Russian Military In Confusion As Google Deactivates Traffic Maps In Ukraine

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February 28, 2022

Some of the Nigerians who are trapped over the crisis between Russia and Ukraine are not willing to return to the country.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema, disclosed this when he met with Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Monday.

He said: “We hope to start evacuation hopefully Wednesday although some do not want to come back. We are doing everything possible to ensure that come Wednesday we will dispatch planes for evaluation.”

A few hours after the war began on Thursday, some Ukraine-based Nigerians told Daily Trust via telephone that they knew those who were unwilling to return to Nigeria.

Treasure Chinenye Bellgam, a medical student in Kiev, said the government’s gesture is good but, “I am a believer in Christ Jesus and I have to ask God for direction whether to return to Nigeria or not.”

“Most Nigerians who are here on hustle are not willing to leave, they prefer to die here. It’s like after God has lifted you one step higher you want to go two steps backward, it’s like being demoted.

“But you need a lot of humility to go back to Nigeria because some people sold lands, cars, and the rest to come here and they have amazing stories.”

At Monday’s meeting, Onyema told Gbajabiamila that Nigerians who were taking refuge in the neighbouring countries were been given accommodation and feeding pending their evacuation.

Earlier, the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, who lamented the situation said, Nigerians trapped in the conflict needed to be evacuated back to the country.

He reiterated that one day was long for the Nigerians that are now stranded and looking for help.

He said: “One day is long enough for our brothers and sisters who are caught up in this crisis. we can easily address this situation and get over it.

“It is the moral thing to do. Therefore if there is anything the House can do to accelerate their (Nigerians) safe return

BUA Chairman, Alhaji Abdulsamad Vows Not To Increase Products’ Price During Ramadan

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February 28, 2022

The Chairman, BUA Group of Companies, Alhaji Abdulsamad Isyaku Rabiu, has promised Nigerians that the company will not increase the price of its products now or during the upcoming Ramadan period.

BUA’s representative in the northern region, Alhaji Muhammadu Adakawa, disclosed this during a press briefing held in Kano to address the recent increase of prices of products by some companies.

He said the chairman of BUA Group of Companies had asked him to tell Nigerians that it would maintain the current prices of its products all through the upcoming Ramadan fasting period.

Alhaji Adakawa also noted that recently some companies have implemented an increase of N1500 on a 50kg of refined sugar but he assured that BUA would not follow suit.

“This year, the management of BUA Group of Companies finds it important to listen and respond to its customers’ appeal not to follow others in the recent increase of its products, especially sugar.

“Therefore, the management has instructed me to let the public know that it will not increase its product’s price now and also through the Ramadan period,” he said

Ukraine Set To Release Prisoners With Military Experience Who Are Willing To Fight Russia

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February 28, 2022

As the war between Ukraine and Russia continues to intensify, Ukraine’s President, Volodymr Zelensky says prisoners with military experience willing to fight the Russians will be released.

Ukraine’s president said this during a speech in the country’s capital Kyiv, as a Ukrainian delegation and Russian representatives meet for peace talks at the Belarusian border.

Zelensky also called on Russian soldiers in Ukraine to lay down their arms, saying: “Save your lives and leave.”

“Abandon your equipment. Get out of here. Don’t believe your commanders. Don’t believe your propagandists. Just save your lives,” Zelensky said.

The President claimed that 4,500 Russian soldiers and 16 children have been killed so far in the Russia invasion.

iNews

Ex-DSS Director, Nkemdirim Tasks Security Agencies On Integrity Standards In Recruitment

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February 28, 2022

A former Director of Operations of the State Security Services, Chief Raymond Nkemdirim has called on security agencies in the country to ensure they adhere strictly to highest standards of integrity while carrying out recruitment exercises.

Ex-DSS Director, Nkemdirim Tasks Security Agencies On Integrity Standards In Recruitment — Chief Ray Nkemdirim

He insisted that this is the only way bad eggs and moles would be shut out and m prevented from frustrating the nation’s crime fighting efforts.

Chief Nkemdirim made the call at a three-day workshop organised by the Ministry of Defence at the Army Resource Center Abuja themed ”Strengthening Inter- Agency Cooperation for Sustainable National Security”.

The workshop was flagged off on Tuesday, February 22,2022, by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Leo Irabor to foster greater collaboration among the security agencies for more effective results in confronting the nation’s myriad of security challenges.

The session was witnessed by all service chiefs including the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba.

Declaring the workshop open, a former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Luther Agwai (rtd), expressed optimism that the workshop will meet the yearnings of Nigerians for a quick resolution of the nation’s current security challenges.

Chief Ray Nkemdirim who was a moderator at the event noted that the current situation where criminal elements had infiltrated the ranks of the security agencies was dangerous for any effective fight against crime and criminality. He called for proper vetting and thorough background checks on all persons being recruited into any of the security Agencies.

The 3 day workshop was designed to encompass lectures, panel discussions, interactive sessions and syndicate discussions which would produce a blue print for an institutional framework to tackle the challenges of inter-agency Cooperation in the overall interest of national security.

Signing Of Electoral Law: Obingwa Council Boss Replies Sir Chikwe Udensi

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February 28, 2022

The Executive Chairman of Obingwa Local Government Area, Hon. Michael Ibe Nwoke has called out the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) chieftain, Sir Chikwe Udensi for citing his Local Government Area, as a vote manufacturing centre during election describing it as the “highest joke of the century” while congratulating the President and members of the National Assembly for doing the needful.

Hon. Nwoke in a statement said the signing of the electoral law was an expectation of all those who wished Nigeria and its electoral process well, noting that it is only a man who doesn’t wish the nation well that will frown at the signing of the law.

He described the signing of the law as one of the best decisions of the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration.

According to him “while I commend the National Assembly and the President for ensuring that Nigeria’s electoral process is made trustworthy, may I also ask that Chief Chikwe Udensi, the Governorship aspirant and chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, focuses his attention and energy on his ambition and his Local Government and not make Obingwa his topic of discourse. Who told him the votes from Obingwa were manufactured? What makes him think the electoral act has anything to do with the good, law abiding, electoral savvy and hardworking people of my Local Government? Does he have plans to disenfranchise Obingwa people at the forthcoming polls? For the records, Obingwa has over 200,000 registered voters and still counting with the ongoing registration. Obingwa remains the biggest LGA in Abia and will always cast our ballots during elections.”

He further emphasized that using Obingwa Local Government Area to drive down his point of congratulating the president is uncalled for and asked him not to heat up the polity when there is no need for that.

Hon. Nwoke in the statement called on the people of his LGA to take advantage of the ongoing voter registration to make a stronger statement in the forthcoming 2023 elections.

AMRI Hails PenCom Leadership Over Recovery Of 2.55bn Unremitted Pensions, Says Achievement A Visible Milestone, Result Of Buhari’s Anti-Corruption Campaign

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February 28, 2022

A Media advocacy group for good governance in Africa, Africa Media Roundtable Initiative has commended the National Pension Commission, under the focused and visionary leadership of Aisha Dahiru-Umar for what it described as outstandingly professionalism and the unprecedented transparency and accountability she has entrenched in the management and administration of the Pension industry in Nigeria.

The group made this known in a statement on Monday signed by its Executive Director, Engr. Charles Awolowo and made available to newsmen in Abuja.

According to the group, the bold steps taken by the eagle-eyed and vigilant leadership of PenCom led to the discovery and recovery of humongous sum of 2.55bn unremitted Pensions in the year 2021.

It says this is a clear indication that PenCom is fully in tone with President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign.

Describing the development as cheering, AMRI noted that this is a clear indication that undeniable accountability, glaring transparency and professionalism has been deeply entrenched as a norm in the country’s pension administration.

The statement said, “The discovery and recovery of pensions deducted by employers from employees’ monthly emoluments in 2021 but not remitted to the Retirement Savings Accounts with their respective Pension Fund Administrators is a bold step to stamp out corruption in the Pension administration in Nigeria.

“We as a good governance advocacy group mince no words in saying that this is an eloquent testimony of the integrity, sincerity and patriotism of the current PenCom leadership under Mrs Aisha Dahiru-Umar.”

The quarterly report made available by PenCom on Thursday showed that recovery made includes unremitted contributions and sanctions.

PenCom also disclosed its plan to take legal action against some of the employees found to have committed punishable infractions.

“Following the issuance of demand notices to defaulting employers whose pension liabilities were established by the recovery agents, the sum of N984m representing principal contribution (N406.42m) and penalty (N577.87m) was recovered from 36 defaulting employers during the quarter under review,” it says in its fourth-quarter report.

AMRI also commended PenCom for recommending legal actions for certain employers for violation of extant laws.

It insists that this bold step will without any iota of doubt boost the confidence of Nigerians to key into the Contributory Pension Scheme more than ever before.

France To Seize Russian Oligarchs’ Property, Yachts, Cars

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February 28, 2022

Emmanuel Macron’s government is identifying all the French assets of Russian oligarchs subject to EU sanctions, including property and luxury yachts and cars, with a view to seizing them in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“We will also identify all the Russian individuals with assets in France who could be added to the European sanctions list because of their ties to the Russian government,” France’s finance minister said on Monday after an inner cabinet meeting on defence and security. “We will give ourselves legal means to seize all these assets.”

Bruno Le Maire added that ministers would meet representatives of French business throughout the week “to precisely identify the impact of this crisis on trade and on the supply of components and critical metals”.

Finance ministers from the G7 group of industrialised democracies will meet on Tuesday to discuss the implementation of sanctions against Russia, including the suspension of some Russian banks from the Swift payments messaging system, he said.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, foreign minister, confirmed that arms supplies from the EU to help Ukraine defend itself would be co-ordinated from a hub in neighbouring Poland.

Russia Bans Flights From 36 Countries, Including EU, UK, Canada From Its Airspace

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February 28, 2022

Russia’s air travel authority said on Monday it would ban flights from 36 countries after the UK and EU blocked Russian aircraft from their airspace.

Rosaviatsia said it would bar flights from every EU country as well as the UK, Albania, Canada, Norway, and several UK territories including the British Virgin Islands, Gibraltar, and Jersey.

The agency did not specify whether this included crucial overland routes to Asia. Exceptions would be made under special dispensation from Rosaviatsia or the Russian foreign ministry, it added.

Bauchi Governor’s Son To Open Defence April 28 Over Alleged N1.2bn Fraud

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February 28, 2022