NIGERIA AM NEWS

FG hails Nigerian doctor in U.S. for successful operation on unborn baby

The Federal Government has commended a based Nigerian surgeon, Dr Oluyinka Olutoye, who successfully removed tumour from a baby in her mother's womb.

In a statement in Abuja, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, said that the Nigerian Government and people were proud of Olutoye.

Dabiri-Erewa noted that Olutoye and his partner, Dr Darrell Cass of the Texas Children's Hospital, carried out the operation on a 23-week-old foetus in the U.S.

No hike in fuel pump price— Kachikwu

Ibe Kachikwu, has dismissed insinuations of any increment in the pump prices of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, popularly called petrol.

The dismissal came on the heels of widespread panic in Abuja yesterday that major petrol stations, including the retail outlets of the Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation, NNPC, had jerked up their pump prices from the official N145 to N149 per litre.

Kachikwu, who was approached by our reporter at the end of a meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the leaders of Niger Delta at the presidential Villa, Abuja, said government had not announced any change in pump prices.

We want oil blocs, Niger Delta leaders tells Buhari

Stakeholders from the Niger Delta region of the country have demanded that the region be included in the sharing and ownership of the oil blocs in the country.

This was among the set of 16 demands pressed on President Muhammadu Bahari at a crucial meeting in Abuja Tuesday. Other demands included the review of the presidential amnesty Programme, Relocation of Administrative and Operational Headquarters of IOCs to the area of operation, the approval of Maritime University, Strengthening the Niger Delta Ministry, resuscitation of Key regional critical infrastructures, the resentment of Bakassi indigenes, restructuring and funding of the NNDC.

Ivory Coast: Yes campaign wins constitutional vote with 93%

Electoral officials in Ivory Coast say the yes campaign has won Sunday's referendum on a new constitution, with 93.42% of the votes.  

The turnout - 42.42% - is higher than an earlier 7% estimate by opposition parties that boycotted the polls.  

Backed by President Alassane Ouattara, the change scraps a requirement that both parents of presidential candidates must be native-born Ivorians.  

UN sacks South Sudan peacekeeping chief over damning report

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has sacked the commander of the UN force in South Sudan after a report said it had failed to protect civilians in July.  

The report backed claims by aid workers that the UN troops refused to respond when government soldiers attacked an international aid compound in Juba.  

In the fighting between the army and former rebels, a local journalist was killed and aid workers were raped.  

Herdsmen, Delta community exchange gunfire

Suspected Fulani herdsmen and youths from Umunor community in Ossissa Kingdom in the Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State on Monday evening exchanged gunfire.

Although, it was not clear if there was any casualty, it was learnt that the exchange of gunshots followed an attempt by some suspected herdsmen to invade the community over a lingering crisis between the farmers and herdsmen in the area.

LASG moves to restructure markets

The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Babatude Adejare, says the government is committed to achieving well-organised markets, where sellers and goods or services will be sectionalised.

He said the policy of zero tolerance on street trading was still on, warning violators to desist or incur the wrath of the law which forbade anyone from converting the roadsides and setbacks to markets.

He said, "Water supply in the state has been given a new lease of life as most of our waterworks such as Ishasi, Adiyan and Iju now produce and supply uninterrupted water to Lagosians."