World leaders must identify terror sponsors —Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday said world leaders have the collective responsibility of identifying sponsors and supporters of terror groups, such as Boko Haram in Nigeria and other groups operating in the Sahel region.

He said such people should be held responsible for their actions aimed at destabilising Africa.

Jonathan made his position known in his remarks on peace and security at the opening of the on-going Fourth European Union-Africa Summit holding in Brussels, the capital of Belgium.

The summit brought together the Heads of State and Government of the EU and the African continent together with the EU and AU institutions.

The EU was represented at the summit, which has “Investing in people, prosperity and peace” as its theme, by the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy and President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso.

While thanking the EU and other development partners for their assistance in addressing the menace of the terror groups, Jonathan insisted that a terror attack on one nation was an attack on everybody.

1,200MW may be lost to uncompleted power projects

The current poor supply of electricity in the country may be further compounded with the loss of 1,200 megawatts this year if the contractor handling three key National Integrated Power Projects fails to meet the stipulated completion target of the third quarter of the year, the Presidential Task Force on Power has said.

Although the PTFP had given marching orders to the contractor, Rockson Engineering Limited, it explained that unless the projects were inaugurated and put into commercial use, the target of 6,000MW electricity generation by December this year might not be realised.

The Chairman, PTFP, Mr. Beks Dagogo-Jack, had on Tuesday held a meeting with the contractor executing critical generation and transmission projects located in the eastern axis of the national gas grid for the NIPP.

Dagogo-Jack said the meeting focused on three power generation projects located at Alaoji in Abia State, Omoku in Rivers State, and Gbarain in Bayelsa State.

Six missing, 22 rescued from Lagos boat disaster

At least six passengers on board a boat were feared dead after it capsized in a lagoon in the Majidun area off Ikorodu in Lagos State on Wednesday evening.

However, 22 others, who also fell of the boat were rescued by local divers.

The development occurred barely two weeks after 13 people died at the 4th Avenue, 42 Road, Festac Town, Festac, Lagos State.

According to an anonymous source, the boat was filled with working class people who were headed home after the day’s job.

“I was told that a boat with about 28 passengers fell off a boat on Wednesday evening. Some of the victims were said to have been dressed formally and were returning after the day’s work,” he said.

Although details remained sketchy as of press time, rescue officials said members of the community confirmed the incident.

Beware, Ebola virus is dangerous

Just in case you missed the newsflash this week, the deadly Ebola virus, for the first time, has found its way into West Africa, a region that Nigeria is part of.

The outbreak, which began in Guinea’s south eastern forest region last month, is causing widespread panic as death toll rises and the outbreak continues to spread,

According to media reports, more than 125 cases have been documented across three countries — Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone; and as of the last count, about 82 persons have lost their lives to this tropical virus.

What Ebola is

The World Health Organisation describes the Ebola Virus Disease as a viral haemorrhagic fever and one of the most virulent viral diseases known to humankind.

Ebola is regarded in the medical world as the deadliest virus on earth, not only because it has no known cure, but also because it is one of the world’s lethal infections: it could kill within hours or few days of symptoms, whether an infected person gets treatment or not.

The viral disease, whose initial symptoms can include sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pain and sore throat, can later progress to vomiting, diarrhoea and, in some cases, internal and external bleeding. As scary as it is, the virus does not respond to any vaccine.

Tambuwal foils PDP caucus plot against defected Reps

A quick intervention by the leadership of the House of Representatives on Wednesday doused tension between the Peoples Democratic Party members and their counterparts in the All Progressives Congress.

Findings showed that the PDP Caucus was bent on enforcing the “relevant aspects” of Monday’s judgment by an Abuja Federal High Court, which declared the defection of some  PDP lawmakers  in the  House to the APC as unconstitutional.

The court had also barred the lawmakers from effecting a change in the leadership of the House.

Among others, the court ruled that the defected lawmakers should no longer participate in the activities of the House, including contributing to motions on the floor.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola, who delivered the judgment, had also advised the affected lawmakers to resign honourably from the House.

Although the lawmakers had already appealed the judgment, The PUNCH learnt that the PDP caucus was bent on restraining  them  from attending sittings.

Fayemi accuses Jonathan of influencing Fayose’s victory

Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of foisting a former Governor Ayo Fayose on the Peoples Democratic Party as its governorship candidate with the aim of using him to unleash violence on the state ahead of the June 21 governorship poll.

The governor, who spoke in a statement issued on Monday by the spokesperson of his campaign organisation, Mr. Dimeji Daniels, said that the opposition party wanted to prepare the ground for rigging through violence.

Fayemi said that the President would be held responsible for any act of violence by his party’s governorship candidate.

The governor, however, warned Fayose against violating the law saying he would face the wrath of the people if he caused violence in the state.

Diezani jet scandal: Reps to hire aviation expert

The House of Representatives gave indications on Sunday that it would engage the services of an aviation expert to assist in the investigation into the alleged N10bn expenditure on a private jet by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The chartered aircraft is said to be maintained on a bill of 500,000 Euros or N3.120m monthly for Alison-Madueke’s personal use.

A member from Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Adejare, who brought the issue before the House on Thursday last week, had stated that N3.120bn had been spent on the maintenance of the jet in the last two years.

The matter was referred to the House Committee on Public Accounts for investigation.

Investigations on Sunday showed that an aviation consultant would be hired to assist the committee in carrying out the assignment.