Gov Bello renames Kogi State University after Prince Abubakar Audu

Governor Yahaya Bello has reverted the Kogi State University, Ayangba to its original name, Prince Abubakar Audu University.

Announcing the decision in a statewide broadcast on Friday, Bello said that it was the ultimate honour the state could do to the memory of the late politician who ruled the state twice as the civilian governor from 1991 to 1993 and 1999 to 2003.

Audu had named the university after himself when he built it in 2001,but his successor Abubakar Idris changed the name in 2004.

Bello praised the late Audu for laying a solid foundation for the development of Kogi State.

“Today, and as always, I celebrate the life and times of Prince Abubakar Audu, the first Executive Governor of Kogi State.

‘” It is our hope that those who want to lay claim to his legacy will at least develop the same heart for the growth and development of Kogi State that he demonstrated through his lifetime,” he said.

He added that an executive bill would soon be sent to the state house of assembly to formalize the change of name of the university.

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Troops clear BH camps, recover bag of kulikuli, vehicles and weapons

Nigerian troops engaged in counter-terrorism operations in the Northeast have continued to clear camps of Boko Haram insurgents in the area.

In the early hours of Friday morning, troops of 156 Task Force Battalion of 29 Task Force Brigade  alongside the Civilian JTF and local vigilantes embarked on a clearance operation in Yajiwa inside Alagarno forest during which they destroyed 8 Boko Haram terrorists camps.

According to a statement issued by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col Sani Usman, items recovered during the operation "include 2 primed Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), 3 Pressure Plates, a 36 Hand Grenade, 2 Dane Guns, 7 Motorcycles and 5 Empty Cases of 12.7mm rounds of ammunition. Others are 1 Damaged Mine Detector, a vehicle and Camel bag.
The troops also recovered a Vehicle top cylinder, a 19.5 tyre rim and 4 size13 tyre rims. Others include a 19.5 rim tyre, 3 tyre jacks, 2 motorcycle tyres and 2 solar panels, as well as 2 small generators, 1 grinding machine, 3 Water pumping machines, 1 Namsac sprayer and 1 bag of fried groundnut cake."

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MASSOB/IPOB protest: Nigerian Army replies Amnesty International

The Nigerian Army has reacted to what it described as an attempt by Amnesty International to discredit its image.

In a statement signed by the Deputy Director of Army Public Relations,Col Hamza Gambo, the Army said that it acted within extant rules of engagement to quell MASSOB /IPOB disturbance during the celebration of Biafra Day on 30 May 2016.

Read the full text of the statement below.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL’S CAMPAIGN OF CALUMNY AGAINST THE NIGERIAN ARMY ON MASSOB/IPOB VIOLENT PROTEST IN ONITSHA AND ENVIRONS UNCOVERED

The attention of the 82 Division, Nigerian Army has been drawn to a planned release of report by Amnesty International on the recent violent activities by IPOB and MASSOB on 31st May 2016 in which they were alleging that the Nigerian Army planned the killing of the protesters. This is not true but the usual calculated attempt to rubbish the Security forces in particular and the Nigerian Army just to remain relevant.
It should be noted that the Non-governmental organization has always been of the habit of being the judge and jury in matters of our national security without recourse to fairness, objectivity, all aimed at rubbishing the Nigerian Army for reasons best known to them. This could not be far from trying albeit unsuccessfully to be relevant and justify funding.
For the avoidance of doubt, what transpired that fateful day was that some elements of MASSOB/IPOB engaged in violent protests which led to outright breakdown of law and order. The pro-Biafra protesters who had chosen the day to mark the 50th Anniversary of Biafra perpetrated a number of unimaginable atrocities to unhinge the reign of peace, security and stability in several parts of Anambra State. A number of persons were selected for attack, killed and burnt. Two personnel of the Nigeria Police were killed, several soldiers were wounded, a Nigeria Police vehicle was completely burnt down while another of the Nigerian Army was vandalized. The strategic Niger Bridge at Onitsha was at the verge of being captured particularly with the coordinated reinforcement of the violent protesters from the Asaba end of the Bridge. In addition, wanton destruction of lives and properties were brazenly carried out by the protesters who employed firearms, crude weapons as well as other volatile cocktails such as acid and dynamites. In consequence, law, order and security were grossly threatened across the State and beyond.
The Nigerian Army in synergy with other security agencies under its constitutional mandates for Military Aid to Civil Authority (MACA) and Military Aid to Civil Power (MACP) acted responsively in order to de-escalate the deteriorating security situation. Instructively, the military and other security agencies exercised maximum restraints against the odds of provocative and inexplicable violence that were employed against them by the pro-Biafra protesters. The military and of course the other security agencies acted professionally within the extant Rules of Engagement to successfully de-escalate the budding anarchy. It is rather inconceivable for any individual or group to have decided to inundate the general public with an anecdote of unverified narratives in order to discredit the Nigerian Army in the course of carrying out its constitutional duties despite the premeditated and unprovoked attacks in the hands of the violent pro-Biafra mob as Amnesty International is determined to do.

Thank you for your usual cooperation.

COLONEL HAMZA GAMBO
Deputy Director Army Public Relations

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Captain N-Power is here

1. N-POWER TEACHER CORPS: 500,000 Jobs
2. N-POWER KNOWLEDGE: 25, 000 Jobs
3. N-POWER BUILD 75,000Jobs

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PDP, Gana, Usman must respond to N360m campaign suit - Court

The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, ex-Minister of Finance Mrs Esther Nenadi Usman, Ahmadu Ali and Prof Jerry Gana on Thursday failed to convince the court to dismiss a suit filed against them by Abuja based Twinkle Nigeria Limited over an alleged N360m campaign debt.

The N360m debt was allegedly incurred by the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation during the 2015 Presidential election.

Usman was the Director of Finance; Ali the Director General and former Information Minister, Gana the Director, Contact and Mobilization of the Presidential Campaign Organization of the PDP.

In its suit marked CV/2733/2015 the plaintiff claimed that it rendered support services to the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation in the 36 states of the federation and for which the organization managed by Usman, Ali and Gana failed to pay.

Justice Salisu Garba of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Maitama on Thursday dismissed an objection filed by the respondents seeking the dismissal of the suit.

In his ruling, Justice Garba held that contrary to the respondents' contention  the suit filed by Twinkle Nigeria Limited was competent as it raised triable issues.

He therefore directed the respondents to file their defense to the suit.

“The plaintiff can sue the 4th defendant (Usman) being the Director of Finance and acted on behalf of the organisation.

“I also hold that the suit discloses reasonable cause of action. In the light of the analysis above, the notice of preliminary objection is hereby dismissed.

“There are triable issues to be determined in the suit. I hereby direct the respondents to file their respective pleadings,” Justice Garba ruled

The case was adjourned to September 27 for hearing.

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NHRC to create database of displaced, missing Nigerians

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC is working on the creation of a database of Nigerians displaced, dead and missing from the activities of groups.

The NHRC is collaborating with other Federal Government agencies on the initiative which is designed to enhance government’s on-ongoing efforts at addressing the challenges created by the activities of terrorist groups.

The Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Prof Bem Angwe said in Abuja on Thursday at a “roundtable for the establishment of database of missing persons in Nigeria” that
about 1.8 million Nigerians have so far been documented as missing, while many more are still unaccounted for since the beginning of insurgent activities in the country.

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2016 Budget: How the states will benefit from capital projects

Read what the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT got for capital projects in the 2016 budget.

North Central:  Total share - N271.79 billion

Federal Capital Territory, FCT: N209 billion (76.99%);
Nasarawa State: N14.75 billion (5.43%);
Kwara State: N5.19;
Niger State: N12.59 billion(4.63%);
Plateau State: N6.63 billion (2.44%);
Benue State: N7.46 billion (2.75%);
Kogi State got N7.25 billion (2.67%).

North West: N73.7 billion

Kano State: N32.14 billion (43.61%);
Kaduna State: N19.82 billion (26.99%);
Katsina State: N9.52 billion (12.92%);
Jigawa State: N3.56 billion (4.84%);
Kebbi State: N3.15 billion (4.28%);
Zamfara State: N2.53 billion;
Sokoto State: N2.97 billion (4.04%)

The South West: N48.97 billion

Lagos State: N16.14 billion (32.95%);
Oyo State: N12.28 billion (25.08%);
Ogun State: N7.95 billion (16.23%);
Osun State: N6.52 billion (13.30%);
Ondo State: N3.77 billion (7.70%);
Ekiti State got N2.32 billion (4.74%).

North East: N46.69 billion

Gombe State: N9.70 billion (21%);
Taraba state: N9.23(20%); Bauchi State: N9.23 billion (20%);
Yobe State: N6.99 billion (15%); Adamawa state: N5.98 billion (13%);
Borno State: N5.98 billion (12%).

South South: N35.31 billion

Cross River: N10.75 billion (30.46%);
Delta State: N7.55 billion (21.38%);
Akwa-Ibom State: N1.92 billion (5.45%);
Bayelsa State: N3.21 billion (9.08%);
Rivers State: N7.29 billion (20.66%);
Edo State: N4.58 billion (12.98%)

South East: N28.22 billion

Abia State: N6.93 billion (24.55%);
Anambra State: N3.02 billion (10.20%);
Ebonyi State: N4.63 billion (16.41%);
Enugu State: N10.15 billion (35.98%);
Imo State: N3.49 billion (12.36%)

Details of the capital allocation in the 2016 Appropriations Act signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari are contained in a document at the National Assembly Budget and Research Office.

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