Nigeria, Saudi Arabia Commit to Oil Market Rebound – Garba Shehu

President Buhari with King Salman Bin AbdulAziz Al Saud

At a bilateral meeting between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia in Riyadh hosted by the ruler King Salman Bin Abdul-Aziz, the two leaders accepted the fact that their two economies are tied to oil and that all cannot be well with both countries when then the world oil market is unstable. They therefore committed themselves to doing all that is possible to stabilize the market and rebound the oil price.

The two leaders who engaged in extensive discussions on regional and global issues also agreed that terrorism posed a common threat to their states and would require close cooperation to prevail over the threats.

President Muhammadu Buhari who was making his first pronouncement on the invitation to join the coalition of Islamic states against terror spearheaded by the Saudis congratulated the Kingdom on its formation.

“Even if we are not a part of it, we support you. I must thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the recent creation of a coalition to address the menace of international terrorism. Nigeria will support your efforts in keeping peace and stopping the spread of terror in your region. This is in consonance with our own commitment and on-going efforts in seeking to stamp out Boko Haram terrorists from the West African sub-region and Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC),” the President said.

Speaking on global terror generally, President Buhari said that “international terrorism made a statement by attacking one of the advanced countries by carrying out an attack on Paris in which 130 were killed. Now we have to come together to find a common solution to the problem of terrorism.”

He thanked the Saudi government for it continuing support to Nigeria in the fight against terrorism.

Turning to the menace that Libya has turned into, President Buhari regretted that the late Libyan leader Muammar Ghaddafi recruited, trained and armed citizens of many states in the Sahel region. With his fall, these mercenaries have returned to their countries, “doing nothing but to shoot and kill.” He cited Burkina Faso and Mali as the main victims but expressed happiness that the countries neighboring the Lake Chad have tightened their ranks to finish off the Boko Haram threat.

“Luckily, we have cultivated our neighbors. We are now working together against Boko Haram,otherwise the problem would have become worse.”

He and King Salman hoped that the Libyan factions will soon see reason to reunite and restore fully their own country so as to save the world from further terrorism spin-offs from that country.

The leaders also focused on trade between their states and agreed to give fresh impetus to the joint commission previously established in order to boost commercial and other activities to unify their peoples.

In his remarks, King Salman commended the progress made by Nigeria in combating terrorism and promised to give further support and assistance.

He welcomed the support of the Nigerian government for the new ant-terrorism coalition and implored the President to consider its full membership.

King Salman pledged his full support and cooperation to Nigeria under its present leadership and directed all agencies of his government to follow up on the discussions.

“I now instruct my team to go and sit down with your relevant agencies to push forward cooperation between our states,” the King concluded by saying.

Fmr PDP Ministers Reject Modu Sheriff As Party Chairman

Former ministers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have joined the list of those rejecting former Borno State governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, as the Chairman of Nigeria’s front line opposition party.

The ministers made the call during a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

The meeting is sequel to series of controversies that have trailed the emergence of the new PDP National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, who resumed office on Monday.

PDP’s Board of Trustees (BoT) had earlier joined the group of those rejecting the appointment of Senator Sheriff as the party’s National Chairman, saying that he was not a suitable leader for the party.

The acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party’s BoT, Senator Walid Jubril, maintained that the board would meet to provide a viable solution to the leadership crisis.

With Channel TV

PDP Former Ministers To Decide Sheriff’s Fate

The former ministers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are meeting in Abuja to decide Senator Ali Modu Sheriff on the party’s leadership.

The former Minister of Special Duties and Chairman of the PDP’s Ministers Forum, Kabiru Turaki, disclosed that the meeting would take some critical decisions that would save the party from its leadership crisis, Channel TV report.

He also believed that the forum would also be able to save the party from further collapse.

The PDP former ministers from 1999 till 2015, when the party lost to the All Progressives Congress (APC) are meeting to decide whether or not to allow Senator Sheriff continue as the party’s National Chairman.

The meeting is sequel to series of controversies that have trailed the emergence of the new PDP National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, who resumed office on Monday.

PDP’s Board of Trustees (BoT) had earlier joined the group of those rejecting the appointment of Senator Sheriff as the party’s National Chairman, saying that he was not a suitable leader for the party.

The acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party’s BoT, Senator Walid Jubril, maintained that the board would meet to provide a viable solution to the leadership crisis.

Chief of Defense Staff Says Nigeria Committed to Global Peace

Nigeria CDS And US Deputy Military Adviser

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin has re-emphasised Nigeria’s commitment to global peace and security. He reiterated that Nigeria has been maintaining steady deployment of troops to hot spots around t he world to maintain and enforce peace. General Olonisakin made this disclosure at Defence Headquarters Abuja when the Deputy Military Adviser, United Nations Peace Keeping Operations, Major General Adrian Foster, paid him a courtesy call.

The CDS pointed out that Nigeria had been actively involved in peace keeping operations around the world before her independence and has kept the tempo, ever since then despite its security challenges. For instance, the CDS revealed that Nigerian troops are presently on UN missions in Guinea Bissau, Mali, Dafur, Liberia and many other countries across the globe. For this commitment and unalloyed loyalty to UN missions and obligations, Nigeria, he said, deserved more support and recognition from the world body. Hence, General Olonisakin solicited for Nigeria, quality and reputable representations in the area of UN positions and appointments.

The CDS thanked the UN for the confidence reposed in the Nigerian contingents to its mission areas which justified their retention, especially in Dafur and promised that Nigeria would continue to be a key player in world’s politics and diplomacy as well as maintenance of peace and security. He used the occasion to call the attention of the world body that the challenge of insurgency in Nigeria is a regional threat that deserves the UN active collaboration and support to end the menace as soon as possible.

Earlier in his remark, the guest, Major General Foster stated that he was in Nigeria to thank the Armed Forces for its contributions towards the world peace through its active participation in the United Nations Peace Keeping Operations around the world. General Foster further stated that he was in the country to access the situation regarding its war against insurgents in order to recommend to the UN to rally support for the country to overcome its multiple security challenges for the overall benefit of the mankind.

NHRC Sets Up Investigative Panel On Oil Spillage

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has set up a special investigative panel to look into petitions and complaints of oil spillage and environmental degradation by international oil companies in Nigeria to bring indicted companies to book.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Professor Bem Angwe said that along with the findings of the panel, previous reports and recommendations made over environmental degradation in the country would be implemented forthwith.

He said clean and healthy environments are rights of Nigerians and any company violating them must be made to pay and will not only be made to answer domestically but also internationally.

The UNEP report on Ogoni land is one of the popular reports on the enormous degradation in that region of which the recommendations are yet to be implemented over six years on.

The Human Rights boss says this time the IOC will be compelled to strike a balance between business and human rights.

Prof. Angwe said that the panel has commenced hearing of one of the many petitions on oil spill and environmental degradation pending before them.

They have 30 days to investigate these complaints, uncover the oil companies responsible and make recommendations on sanctions.

Polluted water bodies and streams with dying sea food, contaminated farmlands and destroyed sources of livelihood are the consequences of oil spillage and environmental degradation which have become the regular complaint from communities in the south-south geopolitical zone of Nigeria.

International oil companies chiefly responsible for these pollutions have often not been held accountable for remediation or compensation to the affected communities over the years while the degradation continues.