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(Nigeria) The All Progressives Congress, APC, has condemned the attack by apparently-sponsored thugs against the 'bring back our girls' protesters who have hitherto conducted themselves in a civil and peaceful manner, calling the attack deplorable and definitely orchestrated to shift the focus from 'bring back our girls' to 'release our girls'. APC in a statement in Lagos on Thursday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the attack on the protesters in Abuja has confirmed its worst fears that the federal government was embarking on a campaign to shift the responsibility from the government to the abductors, in line with President Goodluck Jonathan's admonition to the protesters to direct their protests at the abductors rather than to his government. The party wondered why the government would be pushing its responsibility to ensure the welfare and security of Nigerians to a band of terrorists. ''When we said

(Nigeria) President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday directed the security forces to launch a full-scale military operation to put an end to the impunity of terrorists in the country. The president gave the directive in his democracy day broadcast. Jonathan said that Nigeria's unity and stability as well as the protection of lives and property were non-negotiable. He restated the determination of his administration to protect the nation's democracy, national unity and political stability, by waging a total war against terrorism. The president said the activities of terror groups in the country had caused debilitating pains and horror on the nation particularly the abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno. "It is now 45 days since the horrifying abduction of the college girls of Chibok. I share the deep pain and anxiety of their parents and guardians. I assure them once again that government will continue to do everything possible to bring our daughters home. &

Iran and Russia have agreed to continue nuclear cooperation, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, AEOI, says, reports itar-tass. The AEOI spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi made a statement to this effect on Thursday. The Bushehr nuclear power plant is the first nuclear facility not only in Iran but also in the Middle East. With a capacity of 1,000 MW the plant is located 18 kilometers from the city of Bushehr on the Persian Gulf. “Iran and Russia decided to build two more nuclear power plants in Bushehr,” he said. The capacity of any facility will reach 1,000 MW, Kamalvandi added. According to Iranian officials, the construction of two units may start this year. Russia and Iran reached a preliminary agreement on the project on March 12. The Bushehr nuclear power plant has never been subject to international sanctions. The plant was built under the control of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency). The agreements of February 27, 2005 require Iran to retur

The Russian-Chinese Joint Sea 2014 naval drills in the Pacific contribute to strengthening peace and stability in the region, China’s Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said on Thursday, reports itar-tass. A total of six surface ships and support vessels, two helicopters and a marine commando unit from Russia and six warships from China were involved in the war games. “The Russian-Chinese exercises in the East China Sea have been successful,” the Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman said, adding that “the pragmatic cooperation of the armed forces demonstrates a high level of mutual trust and strategic coordination between China and Russia.” “This contributes to maintaining peace and stability in the region,” Geng Yansheng said. Russia sent a squadron of Pacific Fleet warships for participation in joint naval drills with China. The grouping of Pacific Fleet’s warships comprised the guards missile cruiser Varyag, the destroyer Bystry, the big anti-submarine shi

Fourteen Ukrainian servicemen were killed in a special operation conducted against federalization supporters in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, parliament-appointed Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov told a parliament meeting, reports itar-tass. A general of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is among those killed, he said. "Our servicemen were in the helicopter that was shot down. They were to replace other servicemen in rotation," Turchynov said. Earlier, a self-defense forces’ representative stated that the people’s militia fighters had shot down the second helicopter of the armed forces controlled by Kiev authorities. The first helicopter was shot down by the militiamen on the south-eastern outskirts of Sloviansk, Donetsk Region, near Chervony Molochar settlement. “Violent shooting can be heard in this area, and dense black smoke is seen,” the militia representative said. In addition, according to latest reports, fight is underway near the Semyonovsk local

The United States said on Tuesday it has no independent information to confirm Nigeria's claim to know the whereabouts of more than 200 kidnapped girls and questioned the wisdom of making public such information. "We don't have independent information from the United States to support these reports you referenced," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said when asked about Nigerian Chief of Defense Staff Air Marshal Alex Badeh's statement that the military knew where the abducted girls were, according to Reuters. "We, as a matter of policy and for the girls' safety and wellbeing, would not discuss publicly this sort of information regardless."

(Nigeria) The Senate Joint Committee on Finance has said that contrary to claims by suspended Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN governor, Mallam  Lamido Sanusi, there is never any unremitted $49.8 billion. This formed part of the report of the Senate Committee on Finance which investigated the allegations by Sanusi that $49.8 billion was not remitted by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC into the Federation Account. The report was signed by the committee's Chairman, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, and nine other members. According to the report, the total crude oil lifting between January 2012 and July 2013 was 67 billion dollars and not 65 billion dollars as the CBN governor had presented. The committee stated that the CBN, NNPC, Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources had agreed after reconciliation that the sum of 47 billion dollars out of the $67 billion had been credited to the Federation Account. ``The problem of non-remittance of revenues by th

The European Union has recommended  Ukraine not to link its claims to Crimea’s gas reserves with the three-party talks on repayment of Ukraine’s debt for Russian gas supplies, European Commissioner for Energy, Guenther Oettinger said Wednesday. According to itar-tass, with Crimea’s secession, Ukraine assessed that it incurred losses of billions of dollars, Oettinger said. He said this is a legal position Europe can support, adding that the EU believes Crimea’s accession to Russia is unacceptable, but warned that inclusion of the Crimean issue in the gas talks may deadlock them. The energy commissioner said Ukraine’s financial claims against Russia on Crimea, including via the Stockholm Arbitration Institute, may take many months to deal with. Oettinger said that is why the EU is calling on Ukraine not to peg the issue to the current three-party gas talks and not try to resolve it within the next few days or weeks. Oettinger said Monday at after three-party gas talks inv

Ukraine’s government-appointed Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has confirmed that Ukraine is ready to sue Russia at the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce Arbitration Institute over its dispute over gas prices, reports itar-tass. “We are not going to pay $500 per thousand cubic meters of gas,” Yatsenyuk told an energy security conference in Stockholm. “No one has the right to use gas as a political weapon. At the same time, Kiev admits there is an outstanding debt,” Yatsenyuk said. Gazprom’s Chief Alexei Miller said that Ukraine’s outstanding debt for Russia might reach $5.2 billion by June 7.

Ukraine's newly elected president vowed on Wednesday to quickly end an eastern revolt after a ferocious army push to reclaim a major airport saw more than 40 pro-Russian rebels killed. The deserted streets of the million-strong rust belt city of Donetsk echoed with bursts of morning gunfire after a devastating two-day firefight in which Ukrainian fighter bombers flushed out more than 100 gunmen who had seized the region's most important air hub. Ukrainian officials said they were now in control of the airport and working hard to secure the release of four European civilian observers abducted at a rebel roadblock outside the city on Monday. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE, said it had briefly lost contact on Wednesday with another 11-member team of unarmed monitors who were "stopped at a roadblock" west of Donetsk before being released. Meanwhile, president-elect Petro Poroshenko and his pro-Western cabinet were bracing for a

(Nigeria) The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, said that the recent pipeline explosion at Arepo would not affect products supply. Its Group General Manager (Public Affairs), Mr Ohi Alegbe, disclosed this to News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja. Alegbe said the corporation had shut down its System 2B Pipeline due to the fire incident that was sparked off by a gun battle between suspected oil thieves and policemen deployed to protect the pipeline. He stressed that the development would not affect products supply. Alegbe said all the inland depots, being serviced by the System 2B pipeline, had enough stock of products to meet demand until the situation would be brought under control. He said that preliminary report from the police indicated that armed men, in military uniform and suspected to be oil thieves, attacked the police on guard at the Arepo section of the pipeline. “The gunfire exchange between the vandals and the policemen apparently sparked of

The president-elect of Ukraine told a German newspaper Wednesday that he planned to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a bid to "ease" the crisis in Ukraine. "We will hold talks with Putin in order to ease the situation and make peace. When and where these talks will take place, is not yet decided," Petro Poroshenko told the Bild daily. He was responding to a question on whether direct talks with Putin were planned for next week's D-Day commemorations in France to which both he and the Russian leader are invited. French officials announced earlier Wednesday that President Francois Hollande had invited the Ukrainian president-elect to join the 70th anniversary commemorations of D-Day. Putin, US President Barack Obama, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are also due to attend the June 6 ceremonies in Normandy. "We are very happy about the possibility to be able to take part in this special event in

One person was killed and another was injured in a shooting incident at Cape Town's international airport Wednesday, an official said. The shooting happened in an airport restaurant on a mezzanine floor around 6.00 pm (1600GMT) and there was no disruption to flight operations, airport communications manager Deidre Davids told AFP. Most passengers were unaware of the incident, she said. Police would not comment on media reports that a man shot his girlfriend in a domestic incident before turning the gun on himself. "The shooter jumped over the Ocean Basket sushi bar and chased one of the ladies working at the back," News24 quoted witness William Scott as saying. "She ran though the side door, just past where I was sitting, and the man following behind her pulled out his pistol. "He stopped her right in front of the Ocean Basket entrance when he then shot her and followed to shoot himself in the head. Before I left the lady who was shot was still al

Ukraine needs direct United States military aid, leading presidential candidate in the country’s elections told The Washington Post, reports itar-tass. “Now we should create a new security treaty exactly like Lend-Lease,” Petro Poroshenko said. “We should cooperate in military technical assistance and in advising assistance. We are ready to fight for independence, and we should build up the armed forces of Ukraine,” he stressed. With 99.42 percent of electronic vote protocols counted, billionaire businessman and politician Petro Poroshenko is leading in Sunday’s presidential election in Ukraine with 54.71 percent of the vote, the Ukrainian Central Election Commission, CEC, reported on Wednesday. On May 27, United States President Barack Obama,  promised full support to Ukraine in a telephone conversation with Poroshenko. “President Obama called President-elect Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine today to congratulate him on his victory and offer the full support of the United

The advance of the Syrian army on the locations of militants in Damascus outskirts has been practically stopped.  According to itar-tass, Servicemen are forced to carry out protracted trench combat actions, while mediators are trying to convince the mujahidin militants of the terrorist al-Nusra Front to free hundreds, or even thousands of civilians, who are used as human shield by the bandits. “There is fear and panic between them. We can hear this by intercepting radio conversations. They are always blaming some Arur, as we understand, a Saudi, who enrolled them. They came for caliphate, but they will meet doom,” Colonel Khalid, commander of a military unit in al-Qabun district — less than 10 km from Damascus downtown, said on Wednesday. The ‘star of American di

 The volunteer units of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, DPR and the Ukrainian army are engaged in fighting near Sergey Prokofyev International Airport in Donetsk, the DPR press service told itar-tass on Wednesday. According to the press service, shooting has been heard near the airport the whole day. “The republic’s self-defense forces are currently controlling almost half of the airport’s territory. Both warring parties have been refraining from active actions and have got down to positional fighting,” the press service went on to say. The situation remains relatively calm in other parts of Donetsk. Electric energy and water supplies are normal. The telephone communication with Donetsk has never been interrupted. Ukrainian army’s fighter jets patrolled the airspace over the city earlier on Wednesday. A Ukrainian drone was noticed near the regional department of Ukraine’s Security Service.

(Nigeria) The Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Mr Tunde Ogunsakin, has said that two policemen and two bank officials have been shot dead by suspected armed robbers on Wednesday at Igurunta, near Port Harcourt. Ogunsakin said in Port Harcourt that the incident occurred as the bankers were conveying  money to the airport. He said that the affected policemen were on mufti and not officially assigned to provide escort when the incident happened. ‘’ Our anti robbery unit and other units are on the trail of the robbers. The command has launched a serious manhunt for the robbers to bring them to book,’’ he said. Ogunsakin said that the command, however, could not ascertain the actual amount of money carted away by the fleeing robbery suspects during the attack . 

(Nigeria) An Ado-Ekiti High Court in Ekiti State on Wednesday sentenced one Ojo Olabanji, 35, to death by hanging for killing  one Ojo Iluku. State counsel, Mr Israel Ayoola, told the court that the accused committed the offence on May 9, 2003 at No 41, Okeiyinmi Street, Ado-Ekiti. He said the accused, on the said day, unlawfully killed Iluku by stabbing him with a sharp knife on the shoulder and stomach. The prosecutor called seven witnesses to prove his case, while the defence counsel, Mr Niyi Idowu also called four witnesses. The defence counsel had urged the judge to temper justice with mercy before the sentence. The judge, Justice Ilori Akintayo, said, ``It is not in doubt that all essentials of murder had been established in the case.’’ He added that the prosecutor had done all that was expected of him to prove the case against the accused person beyond reasonable doubt. Akintayo said that the accused person was found guilty of murder as charged. ``The sentence o

(Nigeria) A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday fixed June 16, to hear an objection to a suit filed by a journalist, seeking enforcement of his fundamental rights against the police. The applicant, Mr Ebere Wabara, Associate Editor of The Sun Newspapers, and his colleague, Chuks Onuoha, had filed the suit against the police, through their lawyer, Mr Bamidele Aturu, alleging violation of their rights as enshrined in the constitution. Joined as respondents in the suit are the inspector-general of police, the Abia State Chief Magistrate, Mr John Ukpai and the Attorney-General, AG of Abia State. At the resumed hearing of the case, the Abia State AG, Mr Kalu Umeh, SAN, appearing for himself, informed the court of his preliminary objection to the suit. He said the objection was challenging the court's jurisdiction to entertain the suit. Meanwhile, counsel to the applicant, informed the court that although he had been served with the processes of the respondent, he had y

(Nigeria) A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday adjourned till June 5 for hearing in a case filed against the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, over alleged denial of members’ rights. John Nwanosike and Jonathan Omare, both members of the Chevron branch of the association, instituted the suit by an affidavit of urgency on May 26. They are praying the court to restrain the defendants from holding any delegates conference, pending the hearing of the substantive suit before the court. Other defendants in the suit are the Chevron branch of PENGASSAN, Mr Esanubi Frank and Mr Ayanate Kio. When the case was called on Wednesday, counsel to PENGASSAN, informed the court of a pending motion of preliminary objection to the suit. Counsel said that the motion was challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit and prayed the court to move it. The counsel to the plaintiffs, however, raised objection to PENGASSAN’s appl

A United Nations official says 6.9 million children under the age of five die every year, reports Xinhua. Kim Dickson, a public health physician and senior advisor with the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, told the media in an interview. The UN official said this was in the face of the global community’s attempt to reach the eight anti-poverty objectives outlined by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). ``In the 1990s, child mortality was at 12 million a year and now in the 2,000s we have 6.9 million,’’ Dickson said. According to the latest statistics released by UNICEF on child mortality, the global mortality figure translates into 19,000 deaths per day. ``The adoption of the MDGs has played an important role in creating a better world in terms of maternal and child health. But we still have a long way to go,’’ Dickson said. The MDGs include the eradication of extreme poverty, improvement of maternal health and the reduction of child mortality. They were

Iraqi police said over 12 people were killed and up to 52 others wounded in a suicide car bomb attack in Baghdad on Wednesday, reports Xinhua. It said the attack occurred in the afternoon when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a police checkpoint and blew it up in Kadhmiyah district in northern Baghdad. It said the blast set fire on 15 cars and badly damaged many others, adding that most of the victims were civilians. An eye witness, who preferred anonymity, said the toll could rise as ambulances, police and civilian vehicles were seeing evacuating casualties to different hospitals and medical centers in the city. Iraq is witnessing some of its worst violence in recent years. The UN assistance mission for Iraq said a total of 8,868 Iraqis, including 7,818 civilians and civilian police personnel, were killed in 2013. It said this was the highest annual death toll in years. 

(Nigeria) The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, on Wednesday cautioned the Federal Government against the use of force to rescue the abducted Chibok schoolgirls. This is contained in a statement by its Spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, in Yenagoa. It urged government to negotiate and agree to the option of prisoners swap as demanded by the abductors of the girls. Over 200 students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno, were abducted by insurgents on April 14 from their school dormitories. According to MEND's statement, the swap deal is the only viable option for peace and ceasefire. ``From our experience, it is impossible for any forceful commando-type rescue in forests or creeks to be successful. ``The Israelis encouraging such a move should understand that Sambisa Forest is a different kettle of fish from Entebbe International Airport,’’ it said. The statement commended the recent release of its 54 members, including an ex-militant comman

(Nigeria) The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Phillips, on Wednesday advised magistrates in the state to live above board in the discharge of their duties. Phillips gave the advice while swearing-in 12 new magistrates in Lagos. She said that the task before the magistrates was enormous due to the increasing workload of the Lagos State Judiciary. "Your appointment was done to decongest the courts and ensure speedy and prompt dispensation of justice, especially in relation to inmates awaiting trial in our prisons," Phillips said. The chief judge said they were appointed solely on merit, adding that they should protect their reputation jealously by working hard working and being incorruptible. She urged them to embrace the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers as a steering wheel in navigating the judicial terrain. "You are to familiarise yourselves with the tools of your trade which are the Constitution, the Evidence Act, the Magistrate Law of L

Russia has expressed readiness to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine’s eastern regions, reports itar-tass. Moscow expects Kiev create conditions for delivering humanitarian aid to the regions, affected by the conflict, the Russian Foreign Ministry says. “On May 28 the Russian Foreign Ministry sent a note to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry informing the authorities in Kiev that citizens and organizations in Eastern Ukraine, where casualties were reported as a result of the armed actions, asked for urgent humanitarian aid, primarily medications,” the ministry says.

Ukraine's State Border Service, SBS, on Wednesday reported a partial withdrawal of Russian troops from the border, reports Xinhua. "According to our information, the pullout of troops from our borders is underway. However, intelligence units, radio units, electronic reconnaissance units as well as logistic infrastructure are staying where they were," SBS chairman Mykola Lytvyn told a press conference here. Lytvyn said his agency didn't rule out the possibility of Russian troops returning to the area and urged the government to create a special 3,000-troop unit to strengthen control on the eastern border-crossing. However, Lytvyn emphasized a border closure was not on the agenda. So far, tensions have remained high in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russia activists are engaged in conflicts with government troops. Kiev has repeatedly blamed Moscow for inciting the unrest and splitting Ukraine. Russia denies the charges. To ease the tension, Russia start

(Nigeria) The Plateau State police command has confirmed the killing of four persons by unknown gunmen on Tuesday night in Wat village, Kuru,  in the Jos South Local Government Area of the state. The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Felicia Anslem, confirmed the incident in an interview with NAN on Wednesday in Jos. Anslem said that the village was attacked by unknown gunmen when the people were asleep, and killed four persons and injured others. She said that investigation into the killings had commenced, and called on members of the community to remain calm. Capt. Ikedichi Iweha, Media Officer of the Special Task Force in charge of security in Plateau, also confirmed the attack but declined to give any details. 

No fewer than 35 people were killed and 70 others wounded in separate bomb attacks across Iraq on Tuesday, police and medical sources said. The deadliest attack occurred at noon in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad when a suicide bomber blew up his explosive vest among a crowd of Shiite worshippers inside Abu al-Timan mosque, leaving 19 people killed and 34 others wounded, a police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. Insurgent groups frequently attacked Shiite pilgrims who perform communal rituals in the Iraqi cities, killing and wounding hundreds of them in attempt to provoke sectarian strife. In a separate incident, a roadside bomb went off at a popular marketplace at the predominantly Shiite district of Sadr City in the eastern part of Baghdad, killing two people and wounding nine others, along with damaging several nearby shops and stalls, the source said. Also in the capital, two roadside bombs detonated in a quick succession near a police patrol in Bagh

Cameroon on Tuesday began deploying large troop reinforcements to buttress its border with Nigeria against the threat posed by marauding Boko Haram militants, security officials said. "The deployment has begun. Today, soldiers have started being sent to the border regions," a senior police official in the area told AFP on condition of anonymity.

(Nigeria) The Nigerian Government on Tuesday, denied that it had hired an international public relations firm to counter criticism both inside and outside the country against it. Mr Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in a statement, said “Reports in national and foreign media that the Federal Government is currently in the process of recruiting an international public relations firm to “counter mounting criticism both inside and outside the country” are completely false and baseless. “The suggestion that the Federal Government intends to spend a staggering sum of $800 million on the phantom public relations effort to ease “increasing pressure over its response to the kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls” is also wholly untrue. “Coming as they do, at a particularly difficult and sensitive time for the entire nation, the Federal Government considers the reports of a drive to recruit consultants to launder its image highly insensitive, deplora

Petro  Poroshenko is winning Ukraine’s early presidential elections with 54.69 percent of the vote, the Ukrainian Central Election Commission said on Tuesday after counting 98.48 percent of protocols, reports itar-tass. His closest rival, Ukraine’s former Prime Minister and leader of the Batkivshchina (Fatherland) party Yulia Timoshenko is scoring 12.82 percent of votes. Next are Oleg Lyashko with 8.33 percent, Anatoly Gritsenko with 5.48 percent and Sergei Tigipko with 5.22 percent of votes. Early presidential polls were conducted in Ukraine on Sunday, May 25.

World Cup warm-up friendly against Scotland in London on Wednesday is reported to be the subject of a match-fixing investigation by police. The National Crime Agency, which investigates serious and organised crime, is reported by the Daily Telegraph to have asked FIFA, world football's governing body, to issue an alert over attempts to fix the game at Fulham's Craven Cottage. The match is scheduled as a home fixture for Nigeria, who are finalising their preparations ahead of the World Cup in Brazil which starts on June 12. "We are liaising with the relevant authorities and will prepare for the match as normal," a Scottish FA spokesman said on Tuesday. A spokesman for the NCA refused to comment, saying: "The NCA will from time to time provide operational detail necessary for public reassurance purposes. "It does not routinely confirm or deny the existence of specific operations or provide ongoing commentary on operational activity." The NC

(Nigeria) The Federal Government on Tuesday alleged that the Salaries, Wages and Income Commission was opposed to the payment of arrears owed striking lecturers of Federal Polytechnics and Colleges of Education. The Supervising Minister of Education, Mr Nyisome Wike made the allegation at a meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Education in Abuja. The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP and the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, COEASU, have been on strike for about 10 months. Wike said that, ``as the ministry made proposal to settle the lecturers' arrears owed since 2009 in instalments, the commission wrote to kick against the plan. Government has been meeting on what to do, but the commission opposes the proposal I made to pay the arrears in instalment.” Wike said the commission was opposed to the proposal claiming that it was not consulted before the 2009 CONTISSS agreement was reached. According to him, the Secretary to the Gover

(Nigeria) The strike by the Senior Staff Association of Universities, SSANU, Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo Chapter, on Tuesday paralysed activities at the institution. Mr Saheed Oseni, Chairman, SSANU, LASU Chapter, told News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that its members had fully complied with the strike directive by staying off duty. The  union had declared a total and indefinite strike, effective May 26, after the expiration of a 7-day ultimatum issued the institution’s management on May 16. The union had earlier gone on strike in September 2013 and suspended it on January13, after the government pledged to meet its demands. It resumed its strike following the failure of the government to keep its promise. SSANU had demanded the implementation of the 2011/2012 staff promotion, which it said was pending due to the ``No Vacancy, No Promotion” policy of the management. It also demanded the implementation of the 65-year retirement age for its members; and the reversal o

(Nigeria) The National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, on Tuesday threatened to begin a three-day warning strike from June 2, if the Federal Government fails to resolve issues affecting its members. The National President, Dr Jibril Abdullahi, said at a news conference in Abuja after its ordinary general meeting that some of the main issues were residency training and re-integration of its members into the IPPIS. Others are payment of three months’ salary arrears owed doctors in Federal Medical Centre Owerri, Imo State, failure to implement the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS and eroding of the recent relativity restored by the latter after a distortion of over 20 years. ``The ordinary meeting of NARD resolved that the federal government through the Federal Ministry of Health should as a matter of urgency take all necessary steps towards formalising the report of the inter-agency committee on residency training. ``That in the interest of harmony in Fede

(Nigeria) The Special Task Force, STF, maintaining peace in Plateau State has said that it is investigating the killing on Monday of four soldiers at Gida Bua village in Langtang South Local Government Area of the state by gunmen. ``Yes, I can confirm to you that the incident took place. I am right now on my way to the area to investigate the development,’’ STF Commander, Maj.-Gen. Dave Enetie, told News Agency of Nigeria. Enetie, who spoke in a telephone interview in Jos on Tuesday, however, declined to offer more details. ``I can’t tell you more than this; I will call you immediately I am back from the area,’’ he said. The security personnel were ambushed by the unknown men while on a patrol. ``Nine soldiers were actually in the patrol vehicle, but five escaped,” a top security source confirmed to NAN.

(Nigeria) By Odimegwu Onwumere Tom Ugo is not his real name. He was 4 years old when his parents were divorced in 2012, because of what they said were their irreconcilable differences. Ugo did not go to school in the preceding year due to the quandaries that the divorce had degenerated into. Ugo’s family resided in Oyigbo, a suburb of Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, during the time of their troubles. His parents fought over who should take custody of Ugo. While doing so, they did not take into cognizance the sermon by experts on marital challenges that parents' divorce will mean breaking of trust among their children. Also, they did not mind the matrix that says what is on the mind of every child is to see their family being stable and last with love. Given the situation, Ugo’s parents were not in the near to recognize the anxiety their separation from marriage was causing him. His hope was shattered. No professional counselling or approaches seemed to be