Maritime University To begins October, Modular refineries August

Laolu-Akande

The Maritime University, one of the key demands of the Niger Delta militants will take off in October, Mr. Laolu Akande, the senior special assistant(media) in the Acting President’s office, said.

At a joint press conference with the media team of the Nigerian Presidency, Akande said  the Vice Chancellor of the new university had been asked to bring a take-off budget for the institution.

According to him, the National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved a number of courses for the university.

Akande also announced that the ground breaking of the first set of the Modular Refineries would take place  in August. The Federal Government conceived the idea of modular refineries to stop the further degradation of the Niger Delta by oil thieves and illegal refiners.

Akande also revealed that the report on the inter-ministerial committee on the Ogoni Clean-up would be released next week.

“Next week there is going to be a follow up meeting between the Acting President and the PANDEF.

“You will recall that last November the President held a meeting with the leaders of PANDEF where issues of Niger Delta development was discussed in which the Acting President embarked on the visit to the states of the Niger Delta.

“And since then the president asked that an inter-ministerial committee be composed led by the Vice President to look at all the issues, specifically using the PANDEF demand as the take off point.

”Regarding Ogoni clean up, they are also going to give an update of what has been happening. For instance, the coordinating team that was set up for the Ogoni clean up conducted health impact assessment, they have done salt test, water test, they have hired a number of sons and daughters of Ogoni who are trained on environmental sciences as technical assistants, I think about 15 of them.

“In the next few weeks they are going to go back to Geneva where a wholistic road map on the clean up itself will be concluded with the international partners.”

Culled From NAN

Senate passes Peace Corps bill

Dickson-Akoh-Commandant-Nigeria-Peace-Corps

The Senate on Tuesday finally passed the Bill Establishing the Nigerian Peace Corps (NPC), an organisation that would provide employment for the youths, facilitate peace, volunteerism, community services and nation building.

The Bill, sponsored by Sen. Bayero Nafada(APC-Gombe) was passed in a unanimous voice vote after the Chairman, Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Sen. David Umaru, presented report on issues surrounding adoption of the conference report on the bill.

He said the major objective of the NPC bill, which is to provide employment for the youths, could be achieved by strengthening existing agencies and not necessarily creating new ones.

He said it would prevent the Federal Government from being overburdened.

He said the committee, however observed that the powers and functions of the NPC called for concern and urged that they be subjected to further examination.

“The right vested by the Bill in clause 37 (1) (a) on members of the Corps to “access all records of any person or authority” is too broad in scope and to that extent constitutes an infringement on the right to privacy guaranteed by the Constitution, under Section 37.

“This power is unnecessary, given that the Corps is not an investigative agency,’’ he said.

In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki said the journey towards establishing the NPC had been a long one.

He commended the committee for a good job and expressed optimism that when signed into law, the bill would help to address the problem of unemployment among youths.

The NPC bill was passed in the House of Representatives in June 2016,while the Senate passed its version in Nov. 2016.

The two chambers set up a conference committee to reconcile the areas of differences in the bill.

The Senate at its plenary sitting on May 2, 2017, deliberated on report of the conference committee, and referred it to the Committee on Judiciary, to investigate into some allegations against the NPC.

Culled from NAN

Germany Donates Six Sniffer Dogs To NDLEA

The German government has donated six sniffer dogs and a Mercedes bus to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in order to improve its capacity to combat drug trafficking.

Announcing the development in Lagos on Tuesday, the NDLEA Director of Operations and General Investigation, Olugbenga Mabo, thanked the German government for its donation, emphasizing that sniffer dogs have helped the agency arrest at least 20 drug traffickers and seize a combined weight of 17,432kg of narcotic drugs between 2009 and 2017.

Among the drugs seized with the assistance of the trained dogs include heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine.

Mr. Mabo said the addition of six new dogs would further boost the agency’s capacity to detect drugs concealed by traffickers.

With Germany’s donation, the NDLEA now has 14 sniffer dogs at its disposal.

“The contribution of the German government has made a tremendous impact on the operations of the agency at the airport, seaport and land borders. This additional support will ensure that more drug trafficking syndicates are dislodged,” Mr. Mabo told reporters.

He also recalled that under the German canine support project to Nigeria, three officers recently completed a 16-week basic course at the Police Dog School in Neustadt, Saxony, Germany.

In her remarks, German Deputy Consul General Alexandra Herr said that Germany was assisting the NDLEA in order to ensure that the Nigerian officials have the equipment necessary to fight drug trafficking.

“It is important to have the right tools to work and I commend the cooperation between Germany and Nigeria in combating drug trafficking through the aid of sniffer dogs. I am eager to see positive results in the canine operations of the agency,” Ms. Herr said.

CBN re-introduces charges on cash deposits, withdrawals Culled from: The Citizen Ng

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Thursday announced the re-introduction of bank charges on certain categories of cash deposits and withdrawals. This came about three years after the apex bank stopped the charges. In a circular to all Deposit Money Banks posted on its website, the regulator said the decision to reintroduce the charges on cash deposits was part of the review of charges on deposits and withdrawals under the cashless policy. It said the decision was taken at the Bankers’ Committee meeting, which held in Abuja two weeks ago.

The circular, signed by the Director, Banking and Payments System Department, CBN, Mr. Dipo Fatokun, stated that the committee decided that the cashless policy should be extended to the remaining 30 states of the federation. It also directed that with effect from April 1, 2017, banks in the states where the cashless policy was already operating, Lagos, Ogun, Anambra, Abia, Kano, Rivers and the Federal Capital Territory, would begin to impose charges on deposits and withdrawals above N500,000.

Banks will from that date begin to charge individuals 1.5 per cent and two per cent for deposits and withdrawals between N500,000 and N1m. According to the circular, individuals depositing or withdrawing between N1m and N5m will be charged two per cent and three per cent, respectively.

For amounts above N5m, banks will charge such individuals three per cent and 7.5 per cent for deposits and withdrawals, respectively. With regard to corporate customers, the CBN stated that deposits and withdrawals under N3m would not attract any charge, but that such customers depositing or withdrawing between N3m and N10m would be charged two per cent and five per cent, respectively.

Also for deposits and withdrawals between N10m and N40m, customers will be charged three per cent and 7.5 per cent, respectively. Deposits or withdrawals above N40m by corporate customers will attract a charge of five per cent and 10 per cent, respectively. According to the CBN, the new policy on charges will be implemented in selected states on May 1 and August 1, this year; while the total implementation will be concluded on October 1.

The regulator noted that the committee agreed that income generated from the processing fees above the allowable cash limits would be shared between it and the banks in the ratio of 40:60. However, the CBN said that existing exemptions to the policy such as revenue generating agencies of the federal, state and local governments (for lodgements) will be sustained. Also exempt from the processing fees are embassies, diplomatic missions, multilateral and aid agencies. The CBN directed lenders to train their employees to enlighten customers on the new policy.

Revealed: Why Musa Handed Over To Mikel

(R-L)Newly-appointed captain of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Mikel Obi, coach Samson Siasia and Ahmed Musa, during the press conference earlier today.

Facts have emerged on the real reason behind the recent change of baton in the Super Eagles leadership. On Thursday, March 24, the media was awash with reports that erstwhile captain, Ahmed Musa (appointed by former Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh) handed over the armband to John Obi Mikel.

Reactions had since trailed the act carried out by Musa, one of the more experienced players in the squad, as Nigerians hailed him as the most humble member of the team. Checks have however, revealed that newly-appointed coach of the team, Samson Siasia had met with both players on Wednesday evening, explaining that he wants the captain to be the longest-serving player in the squad (which Mikel Obi fitted in more than any other player), hence the change of baton.

According to Colin Udoh, a respected sports journalist and member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) marketing team, the decision to make Musa captain had been known to both players prior to the meeting where Mikel was officially announced to the media.

2019: APC Endorses Buhari For Second Term

Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus endorsed Buhari at a meeting held on Tuesday night, sources privy to the situation in the party revealed why the caucus made the endorsement before 2019 presidential election.

Impeccable source has it that the national caucus comprising serving and former governors, the National Assembly leadership, and selected members of the national executive of the party at a meeting held on Tuesday night endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari to run for a second term in office. According to them, the endorsement of Buhari for a second term would help to stabilize the polity considering the 16-year rot inherited from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

President Buhari

The caucus at the meeting constituted a committee to resolve all pending issues in the party among other pressing issues agreed on. It was gathered that the caucus agreed that President Buhari should be allowed to seek a second term, though some of the caucus members also noted that it was too early to kick start a second term campaign for the president. It was further learnt that the matter was brought to the fore in a bid to curb restiveness among some party leaders, who have been split over their 2019 political ambition. The development is attributed to the problems that led to the crisis in the National Assembly and also the inability of the party to inaugurate its board of trustees (BoT) till date.

 A source privy to the situation in the party said: “With Buhari contesting in 2019, those who have been squabbling will now have to queue up behind him and put the interest of the party ahead.” In a related development, senators elected on the platform of the party on Tuesday night also decided to work together. In a meeting held in Abuja, the senators vowed to unify themselves in order not to misplace their influence to the more united PDP caucus in the house.

However, the national chairman of the party, chief John Odigie-Oyegun, who spoke with journalists at the end of the meeting, clarified that there was no threat against his position. He dismissed reports of pressure on him to resign his office, saying: “I am not aware that my office is under threat. I led the party to the State House. It amazes me, occasionally it annoys me. That is one of the things you have to endure when you are in a position like mine.” The national chairman confirmed that a committee was set up to resolve all the crises in the party. He urged Nigerians to give the party time to deliver, assuring them that the administration would pick up after the 2016 budget is passed.

As part of efforts to avoid fissures and internal feuds in the party, the president has ordered the worth-west governors and leaders to reunite Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and his predecessor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso. Meanwhile, as the party is busy settling personal issues and internal disputes as well as preparing for 2019 presidential election, the country’s major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party has asked President Buhari to constitute a panel that will investigate the violence that characterised the Rivers state rerun parliamentary election.

Boko Haram militants “abduct 16 women, girls” in Adamawa

At least 16 female residents of Adamawa State were abducted Wednesday by suspected Boko Haram militants, the police and local officials said.
Police said a team of officers had been deployed to the area to search for the abducted persons.
Those abducted include 14 women and two girls. They were seized in Sabongari Madagali, in Madagali Local Government of the state, a federal lawmaker representing the area said.
Local sources said some of the women were taken from a nearby bush where they went in search of firewood.
Others were seized from a nearby river while fishing.
A source said two women managed to escape the abductors by pretending to have drowned.
“The two women who are in real state of trauma told us that the suspected Boko Haram insurgents had a field day carting away the women when their escorts ran away for their dear lives,” the source said.
He said two vigilante operatives who escorted the women to the bush fled on sighting the heavily armed men, who arrived good numbers.
“They left the women to their own devices as the gunmen were left unchallenged leading to the abduction of the said women,” the source said.
Confirming the incident, the member representing Michika/ Madagali Federal constituency, Adamu Kamale, said, “I just received the shocking news to the effect that about 16 women have been abducted by Boko Haram.
“We have been witnessing pockets of attacks contrary to the belief that security has been fully restored in the area. As a member of NASS( National Assembly), I have been calling for the deployment of security personnel but to no avail as the government seems to have relegated our concerns to the background”.
The Police Public Relations Officer of Adamawa, Othman Abubakar, said on learning about the development, the command deployed officers to the affected area.
He said police were working “round the clock to track down the abducted women and girls”.

Panic in Rivers: Nine feared dead as gun battle erupts in Bori

Emerging reports suggest that 9 people have been killed following a heavy gun battle that broke out in Bori, Rivers state earlier since the early hours of Tuesday, February 23.  Reports has it that the battle was between soldiers and militants suspected to be supporters of the ex-militant leader, Solomon Ndigbara.

Four people were feared dead at Yeghe in Gokana, the home town of the embattled ex-militant, says local sources. The campaign office of Senator Magnus Abe in Bori, Gokhana local government area of the state was reportedly set on fire by supporters of the ex-militant leader, popularly known as General Osama Bin Laden.

According to sources, four youths were killed as a result of a shoot-out between the military and some armed cultists when the military invaded the family house of Solomon who has been hiding from security forces.

In the meantime, the Rivers state polytechnic, Bori has been shut down following the gun duel. Witnesses disclose that there is no movement in Bori now, as shops are locked, and markets are deserted. Some students told newsmen via telephone that they are trapped in their rooms, as they could not find vehicles at the motor park in Bori to convey them to their various destinations.

Many people have reportedly sustained various degrees of injuries from stray bullets. A resident said she saw five corpses on Taabaa street, stressing that people were living in fear. The Nigerian army, 2 Brigade command, Port Harcourt is yet to brief the press on the development in Ogoni.