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Gambia Election: ECOWASTroops Ready To Move In If Jammeh Refuses To Hand Over

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Gambia Election: ECOWASTroops Ready To Move In If Jammeh Refuses To Hand Over

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The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has said that troops from the sub-region have been placed on alert to intervene in The Gambia if President Yahya Jammeh refuses to step down next month.

Jammeh initially accepted defeat in the 1 December poll, but later said it was flawed.

Chairman of the ECOWAS commission, Marcel Alain de Souza, said Senegal had been chosen to lead operations “to restore the people’s wishes” if needed.

President Jammeh has already said he will not be intimidated, insisting that ECOWAS had no authority to interfere.

Jammeh, who has ruled for 22 years, has lodged a case before the Supreme Court to annul the Gambian presidential election after the electoral commission changed some results.

The commission insists the outcome was not affected by an initial error and that opposition leader, Adama Barrow won the poll and should be inaugurated on 19 January.

De Souza said Jammeh had until that date to comply with ECOWAS mediators.

“If he is not going, we have stand-by forces already alerted and these stand-by forces have to be able to intervene to restore the people’s wish,” he said.

The Gambia, a former British colony, is surrounded on three sides by Senegal.

“Senegal has been selected by its peers to lead the operations but we do not wish to start a conflict,” De Souza said.

“If he loves his people, he has to be able to negotiate an exit door calmly. If it doesn’t happen, the most radical means will be used.”

Jammeh’s defiant comments earlier this week made it clear that Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, who was appointed by ECOWAS as chief mediator in the crisis, has a fine line to tread.

Jammeh said that although he was a “man of peace”, that did not mean he would not defend himself and the country “courageously, patriotically and win”.

The stalemate is already taking a huge toll on the economy of the small West African country, which is popular with tourists, with the Chamber of Commerce saying businesses have been badly affected.

The Supreme Court says it will hear a case brought by president Jammeh’s party to cancel the result on 10 January.

President Jammeh, 51, seized power in 1994 and has been accused of human rights abuses, although he has held regular elections.

The Gambia has not had a smooth transfer of power since independence from Britain in 1965.

Results were revised by the electoral commission on 5 December, when it emerged that the ballots for one area had been added incorrectly.

Berlin Attack Suspect Killed In Milan

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Berlin Attack Suspect Killed In Milan

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Anis Amri, the suspect wanted in connection to the Berlin Christmas market attack, has been shot dead by police in Milan, Italy.

Italian interior minister, Marco Minniti, said that the man opened fire on policemen who asked him for ID during a routine patrol in the Sesto San Giovanni area in the early hours of Friday.

“One police officer was injured in the shootout but his life is not in danger,” Minniti added.

Monday’s attack on a Berlin Christmas market left 12 dead and 49 injured.

German officials have confirmed Amri’s fingerprints were found inside the truck that was used in Monday evening’s attack.

The attack took place at a Christmas market at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in the west of the German capital.

According to the Italian news agency Ansa, the suspect had travelled by train from France to Turin, and then taken another train to Milan.

From the central station he travelled on to Sesto San Giovanni, a working-class area. He was on foot when he was asked to show his documents, Ansa reports.

He pulled a pistol from his backpack and began shooting, reports say.

The officer who returned fire had been in the police for just nine months.

Amri, a Tunisian national aged 24, had served a prison sentence in Italy after being convicted of vandalism, threats and theft in 2011.

He was known to Italian authorities for his violent behaviour while imprisoned.

After his release he was asked to leave the country. He arrived in Germany where he applied for asylum in April of this year.

He was named as a suspect in the Berlin attack by German federal prosecutors, and a reward of up to €100,000 was offered for information leading to his arrest.

A spokesman for Germany’s interior ministry, Tobias Plate, said the ministry was “relieved that this person no longer poses a danger.”

He, however, would not comment on reports in the German media that Amri had been filmed at a mosque in Berlin in the hours after the attack.

Separately, police arrested two people in the German city of Oberhausen on suspicion of planning an attack on a shopping centre.

Interior minister, Minitti praised the two police officers who had apprehended Amri, and said the operation showed how Italy’s security system was working well.

“As soon as this person entered our country, a fugitive wanted across Europe, we immediately identified him and neutralised him,” the minister said.

FG Begs Ex-Millitants Over Delayed Amnesty Stipends

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FG Begs Ex-Millitants Over Delayed Amnesty Stipends

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Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, Paul Boroh, has pleaded with youths from the Niger Delta not to panic or be agitated by the delay in the payment of their amnesty stipends.

Boroh made the plea during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Thursday, assuring those affected by the delay that efforts were on to pay them as soon as possible.

“I am assuring all beneficiaries under the programme that arrangements are being made to fast-track the payment of their stipends as soon as the amnesty office receives its allocation,” he said.

The PAP coordinator said that the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration is aware of the pains the ex-militants have been through and will ensure that they their stipends are paid soon.

He also added that his office has been working hard together with other relevant government agencies to explore how best to utilize some of the ex-militants who had been trained in one skill or another.

“The Amnesty office is collaborating with the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, to explore areas of cooperation in engaging trained beneficiaries,” he said.

He urged stake holders from the Niger Delta region to be patient as President Muhammadu Buhari is keen on achieving the ultimate goal of peace and stability in the oil-rich region.

According to Boroh, the amnesty programme had continued to record successes, citing an example with the graduation of 97 ex-agitators in advanced farming courses at the Bio-resources Development Centre, Odi, Bayelsa.

Boroh said the programme was being supervised by the.

He commended the National Biotechnology Development Agency, NABDA, who organized the programme as well as the beneficiaries for their continuous dedication to the cause of lifting Nigeria to enviable heights using agriculture.

He explained that “the beneficiaries were trained in advanced techniques in several farming areas, including fresh water fish production (aquaculture), macro propagation of elite plants, snail farming, grass-cutter farming and household production.”

“The memorandum of understanding with NABDA is to facilitate the training of 500 beneficiaries of the (amnesty) programme who are being trained in batches of 100 each for one month.”

NDLEA Raids Popular Drug Joints In Kano

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NDLEA Raids Popular Drug Joints In Kano

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The Kano State Commander of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Hamza Umar, on Thursday said his officers had raided and cleared five major drug joints in the metropolis.

Umar said the operations were aimed at reducing the use of drugs among youths in the ancient city, especially during the festive period.

The areas where the raids were carried out include: Kofar Nasarawa, Dan-agundi, Kofar Ruwa, Plaza and Island in Nasarawa area.

“Festivities are characterised by activities of youths, therefore, we had to take measures to make sure that the drug use will not increase,” the NDLEA boss said.

He noted that the use of drugs also results in the increase of crime in the society as “Most of the major crimes committed by the youths are out of the influence of drug use.

“During festive periods like now, drug users take it more because they say it is the end of the year and they will not take again until new year,” Umar added.

He stressed that the operation was not a one-off affair as operatives of the agency will maintain active presence every day in the areas that have been flagged as red zones.

“During this period, the agency will embark on daily checking, especially at the areas the traffickers use in conveying the different types of drugs” he said.

This would ensure that the youths do not regroup and continue their nefarious activities.

Umar also disclosed that the NDLEA in Kano state has adopted another strategy of collaborating with traditional rulers to ensure that the anti-drug abuse campaign get to the various rural communities.

According to him, the effort has started yielding positive results as the traditional rulers had set up groups made up of volunteers to identify drug users in their communities.

The NDLEA commandant also said that the agency has begun a sensitisation programme to enlighten the public on the negative effects of drug abuse.

He called on the people to always provide the agency with appropriate information that could lead to the arrest of drug users in order to ensure a safer society.

Protesting Civil Servants Shut Down Taraba State Secretariat

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Protesting Civil Servants Shut Down Taraba State Secretariat

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Angry Taraba State government’s workers on Thursday shut down the state secretariat in Jalingo as they protested against the non-payment of their salaries.

The workers, under the aegis of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, JPSNC, accused the state government of not being sensitive to the plight of the citizens.

Peter Gambo, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, said that there were many irregularities in the payment of salaries of workers and pensions of retirees in the state.

According to him, local government workers and teachers are being owed eight months’ salary arrears which have caused them untold hardship.

Gambo also cited illegal deductions from salaries and subjection of workers to endless screenings and verification exercises as part of the reasons for the protest.

He also alleged that the union dues were deducted indiscriminately and was never remitted to the accounts of the unions and the state government has refused explain why.

The state NLC chairman said: “Government has shown that the welfare of workers in the state is not its priority.

“Workers have been subjected to all kinds of belittling treatments in the name of screening and verification that have not yielded any fruits apart from subjecting them to extreme hardships.

“The consultant has proven to be very incompetent in handling payment of salaries while the bank handling payment has clearly shown that it is confused. All these must stop now”, he said.

Addressing the protesters, the Taraba State Head of Service, Samuel Angyu, told them that government was aware of the workers’ complaints and was already taking steps to address them.

Angyu appealed to the workers to end the protest and make way for “peaceful and civilized discussions on the way forward.”

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that footballers of the state-owned football clud had on Monday, staged a protest at the Government House to demand the payment of their 21 months’ salary.

Atiku Intensifies Call For Restructuring

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Atiku Intensifies Call For Restructuring
Former Nigeria's Vice President, Atiku Abubakar
Former Nigeria’s Vice President, Atiku Abubakar

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has again called for the restructuring of the Nigerian Federal system of government, saying that the current economic situation has exposed the many weaknesses of having a centralized government.

Atiku took to his twitter handle on Thursday to explain why he is certain that the current system of government in Nigeria needs to be reviewed.

According to him, the fact that the country has practiced a particular system of government for a long time, does not necessarily mean that it is the best system.

“It’s standard human reasoning – if you do the same thing long enough, you may think it’s right and the only way. Not true,” he tweeted.

He continued, “The economic consequence of over-centralization is that FG may collapse under the weight of too many responsibilities it burdens itself with.

“Our Federal Government can no longer afford to meet many obligations. Does it still make sense to have a centrist FG?” he asked.

Another twitter user, Michael Omosoki, reminded the vice president that the challenge being faced in the country today was an aftermath of decisions and polices of former leaders of the country, of which Atiku is one.

Omoski asked why Atiku did not do better during his time as vice president.

“I was only a VP o,” he replied. “What I was assigned to do was economy and we made bold changes, fixed National debts (and) bad assets.”

Atiku added in response to another user, “not only is our FG too large, the economic downturn has exposed fundamental weaknesses. Yes, FG duties need to be reduced/devolved.”

Army Commences Road Construction In Sambisa Forest

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Army Commences Road Construction In Sambisa Forest

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The Nigerian military on Wednesday said it has commenced the construction of roads into the Sambisa forest and Alagarno, which are strongholds of the Boko Haram Terrorist group.

Lucky Irabor, a Major General and Head of the counter-insurgency operations in the North East, codenamed ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’ made this known during a press conference in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.

Irabor also revealed that over 80 percent of Sambisa forest is now under the control of the Nigerian military, saying that the counter-insurgency war is nearing its end.

“We have embarked on roads construction within the Sambisa forest to open up the area and also ease our operations within the theater,” he said.

“I call on individuals and corporate organisations to come in and support the military, as everything cannot be left to government; even with construction materials and other materials, as roads are essential in reviving the economic development of the North-east,” he added.

The army commander said that 1,880 civilians, mostly women, were rescued from boko haram captivity in the past week.

He also revealed that in the last one week, 504 suspected Boko Haram insurgents were arrested with 19 voluntarily surrendering.

He further said that 37 foreigners are currently in the custody of the military and are undergoing profiling to ascertaining whether or not they are part of the boko haram terrorists.

Irabor advised Nigerians, especially female students of tertiary institutions to be wary of new recruitment strategies by the terrorists especially on the social media.

He also appealed to members of the public to continue to support the final push to wipe out insurgency from the North East by providing the military relevant information.

The theatre commander frowned at some media houses who, according to him, has continued to deliberately ignore the good stories emanating from the counter insurgency operations but rather chose to exaggerate the few challenges being encountered by the troops.

He warned such media houses to desist from such acts as they end up demoralizing the troops and making Nigerians believe that the terrorists were gaining the upper hand, which is not the true picture of things.

President Buhari Signs 30 Bills Into Law

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President Buhari Signs 30 Bills Into Law

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President Muhammadu Buhari has signed over 30 bills passed by the National Assembly into law since assuming office in 2015, his Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, said on Wednesday during a chat with newsmen.

Enang, who was a member of the 7th senate, commended the lawmakers for their ability to pass so many of bills within a short period.

“This National Assembly under the leadership of Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara has been very rewarding in terms of legislation as seen in the number of bills passed,” Enang said.

“Some days ago, Mr President assented to a little over about 30 bills within one year and six months of the inauguration of this present National Assembly.

“This surpasses every record that has been made by the legislature since the advent of democracy in this republic,” the presidential aide added.

Enang said the President has demonstrated his commitment to the principal of separation of powers where “each arm of government will concentrate on its core responsibilities.”

He also said that it shows that there is harmony between the executive, the legislative and the Judicial arms of government.

Enang also commended the media for its comprehensive reportage of the activities of the National Assembly within the period under review.

He advised Nigerians to respond more to public hearings on bills, organised by the legislature in order to contribute to the process of lawmaking.

Asked whether steps have been taken to ensure that the 2017 Budget process will be carried out in a tidier manner than that of 2016, Enang assured that the process would be smoother and shorter this time.

He said that the level of consultation that took place before President Buhari presented the budget, is a further proof of the improved relationship between the two arms of government.

“There was front loading with the legislature by the executive, wherein the ministers consulted and related with the chairmen and members of the respective committees in building up the budget,” Enang said.

FG Adopts New Policy To Reward Whistle Blowing

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FG Adopts New Policy To Reward Whistle Blowing

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The federal government has come up with a new whistle blowing policy in order to encourage Nigerians to report incidents of corruption to the appropriate authorities.

The new policy will see anyone who exposes corrupt practices rewarded with as much as five per cent of the recovered proceeds of the corrupt act.

This was one of the resolutions reached at the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso rock presidential villa on Wednesday.

Addressing State house correspondents after the meeting, Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, said the policy is being put in place in conjunction with the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

She said the policy is a tentative initiative pending when the National Assembly formally passes a whistleblowing law.

According to her, the new programme will encourage Nigerians to come forward with information that could lead to the arrest and prosecution of corrupt officials.

Adeosun added that the initiative was also a deliberate effort at strengthening the fight against corruption by the Buhari administration.

The finance minister said that the federal government will set up a website and provide a phone number and email for people to use.

She assured Nigerians that the anonymity and protection of whistle-blowers will also be guaranteed.

James Ibori Released From Prison

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James Ibori Released From Prison
James Ibori
James Ibori

Former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, has been released from prison in The United Kingdom, where he was serving a jail sentence.

His media aide, Tony Elumenor confirmed to journalists that the former governor was released a few minutes past noon on Wednesday upon a court order.

Ibori was in 2012 sentenced to a 13-year jail term after he was found guilty of corruption by a UK court. Reports by Vanguard newspaper said that he served out his term midnight on Tuesday.

Another report said the UK Home Office had gone to court to resolve if Ibori could be released without going through confiscation trial, but the court ruled in the ex-governor’s favour.

The confiscation trial was to determine if Ibori’s assets should be confiscated after he had served his jail term.

Expectations of Ibori’s return home to Nigeria, however, remain unclear as friends and associate many of who are gathered in London deliberate on the future of the former governor.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC first arrested Ibori in Nigeria on corruption charges in December 2007. His prosecution began at a High Court in Kuduna and later transferred to Delta State but he was discharged by at the High Court sitting in Warri in controversial circumstances 2009.

However, in 2010, the INTERPOL arrested the former governor in Dubai and he was later extradited to the UK in 2011.

During Ibori’s trial in the UK, prosecutors told the trial judge how Ibori formed a phantom company called ADF to siphon $37.5million from Delta State shares in V-Mobile – a Nigerian telecom company.

The ex-governor was convicted and handed a 13-year jail sentence while his former solicitor, Bhaderesh Gohil, was jailed for 10 years for helping syphon the money.

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