Nigerian Military is Exceptional and Outstanding – Liberian Minister

The Minister of National Defence of Liberia, Honourable Brownie J Samukai Jr has described the Nigerian Armed Forces as very professional and outstanding, adding that he would continue to appreciate them for the training support they have been giving to his home country since 2006.

The minister made this remark when he visited Nigeria’s Chief of the Defence Staff, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin in his office at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

The minister further stated that Liberia would forever regard Nigeria as a big brother for the role it played in the restoration of peace, democratic governance and security in their country.  He said the reorganised military they have is a product of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Samukai Jr who in the company of his country’s Ambassador to Nigeria solicited more support from the Nigerian Armed Forces in the areas of training and vacancies for courses and cooperation for enhancing bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries said that his government would stand shoulder to shoulder with Nigeria in ensuring that terrorist activities are effectively stamped out in Nigeria. He therefore, stated his country’s readiness to support in whatever way to rout out terrorism in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

Responding, the CDS thanked the minister for the visit and assured him that the two countries would continue to partner in order to be able to contribute in the development of the two countries and the sub-region in general.

He also pleaded that the Nigerian Armed Forces would continue to render training support to the Armed Forces of Liberia in order to ensure collective security to the sub-region and the world at large.

Dignitaries present at the visit included, the Liberian ambassador and all the principal staff officers of the Defence Headquarters.

South African children sue TB Joshua, Synagogue, others over father’s death

Two South African children have filed a suit against the founder of Synagogue Church of All Nations, Pastor Temitope Joshua and seven others over the death of their father in the September 2014 building collapse in the church.

Six-year-old Nora Furah Wa Kalambaie and her three-year-old brother Bulungu Malaika Wa Kalambaie, filed the suit at Lagos State High Court, Igbosere, on Tuesday.

They are seeking an order directing Joshua and other defendants to pay them R8, 772,000 as cost and damages for the death of their father, Kalambaie Wa Kalambaie.

They claimed that the deceased was one of the 116 people, mostly foreigners, killed in the building collapse.

Listed as co-defendants are – Registered Trustees of Synagogue, Jadny Trust Limited; Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company and two engineers, Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun.

Also joined in the suit are – Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and the state Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

See President Muhammadu Buhari in Saudi Arabia Photo

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