UN Building In Abuja, Bombed By Boko Haram, Rebuilt And Commissioned

October 24, 2019

The United Nations building in Abuja, Nigeria, which was bombed a couple of years ago by Boko Haram terrorists has been rebuilt and today, October 24, commissioned by the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammad Musa Bello on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The President, in the message sent through the minister, gave assurance that Nigeria will remain resilient in the face of acts of terrorism “designed to break our spirit.”
He said that the commissioning of the building was part of the efforts that had been made over the years in the fight against terrorism even as he reassured the UN family, other visitors and Nigerians of their safety and comfort.
President Buhari stressed that the efforts of the UN over the years in confronting global issues such as international conflicts, health and humanitarian matters, climate change and environmental degradation, have continued to yield positive results around the world.
According to him, all such efforts have shown that the UN is making the world a much better place.
The President congratulated the UN for the celebration of the 2019 UN Day and pledged Nigeria’s commitment to serve as a good host to the UN family. He encouraged the staff to build bonds of friendship with locals towards strengthening the growing sense of a loving community outside the UN environment.
In his welcome remarks, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Edward Kallon, commended President Buhari and people of Nigeria for the unwavering support for the UN and commitment to the rebuilding of the bombed UN house.
He stressed that the rebuilding of the house was a demonstration of Nigeria’s resolve to tackle terrorism and refusal to bowed to it.
Kallon said that the UN humanitarian work in the North East still remains a priority and expressed the hope for more synergy with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), especially with the creation of the Ministry of Humanitarian Services.
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The theme for the 2019 UN Day celebration in Nigeria is, “The future we want, The United Nations we need: Reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism.”
The FCT Minister, on behalf of President Buhari also laid a wreath in memory of those who lost their lives during the August 26 2011 bombing of the UN House and cut the ribbon to commission the rebuilt UN building.

Judicial Council Investigates 8 Judges For Various Offences

Editorial staff

October 24, 2019

National Judicial Council (NJC) has set up a panel to investigate eight judges for various offences even as it recommended appointment and promotion of others.
Council, headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Dr. Justice I. T. Muhammad, at its meting yesterday, October 23 deliberated on the Report of its Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee and decided to empanel eight Committees to investigate eight Judicial Officers from amongst the 35 petitions written against 37 Judges of the Federal and State High Courts.
It said that the remaining petitions were summarily dismissed for obvious and manifest lack of merit, being subjudice, concerning administrative matters, or that such petitions were matters for appeal.
“The dismissed petitions were against Hon. Justice Adamu Abdu-kafarati, the immediate past Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justices Anduwi Chikere, H. I. O. Oshoma, Ayo Emmanuel all of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice J. D. Peters, National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice S. E. Aladetoyinbo (Rtd), of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Hon. Justice Opeyemi Oke (Rtd), Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justices K. A. Jose, S. S. Ogunsanya, T. A. Oyekan-Abdullahi, O. O. Femi-Adeniyi and D. T. Okuwobi, all of the Lagos State High Court of Justice. Hon. Justice Mojisola Idayat Sule, Oyo State High Court, Hon. Justices R. D. Harriman, A. O. Omamogbo, Michael Nduka Obi, High Court of Justice, Delta State, Hon. Justice E. N. Thompson, River State High Court, Hon. Justice Inaikende Eradiri, High Court, Bayelsa State, Hon. Justices N. B. Ukoha and B. C. Iheka of High Court of Justice, Imo State, Hon. Justices F. I. N. Ngwu, R. O. Odugu, Enugu State High Court, Hon. Justice Abdulkadir H. Suleiman, Bauchi State High Court and Hon. Justice Garba Abdulkadir of the Katsina State High Court of Justice.
“Council also approved the recommendation of two Committees earlier set-up to investigate Hon. Justice Winifred I. A. Effiong of Akwa-Ibom State High Court of Justice and Hon. Justice Bello Aliyu Gusau of High of Justice, Zamfara State which absolved them of any judicial misconduct.”
The Council, after considered the list of candidates presented by its Interview Committee, resolved to recommend to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Governors of Edo, Ondo, Akwa-Ibom, Kogi, Anambra, Taraba, Abia, Osun, Nasarawa and Jigawa States, twenty-two successful candidates for appointment as Justices of the Supreme Court, Heads of Courts and other Judicial Officers in Nigeria.
They are: –
1. APPOINTMENT OF FOUR (4) JUSTICES, SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA
i) Hon. Justice Adamu Jauro, JCA (North-East Zone)
ii) Hon. Justice Emmanuel A. Agim, JCA
(South-South Zone)
iii) Hon. Justice C. Oseji, JCA (South-South Zone)
iv) Hon. Justice Helen M. Ogunwumiju, JCA
(South-West Zone)
2. APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF JUDGE, FEDERAL HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
i) Hon. Justice Tsoho John Terhemba
3. APPOINTMENT OF PRESIDENT, NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL COURT OF NIGERIA
i) Hon. Justice B. B. Kanyip
4. APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF JUDGE, EDO STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
i) Hon. Justice Esther Amenaghawon Edigin
5. APPOINTMENT OF PRESIDENT, CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, ONDO STATE
i) Hon. Justice Eunice Aderonke Alade
6. APPOINTMENT OF FOUR (4) JUDGES, OSUN STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
i) Mathias Olusegun Agboola, Esq.
ii) Sikiru Adeposi Oke, Esq.
iii) Olorunfemi Judith Ajanaku, Esq.
iv) Lawrence Olawale Arojo, Esq.
7. APPOINTMENT OF ONE (1) JUDGE, NASARAWA STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
i) Bawa Sunday Baba, Esq.
8. APPOINTMENT OF ONE (1) JUDGE, AKWA-IBOM STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
i) Nkeruwem Martin Obot, Esq.
9. APPOINTMENT OF ONE (1) JUDGE, KOGI STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
i) Yahaya Adamu, Esq.
10. APPOINTMENT OF TWO (2) JUDGES, ANAMBRA STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
i) Onyinye Samuel Anumonye, Esq.
ii) Victoria Toochukwu Nwoye, Esq.
11. APPOINTMENT OF ONE (1) JUDGE, TARABA STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
i) Goje Yahaya Hamman, Esq.
12. APPOINTMENT OF THREE (3) JUDGES, ABIA STATE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
i) Benson Anya, Esq.
ii) Enyinnaya Okezie, Esq.
iii) Adiele Ogbonna, Esq.
13. APPOINTMENT OF ONE (1) KADI, SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, JIGAWA STATE
i) Ibrahim Alhaji Ya’u
All the appointed Judges are expected to be sworn-in after the approval of the President and their respective State Governors and or confirmation by the Senate and State Houses of Assembly as the case may be.

Nigeria, Russia Sign MoU To Revamp Nigeria’s Refineries

Editorial staff

October 24, 2019

Nigeria and Russia have signed an important Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which will enable both countries’ oil giants, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Russia’s Lukeoil to elevate commercial relationship to a government-to-government backed partnership.
With the signing of the MoU today, October 24 in Sochi, Russia, NNPC and Lukeoil will work together in upstream operations and revamp Nigeria’s refineries.
The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mele Kyari and Vagit Alekperov, President of leading Russian oil company, Lukeoil, signed the MoU, which entails cooperation in deep offshore exploration of oil in Nigeria, production, trading and refining.
The signing ceremony, which took place on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Summit, was witnessed by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva.
President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier said that Nigeria is prepared to work with Russian businesses “to improve the efficiency of our oil and gas sector which provides us with the much-needed capital to invest in our security, infrastructure and economic diversification programmes”.
President Buhari gave an assurance that his administration will “ensure this initiative is implemented within the shortest possible time.”

World Bank, Again,Names Nigeria One Of The Top 10 Most Improved Economies In World

Editorial staff

October 24, 2019

The World Bank has named Nigeria as one of the top 10 most improved economies in the world for the second time in three years.
Nigeria is one of the two African countries to make this highly prestigious list.
The Bank, in its report released today, October 24, also ranked Nigeria as 131 on its Doing Business Index (DBI) for the year 2020. This is a great improvement against last year’s position of 146.
With this year’s leap, Nigeria has improved an aggregate of 39 places in the World Bank Doing Business index since 2016.
The Doing Business Index is an annual ranking that objectively assesses prevailing business climate conditions across 190 countries based on 10 ease of doing business indicators.
The index captures ease of doing business reforms that have been validated by the private sector, and offers comparative insights based on private sector validation in the two largest commercial cities in countries with a population higher than 100 million. The report consequently features Lagos and Kano for Nigeria.
Commenting on the development, President Muhammadu Buhari said thatthe movement of Nigeria to 131 on its DBI and the recognition of the country as one of the top 10 most improved countries, is significant “because we were not even able to achieve some of the key reforms we had pursued, but what we have done so far is being recognized. This validation confirms that our strategy is working and we will continue to push even harder to deliver more impactful reforms.”
He is sure that with the impending ratification of the Companies and Allied Matters Bill and the introduction of the Business Facilitation (Omnibus) Bill, 2019 in view, along with other pending and ongoing regulatory, judicial and sub-national reforms, “our mandate to move into the top 70 doing business destinations by 2023 remains achievable.”
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment and Vice Chair of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Otunba Niyi Adebayo, who breifed the Present about the World Bank’s ranking said: “the steady improvement in Nigeria’s ease of doing business score and rank is a testament to the reforms implemented by this Administration over the past four years in line with the reform agenda being implemented at national and sub-national levels across the country since the establishment of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) by President Muhammadu Buhari in July, 2016.
“The PEBEC works towards the fulfillment of the projections of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP 2017-2020), which is striving to deliver sustainable economic growth in Nigeria by restoring growth, investing in our people, and building a competitive economy as we work towards delivering Mr President’s mandate of bringing 100 million people out of poverty. The 2020 Doing Business report from the World Bank has reaffirmed the commitment of the newly constituted PEBEC to making Nigeria a progressively easier place to do business and removing the bureaucratic constraints to doing business in the country as we forge ahead in this Next Level.”
The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, with 13 ministers as members amongst others, has through the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat collaborated with ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), the National Assembly, the Judiciary, State governments and the private sector to carry out over 140 reforms so far in a bid to remove bureaucratic constraints to doing business in Nigeria and make the country a progressively easier place to start and grow a business.
On the new ranking, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Special Adviser to the President, Ease of Doing Business/Secretary PEBEC, said:
“The private sector remains the fulcrum of the ease of doing business interventions. We are committed to more engagements among reform-implementing organs of government and the private sector players, and we are happy to see that these have resulted in a more favourable validation of the reforms by the private sector. This result will serve as encouragement to sustain the deepening of these reforms and make it even more tangible for businesses and the citizenry. The PEBEC is focused on delivering even more substantive reforms for the improvement of the general business climate.”
She noted that over the past four years, Nigeria’s score has steadily improved in the World Bank Doing Business Report, after years of decline in both score and ranking in the years preceding 2016.
She recalled that in 2017, Nigeria moved up by an unprecedented 24 places on the Doing Business rankings, and was for the first time ever, recognized as one of the top 10 reformers in the area of doing business that year.

Buhari Advocates Humane, Inclusive, Stronger, Diversified Partnership Between Nigeria And Russia

Editorial staff

October 24, 2019

President Muhammadu Buhari has advocated a stronger partnership that is humane, inclusive and diversified between Nigeria and Russia.

He also advocated a renewed Nigeria-Russia relations towards bolstering the age-long relationship that had been mutually rewarding and promising.

In statement at the second plenary of the Russia-Africa Summit, in Sochi, Russia, today, October 24, President Buhari wanted the initial warmth and harmony enjoyed with the former USSR after Nigeria’s independence in 1960 to be revitalized so that citizens of both countries can benefit from soci0-cultural, educational, technological and trade exchange.

The Russia-Africa Summit is co-chaired by President Vladimir Putin of Russia and African Union Chairman and President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

“Nigeria’s relations with Russia just like the rest of Africa began during the Soviet era when diplomatic relations were first established in 1960. That relationship covered areas such as education, healthcare, solid minerals development and military assistance especially during Nigeria’s civil war.

“More recently, our partnership has extended to the oil and gas sector as well as military and technical assistance in support of our fight against Boko Haram insurgency. At this point, I would once again like to thank His Excellency, President Putin for his support especially in the area of security.

“It is my hope that through this forum, Russia and Africa will revitalize their time-tested relationship by exploring new opportunities for the collective benefit of our peoples,” the Nigerian leader said.

President Buhari said that the collapse of the USSR in 1991 affected relations between Russia and African nations, which lagged behind historical levels, noting that the former Soviet Union had been a key partner of Africa.

“We all remember the strong support we received from the former Soviet Union in our anti-colonial struggles. Africa will continue to remember this, and many other significant gestures of solidarity and support that shaped our history as a continent. We are eternally grateful to the Soviet Union for coming to the aid of Africa in its hour of need.

“As we live in an increasingly changing world driven by trade, technology and innovation, the time has come to inject new energy and pragmatism in Africa-Russia relations for the mutual benefit of both Africa and Russia.”

President Buhari said that the mutually beneficial relationship must go beyond trade and business to address challenges like counter-terrorism, poverty eradication, human and drug trafficking, illicit financial flows, climate change and migration.

“Our continent is rich in human and natural resources but is lagging behind in capital and technology. This is why we see increased conflict, migration and instability that is also impacting many nations outside Africa.

“On our part, we in Africa have continued to view Regional Integration as a key development priority. Our integration is one that seeks to address our infrastructure deficit, conflicts and terrorism, climate change, human trafficking and trade,’’ the President told the leaders at the summit,’’ the President told the leaders.

According to the Nigerian President, the inclusive economic diversification agenda of Africa, captured in the visionary Agenda 2063, will forge a new Nigeria-Russia cooperation, pointing out that progress had been witnessed in areas of power generation, solid minerals development and rail transportation.

President Buhari said the progress should be expanded to agriculture, manufacturing and other means of transportation, adding that “we already have over 200 Nigerian university students in Russia benefiting from Russian Government scholarships which have been on-going since 1960.

“Earlier this year, Nigeria signed a Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) with Russia which will expand the human capital development support we are already receiving.”

Quoting late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jnr. the President said peace and prosperity can only be achieved through collaboration and mutual respect.

“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

Youth Corps Members To Enjoy N30,000 New Minimum Wage – Minister

Editorial staff

October 23, 2019

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has confirmed that members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) will enjoy the new minimum wage of N30,000.
Dare, in his official Twitter handle today, October 23, said: “New Minimum Wage: NYSC members to enjoy new minimum wage/allowee Details coming …”
“Next week the DG NYSC will provide details of the new allowee for the Youth Corp members after full briefing from the Ministries of Finance And MYSD.”

Nigeria Loses N5.37 Trillion Annual Through Tax Evation- Revenue Boss

Editorial staff

October 23, 2019

Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Tunde Fowler has said that Nigeria is losing about $15 billion (about N5.37 trillion) to tax evasion annually.
Fowler, who spoke today, October 23 at a seminar by the West Africa Tax Administration Forum (WATAF) on “Exchange of Information” as a tool to combat offshore tax evasion, especially in the ECOWAS sub-region, said that the increasing mobility of income and assets had created a major challenge for tax administrators in the sub-region.
A statement by FIRS quoted Fowler as saying that Nigeria would implement the first Automatic Exchange of Information standard by 2020.
According to the revenue boss, there is a direct linkage between tax compliance, domestic tax investigation, tax audit, information gathering framework and the international infrastructure for the exchange of information among tax authorities.
“Nigeria had demonstrated her commitment to improving transparency around tax matters, when she signed a declaration and joined the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement on Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information on 17th August 2017.
“Furthermore, to facilitate the process of implementing the Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information under the Common Reporting Standard, Nigeria published the AEOI regulations in the Official Gazette of the Federation.
“Finalized and issued CRS guidelines, constructed and finished a dedicated building for the operation of the AEOI and put in place the necessary Information and Communication Technology infrastructure to operationalize the AEOI processes.
“Nigeria has done all these to enable us conduct the first exchange of information under the automatic exchange of information regime by September 2020.”

If My Wife Discovers I’m Kidnapper, She’ll Divorce Me – Suspect

Editorial staff

October 23, 2019

A suspected kidnapper, 35 year old Hamidu Badori, who was arrested by the operatives of Bangi Division of the Nigeria police has expressed fear that his wife would divorce him if she knows that he is into kidnapping business.
Badori, who was paraded by the Police, said that bad company and greediness led to his involvement in kidnapping saying that he should have been contented with his farm work.
“I should have concentrated on my farm work, even though the money is small at least I would have saved my good and that of my family. I have realized that what I did was wrong between man and God and I pray that my family forgave me. I have dragged my family name to mud.
“My wife does not know that I am a kidnapper and there is every possibility that she divorce me at the end of the day.”
Hamidu Badori was one of the suspects arrested in connection with the kidnapping of the daughter of one Sariki Aliyu, of Kudun-Gure Fulani settlement camp Kotonkoro in Mariga Local Government Area of NigerState.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Muhammad Abubakar said that the Police are on the trail of the three fleeing suspects adding that the case would soon be charged to court.

Buhari Rejoices With Justin Trudeau Over His Election As Canadian PM

Editorial staff

October 23, 2019

President Muhammadu Buhari has rejoiced with Justin Trudeau on his election as the Prime Minister of Canada. Buhari also felicitated with the Liberal Party of Canada and Canadians generally on the outcome of the Federal election in the country.
The Nigerian leader acknowledged that Nigeria-Canada trade had gone up to $948.4 million in 2018, saying that would be glad to strengthen the cordial relations with Prime Minister Trudeau across a wide range of shared values and interests.
The President recalled that the visit of Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, to Nigeria in October 2018, provided an opportunity for Nigeria to appreciate the humanitarian assistance of Canada to civilian populations affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.
Buhari stressed that with the common membership of Nigeria and Canada in the Global Counter Terrorism Forum and several other international organisations, both countries will continue to stand together on issues of peace and security that guarantee a better and more secure world for all.

Russia Formally Agrees To Return To Work On Ajaokuta Steel Project

Editorial staff

October 23, 2019

Russia has formally made a firm commitment to President Muhammadu Buhari to soon return to work on Ajaokuta Steel project in Kogi State of Nigeria.
The commitment was made today, October 23 by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Russia, on sidelines of ongoing Russia-Africa Summit.
The two leaders, at a bilateral meeting, agreed to start new infrastructure projects and expand trade and investment, security and military cooperation.
In statements made by both leaders, Nigeria and Russia will work together to improve efficiency of Nigeria’s oil sector, which is the backbone of the economy, in a way that will see to rehabilitation of epileptic oil refineries through establishment of framework for a joint venture between Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Russia-based leading oil company, Lukoil. Both NNPC and Lukoil will work towards the prospection of oil in deep offshore.
Nigeria and Russia also agreed to revive and solidify the venture between the NNPC and Russia’s gas giant, Gazprom for the development of Nigeria’s enormous gas potential and infrastructure.
The issue of uncompleted and abandoned Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mill was presented by President Buhari. His request for the return of Russia, on a government-to-government relationship for completion and commissioning of the plant was accepted by President Putin.
Earlier in the day, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arch Olamilekan Adegbite had a very fruitful discussion with his counterpart in Russia on Ajaokuta.
The Russia government agreed to support development of Nigeria’s rail infrastructure by constructing 1,400 kilometres track from Lagos to the South-South city of Calabar.
There was also discussion on the advancement of ongoing project for the establishment of a nuclear power plant in Nigeria. According to President Putin, the next step in the implementation of the project should be the commencement of construction of a power plant.
On security and military cooperation, one that existed for fifty-nine years of Nigeria’s independence, President Buhari agreed to renew Nigeria-Russia Military Technical Agreement that had lapsed within a short time, saying: “I have directed the Minister of Defence to work with the Ministry of Justice to conclude this matter within the shortest possible time.”
This military cooperation agreement is expected to give impetus to further cooperation in direct procurement of military hardware on a government-to-government basis at a lower cost as well as training of military personnel and modernization of armed forces and renewal of infrastructure and equipment which President Putin promised to undertake.
On protracted issue of the Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria, ALSCON, Ikot-Abasi, Akwa-Ibom State, President Buhari said that he had asked the Ministry of Justice, “to submit a comprehensive report on the UC Russel (the Russian owners of the plant) matter…I want to assure you that the aim of our reforms is to ensure such investments are concluded and actualized in a professional and painless manner.”
The two Presidents also addressed partnership in education and agriculture. The Russia leader said they would give additional scholarships to Nigerians.
“We seek your Government’s support especially in the areas of wheat production. Today, Nigeria produces less than one hundred thousand metric tons of wheat locally while our imports are projected to exceed five million tons in 2020.
“We therefore need your support to bridge the deficit which will create jobs and save our foreign exchange for other important areas like security, defence and infrastructure,” President Buhari said.
On this, President Putin promised to promote joint efforts, given his country’s ranking as the current number one wheat producer in the world.
“We can do a lot together,” Putin added.
The Russian President said Nigeria should take advantage of Russia’s potassium resources to advance President Buhari’s local fertiliser production program. Putin promised his country’s support for the geological prospection of Nigeria’s solid minerals and gave assurances of working with Nigeria and other African countries to secure and stop the incidents of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea as they did in securing the Somali coastal areas.
President Putin expressed further determination to secure Nigeria and the rest of Africa from terrorists. He told President Buhari that 2,000 ex-ISIS terrorists joined Boko Haram last year.
In conclusion, President Buhari said: “to move forward, may I suggest that our countries organize the fifth Joint Commission meeting to review and ratify all the agreements (about 40) contained in the Intergovernmental Nigeria-Russia Joint Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation Protocol of November 11, 2016.”
President Putin agreed to the proposal.
Both leaders emphasized the need for reform of United Nations Security Council. President Buhari asked Russia to support Nigeria’s aspiration for a permanent membership of the council.

President Buhari and President Putin in a handshake

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