Barclays Premier League Champions, Chelsea, started the new season on a disappointing note drawing with Swansea 2-2.
The Defending Champions lost their goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois at the 52nd minute when he brought down Bafetimbi Gomis in the penalty box.
Chelsea got their two goals from Oscar and Fernandez, while Ayew and Gomis were on target for Swansea. [myad]
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets would face host Chile, Croatia and USA in Group A of the preliminary round of the FIFA World Under-17 Championship which begins on October 8, 2015 in Chile.
This position came out yesterday after the draws that were conducted at Centro de las Artes 660 in Santiago de Chile, Chile.
The Golden Eaglets squad finished fourth at this year’s African U17 Championship in Niger Republic to qualify for the tournament where they will be hoping to defend the crown they won two years back in the United Arab Emirates.
The full draws are as follows:
Group A (Santiago, Vina del Mar, Coquimbo): Chile, Croatia, Nigeria, USA
Group B (La Serena, Coquimbo, Vina del Mar): England, Guinea, Brazil, Korea Republic
Group C (Chillan, Talca): Australia, Germany, Mexico, Argentina
Group D (Talca, Chillan): Belgium, Mali, Honduras, Ecuador
Group E (Concepcion, Puerto Montt): South Africa, Costa Rica, Korea DPR, Russia
Group F (Puerto Montt, Concepcion): New Zealand, France, Syria, Paraguay. [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari is sadi to have ordered the Presidential Amnesty Office to commence the payment of outstanding stipends to former agitators in the Niger Delta and beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).
President Buhari had earlier approved the commencement of payment of the stipends and allowances to the beneficiaries, the development which was confirmed in a statement by the head of media and communication, Amnesty Office, Daniel Alabrah.
Daniel said that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) today commenced the payment with the outstanding May stipend of N65,000 per beneficiary.
“The outstanding stipends will be paid in batches. We have commenced payment with the outstanding May 2015 stipends. That of June and July will be paid afterwards.
“The outstanding allowances and school/training fees of beneficiaries will be cleared at the end of the ongoing verification exercise of genuine claims. Hopefully, the other payments will commence soon once the verification team concludes its exercise,” Alabrah said..
On July 28, 2015, the President appointed Brigadier-General Paul Boroh (rtd.) as the PAP coordinator and special adviser on Niger Delta.
“Mr. President has by his approval demonstrated his commitment to strengthening of the Amnesty Programme. It is heartwarming that he graciously approved funds so as to quickly resolve the issues that have affected the smooth running of the programme.
“Now beneficiaries whose training or studies have been affected can look forward to resuming their studies sooner than later. We are committed to a quick resolution of all outstanding issues, including the training fees,” Boroh said. [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari has asked Nigerians to go back to farm, warning that the oil the country had so depended on would no longer be able to sustain the economy.
He made it clear that the time has come for Nigerians to do more than pay mere lip service to agriculture, as crude oil and gas exports will no longer be sufficient as the country’s major revenue earner.
President Buhari who spoke when he received in audience the Nigerian born President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Dr. Kanayo Nwanze, at the Presidential Villa Abuja. remarked: “It’s time to go back to the land. We must face the reality that the petroleum we had depended on for so long will no longer suffice. We campaigned heavily on agriculture, and we are ready to assist as many as want to go into agricultural ventures.”
A statement by senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, quoted Buhari as saying that his government would work towards cutting short the long bureaucratic processes that Nigerian farmers had to go through to get any form of assistance from government.
He said that improvement in the productivity of farmers, dry season farming, and creative ways to combat the shrinking of the Lake Chad would receive the attention of his administration.
“There is so much to be done. We will try and articulate a programme and consult organizations like IFAD for advise,” the President said, adding that foreign exchange will be conserved for machinery and other items needed for production, instead of using it to import things like toothpicks.
Dr. Nwanze had assured President Buhari that IFAD is ready to give all possible assistance to the Federal Government and Nigerian farmers to boost agricultural production.
IFAD is an international organization dedicated to addressing issues of agriculture and poverty alleviation. It was established in 1978, and has been collaborating with Nigeria for over 30 years.
The Rivers State branch of All Progressives Congress (APC) has described President Muhammadu Buhari as the true son of the Niger Delta even though he is not from there, by his recent move to fast-track the clean-up of Ogoniland in accordance with the Report and recommendations of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).
In a statement today, the party’s Chairman, Dr. Ibiamu Ikanya, said that President Buhari, has proved to be a better son of Rivers State and the Niger Delta than immediate past president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, and Rivers State Caretaker Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike.
“The news of President Buhari not only directing the cleaning up of Ogoni land but also the fast-tracking of the process came to us as a great relief, particularly considering the fact that former President Jonathan in demonstration of his hatred and disdain for Rivers State and its people ensured that this exercise did not see the light of the day throughout his ill-fated regime which was more of a curse to Rivers State people and the Niger Delta region.
“President Buhari has demonstrated by this act that he is a better son of Rivers State and the long-suffering Niger Delta than Dr. Jonathan and Chief Wike who, though from the region, instead teamed up to ensure that the region was under-developed and even ceded our oil wells to other states while also ensuring that no Federal Government presence was felt in Rivers State throughout their evil regime.”
The Rivers State chairman commended President Buhari for what he called “this brave and patriotic step in cleaning up Ogoni land.
“President Buhari has proved that he is truly a God-Gift to Nigeria at this particular time to right the wrongs, injustice and wickedness Rivers State and Niger Delta suffered under the regime of Dr. Jonathan Goodluck.” [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari has started dreaming of Nigeria going into local production of war weaponry as he directed the Federal Ministry of Defence to produce a plan for the establishment of a modest Military Industrial Complex for the local production of weapons. This would aim at meeting some of the requirements of the country’s armed forces.
Speaking in Abuja today at the graduation ceremony of the National Defence College, President Buhari described as unacceptable, Nigeria’s current over-dependence on other countries for critical military equipment and logistics.
“We must evolve viable mechanisms for near-self-sufficiency in military equipment and logistics production complemented only by very advanced foreign technologies.
“The Ministry of Defence is being tasked to draw up clear and measurable outlines for development of a modest Military Industrial Complex for Nigeria.
“In this regard, it is to liaise with other strategic MDAs and industries to re-engineer the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) to meet national military hardware and logistics requirements,” the President said.
President Buhari said that his administration had, since its assumption of office, reviewed the nature and character of Nigeria’s security threats and challenges.
“We recognized first and foremost, the external dimensions of these threats and the need for international cooperation and common security mechanisms to tackle them.”
President Buhari said that in the light of this realization, his Administration is convinced that the best approach is to work within the framework of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) to mobilize a collective regional effort in the fight against terrorism and insurgency.
The President advised the graduates and officers and men of the Armed Forces to work harder to win the war against Boko Haram, terrorism and insurgency.
“We must apply a comprehensive strategy and coordinate all elements of national power against terrorism and insurgency; we must show result oriented leadership at all levels of military Command; we must set up an optimal organization to manage and sustain operational performance; and we must show confidence and winning mentality.”
The President assured that the Federal Government under his leadership will strive to meet the operational, logistic, training and welfare requirements of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
He also reaffirmed his commitment to ameliorating the hardships of people living in areas most affected by insurgency and terrorism.
“We have the will, resolve and conviction to apply a comprehensive strategy and coordinate all elements of national power against terrorism and insurgency,” the President reassured Nigerians and the international community.
President Buhari said that the National Defence College had fulfilled the vision of its founding fathers, by becoming a strategic human capacity-building institution, making credible contributions to Nigeria and other friendly countries.
The President urged graduates of the College’s Course 23 to resolve to make a marked difference in their future deployments and contribute their quota to the evolution and implementation of national security, defence and military strategies.
“You should be the source that lights up the environment wherever you find yourselves.” [myad]
Diamond Bank Plc has apologized to a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abike Dabiri- Erewa for listing her among its debtors. The apology was sponsored today in adverts in two national.
The former broadcaster was earlier in the week listed as Director in Thriller Endeavours Ltd, which the bank said is indebted to it to the tune of N122 million.
However, Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa denied being a director in the said company or owing the bank and any other financial institution for that matter.
The former lawmaker yesterday filed a suit before the Lagos State High Court, Igbosere, following the “irreparable damage” and embarrassment; the claim that she is a debtor has caused her. She asked the court to compel the bank to publicly apologize and also pay damages running to N500 million.
Responding, Diamond Bank apologized a day after for erroneously including her name as a director in a company owing their bank.
According to the bank, “We refer to our publication of the list of major delinquent debtor customers which included the name of Thriller Endeavours Ltd and a further mention of the name of Hon. Abike Dabiri as a director of the Company.
“The inclusion of the name of Hon. Abike Dabiri (stated as director in Thriller Endeavours Ltd) was erroneous and is deeply regretted.
“The Central Bank of Nigeria has been informed of this error. Hon. Abike Dabiri is not indebted to the bank in any capacity,” the bank begged. [myad]
Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has directed all commercial banks in possession of state government accounts to close them down and transfer the funds to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to maintain Treasury Single Account (TSA) framework with effect from September 1st, 2015.
According to a statement by the special assistant to the governor on media and publicity, Samuel Aruwan, said that after the establishment of the TSA, the state government will open specified sub-accounts with the CBN and the commercial banks.
The special adviser quoted governor el-Rufai as saying at a meeting with officials of all the banks hosting the state government’s many revenue and expenditure accounts that Kaduna State Government has decided to commence implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) framework by 1 September 2015.
“As part of the process of attaining this goal, all banks that maintain the accounts of the government have been put on notice to close them and remit the balances to the Central Bank of Nigeria which will host the state’s TSA.”
The banks that were present at the meeting assured the governor that within five working days of receiving the formal instructions from the state government, they would close the accounts and remit the balances to the TSA.
The statement said that selected revenue-holding accounts will be excluded from this directive and that government will publish needed Treasury Circulars and other instructions to give effect to these decisions. [myad]
A Mararaba Upper Area Court in Nasarawa state has ordered the remand of a 28-year-old student, Gimba Emen for allegedly impregnating and abandoning his girlfriend.
The prosecutor, Sergeant Samuel Okoro, told the court that Jessica Ibrahim, a girlfriend to the accused, reported the matter at the Sani Abacha Road Police Station, Mararaba, on August. 4 at about 11:30 a.m.
Okoro said that on January 4,this year, the accused who resides at Mararaba, approached Jessica for a relationship to which she accepted. He alleged that the accused deceived and deceitfully induced the complainant, who is not lawfully married to him, to believe that he will marry her.
“The accused cohabited with Jessica and had sexual intercourse with her which resulted into pregnancy. Thereafter, he drove her out of the house without providing for her needs,’’ Okoro alleged.
According to him, the complainant is carrying a seven-month-old pregnancy.
Okoro said that the offence committed by the accused contravened Section 383 of the Penal Code. Section 383 prescribes a three-year jail term as penalty for offenders even as Emen denied committing the offence.
He told the court that he had relationship with Jessica, but that it was in the past.
The prosecutor objected to the bail of the accused, adding that he is trying to deny his responsibility.
The Presiding Judge, Vincent Gwehemba, ordered that the accused be remanded in Keffi Prison until the August 17 when the case will come up for further mention. [myad]
King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Today, a Bangkok’s Military Court jailed Pongsak Sriboonpeng, 48, for 30 years having been found guilty of posting messages and pictures defaming a Thai King in six posts on the social networking website, Facebook.
He was sentenced to 10 years on each count with the 60-year jail term halved after he pleaded guilty, his lawyer, Sasinan Thamnithinan said.
The King, Bhumibol Adulyadej, 87, is protected by one of the world’s strictest royal defamation rules under which anyone convicted of insulting the king, queen, heir or regent could bag up to 15 years in prison on each count.
And because Pongsak was arrested while Thailand was still under martial law there was no right to appeal the sentence passed by the military court.
Lese majeste convictions have surged since Thailand’s generals seized power from an elected government in May 2014.
According to Law, a local rights group that monitors such cases, there were just two ongoing prosecutions for royal defamation before the coup. Now that number is at least 56.
Critics of the law say it has been used as a weapon against political enemies of the royalist elite and their military allies and now targets those opposed to the coup. [myad]
