The All Progresive Party has said that the Peoples Democratic Party PDP will continue to cry and cry more. This was made in a tweet on the official twitter handle of the APC @APCNigeria.
The APC also invited other PDP senators to join the APC ‘We are calling on other PDP senators to join us in the APC’. See tweet below:
https://twitter.com/APCNigeria/status/803941906048684032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The Nigerian government on Thursday extended invitation to Russians to take advantage of the country’s arable land to produce and export agricultural products.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo gave the invitation when a Russian delegation led by the Russian Minister of Agriculture, Alexander Tkachev, called on him on Thursday.
“The oil prices have gone down tremendously and yet large amount of foreign exchange is used to purchase food abroad and we have large arable land for agric. It won’t make sense, if you don’t use the land,” Mr. Osinbajo said.
“We are inviting Russian farmers to invest in Nigeria, produce and import from here. We are just six hours away from Europe by air. Vegetables, flour can be exported to Europe from here. Even our local market here is a lot.”
Mr. Osinbajo said the availability of arable land in Nigeria made the case for improved local agricultural production in Nigeria an imperative, rather than continued importation with its significant pressure on dwindling foreign earnings of the country.
Both the vice president and the delegation that included Russian deputy minister of agriculture, Evgeny Gromyko, and officials of Russian firm (Rusal) agreed that the two countries should deepen the existing diplomatic relationship, especially economically.
The vice president assured his visitors, which included the Russian ambassador in Nigeria, Nikolay Udovichenko, there was a lot of money to be made if Russian technology in agriculture was deployed locally.
Earlier, the Russian agriculture minister, who is the Co-Chair of the Nigeria-Russia Joint Commission, expressed his country’s willingness to enhance the existing trade relations with Nigeria.
He noted that the Nigeria-Russia trade volume as at the end of 2015 exceeded $300 million, adding that there were potentials for improvement in the years ahead.
The Russian minister said there were better opportunities for economic cooperation between both countries.
Credit:
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/215057-nigeria-invites-russian-farmers-invest.html
U.S. President Barack Obama has congratulated his successor, Donald Trump, in a phone call and invited him to the White House.
His office said in a statement on Wednesday in Washington that the meeting with Mr. Trump was planned for Thursday.
Mr. Obama also called Hillary Clinton and “expressed admiration for the strong campaign she waged throughout the country.
The president would make a statement from the White House later on Wednesday to discuss the election results and “what steps we can take as a country to come together after this hard-fought election season.”
The White House said that “ensuring a smooth transition of power” is one of Mr. Obama’s top priorities.
Republican Mr. Trump defeated Democrat Mrs. Clinton in a surprise result that saw him win key battleground states like Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania.
In his victory speech, Mr. Trump said he received a congratulatory phone call from Mrs. Clinton and congratulated her for running a strong campaign.
He pledged to unite the U.S., saying “I say it is time for us to come together as one united people.”
Credit: AFP
Leaders of the European Union institutions have invited United States President-elect, Donald Trump, to a summit as soon as he can schedule one.
Reuters says this was mentioned as key in a letter signed by the leaders on Wednesday congratulating Trump on his election as the new U.S. President.
“Today, it is more important than ever to strengthen transatlantic relations,” wrote Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker, presidents respectively of the European Council, which groups member states, and the executive European Commission.
“Only by cooperating closely can the EU and U.S continue to make a difference when dealing with unprecedented challenges such as Da’esh, the threats to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, climate change and migration,” they said.
The leaders said that “fortunately, the EU-U.S strategic partnership was broad and deep, from our joint efforts to enhance energy security and address climate change.
“Through EU-U.S collaboration on facing threats to security in Europe’s Eastern and Southern neighbourhoods and to the negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
“We should spare no effort to ensure that the ties that bind us remain strong and durable,” the EU leaders said.
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President Muhammadu Buhari has told the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, that Nigeria would welcome intermediaries from the global body as part of his administration’s commitment to swapping the abducted schoolgirls from Chibok with Boko Haram fighters in custody.
Speaking during a bilateral meeting with the UN scribe at the sidelines of the 71st UN General Assembly in New York, President Buhari said the Nigerian government was willing to bend over backwards, to get the Chibok girls released from captivity.
He said: “The challenge is in getting credible and bona fide leadership of Boko Haram to discuss with,”
“The split in the insurgent group is not helping matters. Government had reached out, ready to negotiate, but it became difficult to identify credible leaders. We will welcome intermediaries such as UN outfits, to step in.”
The President, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, also reiterated that the teachings of Boko Haram were far from being Islamic, as neither Islam, nor any other religion, advocates hurting the weak and innocent.
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has given former Niger Delta militant leader, Mr Government Ekpemupolo a.k.a Tompolo one week to appear before the Commission on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos or risk being declared wanted.
In a letter from the EFCC, the Commission says it is investigating Tompolo for unclear dealings involving the sale of parcels of land worth about 13 billion naira to the federal government under the last administration.
He is expected to appear at the EFCC training room on Thursday, December 17.
A similar invitation was extended to Tompolo in November by the Head of Operations at the EFCC, Iliasu Kwabai but he failed to appear and no correspondence was received from him.
Credit: ChannelsTV
In what is an unusual diplomatic largesse for his country and presidency, leading nations around the world are offering President Muhammadu Buhari state visits this year.
This is just as the United Nations is also looking forward to his participation at the 70th anniversary of the world body in New York this September.
In the past recent weeks, the global community has been generally celebrating Nigeria, including the leading international news weekly, Time Magazine, which published a very positive review on the country recently, saying Nigeria is one of the very few things that is currently positive in a world described by the publication as depressing.
As such sentiments spread in the international community, there are now at least three major countries known to have invited Buhari to visit their executive heads of government in what promises to be fairly elaborate state visits sooner or later this year. These nations are the United Kingdom, the United States and India.
A senior UN official also confirmed Monday that the world body is hoping that President Buhari attends the next General Assembly summit which marks 70 years of the United Nations.
The official said more than 100 heads of state are expected alongside Buhari at the yearly global summit in New York, where the Nigerian delegation might be one of the major attractions.
Although a visit to the UN by a nation is more of the discretion of a country, since the UN is open to all its member-states especially during the annual General Assembly summits, it is believed that the gathering offers unique opportunities to celebrate nations, their presidents and leaders around the world whose public record or global goodwill are rising, just like what is happening to Nigeria currently.
On the other hand, invitations for state visits from one nation to the other, and one president to the other is considered more nuanced and signifies a celebration of warm ties between nations and their leaders.
Of the three major nations being mentioned so far, that is the US, UK, and India, it is the White House offer of a presidential visit that is expected to generate the greatest diplomatic windfall for Mr. Buhari and Nigeria.
Read More: premiumtimesng
The Peoples Democratic Party has cornered nearly 4,000 of the 5,000 invitation cards for the inauguration of Muhammadu Buhari as President on Friday.
A source on the Inauguration Committee co-chaired by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim and former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, told PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday that the action to hijack the cards is deliberate.
“We don’t want President Goodluck Jonathan to be embarrassed during the ceremony as we gather that there are plans to boo the outgoing President during the ceremony,” the source said.
“It is imperative that we give the outgoing President a cheerful exit,” he added. According to the source, the development is already generating tension among members of the Committee following spirited pressures by other political parties not to be left out of the ceremony.
Meanwhile, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and erstwhile Chairman of defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Tony Momoh, has threatened to boycott the inauguration ceremony.
It was gathered that all the efforts of Mr. Momoh to secure an access card has failed.
“As we speak, the house of Prince Momoh is filled with people asking for invitation cards. Sadly, Prince Momoh does not even have a card to himself.”
Furthermore, it was gathered that the APC has 1,300 invitation cards only for its local and foreign dignitaries who have declared interest in attending the ceremony.
Even the APC itself is not left out of the acrimony as there are claims that former Governor Sylva, who represents the interest of the incoming government in the Committee has allegedly absconded with the invitation cards allotted to it.
“The representative of the APC in the Inauguration Committee is playing hide and seek with his own people as some members of the its Presidential Campaign and even top notch of the party are without the necessary accredited access into the Eagle Square venue of the event,” the source said.
Mr. Sylva could not be reached for comments.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that it is complain galore as serving former governors, serving members and incoming members of the National Assembly, party chieftains including members of the Inauguration Committee itself and media chieftains some of whom had the honour of being part of US President Barack Obama’s inauguration have been left out of the Friday handover ceremony.
Credit: premiumtimesng
