News
FG Optimistic Of Chibok Girls Release …Storms Chad For Talks With Boko Haram
The Federal Government negotiating team has headed for the Chadian capital, N’djamena in continuation of its negotiation with representatives of Boko Haram insurgents.
According to sources, the team’s priority is the release of the abducted Chibok school girls and cessation of hostilities.
The Tide recalls that the Federal Government last Friday announced that it had entered into a ceasefire agreement with the sect; an agreement it said will facilitate the release of the over 200 school girls abducted from their hostels in Chibok since April 14, this year.
Shortly after this announcement, the Principal Private Secretary to the President, Ambassador Hassan Tukur and the Coordinator of the National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri said negotiations with the sect will continue this week.
The negotiation was brokered by the Chadian President, Idriss Derby, with Cameroonian official present.
Though the ceasefire has been violated with attacks on towns and villages in Borno and Adamawa states, the Federal Government seems determined to continue with the talks.
“The Federal Government is sticking to the ceasefire agreement despite the efforts of some mischievous elements to derail the plan. We can only determine if there is need to cancel the agreement or go on with the negotiations when we meet the sect. But we cannot just take a hasty decision based on sporadic attacks whose sources or actors have not been verified,” sources in the Presidency said.
The sources further confirmed that a team from the Federal Government had left for Chad to hold negotiations with the sect, but declined to disclose the names of the government officials or the government’s representatives on the team.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Minister, Aminu Wali, said yesterday that Abuja hopes to end the conflict with Islamist militant group, Boko Haram soon, and win the release of more than 200 kidnapped school girls.
“I can say with some optimism, cautious optimism, that were are moving towards a situation where we’d be able to, in the very near future, to be able to get back our girls,” Aminu Wali said in Berlin.
“There is a tremendous amount of improvement in terms of the discussions that are going on now and also the possibility of having total cessation of hostilities and at the same time bringing back the girls and also normalcy in that part of northern Nigeria.”
Wali was speaking at press conference with German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, following government discussions on the conflict in Nigeria as well as areas of cooperation between the two countries.
In a surprise announcement on Friday, the Federal Government had said it had brokered a ceasefire deal with Boko Haram that would end their five-year uprising and bring home the 219 girls seized from Chibok in April.
However, there have been signs that the deal will prove hollow as violence raged through the weekend and the credentials of the so-called Boko Haram negotiator have been widely questioned.
Wali’s position was not as categorical as the presidency, which said Friday that a deal had been reached both to end hostilities and release the girls.
But it is in keeping with national security that spokesman, Mike Omeri, told newsmen that no agreement had been reached to release the teenagers but that the government was “inching closer and closer”.
Steinmeier said he hoped that the ceasefire would lead to the release of the girls.
He said he and French counterpart, Laurent Fabius will at the weekend visit Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and biggest economy, where Germany is planning to build four solar power plants in the north.
Steinmeier also said the fact that Nigeria was this week declared free of Ebola, the deadly disease raging in parts of West Africa, had been “one of the few rays of light in the fight against Ebola”.
News
Mba Seeks Closer Synergy To Check Road Accidents
Worried over the high rate of accidents on Nigerian roads, resulting in the death of hundreds of thousands of people, the Governor of Enugu State, Barr Peter Mbah, has called for closer synergy and cooperation among security agencies to check the ugly trend and ensure safety on all the roads within the country.
Governor Mbah, made the call in an address at the Graduation Ceremony of Senior Course 2 of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Command and Staff College, Udi near Enugu.
Represented by the state Commissioner for Information, Chief Aka Eze Aka, governor Mbah noted that closer security and intelligence sharing on incidents on roads within the country by various security formations and agencies both military and para-military would lead to greater security and safety of lives and property on roads.
He stated that the state government had keyed into the FRSC vision of reduction in road crashes and fatalities, adding that it had equipped the state traffic officers with the same set targets.
“As an administration, we are making all efforts to fix and improve on all roads and road infrastructure within the state; while we are calling on the Federal Government to do the same.
“Our partnership with the FRSC for training and retraining of our road traffic officers will continue and be strengthened so that as a state it will also build its own capacity to deal with road traffic issues and challenges,” he said.
Governor Mbah, however, congratulated the graduating participants of the course, while commending the FRSC management for being in the forefront of raising the standard and quality of its staff.
According to him, “my administration will continue to partner with the FRSC and strengthen existing engagements of mutual benefits”.
Earlier, the FRSC Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu, said that the event was significant to the Corps as it marked its commitment to continuously improve its educational and operational standard and capacity.
Biu, represented by the Deputy Corps Marshal (DCM) Bisi Kazeem, who is in-charge of FRSC Training, said that the Corps was building resiliency and increasing its service delivery capacity by equipping its officers with quality and international standard training.
By: Canice Amadi Enugu
News
PDP Opobo/Nkoro Hails Fubara On Peace, Projects
Stakeholders of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Opobo/ Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State have commended the state Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara for his disposition that has fostered peace in the State.
Rising from an expanded stakeholders meeting last Saturday in Opobo Town, the body in an eight-point communique signed by its Chairman, Hon. Benneth Daminabo, Chairman of Council, Rt. Hon. Enyiada Cookey-Gam and LG party Chairman, Warisenibo Godwin Pepple commended the governor for linking Opobo/Nkoro LGA to the national grid.
In addition, it lauded the effort of the governor in pursuing the 50.15 kilometre Dual Carriage Ring Road, Elelenwo internal road, Aleto-Ebubu-Eteo Road in Eleme and Andoni Road projects.
Despite the distractions, the stakeholders said they were impressed that the governor had equally done projects in health-the unveiling of Prof. Kelsey Harrison Hospital, Agric projects at Tai and Oyigbo and improving welfare of civil servants.
In their words, “members reaffirmed their unalloyed loyalty and implicit confidence in his administration.”
Condemning the unfriendly and discourteous utterances of Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Tony Okocha in different fora in the State, the forum urged the duo to desist from such action in order not to heat up the polity.
The forum pledged to stand by the governor through, “thick and thin”, the stakeholders acknowledged the contributions of women, who through prayers for the government has impacted positively in the direction and posture of the governor.
Finally, the forum unanimously expressed gratitude to the Simplified Movement and other bodies that have thrown their weight behind the governor to ensure that the administration is stable and successful.
By: Kevin Nengia
News
‘Rivers People Are Now Breathing Fresh Air Under Fubara’
Aformer Caretaker Committee Chairman of Abua/Odual Local Government Council of Rivers State, Hon Elamo Arogu, says under Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the people of the State are now breathing fresh air.
Hon Arogu said Governor Fubara has given Rivers people hope, considering the impactful and people-oriented projects being carried out by his administration.
The former CTC chairman made the assertion during the Simplified Movement’s thanksgiving service and rally held in honour of Rivers State chief executive last Friday in Abua .
Arogu said under Governor Fubara, the Abua/Odual people have the confidence that the dividends of democracy will definitely get to them.
He noted that the Governor has the strong will to change the narrative in Rivers State, being the reason he is receiving massive support across the State.
“The people of Abua/Odual are strongly behind him. Our doors ate open for everyone because there is government in place to attend to the needs of the people. I believe that he will develop Abua/Odual and other Rivers council areas, hence, the massive support. This government is business- oriented and we are ready to encourage him succeed and invest in our land. The issue of a bank; road networks and other necessities of life bordering on development as demanded by the people will be considered by Governor Fubara”, he said.
He called on the opposition to team up with Governor Fubara to build a stronger, united and viable Rivers State.
He maintained that ward nine under his leadership is Simplified.
-
Politics4 days ago
How Social Media Threatened My 40-Year-Old Marriage -Lai Mohammed
-
News4 days ago
We May Shut Down Universities Indefinitely, Non- Teaching Staff Threaten
-
Sports2 days ago
Immediate Relegation Awaits Man City, If…
-
Politics2 days ago
FEC Approves 10% Appointments For Youths
-
Politics31 mins ago
Tinubu Congratulates Senegal President-Elect Over Electoral Victory
-
Oil & Energy4 days ago
Africa’s Energy Leap From Fossil Fuels To Renewable Powerhouse
-
Sports4 days ago
All African Games: Nigeria Finishes Second On Medal Table
-
Rivers4 days ago
RSLCSC Boss Celebrates Fubara’s Supreme Court Victory