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
The International Press Institute, IPI Nigeria took steps to brace up to the World Congress Abuja is hosting next year with the setting up of a secretariat and the inauguration of a Steering Committee.
One of the resolutions taken at the meeting on Thursday hosted by the Daily Trust in Abuja indicated that IPI Nigeria will open up the event to the participation of all media organisations in the country.
The Steering Committee is being headed by the President of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena who will be assisted by two deputies –Kabiru Yusuf, Chairman, Daily Trust, Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President – and three other members –Raheem Adedoyin, Secretary of IPI Nigeria and Head of the Secretariat, Mrs Funke Egbemode, President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and a representative of the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
In accepting to serve as the Chairman of the Planning Committee, Mr Obaigbena described the IPI World Congress in Abuja in June next year as "the most important media event in our country in the last 50 years.”
Calling for the support of all Nigerians in hosting the event, which he described as a "public-private partnership,” the NPAN President said "we must do everything to make our country great. We must not under-estimate or under-rate the greatness of our country."
The Publisher of Vanguard newspaper, Mr. Sam Amuka-Pemu said that the hosting of IPI World Congress "is an awesome task which calls for the support of all Nigerians. It means a lot to the government and people of Nigeria."
The Chairman of IPI Nigeria Malam Kabiru A. Yusuf warned about the scepticism and image dissonance concerning Nigeria which, if not handled very well may torpedo the country's hosting of the event. He therefore charged the newly-established secretariat to be ready to respond to international enquiries particularly with regards to the issues of safety.
The other members of the Planning Committee in attendance at the meeting include a veteran of the IPI, Malam Ismaila Isa, Malam Wada Maida, Mr Nnamdi Njemenze of the Nigeria Press Council, Mr Emma Agu and Mr. Timothy Oyedeji representing the Minister of Information.
Over time studying abroad has actually become more accessible to students in a number of countries. You only need to do your research well enough to reveal these countries with good tertiary institutions and relatively easy visa procedures for international students, and take advantage of their offers. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 4 countries with the easiest visa procedures for international students.
Canada
Canada is considered as one of the top study destinations in the world because of its great universities, reasonable cost of living and beautiful environment and landscape. The country has quite an easy procedure for students to apply for study visas. The process basically requires the student to first apply for and gain entry into a Canadian university and then obtain a Canadian study permit, which is renewable for the length of the students study period. The best part of a Canadian study visa is that, not only can an individual study as an international student, he/she can also work as a student, obtain a post-graduation work permit, gain Canadian work experience and learn about pathways towards Canadian citizenship. Also, another great perk is that you can bring family members with you! You can learn more about studying in Canada by visiting the Canadian Immigration and Citizenship website.
Germany
What is better than a country that has abolished tuition and fees at public universities? Nothing! Germany is such a country and another great place for international students to consider. Aside having an easy visa procedure for international students, it has a reasonable cost of living and some of the world's finest universities. Basically, the process of getting a German study visa is to first gain admission into a German University, then complete a visa application and attend an interview. A positive outcome sees you obtaining a German study visa that allows you to study and work in the country. In addition, if you want to go to Germany just learn their language, you can obtain a language-study visa that lasts for a good two years and be on your way to learning the awesome language.
New Zealand
This is another country with an easy visa procedure for international students. Basically, you start by checking out the types of study visas the country offers and then begin your application process. You can also contact the program or university that accepted you and ask for their help in your visa application process; they can provide you with valuable information.
Ireland
This country has such an easy visa procedure for international students that it can all be done online. Surprising right? Of course, you will need proof of your acceptance to a program of study and then the required paperwork. You can also contact the international students services office of the institution for assistance with the process, if you need it. An Irish study visa also gives you access to part-time employment depending on your program's eligibility.
Cross-section of Northern Traditional Rulers, at the meeting between the Northern Governors and Traditional Rulers in Kaduna State on Thursday (27/7/17). Suleiman Shuaibu/HB/NANFrom left: Governors, Tanko Al-Makura of Nassarawa State; Gov. Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State; Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State; and Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, at the meeting between the Northern Governors and Traditional Rulers in Kaduna State on Thursday (27/7/17). Suleiman Shuaibu/HB/NAN
By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor Satisfied with that the health of President Muhammadu Buhari is not as bad as painted by those opposed to his presidency, Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar, on Thursday issued a stern warning to Nigerians to stop peddling rumours about the president's health.
President Muhammadu Buhari in a group photo shortly after receiving in courtesy visit delegation of Nigeria’s Governor’s Forum led by its Chairman Governor Abdulaziz Yari in Abuja House London on 26th July 2017 in the photo are R-L: Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, Governor David Nweze Umahi of Ebonyi state and Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State
Governor Yari, who was among the seven members of the Nigerian Governors' Forum who visited Buhari in London on Tuesday, returned to Nigeria on Thursday as he arrived the Kaduna International Airport enroute Gusau, the Zamfara State capital.
Yari, who is the Chairman of the NGF, told journalists in Kaduna that the seven governors met Buhari in London in what he called 'improved health condition' and that the president cracked jokes with them.
The governor said that it was of no use for anyone to speak evil of a president who means well for the country and its people simply because he took ill and decided to seek medical attention outside the country.
The governor, who arrived the Kaduna International Airport in company with his Kano and Borno counterparts, said their visit to Buhari had punctured his enemies' rumour mongering about his true state of health and put them to shame.
Yari said, "From what we saw, Mr. President will soon return to Nigeria to continue with the good work he had started for the well being of all Nigerians and give the nation a new lease of life.
"While thanking God for the speedy recovery of the president, Mr. Yari also thanked Nigerians who have taken time to pray for Buhari's recovery and return to his duty post.
"But we really want to ask Nigerian journalists to always crosscheck their facts before rushing to publish what is likely to cause mayhem in the land and destroy the fabric of our unity and development," the governor said.
The governor, along with his counterparts from Benue, Borno, Oyo, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, and Kano left Nigerian on Tuesday for London to see the President, who has been out of the country for over 81 days to seek medical attention for undisclosed ailment.
The visit, the second in a week by top government officials, following mounting rumours that the president was on life support and had hearing difficulties, challenges not ascertained by any medical expert.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An influential U.S. House committee on Thursday approved a revised bipartisan bill on a 54-0 vote that would speed the deployment of self-driving cars without human controls and bar states from blocking autonomous vehicles.
The bill would allow automakers to obtain exemptions to deploy up to 25,000 vehicles without meeting existing auto safety standards in the first year, a cap that would rise to 100,000 vehicles annually over three years.
Automakers and technology companies believe chances are good Congress will approve legislation before year end. They have been pushing for regulations making it easier to deploy self-driving technology, while consumer groups have sought more safeguards. Current federal rules bar self-driving cars without human controls on U.S. roads and automakers think proposed state rules in California are too restrictive.
The measure, the first significant federal legislation aimed at speeding self-driving cars to market, would require automakers to submit safety assessment reports to regulators, but would not require pre-market approval of advanced vehicle technologies.
The House of Representatives will take up the bill when it reconvenes in September, while senators plan to introduce a separate similar measure.
“Our aim was to develop a regulatory structure that allows for industry to safely innovate with significant government oversight,” said Representative Greg Walden, who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Initially, authors proposed to allow automakers and others to sell up to 100,000 vehicles immediately. Representative Frank Pallone said the phase-in period was essential so “millions of exempted cars will not hit our roads all at once.”
Manufacturers must demonstrate self-driving cars winning exemptions are at least as safe as existing vehicles.
Under the House proposal, states could still set rules on registration, licensing, liability, insurance and safety inspections, but could not set self-driving car performance standards.
Automakers praised committee passage, while Consumer Watchdog privacy director John Simpson said preempting state laws “leaves us at the mercy of manufacturers as they use our public highways as their private laboratories.”
General Motors Co, Alphabet Inc, Tesla Inc , Volkswagen AG and others have been lobbying for legislation to speed deployment of self-driving cars. Consumer advocates want more changes, including giving the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration quicker access to crash data and more funding to oversee self-driving cars.
The issue has taken on new urgency since U.S. road deaths rose 7.7 percent in 2015, the highest annual jump since 1966.
Automakers say that without changes in regulations, U.S. self-driving car testing could move to Europe and elsewhere.
Six match officials in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) whose performances have been adjudged as not meeting the high standard of the league have been suspended from further handling of matches for the rest of the 2016/17 season.
Following a review of performances of match officials in the last three matchdays, the League Management Company (LMC) has requested the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to withdraw the said match officials from the NPFL games.
The officials include four referees and two assistant referees who officiated in different games on Matchdays 29, 30 and 31.
They include Umar Mohammed of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) who officiated in the Matchday 29 fixture between Niger Tornadoes and Plateau United, Aliyu Abdullahi of Kaduna State who was the match referee on Matchday 30 between Katsina United and Kano Pillars, Saleh Mohammed of Jigawa for his poor performance on Matchday 30 between Plateau United and FC Ifeanyiubah and Samuel Agba of Cross River State who officiated on Matchday 32 between FC Ifeanyiubah and Gombe United.
The assistant referees are Emmanuel Udoh of Akwa Ibom State and Felagha Awudola of Bayelsa State who were the assistant referees to Agba in the FC Ifeanyiubah and Gombe United fixture.
The LMC in a letter signed by its Chief Operating Officer, Salihu Abubakar and addressed to the NFF General Secretary, said: "The said Referees failed to meet up with the high standard expected in the Nigeria Professional Football League and made decisions which were obviously wrong and which had a direct impact on the outcome of the respective matches."
The LMC suggested that while a full investigation is instituted, "we therefore request that they be withdrawn from further consideration for future NPFL matches."
For other match officials who are still eligible to manage games, the league body warned, "this line of action will be a wake-up call to all match officials whose efficient adjudication of the game will help strengthen the credibility and value of the elite league."
The Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos has suspended the National Legal Adviser, Dr. Muiz Banire from the party citing anti-party activities.
The suspension follows recommendation by his ward (Ward C, Ilasamaja, Mushin).
According to the Acting Secretary of the Ward, Taofeek Ajani-Balogun, the decision to suspend Banire from the party was reached during the ward meeting held to review the last Local Government elections in the Ward.
"After a critical assessment of individual activities and the performance of the party during the last elections, members of the party in Ward C, Ilasamaja, Mushin unanimously voted for the immediate suspension of Banire from participating in party activities in the Ward and his removal from office as National Legal Adviser.
Speaking further, Ajani- Balogun said the meeting resolved to suspend the Ward and LGA Chairmen and Executives due to the poor results recorded in the last elections and has forwarded the ward's decision to the LGA for further deliberations and recommendations to the State Chapter.
Also, the acting Party LGA Chairman (Mushin), Mr. Sola Osobajo confirmed that during the last LGA meeting, the party received and reviewed minutes of meeting from Ward C and considered the decisions contained therein.
He said, "after receiving the minutes of the Ward C meeting, concerned and committed members of our great party, APC in Mushin Local Government deliberated on the resolutions of the ward meeting and having carefully considered the decision of Ward C EXCO, we decided to adopt the resolution for further necessary action at the State and National level. The Party EXCO in Mushin Local Government further recommended to the State Chapter the expulsion of Mr. Muiz Banire from the party," he said.
Recall that leaders and members of All Progressives Congress APC, last Tuesday, held a peaceful protest to demand the expulsion of Banire from the party based on alleged anti-party activities, saying it was in accordance with Article 21 of the constitution of the party.
Some of the grounds for the request are alleged anti-party activities such as causing a Legal Representative to disavow the Party in a Law suit before the elections and working towards the electoral failure of the Party.
Other anti-party activities which Banire was accused of before and during the last local Government elections include; Inciting the public against the interest of the Party; falsely accusing the party of imposition in public thereby bringing the Party into disrepute; Disobeying and causing others to disobey lawful directives of the Party, causing disaffection within the party.
The party also accused Banire of causing his supporters to disrupt the peaceful process of efficient organisation of the Party, particularly in respect of the campaigns of candidates of the Party and causing fear and apprehension among Party loyalists during the elections.
The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has made some of the most far-reaching revelations yet about the years in office of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
This was made known to newsmen in a statement by Lere Olayinka, Special Assistant to Governor Ayodele Fayose on Public Communication and New Media.
According to the statement, Governor Fayose said in the current edition of 'The Interview' that Obasanjo used him to wreck the presidential ambition of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the chance of former Kaduna State governor, Ahmed Makarfi, becoming the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate in 2007.
He said in his naivety, Obasanjo also used him to attack former Abia State Governor, Orji Kalu, among other political foes.
Fayose and Obasanjo
Fayose said that the scale fell off his eyes when on a trip with former President Obasanjo to Tripoli, Libya, where Obasanjo had gone to ask Moummar Ghaddafi to support his Third Term bid, the former Libyan president treated Obasanjo like a serf.
Recalling the encounter, he said, "It was such a pathetic scenario, so shameful. Obasanjo was speaking rapidly like a parrot. I was shocked beyond words. I never knew Obasanjo would be that humble.
"He was on one knee till the end of the conversation. Ghadaffi kept quiet and was just watching Obasanjo. When Obasanjo stopped rambling, Ghadaffi said, 'Have you finished? Just know that I will not attend that meeting. I have other engagements."
He also revealed how on two major occasions when he went to visit then Vice President Atiku Abubakar at the height of Mr. Obasanjo's third term bid, security details promptly reported him to the former president, even before he left the venue, leaving him feeling spooky and vulnerable.
On the Obasanjo-Atiku saga, Governor Fayose said, "Obasanjo told me that when you capture a general and you don't kill him, he'll come back and kill you; that since Atiku tried to stop him and failed, he must pay for it. And he (Atiku) is still paying for it."
In a statement that could reverberate beyond Nigeria's shores, Governor Fayose said he knew, as an insider at the time, that Mr. Obasanjo betrayed former Liberian President, Charles Taylor to induce U.S. support for his Third Term bid, after promising Mr. Taylor safe haven in Nigeria.
He revealed how the current chairman of the PDP, Ahmed Makarfi, was sidelined in favour of a sick and stubbornly reluctant Umaru Yar'Adua and his role in it as chairman of the Presidential Selection Committee.
Mr. Fayose warned Orji Kalu against "selling" the Igbo down the river "for cheap politics" and blamed President Muhammadu Buhari's government for making IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu popular.
He also spoke on his attempts to reach President Muhammadu Buhari directly; former governor Kayode Fayemi's relationship with APC leader Bola Tinubu; and futile attempt to discourage former governor Peter Odili from accepting Mr. Obasanjo's dummy that he was heir apparent.
The edition also contains interviews with the first Nigerian in the Belgian parliament, Collins Nweke; conversations with poet, Dike Chukwumerije, and inside information in the corridors of power in Interview Confidential,among others.
Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, has urged private and public organizations to emulate the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company's Youth Empowerment programme to address the current unemployment situation among the youth.
Mrs Buhari said the current Women and Youth unemployment was both an obstacle and opportunity to achieve the Vision 2030 and Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
She said this at the graduation of the eight edition of Youth Empowerment and Skills Acquisition Programme (YESAP), organized by the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) on Thursday in Kaduna.
Buhari, represented by Hajiya Binta Mu'azu, Co-ordinator of Buhari Support Group, appealed to Nigerians to give women and the youth the chance to work and earn a living, to enable them to contribute to nation development and the society.
According to her, giving the youth and the women opportunity will strengthen families towards building stronger economy and a more stable nation.
"Supporting the youth with skills would count positively to the social-economic transformation of the nation, as it would address the poverty and youths delinquencies which have become a major challenge.
"But we believe that if we make concerted efforts to re-orientate the youth, the nation will tackle the socio-economic challenges head on," she said.
Earlier, Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai said the involvement of the nation's youth in anti-social behaviors and bad conduct were inimical to national security.
El-Rufai, represented by Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Dr. Manzo Dan'Auta, said Kaduna State would continue to support KRPC's resolve to support the youth in capacity building and skill acquisition.
He said the programme would assist them in bringing their voices and concerns together to reach out and influence national decision making.
El-Rufai said the initiative of the management of KRPC would address the challenges of capacity building and self development.
"The KRPC management knows that the youth's capacity building in general and skill acquisition empowerment in particular are the ways to go in addressing the menace of unemployment and in its attendant vices.
"We are delighted by the KRPC's leadership and its quick sense of commitment; YESAP has made a difference in Kaduna State.
"I understand now 895 youths that have so far passed through the programme and l hope other organisations will emulate KRPC to offer similar trainings to increase employment opportunities to our teaming youths.
"Good people of Kaduna State stand behind KRPC's efforts to increase the youth's capacity to represent and advocate for themselves and to assist them in bringing their voices and concern together to reach and influence local and national decision making.
"I call on the graduates of the programme to take full advantage of this opportunity to change their social economic status and not wait for white collar jobs and be job providers themselves.
"I admonish you to be in the vanguard of good governance by assisting to sustain our democracy and to shun all negative vices such as thuggery, cultism, violence and any form of criminal activities such as drug abuse" he said.
Earlier, KRPC official, Mallam Idi Mukhtar, said it was the company's resolve to ensure that youths' unemployment, with its attendant negative impact on peace, security, economic and social activities, was reduced significantly especially within its host communities.
Mukhtar said the objective of the programme, initiated in 2008, was to reduce joblessness and develop the youth who would create employment opportunities for others.
He said the programme, which had so far empowered 895 including those just graduating, was aimed at ensuring youth self reliance.
He said the KRPC, through YESAP, had demonstrated its determination to empower youths without bias to their ethnic, religious or social status to enable them to contribute to the development of Kaduna State and the nation at large.
The KRPC official urged the graduates to make the most of the rare opportunity and justify the huge resources invested in them and also be conscious of the confidence responsed in them by various communities and the state.
In their appreciation, the graduands, through their representative, Hajiya Basira Aliyu, assured that they would make good use of the opportunity to improve the standard of their living and that of their families, communities, Kaduna State and Nigeria.
According to them, the KRPC has reshaped their mindsets toward religious tolerance, moral, ethnic and character molding for a better society.
They appealed to stakeholders to sustain the YESAP programme, to address the high rate of unemployment, crime, idleness and youths restiveness.
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru ABUJA – SERVICE Chiefs Thursday met under closed-door with the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja and promised to re-stategize in the fight against insurgency in the North East, so as to curtail attacks from the terrorists especially the new wave of suicide bombing. Acting President Yemi Osinbajo (M) Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Defence, Brig Gen Mansur Dan-Ali and all the Security Service Chiefs during a security meeting with Service Chiefs at the State House in Abuja. To that effect, the Security Chiefs have promised to provide more surveillance devices, cameras that will be able to see distant attackers coming to the position of our troops.
The Security Chiefs who noted that rainy season was not a friendly period for them, promised to take back areas that appeared to be under the control of the terrorists.
Speaking to State House Correspondents after the ckosed-door session with the Acting President, the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali said, “We just finished a meeting with the Acting President and the three Service Chiefs. We agreed that they should move back to the Command Centre again and see what are the things happening there.
“We have also agreed that we should get more surveillance devices, cameras that will be able to see distant attackers coming to the position of our troops.
“So also the period of the raining season is a difficult moment for us. We cannot dominate the environment like what we do during the dry season but effort is geared towards the regaining back our areas and we assure that all these ambushes that are happening regularly would be stopped.”
Present at the meeting aside the Minister of Defence, were the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, Chief of Naval Staff, CNS, Admiral Ibok Ibas and the Chief of Air Staff, CAS, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar.
…as Gov Masari expresses hope over commissioned 225 tractors
By Gabriel Ewepu
ABUJA- TWO agribusiness giants, Springfield Agro Limited, a Kewalram Chanrai Group company, in partnership with Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd move to transform Katsina agricultural sector with mechanisation.
This was disclosed by executives of the two companies during the launch of Farm-To-Folk initiative in collaboration with Katsina State Government, aimed to achieve end-to-end farm mechanisation solution by farmers.
The Farm-To-Folk initiative will develop agriculture and farming ecosystem in Nigeria and provide customised farming solutions for every need of the farming community with institutional partners like Tractors Owners Operators Association of Nigeria, TOOAN, Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending, NIRSAL, and Access Bank Plc, coordinating the mechanisation programme in the state.
According to the Vice President and Head of Operations, Africa Business, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, Ashok Thakur, said the initiative would empower farmers to create wealth and massive production of food for people in the state and the nation at large.
"At Mahindra our core belief is that an informed farmer is an empowered farmer and we are delighted to provide them with resources to reap the most from what they sow.
"In fact, we have moved beyond just selling tractors and the idea is to enrich the farmers' knowledge and ultimately drive 'Farm Tech Prosperity' and help them 'Rise'. The launch of the Gromost Centre in Katsina State is in line with this philosophy", Thakur stated.
According to him for decades now, Mahindra has been partnering in the growth story of Africa, which the idea behind launching Gromost Centres was to boost local employment, aid local sourcing, disseminate knowledge, enhance skill sets and offer custom made solutions. In his remarks, Managing Director, Springfield Agro, Tarun Kumar Das, said private sector investment in the nation's agricultural sector remains the way out to galvanise the economy, and expressed optimism that with the initiative smallholder farmers could rise and become a strong force in food production that would feed the nation and continent soon.
"Private sector investment in agriculture is the panacea to diversifying Nigeria's economy. We need to deepen alliances and invest in new solutions. More importantly we want to be part of the smallholder farmer's story by helping them rise. Given the proper support, the smallholder farmers can feed the future of the country and the continent", Das said.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Bello Masari, expressed hope over commissioned 225 tractors for farmers' use said his administration would make everything possible to increase food production and food security for its teeming population with special emphasis on 'Farm Tech Prosperity'.
"Our intention is to deploy adequate farm machineries and mechanisation to a level that will boost agricultural productivity to at least 50 per cent of international standard and our effort is to encourage farming and increase support for the growth of farmers' unions and other agro-based associations", Masari stated.
Canon Central and North Africa, a leader in imaging and business solutions, has partnered with three local service centres across three major cities in Nigeria to strengthen its in-country presence and drive its "closer to customer" strategy of optimal customer satisfaction.
The partnership will leverage the local strength and expertise of Ensure Services, Kontakt and Technology Distribution (TD) to help create a unique business-to-consumer experience for customers.
The Canon-authorized service centre initiative is designed to support the imaging community in Nigeria, while creating access to repair and offer support for industry professionals, businesses and photography enthusiasts.
Through the three authorized service partners, Canon will offer total after-sales product repair services in eight locations across Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. The service centre will support all B2C products including DSC, DSLR, professional video, OPP inkjet- and Laser-printers, projectors and calculators under the Canon Central and North Africa warranty programme.
The warranty programme is a specialized – first of a kind service, under Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA); a division within Canon Middle East FZ LLC (CME), a subsidiary of Canon Europe. Within the programme, Canon will offer customers an exclusive 3-year manufacturer warranty for Canon i-SENSYS Laser printers.
Speaking on the partnership, Somesh Adukia, Sales & Marketing Director B2C, Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) said: "The partnership was an important pillar in the brand's 'closer to the customer' strategy which has been one of Canon's key components for growth in Africa.
"This is a really exciting time to be part of the imaging industry and we're proud to be raising the bar throughout the market.
This partnership clearly amplifies our commitment to bringing our customers closer to our industry-leading products while helping them to maintain the quality that encourages them to have fun with imaging through our 'Big Partnership, Trusted Services' motto," commented Adukia.
"Our setting up of a dedicated entity in Nigeria last year and the introduction of three specialized service providers is our commitment to providing the best possible services to our customers in Nigeria.
We are also working towards establishing more collection points for our customers, in case they are located far away from the service locations," he added.
Canon will also be launching a series of roadshows – consumer engagement activities and town storms across key locations. The roadshow will visit Ikeja City Mall, Computer Village Ikeja Lagos, Alliu Market Lagos, Aroloyo Market, Lagos GSM village Abuja, Bannex Plaza Abuja, Transamadi road Port Harcourt and Garrison Port Harcourt – from the 26th July to the 2nd August, 2017.
Services centres locations and specialisation: Ensure Services
Ensure Services is a company present in 26 countries with service delivery as their core business. Ensure Services is present in three cities in Nigeria, and within Lagos they are present in two locations; Isolo and Ikeja. Ensure Services has a Canon-certified and trained team of engineers providing the best class service for customers. Canon has invested state of the art repair and calibration tools with Ensure to provide best quality repair in Nigeria. Ensure also holds inventory of major spare parts for prompt repair and delivery of the products. Ensure will be responsible for providing support to the Photo video and OPP printer range.
Kontakt is a renowned name in the sales and service of professional video cameras and equipment. Canon has invested with Kontakt in specialised tools to provide high-quality product repair. This is the only facility available out of the European region to cater to customers in the professional video, media, broadcast and film industry; namely Nollywood.
You just bought a new smartphone, you can't seem to control your excitement. However, few months down the line, your beloved smartphone becomes slow and unresponsive over time. There are many reasons why this happens. In line with this, Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency shares 5 of these reasons.
The OS Upgrades
If you bought your device a few years back, it may be running on Android KitKat or iOS 7. From time to time upgrades of these apps are released with a certain set of hardware specs which may not be compatible with your phone. This may affect the speed of your device.
Apps running in the background
Background apps can also cause your phone to slow down because the running apps are taking space. Hence, make it a habit to always close your apps if they are not in use.
Memory Degradation
Smartphones run on a flash memory. When the phone memory is full, your phone gets slower. Do not forget to intermittently clean your phone memory.
Higher expectations
Sometimes, after looking at several high-end smartphones, we expect our phones to perform better. You can't compare Galaxy S3 with Galaxy S8. So, we should learn to manage our expectations or simply buy another device.
App updates
Apps can be transformed from lightweight to heavyweight over time due to updates. Developers are constantly releasing updates and every new update brings new features, which ends up taking most part of your RAM and CPU.
Six months ago, businessman and political novice Adama Barrow took power in Africa’s smallest mainland country after delivering a stunning defeat against ex-leader Yahya Jammeh, who had ruled brutally for 22 years. Adama Barrow When Barrow finally took power in The Gambia in late January after a prolonged political crisis, the euphoria soon turned to grim recognition that Jammeh had more or less cleaned out the nation’s coffers before leaving for exile in Equatorial Guinea, he tells AFP in an interview.
“We inherited an economy that was virtually empty,” Barrow recalls. “With one month import cover — and that is very, very serious — our domestic and foreign debt was at highest level.”
The European Union and World Bank swooped in to help the new administration to the tune of $56 million — just $6 million more than the government now accuses Jammeh of stealing by diverting funds intended for national telecoms into his own accounts.
Barrow says the nation can now cover its import costs — a key measure of economic health — for three months, that food prices are down, and that investors spooked by Jammeh’s tendency to announce herbal cures for AIDS, among other things, are showing strong interest.
“There is a lot of goodwill from around the world. And they have expressed interest in doing business with The Gambia,” he says, looking relaxed in a traditional west African “boubou” tunic coloured a bright turquoise.
“Not just the Chinese and (former colonisers) the British, but Dubai, and others like the French,” Barrow says. “It is now up to The Gambia to make the best out of these.”
He also notes an interest in opening up the nascent mining sector.
– Jammeh to ‘face justice’ –
A former real estate agent and developer, Barrow, a physically imposing but softly-spoken father of four, is most at ease talking business, enthusiastically discussing the development of Banjul’s long neglected port and an expired petroleum licence he wants to open up to new bidders.
But while Gambians desperately want job creation and infrastructure, the wounds of the past are fresh.
The families of those disappeared by Jammeh’s security services, beaten by his police or who had their businesses seized want trials, and quickly.
“(Jammeh) was the head of everything: atrocities, wealth, everything. We will investigate it all,” Barrow insists.
But how would he extract Jammeh from Equatorial Guinea — a notoriously secretive nation that is not a member of the International Criminal Court?
“There are people who committed atrocities and faced justice. They were extradited to face justice. It can also happen with Jammeh,” Barrow maintains, placing his faith in commissions overseen by a justice minister who served on the Rwanda genocide tribunal.
The president has ordered one commission to look into Jammeh and his associates’ embezzlement of state funds, and a Truth and Reconciliation Commission should begin holding hearings into crimes committed by the security forces by the end of the year.
These two bodies are aimed at healing the nation, but also paving the way for future legal cases.
Barrow says he is rather bored of hearing that his life and the security of The Gambia are at risk.
“There are reports that people are coming to attack The Gambia, these are hugely exaggerated,” he says, though a west African military force remains on the ground until the Gambian army is deemed “reformed” from the Jammeh days.
There is “a lot” to do in that area, he adds, and extraditing former “Jungulars” — members of Jammeh’s death squad — requires collaboration with nearby Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal, where they are believed to be hiding.
– Looking to the future –
The Gambia, population two million, has had the sad distinction for the last few years of sending the most people per capita across the Sahara and onto the rickety boats that ply the migrant route to Italy.
Too many, like the talented goalkeeper of the women’s national football team, drown along the way.
“Youths are risking this journey to Europe. You cannot blame them. They get frustrated to a level that they cannot do anything,” Barrow admits, as a onetime security guard in London himself.
“This migration issue is not a Gambian problem only. It is the whole world,” he says, saying the West and even multinational firms have a role to play in its prevention.
His own ideas to solve the crisis flow readily. “We have a lot of plans for the youths including the ports, that will engage a lot of youths, once transformed into a 24-hour service.”
Poultry farming and horticulture are also areas of potential growth, he believes.
After all, he notes, “I am not a politician, but a businessman.”
The First Lady urged her husband the President to name his successor in order to end divisions in the country.
Mrs. Grace Mugabe of Zimbabwe, on Thursday challenged her president husband Robert to name his preferred successor to end deepening divisions over the future leadership of the ruling ZANU-PF party.
Africa's oldest leader, Mugabe, 93, has ruled the former British colony since independence in 1980 but has insisted that ZANU-PF, and not him, will choose his eventual successor when the time comes.
Pin Grace Mugabe Wife Of Zimbabwean
However, at a meeting of ZANU-PF's women's wing in Harare, Grace Mugabe contradicted the veteran leader, who also attended the meeting, saying he should name a successor.
"The First Lady and Zanu-PF Secretary for Women's Affairs have challenged the President to name his successor saying this has been the trend in other countries.
"The First Lady said there is nothing wrong with Mugabe naming his successor, saying the move will enable all members to rally behind one candidate,'' ZBC said.
The 92-year-old Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe,
However, Mugabe did not speak at the meeting.
Fighting over leadership of a post-Mugabe ZANU-PF has intensified in the last three years, with two distinct camps emerging, one supporting Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the other rooting for Grace Mugabe.
Mugabe is ZANU-PF's presidential candidate for the 2018 election, his last under the constitution.
He will be 99 years if he wins and completes the five-year term.
According to the constitution, elections are due after July 21, 2018.
However, political analysts said Mugabe could call for an early vote, citing his frail health, and that he may want to take advantage of divisions within opposition ranks.
Zimbabwe has since independence always held elections in March, with the exception of 2000 and 2013, both years when elections were delayed by a constitutional referendum.
Antonio Conte has heaped praises on Tottenham’s striker, Harry Kane while also revealing that if given the chance to buy he will go straight for the English man.
Harry Kane
The league champions who are on tour in Singapore have just Alvaro Morata and Mitchy Bashuayi upfront with Diego Costa getting set to leave the side.
With Chelsea involved in more competitions than they were last season, Conte sees the need to bring in more players to enable his side have a successful title defence and Kane who bagged 29 league goals last season seems to have caught the Italian’s eyes..
“For me Kane is one of the best strikers in the world. If I had to pick a tip to buy, I would go straight on him, Conte said.
“We are talking about a full-bodied, strong physical, technically good, skillful in ball-free movements, a wrestler, strong in the head, and knowing how to strike with both feet. Really, he is a full player, one of the best strikers in the world.
“Unfortunately, One like him would cost you well over 100 million. At least. And when a player costs so much money, for me it means that everyone is worth it. ”
Forty-eight corpses of persons killed by Boko Haram terrorists during an oil exploration to the Lake Chad Basin have been brought to the Maiduguri Teaching Hospital in the Borno State capital.
Sources at the UMTH and the Maimalari Army Barrack confirmed to the PUNCH that the corpses were brought into Maiduguri from the scene of the attack.
The corpses brought include 18 soldiers, 15 Civilian JTF, five university staff and four NNPC drivers.
It said, also, six persons who were wounded in the attack but escaped to somewhere in Yobe State were later found dead and brought to Maiduguri.
Apart from the wounded soldiers admitted to military hospital in the town, two members of the Civilian JTF were as at Thursday, on admission at the UMTH.
The Army, in a press statement on Wednesday by it's spokesman, Brig. Gen. Sani Usman, had claimed that all the NNPC staff abducted in the Tuesday's ambush had been rescued.
Usman, in the statement, said: "On receipt of the information, the Brigade mobilized and sent reinforcement, search and rescue party that include the Armed Forces Special Forces and guides that worked and pursued the terrorists throughout the night.
"So far, they have rescued all the NNPC staff and recovered the corpses of the Officer, 8 soldiers and a civilian who have been evacuated to 7 Division Medical Services and Hospital.
"The team recovered 4 vehicles one of which include a gun truck mounted with an Anti-Aircraft Gun, 2 white Hilux taken away from NNPC staff and 1 blue Hilux belonging to CJTF.
"The team also recovered large quantities of arms and ammunition, several spare tyres, many jerry cans of containing Petroleum, Oil and Lubricant, assorted drugs, Improvised Explosive Device (IED) making materials, reflective jackets and a Motorola handheld radio, among others. The team also neutralized many of the terrorists."
But investigations revealed that five lecturers from the University of Maiduguri in the exploration team were killed.
Names of three of those who were given as Dr. Joseph Millitus, Dr. Manaja Uba and Idris Njodi.
A family of one of the deceased (Dr. Joseph Millitus), Daniel Millitus said the family was still in grief over the lost of one of the rising stars of the family.
Daniel Millitus, who is a pastor in one of the parishes of Redeemed Christian Church of God in Maiduguri, said the family is making arrangements for the burial of their son.
Another relative of a slain lecturer (Dr. Manaja Uba), said the family was still in shock and found it difficult to believe that "Manaja was no more."
She lamented that another relative (Yusuf Ibrahim) also in the exploration team is still missing.
When contacted on phone by journalists, the spokesman of the University of Maiduguri, Professor Danjuma Gambo, said, he was in Abuja and, therefore, has limited access to information on happenings at the institution.
He, however, promised to get more information on the claims as soon as he gets back on campus from Abuja.
The Deputy Director Army Public Relations, Col. Kingsley Samuel, when contacted on the matter, said it was not within the purview of the 7 Division where he is the spokesman.
He asked that: "You have to get in contact with Abuja on this, as I have no available information. It is under the 8 division.
Yesterday was seen as an abusing day for internet users who took to various social media platforms to vilify the two vocal political persons namely, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state and Femi Fani-Kayod, the former minister for Aviation, immediately the pictures of Buhari and the seven selected delegations from the governor's forum was posted online.
The very important question I ponder on is, why the social media abuse on the two prominent F's despite their struggle for Nigerians to know the where about and the exact health conditions of Mr. President?
President Muhammadu Buhari in a group photo shortly after receiving in courtesy visit delegation of Nigeria’s Governor’s Forum led by its Chairman Governor Abdulaziz Yari in Abuja House London on 26th July 2017 in the photo are R-L: Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, Governor David Nweze Umahi of Ebonyi state and Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State
However, it seems the answer is not far-fetched as newsmen went deep to the various social media and perhaps Vanguard online website to unravel people's reaction and reasons behind the duos vilification.
First is was gathered that Fayose had said that the president is on a life supporting machine and equally criticized the pictures taken by Buhari and some APC delegations led by Oyegun, the chairman of APC.
Secondly, Fayose's alleged position when the wife of president, Aisha Buhari returned with a goodwill message from the president to fellow Nigerians. In his postulations, Fayose alleges that Aisha Buhari did not see his husband for thus; 'Cabals' did not allow her in because of her husband's critical condition.
Similarly, Femi Fani-Kayode undoubtedly has called Mr. Presidents led administration different names like, Corspocracy, meaning government by the working dead and has equally asked the president to resign in different occasions.
Recall also that Femi Fani-Kayode had denounced with some alleged members of PDP the pictures of Buhari with APC's delegations in London and described the picture as fake, alleging that it was an arrangement to sustain the cabal in power as he blasted the media and the National Assembly for remaining docile in the face of what he called a conspiracy.
These we believe must have been the reasons for people's negative reactions towards Governor Fayose and Fani-Kayode.
See people's reaction via Vanguard Online platform.
@Ralph- Officially Fayose has become the mascot for all silly people in Africa. FFK is his bell ringer. Both can be safely banished from community of sensible people.
@Gbenga Adeosun Esq. – I’m not an APC aplogist, but for FFK & Fayose’s peddling of unsubstantiated false claims with utter confidence. They should bury their heads in shame
@Tito Kane.#Proud to be a NEGER – #I am happy for Buhari.
Where is fayose,kayofake etc????.
Finally,why are some of those men on the pictures wearing their useless boring Agbadas???.
Can’t they just look smart with just Buba and Shokoto like Buhari and those other men who looked smart with just Buba and Shokoto???.
What are they celebrating????.
They are celebrating their Going to england and making Fotos with the over 200 Million NIGERIAN PRESIDENT from a cold,foggy,no animal,no rain forest,cold,icy,no mineral natural resources barren desert island of a few Million people?????.
#YEYE DEY SMELL
VERY SAD INDEED
@igbo kwenu – Goat, you are one of the evil lot who peddled lies about PMB here, you were among the loudest.
Can you see your shameless life now?
All of you will go to where you wished him, many years before him.
Anuofia!
Fayose and Fani-Kayode were not left undefended as some liked individuals joined voices with theirs.
@ tee said, Gbenga, you got this one wrong. It’s the presidency that should bury their heads in shame and not Fayose. Buhari has made Nigeria a laughing stock amongst the committee of nations. What will it take for a president to address the nation regarding his health or make a televised broadcast from London. I want to tell you that the reason for these trips by the governors to see Buhari is as a result of the pressure mounted on the presidency by Governor Fayose and Fani Kayode. It’s a face saving trip. You failed woefully on this!
@Chibu – what shame, all the time what we see are photos even NTA cannot show your president moving about shaking hands of his visitors are all photos. even aljazera showed a the same photo. so i personally wants to see a video where buhari is walking about and probably laughing aloud as shown in one of the pictures
@Nwaebule Akor- That “Dry Stick” in agbada you called Buhari you saw sitting within Governors do you call it a living thing?
A living thing that can effectively be presiding over the affairs of Nigeria?
You should be ashamed of yourself. f00ls, f00lish f00ls.
@Namy – Just look at what ur president looks like. Is he capable of presiding over a family now, talk less Nigeria? Is resignation from office not in his dictionary? There’s a huge difference between a president and acting president.
Buhari’s continuous stay in office as London-based president of Nigeria has a huge deleterious problems on Nigerians.
@Prince Gozel – Edu. Look very well at the picture where he is shaking hand with Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State with, you will see that buhari’s sense is no more there. He is Not looking at Gov. Abiola Ajimobi and also look at the way Gov. Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State is looking at him. Buhari sense of reasoning is no more there.
Our president is not ok.
@EduMainMan1/Stuttsgat – If a three month-old Child sees that Ghoulish Apparition called Bboohari he will have a Seizure
Mothers Beware
@Judith – What is going on above is ‘photo-trick’ for the gullible. If Mr. President is as well as he looks, he has no business being in the UK. He should be back home where whatever treatment he is receiving can be administered at Aso clinic.
@eno_Obong (II) – Happy for Buhari? Can’t you see that he’s still sick and can’t move about……….? Why didn’t they allow the press in? Why no movement’s and handshake? Do you know how many days it took to package him? If he is really well why’s everyone traveling to see him and he doesn’t come back home.? Like it or not truth will prevail
Continuing he said, fayose and fani never said he died since april. they only said he’s in comma, and incapacitated. where did you get that fake news from?
What is your take as we wait for Fani-Kayode and Gov. Fayose’s reactions on this.
The Wife of the president, Hajiya Aisha Buhari has said that her husband , President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to youths development in the country because it is the bedrock for the socio-economic transformation of Nigeria.
Hajiya Aisha Buhari made this known in Kaduna at the 8th graduation ceremony of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) youth empowerment and skills acquisition programme . Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, addressing State House Correspondents shortly after her arrival in Abuja on Tuesday (6/6/17) from United Kingdom where she went to visit her husband, who is on medical leave in the British capital. She conveyed the appreciation of President Muhammadu Buhari to Nigerians over their constant prayers and said he would soon return to the country. According to the wife of the president, it is the desire to achieve this that the current administration led by her husband is formulating policies, programmes and projects aimed at addressing youth unemployment in the country.
The wife of the president who was represented by her associate, Hajiya Binta Muazu, said the oath to Nigeria’s greatness lies on how it harnesses the potential of its youths today.
"The topic of empowerment is a very fascinating one especially when you look at the history of Nigeria and what the future holds for the nation. There are lots of opportunities that the nation offers to its youths while at the same time there are many challenges we are faced with today," she said.
She said as a mother, she is conscious that that if youths have a chance to work and earn a living as full and equal partners in the society, the family will be better strengthened and the nation will be stable.
"I make bold to say that our meaningful contribution to youth development would count positively to the socio economic transformation of this nation," she said adding that if all make concerted efforts to make the change and invest in skills and work hard, Nigeria can tackle the challenges ahead.
"I have also toed the line through my pet project, Future Assured to impact positively in the lives of Nigerian youths and women regardless of the barriers of religion, social status or geographical location," she added.
In his remarks, the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Dr. Maikanti Baru commended the KRPC for introducing the youth empowerment programme saying it has brought succor to host communities and the general public and expressed gratitude to the Kaduna State Government for its support.
The Managing Director of KRPC, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar also thanked the government for its support to the success of the prorgamme, saying that the organization was working towards sustaining the skills acquisition in order to reduce unemployment in the country.
Executive director services of the KRPC, Abdullahi Idris explained that the participants were drawn from the company's immediate host communities and were made to fulfill the required eligibility criteria before going through a six month structured vocational training.
He said the trade for vocational skills include beauty therapy and cosmetology, auto mechanic and diagnosis, electrical installation and rewinding, welding and fabrication, catering and event management, GSM repair technique, carpentry and wood work as well as poultry and livestock management.
Twitter shares took a pounding Thursday after the company reported stalled growth in a key measure of its user base, sparking fresh fears over the future of the social network.
Twitter, which has been struggling to keep pace in the fast-moving world of social media, reported a net loss of $116 million in the second quarter, slightly wider than its $107 million loss a year ago.
More significantly, Twitter reported its base of monthly active users was unchanged at 328 million compared to the first three months of the year and up just five percent from a year earlier.
Twitter said revenues in the quarter slipped five percent from a year ago to $574 million, and advertising revenue fell eight percent to $489 million.
Shares in Twitter sank 14 percent in early afternoon trade to $16.87.
Twitter’s results came in sharp contrast with those of Facebook a day earlier. The world’s leading social network reported a 71 percent jump in profits to $3.9 billion, fueled by growth in ads delivered to its more than two billion users worldwide.
Analyst Trip Chowdhry at Global Equities Research said Twitter’s “fundamentals are broken” and reiterated his view that the messaging service is failing to reach a mass audience, which is hurting its advertising efforts.
As Twitter’s growth has stalled, Facebook has been gaining new users for its main social network as well as Instagram, the social network focused on images and video.
Facebook hauled in some $9 billion in revenue in the past quarter, mostly from advertising delivered via mobile devices.
“Both Facebook and Twitter have talked about working to convince advertisers of value of their ads,” said Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research in a tweet, noting that the difference is that Facebook is growing “rapidly.”
Twitter, which has never delivered a profit, said it is making progress on improving its product, in the expectation this will boost growth and help it move to profitability.
“We have developed what we believe are steady, stable and sustainable engines of growth,” Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey told a conference call.
“Twitter is what’s happening in the world and what people are talking about.”
– Daily vs. monthly users –
Dorsey said Twitter was focusing on the metric of “daily active users” rather than the more closely watched monthly figure, and said daily usage was up 12 percent, without offering a specific number.
“We’re strengthening our execution, which gives us confidence that our product improvements will continue to contribute to meaningful increases in daily active usage,” he said in a statement.
“We’re also encouraged by the progress we’re making executing against our top revenue-generating priorities as we focus on making Twitter the best place to see and share what’s happening, where you can see every side and perspective.”
Twitter has built a loyal base of celebrities, journalists and political figures — and had been expected to see more engagement following the election of US President Donald Trump, a prolific tweeter who frequently makes policy announcements by tweet.
The San Francisco group has been seeking to draw in users by offering more video including live streaming of sporting events, in a bid to broaden its appeal.
The research firm eMarketer predicts that Twitter’s total ad revenue will grow 1.6 percent this year to reach $2.28 billion worldwide — but that its share of total worldwide digital ad spending will shrink to just one percent.
The research firm said it expects Twitter’s share of worldwide social network users to drop slightly to 10.6 percent in 2017.
Facebook meanwhile is expected to generate $36.29 billion in digital ad revenue, or some 16 percent or the worldwide total, according to eMarketer.
Analyst Michael Graham at Canaccord Genuity said in a research note that Facebook offers a “multi-faceted growth story,” which bodes well for its stock.
Facebook shares jumped 3.1 percent to $170.80 in early afternoon trade.
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
Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, the National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), National Caretaker Committee said the Supreme Court judgment on the party's leadership tussle had stabilised Nigeria's polity.
Makarfi made the observation when he received a delegation of the PDP Women Forum in his office at the party's National Secretariat on Wednesday in Abuja.
Makarfi, who said that the judgment had also calmed down tensions, promised that PDP would not let Nigerians down.
"It was a landmark judgment that touches on every political party you can think of. It is a landmark judgment that has stabilised the polity.
"We know there is hunger, we know that there are difficulties, all kinds of problems in the country, but as soon as this judgment came, it seemed to have brought down tempers.
"Why tempers have gone down is that people have seen the alternative they have been waiting for. We will work together as always to make sure we don't let the people down," Makarfi said.
He re-emphasised that the party leadership would pursued reconciliation with PDP members who had either left the party or developed cold feet, even before 2015.
He added that apart from reconciliation, PDP needed to expand and attract new members to go beyond what it used to be, saying the process required accommodation.
" If you can't reconcile, you can't expand if your policy will be exclusive in nature.
"As you reconcile and expand, you accommodate different political interest that is rational, that is reasonable, that is fair. Otherwise, people have no reason no reason to reconcile.
"That should be the guiding principle; but in so doing, we are also not going to sacrifice those who have made investments for us to get to where we are.
"It is question of balancing of interests without forgetting the inputs, the contributions of men and women across the length and breadth of this country.''
Makarfi said that the party's forthcoming non-elective convention would determine programmes of the National Caretaker Committee.
"We will not draw up programmes that we will not have time to implement. Of course, some programmes will have to stay beyond us because they must be started at a particular time.
"There should be classic programmes which should be implemented within the time that we will be in office and give party leaders after us the latitude to continue to move PDP forward.''
He assured the forum that in going forward, women would continue take a central role in all the party's activities.
The leader of the PDP Women delegation, Dr Aisha Aliyu, speaking earlier congratulated the Makarfi and members of the Caretaker Committee on the victory at Supreme Court.
Aliyu said that the PDP women having supported and followed the travails of the committee in the last two years, pledged to remain as trusted stakeholders, ready to champion the rebranding of PDP.
"We are fully aware that as a party that is reengaging with Nigerians, this is not the time for women to be only heard.
"This is the time they need to be seen participating and promoting a future for Nigerians which is inclusive of all.''
Newsmen report that Makarfi also received a delegation of the PDP former Speakers of the State of Assemblies Forum led by its acting Chairman, Mr Inuwa Gauba.
Gauba said that they were at the party national secretariat to congratulate Makarfi-led committee and to pledge their support for the development of the party.
The Zone 2 Police Command, Lagos on Wednesday urged journalists to report all cases of sexual and gender-based.
The training was organised by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT).
Dolapo said that journalists should avoid judgmental languages in their write ups.
"Writing about a survivour's history, what they wear, what were they doing or what time of day the abuse occurred could imply survivour blame.
"Generally, contextual factors such as those just listed should be avoided in all media reporting on SGBV.
"Unless justifiably relevant to the story, survivours and perpetrators' ethnicity should not be reported,'' Badmaus said.
She also urged journalists to give life and hope to survivours and also indicate prevention measures in their write-ups.
"Treat survivours with respect, ensure privacy by conducting interviews in a secure environment and avoid questions that are sensitive.
"Report precisely, concisely and carefully for clarity of purpose and also avoid putting up details that can further put a survivour at risk,'' she advised.
Dolapo urged journalists to work in collaboration with the police in order to bring perpetrators to book and save survivours from shame.
Also, Mrs Bola Akinsete, a member of DSVRT, said that journalists should be mindful of the way they describe sexual attack on survivours.
Meanwhile, the Coordinator of DSVRT, Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, has said there was the need to train media personnel in reporting SGBV properly.
"It is very important that journalists understand and describe key concepts and basic principles of reporting gender-based violence.
"I believe this training will improve participants' ability to write in a way that will be well understood by the community and also expose the atrocious acts in our society,'' she said.
Vivour-Adeniyi urged journalist to always address victims as a survivours.
The command's Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Dolapo Badmus, made the appeal at a one-day seminar for media practitioners on "Investigating and Reporting Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV)''.
Mr Segun Oni, Deputy National Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that the salary arrears syndrome across most states of the federation will soon be a history.
According to a statement signed by Mr Edegbe Odemwingie, APC Assistant Director, Publicity, Oni said this when a UK Member of Parliament for Edmonton, Kate Osamor, visited the APC national leadership on Wednesday in Abuja.
Oni said that the Federal Government was working hard to totally eliminate the problem, adding that the bulk of arrears owed workers in some states, had been paid through the bailout funds.
"We are doing something which people have not recognised as a cardinal signature of the progressives; we are trying to eradicate salary arrears.
"Past governments, particularly at the state levels owed salaries and this administration has been trying to help them (states) pay the arrears.
"Very soon, we are going to have a check on how much is left to be paid; the people that are owed are mostly the downtrodden and when they are owed, you compound the poverty equation.
"We are working towards ensuring that in no distant future, the arrears will be eliminated," Oni was quoted as saying.
Furthermore, Oni said in the statement that the APC-led administration had initiated several pro-people initiatives, including the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme and N-Power scheme.
According to him, the programmes are meant to alleviate poverty and provide gainful economic opportunities for the masses.
He said that the government was open to ideas and best practices to develop the country, reduce poverty and productively engage its young population.
´´Our population is growing at a very fast rate; but opportunities are not growing; therefore we need help in terms of exchange of ideas and opportunities that will actively and productively engage our young population."
He said that APC was actively working to ensure that marginalised groups, particularly women and youths were exposed to the rudiments of politics early.
He advocated for greater participation of women in politics as a way to increase their representation in government and party structures.
Osamor, who is of Nigerian decent, thanked the APC leadership for its support and promised to extend the party's good wishes to other current UK MPs of Nigerian decent.
She listed the other Nigerian-born UK MPs as Chi Onwurah, Fiona Onasanya, Chuka Umunna, Helen Grant, Abimbola Afolami and Kemi Badenoch.
She said that her Labour Party was willing to share its experiences as well as work with APC.
Meanwhile, Mr Anthony Smith, the Chief Executive Officer, Westminister Foundation for Democracy, who accompanied Osama on the visit, urged political parties to be responsive to voters' concerns before and after elections.
Smith noted that the UK and Nigerian political party system were similar as major parties were required to have a national spread and reach.
´´It is very important for our parties to respond to voters' concerns not just in a few weeks before the election, but after the election till the next.
´´I think a programme that enables us to share experiences between parties is very important and we are very happy to be partners with you," he said in the statement.
The Nigerian Senate has pushed for the change of name from the Nigerians Police Force to simply the Nigerian Police. This is part of the recommendations in the 29 bills approved by the Senate in the ongoing Constitution amendment process.
Some stakeholders in the security sector have claimed that the if the word force is removed from the Nigerian Police, it will better drive home the reality that the police is really “your friend” especially because friends don’t need force, like the military, in relating with fellow friends.
However, the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, while commending his colleagues for job well done, said that the senate has laid the foundation for a new and better Nigeria by approving the 29 bills in the ongoing Constitution amendment process.
Police
Saraki who spoke at the closing of electronic voting on the proposed amendments to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria commended his colleagues for passing the recommended amendments.
"I want to thank all our colleagues. I want to really commend and appreciate the efforts of our Deputy Senate President and all members of the Constitution Review Committee.
"By these 29 Bills, Distinguished Senators, I will say that we have laid a new foundation for a new Nigeria that will be more committed, create opportunities for our young people and place us firmly among the nations of the world that are really prepared for the years ahead.
"What we have done today definitely is to lay the foundation for a far-reaching reform of our political, economic and social development.
"To be part of that history is a great honour for all of us and I want to thank you, my colleagues. May God Almighty bless Nigeria," he said.
He said the Senate will be remembered by posterity for having kept its promise to amend the Constitution and by concluding its own process in record time.
Itemising some of the amendments that had been approved by the upper legislative chamber, Saraki said that it was worthy of note that the Senate, by its actions, has opened up the road for younger people to contest elective positions.
"We have addressed the issue of saving money earned by the Federation which has always been an issue in this country for many years.
"The fact is that as a nation, we now have a constitution that makes it paramount for the country to save for the rainy days.
"We have also by the amendments shown our commitment to the fight against corruption by providing for separation and financial autonomy for the offices of the Accountant General, Auditor-General and particularly, the Attorney General.
"Also, by the work we have done today, we have helped to improve administration at the local government level which will strengthen our democracy by and large, ensure more credible elections by some of the provisions that we have passed.
"More importantly, we have introduced constitutional provisions that would help our judiciary in timely dispensation of Justice," he said.
Part of the amendments which the Senate approved are: granting financial autonomy to State assemblies, Judiciary and Local Governments, abolishing local government care taker committees and reducing the age requirements to contest elections.
Other amendments which the Senate approved include: inclusion of former Presidents of the Senate and House Speakers who were not impeached to the Council of State and changing the name of the Nigerian Police Force to the Nigerian Police.
The Senate on Wednesday promised to include a Bill seeking to provide 35 per cent affirmative action for women in the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill.
This resolution followed a Point of Order raised by Deputy Minority Whip, Sen. Biodun Olujimi, after the voting on the amendment of the Constitution by the lawmakers during plenary.
In the motion, Olujimi said "I thank this Distinguished Senate for what transpired during the Constitution amendment. I want to thank those who voted for the clause that had to do with affirmation action for women, and those that did not vote.
"We lost the vote but we won the popular vote," she said.
According to her, the exercise was a mark of democracy, saying that "he who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day."
"In the light of that, I want to ask for this great obligation that the Senate do graciously allow that the clause on affirmative action be brought in when the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill comes back to the Senate.
"I ask that you support us in that because that will just be a law that can be subjected to amendments as and when due," Olujimi said.
Seconding the motion, Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, said "I recall that this Senate is a very gender sensitive Senate.
"We supported women at all material time. Anytime we had issues concerning women we stood by them. The voting we had was actually in response to some other provisions of the constitution, especially those dealing with issues of non discrimination.
"It was very difficult to sideline some of the provisions we voted against in the existing provisions of the constitution," Ekweremadu said.
According to him, what they have done is to do a debate to enable the Senate have another look at the Constitution.
"I am supporting the motion so that when we do the Bill relating to gender matters, we will be able to focus on the issue of affirmative action.
"I plead with this Senate that we remember this commitment and also support our women," he said.
The matter was unanimously agreed upon when put to Voice Vote by the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki.
NAN report that the Gender Equal Opportunity Bill has scaled second reading and is currently before the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.
Sen. Suleiman Nazif, on Wednesday commended Senate's approval of reduction in age qualification for offices of the President, Governor, membership of the Senate, House of Representatives and state houses of assembly.
Nazif, the senator representing Bauchi North Senatorial District, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
He said the vote in favour of a bill seeking to alter sections 65, 106,131 and 177 of the 1999 Constitution was a move to include Nigerian youth in the process of governance.
According to him, if voted for by two third of the state houses of assembly and signed into law by the president, it would give Nigerian youths the opportunity to use their talent for the development of the nation.
"Yesterday, a movement known as "The Not Too Young to Run Movement protested against age limit in age qualification for appointive and elective offices and the Senate in its wisdom has done justice to the matter.
"I was one of the senators that addressed them and I assured them that the 8th Senate was pro-youth and would do anything to ensure that the Nigerian youth was given his or her pride of place.
"We all know that it is a sensitive issue in Nigeria but the beauty is that the Senate in its wisdom applied wisdom and reduced the age to what Nigerian youths will be satisfied with.
"The 18 years they were clamouring for was an uphill task.
"However, with what happened today, if it scales through, the youth, who are in the majority, will have the opportunity to vie for all positions they so desire.
"We reduced each of the positions by five years from what it used to be and I think that is fair enough to give our youth the opportunity to contribute their quota to the development of the nation,'' he said
It could be recalled that Not Too Young to Run Movement, a Non-Governmental Organisation, led by one Mr Samson Itodo stormed the National Assembly on July 25 demanding that the age restriction on elective and appointive positions in the country be removed from the constitution.
Itodo had maintained that time had come for young Nigerians to be given the opportunity to run for office, adding that once a person is eligible to vote, he or she should be eligible to run for office.
The Senate on Wednesday, considered the Bill seeking reduction in age qualification for offices of the President and Governor, membership of the Senate, House of Representatives and state houses of assembly and 32 other bills. NAN
Terminally-ill British baby Charlie Gard will spend his final days in a hospice, a court heard Wednesday, after his parents dropped their request to take him home, but a dispute continues over his care plans.
Baby Charlie Gard and parents
Gard’s parents had wanted 11-month-old Charlie to spend his final days at their home in west London after losing a legal bid to take him to the United States for experimental treatment.
The case has generated international interest and drawn the attention of US President Donald Trump and Pope Francis.
But Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), where Charlie is being cared for, said that moving Charlie home for his final days would not be practical and suggested instead that the baby be moved to a hospice.
“GOSH has found an excellent hospice willing to assist that would afford Charlie and his parents the space and privacy necessary to protect them all,” the hospital said in a statement.
“A special area would be made available to them with the option for friends and family to visit”.
The hospital argued that it could not provide round-the-clock care for the baby in the couple’s home and that the “ventilator does not fit through the front door.”
It also said that despite several enquiries, it had been unable to find any other medical facility “prepared to accept Charlie for end of life care”.
The parents and hospital are still at odds, however, over the detail of Charlie’s care plans and were given until Thursday to come to agreement.
The couple fought a long legal fight to allow them to take their child out of GOSH and flu him to the United States, but lost a series of appeals in British courts and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
Their legal battle led to offers of help from the United States and the Vatican, leading the hospital to ask the courts for a final assessment of any new evidence.
The parents abandoned their latest court case on Monday, with their lawyers telling the court that “time has run out” and that they had made their decision after seeing Charlie’s latest brain scans.
Charlie suffers from a rare form of mitochondrial disease, which causes progressive muscle weakness in the heart and other key organs.
“Instead of respecting himself, shutting up and seeking for forgiveness from God for betraying his Igbo people, addressing his elders and betters in an inappropriate and insolent manner and playing the fool, the village … called Rochas Okorocha has once again fouled up the public space by opening his dirty mouth and talking about Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, the former Minister of Culture and Tourism and former Minister of Aviation.
This time around he talks about FFK not having what he calls “native sense” and he goes on obsessing about his distinguished family, privileged upbringing and noble lineage. Okorocha and Fani-Kayode
Clearly Rochas is obsessed with FFK and he has come to appreciate the fact that there are some things, like class, a good lineage and integrity that money cannot buy.
Yet the truth is this: it is not a crime to have been born into a well-to-do family and neither is it a sin.
That is why many people spend money sending their children to school and make great sacrifices in order to do some
The fact that Rochas, but his own admission, was once a street-hawker explains his lack of appreciation of such matters and clearly he still resides in the gutter where he came from.
They say that a pig that wears lipstick remains a pig. And that is precisely what Rochas is: a filthy, greedy and conscienceless pig who does not know when to shut up.
He has no decorum, no finesse, no decency, no class, no education and no integrity.
He is a primitive and bush villager of questionable paternity whose father remains unknown even to his mother.
If he is truly a man and not the animal that we know him to be let him come on a live television show with FFK to debate these issues including his sordid and filthy history and background and then Nigerians can decide for themselves who really has “native sense” between FFK and him.
We repeat that a man who constantly speaks up for and supports a government that consistently slaughters and routinely massacres his own Igbo people can only be described as a sociopathic self-hating Igbo who is suffering from a terrible and debilitating inferiority complex.
He was born a slave and he will die a slave. Attempting to compare himself to a courageous, well-educated, refined, confident, attractive, successful and well-bred man like FFK is like comparing fine wine to toilet water.
Rochas is scum and nothing more than scum. When he finishes his tenure as governor he will crawl back into the filthy cesspit and hole from which he came.
FFK was never a ritualist, a cultist, a 419er, a sodomite, a traitor or a dirty and unreliable street urchin and scammer.
He never ruined the lives of millions, bowed before strange gods and slept in coffins to make his money.
He never sold his soul to the devil or his body to reprobate men who lust for other men in return for money and power.
Unlike Rochas FFK frowns upon such things and comes from a noble heritage and a spiritually clean and strong foundation.
Rochas knows where he has soiled his hands and what the source of his power and wealth is.
He has much to answer for and the evil spirits that, by his own admission, have been tormenting him ever since he became governor will soon take their pound of flesh.
The sword of the Lord is poised to strike and the judgement of God awaits him for his many indiscretions and sins. Thereafter comes hellfire”-
SIGNED: JUDE NDUKWE, SPECIAL ADVISOR (MEDIA) TO CHIEF FEMI FANI-KAYODE.
President Muhammadu Buhari with Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State with them are L-R: Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, Governor David Nweze Umahi of Ebonyi state, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State as he receives in courtesy visit delegation of Nigeria’s Governor’s Forum led by its Chairman Governor Abdulaziz Yari in Abuja House London on 26th July 2017President Muhammadu Buhari with Wife of President Mrs Aisha Buhari and Wife of Benue State Governor Mrs Eunice Ortom as he receives in courtesy visit delegation of Nigeria’s Governor’s Forum led by its Chairman Governor Abdulaziz Yari in Abuja House London on 26th July 2017President Muhammadu Buhari in a group photo shortly after receiving in courtesy visit delegation of Nigeria’s Governor’s Forum led by its Chairman Governor Abdulaziz Yari in Abuja House London on 26th July 2017 in the photo are R-L: Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, Governor David Nweze Umahi of Ebonyi state and Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo StatePresident Muhammadu Buhari in a group photo shortly after receiving in courtesy visit delegation of Nigeria’s Governor’s Forum led by its Chairman Governor Abdulaziz Yari in Abuja House London on 26th July 2017 in the photo are R-L: Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, Governor David Nweze Umahi of Ebonyi state and Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo StatePresident Muhammadu Buhari with Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State with them are L-R: Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, Governor David Nweze Umahi of Ebonyi state, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State as he receives in courtesy visit delegation of Nigeria’s Governor’s Forum led by its Chairman Governor Abdulaziz Yari in Abuja House London on 26th July 2017
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has confirmed the kidnap by Boko Haram militants of 10 members of the University of Maiduguri research team prospecting for oil in northeast Nigeria.
kidnapNNPC spokesman Ndu Ughamadu said the men, working as consultants were kidnapped near Jibi village in Borno state on Tuesday afternoon. The village is in Magumeri local government area, about 50 km (30 miles) from the state capital, Maiduguri.
"About 10 members of the University of Maiduguri geology and surveying department were abducted by suspected Boko Haram members," Ughamadu said. The group included academic staff, drivers and other contractors.
The university said some of its lecturers, who were accompanied by security staff, had not returned on Tuesday from a prospecting trip. Its spokesman said the university was waiting for a report from security agencies.
The NNPC has been surveying for more than a year for what it says could be vast oil reserves in the Lake Chad Basin, a region wracked for eight years by an Islamist insurgency, which has killed at least 20,000 people and forced some 2.7 million to flee their homes.
Nigeria relies on oil for two-thirds of its revenue. The NNPC is trying to reduce its reliance on crude from the southern Niger Delta where militant attacks cut production by more than a third in 2016, deepening the recession in the country.
Boko Haram, which attained international notoriety after kidnapping 270 girls from their school in the town of Chibok in 2014, is trying to create an Islamic state in the Lake Chad Basin area.
At least 62 people have been killed in Maiduguri and its environs since early June, in renewed bombing attacks. Seventeen people were killed in the city in one week this month.
The conflict has not deterred NNPC's search for oil in the region.
"We are working with the security agencies for an early return to the Chad Basin," aiming for drilling to start in the fourth quarter of the year, NNPC chief Maikanti Baru said at the beginning of July.
In May, the NNPC said it would resume oil exploration in the northeast "on the heels of (the) improved security situation"
By Emmanuel Elebeke ABUJA – The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the Ministry has strengthened the capacity of its Information Officers to tackle the menace of fake news with fact-based counter-narrative. Lai Mohammed
The Minister stated this in Abuja on Wednesday in his keynote address at a capacity building Workshop for Strategic Communication Liaison Officers, with the theme “Mainstreaming Strategic Communication Across Government for National Security.”
He said though the Social Media has proved to be a powerful tool of public communication, it is plagued with challenges, particularly the prevalence of fake news which makes it imperative for Information Officers to brace up and overcome the challenge.
”Faced with the prevalence of fake news, we took action by preparing Information Officers with the skills to identify and counter such fake news through engagement and counter narrative.
Information Officers are assigned to monitor both online and offline news media to identify such fake news and develop timely and credible counter narratives to respond to such fake news,'' Mohammed said.
He said the Federal Government is also implementing a robust strategic communication framework, with feedback mechanism, to interface with Nigerians on the policies and programmes of government.
“For example, we engage through Town Hall Meetings across the six geo-political zones to inform Nigerians and the international community about our programmes and to listen to criticism, feedback and advice from the citizens.
”Through these meetings, we are able to shape policy and improve on delivering our promises to the people. The town hall meetings, undoubtedly, have yielded positive results with the kind of direct feedback we received from Nigerians.
These interactions with Nigerians underscore the importance this administration attaches to the people in carrying them along in the task of governance,” the Minister said.
He underscored the critical role of Information Officers in strengthening government communication to achieve national strategic objectives, particularly in managing the image, reputation and promoting the cultures of the people of Nigeria through a dynamic public information system.
He said because of the dynamics of public communication, ”the ministry is leveraging on various Social Media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype, Twitter and Instagram to reach our audiences, especially the youths. These Social Media platforms also provide unique opportunity for the Ministry to aggregate and gauge public opinions and perceptions of government.”
The National Security Adviser, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Special Services, Ambassador Aminu Nabegu, challenged participants to come up with a strategic communication plan to counter the propaganda and negative narratives by terror and anti-state groups.
He said the present administration has eliminated inter-agency rivalry in order to achieve seamless and coordinated approach to effective communication.
The Workshop was organized by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP) to build the capacity of Strategic Communication Liaison Officers (SC/LO) across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has deployed one of its armed helicopter to Takum, Taraba, to give support to the ground forces in the efforts to maintain peace in the area.
The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja
Adesanya said the deployment of the helicopter was also to deter warring communities within the area from further engaging in violent activities.
"The helicopter is already carrying out armed reconnaissance missions within the Mambilla Plateau and environs.
"The communal unrest between graziers and farmers had subsequently led to the imposition of a curfew.
"It, therefore, became necessary to deploy NAF air assets toward maintaining peace and providing air cover for ground troops.
"So far, members of the communities have been observed to be going about their businesses in peace," he said.
The NAF spokesman also said that another NAF helicopter would soon be deployed to Kafanchan, Kaduna State, in support of the ground forces already working to maintain peace in the area.
He said that the helicopter would operate from a new NAF Forward Operating Base being established in the area
This, he said, was part of the Federal Government's efforts to ensure lasting peace in Southern Kaduna State.
The Ministry of Petroleum Resources says the new National Petroleum Policy will ultimately remove barriers affecting investment and development of the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.
A statement in Abuja on Wednesday by the Director of Press in the ministry, Mr Idang Alibi, said that the policy articulated the vision of the Federal Government for improving the petroleum sector.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) had on July 19, approved the policy.
The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, had explained that the 100-page document was very comprehensive on all aspects of the oil industry.
Kachikwu had also reiterated that the ministry was pushing for a refining processing environment to move away from exporting to refining petroleum products, given the volatility in crude oil price regime.
Alibi said that the set goals and strategies inherent in the new policy would promote a level-playing field between state owned-enterprises and the private operators in the sector.
"The policy defines the strategy of the Federal Government on Nigeria's oil resources.
"It establishes the medium to long-term targets for oil reserves growth, utilisation and strategies to be pursued to ensure the successful implementation of the policy in accordance with Nigeria's national socio-economic development priorities."
He said that the policy also proposed for a fundamental reforms to improve the operational efficiency and performance of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
He said that the document proposed the long-needed overhaul and modernisation of the existing petroleum industry legislation.
According to him, the policy will be reviewed and updated periodically to ensure consistency in government policy objectives at all times.
He listed the main components of the policy to include governance, comprising legal and regulatory framework; industry structure, with proposal for establishment of a new National Oil Company of Nigeria (NOCN) and restructuring of NNPC into autonomous business units.
Other components of the policy included strategies to develop resources in the upstream sub-sector, development of the midstream operations, and downstream subsectors of the industry.
He said the policy also proposed measures to develop the national human resources, the sector with emphasis on local content and export skills development.
"The policy also highlights internal and external communications strategies and roadmap for its implementation," he said.
Carlo Ancelotti has urged Italian side, Inter Milan to take their hunt for a midfielder else where as Arturo Vidal is not for sale.
Vidal
Both side will meet in a friendly in the International Champions Cup.
Vidal who joined Bayern from Juventus for €37million in 2015, has been heavily linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena.
At a pre-match press conference in Singapore, Ancelotti – who had already ruled out an exit for Vidal – said he has made it clear to Inter coach Luciano Spalletti and director of football Walter Sabatini that the midfielder is not for sale.
“It will be an important game and we’ll play in an organised manner,” said Ancelotti.
“Inter have a new coach, who has so much experience. After that, we’ll see if new players join them.
“Vidal, on the other hand, will stay with us. I’ve told my friends, Sabatini and Spalletti, to forget about him.”
…Warns Developers, Property Owners Against Altering Approved Building Plans
The Lagos State Government on Wednesday urged Lagosians not to hesitate to raise alarm if they suspect any discrepancy in the construction of any building within their vicinity. Lagos building collapse
Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, TPL Wasiu Anifowoshe who spoke when he visited the site of the building which collapsed at No 3/5 Massey Street in Lagos Island on Tuesday, said Lagosians must join hands with the government and report property owners and developers where they sense any irregularity during construction.
"My advice for Lagosians especially the tenants that live in these houses, we have been saying this times without number, if you see your landlord doing anything dangerous to your safety, please be a whistle blower, make noise, tell us, let Government know in advance. We were informed that this mast was erected two weeks ago. If the mast had not been erected we might not have had this ugly situation. Please be on the look-out, let us be our brothers' keeper," Anifowoshe said.
Anifowoshe, who commiserated with families of victims who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident, said the State's emergency response team spent over 24 hours combing the rubbles to rescue trapped victims and convey them to the hospital, adding that a thorough investigation would be conducted to unravel the cause of the collapse.
"Presently, the site has been cordoned off and there will not be any development on this site because any site that collapses in Lagos State, the law says the State must seize the property," he said.
Also speaking, General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Engr. Olalekan Shodeinde alluded to the fact that Government could not tackle the menace of building collapse alone, hence Lagosians must be willing to assist by raising alarm whenever they see any illegal development in any area of the State.
He said the spate of building collapse in the past years has reemphasized the fact that both the government and the people need to collaborate more than ever, not only to stem building collapse but also ensure that people build in compliance with physical planning laws.
He said: “Dealing with illegal developments here and there in Lagos State should be a joint effort between Lagosians and Government. We need information of such unlawful activities from responsible Lagosians so as to be able to curb the excesses of unscrupulous developers and owners of property in Lagos State."
Shodeinde also said that the present administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode was committed to achieving zero tolerance to incidences of collapsed buildings and therefore would not fold its arms and watch citizens die avoidable careless death without taking precautionary measure to nip it in the bud.
He also warned building owners and developers to desist from imposing additional floors to existing buildings without obtaining necessary approval, saying that such could lead to building collapse and loss of lives.
According to him, it was suicidal to engage in such act without carrying out a thorough engineering appraisal and integrity test on the structure.
Explaining what led to the collapse, the LASBCA boss said the building, a four floor structure which was built with bricks, caved in due to foundation failure when the bearing capacity of the soil could not sustain the structure due to the load being transferred from the additional imposed load of communication mast erected on the building about two weeks ago.
Shodeinde said the building after several inspection rounds in the past did not show any sign of distress even though the structural member were constructed with gravel as granite.
"The additional load imposed on the structure added to the design capacity and loading being transferred through the structural members made the building heavier than the capacity of the soil which is the ultimate load bearer," he said.
Shodeinde also said that the present administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode was committed to achieving zero tolerance to incidences of collapsed buildings and therefore would not fold its arms and watch citizens die avoidable careless death without taking precautionary measure to nip it in the bud.
Against the backdrop of socio-religious crises plaquing the country, Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun and the Emir of Borgu, Muhammed Sani Dantoro, have called on Nigerians not to toy with Nigeria's unity.
They made the remark on Wednesday in Osogbo when the Emir paid a courtesy call on the governor.
Aregbesola said that the pursuance of Nigeria's unity and wishing the country well would enable Nigeria assist other African countries to contribute their quota to the development of the world.
He warned that Nigeria would not develop in the face of ethnic violence and sectarian struggles.
Such impediments, he noted, would not allow the country to make progress.
"As democrats, as patriots, as nationalists and as those, who believe in the unity of Nigeria, we must do the needful to make Nigeria great."
Aregbesola noted that the emir hails from a royal family of patriots, nationalists and genuine democrats, who believe that Nigeria deserves the best leadership.
In his remarks, the emir urged the leaders and citizens to preach peace and love instead of religious acrimony.
Dantoro, who described clashes and crises among humans as `madness,' urged Nigerians to preach peace as emphasised by all religions.
"We have to do a lot to keep this country together. Nigeria is for every one of us and we must do all we could to make this country work," he said.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Imo says it has 385, 654 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) yet to be collected by residents in the state.
Prof. Francis Ezeonu, the state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), disclosed this at a one-day Stakeholders Forum held in Owerri on Wednesday.
He said that only 1,435 PVCs, which is about 0.004 per cent of the total 397,089 PVCs, had been collected so far.
Ezeonu expressed worry that registered voters were not desirous to collect their PVCs.
According to him, people could only exercise their political powers to the extent that they had the card to vote and chose their leaders.
"The commission is not also very satisfied that the women are not turning out in droves to register.
"The commission's gender policy focuses at creating platforms for equal access and participation of both men and women in the electoral process," he said.
Ezeonu appealed to women and other critical stakeholders to use the opportunity of the women's annual August meeting to mobilise women to participate actively in the exercise.
On the ongoing voters registration, Ezeonu gave the total number of registered voters as 39,803 with more registered males of 23,158 PVCs (58 per cent) against 16,645 (42 per cent) females.
Giving a further breakdown, he said that 491 persons had requested for replacement with 332 PVCs recorded as displaced, while 159 PVCs were misplaced.
The resident electoral commissioner said that 1,628 persons in the state requested for transfer comprising 1,320 persons for interstate transfer and 308 persons for intra state transfer.
He gave the local government area with the highest registration turnout as Owerri Municipal with 4,539 pvcs, followed by Aboh Mbaise with 2,638 PVCs and Ngor Okpala having 2,544.
Onuimo LGA, he said, had the least number of registered voters with just 341 persons, Idiato South LGA and Ohaji Ebgema LGA trailed with 622 and 792 registered voters, respectively.
Ezeonu said that INEC, for the first time, was instituting a continuous voters' registration (CVR) exercise unlike previous years.
He said the last registration began on April 29 and ended on July 20, adding that the list of those registered had been displayed in INEC offices in local government areas for claims and objections.
He urged the people, as major stakeholders in the Nigerian democratic project, to go and check their names, collect their PVCs even as the second phase of the exercise would resume on July 31.
Ezeonu said the forum was a call for synergy among the stakeholders, especially in creating more awareness and encouraging the people to go out and register.
Newsmen report that some of the stakeholders had demanded for funds to enable them go to the grassroots to create the awareness.
They blamed INEC for most of the rigging during elections and its inability to go to the grassroots for registration.
The stakeholders said that INEC was encouraging political parties to rig by allowing them to go to the people for registration.
The state Chairman of ADC Party, Mr Nlem Ignatius, the State Chairman of AA Party and the Deputy Chairman Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Mr Anthony Ahanetu, agreed that INEC, as a federal institution, was well equipped to carry out its responsibility of registering voters.
The Federal Capital Territory Muslim Pilgrims' Welfare Board, on Wednesday said it would commence transportation of its intending pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Sunday July 30, 2017.
The Public Relations Officer of the board, Malam Muhammad Lawal, made the disclosure in a statement made available in Abuja.
Lawal said that the board had released Flight Manifests of all intending pilgrims for this year's Hajj to its officials across the six Area Councils.
He said all the intending pilgrims scheduled for the first and second flights were expected to report to the FCT Permanent Hajj Camp on July 26, for collection of their travel documents.
The spokesman urged the intending pilgrims to adhere strictly to the flight schedule, adding that those who miss their flight should have themselves to blame.
Lawal said the camp would be opened for the first flight from 3p.m. on Saturday, while those scheduled for second flight should report from 6p.m.on Sunday.
He advised the pilgrims to collect their Identity Cards from their area officers before proceeding to the camp as only those with pilgrims' identity card would be allowed to enter the camp.
No fewer than 2000 intending pilgrims are expected to perform the 2017 hajj through the board.
The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, is expected to bid the intending pilgrims farewell before their departure to the Holy Land.
Alhaji Bashir Rimin-Zayam, former Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bauchi State, has commended Acting President Yemi Osinbanjo for "effectively holding forte", in the absence of President Muhammadu Buhari.
His words "He is doing a good job; he deserves commendation for steering the affairs of the country in the absence of his boss. He has ensured that there is no vacuum," Rimin-Zayam said at a news conference on Wednesday in Bauchi.
He said that he was particularly impressed with Obisanjo's swift reaction to the security challenge in Mambila Plateau, Taraba State.
"He swiftly ordered the deployment of security agents to restore law and order. His prompt action ensured a quick end to the hostilities there.
"He has also demonstrated excellent tact in tackling agitations by groups seeking to break the country. He has been able to convince so many of them that Nigeria is big enough to accommodate everyone. That is what leadership is all about.
"He has also introduced measures that are already restoring the value of the Naira and rejuvenating the economy. We must applaud and continue to encourage him," he said.
Rimi-Zayam advised the vice president to always consult stakeholders like state governors, politicians, religious, traditional and community leaders, so as to constantly gauge the mood of Nigerians.
He also advised Osibanjo to foster cooperation and understanding between the legislative and executive arms of government to ensure political and social stability.
The PDP chief urged Nigerians to continue to pray for the quick recovery of President Buhari.
Newsmen report that Osibanjo has been acting as President since his boss traveled to London for medical check up, May 7.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Kogi Council on Wednesday, applauded President Muhammad Buhari and the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo over the appointment and inauguration of Prof. Stephen Ocheni as Minister.
Ocheni , who hails from Kogi is a patron of NUJ in the state.
Prof. Stephen Ocheni from Kogi State and Alhaji Suleiman Hassan from Gombe State as ministers of the Federal Republic.
The Council Chairman, Alhaji Adeiza Momoh-Jimoh and Secretary, Ademu Seidu, made the commendation in a statement they issued in Lokoja on Wednesday.
The council said Kogi had again got a voice in the Federal Executive Council with the inauguration of Ocheni
According to them, the inauguration of Ocheni as Minister of the Federal Republic represents the restoration of the hope for Kogi people in making their contribution to the political development of Nigeria.
The union described the new minister as a rare professional who would no doubt contribute positively to drive the change agenda of the Federal Government.
The council assured that the minister had all it takes to make Kogi and the entire country at large proud and wish him well in his new assignment.
Ocheni replaces Mr James Ocholi (SAN), former Minister of State for Labour and Employment, who died in an autocrash on Kaduna-Abuja highway on March 16, 2016.
