₦airaland Forum

A top United States Congressman has introduced new legislation named the "Ensuring American Global Leadership and Engagement" or EAGLE Act, that aims to counter the policy challenges posed by China.

The bill addresses a wide range of issues, including increased investment to promote US manufacturing, trade, and re-engagement in international organisations. The bill calls for increased US support for Taiwan and pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong.

"I am proud to introduce the 'Ensuring American Global Leadership and Engagement' Act, groundbreaking legislation that reinvigorates American institutions and competitiveness at home and American diplomacy abroad to effectively respond to the China challenge," said Congressman Gregory W. Meeks Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Meeks said that the "EAGLE Act" was introduced with the aim to bolster an international order that has safeguarded American interests and contributed to the maintenance of global peace.

"The People's Republic of China (PCR) increasingly seeks to undermine that rules-based order and challenge America's place in it. We must leverage America's true strengths and focus on the real challenges posed by the PRC," he added.

A foreign house committee release stated that the act authorises an increase in US Department of State resources devoted to the Indo-Pacific and presents blueprints to enhance American engagement.

The act reinforces US commitment to engagement with partners and allies through bilateral and trilateral engagement as well as through the Quadrilateral Dialogue.

It spurs US strategic and economic competitiveness on the world stage through climate action, vaccine diplomacy, development finance, and digital and cyber partnerships.

Furthermore, it holds China, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, accountable on climate, to ensure that it plays a constructive role in the climate fight.

"...Reinforces commitment to American values by responding to the PRC's human rights violations, imposing costs on China for its use of Uyghur forced labor, and providing temporary protected and refugee status for qualifying Hong Kongers; and Strengthens America's economic diplomacy and statecraft in order to shape the economic rules that govern global commerce, empower American workers and businesses, and invest in the technologies of the future," the House Committee release said.

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Please help. My cousin's call-up letter shows he was deployed to Lagos but his camp address is in Ekiti State. He was also sent a camp location showing my deployment to Lagos but camp address as Ise-Orun/Emure LGA of Ekiti state. What should he do, please?

Please help. My cousin's call-up letter shows he was deployed to Lagos but his camp address is in Ekiti State. He was also sent a camp location showing my deployment to Lagos but camp address as Ise-Orun/Emure LGA of Ekiti state. What should he do, please?

Anders Hammer moved to Hong Kong in 2019 to capture a David versus Goliath battle on camera, filming pro-democracy protesters in the city taking on autocrats in Beijing.

Little over a year later he became an inadvertent protagonist in that fight, when his low budget documentary Do Not Split won an Oscar nomination.

Chinese authorities, apparently enraged or worried by the platform the star-studded evening might give the film, and by long-deleted comments from best director nominee Chloé Zhao, has reportedly told local media not to broadcast the ceremony live, and play down all coverage of the awards.

Hammer is bemused at the lengths to which China has gone to stop its citizens catching even a brief glimpse of his latest film. In the rest of the world, that move has earned him the type of press coverage he could never have dreamt of.

“We are part of a category, short documentaries, which is not normally one that gets most attention [in Oscar coverage],” he said. “It’s ironic Beijing is actually at this point promoting our documentary.”

His half-hour exploration of the protest is beautifully filmed in a fluid, intimate style that takes the viewer into the intense heart of street demonstrations.

Millions marched in peace through Hong Kong’s streets in the summer of 2019, originally spurred by anger at a law that would have allowed the city to extradite people to face trial in the mainland’s opaque and judicial system.

As the protests expanded into broader demands for democracy, the police response became increasingly brutal. By the end of the year students were besieged in their university campus, stuffing molotov cocktails to take on police who were now liberal with their use of tear gas, rubber bullets and even live ammunition.

Coronavirus brought the public demonstrations to an abrupt end, and soon afterwards Beijing passed a security law for Hong Kong that effectively ended the city’s limited autonomy and has been used to crush the pro-democracy movement.

Key figures are mostly in jail, in exile or awaiting trial. Even protest slogans and songs have been banned under the new legislation. The Norwegian director believes Beijing’s fear of a short documentary, even after this comprehensive crackdown, is a tribute to the protest movement’s enduring power.

“It was the biggest revolt against Beijing, and the political leadership [there] in a very long time,” Hammer said. “I think that the [Chinese leadership] is very afraid that this could spread in some way and that you would see similar actions being taken in mainland China … the fear that someone will be inspired to try to do the same.”

The star of the film, if that is the right word for a documentary about a grassroots protest movement that deliberately eschewed leader figures, is Joey Siu. She talks eloquently about how she became an accidental student activist, setting aside plans to teach as the fight for her city’s future became more urgent.

Most of the young protesters on the frontlines chose to stay anonymous over fears of retaliation that have proved well founded. Siu decided to go public, and continue to speak out, at huge personal cost.


“Ever since 2019, when I first went public [with my identity], I have been receiving a lot of harassment … and my personal information, or even information about my family members have been posted and circulated online,” she said.

The video that ends the film is the last one Siu recorded in Hong Kong. She realised she was being followed, and watched friends arrested – some as they tried to flee – and soon after decided to leave for the US.
Yet somehow, like others in the movement, she clings to hope that while they may have lost the battle for Hong Kong, they still have a chance in the long-term war for democracy.

“We understand that the situation in Hong Kong is not going to become any better, we’re pretty sure that the Chinese Communist party is not planning to restore any kinds of freedom or rights that we used to enjoy,” Siu said.

“But we are very determined to explore other possibilities to sustain the struggle.” The new focus includes lobbying for political support, organising protests where that is still possible – beyond China’s borders – and building solidarity.

The name of the documentary is taken from a protest motto, emphasising the need for unity in the face of pressure from Beijing. That commitment endures, and she is grateful that a film she took part in to document their struggle, is now also helping support it.

“All of us understand that this is going to be a very long and very difficult battle so we are trying our very best to sustain the momentum that we built in 2019,” she said.

“The Oscar nomination has galvanised a lot of attention from people across the globe, who might not have been paying attention to what has been going on in Hong Kong.”

China’s Myanmar Lessons for BRI Ambitions

By Subir Bhaumik, former BBC Correspondent

           President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is up against a huge challenge in what Beijing had started considering as its backyard. Pro-democracy protestors, who see China as the main backer of the military junta that seized power on Feb 1, have started attacking Chinese business interests as never before. The anti-Chinese violence is reminiscent of the one that swept across Myanmar in 1967-68 when the Ne Win led military regime, resenting Chinese backing for a Communist insurrection, provoked public anger against Chinese business interests. Twenty years later, China regained trust of the Burmese military Tatmadaw by backing its ruthless suppression of the 1988 uprising and ended up turning Myanmar into a satellite or so it would have thought.

2.        The first jolt to its ambitions came into 2008-09 when Kachin tribesmen successfully opposed the $6bn Myitsone hydel project, triggering a furious reaction by Burmese civil society and democratic parties. Aided by the global human rights and anti-big dam environmentalist groups, the Burmese people finally forced the quasi-military regime of General Thein Sein to stop the China-funded project. A decade later, despite intense lobbying, Beijing is not anywhere near resumption of the mega project.

3.        But now, Beijing, seen as the main backer of the military junta, is having to bargain for something much worse.

4.        Pro-democracy protestors, mowed down by military gunfire on the streets of Myanmar’s towns, are turning to Chinese-financed factories and businesses, setting them on fire and even attacking managers and workers. The protestors who want the restoration of parliamentary democracy in the country and a scaling down of the military’s influence, feel attacking Chinese business interests will force Beijing to pressurize the Burmese military to back down, hand back power to the elected law-makers and allow Nobel Laureate Aung Saan Suu Kyi to form government a second time. The Chinese were upset with the Suu Kyi government because it not only refused to resume the Myitsone Dam project but also cut down the investment size of the Kyaukphyu deep sea port project and drafted in other foreign partners for the Yangon city Mega project in July last year, refusing to hand over monopoly of executing the project to the China Communication and Construction Company. This Chinese firm was accused of corruption in as many as 10 Asian and African countries where it is undertaking infrastructure development projects.

5.        Thirty seven (37) China-funded factories have been burnt down so far with protestors risking their lives against Burmese military action to set fire to these factories. Chinese businessmen are complaining of huge difficulties in doing business from sourcing jade in the Mandalay wholesale market to running the Lepetdaung copper project. Interestingly, the Chinese joint ventures are mostly with Burmese backed companies – so hitting one impacts the other. Protestors are also threatening to blow up the Kyaukphyu-Yunnan oil gas pipeline linking a China-financed deep sea port on Myanmar’s Rakhine coast to its Yunnan province. If the military repression does not stop and the peaceful protestors turn violent leading to the emergence of armed urban insurgency in the Burmese heartland, terror attacks on key China-funded infrastructure is a distinct possibility. That would seriously threaten the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, one of the two key BRI growth corridors along with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

6.        The CPEC is also under attack with a surge of deadly attacks by Baloch separatists who resent the exploitation of their mineral and hydrocarbon resources by Chinese companies who arm twists the Imran Khan government into granting huge concessions. Security risks and costs of the USD60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are rising amid a resurgence of the deadly attacks by separatists in the troubled Baluchistan province but the CPEC projects are also upsetting the Shias of Gilgit and Baltistan where the CPEC starts.

7.        Scores of China-funded huge infrastructure projects have been cancelled or  are on hold in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines; Bangladesh torpedoed the Chinese deep sea port project at Sonadia and handed over a similar project to Japan on its southern coast. In Sri Lanka, the long leasing of the Hambantota port to China after the government realized its inability to service the unsustainable debt, has created not only angst against Beijing and its friends in the island nation but send out a global alarm on driving up the project scale and then bargaining for outright long-term control over national assets – the `debt burden strategy for economic and political control’, as some Western geo-strategists have described it.

8.        But in keeping with the Newton’s law of every action generating equal and opposite reaction, China, seen as the global tormentor for its handling of the Covid pandemic, is seen as the world’s leading `neo-colonial’ power, hungry for resources and determined to extract them, unmindful of the adverse impact on countries in Asia, Latin America and Europe. The Dragon is getting powerful for sure but also very unpopular and being opposed by the local populace.

Highland Church is looking for a young and smart personnel to support her Communications and Administration needs. The candidate must possess the ability to communicate effectively in English and have sound footing in the Christian lifestyle and doctrine.

Location: Plot 2/3 Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, Ikeja.

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NYSC Member / Industrial Training Student / School Cert holder with very good writing and communications skills.

Mode of Application:
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Tibet was called ‘Xi-Zang’ which means western treasure in the history of China. Hence, in order to plunder the rich resources of Tibet, different monarchies of China targeted Tibet for almost 200 years. With the passage of time, various dominions or rulers changed but their eyes remained on Tibet.

Just after taking control of People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Mao-Zedong led Chinese Communist Party (CCP) invaded Tibet because they believed that Tibet was very fragile and easy to subjugate. The PLA began their mission in 1949 from eastern Tibet and finally invaded Tibet in 1959. At the beginning, Chinese soldiers didn’t use weapons but tricky methods like pouring Chinese currency to the Tibetan villagers to win their trust.

At that point of time, Tibetan villagers used to sing a song like ‘Chinese Communist Party is the god father, the rain of currency has no stop’. The song demonstrates how CCP played tricks with local Tibetans to save their limited bullets because CCP itself was not in a strong position at that point of time.

When they continued their mission towards central Tibet, the Tibetan government and local voluntary resistant forces confronted them to save their country from enemy. Despite their best efforts, Tibetan forces could not restrict PLA forces and the real face of Communist China began to surface as they used very brutal and inhuman tactics against Tibetan people.

When PLA arrived in Lhasa, capital city of Tibet, the final task left for them was to dethrone His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and political head of Tibet. At that point, PLA was so ruthless that they targeted the Norbulingkha, summer palace of His Holiness the Dalai Lama with tanks. When that attempt failed, PLA invited His Holiness in their army camp for dinner with a condition that no escorts would be allowed to accompany him.

This tricky invitation alarmed His Holiness and Tibetan government officials that Chinese forces might attack His Holiness at any time. Under such circumstances, His Holiness had no choice but to follow the advice of his well wishers and escaped to India from the hands of demonic Chinese forces. Two days later, when the Chinese discovered he had escaped. They closed the borders with India and Bhutan and sent troops to catch him. None of that was known to the outside world.

Dressed as a soldier, the 14th Dalai Lama made his way along with a small band of men carrying Tibet’s future on their shoulders. His entourage included his mother, sister, younger brother and several top officials. They travelled for two days and two nights without stopping, on foot and on horseback. A month's supplies were carried by mules.

To cross the major 1,500-feet Brahmaputra river, they used a single boat made of yak skin. It was called "one of the most fantastic escapes in history". For the next two weeks, the world had little information on the whereabouts of the Dalai Lama. Meanwhile, two weeks after his escape from Lhasa, the Dalai Lama had reached Chutangma, just miles from Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh.
In April, an official statement provided details of his escape India granted the Tibet leader asylum on April 3, 1959 and permission to establish a government-in-exile.

Upon his arrival to India, His Holiness held a press conference through which he informed about the invasion of Tibet by PLA and urged United Nations (UN) to extend their support to the Tibetan people. His Holiness made numerous efforts to place Tibetan issue at UN but all the efforts gone in vain as UN already turned out to be a mouthpiece of powerful nations. The only option left was to negotiate with CCP and efforts were made to reach out to CCP leaders to resolve issue of Tibet.

In 1960, the Dalai Lama formed Tibetan exiled government in Mussoori, to continue the indefinite struggle of Tibetan independence. The paramount concern for His Holiness at that time was to educate Tibetan Children in exile to continue Tibetan struggle. At the behest of His Holiness, the then Prime Minister of India, Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru extended support and promised to enroll all Tibetan refugee Children in Indian schools.

His Holiness was worried that if Tibetan Children are admitted to Indian schools, they will not learn Tibetan tradition and language etc. Hence, Prime Minister Nehru helped the Dalai Lama in keeping the Tibetan identity alive by helping in setting up of separate schools for Tibetan refugee Children.
 
Since 1967, His Holiness travelled around the world and met dignitaries to sought help for resolving issue of Tibet. The humble and straightforwardness nature of His Holiness drew attention of people from all walks of life that he met and earned a lot of respect. His Holiness on every occasion urged the world to support Tibetan people and cause of Tibet.
 
When Deng Xiaoping came to power, he told His Holiness that anything can be discussed except independence which made His Holiness to come up with the idea of ‘Middle Way Approach’ (MWA). MWA does not demand complete independence nor accept to remain under China, rather seeks genuine autonomy for Tibetans. On September 21, 1987, His Holiness the Dalai Lama highlighted Five Point Peace Plan during his address to the US Congressional Human Right Caucus in Strasberg.

The Five Point Peace Plan includes (i) Transformation of the whole of Tibet into a zone of peace; (ii). Abandonment of China's population transfer policy which threatens the very existence of the Tibetans; (iii) Respect for the Tibetan people's fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms; (iv) Restoration and protection of Tibet's natural environment and the abandonment of China's use of Tibet for the production of nuclear weapons and dumping of nuclear waste; (v) Commencement of earnest negotiations on the future status of Tibet and of relations between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples.
 
China not only rejected the Five Point Peace Plan, moreover, the CCP leaders began to criticize His Holiness the Dalai Lama for gathering international support to challenge their rule over Tibet. Successive Chinese leaders used words like ‘demon’, ‘wolf’ and ‘separatist’ against His Holiness the Dalai Lama. CCP spent a lot of money to counter the influence of His Holiness by organizing demonstrations against His Holiness, whenever he visited a foreign country. However, the Dalai Lama has gained worldwide respect for his pacifist approach, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
 
Due to the growing reputation of His Holiness and the growing support for Tibetan people, there is a deep fear inside CCP leaders that as long as the Dalai Lama is free and vibrant, China would continue to face problems in international arena with regard to the question of Tibet. Therefore the atheist leaders of CCP recently claimed authority over the reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. China wants to appoint its own Dalai Lama just like Gyaltsen Norbu, the fake Panchen Lama appointed by CCP after kidnapping the genuine Panchen Lama, Gedun Choekyi Nyima in 1995. They dreamed that when the fake Dalai Lama is appointed, he will be fully under the control of CCP and will do whatever they command. The thick skinned Chinese leaders claimed authority over His Holiness’s reincarnation even though the world knows that CCP does not believe in religion as Mao Zedong called religion as poison.
 
Chinese government also uses its economic clout by paying certain fractions to destabilize Tibetan community. Many Chinese spies were arrested by Indian agencies in India and specifically in Dharamsala where the residence of His Holiness is located. In addition to that, When Chinese economy reaches trajectory, China begins to intimidate its business partner countries to cut business ties if they support Tibetan cause or even meeting His Holiness.

This pressure is felt not only by developing countries but developed nations including the United States of America. Even after decades of Chinese occupation and rule, Tibetans have persisted and the Tibet independence movement has gained support, momentum and recognition from around the world, with the blessings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama everlasting positive energy and the resilience of the Tibetan people whose indomitable spirit and courage to stand against the injustice will never dampen.
 
 Damdul

As Bangladesh celebrates the golden anniversary of its independence from the brutal Pakistani regime on March 26, thoughts and prayers must turn to hundreds and thousands of women who were abducted, raped and kept as sex slaves by Pakistan Army.

Under Operation Searchlight, Pakistani troops rampaged through cities and countryside, raping and assaulting and killing young girls to grandmothers with impunity. The hapless women who survived these gangrapes were taken to make-shift sex camps for the troops. They were locked behind iron doors in dungeons, fed only once and many times just enough to keep the body and soul together.

It was for the first time in modern history that rape was used as a weapon of war by the Pak army. Gen. A. A. Khan Niazi did not deny rapes were being carried out and opined, in a Freudian tone, “You cannot expect a man to live, fight, and die in East Pakistan and go to Jhelum for sex, would you?” More than 400,000 women were violated, brutalised and killed by the Pakistani Army.

And yet, after 50 years, there has been no international sanction on Pakistan for letting such a heinous crime go unpunished. There is an urgent need for the UN to set up a commission to probe one of the most horrendous chapters of modern world so that such bestiality is never brought upon the hapless women anywhere in the world.

It was bestiality of the worst kind. Geoffrey Davis was an Australian doctor who was asked by the International Planned Parenthood Federation on behalf of the Bangladesh government to facilitate large-scale adoption of war babies born to Bangladeshi women during the war. Davis, who spoke to countless women, had this to say:

Villages and cities were first bombed and then the Pakistani troops would pounce on the hapless citizens. Men were shot at will and women were segregated. Women were tied to trees and gangraped, their breasts were hacked off and since many of them died during this horrible torture, their bodies were dumped in mass graves.

Hundreds and thousands of women locked up in make-shift camps where they were raped almost every hour.  Some women may have been raped as many as eighty times in a night . Countless died during this atrocious assault and even more were killed as part of the Pakistan Army campaign of slaughter and destruction.

These stories of bestiality were repeated across the country, including Dhaka. Girl students of Dhaka University bore the brunt of the Pak assault--they had no place to run to for shelter as troops raided hospitals, raped them at will and those who were alive were taken to military camps for ritualistic rapes and orgies by the Pak officers and men. In seven days after the liberation, over 300 girls were recovered from different places in Dhaka. In seven days after liberation about 300 girls were recovered from different places around Dacca where they had been taken away and kept confined by the Pakistani army men. All of them were half dead or mentally deranged.

Though most of the women were Muslims, thousands of Hindu women too fell victim to the Pak army savage cruelty. According to accounts, thousands of them were captured to become sex slaves in military cantonments, when the hapless girls tried to hang themselves with their clothing, their garments were taken away. Then they tried to hang themselves with their long hair, they were shaved bald. Several of them died a horrible death. Those who survived were let off when they were five to six month pregnant with the taunt that ``When my son is born, you must bring him back to me’.”

These horrendous events may have been relegated to footnotes in the glorious liberation struggle of Bangladesh but for hundreds and thousands of families in Bangladesh, and India, they remain a bleeding thorn in their hearts.

"Our attention was drawn on a report from some online publication with a video cliff suggesting Hon Chairman, Justice Danladi Y. Umar assaulted a Security Guard at Banex Plaza.

To start with, the said plaza has been his usual place of visits for the past 18 years for shopping and repairs of his phones, and in all these periods there have never been any time he had any turmoil with anybody.

Unfortunately, yesterday’s altercations started over a packing lot, which Chairman met vacant and it was directly opposite a shop he want to make a purchase and to fixe his phone, when the young Security guard sighted him, he ordered that Chairman should not pack his car in that particular empty space, but Chairman asked why, the security guard couldn’t convinced chairman, though Chairman didn’t identify himself, because to him is needless and is a place he visited often, but the boy was rode in his approached and threaten to deal with Chairman if he refuse to leave the scene.

Again, if Chairman had went there to cause trouble or intimidate some one, as suggested in the report, he would have gone there in his full official paraphernalia, but he went there alone with his younger brother.

The Police men seen in the video cliff were not the Chairman’s police team, they were policemen operating around the plaza whom at first instance intervened before the arrival of police team from Maitama Police station. As the few policemen in the complex were apparently overwhelmed by the mobs, consisting of BIAFRAN boys throwing matches and shape object to his car, which led to deep cut and dislocation in one of his finger, causing damage to his car, smashing his windscreen.

At a point he attempted to leave the scene, these same miscreants, BIAFRAN boy ordered for the closure of the gate thereby assaulting him before the arrival of police team from Maitama police station.

An incident like this when it happened, sympathy usually goes to the low personalities. Though is unfortunate as I said, it ought not to have happened."

Ibraheem Al-Hassan,
Head, Press & Public Relations.
CCT HQ.
Abuja.
March, 30th 2021.

EBMedia:
https://igberetvnews.com/1385861/aba-north-south-election-orji-kalu-entourage-storm-ariaria-intl-market-photos-video/

Orji Kalu is a good man. He is not arrogant and identifies well with the masses and those in need. He is a bridgebuilder and his case in national politics will be like that of Obasanjo and the biblical Joseph.

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Web Developer/ Graphic Designer.

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This job generally requires that the candidate will have ability to do the following work:

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• Know HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and other relevant web design coding languages
• Collaborate
• Present design specs
• Troubleshoot website problems
• Maintain and update websites
• Stay up-to-date on technology

A minimum of 5 Years working experience with a Bachelor Degree in Computer Science or other professional Certification in SQL or JavaScript will be an added advantage.

Job location: Abuja.

The candidate must be a creative thinker, detailed oriented, multitasking and self motivated.

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Job Application closes on 25th May, 2019.

The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has told whoever wants to be the Governor of Lagos State what can be done to unseat any godfather locking down the politics of the State.

The governor spoke yesterday in Lagos at an event organised by the Bridge Club tagged, ‘An evening with His Excellency, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State’ the highpoint of which was a question-and-answer session.

He revealed that the key to defeating godfathers was in 

Read more: https://newsworth.ng/el-rufai-boasts-of-retiring-four-kaduna-strongmen-reveals-how-lagos-godfather-can-be-defeated/

Popular Nigerian songstres, Tiwa Savage has exited the Don Jazzy-led Mavin Records after reportedly signing a new deal with Universal Music Group.

The American music organisation parades the likes Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga on its label.

Read more: https://newsworth.ng/how-don-jazzy-reacted-to-tiwa-savages-exit-from-mavin-records/

Former president, Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday requested the Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, Prof. Abdalla Adamu, to tender an apology over his claim of him drawing an allowance of N40,000 per annum from the institution where he is an academic.

Newsworth recalls that Adamu had on Tuesday disclosed that the former president receives N40,000 annually as allowance for being a facilitator at NOUN, and is happy with the job.

“Mr Obasanjo’s allowance is ...

Read more: https://newsworth.ng/obasanjo-suffers-embarrassment-from-noun-vc-demands-public-apology/

A former Aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has stated that the PDP gubernatorial candidate in the recently-concluded election in Lagos, Jimi Agbaje, who was reported to have resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party, is still with the main opposition party.

Agbaje was reported in a section of the media as explaining that it was necessary for him to quit PDP after series of allegations that arose after the party lost the March 9, 2019 governorship election in Lagos State to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Read more: https://newsworth.ng/jimi-agbaje-calls-fani-kayode-over-rumoured-defection-from-pdp/

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has revealed what he discovered while looking into President Muhammadu Buhari’s assets declaration forms in 2015, giving an insight into what was the responce of the President when he disclosed who was richer among them.

Speaking during the PMB/PYO appreciation dinner at the State House in Abuja, he stated that the President 

Read more: https://newsworth.ng/how-buhari-reacted-when-i-said-mr-president-i-am-so-much-richer-than-you-osinbajo/

An Islamic cleric based in the Kwara State capital, Sheikh Abdulrahim Aduranigba, has said that a new royal father in the ancient town of Ilorin to be known as Oba of Ilorin will be enthroned if the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, emerges as the next governor of the state.

Aduranigba in an interview with a Yoruba language newspaper, ‘Yoruba Ronu’, obtained by newsmen in Ilorin and published on pages two and three under the headline: ‘Ni Ipinle Kwara,Yoruba Setan Lati Fi Ibo Gba Agbara Lowo Saraki Ati Fulani’, disclosed that the 2019 general election will be a grand design by the Yoruba to wrestle power from the Saraki political dynasty and the Fulani clan in Ilorin.

Read more: https://newsworth.ng/oba-of-ilorin-to-be-enthroned-under-abdulrazaq-as-kwara-governor-chief-imam/

An alleged disappearance of over $64 million from the vaults of the Zenith Bank has landed the multinational financial services provider in trouble.

The bank is rated as a large financial service provider in Nigeria and Anglophone West Africa. As at the ending of 2016, her total assets was N4.7 trillion with shareholders’ equity of N616.3 billion. She is listed on the Nigeria Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange.

But the Managing Director of Owigs and Obigs, Emeka Okorie, has dragged Zenith Bank before the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, over an alleged unethical conduct which resulted in the termination of a foreign business transaction of over $64 million, with a Chinese firm, King-Tan Tantalum Industry.

Read more: https://newsworth.ng/zenith-bank-dragged-to-cbn-over-alleged-disappearance-of-64-1-million/

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has promised automatic employment for corps members who do well on election duty.

Speaking at the daily briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, He stated that the commission will definitely reward excellence in the conduct of this year’s elections.

Read more: https://newsworth.ng/nysc-members-excellent-on-election-duty-promised-automatic-inec-employment/

A US lawmaker currently serving in his 20th term as New Jersey’s 4th congressional district Representative, Christopher Henry Smith, has blamed President Muhammadu Buhari and those close to him for the last-minute postponement of the 2019 elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Smith, who is also the immediate past chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Sub-committee on Africa, disclosed in a statement he issued...

Read more: https://newsworth.ng/elections-postponement-us-congressman-blames-buhari-allies-begs-trump-to-focus-on-nigeria/

The Ooni of Ife and Co-chairman of National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, on Monday, frowned at the notion that the Igbo people migrated from Israel, stressing that the Jews actually left Igbo land for their current location in Ethiopia, Israel and around the world.

Speaking during the Aje festival at his palace in Ile-Ife, Osun State, he pointed out that the role played by the Igbo people of the present day eastern part of country in the development of popular Igbo-mekun, Ojaife, market in Ile-Ife cannot be over emphasized.

Read more: https://newsworth.ng/ooni-of-ife-explains-why-enormous-similarities-exist-between-israeli-jews-and-nigerian-igbo/

National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has revealed how some influential members in the Lagos APC Governor’s Advisory Council, GAC, upturned decisions not to his wife, Remi, return to the Senate for a third term.

Tinubu explained that the “coup” was hatched ahead of the conduct of last year’s primary elections across 

Read more: https://newsworth.ng/how-apc-leaders-plotted-coup-against-me-over-my-wife-tinubu/

National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Monday declared that he and other bigwigs of the party were in Ilorin, Kwara State “to fight” the state’s former governor now Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

Newsworth reports that the former Lagos governor urged the people of Kwara State to vote out Saraki and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, gubernatorial candidate in the state, Hon. Razaq Atunwa.

Read more: https://newsworth.ng/tinubu-storms-kwara-to-quarrel-fight-saraki/

Media personality and presenter with Canada’s Afroglobal Television, George Chukwu, who is also the Vice-President of the Nigeria Canadian Association, NCA, has revealed some sordid details surrounding a purported deal between the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and the Nigeria Government which led to the release of Kanu.

In a statement in Toronto, Canada, he cited reliable information from sources in the deep background from Aso Presidential Villa on how the IPOB leader was arrested during the military exercise on his hometown along with his parents in 2017 and held in Bonny, Rivers State under solitary confinement and released after the former DG of the DSS, Lawal Daura, working together with the former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, convinced President Muhammadu Buhari and his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari to recruit him to work for the state.

Read more: https://newsworth.ng/elections-nnamdi-kanu-exposed-as-fg-apc-agent-allegedly-recruited-by-ex-dss-boss-daura/

The Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, Olusola Adeyeye, has opted to donate his wife’s panties and hairs including those of his children to anyone who needs them for money rituals popularly referred to as “Yahoo boys”.

Newsworth reports that this may be an apparent move to dispel rife rumours that Nigerian internet fraudsters, aka “Yahoo boys” steal female underwears to make money.

Read more: https://newsworth.ng/nigerian-senator-offers-to-donate-his-hairs-wifes-urine-and-pants-to-yahoo-boys/

All Progressives Congress, APC, national leader and co-chairman of the party’s presidential campaign council, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday described the standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar as “my dear and good friend”.

He stated this in a statement where...

Read more: https://newsworth.ng/2019-presidency-tinubu-calls-atiku-my-dear-good-friend/

Mr. Unkl, I deliberately delayed writing this elegy until exactly seven days after I learnt of your death, by which time it dawned on me that you have actually gone to be with your creator. I can’t get myself to speak about you in the past tense. How did I get to this sorry pass where I was robbed of a father-figure with whom I can discuss anything and everything? But that is even being too fast.

I grew up beholding you as a mentor, and you lived up to my expectations. I dare say that you were key to my urbane disposition and worldview as well as my growing into the gentleman that I am today. For instance, I’ve got commendations for my dress-sense but they don’t know it was because I was groomed by a power dresser like you.

On a more serious note, you easily filled the void created in me by the demise of our father whose unfortunate passing happened when I was just 12. You were my go-to person ever since and you indeed had answers to all I needed to know in becoming a man. You even influenced the kind of movies we watched and the songs we listened to. I am today a fan of Rock music because of you, with Coldplay to boot.

I remember that when we returned home for the last Christmas – me from Abuja and you from Lagos – it so happened that we both had Coldplay’s Army of One hit track as the ringtone of our phones. Upon discovering this, you wasted no time in changing your ringtone to something else for me to retain the song we both love so much. That’s Nnamdi for you.

Perhaps, my being an introvert to the outside world in my formative years was because of the friendship and relationship I have with you and Ejike, which was enough for me, being a modest person by nature. I remember how if any of us was sick, we will lie in the same bed till he heals. So pure and true was our affection that there was seldom a case of the malaria being transmitted to any of us, despite the risk of being in the same bed with the sick all day.

I’m so sorry I wasn’t in Lagos to be by your side for the one day you were terribly sick. Ah! tears just won’t allow me write this but for you it must be written; not even this sore sorrow I feel will prevent me from marshalling out my fond memories of you.

You and Ejike became my two best friends in the whole world such that I usually yelp during our many banters and plays while we were living at Agbo Street that “I have two brothers who make me laugh every day”. Nnamdi, right from when you were still in secondary school, you always referred to me as “my boy” and I was proud to be exactly that; I kept looking up to and learning from you because you were a star and an encyclopedia of knowledge. You were even a handyman.

You understood my kind of person early enough and encouraged me along the path and career you were convinced was meant to me. Unkl, again I dare say that you made me not to sorely miss losing my father so early in life. To this extent, you lived up to the ‘Nna’ in your name. Papa (God rest his soul) was indeed prescient to have named you Nnamdi.

As the peacemaker that you were, you mediated whenever teenage exuberance made me go out of line or caused me to have issues with any of our siblings; you always maintained the delicate balance in our family and played roles which people twice your age couldn’t have executed in their homes.

Even up till when I was in the university, you kept calling me “my boy”. To be honest, there were times I rued such appellation as demeaning particularly as you singled me out to be so called. But I remained happy to by your boy because I was actually under your tutelage and had a lot to learn from you.

Between, why should I fault you for calling me “my boy” when your peers and seniors, high and mighty call you “Uncle”? That wasn’t just a nickname but was informed by the immense impact you made in people’s lives. I’m not sure you told anybody to call you “Uncle” but they just did. This was the major inspiration that led me to declare on Facebook that you live on, that very sad January 16 that you died.

I remember that as recent as December 2018 when I transferred a sum to your bank account as support for your marriage introduction rite, you called and ended by saying “thank you, my boy”. This was even though, you had long before then graduated me to “young man”.

Though you have now transited to glory, my joy is that all through the last Christmas and New Year season we spent together in the village, you didn’t call me “my boy” but usually addressed me as “young man”. When I ponder on these things and the way you departed, I realise that you’ve actually finished your work in me. Therefore, with youthful vigour will I carry on all that I learnt as your boy.

Space constraint won’t allow me freely express how I feel about you and your unfortunate death but I know you fought to be alive but it pleased the Almighty to call you home at this time. Please, be assured that your legacies, particularly in me, will linger and I will find a way to immortalise you, God willing. I kinda love your adopted name: “Kings”.

I don’t take it for granted that on the night of January 2, 2019 when we were about going for the ‘Ojoese’ of your fiancée, it was me that you found worthy to hold the dowry for you. My father and brother, may God be with you while I work with all you have taught me pending when we’ll meet to part no more. Nna, you lived and still lives, thus death is the loser here.

So long!

Your son, Ugo.

https://newsworth.ng/nnamdi-ugwuanyi-this-father-and-brother-rolled-into-one-not-dead-but-alive/

Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, at the weekend disclosed that United States of Biafra, if actualised, will run a unique political system designed to carter for the needs of its people, and would have nation states.

IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful, issued a statement on Monday, disclosing that Kanu made this known while speaking at an interactive session in response to a question asked by a member of the group, Owei Keme Bradikumo

Quoting Kanu...

Read here: https://newsworth.ng/nnamdi-kanu-reveals-system-of-govt-biafra-state-will-operate/

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Barr. Solomon Dalung, Thursday opened that he suffered frustration in his early days as minister, recounting that he faced rejection from many Sports personalities who expected him to be booted out of office within two months.

Speaking at the 2018 Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC, elective meeting which took place at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Yola, he stated that he was not welcomed and that many wondered why President Muhammadu Buhari would appoint someone who had no business with sports as minister.

Dalung said...

Read more: https://newsworth.ng/sports-stakeholders-rejected-me-as-minister-suspected-my-khaki-beret-dressing-dalung/

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Barr. Solomon Dalung, Thursday opened that he suffered frustration in his early days as minister, recounting that he faced rejection from many Sports personalities who expected him to be booted out of office within two months.

Speaking at the 2018 Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC, elective meeting which took place at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Yola, he stated that he was not welcomed and that many wondered why President Muhammadu Buhari would appoint someone who had no business with sports as minister.

Dalung said...

Read more: https://newsworth.ng/sports-stakeholders-rejected-me-as-minister-suspected-my-khaki-beret-dressing-dalung/

Sacked Secretary to the Government of the Federation, David Babachir Lawal, Wednesday showed up at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa during the launch of ‘Together Nigeria’, where President Muhammadu Buhari assured his supporters that come 2019, hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.

Lawal, who was sacked on October 30, 2017, following a grass cutting scandal unravelled by a Senate panel. He was investigated for allegedly awarding N200 million grass-cutting contract to clear “invasive plant species” in Yobe State, to Global Vision Limited, under the Presidential Initiative on the North East, PINE, a company in which he had interest.

A Senate Committee on Humanitarian Crisis in the North-East, had indicted Babachir and  demanded his resignation and prosecution.

Sporting a green kaftan, Lawal

Read more: https://newsworth.ng/ex-sgf-babachir-lawal-resurfaces-in-aso-presidential-villa/