US Found Cure For Ebola?

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The family of Nancy Writebol, one of the missionary medical practitioners that contracted the Ebola virus while on a joint Samaritan’s Purse-SIM team, was already planning her funeral as she lay stricken with Ebola in Liberia amid the disease’s deadliest recorded outbreak.

She and her colleague, Dr. Kent Brantly, who have both been flown to the United States are defying odds to stay alive…and seem to be getting better.  Writebol’s two sons expect to communicate with her soon, Johnson said. The family was considering funeral arrangements for her just last week, days after she became sick, David Writebol said through Johnson.

African leaders seek 15-year extension for AGOA

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African leaders yesterday urged the United States  to renew the trade benefits programme giving duty-free access to billions of dollars of African exports for 15 years, saying it would help cement trade relations and boost development in the region.

South African President Jacob Zuma, one of nearly 50 African leaders in Washington to attend a three-day summit, said the renewal of the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) when it expires next year, is one of the key issues for this week’s talks.

“Almost 95 per cent of South African exports receive preferential treatment under AGOA,” Zuma said at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce event, joining calls by the African Union for a 15-year extension.

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Ebola: Red Cross moves to prevent spread

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The Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Red Cross Society has expressed its readiness to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola Virus, malaria, HIV/AIDS, cholera and water-borne diseases, among others.

It spoke yesterday through its branch chairman, Mobolaji Onibudo, an engineer, during the opening ceremony of its 50th anniversary at Government College, Ikorodu. The event was its annual youth leadership course and camping with the theme: “My Red Cross Story.”

The camp, which hosted the members of the society across local government areas in the state, will end on Sunday.

Boko Haram female bombers

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Boko Haram insurgents have suddenly engaged underaged girls for suicide bombing mission which must be denounced. It is rather begging the question of, what really Boko Haram is driving at? The terrorist sect is generally regarded as a Islamic fundamentalist group set out to destroy and exterminate Nigerians’ fragile unity. It is also begging the question whether Boko Haram is agitating for a genuine cause or otherwise. 

Bayelsa communities shut oil wells

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Members of the Egbebiri communities in Biseni clan, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, have seized the Idu oil field belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).

It was learnt that the field is made up of about five oil wells numbered as 3, 6, 8, 11 and 12.

The Egbebiri communities were said to have shut the oil wells over the failure of Agip to satisfy some of their demands.

“Five oil wells operated by Agip in the company’s Idu field in Biseni have been shut down by community folks. Wellheads 3, 6, 8, 11 and 12 have been shut since Sunday night,” a source who pleaded for anonymity said.

Pastor drowned in Ilorin while creating water channel

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The pastor of a church in Ilorin, Kwara State, was swept away by flood on Tuesday following an early morning heavy rain that lasted for about seven hours.  The pastor, whose name has yet to be ascertained as of press time, was said to be creating s water channel for the erosion when he suddenly slipped into a drainage channel and got washed away.

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Is Nigeria a nest of dishonesty (2)

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It seems that some people almost misread the earlier part of this article. Dishonesty is a worldwide phenomenon but it appears that it has grown so much in our country that it has taken over our reputation. It is not indigenous to Nigeria and I did not mean to say that. I am just getting concerned about the consequences on the country especially on a few honest people among us. Part of my concern is that dishonesty has cost us so much as a country. So many international businesses become cautious when it is time to deal with Nigeria. Can you see something as universally accessible as e-bay cannot operate in Nigeria? Do you know why? On the e-bay platform, the key factor is trust. If someone puts out an item for sale, a potential customer must trust that information available and use it to place a bid.

Why Osun must not vote for Omisore –Oyinlola

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Former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun State on Tuesday urged the people of the state against voting for the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

Oyinlola, who publicly declared for the All Progressives Congress at the mega rally of the party held at the Osogbo Township Stadium, on Tuesday, accused Omisore of being selfish.

He urged the people of the state to vote for Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who incidentally, was the one who unseated him from office after a marathon legal battle which lasted over three-and-a-half years.

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Cultists lay three-day siege on Lagos streets

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Residents of Adedoyin, Awofeso, and four other streets in Somolu, Lagos have recounted how some suspected cultists attacked the area, injuring people and stealing their belongings last weekend.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the other areas touched by the armed cultists included Olorunshogo, Eyo, Ige and Opeloyeru streets. Our correspondent gathered that the cultists attacked the area from about 10pm on Friday evening, going from street to street. They were said to have struck on no fewer than seven streets by Saturday and Sunday evenings.

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Mixed Reactions Trail Omisore’s Bus Donation To OAU Students

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Ahead of the forthcoming Osun State Governorship elections on August 9, the PDP governorship aspirant, Senator Iyiola Omisore has donated a bus to the Students’ Union of the Students’ Union.


*Senator Iyiola Omisore
The donation of the bus has caused mixed reactions among the students, while some of the students welcomed the receipt of the bus by the Students Union, others, however were not in support of receiving it.
One of the students, who negated the receipt of the bus, Sola Adebola, accused the SU government of selling the rights of the students.

President Jonathan Is Behind Chibok Abduction – Tinubu

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The National leader of All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, said Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan was behind the abduction of the over 200 Chibok Secondary School girls in Borno State.

Tinubu, who spoke at the final Mega Rally for Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola at Osogbo, said since Jonathan had told the world that he knew where the girls were kept, he knew about their abduction.

South-South governors, leaders endorse Jonathan for 2015

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South-South governors and leaders of the Peoples’ Democratic Party on Tuesday endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan to seek re-election next year.

The endorsement of the President for the 2015 election was the highpoint of a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mua’zu, as part of his zonal tour of the South-South.

U.S to support 2015 elections with $51m

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The United States Government on Tuesday said it would provide 51 million dollars (about N8.4 billion) to support credible elections in Nigeria in 2015 and other electoral process in the country in the next five years.

This is contained in “Fact Sheet’’ issued by the White House in Washington DC, which highlighted U.S support for democratic institutions, good governance and human rights in Africa.

NOSCEF faults religious demographics on Nigeria

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The Chairman of Christian Elders Forum of Northern States (NOSCEF), Mr. Olaiya Phillips, has cautioned against the use of inadequate statistics to create more tensions between Muslims and Christians.

Phillips, who was reacting to an article titled

“U.S.: Nigeria ineffective in quelling violence” in some online publications last week, faulted the attribution of 50% of the nation’s population to Muslims and 40% to Christians.

 He described the statistics purportedly generated from the latest United States’ Department of State Report on Religious Freedom as “false and insulting to the Nigerian Christian community.”

EBola Update: Lagos has Eight suspected Ebola cases, 1 confirmed - Lagos Health Commissioner

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The Lagos state Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, today August 5th said there are eight suspected cases of Ebola in Lagos. These eight are those that came touching Liberian Patrick Sawyer, who died of Ebola soon after arriving Lagos last month. But from the 8, only 1 case has been confirmed while six others have now been quarantined although they've not shown any outward indications of the illness to date, Dr Idris said.

I will replicate my Lagos, Borno’s feat in Adamawa -Marwa

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A former military administrator of Lagos and Borno State, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, on Tuesday promised to replicate his achievements in the two states if elected the governor of Adamawa State in the forthcoming election.

He said the recently sacked governor of the state, Murtala Nyako, left the state in a comatose and it needed a man of his status to resuscitate it.

Marwa spoke with State House correspondents shortly after a closed-door meeting with Vice President Namadi Sambo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Nigerian Military probes AI’s alleged human rights abuses

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The Defence Headquarters has refuted the recent claim by the international human rights campaigners, the Amnesty International, that troops involved in the on-going anti-terrorism operation in the North East committed grisly acts of rights abuse and war crimes.  The AI had released a video in which men in military uniform purported to be men of the Nigerian Army were engaged in extra judicial killings.

 But the Director of Defence Information,  Maj. Gen Chris Olukolade, said in a press briefing on Tuesday that the Nigeria military which had always placed emphasis on the respect for human life and human rights could not have perpetrated the heinous acts recorded in the video.

Enugu CJ constitutes deputy gov’s impeachment panel

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A panel of enquiry will today (Wednesday) begin investigation into allegations leveled against the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi.

The panel will conduct its proceedings in one of the conference rooms in the office of the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice A. I. Umezulike, at the headquarters of the state High Court.

Justice Umezulike constituted the seven-man panel on Tuesday, following the commencement of impeachment proceedings against the deputy governor by members of the state House of Assembly.

Robbery suspects reveal how his brother recruited him into robbery

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20-year-old Morgan Udama, a member in a 4-man robbery crew arrested yesterday August 4th by police officers mounted on Okota Isolo Police Station in Lagos, while confessing, said he was recruited into criminal life by their own older brother, Oche, who's the kingpin of the robbery gang.

Morgan, a native of Oju in Benue State said he arrived to Lagos the other day Monday July 28th to live along with his brother who'd promised him a much better job which unknown to him was armed robbery

Earthquake hits central South Africa

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A 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit central South Africa today, shaking buildings in Johannesburg and surrounding areas. The US Geological Survey said the tremor was centred in Orkney, 170 km southwest of Johannesburg, an area with a high concentration of deep gold mines. Lindy Sirayi, a guesthouse owner in Orkney, said the tremor broke glass lampshades and cracked a wall, and that dogs started barking during the quake, which lasted about a minute. She said she received a telephone call informing her that two people were injured at a nearby mine. The quake was also felt in Pretoria, the South African capital, and Hartbeespoort, a nearby resort town. The area has periodic, moderate tremors, though the quake on Tuesday was one of the strongest in recent years. There are no immediate reports of casualties.