Guinea-Bissau swears in new PM as dismissed ministers don’t go

BISSAU: Guinea-Bissau's new Prime Minister Baciro Dja was sworn in on Friday with a fresh cabinet also anticipated, but current ministers in the split ruling party have declared they will not leave their posts.

The protracted power struggle within the ruling African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) was laid bare on Thursday when the president named Dja as his choice for premier, nine months after firing party leader Domingos Simoes Pereira from the job.

All three technically belong to the PAIGC. The majority of the party's lawmakers has said they refuse to recognize a head of government appointed by the president, saying the choice of Prime Minister was up to the party according to the constitution.

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Children’s Day: Saraki, Dogara, Govs, Declare Zero Tolerance For Child Abuse.

President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, Speaker of he House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and some state governors declared yesterday that  perpetrators of child rights abuse will henceforth face severe sanctions.

Speaking when he received children of various ages in his office, as part of activities to mark the 2016 Children’s Day, Saraki called for the strict implementation of the Child’s Right Act to guarantee security and safety for the Nigerian child.

He noted that the theme for the 2016 Children’s Day which bordered on protecting children against violence and early marriage were issues that are very dear to the Senate.

He said the Senate would henceforth ensure through its relevant committees that those found to have infringed upon the rights of children will be made to face the law and appropriate sanctions meted out to them.

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Presidency Lists Buhari’s Achievements in His First Year in Office

In a statement it titled “Factsheet On President Muhammadu Buhari’s First Year In Office”, the Office of the Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity) has listed the President Muhammadu Buhari‘s achievements in his first year in office.

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Security

•The relocation of the Nigerian Military Command Centre to Maiduguri, since May 2015, contributed to the success in the fight against insurgency in the North Eastern part of the country. 

•As at February 2016, the total number of persons rescued by the Nigerian troops during the ongoing operations in the North East came to 11,595

•Since December 2015, the well-motivated and rejuvenated Nigerian Military have regained all Nigerian territories previously under Boko Haram control. 

•Prioritized regional cooperation in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency and violent extremism, through the operations of the 8,500 strong Multi-National Joint Task Force in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, currently headed by a Nigeria military general.

•Nigeria has provided $21million USD to the Task Force since June 2015 and is committed to an additional $79 million USD, bringing the total of Nigeria’s commitment to the Task Force to 100 million USD.

•Cohesive international support in the fight against terrorism and assistance to victims and communities affected by terrorism, following President Buhari’s meeting with G7 leaders and other world powers.

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B’ Haram, Fulani herdsmen kill over 3,000 under Buhari

No fewer than 3,094 Nigerians have been killed by suspected Boko Haram insurgents and Fulani herdsmen since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office on May 29, 2015, Saturday PUNCH investigations have revealed.

Findings by our correspondents based on related killings as reported by the media show that at least 2, 569 persons were killed by the insurgents while 525 others were killed by the nomadic cattle rearers in the period under review.

It was also learnt that thousands of persons, including women and children, sustained various degrees of injuries from the attacks.

Available figures indicated that the number of persons killed by the suspected insurgents dramatically dropped after President Buhari’s four months in office.

In the last days of May 2015, following President Buhari’s inaugural speech, the deadly sect reportedly killed 97 persons and injured several others.

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Insecurity: Buhari keeps campaign promise

President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts at addressing the security challenges bedeviling the country started on inauguration day, May 29, 2015. He had promised to deal with the Boko Haram insurgency and other security challenges.

In his inaugural speech, President Buhari ordered the armed forces to immediately relocate their command and control center to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, considered the epicenter of insurgent activities in the northeastern part of the country.

The president further demonstrated his commitment to the campaign promise to check insecurity in the country by going on official visits to Nigeria’s neighboring countries of Chad, Niger, Cameroun and Benin Republic, to fast track agreements on regional solutions to insecurity in the area.

Significantly also, President Buhari changed the leadership of the armed forces, which reinvigorated the fight against the insurgents. This, in addition to the provision of military equipment, is believed to have, in no small measure, contributed to the successes the Nigerian armed forces have recorded in curtailing the activities of insurgents.

The president Buhari’s recent announcement that the Boko Haram group has been technically defeated evoked reactions from some analysts, pointing at the ability of some insurgent groups to carry out suicide bombings and attacks in some remote areas in the North-East.

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