Nigerian billionaire businessman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has donated $2 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to help the survivors of the devastating floods in Pakistan.

The aid was made through the Dangote Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dangote Industries Limited, West Africa’s leading manufacturing conglomerate.

“The Dangote Foundation and the entire management and staff of Dangote Industries Limited feel a real need to make a modest contribution to help make life a little more bearable for the survivors in Pakistan,” said Dangote, President of the Dangote Foundation.

“The hearts of all Africans go out to the people of Pakistan as they go through this ordeal. Africa is not only a recipient of humanitarian aid, but is also able to help her brothers and sisters in Pakistan and elsewhere where there is suffering. Helping our family, in this case our global family is part of Africa’s traditional values,” he added.

The donations are expected to provide life-saving food relief to the millions of Pakistanis whose lives have been turned upside down by this disaster as well as help with the logistics of the entire humanitarian community working to supply urgent food and other supplies to the estimated six million Pakistanis WFP is serving who have lost their homes and livelihoods due to the heavy monsoon rains that have hit the country.

source: thisdayonline

The move is coming ahead of President Jonathan’s scheduled visit to the United States of America (USA) on September 18 or 19, 2010, to attend the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) billed for 20th to 22nd of this Month.

According to ‘The Chicago Inquirer”, a tabloid based in the US, the resolution was adopted at the inauguration of the Urhobo Political Forum,(UPF), an emerging political group of the Urhobos worldwide, in North America where participants strongly expressed their views in favour of President Jonathan.

The UPF Chairman, Worldwide, Chief Ighoyota Amori (JP), said it is in the best interest of the North for President Jonathan to complete the term of late President Umaru YarAdua and execute the programs they formulated together before his sudden death.

Chief Amori listed, among other achievements of the current administration to include the provision of uninterrupted electricity, security and effective implementation of the amnesty granted militants in order to stop them from wrecking havoc on oil facilities.

Others are the conduct of a free and fair election and rule of law which he said would make democracy survive instead of the zoning arrangement which the federal character had already addressed.

He dismissed as outdated, Professor Sam Aluko’s assertion that minority groups are better protected if the North is allowed to produce the next president in line with the arrangement of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), adding that Nigerians at home and abroad are looking at performance and not regional leaders.

The newly-elected President of UPF in North America, Mr Thomas Odikpa, Jr., said President Jonathan performance in office should guaranteed him additional two terms to make him reign as the Nigerian leader for 10 years since he would be starting his own tenure in 2011.

Odikpa, Jr called on Urhobos home and abroad to unite and wake-up from their political slumber, economic degradation” and work to protect the interest of the next generation adding that there could not be economic emancipation without a good political justification to secure what is due to Urhoboland.

The former military governor of Kano and Benue states, Brigadier-General Dominic Oneya, said President Jonathan has the vision and courage to lead Nigeria to the Promised Land instead of engaging in ephemeral issues of zoning which is not in line with the Nigerian constitution.

Odikpa, Jr. based in Orlando, Florida was elected President of the UPF, North America while Patience Okoroh became the Vice President. Two Chicagoland residents, Ovie Okpodu and Alex Oyinbo emerged as assistant secretary and financial secretary respectively.

Okpodu is also the current President of Urhobo Progress Union,(UPN), Chicagoland. Two women, Tessa Lokas and Rosemarie Walsh were elected secretary general and publicity secretary respectively.

Participants at this years event came from Nigeria, Europe and across North America. They were treated to a Mistic Blue boat tour of Chicagoland water ways at Navy Pier. UPF Chairman, Worldwide, Chief Amori JP was so impressed with the Chicago hospitality that he pronounced the event, a huge success and urged participants to allow the Windy City host the next edition.

He called on Urhobo natives across Chicagoland to join forces with the UPF for the good of Urhoboland. Particular attention was paid to Dr. and Mrs. Abel Dafiaghor for their dedication and help to Urhoboland in the provision of medical equipment for the needy in Nigeria.

Among other issues, the oil spills in the Niger Delta region which affect Nigerias oil producing states also re-echoed at the forum.

Source: Daniel Idonor Vanguard News

P.M.NEWS gathered that 18-year old Elizabeth Odey was bitten on her legs by a snake at night and she died a few hours after she was rushed to a health centre near her parents’ home.

According to Maria, the elder sister of the deceased, “she was sleeping when the snake crawled up to her bed and bit her on the leg. It was her screams that awoke our mother who was sleeping in the next room.”

She said snake bite was common in the area because it was snake infested but it was rare for a snake to be found inside the room let alone biting someone while asleep on the bed.

“Snake bites are common here especially in the farm but this one came into the room and climbed the bed to bite my sister and at that same moment the lantern went off yet there was still kerosine in the lamp. That is why we said the snake bite is spiritual,” Maria added.

Maria said when light was brought in by neighbours who heard her scream, “we searched everywhere but did not find any snake. Yet, blood ws gushing out of the marks on her legs.”

She said the girl, who was a senior secondary student of Ochumode International School, Ogoja, was rushed to the health centre located close to their house but she died a few hours later.

“She was a very humble and obedient girl. Often when I am not around, she took care of my shop,” Maria said sobbing.

Source: Emma Una/ Calabar PM NEWS

•Onovo removed as IG •SSS gets new DG

A new page in Nigeria’s history was written yesterday as President Goodluck Jonathan appointed Major-General Onyeabo Azubike Ihejirika as the Chief of Army Staff.Ihejirika is the first Igbo to occupy the highly strategic military position since the end of the Civil War.

The last time an officer from the South-east occupied the position was 44 years ago. The late Major-General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi was General Officer Commanding the Army (as Chief  of Army Staff was then known) before he became head of state following the failed coup led by Major Kaduna Nzeogwu.

Ihejirika, a former General Officer Commanding 83, Division, Lagos, replaces Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazzau.Ihejirika is now in a position to become the first four-star General of Igbo extraction in the history of the Nigerian Army.
President Jonathan dropped all the service chiefs as well as the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of State Security Service (SSS).

Air Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin, former Chief of Air Staff, has been appointed the Chief of Defence Staff, replacing Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike.Rear Admiral O. S. Ibrahim, Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command replaces Admiral Ishaya Ibrahim as the Chief of Naval Staff while Air Vice Marshal M.D. Umar takes over from Petinrin as the Chief of Air Staff.
Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 9, Umuahia, Alhaji Hafiz Ringim, is the new Inspector General of Police. He takes over from Mr. Ogbonna Onovo.

Mr. Ita Ekpeyong, former SSS Director in Lagos, replaces Mr. Afakiriya Gadzama as the director general of the State Security Sservice (SSS).Ringim’s elevation is expected to lead to the retirement of the six Deputy Inspector-Generals of Police (DIGs) who are all his seniors.

They are: Uba Ringim (Administration and Finance), Israel Ajao (Operations),  John Ahmadu (CID), Declan Uzorma (Works), Olusegun Efuntayo (Training), and Udom Ekpo Udom (Research and Planning).
In a six-paragraph statement, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ima Niboro, said the appointments, which take immediate effect, “are however subject to the confirmation of the National Assembly, in line with the provision of the armed forces act section 18, Cap A20, laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

Niboro said Jonathan thanked the outgoing service chiefs, “whose tenure expired in August, for their loyalty and dedication to service. He particularly commended them for defending the Nigerian constitution at all times and for successful command of the armed forces during their tenure”.

Since the current democratic dispensation in 1999, no service chief has spent more than two years in office, with the exception of former army chief Gen. Martin Agwai, who spent over two years.

The tenures of the former chiefs were said to have lapsed last month.A Defence source told THISDAY yesterday: “This is the first time a democratic government is following laid-down rules in the appointment of service chiefs. In the past, their names were announced and they assumed office without recourse to the National Assembly.”
A Presidency source said the service chiefs had not been removed before now because the president believed there was no need.

“There were pressures on him to change the chiefs, but he insisted that he was on a joint ticket with the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and would not remove anybody except it was absolutely necessary. Their tenures have expired now so there is no issue with that,” he said.

Asked if the appointment of an Igbo as army chief would not be interpreted as a political move, he said: “The ethnic origin is of no significance to the president. We must accept that Nigeria belongs to us all. We must send the signals out clearly that there are no positions in the country that cannot be occupied by a particular person because of his or her ethnic origin.”

Significantly, there is no service chief from the South-south where the president comes from, but an insider said it does not matter “because the biggest position in the land is already occupied by a person from that geo-political zone”.

The removal of Onovo, THISDAY learnt, was not unconnected with the unchecked crime wave in the country, especially kidnapping.
His refusal to obey a court summons recently is also said to have irked the president who was said to have described the incident as an affront on the rule of law and an embarrassment to the government.

Source: Kunle Akogun and Yemi Akinsuyi in Abuja, ThisDay