Early Hours News Update: President Buhari set to Probe Diverted $1 billion Rail Road Foreign Loan and othe News.

 Early Hours News Headlines:
*  President Buhari set to Probe Diverted $1 billion Rail Road Foreign Loan
*  National and Foreign Agencies Launched a Master Plan to Checkmate Drug Use and Trafficking in Nigeria.
* I Belong to no Party says Obasanjo
On the Foreign Scene
* State of Emergency Declared as Protests Return to Ferguson

President Buhari set to Probe Diverted $1 billion Rail Road Foreign Loan

President Buhari has expressed his displeasure over diversion of $1 billion loan intended for rail transportation in Nigeria. This he made known on Monday in Abuja when he requested an explanation from the Ministry of Finance on the foreign loans.

Mohammed Bashar, the Permanent Secretary, confirmed the President displeasure during a presentation at the presidential Villa, Abuja on Ministry of transport over the diversion of the loan from one ministry project to another. And the President Senior Special Assistant, Garba Shehu, on media and publicity."quoted the President saying;
"“I hope that due process was followed before such diversions were carried out. Taking money from one project to another has to be done properly,”

The  USD1.005 which was taken from China Exim Bank by the Nigerian Government represented by the then Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in September 2012 is left with USD 400 million. The loan was initially taken to construct a standard gauge rail line linking Lagos to Kano($500 million), Abuja Light Rail, four airport terminals($500million,) and the Galaxy Backbone ICT infrastructure ($100million). But was diverted.

The projects would have helped in improving transportation for residents of the affected areas and service delivery in education, health and empowerment of the youths in terms of job creativity.

National and Foreign Agencies Launched a Master  Plan to Checkmate Drug Use and Trafficking in Nigeria. 

The grand event of the recently held International day against drugs use and trafficking is the collaboration of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), launched the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) 2015-2019 to checkmate illegal trafficking of illicit drugs into the country. This is to assist international body to effectively schedule in the importation of all forms of drugs and harmful substances into the country.

The Director General of NAFDAC,  Dr. Paul Orhii, during his speech on the year's theme; ‘Let’s Develop Our Lives, Our Communities, Our Identities Without Drugs’ further explained the agenda of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), launched the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) saying:
“The NDCMP is a road map for battling drug issues in all ramifications, it is a carefully crafted document with four pillars namely law enforcement response to illicit drugs, access and control of illicit drugs, drug demand reduction and coordination mechanisms, and  the world drug report gives an analysis of the current drug situation in different countries of the world and the report is indispensable in making evidence-based policies in battling illicit drugs whose production, trafficking and abuse are dynamic in nature.”

I Belong to no Party says Obasanjo

The former President has declared that he will remain a statesman with no commitment to any political party in the nation while addressing a delegation in his residence at Abeokuta. And although he is presently not active in political activities anymore, he prays for good leadership to be the order of the day for Nigeria(n).

On the Foreign Scene
State of Emergency Declared as Protests Return to Ferguson

One year after the death of Micheal Brown, a black teenager, who was shot dead by white officer Darren Wilson, protests erupted again on Monday (10 of August) as protesters regrouped. Despite the shootings that led to the  hurt of an 18 year old  man, who is presently in a critical condition in a hospital, during the intended Sunday peaceful protest against race relation and the declaration of a State of Emergency. Protesters gathered together waving flags, shouting and beating drums close to the shooting site of Brown. This has created a strong tension between residents and police officers. However dozens of the protesters have been arrested.

Do have a fruit bearing day and don't forget "life is worth living and people worth loving." Cheers!