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  • Bafarawa warns against politics of self-aggrandisement

    Former Gov. Attahiru Bafarawa of Sokoto State has warned politicians in the country against the unbridled quest to amass wealth that should be channelled into the nation’s development.

    Flowerbud News reports that Bafarawa gave the warning on Thursday in Abuja while speaking with newsmen on the current political developments in the country.

    He expressed concern that some politicians were interested in personal aggrandisement rather than service to the people.

    “The politics of Nigeria today is not like that of yesterday. In the past, people joined politics to contribute their quota to the nation’s development but that has changed.

    “Many politicians see politics as a small-scale industry, where people can be making money out.”

    He said that more than 90 per cent of Nigerian politicians were “political office seekers, hence our democracy has continued to move back and forth”.

    The former governor, therefore, admonished politicians and political parties in the country to uphold the principles of democracy.

    He expressed regret that the nation’s political class and the parties had no respect for the principles and tenets of democracy.

    He said that in every democracy, political parties remained supreme and above the political office holders.

    He said that the cardinal principle of every political party in a democracy was usually embedded in its manifesto, which clearly spelt out its programmes and policies.

    He said that the manifesto serves as a yardstick for measuring the performance of the office holders.

    “This is so that even when the tenure of the governor or president ends, the next government will continue with the party manifesto in order to ensure continuity,” Bafarawa said.

  • Virement request: Reps’ll reconvene Tuesday tentatively – Lasun **Don’t use DSS blockade to malign APC- Gbajabiamilla

    Virement request: Reps’ll reconvene Tuesday tentatively – Lasun **Don’t use DSS blockade to malign APC- Gbajabiamilla

    JONAS EZIEKE, Abuja

    Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Yusuff Lasun has said that the House would reconvene either Tuesday or Wednesday next week to consider the virement request of N242 billon sent by President Muhammad Buhari to the National Assembly for the conduct of the 2019 general elections. (more…)

  • Saraki replies APC over allegations of incompetence

    Saraki replies APC over allegations of incompetence

    President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has described as baseless accusation by All Progressives Congress(APC) that he was the worst president the National Assembly had produced in the country.

    Saraki said in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media, Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu, on Thursday, that the comments by the APC was prompted by alleged plans by the party to “subvert democracy”.

    He said “we can’t descend into the gutter with these characters. Apparently, they have not recovered from the shock of their Tuesday’s failed attempt to subvert democracy.”

    The APC had in earlier in a statement by its acting National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yekini Nabena,
    said that Saraki was not fit for office of president of the senate.

    The party said, “In every democratic country, the position of the Senate President is one of the highest political offices one can attain.

    “It is a position reserved for the best of the best, experienced and exemplary politicians who by their character and conduct in public offices, the younger generation look up to as role models.”

    It alleged that in terms of exemplary personage, the reverse is the case in respect of Saraki who had been involved in one controversy or the other, including budget-padding, filibustering and legislative rascality. (NAN)

  • Adeosun implores Nigerians to embrace insurance

    Adeosun implores Nigerians to embrace insurance

    The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, has urged  Nigerians to embrace insurance to protect themselves against the eventualities of life and also enhance the sector’s contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    Adeosun made the appeal at the 2018 National Conference of the National Association of Insurance and Pension Correspondents (NAIPCO) held in Lagos on Thursday.

    She said insurance, which remained the greatest panacea to poverty alleviation, had been neglected by many Nigerians.

    She, however, said life without insurance was equal to building a house on a shallow ground.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of 2018 conference is: “The Role of Stakeholders in Developing Insurance & Pension Sectors.”

    According to the Finance Minister, insurance also remained the key to wise financial planning among all Nigerians, including grassroot dwellers.

    She urged citizens to key into the various economic developmental initiatives of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) to develop a solid financial plan.

    Adeosun, who was represented by the Deputy Commissioner for Insurance, Finance and Administration, NAICOM, Mr George Onekhena, said excuses of non-payment of claims used by Nigerians to avoid insurance policies amounted to “self deceit.”

    The minister advised citizens to make enquiries on insurance policies before subscribing to them.

    She said anyone in doubt could engage the services of insurance brokers for professional advise.

    “Moreover, nobody knows the day of his or her death and it woukd be disastrous for anyone to leave dependents without benefits.

    “Insurance is the foundation for every wise financial planning,”she said.

    She also said the greatest challenge facing the insurance sector, which was common to the pension sector, was that many people hardly inform others when they benefited from the sector.

    “A clear example is the quantum of retirement benefits paid on monthly basis by Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) to retirees and the quantum of claims paid yearly by insurance firms.

    “For instance over N76 billion insurance claims were paid in 2014, close to N90 billion  claims were paid in 2015 and over N105 billion claims paid  in 2016.

    “Rather people react when claims or benefits are not paid,” she said. (NAN)

  • Argentina jails ex-VP Amado Boudou for corruption

    Boudou, who served from 2011 to 2015 alongside then President Cristina Fernandez, was also barred for life from holding public office and fined 90,000 pesos (3,214 U.S. dollars).

    Boudou was convicted by a federal criminal court in relation to the so-called Ciccone Case, which alleged he profited from awarding government contracts to a company called Ciccone Printing, the only private company enabled to print money apart from the state mint.

    The case has been moving through the judicial system since at least 2012.

    Others convicted of wrongdoing included Nicolas Ciccone, the former owner of the printer.

    In his defence before sentencing, Boudou denied the allegations.

    “Politicians who follow the path of the powerful, walk without problems. Politicians who decide to transform reality are persecuted, at first by the media and then by the legal system,” said Boudou.

    The head of the national anti-corruption agency, Laura Alonso, hailed the “historic trial,” saying “for the first time in Argentina a vice president has been convicted.”

    “The judicial branch is free to punish corruption,” she added.

  • Quelea birds invade 17 Jigawa communities

    By Nabilu Balarabe
    Quelea birds have invaded farmlands in 17 communities in Auyo Local Government Council of Jigawa.

    A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) investigation reveals that the communities are: Ayama, Furawa, Auyo, Mado, Adaha Gamsarku, Tsidir, Hadiyo, Gatafa, Marina, Anauya, Tagir, Zumoni, Muran, Fige, kateje and Hakudau.

    Speaking to NAN,  Malam Tukur Dauda, a farmer at Auyo, told NAN that his rice farm was destroyed by the birds on Monday night.

    “Our farms were attacked by these birds, Within two hours, they ate everything in the farm which is about one hectare,” he said.

    Also speaking, another farmer in Furawa, Malam Yahaya Suleiman, said: “these birds have established a permanent base in this area and unfortunately, government’s response to these attacks usually comes late,” he said.

    Bello Mohammed, who grows wheat in Ayama, however, said the net he used in covering his farm was what saved it from the disaster.

    He said: “ The length of the net we use to distract the birds is 100 m and its width is between 20 and 30m. If you go round, you will find the net covering between two to three kilometers of farmlands.

    “ But the problem is that we still don’t feel safe when we see the birds flying in the sky.”

    When contacted, a source at the Hadejia Zonal Office of the Jigawa Agricultural Development Agency (JADA) said the agency had received a report from the communities on the quelea birds’ invasion.

    “ We are aware of the current invasion in about 17 communities in Auyo.

    “Preparations for the fumigation in these communities have been concluded. We are only waiting for the pilots to inform us about their arrival,” he said.

    NAN reports that on Jan. 24, Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, announced that locusts and quella birds from neighbouring Niger Republic have invaded farms in parts of Borno and Adamawa.

    He revealed however, that efforts of his Ministry to curb the destruction by aerial spraying insecticides on affected farms and areas had been hampered by warnings from the Nigerian military about security concerns.

    According to the World Food Programme, subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan Africa have been at the mercy of the voracious Red-billed Quelea bird and tiny “feathered locust”still decimate fields across the continent.(NAN)

    edited by Sadiya Hamza

  • UN urges Myanmar to speed Rohingya returns, grant citizenship

    By Fatima.sule – (Reuters/NAN) United Nations aid agencies called on Myanmar on Wednesday to improve conditions in Rakhine State for the safe return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh and provide a clear pathway to citizenship for those eligible.

    The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and UN Development Programme (UNDP) said in a joint statement that they needed full access to Rakhine State.

    And they were also awaiting permission for international staff to be based in the town of Maungdaw following requests made on June 14.

    There was no immediate response from the Myanmar authorities to a Reuters request for comment.

    The UN signed an outline deal with Myanmar in early June aimed at eventually allowing hundreds of thousands of Rohingya in Bangladesh to return safely and by choice.

    But the secret agreement, seen by Reuters, offers no explicit guarantees of citizenship or freedom of movement throughout the country.

    The UN agencies said that substantial progress was urgently needed in three key areas: “granting effective access in Rakhine State; ensuring freedom of movement for all communities; and addressing the root causes of the crisis”.

    More than 700,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar’s western Rakhine state after a military crackdown that started in August 2017 in response to attacks by ARSA, a Rohingya armed group, on security posts.

    Myanmar has rejected accusations of ethnic cleansing and dismissed most accounts of atrocities, blaming Rohingya “terrorists”.

    It says it is ready to accept back those who fled.

    The Rohingya, who regard themselves as native to Rakhine state, are widely considered as interlopers by Myanmar’s Buddhist majority and are denied citizenship.

    The UN said that Rohingya remaining in Rakhine are under local orders that severely restrict their freedom of movement, preventing them from reaching jobs, school and health care, and called for these to be lifted. (Reuters/NAN)

  • Security operatives bar lawmakers, newsmen, others from entering National Assembly

    Security operatives bar lawmakers, newsmen, others from entering National Assembly

    Security operatives on Tuesday barred some lawmakers, newsmen and staff of the National Assembly from entering the National Assembly complex.

    The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that security operatives who are in their numbers, barricaded entrance to the complex as early as 7 a.m.

    No reason was given for this.

    Some of the lawmakers cited as at the time of this report were PDP lawmakers, including Sen. Shittu Ubale(PDP-Jigawa), Sen. Ben Bruce(PDP-Bayelsa) and Sen. Rafiu Ibrahim(PDP-Kwara), Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi(PDP-Delta).

    Speaking to newsmen, Bruce said it was an affront on democracy.

    He called on relevant authorities to call those responsible to order.

    Sen. Rafiu Adebayo(PDP-Kwara)who was also one of the early comers at the complex was refused entry.

    The lawmaker expressed his frustration over the siege, saying it was dangerous for democracy.

    While asking the security operatives who gave them instruction to do so, he said,” has the military taken over the National Assembly now.”

    A staff of the national assembly who pleaded anonymity, said the man power loss due to the the situation would be regretted, saying,” today is a work day.

    “We are now on compulsory holiday when we should be working.”

    There has been fillers of impeachment move against the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, since his defection from the All Progressives Congress(APC), to the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).

    Some APC lawmakers also in recent interviews with newsmen, warned that there will be no peace until Saraki resigned as president of the senate.

    As at the time of this report, Saraki had not reacted to the development.
    (NAN)

  • Oil rises as U.S. renew sanctions against Iran

    Oil prices rose on Tuesday as the U.S. reintroduced sanctions against major crude exporter, Iran, tightening global markets.

    Meanwhile,  heatwave across Europe and other areas pushes oil up.

    Sweet Brent crude oil futures were at 74.08  dollars per barrel.

    U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up at 69.21 dollars a barrel.

    The U.S. sanctions against Iran, which shipped out almost three million barrels per day (bpd) of crude in July, officially came into effect at 12.01 a.m. U.S. Eastern time (04.01 GMT) on Tuesday.

    Many countries, including U.S. allies in Europe as well as China and India, oppose the sanctions, but the U.S. government said it wants as many countries as possible to stop buying Iranian oil.

    “It is our policy to get as many countries to zero as quickly as possible.

    “’We are going to work with individual countries on a case-by-case basis, but our goal is to reduce the amount of revenue and hard currency going into Iran,” said a senior U.S. administration official on Monday.

    French bank Societe Generale said there was currently a “comfortable supply” in physical crude markets, but noted, “Iran sanctions will take another one million bpd off the markets.”

    This would leave markets with a little spare capacity to deal with unforeseen disruptions, it said.

    Some analysts warned that a global heat wave could also now affect oil demand.

    Much of the northern hemisphere has been gripped by extreme heat this summer, pushing up demand for industrial and residential cooling.

    This mostly impacts demand for power fuels such as thermal coal and natural gas. (ReutersNAN)