U.S. President, Wife To Visit Storm-Ravaged Florida Panhandle

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15/10/2018

U.S. President, Donald Trump, and First Lady, Melania, will visit Florida’s storm-ravaged Panhandle on Monday, the White House announced.

This is the president’s first tour of the destruction left by the deadly Hurricane Michael.

It was previously announced that Trump would also inspect south Georgia, also battered by the storm that came ashore on Florida’s Gulf Coast last week before it struck U.S. East Coast.

With 155 mph (250 kph) winds, Michael hit land on Oct. 10 as a Category 4 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale.

It is one of the most powerful storms to make landfall in the continental United States since records have been kept.

The president’s exact itinerary was not released late on Sunday but he and the first lady are scheduled to arrive at Elgin Air Force Base in the Panhandle about 11:30 a.m. local time on Monday.

They are not scheduled to return to the White House until 8.30 p.m., the White House said.

At least 18 people in four states have died because of the storm. Dozens of people remained missing on Sunday in Florida Panhandle communities reduced to ruins.

Rescuers said they expected the death toll to rise and they were using cadaver dogs and heavy equipment to search through collapsed homes in Mexico Beach and Panama City for more victims.

Rescue efforts have been hampered by blocked roads and huge piles of rubble in many communities such as Mexico Beach, which took a direct hit from the massive storm that killed at least one person there.

“If we lose only one life, to me that’s going to be a miracle,” Mexico Beach Mayor Al Cathey told Florida media.

Cathey told Media that 46 people out of the town of some 1,000 residents remained missing or unaccounted for on Sunday.

Survivors grappled with power outages and shortages of food and water amid the mazes of uprooted trees and debris.

Electricity and telephone service were being slowly restored but it could be weeks before power returns to the state’s most damaged areas.

More than 1,700 search and rescue workers were deployed, Florida Governor Rick Scott’s office said, including seven swift-water rescue teams and nearly 300 ambulances.

In Panama City, hardest-hit communities, Fire Chief Alex Baird said search and rescue teams were now in “recovery mode” after largely giving up hope of finding any more survivors.

Trump is fully committed to helping state and local agencies with the recovery, the White House said.

It was announced late on Sunday that he declared a state of emergency in Georgia, freeing up federal resources for the state. A similar declaration had already been made for Florida.

Reuters/NAN

How I Was Abducted In Southern Russia – Amnesty Rights Worker

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15/10/2018

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Amnesty International Logo

A Researcher for Amnesty International, Oleg Kozlovsky, has described how he was abducted in Southern Russia by men who drove him to a field as “violent.”

He said he was held at a gunpoint, where the abductors made him take off his clothes, beat him, and tried to blackmail him.

Kozlovsky, 34, told Reuters after his release that he was abducted on Oct. 6, in Ingushetia, a majority-Muslim region around 1,500 km south of Moscow, currently in the grip of public protests over a land swap deal with neighboring Chechnya.

The researcher said his abductors wore dark baseball caps and medical masks and did not identify themselves.

He added that “one of these people put my head down, took out a gun and put it to the back of my head and said he would shoot me.”

Kozlovsky said that the men also tried to blackmail him into working as an informer for police tasked with tackling cases of extremism, an offer he refused.

Reuters interviewed Kozlovsky on Thursday, but held the story until Monday to allow him and his family to take security measures.

The Amnesty worker said he had filed a statement with Russia’s Investigative Committee on Oct. 9, but had not received a response by Monday.

The Investigative Committee and local branches of the Federal Security Service and Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Kozlovsky went to Ingushetia on Oct. 5, to research freedom of assembly in the context of the land swap protests rocking Ingushetia.

On the evening of Oct. 6, he said a man knocked on the door of his hotel room in the regional capital Magas and told him a protest leader wanted to speak to him.

He said he was then led to a car and once inside joined by two men who took his phone and started hitting him and asking him who he was and what he was doing.

He was later let out in a field and told to lie down with his hands behind his back and told he would be shot if he tried to run.

An object was pressed against his hands, causing him to suspect they might try to frame him for drug or weapons possession, he said.

The men then made him strip, photographed him, and threatened to publish the photos unless he agreed to work for anti-extremism police.

After he refused, they tried to ensure he’d stay silent, he said.

“They again put me on the ground, again put the gun to the back of my head, and told me to pray. And then they told me that if I tell anyone about all this, they’ll kill my children,” he said.

He said he agreed to keep quiet.

They then returned his possessions, except his phone and camera and drove him, via his hotel, to an airport complaining about how hard it was to tackle extremism.

He flew back to Moscow the next day with a fractured rib.

“I am sure that if they want to, Russian authorities could find them,’’ he said of his abductors. “Of course I don’t know if there is such a desire’’.

Reuters/NAN

Body builder are making body via gym

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15/10/2018

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South African Government Committed To Land Reform – Official

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15/10/2018

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President Cyril Ramaphosa hands over 4 586 hectares of land to the community of KwaMkhwanazi in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal. GCIS

Government is intensifying the implementation of land reform and restitution programmes so that South Africans can leverage land for the betterment of their lives and the growth of the economy.

This is according to President Cyril Ramaphosa who led a land restitution ceremony on Sunday. He handed over 4 586 hectares of land to the community of KwaMkhwanazi in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal.

“This government is resolute in our commitment to returning the land in an orderly and lawful manner. We shall not allow illegal land occupations,” President Ramaphosa said.

He said more than 20 land claimants will have their land returned to them as part of government’s land reform programme.

“It is our firm belief that communities must take great interest in their land restitution processes and be active participants in all enterprises and activities taking place on their land.

“The concept that will be developed through piloting the Mkhwanazi land claim settlement will be rolled out to other land claims across a number of sectors and industries. This is the first of a number of land claims that we aim to unlock over the next few months,” President Ramaphosa said.

The KwaMkhwanazi community will also receive post-settlement packages and support that will assist them in leveraging the potential wealth of the land.

“Government will assist you with post-settlement packages that will develop your ability to create sustainable income and jobs from the land transferred to the Mkhwanazi community. This will deliver ongoing benefits to all of the people living on Mkhwanazi land,” the President said.

He said the post settlement support packages are designed to ensure beneficiary communities, such as KwaMkhwanazi, build on their existing presence and participation in the sector.

It shifts communities from subsistence to commercial participants and owners of businesses across the value chains of the assets on their land.

The KwaMkhwanazi community was forcibly removed from their land in three phases following the enactment of the 1913 Land Act.

From 1915 to 1918 the first group of dispossession took place as a result of returning World War I white soldiers. The second phase of dispossession took place in the 1940s, when the white farming community expanded their commercial interests in timber and cane.

At the height of apartheid supremacy the government of the time, between 1958 and 1960, violently removed landowners to cater for the expansion of the white community around Richards Bay and the Mthunzini coast.

“This community can be exemplary to other recipients of land through its active participation in the administration of funds received through the Phalane Trust.

“The Mkhwanazi land recipients, through the Phalane Trust, currently own sugarcane enterprises and the Forestry Inn Hotel Pty Ltd that operate on behalf of the community and we encourage this type of entrepreneurship. We admire the financial savvy shown by claimants in 2011 who developed two disbursement models for funds received from rental income,” President Ramaphosa said.

The President said access to land in all its uses – from agriculture to urban and industrial development – is at the heart of access to a better life for all South Africans and better opportunities and returns investment and trade partners around the world.

“We believe these consultations and the work currently being done by the Advisory Panel on Land Reform are destined to yield outcomes that will return people to the land and enable inclusive economic growth and social cohesion in our society,” he said.

He said no-one should exploit the challenges facing landless communities to foment lawlessness and tension in the country.

“We know that landless people cannot remain without land forever and we are doing our level best to ensure that the land in our country becomes a source of dignity, development and social cohesion, rather than of dissent and disunity,” the President said.

SAnews.gov.za

Nigeria: NCAA Lifts Suspension On Aviation College Certificate

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14/10/2018

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Planes parked at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja

Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has partially lifted the suspension on International Aviation College, Ilorin, Approved Training Organisation (ATO) certificate.

Mr Sam Adurogboye, General Manager, Public Relations, NCAA made the announcement on Sunday in Lagos.

Adurogboye said the lifting of the suspension was conveyed in a letter to the college dated Oct. 8.

“The partial lifting of the suspension was as a result of the closure of a good number of the findings and the remarkable commitment demonstrated in closing the remaining findings as verified during the recent re-certification audit of the college.

“Consequently, the partial lifting ”is only applicable to the Fixed Wing Pilot (Aeroplane) and Flight Dispatchers Courses.

“It follows therefore that the helicopter flight training segment of the approved courses is still on suspension until the necessary corrective actions are undertaken,” he said this in a statement.

Adurogboye, therefore urged the college to take necessary steps to close all open items after which the authority would carry out another round of re-certification exercise for total lifting or otherwise.

He said NCAA had earlier suspended the ATO of the college due to the deficiencies found during an audit of the institution.

Adurogboye reaffirmed that the NCAA was committed to enforcement of compliance to safety regulations at all times so as to continue to guarantee safer skies in Nigeria.

NAN

Nigeria To Invest More On Health, Education In 2019—Minister

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14/10/2018

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The Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole has assured Nigerians that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration would invest more on health and education in 2019.

The Minister gave the assurance in a statement issued by Director Media and Public Relations of the Ministry, Boade Akinola, on Sunday in Abuja.

According to Mrs. Akinola, the Minister gave the assurance during a peer review meeting with Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) and Medical Director (MDs) across the country.

“The meeting, was to enable the participants exchange ideas, share experiences and appreciate challenges confronting each facility in order to help government address them and if necessary capture them in the 2019 budget,’’ he said.

The minister said, government would not only invest more money on health but also on education.

He added, “We need healthy people to drive the economy as we also need educated people to drive the economy so we would not neglect our human resources.

“I assure you that for 2019, this government would put more money on health and education and we would make our people proud,” the minister said.

Earlier, the Medical Director, Federal Medical Center Ebute-Meta and the host of the meeting, Dr. Adedamola Dada, said the hospital had embarked on renovation of some of the existing infrastructure in the facility.

He, however appealed to the Minister to assist the facility in persuading the Nigerian Railway Corporation to release more land space to the hospital for the required expansion.

Dada also informed the minister that since the hospital has automated its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) collection, it has witnessed continuous monthly increase in IGR and has substantially reduced the leakages.

He added that the hospital had also helped improved the capacity of staff through relevant training programmes.

NAN

Nigeria: EO 6, Not Political Weapon Against Political Opponents – Aso Rock

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14/10/2018

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The Presidency says the Executive Order 6 is not a political weapon against opposition but part of revolutionary efforts to rid Nigeria of the menace of corruption.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, stated this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday.

The presidential aide was reacting to cross sections of divergence views on the commencement of the implementation of the EO6 by the federal government.

According to him, in the history of independent Nigeria, this is the first time any government is taking such a key decision to fight corruption.

Shehu dismissed the insinuation in some quarters that the activation of the EO 6 was targeted at some individuals or politicians in the country.

He said: “EO 6 is not only revolutionary to the efforts to rid Nigeria of corruption but a manifestation of systemic changes that are required to make necessary adjustments as we carry on with the war against corruption.

“The very essence of the order is to make for speedy trials and conclusion of graft cases.

“The order is not politics and there is political gain behind its activation.

“These high profile cases we are talking about have been ongoing for between seven to 10 years with no end in sight. These cases were mostly originated by administrations other than this one.

“What is clear is that the access to these resources by the suspects has enabled them to be in a composition to sometime compromise investigation, prosecution and trial.’’

He further explained that, in most of the cases, the courts were held in a helpless position by legal acrobatics paid for from corrupt enrichment by the suspects.

He, therefore, expressed the hope that the new measures put in place would compel everyone involved to make for a speedy conclusion of these cases.

“If it is your money, you have it back. If it belongs to the public, it goes back to the treasury,’’ he said.

Shehu added that the question of the constitutionality of the restriction order had been answered by the fact that “a court of the land has given government a clean chit.’’

“The Executive Order is legal and constitutional and therefore implementable.

“One of the cardinal objectives of the government under our constitution is to fight corruption. Fighting corruption is a responsibility and obligation upon the government,’’ he further maintained.

On the so-called list of those affected by the EO 6, the presidential aide said: “I want to confirm to you that we have not issued any list and we are not doing so.

“These cases that are well known and to say this or that name is on it will open the door to further accusations, including trial by media.

“The Immigration Service and other security agencies have the mandate of the President to carry out enforcement and they will do so giving due respects to individual rights, in line with the constitution.’’

It would be recalled that the presidency had on Saturday announced that following the implementation of the EO 6, 50 prominent personalities (whose names were not stated) were placed on a watch-list and, therefore, restricted from leaving the country pending the determination of their cases.

The order seeks to restrain owners of assets under investigation from carrying out any further transaction on such assets.

But, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had condemned the activation of the EO 6, saying the federal government’s ban of 50 Nigerians from travelling abroad was a direct clampdown on democratic order.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, issued a statement on Sunday describing the restriction as an attempt by the Buhari administration to foist a full-blown fascism on the country.

He said: “We hope this is not a ploy to harm certain eminent Nigerians on the claims of resisting travel restrictions.

“The PDP further notes that this “decree” is a direct clampdown on our democratic order and an overthrow of rights of our citizenry as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”

NAN

Nigerian Army Neutralise Bandit, Arrest Informant In Kaduna State

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14/10/2018

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The 1 Division Nigerian Army Kaduna, on Sunday said its troops neutralised armed bandit in Kidandan and arrested an informant at Doka-Rijana road both in Birnin Gawri and Kachia Local Government area in Kaduna State.

The 1 Division, Deputy Director Army Public Relations, Col. Muhammad Dole disclosed this in a press statement issue in Kaduna on Sunday.

Dole said the troops of 1 Division Nigerian Army under Operation Whirl Punch continue to clear bandits, kidnappers, recover arms and destroy their camps.

He also disclosed that in another successful operation, a combined effort between the troops and local vigilante group raided an identified camp in Kidandan general area.

“As a result, one bandit was neutralised, others escaped with gun shots injuries and one AK 47 rifle with 25 rounds of 7.62mm Special was recovered.

Dole said acting on reliable information on activities of kidnappers at Unguwar Maigwari, troops swung into action, raided an identified kidnappers’ camps along Doka – Rijana Road.

“The Camps were discovered to have been littered with emptied alcoholic bottles, used syringes and some narcotic substances.

”During the raid, one informant was arrested and three Dane guns were recovered.” he said

The spokesman said on Oct. 9, troops launched raid operation in Kamuku Forest where bandits used to harbour and plan their nefarious activities. Severals were neutralised and the camps destroyed.

He, however, said the troops under OPERATION WHIRL PUNCH will continue to raid all suspected camps and maintain aggressive patrols in order to ensure safety of lives and properties of the innocent citizens.

“The level of cooperation and support from the locals is highly appreciated and they are urged to sustain it so as to be able to eliminate the criminals in our midst.” Dole said.

NAN

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