By Jessica Dogo

The Mining Entrepreneurship Stakeholders Association has urged the Federal Government to expedite action on the payment of compensation to the owners of a closed quarry, Nino Corporation Ltd.

The Chairman of the association, Alhaji Aminu Inuwa, made the appeal at a press briefing on Monday in Abuja.

Inuwa urged the government to compensate the quarry owners to enable them relocate their equipment to the proposed new site for the firm.

He said that as the quarry commenced operation within a month in 2018, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) reportedly took over the land to build a new correctional facility in Karshi, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

This is to appeal for the governments quick action on the demand for compensation on the takeover of our land and business premises for the ongoing construction of a correctional facility at Karshi.

This particular land and business premises is actually a quarry company operated by Nino Corporation Ltd, of which some of our members have stakes.

Many others run businesses of supplies, transportation services, marketing mechanical and engineering services and sales, among others.

This takeover disrupted production and crippled the business activities, thereby putting all the investments, including bank loans whose interests have continued to grow by the day.

At the highest risk, many of our members and their families have been suffering the socio-economic effects of this development since then, he said.

Inuwa said that the land was a solid mineral area under the control of the government, which allocated the quarry site to Nino Corporation Ltd through the Federal Ministry of Mines and Solid Minerals Development.

According to him, the quarry site, massive rocks, was legally obtained by Nino Corporation Ltd from the Federal Ministry of Mining and Solid Mineral Development with all necessary documentary evidence.

Inuwa said: The claim by the government was that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) allocated the land to the Nigerian Correctional Services.

However, after a series of meetings between the FCTA and Nino Corporation Ltd, the FCTA authorities admitted to an error on their side.

The Chairman said after several efforts by Nino to communicate its demands to the relevant authorities the Comptroller-General of the NCoS, invited the management of the quarry company to discuss the issue of compensation.

He commended the efforts of the government in tackling the challenges of securing Nigerias Correctional facilities by approving and funding the construction of ultramodern correctional facilities in the country. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

Source: NAN News

By Lucy Ogalue

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the Business Facilitation (Miscellaneous Provision) Bill 2022 also known as the Omnibus Bill into law.

Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business and Secretary, Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) said this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

According to Oduwole, the bill will aid the ease of doing business for small business owners in the country.

This marks an important step in the delivery of an enabling environment for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria.

Presented as an Executive Bill, the Business Facilitation (Miscellaneous Provision) Act, 2023 is a legislative intervention by the PEBEC which
amends 21 business related laws.

It removes bureaucratic constraints to doing business in Nigeria.

The new law also codifies the Executive Order 001 on Transparency and Efficiency in Public Service Delivery, the Administrations first executive order, aimed at strengthening ease of doing businessreforms across the country, she said.

Oduwole said that the PEBEC Secretariat was extremely grateful to see this Act come into fruition.

According to her, it is a culmination of over four years of collaboration between public
and private sector stakeholders.

This includes the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Nigeria Bar Association Section on Business Law through the participation of over 40 law firms and consulting firms.

The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), and the National Assembly Business Environment Roundtable (NASSBER) are also part of the team, she said.

The PEBEC secretary said the Business Facilitation Act, 2023 consolidates the last seven years of PEBEC-led reforms.

Oduwole said it also demonstrated the Administrations sustained commitment towards making Nigeria a progressively easier place to start and grow a business.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Deputy Editor in Chief,
Head of Website/Solutions Journalism desk.

Source: NAN News

FRSC Delta decorates 107 newly promoted officers

By Clara Egbogota

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Delta Sector Command, on Monday decorated 107 of its newly-promoted officers.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that three deputy corps commanders are among the officers decorated at a ceremony held at the sector commands headquarters in Asaba.

The Sector Commander, Mr Udeme Eshiet, who decorated the officers, urged them to live up to expectations.

According to him, to whom much is given, much more is expected.

Your responsibilities have changed, and you must live up to the task before you and do the corps proud by increasing productivity and dedication to duty.

I am really grateful to the corp marshal and the Federal Road Safety Commission Board, he said.

The sector commander said that the promotion enhanced staff morale.

It is a call to be exceptionally disciplined.

It will now be whether you are worthy to perform a task effectively and efficiently before you are given a sensitive appointment, he added.

Responding on behalf of the decorated officers, Mr Jonathan Ogboh expressed gratitude to God for the promotion.

He also thanked the management of FRSC for finding them worthy of promotion.

We have every reason to be happy and we have accepted the responsibilities that come with the new rank, he said. (NAN)(nannews.ng)

Edited by Ijeoma Popoola

Source: NAN News

Prof. Oba Abdulraheem, Kwara NNPP governorship candidate

By Abigael Joshua

Prof. Oba Abdulraheem, the Kwaras New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) governorship candidate, has promised to embark on realistic, dynamic political and economic reforms if voted into power.

Oba, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said he would create a governable environment that promotes and supports socio-economic well-being of the people through his Strategic Actions to Change Kwara (SACK) strategy.

We want a Kwara State that works for all, propped by a determined focus on shared prosperity for all, driven by a vibrant economy and underpinned by quality service based on equity and justice.

The ultimate goal of Government and Governance is the welfare and security of the people, the governorship candidate said.

He said his government would pursue vigorous value-orientation to minimise corrupt practices, reduce and, ultimately, eliminate waste and leakages in public financing.

Explaining his education agenda, Oba who was a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, said there would be a deliberate focus on educational infrastructural renewal, arresting and reversing the decay at the basic education level.

He added that there would be unhindered access to free, qualitative basic education for all in Kwara.

There will be drastic reduction in out-of-school children population; progressive decongestion and expansion of instructional space and facilities, promoting ICT and e-learning.

I will embark on capacity-building through re-conceptualizing the teacher training education in order to match the goals of the Universal Basic Education.

There will be improved conditions/incentives for trainee teachers, restoration of rural posting and incentives for basic education teachers, he said.

Oba said the professional focus of the colleges of Education and polytechnics would remain sacrosanct, while there there would be enhanced conditions of service, including career opportunities for trained teachers.

According to the NNPP governorship candidate, education is a change-agent which will be deployed as the flagship of his partys change agenda. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Razak Owolabi

Source: NAN News

Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu

By Rukayat Moisemhe

Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos, has promised relief in areas of education, transport infrastructure, healthcare and the environment for residents and businesses across the Eti-Osa corridor.

Sanwo-Olu made the pledge during an engagement with residents and stakeholders of Lekki, Etiosa, Ibeju Lekki and Epe, on Sunday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was to discuss activities and plans of his administration for the community and the state in general.

The governor said that properties, businesses and tenants that might be affected once the building of the fourth mainland bridge starts would be fully compensated.

He explained that the bridge must be built to bring modern development to the state.

Sanwo-Olu also read riot act against noise pollution, lawlessness and other environmental degradation factors, endangering lives and properties in the axis.

He stated that when rebuilding the Ilasan area for a better health and environment status befitting the area, nobody would be left out.

The slum, health hazards and way of life is not fit for Ilasan area and in feeling the plight of the residents of the area, we are committed to addressing what must be done to result in a win-win situation for residents and the environment.

Residents are advised to bring acts of lawlessness and bad behaviour along the corridor to the knowledge of government.

For the youth, once the leaders approve of an area for us, we would build a stadium, more primary schools and other important facilities in this axis.

We are also committed to rebuilding the hospital at the Ibeju Lekki axis and also build a General Hospital at Ajah this year, he said.

Sanwo-Olu reiterated his commitment to providing relief on the road transportation challenges experienced on the Lekki-Epe expressway.

He said that his administration would continue to build regional roads and ferry routes, to solve some of the issues.

The governor, however, stressed that the promised coastal road was not forgotten and would be built after the regional roads were finished.

Also, the Jakande road would be rebuilt to address traffic situation and we shall also consider the beautification of the Lekki-Epe expressway, he said.

Earlier, Mr Gbemi Adelekan, Secretary, Lekki Estate Residents and Stakeholders Association (LERSA) and other residents highlighted several areas of concerns from 1004 to Epe.

According to him, they include building of coastal road to address the traffic situation on the Lekki-Epe expressway, and regeneration of Ilasan Housing Estate.

Other areas of concern, the residents pointed out, were the traffic situation at the Jakande junction, the flooding situation at Lafiaji, Orchid road, and others.

We also call for more primary and secondary schools across the Lekki corridor, more functional healthcare centres and a youth facility for more inclusiveness, he said.

Mrs Aramide Adeyoye, Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, reiterated the focus of the current administration to delivering critical infrastructure aimed at easing the lives and businesses of residents in the axis.

According to her, eight roads will be upgraded in Ikoyi, and focus was on Ado-Badore road, Orchid to Ogombo road and up to Abraham Adesanya would be rehabilitated. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa

Source: NAN News

Buba Marwa

By Ibironke Ariyo

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), says it has intercepted a consignment of 1,340 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa being conveyed from Ogbese in Ondo state to Odukpani in Cross River.

The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, disclosed this on Sunday in a statement issued in Abuja.

He said that the items were loaded in a truck belonging to the Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) and heading to Okurikang Okoyong in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River.

Babafemi said that following credible intelligence, the movement was monitored for three weeks and upon arrival, 130 bags of cannabis were seized.

The seized drugs, weighed 1.430 tons and were recovered from the LNG truck and 13 motorcycles which were hired by the cartel to convey the consignment deep into the Odukpani forest, were impounded.

Babafemi also said that in Kano, four suspects: Ado Shuaibu; Yahaya Shuaibu; Mamman Sani and Umar Musa Yakubu were arrested in connection with 229 blocks of skunk weighing 131.1kgs.

He said that Musa was arrested on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at Tumfafi village, Kano, whileAdo, Yahaya and Mamman were nabbed on Saturday, Feb. 11, at Garin Balarabe, Maigatari, Jigawa state.

Another suspect, Aisha Muhammad, was arrested in Koki area of Kano with 17kgs cannabis, he said.

According to him, no fewer than four members of a syndicate using dispatch motorcycles to distribute illicit drugs in Lekki area of Lagos were arrested on Sunday, Feb. 5.

They include: Tijani Hakeem; Eric Maku; Ahmed Jubril and Adobi Chris.

At the time of their arrest, 1.88kgs of Loud and assorted paraphernalia were recovered from them, he said.

Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman, Retired, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, as commending the officers, men and women for their commitment and professionalism towards ridding Nigeria of the menace of illicit drugs.

Marwa said the agency would continue to target any one or group involved in the criminal trade without fear or favour.

He urged all NDLEA officers across the country to remain unrelenting in the pursuit of the corporate goal. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

ICA/BEN/VAO

Edited by Vincent Obi

Source: NAN News

By Oluwatope Lawanson

The Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has urged Nigerians to vote for a visionary and credible leader like the first civilian Governor of the state, late Alhaji Lateef Jakande, in the coming elections.

Hamzat gave the advice during the2nd year Remembrance/Anniversary Prayers for Jakande at Ilupeju, Lagos on Saturday.

The deputy governor praised the late Jakande for the numerous developmental and people-oriented programmes and policies he initiated and theindelible footprints he left in the state.

He stated that the country needed a visionary leader with integrity, selflessness, who was highly committed and passionate about the wellbeing of the citizens and growth of the country.

Hamzat, therefore, charged politicians in the country to emulate the virtues of late Jakande whom he described as a fantastic leader.

He said the late Jakande was a quintessential politician and an administrator par excellence who had the foresight on the development of the State.

The deputy governor also advised Lagos residents to ensure they did the right thing by voting for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State.

APC government has done well and needs to continue what it has started so as to make life easier for all.

I urge you to vote massively for the Presidential Candidate of APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his capability, antecedents, connectivity, and the boldness to move the country forward.

Nigerians must desist from any form of sentiments and vote for a president that has a track record of success.

Vote for a leader who can identify talents, skills, and intellect for the good of the people like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he said.

In his sermon, Imam Hakeem Awwal said the attributes of a good leader include being courageous, with listening ears to the yearnings and aspirations of the citizens.

He noted that a good leader must also have integrity, among others, which he said the late Jakande had.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that prayers were later offered for the repose of the soul of the deceased.

Prayers were also offered for the family, children, the state, and nation in general.

The highlight of the event was the launch of the Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande Health Foundation.

It was set up to assist the less privileged and needy in the society to access good health care and education. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Oluwole Sogunle

Source: NAN News

By Aderogba George

A group of ladies on a platform tagged A Woman With A Story (AWWAS), has begun efforts to encourage their fellow women to tell their life experiences/stories through creative arts.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the whole idea is about imbibing creative expression and creative therapy on women who have been abused and are dealing with emotional trauma.

The ladies, during their visit to Ushafa Pottery Centre, FCT, Abuja, where indigenous women are known for making local pots, stated that the idea was an initiative of Dankauna Foundation.

Miss Haye Okoh, the Project Coordinator for AWWAS, stated that the association intended to achieve an Africa where there would be no hiding place for any form of victimisation of women.

She said that AWWAS encouraged women to use different forms of creative expression like illustrative dance, photography, writing and other forms of creative arts to tell their emotional stories.

So this year we are focusing on pottery as our creative arts because we know that pottery itself is a history marker.

A lot of tribes and culture have used potteries to tell stories about their tribes, about their cultures, about different things that happened in their lives.

So there are different tribes that have events that can be recounted on pieces of pot or ceramics; so we come here to Ushafa today to appreciate their craft.

Ushafa women are known for pottery, their women are known to be potters, so we have come to do sort of fusion or a union between what we do as ours and what they do as potters.

We are here to tell them that it is not just about making pots beautiful, but they must apply the techniques of story telling to their pots, to their creative arts.

Expression of story on the pots whether good or bad gives the pots more value and makes it more long lasting, she stressed.

She said that AWWAS was currently having discussion with some relevant organisations who were into dealing with domestic abuse against women, so that it could reach out to its targeted audience.

Mrs Tracy Isaac, the founder of Business Academy Africa, a partner with AWWAS, encouraged the women to continue the good work and make it more skillful and lively for the generation unborn.

Isaac who is also the initiator of Sheboss, a project meant to encourage women businesswise, appreciated the pottery women for possessing a unique and unusual skill.

According to her, the women have unusual and unique way of expressing their culture and heritage through the pot making.

She said it was important they kept pushing and showing the world the version of themselves.

She said that the pot making was a sort of expression, unlike the other crafts, adding that local pots was still one of the crafts that still had some history and story behind its production.

She disclosed that local pots production had been a craft passed down from one generation to another, adding that the craft must be kept and made more lively.

The current reality of the world now is that the world is evolving, your customers dont really come to you anymore, you have to go to your customers.

This women have unusual and unique way of expressing their culture and heritage, so it is important that they keep pushing, and showing the world the version of themselves.

Business Academic Africa, we are partnering with AWWAS; we come here on a needs assessment base; we have seen the women and we have understood their pains/points.

Now we will go back and seat with other team members and create a programme that will allow them to create solid businesses; Sheboss is helping female community entrepreneurs to solve problems In their community.

One of the ways that we can help them is by giving them the means to be seen globally so that their arts can be shared by people here and people outside, and if they are able to make that, they will make more money, she said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

Source: NAN News

By Funmilayo Adeyemi

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says that over 1.16 million tertiary institutions admission seekers have so far registered to sit for the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed this in Abuja on Saturday, during a monitoring tour of some CBT centres in Abuja.

Oloyede, during the tour visited CBT centres located at Total Child International School, Dutse, JAMB Abuja zonal office, Life Camp, Global Distance Learning Institute and Sascon International College, Abuja .

He said that the board would not extend deadline for the 2023 Unified UTME registration, while warning centres against extortion of candidates.

Registration is going on well except some of these schools.

UTME is not a school based examination, its individual candidates and you can see what some schools are doing collecting N30,000 from candidates in the name of JAMB and then end up missing up the telephone number of the candidates.

So once they keep the telephone number of candidates it is unlikely that the candidates when we are contacting them to make a change in their timetable, you send text to them and it will not get to them, he said.

According to him, after they have graduated from the school and want to do change of course they dont have access to it.

And that is a way of extorting the parents and we will take adequate steps to make sure that we stop that, he said.

We will tell every CBT centre to stop doing bulk purchase of pin and bulk registration.

So if a centre sells more than one pin to a source or collect money for more than one pin from a source, then we will sanction such centre, he said.

He urged candidates to report cases of extortion, saying that there was a code for candidates to reach the board when they come across any case of extortion, while promising there would be a reward for such act.

Recall that the sale of the 2023 UTME commenced on Jan. 14 and will close on Feb. 14. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Constance Imasuen/Isaac Aregbesola

Source: NAN News

By Deji Abdulwahab

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has called on broadcasting stations to devote 10 per cent of their daily airtime to children programmes to promote morality in them.

The NBC Director-General, Balarabe Ilelah, made the call in Abuja during a stakeholders meeting.

He expressed concerned on how children local contents had not been receiving the required attention by sponsors, producers and the broadcasters.

Instead of developing local contents, some broadcasters still rely on foreign children contents, particularly cartoons which often are laced with themes of violence and immorality.

NBC is deeply concerned about how some provisions under Chapter Four of the NBC code are being ignored or deliberately violated by broadcasts outfits.

Let me refer you to Section 4.2.2 (k) which requires broadcasters to devote at least 10 per cent of their total airtime to children programmes.

This provision is grossly violated as the commission had clearly established this through programme audit it regularly undertakes, he said.

He said that the commission had also noticed the usage of children in political advertisements by politicians and how the broadcasters woukd air such adverts in negation to section 7.7.1(d) of our the code.

He urged the participants to critically appraise the performance of broadcasters in the area of children programming to come up with holistic policy direction.

He said that this would help in promoting safe children contents, protect and guarantee their future.

Ms Vanessa Phala, the Country Director, Internationsl Labour Organisation, Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, said that relevant authorities must act urgently to protect children rights and restore their childhood.

Phala, represented by Dr Kolawole Agatha, the National Programme Coordinator, Africa Project, said that so many children were trapped in slavery, forced labour and trafficking.

According to her, some are forced to participate in armed conflict; used for prostitution, pornography or in illicit activities and such other dangerous ventures.

Also speaking, the Director-General, National Orientation Agency, Dr Garba Abari, said that the stakeholders conversation was essentially to mobilise effort to campaign for the elimination of child labour in the country.

Abari described child labour as an aberration anywhere in the world that ougjt not to be tolerated.

He explained that the illicit practice strips children of their dignity, denies them the right to education and exposes them to harmful and hazardous conditions.

As a society, one of the things we owe our children is protection from abuse.

The director emphasised the agencys commitment towards making the country a nation of decent people where citizens rights would be respected.(NAN) ()

Edited by Auwalu Birnin Kudu/Kayode Olaitan

Source: NAN News