President Muhammadu Buhari is billed to depart Abuja on Wednesday on a three-day State Visit to the Republic of South Africa.

The trip followed an invitation by President Cyril Ramaphosa, to discuss welfare of Nigerians, and find common grounds for building harmonious relations with their hosts.

The visit comes against the background of recent xenophobic attacks, the evacuation of hundreds of Nigerians and the exchange of visits by Special Envoys of Presidents Buhari and Ramaphosa.

While in South Africa, the Nigerian leader, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, will hold a town hall meeting with Nigerians living in the country, with a view to sharing in their experiences and reassuring them of Nigerian government’s commitment to working for the protection of their lives and property and promoting peaceful co-existence.

President Buhari and his host will preside over the South Africa/Nigeria Bi-National Commission, during which a progress report will be presented.

At the end of the meeting, both leaders will sign a joint communiqué.

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President Buhari and his delegation including Nigerian business representatives will also participate at a South Africa-Nigeria Business Forum with their host counterparts.

President Buhari will be accompanied by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State and Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State.

Others are: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd); Minister of Power, Eng. Saleh Mamman; Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arch. Olamilekan Adegbite; Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi; and Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Amb. Mariam Katagum.

Also on the trip are: National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd); Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; and Chairman/CEO Nigeria Diaspora Commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

The President will return to Abuja on Friday.

A man with a knife-like weapon killed at least one person and wounded nine others at a school in a shopping mall in Finland’s Northern Savonia region.

The suspect, a native Finnish man, was also carrying a firearm and stabbed several people in an attack at the Savo Vocational College located in the Herman shopping centre in the town of Kuopio, according to police.

Officers confirmed they had used firearms and had taken the suspect into custody. A statement from the East Finland Police said at least ten people were harmed during the incident, with two suffering serious injuries.

The apprehended suspect is among those taken to hospital. According to Finnish tabloid Iltalehti, a witness claimed the suspect was a student at the school. He is reported to have pulled a sword from a long bag he carried into class, wielding the weapon against his teacher.

The witness account, and the suspects relationship with the college, is yet to be confirmed by the authorities. Officers have said there is no ongoing threat to the public in relation to the attack, quashing various unsubstantiated rumours of suspects with guns or knives being at large.

“The violence at Savo Vocational College in Kuopio is shocking and completely unacceptable”, Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne said in a statement. ”I have spoken with the Director General of Police and the government is monitoring the situation closely”.

He added: “On behalf of myself and the entire Government, I extend my condolences to all the relatives.”

The nation’s justice minister Anna-Maja Henriksson added: “I strongly condemn the shocking acts of violence that have taken place in Kuopio.

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“My condolences to relatives. Strength to all wounded, their relatives and students and staff of the Vocational College and all Kuopio residents.”

The nation has experience two deadly school attacks in the past 12 years. The first, in 2007, saw a student at Jokela High School to the south of the country shoot 8 people dead before killing himself.

In 2008, a 22-year-old student at a vocational school in Kauhajoki, western Finland, shot 10 dead before turning the gun on himself.

(www.newsnow.co.uk)

In the spirit of the celebration of the 59th independence anniversary of the country, Oyo state Governor Seyi Makinde has called for a change of orientation on the part of all Nigerians by ensuring they put national interests first and above all what he described as “egocentric concepts” that negates the progress of the country.

Noting that the Independence Day celebration used to be marked with funfair, the governor stressed that this year’s edition calls for moments of sober reflections on the state and the nation at large.

Makinde gave the charge on Tuesday at the main bowl of the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan in an address after a commemorative march past led by officers of the Oyo State Command of the Nigerian Police Force.

The march past which is the peak of weeklong events organised by the State Government to celebrate the nation at 59 was witnessed by members of the State Executive Council, top government functionaries, the speaker of the state house of assembly, Mr Adebo Ogundoyin, who led other lawmakers, the state chief judge, Muntar Abimbola who led other members of the judiciary, commissioners, special advisers, heads of ministerial and extra ministerial boards, agencies and parastatals.

Others are traditional rulers, security heads, religious leaders, public and private schools, paramilitary organisations, trade groups, artisans among others.

Makinde who was represented by his deputy, Mr Rauf Olaniyan however assured that notwithstanding the plethora of challenges facing the country, his administration will continue to chart the course that will launch Oyo state into a land of great investments with economic opportunities and agricultural development.

He used the opportunity of the occasion to solicit for the cooperation of the people of the state with his government, promising that he would ensure that all parts of the state is given a sense of belonging in the scheme of things, across religious or political divides.

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Makinde said, “The Independence Day Celebration used to be marked with funfair, but this edition calls for moments sober reflections on the state and the nation at large.

“There is a need to change our orientation to put national interest first above all egocentric concepts that negate the progress of the nation

“The present administration in Oyo state will continue to chart a course that will launch Oyo state into a land of great investments with economic opportunities and agricultural development, so that the state in the not too distant future will be a state of pride to us as before.

“Welfare programmes will be our focus in order to create a good life for all the citizens of Oyo state as we pursue our four policy thrust of agricultural development and its value chain, health, education and security.

“We have a genuine desire to embark on aggressive strategy on mechanized agriculture and agricultural value chain that would not only provide employment for our people but one that would make Oyo State the Food Basket of the Nation.

“In order to achieve a greater level of educational development, we must invest in all-round development of our opportunity for self-development self- reliance and self-actualization by exposing them to trainings that will assist them to become patriotic and responsible citizens in the society.

“Hence the intervention programme flagged-off with the distribution of textbooks and exercise books to all the schools in Oyo state.

“I use the occasion of this year’s celebration to seek the cooperation of all progressive minded people, civil servants, artisans, stakeholders, political leaders and followers. We shall accommodate all interest to ensure that every part of the state have a sense of belonging indifference to political or religious inclination

“As Nigeria celebrates her 59th Independence Anniversary today, I congratulate us and pray that at our time, the dream of Eldorado is achieved. I wish you all a happy low key independence celebration.”

Highpoint of the event includes cultural performance, distribution of prizes for winners at the march past, as well as for essay writing competitions and debate which held earlier.

The event which was witnessed by a large turnout of the members of the public despite the early morning shower also saw heavy presence of security operatives.