Global Naija Info

Jute bags Nigeria spent about 20 million dollars (about N4 billon) on importation of jute bags in 2015, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajia Aisha Abubakar, has revealed. Abubakar disclosed this at the inauguration of the Kenaf Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (KEPPMAN) in her office on Tuesday in Abuja. She said that the importation was in spite of the country’s potential of becoming a net exporter of jute bags and other derivatives of kenaf. Kenaf is herbaceous plant with a wide range of food and non-food derivatives, which grows annually or biennially. It is a source of an edible vegetable oil, while the kenaf seed oil is also used for cosmetics, industrial lubricants and for bio-fuel production. Its non-food derivatives include jute bags and other shopping bags, newsprint, insulation bags, absorbents, bedding material, bio-plastics and composites for board making. The minister said: “what is disturbing is the inability of

The Adamawa State Independent Electoral Commission (ADSIEC) has announced July 30 as new date for the local government election in the state. ADSIEC had initially fixed June 25 for the election. The Commission’s Information Officer, Malam Danladi Mahmood, told newsmen in Yola that the decision was taken unanimously after a stakeholders meeting between the Commission and the nine political parties involved in the election. Mahmood said the development was due to non-production of ballot papers by the contractor handling the job. He also listed the factional crisis rocking the state’s PDP which submitted two separate lists of candidates as another challenge. He added that “political parties are yet to return nomination forms, while we still have the problem of faction in the state PDP.”

The police in Abuja have charged two suspects Peter Etetobore and Marvellous Okoh to a Gudu Upper Area Court with alleged criminal trespass and mischief. The charge is contained in a First Information Report (FIR) dated April 27, 2016, and signed by Constable Andrew Abene with PC no 501435. The Station Officer, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, whose name was not given signed and authorised the FIR. Etetobore is a resident of Galadimawa by Suncity Estate while Okoh, of Revenue Protection Unit, AEDC, Zone 4, Abuja, is said to be at large. The charge was based on sections 348 and 327 of the Penal Code. The FIR stated that Olufemi Agunbiade of Block B42, Flat 4, 14th St., Games Village, Abuja, reported the case at Wuye Police Station. Agunbiade reported that the suspects went to the Games Village Feeder Pillar and disconnected his residence from the public power source without notice. He told the police that the disconnection damaged his split air conditioner valued N200,000. No

Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Tuesday said the Nigerian Army would soon deploy special forces to Kogi to help tackle crime in the state. Buratai disclosed this when he paid a courtesy call on Governor Yahaya Bello at the Government House in Lokoja. The army chief said plans were at an advanced stage to deploy the troops to the affected areas in the state. “I want to assure you that very soon we will deploy special forces to the state. “That is why I came here with the Commander, Army Headquarters Garrison; he is getting them ready and by Monday they should be on ground. “They will come with their vehicles, they will come with their sustenance. So, very soon they will come in and begin the operation,” Buratai said. Buratai expressed regrets that previous efforts to contain insecurity in the state had failed. He, however, assured the people of the state of the army’s commitment to tackling the security c

The TY Danjuma Foundation (TYDF), an indigenous organisation, on Tuesday, urged wealthy Nigerians to sacrifice half of their wealth to supporting the less privileged in the society. The Executive Director of the Foundation, Dr Sunday Udo, made the call at the Annual Call for Concept Notes Planning Meeting with Community Health Stakeholders in Abuja. He said “we challenge wealthy Nigerians to sacrifice half of their wealth to charity to address societal challenges, especially in the health sector. “The challenges are enormous and government alone cannot address them, hence, the need for all hands to be on deck to assist the less privileged in the country.’’ Udo added that the aim of the meeting was to create an opportunity for experience sharing between sector experts and the Foundation in order to chart a way forward for collaborative, responsive intervention. He stressed the need for affluent Nigerians to channel their wealth to addressing neglected tropical diseases in rural are

Ibrahim Kpotun Idris President Muhammadu Buhari is set to announce a former Kano State Police Commissioner, Ibrahim Kpotun Idris as the new acting Inspector General of Police, reports Sahara Reporters. Mr. Idris is an Assistant Inspector General of Police who once led the Kano state police command. Idris will replace Solomon Arase, who retires from the police force today. The President, according to the report, is currently meeting with the new IGP for a presidential briefing.

The House of Representatives on Tuesday, mandated its committees on Ethics and Privileges and Foreign Affairs to investigate alleged sexual misconduct against three of its members. This followed a motion brought under Order six, Rules two and 22 of the House Standing Orders by one of the accused, Rep. Mark Gbillah (APC, Benue). In the motion, Gbillah described the action of the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwhistle, in petitioning the house, as a move to tarnish the image of the lawmakers and the hallowed chamber. He said that no such incident occurred as reported by the ambassador, and insisted that the envoy should provide proof to support his allegation. Gbillah, who was accused with Samuel Ikon (PDP, Akwa Ibom) and Mohammed Gololo (APC, Bauchi) of the crime, said that none of them was interrogated by U.S. authorities over the allegation. He said that there was, therefore, the need not to draw a conclusion on the matter until it had been properly investigated. The m

Luis Hernandez Leicester City have signed Spanish defender Luis Hernandez on a four-year deal, starting on 1 July. The 27-year-old will join the Premier League champions on a free transfer when his current deal at Sporting Gijon expires. Hernandez has made 140 appearances for the La Liga club since making his debut in 2012. The centre-back is a product of the Real Madrid youth system but failed to make a first-team appearance. The Madrid-born defender’s 20 appearances during his debut season for Sporting Gijon helped the team to a 10th-placed finish during 2012/13. He further solidified his place the following campaign, playing 38 times en route to a fifth-place finish that saw the team miss out on promotion via the play-offs. Hernandez’s influence continued to grow within the team and his 41 appearances during the 2014/15 campaign helped earn Sporting Gijon automatic promotion to La Liga behind league winners Real Betis. Although 2015/16 saw the newly-promoted side battling f

The Sickle Cell Aid Foundation Nigeria today announced Zahra Buhari, President Muhammadu Buhari’s Daughter and famous singer/songwriter and ‘Orente’ crooner, Adekunle Gold as their brand ambassadors. The group took to its Instagram page to announce this new development when it shared the photo below and wrote: “Meet the SCAF Brand Ambassadors, Ms. Zahra Buhari & Mr. Adekunle Kosoko (Adekunle Gold), ready to tackle Sickle Cell Disorder . We are so humbled to have brand ambassadors dedicated to our cause to #breakthesicklecycle. ❤️ #WSCD16 #nurasstory #SCAF #BrandAmbassadors #BreakTheSickleCycle”

The Port Harcourt Zone of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its two-week strike, following the intervention of the Rivers Government. The union, comprising Rivers and Bayelsa chapters, went on strike because of the sack of 100 workers by two oil servicing companies in the states. Mr. Charles Eleto, acting Chairman, NUPENG, Port Harcourt Zone, said at a news conference in Port Harcourt on Tuesday that they went on strike because of anti-labour practices of the two companies. He said the union would meet with Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers on Wednesday to formalise the process and chart the way forward. “We, therefore, advise all members of the union to go back to work and thank the public for their patience and understanding during the strike,” he said. Mr. Bassey Harry, National Industrial Relations Officer, NUPENG, commended the Rivers Government for intervening to end the strike. He called on members to resume work and start loading imme

•Prof. Wole Soyinka Wole Soyinka It is time to call a spade a spade or, in this instance, name the Nigerian media camera a weapon of mass obstruction. What used to be mere occasional infraction, soon corrected, is fast becoming a Bill of Rights – for a minuscule sector of the professional community. We are galloping towards an order of social fascism of which – it must also be stressed – that same society is the prime facilitator of its doom. There are times when tolerance becomes acceptance, then tacit and even overt encouragement. Otherwise, why does it take so long to make the media photographer understand that he or she has no fundamental viewing right that overrides those of the lowest member of any gathering, anywhere and under any circumstance. Let us not beat around the bush –mobsters have taken over community, armed with nothing more lethal than the camera and a monstrous will to capture and monopolize space that belongs to the totality. The media camera has become a

The Nigeria-China Business Council has called on the Federal Government to ban the importation of prepaid meters to promote the indigenous production of the device. The National Co-coordinator of the council, Mr. Mattew Uwakwe, made the call on Tuesday in Abuja. Uwakwe was speaking against the background of complaints by indigenous smart meter manufacturers that their capacity has been underutilised due to very low patronage from the government and the electricity boards. He said that Nigeria would benefit more if it was to manufacture pre-paid meters locally and not import them. “Our own position as a council is if you are giving some people licence to manufacture (pre-paid meters) and they are manufacturing, how come you will at the same time give people licence to import (pre-paid meters). “Because it is more beneficial to manufacture those things than to import (them). “When people go to import (pre-paid meters) some of them come back with substandard products. “But, when it

Ibrahim Lamorde, a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes and Commission, has come out to say that the Aisha Buhari named in the bribery scandal involving a U.S. Congressman, Williams Jefferson, is not Aisha, President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife. Ibrahim Lamorde, ex-EFCC Chairman According to Premium Times, Mr. Lamorde said when contacted on Tuesday morning that, “I can tell you authoritatively that the Aisha Buhari named in that case is not President Buhari’s wife. It is another Aisha Buhari entirely.” “I was the director of operations at the EFCC at the time so I know about the case very well. I can tell you that it is not her (President Buhari’s wife). That much we established.” Mr. Lamorde was EFCC chairman until he was removed in December 2015 by President Buhari, and he is currently on a course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).

Administrative activities at the Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara has been grounded as the sit-at-home embarked upon by the workers entered its third week. The workers had joined their counterpart in other 15 councils across the state to demand payment of their outstanding salaries. The gate to the council secretariat in Omu-Aran remained under lock and key on Tuesday when NAN visited. The directive for the sit-at-home was said to have emanated from the state chapter of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE). The development has adversely affected some applicants seeking to obtain vital official documents from the council. Some of the applicants, who are mostly youths, were seen lamenting their difficulties outside the council secretariat. One of the affected applicants, who preferred anonymity said that he was yet to obtain a citizenship certificate he had applied for. “I needed the certificate to confirm my state and local government origin. “But this sit-

A recent study by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has identified Gambia as one of Africa’s top destinations for child sex tourism. It said on Tuesday in Banjul that poverty, corruption, and weak law enforcement, has undermined the government’s efforts to protect children from abuse. It noted that hundreds of girls and boys are sexually exploited in the country, where every second person lives on little more than a dollar a day. UNICEF accused some parents of trusting tourists for financial assistance, while the study revealed that others turn a blind eye to the sexual exploitation of their children to earn extra income. Sheriff Manneh, an officer with the Tourism Security Unit in Banjul, which was formed specifically to focus on curbing sex tourism, confirmed that in West Africa, Gambia remained the main destination for child sex tourism. He noted that yearly more than 150,000 people visit Gambia which is only a short flight from Europe. “Most tourists come from Brit

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday June 20 hosted service chiefs to the Ramadan breaking of fast and farewell dinner for the outgoing Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase at the presidential villa, Abuja. President Muhammadu Buhari thanking the out going Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, for a job well done President Muhammadu Buhari welcoming the out going Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase President Muhammadu Buhari addressing the out going Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase and the Service Chiefs. President Muhammadu Buhari presenting a parting gift to the out going Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase President Muhammadu Buhari presenting a parting gift to the outgoing Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase PRESIDENT BUHARI RAMADAN BREAKING OF FAST WITH SERVICE CHIEFS 3A&B. President Muhammadu Buhari presenting a parting gift to the out going Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase President Mu

A medical practitioner at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi , Abuja, Dr Arikawe Adeolu, on Tuesday, said that long use of analgesics and antidepressant drugs could cause sexual dysfunction and low sperm count. Adeolu said that the class of analgesics that could cause this condition was the narcotic analgesic, an example of which is morphine. The medical expert said morphine affects the hormonal balance of the body and cause an increase in production of prolactin, adding that increased prolactin in the body can lead to infertility in both men and women. Prolactin is a hormone released by the pituitary gland in the brain. its primary role is to help initiate and maintain breast milk production in pregnant and nursing women. He said that because prolactin could be induced by the use of this drug, “men who used it would experience low sperm count while women would experience menstrual irregularities”. According to him, both sexes will experience decreased libido as prolactin blocks the

A 64-year-old man, Toyin Fagbenro, who allegedly collected N1.7 million under false pretence, was on Tuesday arraigned in an Ota Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ogun. The defendant, who lives at No. 14 Shilloy Estate, Onigbongbo, Atan, Ota, is facing a two-count charge of stealing and obtaining money under false pretence. The prosecutor, Cpl. Abdulkareem Mustapha, told the court that the accused committed the offences on Oct. 22, 2015, at about 14:00 a.m. at Shilloy Estate, Onigbongbo, Atan, Ota. Mustapha said that the defendant collected N1.7 million under false pretence on behalf of Shilloy Estate, to supply community electrical transformer. He said that the offences contravened Sections 309, 419 and 509 of the Criminal Code, Vol. 1, Laws of Ogun, 2006. The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Chief Magistrate, Mrs A.I. Adelaja, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum. Adelaja said that the sureties must be the owner of

Music star, Terry G, a few days ago, disrespected Dj Phreez, when he lapped the budding disc jockey and protege of turntable guru, Jimmy Jatt during his performance. Following his unruly action, the DJs Association of Nigeria (DJAN) placed a ban on the Akpako master’s music when it instructed all DJs around the country to stop playing Terry G’s songs, and also demanded a public apology from the erring singer. Having seemingly met all the demanded conditions of righting his wrongs, the association has now officially announced the lift of the ban. Read the association’s press statement below Attention: All Nigerian DJs in Nigeria, All Nigerian DJs in Diaspora, All Radio DJs, VDJs & OAPs, All Club, Lounge, Event Centers,Bars etc, All Street DJs, Music Promoters, Event Planners, The General Public. RE: EMBARGO ON ALL TERRY G’s SONGS The National Executives of the DJs Association of Nigeria (DJAN) humbly appreciate the support and cooperation of Nigeria DJs for full partic

…Pact Will Attract Multi Billion Dollar Investment To State, says Ambode Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (right behind), with Deputy Prime Minister, United Arab Emirate (UAE) & Chairman, Dubai Holdings, Mr. Ahmad Bin Byat (left behind), watch as Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem (right) and the Chief Executive Officer, Smart City Dubai LLC, Mr. Jabber Bin Hafez (left) sign a Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) on Smart City Lagos between the City of Dubai and Lagos State Government, at the Emirate Towers, Dubai, on Monday, June 20, 2016 The Lagos State Government and the City of Dubai on Monday entered into a historic partnership that will see Lagos emerge as the first Smart City in Africa. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Lagos Smart City was signed at the Emirate Towers, Dubai by the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem and the Chief Executive Officer of Smart City Dubai LLC, Mr.

Right to Left: Prof. Benjamin Ogunbodede. Jalekun Omitowoju. Zacceaus Tejumola and Adenose Clement, when they were arraigned on October 30, 2014. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on June 17, 2016 secured the conviction of one Jalekun Omitawoju Yisau and nine other defendants in a case of alleged conspiracy, misappropriation and diversion of funds. The other convicted defendants are Afribiz Viables Ventures, Allied Aque-Forte Ventures, Manifield Mercies Ventures, Agbeloba Agrotech Ventures Ltd, Torosbury International Agency Ltd, Cradle Engineering Services Ltd, Momm Limited, Al-Tora Allied Business, Arieco Trading Ventures The convicts were charged before Justice N. Ayo Emmanuel of the Federal High Court , Ibadan, Oyo State alongside a former Director of Institute of Agriculture, Research and Training (IART ), Professor Benjamin Olufemi Ogunbodede, Zaccheaus Tejumola and Adenose Clement. When they were first arraigned on October 30, 2014, all the accused persons

Louis van Gaal, Manchester United manager Former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal, ex-Ajax head coach Frank de Boer and Andre Villas-Boas are in contention for the vacant AC Milan job. (La Gazzetta dello Sport) Champions League winners Real Madrid have opened talks to sign France midfielder Paul Pogba, 23, from Juventus, according to the player’s agent. (Marca) Premier League champions Leicester are ready to pay £30m for Watford striker and captain Troy Deeney, 27, having had two bids rejected. (Telegraph) Manchester United coach Ryan Giggs, who is expected to leave the club, is a contender for the manager’s job at Championship side Nottingham Forest. (Mirror) Giggs may be overlooked for the job at the City Ground with Forest’s owners hoping to appoint a foreign coach. They have contacted Spaniard and former Olympiakos boss Michel. (Nottingham Post) New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is plotting a £57m move for Lazio winger Antonio Candreva, 29, and Italy team-mate and

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose Dr. Kayode Ajulo, a constitutional Lawyer and former national secretary of the Labour Party has described the freezing of Governor Ayodele Fayose’s account as “illegal”. Ajulo who was reacting to the Economic Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) order that the Ekiti state governor’s account be freezed said it was an abuse of the immunity that covers governors in Nigeria. In a statement issued on Tuesday, he said he received the news with shock, arguing that, EFCC has no legal ground to freeze Fayose’s account. “This indeed came as a shock considering the personality involved, a sitting governor that enjoys immunity till the determination of his office as governor of a State in Nigeria. “It is the law that to freeze an account, there must be an order of court for the attachment of the bank account. “It is also trite that for the court to make such order, there must be papers (court process) filed in court and signed by the judge,” he said. H

The Federal Government have started the repairs of the damaged pipelines in the oil-rich region which were destroyed by the Niger Delta Avengers while shunning the warning by the militants not to repair the pipelines. According to a statement by the group which was released recently, the group warned that “We are going to redirect and reactivate all our activities if the government, oil companies and their services firms do not heed these modest warnings of not carrying out repair works and suspend the buying of crude oil from our region, as we await the right atmosphere that will engender genuine dialogue.” According to Vanguard, some community sources said that soldiers were escorting badges, tugboats loaded with equipment and personnel heading for the repairs of the damaged facility of NGC, a subsidiary of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, on Sunday. Chief Moses Bebenimibo, Chairman of Kunukunuma Federated Communities, also confirmed the development while saying t

Waripamo-Owei Dudafa Former Senior Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa and Iwejuo Joseph Nna (alias Taiwo A. Ebenezer and Olugbenga Isaiah) were today admitted to bail by Justice M. B. Idris of the Federal High Court, Lagos. The accused persons had pleaded not guilty to 23-counts of concealment and retention of proceeds of crime to the tune of over N1,667,162,800.00 (One billion, six hundred and sixty seven million, one hundred and sixty two thousand, eight hundred Naira). The money was allegedly laundered through the accounts of Ebiwise Resources Limited, Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited, Rotato Inter-Link Services Limited and Pluto Property & Investment Company Limited in a new generation bank, where the second defendant, Iwejuo was the accounts officer. Ruling on the bail applications, Justice Idris admitted the first accused to bail in the sum of Five Million Naira with two sureties in like sum; th

Two persons, Yahaya Umar and Muhammed Auwal were arrested by the police in Kaduna on June 13 for allegedly raping a six-year-old girl. The Police Command spokesman, DSP. Abubakar Zubairu, told newsmen in Kaduna on Monday that Umar, 67, and Auwal,30, were arrested following a complaint by the parents of the girl. Zubairu said that Auwal, who was the parent’s neighbour, was also arrested after medical personnel confirmed an earlier alleged rape on the minor. He said ‘Auwal was arrested in an earlier rape allegation with the same girl, adding that “additional information from a medical doctor also indicated that she was earlier raped before that time and was disvirgined”. The spokesman said that the suspects would soon appear in court. But , the mother of the victim, Hindatu Mohammed, told newsmen that the incident occurred on Monday, June 13, around 1p.m. at Soba Street, Tudun Wada Area in Kaduna. “After my six years old daughter returned from school, I sent her to buy detergent fo

A cross section of Nigerians on Monday called on the National Assembly to be cautious while reacting to the sexual impropriety allegation against three legislators by the U.S. Government. The three accused legislators are members of the House of Representatives. A journalist, Mr. Johnchuks Onuanyim, said that the moral thing for the legislators to do was to resign pending the outcome of any inquiry by the house to unravel the truth. “I don’t think that the Speaker of the house should have openly challenged the U.S. government the way he did. “He should have carried out his investigations first by reaching out to the U.S. Ambassador and then setting up a panel of inquiry. “If the evidence they requested comes out true, he has submitted even his own seat as Speaker to ridicule; other legislators can say that but definitely not the speaker. “I don’t think the speaker should have challenged the American government that way. “For the legislators, 10 of them went for the leadership pr

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that laws should not be made to restrict the freedom of worship in the country. Osinbajo said this in a keynote address at the “First National Judicial Roundtable on The Intersection between Law and Religion’’ at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja on Monday. The vice president insisted that in a situation where the laws were made in line with provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, such laws must be “reasonably justifiable’’. He averred that the protection of freedom of worship and the practice of one’s beliefs was crucial especially in a democratic society. “Those laws according to the Nigerian Constitution where they restrict freedom of worship, must be “reasonably justifiable” in a democratic society in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health. “Or for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedom or other persons. “It is this test that restrictive laws should satisfy every law that see

The Senate has commenced an investigation into the disbursement and utilisation of 40 million dollars Afrix Loan and N86 billion released by the Federal Government in 2011 for the rehabilitation and development of infrastructure in the aviation industry. The Chairman, Joint Committee on Aviation and Anti-Corruption, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, made this known at the two-day investigative hearing in Abuja on Monday. He said the committee would leave no stone unturned in unravelling the mystery behind the fund. Uzodinma frowned at how such a huge amount of money of N500billion intervention fund meant for the industry, Small and Medium Enterprises and power sector was mismanaged. “We are interested in finding out the fact to reposition the industry. “We will not leave any stone unturned because the Federal Government has invested so much in the industry, yet there is one problem or the other.’’ Responding, The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, told the committee that his ministry

Dr Olusegun Oyenuga, a state witness in the ongoing trial of two engineers charged with negligence and manslaughter in the collapsed building of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), told an Ikeja High Court on Monday that the church had not responded to requests for necessary documents. Oyenuga, a civil engineer, made this revelation while being cross-examined by the lead counsel for the Defence, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN). “The Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) sent a letter to the Synagogue Church to furnish us with some documents which would aid investigations into collapsed building but we did not receive during our investigations,” he said. Oyenuga had listed his educational qualifications as an HND in Civil Engineering from the Yaba College of Technology in 1978, a first class B.sc degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Lagos in 1981. He also has a Master’s degree in Public Health Engineering from the Imperial College, London, obtained

A group of Concerned Bayelsa Indigenes on Monday protested against the exclusion of Bayelsa from the list of ambassadorial nominees forwarded to the National Assembly by the Presidency for confirmation. The leader of the group, Mr Bodi Arerebo, told newsmen during the protest in Abuja that the exclusion of Bayelsa from the list was unfair. He said it was improper for the state, which had contributed to the growth of the economy to be excluded from such a list. Arerebo, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Bayelsa, said many Bayelsa people voted for President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that their exclusion from appointments was discriminating. “While we appreciate his effort at cleaning up Ogoni land, the president should do more by giving us what is due to us, whenever the need arises. “Permanent secretaries were appointed from each state of the federation, Bayelsa was excluded; now, the state is excluded from the current list of career ambassadorial nominees. “While som

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has urged business practitioners to embrace commercial arbitration for the desired speed in dispute resolution to attract international investors. Osinbajo made the plea in a message to the opening of the First International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Regional Conference on Monday in Lagos. The vice president, who was represented by the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Mr Abubakar Malami, said that dispute resolution mechanism was a factor in all investments’ decisions. He said that dispute resolution constituted a significant determinant of a country’s ranking in doing business, adding that disputes were common in the business environment. “Every prudent society must design and constantly draw the processes through which disputes could be resolved in an amicable manner. “In the world of today, commercial arbitration is now recognised as a preferred method of solving several commercial disputes. “Arbitration is now seen as not only

The All Progressives Congress (APC) seven-member election committee for Edo governorship primary had recommended that the party should organise a reconciliation meeting after the primary. According to a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by Mr Edegbe Odemwingie, APC Assistant Director of Publicity, the Chairman, Gov. Aminu Masari said the meeting would further strengthen the party. The report read in part: “There is an urgent need to set up a high-powered reconciliation team to meet with the state governor, all aspirants and other critical stakeholders in order to strengthen the party and restore harmony for a successful governorship election. “The committee commends the efforts of the Commissioner of Police, the Director, State Security Service, the Commandant-General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, and their men for the remarkable way they handled the entire exercise. “The committee hereby expresses its appreciation to the party for finding its members worthy o

Deserted community Kazeem Ugbodaga Residents of Elegbete and surrounding villages in Ikorodu, Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, have abandoned their homes following the invasion of the area by gunmen, suspected to be Ijaw militants. Residents on Monday reported indiscriminate shootings by the invaders leading to the closure of schools, markets and shops. The militants were said to have struck between 9 a.m and 10a.m. on Monday. Heavy gunshots filled the air as residents ran to safety, while schools, shops and businesses were hurriedly shut by their owners to avoid being shot. Uduimoh Ipeakhai, a resident in Igbolomu said they had to abandon their homes to avoid being hit by stray bullets. Anxious parents ran to the schools to take their children home while the police and army have taken over the area to provide security. A resident said the militants invaded a school in the area, but allowed the children to go, warning them not to return to school again. One of the landlords co