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…