Migrant crisis: EU 'must accept 200,000 refugees', UN says

EU nations must accept up to 200,000 refugees as part of a "common strategy" to replace their "piecemeal" approach to the migrant crisis, the UN says.

Antonio Guterres, head of the UN refugee agency, said the EU must mobilise "full force" for the crisis, calling it a "defining moment".

EU leaders, split over sharing the refugee burden, are scrambling to agree a response in meetings on Friday.

In Hungary, hundreds of refugees are locked in a stalemate with authorities.

Migrants hoping to reach the Austrian border have refused to disembark from a train surrounded by police in the Hungarian town of Bicske, 40km (25 miles) from Budapest.

Live updates on the crisis

Hungarian authorities want to move the migrants to a nearby refugee camp - but the migrants fear registering there will hamper their plans to seek asylum in Germany and other countries.

In the Hungarian capital, Budapest, hundreds of stranded refugees have vowed to "walk to Vienna" because they have not been allowed to board trains onwards.

Hungary has also shut its main border crossing with Serbia after some 300 migrants escaped from a camp in the town of Roszke, prompting a police search operation.

Meanwhile, a Syrian Kurdish child who was drowned while attempting to reach Greece has been buried in his hometown of Kobane on Friday.

The family of Alan Kurdi crossed the border from Turkey to Syria, carrying coffins bearing his body and those of family members who died with him.

Images of the toddler's limp body, washed ashore on a Turkish beach, have been widely circulated, heightening outrage over the migrant crisis.

As the crisis mounts, the EU is facing intense pressure to adopt a cohesive policy towards the migrant flows - the greatest seen globally since World War Two.

Mr Guterres, of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), criticised the bloc's "unbalanced and dysfunctional" system that he said had only benefited people smugglers.

He urged the EU to admit up to 200,000 refugees as part of "a mass relocation programme" that had the "mandatory participation" of all member states.

In a statement, Mr Guterres said Europe needed to build "adequate reception capacities", especially in Greece, replacing a "piecemeal" approach with a "common strategy".

In other developments:

• Hungarian MPs have approved tougher border controls and penalties for migrants trying to pass through to their preferred destination, Germany
• Members of the European Commission are in the Greek island of Kos to examine the difficulties caused by the large numbers of refugees and migrants landing there
• The leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary will hold an extraordinary summit in Prague
• EU foreign ministers will meet in Brussels
• The UK government - under pressure over its response to the crisis - has agreed to provide settlement for "thousands more" Syrian refugees
• Some 50 migrants are feared to have drowned after their boat sank off the coast of Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration

Buhari names deputy chief of staff, media aide for Osinbajo

The two new appointees will work in the Office of the Vice President.

Mr. Ipaye is the immediate past Attorney General of Lagos State.

He studied at the University of Lagos where he graduated with B.A. (Hons) Degree (History) in 1984; LL.B. Hons (1988) and LL.M. (1991). He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators respectively.

Before his appointment as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ipaye was employed as a lecturer in the Department of Commercial and Industrial Law, University of Lagos (1992 to 2001); Special Assistant (Legal Matters) to the Governor of Lagos State (2001 to 2007); and Special Adviser (Taxation and Revenue) to the Governor of Lagos State and member of the State Executive Council (2007 to 2011).

Mr. Laolu Akande graduated from the University of Ibadan in 1990 with an honours degree in History and a Masters degree in Communication & Language Arts in 1992.

He became a Staff Reporter of the Guardian newspaper in 1990 while still serving under the National Youth Service Corps. He left The Guardian to join the foundation team of The News Magazine in 1993, where he became Senior Writer. In 1997, he was appointed by Nigerian Tribune as editor of the Tribune on Saturday, a position he held until he moved to the United States of America in 1998.

In the United States, he worked as a journalist with the Philadelphia Inquirer and New York Newsday. He also served at the United Nations as a Press Officer and later as an Advocacy and Communication Consultant. He was also the Bureau Chief of The Guardian in North America and the Executive Director of the Christian Association of Nigerian-Americans, CANAN.

Mr. Akande taught at the State University of New York at Stonybrook and also Suffolk County Community College in Long Island, New York between 2002 and 2015.
Ipaye and Akande have been working with Vice President Osinbajo since the inception of the present Administration.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)

September 3, 2015

Buhari, Osinbajo disclose assets

The assets of President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have finally been disclosed. Below is a press statement from the presidency.

“Documents submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), show that the retired General has indeed been living an austere and Spartan lifestyle, contrary to what many might expect of a former Head of State of Nigeria and one who has held a number of top government positions, such as governor, Minister of petroleum and the head of the Petroleum Development Trust Fund (PTDF).
“The documents submitted to the CCB, which officials say are still being vetted and will soon be made public, show that prior to being sworn in on May 29, President Buhari had less than N30 million to his name. He also had only one bank account, with the Union Bank. President Buhari had no foreign account, no factory and no enterprises. He also had no registered company and no oil wells. 
“The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) who had been a successful lawyer before his foray into politics declared a bank balance of about N94 million and 900,000 United States Dollars in his bank accounts.
“President Buhari declared however that he had shares in Berger Paints, Union Bank and Skye Bank. 
“This is entirely unlike what one might expect from a former head of state of a country like Nigeria.
“The documents also revealed that President Buhari had a total of five homes, and two mud houses in Daura. He had two homes in Kaduna, one each in Kano, Daura and in Abuja. One of the mud houses in Daura was inherited from his late older sister, another from his late father. He borrowed money from the old Barclays Bank to build two of his homes.
“President Buhari also has two undeveloped plots of land, one in Kano and the other in Port Harcourt. He is still trying to trace the location of the Port Harcourt land. 
“In addition to the homes in Daura, he has farms, an orchard and a ranch. The total number of his holdings in the farm include 270 heads of cattle, 25 sheep, five horses, a variety of birds and a number of economic trees. 
“The documents also showed that the retired General uses a number of cars, two of which he bought from his savings and the others supplied to him by the federal government in his capacity as former Head of State. The rest were donated to him by well-wishers after his jeep was damaged in a Boko Haram bomb attack on his convoy in July 2014.
“As revealed by the same forms, highlights of the Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo’s asset declaration include his 4-bedroom residence at Victoria Garden City, Lagos and a 3-bedroom flat at 2 Mosley Road, Ikoyi. The Vice President also has a 2-bedroom flat at the popular Redemption Camp along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and a 2-bedroom mortgaged property in Bedford, England. Aside from these, the Vice President has no other landed properties on the form.
“Apart from his law firm, known as SimmonsCooper, the Vice-President also declared shareholding in six private companies based in Lagos, including Octogenerium Ltd., Windsor Grant Ltd., Tarapolsa, Vistorion Ltd., Aviva Ltd. and MTN Nigeria.
“According to details shown on the form, the Vice-President has about ninety four million naira, nine hundred thousand US dollars and nineteen thousand pounds in Nigerian Banks with the foreign currencies kept in local domiciliary accounts. His personal vehicles are one Infinity 4-Wheel Drive SUV, one Mercedes Benz and a Prado Jeep.
“As soon as the CCB is through with the process, the documents will be released to the Nigerian public and people can see for themselves.” 
Signed :
Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media and Publicity)

#Wellness tips# 6 good reasons to eat okra

Do you know most people don’t eat okra because they don’t like the slime and sticky nature but the regular consumption of this podded green vegetable can help prevent so many unhealthy medical signs and usually available fresh year-round, one of the best way to preserve okra is to store it inside a paper bag and place it in the refrigerator and not the freezer.

Here are 6 reasons why you need to hop on okra pods ASAP.

1- Controls high blood sugar: The natural fiber is okra works effectively for the patient with high blood sugar, it normalizes and slows down sugar absorption to help to control diabetes.

2- Rejuvenate damaged skin: Vitamin C is a crucial compound for healthy skin. It helps keep skin looking young and vibrant and rejuvenate damaged skin. When use it for this effect, its simple enough. Boil a handful of okra until soft, cooling off and mash it, then apply it to your face. After five minutes, you can feel your face smooth and rejuvenated.

3- Promotes lower calories: okra is a good low-calorie, fat-free addition to any diet, especially weight loss diets.

4- Rich in minerals and vitamins

Okra is a rich source of many important minerals and vitamins. Here are some prominent vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients found in okra that deserve some spotlight. Each figure is based on 1 cup (100g) of okra.
•Fiber – 2.5 grams. 10% of RDA (recommended daily value)
•Vitamin C – 16.3 milligrams. 27% RDA.
•Folate – 46 micrograms. 11% RDA.
•Vitamin A – 283 international units. 6% RDA.
•Vitamin K – 40 micrograms. 50% RDA. The vitamin K found in okra is known as vitamin K1, one of two beneficial forms. The other beneficial form is K2; K3 is synthetic and should be avoided.
•Niacin (Vitamin B3) – 0.9 mg. 4% RDA.
•Thiamin (Vitamin B1) – 0.1 mg. 9% RDA.
•Vitamin B6 – 0.2 mg. 9% RDA.
•Magnesium – 36 mg. 9% RDA.
•Manganese –  0.3 mg. 15% RDA.
•Beta carotene – 225 mcg.
•Lutein, Zeaxanthin – 516 mcg.

5- Improves eye problems: okra contain large amount of Vitamin A, beta-carotene, xanthine and lutein. All of these are essential for good vision. It can help prevent eye problems like glaucoma and cataract.

6- Scalp moisturiser Promotes hair growth: okra keeps dandruff away and a moisturizer for dry and itchy scalp, apply the mixture of 3-5 fresh okra cut into pieces boil in water till it is slim, and cool it off. Add few drops of lemon juice to it. Apply the mixture to your hair after washing.

ICPC begins probe on Amaechi, Kwankwaso, Chima and Shema's government

The independent Corrupt Practices and other offences Commission (ICPC) have commenced investigations into the administrations of four past governors namely Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Sullivan Chime of Enugu, Ibrahim Shema of Katsina and Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano.

According to a source who spoke with Vanguard, a team of investigators departed the commission's headquarters in Abuja on Monday August 31st to the various states to investigate petitions over alleged misappropriation of funds and contract scam during the past governors administrations.

“We will ensure that we thoroughly investigate all allegations brought before us so that no body would be left in doubt about our commitment to fighting corruption. The chairman has dispatched a team to the affected states and they are expected to report back in the next two weeks. No body would be spared if found culpable” the source said.

Igbo lawyer sues Buhari

A lawyer from Anambra State has sued President Muhammadu Buhari over his recent appointments which many believe show a bias towards Nigeria’s northern region.

Marcel Dim-Udebuani filed the suit challenging Buhari’s appointments at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Dim-Udebuani is alleging before the court that the president’s appointments are in violation of Nigeria’s federal character principle.

He based his suit on the grounds “that the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a country for all the citizens, South-East inclusive.”

Buhari has appointed 25 officials since assuming office on May 29, 2015, but none of them is from the South-East.

The plaintiff is therefore urging the court to compel Buhari “to reverse the appointments so far made to observe and comply with the principle of Federal Character as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).”

The president has been severely criticized for his appointments which the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has described as ‘totally unacceptable to Ndigbo’.

Catholic Church To Forgive Abortion - For A Year

Women who have had abortions may be forgiven the sin but only during next year, Pope Francis has said.

All Roman Catholic priests will be given the discretion to formally forgive women who have terminated a pregnancy as part of a Holy Year, taking place from 8 December 2015 to 26 November 2016.

Holy or 'Jubilee' years are special periods of around a year, that traditionally occur every 25 or 50 years, during which absolution, or forgiveness by the church, is encouraged.

The pope said the priests will be allowed to forgive the women so long as they repent and express regret for their past action.

According to Catholic doctrine, the act of abortion is normally such a serious sin that those who undergo it or help it take place face an automatic excommunication.

Usually only specified members of the clergy or missionaries are allowed to forgive abortions.

But next year has been designated a Year of Mercy, the Catholic Herald reported Pope Francis as saying.

In a letter, Francis said women who have ended a pregnancy had undergone an "existential and moral ordeal" .

He added he had "met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonising and painful decision".

Francis has surprised church observers by the level of tolerance he has shown for previously taboo subjects.

Although he has not indicated the Church intends to withdraw its opposition to abortion, conservatives have been upset that the Pope's comments on the issue have been less forceful than his predecessors'.

Vatican chief spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told reporters: "This is by no means an attempt to minimise the gravity of this sin but to widen the possibility of showing mercy."

Deputy Vatican spokesman Father Ciro Benedettini said that the change would apply only during the Holy Year.

The pope's letter did not mention people who carry out abortions.

Although a Holy Year normally occurs every 25 years at least, a pope is able to decree an extraordinary one to bring attention to a particular topic or need.

The last one was the Great Jubilee in 2000 during which Pope John Paul II greatly expanded the range of locations that people could seek absolution in exchange for fulfilling a series of conditions.

Oshiomole defends Buhari's appointments

Following the public outcry over president Buhari's appointments made recently, the governor of Edo state Adams Oshiomole, has released a statement defending the appointments of President Buhari.

In the statement signed by his chief Press secretary, Peter Okhiria, Oshiomole said the appointments made so far have been based on merits. According to him, the time has come for Nigeria to use unusual methods to solve her unusual problems. The statement in part reads;

"The Nigerian nation has come to a point where we have to use the best hands to confront the peculiarity of our problems. It is not all the time we descend to the level of geopolitical balancing; we need to employ unusual methods to solve an unusual problem. The level of decay in the country at present requires very seasoned hands and incorruptible Nigerians that will help translate the APC agenda of change for the benefit of all Nigerians. We must not reduce governance to political patronage of bread and butter. The governor congratulates the Chief of Staff, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Comptroller General of Customs, all of who he had very close relationship with and whose credentials stand tall among their compeers. He wishes them well in their new jobs of helping to sanitize a system that has become so rotten and corrupt as a result of manifest incompetence and mismanagement.”