Buhari urged to stop further slips after $80bn loss

President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to intervene and secure the political will to stop further loss of investments after loss of $80billion direct foreign investment and another $10billion fresh investment were recorded in the oil sector due to the non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

Experts in oil and gas and the civil society made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at stakeholders’ consultative dialogue on the PIB organised by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and the Strengthening Advocacy and Civic Engagement (SACE).

The Executive Director of the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD) Dr. Otive Igbuzor, said that there are prevailing opportunities to ensure the passage of the PIB and that the present administration’s change mantra be extended to the oil and gas sector of the country.

“The knowledge of what Nigerian is losing is becoming more widespread. According to Bank Anthony Okoroafor, the Chairman of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Nigeria has lost $10bn (N1.7 trn) fresh investment to the non-passage of the PIB. According to Chuka Onuegbu, the Chairman Trade Union Congress (TUC) Rivers State, Nigeria has lost $80 bn in foreign direct investment from the delay in the passage of the PIB. The political leadership will lose any form of credibility left if the PIB is not passed before the end of the 8th Assembly,” Igbuzor said.

Executive Director of CISLAC Auwal Ibrahim Rafsanjani who represented the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) representative on the National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG) of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Mr. Kolawole Banwo, said that the PIB is necessary for effective governance of the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.

He however regretted that efforts by two successive sessions of the National Assembly to pass it into law were unsuccessful due to several factors, some related to the processes and others to its content.

“The need for the law is emphasized by the fact that there are fresh efforts by both the executive and legislature to commence the process of having it enacted. It has therefore become necessary for stakeholders to examine these new efforts in the light of previous experiences and make useful recommendations on how to ensure successful passage,” Rafsanjani said.

The Executive Secretary of NEITI Mr. Waziri Adio and Dr. Brown Ogbeifun of AFRITAL said the passage of the bill first initiated after 16 years, in April 2000, required the collaboration and persistent of stakeholders and all Nigerians.

Saraki, Ekweremadu’s being tutored as forgery trial begins

The senator representing Kaduna Central on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, Shehu Sani, has tutored the embattled Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu on how to survive in prison.

Saraki, Ekweremadu, outgoing Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa and the Deputy Clerk, Benedict Efeturi, are currently standing trial at a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja over alleged forgery of the Senate Rules book.

Sen. Sani, who is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, reportedly gave the Senate leadership prison lessons on Monday.

Sani, a prominent civil rights activist, who spent four years in various prisons across the country during the military regime of late dictator, General Sani Abacha, tutored Messrs. Saraki and Ekweremadu at the Court during their forgery case.

A senator, who was at the Court on Monday, said Sani lectured the accused persons when Justice Yusuf Halilu stood down the forgery suit for one hour.

“Sani came and lectured the presiding officers on life in the prison. He told them that in the prison there is ranking rule like at the National Assembly. He advised them to cooperate with the ‘Governor’ in the prison.

“He said after registration, they will be given plates for meals. Sani also told them that they are going to share toilet, bathroom with other inmates and that it is the Governor of the prison that will allocate bed space to them”, said the senator, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

When contacted by Daily Trust, Sen. Sani confirmed giving prison lessons to the presiding officers.

“Yes, is anything bad in what I did? They are my colleagues and as a former inmates, I felt I should educate them on how to live in the prison, so that they will not be caught unaware”, he said.

Brexit vote: Bitter exchanges in EU parliament debate

The European Parliament's first debate on the UK's vote to leave has been marked by bitter exchanges.

A central figure in the Leave campaign, UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage, was booed, called a liar and accused of using "Nazi propaganda".

Mr Farage shot back that the EU itself was "in denial".

UK Prime Minister David Cameron is meeting leaders of the other 27 EU states for the first time since Thursday's referendum.

"I'll be explaining that Britain will be leaving the European Union but I want that process to be as constructive as possible," he told reporters before the summit's working dinner in Brussels.

An EU official close to the talks told BBC News the mood was "very, very serious" and a question mark hung over the UK's next presidency of the EU, due to begin in the second half of next year.

"The leaders are very interested in hearing the UK's timeline but everyone knows Cameron won't trigger Article 50 [the first formal step in the withdrawal procedure]," the source added.

The announcement of Mr Cameron's replacement as leader of the Conservative Party, and thus prime minister, is not due now until 9 September, with 12:00 BST Thursday as the deadline for nominations.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned against delay in starting the exit process: "I don't think we should see any shadow-boxing or any cat-and-mouse games. It is clear what the British people want and we should act accordingly."

Explosions and gunfire rock Ataturk airport

At least two explosions and gunfire have rocked Istanbul's Ataturk international airport, with reports of "multiple" people injured.

Two suicide bombers blew themselves up, Reuters news agency quoted a Turkish official as saying.

Police had opened fire to neutralise the suspects at an entry point, it added.

In December, a blast on the tarmac at a different Istanbul airport, Sabiha Gokcen, killed a cleaner.

Recent bomb attacks in Turkey have been linked to Kurdish separatists or the so-called Islamic State group.

Forty people were injured in the attack, Turkish newspaper Haberturk reports on its website (in Turkish).

Gunfire was reportedly directed from an airport car park.

A US State Department travel warning for Turkey, originally published in March and updated on Monday, urges US citizens to "exercise heightened vigilance and caution when visiting public access areas, especially those heavily frequented by tourists." 

dani alves completes move to juventus

Dani Alves has completed his move to Juventus from Barcelona after signing a two-year contract with the Serie A champions.

The veteran right-back, 33, leaves Camp Nou on a free transfer after giving the Catalan outfit eight years service following a €30 million move from Sevilla. 

It is a transfer that has been mooted for several weeks now.alves also wrote that evening: "I am a privileged, honoured footballer, for whom life has allowed him to wear the shirt of the best club in the world in an incredible decade for the quality of its players and coaches."

kanye wests famous music video to make broadcast debut on e

european union leaders rejects informal talk with UK

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (c), French President Francois Hollande (l) and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi (r) met in Berlin

 All three leaders voiced regret at the UK's vote to leave, with Mrs Merkel calling it a "very painful and regrettable decision".

"We are in agreement that Article 50 of the European treaties is very clear - a member state that wishes to leave the European Union has to notify the European Council," Mrs Merkel told the joint news conference at the German chancellery.

"There can't be any further steps until that has happened. Only then will the European Council issue guidelines under which an exit will be negotiated.

"That means that, and we agree on this point, there will be neither informal nor formal talks on a British exit until the European Council has received the [UK's] request for an exit from the European Union."

President Hollande and Prime Minister Renzi emphasised the need to process the UK's exit as quickly as possible and focus on the challenges facing the remaining 27 states such as fighting terrorism and strengthening the borders.

"Our responsibility is not to lose time in dealing with the question of the UK's exit and the new questions for the 27," Mr Hollande said. "There is nothing worse than uncertainty."

"On the one hand we are sad but it is also the right time to write a new page in European history on what unites us," said Mr Renzi.

president jacob zuma urged to pay back $500,000 to S.A treasury

South Africa's treasury has recommended that President Jacob Zuma should pay back more than $500,000 of public funds spent upgrading his private residence with facilities including a chicken coop and a swimming pool.

The treasury said in a statement on Monday that Zuma, that head of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party, should pay back $509,000 rand for the unnecessary renovations.

In March, the country's highest court found that the president had violated the constitution by defying an order to repay some of the money used in the $23m non-security upgrades for his home in Nkandla, in the rural eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal..

lionel messi to quit national team after defeat to chile

The heartbroken Barcelona superstar left the field in tears after missing a spot-kick in the shootout in the United States on Sunday . Messi’s fourth straight defeat in a major final with Argentina. “For me the national team is over the 29-year-old told reporters. “I’ve done all I can, I’ve been in four finals and it hurts not to be a champion. “It’s a hard moment for me and the team, and it’s difficult to say, but it’s over with the Argentina team.its not easy to be in such condition

FEDERAL HIGH COURT ORDERS GOV IKPEAZU OF ABIA STATE TO LEAVE OFFICE

 

Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, to leave his office immediately, after finding him guilty of submitting false information to his party, the PDP during the party’s governorship primary in December 2014.

Ikpeazu’s rival at the primary, Uche Ogah, had petitioned the court and provided evidence to show that Ikpeazu had indeed provided false information about himself to their party. After listening to the counsels of both politicians, the presiding judge ordered INEC to immediately issue a certificate of return to Ogah.

HERDSMEN MASSIVE ATTACK IN ADAMAWA

one farmer confirmed dead while others sustained injury after armed herdsmen attacked koh village which is  a few kilometers from yola,adamawa state capital,this morning.five of the heardsmen were also killed and disposed at the mutuary

TREND:alaafin of oyo ignored aishat buhari handshake

it might actually look like a snub.but its the norms guiding his tradition,its of no disrespect to the king it's,just to correct her, but “Can Aisha Buhari greet the Emir of Daura with a handshake as she is doing here to the Iku Baba Yeye, Alaafin of Oyo?.but i dont think so.

Niger Delta Avengers of Nigeria seeks pbm visits to the southern oil hub

The Niger Delta Avengers, a Nigerian militant group which has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on oil facilities in the country's southern energy hub, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to visit the region. The militant group says it wants a greater share of Nigeria's oil wealth to go to the impoverished Delta region. Crude sales make up about 70 percent of Nigeria's national income and most of that oil comes from the southern swampland. Last week, Petroleum Ministry officials said the government had agreed a one-month ceasefire with the militants, but the group later denied that. "President Buhari should visit Niger Delta," the Avengers said on their Twitter feed on Saturday. Last month Buhari, a 73-year-old former military ruler, cancelled a trip to the region at the last minute, days before flying to London to receive treatment for an ear infection. It would have been his first visit to the area since taking office in May 2015. "Mr. President come and see for yourself what the host communities are going through in the hands of Nigeria government and the multinationals," the group said in a message on its website, adding that he should go to various export terminals. On Twitter the group, which has previously called for the Niger Delta to break away, also urged Buhari to hold a referendum "just like what David Cameron of Great Britain did" to enable people to "decide if they want to stay as Nigerians". Nigeria, an OPEC member, was Africa's top oil producer until the spate of attacks in the last few months pushed it behind Angola. Production has fallen from 2.2 million barrels at the start of the year to around 1.6 million barrels.

Nigerian army free over 5,000 people held by Boko Haram

Nigeria's army on Sunday said it had freed more than 5,000 people held by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram during an operation over the weekend in the northeast of the country. Nigeria's army has over the last year, sometimes aided by troops from neighbouring countries, recaptured most of the territory that was lost to the group, which has waged a seven-year insurgency aimed at creating an Islamic state in the remote northeast. The army said troops, supported by members of a grassroots security force, conducted raids in 15 villages on Sunday, during which they "killed six Boko Haram terrorists and wounded several others". "The troops also liberated over 5,000 persons held hostages by Boko Haram terrorists," it said in an emailed statement. Reuters could not immediately independently verify the freeing of the hostages, in part due to the remoteness of the area in which the military operation took place. More than 15,000 people have been killed and 2 million displaced in Nigeria and neighbouring Chad, Niger and Cameroon during Boko Haram's insurgency. However, the jihadist group, which last year pledged loyalty to Islamic State, still regularly stages suicide bombings, mainly in crowded areas such as markets and places of worship.