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Friday, 17 August 2018 06:43

2019 elections: Buhari pledges not to interfere with INEC

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that he would not interfere with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before, during and after the 2019 general elections.The president also gave an undertaking that he would ensure that next year’s polls are free, fair and credible.The Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojodu, expressed the Buhari’s positions when he read the president’s speech at the 2018 Annual Nigeria Political Parties summit held in Abuja yesterday.“Today, I pledge to Nigeria, my country to promote free fair and credible election devoid of any form of interference in the activities of INEC,…

Friday, 17 August 2018 06:25

NEC resolves to decentralise Nigeria Police

Short of constitutional amendment, the federal government and state governors have resolved to explore how the operations of the Nigeria police can be decentralised in order to improve the level of policing and security in the country.This is one of the highlights of the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting yesterday where a committee of state governors and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) was set up to ensure the decentralisation.Members of the Committee include the Governors of Zamfara, Ondo, Plateau, Ebonyi, Katsina, Edo and Borno states, who will work with the IGP, Ibrahim Idris.At the NEC meeting, the National Security Adviser,…

Friday, 17 August 2018 06:23

Nationwide blackout looms as GENCos warn power plants may shut down

Nigerians risk nationwide blackout as electricity generating companies (GENCOs) on Thursday issued notice of an impending shutdown of their power plants.The Executive Secretary, Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), Joy Ogaji, who issued the notice did not say when the shutdown of the power plants would commence.“The shutdown will happen automatically, because the machines are already giving us the signal that they are about to shut down. It could happen this month. It could happen next month or even tomorrow. Nobody knows exactly when.“The machines have given us (GENCOs) notice. That is why we are giving the market that notice,…

Friday, 17 August 2018 06:20

INEC presents certificates to new parties

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has presented certificates to the 23 new political parties registered ahead of the 2019 general election.The registration of these political parties brought the number of political parties in Nigeria to 91.The commission on its twitter handle @INEC Nigeria revealed the certificates were presented to the new parties by INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, on Thursday in Abuja.The tweet read “Presentation of certificates to 23 newly registered political parties at the commission’s conference hall by the chairman INEC Mahmood Yakubu.”Below is a list of the 23 newly registered parties.Advanced Alliance PartyAdvanced Nigeria Democratic PartyAfrican Action CongressAlliance…

Friday, 17 August 2018 06:18

Nigerian govt paid ‘large ransom’ to free Dapchi girls – UN report

Contrary to the claim by the Nigerian government through the Information Minister Lai Mohammed, the government paid a “large ransom” to free scores of female students kidnapped by the Boko Haram from their school in Dapchi, Yobe State, earlier this year, the United Nations has said.Over 100 girls were kidnapped from the Dapchi school by a Boko Haram faction in February this year with about 105 of them later released by the terrorists. One of them, Leah Sharibu, who reportedly refused to denounce her Christian faith, is still with the abductors.Following the release of the girls, about a month after…

Friday, 17 August 2018 06:06

Eid - FG declares Tuesday, Wednesday public holidays

The federal government has declared Tuesday, August 21, and Wednesday, August 22 as public holidays to celebrate the 2018 Eid-el-Kabir.The Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, made the declaration on Thursday in Abuja in a statement issued by Mohammed Umar, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry.While wishing Nigerians a happy Eid-el-Kabir celebration, Mr Dambazau, a retired lieutenant general, enjoined the citizens to use the period to embrace the virtues of love and sacrifice for the unity and development of the country.He urged Nigerians both at home and abroad to support the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in its determination to foster…

Friday, 17 August 2018 05:55

Former US security leaders blast Trump for revoking clearance

Former U.S. security officials issued scathing rebukes to President Donald Trump on Thursday, admonishing him for yanking a top former spy chief’s security clearance in what they cast as an act of political vengeance. Trump said he’d had to do “something” about the “rigged” federal probe of Russian election interference.Trump’s admission that he acted out of frustration about the Russia probe underscored his willingness to use his executive power to fight back against an investigation he sees as a threat to his presidency. Legal experts said the dispute may add to the evidence being reviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller.In…

Friday, 17 August 2018 05:47

US says more sanctions await if Turkey does not free pastor

The United States warned Turkey on Thursday to expect more economic sanctions unless it hands over detained American pastor Andrew Brunson, as relations between the two countries took a further turn for the worse.U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin assured President Donald Trump at a Cabinet meeting that sanctions were ready to be put in place if Brunson was not freed.“We have more that we are planning to do if they don’t release him quickly,” Mnuchin said during the meeting.The United States and Turkey have exchanged tit-for-tat tariffs in an escalating attempt by Trump to induce Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan into…

Friday, 17 August 2018 05:44

Pentagon says China military 'likely training for strikes' on U.S. targets

China’s military has expanded its bomber operations in recent years while “likely training for strikes” against the United States and its allies, a Pentagon report released on Thursday said.The assessment, which comes at a time of heightened U.S.-China tensions over trade, was contained in an annual report that highlighted China’s efforts to increase its global influence, with defense spending that the Pentagon estimates exceeded $190 billion in 2017.“Over the last three years, the PLA has rapidly expanded its overwater bomber operating areas, gaining experience in critical maritime regions and likely training for strikes against U.S. and allied targets,” the report…

Friday, 17 August 2018 05:42

More than 1,000 Google workers protest censored China search

More than a thousand Google employees have signed a letter protesting the company’s secretive plan to build a search engine that would comply with Chinese censorship.The letter calls on executives to review ethics and transparency at the company.The letter’s contents were confirmed by a Google employee who helped organize it but who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the debate.The letter says employees lack the information required “to make ethically informed decisions about our work” and complains that most employees only found out about the project — nicknamed Dragonfly — through media reports.The letter is similar to one…

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Thursday, 16 August 2018 07:24

2019: I may run for President – Saraki

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, is ‘actively considering’ running against President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 elections.n an interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday, Mr Saraki said he is still making consultations on the ambition.“I am consulting and actively considering it,” Mr Saraki said “I believe I can make the change.”Early indications of Mr Saraki’s ambition emerged in March when media mogul, Dele Momodu, disclosed that he will join the 2019 presidential race. But Mr Saraki denied claiming the report was false.“The report is false. If it is true that he is contesting, you would have seen the report it (sic)…

Thursday, 16 August 2018 07:22

Why we want more money for 2019 election — INEC

The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, has given reasons to justify the increase in the 2019 election budget.He said this on Wednesday during the budget presentation of the 2019 general election at a meeting the Senate Committee on INEC in Abuja.He listed increase in number of political parties, increase on voters population and registered voters, high cost of logistics, exchange rates, increase in number of constituencies as reasons for the increase.INEC had in 2015 requested for N120 billion for the general election and is now requesting for N189.2 billion to conduct the 2019 polls.The proposed…

Thursday, 16 August 2018 07:19

Osun govt begins payment of full salaries, three years after

The Osun State Government has begun the implementation of full salary payments to all civil servants in the state.The state Commissioner of Information, Adelani Baderinwa, confirmed this development on Wednesday.According to Mr Adelani, the full salary payment started with the July payment.The state started ‘modulated’ salary payment in June 2015 when the state faced an economic crisis.This year’s June salary payment marked the third anniversary of half salary payments in the state.Prior to this time, only workers below level 7 received full salary payment. Workers between level 8 and 12 had been receiving 75 per cent of their salaries while…

Thursday, 16 August 2018 07:16

Ortom condemns demands for minutes of Benue State Security Council meetings by EFCC

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Wednesday raised the alarm over alleged continued persecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.Ortom who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, claimed that the commission had continued to ground the state government with invitation of government officials to EFCC’s office.The anti-graft agency had few weeks ago disclosed that it was investigating the state government’s expenditure of N22bn.Few days after, the governor through his Chief Press Secretary said that the state accounts had been frozen by the anti-graft agency.He was reported as saying then, “Yes, it is true that accounts of the…

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