Nigerian Nickel Discovery Is First Of Its Kind - Australian Mining Firm

The abundance of native nickel balls recently discovered in Nigeria is “an extraordinary occurrence in a style not known to have been previously documented”, Comet, a private mining syndicate headed by veteran Australian miner, Hugh Morgan, has said.

In a paper distributed at the Africa Down Under Conference which held September 7 – 9 in Perth, Australia, the company said the discovery had “important implications” for nickel exploration worldwide.

The paper was delivered by the Comet team comprising Mr. Morgan, Professor Louisa Lawrence, Stephen Davis, and Steven Pragnell.

The metal named “Titan”, measuring 0.1-5.0 millimetres in diameter and weighing an estimated three weight percent, was found on the southern margin of the Jos Plateau, near the rural villages of Dangoma and Bakin Kogi, Kaduna State.

“Although the bedrock has not been tested at depth, the wide distribution of abundant nickel metal balls and their secondary ferruginous alteration product within residual weathered bedrock at Titan, indicates a highly endowed primary mineralised system,” Comet said.

“To our knowledge, this style of high-grade native nickel metal deposit has not been previously documented.”

PREMIUM TIMES had reported, last month, about the “world class and highly unusual” nickel discovery in Nigeria, ahead of the Perth conference.

Nigeria’s Minister for Solid Minerals, Kayode Fayemi, was among the speakers at the three-day event held at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Australia.

Mohammed Abbas, the permanent secretary at the ministry, said the discovery was made “many months ago” and urged the public to allow the government produce a detailed report.

The Comet team said the metal was identified and exploration commenced in early 2015.

“Pits dug up to six metres deep, at roughly 200 metre centres, show the nickel occurs in a coarse-grained micaceous felsic unit, associated with localised zones of mafic and olivine-rich ultramafic bedrocks”, the team said.

Traces of other metals such as zinc, copper, lead, and cobalt were also detected in the core and rims of the nickel.

The team said ongoing activation of major bedrock structures in the area had resulted in recent tectonic shift and exposure of fresh nickel metal at the surface in an erosional drainage basin at Titan.

“However, the nickel balls are not physically (concentrated) into a heavy mineral fraction within the soil cover sequence due to the low erosional gradient in the catchment and the freshness of the bedrock.

“Furthermore, the exposed metal balls are prevented from significant oxidation due to good drainage and the formation of a protective stable secondary oxide layer on the metal surface.”

The project area spans 20 square kilometres where high concentrations of ferruginous brown balls extend over a half a kilometre to the north and west of the nickel metal occurrence.

“Although the bedrock has not yet been tested at depth, the wide distribution of abundant nickel metal balls and their secondary ferruginous alteration product within residual weathered bedrock at Titan, indicates a large highly endowed primary mineralized system,” Comet said.

“To our knowledge, this style of high-grade native nickel metal has not been previously documented.”

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Comet is currently focusing its exploration on developing a nickel project that targets the native nickel balls in the shallow weathered bedrock over an area of a half square kilometre.

The company is reportedly seeking funding to continue exploration and has approached a few interested parties.

Nickel is primarily sold for first use as a refined metal. About 65 percent of it, consumed in the West, is used to produce stainless steel.

The world’s largest producers of the metal include The Philippines, Indonesia, Russia, Canada, and Australia, according to the US Geological Survey.

Last month, Mr. Fayemi told Bloomberg that one of the Nigerian government’s priorities is to meet its annual steel demand of 6.8 metric tons, from a current output of less than 2.5 metric tons, produced mainly from scrap iron.

“In two to five years, we want to have started production of iron ore, lead, zinc, bitumen, nickel, coal, and gold at a serious scale,” Mr. Fayemi had said.

Source:

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/210345-nickel-discovery-nigeria-extraordinary-australian-mining-firm.html

Nigerians Vent Frustrations Against President Buhari - CNN

Lagos (CNN)

It was supposed to be a rallying cry for unity in a nation deep in recession crisis.

However the launch of President Buhari's 'Change Begins With Me' campaign quickly went south as Nigerians took to Twitter to vent their frustrations against his government.

During a national address on Thursday, the president said: "The campaign principle is simple, each of us must live the change we want to see in our society."

He added: "Before you ask, 'where is the change they promised us,' you must first ask, 'how far have I changed my ways."

Angry Nigerians poured scorn on the initiative. Some felt the sentiment was tone deaf and failed to address the myriad problems Nigerians face on a daily basis. Top of that list is an economy in free fall and mass youth unemployment. 

Last month, Nigeria's second quarter GDP fell by more than two percent compared to last year, after slipping by 0.4% in the first quarter. Two consecutive quarters of decline mean Nigeria has now slid into recession.

While he has been tough on corruption, Nigerians feel his authoritarian approach is out of touch when he needs to inspire hope for better times.

Many used the #ChangeBeginsWithMe hash tag to let the president know he has failed in his earlier promise to deliver change.

Buhari also recently launched a "War Against Indiscipline" -- one of his flagship schemes when he was first in power more than 30 years ago.

l

Source:

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/09/10/africa/nigerians-change-begins-with-me/index.html[

Nigeria Records Biggest Drop In Oil Output

’Femi Asu

Crude oil production from Nigeria dropped the most in August among its peers in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, paring the gain it recorded in the previous month.

Nigeria had in March lost the status of Africa’s top oil producer to Angola when the country’s production dropped to 1.677 million barrels per day, compared to Angola’s 1.782 million bpd.

OPEC’s Monthly Oil Market Report for September, which was released on Monday, showed that Nigeria’s oil output fell to 1.468 million bpd in August from 1.52 million bpd in the previous month, based on direct communication.

Nigeria had in July recorded the biggest increase in output, but it was not enough to help the country regain the top spot from Angola.

According to secondary sources, OPEC crude oil production stood at 33.24 million bpd in August, a decrease of 23,000 bpd over the previous month.

“Crude oil output increased mainly from Saudi Arabia and Iran, while Nigeria and Libya showed the largest drop,” the 14-member oil cartel said in the report.

Angola saw its oil output rise to 1.775 million bpd in August from 1.767 million bpd the previous month, based on direct communication, according to the OPEC report.

Libya’s production dropped to 292,000 bpd from 313,000 bpd, while Venezuela produced 2.104 million bpd, down from 2.117 million bpd.

Ecuador’s output fell to 542,000 bpd from 549,000 bpd, while Iraq saw its production dropped by 2,000 barrels to 4.354 million bpd.

Saudi Arabia, the biggest producer in the group, recorded the biggest increase in August as it produced 10.605 million bpd, up from 10.577 million bpd in the previous month.

Iran, which has continued to increase output in a bid to snap up more market share after sanctions were lifted, produced 3.653 million bpd, up from 3.631 million bpd.

According to the report, Africa’s oil supply is projected to average 2.12 million bpd in 2016. This represents a decline of 20,000 bpd year-on-year and reflects an upward revision of 10,000 bpd from the August report.

This year, oil production from Congo is only expected to grow by 50,000 bpd to average 320,000 bpd, while output in other African countries, despite increasing output from Ghana’s production start-up in the Tweneboa, Enyenra, Ntomme project and a production ramp-up in Jubilee field in the second half of the year, will decline or be stagnant, OPEC said.

It raised its forecast of oil supplies from non-member countries in 2017 as new fields come online and United States’ shale drillers prove more resilient than expected to cheap crude, pointing to a larger surplus in the market next year.

Demand for crude from OPEC will average 32.48 million bpd in 2017, down by 530,000 bpd from the previous forecast, according to the report.

Oil is trading at $47 a barrel, half its level of mid-2014, as a supply glut that OPEC hoped cheap oil would banish sticks around.

“It is expected that there will be higher non-OPEC production in the second half of 2016 compared to the first half,” OPEC said in the report.

The cartel expects non-OPEC supply to rise by 200,000 bpd in 2017, as against a previous forecast of 150,000-bpd decline.

Near-record OPEC output, and higher supply from outside, could make it harder for OPEC and Russia to come up with steps to support the market. Producers are expected to meet in Algeria on the sidelines of the International Energy Forum from September 26 to 28.

An attempt by producers to agree to a production freeze in April failed as Iran, wanting to boost oil exports that had been restrained by Western sanctions, refused to join and Saudi Arabia insisted all producers took part.

Source:

http://punchng.com/nigeria-records-biggest-drop-oil-output/

Why Jonathan Visited Babangida, Abdulsalami

NIGERIA’S immediate-past President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, on Tuesday paid an unscheduled visit to former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, and former Military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, at their Hilltop residences in Minna, Niger State, Social Times has learnt.

Jonathan arrived first at the residence of General Babangida at about 11am and spent about one hour before going to the residence of General Abdulsalami Abubakar opposite IBB’s house.

He was accompanied to the two Former Nigeria leaders by former Minister of State Finance, Bashar Yuguda from Zamfara state and former Chief of Staff, Chief Mike Oghiadome from Edo state.

Babangida unusually received former President Jonathan upstairs at his private living room as against the common area down stairs where he usually received visitors.

The detail of the discussion between the former leaders was not made known but Babangida and Jonathan, it was gathered held a closed door talk for about 40 minutes upstairs as the duo of Bashar Yuguda and Mike Oghiadome waited at the living room down stairs.

Sources hinted that despite the fact that the detail of the meeting with Babangida and Abdulsalami was not disclosed, the discussion may not be unconnected with the postponed Edo governorship election as well as the 2019 general elections election and the state of affairs in the Peoples Democratic Party.

It was also learnt that the duo of BaBangida and Abdulsalami in their separate meetings with Jonathan raised concerns over the spate of bombings going on in the Niger Delta region by the Niger Delta Avengers and the need to curb the situation.

It was observed that all the time the former President was with the former Nigeria Military Leaders, no visitors were allowed into the houses, as he left Minna about 1pm.

Source:

http://www.socialtimesng.com/2016/09/why-jonathan-visited-babangida-abdulsalami/

The $15m In My Accounts Is For Medical Bills - Patience Jonathan

Dame Patience Jonathan, the wife of former president Goodluck Jonathan, said she was using her $15m, which was frozen in four companies’ accounts, to settle medical bills while she was out of the country. She, therefore, urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Skye Bank to lift the restriction on the accounts. Patience said this in a letter with reference number GA/Abibo/00226/2016, written by her lawyers, Granville Abibo (SAN) and Co, which was addressed to the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.

The PUNCH had reported that the four accounts belonged to the following companies: Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited, Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Globus Integrated Service Limited.

A houseboy, a driver and other domestic workers of a former Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to Jonathan, Waripamowei Dudafa, were named as directors, but Patience’s $15m was lodged in the accounts and she was given a platinum card and exclusive access to the accounts.

The letter read in part, “It is noteworthy to emphasise that the said accounts, which were in US dollar denomination, were card-based accounts and our client is the sole signatory to these accounts.

“However, our client has been operating the said accounts using the cards for her medical bill payments and purchases for her private purposes without any let or hindrance. Our client was therefore surprised when the said cards stop functioning on July 7, 2016, or thereabout. Our client immediately, thereupon, contacted Skye Bank Plc through our solicitors. It was only then that the bank officials informed our client that the said accounts were placed on a ‘No Debit Order’ following investigations and instruction from your commission and this is without notice to our client by either the bank or the commission.

“It is in the light of the foregoing that we urge you to use your good offices to vacate the ‘No Debit/Freezing Order’ placed on the said accounts.” 

Patience, who described herself as a law-abiding citizen, said despite all the explanations she offered to the Lagos Zonal Office of the EFCC, the detectives in charge refused to heed her request. She, therefore, urged Magu to intervene immediately.

She added, “Despite the foregoing, our client, who is a law-abiding citizen, has watched with surprise how efforts are being made surreptitiously to indirectly harass or harangue her and short-change her of her personal funds in breach of her fundamental human rights. We urge you sir, to kindly intervene to stop the untoward and wrongful actions of your officials to embarrass, inconvenience and short-change our client.”

However, a detective in the EFCC said "We got a relevant court order to freeze those accounts and we have evidence which we will present in court on Friday. 

“We did not know that the accounts belonged to Patience Jonathan at the time we froze them. The accounts do not bear her name neither do they carry her BVN (Bank Verification Number). So, how can she accuse us of harassment? 

“She has a separate account in Skye Bank with the title ‘Patience Jonathan’, which has a balance of $5m. If she claims she needs money for medical treatment, then the $5m should be alright.”

In a thanksgiving service held at the State House chapel in Abuja on February 18, 2013, Patience had said she underwent seven surgical operations within one month in Germany, adding that the doctors had given up hope on her survival.

She had stated,“I remember when Chief Obasanjo was the President of the country, I was close to his late wife, Stella. We worshiped together in this chapel. It was a painful moment for me that time when she (Stella) died and her corpse was brought here. “That was how my corpse would have been brought here. It was not an easy experience for me. I actually died, I passed out for more than a week. My intestine and tummy were opened.

“I am not Lazarus but my experience was similar to his. My doctors said all hope was lost.’’

FG not persecuting Jonathan, Patience -Muhammad

Meanwhile, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the Federal Government, under President Muhammadu Buhari, is not persecuting Jonathan and his wife, Patience. Speaking in an interview with journalists in Oro, Kwara State, on Tuesday, Mohammed said it would be wrong to submit that theFederal Government was probing Jonathan or Patience.

He said “If you look at the history of Mrs. Patience Jonathan’s issue, I think she was the one that came out to claim that the money found in the accounts of one of the aides to the former President, her husband, belonged to her.

“It was not the EFCC that claimed so. She claimed that the money that the guy was being prosecuted for belonged to her. It was only then they later found an extra $5m in another account. it is not as if anybody has gone out to probe Mrs. Jonathan directly or indirectly. Rather. Mrs. Jonathan was the one that said ‘that money for which you are accusing Mr. X actually belongs to me. So, you cannot start talking of prosecution or persecution.” 

The minister said the Federal Government was concerned about the current national economic recession and had initiated measures to address it. He stated that the current campaign of the Federal Government, ‘‘Change begins with me,’’ was not only for the people but also for the leaders. Mohammed also said it was incorrect to accuse Buhari’s government of being partisan, selective and vindictive in its anti- corruption war.

He said Buhari would also not spare any APC member accused or guilty of corruption. He said, “People have always said that no APC politician had been investigated. The question is ‘those who are those being prosecuted today, for what reasons are they being prosecuted?

“It is wrong to say that the government is only investigating and prosecuting PDP members. We have not even started investigating the oil and gas industry. It is not about going out to investigate PDP. No! We lost about 15,000 people. Nobody can, in honesty, accuse the FG of being one sided.’’

Patience must explain her source of wealth, says CACOL 

Also, a civil society organisation, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, has said Patience must explain how she came about the funds with which she reportedly built a N10bn hotel in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. 

The hotel, which is known as Aridolf Resort Wellness and Spa, Yenagoa, was inaugurated by Patience in April 2015, barely a month before the end of her husband’s tenure. But CACOL, which recalled in a statement on

Tuesday that Patience was only a Permanent Secretary in Bayelsa State at a time, said the ex-President’s wife must be made to explain the source of her wealth. The statement by the group’s acting Media Officer, Abiodun Rabiu, quoted the Executive Chairman of CACOL, Debo Adeniran, as saying the EFCC needed no further petition to invite Patience for questioning.

CACOL asked, “How did she (Patience) get the money and even the ones stacked in her accounts? That is what we, Nigerians, want to know. As far as we can understand, she was just a civil servant. So, as a civil servant, how did she manage to acquire such a luxurious property that is worth that amount, because she would have earned less than 10 per cent of the amount even if she had been a Director or Permanent Secretary in the Bayelsa State Civil Service all of the entire years she has spent on earth?”

Source:

http://punchng.com/15m-accounts-medical-bills-others-says-patience/

Buhari Has Lost His Memory – Fani-kayode

Femi Fani-Kayode

Former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani- Kayode, has stated President Muhammadu Buhari, had either lost his memory or was not well-informed when he told Nigerians that he inherited nothing from the PDP administrations of Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan.

The ex-Spokesman of Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organisation told Vanguard that President Buhari had in the last one year and three months, brought nothing but chaos, destruction, division, fear, deaths and shame to Nigeria compared to the PDP governments he was ridiculing.

He said, “It is obvious that President Muhammadu Buhari has either lost his memory or he has been badly misinformed.

“If you look at the state of the country in 1999 when former President Olusegun Obasanjo took over and compare it to what it was in 2007 when he left office, you will find out that there was not just development but also a miraculous transformation in every sector; that is what Obasanjo managed to achieve and I am very proud to be part of that government and part of those legacies.

“After Obasanjo left, Umaru Yar’ Adua took over and then came former President Goodluck Jonathan. As far as I am concerned, Jonathan built on Obasanjo’s legacies and foundation and he took us to yet another level.

“If you compare Nigeria in 2015 by the time Jonathan left to 1999 before Obasanjo came in, you will have to thank the PDP for lifting this nation up and taking us from strength to strength.

“By the time Jonathan left in 2015, we had the largest economy on the African Continent and the fastest growing economy in the world, among other things.

“In one year and three months, all of that have been destroyed by President Buhari and his APC, we are now back in the dark ages. Every sector in the country has been destroyed and everyone is complaining.

“President Buhari has brought nothing, but ethnic cleansing, recession, abuse of power, persecution, genocide, chaos, destruction, division, fear, deaths and shame to Nigeria and they have no other way of running the country, but to intimidate the citizens and threaten them. That is his own legacy.

“It should also be noted that a large number of people that supported Buhari in his quest to become the president, last year, were all originally from the PDP, whether the PDP governors, who decamped or PDP ministers who decamped or PDP legislators who decamped, 70 percent of people that helped to put Buhari in power used to be PDP including former President Olusegun Obasanjo; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Senate President Bukola Saraki; Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; former speakers Aminu Tambuwal, Aminu Masari; Umar Ghali Naaba; former minister of the Federal Capital Territory and governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El- Rufai; Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; former governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Segun Oni; Danjuma Goje; Aliyu Wammakko; Rabiu Kwankwaso; Murtala Nyako; George Akume; Senate Leader, Ali; former PDP national chairmen, Barnabas Gemade; Audu Ogbeh, among others.

“When he insults PDP legacy and said that nothing was ever done by PDP in 16 years, he is insulting those 70 per cent that put him in power starting with Obasanjo and I think that this is most unfair and very ungrateful of him.”

Source:

http://dailypost.ng/2016/09/14/buhari-lost-memory-fani-kayode/

Sallah: Fayose Distributes Rams To Muslims, Urges Them To Pray For Nigeria

Fayose distributes Rams, Urges Muslims to Pray for the Peace and Unity of Nigeria 

Ekiti State governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose has urged Muslim faithfuls in Nigeria to continue to pray for the peace and unity of the country. 

The governor said this after he monitored the distribution of Rams to some Muslim leaders from across Ekiti State at the Government House in Ado Ekiti on Sunday. 

"We should live above board, we should live in line with what we preach, as Muslim brothers we are one and the same. We must equally pray for the Unity of Nigeria. It is not enough to say I am a Christian or I am a Muslim, we must live by reaching out to one another and equally putting one another under check when we are doing the wrong thing, nobody should be above the law.

"In the circumstance that we have found ourselves, our nation is in challenging times, we should come out and support this nation so that Nigeria does not go down", Fayose said. 

The yearly distribution of Rams during sallah has become a yearly practice since his first term in office and when asked the reason for doing so, the governor said: "I do this because it's part of the Cardinals of the Islamic religion and as a leader, the little I am able to do, I should be seen to be doing so.

"I might not be able to buy ram for everybody, I can't give ram to everyone but my people must still see the love in me trying my best to at least identify with everybody".

Beneficiaries of the gesture who described it as kind and timely appreciated the governor in leaps and bounds with many of them offering prayers for the success of his administration.

Source: 

http://www.trezzyhelm.com/2016/09/fayose-distributes-rams-urges-muslims.html

President Buhari's Eid-el-kabir Message To Nigerians

Fellow Compatriots, as you celebrate the Eid-El-Kabir, I salute your steadfastness in spite of the difficult economic times the country is going through.

The lessons of the Eid are piety and sacrifice and, my dear brothers and sisters, you have exhibited these in equal measure.

The present recession is as a result of cumulative effects of worldwide economic downturn and failure in the past to plan and save for difficult times. It is impossible to separate the present from the past to appreciate the extent to which mistakes of the past are affecting everyday life today.

I assure you that this administration is working round the clock to remove the hardships the country is going through. Rail and road constructions, projects in the housing sector, support for farmers and for small and medium scale industries, youth and women's empowerment programmes, support for revival of industries are all designed to reinvigorate the economy and enhance living standards of ordinary people.

We are getting security right. We are stopping corruption in its tracks and we will get the economy right by the Grace of God.

I enjoin Muslims to live by the dictates of Islam, to keep good relationships with their Christian brothers and sisters and as patriots to maintain the spirit of the Nigerian nation.

I wish everyone happy holidays.

Muhammadu Buhari

Source:

https://m.facebook.com/MuhammaduBuhari/posts/1813922852221240

Solomon Dalung In Swimming Pool

Minister of Sports and Youth, Solomon Darlung spotted swimming inside swimming pool.

Source:

http://www.naijapopular.com/2016/09/minister-of-sports-and-youth-solomon.html?m=1

National Drivers License Now Valid For Five Years

The Lagos State Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (MVAA) has announced a new validity period of five years for the National Drivers License, noting however that the choice is optional. The General Manager of the Agency, Mr. Lateef Lawal, who disclosed this today, said the decision was taken at the 134thMeeting of the Federal Road Safety Commission’s Joint Tax Board in order to ease off the renewal/reissue process of the Drivers License.

Speaking further, the General Manager lauded the initiative and maintained that with the new feature, applicants have the opportunity to either select the option of three (3) or five (5) year validity period, adding that applicants who are unable to complete the processing within a specific time now have an extended period for renewing the license.

While emphasising that this initiative is also aimed at improving on service delivery and ensuring that the service is readily available to all applicants, Lawal affirmed that processing fees remain at six thousand, three hundred and fifty Naira (N6, 350) for the three-year period and ten thousand, three hundred and fifty Naira (N10, 350) for five year option, inclusive of bank charges.

The General Manager however urged intending applicants to patronize only accredited driving schools following which an e-certificate will be issued to commence the process of obtaining a drivers license.

Source:

http://www.newshelm.com/2016/09/national-drivers-license-now-valid-for.html

100 Cows Missing In Enugu - Fulani Herdsman Says

•Attakwu youths protest continued stay of herdsmen 

BY FRANCIS IGATA, ENUGU

AN Enugu State-based Fulani herdsman, Alhaji Sodu has claimed that over 100 cows belonging to him were missing as a result of an alleged attack on a Fulani settlement in the state. He also accused the youths of Aku community in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of masterminding the attack, adding that a herdsman sustained three gunshot wounds following the incident while three others were claimed to be missing. Sodu gave the name of his injured son as Wareri ,17, while Musa, Buba and Mohammed were said to be missing. 

This came on a day, youths of Attaukwu community in Nkanu-West Local Government Area where herdsmen had on August 25, 2016, invaded the community slaughtering a Catholic seminarian,Lazarus Nwafor, and Ifeoma Agbo embarked on a protest over the continued stay of herdsmen in their community. 

Visit to hospital

A visit to the to the Refuge Hospital, Enugu in the company of the Chairman, Enugu Constituted Security Committee, Brigadier General Fred Eze ,retd, where injured Wareri was receiving treatment showed the latter was in high spirit. However, Sodu appealed to security agencies to quickly arrest the masterminds of the attack. He said: “I am too old now to go into the forest in search of my three sons. I am appealing to security agencies to rescue my sons unharmed. The youths have slaughtered seven of my cows. Over 100 cows are missing now”. 

Security committee chair allay fears 

Chairman, Enugu Constituted Security Committee, Brigadier General Fred Eze ,retd, who confirmed the incident, appealed for calm adding that the committee was on top of the situation. His words: “We want to allay fears generated by this incident. The Army have moved to forestall any breakdown of law and order. The Garrison Commander, O.T Akinjobi has dispatched a search party for the missing kids. “Another combined team of Police and Army have equally moved into the area to avert any breakdown of public peace. This incident is already under investigation and authorities will unravel the remote causes of the incident and ensure that appropriate actions are taken.”

Source:

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/09/fulani-herdsman-says-100-cows-missing-enugu/

Buhari Arrives Katsina To Celebrate Sallah In His Hometown

President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived Katsina safely.

Details later

Update...

President Buhari to celebrate Sallah in his home town arrived Katsina at 4:48 pm

President Muhammad Buhari has arrived in katsina this friday evening'.The presidential jet touched at the tarmac of Umar Musa Yar'adua international Airport at 4:48pm.

Katsina State Governor Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari ,his Deputy, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu, the secretary to the government of katsina state ,Alhaji Mustapha Muhammad Inuwa and the Emir of Katsina,Alhaji Abdulmummuni kabir Usman received president Buhari at the Airport. He has since left for his home town,Daura in a helicopter.

Welcome Home Mr President

Source: 

http://www.trezzyhelm.com/2016/09/buhari-arrives-katsinaphotos.html

Inside Abuja Sex Slums, How VIPs Sneak Into Harlots’ Dens To Ease Tensions

How VIPs sneak into harlots’ dens to ease tensions

‘Why we are into prostitution’

By FRED ITUA, FRED EZEH, CHIAMAKA NZENWEAKU & ABIGAIL ANOSIKE

In Abuja, the nation’s capital, prostitution is a thriving business. It is a trade predominantly plied by some single ladies. There are male prostitutes, but they are in the extreme minority. Male prostitutes, unlike their female counterparts, do not adorn highways to solicit for female customers.

Abuja has major districts, cities and places where open prostitution takes place. Wuse II is notorious for that. Garki, Maitama, Jabi and a few other places also harbour a handful of daughters of Eve. In these districts, prostitutes and their clients either “relief tensions” inside their vehicles or get a cheap hotel to exchange body fluids.

But there are places in Abuja where another brand of prostitution holds sway, the slums. Abuja slums are scattered everywhere in the city. They lack basic amenities and are often times, temporal places of abode, occupied by homeless people.

The online free Wikipedia describes a slum as a heavily populated urban informal settlement characterized by substandard housing and squalor. While slums differ in size and other characteristics, most lack reliable sanitation services, supply of clean water, reliable electricity, timely law enforcement and other basic services. Slum residences vary from shanty houses to professionally built dwellings that because of poor-quality construction or provision of services have deteriorated into slums.

Disturbed by the growing complaints from Abuja residents of illicit sex activities thriving in some slums within the city, Daily Sun embarked on a fact-finding adventure to unravel the claims. The first point of call was a slum called Kado-Kuchi, just behind a popular supermarket in Jahi District. It is a small slum, but densely populated by all manners of people from every parts of the country.

The slum also serves as a sex haven where special shanties housing prostitutes abound. The irony of it all is that the slum is surrounded by porch houses and it is less than two kilometres from the Ministers’ Hill where top government officials reside. From the entrance leading to the supermarket, one can hear faint noises emanating from the small enclave.

When our correspondents visited the place, they had to abandon their vehicle halfway in order not to incur the wrath of locals who obviously appeared unfriendly. Instead, they opted for the popular Okada (motorbike), which is the common means of transportation in the area. Since they were not familiar with the unfriendly terrain, they decided to conceal their identity.

Luckily, the team of correspondents approached a male resident of the area who briefly obliged to open up on the goings-on in the slum. His name is Femi. According to him, Kado-Kuchi village is a small Sodom and Gomorrah where sex SinParties, broad day prostitution and other forms of vices thrive:

“I have been here for a while. Most of the female prostitutes you see hanging out at night in the city stay in this small village. This place takes a different shape at night. Some of these small houses here are occupied by girls who are into prostitution. During the day, some of the girls do other things. They have salons or do menial jobs in the city. But in the night, they transform into something else.

“Then for some of them who are fully into prostitution, they entertain their customers during the day. Some of the big cars you see here come to have sex. They park their cars and walk to their place to have sex. If you do not stay in this place, you may not know what is happening. But we live here and we understand these things

“Sometimes, when the men come out after sex, they have serious arguments with the girls over payment and other things. We just stay here and look. If you go round this area, you will see used condoms everywhere. Some of the girls and men do not even dispose the used condoms very well.”

Femi who hesitated to speak further, suspecting that the correspondents were security operatives, pretending to be regular customers who are in the slum to ease tension, referred us to speak with other people who may give us additional information.

Not relenting, Daily Sun approached commercial motorcyclists to enquire how they could locate the neighbourhood housing prostitutes. Interestingly, they obliged to ferry the correspondents to the exact location where the daughters of Eve reside. One of the correspondents decided to approach one of the girls who appeared friendly.

Since recording the conversation could attract the wrath of other girls observing from a distance, the conversation was paraphrased. The girl did not disclose her name: “If you want to have sex, we will agree. You can have it with me alone or you pick as many as you can pay for. We do not mind.

“Sometimes, three or four of us sleep with one man. We also have a sex party in this our place where men come and we service them as long as they pay well. For us, it is about money. We do not have anything after that. Some of the men have our phone numbers. We negotiate on the phone sometimes before they come here.

“There are some cheap guest houses here. If you do not like it here, you can take us to the guest houses. They are cheap. It is just N500 for 30 minutes. But if you want to spend additional 30 minutes, you pay extra money, depending on the manager of the place. But for us, you cannot last for more than 15 minutes. You have to Erupt quickly otherwise you will pay for extra time. We always tell you these things in order to avoid any trouble.

“As for what you are to pay us, it is negotiable. It ranges from N1,000 to N1,500, depending on how beautiful the girl is. But there are other side attractions you pay for if you want extra services. If you want to suck breasts, you pay N500. For Mouth Action you pay N500. For anal sex, it attracts N500 or N1,000. We agree on these things and you pay before service so that we will not have any problems after the whole thing.

“If you want us to come and service you in your house, we can come. You will have to give us the kind of women you want and we will come there. This is our life. Many of us have families we take care of and we also have children. We are not doing this because we like it. But we have to survive. We do not want to steal. That is why we are doing it.”

Findings revealed that the village head of the place has been making frantic efforts to chase out the prostitutes. It was gathered that the head in recent times, invited the police to arrest and chase out girls involved in money for sex trade. But for now, it appears that the efforts of the village head are not yielding the needed results, as the sex trade volume is increasing..

Source:

http://sunnewsonline.com/inside-abuja-sex-slums/

Nigerians React As #ChangeBeginsWith Me Trends On Twitter

Twitter is currently on fire after the government launched its "Change Begins With Me" campaign!

Below are some screenshots

Source:

https://mobile.twitter.com/search?q=%23changebeginswithme&lang=en

Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, Shares His Favourite Photos From His Trip To Nigeria

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg posted favourite photos from his trips to Rome, Nigeria and Kenya, describing the countries as very welcoming.

Some of the photos include the ones which shows him walking the streets of Lagos, shaking hands with President Buhari at the Villa, meeting developers and Engineers at Andela in Lagos, in Lagos, on the roof of the Co-creation Hub Nigeria (CcHUB) looking over Lagos. He wrote:

"Thanks to everyone I met in Rome, Nigeria and Kenya for being so welcoming! The work being done by developers and entrepreneurs in Europe and Africa right now is really exciting, and I can't wait to go back. Here are some of my favorite behind the scenes pictures from the trip".

source:

 http://www.gidiceleb.com/2016/09/facebook-ceo-mark-zuckerberg-shares.html

FG Inaugurates Water Project In Otuoke, Bayelsa

The Federal Government on Thursday inaugurated the Central Ogbia Regional Water Supply Project in Bayelsa.

The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, who inaugurated the project, said 13 communities, including Otuoke, would benefit from it.According to him, the Federal Government is committed to complete all abandoned water projects to improve livelihood.

Adamu said adequate water supply for human and livestock production was a crucial aspect of social and economic development.

He said the recently launched roadmap on water resources underscore the need for short and long term strategies for effective and efficient delivery of water to the people.

“The project we are inaugurating today is among the high priority projects for water supply.

“This project commissioning, therefore, further demonstrates that the Buhari administration is committed to completing all viable projects that have positive impact on the lives of our people without any political sentiments,’’ the minister said.

He called on the host communities to take ownership of the water project by maintaining it for improvement of livelihood and reducing water borne diseases.

The Secretary to Bayelsa State Government, Mr Serena Dokubo, commended the Federal Government for the project, saying such project was needed in other communities.

Dokubo said the state would continue to embark on project that would impact on the lives of the people.

Speaking at the occasion, Sen. Ben Murray-Bruce (Bayelsa East), noted that lives were saved every time a water project was inaugurated.

“A lot of children die from consumption of unclean water, a lot fall sick, you have to spend more to take them to the hospital to get cured,’’ Murray-Bruce said.

Source:

http://www.ajayiwrites.com/2016/09/fg-inaugurates-n56bn-water-project-in.html

NAF Conducts Exercise Steel Dome At Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport,Abuja

EXERCISE STEEL DOME

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) yesterday simulated a counter terrorist exercise at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The exercise followed on the heels of recent terrorist attacks in some major airports around the world. The exercise was codenamed “EXERCISE STEEL DOME” meaning fortified arena, and the aim to ascertain NAF’s readiness to respond to occurrence of terrorist attack in any of the nation’s airports. The exercise scenario was based on terrorist attack on an airport, and effort to retake the airport from the terrorists and restore normalcy through insertion and extraction of Special Forces operating in conjunction with other organic security forces and organisations. The exercise objectives are to enable the NAF practice both individual and group skills in planning, coordination and execution of counter-terrorist operations, as well as understand the requirements and challenges involved in the coordination and conduct of counter terrorist operations in concert with other security agencies and organisations among others. 

Meanwhile, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar has disclosed that there are plans to replicate the exercise in other major cities, such as Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt, with international airports. Responding to questions from press men at the end of the exercise, Air Mshl Abubakar stated that “it is necessary for the NAF, in the light of the security challenges in the country, to evaluate her operational plans from time to time with a view to identifying any gaps”. This, the CAS said, was the essence of the simulating the exercise to demonstrate the capability of the NAF Special Forces element to mobilize for offensive operations at the shortest possible time in the event of any security breach.

Source: 

http://www.trezzyhelm.com/2016/09/naf-conducts-exercise-steel-dome-at.html