The Presidential Initiative for the North East, PINE on Tuesday launched mobile containerized classrooms for children in IDP camps at the Dalori Quarters IDP camp in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who was represented at the event by Dr Maryam Masha said,
“The facilities would help school age children at the IDPs’ camps to receive quality education before finally returning to their liberated communities.”
Boko Haram insurgents have added a new weapon to their arsenal. They have resorted to lacing water sources in areas where they have been routed with deadly poison.
Disclosing the latest war strategy of the insurgents to newsmen on Wednesday, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Tukur Gusau said,
“Information reaching the Theatre Command, Operation Lafiya Dole,indicates that Boko Haram terrorists have now resorted to poisoning water sources like wells and streams in areas they were dislodged from by troops or areas threatened by offensive operations.
“Credible information available to the Theatre Command indicates that though no human life has been lost as a result of the barbaric act of the terrorists, some cattle were killed after drinking water from some poisoned sources.
“The latest being the poisoning of the cattle water ponds in Kangallam village along Marte and Abadam axis in Borno State, where a large number of cattle died after drinking water from the ponds.”
He advised the people to avoid drinking water from locations where the terrorists have recently been forced out.
The number of Nigerians who died in the recent Hajj stampede in Saudi Arabia has risen to 64 with 71 persons injured and 244 others still unaccounted for.
Mallam Uba Mana, Head of Public Relations of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON disclosed this to newsmen in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. He said that NAHCON was doing everything possible to establish the fate of those still missing. He said ;
“This briefing is just to give you an update of the situation of things as regards those that died, injured and those still missing after the stampede . We have 64 Nigerians dead from the stampede, 71 injured and 244 still missing.
“Out of those that died, 48 are from States Pilgrims Welfare Board, 12 from tour operators. Those that are missing are from states pilgrims board and 18 from tour operators. We have set up various committees to track those missing and we are not limiting the search to Makkah,Mina or Medina but the whole of Saudi Arabia as helicopters were used to airlift victims to the nearest hospitals with several hospitals used.”
The NAHCON spokesman disclosed that the missing pilgrims are from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Ekiti, FCT, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara states.
He added that while dead pilgrims are to be buried in Mecca at the expense of the Saudi government, families who want the remains of their loved ones flown to Nigeria can do so at their own expense.
His words;
“The commission will do all that is humanly possible to assist families of the dead get a befitting burial for their loved ones but if they intend to have the body sent home,I don’t think the Saudi authority will pick the bills.”
As part of the activities marking Nigeria's 55th independence anniversary, President Muhammadu Buhari will on Thursday October 1st, address the nation in a national broadcast.
According to a statement released by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adeshina, the broadcast is scheduled for 7 am.
Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai has reassured that Nigerian troops would meet the set target of defeating Boko Haram insurgents by December.
A statement released by Army spokesman Col Sani Usman in Abuja on Wednesday disclosed that Buratai gave the assurance during a routine visit to the front line troops in the Northeast.
The statement quoted the Army Chief as saying ;
"I want to reassure Nigerians that Nigerian Army is ever determined to succeed in meeting up with the set deadline of defeating Boko Haram terrorists by the end of this year."
It also said Gen Buratai defied the Sallah holidays to visit and boost the morale of the troops at the front lines of the counter insurgency operations.
Places visited by Buratai include the Headquarters, 33 Artillery Brigade, Shadawanka Barracks, Bauchi, where he addressed troops on the on-going operations.
He also visited the 301 Artillery Regiment, Gombe and Biu where he inspected two units;231 Tank Battalion and 331 Artillery Regiment in Aboge Largema Military Cantonment.
He used the opportunity to decorate newly promoted officers with their new ranks.
The People's Democratic Party, PDP has said that it will choose its presidential candidate for the 2019 general elections from the North.
The Acting National Chairman of the party, Chief Uche Secondus disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday while receiving the report of the Ike Ekweremadu Post Election Review Committee.
He vowed that PDP would not repeat the mistakes of the 2015 general elections.
His words :
“We the members of the party and the National Working Committee have revolved that our presidential candidate for 2019 general elections will come from the North.
“We won’t make the mistakes we made in the past. We are going to move the party forward and all our members should know that we have resolved to respect the constitution of the party.
“We will also abide by zoning and all organs of the party are to be carried along in deciding or debating the reports of this committee.”
In his remarks, Senator Ekweremadu cautioned against dumping the report on the shelf as had been the practice in the past, if the party must redeem itself from its present predicament.
Posts
All Comments
