The Boko Haram terrorists in a flagrant show of defiance have again openly celebrated this Years Eid-el-Fitr in Sambisa Forest.

The five minute, 17 second video footage seen by NAN correspondent in Maiduguri shows the terrorists and their families dressed in festival attires, performing salat after completing 29 days of fasting.

The video is believed to have been shot in Sambisa Forest, the sects notorious stronghold in Borno State.

(watch the video here:

http://s18694.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/IMG_6413.mp4

One of the terrorists who did not disclose his identity thanked God for sparing his life.

Praise be to Almighty Allah for giving us the opportunity to pray Eid-Fitr under the leadership of our leader Abubakar Shekau.

We want the world to know that we are alive and happy to witness this festive occasion.

Another terrorist also spoke the same way, saying there will be more trouble to the infidels.

We want our enemies to know that we are celebrating Sallah in Sambisa and we shall continue to wage war untill we score victory against the infidels.

NAN learnt that the terrorists belong to the Shekau, although he was not at the prayer.

The Nigerian military recently said it has embarked on Operation Last Push to flush the terrorists from their hiding places around the fringes of Lake Chad.

Source: NAN

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State to accept defeat in good faith if it loses the July 14 governorship election.

Atiku, who visited Gov. Ayo Fayose in Ado Ekiti on Monday said losing an election to a rival party should be seen in the light of the concession to defeat by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Atiku was accompanied by the members of the PDP Governorship Campaign Council.

The former vice president also expressed satisfaction with the level of preparedness of the PDP for the election.

“We are satisfied that the Peoples Democratic Party is prepared for this election.

“We hope that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will accept the outcome of the election.

“They should be democratic for the first time.

“We have seen how democratic they are, but for the first time in 2015, we have the opposition party taking over from the ruling party, we expect them to do the same,’’ Atiku said.

Fayose, in his remarks, said the PDP was ready for the election, vowing that the people of the state would defend their votes.

“They (PDP leaders) are here because they know that PDP has won this election. Everyone is on the same page with us.

“We are looking forward to observers from all over the world because I am the voice they want to suppress. We are prepared for the election and we are going to win,’’ he said.

Among those in Atiku’s delegation were Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, former Senate President, David Mark, former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, former governor of Ogun, Gbenga Daniel, and Sen. Eyinnaya Abaribe.

Source: NAN

Democrats and some in Trumps own Republican Party have blasted the administration for separating nearly 2,000 children from their parents at the border between mid-April and the end of May.

Medical professionals have said the practice could cause lasting trauma to children.

The family separations are the result of the administrations zero tolerance policy that arrests all adults who are caught trying to enter the United States illegally, including those seeking asylum.

While parents are held in jail, their children are sent to separate detention facilities.

Video footage released by the government showed migrant children held in wire cages, sitting on concrete floors.

Trump, who has made a tough stance on immigration a major goal of his presidency, responded sharply to critics on Monday.

The United States will not be a migrant camp, and it will not be a refugee holding facility. It wont be.

You look at whats happening in Europe, you look at whats happening in other places we cant allow that to happen to the United States, not on my watch, Trump said.

He was speaking at the White House while announcing an unrelated policy.

Read More at

Source: NAN

Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Gernot Rohr said the team’s 0-2 loss to Croatia in their opening match of Russia 2018 was due to “many mistakes’’.

Rohr, while speaking Saturday at the post-match conference of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Group D fixture, said he and his players were aware they made some grave mistakes during the game.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in the match played in Kaliningrad, the Eagles lost through an own goal by Oghenekaro Etebo and a Luka Modric penalty kick.

“We know we made some mistakes, too many important mistakes, and it is clear that we need to get better in order to move on,’’ the coach said.

He said the entire team was disappointed at the result, adding that they needed to work on being professional with the set-pieces.

“Our organisation was good, that is clear just as the tactics were not wrong, but we need to be more professional in the way we take the set-pieces. We need to be better before our next game,’’ he added.

Rohr, who admitted that the loss had made their task more herculean, said team Captain, Mikel Obi’s performance in the game was satisfactory just as he equally praised the defenders.

“Mikel has since I took over always been playing the way we deployed him today, and this has yielded results for us.

“But, he couldn’t have done better than he did today, because of the quality of those he was playing against.

“He had Ivan Rakitic of FC Barcelona and Luka Modric of Real Madrid playing against him, and they are of good quality and playing for clubs bigger than that of Mikel who plays in China.

“So, he really did well,’’ he said.

On the 62nd minute substitution of Alex Iwobi, the coach said it was not done out of poor performance by the Arsenal FC player.

“Iwobi deserved his starting place, based on his performances in the last few days. He only had big work to do with the full back, and this took much out of him.

“However, he did well and I don’t think he shouldn’t have started the game,’’ he said.

Rohr, however, assured that he and his assistants would go on to ensure the team was improved upon before their June 22 date with Iceland in Volgograd.

“We will improve because it is important for us. We have to get better in order to move forward,’’ he said.

The foreign ministers of Greece and Macedonia signed an accord on Sunday to rename the former Yugoslav republic the Republic of North Macedonia.

The landmark accord follows decades of inconclusive talks which had soured relations between the two countries and held up the admission of the Balkan state into the EU and NATO, of which Greece is a member.

The agreement still requires the approval of both parliaments and a referendum in Macedonia.

We have a historic responsibility that this deal is not held in abeyance, and I am confident that we will manage it, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said as he and his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev received a standing ovation from guests at a lakeside ceremony.

Tsipras survived a no-confidence vote mounted by Greeces opposition in parliament on Saturday, but the depth of public emotion against the deal is strong.

Up to 70 per cent of Greeks object to the compromise, an opinion poll by the Proto Thema newspaper showed on Saturday.

Under the deal, Greece will lift its objections to the renamed nation joining the EU and NATO.

Our two countries have to turn from the past and look to the future, Zaev said. We were bold enough to take a step forward.

Greece has been in dispute with Macedonia since 1991 over the former Yugoslav republics name, arguing it could imply territorial claims over the Greek province of Macedonia and an appropriation of ancient Greek culture and civilisation.

The subject is an emotional one for many Greeks.

On Saturday, thousands of protesters outside the parliament building shouted Traitor, traitor! as lawmakers debated inside.

Greece and Macedonia have been at odds over the latters name since Macedonia emerged from the disintegrating former Yugoslavia in 1991.

Negotiations took place under UN auspices beginning in 1995.

Greece insisted that the name Macedonia belongs to its northern province and accused Skopje of usurping Hellenic history and even territorial aspirations.

Athens allowed the country to join the UN only with the provisional name of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Under the new deal announced on Tuesday by Tsipras and Zaev Greece allowed its neighbourto retain the key part of its name, but with ageographic qualifier:After a complex procedure, which will take months,the country will become the Republic of Northern Macedonia.

Greece will also immediately lift its veto on an invitation for Macedonia to join NATO andalso allow the European Union to open membership talks with Skopje.

The UN envoy who mediated the talks for 23 years, Matthew Nimetz, was joined by EUchief diplomat Federica Mogherini and Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn at the signing ceremony.

Hahn tweeted that the agreement would contribute to peace andstability andhopefully to tangible progress forthe EUperspective of Macedonia.

A day earlier, Tsipras survived a no-confidence motion the opposition launched over the name deal, and Zaev will have to push aside the veto on the ratification by President Gjorge Ivanov.

Macedonia now needs to ratify the deal in the parliament and confirm it with a referendum, presumably in September,andcement the name change into its constitution.

Only after that will Greece also ratify it, as well Macedonias membership in NATO.

The agreement enraged nationalists in both countries, who feel that their side has conceded too much. Conservative Macedonian President Gorge Ivanov has promised to veto the agreement even if parliament ratifies it.

A second vote from parliament would allow the vetoed motion to become law.

Greeks opposing the deal protested in Athens on Friday and Saturday, while the Macedonian nationalists scheduled a rally against it in the south-western city of Bitola.

Source: NAN

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the Buhari Administration is steadily transforming Nigeria through innovative measures that are yielding positive results.

In a keynote address he delivered at the 2018 Africa Together Conference at the University of Cambridge in the UK on Saturday, the Minister listed investment in people, changing the business environment and building national infrastructure as some of the areas in which the Administration has made a great impact.

He said by focusing on education and skills acquisition, the Administration is addressing the need to create opportunities for the countrys teeming youth population.

In my country, school enrolment is a challenge we face. And one of the main culprits is malnutrition. Government has stepped in: 8.2 million are being fed daily free meals in 45,000 schools. Not only does this increase attendance and provide children with a in some case only nutritious meal a day, it enhances learning efficacy in class and boosts cognitive development over the long term, Alhaji Mohammed said

He said the Home-Grown School Feeding programme has yielded other results, including the employment of 80,000 cooks and a ready-made market for food crop farmers.

The Minister said skill shortages in the labour pool are being addressed through several measures, including the four-pronged N-Power programme that is providing employment and vocational training for graduates and others, access to loans for medium and small business as well as conditional cash transfers to the most vulnerable members of the society.

He said the Administration is also changing the business environment for good, focusing especially on removing the red tape that makes it cumbersome for business and stifles innovation.

Much of our programme has honed-in on business reform. Nigeria has moved up 24 places on the World Bank Ranking of Ease of Doing Business index putting it amongst the top 10 global reformers, along with Zambia, Malawi and Djibouti. The two areas we have prioritised are starting a business and access to credit.

In Nigeria, registering a business used to take months. Now it takes 24-48 hours. Unwrapping the bureaucracy and streamlining processes encourage an uptick in new official enterprises. We have introduced online registration, with features such as the electronic stamping of documents. And to ensure this brings with it the maximum benefit, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises clinics have been deployed across a variety of states to provide regulators a contact point with informal business and budding entrepreneurs to clarify any issues, Alhaji Mohammed said.

He noted that the challenge of access to credit is also being frontally addressed by making it possible for MSMEs to register their movable assets, such as vehicles and equipment, and use them as collateral to raise loans and finance, thus removing the need for traditional assets (such as real estate, offices and factories).

The Minister told his audience that the two most critical impediments against business, decent transport connections and a reliable power supply, are also been tackled by ensuring better roads and train networks, so that goods and services can be moved around more cheaply and efficiently, and businesses can plan for the future, knowing they will not be hampered by energy outages.

For instance, Nigeria earmarks 30 per cent of its annual national budgets for capital expenditure. That means 2.7 trillion Naira has gone towards our infrastructure in the last 2 years -unprecedented in our history. Power generation has climbed to 7000MW (from just over 2500MW), to which we hope to add another 2000MW by the end of the year. We have also laid down thousands of kilometres of road.

Also, the Government has now signed a concession agreement with an International Consortium led by General Electric. This will breathe new life into the tracks, increasing capacity and speed. Not only will this allow for goods and services to be moved around cost-effectively, it will allow the prosperity of the nation to be more equitably spread through increased connectivity, he said, adding that the government is also constructing a new standard-gauge railway.

Source: NAN

The Director-General, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr Osita Okechukwu, has expressed confidence that the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Convention holding on June 23 in Abuja will be hitch-free.

Speaking on the forthcoming convention, Okechukwu told newsmen in Enugu on Sunday that there was no cause for alarm.

He allayed fears that the intra party crisis arising from the various congresses in some states of the federation would not becloud the national convention.

The party chieftain maintained that President Muhammadu Buhari remained the presumptive consensus candidate of the ruling party for 2019 Presidential Election.

According to him, in spite of conflicting reports of parallel congresses, there will be a hitch-free national convention, since the entire tendencies within the party share a common ground in their support for President Buhari.

Okechukwu, who was elected as a delegate to the convention, equally predicted that most of the delegates would vote for former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshimole, as the chairman of the party since Buhari had endorsed him.

To be honest, in spite of conflicting reports of parallel congresses, one envisages a hitch-free national convention of our great party, APC, on June 23.

This is because we have President Muhammadu Buhari, who from every index is the presumptive consensus candidate, come 2019 Presidential election.

Mr President is more like a guardian post for our great party. He is the canopy covering us all from bad weather.

Remember that what we operate is a presidential system, where unlike the parliamentary system the supremacy of the party is less profound.

Every President in all presidential systems I know, be it in the United States, tailors the cloth of the party to his size, Okechukwu said.

The DG noted that all the tendencies and factions had a common ground, which was the endorsement of President Buhari.

In addition, those who lost in the congresses are not only loyalists to Buhari, but are aware of the truism that they were swimming against the tide of the provisions of APCs Constitution.

The constitution mandated the National Working Committee, subject to the approval of the National Executive Committee to make rules and regulations for nomination of candidates.

Nobody has the right to reverse the national delegates list validly elected during the local government congress, he said.

According to him, with such iconic leader like Buhari, loyalty is enhanced. Loyalty to one leader minimises intra-party conflict. It could have been different if we have two strong presidential contenders.

Our collective support for Mr. President makes it easy for reconciliation in APC before the 2019 general elections.

On alleged plans to disqualify some NWC members at the convention said he was not aware of it.

More so, I am aware that President Buhari canvassed for waiver for members of the National Working Committee, which was upheld by the National Executive Committee on March 27, 2018.

Secondly, Gov. Aminu Masari Screening Committee to the best of my knowledge did not disqualify or recommend disqualification of any of them. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Thousands of gay pride supporters have held a march in Ukraine’s capital that lasted about 20 minutes in spite opponents’ attempts to block them.

About 5,000 were on hand for the march, whose size was estimated at 2,000 by Ukraine’s Interior Ministry and up to 6,000 by organisers.

The Interfax news agency said opponents tried to block the march seven times, but were moved aside by police.

Kiev held its first major pride march in 2016 after a pro-Western government that came to power sanctioned such events.

Some previous gay pride rallies in Ukraine have ended in violence.

In 2015, a gay pride march was called off when right-wing activists pelted participants with smoke grenades.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has shut down six thermal power generating stations to enable the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) pipeline carry out repair work on a ruptured gas pipeline which has caused a drop in electricity supply in the country.

General Manager, Public Affairs, TCN, Mrs Ndidi Mbah said in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, that the drop in electricity affected a total of 1,087.6Mega Watts of Power nationwide.

TCN explained that the six thermal power generating stations were unable to generate electricity due to the gas pipeline and the and technical issues at the Shell gas wells.

The company listed the affected power stations to include Ihovbor, Azura, Omotosho gas, Geregu gas, Olorunsogo gas, Sapele and the Egbin power stations.

TCN said the six power generating thermal stations had managed to generate 60MW only on each of its units, losing a total of 211MW.

The company also said Afam VI power station was shut down so that Shell oil company could resolve its gas well issues to enable it commence gas supply to Afam VI power station.

“With a total loss of 1,087.6MW into the grid, the transmission system has become quite fragile and TCN is working hard to avert a collapse of the system, by engaging in load-shedding.

“Load-shedding, is to ensure that available generation is commensurate with what is allocated to DisCos nationwide, to create a balance and avert grid instability,” Mbah was quoted as saying in the statement.

She said the problem which necessitated the company to adopt a load shedding strategy to maintain stability of the grid, affected the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and other states of the federation.

According to TCN, the gas pipeline rupture and technical issues at the Shell gas wells occurred on June 15 and June 16 respectively.

The TCN spokesperson also said NGC was making efforts to ensure that the gas pipeline issues are resolved to restore normal gas supply to affected power generating stations, to enable them generate into the grid.

The company also said that Shell had in the morning hours of June 17 resolved its gas well issue and gas supply partially restored to Afam VI power station.

TCN also noted that there was no collapse of the grid as was reported in some quarters.

The company appealed for understanding, adding that TCN engineers were working hard to maintain stability of the grid, pending completion of repairs of gas pipeline by NGC and restoration of full gas supply to affected generating stations.

Meanwhile, many parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had been out of supply in the past two days.

In a telephone interview, AEDC’s Head of Corporate Communication, Mr Fadipe Oyebode, attributed the non supply and load shedding in some areas to the limited allocation from the national grid to AEDC.

Oyebode said AEDC was only allocated 194.58MW from the grid on June 16, out of its total 11 per cent allocation hence its inability to fully supply to its customers.

He, however said that the situation has improved as AEDC’s allocation for June 17, stood at 330.44MW.

Source: NAN

By Florence Onuegbu

There is confusion regarding the actual employers of the 300 street sweepers supervisors that were recently sacked in Lagos State, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Environmental Utility firm, Visionscape Sanitation Solutions Ltd (VSS) told NAN on Sunday in Lagos that the supervisors were employed for the Lagos State Government, under the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI).

Mr Adebola Shabi, the Special Adviser to the Governor on CLI said the government had nothing to do with the news making the rounds that it had sacked the 300 supervisors.

Shabi said that the CLI contracted Standard Street Manpower Ltd. (SSML) on the employment of street sweepers.

According to him, Cleaner Lagos is a government initiative, not a contractor, while Visionscape is the contractor, hence, government can decide it does not want Visionscape but Cleaner Lagos will remain.

Maybe it is Visionscape that sacked them, Cleaner Lagos has not sacked anybody.

SSML is a consultant to the state government on engagement of sweepers but we have told them that at the end of June, all sweepers should be handed over to the Ministry of Environment.

We dont know any issue about the sack; I have been trying to get the information from Visionscape and they are directing me to their head office.

The sack has nothing to do with Cleaner Lagos because we did not employ and we did not sack. Lagos State does not believe in sacking people, he said.

The Head, Corporate Communications, VisionScape, Mrs Motunrayo Elias, told NAN that the company was not the only contractor under the CLI.

Elias said that when the structure for waste management was put in place, government said it wanted street sweepers to clean the inner streets, among other arrangements.

She said that the structure for street sweepers supervisors was also put in place, that was the arrangement between CLI, VSS and SSML, which was the company managing the street sweepers.

Elias said that the supervisors were hired by SSML but were trained by VSS and worked with VSS Area Managers, to ensure the synergy of sweeping and packing the refuse.

Now, with the controversy about PSP operators wanting to go back to work, government said that the street sweepers should revert to them.

So if you have taken the street sweepers, what are you going to do with their supervisors?

When we had a meeting, the issue was brought up and government asked how much was the salary, that was where the problem started.

Government said it cannot afford the salary, which was between N80,000 to N120,000 but can only pay N25,000 per month.

So the company paid the supervisors their disengagement bonuses, with Visionscape paying them two months salaries, while government was trying to decide.

For fact, the supervisors were supposed to be transferred to the Ministry of Environment. It was a labour contract from the CLI, she said.

Elias said that the structure that was put in place for waste management in the state injected income to the economy, as people were better off.

She said that it was essential to take the good with the bad, as nobody talked about the good that the whole system was doing when it was creating employment.

NAN reports that the disengagement letters to the supervisors was signed by the Head, Human Resources and Administration, SSML, Oluwatoyin Ayoola.

The letter reads; In light of the recent review of the implementation of the Cleaner Lagos Initiative and the impact of these changes on our operational requirements as discussed at our meeting held on the 2nd of June 2018, we regrettably write to inform you that it affects your employment with Standard Street Manpower Ltd.

As discussed, the transfer of Ward Level Sanitation Programme (Community sanitation workers) to the Lagos State Government has rendered your position as Sanitation Supervisor redundant and your services will no longer be required with effect from 14th of June, 2018.

Source: NAN