Global Naija Info

Solomon Dalung, Minister of Youth and Sports The Nigerian U-23 team at the Olympics holding in Brazil has warned the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung to stay away from the team. The players whose next match puts them up against Germany in the Semi-Finals of the competition described the Sports Minister as a distraction to the team and hence his visit to the camp is unnecessary. According to reports, the team warned the Sports Minister and his delegation against coming anywhere close to the dressing room before and during the match. One of the top players in the team on Monday night said: “We are set for the semi final clash with Germany. “We have perfected our game plan to qualify for the final and win the gold medal for Nigeria like our 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games colleagues”. Dalung incurred the wrath of the players shortly before the quarter final match against Denmark when he said the team would not receive any winning bonus, except the camp allowance

Kehinde Bamigbetan, Special Adviser on Communities and Communication The State Government has concluded plans to roll out a massive, multi-channel impact campaign in the print, electronic and online media focusing on communities in the state this month. This is in its determination to consolidate on the achievements of the first year of the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration. Special Adviser to the Governor on Communities and Communications, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan in a statement on Tuesday said the administration was partnering with over 33 grassroots media organisations including 21 print media, 10 electronic stations and two online media. “This novel campaign is a strategic communications initiative inspired by need to give vent to Governor Akinwumi Ambode’s ideology of inclusive governance. It is the result of scientific segmentation of the media that recognizes the niche that community media occupies and drives messages meant for the people at the grassroots through

Zambia police have arrested some people protesting against the re-election of President Edgar Lungu after his main opponent Hakainde Hichilema said the vote was rigged. Godwin Phiri, a Senior Police Officer said in Lusaka on Tuesday that 133 protesters were arrested because they targeted perceived supporters of the ruling party and destroyed their property. “It is like this was well planned and they were just waiting for the winner to be declared. Calm has now returned following the arrests”, he said. Lungu scraped home on Monday in a tight contest to rule over Africa’s second-largest copper producer which has suffered an economic slump due to depressed commodity prices. The electoral commission said Lungu won 50.35 percent of the vote against 47.63 for Hichilema. It stated that if any candidate had won less than 50 percent it would have led to a run-off. Meanwhile, Hichilema’s United Party for National Development (UPND), said it would appeal the result at the Constitutional Co

Governor Kashim Shettima The Borno Head of Service, Malam Bukar Yakubu, says the state government will only pay salaries to workers whose biometric data have been duly captured. Yakubu disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Maiduguri. He said that the ongoing verification exercise was aimed at flushing out ghost workers and to determine the actual number of workers on government’s payroll. “I want to appeal to the workers to understand government’s position on the verification; nobody is trying to victimise anybody. “The exercise is just to determine the actual workers on the government’s payroll, nothing more, nothing less. “Since the exercise is still ongoing, the government has decided to release the salaries of those workers who have already been captured. “The gesture is to prevent them from unnecessary hardship.” He said that it was only after a worker’s data had been duly captured that he could be identified as truly living employee of the state government. “Gove

Foremost digital television company, StarTimes has launched the first of its kind 2-in-1 combo decoder in Nigeria, in an unprecedented move to change the Pay TV landscape in Africa and offer surplus entertainment access to subscribers. The new innovative product, the first of its kind in Africa, is equipped with world’s latest decoder technology to combine effectively for the first time the features of both digital terrestrial (DTT) and digital satellite (DTH) digital television technologies on a single device. Marketing Director, StarTimes Nigeria, Oludare Kafar while unveiling the new decoder in Lagos, said, “the 2-in-1 combo decoder is a game changing product from StarTimes and it was deliberately designed with latest global technology to lavish subscribers with unprecedented access to digital television and entertainment. Interestingly, this new combo decoder works with both antenna and dish and offers channels on both for the price of one. It also grants our esteemed customers

Joao Havelange Former Fifa president Joao Havelange has died at the age of 100. The Brazilian was predecessor to Sepp Blatter at world football’s governing body, serving from 1974 to 1998. He resigned as Fifa’s honorary president in April 2013 following an investigation into bribery allegations and was admitted to hospital the following year with a lung infection. He was an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member from 1963 until 2011, resigning because of ill health. Havelange represented Brazil in swimming at the 1936 Olympics – the year he qualified as a lawyer – before his election to the IOC. As Fifa president he led the World Cup’s expansion from 16 to 32 teams, with six competitions held under his tenure.

Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump by 9 points — 50 percent to 41 percent — in the latest NBC News|SurveyMonkey Weekly Election Tracking Poll. The numbers were virtually unchanged since last week’s poll. Generally low favorability and negative attitudes among voters plague both candidates, however, as they make appeals to voters in key swing states in the weeks ahead. A majority of voters continue to hold unfavorable impressions of both current nominees; Clinton’s negative feelings were held by slightly less voters (59 percent) than Trump (64 percent). These results are according to the latest from the NBC News|SurveyMonkey Weekly Election Tracking Poll conducted online from August 8 through August 14, 2016 among registered voters. Clinton continues her lead over the field in a four-way general election match-up with 43 percent against Trump (37 percent), Libertarian Gary Johnson (11 percent) and Green party candidate Jill Stein (4 percent). Though Clinton’s lead

A 34-year-old electrician, Musa Ajimoh, was on Tuesday brought before a Badagry Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State for allegedly stealing two sets of rechargeable fans worth N30,000. The accused, whose address is unknown, is facing a one-count charge of stealing. The Prosecutor, Insp. Innocent Uko told the court that the accused committed the crime at Noble Plaza on Joseph Dosu Way, Badagry. The stolen item was owned by the complainant, Mrs. Bukola Alao. “The accused just walked into the shop, picked up the rechargeable fans and walked out, like nothing was wrong,” he said. The prosecutor noted that the offence committed was punishable under Section 285 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge. Counsel to the accused, Mr. Tijani Aliu, pleaded with the court to grant bail to the accused since the offence committed was a bailable one. He assured the court that his client would always attend hearings and would not

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has decided to reach effective application of the common external tariff from Jan. 1, 2017 by the whole of its 15 member states. A release stated that the decision was reached on Monday night in Cotonou. It noted that the decision had become imperative as only nine member states apply the common external tariff that came into force in January 2015. The ECOWAS common external tariff launched during a meeting of head of states and governments in December 2014 in Abuja, Nigeria, was adopted in January 2006. “The completion of the common external tariff will be a milestone in the establishment of a customs union as part of ECOWAS’s integration programme. The release said that it underscored that the success of the West-African integration depends on the creation of a common market through the liberalisation of trade and the adoption of a common external tariff. It said that to reach the goal, ECOWAS assigned team of consultants

Bullion van Armed robbers have attacked a convoy of bullion vans belonging to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and killed two policemen in the process at Hawan Kibo, along Jos – Abuja road on Tuesday. Punch reports that the bullion vans and their retinue of armed mobile policemen escorts had left Jos in the early hours of Tuesday enroute Abuja. It was gathered that at Hawan Kibo, immediately after a military check point, the armed robbers, in military uniforms, emerged from a bush and attacked a patrol team belonging the Plateau State security outfit, “Operation Rainbow”, attached to Riyom local government, killing a mobile policeman on the spot. It was further gathered that it was at this point that the CBN convoy also ran into the armed robbers who opened fire on it. The incident was said to have occurred at about 8.30 am. The robbers engaged the escort in a shootout, leading to the death of the second mobile policeman, who was in the CBN convoy. The policeman was identified a

Mrs Yetunde Oni, Acting Director-Geeneral, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). Mrs Yetunde Oni, the Acting Director-Geeneral, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), on Tuesday warned the agency’s workers against corruption and non-challant attitude to work. “Over the years, we have battled with the devastating effects of corruption and the lackadaisical attitude of staft to work; be warned that any trace of that shall be decisively death with,” she said in Jos. Oni gave the warning in a speech to open a staff re-orientation and training programme. She said that Nigeria and Nigerians were expecting so much from the agency and challenged its workers to brace up for new and modern challenges toward effective service delivery. The NAFDAC boss declared her commitment to a decisive, firm, courageous, bold, accountable and transparent agency, and advised its workers to key into such virtues so as to further embolden the

Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State. The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers on Tuesday urged Gov. Nyesom Wike to stop wasting taxpayers’ money on what it called “Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) convention jamborees.” This is contained in a statement issued in Port Harcourt by Mr Chris Finebone, Publicity Secretary of APC in the state. The statement alleged that Wike planned to spend government money to host the convention. It said the APC was deeply worried that the government which allegedly failed to pay the salaries of its civil servants, planned to use public funds to host the party’s convention. “Our worry heightens when we consider that PDP bills are humongous and Gov. Wike has elected himself to offset the bills with the funds of Rivers people running into billions of Naira. “Sadly, South-South states and others have always acted the wise boys because their governors know that their peoples’ money should not be wasted on jamborees,” the statement alleged. It added th

Alhaji Atiku Bagudu,Governor of Kebbi State The Kebbi State Hisbah Committee has recovered 12 abandoned babies and settled 332 civil cases brought before it in the last one year, its Director, Alhaji Abubakar Augie, has said. Augie, who gave the beak down of the activities carried out by the group during the period, said 12 abandoned babies were recovered during the period under review. “We found the 12 dumped babies alive and took them to orphanage for care and upbringing while 31 women with unlawful pregnancies were counselled and assisted to undergo safe delivery.” The director disclosed on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi that the committee had also recovered three unidentified corpses and handed them over to the police for investigation and necessary action. Augie added that 50 youths engaged in drug abuse were arrested during the period under review and handed over to relevant authorities for counselling and rehabilitation. “The committee also arraigned three goat thieves, as well

The gavel of justice A 50-year old Muslim cleric, Mohammed Yusuf, and daughter, Salamat, 18, were on Tuesday arraigned at a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly distributing poisoned “akara’’, a local snack, to beggars. The Yusufs, who are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and attempted murder, were alleged to have inserted needles in the snack before giving them to beggars. The Prosecuting State Counsel, Barrister Ben Ekundayo, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on Aug. 5 at about 2 p.m. at Offin Street, Balogun, Lagos Island. He alleged that the man and his daughter carried out the act with intent to endanger the lives of the beggars. “The Muslim cleric sent his daughter to give the beggars, near the mosque, the bean-cakes, but when one of them (the beggars) opened the bean-cake, he found needles in the middle. “Other beggars were notified; one of them, who know the daughter and the school where she teaches, led them there and she was ap

Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe Zimbabwe has acquired two drones in its biggest wildlife sanctuary in the west to combat poaching of elephants, an official has said. Cephas Mudenda, a board member of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA), told parliament late on Monday that the aim was to protect one of its top tourist attractions. Mudenda said that the agency had bought two drones, as well as sniffer dogs from South Africa to do the job. Mudenda said the agency had about 2,000 employees, instead of 3,200. Tourism contributes 11 per cent to Zimbabwe’s $14 billion economy, according to Ministry of Tourism data. Poachers have in the last two years killed dozens of elephants in Hwange National Park by lacing watering holes with cyanide, a toxic substance that kills within hours. Hwange holds two thirds of Zimbabwe’s 80,000 elephants. The parks authority is struggling with lack of fund and plans to gradually increase the number of game wardens. The coun

Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate A report on Tuesday in Washington said majority of U.S. youths had rejected Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump’s strategy of wooing young supporters of Bernie Sanders, former Democratic presidential candidate. The latest USA Today/Rock-the-Vote poll released showed that in spite of his strategy of patching bipartisan coalition by appealing to young supporters of Sanders, a new poll found that his populist play had failed among millennial. The poll found that while 56 per cent of voters under 35 years, say they would vote for Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, one in five in this age group support Trump. It added that Clinton trounced Trump among Sanders’ supporters, with 72 per cent, supporting the former Secretary of State and 11 per cent backing Trump. U.S. Census Bureau data released in April showed that the number of the millennial generation, now 18 years to 34 years, was estimated to be 75.4 million

Col-Sani-Kukasheka-Usman Troops on clearance operations in the North-East have rescued 88 people in Bama Local Government Area of Borno and killed three during an encounter. A statement signed by Col. Sani Usman, Acting Director, Army Public Relations, in Abuja on Tuesday, said 28 people of those rescued, claimed they escaped from Bula Musa village. Usman said the 28 people comprised two men, nine women and 17 children, adding that the troops killed three terrorists during separate encounter. “They have been taken to Bama town for screening, profiling and possible handover to emergency management and humanitarian agencies,’’ Usman said.‬ He said that another 23, comprising a man, five women and 17 children were intercepted by troops deployed at Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Bama. Usman said this was after they escaped from terrorists in Bula Musa general area on Sunday.‬ “In Dikwa, the troops also recorded influx of 37 IDPs, comprising two men, 12 women, 12 boys a

Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo says that the Federal Government will train 100,000 graduates as extension workers out of the 500,000 graduates to be engaged as teachers. He made the declaration while launching the agricultural sector roadmap entitled: “The Green Alternative: Agriculture Promotion policy 2016 to 2020’’ in Abuja. The vice president also called for policy alignment of all government’s economic plans. “This particular alignment is crucial. Just to give some obvious example: you cannot have a policy of encouraging local production of food and on the other hand have a high tariff on imported agricultural equipment. “There is no way that we can encourage local production when we allow unbridled importation of the same things that we are trying to produce. “There is no way we can do the scale of agricultural production both for domestic consumption and export without ensuring local improved seedling development alongside t

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon No fewer than 130 million people depend on humanitarian aid to survive, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in his message for the 2016 World Humanitarian Day campaign. The Day is commemorated on August 19 and the theme for this year’s campaign is ‘World You’d Rather’. “A record 130 million people are dependent on humanitarian assistance to survive. Grouped together, these people in need would comprise the tenth most populous nation on Earth. “These figures are truly staggering, yet they tell only a fraction of the story. Hidden behind the statistics are individuals, families and communities whose lives have been devastated. “People no different to you and me: children, women and men who face impossible choices every day,” he said. Ban regretted that grouped in the category of those who required aid to survive were parents who faced difficulties and risks to make choices for their families to survive. “They are parents who must cho

Sliced bread Oluwole Adeboye The Lagos State Association Of Master Bakers and Caterers Of Nigeria, will on Wednesday increase the price of bread by 20 percent. Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, the chairman of the association, Prince Jacob Adejorin, lamented the high cost of producing bread and called on the Federal Government to look into the high cost of baking ingredients. According to him, the prices of baking ingredients like flour, sugar, diesel, salt yeast, kerosene and nylon have tripled without any corresponding measures to reduce the hardship on bakers. ”After serious consideration of the high prices of flour, sugar, diesel, salt, yeast, kerosene, nylon and series of local government levies, we are compelled to increase the price of bread as done to other consumer goods. ”A few months ago, a bag of flour was sold for N6,000 while sugar was sold for N7,000 but just this morning, a bag of flour is N11,000 and sugar is being sold for N15,000. ”The bakers can no lon

Mike Omeri The Deji Adeyanju Strategy Team has announced the appointment of Mike Omeri as coordinator of his campaign as he gears up to succeed Olisa Metuh as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Publicity Secretary. Mike Omeri, a former Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and a two time Commissioner for information in Plateau and Nasarawa state, is an influential figure in the north central region and in the party. A statement issued by Adeyanju’s Strategy Team read: “We believe Omeri will bring his wealth of experience, direction and influence to our campaign towards electing Deji Adeyanju as the next National Publicity Secretary (NPS) of PDP. Adeyanju who declared his interest in the position weeks back says he recognizes the fact that the party is by no means perfect but stressed that “I am aware that over the years PDP has deepened democracy in the country and has contributed immensely to the growth and development of Nigeria as a whole.” “Follo

An aerial view shows Puerto Vallarta, a resort town on Mexico’s Pacific coast in Mexico Mexican authorities were searching Monday for as many as 16 people who were abducted by gunmen from an upscale restaurant in the resort city of Puerto Vallarta. The mass kidnapping from the La Leche restaurant, located on the main drag of the city’s hotel district, happened around 1 a.m. local time, authorities said. “According to witnesses from the place, several gunmen arrived to the place aboard a Toyota Tacoma and Chevrolet Suburban, who deprived the freedom of a group of people who were at the site,” Jalisco Attorney General Eduardo Almaguer said in statement translated by NBC News. When police arrived, they found a Dodge Challenger, a Jeep Limited, a Land Rover, a Cadillac Escalade, and Honda CRV that may belong to the abducted patrons, the statement said. Mexican media said as many as 16 people were abducted, but authorities did not immediately confirm that number, the Associated Press

Buhari The decision to release Boko Haram suspects in exchange for abducted Chibok schoolgirls as being demanded by the terror sect, will be a political decision. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Gabriel Olonishakin stated this while fielding questions from State House correspondents after a security meeting, held in the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday. He, however, said that military operations against activities of the terrorist group would continue irrespective of any negotiations with the sect. “That is a political decision to be taken. “The military decision is that we are going ahead with our operations. “The operation is being conducted appropriately.’’ The CDS stated that the military authorities were analysing the video released by Boko Haram sect and “we will make appropriate comments at the right time’’. He said that one of the people declared wanted by the army in connection with the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls had surrendered himself to the army for

Christian Olakpe, LASTMA CEO A Lagos taxi driver Sunday Agbariko on Monday crushed the leg of an officer of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) in Ketu area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. The driver, driving a Nissan Primera with registration number FKJ 762 QX severely crushed the leg of the officer, Olayemi Isiaka while trying to escape out of LASTMA’s Ketu office. The driver, in a desperate attempt to escape from the Authority’s crushed the victim who was standing by the entrance gate. Before his attempted escape, Agbariko was arrested by a LASTMA officer for reckless and dangerous driving and also for violating relevant section of the state Traffic law. The taxi driver, who pretended to be complying by following the traffic officer to their yard, demanded for the vehicle’s key on the pretext of removing vital documents and then ignited the engine and in a dangerous attempt to escape crushed the victim’s leg. However, the suspect has been handed to the Area ‘F’