₦airaland Forum

meobizy:
The logistics of western-raised beef is the issue. The article already stated Niger Republic is where majority of the country's beef is imported from. As such the country needs it. I cannot imagine what will become of us if a scarcity results from this situation.

The logistics are simplet. How do you think fish imports arrive in Nigeria? You get the majority beef because of ban. Unban beef you'll see a shift. The no scarcity except what the government creates.

meobizy:
If it concerns only cattle then it's none of my business. My chickens graze happily and have nothing to worry about.

See Nairalanders as usual typing rubbish as if they don't consume beef. If these animals are not brought in you guys will consume all the wildlife present in the country.

Does anyone need Niger Republic cows? If Buhari unbanned beef imports we could just import from United States. USDA beef is pretty good.

People might even stop patronising the herdsmen.

Rednaxelot:
The customs should try and man our borders very well.

They should please shoot any anthrax bacterium on sight

Lol You're right there needs to be a shoot on sight order. We can't allow herdsmen to smuggle in their diseased and or unvaccinated cows. they must respect the ECOWAS rules.

How would they bring their diseased cattle here if the borders are closed? Lol it makes you think.

By Ayodamola Owoseye

The Nigeria Customs Service has directed its officials to take precautionary measure at land borders to prevent importation of "charcoal anthrax" diseases into the country.

The deputy comptroller -general (E, I&I) of the agency, V.D Dimka, gave this directive in a memo last week.

This was as against the backdrop of a reported outbreak of the disease in the neighbouring Niger Republic from where sheep and cattle are imported to Nigeria.

According to the directive, the custom headquarters received a report that the Nigerien Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock had notified the World Organisation for Animals Health (WOAH) of an outbreak of charcoal anthrax diseases, the Bacterium Bacillus Anthracis variant, in sheep and cattle in Niger.

"Given the supply of cattle and sheep from Niger to Nigeria, the Comptroller-General, Customs (CGC) has directed on the urgent need to place additional precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the disease into Nigeria through our land borders," the memo read.

The disease was first reported in the Niger Republic on September 23 where over 100 cattle have been infected and 22 death recorded.

The infectious disease can survive in the soil for several years before being ingested by grazing animals.

It can also be transmitted to humans through direct or indirect contact with infected animals, through occupational exposure or contaminated animal products.

No case in Nigeria

But the Chief Veterinary officer of Nigeria, Olaniyan Alabi, told PREMIUM TIMES that there has been no case of charcoal anthrax diseases in the country.

Mr Alabi said the Nigerian customs had misrepresented the information in the circular to its officials.

He said the title of the circular, "Re: Outbreak of charcoal anthrax in sheep and cattle in Republic of Nigeria", is misleading because there has been no case of the disease reported in the country.

Mr Alabi said charcoal anthrax, which is common in sheep and cattle, is a deadly disease and Nigerians would have been alerted if the disease was found in the country.

He, however, said his department in November advised all states in the country, especially those at the border areas, to be at alert and look out for the possibility of cases because of the report of the disease in Niger.

He said though no case has been reported in the country so far, officials in the agricultural agency are already on alert.

He said people can only detect if an animal is sick through testing, not just by looking at the animal.

"As such we have directed our officials to be on the lookout and take samples of animals which they suspect to be sick to the laboratories for proper diagnosis," he said.

What is anthrax?

Anthrax is a bacterial infection. Those at high risk of contracting the disease are people who work with animals, animals products, travellers, and military personnel.

The disease can occur in four forms; skin, lungs, intestine and injection.

Symptoms include blister on the skin, fever, chest pains and breathless in lungs infection, while for intestine infection can cause diarrhoea, which might contain blood; nausea, vomiting and stomach ache.

The injection form presents with fever and abscess at the injection site.

The symptoms begin between day one of exposure to two months after the infection.

Source: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/health/health-news/368983-nigeria-customs-takes-precautionary-measure-as-cattle-disease-hits-niger-republic.html

thundafire:
Ok arrest,detain,Bleep and release and do same routine anyway der is no were it's written prostitution is a crime but using children is a crime

If prostitution isnt a crime what are they charging them with?

The judgenent is good. The government cant violate your rights accusing you of random crimes. They can just as easily break into your house and accuse all the people of being yahoo boys.

They should conduct sting operations to weed out crime. Next it's not hard to catch prostitutes in Abuja of all places. Just get on tinder half the females are blantly advertising.

By Cletus Ukpong

A Nigerian court has voided the arrest of commercial sex workers in Abuja by law enforcement officials.

The Abuja Federal High Court presided over by Justice Binta Nyako on Wednesday declared that officials of a security task force acted outside the law when they broke into apartments in Abuja suburbs around 11 p.m, February 2017, to arrest women accused of being prostitutes.

The task force comprised of officials of Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Nigeria Police, and Nigerian Army.

The court judgment followed a fundamental human rights enforcement suit filed by a non-governmental organisation, Lawyers Alert, on behalf of the arrested women.

One Constance Nkwocha and 15 others were the applicants in the suit, while the Nigeria police, the army, Ministry of Federal Capital Territory, and the Abuja Environmental Protection Board were among the respondents.

"I find and hold that the breaking in and arrest of the applicants by the respondents is an infringement of the applicants' right to privacy as guaranteed by the Constitution," the court declared.

"The law has laid down process and procedure for effective arrest, law enforcement agents and agencies should ensure at all times to follow the laid down guidelines by the law."

The court ordered the respondents to pay N100,000 compensation to each of the applicants.

The officials of the task force indecently searched the women and disposed them of their money when they raided their apartments, Lawyers Alert said.

The NGO said the women were tortured and detained while waiting for a mobile court judge "who will try them for a criminal offence they did not know about".

"It is worth recalling that this is not the first time the Joint Task Force had come to arrest, detain and release them. It has always been the practice.

"The women were informed that their arrest owed to their commercial sex work. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory had a few days before the particular raid promised to rid the Nigeria capital city of sex workers," the organisation said on its website.

It said 52 women were arrested in this particular raid.

Source: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/369034-nigerian-court-rules-against-arrest-of-sex-workers.html

Call in the ICPC someone ate the cash...

The chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, Wole Oke, yesterday said the management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation failed to defend the allegation of N1.2bn missing from the coffers of the corporation.

The NRC management appeared before the committee based on an audit query raised by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation for the 2013 and 2014 financial years.

The committee rejected the presentations of the NRC management by Mrs O. Osunmade and Alhaji A. Niyi.

Oke said: "We'll have to step down their matter for misrepresentation of facts, consequently; a subcommittee will be set up to look into the financial books and the activities of the corporation for accountability.

Source: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/n1-2bn-missing-in-railway-corporation-reps.html

“It‘s disturbing that state governors are not willing to sign death sentences of condemned inmates, neither are they willing to commute their death sentences to life imprisonment.“

The governor's should be taken out the process. They refuse to act because they're disinterested in their jobs. The Judges should set the dates like in certain states in America. The inmate can appeal his sentence but after that he will hsve to face his death.

NCS should ask nass to change the laws so these governors are no longer an impediment to carrying out their jobs. Nobody ask if their permission to take convicts to jail. The last suggestion could be eliminating death penalties nationwide of its popular.

There are strong indications that prisoners on death sentences who have spent 10 years behind bars without their convictions signed by the affected state governors may have them commuted to life imprisonment by the federal government.

The move followed the refusal of governors to sign death verdicts passed on thousands of prisoners in various correctional centres across the country.

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has hinted that there are 2,745 inmates on death row in its correctional facilities in the country.

NCoS said yesterday in Abuja that such inmates stand the chance of getting their execution order reversed to life imprisonment if the state governors fail to do the needful 10 years after the court judgement.

This, according to the agency, would take effect immediately the amended Criminal Justice Act of 2015 is domesticated.

The comptroller-general of NCoS, Ja‘afaru Ahmed, who disclosed this during the 2019 media parley/facility tour of Dukpa Farm Centre, Gwagwalada, Abuja, said that the refusal of the governors to sign the execution order for condemned inmates was a major cause of prison congestion.

Ahmed, who was represented by the NCoS public relations officer, Francis Osagiede Enobore, said that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act is designed to hasten the trial of suspects so that correctional facilities can be decongested.

He said: “It‘s disturbing that state governors are not willing to sign death sentences of condemned inmates, neither are they willing to commute their death sentences to life imprisonment.“

The NCoS boss said that only 24 states have domesticated the Criminal Justice Act stressed that the amended Act would help decongest the facilities, “as some of its provisions empowers correctional centres to reject inmates so that the facilities are not overcrowded.“

Ahmed said that the Service had developed the Correction Information Management System (CIMS) to capture inmates’ biometric, access the length of remand and pre-trial detention proceedings in the correction system.

He said that the CIMS project had taken off in some locations in the country

Enobore, who doubles as controller of corrections, added that a re-assessment of utility services in NCoS’ facilities nationwide is ongoing in order to device ways of coping with the phenomenal overcrowding in the system and avoid recurrence.

He said that the generous attention of the present administration to the NCoS, coupled with the doggedness of his boss, provided a recipe for fundamental changes in offenders‘ management.

This, he said, was evidenced in the reinvigorated reformation and rehabilitation programmes in custodial centres, part of which was the multi-million naira bakery and confectionery unit established in three locations in 2019.

He said: “We have equally attempted to address the age-long infrastructural deficit through the construction and rehabilitation of inmates‘ cells including the provision of beds and beddings to enhance humane custody.

“Of significant mention are the 3,000 capacity modern custodial centres approved for all the geo-political zones, with that of the North West in Kano nearing completion while that of the North Central in Abuja, and Bori in Rivers State had commenced.

According to him, “a total of 32 satellite custodial centres shut down by the Boko Haram insurgency have been re-opened.“

The NCoS spokesman also revealed that 22 reformed members of the Boko Haram inmates under the agency’s custody sat for the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) within the period under review.

He added that in a bid to improve access to justice for pre-trial detainees, 382 operational vehicles were procured and distributed between 2016 and 2018 for inmates to be taken to court for hearing as and when due.

Enobore, who said that NCoS had not left out the issue of welfare for its staff, revealed that since the appointment of Ahmed as comptroller-general (CG), over 25,000 officers and men of the service had been promoted, with some of them stagnated for 15 years.“May I use this opportunity to formally inform you that funds have been released by the federal government to pay the promotion arrears of the personnel. For those who were promoted in 2013 and 2014 and accordingly, payment has been effected to all beneficiaries including retired staff members,“ he said.

Source: https://leadership.ng/2019/12/19/fg-may-commute-death-penalty-for-2745-inmates/

MrPrsdent:
English speaking Cameroon should be annexed by Nigeria ala Crimea.

Perfect solution for everyone

The only thing to worry about is potential sanctions. Nigeria's economy is pretty vulnerable to them considering oil is 90% of export recenue.

tck2000:
What is crimea?

Its a peninsula connected to the Ukraine. It holds geopolitical importance because it holds Russias only warm water port.

tck2000:
Trust me,this isn't needed in Nigeria else the number of mad youths on the street would increase!

Nothing like that would happen. Where did you see this trend play out?

tck2000:
Different languages in a country is always a problem!

It's better to have a unified language but it can work like in Canada. Anyway if Nigeria were a strong and stable they would be fomenting and funding the revolutionaries. They speak english, have natural resources and has Nigerian population. Just use the same game plan Russia did with annexing Crimea.

princemillla:
This is serious... Anyway some countries Don legalize weed Sha.

Lol they're the 3rd African country to do it so far. Lesotho and South Africa being 1st two. The lust for tax revenue trumps moralist outrage today.

Its funny how a little money changes these politicians mind. I wonder when Nigeria will legalize the drug. Legalize it for recreational and medicinal purposes. Any state that doesn't want it can ban it like alcohol. The taxes from the vice can be channeled towards education funding like in Colorado.

The next order of business would be cutting the states who ban it from getting vat from it. It's an issue that people should be calling their representatives over. Who would vote against giving themselves more tax revenue?

(Reuters) - Zambia has legalized the production and export of cannabis for economic and medicinal purposes, the government's chief spokeswoman said on Monday, becoming the latest country to shift its position on the drug to give its finances a boost.

The approval for the export of cannabis was granted at a special cabinet meeting on Dec. 4, spokeswoman Dora Siliya said in a statement. It was not clear from the statement if the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes in Zambia had been legalized.

The southern African country joins a host of nations that have legalized, or are considering legalizing cannabis to some degree, as attitudes towards the drug slowly change and investments in its medical benefits grow.

Zambia's motivation is rooted in a hefty fiscal deficit and growing debt burden. Growth in external debt to $10.5 billion at the end of 2018 from $8.74 billion a year earlier has raised fears the country is headed for a debt crisis.

Zambia cut its 2019 growth forecast in September because bad weather had hit crop production and electricity generation while the International Monetary Fund has said growth is likely to remain subdued over the medium term.

Zambian opposition Green Party President Peter Sinkamba, who has been advocating the export of cannabis since 2013, said the move could earn Zambia up to $36 billion annually.

"Depending on how properly this is done, this could just change the face of Zambia's economy," Sinkamba told Reuters. "This could be a blessing or a curse, like diamonds and gold, depending on the policy direction."

Siliya said the government had directed the ministry of health to coordinate the issuance of the necessary licenses while a technical committee made up of ministers from a range of departments would come up with guidelines.

(Reporting by Chris Mfula; Editing by Emma Rumney and David Clarke)

Source: https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN1YK1XU

Front page: Lalasticlala Mynd44

Weird none of you are talking about the Cameroons parliament discussing decentralization.

https://www.nairaland.com/5585139/cameroonian-lawmakers-divided-over-presidents

Best solution would be federalism. It works well enouh for Canada. The other proposal would still leave them at mercy of Yaounde since they will reseve right to dissolve parliament.

By Moki Edwin Kindzeka

Cameroon's Parliament is divided over the so-called special status President Paul Biya ordered for the country's English-speaking regions as a solution to the crisis that has killed more than 3,000 people.
 
Some lawmakers who convened for the extraordinary session of Parliament on Biya's instructions suggest that only the creation of federal states, one incorporating the country's English-speaking regions and the other made up of the French-speaking regions, can stop the crisis. 

Others said the English-speaking regions' special status already cedes enough power and resources to the crisis-prone areas, where separatists are fighting to create an English-speaking state

Cavaye Yeguie Djibril, speaker of Cameroon's National Assembly, told the lower house of the Parliament that Biya asked him to convene the extraordinary session  solely to examine the bill and vote it into law because Biya is determined to restore peace in the restive English-speaking regions.  

Lawmaker Njume Peter Ambang from the English-speaking South-West said the section of the bill granting a special status to the English-speaking regions could calm rising tensions for peace to return.

"It is a moment for us to leave a legacy and we should look at this particular document with a lot of seriousness and responsibility," Ambangsaid.  "We owe Cameroonians a lot. This is the moment that I think we have to make Cameroonians to know that they elected us for their own interest."

The bill envisages the creation of assemblies of chiefs, regional assemblies and regional councils for the English-speaking North-West and South-West regions with each of the two regions having elected presidents, vice presidents, secretaries, public affairs management controllers and three commissioners responsible for what the bill describes as economic, health, social, educational, sports and cultural development affairs. 

It also would also create the post of a public independent conciliators, responsible for solving disputes over the functioning of regional administrations. The bill also proposes more powers for elected mayors and would give them the authority to recruit hospital staff and teachers. 

But lawmaker Henry Kemende, from the English-speaking North-West region, said the special status for the English-speaking regions will not solve the crisis because most English speakers expect the creation of a federal state recognizing the people's cultural and linguistic diversity. He said the French-speaking regions should constitute one state while the English speakers form another in a federal republic.

"We thought that will have a bill that will admit the fact that we have failed in a unitary state and that we were going to try something different from the unitary state," he said.

George Elanga Obam, Cameroon's minister of decentralization, said by opting for the acceleration of decentralization, Biya is respecting proposals made by people his government consulted.

Obam said after consulting Cameroonians of all walks of life and organizing a national dialogue called by Biya, it was unanimously agreed that effective decentralization is the solution to the crisis in the English-speaking North-West and South-West regions. He said the special status will make the English-speaking regions more involved in making decisions that affect their lives and contributing to their own development.

Separatist leaders invited to the national dialogue this fall refused to take part, calling it a non-event. The talks  recommended that the English-speaking regions be given special status.

Violence erupted in 2017 in Cameroon's English-speaking regions when teachers and lawyers protested alleged discrimination at the hands of the French-speaking majority.

Source: https://www.voanews.com/africa/cameroon-lawmakers-divided-over-presidents-proposal-separatist-crisis

Front Page: Lalasticlala

It would be good if they finally complete this project. A good rail system would eliminate the need to own a car. The current completion expected completion date is 2022 by Alston. We'll see if the postoned yet again.

Lagos State Government said on Sunday the first phase of its 27-kilometre blue line rail system would be test-run by December next year.

The first phase of the project covers Mile 2 to Orile-Iganmu.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, who led nine other members of the state's Executive Council, disclosed at a press briefing to commemorate the 200 days of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu's administration.

The initial cost of the blue line was put at $1.2 billion and it started in 2009 during the Babatunde Fashola's administration

The project was initiated as part of measures to address the perennial road congestion in the state.

Omotosho said some international companies have expressed interest in partnering the state government in the project, but failed to mention the true identities of the companies.

He added that eight multi-national construction firms were mobilised to carry out a massive repair on critical highways in what was christened "Operation 116."

The commissioner said: "This was followed by extensive palliative and maintenance works, especially by the Public Works Corporation, which has rehabilitated hundreds of roads and cleared several drainage channels in various parts of the state

"This was taken further with the flag-off of the reconstruction and upgrading of strategic roads in Ikorodu. The project comprises 6.05 kilometres Phase One Road from Itamaga to Ewu Elepe town; 7.8 kilometres Owutu-Agric-Ishawo Road Phase One and Bola Tinubu-Igbogbo-Imota Road.

"Interestingly, the Victoria Island, Lekki Traffic Circulation project on Oniru axis was also flagged-off the same day. The project, being undertaken by Lagos State Government and Access Bank under a Public Infrastructure Improvement Partnership arrangement, would ease traffic considerably around Victoria Island, Oniru and Lekki axis."

To strengthen the drive for a multimodal transport system, he said the governor also launched the Uber Boat water transportation service.

On the Adiyan Water Works project, Omotoso said, "Governor Sanwo-Olu has approved N600 million compensation to owners whose properties were taken to pave way for the revamping and reconstruction of Adiyan Water Works.

"We are doing this project in collaboration with the Ogun State Government. Very soon work will commence on the project.

"A very important step taken within the period is the resuscitation of the Adiyan Waterworks, Phase II. The water treatment plant, with a production capacity of 70 million gallons per day, was begun in 2013.

"By mobilising the contractors back to the site, hope has risen for better provision of safe drinking water to more than five million Lagos residents. The project will help to address sanitation challenges and fight water-borne diseases," the commissioner concluded.

Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/12/lagos-to-test-run-blue-line-rail-december-2020/

aolawale025:
Those losing their jobs

They lost their jobs over insubordination. If they didnt resist change they would have kept their jobs.

Wow who knew this meeting would get him arrested by the DSS month later. This wasnt even interesting news at the time. Nigeria didnt bother trying to extradite kanu the terrorists inspite of the treaty with the America.

aolawale025:
They should resolve this issue
Too much collateral damage

Lol Who's suffering because this political beef? I've yet to see anyone suffer any ill health or loss of property.

Man game of thrones kano is entertaining. Im betting on Gandolla winning the battle over these Emirates. Those kingmakers have to sumbit to the new emirs or be dismissed by them.

The Bichi Emirate Council on Sunday dismissed five district heads including that of Dambatta, Muktar Adnan. Mr Adnan is said to be the longest serving kingmaker in Kano and reportedly turbaned late Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, in 1963.

The other four district heads in Bichi Emirate dismissed are those of Tsanyawa, Dawakin Tofa, Minjibir and Bichi.

The Emir of Bichi, Aminu Bayero, a son to late emir Bayero, sacked Mr Adnan and the four others district heads in his emirate council for alleged disloyalty to the new emirate created by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

Mr Adnan, before his dismissal, held the traditional title of Sarkin Bai-kano and district head of Dambatta Local Government Area. He was appointed kingmaker in 1954. Nine years later, he co-turbaned late Ado Bayero as Emir of Kano in 1963, according to Dabo FM, an independent radio in Kano.

The dismissed district heads are believed to be loyal to the current Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, who is opposed to the creation of the new emirates.

Bichi is one of the four new emirates created by the administration of Governor Umar Ganduje to bring the total number of first-class emirs in Kano State to five.
Before the creation of the new emirates and appointments of emirs for them, the emir of Kano was the only first-class emir in the state.

Critics of Mr Ganduje’s administration believe the new emirates were formed to whittle down the powers of the current Emir of Kano, Mr Sanusi, who had criticised Mr Ganduje’s administration.

The dismissal of the of Bichi district heads comes the same day as that of two district heads in Karate, another of the new emirates.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Karaye Emirate Council dismissed the District Head of Kiru, Ibrahim Hamza, and that of Rimin-Gado, Shehu Muhammad, for alleged disloyalty.

The council made the resolution during its second meeting presided over by the Emir of Karaye, Ibrahim Abubakar II, at his palace in Karaye.

This was contained in a statement by the Information Officer of Karaye Emirate Council, Haruna Gunduwawa on Sunday in Kano.


“The council has approved the appointment of Alhaji Auwalu Ahmad as District Head of Rimin Gado, Magajin Rafin Karaye, as District Head of Kiru and Alhaji Garba Alhaji as Dan Madamjn Karaye,” he said.

Mr Gunduwawa said the council has also approved the appointment of Shehu Ahmed as District Head of Karaye among others.

“The council congratulated the new District Heads and prayed for Allah’s guidance in course of discharging their duties,” he said.

PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday reported a High Court ruling in Kano which granted an interim injunction to stop the Kano State Government from taking any action on the Kano emirates without consulting some kingmakers, including Mr Adnan, who are allies of Mr Sanusi.

Today’s gale of dismissals, the state government could argue, were done by the emirates and not the government.

Source: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/368277-kano-emirates-controversy-kingmaker-who-reportedly-turbaned-late-ado-bayero-dismissed.html

Bump

Which country do you believe will fix narrow gauge first. I would hope its Nigeria who refuse to stop truckers from parking on highways causing traffic.

Transnet has continental ambitions beyond freight and wants to be a major player in railway equipment and expertise. It is starting by reviving narrow-gauge railways in West Africa.

South African state-owned rail and freight operator Transnet has agreed to a rail revitalisation deal with the Ghana Railway Company Limited and the Ghana Railway Development Authority.

The agreement stipulates the revival of Ghana’s narrow-gauge railway between Takoradi and Tarkwa, in Western Region – a distance of around 82km.

Takoradi Port is Ghana’s main export facility, and the inland town of Tarkwa, home to one of the largest gold mines in Ghana and in the world, Tarkwa mine.

The three entities have agreed to rehabilitate and maintain the line, refurbish and maintain existing locomotives and wagons, supply additional rolling stock, jointly operate the line, and have factored in a skills development component.

Shift from road to rail

Transnet and the two Ghana entities have established a joint project team that will conduct due diligence of infrastructure and facilities.

“Transnet is committed to working with local Ghanaian companies to achieve the objectives of the project,” said Transnet International Holdings chief executive Petrus Fusi. “Through this partnership, Transnet believes it will contribute to the revival of Ghana’s railway infrastructure and operations, and return it to full reliability. This is expected to result in a shift of transporting bulk cargo from road to rail, and contribute to a reduction in Ghana’s cost of logistics.”

Nigeria first

The Ghana deal follows a successful tender in Nigeria. In November 2018 Transnet replaced General Electric as the lead consortium partner in the country’s narrow-gauge railway project. That project entails rehabilitating and operating Nigeria’s western and eastern narrow-gauge lines.

Transnet said the consortium aimed to enter into a 30-year concession agreement with the Nigerian government.

Read full @: https://www.theafricareport.com/21238/south-africa-transnet-scores-a-rail-deal-in-ghana/