₦airaland Forum

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), has urged the Federal Government to renegotiate trade conditions that will impede economic growth in its review of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement.

The MAN President, Dr Frank Jacob, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.

According to him, MAN is apprehensive that the Rules of Origin in the AfCFTA cannot be adequately enforced to guard against influx of European Union (EU) goods into the Nigerian market.

The Rules of origin are used to determine the country of origin of a product for purposes of international trade.

NAN reports that the AfCFTA is part of Africa’s plan to promote Intra and Inter-regional trade, economic cooperation and partnership on the continent by 2063.

AfCFTA seeks to make Africa the largest free trade area, improve its economies and strengthen its position in global trade.

“We are afraid that the Rules of Origin cannot be adequately enforced because goods from the EU can find their way into one of the African countries that have bilateral agreement with the EU.

“When the goods get into the African country, they can repackage them, change the label from Made in Europe to that of the African country.

“That same goods will surely find its way to Nigeria which is the main target market for the EU,” Jacob said.

Jacob also noted that the market access of the agreement was a concern to manufacturers, as it leaves low protection to locally produced goods.

“The agreement says that 90 per cent of the tariff plan would be liberalised, leaving only 10 per cent to protect manufacturers, and that 10 per cent is too low.

“That means the rest of the 90 per cent is open, duty free, people can import.

“What we are saying is that the 10 per cent is too small, even at the current Common External Tariff (CET) regime, we enjoy more than 10 per cent.

“How can they now expect us to accept only 10 per cent as the only protected tariff line. That is an area that is of great concern to us,” Jacob said.

He noted that the AfCFTA would impede the growth of the manufacturing sector, lead to dearth of many businesses, increase the country’s unemployment rate, and incapacitate local technological advancement.

The MAN boss commended President Muhammadu Buhari for canceling his scheduled trip to Kigali, Rwanda, to sign the framework agreement for establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Buhari on March 18, canceled his scheduled visit to Rwanda to attend an Extra-Ordinary Summit of the African Union on March 21.

The President was to sign the framework agreement for establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area during the Summit that would host leaders of African countries.

According to a statement from the Presidency, the trip was canceled to allow for more consultations with stakeholders in Nigeria over the trade agreement.

It would be recalled that the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Organised Private Sector (OPS) had kicked against AfCFTA.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/03/manufacturers-urge-fg-to-scrutinize.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SZc9WKKH7g

For Dino Melaye, the voluble senator of Kogi West and an acolyte of the tainted Senate President, Bukola Saraki, the cup of recall which his people unleashed against him has stubbornly refused to pass him. The recall effort has trailed him like a stubborn shadow and try as he and his soulmates in the senate have done, the dangling threat sticks like a recalcitrant abiku in its thinly disguised intent to rusticate Dino from the senate where many feel, he has added more of jesting value than serve his Kogi people and Nigerians.

Dino and his mates have boasted, threatened and laughed off the recall effort as posing no threat to him but deep in their hearts, they fervently wish that this cup will pass Dino by. In their private moments, they have emitted worrying sweats of discomfort and fear because if Melaye is successfully recalled, they know that their stay in the senate and their feeling of invincibility would be punctured.

They know that if the people of Kogi West succeed in yanking Melaye off the senate, they themselves are not safe in the hallowed chamber which they have reduced to theaters of masking and reveling especially since Saraki usurped the leadership of the senate in cahoots with PDP senators. So they see in the stubborn effort to recall Melaye a threat to their feeling of assumed invincibility in the senate. They are right to feel so.But it could safely be said that Melaye invited this cup to himself. Apparently overwhelmed by the amity he enjoys from Saraki, Melaye had turned the senate into a theater of the absurd where his many annoying indiscretions find full ventilation. At a stage, Melaye made the senate look like a huge circuit show where daily display of flippancy and petulance was staged. Melaye riled not a few Nigerians with his daily-in-your-face celebration of vanity and cheekiness. When he was not displaying incredible questionably acquired wealth, he was competing to undo the most astute comedians on the floor of the senate. When he was not taunting Nigerians on their helplessness to deal with the nuisance which the senate became, he was launching unending tirades and abuses against President Buhari for not patronizing Saraki’s senate and rather watched uninterested as Saraki alternates between the Senate Presidency and the dock where he is standing trial for corrupt acts. Nigerians helplessly endured Melaye’s unending nuisance when it was in full bloom.

So annoying was Melaye’s nuisance that the indefatigable Sahara Reporters took him up on his loud and boastful claims to academic attainment. The battle raged and exposed a heavily patched and thickly powdered academic history that trails a man who was improving spurious academic claims to mask an empty and unfulfilled life. The incident so humbled Melaye that he temporarily capped his jesting pastime in the senate and the Nigerian public space. He has recently resurrected his nuisance value and once again, has turned the senate into an endless ground for vain grandstanding, indecorous puffing and noisome revelry.

Aso soon as Melaye was beaten to cower in shame following his brush with Sahara Reporters, his people in Kogi West quickly followed in piling up his woes by the declaration of the intent to recall him from the senate because he had pursued other base missions than effective representation for them in the senate. They claimed they have not gotten any value for their votes for him in the last election and expressed their desire to exploit their constitutionally-guaranteed power to recall him.

At first, Melaye and his fellow soulmates in the senate derided this effort as not realizable, and as Ekweremadu put it, a waste of money and efforts. . They laughed it off and boasted that nothing will see Melaye out of the senate where his jesting was deigned a class act by Saraki and his loyalists. In deploying this scorn and attendant boast, Melaye and his friends in the senate were thinking that crossing the constitutional threshold of mobilizing two-thirds of electorates in any of their constituencies to sign for their recall was an impregnable bulwark against any effort to recall them, as had been the case before now.

As has been shown by events thus far, Melaye and his cohorts really underestimated the resolve of the people of Kogi West to send their errant senator home. By the time those that want to send him home had mobilsed voters in excess of the constitutionally-prescribed threshold for his recall, he and his backers knew that there was real fire on the mountain. This set Melaye and his friends on a scampered battle that saw him rush to the courts to stop the process of his recall. When the courts ruled against him, Melaye escaped from his favourite theater of comic, the senate, for weeks and went into undignified hiding so as to evade INEC service of the recall papers while window-shopping for favourite judicial orders that will stave off the recall cup.

At this period, his cohorts in the senate were issuing fatwa against Kogi West people for exercising their constitutional rights to recall their senator and on INEC for carrying out its legal roles backed by the laws of the land. In one of the senate’s troubled sessions to save Melaye, Ike Ekweremadu, the deputy senate president vowed that no one could recall Melaye and that the entire recall exercise amounted to an exercise in futility.

So sure that Melaye had escaped through judicial delay of the process, Ekweremadu was to penultimate week boast that Melaye’s recall ended just the way he described it. He said this while making his infamous coup-baiting contribution on the floor of the senate. But like a restless ennui, Ekweremadu, was to wake the spirits chasing Melaye by that lousy boast as the Court of Appeal, where Dino rushed to after the Federal High Court ruled against his suit to stop the recall, ruled just last week that the recall of Dino Melaye should continue as there is no ground for stoppage of what is clearly a constitutional process.

This not only shut up Ekweremadu and his fellow backers of Dino Melaye but soured Melaye and his friends’ feeling that the worst is over. Sure and predictably, Melaye has rushed to the Supreme Court in an effort to buy time as a reprieve from the burgeoning recall effort, it is certain that sooner or later, Melaye will have just no option than showing cause why he would not be sent home from the senate.

As it stands today, the cup of recall trailing Dino Melaye has stuck to him like a second skin. When he thought the whole trauma was over, and infact, he must have been reassured by Ekweremadu’s boast the week before, the cup has resurfaced with more threatening force. From all seeming indications, Melaye will be stuck with this cup until he is called back by his people. He had hoped to use judicial strategy to escape this cup but by the ruling of the Appeal Court, which reaffirmed that of the high court, it is obvious that Melaye’s escape routes have been narrowed to one and from all seeming indication, this one too will be sealed against him.

Like a cornered rat, Melaye has no option than to surrender himself to the constitutional process of recall and other Nigerians who have watched in barely disguised anger as the present senate trifle with their fates, are offered the hope that they can also recall those senators who were purportedly elected by the people but who pursue their selfish interests instead. Melaye must be terribly downcast at the prospects that his recall may not be shelved by the tricks he had adopted so he has to be a man and face this cup that has refused to pass by him. He has to brace up to having his senatorial commission cut short mainly by his vaunting acts and learn good lessons that will serve him well in the life he will embrace after the senate.

Peter Claver Oparah

Ikeja, Lagos.

E-mail: peterclaver2000@yahoo.com

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/03/dino-melayes-never-passing-recall-cup.html

Barely 24 hours after taking his oath of office, the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano has appointed three principal officers and a Chief Press Secretary for his administration.

The appointees are Prof Solo Chukwulobelu who retains his position as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Sir Willie Nwokoye, who also retains his position as the Principal Secretary to the Governor and Mr Primus Odili who becomes the new Chief of Staff to the Governor while Mr James Eze, formerly a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media assumes the position of the Chief Press Secretary.

The new appointees who were formally informed of their appointments by the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Daniel Ezeanwu shall be sworn in at 1pm on Monday March 19, 2018.

These appointments follow the same pattern of readiness demonstrated by Governor Obiano in his first term when he swore in his principal officers a day after his inauguration.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/03/gov-obiano-appoints-principal-officers.html?m=1

Zenith Bank Plc and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc in 2017 jointly made N169.309 billion from trading in securities such as bonds and Treasury bills as customer deposits to both banks continue to grow. The two tier one banks last week released their full year results for 2017 posting a joint profit after tax of N348.4 billion. The results showed that Zenith Bank had recorded a 456.4 per cent increase in its trading gains which rose from N28.39 billion that was recorded in 2016 to N157.97 billion by the end of the 2017 financial year. GTB likewise saw its net gains on financial instruments rise from N5.21 billion to N11.33 billion during the 2017 financial year. The CBN in 2017 had in 2017 regularly held Open Market Operations auctions at rates between 17 and 18 per cent. Chief executive of Financial Derivatives, Bismarck Rewane had noted that close to 30 per cent of banks’ profit is made from Treasury Bills and OMO auctions, a situation operators in the real sector say is not encouraging lending by banks. While the deposit base of the two banks had increased in 2017, their loan portfolio continued to drop. Zenith’s deposit base had increased by 15 per cent last year from N2.98 trillion which it was in 2016 to N3.43 trillion as at December 31, 2017. However, its lending to customers was down by 8.2 per cent from N2.289 trillion in 2016 to N2.1 trillion in 2017. Also, GTB had recorded a 3.8 per cent spike in its deposit base which rose from N1.986 trillion to N2.062 trillion as at December 31, 2017 while its lending to customers declined by 8.8 per cent to N1.448 trillion. GTB profit after tax had risen to N170.47 billion in 2017 from N132.28 billion from the previous year while Zenith’s PAT rose N177.93 billion up from N129.65 billion. Analysts say the high level of bad loans in the industry is a major deterrent for banks to increase lending. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had warned of the rising NPLs in the industry. IMF in its report on Nigeria recently noted the level of NPLs in the banking sector has risen to 15.5 per cent as at October 2017 with solvency ratios declining form 14.8 per cent to 10.5 per cent between December 2016 and October 2017, “reflecting difficulties in four small and medium-sized undercapitalized banks including one insolvent bank.” While impairments on loan losses of GTB had dropped from N65.29 billion in 2016 to N12.16 billion in 2017, Zenith’s impairment loss on financial assets rose significantly to N98.22 billion from N32.35 billion which it was in 2017.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/03/zenith-gtb-make-n169bn-from-securities.html

With federal government’s domestic debt pegged at N12.589 trillion as at December 2017, the Debt Management Office (DMO) has said that a total of N1.476 trillion was spent in servicing the domestic obligations of the country between January and December last year. DMO said interest payment on federal government of Nigeria (FGN) Bonds was the highest accounting for 66.5 per cent of the total debt service. Interest payment on FGN Bonds had cost the country N982.65 billion in 2017. Data released by the DMO showed that N445.13 billion was spent on paying interest on treasury bills last year, while N441.99 million was spent on paying interest on the FGN Savings Bond that was launched last year to bring in small-scale retail investors into the bond market. The FGN Bond is the major part of the federal government domestic obligation accounting for 69.23 per cent of the N12.589 trillion domestic debt at N8.715 trillion. It is followed by treasury bills, which accounts for 28.4 per cent of the debt structure at N3.579 trillion. The DMO had earlier in the year denied reports that the country spends up to 60 per cent of its revenue on debt financing, saying only Nigeria spends 34 per cent of its revenues on debt servicing. In a clarification on the country’s debt status titled, ‘Nigeria’s Public Debt – Some Recurring Issues,’ the DMO contradicted reports that the country was spending as much as 60 to 70 per cent of its revenues on debt servicing. According to the agency, as of June 2017, Nigeria’s spending on debt servicing stood at 34.02 per cent of revenue, up from 33.94 per cent recorded as of December 31, 2016. Nigeria’s revenue, according to the 2017 budget, was N5.08 trillion. The country is expecting to spend N2.014 trillion on debt servicing in 2018, from its N8.612 trillion total budget with expected revenue of N6.067 trillion.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/03/fg-spends-n147trn-servicing-domestic.html

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, has decried difficulties faced by Nigerians in accessing bank loans .

Dogara, made this known in his keynote address at a public presentation/launch of the book “Banking Reform in Nigeria” on Monday in Abuja.

He said that Nigerians were discouraged in managing their businesses as a result of their inability to access loans from banks.

” I have had cause to say this before, that unless you have assets or equipment, there is no way you can take loan, or access loans from Nigerian banks to do business.

“If you are not careful in taking loans from Nigerian banks, one will just end up in the poverty gap.

“I don’t think our citizens are supposed to do their businesses with money they already have in their pockets. Businesses elsewhere are executed by loans from the banking industry in those countries.

“I don’t know why the interest rate in Nigeria is so high. What is it that we can do to lower it so that our young entrepreneurs can risk taking money from our financial institutions in order to realize their dreams.

“That has been the challenge, from the point of view of the Executive down to the Parliament, the political will to address this has not been there,” he said.

He therefore, called on all stakeholders to join hands in ensuring improved banking institutions for better development.

“And the answer has always been that just one opinion cannot solve the issue, all hands need to work at it.

The Author of the book, Rep. Bode Ayorinde (Ondo-APC), said that the whole essence of the book “is to improve the economy by making funds available at a better pricing for the development of the economy.

“What we are saying about reforming the banking industry basically is to expand financial inclusion and adjust the pricing of our lending.

“Seriously, as an Author, l believe that the pricing of our lending is on the high side and is one of the major reasons for non performing loans,’’ he said.

One of the book reviewers, Mr Bismark Rewane, Managing Director, Financial Derivatives, advised that interest rates should be reduced as advised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

He emphasised that the reduction in the rate was necessary in order to encourage small scale businesses and revive moribund industries.

http://akelicious..in/2018/03/dogara-laments-over-difficulties-in.html?m=1

Mohamed Salah's transfer value has increased the most of any player in Europe's top leagues during the last six months, according to new data.

The Liverpool and Egypt forward's market value has risen by 74.7m euros (£66.4m) to 162.8m euros (£144.3m).

Salah, 25, is the leading Premier League goalscorer with 24 goals.

There are six Premier League players in the top 10 with Manchester City pair Ederson and Leroy Sane in second and third in the CIES rankings.

The CIES valued Egypt international Salah at 88.1m euros (£78.3m) in September 2017 just after his £34m move to Liverpool.

Lazio's highly-rated midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, 22, who has been attracting interest from Europe's elite clubs, is also in the top 10.

Outside of the top 10, Leicester City and England defender Harry Maguire appears in 13th with an increased value of 35.4m euros (£31.5m) while Burnley's Jack Cork is at 48 with an estimated rise of 18.3m euros (£16.3m).

The figures from CIES are determined by a "unique algorithm" and reflect current form.

The data is based on the top five leagues in Europe and only produces stats on players who have not changed club or extended their contract in the last six months.

http://akelicious..com/2018/03/mohamed-salah-transfer-value-rises-most.html

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has stated that candidates for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, should not be complaining of not knowing their examination centres when they have not gone to print their slip.

The JAMB spokesman, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, said on Thursday that, “the slip contains their centres, the time allocated to them to sit for the exam, and everything,” insisting that candidates ought to go and print it to know where and when they would be taking the UTME.


According to him, “If they do not go to print, how would they get to know their centres. The centres are not just supposed to fly and land in your house. You have to go and print it. If a candidate has not got to print the slip, certain information would not get to him or her.”
The board had stated that the UTME, which kick-starts Thursday March 9, would hold in 605 Computer Base Test, CBT, centres which have already been approved across the country.
While revealing the amount cyber café operators get per candidate who sits for exam in their centre, Benjamin said, “The payment of N600 by JAMB to CBT centre operators has been the tradition. We have to pay the CBT centres for using their facilities. So we are paying for each candidate that sits for exam there.
“The CBT centre operators are not charging extra one naira to the N600 JAMB is paying them per candidate.”

http://www.akelicious.com/2018/03/utme-2018-jamb-reveals-what-candidates.html

The Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, on Thursday asked the Voice of America (VOA) reporter, Malam Nasir Birnin-Yero, to write and demand the refund of his wife's ransom from the presidency.
Birnin-Yero secured the freedom of his wife after the payment of N2 million.



The abductors, who kidnapped the reporter’s family on Wednesday, also killed a staff of Federal Road Safety Commission that wanted to help the victims.


Senator Sani in a message on his face book page lamented the high rate of insecurity in the country.


According to him, the reporter has the right to write to the President, the Governor and others in the legislative seat and demand for refund after failing to protect his family.


"Armed kidnappers invaded the House of a Kaduna based VOA journalist and abducted his wife. The man had to pay the sum of N2Million ransom to the kidnappers to secure the release of his wife.


"Such a man has the right to write to the President, the Governor and all of us in the legislative seat and demand for refund after failing to protect his family. This is how low we have sunk", he said.

http://www.akelicious.com/2018/03/shehu-sani-asks-journalist-to-demand.html

The Presidency has confirmed that President Muhammadu Buhari will be visiting Jos, the Plateau State capital today, Thursday.

A tweet by Buhari’s Personal Assistant on New Media, Basir Ahmad says the president is expected to commission some projects in the state.



According to Ahmad, the president is also expected to hold a Town Hall meeting with some community leaders.
Ahmad wrote: “President Muhammadu Buhari will today, pay a working visit to Jos, Plateau State, during his visit he will commission some projects, unveil the Plateau Roadmap to Peace, a model 5-year Peace plan for the state and hold a town hall meeting with the community leaders.”

http://www.akelicious.com/2018/03/presidency-confirms-buharis-visit-to.html

The Original FIFA World Cup trophy has finally arrived Nigeria.

Super Eagles of Nigeria and 31 other teams will be competing for at the 21st FIFA World Cup finals in Russia next summer.

NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, said last Wednesday that FIFA has confirmed Nigeria is among the countries where the iconic trophy would be visiting before next year’s major showpiece.
He said, “We have confirmation now. The World Cup trophy will be in Nigeria on 3rd March 2018.
Nigeria became the first African country to qualify for the 32 –team finals after beating Zambia 1-0 in Uyo on 7th October.
The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour is usually a chance to see the Original FIFA World Cup Trophy, and this time, fans from all over the world will have the opportunity of seeing the trophy and having their photo taken with the famous diadem from 9th September, 2017 to 7th June 2018.

The trophy, however arrived Nigeria on Wednesday morning.

Watch video here http://www.akelicious.com/2018/03/photos-world-cup-trophy-arrives-nigeria.html

Nigeria will benefit from about 533 million dollars to be released by the United States (U.S.) to some African countries humanitarian assistance.

The benefactors are Nigeria, Ethiopia, Somalia, and South Sudan, as well as countries in the Lake Chad region.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said millions of people were facing life-threatening food insecurity and malnutrition as a result of ongoing conflict or prolonged drought in the countries.

Of the newly announced funds, more than $128 million is for affected populations from Nigeria and countries in the Lake Chad region.

About $184 million is for affected populations from South Sudan and more than $110 million for affected populations from Ethiopia.

The humanitarian assistance includes more than $110 million for affected populations from Somalia.

Tillerson said: “today I’m announcing $533 million in additional humanitarian assistance to fight famine and food insecurity and address other needs resulting from conflicts in Somalia, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Lake Chad Basin.

“The alarming levels of hunger in these areas are largely man-made, as conflicts erupt and people flee their homes.

“Under these conditions, people cannot produce crops and often lose access altogether to food, education, and health care. Many lose everything.

“And regrettably, Mother Nature can still be cruel, such as in the Horn of Africa, where a prolonged drought is contributing to grave food insecurity”.

According to him, these additional funds will provide emergency food, nutrition assistance, and other aid.

This includes safe drinking water, thousands of tons of food, and deliver health programs to prevent the spread of deadly diseases like cholera to millions of people, he said adding “This will save lives”.

“The American people, as we always have been, are there to partner with African countries to ensure their most vulnerable populations receive life-saving assistance.

“We also call upon others to join us in meeting the growing humanitarian needs in Africa. We hope these initial contributions will encourage others to contribute aid to increase burden sharing and meet the growing humanitarian needs in Africa.

“However, this assistance will not solve these ongoing conflicts, but only buy us time to pursue diplomatic solutions,” Tillerson stressed.

According to him, ultimately it is up to the leaders in these countries, particularly in South Sudan, to stop the violence and put the welfare of their citizens at the forefront of their actions.

He said millions would continue to be at risk as long as parties to these conflicts continue to engage in violence.

Tillerson called on all parties to allow aid workers safe and unhindered access to help communities in need.

The U.S. is the largest donor of humanitarian assistance for these crises in Africa, providing nearly three billion dollars since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2017.

http://www.akelicious.com/2018/03/nigeria-to-benefit-from-us-533m-charity.html

The House of Representatives is to investigate the alleged loss of two billion naira and 3.8 million dollars through banks’ non-payment of interests on the proceeds of the sale of PHCN successor companies.

The decision followed the unanimous adoption of a motion by Rep. Chukwuka Onyema (Anambra-PDP) at the plenary on Tuesday.

The session was presided over by the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara.


The house resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to carry out the probe and to report back to the house within six weeks for further legislative action.

Onyema had said that the Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005 unbundled the Power Holding Company of Nigeria into 18 successor companies.

He said the companies were six generation companies, and 12 distribution companies covering the 36 states of the federation as well as National Power Transmission Company.

Onyema said following the divestiture of Federal Government from PHCN through privatisation, the company was divided into separate companies known as the Local Electricity Distribution Companies.

He said the successor companies made payment to the Federal Government through Standard Chartered Bank, Fidelity Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Access Bank, FCMB, Skye Bank, Sterling Bank, Zenith Bank and Unity Bank.

“The accrued interests due to the Federal Government to the tune of two billion naira and 3.8 million dollars were alleged to have been diverted by those banks in collaboration with officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria,’’ Onyema said.

He pointed out that the Nigerian Constitution empowers the House to conduct investigations for the purpose of exposing corruption, inefficiency or waste in the execution or administration of laws and management of funds.

http://www.akelicious.com/2018/03/phcn-sale-reps-to-probe-alleged-loss-of.html

A college Professor carries a student's child so she can finish her exams.

http://www.akelicious.com/2018/03/photosprofessor-carries-students-child.html

One word for this man please.

Vice President, Osinbanjo Gives Reason Why Buhari Cannot Visit All Insurgent States

Nigeria's Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has defended President Muhammadu Buhari’s failure to visit some parts of the country where there have been violence, killings and kidnappings in recent times.

Many commentators have criticized the President over his failure to visit some states where there have been killings from clashes, especially Benue State where over 70 persons lost their lives from attacks attributed to herdsmen early in the year.

The President has also been criticized for his failure to visit and condole with parents of 110 girls abducted from a school in Dapchi, Yobe State on 19, February, 2017.

But Osinbajo, in a recent chat with journalists asserted that ‘condolence and sympathy’ visits would not restore lost lives even as he noted that the President is working hard on improving the state of security in the country.

“Let me say it first that no amount of condolence can compensate for loss of lives, whether in Calabar, Mambilla or Benue or where people were killed in Adamawa or Zamfara, any of these states,” the Vice President who noted that he had visited some states where killings took place on behalf of the President said.

"Benue killing is one set of killing far too much; there is no amount of condolence that can compensate for that and I want to say that it’s a massive tragedy. I’ve been to Zamfara, I’ve been to Adamawa when this killing took place, I even visited Benue in September where there have been killing before; then I’ve visited them when the flooding took place and we looked at all the issues and tried to address many of these."

"There have been several of these issues in different places, recently Dapchi. We have expressed condolences, but no amount of condolence would do," said Osinbajo.

He added that the Presidency and security agencies are working to end insurgency and terrorism in the country as he noted that troops have been deployed to most part of the Northeastern Nigeria to combat terrorist groups.

Osinbajo noted that the wide scale deployment has overstretched the military, but government is working to empower the police to take on some of the security roles being performed by soldiers.

"We have to address the security question in a much more robust way; that the police are able to do these effectively. We have deployed the military to Kaduna, two battalions to Kaduna. In Benue and Taraba axis, we have the 93 battalion, we have 72 Special Forces. So, I think the most important thing is, first of all, to ensure they actually address the security of the people," said the VP.

Osinbanjo assured the country that security agencies are working round the clock to guarantee that all part of the country is taken from different groups terrorizing the country.

http://www.akelicious.com/2018/03/osinbajo-defends-buharis-failure-to.html

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Niger command, says it has arrested four men for allegedly raping a 19-year old girl in Barkin Sale, Chanchaga Local Government Area of Niger.

Mr Philip Ayuba, the corps commandant, said in Minna on Monday that the suspects were Mohammed Surajo 21, Shafi Mohammed 19, Mohammed Abubakar, 19 and Musa Iiya, 16.

He said that suspects confessed to committing the crime, saying that the suspects alleged that the victim refused to comply with a demand from one of them which prompted them to rape her.


He said that already the corps had handed over the case to the state Ministry of Justice for prosecution and would follow up the case to a logical conclusion.

The commandant appealed to community leaders to mobilise their subjects on the need to be security conscious and caution their female children against walking alone in any isolated area.

http://www.akelicious.com/2018/03/nscdc-arrests-4-for-alleged-raping.html

The highly hyped 30 Billion Concert which kicked off at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda, may have been successful, but may not have left a lasting memory for Nigerian award winning singer, Davido who fell on stage before his performance.

In a video gone viral, Davido was about to put up an electrifying performance when he tumbled and rolled in front of the expectant audience.

However, in an apparent response to the incident , the ‘If’ crooner wrote “Body no be firewood.”

http://www.akelicious.com/2018/03/watch-video-davido-falls-on-stage-in.html


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h83aUBckSwA

Housemates, Bambam and Teddy A took their romance to a whole new level after they got into a little fight. Teddy A called out Bambam for wanting to have an extra piece of chicken while she hadn’t finished the one served last night. Teddy A said he called her out because he felt, Bambam was being selfish and wanted to cheat others.
However, Bambam during her diary session with Biggie disclosed that she has made up with Teddy A. She added that that, they kissed each other after the fight and they are now cool. Bambam said: “When he came outside earlier I told him to say sorry because what he did was bullying and unnecessary. If you wanted chicken you should have begged me and I would have given you, then we kissed and made up. So we are fine now.”

http://www.akelicious.com/2018/03/bbnaija-2018bambam-and-teddy-fight-over.html


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5YqmSXcQME

Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has called for better policies and programmes that will preserve the world’s diverse flora and fauna.

The governor said this on the occasion of the commemoration of the World Wildlife Day, celebrated every March 3, by the United Nations and its partner institutions focused on wildlife preservation.

According to the governor, “the need to preserve the wild flora and fauna is anchored on the need to ensure that we do not lose the diversity of our wildlife assets. Not only is maintaining the balance of the animals in the wild necessary for humanity, it serves as a tourism asset that we could deploy to boost our foreign earning.”

He said that the theme for this year’s commemoration, Big Cats: Predators Under Threat is a wake-up call to managers of wildlife parks across Nigeria to maintain the diversity in the parks and for governments to push policies that would further efforts to preserve Nigeria’s fauna.

He said the Okomu National Park, formerly known as the Okomu Wildlife Sanctuary, embodies elements of the fauna and flora that must be protected from the rampaging claws of urbanisation, calling for urgent policies by the federal government to better package the assets at the nation’s parks for foreign exchange receipts.

Noting that the call to conserve the diversity at Okomu was pertinent because of the endangered species at the park, he said, “Okomu is home to the African Buffalo and African Forest Elephant, dwarf crocodiles, red river hog, sitatunga, warthog, civet cat, Maxwell’s duiker, grass cutter, Mona monkey, Thomas’s galago and tree pangolin, among others.”

According to the UN, the World wildlife day was proclaimed to be marked on March 3 by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 December 2013, at its Sixty-eighth session.

“It is intended to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora. The date is the day of the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973, which plays an important role in ensuring that international trade does not threaten the species’ survival,” the world body said.

http://www.akelicious.com/2018/03/world-wildlife-day-obaseki-harps-on.html

The Nigerian Army has disbursed N19 million to 95 widows of fallen heroes residing in Abakpa and Awkunanaw Barracks in Enugu State to ameliorate the hardship being faced by the women.

Maj.- Gen. Adamu Abubakar, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 82 Division of the Nigerian Army said this in a statement issued by Col. Sagir Musa, Deputy Director of Army Public Relations of the Division on Saturday in Enugu.

Musa, who explained that each of the widows received N200, 000, said that the money was presented to the widows at the division’s auditorium in Enugu on Friday.


He said that Abubakar, on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, urged the beneficiaries to make use of the money judiciously.

Musa also said that the GOC thanked Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his continuous support to the widows and the Division.

Ugwuanyi had during the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration pledged to empower the widows of fallen heroes of the Division.

The governor on Feb. 17, during the 2018 West African Social Activities (WASA) held in Abakpa Cantonment, Enugu, redeemed the pledge with a cheque of N19.6 million, which he presented to the GOC.

http://www.akelicious.com/2018/03/nigerian-army-give-n200000-each-to-95.html

Drivers in one of Cameroon’s restive English-speaking provinces have been banned from driving at night for a month, as tensions run high between government forces and separatists.


Vehicles in five of the Southwest Region’s six districts are not allowed on the road between 7:00 pm and 6:00 am (1800 GMT and 0500 GMT) with the exception of ambulances as well as state and police cars, according to an official statement seen by AFP late Friday.

The renewable ban, which entered into force at the start of the month, will remain in place for “30 days”, regional governor Bernard Okalia Bilai said in the statement.

A push for independence from the majority French-speaking country has sparked deadly unrest in Cameroon’s two anglophone provinces, home to around a fifth of the 23-million population.

The English-speaking minority is a legacy of the colonial period in Africa.

The secessionist bid draws on widespread resentment over the perceived discrimination at the hands of the francophones.

Dozens of people have been killed in the Southwest Region and Northwest Region and tens of thousands have fled to neighbouring Nigeria following a violent crackdown on anti-government protests.

The situation worsened at the end of January when 47 separatists, including Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, one of their leaders, were arrested in Nigeria, which sent them back to Cameroon, prompting a fresh wave of violence.

Aside from targeting police and soldiers, some separatist groups appear to be turning to kidnapping, as well as threatening French firms located in English-speaking areas.

Cameroonian President Paul Biya has responded to the violence with curfews, raids and restrictions on travel.

Observers warn the ongoing crisis could interfere with general elections — including a presidential race — set to take place at the end of 2018.

http://www.akelicious.com/2018/03/cameroon-bans-nighttime-driving-in-six.html

More photos at[b]http://www.akelicious.com/2018/03/photos-see-house-built-with-plastic.html[/b]

Nigeria’s contingent to the just concluded Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea returned to the country Tuesday night with the athletes showering encomium on Nigerians for their love and support

http://www.akelicious.com/2018/03/buhari-may-host-historic-winter.html

Former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, on Monday in London, gave two conditions that must be met for Nigeria to overcome its economic difficulties and for Africa to develop.

The conditions, he said while speaking with journalists after the high-level discussions at the British House of Commons, include huge investment in education and skill acquisition as well as meaningful support for Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs).

According to him, “Nigeria must focus on investing in education and skill acquisition in order to turn round its economy, and drastically reduce the levels of youth unemployment,” Obi, who revolutionised the education sector in his during his days as governor, said.


The former governor maintained that Nigeria must see education and skills acquisition as an investment, as this would help to diversify and grow the country’s economy.

Obi noted that from the discussions it was evident that there are large opportunities in Africa, “but to achieve these, Africa requires huge investment in education and skill acquisition as well as supporting SMEs which will help build a prosperous future for herself.”

Obi, who since leaving office in 2014, has devoted enormous resources towards the promotion of education on the continent, added that “for Africa to transit from exporter of raw commodities to a manufacturer of finished goods, and become a significant member of the global technological world, her people must be educated.”

At the event chaired by the head of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Africa, Chi Onwurah MP, the discussions were attended by captains of industry and other British MPs and peers.

Those in attendance were Lord Chidgey, Co-Chair from the House of Lords of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Africa.

Also in attendance were Lord Marland, Chairman of the Common Wealth Enterprise and Investment Council; Baroness Lynda Chalker of Wallasey; Emma Wade-Smith, Regional Trade Commissioner for Africa, who presented the keynote address, and David Luke, Coordinator of the African Trade Policy and the UN Economic Commission for Africa, who was also a guest speaker.

http://www.akelicious.com/2018/02/peter-obi-gives-conditions-to-be-met.html

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja, said the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government had stabilised Nigeria in spite of obvious challenges.

He stated this at APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.

“I am happy to report that slowly and steadily, we have managed to stabilise the country and redirect the ship of state.

“We have restored prudence to the management of resources and confidence in Nigeria.

“We have stabilised the naira and increased our foreign reserve from 20 billion dollars to 40 billion dollars. The inflation rate is down.

“With considerably less resources available to the country, we have improved all the indices towards a stronger economy.” the president said.

He added that credit should be given to governors of APC-controlled states, chairmen of the party in the states for contributing to stabilising the polity.

Buhari also commended the Armed Forces, the police and other security agencies for stopping Boko Haram and driving them from their bases.

He said that though the government was poised to defeat acts of terrorism in the country, it was difficult to completely isolate such act.

“No country, no matter how well secured, can isolate acts of terror as we have seen in the United States, Europe, Asia and here in Africa.

“We must support our security agencies to safeguard our country so that the job of development as outlined in our manifesto can proceed without too much interruption.

“We cannot afford to fail in reminding Nigerians where we came from in 2015,” he stressed.

He particularly appreciated the party´s leadership and governors for their stewardship and for steering it to success.

The president noted that from the party´s resounding electoral victory in 2015, it had won elections in Edo, Kogi and Ondo states and had improved performance in the November, 2017 governorship election in Anambra.

According to him, the APC has moved from the party in government to the party of the Nigerian people.

He paid tribute to Nigerians who supported the government in spite of distractions from what he called ´´proponents of business as usual´´.

Buhari charged APC members not to relax and take things easy because, according to him, elections are looming in the horizon.

He, therefore, urged the members to get their acts together and to cooperate with the Sen. Bola Tinubu reconciliation team to succeed.

This, he said, was critical to resolve existing differences among party members in affected states, restore order, manage differences and strengthen the party.

“It is perhaps inevitable that there will be differences of opinion within the party. If we resolve them, then we can build a genuinely democratic party.

“But, we must not lose sight of our common purpose as a party to break the mule of Nigerian politics and take the country to new heights,” the president stated.

While acknowledging that the ´´face of government has not met the expectations of many within the party´´, he said that only a few appreciated the depth of the wrath when APC assumed power.

He explained that the APC government had spent the last two years trying to bring the country out of the mess it met it.

Buhari admitted that the stand-off between the Executive and the National Assembly slowed down the process of government within the period.

He, however, added that efforts were being made to resolve the differences so that the country could move forward.

Earlier, National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odegie-Oyegun, had thanked the president, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, governors elected on the party´s platform and its leaders for being supportive and available always in spite of challenges.

He noted that the party had a very tough year ahead, because of the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun coming up in July and September, respectively.

“These elections are precursors of the national elections. It is therefore necessary that we treat them with great seriousness because they are elections we should do everything to win.

“They are signals and signposts, indicators of what is to come in 2019. Preparations are also well underway for those elections,” he said.

He pleaded with party members to do everything possible to minimise stresses and crises within the party and to remain in fighting shape ahead of 2019.

The chairman reiterated the support of the party´s leadership to the Tinubu reconciliation team.

http://www.akelicious.com/2018/02/buhari-says-apc-has-stabilised-nigeria.html

A national officer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Yekini Nabena, has told President Muhammadu Buhari to sack attendees to the illegality of the current Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), saying its retention amounts to illegality.

Mr. Nabena, a national ex-officio member from Bayelsa State, made his view known in an open letter to the President. Dated 26 February, the letter stated that the tenure of the Board formally ended last December and its continued stay is illegal.

He said the tenures of the NDDC Managing Director/Chief Executive, Mr. Nsima Udo Ekere, and Chairman of the Board, Mr. Victor Ndoma-Egba, had lapsed since last year. Mr. Nabena argued that the terms of their appointment and the NDDC Act explicitly state that they were to complete their respective states' tenure. While Mr. Ndoma-Egba was appointed to complete the tenure of Mr. Bassey Ewa-Henshaw, a fellow Cross River State indigene, Mr. Ekere was chosen to serve out the tenure of Mr. Bassey Dan-Abia, a fellow Akwa Ibom State indigene. The APC national officer said Messrs. Ewa-Henshaw and Dan-Abia were appointed in 2013 for a four-year term that expired last December.

As such, he said the continued stay of the two men in office is a contravention of the law. Mr. Nabena claimed that Bayelsa State, to which the Board Chairmanship position should have reverted, and other member-states of the NDDC are being short-changed with the continuation in office of the two men.
He accused Messrs. Ndoma-Egba and Ekere of manipulating the rules to extend their stay in office.
“The resort to sit-tight, crude propaganda, and manipulation does not only display an arrogant contempt for the law guiding the Commission, but it also offends basic decency and public morality."
“In fact, it amounts to administrative fraud. Any further day the board exists is tantamount to allowing wilful iniquity and illegality to run riot. Moreover, the fact that they have been paying themselves all manner of allowances even after the expiration of their legal tenure is criminal,” said Mr. Nabena.
Mr.Nabena urged the President Buhari to quickly disband the NDDC Board and reconstitute it.
According to him, the NDDC Act provides for a rotation of its leadership among Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo, Abia, Imo, and Ondo states and in accordance with the Act, states that produced officers of the dissolved board retained the slots to complete their tenures and maintain equity in the leadership of NDDC.
"Mr. President, I wish to humbly point out that the headship of the NDDC Board ought to revert to my home state of Bayelsa, after Cross River, going by the existing statutory arrangement.
"Besides the injustice to Bayelsa and the other states that are being denied their statutory slots, and the contravention of the law, the issue of the NDDC tenancy is given urgency by certain allegations and suspicions that have come to the fore, which border on the integrity and image of the present administration," stated Mr. Nabena

http://www.akelicious.com/2018/02/apc-national-officer-tells-president.html

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, on Tuesday gave banks and other financial institutions two weeks within which to resolve customers’ complaints on issues bordering on overcharge, unauthorised deductions and other matters.

CBN’s Head of Complaints Management Division, Mr Tajudeen Ahmed, who made this known in Abuja, stated that the decision would ensure that banks’ customers received redress on issues of excess charges or unauthorised withdrawals.


He reiterated the apex bank’s commitment to eradicate short payment of interests and end the culture of excess and arbitrary charges, pointing out that the CBN has since issued a circular, which could be found on its website showing all legitimate bank charges.

While explaining that any charge outside what is contained in the circular was not allowed and should not be charged, Ahmed said, “The consumer protection department issued guidelines to banks dated August 16, 2011, directing all banks and other financial institutions to resolve all customer complaints within two weeks of receipt of that complaint.

“Before the expiration of that complaint, the financial institution is expected to be engaging the customer on a continuous basis to update him or her on the status of the complaint.

“If it is not resolved within the deadline given, then such a person is encouraged to draw the attention of Central Bank of Nigeria to find solution to that complaint,” he said.


Ahmed went on to advise customers with unresolved complaints to contact the CBN by writing to the Director Consumer Protection Department or send an email to cbd@cbn.gov.ng, adding that disgruntled bank customers can visit any branch of the CBN closest to them to lay their complaints.

“The CBN continually engages the banks to find out if their conducts and practices are fair to their customers in order to stimulate people’s confidence in the banking system.

“Non-adherence to that normally results to regulatory sanctions as the case may be,” he said.

Ahmed also faulted banks for setting a limit on ATM withdrawals to get customers to make several withdrawals to cash large sums, stating that, “I have also observed and noted this. Don’t forget that at the beginning, it wasn’t like this. Over time, we started having this problem.


“One of the reasons is that the quantum of N500 denomination is much more than that of N1,000 denomination.

“When we approached the banks about these problems, they said that the machines become easily faulty when it is set to dispense up to N30, 000 to N40, 000 units.

“However, CBN has directed that the machines that allow payment of up to N30,000 to N50,000 should be installed.

“This is still ongoing. The Banking and Payment Department of the CBN is championing it,” he said.

On her part, the Head of Consumer Protection Division, Mrs Hadija Kasim, said bank customers could also avoid some of these issues by inculcating the habit of cashless policy.

She reminded the public that there were various methods to make payments rather than carrying cash, saying: “Let’s not forget that ATM cards can also be used on Point of Sale, POS, terminals.

“We are encouraging people that unless it is absolutely necessary, they should reduce the carriage of cash. Cashless transactions are more convenient, safer and you will avoid the problem of overcharges.”

http://www.akelicious.com/2018/02/cbn-gives-banks-deadline-to-resolve.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Dfwd0NlPJI

The presidency on Monday, February 26, announced that the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has been cancelled for this week.


The cancellation was confirmed in a tweet by the Nigerian presidency.


http://www.akelicious.com/2018/02/breakingfederal-executive-council.html