NEWS
Wipe terrorists off, Buhari charges military officers
President Muhammadu Buhari has charged Nigerian military officers to fight terrorists and wipe them off the face of the earth.
Buhari spoke in Jaji, Kaduna State at the graduation ceremony of 247 students of the Senior Course 44 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College.
Full text of his speech:
I am delighted to once again visit the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji Nigeria, on the occasion of the Graduation Ceremony of Senior Course 44.
2.Command and Staff courses hold great promise to the careers of mid-level officers of the Armed Forces. They prepare officers for tactical and operational level leadership, focusing on national security, joint planning processes, interagency cooperation and operations as well as multinational integration.
3.I am pleased to note that you have since inception of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji, over 40 years, steadfastly kept faith with the ideals of the College.
4. The Armed Forces Command and Staff College has been pivotal to the achievements of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. Furthermore the College provides a broad platform for training of members of the Armed Forces of friendly countries and Senior Course 44 is no exception.
5.This Graduation is a milestone in the careers of the 247 graduating students today. You have made a success of this Course after 48 daunting weeks and I say to you all, Congratulations!
6.It is particularly gratifying to note that amongst the graduating students are international officers from sister African countries. Gentlemen, I am confident that you have enjoyed our friendliness during your stay here. I am also sure you would have observed that despite our diversity and challenges, Nigeria is still one of the most hospitable and enjoyable countries to visit and stay.
7.Your participation on the Course is a further testimony of our national security aspirations to promote international peace, friendship and cooperation. To the graduating students from Nigeria’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies, you have indeed justified the confidence reposed in you by your respective organizations. Congratulations!
8.We must specially commend the spouses of the graduands here for keeping the home front and without whose sacrifices there would have been no celebrations for many here today.
9.Most of the security challenges facing the world today are both asymmetric and trans-border in nature, involving mainly non-state actors in different regions and sub-regions of the world. The West African sub-region and indeed our beloved continent of Africa are not immune to these threats.
10.We have witnessed recent terrorist attacks in Nigeria bearing the hallmark of national and trans-border insurgents trying to cause havoc in Nigeria as well as in neighbouring countries. It will be part of your duty to confront these terrorists and insurgents and wipe them off the face of the earth and bring peace to our countries.
11.Consequently, the specifics of your training which focused primarily on countering these security threats are important. Combating these prevalent security threats effectively demands that African countries continue to work together at all levels; be it tactical, operational and strategic.
12.To this end, the ongoing collaboration of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Cameroun, Niger Republic and Chad in a multinational operation to combat the Boko Haram Insurgency in the Lake Chad region has been productive and particularly commendable and successful.
13.The synergy achieved in operating together must have been enhanced by an understanding of the doctrines of the cooperating forces.
14.This occasion provides me another opportunity to briefly reflect on the state of the Nigerian nation, particularly regarding national security. The last 12 years have been very challenging for our nation, considering the different security threats that have besieged the country.
15.Our government is poised to promote national security and development, as well as to remain committed to promoting a vision of a secure, safe, just, peaceful, prosperous and strong Nigeria.
16.We shall be employing all elements of our national power in ensuring security, a just society, peaceful coexistence, national unity and sustainable development while promoting our good standing internationally.
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17.The Armed Forces of Nigeria are working tirelessly to enhance their combat effectiveness, operational capability and training necessary to eliminate the threats, in synergy with other institutions and nations. The response of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to the Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, militancy, kidnapping as well as the activities of separatists and armed militias amongst others have been commendable. This government will continue to provide the required guidance and support to ensure that the desired results are achieved.
18.I am duly informed that in recent times, a lot of work has been done to expand and upgrade the facilities of the College. This is to provide a conducive and amenable environment that is fit for purpose.
19.This, you are complementing by ensuring that the College’s curricula speak to the critical needs of the knowledge, skills and aptitudes of the officers to face the dynamic contemporary national security challenges.
20.Your efforts are maintaining the status of the College as a mid-level military training institution of repute. I therefore commend the College Board as well as the Commandant and staff for these remarkable achievements.
21.This government will continue to support the College in its developmental strides. My administration will also continue to give priority to the training and welfare of officers and men of our Armed Forces.
22.Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, let me now return to our graduating students in whose honour we are gathered here today. You, the graduating students, should realize that the nation has made a lot of investment in your training up to this stage of your respective careers.
23.I am confident that you have been sufficiently groomed in character and learning to take-up the challenges you will be confronted with hereafter.
24.For the Nigerian graduating students amongst you, the graduation today is a clarion call to duty in service to our country. Nigeria expects the very best from you in terms of loyalty, commitment to duty and service to your fatherland.
25.Therefore, you must endeavour to make honest and positive contributions in the discharge of the constitutional responsibilities of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, your strategic Ministries, Department and Agencies and be good ambassadors of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College.
26.Let me once again congratulate the Commandant and his team for transforming these graduating students into the highly refined products they have become today. I also congratulate your families whom I expect would be proud of your successful completion of this Senior Course. I want to thank them once again for always holding the home front together as you are moved from place to place as duty calls. We must all join hands and play our part in order to take our country Nigeria to its rightful place of peace and prosperity.
27.I thank you all for listening and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Tanzania is mourning following the death of Hafidh Ameir Hassan, husband of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who died on Monday while receiving treatment at a hospital in Zanzibar.
The death of Tanzania’s First Gentleman was officially announced by Vice-President Deogratius Ndejembi, according to the BBC.
Ndejembi said Ameir had been suffering from a heart condition and died at about 8am local time at the Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital in Zanzibar.
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He added that funeral arrangements were underway in Kizimkazi, a village on Zanzibar.
Ameir, an agricultural academic, largely kept a low public profile and rarely appeared alongside his wife at official events.
He became Tanzania’s first First Gentleman after Samia assumed the presidency in March 2021.
The couple married in 1978, before Samia entered national politics, and had four children — three sons and a daughter.
Their daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, is a politician and serves in Zanzibar’s House of Representatives.
Ruto, AU mourn First Gentleman
Kenyan President William Ruto expressed his condolences to President Samia and her family following the death.
In a message posted on X on Monday, Ruto said, “I have received with deep sorrow the news of the passing of Hafidh Ameir Hassan, husband of Her Excellency Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania.”
He added, “President Samia has lost a lifelong companion, her children a beloved father, and Tanzania a distinguished son.”
Ruto further said, “Kenya stands with our Tanzanian brothers and sisters in this moment of grief,” while praying for the bereaved family.
The African Union Commission Chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, also extended his condolences to President Samia, her family and the people of Tanzania.
In a statement issued on Monday, Youssouf said the AU conveyed its “deepest condolences” over the passing of Hafidh Ameir Hassan and wished the bereaved family “strength, courage and solace.”
The AU Chairperson also prayed for the peaceful repose of the deceased, concluding, “Inalilahi wainailehi rajiun.”
The average price of diesel in the United States has climbed to a record high, adding to growing pressure on businesses and consumers as disruptions to fuel supplies continue amid the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), diesel prices reached a new record on Monday, rising by about 30 cents from the average recorded just one week earlier.
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Diesel is widely used in road transportation, agriculture and construction, making the sharp increase a major concern for truckers, farmers and other businesses that rely heavily on the fuel.
The latest surge comes as the ongoing conflict has disrupted tanker shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, contributing to tighter fuel supplies and higher energy costs.
Diesel prices have risen substantially compared with a year ago, when the national average stood at $3.71 per gallon.
The increase is putting additional financial pressure on farmers and trucking companies, which may eventually pass higher operating costs on to consumers.
The rise in diesel prices is also adding to broader concerns over the cost of living in the United States and could pose a political challenge for President Donald Trump ahead of the November midterm congressional elections.
Meanwhile, average regular gasoline prices also rose significantly, reaching $4.15 per gallon on Monday, compared with $3.20 a year earlier.
Fuel prices were even higher in some western states, with regular gasoline averaging $5.86 per gallon in California and $4.54 in Arizona, according to AAA.
The continued increase in fuel costs comes as millions of Americans travel during the Labor Day holiday period, potentially placing further pressure on household and business budgets.
At least 11 people, including six children, have died after a fire swept through a market and surrounding buildings in Indonesia’s easternmost Papua region.
The deadly blaze broke out shortly after midnight on Monday in Paniai, Central Papua province, and quickly spread to several tightly packed shophouses and structures in the area.
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According to local police spokesman Henry J. Manurung, firefighters battled the inferno for more than three hours before eventually bringing it under control.
“During the inspection, officers found 11 victims who had died with burn injuries,” Manurung said in a statement.
He said five of the victims were adults, while the other six were children aged between two and nine years.
The fire destroyed at least 40 kiosks and houses despite the deployment of fire trucks and water cannons by emergency responders.
Manurung said the tightly packed arrangement of the houses and market stalls contributed to the rapid spread of the flames and made firefighting operations more difficult.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the deadly fire.
The incident adds to a series of deadly fires recorded in Indonesia in recent years.
In December, 22 people were killed when fire swept through a seven-storey office building in Central Jakarta. Police said an exploding drone battery on the ground floor was the likely cause.
In 2023, an explosion at a nickel-processing plant in eastern Indonesia also claimed at least 12 lives.
The latest tragedy has left the Paniai community mourning as authorities continue efforts to establish what triggered the devastating blaze.
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