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NEWS
Sanctity of Truth
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Some abducted students freed –DHQ
Gov offers N50m for information NLC tasks security agents on professional dignity Emmanuel Onani, Yekeen Nurudeen and Ahmed Miringa
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he Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said yesterday that some of the students of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State, who were abducted on Tuesday by suspected
Boko Haram fighters, have been freed. The freed students, according to a statement by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), are among a total of “129 students” earlier abducted. The number of students freed was however not specified. This is even as troops deployed to Taraba State,
in the wake of Tuesday’s violent clashes, have apprehended 14 armed men said to have been involved in the disturbance. The statement read: “More of the abducted students of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State have this afternoon been freed as troops pursuing the terror-
ists close in on the den of those believed to have carried out the attack. A total of 129 students had earlier been abducted by a group of terrorists. “In another development, troops deployed to restore law and order in Wukari, Taraba State, have apprehended 14 armed men who were involved in
L-R: Minister of State for Education, Nyeson Wike; Minister of Lands and Urban Development, Mrs. Akon Etim Eyakenyi, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, during the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja…yesterday. PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN.
8,126m
The peak height of Nanga Parkat, Pakistan. Source: Blatantworld.com
67.3%
The percentage of individuals using the internet in developed countries in 2010. Source: Itu.int
13.205m
The total population of inhabitants of Karachi, Pakistan in 2010. Source: Blatantworld.com
Nigerians to pay more for electricity by July CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Further checks by New Telegraph showed that government did not include an extension of this stabilisation funds in the 2014 budget. Spokesperson for Nigerian Electricity Regulating Commission (NERC), Dr. Usman Abba-Arabi, did not pick calls put across to him, but a source at the commission told New Telegraph that the commission might not be able to stop distribution companies from going ahead to collect full tariff on electricity by July, when the stabilization funds must have been exhausted. “There is no budgetary provision for the stabilisation funds in the 2014 Budget and you know the implication of this on the electricity tariff by July,” he said, adding, “The implication is that the gov-
ernment has tactically left consumers to their fate.” NERC’s Commissioner in charge of Government and Consumer Affairs, Dr. Abba Ibrahim, had earlier said that the commission was undertaking the third review of Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) 2 based on demands for tariff hike by power investors. Ibrahim, who revealed this in an interview with New Telegraph in February, maintained that this review was subject to the outcome of the ongoing collation of statistics based on the complaints by the new investors. The new investors, who plan an injection of about $1.8 billion, had called for a hike in electricity tariff, which they considered as non-visible to the global reality of electricity generation, transmission and distribution.
But Ibrahim disclosed that the review might be a reduction or an increase in tariff, “depending on the outcome of the ongoing findings and an examination of interest rates, exchange rates, inflation rates and available generation capacity during the preceding six months.” “The MYTO,” Ibrahim said, “Involves an examination of interest rates, exchange rates, inflation rates and available generation capacity during the preceding six months and if these report a change of plus or minus five per cent individually, such change will be applied to the tariff published for each distribution company. “The two reviews earlier done did not result in any increase of tariff because the indices and fundamentals of the MYTO have not significantly
changed. “The changes that some customers have belatedly noticed in their bills were announced by the commission on June 1, 2012.” Meanwhile, consumers grouped as R3 and R4 who, according to MYTO2 paid N23.71/ kwh with fixed meter charges of N21,256.30 and N118,830.56 respectively are to, based on demands by investors, pay N25/ kwh, New Telegraph gathered. The N100 billion stabilisation fund disbursed in 2012 by the Federal Government, which only accommodated the cost to be borne by consumers rated below the N24/Kwh cost of production at the rate of N50 billion for 2012 and 2013 respectively, will end by June 30. Middle income consumers who paid between N11 and N12/ Kwh would now pay N13.5/kwh.
the fighting during the civil disturbances in the town early in the week. The fighting resulted in the burning of no fewer than 25 houses and displacement of over 200 persons. “Meanwhile, security forces have been directed to continue with the tempo of offensive on all the terrorists’ enclaves anywhere in the country.” Governor Kashim Shettima has in the meantime offered N50 million to anybody with information on the whereabouts of the abducted female students. Shetima made the offer yesterday while briefing journalists in Maiduguri on the update of the incident. He said: “So far, 14 of the abducted female students have been rescued and reunited with their families. The government and security agencies are now having sleepless nights to ensure that the remaining ones are rescued. “On behalf of government and the people of Bor-
no State, we have pledged N50 million to anyone who gives information that will lead to the tracking/rescuing of our innocent daughters. Irked by the abduction, the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has tasked security forces in the country to restore their honour and dignity by rescuing the abducted girls. Acting General Secretary of NLC, Chris Uyot, said the country stood to pay a higher price in future, particularly in the North East, except there is a fundamental change of security strategy that involves the people and reflects basic security initiatives. Uyot in the statement issued in Abuja said, “It is disgusting, repugnant, nauseating, chilling and totally unacceptable. This is a heinous crime against our children, our women, the Nigerian nation and against humanity, and must not be allowed to stand.
Abuja bomb blast: Police claim clue to masterminds Emmanuel Onani
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he Police may have got some “links” in connection with the deadly Monday bomb attack. The hint was dropped by the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 7, Suleiman Abba. Fielding reporters questions on whether the police have arrested any of the perpetrators of the dastardly act, Abba said: “I
am not aware of any arrest yet, but links, yes. There are links that we hope will link us to those responsible for the crime. We will not disclose those links because the whole purpose is for those links to achieve the purpose for which we have gotten them.” The AIG disclosed that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar, has assembled a crack team of investigators to arrest masterminds of the incident.
Boko Haram: Monarch, 18 others killed in Borno CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
“The President remains convinced that with the patriotic commitment and support of all Nigerians, the country will ultimately overcome its present challenges and move forward in unity and strength. “In this regard, President Jonathan will be
pleased to see all politicians in the country exhibiting greater responsibility and patriotism by doing more to support his administration’s sincere efforts to enhance national security rather than trying to build political capital out of the pain and misery of their compatriots.”