The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) warned the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that it is not for sale.

We want to tell ASUU that NANS is not for sell, we have not and will not turn our struggles to source of empowerment, Mr Adeyemi Amoo, NANS National Public Relations Officer (PRO) said.

The leadership of NANS distanced itself from the purported allegations by the ASUU that it received N150 million from presidency, accused NANS of wooing civil society organisations to malign NANS.

We commend the well-meaning, intellectual and genuine civil society groups for not falling cheap for this blackmail, as weve gotten informed and reliably that theyve also been lobbied by ASUU to join them in pushing such blackmail.

We are not surprised that this blackmail isnt flying beyond the pseudo groups theyve been able to arrange and mobilise with cash.

He faulted the accusations that it received N150 million from presidency, saying that President Muhammadu Buhari was not the type that offers bribe.

The leadership of NANS distanced itself from the purported allegations by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The students said Buhari, a known person in character and style to virtually all Nigerians, would never dole out such amount of money for any reason, which would not be of any national benefits or developments.

Amoo called on Nigerian students to discountenance the allegations by ASUU, saying that the association was ready to protect the interest of all the students.

President Buhari on January 3, met with the leadership of the Nigerian Students to resolve issues with ASUU and the meeting centred on ways to smoothen unresolved issues that led to the industrial action.

President Muhammadu Buhari, is a known person in character and style to virtually all Nigerians, even the oppositions knows that Buhari will never give out such amount of money for any reason(s) that is not of national benefits or developments.

No doubt this propaganda might have seen the acceptance of the masses if it wasnt targeted towards Buhari himself.

Source: NAN

For their alleged involvement in $2 billion fraud, three former Credit Suisse bankers have been arrested.

They are accused of taking part in a $2 billion fraud scheme involving companies in Mozambique, United States authorities said.

The scheme allegedly involved loans to state-owned companies in Mozambique.

The former employees of the Swiss investment bank were arrested in London on Thursday.

The men have been released on bail in London while the US seeks their extradition.

The men Andrew Pearse, 49; Surjan Singh, 44; and Detelina Subeva, 37 were charged in an indictment issued by a US District Court in New York with conspiring to violate US anti-bribery law and to commit money laundering and securities fraud.

The arrests came five days after former Mozambique Finance Minister Manuel Chang was arrested in South Africa as part of the same criminal case.

A fifth man, Jean Boustani, was arrested on Wednesday at New Yorks John F. Kennedy Airport. Mr Boustani is a Lebanese citizen who worked for an Abu Dhabi-based contractor of the Mozambican companies, according to the indictment.

The indictment says that through a series of financial transactions between approximately 2013 and 2016, more than $2 billion was borrowed through loans guaranteed by the Mozambican government.

It said over the course of the transactions, the co-conspirators acted to defraud investors.

Three state-owned companies were created to undertake maritime projects but were fronts to raise money to enrich themselves, and intentionally diverted portions of the loan proceeds to pay at least $200m in bribes and kickbacks to themselves, Mozambican government officials and others, the indictment read.

Mr Chang, 63, signed off on the guarantees as finance minister, but did not disclose them. When the guarantees were revealed in 2016, foreign donors including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut off support for Mozambique, plunging the southern African country into a debt crisis that still plagues it two years later.

Prosecutors said at least $200 million was diverted to the defendants and other Mozambican government officials. The defendants concealed the misuse of the funds and misled investors abroad about Mozambiques creditworthiness.

The companies missed more than $700 million in loan payments after defaulting in 2016 and 2017, the indictment said.

In a statement, Credit Suisse said the three former employees had been accused by US authorities of circumventing our internal controls in a fraud connected to the Mozambican government.

No action has been taken against Credit Suisse. The indictment alleges that the former employees worked to defeat the banks internal controls, acted out of a motive of personal profit, and sought to hide these activities from the bank, it said.

Source: NAN

Oil cargoes departing from Nigeria to the United States fell to 103,000 bpd in December, down by 48,000 bpd, new data show.

Generally exports by OPEC nations to the US fell to 1.63 million barrels per day (bpd), down from 1.80 million bpd in November and 1.78 million bpd in October.

Saudi Arabia, the biggest producer in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, and several others curbed supplies in the face of rising U.S. production and inventories, analysts said.

Some of it was a decline in OPEC production, said Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates in Houston. But theyre facing competition from U.S. shale and Canadian production.

OPEC and allies including Russia agreed last month to cut crude production beginning this month by 1.2 million bpd, following a strategy to support prices when supplies overwhelm demand.

OPEC pumped 32.68 million bpd last month, according to a Reuters survey, down 460,000 bpd from November, suggesting some members moved to reduce supplies ahead of the recent accord.

Historically, Saudi Arabia has utilised crude export flows to the United States as a method of signalling the Kingdoms intentions, given the transparency of the U.S. market, said Reid IAnson, an energy economist at Kpler.

Vessels last month carried about 534,000 bpd from Saudi Arabia to the United States, down from 632,000 bpd in November. Algeria sent 10,000 bpd, down 94,000 bpd.

One major exception to the decline was Iraq, which sent 295,000 bpd to the United States, up by 140,000 bpd from November. Shipments from Venezuela increased 22,738 bpd.

Booming U.S. shale production and growing stockpiles also crimped the nations appetite for imported crude. U.S. commercial crude stocks rose to 441 million barrels in the week ended Dec. 21, up from 394 million barrels in mid-September, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

When inventories began rising, that started to help decrease the demand for imports, said Gene McGillian, vice president of market research at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut. We could see even lower imports from OPEC.

Source: NAN

By Johnson Eyiangho

Troops on Thursday neutralised six Boko Haram terrorists and destroyed their hideouts at Gawa and Boskoro villages of Mafa Local Government Area of Borno.

According to a statement by the army spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, the gallant troops also rescued three women at Boskoro, who had been handed over to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp officials at Dikwa.

Usman said they recovered three pieces of 36 hand grenade, four Dane guns, 26 round of the anti-aircraft ammunition, three gas cylinders and a set of bow and arrow.

He quoted the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole Maj.-Gen. Benson Akinroluyo as commending the troops and charged them to be more daring in clearing suspected terrorists hideout.

Source: NAN

A spate of brutal witch-hunts and lynchings has plunged parts of Papua New Guineas highlands into a state of terror, as fearful tribes blame dark forces for their rapidly changing world.

In one particularly horrifying incident, an elderly woman writhes and pleads hysterically as she is mercilessly beaten, raped and tortured on a hut floor, before her naked body - bloodied and nearly lifeless is dragged outside, where a village mob beats and burns her until movement ceases.

Almost everyone joins in. No one bothers to obscure their face. No one tries to stop it.

The crowd believe what they are doing is right: the only way to stop a non-human sorcerer who has killed their clansman and devoured his heart.

The graphic scene was captured by cell phone video that was obtained by AFP. Dozens of similar videos have been gathered as evidence by the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary showing the brutal reality of modern-day witch-hunts.

There have been at least 20 murders linked to sorcery accusations in this part of the highlands in the past few years, and dozens more violent attacks.

In places like the remote Tsak Valley, attacks have spread like bushfire, said Senior Inspector Epenes Nili, even resulting in an attack on the countrys then chief justice.

Belief in sorcery and witchcraft has long been common across Enga province and Papua New Guinea, but these lynchings are not some ancient rite or custom.

This is a new phenomenon, insisted Anton Lutz, a Lutheran missionary who has spent his life in Enga Province and has rescued accused sorcerers, some as young as six.

Other researchers say widespread lynchings are new in Enga, and the extreme brutality and sexual nature of the attacks is unheard of.

We did have ancient beliefs about ghosts and ancient beliefs about stones that could talk and all kinds of interesting things, Lutz said.

But this practice of accusing a woman of causing a death and torturing her sadistically and sexually for hours until she dies, that is a new thing.

It began about five years ago, he said. We had a serious rise last year. It just seemed like there was an attack happening every week, every fortnight.

According to Lutz, each spasm of violence seemed to begin with a death that locals found difficult to explain.

Heart attacks, diabetes and HIV/AIDS are becoming more common, but are still not well understood. The death of an otherwise healthy person was more easily blamed on sorcery than cholesterol.

Even a recent drunk driving crash that killed eight people prompted a violent witch-hunt, as people tried to explain why some passengers survived and others did not.

The sheer number of people involved in the mob attacks ensures that news spreads quickly, as does fear, due to the widespread belief that witches dont act alone.

The emergence of Glasman opportunist diviners who travel the countryside detecting witches for money also exponentially increased the rate of killings. So too did tribally ordained retribution.

Like the old woman in the video, 55-year-old mother-of-two Rachel, was accused of sanguma sorcery. Her story shows how quickly suspicion can turn into violence.

Her life changed suddenly in April 2017, when she went with her family to pay her respects at a funeral service for a member of a neighbouring tribe.

She was getting ready to leave, looking for her children, when she was grabbed by the dead mans son.

Unbeknown to Rachel, another woman had been accused of involvement in his death and under torture named Rachel as part of a coven.

Rachel pleaded innocence. But she was stripped and, like the murdered woman in the video, violated and burned with hot machetes, spades and rods for a full day by people she knew who were trying to make her return the heart of her victim.

The pain was beyond endurance, she recalled, speaking to AFP as a crowd of locals some curious, others appearing suspicious gathered near her hut. I thought I would die.

With her mouth gagged, and the pain too much to bear, she managed only a silent prayer: You gave me the job of caring for my children, but if I die, who will care for them?'

Only a dispute among the mob, estimated at around a thousand people, saved her life.

Across Papua New Guinea the specifics of witch-hunts are bafflingly different.

In Enga, the victims of violence are almost exclusively women. But on Bougainville island they are almost always men. In Port Moresby, where violence linked to sorcery accusations has also increased, men and women are targeted.

Researcher Miranda Forsyth at the Australian National University, who has studied hundreds of such cases, sees grim patterns emerging.

She describes a script of violent responses to suspected sorcerers that is spreading across Enga.

Part of the phenomenon is people trying to deal with high levels of uncertainty due to dramatic economic, social and cultural changes, Forsyth said.

Authorities know the toxic brew will be difficult to remedy.

In the meantime, fear has turned the whole place into a paranoid mess, said Lutz.

Almost two years after Rachels attack, she can walk again and has returned to her village, although even among her own people, she still lives in fear.

The situation is still tense, she said in a near whisper.

The burns she sustained in the attack had only partially been treated when a mob came to the clinic where she was recuperating, forcing her to flee. She still complains of skin being tight and painful around her torso.

Even though I still need surgery, I am afraid my attackers might kill me if I go. So I live with the pain.

I hope that things will calm down so that I can go to the hospital, but for now, the way is closed.

Source: NAN

By Prudence Arobani

The United States has called on the Democratic Republic of the Congos (DRC) Electoral Commission to release accurate results of Sundays general election in the country, warning against manipulation.

The U.S. Department of State, in a statement by its Deputy Spokesperson, Robert Palladino, said the Dec. 30 election was one of the most important elections in DRC history.

The U.S. also regretted the internet shutdown and the clampdown on the media saying, the internet must be restored and the media allowed to report freely.

The United States stands by the millions of Congolese voters who went to the poll across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Dec. 30 to participate in presidential, legislative, and provincial assembly election.

Since independence in 1960, the DRC has never experienced a peaceful, democratic transfer of power, the department said.

The United States was deeply concerned by the DRCs National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) decision to deny accreditation to several international election observers and media representatives, it said.

We also noted that confusion on election day over the location of polling stations, the posting of voter lists, the late delivery of some election materials, and CENIs unfortunate decision to cancel elections in Beni and Butembo in eastern DRC disenfranchised voters.

Nevertheless, in spite of these challenges, millions of Congolese citizens turned out peacefully across DRC on election day to cast their ballots and make their voices heard.

CENI must now ensure that these voices and votes are respected, the statement said.

As the Congolese people, the region, and the world await patiently for the results of these elections, the internet must be restored and the media allowed to report freely, it stressed.

The U.S. strongly urged CENI to ensure that votes are counted in a transparent and open manner, with observers present, and that the results reported by CENI are accurate and correspond to results announced at each of DRCs 75,000 polling stations.

It expressed support to the African Union Election Observation Mission to DRCs expectation, expressed on Jan. 2, 2019, that the announced results align with votes cast by the Congolese people.

As official results are tabulated and reported, the U.S. said it continued to urge DRC government officials, leaders of the DRC security forces, opposition party leaders, civil society representatives, and stakeholders from all sides to respect the law and reject violence.

There are moments in every nations history when individuals and political leaders step forward and do the right thing. This is one of those moments for the DRC.

Those who enable a peaceful, democratic transfer of power out of respect for DRCs constitution and the results of this election will be hailed, while those responsible for undermining democratic institutions and processes, threatening the peace, security, or stability of DRC or benefiting from corruption will be held accountable.

Those who undermine the democratic process, threaten the peace, security or stability of the DRC, or benefit from corruption may find themselves not welcome in the United States and cut off from the U.S. financial system.

On December 30, millions of Congolese went peacefully to the polls.

Now is the time for CENI to affirm that these votes were not cast in vain by ensuring the accurate reporting of election results, the U.S. said.

Source: NAN

Five days after the arrest of Manuel Chang, Mozambiques former finance minister, more arrests have been made over a fraud scheme involving $2 billion in loans to state-owned companies in the country.

The latest suspects arrested were three former Credit Suisse Group AG bankers. They were arrested in London on Thursday on U.S. charges that they took part in the fraud, a spokesman for U.S. prosecutors said.

Andrew Pearse, 49; Surjan Singh, 44; and Detelina Subeva, 37 were charged in an indictment in Brooklyn, New York federal court with conspiring to violate U.S. anti-bribery law and to commit money laundering and securities fraud, according to spokesman John Marzulli.

They have been released on bail in London while the United States seeks extradition.

Former Mozambique Finance Minister Manuel Chang was arrested in South Africa as part of the same criminal case.

A fifth man, Jean Boustani, was arrested on Wednesday at New Yorks John F. Kennedy Airport, Marzulli said.

Boustani was a Lebanese citizen who worked for an Abu Dhabi-based contractor of the Mozambican companies, according to the indictment.

Lawyers for the defendants could not immediately be reached for comment after business hours in New York and London.

The indictment alleges that the former employees worked to defeat the banks internal controls, acted out of a motive of personal profit, and sought to hide these activities from the bank, Credit Suisse said in a statement. It added that the bank will continue to cooperate with authorities.

According to the indictment, the three state-owned companies were created to undertake maritime projects, but were really fronts for Chang, Boustani and the three bankers to enrich themselves.

According to the indictment, between 2013 and 2016 three Mozambican state-owned companies borrowed more than $2 billion through loans guaranteed by the government and arranged by Credit Suisse and another investment bank, which was not named.

Chang, 63, signed off on the guarantees as finance minister, but did not disclose them. When the guarantees were revealed in 2016, foreign donors including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to cut off support for Mozambique, plunging the southern African country into a debt crisis that still plagues it two years later.

According to the indictment, the three state-owned companies were created to undertake maritime projects, but were really fronts for Chang, Boustani and the three bankers to enrich themselves.

Prosecutors said at least $200 million was diverted to the defendants and other Mozambican government officials. They said the defendants concealed the misuse of the funds and misled investors abroad including in the United States about Mozambiques creditworthiness.

The companies missed more than $700 million in loan payments after defaulting in 2016 and 2017, the indictment said

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed heartfelt condolences to the Nigerian Air Force, and relations of five persons who died in a military helicopter crash January 2 in Damasak, Borno State.

The President mourned Flight Lieutenant Perowei Jacob (Pilot in Command), Flight Lieutenant Kaltho Paul Kilyofas (Co-Pilot), Sergeant Auwal Ibrahim (Flight Technician), Lance Corporal Adamu Nura (Gunner), and Aircraftman Meshack Ishmael (Gunner), who died in the mishap.

Commiserating with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, President Buhari said it was sad that the fine officers and men lost their lives in the bid to guarantee the safety and protection of their countrymen.

He said rather than dampen the morale of troops fighting insurgency in the North-east, the unfortunate development would rather bolster their resolve to completely eliminate all evil-doers within the shortest possible time.

President Buhari also condoled with the families and relations of the dead, noting that the dead officers and men were heroes, who paid the ultimate price for peace to reign in the country.

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari has appreciated the confidence reposed in him by Nigerians from different walks of life, vowing; I wont disappoint.

The President spoke Thursday at State House, Abuja, as he was decorated Grand Patron of the Nigerian Media Merit Award (NMMA) by the Board of Trustees of the prime media awards organisation in the country.

He described the investiture as a timely honour, adding that he had known a good number of the members of the NMMA board, since the time I didnt even know I would be here.

Former Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority, Engr. Vincent Maduka, who led the delegation, said President Buhari was qualified to be grand patron, because you respect the rights of the media to practice, without any hindrance.

It was noted that under President Buhari, no media house has been shut, and the first ever campus television license was awarded to the University of Lagos, under the chairmanship of veteran Mass Communication teacher, Professor Ralph Akinfeleye.

Engr. Maduka said the NMMA was established in 1990, to promote excellence in Nigerian media, and has hosted 26 grand award presentations, with the latest holding just a week ago.

Part of the goals of NMMA, he added, was the promotion of patriotism, and unity of the country.

*Statement

Source: NAN

The new US Congress convened Thursday with Democrats controlling the House of Representatives, marking a dramatic power shift on Capitol Hill less than two years before President Donald Trumps 2020 re-election bid.

The opening ushered in a new era of divided government in Washington, with Democrats intent on checking the Republicans turbulent presidency nearly two years into his term.

The clerk of the House rapped the gavel to signal the chamber was into session, with 235 Democrats and 199 Republicans reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and being sworn in, ahead of a vote to elect Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the House.

In the election, Nancy Pelosi reclaimed the House speakership, becoming the first politician in 58 years to take back the gavel.

Pelosi was elected 220-192, with 12 Democrats voting for someone other than the California Democrat and three voting simply present.

One seat in the 435-member House remains in dispute two months after the election.

Several beaming new lawmakers were seen hugging and shaking hands with veteran members and each other.

Vice President Mike Pence swore in the new members of the US Senate, where 53 Republicans hold the majority over 45 Democrats and two independents who align with Democrats.

Pelosi was poised to take over as speaker for the second time in her career, a remarkable revival for a battle-tested politician who is so far the only woman to head the House.

Her first task will be to help end a partial federal government shutdown over Trumps insistence that lawmakers fund a US-Mexico border wall.

In excerpts of the speech she delivers to the House later Thursday, Pelosi vowed the new Congress would be bipartisan and unifying and will debate and advance good ideas no matter where they come from.

In that spirit, Democrats will be offering the Senate Republican appropriations legislation to re-open government later today to meet the needs of the American people, and to protect our borders, she said.

But such cooperation across the political aisle appeared unlikely as Trump continued to dig in over his demand that Congress approve a $5 billion plan to construct a border wall aimed at thwarting illegal immigration with Democrats unlikely to appease him.

After saying he remained ready and willing to work with Democrats late Wednesday, Trump lashed out Thursday.

The Shutdown is only because of the 2020 Presidential Election, he tweeted.

The Democrats know they cant win based on all of the achievements of Trump, so they are going all out on the desperately needed Wall and Border Security and Presidential Harassment. For them, strictly politics!

Indeed, progressives will be eager to push back with greater effect against an administration they believe has overstepped its authority and abused power in the nearly two years since Trumps inauguration.

They will have that opportunity, as congressional panels will be led by chairmen who have pledged to probe topics such as Trumps income taxes, his firing of attorney general Jeff Sessions, and the presidents ties to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

That expected barrage of investigations could bog down a White House already besieged by Special Counsel Robert Muellers Russia collusion probe.

But while the blue wave swept dozens of House Republicans out of Congress last November, Trumps party managed to modestly expand its majority in the Senate, meaning Washington gridlock is almost certain to deepen.

Among the first tasks of the 116th Congress will be ending the shutdown, now in its 13th day and which has left one quarter of federal agencies shuttered due to lapsed funding.

But compromise was still elusive.

Democrats will have to get serious about border security so that a government funding agreement may be reached that can pass the House, earn 60 votes here in the Senate, and receive a presidential signature, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.

Pelosi will preside over the most diverse Congress in history.

One hundred House freshmen took the oath of office, including trailblazers like New Yorks Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who at 29 is the youngest woman ever elected to Congress.

The first two Native American women and first two Muslim women were also elected.

Its a new day in America, tweeted Ilhan Omar, a Somali refugee elected from Minnesota.

The House and Senate will each have a record number of female members.

The Houses number two Republican, Steve Scalise, said he would be watching closely to see how Pelosi and the Democrats will handle the changing of the political guard.

Source: NAN