DANA Air

Dana Air says it will introduce additional flights between Abuja and Lagos and commenced Lagos to Owerri, Port Harcourt to Abuja beginning from Aug. 28.

Mr Kingsley Ezenwa, the airlines Manager, Media and Communications, made this known in a statement in Lagos on Sunday.

Ezenwa quoted the airlines Accountable Manager, Obi Mbanuzuo as saying the additional flights were due to the feedback from the guests and popular demand for flights at specific times.

The additional Lagos to Abuja flight will depart at 8am, 11.50am, 3.40pm and 5.30pm, while the Abuja to Lagos flight will depart at 9.55am, 1.50pm, 5.30pm and 7.25pm.

Lagos to Owerri will depart at 7.10am, while Owerri to Lagos will depart at 8.45am. Lagos to Port Harcourt will now be at 10.30am while Port Harcourt to Lagos will depart at 3.35pm.

Port Harcourt to Abuja daily flights will be at 12.05pm, and Abuja to Port Harcourt will depart at 1.45pm.

We are also delighted that our guests have embraced the safety measures we have in place for them, Mbanuzuo said.

Mbanuzuo said that for safe and ease of booking and reservation, guests should visit: www.flydanaair.com, download the DANA Air Mobile App on playstore or get social by sending a chat on WhatsApp (07051190363) for booking.

He reiterated that Dana Air was one of Nigerias leading airlines with 18 daily flights to major cities in Nigeria and a total of 9 aircraft in its fleet with a mix of Boeing 737s.

He said the airline is reputed for its innovative online products and services, unrivaled in-flight service and on-time performance.

Source: NAN News

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva

By Sunday Bassey

Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, said the Federal Government had approved the establishment of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), oil and gas logistic Centre in Akwa Ibom.

Sylva gave the hints at a Gala night organised by the Akwa Ibom Government in honour of a delegation of Stakeholders in the oil and gas industry retreat in Uyo on Saturday.

He said the FG would partner the State Government to build a base and the base would be the first in Akwa Ibom.

He urged the governor to set up a team to work with the NNPC in drawing up modalities for the collaboration.

I have the full support of NNPC to announce to you that we are very interested to partner you to build a base here. It will be the first here.

It has also approved immediate establishment of an oil and gas logistics facility in the state, Sylva said.

He noted that the visit was a response to Gov. Udom Emmanuels efforts in maintaining peace and security in the state.

Few concerns were raised on the choice of Akwa Ibom for our retreat, but politics was not part of the consideration.

As we go back, work will start in ernest. Mr President has already helped by signing a free trade zone status for that area.

We went all the way to Ibaka, a very interesting and painstaking journey. Some people in my team were excited because it was a rare experience using the boats, the Minister said.

He said that the Federal Government again commended the governor for his efforts at maintaining peace and security in Akwa Ibom.

Sylva also announced approval for a partnership deal for the establishment of a petroleum depot by Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation.

On the 21 Storey Smart Building being executed by the Governor, he said the NNPC was already considering taking some aspects of the corporation for accommodation in the building.

He explained that President Buhari does not play politics with development, hence his initiatives in Akwa Ibom, despite being a PDP state, and urged for more support to him.

We request that you cooperate with the President so that the weight of governance on him would be lighter, Sylva explained.

Earlier, Gov. Emmanuel expresed appreciation for the planned NNPC oil and gas logistics centre for the state.

Emmanuel proposed that the groundbreaking be done in Sept. to mark the states 33rd anniversary.

He commended the delegation for the stress in going all the way to assess the site at Ibaka.

He also disclosed that President Buhari approved a 50,000 hectares oil and gas free trade zone in Akwa Ibom.

Emmanuel urged the minister to partner the state for the 540 megawatts Qua Iboe Power Plant project.

He further used the occasion to urge the relocation of multinational oil giants, ExxonMobil to its host state.

He added that his administration had built a lot including building a 21 storey intelligence building named Dakkada Towers and housing estates which could effectively serve the company and its workers.

I want the Honourable Minister to make just a statement and ExxonMobil will be here. They are not safer where they are than in Akwa Ibom. Akwa Ibom is peaceful.

We are ready to support the relocation. ExxonMobil is a very difficult corporate citizen but the Minister can give them directive to come here.

They process over 15 billion barrel from our shores and that alone should propel them.

They dont have such excellent production anywhere else in the world, Emmanuel said.

He also expressed his readiness to provide support ranging from land and electricity for an NNPC depot in the state.

Emmanuel faulted the NBS statistics of unemployment for the state and announced that a car assembly and manufacturing plant and other projects gearing up in the state would generate massive employment opportunities for the state.

Source: NAN News

By Suleiman Shehu

The Police Command in Oyo State says it has rearrested Sunday Shodipe, the alleged serial killer who escaped from detention at an Ibadan police station.

The spokesman of the Oyo State Police Command, Gbenga Fadeyi, confirmed the rearrest of Shodipe to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday.

The 19-year-old suspect, accused of killing no fewer than six people in Akinyele Local Govermment Area, was rearrested in the home of his grandmother in Ojoo area of Ibadan.

NAN reports that Shodipe is linked to the murder of Barakat Bello,18; Azeezat Shomuyiwa, 29 and three others in Akinyele Local Government Area of the state.

The police had on Thursday promised a reward of N500,000 to anyone who could provide tangible information leading to the rearrest of Shodipe.

Source: NAN News

Pupils

By Zubairu Idris

No fewer than 33,000 pupils in Primary 1 to Primary 3 have begun learning through radio and television programmes in Katsina State, under the Jolly Phonics project supported by the World Bank.

The Northern Programme Coordinator in the state, Mr Umar Bello, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen on Sunday in Katsina.

According to him, the state radio and television stations have been selected for the programme.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the children would be taught how to pronounce the alphabet, as well as know how to read and write in English Language.

He said that 15 teachers had already been trained on the programme.

Bello said that each of the 15 teachers was expected to teach at least 10 other teachers, who would be Home Support Teachers.

He explained that the home support teachers would be visiting families, helping the children to learn, and even conducting micro teaching in some families for between five and 10 children.

Bello revealed that the aim of the programme was to teach as many pupils as possible in the state.

Owing to the outbreak of COVID-19, the universal learning solution comes out with this project with a view to reaching out to as many children as possible, he said.

He noted that the teachers would carry out an assessment after six weeks of the programme.

Bello, therefore, urged parents to support the project by cooperating with the home support teachers when they visit them so as to achieve the desired objective.

He also urged the home support teachers to dedicate themselves to the assignment with a view to achieving the set goal.

Source: NAN News

Sadiya Umar Farouk

By Rabiu Sani

The Federal Government says it has enrolled over 15 million persons in the National Social Register (NSR), to fast track implementation of the Social Investment Programme.

Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouk, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, stated this during the presentation of food items donated to Nigeria by the ECOWAS Commission, on Saturday in Kano.

Umar-Farouk said: It is worthy to state that at the onset of the pandemic, the National Social Register (NSR) contained data of over 2.6 million poor and vulnerable households, representing over 11 million individuals in the 34 States and the FCT.

With the accelerated registration and rapid expansion, the NSR has as at June 30, grown to 3.7 million, equivalent to 15.5 million individuals in the 36 states and FCT.

She said that the expanded register would facilitate distribution of the donated food items to the targeted population aimed at mitigating the risk of food insecurity in the country.

The minister noted that President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the ministry in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, to carry out various interventions to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on the vulnerable and poor families.

Umar-Farouk disclosed that the ministry had so far distributed 70,000 tonnes of food palliative to the most vulnerable in the society.

She listed the beneficiaries to include refugees; Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), People Living with Disabilities (PLWDs), older persons, trafficked victims, orphans, poor and other Persons of Concern.

The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development coordinates the humanitarian measures of the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ministry has distributed over 70,000 metric tonnes of grains including; rice, maize, millet, sorghum, she said.

Umar-Farouk listed other palliatives distributed to the vulnerable populations to include payment of four months stipend to beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer; loans to traders and market women.

Other palliative include take-home food rations for households of children enrolled in the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme consisting of rice, beans, vegetable oil, palm oil, tomato paste, eggs and salt.

In a remark, Sangare Sekou, ECOWAS Commissioner of Agriculture, Water Resources and Environment, said the Commission donated 3,999 tones of food items to Nigeria for distribution to the vulnerable households.

Sekou said the gesture was part of interventions to mitigate the effect of COVID-19, enhance food security and address associated risks to sustainable development in the sub region.

Also speaking, Alhaji Baba Shehuri, the Minister of State Agriculture, said the ministry had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ECOWAS Commission, to boost food strategic reserve towards addressing challenges of food security in the country.

Shehuri added that the ministry had supplied 70,000 tonnes of food items to the Ministry of Humanitarians Affairs and 5,000 tonnes to the ECOWAS Commission from its strategic reserves.

While commending ECOWAS for the gesture, Shehuri reiterated commitment to partner with ECOWAS to enhance food security in the country.

Source: NAN News

INEC

By Nefishetu Yakubu

The European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday called on the youths in Edo to resist being used for election violence in the state.

Mr Isiaka Yahaya, the electoral administration expert, ECES made the call during a town hall meeting on Youths and Non-Violent Participation in the 2020 Edo Governorship election programme in Benin.

Yahaya said the initiative was to sensitise the youth on the need to take part in the electoral process to guarantee their future.

We are saying that the youths of Edo should not allow themselves to be used as thugs by politicians for their personal political gains.

They should not mortgage their future by allowing politicians to use them as agent for vote buying.

If you take statistics of past election violence, you discover that the youths themselves are mostly the victims, he said.

Yahaya urged the youths to ensure that their opinion reflected in the leadership of the state through their votes come Sept. 19.

According to him, ECES is a non profitable organisation, which delivers electoral assistance to Nigeria and other African countries.

He noted that the centre was committed to strengthening democratic process in Nigeria through the implementation of the EU-SDGN programme.

The Representative of INEC at the event, Mr Sunny Ezumah, Assitant Director, CSO INEC headquarters, Abuja, urged the youths to always put the interest of the state above the ambition of any politician.

It is time for the youths to say no to politicians who will want to lure them to violence during the election, he said.

Ezumah said the commission was committed to ensuring that youths were sensitised to be actively involved in the electoral process in the state.

Also speaking, Cynthia Mbamalu, the programme director of Yiaga Africa called on the people of Edo to come out enmasse to vote, adding that election could only be rigged when there was voters apathy.

Mr Emmanuel Ikubese, the INEC Youth Ambassador (IYA), who also spoke at the event, called on the youths to take advantage of the governorship election to elect the best candidate that would ensure youth development in the state. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

NSE

The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Friday moved 158.62 million shares worth N1.75 billion exchanged in 3,194 deals.

This was in contrast with 179.55 million shares valued at N2.53 billion achieved in 3,055 deals on Thursday.

An analysis of the activity chart indicates that Zenith Bank was the toast of investors as it sold 19.08 million shares worth N321.99 million.

FBN Holdings followed with 17.89 million shares valued at N89.45 million, while GT Bank traded 16.15 million shares worth N408.79 million.

Nigerian Breweries accounted for 9.13 million shares valued at N327.44 million, while Chams sold 8.73 million shares worth N1.78 million.

However, the market capitalisation rebounded further by N9 billion or 0.07 per cent to close at N13.158 trillion against N13.149 trillion on Thursday.

Also, the All-Share Index which opened at 25,204.60 inched higher by 17.27 points or 0.07 per cent to close at 25,221.87.

Nigeria Breweries led the gainers table, gaining N1 to close at N36 per share.

International Breweries garnered 30k to close at N3.60, while Unilever improved by 20k to close at N13.95 per share.

Oando appreciated by 11k to close at N2.35, while University Press also gained 11k to close at N1.24 per share.

On the other hand, Okomu Oil topped the laggards chart with a loss of N1 to close at N79 per share.

Presco trailed with a loss of 50k to close at N51, while UACN lost 35k to close at N5.50 per share.

Guaranty Trust Bank shed 15k to close at N25.10, Dangote Sugar dipped 10k to close at N12.50 per share.

Source: NAN News

CIS, 5 others to float umbrella securities body

By Itohan Abara-Laserian

The Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) has gone into partnership with five frontline professional bodies to float an umbrella body known as the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment of Nigeria (CISI) for capital market growth.

Mr Olatunde Amolegbe, President, CIS, said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

According to the statement, the G-6 coalition, whose other members are the Institute of Capital Market Registrars (ICMR), the Financial Market Dealers Association of Nigeria (FMDA)and the Fund Managers Association of Nigeria (FMAN).

Others are the Association of Issuing Houses of Nigeria (ASHON) and Association of Investment Advisers and Portfolio Managers (AIPM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Amolegbe said that the launch of the CISI had become imperative to bring capital market professionals under a platform with common objectives.

He said that a CISI Bill being sponsored by the Chairman, House Committee on Capital Market, Mr Babangida Ibrahim, sought to replace the CIS Act 105 of 1992 that set up the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers.

As a demonstration of unity of purpose, the G-6 coalition are awaiting the passage into law soon.

By the MOU, the collaboration is not intended to impose legally enforceable obligations against the individual members and does not include financial or other commitment.

However, Parties shall be committed to using their best efforts to achieve collective goals.

The MOU also provides for establishment of a Governing Council of between 25 and 30 members, a stakeholders committee, technical committee, governance committee and transition arrangement for harmonization of all members certifications.

The Chief Executive Officer of the CISI does not have to be a member of the CISI, but membership of CISI may be an added advantage, he said.

Amolegbe commended the members for the foresight which would further globalise their professionalism, as the Bill had historical process and the MoU had strengthened the commitment of the members towards the same ideals.

Mrs Tope Omojokun, the President, Fund Managers Association of Nigeria (FMAN), called on the National Assembly to expedite action on the passage of the Bill.

Omojokun said: We at FMAN identify with CISI Bill . All professionals operate with licenses and coming together shall promote standardisation.

We also urge the National Assembly to expedite action on passage of the Bill to enable the collaboration become effective.

Chief Onyenwechukwu Ezeagu, ASHONs Chairman, according to the statement, was an observer at the MoU signing.

Prince Abimbola Olashore, President, Association of Investment Advisers and Portfolio Managers (AIPM) said that there was need for standardisation in the sector.

Olashore said: We share common goals and there is a need for standardisation to enhance our advocacy. The AIPM subscribes to the ideals of the proposed Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment (CISI) in Nigeria.

Our collaboration will bring about rapid development of the entire financial system. Nigeria is in dire need of funds for infrastructure development.

Substantial part of the fund can be mobilised from the capital market. We implore the National Assembly to hasten the passage of the Bill in the overall interest of the economy, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

President Muhammadu Buhari

By Emmanuella Anokam

The Nigerian Union of Traders Association in Ghana
(NUTAG), under the National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS), has sent a Save Our Soul (SOS), message to the federal Government requesting prompt salvation of their businesses and lives.

They are seeking the Federal Governments intervention in resolving issues bordering on closure of members shops by Ghanaian Authority.

NUTAG made the appeal on Friday in Abuja through a letter it conveyed to President Muhammadu Buhari, jointly signed by NANTS National President, Dr Ken Ukaoha, and NUTAG President, Chief Chukwuemeka Nnaji.

Nnaji recalled that since 2007, thousands of Nigerian citizens trading in Ghana had faced unending harassment, intimidation, general maltreatment and deprivation of economic rights by Ghanaian Government and Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).

He said from then, the Ghanaian government was either acting alone or jointly with GUTA or GUTA alone under the guise of enforcing local investment laws which prohibited petty trading in markets by foreigners to harass Nigerians

According to him, they have often caused grave loss of investments and untold hardship to NUTAG members by embarking on closure of shops belonging to them.

Most of our members have come to Ghana to establish businesses believing in good faith that they are permitted and protected by the ECOWAS laws to freely move and make a living.

But the Ghanaian government seems to believe otherwise and relying on a local investment law (the Ghana Investment Promotion Act 865), has suddenly made it a requirement for each Nigerian trader to bring into Ghana from outside a cash sum of One Million dollars or its equivalent in equity.

The Nigeria trader will pay before being allowed to start a business or to continue doing business in the retail sector in Ghana.

This requirement is beyond the means of the majority of Nigerian traders in Ghana.

Moreover, to many, it makes a nonsense of the supra-nationality of ECOWAS Treaty signed unto by the 15-Member States and which confers Community citizenship on every ECOWAS citizen irrespective of where they are located in the region, he said.

Nnaji said that the Ghanaian government had capitalised on the inability of Nigerian traders to comply with the million capital requirement to carry out frequent attacks on them including closure of shops belonging to mainly Nigerian nationals.

He said this had led to dire economic situation among the Nigerian traders most of whom were fully established in Ghana with their families, some of them even married to Ghanaian nationals.

He asserted that the Ghana authorities had insisted that petty trading was reserved by law solely for the locals.

The enforcement is mainly targeted at Nigerian Traders in Ghana while other foreigners are allowed to freely operate in the same area of trading prohibited for so called foreigners.

By this, it is very clear that the Ghanaian government is flagrantly discriminating
against the Nigerian nationals in its purported enforcement of the so-called
investment laws.

Nonetheless, Ghanaian citizens doing business in Nigeria are moving freely without any iota of molestation or intimidation, he noted.

Nnaji described as a false claim by their hosts that Nigerians were protected and that the exercise was not targeted at them, adding that political and diplomatic solution had thus far failed to solve the problem.

This is absolutely unacceptable. We came to Ghana with friendship. This hardship we have been placed under has been exacerbated in recent times by the severe disruptions caused by COVID-19 pandemic.

Even traders who wish to forego their goods locked up in their shops and escape back to Nigeria from hardship and threat to their lives, are unable to do so as national borders remain closed, he said.

He urged the president to give urgent consideration to its appeal and promptly intervene to avert further suffering and in some cases, deaths of Nigerians.

This has become imperative and urgent so that we may not be pushed to a point where we defend ourselves and our investments with the last drop of our blood.

We are ready to be evacuated alive just like you have done to Nigerian citizens who have faced like traumatic treatment and xenophobic actions/tendencies in other countries of the world, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

COVID-19 updates by NCDC

four deaths were also recorded.

(NAN)

Source: NAN News