TheNewsGuru

Tag: UK

  • UK congratulates Obaseki, commends conduct of Edo Election

    UK congratulates Obaseki, commends conduct of Edo Election

    The United Kingdom has congratulated Godwin Obaseki on his re-election as governor of Edo State.

    The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, congratulated Obaseki in a tweet on Sunday.

    She also commended the people for a credible electoral process in the state.

    Laing also expressed gratitude to civil society organisations, who monitored the election and their contribution towards ensuring a peaceful exercise.

    “Congratulations @GovernorObaseki @PastorIzeIyamu @inecnigeria on #EdoDecides2020. @UKinNigeria team observed credible process and commend both candidates for encouraging peace. Thanks to civil society partners @YIAGA @SituationRoomNg @cleenfoundation for their invaluable work,” she tweeted.

  • Visa ban: FG tackles US, UK, says sanctioning electoral offenders disrespectful to Nigeria’s sovereignty

    Visa ban: FG tackles US, UK, says sanctioning electoral offenders disrespectful to Nigeria’s sovereignty

    The Nigerian government has said it considers it disrespectful to the Sovereignty of the country for any outside country to apply punitive measures such as visas restriction on its citizens.

    The Nigerian government made this known in a statement issued by Mr Ferdinand Nwonye, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday in Abuja.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that this comes as a response to the recent announcement of the U.S. and the United Kingdom to impose visa restrictions on those who undermine electoral processes.

    The Nigerian Government said it was committed to providing all necessary logistic, financial and security support to the electoral process.

    “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to state that the Nigerian government has taken note of the concerns of some of our partners, especially the U.S. and UK governments regarding the elections in Edo and Ondo States.

    “They have also expressed their intentions to take punitive measures against those who decide to, in what they termed as, undermine democracy.

    “It is important to highlight that the responsibility for the conduct of elections in Nigeria solely resides with the Independent National Electoral Commission and State Independent Electoral Commissions.

    “The Federal Government, and especially the President, is committed to providing all necessary logistic, financial and security support to the electoral process.

    “The President has continually urged all parties and contestants to peacefully conduct themselves before, during and after the elections, and supported patriotic non-governmental initiatives such as the Abdusalami Abubakar-led Peace Committee.

    “Furthermore, it should be noted that there are ample provisions in our laws to sanction violators and perpetrators of electoral violence and fraud.

    “It would be considered disrespectful of the sovereignty of Nigeria for any outside authority to sit in judgment over the conduct of our citizens and apply punitive measures such as visa restriction, unilaterally.

    “While we appreciate the support and encouragement of our international partners such as the EU, we urge our equally valued partners such as the UK and U.S. to cooperate with our relevant agencies,” the government said.

    The government called on the partners to support security agencies by providing them whatever concrete evidence of observed misconduct to allow our laws and regulations to take their course.

    The Nigerian government also expressed solidarity with the government and people of the U.S. as regards their forthcoming election, which it hoped would be free from interference and violence.

  • Petition seeking to ban El-Rufai from EU, UK garners 7,000 signatures in 24 hours

    Petition seeking to ban El-Rufai from EU, UK garners 7,000 signatures in 24 hours

    A petition seeking to ban Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai from entering the United Kingdom and European Union (EU) nations has gathered over 7,000 signatures in 24 hours of setting up.

    This is coming after reports that the governor was among those on the list of Nigerian politicians banned by the United States from entering its territory.

    The petition, which was initiated by a former Presidential aide, Reno Omokri, on Tuesday, was addressed to the UK Parliament, the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson; Council of the European Union and the European Parliament.

    Checks on Change.Org showed that the petition had hit 7,000 as of 11.15 am on Wednesday.

    Omokri, who initiated the petition, accused El-Rufai of being a threat to the peace and security of Nigeria for many reasons.

    He noted that on December 3, 2016, the governor admitted that he paid herdsmen who had been accused of killing several persons.

    “Since that admission, there has been an intense escalation of the killings of mostly Christians in Kaduna, and on August 25, 2020, suspected herdsmen abducted seven schoolchildren and their teacher from Prince Academy, in Kaduna. They have not been seen or heard of since then,” Omokri said.

    Omokri, who was a social media aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, said el-Rufai on January 27, 2013, insulted Jesus Christ on Twitter

    The petition further read, “On February 6, 2019, he threatened foreign observers, including observers from the EU and UK with death, warning that they would return in body bags should they intervene in Nigeria.

    “On July 15, 2012, Nasir El-Rufai said, and I quote ‘We will write this for all to read. Anyone, soldier or not that kills the Fulani takes a loan repayable one day no matter how long it takes.’ This threat has been carried out in Southern Kaduna where there is an ongoing genocide of Christians under el-Rufai’s watch.”

    Omokri said on August 23, 2019, the governor charged the Anglican Bishop of Zaria province of Kaduna, Abiodun Ogunyemi, for defamation.

    “On April 24, 2019, another of his sons, Bashir el-Rufai, described the pogrom against Igbos as sweet.

    “It is for this reason that Nigerian citizens call on the government of the United Kingdom and the European Union Presidency to follow the lead of the United States and place a visa ban on Nasir El-Rufai, who is scheming to become Nigeria’s President, to prevent a Rwandan style genocide in Nigeria,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Government is yet to respond to the latest development.

  • Risk of contracting Covid-19 in school very small – Boris Johnson

    Risk of contracting Covid-19 in school very small – Boris Johnson

    Prime Minister (PM) of the United Kingdom (UK), Boris Johnson has reiterated that the risk of contracting Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in school is very small.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Boris Johnson stated this on Monday as the UK government sets to reopen schools after they were closed as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19.

    The UK PM also reiterated that it is far more damaging for a child’s development and their health and well-being to be away from school any longer.

    “I have previously spoken about the moral duty to reopen schools to all pupils safely, and I would like to thank the school staff who have spent the summer months making classrooms Covid-secure in preparation for a full return in September.

    “We have always been guided by our scientific and medical experts, and we now know far more about coronavirus than we did earlier this year.

    “As the Chief Medical Officer has said, the risk of contracting Covid-19 in school is very small and it is far more damaging for a child’s development and their health and well-being to be away from school any longer.

    “This is why it’s vitally important that we get our children back into the classroom to learn and to be with their friends. Nothing will have a greater effect on the life chances of our children than returning to school,” he stated.

  • MFM’s overseer, Olukoya speaks on link to seven fraudulent allegations in UK Church

    MFM’s overseer, Olukoya speaks on link to seven fraudulent allegations in UK Church

    The General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Dr. Daniel Olukoya yesterday denied any link to fraudulent activities allegedly involving the London branch of the church.

    Olukoya, also, added that the seven allegations levelled against him and the MFM were without foundation, but intent to damage his reputation and destroy the global image of the church.

    He made these clarifications in a statement his media aide, Mr. Collins Edomaruse issued yesterday in response to the fraud allegations.

    The Charity Commission, an independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, had appointed an interim manager to manage Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries International (1100416), a north London-based charity, which exists to promote Christianity.

    The interim manager was saddled with the responsibility of reviewing the charity’s financial and governance processes, inspecting a number of the charity’s branches and their handling of serious incidents.

    In his statement, Olukoya said: “It has become pertinent for the purpose of clarity to respond to the false allegations being peddled against MFM and Olukoya in the social media particularly sponsored by SaharaReporters.”

    He denied that he falsely “claimed residence of the US city of Maryland. Nothing can be further from the truth. Olukoya is a public figure nationally and internationally. His domicile is therefore a fact of public knowledge.

    “The true position is that the pastor who wanted to register MFM in Maryland inserted Olukoya name without prior consultation with or knowledge of the G.O because he believed that Olukoya should be involved.

    “But after he consulted a lawyer and received advice that a person’s name cannot be on the incorporation documents unless he is resident in Maryland, that registration was put in abeyance and allowed to lapse.

    “The pastor is still alive and all the evidence is there for all to see at the Company Registry in Maryland,” the statement explained.

    The statement, also, faulted the allegation that Olukoya Illegally imported books into the United States and evaded payment of customs duties on those books.

    It said Olukoya’s books are sold on Amazon. It is foolhardy for anyone to suggest that he brought in his books to the US illegally when he can and has been doing so legally. This false allegation was pioneered by a former Pastor of MFM who tried to steal MFM Branch in Maryland.

    “He conceived this lie as his defence to a civil suit the church brought against him in the County Court in Maryland. This concocted lie could best be described as the wild thrashings of a drowning man intent on bringing everybody down with him.

  • UK Court jails Nigeria’s oil tycoon for contempt

    UK Court jails Nigeria’s oil tycoon for contempt

    A United Kingdom Court has jailed the Chief Executive Officer of Rahamaniyya Oil and Gas Limited, Abdulrahman Bashir, after he was found guilty of breaching multiple orders of the court in a pending suit instituted by Sahara Energy Resources Limited.

    Justice Butcher of England and Wales High Court handed a 10-month jail sentence to the oil mogul, and has ordered him to comply with requests for the release of 6,400.69 metric tonnes of gas oil to Sahara Energy Resource Ltd. or its agent from Rahamaniyya Oil and Gas Ltd. This was in line with the deal Ultimate Oil and Gas, the trading arm of Rahamaniyya Oil in the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), entered into with Sahara Energy in 2018. In the signed contract, Ultimate Oil and Gas agreed to buy, and Sahara agreed to sell 15,000 metric tonnes in the Vacuum of Gas Oil.

    A Collateral Management Agreement (CMA) containing a London arbitration clause was entered into on July 8, 2018 between the two parties and it was further learnt that Rahamaniyya agreed to store the gas oil at its terminal pending payment by Ultimate. Sahara, it would be recalled, delivered a total of 14,967.159 metric tonnes of gas oil to Rahamaniyya’s terminal in Nigeria and also issued invoices for the gas oil on October 26, 2018 for $10,760,728.77.

    The payment should have been made by August 29, 2019 but Ultimate defaulted in making necessary payments. In December 2018, Ultimate and Sahara entered into a settlement agreement in which Ultimate confirmed that the value of gas oil that had been delivered was $10,760,728.77, and agreed to make a series of monthly payments for it. Court records showed that some payments were made, in consequence of which some 8,566.469 metric tonnes of gas oil was released to Ultimate. Ultimate, however, reneged in performing the terms of the settlement agreement in full by making all the payments due. After various warnings, on May 10, 2019, Sahara terminated the settlement agreement, notifying Ultimate that its agent, Asharami Synergy Plc. would take delivery of part of the remaining gas oil from the terminal.

    Various attempts made by Sahara, according to the court papers, to obtain delivery of the gas oil were futile, leading to the lawsuit which was filed both in Lagos and in the United Kingdom. Justice Butcher, who delivered the third order following a contempt of court judgement, said: “The basis of he sentence was that Mr. Bashir had committed continuing breaches of the order of Mr. Justice Robin Knowles of 1 August 2019 and of the order of Mr. Justice Bryan of 6 September 2019.” There was also a binding indication that the sentence could be reduced to six months if Bashir complies with the relevant order which had previously been breached. He was also fined £500,000 while Adebowale Aderemi, its manager, was fined £10,000.

  • 296 evacuees depart UK for Nigeria

    296 evacuees depart UK for Nigeria

    No fewer than 296 Nigerians deserted in United Kingdom (UK) departed for Nigeria Saturday

     

    The evacuees according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs departed Gatwick Airport, London at about 1.38pm.

     

    The Air Peace flight is expected to land Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja later on Saturday.

     

    “296 returnees from the UK departed Gatwick Airport, London to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja today, August 15, 2020 at 1.38 pm aboard Air Peace Flight No. P47801 operated by Air Europa Flight No AEA962,” a brief statement from Sarah Sanda, Media aide to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

  • Beirut explosion: China, UK, EU, US, Qatar pledge €252m aid to Lebanon

    Beirut explosion: China, UK, EU, US, Qatar pledge €252m aid to Lebanon

    Britain, Qatar, the United States, the European Union, China, the World Bank have pledged immediate humanitarian relief worth over 252 million euros (297.08 million U.S. dollars) to Lebanon.

    Beirut, the Lebanese capital was rocked last week by two huge explosions that have claimed at least 158 lives and injured 6,000 others.

    The aid pledge followed a UN-backed virtual conference hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.

    The donors thereafter issued a joint statement, pledging solidarity with and support for the Lebanese people.

    “The participants agreed that their assistance should be timely, sufficient and consistent with the needs of the Lebanese people, well-coordinated under the leadership of the United Nations, and directly delivered to the Lebanese population, with utmost efficiency and transparency,” said the statement.

    “To help Lebanon overcome the tragedy and recover better, we will need all hands on deck,” UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told the conference.

    Noting that the devastating Beirut port blast will have “deep social and economic impacts,” Mohammed called for a focus on the support of “four priority sectors — health, food, the rehabilitation of buildings and the rehabilitation of schools.”

    “The Lebanese people deserve a stable and secure future,” the UN deputy chief said, adding that “with determination and solidarity, we can help them reach that long-sought goal.”

    Calling for quick reconstruction support at the conference, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said “we have great needs at the moment and we must meet them quickly before the winter as citizens will suffer a lot without shelters during the cold weather.”

    “The earthquake struck us while we are in the midst of economic and financial crisis, in addition to the existence of over 1 million refugees in Lebanon and the repercussions of COVID-19. Dealing with all these is way beyond the capacity of Lebanon,” Aoun added.

    A dozen of countries and international organizations have expressed solidarity and sympathy with Lebanon over the deadly explosions, with medical supplies and foodstuff to the Middle East country.

    The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said Friday that it is mobilizing assistance to support its staff and refugees affected by the deadly blasts.

    “We are making available our stocks of shelter kits in the country, plastic sheets, rub halls, and tens of thousands of other core relief items including blankets and mattresses for immediate distribution and use. Additional stockpiles in the region will come in reinforcement,” the UNHCR said in a statement.

    Lebanon has received field hospitals from a number of countries in the past few days, including France, Jordan, Russia and Qatar, to aid in the treatment of injured people and COVID-19 patients.

    The blasts hit the Port of Beirut at around 6:10 p.m. local time (1610 GMT) on Tuesday, causing massive casualties and costing the city 3 billion to 5 billion dollars in property losses.

    The causes of the blasts remain unknown and an investigation is underway, but Interior Minister Mohammad Fahmi said the 2,700 tons of explosive chemicals stored at Port of Beirut may have led to the explosions.

    Lebanese Environment Minister Demianos Kattar and Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad on Sunday submitted their resignations following the blasts, local media reported.

    A number of members of parliament also presented their resignations a day earlier due to the explosions.

  • UK gets early access to 90 million COVID-19 vaccine doses

    UK gets early access to 90 million COVID-19 vaccine doses

    The UK has secured early access to 90 million COVID-19 vaccine doses through partnerships with pharmaceutical companies, SKY news is reporting.

    Included in the figure are 30 million doses of a vaccine being developed by BioNTech and Pfizer, the first agreement the two companies have signed with any government. This vaccine has reached Phase 2 trials.

    The second deal is an agreement in principle for 60 million doses of a vaccine being developed by Valneva, with an option to acquire a further 40 million doses if this vaccine is proven to be safe, effective, and suitable.

    Valneva, which has a factory in Livingston, Scotland, is developing an inactivated virus vaccine and the government is expected to contribute to the cost of clinical trials.

    Funding is also being negotiated to expand the Scottish facility to allow the production of up to 100 million doses for the UK and around the world.

    The third deal is with AstraZeneca and it gives the UK a possible one million doses of treatment with COVID-19 neutralizing antibodies that could be used to protect those who cannot be vaccinated, such as those who are immunocompromised.

    The three agreements mean England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland would have enough doses to vaccinate priority groups, such as health and social care workers and those at increased risk of serious complications or death from the coronavirus.

    Business Secretary Alok Sharma said the partnerships would “ensure the UK has the best chance possible of securing a vaccine that protects those most at risk”.

    His cabinet colleague, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, told Sky News a vaccine is a “best and safest route out of this crisis”.

    Mr Williamson told Kay Burley@Breakfast: “It’s right that the government is making the investment and placing these orders with these vaccines, so we have a range of options.

    “So we’re one of the countries that’s best placed, as we come out of this pandemic, to be able to offer a broad range of vaccines that are going to protect this country for the future.”

    The other potential vaccines the government has secured access to are:

    A vaccine by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, which was the first to start Phase 3 trials in May. AstraZeneca will produce 100 million doses for the UK

    An mRNA vaccine by Imperial College London, which started human trials in June

    Kate Bingham, the chairperson of the Vaccine Taskforce, said: “The fact that we have so many promising candidates already shows the unprecedented pace at which we are moving.

    “But I urge against being complacent or over-optimistic. The fact remains we may never get a vaccine and if we do get one, we have to be prepared that it may not be a vaccine which prevents getting the virus, but rather one that reduces symptoms.”

    Meanwhile, the government has launched a website where people can register to take part in future vaccine studies.

    The aim is to get 500,000 people signed up by October to enable large-scale studies to take place across the UK.

    These studies, which would involve hundreds or thousands of volunteers, will help researchers better understand the effectiveness of each vaccine, speeding up efforts to discover what could be the key to stopping the pandemic.

  • Evacuee from UK narrates COVID-19 test experience in London versus Nigeria

    Evacuee from UK narrates COVID-19 test experience in London versus Nigeria

    Mr. Munzali Bello, an evacuee from the United Kingdom (UK) has narrated how Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test was conducted on him in London versus how the test was conducted on him in Nigeria.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Bello as saying COVID-19 test was conducted on him in London exactly 10 days ago and that upon arrival in Nigeria, another COVID-19 test was carried out on him in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

    “In England all I did was to go to the NHS website to make reservation, it showed available days and time slots. The information needed was basic. Name, phone number/email, date of birth and whether or not you have symptoms. The reservation takes 5mins, then you get a barcode.

    “The options were either drive through or walk-in, I opted for walk in the next day. When I got there there was only one person ahead of me and another person also came before I finished. There was a barrier between me and the lady that gave me the kit.

    “She threw the kit through a small opening in the barrier and acaned my barcode There were instructions on the kit then she showed me where to sit. There was another person on standby outside her cubicle Incase one doesn’t understand the instructions.

    “It took me exactly 7 mins to read and do the test myself. I sealed the package and went to another cubicle to drop. Again through a barrier another person showed me where to drop and he scanned my barcode again. I totally I spent 9 mins there. 24hrs I got an email of my result.

    “Now back to Abuja, at arrival we were told to go for another test today at 9am. All of us. About 260 passengers! I didn’t go at 9am, I went at 3pm, but there were more than 50 passengers. I was told many people already left and took the option of coming back on Monday.

    “I spent 3hrs there even though the test only took 5 mins. But the presses of filling 4 forms and meeting another staff to enter the same information you provided on the forms into a computer took about 3hrs because there were about 50 people ahead of me.

    “First the forms weee not necessary because the same information provided was entered into the computer. Second, we could have provided the same details ourselves through pre-registration online before getting there.

    “I met people that have been there since 9am. They spent about 8 /9 hrs in a place packed with passengers with some probably having the virus, since the main essence of doing the test again is to be sure everyone is safe.

    “With the use of technology, we would have save everyone from that risk, both presenters and the staff taking the details. We would have saved money by not printing the forms. We would have saved time because sample collection only takes 5mins. They allowed numbers to us.

    “The last number called around 5.30 pm was 190. 190 people were tested in 9hrs, 9am to 6pm because of the long avoidable process.

    “Now imagine how many people would have been tested in 9hrs with an average of 5mins her sample collection If we had done the reg online..Money saved. Risk reduced. Time drastically reduced. More efficiency. We must embrace technology,” Bello narrated.