BREAKING NEWS: Buhari Returns From Medical Trip 24Hours Ahead Of Schedule

• This is at least the third medical trip Buhari has undertaken to the UK in 2018 alone. 

President Muhammadu Buhari

 President Muhammadu Buhari is back in Nigeria, a day before he was scheduled to return from his medical trip to the United Kingdom.

Buhari travelled to the UK on Tuesday and was expected to return on Saturday.

However, his plane touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at 6:47pm on Friday.

He was received by Abba Kyari, his Chief of Staff; Mohammed Bello, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and other top government functionaries.
Garba Shehu, his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, also confirmed his arrival, writing on Twitter: “President Buhari just returned, a clear 24 hours…”

This is at least the third medical trip Buhari has undertaken to the UK in 2018 alone.

Shortly before the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in the UK in April, he was in London to attend to his health for nine days.

He also stopped by in the UK last week, while returning from an official trip to the US —a visit his media managers initially denied and names a “technical stopover” before they were forced to admit it.

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BREAKING NEWS: FG Probes Cambridge Analytica, PDP’s Alleged Hacking Into Buhari’s Medical Records

• The Federal Government has commenced investigation into the recent revelation that ahead of the 2015 general elections, a Nigerian billionaire and supporter of former President Goodluck Jonathan paid £2m to Cambridge Analytica to hack into the medical records of President Muhammadu Buhari, then candidate of the All Progressives Congress. 

The Federal Government has commenced investigation into the recent revelation that ahead of the 2015 general elections, a Nigerian billionaire and supporter of former President Goodluck Jonathan paid £2m to Cambridge Analytica to hack into the medical records of President Muhammadu Buhari, then candidate of the All Progressives Congress.

The government is also probing the report that suggested that the consulting firm that combines data mining, brokerage and analysis with strategic communication for electoral process manipulated Nigeria’s 2007 elections by organising campaigns to weaken the chances of opposition parties.

A Presidency official who spoke on the condition of anonymity disclosed this to State House correspondents in Abuja on Sunday.

“The government of Nigeria is scrutinising the reports of the data mining firm Cambridge Analytica, which swiped the data of more than 50 million Facebook users to sway elections in many countries including Nigeria, where it waged a campaign to perpetuate discord and hack into personal records of the then leading opposition candidate, Muhammadu Buhari,” the source said.

He said the government had set up what he called an in-house committee to investigate whether the firm’s work for the then ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party, in 2007 and 2015 general election campaigns broke the laws of the country or infringed on the rights of other parties and their candidates.

“Depending on the outcome, this may lead to the appointment of a special investigator and possibly, criminal prosecutions by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN),” the Presidency official added.

When contacted on the matter, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said he had not been briefed on the issue.

Shehu however said it was the right of Nigerians for the PDP, Facebook and Cambridge Analytical to explain their roles in the matter.

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Nigeria's President Buhari Back In Nigeria Following Four Days Of UK Medicals

• President Muhammadu Buhari returned to Nigeria on Monday evening without much fanfare after spending four days in the United Kingdom undergoing medical tests and treatment.

Following his release by his doctors, he departed Stansted Airport in London at about 11:45 a.m. UK time arriving Abuja at 6:40 p.m.

President Buhari is expected to return to the UK for further check-ups or treatment depending on the state of his health. Mr. Buhari recently returned to Nigeria on August 20 after spending 104 days in London for medical treatment, before that he'd spent 49 days in London on a medical vacation for an undisclosed illness.

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We Don’t See IPOB As Terrorist Organization – US

• The United States Government has said it does not consider the Indigenous People of Biafra a terrorist organization. 

• Last week, the Federal High Court in Abuja gave a judicial backing the executive order of President Muhammadu Buhari, outlawing the group and its activities in the country. 

• The court granted the order to proscribe the group on Wednesday. It declared that the activities of the group constituted acts of terrorism. 

• The Federal Government also accused France and the United Kingdom of aiding IPOB activities.

Donald Trump Solidarity Rally

He said this in response to our correspondent’s email which asked if the United States sees IPOB as a terrorist organization.

Brooks stated further that the US was committed to Nigeria’s unity and would support a peaceful resolution of any crisis in the country.

He said, “The United States Government is strongly committed to Nigeria’s unity.  Important political and economic issues affecting the Nigerian people, such as the allocation of resources, are worthwhile topics for respectful debate in a democracy.

“Within the context of unity, we encourage all Nigerians to support a de-escalation of tensions and peaceful resolution of grievances.  The Indigenous People of Biafra is not a terrorist organization under US law.”

The US embassy, however, declined to comment on whether the Federal Government had asked it to treat IPOB as a terrorist organization and to block money sent to IPOB from the US.

Brooks also did not state the US’ position on the agitation for a Biafran state.

Speaking after the court judgment last week, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, said the Federal Government would proceed to gazette the order proscribing the group.

Meanwhile, IPOB in a statement on Saturday said that the Radio Biafra which is said to be based outside the country neither belonged to MASSOB nor its leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike.

IPOB, in a statement made available to one of our correspondents in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, explained that though MASSOB assisted in funding the radio station, the arrangement only lasted from April to July 2009.

The statement, signed by the Deputy Leader of IPOB, who is also the Deputy Director of Radio Biafra, Uche Mefor, noted that the station later went off-air and eventually shut down in December 2009.

It insisted that MASSOB, which has since transformed into Biafra Independence Movement, had nothing to do with Radio Biafra.

The statement added, “The entire humanity is hereby notified that MASSOB is not the owner of Radio Biafra. Uwazuruike is not the owner of Radio Biafra.

“Radio Biafra first operated as ‘Broadcasting Corporation of Biafra’ in the 1960s in the face of a genocidal war of extermination propagated by the northern Nigerian military dictators who spearheaded their jihadism against the Biafrans.”

Also, MASSOB on Saturday called on the Federal Government to immediately release its members who were labelled supporters of IPOB, arrested and detained by security agents.

MASSOB said eight of its members were arrested by security agents on September 13, 2017, while they were on their way to Onitsha, Anambra State, to celebrate the group’s 18th anniversary.

Its National Director of Information, Mr. Sunday Okereafor, told SUNDAY PUNCH that security agencies should have known the difference between IPOB members and MASSOB followers.

Okereafor alleged that the MASSOB members were detained in Afara Prison in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.

He added that his group had since its existence embraced non-violence as its method of agitation and wondered why police and soldiers would contemplate arresting and detaining them.

He listed the names of five of the eight arrested MASSOB members as Igwe Ndukwe, Onyebuchi Nmeregini, I. Ugonna, ThankGod Udeh and Ugwu Emeka.

He said, “We are calling on the Attorney General of the Federation and the Attorney General of Abia State to release them. They should leave MASSOB alone because MASSOB is not violent. Those arrested are not IPOB members. They are MASSOB members.’’

The Nigerian Army said on Saturday that 34 suspected cult members, kidnappers, and hoodlums had been arrested in the ongoing Operation Python Dance II during some raids carried out by troops.

The army noted that seven locally made pistols and five Dane guns were also recovered from the suspects.

SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that while 17 suspects were arrested in Obinze community in Imo State, seven were arrested in the Ukukwa North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Also, 10 suspected cult members were arrested during two operations on Awara and Assa communities in the Ohaji-Egbema LGA of Imo State.

The army added that another group of three kidnap suspects – identified as Arinze Ugiri, 39, Okezie Nwobolo, 30, and Michael Sunday, 24 – were arrested from a hideout in Abia State.

The suspects were reportedly handed over to the police after the initial questioning.

The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, and 82 Division spokesman, Colonel Sagir Musa, who confirmed the arrests in a release, said the “outlawed IPOB members and their sympathisers” were also checkmated from extorting money from traders and motorists in Aba, Abia State.

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Nigeria President, President Muhammadu Buhari Departs New York For Medical Treatment In London

• Mr. Buhari’s immediate itinerary is a stopover in the United Kingdom where, according to a senior aide, he will undergo an extensive medical checkup on Saturday.

President Muhammadu Buhari today departed New York City for London after attending the United Nations General Assembly. An itinerary seen by SaharaReporters shows that the President would leave New York about 9:04 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on his presidential jet.

Mr. Buhari’s immediate itinerary is a stopover in the United Kingdom where, according to a senior aide, he will undergo an extensive medical checkup on Saturday. The results of that checkup will determine the schedule of his return to Abuja.

President Buhari’s presence in New York provoked protests by hundreds of Nigerians, most of them from the Igbo ethnic group, decrying his government’s deployment of troops to the southeast zone in a military operation tagged “Python Dance II.” There are conflicting reports that the soldiers killed more than twenty suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group agitating for a referendum to enable the Igbo-dominated southeastern zone of Nigeria to become a separate country.

The Nigerian presidential jet arrived New York from Abuja on September 17th after a brief stopover on the Spanish Island of Santa Maria. The jet was then flown to Dover, Delaware from when where it was returned to New York in preparation for the London trip.

Our Presidency source said he expected the London trip to be short, but added that he could not state how long Mr. Buhari would be in the UK.

“The whole thing will be based on what the doctors say after running their tests on Mr. President,” said the source.

President Buhari returned to Nigeria from the UK on August 19th, 2017 after spending 104 days receiving medical treatment for an undisclosed ailment. Our source said the president requires “total blood transfusions from time to time.” 

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Read Buhari’s full speech at UN’s 72nd session

• #NigeriaUNGA17: STATEMENT DELIVERED BY HIS EXCELLENCY MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE GENERAL DEBATE OF THE 72ND SESSION OF UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN NEW YORK, ON TUESDAY, 19 SEPTEMBER 2017

Mr. President,
Fellow Heads of State and Government,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of my country, Nigeria, I congratulate you Mr. President on your election and Mr. Gutteres on his first General Assembly outing as our Secretary-General. I assure you both of my country’s solidarity and cooperation.

You will indeed need the cooperation of all member States as we are meeting during extra-ordinarily troubled and dangerous times. Let me also thank former Secretary-General Mr. Ban ki Moon for his service to the United Nations and wish him peaceful retirement.

Mr. President, The previous year has witnessed many far-reaching developments. Some of the most significant events include the Iran Nuclear Deal, the Paris Climate Change Agreement and, of grave concern, the North Korean nuclear crisis.

I must also commend the UN’s role in helping to settle thousands of innocent civilians caught in the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. In particular, we must collectively thank the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany under the commendable leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Governments of Italy, Greece and Turkey for assisting hundreds of thousands of refugees. In an exemplary show of solidarity, the international community came together within my own region to assist the countries and communities in the Sahel and the Lake Chad regions to contain the threats posed by Al Qaida and Boko Haram.

We thank the Security Council for visiting the countries of the Lake Chad Basin to assess the security situation and humanitarian needs, and for pledging assistance to rebuild lives and livelihoods. Indeed, in Nigeria we are providing relief and humanitarian assistance to millions in camps and those afflicted by terrorism, drought, floods and other natural disasters.

In the last year, the international community came together to focus on the need for gender equality, youth empowerment, social inclusion, and the promotion of education, creativity and innovation. The frontiers of good governance, democracy including holding free and fair elections, and enthronement of the rule of law are expanding everywhere, especially in Africa. Our faith in democracy remains firm and unshaken. Our regional organisation ECOWAS came together to uphold democratic principles in The Gambia – as we had done previously in Cote D’Ivoire.

Through our individual national efforts, state institutions are being strengthened to promote accountability, and to combat corruption and asset recovery. These can only be achieved through the international community cooperating and providing critical assistance and material support. We shall also cooperate in addressing the growing transnational crimes such as forced labour, modern day slavery, human trafficking and cybercrime. Mr. President, These cooperative efforts should be sustained.

We must collectively devise strategies and mobilise the required responses to stop fleeing ISIS fighters from mutating and infiltrating into the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, where there are insufficient resources and response capacity is weak. This will require strong UN cooperation with regional organisations, such as the African Union, in conflict prevention and management. The UN should continue to take primary leadership of the maintenance of international peace and security by providing, in a predictable and sustainable manner, adequate funding and other enablers to regional initiatives and peacekeeping operations authorized by the Security Council. Mr. President, New conflicts should not make us lose focus on ongoing unresolved old conflicts. For example, several UN Security Council Resolutions from 1967 on the Middle East crisis remain unimplemented.

Meanwhile, the suffering of the Palestinian people and the blockade of Gaza continue. Additionally, we are now confronted by the desperate human rights and humanitarian situations in Yemen and most tragically in the Rakhine State of Myanmar. The Myanmar crisis is very reminiscent of what happened in Bosnia in 1995 and in Rwanda in 1994. The international community cannot remain silent and not condemn the horrendous suffering caused by what, from all indications is a state-backed programme of brutal depopulation of the Rohingya inhabited areas in Myanmar on the bases of ethnicity and religion.

We fully endorse the call by the Secretary-General on the Government of Myanmar to order a halt to the ongoing ethnic cleansing and ensure the safe return of the displaced Rohingya to their homes in safety and dignity. In all these crises, the primary victims are the people, the most vulnerable being women and children. That is why the theme of this session: Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and Decent Life for All on a Sustainable Planet” is most apposite.

While the international community grapples to resolve these conflicts, we must be mindful and focus on the widening inequalities within societies, and the gap between the rich and the poor nations. These inequalities and gaps are part of the underlining root causes of competition for resources, frustration and anger leading to spiralling instability. The most pressing threat to international peace and security today is the accelerated nuclear weapons development programme by North Korea.

Since the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, we have never come so close to the threat of nuclear war as we have now. All necessary pressure and diplomatic efforts must be brought to bear on North Korea to accept peaceful resolution of the crisis. As Hiroshima and Nagasaki painfully remind us, if we fail, the catastrophic and devastating human loss and environmental degradation cannot be imagined. Mr. President, 18. Nigeria proposes a strong UN delegation to urgently engage the North Korean Leader. The delegation, led by the Security Council, should include members from all the regions.

The crisis in the Korean peninsula underscores the urgency for all member states, guided by the spirit of enthroning a safer and more peaceful world, to ratify without delay the Treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons, which will be open for signature here tomorrow.

Mr. President, I end my remarks by reiterating Nigeria’s abiding commitment to the foundational principles and goals of the United Nations. Since our admission as a member state in 1960, we have always participated in all efforts to bring about global peace, security and development. Nigeria will continue to support the UN in all its efforts, including the attainment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
 I thank you.

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Buhari to go to London after 72nd Session of UN General Assembly

• President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to deliver a paper at the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 72).

President Muhammadu Buhari

Consequently, the President will depart Abuja tomorrow (Sunday) for New York, to join other world leaders in the General Debate at the conference. A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina stated that the high point of the President’s visit will be his participation in the General Debate during which he will deliver the country’s National Statement.

He said that the theme for this year’s Debate is: “Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and a Decent Life for All on a Sustainable Planet.” President Buhari will also join other world leaders at the welcoming reception to be hosted by the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, and also hold a bilateral meeting with the UN scribe.

He will equally, hold a lunch meeting with President Donald Trump of the United States of America, along with other world leaders. “During the General Assembly, Nigeria will participate in high level meetings on ‘Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse: Building Momentum for Change,’ the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, a High Level Event organized by the African Union under its Theme of the Year:

‘Roadmap on the Demographic Dividend: from Commitment to Action,’ among others. “At the events, President Buhari and members of his delegation will strive to project Nigeria as a strong moral force and responsible member of the international community. “Nigeria’s commitment to global peace, security and development will also be reaffirmed and where necessary, the need for increased international cooperation in the fight against corruption.

“Other priorities for the Nigerian delegation at UNGA 72 include strengthening human rights institutions; the rule of law; support for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as a result of terrorist acts and the recent flooding, and mitigating the effects of Climate Change.

 “The Nigerian delegation will also canvass the support of UN member states for the Buhari Administration’s efforts towards combatting illicit financial flows in order to foster sustainable development.” The President will be accompanied by the governors of Zamfara, Ebonyi and Ondo States, and key cabinet ministers. President Buhari will transit through London on his way back to the country.

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We ‘re anxious about Buhari’s health – Ghanaian president

• PRESIDENT Nana Addo Kufuor, of Ghana Tuesday told President Muhammadu Buhari that West African leaders were worried and anxious when he was on medical vacation in London, the United Kingdom.

President Nana Addo Kufuor and President Muhammadu Buhari

President Kufour, who paid his Nigeria counterpart, President Buhari a friendly visit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja said he came to see for himself and was glad to know that “our big brother in Nigeria is well”.

Speaking to the State House correspondents shortly after meeting with Buhari, the Ghanaian leader disclosed that it was also an opportunity he seized to discuss some bilateral issues.

He said, “I came from Accra today to come and visit my senior brother, President Muhammadu Buhari. All of us have been anxious about his well-being and it is very good news to hear that he had returned.

“But we are Africans and I have to come and see him for myself and how he is; and I’m very delighted to see that he came back very vigorous and as always very engaged on the issues of our day. 

“So, we had a good half an hour together reviewing matters both in Ghana and in Nigeria as well as immediate matters to do with what is going on in the ECOWAS community. 

“I’m very happy to have had this opportunity to come and I am going back to Ghana very fortified to be able to tell the Ghanaians that our big brother in Nigeria is well and things are well here. 

Also speaking with journalists, the Special Adviser the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said the meeting of the two leaders was significant and showed that the two big countries in West African are maintaining such cordial relationship.

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Pastor E.A Adeboye visits President Buhari in London

President Buhari receives in audience General Overseer Worldwide Redeemed Christian Church of God Pastor E.A. Adeboye at the Abuja House London on 18th Aug 2017

President Buhari receives in audience General Overseer Worldwide Redeemed Christian Church of God Pastor E.A. Adeboye at the Abuja House London on 18th Aug 2017. Photo credit: Bayo Omoboriowo

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BREAKING NEWS: Trump sacks Nigeria’s Ogunlesi as adviser

• Nigerian born international CEO, Adebayo Ogunlesi has now ceased to be an adviser to embattled US President Donald Trump. Trump sacked him today along with other distinguished CEOs counselling him via two councils on how to “Make America Great Again”.

Ogunlesi was a member of Strategic and Policy Forum, one of the two disbanded by the unpredictable president. The other group was the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative Council. Ogunlesi, heads Global Infrastructure Partners, a private equity firm and one of Fortune 500 companies. He was the only African on the panel. 

The New York Times reported before Trump’s tweeted dissolution, that members of Ogunlesi’s panel were debating dissolving the body entirely as Trump wallowed deeper into bigotry quagmire. But Trump preempted their move. “Corporate leaders had hoped that President Trump would help businesses by slashing taxes and gutting regulations. 

It is not clear how much he will deliver on that score. On top of that, he is putting many chief executives in the position of answering for a president with an unparalleled track record of outraging people, most recently at a contentious press conference on Tuesday when he drew a false equivalence between the white supremacists who protested in Charlottesville, Va., last weekend and counter-protesters.”, NYT reported. 

Trump had earned rebuke and isolation from business leaders for supporting racial bigotry, White Supremacists and the KKK, following his remarks that failed to blame the tragic violence in Charlottesville, Virginia on the group. Instead, he blamed all the sides and the group that challenged the racists. 

The leaders of three companies — Kenneth Frazier of Merck, Kevin Plank of Under Armour and Brian Krzanich of Intel — were the first to resign from the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative Council. They resigned on Monday because Mr. Trump was slow to condemn the white supremacists during the weekend and blamed “many sides” for the violence. 

When Trump moderated his tone on Monday by saying “racism is evil” and condemning neo-Nazis, he did not assuage some of the CEOs working with him. Scott Paul, the president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, an organization backed by the steel industry and the United Steelworkers resigned. he was followed on Tuesday by Richard Trumka and Thea Lee, the president and deputy chief of staff for the union group A.F.L.-C.I.O.. 

The latter’s resignation followed Trump’s reversed position at a press conference at Trump Tower in New York, in which he said that “not all of those people were neo-Nazis, believe me,” referring to the white nationalists who were chanting “Jews will not replace us” as they marched with tiki-torches. Ogunlesi’s Strategic Forum, composed some of America’s most highly respected and successful business leaders.

 Members of the body were expected to meet with Trump frequently to share their specific experience and knowledge as the president implements his plan to bring back jobs and “Make America Great Again. ” The other members of the forum were: Stephen Schwarzman (forum chairman), chairman, CEO, and cofounder of Blackstone Paul Atkins, CEO of Patomak Global Partners, former commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission Mary Barra, chairwoman and CEO, General Motors Toby Cosgrove, CEO, Cleveland Clinic Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO, JPMorgan Chase & Co. 

Larry Fink, chairman and CEO, BlackRock Bob Iger, chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company Rich Lesser, president and CEO, Boston Consulting Group Doug McMillon, president and CEO, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Jim McNerney, former chairman, president, and CEO of Boeings Ginni Rometty, chairwoman, president, and CEO of IBM Kevin Warsh, Shepard Family Distinguished Visiting Fellow in economics at the Hoover Institute, former member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Mark Weinberger, global chairman and CEO, EY Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO, General Electric Daniel Yergin, Pulitzer Prize winner, vice chairman of IHS Markit Apart from being managing partner of Global Infrastructure Partners, Ogunlesi also serves on the boards of Callaway Golf Co. and Kosmos Energy Ltd. 

At the same time he’s the chairman of Africa Finance Corp. and serves on the boards of various not-for-profits ranging from New York Presbyterian Hospital to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.

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FINALLY: US approves Super Tucano attack planes for Nigeria

• After years of foot-dragging, the US State Department has finally approved a $593 million sale to Nigeria of A-29 Super Tucano attack planes with associated parts, training, facilities and weapons.
• The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered their certification of the foreign military sale to Congress, as required by law, on August 2, according to United Press International.

The twelve A-29s, equipped with wing-mounted machine guns, weapons integration with advanced surveillance… precision-guided bombs, and even air-to-air missiles” are expected to be used by Nigeria to combat the Boko Haram insurgents and other extremist groups, such as the Islamic State West Africa splinter group.
They will also serve to counter smuggling and other trafficking in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea. The DSCA has determined that U.S. security interests are served by assisting Nigeria in its counter-insurgency operations and that the A-29 sale will not significantly alter the military balance of power in the region.
The contract will require U.S. Government or private contractors to provide training and support, and will include instruction on rules of engagement and human rights to help prevent civilian casualties. The Embraer A-29 Super Tucano is a turboprop light attack plane in service with countries across the world. It is designed for counter-insurgency operations and close-air support in areas lacking significant air defenses.
 It is also widely used as a training aircraft. It is a contender in the U.S. Air Force’s OA-X light attack aircraft competition for a low-cost and easy to operate and maintain air support platform. Light planes like the Tucano can fulfil air support and surveillance needs in low-risk environments at a much lower operational cost then heavier jets like the A-10 or F-16 and require less flight and maintenance training. The attack planes will be a big boost for Nigeria’s military anti-terrorism campaign in the north east of the country.
 Past attempts to procure the plane under the Obama administration was frustrated by accusations of human rights abuses against Nigeria’s military. According to Defense Industry Daily, the Super Tucano is known as the A-29 or ALX in Brazil, but abroad, it’s the EMB 314 successor to Embraer’s widely-used EMB 312 Tucano trainer.
The plane offers better flight performance than the EMB 312 Tucano, plus armoring and wing-mounted machine guns, weapons integration with advanced surveillance and targeting pods, precision-guided bombs, and even air-to-air missiles.
This makes it an excellent territorial defence and close support plane for low-budget air forces, as well as a surveillance asset with armed attack capability.
Brazil uses it this way, for instance, alongside very advanced EMB-145 airborne radar and maritime patrol jet platforms. In Africa, Ghana, Angola, Burkina Faso, Angola, Mauritania, either have the Tucano in their air forces, or they had placed orders for new supplies.

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Buhari Cancels Medical Trip To London, Instead He Invites Physicians To Nigeria

• President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday changed a plan by which he was due to return to London this weekend for another round of medical treatment, barely two weeks after his return from a hospital there. Instead, his doctors will be arriving on Friday to carry out further medical examination on him.

•  Sources at the Presidency informed Smmynews4u that the president’s advance party had already left Abuja earlier in the day by Ethiopian Airlines before they were recalled to Abuja.

President Muhammadu Buhari While In Abuja

Our sources say the hawks within the presidency advised against taking the president abroad so soon after his seven weeks away, as that would begin to feed the rumor mill all over again about his ailment. 

In a short televised address upon his return, Buhari had hinted about returning to the hospital shortly, saying there might be a need “for further follow-up within weeks.”  Given the topsy-turvy political climate in the country, however, his advisers felt it was unwise to allow him to stay away for too long.

The president has traveled to London several times since coming to power for a medical reason before traveling earlier this year for a prolonged medical treatment.  He had also traveled there in June 2016, reportedly consulting with an ear, nose and throat specialist after he contracted an ear infection.

The latest developments come as pressure is mounting on the presidency to disclose how much was spent on his 49-day “medical vacation” in the United Kingdom, with Nigerians saying they have a right to know.

Activists, including well-known lawyer Femi Falana, and civil society groups such as the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, and the Campaign for Democracy, among others, argue that the medical bill is of public interest because Buhari touted transparency and change in public affairs when he ran for the presidency.

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Do You Know That President Muhammadu Buhari May Return To The UK For Further Treatment In Three Weeks Time

• In a clear indication that President Muhammadu Buhari’s return earlier today from London was premature and motivated by political pressure from some of his closest associates, Presidency and medical sources have told Sammynews4u that the ailing Nigerian leader is set to return to the United Kingdom in three weeks to continue treatment for an undisclosed illness.

President Muhammadu Buhari addressing wellwishers shortly 

after his return from London earlier today

Sammynews4u had consistently disclosed that members of Mr. Buhari’s medical team in the UK had advised against his return to Nigeria at this time, adding that some members of his political circle, afraid that their influence was about to slip, pressured the frail and still ill president to return to Nigeria in order to quell anxiety that he was too gravely ill to continue in office.

Early this morning, a presidential jet carrying Mr. Buhari landed at the Kaduna Airport in the capital of Kaduna State. The terribly emaciated and fatigued Nigerian leader was then flown in a helicopter to Abuja.

In a short address to Nigerians, President Buhari with a shaky voice expressed gratitude to “Muslims and Christians alike who have prayed and have continued to pray for my good health.” He described the collective prayers as “a testimony that, in spite of the hardship being experienced, Nigerians support the government in its effort to tackle our country’s challenges.” He claimed that his health had significantly improved during his prolonged treatment in London.

President Buhari had been flown out of Nigeria on January 19, 2017, in what his handlers billed as a 10-day vacation to rest. However, he ended up staying in London for close to two months, during which several political leaders went on pilgrimage to London to see him. The political visits often led to claims that Mr. Buhari was “hale and hearty,” and was merely resting some more before returning to assume the presidency.

In his speech to Nigerians, Mr. Buhari stated that the best way to repay for their good wishes was “to rededicate myself to serving you, protecting your interest and keeping your trust.”

Even so, the president’s address hinted at his unresolved health crisis. “I am feeling much better now,” he said before adding, “There may, however, be need for further follow up within some weeks.” 

President only hinted of the gravity of his illness when he admitted he had never been this “sick” his entire life and then revealing that he had “blood transfusion.”

Our sources said Mr. Buhari plans to return to the UK within the next three weeks for further therapy. Two of the sources said it took intense pressure from his associates before Mr. Buhari agreed to return to Nigeria in defiance of his doctors’ opposition. The sources disclosed that the president finally succumbed to the wishes of his inner circle that he should leave the UK late yesterday, adding that the schedule left little room for preparation. Mr. Buhari’s presidential jet took off from Stansted Airport in London shortly after 1 a.m.

his plane touched ground in Kaduna at 7:41 a.m., sparking jubilation among members of his circle in Abuja.

After a short airport ceremony, during which a weary-looking Mr. Buhari greeted Kaduna State officials, the president boarded a presidential helicopter that took him to Abuja where a delegation led by the Vice President received him. He later met briefly with some governors and members of his staff to thank them.

In his remark, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said Nigerians and the Federal Executive Council were satisfied to receive the President back in the country “hale and hearty.” According to the vice president, “It is a day of joy not only for us but for the whole country, Africa and the world. Your arrival has vindicated our position that you will return safely.”

Mr. Osinbajo also thanked President Buhari for respecting the constitution by entrusting power to him before commencing his trip to the UK, adding that he had a tough job “going around in borrowed robes.”

Our sources said that, given Mr. Buhari’s feeble health, the president was bound to maintain a highly light schedule with few, if any, public engagements before returning to the UK in a few weeks to continue his treatment.

Shortly after arrival ceremonies, the President retired to his residence asking VP Osinbajo to continue in an acting capacity as President while he continues resting and recuperating.

However, Presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina quickly issued a clarification on social media stating that Buhari will transmit a letter to the Senate on Monday indicating his fitness to resume work.

Our sources had always maintained that Mr. Buhari’s doctors in the UK advised him to spend as much as four months in order to undergo the full regimen of treatment for his health crises, which include a prostrate condition as well as Crohn’s disease that had wreaked havoc on his appetite, leading to consistent weight loss.

One of our sources asserted that Mr. Buhari was due to undergo an intense phase of treatment starting from next week before his political associates persuaded him to postpone the treatment in order to return to Nigeria and shore up their waning political influence.

A statement released by presidential spokesman Femi Adesina noted that Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, who serves as the Chairman of Nigeria’s Governors Forum, the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, and the Chief of Defense Staff, Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin, made remarks welcoming Mr. Buhari back to the country.

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BREAKING NEWS: President Buhari’s Doctors Also Treating Crohn’s Disease, An Intestinal Malady

• A source familiar with President Muhammadu Buhari’s medical treatment in London has revealed to SaharaReporters that, apart from a lingering prostrate flare-up and other chronic conditions, the Nigerian leader has also recently been battling with a persistent “internal organ” problem, a fact this website reported on Sunday.

• The source attributed President Buhari’s inability to eat as well as his progressive loss of weight to Crohn’s Disease, a medical condition that has affected his digestive system.

President Buhari

The latest revelation appears to validate a claim by Mr. Buhari’s wife, Aisha Buhari, to the effect that her husband was dealing with “internal organ failure.”

In interviews, several doctors in Nigeria and the UK told Saharareporters that the fact that Mr. Buhari was an outpatient indicated a condition consistent with Crohn’s disease. Two of the doctors stated that it was likely that President Buhari’s course of treatment for his prostrate and other issues led to a complication and worsening of his Crohn’s disease. SaharaReporters had reported that Mr. Buhari also has prostate cancer that was first treated by UK doctors shortly after the Nigerian leader lost the 2011 presidential election to former President Goodluck Jonathan. 

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract, leading to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition. Inflammation caused by the disease can affect different areas of the digestive tract in different patients, but doctors interviewed for this report disclosed that it usually occurs in the intestines, where the inflammation caused by Crohn's disease often spreads deep into the layers of affected bowel tissue.

Doctors also revealed that Crohn's disease can be both painful and debilitating, and sometimes may lead to life-threatening complications. “When it occurs in younger people, there is a higher chance of future complications than in older patients,” one doctor told our correspondent. He added that the disease “often worsens with age.”

According to the doctors consulted for this report, while there is no known cure for Crohn's disease, palliative therapies can greatly reduce its signs and symptoms and even bring about long-term remission. Some of the doctors stressed that, with proper treatment and management, many patients with Crohn's disease are able to function well.

The doctors stated that the cause of Crohn's disease is largely unknown. However, one doctor said the condition was likely due to an abnormal response of the immune system. Food or bacteria in the intestines, or even the lining of the bowel, may cause the uncontrolled inflammation associated with Crohn's disease.

The doctors disclosed that the inheritance pattern of Crohn’s disease was also unclear, noting that several genetic and environmental factors are often at play in the occurrence of the disease. According to one doctor, the condition tends to “cluster in families.” He explained that having an affected family member was deemed to constitute a significant risk factor for the disease.

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