President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered an end to special legal status for certain immigrants from Liberia, including some who have lived in the United States for decades, effective next year, citing improved conditions in the West African nation.

Liberia is no longer experiencing armed conflict and has made significant progress in restoring stability and democratic governance, according to a memorandum signed by Trump and released by the White House.

Trump has pursued a crackdown on legal and illegal immigration since becoming president last year.

Some Liberians have been eligible for either Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforced Departure since March 1991 due to civil war, fragile political and economic conditions and an Ebola virus outbreak in 2014, the memorandum said. The special status will end on March 31, 2019.

Liberia has also concluded reconstruction from prior conflicts, which has contributed significantly to an environment that is able to handle adequately the return of its nationals, Trump said.

The 2014 outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease caused a tragic loss of life and economic damage to the country, but Liberia has made tremendous progress in its ability to diagnose and contain future outbreaks of the disease, Trump added.

A 12-month wind-down period starting March 31, 2018, will allow the Liberian government to prepare to re-integrate returning citizens and give time for affected Liberians to make necessary arrangements, said the memorandum, which was addressed to the Department of Homeland Security.

Trump previously included three other African countries Chad, Somalia and Libya among several nations whose citizens were blocked from entering the United States.

African politicians and diplomats blasted Trump in January after he was reported to have used vulgar language to describe African countries and Haiti, with some calling him a racist.

Trump later denied making the remark.

Source: NAN

Solid Gold castings of the hands of South Africas first black President Nelson Mandela have been sold for $10m (7m) in bitcoin.

The castings of the late former South African presidents hand, palm and fist are believed to be the only ones left in the world.

Canadian crypto-currency exchange firm Arbitrade bought four casts from South African businessman Malcolm Duncan, according to a report by BBC Africa.

The firm said it planned to launch a global Golden Hands of Nelson Mandela tour to educate young people about the anti-apartheid icons life.

This is the first time artefacts of Mr Mandela have been sold in bitcoin.

Mr Mandela was jailed for 27 years for fighting white minority rule in South Africa.

He was released in 1990, and served as president from 1994 to 1999.

Mandela died in 2013 at the age of 95. He had turned into a global brand, with businessmen and artists cashing in on his name.

Mr Duncan, who now lives in Canada, bought the casts from mining group Harmony Gold in 2002 for about $31,000.

Half of the money paid to Harmony Gold was meant to go to charity, but it remains unclear as to whether that happened, Bloomberg news agency reports.

Harmony said it had supplied Mr Duncan with the necessary paperwork verifying the provenance as requested by his attorneys, but declined to comment on what happened to the donation, Bloomberg reports.

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday admitted that Nigeria has been turbulent since he came on board in 2015.

The president made this comment while inaugurating the Food Security Council chaired by him.

At the inauguration, the president spoke about Nigeria’s “very turbulent” journey in the past three years, the period of his administration.

Read the full speech below.

“Two weeks ago, I announced my intention to establish and chair a presidential level committee that focuses on food security, I am happy that today it has become a reality.

“Nigeria’s journey in the last three (3) years, has been a very turbulent one. The country’s need for critical job creating sectors which has been ignored for decades is now beginning to yield results.

“We introduced the National Social Investment Programmes targeting millions of Nigerians who are living from hand to mouth.

“We launched agricultural programmes focusing on import substitution, job creation and rural development thereby bringing socio-economic transformation to the millions of citizens living in some of the most remote rural parts of our country.

“We commenced the long term Pollution Remediation Projects in the Niger Delta with the hope of restoring dignity and normalcy to the millions of Nigerians impacted by decades of pollution in their communities. Fishing and farming will resume once blighted areas are rehabilitated.

“We intensified our participation in the Lake Chad Basin Commission with the goal of reversing the shrinkage of the lake, which impacts the livelihoods of over 45 million farmers, herdsmen and fishermen in the LCBC countries.

“We issued the first ever green bond that will act as a catalyst for investments in renewable energy and afforestation projects. This was oversubscribed, sharing market confidence in the country and our government.

“We established the Agro Rangers Unit within the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to protect the billions of naira of investments recorded in Nigeria’s agricultural sector across the country.

“We continued to equip the Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency to fight maritime criminals such as pirates and sea robbers who adversely impact offshore and inland fishing activities in our waters.

“These programmes and many more, have started yielding results and if sustained, will transform the lives of millions of Nigerians across the country.

“We are well aware that the full results will not be felt or seen overnight. The journey is long. It is therefore our collective duty to ensure the actual and potential positive impacts of these programmes are sustained, improved and expanded.

“A key mandate of the Food Security Council is to continuously assess and enhance these infant, but impactful programmes, thereby guaranteeing they achieve their full potential.

“We shall also develop new programmes and projects that will protect and indeed, create more jobs in farming, fisheries, animal husbandry and forestry.

“As we all know, land is use for farming, grazing and forestry, Water is used for irrigation, livestock sustenance and fishing. Therefore, any strategy for land and water management must take into account the interconnectivity of all these key sectors to ensure equity and sustainability.

“We will also not lose sight of the other issues that will impact our food production ambitions such as; Population growth, Urbanisation, IndustrialisationRural Infrastructure Development andClimate Change.

“These factors will also stress and stretch our land and water resources. This means we must invest in research and development to enhance yields and outputs.

“Moreover, we are not insulated from Global and Regional events. Accordingly we develop local programs, but not lose sight of events from a far and their impact on us. Specifically, issues such as smuggling and dumping, which is our responsibility to ensure we develop and enforce strategies to protect Nigeria from these illegal and unhealthy imports.

“The Council includes Governors representing the six (6) geopolitical zones. Some geopolitical zones have similar Eco climatic conditions. The council is therefore a platform to further enhance the collaboration between the federal and state governments. We shall share success stories and collaborate to address common threats.

“We will also engage key stakeholders representing the core sectors of the Food Value Chain. Regular consultations will be held with investors, development partners, financiers, academia and our friends and allies abroad.

“ Our deliberations will look into all the issues and our decisions will be implementable and impactful. We shall stay focused, first and foremost on securing our food requirements and employment for our people, especially the youth. We shall feed ourselves and build an inclusive Nigeria for ourselves and for future generations.”

Source: Dailypost.NG

Iceland on Monday announced it would stage a diplomatic boycott of the 2018 World Cup in Russia over the poisoning of a former double agent in Britain.

“Icelandic officials will not go to the FIFA World Cup in Russia this summer,” a statement from the foreign ministry read.

The EU member states have said it was highly likely Russia was responsible for the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia on March 4.

They also ordered the recall of the bloc’s ambassador to Moscow.

Iceland are in Group D alongside Nigeria, Argentina and Croatia.

Source: Dailypost.NG

According to media reports, founder of the MMM series of financial pyramid schemes, Sergei Mavrodi, has died in Moscow.

Mavrodi was taken to a city hospital from a bus stop overnight Monday after he felt weakness and pain in the chest area, reports Moskovsky Komsomolets.

The emergency team has failed to save his life.

“He died this morning,” the report said.

In 2007 Sergei Mavrodi was convicted in a Russian court of defrauding 10,000 investors out of 110 million rubles ($4.3 million).

Mavrodi claimed he is not the beneficiary of the donations and he is not used to flamboyant lifestyle.

His true charges of which he was later convicted of is tax fraud though he claimed that MMM scheme is not a business, but a mutual donation program of which there is no law against such.

Source: NAN

Here is the face of the Dapchi schoolboy, a pure water vendor captured by Boko Haram on 19 February, along with 111 schoolgirls.

The boy came to the Dapchi Girls Secondary Science and Tech College to sell pure water, when he was kidnapped alongside the Dapchi schoolgirls.

As 105 of the girls were released on Wednesday, he too got his freedom, said Alhaji Lai Mohammed, minister of information and Culture.

“Also kidnapped were two other persons, who are not students of the college.

“They include a primary school boy who came to the school to sell pure water and another primary school girl,’’ he said.

He said a total of 111 girls were abducted from the Government Girls Secondary and Technical College (GGSTC) in Dapchi on Feb. 19.

“That means one student was not captured on the list of 110 abducted students that was compiled by the school, on the basis of which the Federal Government gave the number of abducted schoolgirls as 110.

“So far, a total of 107 persons, comprising 105 Dapchi schoolgirls and the two non-students have been released by the insurgents.

He said that six Dapchi schoolgirls were yet unaccounted for and all efforts will be made to secure their release.

Source: NAN

More details have now emerged showing how billions of naira and hundred millions of dollars were illegally removed from the public till by the Jonathan administration specifically ahead of the 2015 presidential elections.

The information came on the tail of the denial by Jonathan’s spokesmen that any money was taken illegally out of the Nigerian treasury and shared by Jonathan and his aides.

The information was given by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to illustrate how grand corruption has been doing great havoc to the Nigerian economy. He said weeks to the 2015 election under the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan about N100B was released and embezzled. He also disclosed that about $289m was disbursed illegally about the same time.

Now, there are some new details of how some of the funds were illegally transported from the Central Bank to the private residence of the former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The former NSA, Sambo Dasuki personally supervised the physical transfer of the money from the CBN vaults to the private residence of the former President.

In one particular instance over N70 billion was released in parts from the national treasury between January 8 and February 25, 2015. The over $289M which was also referenced last week by the Vice President is said to be included in this particular series of illegal transactions.

in another illegal disbursement, the minutes of the Central Bank board meeting of 25th August 2014 indicated the board’s approval of another N60B requested by the former President and released later by the Central Bank.

A Presidency source said the sum which was okayed by the CBN board was not tied to any project or procurement, and was meant and disbursed purely for campaign purposes, through the office of the then NSA and the SSS leadership at the time.

Specifically that N60 billion that was okayed by the CBN on August 25, 2014 was said to have been shared between the two security agencies thus: N40B went to the NSA while N20 billion was released to the State Security Services (SSS).

While some of these newly emerging fund disbursements have been traced to the former NSA, there are indications that some of the funds are unconnected to the ongoing Defence contract trials of the former NSA,while some might.

It has now been revealed that the $289m mentioned by the Vice President was released on February 25, 2015.

Documents including cash vouchers indicate that $289,202,382 was released in cash to the NIA by the Central Bank of Nigeria from the Joint Venture (JV) Cash Call Account No. 000-0000-11658-366 of the NNPC/NAPIMS with JP Morgan Chase Bank, New York, USA.

At the exchange rate then of $199 to a naira, $289m is equivalent to about N60 billion. But had the money not been stolen, it would be at today’ s rate over N104B.

Further findings showed that in yet another set of illegal fund withdrawals under one week between January 8 and 16, 2015, the sum of N1.5 billion was released in three tranches of N300m, N400m and N800m respectively.

“This money was released from the MEA Research Library Account to the Jointrust Dimension reportedly owned by Danjuma Yusuf and Nenadi Esther Usman,” an official source with knowledge of the transaction disclosed.

The source further said the sum was transferred to their various political associates, which included a former minister of aviation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode.

Further findings showed that N350 million was allegedly transferred to Femi Fani-Kayode through his Zenith Bank Account No. 1004735721, on February 2, 2015.

Also, another N250 million was allegedly transferred to Fani-Kayode through the same Zenith Bank Account on February 19, 2015.

A document further showed that yet another N10 billion was released to the Office of the National Security Adviser by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on September 15, 2014.

The money was said to have been released in tranches of foreign exchange of $47 million, $5 million, 4 million Euros and 1.6 million Euros.

A letter from the Office of the NSA in November, 2014 further showed that the monies were released by the CBN as ‘funds for special services’.

“Further to our discussion, you are pleased requested to provide the sum of Forty Seven Million United States Dollars (USD47,000,000,00)cash out of the Ten Billion Naira (N10,000,000,000,00) and the balance in Euro to this office for special services,” a letter signed by the former NSA read.

Findings have shown that this particular CBN release of N10B was sourced in November 2014 from a N40 Billion CBN released funds meant for Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR. It was this N10B that former President Jonathan instructed the CBN Governor and the then NSA to deliver to him personally in a private residence in Abuja. Sources said the money was illegally transferred using CBN van for the use of “PDP Presidential Primaries.”

Source: NAN

For alleged politicising Dapchi incident, disgraceful and insensitive politics, the former ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) deserves to be de-registered

Information Minister Lai Mohammed calls for the axing of the party for utter failure both as ruling and opposition party.

The minister stated on Sunday in Lagos at a media briefing to give update and clarifications on the released schoolgirls in Dapchi, Yobe state.

He berated the party for “disgraceful and insensitive politics that the PDP has been playing with the abduction and release of the Dapchi girls’’.

“What called for non-partisan celebrations was rather thoughtlessly turned into politics, bad, despicable politics that has no place in any democracy.

“At times of national tragedies, countries unite. This is the norm everywhere.

“Indeed, there should be a new criterion for withdrawing the registration of a party like the PDP which has failed both as a ruling and an opposition party!

“If a party cannot rule and cannot be in opposition, what else can it do?’’ he said.

The minister reiterated that a terror attack on any country is an attack on all countries.

He said it was on the basis of that, the UN was among the first international organisations to condemn the abduction of the Dapchi girls and also among the first to welcome their release.

The minister said that going by PDP statement that the abduction and release of the girls were stage-managed, it showed “that the party and its co-travelers do not understand that terrorism is a global problem’’.

“Perhaps we should ask the PDP what indeed the party knows about the abduction of the Dapchi girls, going by its statement that their abduction and release were stage-managed.

“The party made itself a laughing stock within and outside Nigeria with that statement.

“Don’t they know that our international friends are involved in the process that led to the release of the girls?’’ he said.

Mohammed recalled the warning of President Muhammadu Buhari “against those elements who have chosen to make political fortune of our citizens’ misfortune’’.

“Government would not tolerate any attempt by any person or group to trivialize or politicize security issues for politically motivated ends.

“Accordingly, security agencies would not hesitate to decisively deal with such unscrupulous characters. Those are very clear words that need no elaboration.”

It would be recalled that the PDP had taken a swipe at the Presidency alleging that both the abduction and the release of the girls were stage-managed for political purposes.

The National Chairman and the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Prince Uche Secondus and Mr Kola Ologbondiyan – had at different news conferences demanded the probe, arrest and prosecution of all those involved in the alleged saga.

Source: NAN

The 105 rescued Dapchi schoolgirls, have reunited with their families amidst celebrations after their meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Parents, relations and well-wishers hit the town as the girls roll out of the luxury buses that brought them back from the airport on Sunday.

It was a celebration galore as the girls, parents, relations danced along the streets of the town to celebrate the girls’ safe return.

The girls, who were released by Boko Haram terrorists on Wednesday, were earlier taken to Abuja where they met with President Muhammad Buhari on Friday.

The girls were handed over to the state government by a federal government delegation led by Minister of State Foreign Affairs, Khadijah Abba Ibrahim.

Yobe governor Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam, represented by the state commissioner for information, Alhaji Mala Musty, commended President Buhari for securing the release of the girls.

Residents thanked the president for securing the release of the daughters.

They also appealed to government not to relent until the release of the remaining girl still under the custody of the insurgents.

Buhari on Friday met with the 105 rescued Dapchi schoolgirls and two boys.

He assured them of their safety and said that efforts are on to also rescue the remaining Chibok girls and other Nigerians in captivity of the terrorists.

“To the rescued students, we want to reassure you as our daughters that you will freely live and pursue your dreams in Nigeria of peace and order, without fear of violence or molestation.

“While parents of the Dapchi girls rejoice because of the reunion with their children, I want to appeal to the Chibok Community never to lose hope or to despair.

“We are determined as never before, to bring back our remaining Chibok daughters and this, we must accomplish and that will be soon, by God’s grace,” he added.

He treated them to launch at the Presidential villa where he advised them to pursue their dreams without fear.

The delighted President formally announced that 105 Dapchi schoolgirls and two others previously abducted by the insurgents were unconditionally released by their abductors.

He noted that the development which he described as “cheering and hearty” signifies the commitment of his administration to the security and well-being of all Nigerians.

President Buhari further recalled his visit to Yobe State last week during which he sympathised with the parents, families, and people of the state on the tragic abduction of the students in Dapchi.

He added that he had made a solemn pledge “on my word of honour” that the Federal Government would do everything possible to ensure the unconditional release of the girls.

“We are never in doubt about our focus and direction since the assumption of this administration – security, anti-corruption and revamping of our economy are the main focus of our government.

“We reached out to our contacts at home and abroad, we embarked on backchannel shuttles with a clear view to bringing to an end this tragedy.

“We entered into negotiations solely to make sure that no single girl was hurt. This strategy paid off as the girls have been released without any incidents,” the President added.

Source: NAN

The Nigerian Army has trashed reports making rounds on Facebook and other social media about a ‘Sergeant David Bako’, described as a deserter, who has been spreading fake news that the abduction of Dapchi schoolgirls was planned in the Presidential Villa.

The fake soldier claimed the abduction was executed with N80 million.

The Nigerian Army said it has crosschecked its records and could not find any one call Sergeant David Bako who served in the Army and deserted or was dismissed.

The Nigerian Army said the report was an attempt to smear and drag it into politics of calumny by mischief makers.

It therefore disassociated itself with such fictitious report and requested the public to disregard the confession made by the so called Sergeant David Bako who has never been in the Army at all.

“It is imperative to know that these baseless and inane allegations are not new in the cyber space, knowing the fact that we are in the age of information warfare.

“Open Source Intelligence reveals that the website Dailyglobewatch.eu with country code top-level domain (ccTLD) .eu used in publishing stories is obviously fake and therefore not correct.

“Based on our findings the website was registered on the 14 of April 2017 and the last updated was on the same date and will expire on the 14th April 2018.

“We are very familiar with reports of this nature and will advise the general public to disregard such claim and desist from sharing such information on the New Media as this is against the Nigerian Cybercrime Act 2015.

” However, it is really worrisome to the level at which some people could condescend so low to fabricate facetious allegation against the Nigerian Army and the military at large for cheap political gains or simply an act of pure wickedness, thus the public should disregard such facetious allegation.

“The Nigerian Army wishes to reiterate its commitment to remain apolitical and non-partisan in the discharge of its constitutional roles. We would also like to reaffirm our unconditional support and obedience to civil authority as well as reassuring Nigerians that these Fifth columnists will not succeed in their mischief as they will be fished out and dealt with accordingly,” said Texas Chukwu, a Brigadier and director of Army Public Relations.

Source: NAN