By Aminu Garko

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed that 13 persons died, while 14 others sustained various degrees of injury in an accident on Bida/Mokwa road in Niger, on Tuesday.

Mr Joel Dagwa, FRSC Sector Commander in the state, confirmed the figures to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna.

Dagwa said that the accident, which occurred at about 6.3a.m. at Panti village, involved a heavy duty vehicle with registration number ZUR690XA and a bus with registration number TN421XA.

“Twenty seven people were involved in the accident 13 died, while 14 others sustained injuries had been taken to Federal Medical Centre, Bida and General hospital, Kutigi, for treatment,’’ he said.

The sector commander blamed the accident on fatigue, leading to loss of control. (NAN)

By Ibironke Ariyo

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has denied reports that its Chairman, retired Col. Muhammad Abdallah, has been sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr Jonah Achema, spokesperson for NDLEA, said this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday, in Abuja.

Achema, a Deputy Commander of Narcotics (DCN), said however, that the tenure of Abdallah who was appointed on Jan. 12, 2016 expired on Jan.11.

“The chairman was not sacked as reported by some media organisations. However, his five-year tenure elapsed on Jan. 11,” he said. (NAN)

Indonesia has deployed a remotely operated underwater vehicle to help divers search for the remains of victims from a Sriwijaya Air jet that crashed into the sea on Saturday.

The Boeing 737-500 plane with 62 people on board plunged into the Java Sea Saturday afternoon, four minutes after taking off from Jakarta’s main airport.

“Today we are focusing on finding the victims,” Yusuf Latif, a spokesman for search and rescue agency Basarnas, said on Tuesday.

A remotely operated underwater vehicle has been deployed to help scour the seabed, while navy vessels with sonar search from the surface.

Divers have narrowed down an area where they believe the flight recorders, known as black boxes, are believed to be but search efforts have been hindered by debris, officials said.

Once the flight data and cockpit voice recorders are found, Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) expects to be able to read the information in three days.

Indonesian police made the first identification of a victim from the crash on Monday. Flight attendant Okky Bisma was identified by his fingerprints, said a police official.

“My super kind husband… Heaven is your place… Until we meet again darling,” Okky’s wife, who is also a flight attendant, wrote on her Instagram account.

The Boeing 737-500 jet was headed on a domestic flight to Pontianak on Borneo island, about 740 km (460 miles) from Jakarta, before it disappeared from radar screens.

It was the second major air crash in Indonesia since 189 passengers and crew were killed in 2018 when a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX also plunged into the Java Sea soon after taking off.

The jet that crashed on Saturday is a largely different design.

With few immediate clues on what caused a catastrophic loss of control after take-off, investigators will rely heavily on the flight recorders to determine what went wrong.

The Sriwijaya Air plane was nearly 27 years old, much older than Boeing’s problem-plagued 737 MAX model.

Older 737 models are widely flown and do not have the stall-prevention system implicated in the MAX safety crisis. (Reuters/NAN)

By Grace Alegba

The Yoruba Youth Assembly (YYA), an umbrella body of Yoruba youth groups globally, has appealed to Nigerian youths to lead campaigns for protection and preservation of indigenous languages, cultural heritage and identities.

Mr. Olarinde Thomas, president of the group, which has 38 affiliates in Nigeria and the Diaspora, made the call in a statement on Monday in Lagos.

Thomas said that YYA made the appeal during its conferment of award on Mr Taiwo Alli, an industrialist, nationalist and culture ambassador in Lagos.

The YYA president stressed the need for Nigerian youths to re-awaken the African consciousness of the next generation through protection and preservation of the nation’s values, culture and languages.

“As we develop within our democratic dispensation in Nigeria, it is important that the youth be fully involved in the task of societal development and consolidation of the achievements being recorded in our urban sector.

“As youths who are the most active and vital force in the society; we are the most eager to learn and the least conservative in their thinking.

“It is, therefore, of the utmost urgency that a framework be put in place to harness and bring into full play the energy of our youths in the task of transforming our tribe and nation into a truly developing one,” he said.

He commended Alli for being a uniting force understanding the core values and aspirations of the youth and their “quest for unity, peace, prosperity, mutual respect and peaceful co-existence.”

He commended Alli for being a culture ambassador, doing his best to promote the Yoruba values and heritage, describing him as a great nationalist.

Thomas also thanked the recipient of the award for providing leadership in education; IT and property sector and being a role model for youths aspiring for greatness.

The YYA President lamented that the colonial rule introduced western ideologies into governance to whittle down the powers and relevance of the traditional rulers and also made them subservient to the educated elite.

He called for protection of the nation’s rich cultural heritage and, values which were daily being eroded, urging youths to lead the campaign to change the narrative.

On his part, Alli, Chairman/CEO, Clifton Homes, who is also the Managing Director, Twin Tech Services Ltd., thanked the leadership of YYA for counting him worthy to receive the award.

He pledged his continued support for YYA as well as youth empowerment and training in the South West.

By Emmanuel Mogbede

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday in Abuja, urged Nigerians of Igbo extraction to support Prof. George Obiozor to fulfil his mandate as the new President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

The party in a statement by Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, Secretary of its Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), congratulated Obiozor for emerging as the President-General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural group.

Akpanudoedehe said that going by his distinguished service to the nation, Obiozor’s experience and suitability for the strategic position of President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo was not in doubt.

“On behalf of the National Chairman of APC CECPC, Gov. Mai Mala Buni and the entire APC family, our great party congratulates Obiozor on his election as the President-General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

“We also congratulate the outgoing Chief John Nwodo executive for its mature and patriotic leadership of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo,” he said.

Akpanudoedehe wished the Obiozor-led Ohanaeze Ndigbo a successful tenure, adding that the desire of the APC was to place the East geo-political zone in its deserved political standing in the country.

He further added that the APC CECPC under the leadership of Gov. Buni was determined to consolidate on the ongoing efforts to further mainstream the South-East geo-political zone in the workings of the party.

He said that the APC was ready to partner and work with the new leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to ensure development of the region and the country at large.

Akpanudoedehe said that the APC was confident that the new leadership would be a bastion for the unity and tolerance all Nigerians should imbue for the peace and progress of the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Obiozor, a former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Israel and Cyprus, polled 304 votes to defeat his closest rival, Valentine Oparaocha, who polled 15 votes.

The election took place at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri, capital of Imo after the dissolution of the Nwodo-led executives.

Gary Igariwey, Chairman of the Electoral Committee, adopted the option A4 voting for the balloting to promote transparency and credibility of the process.

However, three of the contestants including Chukwunyere Nwaebo, Goddy Uwazuruike and Uju Okoro stepped down for Obiozor before voting began.

The electoral committee had said that three of the eight persons, who picked the nomination form, did not return the forms; they include Chidi Osuagwu, Chris Asoluka and Joe Nworgu. (NAN)

By Victor Nwachukwu

Prof. George Obiozor, former Nigerian Ambassador to the US, Israel and Cyprus, has emerged as the new President General of  Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a pan-Igbo cultural organisation.

Obiozor, 78, polled 304 votes to defeat his closest and only rival, Mr Valentine Oparaocha, who scored 15 votes, in the election, held at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, on Sunday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that three other contestants, Ezechukwunyere Nwebo, Uju Okoro and Goddy Uwazuruike, had stepped down at  the election venue, just before the process began, and urged their supporters to back Obiozor.

Similarly, the trio of  Chidi Osuagwu, Chris Asoluka and Dr Joe Nworgu, who had all picked nomination forms, failed to return them and thus did not participate in the process.

Announcing the results, the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Prof Gary Igariwe, said : ” With the power vested on me as the returning officer, I hereby declare that Prof George Obiozor, having scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared winner and president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo “.

Igariwe said the committee adopted the open process of Option A4 for the election, to ensure transparency and credibility.

Other positions which were contested for with their winners included, Deputy PG won by Mr Obi Nwali, unopposed, and Secretary General, Mr Okey Egbuche.

Others were: Treasurer General, Mrs Beatrice Eze, Financial Secretary, Mr Bartholomew Okere and National Publicity Secretary, Mr Tony Ezekwesili.

NAN reports that seven states participated in the process, namely: Abia, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Rivers, in addition to delegates from affiliate Igbo bodies in the diaspora.

Notable personalities that graced the event included, governors of Ebonyi and Imo, Chief Dave Umahi and Sen. Hope Uzodinma, respectively, Dr Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, his Science and Technology counterpart, and Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)

Also present were: Chief Adolphus Wabara, a former Senate President, Sen. Sam Egwu, representing Ebonyi North, and Sen. Osita Izunaso, former senator representing Imo west, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, former Imo governor, speakers of Houses of Assembly and a host of other government functionaries from the South East zone. (NAN)

By Yinusa Ishola

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), on Sunday, commended the Federal Government over its directive suspending the recent electricity tariff hike in the country.

The association’s President, Mr Sunday Asefon, gave the commendation in a statement made available to newsmen in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

He said that the suspension of the tariff by the federal government would go a long way in relieving the pains it would have inflicted on electricity consumers upon implementation.

The statement said that NANS took the decision to commend the suspension at its virtual meeting of Jan. 8.

“The meeting extensively reviewed the recent actions taken by President Muhammadu Buhari, intervening and ordering the suspension of the outrageous electricity tariff,” the statement said.

The students’ body described the tariff hike policy as anti-people and ill-timed, as conceived under a groaning inflation in the polity.

It noted that putting the implementation of the policy in abeyance would help in pacifying the already incensed consumers.

The statement also commended the National Electricity Regulatory Agency (NERC) for reversing the action, saying NANS could have been provoked into organising protests across all campuses, in opposition to the policy, if it had been effected.

The statement further appealed to electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to make prepayment meters available for every household at no extra cost to the consumers, as being witnessed in civilised climes.

“That NANS had earlier rejected the hike in the electricity tariff, as we believe that the hike was insensitive, ill-timed and anti-people.

“We commend President Buhari for hearkening to the agitations of Nigerians. I want to say unequivocally that the suspension of the tariff hike is commendable at this time.

“We, therefore, call on our members across the country to suspend action and see how the compliance with the reversal will be”, the association said. (NAN)

By Ifeanyi Olannye

Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta has felicitated his Sokoto State counterpart and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, as he turned 55 on Sunday.

Okowa’s felicitation was conveyed in a statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, on Sunday in Asaba.

He said that Tambuwal had made sterling contributions to the socio-economic and political development of Sokoto State and Nigeria in general.

Okowa added that such efforts were worthy as an inspiration to the younger generation.

He described Tambuwal as a nationalist, whose selfless and impressive political disposition had placed him ahead of his contemporaries.

According to Okowa, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, has brought his wealth of experience to bear on the development of Sokoto, especially in the education and road transport sectors.

“The people of Sokoto State are no doubt, reaping the benefits of trusting you to lead the state for a second term as can be seen in the monumental achievements in infrastructural development under your astute leadership.

“As chairman of the PDP governors’ forum, you have provided leadership and direction to a virile opposition party ready to return Nigeria on the path of greatness in 2023.

“On behalf of my family, the government and people of Delta, I congratulate a gentleman of candour and unassailable integrity.

“I congratulate a leading light of this generation, an astute politician of our time and a courageous democrat, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, on his 55th birth anniversary.

“For your sagacity and doggedness, you have become a household name and an emerging nationalist in the contemporary politics of Nigeria.

“As you celebrate this anniversary, I join your family, associates and well-wishers to thank the Almighty God for your life which has been marked by outstanding and discernable accomplishments,” Okowa said.