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  • Ekiti workers to receive better welfare package – Fayemi promises

    The Ekiti governor-elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi, on Sunday assured all the workers in the state that his administration would make their welfare a top priority and not pay lip service to it.

    Fayemi gave the assurance at a news conference held at the party’s secretariat in Ado-Ekiti.

    He promised to pay all outstanding salaries and assured the civil servants that their subsequent salaries would be paid as and when due.

    He also promised to turn around the fortunes of Ekiti and set a standard for other governors in the country to emulate.

    The governor-elect said that in the past three and a half years, the civil servants in the state had been suffering to even feed their families not to talk of paying their children school fees.

    “I want to assure Ekiti workers that I am going to pay all their outstanding salaries and make life comfortable for them and their families.

    “My re-election as the governor-elect of ?Ekiti state was not accidental, but divine intervention from God.

    “I want all the civil servants to note that my re-election was not to take vengeance, but to restore peace, transformation and development to the state?.

    “I wish to appreciate all the party chieftains that supported my ambition to contest again for the governor of this state, I want to assure you that you will not regret your support to me.

    “Also to the opposition party, I wish to advise ?Gov. Ayodele Fayose and his deputy; and the PDP candidate in the election, Prof. Kolapo Olusola; to accept defeat, just like I did four years ago.

    “It is the Lord’s doing that I am re-elected as  the next governor of Ekiti State and I want them to equally see my victory in the governorship election held on Saturday as the Lord’s doing, “he said.

    The governor-elect assured all Ekiti people of adequate security of lives and properties from any forms of attack from herdsmen or terrorists.

    He promised never to fold his arms and allow terrorists to invade the state, saying that Ekiti people were peace loving, hardworking, intelligent and discipline.

    He called on other opposition ?parties to join hands with him to develop and promote the cultural values of the state on assumption of office.

    The news conference was attended by

    The State Chairman of the party and his deputy, Chief Jide Awe and Mrs Kemi Olaleye as well as other chieftains of the party attended the press conference.

  • NLC commends Gov. Umahi for paying Ebonyi workers’ June, July salaries

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ebonyi chapter, has commended Gov. Dave Umahi for paying June and  July workers’ salaries even without receiving May federal allocation.

    Mr Leonard Nkah, NLC State Chairman, in a statement he issued on Sunday, and made available to newsmen, said that “Umahi has proved to be a man of his words.”

    He noted that the governor on assumption of office promised that workers’ salaries would be paid by the 15th of every month.

    Nkah said that the governor surprised workers, as they started receiving alerts for the July salary on Friday, July 13.

    He commended the governor for maintaining the salary payment deadline, adding “God was using the governor to rescue Ebonyi workers from hunger and poverty and enjoin him not to relent.

    The NLC chairman said that the governor has demonstrated by words and action that he is “Friend of Workers’’ the title organised labour in Ebonyi bestowed on Umahi.

    Mr Chukwuma Onwe, NLC State Secretary, in his contribution, said that Umahi was a blessing to Ebonyi people, especially the workers.

    He appealed to workers to reciprocate the governor’s gesture by being dedicated to their duties.

  • Ekiti Election: Observer group commends INEC

    Ekiti Election: Observer group commends INEC

    An  official of the Alliance for Credible Elections, Dr Omilusi Mike,  ?on Sunday commended the massive turnout of voters for Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti and the transparency of the electoral process.

    Omilusi  gave the commendation in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ado-Ekiti.

    ” I want to sincerely commend  the turnout of the people from across the nooks and crannies of Ekiti  to vote for their chosen candidate.

    ” The  determination displayed by the people on Saturday was unprecedented and unbelievable.

    ” I saw the number  of people coming out from their villages and homes,  contrary to the rumour  of riot and crisis being spread across the state a few days to the election.

    ” It is obvious that the wishes of the people have prevailed especially at a critical period in Ekiti,” he said.

    Former Minister of Mines and Solid Minerals Development and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Kayode Fayemi, was declared winner of the election after securing 197,459 votes.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and current Deputy Governor,  Prof. Kolapo Olusola, scored 178,121 votes.

    Other results declared by the Chief Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Idowu Olayinka,  include Accord, 250;  Action Alliance, 41;  ACD, 1149; AD, 216;  ADB, 1082;  ADA, 107;  AGAO, 31; ANRP, 125;  APA, 1199;  and APDA, 464.

    Also declared were  APGA, 70;  ANPP, 14;  DA, 14;  DPC, 147;  DPP,181;  FJP, 42;  GPN, 20;  I.D, 31;, KOWA, 23;  LP, 280;  MMN, 35;  MPN, 23;  NDLP, 44;  NPC, 353  PANDEL, 74;  and PGC, 1242.

    The rest are DPA, 632;  PPN, 107;  SDO, 367;  UDP, 29;  UPN, 33;  YDP, 31 and YPP, 49.

    The  total valid votes in the election was 384,594 while  total votes cast was 403,451, with 18,857 votes  invalidated.

    NAN reports that the election held  in 2,195 polling units spread across 177 wards in the 16 local government areas of Ekiti while 35 candidates contested.(NAN)

  • Afreximbank loan will seal industrial sector’s funding gap— BoI

    Afreximbank loan will seal industrial sector’s funding gap— BoI

    The Bank of Industry (BoI) says the 750 billion dollars loan facility by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) will be used to fill the funding gap in Nigeria’s industrial sector.

    The bank’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr Olukayode Pitan, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.

    Pitan said that the loan granted to the BoI was the largest that had been done for any Nigerian financial institution by Afreximbank.

    “This gives us additional roughly N230billion to N250billion depending on the exchange rate, to deploy to the industrial sector.

    “We have done our own study and found that there was a gap on the funding of the industrial sector; our study showed about N704billion.

    “So, this is our way of trying to fill that gap and basically, we are looking at the small, medium and large enterprises.

    “We are looking at enterprises/ companies that have a focus in using our local raw materials, companies that generate employments and we want to bring down their cost of borrowing.

    “We have made with CBN, this fund will be deployed at less than 10 per cent per annum,” he said.

    Pitan, who said the loan by Afrexim was medium term, said that it would run for three years with a pricing that was liable for six per cent, which is very good.

    He said that the bank planned to focus on the creative industry, light manufacturers, miners, gender businesses and various ways of promoting the Nigerian business sector.

    On the pricing, Pitan explained that the three years arrangement was good as it was cheaper and would allow the bank to be able to refinance again.

    He said: “If we are going for six years, the pricing will be more expensive, the plan is that the time we would have done three years of this, we will refinance again.

    “What this has done basically is to allow us to borrow more, so definitely we are going to do more than three years.

    “We are looking at seven to eight years for the industrial sector, but like I said, this is just for us to go out there in the market and raise money.

    “What we are working with the CBN will be a longer term loan where people can borrow for between seven and eight years.

    The Afreximbank had on July 14 signed a 750million dollar loan facility with BoI to support industrialisation and export development in Nigeria.

    The signing, which was witnessed by Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari was done at the sideline of Afreximbank’s 2018 Annual General Meeting in Abuja. (NAN)

  • Ooni of Ife calls for peaceful coexistence among Nigerians

    Ooni of Ife calls for peaceful coexistence among Nigerians

    Ooni of Ife calls for peaceful coexistence among Nigerians

    The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has called for unity and peaceful coexistence among Nigerians, irrespective of their tribe, language or religion.

    Oba Ogunwusi made the call when Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, paid him a courtesy visit in his palace.

    In a statement on Sunday in Ile-Ife by Mr Moses Olafare, the Chief Press Secretary to Ooni, the monarch urged Nigerians to always preach peace and shun all acts capable of destabilising the country.

    “Nigeria is our country; we do not have anywhere to go. We should preach unity and give peace a chance so as to have a stable country that will be conducive for living.

    “I look forward to a day that all political parties will converge for the unity of the country and proffer solutions to the challenges we are facing,’’ he said.

    Oba Ogunwusi advised political leaders to prioritise infrastructure such as good roads, electricity, portable water, qualitative education, standard hospitals and job creation, among others.

    The Monarch also commended Gov. Dickson for his contributions towards the growth and development of Bayelsa State.

    Oba Ogunwusi lauded him for his good leadership style, simplicity and humility and for making life more conducive for people of his state.

    The statement also quoted Gov. Dickson as commending the Ooni for upholding Yoruba culture and for laying a good legacy for Nigerians to emulate.

  • Shift in rainfall pattern may cause floods in 2018, NiMet warns

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has warned that many parts of the country were likely to experience flooding due to a shift in rainfall pattern caused by climate change.

    The Director-General of NiMet, Prof. Sani Mashi, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the weekend in Abuja.

    Mashi said that distortions had occurred in the pattern of rainfall leading to variation in the amount of rain that was expected in the country.

    He explained that in line with NiMet’s 2018 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP), so much water would be made available on the surface between the last week of July and end of August.

    According to him, once it rains, the ground cannot comfortably contain and absorb the water making it to runoff and resulting in so much water on the surface.

    “Unless adequate provision is made to accommodate the amount of water that is running on the surface, definitely the likelihood of flood is going to be very high, especially in the areas that are adjoining the riverine locations.

    “What it means is that, already, we are receiving a very large amount of rain within those locations and because there are rivers within those locations, the rivers are already conveying water towards those areas.

    “The rivers are already bringing so much water and you are receiving high amount of rainfall within those particular areas.

    “It means that when the two runoff waters combine, the spaces for the water to pass will be minimal and as a result of this, there is likelihood of flood across these areas,’’ he said.

    Mashi said that the flash points of flooding had been identified and presented to the public by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), the agency responsible for flood monitoring.

    He explained that NiMet and NIHSA were working together to ensure that accurate flood information was made available to the public to minimise the impact of flood in the country.

    NAN recalls that NIHSA had in its 2018 Annual Flood Outlook, announced that 380 Local Government Areas in 35 states would experience flooding this year.

    According to NIHSA, flooding will be high in about 78 LGAs, although the situation will generally not be as severe as what the country experienced in 2012.

    The Acting Director-General, NIHSA, Olayinka Ogunwale, during the presentation in May, stated that the government had been issuing warnings to residents in flood-prone areas to relocate from such locations.

    “It is important to let those in flood-prone areas know that the country will experience flooding in 2018 and people in such locations should evacuate,’’ Ogunwale said. (NAN)

  • Northeast needs food intervention for 3m IDPs – UN

    Northeast needs food intervention for 3m IDPs – UN

    The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) says an estimated three million displaced persons face critical food and nutrition insecurity in the northeast.

    OCHA, in its humanitarian situation report for the month of June, said no fewer than 1.7 million persons were displaced by the conflict in the region in the past nine years.

    According to the fact sheet, the number of people estimated to be facing critical food and nutrition insecurity is projected at three million, following recent assessments exercise in the area.

    It said that humanitarian actors and partners were carrying out a re-targeting exercise in Borno and Yobe to ensure that the most vulnerable people receive food assistance.

    OCHA also said: “Large-scale displacements continue to take place weekly; in the past seven months, since hostilities intensified in the northeast, more than 130,000 people have been displaced.

    “In May alone; 21, 207 people arrived in various locations. Bama, Ngala, Gwoza, Dikwa and Biu recorded the highest number of new arrivals.

    “These movements present major humanitarian challenges as resources are already overstretched in the locations where these civilians arrived.

    “Given that military operations have been announced to continue throughout the 2018 rainy season, displacement trend is likely to continue until end of August.’’

    To cope with the situation, the UN agency disclosed that it had adopted a contingency response plan for the expected high level displacement due to military operations.

    It explained that the plan aimed to provide life-saving assistance to about 115,000 IDPs, expected to move from hard-to-reach areas to key towns in Mobbar, Kukawa, Monguno, Ngala, Kala Balge, Dikwa, Bama, and Gwoza local government councils of Borno.

    “About 41.7million dollars is urgently needed to ensure sufficient preparedness and response activities to facilitate life-saving assistance for the new arrivals.

    “These include shelter and non-food items; health care, food, water and sanitation, protection and nutrition,” it said.

    The organisation revealed that it had initiated resource mobilisation efforts for the Rainy Season Contingency Plan, to support 463,000 vulnerable persons in extreme weather localities such as Bama, Damasak and Rann.

    OCHA noted that it had already commenced distribution of life-saving items including food, seeds, medicines, emergency shelter, non-food items and hygiene kits.

    The UN humanitarian body expressed satisfaction with effective response to control cholera outbreak in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States, recorded between February and May.

    It lauded the timely response of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme and government to control the disease, adding that surveillance, monitoring and hygiene promotion activities were ongoing in the affected areas.

    The document further showed that the agency had set up five humanitarian hubs in Maiduguri, Gwoza, Bama, Ngala and Dikwa while additional four others would be established in Banki, Damasak, Monguno and Rann liberated communities.

    OCHA explained that the hubs were designed with safe accommodation and internet connectivity, to enhance aid workers’ presence in the field and stimulate effective response.

    “Following an early recovery perspective, the maiden Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum for Regional Cooperation on Stabilisation, Peace Building and Sustainable Development was held in Maiduguri between May 7 and 8.

    “The aim was to promote continuous dialogue to strengthen coordination and collaboration on cross-border initiatives at the sub-national level around the Lake Chad Basin.

    “In preparation for the 2019 Humanitarian Needs Overview, data collection for a multi-sector needs assessment will be launched by mid-June in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, while data analysis is expected to start in July.’’

    The organisation noted, however, that despite the generosity of donors, humanitarian response in the northeast was hampered by lack of fund for the 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP).

    “As at May 31, only 39.7 per cent of the $416.4 million total funds needed have been received, according to the funding levels reported on the Financial Tracking Service (FTS).

    “For the response to be sustainable and to avoid interruption in life-saving services, it is crucial that additional funding is urgently received across all sectors,’’ OCHA stated. (NAN)

  • Fayemi wins in 12 local governments

    Fayemi wins in 12 local governments

    The All Progressives Congress(APC)  candidate in Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has won in 12 out of the 16 local government areas of the state.

    According to the results so far released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),  Fayemi won in Irepodun/Ifelodun, Oye, Ido/Osi, Ikole, Moba, Ise/Orun, Ilejemeje and Ekiti West local governments.

    The APC flagbearer also won in  Ijero, Gbonyin, Ekiti South West and Ekiti East.

    The candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Prof. Kolapo Olusola,  won in the four  local governments of Ado, Ikere, Emure and Efon.

    A breakdown of  the result shows Ileje-Meje (APC 4,153,  PDP 3930), Irepodun/lfelodun (APC  13,869,  PDP:11456), ldo-Osi  (APC 12,342,  PDP 11,145 and Oye (APC 14, 995,  PDP  11,271)

    Also released were Efon (APC 5,028,  PDP 5,192), Moba (APC 11,837,  PDP:8,520)

    Ijero (APC 14,192,  PDP 11,077) , Gboyin ( APC 11,498, PDP 8,027) Emure (APC 7,048 PDP, 7,121 and   Ikere (APC 11,515,  PDP 17,183)

    Others are Ekiti/West(APC 12,648, PDP 10,137)  Ikole (APC 14,522, PDP:13,961)

    Ise Orun (APC 11,908,  PDP 6,297), Ekiti /East (APC:12,778, PDP 11,544)

    Ekiti South West (APC 11,015,  PDP:8,423) and Ado (APC:28,111,  PDP 32,810).

    Meanwhile, the final declaration of the governorship election would be made by the Chief Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Idowu Olayinka. (NAN)

  • AFCON U-20 Qualifiers: Mauritania hold Flying Eagles to 1-1 draw

    Draw

    By Abolade Ogundimu

    Abuja, July 14, 2018 (NAN) The nation’s U-20 team, Flying Eagles were on Saturday held to a 1-1 draw by their Mauritanian counterparts at the end of the first leg of the U-20 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ibrahim Babawo of Niger Tornadoes FC of Minna put Nigeria in early lead in the first half, while their host equalised in the first half.

    However, efforts by both sides to secure victory did not materialise throughout match in the third round of the qualifiers.

    Abdullahi Maikaba, Assistant Coach to Paul Aigbogun, in a post match interview at the Stade Olympique, Nouakchott, Mauritania, said: “The match ended well even when our players didn’t start off very well.

    “Our boys had early goal during the match and played better in second half but were unable to convert their chances to additional goals.

    “Away goal is good and we have known the Mauritanians’ playing pattern and it will help us to get a better result when we meet again.

    Maikaba said their opponents were a good side but expressed optimism about the Flying Eagles’ qualification for 2019 AFCON.

    The Aigbogun’s boys will have to ensure a comfortable victory at home during their return leg next weekend in Lagos.

    Their next encounter will determine the side that will go for the 2019 U-20 AFCON billed for Niger Republic.

    Similarly, top four teams of the tournament will represent Africa at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Congo also draw 2-2 with Senegal, while Burkina Faso won 3-1 against Gabon in the other qualifiers played on Saturday. (NAN)