Africa Business Radio

The US justice department says that $26.6m seized from Equatorial Guinea's Vice-President Teodorin Nguema Obiang Mangue will be spent on Covid vaccines and other medical programmes in the West African state.An official in a statement says wherever possible, kleptocrats will not be allowed to retain the benefits of corruption.The justice department says the agreement stated that $10.3m of the money from the sale would be forfeited to the US and the rest would be distributed to a charity or other organisation for the benefit of the people of Equatorial Guinea, The UN is to receive $19.25m to purchase and administer Covid vaccines to at least 600,000 people in Equatorial Guinea, while a US-based charity is to get $6.35m for other medical programmes in Equatorial Guinea.

The United States has urged Somalia’s president and prime minister to resolve their differences for the sake of the stability of the country.A statement by State Department’s spokesperson Ned Price says they call on the President and the Prime Minister to avoid further provocative statements and to resolve their disagreement over personnel appointments and their respective authorities peacefully.The US says that any further delay may increase the potential for violence and plays into the hands of al-Shabab and other extremist groups seeking to destabilise the country.

Former President Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial which has been rescheduled a number of times are due to resume on Tuesday in a Pietermaritzburg high court.Mr Zuma is facing a string of charges in connection with a multibillion-dollar arms deal in which he is accused of accepting bribes from a French company Thales in the 1990s.Both Zuma and the arms company have denied the accusations.He insists that his court cases are politically motivated, but has provided no evidence of this.

The Central Bank of Nigeria says significant growth in non-oil tax receipts in April, prompted by the gradual return of business activities to pre-COVID-19 levels, led to a 28.2 per cent increase in the federal government’s revenue, relative to the preceding month, raising the government’s revenue to N1.106 trillion.The CBN in its monthly economic report for April posted on its website reveals that at N1.106 trillion, the federation receipt in April 2021 outpaced both the budget benchmark and collections in March 2021 by 28.2 per cent and 7.9 per cent, respectively.The report attributed the diminished share of oil to the meagre remittance of N3.79 billion from crude oil and gas exports, compared with N52.50 billion in the 2021 budget estimate.

The Federal Government says Nigeria’s resolve to remain as one indivisible entity is unshakable, in spite of the various challenges facing the nation.Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says it is an incontrovertible fact that Nigeria, over the years, has gone through challenging times, but the country must not miss the fact that its resolve to remain as one indivisible entity has remained unshaken.He says that the youth especially needed a re-awakening voyage into the historical and unique heritage of the country and the secrets behind its unity in diversity.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, says the Nigeria Government is not interested in naming and shaming sponsors of terrorism.Adesina stated that the government would rather prosecute financiers of insurgency in court.He says naming and shaming will not be the motive but bringing criminals to justice will be it.He explained that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the National Intelligence Agency and other security agencies were working to get verifiable evidence against the suspects before their arraignment in court.

Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has faulted the anti-open grazing policy adopted by some state governments in the country.The governor believes the programme is not working adding that they are not just going with the crowd about Anti-Grazing law. He says the northern governors have decided and that the current method of open grazing is old-fashioned, outdated, and cannot be sustained.

The Sokoto State government has shut down telecommunications networks in 14 of the 23 local government areas of the state.The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Aminu Tambuwal, Muhammad Bello says the order was in response to the situation of insecurity in the eastern flank of Sokoto State.Bello stated that 13 of the local governments were initially affected by the Security Challenges Order approved on September 1.He explained that the order led to the closure of some roads to motorists, suspension of animal trades, prohibition of transportation of cattle, as well as transportation of more than three persons on motorcycles and tricycles, among others.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has signed the bill prohibiting open grazing in Lagos into law.The governor assented to the bill at the Lagos House on Monday.The Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa commended his colleagues for their passion to see that the state continues to grow.The Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu, says the governors agreed on a deadline for the promulgation of anti-open grazing law among its member states.

The United Nations Security Council has urged Somalia’s feuding government leaders to resolve their disagreements through dialogue and give top priority to holding long-delayed national elections this year.The body in a statement also called on the federal government and regional states to ensure that any political differences do not divert from united action against al-Shabab and other militant groups.The text approved by all council members followed emergency consultations on Somalia’s worsening political crisis, which has raised regional and international concerns that elections could be threatened and the wider region could face further destabilisation.Council members expressed deep concern about the ongoing disagreement within the Somali government and the negative impact on the electoral timetable and process.

A Taliban leader has urged action and help from the international community, including donor agencies, to help displaced Afghans ahead of the approaching winter.The United Nations’ World Food Programme, says as famine and drought In recent days, Afghanistan may face an impending humanitarian crisis if aid and resources are not delivered to the country.The Taliban’s minister for refugees, Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani, says while thousands of people were internally displaced, there was now peace in Afghanistan and everyone could return home.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned against interference from external forces in the region, as Australia shrugged off Beijing’s growing anger about its decision to acquire US nuclear-powered submarines, and promised to defend the rule of law in airspace and waters where China has staked hotly-contested claims.Xi urged heads of state to absolutely resist external forces to interfere in countries in their region at any excuse and hold the future of our countries’ development and progress firmly in their hands.China’s state-owned publication Global Times also described Australia as a pawn of the US and called it naive for financing America’s cold war gambit.

US President Joe Biden has signed an executive order to allow targeted sanctions to be imposed against individuals and groups perpetrating violence and impeding humanitarian aid in Ethiopia.But it is the strongest warning yet from the US government against those committing rights abuses or blocking aid in Ethiopia.President Biden also called on all parties to the conflict in the northern Tigray region to negotiate.The US imposed sanctions against the Chief of Staff of the Eritrean Defence Forces last month, for his involvement in the Tigray conflict.

The Islamic State group says it carried out attacks committed up to two months ago in the Sahel - but failed to comment on the reported death of its regional leader there.The group and its jihadist rival al-Qaeda are blamed for most attacks in the region, including the targeted killing of French aid workers in 2020.The IS group's weekly newspaper, al-Naba, claimed attacks against the army and pro-army "militias" in Niger, against al-Qaeda rivals in Mali and Burkina Faso, and against spies in Mali - covering a period between early July and early September.The group reiterated that such delays were caused by the security and technical circumstances affecting the mujahidin on the ground.

Burundian rebels say they launched an overnight attack on the airport in the commercial capital Bujumbura.The RED-Tabara group said it fired mortars and fought the military for more than an hour.Airport staff said they heard shelling and shooting but that air traffic was not disrupted.A spokesman for Burundi's army said he was not aware of an attack.The incident occurred hours before President Evariste Ndayishimiye was due to fly to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

The Speaker of the House of the Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, says that the current review of the 1999 constitution by the National Assembly would not produce a perfect constitution, stressing that there is no such thing anywhere in the world.The speaker stated that the National Assembly would deliver a constitution that would hold institutions of state to account and put an end to the debilitating conflicts that continue to tear the nation apart.He says Nigeria was created from the forced union of tribes and peoples without consideration for the complex cultures and histories of the communities and kingdoms that made up the union.He, however, said that Nigerians have the power to write a new chapter of peace and prosperity, justice and equity for the country that would give every Nigerian a sense of belonging.

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele says the apex bank is ready to approve legitimate foreign exchange demand that exceeds the approved transaction cap if such applications meet stipulated requirements.The CBN governor says the CBN was ready to approve requests from commercial banks to go beyond the caps if it is proven that the extra demand for FX is for legitimate purposes.He further insisted that the Investors and Exporters Window of the central bank remains the major market which anyone seeking to procure or sell foreign exchange should patronise.

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of the Board and Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited with Senator Ifeanyi Ararume as Chairman.The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity in a statement says the President appointed the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr Mele Kyari, as the Chief Executive Officer, adding that his principal acted in accordance with the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.

The Federal Government has imposed travel restrictions on passengers who shun the COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction test.Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha says that the restrictions came into effect on September 14.He explained that passengers arriving in Nigeria must go through the routine port health screening and present electronic or print-out evidence of pre-boarding COVID-19 PCR test and the Permit to Travel Certificate/QR Code.The SGF says passengers who fail to show up for this test will face travel restrictions on their passports for at least six months and will not be able to travel abroad for this period.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has reacted to the Federal Government’s plan to source fresh loans, saying borrowing to accumulate debt for the next generation is criminal.Obasanjo noted that if the existing debt is left unserviced or unpaid, it might become a problem for successive administrations.He stated that what could be a problem would be what one is borrowing for and the plan or capacity to pay back.The ex-president recalled that during his tenure in 1999, the country was spending $3.5 billion to service debts that kept on increasing.