Guinea president sacks ministers following deadly protests

People burn barricades in a street on February 21, 2017, in Conakry where at least six people died during violent protests on the eve as people demonstrated over teachers' strikes that have closed schools for the past three weeks, government sources said. At least 30 people were also wounded, including members of the police force in Conakry, the government said in a statement. A number of violent protests have rocked the city in the past few weeks, mainly by young people and students who support a teachers' strike.<br />/ AFP PHOTO / CELLOU BINANI

Guinean President Alpha Conde has sacked three ministers, including his education minister, in a reshuffle after a long strike by teachers and violent protests.

The unrest saw a three-week strike culminate in clashes that left seven people dead in the capital and forced the closure of schools.

Conde responded with a reshuffle which Monday saw him fire his pre-university education, civil service and environment ministers.

Former teacher and union activist Ibrahima Kalil Konate replaced Ibrahima Kourouma as pre-university education minister.

February’s protests were largely by young people and students backing a strike by temporary teachers demanding full-time government contracts and better conditions.

Schools eventually reopened after unions struck a deal with the government on February 20, but some teachers complained it fell short of their demands and two days of violence resulted.

In other changes, Sekou Kourouma was dropped as the civil service minister and replaced by his former advisor Billy Nankouma Doumbouya.

In the environment ministry, Christine Sagno handed over charge to another woman, economist Aissatou Balde.

By JIMIVAEY

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They’ve used my destiny for money ritual, Nigerian man cries out

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EU’s Juncker to unveil post-Brexit plan

United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage (L) looks at European Union Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker as he delivers a speech the European Union headquarters in Brussels on June 28, 2016 ahead of a plenary session. European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker called on June 28 on Prime Minister David Cameron to clarify quickly when Britain intends to leave the EU, saying there can be no negotiation on future ties before London formally applies to exit. European leaders gather in Brussels for a crunch two-day summit set to be dominated by Britain's departure from the bloc following its shock referendum last week. / AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYS

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker will on Wednesday unveil his plan for the EU’s future after Britain’s departure, his spokesman said.

Juncker’s so-called “White Paper” will be presented to the European Parliament after commissioners get a first look at it on Tuesday, the spokesman said.

European Union leaders will then consider Juncker’s plan at a summit on March 9-10, before coming up with their own post-Brexit roadmap at a special meeting in Rome on March 25.

“On Wednesday, president Juncker will go to the European Parliament to present the White Paper on the future of the union,” Juncker’s spokesman Margaritis Schinas told a briefing.

Britain’s shock June 2016 vote to leave the EU — coupled with crises involving the economy and migration — has plunged the 28-nation EU into a deep bout of soul-searching.

At a special summit in Italy to mark the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome which founded the EU, the bloc’s leaders will issue a special declaration with new plans for future.

The declaration is expected to cover the next 10 years and is likely to contain suggestions for a “multi-speed Europe” in which EU states can decide on how much integration they want, European sources told AFP.

EU leaders are also keen to move on and not let the entire European project get bogged down in what promise to be difficult negotiations with Britain over its exit, which is expected in 2019.

Schinas said Juncker’s plan was meant to open a “debate” ahead of the Rome declaration and said there was a “lot of interest” in the former Luxembourg prime minister’s views.

By JIMIVAEY

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FG to attract $10bn investments to Oil & Gas industry, says Kachikwu

The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr Emmanuel Kachikwu, has said that the Federal Government will attract more than 10 billion dollars investments to the oil and gas industry in the next five years.

Kachikwu said this on Tuesday in Abuja at the ongoing Nigerian Oil and Gas (NOG) Conference tagged: “ Reforming and Repositioning the Oil and Gas Industry in Nigeria’’.

He said that the investments would address challenges facing the oil and gas industry, covering pipelines, refineries, gas and power, facility refurbishment and upstream financing.

The minister of state said that the objective was to bridge the infrastructure funding gaps in the Nigerian oil and gas sector.

“Time has come to bring down the cost of crude oil production and have the right incentives.

“Three years ago, we have cost issues, technological issues but not issues of where the money would come from because of crude price regime.

“Between 2015to 2016, we took drastic measures on how to moderate prices, while between July 2016 and now, there have been lots of stability in the downstream economy.

“There are still some challenges but work is in progress,’’ he said.

Kachikwu said that the major problem in upstream was $6 billion Joint Venture (JV) funding debt and other litigations.

He said that an outstanding debt of $5.1 billion would be paid over five years through incremental oil production volumes.

According to him, we now have new cash call model that would free government resources and help production stability.

“There are still some governance issues to be addressed but once this is resolved, there is expected to be improvement in oil production.

“We are left with options of bringing in investors that will help address the over $45billion infrastructure deficit.

“Government wants to be bold enough to take steps that have not been taken before. We have to release our assets to private investors.

“Either gas pipeline, crude pipeline, the time has come to move from government ownership to private ownership for efficiency,’’ the minister of state said.

Kachikwu said that effort is ongoing in addressing the challenges in the Niger Delta region to boost oil production.

He said that government planned to grow oil production to three million barrels per day.

The minister of state said that government had commenced serious engagement with all stakeholders to achieve stability in the Niger Delta region.

He said talked about the Niger Delta crisis and reduced investments by oil firms.

Kachikwu said the cost of production was key and the issue of militancy was also key.

“ We have set a target of zero militancy for 2017 and it is achievable due to lots of community based activities and motivation,’’ the mister of state said.

He said that the acting President had visited three states and was planning to visit Akwa Ibom State soon.

Kachikwu said that the oil sector could not wait for political sector to find political solutions to issues.

“We have to collaborate with the oil companies, state governments and see how we can capture some benefits that will come from this.

“We have been seeing engagement of youths and we expect more improvement day by day.

“The states must make their mini-economy agenda and they will work with security agencies.

In his remark, the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Dr Mohammed Barkindo, commended Nigeria for exiting the Joint Venture Cash Call debt (JVC).

Barkindo said that the cash calls “are the counterpart funding which the Federal Government, represented by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), annually pays as its 60 per cent equity shareholding in various oil and gas fields’’.

It is operated by international oil companies in the country for more than four decades and indigenous oil firms and Nigeria owe arrears of $6.8 billion.

Barkindo commended Kachikwu for securing the feat on behalf of the government.

“I must single out the frontal approach on the lingering issue of funding our exploration as well as production, the JVC.

“Many of my colleagues, here that we served together, will testify that government after government, regime after regime, we have battled with this issue continuously without solution.

“This is a confession: the day you overcome this issue that had beleaguered this industry as well as government, you made my day.

‘’Same for the day of all participants who knew what the government had battled to stay afloat on the issue of cash-call.

“The approach has been innovative, the solution is very practical,’’ the OPEC secretary-general said.

By JIMIVAEY

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Nigerian pastor urges all married ladies, who are working, to submit their salaries to their husbands at the end of every month

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Botswana’s Central Bank keeps lending rate at 5.5 per cent

PHOTO:continentalcurrency

Botswana’s Central Bank left its benchmark lending rate unchanged at 5.5 per cent on Tuesday, saying the inflation forecast will remain low and stable in the medium term.

“Subdued domestic demand and modest external factors point to benign inflation,” CBN Governor Moses Pelaelo said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) is 14 per cent, an indication of the lending rate in the economy.

In June 2016, it was reported that Botswana’s central bank kept its benchmark lending rate unchanged at six per cent , saying the outlook for price stability remained positive, and inflation was seen remaining within target in the medium term.

“The current state of the economy, including the inflation forecast, suggests that the prevailing monetary policy stance is consistent with maintaining inflation within the Bank’s medium-term objective.”

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Philippine police will return to drug war, says Duterte

This handout photo taken on February 27, 2017 and released by the Presidential Photographers Dividion (PPD) on February 28 shows Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (C) speaking to reporters during the launch of the first Japanese car manufacturer assembled in the country at Malacanang Palace in Manila. Duterte said on February 28 he would recall police to fight his drug war, a month after he withdrew them and denounced the force as "corrupt to the core". / AFP PHOTO / PPD / ACE MORANDANTE /

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday he would recall police to fight his drug war, a month after he withdrew them and denounced the force as “corrupt to the core”.

“I need more men and I have to call back the police again,” Duterte told reporters, adding he had instructed his police chief to find young officers who were not corrupt to join anti-drug groups.

“At yesterday’s command conference I ordered (him) to recruit young men in the Philippine National Police who are imbued with the fervour of patriotism,” he said.

Duterte won presidential elections last year after promising to eradicate drugs in society by killing tens of thousands of people.

Since then, police have reported killing more than 2,550 people, while more than 4,000 others have died in unexplained circumstances, according to official figures.

Duterte had been unrepentant in the face of widespread international criticism of the drug war, including accusations the police were murdering people for their own gain and organising anonymous vigilante death squads.

Duterte repeatedly promised to shield police from prosecution if they were charged with murder for killing in the drug war.

But he was forced to change tack after an official investigation found anti-drug officers kidnapped a South Korean businessman late last year, then murdered him at the national police headquarters as part of an extortion racket.

“You policemen are the most corrupt. You are corrupt to the core. It’s in your system,” Duterte said on January 30, before announcing all police had been pulled off the drug war until their ranks had been “cleansed”.

Duterte said then nearly 40 percent of the police force engaged in illegal activities.

Duterte handed the campaign over to the much smaller Drug Enforcement Agency, with support from the military.

The national police chief, Ronald Dela Rosa, said on Monday that gains in the drug war had been lost because his force had been withdrawn.

“The longer we are not in the war on drugs, the situation gets worse,” Dela Rosa said.

Global rights monitor Amnesty International released a report on February 1 warning that the killings in the drug war may amount to a crime against humanity.

It accused police of fatally shooting defenceless people, fabricating evidence, paying assassins to murder drug addicts and stealing from those they killed or the victims’ kin.

Duterte on Tuesday warned police who were sacked for corruption they would be killed if they resorted to drug dealing.

“If you make a mistake you will die. That’s for sure. Your wife will be widowed,” he said, referring to those who would be dismissed.

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GRAPHIC: Nigerian Facebook user shares heart wrenching photo of dumped foetuses of a set of aborted triplets

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Djokovic eyes fun in Acapulco after Aussie nightmare

Serbia's Novak Djokovic . / AFP PHOTO / Glyn KIRK

Novak Djokovic said Monday he is ready to atone for his shock Australian Open exit as he prepares to return to action in Acapulco.

The 29-year-old world number two makes his bow in the tournament on Tuesday, his first match since tumbling out in Melbourne last month in the second round against Uzbekistand’s Denis Istomin.

The Australian Open defeat was the nadir of a challenging dip in form for the Serbian former world number one, who has won only two titles since July last year.

Djokovic, who is making his debut in Acapulco, said he feels in a healthier frame of mind since his travails of recent months.

“All in all, I feel that I’m in a much better state of mind than maybe I was at the end of last year. So I keep on going. I love this sport. That’s why I’m playing it. That’s why I’m here. I’m just hoping that I can stay healthy and as dedicated as best as I can be,” Djokovic said.

Djokovic, who plays Slovakia’s Martin Klizan in the first round, admitted going out in Melbourne so early had come as a shock.

“I haven’t experienced the first-week Australian Open loss for many years,” said Djokovic.

“But it’s kind of normal and expected to go through those times when you’re not playing as best as you can maybe, as best as you want to be, or maybe the opponent has an amazing day. It’s sport. You have to deal with it, and you can always learn much more from the losses.”

In early round action on Monday, American eighth seed John Isner was upset by compatriot Steve Johnson, going down in straight sets 6-4, 6-4.

Fifth seed David Goffin had no such difficulty however, breezing past France’s Stephane Robert 6-1, 6-2.

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Almost 24 hours after, the lifeless body of a victim of a hit-and-run accident, is still lying on Dugbe road in Ibadan, Oyo State

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