Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Video - President Muhammadu Buhari delaying appointing new cabinet
It's been about one month now since Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as President of Nigeria but up till this moment he has not appointed his cabinet. His spokesperson attributes the delay to ongoing restructuring of the countries ministries but in fighting within the President's All Progressives Congress, APC is also becoming a sticking point.
Video - Nigeria hopes new president can bring an end to electricity shortage
When campaigning, candidate Muhammadu Buhari promised to prioritize the reform and expansion of power generation and supply. Now as President, the country's over 160 Million citizens are waiting for him to deliver, and end the losses and frustration caused by daily power blackouts in Africa's biggest oil producer.
Related stories: Video - Electricity shortage threathening Nigeria's economy
Video - Aljazeera covers Nigeria's steps to improve its poor electricity supply
President Muhammadu Buhari says national treasury virtually empty
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who took office last month, said his government is facing severe financial strain from a Treasury that’s “virtually empty” and billions of dollars in debts.
The government is under “so much pressure” that it’s unable to even regularly pay some state workers, Buhari told reporters on Monday in the capital, Abuja. “This is the bad management that we find ourselves in.”
Buhari has yet to name a cabinet since being sworn in as president of Africa’s largest economy on May 29 after defeating Goodluck Jonathan in elections. He took over as a plunge in crude prices forced the government to scale back budgeted spending and devalue the naira while foreign-currency reserves fell. The government relies on crude for about 70 percent of its income.
“It’s just saying the obvious,” said Akintola Owolabi, a senior lecturer of accounting and finance at Lagos Business School. “We all know about the reckless abandon with which the last regime carried out its affairs.”
Former military ruler Buhari, 72, swept Jonathan from office in March elections by pledging to end endemic corruption and Boko Haram’s rebellion in the north that has killed thousands in its six-year campaign to impose its version of Shariah law.
The central bank has been using its foreign reserves, which fell to $29 billion as of June 18 from $34.5 billion at the start of 2015, to help defend the local currency. Still, the naira has declined 7.8 percent against the dollar over the same period.
Growth in the economy is forecast by the International Monetary Fund to slow to 4.8 percent this year from 6.3 percent last year.
Bloomberg
The government is under “so much pressure” that it’s unable to even regularly pay some state workers, Buhari told reporters on Monday in the capital, Abuja. “This is the bad management that we find ourselves in.”
Buhari has yet to name a cabinet since being sworn in as president of Africa’s largest economy on May 29 after defeating Goodluck Jonathan in elections. He took over as a plunge in crude prices forced the government to scale back budgeted spending and devalue the naira while foreign-currency reserves fell. The government relies on crude for about 70 percent of its income.
“It’s just saying the obvious,” said Akintola Owolabi, a senior lecturer of accounting and finance at Lagos Business School. “We all know about the reckless abandon with which the last regime carried out its affairs.”
Former military ruler Buhari, 72, swept Jonathan from office in March elections by pledging to end endemic corruption and Boko Haram’s rebellion in the north that has killed thousands in its six-year campaign to impose its version of Shariah law.
The central bank has been using its foreign reserves, which fell to $29 billion as of June 18 from $34.5 billion at the start of 2015, to help defend the local currency. Still, the naira has declined 7.8 percent against the dollar over the same period.
Growth in the economy is forecast by the International Monetary Fund to slow to 4.8 percent this year from 6.3 percent last year.
Bloomberg
Suicide bombers kill 30 in North Eastern Nigeria
Two girls blew themselves up on Monday near a crowded mosque in northeast Nigeria's biggest city, killing about 30 people, witnesses said.
It is the fourth suicide bombing this month in Maiduguri, which is the birthplace of the Boko Haram Islamic extremist group.
Fishmonger Idi Idrisa said one teenager exploded as she approached the mosque crowded with people from the nearby Baga Road fish market, performing afternoon prayers during the holy month of Ramadan.
The second teen appeared to run away and blew up further away, killing only herself, he said.
Civilian defense fighter Sama Ila Abu said he counted at least 30 corpses as he helped collect the dead.
Both men said said there were many injured.
Boko Haram has kidnapped hundreds and hundreds of girls and women and the numbers of female suicide bombers has raised fears that it is using the captives in its campaign.
A military bomb disposal expert has told the AP that most bombs carried by girls and women have remote detonation devices, meaning the carrier cannot control the explosion.
Boko Haram has stepped up attacks since Nigeria's new President Muhammadu Buhari announced the military command center is moving from the capital Abuja to Maiduguri in Borno State.
The attacks come as Nigeria and its neighbors are preparing to strengthen a multinational army that this year drove Boko Haram out of towns and villages where it had set up a so-called Islamic caliphate.
But bombings and hit-and-run attacks have continued, along with cross-border raids.
On Thursday, a group of the extremists attacked two towns in neighboring Niger, killing at least 40 people, the government said.
In its first attack on Chad, suicide bombers a week ago attacked two buildings including the national police academy in N'Djamena, killing at least 33 people.
AP
It is the fourth suicide bombing this month in Maiduguri, which is the birthplace of the Boko Haram Islamic extremist group.
Fishmonger Idi Idrisa said one teenager exploded as she approached the mosque crowded with people from the nearby Baga Road fish market, performing afternoon prayers during the holy month of Ramadan.
The second teen appeared to run away and blew up further away, killing only herself, he said.
Civilian defense fighter Sama Ila Abu said he counted at least 30 corpses as he helped collect the dead.
Both men said said there were many injured.
Boko Haram has kidnapped hundreds and hundreds of girls and women and the numbers of female suicide bombers has raised fears that it is using the captives in its campaign.
A military bomb disposal expert has told the AP that most bombs carried by girls and women have remote detonation devices, meaning the carrier cannot control the explosion.
Boko Haram has stepped up attacks since Nigeria's new President Muhammadu Buhari announced the military command center is moving from the capital Abuja to Maiduguri in Borno State.
The attacks come as Nigeria and its neighbors are preparing to strengthen a multinational army that this year drove Boko Haram out of towns and villages where it had set up a so-called Islamic caliphate.
But bombings and hit-and-run attacks have continued, along with cross-border raids.
On Thursday, a group of the extremists attacked two towns in neighboring Niger, killing at least 40 people, the government said.
In its first attack on Chad, suicide bombers a week ago attacked two buildings including the national police academy in N'Djamena, killing at least 33 people.
AP
Friday, June 19, 2015
Video - Lack of funding for women's football in Nigeria
Nigeria's Super Falcons have arrived in Canada for the Women's Football World Cup. They'll play former champions, the United States, on Saturday.The Super Falcons are one of only three African teams that qualified to play, but despite the national team's success the women's game in Nigeria struggles to get funding.
Related stories: Nigeria loses to U.S. 1-0 in 2015 Women's World Cup
Asisat Oshoala wins Women's Footballer of the Year award
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