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  • Troops Destroy 2 Bandits Camps In Kaduna

    (FLOWERBUDNEWS) Combined troops of Operation Thunder Strike, Operation Whirl Punch and 312 Artillery Regiment have destroyed two bandits camps in Kaduna State, spokesman of Army 1 Division,
    Col. Ezindu Idimah, has said.

    Idamah said the operation was carried out from about 2am to 4am on Sunday following credible information from well meaning Nigerians.

    “The offensive action was aimed at destroying remnants of bandits and their camps at Kankomi, close to Tantu and Daban Goje Mountains in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State,” Idamah told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

    “During the operation, the troops destroyed the two camps used by the bandits to perpetrate their nefarious activities.

    “One of the bandits was neutralised while one AK47 riffle, 3 motorcycles, 2 mobile phones, and the sum of N5,000 were recovered.”

    Idimah said, “this is the fourth time within the last 10 days that the troops aggressive action had neutralised bandits and led to the recovery of arms and rescue of victims.”(NAN)

  • EPL: Ex-Referee, Clattenburg Speaks On Man Utd, Liverpool Tie

    (FLOWERBUDNEWS) Former Premier League referee, Mark Clattenburg, has reacted to some of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decisions, made during Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Sunday.

    United took the lead in the first half through Marcus Rashford, after Divock Origi appeared to be have been fouled in the buildup.

    The Reds levelled with less than 10 minutes left, after Adam Lallana ghosted past Ashley Young to tap in.

    Speaking to Daily Mail, Clattenburg commented on some of the flashpoints of the game at Old Trafford, including a handball incident involving Sadio Mane.

    “Should VAR have ruled out Manchester United’s opener? No.

    “Protocol was followed and it was right to let Marcus Rashford’s goal stand. Divock Origi went down under a challenge from Victor Lindelof and referee Martin Atkinson was in a perfect position.

    “He saw the incident clearly and allowed play to continue. It is debatable if Origi was fouled, and I think Atkinson made the right call by playing on.

    “VAR then stood by the original decision of their official on the ground. Liverpool then thought they’d equalised before the break, only for VAR to intervene again.

    “This one was straightforward. Television replays showed the ball clearly hit the arm of Sadio Mane in the build-up to the goal.

    “He gained an advantage from it, so VAR was right to rule it out,” he said.

  • Vietnam PM Vows To Never Give Up Territory To China

    (FLOWERBUDNEWS) Vietnamese Prime Minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, on Monday accused Beijing of complicating the situation in the disputed South China Sea as he vowed the Hanoi government will never give any territorial concessions.

    “The situation in the South China Sea has become increasingly complicated recently,’’ Phuc told nearly 500 deputies during the eighth session of the National Assembly which began on Monday.

    “This is due to serious violations of Vietnam’s seas, which break international law and go against the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) and top-level consensus (between Vietnam and China).

    “Our party and state have consistently stated that what belongs to our independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

    “We will never give in,’’ Phuc said at the meeting, which was broadcast live on Vietnamese television.

    Oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea is a highly fraught issue in both China and Vietnam.

    The countries which saw a series of violent disputes between 1974 and 1988 over control of the Spratly and Paracel Islands.

    In 2014, anti-Chinese sentiment boiled over in Vietnam and sparked deadly attacks against Chinese-owned factories and businesses after a Chinese drilling rig entered the disputed waters.

    Most recently, tensions have soared between Beijing and Hanoi as Chinese survey ship Haiyang Dizhi 8 repeatedly violated Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone while searching for oil and gas reserves.

    Vietnam lawmakers are scheduled to pass 13 laws and review nine draft laws, while setting the country’s 2020 GDP target during the month-long National Assembly.(dpa /NAN)

  • MTN to start charges on USSD voice, text messages

    MTN Nigeria says it will go ahead to charge its customers for Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) voice or text message which allows them access to bank services via their mobile phones.

    The telecom said it would start charging its subscribers from today, despite a directive by the Federal Government to halt the plan.

    MTN’s subscribers on Sunday received messages from the company informing them that with effect from today, it will start charging them N4 per 20 seconds for USSD voice or N4 for text message.

    One of the messages from MTN read: ‘’Yello, as requested by your bank, from Oct 21, we will start charging you directly for USSD access to banking services. Please contact your bank for more info.’’

    In yet another message, it said: “Yello, please note that from Oct 21, we will charge N4 per seconds for USSD access to banking services. Thank you.’’

    But most of its customers reacted negatively to the new charge, saying it is exploitative. They therefore complained to the Minister of Communications Dr Isa Ali Panatmi via his twitter handle @DrIsaPantami, calling on the minister to rein in on MTN.

    Dr Pantami answered one of them, saying he has directed NCC to ask MTN to halt the planned charge. ‘’Many thanks for drawing my attention to it. We have directed NCC to ask MTN to suspend the plan.

    “We are not aware of it officially. We will investigate and make sure right thing is done. Best wishes’’, the minister said.

    But a top official said that the telecom would still go ahead to introduce the charge, Daily Trust reports. The official who pleaded anonymity because he was not officially cleared to speak to the press said it introduced the charge on the directive of Bankers Committee.

    “Other telecom operators have been charging their customers for USSD before they could access their banks’ services; we are the last to introduce it.

    “Bank Committees with the knowledge of CBN told us to charge the customers directly. Before it was the banks that deducted the whole charge, now it was agreed in a meeting with CBN knowledge that we should now charge N4 directly, and that the banks should charge their customers the rest.

    “It should be N22: we charge N4 and they should deduct the remaining. But as it is now, the banks are still taking the whole N22.”

    Meanwhile, the CBN has told banks to yank off businesses from telecommunication operators charging bank customers using USSD to make transactions.

    The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele said this during a press briefing at the sidelines of the World Bank/IMF meetings in Washington DC.

    He explained that “about five months ago, I held a meeting with some telecom companies as well as the leading banks in Nigeria and the issue of USSD came up.

    “At that time, we came to conclusion that the use of USSD is a sunk cost which is not an additional cost on the infrastructure of the telecom companies.

    “But the telecoms companies disagreed with us and said it’s an additional investment and they needed to impose it. I appeal to them that they should review it downwards and they refused’ he said.

    Explaining further Mr. Emefiele said: “I understand that three or four weeks ago, rather than reduce it, they went ahead to increase it by 300 percent. I opposed it and I have told the banks that we will not allow this to happen.

    “The banks are the people who give this business to the telecoms companies and I leave the banks and the telecom companies to engage.

    “I have told the banks that they have to move their business, move their traffic to a telecom company that is ready to provide it at the lowest possible if not zero cost”. That’s where we stand and we must achieve it.’’

    He said the telco’s decision will impede financial inclusion.

  • Brexit: UK government takes risk on vow to leave EU

    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is still at odds with Parliament over how to break the Brexit impasse as the EU considers his half-hearted request for a delay to the October 31 deadline.

    Mr Johnson has endured defeats in Parliament but hopes to turn it around with a majority vote for his new Brexit divorce deal. The numbers are tight and there is a chance he could win.

    A vote is possible in the coming days. He also needs to enact the legislation that would make the deal legal.

    If he can do that quickly, Britain would either need no extension or a short “technical” extension of weeks, not months.

    If Mr Johnson cannot convince Parliament to quickly back the deal, the EU will determine if it grants Britain another extension or sticks to the October 31 date, which would mean a “no-deal” Brexit that many national leaders have been trying to avoid.

    The EU is not expected to reveal its answer in the coming days but an extension is considered to be preferred by many of the bloc’s leaders, despite their growing frustration.

    Mr Johnson has tried to call a national election for a new Parliament that would support his Brexit strategy.

    But the opposition Labour Party and its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, say they will not approve an election until a Brexit extension has been received.

    If the EU grants the extension Mr Johnson has requested, an election may take place in the next few months, with the prime minister campaigning on a promise to deliver Brexit and blaming Parliament for blocking it.

    It is possible that no clear winner would emerge from the election with a majority, so a new Parliament might be as divided as this one.

    Mr Johnson complied with a law requiring him to seek a delay to the October 31 deadline, but he followed his request with a letter to EU officials saying he did not really think a delay was a good idea.

    That infuriated opponents, who believe he deliberately tried to frustrate the will of Parliament.

    Activists who have brought a case against Mr Johnson in Scotland plan to return to court on Monday. The dispute may end up in Britain’s Supreme Court.

  • Former Senate President Saraki To Forfeit Property To FG

    (FLOWERBUDNEWS) A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the interim forfeiture of two properties located at Ikoyi area of Lagos State, belonging to the immediate past Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, to the Federal Government.

    This was contained in a statement, signed by Mr Wilson Uwujaren, the Head of Media and Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Ilorin on Monday.

    “The Ilorin Zonal office of EFCC in an exparte application filed by the Commission’s Lawyer, Nnaemeka Omewa approached the Court seeking an order of interim forfeiture of the properties.

    “Omewa alleged that the properties were acquired through proceeds of unlawful activities,” Uwujaren said.

    He said that while delivering ruling on the application, Justice Mohammed Liman said that EFCC should publish the order in a National Daily within 14 days and further the matter for report of compliance with the order of Court.

    The head of media said that the Commission had sought for four orders before Justice Liman in respect of the controversial property.

    Part of the relief sought by the EFCC include; “An order of forfeiture to the Federal Government of Nigeria, landed property with appurtenances situate at No 17 and 17A McDonald Road, Ikoyi, Eti Osa Local Government Area (LGA) of Lagos State,

    “Found and recovered from the respondent, which property is reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activity,” Uwujaren said.

    The head of media said that Justice Liman, relying on the documents attached to the matter, resolved all the issues raised in favour of the EFCC.

    Uwujaren said that the Commission in an affidavit, alleged that the former President of the Senate acquired the two properties with proceeds of unlawful activity.

    Part of the affidavit reads, “Trend of cash lodgments into Saraki’s account became suspicious and in order to further disguise the source and origin of this money, the respondent changed the pattern of payment and started making  payments into Exhibit EFCC 3, using fictitious names.

    “The EFCC further alleged that the former Nigeria’s number three citizen, while serving as the Executive Governor of Kwara State, withdrew over N12 billion cash from the account of the State Government.

    “He paid the said amount directly into his account, domiciled in Access and Zenith Banks  through one of his personal assistant, Abdul Adama at different intervals,” Uwujaren said.

  • 250 Nigerian Businesses for Africa Economic Forum in Sochi

    By Ismaila Chafe
    The Presidency says about 250 Nigerian business interests will participate in the African Business Forum, which will bring together African and Russian business leaders in Sochi, Russia, between Oct. 23 and Oct. 25.

    Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.

    According to the presidential aide, the forum will be held during the Russia–Africa Summit to enhance Russian investments in Africa, and promote African business interest in the host country.

    “It is important that this meeting is taking place at this time. All the big economies are picking stronger interest in Africa.

    “We now have US-Africa Summit, India-Africa Summit, China-Africa Summit and Japan-Africa Summit, so Russia has signified its interest for political, cultural and economic partnership.

    “Nigeria has had an excellent relationship with Russia over the years. We will not forget how the country assisted us in keeping Nigeria as one during the civil war when some of our traditional allies deserted us,’’ he said.

    He noted that Russia had also stood behind Nigeria in the fight against terrorism, Boko Haram and ISWA, and had also demonstrated its capacity in gas production, “a resource which Nigeria has a huge potential of utilising.’’

    Shehu, who also confirmed the arrival of President Muhamamdu Buhari for the event on Monday, said the three-day inaugural Russia-Africa Summit and Economic Forum would focus on peace, security and development.

    He said the summit would look into issues of sustainable energy, mines and steel, infrastructure development in Africa, nuclear energy and trade and investment.

    On security, the Senior Special Assistant said the meeting would come up with proposals for a security architecture driven by new technology.

    The Economic Forum and Summit would hold between Oct. 23 and Oct. 24,, with four plenary sessions to be attended by more than 30 African Heads of State and governments.

    This included the Chairman of the African Union and President of Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

    The summit would be co-chaired by President Vladimir Putin, with a keynote address at the opening on Wednesday, and el-Sisi.

    Buhari and Putin will meet at the Nigeria and Russian bilateral meeting on Oct. 23 while the Nigerian leader will make a statement at the summit on Oct. 24.

    Other participants at the summit that will showcase Russian interest and investment potential in Africa include businessmen, experts, investors, leaders of major sub-regional associations and organisations.

    NAN

  • UK Government Denies Division Over Brexit Plan

    (FLOWERBUDNEWS) Downing Street has dismissed reports of disagreements within Boris Johnson’s government over how to move forward with the Brexit process.

    No 10 has indicated the PM will seek a snap poll if the EU proposes delaying the Brexit deadline until January.

    However, some ministers are understood to want to focus on getting the PM’s Withdrawal Agreement Bill through Parliament instead.

    No 10 sources insisted there were no splits in the cabinet’s strategy.

    The question of how to move forward with Brexit follows Tuesday’s key Commons votes, where MPs backed the prime minister’s deal at its first Parliamentary hurdle but rejected his plans to fast-track the legislation.

    That defeat effectively ended any realistic prospect of the UK leaving the bloc by 31 October – something Mr Johnson has repeatedly insisted would happen under his premiership.

    In response, the prime minister announced he would pause the progress of his Withdrawal Agreement Bill while he waited to hear from the EU on whether they would grant a delay to Brexit and what length it should be.

  • Northern Ireland Set To Legalize Abortion, Same-Sex Marriage

    (FLOWERBUDNEWS) Traditionally conservative Northern Ireland is about to legalize both abortion and same-sex marriage, a head-snapping about-face that was imposed on the territory by the British Parliament.

    The changes, bitterly resisted by anti-abortion and church groups, were mandated in an amendment to a routine bill on governance of Northern Ireland that Parliament passed in July amid a power vacuum created by the collapse of the region’s governing assembly nearly three years ago.

    The amendment will go into effect at midnight on Monday, weeks after the High Court in Belfast rebuffed a legal challenge, ruling that Northern Ireland’s 158-year-old abortion laws are incompatible with the United Kingdom’s human rights commitments.

    The judgment was a major victory for women’s rights activists, who had felt left behind after the Republic of Ireland voted to legalize abortion last year.

    Although Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom, and the majority of its people say they would like abortion to be made available, the regional power-sharing government had blocked abortion reform before collapsing in 2017 over sectarian divides.