Category: Uncategorized

By Our Reporter

The Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege says the National Assembly will give legal backing to card reader in the new Electoral Act, to further enhance the integrity of the electoral process in Nigeria.

He gave the assurance when he received the Nigerian Representatives of the African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council, (AU-ECOSOCC), led by Dr. Tunji Ashaolu in Abuja on Thursday.

A statement by his spokesperson, Yomi Odunga in Abuja, quoted Omo-Agege as saying that it was important the card reader be made part of the legal regime for elections.

He said the senate maintained that card reader would ensure credible polls.

According to him, the mistake of the Eighth National Assembly is that the amendment of the Electoral Act breached ECOWAS Protocol, which will not be repeated.

“I am sure any minute from now, we are going to be coming up with a revised Electoral Reform Amendment Bill that will address issues that are very dear to us and issues that came to the fore in the 2019 elections, most especially revolving round the legality of the card reader.

“We know that there is no way you can have genuine, credible, free and fair elections in this country without addressing the issue of the card reader.

“Most of the litigations that arise from the 2015 and 2019 elections have always centred around the legality or otherwise of the card reader.

“The courts have made it very clear that as far as they are concerned, Section 49 of the Electoral Act is very clear that the only document recognised by law for purpose of accreditation is the voters register.

“To the extent that we believe that we want to introduce any innovation including but not limited to the card reader.

“We have to do the right thing, the right thing as far as we are concerned is for us to pass the law to make the card reader.

“We are hellbent on doing that, and we actually tried in the committee that I served on in the eighth senate but the leadership of the eighth senate delayed it and by the time it passed, it had ran into challenges with the ECOWAS Protocol,” he said.

He, however, explained that contentious areas in the amendments made by the eighth National Assembly would be removed before the bill will be passed and sent to the President for assent.

Omo-Agege, who represents Delta Central Senatorial District, also expressed the desire of the ninth senate to ensure that the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) was given accelerated approval.

He assured that the bill would have the buy-in of the executive arm of government to avoid the mistakes of the past.

He said: “This time around, it is the determination of the ninth senate that we are going to have this (PIGB) passed.

Earlier, leader of the delegation, Dr. Tunji John Ashaolu, emphasized the need for Nigeria to take its rightful place in the African Union (AU).

He also called on the National Assembly to immediately revisit the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, as well as the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB). (NAN).

By Our Reporter

Mallam Haruna Idris, North Central Zonal Director, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) has urged staff of the corporation to shun indolence and poor attitude to work.
Idris gave the warning on Thursday during a meeting with staff of the North Central Zonal Headquarters in Lafia.
He noted that irrespective of the challenges facing the corporation, truancy and nonchalant attitude to work would not be tolerated.
The zonal director, said that the essence of the meeting was to create an interaction platform for FRCN staff in the North Central zonal headquarters.
He said the meeting marked the end of his tour of all FRCN FM stations in the zone.
Idris charged the staff to be committed and diligent in the discharge of their official duties.
He pointed out that management would not hesitate to sanction any act of indiscipline, dereliction and absenteeism by staff.
Idris assured the staff of his commitment towards their welfare and conducive working environment.
Umaru Ibrahim, an Assistant Director Administration, said the meeting was a morale-booster for the staff because it provided an opportunity for them to express their feelings and challenges. (NAN)

By Our Reporter

The Commandant, Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA), Maj. Gen Adeniyi Oyebade, said on Thursday that the institution has recorded 85 successful research engagements that have added value to national security and development.
Oyebade made the disclosure at the 30th convocation ceremony for cadets of 67 regular course and post graduate students of the Academy, held in Kaduna.

The Commandant explained that a N20 million annual institutional research intervention set up by the academy facilitated the feat.
He said, “Notable inventions by various departments in the Academy include the Radio Frequency identification for armory management, wireless healthcare monitoring sensor, swift satellite tracker unit and an obstacle avoidance, as well as unmanned solar powered vehicle surveillance system among others.
“As a means of showcasing the depth and diversity of research engagements in the Academy, the Professional Inaugural lecture series was resuscitated and for the first time in the history of the academy, 7 out of 10 professional inaugural lectures had been delivered within an academic year.
“This will boost the quality and vibrancy of academic engagements in the academy.
“As at today, all NDA academic programmes enjoy full accreditation status, just as all new programmes have undergone successful resource verification.
“In addition, the academy has received approval and commenced a new undergraduate course in logistics and supply chain management.”
He added that during the year, the NDA has signed five major MoUs with various organizations.
They are the Federal Fire Service, Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Energy Commission of Nigeria, Federal Polytechnic Bauchi and National Water Resources Institute Kaduna.
Oyebade said 319 cadets are graduating with bachelor’s degrees, out of which four have First Class, 90 Second Class Upper, 217 Second Class Lower and 8 Third Class.
“Let me add that six of our cadets with outstanding performances were offered course vacancies in foreign military academies to complete their training under bilateral defence cooperation initiatives between Nigeria and some friendly nations.
“In the same vein, 1,297 students will graduate with postgraduate diplomas and higher degrees in various disciplines of Arts, Social Sciences, Engineering and Sciences.
“It is noteworthy that 194 of the Masters graduands are of Senior Course 41 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji while 19 are members of Course 25 of National Defence College, Abuja.
“There are 29 graduands graduating for the first time from our Master in Energy Security Management, a Course borne out of MoU with the Energy Commission of Nigeria,” Oyebade said.(NAN)

By Our Reporter

The University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), has reiterated commitments to ensure the protection and safety of lives and property of students and other cadre of personnel in the school.

Prof. Danjuma Gambo, the Director, Radio and Public Relations, gave the assurance in a statement issued on Thursday in Maiduguri.

Gambo also dismissed as “unfounded, rumour and uninformed” social media reports indicating that 18 suspected cultists arrested by the police, who claimed to be students of the university were informants on the payroll of Boko Haram insurgents.

He said that the management of the university had been cooperating with the security agencies and decided not to comment on the incident since the clampdown on the suspected cult group on November 22.

The director lamented that while the management awaits the outcome of the ongoing investigations by the police, stakeholders and parents had been expressing worry over the misleading reports indicating that the suspects were insurgents’ collaborators and informants in the university.

“Such gargantuan claims; coming shortly after the recent attack on the university campus by persons suspected to be Boko Haram insurgents, are capable of misleading members of the general public, particularly parents, guardians and government institutions into unfounded conclusions about the roles of staff and students in the unfolding insurgency.

“It needs to be clarified that since the outbreak of the insurgency in 2009; the university management has never found any credible evidence implicating any of its staff or students as a collaborator or informant in the conflict, as it is being alleged online,” Gambo said.

Gambo noted that the Borno State Police Command had officially confirmed to the university that they were investigating cult related offences against the suspects, who claimed to be students of the university.

He stressed that the management maintained its position not to interfere with the ongoing investigations in view of the gravity of the allegations.

He reiterated the readiness of the university to adopt necessary steps to ensure strict enforcement of anti cultism rules and regulations as well as guarantee safety and security of the students.

Gambo further called on people to disregard such misleading information and await the police to release its final report. (NAN)

By Our Reporter

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Pretoria, South Africa, said authorities should be more pro-active in detecting early signals of violence between competitors, while migrants and companies should adhere to the local laws of host countries.

Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s spokesman in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, said the Nigerian leader stated this when he responded to questions during a news conference at the Union Building, alongside his host, President Cyril Ramaphosa.

He called for more tolerance, vigilance and heightened security to ensure safety of citizens, noting ”competition heralded by globalisation, especially with ease in migration, will only get more intense for businesses”.

“Police must be on alert not to allow violence to escalate,’’ he said.

President Buhari said the business world had turned out more dynamic over the years, with foreigners competing with locals in businesses that were initially considered low.

He said the panacea would only be for security agencies to show more interest in market operations, players and likely areas of tensions.

The President likened the situation of Nigerians in South Africa to Ghana where competition at low levels of the economy breeds intense competition, noting that it would keep growing with population explosion.

He told Nigerians living in various parts of the world, especially in South Africa, to adhere to the laws of the country they reside, and ensure compliance with market laws.

“Like it is said, ‘when you are in Rome behave like the Romans’. Always be law abiding,’’ he said.

Earlier in his remark, the President condemned attacks on Nigerians and the burning of their properties in South Africa, describing it as “unacceptable’’.

He also assured the South African government that their citizens and businesses in Nigeria would always be protected from harm.

He also condemned the reprisal attacks in Nigeria.

“In my discussions with President Ramaphosa and the Bi-National Commission meeting, we reviewed wide range of issues at national, regional, continental and global levels,’’ he added.

He said some of the issues were on trade, investment, mining, security, police affairs and environment.

“Our two countries have also agreed to unequivocally address the challenges in our relations including the recent people to people challenges that saw attacks against foreign nationals, including Nigerians, and their properties, which we strongly condemned,” he disclosed.

In his remarks, President Ramaphosa said the attacks on foreigners in South Africa, including Nigerians, were regrettable, assuring that his government would work hard to see an end to such attacks.

He equally condemned reprisal attacks in Nigeria.

According to him, President Buhari is the first president to embark on a state visit in South Africa since they came into power.

“We will work together to promote cohesion and best values. What happened did not reflect our values.

“We both condemn the attacks and the reprisal in strongest terms. We will set up mechanisms for early signals,’’ he said.

Ramaphosa said his country would also create a more enabling environment for Nigerian businesses to thrive in South Africa, acknowledging that more South African companies operate in Nigeria.

He, however, observed that Nigerians were mostly in Small and Medium Scale sectors in his country.

“We have large corporations operating in Nigeria while you have small and medium enterprises from Nigeria here in South Africa,” he said.

He promised to deepen the reforms in his country to open the space for more Nigerian business to “address the imbalance”.

“The rule of law must be obeyed by all citizens. Nigerians in South Africa must obey the rule of law, while South Africans in Nigeria must obey the rule of law,’’ he added.

Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama and South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, signed agreements on the minutes of the 9th session of Bi-National Commission.(NAN)

By Our Reporter

Emeritus Professor, Ayo Banjo, has called on stakeholders to support efforts to make reading attractive and enjoyable in order to rid the country of illiteracy.

He made the call in Ibadan at the Editors’ Conference organised by the Association of African Professional Editors (AAFRPE).

Banjo is a professor of English Language and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan.

“What I am taking home is encouragement that this thing is happening. If you are talking about illiteracy in the country and the need to get rid of it completely, we have got to support every effort to make reading attractive and enjoyable to everyone.

“But in the specific disciplines, we want to produce journals well edited to compete with leading journals of the world.

“As I said, if we are going to have mass literacy, we must have lots of books for general reading, for specific subject matters and these books must be professionally produced,’’ he said.

Banjo said that the broad aim of editors must be to produce readable copies devoid of errors, urging them to keep reading and be in touch with the current state of the language.

Mrs Yvonne Olatubosun, an Editor at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), stressed the need for editors to be very well read, saying skills would come with practice.

Olatubosun, who was the convener and speaker, said reading must be encouraged and literature be made compulsory in secondary schools so that people could grow to develop their knowledge of the language.

“The take home from what we have said so far is that editors should be very well read. The skills will come with practice and there is no substitute for good grammar and good English.

“We have to encourage reading obviously and we should make literature compulsory at early ages, in secondary schools to J.SS 3 level,’’ she said.

She said the essence of forming AAFRPE was to have a fully registered body of editors to protect their interests, network, educate themselves and facilitate conferences towards horning their skills.

Mrs Yinka Agbaje, a participant at the conference, described the conference as a welcome development.

“We are children without mothers. So, I think this is the time we can come back to this society if we are being mistreated outside or within the organisation.

“I think it is a good cause and I feel going forward, it will be a bigger brand in the nearest future.

“We have to go back to our roots and know what to do to become better,’’ she said.

Among those in attendance are Dr Kolade Musoro, the Managing Director of Book Sellers and Dr Taiwo Owoeye, Editor, College Press, Ibadan. (NAN)