Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue, has denied any plan to dump the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The denial is contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Terver Akase issued to newsmen in Makurdi.

It said that the media report on the governors purported plan to leave the APC was false, misleading andhandiwork of detractors playing politics with the blood of the people.

We read a report in a national daily of today which named Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom as one of the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders planning to defect to another political party.

The report which is obviously sponsored is not only false but also misleading. Governor Ortom has no intention to leave APC for another party and has not consulted anyone on the matter.

The statement stressed that Ortomenjoys cordial working relationship with other leaders of the party both at the local, state and national levels.

It said that the main focus of the governor was to deliver greater benefits of democracy to his people including tackling the security challenges confronting them.

There is no cause to warrant his defection to another party, the statement stated.

It explained that Ortoms stance of seeking justice over the invasion, killing and wanton destruction of property by suspected herdsmen was what any good leader ought to do.

The statement said the governor was appreciative of the efforts being made by President Muhammadu Buhari in ending the conflicts in the state.

According to the statement, the governor is fully aware that the killings in Benue began during the past PDP-led administrations in the state.

It must be noted that the killings predate the APC as a party and the present administration. The governors focus is on solving the problem in collaboration with other stakeholders.

It added: Fortunately, President Buhari has responded positively by sending troops and other security operatives to chase away the armed militia from Benue communities.

The statement further dismissed insinuations that Ortom had fallen out of favour with other leaders of APC in Benue, including Sen. George Akume.

The report is aimed at creating acrimony between the Governor and the Senator.

Governor Ortom was popularly elected to lead Benue State and he has demonstrated uncommon commitment and selflessness in justifying the confidence reposed in him.

He, will therefore, not be distracted by baseless reports and rumour of defection.

What is of greater concern to the governor now, is how to stop the killings in the state and also tackle the humanitarian crisis that displaced nearly 500,000 people.

It stated the government was collaborating with the Federal Government on the rehabilitation and resettlement of the displaced persons.

Source: NAN

Chinese telecom giant ZTE, on bended knees, has asked the US government to lift a ban on sales to the company, which threatens its survival and has added to trade tensions between Washington and Beijing.

The telecom equipment and handset maker said in a filing Sunday that it has submitted a request to the US commerce department for a stay of the export ban, along with supplemental information.

The ban prohibits US companies from selling crucial hardware and software components to the company, with one Chinese investment bank estimating ZTE had only one or two months supply of those items on hand.

Trading in ZTE shares in Hong Kong and Shenzhen has been halted since the US announcement last month.

The tough sanctions come as the battle over technology takes centre stage in a US spat with China over trade and industrial policy.

Washingtons control of the companys fate has stirred ire and angst in China and reinforced for Beijing the need to control all parts of the technological supply chain.

Chinese officials asked a high-level US delegation to reconsider the ban during trade talks in Beijing last week.

China made solemn representations with the US an official diplomatic protest during the negotiations and secured a pledge from the trade team to relay the concerns to US President Donald Trump, Chinas commerce ministry said in a statement Friday.

Source: NAN

Kenya has ratified the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement and was making arrangements to submit to Africa Union Commission.

The countrys parliament ratified the Agreement and the government is to submit the signed document to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

State House spokesperson Manoah Esipisu expressed optimism that the continental trade pact will lead to an accelerated pathway to integration.

He expressed the hope that Africa is better off increasing trade with itself.

As you know, it was the Presidents absolute delight to be in Kigali not too long ago, joining fellow heads of state in signing the AfCFTA.

The AfCFTA will create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of people, goods and services, Esipisu said.

Rwanda and Ghana have both already ratified the agreement, and now the race is on which country is first to officially submit that ratification.

The instruments are expected to be lodged with the AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki as a sign of Kenyas commitment to the economic integration of all the 54 African states.

At the moment, Esipisu noted, intra-Africa trade is estimated to be around 12 per cent which is relatively low compared to other regions of the world.

Intra-European trade is estimated to be around 60 per cent while that of Asia is around 40 per cent.

The establishment of the AfCFTA is expected to boost intra Africa trade to 22 per cent by 2022. All this will provide substantial economic and social gains to Kenya, he said.

The AfCFTA will lead to the creation of a wider and expanded African market, with a combined population of over 1.2 billion people and a growing middle class, as well as a combined gross domestic product of more than US$ 3.4 trillion.

The African continental population is expected to reach 2 billion by 2050.

Esipisu pointed out that Kenya attaches significant importance to the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) and the AfCFTA because of the huge market and investment opportunities that they will present to Kenya.

The TFTA brings together member states of COMESA, EAC and SADC. At the moment, Kenya exports to Africa constitute 40 per cent of total exports the bulk of which are value-added products.

Nigeria has yet to ratify the agreement.

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday in Daura, Katsina state met behind closed doors with Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo and Abdul aziz Yari of Zamfara.

The Presidents Personal Assistant on New Media, Alhaji Bashir Ahmad confirmed this development on his Twitter handle on Sunday.

He posted: President Muhammadu Buhari this evening received chairman of the Progressives GovernorsForum (PGF), Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo.

Okorocha, who spoke to newsmen after the meeting, said that he updated the president on the outcome of the ward congresses conducted by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) across the country.

He frowned at the way some members of the party in some states conducted themselves during the exercise, saying the party would check such incidents in future.

Okorocha said; We expect internal democracy and internal democracy is the way to go. Those kind of funny politics that were played must stop, where people want to carry ballot boxes, steal results looks so primitive.

I intimated Mr President and we will make sure that such things must stop.

On the presidents response, the governor said; He spoke like the President and he will take the necessary steps to correct this in our party, APC, not just in Imo but across the whole nation, to make sure that there is respect for internal democracy.

However, Gov.Yari, who spoke on the outcome of the ward congresses, said the exercise went well in the North West region.

He said; You know in a democracy you cannot expect everything to work 100 per cent.

But in our region from the information available to us, everything went well in Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kano, where people expected that there may be a problem, the exercise was successful.

But anybody that has complain, there is a committee set up by the national executive of the party, they should take their complains there so that they will be attended to.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) observed that mixed reactions characterized the outcome of the APC ward congresses across the country.

In Delta, the exercise was bloody as the Police Command in the state confirmed that a chairmanship candidate died in the APC ward congresses in Ughelli South Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

The commands spokesman, Mr Andrew Aniamaka, said Mr Jeremiah Oghoveta, was stabbed to death during the exercise at Jeremi Ward 3, Okwagbe.

The ward congresses in Adamawa and Oyo states were conducted on May 6 as against May 5 following political misunderstandings among top APC members and stakeholders in the states.

In Adamawa, mixed reactions characterized the conduct of the ward congresses on Sunday.

While the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustafa, said the exercise was smooth and hitch free, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu said the exercise was not conducted in his Ward of Bako in Yola.

Mustafa participated in the exercise in his Ward at Gwadabawa in Jimeta area of Yola.

NAN also reported that a faction of the APC in Kebbi State had staged a peaceful protest to the party Secretariat in Birnin Kebbi against consensus arrangement during the Saturday Congress held across 225 wards in the State.

The protesters were seen carrying placards with different inscriptions like: Kebbi APC Congress no consensus;We need true party Congress not consensus;`We say no to injustice

The Leader of the aggrieved members, Adamu Gulma, told journalists at the APC Secretariat that what happened in Kebbi state is not congress but government and major APC stakeholders hijacked the event to their advantage.

However, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ondo State Chapter had commended the peaceful conduct of ward congress, held across 203 wards of the state on Saturday.

Mr Abayomi Adesanya, the spokesman of the party in the state, told NAN that the reports he got from various wards were good.

NAN also observed that the ward congresses were successfully conducted in many states of the federation including Lagos, Kaduna, Gombe, Ogun, Oyo, Nasarawa, Plateau, Taraba, Borno, Yobe and others.

Meanwhile, the party had on Sunday called on its members that may have been aggrieved following the conduct of its Saturday Ward Congress across the country to seek redress in its Appeal Panel.

Malam Bolaji Abudulahi, the partys National Publicity Secretary made the call in a statement in Abuja.

He, however, congratulated all members of the party, saying that the conduct of the congress was generally peaceful.

Source: NAN

US President Donald Trumps choice to be the next head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has sought to withdraw her nomination, it was reported late Sunday.

Gina Haspel told the White House onFriday that she was interested in stepping aside from the nomination if it would damage her and the agencys reputations, according to the Washington Post.

Haspel was due to be confirmed to the role of director by the Senate on Wednesday but was called to the White House before the weekend over questions about her involvement in the CIAs controversial interrogation programme, anonymous administration sources told the Post.

The 61-year-old played a role in the alleged torture of suspected terrorist detainees as a clandestine CIA officer following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Fridays meeting was followed by another with Haspel at CIA headquarters where she reportedly met for several hours with senior White House staff, including legislative affairs boss Marc Short and press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Trump then phoned the staffers to push for Haspel to remain as nominee, the Posts sources said. By Saturday she had reportedly agreed to continue with the nomination.

In 2002 Haspel ran a so-called CIA black site, or secret detention centre which allegedly tortured two suspected al-Qaeda terrorists.

Haspel became deputy director of the agency in 2017 and was named last Tuesday as the replacement for Mike Pompeo, who was made secretary of state.

Her nomination has come in for criticism even from Republicans, with Senator John McCain having said she needed to explain her involvement in one of the darkest chapters in American history.(dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN

Prof Umar Katsayel of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has developed two anti-malaria drugs that can compete with other relevant drugs in the treatment of malaria. parasites.

Katsayel disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeri (NAN) in Sandmu, near Daura, on Monday.

He said that the drugs were developed from the roots of Cissampelous mucronat plant and the stem-bark of Plumeria rubra plant, adding they are common herbs found around the vicinity.

He said the drugs were subjected to various laboratory examinations to determine their efficacy and toxicity before consumption.

We would soon make the drugs public after satisfying the obvious certification process with the relevant regulatory bodies, the Don said.

He said that the development of the drugs was a product of years of hard academic researches and investigations.

We would redouble our efforts to develop as many drugs as possible, he said.

Katsayel commended the management of the university for giving him the enabling environment to achieve the feat.

He urged fellow academics to intensify efforts on research so as to fast track the socio-economic development of the nation. .

He said gone were the days when the nation would solely dependent on foreign countries, especially for disease discovery and development of drugs.

He lauded the efforts of the Federal Government at promoting academic research and investigations.

Katsayel is also a former member of the Federal House of Representatives who represented the Sandamu, Maiadua and Daura federal constituency.

Source: NAN

It is too early to start impeaching Presidents in Nigeria, former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd), has warned those plotting President Muhamamadu Buharis impeachment.

The plot to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari would not augur well for Nigerias democracy, he said.

He told members of the Northern Leaders and Stakeholders Assembly, NLSA, who paid him a courtesy visit on Thursday that disagreements are vital components of democracy.

There is no President that will not get impeached because of interest groups.

Cautioning against the plot, Gowon explained that disagreements remained hallmarks of democracy and such be settled amicably.

Impeachment is not necessary the option to disagreement .

Gowon spoke against the backdrop of the submission of a report on motion for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari over the purchase of $496 million Tucano Aircrafts without legislators approval.

He called on the different groups in the North to come together to project a common front, adding that too many groups could send wrong signals to other parts of the country.

We need to come together as a people.

The Arewa Consultative Forum, Northern Elders Forum and the Northern Leaders and Stakeholders Assembly should come together or we would end up polarising the North.

Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, the Chairman of the Forum and former Presidential adviser, in his remarks, said the group was committed to sustainable peace and harmonious co-existence of all ethnic nationalities,

Gowon is the former head of state of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975. He took power after one military coup dtat and was overthrown in another coup.

He prosecuted the civil war from 1967 to 1970 and reunited Nigeria.

Source: NAN

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday in Abuja said its voter register was not substantially used for the Feb. 10 Kano State local government election, where underaged voting allegedly occurred.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the Commissions Investigation Committee report on the alleged participation of underage persons in the election.

INEC on Feb. 21 set up an investigation committee chaired by a National Commissioner, Mr Abubakar Nahuche.

The committee was to look into the allegations that underage persons voting in the election, using the register of voters given to the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) by INEC, as prescribed by law.

Yakubu said though the commission did not receive any formal complaint on the matter, the committee was set up to address concerns that could create doubt about voter register in preparations for 2019 general elections.

The chairman said that the committee had since submitted its report, while INEC carefully considered and accepted its finding and recommendations.

Base on its terms and reference, there are four key points in the findings and recommendations of the committee, which may be summarised as follows:

KANSIEC requested for and received from INEC the Kano state register of voters for the elections.

The register was produced for use for the elections. However, the register was only sighted in a few polling units. In other words, the register was not used in most of the polling units.

In fact, accreditation using the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) largely did not take place.

Given that the register was substantially not used to accredit voter before voting.

It is logical to conclude that if underage voting occurred in the election, it was not due to any presence of underage registrants on the register of voters.

However, after examining some of the images in circulation, the committee found that they have been available long before the Kano Local Government elections.

The few images and video clips from Kano show no accreditation of voters or any relationship with the register of voters.

Yakubu added that the committee also recommended that there was need and ample room for collaboration between INEC and all stakeholders to continue to update and improve the national register of voters.

This according to him, was important to eliminate all ineligible registrants from it, including dead persons, aliens and underage registrants.

It also recommended that INEC should work with the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) to ensure continuous improvements in the quality of all elections conducted in Nigeria.

He said since 2011 general elections, the Commission had been updating the register in accordance with the law, saying the current commission believed that it inherited a register that met a high standard of biometric registration.

Let me reiterate that this commission is convinced that we now have a dependable register, even if it is not perfect.

We believe that it is a huge national asset, easily the largest database of Nigerians in existence today containing over 70 million entries of names, addresses, photographs, ten fingerprints, telephone numbers etc.

Yakubu implored all Nigerians to see the register as national asset and work with the commission to continue to improve it, considering that there were few if any perfect voters roll anywhere.

Yakubu also listed some of the efforts by INEC to continue to update the register and remove ineligible entries from it including presentation of the copies of the register to political parties.

Only recently, on Feb. 28, we gave each of the 68 political parties a copy of the register containing names of the 3.9 million new voters registered in 2017.

We urged them to use the register not only to reach out to voters, but also to check whether there are ineligible persons on the list and draw the attention of the commission to them.

Unfortunately, since this commission was inaugurated in 2015, there has not been a single report from any political party of ineligible voters on the register.

Yakubu noted that INEC had also been working with the Nigerian Immigration Service to eliminate aliens from the register by confiscating PVCs from aliens who were not entitled to vote.

He pledged that INEC would continue to collaborate with the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FORSIECON) toward establishing robust pathways to improving the quality of all elections conducted in Nigeria.

As we have consistently promised Nigerians, as a commission, we shall continue to be open to criticisms, accept shortcomings and take bold corrective steps whenever necessary.

Fielding questions from newsmen; Yakubu said that the commission spent little over N100 million for the failed recall of Sen. Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West Senatorial District.

The substantial part of it went to the payment of ad-hoc staff and logistics. He also disclosed that the commission was not creating new polling units ahead of the 2019 general elections, as there was no time to do so.

The logistics and arrangements for doing so cannot be accommodated before the 2019 general elections.

Source: NAN

A Kogi State High Court, Lokoja, has given an interim order that Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, be moved to the National Hospital Abuja, for further treatment.

Justice Nasir Ajanah, gave the order on Friday after the senators lawyer, Mike Ezekhome (SAN) sought for his bail.

On Thursday, police stretchered Melaye before a Senior Magistrates Court, and charged him with supplying illegal arms to two suspects,to commit various crimes in the state.

In Abuja on Wednesday, the embattled Senator was charged with causing damage to government property, attempted suicide and escape from lawful custody.

His lawyer argued by virtue of Section 97 of the Penal Code, the offence is bailable.But Chief Magistrate Suleiman Abdulahi denied the bail application and ruled that Melaye would remain in police custody for the next 39 days.

The case was then adjourned until June 11, 2018.

Police Melaye had taken possession of Melaye since he was recovered from a private hospital in Abuja after he jumped out of a moving police vehicle on April 24 while being conveyed to Lokoja Kogi State, for trial.

The police then moved him to the National Hospital, from where the police said he was discharged on Wednesday, for the first trial in Abuja.

Source: NAN

By Ifeanyi Nwoko

In a bid to curb the transmission of preventable diseases, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa is to partner the World Health Organisation (WHO) to take hand washing campaigns across Nigeria and Africa.

Mrs Toyin Saraki, Founder-President of the Foundation disclosed this when she led a team on a courtesy visit the Abuja office of the WHO mission in Nigeria.

Saraki, the Devex Global Health Champion, was received by Dr Wondi Alemu, WHOs Representative and Head of Mission in Nigeria,

The launch of WBFAs campaign follows the UN Secretary Generals call to action on WASH in healthcare facilities in March and coincides with the WHOs Save Lives: Clean your Hands campaign day, which takes place on 5th May each year.

The 5th of May is also International Day of the Midwife, with the theme this year being Midwives leading the way with quality care.

Speaking at the event, she said that her foundation had recognized that many diseases could be prevented if people take to hand washing.

She insisted that the amount of time and resources spent on curing diseases could rather be used for advocacy for hand washing so that the diseases are prevented before they occur.

She disclosed that her foundation is gong to commission a team of young hand washing advocates that will take the campaign to schools across Nigeria.

We will be inaugurating a team of young Nigerians as hand washing advocates so that they can go to schools to sensitise many on the importance of hand washing.

Our midwives will also take the same campaign to hospitals and primary health centres to educate mother on the importance of hand washing.

In the next one year we can measure the impact of the campaign. Washing your hand with clean water prevents diseases.

Here in Nigeria, the WHO found that 29 per cent of healthcare facilities do not have access to safe water and toilets, whilst a WaterAid survey revealed that half of primary health facilities do not have hand washing facilities in delivery rooms.

Pregnant women and newborns are thereby placed in huge danger and at risk of sepsis, which is a leading cause of death in hospitals.

As the Founder-President of the WBFA, I work with our midwives to ensure that mother and baby are safe from birth through to age.

Without adequate WASH facilities, however, midwives all over the world are unable to safely carry out their crucial work and to lead the way with quality care.

Our target is for the 198 million Nigerians to be saying wash, she said.

Is his remark, the WHO Country Representative, Wondi Alemu said that the WHO was really impressed by the many interventions by the Wellbeing Foundation.

He said that the activities if the foundation going beyond just health care and hygiene to general wellbeing, adding that he is particularly impressed by the foundation.

He commended the foundation for the new campaign, saying that with good strategies, the impact of hand washing could be tremendous.

This is a very impressive foundation, I am impressed the way you have expressed it and also eager to implement it.

The choice of the target is good and we believe that if we manage to reduce the infection transmission, we will definitely bring down the way infections are acquired.

I will like to assure you that WHO, not only the country office but the whole WHO is supporting this mission.

Personally I have interacted with Director of WHO whom you are one of her advisers, and I can assure you that the WHO will be supporting your foundation.

We have all reasons to back you up, personally I commit myself to this foundation to make sure that I and my colleagues support you in the areas where you want us to engage, he said.

Source: NAN