IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

The Federal Government on Wednesday said it has no plans to suspend Facebook over the alleged use of the platform to incite violence by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

But addressing journalists after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, said Facebook has assured that it will take action against posts that incite violence on its platform. He also reacted to the ministers who declared their intention to seek elective positions but were yet to resign their appointment.

The minister explained that President Muhammadu Buhari has the sole power to confirm the status of the affected ministers. Suspected IPOB members have launched a series of attacks in the South-East, destroying some security formations as well as killing some innocent persons in the region.

Most recently, an army couple were killed on April 30 in Imo State, a situation that made the military authorities to say IPOB was not promoting the interest of the Igbos.

Tens of thousands of Rangers fans are in Seville ahead of one the biggest matches in the club's history. Police expected up to 100,000 supporters of the Glasgow team to travel to the Spanish city for the Europa League final.

They will be joined by 50,000 fans of German side Eintracht Frankfurt. The vast majority of those who have travelled do not have tickets for the game in the 42,700-capacity Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

Only 9,500 tickets were originally sold to Rangers fans, although more are believed to have been made available in recent days.

Ticketless Rangers fans will be able to watch the match at the 57,000-capacity Estadio La Cartuja in the north of the city - where Celtic lost the 2003 Uefa Cup final to Porto.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen are attending the Federal Executive Council meeting a few days after withdrawing their political ambitions. Malami was vying for the governorship position in Kebbi State while Tallen was vying for the Senatorial position in Plateau.

Before the commencement of the meeting which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, a minute silence was held in honour of the former Minister of communications under Gen. Ibrahim Babangida regime, Olawole Adeniji Ige, who died at the age of 83.

Those who were physically in attendance are the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha; Head of Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan; Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, and National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Munguno (rtd).

Other Ministers are also in attendance include; the Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, Power, Abubakar Aliyu, Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello; Aviation, Hadi Sirika, Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi; Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; that of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of State for Health, Olorunimbe Mamora; Agriculture, Mustapha Shehuri as well as Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba.

The Federal Government has withdrawn the newly amended charge against the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu on Wednesday morning.

Earlier, Kanu had been denied a bail application by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja on the grounds that his absence in the past, since 2017, should be determined, before a bail application, would be entertained. Upon withdrawal of the newly amended charges by the FG, the Federal High Court struck out the charges preferred against Nnamdi Kanu.

This came after Mike Ozekhome complained to the court that the prosecution was trying to delay processes by continuous amendment of the charge against his client. Ozekhome also told the court that this is the seventh time the Federal government was amending its charge.

Justice Nyako agreed with Ozekhome’s submission stating that Kanu is not expected to take a plea on those newly amended charges immediately, as he needs time to digest them before doing so.

The Commissioner for Insurance, National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, Mr. Olorundare Sunday Thomas, has emphasized the need for regional Co-operation as a tool to further strengthen risk supervision and Interglobal dynamic of Business. The NAICOM boss gave the indication at the opening of the 2nd Meeting of the College of Insurance Supervisors for West African Monetary Zone, CISWAMZ holding, in Abuja. 

Mr. Thomas attributed the success of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to cooperation with other countries. "The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) created in 1939, is an inter-governmental body whose purpose is the development and promotion of National and International policies to combat Money Laundering and Terrorist Finance. "The anti-money laundering body has developed 40 recommendations and 11 effective outcomes and there is no country that can achieve any reasonable progress in its effectiveness without actively belonging /or Co-operating with other Countries / regional body in the implementation of their policies.

"Therefore, what the region has done is a good step in the right direction to forge synergy between / among us for the goal of effective and efficient regulation and Supervision of Insurance Institution in our region" he said. Speaking on the CISWAMZ, Mr. Thomas charged member States to "recognise that co-ordination of Supervisory effort and sharing of information of Supervised entities is important in carrying out an Efficient Consolidated Supervision, maintaining effective oversight, promoting Compliance with extant Laws and maintaining the highest level of oversight quality while carrying out their Supervisory responsibilities in their respective Countries".

He encouraged members to prioritize the development of a process of documentation of proceedings, adding that it would be a point of reference for improved supervisory activities in the region. Earlier, in his welcome remarks, the Chairman, CISWAMZ, Mr Agboola Pius, submitted that the insurance business which evolved through the desire of entrepreneur to curtail the negative effects of the risk materializing, cannot be done in isolation. Pius however assured that NAICOM, Nigeria is readily available to assist any member state in developing their Risk Based Supervision (RBS) framework.

As part of scheduled port calls on her homeward voyage to Nigeria, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) KADA has paid a port call to Luanda Port, Angola. This is contained in a statement signed by the Director of Information, Nigerian Navy, Commodore Ayo Vaughan. This comes 13 days after the ship had paid a similar visit to the Port of Cape Town, South Africa.

On arrival at Luanda, NNS KADA was received by Nigeria’s Ambassador (Amb) to Angola, Her Excellency, Amb (Prof) Monique Ekpong, also the Executive Secretary of the Gulf of Guinea Commission, Amb Adenike Ukonga and a delegation from the Naval Headquarters led by the Flag Officer Commanding Logistics Command, Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Olotu who represented the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), accompanied by other senior officers namely the Defence Attache to Angola, Commodore Mohammed Muye, Commodore Yusuf Idris and Captain Badamasi Yahuza. 

During the visit, the CNS representative, Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Olotu appreciated the Angolan government for their support in receiving the ship. The representative of the Luanda Port Harbour Master, Joser R Amaral, recalled that Angola and Nigeria has had a long standing relationship over years and pledged to provide any additional support required by the ship. Meanwhile, at a later visit to the National Directorate of Defence Policy, Angola, the Director, Lieutenant General Barbosa Antunes Epalanga, noted that the relationship between both countries was consolidated with the creation of defence sections at the embassies in both Luanda and Nigeria.

Furthermore, he stressed the need for further engagements between both countries’ military in combating threats such as terrorism. While thanking the Nigerian government for choosing Luanda as one of the ports to be visited, the representative of the CNS, Angolan Navy, Rear Admiral Cosme Faria, emphasized the need to have some maritime exercises between both countries in the future for enhanced maritime security of the Gulf of Guinea.

Similarly, during a courtesy call on Nigeria’s Ambassador to Angola, Her Excellency, Amb (Prof) Monique Ekpong thanked the Angolan government for granting the approval for the ship to stop over in Luanda Port. The Amb also called for more bilateral engagements between both countries. It would be recalled that NNS KADA departed the United Arab Emirates on Friday1 April 2022 after a Change of Flag ceremony and she is expected to arrive Nigeria on 27 May 2022.