The Chinese Government has expressed readiness to invest N2.16 trillion ($60 billion) in Africa in the next three years.

The Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos, Mr Chao Xiaoliang disclosed this in a post-summit article entitled, “FOCAC Beijing Summit: A New Milestone in China-Africa Relations”.

Chao said the new investment drive was one of the outcomes of the just concluded summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation(FOCAC).

He said China would also in the next three collaborate with African countries in industrial promotion, infrastructure connectivity, trade facilitation, green development, capacity building, healthcare, people-to-people, peace and security.

“President Xi Jinping has announced that China will launch eight major initiatives in close collaboration with African countries in the next three years.

“The eight initiatives are in areas of industrial promotion, infrastructure connectivity, trade facilitation, green development, capacity building, health care, people-to-people, peace and security.

“To make sure these eight initiatives are implemented, China will extend 60 billion U.S. dollars (N2.16 trillion) financing to Africa in different forms which includes 15 billion U.S. dollars (N5.4 trillion) grants, interest-free loans and concessional loans.

“China will also encourage Chinese companies to invest more than 10 billion U.S. dollars (N3.6 trillion) in Africa in the coming three years,’’ he said.

https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/04/08/news/nigeria-re-strategises-to-reap-benefits-of-agoa-act/

Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Mr Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, has urged the residents of the state to always protect the marine environment due to its socio-economic values.

Durosinmi-Etti said this on Thursday during the clean-up of Ibeshe Waterfront in Ikorodu, marking the maiden edition of the Clean-up of Lagos Waterfront.

He said that residents should stop littering the roads, streets and highways with wastes, as such always find their ways into the marines.

Durosinmi-Etti said that Lagos State contributed more than half of wastes to the nation’s waterways.

The commissioner said that was due to the increasing population of the residents of the state which he put at over 22 million.

He also attributed it to the improper disposal of wastes by the residents.

The commissioner  said that data generated in 2010 and captured in a Wall Street Journal Publication of Feb. 12, 2015 showed that Nigeria ranked 9th on the list of countries polluting the oceans and the waterways the most.

According to him, Nigeria contributes 0.34 million metric tonnes of mismanaged marine plastic debris.

”It will  be safe to infer that more than half of these quantities emanated from Lagos, being the most populated of the country’s coastal states.

”Cleaning the waterfronts will amount to efforts in futility if the debris/wastes still continue to find their ways back to the waterways and the shorelines.

”We must, together, as a people resolve to stop this menace by embracing best waste management practices.

”We must live by example and encourage our neighbours, relatives, and friends to do same,” he said.

The commissioner said that the clean-up of Ibeshe Waterfront underscored the collective resolve to protect the Mother Earth, of which the waterfront was part.

He said that Lagos, like many other mega cities of the world, was faced with a wide range of socio-economic and environmental challenges; one of which was pollution.

Durosinmi-Etti said that pollution of the marine environment had become a major source of concern globally, in view of the socio-economic and public health implications.

He said that the marine environment was a delicate one that should be protected.

He said that this was because it served as the source of water for socio-economic activities such as transportation, power generation, and irrigation.

According to him, the water bodies serve as habitat to aquatic life, which must be protected to ensure a balance in the ecosystem.

”The Lagos Lagoon and the other lagoons, rivers and streams have their shares of pollution and degradation.

”This is ranging from deliberate dumping of wastes and untreated sewage to discharge of untreated effluents into them.

”The menace of plastic wastes and the attendant impacts on the aquatic environment has become a global concern.

”The issue made the United Nations to dedicate this year’s Earth Day and the World Environment Day celebrations to addressing plastic pollution.

”As we clean-up the waterfronts in the state, we must not forget that most of these wastes emanate from the inland and we must ensure that they do not find their way back into the waterfront,” he said.

Also, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Abiodun Bamgboye, said that the consistently increasing population of the state had an attendant consequence on waste generation and management.

Bamgboye said that the clean-up was a commitment by the government to protect the environment and public health.

He said that the water bodies were priceless gifts of nature with huge aesthetic, tourism and economic values.

”As a people, we owe it a duty to ourselves and future generation to preserve these priceless gifts of nature,” he said.

Mr Monday Ayejuni, a fisherman said that the clean-up would help to keep the water environment clean and make their fishing work better.

Ayejuni said that it would ensure that there were no plastic items choking the fish.

Another fisherman, Mr Emmanuel Emiloju, said the clean-up would ensure that more customers patronise them.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise was in collaboration with Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), and Eco Bank Plc.

Others are Zenith Bank Plc, Sand Dredgers Association, Ikorodu Branch, Pinnacle Oil and Gas Ltd., 7up, Czar Protects Ltd., among others.

NAN

Three customers of Bet9ja have petitioned the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, claiming the betting company had not paid the over N3m stake owed them.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who obtained a copy of the petition, reports that it was received at the zonal office of the commission on Tuesday in Ilorin.

NAN also reports that the petition was signed by the contact persons for  the affected customers, Emmanuel Ajiboye.

The petition stated that the trio had entered into a bet with the company under the category of “Transfer Market”, with bets placed on whether a player would go on transfer to another club or not.

The petitioners said a “ Loan Deals Do Not Count’’  transaction was  confirmed in an email by Bet9ja on Aug. 28.

They, however, expressed dismay that on  Aug. 31, Bet9ja “suddenly’’ turned around and reversed the rule of the transfer market by stating that “ Loan Deals Now Count’’ as contained in a mail the same day.

The petitioners expressed the belief that this was done in order to renege on payment  to customers  who had played and were going to win.

They described the company’s “contradictory”  statements as unprofessional by a leading bookmaker.

The aggrieved petitioners  said it was in their knowledge that players on loans still belong to their parent clubs and could  still be recalled before the end of their loan deal.

They said that the sudden change was not acceptable as it was against the terms and conditions given to customers.

The petitioners also threatened to explore  legal action should Bet9ja refuse to respond favourably to their complaint.

They urged the commission to look into the development and ensure justice was done.

Mr Yinka Salau, an official of the  zonal office of the commission in Ilorin, confirmed the receipt of the petition.

He said the petition had  been forwarded to the commission’s head office in Abuja for further investigation.

Salau explained that the management of Bet9ja would be invited to state their own side of the case.

NAN

https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/07/08/news/world-cup-winners-trophy-on-display-at-exhibition-sunday-in-moscow/

All the Presidential aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have signed an undertaking to work together and accept whoever emerges the candidate of the party for the 2019 general elections.

Sen. Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP Taraba South Senatorial), disclosed this in an interview with journalists on Thursday at PDP Secretariat in Jalingo.

He divulged the information shortly after submitting his nomination form to re-contest the Senate seat for the third term.

According to him, PDP is poised to take over power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019 general elections.

He said PDP leadership got all its President aspirants to sign an agreement to support whoever that emerged as the presidential candidate of the party to confront APC in 2019 elections.

According to the Senator, the party has also reached an agreement with the presidential aspirants that, whoever wins will carry everybody along.

Bwacha said his decision to re-contest election for Senate seat was informed by his desire to bring development to the people of Taraba South and the state in general.

“I come from an area that is craving for development and not just my Senatorial zone, but also the entire North-east region which is badly in need of development.

“The elasticity of developing the region is a process that requires time before we can get to where we are supposed to be, in terms of development.

“That is why I feel I should go back to the Senate to continue the process,” he said.

He called on his supporters to eschew violence and follow due process during and after the campaign.

NAN

https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/08/01/news/nigeria-2019-my-commitment-to-pdp-will-pay-me-kaduna-gubernatorial-aspirant/

Kaduna State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), have adopted indirect mode of primary election to field candidates for the party in Nigeria’s 2019 general elections.

This decision was taken at the meeting of the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the party, held on Thursday in Kaduna, northwest of the country.

Below is the resolution of the meeting;

RESOLUTION

The Kaduna State Executive Committee (SEC) in line with the directives of the National Executive Committee (NEC), sat today, Thursday, 6 September, 2018 and adopted “Indirect Primary” as the mode of conduct of the party primary elections in Kaduna state.

1. The ‘Direct Primary method’ is not applicable in the State due to the following reasons:

a. Absence of a comprehensive register of party members; the APC Kaduna party leadership has made spirited attempts to acquire a comprehensive database of party members from the party’s National Headquarters but to no avail. Without a comprehensive membership register, any direct primaries may be disrupted by non-members including individuals from other parties who may come up with fake membership cards to cause confusion in the process.

b. Experience of Direct Primaries from the recently concluded primary elections for councillorship in state where the party adopted direct primaries to select its candidates was marred by significant disruption and controversy and over stretched the security agencies. Using this mode for the upcoming primary elections would definitely not produce the desired results and its credibility may be called to question.

c. The Direct primary method would result in significant logistic challenges for the party; with party membership running into hundreds of thousands in the state, printing of ballots, deployment of election materials, accreditation, voting, collation and declaration of results would be very expensive with financial cost surpassing a billion naira in Kaduna alone. These are costs that the party may not be able to shoulder in view of the fact that it was not envisaged, and no budget provision has been made for it.

1. In order to deepen and broaden the democratic practice, the party looks forward to the adoption of direct primaries in future elections at which time the limitations listed above would have been resolved.

Therefore, in recognition of 2a-c above, the State Executive Committee adopted the ‘Indirect’ mode of primaries for nomination of candidates in the 2019 elections in the state.

This decision will accordingly be communicated to the National Executive Committee of the party as required

Air Cdre Emmanuel K. Jekada
State Chairman
6th September 2018

https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/09/06/news/nigeria-2019-senator-shehu-sani-other-aspirants-kick-against-direct-primaries-in-kaduna/

By Joseph Edegbo

Senator Representing Kaduna Central at the National Assembly, Shehu Sani and his immediate predecessor, Sani Saleh, have kicked against the adoption of Indirect Primaries by the Kaduna Chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) .

The duo are eyeing the same Senatorial seat of Kaduna Central under the APC. 

They were reacting to the resolution of the State Executive Committee meeting held on Thursday in Kaduna, Northwest of the country, during which the APC endorsed the indirect primaries.

According to Sen. Sani, “If really those who are running away from Direct Primaries have performed based on their claims there would not be this phobia for Direct Primaries in Kaduna State.

”The best way to be a good and committed member of APC is to provide for the electorates better alternative which I Shehu Sani stand for.

”APC should create a path for Nigeria and Nigerians, by changing the political landscape of the country for better”, he emphasised.

Asked if he (Shehu Sani) would opt out of the party should the decision of State APC does not favour him, he says: “time shall tell”.

He argued that Direct Primaries will go a long way to unite the party members if adopted.

On his part, Sen. Sani Saleh said the adoption of the Indirect Primaries was not realistic in Kaduna State.

”We are all living witnesses to how the Congresses were conducted in Kaduna state, where members were not giving the opportunity to elect those that will steer the affairs of the party both at the state, local government, even at the ward level.

”So, there is litigation to that effect on the authenticity of the excos, for that reason Indirect Primaries is not the best option for Primaries in Kaduna state.

“The current excos of the party in Kaduna state were selected and not elected”, he said

The duo therefore called on the National party leadership to maintained its stance as regards the Primaries.

By Igbagboyemi Oladele

Nigeria Customs Service says it has intensified patrol to check proliferation of small arms and ammunition into the country through Ogun State, southwest of the country.

“We know that bringing in arms and ammunition will do no one any good and our officers at the border post are on red alert. The smugglers know this and they will not even attempt of bringing it,” said the Command’s Controller, Michael Agbara, while briefing journalists at the Command Headquarters in Idiroko.

He said the command will continue to make sure it gathers intelligent information, as well as form synergy with other agencies, both at the federal government level and the local communities, adding that the command has zero tolerance for arms and ammunition.

According to him the Agency has also intensified patrol to check smuggling and bunkering, “the battle line has been drawn and we will continue to do our best and seize any rice we found anywhere. Whether you put in your house, SEMA allows us to go there. If you put it in the warehouse, we are allowed by law to storm there and raid it. On the road or footpaths, we are there. What I will advise them is to desist from smuggling and obey the law.

“Some of these seizures you have seen in not the handiwork of only my command, some of you have partnered with us by giving us information. I thank you for that and I look forward to more of such collaboration.

“Equally, we want to out on record the assistance we have gotten from sister security agencies. We work as a family and with that team work; I believe smugglers will have nowhere to operate in this area again.

“On the issue of rice, I and my officers have taken it as a personal fight because we know the implication of smuggling rice portends for the economy. We all have junior ones who are looking for jobs. 

“So if we allow smuggling, we are creating job in other countries where these rice are being imported from. So we are determined more than ever before to ensure that this rice don’t come in. 

“We have also gotten the backing of the management to do what we are doing. They have supported with some logistics which has been of advantage to us. Equally, we have formed a synergy with a lot of cooperate bodies, including the journalists. I think those are the reasons for the increase”.

However, Agbara added that the command has arrested three suspects, who are currently undergoing interrogation.

By Auwal Ahmad

In what may be described as major setback to the presidential aspirations of Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State, north-east of Nigeria, his younger brother, Buhari Mohammed Dankwambo, and another strong supporter of the governor, Auwal Abdullahi Gafakan Akko, have perfected plans to defect to All Progressive Party (APC).

Confirming the development to AFRICA PRIME NEWS in Gombe, Buhari Dankwambo said, his delay to public declaration was part of strategy by some APC stakeholders who felt the event should be colourful since he was coming to the party with large number of supporters.

A family source said Mr. Buhari has played a major role in mobilising people across the state to ensure the re-election of his brother as governor in 2015, but in turn, the elder brother neglect him politically.

While reacting on the defection of Gafakan Akko, a former Secretary of PDP in Pindiga ward of Akko Local Government Area, Adamu Mamman, described the exit of Auwal and his supporters as the final blow to PDP in Akko LGA of the state.

“Gafaka Akko is a vibrant politician within and outside the state, his defection would not only affect PDP but will equally paralyzed the activities of PDP in the state and Dankwambo’s Presidential campaign.

“The PDP chieftain’s defection to APC has drew the attention of hundreds of his supporters to join him, even though he is yet to receive the APC membership card, there have been series of meetings to receive him into the party”.

Pindiga, who did not hide his feelings said the cordial relationship between Auwal Abdullahi and Governor Dankwambo has failed to yield positive impact, even as he said Abdullahi did wonderfully well to ensure that Dankwambo was re-elected for second tenure in 2015.

It could be recalled that Akko local government area is one of the local governments that determine the chances of winning an election in the state.

https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/07/24/news/nigeria-despite-defections-apc-will-consolidate-on-its-majority-status-apc/