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Friday, June 19, 2015
UN decries violence against children in Nigeria, others
The United Nations has decried the violence against children by non-state armed groups in Nigeria and other countries recording conflict. The UN said 2014 was the worst year for children in the affected countries.
In a statement by the Secretary-General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon, said this in New York when the Security Council of the world body opened debate on children and armed conflict.
The UN said groups like the Lord’s Resistance Army had kidnapped children “for many years.” It, however, noted that the scale and nature of the violation of children was changing.
According to the global body, abduction is now being used as a tactic to terrorise or target particular ethnic groups or religious communities, and children have been a particular focus.
“The large number of abductions by Da’esh and Boko Haram has shocked us repeatedly in recent months,” Ki-moon stated.
The UN scribe stressed the need to also recognise that the act was prevalent in many other situations and was perpetrated by a great range of other non-state armed groups.
The statement read, “Last year was one of the worst in recent memory for children in countries affected by conflict. My report before you outlines the enormous challenges we face in upholding the fundamental rights of tens of millions of children. We have seen crises multiply and intensify, making protection more and more difficult.
“Grave violations against children have been an affront to our common humanity in the Central African Republic, Iraq, Nigeria, South Sudan and Syria.
“I am also deeply alarmed at the suffering of so many children as a result of Israeli military operations in Gaza last year. I urge Israel to take concrete and immediate steps, including by reviewing existing policies and practices, to protect and prevent the killing and maiming of children, and to respect the special protections afforded to schools and hospitals.
“Around the world, many thousands of children have experienced acts that no child should suffer.
They have been killed, maimed, forcibly recruited, tortured and sexually abused. Their schools have been destroyed. And, in a worrying trend, abductions have increased rapidly.”
Ki-moon disclosed that the 10-year anniversary of the council’s resolution 1612 (2005), which established the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism on the recruitment and use of child soldiers, would be marked in July.
My Special Representative and her predecessors have made great strides in protecting children from recruitment. The “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign is based on many years of work to change attitudes.
He noted that while further progress had been witnessed in 2015, the world was moving closer towards a world in which no child wears a government uniform and engages in combat.
“I encourage those concerned governments here today to redouble their efforts to implement the goals of the campaign and to work with my Special Representative,” he added.
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Buhari: First 10 days as President
In this report, LEKE BAIYEWU examines the activities of President Muhammadu Buhari against the expectations of Nigerians
President Muhammadu Buhari has spent 10
days in office. Since he was sworn in on May 29, Nigerians have kept
calling on his administration to pay attention to aspects of the economy
that directly affect them. According to analysts, the new
administration is bearing a huge burden of expectations.
Apparently to end the curiosity in some
quarters, Buhari had set the first tone of his administration in his
inaugural speech, where he stated that he belonged to everybody and
belonged to nobody. Beyond his campaign promises, his inaugural speech
raised some issues which were in line with his campaign that was hinged
on providing security, rebuilding the economy and fighting corruption.
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The
speech was widely seen by analysts as revealing the new President’s
knowledge of the wrongs with the country. In it, he listed several
challenges his administration is ready to tackle.
For instance, after thanking the
governments and people of Cameroon, Chad and Niger for committing their
armed forces to fighting Boko Haram in Nigeria, Buhari said, “I also
wish to assure the wider international community of our readiness to
cooperate and help to combat threats of cross-border terrorism, sea
piracy, refugees and boat people, financial crime, cybercrime, climate
change, the spread of communicable diseases and other challenges of the
21st century.”
President Buhari noted that Nigeria was
faced with “enormous challenges.” He said “insecurity, pervasive
corruption, the hitherto unending and seemingly impossible fuel and
power shortages” were his immediate concerns. “We are going to tackle
them head on. Nigerians will not regret that they have entrusted
national responsibility to us. We must not succumb to hopelessness and
defeatism. We can fix our problems,” he stated.
Specifically on the economy, the
President said no single cause could be identified to explain the
country’s poor economic performance over the years than the power
situation.
“It is a national shame that an economy
of 180 million generates only 4,000MW, and distributes even less,” he
lamented. Buhari noted that continuous tinkering with the structures of
power supply and distribution, as well as the $20b expended since 1999
had only brought darkness, frustration, misery and resignation among
Nigerians.
“We will not allow this to go on. Careful
studies are under way during this transition to identify the quickest,
safest and most cost-effective way to bring light and relief to
Nigerians,” he stated.
Beyond power problems, unemployment is
another issue the President said he would address. He said his
administration intended to attack the problem “frontally” through
revival of agriculture, solid minerals, mining, as well as credits to
small and medium scale businesses to kick start these enterprises. “We
shall quickly examine the best way to revive major industries and
accelerate the revival and development of our railways, roads and
general infrastructure,” Buhari said.
Furthermore, the President sought the
support, understanding and cooperation of labour unions, organised
private sector, the press and civil society organisations. He also
appealed to employers and workers alike to unite in raising productivity
so that everybody would have the opportunity to share in increased
prosperity.
The president said, “My appeal for unity
is predicated on the seriousness of the legacy we are getting into. With
depleted foreign reserves, falling oil prices, leakages and debts, the
Nigerian economy is in deep trouble and will require careful management
to bring it round and to tackle the immediate challenges confronting us,
namely; Boko Haram, the Niger Delta situation, the power shortages and
unemployment, especially among young people. For the longer term we have
to improve the standards of our education. We have to look at the whole
field of Medicare. We have to upgrade our dilapidated physical
infrastructure.”
To him, the most urgent security concern
is the insurgency. Although he acknowledged the progress security forces
had made in the last few weeks, Buhari said security forces had made
progress in the last few weeks, victory could be achieved by basing the
Command and Control Centre in Maiduguri, Borno State. He said, “The
command centre will be relocated to Maiduguri and remain (there) until
Boko Haram is completely subdued.”
Expectedly, the Buhari-led administration
would not claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok
girls and other hostages in the sect’s captivity. “This government will
do all it can to rescue them alive,” the President assured.
In what Buhari considered as the genesis
of Boko Haram insurgency, the Islamic sect is “a typical example of
small fires causing large fires,” while its “eccentric and unorthodox
preacher with a tiny following” was given posthumous fame and following
by his extrajudicial murder by the Police. He added that, “Since then,
through official bungling, negligence, complacency or collusion, Boko
Haram became a terrifying force, taking tens of thousands of lives and
capturing several towns and villages covering swathes of Nigerian
sovereign territory.”
While dismissing Boko Haram as “a
mindless, godless group who are as far away from Islam as one can think
of,” the President called that when the group had been subdued, his
administration intended to conduct a study to determine the sect’s
origins, remote and immediate causes of the movement, its sponsors, the
international connexions to ensure that measures are taken to prevent a
recurrence of “this evil.”
For now, Buhari said, the Armed Forces
would be fully charged with prosecuting the fight against Boko haram. He
said his administration would overhaul the rules of engagement to avoid
human rights violations in operations, and improve operational and
legal mechanisms for disciplinary steps to be taken against proven human
right violations by the forces.
The President noted that Boko Haram was
not only the security issue bedevilling the country. According to him,
the spate of kidnappings, armed robberies, herdsmen/farmers clashes,
cattle rustlings all help to add to the general air of insecurity in the
land.
In the last 10 days, the Buhari-led
administration seems to have focused its attention on security.
Observers of the activities of the new administration have described it
as “slow and steady.” They noted the administration had yet to take
shape while its direction remained unclear.
At the inauguration gala President Buhari
appealed to Nigerians to bear with his administration as he and the
Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo began their work of reconstructing the
country in earnest. He noted that the appeal became necessary due to the
collateral damage done to the system before the new team came on board.
The President added that the enormous damage inflicted on the country
could easily be appreciated by comparing the nation’s infrastructure in
1999 with what currently prevails.
Buhari also decried high rate of youth
unemployment which, he said, represented about 60 per cent of the
country’s population. According to him, the country is sitting on a keg
of gun powder with the prevailing unpleasant situation. To address the
issue, the President said his administration would focus on agriculture
and mining to engage some of the unemployed youths.
He asked Nigerians to pray for the
country more than they were doing, saying, “Nigeria prays a lot; we need
to even pray the more for luck so that the expectations our people
have, especially the youths, would be met.”
On day two of the administration,
President Buhari, while reacting to reported cases of VIPs being stopped
at the airports, said no law-abiding Nigerian had been barred from
travelling outside the country.
A statement issued by the then Director,
APC Presidential Campaign Council, Garba Shehu, said, “Officials of past
administrations, including ministers, are entitled to their full rights
and privileges under the constitution and must not be subjected to any
undue harassment and intimidation at the airports or at other points of
entry and exit.”
The President directed all agencies under the government to run their affairs in full compliance with extant rules.
It would be recalled that the President,
in his inaugural speech, had dismissed all fears that his administration
would witch-hunt former government officials in the last
administration. He said, “A few people have privately voiced fears that
on coming back to office I shall go after them. These fears are
groundless. There will be no paying off old scores. The past is
prologue.”
A day after their inauguration, the
Presidency announced that President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo
had declared their assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau as required by
the Nigerian Constitution.
The Constitution states in Chapter VI
Section 140 that a person elected to the Office of the President shall
not begin to perform the functions of that office until he has declared
his assets and liabilities as prescribed in the Constitution.
The duo, however, failed to make the contents public as they promised the electorate during their electioneering campaign.
While the Presidency claimed the
declaration was in fulfilment of constitutional requirements and
campaign promises, analysts believed that both Buhari and Osinbajo had
not done anything spectacular because the contents were not made public.
According to this school of thought, the constitutional requirement had
been fulfilled while the moral expectation – that it would be done
publicly – had not been met.
Last Sunday – day three of the
administration – Buhari named the President of the Nigeria Guild of
Editors, Mr. Femi Adesina and Shehu as his spokesmen. Adesina, who was
the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of The Sun newspapers, will serve
as Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, while Shehu,
was the President of the NGE 16 years ago, will be Senior Special
Assistant on Media and Publicity.
The President also approved the appointment of Mr. Lawal Kazaure as the State Chief of Protocol.
The set of appointments was the first by the new administration, raising the anxiety over those who will form Buhari’s cabinet.
It was learnt that the President was
delaying the formal announcement of all his appointees until zonal
balancing is ensured. Sources said the President was being mindful of
the constitutional provision (Section 14 sub-section (3) of the 1999
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria), which stipulates
respect for federal character.
It was further learnt that Buhari, who
appears set to appoint a former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Abdurrahman
Danbazau (retd.), as the National Security Adviser, was also
contemplating appointing Col. Hameed Ali (retd.) as his Chief of Staff.
The names of former governors of Lagos and Ekiti states, Mr. Babatunde
Fashola (SAN) and Dr. Kayode Fayemi, respectively, are also being touted
in some quarters.
Last Monday, President Buhari held a
closed-door meeting with the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo
Dasuki (retd.), in what appeared to be his first action on the spate of
insecurity especially in the North-East.
The meeting was allegedly aimed at
assessing the security situation in the country against the backdrop of
renewed attacks by Boko Haram. The meeting also discussed ways of
relocating the military Central Command to Maiduguri, as directed by the
President in his inaugural speech.
On Tuesday, President Buhari requested the approval of the National Assembly to appoint 15 Special Advisers.
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate approved the proposal.
Same Tuesday, President Buhari met with
the service chiefs, where they briefed him on the security situation in
the country. They were appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan
on January 16, 2014.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral
Usman Jibrin, after the meeting, said the service chiefs succeeded in
providing the President insights into the security situation of the
country. He added that they were working out the modalities for the
relocation of Command Centre against Boko Haram to Maiduguri.
“On the relocation of the command centre,
we are the ones to go back and work on it. Soon, it will be carried
out, it is a presidential directive, it must be carried out, and we must
do that as quickly as possible,” Jibrin said.
Those who attended the meeting included
the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh; Chief of Army
Staff, Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola
Amosu; and the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase.
Between Wednesday and Thursday, Buhari
visited Niger and Chad, his first official trip after becoming
President, to seek their cooperation to succeed in the campaign against
the terrorist group.
While with President Issoufou Mahamadou
of Niger Republic during his visit on Wednesday, a statement by Shehu,
quoted Buhari as saying he has absolute confidence in the ability of the
Nigerian military to bring an end to the insurgency.
He said, “My administration will bring
new impetus and a renewed commitment to the efforts to wipe out the
menace of the Boko Haram insurgents. As a first step, we have directed
the relocation of the command post of the counter-insurgency operations
to Maiduguri until such a time that the insurgency is completely
defeated.
Mahamadou was also quoted as telling
Buhari that, “Your decision to move the military command of Nigeria to
the North-East has further strengthened our conviction that the war
against terrorism will soon come to an end.”
Meanwhile, Boko Haram has carried out seven suicide bomb attacks in Borno and Adamawa within the period under review.
In the latest video Boko Haram released
on Tuesday, which did not show its leader, Abubakar Shekau, the sect
rejected claims from Nigerian military that it had been routed by a
four-nation offensive. The unidentified speaker, who obscured his face
with a headscarf, said “Most of our territory is still under our
control” in the 10-minute message. He also dismissed claims that the
insurgents had been defeated as “false propaganda.”
While assessing Buhari’s efforts in
tackling the insurgency in the North-East so far, a former Commandant of
the Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Brig.-Gen. Williams Obene
(retd.), said it was necessary for any government that wanted to succeed to give security the utmost priority.
Obene said, “Any leader that is worth his
call must make the sect his number one priority. It is not out of place
to prioritise security and Boko Haram is the greatest challenge among
other security problems that we have as a nation.
“It is good that he has made it a
priority; the previous government did not think it could give it the top
priority. With his military background, the right actions will be
taken.”
Speaking on the planned relocation of the
military’s command centre to Maiduguri, Obene said it was a
presidential directive and soldiers were meant to take orders. He noted
that Buhari in his wisdom, asked the military to relocate the command
centre to that place.
He said, “My take is that it was done out
of frustration on the part of Mr. President because he had watched from
the sideline the lackadaisical way the operations had been handled.
“Troops are dying, welfare is not met,
there are cases of indiscipline and running away from the frontline (of
battles) and myriads of problems; and the command centre just sits in
Abuja and its impact is not felt. ‘Go to the epicentre and bring out the
novice of the field commanders there.’ That is a presidential directive
and I think the military authorities are working towards it.”
Obene, however, noted that relocating the
command centre to the battlefront had its demerits. According to him,
“That strategy, to a large extent, will help,”adding that it comes with
some implications.”
The retired general pointed out that
there was no war situation that did not have implications. He said what
made war against terrorism worse was the asymmetric way of fighting.
He said, “In a conventional setting, the
presence of a commander at the frontline (of war) normally changes the
dynamics of the situation and boosts the morale of troops. The commander
does not go there empty handed; as he goes, equipment and materials
that will boost the morale of troops go ahead of him – that is in a
regular, conventional setting.
“In asymmetric warfare, the commanders
have not been able to influence the battlefield to a large extent.
Moving the command centre to that place will likely have its problems.
We are very optimistic and we believe they are on ground to be able to
plan.”
Beyond security, there are other pending
issues, mostly economic. According to observers of the economic
challenges facing the masses, the protracted fuel scarcity and shortage
in power supply — which climaxed at the close of the last administration
and almost led to an economic collapse — require urgent decisions by
the new government to address them.
In the wake of the growing expectations
from the electorate, Buhari’s party, the All Progressive Congress, seem
to have come to the President’s defence by asking Nigerians to be
patient with him.
Buhari had met with members of the
National Working Committee of the APC on Tuesday, after which the
party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, confirmed the fact
that Nigerians’ expectations are extremely high and that the public
expects a new dawn. He, however, noted that all the problems with the
country could not be solved in one day.
“All the problems cannot be solved in one
day but what Nigerians want is to be sure that we are getting it right
and that we are on the proper path towards addressing their long
frustration towards ameliorating their condition and that is what they
will get,” he said.
A school of thought believes the
Buhari-led administration had yet to do anything concrete since it
began, therefore, it cannot be assessed by the electorate yet. The Lead
Director, Centre for Social Justice, Mr. Eze Onyekpere, for instance,
said the new administration still had to
settle down, with the appointment of those that would work, before it
could be assessed. He argued that the President had yet to take concrete
steps on security.
“On Friday, after he finished speaking,
Boko Haram has been attacking since then and nothing has happened in
terms response from the government. My view is that they should be given
more time. But nothing has been done. They are still trying to settle
down,” Onyekpere said.
The public affairs analyst pointed out
that there was still a logjam on the appointment of those that would
form Buhari’s cabinet. He said until the issue was resolved, the
administration might not make headway.
Onyekpere further said, “They are still
having internal problems of managing their victory in terms of
appointing the people to work for them. You can see that they have not
been able to resolve the issues with the leadership of the Senate and
House of Representatives. They said they did not want zoning but there
is no way in Nigeria – in a society like Nigeria – there will always be
zoning. If you say it (appointment) is on merit, and the President and
the Vice President come from the same place, how will other components
of Nigeria feel? Remember that there are different ethnic groups,
religions and sensibilities. That is why our constitution provided for
Federal Character.
“They have not been able to put their house together. When they do, and appoint officials, we can begin to assess them.
Super luxury Yatch same length as two jumbo jets or ten buses needs an owner
Culled from Daily Mail
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS MAGNIFICENT MEGA YATCH:
The Admiral X-Force 145 is an absolute epitome of
seafaring luxury
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS MAGNIFICENT MEGA YATCH:
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The Italian Sea Group, who has yet to build the yacht, said that the price of the mega ship will only be available on request |
Measuring
a massive 476ft, the boat - the same length as two jumbo jets - has a
garage, gyms and swimming pools
The
mega yatch is so expensive (in the region of billions of dollars) that its price
will only be available to those who declare a firm interest
These are
the stunning renderings of a brand new megayacht which will offer panoramic
views of the surrounding seas.
The
Italian Sea Group's 'Admiral X-Force 145' features dynamic spaces including
full-height windows, an indoor pond pool, two helipads and spiral staircases.
Set to
measure 476ft in length, the yacht was designed by Monaco-based studio
Dobroserdov Design.
For
partygoers, the yacht will also sport a two-level beach club spa, which will
act as the giant vessel's entertainment section.
The
Italian Sea Group's 'Admiral X-Force 145' features dynamic spaces including
full-height windows - and will be 476ft long
Its
mind-blowing interior will include a double pair of glass lined spiral
staircases and floor to ceiling windows for unbeatable views
This area will include both and indoor and
outdoor pool, sunbeds and a bar - on top of the yacht's two cinemas, multiple
gyms and a garage.
It said
in a statement: 'The continuity of glass surface ensures plenty of natural
light throughout the ship.
The
mammoth vessel is the length of two jumbo jets and ten metres longer than the
height of the London Eye - which itself is 135m tall.
The yacht
will include indoor and outdoor pools, sunbeds and bars - on top of its two
cinemas, multiple gyms and a garage.
As if
living on top of water wasn't enough, the yacht's future owner will also be
able to relax in the waters of their very own inside pond.
For
partygoers, the yacht will also sport a two-level beach club spa, which will
act as the giant vessel's entertainment section.
You'll
need to have a fair amount of cash in the bank, as the massive Admiral X
Force 145 will cost more than £1bn.
'From the
bow of the yacht where an observation lounge has been located, assuring to VIP
guests a breathtaking panoramic view, to the stern area where a double level
beach club and spa with both internal and external swimming pool really makes
this project unique.
'With her
design and general arrangement plan, the Admiral X Force 145 is one of the most
impressive and outstanding yacht of her size, offering a new perspective within
the mega yacht world.
'It confirms
the placement of The Italian Sea Group at the top of European shipbuilding in
terms of know-how, history, production capacity, facility and technical
experience.'
An
artist's impression of the mega yacht's interior shows that no expense will be
spared, with decadence its key philosophy.
The
Italian Sea Group, who has yet to build the yacht, said that the price of the
mega ship will only be available on request.
If the outside
waters are too cool, then yacht's owners can go for a dip inside instead, where
they'll have at least two heated pools.
Sunsets
from the boat's observation deck would offer a viewing experience that even the
on-board cinemas or helipads couldn't rival.
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