Showing posts with label LOCAL NEWS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LOCAL NEWS. Show all posts

Friday, 26 August 2016

Chigboken

ANAMBRA BLESSED WITH THE HIGHEST GAS RESERVES IN AFRICA – OBIANO

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ANAMBRA BLESSED WITH THE HIGHEST GAS RESERVES IN AFRICA – OBIANO


Governor Willie Obiano yesterday said Anam­bra state community of Igbariam in Anam­bra East has the highest untapped deposit of gas in Africa based on empirical records.
Obiano announced this at a press conference to mark the 25 years Silver Jubilee of the creation of the state at the Executive Chambers of the, Governor’s office.

Obiano praised previous gov­ernments for its contribution to the development of Anambra and assured his team would leave Anambra state the children of today would be proud of in net 25 years when it would be marking its Golden Jubilee.

He assured that with the good work he is doing with his team, Anambra would be an investment destination and Taiwan of Africa in net 25 years when the oil producing state of the state would have been manifest.

The Anambra state Governor further informed that the state indeed exported vegetables after a team from UK championed by Captain John Okakpu trained the local farmers spread in 7 communities with Ololo being the vantage of the communities.

He informed the group signed an agreement of 18 years with the local farmers to be culti­vating for export.
He announced his plans to embark of massive husbandry of local animals including cattle, and goat to place the local farmers at advantage even pointing out the local breeds are more nutritious.

He stated that his government last year distributed seedlings and cassava stems worth N200 Million.
On the erosion menace in South-East, Obiano lamented that his state was the worst hit as An­ambra alone has 972 Active erosion sites, while Imo state has 27, and less in some other states.

He however said his admin­istration has been able to attract attention from NEWMAP to 12 sites even though they inherited 4 sites from last administration.
He pointed out that one fifth (1/5 ) Anambra land has been washed away by erosion, where­as Lagos state is recovering land from the sea.

Obiano announced immediate release of the state Correspondents bus he promised last year regretting he was not in the know the bus was not released.

He said the state would as part of 25 years anniversary name some streets after some individuals in the state for their feats in bringing glory to the state in various ways in the past.

Some part of the speech he read earlier before taking ques­tions from newsmen read in part: ‘’My hope is anchored on the fact that 25 years is a milestone in the history of individuals, groups and societies. It calls for deep introspection, stocktaking and projections. It is a veritable crossroads in Time where we usually pause to hatch new dreams.

“For any responsible admin­istration, events like the Silver Ju­bilee Anniversary usually come in handy for the renewal of the social contract between the gov­ernment and the people.

“This Anniversary has of­fered my Team and I a chance to renew our pact with Ndi Anam­bra and strengthen our commit­ment to the emergence of a more prosperous state.

“Some of you were old enough when Anambra State came into existence 25 years ago. Some of you must have wit­nessed the sudden rise in our people’s hopes; some of you must have heard the liberation songs on the lips our mothers who saw the new state as the fulfilment of their aspirations.

 a hard road paved with agony and pain to the prom­ise of a new day. This anniversa­ry celebration will be more sym­bolic and less showy of what our dear state stands for.

“Consequently, we have de­signed a tight programme of ac­tivities that will begin from to­morrow, August 27 and end in December this year. From to­morrow these are the things we will do.

“We shall begin the day with a Special Anniversary Broadcast that will put the entire Anambra @25 in a proper perspective.

“After that we shall flag off the one million-Tree Planting Campaign. Then, we shall lay the foundation for the Oxygen Project Plant of the Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital.

“We shall flag off the N20m project per community initia­tive. All these are the activities for the Anniversary Day. The cel­ebration continues till December this year.

“A Cultural Carnival has also been scheduled to take place in the three Senatorial Districts during this period with a Grand Finale of the Festival billed for December. There will be a Spe­cial Lighting of the Christmas Tree on November 25 and an Interdenominational Service on November 26,” he stated.
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Thursday, 25 August 2016

Chigboken

The Latest: Turkey secures area around captured Syrian town

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The Latest: Turkey secures area around captured Syrian town


FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2015 file photo, Syrian Kurdish militia members of the YPG make a V-sign next to a drawing of Abdullah Ocalan, jailed Kurdish rebel leader, in Esme village in Aleppo province, Syria. A Turkish military expedition into Syria has threatened a Kurdish political project just as Kurdish forces seemed on the verge of connecting their northern Syrian zones. It is the first Turkish ground intervention in the course of the Syria war, now in its sixth year, and it underscores how seriously Turkey is taking Kurdish autonomy next door. (Mursel Coban/Depo Photos via AP, File) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The Latest developments in the Syrian civil war, following Turkish ground forces' incursion (all times local):
12:40 p.m.
Turkey's defense minister says Turkish forces are securing the area around the town of Jarablus in northern Syria, a day after helping Western-backed Syrian rebels take the town from Islamic State militants.
Minister Fikri Isik saod on Thursday that the Turkish-backed operation has two main goals — to secure the Turkish border area and to make sure the Kurdish Syrian forces "are not there."
Isik says "it's our right to remain there until" the Syrian opposition forces take control of the area.
Turkey is concerned about the advances of the Kurdish Syrian forces, fearing they aim to set up a Kurdish entity along Turkey's border with Syria. Ankara maintains that the Syrian Kurdish militia is linked to Kurdish rebels waging an insurgency in southeastern Turkey.
Isik says Ankara and the United States have agreed the Kurdish Syrian forces would pull out of the northern area around Jarablus "within two weeks." He spoke to the private NTV television.
He says that "for now, the withdrawal hasn't fully taken place. We are waiting for it and following it."
___
10 a.m.
Turkish Foreign Ministry says U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has told his Turkish counterpart that Syrian Kurdish forces have started withdrawing east of the Euphrates River.
The pullback was a major demand by Ankara after Turkey sent in forces across the border to take a key Islamic State stronghold the previous day.
Turkish ministry officials say Kerry and Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke by telephone on Thursday. Turkey's incursion into northern Syria was also meant to contain an expansion by Syria's Kurds.
Battling IS militants in Syria, the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurds have been able to seize nearly the entire stretch of the border with Turkey in northern Syria.
Vice President Joe Biden warned on Wednesday that the Syrian Kurdish forces will lose U.S. support unless they retreat east of the Euphrates.
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Wednesday, 24 August 2016

Chigboken

EFCC arrests Cross River Governor's brother for fraud

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EFCC arrests Cross River Governor's brother for fraud


Calabar - The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested a brother to Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State over alleged N2.4billion contract scam, Premium Times reports.

Francis Ayade was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the scam.

Ayade, managing director of Leophina Nigeria Limited and Hally Brown International Limited, was fingered in alleged shady deals involving diversion of public funds into his companies’ accounts.
He allegedly took a loan of N350 million from First Bank Plc, on behalf of Cross Rivers Rural Access and Mobility Project to finance a road construction contract to the tune of N2.4billion in 2011.

The loan, was however, unused for the contract, but transferred into the Mobility Project according to Saharareporters.

Ayade has also been implicated in alleged suspicious transactions involving Obudu Micro Finance Bank, among other allegations.
He has been offered administrative bail but still in the custody of the EFCC until he fulfills the bail conditions.

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Chigboken

Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu Receives first Cargo Aircraft

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Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu Receives first Cargo Aircraft




The Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, received the first cargo aircraft in the airport on Tuesday.
Speaking at the occasion, the Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, commended the Federal Government for the realisation of the cargo section of the airport.
The governor, who also addressed stakeholders and the business community that witnessed the landing of the first cargo aircraft in the airport, described the occasion as significant.
He said that the landing of the cargo aircraft, a Boeing 757 operated by Ethiopian Airlines, would open up the South-East of the country to the international community.
“Three years ago, precisely on August 24, 2013, we welcomed the first ever international flight to this airport operated by Ethiopian Airlines.
Today, we have gathered to celebrate the first landing of cargo courtesy of the same airlines.
We cannot over-emphasise the tremendous socio-economic benefit that this significant milestone in the history of aviation in the state promises to bring to the region,” he said.
Ugwuanyi said that the state government would take advantage of the economic benefits afforded by cargo delivery at the airport.
“Not only can our people fly to and from all parts of the world, but they can now have bulk cargo delivered to them through the airport.
It will save cost, enhance convenience in the importation of goods, create employment and help raise the profile of this airport.”
We thank the Ethiopian Airlines for taking the lead to assist our people in the economic development of our region.
I urge the business moguls to take advantage of this for the benefit of all,” Ugwuanyi said.
The Traffic and Sales Manager of the airlines, Biniam Addisu, said that the future of the cargo business in the airport was viable.
Addisu said that the Ethiopian Airlines needed more support from the Federal Government to realise its plans for the country.
“We have been working for the past three years to operate cargo in this airport and there were some issues we had to address. We are working with the stakeholders and government. We are succeeding and the future will be very nice and the prospect viable, but we need more support from the Nigerian government,” he said.
Addisu also appealed to the Federal Government to upgrade the facilities at the cargo terminal to meet international standards.
Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the lead pilot of the aircraft, Capt. William Williams, said that the flight was hitch-free, adding that the terminal ground was smooth and beautiful.
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Chigboken

Aviation workers protest privatisation of MMIA, others

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Aviation workers protest privatisation of MMIA, others


By Louis Iba
Vehicular movements into the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, was difficult yesterday as airport workers staged a protest against the planned privatisation of four of the nation’s airports.
There was a severe gridlock on the road as vehicles coming into the airport from the Ikeja axis and the NAHCo end of the road were obstructed by the protesting workers even though there were  policemen from the Lagos Domestic Airport Police Station on ground to ensure free flow of traffic.
The protesting aviation unions include Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the National Union of Pensioners (NUP).
Acting General Secretary of NUATE, Olayinka Abioye, and General Secretary, ATSSSAN, Francis Akinjolen, who addressed the protesting workers, said that the unions will resist any attempt by the Federal Government to concession the four major airports, disclosing that the unions were aware of the presence of some influential interests that had already been positioned to buy Nigerian four most economically viable airports.
They argued that the unions cannot fold their arms and watch the retrenchment of over 6,000 workers of FAAN by a few selfish businessmen and women in the name of concession of four airports.
They further contended that the uncontrolled employment and improper placement of certain category of staff without recourse to Federal Character and Public Service Rules in recent months was a ploy to render FAAN insolvent for them to acquire.
Meanwhile, in Lagos, all gates leading to FAAN offices were shut down to ensure that all workers complied  with the directive to join the protest organised by the unions.
Some of the workers who would not have participated in the protest were seen trekking along with the union members, a situation that further confirmed that the gates to their offices were locked by the unions.
The protest came few days after the Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, assured Nigerians that their interest would not be jeopardised in the resolve to concession some of the nation’s airports.
Sirika had told Nigerians that the decision to concession the airports in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kano was borne out of its desire for effective and efficient management of the airports and adequate utilisation of the abundant skilled manpower in the aviation sector.
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How land documentation worsens Lagos housing deficit

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How land documentation worsens Lagos housing deficit


Stories by Maduka Nweke

But for the cumbersome processes required of would-be home-owners to go through before certifying that their buildings are safe from government caterpillars and pail-loaders, the acute housing deficits in Lagos State would have been reduced.
But while most businessmen and women who are financially stable detest paying rent to others, they prefer to do whatever they can to get a land where they will build their own houses. This gives them the freedom to use their premises as they wish. They plant flowers to compliment what the frontline musician, Oliver de Coque, said that tenant does not plant flowers because the landlord can eject him at any time but in his own house, if he cares, he can create flower beds right in his living room.
Apart from this freedom, there is also the joy of ownership that attracts you home no matter how late you close from your place of work or business or wherever your daily itinerary takes you. No one can lock you out or give you some of the egocentric rules that remind you that your freedom is limited. Your freedom in your compound is as you desire.
But the rigours of the rules of obtaining land documents do not only regulate people’s joy and freedom, they also, to a large extent, retard development because those who would want to build their own houses would have to first secure the certificate of occupancy (C of O) with other signings and dotting that are not easy to finish. With these processes, people are discouraged from putting up their own buildings and that for sure increases the primitive “face me I face you” apartments that still adorn even the most urbanised cities in Nigeria.
These undue bottlenecks in securing land titles and documentations in major cities in Nigeria, especially Lagos, have been identified as a major clog in the wheel of the state’s effort at ensuring affordable and habitable housing for its teeming population.
It is often said that Nigeria has a housing deficit of 17 million, but Mr. Yacoob Abiodun, an urban planner, planning advocate and pioneer Secretary, Federal Housing Policy Council, stated that Nigeria has an urgent necessity for reliable housing data. He said that experts have brandied the 17 million deficit figure as the authentic figure of the housing shortages in the country, but “all is mere fallacy as it could not be supported by any verifiable data.”
According to him, as alarming as the figure is, one may be tempted to ask: “What is the source of the data? How was the figure arrived at? Was any research done? Who or which institution spearheaded the study? I am asking these relevant questions as a result of my personal experience,” he said recently.
He, therefore, posited that of the 17 million housing units needed to satisfy the accommodation needs of Nigerians, Lagos State alone could take more than seven million housing units and will need far above 287,500 new homes over the next five years to meet the needs.
Experts in housing and urban development sector, who spoke at an Urban Housing Talk on Lagos Homs organised by Heinrich Boll Stiftung in Lagos, said the state’s dream of meeting the two million housing units deficit will continue to be a mirage until the government sees less of monetary gains on land and title documentations.
The state Commissioner for Housing, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, recently said that the state has introduced a rent-to-own policy, along with the construction of mass houses to reduce the gap. The policy, he said, provides a way for low and medium income earners to pay for houses within 10 years at six per cent interest rate. He also revealed government’s plan to construct 50 housing units in all of the 20 Local Council Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).
But the Project Director of Arctic Infrastructure, a private Lagos-based organisation with focus on infrastructure, urban development and environment, Mr. Lookman Oshodi, noted that public participation will not work without first dealing with the cumbersome nature of security tenure prevalent in the state.
According to him, if states like Lagos can assure citizens and developers of easier access of titles and land documents, the huge housing deficits would be reduced. He stressed that insecurity of tenure or lack of evidence of documentation that can be used as a proof of secured tenure has robbed the state of several housing units that could have added to the efforts of the state government.
According to him, this is so when security of tenure is one of the indicators of habitable housing. He stressed that government alone cannot provide the needed housing units for over 4661,194 households in the state, urging the state government to work out a modality that will reduce the cost and stress involved in securing titles and land documentation in the state.
Another expert in infrastructure, urban and international development, who has worked on various housing and urban projects with several international NGOs, agreed that many developers have discarded social housing scheme because of the huge cost paid to government agencies.
Also, former Chairman of Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIEVS), Mr. Sola Fatoki, posited that the cost of security of tenure and titles should be reduced while government makes land available for investors to mitigate the gap in housing units in the state. The estate surveyor and principal partner of Sola Fatoki & Company, said social housing could only be possible when government sees less of land documentation and titles as a means of generating money.
“Social housing is not possible in Nigeria with the rigorous and cumbersome documentation process in Lagos and other Nigerian states,” he said. He therefore called on the Federal and State Governments to improve on the available housing stocks and review all housing programmes in the country with a view to making it affordable for the majority of its citizens as well as encourage private developers by giving them incentives and lands.
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Borno government calls for arrest of Ali Sheriff over Boko Haram

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Borno government calls for arrest of Ali Sheriff over Boko Haram



The Borno State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Kaka Shehu Lawan, has called for the arrest of former governor of the State, Ali Modu Sheriff, for allegedly creating insecurity situation that led to emergence of Boko Haram..

also see:ADVOCACY GROUP KNOCKS PRESIDENCY ON ABDUCTED CHIBOK GIRLS
He stated this during at the ongoing 56th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.Lawan stated that between  2003 and 2011, the creation of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and alleged bad governance that heralded his administration  escalated insecurity in the state.
“Ali Modu Sheriff was a  former governor of Borno State for eight years and left the state in a state of insecurity. The issue that happened in Borno , the insecurity that brought us to this situation we are in, was as a result of bad governance, illiteracy, lack of respect for the rule of law, impunity in the administration of Ali Modu Sheriff, which the  Federal Government  then, did not checkmate his excesses and it escalated  to this level.
“And up to today, he is moving freely and nobody is talking to him. All hands must be on deck, if, actually, justice must be done to the hundreds of people that were killed in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“He should be arrested. He should be investigated. He should be interrogated for the facts we have just mentioned in Port Harcourt here. His records  were known to everybody, even you media men. The Federal Government is aware; the State Government is aware; you media men are aware. 
Can he deny that fact, that he was a governor between 2003 and 2011. Can he deny that Muhammed Yusuf freely operated between 2003 and 2009 and the aberration laws he passed?” he alleged.
He explained that recent attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents were mere acts of desperation to mislead people that they are relevant and strong.  According to him, being a member of the security council in the state, he can attest that Boko Haram has been  relegated to the background.  
“They are at the fringes of Chad and Sambisa forest. So, you have to encounter some of these skirmishes here and there because it is guerilla warfare.
“But, let me tell you that the era of Boko Haram regrouping themselves in hundreds to take over communities is over”.
Lawan lauded  President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing up-and-doing officers and soldiers to fight  the counter insurgency operations. He called on government to support the youth vigilance group (Civilian JTF), who were partnering security forces to dislodge the insurgents.

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Tuesday, 23 August 2016

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Nigeria, others strategise on local manufacturing of drugs

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Nigeria, others strategise on local manufacturing of drugs


  • *Practitioners rue forex spike effects, seek intervention fund
Economic recession notwithstanding, practitioners in the pharmaceutical industry have identified the imperative of new investments as driver of real development in the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector in Nigeria and Africa.
They said that with growing reduction in foreign direct investment, stakeholders must re-strategise efforts at attracting home-grown investments to keep the sector robust and meeting the needs of the citizens.
The call was made against the backdrop of growing scarcity of some imported pharmaceutical products and rise in prices of their locally-made counterparts, both of which were blamed on spike in foreign exchange rate to the Naira.

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) said the health sector and the Nigerian publics are beginning to feel the scarcity of some crucial pharmaceutical items, and called for special intervention fund to save the sector.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of PharmaAfrica, Miles Mudzviti, said it was high time major stakeholders, both in the public and private sectors, came together to chart the way forward, with a common understanding on the type of industry they want to see in the next couple of years.
Mudzviti, who spoke ahead of the fourth edition of the Africa Pharmaceutical Summit and exhibition, said some of the issues most pressing for attention are in the area of capacity and capability for manufacturing, developing framework for deregulated environment and facilitating investments into the pharmaceutical industry among other.
He said, despite the current economic outlook, Nigeria, which is responsible for about 78 per cent of drugs manufactured in the West African region is at a vantage position to lead her neighbours into real development.
In his words: “I recognise that it is very challenging for local manufacturers in Nigeria at the moment with majority of the raw materials, equipment and maintenance all imported. At the current exchange rate, it is obviously that manufacturers will be on the back foot.
“There is, however, a space where government can play a role in supporting industries for the short term like giving forex till the economy improves. But on the main, there are opportunities in the long run.”
He observed that over the years, there had been efforts to support local companies to get Who Health Organisation’s (WHO) prequalification and a lot of investments through the Bank of Industry.
“Quite obviously, there is a lot more that can be done in terms of looking at how government, which is the main customer of manufacturers, buy these products. Public sector has really done well but there is more to be done.
“There are also interests from the private sector, with a lot still looking at Nigeria. The fundamentals for such investments are strong though the environment are quite challenging.”
He added that the African Pharmaceutical Summit (APS) had been at the forefront of achieving the common frontier to develop the sector in Africa, organising APS summit across the regions.
He said Nigeria would lead neighbouring countries at the West African and fourth edition of the summit and exhibition, holding in Lagos from September 6 to 7.
Mudzviti said: “Nigeria is very key to the development of the sector in Africa, with greater concentration of indigenous companies here. This is the biggest economy on the continent as well.
“For us, we feel that it is an opportunity to bring the platform here and try to get some momentum on issues of common interest like distribution, upgrading capabilities, future landscape of health insurance, good distribution systems and practices,” he said.
Chairman of the Lagos branch of Association of Community Pharmacists, Biola Paul-Ozieh, appealed to the Federal Government to activate the Pharmaceutical Intervention Fund (PIF), to save the pharmaceutical sector from total collapse.
Paul-Ozieh, noted that the high foreign exchange rate and the consequent high cost of purchase and importation of medicines were discouraging importers.
“The situation has also caused the increase in the products that have been imported. It is currently affecting the affordability of medicines among the ordinary Nigerians who pay-out-of-pocket for their healthcare. For us to be able to have universal health coverage we must have affordable medicine.
“The National Drug Policy also indicates that we must be able to make our medicines locally. If today in Nigeria, 80 per cent of the drugs we use are made locally, the drugs will be more affordable to the populace,” she said.
Paul-Ozieh added that the PIF would serve as a revolving fund for drug manufacturers who need capital to build local manufacturing plants, thereby reducing the country’s dependence on imported drugs.
“Government needs to encourage local manufacturers and put petrochemical industries in place, so that raw materials will be available and manufactures can source their raw materials locally. That way, we will be self-sufficient in terms of drugs production and administration in the country,” she said.

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TUC supports NHIS for workers

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TUC supports NHIS for workers




President of Trade Union Congress, (TUC) Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, (left) National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Executive Secretary, Prof. Usman Yusuf and first deputy President of TUC, Comrade Sunday Olusoji Salako during NHIS courtesy visit to TUC National Secretariat, office in Lagos.
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), has pledged to support the present administration of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), to ensure proper care of employees at workplace.
Speaking recently in Lagos, the President of TUC, Comarde Bobboi Kaıgama, said the union would give the scheme the right backup and support as long as they keep to all the promises made to all Nigerians including the workers for effective and proper care.
He noted that “In time past, many Nigerians and workers have lamented about poor care by NHIS, which caused the union and the scheme to go to court, but we hope this new partnerships should be able to address the challenges.”
He then appealed to the newly appointed chairman of NHIS, to address the faults made by the past regime, using the money that was made by the scheme to build primary health centres that was supposed to be built by local governments, instead of investing the money in the economy.
He also added, “workers who are senior staffers were demoted by the newly recruited workers to head them in office, which should not be, we therefore urge as union that you should do proper investigation and make necessary ratification where needed. If these are not put in place, there is no doubt we will pull back our promises of support.”
He said the TUC will not forget to remind the Scheme of its N90 million, which was taken over by Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO), which should be revisited and investigated so as to return it back to the union.
Also speaking at a courtesy visit to TUC office, the Executive Secretary of NHIS Professor Usman Yusuf, pledged to make the Scheme more enjoyable to the users than ever before.
He said: “plans have been put in place to operate it better than it was before because the money we are in charge is not our money, rather it is the workers money for which we must be able to give proper account.
“We have spoken and met with several health providers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, and many other professional unions in order for us to be a good custodian of their resources.”
Yusuf Usman stated that his administration would be a listening one, transparent, and ready to accept every advice to move the Scheme forward rather than looking at the wrongs done in the past.
He called for support from the union to move the NHIS forward and be able to clear the mistakes of the past.
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Advocacy group knocks presidency on abducted Chibok girls

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Advocacy group knocks presidency on abducted Chibok girls


• Govt not tackling root of insurgency, warns UN chief
• DSS arrests Boko Haram leader

Abuja-based #Bring Back Our Girls advocacy group staged a march to the Aso Rock Villa, yesterday, calling on the presidency to do more to secure release of the abducted Chibok girls.
Led by Aisha Yesufu and Oby Ezekwesili, the group said: “President Muhammadu Buhari cannot anymore be unclear on what decision to make on the option to pursue for their rescue. We reject the recurrent excuses by the President that the Federal Government does not know which faction of the splintered terrorist group it should engage in negotiations. Our Federal Government must never again sound incapable of intelligence and negotiation expertise.”
It called for a swift and firm decision on immediate rescue of the schoolgirls, suggesting military operation, negotiation with Boko Haram or a combination of both.

Security operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) fended off the marchers. The group, however, went ahead to read its statement.
There was an exchange of words between Ezekwesili and Chief Superintendent of Police, Chuks Obasi, who insisted: “I have my mandate, and my mandate is to ensure that a protest march does not assume a violent dimension.”
Meanwhile, the United Nations Assistant Secretary General, Toby Lanzer, has warned that Nigerian authorities and regional players may be chasing shadows in the fight against insurgency unless poverty is tackled.
Lanzer, during a media briefing following his visit to Bama, Borno State, regretted: “We are not addressing the root of this crisis. It is not something you put on the shoulders of humanitarians but towards the eradication of poverty.”
This comes as the Department of State Services (DSS) said it arrested 23 suspects for various criminal offences, including a Boko Haram spiritual leader.
Spokesman of the Service, Tony Opuiyo, in a statement, yesterday, said the leader of the sect, Mudaisiru Jibrin (aka Namakele/Alarama), was arrested last month in Kano.
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Banks shun CBN’s directive on dollar remittances to bureau operators

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Banks shun CBN’s directive on dollar remittances to bureau operators




sell to only 10% of BDCs
Three weeks after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) ordered banks to sell Diaspora dollar remittances to Bureau De Change (BDC) operators, they have remained adamant.
But for the few of the banks, which agreed to sell in compliance with the directive, it is only about 10 per cent of the BDCs they were able to transact with.
CBN had last week directed banks to increase weekly sale of dollar to the operators from $30,000 to $50,000 out of the Diaspora remittances.

Few of the bureau operators that spoke with The Guardian yesterday said they were yet to get from the banks after putting in their request for weeks.
President of the Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), Aminu Gwadabe, who confirmed the development, said only 10 per cent of his members in Lagos have accessed dollars from banks since the directive by the CBN three weeks ago.
He said from their records, only eight banks complied with the directive.
Gwadabe therefore, called on the CBN to outsource the dollar distribution role to independent distributor since the banks have failed in their assigned role.
“Our members across the country have funded their accounts since two weeks ago but the banks are not selling to them. The BDCs that met the CBN’s policy guidelines on the disbursement and cleared by the banks have still not received a dime from the banks.
But more worrisome is the allegation that those selling are doing at the rate beyond the interbank market rate, citing yesterday’s transactions at between N345 and N355 to dollar, against interbank rate of N305 to dollar.
Meanwhile, the CBN has read riot act to banks against continuous use of what it described as “free funds”, which the dealers do not account for in their returns, warning that such infraction would be dealt with in line with relevant guidelines.
A circular signed by the Acting Director of Trade and Exchange Department, W. D. Gotring, also directed banks to henceforth devote 60 per cent of forex at their disposal strictly to importation of plants, machinery and raw materials for industrial purposes.
It explained that the decision was taken after a review of forex sales returns filed by authorised dealers, which revealed that huge portion of the sales were used otherwise.
Gwadabe further said: “I think the banks are compromising the policy and CBN’s directive on the matter. And like I said earlier, since the banks are not co-operating, I expect the CBN to take that role from them and assign it to a reputable independent distributor,” he said.
Meanwhile, BDCs have called on CBN to license new international money transfer operators to deepen the market.
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Sunday, 21 August 2016

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APC no longer talking about true federalism – Fayose – Latest news

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APC no longer talking about true federalism – Fayose – Latest news



Kamarudeen Ogundele, Ado Ekiti
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has backed the call for the restructuring of Nigeria for true federalism.
The governor said it was strange that the All Progressives Congress, which was at the fore-front of the agitation for true federalism was now against restructuring as the ruling party.
Fayose, in a statement in Ado Ekiti on Sunday by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, stated that Nigeria was returning to full-blown unitary system of government “under the present APC government of President Muhammadu Buhari.”
He said, “It is on record that the APC said at a debate on ‘Addressing the rising insecurity in Nigeria, what is the master plan?’ organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) on December 18, 2014, that it would ensure true federalism and ensure adequate community policing through the establishment of state-controlled police so as to curb the protracted security challenges in the country.
“Sad enough, now that it is the ruling party, the APC is no longer talking about true federalism, especially the state police that it canvassed while in the opposition.”
Governor Fayose, who said States must be strengthened for the country to develop, noted that Nigeria developed faster in the 50s and 60s when it was practicing confederal system of government, with the regions running its own affairs almost autonomously.
“A situation where there are mineral resources in a State and the State cannot do anything about them without approval from the Federal Government will not foster the development that we all yearn for.
“A situation where the federal government has turned itself into lord and master over other federating units in the country, using federal agencies to oppress even State governors is not acceptable.
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The Latest: US ambassador condemns Turkey wedding attack

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The Latest: US ambassador condemns Turkey wedding attack


ISTANBUL (AP) — The Latest on events in Turkey (all times local):
2:08 p.m.
The U.S. ambassador to Turkey has condemned the "barbaric attack" on an outdoor wedding party that killed 50 and wounded dozens of others.
John Bass said "we stand by our ally Turkey and pledge to continue to work closely together to defeat the common threat of terrorism."
Turkey's president has blamed the Islamic State group for the bombing in the southeastern city of Gaziantep, near the border with Syria.
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2 p.m.
Pope Francis has led hundreds of people in silent prayer for the victims of the Turkish wedding attack.
At his weekly Sunday noontime blessing, Francis said he had heard the "sad news" of the attack. After a moment of silent prayer, Francis led tourists and pilgrims in St. Peter's Square in reciting the Ave Maria.
He concluded by asking "for the gift of peace for everyone."
Turkey's president has blamed the Islamic State group for the bombing of an outdoor wedding party near Syria's border that killed 50 people and wounded dozens of others.
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11:15 a.m.
Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency has reported that the death toll in the outdoor wedding party attack in southeastern Turkey has risen to 50.
The report said the new figure came from the Gaziantep governor's office. Previously, the number of dead was 30 with 94 others wounded.
Officials say Saturday's attack in Gaziantep, near Syria's border, appeared to be a suicide bombing.
Turkey's president has blamed the Islamic State group for the attack.
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10:30 am.
Turkey's president has blamed the Islamic State group for the bombing of an outdoor wedding party in the southeast that killed 30 people and wounded 94 others.
Officials say Saturday's attack in Gaziantep, near Syria's border, appeared to be a suicide bombing.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a statement early Sunday saying that IS was "the most likely perpetrator of the Gaziantep attack."
Erdogan said there was "absolutely no difference" between IS, Kurdish rebels and the movement of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, calling them terrorist groups.
Turkey has seen a spate of attacks in recent months and a failed military coup on July 15, which the government blames on Gulen's movement. Gulen denies any involvement.

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Suicide bomber kills 3 in north Cameroon

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Suicide bomber kills 3 in north Cameroon



Three civilians were killed and around 20 others wounded on Sunday in a suicide attack in northern Cameroon, officials and a vigilante group said.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a security official told AFP the attack took place in Mora, a town in Cameroon’s far north near the Nigerian border — an area which has suffered repeatedly from attacks by Nigeria’s Boko Haram Islamists.
“A man riding a motorbike blew himself up on a bridge near the market in Mora,” he said.
He said the blast had killed three civilians and the bomber.
An official from a local vigilante group confirmed a toll of “four dead and many wounded”, saying the attack took place at around 7:00am (0600 GMT).
Midjiyawa Bakari, governor of the Far North region, confirmed a “provisional toll” of three civilians plus the suicide bomber.
He identified the victims as a teacher, a high school student and a person from a neighbouring town, and said five of the wounded were in “serious condition”. He said a helicopter was on hand to take them to hospital in Maroua, the regional capital.
Mora is home to the headquarters of a multi-national force fighting Boko Haram, which groups troops from Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad and Niger.
There are currently more than 8,000 Cameroonian soldiers deployed in the far north to counter Boko Haram, and there is a large military base for the motorized infantry brigades in the Mora area.
A similar suicide attack in the same area killed at least 10 people in Djakana at the end of June.
Boko Haram’s seven-year insurgency has killed at least 20,000 people in Nigeria and border areas of neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
It has also left more than 2.8 million homeless, fleeing attacks by militants who have ransacked villages across the poverty-stricken region.
Last month, Amnesty International accused Cameroon of rights abuse during its battle to clear the far north of Boko Haram Islamists.
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