Tag Archives: Through

Suspend Ban On Vehicle Imports Through Land Borders, Reps Tell FG

Posted on by
1

The House of Representatives, yesterday, asked the Federal Government to suspend the ban on importation of vehicles through land borders in Nigeria.

Consequently, the lawmakers, at plenary, mandated the Committees on Governmental Affairs and Customs and Excise to ensure implementation and report back to the House within six weeks for further legislative input.

This development was based on a motion, entitled ‘’Need to suspend The Ban On Importation of Vehicles Through Land Borders, promoted by Abdulahi Salame, APC, Sokoto. Meantime, stakeholders in the maritime industry were divided on the issue, yesterday.

While some supported the ban, others kicked against it. Salame, in his presentation, argued that those making these policies have failed to patronise made-in-Nigeria goods, especially Nigerian assembled vehicles, which are, in any case unaffordable for 80 percent of Nigerians.

He said: “The percentage of Nigerians who can afford cars has declined drastically, following the decline in the value of the Naira, rising inflation, unemployment and high cost of living that have bedeviled Nigeria where over 80 per cent of Nigerians live below $2 a day. “The Federal Government has powers under Section 18 of the Customs and Excise Management Act to restrict the movement of goods into and out of Nigeria by land or inland waters and to appoint customs stations.

‘’However, similar exercise of such powers on rice importation through the land borders in April 2016, has occasioned untold hardship on Nigerians, as a bag of rice now sells for between N20,000 and N23,000, against N8,000 a few months ago.

“As it is now, the government has not put in place alternative measures to ensure that Nigerians will have access to cars since it is cheaper to buy cars from neighbouring countries and still generate revenue by ensuring that our borders are secured to prevent smuggling, and also that there will be no job losses.’’
Read More:

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/12/suspend-ban-vehicle-imports-land-borders-reps-tell-fg/

Colombia’s President Extends Ceasefire With Rebels Through Year End

Posted on by
Reply

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has extended a ceasefire with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) through the end of the year in order to give more time for a peace deal rejected by voters.

Santos made the announcement about the extension with Colombia’s largest rebel group during a televised speech on Thursday.

The original ceasefire, which was put in place in August, was nullified when the peace accord was narrowly rejected in a referendum earlier this month.

This came after President Santos, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to clinch the deal, heard proposals from representatives of those who voted against the agreement.

Santos said he decided to further extend the ceasefire after meeting with students who are demanding that the ceasefire be implemented despite its failure at the polls.

“One of the students reminded me, that in the army and in the guerrilla ranks, there are young people waiting to see what happens, hoping that they don’t need to fire another shot,” Santos said in the televised address, adding, “For that reason, and at the request of the students, I have taken the decision to extend the ceasefire until Dec. 31.”

On Wednesday, thousands of people marched in the Colombian capital Bogota to voice support for the peace deal between the government and FARC rebels. Students and victims of the decades-long war also took part in the march.

Read More: presstv

ISIS Targeting Children Through Mobile App, FG Warns

Posted on by
Reply

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has developed and launched a new mobile application aimed at recruiting and indoctrinating children for the purpose of furthering its Jihad course.

A statement issued by Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Abuja on Thursday said the mobile application, tagged ‘Huroof’ (Arabic alphabets or letters), is to be used by ISIS to teach children the Arabic alphabets with the aid of guns, military tanks and cannons.

Mohammed said, “The application utilises colourful illustrations that attract and engage the attention of young children.”

The minister urged members of the public and parents in particular to be vigilant and to prevent their children and wards from being indoctrinated

The Federal Government had in 2014 issued a security alert that the ISIS had employed the services of a South African to recruit fighters for it from West Africa.

Shortly after the warning, a son of a prominent former Chief Justice of Nigeria was reported to have travelled to Syria in company with his two wives to fight for ISIS. The man was reportedly killed in Syria recently.

Islamist terror group operating in West Africa and especially in Nigeria, the Boko Haram, had also pledged allegiance to ISIS which also welcomed it to its fold.

Credit: Punch