The Catholic Bishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan and former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, have called for peace and forgiveness among Nigerians as they celebrate Christmas. This is contained in a statement signed by Paul Mumeh, Media Assistant to Mark and made available to newsmen on Saturday in Abuja. The statement quoted Onaiyekan and Mark, as giving the admonition at the 2015 Christmas Carol at St. Mulumba Catholic Chaplaincy, Apo. They contended that peace and forgiveness were needed for “good neighbourliness’’ in Nigeria. The statement said that Onaiyekan called for an end to terrorism ravaging the North-East. The…
Author: Kunle Atiba
Somali police said several people have been killed after armed men detonated a car bomb and opened fire on a busy road in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu. Reuters news agency said that at least three people were killed and eight others were wounded in Saturday’s attack, with the toll likely to rise. The explosion occurred on a busy street close to hotels and supermarkets. “There was a drive-by shooting attack… then a car loaded with explosives was detonated after police reinforcements arrived,” Ahmed Abdiweli, a police official, told AFP news agency. “Most of the casualties are civilians.” Al Jazeera’s Jama Nur,…
The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, has promised to bring about fundamental change in Nigeria’s petroleum sector in 365 days. He gave the promise on Saturday when All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains in Delta, led by Mr Jones Erue, the party chairman, visited him at his country home in Onicha-Ugbo, Aniocha North LGA. “The country’s oil sector will experience a turnaround such that the refineries will work effectively and products will be made available to the people at an affordable price within 365 days,’’ he said. He said that as a technocrat, he came to give his…
Eminent personalities on Saturday converged in Ibadan for the installation of Alhaji Dawud Akinola as the new Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland. The position became vacant following the demise of Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Arisekola-Alao , who was the last holder, on June 17, 2014. Prominent among the dignitaries at the occasion were Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, his Osun counterpart, Rauf Aregbesola, the Minister of Communication, Mr Adebayo Shittu, and Mr Michael Adeyemo, the Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly. Also present were Alhaja Aminat Abiodun, the Iyalode of Ibadanland, Alhaji Yekini Adeojo, Sheikh Jamiu Bello, President-General, League of Imams and Alfas…
The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ikeja, on Saturday said it had intercepted smuggled goods valued N23.07 million. A statement signed in Lagos by the unit Public Relations Officer, Mr Uche Ejesieme, said that Comptroller Sani Madugu, head of the unit, made the disclosure while inspecting the seized goods. It said that the goods, which consist of frozen poultry products, schools and ladies’ bags, were intercepted on Thursday. “The anti-smuggling drive of the Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, received a major boost following the seizure of smuggled frozen poultry products concealed in a specially-built…
The Chief Medical Director of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja, Professor Adewale Oke, has said that 5000 babies are born every year with ear defects in Nigeria. Oke made the disclosure on Saturday in Lagos, while briefing newsmen on the hospital’s first successful middle ear implant surgery conducted in its premises. “I know that 5,000 new babies are being born annually in Nigeria with ear defects. “This means they are deaf and sometimes the cause of their deafness is congenital, we call it from birth. “Some of these babies lacked some hearing mechanism in their ears, so the…
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Celebrity Special Marshals stormed Lagos roads today sensitising motorists to safe driving before, during and after the Yuletide. The celebrity special marshals were part of the safety campaign organised by the Lagos State Sector Command of the FRSC, tagged “Speed kills, Slow Down.’’ The campaign took them to Ikeja, Ojota, Alausa, and Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, distributing fliers. They urged motorists to drive safely and maintain speed limits during the Yuletide. Hygenius Umeje, the FRSC Sector Commander in Lagos, said that the corps decided to take the campaign to the public through celebrities to sensitise their fans and…
The government of Burundi has reacted angrily to the African Union’s decision to deploy a 5,000 strong peacekeeping force to curb ongoing violence in the troubled country, saying it will prevent foreign troops from entering its borders. The African Union’s Peace and Security Council agreed on Friday night to deploy an African Prevention and Protection Mission (MAPROBU) for an initial period of six months – primarily to protect civilians after months of political violence following the disputed re-election of President Pierre Nkurunziza in July. The MAPROBU force is mandated to “prevent any deterioration of the security situation” as well as to…
Rwandan National Electoral Commission (NEC) has announced the provisional results of the referendum that show the majority have voted for an amendment to the constitution to allow the president to contest for a third term. Al Jazeera’s Malcolm Webb, reporting from Kigale, said voters have overwhelmingly backed a referendum that would allow President Paul Kagame to stay in office until 2034. The constitutional amendment proposes that starting in 2017, the president can serve for two terms, with each term equivalent to five years. “The results of the controversial referendum were exactly as expected. People at this pre-planned event, in the…
A new report has emerged and condemned the United Nations (UN) for failing to respond to the child abuse claims against peacekeepers in the Central African Republic (CAR). The independent investigation released on Thursday said the UN handling of the case was “seriously flawed”, accusing it of not taking the required action after the alleged abuse of young boys by French soldiers became known. “The end result was a gross institutional failure to respond to the allegations in a meaningful way,” the Taking Action on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by Peacekeepers report said. Those on the investigative panel, chaired by…
Tens of thousands of women, many underage, in Ethiopia are being driven to a life of prostitution. The country’s deeply conservative culture makes it difficult to find help. But a new community radio project is trying to change that and help those struggling in the sex industry. http://bc05.ajmn.me/665003303001/201512/3101/665003303001_4664979036001_20151217-ethiopia-nostraps.mp4 Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford reports from Addis Ababa.
After two months of dipping and diving in the shallows of South Sudan’s swamps, surviving on water lily roots and fish, James Gul is hungry and desperate. He hasn’t eaten in two days and doesn’t know when he will get his next meal. The small patches of land that dot the world’s biggest wetlands have shielded his family from violent attacks on his village but the islands cannot protect them from another threat: hunger. “I don’t know what I will do. Before the war, there was no food issue. We would harvest the crops when they were ready.” In September,…
The Chief Executive of Capital Jazz Exposition, Mr Ado Ibrahim, on Sunday said that Jazz concert could be used to boost the nation’s economy and unite the country. He made the observation at the end of a two-day Jazz concert in Abuja. According to him, the Abuja expo is aimed at creating awareness about Jazz music as many people do not appreciate the music. He said that the music could unite the people around the world, be they young or old. “The goal we are pushing at is to make the event an annual concert at every second week of December,…
The rebel leader in the Central African Republic (CAR) has declared an autonomous state in his northeastern stronghold after rejecting upcoming elections aimed at ending years of conflict. A spokesman and chief lieutenant for Nourredine Adam, the leader of a splinter faction of the Muslim Seleka rebel group, said the Republic of Logone was proclaimed in the northeast on Monday. “What we want first of all is autonomy. Then we’ll look at how to move towards independence,” Maouloud Moussa told Reuters from the group’s headquarters in the town of Kaga-Bandoro. “Muslims are marginalised … The north has been abandoned by…
In preparation for the 2016 Championship of African Nations (CHAN) scheduled to hold in Rwanda from Jan.16 to February 7, twenty two home-based players of the Super Eagles on Tuesday began training. The training began in the morning at the Abuja National Stadium, with an endurance race that lasted for about 40 minutes. The evening training session saw the team kicking the ball around under the supervision of Assistant Coaches Salisu Yusuf and Jean Losciuto. Toyin Ibitoye, Super Eagles Media Officer told newsmen that four players were yet to join the team. “The two players that were part of the Under-23 team…
The Minister of Science and Technology, Mr. Ogbonnaya Onu, on Tuesday called on the state governments to create ministry of science and technology in their respective states. Onu made the call in Abuja while speaking with newsmen at the end of a two-day Interactive Forum with Commissioners of Science and Technology in the states, including the FCT. Onu, who described the meeting as successful, said the creation of such a ministry would advance innovations and the worth of the country. He said the impacts could only be felt “if each state of the federation promotes Science, Technology and Innovation (STI). “We need…
Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Tuesday in Abuja said desertification in several states in the north was very dangerous hence the need to attack it with a lot of fervor. He made the statement while receiving a delegation of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), led by its Director-General, Mr Goni Ahmed. While commending the agency’s documentary presentation at the meeting, Prof. Osinbajo said “if we allow desertification, poverty would worsen, and we would have ourselves to blame”. “So we have to take the matter very seriously.” Speaking with State House Press Corps after the meeting, Ahmed said…
Rights advocates have called on South Sudan’s government and rebel leaders to punish commanders accused of recruiting thousands of child soldiers to fight in the country’s two-year civil war. In a report released on Tuesday, Human Rights Watch named more than 15 military commanders from both the government’s Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and the rebel force – the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) – who have allegedly forced children to join their ranks. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates 15,000 to 16,000 children may have been used by armed forces and groups in the conflict. New York-based…
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has so far disbursed N64.7 billion of the N213 billion earmarked for power sector intervention. The fund was set aside in February to tackle the poor power supply in the country. Mr Boma Benebo, Deputy Head, Infrastructure Development Finance Office, CBN, disclosed this after inspecting 62,021 prepaid meters procured by Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) in Kano on Tuesday. He said the facility was expected to be utilised to improve power generation and supply across the country. “The facility is expected to be utilised for approved activities like turn around maintenance, to achieve capacity recovery by power…
Nigerian Senate has urged the Federal Government to establish a process for the punishment of contractors who abandon projects even after collecting mobilisation funds. They suggested that a project performance and monitoring taskforce be set up as part of the process. This followed a motion by Senator Suleiman Nazif (APC-Bauchi North) at plenary on Tuesday, on the negative impact of abandoned projects on the development of the country. Senator Nazif said that there were no fewer than 11,886 abandoned projects across the country that would cost an estimated N7.78 trillion to complete. He said that public infrastructure accounted for most of the…