Putin, Erdogan hail mended ties…Read full details

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Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands after a joint news conference following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 10, 2017. The talks focused on Syria, where Russia and Turkey have launched a joint mediation effort and coordinated their military action against the Islamic State group. PHOTO: Sergei Ilnitsky / POOL / AFP

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday announced the “normalisation” of ties between their nations, damaged by Ankara downing one of Moscow’s warplanes in 2015.

“We can state with confidence that our countries have returned to the path of a true multi-tiered cooperation between partners,” Putin told a press conference after the two strongmen met at the Kremlin.

Relations between Moscow and Ankara hit rock bottom after Turkey’s shooting down of a Russian warplane over the Syrian border in November 2015, which Putin then labelled a “stab in the back”.

The two have reconciled since, notably cooperating on Syria and backing a ceasefire in December which significantly reduced violence in the war-wracked country.

“In the last few months, the steps we have taken together have meant we have closed the gap in normalising bilateral relations,” said Erdogan.

“I believe the normalisation process has ended. We don’t want to utter this phrase any longer,” he said, adding he expected Russia to “completely lift the sanctions” imposed after the plane’s downing.

The two leaders also signed a new economic cooperation plan and agreed to create an investment fund worth up to $1 billion (935 million euros), said Putin.

The Russian leader hailed the joint efforts on Syria, crediting the coordinated actions of Russia, Turkey and Iran for “considerably lowering the level of violence.”

He said Russia and Turkey will “continue cooperation in the fight against terrorist groups, especially ISIL”, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State (IS) group.

“Be it in Syria or in Iraq, in both countries our main objective is territorial integrity,” said Erdogan.

Earlier this week, top generals of Turkish, Russian and US militaries met in a bid to step up coordination in Syria and avoid clashes.

Turkey initially had threatened to strike former IS bastion Manbij unless the US-backed Kurdish militia pulled back from the city, but later retracted the claim.

Erdogan said Friday that Ankara wants to cooperate with US-backed coalition and Russian forces there.

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FEC approves N1.47bn for water expansion project in FCT (Read full details)

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The Federal Executive Council (FEC), on Wednesday approved a N1.47 billion (470 million US Dollars) contract for the expansion of water supply programme in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The FCT Minister, Mr Mohammed Bello, who announced this to State House correspondents, said that another N186 million was approved for the purchase of 1,000 tons of Alum by the FCT Water Board.

According to Bello, FEC also approved a memo from the FCT for the extension by 24 months of the maintenance contract for the Wupa water treatment plant including training of workers.

Cue in audio

“The first one is the approval for the award of contract for the construction of the Greater Abuja Water Supply Project at a total cost of 470 million dollars.

“This is a very important project for the residents of the city because it aims to provide portable water supply to a greater part of the city and it tends to leverage on the existing facilities that we have in the city.

“That is the Lower Usman Dam as well as the water treatment plant for the city which is reputed to be one of the largest in the African continent.
“As you know, water supply to the city based on the master plan has not been able to extend to other phases of the city.

“And the intention of this project, which is being funded by the China Export Import (EXIM) Bank, is to provide water to what we call loops 1, 2, 5 and 6.

“The overall master plan for the city has 10 loops, already loops 3 and 4 are currently operational providing water to Garki, Wuse, Maitama, Asokoro and the Central Business District.’’

Mohammed said that the alum contract was given to an indigenous manufacturer to support local content.

The minister said that the Wupa plant programme was to prepare for an exit plan to enable Nigerian professionals to take over the maintenance of the project from foreign contractors.

Also the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Mr Udoma Udo Udoma, said he informed FEC of the recently released country’s economic performance report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Udoma said the report that covered the fourth quarter of 2016 and also the entire 2016 showed improvement in economic recovery.

He said that he also briefed FEC on the release of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. According to him, the result of the NBC report is better than what many people, including the IMF, projected.

“We are not yet out of the woods but our plan is to get out of recession by the end of this year,’’ he said.

The minister said that the administration was expecting the quick passage of the 2017 budget to fast track economic recovery.

He said government is funding `agriculture, solid minerals and infrastructure development to return growth, invest in the people and build competitiveness of the economy.

“We are determined by the end of the (economic) plan to move from the negative growth that we experienced in 2016 to a growth rate of seven per cent by 2020,’’ Udoma said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that FEC members also marked Osinbajo’s 60th birthday with Agriculture Minister Audu Ogbeh describing the celebrant as a hardworking and transparent leader.

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The Biography Of Ameyo Adadevoh [Life Profile & History]

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Ameyo Adadevoh (born Ameyo Stella Shade Adadevoh; 27 October 1956 – 19 August 2014) was a Nigerian physician.

Her great-grandfather, Herbert Macaulay, is one of the most celebrated founders of modern Nigeria. Her grandfather was from the illustrious Adadevoh family of the Volta Region of Ghana, to which she was very much connected, though she lived in Lagos. Her father was a physician and former Vice chancellor of the University of Lagos. She was also the grand niece of Nigeria’s first president Nnamdi Azikiwe.

She was born as Ameyo Stella Shade Adadevoh on October 27, 1956 in Lagos, Lagos State and died on August 19, 2014 (aged 57) in Lagos

She is credited with having curbed a wider spread of the Ebola virus in Nigeria by placing the patient zero, Patrick Sawyer, in quarantine despite pressures from the Liberian Government. On 4 August 2014, it was confirmed that she had tested positive for Ebola virus disease and was being treated.
Adadevoh died in the afternoon of 19 August 2014. She was posthumously praised for preventing the Nigerian index case from leaving the hospital at the time of diagnosis, thereby playing a key role in curbing the spread of the virus in Nigeria. Adadevoh was survived by her husband Afolabi and son Bankole among other relatives.

* An Uzomedia Biography

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‘MSN’ lead Barca rescue mission against PSG…See full details

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Barcelona's Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez (L) celebrates his goal with Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (C) and Barcelona's Brazilian forward Neymar (R) during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg football match FC Barcelona vs Arsenal FC at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on March 16, 2016. / AFP / JOSEP LAGO

Barcelona boss Luis Enrique put his faith in Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar to produce a historic Champions League comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in what could be his last European game in charge on Wednesday.

Barca need to do what no side has ever done in the Champions League by overturning a 4-0 first-leg deficit, to make the quarter-finals for a 10th straight season.

Enrique, who announced his decision to step down at the end of the season last week, makes three changes from the side that started their humiliation in Paris three weeks ago and he also switches to a 3-4-3 formation.

Javier Mascherano, Ivan Rakitic and Rafinha replace Sergi Roberto, Jordi Alba and Andre Gomes with Messi likely to start as the most attacking point of a midfield diamond.

PSG boss Unai Emery makes two changes from the first leg as he eyes a first win at the Camp Nou in 12 attempts as a visiting coach.

Captain Thiago Silva returns at the heart of the defence in place of Presnel Kimpembe, whilst injury means two-goal hero from the first leg Angel Di Maria misses out at the expense of Lucas Moura.

Barcelona (3-4-3): Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Javier Mascherano, Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti; Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta (capt), Ivan Rakitic, Lionel Messi; Rafinha, Luis Suarez, Neymar

Coach: Luis Enrique (ESP)

Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Kevin Trapp; Thomas Meunier, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva (capt), Layvin Kurzawa; Marco Verratti, Adrien Rabiot, Blaise Matuidi; Lucas Moura, Edinson Cavani, Julian Draxler

Coach: Unai Emery (ESP)

Referee: Deniz Aytekin (GER)

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Wildlife hunting attracts 10 years imprisonment, says NCF (Read full details)

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Wildlife

The Nigerian Conservation Federation (NCF) has warned that anyone found guilty of exploitation and commercial hunting of wild animals risked 10-year imprisonment with an option of N1million fine or both.

Director-General of the federation, Mr Adeniyi Karunwi, gave the warning in Ibadan on Saturday at a workshop organised by the Pangolins Conservation Working Group, Nigeria.

The workshop organized in collaboration with National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), South West Zone and entitled “Speak Up for Pangolins” was in commemoration of 2017 World Pangolins Day.

“Our environment is in danger; a lot of wild animals like pangolins are at the risk of going into extinction and there is over-exploitation of these animals.

“People need to know that exploitation and commercialisation of wildlife identified under Schedule 1 of the Endangered Species Amendment Act is a criminal offence that attracts a 10-year jail term,” Karunwi said.

According to him, conservation of wildlife is important in order to promote ecological tourism to the country.

On her part, Dr Olajumoke Morenikeji, Coordinator, Pangolin Conservation Working Group, said that pangolins risked going into extinction, because they were the most illegally hunted and traded mammals.

Morenikeji, who is an Environmental Biologist, said that pangolins were illegally traded for their scales, meat and body parts which were in high demand in Asia, especially in China and Vietnam.

“Pangolins’ meat is considered a delicacy, while their scales are used in traditional medicine and folk remedies to treat a range of ailments.

“There is insatiable demand for pangolin scales, especially in China where they are used for traditional medicines.

“There is a belief that the scales has curative properties like keratin and can be used to treat skin diseases.

“There is also the claim that its liver, throat and toes can successfully treat asthma, goitre, elephantiasis and impotence,” she said.

She, however, said that the claims of the traditional medicine practitioners were yet to be scientifically evaluated.

“If pangolins go into extinction before research can be done, the human race would have lost a lot of benefits.

“The issue of pangolin is a shame to the country for a recently seized shipment in China contained kilograms of pangolin scales, which totaled 7, 200 pangolins, got from Nigeria.

“We are appealing to hunters to stop the exploitation and trafficking of these animals.

“Pangolins, like all animals going to extinction, serve as buffer for human beings. If we remove all the buffers in the ecosystem, one day, the human race will also go into extinction.

“We need a grassroots approach to education and awareness on the importance of pangolin conservation to the ecosystem; humanity should be the guardian of pangolins, not the predator,” Morenikeji said.

In his view, Mr Adeleke Ajani, South-West Zonal Director, NESREA, said that pangolins were important in the maintenance of ecological balance.

“Pangolins need to be sustained because they are very important in the ecosystem; they also serve as biological pest control.

“They are very voracious ant eaters; one pangolin can eat 70 million insects, including pests in a year. This means if you remove all of them you are calling for trouble,” he said.

Describing their sustainability as crucial, Ajani said that pangolins were peculiar animals, which mated only once in a year and gave birth to just a single young one.

“Pangolins are very vulnerable creatures which cannot breed in captivity; they only breed well in their natural environment.

“We need to go into research as well as get the actual inventory of these animals in the wild and see possible means of domesticating them,” he said.

According to Ajani, NESREA, as a regulatory body, is scaling up efforts to prohibit and prosecute the illegal trafficking and international trade of pangolins and their scales.

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These Educative, Entertaining And Inspirational Pictures Will Blow Your Mind – 79

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These are just pictures but they tell stories that will either Educate, Entertain or Motivate you…

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Anti-austerity protest turns violent in Rio de Janeiro

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Civil servants protesting against austerity measures in front of the Rio de Janeiro State Legislative Assembly clash with riot police, in Rio de Janeiro, brazil, on February 1, 2017.<br />VANDERLEI ALMEIDA / AFP

Brazilian riot police used tear gas and stun grenades in Rio de Janeiro Wednesday to break up a protest against austerity measures aimed at rescuing the state from near bankruptcy.

The center of the city that less than half a year ago was hosting the Olympic Games turned into a battlefield at lunch hour.

Police in gas masks fired waves of gas into crowds of hundreds of people attempting to gather outside the state legislature. People ran from stun grenades that flashed and boomed repeatedly.

Most protesters were peaceful, but television footage showed a group trying to break through barriers protecting the state assembly, where deputies were considering austerity measures.

As police chased protesters, the usually busy avenues around the assembly emptied of traffic. Nervous shopkeepers pulled down metal shutters and went home.

Protesters included police officers who haven’t been paid fully for months, sanitation workers, pensioners and staff from the state court system.

They demanded payment of late salaries and the scrapping of austerity measures under consideration in the state assembly, which is confronting nearly empty coffers.

The measures include raising from 11 to 14 percent the pension withholdings from state employees, workforce cuts, and privatization of the Cedae sanitation utility.

“We haven’t received our overtime pay since July since the Olympic Games,” said one striking police officer, who would only give her first name, Leticia.

“We’re still waiting for our last salary for last year and we haven’t received our salaries for January, when it’s now February,” she said angrily.

“We haven’t received overtime pay since July — including the work we did during the Olympics.”

Violence spread, with gangs of youths wearing scarves over their faces setting fire to garbage cans, smashing up a bus, and attempting to attack police, who responded with barrages of stun grenades and smoke bombs until late afternoon.

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