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  • Bello Emerges APC Kogi Governorship Candidates

    (FLOWERBUDNEWS) Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi on Thursday emerged as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Nov. 16 Governorship election.

    Bello emerged winner of the governorship ticket by polling 3,369 votes to beat eight other aspirants who contested the governorship primaries conducted by the party in Lokoja.

    Gov. Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa,  who was the Chairman of the electoral panel that conducted the process, said that Mr Babatunde Irukera came second with 109 votes while Rep. Hassan Bewa came third with 44 votes.

    He said Mr Yahaya Audu got 10 votes while Mr Sani Abdulahi polled seven votes.

    He also said that Mr Abubakar Bashir got three votes.

    Badaru also said that Mrs Blessing Ekele, Mrs Hadiza Ibrahim, Mr Yakubu Mohammed and Mr Danlami Mohammed scored zero votes.

    According to Badaru, 3,596 accredited delegates voted during the primaries election out of which 54 votes were declared invalid (FLOWERBUDNEWS)

  • Buhari Greets Gov. Zulum At 50

    (flowerbudnews) President Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated with Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno as he hits the golden age of 50.

    Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s spokesman, who disclosed this on Friday in Yokohama, Japan said the governor got a goodwill message from the President.

    Zulum is on the presidential delegation to the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) in Yokohama, Japan.

    Buhari wished Zulum good health, long life, and strength to serve his people dutifully, having been inaugurated as governor last May 29.

    Zulum, an academic and politician, holds a Ph.D in Soil and Water Engineering, and was Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement under the Kashim Shettima administration. (NAN)

  • Japan, AfDB Announce $3.5bn To Support Africa’s Private Sector Development

    (flowerbudnews)  Japan and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have announced a joint target of 3.5 billion dollars under the Enhanced Private Sector Assistance (EPSA4) for Africa initiative.

    A statement by AfDB’s s Communication and External Relations Department on Friday said the development was made known at the 7thTokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 7) in Japan.

    It explained that both Japan and the bank had also set a target of 1.75 billion dollars each between 2020 and 2022, to enhance the fourth phase of EPSA to spur private-sector-led sustainable and inclusive growth in Africa.

    The statement quoted the Japan’s State Minister of Finance, Mr Keisuke Suzuki as saying “building on the successful achievements so far, Japan and the bank had decided to upgrade EPSA in both quality and quantity to meet financial needs for infrastructure development.

    “And also for the private sector development in Africa, we will cooperate by integrating our funds, expertise, and experiences, and I wish the win-win relationship between Japan and Africa will deepen further.’’

    Suzuki explained that electricity, transportation, and health would be key priorities under EPSA4.

    According to the minister, projects and programmes for the three key priorities will be formulated and implemented in line with the G20 Principles for Quality Infrastructure Investment.

    “African countries will also be provided with support to improve and create conducive business environments to attract private investments,’’ he said.

    The statement also said that the bank’s president, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina noted that the development marked another day to celebrate the strong and impactful partnership between Japan and AfDB.

    Adesina explained that the bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) were long-term partners in the promotion of Africa’s development.

    He said the EPSA had helped to deliver much needed support to the private sector.

    “During EPSA1 (2005-2011), Japan set the target of providing one billion dollars in loans and two billion dollars under the second phase (2012-2016).’’

    According to Adesina, the ongoing EPSA3 (2017-2019), Japan and the African Development Bank are cooperating closely to provide the targeted joint amount of three billion dollars.

    “As of today, the bank and JICA under ACFA have co-financed 25 projects to improve key transportation and electricity transmission networks.

    “These include the Construction of Three Intersections in Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire and Power Sector Reform Programme in Angola.

    “Under EPSA4, JICA and the AfDB will provide co-financing of 3.5 billion dollars. This is a significant increase over EPSA-3, which was executed at three billion dollars with 17 per cent increase.

    “Increase is what we need to meet the needs of Africa, what we need to raise the level of our ambitions for Africa and what we need to build upon the solid foundations of co-financing over the last 13 years, and deliver even greater and more impactful development results in the years ahead.

    “Now, let us arise with renewed vigour. Let us deliver even greater impacts for African countries through EPSA 4,”  Adesina said. (NAN)

  • Dabiri-Erewa urges S/A police to speed up trial of policemen linked to killing of Nigerian

    The chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa,  has reiterated her call on the South African Police to speed up the trial of four policemen, linked to the death of Mr Pius Abiaziem.
    NAN reports that the South African authorities noted that four members of the South African police service have been arrested and would be charged to court immediately.
    Dabiri-Erewa, made the call in a statement issued by Gabriel Odu, the Media Assistant, NIDCOM, in Abuja on Friday.
    In furtherance to the arrest and trial of the suspects, she urged the South African Police to expedite action in the matter and speed up their trial and of others being tried for offence committed against Nigerians.
    Abiaziem was reportedly picked up by south African police officers in an eatery and taken to his home for a search and interrogation.
    An argument between him and the South African police officers degenerated so fast that a gun shot was fired, leading to Abiaziem’s death in South Africa on Aug.23.

    The deceased was married to a South African who was present at the scene of the incident.

    He reportedly asked the policemen to kill him in his house as he would not follow them to where they wanted to take him to.

    NAN reports that  President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa,  on Wednesday, said his government is working to end killings of Nigerians in his country.

    Ramaphosa said this in Japan, venue of the ongoing 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Yokohama, after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The South African leader said he feels pained by the situation, especially looking at the relationship between Nigeria and his country which has spanned many years. (NAN).

  • Buhari Welcomes Investments From Japan Bank, Toyota Group

    (FLOWERBUDNEWS)   President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday welcomed the interest shown by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation  and the Toyota Group to  support projects in which Japanese companies are involved in Nigeria.

    The president made his feelings known at an investment talks with top officials of Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and Toyota Group, at the margins of the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 7), holding in Yokohama, Japan.

    Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s spokesman in a statement in Abuja, said the Japan Bank for International Cooperation was led by its Deputy Governor, Mr Nobumitsu Hayashi at the meeting.

    Adesina quoted Hayashi as telling the Nigerian leader that the bank had lots of resources dedicated for investment in Nigeria, and would be particularly interested in oil and gas, and investments in infrastructure.

    President Buhari welcomed the bank, informing the team that Nigeria had introduced the Ease of Doing Business, and bureaucratic bottlenecks were being cleared off the way.

    At a bilateral meeting with Toyota Tsusho, a part of the Toyota conglomerate, President/CEO of the group, Ichiro Kashitani, indicated interest in sectors like energy, healthcare and automobiles, saying Toyota would be delighted to have presence all over Nigeria.

    According to Kashitani, Toyota Tsusho wishes to also build an advanced medical diagnostics centre, which will foreclose need for foreign travel to obtain cutting edge medical diagnosis.

    President Buhari urged the group to also consider setting up a car assembly plant, noting that Nigeria had the capacity to absorb the investment for positive returns.

    At another meeting with the Prime Minister of Algeria, Noureddine Bedoui, President Buhari counseled that the political programme in the country be faithfully executed, which would lead to general elections as soon as possible.

    “Algeria is a good pan-Africanist nation, with a lot of influence over the continent,” the President said.

    Prime Minister Bedoui said dialogue was in progress with all stakeholders leading to elections, hopefully by end of the year.(NAN)

  • Niger Govt. moves to tackle security challenges

    Alhaji Ahmed Matane, Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in Niger on Friday urged the people to be more security conscious in confronting the present insecurity problems bedeviling some parts of the state.

    He gave the advice in a statement made available to newsmen by the SSG’s Information Officer, Lawal Tanko, in Minna.

    Matane spoke during an interactive meeting with Fulani leaders, rural dwellers, security agencies and other stakeholders held at Kotonkoro in Mariga Local Government Area of the state.

    The secretary to the state government said that government was worried over activities of armed bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers.

    Matane said that government was leaving no stone unturned in holistically tackling the dastardly act once and for all in the state.

    He condemned in strong terms the degree of carnage and mayhem bandits and kidnappers are causing in some parts of the country.

    Matane reiterated government’s continued determination to rid the state of any security threat.

    “The present administration led by Gov. Abubakar Bello is leaving no stone unturned in fashioning out strategies that will  bring lasting solutions as well as forestall any breach of security in the state,’’ he said.

    Matane was optimistic that the interactive meeting would afford the people an opportunity to come up with strategies that would help secure the borders and communities from trans-border terrorism and migration of armed bandits and kidnappers.

    Earlier, the Commissioner of Police, Niger State Command, Adamu Usman, warned bandits, kidnappers, cattle rustlers and perpetrators of other criminal activities to desist from their nefarious activities or face the law.

    He urged vigilante groups in the area not to engage in any operations without the consent and involvement of the police or any security agency.

    The commissioner warned that violation of the order by any vigilante group will be decisively dealt with.

    Speaking at the occasion, Alhaji Hussaini Bosso, the Vice Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Niger State Chapter, said that those perpetrating banditry, kidnapping, robbery and other criminal activities were not from Niger but neighbouring states.

    Bosso was optimistic that the meeting would put an end to the migration of bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers from the neighbouring states to Niger.

    In separate remarks, the Fulani leaders and other relevant stakeholders resolved to collaborate with the security agencies to find lasting solutions to the security challenges and other criminal activities in the state.

    NAN

  • Buhari orders ministers to design monthly performance indicators for parastatal agencies – Pantami

    President Muhammadu Buhari has directed Ministers to come up with key performance indicators for Parastatals and Agencies under their ministries which should be evaluated monthly.

    The Minister of Communications, Dr Isa Pantami disclosed the President’s directive in Abuja when he received a delegation from the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), an establishment under his ministry.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the delegation led by the Director General of NITDA, Mr Kashifu Inuwa was on courtesy visit to the minister.

    Pantami recalled that the president gave the directive during ministerial retreat and was re-echoed during their inauguration.

    The minister who said he would implement the president’s directive to the latter, charged the workers to be passionate and dedicated to their work, develop themselves and contribute their quota to the growth of the nation.

    “As instructed by the President, we will come up with the key performance indicators for agencies under our ministries which will be evaluated monthly.

    “It is,important that you are passionate about your work, be hardworking and always find ways to improve yourselves because having your integrity intact is better than anything.

    “If we are all committed to working passionately, it means the government has succeeded and will deliver on its mandate to develop the country through deployment of Information Communication Technology,” Pantami said.

    Pantami also said that the ministry would come up with broad policies which would be handed to the agencies for implementation,

    He assured that the ministry will always approve any action-plan of its agencies and intervene in situations where they needed support.

    Specifically, Pantami said he was abreast with the events of NITDA having being the immediate past director-general of the agency for three years.

    He charged the management of NITDA to take proactive steps towards improving on the delivery of the agency’s mandate.

    NAN reports that the delegation briefed the minister on the projects and programmes of NITDA and presented him with a congratulatory card on his appointment.

    NAN

  • Court orders AGF, EFCC to respect status quo over Yari’s assets

    The Federal High Court Abuja, on Friday, ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes impression (EFCC) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to respect the status quo on their plans to confiscate the assets and property belonging to the immediate-past Governor of Zamfara, Abdulazeez Yari.

    Justice Nkeonye Maha, in a ruling in an ex-parte application for interim injunctions brought by Yari’s Counsel, Mahmud Magaji, SAN, also adjourned the matter until Sept. 5 for further hearing.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Yari, through his lawyer, urged the court to restrain the EFCC and AGF from interfering with his enjoyment of the rights enshrined in Sections 34, 35, 37, 41 and 43 of the Constitution.

    Magaji prayed the court to stop the anti-graft agency from either inviting or arresting the former governor pending the determination of the substantive suit.

    NAN

  • Phone seller drags friend to court over Samsung Galaxy J5 cell phone

    A phone seller, Aminu Sani, on Friday prayed a Sharia Court ll, sitting in Magajin Gari, Kaduna State to recover N35,000 from his friend, Abdulrahman Musa.

    Sani, who sells phones at Royal market, Kaduna, told the court that he sold Musa  a Samsung Galaxy J5 cell phone for  N35,000.

    He told that he sent the phone to Musa through his brother, after he promised send him the money.

    ”It is four months now and  I am yet to get my money. My friend has been ignoring my calls. I am praying the court to recover my money”, Sani said.

    The Defendant, Musa, who resides at Lafia road, Kaduna, denied that he has been ignoring Musa’s calls.

    He also denied that the phone he got from his friend was a Samsung Galaxy J5 cell phone.

    The Judge, Murtala Nasir, adjourned the case until Sept.  16 for the police to produce a report o their investigations and further hearing.

    NAN