Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
PDP holds solidarity rally for Saraki in Kwara
The party members marched through all the streets in Kaiama, the Headquarters of the local council.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the rally came up a day after Saraki declared his intention to contest 2019 presidential election on the platform of PDP.
All political office holders from the area at both the state and local government levels participated in the rally that lasted for hours.
Mallam Abubakar Abdullahi-Bata, the Chairman of Kaiama Local Government Council said that the rally was staged to express the support of the people of the area to the leadership of Saraki.
According to him, the large turnout has corrected an insinuation that PDP is dead in the community.
“The people of Kaiama are for Saraki because we believe in his leadership.
“We are ready to follow him to any party he wishes to lead us to because we have benefited immensely from him,” he said.
He expressed confidence in the ability of the Senate President to govern Nigeria well and deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.
Dr Aminat Ahmed, the state Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, who also took part in the rally, said it was organised to correct the misconception that the people of Kaiama had rejected the leadership of Saraki.
She assured PDP of victory in Kaiama in the forthcoming 2019 general elections.
Mallam Ahmed Ibn-Mohammed, who is representing Kaiama/Kenmaji/Wajibe constituency, noted that Saraki’s belief in the youth was what endeared him into the minds of the people of the area.
“For giving a youth like me an opportunity to represent my people at the state Assembly is a manifestation of his visionary leadership and belief in the youth”, he said.
Not easy to be old
In the language of aviation, we often say that old people have already collected their boarding passes and are only waiting for their flights to be called.Ray Ekpu
When you get to age 70, as I did recently, you realise that it is not easy to be old. You can still carry yourself with admirable grace but not with much vigour. You are no longer able to go up the stairs in a lunatic flight as you used to do when you were young. That quickness of foot and body is gone, gone forever and can never be reversed or retrieved or regained. That expressway speed, that vivacious quickness in movement is gone, never to return. You now walk with an economy of effort, you move with glacial slowness and if you have a beer belly in front of you, you walk with a portly waddle. You don’t have anymore the envied body of a dancer.
The irony is that 70 brings a sense of urgency to your thoughts, the urgency to complete projects earlier started, urgency to bring ideas and plans to fruition because you have reached 70, the proverbial three score and ten. Three score and ten seems to be regarded as the dividing line between living and dying, even though many people don’t reach it and some people exceed it. But, ironically, this is no longer the age for urgency because age and its deadly claws have taken urgency away from your steps, your voice and your actions.
Your sense of urgency at 70 is stymied by the drawbacks of age and, if a disease accompanies it, your urgency is broken into small steps. You walk slowly, gingerly, sometimes with a walking stick to stabilise your steps. The swagger is gone, the spring is out. Your feet can step on an ant but may not kill it. There is a reluctant dragging of the feet, an uncoordinated choreography of distressed movement. This is the age of “where are my glasses?” when they are just sitting right there on your nose. I hope I haven’t made life at 70 look very dreadful. This script is basically a generalisation and not an exercise in specificity about ageing.
At 70, you have lost the fear of 70, the fear that had been gnawing at your vitals as to whether or not you would reach that mythical age of septuagenarianism. If you have brought up your children well, you are assured that those children will lengthen the family tree in a way that brings honour to the family and to themselves.
The irony is that 70 brings a sense of urgency to your thoughts, the urgency to complete projects earlier started, urgency to bring ideas and plans to fruition because you have reached 70, the proverbial three score and ten. Three score and ten seems to be regarded as the dividing line between living and dying, even though many people don’t reach it and some people exceed it. But, ironically, this is no longer the age for urgency because age and its deadly claws have taken urgency away from your steps, your voice and your actions.
Your sense of urgency at 70 is stymied by the drawbacks of age and, if a disease accompanies it, your urgency is broken into small steps. You walk slowly, gingerly, sometimes with a walking stick to stabilise your steps. The swagger is gone, the spring is out. Your feet can step on an ant but may not kill it. There is a reluctant dragging of the feet, an uncoordinated choreography of distressed movement. This is the age of “where are my glasses?” when they are just sitting right there on your nose. I hope I haven’t made life at 70 look very dreadful. This script is basically a generalisation and not an exercise in specificity about ageing.
In the language of the street and aviation, we often say that old people have already collected their boarding passes and are only waiting for their flights to be called. They are at the departure lounge and have no idea whether their flight will depart on time or will be delayed. This flight is never cancelled and will never be cancelled because it is not organised by uncaring and irresponsible Nigerian airlines. It is organised by Someone who is eminently efficient: God. But this is one occasion anyone would be happy to have his flight either cancelled or delayed. It never happens.
At 70, you have lost the fear of 70, the fear that had been gnawing at your vitals as to whether or not you would reach that mythical age of septuagenarianism. If you have brought up your children well, you are assured that those children will lengthen the family tree in a way that brings honour to the family and to themselves.
As you were walking towards 70, you must have had your travails. Travails are everybody’s lot. No one goes through life without going through travails. They are the hurdles we must skip over, the roadblocks we must go through and the thorns we must part in order to reach the roses. Travails are challenges that test our will and bring out the best in all of us. They are not stones on which we must break our heads. They are tunnels through which we must pass in order to reach the silver lining ahead. These travails may be the loss through death of one or two parents, a bad patch at school or at work, a broken friendship, unanticipated enemies, a bad business deal, a road, rail, water or air accident. Or it may be a sudden discovery in your system of an unknown ailment with an unknown cure, which may make it difficult for you to reach your manifest destiny. Such challenges, such travails, such tribulations are part of any person’s historic journey. Those are the fragments that constitute your story and your history and your life’s abiding narrative.
History is a mixed yarn, the good and the bad go together. Your story will never be complete except you also mention your successes, big or small. It may be that quick decision that you took, which saved somebody’s life, or marriage, or relationship or career and turned someone’s trajectory in a different and edifying direction. You may think nothing of it, you don’t count them as one of your blessings but he who gives blessings receives some for himself and his family without knowing. This is one of your success stories. Success stories don’t always have to be big. They only have to be that: success stories. In life, everybody falls down but, according to Avery’s Observation, “it does not matter if you fall down, as long as you pick up something from the floor while you get up.”
If you have not accomplished all your heart’s desires at 70, don’t be despondent. Nobody ever does. You simply need to thank God for the ones you have accomplished for, if they were good deeds, they have added to the betterment of the society and humanity. That is where you could derive fulfillment from as a contributor to the well-being of the community of humanity.
The longevity age in Nigeria is said to be about 53 years. Anyone who has gone past 53 is extremely lucky because, in Nigeria, there are many things that make life brutish and short. A short list: fumes from I-better-pass-my-neighbour generators, petrol tanker fire, a house that collapses like a house of cards, fake drugs from India, expired tyres from China, expired drugs from pharmacies, misdiagnosis by doctors, bullets from hired assassins, armed robbers and kidnappers, accidental discharge from drunken policemen, extra-judicial murder from security personnel, etc, etc. Anyone who survives beyond 53 years in Nigeria, can call himself a cat with nine lives. Ours is a tough country in which to live. No question about it. However, Nigerians are devouring longevity literature and are living long, even though they may be in the minority. Mr. Akintola Williams, Nigeria’s leading accountant, has just marked his 99th year on earth. He still moves about, bent by age, but admirable in his well-cut suits and ties. We look forward to his 100th next year.
Longevity is determined by two factors, namely (a) genes and (b) lifestyle. According to longevity literature, our genes determine 35 percent of our longevity. Since we did not choose our parents and grandparents, we have no control over the 35 percent of our lifespan. That had already been established by the time we were born. However, we can do a lot with the remaining 65 per cent. We are informed that each stick of cigarette can take away seven minutes of our lives. So, it is either you puff it and give away some part of your life or you ignore the “pass jot” invitation of your friends and live a little longer. Alcohol, if it must be taken, must be done in moderation. Soft drinks with high sugar content are dangerous. High sugar consumption can lead to diabetes and severe tooth problems, we are told. Doctors also advise that we reduce calorie intake, cut out red meat, go for fruits, vegetables and plenty water. Besides, regular and vigorous exercise is said to be a long life tonic. Above all these, most people accept that there are some unseen fingers in people’s lives: God. So, fast, pray and give alms and you may live longer than you would have.
The longevity age in Nigeria is said to be about 53 years. Anyone who has gone past 53 is extremely lucky because, in Nigeria, there are many things that make life brutish and short. A short list: fumes from I-better-pass-my-neighbour generators, petrol tanker fire, a house that collapses like a house of cards, fake drugs from India, expired tyres from China, expired drugs from pharmacies, misdiagnosis by doctors, bullets from hired assassins, armed robbers and kidnappers, accidental discharge from drunken policemen, extra-judicial murder from security personnel, etc, etc. Anyone who survives beyond 53 years in Nigeria, can call himself a cat with nine lives. Ours is a tough country in which to live. No question about it. However, Nigerians are devouring longevity literature and are living long, even though they may be in the minority. Mr. Akintola Williams, Nigeria’s leading accountant, has just marked his 99th year on earth. He still moves about, bent by age, but admirable in his well-cut suits and ties. We look forward to his 100th next year.
Akintola Williams; Emma Morano – world’s oldest person.
In some advanced countries, there are geriatric centres, which take care of old people. These centres are equipped to take care of the many ailments that afflict old people, all at the same time. Experts in various fields of medicine and well-being are on hand to attend to them. In Nigeria, there is only one known geriatric centre established at the University of Ibadan by Chief Tony Anenih a few years ago. That we have only one such facility in a huge country like Nigeria speaks to our pathetic lack of care for aged people, who have given the best part of their adult lives for the betterment of their country. That is also why the neglect or poor treatment of pensioners by some state governments is so abhorrent and heartless. Some private sector organisations give preferential treatment to the young and the aged but there is no such government policy for vulnerable groups generally.
A few months ago, I was at a Zenith Bank branch on Acme Road in Ikeja and I got a pleasant surprise. I was in the queue waiting to present my cheque for encashment. A pretty young official of the bank came to me and said: “Please, sir, come and sit down here. I will get the cheque cashed for you.” She took the cheque from me and returned speedily with the money. I had to ask for her name because she did not know me and I did not know her. She was just helping an old man on a queue. I don’t know if that is the policy of the bank but the young lady, Mrs. Enoho Okpako, impressed me endlessly as a symbol of courtesy and respect and customer-friendly disposition, which you do not find in many Nigerian institutions. Since she did not know me before she did the favour I assumed that that is the way she is. The bank is lucky to have someone like that. That impression that Mrs. Okpako gave me is long-lasting because you get to meet a lot of disrespectful people in offices in Nigeria. It is as if they are saying to old people in their hearts “why doesn’t this one die and stop coming here to bother us?” That may be an uncharitable way to put it, but there is a definite loss of respect for the etiquette of proper public engagement, especially among young people. In this era of cellphonemania, many of them show little interest in listening to the customer. They are more interested in yammering on the phone with their ears blocked.
A few months ago, I was at a Zenith Bank branch on Acme Road in Ikeja and I got a pleasant surprise. I was in the queue waiting to present my cheque for encashment. A pretty young official of the bank came to me and said: “Please, sir, come and sit down here. I will get the cheque cashed for you.” She took the cheque from me and returned speedily with the money. I had to ask for her name because she did not know me and I did not know her. She was just helping an old man on a queue. I don’t know if that is the policy of the bank but the young lady, Mrs. Enoho Okpako, impressed me endlessly as a symbol of courtesy and respect and customer-friendly disposition, which you do not find in many Nigerian institutions. Since she did not know me before she did the favour I assumed that that is the way she is. The bank is lucky to have someone like that. That impression that Mrs. Okpako gave me is long-lasting because you get to meet a lot of disrespectful people in offices in Nigeria. It is as if they are saying to old people in their hearts “why doesn’t this one die and stop coming here to bother us?” That may be an uncharitable way to put it, but there is a definite loss of respect for the etiquette of proper public engagement, especially among young people. In this era of cellphonemania, many of them show little interest in listening to the customer. They are more interested in yammering on the phone with their ears blocked.
We will not accept any election that fails to meet electoral guidelines – INEC
INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu
National Commissioner, Voter Education and Publicity, INEC, Mr Adedeji Soyebi, stated this at a voter sensitisation organized by the commission in collaboration with the European Union (EU), Not-Too-Young-To-Run Movement and other agencies, at the University of Port Harcourt.
He said that INEC would continue to ensure that elections were determined by votes as it would not tolerate unwholesome acts in the conduct of elections.
Soyebi said that so far the commission had registered no fewer than 33 million people, with youths occupying over 60 per cent on the record breakdown.
He said that the sensitisation, targeted at encouraging more youth participation across the six geo-political zones, had so far covered Lagos, Kano, Rivers and Federal Capital Territory.
“The youths form a very significant figure as regards election, not only are they top by numerical strength but by participation and diligence. We, therefore, urge them to shun electoral violence.
“In the forthcoming 2019 general elections, an estimated 650,000 -700,000 youths drawn from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), tertiary institutions and other youth bodies would be directly engaged by INEC,” he said.
In a contribution, Mr Sobari Loveday, President, Student Union Government (SUG) of the university, thanked INEC and its partners for choosing the institution as contact point to other institutions in the region.
On behalf of students and volunteers he promised to engage positively in the electoral process.
Sobari also urged students who were yet to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to take advantage of INEC’s one week presence on the university campus to collect their PVCs.
In his remarks, EU Ambassador, Mr Ketil Karlson, charged the youths to shun electoral violence, vote-selling and other vices that threatened the electoral process.
He condemned the high level violence recorded in the suspended Aug. 17 bye-election in Rivers, and urged the youths not to allow themselves to be used to disrupt elections.
“We don’t want the type of violence recorded in the suspended bye-election to repeat in the 2019 general elections.
“The EU shall ensure robust partnership with INEC, security operatives, the media and other organizations to achieve free, fair and credible elections,” he said.
EFCC vs Jang: Judge chides EFCC for delaying proceedings
Jos—Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos, yesterday, threatened to strike out criminal case against former governor of the state and Senator representing Plateau North in the National Assembly, Jonah Jang, by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, if the commission continued to delay proceedings with flimsy excuses.
He was reacting to the plea by counsel to EFCC, Mr. Henry Ejiga, who said the commission could not produce the witnesses in court, yesterday for security reasons. The case was slated for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The judge said if, for security reasons, the commission could not produce the witnesses in its custody, it should have produced the ones not in the commission’s custody, who were not at any security risk. He added that he was neither for the prosecution nor for the defence, but that he was out to use the Sword of Righteousness. Ejiga had cited security reasons why the EFCC could not produce the witnesses to testify in court, saying: “We are of great constraint as we have made effort to ensure that we produce the witnesses so that proceeding can go on. But unfortunately, we were informed of some security challenges, as a result, we are unable to present the witnesses today (yesterday). Infuriated by the delay in proceeding, lead counsel to the defendant, Mr. Robert Clarke (SAN) warned that “criminal trials are enjoined by the law to be speedy, because of that presumption that we are still innocent, we should not be treated as criminals. Justice delayed is justice denied.” Ruling, Justice Longji adjourned the case till October 30 and 31, and November 1, 2018, warning the EFCC and its counsel not to find reasons to ask for another adjournment.
He was reacting to the plea by counsel to EFCC, Mr. Henry Ejiga, who said the commission could not produce the witnesses in court, yesterday for security reasons. The case was slated for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The judge said if, for security reasons, the commission could not produce the witnesses in its custody, it should have produced the ones not in the commission’s custody, who were not at any security risk. He added that he was neither for the prosecution nor for the defence, but that he was out to use the Sword of Righteousness. Ejiga had cited security reasons why the EFCC could not produce the witnesses to testify in court, saying: “We are of great constraint as we have made effort to ensure that we produce the witnesses so that proceeding can go on. But unfortunately, we were informed of some security challenges, as a result, we are unable to present the witnesses today (yesterday). Infuriated by the delay in proceeding, lead counsel to the defendant, Mr. Robert Clarke (SAN) warned that “criminal trials are enjoined by the law to be speedy, because of that presumption that we are still innocent, we should not be treated as criminals. Justice delayed is justice denied.” Ruling, Justice Longji adjourned the case till October 30 and 31, and November 1, 2018, warning the EFCC and its counsel not to find reasons to ask for another adjournment.
Killings: How does Buhari sleep at night?
Joel Nwokeoma
Worried, or so it seemed, by the deluge of complaints by workers over unpaid salaries and allowances by many state governors, in spite of the interventions by the Federal Government, President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, October 17, 2017, asked a select governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, who visited him in Abuja: “How can anyone go to bed and sleep soundly when workers have not been paid their salaries for months?”
As it would appear, that was the “human side of the President” at its fullest as the poser he made to the governors at that august meeting could be said to be one of genuine concern. That notwithstanding, it is not clear, months after that meeting, if the governors lost any sleep at night as workers are still being owed arrears of salaries and allowances in many states till date.
However, what makes this incident important, and worth recalling now, is how much one can pose the same question to the President against the backdrop of the killing of innocent Nigerians in recent times.
So, asked differently, how does the President sleep soundly in the night, when lives of innocent Nigerians, women and children inclusive, are freely wasted across the length and breadth of the country, most especially in the Middle Belt, since January 1 when 73 were killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Logo and Guma LGAs in Benue State? How does the President find sleep and comfort in the “other room” knowing, as a former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, said on Monday, “Nigerians are now sleepless; they are watching, they have so many things in their minds whether to go for what they know is safety, security and prosperity or to go for this culture of violence which is now defining Nigeria as a country”?
For all you care, you may wilfully dismiss Lamido’s apt observation as the ranting of a “desperate opposition politician” out to score cheap political goals, or even as the President’s spokesperson, Femi Adesina, said to critics of Buhari’s tepid response to the unsettling orgy of killings in the land, on Monday, what is clear to all is that Buhari is presiding over the ceaseless and systematic killing of Nigerians at a rate, perhaps, never witnessed in the country’s history and in a way that exposes the helplessness of the Nigerian state. According to a Sunday Vanguard report on March 14, 2018, 1,351 Nigerians were killed in various violent incidents across the country “in just about 10 weeks” in the year. These include, 676 in January; 526 in February, and 146 in March. The statistics showed that the North-East remained the killing field with 591 deaths, followed by the North-Central, 270; North-West, 193; South-West, 136; South-South, 131 while the South-East came last with 30. But if the reported cases of killings in recent months are anything to go by, the figures would have become more mind-boggling now.
In the words of Adesina, however, “Securing the length and breadth of the country is a continuing commitment…when the administration emerged, the security situation was in tatters. It pulled up its bootstraps, rolled up its sleeves, set to work, and the Boko Haram insurgency was beaten back. It was eventually degraded…”, but as Lamido simply put it, “You see, today, we are under siege. It means all the key security chiefs appointed by this government have failed to deliver…”
Strikingly, what should worry many is not only that the Buhari Government has so far failed, or neglected, to fulfil its primary purpose for existence, which is the protection of lives and property of Nigerians, given these reckless killings, but also that the Nigerian sovereign has himself resigned to infantile religiosity by resorting to “pray to God” to solve a lingering security challenge he was touted to be capable by reason of his career as a retired General to contend with. This much we can glean from the President’s remark when he visited Plateau State penultimate Tuesday on the heels of the killing, yet again, of over 150 persons by suspected Fulani herdsmen in 11 communities of Barkin-Ladi and Riyom Local Government Areas of the state. According to the Commander in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, “There is nothing I can do to help the situation except to pray to God to help us out of the security challenges. What has happened is a very bad thing.” What? Did I just read the President say he would do, “…nothing except to pray to God…”? Just like that?
Never in history has any sovereign for that matter openly expressed palpable helplessness in the face of a security challenge anywhere in the world. It is akin to a President Barack Obama, for instance, declaring to Americans he was clueless about handling the al-Qaeda or Osama bin Laden challenge. By the way, the last time I checked, Buhari was not elected to “pray to God” for Nigeria’s security challenges, or any other challenge for that matter, neither did he promise so in 2015. Instead, he promised to take the lead in solving the country’s existential challenges. And that is what leaders do, they don’t throw their arms in the air at the drop of the hat. George Bush Jnr exemplified this in 2011 at the wake of the 9/11 terror attack in the World Trade Centre when he promised Americans he would “bring the perpetrators to justice or take justice to them!” That is the stuff leaders are made of.
As if that was not disheartening enough, Garba Shehu issued a statement last week imploring Nigerians to be “patient” with Mr President in the wake of another killing of 42 people, in some accounts, including a district head, in and around Gandi village in Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State while “security teams crack (sic) their brains to put an end to this horrendous violence”. According to The PUNCH, Wednesday, July 11, Shehu said the President “threatened that any attempt to try his government’s will would be met with equal force” and “wondered why murderers would be targeting innocent people for no just cause.” Pray, is it the duty of a responsible government to live in “wonderment” on “why murderers would be targeting innocent people…”? Or, is it just occurring to this government that whatever remains of its “will” has been tried and found wanting, repeatedly, by bands of murderous bandits, terrorists, kidnappers, extortionists and anarchists from Ebonyi to Zamfara leading to the deaths of scores of Nigerians? Is it unaware that, according to the United Nations, Nigeria has up to 350 million small and light weapons in circulation, in the hands of devious and criminal elements and sundry groups who kill with relish apparently because of the incapacity of the Nigerian state to contain them? We are talking about 70 per cent of the total arms in circulation in West Africa.
It is not enough for the President to resign to fate, or tell us how his security heads are “cracking” their brains to stop the killings in the land. He should no longer be at ease while Nigerians are killed by marauding criminals. Instead, he should begin to lose his own sleep and “crack his brain” himself, as Nigerians can’t afford the luxury of sound sleep anymore.
The starting point should be to do away with the inept security heads who have failed, evidently, to help him perform his primary duty of securing Nigerians unless he approves their ineptitude. Besides, the country’s police structure has proved, time and again, to be anachronistic and can no longer address the country’s extant security challenges. A centralised policing structure, the type the military bequeathed to us, is defective and dysfunctional in a federal state like ours and should be done away with fast. Why the President is not buying into the inevitable imperative of restructuring the country to allow the federating units to meet their security and policing needs and relieve an inefficient and overstretched centre beggars belief.
In fact, I don’t know how President Buhari manages to sleep at night given these endless tales of needless deaths of Nigerians under his watch. He needs to wake up now to the imperative of doing the needful or be woken up to more gory realities.
The Dead Dance With The Living In Madagascar
Madagascar, also known as the "eighth continent", boasts of rainforests, beaches, historic burial grounds and plants that are found nowhere else in the world.
Named after the island in the same place, the country located in East Africa is home to the fourth largest island in the world.
Since the arrival of humans on the island in 350 BC, the island has witnessed the stages of civilisation and different cultures.
One of these is the 17th-century burial rite known as Famadihana which literally translates to "turning of the bones".
Famadihana involves the digging up a corpse to dance with it. The burial rite is done every seven years by the family of the dead.
Famadihana. Photo: dig
The celebration kicks off with music trumpets and chants of joy. While this is being done, digging commences. An elder, preferably one from the family, takes up the duty of invoking the dead body to join the living. This act is important: it is the only chance of the dead to revisit the world and relive his activities which they sometimes invoke through black magic
The body is cleaned and wrapped in expensive clothing like silk before they are raised high by relatives to dance around with it. Women who are not able to give birth cut a patch of the cloth and place under their bed with hopes of blessings.
Relatives also avail the opportunity to tell the dead the happenings they have had since their departure. Natives claim that the dead respond in acknowledgement.
After this is done, the bodies are turned upside-down as a seal of their journey to the spirit. It is only after this is done that the body can finally go to its resting place
PDP throughout its 16 yrs borrowed N6trn, but Buhari-led APC in 3 years borrowed N11trn – Tunde Bakare
Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly (LRA) has said that Nigerians will weep should they truly know what President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government has done to the country.
Regretting the danger the actions of Buhari’s government portends to the future of Nigeria, Bakare said, “If you truly know the truth, you will weep, if you know how much we are owing as a nation, you will weep. For 16 years of PDP they borrowed N6 trillion, for three years of APC, they borrowed N11 trillion.
“And they are not going to pay the debt. You and I, and our children, and our children’s children will pay the debt, unless they write them off again.”
This was even as the Lagos-based clergy and a onetime running mate to Buhari, lambasted the President for attending the wedding of son of Governor Abiola Ajimobi and the daughter of his counterpart, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje in Kano on Saturday when 110 Dapchi schoolgirls from Yobe State are still in captivity.
Pastor Bakare spoke during a Sunday service in his church in Lagos, saying that he cannot understand what Buhari and other governors were doing at the wedding in Kano with other peoples’ daughters still in the captivity of the terrorists government told Nigerian have been totally defeated.
The Dapchi schoolgirls have remained in the captivity of the Boko Haram terrorists since they were kidnapped from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe, on February 19, two weeks ago.
Bakare said, “Forgive my ill-mannerism, but I could not comprehend why a governor will celebrate the wedding of his daughter, and another governor of his son, on the front pages of newspapers, flashing it before our eyes, when other peoples’ daughters are in captivity.
“If any of them had lost a daughter in that captivity, would they celebrate that way? I know the Bible says rejoice with them that rejoice, but I do not know what the president of Nigeria was doing there.
“And somebody came to say, let me explain to you, it is Islamic tradition, before this time, about January, they had agreed, that he (Buhari) will be the one to give the bride away and (Bola) Tinubu will be the one to pay the dowry, and present the son, and they agreed long before now.
“I looked at him and said the president of Nigeria wanted to come to my daughter’s wedding, and I said to him, sir, don’t come. That is beneath your office. Face the work of the state and keep serving.
“And 22 governors showed up to mark register, when 110 daughters of citizens of your nation were captured by Boko Haram that you said you have already technically defeated?
“It just shows how insensitive our leaders are. We have gotten to a stage that our president has become a king and a monarch. That his son who rode his pleasurable bike that almost claimed his life, will be returning from an overseas trip, where he had received special healthcare that Nigerians cannot afford, that it took a whole minister of state to go and welcome him, because he has no job.”
Two kids die, 98 injured in school bus accident in Jos
Two pupils of Our Lady of Fatima School, Kuru, near Jos in Plateau, lost their lives in an accident involving their school bus on Monday, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
An official of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) at the site of the incident, told NAN that the early morning accident, which occurred around Mararaba-Jama’a road, was as a result of brake failure.
“A total of 10o children and seven staff were in the bus; two children were killed instantly, while those injured have been taken to hospitals,” the official told NAN, pleading anonymity.
According to the official, one boy and one girl lost their lives.
He added that 18 kids were taken to Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, Jos, 76 to the Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos while four others were rushed to Bukuru Specialist Hospital.
Meanwhile, Gov. Simon Lalong has visited some of the injured children taken to Plateau Specialist Hospital.
Lalong, who visited the children on their individual beds, spoke to them in whispers, urging them to be strong.
Mr Yakub Dati, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, later told NAN that the governor had promised to pay the medical bills of those involved in the accident.
Robert Mugabe has been reported dead. HARARE, ZIMBABWE
Former Zimbabwean long serving president Robert Mugabe died peacefully Sunday at his home in Harare, according to a statement from his family. The cause of death was not given.
A statement from Mugabe’s wife, Grace Mugabe, said: “My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Robert Gabriel Mugabe, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather has passed away at 94 years of age. His life was filled with love of God, his family and his country.”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa issued a statement saying that he and first lady Auxilia Mnangagwa were “greatly saddened” to hear of the former president’s death.
“Ex-president Mugabe was a great Zimbabwean who gave many years of dedicated service to our country,” Mr Mnangagwa said.
“The Zimbabwean people will always admire Robert Mugabe’s devotion to duty, his personal character, and the honorable conduct of his administration. We mourn the loss of such a leader, and our longest serving president will always have a special place in our Nation’s memory. On behalf of all Zimbabweans, Auxilia and I offer our deepest sympathies to Grace Mugabe and all of the family. Our thoughts and prayers will be with them in the hours and days ahead,” – he concluded.
Robert Gabriel Mugabe, 94, was the longest serving President of Zimbabwe, serving from 1987-2017.
As one of the leaders of the rebel groups in opposition to white minority rule, he was elected Prime Minister in 1980, serving in that office as head of the government, until 1987, when he became the country’s first executive head of state.
He had led the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) since 1975.
As of August 2017, he was the world’s oldest and one of the longest serving Head of State.
His 36-year rule has been characterised by gross human rights violations, resulting in him joining the world list of dictators.
Mugabe rose to prominence in the 1960s as the leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) during the conflict against the conservative white-minority government of Rhodesia.
SHOCKING NEWS: PARENT CONFIRM FIVE YEARS OLD DAUGHTER PREGNANT IN PLATEAU STATE
Parent Confirms Five Years Old Daughter Pregnant In Plateau State – A five years old girl in what can only be described as incredible has been confirmed pregnant in a remote village of Kanke local government area, Plateau State.
Wonders shall never end, what we should no is that the world is at the end time.
Reports say that the father told newsmen that, his daughter of Five years began to complain of excruciating pains in her groin which they didn’t pay commensurate attention to. After a while, they noticed that her breasts were developing, all of which they attributed to early adolescence precocity.
Their fears was confirmed after tests were carried out on her when they noticed her protuberant tummy. The pregnancy test came back with a positive verdict.
According to reports, the locals and family of the girl are still in a state of shock, considering the girl’s age and biological placing.
The child’s parents said, the perpetrator of the strange act is not known but the police has begun an inquiry with the view to unmask the identity of the perpetrator behind the heinous crime.
This is noting but end time. All in the scripture has been fulfilled.
Zuma refuses to resign, says he is being victimised
Jacob Zuma has refused to heed calls to step down as South African president, denouncing moves by the ruling African Nation Congress ( ANC ) party to remove him following a string of damaging corruption scandals.
The ANC formally asked him to resign on Tuesday.
“I am being victimised here. I think there has been a misinterpretation,” Zuma said in an attempt to present his side of the story.
Zuma however indicated he would accept the outcome of a parliamentary vote of no confidence against him, which has been scheduled for Thursday.
During more than a week of negotiations with the ANC’s key decision-making body, Zuma said that “nobody provided the reasons, nobody has been able to provide me with what I have done.”
Zuma denied any wrongdoing over the corruption allegations of recent years. “There is no problem. There has never been a problem,” he said in the televised remarks.
The ANC “will regret the crisis they have caused,” he said, adding he wsa planning to make a formal statement on the calls for his resignation later on Wednesday.
During the negotiations with the ANC leadership, Zuma said he had in principle agreed to step down but presented “a package” of demands that included him staying in power for several more months.
The ANC didn’t accept those conditions, said Zuma.
“I am open to further discussion, but they are rushing [into a vote of no confidence],” he said, adding that he was unjustly “portrayed as this person who is defying the leadership.”
If Zuma loses the vote, parliament may elect a successor the same day, according to ANC treasurer general Paul Mashatile.
“We will possibly elect a new president on Thursday … if not Friday,” said Mashatile, assuming scandal-hit Zuma will lose the vote.
Zuma’s successor would most likely be Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, who in December took over from Zuma as president of the ANC.
Zuma, who became president in 2009 and whose second term officially ends in 2019, has already faced six no-confidence motions, four of which were voted on.
This time, the vote is likely to succeed because the ANC holds a large majority of seats in parliament, and the vote of no confidence is decided by a simple majority.
If Zuma loses the vote, South Africa’s chief justice will preside over the election of a new president, while the cabinet will have to resign.
The ANC caucus in parliament decided to hasten the vote, which had been initially requested by opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters for February 22.
“We want certainty.
“We would like the incoming president [to hold the postponed State of the Nation address] without delay,” he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, police arrested three people from the Johannesburg home of the Gupta family, linked to the corruption scandals that have engulfed Zuma.
Hangwani Mulaudzi, the spokesman of the elite crime investigation unit the Hawks, confirmed the arrests to dpa, without disclosing the identity of those arrested.
Arrest warrants had been issued for two other people who were expected to hand themselves over to the police, Mulaudzi said.
Media reports said those arrested are expected to appear before a commercial crimes court in the city of Bloemfontein later on Wednesday.
The influential Gupta family, which has business interests in the computer equipment, mining, air travel, energy, technology and media industries, have been accused of influencing the state together with Zuma through lucrative business deals and possibly even influencing ministerial appointments.
Most recently, the family came under fire when one of their companies took over the management of a small-scale dairy farm, which shortly thereafter received a payment of 34 million rands (2.85 million dollars) from the provincial agriculture department.
A high court in January ordered the freezing of all assets linked to the farm.
Zuma and the three Gupta brothers he is mainly linked to – Ajay, Atul and Rajesh – deny any wrongdoing.
Opposition party Democratic Alliance ( DA ) meanwhile demanded that the police extend their raid on the Gupta family to include government ministers linked to the corruption allegations.
“The investigations and action simply cannot end [with the Guptas] and must continue to all those implicated, including key ministers,” DA member Zakhele Mbehle said in a statement.
Mbehle demanded investigations into four ministers as well as ANC secretary general Ace Magushule.
NAN
Enugu govt. increases NYSC members’ allowance
Delta state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi
The Commissioner for Information, Mr Ogbuagu Anikwe, announced this in Enugu on Wednesday while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting.
Anikwe said that medical doctors serving in hospitals in rural areas would henceforth receive N30, 000 monthly from the state government as against N3, 800 being given to them currently.
Similarly, he said, pharmacists, nurses, radiographers, laboratory scientists and statisticians would receive a monthly stipend of N20, 000.
He announced that the government also planned to review the service condition and welfare of other set of corps members in the state.
The commissioner explained that the increase in allowances of the corps members serving in health facilities was to further ensure that health services were taken close to rural dwellers.
“The government has approved that each corps member selected to work as a medical doctor in government hospital in the rural areas will get a monthly stipend of N30, 000.
“All of these will cost the government extra N31.2 million per annum but it is an expense that is worth it. It is to ensure that health facilities are available at the door steps of our people,” he said.
Anikwe said that the government noted the challenges of getting medical personnel to work health facilities in rural communities and decided on the incentive.
According to him, the council decided that one sure way to solve the problem is to get health personnel from the NYSC who will be encouraged with an increased stipend.
The commissioner said that the state government had invested much in rural communities and would want such facilities to have direct impact on the inhabitants.
“Before now, Enugu had a peculiar problem because the state was paying a certain amount as allowance and it led to an influx of youth corps members from all over the country, wanting to serve here.
“It then became impossible for the state government to continue to sustain that stipend because we are not out of the woods yet.
“So, we are not unmindful of what to do for corps members but everything we are doing, we check our purse.
“I am sure that as the finances of the state government improves, we will come to a point where everybody is given an allowance that enables them cope with the condition of life in the country,” he said.
Anikwe said that the government was first looking at very critical sectors, adding that others would follow soon.
He said that the governor, Mr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, was passionate about making residents of the state competitive and healthy “and that is why his economic blueprint traversed the entire state”.
Also, Commissioner for Works, Mr Greg Nnaji, said that the state government had approved the renovation and upgrade of eight district hospitals across the state.
Nnaji said that the gesture was to reduce the pressure on secondary health facilities in the state and to ensure that residents did not have to travel to the state capital for medical attention.
He said that such hospitals and clinics would now wear new looks while modern health equipment would be installed in them.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that all youth corps members posted to rural communities of the state are paid monthly stipend of N3, 800 each.
UPDATE: Shooting outside US NSA HQ injures one
Shooting outside US NSA headquarters, one hurt
Police tape blocks a visitor's entrance to the headquarters of the National Security Agency (NSA) after a shooting incident at the entrance in Fort Meade, Maryland, February 14, 2018. Shots were fired early Wednesday at the ultra-secret National Security Agency, the US electronic spying agency outside Washington, leaving one person injured, officials said. Aerial footage of the scene from NBC News showed a black SUV with numerous bullet holes in its windshield crashed into concrete barriers at the main entrance to the NSA's headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland./ AFP PHOTO / SAUL LOEB
Aerial footage of the scene from NBC News showed a black SUV with numerous bullet holes in its windshield crashed into concrete barriers at the main entrance to the NSA's headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland.
The images showed what appeared to be police surrounding a man on the ground in handcuffs.
"The situation is under control and there is no ongoing security or safety threat," the NSA said.
"We can confirm there has been one person injured and we don't know how the injuries occurred," an NSA spokesman told AFP.
The local ABC television affiliate put the number of injured at three and said a suspect was arrested.
The Baltimore office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is handling the investigation, said the incident "has been contained."
A law enforcement source told AFP that it was too soon to know whether the incident was an attack on the facility or otherwise.
They are "still trying to ascertain the facts," the source said.
"The president has been briefed on the shooting at Ft Meade," the White House said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone that has been affected."
'Puzzle Palace'
The NSA is the premier US signals intelligence agency, eavesdropping on electronic communications and hacking computers of US adversaries and suspects worldwide, and also protects US communications and information systems from cyber attack.
The agency was thrust into the spotlight in 2013 when former contractor Edward Snowden leaked details of its global surveillance programs, including its collection of data on Americans.
Its compound, known as the "Puzzle Palace" -- located about 32 kilometers (20 miles) northeast of Washington -- is highly secure.
In March 2015, guards at the NSA gate opened fire on an SUV which did not heed orders to stop, killing the driver and wounding a passenger.
The two involved, it turned out, were men dressed as women who made a wrong turn into a restricted lane and may have refused to stop because, it later turned out, there were drugs in their vehicle.
The leading US spy agencies installed heavy security at their facilities after an assault rifle-wielding man opened fire on cars waiting to enter the Central Intelligence Agency's headquarters compound in McLean, Virginia in January 1993. Two CIA employees were killed and three wounded.
The man, Aimal Kasi, escaped to his native Pakistan and it took US investigators four years to find him. He was eventually arrested and sent back to the United States, where he was convicted of murder and executed in 2002.
In 2016, a man drove his car into a fence gate at the CIA headquarters, claiming he was an agency recruit. He was arrested but was found to be mentally unstable, and only received 30 days in jail and a fine.
There is a plan to attack Taraba in 10 days – Governor
The Governor of Taraba State, Mr. Darius Ishaku, has said there is a plan to attack the state in the next 10 days.
The governor also said the information had been passed to security agencies, adding that he was not aware that any action had been taken.
Ishaku spoke in Jalingo on Thursday when he received members of the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party who paid him a sympathy visit on the death of a member of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Hosea Ibi.
The governor told the PDP delegation, which was led by the National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, that peace had become a scarce commodity in the state.
He said, “When I assumed office, I asked my people to give me peace and that I would give development in return. Peace is elusive in Taraba, but we have development. Here I am as a governor with a crown, but without a sword.
“You call police and security agencies for help, they will tell you they need to clear from Abuja before acting. Before you know it, you have lost 100 people.
“When you call for help, the help takes ages to come. We need to restructure the security architecture of this country. You take one step forward as the governor, the almighty Federal Government takes you back 10 miles.
“The police we have can’t help themselves. In 10 days’ time, we will be attacked. Helicopters dropped arms here at night for hoodlums.
“We will talk because if the Federal Government cannot help us, let those who can help us come to our aid.
“Our farmers cannot travel at night with their goods to neighbouring states to sell again. God gave us good land, but we lack common sense.
“I’m talking now since writing has not produced the desired results. Some of these things are not meant to be said, but we will henceforth be talking.”
The governor said, “We buried 63 people at Lau, the same day that Benue State buried 73 of its people. We are in trouble in this country.
“If our voices are not heard in Abuja, they can be heard in Kano, Niger Republic, United States of America and other places.”
Earlier, Secondus said that he and members of his team were in the state to condole with the people on the death of the lawmaker.
He blamed the Federal Government for the insecurity in the country, saying “the first duty of any government is to provide security for its citizens.”
Secondus appealed to members of the National Assembly to investigate those behind the alleged dropping of arms and expose the perpetrators.
He called on the Federal Government to review the country’s security architecture to curb the senseless killings in the country.
The Defence Headquarters, Abuja, which did not say if it received any information from the governor, said the step by Ishaku would cause proactive measures to be put in place.
The Director, Defence Information, Brig Gen John Agim, said, “Informing the defence and the security agencies would enable proactive measures to be put in place.
“The military, being the last line of defence, would require the Commander-in-Chief’s directives to act. For the records, the procedure is for His Excellency to bring such information to the immediate attention of Mr. President and the military would move in if the crisis overwhelms the police.”
But a top source at the Ministry of Defence said he was not aware of such information from the governor.
“There is no such information in the ministry. The governor should help with when such letter was written and to who.”
The Taraba State Commissioner of Police, David Akinremi, denied receiving any information from the governor.
He said, “As far as I am concerned, I have not received any letter from the governor. I am not aware that the governor informed us about any impending attack.”
Osinbajo panel forms committee to meet Miyetti Allah
The Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo committee has set up a sub-committee to interface with members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and other groups with a view to ending killings by herdsmen.
The committee was set up by the National Economic Council to find lasting solutions to increasing cases of killings by herdsmen across the country.
The sub-committee is headed by the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, said this to State House correspondents on Thursday at the end of a meeting of the Osinbajo committee at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Yari, who is the governor of Zamfara State, said the governors of Plateau and Adamawa states were members of the dialogue committee headed by Umahi.
He said some technocrats would be invited to join the sub-committee in visiting states affected by the attacks.
He said, “In our discussion today (Thursday), we set up a committee headed by the governor of Ebonyi State, while Plateau and Adamawa governors are members.
“We are bringing some technocrats that will visit hot spots’ states like Benue, Taraba, Adamawa and Zamfara where there is crisis so that they can interface with the Miyetti Allah and other groups to see how we can reduce this to the barest minimum.
Yari explained why attacks by herdsmen could not end, saying criminals had turned them to money-making ventures.
“Why we cannot say we will put this matter to rest is because some people have taken it as a money-making venture.
“As a government, we have to take all the measures despite the fact that the army, police and other security agents are on the field at the affected places. But we still have to form this committee to interface with the actors so that this matter can be reduced to the barest minimum and possibly be wiped off,” he said.
Apart from Yari and Umahi, others who attended the meeting were Simon Lalong of Plateau State; Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna); Jibrilla Bindow (Adamawa); Deputy Governor of Benue State, Benson Abonu; that of Oyo State, Chief Moses Adeyemo, as well as the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh; and his Interior counterpart, Abdulrahman Dambazau.
Seven killed, others injured in Kaduna attack
Some suspected Fulani herdsmen on Wednesday invaded Kaguru village in the Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing seven persons, while many people sustained injuries.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that the gunmen invaded the village at about 7pm, shot indiscriminately and set houses ablaze.
He said those that sustained injuries were receiving medical treatment in the General Hospital, Birnin Gwari.
It was learnt that the armed gunmen had left before the arrival of policemen.
The eyewitness said, “Fulani herdsmen attacked Kaguru village and killed seven people. They burnt down many houses in the village. The residents ran away to nearby places.
“Many people, including children were injured and taken to a hospital. Before the police came, the herdsmen had left and nobody could find them again.”
Calls put across to the state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mukhtar Aliyu, rang out. Also, a text message sent to his mobile had yet to be replied to.
However, a police source told our correspondent that contrary to claim of the villagers, four persons were killed while six people got injured.
Five missing in Nasarawa village
No fewer than five persons from Agbara village in Nasarawa State have been reported missing.
Agbara village is close to Kadarko town, where seven persons were killed on Tuesday.
The PUNCH on Thursday reported the Kadarko town attack, which led to the death of seven persons.
Our correspondent also reported that some other communities were razed by the gunmen.
A relative of one of the missing persons, Mr. Justine Wombu, on Thursday told one of our correspondents his elder brother, Felix Wombu, had not returned home since the day of the Kadarko attack.
He said, “My brother and some persons went to Agbara. We learnt that they were attacked on the way by the gunmen that attacked Kadarko.”
He said five out of the 10 men that went to Agbara escaped, leaving other five who had yet to be found.
“Security agents deployed in Kadarko had combed everywhere to no avail,” he added.
The relatives of other missing villagers said they feared for the safety of the missing men.
But, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kennedy John, said that the command had yet to receive the report of any missing person, adding that investigation into the attack on Kadarko was ongoing.
The names of the missing villagers were given as William Tija, Peter Oryem, Felix Wombu, Zaber Targule, Gboho Uhugwa.
S’West group warns of famine
A socio-political organisation of professionals in the six South-West states, under the aegis of South-West Think Tank, on Thursday said there was a famine looming in Nigeria.
The group said the destruction of farmlands and the fear of farmers to plant due to activities of Fulani herdsmen could cause the famine.
SWETT added that the activities of herdsmen were also “a clear signal that the 2019 general elections could be in danger.”
The group said it was saddening that despite the fact that Fulani herdsmen wreaked havoc almost on a daily basis, the Federal Government had done nothing to check their destructive activities.
A statement issued by its spokesperson, Femi Davies, said since the beginning of the year, the Fulani herdsmen have killed over 100 persons in the country, with Benue State suffering the biggest casualty.
He said, “This government leaves us with no option but to believe that because they are Fulanis and their own man, President Muhammadu Buhari, is in power, they are untouchable.
“Apart from the human losses, famine could be looming in the country with the burning of farmlands and the refusal of farmers to plant again owing to the fear that the criminal elements operating under the guise of being herdsmen could strike at any time.
“This can only portend famine if urgent action is not taken and the perpetrators of this heinous crime brought to justice.”
SWETT also said that with the proliferation of arms and ammunition, it was becoming obvious that 2019 general elections could be in danger.
It said, “The security agencies in the country must find out how these herdsmen come about the sophisticated guns they are using.”
The group also opposed the proposed cattle colonies across the country.
SWETT said, “Our position on this is very clear: no cattle colony will be accepted in the South-West and the Yoruba-speaking states of Kogi and Kwara.”
Stop arming militia groups, IG warns
The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has warned state governments and command Commissioners of Police against arming militia and vigilance groups.
He also directed the CPs to monitor the activities of state governments as the 2019 elections approached.
The IG said this on Thursday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja during the monthly meeting with Commissioners of Police and other senior officers.
Idris said, “Everybody is aware that political issues are coming up to the fore and I believe as officers, we must gear up in our various locations to ensure law and order all over Nigeria.
“Commands should be very careful about arming militia men or vigilance groups because before a vigilance group is established by a government, there must be a bylaw which must be passed by the House of Assembly.”
The police boss admonished the CPs to study the bylaws and see how they conformed to the constitution and other laws, and cautioned against connivance by the police commands with state governments to arm illicit groups in the country.
He said, “No government in this country has the responsibility to approve prohibited firearms to any Nigerian under any guise.
“I think it is the responsibility of CPs of commands to put a close watch on the activities of some of the governments arming individuals which is against the laws of this country.”
Story by: Olusola Fabiyi, Olalekan Adetayo, Friday Olokor, Adelani Adepegba, Olaleye Aluko, Godwin Isenyo, Umar Muhammed and Justin Tyopuusu
EU presidency slaps down May on post-Brexit citizens' rights
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May ./ AFP PHOTO / Leon Neal
Bulgaria, which holds the presidency of the EU, warned British Prime Minister Theresa May against plans to deny residency rights to Europeans arriving during the post-Brexit transition period.
Lilyana Pavlova, the Bulgarian minister for the EU Presidency, told AFP that she was "worried" by May's stance and that the other 27 countries would be "tough" in negotiations on Britain's exit in March 2019.
Pavlova a close ally of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said in an interview that she hoped "in the end the support for the citizens will be ranked higher than political ratings."
"European acquis (laws) should be applied in the transition period, it should be followed completely," Pavlova said. "This is not the right way forward if we are not following and we are not completing the EU acquis as it is."
The EU said on Monday that Britain must follow all of the bloc's laws including the right of citizens to live and work where they choose in return for access to the European single market during the proposed transition ending in December 2020.
But May set up a fresh clash after saying that Europeans arriving in Britain during the 21-month transition phase should not get the same rights as those who arrive before Brexit day.
Bulgaria, which heads the EU for six months until June, wanted to protect both Bulgarians living in Britain and Britons living in Bulgaria, "so we are a little bit worried," Pavlova said.
'Tough in negotiations'
The EU wants to finish talks on the transition by the end of March so negotiations on future ties with Britain can start, but has warned that deadline could be pushed back if there is no progress from London.
The Bulgarian minister said Brexit talks were now entering "the most challenging" period and that the EU needed to keep unity.
"Success for us means keeping the unity of the 27, defending the rights, because now Theresa May was very well supported by, for example the United States president in having a tough Brexit," she said.
"We prefer Britain to stay. But if they decide to leave then we will be tough in negotiations," Pavlova added.Pavlova meanwhile said the former Soviet bloc country would push during its first EU presidency for closer relations with six Western Balkan states.
She said they should have "roadmaps" for joining the EU, financial commitments to better road, rail and communications links, and that she hoped Serbia and Montenegro would be able to join by 2025.
But Pavlova said they would not give them "false promises" and urged the Balkan states to meet the EU's requirements for membership.These included resolving all regional disputes before they join, adding "If they want to join the EU, they should not bring new problems to the EU."
President Buhari nominates Edward Adamu as CBN Deputy Governor
CBN
President Muhammadu Buhari has nominated Mr Edward Lametek Adamu to the Senate for confirmation as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.
Adesina stated that the nomination was in accordance with the provisions of Section 8(1) (2) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) (Establishment) Act 2007.
The presidential aide revealed that the nomination of Edward as CBN Deputy Governor by the President was contained in a letter dated Jan. 26, 2018, which was addressed to the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki.
According to the statement, Adamu, from Gombe State, replaces Mr Sulaiman Barau, from Zaria, Kaduna State, who retired in December, 2017.
The nominee, who has spent 25 years in the CBN, was appointed in 2012 as Director of Strategy.
He became Director, Human Resources in 2016, from where he was nominated as Deputy Governor.
4,000 Cameroonian refugees in Cross River face epidemic, food shortage
PHOTO: VOA
The influx of thousands of Cameroonians from Southern Cameroon into the country is raising serious humanitarian concerns in Cross River State.
No fewer than 36, 000 refugees are seeking asylum in the state, especially in the Northern Senatorial District, in the wake of the crisis rocking that part of the country.
Food and health crisis is already threatening over 4, 000 refugees and their host communities in Boki Local Council of state, where residents fear that unless urgent steps are taken, Nigeria may witness a huge loss of lives in the affected areas.
When The Guardian visited some of the communities recently, the women and children were looking haggard, malnourished and frustrated.
Recounting their ordeals, they said they were not finding life easy since they became refugees in Bashu Okpambe/Bokim, Bashu Kaku, Abo Bonabe, Obisu, Danare and Okwangwo.
One of the refugees from Kajivo Village in Southwest region of Cameroon, who is taking refuge alongside his family in Bashu Okpambe community, Ojong Steven, said: “I am here with my family of 11 because of the war that happened in Cameroon. The Bashu people are trying their best, but the problem is that, we the Cameroonians are more than the people in the village so we find it difficult to feed and get satisfied.
“At times when they bring food, we normally eat together with our hosts, but the food does not go round. Secondly, I am having issues with my heart and when I was in Cameroon, I used to go for checkup, but now I can’t do that anymore. My children are supposed to go to school, meaning it has affected their education. Two of them were in the university, but now they are all here with me, I don’t know what to do.”
On her part, Mrs. Bamate said, “I have five daughters and they have all stopped going to school. Since I was born, I have never experienced such a thing before. They forced us out of our village and since then we have been staying here. We hardly have food to eat. We sleep on the bare floor coupled with the harsh weather.”
In tears, Magdalene Kekong, who is living in a household with her husband and six children said, “my 18-year-old son is epileptic and needs medical attention.When we were still in our country, I used to take him to the hospital, where he received medical care but since we became refugees here, his situation has become worse because he stopped taking treatment. The worst of it is that the people we are sharing apartment with have threatened to send us parking. I, my husband and six children are all living together in a single room.”
The state government, through the Special Adviser on Aviation Matters, Mr. Amos Kajang, has promised to intervene as quickly as possible to prevent an outbreak of epidemic.
When he visited some of the communities in Boki, Kajang said: “The number that I have come to see is more than what has been reported lately. More than 4, 000 people are here and what I have seen is a direct threat, ecological threat in terms of survival, housing, shelter, health and all related to the livelihoods of the people. I have discovered that in most households, there are about twelve persons in one room and I foresee an outbreak of epidemic if measures are not taken.”
“A few days ago, the state governor had a meeting with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar and he raised issues concerning Bashu, Dana and Okwangwo. He also assured the people that he was going to swing into action to ensure that a swift intervention would be taken and we have assured the people that government will not sleep or rest until something is done,” he added.
According to the village head of Bashu Community, Chief Emmanuel Echam, the community is facing a major problem as the refugees are more in number than the members of the community harboring them.
He appealed to the state government to come to their aid as they no longer have where to sleep, food to eat or medication to take.
Woman dragged out of car, raped in front of husband
The incident, according to police, took place Sunday night in Sector 56 of Gurugram on the outskirts of New Delhi.
Police said they had arrested four people in this connection.
A police official said: “on Sunday night a woman, her husband and brother-in-law were returning from a function in a car.
“When they stopped near the business park tower, the woman’s husband got out of the car to use the toilet.
“Suddenly two cars stopped near them and four men came out and dragged the woman out of the car.
“One of the men took the woman and raped her while others held her husband and her brother-in-law at gunpoint.”
Reports said before running away, the men warned the woman and her husband against reporting the incident to the police.
This is the latest incident of rape horror that emerged in the state.
Recently two incidents of young girls being raped and killed were reported in Haryana.
Sexual attacks on women and girls in India put a question mark on their safety and efficiency of police force in the country.
In December 2012, a fatal gang-rape of a medical student in New Delhi brought spotlight on crimes against women in India.
The incident saw huge protests and resulted in new anti-rape laws in the country. However, brutal sexual attacks against women continue to be reported across India.
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The Nigerian Navy Direct Short Service Commission (DSSC) 25 Course has released list of its successful candidates who passed the Aptitude... -
Outrage over six dead appointees on Buhari’s board list Niyi Odebode, John Alechenu, Olalekan Adetayo, Adelani Adepegba, Ade Adesomoju,... -
This file photo taken on August 31, 2006 shows a permanent memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi al-Fayed is seen in Harrods ...
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Coalition holds #EndSARS rallies nationwide today A coalition of civil society groups will on Monday (today) hold rallies nationw... -
Ex-Ivorian Star Emmanuel Eboue Is Dead The former Ivorian International star, Emmanuel Eboue, is dead. Emmanuel Eboue is reported to ha...
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By Nqobanbi Ndlovu Botswana yesterday said it did not deport former vice-president Phelekezela Mphoko as President Emmerson Mnangagwa... -
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Questions that expose the hypocrisy of President Buhari’s so called anti-corruption war – Reno In 2012, allegations were made by oppos... -
The National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has ratified its plans for the conduct of the party’s National Conve...