Ugwuanyi assures on passage of Child’s Right Bill

 

Ugwuanyi

Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has assured people of the state that the Child’s Right Bill would soon be passed into law to enable children to attain their maximum potentials.

Ugwuanyi gave the assurance on Monday shortly after the plenary of the Enugu State Children’s Parliament held at the Government House, Enugu.

He said that it was unthinkable that Enugu remained the only state in southern Nigeria yet to domesticate the Act.

He said that he would send an Executive Bill on it to the House of Assembly and that it would be given the urgent attention it deserved.

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India orders 850 adult websites blocked

India has ordered internet service providers to block access to more than 850 adult websites in what the government has described as a way to protect social decency, media reports say.

NN Kaul, a spokesperson for India’s telecoms department, said on Monday that the government was trying to control easy access to pornography following a directive from the country’s Supreme Court.
Kaul said that while ISPs in India will have to bar access, users may still view the sites through virtual private networks and proxy servers.

He said the move would protect children.
The leaked government order, dated last Friday, asks ISPs to block access to the 857 sites on grounds of morality and decency.

While the government initially denied any such decision, the Times of India newspaper, quoting government sources, reported that the denial of access was a temporary one, and more of a prelude to the creation of a regular regulatory oversight.

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World Bank offers N1.4bn to 10 Nigerian varsities

The World Bank has released the first tranche of payment, totalling N1.4bn, to 10 Nigerian universities listed among the African Centres of Excellence.

The fund is for the ACE project to shore up the ranking of the universities in agriculture, health, science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie, who said this at the ACE project post-effectiveness workshop on Monday in Abuja, warned the benefiting institutions against compromising the objectives of the scheme.

Nigerian universities had won 10 out of the 19 slots for Africa.

The benefiting universities are the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Bayero University, Kano; Benue State University, and the Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State.

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Photos: US congress delegation meet Buhari, says US considering lifting arms ban on Nigeria

A delegation of US congress men and women who arrived Nigeria yesterday met with Pres. Buhari at the state house today August 3rd. The delegation led by Congress man Darrell Issa, said the US is considering lifting the arms ban on Nigeria.

The US has refused to sell arms to Nigeria following allegations of human rights abuses by the Nigerian military in their fight against Boko Haram. More photos from the wedding after the cut...

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US spying reports, deeply regrettable – Japan

Japan has described claims that the US spied on Japanese politicians and major firms as “deeply regrettable”, in its first official response to revelations by the whistleblower group WikiLeaks.

 

The latest WikiLeaks intercepts exposing US National Security Agency (NSA) activities follow other documents that revealed spying on allies including Germany and France, straining relations.

“I will withhold comment. But If this is true, as an ally, it’s deeply regrettable,” Yoshihide Suga, the government’s top spokesperson, said on Monday.

He said Japan was checking with the US on the Wikileaks report issued on Friday.

Japan is one of the key allies of the US in the Asia-Pacific region and the two countries regularly consult on defence, economic and trade issues.

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Equity price free fall to continue until Sept. – experts

 

Lagos, Aug. 3, 2015 (NAN) Some capital market operators on Monday said that the free fall of equities in the nation’s bourse would persist because of the absence of a visible government’s policy direction and economic uncertainties.

They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews in Lagos that the market was contending with many unsettled factors.

Alhaji Rasheed Yusuuf, the immediate President, the Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), attributed the persistent downward trend to the Federal Government delayed economic blue print and appointment of ministers.

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Tribunal reserves judgment in petition against Kashamu’s election

National and State House of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Monday,  reserved judgment in a petition by the All Progressives Congress candidate in the Ogun East Senatorial District, Mr. Dapo Abiodun, against the election of Senator Buruji Kashamu in the March 28 election.

At the resumed hearing of the case on Monday, all the counsel for the litigants adopted their final addresses after making their final submissions to further convince the court on their cases.

But after listening to the counsel, the Chairman of the three man panel, Justice Ebiowei Tobi, said he reserved judgment to a later date, “which will be communicated to counsel.”

Earlier, counsel for the petitioner, Yusuf Ali (SAN), argued that result sheets made available to agents at the polling units were different from the Certified True Copies brought before the court by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

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S.Africa’s ombudsman bemoans attacks on Nkandla report

 

South africa- image source international.ucla.edu

South Africa’s public ombudsman on Monday bemoaned attacks against her report into President Jacob Zuma’s $24 million state-funded upgrades to his private residence.

The Public Protector Thuli Madonsela said her office had experienced unprecedented criticism after findings last year that highlighted the scope of wasteful expenditure in government.

“In its 20 years of existence this office has never received such vitriolic attacks,” said Madonsela.
Madonsela was last month prevented from addressing a parliamentary committee into the Nkandla project, as debate rages over Zuma’s liability for some of the cost.

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Photos from 'Gbenro & Osas Ajibade's 'Thank You Soirée'

Newly weds Gbenro Ajibade and Osas Ighodaro held a 'Thank You' Soirée to express their  appreciation for all the love, support and well wishes received towards their union. The soiree held on Friday July 31 at 'Posh Cafe' at Oasis Medspa - Ikoyi, Lagos. See the photos after the cut...

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President Buhari appoints Usman as Provost FCE, Oyo

 

President Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Prof. Kamoru Olayiwola Usman as Provost of the Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo.

This information is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina.

According to the statement, the appointment of the 51-year old Oyo-born is for an initial term of four years.

The statement quoted the academic qualifications of the new provost to include a Bachelor’s Degree in Science Education; a Master’s Degree in Education (Mathematics) and a Doctorate Degree in Education (Mathematics).

Until his new appointment, Usman was Associate Dean of the Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

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Jonathan battled me because of N1.9tr subsidy – Amaechi

 

Jonathan and Amaechi

Former Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has said his refusal to support ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s bid to secure the support of governors for an upward review of subsidy payments was one of the reasons why the they fell apart.

Amaechi added that the former President asked him not to seek re-election as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum because of his principled stand against the unjustified depletion of the nation’s resources.

The former governor said this in Abuja on Sunday night at a dinner organised in his honour by his friends in Abuja.

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We have stepped up efforts to recover stolen funds – Buhari

 

Photo; talkingbiznews

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday in Abuja said that his administration had intensified efforts to recover looted Nigerian funds.

The President, who announced this at an audience with visiting United States congressmen, said government had taken steps further by identifying banks, financial institutions and countries in which payments for stolen Nigerian crude oil were deposited.

President Buhari acknowledged the support and cooperation his administration was getting from the international community in gathering required intelligence for tracing and recovering stolen national resources.

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Photo of a community bridge in Lagos

This is a community bridge at Obawole, Ifako Ijaiye area in Lagos. Wow!

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Bukola Saraki shares his experience in Maiduguri today

He visited IDP camps in Maiduguri, Borno state today. More tweets after the cut..

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Abubakar Shekau missing in new Boko Haram video

The leader of Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau is missing in a new video released by the sect today August 3rd. The 8 minutes video shows an unidentified young man speaking in the name of the Islamic State in West Africa and calling on people to be patient:

"We are still present everywhere we had been before.". he said

The video showed the sect members attacking a security checkpoint, seizing weapons, and slitting the throat of a man dressed in police uniform

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