Govt bans parliamentary agencies from use of camouflage uniforms

By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri
The use of camouflage uniforms by various security agencies other than the Armed Forces namely; Army, Navy and the Air Force has been banned. The paramilitary agencies however, have up to January next year withdraw such uniforms currently in their inventory.
The Nigerian Police will however use the uniform when in Joint Operation with the military or on special operation such as specific anti-riot missions.
This followed the proliferation and imitation by criminals and impostors using uniforms especially the camouflage, hence the concern in national security circles.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Director Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade yesterday.
Apart from the Armed Forces, the police and Customs personnel among others have camouflage uniforms in their inventories.
However, according to Okukolade, the ban was approved by the National Security Council, NSO, following the recommendations of a committee on measures to streamline the use of camouflage uniforms in view of the security implications in the country.

Save the Children says Pakistan closed its Islamabad office

(CNN)The international charity Save the Children says that its office in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, has been closed by national authorities without notice.

But Pakistani authorities on Friday issued a statement saying that several nongovernmental organizations were working against the country's national interests and would not be allowed to continue their work.

Save the Children said it has been working in Pakistan for more than 35 years and had a staff of 1,200 people in the country, none of them expatriates.

"On June 11, Save the Children confirmed that its office in Islamabad, Pakistan, had been closed and sealed off today by the Pakistani authorities," the international organization said in a Thursday statement. "Save the Children was not served any notice to this effect. We strongly object to this action and are raising our serious concerns at the highest levels."

Minister to detail concerns in parliament

The government statement Friday, quoting Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan, said the organizations in question "are operating with support from the United States, Israel and India." The minister said he planned to raise his concerns in parliament.

The statement from the ministry said the government does not plan to ban all NGOs but is working on a plan to regulate and facilitate "legal" ones.

Save the Children said that last year that its health, education, food security and other programs in the country reached more than 4 million children and their families.

The organization said that all its work was "designed and delivered in close collaboration with the government ministries across the country, and aims to strengthen public service delivery systems in health, nutrition, education and child welfare."

Supreme Court orders contractor to refund N86m to Benue

The Supreme Court on Friday  ordered a contractor, Kris Onyekwuluje, and his company, Artex Investment Limited, to refund N85,575,111.60 to  Benue State Government due to poor execution of the contract which the money was meant for.

The government had paid them the money for a  contract of supply of radio transmitters awarded to them over 15 years ago.

In  a unanimous decision on Friday, the five-man appeal panel of the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal filed by Onyekwuluje and Artex to challenge the earlier decisions of the Federal High Court in Enugu and the Court of Appeal in Jos as well as the directive of the state’s Commission of Inquiry directing them to refund the payment to the state government

Jack King, voice of Apollo 11, dies

source:CNN

Pensioners’ protest: Night guard slumps, dies in Osun

As striking workers and pensioners continue to protest non-payment of salaries in Osun State, another civil servant, simply identified as Tunde, yesterday collapsed and died  at government secretariat in Osogbo.

Tunde, who was a night watchman with Osun State government was said to have died following his inability to buy food and drugs due to non payment of his salary for seven months.

The night watchman attached to the Auditor-general’s Office was said to be on night duty when he collapsed and died  at his duty post.

Reports said that the man who hailed from Modakeke may have died due to his failure to take his usual drugs for the management of an undisclosed illness. The incident drew the attention of staff of Auditor-General’s office where the man worked but all efforts to rescue him proved abortive

As striking workers and pensioners continue to protest non-payment of salaries in Osun State, another civil servant, simply identified as Tunde, yesterday collapsed and died  at government secretariat in Osogbo.
Tunde, who was a night watchman with Osun State government was said to have died following his inability to buy food and drugs due to non payment of his salary for seven months.
The night watchman attached to the Auditor-general’s Office was said to be on night duty when he collapsed and died  at his duty post.
Reports said that the man who hailed from Modakeke may have died due to his failure to take his usual drugs for the management of an undisclosed illness. The incident drew the attention of staff of Auditor-General’s office where the man worked but all efforts to rescue him proved abortive
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/06/pensioners-protest-night-guard-slumps-dies-in-osun/#sthash.8R19eaQW.dpuf

Seedorf to join campaigners and NGO leaders from 38 countries for Fare2015

Representatives from 38 countries will meet for Fare2015 at Camp Nou, the home of the UEFA Champions League winners FC Barcelona, for a day of debates, discussions and the development of new ideas on issues affecting campaigners.
Amongst those speaking will be legendary Milan and Holland midfielder Clarence Seedorf, who will be there in his role as UEFA ambassador for diversity and change, alongside activists and NGO leaders and representatives from international governing bodies UEFA and FIFA.

The day is divided into four sessions looking at the role of grassroots movements in creating change; whether social legacy can be left by sports mega events, profiling the difficulties grassroots activities face; and the situation of women in football.
There will also be updates on institutional discrimination and LGBT rights.
Fare Executive Director, Piara Powar said, “We are looking forward to a day of challenging debates, new ideas and interaction with our members and colleagues from sister organisations who are at the front line of tackling discrimination and working to harness the power of football for good.
“This will not be the first conference on anti-discrimination in football, nor will it be the last, our clear focus is help us define future agendas and direction and how we can build collaborative partnerships.

Zambia shuts schools over typhoid outbreak

Thirty schools in the Zambian capital Lusaka have been closed due to unsanitary conditions following an outbreak of typhoid in the city, the Times of Zambia reported on Thursday.
Public Relations Manager for Lusaka City Council, Mulunda Habenzu, said the schools, including both public and privately-run ones, are in Kanyama, a densely-populated shanty town, west of the city, where the water-borne disease has broken out.
So far, a 11-year-old girl in one of the schools has died of suspected typhoid while two others have been tested positive for the disease, the official said.
The health ministry claims it has scaled up measures to bar the disease from spreading to other parts of the city.
Deputy Minister of Health, Chitalu Chilufya, said 36 cases were recorded in Kanyama but noted that the situation has been brought under control.

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“There has been no escalation in cases of typhoid from the initial 36 that we are talking about in the township and we will not relent in the quest to ensure that the disease is permanently wiped out,” he said