Flowerbud News

Month: October 2023

  • Landlord’ son allegedly breaks into tenant’s apartment, steals phones, money

    A 34-year-old man, Yusuf Oladimeji,  on Tuesday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly breaking into his father’s tenant’s apartment and stealing two phones and N150, 000.

    The defendant, who resides at Dopemu area of Agege, Lagos, is standing trial on  a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

    He, however, pleaded not guilty before Magistrate O.A. Aderibigbe.

    The Prosecutor, Insp. Mojirade Edeme, told the court that the defendant committed the offences with others still at large, on Aug. 20 at his residence.

    Edeme said that the  two phones worth N33,000, adding that the phones and the money belonged to  the complainant, Mr Peter Agbo.

    “The defendant  and his accomplices entered the complainant’s apartment with dangerous weapons at night and commanded him to surrender his phones and money or risk harm.

    “They forcefully collected his valuables and took to their heels.
    Some days later, the complainant saw his phone with his landlord’s son.

    “He reported the case to the police, and the defendant was arrested,” the prosecutor said.

    Edeme said that offences violated Sections 287 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 287 stipulates three years’ imprisonment for stealing, while Section 411 prescribes two years’ jail term for conspiracy.

    Aderibigbe admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.

    She ordered that the sureties should be gainfully employed and show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    The magistrate adjourned the case until Sept. 9 for mention.

  • Greece moves hundreds of asylum-seekers from crowded island camp

    Greece began moving hundreds of asylum-seekers on Monday from a camp on the island of Lesbos that holds around four times the number of people it was built for.

    More than 11,000 refugees and migrants, most of whom have fled war or poverty in the Middle East, Asia or Africa, are holed up at Moria in Europe’s biggest migrant camp.

    Some 635 people, mostly families, boarded a passenger ship on Monday for facilities in northern Greece and more were due to leave later in the day.

    Moving asylum-seekers from island camps to the mainland is part of government measures announced on Aug. 31 to deal with the rising numbers.

    All of Greece’s five formal island camps are over capacity.

    Moria, which is a disused military base, has been criticised by humanitarian organisations for its squalid living conditions.

    It currently holds the highest number of people in three years and violence is not uncommon.

    An Afghan boy was killed in a fight there last month and women have told aid groups they often feel unsafe.

    Greece is Europe’s main gateway for Syrian, Afghan and Iraqi asylum-seekers, and accounts for more than half of the 56,000 migrants, who have landed on the Mediterranean’s northern shore this year.

    The numbers are small compared to the nearly one million people, who fled to northern Europe through Greece in 2015, as a deal between the EU and Ankara in March 2016 all but cut off the flow.

    But they have still piled pressure on Greek facilities.

    About 7,000 people landed on Greece’s shores in August, the highest number since the deal was signed.

    Last Thursday alone, more than a dozen boats arrived with around 600 migrants, prompting the government’s Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence to hold an emergency session.

    To curb the influx, Greece also plans to tighten its border controls and speed up deportations of rejected asylum-seekers.

  • Nigeria’s GDP grows by 1.94% in Q2 2019 —NBS

    The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grows by 1.94 per cent (year-on-year) in real terms in the second quarter of 2019.

    The NBS said this in its “Nigeria GDP Report for Second Quarter 2019’’ released on Tuesday in Abuja.

    According to the NBS, the figure indicates an increase of 0.44 per cent compared to a growth rate of 1.50 per cent recorded in the second quarter of 2018.

    It, however, said the figure, when compared to 2.10 per cent (revised from 2.01 per cent due to oil output revisions) recorded in the first quarter of 2019, showed a decline of –0.16 per cent points.

    According to the bureau, the aggregate GDP stood at N34.79 million in nominal terms, an increase of 13.83 per cent over the performance in the second quarter of 2018 and 9.8 per cent over the preceding quarter.

    The bureau said the figure was higher than N28.43 million recorded in the first quarter of 2018, representing a year-on-year nominal growth rate of 11.80 per cent.

    “The performance observed in quarter two, 2019 follows an equally strong first quarter performance, and was likely aided by stability in oil output as well as the successful political transition,” it stated.

    It said that overall, a total of 15 activities grew faster in the second quarter 2019 relative to 2018, while 13 activities had higher growth rates relative to the preceding quarter.

    “On a half year basis, real growth in the first half of 2019 stood at 2.02 per cent, higher than in 2018 which was 1.69 per cent.

    “Quarter-on-quarter, real GDP increased by 2.85 per cent compared to a decline of –13.69 per cent in the preceding period,” it stated.

    The bureau said that for better clarity, the Nigerian economy had been classified broadly into the oil and non-oil sectors.

    For the oil sector, the NBS said the nation posted a real growth rate of 5.15 per cent (year-on-year) in the period under review, representing a 9.10 per cent increase relative to the rate recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2018.

    This, it said, also indicated an increase of 6.61 per cent when compared to the first quarter of 2019, adding that quarter-on-quarter, the oil sector recorded a growth rate of –1.55 per cent in the second quarter.

    According to the report, the sector contributed 8.82 per cent to total real GDP in the second quarter of 2019, up from levels recorded in the corresponding period of 2018 but down compared to the preceding quarter.

    “In quarter two, 2019, Nigeria recorded average daily oil production of 1.98 million barrels per day (mbpd), or 7.6 per cent higher than the daily average production of 1.84 mbpd recorded in the same quarter of 2018.

    “This, however, is slightly less than output recorded in quarter one, 2019 (1.99 mbpd-revised from 1.96 mbpd),” it stated.

    The NBS said that the non-oil sector grew by 1.64 per cent in real terms during the reference quarter.

    It added that the growth was –0.40 per cent points lower than recorded in the same quarter of 2018, and -0.83 per cent points lower than the first quarter of 2019.

    According to the bureau, during the quarter, the sector was driven mainly by Information and Communication, Mining and Quarrying, Agriculture, Transportation and Storage and other Services.

    “In real terms, the non-oil sector contributed 91.18 per cent to the nation’s GDP, lower than the share recorded in the second quarter of 2018 (91.45 per cent).

    “This however is higher than the first quarter of 2019 (90.78 per cent),” he said.

    The bureau said that Quarterly National Accounts (QNA) were an integrated system of macroeconomic accounts designed to describe the entire system of production in a nation on a quarterly basis.

    They provide a picture of the current economic status of an economy on a more frequent basis than Annual National Accounts.

    In providing a reasonable level of detailed information of the economy, QNA allows the government to regularly access analyse and monitor economic developments.

     

  • British parliament braces for showdown that could prompt snap polls

    Britain’s lower house of parliament on Tuesday says it is due to return from recess with lawmakers bracing for a showdown that can lead to a snap election.

    A group of lawmakers were expected to put forward legislation in a fresh bid to stop a no-deal Brexit after Johnson vowed that Britain would leave the EU on Oct. 31.

    If successful, the bill would force the prime minister to ask for Brexit to be delayed until Jan. 31, unless lawmakers approved a new deal or vote in favour of a no-deal Brexit by Oct. 19.

    However, government sources said Johnson would request to schedule a general election for Oct. 14, if the lawmakers’ move was successful.

    Johnson did his best on Monday to dampen speculation about fresh elections, however, with protesters threatening to drown him out in Downing Street.

    Johnson said: “I don’t want an election, you don’t want an election.”

    Earlier, Johnson had called an unscheduled cabinet meeting in the face of a potential revolt from some of his own Conservative members of parliament.

    Former Chancellor Philip Hammond told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he thought “there will be enough people, to get this over the line today.

    “He called it “rank hypocrisy” that Downing Street had threatened rebel lawmakers with expulsion and deselection.

    He warned of the “fight of a lifetime” if officials attempt to prevent him from standing at the next general election as a Conservative candidate.

    Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd urged the government to think carefully about taking such a dramatic step in response to the threat of expulsion and deselection. ain

  • Inter Milan Forward Icardi Joins PSG On One-Year Loan

    (FLOWERBUDNEWS) Inter Milan forward Mauro Icardi, their leading scorer in each of the last five seasons and former captain, has joined Paris St Germain on a year-long loan, the Serie A side said on Monday.

    The move will interrupt a turbulent six-year spell at Inter for the Argentine, who has fallen out with fans along on the way.

    He also provided fodder for gossip columns thanks to his marriage to Wanda Nara, a media personality who also acts as his agent.

    Inter said that as part of the deal it had also extended Icadi’s contract by two years until 2022.

    The move was to avoid the possibility of him leaving as a free agent next year.

    “The Argentine forward has signed for the French club on an initial year-long loan with the option to make the deal permanent at the end of this period,” said an Inter statement.

    Earlier, Gazzetta dello Sport published a photograph of Icardi and Nara at Malpensa airport, saying they would board a private jet for Paris to finalise the deal.

    The 26-year-old is an out-and-out centre forward who is deadly in the penalty area but whose contribution elsewhere on the pitch has been questioned.

    He scored 124 goals in 219 appearances in all competitions during six years at Inter.

    Despite his scoring exploits, Icardi fell out with the club’s hard-core fans over his account of an argument with supporters in his autobiography in 2016.

    Curva Nord ultras responded that “Icardi is not our captain, not now or ever”, and applauded when he missed a penalty in one of Inter’s next games.

    In February, he was stripped of the captaincy after becoming embroiled in protracted negotiations over a new contract.

    He then said he could not play because of a knee injury, although the club said a medical examination had found nothing wrong.

    He returned to the side in April after talks between his lawyer and the club.

    Luciano Spalletti, the Inter coach at the time, said then that it was “humiliating” for Inter to have to negotiate with a player to get him to play.

    Spalletti left the club at the end of last season and was replaced by Antonio Conte, who said that Icardi did not figure in his plans for the future. (Reuters/NAN)

  • DMO Opens September Savings Bond Offer For Transactions

    (FLOWERBUDNEWS) The Debt Management Office (DMO), says that the September savings bonds’ offer of the Federal Government has opened for transactions.

    The DMO said in a circular on its website obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday that the two-year bonds were being offered at 11.15 per cent, while the three-year bonds would be at 12.15 per cent.

    It added that the two-year bonds would be due in Sept. 2021, while the three-year bonds would mature in Sept. 2022.

    It, however, did not state how much was offered, but added that the maximum subscription was N50 million at N1,000 per unit, subject to minimum subscription of N5,000 and in multiples of N1,000.

    The website said that the bond was fully backed by the full faith and credit of the Federal Government, with quarterly coupon payments to bondholders.

    The savings bond issuance is expected to help finance the nation’s budget deficit.

    It is also part of the Federal Government’s programme targeted at the lower income earners to encourage savings and also earn more income (interest), compared to their savings accounts with banks.

    The circular also said that the offer would close on Friday.

    The DMO advised interested investors to contact stockbroking firms appointed by it as distribution agents or visit www.dmo.gov.ng for a list of the agents. (NAN)

  • Nwakali Joins SD Huesca On 3-Year Contract From Arsenal

    Arsenal say Nigeria midfielder Kelechi Nwakali has joined Spanish Segunda B side SD Huesca on a three-year contract.

    “Kelechi Nwakali has joined Spanish Segunda Division side SD Huesca on a permanent deal,” read a statement on Arsenal’s official website.

    “We will like to wish Kelechi all the best for the future.

    “The deal is subject to the completion of regulatory processes.”

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nwakali linked up with the Gunners in 2016 after captaining Nigeria to win the 2015 FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

    There he won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.

    SD Huesca also announced the signing of Nwakali on their official Twitter page and website on Monday.

    “TRANSFER | The young Nigerian midfielder Kelechi Nwakali signs for
    three seasons with the @SDHuesca, coming from @ArsenalEspanol.
    You are welcome, @Kelechi Nwakali!,” the spanish club tweeted.

    NAN also reports that Nwakali spent the first half of the 2017/2018 season on loan at VVV Venlo in the Ditch Eredivisie, before joining MW Maastricht.

    During these two loan spells, he made 30 appearances.

    Last season, he spent time on loan with FC Porto in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.(NAN)

  • German Social Democrats Gear Up For Crowded Party Leadership Race

    (FLOWERBUDNEWS) Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), on Monday released the final list of candidates vying for the centre-left party’s leadership, confirming a crowded field of eight pairs, along with a number of individual candidates.

    Interim party leader, Manuela Schwesig, acknowledged the criticism that there were too many applicants for the SPD’s top job, saying that those wanting to be party leader have to show seriousness.

    The most high-profile candidate is Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who would be campaigning alongside Klara Geywitz, a member of the state parliament of Brandenburg.

    The SPD is in turmoil after a series of election losses, most recently on Sunday in the state of Saxony, where the party received only 7.7 per cent of the vote.

    This led to the resignation of the former leader, Andrea Nahles, after SPD took a huge hit in European elections in May.

    SPD General Secretary, Lars Klingbeil, said he expected the candidates to discuss the main issues the country was expected to face in the future as they kick-off their campaigns in the coming weeks.

    This, he said, should be the focus of SPD, rather than continuing debates on whether the party should remain in a ruling coalition with Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

    “The candidates will travel across the country for a series of 23 regional conferences where they will present their ideas and plans.

    “The first event will take place on Wednesday in the western city Saarbruecken.

    “The new leaders are expected to be announced on Oct. 26, after the party members have cast their votes. The new leaders will officially be introduced in December, “ Klingbeil said.

    Other candidates include: Norbert Walter-Borjans, a former Finance Minister in the state of North Rhine, Westphalia, along with lawmaker Saskia Esken, and Lower Saxony Interior Minister, Boris Pistorius, with Saxony Integration Minister, Petra Koepping.

    Meanwhile, Ralf Stegner, deputy SPD leader, and Gesine Schwan, Head of the party’s basic values committee, had also entered the race, as well as Minister of State for Europe,Michael Roth, alongside NRW member of parliament, Christina Kampmann.

    Satirist Jan-Boehmermann had also applied to run, but said he had not been able to meet the conditions in time.

    In a video released earlier, he said his team was looking into whether he could take legal steps to ensure his candidacy was accepted after all.(dpa/NAN)

  • UN Wants FG To Seek Quick Solution To Violence In North-Central

    (FLOWERBUDNEWS)  Agnes Callamard, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, has called on Nigerian Government and the international community to pay special attention to the lingering violence in the north-central.

    “The situation in the north-central appears to be spreading to other parts of the country. There is need for urgent actions to end the violence which is claiming thousands of lives,” Callamard said at a press conference on Monday in Abuja.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), quotes the UN official as saying that she called the conference to share her findings on “arbitrary deprivations” in the country..

    “According to my preliminary findings, Nigeria is a pressure cooker of internal conflicts with issues of poverty and climate change adding to the crisis.

    “If the crisis in central Nigeria is ignored, its ripple effects will spread through the-sub region given Nigeria’s important role in the continent. If that happens, the major victim will be the vulnerable populations in the country.”

    She also called for more attention to the north-east where victims of violence could share their experiences, and stressed the need to bring perpetrators to book to make them account for the violations.

    She also emphasised the need to involve the victims in the search for solutions, and particularly called for the creation of a safe space where victims could share and talk about what happened to them.

    According to her, the crimes committed in the northeast are not just against the victims and the Nigerian state.

    “The crimes are against humanity; accountability must be delivered and the people must be involved and present in those processes.

    “The suspected perpetrators – whether they are Boko Haram, other split groups or even security agencies – must also be held accountable,” Callamard added.

    She called for trust in the Justice sector, saying that distrust could lead to the proliferation of vigilante groups and cases of jungle justice in the country

    Callamard urged government to ensure access to justice for victims of human rights violation, and expressed happiness at the positive signs in the north-east demonstrated by the decrease in the number of killings over the last years.

    “I have found some positive signs; for instance, in the north-east, the number of allegations of arbitrary killings or death in custody has decreased over the last two years.

    “This evolution needs to be thoroughly assessed to determine the factors and actors that allowed for that positive development.”

    She said that Nigeria was currently being confronted by regional and global pressures, saying that the situation could be blamed on population explosion, increased number of people living in poverty, climate change, desertification and the increased proliferation of weapons.

    The UN official said that the step taken by the government to consider ranching and increased security in the country was a welcome development.

    “Ranching is a long term measure but steps must be taken now and a great deal of discussions and consultations must take place.

    “Due to the level of distrust and lack of confidence, more efforts must be placed on finding long-term solutions. There is need for a roadmap that must develop meaningful accountability.

    “There must also be a real plan toward ending the excesses of the security agencies,” she said.

    She also called for more attention to the herders/farmers conflicts to check its spread, urging government to also
    look for a shorter immediate solution to the humanitarian crisis enveloping some parts of the country. (NAN)