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Protocols: It gives me great pleasure to be with you today as the House Committee on Works begins its investigation on the nature of the contract and/or concession arrangement on the Second Niger Bridge and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Let me welcome all stakeholders who have responded to our invitation to Investigative Hearing. You will recall that on Thursday, November 16, 2017 the House of Representatives made the following observations. i. Contracts for the construction of the Second Niger Bridge and reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan have continued to feature in the annual budgets without any seeming signs of their completion or the amount required to do so; ii. The Minister for Power, Works and Housing had stated that funds for the projects in the 2017 Appropriation Act were reduced and, so they run the risk of becoming white elephant projects because they are not under any concession or Public-Private Partnership arrangement; iii. The Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority

Emefiele Allays Fears Over MPC…….says economy remains sound. No Cause For Alarm Over MPC, says Emefiele Emefiele Allays Fears Over MPC………..says economy remains strong. The Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele has stepped in to douse fears over to the inability of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to hold January 2018 Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting due to lack of statutory quorum as specified in the CBN Act 2007. This development has arisen from non-confirmation of the nominees by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In a statement released Monday morning, Mr Emefiele expressed confidence that in spite of the failure to hold the meeting, “key economy indicators continue to move in the right direction with modest recovery in oil prices and boost in the domestic production”. Other positive indicators which the Governor identified in the statement include continued decline in inflation to 15.37 per cent, accretion foreign exchange reserves

- President Muhammadu Buhari receives leaders of the APC in the southeastern part of Nigeria  - The leaders endorsed Buhari for 2019 but urged the president to support an Igbo president in 2023 - Buhari thanked the visitors for their support and passion for the unity of the country President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, January 22, in Abuja promised to continue to do his best for Nigeria and its citizens adding that he would ensure he is guided by clear conscience in making decisions for the country’s progress. Daily Independent reports the president as stating this when he received leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Southeastern part of the country at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The report said the president thanked the leaders for their patriotism, sacrifices and support for the peace and stability of the country just as he also commended them for acknowledging the laudable and consistent efforts of his administration to restore Nigeria to the position of emin

Paula White , a prosperity gospel preacher with close ties to President Donald Trump , is calling on followers to send her donations of up to one month’s salary. Those who don’t pay up could face “consequences” from God as he demands the dough as a “first fruits” offering. “The reason is God lays claim to all firsts,” White wrote on her website. “So when you keep for yourself something that belongs to God you are desecrating what is to be consecrated to God .” In this case, the “firsts” are money, which “supernaturally unlocks amazing opportunity, blessing, favor and divine order for your life.” White, who is chairwoman of Trump’s evangelical advisory committee , claims she contributes a month’s pay every year as a “seed,” which according to prosperity gospel is supposed to grow into riches and other blessings. She’s also calling on others to contribute their own firsts, in the form of wages for a day, week or e

The governor said he won't be involved in any political activities until the herdsmen invasion in the state is resolved - He added that he has reached out to the formal governor and former senate president to help put an end to the crisis As the death toll of killings perpetrated by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen continued in Benue state, Governor Samuel Ortom has announced his intention to withdraw from all political activities until something can be done to end the crisis. The governor, while lamenting the alleged herdsmen invasion in the state, said he has abandoned his 2019 ambition into God's hands as the situation in the state does not encourage campaign. 

Egypt and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah on Thursday emerged as the African Player of the Year 2017, with Super Falcons’ Asisat Oshoala being named the Women’s Player of the Year. The 25-year old Salah and 23-year-old Oshoala won the topmost prize at the Aiteo CAF Awards Gala 2017, held at the International Conference Centre in Accra, Ghana. Salah fended off opposition from clubmate Sadio Mane of Senegal and Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was winner in 2015. He became the first Egyptian to win the most prestigious individual honour in African football, after polling 625 points. According to reports of the event on the website of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Mane had 507, while Aubameyang finished a distant third with 311 points. The feat capped a superb year for the forward who played an influential role for both club and country during the year under review. Salah’s feat was the climax of a memorable evening for Egyptian football which saw the Ph

Speaking to reporters after observing Friday's Juma'at prayers with President Buhari at the state House Mosque in Abuja, Governor Bello said he was able to clear all outstanding salaries and pension arrears with the balance of the first tranche of the Paris club refunds received by the state Government in December last year.  He also disclosed that the state Government was forced to obtain loans to ensure that workers and pensioners get their entitlements before the yuletide . Governor Bello said his administration is working with the relevant security agencies to contain the spate of kidnapping and other crimes in the state. He told reporters that the Kogi State goverment is enjoying the support of the Fulani community in the state which has since volunteered to help government fish out criminal elements in their midst.  Governor Bello said Kogi State has already endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term in office noting that at the appropria

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says the security situation facing japan is the most perilous since world war two due to North Korea’s “unacceptable” provocations. Prime minister Abe who  said this  on Thursday at a news conference  vowed to bolster defenses to protect the Japanese people. Tension in the region has been rising, particularly since north Korea conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test in September, and then in November, said it had successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach all of the U.S. mainland. Abe said it was not an exaggeration to say that the security environment surrounding japan is at its severest since world war two but vowed to protect the people’s lives and peaceful living in any situation. Abe said japan would take new steps to strengthen its defense. The government approved a record military budget last month, with defense outlays due to rise for a sixth year, increasing by 1.3 percent to 5.1

Clashes have been reported in equatorial guinea near the border with Cameroon shortly after the west African state said it had thwarted a coup against president Teodoro Obiang Nguema, Africa’s longest-serving leader. Government troops had shot dead a "mercenary" and "used gunfire to disperse them in the forests along the border without specifying how many "mercenaries" were involved or how long the clashes lasted. Reports of the shooting came after security minister Nicolas Obama Nchama said in a statement on public radio that an attempted coup had been mounted on December 24, allegedly by foreign mercenaries recruited by political opponents. The minister said the attempted infiltration had been repelled thanks to an operation carried out "in collaboration with the Cameroon security services. Reports also say  the country's ambassador to chad had been arrested and was being held in a military camp.

Thousands of women from Bende Local Government Area of Abia state, south east Nigeria, stormed the government house Umuahia, on Wednesday protesting the destruction of their farm lands by herdsmen.  The peaceful march came the same day a similar protest took place in Makurdi, the Benue state capital. Represented by his principal secretary, Emma Nwabuko, governor Okezie Ikpeazu said the situation called for urgent attention by the federal government, pointing out that the anti-grazing bill before the senate, was the antidote that will bring lasting solution to the problem. The women leader, Comfort Nwachukwu, lamented that their crops were always ravaged by cows, while some of their kinsmen have been attacked by the herdsmen.

A passenger train has caught fire in South Africa after colliding with a truck, killing at least 12 people and injuring over 268. The collision occurred near Kroonstad city in free state province, after the truck failed to stop at a crossing. Police say about 850 passengers had been safely evacuated from the train. The driver of the truck tried to flee, but was arrested by police. Firemen rushed to the scene and battled the blaze on the train, which had been travelling from the coastal city of port Elizabeth to the commercial capital, Johannesburg.

US President Donald Trump's lawyers have written to his former strategist Steve Bannon, saying he has violated a non-disclosure agreement. The cease-and-desist notice accuses Bannon of defaming the president in speaking to author Michael Wolff. Wolff’s forthcoming tell-all book describes the president as being unprepared for the job. Trump responded by saying Bannon had "lost his mind" after losing his white house position. His lawyers said  Bannon had broken his employment agreement by speaking to Wolff about  trump and his family, "disclosing confidential information" and "making disparaging statements . According to New York magazine, which first published the extracts, Wolff was able to take advantage of the trump administration's political inexperience to gain an unusual amount of insight. Wolff said he was able to take up "something like a semi-permanent seat on a couch in the west wing" following the president&#

  Iranian Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi has urged the people of Iran to engage in civil disobedience and press on with nationwide protests that are posing the boldest challenge to its leaders since pro-reform unrest in 2009. Media reports  quoted Iran’s most famous human rights lawyer as saying Iranians should stay on the street and that the constitution gave them the right to hold demonstrations. Following six days of protests that have rattled the clerical leadership and killed 21 people, the country’s elite revolutionary guards on Wednesday deployed forces to quell unrest in three provinces. The protests, which began over economic hardships suffered by the young and working class, have evolved into a rising against the powers and privileges of a remote elite, especially supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran staged  pro-government rallies in several cities on Thursday, including the country’s second-largest, Mashhad. International News  

For Television Viewers in the Federal Capital Territory to enjoy the thirty channels on the digital terrestrial television platform, an annual access fee of one thousand six hundred naira is to be paid on each of the set up boxes connected to a television device. This follows expiration of the one year free service on offer after the digital switch on in the nation’s capital on December 22, 2016. On December 22, 2016 the federal government launched the Abuja digital switch over that signalled the commencement of full roll out of digital broadcasting across the country. This development enabled TV viewers in the Nigerian capital to access upto thirty free-to-air channels using set-top-boxes. Director of broadcast monitoring in the national broadcasting commission, NBC, Armstrong Idachaba says customers of the free-to-air TV decoders can now renew their digital pass at some designated locations to remain connected to the service. Two more cities have switched on

The entrance to the corporate headquarters of the Nigerian national petroleum corporation (NNPC) in Abuja was on Thursday barricaded, as persons said to be representing the Ogoni people of rivers state staged what they called a non-violent protest against shell and NNPC. They accused both shell and NNPC of using an undercover tactics to resume oil production in the area. It is the 2018 Ogoni day celebration and the people say they have chosen the day to protest against perceived marginalisation by shell and the NNPC. Representative of the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Maikanti Baru promised to convey their message to the right quarters. The group rounded off their protest with the hope that issues raised and contained in a seven-page document, will be given adequate and timely attention.

The chief justice of the FCT, Justice Ishaq Bello has urged the outgoing president of the customary court of appeal, justice Moses Bello to use his alternative dispute resolution skills acquired from the bench to better the lives of the people. The call was made during a valedictory service in honour of the president customary court of appeal on Thursday in Abuja. After 25 years service in the judiciary and attaining  compulsory retirement age ,  Justice Moses Bello bowed out of office as the president, customary court  of appeal. At the occasion attended  by prominent personalities , the chief judge of the FCT, high court Justice Ishaq Bello urged the retired judge to keep up the good work when the need arises. Well wishers took turns to eulogize the outgoing president, customary court of appeal describing him as a beacon of hope for the judiciary. Justice bello said he was delighted to have had the opportunity to contribute to the development of the judiciary.

Unai Emery © Getty Images 04 January 2018, 17:55 Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery is confident his side can get the better of Real Madrid as he looked ahead to next month's heavyweight Champions League showdown in an interview with AFP. And Emery dismissed suggestions that defeat to the reigning champions would constitute a failure for a club that invested huge sums in Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Dani Alves in the hope of winning the Champions League. "It is a chance for us to show that we are at the same level as them, that we can beat the best teams," the Spaniard said as his team prepares to return to action following the French winter break. PSG play their first game of 2018 on Sunday away to Rennes when they begin their defence of the French Cup. Their January schedule will be taken up by domestic action, but a nine-point lead over Monaco and Lyon at the top of Ligue 1 means they will perhaps already be star

Massive storm roars into East Coast; record cold to follow More HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A massive winter storm roared into the East Coast on Thursday, threatening to dump as much as 18 inches of snow from the Carolinas to Maine and unleashing hurricane-force winds and flooding that closed schools and offices and halted transportation systems. Forecasters expected the storm to be followed immediately by a blast of face-stinging cold air that could break records in more than two dozen cities and bring wind chills as low as minus 40 this weekend. Related Searches East Coast Winter Storm Northeast Snow Storm Snow Storm Pictures Nyc Snow Storm Snow Storm This Weekend Blizzard warnings and states of emergency were in wide effect, and wind gusts hit more than 70 mph (113 kph) in some places. Eastern Massachusetts and most of Rhode Island braced for snow falling as fast as 3 inches per hour. Three people were killed in North Carolina after their vehicles ran off snow-covered r

Sani Datti, Abuja:  A Federal Government Delegation led by the Hon Minister of Foreign Minister Affairs Geoffrey Onyema and comprising of the Director General of National Emergency Management Agency Engr Mustapha Maihaja and other heads of relevant agencies has arrived Libya to commence the process of massive evacuation of Nigerians stranded in the North African country back home. The delegation arrived Tripoli, Libya on Wednesday ahead of the actual evacuation operation that is expected to commence on Friday (tomorrow) with the airlift of the stranded Nigerians by two indigenous carriers engaged for the exercises.   A total of 5, 037 stranded citizens have been identified for the evacuation back home. The Nigerian mission in Libya is coordinating the identification of the Nigerian migrants with the support of the International Organization for Migration and are being joined by a technical team for the evacuation exercise comprising representatives of all relevant agencies. A re

The Football Association on Thursday asked Arsene Wenger to clarify remarks about penalties given against his side made before and after Arsenal's Premier League game with Chelsea. Wenger complained about two spot-kick decisions given against the Gunners, the first awarded to West Brom on Sunday and the second given to Chelsea on Wednesday. Both matches ended as draws and Wenger now has until 1800 GMT on Tuesday to respond. Wenger has said he intends to appeal a separate FA charge relating to his behaviour after last weekend's 1-1 draw with West Brom, when Arsenal defender Calum Chambers was penalised by Mike Dean for a handball. Arsenal conceded another late penalty against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, as Eden Hazard went down following a challenge from Hector Bellerin. The game finished 2-2. Wenger said before the game against Chelsea: "I must say what is more frustrating for me is that it happened many times this season – at Stoke, at Wat

The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has revealed that it has established its own clothing brand for national football team kits called KoPa. The development revealed in a media statement released to supersport.com on Thursday by FAZ Communications Manager Desmond Katongo comes after the national football governing body announced in September that it was reviewing its agreement with Singaporean kit supplier, Mafro. That agreement came to an end last month, seven months after it was signed in Ndola. And FAZ General Secretary Ponga Liwewe said the FAZ decided to create its own brand in order to widen its own revenue streams. "We are basically looking at widening our financial base by taking advantage of the popularity of our local game. We have recorded success on the pitch, and with the support which we have from fans we believe that we can score more success off the pitch with our own brand. "The days of relying on funding from FIFA and gate takings are over. T

The Rural Electrification Agency wishes to make clear that the planned Energizing Education Programme (EEP) which aims to provide dedicated and reliable electricity to Federal Universities is on course for delivery in 2018, and is already part of the 2017 budget.  Providing Uninterrupted Power Supply For University Students, Not a  Mere ‘Street lighting’ Project – Ministry Allegations that the MD/CEO made any statements to the contrary are patently untrue and are at best, a misunderstanding and at worst, a campaign to deny our federal universities the opportunity to access uninterrupted power. Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi stated in fact that a majority of the Universities under the EEP are located in rural as well as underserved communities, hence the REA’s involvement.

Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazzau has arrived Benue State in North-Central Nigeria for an assessment of the destruction and killings carried out by armed Fulani herdsmen in two local government areas of the State. The Minister who is leading a federal government delegation to also commiserate with the government and people of the State has on arrival in Makurdi, the state capital paid homage on the Tor Tiv and Chairman of the Benue State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Royal Majesty, Professor James Ayatse. The visit is coming barely 24 hours after youths in the State took to the streets to protest against the renewed killings and attacks on farming communities in the State