Justice Mojisola O. Dada of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday, March 6, 2018, refused the bail application of notorious fraudster, Emmanuel Nwude, who allegedly conspired with two others to tamper with a property that had been forfeited by a court order.

Nwude alongside Emmanuel Ilechukwu and Rowland Kalu were, on March 2, 2018, arraigned on a 15-count charge bordering on forgery and dealing in forfeited property.

One of the counts reads: That you, Emmanuel Nwude, Emmanuel Ilechukwu and Rowland Kalu, on or about 12th day of January 2011, at Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division, conspired to forge a Power of Attorney dated 12th day of January 2011, issued in the name of Mankris Venture Limited purporting that Mankris Venture Limited is the owner of Plot Y, Mobolaji Johnson Street, Oregun, Alausa Lagos, whereas you knew that the property was forfeited to the victims of crimes as restitution in the judgment delivered on 18th day of 2005 by Honourable Justice Joseph Oyewole in ID/92c/04- FRN vs. Emmanuel Nwude

Vice President: Of course, our health system has long suffered. That is one of the chief concerns that we have been focusing on; getting the diaspora to work with us to improve our health system. We are also looking at how healthcare insurance can improve it. I agree that if all of us put our resources and our time in local medical care, we will improve it. I have no doubt in my mind that our local healthcare system is what most of us subscribe to at least, and our doctors are some of the best in the world. But thats one of our commitments to make it work.

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First of all, the dialogue started in 2016 and it continues. We began to dialogue with all the groups in the Niger Delta and we hold very regular meetings with PANDEF, which is the umbrella body. We also hold regular meetings with many of the groups in the Niger Delta and they are all actively involved with us.

I dont know whether you are familiar with the Maritime University. The Maritime University has taken off, you know. Only a few days ago, the announcement was made that they are eligible for JAMB (the University was recently granted approval by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to commence undergraduate degree programmes effective from the 2017/2018 academic session). Interviews are taking place for the Maritime University, forms have been provided and we are talking to all of the principal parties in that zone who are interested in the work the Maritime University is doing. Many people are involved in that process. That is the kind of thing we are talking about to provide the kind of facility to help people in the Niger Delta, especially in Maritime University.

Also, look at modular refineries, 38 licensed modular refineries investors have indicated interests (10 of the licensed refineries are at an advanced stage of development). One, of course, has started in Bayelsa; another is being shipped in at the moment. There are about three or four different engagements with modular refineries operators. So we are putting that together, and one of the critical things with modular refineries is that we are trying to ensure that, first of all, it is private-sector driven. Government has to provide the licenses, but also there is community involvement; communities also have a stake in the modular refineries. So we are doing that as well. We are working very hard on that.

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I dont know when Chief Clark made that statement. I think that, by and large, all of what Im saying is being done. It is obvious for everyone to see. Ive no real problem demonstrating this, but as a matter of fact, if you look on our website (www.ndnewvision.gov.ng), on the all of the Niger Delta issues, we have almost a blow-by-blow account of what we are doing, including the Ogoni clean up.

I think there is a lot going on. You cant address all of the problems at once. We have provided plenty of information. We have Inter-ministerial meetings where the different stakeholders meet constantly with leaders of the Niger Delta. I think you can imagine development is something that no one can be completely satisfied with at any point in time; thats why its called development.

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: I think it was for those people that we designed our visa-on-arrival policy. It is for people who are bringing in their resources and money.

Not necessary. Let me explain what we are trying to do with visa-on-arrival: you apply online so you get a visa, and this is where we are issuing the I-Step so that there is passenger information ahead of your arriving in Nigeria. That is one of the infrastructure we are putting at the airport now. You arrive at our port, we can give you a visa right there; that is what Singapore and other countries do, irrespective of where you are coming from you can get the visa there. When you arrive in Nigeria we have advance passengers information, even the visa-on-arrival thats where we are heading. The most important thing is that there is a record.

: Let me just say that the President has pointed out that the South East wasnt the region that voted heavily for the APC, but that is not in any way stopping the President from appointing four senior ministers from that part of the country. He could have appointed junior ministers. By appointing four senior ministers, I think that it shows that he is interested in the South East region of Nigeria.

Secondly, previous government merely talk about the second Niger Bridge. We have moved to site, we are working on the second Niger Bridge. Weve provided for the second Niger Bridge in our budget we have also provided infrastructure fund for the second Niger Bridge. Also, we are doing the Lagos-Calabar Rail. The Lagos-Calabar Rail goes through the South East region, thats one of the very important thing we are doing and we put money behind it. The President himself negotiated the loan from the Chinese government. He actually went to China to negotiate and these are ongoing projects.

Ariaria market today is possibly the largest MSME hub in the whole of West Africa. The Federal Government, with the private sector, is powering Ariaria market so that every of the 21,000 shops in Ariaria market has power. The roads to the market are in the budget. Lets bring it down to what we are doing; the first of our MSME clinics was in Aba and we are committed to ensuring Aba is a hub that it ought to be.

This is where we spend a lot of time and energy to move regulatory agencies so that they actually have a one-stop centre there, so that NAFDAC, SON can move into that place. There is a lot of work thats going on. The truth is that we do what needs to be done. We were elected to do the right thing by everyone and we are doing it. Ive gone to the South East several times. Ive visited Nnewi and many parts of Anambra as well, where we look around and look at ways of supporting industries there and we are still committed to that zone.

: Let me say that one of the very important things for me, I think we could have done far more in terms of jobs, direct jobs now, because weve done enough. We first created jobs in agriculture. Perhaps we are hoping we would be able to provide by now 500,000 of our N-power jobs, but because of the income we are able to provide 200,000. We have another 300,000 waiting to be employed. So maybe a year into our government, we could have done 500,000. So for me I think if we have the kind of resources that people had 10 years ago when oil was $115 per barrel we could have provided far in excess.

I also think that, perhaps in the area of power, especially trying to do much more, but power is privatized. A lot of the power companies, a lot of the GENCOs, the DISCOs in particular, simply dont have the resources to replace assets, so they slow down. How I wish they have more funds to pump into assets and we hope they have more resources to do so. Weve put in place the over N700 billion payment assurance scheme, but that is insufficient.

Thats not true. Let me put it this way; first lets take the Magu example. One of the things that the President decided to do is to ensure that every agency does its work without direct interference from the President. So the President does not call the EFCC, and say, Go and arrest Mr Ekpeyong, no. And thats one of the most important things about the style of this government, and we want the agencies to do their work. No one has showed up and called Magu and say, Look go and arrest. Thats what it is.

While you will find, for example, that the DG, SSS, upon the request by the Senate, wrote a security report and sent it, yet it is up to the President to decide whether hes going to present this candidate. Interfering with the process of a security report is not leadership, thats obstructing. He is not supposed to interfere. If you say, Send your report, whatever report you want to send, the man defends himself, and we still believe he is the right person for the job. That is the position that we took when he was presented the second time.

Of course, the Senate has had their own say on that and they are entitled to take some of the positions they are taking. But the President believes that this is the right man for the job, so he presented him the second time.

With respect to the arrest of DG, NIA, and some of what took place, I think the fair thing to say is that the President has said that the EFCC has the absolute right to go ahead and do whatever it needs to do to ensure that anybody who has committed a crime, or who is suspected to having committed a crime, is brought to justice, and thats the position that the EFCC has taken. You know the EFCC has issued a notice for the DG, NIA, and SGF to attend interview with the EFCC; but we are sure that that process would be followed to a logical conclusion.

To ensure that you allow government agency do their business, thats very important; thats institution building. Look at what is happening in the US today; the President is sometimes angry with the FBI because the FBI is doing its independent work, and thats what we hope to achieve: when you see countries where agencies are doing their work the way they are supposed to do it.

Source: NAN

Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma, former Nasarawa state governor, is dead. He was aged 75.

He died in an Israeli hospital, according Mamman Alakayi, his information commissioner when he governed the state..

I got a call from the late governors son, Umar, this evening, that Baba Doma died in an Israeli hospital at about 7:45 p.m. Nigerian time, he said.

Alakayi said that the former governor had gone to the hospital to treat an undisclosed ailment three weeks ago.

We are currently making arrangement for some family members to travel to Israel and convey the remains back home for burial, he said.

NAN reports that Akwe was the governor of Nasarawa State from 2007 to 2011, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Born on Sept. 1, 1942 in Doma Local Government of Nasarawa State, Akwe attended theUniversity of Ibadan from 19641966, and also attendedAhmadu Bello UniversityZaria in 1976.

The former governor obtained a Masters Degree in Public Administration fromAmbrose Alli University,Ekpoma in 2002.

He worked in the old Plateau civil service from1976 to 1983, and rose to the position of a Permanent Secretary.

a Deputy Governor of Plateau State, and was later elected Governor of Nasarawa State(NAN)

Source: NAN

U.S. White House National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn, is set to resign from his post following President Donald Trumps planned tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum.

Cohn departure would increase the number of White House officials who had either been sacked or resigned from the Trumps administration.

Reports say Cohn who opposed Trumps planned tariffs, hinted the White House about his resignation last week, and reportedly tried getting the president to change course.

Cohn who served as President Trumps chief economic adviser since the beginning of the administration, would likely step down from his post in few weeks from now after several weeks of talk with the president.

It has been an honor to serve my country and enact pro-growth economic policies to benefit the American people, in particular the passage of historic tax reform, Cohn said in a statement to Fox News.

I am grateful to the President for giving me this opportunity and wish him and the Administration great success in the future.

Cohns policy portfolio included tax and retirement, infrastructure, the financial system, energy and environment, healthcare, agriculture, global economics, international trade and development, and technology, telecommunications and cybersecurity.

Source: NAN

A mysterious fire has destroyed over 300 tents at Ajiri Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Mafa Local Government council of Borno.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fire started at about 5:30 pm on Tuesday and gutted the entire camp settlement, which provided shelter to hundreds of persons displaced by Boko Haram insurgency.

A witness, Bukar Abba, told NAN that the fire rapidly spread and engulfed the entire camp due to the strong wind.

Abba said that the fire ravaged tents, thatch houses, household utensils, dresses and other property, adding that there were no causalities in the incident.

The cause of the fire has not been ascertained. It destroyed the camp. The affected families now stay in the open, he said.

Abba noted that the affected persons had returned and took shelter at the camp following the liberation of the community from the insurgents control.

He called on the state government and humanitarian organisations to assist the victims to alleviate their sufferings.

The national and state emergency management agencies are yet to comment on the incident. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Rwanda has shut 714 churches in different parts of Kigali over the last one week for failure to meet minimum standards.

New Times of Rwanda reported that the churches were found to lack basic infrastructure, hygiene, safety standards and had issues related to their legal status.

The crackdown is being carried out by respective urban district authorities in partnership with the Rwanda Governance Board, the newspaper said.

Justus Kangwagye, the Head of Political Parties and Civil Society Department at the Rwanda Governance Board, said places of worship are required to meet basic requirements in terms of safety, hygiene, infrastructure and legality which those affected were found to be lacking.

Kangwagye said most of the affected places of worship were asked to halt operations until they meet the expected standards.

Worshiping should be done in an organised way and meet minimum standards. Exercising your freedom of worship should not encroach on other peoples rights. They have been asked to halt operations until they meet the requirements, he said.

Some may not be able to resume operations any time soon, he said.

Kangwagye said some premises exposed worshipers to risks.

For instance, if the infrastructure is deemed likely to cause danger to those worshiping, it is obvious that it fails to meet the requirements, he explained.

Others were found to have inadequacies such as lack of parking lots which would lead to their members parking by the roadsides and causing traffic jam.

Other churches which were closed operated from tents.

Churches that are hosted in tents were also asked to review their premises before they can continue their operations. As for hygiene and sanitation, you cannot have a gathering where there is no water for washing hands, no toilets among other issues, he said.

Others, he added, were warned on the lack of safety and security installations and asked to look into it or risk closure.

Kangwagye explained that setting up a church, requires a temporary certificate which expires after 12 months.

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Source: NAN

Crown-wearing worshippers of World Peace and Unification Sanctuary in Pennsylvania, United States scared the hell out of people and a school on Wednesday, when they arrived the church, each clutching an AR-15 rifle.

Brides were clad in white and grooms in dark suits, all arriving with dozens of AR-15s, though unloaded.

Inside the church, they drank holy wine and exchanged or renewed wedding vows in what was called a commitment ceremony, which alsodoubled as an advertisement for the Second Amendment.

Though the state police kept watch as the ceremony unfolded, neighbours were not at ease.

A smattering of protesters stood outside the church and anearby school cancelled classes, the AP reported.

The church, which has a worldwide following, believes the AR-15 symbolizes the rod of iron in the book of Revelation, and encouraged couples to bring the weapons. An AR-15 was used in the Florida high school massacre on Feb. 14.

The Rev. Sean Moon, who leads the church, prayed for a kingdom of peace police and peace militia where the citizens, through the right given to them by almighty God to keep and bear arms, will be able to protect one another and protect human flourishing.

Moon is the son of the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon, a self-proclaimed messiah who founded the Unification Church, which critics regard as a cult. The younger Moons congregation is a breakaway faction of the Unification Church, which had distanced itself from Wednesdays event.

An attendant checked each weapon at the door to make sure it was unloaded and secured with a zip tie, and the elaborate commitment ceremony went off without a hitch. Some worshippers wore crowns made out of bullets.

Tim Elder, Unification Sanctuarys director of world missions, said the ceremony was meant to be a blessing of couples, not inanimate objects, calling the AR-15 a religious accoutrement.

But Wednesdays event, coming on the heels of the high school massacre in Parkland, Florida, which killed 17, rubbed emotions raw.

Its scaring people in the community, one protester told a church member. Are you aware of that?

The ceremony prompted Wallenpaupack Area School District to move students at an elementary school down the street to other campuses.

Lisa Desiena, from Scranton, protested outside the church with a sign that called the group an armed religious cult.

She said she owns a gun, but I dont need a freaking assault weapon to defend myself. Only thing theyre good for is killing. Period. Thats all that weapon is good for, mass killing. And you want to bless it? Shame on you.

But Sreymom Ouk, 41, who attended the ceremony with her husband, Sort Ouk, and came with their AR-15, said the weapon is useful for defending her family against sickos and evil psychopaths.

People have the right to bear arms, and in Gods kingdom, you have to protect that, she said. You have to protect against evil.

Reported by AP

Source: NAN

Saudi Arabia began issuing licences Thursday to operate cinemas in the kingdom ahead of their reopening after a decades-long ban was lifted as part of a far-reaching liberalisation drive.

The move is another step towards opening the Saudi market to regional and international theatre chains, which have long eyed the kingdom as the Middle Easts last untapped mass market.

The culture and information ministry said it had finalised the terms of licencing to restore cinema in Saudi Arabia.

Licencing commences immediately, the ministry added in a statement.

The news comes as Dubai-based VOX Cinemas, the leading operator in the Middle East, launches its first public screening in Saudi Arabia, which runs through Saturday and aims to raise awareness about Alzheimers disease.

The screening in Riyadh will feature content from local producers including Myrkott Production and Telfaz Company, VOX said.

Major cinema chains are seeking to break into the market of more than 30 million people, the majority of whom are under 25.

In December, US giant AMC Entertainment signed a non-binding agreement with Saudi Arabias vast Public Investment Fund to build and operate cinemas across the kingdom.

AMC will still face stiff competition from regional heavyweights, including VOX.

The move to reopen cinemas is part of a modernisation drive by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is seeking to balance unpopular subsidy cuts in an era of low oil prices with more entertainment options despite opposition from religious hardliners.

The reform stems partly from an economic motive to boost domestic spending on entertainment as the kingdom reels from a protracted slump in oil prices.

Saudis currently splurge billions of dollars annually to see movie shows and visit amusement parks in neighbouring tourist hubs like Dubai.

Source: NAN

There has been an outpouring of rage in the social media after a neurosurgeon at Kenyas largest hospital performed brain surgery on the wrong patient.

The Kenyatta National Hospital, which admitted the horrific error has suspended the doctor, as well as two nurses and an anaesthetist, according to a statement on Friday.

Health Minister Sicily Kariuki also suspended the Chief operating officer of the hospital, Lily Koros, over the blunder. Lily Koros had suspended the four medics.

It was the latest scandal to hit the hospital in recent weeks, after allegations of staff sexually assaulting patients, and the theft of a baby.

An investigation by the Daily Nation newspaper revealed that two men had been taken to the hospital last Sunday.

The two men were wheeled into the hospital unconscious. One needed head surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain, while the other only required nursing and medication to heal a trauma swelling in his head, medically known as closed head injury.

Hours into the surgery doctors discovered there was no blood clot in the brain of their patient, and that they were in fact operating on the wrong man, the newspaper reported.

The hospitals chief operating officer, Lily Koros, issued a statement announcing the suspension of four medics who were at work on that night. The hospital also expressed regret over the incident.

The hospital deeply regrets this event and has done all it can to ensure the safety and well being of the patient in question, read the statement from the hospital, adding the patient was in recovery and progressing well, Koros said.

Kenyatta National Hospital is Kenyas oldest and largest hospital, and also serves as a teaching hospital.

AFP

Source: NAN

Britains food industry was challenged by the government Tuesday to reduce the amount of calories in products used by families by 20 percent as part of a new strategy to cut childhood and adult obesity.

Health officials say if the 20 per cent target is met within five years, more than 35,000 premature deaths could be prevented.

Officials also said that around 12.5 billion U.S. dollars in National Health Service (NHS) healthcare and social care costs could be saved over a 25 year period.

The calorie drive follows new evidence revealing overweight or obese boys and girls consume up to 500 and 290 calories too many each day respectively.

The food industry has been given three ways to reduce calories, changing the recipe of products, reducing portion sizes or encouraging consumers to purchase lower calorie products.

Categories of food covered by the program include pizzas, ready meals, ready-made sandwiches, meat products and savoury snacks.

The new major steps to cut excessive calorie intake were unveiled by Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

PHE says too many children and most adults are overweight or obese, suffering consequences from bullying and low self-esteem in childhood, to type II diabetes, heart disease and some cancers as adults.

An obese parent is more likely to have an obese child, who in turn is more likely to grow up into an obese adult, said PHE.

A PHE report includes new data on childrens daily calorie consumption.

Depending on their age, overweight and obese boys consume between 140 to 500 calories too many each day and for girls, it is 160 to 290 when compared to those with healthy body weights.

Adults consume on average 200 to 300 calories too many each day.

A PHE report includes new data on childrens daily calorie consumption. Depending on their age, overweight and obese boys consume between 140 to 500 calories too many each day and for girls, it is 160 to 290 when compared to those with healthy body weights. Adults consume on average 200 to 300 calories too many each day.

Duncan Selbie, chief executive of PHE, said: Industry can help families by finding innovative ways to lower the calories in the food we all enjoy and promoting UK business leadership on the world stage in tackling obesity.

Steve Brine, parliamentary under secretary of state for public health and primary care, said: Obesity is now one of our greatest challenges.

It is fuelling an epidemic of preventable illnesses like type II diabetes and cancer.

These not only shorten lives but put unsustainable pressure on our health service.

Our calorie reduction program, the first of its kind from any country in the world, will continue to build on the progress of our world-leading childhood obesity plan, which has led to positive steps by industry.

Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at PHE, said: Its hard for people to make healthy food choices. Thats why we are challenging the food industry to take 20 percent of the calories out of everyday foods.

The NHS spends around 8.3 billion U.S dollars a year treating obesity-related conditions. (Xinhua/NAN)

Source: NAN