Monday, May 23, 2016

Buhari Calls Off Lagos Trip; Osinbajo To Inaugurate Projects In Lagos

President Muhammadu Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari has cancelled his earlier scheduled visit to Lagos State.

Why We Didn’t Join Fuel Strike — Ajaero Faction

Comrade Joe Ajaero
The Comrade Joe Ajaero-led faction of the Nigeria Labour Congress has given reason why it didn’t join the recent protest against increase in the pump price of fuel by the Federal Government.

FOR THE RECORD: NLC Suspends Strike, To Resume Talks With FG

From Left: Leader of the Civil Society Groups, Comrade Jaye Gaskiya; National Secretary of the NLC, Comrade Peter Ozo-Esan; NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba; Former ASUU President,Dr Dipo Fasina, And Comrade Issa Aremu, during the NLC and Civil Society Organisation protest over inhuman increase in petrol price in Abuja on Wednesday (18/5/16). 3623/18/5/2016/OTU/BJO/NAN
The Nigeria Labour Congress has suspended the indefinite strike it called to protest the increase in the pump price of petrol from ₦86 and ₦86.50k to ₦145.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Court Orders FG, Okonjo-Iweala To Account For Nigeria’s ‘Missing ₦30tn’

Former Nigeria's finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Former President Goodluck Jonathan
The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered a former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and the Federal Government to “provide information on the spending of the alleged missing ₦30 trillion which represents some accruable income to the Federal Government during the last four years of the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.”

2-IN-1 STORY: How I Was Betrayed At PDP’s National Convention In Port Harcourt — Ali Modu Sheriff; Makarfi Named Interim Chairman

From left: PDP acting national chairman, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, Sen Hope Uzodinma and former Imo State governor, Ikedi Ohakim, at a press briefing announcing the cancellation of the party’s 2016 National Convention in Port Harcourt yesterday Photo: Victor Chuks
The crisis within the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party is far from over, with Ali Modu Sheriff claiming he remained the national chairman of the party, despite being sacked by a national convention.

Chibok Girls: Redeem ₦50 Million Pledge, Civilian JTF Tells Police

Civilian JTF
…We don’t know about it – Police
Officials of the Youth Vigilantes, popularly known as the Civilian JTF (CJTF), yesterday called on the Nigeria Police (NP) to redeem its 2014 pledge of ₦50 million reward to anyone with information that could lead to the rescue of abducted Chibok schoolgirls.

Fayose, Wike Close To Blows As PDP Crisis Worsens

Demystification of the Peoples Democratic Party?
•Govs dump ex-Borno gov as confusion envelopes former ruling party •Ex-Kaduna Gov. Makarfi appointed interim chairman •Ibrahim Mantu leads factional interim committee
Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers Sate and Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State ended their vociferous support for Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on a rather sour note yesterday.

Driven Back And Desperate, Boko Haram Heaps Misery On Niger

When Boko Haram attacked Falmaya Baba Gama's village last year in northeast Nigeria, executing a dozen men and burning down the market, thousands of people fled across the border into Niger, with some forced to leave behind their children amid the chaos.

Saturday, May 21, 2016

2-IN-1 STORY: Nigerian Ex-Militants Call For End To Niger Delta Pipeline Attacks; Buhari: Niger Delta Militancy Threatens National Economy

From right: President Muhammadu Buhari; Shell Global Upstream Director, Mr. Andrew Brown; MD/Country Chair of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Osagie Okunbor; and Shell GM, Business & Government Relations, Simbi Wabote, at the State House in Abuja yesterday. Photo: State House
Former militants have called for a halt to a resurgence of attacks on oil and gas facilities in Nigeria's Niger Delta, saying it is an unnecessary distraction for President Muhammadu Buhari's administration.

South Africa Thinks It Can Beat HIV By Weaning Girls Off Sugar Daddies

An empty message (Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko)
South Africa’s health department will launch a project to “wean” young women off sugar daddies, in its latest bid to stop the spread of HIV. The US$180 million project will focus on young women aged 15 to 24 and the usually older men who are “infecting and impregnating them,” said health minister Aaron Motsoaledi.

African Union Urges International Police Force For Burundi

Killings and attacks have become a regular feature in Burundi as a political crisis grips the country ©Onesphore Nibigira (AFP)
An African Union human rights report called on Friday for an international police force and more military and rights observers to be sent to troubled Burundi.

After Ebola, World Bank Creates Pandemic Insurance Plan

World Bank
The World Bank announced Saturday a new program to mobilize funds quickly against virulent disease outbreaks after the world was caught unprepared in the 2014 Ebola disaster in West Africa.

Friday, May 20, 2016

India Sets New Heat Record As Temperatures Soar

Indian children try to cool off amid soaring temperatures in Allahabad on May 17, 2016 ©Sanjay Kanojia (AFP)
Temperatures have soared to a scorching 51 degrees Celsius in one Indian city, meteorologists said Friday, with the ferocious heat setting a new national record.

Doubt Cast On Identity Of 'Second Rescued Chibok Girl'

Serah Luka was among 97 women and children rescued by Nigerian soldiers in the Damboa district of the northeastern state of Borno
Campaigners on Friday questioned a Nigerian military claim that a second Chibok schoolgirl had been rescued, but the army maintained she was one of the 219 abducted by Boko Haram.

Egypt Army Says Plane Wreckage Found Near Alexandria

Egyptian air and naval forces have found some of the passengers' "personal belongings" and debris of EgyptAir flight 804, which crashed while carrying 66 passengers and crew from Paris to Cairo, the army said Friday.

Governors Approach World Bank For US$3.25bn Lifeline

The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) Chairman, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State
The 36 state governors have decided to turn to the World Bank as one of the ways of surviving the current economic downturn in the country, which has made it difficult for many of them to pay workers’ salaries.

Want Better Brain Function After 50? Try To Keep Busy, Study Says

© Peter Morgan / Reuters 
Your overcrowded schedule might finally put your mind at ease: a new study suggests that busy people have better cognitive function as they get older than their less-busy people peers.

Searchers Scour Mediterranean For Wreckage Of Missing EgyptAir Jet

The disappearance of flight MS804, an Airbus A320 Image source: mailonline UK
Search teams scoured the Mediterranean Sea on Friday, hunting for wreckage of an EgyptAir jet carrying 66 people that disappeared in a crash that Egypt said may have been caused by a terrorist attack.

Another Chibok Girl Rescued, Amina Visits Buhari

Miss Serah Luka the second girl rescued Image source: Daily Trust
Two days after the rescue of one of the 200 schoolgirls abducted from the Chibok community in Borno State, another schoolgirl was rescued on Thursday night.
Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima (middle) presents the Chibok schoolgirl Amina Ali and her baby to President Muhammadu Buhari, during the president’s meeting with the family at the Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday Photo: Felix Onigbinde

Thursday, May 19, 2016

How Chibok Girl Was Found

The rescued Chibok schoolgirl Amina Ali Nkeki, 19, and her "husband" being screened by the military Photo: Sahara Reporters
*She’ll undergo medical screening – Army
Emotions ran high in Chibok yesterday as the first of 219 school girls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents over two years ago was brought to the village for identification.