World News

Branding of North as ‘parasite’ in Nigeria unfortunate – Gov Yahaya

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The Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, on Tuesday decried the denigration of Northern Nigeria by some people despite the region’s abundant mineral resources.

The governor, who addressed journalists during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Gombe State government and Rift Oil and Petroleum Company on the exploration of hydrocarbon and energy resources at the Kolmani Oilfields, said he feels bad when people referred to the region as a “parasite” in Nigeria.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) discovered crude oil, gas and condensates in the Kolmani River region located in a border community between Bauchi and Gombe States in October 2019.

Yahaya also took a swipe at successive administrations in Gombe for not taking oil exploration in the Kolmani Oilfields serious thereby setting the state back economically.

He stressed that more than ever before, the need for the state to take advantage of oil and gas in the oilfields has become imperative, especially with the signing of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and the clamour by some states to collect and retain the Value Added Tax (VAT).

The governor said the lack of political will by previous administrations to explore the abundant mineral resources in Gombe was responsible for the state’s economic predicament.

Yahaya said: “The need for us to explore and get maximum benefit from our God-given natural endowments is imperative now having realized how much ground we have lost in that direction.”

World News

Utomi, Jega, others float coalition to ‘rescue Nigeria’

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A former presidential aspirant, Prof. Pat Utomi; has teamed up with the ex-Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega; and other like minds to form a coalition to rescue Nigeria.

The group, Rescue Nigeria Project (RNP), was unveiled on Tuesday in Abuja with the mandate to provide an alternative political platform to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Other members of the coalition are former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke; his Kwara State counterpart, Abdulfatah Ahmed; a former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran; Senator Lee Maeba, Dr. Usman Bugaje, and Amb. Nkoyo Toyo, among others.

Ahmed, who delivered a keynote address at the event, expressed sadness at the inability of the current administration to manage Nigeria’s diversity.

He said: “It is based on this that we decided to set up this Rescue Nigeria Project. We want to salvage this country and see how we can fix the mess. We want to set a template that leaders must have before they can attain any political position.

“Despite the great opportunities of the past, Nigeria has failed to live up to the dreams of its founding fathers and the hopes of successive generations of its citizens.

Perhaps, at no other time have these failings become more apparent than in the past decade or so.

“In 2015, Nigerians overwhelmingly embraced the promise of change. These hopes have not only been dashed, but they have arguably turned out to be the worst political statements ever to be made in this country. Nigeria today appears set to fulfill all the prophecies of doom.”

On his part, Bugaje, who is the National Coordinator of the RNP, said: “When you reduce the problems of this country to what they are, ultimately, it all comes to leadership.

“We have been unable to exit the leadership conundrum precisely because the leadership recruitment mechanism in our political parties is so flawed that, except for accidents, they are incapable of producing competent leaders with the requisite knowledge, discipline, and commitment to make a difference.

“We are living with, or better still, groaning under the consequences of this folly.”

World News

‘Stop cursing leaders over hardship,’ Sanusi counsels Nigerians

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Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, on Tuesday advised Nigerians to desist from raining curses on the country’s leaders over the current hardship in the country.

Sanusi, who addressed members of the Tijjaniyya Movement in Nigeria at an event in Sokoto, urged Nigerians to constantly pray for the country’s leaders.

He said: “What is expected of us now is patience, fervent prayers and we must stand up to get things better in our own way through legitimate ways.

“We must desist from abusing or cursing our leaders over hardship because the Holy Prophet discouraged that.

We shall not involve ourselves in corrupt practices and other atrocities because our religion preaches against it.

“We must change for the better and remain committed to peace and development of our societies.”

The deposed Emir of Kano also urged the group followers to be politically active as the 2023 election approaches.

“When you are approached during elections, you need to ask for recognition in terms of school construction, health facility, and other services,” he added.

World News

‘The world no longer cares about ‘America First,’ Iran President blasts US at UNGA 76

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The Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, on Tuesday, slammed the United States in his address at the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly holding in New York.

Raisi, who delivered his recorded speech remotely, said the world no longer cares about the US’s slogan of “America First.”

He also took a swipe at the US with specific mention of two events that made history this year.

The events, according to him, were the January 6 Capitol Hill insurrection and the last month’s incident in Kabul where some Afghans fell from the US evacuation planes.

In the light of the incidents, Raisi asked the US to refrain from trying to influence the world, saying no one cares about “America First” or “America’s Back,” a thinly veiled jab aimed at both President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump.

He said: “Freedom does not fit in the backpacks of soldiers coming from outside the region.

“The world does not care about ‘America First’ or ‘America’s Back’ any longer.”

World News

Ghanaians lock up foreign traders’ shops, after targeting Nigerians

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Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) resumed their clampdown on foreigners engaging in retail trading within the West African country, which has been a hotbed for hostility against small businesses owned by non-indigenes.

The trade union has been speaking against the retail operations of foreigners, stating that their venture is against the country’s constitution, ‘Act 865 section 27A’.

Nigeria, foreigners breach retail business exclusive list for Ghanaians

Findings by Ripples Nigeria showed that based on the Act, the foreigners are encroaching on enterprises reserved for citizens or meant to be wholly owned by Ghanaian citizens.

This has led to the closure of over 40 shops around the eastern region of Koforidua, on Monday, Ghanaian media outlet, Citi News, reported.

Checks by Ripples Nigeria showed that ‘Act 865 section 27A’ states that only Ghanaians have the right to own enterprises involved in sale of goods or provision of services in a market.

Part of the exclusive list for retail business includes petty trading, hawking, as well as selling of goods in a stall at any location. The Act also states car hire service, such as taxi, with less than twenty-five vehicles shouldn’t be operated by a foreigner.

Non-Ghanaians are also forbid from operating beauty salon, barber shop, or printing of recharge scratch cards for network providers.

Other small businesses listed are, “the production of exercise books and other basic stationery, the retail of finished pharmaceutical products, as well as the production, supply and retail of sachet water, not leaving out all aspects of pool betting business and lotteries, aside from football pool.” Ghana Business Regulatory Reforms said on its portal.

Trade union playing role of Police

The members of GUTA who were pictured carrying placards, inscribed that the Police should stop foreigners from conducting illegal businesses, and ensure the non-Ghanaian traders obey Act 865 section 27A.

In one of the placards, GUTA said it will police its markets, and “Foreigners are prohibited from retailing our markets.” Although they have faced resistance from the yet-to-be identified foreigners.

GUTA’s Public Relations Officer, Darlen Nana Boateng, said enforcing their retail business act has been chaotic, with a foreigner insisting on opening his shop after the trade union closed it.

“Our members shut down a shop but when the business owner came in, he opened the shop and insisted that he will work and whatever it takes, he will not comply with the directive.”

Boateng said businesses are not being destroyed, but “foreign retailers should just comply with the law.” and no one is allowed to “take the law into their own hands and be resisting the laws of Ghana.”

In the past three years, Nigerian-owned businesses have been experiencing confrontation from GUTA, with the faceoff hitting a climax when President Muhammadu Buhari shutdown Nigeria’s land border in Q4 2019.

World News

Flood Sacks Onitsha-Owerri Road As Group Asks Minister Of Works, Fashola To Intervene.

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Heavy downpours resulting in floods have destroyed the federal government’s Onitsha-Owerri Road, by Metallurgical junction, making the area almost impassable.

A group, the Cultural Credibility Development Initiative, called on the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, to rehabilitate the dilapidated Onitsha-Owerri Road.

The President of the group, Mr Goddy Uwazurike, said this in a statement to the former Lagos Governor on Tuesday.

A copy of the statement was made available to SaharaReporters with a video illustrating the critical state of the road.

Uwazurike also highlighted other federal roads in the South-East region which needed urgent attention of the Nigerian government as capital projects.

In the video, a man was shown lamenting in both in English and Igbo languages about the road which was divided into two.

The statement partly read, “The Cultural Credibility Development Initiative calls on the Hon. Minister, Mr Raji Babatunde Fashola, to without delay repair the dilapidated Onitsha Owerri Road, particularly the Metalogical junction.

“Today, this road is a present and looming danger to anyone passing through that road. In a sentence, the Onitsha-Owerri Road has been divided into two. Need I remind the Hon Minister that this road is crucial to the network of roads leading to the Economic Golden Egg of Nigeria.

“Your Excellency, we wish to inform you that the roads in Igbo land are so dilapidated that road transportation has crumbled beyond description.

“As the Governor of Lagos State, you performed very well in the provision and maintenance of good roads. We believe that you can repeat this feat on Onitsha-Enugu road, Enugu-Port Harcourt Road, Ihiala Mbano-Umuahia roads, the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene road, the Aboh-Anioma roads, the Umuahia-Arochukwu roads, Owerri-Okigwe road, Owerri-Port Harcourt road, the Uturu Afikpo roads the Owerri Mbaise Obowo roads , the Aba-Ikot Ekpene road, the 9th mile- Benue border roads.

“Your Excellency, your good name will go down the drain if you do not urgently rise to the occasion.”

Politics, World News

Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wins re-election but falls short of a majority

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Justin Trudeau has won a third term as Canada’s prime minister, but his decision to hold election early didn’t really pay off as his bid to win a majority of seats failed.
 
The Liberals (Trudeau’s party) won the most seats of any party, taking hold of 157 – the same number they won in 2019, and 13 short of the 170 needed for a majority in the House of Commons.

 
The result means  Trudeau, 49, and his second consecutive minority government will have to rely on other parties to govern.

 
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, whose party placed second, conceded defeat as results trickled in late into the night.
 
Early results indicated the Conservatives had 121 seats, the same number they won in 2019. The leftist New Democrats won 29, the Quebec-based Bloc Québécois were down three seats to 28, and the Greens remained at two seats.

Following his victory, he thanked his supporters on Tuesday morning, September 21, and promised he would work with other parties to serve all Canadians.

 
“You are sending us back to work with a clear mandate to get Canada through this pandemic and to the brighter days ahead,” he said.

 
He also highlighted the issues important to his party’s platform – climate action, affordable homes and childcare, pledging to continue to work on them.
 
“You have given this government and this parliament clear direction,” he added.
 
Before the election, Trudeau led a stable minority government that was not under threat of being removed hence the opposition relentlessly accused him of calling an unnecessary early vote – two years before the deadline – for his own personal ambition.

 
Trudeau believed Canadians didn’t want a Conservative government during a pandemic with their scepticism surrounding lockdowns and vaccine mandates, which he argued would be dangerous, and said people needed a government that followed science.
 
His government has spent hundreds of billions of dollars to support the economy through lockdowns and Canada is now one of the most vaccinated countries in the world.

Lifestyle, World News

“Nothing can make me leave my husband, not even a side chick” – Actress, Rosy Meurer

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Nollywood actress, Rosy Meurer has revealed that nothing can make her leave her husband, Olakunle Churchill, not even infidelity.
The mum of one made this revelation in a recent interview with Media Room Hub, when asked if she can call her husband out on social media if they have a marital crisis.
In response, Rosy noted that she’d never bring her personal life and marriage to social media. Speaking further, Rosy said she doesn’t think her husband would cheat on her, and if he does, she would forgive him if he is remoreseful because they plan to grow old together.

Her words,
“I would never call my husband out on social media. I would never bring my personal life to social media. I also don’t believe my husband would cheat on me because I trust him, but if he does and he’s remorseful, I would forgive him because we have a child together, and we have agreed we are staying together forever. I don’t think there’s anything that can make me leave my husband, not even for a side chick. I’m the main chick . I’m the boss. I’m the side chick; I’m everything to him. That’s all that matters to me.”

World News

We’re Still Searching For Fighter Jet That Went Missing About Six Months Ago – Nigerian Air Force.

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About six months after it was declared missing, the Nigerian Air Force Alpha Jet marked NAF 475 is yet to be found.

SaharaReporters had reported how the fighter jet went missing on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, in the insurgency-ravaged Borno State in Northeastern Nigeria.

The spokesperson for the Nigerian Air Force, Edward Gabkwet had said the fighter jet lost contact with the radar in Borno State earlier that day.

Gabkwet said the plane disappeared while on an interdiction mission in support of ground troops. He said the mission was part of the ongoing counterinsurgency operations in the North East.

“The loss of radar contact occurred at about 5:08 pm on 31 March 2021,” he had said.
“Details of the whereabouts of the aircraft or likely cause of contact loss are still sketchy but will be relayed to the general public as soon as they become clear. Meanwhile, search and rescue efforts are ongoing.”

A few days later, Boko Haram terror group released a video showing its fighters shooting down an aircraft thought to be the NAF 475 alpha jet declared missing.

In the video that is about seven minutes long, the jet was seen flying low to the ground while the insurgents shot at it. However, Gabkwet dismissed the video, adding that there was an ongoing search for the missing fighter jet.

“The attention of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has been drawn to some videos being circulated on Social Media, as well as media reports drawn from there, alleging that the NAF Alpha Jet aircraft, which was reported missing in Borno State on 31 March 2021 after losing radar contact, was shot down by terrorists. One of such videos, in particular, began with sporadic shooting by several terrorists, including underage children on motorcycles and vehicles. It later skipped abruptly to a scene depicting an aircraft exploding mid-air, supposedly as a result of enemy action. Another part of the video showed a terrorist, who, while standing by the wreckage, claimed that they had shot down the NAF aircraft.

“Although the video is still being thoroughly analysed, it is evident that most parts of the video were deliberately doctored to give a false impression that the aircraft was shot down. For instance, the video clip failed to show the correlation between the sporadic shooting, which even from casual observation was obviously aimed at ground targets, and the sudden mid-air aircraft explosion. In addition, it is almost impossible for an aircraft to have exploded mid-air, in the manner depicted in the video, and still have a good part of its fuselage, including its tail, intact. Indeed, an explosive impact of that nature would have scattered the debris of the aircraft across several miles,” he had said.

Speaking exclusively to SaharaReporters on Monday, the Air Force spokesperson said different rescue operations are ongoing in order to ascertain the whereabouts of the fighter plane.

“If there is anything new, actually I will tell you. We are still searching for the jet, if there is any new information, you will be the first person to know. No information on its whereabouts now, the search is still ongoing. It’s a continuous process,” Gabkwet told SaharaReporters.

Asked about the fate of the pilots and their families, he said, “There is a difference between absence without leave and missing in action, they are protecting our nation and got missing. Ours is a process that takes up to seven years in this kind of situation. The pilots are still part of Nigerian Air Force till date.”

World News

“Africa to get eight new submarine cables soon”

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Industry players have said that Africa will get eight new submarine cables in the coming years.
They also said that Africa’s emerging digital market has the fastest growth rate globally, with bandwidth growth on the increase.
They said this at an event where submarine operators such as Ciena sat to discuss Africa’s emerging submarine cable market and its impact on broadband penetration.
The experts said that as the world’s second most populous continent with 1.4 billion people and covering 20 per cent of the planet’s landmass, adequate availability of digital infrastructure across the continent would play a crucial socioeconomic role in helping to increase critical connectivity options.
According to them, only 25 per cent of the 1.4 billion African people are connected to the internet presently.
Chief Technical Officer of MainOne, Anil Verma, highlighted the critical role that MainOne had played in deepening broadband penetration and digital growth in Africa.

He said the company was the only multinational to boast of service coverage in 10 West African countries, connected to IXs in London, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Marseille and Frankfurt, Lagos, Accra and Abidjan with three additional IP transit ports, with Tier 1 ISPs in Europe.

According to the experts, submarine cables carry close to 99 per cent of the world’s intercontinental electronic communications traffic, and Africa requires access to this global submarine network infrastructure to fully benefit from an international digital economy.
MainOne said it had landed its submarine cable in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire where it equally operates data centres.

World News

New LASU VC Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello assumes duty

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Following her appointment as the ninth substantive vice-chancellor of the Lagos State University, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello has assumed duty on Monday, September 20.
She was received by the acting Vice-Chancellor, Oyedamola Oke, members of staff, and students at the university’s six storey Senate Building where she will hold sway for the next five years
Friends and well-wishers also received her with colourful banners, with some singing to express their joy over her resumption.

Upon her arrival at the entrance of the senate building, she was led into the VC’s office where a short prayer was held.
In a short statement titled, ‘New VC, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, mni resumes office this morning’, by the LASU’s Public Relations Unit, the new VC’s entry was described as “gallantry”.

“After months of heightened expectations by stakeholders, the Governor of Lagos State and Visitor to the University, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Thursday, appointed former Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, mni 9th Substantive Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University to wide applause from all and sundry.

“This morning, the Prof. Of Physiology makes a gallant entry into the scenic main campus of the university, no longer as Director, LASUDA, but as the Vice Chancellor of the 37-year-old institution,” the statement read.

She is the second female to occupy the exalted post in the Lagos State-owned tertiary institution.
Ibiyemi, a Professor of Physiology, had served as Acting Vice-Chancellor of the institution before her appointment
The 57-year-old academic was born on April 23, 1964, in Lagos.
She assumed duty as the First Professor of Physiology in LASU College of Medicine on the 2nd of October 2007 after rising through the ranks from Assistant Lecturer (1988 to 1991) to Associate Professor in 2005 at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba.

Politics, World News

Nigerian govt urges doctors to return to work as strike continues.

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The Federal Government has sent an appeal to the striking doctors of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to discontinue their current strike action.

This appeal was made by the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

The Minister further noted that negotiations are ongoing over the doctors’ allowances in order to ensure an end to the protracted feud.

“I want to appeal to NARD for them to reconsider their position, get back to work tomorrow or next and then come back again for discussions. We have so many things to discuss.

“I have nephews who are resident doctors. I have three of them at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, UNTH Enugu, Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu. I have so many of them. I have a son who will graduate in Medicine in October. I cannot destroy the profession, I have to protect the profession too,” Ngige said.

In response to the recent court case filed against the doctors, Ngige said, “The court has ruled and said ‘Go and do some more settlement but meanwhile, you go back to work and continue the settlement’.”

Politics, World News

Godwin Emefiele’s Lawless Attack on AbokiFX: Fighting Shadows for the Naira’s Sake.

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If you’re a fan of the Arsenal Football Club who appear to be suffering bad fortunes in the Premier League this season, there is good news from the Central Bank of Nigeria. You can now improve your team’s score-line by attacking Livescores and sending ‘experts’ to take down its site. This quick fix which has eluded seasoned pundits is the ingenuity of none other than Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the Chief Treasurer of Nigeria and apparently also, the Clown-in-Chief.

Indeed, of all the inanities that has buffeted us in recent times as Nigerians, the CBN Governor’s declaration of war against abokiFX, an online platform that publishes aggregated currency exchange rates for reference purposes, takes the ball. It offers insight into how our leaders in the eco-political sphere think, and we must be concerned.

It does not take an economist to unravel the apparent improbability of a non-trading platform that merely publishes exchange rates publicly sourced as being responsible for the weakening of the naira. If it were so, abokiFX would only have to publish that the naira is now at par with the dollar for it to be so. The government would not have to fight the platform and its owners but partner with them in publishing favourable even if untrue naira to dollars exchange rates to magically cause it to be so in the currency market.

In this utopia, one would be free from contemplating the role an import-based economy plays in the valuation of a country’s currency; one would be free from worrying over the lop-sided chasing of dollars with naira, and be unmindful of our single-export based economy, being crude oil, whose value is decided by a global body and as such, outside the control of the Nigerian government. In that utopia, the role of fiscal policies by government to shore up foreign reserves or scale up industry-based exports which would tip the scales of international valuation of the naira would be left out, completely ignored, and this, no doubt, are the synapses that jump around in the insulated mental world of our CBN Governor.

It is appalling that this is the mind and thinking of the man saddled with the nation’s treasury and reserves. Going after an online platform and its owner for merely publishing exchange rates references is shadow chasing and fighting a non-factor in the strengthening or weakening of the naira. Surely, the CBN Governor with all his learning and exposure knows this. If this is so, then the real reason for the CBN’s attack on abokiFX and its owner must be because it considers its publishing to be embarrassing to government and hope that by bringing it down, they can save face.

In the grand scheme of things, this is consistent with this government’s approach to facts they find embarrassing and which are evidentiary of their failures or incompetence. And as such, the CBN is another successfully bastardized institution of state deployed to the purposes of regime protection as against its primary responsibility.

Given that the abysmal failure of the naira to perform favourably is a no-brainer, the CBN Governor’s delusion of authority in eviscerating the owner of abokifx, going as far as deigning to arbitrarily order his prosecution, must be tempered by the reminder that executive rascality will only condemn the naira to a further plunge. The CBN and its governor are, indeed, not laws onto themselves but are beholden of it and due process.

The attack on abokiFX and its owner, no matter how stubbornly sustained, will not save the naira from its embarrassingly free fall and, I predict that many other platforms will spring up in place of, or in solidarity with abokifx. Will the CBN attack all? Anyway, the average Nigerian does not need to visit an online platform to know that the naira is fast losing value. The abokis under the trees in Sheraton know, travellers and traders sourcing for scarce dollars know and the general public who have to adjust to the tripling cost of household materials and commodities know. It is to these ones that the CBN Governor owe a duty, not to insulate government from reproach but to build a spine for the crippling naira.

Source: Pelumi Olajengbesi Esq., is a Legal Practitioner and the Principal Partner at Law Corridor Chambers, Nigeria.

Politics, World News

“I cut my hair in honour of those who died during #EndSARS protests” — Singer, Omawumi reveals.

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Veteran singer, Omawumi has revealed what led to her decision to cut her hair low, citing the sad memory of EndSARS protests victims.

The Nigerian singer who cut her hair live in the video of her hit single, “Bullshit” revealed in an interview with HipTV, that she did it because of the despair she felt from the loss of lives during the pandemic and the EndSARS protests last year.
According to Omawumi, she felt so much pain that people were dying and the country was busy celebrating mediocrity.

I cut my hair on my video that I did; the song is titled BS. I cut my hair live on that video because when I was writing it, I was in a place of despair. It was during the pandemic and I was losing people left right center,” she said.
“There was the ‘Soro Soke’ in the background. People were dying. It just felt like nothing was going right with the country. We were celebrating mediocrity,” Omawumi added.

Politics, World News

Why I Won’t Reveal Sponsors Of Boko Haram Terrorism Anti-graft Agency, @officialEFCC Boss, Bawa.

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The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa has said he cannot publicly reveal the Identities of people bankrolling Boko Haram terrorists and other insurgents in Nigeria.

The EFCC boss made the statement during Politics Today’s Channels TV programme on Thursday evening

Earlier this week, the authorities of the United Arab Emirates mentioned six Nigerians among those funding terrorism. 
However, while answering a question regarding that, Bawa said he would not discuss a sensitive national security issue on national television.
“If you are my adviser, will you advise me to come on national television to tell the whole world regarding matters of sensitive national security issue?” Bawa asked. 
“Certainly, not. But what I want to assure you we are working tirelessly with other sister agencies to ensure that this country is free of terrorism.”
The President Muhammadu Buhari-led government has promised many times to publish the names of people sponsoring terrorism in the country, but has failed to do so.
Also in Nigeria, about 400 Bureaux de Change operators are standing trial for allegedly supporting terrorists but the government has also not made the details available to Nigerians. 
Bawa, who collapsed while speaking at an event organised by National Identity Management Commission at the Presidential Villa earlier on Thursday, said he had since returned to work after seeing his doctor.
He said apart from being dehydrated, he was fine

Politics, World News

Sunday Igboho wins DSS in court, secures N20 billion payment

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Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Igboho, has recorded a massive victory against the DSS in court, securing a N20 billion damages payment.

The Oyo State High Court has asked the Department of State Services (DSS) to pay N20 billion to Chief Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho for unlawfully invading his Ibadan residence, The Nation reports.
You may recall that a team of DSS security operatives raided Igboho’s residence in Soka area of Ibadan, Oyo state back in July.

However, during a ruling presided by Justice Ladiran Akintola on Friday September 17, the Oyo State High Court awarded the massive sum as damages against the secret police in the lawsuit filed by Sunday Igboho, through his lawyers.
The court also declared the invasion illegal and berated the DSS for acting based on what the Justice described as “arbitrary aggression and prejudices” from his agitation for Yoruba Nation.

Politics, World News

More civil societies have backed the Arewa Youth Assembly, calling for the resignation of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.

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Seven different groups on Thursday joined others who want the Governor to resign over his alleged inability to stabilise the country’s bleeding economy

In a statement made available by the coalition and signed by seven of them, the groups noted that the current high poverty rate in the land on the failure of the country’s economy under Emefiele’s watch as CBN governor.

The group who signed the press statement include; the Nigeria Citizens Action Group, Unified Nigerian Youth Forum, Concern Northern forum, Igbo unity forum of Nigeria, Federation of Idoma Youths, Igbo Youth Assembly and Itsekiri National Youth Council.

“The Nigeria Citizens Action Group (NCAG), a coalition of 35 civil society organisations is constraint to lend its voice with that of numerous other concerned Nigerians that have been calling on Mr Godwin Emefiele, Nigeria’s CBN to resign with immediate effect to save the country from total collapse.

“This call became necessary following the extensive review of the tenure of Mr Godwin as the head of our apex bank which has come to the sad conclusion that he should humbly step aside and allow a more competent person to step in to save our country from total collapse.

“We understand that it will be difficult for him and his heirs to reason with us, but we wish to beg on them to put on their garment of patriotism and save our country”, Isah said.

The Arewa Youth Assembly Speaker, Mohammed Salihu had noted earlier that his organisation has given Mr Emefiele three options to either resign voluntarily, get sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari or youths will occupy the CBN premises in their numbers until he resigns.

They made available three options for Emefiele – to resign, to get sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari or to force us to occupy the CBN complex.

The statement reads: “Based on the Arewa Youth Assembly earlier call on the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele to resign his position as the apex bank boss over his inability to stabilise the glaring nose-diving country’s economy, we have noticed the sponsored backlash and propaganda against our persons instead of the issues we have raised.

“The fact that the sponsored messengers of the propaganda couldn’t come up with an issue-based argument is a clear indication that Mr Emefiele has truly failed and they are only helping in further exposing his flaws because Nigerians are watching.

“Mr governor would have proved us wrong with facts and figures, and possibly, engage the services of those with related intellectual to defend his inability to stabilise our bleeding economy.

“We are surprised that, Mr governor would engage those with track records in dirty jobs because of their stomach infrastructure. Those that never promoted a genuine course that can prosper the country except sowing the seed of divisional tune in the country are the ones Mr governor is paying to insult us just for saying the obvious.

“While we maintain our three options available for Emefiele – to resign, to get sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari or to force us to occupy the CBN complex, it is important to remind Mr governor and his think-thank the personality of his defenders in this stance.

“We expect Mr Emefiele’s errand boys to come out in his convincing defence. They should tell us that it is not true that our legal tender, the naira has drastically lost its value against other foreign exchanges even in Africa where Nigeria is a big brother.

“They should tell us that it wasn’t true that ₦150bn NIRSAL loan money got missing under Mr Emefiele’s watchful eyes. They should ell us that CBN under Mr Emefiele has been very up to date with her audited report.

“They should tell us that the dishing out of BDC licenses has followed due process and are being issued to the right individuals. They should tell us that Mr Emefiele is not nursing a secret Presidential ambition that has stolen his attention and plunged the Nigerian economy into a quagmire.

“They should also come out to tell us that their action in defence of Mr Emefiele is not for the money they have collected from the CBN to do so. Failure to do all these puts them clearly on the plates as Mr Emefiele’s number one enemies who are hell-bent on ensuring that he gets sacked”, he said in a statement.

Politics, World News

Southern Governors back VAT collection by states.

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The Southern Governors Forum has expressed support for the collection of the controversial Value Added Tax by state governments.

The Governors made their positions known on Thursday during their meeting in Enugu.

Reading the resolutions of the Governors shortly after the meeting, which was attended by nine Governors and seven Deputy Governors, the Chairman of the Forum/Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), tasked the Governors that were yet to enact the anti-open grazing law to do so without much delay.

Akeredolu, in the seven-point communiqué, said the Governors were satisfied with the rate at which the states were enacting and amending the anti-open grazing laws, in line with the uniform template and aspiration of the Forum.

The communiqué read in part, “the Southern Governors Forum expressed satisfaction with the rate at which the states in southern Nigeria are enacting or amending the anti-open grazing laws, which align with the uniform template and aspiration of Southern Governors and encouraged the states that are yet to enact this law to do so expeditiously.

“We also encourage the full operationalisation of already agreed regional security outfits, which would meet, share intelligence and collaborate to ensure the security and safety of the region.

“The Forum reaffirms its earlier commitment to fiscal federalism as resolved at the inaugural meeting of the Forum held on Tuesday, May 11, 2021, at Asaba, Delta State and emphasised the need for the Southern States to leverage the legislative competence of their respective State Houses of Assembly, as well as representation in the National Assembly to pursue its inclusion in the Nigerian Constitution through the ongoing constitutional amendment.

“The meeting resolved to support the position that the collection of VAT falls within the powers of the states. It also expresses satisfaction with the handling of issues around the Petroleum Industry Act and ownership of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation by the larger Nigerian Governors’ Forum.”

The Forum also reiterated their earlier position that the next President of Nigeria must come from the southern part of Nigeria, in line with the politics of equity, justice and fairness.

The Governors present at the meeting were Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State; Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State; Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State; Nyesom Wike of Rivers State; Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State; Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State; and Doye Diri of Bayelsa state.

Others were the Governors of Ogun state, Dapo Abiodun, and Akwa Ibom, Emmanuel Udom.

The Deputy Governors that represented their Governors are Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi of Ekiti State, Rauf Olaniyan of Oyo state, Prof Evara Esu of Cross River, Ude Okochukwu of Abia State, Kelechi Igwe of Ebonyi State, Philip Shuaibu of Edo state and Placid Njoku of Imo state.

World News

BBNaija S6: Biggie punishes Saga, Nini for failing secret task

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Big Brother Naija Shine ya Eye housemates, Saga and Nini, are learning the hard way, as Biggie punished for failing secret task.

The two lovebirds have been punished by Biggie for Saga’s failure to keep up with the secret task he was assigned earlier in the week.

Liquorose and Saga during a Diary Session on Tuesday were instructed to play a prank on their love interests in the house, by picking a fight with them till their next diary session.

Barely a day into the prank, Nini had an explosive clash with fellow housemate, Cross over bathroom cleaning. This led to Saga having to break character in order to calm her down.

In the process he also revealed why he had been been “giving her attitude” as she had claimed in a confrontation with him earlier in the day.

“Yesterday during the Diary Session, he (Biggie) said there’s a task for me, that I should fight with you and not talk to you till the next Diary Session,” he said.

He further speculated that Liquorose, who was also avoiding her love interest, Emmanuel, was given the same task during her diary session.

Waking up to punishment

On Thursday, day 54 of the show, the housemates woke up to the Garden in utter disarray with a letter by Biggie set on a stool.

The letter which was addressed to Saga and Nini, instructed that they both clean up the disarranged room without any help from other housemates.

They are only allowed to go for short bathroom breaks while the punishment lasts. However, at least one person must be in the room at all times till it is cleaned up.

Business, Lifestyle, World News

Okonjo-Iweala makes ‘TIME 100,’ thanks Prince Harry, Meghan for kind words.

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Nigerian-born Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has thanked the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle the Duchess, for the kind words they penned about her as she makes the TIME 100 list of The World’s Most Influential People.
The magazine has noted the globally-rated economist’s activities around the efforts to ensure that everyone on the planet earth gets vaccinated against any preventable disease for which there is a vaccine.
The ex-World Bank guru has been the Board Chair of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, since January 1, 2016. Gavi has the goal of increasing access to immunization in poor countries.
Concerning the TIME entry, the Duke and the Duchess state:
What will it take to vaccinate the world? Unity, cooperation—and leaders like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

As the first African and first woman to lead the World Trade Organization, a 164-member group of nations that oversees trade across the world, Okonjo-Iweala took on the role of director-general this March at a watershed moment for our global health and well-being. Make no mistake, her job affects every person, family and community.
As we face a constant barrage of vaccine misinformation, bureaucratic slowdowns across both government and industry, and the rise of variants that underscore the urgency of the situation, Okonjo-Iweala has shown us that to end the pandemic, we must work together to equip every nation with equitable vaccine access. Our conversations with her have been as informative as they are energizing. This is partly because, despite the challenges, she knows how to get things done—even between those who don’t always agree—and does so with grace and a smile that warms the coldest of rooms.

The fragility of our world right now cannot be overstated. Just over a quarter of the nearly 8 billion global population is fully vaccinated.
Achieving vaccine equity is a global duty of compassion for one another. Our hope is that guided by strong leaders like Ngozi, we can get there soon.

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