India, believed to have made huge money from film making since 1913, has promised to assist Nigeria develop its film industry for the purpose of making good revenue.
The country’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Ajjampur Ghanashyam, who made this promise in Abuja today, said that India would partner Nigeria to develop the film industry to the level of viable industry.
Ghanashyam said that the Nigeria’s film industry had the potential to contribute more to the nation’s economy, saying: “`Nollywood may be relatively a recent phenomenon compared with the Indian film industry but there is scope for both of us to develop concepts from each other.”
He called for more training for the operators of Nigeria’s film industry adding that the Federal Government should create an environment conducive for proper funding of the industry.
Ghanashyam said such efforts could include making access to loans for film makers to be easier.
“In our own case, the government made the Bollywood industry to be an industry; they can raise a bank loan for making a movie.
“Initially accessing loans was not possible for film makers, they were dependent on anybody who was willing to give them the money but that has changed”, he said.
Ghanashyam said with good funding, the quality of films would improve, a development he said, would have a multiplier effect not only on the industry but the entire economy.
“Indian Film Industry started 1913. We had our centenary about two years ago. We have made about 78, 900 movies in 18 languages, that is why the Indian film makers are called the dream merchants.
“Here we make a movie with 20,000 to 50,000 dollars. You can’t make a movie with less than 50 million dollars in Hollywood.” [myad]
Five armed men wearing army camouflage yesterday snatched the car of one of the editors of PREMIUM TIMES, Sani Tukur, after throwing his kid who was sleeping out. The robbers also ordered the wife of the victim and other children out of the car before they drove it away the Toyota Camry, 2007 Model.
Tukur, who is the director of the North for the online publication, said the incident occurred Saturday evening at about 9 p.m., along the Airport Road in Abuja.
He narrated his ordeal thus: “We were returning from the National Mosque: my wife and our children. We had gone to offer the Isha/Taraweeh prayers when the ugly incident occurred.
“They used the car they just snatched from another victim to block my way, and when one of them alighted from the car and I noticed that he was wearing an army uniform and thought they were on official patrol.
“They used to station some soldiers at the exact spot we were robbed whenever the President is coming back from a trip. So, I never knew they were armed robbers until the others also came down and I noticed that some were only wearing military jackets, but normal trousers.
“All of a sudden, the first one that came down pointed his gun at me and asked me to come down. When he noticed that I was not alone, he also asked my wife and children to come down immediately.
“One of the kids was already sleeping at the back seat and before he got into the driver’s seat, one of the robbers picked up the kid and threw him to the hard surface. He sustained some minor injuries to the right side of his face.”
Tukur said he already reported the incident to the Divisional Police Headquarters at Lugbe, Abuja.
The stolen car has a colour of gold, with registration number ABJ 143FE. [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari is believed to have begun the vigorous search in many banks across the world for looted Nigerian funds for the purpose of recovering and repatriating them.
It was learnt on good authority that among the countries where the President is beaming his searchlight, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland and other European nations where it believes corrupt officials had been stashing away public funds.
The President had, on his first day in Aso Villa office, said that he inherited an almost empty treasury from his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, and made it clear that his administration would recover all the looted funds stashed in foreign banks by corrupt Nigerians.
“The next three months may be hard, but billions of dollars can be recovered, and we will do our best,” the President was quoted as saying in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
Some of the countries where looted funds from Nigeria had been kept in the past include Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Others are France, Germany, British Virgin Islands and other tax havens spread across the globe.
Adesina, who confirmed this to newsmen at the weekend, said the search for the looted funds would not be limited to these countries, but anywhere in the world where they may be hidden.
“The search will not only cover UK, US, Switzerland, Germany and other known havens for Nigerian looted funds, but will cover everywhere under the sun. Anywhere and everywhere that the looted funds are, we have an assurance from the United States of America to assist us to repatriate these funds from anywhere under the sun.” [myad]
Governor Nasiru El-Rufia of Kaduna state has directed the office of the Head of Service, to employ 10 persons each from the 255 wards in the state, to work as Health Inspectors.
The governor also ordered that over 1,000 others should be engaged in a proposed fertiliser plant that would be built in the state soon, saying that this is part of measures aimed at reducing idleness among the youths in the state.
The governor who addressing residents of Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone, organised by office of the Special Adviser on Political Matters, expressed worries over the high rate of unemployment in the state.
He reiterated his commitment to fulfilling all his campaign promises, including that of creating employment opportunities through public and private partnership for youth and women across the 23 local government areas of the state.
According to him, talks are on with some investors to build world class industries in the state that would employ a sizable number of people in their workforce as soon as possible.
Governor El-Rufai said that the on the ongoing verification of civil servants in the state was aimed at fishing out ghost workers in the state workforce, explaining that it is not targeted at sacking any worker, as being alleged by some people.
In their separate remarks, the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress appealed to the government to make the verification of civil servants stress free.
The leaders also asked the Governor to implement the Housing and Transport Policy for Civil Servants, in order to ameliorate their sufferings. [myad]
About three weeks after Muhammadu Buhari assumed office as President of Nigerian, the usual lobbyists for the ministerial positions appear to have disappeared.
According to political analysts, potential ministers are even afraid of being appointed ministers by President Buhari, knowing that it would not going to be business as usual, even as the President had sounded a note of warning during his inauguration on May 29 that he was for everybody and was for nobody.
It can be recalled that in the recent past, lobbyists for the ministerial positions would inundate the President immediately after his inauguration, with top political gladiators sending their nominees to the President.
It is noted that top leaders of the new ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), including Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, Musa Kwankwaso, Rotimi Amaechi, Rochas Okorocha and others have maintained a reasonable distance from the President in order that they are not embarrassed.
There are indications that the President would not follow any dictation from any of the party leaders in the choice of his team, with the understanding that he would not like his government to fail in delivering the promises he made to Nigerians. He is fully conscious of the fact that the buck stops at his table.
It is understood that Nigerians, especially those in the opposition, would not take any excuse from Buhari in particular for any kind of failure in the affairs of the government. [myad]
The Kogi state police command has expressed worry over the escape of some suspected notorious thieves who were apprehended by the local vigilante group and handed over to the Akpafa Divisional Headquarters in Ogori/Magongo local government area of the state.
Confirming the embarrassment of the police by the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO), Collins Adebayo (ASP) said that the Commissioner of Police, Samuel Adebayo Ogunjemilusi and the command’s management team were not happy with the development.
The PPRO, who said instruction had been given to all concerned police formations to ensure the re-arrest of fleeing suspects, disclosed that appropriate disciplinary measures have been taken against all the policemen on duty on the said day the suspects escaped.
Reports have it that the residents of Ogori and Ayoromi, a border settlement with Edo State had launched protest on the escape of the suspected thieves whom they arrested on Sunday and handed over to the Police.
The Community accused the Divisional Police Officer of complicity in the sudden disappearance of the thieves who have allegedly confessed to the crime and revealed names of their accomplices.
According to a prominent indegine of Ogori, who wants to be anonymous, stealing, house breaking and vandalism had been the order of the day, especially at Ayoromi where most of the people in the diaspora had their houses and properties looted and vandalised.
According to the source, “most of the houses have been vandalized with windows, doors and several building materials carted away by hoodlums”.
The community was said to have set up its own vigilante to watch movements of persons and subsequently apprehended the suspects. [myad]
The Elders and Traditional Rulers of Nembe Kingdom, in Nembe Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State, have exposed, in a petition they sent to President Muhammad Buhari, the shady business deal involving among others, the secret sales of oil and gas reserves from the Area by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) without the involvement of the indigenes.
The Nembe kingdom is one of the biggest on-shore oil producing communities in the Niger Delta, with the oil mining lease (OML) 29 producing over 150, 000 barrels of crude oil per day. The oil block covers an area of 983 square kilometres.
In the petition titled “SHELL’S CLANDESTINE SALE OF OUR OIL AND GAS RESERVES THAT DEMANDED FOR TRANSPARENCY, DUE PROCESS AND WHICH WAS DEVOID OF ANY CONSULTATION: A DEMAND FOR OUR COMMUNITY’S PARTICIPATION AND OUR RIGHT TO EQUITY SHARES IN SHELL’S SALE OF ITS ASSETS”, the community claimed that the action of the SPDC to exclude the Communities is an insult and a provocative stance that could disrupt oil exploration in the Area.
The petition was made available to newsmen yesterday in Yenagoa, and signed by the Chairman of the Nembe Oil and Gas Committee, Chief (Amb.) Nengi James – Eriworio, and the Secretary, Chief Austin Aye Martins- Gboro,
“the writing of this petition, therefore, became imperatively necessary in the light of the fact that, we as a community was never consulted or informed of the outright sale of our God given natural resources as regards our reserves of oil and gas.”
” We just woke up one morning and started reading in the newspapers and the electronic media that our oil fields have been sold by Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited (SPDC) and acquired by an unknown company – Aiteo Eastern Exploration and production company limited involving the acquisition of SPDC’S thirty percent (30%) stake in our oil mining lease (OML) 29 and the Nembe Creek Trunk line (NCTL) under the latest shell’s divestment policy of empowering indigenous oil companies as enunciated in the lurch to suffer for all the ‘sins’ committed by Shell in our environment. This smacks of impunity as it is not done in line with global best practices.”
“The problem of this clandestine sale without prior consent and or consultation of the custodians of the oil fields to Aiteo to boost indigenous companies in the upstream sub-sector of the oil and gas industry, have produced a lacuna that the sale had not taken care of. During the time of shell’s operations in the Nembe environment over the years, our land had been totally devastated and degraded which was occasioned by incessant oil spills that called for clean-ups and remediation of the environment. Shell was responsible for these anomalies and as a result of their negligent behavior. That is why it beats our imaginations that nothing was made known to us, as a community that had shouldered these hazards of oil exploration and exploitation.
“Apart from the devastated and degraded environment that has been unwittingly left behind to our detriment, there were also the issues of mutual agreements entered into between the company and the community. These were memoranda of understanding that ensured the provision of amenities to the community and contracts to local contractors. These were things done to mitigate the effects of their oil exploration and exploitation activities; and to give the people a sense of belonging and to create harmonious company/community relations.”
“The above outstanding and unresolved problems have since remained, and no explanations have been given as to how they would be resolved. That is why our people have been seriously aggrieved of the sale without our knowledge: express our misgivings over certain aspects of the sale; and even make a protest on certain areas that we may have found repugnant to our collective aspirations as a people. Rather our voices were suppressed, sidelined, and now, we simply standby to watch the complete devastation and annihilation of our age-long economic, social and cultural heritage.”
“Indeed what is the meaning of Nigerian Content development without taking cognizance of the feelings of the people that are in custody of the oil and gas reserves? So in all these, where did the people stand to gain? In fact what are the supposed benefits of the goose that lays the golden eggs? In the circumstance we find ourselves, it is our onerous resolve and demand that SHELL and AITEO must consult us to tie all loose ends of this unfortunate sale, with a view to including the Nembe Community as stakeholders and as partners in progress.”
“This is the only fair thing to do. We should be given a room to participate as stakeholders in the indigenous companies’ participation in the upstream sub-sector of the oil and gas industry. We must be given equity shares as the original local indigenous owners of the oil and gas reserves: otherwise, the local content development policy will not have any meaning.It is a fact that, it is only when we are given a room to participate that we are going to give our total support and our community’s good will, to the sale that is skewed against us. What we are saying is that, there ought to be openness, fairness, justice and equity. A role must be carved out for our people in the value chain of activities compressing acquisition, exploration and product in the oil and gas industry. This is the end of our sad story.” [myad]
The World cannot help but grieve over series of a mass shooting at a Tunisian beach resort, severed head displayed in a French town and other attacks that took place today in some parts of the world in what Islamic State (IS) group described as Ramadan attacks.
There was no apparent link between the attacks, but IS claimed a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in Kuwait in which 25 people were killed, and Islamist flags were found at the site of the French attack.
The IS jihadists were also accused by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights of killing 146 civilians in an offensive on the Kurdish town of Kobane.
The Islamist bloodshed comes on the second Friday today of the holy month of Ramadan in which Muslims observe a fast from dawn to sunset every day.
On Tuesday, Islamic State group spokesman, Abu Mohammed al-Adnani called for Muslims to engage in jihad and become martyrs during Ramadan.
“The best acts that bring you closer to God are jihad, so hurry to it and make sure to carry out the invasion this holy month and be exposed to martyrdom in it. These are your weapons and this is Ramadan.”
The gory day began with a dawn raid on an African Union base in Somalia by Al-Qaeda affiliated Shebab militants who often increase attacks during Ramadan.
Witnesses said as many as 50 people were killed in Lego village, 100 kilometres (62 miles) northwest of the capital Mogadishu, and some of them beheaded, before Shebab hoisted a black Islamic flag over the base. It was not possible to independently confirm the death toll.
In France, a few hours later, at least one extremist rammed a car into an American-owned industrial gas factory near France’s second city of Lyon.
The severed head of a businessman identified as the employer of the suspect arrested by police, was found pinned to the gates of the Air Products factory.
French President, Francois Hollande said inscriptions were found on the victim’s body, while Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Islamist flags were displayed around the head.
“The intent was without doubt to cause an explosion. It was a terrorist attack,” said Hollande.
Cazeneuve said the suspect was known for links to a radical form of Sunni Islam.
The act of beheading has become a hallmark of the Islamic State group which has taken over large parts of Iraq and Syria and rallied supporters around the world to carry out attacks on home soil.
Shortly after the French attack, a gunman entered a resort on the sun-soaked Tunisian coast with a weapon concealed in his beach umbrella, before opening fire and killing 37 people, including foreign tourists.
With the memories of earlier attacks still raw in both their countries, Hollande and his Tunisian counterpart Beji Caid Essebsi spoke after Friday’s events and voiced “solidarity in the face of terrorism”.
In January, 17 people were killed in Islamist attacks around Paris and in March, 21 tourists were killed in an attack on a Tunis museum.
Then just after noon in Kuwait as Muslims took part in Friday prayers, a suicide bomber entered a mosque, detonating and killing 28 people in the Gulf state’s first such attack in nearly a decade.
The IS-affiliated group in Saudi Arabia, calling itself Najd Province, said one of its militants was behind the bombing on a mosque it claimed was spreading Shiite teachings among Sunni Muslims.
IS, a radical Sunni Muslim group, considers Shiites to be heretics. Najd Province has claimed responsibility for several other attacks on Shiite mosques in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
The Islamic State group marks June 29 as the first anniversary of its self-declared “caliphate” straddling Iraq and Syria.
On Friday, its fighters attacked the Syrian town of Kobane from which it was dramatically ousted in January by Kurdish militia backed by US-led air strikes after four months of heavy fighting.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 120 civilians were killed in a 24-hour rampage on Kobane, and another 26 were executed in a nearby village.
France and Spain raised their alert level after the attacks, while several European leaders held emergency government meetings. US President Barack Obama was briefed on the bloodshed in Tunisia, Kuwait and France, Washington said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the attacks “show the challenges we face when it comes to fighting terrorism and Islamist extremism”.
“Our hearts all go out to the victims of these appalling terrorist attacks,” Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron said, branding them the fruit of “perverted ideology.” [myad]
No fewer than 700 officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army are set for deployment for peace keeping operation in Liberia. This is coming against the background of the fierce battle going on against Boko Haram at home.
Addressing the troops after their pre-deployment training in Jaji, Kaduna State, today, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Kenneth Osuji warned them to avoid any act capable of dragging the image of Nigeria and Nigerian Army to the mud, as the army will not accept a situation where its soldiers are seen as soft targets.
General Osuji who is the GOC of the 1 Brigade, which is made up of the Nigerian Battalion (NIBATT)36 in the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) said, they must work with the rules of engagement of the mission and respect the cultural and religious sensitivity of Liberia people.
“Be reminded that the Nigerian Army will not accept any situation where its troops are seen as soft targets or conducting themselves in unprofessional manner such as trafficking in illicit substances of any kind including alcohol and drugs.
“Additionally, you must respect the cultural and religious sensitivity of the people of Liberia. You must exhibit the highest sense of personal/environmental hygiene as Liberia is just emerging from an EBOLA epidemic,” the GOC stressed. [myad]
Senate President, Bukola Saraki has appointed Chuks Okocha, Thisday Politics Editor in Abuja and Environs and a former Regional Editor in the Niger Delta as his Special Assistant on Print Media. Okocha holds a Masters Degree in Sustainable Environmental Management from Middlesex University in London.
Okocha comes to the job with a rich pedigree in journalism having covered the State House during the administrations of former military administrations of President Ibrahim Babangida, late Sani Abacha, Abdulsalami Abubakar and during the interim government of Chief Ernest Shonekan. He also covered the National Assembly at inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999.
In a statement released by the Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr. Ben Efeturi announcing the appointments, the Senate President has also appointed former Nation Senate Correspondent, Mr. Sanni Onogu as his Chief Press Secretary.
Mr. Bankole Omisore is Saraki’s Special Assistant on New Media.
The appointments, said Efeturi, take immediate effect. [myad]
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