German Chancellor Angela Merkel Is 'Time' Magazine's Person Of Year

Citing her "steadfast moral leadership in a world where it is in short supply," Timemagazine chose German Chancellor Angela Merkel as its person of the year.

Merkel, the magazine writes, has led her country and Europe amid a refugee crisis, an economic crisis, and terrorist attacks.

The magazine concludes:

"At a moment when much of the world is once more engaged in a furious debate about the balance between safety and freedom, the Chancellor is asking a great deal of the German people, and by their example, the rest of us as well. To be welcoming. To be unafraid. To believe that great civilizations build bridges, not walls, and that wars are won both on and off the battlefield. By viewing the refugees as victims to be rescued rather than invaders to be repelled, the woman raised behind the Iron Curtain gambled on freedom. The pastor's daughter wielded mercy like a weapon. You can agree with her or not, but she is not taking the easy road. Leaders are tested only when people don't want to follow. For asking more of her country than most politicians would dare, for standing firm against tyranny as well as expedience and for providing steadfast moral leadership in a world where it is in short supply, Angela Merkel is TIME's Person of the Year."

Merkel also becomes the first individual woman to be given the honor in 29 years. The last individual woman to receive the honor was Phillipine President Corazon Aquino in 1986. Other women had been included as part of a group. Last year, for example, some women were included as part of the "Ebola fighters."

Striking Similarity Of Thoughts Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler

How Jonathan, Okonjo-Iweala illegally diverted N61.4 billion Abacha loot to NSA, Sambo Dasuki

The immediate past Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, illegally approved the transfer of at least N61.4 billion ($300 million and £5.5 million) from funds recovered from late dictator, Sani Abacha, to the Office of the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, few weeks to the 2015 presidential election, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report today.

The former Minister signed off on the transfer but then closed her eyes to how the funds were spent, requesting then President Goodluck Jonathan to directly demand accountability from Mr. Dasuki, according to documents seen by this newspaper.

The funds were never appropriated before they were transferred, a clear violation of Nigeria’s fiscal responsibility law.

Mr. Dasuki, alongside the former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa and founder of DAAR communications, owners of Africa Independent Television and Raypower radio network, Raymond Dokpesi, are being investigated for their roles in the disbursement of $2.1 billion and N643 billion meant for the procurement of arms to fight the raging insurgency in Nigeria’s north east region.

The recovered Abacha loot are funds returned to the Nigerian government from monies stolen from the country’s treasury by Mr. Abacha.

The late dictator stole an estimated $5 billion from Nigeria and the money is being returned in tranches after agreement with countries such as Switzerland and the United States. So far $700 million has been repatriated from Switzerland.

It is not clear whether these funds in question were part of the arms procurement funds for which Mr Dasuki is being investigated.

But a letter signed by Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, showed that 50 per cent of the recently recovered Abacha loot was allotted for “urgent security need” such as the procurement of arms and ammunition while the other half was set aside to be used for development purposes.

The letter, dated January 20, 2015, which was addressed to Mr Jonathan revealed that the money was transferred following a January 12, 2015 request by the office of the NSA under Mr Dasuki for funds for the procurement of arms and ammunition as well as intelligence equipment.

“Please find a request by the National Security Adviser (NSA) for the transfer of $300 million and £5.5 million of the recovered Abacha funds to an ONSA [Office of the National Security Adviser] operations account,” the letter read.

“The NSA has explained that this is to enable the purchase of ammunition, security, and other intelligence equipment for the security agencies in order to enable them fully confront the ongoing Boko Haram threat.

“His request is sequel to the meeting you chaired with the committee on the use of recovered funds where the decision was made that recovered Abacha funds would be split 50-50 between urgent security needs to confront Boko Haram and development need (including a portion for the Future Generations window of the Sovereign Wealth Fund),” Mrs Okojo-Iweala wrote.

She added that the letter was to seek Mr Jonathan’s approval for the funds to be disbursed to the ONSA. The former minister further explained that the money being transferred formed part of the Federal Government Independent Revenue.

However, instead of insisting on overseeing how the disbursed funds were spent, as the country’s chief financial officer, she abdicated her responsibility, expecting and asked Mr Dasuki to account directly to Mr Jonathan.

“This letter is to seek your approval to borrow these funds, for now, to disburse to the NSA. These funds form part of the projected Federal Government Independent Revenue, to be appropriated, in the light and for accountability, given the peculiar nature of security and intelligence transactions, we would expect the NSA to account to Your Excellency for the utilisation of the funds,” she concluded.

In a January 30, 2015 letter, Mr. Jonathan approved the transfer.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole vindicated

This latest disclosure appears to have vindicated Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, who last week called for the prosecution of Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala for transferring funds that were not appropriated.

The governor stated that neither the president nor the minister has power to unilaterally transfer funds that were not appropriated by the National Assembly.

He therefore argued that Mr. Jonathan and Mrs Okonjo-Iweala should be charged alongside Messrs Dasuki, Dokpesi and Bafawara for allegedly misappropriating funds meant for arms procurement.

“The issue is whether the Nigerian President under the constitution has the power to approve funds belonging to local, state and federal government- funds that have not been appropriated by the National Assembly. That is a criminal offense for which Okonjo-Iweala ought to face criminal prosecution. These things are just discussed and wished away. For me, I will stick for the truth and don’t care what people will say,” Mr. Oshiomhole said.

“Talking about revelation, look at the letter credited to Dasuki – the immediate past National Security Adviser. In his defence which I read in your paper, he seems to admit that money was spent but it was approved by the President. Does the Nigerian constitution empower the President to spend money which has not been appropriated by the National Assembly? And they took cash from the CBN. The Money Laundering Act says if you take cash in excess of N5 million transaction, it is money laundering and it is criminal.

“So, by Dasuki’s letter, he has also confirmed that Okonjo-Iweala is privy to spending money never appropriated and therefore criminal, and that cash were being moved contrary to the money laundering act. Just using Dasuki’s own defence, you can see a case of conspiracy has been established between Dasuki, Okonjo-Iweala and all those involved in that transaction,” Mr. Oshiomhole said.

But in a stern statement, where she described Mr Oshiomhole as reckless, Mrs Okonjo-Iweala asked the federal government to call the governor to order.

She stated that she had “absolutely nothing to do with” the $2.1 billion arms procurement money.

“It is unconscionable for the Governor to embark on a campaign of lies against her because she thwarted his dubious loan request,” she said.

Senate will go ahead with anti-social media bill – Spokesman

The Senate has declared that no amount of propaganda will deter it from treating the anti-social media bill, also known as the anti-frivolous petition bill.

It said this was necessary to allow citizens “shape its final outcome as there is an elaborate process which the bill must undergo before it becomes a law”.

Last Wednesday, the bill seeking to curb frivolous petitions, false allegations and statements in the social media passed second reading.

Presenting the bill entitled ‘A bill for an act to prohibit frivolous petitions, and other matters connected therewith, 2015 (SB. 143)’, Bala Na’ Allah, deputy senate leader, explained that the aim of the bill was to bring sanity into the system, and make way for “credible and verifiable” petitions.

“Where any person in order to circumvent this law makes any allegation and or publishes any statement, petition in any paper, radio, or any medium of whatever description, with malicious intent to discredit or set the public against any person or group of persons, institutions of government, he shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction, shall be liable to an imprisonment term of two years or a fine of N4m,” the bill states.

“Where any person, through text message, tweets, Whatsapp or through any social media post any abusive statement knowing same to be false with intent to set the public against any person and group of persons, an institution of government or such other bodies established by law shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction, shall be liable to an imprisonment for two years or a fine of N2m or both fine and imprisonment.”

The bill further stated that a petitioner must have a sworn affidavit to back up his claim in a petition.

“Notwithstanding anything contained in any law, it shall be an unlawful to submit any petition, statement intended to report the conduct of any person for the purpose of an investigation, inquiry and or inquest without a duly sworn affidavit in the high court of a state or the federal High court confirming the content to be true and correct and in accordance with the Oaths Act,” it says.

Reacting on Sunday, Senate spokesman, Aliyu Sabi, said that some of the attacks on the bill “emanated from misconception and misunderstanding of the objective which is meant to protect all individuals and institutions, including journalists and social media users.”

“The senate is committed to freedom of speech and a fully inclusive and participatory democracy. The process of passing a bill is comprehensive and provide for inputs to be taken from all and sundry.

“The first stage is merely to read the short title of the bill. The second stage is purely to debate the general principles.

“The next stage is committal of the bill to appropriate committee or committees for further detailed legislative action where the details, intendment and clause by clause implications of the bill are dissected by the committee.

“This stage also involves public hearing in which members of the public, civil society, non-governmental organizations and all interested parties for or against the bill have the opportunity to shape and influence its content.

“The outcome from this committee stage is what will be finalised and then represented to the chamber for clause by clause consideration and approval or disapproval by the senate.

“Thereafter, if the bill is approved, then the clean version of the bill is forwarded to the house of representatives for concurrence or otherwise.

“Accordingly, the senate wants to re-assure the public about this. So, all those who are either for or against this bill or its part and any other one have ample opportunities to reshape it,” he said.

He assured that the eighth senate was conscious of its responsibility to the people and would not do anything that would stifle participation and inclusion.

“We will always ensure we pass laws, which meet best practices across the world and indeed democratic scrutiny. Suggesting that the senate wants to pass a law not even practiced in China etc is being mischievous,” he added.

“This senate is people-centred, pro-poor and participatory. We will always act in the best interest of the citizenry. In this regard, we are totally committed to performing our duties and discharging our responsibilities without let or hindrance.

“All those spreading hate campaigns as a result of the anti-frivolity bill, hauling insults at and making derogatory comments on senators of the federal republic of Nigeria and the institution of the Senate are advised to key into the elaborate legislative process that a bill must pass through before becoming law if they are interested in shaping the outcome of the bill.

“This is the right way to go and part of the change we all aspire for our democracy.

“The eighth senate is totally committed to protecting the liberty of all Nigerians and the independence of the Senate and the legislative arm of government as we deepen our democratic journey.”

Beijing smog ‘red alert’: Schools and businesses to completely shut down as Chinese capital issues first ever extreme warning

Beijing has issued its first ever “red alert” over the city’s smog, with the Chinese capital going into shutdown in an attempt to protect people from the deadly air.

It is the first time ever that the highest possible state of caution has been declared in the city, which has more than 21 million residents.

The warning means schools will have to close down and construction and other industry in the capital will be limited.

The order will last from Tuesday morning local time until midday on Thursday, when the weather is expected to change and blow away the smog.Smog levels are actually lowe than they have been in recent weeks. But authorities expect an extreme amount of pollution over the coming days, and have imposed the order to ensure safety during that time.

The city had already been in a state of orange alert, which meant some construction and industry was being curbed. The city had also issued a ruling that said cars with odd and even number plates would be stopped from driving on alternate days.

In some parts of Beijing, people can only see around 200m. The air is also packed with poisonous particles that mean that people could become ill simply from being outside.

Air pollution monitors showed areas of Beijing had more than 256 micrograms per cubic metre of the poisonous particles. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says anything over 25 micrograms is considered unsafe.

The poisonous smog in Beijing is caused by the burning of coal for industry and heating, and huge amounts of dust from the city’s many construction sites. The problem is being made yet worse by high humidity and low wind.

Last week, Greenpeace called on Beijing to issue a red alert, after four days of what it called “Airpocalypse”.

“The city is blanketed in a thick, choking smog that has covered an area of North China the size of Spain and Beijing’s most famous landmarks have been completely obscured by the yellow haze,” wrote Zhang Kai on the group’s blog.

Greenpeace praised the Orange Alert that had been declared for putting restrictions on construction and industry, but said that it was “clearly not enough”.

“At this level of response, schools and kindergartens can remain open, meaning that children are risking their health in order to attend class and car emissions haven’t been restricted at all,” the group wrote.

SOURCE: independent.co.uk

Yushau A. Shuaib On Boko Haram December Deadline

It was neither a vacation trip nor a tour for seasonal ceremony. It was a journey to attend a crisis communication seminar for humanitarian workers and journalists covering disasters which was held in Maiduguri in the first week of December 2015.

My family members could not dissuade me from the trip that hopefully would provide me another opportunity to assess one of the Boko Haram worst-hit cities in Nigeria.

The flight was smooth from Abuja to Maiduguri but I was glued to the window to see if I would sight soldiers and terrorists engaging in shoot-out… At the same time, the dreadful feeling that Boko Haram members could shoot down our aircraft with their home manufactured rockets lurked in a corner of the mind.

Driving into the town, it was easy to observe that the city wasn’t bubbling as most roads were deserted, exotic mansions abandoned and fine hotels had low patronage even with their generous discounts on accommodation.

I used the opportunity of the seminar to interact with some of the highly patriotic and exceptional Nigerian journalists who have been covering the war on terror with great responsibility. For the national interest, they have observed self-censorship against sensational reporting.

On a visit to the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, the sights of orphans and widows were quite disturbing even though NEMA and other stakeholders are taking good care of them.

Passing through security check-points, the sacrifice of Nigerian troops, especially young soldiers in their zeal and determination to defeat Boko Haram terrorists was obvious from their faces. While some of them are bachelors with parents, others are married with children they left at home to defend Nigeria.

Incidentally, almost everyone was concerned about the presidential directive for the military to end Boko Haram this December. During the inauguration of his service chiefs on July 13, 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the military to end the Boko Haram terrorism in three months.

Immediately after the directive, the national security adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno led service and security chiefs to the frontline to seek the cooperation of community leaders, traditional rulers and pressure groups to support the new drive against war on terror. He also visited and commiserated with IDPs and reassured them that the war would soon be over.

The chief of army staff, General Tukur Buratai has not led from the back, he was in the warfront by actively participating in some of the operations where terrorists were either captured or killed. He has so far spent most of his time on the battlefield. The chief of air staff, Air Mashall Sadique Abubakar, has personally commanded fighter jets in the war on terror to motivate fighter-pilots into putting in their best.

The chief of defence staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin has ensured effective coordination and cohesion in the operation so far through mechanism of inter-agency collaboration, as the chief of naval staff, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas has also confirmed that special forces from the Navy are actively involved in the operation.

The military has so far destroyed dozens of Boko Haram camps and freed more than 1,000 kidnap victims since inauguration of President Buhari. Nevertheless, there is the fear that the military may not be able to end Boko Haram by the deadline. The executive xecretary of Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), Air Commodore Anas recently disclosed that there is nothing wrong in imposing targets on the military, but due to the asymmetric warfare which Boko Haram is prosecuting against civilian “soft targets” the December deadline is unrealistic.

There are also worrisome reports of fresh kidnap of dozens of girls and burning of buildings in Bam village of Yobe state, reports of missing and fleeing soldiers in Galtumari town in Borno state, destruction of military base in Gulak, Adamawa, and media allegations that terrorists snatched military trucks, artillery guns that were bought by the previous administration.

During private conversations with stakeholders, many expressed beliefs that concerted efforts are required through credible intelligence to address the insecurity in the North-East.

Beyond the “body language” theory and political grandstanding, others were of the opinion that some tougher actions taken by the past administration could be deployed in curtailing the excesses of terrorists. For instance, a journalist observed that even though many doubted the sincerity of the former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, when he sought and obtained approval for postponement of 2015 general election to enable the military to degrade Boko Haram and ensure maximum security of voters, all known terrorists’ camps were destroyed before the emergence of new government on May 29. The Sambisa forest was stormed by “Special ‘M’ forces” and about 300 kidnapped women and children were freed, 22 terrorist occupied towns in three states were recovered, and Boko Haram could not disrupt the elections.

It is public knowledge that some of the towns recovered from terrorists during the administration of Goodluck Jonathan include Abadam, Askira, Baga, Bama, Biu, Damboa, Gwoza, Hong, Konduga, Kukawa, Marte, Madagali, Michika, Monguno, Mubi. In fact, an official statement by the Defence Headquarters on March 16, 2015, with reference number DHQ/ABJ/901/32/DDI announced the routing of terrorists from Bama after massive casualty was inflicted on the terrorists before the remnant fled. The statement further stated that the Chadian partners in the MNJTF were mandated to pursue the terrorists who were heading for the borders after being dislodged from Bama. Gujba, Gulani, Goniri, Buni Yadi were all retaken by Nigerian troops within the month, the statement concluded. It seems Nigerians have forgotten all these.

If the military fails to meet the December deadline, we shouldn’t blame the previous administration of Jonathan or the current government of Buhari, but encourage the military to improve the tempo. After all, the Nigerian troops have succeeded in the past and are succeeding now. We should therefore avoid taking actions that would rubbish the integrity of critical institutions including security and the media.

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Yushau Abdulhameed Shuaib is a Nigerian author, public relations practitioner and freelance commentator on national and international issues. He tweets @YAShuaib.

Nigeria: Nurses, Midwives Set for Nationwide Strike Over Unpaid Wages

The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, NANSM, Federal Health institutions' sector has alerted its members to be at alert and await further directives as the Association is set to embark on a nationwide strike action over unpaid allowances.

The Association which is determined to ground services in the nation's health sector accused some Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors, whom they say deliberately refuse to pay uniform allowances to nurses and midwives "against the provision of the Civil Service Rule No. 130127."

In a communiqué issued at the end of its 30th Annual Scientific Conference, signed by its National Chairman, Mr. Nana Takai and National Secretary, Mr. Gambo Danfulani and made available to journalists in Jos, the duo also asked President Muhammadu Buhari to declare an emergency in the health sector, especially in areas of staffing, training, retraining and equipping health institutions with modern facilities.

They further accused Chief Executives and Heads of Federal Health institutions of "conspiring with IPPIS Office to unlawfully withhold the payment of teaching allowances of some category of nurses against extant circulars to that effect."

SOURCE: allafrica.com