It paves the way for compensation to be paid to people who were sexually abused as children by church figures and puts pressure on other institutions to follow suit.

The countrys Catholic bishops and leaders of its religious orders committed to signing on to the 3.8 billion Australian dollar (2.2 billion) national plan on Wednesday.

The church is the first non-government institution to opt into the plan and estimates it will itself be liable for about one billion dollars (568 million) in compensation.

Federal Social Services Minister Dan Tehan expects more institutions to follow, saying there could be further announcements as early as Thursday.

Archbishop of Adelaide Philip Wilson last week became the most senior Catholic cleric in the world to be convicted of covering up child sex abuse.

He faces a potential two-year prison term when he appears in court in June to be sentenced for protecting a paedophile priest in the 1970s.

Source: NAN

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for assenting to the Not-Too-Young-To-Run.

The bill is for an act to alter the provisions of the constitution to reduce the age for some political offices.

He also noted that noted that the National Assembly has delivered on its promise.

Ekweremadu, who is also the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, on Thursday said the new amendment to the Constitution would open up the political space for the Nigerian youth.

He urged them to capitalise on it to take their proper place in the scheme of things.

He also urged President Buhari to also attend to other Constitution Amendment Bills awaiting his assent, describing them as critical to the good governance of the nation.

I am happy for the Nigerian youth and congratulate them on this new vista of political relevance and attainments.

We have delivered on our promise and it is my hope that the youth will capitalise on it to take their rightful place in the governance of the country. As I have always maintained, today, not tomorrow, belongs to the youth. It is theirs to organise and mobilise to take it.

I commend President Muhammadu Buhari for assenting to the Bill to motivate our youth to start preparations for the 2019 elections.

However, I equally urge him to assent to the remaining Bills already transmitted to him, including the Bill seeking financial autonomy for State Houses of Assembly

He assured that the National Assembly would continue to make laws that would deepen the nations democracy and promote good governance.

Meanwhile, his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has claimed credit for the bill.

The party said the bill was pursued and sponsored by members of the PDP at the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly.

According to Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, spokesman of the party, this development is indeed a democratic victory for the Nigerian youths over forces.

The party commands the sponsor of the bill, Hon. Tony Nwulu (PDP, Lagos) and the resilience of the Nigerians youths in getting the initiative through, in line with the vision of the PDP to allow younger Nigerians to actively participate in elective positions in governance at all levels.

Source: NAN

Delta Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has kicked off a 3,000-hectare oil palm plantation owned by Norsworthy Farms and Allied Industries, as a major investment that would boost the states economy.

At the ground-breaking for the plantation and processing plant at Akwukwu-Igbo, Oshimili North Local Government Area, Okowa said the project would change the face of oil palm industry in the state when operational.

Norsworthy Farms and Allied Industries is also setting up a palm oil refinery, palm kernel crushing plant and 10-tonne per hour palm oil mill.

He observed that with the oil palm investment, his administrations drive for investors to come to the state was yielding results.

I see this exercise as a good example of private sector participation in the economy.

It is really ennobling when private sector organisations partner with government in the pursuit of sustainable development.

There are many avenues through which the private sector and non-governmental organisations can partner to bring sustainable development to the doorsteps of the people.

I am convinced that this is a major step forward in the development of viable business in the agriculture sector, which is a part of the key element of private sector participation in the development of our dear state.

The governor promised the people of Akwukwu-Igbo that the road from the community to Ugbolu would be captured in the 2019 budget.

He appealed to the traditional rulers across the state to make land available to investors.

The Managing Director, Norsworthy Farms and Allied Industries Limited, Mr Gabriel Ugbechie, said that over N6 billion had been budgeted for the project.

Earlier, the Council Chairman, Mr Louis Ndukwe, in his address, noted that oil palm played important roles in the development of Nigerias economy in the past.

He added that it could do more to turn the economies of both the state and country around.

He said the sectors value chain would bring about speedy development of the rural community and boost jobs and wealth creation for the people.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor later unveiled the ground breaking plaque.

He also planted a palm seedling and took a tour of the site in company of some government functionaries, traditional rulers, industrialists and farmers, among others. (NAN)

Source: NAN

No fewer than 17 million Africans left the continent in 2017 in search of greener pastures, a new report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has said.

The Economic Development in Africa report also said 5.5 million people moved to Africa from other continents while some 19 million international migrants moved within Africa.

Overall, some 19 million international migrants moved within Africa, and 17 million Africans left the continent during last year. The continent was also the destination for about 5.5 million people from outside, the report found.

It said the large-scale migration of people within Africa tended to boost growth and lifted the continents whole economy, urging the world to dispel misconceptions and harmful narratives targeting migration.

The report also said cross-border movement offered a chance for a better life, with the social and economic benefits extending to both source and destination countries, as well as future generations.

Mukhisa Kituyi, the Secretary-General of (UNCTAD), said at the launching the report: Our analysis shows this to be true for millions of African migrants and their families.

Kituyi added that public perception, particularly as it relates to international African migration, is rife with misconceptions that have become part of a divisive, misleading and harmful narrative.

The report said remittances travelling back home from migrant workers both outside and inside Africa rose on average from 38.4 billion dollars between 2005 to 2007, to 64.9 billion dollars, during the two-year period up to the end of 2016.

According to the report, therefore, remittances accounted for over half of the capital flows within the continent.

Likewise, migrants contributed nearly 20 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Cte dIvoire according to figures from 2008, and 13 per cent in Rwanda (2012 figures).

Junior Davis, the lead author of the report, said it provided evidence of the intimate correlation between migration and trade two sides of the same coin.

Africa is on the cusp of tremendous change, he said, noting the recently agreed African Continental Free Trade Area and the Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons.

In this context the report contributes to a better understanding of the implications of intra-African migration for the continents socio-economic transformation, Davis added.

However, alongside the numbers of migrants moving and working within Africa, the continent also has some of the highest number of people forced from their homes due to conflict or natural disasters.

On top of the development gains lost at home, there is a significant economic and social burden faced by host countries, leaving many migrants dependent on international humanitarian aid, the report stated. (NAN)

Source: NAN

A 39-year-old woman, Sholade Adegoke, who allegedly set her uncle ablaze over refusal to move out of her apartment, was on Thursday brought before a Surulere Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

Adegoke, who resides at No. 23, Oyenuga St., Ijeshatedo, Surulere, Lagos, is standing trial on a two-count charge bordering on assault.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Ikechukwu Edumodior, told the court that the accused committed the offences on May 12, at the same address.

Edumodior said that the accused had told her uncle, Mr Ibikunle Akinpelu, who was looking for accommodation, to occupy a two bedroom at Onyenuga Street for a period of time.

He stated that the accused explained to her uncle early in 2017 that she needed to rent out the apartment and insisted that he should move out before the end of the year.

The prosecutor said that the accused, who was tired of waiting for her uncle to move out, had confidently walked into her uncle’s room, poured a keg of petrol on him and immediately lit a match that set him on fire.

He added that neighbours who saw her with a match and the keg reported the incident at the police station.

The prosecutor noted that the offences contravened Sections 173 and 245 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs O.I Adelaja, granted the accused bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

She ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed and show evidence of tax payment to Lagos State Government.

Adelaja adjourned the case until June 11, for trial.

Source: NAN

The Ugandan parliament on Thursday passed a law imposing a tax on people using mobile social media networks in an attempt to increase revenue, but rights groups say the levy is actually aimed at silencing dissent.

The tax for users of WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook is minimal, at 200 Ugandan shillings (five cents) a day, but adds up to about 18 dollars a year – not a small amount of money in the impoverished East African country.

“As a government, we thought it would be good to impose taxes on some aspects of the social media,” deputy government spokesman Shaban Bantariza told dpa Thursday, the day after parliament passed the law.

He added that “government is installing infrastructure like WiFi in areas around the country and it will not do this without our contribution through taxes.”

It was not quite clear how the tax would be implemented, but 24 millions Ugandans – about half the population – have access to the internet, according to the Uganda Communications Commission, mostly through mobile phones.

However, human rights groups expressed concern over the move, which reportedly came about after long-time leader Yoweri Museveni said social media helped spread gossip.

“This tax is detrimental to the enjoyment of freedom of expression,” said Livingstone Sewannyana, director of Uganda’s Foundation for Human Rights Initiative.

“Its prohibitive. It shows the repressive nature of the state which is amassing as much revenue as it can to its advantage,” he added.

During the 2016 elections, social media networks were shut down because people were using them to communicate and mobilize anti-government demonstrations.

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari has fulfilled his administration’s third anniversary promise by signing into law, the `Not Too Young To Run Bill’.

While signing the bill on Thursday, the president, in a jocular mood, ‘appealed’ to young people to defer their presidential ambitions till after the 2019 general elections.

President Buhari in a tweet on Thursday shared the video of the event.

https://twitter.com/MBuhari/status/1002192959998226432

President Buhari had on Tuesday in his Democracy Day broadcast, pledged to sign the bill.

The bill was passed by the National Assembly in July 2017 to alter Sections 65, 106, 131, 177 of the Constitution to reduce the age qualification for president, from 40 to 30; House of Representatives membership, from 30 to 25 and State House of Assembly membership, from 30 to 25.
President Buhari, however, noted that the new bill did not tamper with the age qualifications for governor and the senate, which remained at 35.

He congratulated the young people over the signing of the bill, and urged them to be more enterprising and self-sustaining.

Source: NAN

Jolly Nyame, a former governor of Taraba State and clergyman, has been sentenced to a total of 28 years in prison, 14 years of which was for criminal breach of trust.

An outraged Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal High Court, while handing out the sentence, lashed out: “There’s no moral justification for the level of outright theft, and the Court must therefore, impose a statement, hopefully as a deterrent to other public officers, who may be similarly inclined”

The former Taraba state helmsman also bagged two years for criminal misappropriation, seven years for gratification and five years for obtaining money by dishonesty.

Nyame, whose trial began on July 13, 2007 before Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court, Guru, was charged with 41 counts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for criminal misappropriation, diversion of public funds, and breach of public trust.
In a ruling which lasted more than 4 hours, Justice Banjoko found Nyame guilty of 16 counts, bordering on criminal breach of public trust.

He was also found guilty of 11 counts bordering on misappropriation of public funds; two counts bordering on gratification.

He was, however discharged of 12 counts, out of 41.

Justice Banjoko, noted that Nyame, a clergyman, as governor of Taraba, breached the trust reposed in him by the indigenes of the state, when he misappropriated N250 million which he approved purportedly for the purchase of stationery for the state.

“From the totality of facts before the court, Nyame approved N250 million for purchase of stationery, but is found to have no intention to fulfil the purpose,” the trial judge held.

In the course of the trial, the prosecution called 14 witnesses and presented documentary evidence, which among other things revealed that the N250 million was shared and never utilised for the purpose for which it was approved. A total of N180 million was diverted to the bank account of Salman Global Ventures Limited, which provided no services for the state.

Nyame had during the trial denied knowledge of Salman Global Ventures Limited. But Justice Banjoko noted that, “immediately the fund was released, his verbal instruction was given, that N180 million be paid to Salman Global Ventures”.

The judge further added that: “the audacity of the defendant to divert N180 million from the N250 to the company, shows that he had more than a casual interest and so can’t hide behind a screen”.

“There was no evidence to show that Salman Global Ventures bid for any contracts,” the trial judge said, noting that within five weeks, Salman Global Ventures received over N300 million from the state coffers.

Nyame was also found guilty of “misappropriation and misapplication of N165 million with dishonest intention”, and the misappropriation of N24,300,000 purportedly approved for “purchase of grains”.

Justice Banjoko held that Nyame was “guilty of criminal breach of trust beyond reasonable doubt”, while also finding him guilty of the offence of gratification as stated in count four of the charge.

The EFCC had accused him of accepting a gratification of N80 million from Abubakar Suleiman of Alusab International (Nig) Ltd through Salman Global Ventures “as a reward for the award of contract by the Taraba State Government to USAB International (Nig) Ltd”, an offence punishable under Section 115 of the Penal Code Act 1990.

In the allocution of the defence, which was made by Olalekan Ojo, he urged the court to consider that Nyame was a first-time offender, and a family man who had dependents to cater for.

“He served the people of Taraba State for eight years, and through him the lot of the people in the state was bettered,” he said.

Ojo urged the court to “take into consideration the selfless service of the convict, who has no criminal record of any sort and is still less than 60”.

In its counter-argument, prosecution counsel, O.A. Atolagbe, urged the court to take into cognisance the aggravating effect the action and inaction of Nyame had on the people of the state.

Citing Section 416 2 (a) (d) (e) and (f) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, he urged the court to consider the aggravating factors on the state. He also pointed the attention of the court to the FCT Courts Practice Direction 2016, stressing that Nyame, played a leadership role in the commission of the offence.

“He abused his position of trust and caused severe harm to the society and economy of the state, and so the effect of the offence must be put into consideration,” he argued, adding that, “claim of selfless service is far from the truth”.

After listening to the arguments of both counsel, Justice Banjoko, gave her sentencing and noted that despite the claim of being a first-time offender, a family man, and his service, “I am morally outraged with the facts of this case”.

“There’s no moral justification for the level of outright theft, and the Court must therefore, impose a statement, hopefully as a deterrent to other public officers, who may be similarly inclined”.

Source: NAN

Senator Dino Melaye, APC-Kogi West, and Hon. Adams Jagaba representing APC in Kacha/Kagarko in Kaduna, may have defected to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Embattled Melaye announced his preference for a seat on the side of the senators of the opposition PDP , an indication of defection at the plenary on Wednesday, causing rowdy session.

He caused the commotion after weeks of being away from the Senate Chambers.

Melaye resumed plenary and asked to be moved from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) side of the chamber to the opposition.

He sought Senate President Bukola Sarakis permission to leave his allotted seat and move to the side of PDP members at the Senate chamber.

He specifically asked that he wants to sit beside the former Senate President, David Mark, an indication of carpet crossing.

According to Senator Melaye, his reason for wanting a change of seat is because his present seat is no longer comfortable after his ordeal with the police and his health issues.

But the lawmakers from the ruling APC kicked against the move by Senator Melaye, arguing that his action was against the constitution.

Meanwhile, the opposition lawmakers, welcomed the change of seat by Senator Dino Melaye.

The decision of Melaye came barely 24 hours after Prince Dayo Adeyeye, one of the aspirants for the governorship ticket of PDP in Ekiti State, dumped the party to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In preparation for his change of seats, Melaye raised a point of order and thanked his colleagues, members of the House of Representatives, his constituents and the Nigerian populace for standing by him during his travails with the Senate.

He thanked the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for their support.

Melayes travail started when he refused to appear before the police to answer to accusations by some arrested suspects, who alleged that the senator supplied them with arms and ammunition.

The senator had had persistently refused to appear before the police on invitation, but was later arrest and jumped out of the police vehicle that was taking him to Lokoja to appear.

The Senator landed in the National Hospital after jumping out of a moving police vehicle on Tuesday, April 24.

The police confirmed that Melaye was arrested for his pending offences of criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms.

He was granted bail in the sum of N90 million by the Wuse Magistrates Court.

He was re-arrested after perfecting the bail.

According to the police, the investigation team re-arrested Melaye on May 2, 2018 after his arraignment at Chief Magistrate Court, Wuse for the pending offences of Criminal Conspiracy and Unlawful Possession of Prohibited Firearms already filed in a Court of competent jurisdiction in Lokoja for which he will be arraigned without further delay.

Mr. Jimoh Moshood, Force PRO, said that Melaye was arraigned at the Wuse Magistrates court for criminal conspiracy, causing damage to government property, attempted suicide and escape from lawful custody.

Melayes arraignment according to the police, was subsequent to his discharge from the National Hospital after he was confirmed fit for trial.

Melaye was also arraigned before a Lokoja Chief magistrates Court.

The lawmaker is currently on bail.

Jagabas defection was contained in a letter read by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara. He had on May 7 announced his defection in Kaduna.

Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Interior, Jagaba, who had earlier in the month defected to PDP, is currently having a running battle with Kaduna State Governor, Mr. Nasir El-Refuai and his former party, APC.

The official announcement of his defection did not come as a surprise.

officially decamped to the today in a ceremony that held at Zonkwa in Southern Kaduna, Kaduna state. Welcome home the peoples Honourable. Goodbye to the brooms, the umbrella is large enough.

Kuyet Simon Karick (@KarickSKuyet)

He announced his defection in his twitter handle on May 7. He defected at a ceremony that held at Zonkwa in Southern Kaduna, but was officially announced on Wednesday.

Thanks for coming.

Jagaba Adams Jagaba (@AdamsJagaba)

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari has given assurances to the new President of Sierra Leone, Mr Julius Maada Bio, of Nigerias support, including military assistance, as the country works towards a stable and improved economy.

The president gave the assurance when he received the Sierra Leonean President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday.

President Buhari congratulated Bio on the successful elections and the transition that had ushered in a new government in the country.

We will continually stand by you to ensure stability in your country. We believe security in the West Coast region, Africa and the world should be a collective concern, he said.

The President said Nigeria had for a long period provided security support for the country, especially during the 11 years of civil war, and would continue to assist the forces on the ground to ensure the peace and stability needed for development.

According to him, he shares a lot in common with the Sierra Leonean President, which includes ruling the country as a military general, contesting several elections as opposition and winning to face the challenges of security and an ailing economy.

In his remarks, the President of Sierra Leone said his country remained grateful to Nigeria for the brotherly role it had played in ensuring an end to the protracted civil war in the country and the successful political transitions since then.

Bio said he would work towards deepening the bilateral relations with Nigeria, and the strengthening of the regional bond, particularly in the areas of security and trade.

Source: NAN