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Mnangagwa: Chamisa opposition candidate Mugabes stooge
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on the eve of zimbabwes first election since his ouster in a de facto coup the 94-year-old said he hoped his former allies in the military government would be voted out of power2 mugabe whose 37-year rule came to an end when he was forced to resign in november told reporters at his mansion in harare on sunday that president emmerson mnangagwas government was unconstitutional and ruled by the gun2 i hope the choice of voting tomorrow will throw thrust away the military government and bring us back to constitutionality said a frail looking mugabe in a rambling off the cuff speech that lasted almost an hour2 let tomorrow be the voice of the people to say never again shall we experience a period where the army is used to thrust one person into power2 mondays election will see 75-year-old mnangagwa a long-time mugabe ally face 40-year-old nelson chamisa a lawyer and pastor who is vying to become zimbabwes youngest head of state2 zimbabwean president emmerson mnangagwa accused his main rival nelson chamisa on sunday of striking a deal with former leader robert mugabe on the eve of an election and cast doubt on chamisas intentions of rebuilding the country1 mnangagwa who did not provide any evidence of his accusations said in a facebook post that voting for 40-year-old chamisa was tantamount to bringing back mugabe in disguise1 he made the comments after mugabe said he would vote for the opposition in mondays election1 -
Mugabe urges voters to reject Mnangagwa
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on the eve of zimbabwes first election since his ouster in a de facto coup the 94-year-old said he hoped his former allies in the military government would be voted out of power2 mugabe whose 37-year rule came to an end when he was forced to resign in november told reporters at his mansion in harare on sunday that president emmerson mnangagwas government was unconstitutional and ruled by the gun2 i hope the choice of voting tomorrow will throw thrust away the military government and bring us back to constitutionality said a frail looking mugabe in a rambling off the cuff speech that lasted almost an hour2 let tomorrow be the voice of the people to say never again shall we experience a period where the army is used to thrust one person into power2 mondays election will see 75-year-old mnangagwa a long-time mugabe ally face 40-year-old nelson chamisa a lawyer and pastor who is vying to become zimbabwes youngest head of state2 for former zimbabwe leader robert mugabe it was payback time to president emmerson mnangagwa and other coup plotters in zanu-pf who removed him from office last november as he urged voters to reject them in mondays election1 polls which are unreliable give former intelligence chief mnangagwa a slim lead over chamisa1 both candidates are due to address the media later on sunday1 mugabe one of the last big men of african politics still looms large over zimbabwean politics and he may yet influence the first vote without his name on the ballot paper since the country gained independence from britain in 19801 though he became increasingly unpopular with most zimbabweans as mismanagement and corruption sent the economy into decline he retains support in his rural heartland where supporters remain bitter about the manner of his removal1 -
181,000 pupils sit for JSS placement test in Lagos
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sopeyin also said that the conduct of the 2018 test was an improvement on what obtained in 20171 the lagos state universal basic education board subeb said 181000 primary six pupils from private and the public schools across the state sat for the 2018 placement test into junior secondary school 11 sopeyin described the conduct of the test as satisfactory in the centres he monitored which also included immaculate heart comprehensive junior and senior high school maryland lagos1 this is an annual event. what we are witnessing today is the placement for primary six pupils to gain admission into junior secondary schools in lagos1 as you can see the whole place is peaceful we have been to the classrooms and it is conducive for the purpose1 on the whole in all the centres we are expecting 181000 pupils to write this test as against 160 000 in 20171 this is a pointer that parents are now getting interested in enrolling their children in lagos schools1 we have to congratulate and thank lagos state governor mr akinwunmi ambode for his passion for education in the state he said1 sopeyin said that parents enrol their wards in lagos primary and secondary schools due to the upgrade of infrastructure to meet international standards1 about three days ago his excellency magnanimously announced that very soon lagos state will be employing more teachers for its schools1 with all these we can only enjoin parents to take their own part seriously ensure that their children come to school and provide necessary materials for them to enable them have very sound education as prepared for them by the government he said1 dr ganiyu sopeyin executive chairman of subeb disclosed this to journalists after monitoring the exercise at mende junior high school maryland lagos.the test took place in 361 designated centres across the state1 according to him saying there is a lot of improvement with the use of optical mark recognition omr sheet1 if you look at the omr sheet the paper was customised the childrens details were printed on the sheet for easy identification1 that is why you can see there is no rancor or problem unlike in the past when the pupils will be running around because they could not find their names.thank god we have taken care of that1 some parents were even agitating that they forgot their slips at home and we told them not to worry that there are other means to identify the pupils he said1 sopeyin commended the parents for conducting themselves in orderly manner and trusting in government1 he said security men were deployed to various centres to ensure safety of the pupils1 the chairman said the results of the test would be ready in one week urging proprietors headteachers and other school owners to check for them at the subeb office complex1 a parent mr james okon who spoke to the news agency of nigeria nan commended the state government for the smooth conduct of the test1 okon said his daughter was admitted into the examination hall without officials requesting for anything1 i am happy about the conduct of the test everything was well organised we did not stress ourselves to locate the centre he said1 nan reports that 168843 pupils sat for the test in 2017 in 255 centres while 140000 pupils sat for it in 160 designated centres in 20161 -
Kwara APC prepares for post-Saraki era
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the news agency of nigeria nan reports that before the consultative meetings the minister addressed members and supporters of the party who came to receive him at the playground of muslim community primary school oro1 the kwara chapter of the all progressives congress is already resetting itself for life after the impending exit of senate president bukola saraki and governor abdulfattah ahmed to the peoples democratic party1 the meeting was at the country home of the minister of information and culture alhaji lai mohammed1 mohammed who read out the resolutions said the stakeholders agreed that the fresh congresses to be conducted at all levels would include all kwara apc members and those who are just coming into the party1 the minister said that the stakeholders also resolved that all those who got appointments by deceit hiding under the facade of being party men and women should immediately resign such appointments or be fired1 he said the resignations would enable the genuine members of apc to reap where they had sown1 we also resolved that the recent gale of defections has now put the apc in a position of true majority in the national assembly as those who remain are the ones who are truly committed to the ideals of our great party1 that all members and supporters of our great party restate their unflinching support for president muhammadu buhari and assure him of a harvest of votes from kwara state in the 2019 general elections1 that all members should remain calm because there is no cause for alarm he said1 mohammed said he was in the state with the permission of the partys national executive to hold the consultative meetings with the major stakeholders of apc in kwara1 he expressed appreciation to hundreds of supporters who since the announcement of defections have encouraged us via text messages telephone calls personal visits that there is no cause for alarm in kwara1 the minister stressed that the defection notwithstanding kwara is solidly for apc and president muhammadu buhari1 at the briefing were factional chairman of apc moshood bolarinwa the secretary ganiyu saka and other key members of the party1 stakeholders of the apc who met on sunday in oro have called for the immediate dissolution of the states party executive committee led by alhaji balogun fulani and the conduct of fresh congresses1 the minister told the supporters in their thousands that the defection of the lawmakers in the national assembly had exposed the faces of traitors in the party fold1 today is a special day. god has answered our prayers by exposing our political traitors1 god has removed stones from our rice and sands in our cassava flakes mohammed who addressed the rally in yoruba language said1 he assured that the defection would have no significant negative effect on the party instead it would offer an opportunity for its repositioning1 we are here today to assure that it is a new dispensation in kwara apc politics. we are at home today to assure you that the party will be reorganised and repositioned1 by exposing the enemies and traitors in our fold god has given us the opportunities that we have been looking for to reposition our party 1 these are people who had never given us peace and progress1 today by the grace of god and with your support apc will wax stronger in kwara. what is in the offing is a mega party he said1 mohammed said they were prepared to take the party structure back and give it back to the people1 the party belongs to you all. we therefore reassure you that god is with us and the people of kwara are with us1 since the day they decamped you can see those who have come to our camp are more than those who left he said1 the minister appealed to the members and party supporters to give new entrants a chance1 he assured that the new dispensation would allow level playing ground devoid of candidates imposition and godfather syndrome1 -
Trump threatens U.S. government shut down
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afp25 u.s. president donald trump said sunday that he was prepared to shut down the government if democrats fail to support his demand for more spending on border security including a wall on the mexican border1 he called for an end to the visa lottery system which provides visas for 50000 immigrants a year but which trump maintains is riddled with abuse1 he also urged an end to what he calls the catch and release approach of letting undocumented arrivals remain in the us while their applications are being processed1 calling for a purely merit-based immigration system trump added we need great people coming into our country1 i would be willing to shut down government if the democrats do not give us the votes for border security which includes the wall he tweeted1 he eventually signed the bill averting a shutdown crisis though the bill provided only 1.6 billion for a small stretch of border fencing and will keep the government open only until september 30 the end of the current fiscal year1 securing democrats support moreover is not likely to be easy particularly amid widespread anger over a trump immigration policy that for a time was separating parents from their children including infants at the border1 the administration was forced to backpedal and under federal court order has been scrambling to reunite those separated1 but doubling down trump tweeted sunday that there are consequences when people cross our border illegally and that many people are just using children for their own sinister purposes1 the president had threatened in march to veto a 1.3 trillion spending bill because it lacked funding for heightened security including the 25 billion trust fund he wanted for a border wall1 -
Buhari mourns Ex-Gov. Hashidu Abubakar
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president muhammadu buhari has condoled with the government and people of gombe state over the passing away of a former governor alhaji abubakar hashidu on friday1 president buharis condolence message is contained in a statement by his senior special assistant on media and publicity malam garba shehu in abuja on saturday1 the president joined family members friends professional and political associates of the former governor in mourning while underscoring that the country would sorely miss the wise counsels of the revered politician1 according to the president the wealth of experience and innovative thinking that the deceased brought to the many interventions to buoy the nigerian economy remains commendable and will always be appreciated by posterity1 president buhari prayed that the almighty god would grant the soul of the former governor eternal rest and comfort the family he left behind1 late hashidu the first civilian governor of gombe state from may 1999 to may 2003 elected under the platform of the defunctall peoples party apppassed away on friday at the age of 741 the all peoples party later changed its name to all nigeria peoples party anpp1 hashidu had also served variously asminister of water resources and minister of agriculture and rural development under the regime of defunct president ibrahim babangida1 he left behind one wife eight children and 15 grandchildren1 -
Fake news: Facebook to face tougher rules in UK
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the committee therefore recommended that the british government increase the power of the information commissioners office to regulate social media sites update electoral laws to reflect modern campaign techniques and increase the transparency of political advertising on social media1 two days after its chief executive officer ceo lost over 16 billion a uk parliamentary committee has recommended an increased government oversight of facebook and other social media campaign platforms to protect democracy in the digital age1 an interim report by the house of commons media committee to be released on sunday said democracy is facing a crisis because the combination of data analysis and social media allows campaigns to target voters with messages of hate without their consent1 tech giants like facebook which operate in a largely unregulated environment are complicit because they havent done enough to protect personal information and remove harmful content1 the light of transparency must be allowed to shine on their operations and they must be made responsible and liable for the way in which harmful and misleading content is shared on their sites committee chairman damian collins said in a statement1 the study was due to be published sunday but a copy was leaked on friday by dominic cummings the director of the official campaign group backing britains departure from the european union1 social media companies are under scrutiny worldwide following allegations that political consultant cambridge analytica used data from tens of millions of facebook accounts to profile voters and help u.s. president donald trumps 2016 election campaign1 the committee is also investigating the impact of fake news distributed via social media sites1 collins also ripped facebook for allowing russian agencies to use its platform to spread disinformation and influence elections1 i believe what we have discovered so far is the tip of the iceberg more work needs to be done to expose how fake accounts target people during elections1 the ever-increasing sophistication of these campaigns which will soon be helped by developments in augmented reality technology makes this an urgent necessity he said1 the call was made following scathing report on fake news data misuse and interference by russia in the 2016 u.s. presidential election and other similar cases1 prime minister theresa may has pledged to address the issue in a so-called white paper to be released in the fall1 she signaled her unease last year accusing russia of meddling in elections and planting fake news to sow discord in the west1 the committee began its work in january 2017 interviewing 61 witnesses during 20 hearings that took on an investigatory tone not normally found in such forums in the house of commons1 the report criticised facebook chief mark zuckerberg for failing to appear before the panel and said his stand-ins were unwilling or unable to give full answers to the committees questions1 one of the committees recommendations is that the era of light-touch regulation for social media must come to an end1 social media companies can no longer avoid oversight by describing themselves as platforms because they use technology to filter and shape the information users see nor are they publishers since that model traditionally commissions and pays for content1 we recommend that a new category of tech company is formulated which tightens tech companies liabilities and which is not necessarily either a platform or a publisher1 we anticipate that the government will put forward these proposals in its white paper later this year the report said1 the committee also said that the information commissioners office needs more money so it can hire technical experts to be the sheriff in the wild west of the internet1 the funds would come from a levy on the tech companies much in the same way as the banks pay for the upkeep of the financial conduct authority1 our democracy is at risk and now is the time to act to protect our shared values and the integrity of our democratic institutions the committee said1 -
Why Nigeria cant sever ties with S/Africa over killings Ex-envoy
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by isaac aregbesola5 also government can also look at our ways when there are issues to be dealt with and we also are ready to give government the alternative way of doing things he said1 dr lawal a former nigeria deputy principal representative in algeria said this in an interview news agency of nigeria nan in abuja1 nan reports that killing of nigerians in south africa had been on the increase in recent times1 a report hadstated that no fewer than 117 nigerians were extra-judicially killed in south africa between 2013 and 2018 for one flimsy reason or the other1 according to lawal we cannot because of xenophobic attacks break diplomatic relations with south africa because the issue is not between government and government1 we will continue to work with south africa to make sure that offenders are apprehended and prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others he said1 the former director in the ministry of foreign affairs said that the issue of killings in south africa was not between government and government but among the people on the streets1 however south african government also has the responsibility to protect our people and also to advise them on where to go and not to go1 we have to be able to find a ground to ensure that the attack doesnt happen by establishing rules of engagement he said1 the former director said that the present administration had been doing a lot to strengthen the nigerian foreign policy1 he saidthe association was ready to assist the government in ensuring that the government achieves its goal on foreign policy and strengthen ties with other countries1 the president of association of foreign relations professionals of nigeria afrpn amb. gani lawal has said that nigerian cannot severe diplomatic ties with south africa over xenophobic attacks1 he said that theformation of afrpn was to fill a vacuum in the country in terms of providing credible advice to the government on foreign relations1 he added that the association would be formally inaugurated on tuesday july 31 by vice president yemi osinbajo and emir of kano muhammadu sanusi ii1 lawal said the event would also feature inaugural lecture titled the new international system a diplomats nightmare to be delivered by prof. bolaji akinyemi former foreign affairs minister1 he said the associations peer-review journal would be launched by business moguls alhaji aliko dangote alhaji abdulsamad ishyaku rabiu femi otedola and mr tunde folawiyo1 lawal said the association was founded to serve as a think-tank to the federal government and other stakeholders on foreign relations matters1 the afrpn was established as a legal body to engage in scholarly research coupled with our experience to positively impact on the foreign policy process and practice of our country through an interactive process drawing both from the diplomats and the academia he said1 he said when inaugurated the association would be able to advise the government on foreign policy1 according to him most of the pieces of advice that people often give are based on guess work and that is why we are coming on board to offer help to the government based on experience and research1 so we feel that those who have experience in foreign relations can assist in filling necessary vacuums1 those of us who have gone all over the world should be able to put our heads together to advise the government on foreign issues1 according to him what we do is to work behind the scene by doing research using our experience to advise the government1 -
Buhari commiserates with Aliyu Gusau over wifes death
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president muhammadu buhari has commiserated with former minister of defence retired gen. aliyu gusau on the death of his wife hajiya binta2 in a condolence message by the presidents senior special assistant on media and publicity malam garba shehu in abuja on saturday buhari said the death of hajiya binta came to him as a great shock2 my heart goes out to gen. gusau at this emotionally trying moment2 death is inevitable and we are powerless against the will of god. no tears can wipe away our grief the best tribute to the dead is to pray for them2 the president prayed allah to comfort the retired army general and members of his family and grant them the fortitude to bear this great loss2 may the soul of hajiya binta rest in peace may allah reward her good deeds with al- jannah amen he said2 the president said a wife occupies an important place in a mans life a bond so strong that we treat them like our own flesh and blood1 -
Buhari to grieving Gen. Gusau: We are powerless against the will of God
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president muhammadu buhari has commiserated with former minister of defence retired gen. aliyu gusau on the death of his wife hajiya binta2 in a condolence message by the presidents senior special assistant on media and publicity malam garba shehu in abuja on saturday buhari said the death of hajiya binta came to him as a great shock2 my heart goes out to gen. gusau at this emotionally trying moment2 death is inevitable and we are powerless against the will of god. no tears can wipe away our grief the best tribute to the dead is to pray for them2 the president prayed allah to comfort the retired army general and members of his family and grant them the fortitude to bear this great loss2 may the soul of hajiya binta rest in peace may allah reward her good deeds with al- jannah amen he said2 the president said a wife occupies an important place in a mans life a bond so strong that we treat our wives like our own flesh and blood1 -
30 women give birth in Sokoto IDPs camp
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thirty pregnant women have given birth at the internally displaced persons idps camp in gandi village where victims of july 9 bandits attack in raba local government area lga of sokoto state are taking refuge1 alhaji ibrahim dingyadi the director general of the state emergency management agency sema disclosed this on saturday when the sultan of sokoto alhaji saad abubakar iii visited the idps to condole with them over the sad incident1 at present 4996 displaced persons from nine villages affected by the incident are taking refuge in the camp dingyadi said1 he listed the villages to include tabanni gidan-kare kursa warwasa rumbun-tsamiya tudun-kwasa dutsu illilu and yankusar-kilawa1 dingyadi commended sultan for assisting the victims with 200 bags of grains adding that the state government had been feeding them in addition to taking care of their welfare1 according to him world health organisation who united nations children fund unicef the state rural water and sanitation agency the federation of muslim women and some politicians have provided relieve materials to the idps at the camp1 also speaking the secretary of raba lga alhaji aminu gawo said some victims have expressed readiness to return to their villages while others have requested to be settled somewhere else1 gawo said many people were apprehensive on the happenings noting that the minister of interior retired gen. abdulrahman danbazau visited and deployed security personnel which assisted in calming the situation1 he however appealed to the monarch to facilitate the use of nigerian air force planes on the bandits due to the difficulty the ground troops encounter in accessing the area1 responding abubakar said he visited to condole with the victims and interact with them over the incident which occurred when he was abroad1 -
Isoko traditional rulers visit Buhari
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president muhammadu buhari on friday received some traditional rulers from isoko communities in delta state who pleaded with government to extend amnesty programme to their area1 at a meeting with the president they said the programme should be extended to the peaceful youths in isoko and also to consider giving political appointments to the people1 they also asked the president to reward the isoko community for being peaceful and protecting the nations oil and gas assets for over 15 years1 the president-general of the isoko development union and spokesman for the traditional rulers iduh amadhe called on president buhari to look into the spread of development projects in niger delta1 with eight oil fields of flow stations in isoko land we appeal to his excellency to direct nnpc to establish a gas plant and a modular refinery in isoko land1 it will be beneficial to the nation it will create employment and generate revenue he said1 amadhe claimed that isoko community had been left out in federal government appointments1 the area he said had also been ignored in the establishment of federal educational institutions skill development centres and infrastructure1 the leader of the delegation is the odiologbo of oleh kingdom and chairman isoko traditional council hrm anthony william ovrawah omogha 11 others are the odiologbo of owhe hrm inna 1 hrm ovie of uzere isaac udogri 1ovie of aviara hrm emaviweovie of okpe hrm agbabe ovie of enhwe hrm efekodha and others1 -
Vote rigging claims 48 hours to Zimbabwe elections
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afp25 allegations of voter fraud are mounting in zimbabwe less than 48 hours to the first polls since former leader robert mugabe was ousted last year1 zimbabwes military generals shocked the world in november when they seized control and ushered mnangagwa to power ending mugabes 37-year reign in a few short days1 mnangagwa 75 who promises a fresh start for the country is the front-runner with the advantage of covert military support a loyal state media and a ruling party that controls government resources1 but chamisa 40 who has performed strongly on the campaign trail hopes to tap into a young population that could vote for change as zanu-pf has ruled since the countrys independence from british colonial rule in 19801 elections under mugabe were marred by fraud and violence and this years campaign has been dominated by accusations that the vote will be rigged1 the mdc has raised allegations of a flawed electoral roll ballot paper malpractice voter intimidation bias in the zimbabwe electoral commission zec and free food handed out by the ruling party1 but campaigning has been relatively unrestricted and peaceful compared with previous elections and some analysts point to pressure for the vote to be judged credible to draw a line under the isolation of the mugabe era1 the international community is looking for an election that will provide sufficient excuse to re-engage with zimbabwe said showers mawowa an analyst at the southern african liaison office rights advocacy group1 there are a lot of political and economic interests at play that are converging around the prioritisation of stability1 mawowa said the risk of violence or military intervention could be highest after polling day1 there is reason to be anxious about whether or not the military will accept an opposition victory particularly because they recently executed a de facto coup he said1 post-election violence might be a possibility with the opposition making it clear that they are not going to accept an outcome that they would have not won1 polling accuracy in zimbabwe is uncertain but a recent afrobarometer survey of 2400 people put mnangagwa on 40 percent and chamisa on 37 percent with 20 percent undecided1 mnangagwa who is accused of involvement in election violence and fraud under mugabe has vowed to hold a fair vote and invited in international observers including the previously-banned european union team1 president emmerson mnangagwa mugabes former ally in the ruling zanu-pf party faces opposition leader nelson chamisa of the mdc movement for democratic change party in a landmark vote for the southern african nation1 zimbabwe shall never be the same again. we preach peace we preach unity and we preach tolerance1 chamisa has launched blistering attacks on mnangagwa and accused the much-criticised zimbabwe electoral commission zec of trying to fix the election1 but he vowed not to boycott the vote saying his party would still win1 we have a zec that has chosen to throw away the whistle as a referee and joined another team he said on wednesday. winners dont boycott. victory is inevitable1 the next government must tackle mass unemployment and an economy shattered by the mugabe-backed seizure of white-owned farms the collapse of agriculture hyperinflation and an investment exodus1 previously solid health and education services are in ruins and millions have fled abroad to seek work1 life expectancy has only just recovered to its 1985 level of 61 years1 we need to see jobs said rest maphosa one resident of the capital harare. i will be patient even if it takes me eight hours standing in the queue because what i want is to vote1 with 5.6 million registered voters the results of the presidential parliamentary and local elections are due by august 41 a run-off vote is scheduled for september 8 if no presidential candidate wins at least 50 percent plus one in the first round1 in 2008 then opposition leader morgan tsvangirai pulled out of the run-off after attacks orchestrated by the state claimed the lives of at least 200 of his supporters1 mugabe now a frail 94 was finally ousted as he tried to position his wife grace 53 to be his successor1 in his only press interviews since his fall he admitted only that some errors were done under his rule adding that he now thought his country was topsy turvy1 this is the new zimbabwe we want. we shall continue to grow and grow he said opening a chrome processing plant this week1 -
Malis Boubacar Keita seeks second term in Sunday polls
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keita has played down the countrys security woes1 he faces 24 candidates of which only one soumaila cisse 68 is seen as having a strong chance of ousting him. both men are from the saharan nations political elite and ibk beat cisse in a run-off at the 2013 poll1 there is still a lot to do. thats why i am soliciting the malian people to give us another term not because im thirsty for power keita said at a rally on a leafy square on the banks of the niger river1 everywhere ive been i see a desire for change. malians want nothing more to do with this regime cisse told his supporters at his party headquarters1 all candidates have promised to reverse malis decline and help end pervasive poverty. mali is 14th from the bottom on the u.n. human development index despite being africas third biggest gold exporter and a major cotton grower1 a billboard in the exhaust fume-choked capital bamako depicts keita in flowing white robes and a skull cap urging malians to consolidate the peace1 yet since he has been in power violence has worsened. civil society website malilink recorded 932 attacks in the first half of 2018 almost double that for all of 2017 and triple 20151 in the north where french troops stepped in to halt a tuareg rebellion and jihadi takeover before the last poll jihadists have killed more than 160 u.n. peacekeepers1 timbuktu once a sahara desert tourist spot is unstable hit by islamist militants as well as tensions between arab and tuareg traders and black malians from the south1 islamist violence has also spread to central mali where militants have attacked the pan-regional g5 sahel force. killings have begun to take on an ethnic tone as the islamists exploit tensions over access to land and water1 human rights groups have unearthed evidence that malian troops were implicated in mass graves in central mali. the defence ministry pledged to investigate1 both held final rallies attracting thousands of people on friday night1 there are pockets of violence residues of terrorism that even french forces havent managed to vanquish from malian soil he said after a tour of malis diaspora one of about 150 costly foreign trips that have been criticised by opponents since he took office1 are you going to blame all that on ibk1 whoever is to blame the violence could deter many from voting in a nation with consistently the lowest turnout in west africa about 40 percent on average1 violence in the mopti region and northern region is really going to depress turnout said u.s. researcher bruce whitehouse1 discontent with ibk is palpable and thousands protested against him in bamako last month. yet he has the benefit of incumbency and is likely to win although probably only in a second round diplomats say1 though most expect a smooth election there is a risk of a disputed poll turning violent. opposition candidates are crying foul over alleged tampering with the electoral list1 im sad to see a government that cheats to see an electoral fraud in the offing cisse told reuters after his rally. but we dont have a plan-b. we must go the polls1 if mali can avoid a rancorous dispute over the result that will sooth anxieties1 thats the metric the international community will use there you go we had a peaceful election adam thiam a malian analyst told reuters in bamako1 this election is all about showing mali is stabilising1 -
France offers Nigeria cinema school
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the president also appreciated the roles and contributions of the french government to peace security and stability in countries in the sub-saharan region as well as central africa1 the outgoing ambassador of france to nigeria mr denys gauer in abuja said france has concluded arrangements to establish a cinema school in lagos and some museums around the country1 gauer who paid a farewell visit to president muhammadu buhari on saturday in abuja highlighted the positive trends in the nations economy1 he told the president that more companies in his country have indicated interest to do business in nigeria1 he also revealed that the french agency for development afd which opened an office in nigeria 10 years ago has provided a total of 2 billion facility for projects in the country1 president buhari commended the republic of france for its commitment to strong regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism and cross-border crime in west africa1 the facilities are in addition to formalising an agreement on film production and the us2 billion investment in projects in 10 years1 he said nigeria has placed the issue of combating terrorism in the region on international agenda and has received support and solidarity from france in the area of training information intelligence sharing technical and equipment support1 president buhari noted the regional level where nigeria was conducting joint patrols with neighbouring countries under the multinational joint task force mnjtf1 he was happy that france has continued to encourage regional cooperation among the nations francophone neighbours aimed at addressing the security challenges and humanitarian conditions in the area1 the president also used the opportunity of the farewell visit to formally congratulate france for winning the 2018 fifa world cup in russia1 the victory is very important and historic for the country and i think it has raised a lot of positive optimism for french citizens he said in a statement by his senior special assistant on media and publicity garba shehu1 president buhari recalled the recent visit of french president emmanuel macron to nigeria saying both countries would continue to maintain cordial ties and improve economic cultural and political relations for their mutual benefit1