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Massive deportation of Nigerians from other parts of the world, especially from African countries, frightening, says NAPTIP DG.

Five hundred and forty Nigerians are set for deportation from Libya, beginning from Aug. 10, Mrs. Julie Okah-Donli, Director-General, National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons(NAPTIP), has said.

Okah-Donli disclosed this on Wednesday in Osogbo, at the inauguration of the North-West Zonal Command Office of the agency.

She said that the deportees would be brought back to Nigeria in three batches of 180 each.

The NAPTIP boss said that more than 2000 Nigerians were deported from various part of the world from February till date, over various migration offences, including human trafficking.

Okah-Doni disclosed that the agency had rescued and supported more than 12,000 victims of human trafficking, and also secured 325 convictions since its inception in 2003.

She decried the rising trend of deportation of Nigerians from different parts of the world, especially in Africa, and described the situation as frightening.

Such massive deportations are not good for us as a people. Government at all levels must take steps to halt it by initiating measures that will reduce the vulnerability of our people to being trafficked.

We must also strive to enlighten our people to resist the temptation to leave the country at all cost, she said.

Okah-Donli, who described human trafficking as a modern day slavery, urged stern measures to end it.

She reaffirmed NAPTIPs commitment to implementing the Trafficking in Persons(Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act of 2015, and declared that there would be no sacred cows.

Okah-Donli identified Osun, Ekiti and Ondo among the endemic states in trafficking in persons in Nigeria, saying that all hands must be on deck to change the trend.

Nigeria is a source, transit and destination country. Women and young girls are recruited for sexual and labour exploitation in parts of Europe, the Middle East and even within the African continent.

This calls for concerted action by all as Nigerians cannot make meaningful progress in its human capital development index, with a sustained depletion of her young and brightest stars.

Gov. Rauf Aregbesola, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Security Matters, Mr Tope Adejumo, promised that the state government would collaborate with the agency to minimise human trafficking.

In his remarks, a former governor of the state, Mr Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who is also the royal ambassador of the agency, said that he was ready to support the agency in its war against human trafficking.

Oyinlola urged the agency to take the campaign against human trafficking to the grassroots, using the native language as a means of communication.

Continued here:
Frightening as world massively deporting Nigerians, 540 more from Libya in August - Vanguard

The Central Bank of Libya (CBL) OKed importation of 750.000 sheep for 54 companies worth $100.000.000 in a move that aims at reducing the prices of the Eid Al-Adha sacrifices (mainly sheep).

Some businessmen criticized the move for the short period of importation process.

In a statement, the CBL conditioned the transaction to the fact that importation of the sheep must be before August 20, adding that the Ministries of Economy and Industry should coordinate with importers to place a mechanism for distributing the sheep in affordable prices before the coming of Eid Al-Adha on September 01.

According to economists, importing 750.000 sheep will definitely solve the problem of high prices in the market, adding that the problem remains with the short period of importation, which might not lead to a considerable drop in the prices though.

Prices of sheep in Libya took a leap reaching between 800 Libyan dinars and 2000 amid acute shortages of cash and deteriorated living conditions.

According to businessmen, the high prices resulted from the UN-proposed government's measures that were intended to bring in some revenue as it slapped a customs tariff of 30% in addition to service fees leading to a hike in meat and commodities' prices.

Libya imports cattle from Spain, Turkey, and Romania and they make up 60% of the local market's demand for Al-Adha sacrifices in a country that uses up to 1.000.000 cattle every Eid Al-Adha.

Read the original here:
Libya imports Eid Al-Adha sheep to help reduce high prices - The Libya Observer

A shipment of advanced dive equipment sent to Libya in the summer of 2016 was flagged and detained by federal agents who said the transaction violated U.S. trade laws and embargoes against the war-torn nation, according to several emails from a federal agent obtained by The Reporter/Keynoter this week.

The emails are the first official documentation outside of civil court papers that federal law enforcement was concerned about the $100,000 transaction.

The company that sold the equipment is owned by Peter Sotis, the man who supplied and trained famed Canadian filmmaker Rob Stewart on the complex rebreather dive equipment he used when he died off Islamorada in late January. Sotis denies any wrongdoing or that he is the target of an investigation.

If I were under investigation I would have been arrested by now and the very least my passport would have been confiscated. Its clear from my Facebook page and my numerous international trips this year that my passport has not been confiscated, he wrote. Its been over a year since this transaction took place and if the federal government had a problem, we would already know about it.

Until this week, the only mention of the sale was in a lawsuit filed in Broward County Circuit Court last year. In a Dec. 22 filing, attorneys for Sotis disgruntled business partner, Shawn Robotka, said Sotis sold rebreathers and underwater propulsion equipment to a person described in court documents as a Libyan militant.

Robotka argues that the sale violates federal law and subjects him and the company he co-owns with Sotis, Kaizen Solutions, to liability. Robotkas attorneys state in the complaint that the sale in August 2016 was executed after federal agents with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Homeland Security and FBI cautioned the transaction was against the law.

But an Aug. 25, 2016, email sent from an agent with the U.S. Department of Commerces Office of Export Enforcement to an employee of Sotis company, Add Helium LLC, states that $100,000 in proceeds from a sale of equipment to Libya were based on an illegal transaction in violation of U.S. Export Laws and the Export Administration Regulation.

The agent sent the employee another email that day informing her of a subpoena for all shipment made to Libya, either directly or through means of transshipping, from 8/30/2011 to present.

Please note that after this subpoena is completed, I will be issuing another for ALL exports made by Add Helium for the past five years, the agent wrote.

Add Helium is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kaizen Solutions. Robotka, who owns 20 percent of the company, wants a judge to liquidate Kaizens assets and grant an injunction preventing Sotis from continuing to operate the business.

The shipment in question was apparently seized by federal agents some time during the summer of 2016, and according to an email Robotka sent to the Commerce agent, a Virginia man involved in the deal repeatedly contacted Add Helium about getting it released. Its not clear what ended up happening to the shipment. Sotis referred questions about the merchandise to Miami attorney Robert Becerra, who he said is representing the owners of the products. Becerra could not be reached for comment.

The Export Enforcement agent did not return an email or phone call with questions about the shipment and investigation. Robotka also did not respond to an email inquiring about the shipment.

Broward Circuit Judge Barbara McCarthy wrote in a June 30 order denying Sotis access to his companys funds pending the outcome of the litigation brought by Robotka that the shipment to Libya was in contravention to U.S. trade and embargo laws.

Regardless of what became of the shipment, Robotka told the Export Enforcement agent that at least two of the people involved in the deal contacted him repeatedly since it was detained demanding to know the whereabouts of the merchandise. In an Aug. 31, 2016 email, Robotka asked the agent to instruct him what he should say to those people if they contacted him or his employees again.

As you are aware, this type of situation is unsettling and of great concern regarding the personal safety of our personnel, Robotka wrote.

See more here:
Emails show feds flagged dive-gear sale to Libya - FL Keys News

Chapter Seven

Independent Constitutional Bodies

Article 154: Independence of Constitutional Bodies

Bodies provided for in this Chapter shall enjoy a legal personality as well as administrative, financial and technical independence. They may be consulted on draft laws relevant to their area of expertise. They shall carry out their work in accordance with the provisions of the constitution and law. Their geographical distribution throughout the country shall be taken into account.

Article 155: Management of Constitutional Bodies

The legislative authority shall elect independent persons of competence and integrity to manage these bodies. Those persons may only be removed from office before the end of their term if they fail to meet any of the conditions of their election or in the cases stipulated by the law.

Article 156: Legislative Authority Oversight over Bodies

The constitutional bodies shall be subject to the monitoring of the House of Representatives and shall submit work reports thereto as regulated by the law. They shall also submit reports to the Council of Ministers. The House of Representatives may publish these reports following their discussion.

Article 157: High National Elections Commission

The High National Elections Commission shall exclusively undertake the management and organization of public referenda as well as all stages of the general and local elections with transparency and credibility, including announcement of the final results. The Commission shall be run by a board of nine members among whom is the chairperson who shall be elected by the legislative authority. They shall carry out their tasks for one term, which shall last six years. The term of one third of the members shall be renewed every two years.

Article 158: Audit Bureau

The Audit Bureau shall be the highest authority for financial control and audit in the State. It shall be competent with comprehensive oversight of State funds, the parties financed by the State, in whole or part, and any other bodies specified by the law. It shall also have the authority to track these funds. The Audit Bureau shall be run by a president with the capacity of public audit and one or more deputies with the capacity of an [agent] who will undertake their duties for a six year term renewable for one time.

Article 159: National Council for Human Rights

The National Council for Human Rights shall strengthen, promote and spread the culture of the values of human rights and public liberties provided for in Islamic Sharia and international conventions. It shall also:

1- Observe human rights conditions and monitor violations thereof. It shall report these violations to the competent national authorities and follow up on this.

2- Support the citizens in gaining their rights endorsed by the Constitution and the law.

3- Support women to obtain their constitutional and legal rights and to ensure that they are not discriminated against.

4- Recommend ratification of, or accession to, international covenants of human rights in a way that is not incompatible with the provisions of the Constitution.

5- Promote cooperation with the national and international human rights organizations.

The Council shall consist of nine members where representation of cultural and linguistic components as well as women and youth shall be taken into account. They shall carry out their duties for one term of six years. The legislative authority shall elect the president with the capacity of a commissioner and a deputy from among those members.

Article 160: National Council for Protection of Cultural and Linguistic Heritage

The Council shall develop and protect the languages such as Arabic, Amazigh, Targhey and Tebu, and shall preserve, document and devote attention to the diverse cultural and linguistic heritage of the Libyan people to ensure the preservation of its originality within the framework of the collective Libyan identity. The Council shall be run by nine members where representation of the cultural and linguistic components of the Libyan people shall be taken into account. The legislative authority shall elect a chairperson from among the members for one term that shall last six years.

Article 161: Sharia Research Council

The Sharia Research Council shall assume the following duties:

1- Express opinions on matters referred to it by State authorities to analyze and form opinions based on Sharia evidence

2- Conduct specialized Sharia research to address current general religious issues, seeking the help of specialists in all fields, and giving recommendations therein

3- Issue individual fatwas on beliefs, acts of worship, and personal transactions, taking into account the dominant jurisprudential heritage in the country.

The Council shall be made up of fifteen members who are specialized in Islamic Sharia selected by the legislative authority for a six-year term renewable for one time. There shall be a president and vice president presiding over the Council for three years term. The Council shall also have a number of specialists in various fields. Geographic distribution shall be taken into consideration when selecting the members of the Council, and it shall have branches in accordance with the regulations of the law.

Article 162: Sustainable Development Authority

The Sustainable Development Authority shall assume the following tasks:

1- Recommend the appropriate measures to achieve balanced and sustainable development.

2- Propose appropriate polices, plans and programs to build and develop human capabilities, diversity of resources and identify national development priorities to ensure convergence of development level among the different regions.

3- Offer technical advice on development plans at the local and national levels.

4- Assess development plans and their implementation in the light of the balanced and sustainable development indicators and the need to maintain the rights of the future generations.

The Authority shall be managed by a council made of six members elected by the legislative authority which shall determine who will be the president and vice-president for a period of six years that can be renewed only once. One third of members shall be renewed every two years.

Article 163: Other Bodies

The law shall establish bodies for administrative oversight, transparency and anti-corruption, statistics, higher council for media and press and a council for science, technology and innovation. The law shall determine their composition, competencies and regulations, and shall guarantee the independence and impartiality of their members in accordance with what is stipulated in this Chapter.

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Go here to see the original:
Libya Constitution Chapter Seven - The Libya Observer

Two oil-exporting nations could decide the future of a historic deal to drain a worldwide glut of crude oil, according to Helima Croft, global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets.

It's not top producers Saudi Arabia and Russia, the architects of the accord, but conflict-plagued Libya and Venezuela, a petrostate on the brink of collapse.

Oil producers are meeting in Abu Dhabi on Monday and Tuesday to figure out how to improve compliance with a deal struck by OPEC and other exporters to keep 1.8 million barrels a day off the market. Analysts say top producers Saudi Arabia and Russia have limited options to convince producers to pump less.

The compact has been undermined by surging supply from U.S. drillers, as well as OPEC members Libya and Nigeria, which were exempt.

OPEC initially gave Libya a pass because the northern African nation was still restoring its oil supply after years of civil conflict. But output has surged about 50 percent to 852,000 barrels a day between November, when OPEC signed the deal, and June.

While Nigeria recently agreed to cap its output in the future, Libya has not yet made any commitments.

"They were never part of the deal. They're going to have to be brought into the deal to make this thing work going forward," Croft told CNBC's "Closing Bell" on Monday.

Meanwhile, Venezuela's production has slumped about 13 percent this year as its economic and political crisis worsens. International oil companies have begun pulling their workers out of Venezuela, Croft noted.

A further drop in production from Venezuela, a major crude oil supplier to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries, could be the secret to removing more barrels from the market and boosting stagnant oil prices.

"What actually could save OPEC is probably going to be Venezuela," Croft said.

Read more here:
Libya and Venezuela could be OPEC's best hope - CNBC.com - CNBC