SABINEWS EVENING NEWS UPDATE FOR DECEMBER 17, 2015
Ambode presents 2016 budget of N662.588BN to Lagos Assembly
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday presented the Year 2016 Budget proposal of N662.588billion to the House of Assembly, with a pledge that his administration will not only implement the budget faithfully, but also ensure that it works in the best interest of Lagosians. The Governor who christened the 2016 budget “The Peoples Budget” said it is an improvement of 26 percent over the budgets of 2014 and 2015 respectively which stood at N489.6 Billion individually. Read more
We will focus on price modulation, not subsidy removal – Kachikwu
The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, said the Federal Government would focus on price modulation of petroleum products to ensure efficiency and provision of the products. Kachikwu said this while addressing newsmen on Thursday in Abuja. He said the price modulation had nothing to do with the removal or existence of subsidy. Read more
WAEC releases Nov/Dec WASSCE results
The West African Examinations Council, WAEC, yesterday in Lagos released November/December 2015 WASSCE results, concealing the statistical data of candidates who scored five credits in English Language and Mathematics. Announcing the results at its head office at Yaba, the new appointed Head of National Office , HNO, Nigeria, Mr Olutise Isaac Adenipekun said:”Of the 237,154 candidates that sat the examination, 79,490 candidates, representing 33.51% obtained 6 credits and above.” Read more
Nullification of my election a temporary setback, says Governor Wike
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has described the nullification of his election as a temporary setback, saying that God’s will and the mandate of the people will prevail at the end of the day. Addressing thousands of Rivers State people who thronged the Port Harcourt International Airport to receive him on Thursday, Governor Wike urged the people to remain peaceful as the state remains PDP despite the contrived situation at present. Read more
Teenager nabbed for alleged hacking of bank accounts, stealing N850,000
A 19-year-old, Chukwudi Oludiniwa, on Thursday appeared in a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos for allegedly hacking into two bank accounts, stealing N850,000. He is facing a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, fraud and stealing.
According to the prosecutor, Insp. Francisca Okere, the accused and one other at large committed the offences on Dec. 15 at Stanbic IBTC Bank, Ketu branch. Read more
Fire consumes properties worth billions in Imo
Properties running into billions of Naira have cumulatively been consumed by fire, following the reported inability of Imo State Fire Service to promptly deal with such emergencies. Only recently, all the occupants of a building along Royce Road, Owerri, lost their hard-earned properties, including certificates, historical artifacts, jewelries and other precious personal effects, to a raging fire. Read more
Buhari pays tribute to ECOWAS founding fathers
President Muhammadu Buhari has praised past and current leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for their contributions to the development of the sub-region to its present enviable status. President Buhari, who made the commendation at the 40th anniversary of ECOWAS in Abuja on Thursday, expressed gratitude to the founding fathers of the Community. Read more
We await Jagaban to decide our fate – Obasa
Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Mudashiru Obasa practically turned the presentation of the 2016 Budget by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to an opportunity to make members of the public know some inner workings of his political party and racked some expensive jokes. Read more
WhatsApp banned in Brazil
As Nigerians tackle the Senate on plans to pass a social media bill, residents of Brazil are facing a challenge of their own.
A court in the South American country today ordered cellular service providers to block WhatsApp for two days. The AFP reported that the unprecedented blockage of the smartphone application was to implement a Sao Paulo state court order. Read more
Fear of fetish objects force LASU Admin, Senate buildings locked for 9 months
The fear of objects alleged to be “Juju’’ or charms has continued to keep the Lagos State University Administrative and Senate buildings under lock-and-key, as well as deserted for the past nine months now. The buildings which house the office of the V-C and other principal officers of the institution had been shut since March 16.
The alleged charms were said to have been found around the buildings sequel to a rift between the former Vice-Chancellor, Prof. John Obafunwa and the four staff unions of the university. During the rift, the unuions were insisting that the then Vice Chancellor, Prof. Obafunwa should throw-in the towel. Read more
A meal a day programme in schools begins 2016 – Ambode
Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Thursday said that the government’s “A-Meal-a-Day” programme in the state’s Public Primary schools would commence in 2016. Ambode said this while presenting the year 2016 budget proposal to the Lagos State House of Assembly.
The governor presented a budget proposal of N662.58 billion. Ambode said that the programme would be done in collaboration with the Federal Government, which would provide 60 per cent of the funding. He said that the state government would provide the remaining 40 per cent. Read more
Troops arrest suspected militants, recover arms, dynamites
Troops of the Joint Force in the Niger Delta, Operation Pulo Shield, have arrested suspected militants and pipeline vandals during their operations in the region.
They also said they recovered guns and ammunition including powerful explosives which the suspects allegedly used to blow off pipelines. The arrested suspects and the recovered arms and ammunition were paraded at headquarters of the OPS on Opolo Road, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, on Thursday. Read more
A’Court to rule on APC’s appeal against Okowa’s victory
The Benin Division of the Court of Appeal has reserved judgment in the appeal by the All Progressive Congress seeking to upturn the verdict of the tribunal which upheld the declaration of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa as the winner of the April 11, 2015 governorship election in Delta State.
The Justice Uwani Abba-Aji led five-man appellate court panel reserved judgment on Thursday following adoption of final written addresses by the parties. Read more
Man, 42, arraigned for stealing 26 crates of beer
A driver, Jude Okere, 42, was on Thursday arraigned in an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly stealing 26 crates of Orijin Beer worth N425,500.
Okere, who resides at No. 11, Ogunmuyiwa St., Sango-Ota, Ogun State, is facing a charge of stealing. The prosecutor, Sgt Joseph Ajebe, told the court that the offence was committed on Oct. 7, at about 8.00p.m., at Cryslad Nigeria Ltd, located at Sakamori Camp, Agege, Lagos. Read more
MTN to challenge huge Nigerian fine in Lagos court
South African telecoms giant MTN said Thursday it would launch a court challenge against the $3.9 billion fine that Nigeria has ordered it to pay by December 31 for failing to disconnect unregistered users.
Nigerian authorities ordered unregistered SIM cards to be deactivated for security reasons, as the country battles Boko Haram Islamists as well as criminality, especially kidnapping for ransom. Read more
CNPP condemns exclusion of parties in Ekiti council poll
With barely twenty four hours to the conduct of the Saturday’s local government election in Ekiti State, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has claimed that the results of the poll are already predetermined.
Reacting to the revelation of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) Chairman Justice Kayode Bamisile’s revelation that five political parties would field candidates, the CNPP said the electoral agency cannot be relied upon to deliver a credible, free and fair council poll. Read more
Ondo community in disarray over discovery of beheaded body
Residents of Amese, in Akure, the Ondo State Capital were Thursday thrown into pandemonium following the discovering of a beheaded body in the community.
Sources said, the yet to be identified body was found by some worshipers on Wednesday morning beside a mountain where they used to pray. Read more
Siasia considering Ighalo, Musa for Olympics
Olympic Team Coach, Samson Siasia, has hinted he is looking at the possibility of getting Super Eagles skipper, Ahmed Musa and striker Odion Ighalo to feature at next year’s Olympics as overage players.
FIFA allows three over age players to feature at the Olympics, africanFootball.com reports. Read more
JTF arrest three militants, vandals in Delta
Troops of Operation Pulo Shield (OPS), formerly known as Joint Task Force (JTF) have nabbed three suspected militants and vandals following a raid on active camps located in the creeks of Delta State.
The troops also recovered explosives identified as dynamites and cache of arms from the suspected militants and vandals who operated along the Benin River and adjoining creeks in Itagbene, Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State. Read more
Millions of Bangladesh garment workers at risk, despite safety efforts – report
Only a quarter of the thousands of factories in Bangladesh making apparel for export are protected by new industry safety programmes, a report said on Thursday, leaving almost 3 million workers vulnerable to labour abuses and dangerous conditions.
Bangladesh’s garment export industry, the world’s second biggest, is in the midst of a massive safety overhaul after the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in 2013, which killed more than 1,100 workers, most of them low-paid seamstresses. Read more
U.S. Republican Carson cancels Africa trip, citing security concerns
Republican U.S. presidential candidate Ben Carson canceled a trip planned for later this month to Africa that would have taken him to Nigeria, Kenya and Zambia due to what his campaign on Thursday called significant security concerns.
Campaign spokesman Doug Watts confirmed that the trip, scheduled for after the Christmas holiday next week, has been canceled. The campaign did not offer details about the nature of the security concerns. Read more
Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli suspected of tax evasion
Ms Refaeli is accused of failing to report millions of dollars in income earned abroad and tens of thousands of dollars in “celebrity benefits”.
On Thursday, a court agreed to release her on $193,000 (£129,000) bail.
Ms Refaeli, who denies committing any offence, must also seek the permission of the authorities if she wishes to leave Israel and pay a $64,000 bond. Read more
Egyptian court sentences 275 people involved in post-Morsi protests
An Egyptian military court has jailed 275 people for alleged violence following the violent dispersal of two protest camps in support of ousted President Mohamed Morsi in 2013, a judicial source has said.
The court slapped 237 people with a life sentence each on charges of killing a policeman and attacking a police station in the Upper Egyptian province of Assuit, the source told Anadolu Agency. Read more
Russia backing Syria opposition fighting IS, Putin insists
President Vladimir Putin insisted Thursday that Russian forces in Syria are providing air support to some of the opposition groups fighting Islamic State, as global powers prepare for a new round of peace talks.
Addressing an annual news conference in Moscow, Putin said Russia was cooperating with the United States over Syria. Read more
Germany closes mosque over violence promotion
Reinhold Gall, German’s Interior Minister of Baden-Wuerttemberg State, said a mosque in southern Germany had been shut down for promoting violence. He said in Stuttgart (Germany), on Thursday that the Islamic Educational and Cultural Centre’s (MSM) premises were raided after authorities found it had been promoting violence and raising money for terrorist organisations. Read more
