Italian authorities have refused permission for a rescue ship carrying six hundred and twenty-nine migrants dock.

The move was based on the orders of Italy’s new Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, who had promised during recent general election to take a tough stance against migration.

Malta has also declined to accept the Aquarius and the migrants on board, many of many of whom are children, thereby leaving it stranded in the Mediterranean.

Meanwhile; the ship has been instructed by the Italian Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre to stand by in its current position, between Italy and Malta.

A German charity organization known as SOS Méditerranée said the migrants on the stranded ship were picked up in six different rescue operations off Libya's coast.

Among those saved are one hundred and twenty-three unaccompanied minors, eleven younger children and seven pregnant women.

President Muhammadu Buhari has so far signed into law five constitution amendment bills that were recently passed by the Eighth National Assembly.

You will recall that President BUHARI had during his Democracy Day broadcast declared his resolve to sign the “Not Too Young to Run” legislation on the reduction of age limits for elective positions, which he did a few days after.

President Buhari has additionally signed another constitution amendment bill that restricts the Vice President or the Deputy State Governor who completes the tenure of a President or Governor from contesting for the same position more than once.

This was confirmed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, while briefing newsmen at the State House in Abuja.

Senator Enang said President Buhari also signed another Constitution Amendment Bill that grants financial autonomy to the judiciaries and legislatures of the various states.

Another Constitution Amendment Act that provides sufficient time for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct bye-elections from seven to twenty-one days was also signed by the President.

The President equally signed the Act that reduces the date and time of determining pre-election matters.

Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo has cried out that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has placed his name on the watch list because of his recent frank comments.

South –south and middle belt leaders have demanded the removal of the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, noting that there were “accumulated indications” that he might rig the election in favour of President Muhammadu Buhari

The Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, has cautioned ministries, departments and agencies against turning down treasury staff posted to them.

Idris warned that there would be consequences for MDAs involved in such action, including denial of access to the public payment platform manned by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

The AGF gave this indication in Abuja when he received in audience the management team of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, led by the Acting Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive, Doctor Aliyu Maje Adanan.

The outcome of the meeting was relayed through a statement signed by the Head of Press and Public Relations in the Office of the Account General of the Federation, Oise Johnson.

President Muhmmadu Buhari and the King of Morocco have reportedly signed a joint declaration on the onshore and offshore gas pipeline deal.

Reuters news agency quoted the Moroccan state news agency reporting that the declaration marks a step forward on the implementation of an agreement reached in December, 2016.

The project is under the supervision of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and Morocco’s National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines.

The gas pipeline project, for which feasibility studies had already been done, will stretch over a distance of five thousand, six hundred and sixty kilometers, and executed in phases over a period of twenty-five years.

The next step is the launch a front-end engineering design by Nigeria and Morocco, which would also involve countries that will be crossed by the pipeline in the Economic Community of West African States, and to determine the amount of gas available for export to European off-takers.

The joint declaration further stated that the next phase also provides for assessing the financial cost and seeking funding from development banks.

The report further disclosed that Nigeria and Cameroon have also signed a cooperation agreement on agricultural vocational training.

President Muhammadu Buhari has departed Abuja on a two-day working visit to Morocco.

President Buhari travelled on the invitation of the King of Morocco; His Royal Majesty, King Mohammed The Sixth.

During his stay in the capital, Rabat, President Buhari would engage his host on discussions on socio-economic matters affecting both countries.

The meeting is a follow-up to previous engagements in December 2016, when the Moroccan monarch paid an official visit to Nigeria.

They would also be looking at ways to strengthen existing agreements on the fertilizer industry, education cooperation.

Both leaders would also advance discussions on the proposed Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project and establishment of a chemical platform to harness Nigeria’s vast natural gas resources and support Morocco’s diammonium phosphate industry.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, also disclosed in a statement that the President is accompanied by Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State and other senior government officials.

Rafael Nadal claimed an eleventh French Open title with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 demolition of Dominic Thiem despite a worrying injury scare in the closing stages of the final.

The thirty-two year-old world number one now has seventeen Grand Slam titles, just three behind great rival Roger Federer.

Nadal endured a nervous conclusion to the final, however, when he needed treatment in the fourth game of the third set for a finger injury before sealing victory on a fifth match point when Thiem fired a backhand long.

Popular reggae artiste, Ras Kimono, is dead.

It was gathered that Ras Kimono was rushed to a hospital in Ikoyi, Lagos after he slumped on Saturday and later died on Sunday.

Official of the Copyright Society of Nigeria, COSON, Tony Okoroji further confirmed that that he had visited the legendary reggae musician in the hospital.

Ras Kimono rose to stardom after the release of his debut album ‘Under Pressure’ in the late ‘80s.

The Federal Government has dismissed claims that its new excise duty rates on alcoholic beverages and tobacco were targeted at local manufacturers.

The Federal Ministry of Finance explained that the new excise duty rates approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, which came into effect from Monday, 4th June, 2018, were meant to achieve the dual benefit of raising revenue to support growth and reducing the health hazards associated with tobacco-related diseases and alcohol abuse.

A statement from the Finance Ministry, which was signed by the Director of Information, Hassan Dodo, noted that there is currently a sixty percent duty rate imposed on imported alcoholic beverages and tobacco as part of measures by the Government to encourage local production and protect the local manufacturing industry.

Dodo said other locally excisable products such as non-alcoholic beverages, cosmetics, perfumes, corrugated papers or paper boards and cartons have no excise duties.

The official said the approved excise duty rates followed all-encompassing engagements with key industry stakeholders by the Tariff Technical Committee, of which Manufacturers Association of Nigeria is a member.

He said the Federal Government remains committed to the industrialization agenda and shall continue to put in place fiscal policy measures to protect local manufacturers and stimulate the growth of the economy.

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