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Angry inhabitants demand answers after blast
Angry inhabitants demand answers after blast
Inhabitants in Beirut have put forward their anger at the government over what they say was ‘negligence’ that led to Tuesday’s huge explosion in China.
According to BBC, President Michel Aoun said the explosion was caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate kept unsafely in a warehouse.
Dozens have accused the authorities of corruption, neglect and mismanagement.
The blast killed at least 137 people and injured about 5,000 others, while dozens are still missing. A two-week state of emergency has begun.
“Beirut is crying, Beirut is screaming, people are hysterical and people are tired,” filmmaker Jude Chehab told the BBC, calling for the people responsible to face justice.
Chadia Elmeouchi Noun, a Beirut resident currently in hospital, said: “I’ve known all the time that we are led by incompetent people, incompetent government […] But I tell you something – what they have done now is absolutely criminal.”
On Wednesday, the government announced that a number of Beirut port officials were placed under house arrest pending an investigation into the explosion.
The country’s Supreme Defence Council insisted that those found responsible would face the “maximum punishment”.
For now, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called for an independent investigation into the blast. In a statement, HRW said it had “serious concerns about the ability of the Lebanese judiciary to conduct a credible and transparent investigation on its own”.
Source___BBC
House of Representatives to petition President Buhari
The Nigeria House of Representatives is on their verge to petition President Muhammadu Buhari over the refusal of some agencies of government to appear before its Committee on Public Account to answer questions over financial irregularities traced to them or verify some reports brought forward by other agencies.
Channels TV said, the House Committee on Public Account is particularly not happy with the refusal of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emiefele, Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Managing Director of the Nigeria Port Authority, Haha Hadiza Bala Usman and the Bureau for Public Enterprises to appear before it over sales of federal government landed property across the country.
The agencies, alongside the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and the Petroleum Equalisation Fund failed to appear before the Committee on Public Account over the sales of some government property.
Chairman of the House Committee on Public Account, Rep. Wole Oke told the Clerk of the Committee to forward a petition to the President through the office of the Secretary to the Federation and the Chief of Staff to the President informing him of the refusal of the heads of the agency to honour the invitation of the Parliament.
He said the President should compel the agencies to honour the invitation of the House within seven days.
However, at its hearing yesterday, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Nigeria Electricity Liabilities Management Company denied selling any government property or being in possession of any proceeds from the sale.
Managing Director of Transmission Company of Nigeria, Engr S.A. Abdulazeez said told the Committee that “TCN was not involved in the sales of federal government landed property
Credit___Channels TV
Channels TV said, the presidency has denied reports suggesting that repentant Boko Haram terrorists are being placed into the Nigerian military.
According to Channel TV, in a statement issued yesterday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, says no ex-terrorist is absorbed into the Nigerian military.
This escalation was due to an allegation made by Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum that his convoy was attacked by soldiers and not Boko Haram terrorists
Following this development, many Nigerians had suggested on social media that the attack was carried out by the repentant insurgents who had allegedly joined the army.
“It is important for the public to know that nobody has ever been absorbed into the military from the de-radicalized Boko Haram and there is no such plan for their absorption,” the statement partly read.
The presidential spokesman explained that the Federal Government’s Operation Safe Corridor programme aimed at rehabilitating the ex-terrorists were being monitored by the International Organisation for Migration.
“None of the 601 former Boko Haram members who voluntarily laid down their arms, and have recently graduated from the Federal Government’s de-radicalization and rehabilitation programme, is going into the military.
“This is the fourth such graduation of repentant Boko Haram fighters and not one of such graduates has been absorbed into the military.
“The public needs to be reassured that the de-radicalization, rehabilitation and reintegration of violent extremists of the Buhari administration code-named “Operation Safe Corridor,” follows an established example from countries with similar experiences, and is supported academically and materially by the European Union and the United Nations,” he said.
Credit___Channels TV
Police have taken over the Edo State House of Assembly complex in Benin City, the state capital.
Many of the security officials stormed the complex on Thursday morning while patrol vehicles were positioned there.
Channels Television gathered that the police took the action following a reported threat of an attack on the facility.
The police officers were led to the Assembly by a Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Ayoola Ajala.
Shortly after the police were deployed at the facility, personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) also arrived at the complex.
Barely a day before the security operatives took over the facility, members of the Assembly impeached the Deputy Speaker of the House, Yekini Idiaye.
Idiaye was impeached during plenary on Wednesday and replaced with Roland Asoro, the lawmaker representing Orhionmwon II Constituency.
According to Channels TV, the five lawmakers were among the 10 members of the House inaugurated in July 2019 while 14 others have yet to be inaugurated.
They insisted that their decision was to remain in the APC on whose platform they were elected.
See more photos from the Assembly below
Source___Channels TV
Islamic council sets July 31 as Tobaski
Islamic council sets July 31 as Tobaski
Standard Newspaper said the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council has make know that the feast of eid-ul-adha, Tobaski, will be observed in the Gambia on Friday 31st July 2020.
According to Standard, the statement from the Council said the new month, Zul Hijjah, started yesterday.
The council also ‘reminded’ Muslims the importance of the first ten days, while urging them to keep fast on the 9th day of Arafat.
Suspected Boko Haram Fighters Execute Five Aid Workers In Borno State of Nigeria.
A video has been circulating online showing the execution of five persons by masked men in military camouflage, suspected to be Boko Haram fighters.
Channels TV said a voice was heard speaking in Hausa before the execution, saying that the five persons were working for infidels
“Those of you that are being used by infidels to turn others to infidels, know this today oh, you who work for infidel groups, you satisfy their aims but they do not care about you and that is why when we catch you they do not show concern. Our call to you is to repent and follow Allah; we shall waylay you in all the roads that you follow and if you don’t listen, the fate of these ones will befall you,” the voice said.
The execution immediately followed his speech at the cue of another voice that said “bisimillah.”
The slain persons are believed to be aid workers captured during a raid in Monguno Local Government of Borno State on June 13, 2020.
According to Channels TV, they include staff of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, Action Against Hunger, Rich International, International Rescue Committee and a security guard.
The execution came after the insurgents demanded the sum of 500,000 dollars to release them.
Eyitayo Jegede Wins Ondo State PDP Primary
Eyitayo Jegede has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s flag bearer for the Ondo State governorship election which is expected to take place on October 10th 2020.
Jegede was announced earlier today as the winner after the delegates cast their votes at the party’s primary which held at the International Culture and Events Center, the dome in Akure, the state capital in Nigeria..
According to Channels TV he polled 888 votes to defeat his closest rival and incumbent Deputy Governor of the state, Agboola Ajayi who garnered 657 votes and other seven aspirants.
The other aspirants include Eddy Olafeso who polled 175 votes, Banji Okunomo who polled 90 votes, Olabode Ayorinde who polled 95 votes and Boluwaji Kunlere who polled 33 votes.
While Olusola Ebiseeni and Godday Erewa polled 29 and 14 votes respectively, the total number of invalid votes stands at 64.
Channels TV said after gathering the highest number of votes in the indirect mode adopted by the party, Chairman of the PDP Primary Election Committee and Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi declared Jegede the winner of the exercise.
Also present at the primary is Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri among other members.
Arotile, Nigeria’s First Female Helicopter Combat Pilot, Laid To Rest In Abuja
The burial of Nigeria’s first female helicopter combat pilot, Tolulope Arotile, has taken place at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja.
Arotile, who died in a tragic car accident on July 14 in Kaduna, is being buried in strict compliance with COVID-19 guidelines, Air Force spokesman, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, said.
Akintunde Arotile, father of the desist described her daughter as a gift from God.
According to him, his daughter was blessed with a high intelligent quotient and that informed her decision to become a pilot.
Source__Channels TV
Protests in Turkey over brutal murder of young woman
The brutal murder of yet another Turkish woman has triggered widespread outrage in the country, with many taking to the streets and social media to express their anger.
Women hit the streets and take to social media after ex-partner reportedly confesses to killing Pinar Gultekin, 27.
University student victim Pinar Gultekin was 27 when she get killed in the Aegean province of Mugla. She was reported missing last week and was found dead in the woods on Tuesday.
Demonstrators hold placards and portraits of women killed in recent years during a protest in Istanbul.
According to Aljazeera, her former partner Cemal Metin Avci, a bar manager in the resort town of Akyaka, has been arrested for the murder. Police said he confessed to the killing during questioning, according to local media.
Aljazeera said more protests are expected as anger over the killing continues on social media, with users calling for further action by the authorities.
Source___Aljazeera
Presidents of Ghana, Ivory Coast, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal heading to Bamako in bid to defuse political crisis.
Aljazeera said the foreign leaders are expected to meet Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and key figures of the opposition coalition behind the protests, known as the June 5 Movement.
“It will be difficult to rebuff presidents who come to help bring back peace and stability to your country,” said researcher Demba Moussa Dembele, president of the Dakar-based African Forum on Alternatives.
“The government and the opposition would likely avoid being blamed if the mission were to fail,” Dembele said.
According to Aljazeera, the dissatisfaction came over the country’s economic woes, corruption and worsening security situation has been simmering for a while, the spark for the current crisis was a decision by the Constitutional Court in April to overturn the results of parliamentary polls for 31 seats, in a move that saw candidates with Keita’s party get re-elected.
The protests turned violent earlier this month when three days of clashes between security forces and protesters left 11 people dead. Several opposition leaders were also briefly detained.
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