Showing posts with label The Sun News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Sun News. Show all posts
APC may cancel Ondo primary

APC may cancel Ondo primary

The All Progressives Congress (APC) may cancel the September 3 governorship primary in Ondo State.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu won the primary which was hotly contested by other aspirants.
Daily Sun gathered yesterday night that the primary may eventually be cancelled “based on the recommendation of two, out of the three members of the Appeal Committee” chaired by Margaret Bendega
For over three hours yesterday, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) met and was initially undecided on whether its September 3 governorship primary in Ondo State should be cancelled based on the Appeal Committee report.
Party leaders failed to reach a decision at an meeting held at its national secretariat in Abuja, yesterday.
But, by yesterday night, indications emerged that the primary may be cancelled.
Last Friday, Bendega comittee submitted its report to the party leadership and Daily Sun gathered that while the party seemed convinced that “the list of delegates used for the primary was ‘tweaked,’ no one was held responsible for the infraction. Besides, the ‘tweak’ was not weighty enough to cancel the entire result.
Another source, however, said the party leaders may take a final decision on the mater. Akeredolu won the primary with Jigawa Governor, Abubakar Badaru as chairman of the Primary Election Committee.
He defeated Segun Abraham and Olusola Oke.
Abraham, has challenged the victory of Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN). His petition is with the Appeal Committee.
The result announced by the Election Committee headed by Jigawa State Governor  Muhammed Badaru Abubakar stated that  Akeredolu scored 669 votes. Abraham polled 635.
Abraham said he was prompted to challenge the result following the emergence of sordid facts on how the process leading to the primary election was manipulated and compromised. After wide consultation with his numerous supporters, Abraham decided to explore the internal mechanism of the party to seek redress.
Another aspirant, Olusola Oke, has also rejected the result, alleging  – like many party chiefs – that the list of delegates was doctored.
A statement signed by the Director-General of Abraham’s campaign organisation Mr Olu Adegboro, reads: “It is no longer news that as a true democrat, imbued with the best spirit of sportsmanship, I congratulated Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, who purportedly emerged as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the September 3rd gubernatorial primary election in Ondo State in the face of palpable disbelief and surprise on the outcome of the primary election by my numerous supporters.
“The news however is that, sordid and staggering facts have since emerged on how the process leading to the primary election was manipulated and compromised. It is now beyond doubt that the delegate list used on the day of the primary election was doctored and strangely injected with a mind blowing number of delegates who are neither executive members of our party nor statutory delegates.
“To say the least, the manipulation of the delegate list, highly skewed accreditation process and the entire processes leading to the conduct of the primary election have cast the darkest stain on the result of the primary election held on the 3rd September, 2016.



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Nurses urge doctors to shelve strike

Nurses urge doctors to shelve strike

Nurses under the aegis of University Graduates of Nursing Science Association (UGONSA) have appealed to the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to shelve its planned nationwide strike.
The association, in a statement, yesterday, said the oath of allegiance “to God and humanity by health workers was sacrosanct” and that “no reason was good enough for anyone to breach it in the name of strike’’.
The association in a statement issued in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State by its National Secretary, Mr Goodluck Nshi, pointed out that innocent Nigerians were unnecessarily being punished each time care delivery was disrupted by industrial action.
“It is, to say the least, inhuman, for anybody to contemplate visiting more hardship on innocent Nigerians…
“Strike breaches our oath of allegiance and should in no way be an option at all in the health system that is very critical  to the lives and general well-being of the populace,” the statement said.
“It is the ordinary Nigerians, who do not have the wherewithal to go abroad for treatment that are unnecessarily punished each time the health sector is grounded by strike.
“We appeal passionately to NARD to have a rethink of its position.
“Strike breaches our oath of allegiance and should in no way be an option at all in the health system that is very critical  to the lives and general well-being of the populace.



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Amadi Doris 07059033190

Amadi Doris 07059033190

UNICEF lobbies for states to ban genital mutilation

UNICEF lobbies for states to ban genital mutilation

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged state governments to have a comprehensive legislation to criminalise female genital mutilation and ensure strict enforcement to serve as deterrent.

Speaking at the launch of “End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting” organised by the wife of Imo Governor, Mrs Nkechi Okorocha, in Owerri on Monday, the Chief of Field Office UNICEF ‘A’, Mr Charles Nzuki, urged the governments to also revisit the Violence against Persons Prohibition Bill.

He said that state governments should further demonstrate political will by ensuring budgetary allocation and release of financial resources through dedicated budget lines in the relevant ministries.

Nzuki said that Imo had the fourth highest mutilation prevalence rate in the country, adding that the programme provided an excellent opportunity for the government and the people, with development partners to end it.

He said that Nigeria must abandon FGM as it was one of the reasons women died during childbirth and suffer from Vesico Virginal Fistula, painful menstruation and sexual intercourse.

Nzuki said that through FGM, women were also exposed to life-threatening infections such as HIV and tetanus, among others.

In his address, Gov. Rochas Okorocha expressed shock that Imo was among the states that had the highest prevalence of FGM.

Okorocha said the country’s constitution abhorred obnoxious practices against women and children.

He said that any cultural and traditional practices that encouraged primitive and unwholesome attitude must be discarded.

Okorocha pledged the support of his government to any move to stop the practice and called on all to rise to the occasion to ensure that Imo was removed from the list of states still practicing FGM.

Bishop Stanford Nwaorgu of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) observed that there was no scriptural backing to female circumcision.

Nwaorgu said the practice was outdated and an act of ignorance and therefore must be stopped.

He said the churches in the state would partner with the governor’s wife to ensure the practice no longer existed.

On her part, Mrs Okorocha appointed the “End FGM Ambassadors” in the 27 local government areas of the state, the 305 wards and 3,523 booth ambassadors.

The Chairman of Imo Traditional Rulers Council, Eze Samuel Ohiri, the Speaker of the Imo assembly, Mr Acho Ihim and the representative of Imo Police Commissioner, Mr Andrew Enwerem, pledged total support to eradication of FGM and enforcement of enabling laws.

(Source: NAN)



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Nigerians on Twitter torment lawmaker over budget scandal

Nigerians on Twitter torment lawmaker over budget scandal

(By Kemi YesufuABUJA)

The budget padding scandal in the House of Representatives took a different twist Monday as embattled former chairman of the Committee on Appropriations Abdulmumin Jibrin received hash criticism on Twitter from Nigerians over reports that he operates a foreign account in contravention of the law.

Trouble started on Twitter, when popular Nigerian activist Kayode Ogundamisi asked the lawmaker for clarification on documents linking him to a foreign account, including the ownership of a property which was used as the address on the account and he replied demanding to know what former would do following the revelation. 

Jibrin tweeted at Ogundamisi, “Oga now that you have found out that I own the property, what’s next”, but when negative reactions started pouring in, the lawmaker denied having any link to the account, saying, “I urge the public to disregard this latest blackmail as the document in circulation is not worth a toilet paper”.

The lawmaker also accused Speaker Yakubu Dogara of sponsoring what he described as propaganda against him through his Deputy Chief of Staff, C.I.D Maduabum, adding he has directed his lawyers to report the matter to the  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the police.

The Speaker’s aide has since denied any connections to NYCN’s allegations, saying, “I formally deny these allegations and denounce it as the hallucinations of deranged psychopath”.

Paragraph 3, Part one of the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution of Nigeria 1999, provides that,  “The President, Vice President, .. Members of the National Assembly and Houses of Assembly of States and such other public officers or persons as the National Assembly May by law prescribe. Shall not maintain or operate a bank account in any country outside Nigeria “

Paragraph 18 of same Schedule provides to the effect that where the code of conduct Tribunal finds a public officer guilty of contravention of any provision of the code of conduct the punishments to be imposed include, vacation of office or seat,  disqualification from membership of a legislative house, seizure of forfeiture of assets or property being proceeds  of such corruption and prosecution  in addition to the above sanctions where the conduct constitutes a crime.

The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) had alleged on Sunday that Jibrin owns and operates a foreign account with ING Bank Channels Island, United Kingdom.

According to the Council’s Head of the Anti Coruption Unit, Ifeanyi Okonkwo, the bank which Jibrin operates an account is located at Forum House, Grenville Street, St-Heller, Jerssy JE2 4UF, Channels Island United Kingdom. 

Okonkwo further alleged that the lawmaker opened the account with his address at 453 Crankbrook Road, Ilford Essex IG2 6EW. He said details of the account statement obtained by some lawyers in the UK indicates that Jibrin has a total £1.558 million pounds (N825 million equivalent) in the account between June 1st 2016 to June 30 2016.

Jibrin, however, withdrew the sum of £623.44 pounds within the one month period bringing the balance in the account to £1.376,193.84 British pounds.



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Ambode sacks LASEMA boss

Ambode sacks LASEMA boss

Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has sacked Mr Michael Akindele, the General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) with effect from Sept. 14, 2016.

The Head, Public Affairs Unit of the agency, Mr Adebayo Kehinde, disclosed in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday in Lagos, that Akindele had been replaced by Mr Tiamiyu Adesina.

Kehinde said that the governor appointed Adesina, as the Acting General Manager of the agency with effect from the same date.

Adesina’s appointment was contained in a letter written by the Head of Service, Public Service Office in the State, Mrs Olabowale Ademola.

Adesina started his career at the Governor’s office, Secretariat, Ibadan in 1982 and later worked in various capacities in both the public and private sectors including the Lagos State Library Board.

He also worked at the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPMN).

Adesina also worked at the National Theatre as an Assistant Chief Marketing Officer/Head of South-South Zone, Calabar, before he retired in May 2016. (NAN)



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