Mobile courts are now to summarily try those bastardising the national currency, the naira, the Bankers Committee said on Thursday.

The committee said those who spray naira notes at parties risk going to jail for six months or earning a fine of N50,000 after trial by mobile courts that would be deployed nationwide.

Cantral Bank of Nigeria (CBN) spokesman Isaac Okorafor said the police and the Ministry of Justice would be involved in the operation, adding:

If a celebrant is dancing and you spray him/her, you may go to jail from the party venue because the law enforcement agents will be there, waiting to arrest you.

It is the duty of law enforcement agencies to catch offenders and take them to court. Our collaboration with the police will intensify as we move to implement the mobile court for offenders.

Admonishing Nigerians on how to use cash as gift, Okorafor said: If you want to give, put the money in an envelop, and give it the celebrant. Lets know that anybody hawking and writing on the naira will face six months in jail or N50,000 or both.

Managing Director of First Securities Discount House (FSDH) Merchant Bank Mrs. Handa Ambah said people selling naira notes would be punished.

She said: We need to let them know that this is money. The fact that you cannot spray money at parties does not mean that you cannot put money in an envelope and pass it to the celebrants.

*Reported by The Nation

Source: NAN

Comrade Chinonso Obasi, the immediate past President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has been appointed the Executive Director of African Students Education Support Initiative (ASESI).

Obasis Media Aide, Comrade Samson Ggbemiga, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

ASESI is a Non-governmental and Non-profit organisation which mandate revolves on education, good governance, anticorruption, accountability and rule of law.

Its operational jurisdiction is within the 54 Countries of Africa.

According to Ggbemiga, ASESI is a child of necessity as issues and projects that will uplift Africa shall be addressed judiciously as Obasi resumes officially on Sept. 24 at the ASESI head office, Gudu Abuja.

Obasi was the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) 2017/2018.

His administration as the then leader of the Nigerian Students body was one that regained the lost voice of Nigerian students.

He carried out interventions for the betterment of Nigerian students and Nigerian students leaders, supported masses oriented demands-call for local Government Autonomy by NULGE.

Obasi had represented Nigerian students in the 2014 Nigerian national Conference where he fought patriotically for the removal of the BSC and HND dichotomy in tertiary institutions.

He had also represented Nigerian students in the first Nigerian Petroleum Summit in 2018 where he also made case for the students of Petroleum Training Institute(PTI) Effurun Delta State, Ggbemiga said.

Obasi was the 2009/2010 Student Union Government (SUG) President of Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana Ebonyi State and was later the zonal coordinator of NANS zone B (South-South/South-East).

Heis a graduate of Mechanical Engineering (Production option) and also a graduate of Welding Engineering and offshore Technology of the prestigious Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Effurun, Delta State.

Obasi, who hails from Ebonyi State, was born on April 27, 1987. He is married and has two children.

Source: NAN

The United States on Monday will adopt an aggressive posture against the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, threatening sanctions against its judges if they proceed with an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Americans in Afghanistan.

President Donald Trumps national security adviser, John Bolton, is to make the announcement in a midday speech to the Federalist Society, a conservative group, in Washington. It will be his first major address since joining the Trump White House.

The United States will use any means necessary to protect our citizens and those of our allies from unjust prosecution by this illegitimate court, Bolton will say, according to a draft of his speech seen by Reuters.

Bolton will also say that the State Department will announce the closure of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) office in Washington out of concern about Palestinian attempts to prompt an ICC investigation of Israel.

The PLO office in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The United States will always stand with our friend and ally, Israel, says Boltons draft text.

The draft speech says the Trump administration will fight back if the International Criminal Court formally proceeds with opening an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by U.S. service members and intelligence professionals during the war in Afghanistan.

If such a probe proceeds, the Trump administration will consider banning judges and prosecutors from entering the United States, put sanctions on any funds they have in the U.S. financial system and prosecute them in the American court system.

We will not cooperate with the ICC. We will provide no assistance to the ICC. We will not join the ICC. We will let the ICC die on its own. After all, for all intents and purposes, the ICC is already dead to us, says Boltons draft text.

In addition, the United States may negotiate more binding, bilateral agreements to prohibit nations from surrendering Americans to the Hague court, says the text.

The courts aim is to bring to justice the perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

The United States did not ratify the Rome treaty that established the International Criminal Court in 2002, with then-President George W. Bush opposed to the court. President Barack Obama took some steps to cooperate with the organization.

We will consider taking steps in the U.N. Security Council to constrain the courts sweeping powers, including to ensure that the ICC does not exercise jurisdiction over Americans and the nationals of our allies that have not ratified the Rome Statute, says Boltons draft text.

Source: NAN

By Salisu Sani-Idris

The Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP), a forum of religious leaders, has stressed the need for peaceful coexistence among Muslims and Christians in Benue.

Alhaji Ibrahim Yahaya, Head of IDFP, in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, gave the advice when he visited the Benue chapters of the Christian Association Nigeria (CAN) and the Jamaatu Nasril Islam (JNI)

Yahaya said that the IDFP visited the state to interact with Muslims and Christians leaders as well as other stakeholders on how to end the security challenges bedevilling the state.

According to him, IDFP activities of promoting peace and dialogue in resolving crisis were being supported by the Vienna-based KAICIID Dialogue Centre.

Responding, Rev. Augustine Leva, the Benue state CAN Chairman, noted that adherents of both faiths benefit from living in peace and harmony.

According to Leva, there is mutual respect and peaceful coexistence among Muslims and Christians in Benue, while the security challenge in the state has nothing to do with religion.

We have no problem amongst us because we have in time past collaborated and work together for peace.

When we staged a protest in support of the anti-grazing bill assented by Gov. Samuel Ortom, we worked as a united force.

We have always received invitations from our Muslim brothers during Ramadan to breakfast with them; we have an excellent relationship with our Muslim brothers, he said.

The chairman, however, advised the herders to embrace the reaching policy, saying that its the best solution to ending the herders/farmers clashes in the state.

On his part, Alhaji Garba Baba, JNI Chairman in the State, said there was no conflict between adherents of both religions in the state.

`I have three wives, two of them are Idoma, and one is Tiv. We all are living in peace and we have no problem whatsoever.

Sometime, the media misinform the people and that is why we do have some misconception, the chairman said.

Also speaking, Alhaji Baba Ahmed, the state secretary of JNI, handed over a written submission to the team on ways toward ending the security challenges in the state.

Ahmed welcomed the IDFP team to Benue and expressed hope that the visit will put an end to the crisis in the state.

Source: NAN

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday accused China of aggression in areas from security to trade as he portrayed the Asian power as a villain interfering in US elections.

Expanding on a theme first aired by President Donald Trump at the United Nations last week, Pence accused China of waging an unprecedented effort to influence American public opinion ahead of critical congressional elections on November 6.

To put it bluntly, President Trumps leadership is working; China wants a different American president, Pence said in a speech at the Hudson Institute, a conservative Washington think tank.

There can be no doubt China is meddling in Americas democracy.

The administrations offensive on China comes as a cloud hangs over Trump with an investigation into whether his campaign colluded with Russia to swing the 2016 presidential election in the Republican real estate tycoons favour.

Just hours before Pence spoke, the US Justice Department indicted seven Russian intelligence agents as part of a joint crackdown with Britain and The Netherlands on alleged hacking by Moscow, including against the Democratic Party, Trumps domestic rivals.

But Pence said: As a senior career member of our intelligence community recently told me, what the Russians are doing pales in comparison to what China is doing across this country.

Pences sharply worded address comes days before Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due to visit China on a trip focused on nuclear diplomacy with North Korea an area on which the United States still seeks Beijings cooperation.

Relations between the worlds two largest economies have plummeted in recent weeks with Trump slapping $200 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods amid complaints over Beijings trade policies.

Trump has made clear that well levy even more tariffs, with the possibility of substantially more than doubling that number, unless a fair and reciprocal deal is made, Pence said.

He lashed out at China for focusing its retaliatory tariffs on states vital to the Republicans electoral chances.

Source: NAN

Sen. David Umarus bid for a fresh tenure suffered a major setback on Thursday after he lost the All Progressives Congress ticket to contest the 2019 elections.

At the primary election held in Minna, Umaru, who represents Niger East Senatorial District, polled 5,870 votes to concede the ticket to his challenger, Alhaji Sani Musa, who scored 39,192 votes.

Senator Umaru, 59 years old, graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in 1980 and was called to the bar in 1981.

According to the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Alhaji Saidu Akawu, four other aspirants Shuaibu Gwada, Umar Faruk, Usman Danjijo and Afiniki Dauda scored 2,653, 1,750, 206 and 146 votes respectively.

Akawu commended the party members for demonstrating political maturity in their conduct during the direct primary election, and also praised the aspirants for their patience.

Alhaji Jibril Imam, APC Chairman in Niger, advised party members to mobilise voters toward victory in the senate election next year.

What we have started doing is a house-to-house campaign to sensitise members of the public on the need to obtain their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), and use it to install leaders that would improve their living standards, he said.

Source: NAN

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reminded political parties that Oct. 7 remains the deadline for conduct of primaries for all elective positions for the 2019 general elections and resolution of disputes emanating from the primaries.

The reminder is in a statement by Mr Solomon Soyebi, the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee in Abuja on Thursday.

Soyebi stated that the resolution was made at the end of the commissions weekly meeting held on Thursday in Abuja.

He noted that the commission, among other things, considered the status of political party primaries to elect candidates into various positions for the 2019 general elections.

He said that 89 of the 91 registered political parties that gave notice of their intentions to conduct primaries as required by the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) had commenced and were at various stages of the process.

He added that INEC wishes to restate that the conduct of primaries and resolution of all disputes arising therefrom must be concluded on or before Oct. 7 as earlier published in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2019 general elections.

The last day for submission of lists of sponsored candidates (Form CFOO2) and personal particulars (Form CF001) remains Oct. 18 for Presidential and National Assembly and Nov. 2 for Governorship and State Houses of Assembly.

Soyebi restated that the commission would only accept list of candidates submitted by the National Chairman and the National Secretary. (NAN)

Source: NAN

The Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri in Imo is the best polytechnic in Nigeria, according to the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

The Executive Secretary of the Board, Dr Masaudu Kazaure made this known in Kaduna on Thursday, at the end of the Second Regular Meeting of the NBTE Governing Board. The meeting was chaired by Prof. Modupe Adelabu.

Kazaure explained that the polytechnic emerged the best after scoring 85.08 per cent in the assessment of 112 federal, state and private polytechnics in the country, in the pilot ranking of Nigerian polytechnics.

He said that the exercise covered 2015/2016 and 206/2017 academic sessions.

He said that the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Ogun came second with 73.08 per cent, while Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna State came third with 72.31 per cent.

Other polytechnics in the top 10 included The Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State, ranked fourth with 67.69 per cent; Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger, fifth, 65.38 per cent; and Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo, sixth, with 63.85 point.

Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, Enugu State, seventh, with 62.31 per cent. Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Ondo State and Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos State were ranked eighth with 60.77 per cent.

Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra was ranked 11th with 60.00 per cent and Federal Polytechnic, Idah, Kogi, occupied the 12th position with 59.23 per cent.

The NBTE boss also said that when disaggregated by ownership, the Federal Polytechnic Nekede also emerged the best Federal Polytechnic in the country followed by Federal Polytechnic Ilaro and Kaduna Polytechnic.

The Polytechnic Ibadan, IMT and Rufus Giwa polytechnics were the highest ranked among state polytechnics, while Lagos City Polytechnic is the highest ranked private polytechnic and the 16th in the country.

Dorben Polytechnic and Heritage Polytechnic were the second and third best private polytechnic in the country.

Kazaure explained that the polytechnics were ranked based on total number of programmes with full accreditation in the last two years and percentage of programmes with full accreditation.

Other criteria include proportion of academic staff showing the right mix, that is, chief lecturer and principal lecturer down to assistant lecturer; and ability of institution to introduce programme in new and emerging fields.

They were equally assessed based on capacity building of staff both within and outside Nigeria, teaching quality, including staff /student ratio and ratio of full-time to part-time staff.

Other areas are availability of current Campus Master Plan, Strategic Plan, and Academic Brief; percentage of academic staff with relevant higher qualification and professional registration; and 70:30
technology-non-technology enrolment ratio.

Another consideration was the incorporation of entrepreneurship education into the institutes curriculum and fully established Entrepreneurship Development Centre, he said.

He said other issues discussed by the board borders on quality assurance, accreditation, resource inspection visits and proliferation of illegal technical and health institutions in the country.

He said that 191 out of the 239 programmes in 41 polytechnics visited for accreditation between June and September 2018 were granted full accreditation while 48 got interim accreditation.

He also said that 117 programmes were scrutinised for resource inspection within the same period and 94 programmes were granted interim accreditation to commence operation, while 23 were denied.

Four proposed private polytechnics were also visited for approval and licensing within the period under review and only one was recommended while three were asked to remedy some identified deficiencies.

The governing board also approved a memorandum of understanding with Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria to reduce the burden of duplication of quality assurance visitation and accreditation activities.

The board also agreed to hold meetings with relevant stakeholders to put an end to proliferation of illegal technical institutions and unapproved private health institutions operating in the county.

The board particularly commended the effort of the Kaduna State Commissioner for Health, Dr Paul Dogo for expressing concern to the board on illegal health institutions operating in the state, he said.

Kazaure added that the board equally frowned at the conversion of colleges of agriculture to polytechnics by some state governments and agreed to take necessary actions to put a stop to the development. (NAN)
FDY/

Source: NAN

Some houses and vehicles were burnt in Epe, Lagos East, on Thursday as political violence erupted following the killing of a supporter of one of the aspirants contesting to represent the All Progressives Congress in the House of Representatives election next year.

The person killed was identified as Idris Alooma, said to be 30 years old.

He was shot by hoodlums who attacked a polling unit in Ward 4, after voting had taken place and party members were awaiting the declaration of the result.

Four persons were cleared to contest for the APC ticket to the House of Representatives. They are Wale Raji, the incumbent, Lanre Odubote, a former Rep member, Remi Adebowale and Segun Olulade, a member of the House of Assembly.

Voting had ended at Ward 4, when the gunmen arrived at about 4.15 pm and shot Alooma, a witness Mr Akeem Lawal said.

He said the hoodlums stormed the polling unit after learning that their candidate had lost.

Lawal complained that the security in Epe was loose because there were no police officers at the polling unit when the attack occurred.

A NAN reporter who monitored the election reports that, some aggrieved youth set houses and vehicles ablaze across Epe community, after the killing of Alooma.

The Divisional Police Officer in Epe, CSP Adeyeri Sunday told NAN that one of the suspects, who attacked Alooma, had been arrested, adding that his team would do everything humanly possible to arrest other suspects and bring them to book.

The direct primaries to elect the candidates for both the House of Representatives and the Senate were held at the 19 wards in the Epe Federal Constituency.

Senator Gbenga Bariyu Ashafa, cleared to run unopposed for the Lagos East senate seat by the APC National Working Committee, had an opponent in Bayo Osinowo, a four-time member of the state of House of Assembly.

Voting started at about 3:45 p.m. in many of the wards in Ibonwon, Ikosi-Ejirin, Epe Recreation centre and Ogunmodede among others.

Results are being awaited.

Source: NAN

A witness, Izuchukwu Ezeuko, on Thursday told an Igbosere High Court in Lagos how he dropped $1 million dollar ransom for the alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans.

The ransom was to save Mr. James Uduji, then held hostage by Evans.

Ezeuko, a manager in Udujis firm, made the revelation while giving evidence at the ongoing trial of Evans.

The manager, who was the fifth witness in the trial, said he agreed to travel from Lagos to the South East to drop the ransom in order to save his boss life.

Evans is facing two separate charges bordering on conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping and attempted murder before Justice Adedayo Akintoye.

In the first charge, Evans is standing trial alongside Joseph Emeka, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba.

In the second charge, he is standing trial alongside Joseph Emeka, Linus Okpara and Victor Aduba.

At the resumed trial of the case on Thursday, Ezeuko narrated how he paid one million dollar ransom in two tranches of 800, 000 and 200,000 dollars to the kidnappers of his employer.

The witness said that on Sept. 7, 2015, his employer came to the factory at Agbara as usual.

According to him, at 5.00 p.m. he got a call that his employer who had left the factory for home was kidnapped.

However, after some weeks of the alleged kidnap, on Oct. 10, 2015, he got a call from a private number, who said he should speak with his boss.

My boss then spoke to me and said if I want him alive, I should go to the East to deliver money to the alleged kidnappers.

I went to Festac Town and met Mr Edwin Uduji, the victims brother, who arranged the first 800, 000 dollars for me to travel with.

On October 11, I drove to the East with the victims elder sister, and in the East, a voice gave us instructions on how to drop the money, Ezeuko said.

He said they were made to drive round Anambra from Awka to Ozubulu, also to Ekwuluobia and the environs until they were asked to stop at Oba.

It was at Oba that the voice asked the victims sister to come down from the vehicle with the money.

The voice directed her to an uncompleted building where she dropped the money. It was dark so we did not see the person who picked the money, Ezeuko told the court.

He said two weeks after the 800, 000 dollar ransom was dropped and the kidnappers released his boss.

However, towards the end of October, his boss asked him to take another 200, 000 dollars to the kidnappers because the kidnappers were still threatening his life.

Ezeuko said he took the money down to East and was asked to drop it on the Onitsha expressway by the voice that gave him instructions.

However, during cross-examination, counsel to Evans, Mr Olarewaju Ajanaku, asked Ezeuko if he informed the police that such ransom was to be paid or gave the call logs of the person he interacted with the to the police.

The witness said he did not inform the police about the ransom before paying and did not give the call logs to the police.

However, another witness, Sgt. Kingsley Harold, gave evidence concerning the first charge, in which Evans is standing trial alongside Joseph Emeka, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba, over the kidnap of Mr Donatus.

Harold said after Evans was arrested, he was asked to make a statement at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) office in Ikeja but Evans said he was not too good in writing.

He said Evans, however, asked him to write the statement for him, adding that the statement was recorded in an open office in the presence of senior police officers and other people who came to the office for other cases.

He said the statement was recorded in a conducive environment between 2.00 pm and 3.00 pm, adding that the defendant was cautioned before making the statement.

However, the defendant s counsel opposed the admissibility of such statement and a trial-within-trial was conducted to ascertain the admissibility of such evidence.

After listening to the arguments, Justice Akintoye adjourned until Oct. 8 for continuation of trial.

Source: NAN