Nigeria deploys military aircrafts to Mali

Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Alex Barde yesterday disclosed that the Nigerian Air force will today commence the deployment of Nigeria war planes to check the activities of Islamist fighters in Mali.

Barde who stated this in Enugu when he paid his maiden visit to Enugu Airforce Unit, added that the action was in compliance with President Goodluck Jonathan's directive that a military contingent be sent to assist the country of Mali to contain the jihadists liked to terror group, Al Qaeda.

He said: "As I speak to you now," he said, "our air planes have arrived in Port-Harcourt. In fact, I'm on my way to Rivers State now and tomorrow morning we are beginning our deployment to Mali and that's what I am going to witness.

"I am going there to bid them a sort of farewell and go-and-fight-well greetings as they depart.

"We expect them to do what Mr. President directed that we do; he has directed that we should go and assist Mali in repelling the jihad fighters there because you know that if they finish with Mali the next thing will be to come to Nigeria.

"So we are going there to fight them and also protect our borders.

He explained that his maiden visit to Enugu unit was to talk to them on his vision for the Nigeria Air Force.

According to him, "We must use innovative technology because we have spent so much money buying equipment and each time they are bad we have to send them to the manufacturers for repairs. We have the know how, we have the personnel; we have professionals in the Airforce and we cannot too continue buying and not repairing."

Leadership

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World Bank says poverty has reduced in Nigeria

The World Bank has praised economic policies of the present administration declaring that it has led to slight reduction in the country's poverty index from 48 to 46 percent.

Speaking when he visited President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday, World Bank's vice president for Africa, Mr Mouktar Diop, said Nigeria's economic indicators remained positive even times of recession.

He said "at the time when the economy is going down, we have seen that Nigeria has been keeping a growth rate which is rather significant. So, I was here to hear from the President's priority and discuss other issues such as how poverty has been evolving in the country and what we can do to accelerate the reduction of poverty.

"Our work recently has shown that there is slight reduction in the level of poverty in Nigeria moving from 48 to 46 percent. The trend is good. It needs to be accelerated obviously. What we discussed are the policies that we can put in place to accelerate the pace of poverty reduction in Nigeria."

Diop said the World Bank has decided to intervene in Nigeria's energy crisis saying, "We decided at the World Bank to put up a task force which will include private sector branch to support the reform. It is good that the reform is really making progress. I was with the main players of the power sector today, and they were all happy with the reform process so far."

On his part, Jonathan said though some of the reforms were not easy to push through, his administration would continue to do its best towards ensuring sustainable growth in the country.

"We will continue to do our best. We would have had more robust growth by now but for the global economic recession. With your continued support, we will certainly achieve more," the president said.

Jonathan said that with the continued support of the World Bank, other international institutions and investors the Federal Government will achieve an even higher growth rate for the national economy.

Daily Trust

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Nigeria deploys 900 troops to Mali

The Defence headquarters in Abuja will today commence airlifting of over 900 soldiers deployed to Mali for peace keeping operations.

The soldiers will work alongside troops from Benin, Ghana, Niger, Senegal, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Togo to assists the Malian military reclaim towns in the northern Mali captured by militants recently. France has already stationed 800 troops in Mali. A Nigerian, Major General Shehu U Abdulkadir has assumed work as Force Commander in Mali.

Director, Defence Information, Colonel Mohammed Yerima, said at a media briefing yesterday that "President Goodluck Jonathan approved the deployment of battalion (776 soldiers). In the next 24 hours (today), a company (150 soldiers) will be deployed while the remainder will be deployed later. Already, the Force Commander, Gen. Abdulkadir, is on ground in Mali. Also, technical teams of Nigerian army, air force are already in Mali to facilitate the eventual full deployment of fighter aircraft and support element."

He said the deployment followed the request of the Malian government and UN Security Council resolution 2085 of December 2012.

Military sources in Abuja said Air Force C-130 planes will be used to transport troops and equipment to Mali.

Meanwhile, the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, said in a statement yesterday that "The European Union remains committed to supporting international efforts to protect democratic government, the rule of law and the territorial integrity of Mali."

Daily Trust

The first lady Patience Jonathan flown back to Germany for medical reasons

Wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, was on Monday flown to Germany for what a Presidency source said was for a check-up.

Fears over Mrs. Jonathan’s health spread last year when he was away from the country for weeks.

She was said to be in critical condition in a German hospital.

Although she looked pale, she denied being admitted to any hospital when she finally returned on October 14, 2012.

Her husband later confirmed that she was sick but had recovered.

The President’s wife had to cancel a thanksgiving service and reception she initially planned in honour of former Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa and ex-National Security Adviser Andrew Azazi, and others, who died in a helicopter crash in Bayelsa State on December 15.

Although an online news portal, Saharareporters, reported that Mrs. Jonathan was flown out of the country, a Presidency source told our correspondent that she only travelled on Monday for a check-up.

“You will recall that since she returned last year, madam has not travelled out of the country. This trip is just for a check-up, nothing more. Any report that she had been hurriedly flown abroad is far from the truth,” the source said.

Patience attended the inter-denominational service held as part of activities marking this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day at the National Ecumenical Centre, Abuja on Sunday alongside her husband and mother-in-law.

She looked healthy throughout the service.

Efforts to get her media aides for comments on the telephone were unsuccessful at press time.

PUNCH

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Video - Lake Chad left out to dry

Once counted as the largest water reservoir in Africa, Nigeria's Lake Chad is rapidly shrinking due to excessive use and climate change. The lake supplies water to four different countries but it could dry up by the end of the century. Efforts to solve the problem and replenish the lake's water, however, are stuck in the pipeline.