PROTESTING EX NIGER DELTA AGITATORS TO BE PAID BY WEDNESDAY--KUKU

Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, has assured protesting former Niger agitators that their November salary will be paid before Wednesday, next week.

Hon. Kingsley Kuku stated this in Abuja today, while reacting to the street protests by the aggrieved former agitators.

He urged them to seek ways of saving, so as to have enough capital to fend for themselves when the amnesty programme terminates.

Honourable Kuku said with proper planning, they can save part of their 65thousand naira monthly stipend.  

He however promised to hold further meet with the agitators, to explain things to them.

The former Niger Delta agitators had blocked the East-West road over unpaid stipend, as well as in Ondo State but were prevented from holding similar protest in Abuja today.

FIRE SERVICE AVERT FIRE IN ABUJA

Men of the Federal Fire Service today averted what would have been a major disaster as fire gutted the Nigerian Agricutural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) at the Central Area Abuja.

 

Public Relations Officer of the Federal Fire Service Obisesan Olatunde said the men of the service turned out immediately they got a call that NAIC was on fire.

While noting that investigation was still ongoing Mr Olatunde said the extent of damage was minimal.

An eyewitness who has offices at NAIC Ibrahim Sani said men of the fire service saved the day.

No life was lost in the incident.

PENGASSAN, NUPENG SUSPENDS NATION-WIDE STRIKE

The Petroleum and Gas Senior Staff Association and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers have suspended their nationwide strike, embarked on Monday.

NUPENG Chairman Lagos Tokunbo Korodo said the strike was suspended following fruitful discussions with the federal government yesterday in Abuja.

Mr. Korubo however said some of their demands, which includes constant maintenance of the refineries, and the passage of Petroleum Industry Bill is yet to be met.

He assured Nigerians that the unions will work to ensure adequate supply of petroleum products at the fuel stations, to enable people enjoy the yuletide season.

FAAN SUSPENDS CARGO FLIGHTS AT MURTALA MUHAMMED INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has suspended all cargo flights to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. 
A statement from the Corporate Communications manager of the FAAN, Yakubu Dati, said the suspension was due to the security risk created after the Nigerian Customs Service closed the terminal for two weeks, leading to congestion and a backlog of cargo.

According to the statement, FAAN says it has advised the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency to issue a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) due to the suspension.
The authority also advised operators of all cargo flights to find alternative entry points for their cargo for the time being. 
FAAN says it has initiated measures to accelerate the clearance of goods and return the
situation to normalcy.
No date has been given for a possible termination of the suspension.

FINANCE MINISTER TO PRESENT =N=4.3 TRILLION BUDGET TO NASS TOMORROW

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Nigeria Minister of Finance

Nigeria's Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will tomorrow present a N4.3 trillion budget estimate to the Senate and House of Representatives.

The budget estimate of N4.3 trillion for 2015 in comparison to this year's figure of N4.7 trillion, indicates a downward review by N400 billion.


President Goodluck Jonathan in a letter addressed to the Senate President, David Mark, and read on the floor during plenary today explained that the delay in presentation of the estimates before the passage of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework by the National Assembly was due to the extra-ordinary global circumstances that confronted the country in the latter quarter of the 2014 fiscal year.

According to President Jonathan, shortly after the first submission of the MTEF (Medium Term Expenditure Framework) document with a budget benchmark of $78 to the National Assembly, oil prices witnessed a fall which led to a revision of the oil benchmark twice by the federal government, with its eventual figure pegged at $65 per barrel.

SENATE ASKS INEC TO PROVIDE POLLING STATIONS FOR IDPs

The Nigeria Senate has called on INEC to use all administrative means to ensure that Internally Displaced Persons exercise their franchise in the 2015 elections. 
The resolution came after deliberation on a bill-turned motion by Senator Ali Ndume.

In his presentation, Senator Ndume who represents Borno South in the Upper Chamber said the plea will enable IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) who are victims of natural disasters to vote and be voted for.


Opposing the motion, Senator Abdul Ningi said the decision to have polling units in camps solely depends on INEC, adding that amending  the electoral act of 2010 will take a longer time thereby defeating the purpose. 

Plenary was adjourned till Wednesday, December 17.

Champions League Round of 16 draw

• 

  Champions League Round of 16  draw 

   FC Basel v Porto
• 
  

  Arsenal v Monaco
• 
  

  
  

  Shakhtar Donetsk v Bayern Munich
• 
  

  Schalke v Real Madrid
• Juventus v Borussia Dortmund
• Bayer Leverkusen v Atletico Madrid
• Manchester City v Barcelona

  A repeat of a 2013/14 tie, the Spanish club won by 2-0 in Manchester and 2-1 at home in last season's round of 16.
• 
  

  Paris St-Germain v Chelsea

  That's a repeat of last season's quarter-final, where Chelsea overturned a 3-1 first-leg defeat with a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge to progress on away goals.

SENATOR DAVID MARK urges Armed Forces to fight to keep Nigeria together

President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, for the umpteenth time took stock of the unabating insecurity and terrorism tearing the nation apart and tasked the Nigerian Armed Forces to fight harder in order to keep Nigeria united and secured.

Senator Mark said the insecurity situation has become so worrisome that Nigerians seems to be worried about their future.

He however noted that the Armed Forces "remains the last  man standing' in this difficult situation.

Senator Mark was speaking after the National Coordinator of 2015 Armed Forces Remembrance Day, Brigadier General Rogers Nicholas decorated him with the emblem.

Senator David Mark (photo credit: Daily Times)

 He assured that the government is conscious of the challenges faced by the officers and men of the Armed  Forces especially in the North east region where militants believed to be  Islamic sect, Boko Haram is holding the region captive .


Senator Mark promised that the Government is prepared to improve on their welfare including modern equipment to fight the war.

In addition the senate President tasked the military Training and Doctrine Unit to propose a legislation to the National Assembly on how to provide for the upkeep of members of the families of the fallen heroes who died in the course of fighting to keep Nigeria one .

The National Coordinator of the 2015 Armed Forces Remembrance Day, Brigadier General Rogers Nicholas explained that the annual event is to remember the supreme sacrifices of our fallen  heroes who fought to keep Nigeria together saying "whatever proceeds realized  from the sale of the emblem would be channeled for the upkeep of the dependents of the fallen heroes.

60 YEAR OLD MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD IN BENIN CITY.

Tragedy struck in Ugbowo community  in Benin City, the Edo State capital,  when a 60-year-old community head was brutally murdered in cold-blood at his residence by gunmen.

The deceased, Mr John Asemota, was the Odionwere, the leader of Powerline community at Ugbowo.

The gunmen, seven in number, were said to have stormed the residence of the community head at about 9:30pm and opened fire on him in the presence of his family members.

The deceased’s son, Mr Osemudiamen Asemota, who narrated the incident to the newsmen, said three of his father’s tenants also sustained bullet wounds.

He said while his father died at the spot, his tenants were rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) where they are presently receiving treatment.

Osemudiamen said the incident was reported at the Ugbowo Divisional Police headquarters which responded promptly by coming to the scene shortly after the incident occurred.

According to him, “It was the police that took my father’s body to the mortuary while they also rushed those shot to hospital for medical attention.”

He, however, ruled out possibility of robbery, alleging that his father was killed over communal issue.

A police source at the Ugbowo Divisional Police station confirmed the incident but refused to make further comment.

Though he pleaded anonymity, one of the officer who was drafted to the scene of the incident, said the matter would be handled appropriately.

DAVIDO AND PATORANKING STEAL THE SHOW AT THE HEADIES 2014.

Davido, Olamide and Patoranking emerged the biggest winners at the 2014 edition of the Headies Awards held over the weekend.

Davido won in the Song of the Year and Artiste of the Year category, while Patoranking was announced as Next Rated, for which he received a brand new car.

Mavins picked up two awards, while artistes like Yemi Alade, Runtown and a few others missed out.  TuFace Idibia won the Best R&B Single for “Let Somebody Love You”.

The Best Recording of The Year went to Cobhams Asuquo, while Dr Victor Uwaifo got the awards for Hall Of Fame. Best Vocal Performance for Male went to Timi Dakolo for Iyawo Mi.

The 9th Edition of the Awards was hosted by Basket Mouth and Toke Makinwa.

Terror strikes the heart of Australia

Two young female employees have fled a central Sydney cafe more than seven hours after a terrorist armed with a gun took more than a dozen people hostage and forced crying women to hold a black Islamic flag up to the window.

A total of five hostages, including barista Elly Chen, have now escaped the Lindt cafe in Martin Place an hour after a male employee and two male customers scrambled from a fire exit and sheltered behind heavily armed police officers shortly before 3.45pm on Monday.

It is understood the hostages escaped from the cafe, rather than being released by their captor. A male former hostage has been taken to nearby St Vincent's Hospital, in Sydney's inner suburbs, and is being treated for shock.

This evening, police negotiators revealed they had learned the name of the hostage-taker and have made contact with the man.  

Chris Reason, a journalist from the Seven Network - whose offices are opposite the cafe - tonight said he could see the gunman rotating the hostages through positions in the store's window. 

'From inside Martin Place we can see the faces of hostages - pained, strained, eyes red and raw,' he recounted. Food and water was being delivered to the prisoners from the cafe's back kitchens.  

Seven Network staff have counted around 15 hostages in the cafe, he said, rather than the 50 reported by Lindt Australia CEO Steve Loane earlier today. Daily Mail Australia understands a 25-year-old female fashion industry worker and two female baristas aged in their 30s are among that number. 

As scores of heavily armed police, clad in black, remained on guard in Martin Place, Deputy NSW Police Commissioner Catherine Burn told reporters police were planning to 'work into the night' - and even tomorrow - should the crisis continue.

Witnesses earlier described how a man wearing a headband covered in Arabic walked into the cafe around 9:30am and produced a shotgun from a blue bag.

Shortly afterwards, as police surged into the city, hostages were seen with their hands pressed against the windows holding up the Islamic Shahada flag. It is an emblem of extremist group Jabhat al-Nusra, which is fighting the Assad government in Syria.