Global Naija Info

Mr Geoffrey Onyeama The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, on Sunday gave assurances that the Ambassador-Designates would be posted out by the end of 2016. Onyeama spoke in New York, on the sideline of the 71st UN General Assembly in New York. The Minister admitted that there are concerns about high representations in Nigerian Missions and Embassies across the world. “Ideally, we should have it done by the end of the year; that’s ideally. “But we know, we do not live in an ideal world; we will do our very best, but believe you me, it is a major concern for the Ministry and for me personally. “Its not something that we are happy about, though it’s taken time, there are reasons for that but we are trying to get it done quickly,” he said. Onyeama explained that 47 carrier diplomats have already been screened by the committees on Foreign Relations of the National Assembly and waiting for approval from the larger senate. “However, the senate had been on vacation but

Boko Haram insurgents The Nigerian Army said it repelled terrorists attack at Logomani on Dikwa-Gambarou road in Borno on Sunday, killing 22 of them. A statement issued by Col. Sani Usman, the acting Director, Army Public Relations, however, said four soldiers died in the attack and their rifles missing, while two others sustained injuries. Usman said the attack came in three waves with the terrorists using 36 hand Grenades and Rocket Propelled Launchers. He said the troops recovered two AK-47 Rifles, one FN Rifle, one G3 Rifle and 36 hand grenades after about an hour. “The location have been reinforced and replenished while the troops have continued their clearance operations,” Usman said.

Here is Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s letter from prison to Major General Aguiyi Ironsi, pressing for his release and that of his colleagues. Unfortunately, this did not happen. While many believed that Ironsi turned down the request, others argued otherwise. One of them is the Dr Raphael James, Director General, Center for Research, Information Management and Media Development (CRIMMD). He argued: “Gen JTU Aguiyi-Ironsi did not turn down the request, he approved the release of Chief Awolowo, Chief Awolowo got the news on July 27, 1966 and he was released from prison the morning of July 29th, but the prison authority held him back when the news of the kidnap of Ironsi and Fajuyi got to Calabar. Chief Awolowo was told that he was being kept behind for his own security since they were not sure of the events going on in Ibadan and Lagos. After Gen. Yakubu Gowon took over, he requested that Chief Awolowo be brought to Lagos. Unfortunately we are killing out history for political reasons as suc

Col-Sani-Kukasheka-Usman The Nigerian military has reacted to the new video footage released by the Boko Haram on Sunday where Abubakar Shekau, the leader of the group, declared that he’s alive and in good health. The military had last month claimed that Shekau was fatally injured in the shoulder in an air strike by the Nigeria Airforce in Sambisa forest during which many Boko Haram commanders were killed. In its reaction to the new Boko Haram video, Nigerian Army spokesman, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, described Shekau as mentally sick and unstable. He urged members of the public to ignore him as the group’s ability to fight has been degraded. Read Usman’s statement below: ”The purported leader of the group in his usual insane manner made all sorts of assertions to the point of threatening various towns, groups and individuals. He also tried albeit failingly to deny the air raid by the Nigerian Air Force in which he was wounded. ”The video has shown beyond all reasonable doubt

Mr Francis Odesanya, Rivers State Commissioner of Police The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers, has called on security agencies to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of assault and arson against its members and their property. The Rivers State Police Command had confirmed the arsonists attack on the residence of Lloyd, a former leader of Rivers Assembly and chieftain of APC. Chief Davies Ikanya, APC chairman in the state told newsmen in Port Harcourt on Sunday that members of his party were being assaulted daily. Ikanya said that the burning of Dr Chidi Lloyd’s house was a new angle to the intimidation of APC members in the state by the opponents. He said that leaders and members of his party were being arrested, detained and charged to court on trumped-up charges before the State High Court in Port Harcourt by the Rivers government. According to Ikanya, the Rivers government is setting precedence by revisiting a `Noelle Presque’ entered in 2013 to discontinue a

Godwin Emefiele, CBN governor The Cleric in charge of All Saints Methodist Church Mararaba, Rev. Caleb Ekele on Sunday said the economic recession in the country would not stop God from working for his people. Ekele gave the assurance during his sermon at the 2016 Karu Circuit harvest celebration tagged: ”Harvest of Thanksgiving”. The cleric took his scripture from John Chapter 11 and quoted verse 11, which says, ”Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” He said that Lazarus in the Bible was sick and his brethren took the matter to his master Jesus, who delayed from coming to rescue the situation and he died. He said that before the master could come, things had gone very bad as Lazarus had died for four days. ”Before the master could come, the devil had reached the peak of his plan, he did his worst and the blame was on the master who failed to respond immediately,” he said. The cleric said that for Jesus to have delayed to come did not mean he did not know

Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris The Nigeria Police, Kaduna State Command, has arrested seven armed robbery suspects who invaded Godogodo in Kafanchan Local Government Area of the state on Sept. 24. The Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Aliyu Usman, confirmed the arrest on Sunday in Kaduna. ”The contingents of policemen deployed for Operations Maximum Safety along Abuja-Kaduna Expressway received a distress call about the blockage of the road by suspected armed bandits, on Sept.24,’’ he said. Usman said that policemen attached to the area successfully arrested seven suspects while others fled. “The seven suspects have been transferred to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation while efforts are on to ensure the arrest of the remaining suspects,’’ he said. Usman revealed further that the police recovered three motorcycles used by the suspects during the attack. The police spokesman said that the suspects left three victi

The price of cooking gas has dropped in Asaba, a market survey has shown. The survey showed that the cost of refilling a 6-kilogramme cylinder dropped from N2, 000 to N1,800. The cost of refilling a 5-kilogramme cylinder of gas has also fallen from N1,800 to N1600, while it takes N3,800 to refill a 12.5-kilogramme cylinder of gas instead of N4,000. A 10-kilogramme cylinder of cooking gas which was sold for N3,800 now sells for N3,600 while 3-kilogramme of the commodity, earlier sold for N1,200, is now N1000. Mr Emmanuel Emeka, a staff of Superbet Gas Plant, attributed the fall in price to availability of the product and drop in the cost price. Mrs Nina Emordi, a customer, expressed satisfaction with the slight price fall and said that the product should be made available so as to maintain the current price. She also appealed to government to ensure that the price of the commodity reduced in due course to lessen the financial burden of those cooking with gas.

NCC Logo The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it received 6,163 complaints from telecommunications subscribers in the second quarter of 2016. Mr Abdullahi Maikano, the Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB) of the commission made the disclosure on Sunday in Lagos. Maikano said that of the 6,163 complaints, 4,739 issues were resolved, giving a resolution of 76.9 percent. He also said that the commission received 23,694 complaints from telecommunications consumers in the first quarter. The complaints received in the second quarter reduced by 17,531 or by 73.99 percent compared with that of first quarter. The director said that the reduction was as a result of the “2442 Do Not Disturb’’ directive of the regulatory body to the operators. He said that the complaints by telecommunications users were on issues of billings, customer care/call centre, call set-up, faulty terminal, health issues, internet service and promotion. According to him, other complaints are those

Mad woman with a baby Sympathisers on Sunday rescued a baby of about nine months old from his suspected mad mother as she beat him repeatedly on request for food. The incident occurred on a roadside in Ugwuachara, an outskirts of Abakaliki. The child’s uncontrollable cry attracted sympathisers. The suspected lunatic had eaten all the food given to her by individuals without giving the baby boy. One of the sympathisers, Mr Sunday Ebe, said that the sympathisers had to retrieve the child from the mother to prevent bodily injuries on him. “We later took the child to Reverend Father Abraham Nwali, the Ebonyi Governor’s Senior Special Adviser on Religion and Welfare Matters, at the Catholic Bishop’s Court Abakaliki. “The wailing of the child further attracted the sympathy of Reverend Sister Cecilia Chukwu, Executive Director of Succour and Development Initiative, Abakaliki. “She directed her assistant to give the child warm bath, food, clothing and other immediate needs,” he said.

A fallen fuel tanker A petrol tanker with Registration No. AGL 664 XG, on Sunday morning fell on a moving car in Lagos and killed the lone occupant. A witness revealed in Lagos that the incident happened at about 4.08a.m at Ikorodu roundabout. He said that the tanker, laden with 33,000 litres of petrol, fell while trying to turn at the roundabout. “The tanker fell on one Hyunda saloon car with Reg. No. KJA 421 AH, trapping the only occupant in the car – a male – who died before help could come,’’ the source said. Confirming the incident, the Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Mr Rasak Fadipe, said that timely intervention of the service prevented fire outbreak from spilling petrol. Fadipe said that the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Federal Road Safety Corp, police and some other emergency managers also acted in time to prevent more havoc. “The truck was carefully lifted upright, while the dead body was removed by LASEMA response team with the use of light d

Chidi Lloyd Dr Chidi Lloyd, a former Rivers House of Assembly member, has called on security agencies to protect his life and that of his family members that were allegedly in danger. The Rivers Police Command has confirmed arsonists attack on the village home of the former House of Assembly Leader in Akpabu, Emohua Local Government Area. Lloyd disclosed in Port Harcourt on Sunday that his family was in the peril because of his political beliefs and association. He said that the unprovoked attack on his residence had consumed his personal belongings such as library and other valuables. “I have tried to imagine what might have been the cause of this unwarranted attack but cannot readily think of any. “The only thing is, since the 2013 crises that engulfed the Rivers House of Assembly in which I participated, I have been living in great awe,’’ the ex-lawmaker said. Lloyd said that he was arrested, detained and charged to court for attempted murder but the trial was discontinued b

Stage hands install part of the stage for the first U.S. presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, Sept. 24, 2016. It could be the defining moment of the 2016 campaign. Monday’s first presidential debate between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump may draw, by some estimates, 100 million viewers, who will be able to take the measure of the candidates for the first time on the same stage together. The stakes for both contenders are enormous. Viewers will not only be paying attention to what is said, but how it’s said and how the candidates react to one another. The debate will be a key moment for Trump, who has closed the polling gap in recent weeks against Democrat Hillary Clinton in part because he has presented himself as more disciplined than he has in the past. He has also focused on his central theme: “We will make America strong again. We will make America safe again, and we will make America great again!” Trump told supporters at a

Pilgrims arriving Nigeria from Saudi Arabia Kaduna State has so far transported more than 3,423 pilgrims to Nigeria. Alhaji Abdullahi Bayero, Chairman, Media Sub-committee of the state Hajj Delegation for 2016, said in Makka on Sunday in a statement that the figure represented about 50 percent of the entire pilgrims from the state. He said the eighth flight arrived in Kaduna Sunday morning via Med-view with 449 pilgrims The third batch of pilgrims arrived in Kaduna on Wednesday via Max Airline with 469 pilgrims. The first batch of 491 pilgrims and second batch of 295 were transported back to Kaduna on Sunday and Monday respectively. According to Bayero, a total of 5,575 pilgrims from Kaduna State performed the 2016 Hajj. The chairman advised the remaining pilgrims to cooperate with the airline officials to ensure their successful return.

Nigeria Customs Service The Sokoto State Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has adopted a community based approach to check the activities of smugglers in the area. Alhaji Sani Madugu, the NCS Comptroller in charge of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States, made this disclosure in an interview on Sunday in Sokoto. He expressed optimism that the involvement of border communities, would greatly assist officers of the service to apprehend the smugglers. Madugu, therefore, charged residents of the communities to always offer intelligence reports on the movement of suspected smugglers to the NCS officers manning the border posts. This, he said, was necessary to enable them succeed in securing the country’s borders as well as curbing the activities of smugglers. Madugu said the service had, however, embarked on enlightening the residents of border communities, especially youths, on the negative implications of smuggling business on the country’s economy. “Our areas of jurisd

Earth tremor The communities affected by the July and August earth tremors in Rivers and Bayelsa have appealed to the Federal Government to investigate the incidents. The people made the appeal in separate interviews in Yenagoa on Sunday. Earth tremor was reported to have occurred around oilfields operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in Bayelsa and Rivers between July and August. King Abel Shadow, the traditional ruler of Mbiama, Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers, said the two vibrations beneath the ground caused panic among his subjects. Shadow said that the occurrence of the two incidents in quick succession was worrisome, adding that the intervention of government was required, with a view to tackling the problem. He said that the community was so much in panic, especially when the incident recurred in August as the people gathered outside their houses in despair. “The incident sent shockwaves down the spine of everyone in Mbiama. “I was having a

Shekau in the new video Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau on Sunday released a new video where he declared that he is safe and in good health. Shekau’s defiant message released today in a video showed that the factional Boko Haram leader is in good health contrary to the claim by the Nigerian military last month that he was mortally wounded on the shoulder in an air strike by the Nigeria Airforce. In the 40-minute video posted on YouTube, Shekau spoke in Hausa Arabic and Kanuri, saying: “Oh tyrants, I’m in a happy state, in good health and in safety.”

Godwin Obaseki, APC governorship candidate for Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Edo Godwin Obaseki says the present economic recession in the country is a lesson for Nigerians to think fast and secure a brighter future. He spoke in Benin on Sunday at a forum where some members of students union in tertiary institutions across the state said they wanted to endorse him as their candidate for the state governorship election slated for Sept. 28. “To me, I will say the present economy crisis is a good omen for us. We need to think and act fast. “Spending more than 17 billion dollars on food importation yearly should not be for a country such as Nigeria because we have the resources. “We have the land and human resources that can produce same food we import, only if we can evolve policies that will make it for the youth to be effectively deployed to production,’’ observed. He said the youth constituted the larger productive segment, insisting that po

•Patience Jonathan Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has dragged the Federal Government to the Federal High Court in Lagos asking the court for “leave to apply for judicial relief and to seek an order of mandamus directing and or compelling the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN) to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against former first lady Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan over $15m unexplained wealth frozen in four companies’ accounts.” The organization is also asking the court “for such order or other orders as the Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance.” The suit with number FHC/L/CS/1318/2016 dated 23th September 2016 was filed on behalf of SERAP by Adetokunbo Mumuni. SERAP’s suit is coming against the background of the request last week by Mrs Jonathan for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to defreeze her accounts and offer her a public apology within 14-days. SERAP

Hillary Clinton, US Democratic Party Presidential Candidate In any normal election year, we’d compare the two presidential candidates side by side on the issues. But this is not a normal election year. A comparison like that would be an empty exercise in a race where one candidate — our choice, Hillary Clinton — has a record of service and a raft of pragmatic ideas, and the other, Donald Trump, discloses nothing concrete about himself or his plans while promising the moon and offering the stars on layaway. (We will explain in a subsequent editorial why we believe Mr. Trump to be the worst nominee put forward by a major party in modern American history.) But this endorsement would also be an empty exercise if it merely affirmed the choice of Clinton supporters. We’re aiming instead to persuade those of you who are hesitating to vote for Mrs. Clinton — because you are reluctant to vote for a Democrat, or for another Clinton, or for a candidate who might appear, on the surface, not to