Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, US Secretary of State, John Kerry, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III
The United States’ Secretary of State, John Kerry, has begun a two-day working visit to Nigeria.
His first port of call was Sokoto State where he delivered a lecture on “Resilient Communities and Religious Tolerance in Countering Violent Extremism.”
He was received by the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, who led him to the Palace of the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III.
Below are some pictures from the visit:
Secretary Kerry signing the visitors’ register at the Palace of the Sultan
Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, US Secretary of State, John Kerry, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III
The U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, has begun his two-day working visit to Nigeria, going first to Sokoto State, where he praised the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, for his efforts at promoting religious tolerance and understanding.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reported Kerry as saying that the Sultanate Council was building a community of tolerance for peace, progress and political stability in Nigeria.
Kerry promised that the United States would continue to identify itself with the Sultan in strengthening religious understanding and tolerance among Nigerians.
He also talked about the fight against corruption and terrorism, saying both require international collaboration to overcome.
Delivering a speech on Resilient Communities and Religious Tolerance in Countering Violent Extremism, Secretary Kerry said extremists do not only kill people but also turn the most vulnerable among the society into killers.
Secretary Kerry, told northern religious leaders, tertiary and secondary schools students that terrorism can be eliminated if the society put hands together.
He maintained that Nigerians must do more than just denounce Boko Haram, adding that they also must act right from the grassroots level.
“We also know that beating Boko Haram on the battlefield is only the beginning of what we must do.
“Building public trust in government also requires cooperation from the military and law enforcement. Extremism can’t be defeated through repression or fear,” he said.
The elated Sultan expressed delight at the visit, saying that the council would continue to promote peaceful coexistence among Nigerians for the overall political growth of the country.
Secretary Kerry and Sultan Abubakar
Abubakar said the principal objective of the Sultanate remains the promotion of religious tolerance and understanding among Nigerians and getting citizens to tolerate one another for peace, progress and political stability of the country.
Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, who accompanied Kerry to the palace, also stated that the state government would continue to strengthen peaceful coexistence among the people, irrespective of religious, tribal and political differences.
“We don’t discriminate on religious, tribal, ethnic or political affiliations as we accommodate all for peace and harmony,” he said.
NAN reported that Kerry had a closed-door meeting with Sultan Abubakar and some leaders of the two major religions.
Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara and Deputy National Chairman of APC North West, Inuwa Abdulkadir, were present during the courtesy visit on the Sultan.
Members of the executive committee of the All Progressives, Congress, APC, in Ondo State, have formally announced the removal of the State Chairman of the party, Isaac Kekemeke.
This was contained in a statement by the party’s publicity secretary, Omo’Oba Adesanya.
Crisis had erupted in the party last week following the alleged imposition of a governorship candidate on members of the party by Bola Tinubu, former Lagos State Governor and a national leader of the APC.
This led to some faction of the party locking up the party’s state secretariat in protest and announcing the removal or Kekemeke as chairman.
However, another faction, loyal to the chairman stormed the secretariat the next day, broke the padlocks with which the gates were locked and surrounded the area with security personnel to maintain the peace.
The national leadership of the APC then summoned the warring factions to the national secretariat in Abuja, where a peaceful resolution was reportedly brokered.
It was gathered, however, that Kekemeke did not attend the meeting at the National Secretariat.
Announcing the sack of the Chairman, Ondo State APC spokesman, Adesanya, stated that a vote of no confidence had been passed on the chairman by two-third of members of the state executive committee.
The statement said that “Due process was followed, in accordance with the spirits and letters of the Party’s Constitution (Article 21) in removing the former Chairman from office.”
Quoting a section of the party’s constitution, Adesanya said, “Article 17(v) which states that, subject to ratification by the National Convention or Congress, an Officer shall be relieved of his post at any time if a vote of ‘No Confidence’ is passed on him by two-third of members of the relevant Party organ.
“Article 17(vi): pursuant to this Constitution, where a vote of ‘No Confidence’ has been passed on an Officer, the relevant Party organ shall appoint another person to act in his place pending ratification by the National Convention or Congress.”
Adesanya added that “An acting Chairman, Ade Adetimehin, has therefore been appointed to fill the gap.”
The party “advised the general public, security agencies, Banks/Financial institutions and members of the Party, to stop relating with Mr. Isaacs Kekemeke, in the capacity of his former office”.
The statement also directed the former chairman to submit all party properties in his possession to the State Secretary of the Party or the nearest police station.
“We wish him good luck in all his future endeavors” it concluded.
Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, has signed the Home-Land Safety and Security Services Bill 2016 and eight others into law.
The others include: the Primary Health Care bill, the Environment and Carbon Emission bill, the Equal Opportunity and Gender Based Discrimination bills, the Greater Calabar Development Agency bill, the Cross River University of Technology, CRUTECH, Amendment and the Harmonized Levies and Roads Infrastructural Maintenance Development Laws.
Governor Ayade, during the signing ceremony, explained that the Cross River State Home-land Safety and Security Services Bill, code-named “Operation KBM” “is a response to the increasing social and security challenges of the present day society.
He said that the bill is aimed at providing neigbourhood watch, vigilante patrol and intelligence gathering, providing supportive information to the Police and also providing a real-time, on- time emergency intervention in locations and areas of physical security threats.
Speaking further, the governor said the philosophy behind the Home-land Security is based on the African culture and tradition of being “ones brother’s keeper”.
The governor also commended the Speaker and members of the Cross River State House of Assembly, for their collaboration with the executive in coming up with 23 bills since the inception of current administration.
President Muhammadu Buhari has strongly condemned the mob action that reportedly claimed the lives of at least eight people in a community called Talata-Mafara, Zamfara State.
In a message on Tuesday through his social media handle, President Buhari said he “received news of the mob killings in Zamfara with great dismay. It is barbaric and unacceptable. I assure that the law will take its course.”
He added that “under my watch, we will work to ensure that there is no place for violence in the name of religion, ethnicity, or in any guise whatsoever.”
“My prayers are with the families of the victims,” Buhari added.
An angry mob attacked a student of the Abdu Gusau Polytechnic for alleged blasphemy against Islam and the Prophet Mohammed.
The student was reportedly beaten to death when a sympathizer named Tajudeen intervened and rushed him to a hospital.
But the enraged mob then marched to Tajudeen’s house and reportedly set it on fire, killing about eight occupants of the house.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reported that the State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, joined hundreds of people to bury the deceased.
Yari then summoned an emergency Security Council meeting, vowing to bring perpetrators of the heinous crime to justice.
The Police consequently announced a 12-hour curfew in the community, from 7pm to 7am until further notice, warning that violators of the curfew would be punished.
The Nigerian military has said that several Boko Haram leaders were killed and others, including the presumed leader of the group, Abubakar Shekau, wounded in a raid on Sambisa Forest last Friday by the Nigerian Air Force.
Shekau and other injured leaders of the insurgency group, escaped and are being tracked by Nigerian troops.
Army spokesperson, Sani Usman, in a statement late on Monday announced the attack, saying the insurgents were taken unawares.
“The air interdiction took place last week Friday 19th August 2016, while the terrorists were performing Friday rituals at Taye village, Gombale general area within Sambisa forest, Borno State.
“Those Boko Haram terrorists commanders confirmed dead include Abubakar Mubi, Malam Nuhu and Malam Hamman, amongst others. While their leader, so called “Abubakar Shekau”, is believed to be fatally wounded on his shoulders. Several other terrorists were also wounded,” the statement read.
Sambisa is believed to be the last major hideout of the insurgents and the unfavourable terrain has made it very difficult for the military gain entrance into the heart of the forest and this raid presents a major victory as government forces try to mop up what is left of them.
Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta and US Secretary of State, John Kerry
US Secretary of State, John Kerry, on Monday announced a further donation in humanitarian assistance worth about $138 million to war-torn South Sudan.
Kerry made the announcement when he met with regional ministers in Nairobi, Kenya.
According to a press release issued by the US Embassy in Nigeria, the donation, made through the US Agency for International Development, USAID, includes 58,000 metric tons of food aid and specialty nutrition products, along with emergency health and nutrition services, safe drinking water, hygiene supplies, and cholera treatment and prevention messaging to stem the current outbreak.
The US has remained the largest donor to South Sudan, a country that has known little peace since independence.
Thus far, the US’s assistance to the country is just short of the $2 billion mark.
“A recent outbreak of violence in Juba, broader insecurity throughout the country, and severe economic declines have conspired to worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis in South Sudan.
“Warring parties have terrorized and abused innocent civilians, especially women and girls. More than 2.5 million people have fled their homes – internally and to neighboring countries. Forty percent of the population now faces life-threatening hunger, with some people on the brink of starvation.
“Food security conditions are at their worst since South Sudan gained independence in 2011,” the statement read.
Kerry, however, admitted that peace cannot be brought about by humanitarian assistance alone, saying, “We strongly urge the country’s leaders to prioritize the needs of their people by protecting the population and ensuring the delivery of vital humanitarian assistance.”
The American diplomat is expected in Nigeria on Tuesday, where he will first go to Sokoto state before coming to Abuja to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari.
The two are expected to talk about security, economy and the fight against corruption.
Troops of 33 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Nacho on Sunday carried out an operational patrol aimed at clearing suspected armed gangs that had been disturbing residents of the state.
A statement by army spokesperson, Sani Usman, on Monday said the Army had received several reports of armed robberies and kidnappings, which necessitated the operation around Dutsen Mairama and Dogon Ruwa settlements within Lame/Burra forest of Toro and Ningi local government areas.
“During the encounter, three armed kidnappers were killed and their camps destroyed.
“The troops also recovered arms and ammunitions including empty shells.
The troops would continue to carry out such clearance operations in all known hideouts of kidnappers and armed bandits within Bauchi and other States to deny criminal elements freedom of action,” the statement read.
Newly appointed Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation and Board, JAMB, Ishaq Oloyede, has said that admission into tertiary institutions must comply with national policies.
Oloyede disclosed this on Monday during the first Technical committee on admission to first choice institution held at the Bayero University Kano, adding, however, that the senate of each institution has the prerogative to admit candidates but this must be in adherence to national policies.
According to him the national policies include the use of 2016 JAMB UTME result printouts for all candidates who scored 180 and above
Other policies that must be strictly adhered to are the subject combinations of various courses as specified by the senate/academic board and included in the 2016 UTME brochure.
The JAMB Registrar added that “In the discharge of this National assignment, it is important that we act with focus on what is beneficial to the largest number of Nigerians.
“We must avoid adding to the burden of the masses of our people who rightly yearn for higher education as a veritable means of active participation in public life
Vice Chancellor of Bayero University disclosed that only 21,000 out of 64,224 candidates that applied for admission into the university, made the cut-off mark, adding that only 6,500 would eventually be offered admission after the screening processes had been exhausted.
Professor Bello stated that the University has always maintained transparency in its admission processes.
Delta State has recorded a fresh case of Lassa Fever in Asaba, the state capital, as the disease claimed the life of a medical doctor.
The doctor died after he was rushed to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, in Nnewi, Anambra State.
The State’s Commissioner for Health, Nicholas Azinge, confirmed the incident, saying that the doctor’s wife and 32 others he had contact with had been quarantined.
Azinge said the situation has been brought under control, as officials of the Emergency Response Team of the Ministry of Health, Asaba, headed by Ejiro, swung into action immediately, while the governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has been briefed on the development.
“We are liaising with the Commissioner for Health in Anambra State and NAUTH, Nnewi, to ensure that all those who had contact with the late doctor were quarantined depending on the severity, and others placed on surveillance.
“The wife of the doctor was rushed to Otibokhae Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State, when we suspected that she was also sick, but it is just malaria and she has been treated. We have also put the children of the doctor under surveillance.”
“Right now in the state, none of those quarantined has shown any symptom of Lassa Fever and our emergency response team is monitoring closely.”
It was also gathered that the Ministry of Health, Asaba, has quarantined the Peugeot Expert Ambulance from the General Hospital, Ibusa, Delta State, used to rush the doctor to Nnewi, as well as the driver.
Reports said the deceased doctor’s colleagues were treating him for malaria in Asaba, but it was at the teaching hospital in Nnewi that tests showed he had Lassa Fever by which time it was too late.
According to a report by Vanguard, “A source said the deceased, transferred recently to the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, from one of the northern states, had not officially resumed because workers were on strike at the hospital.
“Had he resumed at FMC, Asaba, I can tell you that the situation could have been more calamitous,” the source added.
