The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Bayelsa state government of denying it the use of the multipurpose hall within the stadium for its state congress.

Mr Preye Aganaba, a member of APC National Convention Committee, said on Friday in Abuja that the Bayelsa Government was doing everything possible to frustrate the conduct of APC State Congress slated for today.

He said the party in Bayelsa applied for the use of the facility officially and added that the state government has no reasons to deny APC the use of the stadium.

´´It is true that the state government is denying us the use of stadium for our state congress meant to take place in Bayelsa today.

´´We have properly applied and we were not told that the facility will not be available for us. To our surprise, up till now the state government has refused to approve the facility for us,´´ he said.

He added that the APC in Bayelsa had been peaceful and orderly as revealed in its just concluded Ward and Local Government Congresses.

He said that there was an assurance that Saturday´s state congress would be crisis free.

´´The government must be told that we are all indigenes of the state, we are not foreigners.

´´We have right to association and to belong to any political party of our choice, so we don’t deserve to be treated like outcasts, ´´ he said.

He, therefore, urged the state government to have a rethink, adding that it would amount to political intolerance if the state government refused APC the use of a public place such as the stadium.

Source: NAN

Nigeria, represented by Ibrahim Magu, the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), will henceforth lead Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa, comprising 19 countries.

The appointment was announced at the 8th Regional Conference of the body which ended in Abuja on Friday.

The group said in a communique that the members resolved to deepen collaboration on asset tracking and recovery.

It expressed concern about the heavy losses that Africa was suffering as a result of illegal transfers of proceeds of corruption and crime.

To effectively tackle the challenge, the body stressed the need for synergy among member countries.

“African countries should strengthen cooperation and partnership in the tracing, recovery and return of assets in accordance with Article 54 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption and Article 16 of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption.’’

The group underscored the importance of whistleblowing in the fight against corruption, asset recovery and return and urged African countries to enact strong whistleblowing legislations and provide protection for whistleblowers.

Nigeria introduced the whistleblowing policy in December 2016 as part of efforts toward achieving the goals of the fight against corruption.

Anti-corruption agencies from member countries, however, appealed to judicial and prosecuting authorities to support and fast-track prosecution of corruption cases.

“Anti-corruption agencies in Africa should explore innovative ways of delivering public education, awareness and sensitisation messages to the general public about tracing and recovering of assets,’’ the group said.

It appreciated the invaluable support and warm hospitality provided by the Federal Government, EFCC, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the people of Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Uganda has been nominated to host the 2019 conference in partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, the spokesperson for EFCC, announced in a statement.

Source: NAN

The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has taken over Sea Petroleum Oil & Gas Ltd. and other assets belonging to Sen. Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi over an unpaid debt of about N20 billion.

AMCON said the takeover followed an injunction granted by Justice M.S. Hassan of the Federal High Court, Lagos against Sea Petroleum Oil & Gas Ltd.

The corporation in a statement by its Head, Corporate Communications, Mr Jude Nwauzor, on Friday said that Oduah-Ogiemwonyi had been having a running battle with AMCON over her inability to settle her huge debt of nearly N20 billion.

The statement said that AMCON purchased the Eligible Bank Assets (EBAs) of Sea Petroleum & Gas from Union Bank Plc. sometime in 2012.

It said that in spite of overtures and genuine efforts made by AMCON to reach an amicable settlement, the senator and her co-promoters had remained recalcitrant.

“Having exhausted all avenues of peaceful resolution of the humongous debt, AMCON had no other choice than to refer the matter to court,” the statement said.

It said that the order also affected the senator’s other business interests for which AMCON had since appointed Moyosore Jubril Onigbanjo (SAN) as receiver over the assets of Oduah-Ogiemwonyi; Sea Petroleum Oil & Gas; Sea Petroleum and Gas FZE as well as Star Tourism and Hotels Ltd.

The statement said that the court also ordered the freezing of the funds of Sea Petroleum & Gas and its affiliated companies and principal promoters, held anywhere by any entity or persons in Nigeria.

It also authorised AMCON and its receiver, Onigbanjo to take over all assets pledged as collateral for the facility by Sea Petroleum Oil & Gas Ltd.

“In compliance with the order of the court, AMCON through its receiver, Moyosore Jubril Onigbanjo, SAN, today (May 18), simultaneously took possession of the assets of Sea Petroleum & Gas Ltd. and its affiliated companies.

“Justice Hassan specifically, ordered Sea Petroleum Oil & Gas Ltd. and its affiliated companies to hand over the company’s business, which sits on over 9000 square kilometres of land in the fastest developing area of Lagos State along the Lekki-Epe Expressway,” it said.

Other affected assets, according to AMCON, are two tank farms of 500 metric tonnes capacity; a property at Maiyegun Tourism Zone, Lekki Peninsula Scheme 11, Lagos Island and a filling station complex at kilometre 14, Lekki-Epe Expressway, Ikota, Lagos.

The court order also listed a host of other assets across the country, including Plot 2, Block 12C, Babafemi Osapa Crescent Lekki; Block 5, House 4A Mobolaji Johnson Estate, Lekki, and office/filling station at Jakande in Lekki, Lagos, among others. (NAN)

Source: NAN

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says 47,718 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) are ready for collection in Gombe State.

Mr Umar Ibrahim, the Resident Electoral Officer in the state, said in Gombe on Friday that the owners of the cards could collect them from Monday.

I am happy to inform you that INEC in Gombe State has received a total of 47,718 PVCs for those that registered from April to December 2017 and those that applied for inter-state transfer.

Distribution of the new PVCs will commence on May 21 in the 11 INEC LGA offices in the state and a sub office at Bambam, and will continue alongside the ongoing CVR.

Since the commencement of the CVR, a total of 143,277 persons comprising 91,300 male (63.7 per cent) and 51,977 female (36.6 per cent) have been registered, he said.

According to him, 47,190 PVCs are also yet to be claimed from the 2011 to 2014 registration exercise in the state.

Ibrahim, who appealed to registered persons to come and collect their PVCs, said it was their only means of choosing leaders during elections. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Half of Americans favour legalising sports betting across the U. S., largely because they support the additional tax revenue it could bring for states, according to the results of a poll released on Friday.

Respondents to the poll, conducted by New Jersey-based Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll, also believe it should be expanded because people were already betting illegally anyway.

A Monday ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a 1992 law that banned sports wagering except in a few places, including Nevada.

That opened the door to other states that might want to regulate and tax the wagers.

Five states already have laws in place that will allow them to move quickly to build a regulatory framework for the betting,

Meanwhile, 14 others introduced sports gaming bills in recent legislative sessions, according to Fitch Ratings.

Lawmakers in New Jersey, which took the case to the high court, are working on bills that will create a regulatory framework and set tax rates there.

They are working on the bill with the hopes of rolling out sports betting at casinos and racetracks in coming weeks.

It will now be a race to see who can benefit the most and the earliest from this changed landscape.

New Jersey may have a head start but other states will soon be looking to pad their budgets, Krista Jenkins, who directed the poll said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Churchill Downs Inc signed a deal with SBTech, a sports betting platform, which will allow the gaming company to offer bets on events in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Mississippi.

By a two-to-one ratio, poll respondents did not believe states should share some of the tax revenue from sports betting with professional leagues.

Such leagues, have sought a so-called integrity fee that would give them a portion of bets taken.

However, just over a third of poll respondents opposed the expansion of sports betting altogether, most commonly because of fears it will spread gambling addiction.

Respondents fear it will commonise organised crime and will make sporting events less fair. Ten per cent responded dont know when asked if they supported the move.

The random sample of adults nationwide was conducted from April 25 to May 1 by landline telephone and cell phone and has a margin of sampling error of 3.9 percentage points. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN

By Hilary Akalugwu

Dr Ifeanyichukwu Abada, Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Nigeria Nsukka(UNN) chapter, says the Federal Government has released N1.3 billion as earned allowances of members of the union.

Abada spoke to newsmen on Friday in Nsukka, at the end of an emergency congress of the union.

He said the aim of the emergency congress was to inform union members that UNN has received N1.3billion from government as part of earned allowance arrears for 2009 to 2012 to ASUU members.

Abada explained that the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Benjamin Ozumba, who informed the union of the release this week, said government would be paying the arrears of earned allowance in batches.

He added that another batch of earned allowance was expected to be released next week.

I commend Ozumbas efforts to ensure that earned allowance owned workers of the university is paid by government

While N1.3billion was leased for the academic staff, about N400million was released to non-academic staff of UNN, he said.

The ASUU boss described Ozumba as a good leader, noting that in spite of rumour that the Federal Government had paid the money and his administration diverted it, he was not deterred.

I advise university workers to always cross-check their facts to avoid circulating unfounded and baseless information against an innocent person.

Rumour peddlers even said that Ozumba gave me N20 million to seal my mouth, that is why am not talking as ASUU chairman in UNN.

Abada commended government for releasing the first batch of earned allowance of UNN academic staff and urged it to ensure that remaining amount were released as promised.

Government should after paying the remaining arrears of earned allowances, consider build-in the earned allowance into workers monthly salary.

This will help to stop backlog of arrears and incessant strike by university workers as a result of non-payment of earned allowance, which disrupt academic calendar of government owned universities, he said.

Mrs Ginika Nwannani, and Mr Canice Anyachukwu, Secretary and Internal Auditor, respectively of ASUU-UNN, were present during the press briefing

Some lecturers who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), expressed happiness that government released the money for payment of earned allowance.

They said this would make lecturers to be more dedicated as well as stop future strikes in government owned universities in the country.

Source: NAN

By Hauwa Gold

The national secretariat of Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) has said that the union was not aware of a court order directing its members to resume work within 24 hours.

The union said this in a statement jointly signed by Messrs Biobelemoye Josiah and Ekpebor Florence, the National Chairman and Secretary of JOHESU, respectively, on Friday.

A copy of the statement dated May 17, with reference number: HQ/JOHESU/ADM/VOL.III/563, was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto.

It was apparently reacting to a widely circulated report ordering the union to suspend its protracted strike.

It has come to the notice that some propagandists are circulating this false information in order to mislead members, the statement said.

The union leaders urged members to remain steadfast in compliance with the earlier directive given to sustain the nationwide strike until further instructions were issued by JOHESU.

The national chairman of the union also confirmed signing the latest circular to all JOHESU branches in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

NAN recalls that the National Industrial Court on Thursday in Abuja ordered the striking JOHESU members to suspend their nationwide on-going strike and resume work within 24 hours.

Justice Babatunde Adejumo gave the order following an ex-parte motion filed by an NGO represented by Mr Okere Nnamdi.

The NGO, Incorporated Trustees of Kingdom Human Rights Foundation International, in the motion prayed the court to order the workers to resume work and go back to negotiation table.

Adejumo, who is also the President of NICN, ordered the Minister of Health, Minister of Labour and Employment, among others, to immediately set up a committee to address issues raised by labour.

The judge ordered that the parties should arrive at an acceptable and amicable solution in the interest of Nigerians who are bearing the brunt of the strike.

The judge also ordered that the President and Vice President of JOHESU should attend such negotiations.

He said that the negotiations should take into consideration the provisions of the National Salaries, Income and Wages Act.

Joined as respondents in the suit are the president and vice president of JOHESU as well as the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission.

JOHESU embarked on the industrial action on April 17, demanding for improved facilities, upward adjustment of CONHESS salary scale, and employment of additional health professionals.

Other demands are implementation of court judgments, upward review of retirement age from 60 to 65 years, and harmonisation of salaries of all healthcare workers in the country.

The matter was adjourned until June 4 for hearing of motion on notice and originating summons.

Source: NAN

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has frowned at what it described as the unacceptably low participation of West African women in politics.

President of the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association (ECOFEPA), Senator Stella Oduah disclosed this in an interview on the sidelines of the ongoing First Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament.

The interview is aimed at heralding the summit of ECOFEPA scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. A summit which Oduah says will be an opportunity to further address the plight of women in politics.

Oduah who is the chairman of the Committee on Cooperation and Integration in the Nigerian Senate, said that it was particularly appalling that the level of women participation has been dwindling across West African nations in the last decade.

She attributed the non-participation of women in politics to lack of capacity stressing that women must be empowered to actively participate in politics.

With particular reference to her country Nigeria, Sen. Oduah said that women participation at the national level had dropped to a meager 6 per cent.

The disparity that we have; where women are barely participating in politics, is increasingly getting worse.

Nigeria today, at the national level we have 6 per cent, that is totally unacceptable. In some other African nations, you have barely above that.

A few may have accomplished more than that but ultimately we want to have collective accomplishment of nothing less than 30 per cent.

What is important to us is that for that to happen we have to empower women.

Those women that live in rural communities and have the capacity should be given the opportunity to represent their people and be the month piece of their people and participate actively in issues that concern their people.

That is what ECOFEPA is trying to accomplish. And to ensure that we have the legal framework in doing so, we are working to have the enabling laws in all countries.

Se we are appealing, we are advocating and we are sensitizing collectively to have that showcase in itself.

We are women that have capacity, we are women with aspiration to participate in politics and in the affairs of our people, she said.

Speaking more on the summit, the ECOFEPA President who is a former Minister of Aviation in Nigeria, said that the even was about sensitization and advocacy for greater women participation.

She said that ECOFEPA was advocating for emancipation, women empowerment and for truly getting women to fully participate in politics.

Oduah insisted that without empowering women. It would be difficult to get them to participate in politics stressing that empowerment was the bedrock of women participation.

Women must be empowered to participate in politics. This will ensure that we mainstream the affairs of ECOWAS women and girl child to ensure that our capacity is properly utilized for the betterment of ECOWAS Nations.

If we fail to do that we would be under utilizing our collective effort and capacity, she said.

As part of the summit, ECOFEPA will be awarding some notable Nigerians including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and former Head of State Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB).

Source: NAN

At least eight persons were killed on Friday in a shooting at a high school in Santa Fe, Texas, a local sheriff said, with one person in custody and a second detained.

The incident was the latest in a long series of deadly shootings at U.S. schools in recent years.

President Donald Trump in a tweet said the situation was not looking good.

School shooting in Texas. Early reports not looking good. God bless all!

Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

Seventeen teens and educators were shot dead at a Parkland, Florida, high school in February, a massacre that stirred the nations long-running debate over gun ownership.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said that eight to 10 people, both students and adults, died in the incident at the school about 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Houston.

There is one person, a suspect, in custody and a second possible person of interest that was detained and being questioned, Gonzalez said at a news conference.

At least nine people were taken to area hospitals for treatment, hospital officials said. The conditions of those people was not immediately clear. Gonzalez said a police officer was also being treated for injuries.

Live television images showed lines of students and buses gathered in fields surrounding the school.

This is no longer an active shooting situation and the injured are being treated, the sheriffs department said on Twitter.

Sophomore Leila Butler told the local ABC affiliate that fire alarms went off at about 7:45 a.m. local time (1245 GMT) and students left their classrooms. She said some students believe they heard shots fired, and that she was sheltering with other students and teachers near campus.

Another sophomore, Dakota Shrader, told Fox 26 TV her 17-year-old girlfriend told her by phone that she was wounded but was recovering in a hospital. My friend got injured, said an emotional Shrader. Her leg, she got shot in the leg.

Dr. David Marshall, chief nursing officer at the University of Texas Medical Branch, said that the hospital was treating at least three patients two adults and one person under 18. He said it was not immediately clear if that child was a student.

I know that they have gunshot wounds but thats the extent of the knowledge I have at this point, Marshall told reporters at a news conference. One adult is in our operating room.

Were ready for more patients, he said. We have not heard of any enroute at this point.

Source: NAN

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered, Erastus Akingbola, to return to the Federal High Court, Lagos, to answer his alleged five billion Naira fraud charge.

Akingbola is a former Managing Director of the defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc.

Justice Tanko Muhammad, leading a five-man panel, affirmed the Feb. 20, 2015 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Lagos which overturned the Federal High Courts decision striking out the charges against Akingbola.

Justice Sidi Bage, who read the lead judgment of the apex court, held that Akingbolas appeal challenging the Court of Appeals judgment lacked merit.

He ordered that the case file be remitted to the Federal High Court, Lagos, for expeditious trial and to be handled by another judge.

Justice Kumai Akaahs, a member of the panel, in addition to agreeing with the lead judgment, said that he was worried by the stand of the trial judge in the matter.

Akaahs said that Justice Archibong acted like a military dictator when he descended into the arena and chided the prosecution for their inability to prosecute and therefore removed his toga of impartiality.

He constituted himself into a military dictator and this is regarded as judicial tyranny and a case of bias was established against the judge.

According to Akaahs, while we have immunity, we do not have absolute powers to do and undo.

It will be recalled that Akingbola s trial was prematurely terminated in April 2012 by Justice Charles Archibong, whose decision in the case later culminated in his compulsory retirement from the bench.

Archibong, in a judgment he delivered on April 2, 2012, struck out the 26 counts contained in a charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), against Akingbola.

He said this was on the grounds that the prosecution was not diligent in handling the case.

The judge described the EFCC prosecution team as a drain in the public purse and directed the Attorney-General of the Federation to disband the team.

Source: NAN