Thousands of people from Nigieria's Makoko slum are being forcibly removed from their homes. The move part of the government's campaign to get rid of the almost 200 year-old floating shantytown. Many are seeking refuge on boats and in churches.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Video - Thousands homeless after forced eviction from Makoko slum in Lagos
Thousands of people from Nigieria's Makoko slum are being forcibly removed from their homes. The move part of the government's campaign to get rid of the almost 200 year-old floating shantytown. Many are seeking refuge on boats and in churches.
300 children rescued from child trafficking in Kogi State
More than 300 children from Benue State have been rescued from human traffickers by the Quick Response Group Team (QRP) of Nigeria Army along Itobe-Ajaokuta and Okene road.
Parading the children in Lokoja at the Weekend, Major General Alphonsus Chukwu told journalists that the vehicles transporting the children was intercepted along Itope - Ajaokuta - Lagos road by the Quick Response Group (QRG) of his command during a stop and search operation.
He said the children, who are between ages 10 and 15, and both male and female were heading to Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti for holiday jobs, saying that they were however not coherent in their explanations.
Major General Alphonsus said it was shocking when buses were arrested with well over 300 children heading for the same destination, describing it as unfortunate.
One of the officers, who spoke to our reporter in confidence, said they stopped the buses when they discovered that the vehicles were carry many children, saying that they boarded the buses at parks in Benue and that agents who would receive them were already waiting for them in their destination.
On Friday last week one Mr. Sunday Agbo from Benue State was arrested with 10 children by a task force along the same route. Sunday had during interrogation confessed to have been trafficking children close to a decade and that he was an agent to a woman in Lagos.
He said he was trafficking children with the consent of their parents who are being paid N5, 000 per child with the promise of helping them secure job as maids in Lagos and other states.
Parading the children in Lokoja at the Weekend, Major General Alphonsus Chukwu told journalists that the vehicles transporting the children was intercepted along Itope - Ajaokuta - Lagos road by the Quick Response Group (QRG) of his command during a stop and search operation.
He said the children, who are between ages 10 and 15, and both male and female were heading to Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti for holiday jobs, saying that they were however not coherent in their explanations.
Major General Alphonsus said it was shocking when buses were arrested with well over 300 children heading for the same destination, describing it as unfortunate.
One of the officers, who spoke to our reporter in confidence, said they stopped the buses when they discovered that the vehicles were carry many children, saying that they boarded the buses at parks in Benue and that agents who would receive them were already waiting for them in their destination.
On Friday last week one Mr. Sunday Agbo from Benue State was arrested with 10 children by a task force along the same route. Sunday had during interrogation confessed to have been trafficking children close to a decade and that he was an agent to a woman in Lagos.
He said he was trafficking children with the consent of their parents who are being paid N5, 000 per child with the promise of helping them secure job as maids in Lagos and other states.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Nigeria rated top economic performer in Africa
The Global Economic Conditions Survey has rated Nigerian economy as the leader in African economic performer in the second quarter of 2012.
The survey conducted by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) also rated Malawi performing well in early 2012 and maintaining confidence.
According to the report, the economic recovery has slowed down again in early 2012 but Nigeria and some countries in Africa remain the most confident of the world's regions.
The report noted that Africa has long been the most confident of the regions and despite a setback in the second quarter of 2012 it has held on to this distinction, with 34 per cent of respondents reporting confidence gains, down from 39 per cent three months earlier.
"Respondents here are also more optimistic about the state of the global economy than in most of the world. Forty five per cent (down from 54 per cent) believe that the global recovery is on track. Statistically speaking, the actual drop in economic performance implied by these figures is very small," the report said.
The report noted that in Africa, overall, there has been some improvement in business conditions on the ground in the areas of business revenues which is improving while capital spending has consistently increased over the last three quarters and lay-offs are becoming less common, although job creation is still coming in fits and starts.
Meanwhile, the study has cautioned that growth across the world's most developed economies has stalled once again and that the global economy is as fragile as it has ever been in the last three years.
The global survey of 2,700 professional accountants, now well into its third year, suggests that hints of a stronger recovery in early 2012 were mostly down to misplaced optimism and that most of the gains made at the time have since been reversed.
According to the report, China's slowing economy has dominated the survey findings this quarter, although ACCA and IMA stressed that there are few signs of the hard landing many commentators had feared.
Survey Editor and Senior Economic Analyst with ACCA, Manos Schizas, said: "The point now is to see how far and how fast the Chinese slowdown will travel. Our members in Africa tend to feel any fallout from Asia fairly quickly and there could be implications for other markets which trade with China."
The survey conducted by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) also rated Malawi performing well in early 2012 and maintaining confidence.
According to the report, the economic recovery has slowed down again in early 2012 but Nigeria and some countries in Africa remain the most confident of the world's regions.
The report noted that Africa has long been the most confident of the regions and despite a setback in the second quarter of 2012 it has held on to this distinction, with 34 per cent of respondents reporting confidence gains, down from 39 per cent three months earlier.
"Respondents here are also more optimistic about the state of the global economy than in most of the world. Forty five per cent (down from 54 per cent) believe that the global recovery is on track. Statistically speaking, the actual drop in economic performance implied by these figures is very small," the report said.
The report noted that in Africa, overall, there has been some improvement in business conditions on the ground in the areas of business revenues which is improving while capital spending has consistently increased over the last three quarters and lay-offs are becoming less common, although job creation is still coming in fits and starts.
Meanwhile, the study has cautioned that growth across the world's most developed economies has stalled once again and that the global economy is as fragile as it has ever been in the last three years.
The global survey of 2,700 professional accountants, now well into its third year, suggests that hints of a stronger recovery in early 2012 were mostly down to misplaced optimism and that most of the gains made at the time have since been reversed.
According to the report, China's slowing economy has dominated the survey findings this quarter, although ACCA and IMA stressed that there are few signs of the hard landing many commentators had feared.
Survey Editor and Senior Economic Analyst with ACCA, Manos Schizas, said: "The point now is to see how far and how fast the Chinese slowdown will travel. Our members in Africa tend to feel any fallout from Asia fairly quickly and there could be implications for other markets which trade with China."
Nigerian army engineers anti-bomb device to defend Churches and Mosques
Nigerian Army, Thursday, unveiled and presented vehicle stoppers to some Churches and Mosques, as part of its corporate social responsibility in curtailing the spate of suicide bombing at worship centres across the country.
Presenting the devices in Abuja, the Chief of Civil Military Affairs, Major Gen. Bitrus Kwaji said the vehicle stoppers were designed to stop any vehicle from all angle at any speed.
Chief of Civil Military Affairs, Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Bitrus Kwaji (L), presenting the New Vehicle Stopper, Donated by the Nigerian Army to Pastor Monday Chukwuemeka Okonkwo of the Methodist Diocese of Nyanya in Abuja on Thursday.NAN Photo
He added that the anti-bombing devices would be distributed to the representatives of Christian and Muslim bodies, who should in turn produce it in mass for distribution, while stressing that security is everybody's business.
His words, "it has been discovered that most attacks of suicide bombers are being carried out with vehicles loaded with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The mode of operation is simple as a suicide bomber drives his vehicle straight into his target and explosion occurs.
"In order to disallow bombers from reaching their targets, this invention comes in handy as it forcefully stops any vehicle that comes in contact with it at whatever speed.
"The unfolding security challenges confronting the nation amongst which is the Boko Haram terrorist menace have continued to hinder the congress of the transformation agenda of Mr President as well as the development of the nation at large.
"The terrorists over the years have continued to attack places of worship (churches and mosques) in order to destabilize the nation. This has necessitated the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to charge all corps and services of the Nigerian Army to provide ways and means of curtailing this menace.
"This charge has yielded a lot of responses as we witnessed the commissioning of an indigenous Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) by the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces during the recently concluded Nigerian Army Day Celebration in Kaduna.
Receiving the devices on behalf of the Religion Bodies, Very Rev. Monday Okonkwo of the Methodist Church, Nyanya and the Executive Secretary of the National Mosque Abuja, Alh. Ibrahim Jega expressed satisfaction with Military Authorities, just as they promised to be security conscious, to complement the efforts of security agents, in riding the country of terrorism".
They also called on faithful to join hands with authorities in their various churches and mosques, to prevent any further attack, and report any suspicion to the relevant authorities, insisting that, government can not do it alone.
Presenting the devices in Abuja, the Chief of Civil Military Affairs, Major Gen. Bitrus Kwaji said the vehicle stoppers were designed to stop any vehicle from all angle at any speed.
Chief of Civil Military Affairs, Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Bitrus Kwaji (L), presenting the New Vehicle Stopper, Donated by the Nigerian Army to Pastor Monday Chukwuemeka Okonkwo of the Methodist Diocese of Nyanya in Abuja on Thursday.NAN Photo
He added that the anti-bombing devices would be distributed to the representatives of Christian and Muslim bodies, who should in turn produce it in mass for distribution, while stressing that security is everybody's business.
His words, "it has been discovered that most attacks of suicide bombers are being carried out with vehicles loaded with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The mode of operation is simple as a suicide bomber drives his vehicle straight into his target and explosion occurs.
"In order to disallow bombers from reaching their targets, this invention comes in handy as it forcefully stops any vehicle that comes in contact with it at whatever speed.
"The unfolding security challenges confronting the nation amongst which is the Boko Haram terrorist menace have continued to hinder the congress of the transformation agenda of Mr President as well as the development of the nation at large.
"The terrorists over the years have continued to attack places of worship (churches and mosques) in order to destabilize the nation. This has necessitated the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to charge all corps and services of the Nigerian Army to provide ways and means of curtailing this menace.
"This charge has yielded a lot of responses as we witnessed the commissioning of an indigenous Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) by the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces during the recently concluded Nigerian Army Day Celebration in Kaduna.
Receiving the devices on behalf of the Religion Bodies, Very Rev. Monday Okonkwo of the Methodist Church, Nyanya and the Executive Secretary of the National Mosque Abuja, Alh. Ibrahim Jega expressed satisfaction with Military Authorities, just as they promised to be security conscious, to complement the efforts of security agents, in riding the country of terrorism".
They also called on faithful to join hands with authorities in their various churches and mosques, to prevent any further attack, and report any suspicion to the relevant authorities, insisting that, government can not do it alone.
Related stories: Video - Is conflict in Nigeria religious or politically motivated
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Video - Is conflict in Nigeria religious or politically motivated?
For the last decade Plateau state in central Nigeria has been a hotbed of ethnic tension between the Fulani, who are traditionally Muslim, and the Berom, who are Christian. Police blamed the latest violence on tribal differences over land but the Boko Haram group claimed responsibility for the attacks. What is the real reason behind the conflict, and can it be resolved? Guests: Darren Kew, Michael Amoah, Isaac Olawale Albert.
Related stories: Video - Ethnic violence continues in Nigeria
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