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Buhari, Osinbajo Brainstorm With Experts On Economy

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Buhari, Osinbajo Brainstorm With Experts On Economy
File: President Buhari had organised an economic retreat in March this year
File: President Buhari had organised an economic retreat in March this year

President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo are currently attending an economic retreat with other cabinet members to discuss the state of the nation’s economy and ways to get the country out of recession.

The one-day retreat has as its theme: “Building inter-ministerial synergy for effective planning and budgeting in Nigeria.”

The 2017 Budget is also expected to be among top items on the agenda of the meeting.

Resource Persons for the economic retreat include Obadiah Mailafia, Ayo Teriba, Bode Agusto and Bismarck Rewane.

According to posts on the twitter handle of the Presidential Villa, @AsoRock, “the Technical Sessions (will) be led by Peju Adebajo,Dotun Suleiman, Larry Ettah, Frank Nweke II, Laoye Jaiyeola and Mansur Ahmed”.

It is believed that the presentations will bother on how to get the economy out of recession and will include topics such as: weaning the economy out of oil dependence; fiscal and trade policy options, monetary and exchange rate policy options, and how to grow output and productivity in the Real Sector.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Budget and National Planning released a statement saying that President Buhari would lead his deputy, who is the head of the economic team, along with ministers and heads of relevant federal ministries, departments and agencies to the meeting.

Akpandem James, media aide to the Minister of Budget and National planning, Udoma Udo-Udo, said in the statement that “The key objective of the retreat is to discuss the 2017 Budget as well as discuss steps being taken to get the economy out of recession.”

“The retreat is expected to deliver improved understanding of the measures being taken to get the country out of recession; improve synergy among the various ministries for enhanced implementation of planning and budget and enhance knowledge of how to develop 2017 Budget to effectively link with the medium term plan.

900,000 Borno IDPs To Get Three Months UNICEF Relief Materials

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900,000 Borno IDPs To Get Three Months UNICEF Relief Materials
The Boeing 747 cargo plane arrived Abuja on Sunday with N408m ($1.3m) worth of relief materials for IDPs in Borno state. Photo: UNICEF Nigeria
A Boeing 747 cargo plane arrived Abuja on Sunday with UNICEF relief materials for IDPs in Borno state. Photo: UNICEF Nigeria

By Samuel Malik

The www.icirnigeria.org has learnt that 880,000 Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in Borno State, the worst-hit state in the seven-year of Boko Haram insurgency, are set to benefit from massive and critical relief materials worth N408 million for the next three months from the United Nations children’s fund, UNICEF.

A Boeing 747 cargo plane arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Sunday, September 11, with what UNICEF called lifesaving supplies meant for IDPs in the northeast.

The items are expected to be sent to Borno state.

UNICEF’s chief of communication in Abuja, Doune Porter, told the www.icirnigeria.org through email that the consignment was made up of 1,600 health kits and another 1,600 water, sanitation and hygiene, WASH, dignity kits.

The health kits, which will serve 800,000 people for three months, include drugs for the treatment of diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia; antenatal supplements, such as iron and folic acid, and medical supplies like bandages and latex gloves for primary health centres.

unicef-relief-materials-in-the-northeast-nigeria
UNICEF brought in $1.3m worth of relief items

The WASH kits contain jerry cans, buckets and water purification tablets. There are also soap and menstrual hygiene products for women and adolescent girls. These are expected to benefit 80,000 for three months.

More than 20,000 people have been killed and two million displaced by the seven-year Boko Haram insurgency, leading to a complex and dire humanitarian crisis.

Over time, government has focused majorly on the provision of food items to the displaced persons, while nongovernmental organisations, NGOs, and private individuals provide non-food items like medicines, educational materials, water, etc.

“They will be sent to UNICEF hubs in Borno state before being distributed and will be tracked during the distribution.

 

Despite these efforts, the situation has continued to worsen, with Doctors Without Borders reporting in July that people were suffering from severe acute malnutrition in an IDPs camp.

In August, the World Food Programme, WFP, warned that more than five million people faced severe food shortages due to the current situation, including inflation.

While this unfolds, allegations have continued to surface of officials diverting relief materials from camps, forcing President Muhammadu Buhari to order the arrest of suspects.

A summary of the seven years Boko Haram insurgency
A summary of the seven years Boko Haram insurgency

Mindful of these allegations, the www.icirnigeria.org asked UNICEF how the items would be distributed, including whether they would be given directly to beneficiaries or through the state government.

Porter explains: “The distribution plans have not yet been finalized for the supplies – our health and WASH sections are working on that now so that the supplies can be used most efficiently.

“They will be sent to UNICEF hubs in Borno state before being distributed and will be tracked during the distribution. We are working closely with our government and other partners to ensure the supplies will be used where they are intended.”

 

Agric Minister Clarifies Statement On Rice Consumption In Nigeria

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Agric Minister Clarifies Statement On Rice Consumption In Nigeria
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh

Minister of Agriculture and Rural development, Audu Ogbeh, has dismissed news reports quoting him as saying ‘Nigerians eat too much rice, that’s why it is expensive’.

According to a statement signed by the minister’s adviser on New media, Aishat Onusi, the minister said the report “is totally false, misleading and a sheer display of irresponsible journalism, reckless sensationalism, and poor ethics.”

He said it was more disappointing that the mischievous headline was “completely at variance with the content of the news story.”

Ogbeh decried the deliberate misinformation by the media which he said has become a frequent occurrence.

He said there was the need “for caution, self-censorship and ethical compliance by journalists and social media activists.”

Part of the statement read: “For the avoidance of doubts, the minister stated that during a recent meeting he held with an indigenous Agro Company investing in the production of Irish Potato in Nigeria, he did talk about the health risk associated with the excessive consumption of rice and advised Nigerians to occasionally substitute rice with potato for improved diet.”

Ogbeh wondered how the statement attributed to him in the headline came about when no supporting statement or quote was provided in the content of the news report.

He advised Nigerians to “beware of misleading headlines; pay close attention to media reports that come with such and should challenge the Press to abide by their professional ethics.”

Companies Admit To Laundering Money For Patience Jonathan

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Companies Admit To Laundering Money For Patience Jonathan

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Four companies charged with money laundering alongside a former Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to ex-President Jonathan, Waripamo Dudafa, and two others, have pleaded guilty to the offence.

PUNCH reports that the companies pleaded guilty to conspiring with Dudafa and the two others to launder a sum of $15, 591,700 before a Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday.

The companies are Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited; Seagate Property Development & Investment Co. Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Development Company Limited and Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had since frozen the $15.6m found in the four companies’ accounts with Skye Bank.

But wife of ex-President Jonathan, Patience, has sued the EFCC and Skye Bank, claiming ownership of the money and saying that the EFCC violated her fundamental human rights by freezing the accounts without informing her.

She asked the court to order the anti-graft agency to unfreeze the accounts and pay her N200 million in damages.

The EFCC, however, revealed that an additional $5 million was traced to another Skye bank account in the name of the former first lady.

Governor Sacks LG Sole Administrators

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Governor Sacks LG Sole Administrators
Governor of Kebbi State, Abubakar Bagudu
Governor of Kebbi State, Abubakar Bagudu

Kebbi state Governor, Abubakar Bagudu, has removed 17 out of the 21 Local Government Sole Administrators in the state.

The governor told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Thursday that the affected LG administrators had completed their one year term as approved by the State House of Assembly.

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He explained that they were initially appointed to serve for only three months, but State assembly had approved an extension following a request by the executive.

Bagudu commended the LG managers for their service to the state, assuring them that the government would utilize their experiences if the need arises.

He said, “The government will consequently appoint acting caretaker leaders from among appointed councillors of various local government councils.

Four of the local government sole administrators, including those of Arewa, Kalgo, Koko Besse and Fakai local government councils are to continue in office because their tenure has not yet expired.

Troops Kill Four, Arrest One Insurgents In Yobe

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Troops Kill Four, Arrest One Insurgents In Yobe

troops-kill-four-arrest-one-insurgents-in-yobe

Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole in the early hours of Wednesday killed four Boko Haram members and captured one at Gajire village in Yobe State while on clearance and fighting patrol, following some intelligence that some insurgents were hiding there.

The exchange of fire with the insurgents, according to army spokesperson, Sani Usman, a Colonel, lasted for 15 minutes and led to the recovery of some weapons and ammunition such as two General Purpose Machine Guns, GMPG, two AK-47 rifles and 144 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition.

Also recovered were two motorcycles.

“The troops have continued to patrol the general area in search of possible remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists that might be hibernating in the area,” the army spokesman said.

EFCC Declares Former Katsina Governor Wanted

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EFCC Declares Former Katsina Governor Wanted

efcc-declares-former-katsina-governor-ibrahim-shema-wanted

Former Governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema, has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

In a statement on Wednesday, Wilson Uwujaren, spokesman of the anti-graft agency said the former governor was wanted “in connection with a case of criminal conspiracy, inflation of contract, abuse of office, diversion of funds, and embezzlement running into billions of naira.”

The EFCC spokesman stated that Shema had ignored several invitations by the commission since December 1, 2015 when he was first summoned by the agency.

He added that efforts to locate him at his known address in Abuja and Katsina had been futile.

Uwajuren urged anybody who has useful information as to the ex-governor’s whereabouts to “contact the commission or report to the nearest police station.”

Shema, a son in-law to former president Umaru Yar’adua, hails from Dutse-enma local government area of Katsina state and became governor in 2007, same year Yar’adua was elected president.

He has denied the allegations of corruption levelled against him, saying the whole saga was a witch-hunt by his successor,Aminu Bello Masari.

Military Warns Journalists Over Coverage Of Insurgency

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Military Warns Journalists Over Coverage Of Insurgency

rabe-abubakarr

The Nigerian military has advised journalists to always seek its approval before embarking on the coverage of the Boko Haram insurgency. This, it said, is to ensure that the journalists are given adequate security.

“Much as the military is not trying to gag the press from carrying out their legitimate duties, permission should be sought from the Armed Forces before embarking on such venture.

Defence spokesperson, Rabe Abubakar, a Brigadier General, in a statement issued on Thursday, said that in addition to endangering themselves, the unauthorised activities of journalists are capable of derailing the counterinsurgency war, even though Boko Haram has been largely decimated.

“It has been observed that certain journalists embark on coverage of security areas in the North East for documentary purpose and the likes without due authorization from the military authorities. This practice is not only capable of jeopardizing the success of the on-going military operations in the area but also poses great concern to the safety of the journalists concerned,” the statement read.

Rabe said that the warning is not an attempt to gag the press, but insisted that journalists must seek permission from the military before going to the affected areas.

“Much as the military is not trying to gag the press from carrying out their legitimate duties, permission should be sought from the Armed Forces before embarking on such venture. This will enable adequate security to be provided for such journalists by the military. Even though Boko Haram has been substantially decimated any roaming journalist could be a target of unsuspecting fleeing Boko Haram member and this will not be in the best interest of media organizations and the nation at large,” he stated.

Court Berates DSS For Continued Detention Of Suspect

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Court Berates DSS For Continued Detention Of Suspect

dss-court

The Federal High Court, Abuja, has lashed out on the Department of State Services, DSS, for the continued detention of Umar Mohammed, a retired Air Commodore and member of the presidential team investigating the arms deal in the country.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba said this on Wednesday while delivering judgment in a suit filed by Emeka Ohazurike and 19 others.

He said that the continued detention of the suspect the DSS, even after he had met his bail conditions was illegal and an assault on the judiciary.

Dimgba asked the counsel to the DSS, Shimana Adzer, to convey the message to the security outfit.

The DSS had arraigned Mohammed over allegations of money laundering, possession of fire arms and violation of Official Secret Act.

Mohammed had pleaded not guilty to the charges and was admitted to bail in the sum of N100 million.

However, several months after he had met his bail requirements, the DSS has refused to release the former Air officer.

Ohazurike and his group of human rights activists then sued the DSS for alleged violation of the fundamental human rights of Mohammed.

They asked the court to declare that the arrest and detention of Mohammed was unlawful, unconstitutional, malicious and an abuse of his rights to human dignity.

The group who said they were acting on behalf of Mohammed also sought an order directing the DSS to release the defendant.

They also wanted the court to order the DSS to pay N500 million damages to Mohammed as well as publish an apology to him in at least two national newspapers.

Justice Dimgba, however, held that since he was certain that Mohammed did not authorize the suit, he could not grant the reliefs of money and an apology being sought for by the plaintiffs.

NURTW Calls For Extension Of Speed Limit Device Deadline

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NURTW Calls For Extension Of Speed Limit Device Deadline

nurtw-calls-for-extension-of-speed-limit-device-deadline

The National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Bayelsa State chapter has called on the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, to extend the October 1 deadline for the implementation of the speed limiting device.

State Chairman of the transport union, ThankGod Eribo, made the appeal in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, on Wednesday.

He, however, agreed the initiative was a laudable one which the union must comply with.

The NURTW boss said, “The initiative is as important as the engine of a vehicle, especially to our members, who are the major road users; and this is what we have been expecting from the FRSC.

“We will comply with the initiative, since it is a safety precaution to reduce crashes.”

Eribo noted that the enforcement date was too near and pleaded with the FRSC to extend the date and also make the price of the device affordable.

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