Buhari Appoints SGF, Chief of Staff, Others.

The Federal Government on Thursday announced the appointment of Engr Babachir David Lawal as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF. He succeeds Senator Pius Anyim Pius.

Also appointed was Alhaji Abbah Kyari as President Buhari's Chief of Staff.

Other appointments as contained in a statement by Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adeshina are
Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (retd.) – Comptroller-General, Nigerian Customs Service; Mr. Kure Martin Abeshi  – Comptroller-General, Nigerian Immigration Service; Senator Ita Enang – Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate);  Suleiman A. Kawu   –  SSA to National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives).

All the appointments take immediate effect.

See Punch for more.

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Chibok Girls : 500 Days And Still Counting

Amid dwindling hopes for their rescue, relatives of over 200 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram militants from their school, on Thursday marked 500 days of the unfortunate event.

Amid increasing use of females for suicide bombings by the militants, hopes are receding for the rescue of the Chibok Girls, despite the imminent deployment of the 8700 troops Multinational Joint Task Force assembled by the countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission.

Boko Haram terrorists had stormed Government Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State on the night of 14 April 2014, abducting 276 girls from their hostels. They had been preparing for their final examinations.

Fifty-seven managed to escape but the fate of the rest has been a subject of speculations ever since. Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau once boasted in a video that the girls had all converted to Islam and been married off.

To mark the grim campaign, the #bringbackourgirls group staged a youth march in Abuja on Thursday. Dozens of young campaigners in red shirts and ribbons also processed through the streets of Abuja, carrying placards and banners with the names and photos of some of the missing girls.

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Nigeria Working To Diversify Economy

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his government is working to stop the country's dependence on oil exports by rapidly diversifying the economy.

He spoke on Thursday while receiving new ambassadors in Abuja. He said that Nigeria had over-depended on oil in the last three decades to the detriment of agriculture and other sectors.

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FG, States, Local Govts Share N511. 8b

A total of N511. 8b was shared among Federal, States and local governments as revenue for July 2015. This was disclosed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Anastasia Nwaobia on Wednesday while addressing newsmen on the outcome of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC meeting.

Nwaobia said the amount shared comprised the month's net statutory revenue of N433.5b and the exchange gain of N6.4b.
"Therefore, the total revenue distributable for the month of July including VAT of N74.9 billion is N511.8 billion,"

She said that while the Federal Government received N202.1 billion, representing 52.68 per cent, states got N102.5 billion, representing 26.72 per cent, and
the local governments received N79 billion, amounting to 20.60 per cent of the amount distributed.

She added that N28.2b amounting to 13 % of derivation revenue was shared among the oil producing states.

Nwaobia also said that VAT revenue increased by N9.9b in July to N74.9b over the preceding month. She said that mineral revenue was N228. 8b,and non mineral N190.2b

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Yobe Elections Tribunal Judge Dies In Abuja

A member of the Yobe State elections petition tribunal, Justice Audu Bako has died. The panel has been hearing petitions seeking to annul the election of Gov Ibrahim Gaidam.
Justice Bako is reported to have died in the afternoon of Wednesday 26 August 2015 at Primus Hospital, Karu, Abuja following a brief illness. He has already been buried in Nasarawa, his home town according to Islamic rites.

The late Justice Bako as a member of the 3-man panel of the Yobe State Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal had only on August 12, heard how the EFCC traced the origin of N15m lodged into the account of the Resident Electoral Commissioner.

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PDP Begins Membership Drive, Begs Nigerians

Opposition People's Democratic Party, PDP is calling on Nigerians to join its folds, a few months after losing power at the center.

The party said that interested Nigerians were free to join without any conditions, adding that old and new members would be treated equally.

The call was made in Abuja on Wednesday by the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus. The occasion was the inauguration of the PDP e-Membership Registration Committee headed by Chief Raymond Dokpesi.

“I’m appealing to all Nigerians to come and join us. There is room for everybody. Journalists here are also free to join us and become our members.

“Look at our slogan, which is ‘Power to the People.’ We are now returning the party to the people, " he said.

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Claim of Missing N183b Untrue - NDDC Boss

Mr Dan Abia, Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC has described the allegation that 183 billion naira is missing from the accounts of the commission as untrue.

Abia fielded questions from State House correspondents on Wednesday after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari on the activities of the commission. He said that although he was not the Managing Director of the commission during the period covered by the periodic check report of the auditor General of the Federation which alleged that N183b was unaccounted for, he was ready to defend the commission with records available to him.

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