Davido is having fun with his new girlfriend, Chioma at the club

Singer, Davido is still very much in love with his new girlfriend, Chioma, and this is something he isn’t shy of professing on social media.

If you are an avid follower of Davido on social media, you’d see how well he has been professing his love for his new girl, Chioma.

The latest was when his hypeman, Specialspesh welcomed a baby boy, and he was quite “upset”, not literally, that spesh beat him to having a boy, and as thus, he requested a baby boy from his new girl, Chioma.. not forgetting he has two babymamas already, who both gave him girls.

The singer was recently pictured with Chioma at a night club. He was of course with his crew members, in the picture we could spot, DJ Ecool with whom the singer dropped a massive banger, titled ADA, and his manager, Asika.

Benue State Governor no land for cattle colony in Benue, insists

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue says the state government has no land for the establishment of cattle colony in the state as being advocated by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Ortom made this known while addressing State House correspondents after he led a delegation of Benue stakeholders to a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday.

He stated that even though the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Audu Ogbeh, had explained to him the meaning of cattle colony and its relevance in addressing security challenges occasioned by farmers/herdsmen conflicts, cattle ranching remained the only way out of the crisis.

“The Minister of Agriculture happens to be a son of the soil; there are many options that are put on the table. Like I told you the last time I came here I did not understand what colony was.

“Today I was privileged to sit with him and he did explain to me that a colony is about many ranches restricted in one place where the land is.

“So for us in Benue, there is no 10 hectares, they are looking for 5,000 hectares. For us, in Benue State we have no 10 hectares to allow that kind of thing to take place.

“So people are free. Other states have the land, we in Benue State do not have and that was what led to us enacting this law.’’

The governor dismissed the insinuation that the state government had engaged the services of militias to safeguard lives and property in the state, saying the allegation was a mere attempt to divert attention and turn facts away from realities.

According to him, the militias arrested by soldiers in some parts of Taraba State have no connection whatsoever with Benue State government.

He, however, disclosed that the state government was in the process of employing volunteers to serve as members of the state’s vigilante group to ensure smooth implementation of the anti-grazing law.

On the meeting between President Buhari and leadership of the state, Ortom described the outcome of the meeting as fruitful, saying the president had reiterated the determination of his administration to safeguarding lives and property of all citizens across the country.

The meeting was an aftermath of the recent violent attacks on communities in Benue by gunmen.

 

Washington Returns to the Core Trump Agenda with fireworks,

If there were three signature Donald Trump issues during the 2016 presidential campaign—ones he stressed repeatedly at rallies and in debates—they were immigration, trade and infrastructure.

And so far the Trump emphasis this year is on…immigration, trade and infrastructure.

That represents a significant turn in the Washington agenda for 2018, one little-noticed amid the controversy over the alleged presidential remark disparaging immigration from “shithole” countries. After a year focused more on tax cuts, health care and deregulation—issues that tend to appeal more to traditional Republicans—the focus so far this year has moved decisively back to standard Trump issues.

That shift has the potential to help shore up and energize the Trump base in time for this year’s crucial elections for control of Congress. It also presents an opportunity to look back at the condition of that Trump base after one year—as well as why people voted for President Trump in the first place, a question that has become clouded by mythology.

First, a look at that Trump base. A dive into Wall Street Journal/NBC News polling suggests that, after Mr. Trump’s tumultuous first year in office, the president’s support among his staunchest proponents has eroded some, though still is pretty solid. Among whites without a college degree—a core Trump support group—approval of the job he is doing as president slipped to 55% in December from 59% in February. Disapproval has risen to 41% from 32%.

Similarly, the share of whites without a college degree who have a negative image of Mr. Trump personally has risen to 40% from 33%.

Those still are pretty solid numbers, and significantly better than those the president gets among other Americans. Among whites with a college education, for example, almost six in 10 disapprove of the job he is doing and hold a negative view of him personally.

In short, the base is still the base, though it has eroded around the edges.

So a return to the signature Trump issues would seem to be a way to end and perhaps reverse that erosion at the base. And it probably does. But here, there also are some surprises.

There is no doubt that immigration already has moved to the top of the Washington agenda in 2018. Mr. Trump is locked in either negotiations or a fight—and it’s hard to know from day to day which it is—with Democrats over the fate of “Dreamer” immigrants who came here illegally as children, over paying for a wall along the Mexican border and over broader immigration reform.

Given how much Mr. Trump talked about immigration and a wall during the campaign, this turn isn’t surprising. What is surprising is how low immigration and the wall ranked on the list of reasons his supports actually voted for him.

When his voters were asked last December, shortly after the election, why they backed Mr. Trump, just 20% said taking a tough approach on immigration and the wall was the most important reason. More than twice as many said simply improving the economy overall was most important.

Similarly, in polling around the time Mr. Trump was inaugurated in January, just 31% of whites without a college degree—again, a strong Trump constituency—said building a wall was an absolute priority.

Trade and infrastructure improvements, by contrast, ranked far higher as a matter of concern. Among those same white noncollege Americans, 65% said imposing tariffs against countries that take advantage of trade agreements was a top priority, and the same share cited improving infrastructure.

So there is little doubt he’s speaking to his people on trade, a subject about to start rising in visibility. The administration is approaching decisions on imposing tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, on steps to slow imports of solar panels and washing machines, and on penalties against China for seizing American intellectual property. And talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement are reaching a critical juncture.

Similarly, the White House is promising action soon on infrastructure, an issue Mr. Trump has started bringing up with more regularity.

Of course, much of Mr. Trump’s campaign appeal was based not on specific policy positions, but more on his pugilistic attitude—and the simple fact he wasn’t Hillary Clinton, an object of hatred for many Trump voters. More than four in 10 Trump voters said making sure she didn’t become president was the top reason they voted for him.

Still, the evidence suggests that Mr. Trump is speaking directly to his base with his 2018 emphasis on trade and infrastructure—but also expending a lot of capital and earning a lot of enmity at home and abroad on immigration and building a wall, subjects not as central for his supporters as commonly supposed.

Fulani Herdsmen demanding for Compensation over lost Members during the Crises

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has asked that the Federal Government pay compensation to herdsmen affected by all forms of crisis in the country.

The National Secretary of MACBAN, Baba Ngelzarma, made the appeal while briefing newsmen in Abuja on Sunday on the position of the association to the crisis between farmers and herdsmen across the country.

Ngelzarma said the decision was the position of members reached at the end of its National Council meeting.

He said that no fewer than 1,000 of its members including women and children have been killed and 20,000 cattle rustled between June 2017 and January 2018 during crises in various states.

The National Secretary called for the setting up of a Federal Judicial Commission of Inquiry to access the killings in order to unravel the truth and offenders.

“We call on the government to pay compensation to victims of all crises to reduce their level of suffering.

“If the government accepts that, it is left for them to establish a committee that will go and access the level of damage.

“We have a document of members that were affected by the pastoralists in the North-East but what we discovered is that none of them were captured in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) programme because they are not sedentary.

“Let the government compensate. That will help calm the situation very well,’’ he said.

Ngelzarma, who said the association had over 20 million registered members and no fewer than 50 million cattle, regretted that they were the most neglected farmers in the country.

He appealed to the Federal Government to set up a Federal Ministry of Livestock Development to attend to the multidimensional needs of the industry.

Ngelzarma said the association welcomed the current resolve by the Federal Government to address the lingering crises, adding that dialogue was the solution to the tackling the menace.

“We submit ourselves for any positive participation to restore mutual and harmonious relationship in the country.

“We dissociate ourselves from any other group or individual that is out to foment trouble in the country.

“We demand for immediate disarmament of all illegally armed militias across the country in the interest of peace, security and stability,’’ he said.

Ngelzarma was accompanied to the briefing by the National President, Muhammadu Kirowa and other members of the association from different states.

Benue State Governor condemns Emir Sanusi’s claim about fulani herdsmen’s murder

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, and a first class traditional ruler in the state, Abu Shuluwa, have condemned the statement credited to Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, that people in Middle Belt had all along been killing Fulani herdsmen in their domains.

Ortom, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Terver Akase, said there was never a time Benue people raised their hands against Fulani herdsmen.

According to him, ‘Tiv people have not been killing Fulani, the whole world knows who has been the aggressor and who has been the victim in these attacks and the victim is Tivland.”

Governor Ortom further reiterated his stand that anti-open grazing is the global best practice to avert constant clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the country.

Also reacting, the first class chief in the state, Tor Zankera, Chief Abu Shuluwa, described the statement as ‘unfortunate.’

“I mean unfortunate for a traditional ruler who is expected to maintain peace, especially in crisis situation, traditional rulers are not expected to fuel crisis.”

Shuluwa noted that the emir must have been misrepresented considering his roles as a father in the country whose wise counsel was needed during crisis time.

“I doubt an emir of that status could make such sweeping statement; possibly, he was misquoted, but if truly he said so, then it is unfortunate.”

Ford plans $11 billion investment, 40 electric vehicles by 2022

DETROIT (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co (F.N) will significantly increase its planned investments in electric vehicles to $11 billion by 2022 and have 40 hybrid and fully electric vehicles in its model lineup, Chairman Bill Ford said on Sunday at the Detroit auto show.

Bill Ford, executive chairman of the Ford Motor Company and Jim Hackett (R), President and CEO, present the 2019 Ford Ranger during the Ford press preview at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., January 14, 2018. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

The investment figure is sharply higher than a previously announced target of $4.5 billion by 2020, Ford executives said, and includes the costs of developing dedicated electric vehicle architectures. Ford’s engineering, research and development expenses for 2016, the last full year available, were $7.3 billion, up from $6.7 billion in 2015.

Ford Chief Executive Jim Hackett told investors last October the automaker would slash $14 billion in costs over the next five years and shift capital investment away from sedans and internal combustion engines to develop more trucks and electric and hybrid cars.

Of the 40 electrified vehicles Ford plans for its global lineup by 2022, 16 will be fully electric and the rest will be plug-in hybrids, executives said.

“We’re all in on this and we’re taking our mainstream vehicles, our most iconic vehicles, and we’re electrifying them,” Ford told reporters. “If we want to be successful with electrification, we have to do it with vehicles that are already popular.”

General Motors Co (GM.N), Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) and Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE), have already outlined aggressive plans to expand their electric vehicle offerings and offer them to consumers who want luxury, performance and an SUV body style – or all three attributes in the same vehicle.

Mainstream auto makers are reacting in part to pressure from regulators in China, Europe and California to slash carbon emissions from fossil fuels. They also are under pressure from

Tesla Inc (TSLA.O)’s success at creating electric sedans and SUVs that inspire would-be owners to line up outside showrooms and flood the company with orders.

GM said last year it would add 20 new battery electric and fuel cell vehicles to its global lineup by 2023, financed by robust profits from those very same traditional internal combustion engine vehicles in the United States and China.

GM Chief Executive Mary Barra has promised investors the Detroit automaker will make money selling electric cars by 2021.

Volkswagen said in November it would spend $40 billion on electric cars, autonomous driving and new mobility services by the end of 2022 – significantly more than when it announced two months earlier it would invest more than 20 billion euros on electric and self-driving cars through 2030.

Toyota is racing to commercialize a breakthrough battery technology during the first half of the 2020s with the potential to cut the cost of making electric cars.

Ford Motor Co13.23

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Ford’s president of global markets, Jim Farley, said on Sunday that Ford would bring a high-performance electric utility vehicle to market by 2020. The company will begin production of a hybrid version of its popular F-150 truck at a plant in Dearborn, Michigan, in 2020.

“What we learned from this first cycle of electrification is people want really nice products,” Farley said.

‘THINK BIG’

Ford’s shift to the electric vehicle strategy has been more than six months in the making after Hackett replaced former Chief Executive Mark Fields in May.

The plan was finalized in recent months after an extensive review, a person familiar with the process said. In October, Ford disclosed it had formed a team to accelerate global development of electric vehicles, whose mission is to “think big” and “make quicker decisions.”

Some of the electric vehicles will be produced with Ford’s JV in China aimed at the Chinese market. One aim of Ford’s “Team Edison” is to identify and develop electric-vehicle partnerships with other companies, including suppliers, in some markets, according to Sherif Marakby, vice president of autonomous vehicles and electrification.

China, India, France and the United Kingdom all have announced plans to phase out vehicles powered by combustion engines and fossil fuels between 2030 and 2040.

Reporting by Nick Carey and Joseph White; Additional reporting by David Shepardson in Detroit; Editing by Sandra Maler and Peter Cooney

Fulani ‘Herdsmen have been pushed to the wall’

Alhaji Saleh Bayeri is the National Secretary-General and Board of Trustees member of the Gan Allah Fulani Development Association of Nigeria (GAFDAN). In this interview with YUSUFU AMINU IDEGU in Jos, Bayeri bared his mind on why herders and farmers always clash.

Most states in Southern parts of Nigeria are having problems with Fulani herdsmen. Attacks by armed herdsmen have persisted in Benue State. What do you think is responsible for this?

The reason for the problem is obvious. Fulani in this country are facing the toughest challenge of their lives, a kind of challenge that makes you to choose between life and death. They are facing serious economic depression. The Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria appeared to have been pushed to the wall and have no option but to fight back. Historically, the herdsmen and their business have been neglected over the years by the people and government of Nigeria. It is, therefore, natural that for people that feel oppressed to want to fight back or resist oppression.

As far back as I can remember, from 1970 till date, there has been no single government policy geared towards assisting herdsmen in any way. Naturally, the government should know that the Fulani that keep multiplying in human population and in their animal should know that they need a space to occupy. The Fulani are not being allowed any space in Nigeria, and government does not seem to care. So, they have to fight back. There was the issue of grazing reserve, about 413 grazing reserves gazette.  Of that number, you can’t count up to 20 that are functional in this country. But farmers enjoyed and keep enjoying all sorts of assistance from the Federal Government through the same Ministry for Agriculture. Government doesn’t really care when it comes to the issue of herders. The Fulani, you know, are traditionally cattle herders; they don’t have any other business. Cattle rearing is their traditional business inherited from generations to generations. This problem of herdsmen that we are seeing today has been developing but no one seemed to care. This problem has been brewing gradually, but here we are today.

The population of cows in this country has been put at 20 million; the Fulani population too has grown over that number, yet government never found any reason to provide for their security and welfare. The government itself has said the cattle contributes 17% to the nation’s GDP, yet, nothing has been done to encourage the herders, what we rather see is a trend where states governments are enacting laws to prevent Fulani from grazing on grasses provided free by nature.

Apart from that, there is the prevailing problem of scarce resources like water and land as a result of global warming. In our own case here in Nigeria, because of the challenge of desertification and reduction in annual rainfall, these have made the northern parts of the country not conducive for grazing of cattle because the North has gone arid. So, the only part of the country the herders can graze their animals is the savanna grass land in the North central and the tropical rain forest in the South. So there is pressure on land and water in this zone already and certainly you expect a clash over natural resources between farmers and herders like we are witnessing in Benue, Taraba, Southern Kaduna, Nasarawa and parts of Kogi State. And when farmers and herders are clashing over resources, there should be amicable solution where the interests of both parties are protected. But when you create law that tends to further subject one group to gross human right abuse, there will surely be resistance.

United Kingdom and France may drift apart after Brexit, warns former ambassador

Defence and security cooperation at risk after Britain leaves EU, says peer prior to May and Macron’s Sandhurst summit

Britain and France are in danger of drifting apart as a result of Brexit, undermining defence and security cooperation, according to Lord Ricketts, a former UK national security adviser and former ambassador to France.

In order to counter this, the UK and France will have to work harder at the relationship, stepping up bilateral meetings, he says.

Ricketts, who was ambassador from 2012 to 2016, issued the warning in a paper for the London-based defence thinktank the Royal United Services Institute, published on Monday.

He was speaking before a security summit on Thursday between Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron at the Sandhurst militar

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Both the UK and France have said they are intent on maintaining as close a relationship as possible on defence, foreign policy and security issues after Brexit, but the strains are showing already, with Macron in September pushing for a common EU intervention force, defence budget and doctrine.

Ricketts acknowledges that the UK, which sees Nato rather than the EU as the main focus of European defence, would have found Macron’s proposal “uncomfortable” if the UK had remained in the EU.

Ricketts, who served as national security adviser, permanent secretary at the Foreign Office, chairman of the joint intelligence committee and representative to Nato, says: “Brexit will not weaken the case for close UK-French defence and security cooperation but it will change the context and create the risk of the two countries drifting apart.”

Cooperation on counterterrorism and cyber threats has “become even closer in response to recent terrorist attacks. It is crucial that Brexit does not adversely affect this”, he added.

He proposed deployment of a combined British-French joint expeditionary force in some troublespots and working together on military equipment projects.

They could also develop cooperation on nuclear weapons, given “a more aggressive Russia, the emergence of North Korea as a nuclear power and the uncertainties about the longer-term US commitment to Nato following President Trump’s hesitations over reaffirming article 5”, Nato’s collective security pledge that an attack on one is an attack on all.

Federal court sacks 9Mobile Board

The Federal High Court in Lagos has nullified the appointment of an interim board for Emerging Markets Telecommunications Service, the owners of Etisalat/9Mobile.

Justice Ibrahim Buba made the order on Friday based on an application by Spectrum Wireless Communication Ltd., which was said to have invested $35m in 2009 in EMTS/Etisalat/9Mobile.

The court order nullified the appointment of Dr. Joseph Nnana of the Central Bank of Nigeria as chairman of EMTS; Mr. Boye Olusanya, as Managing Director; and Mrs. Funke Ighodaro, as Chief Financial Officer.

Other members of the board affected by the order were Mr. Seyi Bickersthet and Mr. Ken Igbokwe.

The judge made the order after dismissing a preliminary objection filed by United Capital Trustees Ltd., in response to the application by Spectrum Wireless, a shareholder of EMTS.

The interim board of EMTS, which had the support of the CBN and the Nigerian Communications Commission, had received bids from about five bidders in its intended sale of the company.

The sale was to be concluded by December 31, 2017 but it was recently moved to January 16, 2018.