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US tightens visa waiver programme

The United States yesterday in Washington, announced tighter security measures for visitors from the 38 countries in its visa waiver programme.

The Department of Homeland Security said the countries included European nations that have seen hundreds of residents traveling to fight with militant groups in Syria and Iraq.

It said the changes required the use of e-passports or paper passports that contain chips carrying biometric information and expand use of U.S. air marshals on international flights.

Meanwhile, some U.S. lawmakers have been urging tighter restrictions on the waiver program which allows citizens from participating countries to enter the U.S. without a visa for stays of 90 days or less.

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, has criticized the programme as vulnerable to abuse, calling it “the Achilles heel” of American efforts to stave off attacks on its soil.

The U.S. intelligence community assessed in February that more than 20,000 foreign fighters, including at least 3,400 westerners, had traveled to the Syria-Iraq region since 2011.

The International Center for the Study of Radicalization said Western fighters in Syria and Iraq have found some of their most willing recruits in Belgium, France and Britain.

The centre said the three countries participated in the visa waiver program, as do many European countries.

Jeh Johnson, Homeland Security Secretary, said in a statement announcing the changes that the current global threat environment required the need to know more about those travelling the U.S.

He said it includes those from countries for which U.S.do not require a visa.

Johnson said the new restrictions also require that participating countries use an international database to screen for lost and stolen passports.

He said the changes build on measures taken in 2014 to require additional information on the application people in visa waiver countries provided to travel to the U.S.

The U.S. Travel Association, an industry group, welcomed the passport security and air marshal changes, but said it would evaluate other ones, including the development of passenger record databases and the screening of asylum-seekers.

Roger Dow, Association President, said though security should always be its first principle, it is well worth keeping in mind how the American economy and job creation benefit when the (visa waiver programme) functions well.

August 8, 2015
Cost of Buhari’s US trip exaggerated, says Presidency

The Presidency yesterday said the N2.2 billion reported as the total cost of President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent trip to the U.S. was grossly exaggerated.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the cost was most minimal in line with the government’s policy to cut waste and extravagance.

According to him, it was not up to 10 per cent of the speculated figure.

The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to an editorial published in the Nigerian Pilot of August 2, 2015 and an earlier report in which the total cost of President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent trip to the U.S. was estimated at N2.2 billion.

“It is very sad that in this age of free-flowing information and in this era of change, a media organisation would make itself available as a vehicle to peddle a lie of such low and ignominious quality.

“Contrary to assertions, the total cost of the trip to the Nigerian taxpayer was at the most minimal, in line with the policy of this administration to cut waste and extravagance.

“In point of fact, the total amount expended on the trip by the Office of the President amounted to nothing near 10 per cent of the speculated figure”.

He said all the personal staff who accompanied the President received reduced allowances because the host provided free accommodation.

“His son, Yusuf, received neither allowances nor estacode. The five governors on the trip each paid his own fare. Permanent Secretaries travelled in accordance with extant rules and none of them exceeded their estacode entitlements.

“Apart from the pilot’s mischievous mathematics, it is short-sighted and misleading of the newspaper to have claimed that the President’s trip achieved nothing.

“President Buhari’s trip was definitely successful and beneficial to Nigeria. Only those determined to find faults will cook up falsehood in a futile effort to rake up murk where none exists,” he said.

August 6, 2015
US offers $.997m training grant to Dangote refinery

The United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has signed an agreement with Dangote Group for a grant of $997,443 for the training of Dangote Oil Refining Company’s per sonnel, a subsidiary of the Group.

The USTDA grant will fund a multi-year programme to train over 100 Dangote Company staff on refinery fundamentals. Through the training, the Dangote staff will be able to operate and maintain the Greenfield Refinery in Lekki, Lagos.

The President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, said during the ceremony that the refinery has installed refining capacity of 650,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) and will be built at a cost of $9 billion.

Dangote said: “Just over a year ago, with our decision to to invest in a $9.0 billion 650,000 bpd refinery project, we decided to address the paradox of Nigeria being one of the world’s largest producer and exporter of crude oil but yet one of the largest importers of refined products. Today the project has commenced and we expect to be in production by first quarter of 2018.

“For such a high tech project investment in getting the right quality of human capital to run the plant is considered to be possibly the most critical success factor for the multi-billion dollar project. We are therefore, most grateful for the generous grant of USD 997,447 from the USTDA towards the training of some of the operators needed to successfully operate and maintain our Greenfield 650,000 bpd capacity refinery at Lekki. This grant from USTDA is consistent with her history of support for infrastructure development in Nigeria.”

USTDA Deputy Director Enoh T. Ebong signed the grant agreement with President of the Dangote Group, Dangote. Ebong said: “USTDA is pleased to support the Dangote Oil Refining Company’s efforts to increase Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity. This programme builds upon USTDA’s long history of support for vital infrastructure development in Nigeria.”

Acting United States’ Consul-General Dehab Ghebreab said the USTDA’s support for the project is an example of the strength and depth of the U.S.-Nigeria bilateral relationship, adding that it will go a long way in laying a ground work for monumental growth in the country.

“I believe that when government and private sector get together, great things can happen. The U.S. government’s goal is to facilitate transactions that are beneficial to both countries and there is no better example than this project. I am pleased that USTDA could assist here,” she said.

August 6, 2015
Photo : US Reps brief press on Boko Haram

VISITING MEMBERS OF U.S. HOUSE OF RPERESENTATIVES,
SHEILA LEE, DARRELL ISSA AND FREDERICA WILSON, ADDRESSING A NEWS CONFERENCE ON BOKO HARAM AND CHIBOK GIRLS IN ABUJA ON TUESDAY

VISITING MEMBERS OF U.S. HOUSE OF RPERESENTATIVES, SHEILA LEE
AND DARRELL ISSA WITH “BRING BACK OUR GIRLS” ADVOCACY
GROUP DURING A NEWS CONFERENCE AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN ABUJA ON TUESDAY

VISITING MEMBERS OF U.S. HOUSE OF RPERESENTATIVES, SHEILA LEE
AND FREDERICA WILSON COMMISERATING WITH ONE OF THE CHIBOK GIRLS
WHO ESCAPED FROM HER ABDUCTORS, MISS REBECCA ISHAKU, DURING A NEWS
CONFERENCE BY THE U.S. CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS IN ABUJA ON TUESDAY

August 4, 2015
Postscript of Buhari’s US visit

President Buhari’s visit to the United States of America (US) has come and gone. And its outcome has meant different things to different people depending on the angle from which it is viewed.

Broadly speaking however, there is no doubt the nation stands to gain from such engagements given the globalization of the world economy and the prime role of the US in its affairs. It was also significant in the sense that it represented a demonstration of confidence by that government in the capacity of our democracy to endure.

Of course, his hosts gave assurances of assistance in the war against the Boko Haram insurgency; the repatriation of looted funds stashed in the vaults of other countries by marauding leaders and such other measures that will aid the nation’s economic development.

But there were two issues in the course of the visit that should not and cannot be glossed over. This is because they seemed to have cast some slur on the overall success of that visit. The two saw the presidency issuing statements ostensibly to contextualize what was said in the course of the event. The first was the statement credited to the President while answering questions from journalists. He had said “going by the election results, constituencies that gave me 95 per cent cannot in all honesty be treated on the same issues with constituencies that gave me five per cent. I think these are political realities. While certainly there will be justice for everybody but the people who voted and made their votes count, they must feel the government has appreciated the efforts they put in putting the government in place”.

The second came from his prepared speech at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). It read, “unwittingly and I dare say, unintentionally the application of the Leahy Law amendment by the US government has aided and abated the Boko Haram terrorist group in the prosecution of its extremist ideology and hate, the indiscriminate killings and maiming of civilians, raping of women and girls, and in other heinous crimes. I believe this is not the spirit of the Leahy Law”.

On both scores, the Special Adviser to the president on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina was quick to issue statements either clarifying what the president actually meant or canvassing positions urging the public to be wary of misconstruing what was actually said. Curiously, in all these interventions, he did not say the president was misquoted but only sought to place the statements within the context he would want them to be understood.

But in doing these, he inadvertently created two sets of problems. The first is the presumption that the larger public is incapable of properly contextualizing both statements and therefore needed to be helped out. How he came about that conclusion remains largely curious. Second, the clarifications also created the impression that either the presidency was very uncomfortable with its position on the two issues after they went public or it was under pressure from some unseen quarters to defend them. There is also the third suggestion that the president only realized the full purport of the statements after they had gone public. The extent to which those seeming clarifications achieved the desired objective remains largely illusory.

Before we go into the context of those statements, it will be helpful to bring into focus Adesina’s clarifications on them. The objective is to fathom if there are any differences between them and what the president actually said.

On how the president will treat those who voted for him, Adesina admitted that what was attributed to the president actually came from him. But then, he contended that the president also said the constitution has guaranteed the rights of every part of the country. According to him, “what this means is that those who voted five per cent will get their due and will not get things commensurate with five per cent votes”. He accused unnamed persons of not balancing the entire statement. The first flaw here is with the concept of what is due to those who voted five per cent. It cannot definitely be the same with what is due to those who voted 95 per cent. There is problem because of the introduction of ratio or proportion. Having brought in this exogenous variable, the clear interpretation is that it will be the prime yardstick for the distributions of the spoils of office. There is absolutely no ambiguity in this. Buhari even went further to admit this consideration as political reality. There are thousand and one angles from which the president could have approached journalists’ question on the matter without bringing in the matter of ratios.

The argument that the constitution guarantees the rights of every part of the country or that there will be fairness for everybody on that account, cannot mitigate the harm in that position. It could even be further developed to imply that but for such constitutional guarantees, the percentage of votes cast in the last elections would be the only determinant of the president’s relations with parts of the country.

If you ask me whether the president should have gone into such comparisons, my answer will be capital No! He could have referred his audience to his much acclaimed inaugural statement that he belongs to nobody and belongs to everybody. That could have sufficed. It was therefore a huge contradiction and monumental error to be talking of percentages in the presence of that international audience. By extrapolation, the president succeeded in saying that he belongs to those who massively voted for him in that election. He has to live with that foreboding reality, attempts to clarify it notwithstanding.

His aide also said in respect of the Leahy Law, the president’s statement was misconstrued. According to him, it should be seen as a passionate appeal to the US government to soften on the law to enable Nigeria intensify action and win the war against Boko Haram. The aspect of the written statement that is said to have been misconstrued and those who misconstrued it is hazy. What that portion of the written speech said is very clear. Being a written speech, the president must have taken time to go through it and possibly agreed with its content before going public. It is a different ball game if the disputed section was not laced in diplomatic niceties; conveyed unintended meaning and thus inappropriate for that audience. The problem with the statement is in its sweeping assertion that the Leahy Law amendment by the US aids and abets the Boko Haram terrorists group. The Leahy Law does not aid and abet the Boko Haram terrorists. Boko Haram is propelled, reinforced and sustained by weird fundamentalist Islamist ideology and the army of their unseen sympathizers. The law only imposes some constraints in the prosecution of the insurgency war. That is the proper perspective. The blame for this vague presentation is still that of the presidency. It was at liberty to have expunged that section if it was sufficiently satisfied it would create doubts for the administration.

Be that as it may, the discomfort of the government with that portion could possibly have arisen from fears from two quarters-one from the host government and the other from the home country. The US was bound to show discomfort with the statement given the wrong impression it created. On the other hand, the presidency is bound to be scarred by its likely interpretation at home. The second plank is more so given the politicization of the issue of human rights abuses in the war against Boko Haram. Before now, much of the reservations of the US government on that war had hinged on this singular issue. It is for the same reason it refused to sell categories of arms and ammunitions to the last regime. Discomfort could have been aided by the fear that the new regime was about to fall into the same trap.

There is also the issue of local propaganda. Those who opposed the previous regime had made issues out of its purported human rights abuses. Amnesty International has also been notorious for levying copious allegations along this line without regard for the grave human rights abuses by the fundamentalist group. It would appear this dialectic is at the heart of the current discomfort.

August 3, 2015
Gains of Buhari’s visit to US

Being the first since the transfer of power from one political party to the other, President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent visit to the United States of America is an epoch-making event. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN looks at the benefits the country is likely to derive from the renewal of bilateral relations between the two countries.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent visit to the United States of America has opened a new chapter in the bilateral relations between the two countries. The moment the visit was made public, the question on the lips of most Nigerians was, what are the benefits of such a visit to the country? Washington had bluntly refused to sell arms to the Nigerian government in the twilight of the immediate past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, ostensibly because of the accusation of human rights abuses by the military. The general expectation was that the visit would provide an opportunity to explain the Nigerian side of the story to the US and secure a fresh arms deal. But, at the end of the day, it is difficult to say whether such expectations were met or not.

So, what does Nigeria really stand to gain from the visit? A university lecturer, Dr David Aworawo, said the visit would impact positively on Nigeria’s image. According to him, the international community is beginning to see the country in good light.

Aworawo, a senior lecturer in the Department of History and International Studies, University of Lagos (UNILAG), said: “President Buhari’s visit will further strengthen our diplomatic relations with America. Nigerians in America will have a better deal. The visit will get Nigeria out of the cold, which our past government has put us. At least we will get out of America’s list of blacklisted countries.

“Buhari seems to be the first Nigerian government to enjoy the trust and confidence of the United States of America. For once America is ready to do business with Nigeria like never before. He is someone the American government feel will bring about the desired change. Definitely, our president’s visit will enhance the bilateral relations between the two countries.”

To the former Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, the president’s visit was successful and the gains are too many. “It is a measure of goodwill Obama and the United States government has for President Buhari and his administration. That goodwill goes beyond America; it also extends to international community especially, the western world.”

Security

Mamora said it was an opportunity to give Obama first hand briefing on the level of assistance needed in combating Boko Haram in terms of military assistance. He noted that under former President Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria did not get the kind of assistance required from America mainly because of the poor perception of his administration. “The United States did not have confidence in Jonathan’s administration, so the military assistance to combat the insurgency was not there. But now that Washington is ready to work with Buhari’s administration, he is confident of the military assistance from US,” he added.

A university don, Dr Adetunji Ogunyemi, said since the greatest challenge facing Nigeria today is insecurity and that President Buhari’s visit had afforded Nigeria the opportunity of presenting her security problems to the US. This, he said, would assist the country in the following areas: intelligence gathering; supply of weapons and ammunition; and the training of Nigerian security personnel in counter-insurgency tactics. He said the US has a wealth of experience in the above areas, because of her long engagements with similar challenges in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq in the last two and half decades.

But, Aworawo has ruled out possibilities of supply of arms from the North American country because of a subsisting rule that forbids the government from selling arms to the countries grappling with insurgency. Thus, he believes nothing concrete will come from Buhari’s visit, as far as supply of arms is concerned.

Nevertheless, observers still believe that one major thing Nigeria stands to gain from Buhari’s visit is America’s support in the fight against Boko Haram. At a press briefing after holding talks with Buhari, United States’ Secretary of State John Kerry, affirmed his country’s support for Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram. With America proposal to set up an African military base likely to have its headquarters in Nigeria, it will definitely boost the country’s security.

Anti-graft war

Another thing Nigeria stands to gain from the visit is America’s support for Buhari anti-graft war. Mamora said the American government promised to assist Nigeria in fighting corruption, particularly in tracing looted funds “warehoused” in American banks, which Washington has promised to repatriate back to the country.

Ogunyemi agrees with Mamora’s position. He said the visit would enhance the bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the fight against corruption, particularly as the US has promised to help identify, seize and repatriate funds stolen by former government officials, so that the new administration can use same to stabilise the balance of payments situation and the cash crunch problem facing it.

Economy

Analysts are optimistic that the fresh rapprochement between Nigeria and America will boost American investments in the country. Over the past few years America has faced serious threats and competition from China and India over African markets like Nigeria. America knows that Nigeria’s economy is the largest in the continent and is perhaps interested in leveraging on it to boost her economy. This new relation will definitely see America doing business with Nigeria more than ever before. More American investments in Nigeria will generate huge employment opportunities and boost the economy.

An economist, Dr Emmanuel Ezira, said it is possible that the US may reconsider buying the country’s oil. Contrary to widespread belief, Ezira said the US did not stop buying Nigerian oil because of shale oil, but as a punitive measure against the introduction of the Petroleum Industry Bill. He premised his argument on the fact that the US still buys Saudi Arabia’s oil which, according to him, is not better than Nigeria’s but costs far more to transport to the US.

But, Aworawo does not agree. He said Nigeria had no prospects of selling more oil to the US, because the North American country is self-sufficient. “She is second or third largest producer of crude in the world by producing 9.2 million barrels per day. They don’t need our oil for now; it has nothing to do with the strain in diplomatic relations under the former administration. It is because the US now produce enough for its local needs.”

Ezira said the new friendship will make Nigeria navigate the global economic and trade diplomacy with less difficulty. He said the visit will make Buhari’s efforts to recover Nigeria’s stolen hundreds of billions of dollars kept overseas by former government officials easy to find and repatriate. “Even if the US for whatever reasons is not willing to invest in Nigeria, the truth is that America has laundered Nigeria’s image and presented her as a serious investment destination for serious-minded global investors. The visit has once again confirmed Nigeria’s status in today’s world as the most beautiful bride that everyone wants to befriend at all costs,” he said.

Mamora is confident that the level of trade between the US and Nigeria will increase with Buhari as leader of the country. According to him, “the trip offers the US and her people the opportunity to know there is a serious government in Nigeria that they can rely on in doing business in the country. They want to invest in Nigeria and they want to be sure they are doing business in a country with a serious leadership, where their interest can be protected.”

Improved relations

Nigeria’s relation with the US may likely improve under Buhari’s leadership. The relations turned sour over the failure of the Jonathan’s administration and the military to deal decisively with the Boko Haram insurgency, particularly the inability to locate the over 200 Chibok girls kidnapped by the terrorists. Angered by the refusal of the US to sell helicopter gunships to Nigeria, Jonathan retaliated by halting a US military training programme for the Nigerian military.

The first step towards normalising relations with Nigeria, according to White House, was Obama’s invitation to Buhari for a state visit, immediately after he was declared the winner of the March 28 presidential election. “This feels to us like Nigeria is at an important moment in which there can be real reforms across the board. We are looking forward to what we can do with a President who has staked out an agenda that we think is the right agenda at the right time. The visit emphasises US commitment to strengthening and expanding our partnership with Nigeria’s new government,” Grant Harris, senior director for African Affairs at the National Security Council told reporters.

Ogunyemi said the visit has enhanced Nigeria-US bilateral relations, after many years of significant lull. “To be received by the US President for four days is no small deal in real international diplomacy and countries that qualify for this, especially on invitation by the US President (unlike Benjamin Netanyau of Israel who invited himself earlier in the year) is a significant public relations achievement for any country,” he said.

On what the US stands to gain from Buhari’s visit, he said it was a re-launch of her friendships with Africa’s largest democracy and population. He said: “This is significant for the projection of America’s influence in Africa, particularly in the light of increasing Chinese presence and likely dominance of Africa’s investment and mining industry.

“It is an opportunity of a bilateral coalition in stopping or, at least, reducing the expansion of ISIS’s influence in the whole of Africa. Remember after Iran and North Korea, ISIS is the next hater and enemy of US’s interest in the whole world. Hence, it is not in the US’s long term strategic interest to see that ISIS has a foot-hold in Nigeria or sympathisers in the government.”

Buhari’s visit has stirred up a lot of expectations of better things from the US. But, only time will tell if these expectations will materialise.

July 28, 2015
NIBSS, OIS Services extend BVN to US, UK, others

The Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) and an international technology firm, OIS Services, have extended the Bank Verification Number (BVN) registration to account holders in the United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK), China and India.

This was disclosed at the weekend by the NIBSS Managing Director/CEO, Ade Shonubi during a meeting with the reporters at the weekend, in Lagos.

He said that 18 million bank accounts have been enrolled since the project began over a year ago and that it is the primary responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure that bank customers are identified and their accounts fully secured.

Shonubi explained that the BVN enables each individual to have a single identification within the financial system and gives each customer maximum protection and security of transactions. “In many advanced countries, biometric technologies have been used to analyse human characteristics as an enhanced form of authentication for real-time security processes. Biometrics refers to identifying an individual based on physiological or behavioral attributes – fingerprint, signature among others. The customers unique BVN is accepted as a means of identification across all banks,” he said.

He said that the handler of the offshore BVN Registration, OIS Services, is experienced on the job, given that it had conducted similar exercises in other countries before.

Shonubi said the firm was engaged because in many countries, the law prevents data of their nationals captured abroad and that OIS Services is already conducting the registration exercise at the Nigerian embassies in those countries.

“We looked at the Nigerian embassies and we were confident that they can help implement the project. We also looked at the issue of cost. We made applications to some countries, and we are waiting for approvals. We need people who are already on ground and OIS was duly qualified,” he said.

He said that NIBSS data will remain local, for its own protection and that a 50 Pounds Sterling fee is to be paid by bank customers registering abroad.

He said the collaboration between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and banks have helped to get more customers enrolled within the West Africa sub region, adding that Ecobank Plc and Diamond Bank Plc are all involved in the West African registration.

Head, BVN Project in NIBSS, Seyi Ademonsu said that to achieve a seamless registration process, OIS Services is now conducting appointment booking for bank customers in the UK, who are required to enroll with after providing their identity cards.

He said that BVN gives a unique identity that can be verified across the banking industry making it easier for customers’ bank accounts to be protected from unauthorised access. It is expected to address issues of identity theft, and reduce exposure to fraud in the banking sector.

Adenmosun said the BVN would also provide a uniform industrially accepted unique identity for customers and authenticate transactions without the use of cards using only biometric features and PIN.

Collaborating Bankers’ Committee position, Adenmosun said “the enrolment process is simple and easy”. He explained those banks customers are expected to walk into any branch of you’re their bank, fill and submit the BVN Enrolment form and also do data capturing (such as fingerprint, facial image among others.

He said an acknowledgment slip with the transaction identity is issued to the customer. Within 24 hours, the system confirms the application, the BVN is generated, and SMS is sent to the customer for pickup.

He said a customer can only enroll once, while his BVN will be linked to all his bank accounts across Nigeria banks. “The BVN solution is to ensure accountability, protect bank customers’ account from unauthorised access, reduce exposure to fraud, check identity theft, enhance credit advancement to Bank customers, and also encourage financial inclusion,” he said.

He said the initiative addresses issues of identity theft and ensures that your bank accounts is protected from unauthorised access, thus reducing your exposure to fraud. It will also promote a safe and sound financial system in the country, especially as it will keep records of suspected fraudulent individuals in the banking system.

“It will make life and banking operations easy for bank customers as BVN is accepted as a means of identification across all banks in Nigeria. This will improve speed of service and reduce queues in banking halls.

At the point of enrolment, individuals shall be required to submit an acceptable means of identification, and update their information at the bank branch physically. Customers of banks will be required to enroll within a fixed period after which they shall no longer be able to operate their bank accounts,” he said.

July 27, 2015
Boko Haram: Presidency denies report indicting US

The presidency has denied claims in the local and international media that President Muhammadu Buhari has accused or indicted the United States Government of helping the terrorist group.

Special Adviser to the President on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, said in a statement that such reports are not only unfortunate, but misinterpretation and distortion of the President’s remarks at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) during his official visit to Washington DC.

According to the statement; “Indeed, President Buhari made it abundantly clear in those remarks, copies of which were circulated to the media, that he was convinced that the United States could never support groups such as Boko Haram.

“I know the American people cannot support any group engaged in these crimes.

“The regrets expressed by President Buhari at USIP about the impact of the application of the law on Nigeria’s war against Boko Haram and terrorism cannot be construed as an indictment of President Barack Obama and the United States Government who have publicly and privately declared their preparedness to give the Buhari Administration the fullest possible support and assistance,” the statement reads.

It added, “Within the context in which they were made, President Buhari’s comments on the adverse effect of the Leahy Law on Nigeria’s efforts to contain Boko Haram’s atrocious acts of terrorism should only be taken as a passionate appeal for even greater understanding and support from a very powerful and longstanding ally.

“President Buhari has nothing but the highest possible regard for President Obama, the United States Government, the people of the United States, their laws and institutions.

“The President had very successful and useful talks with President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry, other high-ranking US government officials and members of United States Congress during his visit to Washington DC.

“It is his expectation that those talks will lead to better mutual understanding and a further deepening of bilateral relations between Nigeria and the United States, especially in Nigeria’s current priority areas of defence and security cooperation.”

July 24, 2015
Nigerian artistes dominate AFRIMMA nominee list

Just after their haul of awards at the recent MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA) which held last Saturday, Nigerian artistes again may repeat that feat as they dominate the nominee list of the African Muzik Magazine Awards, AFRIMMA.

The annual event, which is in its second edition, celebrates African music and heritage and will honour some top African musicians, producers and cultural influencers with awards in 28 different categories. It is scheduled to hold on October 10, at the Black Academy of Arts and Letters, Dallas, US.

The awards segmented the artistes across different regions; West, East, Central, North and Southern Africa.

In the West Africa category, Davido, Wizkid, Flavour and Olamide, are in competition with Serge Beynaud (Ivory Coast), Sarkodie (Ghana), Carlou D (Senegal) and Stonebwoy (Ghana) for the Best Male West Africa category while Yemi Alade and Tiwa Savage will slog it out with Wiyaala (Ghana), Viviane Chidid (Senegal), Teeyah (Ivory Coast), Becca (Ghana), Almok (Togo) and Efya (Ghana) for the Best Female West Africa award.

Also nominated for 2015 AFRIMMA are Wizkid for Ojuelegba, Korede Bello for Godwin and Lil Kesh ft Olamide and Davido for Shoki (Song of the Year), Flavour, Davido, Wizkid and Yemi Alade (Artiste of the Year), P-Square (Best African Group), Wale, Nneka, Asa, Jidenna and Tinnie Tempah (Crossing Boundaries with Music Award), Timaya and Patoranking (Best Dancehall Artiste), Lil Kesh ft Olamide and Davido for Shoki, Olamide for Shakiti Bobo (Best Dance in a Video), Sammy Okposo, Nikki Laoye and Uche Agu (Best Gospel Artiste), Flavour (Best Traditional Artiste) and Kiss Daniel, Korede Bello and Lil Kesh (Best Newcomer).

Nigerian artistes for the special AFRIMMA categories also include Bracket ft. Diamond and Tiwa Savage for Alive, P Square ft Dave Scott for Bring it On (AFRIMMA Inspirational Song) and Sound Sultan and 2Face (AFRIMMA Humanitarian Artiste).

July 22, 2015
Buhari’s delegation to US

Members of President Muhammadu Buhari’s delegation to US on arrival at the Joint Base Andrews Airport, W, DC

July 20, 2015