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Tag: Jordan

  • FCT first Batch of Christian pilgrims, four states to depart Jordan

    FCT first Batch of Christian pilgrims, four states to depart Jordan

    The first batch of Nigerian Christian pilgrims is scheduled to depart Jordan today, signaling the beginning of the return journey for participants of this year’s pilgrimage exercise.

    According to the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), the contingents are participants of the 2025 delayed Easter Pilgrimage exercise from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Benue, Edo, Taraba and Ondo and states.

    They are expected to be airlifted back to Nigeria after successfully completing their spiritual activities in Jordan.

    Executive Secretary of the NCPC, Rt. Rev. Stephen Adegbite, who was represented by the spiritual leader of the contingents, Bishop Raphael Nwankwo, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the pilgrims during their stay in the Holy Land. 

    He assured that adequate logistics and safety measures had been put in place to ensure a seamless airlift.

    “The commission has worked closely with our partners in Jordan as well as Nigerian authorities to guarantee the safety and comfort of our pilgrims. We are confident that this first batch will arrive home safely, and subsequent flights will follow in quick succession,” he said.

    Read Also: INEC clears 65 candidates from 17 parties for 2026 FCT area council elections

    Medical personnel and officials of the NCPC are accompanying the pilgrims to provide continuous support until their arrival in Nigeria.

    This year’s Christian pilgrimage attracted hundreds of faithful from across the country, who embarked on the spiritual journey to retrace biblical sites, strengthen their faith, and pray for Nigeria’s peace and development.

    Also Speaking, the Director FCT Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Gloria Dandam commended the pilgrims for orderly conduct during the tour of the Holy sites.

    Dandam equally noted that the commitment of the officials of both the FCT Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board and NCPC was key to the seamless exercise. 

  • Photos: Buhari arrives Jordan for World Economic Forum

    President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived city of Amman, Jordan, to participate in the Annual Middle East and North Africa Conference (World Economic Forum).

    This was made known by the Government of Nigeria via its verified Twitter handle.

  • Buhari for Jordan, Dubai events

    president Muhammadu Buhari departed Abuja yesterday for Amman, Jordan, to honour an invitation from King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein to participate in the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa, holding at the Dead Sea, Jordan.

    President Buhari, a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said, would speak an at the opening plenary with King Al-Hussein and United Nations Secretary General António Guterres.

    He will also join world economic leaders in an informal gathering at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre.

    The Prresident will hold meetings with some leaders on the sidelines of the forum.

    Buhari is billed to depart Amman Sunday for Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) to participate in the ninth annual Investment Meeting, April 8-10.

    Invited by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rachid Al Maktoum, UAE’s vice-president and prime minister, Buhari as guest of honour, will deliver the keynote under the theme, “Mapping the Future of Foreign Direct Investment: Enriching World Economies through Digital Globalisation.”

    According to the organisers, the meeting was “the largest gathering of corporate leaders, policy-makers, businessmen, regional and international investors, entrepreneurs, academics and experts showcasing information, strategies and knowledge on attracting FDI.”

    The meeting also seeks to explore investment opportunities in over 140 countries, connect businesses and countries willing to engage in sustainable partnerships with investors.

    President Buhari was accompanied by Governors Abubakar Badaru, Abiola Ajimobi and Yahaya Bello of Jigawa, Oyo and Kogi states.

    Others on the entourage included Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; National Security Adviser Maj. Gen. Mohammed Babagana Monguno (rtd), and other top government officials.

     

  • EU pledges additional 42.5m euros to Palestinian cause

    EU pledges additional 42.5m euros to Palestinian cause

    The European Union has agreed to put an extra 42.5 million euros (52.9 million dollars) towards building a “democratic and accountable” Palestinian state, foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said.

    Mogherini said on WEdnesday that the money will go towards activities in East Jerusalem while also helping to build a Palestinian state through policy reforms, debt reduction, support for businesses and Palestinian civil society as well as access to water and energy.

    The announcement came ahead of talks in Brussels bringing together top Israeli, Palestinian, U.S. and Arab politicians and officials for the first time since a controversial U.S. decision to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.

    “Everybody must recognise that the U.S. is essential for any process to realistically have a chance to succeed,” Mogherini said, while warning Washington: “alone it will be more difficult to achieve anything.”

    The news reports that on Jan. 17, the Trump administration cut tens of millions of dollars in money for Palestinian,
    refugees, demanding that the UN agency responsible for the programmes undertake a “fundamental re-examination.”

    In a letter, the State Department notified the UN Relief and Works Agency ( UNRWA ) that the U.S. is withholding 65 million dollars of a planned 125 million dollars funding installment.

    The letter also makes clear that additional U.S. donations will be contingent on major changes by UNRWA, which has been heavily criticised by Israel.

    The State Department said it was releasing the rest of the installment, 60 million dollars, to prevent the agency from running out of cash by the end of the month and closing down.

    The U.S. is UNWRA’s largest donor, supplying nearly 30 per cent of its budget.

    The agency focuses on providing health care, education and social services to Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

    NAN

  • Jordan urges US not to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital

    Jordan urges US not to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital

    Jordan’s foreign minister has warned the United States of “dangerous consequences” if it recognises Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

    Ayman Safadi said he had told U.S Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, such a declaration would trigger great anger in the Arab and Muslim world.

    Speculation is mounting that President Donald Trump will announce the move soon, fulfilling an election pledge, the BBC reports.

    Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, said no decision had yet been made.

    In a tweet, Mr. Safadi said: “Spoke with US Secretary of State Tillerson on dangerous consequences of recognising Jerusalem as capital of Israel. Such a decision would trigger anger across #Arab #Muslim worlds, fuel tension and jeopardise peace efforts.”

    There was no public response from the U.S State Department on the matter.

    Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, is trying to rally international support to persuade Mr. Trump not to make the announcement.

    His office said he made phone calls on Sunday to world leaders including French President, Emmanuel Macron and Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

  • Photos: Buhari departs for Jordan ahead of Counter Terrorism Summit

    Photos: Buhari departs for Jordan ahead of Counter Terrorism Summit

    President Buhari departs Abuja for Jordan ahead of Counter Terrorism Summit on 1st Dec 2017

     

  • Buhari lauds Jordan for military donation

    Buhari lauds Jordan for military donation

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in New York lauded the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for the donation of hardware in support of Nigeria’s campaign against terrorism and insurgency.

    Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Femi Adesina.

    He said that Buhari made the commendation at a bilateral meeting with Femi AdesinaII of Jordan on the sideline of the ongoing 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

    Adesina said the President was delighted with the pledge by the Jordanian government to further supply helicopters to Nigeria.

    He quoted Buhari saying that “the very expensive donation of about 200 Armoured Fighting Vehicles reflects true concern for Nigeria’s security situation and genuine goodwill towards a friendly nation.’’

    The presidential aide said Buhari also reassured the King of Nigeria’s commitment towards the proposed Aqaba Process with countries in the region.

    Aqaba is the only coastal city in Jordan and the largest and most populous city on the Gulf of Aqaba

    “Nigeria is willing to play a leading role in bringing together countries in the West African sub-region into this collective security arrangement.”

    He said the president pledged Nigeria’s continued desire for enhanced bilateral ties with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

    The Jordanian King had earlier informed Buhari that his Government was in the process of opening an embassy in Abuja in the next few months.

    He, therefore, expressed appreciation over the support being extended to his country by the Nigerian government in this regard.

    He told Buhari that his National Security Adviser ( NSA ) would soon be working out the finer details of the Aqaba Process with his Nigerian counterpart.

    The President was accompanied to the bilateral meeting, the third of its kind since the inception of the current administration, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama and the NSA, retired Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno.

    Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Prof. Tijjani Bande also attended the meeting.

    The statement recalled that soon after President Buhari took office in 2015, the Jordanian King had offered a hand of friendship, cooperation and support for Nigeria in its fight against terrorism and insurgency.

    This resulted in the NSA undertaking two visits to Jordan to follow up on issues previously discussed with the King, and the donation of military hardware and pledge of further support.

    These gestures were aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s operational capabilities in the fight against terror both within the country and the Lake Chad Basin.

    The security situation in Nigeria affects neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger where the Multinational Joint Task Force is engaging the Boko Haram insurgents and terrorists.

    The NSA’s second trip to Jordan on the invitation of the King in January 2016 to attend the 3rd Aqaba Process also resulted in a renewed commitment between the two countries to consider multilateral action in confronting the menace of terrorism.

    The Kingdom of Jordan has similar Aqaba arrangement with the East African countries battling protracted terrorist menace.

    Nigeria has agreed to work with countries in the region on a similar arrangement with Jordan.

    “It is anticipated that the first Aqaba Process for Nigeria and sister countries within the sub-region with Jordan will be held in late November or early December 2017,’’ the statement said.

  • Photo: Buhari receives King of Jordan’s envoy

    Photo: Buhari receives King of Jordan’s envoy

    R-L; Political Adviser Office of his Majesty , Mr Zaid Masaraweh, Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyema, President Muhammadu Buhari, Special Envoy of the King of Jordan, Mr Manar Dabbas, General Ahmed Faqieh and NSA, Brig General Babagana Monguno during an audience with President at the State house in Abuja.
    R-L; Political Adviser Office of his Majesty , Mr Zaid Masaraweh, Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyema, President Muhammadu Buhari, Special Envoy of the King of Jordan, Mr Manar Dabbas, General Ahmed Faqieh and NSA, Brig General Babagana Monguno during an audience with President at the State house in Abuja.

     

    R-L; President Muhammadu Buhari, Special Envoy of the King of Jordan, Mr Manar Dabbas, General Ahmed Faqieh and National Security Adviser to the President, Brig General Babagana Monguno during an audience with President at the State house in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. MAY 31 2016
    R-L; President Muhammadu Buhari, Special Envoy of the King of Jordan, Mr Manar Dabbas, General Ahmed Faqieh and National Security Adviser to the President, Brig General Babagana Monguno during an audience with President at the State house in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. MAY 31 2016

    R-L; President Muhammadu Buhari (M) accompanied by the National Security Adviser, Brig General Babagan Mounguno as President receives the Special Envoy of the King of Jordan, Mr Manar Dabbas in an audience at the State house in Abuja.
    R-L; President Muhammadu Buhari (M) accompanied by the National Security Adviser, Brig General Babagan Mounguno as President receives the Special Envoy of the King of Jordan, Mr Manar Dabbas in an audience at the State house in Abuja.

  • Jordan’s envoy freed in Libya, returns home

    Jordan’s envoy freed in Libya, returns home

    Jordan’s ambassador to Libya who was abducted last month at gunpoint in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, returned home yesterday after being freed by his captors.

    Ambassador Fawaz al-Etan was welcomed at Amman’s military airport by jubilant family members who hugged and kissed him and top Jordanian officials, including Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh who hours earlier announced the diplomat’s release.

    Al-Etan waved to reporters as he stepped out of the plane at the Marka military airfield east of Amman.

    He said he was in good health, ready and eager to return to his post in Libya, and that his captors had treated him well. He gave no further details about his ordeal and captivity.

    Al-Etan was taken by gunmen from his vehicle in central Tripoli near the Jordanian Embassy on April 15. Assailants opened fire on his car, wounded his driver and then forced him out at gunpoint.

    It was one the latest high-profile abduction in the North African nation still plagued by lawlessness, more than two years since the country’s 8-month civil war ended with Moammar Gadhafi’s killing in October 2011.

    A week after the ambassador’s abduction, Jordan released a Libyan detainee, Mohammed al-Darsi, who was arrested and convicted in 2007 of trying to carry out a suicide bombing at Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport.

    Jordanian officials at the time would not say whether the Libyan detainee’s release was connected to al-Etan’s abduction. But Libyan media reported at the time that Jordan had agreed to set free a convicted militant in exchange for the ambassador.

    According to a Libyan official, al-Darsi arrived in Tripoli on Monday on a special plane from Amman.

    The same Jordanian aircraft took the ambassador home on Tuesday, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to media.

    The kidnappings in Libya reflect the weakness of the country’s politicians and officials in the face of powerful militias that have become both the enforcers of the law and the fuel of lawlessness after successive governments following Gadhafi’s ouster came to depend on them to restore order in the absence of a strong police force or military.

    Both diplomats and journalists have been among those targeted in the kidnappings. In January, gunmen briefly held six Egyptian diplomats and embassy employees following the arrest of a Libyan militia leader in Egypt. The diplomats were released only after Egypt freed the detained militia commander.

    Most of the abductions, however, have targeted Libyan officials, including senior members of the government, and their families.

     

  • 10-year-old basketball sensation wants to be like Jordan

    10-year-old basketball sensation wants to be like Jordan

    Victor Bormini, a 10-year-old basketball sensation, said on Thursday in Abuja that his aim in the game was to play like Michael Jordan, an ex-American basketball star.

    Bormini, a student of Christ Academy College, Yenagoa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that his choice of Jordan as role model was because of his achievements. He spoke to NAN on his selection for the scholarship award and a U.S. visa by the Ejike Ugboaja Basketball Foundation.

    Bormini, who took to basketball at the age of eight, was selected for the foundation’s scholarship following his excellent performance at the 2013 Nestle Milo Basketball Zonal competition in Enugu.

    He said that he was looking forward to a blossoming career in basketball in the U.S.

    “The scholarship came about after I was selected in a basketball summer camp I attended in Uyo in June, 2013 which was organised by the Ejike Ugboaja Foundation,’’ the player said.

    The summer camp is usually organised by the foundation for players who excelled at the Nestle Milo championships.

    “Right now, I have a scholarship and a visa ready to travel to the U.S. I hope to use the opportunity to further my education because my coach told me that I am going there to start primary six or Junior Secondary one,’’ Bormini said.

    The young basketball player said that the attitude of most basketball players in his state, Bayelsa, attracted him to the game at the expense of football.

    “I learnt to play the game through hard work; I usually go to my school’s basketball court to practice on my own after school. I train everyday for five hours; I don’t miss training. I love playing football but I always love going to the basketball court at the stadium in Yenagoa to watch people play; sometimes I pick the ball for them.

    “And one day, one of the senior players saw me and asked me the sport I do and I told him football but he convinced me to play basketball,’’ Bormini said.

    He added that he asked the player to allow him to speak to his parents first.

    “I got my parents backing and I went back the next day and started training with them.’’