Osinbajo Arrives In Kano For Talks With Political Parties*

: *Osinbajo Arrives In Kano For Talks With Political Parties*

The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has arrived in Kano state where he will be holding to talks with political parties ahead of the Local Government in the state.

*Restore peace in Benue or forget 2019, Bafarawa tells Buhari*

: *Restore peace in Benue or forget 2019, Bafarawa tells Buhari*

A former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, on Friday said that there would be no elections in Nigeria in 2019 if the Federal Government failed to restore peace to Benue State. Bafarawa made the statement during a condolence visit to Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State at the Government House in Makurdi, the state capital, to commiserate with him and the people of the state over the killings of 73 persons on January 1, 2018, by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Bafarawa said, “Why would there be an election in 2019 when there is no peace? The most important thing you can bring to a society is peace. When you bring peace to them, you have brought life and can then talk about the election.”

Speaking further, Bafarawa said that while it was the duty of the Federal Government to put serious efforts to restore peace in Benue State and other parts of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari must involve other stakeholders, irrespective of political affiliation, to solve the problem.

*Court To Introduce Electronic Mailing System From July 2018*

*Court To Introduce Electronic Mailing System From July 2018*

The Supreme Court says from July 16, 2018, it will phase out manual forms of serving court processes in all cases before it and commence serving processes by electronic means on all matters. The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, said this on Friday in Abuja at the formal presentation of the ‘newly retrofitted court and legal mail’ at the Supreme Court.

He asked all judges and lawyers to subscribe to and acquire the legal mail, pledging to have the system replicated in all courts in the nearest future. The system according to the CJN has become imperative to speed up justice delivery in the country. President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Abubakar Mahmoud, also believes that the policy is overdue and critical in moving the justice sector forward.

“The email system will undoubtedly easy communication between the court and the bar. It will reduce paperwork, speed up the court process and thereby improve the administration of justice," he siad.

President Weah makes first appointments

*President Weah makes first appointments*

Liberia’s President George Weah on Tuesday made his first appointments less than 24 hours after his swearing in on Monday. Seven names made the first batch of appointees, including former Senate Pro-Tempore Gbezohngar Findley, who has been named Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Findley, according to local media, is close ally of immediate past President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, and staunchly supported Vice- President Joseph Boakai at the initial stage of the campaign period. He reportedly dumped Boakai, who ran for the presidency on the platform of the Unity Party and aligned with Weah, heavily campaigning for him in parts of the country.

This fueled speculations that Weah was receiving support from Johnson-Sirleaf, who was recently expelled by the UP for anti-party activities. Maj.-Gen. Daniel Ziankahn was immediately retired as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia and appointed the Minister of National Defence, subject to Senate confirmation. Brig. Gen. Prince Johnson takes over from Ziankahn as the new Chief of Staff of the AFL.

Zambia on Verge of Containing Cholera outbreak after 78 deaths

*🇿🇲Zambia on Verge of Containing 👾Cholera Outbreak After 78 💐Deaths*

Zambia is close to containing a cholera outbreak that has killed 78 of the more than 3,600 people who have fallen sick since October. Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya told reporters the number of cholera cases being recorded daily had dropped to less than a quarter of what was being reported two weeks ago. "We continue to record a drop from an average 164 cases daily to an average 25-30 cases per day. In the last 24 hours, we have had a total of 32 cases," Chilufya said.

On January 14, Zambia relaxed rules, including the closure of markets and schools, imposed to curb the spread of cholera as the number of new cases being reported halved. Chilufya said the measures put in place to contain the outbreak were clearly working. President Edgar Lungu last month directed the military to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of the disease.

"The civil-military operation that has been going on has paid dividends," Chilufya said, referring to the presidential order for the military to join the cleanup exercise. Chilufya said by January 20, the government had vaccinated 1.3 million people, including inmates in congested prisons, against cholera.

Lagos Island boils as Assassins Kill NURTW member

*Lagos Island Boils As Assassins Kill NURTW Member*

There was palpable tension at Idumota Area of Lagos Island, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria following the alleged assassination of the principal assistant to one of the National Union of Road Transport Workers chairmen in the area. The assassin is identified simply as Alnold Swagger by suspected assassins in the early hour of Tuesday over a power tussle.

Though details of the incident were sketchy as of the time of filling this reports, sources told PM News that the target of the suspected assassins was a Chairman in the area identified simply as KP. The source further said that while Alnold Swagger died on the spot, two others with him inside the car sustained serious injuries and were quickly rushed to the hospital where doctors were battling to save their lives.

The source said that the assassins numbering about four trailed the car belonging to the chairman of Idumota, Lagos at about 1.30am in their motorcycles, blocked the car and opened fire on the occupants thinking that the chairman, their target drove the car, but unknown to them that it was his principal assistant who drove the car.