President Muhammadu Buhari was said to have spoken to President Donald Trump on the telephone on Monday afternoon at the request of the American President.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

Adesina described the conversation between the two leaders as cordial.

He quoted Buhari as congratulating Trump on his election as the US President and on his cabinet.

The presidential spokesman said the two leaders discussed ways to improve cooperation in the fight against terrorism through provision of necessary equipment.

The statement read, “President Trump encouraged President Buhari to keep up the good work he is doing, and also commended him for the efforts made in rescuing 24 of the Chibok girls and the strides being taken by the Nigerian military.

“President Trump assured the Nigerian President of US readiness to cut a new deal in helping Nigeria in terms of military weapons to combat terrorism.

“President Trump also invited President Buhari to Washington at a mutually convenient date.”

A presidential aide, Malam Garba Shehu, has asked Nigerians to be ready to see President Muhammadu Buhari return from his medical vacation in London to the country anytime soon.

Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, made the statement in an interview with Channels Television in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said the president was no longer “enjoying his stay’’ outside the country.

“As a matter of fact, we should be getting ready to see the president flesh and blood and that will be as soon as possible.

“The president (himself) is looking forward to being home to be with his people.

“I don’t think he is enjoying any longer an extended vacation outside the country,’’ Shehu said.

Commenting on the president’s telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, the spokesman said it was “undiplomatic’’ for anyone to demand for the release of the audio recording of the conversation.

According to him, releasing an audio containing the telephone conversation between two presidents is highly unethical and against modern civilisation.

“No, I don’t think so; I don’t think it is permitted in international diplomacy. I think if we had recorded Mr Trump in this conversation it would have offended our diplomatic relations.

“I think the Americans themselves would not have recorded this conversation of president to president,’’ he said.

On the president’s medical test results being expected from doctors, Shehu said he had no information on whether the president had collected the results or not.

“No, we have no information on that (test results). If he had received them, he would have been on the plane back home.’’

Shehu said there was not enough time for the two presidents to discuss other continental and international issues.

He, however, expressed optimism that the conversation would boost bilateral relations between Nigeria and the U.S.

“Well, there wasn’t enough time to talk about everything. I think the point at what will follow is in the invitation that President Trump has extended to our president (Buhari) to come over.

“That is the kind of opportunity that was presented to Nigeria to put all the issues on the desk.

“As for their immigration policy, I think our president has been clear about one thing – the choices made by the Americans as to who to lead them, in this case, Mr Trump, is entirely their own choice.

“We have no business interfering with their domestic affairs.

“As to the countries that have been barred, it has been clearly specified and Nigeria did not feature in the list,’’ he added.

Buhari proceeded on medical vacation on Jan. 19 and wrote to the Senate that Vice-president Yemi Osinbajo would act in his absence.

His absence which has stretched beyond the initial 10-day request has generated speculations about his health condition in spite of the fact that he wrote the Senate again on Feb. 5 for an extension of the leave period.

On Monday, Buhari spoke with Trump by telephone at the request of the American president.

The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, said in a statement that the two leaders discussed ways to improve cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

He said Trump assured Buhari of the U.S Government’s readiness to enter a new deal in helping Nigeria in the supply of weapons to combat terrorism.

“Trump also invited Buhari to Washington at a mutually convenient date,’’ Adesina said.

The Nigeria Army, on Tuesday declared that its battled ready towards securing the territorial integrity of the nation from any violation as well as alerted to rid the country of terrorists and other criminal groups.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Tukur Buratai who made the declaration in Abuja Yesterday during the 2017 budget defence before the House of Representatives Committee on Army, saying that there was no cause for alarm.

Buratai explained that in the past eight years, the country had been grappling with various security challenges that had continued to stretch the development of Nigeria Army assets.

According to the Army Chief, “currently, the Nigeria Army is deployed in about 32 states of the federation fighting to eradicate terrorism, cattle rustling, kidnapping, pipeline vandalism, armed banditry and communal clashes among others.”

“The challenges have in many instances necessitated the deployment of Quick Response Groups to troubled areas and establishment of new units in some cases.”

He however, expressed concern that the limited funds released to the Nigeria Army had continued to jeopardize welfare efforts with attendant dampening of personnel morale.

While giving the breakdown of the 2016 budget to the Committee, Buratai said that the percentage performance of Nigeria Army budget was 100 per cent.

He disclosed that in the proposed 2017 budget, the allocation to the Nigeria Army was N152. 843billion out of which01 per cent was for personnel Emolument while 39.39 per cent was for overhead capital budget respectively.

Buratai impressed it upon the Committee that the timely and complete implementation of 2017 budget would enhance the fulfillment of the Army its mandate.

Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon Kwewum Shawulu, recalled that in 2016, following the advocacy embarked upon by his committee, the National Assembly added N10 billion to the allocation of the Nigeria Army.

He said though it was a far cry from what was actually needed, it demonstrated the importance National Assembly attached to the Nigeria Army and services of defending the territorial integrity of Nigeria.

THE Republic of Ecuador has offered to partner with the Federal Government on agricultural research and space technology for the detection and control of oil spillage in the Niger Delta region.

“We have research institute in the same field, we are in the same tropical zone, we have scientists that have developed methodology on how to localise oil spills and pollution of hydrocarbon to satellite images”, it added.

The Ambassador of the Republic of Ecuador, Leapoldo Verdeso made the offer when he paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu in his office in Abuja.

He said the country was interested in sharing methodology on how to detect oil spills using satellite images and knowledge on agricultural research.

In his response, Dr Onu stated that the cleanup of the Niger Delta area was very important to this administration and the government was committed to ensuring that mangrove forest was restored and the people have access to clean water that were around them.

He noted that the agriculture is 90% science and technology, hence, the partnership would reduce food wastage and make food available all year round.

According to him, “we work closely with Federal Ministry of Environment to preserve our environment and reduce poverty” he noted.

The minister further remarked that the request coming from Ecuador was timely in view of the commitment of the Buhari administration to ensure that Nigeria was able to feed itself, diversify the economy, create wealth and reduce poverty.

Dr Onu then commended the gesture from the Ambassador, noting that it was a confirmation of the long standing relationships between the two countries.

Soldiers have sacked six villages in the Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, killing six persons, including a pregnant woman.

This followed the killing of a soldier at the weekend by some youths in the area.

But the Brigade Commander of the 707 Special Force, Brig. Clement Apere, denied that soldiers attacked the people.

“The operation we conducted in the area was carried out in a professional way,” he said.

However, sources from Agatu, who spoke to our correspondent on the telephone on Tuesday, explained that six villages — Olegadakolo, Ikpele, Otugologwu, Iwali, Okpanchenyi and Egba — were sacked by the soldiers.

At Egba community, sources said a pregnant woman was hit by a stray bullet, adding that the six villages had been deserted.

“This is genocide on our people, as I’m talking to you now, six villages have been sacked, children and women have moved out of the affected villages, while many people have been arrested by the invading soldiers,” a resident of one of the villages, who pleaded anonymity said.

The council’s sole administrator, Mr. Mike Inalegwu, who spoke to our correspondent on the telephone, also denied the killing of people in Agatu communities but admitted the invasion of military personnel.

“There is no iota of truth in that, no one was killed, the military were only on the mission to recover their arms and ammunition,” he said.

Speaking at a press conference, the commander, 707 Special Forces Brigade, Brig. Gen. Clement Apere, said only one person was arrested.

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State yesterday gave the people of Agatu 72 hours to produce those of their ‘boys’ who killed one of the soldiers deployed to the area for peace keeping.

Some youths in Agatu local government area on Saturday allegedly killed a soldier and wounded two others drafted from the 72 Battalion in Makurdi to keep vigilance in the area.

Ortom told newsmen during an interview in Makurdi that the incident which took place at Olegadakolo near Egba in Agatu on Saturday was highly regrettable.

“The action is condemnable, I apologize,” he said.

Meanwhile the Commander, 707 Special Forces Brigade, Brig. Gen. Clement Apere at a press conference in Makurdi, said the body of the soldier was recovered alongside another wounded soldier during a cordon and search operation conducted by troops to apprehend the militias.

The Brigade Commander displayed arms and ammunition as well as military equipment and uniforms allegedly recovered from Ekpele, Enungba and Olegadakolo communities of Agatu during the operations.

He described the killing of the soldier as highly condemnable, stressing that the military would not rest on its oars until all those fingered in the act were apprehended.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday said the quest by the country to achieve energy security can no longer be left for the Federal Government to address alone, just as he revealed plans by the State to attain 24-hour power supply through generation of 3000megawatts of electricity by 2022.


Speaking at Lagos House in Ikeja after receiving the report of the Embedded Power Technical Committee constituted by the State Government with representatives from the public and private sector, Governor Ambode said while the Federal Government continues in its efforts to resolve the power crisis, the sustainable solution going forward would be the pulling together of commitment and resources of all stakeholders in the power value chain.


While explaining the rationale behind the embedded power initiative of the State Government, Governor Ambode said the major bane of the power situation in the country has always been with transmission, adding that the initiative was designed to permanently resolve power crisis in the State and by extension in the country.


He said: “The reason why we embarked on this initiative is that we believe strongly that if the power problem is solved in Lagos, it is technically solved in the whole of the country and so because Lagos has more or less tested a solution that works, we can scale this up and also address it on a national scale.


“The problem of power in Nigeria is the problem of transmission and that is the truth. Yes, we have generating companies and we have distributing companies and they say power is in the hands of the private sector but we know technically that that is not totally true.

“We also know that transmission is hundred per cent owned by government but we have tested here in Lagos and we have been able to provide 48 kilowatts of power without transmitting it which means that we generate and then distribute.


“So, if that works for 48 kilowatts, can we put Lagos into clusters and actually use embedded power initiative to drive the business of Lagos? That is what this initiative is all about and I want to thank all the stakeholders for submitting their business template into what government sees as the right step to take so that we can join hands together to say in the next two to five years, we can actually power Lagos and then grow our GDP.”


Governor Ambode said the target of the State Government is to generate up to 3,000MW of power through accelerated deployment of various embedded power plants in strategic locations in the State within three to five years.

Out of the 3000MW, the Governor said 350MW would be delivered by Q1 2018, additional 850MW by Q4 2018, and the balance of 1,800MW not later Q3 2022, while the State Government will support the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to be signed between the Distribution Companies and the embedded power providers, to enhance bankability of the projects.


He said the embedded power will be distributed off-grid within Lagos State through the network of Eko and Ikeja Distribution Companies, while the State Government will support the Distribution Companies in upgrading their distribution infrastructure and installation of smart prepaid meters in the areas where embedded power is deployed.

Other areas of collaboration, according to the Governor, would include support for collection, appropriate legislation and enforcement of power theft laws.


Besides, Governor Ambode said his administration will collaborate with operators of oil blocks in the Lagos area to accelerate the extraction of gas feedstocks for power generation, adding that alternative sources of fuel would be explored to sustain uninterrupted power supply in the medium to long term, including partnerships on investments in gas pipeline infrastructure through the State’s owned oil and gas Corporation – Ibile Oil and Gas.
While recalling the success of the Light Up Lagos Project with installation of over 47,000 poles of street lights, and connection of about 67 communities in the Ibeju Lekki axis to national grid after about six years off grid under the rural electrification project, Governor Ambode said another 32 communities in Badagry which have not had access to electricity for over sixteen years would be connected to the grid within the next 21 days.


Responding on behalf of Distribution Companies (DISCOS), Chairman of Eko Distribution Company, Mr. Charles Momoh commended Governor Ambode for the embedded power initiative, saying it was the best thing that has happened to Lagos State in recent times.


He also expressed the confidence of DISCOS in the ability of the Governor to see to the success of the initiative.

Earlier in his remarks, the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Wale Oluwo, said he was confident that the implementation of the report holistically would address electricity problem in the state.

An Icon and Legend of our time has gone Home, Rest In Peace to the Big Masquerade of Igboland...The Igbo Nation has Lost a Legend, Ichie Mezuo Pericomo Okoye, Arusi Makaja 1 of Igboland popularly known as Pericoma. What a Great Loss!!!

He featured in the film "Lion Of Africa" with Pete Edochie

THE Federal Government is deploying hi tech security equipment to Lagos to stop the menace of kidnapping in a corner of that state and in neighbouring Ogun State.

The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, who disclosed this on Friday, decried the incessant cases of kidnapping in the Lagos area even as he said several suspects involved in kidnapping had been arrested.

The Police boss, while speaking with journalists and selected human rights organisations in Lagos on Friday also described the proposed creation of more security outfits as a waste of resources.

Apart from Lagos, another state that will benefit from the security equipment to be deployed in the next one week is Rivers State, he said.

He specifically said that tracking machines will be deployed to Lagos and Rivers States to track kidnappers and other criminals in the two regions.

The IGP said: “The tracking unit has helped us a lot in solving kidnap cases. I can tell you that we have resolved 90 per cent of kidnap cases across the country. We have rescued victims and arrested most of the suspects in almost all the crimes. Some of the suspects are in our custody.

“We have been able to achieve this with the tracker in Abuja. So, in order to achieve more, we are establishing two other tracking units. One in Lagos and another in Rivers State to serve the East and West.” he added.

While saying that the police intended to buy a lot of gunboats to police the waterways, Idris disclosed that “those terrorising Lagos and Ogun states are from Delta and Ondo states who felt there was more money in Lagos.”

He added that the police would soon come up with the concept of “floating police stations so that the police can dominate the creeks” and deal a fatal blow on kidnappers and other criminals using the waterwyas.

Idris also described the police as the greatest casualty of the Boko Haram activities, claiming that the Force lost more personnel and facilities to the Boko Haram war .

As part of the efforts to stem the tide of kidnapping in the country, the police boss said that the police would in the next few weeks establish tracking units in Lagos and River States.

Idris said: “The funding of the police is costly. What we are trying to do is to pursue 50 per cent of our budgetary requirement from other sources. We are also looking for other avenues where we can address the problems of the police.”

“At the same time, we are hoping that the National Assembly would pass the Bill establishing Police Trust Fund, by so doing, open up other sources for the police to generate money,” Idris added.

He stated that, “It is possible. It is already happening in Lagos (Security Trust Fund) and has been working wonderfully. We are aware that the Federal Government is financially constrained and so, we don’t think it is right to over burden the system by creating other agencies, which would require funding and create rivalry.

“But if more money is availed the police and more people recruited, we can achieve so much more,” he added.

Idris said “the police lost so many personnel in the course of the Boko Haram insurgency.

“We were the worst hit and still we were not recruiting. So, all these affected the strength of the police.

“Our message has been constant. The country is under-policed. The country has a police force that is grossly underfunded and we need to address these critical issues “ the police boss said .
“The main issue is funding of the police .When you compute the needs of the police, people will shout .In each of the local government in the country, the police is the agency that has the widest spread. When you start calculating the number of vehicles needed, he amount of fuel and even the administrative costs, writing of statement forms, people will shout,” he said.

He said that the police only received N4billion out of the N300 billion that was allocated to it in 2016.

He urged the civil society organisations to call on the National Assembly to consider the funding of the police while adding that funding of the police is in the interest of the country.