery.
Others include three suspects arrested for alleged rape, two arrested for alleged child abuse, while 15 suspects have been charged to court.
He said items recovered from the suspects were five locally made guns, 13 lives cartridges and four expended cartridges. (NAN)
March 11, 2020
Egypt jails prominent political figure for a year over ‘false news’
An Egyptian court has sentenced one of the leading activists of the 2011 “Arab Spring” uprising to a one-year prison term after convicting him of spreading false news, a judicial source and a lawyer said.
Zyad Elelaimy, a prominent rights lawyer and former member of parliament already in detention since June 2019 over separate charges, was also fined 20,000 Egyptian pounds (1,272 dollars) by a Cairo misdemeanor court on Tuesday, they added.
The court found Elelaimy guilty three years after a lawyer reported him to prosecutors citing an interview he had given to the BBC, his lawyer Ahmed Fawzi told Reuters.
Fawzi said the defence team had been unable to clarify in court which comments Elelaimy was being prosecuted for.
The defence team has appealed against the sentence, and a hearing is due to be held on April 7, Fawzi added.
Amnesty International condemned the ruling as based on “unfounded charges” and called on Egyptian authorities to immediately release him.
“He is a prisoner of conscience, who has been swept up in Egypt’s ruthless purge of critics and opponents,” it added in a statement.
Elelaimy was one of the leading Egyptian activists during the 2011 popular revolts across the region that toppled long-serving autocrat Hosni Mubarak and several other Arab leaders.
Mubarak died last month.
President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi – like Mubarak a former senior military officer – has overseen a crackdown on dissent that has targeted liberal opponents as well as the Islamists who briefly held power after the Arab Spring.
Tens of thousands of people have been detained, though Sisi has denied holding political prisoners.
He and his backers say the measures are necessary to stabilize Egypt.
Elelaimy was detained with several others last June on charges including spreading false news and coordinating with a terrorist group – charges commonly used against protesters and political opposition figures.
Colleagues and activists said the arrests were aimed at preventing the formation of a secular coalition ahead of parliamentary elections due later this year. (Reuters)
March 11, 2020
Count me out of Kano Emirate saga – President Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari has no involvement whatsoever in the dethronement of Muhammadu Sanusi II from the position of Emir of Kano, Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s spokesman, has said.
The presidential aide, in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, described all such insinuations as untrue, malicious and politically motivated.
He said: ”The President does not have a history of intervening in the affairs of any state in the country, unless the issue at hand is of national consequence.
”On such matters which impinge on national security, he has a duty of involvement as the law stipulates.”
According to Shehu, as outlined in the Constitution, the appointment or removal of emirs and other traditional leaders is strictly within the jurisdiction of state governments.
He, therefore, stated that it was unfair and disingenuous of opposition politicians to try to link the situation in Kano State to the federal government and the Nigerian President.
”Although a retired General and former Military Head of State, President Buhari clearly understands that under the current democratic dispensation, the government at the centre cannot read instructions or twist the arms of all or any of the 36 state governments making up the federation.
”They all have their powers specified under the Constitution.”
Shehu however quoted the president to have commended the people of Kano for keeping calm in the past few days of the dethronement announcement.
”He prays that the will of Allah will be done at all times, and that the emirate/state and its people continue to experience progress irrespective of who is on the throne.” (NAN)
March 11, 2020
Facebook launches leadership community programme in Nigeria, 2 other countries
Nigeria and two other African nations, South, Africa and Kenya, are to benefit from Facebook’s newly-launched Accelerator Programme to provide community leaders the opportunity to drive empowerment and mentorship in their areas.
Kiran Yoliswa, Strategic Partner Manager, Communities Sub-Sahara at Facebook, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.
Yoliswa said that Facebook Community Leadership Programme (FCLP), being a six-month accelerator programme, would provide training, mentorship and funding to help leaders grow their areas.
She said that a total of three million dollars would be awarded to 80 programme participants worldwide.
Yoliswa noted that selected leaders would spend three months learning from experts and coaches with a customised curriculum to create a plan to grow their communities.
“They will spend the next three months iterating and executing on their plans, with funding and support from their networks.
“Our mission is to empower the leaders who foster community, offer support to people, encourage others and make real change.
“We are investing in leaders because we believe and know they will make significant contributions to today’s social challenges, by sharing knowledge and information.
“The community leaders will also help people to connect with others that share same interests or passions for a good cause,” Yoliswa said.
She said that in 2019 the FCLP provided training, funding, and support to 115 leaders.
Yoliswa said the leaders reported that their projects impacted over 1.9 million lives through online community support, use of helpful resources and other activities made possible by the programme.
“Twelve community leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa said their projects impacted over 80,000 lives.
“The community leaders include Africa Farmers Club (Kenya), 52-Week Savings Challenge (Kenya), Let’s Cook Kenyan Meals, #WomenWorkKE (Kenya), Still A Mum (Kenya) and The Youth Hub Uganda (Uganda).
“Others are Women and Realities of Disability Society (Kenya), Mamalette (Nigeria), Docteur Nakamou (Senegal), LGBTI community, Human Rights (South Africa), Dream Factory Foundation (South Africa) and Salt River High Tutoring (South Africa).
“Facebook has also built new tools to help community leaders add new members and moderate conversations in their Group, she said.
She said the community accelerator programme was one of the many investments Facebook was making in leaders.
“Community leaders from the selected programme countries, including those without a presence on one of Facebook’s apps, are welcome to apply.
“Details about the programme are applicable to countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya,’’ Yoliswa said.(NAN)
March 11, 2020
Warning strike: Reps invite ASUU, Labour, Education Ministers
The House of Representatives has invited the Minister of Education, Labour and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to find a lasting solution to ongoing warning strike by the union.
Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila This was sequel to the unanimous adoption of a motion of Urgent Matters of Public Importance by Rep. Dachung Bagos (PDP-Plateau) at the plenary on Tuesday.
Moving the motion earlier, Bagos said that ASUU had on March 9, after its National Executive Council meeting (NEC) held in Enugu embarked on a two-week warning strike.
Bagos said that schools had just resumed and that the strike if allowed to take full effect would cost a lot of students extra academic year.
“Also concerned, that the continued yearly strike by ASUU is becoming a national embarrassment to the country.
“It is worrisome that the continued strike has encouraged education tourism of Nigerians to other countries,” he said.
Rep. Kwewum Shawulu (PDP-Taraba) said that Nigerians spent over 300 million pounds to study in the United Kingdom and over N5 billion as school fees in Ghana.
He said that parents were sending their children to study in countries where Nigeria did not have comparative advantage.
The Rep said that more than one million children applied for admission to universities in the country annually.
Shawulu said that the universities in the country admitted about 250,000 of the 800,000 applicants in the country.
The lawmaker recommended that the procedure of owning private universities be made easier of individuals and groups to admit the rest 800,000.
Shawulu called on the house to broaden its interaction with ASUU and the government to boost investment in the sector.
He said that Nigerian universities are challenged with poor facilities like e-library, urging the leadership of the house to also factor in everything affecting the smooth operation of the schools.
In his ruling, the Speaker of the House, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila mandated the Clerk to issue letters to the relevant stakeholders for a meeting with him on Wednesday at 9 a.m. (NAN)
March 10, 2020
YIAGA Africa says 3.3 % ballots were cancelled in 2019 presidential election
YIAGA Africa,a Civil Society Organisation says 3.3 per cent of ballot papers used during 2019 presidential election were cancelled.
Mr Paul James, Programme Manager, Elections, YIAGA Africa said this while presenting the group’s Watching The Vote Report on Nigeria 2019 Presidential Elections at a round-table in Abuja.
According to James, the cancellation was four times higher than that of 2015 election.
He said that the cancellation in the 2019 presidential election, were announced in all states except the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He said that YIAGA Africa deployed over 4000 Watching The Vote  observers across the 774 Local Government Areas(LGAs)in the 36 states including the FCT  to monitor pre-election environment,election and post-election.
“For the 2019 general elections, YIAGA Africa data revealed possible incidents of vote suppression.
“This is as reflected in the percentage of cancelled ballots in some states with 60,000 or more cancelled ballots –  Rivers, Nasarawa, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Plateau, Kogi, Benue and Kaduna States.
“Rivers had 1402 Polling Units (PU)and LGAs cancelled with 942 ,368 registered voters  ,Akwa Ibom had 272,Pus canceled in 10 LGAs with 195,799 voters.
“Kaduna had 89 Pus cancelled with 189,865 voters while Nassarawa had 157,591votes cancelled and Plateau has 126 Pus cancelled in 12 LGAs with 146,355 voters,’’ he said.
James said that some critical incidents reported during the election were snatching of Election Materials at the Registration Area Center (RAC) in Okrika LGA in Rivers which prevented voting.
He said that the report also showed that voters were denied access to polling units by political thugs.
He said that the group while observing the election also witnessed destruction and burning of election materials,threats to media reporters and six journalists were abduction in Ahoada West LGA in Rivers.
He said that the group also observed disruption of the results collation in some states , military interference harassment among others.
Mr Samson Itodo , Executive Director ,YIAGA Africa said that the round table was organised to get stakeholders together to talk about voter oppression because  it was becoming a recurring decimal in Nigerian election.
“We are witnesses to the fact that in recent elections thugs have targeted specific local government or polling units and destruction of election materials.
” People were also prevented from casting their votes just in a bid to dilute the voting power of a particular geographical space or a particular group,” he said.
Itodo said that when citizens were deprived of their rights, democracy lose it vitality because citizens were unable to vote.
He said that the round table was meant to push discussion around voter suppression and the need for electoral reform to provide an opportunity to strengthen Nigerian legal framework to prevent institutional voter suppression.(NAN)
March 10, 2020
Kano elder urges residents to accept new Emir, pray for Sanusi
A Kano Elder, Alhaji Muhammad Abbas, has advised residents to accept the new Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Bayero.
Abbas said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday in Kano.
He also prayed to God to give the deposed Emir Muhammad Sanusi II the strength to withstand his calamities adding that the emirate and the state were undergoing a trying period and needed abundant prayers.
He said that it was wrong for people to question the traditional institution or State Government on the present situation.
According to him, every society has its tradition, culture and beliefs.
“We should not condemn ours to the extent that others will insult us over our own problems.
“Sometimes, our opinions don’t count. So, in situations like this, we need to be submissive to the Almighty for guidance and solace,’’ Abbas said.
He called on all well meaning Nigerians to include Kano in their prayers at this trying period, saying that the situation could happen anywhere else.
“While we pray that the deposition becomes the best interest of the state and Emir Sanusi, we also pray that the new Emir Aminu Bayero, faces the challenges ahead of him.
“Both of them are the sons of the city and we can’t choose one and discard one. People should know that the interest of the land comes first before anything else,’’ he said.
The deposition of Muhammad Sanusu II and the installation of Alhaji Aminu Bayero by the state government in Kano had continued to generate mixed reactions among residents.(NAN)
March 10, 2020
Investors lose N329bn on NSE, amid COVID-19 fear, fall in oil price
The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) market capitalisation opened the week on Monday with a huge loss of N329 billion due to persistent fall in global oil price and rising cases of COVID-19.
The market capitalisation which opened at N13.694 trillion shed N329 billion to close at N13.365 trillion.
Also, the All-Share Index (ASI) decreased by 632.07 points or 2.41 per cent to close at 25,647.54 against 26,279.61 on Friday, the largest decline since Sept. 12, 2019.
Consequently, the Month-to-Date return loss stood at 2.2 per cent, as Year-to-Date loss also increased to 4.5 per cent.
The downturn was impacted by losses recorded in medium and large capitalised stocks, amongst which were; Nigerian Breweries, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Guaranty Trust Bank, Zenith Bank and Conoil.
Analysts at Afrinvest Limited stated that “With the widespread of COVID-19 inducing a four-year low in global crude oil prices, we believe the dark clouds are gathering.
“As such, we expect investors to remain risk-averse toward the equities market in the near term, although there is headroom for bargain hunting activities due to cheap valuation of stocks and the local bourse relative to peers.”
Market breadth closed negative, with only one gainer against 39 losers.
Access Bank, Conoil, Cornerstone Insurance, Fidelity Bank, Nigerian Aviation Handling Company, Oando, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, United Capital and Unilever Nigeria led the losers’ chart by 10 per cent each, to close at N7.65, N16.20, 45 kobo, N1.80, N2.25, N2.43, N31.50, N2.34 and N11.70, per share, respectively.
Vitafoam Nigeria and Guaranty Trust Bank followed with a decline of 9.96 per cent each, to close at N4.07 and N22.15 per share respectively.
Nigerian Breweries lost 9.93 per cent to close at N36.75 per share.
On the other hand, Consolidated Hallmark Insurance was the only gainer growing by 7.14 per cent to close at 30k per share.
Similarly, the total volume of shares traded dropped by 48.6 per cent with an exchange of 185.65 million shares valued N1.83 billion, traded in 2,690 deals.
This was in contrast with a turnover of 361.11 million shares worth N4.28 billion traded in 4,602 deals on Friday.
Transactions in the shares of Zenith Bank topped the activity chart with 53.51 million shares worth N907.08 million.
Transcorp came second with 23.06 million shares worth N18.004 million, while Guaranty Trust Bank accounted for 15.21 million shares valued N336.81 million.
Skyway Aviation Handling Company traded 8.37 million shares worth N19.59 million, while Law Union and Rock Insurance sold 6.87 million shares valued N6.69 million. (NAN)
March 10, 2020
FG should have pegged 2020 budget on $35pb, says expert
An oil and gas expert, Mr Wilson Opuwei, says the Federal Government should have benchmarked the 2020 budget not higher than $35 per barrel (pb) to mitigate the impact of oil price fluctuation at the international market.
Opuwei, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Dateline Energy Services Ltd., made the suggestion on Tuesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
The government had budgeted N10.59 trillion for 2020 expenditure with calculated revenue projected at $57 per barrel and crude production of 2.18 million barrels per day.
However, the impact on global trade by the Coronavirus and the ongoing oil production dispute between Russia and Saudi Arabia have seen oil price dropped to $31 per barrel at the international market.
Opuwei said the decision of the Federal Government to review the 2020 budget based on the decline in oil revenue was inevitable as crude oil sales was the major source of foreign exchange for the country.
He said: “The worry for Nigeria is as a result of the budget benchmark.
“Some of us complained at that time that the $57 was too much because it is a benchmark and should not be at par with the pricing at the market.
“The projection for the benchmark should leave a 15 to 20 per cent window on the projected pricing.
“So the budget benchmark should have been between $30 to $35, irrespective of what the oil price is at the market. This will help to balance out any price fluctuation like what we are seeing now.”
Opuwei said there was no need to panic because the situation was only temporary and was not strange to the oil and gas sector.
“The fall in the price of crude is just a temporary thing and it will come up again. This is one of the challenges being faced by the sector but it is just a small setback.
“Hopefully before the next quarter, the price will come back to between $60 and $65 per barrel but it will have to climb gradually,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria should use this opportunity to explore participation in the parallel market apart from meeting the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota.
Opuwei said: “We will still remain under OPEC but that does not stop us from trading in the parallel market.
“If there is an aggressive production by our oil producers, we will exceed what OPEC approved for us to be bringing and that is why we should keep an eye on the alternative market.” (NAN)
March 10, 2020
ITF trained 700 youths on InfoTech in 2019 to bridge skill gap in ICT – DG
The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) said it had in 2019 trained 700 youths in InfoTech as a means of bridging the skill gap in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.

The Director-General of the fund, Sir Joseph Ari, who disclosed this on Tuesday in Jos at the 2019 ITF Merit Award Ceremony, said the beneficiaries were drawn from the six geopolitical zones of the country

Ari said that due to the evident gaps in knowledge and skills in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) the Fund initiated the InfoTech Skills Empowerment Programme (ISEP).

He said the trainees whom were mostly degree holders, were carefully selected and equipped with specialised ICT skills, and that they were trained in advanced computer networking, computer networking certification and computer hardware maintenance and repair.

He also disclosed that 80 per cent of the trainees that the fund trained passed the certification examination, adding that with the international certification, the beneficiaries could compete for jobs outside the shores of the country.

The director-general said in 2016 the ITF in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) conducted skills Gap Survey in six priority sectors of the national economy and it showed that vacancies existed in the service, agriculture, construction and transportation sectors.

He said that the survey showed that vacancies were filled by non-Nigerians because of the absence of Nigerians with the requisite technical skills.

He said in an effort to bridge the gap, the fund initiated a number of skills acquisition programmes particularly targeted at the sectors with manpower deficiency.

Ari further disclosed that the fund had disbursed the sum of N2, 094,407,000 for the students Industrial Training Work Experience scheme (SIWES) in 2019 as student and supervisory allowances.

He said that N1,645,454,000.00 was disbursed as student allowances for 142,462 students from 325 tertiary institutions.

He said that SIWES which was the brain child of the ITF was initiated to provide students of engineering, technical and allied disciplines with practical experience of the real work situations they were likely to find after graduation.

Gov. Simon Lalong in his remarks, commended the fund for training and empowering many Plateau youths.

The governor, who was represented by his Commissioner for special duties, Mr Irimiya Werr, said that the ITF was the federal agency in the state that had contributed most to the state in various aspects.

ITF Isolo Area Office emerged the best Area Office in training activities in the Category A, while the Abeokuta Area Office emerged as the best training Office in the category B; and the Akure Area Office emerged as the best in Category C.

Similarly, the Abuja Area Office emerged as the best Area Office in revenue generation in category A, while the Lagos Area Office and the Gwawalada Area Offices emerged as the best Area Offices in revenue generation in the category B and C, respectively.

The Abeokuta Area Office emerged as the best performing Area Office and Training Centre in category A, while Lagos Area Office and Gwawalada Area Offices emerged as the best performing Area Offices and Training Centres in category B and C, respectively.

The director-general urged the awardees not to relent in their efforts, but should work proactively for the betterment of the fund.(NAN)
March 10, 2020