10:09 11/06/2015
Lagos - Seun Kuti will perform at New York’s Brooklyn Browl on June 19, reports Nigerian Entertainment Today(NET)
This comes barely a week after his brother, Femi Kuti performed at the same venue Seun Kuti.
Femi Kuti who is currently on tour of the United States, performed at the same venue on June 10, 2015.
Femi Kuti and his Positive Force band will kicked off the tour of the US on June 5, 2015 at Ridgefield Playhouse.
The tour ends on June 13, 2015 in Washington DC.
Read more at NET
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Thursday, 11 June 2015
Reps urge police to investigate death of corps members
08:59 11/06/2015
Abuja - The House of Representatives on Wednesday urged the Police to investigate injuries and untimely death of some National Youth Service Corps members (NYSC) in the country.
The Reps made the when it unanimously adopted a motion moved by Kingsley Chinda (Rivers-PDP), during the first plenary session of 8th House of Reps sitting in Abuja.
Kingley, who moved the motion under matter of urgent national importance, said it was to protect NYSC members and review their terms of service.
He added that the motion took cognizance of the fact that some corps members had suffered injuries and untimely deaths in their host states.
Representative Uzoma Nkem-Abonta (Abia-PDP) called on government to take extra measures to ensure the protection of corps members.
Representative Sani Zoro (Jigawa-APC) said the Act that established all uniform institutions like the Nigerian Army should be reviewed as well to enhance their efficiency.
One corps member, Akpanira Frampton, was murdered on June 6 in Imo.
Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, asked members to observe one minute silence for all the NYSC members that had lost their lives in parts of the country.
The House has adjourned sitting to June 23.
Abuja - The House of Representatives on Wednesday urged the Police to investigate injuries and untimely death of some National Youth Service Corps members (NYSC) in the country.
The Reps made the when it unanimously adopted a motion moved by Kingsley Chinda (Rivers-PDP), during the first plenary session of 8th House of Reps sitting in Abuja.
Kingley, who moved the motion under matter of urgent national importance, said it was to protect NYSC members and review their terms of service.
He added that the motion took cognizance of the fact that some corps members had suffered injuries and untimely deaths in their host states.
Representative Uzoma Nkem-Abonta (Abia-PDP) called on government to take extra measures to ensure the protection of corps members.
Representative Sani Zoro (Jigawa-APC) said the Act that established all uniform institutions like the Nigerian Army should be reviewed as well to enhance their efficiency.
One corps member, Akpanira Frampton, was murdered on June 6 in Imo.
Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, asked members to observe one minute silence for all the NYSC members that had lost their lives in parts of the country.
The House has adjourned sitting to June 23.
Military assures no reprisal attack on Benue community
Augustine Osayande
08:59 11/06/2015
Abuja - The military has assured fleeing residents of Zaki-biam community in Benue State there would be no reprisal attack on them after a gang's reign of terror.
The fears follow an ambushing by an armed gang that claimed the lives of a soldier and a policeman in the area recently.
Director of Defence Information, Major-General Chris Olukolade, said the military authorities in the locality had assured that while every effort was being made to track down the armed gang that has been operating in the area, civilians would not be harassed.
He noted there had been apprehension in the community following the incidence which triggered a rumour of impending reprisal attack by the military.
“The people were therefore advised to return to their homes and normal activities as the troops are there for their protection,” Olukolade said.
He said an armed gang identified as Gana, which had been operating along Zaki-biam and Katsina Ala road, had attacked the troops on patrol as they were on their way to respond to distress calls from civilians in the town.
The gang which had reportedly been terrorising the community for some time, also made away with a number of items.
“Normalcy has been restored as the military and police patrol continues in the area,” Olukolade assured.
08:59 11/06/2015
Abuja - The military has assured fleeing residents of Zaki-biam community in Benue State there would be no reprisal attack on them after a gang's reign of terror.
The fears follow an ambushing by an armed gang that claimed the lives of a soldier and a policeman in the area recently.
Director of Defence Information, Major-General Chris Olukolade, said the military authorities in the locality had assured that while every effort was being made to track down the armed gang that has been operating in the area, civilians would not be harassed.
He noted there had been apprehension in the community following the incidence which triggered a rumour of impending reprisal attack by the military.
“The people were therefore advised to return to their homes and normal activities as the troops are there for their protection,” Olukolade said.
He said an armed gang identified as Gana, which had been operating along Zaki-biam and Katsina Ala road, had attacked the troops on patrol as they were on their way to respond to distress calls from civilians in the town.
The gang which had reportedly been terrorising the community for some time, also made away with a number of items.
“Normalcy has been restored as the military and police patrol continues in the area,” Olukolade assured.
14 foreigners charged for illegally storing petrol
08:59 11/06/2015
Lagos - Fourteen nationals from Britain, Russia, Ukraine and Japan were charged on Wednesday with illegally trading and storing petroleum products in oil-rich but cash-poor Nigeria.
Crude stolen from sabotaged pipelines and illegally refined oil products are regularly smuggled out and sold on the lucrative black market, an illicit business that is estimated to cost the country some much-needed $6bn a year in revenue.
Nigeria's anti-graft agency the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the accused in a Lagos high court for conspiring to store 4 500 tons of petroleum products in three vessels in February without authorisation.
It was not immediately clear if the products were to be taken out of Nigeria and if so, to which country they were headed.
The suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges with their lawyers urging the court to release them on bail.
Presiding judge Ibrahim Buba remanded the suspects in custody until they met their bail conditions.
They were also ordered to surrender their passports to the EFCC, while the court fixed another hearing for June 17.
Nigeria is Africa's leading oil producer but has no functioning refineries, forcing crude to be exported then its products imported in a process that has been seen as wide open to fraud.
The government keeps the cost of fuel at the pumps low, currently $0.44 per litre and pays fuel importers the difference between the market rate and their costs.
They shut depots several weeks ago claiming non-payment by
the government, causing a crippling shortage of fuel that brought the country to a virtual standstill.
Agreement was reached to lift the blockade just days before Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as president on May 29.
Buhari won elections two months earlier on a pledge to crack down on rampant corruption, including in the oil sector.
Lagos - Fourteen nationals from Britain, Russia, Ukraine and Japan were charged on Wednesday with illegally trading and storing petroleum products in oil-rich but cash-poor Nigeria.
Crude stolen from sabotaged pipelines and illegally refined oil products are regularly smuggled out and sold on the lucrative black market, an illicit business that is estimated to cost the country some much-needed $6bn a year in revenue.
Nigeria's anti-graft agency the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the accused in a Lagos high court for conspiring to store 4 500 tons of petroleum products in three vessels in February without authorisation.
It was not immediately clear if the products were to be taken out of Nigeria and if so, to which country they were headed.
The suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges with their lawyers urging the court to release them on bail.
Presiding judge Ibrahim Buba remanded the suspects in custody until they met their bail conditions.
They were also ordered to surrender their passports to the EFCC, while the court fixed another hearing for June 17.
Nigeria is Africa's leading oil producer but has no functioning refineries, forcing crude to be exported then its products imported in a process that has been seen as wide open to fraud.
The government keeps the cost of fuel at the pumps low, currently $0.44 per litre and pays fuel importers the difference between the market rate and their costs.
They shut depots several weeks ago claiming non-payment by
the government, causing a crippling shortage of fuel that brought the country to a virtual standstill.
Agreement was reached to lift the blockade just days before Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as president on May 29.
Buhari won elections two months earlier on a pledge to crack down on rampant corruption, including in the oil sector.
Pope tells Putin: Sincere peace efforts needed for Ukraine
08:59 11/06/2015
Vatican City - Pope Francis encouraged Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in "sincere" international efforts aimed at bringing peace to Ukraine as the two men met privately at the Vatican on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, the US ambassador to the Holy See, Kenneth Hackett, said his country would like to see the Vatican step up its concern about what is happening in Ukraine during the pope's meeting with Putin, the second time the Russian leader and Francis have met since the pontiff was elected in 2013.
While Francis has deplored the loss of life in Ukraine and called on all sides to respect what has proven to be a shaky cease-fire, he hasn't publicly put any blame on Russia in an apparent bid not to upset the Holy See's delicate and often thorny relations with the Orthodox Church in Russia, where Catholics are a tiny minority.
"We think they could say something more about concern of territorial integrity, those types of issues," Hackett told reporters. "It does seem that Russia is supporting the insurgents. And it does seem that there are Russian troops inside Ukraine."
During the few minutes that Putin and Francis greeted each other and took their leave before and after their 50-minute-long closed door talks, there was no mention of any blame regarding Ukraine, although the protracted hostilities in that Eastern European nation bordering Russia was a main thrust of the discussion.
"As it was possible to predict in the context of the world situation, the talks were dedicated principally to the conflict in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East," said a Vatican spokesperson, the Reverend Federico Lombardi.
Political dialogue
The Holy See is highly worried about the fate of the Christian minority in the Middle East.
Putin and Francis seemed eager to start their talks, which began quite tardily. Pulling into a Vatican courtyard in a black stretch limousine, Putin arrived an hour and 20 minutes late, after flying to Rome from Milan, where he spent the morning touring the Russian pavilion at the world's fair and meeting with Italian Premier Matteo Renzi.
Despite Putin's delay, a rare breach of protocol for VIPs paying a call on the pope, Francis greeted him cordially in German, a language the Russian knows well from his secret service days. Putin nodded silently in acknowledgement.
In their talks about Ukraine, Lombardi said, Francis stressed the "need to commit oneself in a sincere and great effort to achieve peace." Lombardi said both men "agreed on the importance of reconstructing a climate of dialogue and that all sides commit oneself to implementing the Minsk accords."
Francis also stressed that all sides work toward easing the tensions in the regions.
As he has done with other VIP visitors, the pontiff presented Putin with a medallion depicting an "angel of peace," who, Francis told the Russian, "conquers all wars and evokes the solidarity among peoples."
Putin gave the pope a depiction, embroidered with gold filament, of a church which had been destroyed in the Soviet era and later reconstructed.
"It was a great pleasure, an honour to meet you," Putin told Francis as he took his leave.
In Milan, Renzi heaped praise on Russia, calling it a crucial player in international anti-terrorism efforts, as the Italian premier sought Putin's help in ending the conflict in Libya that has fuelled the Mediterranean migrant crisis.
Renzi didn't voice any criticism against the country's actions in Ukraine, saying simply that they both agreed there must be full implementation of the Minsk peace accord. Putin for his part stressed the price Italian businesses are paying for the economic sanctions lodged by the European Union against Russia, which annexed Crimea from Ukraine during the conflict.
Because of the Ukraine crisis, the leaders of the world's industrialised democracies for a second year in a row refused to let Putin join their G-7 summit. At the summit this month, they said sanctions against Russia won't be lifted until Moscow fully implements its part of the Ukraine peace accord, and could be increased if needed.
Russia accuses Ukraine of failing to launch political dialogue with the rebellious east and of keeping its economic blockade of areas controlled by pro-Russian rebels. Kiev, the United States, Nato and European leaders have blamed Moscow for supplying rebels with manpower, training and weapons. Russia denies the claims.
Hackett, the US ambassador, noted that Putin has spoken about the plight of Christians.
Lombardi said Putin and Francis discussed the conflicts in the Middle East, notably in Iraq and Syria, a country where Moscow long held influence. The Vatican statement cited the "urgency" with which the international community must pursue peace efforts, "assuring at the same time the necessary conditions for the life of all components of society, including religious minorities and in particular Christians."
Ending his long day, Putin took off his dark suit jacket and got together with his old friend, ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi. Berlusconi gave him a warm hug and two large bottles of unspecified content in an encounter at Rome's main airport, where the Russian was to board a jet to return to Moscow, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.
Vatican City - Pope Francis encouraged Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in "sincere" international efforts aimed at bringing peace to Ukraine as the two men met privately at the Vatican on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, the US ambassador to the Holy See, Kenneth Hackett, said his country would like to see the Vatican step up its concern about what is happening in Ukraine during the pope's meeting with Putin, the second time the Russian leader and Francis have met since the pontiff was elected in 2013.
While Francis has deplored the loss of life in Ukraine and called on all sides to respect what has proven to be a shaky cease-fire, he hasn't publicly put any blame on Russia in an apparent bid not to upset the Holy See's delicate and often thorny relations with the Orthodox Church in Russia, where Catholics are a tiny minority.
"We think they could say something more about concern of territorial integrity, those types of issues," Hackett told reporters. "It does seem that Russia is supporting the insurgents. And it does seem that there are Russian troops inside Ukraine."
During the few minutes that Putin and Francis greeted each other and took their leave before and after their 50-minute-long closed door talks, there was no mention of any blame regarding Ukraine, although the protracted hostilities in that Eastern European nation bordering Russia was a main thrust of the discussion.
"As it was possible to predict in the context of the world situation, the talks were dedicated principally to the conflict in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East," said a Vatican spokesperson, the Reverend Federico Lombardi.
Political dialogue
The Holy See is highly worried about the fate of the Christian minority in the Middle East.
Putin and Francis seemed eager to start their talks, which began quite tardily. Pulling into a Vatican courtyard in a black stretch limousine, Putin arrived an hour and 20 minutes late, after flying to Rome from Milan, where he spent the morning touring the Russian pavilion at the world's fair and meeting with Italian Premier Matteo Renzi.
Despite Putin's delay, a rare breach of protocol for VIPs paying a call on the pope, Francis greeted him cordially in German, a language the Russian knows well from his secret service days. Putin nodded silently in acknowledgement.
In their talks about Ukraine, Lombardi said, Francis stressed the "need to commit oneself in a sincere and great effort to achieve peace." Lombardi said both men "agreed on the importance of reconstructing a climate of dialogue and that all sides commit oneself to implementing the Minsk accords."
Francis also stressed that all sides work toward easing the tensions in the regions.
As he has done with other VIP visitors, the pontiff presented Putin with a medallion depicting an "angel of peace," who, Francis told the Russian, "conquers all wars and evokes the solidarity among peoples."
Putin gave the pope a depiction, embroidered with gold filament, of a church which had been destroyed in the Soviet era and later reconstructed.
"It was a great pleasure, an honour to meet you," Putin told Francis as he took his leave.
In Milan, Renzi heaped praise on Russia, calling it a crucial player in international anti-terrorism efforts, as the Italian premier sought Putin's help in ending the conflict in Libya that has fuelled the Mediterranean migrant crisis.
Renzi didn't voice any criticism against the country's actions in Ukraine, saying simply that they both agreed there must be full implementation of the Minsk peace accord. Putin for his part stressed the price Italian businesses are paying for the economic sanctions lodged by the European Union against Russia, which annexed Crimea from Ukraine during the conflict.
Because of the Ukraine crisis, the leaders of the world's industrialised democracies for a second year in a row refused to let Putin join their G-7 summit. At the summit this month, they said sanctions against Russia won't be lifted until Moscow fully implements its part of the Ukraine peace accord, and could be increased if needed.
Russia accuses Ukraine of failing to launch political dialogue with the rebellious east and of keeping its economic blockade of areas controlled by pro-Russian rebels. Kiev, the United States, Nato and European leaders have blamed Moscow for supplying rebels with manpower, training and weapons. Russia denies the claims.
Hackett, the US ambassador, noted that Putin has spoken about the plight of Christians.
Lombardi said Putin and Francis discussed the conflicts in the Middle East, notably in Iraq and Syria, a country where Moscow long held influence. The Vatican statement cited the "urgency" with which the international community must pursue peace efforts, "assuring at the same time the necessary conditions for the life of all components of society, including religious minorities and in particular Christians."
Ending his long day, Putin took off his dark suit jacket and got together with his old friend, ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi. Berlusconi gave him a warm hug and two large bottles of unspecified content in an encounter at Rome's main airport, where the Russian was to board a jet to return to Moscow, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.
Ghana halts Ebola vaccine trial due to community protests
07:58 11/06/2015
Accra - Ghana has halted a plan to test two Ebola vaccines in an eastern town after legislators backed local protests against the trials sparked by fears of contamination, officials said on Wednesday.
The country's Food and Drugs Authority said it had begun enlisting volunteers in Hohoe in the Volta region to be injected with drugs made by Johnson & Johnson and Bavarian Nordic as part of a global Ebola vaccine drive.
Youth leaders threatened to boycott the programme. "We don't want to be guinea pigs," one local leader told Reuters.
Ebola has killed more than 11 000 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia since it began more than a year ago but new cases have declined sharply. Ghana has yet to record a case.
"The [health] minister has suspended the trials indefinitely because the people said they don't want it," Health Ministry spokesperson Tony Goodman said. The worst-hit countries have completed first trials of an experimental vaccine.
On Wednesday, parliament ordered the trials suspended and summoned the health minister to appear next week on the matter, senior parliamentary official Ebenezer Dzietror told Reuters.
Accra - Ghana has halted a plan to test two Ebola vaccines in an eastern town after legislators backed local protests against the trials sparked by fears of contamination, officials said on Wednesday.
The country's Food and Drugs Authority said it had begun enlisting volunteers in Hohoe in the Volta region to be injected with drugs made by Johnson & Johnson and Bavarian Nordic as part of a global Ebola vaccine drive.
Youth leaders threatened to boycott the programme. "We don't want to be guinea pigs," one local leader told Reuters.
Ebola has killed more than 11 000 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia since it began more than a year ago but new cases have declined sharply. Ghana has yet to record a case.
"The [health] minister has suspended the trials indefinitely because the people said they don't want it," Health Ministry spokesperson Tony Goodman said. The worst-hit countries have completed first trials of an experimental vaccine.
On Wednesday, parliament ordered the trials suspended and summoned the health minister to appear next week on the matter, senior parliamentary official Ebenezer Dzietror told Reuters.
UN: Attacks on peacekeepers, civilians in Darfur increasing
06:54 11/06/2015
New York - The United Nations on Wednesday warned that violent attacks on international peacekeepers and civilians in Sudan's conflict-torn Darfur region have been increasing while tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee the fighting.
UN officials and diplomats say the Sudanese government has become increasingly confrontational toward the United Nations and the West over the joint UN-African Union mission to Darfur (Unamid), which Khartoum wants shut.
Deputy UN peacekeeping chief Edmond Mulet told the 15-member Security Council that there has been negligible progress in peace efforts for Darfur, adding there was a worrying rise in attacks on Unamid.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon's latest progress report on the force said there were 60 "incidents and hostile attacks against Unamid" in the three months to May 15, compared with 46 in the previous quarter.
Mulet noted that the second phase of the government's "Decisive Summer" military campaign to end armed rebellions has caused a new wave of displacement across Darfur. He said humanitarian organisations estimated at least 78 000 newly displaced this year, while the UN has unverified reports of 130 000.
Sudan's Deputy UN Ambassador Hassan Hamid Hassan told the council that the violence and displacements were mainly due to tribal clashes and attacks by rebels, not government forces. He added that the government's operations have brought stability to Darfur.
Late last year Khartoum ordered Unamid out of the country after it began investigating an alleged mass rape by Sudanese soldiers in Darfur. The government denies any wrongdoing by its soldiers and has prevented Unamid from investigating.
In addition to a 12-month extension of the force's mandate, Ban recommends a gradual drawdown based on the ability of the government and armed groups to make progress on peace.
Several council diplomats said that there should be no swift withdrawal of Unamid given the current violence.
"It would be irresponsible ... to give in to the demands of Khartoum for a premature exit or even partial withdrawal," a US official said on condition of anonymity.
"We're not going to leave Darfur to the mercy of what is a very repressive regime in Khartoum," a diplomat added.
Unamid has faced allegations by Western powers it has not done enough to protect civilians and withheld information on the scale of violence against civilians and peacekeepers by the Sudanese army and allied militias. UN officials say Unamid has been working to improve its performance.
New York - The United Nations on Wednesday warned that violent attacks on international peacekeepers and civilians in Sudan's conflict-torn Darfur region have been increasing while tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee the fighting.
UN officials and diplomats say the Sudanese government has become increasingly confrontational toward the United Nations and the West over the joint UN-African Union mission to Darfur (Unamid), which Khartoum wants shut.
Deputy UN peacekeeping chief Edmond Mulet told the 15-member Security Council that there has been negligible progress in peace efforts for Darfur, adding there was a worrying rise in attacks on Unamid.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon's latest progress report on the force said there were 60 "incidents and hostile attacks against Unamid" in the three months to May 15, compared with 46 in the previous quarter.
Mulet noted that the second phase of the government's "Decisive Summer" military campaign to end armed rebellions has caused a new wave of displacement across Darfur. He said humanitarian organisations estimated at least 78 000 newly displaced this year, while the UN has unverified reports of 130 000.
Sudan's Deputy UN Ambassador Hassan Hamid Hassan told the council that the violence and displacements were mainly due to tribal clashes and attacks by rebels, not government forces. He added that the government's operations have brought stability to Darfur.
Late last year Khartoum ordered Unamid out of the country after it began investigating an alleged mass rape by Sudanese soldiers in Darfur. The government denies any wrongdoing by its soldiers and has prevented Unamid from investigating.
In addition to a 12-month extension of the force's mandate, Ban recommends a gradual drawdown based on the ability of the government and armed groups to make progress on peace.
Several council diplomats said that there should be no swift withdrawal of Unamid given the current violence.
"It would be irresponsible ... to give in to the demands of Khartoum for a premature exit or even partial withdrawal," a US official said on condition of anonymity.
"We're not going to leave Darfur to the mercy of what is a very repressive regime in Khartoum," a diplomat added.
Unamid has faced allegations by Western powers it has not done enough to protect civilians and withheld information on the scale of violence against civilians and peacekeepers by the Sudanese army and allied militias. UN officials say Unamid has been working to improve its performance.
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