Boko Haram terrorists

By Ismaila Chafe

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed grief over the killing of farmers on rice fields at Zabarmari in Jere Local Government of Borno, describing the terrorist killings as insane.

The president made the condemnation in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Sunday.

Buhari said the government had given all the needed support to the armed forces to take all necessary steps to protect the countrys population and its territory.

Buhari said: I condemn the killing of our hardworking farmers by terrorists in Borno State.

The entire country is hurt by these senseless killings. My thoughts are with their families in this time of grief.

May their souls Rest In Peace.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that about 43 farmers were murdered while unspecified number of others were unaccounted for when Boko Haram insurgents launched attacks on rice fields at Zabarmari.

NAN gathered that nine of the victims were believed to be settlers in search of greener pasture from Zamfara, seven from Kebbi and eight from Sokoto state, while the remaining were indigenes of Zabarmari town.

NAN also reports that the victims would be buried today (Sunday). (NAN)

Source: NAN News

#EndSARS protesters

By Naomi Sharang/Funmi Adeyemi

The Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Buki Ponle has called on Nigerians to exhibit more patriotism to forestall future break down of law and order as experienced in the country during the recent #EndSARS protest.

Ponle made the call when the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

NAN recalls that it took the intervention of Security agencies to restore law and order in parts of the country after the peaceful #EndSARS protest turned violent after it was hijacked by hoodlums.

The MD, while commiserating with the corps for the loss of some of its assets during the protest, called on citizens to be more patriotic.

It is painful because it is avoidable; it has happened but may it never happen again.

That calls for more consciousness on our part, it also calls for more exhibition of patriotism.

If we are patriotic, we shouldnt be destroying ourselves.

We also commiserate with you over the loss of some of your members in the course of duty.

It is a supreme price and it is painful for that matter. May the souls of the departed rest in peace.

While noting that the agency was established in 1978, Ponle said most of the challenges of the past were surmounted.

We have come a long way and we are getting better. In 1978 when we started as a text agency, we had challenges of technology and manpower.

But today, NAN has grown exponentially in terms of human and material resources.

Ponle also called for the sustenance of the partnership between NAN and FRSC.

The Corps Marshal, Oyeyemi, congratulated the managing director who assumed leadership of the agency recently.

The right person has been brought on board. I must congratulate you for the recognition by President Muhammadu Buhari.

When it comes to professionalism, the president considers this; that is good for the system, Oyeyemi said.

He commended the management for its innovations especially with the agencys Multimedia services.

NAN has proved that it can not be left behind in the 21st century. To get the desired results, you need to deploy appropriate technology.

COVID-19 has brought in the virtual meetings. So, anywhere you are in the world, you can preside over your meetings.

It means that organisations must be ready to adapt to the reality.

Oyeyemi, who described FRSC and NAN as one family, thanked NAN for the partnership and called for strengthening of the synergy.

There are sometimes that NAN guided us in some areas because road safety is a collective responsibility.

As we are moving toward the end of the year, we need NAN more to propagate our policies, especially when it comes to traffic alarms, gridlocks because NAN stories are the fastest.

We rely on this and we will continue to give a helping hand to NAN where required, Oyeyemi said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Lagos Taskforce demolishing illegal shanties

By Oladapo Udom

Operatives of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce) over the weekend demolished over 1,700 illegal shanties and containerised shops around Fagba Railway lines, Agege.

A statement signed by the Agencys Head, Public Affairs Unit, Adebayo Taofiq, in Lagos State on Sunday stated that government through the Chairman of the Agency, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, served occupants of these illegal structures a 7-day Removal Order.

This is necessitated based on series of complaints about criminal activities around Fagba, Agege, the chairman said.

Egbeyemi said that after the expiration of the Removal Order, additional 21-day grace was given to the occupants of illegal structures to vacate the area before the demolition exercise commenced.

These illegal shanties and containerised shops is occupied by miscreants and hoodlums who terrorised innocent citizens around Fagba, Iju-Ishaga and Pen-Cinema area, dispossessing them of their valuables.

Investigations conducted also revealed that these miscreants and hoodlums were responsible for the destruction of public properties and looting of shops after the recent EndSARS protest around Agege.

It is an eyesore with miscreants and hoodlums freely smoking and selling Indian hemp including prostitution by under-age boys and girls around Fagba railway lines, Egbeyemi said.

The chairman confirmed that suspected illegal substances and dangerous drugs such as Indian hemp, codeine, skunk and tramadol were recovered during the demolition exercise.

In the statement, Egbeyemi enjoined members of the public to support the government in salvaging Lagos State from the clutches of notorious criminals by reporting noticeable criminal activities to security agencies. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Tyson and Jones Jr.

Mike Tyson showed age has not robbed him of his power as the former heavyweight champion, in his long-awaited return to the ring, dominated Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition fight on Saturday in Los Angeles that was surprisingly ruled a draw.

While there were no ringside judges to score the eight-round contest between two of boxings all-time greats, both over 50, and no official winner, the World Boxing Council formed a set of judges that remotely scored the bout.

Im used to doing it for three minutes, 54-year-old Tyson said of the shorter rounds. Sometimes, that two minutes felt like three minutes. Im happy I got this under my belt to keep doing this and go further.

Tyson, 15 years removed from his ignominious defeat to Irishman Kevin McBride in the last professional fight of his career, came out firing and was in control of the bout the entire way.

Jones Jr, 51, was the more visibly fatigued of the two fighters, but managed to pick up the pace in the later rounds enough to earn the win on one scorecard and a draw on the other while Tyson took the third scorecard.

When the final bell rang, the two fighters shared a hug.

The body shots definitely took a toll, said Jones Jr. a former world champion in four different weight classes whose last professional fight was in 2018.

The body shots are what make you exhausted.

The two boxers were introduced by legendary ring announcer Michael Buffer, who delivered his famous Lets Get Ready To Rumble inside the Staples Centre which was devoid of fans given the COVID-19 pandemic.

After the fight Tyson, who was once the most feared fighter on the planet, shot down any idea of making a return to professional boxing.

This is bigger than fighting and winning the championship, Tyson said of exhibitions where he donates earnings to charity. Were humanitarians and were helping people. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

Tokyo Olympics

This years postponement of the Tokyo Olympics because of the novel coronavirus cost about 200 billion Yen (.9 billion), organisers have estimated, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Sunday, citing people involved with the event.

The International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government were forced to put off the Games for a year in March as the coronavirus spread rapidly around the world.

The Games cost 1.35 trillion Yen ( billion) before the postponement, the newspaper reported.

The organising committee will decide on a breakdown of the burden of the delay in December, after discussions between the committee, the Tokyo metropolitan government and the central government, the newspaper said.

A spokesman for the organisers, asked about the report, told Reuters by text message only that the committee is examining the extra costs associated with the delay.

The postponement costs include payment to staff as well as the introduction of new systems for refunding tickets, but do not include measures against the spread of the coronavirus, the newspaper said.

The organisers had originally estimated that the delay would cost nearly 300 billion yen, but they were able to reduce that figure by simplifying some events, the report said. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

NEMA personnel

By Leonard Okachie

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has commenced the distribution of relief materials to victims of flood, windstorm and fire in Obingwa, Osisioma and Ukwa West Local Government Areas of Abia.

The Head of NEMA, Imo/Abia Operations, Mr Evans Ugoh, announced this in a statement made available to newsmen in Umuahia on Sunday.

Ugoh listed the relief items to include bags of rice, beans, garri, salt, cement, nails, vegetable oil and roofing sheets.

He stated that the materials were handed over to representatives of the affected communities, including Ovom-Amairinabua, Amaise, Obiaha-Ogwe, Umunwarie, Umuechem and Umuoru-Umuode at a brief ceremony in Umuahia.

He said the Director-General of the agency, Air Vice Marshall Mohammadu Mohammed (rtd.), commiserated with the victims over the hardship caused by the disasters.

He stated that the materials were approved through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

According to him, the items are meant to cushion the effects of the disasters on the victims.

He further stated that some of the items would be distributed to the victims directly by NEMA, Abia State Emergency Management Agency, security agencies and non-governmental organisations.

The NEMA boss appealed for peace during the distribution, he added.

The statement quoted the lawmaker representing Ukwa West, in the Abia House of Assembly, Mr Goodwin Adiele, to have lauded NEMA and the Federal Government for the gesture.

It further quoted one of the beneficiaries, Mr Eze Nwagbara of Amaise Umuizide Autonomous Community in Obingwa to have also commended the government and NEMA for the assistance. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

FRSC personnel at an scene of an accident

By Abiodun Lawal

No fewer than six people were confirmed dead in an accident which involved a truck and a Honda Pilot Jeep in the Ogere area on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

One other person was badly injured in the accident.

Mr Ahmed Umar, the Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abeokuta.

According to Umar, the incident happened around 7 a.m. and was caused by excessive speeding on the part of the jeep driver.

The sector commander explained that eight men and a woman were involved in the accident, noting that five of the men and the woman succumbed.

He stated that the driver of the Honda Pilot Jeep, marked LSR 525 FY, was on excessive speed, lost control of the vehicle and subsequently rammed into the moving truck with registration number KRV 716 ZV.

Umar added that the injured passenger was taken to Idera Hospital, Ogere, for treatment while the deceased were deposited at FOS morgue in Ipara.

The sector commander advised motorists to drive cautiously, obey traffic rules, avoid dangerous driving, excessive speeding and wrongful overtaking. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Personnel of NSCDC

By Olajide Idowu

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Osun government, have organised a week-long training on conflict prevention for security agents and other stakeholders in Osun.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop, tagged: Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) and Conflict Prevention for Communities and Security Providers, which started on Nov. 24 at Iloko-Ijesa, was rounded off on Saturday.

NAN also reports that the workshop had traditional rulers, personnel of the Nigerian Police Force, Department of State Security and the Nigerian Army as well as representatives of civil society organisations, state government and the media in attendance.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr David Ojelabi, the Programme Facilitator and Head of Peace and Conflict Management, NSCDC, Abuja, said that the programme was put together to train participants on conflict signs detection and prevention.

Ojelabi, who also represented the NSCDC Commandant- General, Abdullahi Mohammadu, said the workshop was also aimed at bridging the gap between security agencies and the communities.

The programme was put together to bridge the dichotomy that had been existing among the critical agencies.

It tends to address security issues, conflict prevention, how to detect and gather early warning signs and how to report them to the appropriate authorities.

The participants were made to understand that they all have stakes and are key players in the issue of conflict prevention, detecting conflicts early signs and early response.

It is the responsibility of anyone who receives the early warning signs report to respond appropriately and timely so as to nip in the bud the identified conflict before it snowballs into violence.

The security agents have learnt how to relate with ourselves and the civilians in the name of civil-military relation.

Since security is everybodys business, all hands must, therefore, be on deck for us for us to get the desired results, he said.

Ojelabi also said that the programme would serve as a proactive measure to address the issue of conflict in the society, as this will give the opportunity to address issues before they get out of hands.

In his address, Gov. Gboyega Oyetola, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Yinusa Olalekan, commended the UNDP for its support to the state.

While also expressing appreciation to the NSCDC for choosing the state for the training, he urged participants to apply all they had learnt in their various places of work and communities.

The trainers and lecturers at the programme, Messrs Falade Olutoyin, Faleti Stephen and Emmanuel Mamma took participants through causes of conflicts, ways of identifying conflict signs, how to prevent conflicts from escalating and the need for inter-agency collaboration in conflict prevention and management. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Minister of State, Health, Sen. Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora

By Christian Njoku

The Minister of State for Health, Sen. Adeleke Mamora on Saturday, inaugurated the newly refurbished General Hospital, Calabar, Cross River.

Speaking during the ceremony, Mamora said reviving the general hospital was very important because most of the prevailing ailments being experienced in the nations health facilities could be better managed at the primary and secondary level.

He maintained that both the primary and secondary health institutions were critical and necessary for the achievement of universal health coverage which should be the intention of any government.

I have gone into the hospital, the emergency, patients waiting room and theatre and I am convinced that the government of Cross River really means well for its people.

For me, it is a testimony of the commitment of the government of Cross River to healthcare of its people, particularly at this level of the general hospital which is like a link between the primary and tertiary health facilities, he said.

In her remarks, the Cross River Commissioner for Health, Dr Betta Edu said the rehabilitation of the hospital was part of the state governments effort to ensure quality healthcare delivery in the state.

Edu said in 2016, the state government instituted a state health insurance scheme called Ayade Care to cater for the health needs of residents of Cross River.

She, however, said the scheme could not take off properly due to the condition of the health facilities in the state, hence signalling the need to put the facilities in good shape if the purpose of the scheme must be achieved.

While thanking the minister and his entourage for doing the honours of inaugurating the institution, she said his action would never be forgotten. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

L-R: Senator Ifeanyi Ubah of the YPP and Comrade Bishop Amakiri, National Chairman of YPP, standing on the podium with other party members during the partys Special National Convention held on Nov. 28, in Abuja

By Emmanuel Afonne

The Young Progressives Party (YPP) has urged Nigerian youths to rally round the party to forge a common front in pursuit of a better Nigeria.

National Chairman of YPP, Comrade Bishop Amakiri, made the call on Saturday at the special national convention of the party held in Abuja, tagged Ballot Revolution YPP Generation Now.

Amakiri said the nation currently needed urgent intervention as all socio-economic and political indicators were not favourable to the citizens.

He said that the economy had been on a free fall with increasing poverty due to several obnoxious policies of government.

He noted that the road to economic and political emancipation had never been easy but that they were possible to achieve, and must start now.

The time has come for us to replicate the patriotic and resilient spirit of great African leaders such as Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello and Sardauna of Sokoto.

Others are Nelson Mandela, Kwame Nkrumah, Thomas Sankara, Julius Nyerere, Jomo Kenyetta and Steve Biko, just to mention a few.

Taking over political leadership at all levels wont come through endless confrontations with our political oppressors who have refused to listen to us, but through a coordinated synergy.

This synergy is aimed at ending the reign of political mediocrity that has kept the nation in the state of perpetual backwardness; this can only be achieved through #BallotRevolution.

Cost of governance and closure of our land boarders without adequate capacity for sustainable production contributed to the poverty and other negative results the country has recorded in recent time, Amakiri said.

According to him, the EndSARS protest against police brutality came barely two weeks after the partys Advocacy Walk for Good Governance on incessant PMS price increase in September.

He said that the EndSARS protests were an indirect approach used by the people to protest against bad government and we were against extreme force used to disperse the protesters.

Amakiri also said that the party would continue to demand for urgent electoral reforms in the country as it was the only way the party could win elections at the grassroots being the root of governance.

Also speaking at the event, Chief Ifeanyi Ubah, the only serving senator of YPP, said the party was going through a reengineering process to guarantee quality leadership tomorrow.

We will educate you on how we are going about the revolutionistic movement that will usher us into the mainstream.

Today we are number four, but by the grace of God in two years time, we will be number one in Nigeria.

You can take me off but dont take my word off; I have a reason for being in this party.

We are the choice of all the major parties but let me not say so much until we unveil the engine room, Ubah said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that one minute silence was observed in honour of those who lost their lives during the #EndSARS protests in many parts of the country.

The party also used the occasion to ratify the election of new national executive members and the approval of the new party logo. (NAN)

Source: NAN News