Leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) aka Shi’ites, Ibrahim El-ZakZaky and his wife, Zeenat, have returned to Nigeria after their botched medical trip to India.
The couple landed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja this afternoon aboard an Ethiopian Airline.
El-Zakzaky and his wife decided to return home following the unfavorable medical condition they received in India.
The couple are currently being held at the VIP section of the airport with DSS operatives working frantically to take them to unknown destination.
Videos of Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria aka Shi’ites, speaking on his immediate return to Nigeria, has been released online.
In the videos, El-Zakzaky claimed the Federal government told the Indian government that he is a terrorist and that the disease in his body was unidentified. The Indian hospital decided to start his treatment all over again with series of tests but he objected. They asked him to accept their method of treatment or he will be sent back home. He accepted to be sent back home.
Barely 96 hours after leaving Nigeria, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, leader of Shi’ites and his wife, Zeenat, are on their way back to Nigeria.
A top member of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria aka Shi’ites,Yahaya Muhammad Soje, announced this in a statement released today August 15th.
According to Soje, the decision to leave India was based on the poor condition of the hospital their leader and his wife were taken to by the Nigerian High Commission in India.
”Following lack of breakthrough in the impasse that ensued in the treatment in New Delhi of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, it is now confirmed that the Sheikh is on his way back to Abuja.
In a video message sent through his office, the Sheikh said it was decided that they will be taken to the airport to be flown back to Nigeria. He has left Delhi by 17:00 Nigerian time. He prayed that may that be the best option in the circumstances.”
The Nigerian government’s interference and scuttling of the whole process rather than supervision as ordered by the court is the direct cause of the impasse. The government never wanted the medical leave in the first place, and did whatever to stop it by all means possible” the statement read
El-Zakzaky in an audio recording released yesterday August 14th, accused the Federal government of frustrating Indian doctors from treating him and his wife.
After several diagnosis doctors said El-Zakzaky is suffering about eight ailments, including glaucoma, symptoms of Ischemic heart disease, which could lead to Myocardial infraction, severe cervical spondylosis which has resulted to nerve root compression and causing insomnia, among others.
Barely 96 hours after leaving Nigeria, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, leader of Shi’ites and his wife, Zeenat, are on their way back to Nigeria.
A top member of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria aka Shi’ites,Yahaya Muhammad Soje, announced this in a statement released today August 15th.
According to Soje, the decision to leave India was based on the poor condition of the hospital their leader and his wife were taken to by the Nigerian High Commission in India.
”Following lack of breakthrough in the impasse that ensued in the treatment in New Delhi of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, it is now confirmed that the Sheikh is on his way back to Abuja.
In a video message sent through his office, the Sheikh said it was decided that they will be taken to the airport to be flown back to Nigeria. He has left Delhi by 17:00 Nigerian time. He prayed that may that be the best option in the circumstances.”
The Nigerian government’s interference and scuttling of the whole process rather than supervision as ordered by the court is the direct cause of the impasse. The government never wanted the medical leave in the first place, and did whatever to stop it by all means possible” the statement read
El-Zakzaky in an audio recording released yesterday August 14th, accused the Federal government of frustrating Indian doctors from treating him and his wife.
After several diagnosis doctors said El-Zakzaky is suffering about eight ailments, including glaucoma, symptoms of Ischemic heart disease, which could lead to Myocardial infraction, severe cervical spondylosis which has resulted to nerve root compression and causing insomnia, among others.
Dr Ibrahim Kana, the Chairman of National Medical Team of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Monday August 12, confirmed that 9 Nigerian pilgrims died while performing the 2019 Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
The confirmation came after report of the death of Alhaja Folashade Lawal, a female Nigerian Pilgrim from Oshodi Local Government Area of Lagos State. Dr Ibrahim Kana further disclosed that three pilgrims from Kano, two from Katsina, one each from Sokoto, and Nasarawa as well as one international pilgrim died in this year’s Hajj.
“Yes, that’s correct. We lost a pilgrim yesterday (Sunday) at the Jamarat. She actually collapsed. She was immediately evacuated from the Jamarat area to a facility called Mina Adisu Hospital. She eventually died. She is a known hypertensive.
“There is a possibility that the fact that she is a known hypertensive, she may have had fully heart disease that actually triggered the collapse and she subsequently died. She is from Lagos,” Dr Kana said in reaction to enquiries from journalists.
He added that the major complaints from patients at the yearly Hajj include body pain as a result trekking for a long distance, cough, catarrh and severe chest infections.
Sheikh Ibrahim El-zakzaky, the leader of the proscribed Islamic Movement of Nigeria aka Shi’ites and his wife, Zeenat, have departed Abuja for India to receive medical treatment.
The couple and other security personnel departed Nigeria for India from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja aboard an Emirate flight.
This comes after a Kaduna State High court on August 5th, granted them leave to undergo treatment at an Indian hospital of their choice.
The Nigeria Football Federation marked the 30th anniversary of the death of footballer, Samuel Okwaraji who died at the National Stadium, Surulere on the 12th August 1989, during a match.
The NFF shared a video in memory of the late football player where the NFF president, Amaju Pinnick was quoted as saying, “We still feel and respect the labours of our heroes past, and we want to say today, being the 30th year that Late Okwaraji passed on while playing, we still feel the sacrifice and patriotism that he showed, playing for this great country. And we have learnt great lessons from that patriot, even as we continue to use his attitude to guide young talents.”
Okwaraji was born on May 19, 1964. Apart from being a professional footballer, who played for Nigeria, Okwaraji was also a qualified lawyer who had a masters in international law from the Pontifical Lateran University of Rome.
Aisha Buhari, the First Lady of Nigeria, was filmed carrying out the symbolic “stoning of the devil” at this year’s hajj.
The first lady joined other Muslim pilgrims on Saturday to pray on Mount Arafat as part of the hajj rites. From there, they headed to Muzdalifah.
While leaving Muzdalifah, the first lady shared a video showing her collecting pebbles for the “stoning of the devil”.
She captioned it: “Alhamdullilah, we are now leaving Muzdalifah collecting pebbles for the jumarat.”
Aisha Buhari later shared another video showing her performing the Jamarat (symbolic stoning of devil).
According to Wikipedia, the Stoning of the Devil is part of the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. During the ritual, Muslim pilgrims throw pebbles at three walls, called jamar?t, in the city of Mina just east of Mecca.
Because of the cost of new vehicles, many residents of Nigeria would rather save money on a used car rather than pay top dollar for a brand-new vehicle. If you’re looking at used car dealerships in Nigeria, however, you may find yourself a little underwhelmed. With a limited number of dealerships available to browse, often you will find yourself facing down a tough salesman while you’re trying to haggle about the price of your car. Especially because of some scarcity in the Nigerian auto market, it may be a better idea to buy a car from an online website instead. Here are three tips for finding the best deals on used cars in Nigeria.
Research import laws
The best way to get a great deal on used cars for Sale in Nigeria is to buy your vehicle online. Thanks to import and export laws, it’s possible to buy a car online and have it shipped to Nigeria. As a result, one way you may want to get a reasonably priced car for less is to shop online automotive auction sites. These websites are used to shipping cars all over the country, but you’ll want to research the laws governing vehicle duties, too.
For example, in Nigeria, a car cannot be older than 15 years if you plan to import it from overseas. You’ll also want to read up on import taxes, because you may have to pay some in addition to typical shipping costs to get your car. This can ultimately affect how much you’re willing to pay for your car, so it’s crucial that you understand what fees are associated with importing vehicles to Nigeria before you buy a car online. You’ll also want to make sure that all necessary paperwork, including the vehicle’s title and registration, are above board, or you could run into trouble with customs when you go to pick up your car.
Find a good deal online
The next tip when buying a used car in Nigeria is not to compromise when it comes to finding a good deal online. After all, you’re going through the extra effort to import a vehicle from across the ocean, so you had better make it worth your time and effort. Consider using online filters to look for cars in a certain price range, or use a tool like Kelley Blue Book’s car finder to really dig into comparison shopping. A website like this will give you a good idea of a car’s value, so you can search for even cheaper versions online from car auction sites and save even more money. One of the best features of an online auction site is the ability to filter out cars that won’t meet Nigerian import requirements so that you don’t get your heart set on a vehicle that you ultimately won’t be able to drive, even if you win the auction.
Have a mechanic inspect the car
If you have a friend who’s a mechanic in the state or territory you’re purchasing your used car from, it’s a good idea to have the friend take a look at the car. Doing so ensures that the listing online accurately reflects the car’s condition and value. You can then use the mechanic’s report to cross-reference with other dealerships to make sure you’re getting a good deal on the vehicle when you set your maximum bid. If you aren’t able to have a mechanic take a look at the car before you buy it, find a trustworthy auto mechanic in Nigeria to assess the car when you receive it. If there are any discrepancies, you’ll want to reach out to the seller immediately while your purchase is still protected.
While buying something as large as a car overseas can feel risky, with the right information you can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on your vehicle. Just keep the above three tips in mind and you’ll be able to get a great deal and a great car.
Former Vice-President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 2019 election, Atiku Abubakar, has lamented that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has ruined Nigeria. Speaking through a statement released by his media adviser, Mr Paul Ibe, on Saturday, Atiku said Nigerians in the past four years lived in multi-dimensional poverty. […]
The post Buhari has ruined Nigeria – Atiku laments appeared first on GLtrends.
Earlier today, it was reported that the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, fined a radio station in Jos 100, 000 Naira for playing Falz’ This is Nigeria song.
NBC said the song is “laced with vulgar lyrics” and as such shouldn’t be played on the radio.
Well, Falz finds the entire situation hilarious and reacted on Instagram, writing:-
‘This is Nigeria. Look how we living now, everybody be criminal’ is apparently a vulgar line ??”
Nigeria has been urged by one of its West African counterparts, Ghana, to bring the importation of dirty fuels to an end and deregulate the price of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol).
The Deputy Minister of Energy, Ghana, Dr. Mohammed Adam, said in Lagos at the 11th Oil Trading and Logistics Expo that the most topical issue being discussed at all levels on the African downstream petroleum industry was the transition to low sulphur fuel.
Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire agreed on December 1, 2016 to ban the importation of Europe’s dirty fuels, limiting sulphur in fuels from 3,000 parts per million to 50ppm.
The Federal Government later said the enforcement of the ban in Nigeria would begin from July 1, 2017. But it has yet to come into effect almost four months after.
“This drive to move from ‘dirty fuels’ to ‘cleaner fuels’ has resulted in most countries opting to tighten the specifications for gasoline (petrol) and gasoil (diesel),” Adam said.
He said the clarion call for African countries to move to cleaner fuels presented an opportunity for investment in domestic refineries to meet national specifications, allowing the downstream to be supportive of the development goals of African economies.
Adam said, “Nigeria, for example, has deregulated the pricing of gasoil (diesel) while steps are far advanced for gasoline prices to be deregulated. Ghana has, largely, fully deregulated the industry with the exception of residual fuel oil and premix fuel, which are still being regulated by government. Elsewhere, Kenya and South Africa have deregulated their pricing regimes which have catapulted the industry to that of a market-driven one.
“I wish to call on the Nigerian government to make efforts at reaching full price deregulation given that it is the largest market for products; and any failure on its part can distort the sub-regional market we all envisage.”
THE bright hopes of a Nigerian amateur footballer to excel in far-away South Africa have been dashed in a dusk attack at his home in Cape Town, South Africa.
The footballer, Emeka Kenneth Okafor, 35, was killed in his home by a three-man gang allegedly hired by his South African neighbour, Sunday. The victim, who hailed from Awkuzu in Anambra State met his untimely end after one of his Nigerian friends who visited him earlier in the day brushed the car of his South African neighbour.
It was gathered that all efforts by his visitor to pacify the South African failed as he quickly rushed out, only to emerge later with three members of a notorious South African gang called ‘INTA’. Reports said members of the dreaded gang asked for the whereabouts of the Nigerian who brushed the car and when they were told that he had left, they went for Emeka who was busy pleading for forgiveness. The gang members who were said to be armed accosted him and fired several bullets into his head. He died on the spot.
It was gathered that all efforts by his visitor to pacify the South African failed as he quickly rushed out, only to emerge later with three members of a notorious South African gang called ‘INTA’. Reports said members of the dreaded gang asked for the whereabouts of the Nigerian who brushed the car and when they were told that he had left, they went for Emeka who was busy pleading for forgiveness. The gang members who were said to be armed accosted him and fired several bullets into his head. He died on the spot.
It was gathered that all efforts by his visitor to pacify the South African failed as he quickly rushed out, only to emerge later with three members of a notorious South African gang called ‘INTA’. Reports said members of the dreaded gang asked for the whereabouts of the Nigerian who brushed the car and when they were told that he had left, they went for Emeka who was busy pleading for forgiveness. The gang members who were said to be armed accosted him and fired several bullets into his head. He died on the spot.
His elder brother, Ifeanyi Okafor, 43, an Abuja based football coach at the East Coast Academy, Nyanya, narrated, in tears, the heart-rending story to Crime Alert. His word: “My brother left the shores of our land for South Africa last year after several failed attempts to succeed in life.
Last Sunday night, I received a telephone call from one Chinedu from Nteje who resides in South Africa. He was weeping profusely when he told me that my younger brother, Emeka, had been killed.
“When I asked him what happened, he said he and other Nigerian boys were in Emeka’s house that Sunday and after lunch, one of his friends from Enugu state left and while driving out of the premises, his car scratched that of a South African neighbour.” Okafor added: “The South African went wild with anger. Emeka intervened and pleaded with his neighbour but to no avail. Soon after, his South African neighbour left in his car, then returned later with three members of the notorious South African gang called ‘INTA’ and began a search for the Enugu boy that brushed the car.
When they were told that he had gone, they searched for Emeka and as soon as they saw him, shot him point blank in the head. He died on the spot. “As soon as they saw that he was dead, they fled with the man that hired them. Later that night, policemen came and removed Emeka’s corpse.
“Another Nigerian who witnessed the cold-blooded murder narrated how the incident happened to the police. He went further to make a statement to that effect at the Police station. At that stage, it was also discovered that members of the South African family had also disappeared from their apartments. The police, therefore, deposited Emeka’s corpse in the mortuary in Cape Town while they claimed they were looking for his killers.” Still in tears, Coach Okafor narrated the agonising life of his brother from childhood.
“Emeka came to Lagos to serve as an apprentice in a provision store at Agege after passing out from secondary school.He could not continue with his education because our parents died earlier in life.
He served his master for seven years but was wickedly thrown out without the agreed settlement by the man after he was accused of simply spraying money during a wedding ceremony his master also attended. After this ugly development, he was forced to return to the village. “I had to raise money from my scarce resources to bring him back to Lagos where he operated a pepper soup joint at Orisumbare in Ejigbo.
While there, I prepared him to join his friends in South Africa to look for a football club. He was still searching for the club when the ugly incident took place last Sunday. I don’t know whether his friends have reported this to the Nigerian embassy or not but I am aware that they are preparing to bring the corpse home.
He was a very good boy; we will surely miss him greatly,” he lamented.
The fear that Godwin Emefiele may have begun the journey to his removal as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) emerged on Wednesday, October 5, 2016, after the House of Representatives set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate how the foreign exchange released to Bureau de change operators is utilised.
Some members of the House of Representatives are demanding Emefiele’s removal
The committee was set up after some members of the House, through a motion, further demanded for Emefiele’s sack following the naira’s free fall against the dollar.
In the motion titled: ‘Call for investigation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s forex policies’, and sponsored by Ali Isa, a member of the House, the members lamented that despite CBN’s policies, the country’s currency has continued to perform badly in the foreign exchange market.
The Cable reports that a member of the House, Mojeed Alabi, in his contribution, noted that Emefiele had rebuffed many invitations to discuss some of the bank’s policies.
He said: “Over the falling of the naira, the CBN governor and his team should be sacked.”
In his contribution, Wale Raji, another member of the House, described Nigeria as the only country that relies on the black market.
Who is in charge of our Forex CBN or the black market? This is the only country in the world where the black market rates are quoted on television.
“If Nigeria were to be a normal country, the CBN governor and his team should be sacked,” he said.
Further talking about the motion, the minority leader of the House, Leo Ogor, urged his colleagues to liaise with the executive arm for a lasting solution, adding: “The only thing we do is pay lip service.”
The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) had also called on Mr Godwin Emefiele to resign within 21 days or transform the country for good.
Editor’s note: On October 1 Nigeria marked 56th anniversary since it gained independence from Britain. Many Nigerians continue to send congratulatory messages and to explore achievements of their nation.
Tosy Ogbe, one of the NAIJ.com guest contributors, writes an open letter to her Motherland, saying that she still has faith in Nigeria.
Dear mama Nigeria. It has been 56 years since you got your independence. In 1960, when you got your independence, you were like a new mother who just gave birth. You were excited. You loved your new babies. As we grew up, our expectations were high. Our hopes were high. Out of the high hopes, we chose the people we believed in to lead us to the “promised land”.
One by one, year after year we watched them. Mama, they came with heavy promises. From the military era to the civilian era back again to the military era and now the democratic era.
As we grew up, bad blood entered some of our bloodstreams. During these eras mama, the ones who really loved and cherish you, the leaders who really had your interest at heart were not allowed to lead us for long. Its either they were deprived of the opportunity to lead, or they got killed in cold blood out of selfish wickedness.
Mama, new leaders emerged and turn by turn, they took over. Mama, we grew up believing that We Are The Leaders Of Tomorrow. But today, the leaders of yesterday are the one still leading us today and even in the future.
Mama Nigeria, in the course of change of power, you were RAPED, by their selfish actions. The ones who led never had your actions at their heart.
Mama, I saw your tears. You have been weeping over the naira currency. You have been weeping over the economic situation. You had wanted all your children to be secured. Today, we are enemies to each other because of diversity we could not handle. We were carried away by sentiments and hatred.
Mama, you are blamed for their failure to deliver. You are blamed for the result of the selfish actions of your children. You quietly take all the blames heaped on you. Your children have turned against you. Your children have turned their back on you. They do not even want to have any connection with you as they find solace in other countries.
One by one they left in search of greener pastures they thought you had failed to provide. They have lost faith in you mama. I feel your pain as a mother because I will be one someday. I feel your silent tears. You sit back and watch helplessly. They have taken you for granted over again.
Mama, I have good news for you. Some of your children are flying your flag really high. From the entertainment industry to sports, fashion, business and even NGOs. They are really doing great and credits are being given to you.
Mama even if the whole world see you as a failure, even though your children have failed and are blaming you for their failures, I REFUSE TO GIVE UP ON YOU. I HAVE FAITH IN YOU. I will do everything within my power and with God’s help to make you smile.
Mama, we are very few that genuinely have your interest at heart, waiting for the opportunity to be recognized globally. Mama, we are trying our little best within our capacity to give back to you. You have been an amazing mom. We love you and we hope for the best this independence.
Engr. Segun Oni is a former governor of Ekiti State and now the Deputy National Chairman, (South) of the All Progressives Congress APC. In this interview, he speaks on the current economic recession among other issues.
Some Nigerians have accused the APC of not knowing what to do with the economy. How true is this?
Well, the public is right to expect that we would do magic, but the right thing is, there is no magic way out of the problems on ground for Nigeria.
The economy was trumatized by a government whose only agenda was to win another round. Therefore, everything that they could put into trying to win a second round even bastardising the economy were all done, and we are all here now.
Fortunately for them, I would say they are not there any longer. The reality on ground is that if the previous Government were in power, by now, Nigeria would have virtually packed up; may be many of us would be refugees by now.
So, it is very easy not to remember where we are coming from. Yes, we were elected to do the impossible, we will do our own best. I just want to plead that people should give us more realistic expectations.
This economy must work, we must get Nigeria back, but it is not as quick as anybody could imagine or just by a touch of the hand.
So, people are entitled to their expectations, we as a government, we will do our best to ensure that the end would justify this cause. We were not elected to run Nigeria for one year or two years; we were elected to run Nigeria for four years and before we get to an appreciable length of time I am sure, I am confident that we would begin to see very, very obvious changes.
Nigerians are worried about some obvious inconsistencies in your economic policies. Are you not worried?
You see, there is a difference between extension workers and teachers; teachers would teach in schools and extension workers would work to promote agricultural output.
You see, this would tell you that there is active thinking, and there is an active programme to get people involved. I think what we just need to see is a breakthrough that people would begin to see.
Yes, it has started, it is always like this when you are so overwhelmed that you are trying to make changes.
Impact on people
Yes, we want to bring in teachers, yes we want to bring in extension workers, yes we want to do some other things that would impact on people very quickly.
It is not confusion; it is that we want to do all these, and we will do all those, but it is not going to happen by a snap of the finger. Nigerians should still expect that we will do what we promised we would do. Some of us are still very confident that we will do it. If we have doubts, our confidence level would not be what it is now; it won’t be this high.
What is your take on the claim that the APC lacks experts to manage the economy and hence the current challenges?
Experts to manage the economy? There are experts; there is an economic management team headed by the vice president, and I want to tell you that, yes he is a lawyer, but if there is anything this vice president cannot do about the economy, no other vice president in the history of Nigeria would have made any attempt.
Even an economist?
You see, we should not quickly forget where people are coming from; yes, this is a lawyer, he is a professor of no mean rating, who has done a lot of consultancy work for the World Bank, the African Union (AU) and so on and he has a team that he is heading, it is not a one man team.
I know within there, the economic adviser who is a guy that all of us had known when we were at school as one of the best brains we can find on the terrain which also had a good career in the foreign service.
Look, things would work and I am confident things would work, but yes we are overwhelmed by the high expectations of people right now.
It is normal, but if anybody says because we don’t have people to manage the economy, which team could have managed the economy as it is now better than we are doing.
Is it the team that destroyed it? That brought it down? Look, Nigerians don’t seem to also complain when they were buying dollars as if it was going out of fashion; the legal tender during electioneering and campaign was dollars.
If you were eyeing other people’s currencies at that height, you were making useless your currency, how do you think you will make an overnight recovery? It is not easy.
Nigeria is lucky because only very few countries in the world have gone through the kind of experience we went through, and they would still be talking the way we are talking. Yes, the situation is very bad, but we would get out of it, we would get out of it.
The government claims to have succeeded in technically defeating the Boko Haram, but some bandits seem to have taken over, attacking communities. Can you respond to this?
You see, this personally worries me because these gunmen who suddenly became so notorious invading villages and so on are people that have always been around. But my guess is that many of these are sponsored by people who have so much money and want to create instability.
I believe that many of these have political motives and people who just wanted to trouble the government of the day, who don’t want peace because they believe peace would also not be what they would want to see.
Political motives
I don’t think the security situation is as terrible as it used to, no, it is not. Therefore, as far as security is concerned I would say that we have earned the pass-mark, but we can do better
How would you react to the comments of the president that the Niger Delta militants would get the same treatment as the Boko Haram?
I think it is a warning. You know at times a father would also warn his child not to cross the line so that he would not be hard on such a child. I think it is a warning.
And that warning, let us also see it in good style, let us try and calm nerves down because the president is the president of everybody and it is in his interest and our interest that things must run normal and I believe that such warning, such body language and so on would also have a way of encouraging people who genuinely want to see peace to go after it.
You seem so confident in the ability of your party to deliver on its campaign promises. Can you set a timeframe within which you think these set objectives can be delivered?
Ah, I am not a soothsayer and I don’t like to say what I do not have control over, but I know that things would get better; they would get better.
* The United Nations (UN) has released a report on Nigeria’s Common Country Analysis (CCA)
*The UN described Nigeria as deeply divided in the report
* The report was read during a consultative meeting on the formulation of the UN Development Assistance Framework IV (UNDAF IV)
The UN has described Nigeria as a “divided society on the basis of the plurality of ethnic, religious and regional identities that had tended to define the country’s political existence.”
Separatist groups like the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra have always led protests calling for the break-up of Nigeria
This was made known to the public during a consultative meeting on the formulation of the UN Development Assistance Framework IV (UNDAF IV) for the South-East geo-political zone in Awka.
The report noted that for decades, different segments of Nigeria’s population had, at different times, expressed feelings of marginalisation, of being short-changed, dominated, oppressed, threatened, or even targeted for elimination.
The report also painted a gloomy picture for the country as most of the development and social indices in Nigeria recorded much below acceptable standards.
It noted that the major challenges facing Nigeria were constraints of economic growth and social development and lack of good governance.
Part of the report read: “Nigeria is one of the poorest and most unequal countries in the world, with over 80 million or 64 per cent of her population living below poverty line.
“Poverty and hunger have remained high in rural areas, remote communities and among female-headed households and these cut across the six geo-political zones, with prevalence ranging from approximately 46.9 per cent in the South-west to 74.3 per cent in North-west and North-east.
“Nigeria’s economy is currently in a recession and it is estimated that government revenues have fallen by as much as 33 per cent, which has further resulted in the contraction of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 0.36 per cent in the first three months of 2016.
“The vulnerable macroeconomic environment in Nigeria is affecting investors’ confidence in the domestic economy.”
The report also revealed widespread cases of violence against women and girls, including physical and sexual assault, even as it noted that 42 per cent of Nigerian youths were unemployed.
“Nigeria faces humanitarian and emergency crises of considerable proportions fueled by a combination of factors including climate change, inter-communal conflicts and violence, insurgency, recurring floods, heavy handed tactics of security forces in combating crime and insurgency.
“The overall consequence is the situation of systematic and chronic internal displacement that has given rise to different humanitarian crises that include the most egregious and dehumanising human rights abuses,” the report stated.
The report however noted that transforming and diversifying Nigeria’s development paths needed a radical and new approach.
It recommended investing in people and in a strong more dynamic and inclusive productive informal sector.
Last week, the UN regional humanitarian coordinator, Toby Lanzer rated the growing humanitarian crisis in Borno as being at level with that of war-torn regions across the world.
Lanzer gave the sad rating during a visit to Bama, the largest Borno town to come under the siege of the Islamist militant sect, Boko Haram.
“Having worked in Darfur, Chechnya, and South Sudan, this is about as bad as it gets,” Lanzer was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund has warned that if timely aid is not availed, 49,000 children will lose their lives in Nigeria’s North-east region.
Synopsis..
Born to a South African mother and a Nigerian father. She falls in lovewith a Nigerian lover and they both have a visionary instinct to re-build the unimaginable business that has once lost its essence. But were they able to tunnel through their thundery challenges as two love birds…?
Ayanda is an international, multi- award winning movie that has been premiered and screened in the U.S., U.K., South Africa and Canada.
It stars the dexterous international award- winning South African actress Fulu Moguvmani and the New York Film Academy trained International Nigerian actor, O.C. Ukeje.
IN NIGERIA: Ayanda Premieres on: Date: Friday July 22nd, 2016
Venue: Silverbird Galleria, 133, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Time: Red Carpet Starts by 6PM
Awards Won by AYANDA
Special Jury Mention at LOS ANGELIS, USA
Best Actress SAFTA ( 8 Nominations for Film )
Best actress AFRIFF
Best Actress AMAA – (7 nominations for Film)
Best Make-up AMVCA ( 7 Nominations for Film)
Best SCRIPT AMVCA
Best Script Writers Guild of South Africa.
AYANDA WAS SHOWN & SELECTED IN THE FOLLOWING FILM FESTIVALS
1. Los Angelis Film Festival, USA
2. San Francisco Indy Film Festival, USA
3. Toronto Film Festival, Canada
4. TIFF NEXT WAVE, Canada
5. IBW Film Festival, UK
6. New Zealand African Film Festival, Auckland
7. Pan African Film Festival, USA
8. African Film Festival, Cologne, Germany
9. Goleborg Film Festival
10. African Film Festival, Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad
11. African Film Festival, Germany
12. Opening Night Film DIFF
13. London International Film Festival, UK
14. Goetenburg International Film Festival
15. Africa Reframed, Copenhagen
President Muhammadu Buhari vowed, yesterday, in his home state of Katsina, to use all resources at his disposal to crush any agitation for the division of Nigeria.
The president said the country fought a civil war which claimed over two million lives in order to be united.
Buhari, who spoke at the palace of Emir of Katsina also urged Nigerians to be patient with his government as, according to him, the current hardship being experienced, may not be unconnected with efforts at laying a solid foundation for sustainable nation building.
Buhari was in Katsina to attend the state’s economic and investment forum which he will officially declare open this morning.
In a veiled reference to the current separatist agitation for Biafra being promoted by a group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Buhari warned it would be better for the entire country to commit mass suicide than to allow such campaign succeed.
He referred to the promoters of the agitation as “kids” who were not born during the civil war.
According to Buhari, “today, Nigeria is a strong and united sovereign entity because some people laid down their lives for the country.
At least two million people died during the civil war but, today, some people who were not born during the civil war are agitating for the division of the country. We will not let that happen.
For Nigeria to divide now, it is better for all of us to jump into the sea and get drowned
Speaking on the economy, Buhari regretted the fall of crude oil price in the international market and further noted that, at the inception of his administration on May 29, 2015, the price per barrel of oil crashed to as low as $30, contrary to what was obtainable during the 16 years of the immediate past Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government.
“We will not betray the trust Nigerians reposed in us and we will ensure officials of government also act in the national interest,” the President said.
In his remarks, the Emir, Alhaji Abdulmuminu Kabir Usman, urged the Federal Government to re-introduce boarding schools as well as teacher training colleges as part of efforts at producing quality teachers.
According to him, “teacher training colleges helped to groom quality teachers but these days, half-baked teachers teach in our schools.
“Also, in those days, boarding schools helped to maintain discipline among students and mould them into responsible adults.
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