Nigeria’s phenomenal blogger, Linda Ikeji has shown off her baby boy, Baby J, hours after she announced the birth in a hospital in Atlanta Georgia, United States.

The blogger announced the birth of the baby on Monday morning on her Instagram handle,@officiallindaikeji. Hours after, she posted her photograph, kissing the adorable baby boy on the head with an equally adorable message : “My son”.

The elated new mother shared the news of her delivery through her Instagram page on Monday with a post delivery picture.

She wrote, “Oh dear Lord, I am a mum. Baby J is here. He was born today 17th September. This is so surreal.

“Thank you guys so much for the love through this journey and thanks for all the well wishes. Love you guys!,” she wrote.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ikeji’s pregnancy generated a lot of interest in the past few months leading to the delivery.

The pregnancy was first announced by her sister , Laura Ikeji in May. Her pregnancy was then already six months old. She then confirmed it herself.

Two months earlier, Laura also broke the news of Linda’s engagement to her one-time-ex-boyfriend, an Itsekiri guy, as she later revealed.

Several controversies dogged the pregnancy.

Fans accused her of doing what she advised them not to do, by being celibate till marriage.

She responded in a lengthy post on her Instagram page.

“I owe you and will always speak to help you in any way I can, because I want you to shine and be a better version of yourselves.

“Here’s what I have always said to young girls and I maintain it. Never ever give your body to a man for money. You’re worth more than that…

“I’ve always said sex should only happen when you find yourself in relationship with someone you love and who loves you back.

“I was 100% celibate until I was ready to share life with someone and I met the man of my dreams,”she wrote.

She also wrote that she preached celibacy a lot of times but never told young girls not to have sex before marriage.

NAN reports that Ikeji maintained a high anticipation for the baby, regularly posting pictures of her pre-natal care and plans for the child fondly called ‘Baby J’. In one post, she said she was going to pamper the child.

Gospel artist Kirk Franklin has opened up about forgiving his dying father who gave him up for adoption as a new-born.

In an Instagram post, the Grammy-award winning performer posted a picture of himself and his biological father, who he has never met.

View this post on Instagram

So..... Two days ago, I received an anonymous call that my biological father, who I never knew, has 3-6 months to live. I’ve lived my entire life hating this man. He and my biological mother gave me up for adoption, and it left me never feeling good enough....to this very day. I took my hate for him and used it as fuel to be the best father I could be for my own. But what I did wrong, is I never took that fuel, and turn it into forgiveness....and that is wrong. Wrong for him, me, and the God I proclaim to represent. How can I preach what I don’t practice. So I flew to Houston yesterday to do that. It’s painful, it’s a process, but how disappointed I would be in myself for this man to leave this earth without being forgiven. He deserves to receive what God gives me everyday. Pray for him, and for me. God this is hard...I weep as I write.

A post shared by Kirk Franklin (@kirkfranklin) on Sep 16, 2018 at 7:11am PDT

Explaining why he was finally able to forgive his father, he said: “Two days ago, I received an anonymous call that my biological father, who I never knew, has three-six months to live.

“I’ve lived my entire life hating this man.

“He and my biological mother gave me up for adoption, and it left me never feeling good enough….to this very day.

“I took my hate for him and used it as fuel to be the best father I could be for my own.

“But what I did wrong, is I never took that fuel, and turn it into forgiveness….and that is wrong. Wrong for him, me, and the God I proclaim to represent. How can I preach what I don’t practice?”

President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned and described as heinous and despicable, the killing of Ms Saifura Hussaini Khorsa, an aid worker, by the Boko Haram terrorists

Khorsa, who worked for the Red Cross, was kidnapped about six months ago at the Rann camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno by Boko Haram terrorists.

The president made the condemnation in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Monday.

The terrorists have equally threatened to harm others, including the lone Dapchi school girl, Leah Sharibu still in their custody.

President Buhari said: The government of Nigeria strongly condemns this reprehensible and inhuman act. No religion permits the killing of the innocent.

Saifura worked for the Red Cross, a humanitarian organisation tirelessly working to bring succour to all the victims of violence irrespective of the sides of the conflict.

The President, therefore, appealed to Nigerias international partners and everyone with an influence on the terrorists to prevail on them to stop these acts of extreme barbarism.

Buhari further assured that his administration would seize every given opportunity, with both hands and to use all means available to bring home all citizens being held against their will by the Boko Haram terrorists.

The President, on behalf of his family, the government and people of Nigeria extended condolences to the family of Saifura, the Red Red Cross and UNICEF over the loss of the selfless and hardworking mother.

Source: NAN

The Nigerian troops of the 222 Battalion have dealt another deadly blow to Boko Haram terrorists after foiling an ambush laid by the group along the Maiduguri-Bama axis.

The troops of the 21 Brigade were on a clearance patrol, in support of Operation Rainbow, when they ran into the ambush on Sunday morning.

There was serious exchange of gunfire, reported the Nigerian Army on its Twitter handle.

The gallant troops of 222 battalion were reportedly high on morale as a result of the just concluded assurance visit to the theatre of operation by the COAS Lt Gen TY Buratai they successfully cleared the ambush.

As a result, 1 GPMG(General Purpose Machine Gun) and 2 AK 47 and several rounds of ammunition belonging to the terrorists were recovered.

As at the time of filing this report, troops were still exploiting the general areas in search of some BHTs who escaped with gunshot wounds.

The terrorists have been on the back foot since Buratai visited the frontlines and the reverses suffered may explain why they killed health worker, with the Red Cross and also threatened to kill Leah Sharibu, a student of Dapchi Girls Secondary School, who they held hostage since March.

Last week Thursday, at least seven Boko Haram fighters were killed by Nigerian troops in Damasak, spokesman Brig. Texas Chukwu said.

Chukwu, who said the terrorists came to attack the military formation at 6pm were outmatched by the superior firepower of Nigerian soldiers.

The troops engaged and subdued the terrorists following a superior fire power of troops in DAMASAK.

The troops aggressive posture, tactics and marksmanship resulted in neutralising many Boko Haram terrorists, he said.

On 14 September, the Nigerian Air Force, working in concert with the army tracked and destroyed some Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) and four vehicles as they were attempting to launch fresh attacks on ground troops locations at Gudumbali and Damasak in Borno.

Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information saidthe mission was initiated following intelligence reports indicating that a convoy of BHT vehicles had been sighted within the Damasak Gudumbali Axis.

Source: NAN

Saifura Hussaini Ahmed Khorsa, the worker of the International Committtee of the Red Cross , murdered by Boko Haram terrorists, was a nurse as well as the mother of two adorable kids.

The Red Cross bemoaning her killing by the blood thirsty Boko Haram on Monday wondered how the kids, now with their grandma would take news of her death.

Saifura, 25, was a devoted mother and midwife. Those who knew her said she adored her two children, a two-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl, said Eleojo Akpa, the ICRC Communications and Media Relations Officer.

The children have not been able to comprehend their mothers absence, as they frequently asked their grandmother if a passing plane was bringing their mother home.

That grandmother must now find the words to tell the two children their mother will never return, he said.

The killing of the 25 year-old woman was condemned by Red Cross (ICRC), which also appealedto the Boko Haram to immediately release a second ICRC midwife and a healthcare worker who were also abducted in March at Rann, Borno state.

Eloi Fillion, the Head, ICRC delegation in Abuja said: We are devastated by the murder of our colleague, Saifura.

Saifura moved to Rann to selflessly help those in need. Our thoughts are with her family and other loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.

At the time of their abduction, Saifura, as well as our colleague, Hauwa Mohammed Liman, and Alice Loksha, a nurse with UNICEF-supported centre, were providing essential ante-natal care to communities in Rann.

Ranns population has more than doubled after an influx of people fleeing violence, he said.

Fillion urged the abductors still holding Hauwa and Alice to release them as they were not part of the fight.

However, ICRC would not comment on the identity of the womens abductors, their motives or the details surrounding Saifuras death, Fillion said.

He noted that since the womens abduction six months ago, ICRC had made sustained and committed efforts to securing the release of the three health care workers.

Fillion added that the organisation would continue to make efforts in ensuring that Hauwa and Alice were released and returned to their families immediately.

Source: NAN

By Aisha Cole

Twenty ships are discharging petroleum products and other commodities at the Apapa and Tin-Can Island Ports in Lagos.

A statement by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Tuesday revealed that three of the ships would discharge petrol.

It explained that the other 16 ships would discharge buckwheat, general cargo and diesel.

The statement added that other products to be discharged included aviation fuel, frozen fish, soya beans and bulk fertiliser.

Source: NAN

Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has congratulated the victorious Team Delta for which was held in Ilorin.

The Governor Okowa who praised the doggedness and determination of the Team said it came as no surprise the team came tops because Delta State has been at the fore front of sports development in Nigeria.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Charles Aniagwu, Governor Okowa congratulated the team members, their handlers and the management of the Delta State Sports Commission on the record 4th consecutive victory at the National Youth Games.

The Governor who attributed the successes recorded by the victorious Team Delta to the huge investments in grassroots sports by the state government.

From the revived Headmasters and Principals Cup as well as the huge investments in sports infrastructure like the Ozoro Polytechnic Stadium and the world class Stephen Keshi Stadium Asaba which hosted the just concluded African Senior Athletics Championships tagged Asaba 2018, Delta is

Poised to continuously blaze the trail.

He further commendedthe Federal Ministry of Sports for organizing such events that provides an avenue to bring the young people together, encourage healthy competition and to improve their physical and mental development.

The Governor assured the youths that the state Government will do more to improve their welfare and charged Team Delta to continue to make the State proud.

Delta State finished with a total of 67 medals, made up of 27 gold, 24 silver and 16 bronze, to win the 2018 Games. Lagos, which did not participate in the second and third editions emerged second after securing a total of 60 medals 23 gold, 15 silver and 22 bronze. Team Bayelsa and Ogun were joint third, winning 34 medals 11 gold, 7 silver and 16 bronze each.

Source: NAN

By Chukwudi Ekezie

The resignation of Mrs Olukemi Adeosun as Minister of Finance on Friday, Sept. 14, for forgery has raised questions over the workings of Nigeria.

The issues border on honesty, integrity, patriotism, weakness and incompetence as well as relationship between the strong and weak in society among those holding public office and the institutions of governance.

Adeosun is not the first Nigerians public official found to have been involved in forgery.

At the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Salisu Buhari from Kano State, was found to have forged the university certificate which he presented to contest and win election into the assembly.

Buhari resigned his position and membership of the assembly, but with a kiss from former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who granted him state pardon.

Over the period, many politicians have lost their electoral mandates at the court because they forged the certificates they used to contest elections. That was the case of Christian Abah, a Benue member of the House of Representatives.

Abah was found guilty of forging a diploma certificate he used to contest and win the 2015 election to represent Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, he lost his seat but not his freedom.

Aside the issue of certificate forgery, many officials have been found to have compromised their positions by engaging in acts inimical to the public good.

A recent case is that of Babachir Lawal, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who used his position to award himself a contract for the cutting of grass at Internally Displaced Persons camps in the Northeast Region.

In spite of calls by the National Assembly for him to resign, it took the indictment of an investigative panel chaired by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to get him out of office.

But Lawal still bestrides politics in Adamawa, his home state, where he is seeking to oust Gov. Jibrilla Bindow, in the build up for the 2019 general elections.

Former governors Diepreye Alamieyesiegha of Bayelsa, Lucky Igbinedion of Edo and James Ibori of Delta were jailed for laundering state funds.

Alamieyesiegha received state pardon after serving his sentence from then President Goodluck Jonathan, who succeeded him as governor, while Ibori received a heros welcome from the government and people of Delta after serving his prison term in Britain, where he was convicted.

Igbinedion has yet to enjoy such privilege, maybe because those who succeeded him in office, especially Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), is still hurting over his mismanagement of state resources.

Joshua Dariye, a serving senator, is currently serving a 14-year jail-term for money laundering and mismanaging the resources of Plateau from 1999 to 2007, as governor of the state.

Numerous governors of the era, including Orji Kalu of Abia, are still in court explaining how they managed the resources of their states.

In the cases of Adeosun, Buhari and Lawal no prosecution has taken place.

President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Mr Boss Mustapha, an Adamawa politician, as Lawals replacement. In Adeosuns case, the president accepted her resignation and wished her well in her future endeavours.

The ruling APC has commended Adeosuns courage for owning up that her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate was forged and resigning from the government.

It also commended the president for asking her to resign in line with the philosophy of the government of ridding the society of crime.

But the opposition Peoples Democratic Party disagrees. The party is demanding the former ministers prosecution. It says the failure of the administration to prosecute Adeosun is a demonstration of double standards in the fight against corruption.

Some persons share the PDP view and demand that Adeosun refund all monies she earned as Commissioner for Finance in her home state, Ogun, for five years and as Minister of the Federal Republic since 2016.

While the debate on the fate of the former minister rages, some have begun to ask about how she and others like her enter Nigerias public service space.

Nigerians are made to believe that before anyone gets into public office; such person is put through security scrutiny to establish their background.

In this instance, the Department of State Service carries out the assignment. At the level of the screening all issues related to the person, including certificates are verified.

For persons whose jobs require the approval of the legislature, the security report is made available to guide members to take decisions.

In Adeosuns case this step was taken but it was said that members of the Senate overlooked it.

Adeosun, a Diaspora Nigerian, was born and raised in Britain and returned to live and work in Nigeria at the age of 34.

She is currently 51 and that means that she has worked in Nigeria for 17 years, out of which seven was in the public service, starting with her appointment as commissioner in 2011 and minister in 2016.

She like many of her ilk is among millions of Nigerians said to be excelling in their fields across the globe.

During the regime of Obasanjo, the government made serious efforts to attract them home to help develop the fatherland.

To achieve the goal, Obasanjo travelled all over Europe and America to bring them home under the Diaspora Project.

That effort resulted in then Rep. Abike Dabiri, who chaired the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora, pushing for the establishment of a Diaspora Commission.

Based on the vision of Obasanjo, the Diaspora Group was granted privileges, such as access to land and employment concessions in the hope that they would bring their expertise to develop the country being that they had better education and exposure than those at home.

The government institutionalised the practice such that some members of the cabinet like the late Olugbenga Ashiru (Minister of Foreign Affairs) and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Minister of Finance), seconded to serve at home by international agencies like the World Bank, received salaries in dollars to make up for their pains in serving the fatherland.

There was also the case in the Ministry of Federal Capital Territory, where the current governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, then minister, engaged some foreign-trained NYSC members and paid them salaries higher than that of the permanent secretary of the Ministry, just because they studied abroad and possessed special skills.

Many Nigeria Diaspora elements are children of the rich who sojourned out because their parents lack faith in Nigerias disrupted education system.
Their parents want them to finish school on time to inherit the family business or join elite public and private institutions, such as Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Nigerian Communications Commission, multinational oil companies and banks to sustain the family legacy.

Sometimes they do not return, but when they do, they jump queues, especially in areas that they need to follow regulations and processes, including the NYSC scheme, which requires every Nigerian youth who graduates from university or equivalent institution before 30 to serve the nation for one year.

In cases where Diaspora elements agree to serve, they are often taken to places of their parents choices, where though in NYSC uniforms, they are employees.

In some cases, while serving, they are made to supervise those they ordinarily ought to report to during the service as occurred in Nigeria Building and Roads Research Institute about year 2000, when the Director-General was an NYSC member.

The man, an associate professor at the time, claimed like Adeosun that he did not know that he should have served in the NYSC scheme before accepting the job.

Adeosun may be lonely in her world with her career and future ruined, but there are numerous like her in the system who need to be purged. (NANFeatures)

Source: NAN

By Johnson Eyiangho

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai has charged troops of `Operation Safe Haven to be aggressive and decisive in dealing with armed bandits and other criminal elements operating on the Plateau.

Buratai said a situation whereby innocent citizens were waylaid, abducted and killed indiscriminately should no longer be tolerated.

He gave the charge at a demonstration by the Special Forces newly inducted into the operation at Riyom Local Government Area of the state.

The Operation Safe Haven should not remain in deterrent position, but you must also be aggressive and deal with any criminal activities, especially those that are bent on disturbing the peace, killing and maiming people.

You are not here to protect any ethnic or religious group; we are dealing with criminals, we are interested in criminal elements and they must be deal with decisively, Buratai said.

He, however, charged them to be professional, but combat ready at all times, noting that serious challenge still remains in the state in terms of the security.

The army chief said that the killings were still ongoing in the hinterland and other areas and directed the troops to penetrate those areas and clear the doubt of the criminal elements.

You are deployed here not to romance the criminals; you are to deal with them decisively; anybody seen carrying arms must be dealt with decisively.

If you give them chance, then we will all regret it. Therefore, we cannot afford to give them chance.

You are very much aware of what is happening, people are waylaid on the roads, abducted and kept where it is very difficult to locate them and sometimes, they get them killed. This is unacceptable, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ademola Adeleke, was the only major candidate that shunned the Osun State Governorship debate organised by Channels Television on Sunday.

Adeleke’s podium with his name written on it remained vacant from the beginning to the end of the two-hour debate.

The event started at 7:00 p.m with three candidates present.

They include Moshood Adeoti, Action Democratic Party (ADP); Iyiola Omisore, Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Fatai Akinbade, African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) later arrived after the national anthem had been recited and the three candidates have introduced themselves, reading their profile.

Adeleke, who has issues with his WASSCE certificate and his university degree, never showed up. Iyiola Omisore, a former member of the PDP, who quit to join the SDP, mocked Adeleke for his absence.

Omisore Mocks PDP, Adeleke For Absence At Debate #OsunDebate – 01:01
— Channels Television

During the debate, zoning was one of the issues discussed by the candidates.The candidate from the West Senatorial District insisted it should be the turn of the zone to govern the state. The others disagreed.

Read the responses of the candidates when asked about zoning in the state.

ADC’s Akinbade
I think it all borders on equity. When this state was created, I think everybody was very hopeful that everything will be equitably distributed. But for the Central (Senatorial District) to have already spent 20 years and the East – already eight years is running out. Everybody believes that it should come to our Senatorial District (West). It is not that we do not have the materials; we have very qualified people and we believe we deserve to have a shot.

ADP’s Adeoti
It is an open secret that since 1999, when this republic came into being, West Senatorial District has been deprived of governing this state. In 1999, Chief Bisi Akande was there; he governed the state for four years. We in the Alliance for Democracy then had it in mind that Chief Akande to go for the second term but man proposes and God disposes. Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola won the election in 2003 and he was there for four years… We believe that after 11-and-a-half years for Central and eight years for the East Senatorial District, it is the turn – that is what people are clamouring for – of the West Senatorial District.

APC’s Oyetola
I usually don’t like to get into this controversy, to be honest with you. But if you look at the historical perspective of the state, there is no time zoning has ever been adopted. Even when the state was part of Oyo State, we had a situation where Chief Bola Ige was the governor, Chief (Sunday) Afolabi was the deputy and Chief Bisi Akande was the Secretary. Progressives usually go for the best anywhere it is found. In any case, it is important for all the zones to participate actively in the choice of who rules the state. If the best comes from West or East or Centre, so be it. If Nigerians could be mayors in advanced countries, let the brilliant people in the West (Senatorial District) come out.

PDP’s Omisore
Osun State came into being; the first governor of Osun State came from the West, second and third from the Central, fourth one from the East. That zoning formula has concluded. Whoever becomes governor now, starts the new zoning… I believe that zoning is only myopic, lazy and mediocritic.

On salaries to Osun Workers: APC’s Oyetola explains:

“I think there is a misconception, we don’t pay half salaries. We pay Modulated Salaries.

He further explained that the state is currently not oweing any workers, adding that for those who were not being paid in full, an agreement had been reached between them and the government on the system of payment when the country experienced an economic downturn.

“Levels 1 to 7 have full salaries. We are not oweing anybody on levels 1 to 7.

“Levels 8 to 10 now earn 75%. Its only 12 and above that earn 50% and like I said, when there was economic downturn, it was a joint decision between the workers and the government.

“There was a committee that was set up where we resolved that rather than laying off workers, we believe the situation we found ourselves was temporary and decided to let every worker still be on the pay roll,” he said.

We Don’t Pay Half Salaries, We Pay Modulated Salaries – APC’s Oyetola #OsunDebate – 01:38
— Channels Television

Source: NAN - Quoting Channels TV

Senator Barnabas Gemade has now cut the image of a political nomad. A former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairman, Gemade joined the All Progressives Congress in 2014, where he was handed the ticket to run for the Senate seat in Benue North East.

Then a few months ago, the Senator followed Senate President Bukola Saraki to his old party, the PDP, along with a dozen other senators of APC.

Today, Gemade said he has moved again as he announced his defection from the PDP to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

According to him, he bolted out of PDP because Governor Samuel Ortom betrayed him by giving Benue North East senatorial ticket to someone else.

The 70-year-old politician has been around for long, first in the boardroom, before he plunged into politics.

He was born on 4 September 1948 and he is today a chief of his Tiv ethnic group.

Gemade was the chief executive officer of the Benue Cement Company (BCC) from 1985 to 1992. He was a member of the 19941995 Constitutional Conference during the military regime of General Sani Abacha.

He even served the regime as a Minister and later became National Chairman of the Congress of National Consensus party, which was one of the parties sponsored by Abacha.

After the return of politics in 1999, Gemade became the chairman of the PDP when he was elected in the first national convention after the PDPs electoral victory. He lost the seat two years later to Audu Ogbeh, who is also from his state.

He was expelled from the PDP in 2003 for anti-party activities, but later readmitted as a member of the Board of Trustees. He ran for the senate seat in 2011 and won on the PDP platform. The APC gave him a second ticket in 2015. And he won.

It remains to be seen, whether his switching to the SDP will enable him return to the Senate in 2019.

Source: NAN

By Ishaq Zaki

Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State has condemned attack on his convoy by All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters who are loyalists to aggrieved governorship aspirants in the state.

Yari, in a statement issued on Sunday in Gusau by Malam Ibrahim Dosara, his Special Adviser on Media and Public Enlightenment, cautioned his loyalists to desist from revenge.

He urged people of the state to be law-abiding citizens and avoid any form of violence in the name of politics.

Any law-abiding citizen needs to respect the peaceful atmosphere concerning politics in Zamfara.

The governor said that his administration had done a lot to stop loyalists and all youths, especially supporters of APC, from engaging in any activity that would endanger the peace among political associations and parties.

He urged politicians to enlighten their supporters on peace and stability in relations to all political associations and gatherings

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some APC supporters had attacked the governors convoy at Lalan Roundabout in Gusau on Sunday as he was travelling to Kaduna.

The seven aggrieved governorship hopefuls including the deputy governor, Malam Ibrahim Wakkala, had organised a rally in Gusau on Sunday, where a multitude of their supporters turned out to receive them.

While the rallying aspirants and their supporters were coming into town,they ran into the governors convoy and the irate supporters attacked the governors motorcade destroying glasses.

However, the quick intervention of the mobile police and governors security details who fired gunshots in the air, dispersed the mob.

NAN reports that calm has since been restored in the state capital after the confrontation.

Source: NAN

The Philippines environment minister on Monday ordered the stoppage of all small-scale mining activities in a mountainous region in the countrys north following major landslides after super typhoon Mangkhut hit the country.

I officially order the cease and desist of all illegal small-scale mining in Cordillera Region, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu told a media briefing.

Mangkhut, with hurricane-force winds well over 200 km per hour (124 miles per hour), barreled past the northern tip of the Philippines on Saturday, killing at least 50 people, the majority of them due to landslides.

It then skirted south of Hong Kong and neighboring Macau, before making landfall in China.

Source: NAN

By Racheal Ishaya

The Country Director, Actionaid Nigeria, Mrs Ene Obi has urged federal and state governments to take decisive steps to increase the funds allocated to the education sector in order to improve the quality of education.

Obi said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos on the sidelines of a workshop on Breaking Barriers for Girls Education.

She tasked the governments to break the barriers to quality public education by improving tax revenue, particularly corporate tax, as a way of providing sustainable funding to the sector.

She listed some of the barriers to public primary education as poor school infrastructure, violence and discrimination, failure to recruit and retain good quality teachers among others.

If states commit to finding resources to increase the size of their education budget for globally agreed targets, all children including the poorest and most marginalised will enjoy free, quality public education, Obi said.

Obi revealed that Actionaid had received 6.2 million dollars grant from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) to influence policy making and initiatives to increase the size and share of education budget.

In addition, she said the project aimed at ensuring the public education system became more responsive to the needs of girls and marginalised children.

NAN reports that about 10.5 million children are out of school in Nigeria, with the country investing only about seven per cent of its budget on education, short of the UNESCO 20 per cent benchmark.

Experts observe that there is a link between the crumbling education service and evasion of tax by local and multinational companies in Nigeria.

They note that money accruing from a proper tax regime can be useful in addressing infrastructure deficit in Nigerias education sector.

Statistics obtained from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) show that out of the 450,000 limited liability companies operating in Nigeria, no fewer than 125,000 representing 27.7 per cent pay any form of taxes.

Dr Charles Nwaobia, an education stakeholder, observed that the Education Tax Act indicated that government intended to have a sustainable education system funded through tax.

He said the tax imposed by the act was meant to fund the federal, states and local government educational institutions, including primary and secondary schools.

Two per cent shall be charged on the assessable profit of a company registered in Nigeria.

The Federal Board of Inland Revenue shall assess and collect from a company the tax imposed by this act.

Accordingly, the higher education shall receive 50 per cent, primary education 30 per cent; and secondary education shall receive 20 per cent of the total tax collected in any one year, Nwaobia said, citing a portion of the act.

Nwaobia said the number of companies that were taxed would determine the amount of money put into the education system.

Source: NAN

German Chancellor Angela Merkel travelled to Algeria on Monday to discuss migration issues and how to combat terror.

Another aim of the talks with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in Algiers is to boost Algerias role as a stabilising factor in North Africa, Merkels office indicated.

The chancellor is also meeting Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia during the one-day trip.

Merkel was also expected to address the long-standing conflict between Algeria and its western neighbour Morocco.

A planned visit in February 2017 was cancelled at the last minute as a result of Bouteflikas health.

The president is 81 years old and has been in office since 1999.

Algeria is a major transit route for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa attempting to reach Europe via the Mediterranean Sea.

The German government is under domestic pressure to cut migration.

One of the aims of Merkels trip is to facilitate the deportation of Algerian nationals whose applications for political asylum have been denied by Germany.

Germanys grand coalition plans to characterise Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco as safe countries of origin, thus, easing the repatriation process for the German authorities.

While in Algeria, Merkel is to visit a girls high school initiated in 2008 by the German Foreign Office as part of its Partners for the Future programme.

She will also hold discussions with representatives of civil society.

Source: NAN

Newly appointed Acting Minister of Finance Mrs Zainab Ahmed has assumed duty 72 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari picked her to oversee the ministry following the resignation of Mrs Kemi Adeosun on, Sept. 14.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that until her appointment, Ahmed was the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning.

Reports reaching NAN say that the minister is studying her new office and reading the handover note.

It would be recalled that Buhari appointed Ahmed on Friday to oversee the ministry of finance after the resignation of Kemi Adeosun who resigned following the outcome of an investigation into allegation made in an online medium of her Certificate of Exemption from National Youth Service Corp (NYSC).

The certificate was later discovered not to be genuine.

Meanwhile, Ahmed has described the task ahead of her in her new place of work as challenging.

The supervising minister made this known on Monday when she was received by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Dr. Mahmoud Isa-Dutse alongside Directors of the Ministry.

These are very challenging times for our country. It means we are part of the economic team that has been charged with making sure there is economic stability in our country.

We have very serious revenue challenges and it is up to us to shore up the revenues of this country.

Mr President has a lot of confidence that we can do this very well together. We are working for Mr President, but at the end of the day we are working for the benefit of the citizens of our country.

There are a lot of sacrifices that I know that you have done, and we are going to push ourselves to still do more so that at the end of the day we will say Alhamdulillah glory be to God! she said.

She urged the ministry staff and officials to brace up for the challenges ahead, noting that all hands must be on deck for her to succeed in her assignment.

The finance ministry has overtime been known to have very skilled personnel; from interacting with some of you, I know that there is a lot of skill set within the ministry, and that I am in good hands.

I plan to work very closely with the whole of the directors, most especially with the Permanent Secretary.

I want to declare that today the Permanent Secretary is my new next-of-kin. What that means is that I am going to work hand-in-gloves with him, and I expect everybody to do the same thing.

There are some things I know about finance, but there is a lot that I dont know; and the knowledge resides in you.

I have been told that you are preparing handing-over notes, or more correctly briefing notes; I will be engaging each of you on a one-on-one basis with the Permanent Secretary, so that I can have a complete view of what is in the ministry, she added.

It can be recalled that Mrs. Zainab Ahmed apart from being the Minister of State Budget and National Planning, have held several critical positions in the past including being the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

She was also the Managing Director of Kaduna Investment Company and member of the National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG).

Source: NAN

There are 7,100 multi-millionaires living in Africa, each with net assets of $10 million or more.

There are over 320 centi-millionaires, each with net assets of $100 million or more; and 24 billionaires each with net assets of $1 billion or more.

AfrAsia Bank Wealth Report 2018, says that total private wealth held in Africa is also expected to rise by 34 per cent over the next 10 years, reaching $3.1 trillion by the end of 2027.

We expect Mauritius, Ghana, Rwanda and Uganda to be the strongest performing wealth markets in Africa during this period (with 90 per cent to 150 per cent growth rates).

Our projections for Ethiopia, Mozambique, Zambia, Kenya, Botswana and Namibia are also relatively solid (50 per cent to 80 per cent growth rates), the report said.

Tanzania, South Africa, Angola, Morocco, Egypt, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria, however, have less favourable forecasts, albeit positive, at between 10 and 30 per cent, mostly due to policy and economic factors that are seeing high net worth individuals hold back investments within these countries.

The African luxury sector generated about $6 billion in revenue in 2017, mainly through the purchase of luxury cars, clothing and accessories, watches, private jets, yachts and luxury hotels and lodges.

It rated Rwanda and Uganda as countries in East Africa that are leading spots for wealth growth in Africa.

The countries are projected to have some of the strongest performing wealth markets in Africa in the next 10 years.

The analysis indicates that wealth held in Africa has risen by 13 per cent in the past decade, and by 3 per cent over the past year, with Mauritius topping the performing individual markets.

In terms of wealth growth in the past decade in East Africa, Rwanda led the region with 74 per cent rate, followed by Kenya at 73 per cent, then Tanzania at 66 per cent and Uganda at 56 per cent.

As at the end of 2017, Kenya topped the region with the highest wealth that are held by individuals at $104 billion, followed by Tanzania and Ethiopia at $60 billion.

Within the continent, South Africa tops in having the wealthiest individuals holding $722 billion followed by Egypt at $330 billion and Nigeria at $253 billion.

The new report also shows that the average African individual has net assets of $2,000, with more than 148,000 high net worth individuals (HNWIs) living in Africa, each with net assets of $1 million or more.

A large portion of luxury sector revenue in Africa comes from luxury hotels and lodges, with South Africa being the main tourist destination.

In terms of wealthiest city, in East Africa, Nairobi beat its regional peers, holding more than $54 billion of private wealth held by the high net worth individuals.

Dar es Salaam was second in the region, at $25 billion, followed by Kampala at $16 billion, and Mombasa at $8 billion.

On the continent, Johannesburg topped at $276 billion, followed by Cairo at $140 billion, then Lagos at $108 billion and Durban at $55 billion.

The major South African destinations for wealthy people are Kruger National Park, Cape Town, Umhlanga and Franschhoek.

In the rest of the continent, major destinations included Mauritius, Seychelles, Marrakech and Casablanca in Morocco, Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, Serengeti in Tanzania, the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya, Livingstone Falls in Zambia and the Okavango swamps in Botswana.

In April, the Knight Franks Wealth Report showed that Kenya had created 180 new dollar millionaires last year, growing the number of persons with a net worth of over $5 million to 1,290.

Out of the 1,290 dollar millionaires, 90 were worth $50 million with less 10 individuals estimated to have a net worth of over $500 million.

Over the same period, 40 Tanzanians entered the club of dollar millionaires worth over $5 million, pushing the countries total to 250.

Source:

Source: NAN

(dpa/NAN) China has promised to retaliate if United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump goes ahead and slaps tariffs on 200 billion dollars worth of Chinese imports.

Beijing will have to take necessary counter-measures, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday.

The escalation of trade disputes does not meet the interests of either party, spokesman, Geng Shuang said, adding that the Chinese government had proposed solving the trade tensions through negotiations.

Shuang was commenting on a Wall Street Journal report that Trump has already decided to raise 10 per cent tariffs on 200 billion dollars worth of Chinese imports.

The official announcement of the tariffs could come as early as this week.

The U.S. and China have already imposed tariffs on 50 billion dollars worth of goods each.

If Trump goes ahead with the new round of duties, about half of all of Chinas imports to the U.S. will end up being affected.

Meanwhile, Chinas stock market has dropped to the lowest level since 2014.

The Shanghai Composite Index dropped 1.1 per cent on Monday, after weeks of steady losses.

Trump said on Thursday he was under no pressure to make a deal with China.

Our markets are surging, theirs are collapsing, he tweeted.

Source: NAN

The Nigerian government has slammed a caveat on the prophecy by the global banking giant HSBC which predicted that the second term of President Muhammadu Buhari would stunt the economy.

Dismissing the banks bleak scenario for Nigeria post 2019, government said on the contrary, what killed Nigerias economy in the past was the unbridled looting of state resources by leaders, actively supported by HSBC.

Government recalled how the bank soiled its hands with millions of US dollars yet-to-be-recovered Abacha loot, and continued until a few months ago to shield the stolen funds of one of the leaders of the Nigerian Senate,

It wondered how a bank with such a reputation could wield the moral right whatsoever to project that a second term for Mr. Buhari raises the risk of limited economic progress and further fiscal deterioration.

Rather, we ask them to heed President Buharis constant refrain: return our stolen assets, then see how well we will do, said Malam Garba Shehu, senior special assistant on the media, who issued a statement on behalf of the Presidential Villa.

From the facts available to our investigation agencies, HSBCs put down on President Buhari is no more than an expression of frustration over the administrations measures put in place which has abolished grand corruption, the type which this bank thrives on in many countries.

They may also just be out to discredit the President out of the fear of sanctions and fines following the national assets that are stolen.

With the coming of President Buhari, it is not a secret that corruption, corrupt individuals, banks and other corporate entities that aided corrupt practices are under investigation for various offenses.

For many of them, including their friends in the media, they would rather have President Buhari out of their way, for business as usual to return.

Our investigation agencies believe that HSBC had laundered more than USD 100,000,000 for the late General Sani Abacha in Jersey, Paris, London and Geneva.

Among these accounts on the records are: AC: S-104460 HSBC Fund Admin Ltd. Jersey ($12,000,000); AC 37060762 HSBC Life (Europe), U.K ($20,000,000) and AC: 38175076 HSBC Bank Plc. U.K ($1,600,000).

The bank is also suspected in the laundering of proceeds of corruption involving more than 50 other Nigerians, including a serving Senator as earlier indicated.

In a book, Secrecy World: Inside the Panama Papers Investigation, published in 2017, Jack Bernstein told the story of global money laundering highlighting the unenviable place of the HSBC.

This is a bank that states and federal authorities in the U.S. forced to pay $1.92 billion to settle charges of money laundering; fined $1.2 billion in Hong Kong for systemic deficiencies in bond sales and was made to pay $100 million in currency rigging settlement as reported by The Telegraph of 18th January, 2018.

Source: NAN

Sen.David Mark has arrived Minna, capital of Niger State to hold a private meeting with the former military President Ibrahim Babangida.

The meeting lasted for two hours at the Hilltop residence of the former military ruler.

NAN reports that Sen.David Mark arrived at about 1.30pm in company of Sen. Zainab Kure, Sen. Tunde Ogbeha and Sen.Suleman Adokwe, current chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation.

The 70 year-old Mark, who has been in the senate since 1999, obviously came to discuss his presidential ambition with Babangida, who had hosted several other aspirants.

Among them were the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former governors Attahiru Bafarawa, Sule Lamido and Ahmed Makarfi, all contesting under the Peoples Democratic Party platform.

Said one of Marks aides who didnt want his name mentioned: Yes my boss is discussing with IBB. Firstto brief him and seek his prayers and support for the task ahead.

Sen. Zainab Kure, who is the director general David Mark Presidential Campaign Organisation told NAN that Mark is a good materialneeded to reposition the country for optimal growth.

He was a former military Governor, communications Minister and senate president of the Federal Republic. So he possesses all the required political acumen to lead our country ,she said.

Zainab also hoped that the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) would conduct a free, fair and credible election.

I am appealing to all eligible Nigerians to support the electoral processes to enable the commission discharge its constitutional mandate , she said.

She said that the task to ensure a peaceful conduct of the 2019 election is the joint responsibility of all stakeholders especially the politicians.

David Mark also was the communications minister during Babangidas rule(1985-1993).

Source: NAN