AU rejects Mali rebels' independence call

By Agency Reporter 

 

Ivory Coast Chief of Staff General Soumaila Bakayoko speak at the beginning of a meeting with West African military chiefs in Abidjan on Thursday. Photo: Getty Images

The head of the African Union Commission rejected on Friday a declaration of independence by rebels in the north of Mali and called on the rest of the world to shun their secession bid.
"(AU Commission chair Jean Ping) firmly condemns this announcement, which is null and of no value whatsoever. He calls on the international community as a whole to fully support this principled position of Africa," Reuters quoted the continental grouping as saying in a statement.

Reps rue death of Nigerian woman in U.S

By Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi

 

Speaker of House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal

The House of Representatives has decried the shooting of a 40-year old Nigerian woman in the United States by a lone gunman.
The woman, Mrs. Doris Chibuko, a mother of three was just two months away from graduating from the Korean Nursing School, Oakland’s Oikos University, East Oakland, California.
Chibuko met her death, when the gunman opened fire indiscriminately on students and staff of the school on Monday, April 2, 2012.
In her condolence message, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman House Committee on Dispora, noted that the deceased worked as a lawyer in Nigeria before her departure for the U.S.
Before her untimely death, Mrs. Chibuko was on the verge of launching a second career in nursing, eight months into a one-year vocational programme.
“The House Committee on Dispora sends its heartfelt condolences to the husband, Mr. Efanye Chibuko, the children - Chemelie 3, Ify 5, Chioma 8 and her mother who also lives in Oakland.

SSS to train NOA on intelligence gathering

By The Nation: Gbenga Omokhunu 

 

Mr. Ita

The Directorate of State Security Service (SSS) has offered to train staff of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in intelligence gathering.

 The Director-General of SSS, Mr. Ekpenyong Ita, made this known when he received the NOA Director-General, Mr. Mike Omeri on a working visit to the SSS.

 It said reports from NOA to the Service must have intelligence value to enable the service take the requisite security measures.

 Consequently, he announced the willingness of the SSS to build the capacity of NOA in this regard and appealed to Nigerians to avail the SSS of intelligence reports to facilitate pro-active strategies as against reactionary security measures.

 According to a statement issued on Friday by NOA spokesman, Fidel Agu, the SSS boss commended the NOA for its role in creating security awareness across the nation and for providing security reports to the SSS.

 He harped on the need for infrastructural development, the lack of which, he said, provides conducive environment for the recruitment of terrorists.

 Ita warned that the country must not allow criminal elements make life difficult for its people. 

 This, he said, can be achieved by constructive engagement of the people in security matters.

 While commending the SSS for its resilience and the patriotism of its men in combating insecurity in the country, the NOA Director-General disclosed the willingness of his agency for closer team work with the SSS towards ensuring that Nigeria is one of the safest places to live on the planet.

 Omeri said that jingles and posters alone were insufficient to raise the consciousness of Nigerians to the required level on security matters.

Why Boko Haram persists - Senate leader

By The Nation: Nicholas Kalu

 

Ndoma-Egba

Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, has said the "large army of uneducated young men and women" in Northern Nigeria is largely responsible for the Boko Haram menace in the country.
Speaking during the Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba Scholarship Award Ceremony for the 2012/2013 academic year in Calabar, the Cross River State capital on Friday, he said if youths in the northern part of the Nigeria were educated, they would not be used to cause mayhem in the country.
Ndoma-Egba, who represents the Southern Senatorial District in Cross River State, said education is the only true gift anyone can get.
The senator, who recollected how he nearly dropped out of school because of three pounds, expressed gratitude to one late Mr. Paul Erokoro, who came to his rescue during the period.
"You see how just three pounds that did not even mean anything to Mr. Erokoro produced a Senate Leader today," he said.