TROOPS BUST TERRORISTS’ INTELLIGENCE NETWORK … ARREST A KEY ACTOR IN CHIBOK ABDUCTION: DEFENCE HQ PRESS RELEASE

A terrorists’ intelligence cell headed by a businessman who participated actively in the abduction of School Girls in Chibok has been busted by troops. The
 man, Babuji Ya’ari who is also a member of the Youth Vigilante Group popularly known as Civilian JTF which he uses as cover while remaining an active terrorist, also spearheaded the murder of the Emir of Gwoza.  His main role in the group is to spy and gather information for the terrorists group.   Babuji has been coordinating several deadly attacks in Maiduguri since 2011, including the daring attacks on Customs and military locations as well as the planting of IEDs in several locations in the town.

The arrest of the businessman who is known to deal in tricycles has also yielded some vital information and facilitated the arrest of other members of the terrorists’ intelligence cell who are women.  One of them, Hafsat Bako had earlier escaped to Gombe State to avoid suspicion but was tracked and arrested.  Prior to her arrest, Hafsat coordinated the payment of other operatives on the payroll of the group.   In her confession, she disclosed that a minimum of N10,000 is paid to each operative depending on the enormity of his task.
 Another female suspect named Haj Kaka who doubles as an armourer and a spy for the terrorists group has also been arrested.  Until their arrest, all the suspects actively operated a terrorists’ intelligence cell in collaboration with others still at large.
In another development, troops deployed in Goniri, Yobe State, over the weekend, had an encounter with terrorists, resulting in casualties on both sides after the attack was successfully repelled.  

UN ranks Nigeria high in e-government development index

Effort of the country to become a digital economy has started yielding the expected results as the latest United Nations e-government development ranking showed an upward improvement by 21 points to 141 out of 193 countries rated in the UN Global e-government Development Index for 2014.
Similarly, the country was also ranked 97 in the e-Participation index, an improvement of 22 points up from 75 in 2012. It would be recalled that Nigeria was ranked 162 in 2012.
The upward movement of Nigeria in the 2014 ranking is a welcome development, an indication that shows that progress is being made in the efforts of the Nigerian Government through the Ministry of Communication Technology to enable and promote e-governance in Nigeria
The Ministry has embarked on initiatives to deploy ICT to drive transparency and efficiency in governance and public service delivery.
To enable internal efficiency in government, the Ministry is promoting ICT in Government-by facilitating e-government, which enhances transparency, efficiency, productivity and citizen engagement.
In the ’Getting Government Online’ initiative, the Ministry is facilitating is geared at ensuring that government deploys technology as a mechanism to transform the way government operates and enhance the effectiveness of government service delivery for the benefit of its citizens.
This has led to the implementation of two flagship projects, namely the Government Service Portal (GSP) and Government Contact Centre (GCC).
The Government Service Portal (GSP) provides a single window technology access by citizens and other stakeholders to government services being provided by various Ministries Departments and Agencies MDAs. It is multi-featured and includes collaborative channels that deliver core content management capabilities.
The primary objectives of deploying GSP are to create a single point of entry to Federal Government services, enhance accountability and improve the delivery and quality of public services through technology-enabled civic engagement (mobile technology, Facebook, Twitter, Interactive Mapping, Blogs, Wiki etc), transform government processes to increase public administration efficiency, increase end-user productivity by integrating many different services or data access paths of MDAs – under a consistent presentation standard and mainstream some of the government’s non-sensitive datasets on the portal.
The phase one of GSP included the automation of 10 government processes from the Federal Ministry of Education; Federal Ministry of Health; Federal Ministry of Agriculture; Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Federal Ministry of Communication Technology.
Some of the processes automated are Drug authentication, Farmer’s Registration, Registration and Accreditation of Seed companies, Seed Import and Export Permit, Trademark registration, Patent registration, Acquisition of License for Class type license and Acquisition of individual type license, Spectrum License etc
The Ministry is currently automating the pre-incorporation and post-incorporation processes of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and online payment on the Government Service Portal. The Ministry is also setting up Government Contact Centres, which will facilitate efficient response to citizen requests through a two-tier response approach. The Contact Centre, which will be located in the six geopolitical zones of the country is planned to house robust databases as well as accommodate 150 operator seats.
Before the creation of the Ministry of Communication Technology in 2011, most MDAs did not have domain names.
But in line with its mandate to improve the quality of public service delivery, all websites of Ministries across the federation have been migrated to a standard domain name at ‘.gov.ng’.

FIFA demands back-up letter from NFA for supporters to use musical instruments

Sao Paulo (Brazil) – Football’s governing body, FIFA, has agreed to allow the  Nigeria Football Supporters Club to bring in its  musical instruments into the stadium in Brazil, provided there is a back-up letter from  Nigeria Football Association (NFA).
Rafiu Oladipo, the President-General of the club, said at a news conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Saturday that the club had consequently forwarded a letter to NFA requesting for the letter.

Oladipo said that the letter must reach FIFA 24 hours ahead of the Nigeria/France second  round match on Monday.
He added that the letter would also cover Nigeria for other matches in case the Super Eagles qualify for the quarter finals.
FIFA said it had not officially denied the club the right of singing, drumming and trumpeting during Nigeria’s matches but that the club had never requested officially.
The club had been denied the use of musical instruments in various stadia where the Super Eagles played their Group F preliminary matches, a development the players disliked.
FIFA had insinuated that members of club were likely to use the musical instruments as weapons during Eagles matches.

During Nigeria’s first round matches in Curitiba, Cuiaba and Porto Alegrie, the supporters’  musical instruments were seized at stadium gates but released after each match.
Oladipo said that members of the club were never known for violence and pledged not to allow them use the instruments as weapons during Nigeria’s matches.
He expressed confidence that Super Eagles would defeat France in the next round as Nigeria had beaten France before.
He, however, continued to solicit the support of Nigerians at home for the team, saying it was their prayers that had helped the team progress in the competition. (NAN)

2014 WC: TAN Contingent Returns, Hails Eagles

AFTER 12 days in the land of Samba for the 2014 World Cup, the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) contingent will arrive in the country Saturday. 
  The 15-man contingent, led by former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia and former Eagles’ star, Waidi Akanni, also commended the Eagles for qualifying for the second round.  
  They urged the team to give its best against France on Monday as that was the only way they could progress further at the tournament
  Akanni stated that the Eagles have continued to improve with each game and urged the technical crew to fashion out a match-winning tactics against the French national team.

  He said: “The Eagles have shown that they have what it takes to rub shoulders with the big teams with their performance against Argentina. They attacked and defended in numbers and the tactics worked well for the team.”
  He also commended the government for the support given to the Eagles and urged President Goodluck Jonathan to continue to motivate the players with incentives that would spur them to victory.
  “The President have shown that he loves sports and he has been rewarding sports men since he came got into the saddle. We, however, need more of this to motivate our sportsmen.”

  He also urged Coach Stephen Keshi to device a match plan that would neutralise the French attack. “The French attack is lethal, so the Eagles must do everything possible to stop the French players from getting into scoring positions in the box,” Akanni stated.

Nigeria: TAN Hails Super Eagles Round of 16 Qualification

After Wednesday's Supe Eagles spirited display against Argentina, Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) has commended the team's qualification to the second round despite 2-3 defeat to the South Americans. Former Eagles player, Waidi Akanni, who led TAN's five-man team to the Mundial to give support to the Eagles, stated that the Eagles have continued to improve with every game and urged the players to do better against France on Monday. He said: "The Eagles have shown that they have what it takes to rub shoulders with the big teams with their performance against Argentina.
They attacked and defended in numbers and the tactics worked well for the team." He also commended the government for the support given to the team and urged President Goodluck Jonathan to continue to motivate the players with incentives that would spur them to victory. "The President have shown that he loves sports and he has been rewarding sports men since he came into the saddle. We, however, need more of this to motivate our sportsmen.
He also urged Coach stephen Keshi to device a match plan that would neutralise the French attack on Monday. "The French attack is effective, so the Eagles must do everything possible to stop them from getting into the 18 yard box, Akanni stated. Meanwhile the TAN team will arrive the country today.

PRESIDENT JONATHAN CONDEMNS BAUCHI BOMB ATTACK AND MASS KILLINGS IN SOUTHERN KADUNA

PRESIDENT JONATHAN CONDEMNS BAUCHI BOMB ATTACK AND MASS KILLINGS IN SOUTHERN KADUNA

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan condemns Friday night's bombing in the Bayan Gari area of Bauchi State and the recent mass killings in Southern Kaduna.
The President commiserates with all the families who lost loved ones in the heinous attacks and extends his heartfelt sympathies to all those who suffered injuries or lost their properties during the wanton assaults on Bauchi and Kaduna States.
President Jonathan reassures the people of Bauchi and Kaduna States that the Federal Government will continue to take all necessary action to apprehend the perpetrators of the dastardly attacks  and restore the fullest possible  security to all parts of the country.
The President directs all relevant federal government agencies to continue to speedily make emergency medical and relief assistance available to all those who were either injured or displaced by recent bombings and attacks. 
He urges all Nigerians to give maximum support and cooperation to the Armed Forces and security agencies who continue to work incessantly to end the menace of insecurity in the country within the shortest possible time.

Sierra Leone: Sheltering Ebola-infected people 'is a crime'

Sierra Leone has warned it is a serious crime to shelter patients infected with the Ebola virus who are in hiding.

The Health Ministry said several patients had discharged themselves from hospital in Kenema district, the heart of the country's outbreak.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for "drastic action" to contain the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which has killed almost 400 people.

It is the largest outbreak in terms of cases, deaths and geographical spread.

There have been more than 600 cases in Guinea - where the outbreak started four months ago - and neighbouring Sierra Leone and Liberia. Around 60% of those infected with the virus have died.

The WHO says that in Sierra Leone alone, there have been at least 46 fatalities out of a total 176 people infected with the Ebola virus.

The global health body has sent 150 experts to the region to help prevent the spread of the virus. However, it has warned of the potential for "further international spread".

Dr Shek Moar Khan, who is working with Ebola patients at Kenema government hospital, said his team met resistance when trying to inform people about the disease.

Health workers have been trying to explain to people in the areas affected that Ebola "is not a mystery, but simply it is a disease that somebody can acquire, and if only they could listen appropriately to our advice, then we could break the chain of transmission", he said.

On Friday, the WHO told several West African countries - Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal and Guinea Bissau - to prepare for the possible arrival of travellers carrying the deadly virus.

Ebola, a haemorrhagic fever, has no cure and is spread by contact with the fluids of infected people or animals, such as urine, sweat and blood.

Most of the deaths have been centred in the southern Guekedou region of Guinea.

The charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has already warned that the Ebola outbreak is out of control.

It says the epidemic will spread further unless there is a stronger international response.

Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage
    Fatality rate can reach 90%
    Incubation period is two to 21 days
    There is no vaccine or cure
    Supportive care such as rehydrating patients who have diarrhoea and vomiting can help recovery
    Fruit bats are considered to be the natural host of the virus.

Suarez home after World Cup expulsion, length of ban questioned

Luis Suarez flew home to Uruguay on Friday after being thrown out of the World Cup in Brazil and banned from football for four months for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini in a Group D match earlier this week.

The Liverpool striker was met by President Jose Mujica when he landed at a military base next to Uruguay’s main airport before dawn, an air force spokesman said.

Mujica had joined hundreds of fans who gathered at the airport on Thursday night to show their support for Suarez but they left after a few hours when it became clear he had not yet left Brazil.

After his arrival on Friday, Suarez, his wife and other family members were driven to a home he has in the small coastal town of Solymar.

Football’s world governing body FIFA ruled on Thursday that the 27-year-old star striker cannot play in Uruguay’s next nine competitive matches and suspended him from all soccer-related activity for four months.

The punishment immediately ended his involvement in the World Cup in Brazil, with Uruguay due to face Colombia in a round of 16 tie on Saturday.

“He is totally distraught. He never thought the punishment would be so severe,” said Alejandro Balbi, a member of the Uruguayan Football Association’s board and Suarez’s lawyer.

FIFA ruled that Suarez bit defender Chiellini during Uruguay’s final group match on Tuesday, as his side knocked Italy out of the tournament with a 1-0 victory.

Suarez’s ban is the longest ever imposed at a World Cup. It means he is unlikely to appear in competitive matches for his country until 2016 and he will also miss the first two months of the Premier League season in England.

Although it was the third time Suarez has been banned for biting, his team mates and most Uruguayans jumped to defend him, believing the punishment was excessive.

“There are different standards. That’s what infuriates and hurts us most,” Mujica said on Thursday night in an appearance on a TV show hosted by former Argentine star Diego Maradona, who also said FIFA had gone too far and was treating Suarez like a criminal.

Suarez had missed Uruguay’s opening match of the tournament, a 3-1 defeat to Costa Rica, as he recovered from knee surgery but returned to score both goals in the side’s 2-1 victory over England.

President Jonathan Assessing the scene of the Wuse 2 Bomb Blast

We all must come together. The forces of good will always cause evil to bow. #EvilWillNotPrevail - Assessing the scene of the Wuse 2 Bomb Blast with President Jonathan

World Cup 2014: Nigeria boycott training in money row

The Nigeria squad at the World Cup have missed a scheduled training session in a row over bonus money.

BBC Sport understands the players believe they are each $15,000 (£8,800) short of what they were expecting for reaching the last 16 in Brazil.

They refused to train in Campinas on Thursday and officials later confirmed the session had been cancelled.

Nigeria are scheduled to play France in the knockout stages on Monday having finished as runners-up in Group F.

BBC Sport has learned the problem lies in the interpretation of the bonus structure, with the players believing they will only receive $10,000 for their win 1-0 over Bosnia-Hercegovina and $5,000 for the 0-0 draw with Iran.

The players' understanding was they would receive a $30,000 payment for qualifying from the group.

However, it is believed the Nigerian Football Federation's offer to the players includes the agreed win and draw bonuses plus 30% of the prize money due from Fifa for reaching the knockout stage.

This is understood to rise to 40% of the prize money from Fifa if Nigeria were to win their round of 16 match, 50% for a quarter-final victory, 60% for a win in the semi-final stage and 70% for lifting the trophy.

While all parties work to find a resolution to the misunderstanding, coach Stephen Keshi has insisted it will not affect the team's performance.

And it has been confirmed to the BBC that the players will travel to Brasilia on Friday as scheduled and will train in the evening and over the weekend.

It is not the first time the Super Eagles have made a stance over money - last year they arrived late for the Confederations Cup in Brazil.

Nigerians cry no more as TAN plans one million jobs in 4 years

A Nigeria-based group, Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, (TAN), is to establish 10 cottage industries in all the 36 states of the country with the ultimate aim of creating one million jobs in the next four years, the group’s spokesperson, Ayo Akinola, said in a statement on Friday.

TAN, made up of a group of professionals who express commitment to the peace and progress of Nigeria, said it was latching on President Goodluck Jonathan™s Transformation Agenda, and supporting the President in the area of job creation.

“We appreciate that the fact that the government is entrepreneurial in its outlook and in overall economic policy framework, and is creating an atmosphere that inspires and makes it easy for ordinary Nigerians to start their own enterprises, large or small,” the group’s statement said.

It expressed hope that it would complete the establishment of the cottage industries across the country in just four years. “We shall undertake the creation of not less than one million jobs. This is aimed to eradicate poverty by empowering citizens with the right skill, and through the development of an entrepreneurial spirit.

“In practice, we intend to create 10 industries in each of the states, located in areas to be known as TAN Industrial City in each of these locations, spread in local governments.”

These cottage industries, according to TAN, would assist with products and services in information technology and telecommunications, agro-allied, food and beverages production, building materials, textiles, and such other services required for daily living.

It said it was optimistic that this proposed entrepreneurial revolution can create winners among the citizens of the country.

Sports, key element of national transformation – TAN

Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, TAN, has said the sports sector remained a key element of the paradigm of national transformation enunciated by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Director, Public Communications and Strategy, TAN, Mr. Udenta Udenta, in a statement, yesterday, said: “Apart from reinforcing and celebrating national unity, sports is a key instrument of social mobilisation and youth empowerment.

“As a means of propagating the successes thus far recorded in the sector by the Jonathan administration and rallying Nigerians behind the Super Eagles during the upcoming World Cup in Brazil, TAN has created the opportunity for 12 lucky Nigerians to enjoy an all-expense paid 12-day trip to Brazil to watch the Super Eagles’ matches at the World Cup.”

“Under the project “Fly Me To Brazil,” TAN will host a live NTA and AIT programmes, where the winners of this unique promotion will be unveiled. The programme announcing the first six winners will be aired on May 25, 2014, while the remaining six will be announced on May 28, 2014.

“The participation process involves logging on to TAN’s page on face book and signing up to get an application for the promotion and answering six simple questions. Winners will be contacted and published on TAN’s face book page. This promotion will strive to be geo-politically representative as well as accommodating the interest of physically challenged Nigerians,” the statement added.