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Nearly 400 people were killed when a powerful quake sent a tsunami barrelling into the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, officials said Saturday, as hospitals struggled to cope with hundreds of injured and rescuers scrambled to reach the stricken region.

The national disaster agency put the official death toll so far at 384, all of them in the tsunami-struck city of Palu, but warned the toll was likely to rise.

Some 540 people were badly injured, it added.

In the city — home to around 350,000 people — partially covered bodies lay on the ground near the shore, the day after tsunami waves 1.5 metres (five feet) came ashore.

There were also concerns over the whereabouts of hundreds of people preparing for a beach festival that had been due to start Friday evening, the disaster agency said.

Hospitals were overwhelmed by the influx of injured, with many people being treated in the open air, while other survivors helped to retrieve the remains of those who died.

One man was seen carrying the muddy corpse of a small child.

The tsunami was triggered by a strong quake that brought down buildings and sent locals fleeing for higher ground as a churning wall of water crashed into Palu, where there were widespread power blackouts.

– ‘I just ran’ –

Dramatic video footage captured from the top floor of a parking ramp in Palu, nearly 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the quake’s epicentre, showed waves bring down several buildings and inundate a large mosque.

“I just ran when I saw the waves hitting homes on the coastline,” said Palu resident Rusidanto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

The shallow 7.5 magnitude tremor was more powerful than a series of quakes that killed hundreds on the Indonesian island of Lombok in July and August.

Indonesian president Joko Widodo said the military was being called into the disaster-struck region to help search-and-rescue teams get to victims and find bodies.

Earlier, the head of the country’s search and rescue agency Muhammad Syaugi told AFP that local staff had found “many” dead bodies.

“We’re particularly concerned about the impact of the earthquake on children, who are more vulnerable to being swept away in tsunamis,” said Tom Howells, of Save the Children.

People living hundreds of kilometres from the epicentre reported feeling the massive shake, which came hours after a smaller jolt killed at least one person in the same part of the country.

Palu and the surrounding region have been hit by about 100 aftershocks since Friday’s tremors, officials said.

The quake hit just off central Sulawesi at a depth of 10 kilometres just before 1100 GMT — early evening in Sulawesi — the US Geological Survey said. Such shallow quakes tend to be more destructive.

Pictures supplied by the disaster agency showed a badly damaged shopping mall in Palu where at least one floor had collapsed onto the storey below, while other photographs showed major damage to buildings and large cracks across pavements.

The agency also said homes and a local hotel were flattened while a landmark city bridge was destroyed.

A key access road had been badly damaged and was blocked by landslides, the disaster agency said.

(AFP)

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, has explained the agreement of the party with the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the Osun State governorship election, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

Oshiomhole, who gave the explanation at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, said that there would not be automatic ticket for Omisore.

Responding to a question on whether the APC promised Omisore an automatic ticket to contest a senatorial seat, He said, “I don’t like those words ‘automatic tickets.’ I was careful even after the meeting we had with our lawmakers not to use those words.

“We will provide a level playing field for all to contest, if I didn’t promise our members automatic tickets, how can I promise a person I do not yet know?”

He noted that, perhaps, the PDP forgot that Omisore had served as a deputy governor to Chief Bisi Akande, the pioneer interim national chairman of the APC before the then PDP government “rigged them out of office.

Oshiomhole said the working relationship between Omisore’s Social Democratic Party and the APC in support of Oyetola, proved decisive.

Oshiomhole said, “I said we had a negotiation and had a deal that has to do with the governance of Osun State. I didn’t go with money and I don’t have money to give to anybody. He didn’t ask and there was no basis for him to ask.

“We agreed that he would have an opportunity for him to contest for a seat on the APC platform. Not just for Senate or House of Representatives, but also for house of assembly. That is why I said we spoke about the immediate, which is the Osun election and going forward.”

He said the APC having recognised the fact that the SDP was critical to the rerun, decided to a open negotiation with its leadership.

Oshiomhole stated, “He (Omisore) told us that, yes he has lost, but he believes that he can still win if we have a deal that seeks to address the primary purpose of his participation in the process which is the governance of the state and specific policy issues that were of concern to him.

“We had a robust conversation and reached an agreement which I think is healthy. We didn’t have to negotiate about compensation or about paying money to anyone. The issue was about governance, education and how we can have a working relationship ahead of the general election and in future elections.

“We were able to strike a deal that has to do with the specific issues that affect the welfare and the well being of the people of Osun State. Whereas Saraki failed to strike a deal with the SDP, we secured a deal with them and now the APC, working with the SDP had a huge influence in those areas and combining our efforts, it was not strange that at the end, we won.

Facebook is at the centre of controversy yet again after admitting that up to 50 million accounts were breached by hackers.

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said engineers discovered the breach on Tuesday, and patched it on Thursday night.

“We don’t know if any accounts were actually misused,” Zuckerberg said. “We face constant attacks from people who want to take over accounts or steal information around the world.”

Facebook reset the 50 million breached accounts, meaning users will need to sign back in using passwords. It also reset “access tokens” for another 40 million accounts as a precautionary measure.

Here is a roundup of the scandals dogging the social media giant.

– Cambridge Analytica –
In Facebook’s telling, everything goes back to 2013 when Russian-American researcher Aleksandr Kogan creates a personality prediction test app, “thisisyourdigitallife”, which is offered on the social network.

Around 300,000 people download the app, authorising access to information on their profile and also to the data of their Facebook friends.

In 2015 Facebook makes changes to its privacy policy and prevents third-party apps from accessing the data of users’ friends without their consent.

The same year the social network discovers Kogan has passed on the information retrieved via his app to the British company Cambridge Analytica (CA), which specialises in the analysis of data and strategic communication.

In 2016 CA is hired by Donald Trump’s US presidential campaign.

Facebook says it was assured by CA in 2015 that the data in question had been erased. But it estimates the firm could have had access to the data of up to 87 million users, most in the United States, without their consent, and mined this information to serve the Trump campaign.

Cambridge Analytica, which denies the accusations, has since filed for voluntary bankruptcy in the United States and Britain.

Facebook is accused of having been lax in its protection of user data, slow to intervene and consistently vague on its privacy settings.

In 2011 it signed a consent decree with US consumer protection agency the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) settling charges that it deceived consumers by telling them they could keep their information on Facebook private, and then allowing it to be shared and made public.

In March this year the FTC said it had opened an inquiry into Facebook’s privacy practices, including whether the company violated the earlier agreement, which would incur hefty fines.

Beyond the CA scandal, Facebook estimates the data of nearly all its users may have, at some time, been retrieved without their knowledge.

– Political manipulation –
Facebook and sites like Google, Twitter and Tumblr are also accused of having allowed the spread through their networks of “fake news”, including to manipulate public opinion ahead of the US election in favour of Trump.

The sites have acknowledged finding on their platforms messages, accounts and pages associated with the Internet Research Agency, a Saint Petersburg operation that is alleged to be a “troll farm” connected to the Russian government.

It is accused of spreading disinformation and propaganda including via postings — often in the form of sponsored ads that target users based on their personal data — that could influence opinion, for example over immigration.

According to Facebook, more than 120 million users had seen such content.

Facebook is in particular accused of not having been vigilant enough on monitoring the content and authenticity of pages and political ads that it carries.

It announced this year that it will require that the sponsors of political ads are identified and verified.

Earlier this month, Zuckerberg said Facebook was better prepared to defend against efforts to manipulate the platform to influence elections.

“We’ve identified and removed fake accounts ahead of elections in France, Germany, Alabama, Mexico and Brazil,” Zuckerberg said.

“We’ve found and taken down foreign influence campaigns from Russia and Iran attempting to interfere in the US, UK, Middle East, and elsewhere — as well as groups in Mexico and Brazil that have been active in their own country.”

(AFP)

The former governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, has dumped the Labour Party for the Zenith Labour Party.

The spokesman for the former governor, Eni Akinsola, who confirmed this during an interview with TheCable, said Mimko has joined the ZLP

According to Akinsola, Mimiko said he is bothered by the “subtle hijack” of LP by the All Progressives Congress’ national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, using the Nigeria Labour Congress leadership.

Akinsola said, “Yes, he has left the Labour Party. Yesterday, he consulted with all his political structures across the state, and he updated them with fact, with what has been happening since he went to LP.

“On the day he declared for the presidency, the NLC chairman said he was not wanted, one Omotosho claiming to be factional chairman of the Labour Party too claimed he was not welcome.

“Like they say, once beaten, twice shy. Issues in PDP about who was the chairman then, who was not, made us lose Ondo state in 2016, nothing else. I tell you now if we had time and opportunity to campaign like every other party, we would have won Ondo state but that is gone anyway.

“The issue now is that Dr Mimiko is not ready to expose himself and his followers to such kind of things again. This same Omotosho went to Ilorin, Kwara state and promised to deliver 16 million votes to Buhari.”

The All Progressives Congress has shifted its governorship primary elections in Lagos and Imo states to Monday.

The primaries earlier scheduled to hold on Sunday were shifted in both states for logistic reasons.

The National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole said this in Abuja on Saturday while inaugurating the 21-member National Convention Committee headed by the Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi.

A former governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, has directed his supporters to stay away from the All Progressives Congress governorship primary billed for Sunday.

The directive was contained in a statement issued on Saturday in Ibadan by Jeremiah Akande, the Head of New Media and Public Affairs, of Alao-Akala Campaign Organisation.

The statement, which described the scheduled primary as a sham, said the former governor would boycott the exercise.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Alao-Akala is a governorship aspirant in the state.

The statement quoted Alao-Akalaas calling on the national leadership of the APC to save the Oyo Chapter from collapse.

“I am calling on the national leadership of the APC, President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders of the party to come to the aid of the Oyo APC which is on the brink of collapse.

“This is due to the high-handedness and imposition of candidates on delegates who will vote at the primary election of the party taking place tomorrow by Gov. Abiola Ajimobi,” the statement quoted Alao-Akala as saying.

Alao-Akala alleged that Ajimobi had perfected plans to impose an aspirant, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, on delegates.

He also alleged that the governor had sent his supporters to coerce and intimidate delegates to vote for Tegbe tomorrow at the party’s primary against their free will.

“I am a true party man and a committed loyalist of any cause I believe in. I wish to state categorically that I am not a pushover in the game of politics.

“I am a well grounded and groomed politician who has occupied the number one seat of Oyo State, a politically-conscious state.

“I will not be part of any move or attempt to subvert the true will and wish of the people by the selfish interest of an individual,’’ he said.

(NAN)

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday sympathised with the government and people of Indonesia over the latest Tsunami and earthquake that hit Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi Island.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President said the natural disaster, which claimed nearly 400 lives, was devastating beyond description.

“No matter how distant we are away from others around the world, we remain connected to them by our bond of common humanity, and such bond creates automatic empathy and sympathy for the pains and tribulations of others,” the President said.

Buhari told the Indonesian government that “my administration and the entire people of Nigeria are with you at this difficult and tough moment when you struggle hard to minimise the impact of this tragedy and in your efforts to provide temporary relief and comfort to the affected victims.”

The President prayed to God to protect the people against future tragedies and give the victims the comfort to overcome the impact of what he described as “this unsettling and horrifying natural disaster against which humanity is powerless to prevent.”

The Akinwunmi Ambode Mandate Support Group on Saturday said Ambode was capable of winning the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State rescheduled for Monday.

The Director-General of AMSG, Mr Hakeem Sulaimon, at a news conference in Ikeja on Saturday, said Ambode was not worried about the purported endorsement of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu ahead of the primary by some groups.

Sulaimon said that the governor had huge supporters across the state.

He said supporters of Ambode held meetings across all 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areasnon Friday and the support for the governor was overwhelming.

“There is huge affirmation and support for Ambode across the state, as stakeholders expressed readiness to work for his emergence as the governorship candidate of the APC and the governor of Lagos for a second term,”.

Sulaimon said while AMSG was not against endorsement for Sanwo-Olu as it was part of democracy, some of the endorsement information being given out were incorrect.

He said that the Chairman of Conference 57, Mrs Omolola Essien, was at its meeting on Friday to say that chairmen of the 57 councils in Lagos state would support Ambode’s second term aspiration.

“We also had 200 ward chairmen coming here to endorse Ambode.

What constitutes the structure of the party is the ward chairmen, LGA chairmen and councillors.

“237 councillors were here at our meeting and they have endorsed Ambode.

“They said they have realised that it was Ambode that they should support,” he said.

Sulaimon added that the Ndigbos and other Igbo support groups in the party were garnering support for Ambode.

“The Community Development Associations (CDAs) and Community Development Committees (CDCs), have also thrown their weight behind the governor.

“The CDAs and CDCs are the biggest grassroots groups, we have 3,900 CDAs in Lagos state and they have openly endorsed Ambode.

“Their representatives were at our meeting to again affirm their support for Ambode.

“We are supposed to have a direct primary and this means that all wards will participate,” he said.

Sulaimon said Ambode had asked his supporters to remain calm and peaceful.

He said the will of the people would prevail at the end of the day when Ambode emerges the flagbearer of the APC for next year’s governorship election in Lagos.

(NAN)

Friday OLOKOR, Jos

The Plateau State Government on Saturday announced the relaxation of its dusk-to-dawn curfew in Jos North and Jos South Local Government Areas.

However, the spokesperson for the Plateau State Police Command, Matthias Tyopev, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said a serious security meeting had commenced.

He confirmed that the curfew which was from dusk to dawn had been reviewed from 10pm to 6am.

The government in a statement by the State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Yakubu Dati, said the decision followed security reports on the relative peace in the affected areas.

He said, “The dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed by the Plateau State government has been relaxed from 10pm to 6am. The relaxation came following security reports on the relative peace in the affected areas.

“Twenty four hours ago, a dusk-to-dawn curfew was imposed on Jos North and Jos South local government areas following disturbances within Jos and its environs which led to the imposition of the curfew.”

Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has said that the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, is not involved in the affairs of the party’s chapter in Kogi State.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said this in a statement in Abuja on Saturday.

He was referring to the accusation levelled against the former governor of Kwara State by some aggrieved senatorial aspirants of the party from Kogi West Senatorial District.

They had accused Saraki of working to ensure that the party gives an automatic ticket to Senator Dino Melaye in the district.

But Ologbondiyan said the accusation was not true.

He said, “This is completely false, mischievous and an unfounded design by unscrupulous elements, working with some fifth columnists, to cause confusion within our fold as well as attempt to drag down our leaders, as we prepare for the 2019 general election.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Senator Saraki is in no way playing any determining role in the affairs of our Kogi state chapter or interfering in the processes for the election of candidates in the state for the general election.

“The Senate President, as a foremost national leader of our great party, has maintained his stance for strict adherence to the rules of internal democracy, fairness, and transparency, particularly in providing a level playing ground for all ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

The Presidency on Saturday described the outcome of the All Progressives Congress’ presidential primaries across the states as a major boost to the success of President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2019 presidential election.

It also asked political parties in the country to start copying the leadership style of the President.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said these in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja.

Shehu said Buhari, who contested the party’s presidential ticket unopposed, has shown that one does not have to be a party owner or go through a difficult inner party consensus to emerge as a candidate.

He said beyond being a victory for the party and the President, the victory was a message to everyone that development and good governance are more important to the people than divide and rule politics.

The presidential spokesman said, “The outcome of the All Progressives Congress, American-style direct presidential primaries on Friday 28th of September 2018, held across the states with President Muhammadu Buhari as the sole aspirant is a major boost to his success at next year’s general election.

“In a more direct way, the huge turnout of millions of registered party members at all voting centres proves that the President has an incomparable ability to reach out to people and mobilise votes.

“It is significant that President Buhari has won a major victory, fair and square through the direct nationwide primary, a system that seeks to break the mould.”

Congolese opposition leader Paulin Makaya, who was released recently after almost three years in prison, has been prevented from flying to France, his family said Saturday.

Makaya’s son Russel told AFP his father was barred from boarding a plane to Paris on Friday “because he did not have an authorisation to leave Congo.”

Makaya was told to take the matter up with the national prosecutor, “the same one that signed his release from prison” on September 17, Russel added.

Police in Brazzaville declined to comment, while a source close to the prosecutor said they “were not involved with managing the country’s borders.”

Head of the United for Congo party and close to former Congolese premier Bernard Kolelas, Makaya was jailed after organising a banned demonstration against a constitutional referendum that allowed President Sassou Nguesso to successfully seek another term in March 2016.

Nguesso has run Congo, a small, oil-rich country in central Africa, for 35 years.

AFP

Nigerian migrants held in Libya were rescued after releasing a video from their cell that went viral on social media and caught the attention of authorities.

A group of migrants held inside a detention centre in Zawiya in Libya, risked their lives to shoot the video in July, showing poor living conditions and people pleading for help.

“They refuse to deport us,” says a man in the video that was shared over WhatsApp and other social networks. “We are suffering here, we are dying here… they are keeping us here for business.”

The video was sent to France 24 Observers, a citizen journalism initiative, in July.

After seeing the video, the journalists flagged the attention of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which helps organise voluntary returns from Libyan detention camps.

The migrants returned to Nigeria on August 30.

“If not for that video we wouldn’t have been able to come back to Nigeria, I believe that,” Efe Onyeka, a 25-year-old Nigerian who shot the video, told AFP.

Onyeka was arrested trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to get to Europe where he had dreams of becoming a footballer.

Shooting the video put his life in danger. Another Nigerian who helped film was almost beaten to death by guards, said Onyeka.

“They beat all of us,” Onyeka said, speaking from Nigeria’s Delta state. “They used pipes and sticks, they would not give us food.”

“We were underfed, the water, it was from the latrine,” Onyeka said.

In the end, Onyeka spent over four months in detention.

“I’m traumatised. I have nightmares about Libya, about the prison,” he said. “The journey is not worth it.”

Onyeka is one of about 2,700 migrants who have made it back to Nigeria through IOM’s voluntary return programme this year, said the body’s Nigeria spokesman Jorge Galindo.

“It wasn’t an exceptional case in the sense that their conditions are bad,” said Galindo.

“But in terms of people making videos that have managed to get into the hands of journalists, I’ve rarely heard about this before.”

Since the voluntary return programme began in 2017, close to 10,000 Nigerians have come home, said Galindo.

On September 10, the United Nations criticised Nigeria for failing to tackle human trafficking, after a human rights mission looked at efforts to stamp out the organised trade in people.

“What is being done is not enough,” the world body’s special rapporteur on the subject, Maria Grazia Giammarinaro told reporters at the end of a visit.

AFP

Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja

Aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party for its Kogi West Senatorial District ticket have vowed to work against the party in the 2019 general elections.

The aspirants in Abuja on Saturday protested what they called their unjust disqualification by the party from the race.

They, however, vowed not to quit the party but work against it in the 2019 elections, should the party leaders fail to do the needful over the alleged injustice they claimed had been meted to them.

In a statement in Abuja on Saturday, the aspirants also accused the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, of being the architect of their last-minute disqualification.

They said they were meted with the treatment in order to pave the way for Senator Dino Melaye who recently defected to the party from the All Progressives Congress.

The disqualified aspirants are a member of the House of Representatives, Sunday Karimi; a one time Speaker of the state House of Assembly and former Acting Governor of the state, Mr. Clement Obafemi; a two-time member of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Henry Ojuola and a former member of the State House of Assembly and former Chairman of Yagba East Local Government of the State respectively, Mr. Oreniya Salaudeen.

Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja

Mr. Fela Durotoye was on Saturday elected as the Presidential candidate of the Alliance for New Nigeria for the 2019 election.

Durotoye polled 240 votes to defeat Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim who got seven votes.

Speaking at the occasion, the National Chairman of the party, Mr. Emmanuel Dania, said the party was poised to achieve great things for the country.

He said, “Our DNA is about making a difference. We are here to speak for Nigerians, ensure they get what they deserve.

“We want to see that the common man has the right to be happy. It is important Nigerians know new kind of politics.

Speaking on the withdrawal of Olawepo-Hashim from the race, he said the party will reach out to all aggrieved members.

“Olawepo-Hashim is a formidable individual, very supportive to the party. I find it unfortunate he pulled out of the race.

Durotoye told journalists that ANN has a great message for Nigerians.

“A message for a new Nigeria. Nigerians are looking for new values that will produce a new Nigeria,” he said.

Earlier, Olawepo-Hashim had withdrawn from the election at the Nicon Luxury, Abuja, following a decision by his loyalists in the National Executive Committee of the party to postpone the Presidential primary to Wednesday next week.

Olawepo-Hashim group at a press conference in Abuja on Saturday said that the guidelines for the National Convention of the party must first be ratified by the NEC before the convention could hold.

He said some desperate elements in ANN were working for the ruling All Progressives Congress.

But he refused to give the names of those he said were working with the ruling party to destroy the ANN.

Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja

The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has postponed the party’s governorship primaries in both Lagos and Imo States indefinitely.

It, however, said that the governorship primaries in other states would still be held throughout the country on Sunday.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said this in a statement in Abuja on Saturday night.

He said, “The attention of the National Working Committee of the PDP has just been drawn to a rumour making the rounds that the PDP scheduled gubernatorial primary has been postponed.

“The PDP wishes to inform all delegates, members of our great party and aspirants for the gubernatorial election that the scheduled date for the primary remains Sunday, September 30, 2018.

“The rumour about the postponement should, therefore, be disregarded completely.

“However, the gubernatorial primary election dates for Lagos, Kano and Imo states would be announced soon.”

Alhaji Abba Suleiman, a former Inspector General of Police, has described himself as not a newcomer in politics saying he is not new in politics.

Suleiman, who is contesting the Jigawa Central senatorial seat, made the remark in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Dutse on Saturday.

He urged the people of the senatorial district to give him the mandate during the forthcoming general elections in 2019 to represent them in the Senate.

“I am not new in politics, I want to bring the experiences I got in life to bear with what I can do for my people, the people, and the entire state.

“I learnt politics from my Late grandfather, Malam Nagwaram, who was with the late Malam Aminu Kano.

“Their party then was the Northern Element Peoples Union (NEPU) which later metamorphosed to Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).

“I used to follow my grandfather to political rallies and campaigns, I listened to his lectures, I found politics so interesting.”

“My grandfather together with Malam Aminu fought for the emancipation of the down trodden, they fought against cheating and corruption and they had respect for human didgnity.

Writer, journalist, and teacher, Toni Kan, and his partner, Peju Akande, have announced the sale of their news website sabinews.com, which was inaugurated in May 2014.

The site quickly established itself as an ethical and professionally well-run news website featuring a roster of skillful and insightful columnists.

Two years after inauguration, Sabinews was described by reboot.org a US-based social impact firm, in a survey of African websites, as one of the best niche websites in West Africa which has “employed the power of differentiation to set itself apart and win the loyalty of audiences comparable to much bigger organisations.”

Harping on sabinews.com’s USP, the firm further described it as “a digital news and opinions platform known for its popular columnists.”

The site features a roster of social and political commentators whose analysis of current events run from bitingly critical to refreshingly entertaining.”

Kan and Akande announced that the site was bought by New Concept Media, an offshoot of one of Africa’s biggest e-commerce conglomerate in a multi-million-naira deal.

They have also launched a new website, thisislagos.ng which is more metro-oriented and video centric.

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Anna Okon

The strike action embarked upon by labour unions has made worse an already bad port situation as there is a total shutdown of operations in Lagos port complex and Tin Can Island.

Stakeholders who spoke to our correspondent said the lack of activities had put a pause on their business transactions and daily operations.

After a meeting with the Federal Government ended on a deadlock, the Nigeria Labour Congress directed all its members and affiliate unions to commence nationwide warning strike on Thursday.

The unions are pushing for increase in the N18,000 minimun wage.

Our correspondent gathered that freight and other businesses at the port could not be carried out as all the offices were shut and members of the Maritime Workers Union had declined to work.

The Secretary of the Road Transport Workers Employers Association of Nigeria, Haulage Section, Mr Godwin Ikeji, told our correspondent that although the union was a member of the Nigerian Employers Consultative Association and did not join the workers’strike, members could not go to work because the port was controlled by the MWUN, dockworkers, seamen of the Nigerian Ports Authority and couriers, who were all affiliated to the NLC.

“We are all sitting at home because no office is open. Even though the Customs office is open to attend to the customers, other offices where clearing process starts are all closed so it does not make much sense going to the port,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Director General, Lagos Chamber and Industry, Mr Muda Yusuf, has advised the labour unions to act within the ambit of the law.

Yusuf frowned on a situation where the unions went into offices that were not affiliated to the NLC to issue stop work orders.

He said, “They need to be law abiding because strike is not a licence for illegality. They should desist from entering offices that have nothing to do with minimum wage and stopping people from working.

“There are some private companies who are paying above the minimum wage and they need to continue their businesses to keep paying their workers. Going into such offices to shut them down is not legal.”

He also advised the government to ‘bring something to the table, noting that it was a negotiation issue and the government needed to negotiate so that peace could reign.

Yusuf pointed out that N18, 000 as minimum wage in this age and time was grossly inadequate to pay workers as the amount was less than $200.

The LCCI DG noted that the situation was bound to increase cost for importers whose interest on borrowed funds would keep accumulating, additional cost for shipping companies on vessels that were not able to berth and accumulated demurrage charges.

“All will translate to cost that would be transferred to the final consumer,” he said.

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Ozioma Ubabukoh

Agricultural entrepreneurs and stakeholders have said that agriculture has huge potential to create wealth and job opportunities, strengthen the economy and ensure food security if given the necessary attention.

The National Chairman, Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers, Dr Shu’aibu Musa, described agriculture as one of the key promoters of the NIAE and with high prospects to drive the growth and sustainability of the economy.

“Agricultural engineers could raise a large proportion of the population to produce food and increase the Gross Domestic Product,” he said.

The National President, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Mr Adekunle Mokuolu, said, “Agropreneurship has to do with entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector, making sustainable business ventures off agro commodities, goods and services.

“The focus as engineers is how we can sustain growth of the agricultural sector in a diversified economy and fashion out innovative ways of enhancing the quality and quantity of our produce.”

He added, “Engineers are problem solvers, therefore, we need to develop technology to boost our farm produce because this is the only way to ensure food security.”

An agriculture stakeholder, Mr Aliru Alade, advised farmers to key into the Federal Government’s effort at diversifying the economy from a mono-revenue to a multi-revenue economy.

He said the overdependence on oil as a mono-revenue had done more harm than good to the country’s economy.

“Agricultural engineers and manufacturers of foods and agro-allied products have great roles to play in growing and sustaining the economy. However, to sustain the tempo of the economic diversification efforts of the government, entrepreneurs in agriculture have to be taken seriously,” he added.

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Indonesia quake-tsunami death toll rises to 384

Osun: Oshiomhole reveals APC’s agreement with Omisore

Data breach: The scandals bedevilling Facebook

Mimiko dumps Labour Party

UPDATED: APC shifts gov primaries in Lagos, Imo to Monday

Oyo APC gov primary: Alao-Akala tells supporters to stay away

Buhari sympathises with Indonesia over Tsunami, earthquake that claim 400 lives

Ambode still capable of winning Lagos gov primary — Group

Plateau killings: Govt relaxes dusk-to-dawn curfew

Saraki has no hand in our Kogi affairs, says PDP

Presidency says APC primary’s result, a boost to Buhari’s success in 2019

Freed Congolese opposition leader stopped at airport

Nigerian migrants rescued after Libya cell video goes viral

2019: Crisis hits Kogi PDP as aspirants accuse Saraki of favouring Melaye

2019: Durotoye picks ANN presidential ticket

PDP postpones Lagos, Imo gov primaries

I am not new in politics, says ex-IGP

Sabinews.com sold

Stakeholders lament as strike grounds seaports

‘Agriculture can generate enough wealth’