Ukraine: Russia may deploy nukes near Finland, Sweden
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev warned Thursday that Russia would deploy nuclear weapons close to the Baltic States and Scandinavia if Finland or Sweden decide to join NATO. The balance has to be restored,” he said, indicating that Russia would be entitled to deploy nuclear weapons in the region. The former president said Russia would “seriously reinforce its group of ground forces and air defences and deploy significant naval forces in the Gulf of Finland”. On whether the reinforcement would include nuclear weapons, Peskov said, “I can’t say… There will be a whole list of measures and necessary steps. Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine have sparked a dramatic U-turn in public and political opinion in both Finland and Sweden over long-held policies of military non-alignment.
Source:Punch
April 14, 2022 15:11 UTC
MTN launches Nigeria’s first nationwide VoLTE call service
MTN Nigeria has launched a voice over long-term evolution (VoLTE) call service in line with its commitment to providing access to the best communications technology and improving the overall customer experience. Speaking about the new service, the Chief Marketing Officer of MTN Nigeria, Adia Sowho, said: “With VoLTE, MTN Nigeria continues to enhance Nigerian lives with innovative technology. VoLTE is free to access today at your rates from a VoLTE-enabled smartphone so you can call and surf at the same time with no interruptions ever again.”The MTN VoLTE call service will be charged at regular call rates. It will be available to all customers with VoLTE-enabled devices such as Tecno Phantom X, Infinix Zero X and Infinix Zero X Pro smartphones. Customers without a 4G USIM could schedule an appointment by visiting https://scheduler.mtnonline.com/qwebbook.
Source:The Guardian
April 14, 2022 11:56 UTC
Poor leadership responsible for Nigeria’s woes, says Obi
A presidential aspirant on the platform of the PDP, Mr Peter Obi, said on Wednesday that poor leadership was responsible for the plethora of problems plaguing Nigeria. Speaking when he paid a courtesy visit on chieftains of the PDP in Benin on Wednesday, Obi lamented what he described as an apparent floundering of the ship of state, blaming the problem on poor leadership. The former governor of Anambra also lamented what he characterized as the huge number of people living in poverty in the country, describing the situation as worrisome. Do not look at what you will get today, look at the future of our children as you vote. “I can assure you that we will put in place policies that will strictly be implemented and start pulling people out of poverty from year one.
Source:The Guardian
April 14, 2022 09:19 UTC
Energy firm connects Niger community to mini-grid
Niger State Governor, Abubakar Bello, yesterday, inaugurated ENGIE Energy Access hybrid 90KW mini-grid to connect unelectrified households and small businesses in the state. At the launch, Managing Director of ENGIE Energy Access Nigeria, Bankole Cardoso, said the country’s electricity challenge remained a huge gap that needed to be filled in Nigeria’s journey to harness its full potential as a nation. “Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the world’s lowest energy access rate, with more than half of its people without electricity. “This mini-grid will foster socio-economic development and prosperity in the Gbangba community, its people and neighbours. It will serve private households and commercial businesses –groceries, bakeries, mobile phone chargers etc.
Source:The Guardian
April 14, 2022 09:03 UTC
God does not hate divorce
Expectedly, defenders of the oppressive patriarchal order have been mouthing one of the few verses of the scripture they have managed to master: God hates divorce! Truly, God was recorded to have said he hates divorce but God was also speaking to the menfolk who exploited the lax marital laws to casually divorce their wife, thereby jeopardising her social status. Those who bellow “God hates divorce!” do not read that other part loud because they want to eat their “Bible” and still have it. God does not hate divorce. Those are women who tell they are suffering because God hates divorce when, in fact, God is waiting for them to free themselves.
Source:Punch
April 14, 2022 01:01 UTC
Terrorists abduct five Zamfara health college students
Terrorists have abducted five students of the College of Health Technology, Tsafe in the Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State. According to him, the students were abducted at a rented apartment in Tsafe town Tuesday night. Shehu said they were not abducted on the school premises but in their rented house in Tsafe town. “The students were abducted in their rented accommodation yesterday (Tuesday) night but not in the school premises,” he said. He maintained that the police command has drafted its personnel to pursue the terrorists in order to rescue the abducted students.
Source:Punch
April 13, 2022 19:42 UTC
Russia recovery from sanctions will take 'years' | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News
Russia will take “many years” to rebuild its economy if Western sanctions over Ukraine remain in place for a long time, the head of the audit chamber and former finance minister said Wednesday. “If sanctions remain at the current level, it will take about two years of reconstruction, no less,” Alexei Kudrin said. Kudrin also said that already soaring inflation could be as high as 20 percent by the end of the year. President Vladimir Putin says Russia’s economy has managed to weather the barrage of unprecedented sanctions imposed since he sent troops to Ukraine on February 24. The Russian government has not released a growth forecast for 2022, but the World Bank expects an 11.2 percent drop in GDP.
Source:The Guardian
April 13, 2022 15:43 UTC
Kidnapped train passengers not insured against terror attacks – FG officials
It was learnt that N50 was paid as a premium to two indigenous insurance companies on every train ticket purchased by passengers who boarded the Abuja-Kaduna train. They told our correspondent that this had stalled efforts being made by family members of the abducted passengers to secure the release of the kidnapped victims. They, however, stressed that the insurance of the train was not against terror attacks, though efforts were ongoing to see how the insurance companies would support the government. “Yes, we have about two Nigerian insurance companies that are in charge of passengers’ insurance, while the train itself is being handled by other firms,” the source stated. She said, “The threat to kill those abducted, including my sisters, has increased fear among family members of the kidnapped train passengers.
Source:Punch
April 13, 2022 13:51 UTC
Gunmen kill 24 in central Nigeria: local govt
Gunmen have killed 24 people in two attacks in Nigeria’s central Benue state, its governor said Wednesday, as violence caused by heavily armed criminal gangs intensifies across the region. “Scores of others were injured and are receiving treatment in an unnamed hospital in the state,” he said. Ikyur said the attacks took place late Monday, while police said the assault in Tiortyu occurred at 1.30 am on Tuesday. On Sunday, gunmen killed more than 100 people in several attacks in nearby Plateau state, according to two local community leaders and the commander of a local vigilante force. In Benue, police confirmed the attack in Tiortyu but gave a lower death toll of nine people killed.
Source:The Guardian
April 13, 2022 13:11 UTC
Osinbajo meets APC Senators Tuesday
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will on Tuesday evening host Senators on the platform of the All Progressives Congress to Iftar (breaking of fast). This was contained in a letter of invitation read by Senate President Ahmad Lawan at plenary on Monday. This is as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Tuesday, resigned as Senator representing Nasarawa West Senatorial District. This was even as the newly elected Deputy National Chairman (North), Abubakar Kyari, also resigned as lawmaker representing Borno North District. Senator Abdullahi Adamu, until his election as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, chaired the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.
Source:Punch
April 13, 2022 07:31 UTC
Kaduna most hit as attacks on power plants, rail, airports peak
The report revealed that from Q3, 2019 to Q1, 2022, power generation plants suffered six attacks in Borno State alone. In the Northwest, Kaduna State has experienced five train attacks and two airport attacks within the same period. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has also experienced a train attack at the Bwari area during the same period. Last month, terrorists attacked a Kaduna-bound train after using explosives to blow up the rail tracks, forcing the train to stop. We have decided collectively that we are giving the government 72 hours to do everything that’s necessary to rescue our loved ones,” he said.
Source:The Guardian
April 13, 2022 05:23 UTC
Again, Northern elders ask Buhari to resign over insecurity | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has demanded the immediate resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari, over killings across the country, especially in the North. The Director, Publicity and Advocacy of NEF, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, made the call yesterday in a statement. The group said: “The administration of President Buhari does not appear to have answers to the challenges of security to which we are exposed. “It is now time for President Buhari to seriously consider that option, since his leadership has proved spectacularly incapable of providing security for Nigerians. NEF said the it made the recommendation with the highest sense of responsibility, and expressed hope there are enough Nigerians who enjoy the confidence of President Buhari to advise him to consider resigning.
Source:The Guardian
April 13, 2022 05:23 UTC
‘War against terrorism must be won in Kaduna’ | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News
Kaduna State Government has reassured the citizens that the fight against terrorism would be won by all means, just as it called on residents and indigenes to join forces and end the menace. The government also urged the media not to paint the reports on banditry and kidnapping with ethnic or religious colouration. Aruwan said: “In my current position as the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, the challenge and toll of insecurity is no secret. We are confronting the monsters of banditry and terrorism daily. What I can do here is to stir up collective reflection towards an enhanced security environment,” he said.
Source:The Guardian
April 13, 2022 04:34 UTC
Plaintiffs kick as foreign firms flout Nigerian court order | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News
The plaintiffs are: Lekoil Nigeria Limited, Lekoil Oil and Gas Investments Limited, Mayfair Assets and Trust Limited, Lekoil 276 Limited and Lekoil Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited. The defendants are: Lekoil Limited (Cayman Island) and Savannah Energy Investments Limited. The plaintiffs had sought the ex-parte injunction following the announcement on February 28, 2022 by the 1st defendant that it had entered into an agreement with Savannah Energy Investments Limited (2nd defendant), a subsidiary of Savannah Energy Plc. Prior to the injunction, the defendants had scheduled an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to hold on Thursday, April 7, 2022. “Rather than respect the rule of law, both companies had acted in defiance to the Nigerian court injunction by going ahead with the EGM as scheduled,” the plaintiffs lamented.
Source:The Guardian
April 13, 2022 04:17 UTC
Insecurity, leadership and the people | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News
However, the biggest danger is that those in positions of leadership have lost the battle of ideas on how to make the economy solid. As always, governments around the world particularly in Africa give dodgy claims especially when things are not going right. Even Ukraine that is currently under siege from Russia’s missiles and heavy bombardment is safer than Nigeria. Nigeria’s insecurity is largely born out of poor leadership and insensitiveness to the plight of the people. If one may ask, with the current state of insecurity, does anyone really understand what is going on in the country?
Source:The Guardian
April 13, 2022 03:50 UTC