| Attorney General of the Federation,calls for proper training of Nigerian policemen |
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•Attorney General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa calls for proper training of Nigerian policemen; •Lagos State Government says grave penalty awaits motorists using BRT lanes; •International Rights Group calls for adequate rehabilitation of displaced persons in the Jos crisis; •Blair denies secret deal with Bush to invade Iraq; •China joins an international naval operation, to fight piracy; Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa says proper training of Nigerian policemen will help to curb crime and crises. Fielding questions at a forum in Abuja, the minister stressed the need for senior and junior police officers, to be given opportunities to develop themselves. He said the police must be trained to effectively prevent, detect and investigate crimes, noting the prevention of crime was topmost. Meanwhile, the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria, Idris Kutigi rtd, has advised judicial officers in the country, to be diligent in discharging their duties. Justice Kutigi, who gave the advice in Abuja, urged judicial officers not to compromise the rule of law in the interest of the development of the Judiciary. He however, thanked President, Umaru Yar' Adua for giving him the opportunity, to serve the country, as the Chief Justice. Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority has warned that the law banning road users from BRT lanes is still in force. LAMATA Consultant External Relations, Lanre Akintilo, said anyone, irrespective of status, caught using the lane would be dealt with according to the law setting up the Bus Rapid Transit. He said the penalty for defaulters is a fine of N25, 000. However, Lagos State Asset Management Limited, operators of LAGBUS, says it has extended its services in the metropolis. LAGBUS Managing Director, Babatunde Disu, told newsmen that 50 buses had been bought to service the new routes. The new routes cover Oshodi to Idi-oro, Moshalasi to Yaba via Ebute-Meta, and Oyingbo, as well as Ebute-ero and Leventis in Lagos Island. Kano metropolis has witnessed an influx of young children, trooping to the city in search of Qur’anic education. The children, in their thousands, have become a menace to the city, as they end up begging for food. Report says most of the children speak a foreign dialect of Hausa, indicating they were from neighboring countries. The Principal of Government College, Jalingo, Yazeed Usman, has said the camping of NYSC members in the school was affecting academic activities. Mallam Usman told newsmen in Jalingo that the use of the school, as orientation camp had affected the school calendar. He noted that each year, the school's activities stop, during the orientation, stressing batches A and B of NYSC members arrived in March and camped until July, while batch C arrived in November. The Geneva-based Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions has demanded for adequate rehabilitation of displaced victims of the recent crisis in Jos. Speaking in a statement, COHRE's Communications Director, Eliane Drakopoulos, said those affected ``must be provided with adequate emergency shelter, while efforts to provide a permanent solution should begin’’.She said concerted efforts by governments and stakeholders in that direction were imperative. Chairman of the AU Commission, Jean Ping, has said 2009 had been a hard year for the entire world and a special one for Africa. He said the year was important to the AUC, because its meetings were used to reinforce peace and security for Africa. Mr. Ping highlighted the commission’s achievements in peacekeeping efforts in Niger, Sudan, Somalia, Madagascar and Guinea Bissau. Finland has solicited the partnership of the AU in global development efforts. Finland´s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Paavo Varyrynen, said African countries had always been the most important partners of Finland´s development policy. He said the global economic, food and climate crises had necessitated the need to put in place a strong development policy. Former UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair has denied striking a "secret" deal with George Bush, to invade Iraq at a private meeting in 2002. Mr. Blair said he had been "open" about what had been discussed - that Saddam Hussein had to be dealt with and "the method of doing that is open". He said he had told the US president: "We have to deal with his WMD and if that means regime change so be it." The former prime minister is being questioned by the Iraq inquiry. China has agreed to join an international naval operation, to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia. China has been focusing on protecting its own shipping in the area, but it will now join the naval forces of the US, NATO and the European Union. This grouping, the Shared Awareness and De-confliction, protects a shipping corridor in the western Indian Ocean. BUSINESS: Small business operators increase charges and prices, following prolonged fuel scarcity; ENTERTAINMENT: Association of Nigerian Authors says it is set to streamline its membership; SPORTS: Nigeria Football Federation says it is set to overhaul the Super Eagles; BUSINESS Small business operators in Lagos State have increased charges and prices of their goods, following the prolonged fuel scarcity. The scarcity is reportedly taking its toll on small businesses like salons, cyber cafes, water vending, and business centers, forcing them to increase charges. Some operators said the epileptic power supply and the inability to easily purchase fuel, to power their generators, caused the hike in charges. On the floor of the Nigerian Stock Market today, NBC topped the gainers with one naira, 30 kobo, followed by GLAXOSMITH with one naira, 27 kobo and ASHAKACEM with 70 kobo. NB, on the other hand, led the losers with 86 kobo, followed by CADBURY with 86 kobo and UNILEVER with 82 kobo. Market capitalization jumped up to 5.428 trillion naira, with all shares index of 22,539.83 points. EXCHANGE RATE 1 US Dollar = 153 Naira 1 British Pound = 247 Naira 1 Euro = 214 Naira ENTERTAINMENT The Association of Nigerian Authors has said it would streamline its membership, to increase publications. ANA President, Jerry Agada, said this immediately after he was elected, as president of the association. Dr. Agada said ANA had been so formless, because its managers had not been able to streamline it so that its members could be so identified. SPORTS The Nigeria Football Federation has said the technical crew of the national team, as well as Super Eagles will be overhauled. NFF spokesman, Ademola Olajire said the overhaul became inevitable to ensure there was improvement in the team in the future. He however, quoted NFF Technical Committee Chairman, Taiwo Ogunjobi, as saying the committee had demanded for a comprehensive report of the team's performance in Angola. Meanwhile, Nigerian football fans have intensified calls for the sack of Super Eagles Chief Coach, Shaibu Amodu, following his team’s 0-1 loss to Ghana’s Black Stars. A cross-section of the football enthusiasts told correspondent, Lawal Sherif that Coach Amodu was not competent enough to pilot the affairs of the team. LNEWS009 |