Nigerians desperately hungry: 13 takeaways from Saraki’s resumption speech (pics, video)

The Nigerian Senate resumed from its Sallah recess on Tuesday, September 20, 2016 with Bukola Saraki, its president, reminding his colleagues and the executive arm of government that the citizens of the country are desperately hungry.
Nigeria is currently suffering from an economic recession and rising cost of food and Saraki did not fail to confirm this,
While proffering solutions to the country’s many challenges, he also promised that the National Assembly would work with the executive arm of government to get Nigeria out of the woods.
Read some of the most important statements he made while addressing his colleagues on the floor of the Senate:
1. I recall unforgettably, how one of the women came straight to me with a look of utter desperation and all she could mutter out was, please our Senator, do what you can to put an end to this suffering, it is becoming unbearable. I don’t know what your experience was, but if your experience mirrored mine, then the challenge before us could not have been made clearer. The words of this woman reverberated across the hall with such unison that it was impossible to under estimate the desperation in the land.
2. Yes, the collapse in oil prices from over $100 per barrel to about $48 recently meant the Nigerian economy would experience serious challenges. However, low sovereign savings have compounded our situation with FX reserves having declined from over $65bn in 2007 to about $30bn by 2015. The implications of this is that we must do something drastic and quick to restore confidence back into the economy and get people investing and spending again if we are to end the despair in the land.
3. It is clear to me that when people are desperately hungry, what they need is leadership with a clear vision; leadership whose daily actions reflects the very urgency of the people’s condition. Therefore, our response to the current challenge must be dictated by the urgency of the hardship that the people suffer on a daily basis.
4. The simple question for our debate must be; how do we tame the widespread hunger in the land? How do we save our businesses from collapse? How do we save jobs for the majority and create even a lot more? Only a few months ago, Naira was exchanging to the dollar at 200; today it is approaching 500. How do we arrest this drift so that our businesses can compete and our children can go to school wherever they may find opportunities.
5. Even as desperate as our people may be for solution, I did not feel that what they expect from us is a miracle. I believe what they want to see is that as leaders, all our hands are on the deck. They don’t care about our politics; they don’t care about our political affiliations; they don’t care if we are APC OR PDP; north or south. What they want is for us to lead the way out of this crisis and deliver on the promises that we made to them.
6. We will work in concert, not at cross-purposes. Our goal is clear; to work together with the Executive to get our economy out of recession. We will proffer our solutions on policy issues, and where necessary enact necessary legislation to ensure that investor confidence returns to the market.
7. The executive must immediately put in place leadership-level engagement platform with the private sector. This must be one that is pro-business and shows unequivocally that government is ready to partner with the private sector towards economic revival. This is a critical signpost towards market confidence which is a key ingredient to help us revamp the economy out of recession.

Saraki with a member of the Senate

8. The executive mist raise capital from asset sales and other sources to shore up foreign reserves. This will calm investors, discourage currency speculation and stabilize the economy. The measures should include part sale of NLNG Holdings; reduction of government share in upstream oil joint venture operations; sale of government stake in financial institutions e.g. Africa Finance Corporation; and the privatization and concession of major/regional airports and refineries.
9. The executive and CBN must agree on a policy of monetary easing to stimulate the economy and harmonise monetary and fiscal policy until economic recovery is attained. We must ensure local government borrowing does not crowd out credit for the private sector.
10. The executive must retool its export promotion policy scheme with export incentives such as the resumption of the Export Expansion Grant (EEG); and introduce export-financing initiatives.
11. The executive is urged to engage in meaningful dialogue with those aggrieved in the Niger Delta and avoid an escalation of the conflict in the region. The National Assembly is very ready to play any role in the process and offer ideas on approaches that will deliver quick win-win in order to move the region and the economy forward.
12. The executive must as a deliberate response consider immediate release of funds to ensure the implementation of the budget for the near short term to inject money into the economy.
13 Distinguished colleagues, I must at the point like to re-emphasis the fact that we need togetherness to tackle this problem and it will be naïve to consider the problem we face today as the problem of the administration alone, or that those who brought us to this situation should see us out, that would be doing a disservice to our people who elected us to help them out when they are in need.

Unpaid Salaries: Bayelsa Teachers’ Strike Enters Day Three

The strike embarked upon by primary and secondary school teachers in Bayelsa State over months of unpaid salaries entered the third day on Wednesday.

The  teachers sat back at home on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday despite resumption of schools following the inability of the Seriake Dickson administration to pay them their salary backlogs.
The government is owing teachers and other categories of workers months of arrears of salaries.
Investigation showed that pupils who turned up on Monday and other days in their various schools were stranded as there were no teachers in their classrooms.
The pupils were said to have played away their time and later returned to their various homes after waiting in vain for their teachers to resume work.
On Wednesday, checks revealed that the pupils did not bother going to school after they were told their teachers were on strike since Monday.
At St. Jude Secondary School at Amarata, Yenagoa, it was discovered deserted. Some residents were seen playing hockey at the school’s field.
As of 9am, no pupil and teacher were seen around the St. Mathias Primary School in Yenagoa.
Similar situation was discovered at Community Primary School, Onopa, and the Community Secondary School, Okaka.
Teachers under the auspices of the National Union of Teachers made good their threat to begin strike after exhausting the final seven-day ultimatum they gave to the government.
The teachers accused the governor of violating all the agreements reached with them and failing to pay their salaries for about seven months.
They said non-payment of salaries had thrown them into unbearable hardship.
The teachers in a communique jointly signed by the state Chairman, Mr. Kalama Toinpre and Secretary, Mr. Jonhson Hector, had asked the government to reinstate dismissed teachers who were employed in 2008 and 2009.
They further appealed to the government to look into non-payment and non-implementation of promotions of teachers and N18,000 minimum wage arrears.
The teachers said they were angry at non-provision of instructional materials and infrastructures in schools.
When contacted, the Commissioner for Education, Markson Fefegha, was said to be in a meeting.
Further calls to his mobile phone indicated that it was switched off

Actress Tonto Dikeh Flaunts Her Recently Acquired iPhone7

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The actress’ hubby bought her the newly released iPhone 7 and she took to Instagram to share and appreciate him. see photos of the phone after the break

3 times Aisha Buhari has proven that recession is just a word (Photos)

AISHA BUHARI HOST WOMEN 00; L-R; Wife of the Vice President Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo and Wife of the President Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari during a dinner hosted by the wife of the President at the presidential villa in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE JUNE 14 2015.

The Nigerian first lady, Aisha Buhari has shown that when it comes to her dressing she spares no expense. The first sign of this was about a year ago when, she wore a very expensive watch to the presidential inauguration ceremony.
Investigations by Breaking Times said that the wife of the Nigerian President appeared on the official portrait with a Cartier Baignoire Folle 18-Carat white gold and diamond ladies watch that cost £34,500.
According to the CBN foreign exchange rate as at that time the wristwatch costs N10, 453, 000 (Ten Million, Four Hundred and Fifty Three Thousand Naira).
Below are some of the times, she showed that she could clearly afford the best of the best, recession or not:

1. Presidential Inauguration, May 29, 2015

Aisha Buhari wearing a Cartier watch at the 2015 inauguration caused an uproar

Cartier Watch

As stated above, this was the first time Nigerians understood, that she loved the wealthy life, as she flaunted a Cartier Baignoire Folle 18-Carat white gold and diamond ladies.
Nigerians cried out with many claiming the watch cost more than N10 million. The outrage that ensued was mainly because their were earlier indications that the Buharis were a modest family. Especially after the President said he was a pastoral farmer with 150 cows, and that he had barely raised the money to pay for his presidential nomination form.
So a £34,500 Cartier watch was the last thing Nigerians were expecting, even at the exchange rate of N303 to £1 in 2015.

Naira depreciates against dollar

The Naira on Friday depreciated in most major segments of the foreign exchange market, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
The Nigerian currency fell by N2.24 to exchange at N308.69 to the dollar at the interbank market, from N306.93 recorded on Thursday.
At the Bureau De Change (BDC) segment of the market, it closed at N420 to the dollar, N550 to the Pound Sterling and N465 against the Euro.
At the parallel market, naira lost N2 to close at N425 against the dollar from N423 it traded on Thursday, while it exchanged at N545 and N470 against the Pound Sterling and the Euro, respectively.
Traders at the market said that in spite of the reduction in the rush for the greenback to meet up school fees payment, the naira continued to depreciate.

They said that the demand for dollars for importation far outstripped its supply.

Jonathan’s wife’s $15m: Four firms plead guilty

Patience Jonathan

Four companies linked to former First Lady Patience Jonathan, yesterday pleaded guilty to laundering $15,591,700 (about N5billion).

They are: Pluto Property and Investment Company Ltd (represented by Friday Davis), Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Ltd (represented by Agbor Baro), Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Ltd (represented by Dioghowori Frederick) and Avalon Global Property Development Ltd (represented by Taiwo Ebenezer).

The companies, along with a former Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Waripamo Dudafa, a lawyer, Amajuoyi Briggs and a banker, Adedamola Bolodeoku, were arraigned at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

Dudafa, Briggs and Bolodeoku  pleaded not guilty to a 17-count charge before Mr. Justice Babs Kuewumi.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said the accused persons conspired on November 13, 2013 in Lagos to launder $15,591,700.

It said the defendants “reasonably ought to have known that the funds form part of the proceeds of an unlawful act”.

The alleged offence is contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012 and punishable under Section 15 (3).

Mrs Jonathan sued EFCC and Skye Bank over the freezing of her bank accounts, demanding N200 million damages.

She said the funds in the accounts of the companies, which pleaded guilty, were hers.

An aide, Sammie Somiari, who deposed to an affidavit on behalf of the former first lady, claimed she helped Mrs Jonathan open the accounts.

He said Dudafa, on March 22, 2010 brought two Skye Bank officers, Bolodeoku and Dipo Oshodi, to meet Mrs Jonathan at home, following which she authorised the accounts’ opening. She was the sole signatory.

Somiari, however, added that after the five accounts were opened, Mrs Jonathan discovered that Dudafa opened only one of the accounts in her name; the other four were opened in the names of Dudafa’s companies.

According to Somiari, Mrs Jonathan had been operating the accounts after Oshodi promised to change the accounts’ names to hers.

“Since 2010 up until 2014 and thereafter, the applicant (Mrs Jonathan) had been using the cards on the said accounts and operating the said accounts without let or hindrance.

“Even in May, June and July 2016, the applicant travelled overseas for medical treatment and was using the said credit cards abroad up until July 7, 2016 or thereabouts when the cards stopped functioning,” he said.

Mrs Jonathan is urging the court to compel the EFCC to immediately remove the “No Debit Order” placed on her accounts.

Seagate Property, Dudafa, Bolodeoku and Sompre Omiebi (said to be at large) were accused of indirectly retaining $1,094,500 through a Skye Bank Plc account (2110002207) between November 14 and 19, 2013. EFCC said the money “forms part of an unlawful act to wit: stealing.”

They were also accused of indirectly retaining $1,200,000 through the Skye Bank account between January 21 and December 19, 2014; as well as $1,349,700 through the same account between March 31 and May 20, 2015.

Trans Ocean and others were said to have “indirectly retained” $1,897,600 and $1,839,900, through Skye Bank account 2110002245 between February 2014 and last May.

Pluto Property and others allegedly retained $1,895,400 and $1,200,000 through Skye Bank account 2110002238 between February 21, 2014 and last May.

EFCC said Avalon Global and others, last May 28, indirectly retained $250,000 through a Wema Bank Plc account no 0122493290.

The commission said Dudafa, Briggs, Bolodeoku and Omiebi, on November 26, 2013, conspired to forge a Skye Bank mandate card purportedly signed by Friday Davis as Signatory A, an offence punishable under Section 1 (19)(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 2004.

It said the forged document was to the prejudice of Skye Bank which was induced to open an account no. 2110002238 in Pluto Property’s name.

EFCC said they also forged mandate cards with which the accounts of Trans Ocean (no. 2110002245, with Kola Fredrick as Signatory B), Avalon Global (2110002252, with Taiwo Ebenezer and Chima John as Signatory A and B) and Seagate Property (2110002207, with Agbo Baro as Signatory A) were opened.

Dudafa, Bolodeoku and Omiebi were also accused of forging a Wema Bank corporate account mandate card to the bank’s prejudice.

EFCC said the mandate card with which Avalon Global’s account was opened, was signed by Taiwo Ebenezer and Chima John.

Before the arraignment, defence counsel had objected to the charge on the basis that the individuals who claimed to represent the companies did not exhibit any authorisation letters.

“EFCC could have picked them on the street. There has to be a letter in writing from the companies in line with Section 477 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act,” Dudafa’s lawyer Gbenga Oyewole said.

Bolodeoku’s lawyer, Joseph Okobiemen said: “This is a joint trial. Whatever plea given by the companies will rub off on others.”

Briggs’ lawyer, Tochukwu Onyiuke, added: “They merely claimed they’re representatives, but they have not exhibited any documents appointing them.”

Mr. Justice Kuewumi discountenanced the objections and directed the court’s registrar to read the charges.

After the representatives had pleaded guilty on the companies’ behalf, prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo asked the court to allow him review the facts of the case so the judge could sentence the companies, but the judge said that would be done on the next adjourned date.

Mr. Justice Kuewumi granted Briggs and Bolodeoku bail for N250million with one surety, who must be a property owner in a “highbrow” area of Lagos.

The surety must deposit the Certificate of Occupancy and his International Passport at the court. The land registry is to verify the CofO, the judge ordered.

Dudafa’s lawyer, Gboyega Oyewole urged the court to allow his client to continue on the bail terms earlier granted him by Justice Mohammed Idris of the same court.

EFCC first arraigned Dudafa on June 16 on 23 counts of conspiracy and concealment of crime proceeds. He and Iwejuo Joseph Nna (alias Taiwo A. Ebenezer and Olugbenga Isaiah) were accused of conspiring to conceal proceeds of crime amounting to over N1.6billion on June 11, 2013. They pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

Mr. Justice Kuewumi said since the charge was different, a fresh bail application ought to be filed.

He adjourned until September 27 for trial.

Former First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan has picked holes in the authenticity of the representatives of the four companies who pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges of money laundering at a Federal High Court in Lagos, presided over by Justice Babs Kuewumi. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants told the court through their counsel that their clients were challenging the validity of the representatives of Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited; Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited; and Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited on the basis that they failed to produce a letter of authority to represent the companies as required under section 477 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. The companies are facing a 15-count 2nd Amended Charge along with Waripamo Dudafa, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, and two others. While Dudafa and the two others pleaded not guilty, the fourth to seventh defendants whose authenticity as the true representatives of the company was challenged proceeded to curiously plead guilty and admitted culpability before the court. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has since frozen the companies’ accounts with Skye Bank, while Mrs Jonathan has sued the commission and the bank, laying claims to the accounts. The former First Lady’s through her media aide, Chima Osuji alleged that the EFCC presented four unknown people as representatives of the companies, all of who did not show letters authorising them by their respective boards to represent them in the case. “This is a clear evidence of the desperation of the prosecution to pull down the former First Lady and confiscate her hard-earned money,” he quipped. Osuji stated: “It is an irony. it was the former first lady who went to court for the repatriation of her confiscated money when she realised that the EFCC and its co-travellers were playing politics with this issue after she had come out publicly to say that the said money belongs to her and that she has all evidence to prove the sources of her money. Up till this very moment, EFCC has refused to interrogate or invite her for EFCC boss Magu and Patience Jonathan EFCC boss Magu and Patience Jonathan questioning. He further said: “The biggest twist in court on Thursday was that the fourth to seventh defendants pleaded guilty to all the 15-count charges. It is clear that these unknown faces were agents of the EFCC, who have been stage-managed and tutored to come to court to complicate the case as a strategy to confiscate her money.” The aide reiterated the respect of his boss for the sanctity and integrity of the judiciary as the bastion of hope for every citizen of the country. He however expressed disappointment that Mrs. Jonathan well-earned image was being maligned in the court of public opinion through the “tissues of lies being churned out by the EFCC in respect of the matter.” He continued that “Mrs Jonathan is not a Director, shareholder, promoter and/or participant in any of the four companies now under trial, and that she was the sole signatory to all the said accounts, contrary to the fabrication that she used her driver and cook as proxies”. Finally, he said Mrs Jonathan has denied ever receiving any monies from any unknown sources into her accounts and that the accounts were opened in order to facilitate her travel overseas particularly for medical treatment, sundry purchase for herself and her late mother Mrs. Charity Oba (Mama Sisi).

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/09/patience-jonathan-accuses-efcc-of-hiring-mercenaries-to-plead-guilty/

9 New Features of iPhone 7, 7 Plus

Apple officially announced the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus on Wednesday.
The new iPhone features a design that’s very similar to last year’s iPhone 6S (and the year prior’s iPhone 6), with a rounded aluminium body. But what’s entirely new?

Here are its new features:

1. Water Resistance
   
   The phone is water resistant, which means you can get the iPhone 7 or the larger iPhone 7 Plus wet without worry.
2. Dual camera system
   
   Also new is the long-rumoured dual camera system.The camera in standard sized iPhone 7 has been upgraded with optical image stabilisation and a brighter f/1.8 lens that lets in 50 percent more light than the iPhone 6S’ f/2.2 lens. Apple says the new 12-megapixel sensor, which has the same resolution as last year’s phone, is 60 percent faster and 30 percent more efficient. It’s coupled with a new image processing chip and quad-LED flash that produces 50 percent more light. Apple’s Phil Schiller boasts that the new processing engine leverages machine learning and has “supercomputer performance”.
   The front camera on the iPhone 7 has been bumped to 7 megapixels with automatic image stabilisation for better selfies and video recording. But the real upgrades were saved for the larger iPhone 7 Plus’ dual camera system. The company says the new dual camera allows for true 2x optical zoom without loss of image quality. One of the lenses is equivalent to 28mm for wide angle shots (like a standard iPhone camera), while the other has a closer, 60mm equivalent lens. Switching between the two cameras is seamless in the iPhone 7 Plus’ camera app — just tap the 1x or 2x button and the camera will switch automatically. You can zoom further, up to 10x, but beyond 2x is digital zoom that crops the photo.Apple has also developed a feature that uses both lenses to mimic a shallow depth of field, like what can be accomplished with a larger DSLR. This feature will be available via a software update later this year.
3. Stereo speakers
   
   As has been rumoured all year, the iPhone 7 line does not have a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. In its place is a second speaker, giving the phone stereo sound, and Apple has developed a set of EarPods with a Lightning connector that will be included with the phone. Additionally, an adaptor comes in the box so you can still use 3.5mm headphones with the device.
4. Darker black colour scheme
   
   The new phone may look very similar to last year’s models, but instead of the matte metal finish we’ve become used to, it has a glossy, mirrored design.
   The new colour is called jet black and is much darker and richer than the space black of years past. Apple is also releasing a standard black model, along with gold, silver, and rose gold.
5. No headphone jack
   
   As expected, the iPhone 7 does not have a headphone jack, rendering countless 3.5mm headphones useless with the device (or requiring the use of an adaptor).
   
   In addition, Apple has developed a new set of wireless headphones called AirPods, which are designed to work with the iPhone 7. The AirPods are truly wireless, without a cable connecting the left and right headphone. Apple developed a new wireless technology that handles both audio and the wireless connection to the phone or Apple Watch. They have sensors to detect when they are in your ears and “motion accelerometers” to activate Siri. Apple says the AirPods have five hours of battery life and come with a battery case that provides 25 hours of use. The AirPods will be available in late October for $169. Apple-owned Beats is also introducing a line of headphones that make use of the new wireless technology.
6. Force sensitive home button
   
   Apple has redesigned the iconic home button for the iPhone 7, making it force sensitive like the Force Touch trackpads used in recent MacBook laptops.
   
   
7. Brighter displayThe new phones have upgraded displays that are 25 percent brighter, with a wider colour gamut for better colour reproduction and improved colour management.
   Both include the 3D Touch pressure sensitive display that debuted with the 6S line. But it appears that Apple did not update the image resolution of the displays, meaning that this year’s iPhone has the same number of pixels as 2014’s iPhone 6. (The iPhone 7 is 750 x 1334 pixels, while the iPhone 7 Plus is 1080 x 1920.)
8. Faster ProcessorThe iPhone 7 comes with a new A10 Fusion processor that is said to be 40 percent faster than last year’s chip. It is paired with a new graphics processing chip that is 50 percent faster than what’s in the A9.
9. Longer battery lifeApple also says that the new phones have “the longest battery life ever of an iPhone”, but the actual improvements seem as incremental as always. The company says the smaller iPhone 7 will last two hours longer than the iPhone 6S, while the 7 Plus gains an hour over the 6S Plus.

Apple says the new phone will be available for purchase on September 16th, though pre-orders start on September 9th.
The iPhone 7 will start with 32GB of storage for $649 (a long awaited upgrade from the 16GB that used to be in the base model) and goes up to 256GB for $849.
The larger iPhone 7 Plus is actually more expensive than its predecessor, starting at $769 for the 32GB version and go up to $969 for the top model.

Nigeria To Borrow From World Bank, China, Japan

The presidency on Thursday said it had approved an external borrowing plan after the cash-strapped African economy plunged into official recession.
“Low cost, long-term loans (1.25% interest, 20yr tenor)” would be sought from the World Bank, African Development Bank, China’s Exim Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, it announced.

A Eurobond would also be offered “in due course” and parliament has still to sign off on the plan, President Muhammadu Buhari’s office added in a series of tweets.
Recession in Nigeria was confirmed last month, when official data showed output in the three months to the end of June fell 2.1 percent — the second successive quarter of negative growth.

That followed months of turmoil including a failing currency, rising double-digit inflation, and foreign exchange shortages that have hit business, especially imports and investment.
The decline has laid bare OPEC-member Nigeria’s over-reliance on oil revenue and the lack of economic diversity, after global oil prices began free falling from mid-2014.
Nigeria’s government is dependent on oil export sales for 70 percent of its revenue. Militant attacks on facilities in the Niger delta have compounded the effects of the worldwide slump in crude prices.
Buhari has also blamed the economic troubles on his predecessors, saying he inherited a treasury that was “virtually empty” and that “mind-boggling” sums of public cash had been looted.
He has vowed to recover the money, prosecute corrupt officials and streamline government, cutting waste and improving efficiency, as well as diversify the economy, particularly agriculture.
The government said the external loans would be used mainly in the agriculture, power, mining development and healthcare sectors.
A record 6.1-trillion-naira ($19.4-billion) spending plan was announced in this year’s federal budget to try to stimulate growth.
International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde visited Nigeria in January but said at the time that no programme was needed.
Source: Punch

NAF deploys Special Forces in Airports

A special counter terrorism exercise code-named ‘Exercise Steel Dome’ has been launched by the Nigerian Air force (NAF) for all the airports in the country.

Military commandos from the Nigerian Air Force Regiment, the Nigerian Army, the Navy and other security agencies held the first simulation exercise for ‘Operation Steel Dome’ at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Wednesday.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, told journalists shortly after exercise at the Abuja Airport that Steel Dome was designed to put in place a force that would be effective in the event of any attack in the nation’s airports.

Abubakar said that the simulation exercise was put in place to ensure that there were no gaps in operational plans in the event that such rescue operations became necessary in the nation’s airports.
The Air Chief said that the counter terrorism simulation exercise which involved a mock rescue operation for passengers held hostage by terrorists would be repeated in all the airports in the country
According to him, the NAF would carry out the next round of counter terrorism simulation exercise at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, the Port Harcourt International International Airport, the Aminu Kano International Airport and others.
He said that the NAF had enough trained special forces to carry out the exercise in the airports.

Army tests Officers on Weapon Handling

The 81 Division of the Nigerian Army in a bid to ascertain the proficiency of its men in weapons handling, drills, map reading, combat swimming and obstacle crossing, especially in the war front started a competition on Wednesday.

The competition is to test the proficiency of its officers during effective military operations, and is between warrant officers and senior non-commissioned officers in 9 Brigade, Lagos.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Division, Major General Isidore Edet, who spoke at the opening ceremony of the competition, said it will hold till Friday, September 9, 2016.

Edet, who said the competition among the officers was also to improve their leadership traits, added, “Leadership at the lowest level is critical to success of the Nigerian Army and the military in any operation.

“If the commanders at the junior level are physically fit, good in the use of their weapons at that level and if the leadership traits are well developed, it means we are on our way to victory in any battle.

”This is because the leadership trait they have will be brought to the table of the troops they command which is part of the importance of this competition.

“This competition is aimed at achieving physically fit officers and enhanced leadership qualities. This is what they will go through while competing among each other.”

Edet said that the competition would impact positively on the various military operations they were currently undertaking, adding that the units to partake in this competition includes the 9 Brigade, 35 Artillery Brigade, 45 Division Engineers and 81 Division Garrison.

Also, the 9 Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Sanni Mohammed,  in his welcome address, said the brigade was tasked to host and participate in the competition.

President Obama and Michelle Obama Cover Essence Magazine

US President, Barack Obama and his wife Michelle cover the latest issue of Essence magazine and they brought some presidential swag along with them.
They talked about their life in the White House and looking forward to life afterwards. “…I can unequivocally say that America is better off now than we were when we came into office. By almost every economic measure, we’re better off,” President Obama said. “But having said that, we still have a lot of work to do.”