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Italy thwarts $678m ecstasy from China

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Italian customs officials said Monday they had seized more than six tonnes of chemical “precursors” from China that could have been used to make narcotics worth 630 million euros ($678 million).

The seizure was made at Milan’s airport during an inspection of goods, and included enough chemicals to produce more than 63 million MDMA pills, they added.

An Italian entrepreneur from Milan was placed under investigation and two Chinese nationals were arrested in the Netherlands as part of investigations carried out with the European judicial agency Eurojust, said Italian customs.

After being analysed in a laboratory, powder seized that purported to be polyester powder coating turned out to be PMK — a precursor product of ecstasy.

The cargo was intended to pass through a company with Milan headquarters before being shipped to the Netherlands.

Dutch police officers contacted by Italian colleagues identified the intended final destination and seized dozens of kilos of PMK, ketamine, and hashish.

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BREAKING: NAF helicopter crashes in Kaduna

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A helicopter belonging to the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, reportedly crashed on Monday morning in Tami community, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
According to Vanguard, the incident occurred at about 5 a m when residents heard a loud sound from the crash site.
The locals said they rushed to the scene of the crash where they saw the pilot emerging from the wreckage.
Details later…
BREAKING: NAF helicopter crashes in Kaduna

Politicians urge colleagues to serve beyond office

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Political stakeholders, including lawmaker James Faleke and the Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Works, Dr. Adekunle Olayinka, have called on other well-meaning stakeholders in the political space of the country to join the course to serve humanity.

The duo made the call among other politicians gathered at the Charter Presentation of the Rotary Club of Dideolu Golden and the 20th Anniversary of the Rotary Club of Omole Golden on Sunday.

They called on their counterparts within the political space to join the necessity of greater commitment to the service of humanity, particularly in addressing critical needs when the country is experiencing a downturn.

They mentioned that while political office demands service to the public, there was more that could be contributed individually by stakeholders to form a stronger collective to help society.

Speaking, Faleke, who represents Ikeja Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, said political stakeholders should be positively disposed to making efforts to commitments “that would bring relief to the less privileged.”

“We are all elected representatives to support the people, and so we should continue to support the people as much as possible,” he said.

Charging Adeyinka, who was on Sunday presented with the Charter Certificate as Charter President, Rotary Club Dideolu Golden, Faleke said, “I think Rotary has its own modus operandi and the actors are developmental oriented, and what I expect from him (Olayinka) and the Rotary Club of Dideolu Golden is to promote proper development, infrastructure development for the people and to reach the less privileged in the society. That would be my expectation from him.”

On his part, Olayinka called on stakeholders, particularly in the political space, to contribute significantly to the course of helping humanity, maintaining that it is with a collective drive that the strains in the society could be pragmatically addressed.

“It’s a participatory thing; even governance is participatory; you need to be involved in all our programmes. You can see someone like me coming into the fold, and we have a lot of people deciding the fate of Nigeria also in that hall.

“So we are coming to recognise the fact that Rotary is the club that will give us the platform to reach out and get to more people in the communities and try and see how everyone at the grassroots can be affected.

“The hallmark of this new club is to further contribute to humanity and grow humanitarian services, as enshrined in the seven focal points of Rotary International.

“For me, it is just to further plunge into it, further expand it, and make services available to communities.”

Speaking, the deputy governor of Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, commended the contributions of the Rotary Club to the service of humanity, calling for more of such disposition and commitment from well-meaning and privileged  Nigerians.

Hamzat represented by the Chairman of Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Shittu Hakeem, said, “I want to appreciate the Rotary Club for what they have been doing in the course of humanity. They have partnered and assisted us in various ways, in education, health, and other sectors.”

Mentioning that the Rotary Club has been assisting development courses in the state, he urged the club “to look out for what is necessary and mobilise well-meaning Nigerians to assist, ameliorate, or intervene in the needs of humanity.”

NAF helicopter crashes in Kaduna

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An Air Force helicopter belonging to the Nigerian Air Force in the early hours of Monday crashed in Tami village, located in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Eyewitness said the incident occurred at approximately 5:00 am, causing significant alarm among residents.

The helicopter said to be on a routine operational flight, experienced technical difficulties that led to the crash. Fortunately, the pilot managed to execute emergency protocols effectively, ensuring his survival.

Eyewitnesses at the scene reported that the pilot emerged from the wreckage largely unscathed.

Residents of Tami village quickly gathered at the crash site, offering assistance where possible and expressing relief that no lives were lost.

“We heard a loud noise and rushed to the scene. We were surprised and relieved to see the pilot alive,” said a local villager who witnessed the crash.

It was gathered that a team of military officers from the Nigerian Air Force swiftly arrived at the scene to secure the area and conduct an initial investigation.

They cordoned off the crash site to prevent unauthorised access and to ensure the safety of the villagers. The officers also began preliminary assessments to determine the cause of the crash, which remains unknown at this time.

As of the time of filling the report the Nigerian Air Force has not released an official statement regarding the incident, but an investigation is expected to be launched to ascertain the factors leading to the crash.

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Warri, Port Harcourt, Kaduna refineries will begin operations by December – Senator Ipinsagba

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The Downstream Committee of the Nigerian Senate has stated that the three government-owned refineries in the country will begin full operations before January 2025.
According to the Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Jide Ipinsagba, who is representing Ondo North Senatorial District, the retrofitting of the Kaduna, Warri, and Port Harcourt refineries was already at the completion stage.
Ipinsagba, who also states that the Dangote refinery in Lagos State will soon begin the refining of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, known as petrol, expressed the satisfaction of the committee during the on-the-spot assessment as an oversight function for the refineries.
He maintained that the refined petroleum products would be exported after internal consumption had been met.
“Effort is on top gear to ensure that all the refineries are functioning before the end of this year. We have done oversight of all the refineries, and we have good promises from them based on what we saw there.
“Port Harcourt refinery today has about 90 to 95 percent optimisation in terms of retrofitting. Warri is almost about 80 percent, and Kaduna is almost about 70 percent.
“Dangote refinery is ready to operate any moment from now on. With all this, internal consumption of fuel will not be a problem, and we will have the opportunity to also export our refined oil.”
Warri, Port Harcourt, Kaduna refineries will begin operations by December – Senator Ipinsagba

Edo: I have no regret as Governor, I made impact – Obaseki

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Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has declared that he has no regret as governor because he surpassed all his election promises.
Obaseki said he has impacted all areas and sectors since assuming office as governor.
Addressing journalists in Benin City, the Edo State capital, the governor said his government has laid a solid foundation for the state’s progress and development.
According to Obaseki: “As Edo State Governor in these last few years, I don’t have any regrets. In fact, when I look at my manifesto, what I said I was going to do; I’ve surpassed everything I said I will do.
“I have exceeded everything I said I will do and there was not one area I mentioned, that I talked about that I didn’t have a kind of impact on.
“I’m a realistic person. One administration or one governor cannot do it all. What I have done is to lay a foundation and by the grace of God, we have a successor who will continue to build on that, in the direction that I started with and someone who shares the same values of service to the people.
“Democracy is not a destination in itself; it is a process. It will always be better; things will always be better than when you met them.”
Edo: I have no regret as Governor, I made impact – Obaseki

ANC concedes 12 portfolios as South Africa’s Ramaphosa names 32 ministers

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The African National Congress, ANC, has conceded 12 portfolios to other parties in the new coalition government of President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa.
Ramaphosa named 32 ministers on the night of Sunday, giving 20 portfolios to members of the ANC who usually had all the portfolios when the party had total control and leaving 12 to the other coalition parties in the government.
It is the first time that the ANC would be sharing cabinet offices with other parties since the beginning of post-apartheid democracy in 1994.
The new order became inevitable after the ANC lost its outright parliamentary majority in the May 29 general election and had to rely on some other parties, majorly the Democratic Alliance, DA, for the Parliament of South Africa to get President Ramaohosa re-elected.
The portfolio-sharing formula was arrived at during the weekend after weeks of intense negotiations among the coalescing parties.
The ANC, however, managed to keep key portfolios that include foreign affairs, finance, defence, justice and police.
The biggest coalition partner, the DA, had six portfolios, including home affairs, environment and public works; with the DA leader himself, John Steenhuisen, appointed Minister of Agriculture.
Announcing the new cabinet in a televised speech from Pretoria, President Ramaphosa said, “The incoming government will prioritize rapid, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and a creation of a more just society by tackling poverty and inequality as well as unemployment.”
ANC concedes 12 portfolios as South Africa’s Ramaphosa names 32 ministers

Rep seeks Buhari’s intervention in Nnamdi Kanu’s case

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A member of the House of Representatives from Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency of Abia State, Obi Aguocha, on Sunday, appealed to former President Muhammadu Buhari to help secure the release of detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
The lawmaker, according to a statement by his media team, visited the former president in Daura, Katsina State, on Saturday to initiate a dialogue for a political solution to Kanu’s case.
He apologised to Buhari to the mistakes of the past.
He said: “For the missteps, utterances, and ill gestures of the past, especially on the part of my constituent and brother, Nnamdi Kanu, I am deeply sorry.”
READ ALSO:50 Reps beg Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu
Aguocha expressed optimism that a political solution would not only address the grievances on all sides but promote greater understanding and unity in the country.
“This meeting (with Buhari) is part of a broad-based initiative aimed at securing a speedy political resolution of the issues surrounding Nnamdi Kanu’s detention and trial, and securing his subsequent release in the spirit of engendering dialogue and non-contentious approaches to resolving thorny national issues, in the understanding that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is willing, ready and able to embrace the new dynamic in joining hands across the country in building a new Nigeria where peace, equity, justice and prosperity shall reign,” he added.
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Don’t repeat Buhari’s mistakes, Shehu Sani warns Tinubu

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A former Senator representing the Kaduna Central District in the 8th National Assembly, Shehu Sani has appealed to President Bola Tinubu not to repeat the mistakes of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, especially in the area of rejigging his cabinet.

Tinubu officially took over from Buhari after his inauguration into office on May 29, 2023.

Sani, an activist, however, claimed the eight-year tenure of the former military Head of State was fraught with nepotism and incompetence, especially in terms of governance, security and economic policies.

The federal lawmaker made the plea when he was featured as a guest on Sunday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.

He said, “I will advise President Tinubu to be careful not to make the mistakes of President Buhari, and I believe he is experienced to understand this. Under President Buhari, you have ministers who were appointed into office for the whole of eight years.

“They were with him for the first tenure and the second tenure, and there was no cabinet reshuffle, no removal. Even if there was a removal, it takes three to four months to replace a minister. That was the way the country was governed. Under Buhari, we have seen nepotism at its peak where people were appointed into office and left there even if they did nothing.”

Sani noted that “service chiefs were retained in office despite their failures, and by retaining them, you destroyed the careers of those behind them. For many years, many officers were retired to appoint one person. If this country has to move forward, we must treat the issue of competency as the qualification for appointment.”

In recent times, the president’s cabinet has come under severe criticism for not living up to expectations despite the current economic hardship rocking the country.

Recall that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation has been without a minister since Betta Edu was suspended on January 8, 2024.

Ex-Konga CEO’s Death: Family debunks suicide reports

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The family of the late former Chief Executive of e-commerce giant, Konga, Nick Imudia has dismissed reports that the Group CEO of D.light International committed suicide.
The family said investigations were still ongoing to unravel the cause of his death, ruling suicide out.
In a statement debunking reports that Imudia had called his brother and daughter with instructions before his death, the family said reportage of the news of the one-time Konga CEO’s death while the family was in the hospital trying to resuscitate him was suspicious.
The family said it frowns at the “unprofessional manner” the media wrongly characterized the reporting of Nick Imudia’s death as suicide.
It said the deceased never called his brother in America with instructions on how to distribute his wealth or placed a call to his daughter with any instructions.
“How come the news was reported so hastily (less than 3 hours from his death) before his family members even knew about it – and the medical team was still trying to resuscitate him at the hospital! The Imudia family queried.
The family further said the deceased never showed any sign of stress and he was not diagnosed as depressed at any point.
“Nick Imudia, until his death was the Group CEO of D.light International with Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, where he was residing. He managed the company’s worldwide operations from Nairobi. Nick was full of life and people who worked closely with him or met him in the last hours prior to the incident ssedurrounding his death were shocked with the media attributing his death to ‘suicide’.
“He was on a short visit to Lagos after a brief trip to the Netherlands and was to return to Nairobi a day after his sudden death. Nick made his initial career mark with Nokia, the Finnish-ba Telecommunication Company before he was transferred from Helsinki to manage Nokia Asia operations in Singapore.
“Later in his career with Nokia, he was appointed as the Managing Director of Nokia – West and Central Africa. When Microsoft bought Nokia, he opted to leave the company. Looking for a new challenge, he became the CEO of Konga Nigeria where he reengineered the company’s operation.
“At his prime age and the level of his achievements, people who knew Nick well are all shocked and do not accept the characterization of his death as suicide. Members of Nick’s family do request the media and the general public to allow them to grieve their loved one without any unfounded rumour of the circumstances surrounding his death,” the family stated.
Ex-Konga CEO’s Death: Family debunks suicide reports