Curator

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Pope Francis has given church officials in southern Nigeria a 30-day ultimatum to obey him by accepting the nomination of a bishop — or face being suspended from office. During talks with a Catholic delegation from Nigeria, the pope demanded that priests and church members in the southern diocese of Ahiara write to him personally to “ask his forgiveness”, the Holy See said in a statement at the weekend. “In the letter, one must clearly manifest total obedience to the pope, and whoever writes must be willing to accept the bishop whom the pope sends and has appointed,” said the statement. It gave the faithful a 30-day deadline for sending such letters, which ends on July 9. “Whoever does not do this will be ipso facto suspended a divinis and will lose his current office,” it warned. The dispute involves Monseigneur Peter Okpaleke who was named bishop of the Ahiara diocese in 2012 by Pope Benedict, Francis’ predecessor. But his appointment was rejected on ...

http://ift.tt/2oHiOb3 The Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) and Ikeja Electric made this known in a statement jointly signed by Heads of their Corporate Communications, Messrs Felix Ofulue and Godwin Idemudia.PHOTO: http://www.iroy The government directive asking consumers yet to be metered not to pay electricity bills is applicable only to Maximum Demand (MD) customers, electricity distribution companies said on Monday. The Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) and Ikeja Electric made this known in a statement jointly signed by Heads of their Corporate Communications, Messrs Felix Ofulue and Godwin Idemudia. The companies said that residential consumers were not included in the directive issued by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). They said that the clarification was necessary because of a report claiming that NERC directed all consumers yet to be metered to stop paying electricity bills. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J President Muhammadu Buhari who has been in London for medical follow-up has directed his Vice, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to sign the 2017 appropriation bill as passed by the Senate. A statement issued by his media aide, Garba Shehu said President Buhari gave the nod while maintaining that it is in the interest of the nation that Acting President Osinbajo signs the bill. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, said President Buhari stated his position in a letter to the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udo Udoma. Shehu said the letter, dated June 10, 2017, followed the receipt of the full brief on the 2017 Appropriation Bill as passed by the National Assembly, adding that it underscores “the unity at the highest level of government”. “Following the receipt of a full brief on the 2017 appropriation bill as passed by the national assembly, and to buttress the unity at the highest level of government, Pre...

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http://ift.tt/2rn53fw French President Emmanuel Macron / AFP PHOTO / Lionel BONAVENTURE British Prime Minister Theresa May had hoped to be in Paris on Tuesday with a strong popular mandate for a “hard” Brexit. Instead she finds herself meeting French President Emmanuel Macron enfeebled and isolated. The difference in their fortunes is striking: He is a young new centrist leader seemingly clearing all obstacles from his path after standing in his first-ever election this spring. She is a 60-year-old rightwing veteran who bungled a snap election last week and is now fighting to keep her job following the loss of the Conservative party’s majority in the British parliament. Over a working dinner and at a football match together, May and Macron had been expected to discuss Brexit and deepen a relationship that would be crucial during Britain’s divorce from the European Union. But uncertainty about May’s future has led to reassessments only days before the expected start of Brex...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J The plan by the Nigerian military to transform the Nigerian Army Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies NAITES in Makurdi, Benue State  into a specialized military university must be seen as a welcome development due to the advantages it evinces to the entire nation. Apart from the fact that the transformation will see to the upgrade of the institution from a mere certificate awarding one to one that will specialise in the training of military personnel in the recondite fields of technology and environmental studies, there are many other things that Nigeria stands to gain ‎hence the proposed name of Nigerian Army University of Technology and Environmental Studies, NAUTES. Reports indicate that a committee is already working on this and it’s recommendations subject to the approval of the convening authorities will soon be concluded.‎ But even before the committee submits its report, there are concerns being expressed about the relevance of the ins...

http://ift.tt/2tdcFCy Osita Chidoka A chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Osita Chidoka, said he would defect to another political party to enable him to realise his governorship aspiration in Anambra. Chidoka, a former Minister of Aviation, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Monday and said that he would dump PDP for United Progressive Party (UPP) on Wednesday. The statement by the Director-General of his campaign organisation, Mr Bright Nebedum, said Chidoka would declare for the UPP in his hometown, Obosi.It explained that Chidoka’s decision to move to another political party was in furtherance of his political aspiration. It said that the declaration, the former minister would unveil his plans and vision “towards redirecting the fortunes of Anambra and restoring its lost political and economic glory’’.The statement added that Chidoka stood out with his reputation as a forthright administrator and manager of resources and had never failed in any as...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the acting president, Yemi Osinbajo, to sign the 2017 Appropriation Bill into law. “President Muhammadu Buhari has indicated that it is in the interest of the nation’s economy for the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, to sign the Appropriation Bill into law,” Buhari’s media aide Garba Shehu said in a terse statement on Monday. Shehu said Buhari in a letter dated June 10, 2017 personally signed by him and addressed to the minister of budget and national planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, had said that he was ‘pleased by the joint resolution that the Executive would submit next year’s budget proposals by October 2017 and the National Assembly will conclude the Appropriation process by December 2017, so that the country can return to a normal fiscal period from next year onwards.’” Vía Nigeria News, Headlines and Opinions – The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper http://ift.tt/2riDKI0 via Blogger http://ift...

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http://ift.tt/eA8V8J The Kwara Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board on Sunday said it had fixed Friday, June 16th, as deadline for the completion of payment of 2017 Hajj fare by all prospective pilgrims travelling through the board. Alhaji Mohammed Tunde-Jimoh, the Executive Secretary of the board, announced this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in llorin. He therefore advised all intending pilgrims to pay up their balance on or before that date, or forfeit their seats, warning that there would be no extension of the deadline Tunde-Jimoh said the fixing of the deadline was necessitated by the directive of the National Hajj Commission that all state Muslim pilgrims welfare boards should submit all travelling documents of their intending pilgrims. The Secretary requested prospective pilgrims who had completed payment of the fare, to submit their e-passport to the Board before June 16. He expressed gratitude to the state government for its support to the Board towards e...

http://ift.tt/2rZKvf2 (From L) EU climate commissioner Miguel Arias Canete, Germany’s Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks, head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Scott Pruitt, Canada’s Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, Italy’s Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti, France’s Environement expert at the Ecology Ministry, Virginie Dumoulin, PG4AG Britain’s Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Therese Anne Coffey, Japan’s Environment Minister Koichi Yamamoto and EU Environment commissioner Karmenu Vella pose for a group photo during the G7 Environment summit on June 11, 2017 in Bologna. Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP The United States’ partners in the G7 club of wealthy democracies vowed Sunday to pursue efforts to curb climate change despite a rift caused by the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris accord. “G7 countries have crucial roles and responsibilities to our own public opinion, to developing ...

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