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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾NOVEMBER 9, 2019
NEWS
News Editor Ahamefula Ogbu 08116759810 (sms only) Email ahamefula.ogbu@thisdaylive.com
TRADING GLOBAL IDEAS... L-R: President, Africa Export-Import Bank (AFREXIM), Prof. Benedict Oramah; Chairman, United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Founder Tony Elumelu Foundation, Mr. Tony Elumelu and President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo discussing ‘A Future Beyond Aid’ at the inaugural The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Presidential Dialogue in Accra, Ghana...recently
Army Officer, Soldier Killed as Troops Overwhelm Insurgents ȱ ȱ ǰȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ¢ǰȱ ¢ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ě Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja and Laleye Dipo in Minna The Nigerian Army said yesterday that one army officer and a soldier were killed during clashes with Insurgents in Borno and Yobe States. This is as the Chief of Air Staff Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar had said that the integration of air and ground counter terrorism operation would combat banditry and other security challenges in the country. But other sources said 10 soldiers were killed in the confrontation with terrorists. This comes as the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Tukur Buratai, restated the resolve of the military
to discharge its constitutional role of maintaining the territorial integrity of the nation. An update made available by Army Headquarters said 16 fighters of Boko Haram and the Islamic State for West African Province (ISWAP) surrendered to troops. It said the Insurgents surrendered with their spouses. The update signed by the Nigerian Army Operations Media Coordinator, Col Aminu IlIyasu, said troops deployed in Gajigana in Magumeri Local Government Area of Borno Date intercepted insurgents intent on attacking the community. It said troops killed three insurgents and lost one soldier.
“Troops deployed at Gajigana in Magumeri LGA of Borno State intercepted some Boko Haram criminals in the early hours of Tuesday 5th November 2019. “It is believed that the insurgents were on their way to attack the community to source for food items and other logistics for their survival. “However, the vigilant troops blocked and neutralised three of the Boko Haram criminals while several others escaped with varying degrees of gunshot wounds”, it said. The statement said: “unfortunately, one soldier paid the supreme price while two others were wounded in action. The wounded soldiers are currently responding to treatment in a military medical facility”.
Fire Destroys Okobaba Timber Market, Shanties Bennett Oghifo An afternoon inferno yesterday razed the popular Okobaba timber market at Ebute Metta in central Lagos, destroying goods worth millions of Naira and rendering some shanty dwellers homeless. The cause of the afternoon fire is still unknown, according to officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA),
who confirmed that besides the loss of goods, there were no lives lost and nobody was injured. A team of firefighters and other first responders were on hand to battle the fire and keep the peace, as well as prevent acts that could endanger lives. Eye witnesses said when the fire started, workers and residents of the sprawling wood market were seen
frantically trying to salvage their belongings and at the same time use any container they could lay their hands on to pour water in attempts to douse the flames. This unfortunate fire incident is coming almost two days after an ugly fire razed some shops at the popular Balogun Market in the neighbouhood of Broad Street, the commercial centre of Lagos.
We Need Someone to Release Sowore to, Says DSS Bennett Oghifo The Department of State Services (DSS) yesterday said the Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Mr. Omoyele Sowore was still in their custody because no one had come forward to claim him. A statement by the Public Relations Officer, Department of State Services, Peter Afunanya confirmed that DSS
“has received the Court Order for the release of Omoyele Sowore. “It is important that the public notes that since the receipt of the Order, no person has turned up at the DSS to take delivery of him. This becomes imperative for reasons of accountability. “However, the Court has been properly briefed on this development and the
steps being taken to ensure compliance with its Order. “The Service, under the leadership of Yusuf Magaji Bichi (fwc), as the Director General, is not a lawless organisation and will never obstruct justice or disobey Court Orders. It, therefore, affirms that it will do all that is needful once the appropriate processes have been concluded.”
In the Yobe encounter troops of Sector 2 deployed at Damaturu, Yobe State, dislodged terrorists who attempted to infiltrate the town “The attempted infiltration was thwarted by the combined efforts of ground troops, artillery bombardment and precision air strikes by the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole. “The encounter led to the decimation of a number of the insurgents in addition to the destruction of one Boko Haram gun truck. “Unfortunately, one officer paid the supreme price during the encounter”, it said. Col IlIyasu said 16 insurgents along with eight of their spouses who could no longer bear the heat from the onslaught against them
surrendered to the troops of Sector 1, Multinational Joint Task Force at Fotokol. The surrendered insurgents were later handed over to troops of 3 Battalion at Gamboru Ngala, a border town North-east of Borno State. He said during preliminary interrogation and profiling, the insurgents confessed to have actively participated in attacks conducted against both military and civilian targets at various times. He disclosed that 14 of them belonged to the Abubakar Shakau faction of Boko Haram. “In another encounter with the Boko Haram criminals at Muchima in Damboa LGA of Borno State,
9 Boko Haram insurgents were neutralized by troops while others escaped with gunshot wounds. “Additionally, one insurgent gun truck was destroyed, 4 AK 47 Rifles and a cache of ammunition were recovered”, he said. Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai reassured the general public of the resolve of the Nigerian Army to continue to execute its constitutional mandate professionally and responsively for a better and secured Nigeria. He also thank all well-meaning Nigerians for their continued support, goodwill and understanding towards officers and men of the Nigerian Army.
Fayemi Presents N124. 5bn Appropriation Bill Gets FG’s nod to construct federal road Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, yesterday presented the 2020 Appropriation bill of N124, 724,869,355.95 to the State House of Assembly. He has also got the clearance from the Federal Ministry of Works to construct the dilapidated Ado-Akure Road. The budget christened ‘Budget of Deliverables’, has N53,538,093,806.59 representing 43 per cent as capital expenditure while the recurrent expenditure is N71,186,775,549.36 representing 57 per cent of the total budget estimate. Fayemi said the budget was tailored after his administration’s five-pillar agenda for development which was aimed at enhancing good governance and speedy economic transformation of the State. According to the breakdown of the budget along the five pillars shows Agriculture and Rural Development with N3,677,992,233.29
(3%); Knowledge Economy N24,704,934,736.29 (20%); Social Investments N11,188,372,994.37 (9%), Infrastructure and Industrial Development N39,728,043,550.73 (32%), and Governance got N45,425,522,841.27 (36%). The Governor said the proposed budget would provide a platform for the implementation of his administration’s cardinal objectives as covered in the five-pillar agenda; adding that the administration had not wavered from its determination to revamp the socio-economic environment through “distinctive measures and approaches which are conceptualized and aligned with the fiscal framework of the state.” He said the state budget system had been upgraded to conform with the global standard as the document transited from cash based budgeting to International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS). “The administration has embarked on several laudable projects and programmes which will undoubtedly impact lives of the people of the state. Our numerous
development partners who left the state as a result of the unconducive environment for partnership in the last administration are not only back but have signed pacts with our administration to develop Ekiti State. For instance, major investors in the agriculture and industrial sectors have signed business pacts with the state government,” he said. The governor disclosed that part of the support got from development partners was the 1000km rural roads that would be constructed under the Rural Access and Agriculture Marketing Programme (RAMP) of the World Bank and the French Development Agency (AFD). The project which, according to him, would commence in January 2020 as soon as the financing arrangement was signed, would generate employment opportunities, provide reliable access and cost efficient transport system that would facilitate the delivery of agricultural inputs and services to increase productivity.