Get Your Uniforms Locally-Buhari Orders Military, Others

President Muhammadu Buhari has reportedly directed the military and all other uniform services and hospitals to patronise the Nigerian Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG) industries to grow the economy. This revelation was made by the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, at a meeting with the country's service chiefs and stakeholders from the CTG sector in Abuja on Thursday, July 11. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Emefiele explained that for the present administration to tackle unemployment and grow the economy, the CTG sector must be revived. “We have the mandate of the Mr President to ensure all the uniform services and theatre wears in hospitals and medical facilities are sourced locally from CTG industries. “Already, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPR) has been notified to enforce compliance among the ministries, departments and agencies of the government. “Our model to achieve this directive or mandate is to facilitate long term contract at least five years or more with these people," he said adding that the country wants to have its armed forces and other uniformed men to be kitted in wears produced in Nigeria. Emefiele said the CBN was not naive of the fact that the jobs of the uniform men required special and quality materials as well as the security around the wears. He also pledged that the team that would be raised by the bank would work with their nominees to ensuring requisite quality and security associated with the uniforms. “Your nominees will also join our team to inspect CTG factories to ensure their readiness to be engaged in the long term contract of this nature. “We shall also work out payment term that fits budget releases for uniforms of various organisations. “If this is actualised, with your support and cooperation, it will impact positively on CTG sector and Nigerian’s economy at large,” he said while adding that the CBN had started to support the sector 'from the bottom' by funding cotton seeds for the farmers to produce quality cottons. It was learnt that representatives of Nigerian Army, Navy, customs, immigration, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the civil defence corps and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), among others, attended the meeting and pledged to support by patronising the industries to boost the economy of the country. I President Muhammadu Buhari reportedly sent a directive to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) ordering the blacklisting of any firm involved in smuggling palm oil. The directive also included the blacklisting of owners of these firms and their top management involved in dumping into the country any of the 43 restricted items in Nigeria.

FG Cancels Passport Printing Contract Abroad

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered that the production and personalisation of all e-passports and related documentation to be the sole responsibility of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC). The Mint company was established in 1963 with the objective of producing the nation’s currency notes and coins for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as well as security documents for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government, banks and other blue chip companies. Femi Adesina, the special adviser on media and publicity to the president, in a statement isued on Thursday, July 11, said that with the new directive from the president, all existing memoranda of understanding and contracts on printing by other institutions/ companies would not be renewed. The statement read: “The Mint is the largest banknote and security documents specialist printing company in West Africa. However, its performance was rapidly dwindling in terms of both currency production and security documents prior to 2014.” He said under the chairmanship of the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, the new targets were set and managing director/chief executive officer of The Mint, Abbas Umar Masanawa, recounted some of the achievements to include: zero importation of currency from 2014 to date, with attendant benefits of conservation of foreign reserve, revenue and employment generation, as well as safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty. According to the statement, Masanawa said: “The Mint has returned to profitability. From a moribund organisation with heavy losses, the company grew from a loss position of N14. 6 million in 2014 to a profit of N14. 3 billion in 2018. Turnover also grew from N17.8 billion in 2014 to N61. 4 billion in 2018. “Other achievements include enhanced production capacity, revenue diversification, reduced cost of production, institutionalization of corporate governance, improved staff welfare and industrial harmony, among others.” The managing director pledged that The Mint would justify the renewed confidence reposed in it by the president, adding that, “as we are moving to the Next Level, and poised to boost national security and integrity, we will conserve scarce foreign exchange, improve revenue generation, create job opportunities, and boost acquisition/transfer of technology.” Meanwhile,President Buhari wrote the Senate to confirm the Justice Tanko Muhammad as Nigeria's substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

Mandla Maseko: 'Afronaut' Picked to Become First Black African in Space is Dead

"Mandla Maseko received training to go to space - but never made the trip'. Tributes have been paid to a South African man who was trained to become the first black African to go to space after he died in a motorbike crash. Mandla Maseko, 30, beat one million other contenders to win a place on the Axe Apollo Space Academy venture six years ago and spent a week in 2015 being put through his paces at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. He was killed in the accident on Saturday before he had the chance to fulfil his dream, his family said. The South African said he hoped his journey would inspire young people in Africa According to South African news agency Eyewitness News, Mr Maseko was in the South African Air Force and a public speaker, having grown up in a poor township in the city of Pretoria. He was known in his homeland as "Spaceboy" and "Afronaut". He was one of 23 people chosen to take part in the space expedition after completing a series of mental aptitude tests, combat training in a fighter jet, and zero-gravity training. Former NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin was on the judging panel, and said at the time: "Going into space has been the biggest privilege of my life. More of you will see space in the next few years than at any other time in history." Buzz Aldrin was involved in choosing Mr Maseko and 22 others to take part Space.com reported that the 23 were due to travel aboard the XCOR Aerospace Lynx commercial spacecraft, which was expected to begin flying customers with tickets costing $95,000 (£75,820) in 2015. But XCOR Aerospace went bankrupt in 2017 and no firm plans for the trip have been made public since. The venture had been sponsored by the fragrance company Axe, known as Lynx in the UK. Mourners have been left devastated that Mr Maseko never made it into space before his death, with one hailing him for having been a "beacon of light" who had done "great things" for Africa. Mr Maseko said he was inspired by Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon Vezuchiy Fanashnikov tweeted: "#RIPMandlaMaseko. Didn't know the guy, but he was going to do great things for this proud land of Africa. One more beacon of light is gone. We salute you." Castro Ngobese added: "#RIPMandlaMaseko. The good die young, wherever you are in the nooks and crannies of the universe, you will always be missed, a life well lived, be a good ancestor to your family and nation at large!!" And Tuhla Thula wrote: "A testimony that our dreams are valid regardless of how far fetched they seem. #RIPAfronaut you're now in #PlanetHeaven, your final destination." Mr Maseko told the BBC in 2014 that he wanted to go to space to motivate and inspire young people in Africa and prove they could go far no matter their background. He said he hoped his trip would see him come up with "one line that will be used in years to come - like Neil Armstrong did".

Tribunal: It’s Wrong to say Results of Presidential Poll were not Transmitted —INEC technical officer

Petitioners’ second witness at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, Mr. Peter Uzioma Obi, on Monday, said it was wrong to say the results of the February 23, 2019 presidential election were not transmitted electronically. Obi took the witness stand at the instance of the Peoples Democratic Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who are by their petition challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress. Obi, who said he functioned as Registration Area Technician at a ward level in Rivers State during the election, said the Independent National Electoral Commission trained him and others to transmit the results of the poll. Obi, who earlier adopted his witness statement on oath which he deposed to on April 26, as his evidence-in-chief, said this while fielding questions from INEC’s lawyer, Yunus Usman (SAN), under cross-examination. “You are not supposed to transmit results because you are not a presiding officer,” Usman asked. Responding, Obi said, “You are wrong sir. INEC trained us to transmit results. I was not a presiding officer. I was not a polling agent. I was a registration area technician appointed by INEC. I was trained by INEC.” Fielding questions from Buhari’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), he said he was not aware of the guidelines used by the INEC for the presidential election, but added that there was a specific guidelines booklet issued for his roles as a RATECH. “I was a RATECH in charge of the use of card reader,” he said. He said he was not aware of Olanipekun’s claim that there was no designation in the INEC’s guidelines as Registration Area Technician He said he operated at the ward level with the Local Government Technician and the State Technician as his superiors. He added that he was not stationed at any polling unit during the election but visited the ones where his attention was needed. He said he visited seven polling units in the course of the election. Fielding questions from APC’s lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Obi said the lawyer was not entirely correct to say that it was the duty of the Presiding Officer “to do accreditation, verification authentication, and collation at the Poling Units.” The witness said, “You are not entirely correct sir, because we were told at the training that the Assistant Polling Officer 1, was in charge of accreditation.” Fielding more questions, he said, “I did not serve as APO1 and I did not serve as the Presiding Officer.” He said he did not act on his own, contrary to Fagbemi’s suggestion. “I have a letter to show that I was shortlisted.”

DR Congo's Bosco Ntaganda convicted of war crimes by ICC

Bosco Ntaganda was convicted of leading a brutal campaign in eastern DR Congo A former Congolese rebel leader has been found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Fighters loyal to Bosco Ntaganda disembowelled babies and smashed their heads in, said judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC). In all, Ntaganda, nicknamed "Terminator", was convicted on 18 counts, including murder, rape, sexual slavery and using child soldiers. He becomes the first person convicted of sexual slavery by the ICC. His lawyers had argued that Ntaganda was a victim, having also been recruited as a child soldier. He is the fourth person convicted by the ICC since its creation in 2002. Ntaganda surrendered at the US embassy in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2013. Analysts said it was an act of self-preservation, motivated by the danger he was in after losing a power-struggle within his M23 rebel group. Who is Bosco Ntaganda? Born in 1973, grew up in Rwanda Fled to DR Congo as a teenager after attacks on fellow ethnic Tutsis At 17, he began his fighting days - alternating between being a rebel and a soldier, in both Rwanda and DR Congo 2006: Indicted by the ICC for allegedly recruiting child soldiers In charge of troops who carried out 2008 Kiwanji massacre of 150 people 2009: Integrated into Congolese national army and made a general 2012: Defects from the army, sparking a new rebellion which forces 800,000 from their homes 2013: Surrenders to US embassy in Kigali, after splits in his rebel group What did he do? A three-judge bench found Ntaganda guilty on all 18 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the mineral-rich eastern region of Ituri between 2002 and 2003. Ntaganda, 46, was a "key leader" who gave orders to "target and kill civilians" judge Robert Fremr said in the ruling. Prosecutors had said Ntaganda was key in planning and running operations for the Union of Congolese Patriots (UCP) rebels and its military wing, the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC). The armed group conducted attacks against people perceived not to belong to the Hema ethnic group, the ICC found. In one attack, fighters killed 49 captured people in a banana field behind a village using "sticks and batons as well as knives and machetes". "Men, women and children and babies were found in the field. Some bodies were found naked, some had hands tied up, some had their heads crushed. Several bodies were disembowelled or otherwise mutilated," Judge Fremr said. The judges ruled that Ntaganda had personally killed a Catholic priest, while the fighters he commanded ran rampage in the region. The crimes took place when Ntaganda served as the deputy chief of general staff of Thomas Lubanga - who was the leader of the UCP. He was convicted by the ICC in 2012 and sentenced to 14 years. Ntaganda left the UCP to become a founding member of the M23 rebel group, which was eventually defeated by Congolese government forces in 2013. Forty-nine mutilated bodies strewn in a banana field. A pregnant woman killed while trying to shield herself from rape. Children under the age of 15 conscripted to fight - women and girls kept as sex slaves. In court, judges highlighted the horror brought by Bosco Ntaganda's rebel forces before finding the 46-year-old guilty of all 18 charges. His lawyers had argued he too was a victim, kidnapped as a child and trained as a soldier before becoming the first suspect to voluntarily surrender to the ICC - this was deemed no excuse for ruthless attacks committed in adulthood. More than 2,000 survivors were cleared to take part in this trial. Human rights groups said this judgment provided an important measure of justice. Source.AFP.