IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

The Federal Government has approved policy to encourage technological advancement in Nigeria. Minister of Science and Technology Ogbonaya Onu disclosed this to journalists at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa.

The initiative, according to the Minister will encourage Nigerians to maximise the opportunity available in the science and engineering sector to make Nigeria compete favourably with developed countries of the world.

Council also approved the construction of Panshim-Yele in Plateau and Sere-Patigiri in Kwara state at the cost of 20 point five billion naira. Minister Fashola also said council also approved the memo to clear the inherited liability of the old power ministry.

The Nigerian Air Force said on Thursday that the Boko Haram terrorists were back to the Sambisa Forest area of Borno State, but said its fighter jets and attack helicopters had bombed the terrorists’ hideouts 108 times between April and July, 2017. The Air Component Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, the military operation in the North-East, Air Commodore Tajudeen Yusuf, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Yola, Adamawa State. Yusuf said some of the challenges with the air operations were thunderstorms and rainfalls, which impacted negatively on some air operations during the period.

He noted that there were days that flights had to be delayed or cancelled on account of poor weather. He stated, “Intelligence surveillance and Reconnaissance reports through the second quarter of 2017 indicated a gradual return of the Boko Haram terrorist activities to the Sambisa Forest. There have been sightings of a few Boko Haram activities in the Sambisa general area, particularly in Parisu.

“Hence, the air component conducted significant ISR missions in the Sambisa general area. On July 3, an air interdiction mission was conducted on Alagarno Camp. Several solar panels were seen on buildings in the location, which indicated that it was being used as a Command and Control facility.

The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, says the Federal Government has no plan to close the University of Maiduguri in spite of upsurge of attacks by insurgents.
Adamu made the remarks during a visit to the university on Friday. He condoled with the University community over the brutal murder of some staff of the institution by Boko Haram insurgents. The minister said the government does not want academic activities at the institution to be truncated, in spite of the security situation in the state. “You demonstrate great courage and resilience to stay here to do your work despite the security challenges.

“We commend you and the government appreciate what you are doing; even to work in Maiduguri requires courage. “Before I come here, I had thought of closing down the university, but, after listening to the Vice Chancellor and seeing what you are doing, I am proud of you,’’ Adamu said. He remarked that he felt ashamed to have thought of closing the school, saying, however, that he was happy to see that the University stakeholders were committed to working despite the security threats. “The Federal Government will not close the university and will provide you with all necessary support.’’

The Minister suggested that the university senate should deliberate on the security matter affecting the institution and make recommendations to secure it.

The nation’s military chiefs are to move back to the Maiduguri command centre to consolidate the gains against Boko Haram insurgency. The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, made this known while answering questions from State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday. He said the meeting was also attended by the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin; the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, Chief of Naval Staff,Vice Admiral Ekwe Ite-Ibas, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sadiq Abubakar.

According to the minister, the meeting agreed to get more surveillance devices, cameras and other vital security gadgets that will be able to see distant attackers coming to the position of the Nigerian troops. “We just finished a meeting with the Acting President and the three Service Chiefs. “We agreed that they should move back to the Command Centre again and see what are the things happening there. “We have also agreed that we should get more surveillance devices, cameras that will be able to see distant attackers coming to the position of our troops. “The period of the raining season is a difficult moment for us. “We cannot dominate the environment like what we do during the dry season but effort is geared towards regaining back our areas,’’ he added.

Dan-Ali reassured that “all these ambushes that are happening regularly would be stopped.’’

Commercial activities were grounded, while some commercial banks were, on Friday, shut in Owerri, Imo State, as thousands of Indigenous People of Biafra converged on the city from the other four South East and some South South states, calling for the secession of Nigeria. This is even as a coalition of Imo Council of Youths, One Nigeria Group, Nigeria Youths Unity Group and Youth Assembly of Nigeria have warned the IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu from holding any rallying in the state.

At a press briefing in Owerri on Friday, the coordinators of the various youth bodies, Azunnaya Andrew, Emeka Igwe, GTC Samuel and Jeff Nwoha, said they would resist any activity or programme which seeks to threaten the country’s sovereignty. Andrew said the youth group which he coordinates was totally against any move which will put to question the unity of the country. The youth leader said, “One Nigeria Group stands for oneness of Nigeria. We totally condemn the pro-Biafra rally, which is going on in Owerri now, and which is being conducted by one Nnamdi Kanu. “Even in the midst of marginalisation, we are supporting the governments of Muhammadu Buhari and Rochas Okorocha. We will not allow them to hold such rally in Imo State again.”

On his part, Igwe, who chairs Nigeria Youth Unity Group, said Biafra was not the solution to the problems of Ndigbo.

The Senate may revisit its rejection, last week, of the devolution of powers bill to the states under the ongoing Constitutional Review, Senate President Bukola Saraki said yesterday. The Senate has come under attacks from many Nigerians for its decision to reject more powers to the states.

But speaking to reporters in Ilorin shortly after receiving a delegation of the ‘I Support Not So Young to Run’ group, Saraki said all hope is not lost on the matter as the Senate might review its stand on resumption from recess.

He blamed the situation on what he called misunderstanding of the concept of devolution of power.