The Delta Police Command has confirmed the abduction of Rev. Father Christopher Ogaga, a Catholic Priest in Aragba, Oviri-Okpe, Okpe Local Government Area of the state.

The Commissioner of Police in Delta, Mr Muhammad Mustafa, confirmed the priests kidnapped to newsmen on Monday in Warri.

Mustafa said that operatives of the command had begun a search to ensure the safe release of the victim.

Yes, we are already searching for the kidnappers; he was kidnapped two days ago, the police chief said.

Meanwhile, a source said that Ogaga was allegedly kidnapped by gunmen around Arava-Oviri-Orere-Okpe Road on his way to Warri on Saturday.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, said the victim, who is also the Principal of St. Peters Clavers College, Aghalokpe, left Aghalopke, Sapele at about 9:00p.m.

The source said the kidnapped priest was going for the Sunday morning mass at the Parish Priest of Mother of Redeemer Catholic Church, Airport Junction, Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta.

Ogaga was driving alone on his way to Warri when he was kidnapped.

He left the house and was heading to Warri through Arava-Oviri-Orere-Okpe Road; that is the route he usually take to Warri.

He usually travelled to Warri alone every Sunday. We were supposed to go with him that Saturday, the source said.

The source, however, said that the kidnappers were demanding for a ransom of N15 million to secure the release of the cleric. (NAN)

Source: NAN

British authorities are preparing to deport Kweku Adoboli, a 38 year-old Ghanaian former UBS trader, jailed for the countrys biggest fraud, which cost the Swiss bank $2.25 billion.

His case made global headlines when he was arrested in 2011 and tried in 2012 over the huge losses to UBS, caused by trades far in excess of his authorized risk limits which he had pretended to hedge by booking fictitious off-setting trades.

Hopewell-Smith added that he understood Adoboli had now been moved to an immigration removal centre and that the interior ministry had indicated its intention to deport him to Ghana on or after Sept. 10.

It is still hoped that the (interior minister) will have the common sense not to deport an individual that is so obviously an asset to our community, Hopewell-Smith said, referring to Adobolis work which includes campaigning for cultural change in financial services.

Even though Adoboli, has lived in Britain since he was 12, he does not have citizenship. He has been appealing against a 2014 order by British authorities that he should be sent back to Ghana as a foreign criminal.

Adoboli says he is remorseful and should be allowed to stay in Britain because of strong personal ties in the country and the public interest in his advocacy work.

Regulators banned him from working in the financial services industry in 2015, while UBS was fined 29.7 million pounds ($38 million) for systems and control failures.

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari has declined assent to the amended Electoral Bill 2018 due to some drafting issues that were not addressed following the prior revisions to the Bill.

Sen. Ita Enang, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), made this known in a statement in Abuja on Monday.

The presidential aide said that already, the president had communicated his position to the Senate and the House of Representatives on Aug. 30.

Mr President is declining assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill due to some drafting issues that remain unaddressed following the prior revisions to the Bill.

Mr President invites the Senate and House of Representatives to address these issues as quickly as possible so that he may grant assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill.

Enang listed the outstanding issues that need to be resolved to include a cross referencing error in the proposed amendment to Section 18 of the Bill.

The appropriate amendment is to substitute the existing sub-section (2) with the proposed subsection (1A), while the proposed sub-section (1B) is the new sub-section (2A).

The proposed amendment to include a new Section 87 (14) which stipulates a specific period within which political party primaries are required to be held.

It has the unintended consequence of leaving INEC with only nine days to collate and compile lists of candidates and political parties as well as manage the primaries of 91 political parties for the various elections.

He explained that the Electoral Amendment Bill did not amend sections 31, 34 and 85 which stipulated times for the submission of lists of candidates, publication of lists of candidates and notice of convention, congresses for nominating candidates for elections.

For clarity, may I provide some details of the provisions referenced; Clause 87 (14) states.

The dates for the primaries shall not be earlier than 120 days and not later than 90 days before the date of elections to the offices.

The Electoral Act 2010 referred to herein states in Section 31:that every Political Party shall not later than 60 days before the date appointed for ageneral election, submit to the commission the list of candidates the party proposes to sponsor at the elections.

Section 34: That the Commission shall at least 30 days before the day of the election publish a statement of the full names and addresses of all candidates standing nominated.

Section 85 (1):That a Political Party shall give the Commission at least 21 days notice of any convention, congress etc., for electing members of its executive committees or nominating candidates for any of the elective offices.

According to him, for the avoidance of doubt, neither the Constitution nor any written law allows a President or a Governor to whom a bill is forwarded by the legislature to edit, correct, amend or in any manner alter the provisions of any such bill to reflect appropriate intent before assenting to same.

He is to assent in the manner it is or to withhold assent.

He further disclosed that Buhari had communicated his action to the National Assembly on the National Agricultural Seeds Council Bill, 2018 and the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2017, earlier transmitted to him.

The presidents actions on the Chartered Institute of Entrepreneurship (Establishment) Bill, 2018, and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2017, were also communicated to both chambers of the assembly.

Others are the Subsidiary Legislation (Legislative Scrutiny) Bill, 2018; National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (Establishment) Bill, 2018, and National Research and Innovation Council (Establishment) Bill, 2017.(NAN)

Source: NAN

Four commercial banks donated a total of N980 million to the Nigerian Police Force in 2017 to support its activities, with the banks incurring the wrath of their shareholders.

Checks by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) indicated that the banks were United Bank of Africa (UBA), Guaranty Trust Bank, FCMB Group and Fidelity Bank.

A breakdown of the figures contained in the commercial banks 2017 annual reports obtained by NAN showed that UBA gave the sum of N300 million during the review period.

Guaranty Trust Bank also donated N300 million, FCMB and Fidelity Bank contributed N180 million each.

Speaking on the contributions, Mr Moses Igbrude, Publicity Secretary, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria, said that the donations were not voluntary but imposed on banks in the name of improving security.

Igbrude said the donations should be voluntarily and not by force, noting that it was not the duty of the banks to fund the Police Force.

While I have no problem with corporate bodies contributing or donating toward improving or assisting the NPF it should not be by force or seen as if it is the banks duty to fund the Police Force.

Anything that increases expenses and reduces the value of an investment is not what shareholders will support, he said.

Igbrude said the burden on banks was so much, and that they provide everything for themselves despite the taxes they paid to the government.

A branch of a bank is like a local government, it provides water, light, security and other things necessary to run that branch.

You want banks to create employment, to kick start the economy by providing funding yet they are burdened with various impediment like AMCON levies, among others.

So what is the role of government in all these? Igbrude asked.

He said the government and the regulators should allow the managements of banks to contribute to security through their individual corporate social responsibility initiatives rather than by compulsion.

Mr Boniface Okezie, National Coordinator, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, said there was nothing wrong with the donations provided it was channelled for specified purpose.

Okezie said banks should identify urgent needs of the police such as accommodation or provision portable boreholes.

He said the provision of basic amenities would be preferable instead of donating cash.

Okezie said shareholders should not be shortchanged, and that every fund was important when it had to do with return on investment.

Also speaking, Mazi Okechukwu Unegbu, former President, Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, said it was the responsibility of the government to provide security for its citizens and to make the business environment right for businesses to thrive.

He said the donations by banks were meant to secure banks facilities and the environment around the banks, noting that the support started a long time ago.

Unegbu said the question remained whether the police utilised the money for the purpose it was meant.

He said the banks were trying in terms of support but could not control the police or do more than contributing the money.

According to him, in other countries banks do not fund the Police because they have good security environment contributed by various police divisions unlike Nigeria where it is centralised.

He, however, called on banks to sponsor specific projects that would affect the lives of the police instead of donating funds.

Prof. Sheriffdeen Tella, Professor of Economics, Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago-Iwoye, told NAN that banks, just like any organization, must engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Since the Police assist the banks in security matter, it is important that part of the CSR be spent on them as organisations not individuals.

For example, purchase of vehicles for operations can be taken up under CSR, not building police station.

However, Mr Nnamdi Okonkwo, Fidelity Bank Managing Director, told the shareholders recently that it was an initiative of the Bankers Committee aimed at supporting the Nigerian Police.

Okonkwo said that the committee agreed to support the police by equipping them and as well as provide other things needed to make their jobs easier. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Serena Williams despatched her older sister in two straight sets 6-1 6-2 on Friday, making the 30th career showdown at Flushing Meadows in New York a one-sided affair.

The 23 Grand Slam winner was literally on fire against her sister, merciless in her blistering returns and making Venus look more like her apprentice.

Venus tried though to salvage things, but it was not just her night as Serena played her best match since her return to tennis after giving birth to her daughter Olympia in September. She played pitch-perfect tennis to outlast her elder sister after 71 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

However, in her post match interview, Serena showed her sister a lot of respect.

Its not easy. Shes my best friend. she means the world to me. Shes supportive of my career and Im supportive of her career, Serena said.

Every time she loses I feel like I do. Its not very easy but its a tournament and we know theres more to life than playing each other and playing tennis.

I love her with all my heart. Shes the reason Im here. Shes the only reason Im still out here. After God, I definitely owe everything to her.

Serena next meets Kaia Kanepi, the 33 year-old Estonian star, who beat Rebecca Peterson 6-3 7-6 in an earlier third round match.

Kanepi had defeated Simona Halep 62, 64 in the first round becoming the first player in US Open history and just sixth in Grand Slam history to beat the top-seeded player in the first round.

Serena and Kanepi last played at this very tournament in 2014, and is the six-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist only defeat in a Round of 16 match at a major tournament.

The highly-anticipated encounter between Serena and Venus was their first at the US Open in three years, when they faced off in the 2015 quarterfinals as Serena aimed to complete the elusive Calendar Year Grand Slam.

After each held serve to start the match, Serena quickly caught fire, winning the next seven games to edge ahead a set and a break, even saving a break point early in the second set.

Venus, who reached the semifinals at this event last year narrowly losing to eventual champion Sloane Stephens interrupted her sisters momentum with a service hold, but Serena would not be denied on Friday night. She had an insurance break and served out the victory shortly thereafter.

In all, Serena struck a dazzling 34 winners to just 22 unforced errors including 10 aces and won a whopping 88 per cent of points behind her first serve.

*With reports by wtatennis.com

Source: NAN

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 election.

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 state.

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 party.

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 settlement.

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 case.

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 administration.

From our findings, the Elders Forum is aware that thecase is still pending in the Federal High Court, Abuja

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 general.

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 law.

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 aspirants

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 office.

Oni, as the Claimant/Applicant filed the suit before a Federal HighCourt, Abuja presided over by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba. The suit ismarked FHC/ABJ/CS/663/18.

Joined as Defendants/Respondents in the case are Dr. Fayemi, APC and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Justice Dimgba on 20th August issued an ex parte order for substituted service on the defendants.

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 supporters.

Source: NAN

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 2009.

Nigerias Ambassador/Permanent 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 headquarters.

The Nigerian envoy said that the comprehensive socio-economic Plan, known as Buhari Plan aimed to advance the humanitarian and development nexus in the country.

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 partners.

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 government.

It is to demonstrate its total and unshakable commitment to the socio-economic development of the entire area.

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 development.

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 May.

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 Chad.

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 watershed.

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 region.

The Nigerian envoy stressed the need for collaboration and cooperation among countries of the Lake Chad, the donors as well as humanitarian and development partners.

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 work.

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 crisis.

These responses need to be bolstered by strengthened coordination at the UN level to ensure a more synergised delivery of assistance, the Nigerian envoy emphasised.

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 region.

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 said.

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 Chad.

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 Commission.

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 problem.

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 vulnerability.

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. (NAN)

Source: NAN

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 election.

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 bribe.

In an extraordinary session the Superior Electoral Court dashed Lulas hopes after hours of debate, with the judges voting an overwhelming 6-1 against him.

Shortly thereafter, the former presidents Workers Party (PT) vowed to fight with all means to secure candidacy for the leftist icon.

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 statement.

We will defend Lula in the streets, with the people, because he is a candidate of hope.

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 suspense.

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 ongoing.

But the votes that followed torpedoed the former presidents bid for a third term.

Lula was sentenced to 12 years in prison for accepting a luxury seaside apartment as a bribe from a construction firm.

He vehemently denied the accusations and has dismissed the charges as a political plot aimed at preventing him from standing in the elections.

The PT has stubbornly kept up its attempts to force Lulas name onto the ballot box, registering him as a candidate two weeks ago.

The courts decision would be open to appeal, magistrate Henrique Neves, a former electoral court member, told AFP.

He said either party would also be able to lodge an appeal with the Supreme Court over the constitutional nature of the electoral courts ruling.

The court decision dropped late in the night but before the spots of presidential hopefuls were set to broadcast.

Lula was found guilty in July 2017 and then lost a first appeal in January.

Nonetheless, UN committee member Olivier de Frouville told AFP that Lula should be allowed to organize and campaign, even from jail.

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 binding.

Former trade union leader Lula is also involved in another five ongoing court cases.

But he is adored by millions of Brazilians due to the prosperity Brazil enjoyed under his leadership from 2003 to 2010.

He left office with a popularity rating of over 80 percent.

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 Bolsonaro.

But the PTs second choice looks hopeless.

Former Sao Paulo governor Fernando Haddad, who will stand if Lula is barred, commands little popular support.

However, the political chaos has had wider repercussions in the country with the currency losing 20 percent of its value against the dollar since January.

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 trending.

Source: NAN

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 proceedings.

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 cancer.

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 boat.

Amid todays inflammatory political environment the message could serve as a soothing balm for a nation bruised by two years of divisive discourse.

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 party.

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 Capitol.

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 there.

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 day.

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 ceremony.

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 patriot.

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 office.

It was an awkward message to deliver from a president who has studiously refrained from praising McCain, either during his illness or since his death.

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 1967.

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 Obamacare.

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 Bush.

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 president.

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 ago.

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 mistake.

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 statesman.

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 time.

I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president.

Source: NAN

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 policy.

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 percent

We dont intend to raise them for quite a long time, he told the mass-circulation Yomiuri newspaper.

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 policy.

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 time.

Kuroda told the Yomiuri that an extended period a phrase borrowed from the US central bank meant quite a long time.

We dont specify the period, such as whether it is one year, three years or five years, he was quoted as saying.

Its a commitment that we will maintain the current low levels (of rates) as long as uncertainty lingers.

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 easing.

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 said.

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 uncertainty.

Mostly recently the yen rose against other major currencies when the Turkish lira plunged due to Ankaras frictions with Washington, rattling financial markets.

Source: NAN