Newscast - Africa

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation is set to deduct about N215.3 billion from its contribution to next month’s joint Federation Account.
The aforementioned amount is a combination of N175 billion value shortfall or subsidy and N40 billion Joint Venture cost recovery.
Data showed that NNPC paid N67.280 billion to the joint account in July, in contrast to the N47.162 billion in June. The July payment was about N20 billion higher than that of June.
The document showed that the NNPC has only been able to make a contribution of N349.254 billion to the three tiers of government with a huge deficit of N1.115 trillion.

The National Bureau of Statistics says Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 5.01% in real terms in the second quarter of 2021.
It explained that the increase in the GDP index marked three consecutive quarters of growth following the negative growth rates recorded in the second and third quarters of 2020.

President Muhammadu Buhari has announced the declaration of a Profit after Tax of N287billion in the year 2020 by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
A communique by his special media aide, Femi Adesina, says the President’s announcement is in fulfilment of an earlier pledge by the Federal Government to publicly declare the financial position of the NNPC.
Adesina’s statement notes that Buhari has disclosed a Net Profit, making it the first time in the 44-year history of the establishment.
This is the sequel to the completion of the statutory Annual Audit exercise for the Year 2020.

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, received the report of the panel set up to probe the bribery allegations against the Head of the Police Intelligence Response Team, Abba Kyari.
DIG Egbunike, while presenting the report, appreciated the IGP for the confidence reposed on him and the members of the Panel to conduct the probe.
He noted that the Panel commenced investigations immediately after it was inaugurated on 2nd August 2021 and the report submitted is an outcome of a painstaking, transparent and exhaustive investigative process.

Democratic leaders in the United States House of Representatives have passed a $3.5 trillion budget plan to include key parts of President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi notched a victory with quick approval of the budget outline.
The bill enables legislators to begin filling in details on a sweeping package that would boost spending on childcare, clean energy, education and other social programmes in addition to tax increases on the wealthy and corporations.

The White House remains non-committal on extending the withdrawal deadline from Afghanistan.
The White House released a statement saying that the evacuation of American citizens, third-country nationals and Afghan allies was on pace to finish by the end of the month.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki says the operation will end based on the achievement of their objectives.
Psaki says Biden told fellow G7 leaders that US troops are facing increasing threats each day from ISIS-K, ISIL’s branch from Afghanistan.

The Taliban is reiterating that it will not agree to an extension of a looming deadline to evacuate Afghans from Kabul airport, even as Western countries say they are running out of time.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid says the group would not approve an extension and told the US to stop evacuating skilled Afghans.
European nations have said they will not be able to airlift at-risk Afghans before the August 31 cut-off, and United States President Joe Biden has faced calls from all corners to extend the evacuation window.
Mujahid also says female Afghan government workers should stay home until security conditions in the country improve.
President Biden says he would stick to the schedule, but has faced growing pressure to negotiate more time for the evacuations.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the G7 has agreed to a plan to deal with the Taliban, with their number one condition being that the group must allow safe passage to Afghans wanting to leave the country even after an August 31 deadline.
He says the G7 agreed not just a joint approach to dealing with the evacuation, but also a road map for the way in which we’re going to engage with the Taliban.
Johnson says the huge leverage which the G7 could wield over the Taliban after it seized control of the country about a week ago included withholding substantial funds.

President Vladimir Putin says Russia would not interfere in Afghanistan and that Moscow had learned from the Soviet occupation of the country, a week after the Taliban swept back into power.
Putin says they are not going to meddle in Afghanistan’s domestic affairs or involve their military in a conflict where everyone is against each other.
He says the Soviet Union had its own experience in this country. We have learned the lessons we needed.
Putin’s comments came after Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says US forces were pawning off Afghans fleeing the Taliban to neighbouring Moscow-allied Central Asia.

Algeria’s Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra says that his country has severed diplomatic relations with Morocco due to hostile actions, following months of resurgent tensions between the North African rivals.
The countries have long accused one another of backing opposition movements as proxies, with Algeria’s support for separatists in the disputed region of Western Sahara a particular bone of contention for Morocco.
He says Algeria has decided to cut diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Morocco because Morocco has never stopped carrying out hostile actions against Algeria.
Lamamra accused Morocco’s leaders of responsibility for repeated crises and behaviour that has led to conflict instead of integration in North Africa.