‘Fighting extremism’ top priority, says Assad

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A picture taken on March 9, 2017 in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo which was recaptured by government forces in December 2016, shows giant banners of President Bashar al-Assad outside the historic citadel on the outskirts of the old city. / AFP PHOTO / JOSEPH EID

Syria’s future will be decided only after “getting rid of extremists” and achieving political reconciliation, the country’s President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview published Monday.

As the war that has ravaged his country approaches its seventh year, Assad told reporters it was “still early to talk about” his vision for Syria’s future.

“It’s a luxury now to talk about politics while you’re going to be killed maybe in a few minutes, you have terrorist attacks,” he told a group of Western journalists, state news agency SANA said.

“So this is the priority, getting rid of the extremists, the political reconciliation in the different areas, this is another priority,” he added.

“When you achieve these two, you can talk about every discussion you want to regarding any issue.”

SANA did not specify which outlets the Western journalists were from.

Assad’s comments come ahead of the six-year anniversary of Syria’s conflict, which began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.

The conflict has since spiralled into a vicious and complex civil war that has killed more than 320,000 people and displaced more than half the population.

New peace talks brokered by Russia and Turkey are scheduled to start Tuesday in the Kazakh capital Astana, with UN-sponsored negotiations in Geneva set to resume on March 23.

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Shillz – “Balling” ft. Dremo [Mp3 + Lyrics]

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Shillz is an unsigned up & coming rapper you should look out for! On this single, he features DMW rookie ‘DREMO’ on a Fresh produced Beat!

Mixed & mastered by Sean Stan! Listen, Enjoy & share.

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Xenophobia attacks: FG wants NEPAD Continental to intervene (Read full details)

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A man holds a brick near the hostels in the Jeppestown area of Johannesburg where clashes broke out / Mujahid Safodien /AFP<br />

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal, has called on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Continental to intervene in the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

He made the appeal on Tuesday in Abuja during the two-day stakeholders meeting and skill initiative workshop for youth empowerment organised by the NEPAD Continental and NEPAD Nigeria.

Lawal was represented by Amb. Roy Ugo, the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

He said that NEPAD Continental as seat of the continent’s development programme in South Africa should design a quick intervention programme to end the attacks on Nigerians.

According to him, Nigeria and South Africa have several business and economic development partnership which should not be disrupted because of some groups of selfish persons.

He said that the Federal Government would not want to take any drastic action that would negatively affect the relationship between Nigeria and South Africa.

Besides, Lawal charged the NEPAD continental office to engage with relevant authorities in South Africa to do the needful with stringent measures put in place to punish perpetuators of xenophobia to serve as a deterrent to others.

In a response, Mrs Esterine Fotabong, Director, NEPAD continental said that the Government of South Africa has openly condemned the attacks on Nigerians and fellow Africans in the country.

She said that that there would be a peaceful dialogue to resolve the misunderstanding and to continue the peaceful relationship between both countries for a better future.

Fotabong said she would relay the message to the Chief Executive Officer of NEPAD Continental so that quick interventions would be put in place to stop the menace.

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Trump plots big increase in defense spending…Read full details

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US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the National Governors Association and his administration before a meeting in the State Dining Room of the White House February 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. / AFP PHOTO / Brendan Smialowski

President Donald Trump on Monday teased a budget plan that includes a substantial increase in defense spending and cuts in foreign aid.

Previewing a plan that will attempt to translate campaign promises into dollars and cents, Trump promised a “public safety and national security budget.”

An administration official said that Trump’s plan would include a $54 billion increase in defense spending and a corresponding decrease in non-military programs.

“Most federal agencies will see a reduction as a result,” the official said.

There will also be a “large reduction in foreign aid,” he added, on condition of anonymity.

The proposal, which will be picked over and must ultimately be approved by Congress, would increase defense spending — already the largest in the world — by almost 10 percent.

Trump claimed that his budget “follows through on my promise on keeping Americans safe.”

“It will include a historic increase in defense spending.”

His comments come a day before he addresses a joint session of Congress, an important agenda setting event for new presidents.

The initial outline did not include proposals for mandatory spending or tax proposals, which make up the bulk of outlays and receipts.

The budget is a keystone statement of Trump’s priorities for the coming years.

The nearly four trillion dollar annual federal budget is a declaration of intent that puts the president’s policy goals down in black and white.

It also separates affordable campaign promises from the fanciful and is the final arbitrator after turf wars between departments and powerful interest groups.

Trump has promised to cut waste and duplication in federal spending.

US president after US president has made similar promises on coming to office, before delving into a text that runs in the thousands of pages and tossing the plan into the thicket of Congress.

Trump has oodles of campaign promises to pay for, but faces a national debt set to hit $20 trillion on his watch and a deficit at 3.1 percent of GDP and rising.

Trump’s promises — from building a wall on the Mexican border to stepping-up the deportation of undocumented immigrants — carry an estimated price tag of $5.3 trillion, according to the non-partisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

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Akwa Ibom kerosene explosion: 4 feared dead, 14 burnt

Prisoners seek support to further education

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Inmates of the Lafia prison have appealed for assistance from members of the public, to enable them further their education.

Newsmen report  that the inmates spoke through Godwin Wase, who is their “Pastor”, at a ceremony organised by the Prison Fellowship of Nigeria, to celebrate the birthday of Bishop Emmanuel Musa-Jatau, the prisoners’ visiting spiritual partner.

Wase, who said he had spent 11, out of his 21 years jail term over armed robbery, said that such assistance would enable the inmates become more useful to the society upon completion of their terms. “I came in here as a secondary school leaver and have lost my parents while in prison. “I have no one to look up to anymore, because I am an only child.

“The good thing is that I encountered God in prison and have repented through the support of the prison fellowship, prison authority and other spirited individuals.

“I was able to write Jamb and later secured admission into the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN),” Wase said.

He said that four other inmates were already studying at the NOUN, while 34 others had written the National Board for Technical Education (NABTEB) examination, and had applied for admission into NOUN.

“Most of the inmates have expressed willingness to write JAMB and further their education, if given the opportunity.

“There are a lot of brilliant people with massive potential in the prisons; they should not be allowed to rot away,” he said.

Addressing the inmates, Musa-Jatau, of the Faith Hill Prophetic AAssembly, Abuja assured them of his commitment towards their education and promised to register some of them to write JAMB.

He also promised to raise some money with which to settle the tuition of those in NOUN.

The clergy charged the inmates not to look down on themselves, or feel that they were the worst set of people.

“You should rather work towards making a difference upon completion of your jail term, by improving your capacity through skill acquisition,” he said.

Newsmen report that the Bishop used the occasion to secure the release of five inmates by paying the fine options of their sentences.

Mr Ekwere Ekanem, Comptroller of Prisons in Nasarawa State, in his remark, lauded the Bishop for the gesture and challenged other individuals and organisation to emulate it.

The post Prisoners seek support to further education appeared first on Vanguard News.

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N8.5bn alleged fraud: EFCC leads evidence in trial of ex JTF commander, Atewe, others

Editor eats newspaper for losing bet

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A sports editor in Belarus has kept a promise to eat his own newspaper after incorrectly predicting the fortunes of a local ice hockey team.

Vyacheslav Fedorenkov, who writes for the major Belarusian sports paper Pressball, had said that Dinamo Minsk would not make it to the play-offs in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

Journalists report that KHL is an international league dominated by Russian teams.

But Dinamo Minsk proved him wrong, leaving Fedorenkov to eat his words.

He arrived at Minsk Arena’s press centre with a copy of the paper, a bowl of soup to make it more palatable and a can of fizzy pop.

Unfortunately he was a bit short on soup, so only managed to eat half of the pages.

Fedorenkov was in good spirits in spite of his unappetising meal, jokingly telling reporters: “I would do anything for my favourite team’’.

But he added that he would think twice before making any similar commitments in the future.

“I will be frank with you lads,” he said. “Don’t joke like this and don’t make such promises, because they are pretty difficult to deliver.’’

The was no pressure on the journalist from Dinamo Minsk, but team coach Craig Woodcroft was still impressed with the effort.

“I will remember his deed every time I enter this room,’’ Woodcroft said.

The post Editor eats newspaper for losing bet appeared first on Vanguard News.

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Thabo Mbeki peace panel on Sudan gets Troika continued support

Let there be an understanding, harmonious relationship: Okowa urges taxpayers, revenue board

Why Ekiti Budget Support Fund was stopped – FG

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By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief

The federal government has said that it stopped paying Ekiti State funds from the Budget Support Facility (BSF) because it failed to meet the requirements agreed to by the state governors and the federal government, on the programme.

A statement by the Director of Information of the Federal Ministry of Information, Mr. Salisu Na’Inna, in Abuja , yesterday, indicated that Ekiti had been warned about the situation, as far back as August , last year, but that the warning was ignored.

It said, “The fact is that, the Ekiti State Government failed to comply with the necessary requirements for participating in the Budget Support Facility (BSF), which is a Conditional Loan Programme to State Governments introduced with the view to enhancing fiscal prudence and designed particularly to enhance transparency, efficiency in public expenditure and payment of salaries.

“This is not the first time of non-compliance by the Ekiti State Government. His administration defaulted in meeting the conditions specified and agreed upon by the 35 State Governments that are participating in the programme as contained in the Fiscal Sustainability Plan (FSP) and the Ekiti State Government was warned formally of its failure to comply with the full requirements vide a letter on August 5, 2016, with reference number HMF/FMF/ASG/1/2016.

“The failure of Ekiti State Government to comply with the requirements and conditions for the Budget Support Facility (BSF) resulted in a letter sent to the Chief of Staff to notify him of the suspension of BSF for Ekiti State and it was conveyed to Mr. President before payment to the Ekiti State Government was reinstated.

“The Ekiti State Government and all the other participating States are aware of the consequence of failure to comply with the full conditions and it is not the first time that a State would be stopped from accessing the Facility due to non-compliance. In the course of its normal duties, the Ministry of Finance has the right to query, suspend or withhold funds as part of the conditions of the Budget Support Facility.

“The process is for the Commissioner of Finance of any State or the Governor having issues to contact the Federal Ministry of Finance and resolve the issues without resorting to the media because such issues are of a financial nature and therefore, confidential; they are routinely resolved amicably by the parties involved.

“The Federal Ministry of Finance wishes to restate very strongly that the Budget Support Facility is a conditional programme and the Federal Government would not be intimidated or threatened in the discharge of its duties.”

When Vanguard asked to know what specific conditions of the BSF Ekiti State failed to meet, an official who insisted he must not be quoted said that the Resolution by the State House of Assembly, authorizing it which should be approved by the state Executive Council was never submitted by the state.

Another official said, that the BSF was a loan that must be repaid and that each state must meet the condition before it could benefit from it.

The post Why Ekiti Budget Support Fund was stopped – FG appeared first on Vanguard News.

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Man, to be hangged for killing wife

GTbank appoints Bolaji Lawal as Executive Director

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The foremost African institutional Guaranty Trust Bank plc (GTBANK) has appointed Bolaji Lawal as Executive Director and Babatunde Soyoye as Independent Non- Executive Director.

Guaranty Trust Bank’s Board of Directors announced the appointment of Mobolaji Lawal as an Executive Director of the Bank Thursday in a press statement.

Prior to his appointment, Mobolaji Lawal was the Divisional Head, Digital Banking Division.

Mr. Lawal who joined the Bank in 1992 as an Executive Trainee and rose through the ranks to become a General Manager, a position he held until his appointment as Executive Director. He has over twenty-four (24) years’ of banking experience which covers various aspects of banking including Credit Risk Management; Corporate Banking Group; Commercial Banking Group; Investment Banking and Corporate Finance where he served as Group Head. Under his leadership, the Group worked on several landmark debt syndications, capital market and project finance transactions both in Nigeria and abroad.

He holds a Bachelor of Law degree from Obafemi Awolowo University (1990); B.L from the Nigerian Law School (1991) and a Master of Business Administration from the Oxford University, United Kingdom (2002). He has also attended several executive management and banking specific developmental programs in leading educational institutions such as Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business and Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires (INSEAD).

Announcing the new appointment, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Bank, Mr. Segun Agbaje stated that: “As a Bank, we maintain high corporate governance standards and ensure our Board appointments are in line with global best practices”. He further stated, “Bolaji has been an integral part of the Bank’s success and has seen the bank evolve and develop through the years. I am confident that his appointment to the Board will further strengthen and position the bank for improved performance“.

Guaranty Trust Bank plc was established in 1990 and is regarded by Industry watchers as the best run and most ethical financial institution within the Nigerian Financial Services space, due to its bias for world-class corporate governance standards, excellent service quality and innovation. The Bank is one of the few Nigerian financial institutions to have a well-articulated succession plan and this has enabled it seamlessly undertake two management and several board changes since inception.

The Bank operates from over 238 branches within the country and has banking subsidiaries in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Cote D’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom.

More details soon

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I was mocked, stigmatised for having a cerebral palsy child —Amina Bello, Kogi First lady

Scientists target 8m African farmers with Pod-borer resistant cowpea

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Sub Saharan African farmers will soon have access to improved cowpea varieties that will lead to increase in yield.

This follows the development of Maruca Resistant Cowpeas by  a public-private partnership project, the Pod Borer Resistant Cowpea Project: that has identified elite events and speedily advancing towards de-regulation and commercial release of the crop to farmers.

These varieties are expected to reduce grain yield losses caused by the Pod borer, Maruca vitrata, as well as reduce the need for insecticidal sprays. The expected yield improvement will impact household, national and global food security and economic status.

Considered as the most important food grain legume in the dry savannas of tropical Africa where it is grown on more than 12.5 million hectares, Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) is  said to be rich in quality protein and its energy content almost equal to that of cereal grains.

The legume is a good source of quality fodder for livestock and provides cash income. Nearly 200 million people in Africa presently consume the crop.

According to agric scientists, many biotic and abiotic factors greatly reduce cowpea productivity in the traditional African farming systems. Among these constraints is the pod borer, Maruca vitrata, which perennially damages cowpea pods in the fields.

The pod borer (Maruca vitrata),  according to them is a major Lepidopteran pest that inflicts severe damage to the cowpea plant.

In severe infestations yield losses of between 70–80 percent have been reported. Control through spraying with insecticide has not been widely adopted by farmers due its prohibitive costs. On the other hand, farmers who have adopted control through spraying have been exposed to serious health hazards.

The Executive Director, African Agricultural Technology Foundation, Dr Dennis Kyetere,  said  the deployment of a cowpea product that is capable of protecting itself from attack by Maruca will make it easier and cheaper for farmers to produce cowpeas in areas where this pest is a problem.

“ I am particularly excited about the prospects that the project holds given the excellent results from the trial fields across the four countries involved in this research, Countries like Nigeria will stop importing cowpeas in the coming years as it is expected to be cowpea sufficient with the advent of this variety,” added Dr Kyetere.

He also paid glowing tribute and congratulated African Scientist and international development partners involved in the project.

The goal of the Pod-borer Resistant Cowpea Project is to develop and disseminate farmer-preferred and locally adapted Maruca-resistant cowpea varieties in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Pod-borer Resistant Cowpea Project is a public private partnership coordinated by AATF with the funding support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to promote technological interventions that will optimise cowpea productivity and utilisation in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The partnership entails developing and testing cowpea varieties with a genetic trait that would make the plant resistant to the borer and provide farmers with an alternative to costly and hazardous insecticide spraying.

The project entails transferring the Bt gene, which confers resistance to the pod, into improved cowpea varieties.

The project is being implemented in four countries in Sub-Saharan Africa – Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Malawi.

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Paris Club refunds probe: We’re waiting for EFCC-Governors

Delta: S’Court refuses to void Mutu’s election

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By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA – The Supreme Court has struck out an appeal seeking to sack the lawmaker representing Bomadi/Patani federal constituency of Delta state, Hon. Nicholas Mutu, from the House of Representatives.

The apex court, in a bench ruling by a five-man panel of Justices led by the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, held that the appeal which was lodged by a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, Mr. William Angadi, lacked competence.

Angadi had gone before the Supreme Court to challenge the process that led to Mutu’s nomination as the candidate of the PDP in the 2015 National Assembly election.

The appellant contended that Mutu was not validly nominated to participate in the election as prescribed by both the PDP guidelines and the Electoral Act.

He prayed the apex court to set aside a judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which on August 14, 2015, declared that the respondent was validly nominated by the PDP.

The appellate court upheld a concurring verdict of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) which earlier dismissed the case for want of merit.

Dissatisfied with judgments of the two lower courts, Angadi, urged the apex court to set them aside.

Meanwhile, the Acting CJN, Justice Onnoghen struck out the matter on Wednesday on the premise that the appellant failed to obtain leave of the apex court before filling his notice of appeal.

Justice Onnoghen held that the original motion the appellant entered on August 20, 2015, contained mixed law and facts for which leave of the court was required.

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Huawei Technologies prepares digital assistant for China Huawei Technologies

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Huawei Technologies, Chinese multinational  networking and telecommunications equipment  and services company is in the early stages of developing its own voice-powered digital assistant, stepping up competition with Apple, Google and Amazon in this emerging area of technology.

Huawei, according to Bloomberg, is currently the world third largest smartphone maker  behind Apple and Samsung, deployed more than a hundred engineers to develop the technology and the move is specifically targeted at the larger players in the ecosystem.

Apple first launched Siri, its digital assistant in 2011, embedding it into its iPhones, and rivals have followed.

Google developed its own Assistant, which is currently available on its Pixel smartphones , its home speaker and certain smart watches. Amazon in 2016 launched Alexa, a standalone digital assistant device which continues to see traction.

Other manufacturers have also announced their own plans to launch similar products, underpinning the growing hype around Artificial Intelligence processes.

Huawei’s assistant would be only be targeted at its home market, and communicate on its smartphones in Chinese languages, said Bloombergsources, and the company would continue to work with Amazon and Google outside of China.

Just last month, Huawei said its Mate 9 smartphones would be compatible with Amazon Alexa.

However, Huawei continues to step up its consumer business efforts, and recently detailed ambitions to overtake Apple and become the world second largest smartphone maker by 2018.

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NSCDC says 1,135 killed in Zamfara in 5 years

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The Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Zamfara Command, Mr David Abi, said no fewer than 1,135 persons lost their lives to banditry in Zamfara between 2011 and 2015.

Abi disclosed this on Thursday when he paid a courtesy visit to members of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state.

He advised that in spite of the recent peace accord with the bandits in the state, the people should be cautious.

Abi said with the introduction of new strategies by the command, some of the unrepentant bandits were relocating to the towns to continue with their criminal activities.

He said the command had intensified its night vigil and surveillance patrol across the state to check activities of criminal elements.

The commandant said that in spite of the lack of operational facilities, the command would work relentlessly to ensure a smooth take-off of grazing reserves.

“We will give the herdsmen in Zamfara the desired protection and a sense of belonging,” he said.

In a remark, Chairman of the Correspondents Chapel, Maiharaji Sala, assured that the chapel would continue to partner with the command and other organisations for the development of the state.

 

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Buhari speaks to Trump by telephone (Read full details)

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President Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday in London spoke to President Donald Trump by telephone at the request of the American President.

The president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, said in a statement in Abuja on Monday that the conversation was cordial and Buhari congratulated Trump on his election as President of the United States, and on his cabinet.

Adesina said the two leaders discussed ways to improve cooperation in the fight against terrorism through provision of necessary equipment.

According to him, Trump encourages Buhari to keep up the good work he is doing, and also commends him for the efforts he has made in rescuing 24 of the Chibok Girls and the strides being taken by the Nigerian military.

“Trump assured the Nigerian president of the U.S readiness to cut a new deal in helping Nigeria in terms of military weapons to combat terrorism. “Trump also invited Buhari to Washington at a mutually convenient date,” he added.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Buhari, who extended his initial 10-day vacation in London, had telephone discussions with the Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara.

The leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmed Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande also visited the president in London, last week. Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun was also pictured having breakfast with the president at his London abode.

The president had proceeded on a 10-day vacation in UK on Jan. 19 for a routine medical check as indicated in a letter to the Senate which also authorised Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to act as president pending his return.

The president, who could not make it back to the country on Feb. 6, transmitted another letter to the Senate requesting extension of time to complete his medical check-up in London.

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