Innoson signs MoU to produce jet fighter parts for NAF

The Nigerian Air Force, NAF on Wednesday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company, IVM, Nnewi, for the research and production of spare parts for its aircrafts.

Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar told newsmen in Nnewi, Anambra State that Innoson has helped the air force to keep its fleet of jet fighters flying for months.

The Air Force Chief who was represented by the Chief Of Policy and Plans, Air Vice-Marshal James Gbum, said that the MoU would further solidify collaboration with Innoson, improve local content and engineering and also save the country a lot of the scarce foreign exchange hitherto spent to import the expensive spare parts.

"Our war efforts will be in vain if we don’t do something to ensure that we get spare parts.

"For instance, we were down to one or two of our fighter aircrafts - the Alpha Jets that have formed the backbone of our struggle against Boko Haram - due to lack of spare parts, mainly the brake assemblies of these aircrafts.

"The Chief of Air Staff (Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar) immediately ordered our research and development cell in Ka’inji to start to research into this brake assembly overhaul.

"They went ahead, carried out the research, (however) the first proto-type they brought couldn’t pass the test.

"The Nigerian Air Force later discovered that Innoson Vehicle Maintenance Company at Nnewi are very capable of collaborating with the Nigerian Air Force to achieve the required standards of overhauling our brake assemblies.

"The company was invited to headquarters Nigerian Air Force for discussion and thereafter went into research and development collaboration with the Nigerian Air Force and the result was successful.

"To this effect, we have reasonable number of these Alpha Jets serviceable daily to fight the war in the North East.

"So, today we as representatives of the Chief of Air Staff are here officially to sign a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company.

"The Nigerian Air Force considers this co-operation with the indigenous company as very very important in producing some of the spare parts locally.

"This is in-line with the change agenda of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) and it is also in line with the vision and key-drivers of the Chief of Air Staff.’’

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN reports that Chief Executive Officer of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company, IVM, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, said the company has the human and technical competence to sustain the collaboration.

"When they (Nigerian Air Force) came to me, I developed it the way they wanted it and they are happy with it and that is why they are here again.

"It (MoU) is something that will move Nigeria forward because we can’t always depend on imported items; so we will always strive to do for them anything they want from us.

"The important thing is that if things are moving very well, Nigerians will see that it is better to patronise Nigerian products and services,’’ he said.

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Benue has no land for grazing - Ortom

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has rejected the call for creation of grazing reserve for cattle herdsmen.

Ortom said during Wednesday's visit of Mrs Aisha Buhari to victims of herdsmen attacks in Makurdi that all the land in the state belong to farmers.

He said that it would be difficult to create a grazing reserve in Benue as over 85 per cent of the people are farmers and have occupied the little land available.

He advised that cattle rearers should embrace ranching as an alternative to grazing as is the practice around the world.

News Agency of Nigeria, NAN reports that items donated by Mrs Buhari to the displaced persons included rice, multivitamins supplements, cooking oil, garri, and tomatoes.

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Chase out these foreign herdsmen now - Gov Ortom

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has blamed foreign herdsmen for the incessant attacks on communities across the state since 2011.

Ortom who spoke when Mrs Aisha Buhari visited Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in Makurdi, the state capital appealed to the Federal Government to tighten security across the border to stop the influx of foreign herdsmen into the country.

His words:
"Unless they are chased out, it would be hard to maintain peace in the country.

"These herdsmen are very destructive and well-armed. They kill women and children on sight.

“They are completely different from the Fulani's that we have lived and cohabited with over the years.

"We understand that the herdsmen came from Mali, Ghana, Congo, Niger among others and are killing us every day with impunity. This must stop.

"As we speak, over eight Local Governments have been affected across the state. The situation is really overwhelming."

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Read Aisha Buhari’s message to IDPs in Benue State

Wife of the Vice President, Mrs Oludolapo Osinbajo was in Benue State on Wednesday on behalf of the wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari to empathize with the government and people of the state over the destruction of lives and property which they recently suffered in the hands of Fulani herdsmen.

Presenting relief materials to the IDPs, Mrs Buhari assured that they would not be abandoned.

"I have heard and seen your cries. Cry no more, for we are with you.

“Today in Benue I have seen old and young men, women and children in the camp and I can see that they have gone through a lot of pains.

"I have seen that by their looks, it is evident that they are tired of living in the camps but they have no homes because their homes have been destroyed.

"We are really worried about your situation but do not lose hope we are with you, and we will never abandon you at this point of your need," she said.

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Eagles not destined to be at AFCON 2017 - NFF President

The President of the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, Mr Amaju Pinnick on Wednesday in Abuja said that it is not the destiny of Nigeria to be at the AFCON 2017 championship in Gabon.

Pinnick said at a press conference that the NFF did everything humanly and materially possible to qualify Nigeria for the event but still fell short.

He blamed the team's failure on bad luck and Chad's withdrawal from the AFCON qualifiers.

"Luck was not on our side. Chad coincidentally pulled out, just when we were thinking that even if we emerged with 11 points we might have ended up being one of the best losers. The truth is that destiny counted against us,’’ he said.

Pinnick however vowed to ensure that Nigeria qualifies for the World Cup 2018 finals in Russia.

"I want to explain to Nigerians through this medium what transpired and all what we did for Nigeria not to have been ousted from the qualifiers to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

"We did everything humanly and materially possible to make sure we qualify. We did not leave any stone unturned.

Just at the last minute, when we were about to celebrate (in Kaduna), a goal came. To me, I just see it as destiny. But our focus now is shifted principally to the next World Cup,’’ he said.

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How three kids found the decomposing body of abducted Army Colonel

The decomposing body of kidnapped Army Colonel, Samaila Inusa was discovered by three children who had gone to pluck cashew fruits at a bush in Ajyaita Village in Kakau District of Chikun LGA of Kaduna State, some ten kilometers away from Kaduna city center on Tuesday.

The frightened kids quickly ran to a local farmer who they had earlier met planting yam seedlings.

The farmer on confirming the disturbing sight immediately alerted the village head who in turn contacted the police.

After inspecting the scene, the police called in the Army authorities who confirmed that the body was indeed the remains of Col Samaila Inusa who was abducted by unknown gunmen some days earlier.

“The Army came with photographs and confirmed that he was the one. There was no identity card found on him, but the Army identified him as the missing Colonel," said a source.

The remains of the murdered Col Inusa were buried on Wednesday at the Ribadu Cantonment, Old Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA cemetery according to Islamic rites.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai who was represented at the burial by the Chief Administrative Officer of the Nigerian Army, Major General Ado Abubakar vowed to bring Col Inusa's killers to justice.

“Col. Inusa was a great soldier. We all feel the pains. Though death is inevitable and nobody can run away from it. I came in to represent my boss, the Chief of Army Staff because the Nigerian Army is mourning one of us that had really served this country greatly and we are not really happy the way he died, but whatever happened, we will see to the end of it all."

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AFCON 2017 ouster: Super Eagles apologize

The Super Eagles have apologized for their inability to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations holding in Gabon.

The team also did not qualify for the 2015 edition of the African championship which was held in Equatorial Guinea.

The penitent team Twitter an apology a few hours after they lost by a lone goal to Egypt in Alexandria.

Nigeria Super Eagles
@NGSuperEagles

We apologize for our inability to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. We gave this campaign our best efforts but sadly fell short.

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