Politics

Maj.-Gen. Olayinka Oshinowo, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, on Saturday urged residents of Anambra to volunteer information on criminals in the area. Oshinowo made the appeal at the 2012 West African Social Ac...

The Kwara Government on Friday, presented a cheque for N1.69 million to the state council of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) as insurance premium for members of the union. Presenting the cheque in Ilorin, Prince Tunji Moronfoye, the state Commissio...

Deputy speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, John Shekarau, chief whip, Golu Timothy and deputy chief whip, Ado Adere and five other members of the Assembly, are to appear before the Disciplinary Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP...

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has again deregistered three more political parties. In a statement issued yesterday by its Secretary, Abdullahi Kaugama, INEC listed the affected parties as African Renaissance Party (ARP), National...

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the constitution of the Board of Directors of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). It is headed by former Minister of Works, Chief Tony Anenih, while Chief Florence Ita Giwa is the vice chairman.  Other memb...

The decision of Governor Murtala Nyako to ban political activities in Adamawa State ahead of the December 27, 2012 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) state congress, is causing ripples within the party. The congress is being organised by the Ambassador Uma...

Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and governor of Rivers State, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday postponed the presentation of 2013 Appropriation Bill before the State House of Assembly as a sign of honour to those killed in th...

The Lagos State Police Command said on Friday that the force had made adequate security arrangements ahead of the Christmas and New Year festivities.  

The command announced that special security strategies have been evolved to secure public places, including worship centres, markets, departmental stores, parks, gardens and event venues during the period.  

DSP Ngozi Braide, spokesperson of the command, disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.  

``Tight security is in place, as well as intensified motorised patrols, while undercover operatives have been deployed to strategic places all over the state," Braide said.  

The spokesperson added that the command, in collaboration with the FRSC, had designed measures to ensure the safety of residents and motorists on the highways during the period.  

He expressed happiness that the ban on the operation of commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, on highways by the state government had drastically reduced the crime rate by about 90 per cent.  

``The ban on Okada has contributed to the reduction of armed robbery by 90 per cent. This is because the  command has witnessed a drastic drop in robbery cases .

``Kidnappings too have been reduced as a result of the ban, because after abduction, the victims are usually moved around on Okada.  

``Most of the places where they keep their victims are not motorable and are far from the metropolis," she said.  

Braide added that the kidnap victims have also been spared the trauma of using commercial motorcycles to get to their final destinations.  

She, however, called on members of the public to always be on the alert and report the movements of suspicious persons or groups to the nearest police station. (NAN)

The National Secretary of the Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP), Dr Sadiq Umar Gombe has advised President Goodluck Jonathan not to mortgage the  sovereignty of the country  by soliciting the assistance of United States in tackling insecuri...

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as patriotic, the speedily passage of the 2013 budget by the National Assembly. The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh said the action of the National Assembly...

The Controller General of Nigerian Prisons, Mr  Zakari Ohinoyi, on Thursday criticised the discriminatory acts against ex-convicts in the country.

Ohinoyi said this at the Imo Prisons Inmates Day, tagged ``The Forgotten People'', which the Nigerian Prison Service jointly organised with the International Prison Chaplain Association of Nigeria (IPCA).

Represented by his deputy Mr Hassan Labo, the controller said discriminating against ex-convicts negated the reformation reason for their incarceration.

``The aim of jailing these people is to reform them, after which they are released back into the society to continue their lives as law abiding citizens.

``When society shuns them and people refuse to employ them because of the stigma of having once been in jail, they turn back to crime and the vicious cycle continues.

``This sabotages our efforts at reforming these prisoners," he said, while urging the people to assist the prisons service to improve the welfare of inmates.

On congestion in prisons, the he said that some of the inmates had remained in detention because of their inability to pay fines.

``Some of the inmates languishing in these prisons are here because they cannot afford to take the option of fine, which may even be as little as N10,000.

``Those cases should be looked into so that these people can be released and the prisons decongested.’’

Ohinoyi presented sewing machines, irons, hair dryers, generators, carpentry and masonry equipment, to some former inmates to enable them to start up businesses.

The Imo Controller of Prisons, Mr Greg Adimfono, also called for the rehabilitation of remand homes for underage offenders.

He said this would help in their reformation as having them in the same facilities with hardened offenders would influence them negatively.

The Commandant-General of IPCA, Rev. Amaeze Ogbonna, said the association would start a rehabilitation programme to teach skills to former inmates.

Gov. Peter Obi of Anambra on Thursday canvassed the support of citizens to ``kick out polio’’ and other childhood killer diseases from the state. Obi made the call at Umueri General Hospital in Anambra East Local Government Area a...

Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun has congratulated Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, for emerging the first recipient of the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership.

The governor said In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media,  Mrs Funmi Wakama, in Abeokuta on Thursday that Soyinka deserved the award.

He described Soyinka as an “embodiment of integrity, credibility, courage, selflessness, accountability, tenacity of purpose, among others.

“Soyinka has spent his entire adult life leading the crusade for a just and united society, founded on the sanctity of the rule of law and press freedom.

"He has continued to use the arts as a tool of social re-engineering,” the  governor said.

Amosun also congratulated the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation for instituting the prestigious biennial national award.

He said that his administration would continue to follow the footsteps of  Awolowo, who was the Premier of the defunct Western Region.

“With the single-minded commitment with which we are pursuing our mission to rebuild Ogun, the landmark development witnessed in the old Western Region is now within our reach and attainment in our dear state,” he said.

He wished Soyinka many more years of meritorious service to the nation. (NAN)

The Kogi Government says it will soon domesticate the Child Rights Act to enhance its application for proper upbringing of children.

Mrs Patience Mameh, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja that government had put in place measures that would popularise the Act.

She said that the upbringing of children should be premised on their guaranteed fundamental rights to check abuse and traumatising of children.

Mameh said that it was against this backdrop that the ministry recently held its maiden sitting of the "Children's Parliament" to develop skills for good governance and responsible citizenship among the children.

She said that among resolutions reached at the sitting was the need for government to urgently direct the appropriate ministry to commence formation and inauguration of the Local Government Child Rights Law implementation committees.

It was also resolved that the Education and Women Affairs Ministries should collaborate and include sex education in primary and secondary schools' curricula.

The commissioner commended the Transformation Agenda of Gov. Idris Wada, and said that it was gender sensitive.

Mameh also commended the states' Chief Judge, Justice Nasiru Ajanah, for his promise to inaugurate the pilot scheme of "Family Court" in Ankpa, Idah, Anyigba, Kabba, Lokoja and Okene.

She also lauded the creation of the Child Protection Network under the office of the First Lady of the state, Hajiya Halima Wada and said that women and children now had a voice in Kogi. (NAN)

A commercial bus driver, who allegedly stole a Volkswagen bus valued at N750, 000, was in Lagos on Thursday charged before an Apapa Chief Magistrates’ Court. The accused, Godspower Dikeocha, 30, whose address is unknown, is standing trial on...