A Nigerian newspaper and Online version of the Vanguard, a daily publication in Nigeria covering Niger delta, general national news, politics, business, energy, sports, entertainment, fashion,lifestyle human interest stories, etc
NPFL star Izu Joseph who plies his trade with Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) is dead.
The defender died on Sunday in Bayelsa where he was holidaying following the just concluded Nigeria Professional Football League after a stray bullet hit him.
The deceased defender, Izu Joseph, was part of the Oluyole Warriors which finished 14th at the just concluded 2015/2016 season of the Nigerian Professional Football League, NPFL.
Announcing the incident on in its official website, the club wrote, "A Shooting STAR is gone! Izu Joseph is gone! Flamboyant defender is gone! RIP, brother. What a life! May God strengthen his family #Tragedy."
With three weeks until election day, Hillary Clinton holds a four-point lead over Donald Trump in the race for the White House, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, with the Republican nominee hobbled by persistent perceptions that he is not qualified to be president.
Trump and Hillary
The poll was conducted during one of the most tumultuous periods of Trump's candidacy, after the release of a video in which he spoke about taking sexual advantage of women and during a time when numerous women have accused him of sexual misconduct.
Nearly 7 in 10 respondents believe Trump probably made unwanted sexual advances, and a majority say his apology for boasts about forcing himself on women on a hot-mic videotape was insincere.
Nonetheless, the controversy appeared to have had only a minimal impact on his overall support.
Overall, Clinton leads Trump by 47-43 per cent among likely voters, a slight edge given the survey's four-percentage-point error margin.
Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson has the support of 5 per cent, and Green Party nominee Jill Stein is at 2 per cent.
Among registered voters, the poll shows a similar four-point margin, with Clinton at 44, Trump at 40, Johnson at 6 and Stein at 3. In a two-way match-up, Clinton leads Trump by 50-46 per cent among likely voters and by 50-44 per cent among registered voters.
The current findings show only slight changes from the last Post-ABC survey, which was taken on the eve of the first presidential debate.
At that time, Clinton held an insignificant two-point edge over Trump among likely voters.
The findings are somewhat better for Trump than other polls taken since the video, but if Clinton were to maintain such an advantage until Election Day, that could translate into a sizable electoral college majority.
Supporters of both candidates are locked in, with 88 percent of Trump supporters and 89 percent of Clinton backers saying they will "definitely" support their current preference.
The survey also underscored the hardening of the lines between those supporting Trump and those who are not.
One question in particular highlighted this divide.
Asked whether it was appropriate for Trump to say that, if he were in charge of law enforcement in this country, his opponent would be in jail for her use of a private email server, about 4 in 10 likely voters said yes, compared with 57 per cent who said no.
More than 7 in 10 Republicans and more than 8 in 10 Trump supporters called the language appropriate.
There is clearly less enthusiasm on the part of Clinton's and Trump's supporters than previous nominees have enjoyed at this stage of the campaign.
Fully 83 per cent of Clinton's backers and 79 per cent of Trump's supporters say they are very or somewhat enthusiastic about their candidate.
Four years ago at this time, more than 90 per cent of both President Obama's and Republican nominee Mitt Romney's supporters described themselves as enthusiastic.
Meanwhile, antipathy toward the other side is at extremely high levels, as 87 per cent of likely voters supporting Trump have a "strongly unfavourable" view of Clinton, and 90 per cent of Clinton backers have a strong negative view of Trump.
The Oct. 7 release of the 11-year-old "Access Hollywood" video, which captured Trump on a hot mic speaking in crude and degrading ways about women, brought a torrent of criticism on Trump and caused significant defections among Republican elected officials.
Trump issued a series of statements apologizing for what he said on the video, but nearly 6 in 10 likely voters say they do not think the apology was sincere, including more than one-fifth of Republicans and more than 6 in 10 independents.
The poll also finds that slightly more than a third of all likely voters say the video will make them less likely to vote for him, including 13 per cent of Republicans.
Kano – Shaarik Zafar, – U.S. Special Representative to Muslim communities, has expressed optimism that the current fight against corruption in Nigeria would succeed.
He made the remark while addressing a news conference in Kano on Monday.
Zafar was in Kano to offer opening remarks at an inaugural workshop on anti-corruption for religious leaders.
The workshop was organised by Zafar's office under the U.S. Department of State.
He said if corruption could effectively be tackled, Nigeria would witness fast socio-economic growth and development.
He added that "I am optimistic that if corruption is tackled, a lot of good things will follow; the trend is positive for Nigeria, based on the commitment."
According to him, the U.S. government is committed toward assisting Nigeria in the current effort to fight corruption.
He emphasised that "Nigeria's success is America's success, hence our decision to work with government, civil society organisations and religious groups to prevent corruption."
The special representative said that the workshop would address how communities could work together to combat corruption, promote accountability and encourage transparency.
He said "as I said, I have a global mandate. So, I will encourage a continued focus by religious leaders on the critical challenge of combating corruption.
"This is not only because of their moral voice but because religious leaders speak a common language with their communities.
"They also have incomparable access, unique network and level of respect that can help in this common battle against corruption and to promote accountability."
The envoy said that during his stay in Nigeria, he would pay a courtesy visit to Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje and Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II.
While in Abuja, the envoy said, he would meet with religious and community leaders in order to hear from them their current challenges and opportunities.
Dusseldorf – A man accused of trying to sell his infant daughter online has admitted to posting the advert, which offered the girl in exchange for 5,500 dollars, the police said on Monday.
The 28-year-old man admitted to posting the ad on eBay Kleinanzeigen, a popular online platform for buying and selling household items.
"The man said that it was intended as a joke,'' the police said.
The man and his wife, who are being investigated on suspicion of human trafficking, initially denied posting the ad, it went up late on Tuesday, prompting employees at the website to contact police.
Police said that the family that posted the ad was refugees, without giving details as to their nationality.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted partly cloudy weather conditions over the central states of the country on Tuesday morning.
NiMet gave the predictions in its Weather Outlook issued by the Central Forecast Office (CFO) in Abuja on Monday.
It stated that thunderstorms were expected over Abuja, Lafia, Bida, Kaduna, Lokoja and Jos in the afternoon and evening hours with maximum temperatures of 31 to 34 degrees celsius.
The agency predicted that the southern states would experience localised morning rains over the inland and coastal cities hours with prospects of isolated thunderstorms over Ibadan, Nsukka, Abakaliki, Oshogbo, Akure and Enugu.
It also predicted localised thunderstorms over Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Calabar, Warri, Eket and Benin in the afternoon and evening hours with maximum temperatures of 28 to 33 degrees celsius.
NiMet predicted that northern states would experience hazy conditions over Gusau, Katsina, Nguru, Kano, Dutse and Maiduguri in the morning hours.
It added that the region would experience sunny conditions later in the day with maximum temperatures of 34 to 39 degrees celsius.
"Hazy to sunny conditions over the extreme northern parts are expected with prospects of thunderstorms in the central and southern cities in the next 24 hours,'' it said.
A bill to provide life imprisonment as punishment for kidnappers in Kano State on Monday scaled the second reading at the State House of Assembly.
The Deputy Majority Leader, Alhaji Maifada Bello, had read the Kidnapping, Abduction and Forced Labour Amendment Bill before the Assembly.
According to Bello, member representing Kibiya Constituency, the immediate amendment of the bill was necessary to enable Judges in the state judge the kidnappers according to their offence.
"The law that provides punishment for the kidnappers has been in existence since 1963; therefore, it should be amended to go with the current rampant kidnapping and abduction cases in the state.
"It can also assist the judges to judge anyone found guilty of such offence according to their offence, because the current law that provides 10 years imprisonment made it difficult for the judges to judge such criminals," Bello said.
He said the case of kidnapping needed to be handled in such a way that the criminals would rather surrender by themselves.
He said the House would do everything possible to ensure serious punishment on them.
Bello noted that cases of kidnapping in the state had gone beyond imagination, to the extent that the criminals were carrying out their activities not only in the rural areas, but also in the urban centres.
During the plenary session, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Alhaji Kabiru Rurum, read a letter presented to the House by the Gov. Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, seeking for the amendment of the 2016 Supplementary Budget.
Rurum said that according to the letter, the amendment proposal was as a result of the stabilisation funds realised by the state government, which was worth over N20 billion.
He said the amendment would assist the government in fulfilling its campaign promises through completion of the on-going development projects in the state.
Former Minister of Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, who was alleged to have used his offspring to secure government contracts returned to Nigeria to face the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).Musiliu Obanikoro
The EFCC in June had challenged Obanikoro to come out of hiding and face the evidence before the commission in court so as to prove his innocence and that of his children.
Obanikoro had been under the EFCC’s radar over alleged receipt of N4.7 billion from the office of the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki in 2014.
The cash was reportedly traced the two men- Babajide and Gbolahan-who are both directors of a firm used in siphoning the funds from the Office of the former National Security Officer, Sambo Dasuki.
Russia said Monday its forces and Syrian regime troops would briefly halt fire in Aleppo on Thursday, as criticism mounted of the ferocious Moscow-backed assault on the Syrian city.
“We have taken a decision not to waste time and to introduce ‘humanitarian pauses’, mainly for the free passage of civilians, evacuation of the sick and wounded and withdrawal of fighters,” senior Russian military officer Sergei Rudskoi said at a press briefing.
The ceasefire would run from 0800 to 1600 local time (0500 GMT to 1300 GMT) “in the area of Aleppo”, Rudskoi said.
“During this period the Russian air force and Syrian government troops will halt air strikes and firing from any other types of weapons,” he said.
Rudskoi said that the initiative comes as Russia, the United Nations and “countries with influence” were continuing to work on a plan for getting jihadists from the Fateh al-Sham Front, formerly known as Al-Nusra Front and Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, to leave Aleppo.
Russia is currently conducting a fierce bombing campaign in support of a regime offensive to capture rebel-held eastern Aleppo, drawing fierce condemnation from the West.
The European Union blasted Russia for causing “untold suffering” and said that air strikes by Moscow and Damascus in Aleppo “may amount to war crimes”.
Moscow last Thursday said it was ready to guarantee safe passage for rebel fighters out of eastern Aleppo along a pre-ordained corridor on the Castello Road, the main potential route for humanitarian assistance into the city.
By Vincent Ujumadu Awka- SECOND Republic vice president, Dr. Alex Ekwueme has reiterated the need for Igbo people to unite and trust each other as they were doing in the past, arguing that it is only by so doing that their area would move forward in the Nigeria project.
Ekwueme, spoke at the traders' summit and award ceremony organized by Anambra Consensus Project, ACP, to honour outstanding traders in all the 57 major markets in Anambra State. The ceremony took place at Amaokpala in Orumba Norht local government area of the state.Dr Ekwueme
He recalled that Igbo were strongly united before and immediately after Nigerian Independence and wondered what went wrong over the years, considering what is currently happening in the Igbo -speaking states of the country.
He said: "When I returned to Nigeria after my studies abroad, I worked for the then ESSO West Africa Limited and the job took me to many cities in the Northern part of the country. I found out that there was no place you would go and won't find an Igbo man and they all cooperated well.
"If you wanted to buy APC medicine in any city in the North, whether it was Kano, Maiduguri, Kaduna, Bauchi, Bida, Minna, anywhere, it was an Igbo person that would sell it to you. Igbo people were so industrious that Northerners were saying that after the white man, the next most important person created by God was Igbo.
"When Igbo was Igbo, there was so much unity, such that once Igbo leaders met and took a decision, every Igbo person would abide by it. The trust among Igbo was responsible for the reason apprenticeship became popular with the result that parents would allow their children to stay with an established Igbo man to learn a trade for periods ranging from five to 10 years after which the apprentice would then be settled to start his own business.
"Even after the settlement, the newly settled young trader would be getting goods on credit from his former master and return the money after sale because of the trust that existed. But lack of trust has diminished that age long cooperation between the master and his former apprentice, which is very worrisome.
"The main problem of the Igbo today is lack of trust. If we can rebuild the trust among ourselves, our people will be better for it."
While the former vice president appreciated the efforts of Igbo traders engaged in import business, he advised them to pay more attention to areas that would enhance export, arguing that it was by so doing that they would be in a position to withstand the uncertainties in the foreign exchange trade.
President of Anambra Consensus Project, Dr. Emeka Eze explained that the organization was committed to promoting Igbo ideology, as well as oneness of the Igbo and a unified direction of Igbo growth and development.
He explained that the 57 best practicing traders of the year would enjoy some privileges, adding that ACP would register the certificates awarded to the traders with some embassies to enhance their visa opportunities whenever the need arose.
He said that the recognition of the outstanding traders would be annual event, which would in future, be extended to the markets in Aba, Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.
Secretary to the Anambra State Government, SSG, Professor Solo Chukwulobelu, who represented Governor Willie Obiano at the ceremony, said the state government would adopt the same template in rewarding outstanding civil servants in the state.
He also said that government would meet with the leadership of the traders to work out ways of partnering with them to boost trade and commerce in the state.
Despite opposition from the National Judicial Council, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission today began questioning two judges accused of corruptly enriching themselves in the course of their duty.
The two Federal High Court judges, Mohammed Nasir Yunusa and Hyeladzira Ajiya Nganjiwa, were summoned to the Lagos Office of the EFCC, where they were quizzed by top operatives.
According to information made available to Vanguard, the two men arrived the EFCC's office around 10:05 am and were immediately ushered into the interrogation room.Yunusa and Ajiya
"Their invitation is sequel to the bribery and money laundering allegations the commission discovered during investigations in an ongoing case in which two senior lawyers have already been arraigned in court.
"The judges are presently being attended to by operatives of the commission", a top source in the commission said.
It will be recalled that the EFCC had on March 9, 2016 arraigned two Senior Advocates of Nigerian, SANs, Rickey Tarfa SAN and Joseph Nwobike, before a Lagos High Court on allegations of offering gratification to a public official.
The two senior lawyers are currently facing criminal prosecution for allegedly giving bribes to judges in order to obtain favourable judgments.
"Subsequent investigation revealed that the two Judges allegedly received sums of money from the two senior lawyers severally," EFCC investigators said.
The grilling of the two judges comes amidst controversy generated by the arrest of seven others nationwide last week by the Department of State Security Service, DSS, in connection with graft-related offences.
Although the judges have protested the raids on their homes by the DSS, the security agency plans to arraign them any moment from now to prove their culpability or otherwise.
Two of the judges have kicked against their treatment by the DSS and have indicated readiness to challenge the DSS in court, accusing the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, of being responsible for their travails, an accusation, the AGF has demised as an afterthought.
Tokyo – Japan on Monday introduced an automatic facial recognition system for foreigners entering the country as part of anti-terrorism measures in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, the government said.
An immigration bureau official said it would carry out face checks at 156 ports and airports throughout Japan for all foreigners except children under the age of 16, diplomats and specially permitted permanent residents.
The official said "the new system compares the facial images of foreign nationals with those of suspected terrorists.
"If the images match and those in question are determined to be terrorists, they would face measures including deportation."
According to a report, since November 2007, all foreigners aged 16 or older are in principle required to be photographed and submit their fingerprints at immigration gates.
Akpobolokemi: An EFCC witness, Mr Kanu Idagu, on Monday told a Federal High Court in Lagos how some committees were set up at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) as conduit pipes to steal money running into billions of Naira.
Former DG of NIMASA, Patrick Ziadeke Akpobolokemi (centre) being led out of court after his arraignment by EFCC in Lagos, yesterday
Idagu, an operative of EFCC, gave the evidence at the resumed trial of Patrick Akpobolokemi, a former Director General of NIMASA, whois being tried alongside nine others on a 40-count charge bordering on money laundering.
Others charged with him are Capt. Bala Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Felix Bob-Nabena, Capt. Warredi Enisouh, Governor Juan, Ugo Frederick and Timi Alari.
Two companies - Al-kenzo Ltd. and Penniel Engineering Services Ltd are also facing trial.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charge and were granted bail by the court.
Led in evidence by the prosecutor, Mr Festus Keyamo, the witness told the court that as head of the EFCC Special Task Force, he was in charge of investigations and carries out searches and arrests.
He told the court that the commission received a petition in the last quarter of 2015 about activities in NIMASA during the tenure of Akpobolokemi as DG.
According to him, his team embarked on investigations and in the process, discovered that NIMASA had set up various committees some of which were used to launder monies through companies and bureau de change.
He said that specifically, a committee on intelligence was set up and headed by the second accused, with an Access bank account no. 0688939609 opened for the receipt of monies.
"Between Dec. 20, 2013 and July 7, 2015, the committee received money in tranches running into 1.5 billion.
"The chairman of the committee raised several internal memos to the Director of Finance and Accounts, wherein it was claimed that the funds were to be used for intelligence-based security activities.
"The companies used in furtherance of these activities were either owned or nominated by NIMASA staff for their personal use," he said.
Idagu said one of such companies was Aler Integrated services Ltd. whose alter ego was one Uche Obilor.
"Another company is Kofa Fada Ltd., a bureau de change company which the second accused instructed Obilor to transfer the sum of N10 million into.
"The sum of N2 million was also transferred into the account of one Al-Kenzo Logistics, whose alter ego is the third accused, Ekene Nwakuche.
"The second accused also made a claim of a business contract between NIMASA and one Kofa Fada Ltd., with the sum of N26 million transferred to the companies' account.
"While the dollar equivalent was handed to him.
"The second accused also transferred the sum of N86 million to one Usseinian Ltd., and the dollar equivalent transferred to him," he added.
According to the witness, the third accused, Nwakuche who is the personal assistant to the second accused, was asked to coordinate accounts for the purpose of diverting money.
He said the third accused formulated an Enterprise Bank account in the name of Adams CDA Global Services, belonging to one of his friends.
Idagu also claimed that the accused transferred into the account the sum of N120 million, while the dollar equivalent was handed over to the second accused.
The witness said the third accused also nominated an access bank account for Gidoga Investment Ltd. with the sum of N65 million transferred into same account.
Idagu said other accounts were opened in the names of companies such as Ballon and Associates, KXM procurement Ltd, FBA Nasbela and Co, Crescent Pillars and Co, as well as Penniel Engineering Services.
He said that in all, a total of N422, 680 million was directly transferred to the second accused, who claimed that same was remitted to the first accused.
After the witness' oral testimony, the prosecutor urged the court for an adjournment to enable him to present documentary evidence.
Consequently, Justice Saliu Saidu adjourned the case to Dec. 15 and Dec. 19 for continuation of trial.
The accused were alleged to have committed the offences between December 2013 and July 2015 and converted over N3.4 billion belonging to NIMASA to personal uses.
The offence contravened the provisions of Sections 15 (1), (3), and 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2012.
Lagos – Veteran Musician, "Daddy Fresh'' born Innocent Onyemuwa, on Monday urged upcoming musicians to focus more on creating songs that would make meaningful impact in the nation.
Daddy Fresh, who pioneered Reggae music in Ajegunle, a suburb of Lagos, alongside "Daddy Showkey''and "Baba Fryo'', said in Lagos that the music industry was still evolving.
"Thank God for the current rave of music in Nigeria today, it shows that we've got what it is to compete with the western world and thank God our boys are actually killing it, our ladies are killing it also.Daddy-Fresh
"It gives me hope that our future, that tomorrow Nigeria will be at the top because we've got all it takes, good rappers, good singers, we've got our representatives.
"The artistes, they are trying though, but I have this little problem with their stereotype kind of lyrics, their content, but whichever way they are rapping real good, and I thank God it's moving really fast.
"I'm not really down with their monotonous kind of lyrics, everybody talking about one thing, `wind your waist`, the x-rated words and sometimes there's too much repetition and I'm not okay with that.
"I want us to be more creative, though I'm not saying they are not trying; creativity is going to give us what we are looking for to stand out internationally,'' he said.
Daddy Fresh, who made his mark with his hit track "Eleru gbeeru e'' in the mid-1990s, told NAN that he was back with a new single titled: "Winchiwinchi''.
"Winchiwinchi'', as a song, I'm actually talking to individuals too, because whoever it is that doesn't want the progress of his brother -man or his sister is a "winch''.
"You that seize the opportunity meant for your brother-man to get to that top and you decided to be a stumbling block, you're a winch. `Winch` I call it in pidgin English, not witch.
"You as a government, you as a leader and you don't want the upliftment of your citizens, you are a bigger winch.
"That is what the song is actually talking about here.''
Enugu – Enugu State Government will host Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) champions, Rangers International FC of Enugu on Tuesday, the state's Commissioner for Information, Godwin Udeuhele, has said.
The Flying Antelopes defeated El-kanemi Warriors 4-0 on Oct. 2, to win the 2015/2016 NPFL and end their 32-year wait for silverware.
The victory also means that Rangers have now won the league title seven times, equalling a record set by former champions, Enyimba.
Rangers have won the cup in 1974, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1984 and 2016.
Udeuhele, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Enugu, said the move was to appreciate the resilience of the club in breaking a 32-year jinx.
He said the ceremony would hold at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, where the club's injured player, Ifeanyi Egwin, was recuperating from the bone fracture he sustained on the final match day.
"The Enugu State Government will be at the orthopaedic hospital host International Rangers FC. The venue was chosen because we cannot bring them to the Government House with Egwin still lying in the hospital.Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, supporters and fans of Enugu Rangers celebrating on Sunday
"The governor, out of his kind heart, directed that the celebration be moved to the hospital for Egwin to know that we are willing to show him solidarity.
"We cannot abandon him. This is in addition to other things that the governor has done for him,'' Udeuhele said.
Egwin had a successful surgery at the hospital, following a double leg fracture he sustained during the 2015/2016 NPFL final fixtures at the Nanamdi Azikiwe Stadium.
The player has had two surgeries on the affected leg and is expected to stay on the sidelines for four months according to medical reports.
President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has vowed to crash the price of fertilizer before the end next year, so as to boost agricultural production and guarantee food security in the country.
Speaking at a forum in Abuja, Dangote stated that Nigeria's fertilizer production would rise by about three million tonnes, while it would be easily accessible by farmers across the country.
Dangote also commended the Federal Government, noting that it is the government's agricultural and fertilizer policies that would make the commodity cheaper and available.
He said, "Government has actually done quite a lot, and I think by the end of next year or so, you will buy fertilizer even cheaper than what you are buying today. Secondly, we will be begging you to buy. There won't be scarcity of fertilizer anymore.
"We have three million tonnes of capacity coming into the market by the end of next year and this is also thanks to the policies of the Federal Government."
Aliko Dangote
In addition, Dangote said he supports a low crude oil price regime, stating that if the price of the commodity improves, current efforts aimed at diversifying the economy would be jettisoned.
He said, "We need to be very serious. People who are hoping that crude oil is going to go back up to around $70 and $80 per barrel, it is not just going to happen. There is so much oil everywhere and I think, at $53 per barrel, it is a temporary measure.
"If crude oil gets to $90 per barrel, none of us would talk about recession again; we would go back to our normal ways. For us to go through this long haul of low oil price would help push us into the real sector which is agriculture, construction and all others."
Speaking in the same vein, Group Managing Director of Nestoil Limited, Mr. Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi, explained that at the current low oil price regime, emphasis in the oil and gas industry would be on local content.
According to him, at the low price, Nigerian operators can produce better and at cheaper rates, adding that the Federal Government need to change its policies in the industry and increase its partnership with the private sector.
He said, "Over the years, what I see is going to happen is that as the price of oil is coming down, things are going to go local. I mean, what percentage of the production cost we are saving; because our cost of production has to be low. How do you get it done? You have to use locals. You do not have to go fly in people from France, the United States.
President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the role played by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the release of the 21 abducted Chibok schoolgirls, urging it to sustain humanitarian interest in Nigeria.
Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity) Femi Adesina gave the statement to newsmen on Monday.
According to it, meeting with Mr. Peter Maurer, ICRC President, at State House, Abuja, Monday, President Buhari said his administration is prepared to continue talks with the Boko Haram insurgent group, “as long as they agree to involve international agencies like ICRC.
"We’ve seen the result of recent talks, 21 of the Chibok girls are back,” the President said, referring to the role played by ICRC in providing immediate humanitarian assistance to the girls, who had spent over 900 days in the hands of their abductors.
President Buhari said Nigeria’s biggest problem was perhaps the issue of internally displaced persons (IDPs), noting that there were over 2 million of them, “made up of over 60% women and children.
About 60% of the children don’t know their parents, or where they come from. It is weighing heavily on government.”
On rebuilding of destroyed infrastructure, President Buhari said it was a priority of government, noting that the G7 had equally indicated support, which Nigeria heartily welcomed.
“We appreciate all your efforts. I am pleased you recognized that our military is cooperating with civil authorities, and respecting humanitarian issues. It is a difficult time for Nigeria. About 27 of our 36 states couldn’t pay salaries when we came last year, and we are still struggling with that. But we will get out of it,” the President said.
Maurer, the ICRC President, said their operation in the Lake Chad region is the second largest in the world, after Syria, adding that there are nutritional, health, water and sanitation issues in the North-east, in addition to rebuilding of infrastructure.
“We are ready to engage and play supportive role in responding to crisis in Nigeria. Security is a lot better than it was a year ago, but humanitarian problems are serious, and don’t disappear so quickly,” Maurer said.
The ICRC President also commended Nigeria for granting increased access to detainees, and exchanges with the Armed Forces. He added: “Detention facilities have improved, there are fewer deaths, and things are better health-wise.”
Recession: Latest ranking of the world's richest people by Forbes has shown that oil tycoonand Nigerian Business mogul, Femi Otedola's net worth has plunged from $1.8 Billion to $550 Million as recession beat down a massive drop in the stock price of Forte Oil, the Nigerian Stock Exchange-listed petroleum marketing company.
Otedola
As at the close of trading on Friday, Forte Oil's share price plunged to a one-year low of N145 (.44) per share, down from an all-time high of N342 ($1.1) in March this year when FORBES published its annual ranking of the world's richest people.
Apart from the tumble in Forte Oil's stock price, Otedola's fortune has also been adversely affected by a central bank devaluation of the Naira in June. In dollar terms, the devaluation in addition to Forte's floundering share price has knocked about $1.3 billion off the value of Otedola's fortune which was pegged at $1.8 billion in March.
Otedola, who is Forte Oil Plc's Chairman, is now worth only $550 million as at the close of business of Friday, according to the FORBES' billionaires' database.
Femi Otedola was unavailable for comments. However, an analyst at a Lagos-based Investment bank hinted that the share price drop may not be unconnected to the current recession in Nigeria that has witnessed 2 consecutive quarters of negative growth with inflation soaring to levels as high as 17%.
Investors are dumping Forte Oil's shares as a result of wide-spread disappointing results of Nigerian Companies of which Forte Oil Plc is also not immune.
The company's profit after tax was down at N2.80 billion ($8.8 million) for the third quarter ended Sept 30 2016 as against N4.28 billion ($13.5 million) for the same period in 2015.
Sources also attribute the results to reduced demand for energy consumption as a result of the recently increased pump price which has adversely affected the fortunes of oil marketing companies in Nigeria.
Ile-Ife (Osun) – A C & S prophetess, 41-year-old Sola Ajayi, who allegedly stole a Canadian-breed life turkey valued at N30, 000, is to remain behind bars, an Ile Ife Magistrates' Court in Osun ruled on Monday.
Ajayi was ordered to be kept in prison custody over his inability to perfect her bail.
Chief Magistrate Olalekan Ijiyode had granted her bail in the sum of N30, 000 with one surety in like sum.
Ijiyode added that the surety must be a civil servant and should also reside within the court's jurisdiction.
No civil servant showed up to stand surety for her and the magistrate remanded the prophetess in prison custody until the bail condition was met.
The accused was arraigned on a charge of stealing to which she pleaded not guilty.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Sunday Osanyintuyi, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Oct. 16 at about 4.00 p.m. at Iloromu Quarters, Mokuro, Ile Ife.
Osanyintuyi said the accused stole the life turkey valued at N30, 000, property of a woman, Khadijat Lamidi.
The offence contravened Section 390 of the Criminal Code,Laws of Osun, 2002.
Counsel to the accused, Mr Olalekan Babatunde, urged the court to grant her bail.
Jos – Mr Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, said on Monday in Jos that the Federal Government was working assiduously to finalise work on the new draft National Policy on Information.
Mohammed spoke at the stakeholders' conference on 'National Communication Policy and Strategy,' held at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos.
Mohammed was represented by Mr Peter Dama, Director, Press and Publicity in the Federal Ministry of Information at the conference with the theme 'Towards a Comprehensive National Communication Policy and Strategy.''
He said the theme of the conference was apt, considering the ongoing efforts of the administration in ensuring accountability, the rule of law, good governance, freedom of information and expression, among others.
According to him, the National Communication Policy in Nigeria has not been properly developed beyond an attempt in 1987 that produced a draft made to serve the former Ministry of Information.
"However, following the demerger of the now Federal Ministry of Communication Technology from the Federal Ministry of Information, there was need to recast and compartmentalise the policy document," he said.
He said that the draft National Information Policy document now in its final process had been fashioned to provide a framework with which modern information systems and strategies can be deployed for national development.
"The draft National Information Policy by the Federal Ministry of Information is being formulated to address our aspirations through eliminating the gaps and disparities in information sharing and management.
"It also promotes widespread access to participation in ownership of information processes and systems in view of the centrality of information to national development.
"The draft National Information Policy also foresees the emergence of a nation in constant dialogue with itself and the world.
"The main purpose of the policy is to provide regulation and functioning communication system in Nigeria with due attention to challenges and opportunities inherent in a globalising world driven by digital technologies, "he said.
He said government was working hard to meet up with the June 2017 Digital Switch Over deadline, noting that the Switch Over was launched in Jos in April.
"Hopefully, by December, 2016, Digital Switch Over in Abuja will be launched," he said.
Declaring the conference open, Gov. Simon Lalong said that most of the crises witnessed in the country would have been averted through adequate communication.
Represented by the Commissioner for Information, Mohammed Nazif, he said that the nation needed a comprehensive policy that would serve as a guiding principle to communication.
