Sabinews Daily Morning News Update for September 15, 2014
National News
Reps to Probe INEC’s Additional 30,000 Polling Units
The House of Representatives is set to probe the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s recent creation of additional 30,000 polling units (PUs) ahead of 2015 polls.
Stakeholders in the polity have expressed divergent views on the development, depending on understanding and where interest lies. Read more
Nigerian Military search for missing jet
The Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, in an electronic mail on Sunday, said the jet, marked NAF 466, disappeared from the radar on Friday.
Olukolade explained that the plane with only two crew members on board “left Yola at about 10:45am on September12, 2014 on a routine operational mission and was expected back by 12 noon same day. Read more
Rumpus over King’s College resumption on September 14
Amid protests by stakeholders over the Sept. 22 resumption date for schools in the country as directed by the Federal Government, the King’s College on Sunday asked some of its pupils to resume school, ostensibly for orientation and leadership classes.
To contain further spread of the EVD, the Federal Government had ordered all public and private primary and post-primary schools closed till September 22, a date many stakeholders still considered early for pupils to return to classes. Read more
Dettol Launches Enlightenment Campaign
As efforts intensify to contain the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), Dettol, the anti-germ protection brand from Reckitt Benckiser has boosted efforts at stemming the spread of the disease with the launch of a countrywide public enlightenment campaign in Nigeria.
The thrust of the initiative, which is in association with the Federal Ministry of Health, is to enlighten Nigerians on all they need to know about Ebola and steps they could take in order to protect themselves against being infected with the disease for which there has yet to be any known cure. Read more
Adesina inaugurates cassava flour mill in Ayede-Ekiti
The Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has inaugurated the first of 35 cassava processing mills in the country in Ayede-Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State with a call on Nigerians to support the cassava bread initiative of the President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government.
Adesina, who was at Ayede community to inaugurate Oamsal Cassava Flour Mill, one of the 35 High Quality Cassava Flour Mills constructed in the country as part of the cassava initiative programme, also announced a grant of N1 million each for small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) that are in the scheme “to improve their infrastructure.” Read more
FG releases N2.1bn for Owerri-P/Harcourt road
The Federal Government has released another N1.2bn for the completion of Port Harcourt-Owerri road, in continuation of the infrastructure development in the South-East.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, said the money had been released to contractors now creating another access in the land. Read more
Rivers govt tackles FG on schools renovation
The Rivers State Government has frowned at moves by the federal government to renovate and construct school blocks in some secondary schools in the state.
Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, Friday, while speaking at Ogu, in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of the state, disclosed plans by the government to uplift the physical structures of state-owned schools. Read more
SURE-P inaugurates scheme for underprivileged in Niger
The Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P) has commenced a pilot scheme of Community Service for Women, especially widows, youths and the physically challenged in Bosso Local Government Area of Niger State with 154 beneficiaries out of the targeted 4,450 beneficiaries. in the 25 local government areas of the state.
The zonal coordinator of SURE-P, Mrs Lami Elizabeth Makama, stated this when the programme was being kicked off at the conference hall of Bosso Local Government secretariat. Read more
Adenuga, Ovia, Bello-Osagie shortlisted for ICT award
President Goodluck Jonathan will be honoured with the award of “Grand Commander of ICT Promoters in Nigeria,” during the ICT Media Centenary conference and awards, slated for October 7, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
At the event to be hosted by the ICT Media Initiative, three eminent Nigerians— chairman of Etisalat Nigeria, Hakeem Belo-Osagie; chairman of Visafone Nigeria Limited, Jim Ovia and the chairman, Globacom, Chief Mike Adenuga, have been shortlisted to vie for “Grand Investor in ICT 4 Development” in the special recognition awards category. Read more
UNDP, youth group train youths on voter registration
With less than six months to the 2015 general elections, political activities in the country have begun to gather momentum. Political parties and groups have begun strategizing on how to woo voters and win elections. On this basis, the United Nations Development Project (UNDP), in collaboration with the Youth initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) and Youth Alliance on Constitution and Electoral Reforms (YACORE) organized a workshop to educate youths on the procedure required to register for a voter’s card and the need to vote for quality leadership. The workshop which took place in Port Harcourt was entitled; “Voter Education training on the 2015 elections, Continuous Voters Registration/permanent Voter Card Distribution.” Read more
Robbers kill bureau de change operator in Kaduna
Robbers, in Kaduna, lured a bureau de change operator, Abdullahi Ibrahim, 35, to an hotel, where they killed him and took his money.
The state police command, on Sunday, however, said it had launched a manhunt for the killers.
Aminu Lawan, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), said the command had commenced investigation into the killing. Read more
Igbo presidency not on our agenda –Ohanaeze
As the nation marches towards the 2015 general elections, the apex Igbo social-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has said that Igbo presidency is not on its agenda.
President General of the organisation, Chief Gary Nnachi Enwo-Igariwey, told Daily Sun in Abuja after a meeting with leaders of Igbo organisations in the 19 northern states and Abuja, that the group was not looking at Igbo presidency in 2015. Read more
Niger Delta will Continue to Push for Increased Derivation, Says Uduaghan
Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, at the weekend declared that the people of the Niger Delta would remain undaunted in their quest for increased derivation from the Federation Account.
Uduaghan observed that the people of the region despite the stalemate on increased derivation at the just concluded National Conference, would continue to push for more funds. Read more
Sabinews News Update on Economy
Ebola: Impact on economic growth insignificant –Okonjo-Iweala
The effect of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in Nigeria is not a threat to the country’s economic growth rate projection, Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Mrs. Okonjo Iweala, has said.
Okonjo-Iweala disclosed this in Lagos at the weekend during an interactive session with the media while on the business visit of the Global Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Unilever, Mr. Paul Polam to Nigeria. Read more
Nigeria is an Exciting Consumer Environment, Says Diageo CEO
Global business leader and Chief Executive Officer of Diageo Plc, Ivan Menezes, has described the Nigerian market as an exceptional and exciting consumer environment, which represents a huge opportunity for the world’s leading premium drinks business and other consumer goods companies.
A statement quoted him to have stated this at a dinner in his honour in Lagos. The event had in attendance, leading lights of corporate Nigeria including the CEO, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Oscar Onyema; CEO, Nigerian Bottling Company, Ben Langat; CEO, Standard Chartered Bank, Bola Adesola; GMD/CEO, Zenith Bank, Peter Amangbo; CEO, UBA, Philip Odozua, among others. Read more
How SON, NAFDAC stall business growth in Nigeria – LCCI-CIPE’s study
For the organised private sector, the intervention of the Federal Government is very auspicious at this critical period to clarify the roles of its agencies whose activities have been identified to be stalling the growth of business in the country.
Its recent study has revealed that regulatory challenges and their attendant costs have been the major factors stifling healthy growth of businesses across several sectors of the Nigerian economy. Read more
Uduaghan: terrorism taking its toll on our economy
Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has said worsening terrorism in the Northeast is taking a toll on the socio-economic life of the country.
The governor spoke yesterday at the second plenary session of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), hosted by the Warri Diocese of the Catholic Church. Read more
Ajaokuta Steel to commence production of iron rods December
After years of waiting, the Light Section Mill (LSM) of the Ajaokuta Steel Company would by December commence the production of iron rods with the arrival of over 100 billets, a core raw material delivered at the weekend.
Though no fewer than 5000 metric tons of billets is required for the initial take off for LSM of the Steel Company to commence commercial production, additional tons have been paid for and would arrive the country, in the next three months, as the supplier has assured of steady supply. Read more
Food import declines from N2.38trn to N1.5trn, says Jonathan
President Goodluck Jonathan has said that the Federal Government is inching towards achieving food security following a decline in food import bill from N2.38 trillion in 2011 to N1.5 trillion in 2013.
The president who declared open the 44th Annual Accountants Conference in Abuja also said that government’s Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) is providing subsidised inputs to farmers via an e-Wallet programme where 10.5 million farmers have been registered and an estimated 6.4 million farmers have received subsidies. Read more
AMCON to take N143bn from banks in 2014 —Report
Though the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) said it has no hand in the collection and spending of the sinking fund, strong facts emerged over the weekend that AMCON’s levy on banks are expected to hit N143 billion by the end of 2014, further strengthening the corporations’ cashflows in the years ahead.
Analyzing AMCON’s Financial year (FY):2013 audited results in a note made available to Nigerian Tribune, a leading investment banking and financial services firm Afrinvest (West Africa) Limited, disclosed that the “bad bank’s” levy on Deposit Money Banks(DMBs) increased by approximately 76 per cent from N54.6 billion in 2012 to N96 billion in 2013. Read more
Regulations Stifling Nigerian Banks’ Earnings
Nigerian banks are currently facing significant earnings-constraining regulations compared to their sub-Saharan African (SSA) peers, a report has shown.
A Lagos-based financial advisory and research company, Renaissance Capital Limited (RenCap) stated this in its latest report titled: “Nigerian Banks -The Cost of Macro Stability,” obtained at the weekend. Read more
Sabinews News Update on Oil and Gas
NCDMB to Spend U.S. $100 Million On Oil and Gas Parks
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is to expend over $100m on its proposed Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks Scheme under which industrial parks will be constructed to boost the country’s oil and gas industry.
Executive Secretary of the Board, Ernest Nwapa, disclosed this at the weekend during the close-out ceremony of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks Scheme Trainee Programme held at the Aridolf Hotel,Yenagoa. Read more
Dawha to Concentrate Efforts on Three-point Agenda at NNPC
The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Joseph Dawha, has said that he is going to channel efforts and resources available to him in achieving three key programmes while he lasts at the helm of affairs of NNPC.
Dawha said yesterday in Abuja that the NNPC under his watch would in the short term focus on ramping up the crude oil production capacity of its upstream subsidiary, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) to 250,000 barrels of crude oil per day (bpd), boost gas supply and expand gas infrastructure to enhance availability of gas for power generation and feedstock for gas-based industries. Read more
Ijaw Youths Invade Chevron’s Oil Facility in Bayelsa, Shut down Operations
In a commando-like operation, Ijaw youths from Koluama community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State yesterday invaded an oil facility belonging to the nation’s second largest oil producing company, Chevron Nigeria Limited, and successfully short down its operations. Read more
World News
Suicide Vests Seized In Uganda Terror Raid
Security services in Uganda say they have foiled an imminent terrorist attack after the seizure of “substantial amounts of explosives” and suicide vests in raids.
Some 19 people were arrested in the police operation, which saw the US embassy warn its citizens to take shelter. Read more
Hurricane Odile makes landfall on Mexico’s Baja
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says the powerful and sprawling Hurricane Odile has made landfall on the southern end of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula.
The center said satellite imagery indicates that Odile’s center made landfall at about 9:45 p.m. PT near Cabo San Lucas. It said at landfall, Odile had estimated intensity of 125 mph. The storm was moving to the north-northwest at 17 mph. Read more
Diplomatic push against IS group
US secretary of state John Kerry has been pressuring allies ahead of a conference today to show a united front, especially from majority-Muslim nations, saying nearly 40 countries agreed to contribute to a worldwide fight to defeat the militants before they gain more territory in Iraq and Syria.
The White House said last night it would find allies willing to send combat forces – something the United States has ruled out – but that it was too early to identify them. The US has so far been alone in carrying out air strikes. Read more
Russia to create anti-crisis fund to aid sanctions-hit companies
Finance Ministry will create a multi-billion dollar anti-crisis fund in 2015 to aid those companies hit by sanctions, Russian news agencies cited Finance Minister Anton Siluanov as saying on Monday.
The money would be made available by blocking for a second year running transfers of funds from the federal budget into the Pension Fund and would also use a sum of money left in this year’s budget. Read more
