Ekiti APC elders beg Oni to withdraw suit against Fayemi
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we hereby wish to appeal to chief segun oni and his group towithdraw the case from the federal high court abuja as to facilitatean out-of-court settlement in the interest of the apc family in ekitistate in particular and nigeria in general1 the ekiti state all progressives congress apc elders forum on fridayappealed to former gov. segun oni to withdraw the suit challengingthe eligibility of the governor-elect dr. kayode fayemi for the july14 governorship election1 the meeting which was presided over by its chairman chief george akosile asked oni to withdraw the case against the governor-elect in the interest of the party1 according to a communiqu issued at the end of the meeting the apcelders said the withdrawal of the case by oni and his group willfacilitate an out-of-court settlement1 in the communiqu signed by akosile and the forums secretary chief abiodun ajayi the apc elders resolved to send a five-man delegationto oni with a letter appealing for the withdrawal of the case1 nan reports that the ekiti apc elders forum also resolved to send a memo to fayemi toreconcile with the aggrieved segun onis group with a view to withdrawing thecase from court and their inclusion in the forthcoming administration1 from our findings the elders forum is aware that thecase is still pending in the federal high court abuja1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that the apc elders came out with the position at the end of a marathon meeting heldin igbara odo in ekiti south west local government area of the state1 nan recalls that a group loyal to the former governor approached the court in abuja after the apc primary urging it to nullify fayemis candidacyon grounds that he fayemi did not properly resign from his position asminister of mines and steel development 30 days before the apc primary as dictated by the law1 fayemi had won the apc governorship primary held on may 12 in ado-ekiti the state capital by polling a total of 941 votes beating segun oni who scored 481 votes to the second place and 31 other aspirants1 the oni group also dragged fayemi to court on grounds that he was indicted by ekiti state judicial commission of inquiry set up by governor ayo fayose and handed a 10-year ban from holding public office1 oni as the claimantapplicant filed the suit before a federal highcourt abuja presided over by justice nnamdi dimgba. the suit ismarked fhcabjcs663181 joined as defendantsrespondents in the case are dr. fayemi apc and independent national electoral commission inec1 justice dimgba on 20th august issued an ex parte order for substituted service on the defendants1 nan reports that segun onis supporters said the court case was triggered by allegednon-inclusiveness ostracisation marginalisation and demonstration ofopen hatred for them by fayemis supporters1

Nigeria develops $6.7b plan for Northeast
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the nigerian envoy stressed the need for collaboration and cooperation among countries of the lake chad the donors as well as humanitarian and development partners1 nigeria has developed a 6.7 billion buhari plan of action for the reconstruction rehabilitation and resettlement of northeast that had been devastated by boko haram activities sincd 20091 the nigerian envoy said that the comprehensive socio-economic plan known as buhari plan aimed to advance the humanitarian and development nexus in the country1 bande said nigeria was spearheading the event based on the need to promote across board collaboration and cooperation among countries of the lake chad region the donors and a whole range of humanitarian and development partners1 at our national level the 6.7 billion buhari plan of action for the comprehensive reconstruction rehabilitation and resettlement of the north eastern nigeria and the lake chad represents an ambitious humanitarian cum development initiative on the part of a national government1 it is to demonstrate its total and unshakable commitment to the socio-economic development of the entire area1 it is unmistakably true that beyond the current challenges lie numerous prospects for harnessing the capacity of the people and natural endowment of the area to facilitate integrated regional socio-economic development1 therefore the occasion of this side event and its subsequent follow up actions would present opportunity for enhancing the objectives of several initiatives on the lake chad such as the all lake chad governors forum which held its inaugural meeting in maiduguri nigeria in may1 also the berlin conference on the lake chad has been slated for the first week of september 2018 and would build substantially on the outcomes of the february 2017 oslo donors conference on the lake chad1 i would like to take this opportunity to call on all stakeholders to redouble efforts and commitment towards making the coming berlin conference on the lake chad of sept. 3 to 4 2018 a watershed1 this is in our collective resolve to further mobilise resources and demonstrate implicit commitment to plans that will ensure moving quickly beyond the immediate humanitarian need to concrete sustainable developmental projects capable of substantially elevating the lives of the majority of people in the region1 nigerias ambassadorpermanent representative to the un prof. tijjani bande unveiled the plan at a side event tagged strengthening the humanitarian and development partnership in the lake chad region at the un headquarters1 according to him collaboration between the humanitarian and development agencies has gained traction at the un in recent times such that the involvement of national governments is needed to make it work1 he said the protracted humanitarian and development challenges in the lake chad region had place enormous responsibilities on all to remain engaged in discussion aimed at scaling up national regional and global responses to the crisis1 these responses need to be bolstered by strengthened coordination at the un level to ensure a more synergised delivery of assistance the nigerian envoy emphasised1 let me emphasise that the recharge of the lake chad basin capacity building and restoration of livelihood through facilitation of occupational opportunities job creation skill acquisition and others are central to finding lasting solution to the problem in the region1 to realise all these would entail our collective commitment to a broad range of actions facilitated by strong international cooperation and partnership involving the un agencies and development partners like the world bank and african development bank among others bande said1 magagi louan minister of humanitarian action and disaster management of the republic of niger said the political leadership from the region were working together to ensure comprehensive response to the crisis in the lake chad1 louan said several mechanisms to address the problem included the institutionalisation of joint security architecture such as the multinational joint task force and promotion of collaborative social-economic projects under the auspices of the lake chad basin commission1 also commenting alifei moustapha permanent representative of chad to the un disclosed that chadian government had set up a new coordination mechanism across the ministries to identify local requirements and develop flexible coherent responses to address the lake chad problem1 on his part michel monthe the permanent representative of cameroon to the un stated that his country would finance resilience and socio-economic projects and called for response to humanitarian needs while simultaneously reducing risk and vulnerability1 the event sponsored by nigeria cameroon niger chad un development programme and un office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs also featured presentations by un humanitarian coordinators for the four countries. nan1

Brazils electoral court guns down Lulas candidacy
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he said either party would also be able to lodge an appeal with the supreme court over the constitutional nature of the electoral courts ruling1 a majority of brazils top electoral court shot down late friday the candidacy of popular leftist luiz inacio lula da silva in the countrys upcoming presidential vote telling the jailed former leader he cannot participate in octobers critical election1 in an extraordinary session the superior electoral court dashed lulas hopes after hours of debate with the judges voting an overwhelming 6-1 against him1 shortly thereafter the former presidents workers party pt vowed to fight with all means to secure candidacy for the leftist icon1 we will present all appeals before the courts for the recognition of the rights of lula provided by law and international treaties ratified by brazil said the party in a statement1 we will defend lula in the streets with the people because he is a candidate of hope1 lulas case was a last-minute addition to the court session. the result was expected but the vote of judge edson fachin the second to speak had momentarily rekindled suspense1 he relied on lulas recent backing from the un human rights committee which ruled that the former leader cannot be disqualified from the elections as his legal appeals are ongoing1 but the votes that followed torpedoed the former presidents bid for a third term1 lula was sentenced to 12 years in prison for accepting a luxury seaside apartment as a bribe from a construction firm1 he vehemently denied the accusations and has dismissed the charges as a political plot aimed at preventing him from standing in the elections1 the pt has stubbornly kept up its attempts to force lulas name onto the ballot box registering him as a candidate two weeks ago1 the courts decision would be open to appeal magistrate henrique neves a former electoral court member told afp1 the vote punctuated a gripping case that has roiled the country for months with lula 72 remaining the top contender among brazilians to lead latin americas largest economy despite sitting behind bars since april for accepting a bribe1 the court decision dropped late in the night but before the spots of presidential hopefuls were set to broadcast1 lula was found guilty in july 2017 and then lost a first appeal in january1 nonetheless un committee member olivier de frouville told afp that lula should be allowed to organize and campaign even from jail1 brazil is technically obliged to abide by those findings but the government in brasilia described the committees conclusions as a recommendation that is not legally binding1 former trade union leader lula is also involved in another five ongoing court cases1 but he is adored by millions of brazilians due to the prosperity brazil enjoyed under his leadership from 2003 to 20101 he left office with a popularity rating of over 80 percent1 despite the uncertainty over his ability to stand lula currently leads polls with more than double the share of his nearest challenger the right-winger jair bolsonaro1 but the pts second choice looks hopeless1 former sao paulo governor fernando haddad who will stand if lula is barred commands little popular support1 however the political chaos has had wider repercussions in the country with the currency losing 20 percent of its value against the dollar since january1 lulas social media followers remain upbeat though. the pt launched an appeal for support on twitter after which a hashtag translating as lula on the ballot box quickly began trending1

Bush, Obama set to wish McCain the final farewell
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the president asked me to be here on behalf of a grateful nation to pay a debt of honour and respect to a man who served our country throughout his life in uniform and in public office1 late us senator john mccain will receive his final public sendoff saturday in a nationally televised ceremony featuring eulogies from two ex-presidents but with current commander in chief donald trump conspicuously absent from the proceedings1 that the men who vanquished mccain in their presidential battles were asked to speak is testament to the former war prisoners commitment to looking beyond party and signalling that americans regardless of political affiliation are rowing together in the same boat1 amid todays inflammatory political environment the message could serve as a soothing balm for a nation bruised by two years of divisive discourse1 and the absence of trump whose bitter feud with mccain has wrangled us politics during that time will serve as a final rebuke of the president highlighting the clash between a republican elder statesman and the current president from his own party1 mccains last public event before he is laid to rest sunday in a private ceremony at the us naval academy in annapolis maryland comes a day after he was accorded the rare recognition of lying in state in the us capitol1 while members of congress honored one of their own in a touching ceremony that featured an address by vice president mike pence trump was again not there1 instead he holed up in the white house and remained uncharacteristically silent on twitter during the ceremony before flying to a political event in north carolina later in the day1 mccains widow cindy his seven children and his 106-year-old mother roberta mccain joined scores of members of congress state governors diplomats and other dignitaries at the somber rotunda ceremony1 pence in his tribute told mccains family that it is deeply humbling to stand before you today at the united states capitol to commemorate the life and service of an american patriot1 republican george w. bush and democrat barack obama will deliver remarks honoring their friend and former white house challenger at a memorial service in washingtons national cathedral that mccain planned himself in recent months as he battled brain cancer1 it was an awkward message to deliver from a president who has studiously refrained from praising mccain either during his illness or since his death1 their feud took root during trumps 2016 campaign when he questioned the notion mccain was a war hero because he had been captured after his navy fighter jet was shot down over hanoi in 19671 mccain pushed back in the following months calling trumps behaviour petty and disgraceful and in one of his final acts in the senate blocked the republican effort to repeal obamas health care law known as obamacare1 mccain the aviator spent more than five years in a vietnamese prison camp returning home to launch a political career that saw him eventually run for president in 2000 but lose the nomination to bush1 eight years later he won the nomination in a contest that seemed almost predestined only to lose the election to obama who became americas first black president1 saturdays ceremony could serve as a rehabilitation of sorts for bush who will be delivering one of his most high-profile addresses since leaving the white house nearly 10 years ago1 he has endured deep criticism for controversially leading the us into war in iraq an invasion that mccain steadfastly supported at first but eventually grew to believe was a mistake1 for obama the moment will allow him to share his thoughts about a presidential campaign rival whose magnanimity in defeat only boosted his stature as an american statesman1 tonight more than any night i hold in my heart nothing but love for this country and for all its citizens whether they supported me or senator obama mccain said at the time1 i wish godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president1

Bank of Japan vows to keep the lid on interest rate
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we dont specify the period such as whether it is one year three years or five years he was quoted as saying1 the bank of japan will not raise interest rates for quite a long time its chief said in an interview published saturday even as its us and european peers tighten monetary policy1 we dont intend to raise them for quite a long time he told the mass-circulation yomiuri newspaper1 the boj has struggled for years to reach the 2.0 percent inflation rate thought necessary to turbocharge japans economy and has defended its decision to maintain monetary easing even as other central banks tighten policy1 after its last policy meeting in july the boj said it intends to maintain the current extremely low levels of short-and long-term interest rates for an extended period of time1 kuroda told the yomiuri that an extended period a phrase borrowed from the us central bank meant quite a long time1 haruhiko kuroda dismissed speculation that the central bank was planning to adjust its super-loose policy aimed at keeping long-term interest rates around zero percent and short-term rates at minus 0.1 percent1 its a commitment that we will maintain the current low levels of rates as long as uncertainty lingers1 his remarks are in sharp contrast to the direction the us and european central banks are taking. the us federal reserve is expected to raise interest rates twice more by the end of the year while the european central bank is exiting massive monetary easing1 kuroda argued that the continuation of the bojs easing policy would naturally lead to 2.0 percent inflation even if later than earlier thought the yomiuri said1 the prospect that japanese interest rates will stay low for the foreseeable future should keep the yen low but the currency has often rallied in recent times due to safe-haven buying in times of financial uncertainty1 mostly recently the yen rose against other major currencies when the turkish lira plunged due to ankaras frictions with washington rattling financial markets1

Lack of safe water affects childrens learning Community Leader
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they are expected not only to assist their mothers to fetch water but also to help with household chores that are made more time-intensive because of the lack of readily available water1 furthermore the lack of clean water means the absence of sanitary facilities and latrines in schools and so once puberty hits this has a more serious impact on female children1 according to him inadequate safe water sanitation and hygiene facilities affect the education health safety and quality of life of children as children under the age of five die each year from diarrhoea1 mohammed stressed that providing quality water sanitation and hygiene wash services in schools would reduce hygiene-related diseases and could help curb the schools days missed daily due to fatigue occasioned by search for water1 according to him girls are reluctant to continue their schooling when toilets and washing facilities are not private safe clean or simply not available1 the community leader therefore urged government policy makers school administrators communities and parents to ensure that all children go to a school with child-friendly water sanitation and hygiene facilities1 he also urged decision-makers and key stakeholders to increase investment for wash in schools with the participation of communities civil society the media students and children themselves1 he said providing wash facilities in schools would improve access to primary education reduce child mortality and halve the proportion of people without access to safe water and basic sanitation1 mohammed commended the network for civil society organisations in water and sanitation newsan and wateraid nigeria for launching the vote4wash campaign adding that it would go a long way in the quest for the provision of wash facilities in the communities. nan1

Osinbajo honours late RCCG pastor, Adeloye
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the vice president prof. yemi osinbajo on friday attended the funeral service of late pastor oluwayemisi adeloye of the redeemed christian church of god rccg1 the vice- president attended the funeral service which was held at rccg dominion sanctuary ikeja alongside his wife mrs dolapo osinbajo1 aged 58 adeloyes ministerial work took her to several stations both in nigeria and abroad1 she was the first programme coordinator of women in ministry of rccg1 delivering a sermon at the service pastor charles achonwa general overseer doulos ministries said that adeloye lived an exemplary life worthy of emulation1 achonwa said that the late pastor was an epitome of what a good wife should be1 in his tribute adeloyes son joshua adeloye described his late mother as a tireless worker and gods servant who impacted immensely on her family and society in general1

Benue to demolish houses contravening laws
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mr abraham gbileeka the general manager of benue urban development board says the board has marked no fewer than 300 buildings that contravene law for demolition in makurdi1 he said in an interview with the news agency of nigeria nan on saturday in makurdi that most of the affected structures were built on water channels1 its true that people are building on water channels and it is our responsibility as a board to stop them the only action we have to sustain the right thing1 once we discover that you have not received a legitimate approval from the board and you have gone ahead to build we serve you a notice which will lead to demolition1 so at the moment we already have 300 houses marked for demolition in makurdi alone he said1 the general manager also said that the structures marked for demolition were not only built on water canals but lack government approval1 gbilekaa said that areas that would be affected are nyiman extension achussa genabe owner occupier wadata and high-level naka road and some communities in north bank1 he however explained that marking a house does not necessarily lead to demolition as houses were marked sometimes because they have no records with the board1 gbilekaa warned the residents of the state against raising illegal structures that such buildings stand the risk of being demolished1 he also advised them to ensure that due process was followed when obtaining approval for their structures.nan1

For 'groping' Ariana Grande, Bishop apologies
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for groping ariana grande1 bishop apologies1

Apple set to launch new iPhones with Bigger screen
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apple set to launch new iphones with bigger screen1

Modric crowned UEFA player of the year
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the award recognises the best players irrespective of nationality playing for a club within the territory of a uefa member association during the past season1 real madrid and croatia star luka modric on thursday received the accolade of uefa player of the year in monaco beating his former teammate cristiano ronaldo and liverpools mohamed salah to the prize1 i can say for sure that this has been the best year of my career collectively and individually and i am enjoying the moment added the 32-year-old who was announced as the winner of the prize after thursdays draw in monaco for this seasons champions league group stage1 modric started out at dinamo zagreb and then had four years with tottenham hotspur before real prised him away six years ago1 his success here after he was named the best player at the world cup confirms that he should be among the favourites to win the ballon dor a prize dominated by ronaldo and lionel messi over the last decade1 salah was in attendance at the grimaldi forum on thursday but ronaldo now with juventus was not there1 im sorry that he couldnt be here. i am sure there is a reason why he couldnt come. i would have liked to see him. hopefully we will see each other soon somewhere else said modric of his old colleague1 modric has also been linked with a move away from real this summer with inter milan said to be keen on him but he claims to be more than happy in the spanish capital1 as i have always said i am at the best club in the world where i want to be. i am not just happy but very happy to be here1 reals achievement in winning yet another champions league last season was further recognised as modric also won the uefa award for the best midfielder of last season1 his clubmate sergio ramos was named best defender while real shot-stopper keylor navas won the best goalkeeper prize1 ronaldo in his absence was awarded the prize for best striker chosen by champions league and europa league coaches from last season and journalists1 im very happy to receive this great prize. i have worked hard for this to get to the highest point possible said modric who starred in the real side that won the champions league for the third year running before also leading croatia to the world cup final1 danish international pernille harder of german club wolfsburg won the uefa womens player of the year prize1 wolfsburg lost to dominant french outfit lyon in the champions league final in kiev in may1 there was also an award for david beckham the former manchester united madrid and england star collecting the uefa presidents award for his achievements in the game and his work since retiring as a player1 201718 luka modri real madrid1 201617 cristiano ronaldo real madrid1 201516 cristiano ronaldo real madrid1 201415 lionel messi barcelona1 201314 cristiano ronaldo real madrid1 201213 franck ribry bayern1 201112 andrs iniesta barcelona1 201011 lionel messi barcelona1

Heroic reception for ex-Kwara governors aide
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so bukola spent eight years without doing the road bukola saraki brought abdulfatah and this is all most his eight years the road is yet to be done he said1 heroic reception heralded mallam abdullahi danbaba an aide of governor abdullahi ahmed who resigned his appointment to remain in all progressives congress apc1 residents and supporters joined danbaba to rally round the community chanting anti-people democratic partys pdp and anti-saraki slogans1 some of the residents lamented that the community had suffered protracted neglect in infrastructural development particularly road construction1 alhaji ahmed usman the chairman kaiama development association explained that the community had been die hard loyalists of saraki dynasty without any development1 we have suffered a lot. we were being pushed to wall in time of infrastructure. that is why the people of kaiama are saying enough is enough1 for more than 30 years now late father of bukola saraki olusola saraki would come here and campaign that if we vote for him he would do kishi-kaiama road1 a mammoth crowd trooped out on thursday in kaiama kaiama local government area of kwara to receive danbaba who snubbed the governors defection to peoples democratic party pdp.1 usman added that there could not be any development without road particularly that kaiama was the food basket of the north-west south-west and north-central in term of yam yam flour maize guinea corn and soya beans among others1 he noted that people were frustrated to come around to buy yam because of the bad road noting that all the three roads that linked the community with the neighbourhood were in deplorable condition1 a youth abubakar kakagida said that the people were so patient to have followed saraki this far1 according to him the community has been deceived more than enough in the name of constructing kishi-kaiama road1 we the community are the one that called him to resign and come to back to the apc because we could not achieve our aspiration on sarakis platform1 meanwhile danbaba expressed delight over the warm and heroic reception saying his resignation had been justified by the turn out of the people. nan1

Saraki joins PDPs presidential aspirants
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by ifeanyi nwoko15 i therefore ask you and all well-meaning nigerians to join hands with me in this noble cause.my brothers my sisters lets grow nigeria together he said1 saraki made the declaration on thursday while meeting with young nigerians who want to run for office in 2019 under the nottooyoungtorun act that was passed by the national assemly and assented to by president muhammadu buhari1 he said i hereby announce my intention to run for the office of president of the federal republic of nigeria in the coming general elections in 2019 on the platform of the peoples democratic party pdp. i do so with the firm conviction that i have what it takes to secure inclusive growth for nigeria and nigerians1 according to a tweet by a special assistant to saraki on new media mr olu onemola on twitter he wrote live video the president of the senate dr. abubakar bukola saraki has just declared his intention to seek the office of the president of the federal republic of nigeria1 while speaking with the youths saraki said that his decision to seek the highest office in the country was in view of the numerous challenges being faced by the country and by nigerians1 he said that it was unthinkable that nigeria with its young population with over 70 per cent of its people under the age of 40 still could not take advantage of the youthful population which is envied by the western world1 he lamented that all over the country nigerians were crying out for succour with many people going hungry while others die of avoidable and treatable diseases1 the harsh conditions of extreme poverty faced by the people fuels the state of insecurity all over the country. hunger lack of education and lack of opportunities push many nigerians into criminal activities including terrorism1 many of our communities are paralysed with fear due to incessant communal crises kidnappings and other social ills as well as the threat of terrorism. we are failing abysmally to tackle the problems of today and to prepare for the future he said1 the president of the senate dr bukola saraki has officially declared to run for president in the 2019 general elections1 he therefore stressed that something must be done about the situation of things in every sphere of the country stressing that it was for the sake of offering solutions that he was declaring to run1 it is with all these in mind and taking account of the challenges that i have outlined that i have decided to answer the call of teeming youth who have asked me to run for president1 accordingly i hereby announce my intention to run for the office of president of the federal republic of nigeria in the coming general elections in 2019 on the platform of the peoples democratic party pdp. i do so with the firm conviction that i have what it takes to secure inclusive growth for nigeria and nigerians1 my plan for nigeria has inclusion in all aspects of the countrys affairs as a central pillar. every citizen has the inalienable right to feel a sense of belonging no matter their background or creed or what part of the country they come from. no matter who you voted for or what your convictions are government must work for you1 your generation does not deserve to live in the poverty capital of the world. it is no longer an issue of how we got here but how do we get out of this situation i promise you that i will lead the fight and employ every god-given resource available to us in turning things around. i am determined to grow nigeria out of poverty. we will stimulate the growth of small and medium enterprises smes as one of the ways of energising the economy and to create wealth for our people especially the youth1 he pledged to secure nigeria by redesigning the security architecture and equipping security agencies address infrastructural deficits in power and transportation defend the constitutional rights of all nigerians and uphold the principle of the rule of law at all times1 he assured the youths that he would not be selective in fighting corruption adding that he would ensure that all institutions of government would be allowed to function without undue inteference1 i offer leadership driven by empathy. where leaders are responsive to the citizens. where they know that government cares. we will not be indifferent or turn a blind eye to the real concerns of our people. every single nigerian life matters1 i have deliberately chosen the opportunity of being here with you my number one constituency who i see as the future of our great country to make my intention known. i believe the nigerian youth are critical to rebuilding and growing the economy and restoring our national pride1 saraki went on to say that the economy was in dire need of urgentrevival in order for nigeria to grow adding that nigerians have become more divided than ever before between the haves and the have-nots1

Tambuwal squares up to Saraki
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but i believe that pdp of today is capable of organising free fair credible and transparent primaries1 senate president bukola saraki who announced his aspiration for the office of president may be pitted with his ally and governor of sokoto state alhaji aminu tambuwal who has picked his nomination form for the same office on the same ticket of peoples democratic party pdp1 many of them defected at the same time from the ruling all progressives congress apc to regroup to upstage traditional members of pdp1 among others gunning for the slot are a two- time governor of kano alhaji rabiu kwankwaso ex-vice president atiku abubakar ex-governor of jigawa alhaji sule lamido and others1 tambuwal who arrived the partys national secretariat wadata plaza with his supporters at few minutes 6.p.m left at about 7. 10 p.m1 tambuwal told newsmen shortly after he picked the form that he was confident that the pdp leaders would conduct credible elections if the aspirants did not go for consensus candidate1 i cant say there is no need for consensus it is part of democratic process. if there is a possibility of it why not if it is not possible then we all go for the primaries1 there are a dozen of other bigwigs of the party many of whom belong to the same political camp1 tambuwal said that going by his antecedents he had the capability to confront the all progressives congress apc and its likely candidate1 i believe you need to check back my political antecedents. i have always confronted with this kind of hostile environment1 you remember how i emerged as speaker of house of representatives and how i remained there as speaker of house of representatives1 so i am not discouraged by whatever that may come up as a challenge from the administration1 on the issue of herdsmenfarmers crisis tambuwal said it was a major security concern to every nigerian1 we must look at the issue very comprehensively and proffer solution to it1 i believe it is an issue every responsible government must address and i assure you we can take it head on and resolve it. nan1

Nigeria to exploit green fund for development-Minister
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he said that towards that end the environment ministry was working closely with the federal ministry of power works and housing to generate renewable energy as a way of mitigating the effect of climate change1 by patricia amogu the federal government said on thursday that it would explore all possible avenues to ensure that nigeria benefitted immensely from the green climate fund gcf.1 the minister of state for environment malam ibrahim jibril stated this at a gala dinner and certificates award night organised by the african unions au scientific technical and research commission in abuja to mark the end of a three-day capacity building consultative workshop for au member states1 the consultative workshop was an avenue to train representatives of african states on how to access the gcf1 according to the minister accessing the fund will go a long way towards addressing climate change-related issues in the country1 the green climate fund is an operating entity of the un financial mechanism to assist developing countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change1 he added that it was in a bid to address climate-related issues that nigeria became the first african country to raise the sovereign green bond in line with the objectives of the paris agreement of 2015 to which it is a signatory1 the minister stated that the government would encourage the 36 states of the federation to put proposals that would stand the test of time and to benefit from the gcf1 he then urged participants to return to their various countries and apply the knowledge and lessons learned during the interactive sessions to help grow the various agencies parastatals organisations and academic institutions in their countries1 highpoint of the evening was the award of certificates of participation to all the key stakeholders participants and resource persons1 the new agency of nigeria nan reports that at least 20 african countries were represented at the workshop1

Nigeria, others get UKs solar energy support
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the countries are nigeria ghana somalia senegal and ethiopia1 nigeria ghana somalia senegal and ethiopia has been listed to benefit from uk governments support in growing solar technology companies1 a statement from the british high commission in abuja noted that the uk minister of state for africa harriett baldwin made the announcement on wednesday1 baldwin who accompanied prime minister theresa may to nigeria said that supporting such companies to provide clean energy to off-grid households in africa would improve the livelihoods of people1 africas solar industry is vibrant and exciting full of potential to transform the lives of millions of people who are still living off the grid1 by sharing british expertise were allowing this industry to flourish helping the poorest to access clean sustainable energy while also opening up opportunities for uk business and investment1 this is a win for african countries and a win for the uk she said1 the high commission in the statement mentioned that the uk aid through the department for international development dfid was helping to boost opportunities for early stage businesses in africa1 it stated that the opportunities were made available through the africa enterprise challenge fund aecf and a new round of the fund was being launched in five sub-saharan african countries1 the project is designed to help more than 11 million people across the sub-saharan africa countries have access to solar electricity1 a new round of the aecf 16 million is being launched providing grants loans and business development support to small businesses creating innovative household solar products and appliances1 this programme will help up to 1.5 million poor people in sub-saharan africa by 2022 access clean affordable modern energy with a focus on women and children1 it added that the uk aid would also help governments reduce the barriers in the growth of solar companies in africa and lay the groundwork for 14 partner sub-saharan african countries in clean energy1 support to dfids clean energy technical assistance facility 15.5 million will work across 14 countries in sub-saharan africa including nigeria and kenya1 it pointed out that the uk aid would increase its support to the energise africa impact investment platform to help 1500 new uk small investors provide the necessary finance needed1 it added that the platform would connect 125000 more people to affordable solar energy allowing the programme to reach a total of 325000 people1 energise africa to date has raised 4.8 million from 1000 investors to help more than 195000 access affordable solar energy1 strengthening the solar market in africa is opening up opportunities for the uks own pioneering solar industry to access the untapped potential offered by african markets. nan1

1,700 Nigerians in Libya prisons
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we are happy that they are in this very group that are arrived today thursday1 no fewer than 1700 nigerians are serving various jail terms in accessible prisons in libya and many others are held in rebels areas1 kefas said that were still many other nigerians held for various offences in various prisons in the area being controlled by the rebels which still remained inaccessible to the mission1 our major issue now apart from bilateral issue with libya is the issue of migrant crisis the federal government as at today evacuated 3801 irregular migrants in the last few months1 he said that the 165 irregular migrants arrived at the murtal mohammed airport in lagos on thursday 1 there are six of them that are dead and are in the mortuary as we cannot locate their families because many of them change names when they get there he said1 according to him out of the 165 irregular migrants that arrived are 109 that appealed for rescue through a video few weeks ago1 we have 109 that few weeks ago appealed t the president and religious leaders to come to their help through a video that went viral1 the charge d affairs nigeria mission to libya mr alex kefas confirmed as he also report that 165 stranded nigerian irregular migrants were on thursday evacuated from libya by nigeria1 the mission has been doing a lot to ensure the welfare of the migrants some of them were taken to the hospitals for child delivery he said1 he said that the mission had been getting support from the federal government of nigeria to improve funding to take care of challenges that it had been facing1 the issue we are talking about is not that we are not doing anything the european union international organisation on migration and un have been doing their best1 but one of the challenges is that some of the migrants have insisted that europe is their destination and we cannot stop them according to international law1 some of them refused to be repatriated and nobody could be forced to come back home it is not possible he said1 according to him about 65 of those categories were rescued from the high seas recently and this is almost on weekly basis1 some are still there as we speak even among those that sent the video recorded have refused to be repatriated so but we are still appealing to them to reconsider their steps he said1

UN renews zeal to rescue Lake Chad
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this will effectively address the drivers conflict that contributed to the emergence of boko haram and isil with a particular focus on longer term development needs he said1 the un has renewed support for the stability and resilience to take embattled lake chad basin out of crisis and to put it on the path to sustainable development1 the un said the resilience of the boko haram group in the lake chad basin since 2009 posed enormous security humanitarian and governance challenges1 four countries caught up in the insurgency are cameroon chad niger and nigeria1 un said the boko haram had displaced nearly 2.4 million people in the lake chad sub-region1 undp and the entire un system stand ready to support the lake chad basin countries and partners to ensure an inclusive sustainable and accountable implementation of the regional stabilisation strategy1 and put the lake chad sub-region on the path to sustainable development1 according to him the un is working closely with the government of nigeria and other lake chad basin countries in their relief and recovery efforts in addressing the needs of affected population1 he said that the visit of the un security council to the region in march 2017 and the subsequent adoption of un security council resolution 2349 2017 further galvanised the world attention to the crisis in the lake chad1 the adoption of the strategy fulfilled the security councils resolution 2349 that among others called for regional organisations to develop a comprehensive strategy1 mr edward kallon the un resident and humanitarian coordinator and undp resident representative in nigeria said abuja at the ministerial conference on the validation and adoption of the regional strategy on stabilisation of boko haram affected areas of the lake chad region1 kallon stressed the need for the collaborative efforts to mobilise resources to implement the strategy1 our task now is to take this forward and mobilise required resources to implement the strategy1 the high level conference on the lake chad region in berlin slated for sept. 2 and 3 will have a concrete regional stabilisation strategy to build on he said1 also speaking the eu ambassador to nigeria and ecowas mr ketil karlsen said that the strategy was more needed now than any other time1 the ambassador said that eu would support the depth implementation of the strategy1 karslen stressed the need to recognise the significant progress and the achievement by the stakeholders in solving the crisis in nigerias northeast and lake chad basin regions1 he expressed concern that with the magnitude of the crisis it had been one of those overlooked crisis in the global scale1 he said that the eu supports the integration approach to solving crisis stressing for need to combine political and financial strength to end the crisis successfully1 he said the eu has been and will remain supportive in the fight against insurgence in the lake chad basin stressing that the union had spent more than 700 million euros in its humanitarian assistance in the area. nan1

Buhari, South West strategise on Osun guber
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president muhammadu buhari has hosted south west caucus of the all progressives congress apc to a dinner to strategise on osun governorship election coming up on sept. 221 the national chairman of apc comrade adams oshiohmole had on wednesday inaugurated a 63-member national campaign council for the osun governorship election1 the campaign council is headed by governor abdullahi ganduje of kano state1 the dinner was attended by vice-president yemi osinbajo apc national leader asiwaju bola tinubu south west apc nec and nwc members as well as governors of osun ondo oyo and kano states1 mr gboyega oyetola the osun apc gubernatorial candidate was officially presented to the president at the event. nan1

The Earth ecosystem risks major transformation for worse: Scientists
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afp25 the earths forests deserts landscapes and vital ecosystems risk a major transformation in the next century due to climate change international scientists have warned1 in the next 100-150 years these changes will likely extend to savannas deserts and woodlands upsetting ecosystems and imperiling plant and animal life particularly in areas like europe and the united states researchers warned in the journal science1 if we allow climate change to go unchecked the vegetation of this planet is going to look completely different than it does today and that means a huge risk to the diversity of the planet said co-author jonathan overpeck dean of the school for environment and sustainability at the university of michigan1 the report is based on fossil and temperature records from a period that began 21000 years ago when the last ice age ended and the planet warmed seven to 13 degrees fahrenheit 4-7 degrees celsius1 but experts say their predictions are conservative since this historical warming caused by natural variability took place over a much longer period from the last glacial maximum 21000 years ago until the early holocene about 10000 years ago1 but human-caused climate change is different. the burning of fossil fuels like oil and coal emits heat-trapping gases around the planet. the earth is currently heating up at much quicker pace1 were talking about the same amount of change in 10-to-20 thousand years thats going to be crammed into a century or two said stephen jackson director of the us geological surveys southwest climate adaptation center1 ecosystems are going to be scrambling to catch up1 some of these changes are already under way in the southwestern united states where massive wildfires are destroying pine forests and transforming swaths of territory into shrubland1 every continent except antarctica was included1 the most significant changes were seen in the mid-to-high latitudes of north america europe and southern south america1 these were regions that had been most covered in glaciers and which warmed up the most as the climate shifted1 researchers calculated that if little is done to contain current emissions the probability of large-scale vegetation change is greater than 60 percent1 however if greenhouse gasses are limited to levels targeted in the 2015 paris agreement the probability of large-scale vegetation change is less than 45 percent1 shifting landscapes would affect not only the forests but drinking water river flow and water recreation1 and the loss of forests could unleash even faster global warming because important carbon sinks would disappear1 a lot of the carbon now locked up by vegetation around the planet could be released to the atmosphere further amplifying the magnitude of the climate change overpeck said1 researchers described their work as the most comprehensive study to date based on pollen and plant-fossil records from 594 sites worldwide dating back to between 21000 and 14000 years ago1