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Shiites clash with troops
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members of the sect used various objects to barricade the road and also pelted the troops with stones and other dangerous items1 at least three members of shiites died and two soldiers wounded when members of the proscribed islamic sect clashed with nigerian army who were in the escort of ammunition and missiles1 the face-off took place in zuba in federal capital territory fct the army confirmed on sunday that the clash with the sect members on happened on saturday1 the commander army headquarters garrison abuja maj.-gen. james myam said on sunday that troops of the garrison were attacked at about 3 p.m. at zuba bridge by the sect as they escort ammunitions and missiles from abuja to army central ammunition depot in kaduna state1 the sect members who were supposedly to be in a procession established an illegal road block denying motorists free passage1 when the troops convoy attempted to clear the road block they met stiff opposition from the sect1 the troops were taking the arms from abuja to army central ammunition depot in kaduna state1 they smashed both military and civilian vehicles windscreens and windows1 they also attempted to overrun the escorts to cart away the ammunition and missiles the troops were escorting. this led to the troops opening fire to extricate themselves1 consequently troops of 102 guards battalion in whose area of responsibility the incident occurred rushed to the convoys rescue myam said1 he however said normalcy had been restored in the area and advised members of the public especially those plying the abuja-zuba road to go about their normal activities1 the commander assured the public that no individual or persons would be allowed to disturb public peace or provoke attacks against military convoys. nan1 -
Ethiopia now to give all Africans visas on arrival
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ethiopia is to issue visa on arrival to all africans starting nov. 9 according to fitsum arega chief of staff at the ethiopian prime minister1 in a press statement arega said the visa-on-arrival policy for fellow african visitors is in line with prime minister abiy ahmeds vision of a closer and full integration in the continent1 consistent with prime minister abiy ahmeds vision of a closer and full regional integration in africa where minds are open to ideas and markets are open to trade ethiopia will start on arrival visa to all africans starting from nov. 9 2018 arega said1 ethiopia hopes the visa-on-arrival initiative would facilitate the economic integration of africa by pushing tourist flow to a higher level and help advance conference tourism1 the east african country which hosts the headquarters of the continental body the african union au also hopes that the move will assist the aus initiative on the free movement of people. the au urged all african countries to issue visa on arrival as of 20231 -
Agony of Benue PDP female legislative aspirant
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by emmanuel afonne7 so i dont know where the story of rejection of result fake list and attacks are coming from we left the venue peacefully and nobody protested or was attacked1 from all indication the conduct of the sept. 29 primary election was a bitter experience though the partys leadership in the state has described the entire process as peaceful with the loser embracing the winner1 ogwuches lamentation to the news agency of nigeria nan suggests that the pdp in ogbadibo might go into the 2019 general election deeply divided1 she alleged that her opponents used thugs to terrify attack and almost stripped her naked in the public because of their bias for her gender1 the acclaimed uk trained lawyer also alleged that the entire exercise was marred by irregularities occasioned by alleged falsification of authentic delegates list which eventually disenfranchised some of her supporters1 according to her the build-up to the primaries witnessed a lot of intimidation and harassment of supporters and delegates that should have voted for her after attempts to force her to step down for her opponent failed1 before we went into the stadium where the primary election took place my agent my coordinators and some key persons in my campaign team were threatened1 some thugs were looking for my agent adolowu lawani while few of them walked straight to the vice chairman of my ward and the women leader and told them that they will chop off their fingers if they voted for me they were threatened right there outside the stadium when they were on queue1 the thugs went as far as warning my campaign coordinator i was standing with him but they never knew i was the lady aspirant. they even mentioned the name of the leader of their group and said that he sent them to warn him and at this point i began to fear for my life and everything1 when we went inside we discovered that the delegate list has been changed. the list that was used was not the original list sent from abuja which they used for the governorship1 also when it was the turn of ogbadibo delegates cast their votes i heard the leader of the party in the local government chris adabba abba saying he was going to stand as the agent of my opponent and that everyone should not vote by themselves but hand the ballot for him to write on behalf of all1 at this point i sensed the process had been hijacked because as our leader he has undue influence on the delegates1 to make good his plans he abba stood as the agent of my opponent and was snatching ballot papers from delegates to write the name of the aspirant who eventually is his cousin1 and when my agent lawani raised observation and confronted him he threatened to slap him and the whole situation became chaotic and the electoral officers threatened to suspend the process ogwuche narrated1 she recounted her ordeal in the hands of the thugs whom she alleged were working for her opponent and the leader of the party in the area stressing that such treatment was an affront on the sensitivity of the female folk1 i saw multitudes gather against my agent and i got closer i saw the some boys hitting him and before i knew it they pounced on me they beat me up mercilessly tore my clothes and stripped me naked in the public right there in the stadium. they also punched my eyes and pulled my hair1 this was what i faced. all these bullying harassment and intimidation just because some people feel more entitled to hold this position than myself. this is unacceptable1 im calling on all authorities out there and good nigerians to look into this situation. this cannot continue to go on the ill treatments against female folk must stop and this is where it stops she added1 no matter the sympathy or bias the position of some stakeholders who spoke to nan appeared to have diluted the allegations brought forward by the female aspirant1 the chairman of aiodo ward 1 where ogwuche came from hon. idoko ojo alias ojotu said the exercise was conducted in a free and fair atmosphere1 he also dismissed the claims of harassment and intimidation of any voter and falsification of the delegates list as alleged by the female aspirant1 on that fateful day our party delegates voted peacefully and there was no form of violence harassment or intimidation1 our people respect the zoning arrangements existing in our constituency a lot that was why some of us advised aida to wait till it gets to the turn of our own district to go to the house of assembly but she refused. she kept thinking that she could do magic to win but the reality was that she lost out he stated1 ojo further alleged that his life was now being threatened by some suspected cultists who he claimed were sent by the aspirant to recover the money she gave to the delegates during the primary election1 i got a phone call by an unknown caller and i asked to know the identity of the person. but he told me not to bother about his name. he asked me if i was ojotu and i said yes. he said he was directed to arrange all the money that aida gave to me and send back to him1 for barrister aida-nath ogwuche benue state house of assembly female aspirant for ogbadibo constituency in zone c in the 2018 primary election of the peoples democratic party pdp the event has come and gone but the memories lives on1 i told him that this is politics and in our place we respect zoning. and since it was not our turn we cannot support her1 i advised her before the election to retrace her steps work for the party and wait for the turn of our people and that by the law of natural justice we will reciprocate by supporting her but all these advise fell on deaf ears1 mr lawrence oko the chairman of owukpa ehaje ward 2 in a telephone interview with nan vowed to take legal action against ogwuche if she continued to malign the names of party leaders in the area1 oko expressed anger over the unfounded allegations against the party and the entire exercise describing it as an attempt to destroy the unity of pdp in ogbadibo1 i am compelled to say that the zoning arrangement did not favour her constituency because the incumbent legislator is from her ward so it greatly affected her chances in the election1 she polled 52 votes while peter enemari who was eventually declared the winner garnered 79 votes1 there was no form of protests crisis disputes or violence over the outcome and that was why we were shocked when complained about the outcome of the election at the pdp national secretariat and also going to the media to tarnish the image of our party1 she massively doled out cash to lure some of the delegates to vote for her and i believe that was where her problem started because she tried to collect the money back from those whom she felt disappointed her1 oko however said that efforts have been made to resolve the issue with ogwuche family members to ensure the party go into the general election as a united group1 pdp woman leader in ogbadibo local government area hon. eloyi onekele also dismissed ogwuches claim1 she said how can she claim that a fake delegate list was used for the election whereas it was the same delegate list that was used for governorship senate and house of representatives primary elections1 it is also good for our party leaders and indeed the general public to know that both the senate house of representatives and house of assembly primaries were held at the same venue same time and concurrently for six out of the nine local government areas that make up zone c1 so there is no basis for anybody to believe ogwuches allegation that a fake delegate list was used for the election1 it would be interesting to note that ogbadibo parades some of the notable and influential politicians in benue politics such as chris adabba abba alias mad lion who is the party leader in the area and has remained a committed member of the pdp hon. joseph ojobo an incumbent member of the states house of assembly and hon. ijiga oko a former local government chairman and also former state financial secretary of the pdp and now special adviser on assembly matters to the governor1 others are hon. jerry agada former minister of state for health hon. hassan saleh the incumbent member house of representative representing ado-okpokwu-ogbadibo constituency hon sunday ojo former local government chairman among others1 for political convenience the local government area which is made up of three major districts otukpa orokam and owukpa has a total of 13 council wards with otukpa having six wards orokam three and owukpa four wards1 these three districts have often rotated the ogbadibo state constituency seat amongst themselves1 in 1979 it was the present honourable minister for agriculture and rural development honourable chief audu ogbe of ai-oono ward 2 in otukpa that represented the area while hon. christopher ajunwa of olachagbaha ward in otukpa took his turn in 19831 the1999 election saw the emergence of hon. edoka nnaji of ai-oodo ward 2 as the constituencys representative an indication that the zoning formula moved from ai-oono to olachagbaha and to ai-oodo and therefore natural that it should now be the turn of ai-oono which has two more wards that has never enjoyed this position since 19821 it was on this basis that the seat was unanimously zoned to ai-oono ward 3 which made stakeholders from the area to see the entry of ogwuche into the race as plan to truncate the long-existing political equation in the area1 it was evident that the stepping down of six other aspirants who hail from ai-oodo area namely hon. ebije benjamin hon. andrew idoko hon. gabriel ameh and hon. ehikowoicho all of ai-oodo ward 2 and hon. emmanuel abba and hon. onoja umoru both from ai-oodo ward 1 was in adherence to the political calculation which favoured peter enemari who is from ai-oono1 only ogwuche refused to step-down for enemari in spite not getting the support of stakeholders based on the zoning formula1 interestingly winner of the ogbadibo constituency primary election peter enemari has extended a hand of fellowship to ogwuche1 he described her as a dogged fighter and an asset to the party in the area but insisted that she must be ready to face the reality of the election for them to move forward1 enemari said i am surprised with the hullabaloo emanating from the primary election because aida ogwuche embraced and congratulated me after the election1 he said when he insisted on putting aida on a conference call he refused but rather asked that he should be given time to call aida and get back to him. he called me back after about 30 minutes to inform that aida was angry that i didnt vote for her despite coming from her ward1 -
Recharge of Lake Chad important to Africa
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president muhammadu buhari has called on europe and america to help in the recharge of lake chad to restore normal life to millions of people in the area1 he said that the greatest investment europe and america could make in africa was to help the continent accomplish inter-basin water transfer to recharge the lake chad1 the president said at the state house when he hosted the chairman of the african union commission mr moussa faki mahamat1 according to him because of climate change the lake chad which has been a source of livelihood to millions of people in the region has shrunk to about 10 per cent of its original size1 people who depended on the lake for fishing farming animal husbandry and many others have been thrown into dire straits1 that is one of the reasons youths now dare the sahara desert and the mediterranean sea to seek greener pastures in europe. but helping to recharge lake chad will help a great deal in curbing irregular migration1 the president also promised that issues of security including the influx of small arms from the sahel which has worsened the conflict between herders and stagnant farmers will be kept on the front burner1 at all international fora we emphasize the matter of lake chad. we also talk about the influx of small arms from the sahel which worsens the security situation between herders and stagnant farmers. we will keep the issues on the front burners he said1 the au commission chairman on his part commended president buhari saying his leadership was good for nigeria for au and for africa in general1 he described nigeria as the engine of africa politically economically and in the areas of peace and security1 -
16 people gun for Sarakis Kwara senate seat
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read more in7 senate president bukola saraki has an uphill battle on his hand to save his kwara central senatorial seat as he faces a poll contest with 16 other candidates four of whom are women1 his rivals in the february 16 2019 election will include the candidates of all progressives congress apc and africa democratic congress adc as well as those of 14 other political parties1 the four women seeking the kwara central senatorial seat with saraki are abubakar khadijat akanni of mpn okanlawon adekunle taiwo of gpn abdulwaheed mariam titilayo of adp and abdulsalam kuburat of lp1 other candidates for the seat are a former member of the state house of assembly dr yahaya oloriegbe apc abdurahman garuba ap ambali mujaheed acpn babatunde sambo sdp abdulraheem abubakar adc and mohammed saidu of peoples trust pt1 in kwara north alhaji sodiq umar of the apc will slug it out with zakari mohammed of pdp while governor abdulfatah ahmed of pdp and architect lola ashiru of apc are the frontline candidates in kwara south1 on the list for oyo south senatorial district were the incumbent senator adesoji akanbi who is running on the platform of the african democratic congress adc and the incumbent governor senator abiola ajimobi who is running on the platform of the all progressives congress apc1 akanbi was elected on the apc platform in 2015. he defected to adc in september when he discovered that governor ajimobi had obtained the form for his seat. while he hails from ibadan north west local government area ajimobi hails from ibadan south west local government area1 also contending for the same seat from the peoples democratic party pdp is mr adebayo lawal while mr fola akinosun is angling for it on the platform of african democratic party adp1 in oyo central district former senate leader teslim folarin of apc will slug it out with the incumbent senator monsurat sunmonu. the latter was also elected on the platform of the apc in 2015 but defected to adc recently. folarin picked the apc ticket this time. he defected from the pdp earlier in the year1 according to details published by the independent national electoral commission inecsaraki will fly the flag of the peoples democratic party in the election. the last time he contested in 2015 he ran on the all progressives congress platform1 in oyo north the incumbent senator fatai buhari of apc will slug it out with pdps hon. mulikat akande-adeola adcs adeleke lawal adebayo and adps ahmed salawudeen. akande-adeola is a former majority leader house of representatives1 with some of the political juggernauts racing for the same seat the 2019 senatorial election in oyo state promises to be very interesting1 also on the new inecs list for the senatorial race are deputy senate president ike ekweremadu enugu west imo state governor rochas okorocha imo west and former minister of state for works dayo adeyeye ekiti south among others1 ekweremadus opponents in enugu west include juliet ibekaku-nwagwu apc ken onyekaonwu upp ozoani chinedu jmpp philomena agu sdp gbazueagu nweke gbazueagu apga walter oji adc anayo ononugbo green party of nigeria and charles aninweze nac1 the main candidates that will battle it out in enugu north are incumbent senator chuka utazi pdp former enugu state house of assembly speaker eugene odo apc hope ubulu upp samuel omenihu gdpn nwokolo chuka mega party and eze simon chukwuma ccpc while former enugu governor chimaroke nnamani pdp will face lawrence eze apc ibiyemi akanji ariyo gdpn okafor doree ijeoma kowa eze mark anthony sdp in enugu east1 ekiti north senatorial district olubunmi adetunmbi apc duro faseyi pdp1 ekiti central opeyemi bamidele apc obafemi adewale pdp1 ekiti south dayo adeyeye apc mrs. biodun olujimi pdp1 the pdp has the following as its candidates for the house of representatives elections kehinde agboola ekiti north 1 akin awodumila ekiti south 2 mr. segun adekola ekiti south 1 mr ayo oladimeji ekiti central bisi kolawole ekiti central 2 and sola omotoso ekiti north 2 while the apc will be fielding peter owolabi ekiti north 1 ibrahim olarewaju ekiti north 2 sola fatoba ekiti central 1 mrs. omowumi ogunlola ekiti central 2 yemi adaramodu ekiti south 1 and former ekiti house of assembly speaker1 pdp fielded mr oyebisi ilaka while adp fielded the current member house of representatives for lageluakinyele federal constituency hon. olatoye temitope subaru1 -
Safe waterways: Boat operator applauds Marine Police
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government should pay attention to water transportation as they take road and air transportation seriously1 by idris olukoya1 balogun told the news agency of nigeria nan in lagos on saturday that marine policemen have devoted adequate hours policing lagos waters towards ensuring the safety of both operators and users1 boat operators have not lodged any complaint about stolen boats in the last few months1 there is no record of sea pirates attack in lagos in the last one year he said1 balogun recalled that about 10 years ago more than seven boats worth millions of naira were stolen by pirates1 up till date those boats are yet to be recovered1 since that time up till now i have not experience stolen boat the marine police are on top of their duty by patrolling the waterways regularly he said1 he however called for the provision of the needed facilities for marine police officers to enable them to continue to discharge their duties on waterways effectively1 balogun said that water transportation business was a serious business that required seriousness and attention from both the government and operators1 mr ganiyu balogun managing director tarzan boat company ltd has applauded the nigerian marine police for ensuring the safety of lives and properties on the waterways1 for a state like lagos the government needs to pay attention to water transportation as an alternative means of transport to the road1 this development will help to decongest traffic on the road1 according to him water transportation is capital intensive to maintain boats1 he equates investment in marine transport to that of air transport business saying boat engines and other elements that go with it were very expensive to acquire1 it is almost like operating aircraft business with functional airports just as water transportation requires functional jetties and terminals across the state1 there is a need for government to provide soft loans as incentives to operators to ease their funding challenges1 because it is capital intensive to run a successful boat transport business1 there is the need for public private partnership ppp he said1 balogun however commended national inland waterways authority niwa and lagos state water authority laswa for ensuring smooth operations on the waterways1 -
Buhari deserves second term BYO
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on his part mr abdulwaheed odunuga the coordinator of byo lagos state noted that the media had the responsibility of informing the public about the achievements of government1 by yemi adeleyerrds1 the group made this known during its 3rd annual independence youth pep talk programme organised in partnership with the national committee of buhari support groups ncbsg held in lagos1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that the event which brought hundreds of young buharis supporters was tagged change mantra-before now and the future account of the current government1 in his address sen. abu ibrahim the chairman board of trustees ncbsg said that the achievements of buhari were huge in terms of infrastructure security transport and economy which were not well reported in the media1 abu who was represented by otunba abiodun ajiboye the national secretary of ncbsg said that the objective of the event was to create awareness about the achievements of buharis government1 there is no doubt that the gigantic achievements of this administration have been under-reported and as such efforts have to be made to sound it clear into the ears of those who never want our success story1 it has become more important today than ever to focus on the achievements of this administration since the only question people ask is what are the achievements of this government1 in fairness to those in opposition and those asking such questions politics is a game of self appraisal. after all if you do not blow your trumpet no one will blow it for you he said1 the senator who lauded buharis achievements said that buharis administration had a lot to its credit1 if the ability to protect lives and property is not an achievement then what is an achievement1 the ability to look at corruption in the face and confront it is indeed a new beginning1 it is the beginning of a new nigeria that will lead the country into prosperity. buhari deserves to be re-elected in 2019 and will be re-elected abu said1 leaders of buhari youth organisation byo on saturday said that the achievements of president muhammadu buhari had been under-reported to the public1 odunuga said that inadequate information about the president achievements could affect the goodwill of the government1 according to him the president had delivered on his three cardinal objectives which are security economy and anti-corruption1 the national president of byo malam yusuf nalado reiterated that the president had improved on security agriculture and economy with a rise in external reserves among other achievements1 i urge you to remain focus and resolute as 2019 elections approach. our youths should not be deceived with money1 nigerian youths should be focused and reject money bags who might want to use them. they should not yield to the temptation of vote buyers1 god has helped nigeria by giving us somebody like president buhari who is a man of integrity and ho will not loot the treasury. we have to make sure we support him nalado said1 he urged members of the byo to remain committed toward re-electing buhari and prevent the main opposition party pdp from making a come-back to government1 the keynote speaker mr ife adebayo senior special assistant to the vice president on innovation and entrepreneurship said that president buharis achievements in energy agriculture and youth empowerment were huge1 adebayo recalled that vice president yemi osinbajo on friday also inaugurated another power project in lagos to show the commitment of the government to energy among others to ease business1 chief yetunde babajide south-west woman leader national committee of buhari support group bsg said that the president had brought positive changes to the country and should be allowed to consolidate on his achievements by re-electing him in 2019 elections1 babajide said that the youth the old the women had felt good governance in buhari-led administration in the last three years1 she advised nigerians to bring buhari back in 2019 elections for the country to continue to enjoy peace and progress. nan1 -
Update : 4 dead, 12 injured in shooting at Pittsburgh synagogue
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read more at6 at least four people were killed and 12 shot and three officers injured responding to an active shooting incident at a pittsburgh synagogue on saturday local media and cnn reported1 there are fatalities an emergency responder said on local television station kdka. the conditions of the officers were not immediately known1 a bearded heavy-set white male was in custody kdka said adding that responding officers received fire1 the suspect is in custody said pennsylvania governor tom wolf who was at the scene of the shooting according to local media. we are providing local first responders with whatever help they need wolf said on twitter1 earlier a police commander said the shooting resulted in multiple casualties. police surrounded the tree of life synagogue after reports of an active shooter at the building in the citys squirrel hill neighborhood local tv news images showed1 do not come out of your home right now it is not safe pittsburgh police commander jason lando warned local residents in an impromptu news conference at the scene1 -
NGO tasks government, stakeholders on poverty eradication
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by felicia imohimi11 we realised that the only way to alleviate these problems and meet 2030 sdgs target is to create programmes to cater for the need of children and women adediran said1 mr adah shem executive director of the organisation made the plea during an awareness campaign on psycho-social maternal healthcare assistance programme pmh held in abuja on saturday1 the pmh programme is an initiative of the advocacy for support of community needs and development initiativesan ngo meant to provide indigent children with free access to primary healthcare academic grants food shelter and psycho-social counseling1 shem said that such collaborative measure was key in reducing poverty maternal and newborn deaths as well as achievement of the sustainable development goals by 20301 he suggested that challenges like lack of food lack of access to primary healthcare schools and social amenities and infrastructure development like potable water among others should be addressed1 shem said that ifchildren and women are empowered academically and with entrepreneurial skills they will be self reliant and this will reduce street hawking begging among others1 children need to be in school and that orphan needs proper care1 one of the key issues bedeviling development particularly in developing countries is project implementation be it from the start planning stage to the implementation and monitoring1 the advocacy for development health and environmental sustainability an ngo has urged the government and other policy makers to fulfil their promises to eradicate poverty1 we want to see transparency in management of funds and fulfilment of promises made during electioneering processes1 if we say we want to eradicate poverty we must be serious about it. stakeholders csos must join forces so that we can achieve results1 whatever any stakeholder is doing is geared toward sdgs so we are calling for more hands more people more actors to support in the actualisation of sdgs1 no one organisation can achieve it all and neither can government be able to drive it all. so everybody must be transparent responsible and accountable in whatever he or she is doing to enable us meet sdgs target by 2030 he said1 mr adedamola adediran president and founder of advocacy for support of community needs and development initiatives said the group would collaborate with other ngos institutions to improve the lives of the people and ensure better life for the vulnerable group1 according to him the objective of the pmh campaign was to chart a course to eradicate poverty1 the pmh was initiated because of inequality deprivation child poverty because women and children are most affected by poverty in the country1 so we must collaborate in the area of advocacy. we want accountability of the little resources we have1 -
2019: Atikus Think Tank to rally voters for PDP in 774 LGAs
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he said job creation for our teaming youth security of lives and properties of citizens would be guaranteed1 the national leadership of intellectual think tank for atiku itta a foremost campaign organisation has reiterated its commitment to rally support for the pdp presidential candidate atiku abubakar in the 774 local government areas1 ohuoba said the essence of the visit was to congratulate and celebrate with her on the peaceful and transparent conduct of the pdp presidential primaries which saw her husband atiku emerge as presidential candidate1 the national chairman said members of the group would work in all the wards nationwide to ensure atikus victory as the president and commander-in-chief of the federal republic of nigeria come 2019 general election1 he lauded titi for her unrelenting support for her husband which showed she was indeed a good wife and pillar behind the successful political carrier of alhaji atiku abubakar 1 ohuoba also commended her motherly role among nigerians irrespective of religious or ethnic affiliation1 the national chairman enjoined nigerians to continue to pray for long life and good health for atiku and his entire family and also reminded the nation that a vote for atikuobi 2019 would be a vote for economic growth and prosperity1 evang. theophilus ohuoba national chairman itta who made the pledge during a courtesy call on chief mrs amina titi abubakar at her maitama residence in abuja on thursday said the group was already mobilizing for the poll1 restructuring of nigeria unifying the nation by running an all-inclusive government ensuring the rule of law prevails and the supremacy of the constitution in effect is a vote to get nigeria working again he said1 in her remark titi welcomed the national chairman and expressed her appreciation to itta for the visit1 she urged the group to work towards its vision for a better nigeria1 titi used the opportunity to thank itta for all the nationwide support it had galvanised towards the realisation of her husbands ambition of assuming the office of the president in the 2019 presidential election1 she further called for prayers for the peace and unity of the nation as the 2019 general elections approached1 itta is a national political campaign organisation working for the actualisation of the ambition of alhaji atiku abubakar in the 2019 presidential election1 -
Kano House of Assembly probes Gandujes dollars
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details later3 a committee of the kano state house of assembly today opened investigations into the allegations of bribery involving the state governor umar abdullahi ganduje1 dailynigerian.com had published a video showing ganduje collecting several bundles of dollar bills and tucking some in his babaringa1 the online newspaper claimed the money was collected as kickback from a contractor1 government claimed the video was doctored and vowed to sue the newspaper and its publisher for blackmail1 the newspapers publisher jafar jafar who had been in hiding since the video was published emerged today at the assembly premises to meet protests by school children. one of the placards carried by the kids said jafar your video will not stop us from voting ganduje1 -
Billionaire Atiku declares paltry N20m yearly income
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he is also the founder of american university in yola and has a chain of schools under abti brand1 peoples democratic party pdp presidential candidate atiku abubakar believed to be a multi-billionaire has declared a paltry yearly personal income of n20 million1 the pdp candidate who prides himself as a businessman and job creator said he earned only n60.2 million in three years and paid a paltry n10.8 million tax between 2015 and 20171 some reports have estimated atikus wealth at about 1.4 billion1 in 2014 atiku boasted that he was the greatest employer of labour in nigeria with about 50000 nigerians on his payroll1 as an individual i believe my record in employing young nigerians is unrivalled by any single private investor in nigeria the former vice president said1 he has investments in media shipping education and other sectors. one of the companies where he has substantial interest is intels which recently ran into trouble with the nigerian government for not remitting revenue due to the nigerian treasury1 the shocking revelation was contained in the credentials that atiku filed with the the independent national electoral commission inec1 he owns prodeco a property development company and prodeco international operating in oil1 prodeco founded in 1996 engages in building marine and infrastructural construction in the oil and gas industry1 he also has interest in agriculture with atiku abubakar farms1 the pdp candidates credentials indicate his highest educational qualification as a diploma in law of 1969 from the ahmadu bello university abu1 president muhammadu buhari in an affidavit to support his form said his credentials are still with the military1 in the sworn affidavit the president who is the candidate of the all progressives congress apc said i am the above-named person and the deponent of this affidavit herein. all my academic qualification documents as filled in my presidential form apc0012015 are currently with the secretary of the military board as of the time of this affidavit1 -
Photos: Buhari explains $600m investment in Port Harcourt new airport terminal
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muhammadu buhari @mbuhari4 the company is also constructing new terminals in abuja kano and lagos international airports1 buhari said the construction of four international terminals in abuja lagos port harcourt and kano were embarked upon by the federal government with a view to modernising the aging airport infrastructure maintaining the global aviation standard and improved service delivery in tandem with international best practices1 today i commissioned the new international terminal of the port harcourt airport. a significant landmark for international air travellers not just from the south south region but also the entire country. we will continue to upgrade nigerias transport and power infrastructure1 the minister of state for aviation sen. hadi sirika said the project was executed in partnership with the chinese government involving 500 million dollars loan from china exim bank and 100 million dollars counterpart funding from the nigerian government1 he added that the project was also bedevilled with various technical challenges which included foundation design change inaccessibility to apron inadequate apron master plan distortion water and sewage provision litigation and inadequate power supply1 -
FG loses N1.4bn forfeiture case to Udensi
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orjiako after the ruling said that the whistle-blower be charged to court because the reputation of dike udensis family had been smeared maligned and disparaged before the public1 by aderogba george1 the forfeiture suit was filed by the federal governments special presidential investigation panel for the recovery of public property headed by mr okoi obno-obla1 in her ruling justice ijeoma ojukwu said that in view of the absence of the whistle-blower to substantiate his claims the order of interim forfeiture granted on april 10 is hereby vacated and subsequently struck out1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that a motion challenging the forfeiture order was filed by mr mike orjiako counsel to the respondent1 orjiako led other counsel which included henry iheanacho orjiako precious and orjiako unique-mike for the respondents1 a federal high court abuja has vacated the interim order directing that about n1.4billion in an access bank account belonging to late chief dike udensi be forfeited to the federal government1 the applicants counsel celsius ukpong had earlier told the court to vacate the order adding that the whistle-blower had gone underground and had failed to give correct information to substantiate his claims1 he had claimed that the amount in question was proceeds from oil bunkering1 the court had directed that a report of settlement be reached by the both parties and should be filed before the court on june 121 mr ukpong had earlier informed the court that the presidential panel could not produce a report of settlement involving the parties contrary to the court directives1 ukpong also pleaded with the court to withdraw the matter since the whistle-blower who informed the government about the cash had gone underground1 he also informed the court that the matter was generated by a family feud which the investigation panel did not intend to pursue1 -
Breaking: KDSG reimposes 24-hour curfew
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the kaduna state government calls for calm in all our communities. the criminal elements who perpetrated this crime should not be allowed to divide us2 by hassana yakubu1 the kaduna state government on friday reinstated the 24-hour curfew on kaduna metropolis and environs as well as kasuwan magani kajuru kateri and kachia1 mr samuel aruwan senior special assistant to the governor on media and publicity said in a statement that the curfew is effective from 11a.m. till further notice1 he said this became necessary to help maintain peace following the murder of the chief of adara mr maiwada galadima in the hands of his abductors who took him away last friday1 this is a struggle between good decent law abiding people trying to uphold the peace and criminals who want to divide and destroy1 it is not a struggle between religious or ethnic groups. let no criminal find succour in faith or tribe1 let us unite against every criminal activity. let us stand together as human beings who have a right to live in peace he said1 -
Clean Foundation harps on benefit of proper waste disposal
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by felicia imohimi11 a book titled tom and his hand washing friends promoting personal hygiene and authored by chikezie was also unveiled at the event1 miss ijeoma chikezie the president and founder of the organisation gave the advice in a sideline interview with the news agency of nigeria nan at the maiden edition of its national health advancement conference nahac in abuja1 chikezie a 25-year-old medical laboratory scientist and miss united nations world habitat recipient identified environmental cleanliness as the responsibility of all and sundry not restricted to the government1 the lab scientist who decried the rate of inappropriate waste disposal and poor hygiene practices by the populace however urged them to desist warning that it is dangerous to our health environment been our habits1 our environment is our habitat if you keep it clean you are keeping yourself clean and healthy let us help the government by keeping our environment clean and make their job easier1 environmental cleanliness is everybodys responsibility it does not end with the government it also behoves on every one of us to keep our environment clean she said1 chikezie said the conference was informed based on her passion for environmental health hygiene and cleanliness1 help keep clean foundation has advised nigerians against inappropriate disposal of municipal waste describing it as hazardous to health1 chikezie who identified some of the hazards to include flood and tremors attributed them to unhealthy practices like inappropriate waste disposal and open defecation among others1 she decried the number of lives and property lost yearly across the country outbreak of infectious diseases due to i dont care attitude1 according to her the conference will discuss and proffer solutions or ways in which individuals and governments can help solve this numerous environmental problems1 the mission of our organisation is to improve clean water adequate sanitation and hygiene in rural communities and schools to protect and defend childs right and privileges1 our vision is also to sustainably empower women and vulnerable children through quality education and care to break the circle of poverty hunger diseases illiteracy and maternalchild mortality chikezie said1 highlight of the event include presentation of awards to dr mike omotosho the founder omotosho foundation mr ibrahim jibril the minister of environment and wife of the senate president mrs toyin saraki among others1 she explained that the theme environmental health re-awakening national awareness on environmental hazards and safety was aimed at addressing numerous environmental challenges or hazards facing the country1 -
Niger Govt. approves N300m to address erosion, flooding
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by rita iliya2 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that newmap is funded by world bank partnered by state governments and the federal government1 gov. abubakar bello of niger disclosed this on friday when malam salisu dahiru the national project coordinator newmap came on a courtesy visit to government house in minna1 bello said that the money was part of the state governments 2018 counterpart funding for the world bank-assisted two million dollars grant to help address the states gully erosion problems1 he said that the project was targeting these selected areas in the state rafin-gora in kontagora baban rami in mashegu ungwar shanu tayaman in kagara efumayakiefumada in bida and minna metropolis1 other areas are lapai agaie suleja and mokwa1 a lot of lives have been lost in these areas because of serious gully erosion. therefore i have directed for work to commence immediately1 work should start immediately after the rainy season even though we know the work requires a lot of resources places like rafin-gora need immediate action1 the federal government needs to do more in assisting the state with more resources to address these problems he said1 bello advised newmap to be prudent and to utilise the resources effectively for the intervention projects1 the niger government has approved the release of n300 million to the nigeria erosion and watershed management project newmap as counterpart funding to help address gully erosion and flooding challenges in the state1 dahiru said that the state had paid its counterpart fund which was part of the requirements for any state to participate successfully in newmap1 he said that the governor had directed newmap to engage a consultant that would produce the required engineering drawings for the intervention in some priority gully erosion sites across the state1 we are here to brief the governor on the progress made so far following his visit to the minister of environment on the need to assist the state1 our priority is to control the problems of gully erosion and flooding particularly those experienced this year1 for newmap to intervene in any state it must produce comprehensive engineering drawings that show what they intend to do and the timelines1 the governor has approved the official inauguration of the project and given marching orders for activities to commence immediately on sites affected by gully erosion and flooding1 the project is being sponsored by the world bank partnered by newmap to provide technical solutions1 once all the designs are ready the world bank will provide all the required funds needed to implement the projects dahiru said1 earlier dahiru disclosed that the world bank has released two million dollars as preparatory grant for the project in niger state1 -
Abductors kill Kaduna chief
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the kaduna state government calls for calm in all our communities. the criminal elements who perpetrated this crime should not be allowed to divide us2 a kaduna chief the paramount ruler of adara agom maiwada galadima who had been in the den of his abductors since last friday has been killed1 the kaduna state government confirmed this in a statement on friday and immediately reimposed a 24 hour curfew in some parts of the state1 according to samuel aruwan senior special assistant to governor nasir el-rufai galadima was killed early today1 he said the curfew will be observed in kaduna metropolis kasuwan magani kajuru kateri and kachia from 11am today1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that four persons including a policeman were killed along kadunakachia road by the alleged abductors on friday oct. 19 before taking away the monarch his wife and driver1 both the driver and the wife were freed by the kidnappers leaving only the chief in their custody1 this is a struggle between good decent law abiding people trying to uphold the peace and criminals who want to divide and destroy. it is not a struggle between religious or ethnic groups. let no criminal find succour in faith or tribe aruwan said1 -
Ochanya: ASESI, other CSOs demand for justice
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the african students education support initiative asesi on thursday in abuja joined other civil society organisationscsos to demand justice for ochanya elizabeth ogbanja a victim of rape1 ochanya a 13-year old girl was allegedly abused sexually and raped to death by mr andrew ogaju a lecturer of benue state polytechnic ugbokolo and his son victor ogbuja a student of federal university of agriculture makurdi benue state1 asesis executive director chinonso obasi in a statement on friday in abuja said the group alongside its volunteers joined other csos to the national human rights commission nhrc headquarters abuja in a peaceful protest1 obasi said that the protesters got nhrcs assurance that the matter would not be swept under the carpet and that anyone found wanting would be brought to book1 also the leadership of idoma youth action group headed by comrade felix onuh in a statement demanded for justice in the case so that it would serve as deterrent to others indulging in the act of sexual abuse and molestation against the girl-child1 on his part the vice president of unity schools old students associationusosa mr michael magali called on the court to bring justice for ochanya1 more so representatives of the class of 81 federal government girls college ugbokolo submitted their petition to the commission demanding for justice1 responding to the protesters mrs aver gaver director women children and vulnerable nhrc thanked the protesters for their peaceful conduct1 she informed them that the headquarters had already directed its benue state office to conduct a thorough fact finding on the issue and also monitor the proceedings1 gaver gave an assurance that that justice would prevail1 -
FG set to register Nigerian poor
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he said it would also provide the developers of the nsr feedback from seasoned technocrats on measures to better implement the register1 the ministry of budget and national planning says the national social registry nsr is part of federal governments effort to capture the nigerian poor and vulnerable in the country1 odewale represented by mr kayode obasa the director social development of the ministry said the register would help improve services in the country1 a lot of misinformation and invalidated data are out there in the public domain1 and attempt to use the data to implement the interventions have led sometimes to undesirable outcomes hence the need to take the right steps1 first by warehousing details of the poor and vulnerable nigerians irrespective of the location and socio-economic standings1 i therefore thank president muhammadu buhari for his visionary position and determination to ensure that every nigerian is counted and given basic social service1 odewale expressed optimism that the forum would address grey areas of the current nsr and shed more light on how mdas could leverage on the register1 mr olajide odewale the ministrys permanent secretary said this during an engagement meeting with ministries departments and agencies mdas and donor partners on nsr in abuja1 odewale expressed the ministrys commitment to ensuring that the nsr was sustained and utilised by all stakeholders1 he then commended the representatives of the various mdas and donor partners for their efforts and contribution to the success of the nsr1 the world bank representative prof foluso okunmodewa in his remarks expressed optimism that the nsr would resolve the errors of exclusions in the country1 what is important for us at the bank is to make sure that we protect the quality and credibility of this register1 i enjoin all the partners to ensure the register in terms of credibility is protected he said1 mrs hajara sami the acting national coordinator youth employment and social support operation yesso said the forum was timely and pledged commitment to support the nsr drive1 mr hamidou poufon the chief of social policy united nations international children emergency fund unicef also pledged the funds commitment to support the register1