Speaking on state television late on Tuesday night, outgoing President Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia insisted that he would remain in power past his mandate until a court rules on his appeal challenging the outcome of the 1December 2016 election.
Mr. Jammeh lost the presidential election to businessman Adama Barrowand conceded victory the following day. However, just one week after doing so, the Gambian president reversed course and refused to accept the outcome of the election, opting to challenge the results at court.
Last week, a joint delegation consisting of representatives from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU), and the United Nations (UN)met with Mr. Jammeh in Banjuland called on him to step down. But the Gambian leader refused to budge.“I am not a coward. My right cannot be intimidated and violated. This is my position. Nobody can deprive me of thatvictory except the Almighty Allah,” he said during his television address.“The ECOWAS meeting was a formality. Before they came, they had already saidJammeh must step down. I will not stepdown,” Mr. Jammeh said.Despite Mr. Jammeh’s insistence that he will remain in power, ECOWAS leaders said they would attend the 19 January inaugural ceremony and would provide security for Mr. Barrow.While ECOWAS seeks to mediate the conflict through peaceful, diplomatic means, the possibility remains that force could be used as a last resort. In the 1990s, ECOWAS deployed troops to Sierra Leone and Liberia during their civil wars, and in 1981, Senegal, in whichthe Gambia is embedded, sent troops there during a 1981 coup.

Dec 15 Nigeria's oil production is close to 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd), oil minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu told a forum in Abuja on Thursday. Kachikwu and oil majors ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Eni and Chevron are expected to sign a deal later in the day over repayments of$5.1 billion in debt from joint venture projects.
Nigeria has struggled with debt to oil majors amid the fall in oil prices over the past two years, as well as due to production declines from peak production of 2.2 million bpd as a result of persistent militant attacks in the oil-producing Niger Delta region.The Forcados crude stream, with roughly 300,000 bpd, has been under force majeure since February, and in the third quarter production was roughly 1.63 million bpd, according to the country's statistics office. Kachikwu said the primary goals for 2017 would be to secure "lasting peace" in the Niger delta, gain external funding for oil investments and improve the nation's oil refining system.

The Chief Operating Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation set tongues wagging when he revealed to the House of Representatives that he did not know the number of oil blocks Nigeria has. Bello Rabiu appeared before the House committee investigating the controversial Malabu oil deal and OPL 245 on Tuesday afternoon. After telling the committee that the NNPC was not directly involved in the controversial deal, Mr. Rabiu was asked to give details of Nigeria’s oil fields. Razak Atunwa, the chairman of the
committee, said he posed the question because he believed it would help lawmakers to determine Nigeria’s oil revenue prospects amidst the lingering financial crisis. “I don’t know the answer to that question,” Mr. Rabiu said. Mr. Rabiu said statistics about oil prospecting licences and oil mining licences were not kept with the NNPC, but the Department of Petroleum Resources and directed lawmakers to contact the department for the information. Mr. Rabiu also told the committee that the NNPC Act gave the Minister of Petroleum the absolute power to exercise discretion on award of oil licences. “The NNPC Act, even till today, clearly stated that the minister can award oil exploration licences at his discretion,” Mr. Rabiu said.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris
Ngige, has stated that “job seekers”, who lost
out in the bid to become ministers, are the ones
piling pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari,
to change his economic team. Speaking with newsmen in Enugu at the
weekend, the Minister stated that calls for a new
economic team to steer the country out of
recession is propelled by job seekers and echoed
by their friends in the media. He disagreed with comments in some circles that
the President should change his economic team
as a result of an alleged inability of the federal
government to pilot the nation out of the current
economic recession.
Ngige argued that this country entered recession
a long time ago before the Buhari government
came on board but nobody noticed it because of
the huge foreign reserves accumulated by
former President Olusegun Obasanjo, which has
now shrunk to $21billion as a result of the crash in oil prices. According to him, “Under the previous
administration, the oil price was about $115 per
barrel and the country exhausted its 2.2 million
barrels daily quota of crude oil export. “But when this government came, the price of
oil dropped to as low as $30 per barrel. It later
came to $50 per barrel, but because of activities
of those blowing up oil pipelines in Niger Delta,
we could not export our daily quota of 2.2
million barrels. We are now exporting about 1.2 million barrels,” Ngige said.

The Federal Government on Friday dismissed as untrue claims that President Muhammadu Buhari donated $500m to Hillary Clinton campaign in the just-concluded US election. A video, purportedly circulated by a US non-governmental group, the American BlackGroup for Democracy, had last week alleged that Nigeria donated $500m (about N150bn) to Clinton’s failed bid for the White House. It claimed that the money was “pledged to the US Secretary of State, Sen John Kerry, and US Ambassador in Abuja”; adding that “the donation may create a huge misunderstanding between Nigeria and the incoming Trump’s US government. ”But in a reaction on Friday, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Mr. Garba Shehu, described the accusations as crazy, insisting that “Nigeria doesn’t have this kind of money to throw around.“What is the craziest accusation made against President Buhari?” Shehu posted on his Twitter handle, @GarShehu.“That he donated $500m to Hillary’s campaign and that Donald Trump is angry. This has gone viral, sadly Nigerians are believing it!“President Buhari’s Nigeria doesn’t have this kind of money to throw around. Even if the money is there, this President is the least likely person to give it as donation, and for what?”Mr. Shehu noted that President Buhari is in discussion with the US government to repatriate loots stashed in American banks. He said, “A FGN account has already been given for the return of one million dollars from Alamieyesiegha. “Judgement on the $480m Abacha loot has been won and our Attorney-General, Malami (SAN) will be in the US next week to speak to the Department of Justice on the next steps for the return of that as well. “The US is paying to Nigeria, not the other way round.”

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said the Federal Government’s re-orientation programme, “Change Begins With Me” has no political coloration. Speaking during a presentation to the Governors Forum at the Presidential villa, Abuja, the Minister appealed to state governors to support the reorientation campaign. According to Mohammed, “The campaign is aimed at achieving a paradigm shift in the way we do things and geared towards achieving an attitudinal change. “With the total breakdown of our core values in the past years, it is imperative that we re-orientate ourselves with a view to restoring those time-tested values. “Your Excellences, it is important to note that this is a national campaign. It has no political, religious, or ethnic coloration. “The breakdown in our time-tested values, the preference for imported goods, the poor attitude to work, the mindless corruption in our society, etc, are not limited to any part of the country, any political party, or any religion. “We are of the strong belief that your cooperation is absolutely important if the campaign is to succeed.

Edo State House of Assembly on Wednesday approved the construction of a residential building worth N200 million as terminal benefit for the immediate past governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole Also approved is a house worth N100 million for the immediate past deputy governor, Dr. Pius Odubu. Adams Oshiomhole and Pius Odubu, completed two tenures of eight years as governor and deputy governor of Edo state respectively last Saturday. Should the law be assented to by Oshiomhole’s successor, Godwin Obaseki, the former governor and his deputy stand to enjoy the pension benefits. The bill titled, “A bill for a law to amend the 2007 Pension Rights of the Governor and Deputy Governor Law” was approved by the state lawmakers at the committee of a whole. The only amendment to the pension rights of the governor and deputy was for the duo to enjoy residential buildings worth N200 million and N100 million in any location of their choice in Nigeria. Other benefits to be enjoyed by the governor are a pension for life at a rate equivalent to 100 percent of his last annual salary in addition to an officer not above salary grade level 12 as Special Assistant, a personal secretary not below grade level 10 who shall be selected by the former governor from the public service of Edo state. He is also entitled to have two cooks, two armed policemen as security, three vehicles to be bought by the State Government and liable to be replaced every five years, three drivers who shall be selected by the former governor and paid by the state government as well as free medical treatment for the governor and his immediate family. On the other hand, the deputy governor is entitled to 100 percent of his last annual salary as pension, a personal staff not above salary grade level 12 as Special Assistant, a personal secretary not below grade level 09 who shall be selected by the former deputy governor from the public service of the state, a cook, two policemen as security.Also approved for him include, two vehicles to be bought by the state government and liable to be replaced every five years, two drivers who shall be selected by the former deputy governor and paid by the state government and free medical treatment for him and his immediate family

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Wednesday, said that judging by the current activities of the Boko Haram terrorists, 60 percent of them are not Nigerians.Buratai said this in Maiduguri when he received the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, at the headquarters of the Theatre Command of Operation Lafiya Dole at the Maimalari Cantonment.“Your Excellency, I want to bring to your attention that while the Boko Haram (insurgency) can be said to have started in Nigeria, by and large as at today, I can say that almost 60 per cent of the insurgents are from our neighbouring countries.“You can see that almost all of the recently surrendered insurgents are not Nigerians.This is a challenge that impacts more on the Nigerian side than the other countries. But by and large, our military is up to the task and we will continue to do our best to ensure that our country is secured,’’ Buratai said.He said that there was no doubt that the terrorists had been defeated but added that troops would continue with their operations until the insurgents finally surrender.The army chief thanked the UN for identifyingwith Nigeria in its efforts to rout-out the terrorists and solicited additional support from the world body.Speaking earlier, Dr Chambas said that his visit was an expression of the UN’s identification with Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram and efforts to restore peace to the North-East region.He restated the UN’s condemnation of the terrorists’ group, adding “we are behind the Federal Government’’ in its efforts to defeat the terrorists. Chambas noted that the immediate consequence of the insurgency was the “huge humanitarian crisis’’ in the North-East and assured him that the UN had stepped up efforts to address it.

Few days after Boko Haram insurgents killed an Army Colonel, Muhammad Abu Ali, who was leading the war against insurgency, the group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, has claimed responsibility for the attack.While Shekau did not specifically mention Lieutenant-Colonel Ali’s name in the audio message, he claimed that his faction was responsible for all the recent attacks on the Nigerian military.He vowed that the group will kill more.Shekau, in a new audio message said, “We are responsible for these recent attacks. We did it and will do more.”Recall that the insurgents had on Monday warned the United States President-elect,Donald Trump, that the war against the west “has just begun.”

The Kaduna State Police Command also confirmed the attacks, but said it had no official figure of those killed and injured in the attacks on Kigam and surrounding villages. Marauding gunmen killed no fewer than 30 persons, including women, in some villages in Kaduna State on Sunday
A community leader in Kigam village, Kauru Local Government Area, Malam Yakubu Ibrahim, confirmed this to our New York office via telephone. He said:"Fulani armed men invaded our villages on Sunday evening and killed over 30 persons." The Kaduna State Police Command also confirmed the attacks, but said it had noofficial figure of those killed and injured in the attacks on Kigam and surrounding villages.Police Public Relations Officer, Aliyu Usman, added that the Command, on receiving reports of the attacks, beefed up security in the area. The Kaduna State Government was yet to comment on the killings at the time of filing this report. Governor Nasir el-Rufai has been spearheading a series of peace initiatives in the state. Spokesman to the Governor, Samuel Aruwan, when contacted said he was in a security meeting and would speak shortly after the meeting.

Boko Haram militants today ambushed and killed a Nigerian Army Commander, Lt. Colonel Umar.


Sources told SaharaReporters that Umar who is the Commanding Officer of the 114 Task Force Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Bita was ambushed along Bitta-Pridang Road in Borno state.

Umar and members of his troops reportedly came out of their armored vehicle to inspect a damage done to it by an IED laid on the side of the road when Boko Haram terrorists opened fire killing the CO and wounding several troops.