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BBOG Group Calls Buhari “A Failure” 

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BBOG Group Calls Buhari “A Failure” 
Men of the Nigerian Police barricaded the road leading to the Presidential Villa
Men of the Nigerian Police barricaded the road leading to the Presidential Villa

The Bring Back Our Girls, BBOG, campaign group, has labeled President Muhammadu Buhari a “failure” for his inability to rescue the abducted Chibok girls.

Aisha Yesufu, one of the leaders of the group, expressed this opinion on Thursday after security personnel, again, denied the group access to the presidential villa.

A visibly unhappy Yesufu said the President was enjoying life at the villa and has forgotten the plight of the people that voted him into office.

“Mr President you are a failure, I dare President Muhammadu Buhari, you should stand up and behave like a man.

“We are tired of hearing no credible intelligence, I can say that the president is not doing anything,” she said.

Yesufu noted that the rescue of the abducted girls was not a favour but a right as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.

Former Education Minister and co-founder of the BBOG group, Obiageli Ezekwesili, said it was a pity that the government continue to claim not to have intelligence on the whereabouts of the girls.

“For 846 days, our Chibok girls have been captured and you say you don’t have credible intelligence as president of Nigeria?” she queried.

“Nigeria voted you in to serve their purpose, Mr President we are disappointed.

“Leadership is about making tough decisions and as president we can’t wait forever or for credible intelligence.

How many times would he say no credible intelligence?” Ezekwesili wondered.

The BBOG campaigners were refused entry into the presidential villa on Monday, but the group said they would keep repeating the visit to the villa every 2 days until it was granted an audience with the president.

The campaign for the rescue of the Chibok girls assumed a renewed tempo after the Boko Haram militants released a video showing some of the girls and demanding that government released its fighters being held in detention.

In the video, the terrorist group also alleged that many of the girls had been killed in an air raid by the Nigerian military.

Italy Earthquake: Death Toll Rises To Over 240

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Italy Earthquake: Death Toll Rises To Over 240

A lucky survivor being taken to the ambulance
A lucky survivor being taken to the ambulance

The death toll in the 6.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Central Italy on Wednesday, has risen to at least 241 as thousands of rescuers continue efforts to find survivors.

Some reports claim 247 people have died so far as a result of the disaster.

This was disclosed by Italian authorities on Thursday morning, saying that 190 deaths occurred  in the Rieti province and 57 in the neighbouring Ascoli Piceno province.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is chairing an emergency cabinet meeting on Thursday and top of the agenda is reconstruction plans for the devastated area.

Dozens are believed trapped in ruined Amatrice, Accumoli and Pescara del Tronto, in mountainous central Italy.

Rescuers have advised journalists and bystanders to leave Amatrice urgently, as the town is said to be crumbling.

New cracks appeared in the town’s hospital after strong aftershocks.

The search for survivors went on through the night, amid hundreds of tremors and an aftershock which rocked already damaged buildings.

More than 4,300 rescuers are using heavy lifting equipment and their bare hands.

Authorities say many of the victims were children,  adding that the death toll could rise further.

Some tremors after the quake were felt as far away as Rome.

Many people passed the night under trees and makeshift tents
Many people passed the night under trees and makeshift tents

“We are sleeping in the car and there were shocks all night. When the biggest one came, the car started moving and shaking,” said Monica, a survivor from Amatrice.

A tented camp has been set up, as so many buildings are now unsafe.

 

Celebration As The Longest Civil War In History Ends

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Celebration As The Longest Civil War In History Ends
Negotiations for the Peace Accord had been ongoing for about four years
Negotiations for the Peace Accord had been ongoing for nearly four years

Thousands of Colombians are celebrating the historic peace agreement between the government and left-wing Farc rebels, signed after 52 years of conflict.

The announcement was broadcast live on Wednesday from Havana, Cuba, where peace talks have been held for more than two years.

The conflict has killed an estimated 220,000 people and displaced millions.

President Juan Manuel Santos called the deal “the beginning of the end to the suffering, pain and tragedy of war”.

A joint statement by both parties read: “The Colombian government and the Farc announce that we have reached a final, full and definitive accord.”

The head of the Colombian delegation, Humberto De la Calle, and the chief Farc negotiator, Ivan Marquez, signed the agreement at a ceremony in Cuba.

Both sides have agreed to work together to address social exclusion, to deliver justice to the victims of the conflict and build a stable and enduring peace.

“We have reached our goal,” said De la Calle.

“The war is over but also there is also new beginning. This agreement opens the door to a more inclusive society,” he added.

In Bogota, hundreds of people, many dressed in white, gathered at different points of the city waving the Colombian flag and cheering.

57-year-old Orlando Guevara spoke to journalists, saying “I can die in peace because finally I’ll see my country without violence, with a future for my children.”

Farc negotiator Ivan Marquez said the Farc and the government had “won the most beautiful of all battles: the peace of Colombia”.

Together, the once bitter enemies stood – guerrilla leaders and former generals, foot soldiers and career diplomats – and sang the Colombian national anthem.

In the end their shared understanding of what Colombia is, appears to have won out over their sharp differences as the two sides took their seats to announce the end of almost five decades of fighting.

It has taken nearly four years of talks, which on several occasions looked on the verge of collapse.

Colombians took to the streets to celebrate the historic Peace deal
Colombians took to the streets to celebrate the historic Peace deal

The question now, as the peace process moves from Havana back to Bogota, is whether the terms agreed in Havana will be acceptable to the Colombian people. A referendum on the deal is expected in October.

President Barack Obama phoned his Colombian counterpart, Juan Manuel Santos, to congratulate him on the deal.

The White House later released a statement saying that “president (Obama) recognised this historic day as a critical juncture in what will be a long process to fully implement a just and lasting peace agreement that can advance security and prosperity for the Colombian people.”

Under the terms of the agreement, the Farc will give up its armed struggle and join the legal political process.

“There is no room for winners or losers when you achieve peace through negotiations,” tweeted Farc negotiator Rodrigo Granda, adding that  “Colombia wins, death loses.”

The left-wing rebels have been fighting Colombian government since 1964; the longest-running conflict in Latin America.

The deal will need to be approved by Colombians in a popular vote, which will take place on 2 October, Mr Santos announced.

“It will be the most important election of our lives,” he said on national television shortly after the deal was signed.

However, former President Alvaro Uribe is leading the campaign to get the agreement rejected.

AfDB Okays $350m Loans To Nigerian Banks To Boost Enterprises

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AfDB Okays $350m Loans To Nigerian Banks To Boost Enterprises
AfDB President, Akinwumi Adesina
AfDB President, Akinwumi Adesina

The African Development Bank, AfDB, has approved a total of $350 million to two Nigerian Banks to assist local firms involved in import and export activities.

First Bank of Nigeria gets $300 million and FSDH Merchant Bank Nigeria gets $50 million.

This was disclosed in AfDB’s monthly newsletter which was issued by the Nigeria Country Field Office on Wednesday in Abuja.

The newsletter indicated that the two facilities were part of the AfDB’s broader efforts to provide support to the Nigerian economy at a time of falling commodity prices.

It added that the fall had caused shortages in foreign currency supply and has led to unmet demand for trade finance instruments to support Nigeria’s on-going economic transitions.

The publication stated that: “The facilities will support local enterprises involved in import-export activity.

“The loans will help address critical market demand for trade finance and dollar liquidity by supporting vital economic sectors such as agri-business, chemicals, construction, engineering, food processing, manufacturing and non-traditional exports.

“It will foster financial sector development, enhance regional integration, contributing to increased government revenue generation at a time when the Nigerian economy is facing fiscal pressures and foreign currency liquidity challenges.

“The loans will enhance support to domestic enterprises whose businesses are being hamstrung by shortages in dollar funding.’’

The publication noted that if fully utilised, the loans were expected to facilitate about 2.5 billion dollars of export-import related activity, especially in intermediate and finished goods, raw materials and equipment to support economic growth and tax generation over a 3.5 year period.

Nigeria Lost N51 Billion To Pipeline Vandalism In 2015 – NNPC

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Nigeria Lost N51 Billion To Pipeline Vandalism In 2015 – NNPC
NNPC GMD, Maikanti Baru
NNPC GMD, Maikanti Baru

The Group managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Maikantu Baru has lamented the increasing incidences of pipeline vandalism in the country, saying that Nigeria lost N51.28 billion to this crime in 2015 alone.

Baru made the shocking revelation when he visited the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Abdullahi Gana, in Abuja on Wednesday, also revealed that 18,000 incidence of pipeline vandalism was recorded in the last five years between 2010 and 2015.

The GMD added that there were 3000 acts of pipeline vandalism in 2015 alone, which translates to over 643 million litres or petroleum products valued at N51.28 billion.

He also revealed that between January and May 2016, Nigeria has lost 109 million litres of petroleum products as well as 560,000 barrels of crude oil to refineries, in at least 1,447 attacks on the nation’s pipelines.

The power sector has not fared any better as according to Baru, the supply of gas for power generation dropped by an estimated 50 percent.

He however pointed out that the NSCDC, “being a grassroots paramilitary agency is much closer to our facilities than any of the security agencies”, adding that the NNPC, under his leadership, would give the corps the necessary support to effectively safeguard the Nation’s critical oil infrastructure.

The NSCDC Commandant-General, in his reply, said that his agency will continue to discharge its mandate in protecting Nigeria’s assets.

He reiterated that the nation cannot afford to continue losing huge revenue to criminals and vandals.

Gana, noted that the NSCDC has lost many of its personnel on the line of duty in the creeks, but that would not deter them in carrying out their task.

Kano Emir Advises FG To Learn From Lagos

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Kano Emir Advises FG To Learn From Lagos
President Buhari and Emir Sanusi
President Buhari and Emir Sanusi

The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi , has advised the federal government to copy from Lagos state in terms of formulating policies that can boost trade, business and attract investors, adding that the Lagos example can bail the country from its current economic woes.

According to him, the inconsistency of the country’s economic policies by successive government has plunged the nation into unprecedented hardship, adding that if President Buhari does not initiate urgent economic measures, Nigerians may reject his administration the way they rejected former president Goodluck Jonathan administration.

The Emir who spoke during a lecture entitled: “The Search for a New Growth Model”, delivered at the 15th Joint Planning Board and National Council on Development Planning organized by the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning in collaboration with Kano state government, insisted that Nigeria has to retrace its step in terms of economic policies

Sanusi cautioned President Buhari over becoming captive to those he described as voodoo economists at the corridors of power, noting that the current economic policy and its inconsistency does not favour business and investment in the country.

He also decried over-dependent on oil, stating that more investment in agriculture, power sector, manufacturing and infrastructural development and attractive incentive to investors will boost the growth of the nation’s economy.

His words “I just saw that we are always blaming the past administration, but we have also made mistakes in this administration. The problem is that there is nothing we are facing today that we did not know what happened. That is the truth.

“We made mistakes, many of them deliberate. We ignored every single warning. Not building roads, not building power and other necessary infrastructure that can boost the economy and development of the country.

“We are spending 30 to 40 percent of every Naira we earn servicing debt. The new borrowings were simply recycled into much higher recurrent expenditure. The GDP was growing largely due to consumers items.

“In 2010 when I was Governor of Central Bank, the government increased minimum wage to N18, 000. I protested but they went ahead and borrowed money to pay. In 2012, as Governor of CBN, I said that this is an unsustainable wage bill. We need to reduce the size of public service, which fell onto deaf ears.

“I believe we have started retracing our steps and we have to retrace our steps. If a policy is wrong, it is wrong and it has to be changed.”

Emir Sanusi further advocated for devaluation of the Naira, stating that those who are advising President Muhammad Buhari on the nation’s economy are not getting it right.

The Emir noted that only very few Nigerians are benefitting from the current economic policies, noting that the policy is making the rich to get richer, while the poor continue to wallow in poverty.

He said Nigeria has been suffering from bad trade policy which is responsible for the collapse of industries, adding that bad economy led to the growth of terrorism, leaving millions of Nigerian youths jobless and restive.

INEC Distributes Non-Sensitive Materials For Edo Governorship Election

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INEC Distributes Non-Sensitive Materials For Edo Governorship Election

INEC-non-sensitive-materials-distribution

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has commenced distribution of non-sensitive materials for the Edo State governorship election which has been scheduled to hold on September 10.

Sam Olumekun, Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Edo State, told journalists during the exercise that the proposed time-table for the election is well on course.

He also said that over four hundred thousand Permanent Voter Cards meant for Edo State are yet to be collected from INEC.

During the distribution of the materials to the 18 local government areas of Edo State, staff of the commission were seen in numbers making necessary arrangement for the dispatch of the materials to their assigned destinations.

INEC’s Assistant Director of Voters Education and Publicity, Sule Imodu, also said that as part of efforts to continue voters’ education, three operational vehicles have been earmarked for the three senatorial zones of the state to intensify sensitisation before the election.

Imodu added that the welfare and security of INEC staff remain paramount hence adequate arrangement have been made particularly for those that will be sent to riverine areas.

Pro-Biafra Group Renounces Secession, To Burn Biafran Flag

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Pro-Biafra Group Renounces Secession, To Burn Biafran Flag
Leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu has been slammed with treason charges by the Federal Government
Leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu has been slammed with treason charges by the Federal Government

The Rebranded Indigenous People of Biafra, TRIPOB, a splinter group from the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, led by Nnamdi Kanu, has said that it will publicly denounce Biafra Republic and burn the Biafran Flag on Nigeria’s Independence Day, October 1.

The group said henceforth, the term’Biafra’ would only be used to signify “a powerful metaphor for change, development and greatness of the Igbos inside a united Nigeria”.

A statement released by one Chima ‘Phillip Effiong’ Osuji, on behalf of TRIBOB said that the decision was reached after a meeting of the “disaffected” members of IPOB in Aba, Abia State.

Osuji said the group decided to break away “due to the rigid and fatalistic position of the Nnamdi Kanu led IPOB.”

The statement read further: “TRIPOB now sees the Biafra question from a different perspective. Biafra will now become to us a powerful metaphor for change, development and greatness of the Igbos inside a united Nigeria, where the South East axis will be a utopia from the sheer determination borne out of the Biafra metaphor.

“We believe in being a part of a united Nigeria, and a new way of thinking, where the victim mentality will no longer be acceptable.”

TRIBOB said it has “accepted the fact that the Biafra Republic is not a reality but an anachronism, and doubt that the South-South region will become a part of a Biafra Republic, except by force; after a declaration of another civil war.

“That the lessons and history of the civil war will only reinforce the belief in ourselves to reach the zenith in this great country, Nigeria, where opportunities abound for everyone regardless of tribe or religion, and even where such narrow sentiments exist, we will not see ourselves as victims. Never!

“In view of this new mindset, members of the TRIPOB and any new defectors will on October 1, 2016make a public denunciation of a secessionist Biafra Republic at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

“The event will also include recitation of the Pledge to Nigeria our Country, singing of the National anthem, followed by a solemn burning of the Biafra flag and unveiling a new Biafra flag representing pride, change, potential and spirit of the Igbo race which can thrive anywhere in the world,” the statement concluded.

Nigeria To Strengthen Media Ties With Sudan

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Nigeria To Strengthen Media Ties With Sudan
DG VON and The Sudanese Ambassador
DG VON, Osita Okechukwu and the Sudanese Ambassador Bushra Mohammed-Ali

Nigeria and Sudan have agreed to strengthen their media relations in order to improve the image of Africa in the global scene.

This agreement was reached when the Sudanese Ambassador to Nigeria Bushra Mohammed-Ali paid a courtesy visit to the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria, VON, Osita Okechukwu, in Abuja.

The ambassador said he was “very happy to be here as an ambassador of Sudan to continue to strengthen this relationship in the media field between the Voice of Nigeria and the Sudanese Broadcasting Station.”

Mohammed-Ali noted that Sudan and Nigeria has enjoyed a smooth and cordial relationship over the years, pointing out that there are “over five million Nigerians based in Sudan who are contributing positively to the development of Sudan.”

“I am very keen this relationship would continue for the benefit of the two people and two governments,” he added.

The VON DG, in his reply, said that the two countries will work towards projecting the good image of the African continent.

“For us here we have a very simple mandate; a mandate to project the government and people of Nigeria,” he said.

“Since the Sudanese people are century old allies it means that we will continue to propel jointly our common objectives so that we could let the world know that Africa is making progress in the modern world; that it is not only the bad news that is in Africa,” Okechukwu added.

He also called for exchange of ideas in programmes and training of media personnel of both countries.

Niger Delta University Lecturers Call-Off 4-Month Old Strike

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Niger Delta University Lecturers Call-Off 4-Month Old Strike
Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson
Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson

The Academic Staff Union of the Bayelsa state-owned Niger Delta University, NDU, Ammassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the State has called off its four-month strike action.

This is as a result of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed by the Bayelsa state government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, NDU chapter.

Chairman of the association, Stanley Ogoun, Confirmed the development after a joint meeting of ASUU and officials of the State government at the House of Assembly Complex in Yenagoa.

The ASUU Chairman and the Bayelsa State Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Jonathan Obuebite, expressed satisfaction with the contents of the MoU, assuring that they will ensure that the document was strictly complied with.

Ogoun commended Seiyifa Koroye, head of the state government’s mediating team, pointing out that part of the agreement reached was improvement on the infrastructure and facilities needed to properly position the university for optimum result and recognition in the comity of universities.

The state Information Commissioner commended Governor Seriake Dickson for his personal commitment and efforts towards ending the crisis, which was becoming a source of concern to the government and people of the state, pointing out that, even before the signing of the MoU, the governor had taken steps to address a number of the demands of ASUU.

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