NATIONAL NEWS
DANGOTE ANNOUNCES $IBN RICE PROJECT WITH FG
Dangote Industries Limited on Friday announced a $1bn (N165bn) investment for commercial rice farming and modern integrated rice mills to be run by the firm in Nigeria.
The President and Chairman, Dangote Group, Mr.Aliko Dangote, announced his firm’s investment plan at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Abuja, after which he signed a memorandum of understanding at the presidential villa with the Federal Government.
He told ministry officials and journalists that the decision to invest in rice production was aimed at developing Nigeria’s economy through agriculture.
AUGUST 9 ELECTION:COSSM DENOUNCES NANS JCC OSUN, NAOSS SUPPORT FOR AREGBESOLA’S SECOND TERM
The Coalition of Osun State Students’ Movement has denounced the endorsement of Governor RaufAregbesola for a second term by the National Association of Osun State Students and the Joint Campus Committee, saying they did not reflect the views of the students in the state.
Leaders of the group, who addressed a press conference in Osogbo, said it was unfortunate that the NAOSS and the JCC, who had earlier organised solidarity protests in support of the striking lecturers of Osun State-owned tertiary institutions, would endorse the governor while the workers were still on strike.
Also, in a statement jointly signed by the Students’ Union President of the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Bashir Saheed; Students’ Union President, Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Adetunji Peter; Students’ Union President, Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun, AbiodunSaheed; and Coordinator, Coalition of Osun State Students’ Movement, MomoduMunir, the group said there was no justification for any group of students to support the governor’s second term bid.
ABIA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY CALLS FOR THE REMOVAL OF STATE CHIEF JUDGE
The Abia State House of Assembly yesterday passed a motion calling for the removal of the state Chief Judge, Justice NnennaOti from office for allegedly releasing some suspects from the prisons.
The recommendation for Oti’s removal followed the adoption of the report of the House committee which investigated a petition against her.
Some indigenes of the state were alleged to have petitioned the House following the release of two suspects arrested about a month ago, in connection with the alleged murder of the former state Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Kenneth Nwosu.
VARSITIES SET IRRELEVANT POST UTME QUESTIONS AND BLAME CANDIDATES FOR FAILING- DIBU OJERINDE
Varsities set irrelevant questions and blame candidates for failing says the Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. DibuOjerinde.
He said this during an interview session with the press in an attempt to shed more light on the causes of the increasing number of UTME candidate every year. He said that some questions asked at some Post-UTME examinations are irrelevant to the prospective course of study of the students.
He however urged the tertiary institutions to set relevant Post-UTME questions.
OMISORE WILL EMERGE VICTORIOUS IN AUG. 9 GOVERNORSHIP POLL– JONATHAN
President Goodluck Jonathan, on Saturday in Ile-Ife, said that the PDP candidate for the August 9 Osun governorship poll, IyiolaOmisore, would emerge victorious.
Jonathan spoke during a courtesy visit to Oba OkunadeSijuwade, the Ooni of Ife.
“Omisore’s time has come …God’s time is the best,’’ he said.
He said Omisore was a “fantastic material’’ that Osun needs at this time to take the state to the “promised land’’.
Sijuwade described Omisore as a humble person, recalling that he “stepped aside’’ for former Governors BisiAkande and OlagunsoyeOyinlola when he prevailed on him.
According to him, it is only God who has the power to appoint the president, governors, and traditional rulers.
SOKOTO STATE UNIVERSITY MATRICULATES 783 PIONEER STUDENTS
The Sokoto State University, Sokoto, on Saturday, matriculated 783 pioneer students admitted for the 2013/ 2014 academic session.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. NuhuYaqub, said at the matriculation that 783 were admitted out of the 800 approved for the university by the National Universities Commission (NUC).He commended Gov. AliyuWamakko of Sokoto State “for his dogged commitment which led to the establishment of the university and the provision of the needed infrastructure.’’
Gov. Wamakko, who was a Visitor to the university, said that the institution was established to provide needed educational opportunities to the teeming candidates from the state and other parts of the country.
JONATHAN APPOINTS NEW CEOS FOR NNPC, NPDC
President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the appointment of Joseph Dawha as the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
This was contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, on Friday in Abuja.
“The president has also appointed Mr Anthony Muoneke as the Managing Director, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), and Ms Aisha Abdurrahman as the Group Executive Director, Commercial and Investment, NNPC,’’ it reported.
Also included in the statement was that Mr Attahir Yusuf was also appointed as the Group Executive Director, Business Development, NNPC.
FORMER DEPUTY INSPECTORS GENERAL OF POLICE RESIGNAS NEW IG TAKES OVER.
As the new IGP took over command, the five former Deputy Inspectors General of Police under the former dispensation resigned their appointments.
It was gathered that the five DIGs who were DIG Suleiman Fakai, DIG Jonathan Johnson, DIG Michael Zoukumor, DIG AtikuKafur and DIG Peter Gana resigned because they are seniors to the new IGP.
All the former DIGs exceptDIG AtikuKafur were found absent at the handing over ceremony.
However, the new IGP, Suleiman Abba, the 17th indigenous IG said “I will do whatever is necessary to bring excessive violent crimes in the country to a halt”.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
ISRAEL KILLS PALESTINE FOOTBALL LEGEND, AHED
Palestine footballing legend AhedZaqout has been killed in Gaza after an Israeli shell hit the former midfielder’s home while he was asleep on Wednesday.
The 49-year-old was not politically involved in the conflict between Palestine militant group Hamas, based in Gaza where he resides and Israel but was killed by the latter nation’s IDF army’s bombing of the region this week.
Emergency services and neighbours rushed to the home of the former football star who had recently been working as a presenter for a Palestine sports programme but were unable to save his life.
Zaqout, a midfielder before he hung up his boots, will be remembered most for taking to the pitch against a star-studded French side which included current UEFA president Michel Platini in a 1994 friendly against Palestine.
SUDAN FLOODS WIPE OFF THOUSANDS OF HOMES
More than 3,000 homes have been destroyed by flooding that hit almost half of Sudan’s states over Ramadan and the Eid al-Fitr holidays, official media said.
At least 184 people were injured and 6,100 families were displaced, many of whom were from the Nile and North Kordofah states, the SUNA news agency reported on Saturday.
“Twenty-two districts in eight states were affected by flooding and heavy rain,” the report said citing the federal health ministry.
Homes in the capital Khartoum were also inundated when rain and high winds lashed the region on Tuesday night and on July 25 at the start of the rainy season.
