Xenophobia: Senate withdraws from South Africa trip (Read full details)

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Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu

The Senate has cancelled its planned trip to South Africa over recent xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in that country.

Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, who presided at Wednesday’s plenary, announced the cancellation of the trip ‎after about 30 minutes closed-door session of the upper chamber.

He said that the lawmakers reached the decision to withdraw from the trip following the insistence of the House of Representatives to send a separate delegation to South Africa.

Ekweremadu disclosed that attempts by the Senate to prevail on the lower chamber to allow a single National Assembly delegation for the trip were rejected by the green chamber.

“On our trip to South Africa to engage our colleagues in their parliament regarding xenophobia, we noted that the House Representatives insisted on going to South Africa independently.

“We thought we could send a single delegation of the National Assembly to avoid the unnecessary embarrassment of multiple delegations.

“In the circumstance, the Senate decided to pull out of the trip and allow the delegation of the House of Representatives to proceed. We wish them safe trip and good luck,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the senate had while condemning the attacks on Nigerians in South Africa on Feb. 28, resolved to send a delegation to South Africa’s parliament on the issue.

Consequently, it raised a delegation head by Ekweremadu for the mission. But similar step was taken at the House of Representatives, which brought up the need for a joint delegation of the National Assembly.

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DOWNLOAD VIDEO: Jidenna – Bambi [Mp3 + Lyrics]

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Jidenna chases down his old flame in “Bambi.”

“Classic Man” hitmaker Jidenna returns to HNHH with his music video for “Bambi,” a classic love story told on screen. Beginning with steamy scenes of lovemaking, Jidenna creates the impression that he and this beautiful woman have something that will last. Sadly, things take a turn for our hero, as it turns out she has committed to marrying another man, having left Jidenna for reasons undisclosed. All things come to a triumphantly tragic end as Jidenna drunkenly tries to stop a wedding.

Check out Jidenna’s video for “Bambi,” and let us know your thoughts in the comments. Is this the steamiest clip you’ve seen from this guy so far?

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Youngzy – Yapka [Mp3 + Lyrics]

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This is another brand new hit from fast raising art, he call this one YAPKA prod by Ava Songs…. Free download and share

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Youngzy-Yapka

 

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Schools reopening in Guinea afer 3-week strike, violence

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People demonstrate in a street on February 21, 2017, in Conakry where at least six people died during violent protests on the eve as people demonstrated over teachers' strikes that have closed schools for the past three weeks, government sources said. At least 30 people were also wounded, including members of the police force in Conakry, the government said in a statement. A number of violent protests have rocked the city in the past few weeks, mainly by young people and students who support a teachers' strike.<br />/ AFP PHOTO / CELLOU BINANI

Schools began to reopen across Guinea on Wednesday after a three-week strike and violent protests that left seven people dead in the capital this week, an AFP journalist and school staff said.

The violence in Conakry on Monday and Tuesday capped weeks of protests mainly by young people and students that prompted the government to close schools on February 1.

The protests were in support of a strike by temporary teachers demanding full-time government contracts.

On Wednesday, students began trickling back into classrooms in the capital and in other cities, with the country’s biggest secondary school, Lycee Donka, seeing 60 percent attendance, teacher Bangaly Traore told AFP.

But staff at a nearby school reported only 20 percent of students and 15 percent of teachers present, while schools in the cities of Labe and Kankan were reported to be 33 percent full.

Schools reopened after unions struck a deal with the government late Monday, but some teachers told AFP the deal fell short of their demands.

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Buhari extends leave

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President Muhammadu Buhari has extended his 10-day leave.

The notice of the extension was contained in a letter dispatched to the National Assembly.

Buhari’s spokesman Femi Adesina said the president extended the leave on the advice of his doctors.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the National Assembly today, February 5, 2017, informing of his desire to extend his leave in order to complete and receive the results of a series of tests recommended by his doctors,” he said in a statement.

“The President had planned to return to Abuja this (Sunday) evening, but was advised to complete the test cycle before returning. The notice has since been dispatched to the Senate President, and Speaker, House of Representatives.

“Mr. President expresses his sincere gratitude to Nigerians for their concern, prayers and kind wishes.”

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Vehicle importation ban can trigger transnational crime, says lawmaker

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Tokunbo Vehicles

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Poverty Alleviation, Sen. Ali Wakili, says the ban on importation of vehicles through land borders can engender rise in transnational crime.

Wakili at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja said that increased crime could be recorded because adequate measures were not put in place for the implementation of the ban.

According to him, though the policy is good, the timing is bad in view of the fact that the alternatives available are not adequate.

The former Controller of Customs said that the ban had started inflicting hardship on border communities’ residents, who rely mainly on border trade for livelihood.

“The timing is bad in view of the present hardship in the country.

“With the ban, the Customs Service will be inundated with anti-smuggling activities; there will be wastage of time, wastage of resources and loss of lives.

“The Customs Service will equally have bad public relations from the border communities because they will be antagonistic to officers.

“You people in the media reported when there was a problem at the border last year over a vehicle that someone was shot dead and there was riot as a result.

“Besides, every day you report clashes around Badagry and Idiroko borders.

“This policy just came in December and you are implementing it by the first day of January without taking the people into confidence by explaining to them what you want to do.

“There was not even moratorium, no grace period. Some people from the North came to me during our last recess to say that this policy is anti-people,’’ he said.

According to Wakili, while smuggling should be discouraged at all cost, government ought to have created enabling environment before going on with the ban.

He said, ‘’People will be ready to do the correct thing once there is an enabling environment.

“I have said over time that we should build inland container depots and rejuvenate the railways.

“By the time we build the inland container depots, people will consign their goods and as soon as they drop from the ship, put them on the train and take them to the hinterlands.

“ We are not saying the Customs Service does not have the right, we are saying that it is bad timing.

“We do not want the hardship Nigerians went through during the ban on importation of rice to repeat itself.’’

The lawmaker urged the Service to have a re-think on the policy, adding that the present administration was voted in to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians and not to inflict pain on them.

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UK deports 41 Nigerians (Read full details)

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Alhaji Muhammad Sidi, Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said on Wednesday that 41 Nigerians deported from the United Kingdom for various immigration offences had arrived the country.

He confirmed the development in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), while receiving the deportees at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport (MMlA) Lagos.

Sidi added that the 33 adult males and eight female deportees arrived the country aboard a chartered aircraft at about 8: 00 a.m.

“From the manifest with me, 41 Nigerians are on board and according to the British High Commission in Nigeria, they were deported because they committed various immigration offences.

“As a responsible government, we cannot just leave our citizens to enter the country without giving them a good welcome.

“Also, we want to let them know that the country they left years ago, is different from what they are returning to.’’

He stressed that Nigeria had moved ahead since the deportees left the country, adding that everybody has equal opportunities under the present government.

Sidi, who was represented by Dr Onimode Bandele, the Deputy Director, Search and Rescue in the agency, advised Nigerians to stay in the country and develop it.

He, however, said that some stipends would be given to the deportees, to facilitate their transportation to their various destinations.

NAN reports that other agencies who were at the airport to receive the deportees included officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigeria Immigration Service.

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