Echotitbits – Nigeria News

Tag: nigeria

  • Buhari Nominates Ademola Seriki, Sarafa Ishola, Others as Ambassadors

    Buhari Nominates Ademola Seriki, Sarafa Ishola, Others as Ambassadors

    President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday nominated 41 non-career ambassadors-designate.

    Buhari, in a letter addressed to Senate President Ahmad Lawan, requested the lawmakers to confirm the nominees.

    The President also nominated one career ambassador-designate, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The nominees are: Engr. Umar Suleiman (Adamawa); L.S. Mandama (Adamawa); Oboro Effiong Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Chief Elejah Onyeagba (Anambra); Abubakar D. Ibrahim Siyi (Bauchi); Philip K. Ikurusi (Bayelsa); Hon. Tarzcor Terhemen (Benue); Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue); Al-Bishir Ibrahim Al-Hussain (Borno); Brig Gen. Bwala Yusuf Bukar (Borno); Prof. Monique Ekpong (Cross River); Oma Djebah (Delta); Ominyi N. Eze (Ebonyi); Yamah Mohammed Musa (Edo); Maj. Gen. C. O. Ugwu (Enugu); and Dr. Hajara I. Salim (Gombe).

    Others are: Obiezu Ijeoma Chinyerem (Imo); Ali M. Magashi (Jigawa); Prof. M. A. Makarfi (Kaduna); Hamisu Umar Takalmawa (Kano); Imam Galandanci (Kano); Amina Ado Kurawa (Kano); Amb. Yahaya Lawal (Katsina); Dare Sunday Awoniyi (Kogi); Ibrahim Kayode Laaro (Kwara), Abioye Bello (Kwara); Zara Maazu Umar (Kwara); Ademola Seriki (Lagos); Henry John Omaku (Nasarawa); Chief Sarafa Tunji Ishola (Ogun); Mrs. Nimi Akinkube (Ondo); Adejaba Bello (Osun); Adeshina Alege (Oyo); Debo Adesina (Oyo); Ms. Folakemi Akinyele (Oyo); Shehu Abdullahi Yibaikwai (Plateau); Hon. Maureen Tamuno (Rivers); Faruk Yabo (Sokoto); Adamu M. Hassan (Taraba); Alhaji Yusuf Mohammed (Yobe); and Abubakar Moriki (Zamfara).

    Idowu Sowunmi

  • NAPAC NJ Drums Supports for Black Lives Matter, Condemns Horrible Treatment of African Americans

    NAPAC NJ Drums Supports for Black Lives Matter, Condemns Horrible Treatment of African Americans

    Idowu Sowunmi

    The Nigeria American Public Affairs Committee (NAPAC) in New Jersey, the United States of America has expressed support towards the “Black Lives Matter” movement, saying it could no longer keep quiet in the face of oppression.

    While noting that Blacks are Blacks everywhere in the world, NAPAC condemned in strong words the horrible and partial treatment being meted out to the Black people in the USA.

    NAPAC NJ, in a statement by its Chairperson, Amb. Hon. Olamide Davies Talabi, denounced the one per cent Candace in the USA, explaining that this category of people does not represent the Blacks’ collective views.

    Talabi added that the Black community has lost so many people to senseless police brutality, including Chinedu Okobi (Nigerian); Momodu Lamin Sisay (Gambian); Matthew Ajibade (Nigerian); George Floyd; Breonna Taylor; and others.

    According to her, “NAPAC NJ proudly supports Black Lives Matter and the fight against injustice.

    “A mentor once told me: ‘You are either on the left or on the right side, try not to be neutral on important issues.’

    “As Africans, we have picked a side which is on the right side of history to call out racism and the ill treatment of blacks in the USA.

    “We denounce the one per cent Candace amongst us. They do not represent us or our collective views. We can no longer stay silent in the midst of oppression. As a community we know that our African American brothers and sisters paved the way for the freedom African immigrants are enjoying in this country.

    “We know that Blacks are Blacks everywhere in the world; we are one.

    “We strongly condemn in strong words the horrible and partial treatment given to Black people in the USA. As a community we have lost so many people to senseless police brutality.

    “May the souls of Chinedu Okobi (Nigerian); Momodu Lamin Sisay (Gambian); Matthew Ajibade (Nigerian); George Floyd; Breonna Taylor; and many more that we don’t know due to lack of footage continue to rest in peace.”

  • King of Belgium expresses deep regret over Leopold’s Acts of Violence in Congo DRC

    King of Belgium expresses deep regret over Leopold’s Acts of Violence in Congo DRC

    Idowu Sowunmi

    King Philippe of Belgium has sent his “deepest regrets” to President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for the “suffering and humiliation” his nation inflicted while it colonised the region but stopped short of apologising for his ancestor Leopold II’s atrocities, CNN has reported.

    On the 60th anniversary of the DRC’s independence, King Philippe wrote a letter to President Tshilombo in which he admitted that “to further strengthen our ties and develop an even more fruitful friendship, we must be able to talk about our long common history in all truth and serenity.”

    Philippe is a descendent of Leopold II, who owned what was then called Congo Free State between 1885 and 1908 and ruled its people brutally, exploiting their labour and committing atrocities against them. Historians estimate that under Leopold’s rule, as many as 10 million people died.

    “Our history is made of common achievements but has also experienced painful episodes. During the period of the Congo Free State, acts of violence and cruelty were committed, which still weigh on our collective memory,” the King wrote.

    “The colonial period which followed also caused suffering and humiliation,” the letter adds, referring to the subsequent 52 years of rule by the Belgian state until Congo’s independence and the formation of the DRC. Leopold had ruled the region personally until 1908.

    “I would like to express my deepest regrets for these wounds of the past, the pain of which is now revived by the discrimination still too present in our societies,” he added.

    A reassessment of Belgium’s colonial legacy has taken place in the wake of the global Black Lives Matter protests. Several statues depicting the former leader have been taken down in the country.

    Earlier this month, Belgium’s parliament approved an inquiry into its colonial history.

    “I welcome the process of reflection that our parliament has started, so that we may finally make peace with our memories,” the King wrote.

    But he did not take the opportunity to apologise to the DRC for the acts committed by Leopold II or by Belgian governments until 1960.

    With no offer of visas, very few Congolese people came to Belgium until very recently — so while the country became home to people from a number of European nations, colonial sentiments towards African cultures have never been fully shaken off in the country.

    That has led to a number of high-profile incidents of blackface in the country, including by leading politicians.

    Last year, a group of UN human rights experts visited several cities in Belgium and found “clear evidence that racial discrimination is endemic in institutions in Belgium.”

    A Leopold II statue in Antwerp was removed after Black Lives Matter protests swept around the globe earlier this month, while another opposite Brussels’ Royal Palace has been repeatedly covered in anti-racist graffiti.

    Els Van Hoof, a Belgian MP who leads the chamber of representative’s foreign affairs committee, says the parliamentary inquiry may tackle the question of what to do with statues of Leopold II, though the exact scope of work has yet to be determined.

  • Abia Govt. to EFCC – Unseal state PPP properties in 7 days

    Abia Govt. to EFCC – Unseal state PPP properties in 7 days

    Abia State government has given the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seven days ultimatum to remove all the offensive notices placed on some assets and estates of Abia State government.

    The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Abia State, Chief Uche Ihediwa gave the ultimatum while briefing news men on the recent development in the State, where the EFCC sealed off some properties purported to belong to a highly placed politician in the State. Chief Ihediwa demanded the EFCC to tender an unreserved apology to the State within seven days in view of the inconvenience its action has caused the State, failure of which the State would take appropriate redress in court.

    He explained that those assets marked by the EFCC belong to the State government, also that Abia government duly entered into partnership arrangements with credible investors for the development of those properties under public private partnerships while the reversionary interest in the properties still resides in the State government.

    Chief Ihediwa informed that the law establishing the EFCC makes it clear that the Commission can only seal property of persons under investigation and noted that ownership of the property in question is not under investigation. He recalled that in 2016, the same EFCC investigated the ownership of most of those property and the certificates of occupancy and public private partnership agreements between the State government and investors of the various assets.

    The Commissioner described the action of the EFCC as unwarranted and unlawful, regretting why the agency did not write the State government to find out the ownership of the said property whose title documents are domiciled in the State Ministry of Lands. He stated that the action of the EFCC has caused harm to the State economy by scaring investors from the State.

    The assets sealed by the EFCC include; The Abia Mall, the Adelabu Housing Estate, the former township main market at Ogwumabiri, the Millenium Luxury Apartment, Abia hotels and Linto estate, Old Timber Market, all in Umuahia.

  • Security Breach: Buhari appoints new Chief Personal Security Officer  

    Security Breach: Buhari appoints new Chief Personal Security Officer  

    Idowu Sowunmi

    Following the investigation ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari into the ugly brawl at the State House involving his personal assistant and security personnel attached to the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, the President Monday approved the appointment of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Aliyu Abubakar Musa, as his new Chief Personal Security Officer (CPSO).

    It would be recalled that there was an incident at the Villa, which was triggered by the First Lady, who led a security operation to insist that one of the aides of the President, Sabiu ‘Tunde’ Yusuf, must self-isolate on arrival from Lagos State, where he had gone to see his wife who had just been delivered of a baby.

    The incident led to a shooting which caused a security breach at the Villa.

    This led to Buhari’s decision to order an investigation into the matter.

    The aftermath of the investigation led to the appointment of Musa.

    The new CPSO, from Nigerian Police Force Zone 5 in Benin City as his last station, hails from Niger State, said a statement by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu

    Musa’s appointment followed the redeployment of his predecessor, Commissioner of Police (CP), Abdulkarim Dauda.

    Analysts speculated that some other security officers may be affected by the developing situation.

  • Foremost industrialist, Bode Akindele, is Dead

    Foremost industrialist, Bode Akindele, is Dead

    Idowu Sowunmi

    One of Nigeria’s foremost industrialist, Chief Bode Akindele is dead.

    Akindele, who until his death was the Chairman of Madandola Group, died at the age of 88 on Monday in Lagos.

    He was a renowned businessman who in his latter years was involved in philanthropy culminating in the establishment of the Bode Akindele Yield Initiative (BAYI) targeted at youth development and empowerment.

    Akindele, who was Parakoyi of Ibadanland, was often described as businessman extraordinary and plenipotentiary, who had Sainsbury, Asda, Walmart, and others as tenants on his properties in London.

    A successful entrepreneur and a renowned industrialist, Akindele was born on June 2, 1932. His father, Pa Joshua Laniyan Akindele, was a Chief Tax Clerk for the Western Region and as such his position could be equated to that of the Chairman of the Inland Revenue today and his mother, Rabiatu Adedigba, was a wealthy Ibadan trader who was politically influential. It’s a known fact that Alhaja Rabiatu was the first woman to go to Mecca in Ibadan.

    Akindele’s business empire operates under the name Modandola Group of Companies, named after his mother, which translates to ‘God, if you give me the wealth, give me a child that can take care of it.’

    Madandola Group spans from maritime to properties, manufacturing, real estates, investments, finance and flour milling with its headquarters in the United Kingdom.

    The Fairgate Group, (a company owned by Akindele, located on Bond Street, London, England), deals mainly in properties. Some of its tenants include giant retail stores like Sainsbury and Asda Wall Mart. As at the last quantification, Fairgate Group was said to be worth over a billion pounds sterling.

    Among the subsidiaries of the Madandola Group making waves in the business world include: Standard Breweries, Ibadan; Diamond Foods Limited, Ibadan; United Beverages Limited, Ibadan; Associated Match Industry, Ibadan; merged with Ilorin, Port-Harcourt and Lagos to form a company with a large share of the Nigerian market and Standard Flour Mills in Lagos.

  • Breaking: Giadom hands over to APC caretaker committee chairman, Buni

    Breaking: Giadom hands over to APC caretaker committee chairman, Buni

    Idowu Sowunmi

    The former Acting National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Victor Giadom, on Monday handed over to the Chairman of the party’s Caretaker / Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee, Mai Mala Buni.

    The handing over ceremony was held behind closed doors at the National Working Committee conference room at the APC National Secretariat, Abuja.

    Giadom assured members of the committee of his readiness to support and partner with the team towards the realisation of the party’s goals.

    “I, Chief Hon Victor Giadom, the outgoing Acting National Chairman, today Monday 29th of June 2020 hands over to the Chairman and members of the National Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress.

    “I assure the Committee of my readiness to partner with them to achieve the Party’s goals and objectives towards a successful National Convention. I pray that the almighty God grants you wisdom to pilot the affairs of the Party,” he said.

    Commenting on developments which led to him handing over to the caretaker committee, he said, “I feel extremely grateful to God and also extremely grateful to the leadership of our own party especially Mr. President, Commander-in-Chief, Muhammadu Buhari, and the entire leadership of the National Executive Committee for rescuing this party from what would have befallen the party.

    “Today, our party has been repositioned to greater heights and I can assure you that with the calibre of people so selected by NEC of our great party to pilot the leadership of our party into the National Convention, I am indeed grateful rest assured that our party will emerge stronger.”

    The PUNCH had earlier reported that Buni assured members of the party of reforms after the oath of office was administered on members of the 13-member committee at the APC National Secretariat.

    “It is time for this committee, therefore, to commence the process of true reconciliation among leaders and members of the party at all levels. It is our belief that the decision by NEC to constitute this committee will mark the beginning of a new chapter in our great Party,” he said.

    With the ceremony today, Hon Victor Giodiom has become the third national chairman of APC with his tenure from March 4 to June 25, 2020. He has also become a permanent member of APC NEC.

  • BET: Burna Boy says for Black Lives to Matter, Africa Must Matter

    BET: Burna Boy says for Black Lives to Matter, Africa Must Matter

    Idowu Sowunmi

    A Nigerian Afro superstar, Burna Boy, has won the BET Award for Best International Act for the second time.

    Burna Boy edged out other nominees including Innoss’B (DR Congo), Sho Madjozi (South Africa), Stormzy (United Kingdom), Dave (United Kingdom), Ninho (France) and S. Pri Noir (France) to claim the highly coveted award.

    Speaking after the award was presented to him by Naomi Campbell, Burna Boy thanked the organisers and used the opportunity to deliver some kind of homily towards African renaissance.

    “Thank you very much, BET.

    “Second time and I appreciate it.

    “I will like to use this opportunity to say that sometime around 1835, there was admission to turn the nation of Africa into a dominated nation. Now is the time to return and go back to the royalty that we were, because, in order for black lives to matter, Africa must matter,” he said.

    This is Burna Boy’s second consecutive BET Best International Act win. He was nominated alongside Mr. Eazi, AKA, Dave, Giggs, Dosseh and Aya Nakaruma in 2019

  • Nigerian Air Force strikes ‘scores’ of Boko Haram Terrorists, tear-down base

    Nigerian Air Force strikes ‘scores’ of Boko Haram Terrorists, tear-down base

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has destroyed scores of Boko Haram terrorists (BHTs ) in Tongule and Bukar Meram areas of Borno State.

    In a statement issued on Saturday by the Coordinator of Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, it was confirmed that the NAF airstrikes, which were carried out on June 25 after a series of surveillance missions indicated a resurgence of terrorists’ activities at the two settlements.

    Enenche noted that this latest military action is “another set of successful air interdiction missions executed by the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation Lafiya Dole under the subsidiary Operation Long Reach.

    The defence spokesman explained that: “At Tongule, where recent credible intelligence indicated frequent convergence of BHTs, about 35 terrorists were spotted by the NAF surveillance aircraft in different parts of the settlement as it vectored the fighter jets to attack the target area.

    READ ALSO: Just In: Suspended APC Chair, Oshiomhole accepts Buhari backed NEC’s decisions

    “The munitions from the jets hit designated areas within the settlement, destroying some structures and taking out many of the terrorists.

    “Similarly, at Bukar Meram, a BHT logistics hub on the fringes of the Lake Chad, the airstrikes, which were carefully timed and executed in multiple waves for maximum effects, resulted in the obliteration of designated portions of the terrorists’ facilities.

    “Several of their fighters were also killed in the process”, Coordinator, Defence Media Operations said.

    Meanwhile, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has commended the Air Task Force for their dedication and professionalism.

    This comes as the Defence Headquarters equally asked them to “intensify the air offensive against the terrorists and all other criminal elements threatening the peace and security of our beloved country.”

    Nigerian Air Force (NAF) airstrike pictures:

    A screen grab from the Air Force video shows the scene of the airstrikes on Boko Haram Logistics Base in Borno State. Credit: Defence Headquarters.
    A screen grab from the Air Force video shows the scene of the airstrikes on Boko Haram Logistics Base in Borno State. Credit: Defence Headquarters.
    A screen grab from the Air Force video shows the scene of the airstrikes on Boko Haram Logistics Base in Borno State. Credit: Defence Headquarters.
    A screen grab from the Air Force video shows the scene of the airstrikes on Boko Haram Logistics Base in Borno State. Credit: Defence Headquarters.
  • Nigeria to become world’s leading cement and clinker exporter as Dangote begins shipment

    Nigeria to become world’s leading cement and clinker exporter as Dangote begins shipment

    Idowu Sowunmi

    To reaffirm its status as the biggest cement producer in Africa, Dangote Cement has set the pace with the exportation of 27,800 metric tonnes of clinker to a neighbouring African country, Senegal.

    With this historic maiden voyage from its Export Terminal located in Apapa Port, Lagos at the weekend, Dangote has gradually made Nigeria, which until recently was one of the world’s largest bulk importers of cement, first self-sufficient in cement production, and now an exporter of cement clinker to other countries.

    The exportation of clinker from the Dangote Cement Export Terminal would also place Nigeria as one of the leading clinker exporters in the world. The company is expected to increase the quantity of clinker export to other African countries within the next few weeks.

    It said this development would enable Dangote Cement take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area, and by so doing contribute to the improvement of intra-regional trade within the ECOWAS region.

    Speaking during the departure of the ship conveying clinker from the Export Terminal at the weekend, Group Executive Director, Dangote Group, Alhaji Sada Ladan-Baki, said the increased exportation of clinker and cement to other African countries would not only place Dangote Cement among top clinker exporters in the world, but would also boost Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings and reduce unemployment in the country.

    “The beauty of what we have done is that we are going to be generating foreign exchange for the country in terms of dollars and Euros. For every batch of clinker we export, the money comes back to Nigeria. The amount we are talking about is not small.

    “Presently, Dangote Cement should either be number one or number two exporter of cement in Africa and the revenue we have generated in the form of foreign exchange is running into millions. Today, we have formally launched the Dangote Cement Export Terminal. We are still going to do another major launch when the second ship is going out of the country,” he added.

    Alhaji Ladan-Baki recalled that only a few years ago, Nigeria was one of the world’s largest bulk importers of cement, saying that “Dangote has gradually made Nigeria self-sufficient in cement production as well as an exporter of clinker to other countries.”

    He disclosed that the company would also be launching its export terminal in Onne in the next few days, adding that the export terminal would enable the company export clinker, initially to its grinding facility in Cameroon and then to new grinding plants the company is building across West Africa.

    Ladan-Baki explained that not only would this generate useful foreign currency for Dangote Cement to support other expansion projects outside Nigeria, it would also help to increase the output of the Nigerian plants, saying these would help to improve job creation and increase prosperity in Nigeria.

    According to him, “This terminal will assist Dangote to actualise the full potential of the company’s investment in cement. You know as usual, when the rain comes, sales decline, but not clinker export. This feat by Dangote is going to generate a lot of jobs because the Export Terminal has already created jobs to many Nigerians.

    “As at now, the numbers of employed Nigerians at the terminal have reached 100. We are targeting about 200 to 300 workers in Lagos Terminal alone.

    “But, apart from job creation opportunities, the exportation of clinker by Dangote will position the country to participate fully in the Africa Free Trade Liberalisation Agreement when it comes into being, so that Nigeria will be protected against foreign products. It will also help the country compete effectively with every country that are in the business of exportation of clinker. At Dangote Cement, we are going about it aggressively and we are seeing it as an opportunity.”

    Alhaji Ladan-Baki said the company has also concluded plans to increase its clinker and cement export to other countries. “This vessel, being the maiden ship is exporting 27,800 metric tonnes to Senegal and this is just a tip of the ice-berg as to what we have in plan. What we have in plan is to send clinker from Nigeria to Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Ghana. Cameroon as an example, takes about 82,000 metric tonnes every month. Our target is to export at least 4 million metric tonnes of clinker annually to various parts of Africa.

    “That is our target that we hope to achieve within the next one to two years. This particular voyage is going to our sister company in Senegal. We have an integrated plant of 1.5 million tonnes and this one is expected to give the plant additional clinker that is required for the plant to sustain production. In the next one week or two, we are going to be shipping 82,000 metric tonnes to Cameroon in batches of about 25,000 to 29,000 metric tonnes per voyage,” he added.

    The Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN) has commended Dangote Cement for leading the way for Nigeria to become one of the biggest cement and clinker exporter in the world.

    Speaking on Dangote’s achievement, MAN Acting Director-General, Chuma Oruche, praised the wealthiest man in Africa, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, for leading the way in the export of product from Nigeria to other countries.

    According to him, this feat by Dangote Cement is capable of boosting Nigeria’s foreign earning and reduce unemployment in the country.

    He said: “The export of clinker by Dangote Cement at the weekend will definitely be beneficial to Nigerian economy in terms of export earnings, job creation and wealth creation for families connected with these achievements.”