Angela Merkel's popularity boost after refugees dented her appeal

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s popularity has rebounded after the British vote to leave the EU, an opinion poll showed Saturday, reversing a fall in her appeal caused by the refugee crisis.

The poll was the second in a few days to suggest a popularity boost for the German leader.

Saturday’s poll, commissioned jointly by Stern magazine and Die Welt newspaper and carried out by the Forsa market research institute, showed Merkel’s appeal up two points to 48 percent.

“What’s more, three-quarters of CSU supporters now back Merkel,” said Forsa director Manfred Gullner, referring to the southern German affiliate of Merkel’s ruling CDU party.
The CSU was sharply critical of Merkel’s decision to allow more than 1 million migrants to enter the country.

In a poll published Thursday by public broadcaster ARD 59 percent of those surveyed said they were satisfied with Merkel.

The results of the monthly poll were up nine points on June and was Merkel’s best poll showing since September 2015 when she moved to open the country’s borders to more than 1 million asylum seekers.

The ARD poll, which surveyed 1,500 people and was carried out by Infratest Dimap, showed that Merkel’s CDU party and sister party the CSU had gained two points in voter intentions.

The number of refugees arriving in Germany is falling sharply as a result of the closure of the Balkans migration route and the EU’s deal with Turkey, new government figures showed on Friday.

In April, May and June, the number was around 16,000 each month, less than a fifth of the tally seen at the start of the year, according to data from the government’s Easy computer system, which counts the number of arrivals who plan to seek asylum.

In June, the system registered 16,335 people compared with 91,671 in January and 61,428 in February.

Support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) was down at the start of July in both surveys after several months of gains.

The AfD’s popularity dipped one point to nine percent according to the Stern/Welt survey which surveyed 2,500 people, while the party’s appeal dropped three points to 12 percent according to the Infratest poll.

As well as the decline in new migrant arrivals, the party has suffered from infighting amongst its leaders on what policies to adopt.

FC not negotiating with Niger Delta Avengers --Says why

The Federal Government on Friday explained why it has refused to engage in talks with the militant Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, in order to get them to put an end to the bombing of oil and gas infrastructure in the oil-rich region.

Speaking while delivering the second foundation lecture of Elizade University, Ilaramokin, Ondo state entitled “The Future is here earlier than we thought”, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, said that the militants are not freedom fighters but economic warriors who are fighting for their own private pockets.

He declared that “the so called avengers are not freedom fighters but fighting for their own economic benefits. They are avenging for their private pocket and that is why government is not talking with them.”

While condemning the activities of the militants who claimed responsibility for the vandalization of oil pipelines in the region, the Vice President stated that the Federal Government has concluded arrangements to tackle the menace of pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta region.

He went on to state that “the previous government neglected the region for several years, hence the current challenges in the region. The Federal Government has however put machinery in motion to curtail the activities of Niger/Delta Avengers”.

Osinbajo, while lamenting that the activities of the avengers were responsible for the epileptic power supply in the country, noted that state governors are unable to pay workers’ salaries as a result of the low revenue generated in the oil sector caused by the attack on pipelines.

Gov. Ugwuanyi presents 100 civilians with the keys one-bedroom apartments

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State on Friday presented keys of 100 housing units of one bedroom apartment to 100 civil servants who won the houses through lottery.

Ugwuanyi, who presented the keys to the winners at Elim Estate, Ugwogo, in Enugu East LGA, said the gesture was part of his commitment to improve the welfare of civil servants in the state.

He said: “This is a very auspicious and historic occasion.

“We are here to celebrate the goodness of the Lord to the people of Enugu State.

“You will recall that on September 29, 2015, we took the unprecedented step of conducting open lottery for civil servants from grade levels 1-10, in respect of 100 units of one bedroom apartments at this estate.

“One hundred lucky civil servants, thereafter, emerged winners of the lottery.

“Having paid the over 30 per cent equity contribution that we promised to each of them, we are here today to formally hand over to them, the keys to their apartments.

“This event is in accordance with our promise to deploy government resources and services to create fair and equal opportunity for every willing citizen.”

While congratulating the beneficiaries, Ugwuanyi commended the leaders of organised labour in the state for cooperating with his administration in the past year, especially in the face of the current economic difficulty.

He said: “We want to reassure you that we will continue to work within our means to address issues affecting the welfare of workers and to ensure that industrial peace continues to reign in Enugu State.”

Earlier, the Commissioner for Housing, Charles Asogwa, commended the governor for providing affordable housing units for civil servants in the state.

Asogwa said this was the first time the state government acquired housing units for the lowest cadre of civil servants.

Asogwa urged the beneficiaries to reciprocate the gesture through hard work, dedication and commitment to duty.

One of the beneficiaries, Nwaka Ugwu, thanked Ugwuanyi for “wiping tears from my eyes” through the fulfillment of his campaign promises.

Another beneficiary, Peter Odo, a driver on grade level 3, said: “We have seen a governor who likes ordinary people from his heart; God will continue to bless him and his administration.

“He has done for us what nobody will have agreed to do for us.

“Who would have given me a house; a flat as my own in Enugu capital here?”

Governor Geidam leads the resettling of 300,000 IDPs

Governor Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe on Friday said the state government has commenced the process of returning over 300,000 displaced persons to communities hitherto held by Boko Haram insurgents.

The governor, represented by his deputy, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, said this in Damaturu when the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, who paid him a courtesy visit.

He said the state government had set up various committees to facilitate the safe return of all the displaced persons to their communities.

Geidam called for the support of all relevant authorities, including the Army, to ensure that the environment was safe for the inhabitants to return.

He said the efforts of security agencies had made the areas, hitherto held by the insurgents, safe for the return of the displaced persons.

“The insurgency had displaced over 300,000 people and destroyed property in Gujba and Gulani local government areas.

“I wish to stress that the right steps have been taken with the inauguration of the committee to facilitate the return of civil authorities in areas retaken from the insurgents.

“The state government has also commenced the process of returning inhabitants to communities hitherto held by the insurgents.”

Geidam praised the contributions and sacrifice of the Nigerian Army and other sister services in containing the insurgency that ravaged parts of the north east.

He said the Nigerian Armed Forces had since independence held the country together and urged them not to relent.

“It is on record that the Nigerian Armed Forces have always been the defender of the people and will continue to do so”, the governor said.

He commiserated with the Chief of Army Staff and the families of slain officers and soldiers in the ongoing fight against Boko Haram.

Earlier, Buratai expressed appreciation for the support given to troops deployed to Yobe.

He attributed part of the successes recorded in the fight against terrorism to the cooperation of the people and support of the Yobe state government.

Buratai said he was in the state to continue his operational visit to Army units and formations.

“I am here on an operational tour of units and formations in Yobe state and the north east in general to assess troops’ performance and see to their challenges.

“The contribution of the Yobe state government to our operations in this part of the north east had been quite commendable.

“We appreciate the support of the state government, particularly the allocation of land and funds for the construction of our counter terrorism training school in Buni Yadi.

“We have also been offered land for the construction of our logistic base.

“We also intend to use the land for the construction of a Nigerian Army hospital here in the state.”

Buratai also commended the state government’s efforts in reconstructing the Damaturu-Biu road.

He said that it would restore socio-economic activities on the axis and lessen the burden of policing the route by the military.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Army chief was accompanied on the visit by the Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole and other senior army officers.