President Goodluck Jonathan has declared a national emergency on the control and containment of the Ebola virus in Nigeria, even as he approved the immediate release of the sum of N1.9 Billion for the implementation of a Special Intervention Plan.
The President directed the Federal Ministry of Health to work in collaboration with the State Ministries of Health, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other relevant agencies to ensure that all possible steps are taken to effectively contain the threat of the Ebola virus in line with international protocols and best practices.
President Jonathan, who met relevant stakeholders in the health sector earlier today, wanted on-going steps to contain the virus to be strengthened. They include the establishment of additional isolation centres, case management, contact tracing, deployment of additional personnel, screening at borders, and the procurement of required items and facilities.
The President commends the vigilance of aviation and health authorities in Lagos who identified and isolated the index case in Nigeria, the late Patrick Sawyer, an American-Liberian who flew into the country.
He also applauds the good work of health authorities at both State and Federal levels who have traced persons who had contact with him, isolated other identified cases and embarked on massive public enlightenment.
President Jonathan calls for even greater vigilance and co-operation at all levels to stop the Ebola virus from spreading further.
As the effective implementation of the Federal Government’s Special Intervention Plan will require other stakeholders to take certain precautionary steps that are supportive of the government’s initiative, the President calls on members of the public to follow all directives by health authorities and report any suspected Ebola case to the nearest health facility for immediate medical attention.
He also enjoins the public to desist from spreading false information about Ebola which can lead to mass hysteria, panic and misdirection, including unverified suggestions about the prevention, treatment, cure and spread of the virus.
President Jonathan urges that the movement of corpses from one community to the other, and from overseas into the country should be stopped forthwith. Every death should be reported to the relevant authorities, and special precautions should be taken in handling corpses.
Religious and political groups, spiritual healing centres, families, associations and other bodies should, in the meantime, discourage gatherings and activities that may unwittingly promote close contact with infected persons or place others at risk.
Public enlightenment agencies, including privately-owned media organs should support government’s efforts and disseminate correct information in all Nigerian languages, about preventive personal hygiene measures, the nature of the Ebola virus, modes of transmission and consequential steps to be taken in the event of infection.
President Jonathan appeals to State governments and private day care, nursery, primary and secondary schools owners to consider the option of extending the current school holiday until such a time when a national reassessment of the level of the Ebola threat is conducted.
The President further directs the National Emergency Management Agency and similar agencies at the state level to strengthen their public enlightenment campaigns and to use their networks to distribute hand sanitisers and other protective items nationwide. He has also directed the aviation and health authorities to embark on immediate intensification of the screening of travelers at all the nation’s borders.
President Jonathan reassures everyone that the Government of Nigeria will continue to take every step, deploy all resources, and mobilize every support and assistance to check the spread of Ebola in the country.
Medical workers and other health professionals are expected to regard this declaration of a National Emergency as a patriotic call to duty and service. [myad]
“I want to make it categorically clear that I stand by every letter of the document I signed – that the strike was suspended. Since upon my integrity and honour, I cannot continue to drive the doctrine that the strike continues.”
President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Kayode Obembe made these statements in his letter of resignation today.
Dr. Obembe made it clear that he is not comfortable with the crisis within the organization regarding whether or not their current strike would end in face of the Ebola outbreak and insurgency attacks.
He said: “What I have written, I have written.”
After an extended delegates’ meeting yesterday, the country’s foremost medical doctors’ union decided to continue their strike, despite a voice vote to call it off. Voice votes are not recognized by NMA’s constitution. A legitimate vote called for a continuation of the strike. [myad]
Two United State of American war planes, F/A-18 Jets were believed to have dropped 500 pound bombs on Islamic militants’ artillery positions and convoy which were being used to shell Kurdish forces that are defending the city of Irbil. The attacks were announced a few hours ago in a statement released by Pentagon Press Secretary, John Kirby. President Obama had said in a speech late yesterday night that U.S. military planes had earlier dropped a total of 72 bundles of food and water. The planes also “delivered 5,300 gallons of fresh drinking water and 8,000 pre-packaged meals” at the request of the Iraqi government to the Iraqi minorities surrounded by ISIS militants The U.S Defense Secretary, Chuck Hagel told reporters that U.S military has sufficient resources as well as intelligence to launch both manned and unmanned Drone attacks on targets in and around Iraq. In answering reporters’ questions on ISIS militants hiding among civilians, the Secretary said U.S military knows where the militants are and would seek them out where ever they are hiding. It remains unclear how many militants were killed as a result of the U.S air strike. The ISIS militants are going after the Yardis minorities who are not Muslims, and had issued ultimatum to the minority groups to convert to Islam. Last week, a member of the Yardis minority group said that there was no one to help them. But President Obama in his response yesterday night, said that America would help. The President also said: “As commander in chief, I will not allow the United States to be dragged into fighting another war in Iraq.” American soldiers are stationed in Irbil where the U.S has a Consulate office. ISIS forces have captured much territory in Syria and Iraq and have talked about their plans to establish a new Islamic state in the captured territories where they have already established a new Caliphate ruler. Obama had said that Islamic State (IS) fighters would be targeted to prevent the slaughter of religious minorities, or if they threaten U.S interests.
IS has seized Qaraqosh, Iraq’s biggest Christian town, forcing locals to flee. The Sunni Muslim group, formerly known as ISIS, has been gaining ground in northern Iraq and Syria for several months.
In a rapid advance in June, the group took control of the northern city of Mosul and advanced south towards Baghdad. It now controls large swathes of Iraq and Syria and says it has created an Islamic caliphate in its territory. [myad]
Nigerian Army has admitted that members of the deadly Boko Haram actually captured and occupied Damboa, Manga, Wanga, Delwa and Mustafari villages all in Borno state, but that special forces from the military, newly created, have retrieved the villages.
Director of Defence Information Major General Chris Olukolade said in a statement that Boko Haram had already mounted their flag, a symbol of conquered territory, before the Special Forces dislodged them.
According to him, the 600 men Special Forces were deployed in Gwoza specifically to recover the villages occupied by Boko Haram, adding that scores of members of the sect were killed in the process.
General Olukolade said that the troops have severally engaged Boko Haram in fierce encounters and have been arresting terrorists who had held Gwoza and its surrounding villages hostage.
“Special Forces in the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign have cleared Delwa, Mustafari, Manga, Wanga and Damboa of terrorists who have been rampaging in the communities.
“The special operation, which began early in the week, is meant to restore law and order to the area and apprehend all terrorists who have been operating in the locality.
“The operation, which has so far lasted 40 hours has dove-tailed into the mop up phase during which the remnants of insurgents are being cleared from the communities.
“The mop up phase will also ascertain the casualties as additional efforts are also been made to ensure the protection of innocent civilians during the operation.
“Meanwhile, troops are also involved in manoeuvres to apprehend terrorists who have been attacking Gwoza and surrounding localities since Tuesday, causing the death of many civilians.”
A military source added: “The battle in Gwoza is fierce because the Special Forces have been pursuing the Boko Haram members to the hills in the area. Their efforts are complemented by massive aerial bombardments.
“Certainly, it will be a battle to the finish this time around with the insurgents in the affected areas.
“They have almost taken over a quarter of Borno State; we will never cede any part of Nigeria to the insurgents.”
It was gathered last night that the Emir of Gwoza was relocated to Maiduguri to avoid a repeat of the killing of his father, the late Emir Idrissa Timta in May. [myad]
Tomorrow, Saturday, August 9, electorate in Osun state, South West Nigeria, will go to polling booths to elect a new governor that will run the affairs of the state in the next four years. Indeed, the governorship election has been on all lips for various reasons which include the ridiculous and the altruistic. The election, like the bulbous aquatic creature, octopus, could be hinged on eight legs. What do the Osun election and the octopus have in common? The octopus has eight legs just as Osun governorship election is taking place in the eighth month of the year. Considered as the world’s most intelligent invertebrate, the octopus has a wide range of techniques through which it thwarts attackers. In like manner, the Independent National Electoral Commission has devised some strategies to thwart plans by unscrupulous politicians to rig the election as INEC chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, on Wednesday vowed that the Osun election cannot be rigged. The virtue of the octopus was brought to the fore at the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa when Paul, the Octopus, made stunning accurate predictions that brought him global attention as an animal oracle. Unlike Paul the Octopus, proffering an accurate prediction for the all-important election would be a Herculean task but a little journey down history lane and a look at emerging political issues could open a window into where the pendulum might likely swing on August 9. The eight legs of the octopus include: The real battle Although Osun is the epicentre of the election battle, the battleground is Nigeria and the ultimate prize is the Presidency. The election is about Jonathan and Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, the likely presidential candidate of the APC. The election is about the North seeking to reinvent itself in a reordered Nigerian polity, where it is fast losing hold on power. Jonathan, however, seems to be having an edge with the gale of impeachments hitting APC-controlled states, the North-East insurgency diminishing the possibility of conducting elections in the region and the recent victory of the PDP in Ekiti.
South-West perception The Jonathan presidency is largely perceived by the Yoruba as anti-South-West with the lopsidedness in federal appointments against the people of the region. Only, the post of the Chief of Staff, a non-constitutional and non-executive role, is the highest a Yoruba ever got in the Jonathan presidency. Leaders like PDP Board of Trustee member, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, have dismissed the insinuation that the president had treated the Yoruba with disdain, insisting that the President has appointed some Yoruba persons into important offices. Speaking during his defection on Tuesday, Oyinlola lamented that Jonathan did not appoint a Yoruba into any of the top posts in the country. He also said, “Omisore is greedy. I don’t know who killed Bola Ige o. The person nominated by Omisore to replace me as national secretary of the PDP was with him in prison (when he was standing trial for Ige’s murder); the person he nominated as minister of police affairs, (Jelili Adesiyan), was with him in prison too. The person who is being nominated to run for Osun-Central senatorial district post (Kunle Alao) was also with him in jail. The state chairman of the party, (Gani Olaoluwa) was also with him in jail? It is only his deputy governorship candidate (Adejare Bello) that did not go to jail with them. Are we saying that if you don’t go to jail you can’t lead? The inability of the Jonathan administration to solve the problems of insurgency and insecurity has become an albatross for the PDP.
Osun political history Historically, the emergence of Isiaka Adeleke in January 2, 1992 as the first executive governor of Osun State on the platform of the Social Democratic Party, a party peopled by self-styled progressives, and the ascension of Bisi Akande to power as governor in May 29, 1999 on the ticket of the Alliance for Democracy set the political foot of Osun on ‘progressive lane.’ But when Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a former Military Administrator of Lagos State, whose father was an ardent Action Group supporter, emerged governor in May 29, 2003 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, the political landscape of Osun was set to be dominated by the ‘conservatives,’ an appellation, by which the PDP is largely called. However, there is an insignificant line of difference between the ideologies of the PDP and the All Progressives Congress as defection by politicians from both political parties is as easy as stepping through a door. Actions by politicians of the two leading parties depict lookalike Siamese twins.
When a Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan sacked the Oyinlola administration in November 2010 and proclaimed Rauf Aregbesola as governor, the statewide thunderous jubilation and excitement that greeted the sacking showed that the electorate was done with the PDP. The mass appeal of the APC as a political brand in Osun came to the fore during the 2011 general elections when the party, operating under the name of Action Congress of Nigeria, swept all elective posts even as its presidential candidate, Nuhu Ribadu, thumped the eventual winner, President Goodluck Jonathan, in the state. Osun was the only state in the South-West where the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission boss won in the federation. In the 2011 Osun-Central senatorial election, the candidate of the ACN, Sola Adeyeye, defeated Oyinlola by 80, 526 votes, scoring 129, 527 votes against the former governor’s 49, 001 votes. The candidate of the PDP in Osun-East senatorial election, Iyiola Omisore scored 51, 315 votes while ACN candidate, Jide Omoworare, scored 119, 852 votes, leaving a marginal difference of 68,537. Like Oyinlola, Isiaka Adeleke conceded defeat in the Osun-West senatorial race as he congratulated ACN candidate in the election, Mudashiru Hussain, who defeated him by 44,881 votes with Adeleke scoring 77,090 votes and Hussain scoring 121,971 votes. Displaying a rare sense of sportsmanship, however, Oyinlola, Isiaka and Omisore accepted the result of the election and congratulated the winners. Emerging variables Certainly, a lot of water has passed under the bridge since 2011. The PDP, whose members were booed on the streets after the ouster of the Oyinlola administration, has come on powerfully onto the political scene. The APC no longer maintains a vice-like grip on Osun politics as a result of some of its policies and the resurgence of the opposition under the leadership of Omisore, who has spent resources and time to build and maintain the party’s structure. Omisore said that the APC had opened a campaign of calumny against him by continuously labelling him as the killer of the slain Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, despite being discharged and acquitted by a law court because the party knows that it stood no chance against his popularity and acceptability.
The demolition of several buildings in the capital city, Osogbo, did not go down well with the people of Osogbo, whose support for Aregbesola was colossal. Also, the religious chaos caused by the wearing of the ‘hijab,’ a face covering by Muslim students in Christian secondary schools and the attendant resistance by Christian faithful left the public image of the government with a black eye. Similarly, the merging of public schools and the evolution of a single uniform for all public schoolchildren drew the ire of a large number of Osun people, who saw the policies as bad and ineffective. Some groups protested the school merger, saying it would erode the heritage built by proprietors and old students of such schools. The infrastructural achievements of the Aregbesola administration in the three geopolitical zones of the state cannot be overlooked, however. The peopling of the state executive cabinet with members, who are relatively not known to the masses, is another reason why people are not happy with the administration just as a good number of such members do not connect with the electorate as local politicians would. This coupled with the global economic meltdown and the attendant shrinking of federal allocation has made the masses to call on Aregbesola to stop ‘tarring roads’ and embark on ‘tarring stomachs.’ Massive deployment of military men for the election has not gone down well with the people of the state, who detest the siege mentality foisted by the soldiers. The deployment may be counter-productive for the ruling party, whom many see as being behind the action. Aregbesola is being seen as a victim of PDP-led Federal Government highhandedness and he has been gaining voters’ sympathy on this account. OYES The establishment of the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme and the employment of 40, 000 youths as volunteers is seen as a deft stroke by Aregbesola to not only engage youths but also to increase his support base. The PDP criticized the scheme, which it described as servitude, promising to make Osun youths gainfully employed if elected into office.
Obasanjo, Oyinlola, Adeleke, Akinbade factors Although former President Olusegun Obasanjo is still in the PDP, his political loyalists are in the APC. The National Chairman, South-West APC, Segun Oni, who is a former Governor of Ekiti State, is an Obasanjo loyalist. The same thing goes for Oyinlola, who accused Jonathan of not trusting him despite his loyal service to the PDP. Investigation shows that the PDP wields considerable influence in Odo-Otin, prior to Oyinlola’s defection. His defection is likely to affect the fortunes the PDP in Odo-Otin, in particular. Known for his control of Ede and Egbedore councils in particular, the defection of Adeleke was a big minus for the PDP, whose leaders he accused of beating him up and threatening to kill him. Also, the defection of a former Secretary to Osun State Government under Oyinlola, Fatai Akinbade, to Labour Party has been a big talking point of the election because Akinbade is seen essentially as a grass-roots politician with numerous supporters.
The PDP is wont to say it is not missing any of its past leaders who had defected. Specifically, Omisore said, “Aregbesola lost this election over a year ago. The PDP is winning the election. If they (defectors) were with us before and we lost, maybe it is time we changed our tactics so that we could win. You can’t continue to give the same drug to a patient that is not getting well.” The state Chairman of Osun PDP, Gani Olaoluwa, and the party’s Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Diran Odeyemi, said the party will not miss any member who defected just as he described Oyinlola as a “political traitor, who is never consistent.” APC, Tinubu factors The APC has been lampooned by the PDP as a party that thrives on the imposition of candidates and also of being under the iron-grip of its national leader, Bola Tinubu. If the Osun election was held four months ago, it would have been a close call between the two leading parties. But the APC, in the last few weeks, has been able to settle areas of disaffection among the populace which include payment of salary arrears, payment of pensions and compensation to people whose buildings were demolished in the urban renewal scheme of the government. A national leader of the PDP, Bode Goerge, called Tinubu the Emperor of Bourdillon, “whose daughter must be Iyaloja, whose wife must be a senator, whose in-law must be in the House of Reps; who must control everything. But the people are wiser now.”
Voter statistics Both Aregbesola and Omisore hail from Osun-East senatorial district with the former hailing from Ilesa while Omisore hails from Ife. Ijesa communities have six councils which include Oriade, Obokun, Ilesa-West, Ilesa-East, Atakumosa-East and Atakumosa-West with a voter population of 241, 807 while Ife communities with Ife-Central, Ife-East, Ife-North and Ife-South having a voter population of 266, 891. However, the massive support of Aregbesola in Osogbo local government councils with 182, 250 voter population cannot be overlooked.
When addressing a stakeholders’ forum, which included Aregbesola in Osogbo, on Tuesday, Jega expressed satisfaction that 70.13 per cent of the voter population had collected the Permanent Voter Cards translating into 986, 117 voters. He assured that INEC will conduct credible election in Osun. Pray, who among the 20 candidates in the election would Octopus Paul have picked if he were still alive? May be Paul would have been able to tell if the election would be greeted by violence and bloodshed. [myad]
Most Nigerians today, bowed to phone calls or text messages that asked them to bath warm water mixed with table salt as a way of preventing the deadly Ebola virus infection.
The message which emanated from the ruler of the Igala Kingdom, the Attah of Igala in Kogi state, prescribed salt solution as a magical vaccine against the virus. This led to Nigerians scrambling for salt-water bath for protection from the deadly Ebola virus.
Local radio and TV stations in Kogi state had quoted the monarch, Attah Idakwo Michael Ameh Oboni, late yesterday night, as making the prescriptions from his palace in Idah, the traditional capital of Igalaland. Oboni offered the purported prescription after the Nigerian government declared that the pandemic had become a national emergency.
The prescription, originally intended for people of the Igala Kingdom, quickly went viral on social media and text messaging platforms. Relatives also exchanged telephone calls advising one another to bath with salt-water solution.
The salt solution bath remedy was reinforced after claims that a Catholic priest, Ejike Mbaka, also asked his followers to perform some religious rituals which included drinking salt water.
Salt and water are the major ingredients of the Holy Water used for a wide range of physical and spiritual purpose by Catholics.
Nigerians who phones their loved ones also asked them to chew bitter kola before they leave their houses for offices or business places.
The Igala king’s “magical prescription” was received with great enthusiasm by residents panicked by the spread of the virus around the West African sub-region.
According to local report, the monarch prescribed that a pinch of salt be added to about 15 litres of water and used for a soapless bath.
One bath with the salt solution is all that is required, residents who admitted performing the ‘immunization’ ritual said.
“We have nothing to lose with a salt water bath,” Attanasius Ameh, a resident of Idah in Kogi state said, justifying the ritual.
He argued that faced with a no-vaccine-no-cure situation, a simple salt solution bath as a potential vaccine was a chance shot at survival many were willing to take.
“I have done it,” Juliet Gimba, a resident of Lokoja said, adding: “I put a pinch of salt in a bucket full of water and had my bath without soap. I bathed all my children with it too. There is no cure for Ebola. This is the best I can do to protect my family.”
There is no medical proof that salt water solution could prevent the transmission of Ebola.
The king did not also explain how he came about the prescription.
An epidemiologist with the Kwara State ministry of health, Dr Michael Oguntoye, cautioned against the use of such concoctions for either the prevention or the treatment of the Ebola Virus Disease.
Oguntoye advised Nigerians to beware of GSM text messages asking them to bath and drink salt solution as a preventive medicine against the dreaded virus.
The expert on Public Health said that he had received such messages and calls from people asking for the authenticity of the claim.
He said the claim had not been medically proven that bathing with salt and drinking salt solution could cure or protect one from the Ebola virus.
“Ebola disease is contracted through close contact with blood, saliva, sweat, semen or secretions from organs of infected individuals and animals. People are only advised to disinfect their surroundings with one cup of Jik in nine cups of water solution in all their surrounding daily.”
According to the epidemiologist, there is no evidence to show that drinking salt can kill the virus.
Oguntoye also warned people against using Jik solution to bath, adding that the solution is only to disinfect the surroundings against the virus.
The expert reiterated that the virus is deadly with high mortality rate and no known cure.
And Nigerian government has also issued a statement warning that bathing with salted baths is not a cure for the deadly Ebola Virus. [myad]
Total Nigeria Limited has announced its move to partner with various Federal Government Institutions and international companies to fast-track the construction of solar power plants in Nigeria. The project is being contemplated under Public Private Partnership (PPP) with State Governments fully involved. The Executive Director of the Total Nigeria Limited, Mr. Olubunmi Obembe said this known today when he led a delegation on a courtesy visit to Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He said that the Company in its bid to become a major global player in the solar energy market, acquired US based SunPower, a world leader in solar power operation. Obembe said that the company is collaborating with three States of Nassarawa, Ekiti and Katsina for the development of 150mw in Nassarawa State; 80mw in Ekiti State and 30mw/100mw in Katsina state. He said that the organization is at various levels of discussion with other States. According to him, the project is expected to deliver in the next five to eight years, 1700mw of solar Independent Power Projects, distributed across the country with a minimal size of 30MW, emphasizing that their objective is to have the first project ready by second quarter of 2015. Responding, Vice President Namadi Sambo said that President Goodluck Jonathan government is ready to fully utilise abundant renewable energy resources to enhance electricity supply across the country. Sambo said that the global trend in power generation is efficient utilization of renewable energy, particularly solar energy, which he said Nigeria has in abundance. He stressed that the administration is doing everything possible to ensure it meets Nigeria’s electricity demand. “The issue of power is one of the cardinal point of this administration and anything that will increase the supply of power in Nigeria will be deeply welcomed and the administration will do everything to ensure that it succeeds.” The Vice President commended Total for its determination to ensure utilization of Nigeria’s solar energy as a source of electricity generation, adding: “it is impressive this has been handled in the highest corporate level.” He assured Total of the government’s commitment to ensure that the noble objective is achieved. [myad]
A Lagos constitutional lawyer, Chief Femi Falana (SAN) has asked the police and federal authorities to quickly withdraw all masked police and security personnel from election duties in Osun State before Saturday governorship election in the state. This even as he declared that wearing of masks by security agents during election is illegal. Falana was reacting to the news that armed police personnel wearing masks would be deployed to man the polling units during Saturday’s election in the State. In a statement issued today in Lagos, the lawyer recalled an interactive meeting held by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba with the governorship candidates and political party representatives in Osun State at Osogbo yesterday where it was announced that armed police personnel wearing masks would be deployed to man the polling units. He recalled also that it was announced too that the use of telephone handsets and other gadgets to take photographs of ballot papers by individual voters had been prohibited by the authorities. “As both announcements are part of the culture of impunity in the country, it is pertinent to state the position of the law on the official pronouncements. “Firstly, by virtue of Section 125 (3) of the Electoral Act 2011 (as amended) the secrecy of voting is limited to individual voters as no person shall:- “a. interfere with a voter casting his vote, or by any other means obtain or attempt to obtain in a polling unit information as to the candidate for whom a voter in that place is about to vote for or has voted for; “b. communicate at any time to any other person information obtained in a polling unit as to the candidate to whom a voter is about to vote or has voted for. “The above provision of the law does not prevent voters from recording the details of ballot papers in the course of casting their votes once they do not obtain information from other voters concerning the candidates they may have voted for. It is therefore totally misleading on the part of the INEC leadership to say that it is illegal to take photographs at the polling units If INEC has nothing to hide, it should not prevent voters from recording the details of their individual ballot papers. “Secondly, it is public knowledge that the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has been campaigning with masked men with the connivance of the Police Authorities. Instead of banning the provocative harassment of law abiding citizens by the official terrorists the Government has announced that many more of such masked men would be deployed under the pretext of maintaining law and order during the Osun State Governorship election. “I wish to state that neither the Police Act nor the Electoral Act has authorized the wearing of masks by security personnel during elections in Nigeria. It is pertinent to draw the attention of the Federal Government to section 280 of the Nigeria Police Force Regulations which provides that “Orders of dress and dress regulations, shall be promulgated by the Inspector-General of Police in Force Orders. “The Inspector General of Police has neither promulgated that police personnel involved in election duties should wear masks nor published any such dress order in the Police Force Orders. To that extent, it is illegal on the part of the police or other security personnel not to wear name tags for proper identification during election duties. “In the recently concluded governorship election in Ekiti State there was no deployment of security personnel wearing masks. What has warranted the desperate deployment of masked men to police the Osun State governorship election? If the INEC is committed to the conduct of transparent governorship election in Osun State it should not prevent voters from recording the exercise with electronic gadgets. If the Police Authorities are committed to the maintenance of law and order they should withdraw all masked police and security personnel from election duties in Osun State. “Having regard to the level of mobilization on ground and the vigilance of the people of Osun State the Federal Government should be held responsible for the imminent break down of law and order by armed thugs who have been officially sanctioned to hide behind the masks to rig the Osun State governorship election. However, it is not too late in the day to jettison the illegal plot to manipulate the governorship election in Osun State.” [myad]
World football governing body, FIFA has demanded for a full explanation regarding the purported dismissal of Aminu Maigari as president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Maigari was allegedly sacked by his executive committee on July 24.
In a letter dated August 4, 2014, to NFF general secretary, Musa Amadu and signed by deputy secretary general, Markus Kattner, FIFA demanded a more detailed explanation leading to Maigari’s sack.
FIFA asked for the agenda of the executive committee meeting that sacked Maigari, the conditions for the amendment of the agenda and whether the president was given the chance to defend himself.
FIFA also stated that the dismissal of any executive committee member was the prerogative of the NFF general assembly and not the executive committee.
The world football ruling body also expressed surprise that despite the lifting of the suspension of the country, the situation in Nigeria has become “so inextricable”.
Elections to the executive committee are due to be conducted on August 26.
And on the heels of the letter from FIFA, the NFF executive committee on Thursday suspended two other members, Chris Green and Yusuf Ahmed, for what they described as “anti-board activities.” [myad]
President Goodluck Jonathan said proudly in Washington DC that Nigeria is the 26th largest economy in the world and the largest trading partner of the United States in Africa. He said that latest figures show the volume of trade between Nigeria and the U.S. to be $36 billion and is still counting.
Speaking at a dinner held in his honour by the United States Chambers of Commerce and the Corporate Council on Africa, President Jonathan said that his administration will continue to grow with greater cooperation between Nigeria and its allies in the United States Government and private sector.
He welcomed the support of the Obama Administration and both organisations for ongoing efforts to positively transform the Nigerian economy and ensure that it becomes one of the twenty largest economies in the world by the year 2020.
Jonathan called for greater direct investment in Nigeria from the United States, even as he said that recent developments showed the need for increased international recognition of Nigeria’s role in the global economy.
President Jonathan said that the World Economic Forum on Africa which Nigeria hosted recently attracted over $68 billion in investment to the African continent in the form of Foreign Direct Investments, as well as private and public investments targeted at projects that would foster the agriculture sector, improve infrastructure such as roads, railways, hospitals, education, skill development and ICT across African countries.
“We remain the largest source of natural gas and have large areas of unexploited fertile lands for agriculture. We have a huge stock of untapped solid minerals and we continue to make Nigeria an attractive destination for foreign investors through the constant implementation of our policy of creating an attractive and conducive climate for investors,” President Jonathan told the gathering.
The President said that while the oil and gas industry remains Nigeria’s main source of revenue and foreign exchange earner, his administration is working very hard to fully diversify the country’s economy and will welcome greater support from the United States for its efforts to make other sectors of the Nigerian economy more productive.
He assured American investors that his administration was taking all necessary action to overcome the Boko Haram insurgency and achieve greater security of lives and property in all parts of Nigeria.
President Jonathan left Washington DC to return home after the dinner and talks earlier yesterday with President Barack Obama and other African Heads of State and Government at the first United States-African Leaders Summit. [myad]
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