The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has declared Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku of the PDP duly elected as Governor of Taraba State.
In arriving at this decision, the court’s five-man panel, led by Justice Abdul Aboki, held that Ishaku’s nomination by the PDP could not be questioned by a non-member of the party, and was therefore in compliance with Section 85 of the Electoral Act.
This ruling sets aside the judgement of the Taraba State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal led by Justice Danladi Abubakar, which had on November 7, 2015, sacked Governor Darius Ishaku of the PDP, and ordered the swearing in of the APC candidate in the state, Aisha Alhassan.
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Appeal Court Upholds Election of Governor Ishaku of Taraba State
Boko Haram Uses Beggars for Suicide Bomb Attacks – Army
The Theater Command of Operation Lafiya Dole of the Nigerian Army on Friday alerted Borno residents on a planned attack by Boko Haram terrorists using beggars and other strategies.
The Media Coordinator of the Theater, Col. Mustapha Anka, made this known in a statement in Maiduguri.
Anka said, “the attention of the Operation Lafiya Dole has been drawn to a terrorists’ intention to use beggars to cause mayhem in the state.
“Under the plan, concealed explosives in bundles of firewood are to be placed in crowded and strategic areas of Maiduguri and environs to cause havoc.”
He said that the terrorists had also devised a new means of attracting the public by shouting Boko Haram to create panic.
“Additionally, the general public should be weary of a terrorists plan to deceive the public by way of shouting `Boko Haram’ to create panic in order to lure unsuspecting public for maximum casualty while detonating their bombs during and after the new year celebrations,” Anka said.
He, therefore, advised residents to be extra vigilant during and after the new year celebrations.
He said “the Theater wishes to remind the public to be extra vigilant during and after the new year celebrations as the ban on bangers and fireworks is still in force.”
Finally, WHO Declares Guinea Ebola-Free
The World health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday, December 29, 2016, finally declared the Republic of Guinea free from the Ebola virus disease, after the country had lost more than 2,500 people to the dreaded virus. With this declaration, Liberia remains the only country which is yet to be officially cleared of the disease.
For over two years, the epidemic had ravaged the small West African country, taking a heavy toll on the country’s health and education sectors.
A WHO official at the National Coordination Centre for the Fight Against Ebola, Rene Magliani, disclosed that over 6,200 children in Guinea were orphaned by the epidemic while it lasted in that country.
He said that Guinea alone recorded over 3,800 cases of Ebola infection, out of the 28,600 cases globally that resulted in 11,300 deaths. Almost all the cases of infection and death were recorded in Guinea and its neighbours Liberia and Sierra Leone.
According to WHO, country is officially declared Ebola-free 42 days after the recovery or death of the last known patient, without any new infections recorded.
READ: Full Text of President Buhari’s New Year Speech to Nigerians
Fellow Citizens,
Welcome to the beginning of a New Year of the continuation of CHANGE in our beloved nation.
I am aware that Nigerians have experienced a number of significant hardships over the past months. Living in the State House has not alienated me from your daily sufferings. I am aware of the lengthy queues at fuel stations and of the difficulties businesses have faced in acquiring foreign exchange. These challenges are only temporary; we are working to make things better.
When I presented myself to you as a presidential candidate and asked you to vote for me, I wanted to be a leader who keeps his promises. I wanted to be a leader who restores the people’s hope in those elected to serve them. I wanted to be a leader who initiates positive and enduring CHANGE.
I am still totally committed to being that kind of leader. Unforeseen circumstances and other distractions notwithstanding, I shall still do my utmost best to keep every promise I made to Nigerians during my election campaign.
In the past seven months since our inauguration on May 29, 2015, my administration has focused on laying the right foundation for the CHANGE you voted for during our historic presidential election.
Nigerians will in due course begin to enjoy the fruits of all our ongoing work. The effective and efficient implementation of our 2016 budget proposals will address many of the socio-economic issues that are of current concern to our people.
One area in which Nigerians, especially those in the northeast, have already begun to experience major CHANGE is in the war on terror.
I commend our Armed Forces for significantly curtailing the insurgency which has ravaged the northeast of Nigeria over the past few years. However, there is still a lot of work to be done in the area of security. Our Armed Forces will maintain, consolidate and build on their successes in the war against Boko Haram and violent extremism.
This government will not consider the matter concluded until the terrorists have been completely routed and normalcy restored to all parts of the country that have been adversely affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.
Our crackdown on corruption will continue to be vigorously undertaken. I urge the courts to support our efforts and help in the recovery of stolen funds by speedily concluding trials and showing that impunity no longer has a place in our country.
There is much work to do in other areas as well and I have charged all my ministers and other appointees to ensure that Nigerians experience positive changes in their lives in 2016.
We must reduce our country’s reliance on oil. We must diversify our economy. And we must do all we can to promote job creation. Our challenges are many but our determination to succeed is strong and unshaken.
So too is our confidence in God.
I wish you all a very Happy New Year.
Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry Requires 800,000 MT of Pipes Annually
The executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Denzil Kentebe, has said that the oil and gas industry require over 800,000 metric tons of pipes per annum.
Speaking at a meeting with the investors held at the Board’s headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State recently, he listed opportunities for the utilisation of line pipes to include the gas master plan projects, major upcoming engineering, procurement and construction projects as well as the planned replacement of aged pipes used in transporting crude and refined products.
To this end, Kentebe has charged investors in line pipes used in the Nigerian oil and gas sector to accelerate their investments so as to close existing gaps in the local supply chain.
Kentebe stated that the Board had spent considerable time stimulating investments in line pipes and noted that it was high time the firms brought their investments to fruition.
He pledged the Board’s preparedness to assist the companies overcome challenges they may be facing with their projects, urging them to suggest interventions they would require from government.
The Executive Secretary also assured that the Board was committed to realising the Polaku Pipe mill project so as to produce line pipes in-country and demonstrate government’s commitment to the pipe mill initiative.
Remarking, the Managing Director, Brentex Petroleum Service Ltd, Chidi Nzerem, thanked the Board for its support, pointing out that the company had begun extensive work at its pipe mill site in Calabar, Cross Rivers State.
According to him, when completed, the pipe mill would be the largest in Africa with a production capacity of 300,000MT of pipes. He also confirmed that his company had acquired 65 per cent of the equipment required to start production which has already been shipped Calabar.
Dr. Alex Otti Declared Winner Of Abia State Governorship Elections
The Appeal Court sitting in Owerri, has declared Dr. Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) party winner of the Governorship elections held in Abia State in April, 2015. The court therefore ordered Mr. Okezie Ikpeazu of the PDP to vacate the seat, and for Dr. Otti to be sworn in accordingly.
In delivering the judgement, a 5-man panel of The Court of Appeal, led by Justice Oyebisi Omoleye, held that Dr. Otti scored 164,444 votes to defeat Mr. Ikpeazu, who scored 114,444 votes.