President Muhammadu Buhari has newly appointed Ambassador designates to both the United Nations (UN) in New York the United States of America and African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
According to a statement by the special adviser to the President on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, Professor Tijjani Bande, from Kebbi State, is posted as Nigeria’s Ambassador/Representative to the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations Headquarters in New York while Itegboje Sunday Samson from Edo State is posted as Nigeria’s Ambassador/Deputy Representative, Permanent Mission of Nigeria also to the United Nations Headquarters in New York;
The statement said that while Kadiri Ayinla Audu from Kwara State is posted as Nigeria’s Ambassador/Representative to the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations Offices in Geneva, Bankole A. Adeoye from Ogun State is posted as Nigeria’s Ambassador/Representative to the Embassy of Nigeria/Permanent Mission to the African Union in Addis Ababa. [myad]
Forbes, a website renowned for ranking of richest people in the world, has made available the list of richest people in Nigeria in 2017.
In the latest release, nine others made the billionaires club to join Africa’s Richest man, Aliko Dangote, with a net worth of $12.5 billion. In 2014, Dangote ranked as the 24th richest man in the world but has since then fallen to positions below 100 due to Naira’s depreciating value.
Others on the rich men’s list, according to Forbes ranking, are: Gbobacom and ConOil Chairman Mike Adenuga with a net worth of $10.5 billion, with interest in oil and gas and telecoms and Zenon Oil and Gas and Forte Oil Plc Chief Executive Officer Femi Otedola, who has interest in real estate amongst other sectors with net worth of $2.3 billion.
Also in the club are: business tycoon Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, who has interest in fashion, oil and printing industries. Mrs Alakija, who is the richest African woman has a net worth of $2.1 billion; former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Theophilus Danjuma, who is the Chairman of Atlantic Petroleum with a net worth $1.7 billion and BUA Group Founder Abdusalam Rabiu, who has interest in sugar refining, cement production, real estate and port operations.
In September 2015, the BUA Group signed a $600 million deal with a Chinese cement equipment service provider Sinoma International Engineering to construct a second production line in Edo State. He is worth $1.5 billion.
General TY-Danjuma
Others are: United Bank for Africa and The Tony Elumemu Foundation Chairman Mr. Tony Elumelu. The philanthropist is worth $1.4 billion.
There is also former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu. The Slok Holding founder and Chairman runs a conglomerate with interest in shipping, banking, oil, trading, manufacturing and the media. He is worth $1.1 billion.
Zenith Bank Founder and Chairman Jim Ovia is the largest shareholder with a stake of almost 10 per cent. Ovia is worth $1 billion.
The Chairman and Founder of the Honeywell Group, Oba Otudeko is said to worth $650 million. He is the chairman of FBN Holdings Plc.
His operations spread across oil and gas, flour milling, real estate and marine transportation. [myad]
The Nigerian Military has admitted that the leader of the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents, Abubakar Shekau is still fully alive, but promised that he would soon be captured.
The Director Defence Information (DDI), Major General John Eneche who spoke to news men in Abuja said that there has been what he called ‘mix-up’ on the information about the capture or death of the Boko Haram leader because of the various faces Shekau uses.
The Defence Spokesman said that the “real Shekau” has not been captured, adding: “there were so many Shekau faces, that was what was responsible for that but we will get the real thing. We have now come to know that the real Shekau is yet to be apprehended, so that is the truth.
“When Osama Bin Laden was killed, they went further to do a DNA test; that was what happened. The truth is because of so many faces of Shekau that came up, that was what brought up the mix up, but it is the truth that the real Shekau is yet to be apprehended and we will get him.”
Major General Eneche also gave an account of military operations in Nigeria, saying that the Nigerian Armed Forces have done well.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) has been able to decimate and degrade the Boko Haram terrorists (BHT) from their terrogensic activity to splinter acts of terrorism here and there mostly within Borno State. Currently, clearance operation is ongoing jointly by the AFN to eliminate both active and passive acts of terrorism in the North Eest. It is worthy of note that some countries such as Britain, USA and France among others provided one form of assistance to the military in our effort so far in the North East.”
General Eneche also said Operation SHARAN DAJI in the Northwest has been able to curtail the activities of cattle rustlers with many of them embracing the amnesty offered by the government of Zamfara state.
“Currently, the activities of the criminals have been checkmated tremendously. It is highly desirable to point out here, that a good number of criminals that were engaged in these activities embraced the amnesty offer by Zamfara State Government. It is expected that, other states in the NW would emulate Zamfara State, so that; this wickedness of criminality is eradicated from the zone in particular and Nigeria in general.”
He however dismissed the notion that the Military is not doing anything to curtail activities of herdsmen, saying that it is a conflict “between brothers which will require a political solution.
“It is not the one that you have an identified enemy, the issue of Fulani herdsmen and locals, it is an issue an African would put as brothers that have misunderstanding. It is an issue of two brothers. Even in our houses, children that follow almost immediately have this kind of argument, that is the issues of the herdsmen and the locals. At various fora, we have agreed that it needs more or less of political solutions.” [myad]
“In my village, a soldier told me that he had fled the North-east due to non-provision of bullets and ammunition. Disturbed by the news, I sought an audience with President Goodluck Jonathan. When I finally saw him and spoke to him on the situation in the North-east and how soldiers were fleeing the troubled zone, he said that he had heard of such and doubted if the money he was releasing to the military was being used for that purpose.
These were the comments of the former Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, retired Lt. General Ishaya Rizi Bamaiyi at the launching of a book he wrote in honour of the war time Head of State, retired General Yakubu Gowon.
General Bamaiyi said: “If you place the welfare of your soldiers first, they can give their lives for your defence. But if you ask soldiers to cough out N10 million to purchase a house, then what it means is that you are encouraging them to go to the road and steal.
He said that despite what some service chiefs were said to have done during the regime of Jonathan, “it is not true that we are all the same. We must serve with integrity and do what is expected of us. We should be seen to be standing for the truth.”
Bamaiyi stressed the need for the military authorities to focus on improving the welfare of soldiers. [myad]
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has, in Paris, France, today, Thursday, expressed the difficulty which Nigerian government is currently encountering in getting other countries to repatriate funds stolen by Nigerians and kept in those countries.
“The tracing, freezing and return of stolen assets has proved in many cases to be exceptionally difficult for most African countries. We in Nigeria have seen just how difficult it is to get back stolen assets from the international financial system: banks that ought not have received those funds in the first place if the most routine questions were asked.”
Osinbajo, who spoke at the Global Anti-Corruption Forum insisted that countries hosting global financial centers, and other usually targeted destinations of illicit flows must be held more accountable to enforce mechanisms which ensure transparency of ownership, control, beneficial ownerships, trusts and other legal contrivances that may be used to camouflage financial or other assets.
Saying that a robust global framework on repatriation of stolen assets which ensures quick restitution to victim countries is long overdue, the Nigeria’s Vice President noted that there is consensus that corruption and illicit financial flows out of Africa, inexorably delay the attainment of development goals, worsen practically all human development indices and trap the majority of her people, especially the most vulnerable in a cycle of misery.
“Only a united global action has the power to reverse this trend. We respectfully urge that this power be exercised more vigorously and without further delay.” [myad]
Ambassador of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Fahad Bin Abdullah Sefyan has confessed that he loves to remain in Nigeria if it were not that he was going on retirement.
The Ambassador, who spent 20 months on tour of duty, said he loved it in Nigeria, and would have wanted to stay for longer, if not that he was now due for retirement.
Fahad Bin Abdullah Sefyan, who paid farewell visit on President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, today, Thursday, said: “I quite appreciate the relationship between the two countries.”
He commended President Buhari for his dodged fight against corruption and Boko Haram, adding: “I think you are doing very well, Your Excellency. We know what you have done with Boko Haram, and we applaud you.”
This was even as President Buhari said that the relationship between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia has been a mutually beneficial one, stressing the need for it to grow stronger in the years to come.
The President observed that apart from visiting Mecca and Medina for religious reasons, a lot of Nigerians are in Saudi Arabian universities.
He said that Nigerian economy is being gradually revived, even as he made it clear that the two countries needed to explore more areas to collaborate in future. [myad]
Kwara table tennis player, Timothy Abiara, today, Thursday in Ilorin, slumped and died while training at the table tennis hall of the State Stadium Complex.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Abiara, 45, represented the state at both the 2011 and 2012 editions of the National Sports Festival in Port Harcourt and Lagos.
Abiara died during a game with another player when he suddenly held his chest and was shouting, as those watching the game thought that he was reacting to a lost point.
He was confirmed dead at the State General Hospital where he was rushed to.
Late Abiara, who hails from Ogbomoso in Oyo State, was a fashion designer by profession.
He was survived by a wife and four children.
The State Commissioner for Sports, Kale Ayo, described the situation as pathetic, even as he commiserated with the family of the deceased.
The State Director of Sports, Tunde Kazeem, who also confirmed the athlete’s death, described it as a sad and unfortunate situation.
He however charged other athletes to always embark on regular medical check-ups. [myad]
The Nigeria war time Head of State, retired General Yakubu Gowon has confessed that participation of military in government had done more harm to the country than good.
He described army officers who staged various coups to oust civilian governments as self-serving rather than out of patriotism.
General Gowon, who spoke today at the launching of a book: ‘Vindication of a General,’ written by former Chief of Army staff, retired Lt. General Ishaya Rizi Bamaiyi, emphasized that military participation in politics did more harm to the institution than good.
According to Gowon, after waging a civil war for the country’s unity, subsequent coups did havoc on the military profession.
He said that someone like General Bamaiyi, due to his candour and professionalism, represents the best the military profession has ever produced.
“I commend the candour and integrity of General Bamaiyi and his resilience of standing up and expressing his views to his superiors even when he knew they were not the same with those of his superiors.”
The war-time leader called on Nigerians to find time to document their odyssey in the public life so as to give younger generation an opportunity to study what transpired in the past.
The book presenter, Professor Sam Egwu, described the book as a moving narration that is hinged on humility and forgiveness.
He said that the 252-page book is laced with accounts of betrayals and personal deprivations of someone who rose from a corporal to become the Chief of Army Staff.
The book, according to Egwu, is divided into four sections, with 16 chapters.
Beyond being a moving narration by an army general on the various betrayals and the power games that trailed military politics in Nigeria, the book reviewer said ‘Vindication of a General’ is a book that unveils certain issues of the past.
Distinguished Nigerians from all walks of life attended the event, among them are Minister of Defence, retired General Dan Manir Ali, former Secretary to the government of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Yayale, Ambassador Shehui Malami, Senators Saminu Turaki, Adamu Aleiro, Shehu Sani, former Chief Security Officer to General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, Kola Abiola, son to late MKO Abiola and retired military generals. [myad]
A group going by the name “Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights” (CASER) has vowed to seek legal redress against the Nigerian Senate over the suspension of Senator Ali Ndume for a period of six months.
In a statement in which the group gave the Senate 48 hours to recall the suspended Senator, the Executive Director, Frank Tietie, described the action of the Senate as having violated the provision of Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which guarantees the right to hold an opinion and to express same freely in Nigeria.
“We at CASER are amused and troubled that for asking his colleagues in the senate to investigate a matter which he read about in the dailies, Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South Senatorial District, has been punished with a suspension from participating in law making activities in the Senate for six months.
“It amounts to crass intolerance on the part of majority of the senators whose many governmental sins and political foibles have been many times overlooked by Nigerians, yet the same senators have chosen come down hard on one of their own for exercising his right to hold an opinion to which he is entitled under the Constitution to so freely express.”
CASER insisted that the action of the Senators is a misapplication of Section 21 of the Legislative Houses Powers and Privileges Act, even as it viewed the suspension as a means of punishing a perceived erring legislative house member which it said is a very serious matter as it touches on the right of a citizen in a participatory democracy to be represented in governance through the National Assembly.
“CASER is very mindful that perhaps, for the reason of political correctness, Senator Ndume may have chosen to leave his fate in the hands of his fellow senators for the next six months but that is of immaterial consideration as the resolve by CASER to legally challenge the Senate arises from the need to check the rising arrogance and intolerance among Senators, to which extent a people’s representatives has been suspended in breach of his fundamental right to free speak his mind and the right of a people to be represented in the National Assembly.”
The group expressed worry that the Senate is becoming a fiefdom with an unwritten law that overly exalts loyalty to its president, Dr. Bukola Saraki, above the recognition of the right of a Senator or any other ordinary Nigerian citizen. [myad]
The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai wants all security agents indigenous to the troubled southern part of the state to be transferred out of the zone.
The Governor said that report reaching him showed that instead of such officers to help to resolve the crises, those of them who are indigenously from the zone have been adding to the problem.
Governor El-Rufai, who was speaking at a peace meeting with religious leaders in the state house, Kaduna today, Thursday said that Southern Kaduna zone has been in crisis for over three decades, but that no one has been prosecuted for involving in the crises.
He said that his government has hired 50 lawyers to build the capacity of the state’s ministry of justice and to enable it prosecute those suspected to be behind the crises both now and in the past.
The Governor reminded the clerics that the state witnessed several of such crises in the past 38 years, including the time of ex governor Makarfi and Yakowa.
He said the crises had nothing to do with the faith or the ethnic group of the political leader in the state, adding that his government has been able to identify impunity as one of the factors fuelling the crisis in the state. [myad]
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