TheNewsGuru

Tag: Nigerians

  • Again, 121 Nigerians voluntarily return home from Libya

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Wednesday confirmed the arrival of 121 Nigerians from Libya.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Nigerians, whose return was facilitated by the International Organisation for Migration, IOM also had two pregnant women amongst them.

    The South-West Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Suleiman Yakubu, who received them at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, said 121 people were the first batch of people expected in September, warning Nigerians to desist from such experiences.

    “On arrival, the profiling of the returnees indicates that there are 60 female adults and one girl while male adults are 57 with two male children and a male infant; making a total of 61 females and 60 males.

    “Among them were two pregnant women and one person with a medical problem,” he said.

    One of the returnees, Owoade Omolara, narrating her ordeal told newsmen that she spent one year and two months in Libya working as a cleaner in a hospital.

    According to her, she paid N662, 000 to one trafficker identified as Burger before she was taken out of Nigeria.

    “When it was time for me to collect my salary, I was accused of stealing and taken to prison and from there the IMO came to rescue me.

    “There are many Nigerians who travelled the way I did and are still there suffering the same fate,” she said.

  • Nigerians will gradually feel impact of exit from recession – NBS

    Nigerians will gradually feel impact of exit from recession – NBS

    The Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Yemi Kale, has said that the effect of Nigeria coming out of recession will not be immediately felt by the people.

    Mr. Kale, the Statistician-General of the Federation, made the statement in Abuja on Wednesday at a news conference.

    “There is a different stage Nigeria must go through before the masses will feel the effects of going out of recession.

    “Out of recession is the first step which is very important then the country can talk of economic recovery which is going back to where Nigeria was before the recession.

    “Recession is just a technical word; we are comparing 2017 and 2016,’’ he said.

    Mr. Kale said the reason Nigerians were not feeling the real impact of the positive economic growth rate on their lives to the structure of the economy which was still largely driven by oil.

    “Recession is not about the price of your goods, not whether unemployment is going up or down, not whether you have quality education; it’s purely your gross domestic product.

    “Your outputs of goods and services in the economy are going down and the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) is an accumulation of 46 different economic activities in Nigeria and the overall number.

    “Whether positive or negative will determine whether you are in recession or out of recession.

    “Now, within those 46 activities, some sectors will do very well and will be positive, some will do badly, some will do worse and some will stay the same way they are.’’

    Mr. Kale said the important thing for the country was to maintain the situation so that Nigeria would not go back to recession.

    According to him, the country must not relax because the GDP is still on the negative side.

    He said that coming out of recession was not about quality but the quantum of growth.

    Mr. Kale added that “there is growth but there is a problem with the distribution across the country.’’

    In response to a question that the exit from recession was a political gimmick, the NBS boss said GDP report which showed that Nigeria exited recession in the second quarter was not politically motivated.

    “It is not political because it is the same bureau that gave other negative data.

    “Things have improved but we are not there yet, it is only food prices that are still high.’’

    According to him, the bureau is an agency of government that has the independence to carry out survey and publish its findings based on international best practices.

    “The fact that the NBS can boldly say, when the Statistician-General is up for renewal, that the economy is in recession and inflation has gone up to 17 per cent, speaks a lot about the integrity of the bureau.

    “So, in terms of bureau doctoring numbers for politicians, I don’t think anyone can make that claim and NBS can never be political. We don’t do it.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Bureau on September 5 announced that Nigeria was out of economic recession.

    It stated that the nation’s GDP grew by 0.55 per cent (year-on-year) in real terms in the quarter, indicating the emergence of the economy from recession.

    The Bureau stated that the figure indicated the economy was out of recession after five consecutive quarters of contraction since the first quarter of 2016.

    An economy is said to be in recession after contracting for two consecutive quarters.

    The economy slipped into recession in the second quarter of 2016.

    The bureau, however, stated that the growth recorded in quarter was 2.04 per cent higher than the rate recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2016 (–1.49 per cent).

    It stated it was higher by 1.46 per cent points from rate recorded in the preceding quarter, (revised to –0.91 per cent from – 0.52 per cent).

    NAN

  • Nigerians are tired of hearing trillions shared in Abuja with nothing to show, CAN tells FG

    …Felicitates with Muslim faithfuls on Eid-el-Kabir celebrations

    …Urges government to reduce cost of living in Nigeria

    The President, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, has called on the Federal Government to address the economic hardship and the high cost of living in the country which he said had reached an alarming level.

    The Christian leader appealed to the government to address the lopsidedness in the polity, attributing the restructuring agitations in the country to the failure of the National Assembly and the National Council of State to tackle the issues.

    Ayokunle in a statement on Saturday in Abuja by his Special Assistant (Media and Communications), Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, rejoiced with Muslims as they celebrated Eid-el-Kabir and urged the citizens to douse the tension in the country, saying no country has ever survived two wars.

    He said, “CAN also rejoices with the First Family and the FG for the restoration of the health of President Muhammadu Buhari as we charge the government to reduce the cost of living that has reached an alarming level.

    “It is needless to remind the political class to fulfil all their promises made during the last elections as they are warming up for another general election. Their words should be their bound.

    “We are tired of hearing billions and trillions of naira being shared among the three tiers of government in Abuja with little or nothing to show for it.”

    Ayokunle said it was time the leaders were held accountable for the management of the nation’s commonwealth.

    “CAN as a body wants our country to remain one but we also want the lopsidedness in the polity to be addressed and it is because both the National Assembly and the National Council of State have failed to address it that is making all well meaning across all the divides to be calling for the restructuring,” he noted.

    The cleric admonished Muslim leaders in the country “to join hands with us in our vision to have a nation where social justice, equity, peace, unity, and progress are her hallmarks.”

  • Killings of Nigerians in South Africa is worrying – Dabiri-Erewa

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Abike Dabiri-Erewa has expressed her displeasure over the incessant extra judicial killings of Nigerians living in South Africa.

    In a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Abdurrahman Balogun, the Presidential aide said ” this is one death, too many”

    She said in spite of all diplomatic talks between Nigeria and South Africa to put an early warning signal in place,” it doesn’t seem to be working”.

    The Nigeria Union in South Africa has confirmed the killing of another member, Kingsley Ikeri, at Vryheid town in Kwazulu Natal Province of South Africa on August 30.

    Ikeri, 27, was a businessman and native of Mbaitolu in Imo State and the second Imo indigene to be so killed in the last two weeks.

    Dabiri-Erewa described the latest extra judicial killing of another Nigerian in South Africa as “worrying and condemnable”.

    She said that the latest gruesome killing of Ikeri by the Police in South Africa is “unacceptable to the people and government of Nigeria”.

    While reiterating President Muhammadu Buhari’s calls to Nigerians to avoid crimes like drug peddling which attracts stiff penalties, sometimes death, she noted that the latest killing has increased the number of Nigerians killed in South Africa through extrajudicial means in the last one year.

    “The barbaric behaviour of the perpetrators is not only unacceptable but also calls for urgent attention by diplomatic authorities in Nigeria and South Africa”, she said.

    Dabiri-Erewa urged the South African government to ensure that justice prevails by carrying out investigation and bring the culprit to book.

    She reiterated her calls to Nigerians living abroad to always respect the laws of their host countries and be good ambassadors of Nigeria.

    “My heart goes out to the families of the deceased and I pray God to grant the departed soul eternal rest”, the SSA stated.

    Bartholomew Eziagulu, Chairman of the Nigerian Union in the province, disclosed that Mr. Ikeri was allegedly tortured to death by the police.

    He said the union’s investigations revealed that the police arrested the deceased and a friend on suspicion that they were carrying hard drugs.

    “While interrogating him, the police used plastic to cover his face to extort information from him.

    “In the process, they suffocated the deceased. When the police took him to the hospital, he was confirmed dead,” he said.

    The Secretary General of the union, Adetola Olubajo, noted that the national secretariat had been informed about the death of the Nigerian.

    He said the body had informed the appropriate Nigerian authorities and the police in South Africa.

    A report has it that a senior Diplomat from the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg had visited Vryheid on a fact-finding mission.

    In February Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa met with the South Africa High Commissioner, Mr. Lulu Louis Mnguni in Abuja, where he said a total of 116 Nigerians have been killed in South Africa through extrajudicial means in the last two years.
    Seven out of 10 of the killings were carried out by the South African Police.

  • Eid-El-Kabir: Buhari appreciates Nigerians for their prayers, says ‘I am re-energized to build a great Nigeria’

    President Muhammdu Buhari on Thursday said the prayers offered on his behalf across board from various religious faithfuls have re-energized him in the task to build a greater and more prosperous Nigeria.

    The president also appreciated Nigerians who prayed for his quick recovery while receiving treatments in London.

    This was revealed in a special message to commemorate the 2017 Eid-El-Kabir celebrations in the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Federal Government had earlier declared Friday, September 1 and Monday, September 4 public holidays for the sallah celebrations.

    The president’s speech reads:

    Fellow Compatriots,

    I felicitate with you all, particularly the Muslim faithful, on the celebration of this year’s Eid-El-Kabir.

    I congratulate our Muslim brothers and sisters who are currently in Saudi Arabia to participate in the rites of the Hajj.

    From the outset, I want to use this opportunity to thank all Nigerians who prayed for my recovery and have continued to extend their goodwill and support after my return to the country.

    Indeed your fervent and sincere prayers, which cut across religion, political and ethnic divides, has energised me to re-dedicate myself and this administration to the task of building a great Nigeria.

    On the joyous occasion of this year’s Eid-El-Kabir celebration, I appeal to all Nigerians to rise against the odds, keep our prejudices aside and strengthen the bonds of friendship and unity to keep our country together.

    For Muslims all over the world, this celebration is to commemorate the trials and triumph of Prophet (Abraham) Ibrahim.

    As we celebrate, I sincerely believe that our nation can make rapid progress on all fronts if we re-enact the exemplary virtues, typified by Prophet (Abraham) Ibrahim, through his sacrifice, patience, steadfastness, generosity and obedience to Allah’s command and constituted authority.

    We must learn to see ourselves as brothers and sisters from the same heritage, who must come to terms with the African proverb that ‘‘a family tie is like a tree, it can bend but it cannot break.’’

    Once again, I assure you that this administration, which has made the security, economic well-being and prosperity of all Nigerians its priority, will not rest on its oars until we see the Nigeria of our dream.

    I wish everyone happy Sallah celebrations.

    MUHAMMADU BUHARI

    August 31, 2017

  • Again, Libya deports 139 Nigerians

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said another batch of 139 deportees arrived the country from Libya on Tuesday.

    Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, the South-West Spokesman, NEMA, confirmed the deportation to newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos.

    Farinloye said that the aircraft that conveyed the deportees arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) at 11:20 p.m on Tuesday aboard a chartered Airbus A320 Afriqiyah aircraft with registration number 5A-ONA.

    The spokesman said that the deportees were also received by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the Police, and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

    Farinloye said that Mr Suleiman Yakubu, the Zonal Coordinator, South West, NEMA, received the 139 returnees from the officials of International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

    “Another batch of Nigeria voluntary returnees who were stranded in Libya and were assisted by International Organisation for Migration to returned to Nigeria on Tuesday.

    “After the profiling, we have 105 females comprising 101 female adults, three female children and one female infant.

    “We received a total of 34 males made up of 32 male adults, one male child and one male infant.

    “There are also three medical cases among the voluntary deportees from Libya,” Yakubu was quoted as saying.

    Farinloye noted that a total of 2,517 Returnees were deported from Libya by IOM from Feb. 29 to Aug. 29

     

    NAN

  • Buhari’s comment on economy shows he’s pleased with sufferings of Nigerians – Fayose

    Buhari’s comment on economy shows he’s pleased with sufferings of Nigerians – Fayose

    Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has lashed out at President Muhammadu Buhari for saying he (Buhari) was pleased with the nation’s economy despite the sufferings encountered by Nigerians on a daily basis.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the President while receiving briefings from the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, her counterpart in the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udo Udoma and the Governor of Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele said he was satisfied with the state of the economy of the nation.

    Fayose, in a statement issued on Wednesday, by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said it was obvious that the president’s close to three months stay in London had taken his mind off the reality of the economic crises being witnessed in the country.

    The governor maintained that the economic growth of a nation could only be measured by the welfare of the people.

    “It is like the President endorsing the sufferings of Nigerians and this is painful.

    “That President Buhari, who met exchange rate at N197 to $1 said that he is pleased with the economy when the exchange rate is now N370 to $1 is a clear indication that the government is being run on his behalf.

    “The National Bureau of Statistics, in its unemployment report for the fourth quarter (Q4) 2016 said 3.67 million Nigerians became jobless in one year and that the number of unemployed Nigerians rose from 7.51 million at the beginning of October 2015 to 11.19 million at the end of September 2016.

    “The same NBS, said in its June 2015 to May 2016 National Corruption Report, that over N400bn was paid as bribes to public officials in Nigeria in one year (June 2015 – May 2016). Yet, they will tell Nigerians that they are fighting corruption when indeed, corruption is thriving under the All Progressives Congress government of President Buhari.

    “As at May 29, 2015, that Buhari became President, bag of rice was less than N8,000, a bag of rice is about N18,000 now, more than 25 states cannot pay workers salary regularly owing to dwindled revenue from the federation account, and someone is telling Nigerians that the economy is doing well? It is clear that the President has lost touch with the real economic situation of the country.”

    While insisting that the President was not telling Nigerians the truth on the economic situation of the country, Fayose said even a two-year-old child knew that there was hunger in the land.

    “Nigerians are hungry, they are suffering and telling them that all is well is like adding salt to their injury,” he added.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Labour Party, LP, on Tuesday also condemned the president for expressing satisfaction at the economic situation in the country.

  • Hajj 2017: Five Nigerian pilgrims die in Saudi Arabia

    Five out of the 81,200 Nigerian pilgrims to this year’s hajj in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, have reportedly died.

    The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Abdullahi Mohammed, announced the passage of four the pilgrims in Tuesday in Makkah, Islam’s holiest city.

    Mr. Mohammed, who spoke at the 2017 pre-Arafat meeting with Hajj stakeholders, however declined to disclosed the identities of the late pilgrims as well as the circumstances that led to their death.

    He said such information could only be disclosed after their families had been appropriately informed.

    The NAHCON chair pleaded with the media to withhold the details so as not to further devastate the families of the affected pilgrims.

    Shortly after the chairman spoke, an official on the medical team of NAHCON announced the passage of another pilgrim from Kwara.

    A total 81,200 Nigerian pilgrims are performing this year’s hajj, all of whom have converged on Makkah after some of them visited and prayed at the Prophet Mohammed’s mosque in Madinah.

    A few other pilgrims came directly to Makkah after flying into Saudi Arabia through the nearby city of Jeddah.

    All the pilgrims have performed the rites of Umrah, the lesser hajj, at al-Masjid al-Haram in which is situated the Kabah.

    On Wednesday, the pilgrims, like their counterparts from other parts of the world, will move to the city of Mina to spend the eve of the 9th of Dhul-Hijah.

    The pilgrims will then proceed to Arafat on Thursday praising Allah and reciting the Qur’an.

  • No big deal, if Buhari orders military to monitor Nigerians on social media – Presidency

    The Presidency has stated that there was nothing wrong if the military monitors social media interactions of Nigerians to curtail excesses of hate speech and other acts that can jeopardise the unity and safety of the country.

    This was revealed by the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu on a monitored programme on Channels Television.

    According to the Presidential aide, it was not out of place if President Muhammadu Buhari mandated the military to monitor the social media as long as it was part of their “national security duties”.

    While defending Buhari for his concern about the use of the social media for promoting extremism, Shehu said: “I know that this country, in fact, the whole world has a big problem with balancing free speech and what we call in this country hate speech.

    “It has many faces depending on which country you are dealing with. In most of these European countries, (and) America, they are dealing with Islamic terror. In America, white extremism and all of that… All of it fed substantially by the Internet.

    “I believe that people can justified that. A lot of countries are taking notes. If Nigeria does it, I don’t know. I’m in a position to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. But if it happens in this country, it is not extraordinary, it is not unusual. Everybody is interested. Look, this thing about international terrorism is big and nobody is leaving it to chances.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the military had Sequel to President Muhammadu Buhari’s speech last week that the social media was fast becoming a tool for promotion of hate speech decided that it will henceforth monitor the social media interactions of people to detect promoters of hate speech.

    Director of Defence Information, Major-General John Enenche, who revealed this said the move became necessary in the light of troubling activities and misinformation capable of jeopardizing the unity of the country.

    Enenche held that the social media has always been a challenge all over the world and for the military, it is no different.

    “It is a double-edged sword and we are also having a bit of it,” he said.

    “Imagine when the President came back and addressed the nation, not up to 30 minutes later, a fake speech of the Commander-In-Chief was being circulated in order to do what? To derail the people. If you are not very sharp and if you didn’t listen to the speech or you don’t have a copy of it like I had it almost immediately, you wouldn’t know. So, looking at it from that perspective, it is a challenge everywhere.”

    What are we doing? In the military, we are now taking on it more seriously than ever. We have our strategic media centres that monitor the social media to be able to sieve out and react to all the ones that will be anti-government, be anti-military, (and) be anti-security,” the military chief continued.

    “We tackle them appropriately with appropriate responses. Ahead of that, we are also proactive. We have measures in place, scientific measures to be able to sieve this information and also to get the public and let them know that some of this information they are getting is not genuine are not true and their objective is an anti-corporate existence of this country.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Federal Government recently categorise hate speeches as terrorism and hopes to deal with suspects with same consequences.

     

  • Nigerians live in UK because you failed them, protesters reply Buhari

    One of the conveners of the #ResumeOrResign protest, Deji Adeyanju, has said the inability of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to provide a conducive environment and vibrant economy is what is driving youths out Nigeria.

    Reacting to the President’s call on the #ResumeOrResign protesters in London to return to the country, Adeyanju told said, “The people who protested that the President should come back live outside the country because the President has failed the nation. He has failed to provide jobs and deliver on his campaign promises. He has killed the health sector since he came in.

    “People have resorted to travelling abroad to seek medical help. Instead of the President to be sober and apologise to Nigerians after wasting taxpayers’ money in London for 103 days, he chose the arrogant part by insulting Nigerians and betraying the oath that he took to develop the health sector and end medical tourism.”

    Speaking further, he said, “Meanwhile, our members in the Diaspora add directly to the economy of Nigeria because many of them have businesses here and they send money home. But what the President did for the 104 days that he was away was to add value to the British economy. He didn’t add value to Nigeria in all the time he spent in the UK.”

    Similarly, the Co-convener of the #ResumeOrResign protest, Charles Oputa, aka Charly Boy, criticised Buhari, saying, “ They said it wasn’t the protest that brought him back but now he is making a joke of it. I don’t even know what to say. I have always complained about the tactics of this government and their body language. They say one thing and do another.”

    He added, “We thank God that he’s back, hale and hearty. The protests were not personal. On Monday, we would have a sit-out in respect of Diezani Alison-Madueke. We want to see how determined the President is about the fight against corruption. Despite all the media trials we always see, not a person has been successfully prosecuted. Where would that lead us?”