The Nation Newspaper

Tag: London

  • Buhari back from London

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday returned to Abuja from London.
    He left Nigeria on 10 working holiday in London on August 3rd.
    His plane touched down at the Presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport, Abuja around 6.35p.m.
    The President alighted from the plane around 6.40p.m
     In an interview at the airport, President Buhari said he was going to jail more of the those that brought economic problems to the country.
    He said, “I think this is being expected of me, I will do it.”
    Speaking on the defection of the Senate Minority Leader, Goodwill Akpabio from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, he said it was the beauty of democracy that affords individuals the choice of identifying with political party they are interested in.
    He, however advised politicians to provide the necessary dividends of democracy to the people and sensitise their constituents to get the Permanent Voters Card in order to freely vote for the candidate of their choice.
    Those who received him at the airport included Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, Service chiefs, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello and  Chief of Staff of the President, Abba Kyari.

  • Buhari to proceed on 10-day holiday in London

    President Muhammadu Buhari will on Friday August 3, 2018 begin a 10 working days holiday.

    This was contained in a statement by issued by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina.

    He said “In compliance with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, a letter has been transmitted to the President of the Senate, and the Speaker, House of Representatives to that effect.

    “While the President is on vacation, the Vice President will be in acting capacity as President.

    “President Buhari will be in London for the holiday.” he stated

  • Fayemi visits Bamidele in London

    Ekiti State Governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has paid a get-well visit to the Director General of his Campaign Council, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele in London, United Kingdom.
    Bamidele was shot on June 1 by a trigger-happy policeman at the premises of the All Progress Congress (APC) during a welcome rally organised for Fayemi after stepping down from the Federal Executive Council  (FEC) as Minister of Mines and Steel Development.
    The former House of Representatives member was rushed to the State University Teaching Hospital where he was operated upon and stabilised before being flown abroad to recuperate.
    Bamidele who has been discharged from the hospital is still in London as an outpatient.
    In a statement on Thursday night by his media aide, Ahmed Salami, Fayemi who left Ado-Ekiti for Lagos immediately after inaugurating his Transition Committee arrived London earlier in the day to pay Bamidele a morale-boosting visit.
    The statement said Fayemi spent quality time with Bamidele, his wife, Mrs. Yemisi Bamidele, and other members of the family, Mr. Abiodun Bamidele and Mrs. Folasade Bamidele.
    Fayemi and Bamidele also reviewed issues regarding the fiercely contested July 14 governorship election.
    The reunion sparked up celebration of victory and praise and worship  sessions from the two eminent Ekiti leaders.

  • Arsenal deny chief executive Gazidis resignation

    Arsenal FC of England has denied reports that its chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, has accepted an offer that would see him leave the club.

    Gazidis, who has enjoyed a stable tenure at the London club and built a cordial relationship with former coach Arsene Wenger, was reported to have decided to part ways with the club.

    He was rumoured to be heading to Italian giants AC Milan from the beginning of the 2018/2019 season.

    But according to a statement by Chips Keswick, Chairman of Arsenal Football FC, published on the club’s official website, the chief executive has no such offers.

    Read Also: Wenger regrets staying at Arsenal for 22 years

    He, however, admitted that Gazidis always receives luring offers due to his huge popularity.

    “We are aware of the speculation surrounding our chief executive Ivan Gazidis. We know he receives many offers from organisations inside and outside the game as he’s a hugely respected figure.

    “He has never accepted any of these opportunities and has never spoken about them publicly.

    “He has always been fully committed to taking Arsenal forward and is currently working hard in Singapore with new head coach Unai Emery as we prepare for the new season,” the statement said.

  • Moses Simon to undergo final scan in London

    Super Eagles’ winger, Moses Simon is set to undergo one more final scan in London ahead of Nigeria’s game against England this weekend, with reports suggesting Head Coach Gernot Rohr is willing to wait and see if the player can make a late push for the World Cup in Russia, AOIFootball.com can confirm.

    Simon was initially ruled out for the tournament by Rohr after the player’s scan results confirmed he would be out for the tournament.

    Read Also: Appreciative Moses pays tribute to supportive fans

    However, Moses requested for a further scan in the UK, with Rohr granting him his wish to prove his fitness ahead of the World Cup.

    The winger scored once and provided two assists for Nigeria as they went unbeaten throughout the qualifying series and will no doubt be a massive miss, should further scan confirm him unfit to play at the Mundial in Russia next month.

  • Why Buhari stopped over in London, by Presidency

    THE Presidency yesterday gave reasons why President Muhammadu Buhari stopped over in London after his official visit to the United States (U.S.).

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said that there is a limit to the distance the President’s smaller plane can cover.

    He explained that the President’s big jet has gone for repairs.

    Shehu said: “The big jet is under repair. It has been taken for major repairs. So, the President is using a small plane and there is a limit to the distance the small plane can cover.

    “So, the technical stopover I talked about is that the journey from U.S. to Abuja is broken into two.

    “Technical stopover is that the plane stops at a point, refuel, do some checks and then proceed on the journey.

    “This is very normal. There is nothing unusual about it. In any case, they are already on their way back home.

     

  • Ekweremadu selling off undeclared assets in U.S., London, says presidential panel

    THE Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIPRPP) has accused Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu of engaging in clandestine sale of his assets in the United States (U.S.) in a purported bid to render useless the order of forfeiture being sought against him.

    The SPIPRPP made the allegation in a counter-affidavit it filed on March 26, 2018 and deposed to by Yohanna Shankuk of the law firm of Festus Keyamo (SAN).

    The panel had recently applied ex-parte to the Federal High Court, Abuja for an interim forfeiture order on some 22 property allegedly owned by Ekweremadu in Nigeria and abroad, but which he allegedly refused to declare.

    Rather than allow the court hear and decide the ex-parte application, Ekweremadu challenged the court’s jurisdiction, claiming among others, that the SPIPRPP was an illegitimate body.

    The panel, in responding to Ekweremadu, filed a counter affidavit, in which it claimed that Ekweremadu, in a desperate bid to avoid forfeiting the properties, has already sold two of his three undeclared properties in Kissimmee, Florida, United States of America.

    It accused the deputy Senate president of employing delay tactics to frustrate the suit.

    The panel said the property, which were bought in 2008 for $200,000 each, were put on the market in January and sold for $150,000 to the same buyer on February 20 2018.

    It wants the court to restrain Ekweremadu from further selling the 22 property identified in the motion pending before it.

    It equally urged the court to grant its reliefs to enable the panel investigate and identify the alleged buyers.

    SPIPRPP’s move against Ekweremadu was said to have been informed by a petition by a retired judge, Justice Innocent  Umezulike.

    In the petition dated March 23,2018,  the retired judge alleged that he was moved by civic responsibility to lodge a complaint to the panel to the effect that the life style of Ekweremadu and the massive property he had acquired were not justified by his source of income.

    The judge urged the panel  to investigate him (Ekweremadu).

    Part of the petition reads: “In sum, from 1999 till date,  he has been in the realms of public office without any break to engage in any personal business.

    “Thus, his emoluments in the past 18 years are easily ascertainable from revenue mobilisation allocation and fiscal commission.

    “Prior to his entry into public office in 1999, he was not a successful lawyer,  he lived in the dirt of high density suburb of Enugu at No:17, Mike Ejeagha Street, Abakpa -Nike, Enugu.

    “Curiously, in a space of 18 years, the suspect has amassed and stashed billions of naira in cash and choice properties strewn in major cities in four continents of the world.”

    He added that the cash is locked up in the vault of two banks.

    The judge to who the case is assigned at the Federal High Court, Abuja could not conduct any proceedings in the case yesterday.

    Justice Binta Nyako adjourned to June 5 for hearing.

     

  • Group holds pro-Buhari rally in London

    Some Nigerians yesterday staged a rally in London in support of President Muhammadu Buhari who is seeking re-election in next year’s polls.

    The protesters rallied in front of the Nigerian High Commission in London.

    Buhari, according to their leader, Stephen Kifordu from Delta State, is resetting the country on the path of growth and development.

    Kifordu told Channels Television that there is no credible alternative to President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo in the 2019 elections, noting that the group represents the aspiration of many Nigerians who want progress for Nigeria.

    Kifordu said Nigeria is attractive to investors because of President Buhari’s fight against corruption in the country.

    He claimed that the previous administration gave room for rot and corrupt activities.

    “We have a President in Nigeria that people can look at and trust that ‘If I invest in Nigeria, my investment will not be stolen.’

    “When we talk of security, he has done security in terms of Boko Haram and in terms of the Niger Delta,” he said.

    Explaining further how President Buhari is ‘resetting’ the country, Kifordu said it is the primary role of the police and not the military to protect Nigerian citizens, and President Buhari is enforcing this.

    “The Police is the number one organisation that takes care of our security. It is only when we are under attack that the military comes in.

    “In past years, we have seen the issue when the military jumps on board without paying regard to the police. Then suddenly when something happens in Nigeria, Mr President says deploy the police, people are saying don’t deploy the police.

    “President Buhari is re-ordering up, he is resetting our country. He is bringing us back to the way things should be.”

    The protest in support of President Buhari came 24 hours after a group of people bearing Biafran flags staged a protest in front of the Commonwealth House in Westminster, London.

    The demonstration took place as President Buhari and other leaders of the Commonwealth nations met on Thursday.

  • PHOTOS: Buhari at CHOGM in London

    President Muhammadu Buhari this morning participated in the Executive Session of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting ( CHOGM ) at Lancaster House, London. He was welcomed by British Prime Minister Theresa May and Sec Gen Patricia Scotland.

    PHOTOS: Buhari at the CHOGM in London
    President Muhammadu Buhari welcomed by British Prime Minister Theresa May and Sec Gen Patricia Scotland.

    Buhari at CHOGM in London

    Buhari at CHOGM in London

    PHOTOS: Buhari at the CHOGM in London

  • UK to announce new £50m malaria programme for Nigeria

    The United Kingdom (UK) says it will announce a new malaria programme worth £50 million in Nigeria that will run until 2024.

    The UK said it would also provide a £9.2 million of new research funds to develop new triple artemisinin combination treatments.

    A statement issued by Ready to Beat Malaria, an NGO, said the UK Government had re-affirmed its commitment to spend £500 million a year on malaria through to 2020-21.

    The statement said that the UK would also announce additional £100 million match fund commitment to the Global Fund to match new contributions from private donors pound for pound.

    It said the funds were part of the Britain’s renewed commitment to accelerate progress against malaria.

    Read Also: http://staging.thenationonlineng.net/fg-ngos-sensitise-community-world-malaria-day/ 

    The statement said the UK government would make this known at the Malaria Summit London 2018, co-hosted by the UK Government, and the Heads of State of Rwanda and Swaziland.

    It said 15 Heads of State and Government from across the Commonwealth were to attend the Malaria Summit together with senior ministerial attendance and leaders from the world of business, science, civil society and international organisations.

    It said the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria would also announce commitments totalling 2 billion dollars from 46 countries affected by malaria between 2018 and 20.

    According to the statement, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will extend its investments in malaria by an additional 1 billion dollars (£700 million) through to 2023.

    It said the 1 billion dollars investment was to reduce the burden of the disease towards ending malaria for good.

    The statement however noted that most effective tools in the fight against malaria such as nets, sprays and treatments are under threat from drug and insecticide resistance.

    “ The malaria parasite and the mosquitoes that carry it are evolving resistance to existing interventions – malaria is fighting back.

    “The Malaria Summit call for new tools to stay ahead of the disease, announcing commitments to invest in future innovations,’’ it said.

    It said GSK is committing to invest a further 175 million dollars in its research and development efforts against malaria.

    The statement added that Novartis would invest more than 100 million dollars through 2023 to advance research and development of next-generation treatments to combat emerging anti-malarial drug resistance.

    It quoted Ms Theresa May, Prime Minister of United Kingdom, saying that: “UK is a proud leader in the fight against malaria, which has seen deaths cut by 60 per cent and saved seven million lives since 2000.

    “We have made a major contribution to that progress, including investing 500million dollars each year over the next three years, developing new drugs and technologies and making life-saving solutions available to millions at risk from malaria.

    “But the job is not yet done. Today there are millions still at risk, economies held back and a child’s life needlessly taken every two minutes from this disease.

    “This is why I am championing a new Commonwealth commitment to halve malaria across member countries by 2023.

    Bill Gates, Co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation who are co-convening the Malaria Summit, said: “History has shown that with malaria there is no standing still – we move forward or risk resurgence.’’

    He added that the commitments made today, from the UK, country leadership and the private sector, show that the world is ready to beat malaria.

    NAN