Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Video - Aljazeera speaks with Nigerian military about kidnapped schoolgirls
Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh sits down with the spokesman of the Nigerian military to ask about the search and rescue effort for more than 200 abducted school girls who went missing 100 days ago.
Related stories: Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan finally meets with parents of kidnapped schoolgirls
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan finally meets with parents of kidnapped schoolgirls
Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan is meeting for the first time parents of the girls abducted by militant Islamists 100 days ago.
He has been under intense pressure to meet the parents after being accused of handing the crisis badly.
Parents pulled out of a meeting with him last week amid accusations they were being used for political reasons.
The parents of 11 of the girls have reportedly died since their abduction by the Boko Haram group.
The abduction of the more than 200 schoolgirls sparked global outrage.
Boko Haram has offered to free the girls in exchange for the release of its fighters and relatives held by the security forces.
The government has rejected this.
The US, UK, France, China and Israel have been helping in operations to secure the release of the girls, who are believed to be held in the Sambisa forest, near Nigeria's border with Cameroon.
The girls were abducted from their boarding school in the north-eastern town of Chibok on 14 April.
Last week, Mr Jonathan agreed to meet 12 parents and five girls who escaped shortly after being seized by the militants, following a request by Pakistani rights campaigner Malala Yousafzai.
The Chibok community called off the meeting at the last minute, saying it had been organised in a hurry, so there was not time to consult with all the parents.
Mr Jonathan accused the #BringBackOurGirls campaign group of playing politics and derailing the meeting.
#BringBackOurGirls was a global campaign launched on social media to secure the release of the girls.
Obiageli Ezekwesili, a former government minister and staunch critic of Mr Jonathan, is a leading member of the group.
Seven parents were killed during a raid by Boko Haram on Kautakari, a village close to Chibok, earlier this month, the Associated Press (AP) quotes a health worker as saying.
Another four parents have died of heart failure, high blood pressure and other illnesses blamed on the trauma caused by the abductions, Chibok community leader Pogu Bitrus told AP.
BBC
Related stories: Parents of the kidnapped schoolgirls refuse to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
He has been under intense pressure to meet the parents after being accused of handing the crisis badly.
Parents pulled out of a meeting with him last week amid accusations they were being used for political reasons.
The parents of 11 of the girls have reportedly died since their abduction by the Boko Haram group.
The abduction of the more than 200 schoolgirls sparked global outrage.
Boko Haram has offered to free the girls in exchange for the release of its fighters and relatives held by the security forces.
The government has rejected this.
The US, UK, France, China and Israel have been helping in operations to secure the release of the girls, who are believed to be held in the Sambisa forest, near Nigeria's border with Cameroon.
The girls were abducted from their boarding school in the north-eastern town of Chibok on 14 April.
Last week, Mr Jonathan agreed to meet 12 parents and five girls who escaped shortly after being seized by the militants, following a request by Pakistani rights campaigner Malala Yousafzai.
The Chibok community called off the meeting at the last minute, saying it had been organised in a hurry, so there was not time to consult with all the parents.
Mr Jonathan accused the #BringBackOurGirls campaign group of playing politics and derailing the meeting.
#BringBackOurGirls was a global campaign launched on social media to secure the release of the girls.
Obiageli Ezekwesili, a former government minister and staunch critic of Mr Jonathan, is a leading member of the group.
Seven parents were killed during a raid by Boko Haram on Kautakari, a village close to Chibok, earlier this month, the Associated Press (AP) quotes a health worker as saying.
Another four parents have died of heart failure, high blood pressure and other illnesses blamed on the trauma caused by the abductions, Chibok community leader Pogu Bitrus told AP.
BBC
Related stories: Parents of the kidnapped schoolgirls refuse to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
Monday, July 21, 2014
Video - Aljazeera covers Nigeria's steps to improve its poor electricity supply
While most of Africa still plunges into dark at nightfall, we find out how Nigeria plans to switch on.
Related stories: 30 million Nigerians don't have access to electricity
Video - Nigerian economy growing despite epileptic power supply
Africa's richest man Nigerian Aliko Dangote to donate 30 billion naira in 2 years
According to the statement, the business mogul would be upping his philanthropic works across Africa, starting from his home country Nigeria.
The group which has made whopping donations across Africa said, “Africa must begin to take responsibilities by shaping the condition of its people.”
The statement quoted Alhaji Dangote as saying, “About this philanthropy, I think from this year, I personally want to take it very seriously. I want to be much more aggressive than what we have had in the past.
“We already have a foundation which will do all these things, but I am trying to see what we can do to encourage not only Nigerians but other Africans.”
He added: “I am not going to give all my money to charity, but I am going to try my best and give part of that money to charity. I am working hard on it.”
The statement said in Benue State alone, the group has been running an annual scholarship scheme worth 10million to indigenes of Gboko communities.
It said that, in Benue State, 15 villages were electrified at the cost of N115million, adding that 14 blocks of classrooms have been constructed for the community around the company at the cost of N84billion.
It added that 19 boreholes were constructed for the communities and that an earth dam valued at N50million was also constructed.
The statement said that apart from the monthly payment of allowances to traditional rulers, a vigilante contract to ensure N2million regular income to the community was also instituted.
“We have also donated N15million to the community’s development foundation, and we are helping through the community empowerment scheme, while our 100-bed hospital has been approved for construction within the community,” it added.
It in addition to N78million compensation paid during the takeover of the company, an additional N60million inconvenience allowance has been paid to families.
This is including the Dangote Academy that is worth about N1billion, through which manpower is developed across various disciplines.
The statement said that, last month, the Dangote Cement, Ibese, through the Dangote Foundation, announced a scholarship for 50 students of various secondary and tertiary institutions in Yewa community. It further disclosed that the foundation donated $500,000 to victims of explosion in the Republic of Congo and contributed a staggering $2million to flood victims in Pakistan and another N120million to cushion the effect of famine in Niger Republic.
It said that, two years ago, the foundation made a staggering donation of N2.5billion to cushion the effect of flooding in Nigeria, the single highest donation by a private body in the history of Nigeria. The Foundation also donated N430million to flood victims, unemployed youths and women in Kogi State in the same year.
It further emphasised that, three years ago, the Foundation gave out about a billion naira for the economic empowerment of women in Kano State, just as it recently donated N540million to vulnerable women as a result of insurgency in the north-east of Nigeria.
The statement maintained that the Foundation has also pumped over N1billion into the rehabilitation of some Nigerian universities, as part of its contribution to the education sector.
“Two months ago, the Dangote Foundation donated 12 trailer-loads of relief items worth N40million to support the government in bringing succour to victims of communal clashes that displaced people,” the statement noted, adding that the group had also donated N100million to victims of Lagos flooding, another N100million to those in Sokoto and N60million to victims of flooding in Oyo State, two years ago.
Daily Times
Related stories: Africa's richest man Nigerian Aliko Dangote to build Health Centres in Nigeria
Nigerian Aliko Dangote is 23rd richest man in the world
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Boko Haram kill over a hundred people in Northern Nigeria
It was another black weekend in Borno State, Northeastern Nigeria, as the terrorist group, Boko Haram, continued their reign of attacks on Saturday, this time killing more than 100 people.
They have also taken the audacious step of hoisting their black and white flag over a town that is 85 kilometers from Maiduguri, the state's capital, which was reportedly left unguarded by the military, a civil defence spokesman and a human rights advocate said Saturday.
The attack caused a cascade, as hundreds of villagers in Askira Uba are currently on the run for safety, after receiving letters from the Islamic extremists threatening attacks.
A confirmation of the attack came from Abbas Gava, spokesman of the Civilian Vigilante group.
The latest attack on Borno comes on the heels of an assurance by the Nigeria Police that insurgency in Nigeria is nearing an end. This is, however, with a prize, as the Force Headquarters have also said there are bound to be more terror attacks.
Nigeria Police Spokesman, Frank Mba, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Sunday Independent in Abuja, at the weekend said the likely upsurge in attacks from terror groups like Boko Haram is a sign of desperation, which he said is rising from the fact that terrorists are being choked out of their comfort zone by the combined efforts of the military, police and international assistance.
The weekend Borno attack has reportedly sacked nine major villages, as survivors recounted how insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades and homemade bombs into homes, gunning down people as they tried to escape the fires in the attack on Damboa town launched before dawn Friday.
Also at the weekend, leaders of Damboa town, led a delegation to the Shehu of Borno, with a request for him to intervene to save them from further attacks from the deadly sect that has killed tens of thousands in the area.
The vigilante's spokesman reportedly said that the only defence to the insurgents came from his colleagues, who were armed with clubs and homemade rifles.
Damboa has been under siege for two weeks.
Mba said: "We have stepped up the war against terrorism from all fronts. There is equally a very strong synergy among the security agencies now.
"There is also a global alliance, a global coalition and conscious efforts to mobilise countries around Nigeria and even beyond to join the battle. And so it is obvious that Boko Haram does not have a hiding place now.
"But we expect to see some desperation on their part. It is also our job and that of all Nigerians to put down all forms of desperate actions or activities they may embark on.
"So, we will continue to do what we doing. We will continue to consolidate on our achievements and continue to explore new ways of getting a stronger and upper hand over them and continue to work together with the government, citizens and international community to bring a permanent end to their activities."
Daily Independent
Related stories: Death toll of civilians killed in Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria this year reach 2,053
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
They have also taken the audacious step of hoisting their black and white flag over a town that is 85 kilometers from Maiduguri, the state's capital, which was reportedly left unguarded by the military, a civil defence spokesman and a human rights advocate said Saturday.
The attack caused a cascade, as hundreds of villagers in Askira Uba are currently on the run for safety, after receiving letters from the Islamic extremists threatening attacks.
A confirmation of the attack came from Abbas Gava, spokesman of the Civilian Vigilante group.
The latest attack on Borno comes on the heels of an assurance by the Nigeria Police that insurgency in Nigeria is nearing an end. This is, however, with a prize, as the Force Headquarters have also said there are bound to be more terror attacks.
Nigeria Police Spokesman, Frank Mba, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Sunday Independent in Abuja, at the weekend said the likely upsurge in attacks from terror groups like Boko Haram is a sign of desperation, which he said is rising from the fact that terrorists are being choked out of their comfort zone by the combined efforts of the military, police and international assistance.
The weekend Borno attack has reportedly sacked nine major villages, as survivors recounted how insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades and homemade bombs into homes, gunning down people as they tried to escape the fires in the attack on Damboa town launched before dawn Friday.
Also at the weekend, leaders of Damboa town, led a delegation to the Shehu of Borno, with a request for him to intervene to save them from further attacks from the deadly sect that has killed tens of thousands in the area.
The vigilante's spokesman reportedly said that the only defence to the insurgents came from his colleagues, who were armed with clubs and homemade rifles.
Damboa has been under siege for two weeks.
Mba said: "We have stepped up the war against terrorism from all fronts. There is equally a very strong synergy among the security agencies now.
"There is also a global alliance, a global coalition and conscious efforts to mobilise countries around Nigeria and even beyond to join the battle. And so it is obvious that Boko Haram does not have a hiding place now.
"But we expect to see some desperation on their part. It is also our job and that of all Nigerians to put down all forms of desperate actions or activities they may embark on.
"So, we will continue to do what we doing. We will continue to consolidate on our achievements and continue to explore new ways of getting a stronger and upper hand over them and continue to work together with the government, citizens and international community to bring a permanent end to their activities."
Daily Independent
Related stories: Death toll of civilians killed in Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria this year reach 2,053
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
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