ANTI-GAY LAW: SWEDEN SUSPENDED FINANCIAL AID TO UGANDA

Sweden has suspended some of its financial aid to Uganda over a law that toughened punishment for gay people, becoming the fourth donor to do so, its government said in a statement. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed an anti-gay bill in late February that strengthens already strict laws against homosexuals by imposing a life sentence for certain violations and making it a crime to not report anyone who breaks the law. "Swedish aid is not unconditional. The Government is therefore now choosing to suspend government-to-government payments still due under our current strategy for Uganda, with the exception of research cooperation," Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Hillevi Engström said . Sweden follows the World Bank, Norway and Denmark, who have withheld or diverted aid totalling about $110m. The United States, the biggest Western donor, says it is reviewing ties. Sebastian Tham, spokesman for the ministry, said Sweden would immediately cut planned aid worth 6.5 million kronor ($1m) to the Ugandan government. Continued donor cuts to east Africa's third biggest economy are stirring fears of capital flight and are forcing Uganda to look to alternative sources for funding its budget, for which donors make up 20 percent. The aid suspensions have rattled the Ugandan shilling, prompting the central bank to intervene and sell dollar to the market on three occasions after Museveni signed the law. The central bank has also said a decline in foreign aid was a source of uncertainty for the economy, and that it would continue to intervene in the foreign exchange market to stem volatility as it had sufficient reserves to do so, amounting to about $3bn.

Source: Reuters

FG APPROVES NEW REFORMS AND E-PASSPORT FEES

The Federal Government on Thursday in Abuja announced major reforms and costs in all the categories of the Nigerian e-passport.

The reforms are contained in a statement signed by the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr David Parradang.

The statement stated that the approval was conveyed to the service in a letter dated Feb. 5, 2014, from the Ministry of Interior.

According to the statement, with the approval of the new fees and categories of e-passport, a 64-page frequent travellers passport would be obtained at N20,000.

It also said that passports for 18 to 60 year-olds would go for N15,000 while those for people below 18 years as well as 60 years and above would be procured at N8,750,also  the charges for change of data/lost passport which would cost N20,000.

Moreover, change of names due to marriage, divorce and death of spouse would be effected at N8,750 while change of data on request would attract N30,000 as processing fees.

“The reform also accommodates frequent travellers, forestalls identity theft and conforms to international best practice,’’ it said.

The statement also said that the effective date for the new passport would be announced soon.

SOURCE: NAN

BLOG WITH FURY: K1 de ULTIMATE GIVES HIS BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER HIDAYA...

BLOG WITH FURY: K1 de ULTIMATE GIVES HIS BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER HIDAYA...: Fuji sensation, Otunba Wasiu Anifowoshe aka K1 who  celebrated his 57th birthday   Tuesday, March 4 also, wedded one of his daughters, H...

K1 de ULTIMATE GIVES HIS BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER HIDAYAT OUT IN MARRIAGE

Fuji sensation, Otunba Wasiu Anifowoshe aka K1 who  celebrated his 57th birthday Tuesday, March 4 also, wedded one of his daughters, Hidayat same day.

The wedding was conducted in the Islamic/traditional way. We,Blog with fury’ wishes the couple happy married life.
Meanwhile two more daughters of his will also tie the knot this week.

REUBEN ABATI AGAIN: CLAIMING THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS WINNING WAR AGAINST BOKO-HARAM

Reuben Abati, the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Media and Publicity, has come all out to say that the Federal Government is winning the war against terrorist Islamic militant sect, Boko Haram.

Abati made this known on Al-Jazeera interactive programme ‘The Steam’ hosted by renowned journalist Femi Oke. According to him, he said thus: “The government is winning the war against Boko Haram. The violence has reduced compared to the situation a year ago. Nigerians go to church with fear and trepidation every Sunday but that does not happen anymore.”

Reuben who was on the programme with a serving senator, Ahmad Khalifa, Aminu Gamuwa, and Babatunde Rosanwo, was taken aback when  Rosanwo said “the government must come down to the level of its citizens; they are the ones that are being killed.” And that “The government is definitely not winning the war against Boko Haram,” he said. ‘’You need to stop this centenary nonsense,” he said. “How can you celebrate when forty three kids were killed? What stops Mr. President from visiting Borno?” he asked rhetorically

Senator Khalifa agreed with Rosanwo saying the government has failed in protecting the lives and property of citizens in the affected areas. He punctured Abati’s argument saying the insurgents are within the community – a notion contrary to the official stance of the government which suggests that the Islamic militant sect adopts a cross-border guerrilla attack strategy.

Rosanwo stated that the president needs to show some empathy to the victims of Boko Haram in Yobe, Borno and Bauchi by paying a visit to the region instead of sitting put in Abuja.
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Abati, like other political jobbers before  him countered ,saying citizens  especially a serving senator, should be careful not to make statements that are capable of demoralizing the troops fighting against insurgents. He assured Nigerians of the commitment of President Goodluck Jonathan to the security of every citizen.

It will be recall that Suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked Jakana town in Konduga local government area of Borno State, killing no fewer than 42 people. Jakana is just 10 kilometres from Mainok, the village attacked by the terrorists on Saturday and which lost 39 people.

A MAN RAPED HIS 15-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER CLAIMING HE WAS DIRECTED BY 'SPIRIT' TO DO SO

What are really the problems of Nigerian men?  In Nigeria, that is the place you will see a man of God messing around with somebody’s wife, there you will be hearing them talking about holly spirit as if they were there when God created the holy spirit.

A middle aged man Pedro Anagbe, has been arrested in Lagos and charged to court after reports that he raped his teenage daughter. The accused has been arraigned before a Magistrate court sitting in the Ebute Metta area of the state and is facing charges bordering on forceful sexual intercourse.

 Pedro  Anegbe is said to have stated that he raped his 15-year-old daughter because a ‘spirit’ asked him to do so in order to get a job; while pleading innocent to rape, said he had started hearing the voice after he lost his job that told him to damage some things and rape his daughter.

The incident is said to have occurred at the family residence on Ifelodun Street , Fatolu ,Ipaja area of Lagos.

According to the Investigating Police Officer, Bakare Murtala , “The defendant is the biological father of  the girl. She told us her father had sexually harassed her. We questioned him on his daughter’s allegation and he confessed to the crime. He said he had raped her twice.”

CHIDI MOKEME EXPLAINED WHY HE LIVES SEPARATELY FROM HIS PRETTY WIFE

That Chidi Mokeme , Nollywood big boy and his wife, Jean, have been living separately since they wedded in April 28, 2012 is no longer news.

 While Jean has remained in her US base, Chidi Mokeme ‘stay put’ in his father land Nigeria.

However, In a recent interview he granted ‘ Yes Magazine’ Chidi had this to say: ‘’Well, when I met my wife, this was our default setting. Let me put it like that. Our default setting was that I live in Nigeria and my wife lives in America and then we started a relationship and decided to take the relationship further and decided we were gonna be man and wife.

So, having taken that decision and having crossed that level, the next thing is to find a way to ease into a location. Everybody knows that you don’t just pack your bag and move in one day. There are things that need to be sorted, relocation needs to be sorted. So, we are taking our time with it.

 But then again, by virtue of my job, I have a pretty much very flexible timing. I own my time, I decide when to work, when not to work. So, really, I can be with my wife anytime, every time I so desire and it makes it easy. If I work 9-5, then we will always have to wait for when someone was on leave the whole year round, if I want, just to be with my wife.’’