Italian athletes topped the rankings of drug cases in 2016, the World Anti-Doping Agency(WADA) revealed Thursday in its annual report.

The international doping watchdog said Italian athletes accounted for 147 anti-doping rule violations in 2016, the most recent year for which full figures are available.

French athletes accounted for the next highest number on the list with 86 cases while the United States was third with 76. Australia were fourth with 75 and Belgium fifth with 73.

Russia and India were next with 69 cases each.

Athletics had more cases than any other individual sport with 205, ahead of bodybuilding with 183.

Cycling was third with 165 cases while the drug-tainted sport of weightlifting was fourth with 116.

Football moved up to fifth in the rankings with 79 cases, though the total number of cases was smaller than 2015, when they reported 108 cases.

In total, WADA dealt with 1,595 doping rule violations across 112 sports in 2016, down from 1,929 cases in 2015.

A total of 1,326 rule violations arose from positive drug tests, while the remainder were derived from investigations and evidence-based intelligence, increasingly seen as a key weapon in the war on dope cheats.

We are continuing to see the impact of intelligence-based testing, an area of increasing focus for the Agency as we strengthen our investigations and intelligence-gathering capacity, WADA President Craig Reedie said in a statement.

While in- and out-of-competition testing remains critical to detecting doping, recent events have shown that investigative work is becoming ever more important as we look to protect clean athletes rights worldwide, he added.

Source: NAN

The President of the Senate Dr Bukola Saraki has led other senators to visit their colleague, Senator Dino Melaye at the National Hospital, Abuja.

Melaye was admitted at the hospital on Tuesday after being arrested by the police and attempted to be taken to Kogi to be paraded in court along with some suspected criminals.

The circumstances surrounding the hospitalisation of the senator are still unclear and some of his colleagues who tried to visit him on Tuesday and early Wednesday reported that the police prevented them from seeing their colleague.

However, the President of the Senate, following a resolution on the floor of the senate, led a powerful delegation to the hospital to see their colleague and ascertain his state of health.

The senate had adjourned plenary on Wednesday following a two prayer over the arrest and humiliation of one of them.

The decision of the Senate followed a motion moved by Senator Sam Anyanwu over the arrest of their colleagues. An yanwu had decried that the police refused he and other colleagues from seeing Melaye at the hospital.

However, the prayer that the senate adjourn was moved by Senator Mao Ohuabunwa who insisted that there was no need for the senate to sit about and debate when the health condition of their colleague was unknown.

He insisted that it was not only when a colleagues dies that the senate should adjourn but that the senate must adjourn over life threatening situations such as this.

The prayer was seconded by Senator Sunny Ugboji and adopted by the senate and the senate thereafter adjourned plenary.

The senate also adopted the motion that the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, briefed the senate in plenary on Thursday.

As at the time of filing this report, the President of the Senate Dr Bukola Saraki as well as his colleagues had departed the National Assembly complex to go and visit their colleague.

Speaking, the President of the Senate said that the Senate leadership was very concerned about the turn of events surrounding the arrest and humiliation of their colleague.

Saraki said that he had already sent the Deputy Leader of the Senate to go and visit Melaye at the National Hospital Abuja.

We as leadership are very concerned, Deputy leader and others have been sent to look for Dino Melaye. But it has gone beyond that and I can appreciate the emotions that have passed.

The IGP should brief us tomorrow.

I want to thank those who contributed. At times like this it is difficult to speak the truth because this is a violation on one, a violation on all of us, a violation on the institution and a violation on democracy.

This action is a threat to the democracy we are all fighting for,

We are about to go into an election period, and if these are the kind of excesses we will see from those responsible to protect us, then it is a cause for concern.

We must all condemn this action, we should not be spending our energy on things like this, he said.

Saraki added that since the incidence, he had been trying to reach the Police IGP to no avail, adding that is smirks of disrespect to him and to the institution of the Senate.

I have not been able to reach the IGP and that is a disrespect, not only to me as an individual but to the institution of the Senate.

This must stop. There are procedures and there are ways.

We will go and ascertain Dinos state of mind and find a solution to this problem, he said.

Speaking earlier, Senator Chukwuka Utazi challenged his colleagues to speak the truth at all times insisting that it doesnt matter if the senator in question was liked by all.

According to him, it could be Dino today and someone else today, adding that the action was an affront on the institution and on democracy.

He charged his colleagues that anyone who refrained from speaking or who supports the actions of the Police was not acting in the interest of Nigeria.

Senator Shehu Sani who gave soul searching sermon called on his colleagues and all arms of government to be mindful of their actions while they are in power as power would not always remain in their hands.

He stressed that the right things must be done by all who are in position of authority so that posterity would judge them faily.

Shortly before the senate adjourned, the delegation that was earlier sent to the National Hospital by Saraki returned to brief the upper legislative chamber.

Deputy Leader of the Senate Bala Ibn NaAllah who led the delegation told the house that they were able to speak with the doctor in charge as well as the medical director of the hospital.

The assurance we have is that they are doing what is possible to stabilize him. Currently he is in the intensive care unit and they are doing all they can to stabilize him.

We tried to see him but the instruction is that only Senator Kaka and Abu Ibrahim have the permission to see him.

There is one issue that is worrisome: his feeding is an issue, the Police is afraid to feed him, the National Hospital also expressed reservation about feeding him, but before we left we had a discussion on how to feed him.

It was agreed that if there is a way they can arrange for food from any source but the source must taste the food first.

There is an insistence to remove him from the National Hospital but the hospital has insisted that the police must sign an undertaken before he can be removed, he said.

Source: NAN

As was expected, the Nigerian Senate cut short its plenary session today to visit embattled Senator Dino Melaye at the National Hospital in Abuja.

It also summoned the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to appear before it on Thursday to face its scrutiny over the treatment of one of their members, Dino Melaye.

This happened after many of the Senators had taken turns to attack the Police and the executive for what they termed as the ill-treatment of the senator representing Kogi West in the upper chamber.

The swash-buckling and voluble Melaye turned himself over to the police on Tuesday, to face trial for allegedly supplying arms to two thugs in his home state of Kogi. But while he was being taken to Lokoja for trial, he jumped out of a police vehicle, in traffic, after two Hilux vans had blocked the police vehicle.

According to the video in circulation, the police were cautious in applying maximum force and allowed those thay called miscreants and hoodlum, to take him away, in an ambulance to a clinic in Mabushi area of Abuja. Moments after, the police came calling again to remove him to the National Hospital, with a promise to arraign him without any further delay.

He was initially declared wanted after he snubbed a court appearance on 28 March in Lokoja, the same day, the two two thugs, then in police detention vanished dramatically from their cells.

The police got another trial date for May, after re-arresting the suspects, along with four others.

But Melaye snubbed police invitations, until he was arrested by the Nigerian Immigration Service on Monday morning at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, while preparing to board a flight to Morocco, for what he called a Federal Government assignment.

On Wednesday, it was Senator Sam Anyawu who first spoke on the incident that occurred yesterday, saying that Melaye was treated as a common criminal. Anyanwu also told his colleagues that he and some other senators were denied access to Dino in the National Hospital.

Senator Chukwuka Utazi said Melaye has rights and throwing a jibe at the police, said coercion will not work.

Due process should be followed if anyone seeks to oppose.

It was only an allegation against Senator Melaye and since the matter is still in court, he should not be forced to go to Kogi, Senator Isah Misau, himself a former police officer, said.

Senator Aliero Adamu condemned the manner of Melayes arrest. He said the SARS(the Special Anti-Robbery Squad) of the police embarrassed the distinguished senator as he was like a common criminal.

If this can happen to a serving Senator, Democracy is being rubbished,Aliero said.

Senator Shehu Sani, the human rights activist in the chambers stated his concern about the state of the country and that all should remember there is no permanence in power.

What happened to Senator Dino Melaye is an abuse of power, Sani said.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu from Lagos also condemned Melayes arrest and she was also against the arrest of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, last week by the police. If Senators Melaye and Ovie Omo-Agege can be taken away by the police, it destroys the sanctity of this chamber, she submitted.

The people look to the Senate for protection. The average man needs protection just as we do, Tinubu, who is the wife of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress added.

We did not vote this Government to abuse democracy. I condemn shameful act totally. We should invite all those involved to speak to us and this case openly to the public, Senator Ubali Shitu suggested.

At the end of the contributions, Senate President Bukola Saraki said: I think that the information Senate Leader wanted to pass, is that this morning, we were very concerned and we have sent our Deputy Leader out to go and look for him, but with the motions that I can see, it has gone beyond us sending representatives.

I can appreciate the motions that have transpired in that area. The issue of the IGP briefing us should be immediate and that should be tomorrow and the DG and Chairman of Police should do that, Saraki added.

Moments after, the Senate shut down to visit Melaye in the National Hospital, Abuja.

Source: NAN

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has called for the regulation of campaign finance of political parties in the country.

Mr Paul Atser, INEC Administrative Secretary in Kwara made the call on Wednesday at the opening of a two-day training workshop on Campaign Finance Tracking and Reporting for INEC staff.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the zonal workshop was attended by INEC staff in North Central states comprising Niger, Nasarawa, Benue, Plateau, Kogi, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Atser agreed that money and other resources were required for the running of political parties and for candidates and aspirants to fund their campaign.

However, in a society such as ours, there is the need for regulations to be put in place to regulate the undue influence of money in politics, he said.

The administrative secretary said it would also prevent subversion of the will of the people through the use of money.

Atser expressed worry about the overbearing influence of money in politics as exemplified in some recently conducted elections.

The creation of Campaign Finance Tracking unit in the Department of Election and Party Monitoring (EPM) is part of efforts at tracking this worrisome trend.

The provisions in this regard in the Constitution, I believe, have been well thought of in order for stakeholders to uphold the supremacy of the constitution, Atser added.

He said that INEC had been charged by the constitution to monitor political campaigns and provide rules and regulations which should govern the conduct of political parties.

The commission is also charged with the responsibility of monitoring the organisation and activities of political parties, including their finances.

It is in the light of this that the workshop is significant particularly as it relates to the monitoring of political parties finances, Atser said.

He said campaign finance tracking and reporting would curtail money laundering, provide level playing ground for all parties and ensure accountability and transparency.

It will also curtail the use of state resources to unduly support or undermine a particular political actor or party.

It is, therefore, a welcome development that the capacity building of INEC staff is being embarked upon for the purpose of giving effect to the provisions of the law as it is in the Constitution, Electoral Act and guidelines for political parties, Atser said.

Prof Antonia Simbine, National Commissioner in Charge of Election and Party Monitoring, in her address, said the commission did not have enough capacity to carry out the monitoring of campaign finance.

She however, said that INEC would collaborate with other agencies of government like the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), ICPC, EFCC and CBN to effectively track campaign finances.

Simbine said that the constitution provided a limit to campaign fund during election, adding that every elective position had a limit to which they could spend for campaign.

The National Commissioner expressed the hope that whatever INEC was able to track and report during elections would be forwarded to relevant government agencies and took the next step in the discharge of its duties.

She noted that there was a lacuna on what should happen to report of campaign finance, adding that it was the responsibility of INEC to track and report them.

Source: NAN

Unemployment: NILDS recommends agric villages for job creation

The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILS) has recommended the establishment of agricultural villages to create jobs and the boost food production.

Director General of NILDS, Prof. Ladi Hamalai disclosed this at a one-day agro-investment policy dialogue with legislators in the House of Representatives as well as researchers.

Speaking at the meeting, Prof. Hamalai noted that there has been some growth in agriculture in the past years.

She however lamented that the growth, as little as it may be, has not translated into job creation adding that Nigeria must take fast steps to translate agriculture into jobs and into food.

For Hamalai, she suggested the establishment of agricultural villages will not only attract youths and thereby creating jobs but will also help provide adequate food especially in view of the projected population growth by 2050.

Nigeria may be World most populous country in 2050 and we stand a huge risk if we dont grow agriculture through agric villages so as to create jobs.

The Federal Government should partner donor agencies to create agricultural villages to attract youths to come into agriculture.

We can establish them in all the geo political zobes. Even if it is one that can be established, youths and investors will come in and it will grow from there.

We also need to link research with policy and policy implementation using the agric villages to drive the implementation, she said.

She expressed optimism that the National Assembly will assist the institute in passing the right laws that will drive the policies.

Speaking at the Dialogue, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Agricultures, said that the meeting will provide a platform for partnership between the National Assembly and Research communities.

He said that Nigeria was yet to fully utilize the opportunities that abound in agriculture and its value chains.

Less than 40 per cent of Nigerias 84 million hectares of arable land are cultivated while over 19 million youths remain unemployed.

This may be as a result of underdeveloped agricultural value chain, weak institutions, gross underfunding, policy inconsistencies, poor infrastructure, unconducive operating environment among others.

This dialogue will afford the legislature and researchers to interact and discuss the various findings from research carried out by NILDS and other partners.

Budgetary allocations to the agricultural sector has been less around 2 per cent for several years and this is a far cry from the 10 per cent bench mark in the Maputo Declaration, he said.

He added however that the 2018 budget captures investments in the agricultural value chains adding that it was important that more funds be devoted to agriculture.

Source: NAN

Thirty-four state chairmen of the Ali Modu Sheriff-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday formally defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), in what political pundits termed a big blow to the Uche Secondus led PDP.

And the ceremony was held at the APC national secretariat in Abuja, contrary to the statement by the publicity secretary that they should join the party in their wards.

Among the former PDP big guns that joined the APC were Sen. Hope Uzodinma, Sen. Gbemisola Saraki and Sen. Teslim Folarin.

The defectors were led to the APC National Secretariat, Abuja by Dr Cairo Ojougboh where they were received by the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

Ojougboh, who was the Deputy National Chairman of the Sheriff faction of the PDP, said the decision of the defectors to join the APC had been on for seven months.

Odigie-Oyegun, who received the defectors in company of governors of Kaduna, Kano and Kogi states and the Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF) Boss Mustapha, described the development as the first in the history of the party.

This is the first time this magnitude of event is happening since the amalgamation of the party and since the APC came into being.

It is the first time we are receiving a total party with all the structures all over the nation fusing into the APC.

We have three of our Governors from three of our most potent states and the SGF to be here and to receive you all, because seeing is believing, he said.

Odigie-Oyegun added that the movement of the defectors to the APC gave lie to the fact that PDP was a vigorous and leading party, adding that people did not join a losing party.

He advised the defectors to ensure that they formally register as members of the party at the ward level, assuring that they would be accorded same privileges like old members.

Fortunately, you are men and women of quality, attainment and achievement, and so it will be easy for you to fit into your proper place and role in APC Odigie-Oyegun said.

He, however, gave the defectors the partys Constitution to study and for them to be abreast with it.

Sen. Uzodinma, who spoke on behalf of the defectors, thanked the APC leadership for accepting them into the party.

The Senator represents Imo west in the Senate.

We have seen the goings on in our country.

We think that as a country, it would take the very good sense of judgment and the participation of all of us to solve the problems of our people and develop our country.

We are here, officially, to let everyone know that we are now collapsing into APC.

We ask for only one thing, the enabling environment and equal participation which you had graciously approved, Uzodinma said.

He added that the coming of the defectors was deliberate, saying that it was to become part of the population of the APC and part of governance of the country.

He also said that their entrance into APC would change the narrative for the better and in the interest of their people.

Gov. Umar Ganduje of Kano state, who also spoke at the occasion, said the defection was historic because the most accepted faction of the PDP joined APC.

It is our luck that we are taking the better part of PDP, he said, adding with the new entrance, APC was sure of victory in 2019 general elections.

He assured that being politicians of repute, the new members were in a familiar terrain.

Source: NAN

Dr Cajetan Iheanacho, Department of Mass Communication, Imo State University, Owerri, has urged media practitioners to expose incidence of underage voting to enhance the integrity of electoral process in the country.

Iheanacho made the call at a two-day workshop on Responsible Media Coverage of Elections, organised by the Nigerian Press Council (NPC), and facilitated by Hammersmith Training Consult L.t.d, on Thursday in Owerri.

He stressed the need for the media to ensure thorough coverage of process of election at the Polling Units to guide against electoral fraud, adding that media must play the role of watchdog to salvage the nations democracy.

Iheanacho, who said that the role of the media in ensuring credible elections could not be overemphasised, urged Journalists to change the face of the political terrain in the country.

Speaking on the paper titled, Media Core Roles in the Context of Elections, the lecturer said that no nation could function effectively without the media, adding that the media was crucial for nation building.

He, therefore, enjoined journalists to help in making ways for things to change for the general improvement of the Nigerian citizens by ensuring neutrality, fairness, objectivity and impartiality in their daily reportage.

Iheanacho also admonished media professionals to give equal coverage to all political parties and candidates during campaigns.

He stressed the need for newsmen to always verify allegations against political actors before going to press.

Similarly, he advised journalists to avoid publishing inaccurate or misleading information, saying ensure to scrutinise any information you have before publication.

In her remark, Mrs Stella Jubrin, Director, Research and Documentation, NPC, stressed the need for media practitioners to adhere strictly to the Code of Ethics of Journalism to counter hate speech.

She noted that media professionals had a responsibility to build and nurtured the nations democracy by providing platforms for citizens to make informed decisions.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 70 persons are presently attending the workshop; most of them were drawn from the print, broadcast and online platforms across five states in the South East region.

Source: NAN

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has ordered a speedy retrial of the case between NFF President Amaju Pinnick and embattled NFF Factional leader, Chris Giwa, at the Federal High Court Jos.

Delivering the judgment, the Supreme Court held that the Appeal Court which gave judgment in favour of Pinnick after the High Courts ruling in 2015 which favoured Giwa, did not follow the principles of law in giving its decision.

It affirmed that it is only the High Court that can rule on the substantive case.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Giwa is contesting the authenticity of the Pinnick-ledExecutive of the NFF and has dragged the matter to the apex court having already lost out at the Appeal Court.

It would be recalled that Giwa was elected as NFF President in August 2014 in Abuja, while Pinnick was given same mandate at a separate congress held in Warri, Delta State, on Sept. 30 the same year.

Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Zurich, Switzerland later ruled in favour of the Pinnick-led board.

The latest development may truncate Nigerias participation at the Russia 2018 World Cup after been drawn in Group D alongside Croatia, Iceland and Argentina because FIFA detest government interference or court cases in football administration.

Source: NAN

By Salisu Sani-Idris

Dr Cajetan Iheanacho, Department of Mass Communication, Imo State University, Owerri, has urged media practitioners to expose incidence of underage voting to enhance the integrity of electoral process in the country.

Iheanacho made the call at a two-day workshop on Responsible Media Coverage of Elections, organised by the Nigerian Press Council (NPC), and facilitated by Hammersmith Training Consult L.t.d, on Thursday in Owerri.

He stressed the need for the media to ensure thorough coverage of process of election at the Polling Units to guide against electoral fraud, adding that media must play the role of watchdog to salvage the nations democracy.

Iheanacho, who said that the role of the media in ensuring credible elections could not be overemphasised, urged Journalists to change the face of the political terrain in the country.

Speaking on the paper titled, Media Core Roles in the Context of Elections, the lecturer said that no nation could function effectively without the media, adding that the media was crucial for nation building.

He, therefore, enjoined journalists to help in making ways for things to change for the general improvement of the Nigerian citizens by ensuring neutrality, fairness, objectivity and impartiality in their daily reportage.

Iheanacho also admonished media professionals to give equal coverage to all political parties and candidates during campaigns.

He stressed the need for newsmen to always verify allegations against political actors before going to press.

Similarly, he advised journalists to avoid publishing inaccurate or misleading information, saying ensure to scrutinise any information you have before publication.

In her remark, Mrs Stella Jubrin, Director, Research and Documentation, NPC, stressed the need for media practitioners to adhere strictly to the Code of Ethics of Journalism to counter hate speech.

She noted that media professionals had a responsibility to build and nurtured the nations democracy by providing platforms for citizens to make informed decisions.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 70 persons are presently attending the workshop; most of them were drawn from the print, broadcast and online platforms across five states in the South East region. (NAN)

Source: NAN

By Rukayat Adeyemi

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is to chair the 22nd Convocation Lecture of the Lagos State University (LASU) as the institutionplans students graduation forMay 23 and May 24.

The universitys Spokesman, Mr Adekoya Martins, made the disclosure in aninterview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.

Martins said that arrangements for 2016/2017 Convocation were in top gear.

He said that Obasanjo would be the Chairman of the Convocation Lecture to be delivered on May 22 by Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission.

According to the spokesman, the lecture is entitled: Role of Education in Promoting Social Cohesion and Peace: Opportunities and Challenges for Nigeria.

He noted that LASU held convocations in March, saying that the 2018 edition was rescheduled due a nationwide strike by non-academic university workers.

NAN reports that the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the National Association Academic Technologists (NAAT) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) embarked on an indefinite strike on December 4, 2017 under the aegis of Joint Action Committee (JAC).

The union blamed the strike on governments non-implementation of some parts of an agreement it had with JAC on Sept. 20, 2017.

Following understanding JAC had with agreement the government, the workers, however, suspended the strikeon March 15.

Martins told NAN that activities heralding the convocation would beginon May 17.

He told NAN that the convocation cup competition for staff would take place on May 17, Jumat service, May 18 and a special thanksgiving service, May 20.

There will be Coconut Breaking Festival and command performance on May 21, according to Martins.

The official told NAN that award of first degrees in all faculties would take place on May 23 while higher degrees and honorary doctorate degrees would be awarded on May 24.

Source: NAN