Senate President, Ahmad Lawan

By Kingsley Okoye

The Senate on Wednesday at plenary directed its Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions to investigate complaints of Nigerians on illicit and excessive bank charges by commercial banks on customers accounts.

It also directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to look into the complaints of Nigerians and review the charges on their bank accounts.

The resolutions of Senate, were sequel to a motion by Sen. Abba Moro (PDP-Benue South) on urgent need to investigate and review illicit and excessive charges by Nigerian banks on customers accounts.

Moro, while presenting the motion, said there have been several complaints from Nigerians over illicit and excessive charges by commercial banks on their accounts.

He said that such charges and deductions ranged from bank Short Message Service (SMS) charges, intra-bank transfers charges in the sum of N52.50, Automated Teller Machines (ATM), card renewal charges, account maintenance charges in the sum of N93.13, among other charges.

He said that the charges had caused uproar within the public, as Nigerians felt the charges were fraudulent and targeted at further impoverishing them.

Moro said that Nigerians were worried as to what the money being deducted for the charges was for, as countries in overseas do not charge their customers in like manner.

He said that Nigerian banks in a bid to extort customers had set most of their ATM machines to dispense cash below the maximum of N40,000 that ATMs were programme to dispense per transaction.

Thus, customers using ATMs do not have a choice than to withdraw much lagger amounts per transaction, thereby incurring additional cost of N65 per transaction after using ATM beyond three times.

He also said that rather than banks giving out ATM cards stuck in their machines back to card holder, such cards were shredded into pieces and the card holder had to apply for another ATM card which attracted N1,000.

We can imagine the number of Nigerians who have experienced their cards being stuck in the machine and having to pay N1,000 over again for re-issuance, Abba said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Clean-up of Ogoniland

By Nefishetu Yakubu

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), on Wednesday decried the slow pace of work in the clean-up of Ogoniland by Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).

Godwin Ojo, the Executive Director of ERA/FoEN told newsmen in Benin that the pollution of the entire Niger Delta was causing serious environmental degradation in Nigeria.

The group in its general assembly held in Benin equally removed as trustee and chairman of the Board, Nnimmo Bassey, over his alleged unacceptable leadership style.

The general assembly took cognisance of the lingering crisis among the trustees and management team of ERA/FoEN prior to 2013.

The conflict of interest has caused rivalry and entrenched conflict that is inimical to the smooth running of ERA/FoEN.

The main cause of the crisis is Nnimmo Basseys leadership style, He has remained in control and directly involved in the day-to-day management of the organisation which is primarily the role of the executive council headed by the current executive director.

Nnimmo Bassey occupied the dual position as ERA/FoEN Executive Director and Chairman of the Board since inception in 1993 to 2013 and remained as chairman of the Board for over 27 years.

He combined these as the Executive Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), an organisation which he established for the purpose of sabotaging the progress of ERA/FoEN.

Since I started in 2013 I have not seen a proposal or workplans. ERA has an account which I am not a signatory to up till now.

I have high regards for Nnimmo Bassey, but he betrayed and violated me, human rights were thrown to abyss under his leadership, Ojo said.

Reacting to his removal, the Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Nnimmo Bassey, insisted that he remained Chairman, Board of Trustees of ERA/FoEN.

Bassey told newsmen that the general assembly called by Godwin Ojo where he was purported to have been removed as Chairman of the Board was illegal.

He added that all decisions reached amounted to nullity.

Bassey, however, noted that Godwin Ojo was removed as Executive Director of the organisation at an emergency Board meeting on Oct. 3, 2020 based on a report of an independent evaluation of ERA/FoEN.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

Nigeria Police logo

By Aminu Garko

The police command in Niger has arrested four persons with human head in Sabon Pegi, Mashegu Local Government Area of the state.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Adamu Usman, disclosed this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna, on Wednesday.

Usman said that police operatives attached to Ibbi Police Division arrested the suspects in possession of human head at Sabon Pegi village on Oct. 3 at about 5:30 p.m.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that the suspects exhumed and severed the human head from Kanti village grave yard, he said.

He said that in the course of interrogation, the suspects said they were contracted to carry out the act by two persons identified as Nasiru and Mohammadu, now at large.

Thesuspects told us that Nasiru lives in Koko town in Kebbi State, while Mohammadu lives in Sabon Pegi in Niger State, he said.

The commissioner said that the case was still under investigation, and that the police had commenced manhunt for other fleeing suspects.( NAN)

Source: NAN News

RUGA settlement

By Rabiu Sani

The Kano State Agro Pastoral Development Project (KSADP), says it will collaborate with the Borno government towards actualising the Borno RUGA project.

KSADPs Project Coordinator, Ibrahim Muhammad, made this known in a statement by Ameen Yassar, the Project Communication Specialist, on Wednesday in Kano.

The statement said that the Coordinator stated this during a courtesy visit by Mrs Juliana Bitrus, the Borno Commissioner for Animal Resources and Fisheries Development.

We are determined to transform agriculture in Kano from a largely socio-cultural practice to a socio-economic endeavor. We will support the Borno government to also achieve in that regard.

The interventions at Dansoshiya are just one of the several parts of multi-component project.

We will also run a cattle fattening scheme, provide support to the beneficiaries and link them up with off-takers, Muhammad was quoted as saying in the statement.

According to him, KSADP is working with the private sector to transform meat processing and discourage transportation of live animals considered unsafe and unprofitable.

Muhammad added that KSADP would invest in rural infrastructure development, crops development, training of extension workers and establishment of milk collection centres, while the Dawanau grain market would be upgraded.

The statement also quoted Bitrus as saying that the delegation was mandated by Gov. Babagana Zulum to examine the implementation of the RUGA project so as to replicate same in Borno.

Bitrus said that the team had visited the model Danshoshia grazing reserve developed under the KSADP programme where she was impressed with the Kano model for the RUGA project.

You have done a lot of work and involved many experts, Bitrus was quoted as telling the Kano government, while declaring that Borno would gain from the project. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

COVID-19 updates by NCDC

By Abujah Racheal

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 155 new Coronavirus (COVID-19), infections in the country.

The NCDC made this known on its official twitter handle on Wednesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports thatthe COVID-19 national death toll in the country remains 1,113 persons after four days without recording any death across the country.

The agency said that eight states had reported 155 new infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Nigeria to 59,738.

The NCDC also announced that 95 patients recovered from the infection and were discharged after testing negative to the virus.

It said that Lagos State recorded the highest new infections with84 confirmed cases followed by Rivers and Kaduna with 31 and 12 new cases respectively.

Ten cases were found in Osun, seven in FCT, Oyo, six, while Ogun and Kwara had three and two confirmed cases respectively.

The public health agency said that 59,738 cases had been confirmed nationwide, with 51,403 patients discharged, while 1,113 deaths had been recorded.

The NCDC said that a multi-sectoral national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), activated at Level 3, had continued to coordinate the national response activities across the country.

The health agency said that the country had done fairly well in preventing an explosion in COVID-19 cases, but warned there were opportunities for upsurge as the economy reopens further.

The country must strive to mitigate this risk.Our country is densely populated inthe tropics; theres no better place for viruses to thrive. Its hard to say but this may not be our last big outbreak.

Were working to build a culture of awareness and responsiveness so were better prepared to respond, it said.

Meanwhile, the agency now has molecular diagnostic capacity in every state in the country.

We celebrate today, tomorrow we continue pushing.

We are pleased to announce the inclusion of the Niger Public Health Laboratory, Minna to the NCDC Molecular Laboratory Network.

In eight months, we have activated at least one laboratory for COVID-19 testing in all 36 states, the NCDC said.

Source: NAN News

Okowa signing bills into law

By Ifeanyi Olannye

Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Wednesday signed the bill to eliminate violence in private and public life 2020, into law.

The governor, who assented to the bill at the Government House, Asaba, also signed into law the Delta State Local Content Agency Bill 2020.

He said that both laws would create the atmosphere for peaceful co-existence in the state.

He lauded the House of Assembly for being resourceful and enterprising, saying it had continued to discharge its functions, in spite of the tough times occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Okowa said that the law to eliminate violence in private and public life would provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment against offenders.

He said that the law was very important to government and families because it would ensure the protection of women, the girl-child, children and men.

We realise that to have a decent society such laws must be in place and I believe that this will ensure greater peace and harmony in the home and public place.

Beyond this, it will enable us to live in peace and live like human beings we were created to be, because many times the instincts in man tend to go against the laws of peace.

By the grace of God, this law will provide enough punishment for all offenders.

I read through it and I am quite pleased with the punishments that have been spelt out for people who will be offenders.

I urge all Delta people to find time to go through it so that they will be guided accordingly.

The punishments are real and severe and I hope and pray that all Delta residents will conduct themselves in such a manner that will not go on the wrong side of the law, Okowa said.

He further said that the local content law would provide opportunities for transfer of skills and technology to the people.
He, therefore, warned host communities against taking the law into their hands.

We believe that there is a need to begin to think about our people and how to strengthen them.

In strengthening them, beyond creating employment for them, the issues of transfer of knowledge and skills to them in places of work, and the need for respect for the communities and our people that they work with, is very important.

This is not just about the oil industry, it includes all industries and business enterprises in the state employing people within the limit of the law.

I believe that this local content law being domesticated in our state is for the good of our state and for our federation, because once Delta is peaceful, it will contribute her quota to national development.

Once the community is peaceful, the state is peaceful, we are contributing our quota towards the development of the country.

It is important that there should be a collaboration between the companies that operate in the state and the people in whatever form the company is operating.

This does not mean that the people should take the law into their hands and start to create bottlenecks for companies. That is not the wish or intent of the law.

I do hope that our people will be cautious and bring whatever complaints they have against the companies to government, he said.

Okowa disclosed that he would present the 2021 Appropriation Bill to the Assembly in the next couple of days.

According to him, the budget would record a contraction, in line with current economic realities.

He said that the state government would continue to work hard to continue the execution of projects, in spite of the economic effects of the pandemic.

Presenting the bills to the governor, the Speaker, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, said that the scope of the bills bothered on violence against persons and the development of local skills, manpower development and transfer of technology by company operators in Delta.

Oborevwori said that the law on persons would effectively regulate the rampant violence against the girl-child and women in society.

It also seeks to provide necessary measures to stop persons from committing crimes related to domestic violence and makes provision for law enforcement officers to effectively carry out their duties in relation to domestic violence by letting victims know their rights, he said.

He said other benefits of the bill, include the prohibition of traditional harmful practices, widowhood maltreatment, female circumcision and genital mutilation.

He said the local content law, which would facilitate the transfer of technology and skills to indigenes by the companies operating in the state, would help to create employment opportunities. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Super Eagles full squad in training camp

By Emmanuel Afonne

Super Eagles Captain Ahmed Musa and Genk FC forward Paul Onuachu have arrived the Super Eagles camp in Austria, to beat the Tuesdays deadline for arrival of players ahead of international friendly with Algeria.

Super Eagles Media Officer Toyin Ibitoye disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday.

He said both players were the last to arrive the teams camp as handler Gernot Rohr who now has a full complement of his players, prepares them for the Friday, Oct.9 encounter against the Desert Foxes of Algeria.

Onuachu was invited lately after Napoli striker Victor Osimhen pleaded to be excused from the two friendly matches due to COVID-19 protocols.

Musa and Onuachu were the last to arrive in the camp, but they participated in Tuesdays evening training, Ibitoye said.

According to him, the team will train twice every day before the match.

Ibitoye also said that all the players and officials in camp passed through the COVID-19 checks to ensure that they were free from the virus.

The Super Eagles are expected to battle the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia on Oct. 13, in their second friendly encounter in Austria. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

COVID-19

By Afusat Agunbiade-Oladipo

Kwara has recorded four new cases of COVID-19, while six patients who tested negative twice have been discharged.

Mr Rafiu Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor and spokesman of the Technical Committee on COVID-19, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Ilorin.

According to him, this brings to 1,049 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 941 patients discharged and 26 deaths.

The total number of tests done so far is 5,906, while we are still expecting 44 pending tests, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Some of the soldiers fighting terrorists in the north-east

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The military says its troops of Operation Sahel Sanity have continued to record tangible achievements in their quest to rid the Northwest of banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping

The Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brig.-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

Onyeuko said the troops had on Sept. 25, smashed a criminal syndicate and recovered 43 cows, six goats and eight sheep in Kurfi Local Government Area of Katsina State.

He said that two dane guns were recovered from the fleeing rustlers during the encounter, adding that the recovered animals had been handed over to their rightful owners.

Onyeuko also disclosed that the troops, deployed at Kauran Namoda in Zamfara, successfully intercepted a herd of suspected rustled cattle while the suspected rustlers fled into the bush abandoning the animals.

He added that troops continued with aggressive patrols of the general area to deny criminal elements freedom of action.

Onyeuko said the troops deployed at Nahuta in Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina on Sept. 26, arrested one Umar Bello for being in possession of two rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition during a stop and search operation.

He added one Ahmadu Rufai, suspected to be a bandits logistics supplier, was arrested on Sept. 27 with one dagger, charms, one bag of groundnut mixed with okro and four bags of millet. He is believed to be taking the products to a bandits hideout.

Onyeuko further disclosed that troops on Sept. 28, rescued two kidnapped victims in different locations, adding that they had been reunited with their families.

According to him, troops on patrol on Sept. 30, arrested a suspected drug peddler, one Yusufa Mai Unguwar Ahaska from Dorayi in Unguwar Doka village in Faskari Local Government Area.

Items recovered from the suspect include substances suspected to be hard drugs. During preliminary investigation, the suspect confessed to selling hard drugs to bandit leaders such as Leko and others.

Earlier on Sept. 29, in reaction to intelligent report on movement of stolen animals on trailers to unknown destination, troops swiftly established a snap check point and intercepted two trucks loaded with 55 cows and 10 sheep.

The arrested drivers and recovered animals have been handed over to appropriate security agencies for further actions, he said.

Similarly, on Oct. 1, troops on routine patrol along Faskari-Yankara road, arrested a suspected bandit informant named Idris Yahaya while spying on troops activities.

Also on the same day, troops deployed at Maigora, arrested one suspected bandit collaborator called Buhari Adamu at Machika in Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State.

During preliminary interrogation, the suspect confessed to have once taken ransom fee to bandits in Madachi Forest.

The Suspects are in custody undergoing further interrogation, he said.

Onyeuko said the troops also rescued four kidnapped victims from Giruwa village of Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina state following artillery bombardments on suspected bandits location at Unguwan-Doka village on Oct. 2.

He disclosed that four of the bandits were killed while others escaped into the forest.

According to him, the vigilant troops, while conducting a stop and search operation, arrested three suspected kidnappers in Musawa Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Items recovered from the suspects include one locally-made gun, three mobile phones and one motorcycle.

To this end, the gallant troops of Operation SAHEL SANITY are commended for the successes so far achieved and their commitment, he said.

Source: NAN News

Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal, Sadique Abubakar

By Yahaya Isah

The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has tasked operation Kashe Mugu 2, air component of operation Thunder Strike (OPTS), to intensify air strikes against bandits and other criminal elements in Kaduna and neigbouring states.

Abubaka disclosed this in a statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, in Abuja.

CAS stated this in Kaduna while assessing the progress of the newly inaugurated operation KASHE MUGU 2, a subsidiary of air interdiction operation aimed at neutralising identified armed bandits in the forests.

He said that it would ensure return of normalcy to the troubled parts of the North-West and North-Central Zones of the Country.

Abubakar, who witnessed the conduct of one of the waves of the attack missions, commended the pilots and support personnel for their efforts and the commendable results so far recorded.

He, however, urged them to sustain the momentum of operations to ensure that there was no hiding place for bandits.

You must continue to work assiduously in synergy with sister services and other security agencies to smoke the criminals out of their enclaves.

And ensure that they are no longer able to stop law-abiding citizens from pursuing their legitimate aspirations, he said.

Abubakar added that the air component would continue to conduct Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions to identify all other camps which would be similarly taken out.

He said that the overall objective was to ensure that Nigeria was secured and that no individual or group, whether terrorists or otherwise, undermines Nigerias sovereignty.

He, however, commended the efforts of the young pilots who conducted the missions.

CAS also noted that due to the ongoing aggressive capacity building efforts in the service, NAF now had a good number of competent young pilots across all its aircraft types.

With officers in their twenties and early thirties being captains on the C-130H aircraft fleet and on aircraft in the Presidential Air Fleet, which was a marked departure from what obtained in the recent past.

Where Air Commodores and AVMs were the only captains on such fleets. Its all about capacity building. Once the capacity is there; the opportunity is given for young people to train and acquire the necessary skills.

Then the sky is the limit and that is what we have seen these young pilots do over the past few years.

Abubakar also inspected facilities at the 061 NAF Aeromedical Hospital as well as infrastructure at the Regiment Training Centre Kaduna. (NAN)

Source: NAN News