President Bola Tinubu said on Friday the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) would continue to persuade the military leaders of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso to return their nations to the fold.
Tinubu, who is the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, reaffirmed this position at a meeting with ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence Staff in Abuja.
The defence chiefs had during a meeting in Abuja reaffirmed their commitment to the return of the three countries to ECOWAS.
They left the regional bloc last year in protest of West African leaders’ handling of the military coup in Niger Republic.
Tinubu said: “It is in our hearts to make sure that security is enhanced and that constitutional government is defended and promoted in our region.
“It has been a challenging tenure for me since three members indicated their exit. We will work hard to persuade them to return, whichever way.
“No one man is smarter than the group of heads that is here. We will do everything to offer a hand of friendship to them and give them reasons to come back to us.”
The ECOWAS chairman commended the defence chiefs for their commitment to regional stability and protection of constitutional governance.
“The solution to terrorism and other challenges lies in our hands. We have to do it together.
“The ECOWAS standby force must be ready. We will continue to invest in this, as well as in the economic prosperity and opportunities across our region,” he added.
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ECOWAS open to Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso’s return – Tinubu
‘No survivors’ in Brazil plane crash with 62 aboard
9th August 2024
Brazil plane crash (Credit: Berkan Yilmaz, X)
All 62 people aboard a plane that crashed Friday in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state were killed, the mayor’s office in Valinhos, a city near the scene of the accident, announced.
“There were no survivors,” the city government — which was involved in the rescue and recovery operation in the neighboring town of Vinhedo — said in an email sent to AFP.
AFP
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Ogun grants Navy 100 hectares for base, dockyard
The Ogun State Government has allocated a total of 100 hectares of land to the Nigerian Navy for the establishment of a Naval Base and Dockyard.
Speaking while receiving the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, on a courtesy visit at Naval Headquarters on Friday, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, said Ogun, being an industrial hub and strategic state, required the presence of the Nigerian Navy to secure investments.
Ogalla said, “Ogun state is strategic in the nation, and it is strategic with us in our activities, which cannot be effectively done without the collaboration of key stakeholders like the state. We listen to the proposal the governor has towards developing states all geared towards promoting economic activities.
“He proposed molecular LNG and molecular blue seaport and also the development of the ‘Tongaji’ Island, these are investments that will attract a number of US dollars of up to N10bn into the Nigerian economy. These investments can’t be without security.”
Ogalla assured that the Nigerian Navy high command would do what was necessary to ensure the Base came alive in the next few days.
He said, “We must make sure we fulfil this aspect, which is the provision of security. We’ll move without waiting to establish these facilities, we make steps towards identifying suitable locations for this Naval Base. The committee has done a good job choosing a location that is close to these strategic investments that are coming into Ogun State.
“I’m glad that you have already allocated 100 hectares of land. I want to assure the governor that we’ll do what is necessary as speedily as possible to make sure that this objective is actualised”
Earlier, Abiodun said he was at the Naval Headquarters to deepen collaboration between the Nigerian Navy and the state government.
The governor presenting the land documents said the state had attained frontier status and was expecting the commencement of oil exploration, hence the need for the naval base and dockyard.
He said, “Only about three or four months ago, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited came and declared that Ogun State had now qualified for frontier status.
“And that is a status that is declared in areas where they believe that there are petroleum resources available from all locations. This is justified to them because we obtained studies that are probably about 60 years old from Shell, showing that Shell had drilled some wells around the other side of Tongaji Island about 60 years ago, but as soon as they found oil in Delta, they abandoned those wells and never came back.
“So they declared us and gave us frontier status. Exploration of oil means that we have one of the most abundant deposits of bitumen as well in Ogun State. And we are convinced that in no distant future, Ogun State will be declared an oil-producing state. We have submitted this and this was one of the reasons I began to encourage discussions between myself and the Nigerian Navy team.
“So a team was sent out to come and take a look at the sites that would be suitable to have a naval base and a naval dockyard. Another reason why we thought this was important besides the frontier business status is the Natural Gas Project, the LNG project, which had been on the drawing board for several years.”
Plane crash kills 62 in Brazil
A plane carrying 62 people crashed near Sao Paulo in Brazil on Friday.
The deceased included 58 passengers and four crew members
Although it was initially not known what happened to them, confirmation came in the late hours of the day that all the 62 on board died.
The plane, Flight 2283, fell in the city of Vinhedo, the airline that operates the plane, Voepass Linhas Aéreas, said.
Local officials near the crash site said there were no survivors, although only one home in the local condominium complex, the residential area where the crash occurred, had been damaged while none of the residents were hurt.
Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, confirmed the crash while speaking during an event shortly after the crash.
“I have to be the bearer of really bad news,” the president said, stressing the fact of the crash and asking for a minute of silence for the victims.
Airline Voepass said the plane, which had taken off from Cascavel, in the state of Parana, and was bound for Sao Paulo’s main international airport, crashed in Vinhedo, a town about 80 kilometres northwest of Sao Paulo.
The aircraft was listed by flight tracker FlightRadar24 as an ATR 72-500 turboprop.
Plane crash kills 62 in Brazil
Seven-man kidnap gang terrorising Ogun community arrested
Ogun State Police Command on Friday said that it has arrested a seven-man gang that specialised in kidnapping and killing their victims after collecting ransom from their loved ones.
This group operates within Ijebu-Igbo and environs in Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state.
Two members of the gang, Chukwuma Bathlomew aged 40 and Igwe Sunday aged 42 were reportedly arrested and paraded last month while 31-year-old Ifeanyi Mathias, Anayo Simeon aged 28 and Ayo Adedayo, 46 were recently arrested.
Others were Chibueze Odah 41, Ejiofor Nwali aged 35, 22-year-old Eke Peter, Monday Paul aged 24 and 37-year-old Chukwuma Zainab.
The state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, disclosed this at a press conference held at the command’s headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, the state capital, on Friday.
Alamutu said said that on July 28, 2023 at about 1am in Ojowo area of Ijebu-Igbo, the armed men invaded the house of one Raheem Azeez and robbed him and his wife, Raheem Afolashade of their valuables.
He said, “The armed men later went to another house belonging to one Oluwaseun Oworu Samuel ‘m’ and shot him with a gun through the window before they have access to his house, and robbed him of his POS machine, recharge cards, cash and other valuables.
“The armed robbers left the victim in his pool of blood. Oluwaseun Oworu Samuel ‘m’ was later taken to Babcock University Hospital for medical attention but he died on August 4, 2023 at the hospital. His corpse was deposited at the morgue for autopsy.”
The CP said that similarly, on Octobe 2, 2023 at about 1:30am at Egbe area, Oke Sopen, Ijebu Igbo, the same gang stormed the house of Adegbenga Adeniran and kidnapped his daughter, one Elizabeth Adeniran aged 17 and took her to an unknown destination.
The commissioner said, “The kidnappers later collected N3.1m as ransom through an account belonging to late Oluwaseun Oworu Samuel ‘m’ that was shot earlier at his residence.
Despite collecting ransom, the kidnappers still went ahead to kill the young girl and dumped her corpse in a well at Oke-Agbo area, Ijebu-Igbo.
Alamutu said that on November 11, 2023 at about 10:10pm, , the same armed gang struck again attacking the traditional ruler of Aparaki Ijebu, Prof Julius Niyi Benedict, robbed him and his wife, Abigael Olubunmi of their phones, and other valuables.
They were said to have later shot the traditional ruler and kidnapped his wife after which they transferred N15,050 from the account of the kidnapped victim to the account of late Oluwaseun Oworu.
The kidnappers later tied down the victim, and abandoned her inside the forest but she later escaped unhurt and reunited with her family.
The CP explained further that on November 23, 2023 at about 9:30pm, behind Abusi Edumare Academy School, Ijebu Igbo, the gang were again on the rampage, kidnapping one Ogunyemi Femi at his residence and took him to an unknown destination.
Alamutu said that after collecting N3m ransom through the same account belonging to late Oluwaseun Oworu, the kidnappers rather than releasing the victim, killed him and dumped his corpse in a shallow grave at Japara forest, Ijebu-Igbo, but the corpse had been recovered.
The commissioner said that on February 27, 2024 at about 8:44pm, the gang continued their act as they accosted one Adedayo Kehinde Temitayo at the entrance of his house in Surulere, Ipojo Golden Estate, Ijebu Ode.
The four armed reportedly robbed Adedayo and his wife, Mojisola of mobile phones and other valuables worth N1,069,000.
The police boss said that “the armed men later abducted the complainant to an unknown destination, and threw him inside the well at Imope forest in Ogun state, after doing short video recording of him at gun point compelling him to tell his family to pay ransom of N10m.
“The armed men forwarded the video recording to the victim’s family to coerce them to pay the ransom. The victim crawled out of the well and escaped miraculously.
“On March 1, 2024 at about 2014hrs, Mojisola Adedayo ‘f’ received notification from Facebook through her email that her password was just reset using the phone number +2349165594278 on her black Android phone that was earlier stolen by the armed men that kidnapped her husband”.
The CP revealed further that on March 12, 2024, at about 10:45pm, the group also attacked one Oladokun Mathew and his wife, Bolanle together with their five children just as they were arriving at their residence at Akandi street, Awa Ijebu, Ogun state.
The gang, in their usual modus of operandi kidnapped Oladokun’s wife, collected ransom afterwhich they killed the victim and dumped his corpse in a shallow grave at Awa-Ijebu.
Exhibits recovered from them include one blue Tecno Cammon phone and three expended catridges.
Alamutu said that the suspects will be charged to court to answer for their misdeeds as soon the investigation about their illegality was completed.
Jettison policies that cause segregation – Olumba Obu advises leaders
The spiritual leader of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, Olumba Olumba Obu, has called on political, religious and other global leaders to jettison every policy or action that brings about segregation, violence and division among the human family.
He said these unpalatable policies around the world are precursors to sociopolitical crises in many countries.
Obuh, represented by the spokesman of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, Dr Amah Williams, at the news conference, announced the 66th anniversary of the March of the Redeemed, an annual event where adherents of the fold first wore white soutanes and marched from No. 8 Eton Street to No. 26 Mbukpa Road in Calabar.
He called on Nigerian leaders to discharge their duties to their people sincerely to avert situations like the ongoing protests in parts of the country.
He also cautioned the protesting people not to take laws into their own hands, citing Bible portions that command adherents against disobeying their leaders.
According to him, all the sociopolitical crises plaguing the country are what he called mere policy actions, stressing that no crisis will lead to the dismemberment of the country.
He said: “As long as Brotherhood of the Cross and Star remains headquartered in Nigeria, the country will remain united, and any attempts to divide it will fail. The numerous efforts to split the country have been unsuccessful.”
Obu declared that God is watching, and will judge everyone by their actions.
He called for true reconciliation, humility, and a renewed commitment to the values that bind the country.
“Only then can we hope to heal the wounds of division and build a future that reflects the true essence of nationhood,” he said.
Jettison policies that cause segregation – Olumba Obu advises leaders
WHO invites mpox vaccine manufacturers to submit dossiers for emergency evaluation
The World Health Organisation has invited manufacturers of mpox vaccines to submit an expression of interest for Emergency Use Listing.
The WHO disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
The WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, announced on Wednesday that he had triggered the process for EUL of mpox vaccines given worrying trends in the disease’s spread.
There is a serious and growing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that has now expanded outside the country. A new viral strain, which first emerged in September 2023, has for the first time been detected outside DRC.
Since the beginning of this year, the DRC has been experiencing a severe outbreak of mpox with more than 14,000 reported cases and 511 deaths.
Outbreaks of mpox have been reported in DRC for decades, and the number of cases reported each year has been increasing steadily.
However, the number of cases reported in the first six months of this year matches the number reported last year and the virus has spread to previously unaffected provinces.
WHO disclosed that in the past month, about 50 confirmed and more suspected cases have been reported in four countries neighbouring the DRC that have not been reported before – Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
The EUL procedure is an emergency use authorisation process, specifically developed to expedite the availability of unlicensed medical products like vaccines that are needed in public health emergencies.
This is a time-limited recommendation, based on a risk-benefit approach.
WHO is requesting manufacturers to submit data to ensure that the vaccines are safe, effective, of assured quality, and suitable for the target populations.
Granting of an EUL will accelerate vaccine access, particularly for those lower-income countries that have not yet issued their national regulatory approval. The EUL also enables partners including Gavi and UNICEF to procure vaccines for distribution.
Mpox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus. Mpox can be transmitted to humans through physical contact with someone infectious, with contaminated materials, or with infected animals.
There are currently two vaccines in use against the disease, both of which have been recommended for use by the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation, or SAGE.
The Director General of the Africa Centre for Disease Control, Dr Jean Kaseya on Thursday said the African continent is poised to declare a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security as mpox continues to spread across many countries.
Kaseya stated, “Public health officials have warned that without urgent action, the situation could worsen, putting even more lives at risk.
“As the continent braces for the official declaration of the PHECS, there is a growing sense of urgency to contain the outbreak. The declaration is expected to facilitate the rapid deployment of medical supplies, enhance the sharing of critical information, and improve the overall resilience of public health systems across Africa.
“The global community is closely monitoring these developments, recognising that Africa’s response to the Mpox outbreak will have far-reaching implications for public health security both on the continent and worldwide,” he said.
Also, the UN body noted that an Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations would be convened to discuss whether the current mpox outbreak in the DRC represents a public health emergency of international concern.
I’ll not disappoint you, new Head of Service assures Tinubu
The newly-appointed Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, has promised to serve the interest of Nigerians as captured in President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Walson-Jack gave the assurance on Friday, after private talks with Tinubu at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“I see it as a divine assignment, and I had the opportunity to assure Mr. President that, by the grace of God, I will not disappoint him,’ she said.
The new HoS, who was led to the Villa by her predecessor, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, also said she will “work together not only with the permanent secretaries but also with the directors and the entire civil service to deliver on the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
On her part, Yemi-Esan described the handover process as “seamless,” adding that the new civil service chief was “capable” of performing the task before her.
“The President has made the handing over seamless, which is very well appreciated. The incoming Head of Service has had some weeks with me learning the ropes and I am sure by now, she is ready to go and we thank Mr President for this.
“We also had a good time chatting with Mr President, sharing his vision for the country and especially for the civil service with the incoming Head of Service, and that should prepare her and should make her hit the ground running so that she can achieve all that Mr President has discussed with us.
“The newly appointed Head of Service is capable, very intelligent, hardworking, professional and empathic. I have no doubt that she will do the job very well,” said Yemi-Esan.
On July 17, Tinubu approved the appointment of Walson-Jack as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, with effect from August 14, 2024.
Her appointment was announced in a statement by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, titled ‘President Tinubu appoints new head of civil service of the federation.’
She succeeds Yemi-Esan who retires from service on August 13, 2024.
Walson-Jack was appointed Federal Permanent Secretary in 2017 and has served in several Ministries.
Tinubu thanked the outgoing Head of Service for her stewardship and tasked the incoming Head of Service to “discharge her duties with innovative flair, integrity, and stringent adherence to the extant rules and regulations of the Civil Service of the Federation.”
Naira gains N19, trades N1, 574/$1 at official window
The naira continued its recovery against the American dollar on Friday.
Data from Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) showed that the domestic currency gained N19 to trade at N1, 574/$1, down from N1, 593/$1 it traded on Thursday.
The intra-day high and low recorded during the day were N1,601/$1 and N1,520/$1 respectively, representing a very lean spread of N81$1.
Similarly, the naira gained N5 against the dollar at the parallel section of the forex market to trade N1,610/$1 as against N1,615/$1 it traded the previous day.
The naira gained N10 against the British Pound to trade N2,090£1 as against the previous N2,100£1.
The Canadian dollar continues to close flat against the naira to trade at N1,200| CA$1.
The naira also closed flat against the Euro to trade at ₦1,730/€1.
By: Babajide Okeowo
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Bauchi electoral commission trains ad hoc staff ahead of poll
Ahead of the Bauchi Local Government Council election slated for August 17, the State Independent Electoral Commission, BASIEC, has initiated training for ad hoc staff.
The training, which targets returning officers, electoral officers, and administrative officers, is designed to prepare them for the forthcoming elections across the state’s 20 local government areas.
Addressing the participants at the training on Friday, BASIEC executive chairman Alhaji Ahmed Makama underscored the critical importance of equipping the officers with the skills and knowledge necessary to carry out their duties effectively.
He reiterated the commission’s commitment to working with all relevant stakeholders to ensure a successful and credible election.
Makama urged the officers to make the most of the training, emphasising their role in facilitating a smooth and efficient electoral process.
“We are fully prepared for the local government council election on August 17. This training is crucial to ensuring you are fully aware of your specific responsibilities,” he said.
He also noted that the commission is ready to begin distributing both sensitive and non-sensitive election materials, urging the officers to take their roles seriously to contribute to a successful election.
Ahmed Makama expressed his gratitude to political parties and the public for their ongoing support and cooperation, pledging to conduct a free and fair election.
On his part, the permanent commissioner of the commission, Dr Bala Musa Lukshi, appreciated the chairman for supporting the conduct of the training for the key officers and hoped that it would help to deliver their assignment accordingly.
Bauchi electoral commission trains ad hoc staff ahead of poll