Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari Appoints New DG (Budget)

PRESIDENT BUHARI APPOINTS NEW DG (BUDGET), SPECIAL ADVISER, PLANNING

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Mr. Tijjani Mohammed Abdullahi  as the Director-General (Budget).

Mr. Abdullahi, a fellow of the Certified National Accountants of Nigeria, and a banker of repute with experience in managing public finance, will replace the current Director-General (Budget), Mr. Yahaya Gusau.

The new Director-General (Budget) is expected to work with the Minister of Budget and National Planning to efficiently deliver on the mandates of the Budget Office of the Federation.

President  Buhari has also approved the appointment of Mr Ben Ifeanyi Akabueze as the Special Adviser on Planning to the Minister of Budget and National Planning.

Mr Akabueze who is the immediate past Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget in Lagos State, has worked in senior management positions in Citi Bank, Fidelity Bank, United Bank for Africa, NAL Merchant Bank, Sterling Bank and BIA Consulting Limited, among others.

He is Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers; Fellow, Institute of Credit Administrators and Honorary Fellow, Chartered Institute of Bankers.



Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
February 15, 2015

A 404 Carats Diamond Is Found

Diamond weighing 404 carats is one of the largest ever found

A massive diamond among the largest ever discovered was recently unearthed in Angola, mining company Lucapa announced Monday.

At 404.2 carats, it measures about 7 cm across -- about the length of a credit card, Lucapa said.

It was mined by the Lulo Diamond Project, a partnership between Endiama, Angola's national diamond company, Lucapa Diamond Company, and a private investor, Rosas & Pétalas.

New York-based diamond retailer Yehuda tested the new diamond's color and clarity, according to Lucapa, and categorized it as a Type IIa stone -- meaning it's virtually flawless.

It's also D-colored, or entirely colorless, Lucapa said. That is the rarest -- and likely most valuable -- color grade for a white diamond, according to the Gemological Institute of America.

The Lulo Diamond Project began exploring a 1,148 square-mile plot of land in central Angola in 2015, and the area has so far produced more than 60 "large special diamonds," the company said.

Lucapa, a relatively tiny diamond exploration company, is traded on Australia's ASX stock exchange under the symbol LOM. It suspended trading a few days in advance of the announcement. When Lucapa resumed trading on Monday, its shares jumped 30%.

Chairman Miles Kennedy told ABC Australia that the historical find could be worth about $20 million.

Angola is the world's fourth biggest country for diamond production. The 404.2 carat gem is now the largest to ever come out of the country, topping the 217.4 carat gem found in 2007 and dubbed the "Angolan Star."

The world record was a 3,106 carat gem, called the "Cullinan." It weighed in at a massive 1.3 pounds and was discovered in South Africa in 1905. That stone was cut to adorn the royal sceptor, one of Britian's crown jewels, and is on display at the Tower of London.

"Cullinan" was nearly triple the size of the second largest diamond on record, which weighed 1,111 carats and was found in November 2014.

The diamond discovery announced Monday would make it the 27th largest diamond ever recorded.

--CNN's Justin Lear contributed to this report

BREAKING NEWS: HSBC Announces It'll Keep It's Headquarters In UK

UK banking giant HSBC has announced it is to keep its headquarters in London.

Concerned about stricter regulations in the UK, Europe's biggest bank launched a review into whether to move elsewhere last year.

But the bank said it had decided against the move and that London "offered the best outcome for our customers and shareholders".

HSBC is in the process of implementing a $5bn (£3.4bn) savings drive and cutting 8,000 jobs in the UK.

Credit: BBC

BREAKING NEWS: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Dies At 79

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, known for his fiery comments on and off the bench, has died, Texas' governor says. He was 79.

"Justice Antonin Scalia was a man of God, a patriot, and an unwavering defender of the written Constitution and the Rule of Law. He was the solid rock who turned away so many attempts to depart from and distort the Constitution," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. "We mourn his passing, and we pray that his successor on the Supreme Court will take his place as a champion for the written Constitution and the Rule of Law."

Scalia was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1986 under President Ronald Reagan, who named him as associate justice. A lawyer by trade, he entered public service in the 1970s as general counsel for President Richard Nixon and as the assistant attorney general.

President Muhammadu Buhari At Murtala Muhammed 40th Memorial Lecture

PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI ATTENDS MURTALA MUHAMMED 40TH MEMORIAL LECTURE AT THE TRANSCORPS HILTON ,ABUJA

R-L:President Muhammadu Buhari was welcomed by the Vice Chairman BOT, Murtala Muhammed Foundation, Lt General T.Y Danjuma, Taraba State Governor, Mr. Darius Dickson Ishaku, Daughter of Late Head of State Mrs. Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode and the Son of Late Head of State, Mr. Risqua Muhammed on arrival, at the Murtala Muhammed 40th Memorial Lecture held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

R-L;President Muhammadu Buhari was welcomed by the Son of Late Head of State, Mr. Risqua Muhammed on arrival, at the Murtala Muhammed 40th Memorial Lecture held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

L-R;  the Wife of Late Head of State, Mrs. Ajoke Muhammed, President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice Chairman BOT, Murtala Muhammed Foundation, Lt General T.Y.Danjuma, Daughter of late Head of State, Mrs Aisha Muhammed Oyebode and Son, Mr Risqua Muhammed at the Murtala Muhammed 40th Memorial Lecture held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

 President Muhammadu Buhari chats with the Wife of Late Head of State, Mrs. Ajoke Muhammed, at the Murtala Muhammed 40th Memorial Lecture held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

 2A-C. President Muhammadu Buhari speaking at the Murtala Muhammed 40th Memorial Lecture held at the Transcorp Hilton

3. L-R; Vice Chairman BOT, Murtala Muhammed Foundation, Lt General T.Y.Danjuma, President Muhammadu Buhari, Wife of Late Head of State, Mrs. Ajoke Muhammed, Member, BOT, Murtala Muhammed Foundation, Alhaji Ahmadu Yaro,  Daughter of late Head of State, Mrs Aisha Muhhamed Oyebode and Son, Mr Risqua Muhammed at the Murtala Muhammed 40th Memorial Lecture held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

 L-R; UN Special Envoy Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Vice Chairman BOT, Murtala Muhammed Foundation, Lt General T.Y.Danjuma, President Muhammadu Buhari, Wife of Late Head of State, Mrs. Ajoke Muhammed, Member, BOT, Murtala Muhammed Foundation, Alhaji Ahmadu Yaro,  Daughter of late Head of State, Mrs Aisha Muhammed Oyebode and Son, Mr Risqua Muhammed at the Murtala Muhammed 40th Memorial Lecture held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

 5. L-R; Vice Chairman BOT, Murtala Muhammed Foundation, Lt General T.Y.Danjuma, Wife of Late Head of State, Mrs. Ajoke Muhammed, President Muhammadu Buhari, Daughter of late Head of State, Mrs Aisha Muhammed Oyebode and Son Mr Risqua Muhammed at the Murtala Muhammed 40th Memorial Lecture held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

L-R; President Muhammadu Buhari, Daughter of late Head of State, Mrs Aisha Muhammed Oyebode, Son Mr Risqua Muhammed and grand children at the Murtala Muhammed 40th Memorial Lecture held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

7. President Muhammadu Buhari (m) with him are Lt General T.Y Danjuma, by UN Special Envoy Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the Wife of former Head of State, Late Gen Murtala Ramat Muhammed, Mrs Ajoke, Daughter Mrs Aisha Muhammed Oyebode, Son Mr Risqua Muhammed at the Murtala Muhammed 40th Memorial Lecture held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

8. President Muhammadu Buhari (m) with him are Lt General T.Y Danjuma, by UN Special Envoy Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the Wife of former Head of State, Late Gen Murtala Ramat Muhammed, Mrs Ajoke, Daughter, Mrs Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, Son Mr Risqua Muhammed and grand children at the Murtala Muhammed 40th Memorial Lecture held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

Facebook Boss, Mark Zuckerberg, Confessed Albert Einstein Is One Of His Heroes

Scientists just confirmed the detection of gravitational waves. This is one of the biggest discoveries of modern science.

Albert Einstein is one of my heroes, so I’ve been following this announcement closely. Einstein first predicted gravitational waves 100 years ago in his Theory of General Relativity. Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space-time created by the movement of mass. These are mostly too small to be detected, so we need to look for waves that begin with massive events like the Big Bang, the collapse of stars and the collision of black holes.

By analyzing the information contained in gravitational waves, we can now open up an entirely new view of the  cosmos -- potentially shedding light on the very earliest moments of the universe, as well as the creation and growth of black holes.

It’s inspiring to think about all the lives and effort, generation after generation, that have gone into uncovering this insight about our universe. Today’s breakthrough depended on the talent of brilliant scientists and engineers from many nations, but also advances in computing that only recently became possible. Congratulations to everyone who helped make this happen. You've made Einstein proud.

Russia Has Called NATO 's Move A Threat To Stability In Europe

MOSCOW — 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met the head of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, Friday after the Western military alliance and the United States announced plans for the biggest military build-up in Europe since the Cold War.

The United States is planning to quadruple military spending in Europe to $3.4 billion in 2017 as NATO increases troops on rotation and training, stockpiles military hardware and arms, and forms a rapid reaction force.

Russia has called NATO's moves a threat to stability in Europe. The military alliance says the news plans are aimed at reassuring eastern European allies concerned about Russian aggression.

Russia's military went on high alert and held snap drills in central and southern Russia near Ukraine as NATO defense ministers gathered in Brussels this week to hammer out steps to defend the Baltics and Eastern Europe.

"NATO defense ministers agreed on an enhanced forward presence in the eastern part of our alliance,” said Stoltenberg. “This will be multinational, to make clear that an attack against one ally is an attack against all allies, and that the alliance as a whole will respond."

FILE - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg addresses the media at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Nov. 24, 2015.

Russian state media described the NATO plan as saber-rattling.

Russia's Foreign Ministry called it a design to contain Russia and a threat to Europe.

"We do not understand what triggered those actions,” said spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. “We believe that they threaten not Russia itself but the strategic stability and security expected to prevail in Europe."

Russia’s envoy to NATO promised a military-technical response to the alliance's increased presence in Europe.

But Russian political analysts say they are not worried about a renewed arms race as NATO acts as a deterrent and poses little threat to nuclear-armed Russia.

“I think the expansion of NATO itself is more a geopolitical challenge to Russia because, this means the expansion of the U.S.-led alliance, zone of influence,” said Carnegie Moscow Center Director Dmitri Trenin. “Russians would say a zone of security. Others would say a zone of protection.”

Cynical Russians see the threat label as mutually beneficial to military budgets. "It's the mirror image for the Russian authorities,” said construction director Yakov Zaichik. “Now, the Russian authorities will use the situation to expand their forces, gain some experience, and for their election benefits.”

But most Russians echo the official line repeated on state television.

"I think the encroachment of a border is always a threat,” said engineer Yury Semonov. “Russia's not moving in on anybody's borders."

NATO limited relations with Moscow after Russian forces annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and began supporting pro-Russia rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Russia's military posturing and probing of its neighbors since has increased concerns about its intentions. NATO says Russian military jets have been turning off their transponders, skirting borders, and coming dangerously close to other airplanes. Moscow denies any aggression.

FILE - Servicemen load air-to-ground missiles onto a Sukhoi Su-25 jet fighter during a drill at the Russian southern Stavropol region, March 12, 2015.

NATO is reinstituting ambassador-level talks at the NATO-Russia Council, which was frozen in 2014, to increase transparency and prevent misunderstandings.

"It's something which we have used only sporadically and allies believe that it's a right time to perhaps try again,” said the Brussels-based Acting Head of the NATO Information Office in Moscow Robert Pszczel. “But, it does not mean a return full cooperation at this stage and it does not mean that we are establishing a new institution,” he added.

Tensions between Russia and NATO are not expected to ease until there is substantial progress on implementing Ukraine’s peace deal, the Minsk agreement.

“The sooner the Ukrainian crisis will be settled, the better,” said Retired Lieutenant-General Evgeny Buzhinsky at the Russian Center for Policy Studies. “That's the core of our disagreements and actually the basis of, I do (am) not afraid to use the word, confrontation.”

In the most serious incident since the Cold War, jets of NATO member Turkey in November shot down a Russian military plane along its border with Syria. Ankara says the Russian bomber ignored warnings and, as in previous incidents, crossed over the Turkish border. Moscow denied the bomber left Syrian airspace and called the downing a planned provocation.

NATO said Russia's continued air strikes in Syria since September in support of the Syrian government are undermining peace efforts, a charge Russia rejects.

In a sign of progress in Syria, Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced a cease-fire and humanitarian aid plan Thursday to take effect within a week.

Credit : VOA NEWS