The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun and the Central Bank Governor on Sunday left Nigeria for Washington DC to join other economic experts from around the world in discussing issues affecting global economy.

The discussions is taking place under the auspices of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Spring Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank will bring together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, parliamentarians, private sector executives, representatives from civil society organisations and academics.

They will discuss issues of global concern, including the world economic outlook, poverty eradication, economic development, and aid effectiveness.

Also featured are seminars, regional briefings, press conferences, and many other events focused on the global economy, international development, and the worlds financial system.

Source: NAN

Mr Chukwudi Ezinwa, the Chairman of Ezeagu Local Government in Enugu State, says his priority is to provide electricity to all households in the council area.

Ezinwa made the promise in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Enugu.

According to him, he has made contact with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) and other rural electrification agencies and partners on how best to achieve this within record time.

My foremost priority now is to improve the infrastructure of the council area, especially the extension of electricity from one community to another.

This will ensure that areas not currently energised in the council area would be energised with electricity so that the lives of rural dwellers can be touched, he said.

Ezinwa said that with constant electricity, the issue of pipe-borne water would be tackled as there would be electricity to power generating sets in mini-water schemes in the council area.

The chairman said he would also focus on staff welfare and education during his two-year tenure.

He said that there must be a harmonious relationship between the government and its staff because the workers, being the creator of the wealth, must work hand together with the government to move the administration forward.

No government can survive without taking adequate care of its staff.

Another area of importance to my administration is education. Most of the primary schools in the council area are dilapidated.

They need effective renovation for us to put them to normal shape so that pupils can go back to the classrooms and learn like their counterparts in the cities, he said.

Source: NAN

The Nigerian Army has arrested 23 suspected cultists, who were conducting physical training for new recruits and initiation and involved in robbery and kidnapping.

The army also arrested 15 other persons suspected to be pipeline vandals and recovered 31 jerry cans of refined petroleum products in the process.

Maj.-Gen. Enobong Udoh, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, reported at a news conference at the 174 Battalion, Ikorodu area of Lagos on Saturday.

Udoh was represented by the Brigade Commander, Brig.-Gen. Moundhey Ali.

The GOC, who said the suspects were arrested at different times and locations, explained that the arrests were a result of intensive surveillance and intelligence report.

In continuation of the crackdown on criminal elements and cultists in and around Lagos and Ogun states, the troops of 81 Division arrested 23 suspected cultists in Ikorodu area on April 16.

Over 50 suspected cultists from Eiye confraternity were conducting physical training for new recruits, initiation and planning for robbery and kidnap activities.

Their arrest was preceded by a shootout between the troops of 174 Battalion Ikorodu and the cultists after which, 23 of the suspected cultists were arrested while others escaped, he said.

The GOC said that two of the suspects sustained gunshot wounds, adding that one of the suspected newly-recruited cultists died as a result of injuries inflicted on him during the cult initiation.

However, one of our gallant soldiers, while combatting the cultists sustained a gunshot wound on his left leg during the encounter and was immediately evacuated.

The soldier and the 2 wounded cultists are receiving treatment at the Battalions Medical Reception Station.

Items recovered from the suspects include one locally-made double barrel pistol, five live cartridges, five machetes, four jack knives, two table knives, three locally-fabricated axes with nail like edges and five mobile phones.

Also recovered from them are one parcel containing substance suspected to be Indian hemp. Others are two ATM cards, eight identity cards, nine passport photographs, packets of condom, rings and a variety of charms, he said.

The GOC further said that the troops of the 81 Division also raided some suspected pipeline vandals at Ilara and Imagbon areas of Ikorodu to stop them from vandalising the countrys pipelines.

The suspected vandals, armed with AK-47 rifles, fired sporadically and fled on sighting the troops.

During the operation, sabotaged portions of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines were observed in Imoro Creek in Imagbon.

Items recovered from them include: one wooden boat, 40 empty jerry cans each weighing 50 litres and a 1,000-metre-long hose, ostensibly used in siphoning products by the suspected vandals.

The recovered items were destroyed and no arrest was made, Udoh said.

The GOC also said that seven impersonators were arrested alongside eight suspected vandals on April 17 in Lagos and Ogun states.

While on anti-bunkering patrol along Imoro Creek in Ikorodu, troops discovered sabotaged points along the NNPC Pipeline including a loading area in the Creek for siphoned products where eight suspected vandals were arrested.

Items recovered from them include 10 Vehicles, 31 Jerry cans loaded with refined products, 77 empty Jerry cans, three coolers, nine mobile phones and substances suspected to be hard drugs.

Another set of 1,320 empty Jerry cans were also discovered and destroyed.

In addition, seven suspected impostors were arrested by troops while on operation CHECKMATE, he said.

Udoh expressed appreciation to the general public and particularly the people of Lagos and Ogun states for their continuous cooperation.

He urged them to always give timely information that would help the Division in its operations.

He pledged not to relent until the Area of Responsibility of the division was completely rid of all forms of cultism, vandalism and other violent criminal activities and elements.

The suspects are undergoing preliminary investigation after which they will be handed over to the appropriate security agencies for further investigations and prosecution, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN

In 1984, when lawyers in Nigeria boycotted the anti-corruption tribunals set up by the Buhari led military regime, to try corrupt politicians, Fawehinmi decided to appear before the tribunals. Consequently,he was isolated by the Nigerian Bar Association. But Gani was undeterred.

As part of the posthumous celebration of the human rights advocate, the Lagos State Government will unveil a new statue in his honour at the Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Park in Ojota.

Source: NAN

By Ariwodola Idowu

Crisis on Saturday rocked the delegates congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti leading to an attack on a former Chairman of Ikere Local Gvernment, Mr. Mr Banji Aluko.

Aluko was beaten up by persons suspected to be political thugs over allegation that he was working against Ikere Agenda, fashioned by Gov. Ayo Fayose in support of his deputy, Prof Kolapo Olusola.

Aluko , who led a group of youth to the secretariat of the party to register his protest over alleged subversion of the oppositions will, was chased away from the congress.

The supporter of former works minister, Mr, Dayo Adeyeye, was beaten with canes and cudgels and his sparkling apparel heavily stained.

Aluko accused the Deputy governor and a member of the House of Assembly representing Ikere constituency 1, Mr. Wale Ayeni, as the masterminds of the attack.

Our group won election at Ogbonjana ward 7 and we were rejoicing only for these thugs to pounce on me and started beating me.

I have reported the case to the police and proper action will be taken against the sponsors, he added.

The fragile peace brokered recently in the party broke down as the political gladiators squared up in virtually all the 177 wards, where elected delegates were expected to emerge, preparatory for the May 8 governorship primary.

The major gladiators are Governor Fayose; former Minister of Works, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye and Senator representing Ekiti south, Sen. Abiodun Olujimi.

They engaged in battle of wits in the delegates election.

While Fayose is backing his deputy, Olusola to succeed him in the July 14 governorship poll, the duo of Adeyeye and Olujimi were also contesting the same seat.

Adeyeye described the congress as a charade, calling for outright cancellation of the exercise to prevent anarchy.

Adeyeye said the election was brazenly manipulated in all the 177 wards , accusing the leaders of PDP Ad hoc committees sent to the 16 local governments of diverting the materials meant for the election.

Former Senate President, David Mark , led other top hierarchy of the party to conduct the congress.

The National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Uche Secondus and members of the National Working Committee, as well as Senator Mark, were in Ado Ekiti last Wednesday to mediate between the opposing camps.

Tension was particularly high in Ikere Ekiti, hometown of the Fayoses deputy , as factions fought over the control of the Ikere local government delegates in all the eleven wards in the council.

Adeyeye, who spoke through his Media Assistant, Niyi Ojo, said: There was no election anywhere in the state. Those loyal to Fayose sat somewhere and wrote the list of delegates.

What really marvelled us was that the committees sent by the national headquarters to conduct the election didnt go to the wards, they
diverted, he alleged (NAN)

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Abuja after his visit to the United Kingdom, where he held bilateral talks on Nigeria British relations and also participated in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting ( CHOGM).

The President on April 9 left Abuja for London after he announced his intention to seek re-election in the 2019 general election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the presidential aircraft which left London at about 1p.m.(Nigerian time), landed at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 7.10p.m.

President Buhari was received at the airport by service chiefs, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Alhaji Muhammed Bello and Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari.

Others at the airport to welcome the president included the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu and other presidential aides.

While in London President Buhari on April 16 held bilateral talks with British Prime Minister, Theresa May, where he asked for more British investments in Nigeria.

Buhari commended British companies; Unilever, Cadbury, and many others.

The President noted that the companies had stood with Nigeria through thick and thin. He said they remained in Nigeria even when the country fought a civil war.

But like Oliver Twist, we ask for more investments. We are encouraging more British companies to come to Nigeria.

We appreciate the support you have given in training and equipping our military, particularly in the war against insurgency, but we want to also continue to work with you on trade and investment.

Buhari also briefed the Prime Minister on the strides in agriculture, which he said had put Nigeria firmly on the road to food self-sufficiency.

I am very pleased with the successes in agriculture. We have cut rice importation by about 90 per cent, made lots of savings of foreign exchange, and generated employment.

People had rushed to the cities to get oil money at the expense of farming. But luckily, they are now going back to the farms. Even professionals are going back to the land.

We are making steady progress on the road to food security, he said.

The President recalled that the All Progressives Congress-led government had campaigned on three major issues, to secure the country, revive the economy and fight corruption.

According to him, as the 2019 general election approaches, politicians are already pre-occupied with the polls, while he is bothered more about security and the economy.

We have elections next year, politicians are already pre-occupied with the polls, but I am bothered more about security and the economy, he stressed.

Prime Minister May, in her remarks, said Britain would continue to work with Nigeria in the areas of training and equipping the military.

She also said that her country would continue to assist Nigeria on the rehabilitation of abducted schoolgirls freed from by Boko Haram.

On April 18 President Buhari delivered his keynote address at the Commonwealth Business Forum at Guildhall, London, where he enjoined leaders of the Commonwealth to avoid trade wars and work collectively to preserve the global trading order.

The Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) with the theme, Making Business Easier between Commonwealth Countries, was part of events at this years Commonwealth Heads of State Meeting, CHOGM- 25.

President Buhari said: If we are to make business easier between our countries and going beyond the Commonwealth, we must avoid trade wars and work collectively to preserve the global trading order, support regional initiatives as well as support domestic structural reforms that focus on the priorities of individual countries.

He reiterated his belief in wealth creation and employment opportunities within the Commonwealth.

President Buhari called on the members of the Commonwealth Business Forum and prospective investors to participate in the 2018 UK/Nigeria Trade and Investment Forum at the London Stock Exchange.

The President also met with the Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Mr Ben van Beurden in connection with Shell and other partners plan to invest $15b in Nigerias oil industry.

NAN observed that no statement was issued on the outcome of the meeting which was held behind closed doors.

However, an earlier statement in Abuja by the Presidents Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said the Shell investment ventures would lay the foundation for the next 20 years production and domestic gas supply, bringing with it all the attendant benefits both to the economy and the wider society.

President Buhari also met with the Archbishop of Canterbury, His Grace Justin Welby and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in London.

Archbishop Welby said it was always a delight to see President Buhari, whom I have tremendous respect for.

You have my best wishes on your recent decision. I read your declaration speech.

We are neutral as a church, but we will pray for you. Great statesmen are those who run for the good of their country. We will be praying for you.

The Archbishop presented President Buhari with a copy of his recent book, Reimagining Britain. Foundations for Hope.

President Buhari on April 15 received members of the Buhari Diaspora Support Organisation, led by Mr Charles Sylvester. He reassured the group that his administration would always justify the trust and confidence reposed in it by Nigerians.

He said:We will do our best to justify your trust in us, and that confidence wont be abused.

I am happy that people like you are here on your own, defending the country. You have shown courage and sacrifice.

I assure you that your confidence in us wont be abused, we will do our best to justify it.

President Buhari also said that Nigeria was gifted with tremendous human and natural resources, but regretted that the failure of some of the leadership we had in the past led to our not being able to capitalise on resources to improve the lot of the people.

The President said his administration has not done too badly benchmarked against the state of the nation in 2015.

He explained that government was doing its best to recover looted funds, noting, however that it was impossible to identify and recover all the loots.

NAN reports that the presidents visit to London witnessed various rallies in support of his administration.

On April 20 some Nigerians converged in front of the Nigerian High Commission in London, to rally in support of the APC-led Federal Government.

The President is resetting the country on the path of growth and development, said Mr. Stephen Kifordu, from Delta State, the leader of the group.

According to him, there is no credible alternative to Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in the 2019 election, noting that the group represents the aspiration of many Nigerians who want progress for Nigeria.

Kifordu said Nigeria is attractive to investors because of Buharis fight against corruption in the country.

He claimed that the previous administration gave room for rot and corrupt activities.

We have a President in Nigeria that people can look at and trust that If I invest in Nigeria, my investment will not be stolen.

When we talk of security, he has done security in terms of Boko Haram and in terms of the Niger Delta, he said.

Explaining further how President Buhari is resetting the country, Kifordu said it is the primary role of the police and not the military to protect Nigerian citizens and President Buhari is enforcing this.

The Police is the number one organisation that takes care of our security. It is only when we are under attack that the military comes in.

In past years, we have seen the issue when the military jumps on board without paying regard to the police. Then suddenly when something happens in Nigeria, Mr President says deploy the police, people are saying dont deploy the police.

President Buhari is resetting our country. He is bringing us back to the way things should be.

This support rally came 24 hours after a group bearing Biafran flags staged a protest in front of the Commonwealth House in Westminister, London.

Source: NAN

Manchester United inflicted more FA Cup semi-final misery on Tottenham Hotspur as they recovered from a poor start to win 2-1 at a packed Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Tottenham, playing on the ground which has been their temporary home all season, got off to a dream start.

Dele Alli scored from close range but Alexis Sanchez equalised with a header and Ander Herrera fired Uniteds winner midway through the second half.

While United can look forward to the prospect of finishing the season with some silverware, Tottenham must pick themselves up after an eighth successive FA Cup semi-final loss.

The usual Spursy argument will be made and there will come a point when this undoubtedly talented side must back up the bouquets it gets with actual trophies, the true currency of success.

Spurs flew out of the blocks but simply could not put United away and there was an air of desperation and frustration.

There was also the questions of Pochettinos decision to persist with Michel Vorm in goal and keep first-choice Hugo Lloris on the bench.

While it is harsh to place defeat solely at Vorms door, he certainly could have done better with Herreras winner.

Harry Kane could not find his usual sure touch and Son Heung-min, superb this season, had one of those days when nothing went right.

Standing between United and a record-equalling 13th FA Cup triumph will be Chelsea or Southampton, who play on Sunday.

Source: NAN

Miss Monica Osagie, the student at the centre of a sex-for-mark scandal rocking the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has denied shunning an invitation by the panel probing her audio tapes of her conversation with disgraced Professor Richard Akindele, who demanded five rounds of sex for marks.

She made the denial via proxy, and said she was awaiting an invitation by the panel, the Saturday Sun newspaper reported.

Her proxy, Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Founder, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, a non-profit organisation, said that the university did not at any point invite Miss Osagie to face the panel.

She challenged the university to bring evidence that she was formally invited by any means to appear before the panel.

Before the matter went viral, the university was aware of it and they did not do anything. If the case did not go viral, the university probably would have not done anything and it would have been swept under the carpet.

I think that we should focus more on whether the act of that professor amounts to sexual harassment, whether it was a breach of the schools code of conduct, whether it was a breach of terms of contract for lecturers or whether he abused the relationship that should exist between lecturers and students.

Afolabi stated that the university should be responsible and responsive in addressing issues of sexual harassment because Miss Osagie is ready to come out whenever the university extends a proper invitation to her, adding that it appears the school wants to protect its reputation at the expense of the young lady.

Let the university do what they are supposed to do by giving her proper invitation. They have all her records because she is their student. The panel has never invited her, so when the panel invites her today, she would come.

Akiyode-Afolabi further noted that even though Miss Osagie made the recording to serve as evidence against her lecturer, she didnt release the audio. She got the evidence and it was given to one or two people when she was seeking for help. So definitely one of them released the audio, and she cannot be blamed for it.

Akiyode-Afolabi stated that there has not been any threat made against Monica. We are not comfortable with the university saying they invited her when they didnt invite her. Her name is already out, the whole world is aware so we cannot say because of security and safety, we wont allow the truth to prevail.

According to the panel report, only the suspended lecturer honoured its invitation while the lady neither showed up before the panel to defend her case nor wrote a formal complaint to the institution to defend the leaked audio.

We will like to reiterate that OAU will continue to do everything legally and morally acceptable in pursuance of its avowed commitment to zero tolerance for sexual harassment, intimidation and, or coercion, the universitys Vice-Chancellor, Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede, said in a statement.

Akiyode-Afolabi said Monica hasnt done anything wrong and is unapologetic about what she did.

I think society should focus on what really happened, and whether such should happen in higher institutions of learning and not about what she did.

Source: NAN

Dozens of children cheer at the Baptist Nursery and Primary School compound in Bode-Ijaiye suburb of Abeokuta city, the capital of Ogun state, as their friends try to outpace each other on a 100-metre dash in a dusty field.

Ogun state inter-school football and track-and-field competitions are just around the corner, and teachers want to prepare the children physically and mentally for the task ahead.

Away from the laughter and shouts of encouragement on the field, four female cooks with aprons on top of traditional indigo-dyed adire gowns ladle porridge mixed with vegetables and fish into hundreds of stainless steel bowls with lids.

As the cooks ambled into a nearby classroom and began to place bowls on wooden desks, the 64 pupils remained quiet. After the dish was served, the students stood and began to sing Bless this food O Lord for Christ sake Amen. Then they sat down and began to eat.

I want to say a big thank you to the federal government of Nigeria and the Ogun state government for providing food for us, 10-year-old Ramon Samuel told Al Jazeera before opening the lid on his bowl.

Samuel and his classmates receive free meals every school day thanks to a national programme, which aims to provide nutritious meals to young schoolchildren in order to increase enrolment, help them stay in school, and reduce malnutrition, particularly among children from low-income families.

The Home Grown School Feeding initiative, a movement launched in 2003, is driven by national governments to improve the lives of schoolchildren and farmers alike. It is practised across the continent, including in Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Ethiopia, Namibia, Botswana, Ivory Coast, and South Africa.

The concept is not confined just to the continent as Brazil, Japan, and Italy have similar programmes aimed at keeping children fed while promoting local agriculture.

Though the scheme began in December 2016 in Nigeria, it is not entirely new here. Nigerias former President Olusegun Obasanjo launched a pilot programme in 13 states in September 2005, but after a few years, only southwestern Osun state maintained it.

The school programme operates in 20 out of Nigerias 36 states and has fed nearly seven million pupils in about 40,000 public schools, the programmes manager Abimbola Adesanmi told Al Jazeera. She said more than 68,800 jobs have also been created through the initiative.

The plan was reintroduced by President Muhammadu Buhari in December 2016 as part of his administrations multi-million dollar National Social Investment Programmes to address poverty, hunger and unemployment in Nigeria.

The school programme operates in 20 out of Nigerias 36 states and has fed nearly seven million pupils in about 40,000 public schools, the programmes manager Abimbola Adesanmi told Al Jazeera. She said more than 68,800 jobs have also been created through the initiative.

Adeleke Adewolu is the commissioner of special duties and inter-governmental affairs in Ogun state. He said the meals are not only nutritious but also serve as a social safety net for low-income households.

If children eat nutritious food it will enhance their learning ability and this will have a knock-on effect on their cognitive development and help to encourage enrolment and retention, Adewolu said.

The programme provides income for thousands of people, including farmers, cooks recruited from local communities, and those involved in the processing and transportation of food, he said.

In Ogun, the coordinating team collaborated with the ministries of education, health, agriculture, womens affairs and community development to divide farmers into cooperative groups and link them to about 3,000 cooks who were trained and deployed to more than 1,500 schools. Farmers received training in seed quality and fertilisers to grow enough food to meet demand.

The cooks who are responsible for procuring ingredients for the daily meals are given a budget of 70 naira ($0.23) per child each day. With help from the state government, they received 57,000 naira ($188) in loans to purchase water drums, pots, bowls, uniforms, and cooking utensils.

It gives me great joy to help in feeding the children in Baptist Primary School, said Omole Imoleayo, who left a career in banking to join the programme. We receive our payment without delays and I have more time for my family now.

Sourcing foods locally helps millions of small farmers who produce up to 90 percent of Nigerias food but are mired in grinding poverty.

This has created a well-structured market for the farmers since they now know how much to produce and when it is needed, said Tinuola Shopeju, Oguns programme manager.

Shopeju said the initiative is a perfect model for addressing food insecurity and improving local agricultural production in Nigeria, which imports about $20bn worth of food annually.

The menu differs daily and every state adopts its own meal schedule. In Ogun, schoolchildren get rice, stewed fish, and beans but also delicacies such as Ikokore a dish made from water yam.

Deworming
Nigerias programme also offers health services including deworming children in public primary schools across 17 states. Adesanmi said worms affect the health of schoolchildren, potentially causing anaemia, malnourishment, and the impairment of mental and physical development.

In the short term, children with worms may be too sick or tired to attend school or to concentrate. Basically, we do not want to feed worms, rather children, she said.

Teachers in Ogun say the programme is not only helping young students stay in school, but also attracting those from private schools. Ogunkola Adefunke Deborah, headteacher of Baptist Nursery and Primary School, said her pupils now come to classes regularly and are very punctual.

We have over 80 new pupils, most of them came from private schools, she said. Before you hardly see parents coming here, but now they come to ask us why their kids beg to be brought to school early and why they always return home with their pocket money.

Deborah shared an anecdote of a boy who refused to go home even when he was sick because he didnt want to miss a meal.

Rebecca Faronbi, 72, was devastated when her son died and left her with four grandchildren to take care of. Her three-year-old granddaughter now receives the free meals at school.

Until the feeding programme started I was struggling to feed the children. My granddaughter wakes me up before 7am and tells me she wants to go to school because she will get free food there, Faronbi said in the Yoruba language, which is widely spoken in southwestern Nigeria.

Rampant malnutrition
Research has shown that 42 percent of schoolchildren in Nigeria suffer malnutrition, and this has caused a high rate of absenteeism.

UNICEF estimates about 2.5 million Nigerian children under the age of five suffer from severe malnutrition each year, with about half a million children dying from it.

With a quality assurance tracking system known as #TrackWithUs, the programme handlers have urged Nigerians to visit nearby schools to check if meals meet the required standards and report any cooks who arent serving proper food.

Several cooks were fired in southern Cross River state last November for serving biscuits in lieu of meals.

The campaign has helped us track activities in schools and strengthened our existing monitoring and supervision mechanism, Adesanmi said. Since there is a reward and sanction system in place we have been able to name and shame cooks who do not comply with our standards.

A major barrier to the programmes success is the inability of state governments to scale up the meals to senior classes in elementary schools. The federal government caters to pupils from Grades 1 to 3, but with many states struggling to pay salaries, pupils in higher grades are not being fed.

Experts hope the government will not repeat the same mistakes made a decade ago when a combination of inadequate funding, poor logistics, and corruption crippled the scheme.

We need to promote community participation, community ownership, community implementation, community monitoring, strong institutional arrangements and multi-sector partnerships, Adesanmi said.

Source: NAN

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has deplored Cameroons forced return of Nigerian refugees to the Boko Haram violence areas.

It said: The forced returns are in violation of the principle of no forced returns or non-refoulement.

They are also a significant setback to progress previously achieved by Cameroon in granting asylum to Nigerian civilians fleeing Boko Haram violence.

Despite such counselling, Nigerian refugees and asylum-seekers who fled Boko Haram violence continue to be returned from Cameroon, UNHCR said.

It said the action underscored the need to accord international protection to those in need.

We appeal once again to the authorities in Cameroon to refrain from further forced returns and to ensure protection to those fleeing insecurity and persecution in Nigeria.

This is in accordance with Cameroons national and international obligations, UNHCR said.

Since the beginning of 2018, 385 Nigerians refugees and asylum-seekers had been forcibly returned from Cameroon, the majority of them in March, including 160 on April 10 and a further 118 a week later.

In total, the UN agency has registered some 87,600 Nigerian refugees in the country.

Properly functioning screening, registration and asylum systems help safeguard host country security, it said.

UNHCR reiterated its support to the Government of Cameroon to ensure that all those seeking international protection have access to efficient screening and registration procedures, as well as appropriate reception arrangements.

It had earlier appealed to the Government of Cameroon to respect human rights of all citizens for the sake of peace.

The commissions representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Antonio Canhandula, made the appeal while speaking with newsmen on Monday in Makurdi.

Canhandula said the instability in Anglophone Cameroon had forced thousands of citizens to seek asylum in Nigeria.

He said Cameroonian Government should explore alternative ways of engaging with those who feel aggrieved for the sake of peace and that both parties should respect human rights.

UNHCR urges the Government of Cameroon to explore ways of engaging with those who feel aggrieved, for the sake of peace.

We also reiterate the need for respect of human rights by all parties involved, Canhandula said.

He said the refugees complained of exclusion from the national life by the Cameroonian Government, political processes and important positions in the government.

Longstanding grievances against the central government in Cameroon took a new turn in 2016 when a group of Anglophone Cameroonians triggered civil society-led demonstrations.

This was based on allegations of marginalisation by the authorities, particularly in the education and justice system.

Initially, the protesters called for the return to a federal system of government and greater autonomy.

However, on Oct. 1, 2017, the separatist movement, Ambazonia Governing Council, declared unilaterally the independence of Cameroons Northwest and Southwest Regions.

Tensions ensued with government security forces clashing with movement, resulting in injuries and deaths and leading to an influx of English-speaking Cameroonians into Nigeria.

Critics accused government forces of killing dozens of civilians while the administration is also alleging that suspected separatists have killed more than 10 security personnel since the crisis intensified in October.

(NAN)

Source: NAN

Bandits have again killed about 30 people in Kabaro and Danmani villages in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

A witness, Mr Shuaibu Kabaro, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maru that the suspected gunmen attacked the two communities and the incident was immediately reported to the security agents.

He said three of the bandits were arrested by security agents following the prompt report of the incident to the security personnel.

Shuaibu said, the gunmen in turn went and mobilized more gangs and returned in multitudes to carry out the attack which left about 30 dead and many others injured in the two communities.

The Maru Local Government Council Chairman, Alhaji Salisu Dangulbi and the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Mohammed Shehu both confirmed the killings.

According to them, many of the villagers deserted their homes for fear of further attacks which now characterized the mode of operations of the gunmen.

With the presence of security personnel now in the area, many of the villagers had returned home, the two officials confirmed in separate interviews.

The PPRO further explained that units of mobile police working with the military and other security agents were immediately mobilised to the affected areas and that peace and normalcy have been restored.

The police spokesman said that the actual number of those killed was still being ascertained and until this is done, l cannot give you actual figure at the moment.

Source: NAN

The plenary of the Senate was disrupted on Wednesday when hoodlums invaded the Chamber and went away with the Mace.

This and more in the NANTV news highlights for today.

Source: NAN

Hoodlums that sensationally stole the Senate mace on Wednesday abandoned it under the flyover before the Abuja City Gate, the police said early today.

The police said they were informed by a passerby, who saw it and alerted them, leading to its recovery.

The police said they were still in pursuit of the mace thieves and would ensure that they are brought to justice.

While a discreet investigation into the incident is still ongoing to arrest and bring the perpetrators to justice, the Nigeria Police Force appreciates the spirited members of the public, most especially motorists within Abuja Metropolis for their support, cooperation and timely information during the rigorous stop and search operations for the recovery of the Mace, said Police superintendent, Aremu Adeniran, the deputy police PRO.

Adenirans statement mentioned the efforts by the police teams, prior to the recovery of the mace.

`IGP Ibrahim Idris immediately instituted a high-powered Police Investigation and Intelligence Team coordinated by the IGP Monitoring Unit of the Force and further directed a total lock-down of the Federal Capital Territory with intense surveillance patrol and thorough Stop and Search Operations at various Police check-points with a view to arresting perpetrators and possible recovery of the stolen Mace.

The Police teams engaged in massive raids of identified criminal spots/flashpoints, stop and search operations, visibility and confidence building patrols, intelligence gathering which forced the suspected miscreants to abandon the Mace at a point under the flyover before the City Gate, where a patriotic passer-by saw it and alerted the Police.

Source: NAN

The authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife today said Monica Osagie was the student involved in a sex-for-marks scandal, that has sorely questioned the morality of university dons, in the training of young Nigerians.

Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, the Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), said Monica Osetobe Osagie wasstudying for a Masters in Business Administration.

He also announced the suspension of Prof. Richard Akindele, the don involved in the salacious scandal.

Ogunbodedes action followed the submission of the interim report of the committee set up to investigate the allegation of sexual harassment revealed in audio recording.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a recorded audio conversation of the don demanding for sex to increase the marks of a female undergraduate had gone viral.

(Listen to the scandalous audio:

The committee observed that a prima facie case of inappropriate relationship with the female student had been established against Professor Richard I. Akindele.

The Vice Chancellor said that though the investigative committee invited both Akindele and Osagie, only Akindele appeared before the committee.

The report indicated that many other witnesses appeared before the committee and gave useful evidence.

The university is making efforts to ensure that Miss Osagie appears before the investigative committee so that it can hear her side of the case and promptly submit its final report, he said.

Explaining why the lecturer was yet to be sacked, the Vice Chancellor said that the provisions of the relevant statute of the university must be followed.

Under the provisions of the relevant statute of the university, an academic staff can only be dismissed from service or have his or her appointment terminated only when the matter on which consideration is being given has been investigated by a Joint Council and Senate Committee;

Also the staff has appeared before the committee with his or her counsel, if so desired.

This procedure is the minimum requirement of the law and regulations of the university.

It should therefore be noted that the suspension of Professor Richard I. Akindele is on the basis of the findings of the Investigative Committee that he is prima facie liable.

This decision will abide, pending the final determination of the case by the council of the University, the vice chancellor said.

Ogunbodede said that the university would continue to do everything legally and morally acceptable in pursuance of its avowed commitment to zero tolerance for sexual harassment, intimidation and, or coercion.

Source: NAN

Some Nigerians on Friday converged in front of the Nigerian High Commission in London, to rally in support of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The President is resetting the country on the part of growth and development, Mr. Stephen Kifordu, from Delta State who is the leader of the group, said on Friday.

He said there is no credible alternative to Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in the 2019 election noting that the group represents the aspiration of many Nigerians who want progress for Nigeria.

Kifordu said Nigeria is attractive to investors because of Buharis fight against corruption in the country.

He claimed that the previous administration gave room for rot and corrupt activities.

We have a President in Nigeria that people can look at and trust that If I invest in Nigeria, my investment will not be stolen.

When we talk of security, he has done security in terms of Boko Haram and in terms of the Niger Delta, he said.

Explaining further how President Buhari is resetting the country, Kifordu said it is the primary role of the police and not the military to protect Nigerian citizens and President Buhari is enforcing this.

The Police is the number one organisation that takes care of our security. It is only when we are under attack that the military comes in.

In past years, we have seen the issue when the military jumps on board without paying regard to the police. Then suddenly when something happens in Nigeria, Mr President says deploy the police, people are saying dont deploy the police.

President Buhari is re-ordering up, he is resetting our country. He is bringing us back to the way things should be.

This support rally came exactly a day after a group of people bearing Biafran flags staged a protest in front of the Commonwealth House in Westminister, London.

The demonstration took place as President Buhari and other leaders of the Commonwealth nations meet on Thursday.

Some of the protesters were seen carrying banners bear inscriptions of Biafra while others are calling for a referendum.

President Buhari on Thursday attended the Executive Session of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in the United Kingdom.

The meeting, which held at the Lancaster House in London, was declared open by Queen Elizabeth II.

Source: NAN

Dozens of children cheer at the Baptist Nursery and Primary School compound in Bode-Ijaiye suburb of Abeokuta city, the capital of Ogun state, as their friends try to outpace each other on a 100-metre dash in a dusty field.

Ogun state inter-school football and track-and-field competitions are just around the corner, and teachers want to prepare the children physically and mentally for the task ahead.

Away from the laughter and shouts of encouragement on the field, four female cooks with aprons on top of traditional indigo-dyed adire gowns ladle porridge mixed with vegetables and fish into hundreds of stainless steel bowls with lids.

As the cooks ambled into a nearby classroom and began to place bowls on wooden desks, the 64 pupils remained quiet. After the dish was served, the students stood and began to sing Bless this food O Lord for Christ sake Amen. Then they sat down and began to eat.

I want to say a big thank you to the federal government of Nigeria and the Ogun state government for providing food for us, 10-year-old Ramon Samuel told Al Jazeera before opening the lid on his bowl.

Samuel and his classmates receive free meals every school day thanks to a national programme, which aims to provide nutritious meals to young schoolchildren in order to increase enrolment, help them stay in school, and reduce malnutrition, particularly among children from low-income families.

The Home Grown School Feeding initiative, a movement launched in 2003, is driven by national governments to improve the lives of schoolchildren and farmers alike. It is practised across the continent, including in Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Ethiopia, Namibia, Botswana, Ivory Coast, and South Africa.

The concept is not confined just to the continent as Brazil, Japan, and Italy have similar programmes aimed at keeping children fed while promoting local agriculture.

Though the scheme began in December 2016 in Nigeria, it is not entirely new here. Nigerias former President Olusegun Obasanjo launched a pilot programme in 13 states in September 2005, but after a few years, only southwestern Osun state maintained it.

The school programme operates in 20 out of Nigerias 36 states and has fed nearly seven million pupils in about 40,000 public schools, the programmes manager Abimbola Adesanmi told Al Jazeera. She said more than 68,800 jobs have also been created through the initiative.

The plan was reintroduced by President Muhammadu Buhari in December 2016 as part of his administrations multi-million dollar National Social Investment Programmes to address poverty, hunger and unemployment in Nigeria.

The school programme operates in 20 out of Nigerias 36 states and has fed nearly seven million pupils in about 40,000 public schools, the programmes manager Abimbola Adesanmi told Al Jazeera. She said more than 68,800 jobs have also been created through the initiative.

Adeleke Adewolu is the commissioner of special duties and inter-governmental affairs in Ogun state. He said the meals are not only nutritious but also serve as a social safety net for low-income households.

If children eat nutritious food it will enhance their learning ability and this will have a knock-on effect on their cognitive development and help to encourage enrolment and retention, Adewolu said.

The programme provides income for thousands of people, including farmers, cooks recruited from local communities, and those involved in the processing and transportation of food, he said.

In Ogun, the coordinating team collaborated with the ministries of education, health, agriculture, womens affairs and community development to divide farmers into cooperative groups and link them to about 3,000 cooks who were trained and deployed to more than 1,500 schools. Farmers received training in seed quality and fertilisers to grow enough food to meet demand.

The cooks who are responsible for procuring ingredients for the daily meals are given a budget of 70 naira ($0.23) per child each day. With help from the state government, they received 57,000 naira ($188) in loans to purchase water drums, pots, bowls, uniforms, and cooking utensils.

It gives me great joy to help in feeding the children in Baptist Primary School, said Omole Imoleayo, who left a career in banking to join the programme. We receive our payment without delays and I have more time for my family now.

Sourcing foods locally helps millions of small farmers who produce up to 90 percent of Nigerias food but are mired in grinding poverty.

This has created a well-structured market for the farmers since they now know how much to produce and when it is needed, said Tinuola Shopeju, Oguns programme manager.

Shopeju said the initiative is a perfect model for addressing food insecurity and improving local agricultural production in Nigeria, which imports about $20bn worth of food annually.

The menu differs daily and every state adopts its own meal schedule. In Ogun, schoolchildren get rice, stewed fish, and beans but also delicacies such as Ikokore a dish made from water yam.

Deworming
Nigerias programme also offers health services including deworming children in public primary schools across 17 states. Adesanmi said worms affect the health of schoolchildren, potentially causing anaemia, malnourishment, and the impairment of mental and physical development.

In the short term, children with worms may be too sick or tired to attend school or to concentrate. Basically, we do not want to feed worms, rather children, she said.

Teachers in Ogun say the programme is not only helping young students stay in school, but also attracting those from private schools. Ogunkola Adefunke Deborah, headteacher of Baptist Nursery and Primary School, said her pupils now come to classes regularly and are very punctual.

We have over 80 new pupils, most of them came from private schools, she said. Before you hardly see parents coming here, but now they come to ask us why their kids beg to be brought to school early and why they always return home with their pocket money.

Deborah shared an anecdote of a boy who refused to go home even when he was sick because he didnt want to miss a meal.

Rebecca Faronbi, 72, was devastated when her son died and left her with four grandchildren to take care of. Her three-year-old granddaughter now receives the free meals at school.

Until the feeding programme started I was struggling to feed the children. My granddaughter wakes me up before 7am and tells me she wants to go to school because she will get free food there, Faronbi said in the Yoruba language, which is widely spoken in southwestern Nigeria.

Rampant malnutrition
Research has shown that 42 percent of schoolchildren in Nigeria suffer malnutrition, and this has caused a high rate of absenteeism.

UNICEF estimates about 2.5 million Nigerian children under the age of five suffer from severe malnutrition each year, with about half a million children dying from it.

With a quality assurance tracking system known as #TrackWithUs, the programme handlers have urged Nigerians to visit nearby schools to check if meals meet the required standards and report any cooks who arent serving proper food.

Several cooks were fired in southern Cross River state last November for serving biscuits in lieu of meals.

The campaign has helped us track activities in schools and strengthened our existing monitoring and supervision mechanism, Adesanmi said. Since there is a reward and sanction system in place we have been able to name and shame cooks who do not comply with our standards.

A major barrier to the programmes success is the inability of state governments to scale up the meals to senior classes in elementary schools. The federal government caters to pupils from Grades 1 to 3, but with many states struggling to pay salaries, pupils in higher grades are not being fed.

Experts hope the government will not repeat the same mistakes made a decade ago when a combination of inadequate funding, poor logistics, and corruption crippled the scheme.

We need to promote community participation, community ownership, community implementation, community monitoring, strong institutional arrangements and multi-sector partnerships, Adesanmi said.

Source: NAN

Emmanuel Afonne

Amaju Pinnick, the President, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has said that the Super Eagles stand the chance of pocketing $24 million if they play in the final of the 2018 World Cup.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the World Cup will hold from June 14 to July 15 in Russia.

Pinnick told newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday at a parley that the money was part of the agreement reached with the players to share 50-50, whatever would accrue to the country if they get to the final and lift the trophy.

I dont put players under pressure. Pressure can be put on them unconsciously because we are creating enabling environment for them.

If for example we dont have money to prepare them, they can now relax but now, we have given them everything upfront and now, they should deliver.

If today they get to the final, the World Cup money will be shared 50-50 between the team and the NFF.

Winning the final is 48 million dollars, it means the team will get 24 million dollars and the football house will take the remaining 24 million dollars, Pinnick said.

He also said that adequate preparation including grade A friendly matches have been secured with England and Czech Republic to ensure the team do well at the World Cup.

The NFF boss further said that the glass house had already secured $2.8 million to pay the players allowances and bonuses during the mundial.

We are ready to play against England on June 2 in London in an international friendly; we had a conclusive meeting with the English FA.

After the England match, we will play Czech Republic and from there we move to Russia. As it is, everything is going on very well.

For the World Cup, I dont think we have any problem, I am in touch with the technical committee. It is the desire of every Nigerian to see the Super Eagles do well at the World Cup.

We had a meeting with the team; we signed a contract with them and ready to pay them 20 per cent of eight million which is what accrued to us for qualifying for the World Cup.

At the end of the day it amounts to 2.8million dollars which will go to the players. The money is almost 100 per cent ready, Pinnick added.

Pinnick also explained that the football house met with some state governors who were ready to assist the NFF financially to achieve the countrys World Cup dream.

He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his support for the NFF and the Super Eagles, and assured that they would not let him down in Russia.

Source: NAN

Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong has agreed to pay $5 million in order to settle his looming federal fraud case stemming from his use of performance-enhancing drugs during the Tour de France, his lawyers confirmed Thursday.

The former superstar was due to face a trial next month over claims that he defrauded the US government when he doped while racing for his United States Postal Service-sponsored team.

Lance Armstrong today announced that he has settled the long-running False Claims Act case brought against him by former cyclist Floyd Landis and the U. S. Postal Service, a statement from Armstrong lawyer Elliot Peters said.

This ends all litigation against Armstrong related to his 2013 admission that during his career as a professional cyclist he had used performance enhancing substances.

The Washington Post reported Armstrong will also pay $1.65 million to cover the legal costs of former team-mate and whistleblower Landis.

The Postal Service and Landis had sought around $100 million in damages from Armstrong in the trial which was due to get under way on May 7.

I am glad to resolve this case and move forward with my life, Armstrong said in a statement.

I am particularly glad to have made peace with the Postal Service. While I believe that their lawsuit against me was without merit and unfair, I have since 2013 tried to take full responsibility for my mistakes, and make amends wherever possible.

I rode my heart out for the Postal cycling team, and was always especially proud to wear the red, white and blue eagle on my chest when competing in the Tour de France. Those memories are very real and mean a lot to me.

The fallen US cycling star had battled back from cancer to win cyclings most prestigious race, the Tour de France, a record seven consecutive times between 1999 and 2005.

Although rumours of drug use swirled around Armstrong throughout his career, he never failed a test.

However his reputation imploded when the United States Anti-Doping Agency wrapped up an investigation which concluded he had been at the heart of a sophisticated doping program throughout his career.

Armstrong later confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs and was banned from all competitions for life and stripped of his seven Tour titles

Source: NAN

Arsne Wenger has finally agreed to quit London club Arsenal at the end of this season after years of uncertainty.

The Frenchman will depart the club a year ahead of the expiration of the two year contract he signed last year despite many calling for his sack.

With the clubs performance in the Premier League becoming increasingly disappointing, this season marked the first time in 20 years that they failed to qualify for the Champions League.

Despite having one less competition to worry about they are currently sixth in the Premier League and look certain not to achieve a top four finish, hanging their only hopes on winning the Europa League.

I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve the club for so many memorable years, Wenger said. I managed the club with full commitment and integrity.

To all the Arsenal lovers, take care of the values of the club.

Wenger played supervised 1228 games and won 704 in his 22-year-reign as Arsenals manager, winning seven FA Cups and seven Community Shields.

He won three Premier League titles and also three times Premier League Manager of the Year.

Wenger also has World Manager of the Year in his kitty.

Meanwhile, Gary Neville has paid tribute to departing Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and urged supporters of all club to celebrate his reign in the clubs final five games of the season.

Neville was part of the Manchester United team which regularly battled with Wengers Arsenal during the 1990s and 2000s and has regularly commentated on his teams after becoming a pundit.

He said the Frenchmans 22-year reign should be remembered in fond terms, having led Arsenal to three of their 13 top-flight titles, an unbeaten league season in 2003/4 and seven FA Cup successes.

Arsene Wenger built the best teams that I played against in English Football.

The 98 team was Amazing.

The biggest compliment is that he played football that made us change the way we played against them.

He now deserves the most incredible send off from all in the coming weeks.

Source: NAN

Arsene Wengers decision to finally step aside as Arsenal manager after 22 years in charge has sparked fevered speculation over who the Gunners will turn to next to succeed the Frenchman.

Arsenal are struggling to qualify for next seasons Champions League with victory in the Europa League their only realistic route back into Europes premier club competition.

However, with one of the biggest budgets in world football and a squad boasting the talents of Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the Arsenal job remains highly sought after.

Here are five contenders to take over at the Emirates:

The inspirational captain of Arsenals Invincibles that went an entire league season unbeaten in 2003-04, Vieira is a symbol of the glory years under Wenger.

Vieira won three league titles and three FA Cups during his playing days at Arsenal but has taken his first steps in management with another of his former clubs, Manchester City.

The Frenchman took charge of Citys elite development squad for 18 months before joining New York City, part of a network of clubs around the world owned by the City Football Group.

He led NYCFC to the MLS playoffs in each of his two full seasons in charge but lost out in the Eastern Conference semi-finals on both occasions.

While popular with the fans, Vieiras lack of top-level managerial experience would pose a huge risk in Arsenals attempts to re-establish themselves as a Premier League contender.

Rodgers has restored his reputation in just under two years at Celtic with the Glasgow giants on the brink of sweeping a treble of domestic trophies under the Northern Irishman for a second consecutive season.

The 45-year-olds three-and-a-half year spell at Liverpool ended on a sour note in October 2015 but he came as close as anyone to ending their 28-year wait for a Premier League title in 2013-14.

Celtics major shareholder Dermot Desmond said on Friday he would not stand in Rodgers way.

I dont think you can put handcuffs on anybody if they want to go to a club as good as Arsenal, he said. It will be Brendans decision and Brendans decision only.

A World Cup winner, Loew has resisted the temptation to swap international football for the rigours of day-to-day club management and is under contract with the German federation until 2020.

Despite being one of the favourites for the job with the bookies, Loews chances are harmed by the fact he will lead Germany at the World Cup this summer.

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis conceded the club are likely to favour a quick appointment with an early end to the transfer window in August leaving just three weeks between the World Cup final in Moscow on July 15 and the closing of the window for Premier League clubs on August 9.

Source: NAN