Category: General News

Minister of Communications Adebayo Shittu has sued the All Progressives Congress(APC)  for disqualifying him as a governorship aspirant in Oyo state on account of not presenting  the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme discharge certificate.

He claimed  it was wrong for APC to disqualify him from the governorship primary election  for not presenting the certificate.

He asked the court to declare  that the submission/presentation of NYSC Discharge Certificate to APC is not part of the requirements for him to participate in the primary election for Nomination of Governorship candidate of the party in Oyo State for the 2019 General Election.

He insisted that he went through the screening and security checks and was certified fit and qualified to be appointed as a minister.

He said participation in NYSC Scheme is not a condition precedent to be satisfied before he was appointed a minister.

He faulted the NYSC for not mobilising him for the scheme.

In the writ by his counsel, Mr. A.U. Mustapha( SAN), the embattled minister asked the court to determine five issues. They are:

*”whether by the provision of Section 2(1) of the National Youth Service Corps Decree No. 24 of 1973 and/or any other provision of the Decree being the law in force as at 1978 when the Plaintiff graduated at the University of Ile-Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) he was under any legal obligation to have warranted the plaintiff’s participation in the National Youth Service Corps in the absence of a call-up instrument duly served on the Plaintiff by the National Youth Service Corps.

*”whether, by the combined reading of Sections 176-183 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria [as Amended] and Article 20(iii) & (iv) of the Constitution of the All Progressive Congress; it is a condition that the gubernatorial aspirant of the 1st Defendant (APC) and/or any political party for that matter in Nigeria must present the National Youth Service Corps Discharge/Exemption Certificate;

*”Whether it is ultra vires the powers of the 1st defendant to have disqualified the plaintiff from participating in its primary election for nomination of the governorship candidate of the 1st defendant in Oyo State for the 2019 General Election on the ground that the plaintiff does not possess National Youth Service Corps Discharge/Exemption Certificate;

*”Whether it does not amount to denial of fair hearing as enshrined in Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution of as amended for the 1st defendant to have purportedly disqualified the Plaintiff from contesting for governorship election in Oyo State under the platform of the 1st defendant without availing the Plaintiff an opportunity to be heard on the allegations that the plaintiff avoided the National Youth Service Scheme; and

*”whether by the combined reading of the provisions of Sections 147(5), 65(1)(b) & (2), 66 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 12 of the National Youth Service Corps Act, Cap N84 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, the plaintiff was qualified to have been appointed as a Minister capable of holding the office, and/or any other governmental office at any level notwithstanding the fact that he did not participate in the National Youth Service Corps Scheme.”

In an affidavit which he personally swore to, the 65-year old minister said: “I was liable but not obligated to have participated in the National Youth Service Corps Scheme both at the time I graduated from the said University and as at the time I was called to the Nigerian Bar.

“ I know as a fact that no “call-up instrument” was served on me as at 1978 when I graduated from the said University by the National Youth Service Corps to have warranted my participation in the scheme.

“I know as a fact that I was also not served any Notice or notified in any manner to proceed to participate in the National Youth Service Corps Scheme.

“I know as a fact that participation in the National Youth Service Corps programme is not one of the requirements to be satisfied under the 1st Defendant’s constitution to enable me participate in the primary election for Nominating the party flag bearer for the office of Governor of Oyo State in the 2019 General Election. A copy of the Constitution of the 1st Defendant is hereby attached and marked as “Exhibit SHITTU 8”.

“I also know as a fact that under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended) it is not a requirement for me to have participated in National Youth Service Corps Scheme to be eligible for participation in the 1st Defendant’s primary election for Nomination of its flag bearer in Oyo State for the 2019 General election.

“ I know also as a fact that the Electoral Act 2010 [as Amended] did not make participation in the National Youth Service Corps Scheme a condition precedent for contesting any elective office whatsoever.

“I know also that participation in NYSC Scheme is not one of the requirements to enable me take part in primary election for Nomination of the 1st Defendant’s flag bearer for the office of Governor of Oyo State in the 2019 General election.”

TUNJI OLANIYI

The campaign structure of Mr. Jimi Agbaje, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship Candidate for Lagos State, has appointed a former lieutenant of the Late Engineer Funso Williams to oversee operations as its Director of Organisation. (more…)

Basic Registry and Information System of Nigeria (BRISIN) says it has commenced public awareness creation on the first phase of its programme in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Dr Anthony Uwa, the Head of BRISIN, made this known at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja.

BRISIN, an integrated system for the collection, storage and distribution of information to support the management of the country’s economy, was conceived during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime.

Uwa said that though the technical committee for implementation of the programme was inaugurated by former President, Goodluck Jonathan, actual implementation is now being undertaken by the Buhari administration.

He said BRISIN had conducted digital mapping of FCT wards, people living in the city and their culture, among others.

“We have done a digital mapping of Nigeria but FCT mostly; we know where the wards are, the people that are living in the city and their culture.

“What we need now is to start the system data collection, distribution and to have the infrastructure in place.

“BRISIN has come to stay in Nigeria and it will work, notwithstanding doubts expressed in some quarters, because the Federal government is taking a stand to ensure its success,” he said.

According to Uwa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is planning a sensitisation meeting on BRISIN for all foreign missions in Nigeria and international organisations to aid understanding of the programme.

He said the technical committee coordinating the project was putting measures in place to address issues of bureaucracy to ensure speedy implementation in Ministries, Departments and Agencies. (NAN)

The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says Egypt remains the top destination of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa.

UNCTAD in its “Investment Trends Monitor H1 2018’’ reports FDI has dropped 41 per cent in the first half of the year to $470 billion.

This was from $794 billion in the same period in 2017.

The report indicates that Egypt remains Africa’s largest recipient of foreign investment — up almost a quarter — compared with the first half of 2017.

In Western Africa, the data indicates a 17 per cent fall in investment in the first half of the year, from $5.2 billion to $4.3 billion.

The UN agency’s report, however, suggested the negative trend could be turned around by advances in regional integration, including an African Continental Free Trade Agreement.

The fall in foreign direct investment happened mainly in richer nations, including Ireland (down $81 billion) and Switzerland (down $77 billion).

Developing economies saw FDI flows declining “only slightly” in the first half of the year by four per cent to $310 billion, compared with 2017.

This includes developing Asia — down four per cent — to $220 billion – in the same period, driven mostly by a 16 per cent decline in investment in East Asia.

However, China, was the largest recipient of FDI in the first half of 2018, attracting more than $70 billion.

Latin America and the Caribbean saw a six per cent drop in investment, amid uncertainty over upcoming elections which were offset by higher commodity prices, UNCTAD said.

This downward trend was blamed partly on the “volatile global economic environment” and mixed commodity prices.

UNCTAD’s Director, Division on Investment and Enterprise, James Zhan, said overall the global financial picture was “gloomy”.

Zhan explained that foreign direct investment was important because it gave countries access to external capital, technology, market access and tax contributions.

UNCTAD said the development was mainly owing to recent tax reforms in the U.S., which have encouraged big firms there to bring home earnings from abroad — principally from Western European countries.

Zhan said the agency had warned in early January that there was “about $2 trillion of stock in the form of cash or in the form of reinvested earnings of retained earnings outside the U.S.”.

The UNCTAD’s official said the agency also warned that the $2 trillion might be repatriated in some form, following wholesale tax reform.

“And indeed, it’s happening. We have seen that outward FDI from the U.S. was from $147 billion last year to a negative $247 billion this year,” Zhan added.

He said, however, that other factors had contributed to the 2018 “huge difference in repatriation” of overseas profits by U.S. multi-nationals.

These included uncertainty about the detail and impact of tax reform and the potential impact of unresolved international trade disputes.

The tit-for-tat tariffs imposed by the U.S. and China, was also another factor, the UNCTAD official said.(NAN)

Smartphones might slowly replace the need for professional cameras, photographers say.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the debate between smart phones and cameras ensued during a panel session at the Abuja International Photo Festival on Tuesday.

In the session tagged “The future of photography: Are smart phone cameras a threat to DSLR?”, panelists Don Barber, Khalid Abdul and Amina Saleh noted that smartphone cameras are catching up and cannot be overlooked.

Abdul, who started out professional photography with a smartphone, said that phone companies are working hard to make their cameras more preferred than the professional cameras.

He however noted that although the threat of smartphones is looming over the business, they haven’t conquered the affordability problem yet.

“Not every smartphone can do the job and it cost a lot of money to get a smartphone that can take good pictures; the price of a good smartphone is almost the same as a professional camera.

“To get a good smartphone is almost the same price as a DSLR. I believe that there is still a journey for the smartphones but they will get there soon,” Abdul said.

Similarly, Saleh, who takes more pictures with smartphones, said that smartphones are a convenient alternative to professional cameras.

She said: “It is more convenient to take pictures with your phones, especially in a hostile environment where the photographer doesn’t want to it obvious that a picture is being taken.

“If DSLRs keep on being expensive, smartphones will take over. They are working hard on better picture quality and other photography features,” Saleh said.

She added that although professional camera fanatics might want to ignore the possibilities of smartphones taking over, they need to familiarise themselves with the growing technology.

Meanwhile, ace photographer, Don Barber pointed out that the term ‘photographer’ should not be used loosely because of the availability of smartphone cameras.

According to him, smartphone cameras are here to stay but they cannot take away the importance of professional cameras.

“The term ‘photographer’ is not the equipment. It is the vision and the job. So, regardless of the equipment used, a photographer will always differ from a phone user.”

NAN reports that the ongoing Abuja International Photo Festival will continue to lead conversations on the application of photography to socio-economic development. (NAN)

Zenith Water Project has urged the Federal Government to ensure the treatment of water sources in communities affected by cholera outbreaks to improve water quality and curb spread of the disease.

Mr Nicholas Igwe, the Managing Director of the non-governmental organisation, made the call on Wednesday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

He stressed that the government should strive to curb the spread of cholera by treating the communities’ water sources, while preventing new outbreaks of the disease.

He, however, noted that the provision of water was not enough in efforts to eradicate cholera, adding that the focus of water supply programmes should also be on ensuring water quality and providing water treatment plants.

“We lack quality water, this challenge is the same everywhere; so, we have to ensure that we provide adequate water treatment systems.

“We, as an NGO, often examine the water quality of an area and then, we provide water systems that will deal with the water challenges facing that particular the area,’’ he said.

Igwe described the whole idea of spending a lot of money on the management of cholera outbreaks, while the residents of affected communities still patronised the same water sources, as worrisome.

He underscored the need to sensitise the people to the dangers of drinking unsafe water, saying that the government should also ensure the provision of quality water for the citizens.

“It is only clean and quality water that sustains life; the fact that some water is clear does not necessarily mean that the water is clean,’’ he said.

The managing director said that one of the primary roles of Zenith Water Project was to execute sustainable water projects aimed at treating the water sources of the rural areas affected by cholera outbreaks.

He added that the NGO would also ensure the provision of safe water in the neighbourhoods, while educating the residents on the health implications of drinking unclean water.

“Although Zenith Water Project is a private sector company, the group has been working with the government and other agencies in promoting water quality across the country,’’ he said.

Igwe noted that his organisation, a member of the Sanitation Water for All (SWA), had been working with other stakeholders under the auspices of UNICEF, to achieve a synergy among all partners involved in water and sanitation programmes.

“The purpose of Zenith Water Project working together with other stakeholders is to tackle the challenges that may crop up from the people’s lack of access to water and sanitation facilities,’’ he said.

Igwe urged other private sector organisations to work closely with the three tiers of government in efforts to sensitise Nigerians to the importance of good sanitation.

He noted that water-borne diseases and infections associated with poor sanitation were the leading causes of death the world over.

He added that these infections had larger consequences on the socio-economic growth of countries.

“It is important for the private sector organisations to begin to work closely with the various levels of government to ensure attainment of Goal Six of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),’’ he said.

NAN reports that Goal Six of the SDGs calls for the provision of clean water and sanitation for all people. (NAN)

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State has urged media practitioners not to disappoint Nigerians in helping them make wise choices in the 2019 general elections.

Mr Sam Olumekun, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), INEC in Lagos State, made the appeal on Tuesday at the 2018 Press Week of the Radio Lagos/Eko FM Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ikeja.

Olumekun, who was the guest speaker at the second day of the week-long event, described the media as important stakeholders in the electoral process.

He spoke on “2019 General Elections: The Media and the Challenges of Objective Reporting”.

The REC, represented by Mr Femi Akinbiyi, the Public Relations Officer of the Commission in Lagos, said the media’s role in the success of elections was very critical.

“May I urge journalists, noble members of the fourth estate of the realm who are very important stakeholders of the electoral process and partners of INEC, to truly function as unbiased professionals.

“You are expected to enlighten, inform and educate Nigerians about the electoral process and also to mobilise the citizenry to actively and conscientiously turn out en masse to vote for credible candidates.

“Your duty is not just restricted to providing debate and marketing platforms for political parties and candidates to publicise their political programmes and ideologies.

“You also have the responsibility to set agenda for discussions on general elections that will enlighten the citizens for the making of informed and wise choices during the general elections,” Olumekun said.

The commissioner, who noted that INEC had mapped out guidelines to proficiently govern its electoral operations, urged journalists to read, adapt and understand the guidelines.

Olumekun said the commission was determined to deliver free, fair and credible elections in 2019.

He urged media practitioners to be conversant with the Electoral Act and adhere strictly to provisions on INEC code of conduct for journalists in all editorial operations.

The REC advised the media to make concerted efforts at upholding and abiding by the code of conduct for objective reportage, so as not to set the nation on fire.

He urged the media regulatory bodies to apply the rules and sanction any media house that functions against the ethics of the profession.

In his address, Dr Qasim Akinreti, the Lagos NUJ Chairman, stressed the need to entrench right to association, rule of law, press freedom and right to reply, to deepen Nigeria’s democracy.

Akinreti said right to association had helped in the forming of political parties and pressure groups.

“Now over 90 political parties have been registered by INEC,’’ he said.

Earlier, Mr Olanrewaju Olatunbosun, the Chairman, Radio Lagos/Eko FM Chapel, NUJ, said that the essence and significance of journalists and journalism could neither be underestimated nor overemphasised in any society.

“In spite of the enormity of hazards that go with the practice of journalism all over the world, Nigerian journalists have distinguished themselves in many ways, even in international competitions,” he said.

Olatunbosun said Nigerian journalists had proved to be up to the task, urging that they be accorded respect.

He, however, listed disregard to rule of law, molestation and poor remuneration, among others, as factors militating against smooth operation of journalists in Nigeria.

In her goodwill message, Mrs Ayo-ola Shotonwa, General Manager, Radio Lagos/Eko FM, urged journalists to be ethical and professional while performing their duties. (NAN)