UNICEF Predicts Over 26,000 Babies To Be Born In Nigeria On New Year’s Day

December 31, 2019

The United Nations Education Fund (UNICEF) has predicted that an estimated 26,039 babies will be born in Nigeria on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2020.
In a statement today, December 31, UNICEF said that Nigerian babies will account for almost seven per cent of the estimated 392,078 babies to be born on New Year’s Day globally – the third highest number of babies in the world, after India and China.
“The beginning of a new year – and this year, a new decade – is a chance for us to reflect on our hopes and dreams for the future of Nigeria – especially for those who stand to inherit this country; its children,” said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Nigeria Representative. “As we start each new year, we are reminded of the potential of each and every Nigerian child embarking on her or his life’s journey—if only they are given that chance to survive and thrive.
“Fiji in the Pacific, will most likely deliver 2020’s first baby. The United States, its last. Globally, over half of these births are estimated to take place in eight countries:
India — 67,385
China — 46,299
Nigeria — 26,039
Pakistan — 16,787
Indonesia — 13,020
The United States of America — 10,452
The Democratic Republic of Congo — 10,247
Ethiopia — 8,493
The statement said that each January, UNICEF celebrates babies born on New Year’s Day, an auspicious day for child birth around the world.
It said that yx xctb for millions of newborns around the world, including in Nigeria, “the day of their birth is far less auspicious, and sadly is often their last.
“In 2018, 2.5 million newborns died in just their first month of life around the world; about a third of them on the first day of life. In Nigeria, this was 318,522 deaths. Among those children, most died from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery, and infections like sepsis. In addition, more than 2.5 million babies are born dead each year – with more than 400,000 stillborn deaths taking place in Nigeria annually.
“Over the past three decades, the world – including Nigeria – has seen remarkable progress in child survival, cutting the number of children worldwide who die before their fifth birthday by more than half. In Nigeria, this number has been cut by about 500,000 between 1990 and 2018. But there has been slower progress for newborns. Babies dying in their first month of life accounted for 47 per cent of all deaths among children under five in 2018, up from 40 per cent in 1990. In Nigeria, these figures are 29 per cent, up from 21 per cent in 1990.
“UNICEF’s Every Child Alive campaign calls for immediate investment in health workers with the right training, who are equipped with the right medicines to ensure every mother and newborn is cared for by a safe pair of hands to prevent and treat complications during pregnancy, delivery and birth.
“Too many mothers and newborns are not being cared for by a trained and equipped midwife or nurse, and the results are devastating.
“We can ensure that millions of babies survive their first day and live into this decade and beyond if every mother has good pregnancy care and every baby is born into a safe pair of hands. That means having well-equipped facilities with well-trained staff who can be there to welcome every Nigerian child into this world safely and healthily. This is especially critical as we now only have 10 years to deliver on the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

Social Crusader, Senator Shehu Sani Allegedly Caught With $20,000 Scam

Editorial staff

December 31, 2019

A self-styled social crusader and senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the seventh national assembly, Shehu Sani, has been arrested for alleged extortion of $20,000 from the owner of ASD Motors.

The source at the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), which arrested him said that the former senator allegedly collected the $20,000 from the owner of ASD Motors on the grounds that he is very close to the EFCC boss.

“He was subsequently arrested and granted administrative bail while he refunded the money to the victim.

“He was asked to report but made himself incommunicado. He must have been scamming a lot of people, dropping the name of the EFCC boss.”

Details later.

I’m Very Proud With Economic Growth In Africa – AfDB President

Editorial staff

December 31, 2019

President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina has expressed pride in what Africa has been able to achieve in economic growth in the past year.
Adesina, who answered reporters’questions today, December 31, shortly after an audience with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said: “on economic growth, I am very proud of what Africa has achieved in the past year.
“Essentially, this year there are 37 countries that are growing at 3 percent to 5 percent and 20 countries that grow at above 5 percent, that is incredible.
“You have to look at that by understanding that globally, foreign direct investments coming to Africa has been fantastic. Africa’s foreign direct investment this year grew by 11 percent. When you take a look at Asia, Asia grew by 4 percent.
“If you have a look at it globally, foreign direct investment declined by 13 percent. When you take a look at developed countries, their foreign direct investment declined by 23 percent, so Africa is actually doing quite well.
“As we look towards the future, basically our focus is going to be how do we support the Continental Free Trade Area. We will continue to providing investment in infrastructure.
“We will continue to do a lot in infrastructure. We are working very hard in the Lagos -Abidjan Highway, the construction that will start by 2022. All the work is currently being done. We will continue to invest quite a lot in energy, power which is the source of development. Without energy, there cannot be development, so the bank is going to do quite a lot.”
Adesina said that AfDB bank’s shareholders had secured $115 billion of new capital and that it will give a lot of resources for the bank to support African countries, to support Nigeria and all the other countries to be able to do more.
“I am an eternal optimist when it comes to Africa, I am very confident that even the new year will be much better for African countries.”
On aid to African countries and what the AfDB is doing to ensure the free trade agreement does not affect locally produced goods, Adeshina said: “when it comes to the issue of even trade and competitiveness, at the end of the day you have basic things that have to be done – you need to do infrastructure, it’s a basic thing. Today, Africa has an infrastructure gap of about roughly $68 billion to $108 billion infrastructure financing gap.
“At the African Development Bank, we have been working so hard to close that particular gap. When it comes to the issue of attracting capital to do that, there are three things that I will say: first, we have to also look at home, today in Aftica, the size of the sovereign wealth fund and pension fund and insurance pull of fund (mutual funds) is about $1.8trillion.
“If we can just tap a little but of that, we will close very quickly the infrastructure gap that we are talking about. But you see, a lot of sovereign investment funds being invested in other sovereigns outside the continent, so they become the sovereign wealth of others and then you go back and borrow back your own money, it doesn’t really make a lot of sense. I think that charity always begins at home.
“You cannot achieve development unless there is pride, you must have a pride, you must understand the resources and domestic resources is the best way to drive that. But the African Development Bank also have the African Investment Forum, which is a forum that we set up to be able to garner investment into Africa and to address some of the political risk, market risks, financial risk and high risk that tend to binder development in Africa.
“But I am very proud to say that the African Investment Forum is making tremendous success. Last year that we started, we were able to secure an investment interest of $37.8 billion in less than 72 hours. This year, we have the second forum and we’re able to secure an investment interest of $40.1 billion in less than 72 hours. So that tells you that Africa is the region to invest and the return of investment in Africa is quite high.
“Sometimes, what people call risk is probably too much of perception risk, the risk of Africa is not different from the risk of other parts of the world.”

Nigeria Plans Diaspora Trust Fund In 2020

Editorial staff

December 31, 2019

The government of Nigeria is putting up plan for the establishment of Diaspora Trust Fund in the new year, 2020.
Chairman of the the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who announced this today, December 31, when he spoke to news men shortly after an audience with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential Villa, Abuja, said the Trust Fund might come into operation by the first quarter of the 2020.
“We are putting a team in place to work out modalities for the Diaspora Trust Fund. We are in the process of planning it and engaging Nigerians in the Diaspora as to how it can be done.
“A few countries, like Ethiopia, have a Diaspora Investment Fund: Nigeria should not be an exception. We are working at it.
“We are hoping we can get everything set in the first quarter of next year (2020).”
The Diaspora Commission chairman said that the Commission has become necessary because Nigerians in the Diaspora want to invest in their country and they want to contribute.
“So, the Diaspora Investment Trust Fund will be coming up in the new year and a lot of other engagements and activities.”
Dabir-Erewa said that there was $25 billion remittances from Nigerians in Diaspora this year,2019, adding: “We hoping it could get better. There are even areas that are not even captured. The foremost remittances are not even captured; the $500 to your brothers, to your sisters.
“Beyond remitances, there are a lot more that Nigerians in the Diaspora will do for their country. We hope it gets better, we hope that Nigerians in the Diaspora continue to help in resuscitating the Nigerian economy.”
She said that her Commission will be engaging the National Assembly to look into the issue of Diaspora voting, adding that this category of Nigerians believe they should be able to vote.
“They been remitting so much to the country, contributing so much to the economy and we believe they should be able to vote.
“So we hope we can work with the parliament to amend the relevant laws to make it possible for people in the Diaspora to vote.”

I Will Continue To Remain Radical, Ex House Of Reps Member, Jubril

Editorial staff

December 31, 2019

Former member of Federal House of Representatives, Abdumumini Jubril has made it clear that he will continue to remain a radical.
“Nothing has changed about me and nothing will change. I will continue to be the person that I am; the frank and very blunt and continue to contribute my quota towards the development of the country.”
Jubril, who spoke to news men shortly after an audience with President Muhammadu Buhari today, December 31, said that it is not true that some people in Kano are not happy with him in his quest to return to the National Assembly.
“It’s the usual rumour. We are working harmoniously and I’m sure that the rerun will be very successful, not only in Kano for the APC, but all over the country where rerun will be held on the 25th.”
He stressed that his relationship with Governor Umar Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State is cordial, denying the fact that he had come to seek for the intervention of President Buhari.
“My relationship with my governor (Ganduje) is cordial. He has always been a father and nothing has changed.
“I had audience with Mr President and a regular audience to discuss with him all the achievements during the year, to commend him on the progress we’ve made in the economy, fight against corruption and the issue of security in the country and to look at issues having to do with massive infrastructural development going on across the country. We need to sustain it
“The agricultural revolution going on, we need to sustain it. The fight against insurgency and the successes that have been recorded and of course, the cordial relationship that now exists between the executive and the legislature.
“By and large, it’s been a very good year for the President and the government and I think we all have the responsibility to commend him. That’s what we discussed, essentially.”

Justice Minister Expresses Disgust Over Falana’s Ignorance Of Law, Accuses Him Of Concoction

Greenbarge Reporters

December 31, 2019

Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice for Nigeria, Abubakar Malami has expressed disgust that a supposedly senior member of the bar, Femi Falana has decided to play ignorant of the country’s law but embarked on concoction.
“It is unfortunate that a Senior member of the Bar could resort to concoctions and fabrications of non-existing provisions just to score cheap media publicity.”
Malami, in a statement today, December 31 by his media aide, Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, said that Falana attempted to confuse the facts and misinform the general public by relying on Sections 175 of the Constitution on Prerogative of Mercy.
He said that it is important to highlight that the Statement issued by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, which Falana was responding to, did not state that the duo of Dasuki and Sowore were released further to the Constitutional provisions on Prerogative of Mercy.
“A lawyer of Mr. Falana’s status should thus desist from stretching arguments beyond reasonable limits in order to score cheap political points.
“It is a common knowledge that Prerogative of Mercy and compassion are two different concepts.
“In the premise of the foregoing, the General Public should be rest assured that the Federal Government of Nigeria led by President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR is committed to preserving the unity of the nation in accordance with the Rule of Law and respect for the Constitution.”
Read parts of the statement below:
Our attention has been drawn to a letter circulating on the media, purportedly written by Mr. Femi Falana, SAN and titled “Re: Why FG Released Dasuki, Sowore – Malami”, in response to the statement issued on December 24th 2019 by the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (HAGF) in relation to the subject.

The initial reaction of the Office of the Honorable Attorney-General of the Federation was to ignore the letter, as it is replete with misinformation and evinces lack of proper understanding of the law and issues implicated. The Office of Attorney General of the Federation has, however, decided to respond thereto in order to clarify the issues involved in the overall interest of the Public.
First, it is beyond doubt that the Federal Government of Nigeria or Any Prosecuting Authority has been vested with Constitutional right of appeal in Criminal Prosecutions.
These rights extend to Rulings on Bail and right to seek to vary terms of Bail, among others. Thus, in any circumstance where this right is waived by the Prosecution, it can only be for valid reasons, including compassion, after all connected issues have been duly considered.
It is further appalling to note that in a bid to garner media-hype in condemnation of a valid governmental action taken in good faith and in the interest of the general public, Mr. Falana, SAN resorted to quoting non-existing Sections of the Constitution by stating that: “Mr. Malami SAN should have apologized to Col. Dasuki (Rtd.) and Mr. Sowore in accordance with Section 32(6) of the 1999 Constitution…”.

Don’t Pretend To Be Democratic, Atiku Tells Buhari

Greenbarge Reporters

December 31, 2019

Defeated Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election in Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has asked President Muhammadu Buhari’s government to stop pretending to be democratic.

He emphasized that in the new year, the government should not pretend to be democratic, but rather act according to the fundamentals of a democracy.

In a New Year message to Nigerians today, December 31, Atiku said: “I expect that in the New Year, there will be a better observance of rule of law and greater respect for citizens’ democratic rights.”

Atiku, who was Nigeria’s former Vice President, stressed that he anticipated a change of attitude across board in the new year and new decade.

Atiku regretted what he called “a bad advertisement” for the country and its democracy if declarations made by the court are not respected without the executive arm of government agreeing to same. Any democracy is not worth the appellation if the principle of separation of power is not ingrained in it.

“I do not share the sentiment when some people claim that the outgone 2019 was a successful year for Nigerians. Such sentiments is reductionist and does the harm of making us have a false sense of victory.

“The bitter truth is that Nigeria is still in the throes of economic instability, with more people losing jobs and the attendant outcome of more children being out of school and more families having hard time in accessing basic needs of life.

“In this New Year, however, I will rather ask that Nigerians stand together with renewed vigour and determination to battle the hydra-headed demon of insecurity that has plagued us in the past decade.

“We must challenge the inadequacies that made us become the global headquarters of extreme poverty; much as we must work hard and fast enough to eliminate the scourge of out-of-school children in the country. These are the challenges that this new decade has thrown at us and we cannot afford to slumber and submit to defeat.

“The problems of extreme poverty and scant investments in education play huge roles in fueling the problems of violent extremism that we spent the past decade contending with. We cannot win the fight against terrorism if we do nothing to reduce or eliminate poverty and illiteracy.

“The reality of this new decade requires of us to recalibrate our approaches and to pursue some tough choices. If failure is not an option, then we must let go of our egos and conveniences.

“In this new decade, we must start to do things differently if we are honest about our desire for a better and prosperous future. There must be a deliberate effort to improve the material wellbeing of the people, by lifting millions of Nigerians out of the extreme poverty belt at a start, and to prosperity. Government must rethink many of its policies that is sinking more people into the abyss of extreme poverty.

“It is incumbent on government at all levels to pursue policies that will provide decent housing to the mass majority; put food on the table; provide healthcare and education. We cannot continue to do things the same way and expect a different outcome. It is therefore high time we caused a rejig of economic policies that will promote an expansion of the economy and create jobs opportunities aplenty.

“At the individual level, this moment calls for more empathy and sacrifice. The New Year and a new decade come with the opportunity to make better impressions in our lives and in the lives of people around us.

“I wish to restate that our collective call for rule of law and our history about the struggle for democratic rule did not envisage a situation where judicial pronouncements would be worth less than the paper upon which they are rendered.

“It is a bad advertisement for the country and its democracy if declarations made by the court are not respected without the executive arm of government agreeing to same. Any democracy is not worth the appellation if the principle of separation of power is not ingrained in it.”

Pastor Tunde Bakare Visits Buhari In Aso Rock

Editorial staff

December 30, 2019

Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly, was at the Presidential Villa, Abuja today, December 30 on what looked like a private visit to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The meeting of the President and Bakare, who was his running mate in the 2011 Presidential election, was conducted in closed doors.
Pastor Bakare would not speak to newsmen when he emerged from the meeting.
The Pastor had declared in September this year that he would one day become Nigeria’s president, saying: “to this end I was born.”
He made proclamation during a sermon, the video of which went viral on the internet.
He said: “Take it to the mountain top if you have never heard it before. I am saying it to you this morning, in the scheme of things, as far as the politics of Nigeria is concerned, President Buhari is number 15 and yours sincerely is number 16.
“I never said that to you before, I want to let you know it this morning; nothing can change it, in the name of Jesus. He (Buhari) is number 15; I am number 16.
“To this end was I born and for this purpose came I into the world. I have prepared for this for 30 years. When he (Buhari) chose to run in 2019, he is still number 15, when he steps out, I step in.”

It Is Our Wish To End Boko Haram, ISWAP Activities In Nigeria In 2020 – Navy Boss

Editorial staff

December 30, 2019

Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas – Chief of Naval Staff PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE

Chief of Nigeria’s Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok Ekwe-Ibas, has expressed the wish of the military, police and other Forces in the war front to completely end the activities of Boko Haram and Islamic State in West African Province in 2020 that is just around the corner.

Speaking to newsmen today, December 30 shortly a meeting between the nation’s service chiefs and President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Naval Chief solicited the support of the media to accomplish the task.
“It is our wish to have the insurgency and terrorism issues resolved once and for all to enable us focus on matters of development.
“At this point, I think you as partners (media men), will also need to do that much to encourage our armed forces and other security agencies to ensure that what we have coming out from you, supports the efforts of the military while you are doing your legitimate work.
“It is our hope that we will get done with this insurgency and terrorism that has besieged our country.”
According to him, the security chiefs met with the President to appraise the year 2019 generally, with emphasis on ongoing operations both within as well as the regional operations.
“With respect to operations within the country, it was generally agreed and noted that the security agencies have done their very best in ensuring that the deliverables are made clear.
“You will recall that the various operations in the country in the northeast, northwest, north central, the southeast as well as the southwest where all members of the armed forces are taking part as well as the intelligence agencies have ensured that we all enjoyed a better holiday period that has just been observed.
“We also recalled that in those areas where the military have been able to achieve desired objectives, from the first quarter of next year, the civil authority will be preparing to take back those responsibilities as the military draws back its forces from those areas to enable it force its attention on other emerging threats and areas of concern.
“It also observed that in the maritime environment, a lot has been done to ensure that our resources are protected. The outcomes of the operations there have seen to the arrest of about six vessels that were involved in stealing of the nation’s maritime resources.
“Mr. President has directed that the council and the members of armed forces ensure a peaceful society in 2020. To that effect, we are more than determined to continue from where we stopped in 2019 and to ensure that we sustain our various operations to ensure a secured Nigeria for all of us.”

How Chelsea Beat Arsenal 2 – 1

Editorial staff

December 29, 2019

Chelsea bounced back to winning ways today, December 29 by beating London rivals, Arsenal 2 – 1 in a keenly contested derby.

Arsenal struck first with a goal from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but Chelsea fought back with two goals from Jorginho and Tammy Abraham.
The blues now sit fought on the league table.
Details later.

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