President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday met behind closed doors with the President of Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic president, Brahim Ghali
The meeting started around 1.05pm at the President’s office.
It was still ongoing at the time of filing this report.
Details shortly…
Aminu Iya Abbas, a member representing Uba/Gaya state constituency in Adamawa State, has emerged speaker of the state House of Assembly.
Abbas was elected unopposed Thursday during the inauguration of the 7th Assembly in Yola after his opponents stepped down for him.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had been on the verge of losing the seat when four among the 13 members of the party in the 7th Assembly had been competing for it.
The party stepped in at the 11th hour, however, to make the other three PDP contenders to drop their ambition and to support Abbas.
Also, the immediate past speaker, Kabiru Mijinyawa who is of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and who was also in the race, decided to quit, clearing the path for Abbas to become the brand new speaker.
Details shortly…
A 40-year-old divorcee, Adebowale Ajayi, who allegedly defiled two girls was on Thursday in Lagos remanded at the Kirikiri Prisons by an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.
When the case was mentioned, the Magistrate, Mrs B.O. Osunsanmi, did not take the plea of the defendant.
Osunsanmi ordered that he be kept behind bars pending the receipt of legal advice from the state Director of Public Prosecutions (DPPs).
Ajayi, who resides in Meiran, Lagos, is being tried for defilement.
The Prosecutor, ASP Ezekiel Ayorinde, told the court that defendant committed the offence on March 25 at his residence.
Ayorinde said that the case was reported and the defendant was arrested.
He said that Ajayi unlawfully had sexual intercourse with the girls aged 12 and 13.
“The defendant lured the girls into his room and defiled them in turns. He threatened to kill them if they told anybody.”
“The mother of one of the girls discovered that her daughter had been defiled when she slept carelessly with her legs open, revealing her private parts.
“The mother questioned her and the girl told her what the defendant did to her,” he said.
The prosecutor said the offence violated Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the section prescribes life imprisonment for defilement.
The case was adjourned until July 15 for mention.
Kaduna State House of Assembly (KSHA) has re-elected Aminu Abdullahi Shagali as its Speaker for the 6th assembly beginning Thursday.
39 years old Aminu Shagali was first elected into the state assembly in 2011, to represent Sabon Gari constituency.
He became the speaker of the assembly in 2015 following the emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the ruling political party in the state.
Shagali’s re-election did not, however, come as a surprise, as the leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state, Governor Nasir El-Rufai had since made case for his return as speaker.
Governor El-Rufai had shortly after his re-election urged the lawmakers to maintain the leadership of the assembly, which he said had worked tirelessly with the executive to deliver good governance to the people of Kaduna state.
Niger state has gotten its first female Head of Service as Governor Abubakar Sani Bello approves the appointment of the Secretary to the Niger State Government (SSG), Head of Service (HOS) and his Chief Of Staff (COS).
The announcement of the appointments was contained in a statement issued by Musa Rogo Ibrahim, Permanent Secretary, Special Duties overseeing General Services.
The Governor approved the appointment of Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matane as the new Secretary to the Government of Niger State, Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe as the new Chief of Staff to the Governor and Hajiya Salamatu Abubakar as the new Head of Service of Niger State.
According to the statement, the appointments of Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe and Hajiya Salamatu Abubakar to these positions are based on merit, proven integrity and outstanding record of performance in their previous assignments.
The Permanent Secretary stressed that the SSG, COS and HOS are expected to bring their knowledge, administrative skills and wealth of experience to bear in the performance of their new assignments by working assiduously to justify the confidence reposed in them.
“The Governor congratulates them on the appointments and wishes them success and Allah’s guidance in the performance of the arduous duties of their Offices.”
The new Head of Service, Hajiya Salamatu Abubakar is the present Permanent Secretary, Establishment in the Office of Head of Service of Niger State.
The new Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matane was the former Head of Service of Niger State and Commissioner of Agriculture while Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe was the immediate past Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
About 2, 084, representing ten per cent of the 20, 532 victims of trafficked persons to Europe between 2015 to 2016 are Nigerians, the European Union Deputy Head of Delegation to Nigeria, Mr. Richard Young, has said.
He disclosed this during a conference on international action on illegal migration and trafficking in persons in Abuja.
The conference, which had Strengthening a multi-stakeholder partnership and creating cooperation in curbing illegal migration and human trafficking as its theme was organised by Nigerian Young Professionals Forum (NYPF).
Mr. Young urged the Federal Government to be tough on the crime and causes of trafficking in the country.
According to him, illegal migration and trafficking remained a major that requires a consensus effort to address.
He said the scourge required an honest, comprehensive and integrated approach to address.
The Chairman/Founder, NYPF, Moses Siasia, said that government at all levels must create economic opportunities for young Nigerians if this problem must be addressed.
He said this role should not be left to governments alone, adding that the private sector should be involved in creating economic pathways for young people.
Siasia said the organisation will train and empower victims of human trafficking so that they can add value to the society.
The Director-General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP), Julie Okah-Donli, said the agency is working with embassies and relevant law enforcement agencies to curb human trafficking.
Represented by the agency’s Director of Public Enlightenment, Arinze Orakwue, the DG said the agency has extended its partnership to the private sector and captains of industries to encourage them to focus their corporate social responsibilities to support the fight against trafficking in the country.
A High Court sitting in Awka on Thursday fixed July 3 for ruling in a suit seeking the removal of the Executive of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian (ASUU), Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) branch held in 2018.
NAN reports that a lecturer with the NAU, Dr Chris Abakare, sued the ASUU over irregularities in its recently held election.
Justice Peace Otti, who was supposed to deliver the ruling on Thursday, fixed the new date, adding:” the ruling is not read,”.
NAN reports that Abakare, specifically claimed that he was wrongfully disqualified from participating in the process based on what he called election malpractice resulting from ‘proposed’ guideline introduced after the process of election had begun.
He contended that his disqualification was unlawful, insisting that he met all the criteria needed for him to participate in the election.
Abakare had contested for the position of the chairman of the union in the election but lost to Dr Stephen Ufoaroh.
Abakare, in suit No.A/295/2018, filed by his lawyer, O.M. Madukaife, contended that he was unjustly disqualified from contesting the election and prayed the court to set aside the exercise.
Other defendants are Prof Okey Agu, Dr Okechukwu Nwafor, Prof. Dennis Aribodor (immediate past chairman), Dr Kinsley Ubaoji.
A second person has died of Ebola in Uganda, just days after the first case was detected in the country, the health ministry said on Thursday.
The 50-year-old woman who died on Wednesday night was the grandmother of a 5-year-old boy who became the country’s first victim of the highly infectious virus after returning from a trip to Congo, where over 1,000 people had died in the latest outbreak.
A 3-year-old child was also confirmed to have the disease and is still hospitalised.
Seven other people suspected of having Ebola are also in an isolation ward near the border with north-east Congo.
“She passed on yesterday at Bwera health centre but the baby, her grandson, is still alive,’’ health ministry spokesman Emmanuel Ainebyoona told dpa.
The government has stepped up health control measures among communities along the Congo border.
These include urging people to wash their hands with soap, avoid shaking hands or hugging and report people with Ebola-like symptoms.
Authorities are also telling people to avoid large gatherings in places of worship and at markets, as well as funerals and weddings.
Sen. Ahmad Lawan, on Thursday, performed his first plenary assignment as the new Nigeria’s Senate President, swearing in Sen. Rochas Okorocha, representing Imo West Senatorial District.
The event took place immediately after the Senate had taken the prayers, approval of votes and proceedings at plenary in the red chamber in Abuja
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lawan and Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege were on Tuesday elected by the lawmakers as senate president and deputy senate president respectively.
However, the name of Okorocha, the immediate-past governor of Imo was missing from the senators-elect from the state as a result of the Independent National Electrical Commission (INEC)’s inability to give him a certificate of return.
At Thursday:s plenary, Okorocha took the Oath of Office at the chamber at about 10:39 am.
He then advanced to the senate president to have a handshake after signing the necessary documents.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday met behind closed doors with the Liberian President, George Weah.
The meeting started around 11.35a.m when Weah arrived the forecourt of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Weah was in Abuja for the June 12th 2019 Nigeria’s Democracy Day celebration.
The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.
Details soon…