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CLIMATE CHANGE: WINTER WEATHER HEADING FOR THE WEST

Another round of snow is in the forecast for the western half of the country, but this time we are forecasting feet for some areas.  Road trips for Thanksgiving holiday this weekend remains a concern for many as another round of snow forecast towards e western half of the country.

Over the weekend, winter weather alerts were issued and also in to the beginning of the new week as winter storm across the west. A bit of winter precipitation in Arizona with the weather advisory effect all through Sunday for Eastern and Northern Arizona.

Siskiyous, Cascades and Wasatch Mountains are expecting the greatest accumulation. At the mountainous areas one could see up to two feet of snow.  The Rockies also will get fair share of snow with at least half a foot in their forecast by the end of the weekend.

LAGOS: BEST SECURITY, SAFETY CONSCIOUS STATE IN AFRICA

Lagos emerges best security, safety conscious State in Africa at the award ceremony held in Johannesburg, South Africa organised by the Security Watch Africa (SWA).

The Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of Lagos State Police Command also emerged as the best anti-crime police squad in West Africa, while the RRS Commander, ACP Olatunji Disu took home the award of the most outstanding police operational officer in West Africa.

The awards were presented to officials of the State Government at the 2016 lecture series of SWA organized in partnership with Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa (SIGLA) and the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.

While receiving the award for the State on behalf of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello, thanked the organizers for recognizing Lagos State, saying that it was gratifying to note that the efforts of government on security were appreciated.

He said ever since emerging as Governor of Lagos State, Mr Ambode has made safety and security one of the focal objectives of his administration as he believes that there cannot be any development in the absence of security.

“I want to assure this gathering that Governor Ambode is very much committed to the security of lives and property of the people of the State and he is not tired of daily improving on the security situation in the State. The Governor believes that businesses cannot thrive in an environment devoid of safety and security, hence the massive efforts and initiatives geared toward security,” Bello said.
On his part, RRS Commander, who took time to lecture the gathering on the duties of the RRS, said being a unit of the Lagos State Police Command, the Squad is responsible for robberies and emergencies like collapsed building and other related situations.

He said the RRS is usually the first responders in emergency situation, adding that the Unit was also blessed with highly dedicated officials who carry out 24-hour job on a daily basis.

Speaking on the awards to RRS and to him, Disu said: “We like to appreciate the awards given to us and this will surely go a long way in motivating our men back home to know that everything they do is appreciated because the belief of an average police man in Nigeria is that police job is a thankless job and nobody appreciates what they do, but the awards will also spur us to better serve the people,” the RRS Commander said.

IT'S BLACK FRIDAY

Walmart, Target, Best Buy roll out Black Friday deals

Walmart, Target and Best Buy have rolled out their Black Friday plans.
Target (TGT) will open its doors at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

Best Buy (BBY) stores will open an hour earlier at 5 p.m. Best Buy will also close at 1 a.m. early Friday and reopen at 8 a.m.

And Walmart (WMT) will start a Black Friday event at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Most Walmart stores are open 24 hours.

All three major retailers are also announcing expanded plans for digital and in-store deals.

Related: Macy's is opening even earlier on Thanksgiving

Walmart says the majority of its Black Friday deals will be available on its website starting at 12:01 a.m. ET on Thanksgiving. It's advertising HDTVs from $125 to $398, drones for as little as $30 and more than 750 DVDs and Blu-ray movies starting at $1.96.

Best Buy is offering hundreds of dollars in savings on Macbook Airs and DSLR cameras. The company is also selling video games for less than $30 and the Fitbit Charge 2 for less than $130, savings of $30 and $20, respectively.

Related: Amazon to customers: Start shopping

Target, meanwhile, is offering a selection of deals through Thursday, including 30% off shoes and 25% off Apple TV models. The company says it is also bringing back its 10 Days of Deals and Black Friday Presale promotions.

PRESIDENTIAL AIRCRAFT GIVEN TO THE MILITARY RECENTLY HAS CRASHED

Presidential Aircraft Crashes in Makurdi, Benue due to lack of expertise

Agusta AW 101, one of the presidential aircraft recently given to the military, has crashed at the Nigerian Air Force base in Makurdi, Benue State.

The plane, a medium-lift helicopter specially designed for military operations, reportedly crashed due to poor training of crew members who manned its operation, according to a report.

The rate of casualties is currently unknown and there is no official statement from the Nigerian army.

Extent of the damage, still very sketchy. The aircraft was repainted after hand over from the initial white and green to camouflage.

MONTHLY ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION EXERCISE CANCELLED IN LAGOS

The Lagos State Government has cancelled the monthly environmental sanitation exercise held every last Saturday of the month, following resolution arrived at in Wednesday’s Executive Council meeting which approved the need for a review of the environmental laws and procedures in the state in order to meet the present day challenges and to promote a clean and healthy.

The statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde said “It is no longer appropriate to restrict movement of people for three hours in a mega city like Lagos at a time they should be pursuing commercial and entrepreneurial activities.

“In the last two decades, Lagos has grown exponentially into a mega city with the attendant huge environmental problems associated with managing a population of over twenty million people.

“But sadly, the environmental laws, policies and procedures being practiced in the State have not been able to match the phenomenal growth and the dream of a 24-hour economy, hence the need for the reform.”

Ayorinde said the State Government was aware of a recent Court of Appeal judgment.

He said that the thrust of the fresh initiatives, among others, is to promote holistic and modern solutions to the unique environmental challenges confronting the State, while encouraging citizens to voluntarily partner with government to achieve the desired goals.

It said,  “After a careful consideration, the State Executive Council has therefore resolved that the present economic climate can no longer support the continued lock down of a mega city like Lagos, when the citizens should be free to engage in commercial and entrepreneurial activities that can promote economic growth and prosperity.

“Furthermore, Government will also accelerate the introduction of fresh reforms through the passage of the new harmonized environmental laws that will drive meaningful changes in areas of harmonized billing, waste management, modern Landfill sites, noise pollution, introduction of an Environmental Trust Fund and an Environmental Advisory Council.

“The Government wishes to reiterate its strong commitment to a clean and secure environment for the benefit of its citizens, and will continue to provide the necessary leadership to meet the environmental challenges of a mega city like Lagos. Lagosians and visitors alike are therefore urged to embrace these changes and imbibe a culture of voluntarily maintaining and preserving their environment to create a beautiful and healthy city that we all can be proud of.”


The statement added that the State Government would henceforth be tougher in ensuring expeditious enforcement against contraventions of its policies and regulations and as such, residents should voluntarily comply with the necessary laws and support government in its bid to have a clean and healthy environment

DSS STORMS NAICOM

Department of State Security, DSS, in Abuja, stormed National Association of Insurance Commissioners, NAICOM headquarters today, took away the Commissioner of Insurance, Mohammed Kari, into custody. Reason for arrest, still sketchy.

The operatives of the Nigerian Secret Service who earlier arrested judges suspected to be corrupt in a sting operation have whisked away another public official away.

Expecting more details on the development as further made available.

VIDEO: WOMAN CAUGHT VICIOUSLY SLAPPING A NEWBORN BABY

The woman caught beating and slapping a baby in a video that went viral last week has been identified as the biological mother of the newborn and not a nanny as most people assumed.

She is Aygul Kozabahaevna and has since been arrested by the Police in the Central Asian Republic of Uzbekistan.

Her reaction some said is related to post-pastum depression, simply put as mental illness.

SENATE: KACHIKWU TO BE SUMMONED OVER $115bn CHINA, INDIA DEALS

Senate to summon Kachikwu over $115bn China, India deals

The Senate on Tuesday said it will probe into Nigeria’s recent oil deal with India, which worths over $80bn and another with China worth $15bn, with an additional $20bn deal with China’s two biggest petroleum companies.

The upper chamber of the National Assembly has therefore mandated its Committees on Petroleum (Upstream), Petroleum (Downstream), Petroleum (Gas) and Foreign Affairs to summon the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, to explain the details of the deals.

The move was made following a motion moved by the lawmaker representing Edo-Central Senatorial District, Senator Clifford Ordia, titled, ‘The Need for a Detailed Explanation of the $15bn Proposed MoU with Indian Government and Over $80bn MoU Signed by Minister of State for Petroleum Resources with Chinese Firms.’

“The Senate observes that outside these (MoU for $80bn investments), the two largest oil companies in China, Sinopec and CNOOC, signed investment MoUs with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, committing the companies to further investments in Nigeria’s upstream oil sub-sector to the tune of $20bn,” Ordia said while moving the motion.

The senator said the Senate was aware that the Minister of State for Petroleum negotiated a $15bn investment with India, where the Indian government would make an upfront payment to Nigeria for crude oil purchases.

He said, “The Senate is further aware that the two countries have agreed to sign an Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate investments by India in the Nigerian oil and gas sector, and specifically in areas such as refining, oil and gas marketing, upstream ventures, the development of gas infrastructure and in the training of oil and gas personnel in Nigeria.

“The Senate notes that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources also carried out a road show in China, where a Memorandum of Understanding worth over $80bn to be spent on investments in oil and gas infrastructure, pipelines, refineries, power, facility refurbishments and upstream financing spanning five years were signed with Chinese companies.”

CBN, NOT PART OF MOVE TO JAIL HOARDERS

The Central Bank of Nigeria has denied being a party to a legislation that seeks to bar citizens from holding foreign currencies for more than 30 days.

The Nigerian Law Reform Commission had recommended a review of the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Act to the Senate.  It recommended that people who have foreign currencies in their possession for more than 30 days should be jailed for up to two years or pay a fine of 20 per cent of the amount.

Reacting, the Acting Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, Mr. Isaac Okorafor, denied knowledge of the proposed clause recommending a jail term of two years for any holder of foreign exchange in cash or a fine of 20 per cent of the amount.

He stressed that the apex bank, in line with its mandate, was committed to safeguarding the international value of the country’s legal tender.

He said, “To the best of my knowledge, the Central Bank of Nigeria has not proposed any bill seeking to arrest and jail persons holding foreign exchange for more than 30 days.”

He also denied that the CBN was planning to confiscate funds in domiciliary accounts of individuals, saying such a claim was false.