Libya crisis: US caught off-guard by air strikes

by BBC

The US was “caught off guard” by air strikes against Islamist militia in Libya, a senior official has told the BBC.
The attacks on militia positions around Tripoli airport were reportedly carried out by the United Arab Emirates from bases in Egypt.
Egypt has denied any involvement and the UAE has not commented.
A militia alliance recently captured the capital’s international airport after a battle lasting nearly a month.
The official told the BBC that the US had not been consulted about the air strikes and that it was concerned that US weapons may have been used, violating agreements under which they were sold.
The unidentified war planes attacked twice in the past week during a battle for Tripoli’s airport between Islamist and nationalist militias.
A report in The New York Times on Monday said the UAE had provided the military aircraft, aerial refuelling planes and crews while Egypt gave access to its air bases.
On Monday, the US, France, Germany, Italy and the UK issued a joint statement denouncing “outside interference” in Libya which it said “exacerbates current divisions and undermines Libya’s democratic transition”.
The BBC’s Barbara Plett Usher in Washington says the air strikes have exposed another battleground in a regional struggle for power between Arab autocrats and Islamist movements.
Qatar has provided weapons and money to Islamist forces in Libya and elsewhere, she says, while Egypt and the UAE along with Saudi Arabia are trying to roll back Islamist advances.
Violence in Libya has surged recently between the rival groups who overthrew Muammar Gaddafi in the 2011 uprising.
Libya’s police and army remain weak in comparison with the militias.
Over the weekend, Islamist-affiliated forces from Misrata and other cities took over Tripoli airport from the Zintan militia, which has held it for three years.
The airport, Libya’s largest, has been closed for more than a month because of the fighting.
Hundreds of people have died since clashes broke out in Tripoli in July.
In another development on Monday, Libya’s previous Islamist-dominated parliament reconvened and voted to disband the country’s interim government.
Correspondents say it leaves Libya with two rival parliaments, each backed by armed factions.
Elections in June saw the old General National Congress, where Islamists had a strong voice, replaced by the House of Representatives, dominated by liberals and federalists.
The GNC, which reconvened in Tripoli on Monday, has refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of its successor assembly, which is based in Tobruk.
The House of Representatives says the groups now in control of Tripoli airport are “terrorist organisations”.
But the Misrata-led brigade, now in control of Tripoli airport, has called on the GNC to resume work.
Libya’s government has repeatedly called for the militia groups to disband and join the national army. But so far, few have shown a willingness to disarm.

Ebola: Japan offers drug, Nigerian patient to be discharged

by Sunday Aborisade, Bukola Adebayo and Afeez Hanafi with agency report

Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu

Fresh hope appears in the horizon for Ebola   patients as Japan on Monday expressed its readiness to provide its anti-influenza drug as treatment for the deadly virus.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, made the offer hours after a group of scientist in the United Kingdom said it had discovered that the largest outbreak of the   Ebola Virus Disease was caused by an infected fruit bat that bit a toddler.

Briefing   journalists in Tokyo on Monday, Suga said Japan   was ready to offer the drug, Favipiravir, which was developed by Toyama Chemical, a subsidiary of Fujifilm, any time   the World Health Organisation requested it.

Approved by the Japanese health ministry in March, Favipiravir is a tablet developed   for the treatment of novel and re-emerging influenza viruses.

Suga, according to the Agence France Presse,  said Japan was waiting for WHO’s decision on further details over the use of untested drugs.

He however said that “in case of an emergency, Japan may respond to individual requests before any further decision by the WHO.”

The spokesperson for the company, Takao Aoki, said Fujifilm had initiated talks with the United States on how the drug could be adopted in treating EVD.

He said, “Fujifilm is in talks with the US Food and Drug Administration on clinical testing of the drug in treating Ebola, The company has Favipiravir stock for more than 20,000 patients. Ebola and influenza viruses are the same type and theoretically similar effects can be expected on Ebola,” he said.

It was however not known as of Thursday last week if Favipiravir is the drug the Federal Ministry of Health had said it had requested from a foreign country.

The ministry which turned down a trial drug, Nano Silver, had applied for ZMapp which was administered on two US aid workers who contracted the virus in Liberia.

The two were discharged last Thursday, a few days after Washington said it did not have enough XMapp to send to countries in need of it.

ZMapp fails Liberian doctor

However, a Liberian doctor , Abraham Borbor, has died despite taking ZMapp, according to  a statement by the Liberia’s information minister, Lewis Brown.

Borbor was one of three doctors in Liberia who had been given ZMapp and was showing signs of recovery.

“Borbor was showing signs of improvement but on Sunday, he took a turn for the worse,”   Brown told the British Broadcasting Corporation.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government on Monday reversed the number of confirmed EVD cases in Nigeria from 14 to 13.

Health Minister, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, said while briefing journalists in Abuja that the   development followed the outcome of a further confirmation test conducted on the 14th case, which   turned out to be negative.

He also said another patient in the isolation centre in Lagos had   after receiving   treatment tested negative.

The patient, according to him, will be dicharged before Wednesday.

He said the development would bring from four to two, the number of patients still in the isolation ward.

The minister added that the number of deaths recorded so far in the country as a result of the disease still remained five, including the Late Patrick Sawyer, who brought the EVD to Nigeria from Liberia.

Chukwu said, “We have been able to manage and discharge five persons who had tested positive to the deadly virus, while the sixth person would be dicharged within the next 48 hours.

“For each case that tested negative, we run further confirmatory tests to make sure that anybody that is labelled as EVD victim, is truly having the disease.

“The 14th case has turned out to be negative in terms of anaemia and symptoms, so that has now reversed number of EVD cases in Nigeria from 14 to 13 and that includes the index case (Sawyer).

“As of today (Monday), we have three patients receiving treatment in the isolation ward in Lagos but certainly, before Wednesday, one of them would be discharged because he has tested negative and we are now concluding his discharge process.”

The ministry also denied   reports (The PUNCH not included) which claimed that the younger sister of the late Dr. Stella Adadevoh, had tested positive to the EVD.

The minister’s   Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Dan Nwomeh, said on Monday that no new patient had been admitted into the treatment centre in Lagos.

He said, “We are not aware of that development, but to avoid any confusion, Minister of Health reiterates that he has the sole authority to announce confirmed and discharged EVD cases.

“Any doubtful information on the outbreak of EVD should be verified from the office of the minister , we are on all social media platforms.”

A group of 17 UK-based European and African scientists have found out   that the largest outbreak of the EVD was caused by an infected fruit bats that bit a toddler.

The   tropical disease researchers, ecologists and anthropologists had spent three weeks investigating the outbreak of the disease in Nigeria, Guinea, Liberia and Ivory Coast.

According to the Daily Mail, the scientists captured some bats and other creatures near the village of Meliandoua in Guinea, where the present epidemic began last year in December.

According to the scientists, the toddler, who     was bitten by a   fruit bat   passed the infection on to his mother and both died within a week.

The disease was then spread far and wide by mourners who attended their funeral.

Scientists have long believed that bats are the main carriers for the disease but it is rare for them to pass it on to man.

Most of the previous outbreaks have been caused by meat from dead infected animals collected by hunters who then sell it on.

Fruit bats, however, are widely eaten in some rural areas of West Africa – either smoked, grilled or in a spicy soup.

The team led by epidemiologist Fabian Leendertz, a disease ecologist at the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, are expected to publish their results in a major journal soon.

Initial research believed that a new strain of Ebola had emerged in West Africa but according to Herr Leendertz, the strain of the disease is one related to Zaire ebolavirus, identified more than 10 years ago in the Congo.

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Naira falls on dollar shortage

by Oyetunji Abioye with agency report

The naira dropped against the dollar on Monday, with last week’s move by JP Morgan to include the country’s 10-year bond in one of its indexes failing to stimulate strong dollar inflows.

The local currency closed at N162.07 to the dollar, compared with Friday’s close of N161.98, the same level it closed on Thursday prior to JP Morgan’s announcement.

The 2024 bond is due to be added to JP Morgan’s Government Bond Index-Emerging Markets on August 29, in addition to five other bonds already listed, potentially triggering more offshore interest.

But dealers said local bond trading was muted on Monday due to a holiday in Britain, where a number of foreign investors who trade Nigerian debt are based. Yields on the 2024 bond climbed to 11.99 per cent, as against 11.92 per cent on Friday.

Citibank said in a note it expected the naira to get support from potential oil company dollar sales and foreign portfolio inflows this week.

The local unit of Italian oil firm Eni sold $12m on Monday, to start the month-end dollar sales

Nigeria delays second-quarter GDP data by one week

Meanwhile, the Federal Government will delay the release of second-quarter Gross Domestic Product data by a week because of a backlog of work caused by a rebasing exercise, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Monday.

GDP data is scheduled for release 45 days after the end of each quarter, though the NBS does not always keep to a precise schedule with data releases.

The Chief Executive Officer, NBS, Mr. Yemi Kale, told Reuters that “the rebasing in April … took us off our normal quarterly schedule” by creating a backlog of adjusting work.

The rebasing almost doubled the size of its economy to $510bn, making Nigeria Africa’s biggest economy, surpassing South Africa.

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Leaders to hold Ukraine-Russia talks

by BBC

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is due to take part in talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, at a summit in Minsk, capital of Belarus.
The meeting comes amid rising tension between the two countries over Ukraine’s military campaign against pro-Russian separatists.
Ukraine said on Monday that its troops had captured 10 Russian servicemen in eastern Ukraine.
Russia has repeatedly denied supporting the rebels.
More than 2,000 people have died in months of fighting between Ukrainian forces and separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The two regions declared independence from Kiev following Russia’s annexation of the southern Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in March.

Why I dropped presidential ambition –Ribadu

by Olusola Fabiyi

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu
| credits: leadership.ng

Former presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has explained why he abandoned his presidential ambition to contest the governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party for the Adamawa State governorship poll.

Ribadu, who spoke with journalists after he submitted his nomination form at the national headquarters of the PDP in Abuja on Monday, said that his desire to serve at any level propelled him to drop his initial ambition.

Ribadu, who was a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, said, “Everything in my life has been about public service. I’m prepared to serve in any capacity.

“If you ask me to come and be a sweeper of any street in any part of the country, I’m ready to do that. I don’t even have power of my own in any part.”

Asked whether he was worried that the PDP was yet to grant him and other defected aspirants waivers needed to contest the primary, he said no.

”I am not worried about the waiver. I have followed the rules. I am a law and order person. I have done my own bit and I will wait for the party to do their own. That part is not my responsibility,” he said.

Under the constitution of the party, new members and returnees are not qualified to seek elective positions until after two years, except they get a waiver.

Section 50 (9) of the PDP constitution says, “There shall be a minimum of two year membership span for a member to be eligible to stand for election into any public office, unless the appropriate executive committee gives a waiver or rules to the contrary.”

Meanwhile, other aspirants have insisted that the party must conduct proper primary to choose the party’s candidate for the October 11 election.

The aspirants spoke when they came to also submit their nomination forms to the party’s national leadership, which was received by the National Organisation Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha.

The aspirants included the former Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Alhaji Mohammed Modibbo; Acting Governor of the state, Ahmed Fintiri; former Presidential Adviser, Ahmed Gulak; and the former ACN governorship candidate in the state, Mr. Marcus Gundiri.

Others are former Lagos State Military Administrator, Buba Marwa; Dr. Umar Ardo, Senator Ahmed Girei, Gen. A.A.Kana (retd.), Awwal Tukur and Aliyu Idi-Hong.

Modibbo said, “People should be allowed to contest. We should not pay too much attention to consensus. Our tragedy in the state was that we did not do the proper thing when we chose the past leader.”

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Boko Haram: 480 Nigerian soldiers flee to Cameroon

by Fidelis Soriwei, Okechukwu Nnodim and Kayode Idowu

Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade
| credits: www.ynaija.com

NO fewer than 480 Nigerian soldiers have fled into Cameroon following fierce fighting with Boko Haram insurgents.

The Cameroonian Army Spokesman, Lt Col Didier Badjek, who confirmed this, said the troops had already been disarmed.

But   the Director of Defence Information, Maj. -Gen Chris Olukolade, said the   soldiers merely strayed into Cameroon and therefore were not “deserters.”

Badjek told the British Broadcasting Corporation on Monday that the disarmed Nigerian soldiers   were   being accommodated in schools in Maroua, about 80 kilometres   from the Nigerian border.

The BBC which added that there were clashes in the border town of Gamboru Ngala, said that thousands of civilians also fled to Cameroon.

Our correspondent in Maiduguri gathered that Boko Haram insurgents had at about 5.15am on Monday invaded Gamboru, forcing both civilians and soldiers to flee   to Cameroon.

One of the residents who called from Cameroon, said the insurgents went straight to attack the military base and police station in the town.

He said an initial attack was repelled by the military which killed many of the insurgents.

The resident added that about two hours later, the insurgents regrouped and   launched a fresh attack on the troops.

He said. “They engaged the military and caused them to retreat into Cameroon. It was most likely that the Nigerian soldiers ran out ammunition.

“But some soldiers   later   emerged with their Cameroonian counterparts and continued the battle with the insurgents.

“As I am speaking to you now (4pm on Monday), we are still hearing sound of gunshot miles away, meaning they are still engaging themselves.”

An elderly woman who did not want her name in print, told journalists on the telephone from her temporary abode  in Cameroon, that she fled “ when the shooting became intense in parts of the town.’’

She said that she saw many corpses while fleeing to Cameroon.

But in Abuja,   Olukolade told one of our correspondents   that the 480 soldiers strayed into Cameroon   while   in pursuit of the insurgents.

He said the soldiers were on their way back to the country and would soon be reunited with their units in the North-East.

The army spokesman stated further that it was the standard practice for soldiers who strayed into a foreign but friendly country to be disarmed.

He explained that the soldiers were not expected to react because there was no hostility involved in the issue.

Olukolade also denied the claim by the insurgents that they had taken control of   Gamboru Ngala, stressing that security operatives were still confronting them in the town.

He said, “In the pursuit of the insurgents, some of our soldiers strayed into Cameroun. The military authorities are in touch with the Cameroonian authorities and the soldiers are on their way back and would soon be united with their units in the country.

“These are normal procedures; when an Army enters a country and are not on a hostile mission; normally, they won’t fight back.

“All that has been sorted out to the best of my knowledge.

“As for Gamboru Ngala, I can tell you that the operation is still going on as we are speaking.”

The DHQ later issued a statement in which it again explained the presence of Nigerian soldiers in Cameroon.

The statement on its official website, defenceinfo.mil.ng, stated that the   troops had to submit their weapons to the Camerounian authorities to show that they were not on any offensive mission.

It added that it was wrong to describe the presence of the soldiers in Cameroun as defection in view of discussions between the military leaderships of two countries and contacts made with the soldiers about their safety.

The statement read, “The presence of the Nigerian troops   in Cameroun was as a result of a sustained battle between the troops and the terrorists around the borders with Cameroun which saw the Nigerian troops charging through the borders in a tactical manoeuvre.

“Eventually, they found themselves on Camerounian soil. Being allies, the normal protocol of managing such incident demanded that the troops submit their weapons in order to assure the friendly country that they were not on a hostile mission.

“Following necessary discussions between Nigerian and Camerounian military authorities, the issues had been sorted out. Subsequently, the troops are on their way back to join their unit in Nigeria.

“The reference to the incidence as a defection is therefore not appropriate considering the discussion between the two countries’ military leadership and the series of contacts with the soldiers who have confirmed that they are safe.

“Meanwhile, troops are repelling a group of terrorists who are trying to enter the country through Gamborou Ngala.   A group of them who fizzled into the town are being pursued.”

Boko Haram had on Sunday released a video in which it said it had established an Islamic state in the towns and villages it controls in the North-East.

Last week, a group of 40 soldiers allegedly refused to follow orders to go and fight the insurgents, saying the militants were better equipped.

Insurgents also seized one of Nigeria’s two main riot police training academies, which is near   Gwoza, a town they claimed to have captured earlier this month.

Less than two weeks ago, the wives of some   soldiers had protested at the Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri against their husbands being sent to the Boko Haram militants.

In May, some soldiers opened fire on their commander, Maj-Gen Ahmed Mohammed, at Maiduguri’s Maimalari barracks, blaming him for the killing of their colleagues by Boko Haram fighters.

 We’ll defend Nigeria   –FG

The Federal Government has however said it is prepared to defend Nigeria even to the last citizen in the country.

It said no group would succeed in dividing the country and noted that it had confidence in the Nigerian Army despite threats by   Boko Haram.

The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, who disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television, said adventurers that were contending with Nigeria’s destiny would not succeed.

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Review tariff before removing fixed electricity charge – IBEDC

by Olufemi Atoyebi

Some unwieldy electricity cables on Yaya Abatan Road, 

Ifako, Lagos State... on Wednesday

The Managing Director, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, Mr. Fortunato Leynes, has said the plan by the Bureau of Public Enterprises to remove fixed charges from customers’ bill will have a huge impact on its revenue, calling instead for a review of the tariff structure before such a step should be taken.

Leynes, who spoke at an event held to mark the partnership initiative between IBEDC and University of Ibadan on how to improve on service delivery, training of human resources and accommodation of students of the institution by the company for industrial training in Ibadan on Thursday, said the company had written to the National Electricity Regulatory Commission on the tariff issue and would meet with the relevant authorities to iron out areas of concern.

The Vice Chancellor of UI, Prof. Isaac Adewole; Deputy Managing Director, IBEDC, Mr. John Darlington and other stakeholders were present at the event.

Leynes said, “We have sent our position to the NERC on the plan to remove the fixed charges on the bills of customers that are not getting electricity for up to 360 hours in a month. Unfortunately, we are at the tail end of the distribution chain.

“The fixed charge is included in tariff determination. Just removing it without proper review of the tariff structure will leave a great impact on our revenue. We do not totally agree with the concept of fixed charge removal.”

On the partnership between his company and UI, Leynes said it would provide an avenue for the IBEDC to test-drive its commitment to providing 24-hour electricity supply to customers.

He said, “We want to establish a partnership with the UI on human capital development and talent sourcing and development. We are looking up to it for some of our recruitments. The partnership will also represent a pilot project in providing 24-hour electric power. The partnership will be developed by the technical team we have chosen to work on this area.

“The result of this partnership will be determined by the complexity of the situation and assessment of the technical team from both parties. The institution is upgrading its electrical network, which is a bit complicated.”

Adewole said it was the first time the university had partnered with a major player in the nation’s economy, stressing that the union would result in gains for the parties.

The VC said, “We are looking forward to 24-hour electricity supply. We want to showcase this to other sectors and show them that it can work. We are going to be testing the integrity of our network and assist the IBEDC in the training of its human resources.

“We will also send our students to the company for industrial training. We will assist the company on quality assurance and quality delivery. So, we are looking at a comprehensive model for public-private partnership. The cost of implementation will be determined by the technical committee, whose members are from the two parties.”

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ATM transaction volume hits N1.7tn –CBN

by Ozioma Ubabukoh

The Central Bank of Nigeria has put the volume of transaction on Automated Teller Machines in the country at over N1.7tn as of June this year.

It said the number of ATMs increased from 10,727 in 2012 to 15,000 as of June 2014, “with transaction volumes moving from N1.3tn to N1.7tn within the same period.”

The CBN, however, regretted that despite the 15, 000 active and existing ATMs, over 46 per cent of Nigerian adults remained unbanked.

The bank made these figures known on Thursday in Lagos at the launch of a mobile money initiative led by Globacom and four financial institutions, FirstMonie (a subsidiary of First Bank of Nigeria), Ecobank Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc.

The Director, Payment Systems, CBN, Mr. Dipo Fatokun, said the bank had also increased the Point of Sales terminals across the country from 21,400 in 2012, to 135,000 as of June 2014.

He said with the increment in the number of terminals, the PoS transaction volume had also risen from N57.3bn to N138bn in the period under review.

Fatokun expressed confidence that the Globacom-led initiative tagged: ‘GLO Exchange’, would encourage more Nigerian adults to be banked.

He noted that the initiative was significant to the CBN, with the use of telecommunications platforms to bring more Nigerians into the financial inclusion cycle.

Fatokun said, “Despite that, a large number of Nigerian adults have no bank accounts; the CBN is working to bridge that gap through a well-formed national financial system.

“Today’s launch between Globacom and four financial institutions will drive the policy and ensure that people use electronic means to transact business across boundaries.”

According to him, mobile money is the next big thing expected to transform the CBN’s cash-less policy.

Fatokun added, “It is critical because it allows for spread because of the mobile phone platform, which is over 120 million in Nigeria.

“The central bank believes that such initiatives like this will aid both the telecommunications and banking industries to further serve Nigerians better.”

The Head, Glo Prepaid Services, Mr. Kamal Shonibare, said the government and the CBN had canvassed the cash-less revolution through relationship between banks and the telecommunications operators.

He said the telecommunications operators were to create platforms that would drive and make the process a success.

Shonibare noted that majority of the 170 million Nigerians had no access to financial services.

Quoting a report, he said only 20 million Nigerians were banked, while about 80 million others, whom he described as those at the bottom of the social pyramid, were unbanked.

He said the financial sector had yet to succeed in bridging the inclusion gap, but expressed confidence that the Glo Exchange would enable banks to provide mobile money services to their customers and would-be customers on the telecoms firm’s platform.

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Kenya nominates new spy chief to fight terrorism

by XINHUA

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday nominated Major-General Philip Kameru as Director-General of the National Intelligence Service to help boost fight against terrorism.
A statement from Kenyatta said Kameru’s nomination has already been transmitted to Parliament for vetting and approval.
Kenyatta said Kameru has gathered extensive experience in operational and administrative matters, noting that his term of duty has been characterized by exemplary diligence, dedication, and leadership.
“He has also undergone rigorous training both in Kenya and abroad. Our intelligence service must now meet both new and old challenges,” Kenyatta said on his nominee.
Kameru is credited with the success of Kenya’s intelligence- gathering in Somalia, as part of the Africa Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) — a deployment that seeks to restore peace and order to the country, as well as to secure Kenya’s borders and the region.
In the past two years, there have been numerous attacks involving shootings, grenades, or other explosive devices in Kenya in addition to kidnappings of foreigners across the country.
In total, more than 100 people have been killed in these attacks and hundreds have been injured. Approximately 53 of these attacks occurred in northeastern Kenya, mainly in Dadaab, Wajir, Garissa, and Mandera counties which border Somalia.
Several attacks have also occurred along the Kenyan coast as well as in Nairobi and its environs — all which have been blamed on poor intelligence gatherings.
The statement said Kameru has provided distinguished service to the country over 36 years, during which he rose steadily through the ranks to director of military intelligence of the Kenya Defense Forces in 2011.
“His ability has been tested by long service, and his performance and conduct have been found excellent. His experience, learning and integrity show that he is fit to lead and strengthen Kenya’s intelligence-gathering effort,” Kenyatta said.

African nations tighten Ebola travel bans

by Aljazeera

African countries have tightened travel curbs in an effort to contain the Ebola outbreak, ignoring World Health Organisation (WHO) warnings that such measures could heighten shortages of food and basic supplies in affected areas.

In the West Point slum in Liberia’s capital Monrovia, the scene of violent clashes with the army on Wednesday after the area was quarantined to curb the spread of Ebola, hundreds of people jostled their way towards trucks loaded with water and rice.

Police used canes to beat back some locals while aid workers helped others dip their fingers in ink to record their ration.
The UN’s World Food Programme says deliveries of basic supplies to more than 1 million people across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are intended to avoid a food crisis in those West African countries, where more than 1,300 people have died from Ebola in the worst outbreak of the disease in history.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), the UN health agency, has repeatedly said that it does not recommend travel or trade restrictions for Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria – the countries affected by the epidemic that began in March.
Those countries are starting to suffer shortages of fuel, food and basic supplies due to these measures, it warned this week.
Still, Kalzeubet Payimi Deubet, Chad’s prime minister, said on Thursday his country would close its border with Nigeria to prevent Ebola entering the country.
“This decision will have an economic impact on the region but it is imperative for public health needs,” Deubet said.
Nigeria has reported 15 cases – the lowest number in the four affected countries – and the WHO has expressed “cautious optimism” that the spread can be stopped.
South Africa said on Thursday it was banning all travellers from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone from entering its territory, barring its own citizens.
WHO, the United Nations’ health agency, has repeatedly said that it does not recommend travel or trade restrictions for Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria – the countries affected by the epidemic that began in March.
Those countries are starting to suffer shortages of fuel, food and basic supplies due to these measures, it warned this week.

33 killed in Egypt resort coaches accident

by AFP

A collision between two coaches servicing the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh killed 33 people on Friday, a health ministry official said.

Two Saudis and a Ukrainian woman were among 41 people injured in the accident, 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Sharm, the official said.

Egypt’s authorities go to great lengths to insulate its coastal resorts from the unrest gripping the rest of the country.

But traffic accidents are common in a country where roads are often poorly maintained and traffic regulations are little enforced.

At least 17 people were killed when a bus ploughed into a truck south of Cairo last month. A crash in the Sinai killed 24 people in March.

Indian state of Kerala bans alcohol

by AFP

Authorities in Kerala have announced a ban on alcohol to tackle a growing abuse problem in the southern Indian state, a popular tourist destination.

The state government warned that alcohol abuse was becoming a danger to society as it unveiled a plan to ban its sale and consumption within 10 years.

It said no new licences to sell alcohol would be granted, while many of the state’s 720 bars and restaurants would not have their licences renewed.

From next year only five-star hotels will be granted licences.

“It is certain that (alcohol) still continues as a social danger. This is having an adverse effect,” said Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy late Thursday.

“Kerala should get ready to imbibe the essence of (a) total liquor ban in the state.”

Kerala has India’s highest annual per-capita alcohol consumption at 8.3 litres.

It is also one of the country’s biggest tourist draws thanks to its palm-fringed white sandy beaches and tranquil rivers lined with paddy fields.

Tourism officials said they had not been consulted and warned that exempting five-star hotels would not be enough to save the industry, with many tourists staying in small guesthouses.

“By this, we are denying the facility of having beer and wine to tourists in hotels with four-star and below category,” a Confederation of Tourism Industry Kerala official told The Hindu daily.

“This will affect domestic and international tourist arrivals and send a wrong message about the destination.”

SURE-P to spend N12.5bn on Abuja-Lokoja road rehabilitation

by nan

Chairman, Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, retired Lt.-Gen. Martin Luther-Agwai, says the programme would spend N12.5bn on the ongoing rehabilitation and expansion of the Abuja-Lokoja road in 2014.

He made the disclosure after the inspection of ongoing rehabilitation and expansion of the Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja road. 

Luther-Agwai said SURE-P had intervened to ensure the speedy completion of the project which had been awarded sometime in 2006.

He added that sections one and two of the project would be linked before the end of December, saying they stretched from Zuba to Sheda and Sheda to Abaji.  

“Motorists will have an uninterrupted drive of 100km stretching towards Lokoja from Abuja.

“We have seen that the contractor handling the project has done a good job,” the SURE-P chairman said.

He called on the civil engineers handling various road designs in the country to consider the disabled and the vulnerable in the construction of pedestrian bridges.   

Receiving the SURE-P Chairman, Mr Yusuf Jibril, the contractor’s representative, said the section one contract had been awarded to Dantata and Sawoe company at a cost of over N11 billion.

He further told Luther-Agwai that the project was later reviewed upward to over N28.7 billion.

Jibril said the work had reached 77.29 per cent completion, adding that the project was approximately 42 km of the single carriageway.

“Zuba-Abaji is 30 km while it is 12 km from Giri Village Junction to Airport Junction.

“The project includes three major highway interchanges and three river bridges,’’ he said.

Jibril said the initial date of completion was Feb. 2, 2007 but it was later extended to Sept. 8, 2014.

Implementing the National Conference report

by Ike-Okorie

Now that Mr. President has received the final report of the National Conference, the struggle for a new and better Nigeria has just begun. To begin with, there is, at the moment, no provision for a referendum in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended. If you think that Mr. President is not aware of the lacuna in the constitution, you’re mistaken. Again, if you expect Mr. President to start implementing the confab reports, you’ll be disappointed. Furthermore, if you think the National Assembly will endorse and adopt the report wholeheartedly, you may be living in a fool’s paradise.

There are three different dimensions to the socio-economic and political task which the confab kick-started: 1. The present socio-economic and political system must be made effective; 2. Its potential must be identified and realised; 3. It must be made into a different system for a different Nigeria. Each task requires a distinct approach. Each asks different questions. Each comes out with different conclusions. Yet, they are inseparable.

The new Nigeria is not going to be made tomorrow; it is being made today, with the submission of the final reports of the confab to Mr. President, and largely by the decisions and actions taken with respect to the socio-economic and political tasks of today.

Conversely, what is being done to bring about the new Nigeria directly affects the present. The tasks overlap. They require one unified strategy. Otherwise, they cannot really get done at all. Knowledge is a universal social resource. It cannot be kept a secret for any length of time. Above all, it is subject to decay and can become obsolete unless it is updated from time to time.

It must also be borne in mind that any leadership position is transitory and likely to be short-lived. No leadership position is more than a temporary advantage. Our nation is drifting and worn down; it badly needs economic and political re-engineering as well as new direction. It is the job of Mr. President to reverse this drift. It is his job to focus the government on socio-economic and political opportunity and away from unemployment, insecurity, disintegration, epidemics, incessant strikes, to recreate leadership and counteract the trend towards mediocrity, to replace inertia and its momentum by new energy and new direction which the outcome of the National Conference has provided him.

I must speak frankly to the National Conference delegates and all Nigerians. It was Machiavilli who advised political leaders to diffuse tension in their domain by distracting their subjects when they clamour for a change. Nigerians clamoured for a change. They wanted to restructure the system. They demanded a Sovereign National Conference to negotiate a new Nigeria. Their clamour was so loud that the political class became alarmed. In response, applying the Machiavillian dictum, the Presidency convoked a National Conference.

Admittedly that action was a pre-emptive move to douse the rising tension. Nigerians through their delegates to the National Conference had dissipated their energy, talking, discussing and agreeing on a number of resolutions embodied in the report of the National Conference. And now, Nigerians want the report to be implemented. By whom? President Goodluck Jonathan? Or, the National Assembly? On a platter of gold? Just like that?

You can see why I saluted Mr. President and the National Conference delegates in my previous article. In every serious novel, a character flaw of the focal character may have tragic consequences for the focal or main character. Jonathan showed courage and patriotism when he convoked the National Conference. That is how far he can go. What Nigerians choose to do with the report is not Mr. President’s cup of tea, although he may be affected by the consequences. Neither the Presidency nor the National Assembly can wholeheartedly endorse and adopt the reports of the Confab in their entirety.

The destiny of our nation rests on the shoulders of Nigerians and Nigerians should rise to the occasion because we are going up or down together.

Thus, Nigerians need to make overtures to the National Assembly to provide for a referendum in the constitution through constitutional amendments. The National Assembly may tinker with some aspects of the reports in this exercise. To lobby the National Assembly, the National Conference delegates, and indeed, Nigerians, should form themselves into a pressure group to persuade the lawmakers to do the needful. Yes, we need to lobby the National Assembly through our representatives. That’s how democracy works.

Where the National Assembly and the state Houses of Assembly incorporate a section on referendum in the constitution through constitutional amendments, then the report of the National Conference will be adopted through a referendum organised and conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

In the likely event that this approach fails, the National Conference delegates, as the vanguard of a mass action, should mobilise Nigerians to insist that only candidates who are confab report-compliant should be voted into political offices irrespective of party affiliations. Candidates who agree to this condition precedent should be asked to sign an undertaking to that effect. This undertaking in the event of default or where the candidates renege could form the basis of recall.

Dr. Okorie, a Writing and Publishing Coach, be reached via ikeokorie@yahoo.com or 08135444109

@punchng.com

MH17: First Malaysian bodies to arrive home

by bbc

The bodies of 20 Malaysian victims of Flight MH17 that crashed in Ukraine in July are due to arrive in Kuala Lumpur, as the nation holds a day of mourning.

A specially chartered plane took off from Amsterdam and is expected to land at about 10:00 local time (02:00 GMT).
National flags will be flying at half-mast across the country and a minute of silence will be observed.
Flight MH17 is believed to have been shot down by a missile fired by pro-Russian rebels. They deny the claim.
All 298 passengers and crew on board the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 died on 17 July.


Debris from MH17 was scattered across 35 sq km (13 sq miles) of territory held by pro-Russian rebels

Investigation hampered

At Kuala Lumpur airport, the plane from the Netherlands is expected to be met by senior Malaysian government officials.
The caskets will be unloaded and put in hearses by military personnel. The bodies will then be given to the victims’ relatives to be laid to rest.
This is the first time Malaysia is holding a national day of mourning for civilian victims.
The honour has traditionally been accorded only to the royal family and heads of government.
Of those on board Flight MH17, 43 were Malaysian nationals.
So far 28 Malaysian victims have been identified in the Netherlands, which is leading an international investigation into the crash in eastern Ukraine.
More than 200 coffins with remains of the victims have so far been taken to the Netherlands.
But the inquiry is being hampered by continuing fighting between Ukrainian government troops and pro-Russian rebels near the crash site.

Why Omisore lost Osun governorship election – Falana

by Olusola Fabiyi

Mr. Femi Falana

In this interview with OLUSOLA FABIYI, Mr. Femi Falana, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, reviews the outcome of the August 9, 2015 governorship election in Osun State.

You predicted that Governor Rauf Aregbesola was going to win and he won. What gave you that confidence?

One didn’t have to be a futurologist to know that Governor Rauf Aregbesola was going to win the election. He is generally acknowledged to have taken governance very seriously. Having been involved in popular struggles, he has had no difficulty in connecting with the grass roots. Through his people-centred policies he has formed an organic link with the masses. In spite of the limited resources of Osun, Ogbeni Aregbesola is trying to address the crisis of poverty and underdevelopment. Through the social security scheme, the government pays N10, 000 monthly stipend to the elderly and unemployed youths numbering about 20, 000. The school feeding programme, the ‘Opon Imo’ (tablet of knowledge) revolution, the establishment of a textile factory for sewing school uniforms and other programmes have impacted positively on the people. Mind you, the government has also constructed thousands of kilometres of roads. The fact that he had endeared himself to the people was the basis of my confidence.

What did Aregbesola do that Governor Kayode Fayemi did not do?

Frankly speaking I would not know. With respect, the All Progressives Congress should be held vicariously liable for Fayemi’s electoral defeat in Ekiti State. He is a victim of the ideological crisis of the party. Did the party arm its governors with any pragramme or code of ethics? The APC claims to be an offshoot of the Unity Party of Nigeria and the Peoples Redemption Party of the Second Republic. Both parties ensured access to education, health, employment, abolished oppressive taxes which enhanced the quality of the lives of the people. Today, the APC has, like the Peoples Democratic Party, priced education and health out of the reach of the poor. The traffic control agencies in the APC-controlled states extort money from motorists like the Nigeria Police Force. The APC is seriously defending the dubious rein of market fundamentalism. It believes in the commercialisation of education and health and the privatisation of public assets. Even in the United States, the bastion of capitalism, the poor are housed by the state while their children can access education. The main crisis in the US Congress pertains to Obamacare which has to do with access to health for 47 million Americans who had no health insurance. Here, Nigerians are told that the government cannot fund schools, fund hospitals, construct roads, supply water etc. Nigerians have to pay through their noses for all social services including epileptic power supply. If civil servants cannot educate their children, feed their family and live a reasonably decent life then the government has failed. But due to his socialist background Aregbesola has extricated himself from the crisis of ideological confusion associated with the APC. He is convinced that the national economy should never be handed over to market forces. For me, that is the basis of his electoral victory.

Some people said that the outcome of the Osun election must have surprised the people of Ekiti State. Do you agree?

They were certainly surprised that Aregbesola successfully mobilised the Osun people to resist the fascist onslaught. Whereas 36,790 troops were deployed for the Ekiti State governorship election the figure rose to 73,000 in Osun State. Some of the armed goons were gendarmes who wore masks. Whereas in Ekiti State 40 APC members were arrested, over 700 APC supporters were railroaded to detention in Osun State. I had to intervene to secure the release of an 80-year-old lawyer. But others, including Osun Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Wale Afolabi, were released after the election. But at the end of the day the militarisation and monetisation of the electoral process compelled the people to defend their votes.

But his opponent rattled him? Don’t you agree?

I do not agree with you. Aregbesola spoke to me when the undue delay in the announcement of the results of the election caused so much tension and anxiety. Given the support of the people, he was on top of the situation. But the Independent National Electoral Commission refused to collaborate with the anti-democratic forces, who were hell-bent on truncating the electoral process.

Some people said the outcome was an indication that Aregebsola was beatable after all?

That position is misleading. It was not a free and fair election. Election observers were chased away while many party agents were beaten up by security forces and thugs to pave way for the writing of results for the PDP in certain areas. Even when it was confirmed that Aregbesola had beaten his closest rival by over 100,000 votes Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode announced that the PDP was coasting to victory. With the arrest of 700 people and the intimidation of others including a former governor, commissioners and legislators belonging to the APC, Governor Aregbesola snatched victory from the jaws of the lion.

Did the arrest and detention of APC leaders work against the APC and in favour of the PDP?

For sure, the wave of arrests was designed to manipulate the election in favour of the PDP. But it was a wrong calculation. Aregbesola mobilised the people and so they trooped out to vote. And when the returning officer had problems with the announcement of the results, the voters surrounded the INEC office at Osogbo. At that juncture the security forces pitched their tent with the people.

Can you please justify this?

The Federal Government did not hide its plan to engage in the militarisation of the election in Osun State. But I was so sure that no amount of militarisation or monetisation of the electoral process would make the PDP defeat Aregbesola at the poll.

Do you think that if the likes of former governors Isiaka Adeleke and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola did not defect from the PDP to the APC, Iyiola Omisore could have won?

With respect to ex-governors Oyinlola and Adeleke, I do not concern myself with the effect of the defection of political heavyweights. I prefer to de-emphasise personalities and concentrate on the programmes of political parties or their candidates. Adeleke was intimidated and prevented from casting his vote. Oyinlola was reported to have lost his polling unit to the PDP. It was the same story in Ekiti State where Segun Oni lost his unit to the PDP. In an enlightened environment voters do not take dictation from leaders.

What did you think made Omisore lose the election?

The PDP erroneously believed that it was the militarisation of the election that led to its victory in Ekiti State. So, it increased the number of troops deployed for the governorship election in Osun State. But Aregbesola drew sufficient lessons from Ekiti and mobilised the Osun people to defend their votes. Owing to his organic link with the masses, they were prepared to make the necessary and even risky sacrifice to have him re-elected. In terms of integrity, consistency, pedigree, education and principle, Otunba Omisore could not match Ogbeni Aregbesola. That was why he lost the election.

Does he have any case at the tribunal?

Neither Senator Omisore nor the PDP has filed any petition at the election petition tribunal.

Do you think his arrest and trial over the killing of Chief Bola Ige worked against him?

I would not know. But the statement credited to Oyinlola at the last rally of the APC to the effect that all those who were detained at the Agodi prisons over the killing of Ige had become the leaders of the PDP in Osun State was so weighty that it might have assisted some voters to make up their minds.

Would you say that the security agencies were partial during the election?

In Osun State, Lai Mohammed, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC was arrested. We have just been informed that he was arrested for wandering. But the vagrancy law was abolished in 1986. If Mohammed was arrested on the road, Mr. Nasir el-Rufai, another APC leader, was arrested in his hotel room during the Anambra State governorship election last year. Was Nasir also arrested for wandering? To confirm the partiality of the security forces, some PDP leaders from Anambra, Lagos, Ogun and Ekiti states were in Osun State during the election. They had platoons of military and police personnel guiding them. Nobody declared any of them a persona non grata.

Can you defend this?

The issue goes beyond the partiality of the armed forces. My position is that soldiers have no role to play in the conduct of elections. It is the constitutional duty of the police to maintain law and order during elections. Even the Department of State Service is an undercover security apparatus to gather intelligence, detect crimes and pass information to the police. I am saying without any fear of contradiction that no law in Nigeria allows any security man to wear masks. That was the first time in the history of Nigeria that masked security operatives were involved in elections. Beyond the condemnation of the partisan stand of the Armed Forces, the Nigerian people should insist that each security agency is restricted to its jurisdiction.

Don’t you think that the percentage of votes got by the PDP was an indication that the party is gaining ground in the state and the South-West?

Since there is no clearly marked ideological difference between the APC and the PDP the latter is likely to continue to make inroads in the country. It is a challenge for all Nigerians who are committed to genuine social change to come together, unite and intervene decisively in mobilising Nigerians to take their political destiny in their own hands. Instead of rejecting the APC for the PDP, the Nigerian people should be presented with a credible alternative political platform. With its defeat in Osun State the PDP ought to know that naked power through militarisation will not win the general election.

Will the number of votes secured by Omisore not be a boost for the ruling party in the presidential election?

It is not likely to be a boost for the ruling party. Nigerians owe themselves a duty to make the 2015 general election issue based.

What advice do you have for Aregbesola?

Understandably, the expectations of the people are high. Aregbesola has to redouble his efforts. He has to free the economy of the state from the tight grip of contractors by reorganising the state ministry of works to construct and maintain roads. The ministry has more qualified engineers than most of the firms that handle road projects. Some of the roads constructed by the Public Works Department under the Chief Obafemi Awolowo government are stronger than the new roads. Some of the roads are still plied in the rural areas. With a ministry of housing, the government does not need to build housing units through contractors. The health personnel in the ministry of health, the trained teachers in the ministry of education, the agric experts in the ministry of agriculture who are not productive in the public service should be deployed in the communities to make them productive. Through such revolutionary measures you conserve funds for development. During elections it is the people that will vote and not contractors.

@punchng.com

Boko Haram overruns police academy in Borno

by Adelani Adepegba and Kayode Idowu with agency report

Acting Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba
| credits: File copy

A riot police training academy near Gwoza, Borno State has been overrun by Boko Haram   militants.

A witness   told the British Broadcasting Corporation that shots were heard after the militants arrived in three Armoured Personnel Carriers and on dozens of motorcycles.

The BBC said in its report on Thursday that a police spokesman confirmed the attack. It added that a senior security source said it had not been possible to communicate with the academy, known as Liman Kara Police College, since Wednesday.

He said that police recruits were seen running from the college after the attack began at dawn on Wednesday.

The resident however explained that   he was unable to confirm if there were casualties as he had joined other residents and fled the town to nearby hills.

A security official who did not want to be named told the BBC Hausa service that the militants had “entered the school” but said he could not confirm if they were in control.

Another resident, Kaka Modu, said some fleeing vigilance group members told him on the telephone that the community was also overran by the militants.

Modu, who added that some people were killed, said the insurgents launched the offensive on the college on Tuesday before finally seizing it   on Wednesday.

He said, “The terrorists who engaged military troops with sophisticated weapons succeeded in chasing away security personnel undergoing training at the camp and took over by hoisting their flags yesterday(Wednesday) at the college. This was after   the security operatives in the c college ran away.”

A similar attack on the college which is about 15 kilometres from Gwoza was repelled by officers undergoing training there two weeks ago.

The institution is one of only two riot police training colleges in Nigeria.

An online news agency, Sahara Reporters, was quoted by the BBC as reporting that several hundred militants were involved in the raid on the college which had about 290 police trainees at the time of the attack.

Thousands have been killed across the North-East since Boko Haram launched its violent campaign for an Islamic state in 2009.

When contacted on Thursday, the new   Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, said he had no information on the attack on the college.

“I don’t have any information on the attack for now,” he said over the telephone.

The sect has   stepped up its attacks after being pushed out of its bases in Maiduguri and have been targeting towns and villages in deadly raids.

In recent weeks, the militants have been moving from their rural camps and taking over substantial towns,the BBC reported.

The group has been in control of Gwoza, a town   of about 50,000 people , since the beginning of this month.

It apparently retreated about 100km (62 miles) to Gwoza after losing control of Damboa also in Borno State.

But attempts by the security forces to retake Gwoza have failed – and a group of about 40 soldiers is   refusing to fight the insurgents.

@punchng.com

FG pays allowances of scholarship students in Russia

by Temitayo Famutimi

Some students on FG scholarship in Russia

The Federal Government has paid the eight months allowances it owed the over 322 Nigerian students on the Bilateral Educational Agreement scholarship in Russia.

The PUNCH had exclusively reported on Tuesday that the failure by the Federal Government to pay the allowances of the students had forced them into begging and resorting to illegal jobs, which put them at risk of deportation in Russia.

Following the report, our correspondent gathered on Thursday that the students had since started getting credit alerts on their respective bank accounts.

One of the affected students, Moyosore Ojuri, who is in her second year studying Metallurgical Engineering at the Volgograd State Technical University, Russia, told our correspondent on the telephone that the sum of $4,450 had been paid into her bank account.

The money, she explained, included $4,000 meant for her stipends from January to August; $200 for annual medicals and health insurance, and $250 covering her annual protective clothing.

Ojuri said she hoped that the Federal Government would begin paying them their allowances as at when due and save them from undue hardships.

“Before now, the Federal Government owed us from January to August. But now they have paid us everything. I can pay my accumulated debts and I am sure that I won’t be sent packing from the hostel over unpaid accommodation fees,” she said.

One of the student leaders, Akinola Akindamola, a post-graduate student of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Volgograd State Technical University, Russia, stated that he and other student leaders were going round to ensure that all of them, especially the new students, had received their allowances.

Akindamola, who is the President of the Senate Committee of Association of Nigerian Scholarship Students in Russia, said, “The payment of the money is in process and I am confident that by the end of today, we would all have been paid. The least problem we want now is to be financially handicapped. We appreciate the Federal Government for their prompt response.”

When contacted, the Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja, Mr. Olu Lipede, confirmed that the Federal Government had paid the students all their entitlements.

@punchng.com

Hygienic rules

AS insignificant our actions and inactions are to maintaining hygienic rules may appear, the outbreak of Ebola disease that has claimed many lives in Africa might be a warning signal to those who care about their well-being, and continued existence on this side of the divide.
The need for women or better put homemakers to get used to kitchen hygiene rules is so crucial and must be a cathechism that guides women in the kitchen, which I believe will rub on our children regardless of their gender once they get into the heart of the house where healthy dishes are dished out to all the members of the family.
From this hour, if you have never thought of having some guiding rules as to your conduct in the power house, your getting this pasted conscpicously on your kitchen wall will save us all from avoidable food induced contamination.
The number one rule emhasises the need to always wash our hands
To women with long hair, tieing it up and pulling it back is a must if you are unable to get a chef cap.
We must also imbibe the use of an apron which prevents your dresss from being soiled or ruined.
Don’t eat any of the food mixture until you are done; if you do, wash your hands again.
Any smell can trigger off sneezing, and when this happens, ensure you sneeze and cough away from the food.
LIke kindergaten children are told to wash anything that will go into their mouths, virtually all food items must always be washed before cooking, unless otherwise stated.
The freshness of what to be bought must be checked before buying it.
Basically, the rules of food hygiene are common sense rules to stop contamination of food while preparing or serving it. Remember, cooking food kills most germs. If you aren’t going to cook it yourself before eating it, then you have to store it carefully and make sure the way you prepare it is clean.
If food is not going to be cooked before you serve it - like cooked meats, cheese, cakes etc, then you should store them on the top shelves of your fridge, so no contaminants can drop onto them.
You shouldn’t cut these food stuffs with any knife that has been used on raw meat (unless it’s been washed properly - rinsing under the tap won’t do unless your tap spews boiling water).
Ideally you should use different knives and chopping boards for raw meat and everything else.
On a final note,always wash your hands after putting something in the bin/trash. It’s easy to forget, especially when trimming and peeling vegetables.
Our waste bins are hot beds of microbe reproduction activity.
You don’t need to waste money on antibacterial soap; normal soap does the job just as well.
Enjoy working in your power house.

Culled from http://tribune.com.ng

‘Why govt can’t reverse suspension of doctors’ appointments’

by Sunday Aborisade

Secretary to the Government the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim
| credits: File copy

The Federal Government on Wednesday said the embargo placed on appointment of new doctors into public hospitals across the country and the suspension of the Residency Training Programme in the health sector was done in the overall interest of all Nigerians.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim, stated this in his office during a meeting with the members of the Presidential Committee of experts on inter-professional relationship in the public health sector and top policy makers of the Federal Government.

The committee, which was led by a former SGF, Dr. Yayale Ahmed, was constituted by the Federal Government to fashion out ways of fostering harmony in the sector to avoid perennial crisis.

Anyim explained that the Federal Government suspended fresh negotiations with the striking doctors and other unions in the sector pending the outcome of the committee.

He said, “Even as we try to discuss with members of the Nigerian Medical Association, and other unions in the sector, we would have difficulty to have much to do except to wait for the report of this committee.

“Presently, Mr. President had directed that there should be no fresh intake of doctors into any public hospitals. He had as well, directed that Residency Training Programme should be suspended.

“The idea is that, until we find a lasting solution to this sector, everything should be on hold. The expectations are squarely on your committee to provide the solution.

“We have insisted that we could not re open negotiations with them when this committee is yet at work. I do recalled that one of the concerns they shared was that they did not know when the committee’s work would end.

“For them, they thought it was a ploy on the part of the government simply to drag its feet, on their demands. With your visit today, it is clear , it is evident, it is in fact right on the table, that your committee is at work, it is marching step by step with due diligence to arriving at a lasting solution to all the challenges in the sector.”

The SGF said the challenges that the government had been facing from the health sector was so monumental that “President Jonathan thought it wise to seek your (Ahmed) leadership of a committee that we believe we can entrust to resolve the challenges.”

@punchng.com

Buhari, Atiku, Tinubu, 71 others make APC BoT

by Ade Adesomoju

Akande, Buhari and Tinubu.

The All Progressives Congress has appointed at least 74 persons, including a former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; and a former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu as members of its Board of Trustees.

The list has not been officially released by the party but our correspondent learnt on Wednesday that the list comprised others like a former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; Chief Tom Ikimi, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, Chief Bisi Akande and Chief Audu Ogbeh.

Other prominent members of the party in the APC BoT include Alhaji Baba Magaji, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, Chief Tony Momoh, former Bayelsa State Governor Timi Sylva, Yusuf Ali, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari; Senator George Akume and Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, among others.

The BoT also comprises serving APC governors and former governors, who are members of the party.

It was learnt that some of the appointed BoT members met at the national secretariat of the party on Wednesday.

It was also learnt that the Board would elect its executive members next week.

@punchng.com

Minister threatens to revoke N3.4bn contracts

by Fidelis Soriwei

Steve Oru

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Dr. Steve Oru, has threatened to revoke the contracts for two of the nine skill acquisition centres in the Niger Delta over poor and delayed contract execution.

The two contracts are the Skill Acquisition Centre in Otuke, in the Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State and the one for Ibeno in Akwa Ibom State awarded for N3.4bn.

The companies involved in the execution of the contract for the two centres are Stegis International Agencies Nigeria Limited, Salem Cat Limited, Enorasol International Limited, Ogbosite International Limited, El-Hanen Ventures Limited, Verity Concept Limited and Y.S. Associates Limited

The Otuoke Centre is expected to be a centre for the training of youths in oil and gas, maritime studies, Information and Communication Technology and how to assemble ipad and mobile telephones on completion.

The minister summoned the contracting firms to his office and lambasted them for shoddy execution of the contracts, which he said lacked the appropriate supervision.

He told the two contractors that the level and the quality of job done on the centres was too poor to be acceptable to the Federal Government.

He therefore issued a two-month ultimatum to the contractor handling the Otuoke Centre and a six-month period of grace to the firm handling the Ibeno Centre to complete the projects or face the wrath of the government.

He said, “The impression we had before the visit were of Otuoke being ready for commissioning by the President at any given date and that this would be followed by the commissioning of Ibeno.

“But contrary to what we had on paper in the office here when I was being briefed, we were in a state of shock by what we saw first at Otuoke, which we thought was already fully completed.

@punchng.com

Chibok girls: Britain to send three Tornado planes

by Bayo Akinloye with agency report

Abducted Chibok girls

BRITAIN’s Royal Air Force   plans to send three fighter jets to help in locating the more than 200   schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents on April 14 this year.

The RAF Tornado GR4s equipped with surveillance facilities, according to Daily Mail on Wednesday, will undertake “reconnaissance missions” over the Sambissa Forest where the girls are believed to be held.

A   British government source told The Times that the jets would help the Nigerian authorities in tracking the movements of the insurgents.

The report however added that the mission was dependent on a nearby nation giving the British government the nod to use its runway.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman did not deny the report about the deployment of the planes.

He said, “The United Kingdom continues to work with the United States and France as well as Nigeria’s neighbours and international partners to provide advice and assistance to the Nigerian government.

“Together with our allies we have provided continuous surveillance support to the Nigerian authorities, including satellite imagery. We are still in discussion with partners on the deployment of further surveillance capability.”

Last Friday,   Britain’s Minister for Africa, James Duddridge, had condemned the abduction of over 100 people in Nigeria and had pledged that the UK would continue to support in the fight against Boko Haram.

He said, “I am appalled to see reports of another large abduction by terrorists in the North- East of Nigeria. Officials at the British High Commission in Abuja are urgently looking into the details. The UK stands firmly with Nigeria as it faces the scourge of Boko Haram.”

The group on Monday killed at least three people and kidnapped 15 others in a fresh cross-border attack in northern Cameroon.

“The attack took place on Monday afternoon when at least 20 armed men tried to get food supplies, stealing all the [food] stocks found in the Cameroonian village of Greya,” the source told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.

The source added, “Boko Haram militants killed at least three civilians and abducted a dozen others – presumably all Cameroonians.’’

@punchng.com

Liverpool in talks with AC Milan over Balotelli

by goal.com

Liverpool are working on a deal to sign Mario Balotelli from AC Milan and are in talks with the Italy striker’s agent in London, Goal has learned.

Mino Raiola, who represents a number of top-level footballers including Balotelli and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, has flown to England to guage the Reds’ interest in his client.

The Merseysiders are also in talks with Milan, who – despite earlier denials from CEO Adriano Galliani – are willing to let Balotelli leave San Siro but will only consider a permanent switch and not a loan move.

Brendan Rodgers has insisted throughout the summer that he will not panic in his search to replace Luis Suarez, who joined Barcelona for just over €88 million.

A €10m move for Loic Remy fell through amid claims of a failed medical, while rumours linking the club with Monaco striker Radamel Falcao also persist.

Balotelli has been unhappy at Milan for several months but, while Galliani has been keen to keep hold of him, Rossoneri owner Silvio Berlusconi wants to complete a sale.

Berlusconi even claimed following the World Cup that the striker’s poor performances in Brazil had scuppered a big-money deal with an English club.