Israel to award soldiers, officers for Gaza war

Israel has decided to present 53 soldiers and officers with awards over their involvement in the war on Gaza last summer that left thousands of Palestinians dead or injured.
According to Israeli media, the regime’s army chief, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, has approved the awards on the basis of recommendations by a military committee headed by Brig. Gen. Harel Knafo.
Military announcement said several army units will receive “citations of merit” and medals of “appreciation” over their role in the war.
The development comes as a recent report by the Israeli military showed that the number of the Israeli soldiers who committed suicide doubled in 2014 due to the psychological effects of the war.
According to the January 2 report, a total of 15 Israeli soldiers took their own lives last year, more than double the seven suicide cases in 2013.
Israel unleashed attacks on Gaza in early July 2014 and later expanded its military campaign with a ground invasion into the Palestinian territory. The war ended in late August 2014. Over 2,130 Palestinians lost their lives and some 11,000 were injured. Gaza Health officials say the victims included 578 children and nearly 260 women.
According to Israeli sources, more than 70 Israelis, including 63 soldiers, were also killed. Palestinian resistance groups, however, put this number at more than 150.
Many in Israel believe that the regime failed to score a clear victory in the offensive, which took a heavy toll on Tel Aviv.

Only Jonathan can move Nigeria forward says Senate President

Senate President, Senator David Mark has said that President Goodluck Jonathan is the only candidate, for now, that can move the country forward.
Mark, who spoke during the zonal campaign of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Otukpo stated that among the presidential candidates jostling for the coveted seat in February elections, “Jonathan remains the best that can move the nation forward.”
While calling on the people of the zone to keep fate with the ruling PDP, Mark reeled out achievements of PDP since 1999 in the zone and enjoined the people to support the party by voting all PDP candidates in the forthcoming elections, saying, “Together we shall move Benue forward.”
Speaking earlier, Governor Gabriel Suswam said that the presidential candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC), General Muhammad Buhari represents Boko Haram and submitted that those who attacked Benue State two years ago “are Boko Haram in guise of Fulami herdsmen.”
He charged the people of the state to vote massively for all PDP candidates in the forthcoming general elections, as well as President Jonathan, for the growth of the nation.
In his own speech, the Minister of Interior, Honourable Aba Moro, who eulogised the transformation agenda of President Jonathan, which he said had improved the living standard of Nigerians appealed to the people of Benue South senatorial district and the people of the state in general to vote enmasse for Jonathan and senate president, David Mark.

Nigeria Inspector General of Police redeploys 28 AIGs ahead of General Elections

As part of the ongoing reorganisation in the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, has ordered, with immediate effect, the redeployment of 28 Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs), to various departments, zonal commands and formations .
This followed the recent promotion of some senior officers and vacancies occasioned by retirements.
Also, the Police Service Commission (PSC), approved the promotion of Commissioner of Police Adenike Fehintola Abuwa, to the rank of AIG with immediate effect.
The posting are: Tambari Y. Muhammed, from Zone 1, Kano, to Zone 1, Kano, Mbu Joseph Mbu, moves from Zone 7, Abuja, to Zone 2, Lagos, Mohammed J. Abubakar, moves from Zone 3, Yola, to Zone 3 Yola, Aderenle  T. Shinaba, moves from CP Kano Command, to Zone 4, Makurdi, Musa  A. Daura, moves from Zone 5, Benin, to Zone 5, Benin, Johnson A. Ogunsakin, moves from Training and Devlopment to Zone 6, Calabar, Patrick D. Dokumor, moves from NIPSS, Jos, to Zone 7, Abuja,  Christopher T. Dega, moves from Zone 8, Lokoja to Zone 8, LOkoja and Usman Akila Gwarry, moves from Zone 9. Umuahia to Zone 9, Umuahia,
Others are Bala A. Hassan, moves from Zone 10, Sokoto, to Zone 10, Sokoto, Ikemefuna R. Okoye moves from CP Ogun State to Zone 11 Osogbo, Mohammed J. Gana, moves from Zone 12, Bauchi to Zone 12, Bauchi, Sule Mamman, moves from Forsec FHQ to Forsec FHQ, Adisa B. Bolanta, moves from COmdt Polac to COMDT Polac, Edgar Tam Nanakumo, moves from Force Animal Branch to Force Animal Branch, Sabo Ringim Ibrahim, moves from Border Patrol to Border Patrol, Wilfred Eje Obute, moves from Armament FHQ, Abuja, to Armament FHQ, Abuja, Kalafite Helen Adeyemi, moves from CMDT Staffpol Jos, to Martime FHQ and Ibrahim M. Maishanu, moves from Info Tech FHQ to Info Tech FHQ.

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) outside Formal Camps ‘Will Not Vote’ say INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commissions says Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), who are not in government camps in the north eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, will not participate in the February elections.
According to the Chairman of the INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, lack of accurate data for the IDPs living in informal camps within and outside those states had made it impossible for INEC to plan for them in the elections.
The INEC chairman made the clarification in Abuja on Tuesday at a meeting with representatives from the states with affected persons.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Representative in Nigeria, Angele Dikongue-Atangana, had put the number of Internally Displace Persons in Nigeria’s north-east at  650,000.
Majority of the displaced persons were displaced as a result of insurrections in region by members of the Boko Haram terrorist group. The over five years insurgency has also forced some persons in the region to flee to neighbouring Niger and Chad  for refuge, while others are in camps not under government control.
Professor Jega analysed the commission’s preparedness to conduct elections in the states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe – stressing that the commission had made provision for only IDPs living in formal camps to participate in the February polls.
Some governors from the affected north-east states insisted that security issues should not be underplayed even if it would mean shifting the elections date.

Boko Haram threatens Nigeria's neighbours

Boko Haram has claimed a massive attack feared to be the worst in its six-year insurgency and threatened Nigeria's neighbours, as talks began for a regional response to the militants and fears grew of further violence.

The confirmation from Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau came as no surprise after multiple eye-witness accounts of the attack on Baga, which is thought to have killed hundreds, if not more.

But Shekau claimed that the January 3 attack, in which large parts of Baga were burnt to the ground and at least 16 surrounding settlements were razed, was only a prelude to further attacks.

"We killed the people of Baga. We indeed killed them, as our Lord instructed us in His Book," Shekau said in the 35-minute message, which was posted on YouTube.

He added: "We will not stop. This is not much. You'll see."

There has been mounting global outrage at the extent of the slaughter, with residents who managed to escape recounting how bodies littered the streets more than two weeks after the initial assault.

One civilian vigilante, who fled after hiding for three days, told AFP that he was "stepping on bodies" for five kilometres (three miles) as he escaped through the bush.

Hundreds of women and children were said to be still being held by the militants at a school and the home of a local lawmaker.