President Muhammadu Buhari has received assurances from the Joint Venture Partners assigned to construct the 3050 Megawatts Mambilla Hydro-electric Power Plant, that all processes leading to the start of work would soon be completed to pave way for the commencement of the project early next year.

At a meeting Thursday in Beijing with Professor Lyu Ze Xiang, the President of CGCC, the construction company, President Buhari asked to be briefed on time lines for the commencement of work, following his highly successful meeting with the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping.

The Nigerian President, who likened the Mambilla to Chinas Three Gorges Dam, said given the significance of the project to Nigerias socio-economic development, there was a need for its speedy completion.

I am very pleased with the concern you have shown for the significance of this project, he told the head of the construction giant, adding, I would like you to ensure its speedy completion.

Xiang informed President Buhari that Nigerian officials and the project consultant would meet in two weeks to address the questions raised by President Xi for more detailed and updated feasibility and sustainability studies. He said a team had already been set up to work on the financing aspect.

We fully understand the importance of this project to the economic and social wellbeing of Nigeria. In two weeks, we will sit down with the parties for the economic and sustainability analysis. It would take about four weeks to conclude the update, he assured.

According to the lead contractor, pre-commencement work, would thereafter begin, dealing with access to site and putting in place the necessary support infrastructure such as power, water and transportation.

Our target is to commence the project early next year, he told President Buhari shortly before the Nigerian leaders departure at the conclusion of his six-day official trip to China

Source: NAN

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo literally lit up the Utako Market in Abuja as he arrived Thursday to witness the disbursement of collateral and interest free loan, Tradermoni to petty traders.

He also used the opportunity to interact with the traders, while also delivering a message of support from the Buhari administration.

Osinbajo told the traders that in line with the agenda to spread prosperity and reduce poverty, the Federal Government will continue to initiate and sustain programmes aimed at uplifting Nigerians at the bottom of the pyramid, especially petty traders regardlessof socio-political background.

The scheme is part of the Social Investment Programme of the Buhari administration.

So far, the programme has been launched in Lagos, Kano, Katsina, Abia and Osun states and would be extended, in quick succession, to traders in all the States of the federation before the end of 2018.

The Vice President said every petty trader is eligible to benefit from the scheme and urged petty traders across the country to take advantage of the scheme to improve their businesses.

This programme is for the petty traders selling in the markets, it is not for bigger traders. It is for the petty traders to improve their businesses. For now, we are giving you N10, 000, if you pay back in six months or less, you will get another N15, 000. We want to encourage petty traders, so that they can have sufficient amount to improve their businesses.

He assured beneficiaries that the amount given to them would be increased if they paid back their loans within the stipulated period, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari himself was interested in the welfare of the traders.

According to the Vice President, The one we did before was for big traders under the GEEP programme, we gave them as much as N100, 000. If you do well with this one we are giving you now, we will increase the amount.

Everybody can benefit from this scheme, the President himself has said that he wants to make sure that those who are selling small items in the markets benefit from this programme.

When we give you this money, we want you to pay back and no interest is involved.

Earlier on arrival at the market, Prof. Osinbajo went round interacting with petty traders before he proceeded to address traders who had thronged access roads around the market to receive him.

The Vice President was accompanied to the programme by two Ministers of State: Industry Trade and Investment, HajiyaAisha Abubakarand Zainab Ahmed among other top government officials.

Source: NAN

Ahead of the Sept. 22 governorship election in Osun, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Mr Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Thursday stormed Osogbo to flag-off the partys campaign.

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC national leader, Gov. Rauf Aregbesola, his Kano State counterpart, Abdullahi Ganduje and Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti Governor-Elect, were also at the rally.

Also at the rally were Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, his Ondo counterpart, Rotimi Akeredolu, and Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, among others.

Osinbajo, while presenting the APC flag to Gboyega Oyetola, said the partys candidate would emerge winner by Sept. 22.

The Vice President appealed to the electorate to come out en masse to vote for Oyetola.

In his remarks, Oshiomhole, described Oyetola as a tested and trusted politician, who would perform excellently.

He said the partys candidate has passion for the sustainable development of the state, adding that he would not disappoint the people of the state.

If you know where this state was eight years ago before Gov. Aregbesola administration and now , you will understand there is need to vote for Oyetola for continuity.

Oyetola has the capacity to translate his vision into reality and that why I am appealing to you to vote for him during the election and he will not dissapoint, Oshiomole said.

Gov. Ganduje, who is the Chairman of the campaign committee, said a vote for APC candidate during the election would bring more development to the state.

He said if elected, Oyetola would move the state forward and consolidate on the positive achievements of Gov. Aregbesola.

Also speaking, Tinubu described Oyetola as a reliable and committed person, who would bring more development to the state.

He said Oyetola would provide employment for the youths and also continue the good work of Gov. Aregbesola.

In his remarks, Gov. Ibikunle Amosun, who described Osun as a progressive state, urged the residents to support the party to win the election.

He said, If you love President Buhari and the party, vote Oyetola.

Osun is a progressives state and it had been like that for long; we must not allow it to change.

I therefore implored you to vote for the party, Amosun said.

Also, Gov. Ajimobi appealed to the residents to vote for the party for continuity

Gov. Akeredolu , urged the partys members and the residents of the state to support APC to win the election.

Dr Fayemi, described Oyetola as a trustworthy and loyal party member. He said those who love President Buhari and APC should vote massively for Oyetola on Sept. 22.

Source: NAN

Violence erupted at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretariat on Thursday as supporters of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who accompanied him to submit his presidential nomination form, clashed with some thugs.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Abubakars supporters arrived at the secretariat at about 9 a.m., drumming and dancing while waiting for him.

The aspirant arrived at about noon and while submitting his nomination form inside the party secretariat, pandemonium erupted as some persons suspected to be political thugs attacked his supporters.

The development caused chaos as people scampered for safety, causing stampede at the secretariat main entrance as the supporters, especially women tried to rush into the premises.

The situation was, however, brought under control following the intervention of policemen who promptly fired gunshots into the air to dispel the thugs.

No arrest was made as the hoodlums escaped through different routes, and it was not immediately ascertained if injuries were sustained in the fracas.

Meanwhile, Abubakar said that he is seeking Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket to make Nigeria work.

His media office said he made the statement after submitting his nomination form at PDPs National Secretariat in Abuja on Thursday.

Abubakar sad that he was saddened by the fact that 11 million Nigerians, excluding the millions more who never had a job since leaving school, had become unemployed since May 29, 2015.

He, however, said that he had created thousands of jobs in his private businesses and knew how to lead a government that would do the same for Nigeria.

It weighs deeply on my heart that Nigeria has become the world headquarters for extreme poverty according to the World Economic Forum and the World Poverty Clock.

I am not happy that there are so much killings and terror across the country that the Global Terrorism Index rates Nigeria as more terrorised today than she was in 2015.

I am not happy that Nigeria is perceived to be more corrupt today than she was in 2015 having moved 12 steps backwards, from 136 in 2014 to 148 today, in the Transparency Internationals Corruption Perception Index.

136 is bad enough; 148 is simply unacceptable and shameful, especially under a government that claims that fighting corruption is its priority, said Abubakar, who himself had been accused by his former boss, Olusegun Obasanjo of being corrupt.

Abubakar called on all PDP delegates and all Nigerians to join him at the struggle to make Nigeria work again.

Let us work together to create the right conditions for investments to flow in and flourish to create jobs for our people. Lets work together to send poverty packing.

Let us, together, reduce corruption so that our resources will be deployed to our national priorities. Let us work together to fight all types of terrorism and other crimes.

Lets work together to restructure Nigeria for better governance and to unite our peoples. Lets get Nigeria working again, he said.

Source: NAN

Iraqs main seaport closed down on Thursday following violent clashes between protestors and security forces in the southern city of Basra in which one demonstrator died and 25 more were injured the previous night.

Southern Iraq, heartland of the Shiite majority, has erupted in unrest in recent weeks as protesters express rage over collapsing infrastructure, power cuts and corruption.

Port employees said that all operations had ceased on Thursday morning at Basra port as the entrance was still blocked off and trucks and staff were unable to get in or out of the complex.

Residents in Basra, a city of more than 2 million people, say the water supply has become contaminated with salt, making them vulnerable and desperate in the hot summer months. Hundreds of people have been hospitalised from drinking it.

Overnight, protesters blocked the entrance to the nearby Umm Qasr port, the main lifeline for grain and other commodity imports that feed the country.[nL5N1VR55N]

They blocked the highway from Basra to Baghdad and set fire to the main provincial government building where they had been demonstrating for a third night.

Public anger has grown at a time when politicians are struggling to form a new government after an inconclusive parliamentary election in May. Residents of the south complain of decades of neglect in the region that produces the bulk of Iraqs oil wealth.

Earlier on Wednesday, the third day of clashes, security forces sprayed tear gas and fired into the air to try to disperse demonstrators. According to health sources, the dead protester was struck in the head by a smoke grenade during the clashes.

The deaths of five protesters in clashes with security forces on Tuesday added to the fury. Security and health sources said 22 members of the security forces had been injured in Tuesdays violence, some by a hand grenade.

Source: NAN

Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad stoked further legal controversy over homosexuality when he denounced the caning of two Muslim women for attempting lesbian sex.

His comment came after the Indian Supreme Court ruled homosexuality as legal.

The caning sentence had sparked in Malaysia outrage and raised fears about the treatment of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

The women had pleaded guilty to charges under Islamic laws forbidding lesbian sex. They were caned on Monday in front of dozens of people at a sharia court in Terengganu, a conservative state in the east, prompting an outcry from human rights activists, who described the punishment as torture.

Mahathirs government has appeared divided about the LGBT community, while the premier himself had been silent on the caning and recent attacks on transgender people and marginalised groups in the Muslim-majority country.

In a video posted on his Twitter account, Mahathir said the caning did not reflect the justice or compassion of Islam.

It was the womens first offence, he said, which warranted a lighter sentence, such as counselling.

This gives a bad impression of Islam, the 93-year-old leader said. It is important that we show Islam is not a cruel religion that likes to impose harsh sentences to humiliate others.

The LGBT community is routinely persecuted in Malaysia, where it is seen as a threat to conservative values.

Mahathirs government swept into power in May after campaigning on a reform agenda, but has been unconvincing in its handling of matters relating to race, religion and minorities in the multi-racial country.

The caning followed a series of incidents in recent weeks that civil rights groups say illustrate growing hostility against gay and transgender people.

Mahathirs comment got a prompt response from a muslim leader,Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria, thePerak Mufti, who urged all parties to look at the legal and not political benefits of the public caning of the women.

Harussani said the caning was meant to teach the offenders a lesson and the caning did not maim, torture or injure them.

There is a way to do it, of which the cane was not raised high and it was not brutal. From an Islamic perspective, the caning was meant to teach them a lesson.That was why the caning was open to the public as it was meant to teach and act as a deterrent to others.

The offenders meanwhile, will not repeat the act or risk being caned again, Harussani told reporters here after delivering a keynote address at the Wacana Kesejagatan Ummah 2018.

Last month, a gay bar in Kuala Lumpur was raided by police and religious enforcement officials, while a transgender woman was beaten up by a group of assailants in Seremban, near the capital.

The minister in charge of Islamic affairs also came under fire, including from other ruling party lawmakers, after he ordered the removal of portraits of two LGBT activists from an art exhibition.

Malaysia describes oral and anal sex as against the order of nature. Civil law stipulates jail for up to 20 years, caning and fines for offenders, although enforcement of the law is rare.

Muslims are also governed by state-level Islamic laws, most of which carry provisions outlawing same-sex acts.

Source: NAN

As insinuations mount that China is heaping Africa with debt, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), has denied the alleged debt crisis in African countries.

He spoke on the sidelines of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit.

Western nations accused China of hoodwinking poor African nations into debt overload.

Let me be very clear that Africa has absolutely no debt crisis, Adesina told the press after a discussion at the High-level Dialogue Between Chinese and African Leaders and Business Representatives, which was closed Tuesday as part of the FOCAC Beijing Summit.

African countries are desperate for infrastructure. The population is rising, urbanization is there, and fiscal space is very small, the AfDB president said.

They are taking on a lot more debt, but in the right way.

Africa saw an overall debt-to-GDP ratio of 37 per cent last year, which, albeit up from 22 per cent in 2010, is within the reasonable range for low-income countries, Adesina said.

He stressed that the ratio is markedly lower than 100 per cent or 150 per cent of many higher-income countries and over 50 per cent of emerging economies.

For years, China has been providing money-starved African countries with loans that are urgently needed to build roads, power plants, and factories, as infrastructure is considered the precondition for African countries to propel industrialization and achieve prosperity.

China is saddling poor nations with unsustainable debt, Ray Washburne, head of the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) alleged recently.

According to him, the large-scale infrastructure projects run by the Chinese are not economically viable.

Washburne is not the first to warn of growing debt linked to Chinese infrastructure projects.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde in April cautioned Chinas Belt and Road partners against considering the financing as a free lunch.

Sri Lanka formally handed over commercial activities in its main southern port in the town of Hambantota to a Chinese company in December as part of a plan to convert $6 billion of loans that Sri Lanka owes China into equity.

Meanwhile, African observers say that Chinese investments in Africa will not add any debt burden to the continent. In the long run, they will ease it.

Chinese loans are mainly dedicated to the infrastructure in Africa, which is the prerequisite to attract the foreign direct investment. If a country has good infrastructure, the investors will come and they will create jobs and generate more income for the governments.

Prior to FOCAC, China downplayed confrontation that it is saddling developing countries with unsustainable levels of debt

Chinas ministry of commerce explained that that mounting debt was already commonplace before incursion of China into the continent.

Yet worries over high debt levels associated with Chinese-backed projects have been in the spotlight in the recent weeks, particularly after Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamads visit to Beijing earlier this month, in which Chinese projects worth of tens of billions were left canceled for now over debt concerns.

Controversy also came in December when the state-owned China Merchants Holdings Co. Ltd. gained control of the Sri Lankan port of Hambantota on a 99-year lease as the government sought to negotiate spiraling debts to Chinese creditors.

In April, International Monetary Fund President Christine Lagarde cautioned that foreign partners should not consider Chinese-backed infrastructure projects a free lunch, and last month a U.S. development official told Reuters that Chinese projects were leaving African countries saddled with unsustainable debt.

Chinese Commerce Vice Minister Qian Keming looked to parry concerns over Chinese projects in Africa in a news conference (link in Chinese), arguing that debt issues in Africa long preceded the rise of Chinese investment there, and that challenges facing African economies were global in nature.

The world economy has been in a difficult recovery, global trade and investment have been sluggish, and commodity prices have fluctuated at a low level, he said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping had also been emphatic as he warned firms that the funds provided by the country are not for vanity projects in Africa but are to build infrastructure that can remove development bottlenecks.

The President also warned the firms to respect local people and the environment where projects were being executed.

Xi said at a business forum before the start of a triennial China Africa summit their friendship was time-honoured and that Chinas investment in Africa came with no political strings attached.

China does not interfere in Africas internal affairs and does not impose its own will on Africa.

What we value is the sharing of development experience and the support we can offer to Africas national rejuvenation and prosperity, Xi said.

Chinas cooperation with Africa is clearly targeted at the major bottlenecks to development. Resources for our cooperation are not to be spent on any vanity projects but in places where they count the most, he said.

China has denied engaging in debt trap diplomacy but Xi is likely to use the gathering of African leaders to offer a new round of financing, following a pledge of $60 billion at the previous summit in South Africa three years ago.

Source: with additional report

Source: NAN

By Olayinka Owolewa

Workers of Kwara State Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Kwara, on Thursday continued their strike, insisting that government must sack their Sole Administrator, Dr Muideen Akorede.

The workers had embarked on the strike on Wednesday over lack of operational equipment and poor staff welfare.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who visited the radio station on Thursday, reports that the premises located on Police Road in Ilorin metropolis were still under lock and key.

NAN also reports that the workers used their vehicles to block the main entrance of the station, completely preventing access to the premises.

The workers also denied the General Manager of the station, Alhaji Adedeji Adebowale, entrance into the premises as he remained inside his official vehicle when NAN visited the radio station.

Speaking with our correspondent, the Chairman of Radio Kwara chapel of Radio Television Theatre and Art Workers Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU), Rasaq Aremu, said the strike would continue as long as Akorede remained in office.

Our main agitation, for now, is for the Sole Administrator to be removed.

If he is removed right now as I speak with you, we will resume and continue further deliberations with the government.

His removal will bring peace and sanity back to the station because he is running his administration all alone without consultation with our management and staff.

He knows little about broadcasting, what is the point if we are not being carried along?

There has been no improvement since he came.

Anyone can just come and see our premises, we want Akorede to go, Aremu said.

He further said that the agitation was not about salary alone, insisting that the workers were also protesting the lack of operational equipment in the media outfit.

Aremu questioned the propriety of workers collecting salaries without justifying it due to no fault of theirs.

He urged the workers to remain resolute until Akorede, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, was removed.

But Akorede had in a statement on Wednesday confirmed the release of N5million as part of the subvention for the radio station.

He said that he had always engaged the management of the station and its union leaders on issues regarding their operational expenses.

Akorede added that the delay in releasing funds to the station was due to the economic challenges the country was facing.

He said the monthly allocation to the state was received on Monday while salaries and overheads of parastatal agencies, including Radio Kwara, were expected to be paid before the end of the week.

Akorede stressed that like other parastatal agencies, subventions to media houses were being paid regularly.

Subvention, he said, was always released directly to the station and disbursed based on the budget and operational needs as approved.

He said the state government had prioritised payment of salaries as first line charge followed by operational expenses of parastatal agencies.

Source: NAN

By Emmanuel Afonne

Mr Chinedu Okoye, Presidential aspirant in the Sept. 20 Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) electionhas faulted the decision of League Management Company (LMC) to end the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season with 13 matches left to play.

Okoye, the proprietor of Bimo football club of Lafia,stated this this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, while reeling out his six-point agenda ahead of the forthcoming NFF board election.

NAN recalls that an emergency joint consultative meeting of the 20 NPFL clubs and the LMC met in Abuja in August and declared the 2017/2018 league season concluded after 24 matches.

The meeting said that the decision was against the backdrop of the adverse circumstances in the administration of football in the country, which resulted in the indefinite suspension league leading to huge fixture congestion for both league and cup competitions.

The decision meant that none of the 20 NPFL Clubs would be relegated to the lower league, while four would be promoted from the Nigeria National League (NNL) to bring the number of the NPFL Clubs for the 2018/19 season to 24.

But Okoye said that the termination of the NPFL with 13 games still remaining, while teams were separated from each other with just few points, can best be described as `match fixing.

This is the first time in the history of Nigeria football where the league was concluded with 13 matches to go.

Four people just sat down and decided to award Lobi Stars FC the NPFL title.

We all know that we have a problem; it is only in Nigeria that you know the winner of the league from the beginning of the season. We have to stop this, Okoye said.

According to Okoye, time has come when Nigerians should find out how football especially the leagues are run in the country.

Okoye said if elected president, he would tell Nigerians what the football secretariat got from sponsors annually.

There is sponsorship money from coca cola and other big companies; you cannot run NFF like a cabal or your fathers property because it has a mandate to develop football in Nigeria.

NFF collects 4.3 million dollars every year from FIFA for the development of football in Nigeria including the payment of state Football Associations, as well as female football but unfortunately, these monies get into individual pockets.

Is that the way to grow? No. We dont need NFF president that will go and watch Arsenal when his national team is playing a friendly game; that is what we have currently in Nigeria, but it has to stop.

I am talking about transparency and accountability in the NFF and I will be ready to answer anybody that will come to me to know how much comes into NFF and how much goes out.

In this current administration, you dare not ask because if you do, you are pushed out the following day, Okoye added.

The NFF presidential aspirant noted that the annual financial grant from FIFA was basically meant for the development of football at the grassroots with FA chairmen taking the driving seats and not to be spent on frivolities.

He said: There is no facility and there is no age grade competition in Nigeria. Children from age eight to 18 dont have any competition.

Again the issue of doping in our games has to stop. If I become the NFF President, the people that dope will have no place in our sport.

NAN reports that election into the executive committee of the NFF is scheduled to hold on Sept. 20, according to the amended timetable of the Sani Katu-led electoral committee.

Source: NAN

By Jessica Dogo

The FCT All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned political aspirants against monetary incentives to voters during the 2019 elections.

Similarly, the party adopted indirect primaries for its elections.

The Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Mr Abdullahi Candido, said this at a meeting with stakeholders on Thursday in Abuja.

Candido, however, described the act of using money for elections as unnecessary, adding this usually leads to voting of wrong candidates into offices.

We have advised our party members especially our excos to approach this election with no thinking of unnecessary monetary incentives.

If they do, our fear is that inducement by aspirants could lead to a party getting a wrong candidate for the election and therefore they should de-emphasise the issue collections of little stipends from party aspirants.

They should identify the best whether he has money or he doesnt have money, he said.

Candido further explained that the indirect primaries mode was healthier and would curb the excesses of hooliganism during elections.

Also, Mr Yamawo Tanko, Director, Satellite Town Development Department (STDD), said that the indirect primaries would be done by the party delegates.

Tanko said that the delegates include: party excos from the ward, local governments, the states and some political office holders.

This will be the indirect primaries not the direct primaries where every card-carrying member of the party will queue up and elect a candidate.

It is going to be purely party excos. I believe it is going to be a hitch free primaries, Tanko said.

In his remarks, Abdulmalik Usman, Chairman, FCT APC, said that the constitution of the party allows direct and indirect primaries as well as consensus.

Usman explained that the indirect primaries was adopted so as to maintain peace in the FCT, adding that it has always been like that in the previous elections.

We have been one family since the beginning of crises in APC, we have never witnessed crisis in FCT, he said.

Earlier, Sen. Sidi Ali, who read the communiqu, said that the executive and stakeholders unanimously approved the position of indirect primaries.

Ali noted that the indirect primaries would help produce credible candidates for the 2019 general elections.

Source: NAN

By Chijioke Okoronkwo

There was jubilation at Utako market, Abuja,on Thursday as the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, inaugurated the TraderMoni scheme.

TraderMoni is a Federal Governments initiative aimed at providing two million petty traders across the country with collateral-free loans before the end of the year.

The ecstatic traders cheered and hailed as the vice president went from stall to stall having one-on-one conversations with the sellers.

Addressing the crowd, Osinbajo, who spoke partly in Pidgin English, said that with TraderMoni, petty traders would be empowered.

The small small traders, no be big traders; na small small traders we wan give money; make them able to sell well; have more money to sell.

We give N10,000; if pay back in six months, then you get N15,000; if you pay back, you get N20,000

We want to encourage petty traders so that they will have enough money to do their businesses; we have done one before for the bigger traders, that one is Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme(GEEP), N100,000 to 120,000.

If you do well with the N10,000, N15,000, N20,000, then we can increase it; everyone can benefit from this; the president himself has said he wants to make sure that those who are selling in the market:selling pepper, sugarcane, tomato get the money.

So, when you are given the money, we urge you to make sure you pay back; there is no interest; you just take it and you pay back in six months; I want all of us to make sure we register so that we can be given the money, he said.

TraderMoni, which had Lagos, Abia and Kano as its pilots states, would be inaugurated across the country.

Source: NAN

By Harrison Arubu

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Thursday said it had arrested a former federal budget officer, for allegedly receiving gratification to the tune of N5.5 million.

ICPCs Spokesperson, Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa, identified the suspect as Henry Oyibo, in a statement issued in Abuja.

According to the statement, Oyibo, formerly with the Budget Office of the Federation, is at the moment with the Ministry of Niger Delta.

She said that preliminary investigation by the commission revealed that Oyibo received the money to facilitate the release of funds, budgeted for the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, between 2014 and 2015.

Okoduwa alleged that the inducement came from the Director of Finance and Accounts, Mr Sule Otu, and three other members of staff of the centre.

According to her, the suspect was at the time acting as the liaison officer between the budget office and the medical centre.

The actions of the officials, which border on corrupt offer and receipt of gratification by public officers, are contrary to Sections 8, 9, 16 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Further investigation also revealed that Oyibo owns assets valued far beyond his legitimate earnings, in breach of Section 44 (2) of the ICPC Law.

All the suspected staff of the Federal Medical Centre, who had been in custody before, were granted bail and released by the commission.

Oyibo, who is now in custody, will be released upon the fulfillment of his bail conditions, she said.

The ICPC image maker said, however, that the suspects would be arraigned as soon as investigations are completed.

Source: NAN

By Lucy Nwachukwu

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said the country recorded foreign trade valued at N6.57billion in the second quarter.

The bureau disclosed this in its Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics (Q2 2018) report released on Thursday in Abuja.

It said the figure was 8.9 per cent less than 7.21 billion recorded in the first quarter and represents a 14.56per cent growth from the N5.73billion recorded in the second quarter of 2017.

According to the bureau, the contraction of total trade in the quarter under review is mainly driven by the decline in both imports and exports.

The total value of exports in the quarter under review is N4.46 billion.

This represents a -4.9 per cent contraction over the first quarter (4.70billion) and a 43.8 per cent growth compared to second quarter of 2017.

Likewise, the total import component in the second quarter (2.11billion) also recorded a decline of -16.3 per cent.

This is lower than the first quarter (2.52billion) and -19.9 per cent lower than the first quarter of 2017, the report said.

It said the trade balance in the second quarter was a surplus of N2.36 billion.

This, it explained, was a 8.36 per cent increase from the figure in the first quarter (N2.17 billion) and, against N471.48 billion in the first quarter of 2017.

Source: NAN

By Adekunle Williams

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Thursday said that 4.1 billion passengers were transported in 2017 compared to the 3.8 billion passengers recorded in 2016.

The figure is more than half of the Worlds population currently put at 7.2 billion.

The information is contained in the 62nd Edition of the World Air Transport Statistics (WATS), the yearbook of the airline industrys performance.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos obtained a copy of the document after it was released by IATA from Montreal, Canada.

NAN observed that the document showed that the 2017 performance represented an additional 280 million trips (7.8 per cent increase) by air compared to 2016.

It said: Worldwide annual air passenger numbers exceeded four billion for the first time.

It is supported by a broad-based improvement in global economic conditions and lower average airfares.

At the same time, airlines connected a record number of cities worldwide, providing regular services to over 20,000 city pairs in 2017, more than double the level of 1995.

Such increases in direct services improve the industrys efficiency by cutting costs and saving time for both travellers and shippers alike.

According to the document, airlines in the Asia-Pacific region once again carried the largest number of passengers with 36.3 per cent market share (1.5 billion passengers).

The documented also showed that Europe recorded 26.3 per cent market share (1.1 billion passengers} while North America recorded 23 per cent market share (941.8 million passengers).

It also indicated that Latin America recorded 7 per cent market share (286.1 million passengers).

Also, Middle East recorded 5.3 market share (216.1 million passengers) while Africa recorded 2.2 per cent market share (88.5 million passengers).

The document also showed that the top five airlines ranked by total scheduled passenger kilometers flown were: American Airlines (324 million) and Delta Airlines (316.3 million).

Others are the United Airlines (311 million), Emirates Airlines (289 million) and Southwest Airlines (207.7 million).

It also stated that citizens of United States of America topped the travellers chart with 632 million passengers followed by the Peoples Republic of China with 555 million passengers.

Also India had 161.5 million passengers, the United Kingdom recorded 147 million passengers and Germany had 114.4 million passengers.

The Director-General of IATA, Mr Alexandre de Juniac, commenting on the development said, In 2,000, the average citizen flew just once every 43 months. In 2017, the figure was once every 22 months.

Flying has never been more accessible. And this is liberating people to explore more of our planet for work, leisure and education. Aviation is the business of freedom.

Source: NAN

Indias Supreme Court has legalised homosexuality and gay sex and decriminalised Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding out promise of a new dawn in personal liberty and sexual orientation.

The five judge-bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra delivered the much awaited verdict on Thursday, according to

Chief Justice Misra observed that, LGBT Community has same rights like any ordinary citizen. Respect for each others rights, and others are supreme humanity. Criminalising gay sex is irrational and indefensible.

No one can escape from their individualism. Society is now better for individualism. In the present case, our deliberations will be on various spectrums, CJI Misra said.

Sustenance of identity is the pyramid of life, CJI Misra added.

No one can escape from their individualism. Society is now better for individualism.Indias chief justice

Indias Supreme Court had in 2013 restored Section 377, a British-era law that bans gay sex. It had overturned a landmark judgement by the Delhi High court in 2009 which had ruled that consenting intercourse between two adults was not illegal.

The position of the court then was that overturning the outdated law was the job of Parliament, which can decide on scrapping laws.

Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code bans carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal.

Gay sex is punishable by up to 10 years in jail under the 1861 law. Prosecution under Section 377 is, however, not common, but activists complain that authorities use the law to harass or scare gay people.

After the 2013 verdict, five high-profile petitioners Bharatnatyam dancer Navtej Johar, documentary filmmaker Sunil Mehra, restaurateur Ritu Dalmia, hotelier and historian Aman Nath and business executive Ayesha Kapur challenged it and became the human faces of this battle.

Before their entry, the battle was fought since the early nineties by NGOs, the Naaz Foundation being one of them.

While reserving the verdict on July 17 this year, Misra and Justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra brushed aside as far-fetched the arguments from opponents of decriminalisation of Section 377 that it could also legalise incest, group sex and sodomy.

The top court had also said, no one should have to live in fear because of their sexuality.

The five petitioners had argued that Section 377 violates rights principles enshrined in the constitution, like equality before law, no discrimination based on religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth and freedom of speech and expression.

Source: NAN

By Felicia Imohimi

The Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) has inducted 45 foreign graduates of Medical Laboratory Science.

Mr Tosan Erhabor, Acting Registrar of the council while inducting the professionals in Abuja said the graduands were inducted having scaled through the seven months pre-qualification training and examination.

Erhabor, who described the induction as third in the series noted that no fewer than 179 foreign trained scientists have so far been inducted by the council since the commencement of the pre-qualification training programme and examination.

While congratulating the inductees for their success Erhabor described them as the future of the profession.

He, however, urged them to brace up for the challenges ahead in order to move the profession to an enviable height.

In spite of how profound or robust your training or the pedigree of your training or sophistication of training apparatus, MLSCN still owed it a duty to ensure you went through the process of adaptation, and integration as part of prerequisite for licensure.

Act 11, 2003 Section 4a empowers the council to determine from time to time the standard of knowledge and skills to be attained by persons seeking to become medical laboratory scientists, medical laboratory technicians and medical laboratory assistants.

Section 4 empowers it to assess, evaluate and register foreign graduates of Medical Laboratory Science, Erhabor noted.

Erhabor tasked the inductees of ideal teamwork, efficiency, dedication, due process among other elements that would ensure international best practices.

He reminded them that the council had zero tolerance to all forms of professional misconducts adding that such could bring disrepute to the profession and cherished families.

Erhabor said: The profession needs your services at every level of healthcare delivery and you must profitably harness your full potentials as young scientists.

It is expected of you to bring ideal teamwork, efficiency, dedication, adherence to due process, respect for self and others; and other elements of international best practices as you have imbibed in the course of your training overseas.

If you are unable to make a difference through exemplary conduct, you would be contributing to the sad narrative of those who failed to live up to their full potentials,

One of the inductees, Oyinloye Olayemi, who spoke on behalf of the inductees, thanked the Almighty God and the council for deeming them fit for the induction.

She further appreciated their parents for investing in their academic pursuit in order for them to actualise their dreams and aspirations. (NAN)

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday in Beijing won the crucial support of the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, for the countrys aspiration to build the 3050 Megawatts Mambila hydroelectric power project.

The two countries also signed the agreement of $328m for the Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure Backbone Phase II (NICTIB II) project.

four airport terminal projects as well as the Abuja light rail project.

President Buhari told his Chinese counterpart that since his last visit to China in 2016, the brotherly relationship between both countries had continued to flourish.

According to the President, in the past 24 months, the Chinese Government has provided humanitarian aid to our conflict-affected areas, scholarship to Nigerian youth, military training and security support to our personnel and agricultural modernization training.

President Buhari noted that in the period under review, China had provided concessionary loans to fund critical infrastructure projects in Nigeria, adding that these interventions have positively impacted millions of Nigerians and will continue to do so for generations to come.

Mr President, as we celebrate these successes, I would like to once again solicit your support for the Mambilla Hydropower Project which remains a key priority for my government. Our hope is to fund the project with concessionary loans from China as any alternative funding arrangement will adversely impact the projects viability.

We have been informed that our submission on this project is undergoing assessment by the relevant Chinese agencies. We hope with your kind intervention, this assessment will be expedited. Your Excellency, Mambilla is Nigerias equivalent of the three gorges dam. My wish is that you join me for the groundbreaking ceremony of this project in the not too distant future, President Buhari said.

On Lake Chad Basin, the President thanked China for accepting to support the international efforts to recharge the Lake.

The inclusion of this project in the FOCAC Action Plan 2019 to 2021 will go a long way in supporting our efforts to rehabilitate and resettle the conflict-impacted North East region, he said.

On people-to-people relations, President Buhari told his host that in the course of his visit, he interacted with Nigerian students and entrepreneurs living in different parts of China.

I was very pleased to hear about the positive experiences these hard working and law abiding citizens are having in their host communities. I also had the pleasure of meeting young Chinese students learning three Nigerian languages.

We must continue to support such exchange programmes to enhance our people-to-people contacts, he said.

Similarly, President Buhari noted thateasy movement of citizens of both countries would complement the currency swap agreements recently signed by the central banks of both countries.

Since our last meeting two years ago, Nigeria has relaxed its visa requirements to Chinese citizens. Today, I am pleased to inform Your Excellency that Chinese citizens receive Nigerian visas in less than 48 hours.

Another measure that will improve our trade volumes will be to introduce import duty waivers on Nigerias commodity exports to China. Today, our commodities such as sesame seeds, hibiscus and cassava amongst others attract import duty in China, he said.

The Nigerian leader also lauded Chinas support for two permanent seats for Africa at the United Nations, noting that the reform of the Security Council would ensure equitable representation for the continent.

In his remarks, President Xi who commended Nigerias fight against terrorism and the progress that has been made so far, promised Chinas support in capacity building and intelligence sharing.

He also pledged 50 million Chinese Yuan support to Nigerias military, noting that Buhari is as decisive in dealing with terrorism as China.

President Xi said China would import more agricultural products from Nigeria and expressed gratitude to President Buhari on Nigerias interest to participate in the forthcoming Chinese Import Fair.

The relationship between Nigeria and China is as best as ever, especially given the deepening mutual trust. China will continue to stand with Nigeria, he said.

On Mambilla, the Chinese leader told President Buhari: We understand how critical the project is to your country and we will take a serious look at it and ensure that it succeeds because of its social and economic benefits.

Meanwhile, at a separate meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, President Buhari reaffirmed Nigerias commitment to expanding mutually beneficial cooperation with China.

Source: NAN

Nigerias partnership with China through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) resulted in the execution of vital infrastructure across the country valued at over $5 billion in the last three years.

President Muhammadu Buhari said on Tuesday in Beijing at the FOCAC Round Table meeting, attended by African leaders and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Highlighting specific projects under FOCAC, the President said that through the Chinese support, Nigeria has impressively addressed significant challenges in the areas of infrastructure, human capacity development, power, transport, agriculture and humanitarian assistance.

For Nigeria, our partnership with China through the FOCAC platform, has resulted in the construction of the first urban rail system in West Africa. This $500 million project in Abuja was commissioned in July this year.

The President also cited the construction and operation of the first rail system in Africa that uses modern Chinese standards and technology.

This 180km rail line that connects Abuja and Kaduna was commissioned two years ago at a cost of $500 million. Today the rail line is functioning efficiently with no issues indeed, a sign that Chinese technology is world class, he noted.

Nigeria is leveraging Chinese funding to execute $3.4 billion worth of projects at various stages of completion.

These include the upgrading of airport terminals, the Lagos Kano rail line, the Zungeru hydroelectric power project and fibre cables for our internet infrastructure.

Furthermore, less than 3 months ago, Nigeria signed an additional $1billion loan from China for additional rolling stock for the newly constructed rail lines as well as road rehabilitation and water supply projects.

The Nigerian leader said that the aforementioned projects had demonstrated the high level of consistency and commitment China has shown in boosting its relations with African countries under the umbrella of FOCAC.

I am optimistic that this Summit will offer new opportunities that would build on these past achievements, Mr. Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media

The Department of State Services(DSS) said some dark forces in the society are fuelling a series of speculative reports about its internalaffairs, with the aim of bringing it in collision with the Federal Government.

It was the first time that the secret agency was reacting to the flurry of speculative reports in the media about its affairs.The various uncorroborated reports have ranged from the recall of the sacked DG, Lawal Daura and some reorganisation allegedly made by the acting DG, Matthew Seiyefa.

In a statement on Tuesday, the DSS frowned on the various speculations and slammed them as unhealthy for the service and the nation.

`These speculations, to say the least, are unhealthy for the Service and indeed, Nigeria. The DSS has undoubtedly remained a committed Service with focus on the stability and security of the nation, DSS spokesman Peter Afunanya said.

Over the years, the Service has been known to be both a strategic stabiliser and a unifying factor in the Nigerian project.

It therefore deserves and desires to be focused and supported by all stakeholders to play the expected role in a democracy. Only a professionally driven DSS can support and consolidate Nigerias democracy.

Though Intelligence Services world over operate covertly, it is also held accountable in a democratic practice. To accomplish this, they design strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders. The media is one of such partners.

Held in utmost respect, the media is called upon to report issues of national security with caution to avoid a breach of peace. No deliberate effort should be made by self serving interests to bring the Service to ridicule. No country or its media can afford to undermine their own security forces because of the dire consequences that portends.

The Service, as an institution of Government will continue to carry out legitimate orders; support democratic institutions; respect the rule of law and protect the citizens in line with global practices and Standard Operations Procedures (SOPs) in Intelligence gathering and law enforcement. Dark forces should not bring the Service into a collision with the Government it is meant to diligently serve.

The Service is undaunted and will pursue noble goals only meant to uphold integrity in security and intelligence governance.

This is a global trend for accountability. Its personnel across the Commands and Formations have been enjoined to be calm, loyal and united in the discharge of their duties as the Service has remained of the few Institutions in the country that has exhibited unquestionable oneness and commonality of purpose in advancing the interest of the Nation.

Source: NAN

The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris has apologised to elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark over an unauthorised raid carried out by some policemen on his house in Abuja.

Idris, who has already detained the informant and the four policemen who carried out the illegal raid, sent a delegation, led by a DIG and some commissioners to convey his apology.

The team was led by DIG Habila Joshak, who is in charge of operations at the headquarters.

A statement by Police spokesman Jimoh Moshood said Idris was not aware and did not also authorise the search.

He said Joshak apologized on behalf of the Nigeria Police Force and the IGP for the misconduct of the said Police Personnel and the attendant embarrassment the search has caused on the Elder Statesman and his family.

The delegation was received by Chief Edwin Clark and the apology was accepted by him, Moshood said.

Moshood said the the four policemen, after investigation, will be tried within the Force Disciplinary Procedures before appropriate punishments are meted out to them.

The IGP has directed the immediate parade of the informant(Suspect) on Wednesday 5th September, 2018 in the presence of the press and the public, before his prompt arraignment and prosecution in Court, he added.

Source: NAN