Aso Villa Reads for 27/01/2020
Every day, we bring you the best stories that the Media is reporting about the Government of Nigeria.
The Nigerian Air Force has destroyed terrorists’ staging area at Gashigar in Borno, neutralising several of the insurgents. NAF said it also took out terrorists’ hideouts at Tumbun Rego on the fringes of Lake Chad and at Bula Bello near Sambisa Forest all in Borno. NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola made this known in a statement on Monday in Abuja. Daramola said this was achieved in airstrikes conducted by the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole on Friday and Saturday on the heels of credible intelligence reports. He explained that the attack on Gashigar was executed on Jan. 25 after Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions indicated that the location, with its defensive parapets and underground tunnels, was being used by insurgents as a staging area, where some of their leaders and fighters meet to plan and launch attacks. Punch reports.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday in Abuja said though it might take a bit longer, the nation will surely put the issues associated with the troubles in the Northeast in order and move ahead. Buhari stated this when he received Janez Lenarcic, the European Union (EU) Commissioner for Crisis Management in State House, Presidential Villa. The President, while x-raying the several challenges facing the nation, noted that if the country went through a 30 months bitter civil war and was able to reorganize itself, the country can also overcome her current challenges “I wonder why people are thinking that Nigeria cannot do it. I assure you of Nigeria’s commitment to enhance and deepen cooperation with the EU in all areas. Our priorities in the next level is to ensure that Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, are rehabilitated so that livelihood should be established and the children should not lose the opportunity to go back to school, which is very important for the future of that area and Nigeria generally. President Buhari further assured that the newly created Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, will do a splendid job of managing the various humanitarian issues evolving from the Northeast.I assure you that we are aware of these problems and we will continue to do our best. The newly created Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs is coordinating NEMA and others, to make sure that whatever resources we get are well utilised. The ministry will be accountable to the government instead of having too many bodies doing the same thing. We are also reaching out to foreign countries explaining to them our position, and we are confident we will get over it. Business Day reports.
According to Punch, the Federal Government has acquired one training simulator and six aircraft for the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, within the last two days. The Minister of Aviation, Capt. Hadi Sirika, announced on Twitter on Sunday, through his handle, @hadisirika, that he had received a Boeing 737 training simulator for the college. The minister tweeted, “In Montreal Canada, we received Boeing 737 full motion flight training simulator for NCAT Zaria. Ready for shipment in March. “This will increase NCAT’s capability, save forex and reduce cost incurred by our airlines. A well trained, proficient pilot is number one key to safety.” Sirika had on Friday tweeted that he had received six new state-of-the-earth aircraft for NCAT from Austria. The minister said the six aircraft would be delivered in the next three weeks.
The Ogoni clean-up project launched by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in June 2016 is being implemented in 21 states, the presidency disclosed last night. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, in a statement, said a total of 21 sites had been handed over to contractors by Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) under the Environment Ministry. According to him, 16 of the 21 contractors have already moved to sites. “Since the Ogoni Clean-up commenced in January 2019, with 16 contractors moving to site, a total of 21 sites has so far been handed over to contractors by Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) under the Federal Ministry of Environment,” Akande said. Akande who explained that the 21 sites are located in four local government areas, proceeded to list the council areas. “The 21 sites where remediation works are ongoing are located in four of the Local Government Areas in Ogoniland, namely: Eleme, Tai, Khana and Gokana Local Government Areas,” he said. According to him, the development has earned the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari both local and international commendations on the progress of the clean-up so far. This Day reports.
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday ordered the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) to deploy fighter aircraft for effective air attacks against bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers terrorising communities around Dogon Gona forest in Niger State. The President, who described the repeated attacks leading to the loss of several lives in the communities “as a disaster for the nation,” directed the deployment of air power to support troops and policemen deployed for counter attacks in the forest area bordering Kaduna, Niger and Zamfara states. In line with the directive, NAF is setting up refueling facilities at Minna, Niger State to support the aircraft operations, assuring that given the improved weather conditions, a major exercise to “visually acquire targets” and launch attacks will soon follow. The presidency confirmed this in a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu. He explained that the Niger State Police Command has also assured that the air raids to complement the police helicopter gunship operations remained the best approach given the lack of motorable roads in the areas constantly under attack. Guardian reports.
