Economy will bounce back, Buhari assures Nigerians.

   President Muhammadu Buhari has saluted Nigerians for their steadfastness in spite of the difficult economic times confronting the country.

Buhari, in his Eid-el-Kabir message to Nigerians released in Abuja on Sunday, gave the assurance that his administration would get the economy right.

Bag of rice may sell for N40,000 by December – Minister.

   The Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has said that Nigeria spends about $22bn a year on importation of food.

Lokpobiri made this known on Saturday at a town hall meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

   He said the development had led to the astronomical rise in price of rice and other commodities, stressing that if Nigerians failed to produce some of the items being imported, before December the price of rice would skyrocket to N40,000 a bag.

He said there was a projection that by 2050, Nigeria’s population would be 450 million, wondering what would happen then if the people could not feed themselves now.

   Lokpobiri said, “For your information, we spend about $22bn a year importing food into Nigeria. We know how many more dollars … and that is why you see the price of rice going up.

“Price of rice was N12,000 some months ago, but it is now about N26,000 and if we don’t start producing, by December it could be N40,000.

“Rice matures in three months. So, this is a wake up call for Bayelsa people to take the four farms we have seriously. The federal government has four farms in the state in our records. The average land you see in Bayelsa can grow rice, so the colonial masters were not wrong in their assessment when they said Niger Delta could feed not only Nigeria but the entire West Africa sub-region.

   “Unfortunately, agriculture till today, is not a priority of the Niger Delta as far as the state governments are concerned because of oil.”

He said the states in the Niger Delta had yet to give priority to agriculture the way the North-West states such as Kebbi, Jigawa, Kano as well as other states like Lagos, Ebonyi, Anambra, have prioritised it.

He said Anambra State for instance, was not owing salaries despite the fact that it does not have oil but raking in money by exporting vegetables.

Hunger will last longer than expected in Nigeria – Audu Ogbeh.

   The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, on Tuesday stated that hunger as well as the economic recession Nigerians are currently experiencing will last longer than expected.

Ogbeh, however, noted that the situation might be salvaged if Nigeria pursues farming vigorously.

Three new cases of Lassa fever reported in Ondo.

   The Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers (DSNO) has announced three fresh cases of the virulent and deadly Lassa fever in Ondo state.

It identified places where the disease was detected as Owo and Akure North local government areas of the State.

DSNO officials stated this when giving its reports to the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanyu at his office in Akure.

According to DSNO, a case was first identified in Eyin-Ogbe, Owo LGA and was confirmed at Irrua Specialist Hospital, Edo State.

Postponement of Edo poll, a plot to rig for APC – PDP blasts DSS, Police.

   The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has decried the call by the Department of State Services, DSS, and the Nigerian Police for the postponement of Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Edo state, calling it “shocking, bizarre and confusing”.

   A statement by its spokesman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said the party was “taken

We are aware of your pains, Buhari tells Nigerians.

   President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he and members of his cabinet are aware of the pains Nigerians are going through.

The President, who said  ‘change’ was aimed at restoring the nation on the path of integrity and prosperity said this in Osogbo on Thursday at the

Jude Ndukwe: Buhari’s proposed emergency powers and how not to kill a nation.

   It is a season of the absurd. Nigeria is haemorrhaging uncontrollably, left for too long to bleed and now in near-comatose situation. Truly, she is in dire need of urgent attention as she suffers from economic asphyxiation on the treatment table while she is abandoned to writhe in avoidable pain. Suddenly, it seems her doctors are just realizing exactly how bad the situation is and they are now very desperate to do everything to save her, or so it seems,from total shut-down.

I didn’t suddenly decide to be a woman, my brain has always been female – Transgender, Miss Sahhara.

   Popular Nigerian transgender, born Clifford Oche, popularly known as Miss SaHHara, has said it is not true that she decided to be a woman overnight.

She said she has always been a woman and would have killed herself if she hadn’t moved to the United Kingdom.

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I will be a ‘god’ soon – Ghanaian pastor, Daniel Obinim.

   Controversial Ghanaian pastor and founder of International God’s Way Church, Bishop Daniel Obinim, has declared he will be a god soon.

   Recall that the pastor, who caused a stir on the social media for flogging a pregnant teenage member of his church, recently made news headlines after he was arrested over suspicions of fraud.

Obinim explained how he got ‘spiritual gifts’ from God and how he may soon be promoted from being an angel to becoming god.

Senate will investigate IDPs’ hunger crisis – Saraki.

   Following last Thursday’s protest by hundreds of women from camps in Borno State, President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Saturday stated that the Senate will investigate the severe hunger and nutrition crisis in IDP camps in the North East.

Dwindling economy: Buhari should eat the humble pie and invite the likes of Okonji-Iweala – Hon. Kaze

   A former member of the House of Representatives and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Hon. Bitrus Kaze, in an interview with Daily Post, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari, to eat the humble pie and reach out to the likes of former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonji Iweala, whom he said had distinguished herself globally, to help the nation come out of its current dwindling economy.

22 ex-militants qualify as aircraft engineers.

   The Presidential Amnesty Office on Friday said 22 beneficiaries of its foreign education programme had graduated as Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and had returned to the country.
The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and the Coordinator of Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh, disclosed this in an interview in Abuja.

JAMB set to upload names of successful candidates

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it will soon commence the uploading of names of candidates who have been offered admission into tertiary institution on its website.

The board’s Head, Media and Information, Dr Fabian Benjamin, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

According to him, the board will ensure that Nigerian children are not unjustly denied admission in any institution of their choice.

If we fix the Niger Delta, we have fixed Nigeria’s economy – Bayelsa SSG.

   The Bayelsa State government has intensified its protest against the exclusion of the state from the recent appointment of Ambassadors, saying such actions would not augur well for the Nigerian economy.

   The Secretary to the State Government, David Serena-Dokubo Spiff, made the observation during the just concluded 56th Bar Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

Asari Dokubo not dead – Ijaw Youth Council.

  The Ijaw Youth Council has dismissed the rumoured attack by military personnel on Alhaji Asari Dokubo, founder of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force (NDPVF).

  There were widespread rumours of Asari being killed in an alleged confrontation with soldiers on Saturday morning.

Why FG must immediately reform EFCC – NBA president.

   The new President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Abubakar Mahmud, has advocated reform of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Mahmud, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who made the call in his inaugural speech in Port Harcourt, said that the reform should limit its role to investigation.

He said under the reform, the commission`s mandate to prosecute should be handled by an independent highly resource prosecution agency.

“The critical institutions involved must be repositioned, re-equipped and re-tooled to confront the problem of corruption on a consistent and sustainable basis.

“As a start, we commend the efforts of the Economic and Financial Crimes Institution for the work it is doing and for its modest achievements.

“ However, going forward, the NBA must demand the reform of the institution itself. We need to define its mandate more narrowly and more clearly,” he said.

Mahmud said, “In my view, its broad objective as an investigative and prose curial agency should be reviewed.

“I recommend strongly that the EFCC be limited to investigation,” he said.

   The president said the NBA anti-corruption committee would be mandated to develop clear recommendations toward enhancing the fight against corruption and improving the effectiveness of the agencies involved.

Mahmud said the NBA would advocate urgent reforms that would reposition the judiciary and make it play crucial roles.

He said a clean, efficient and knowledgeable judiciary, was a foundation for building orderly, peaceful and prosperous society.

“The NBA under my watch will fight judicial corruption. We shall make the legal profession unattractive for corrupt lawyers,” he said.

   The president said that the NBA should take active interests in the happenings in the North-East and Niger Delta Region.

He said the NBA would set up a North-East task force to assist members affected by the conflict, provide legal services to individuals and communities who were victims of the conflict and monitor human rights issues.

   He also said the association would set up a Niger Delta task force to carry out similar assignments in the area, especially providing legal support to advise on general challenges to enhance environmental protection and quality of life.

I support the struggle for the independence of Palestine – Senator Sani Shehu.

   The Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Sen. Shehu Sani, on Friday expressed support for the United Nations’ resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He said during a visit to the Palestinian Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Saleh Fhied, in Abuja, that the conflict had lingered in spite of efforts to resolve it.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there had been efforts by the Security Council of the UN to bring an end to the conflict.

The conflict has been on territorial lines that existed before Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in 1967.

Sani assured the Palestinian envoy of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to the traditional position of Nigeria on the UN resolution on the matter.

“I am here to reaffirm my support for the Palestinian course and the struggle of the people of Palestine, for their liberation as an independent and a sovereign state.

“I also want to reaffirm my firm support for the United Nations resolution on Palestine-Israel debacle.

“It is regrettable that former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration derailed from Nigeria’s official position.

“It was a direct departure from Nigeria’s traditional position. It was not within the principle of our foreign policy.

“I believe no African should think of any other think than to see Palestine as a sovereign state,’’ he said.

Sani said that it was high time Palestine gained its freedom, stressing that “Palestine represents 21st century prison, where a people are denied the basic right to exist as a free people.

“We don’t believe that there should be a country under colonialism. This is the time for the suffering for the people of Palestine to come to an end; it is time for their independence.

“We believe the UN resolution. In as much as Israel exists as a sovereign state, Palestine should also exist as a sovereign state.

“Global peace can only be attained if the issue is resolved.’’

He commended the Palestinian Government for fostering unity among its Muslim and Christian population, saying that it offered a lesson of religious harmony all over the world.

He said that Nigeria and Palestine would continue to cooperate in relevant areas as well as work closely towards global peace.

Responding, the ambassador commended Buhari for fostering relationship between Nigeria and Palestine in 1985 when he was military Head of State.

Fhied said that Nigeria’s support for Palestine was only fair and just, considering the fact that Nigeria had also suffered from colonialism.

He expressed optimism that as civilian president, Buhari would support the Palestinian struggle to become a sovereign nation.

Fhied also commended Sani for his support for Palestine’s course and urged him not to relent in helping the government in the struggle for freedom.

He said, “every single word you just said will be heard in Palestine. The struggle is not finished yet; we count on your support and we wait for the day we will get our liberation.

“We don’t want to destroy Israel. We do not want to de-legalize Israel; we want to have them as neighbours; we hope the problem will finish and we will be free.

“They have to honour all international decisions and Security Council resolutions and with Nigeria and International help as well as your help, we can achieve this.’’

Housewife arraigned over death of 4-day-old baby in Kano.

   A housewife, Barira Yusuf, on Friday appeared before a Kano Upper Sharia Court, for allegedly causing the death of a four-day-old baby.

Minister beaten to death by striking workers.

   Bolivian miners on Thursday during a clash with the police in the town of Panduro hacked the Deputy Interior Minister to death.

Interior Minister, Carlos Romero, confirmed on Friday that reports by witnesses indicated that the 55-year-old was beaten to death following clashes between police and miners in the town of Panduro, 165 kilometres south-east of La Paz.

Romero said Illanes had been kidnapped by miners after attempting to initiate talks with them at a roadblock.

The minister, who spoke of the “cowardly and brutal” murder, added that his aide was also injured and was taken to hospital.

He said that one miner was reportedly killed in the Thursday’s clashes, bringing the death toll in several days of protests against controversial trade union legislation to three.

He said, “Two miners were killed on Wednesday.

“Around 100 miners were detained after Thursday’s protests.

Miners currently represented by independently organized cooperatives have been using street blockades to protest against a law allowing them to join trade unions.

The national federation of mining cooperatives representing some 10,000 miners rejects any trade union influence on Bolivia’s mining sector.