Saturday 21st October 2017

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Buhari Offers to Host D8 Ministers in Abuja Next Month Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Istanbul, Turkey pledged Nigeria's preparedness to host the meeting of D8 Ministers of Industry between November 14 and 17, this year in Abuja. The President's spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, in a

statement, said Buhari also reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to international trade and development and urged D-8 leaders to prioritise incentives and measures aimed at increasing trade and investments among member countries. Shehu said Buhari who made the appeal at the ninth summit of the D-8, observed that the private

sector and business communities in the economic organisation must be assisted with incentives to widen economic cooperation among member-states. ‘‘As the D-8, we need to intensify our activities with a view to enhancing various measures and incentives introduced to promote trade and assist the business communities from

Member States to invest in our countries and widen our cooperation. ‘‘We need to work hard to establish integrated manufacturing structures and markets. I will like to reiterate the importance of increasing trade and investment among our Member States,’’ Buhari was quoted as saying. Highlighting the attractive

business and investment opportunities in the country, the statement added that the President stressed the need for prospective investors to take advantage of the federal government’s new policies on trade facilitation. ‘‘Nigeria is committed to, and is actively pursuing a policy of trade and investment facilitation

for growth. The gains from trade are reflected in greater competitiveness, improved productivity, job creation, consumer welfare and prosperity. ‘‘Economies that grow fastest and at more sustainable rates are those that actively promote trade and attract investment. We are Continued on page 8

World Bank Tackles Nnewi Erosion with N6.9bn ...Page 14

Saturday 21 October, 2017 Vol 22. No 8220 Price: N250

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Wike: FG Weakening Nigeria's Justice System with Systematic Intimidation Fight against corruption in the judiciary dubious, discredited

Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has accused the federal government of weakening the

Judges lack courage to defend our collective rights to an impartial judicial system

justice system in the country by clamping down on judges “to lay the grounds for the wholesale politicisation of the justice sector in the country.”

The governor said the "systematic intimidation of the judiciary by the federal government" had nothing to do with "its dubious and

Jonathan Media Office. The statement said Nigerians had not so soon forgotten how Malam Nasir El-Rufai led other chieftains of the opposition to the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ojota, Lagos, where they attracted crowds by inviting top musicians to perform and by giving out free food and drinks. It continued: “On December 15, 2015, the Nigerian Army, under President Muhammadu Buhari's command, killed 347 unarmed Shiite men, women, children and infants and buried them in a mass grave as revealed by the panel of inquiry instituted by the Kaduna State government. “The excuse given by the military for this massacre was that the Shiites had blocked a road during one of their procession and this allegedly affected a trip by the chief of army staff. After killing his followers and destroying their place of worship, Sheikh Ibrahim Zak Zaky, the spiritual leader of the Nigerian Shiite community, was illegally and unconstitutionally detained and has not been seen or heard of in public since December 15, 2015. “So when the Buhari administration increased the pump price of petrol, Nigerians

NEW CJ FOR LAGOS…

much discredited fight against corruption in the judiciary". Speaking during the Special Court Session to mark the opening of the 2017/2018 Legal

Year, Wike said the federal government was guilty of impunity, and threat to rule of law and impartial delivery of Justice.

According to Wike: "The danger in the incremental Continued on page 8

Nigerians Fear Buhari, They Don’t Trust Him, Says Jonathan Eromosele Abiodun The Media Office of former President Goodluck Jonathan has accused the federal government and the Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media, Femi Adesina of peddling falsehood over claims that Nigerians did not protest the hike in fuel price by the Buhari government because they trusted the government. In his response to Adesina and the Nigerian government, over the claims, Jonathan’s Media Office said fear, not trust was why Nigerians did not protest en masse against fuel price hike under Buhari. “When Femi Adesina says that it is because of trust that Nigerians did not rise up against the Buhari administration when it increased the pump price of petrol from N87 to N145, he betrays a deep ignorance and arrogance. “First of all, it was not Nigerians that rose up again the Jonathan administration when that government increased the price of petrol on January 1, 2012. It was actually members of the All Progressive Congress who sponsored the protests,” said the statement signed by Reno Omokri on behalf of the

Continued on page 8

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (right), congratulating the new Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke (left) shortly after her swearing-in at Lagos House, Ikeja …yesterday

Shell: 90 Percent of Degradation in N'Delta Caused by Oil Theft, Sabotage ... Page 8


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Saturday 21st October 2017 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd - Issuu