sarafadeen salihu blog

FORMERpresidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and founder of Leadership Group Limited, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, yesterday, congratulated General Muhammadu Buhari who emerged as the presidential candidate of the party at the APC’s third convention and his running mate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN). This came as former governor of Kwara State and chairman, Senate committee on the environment, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki (C.O.N) also extended his congratulations to Gen. Buhari and Prof. Osinbajo. Nda-Isaiah said in a statement that the announcement of Osinbajo, a distinguished professor of law and a man of strong integrity as running mate, was coinciding with the 72nd birthday of Gen. Buhari, who has served the country selflessly. He said he was confident that the candidates will lead the APC to victory in the forthcoming elections. Senator Bukola Saraki on his part said the emergence of Prof. Osinbajo, a senior advocate of Nigeria, SAN, and a committe...

Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, Hassan Bello, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Habib Abdullahi; Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Oron, Joshua Okpo, and Managing Director of Starsz Investment Company Limited, Greg Ogbeifun, have been nominated for the Maritime Industry Merit Awards (MIMA). Organisers of the awards, Maritime Media Ltd, MML, publishers of Shipping World Magazine, noted that the award is aimed at recognising and rewarding the contribution of operators in the industry. MML Chief Executive Officer, Asu Beks, in a statement made available to Vanguard, called on stakeholders in the industry and the general public to vote for their Maritime man of the year. Bello’s nomination follows the Council’s latest status as Port Economic Regulator under the NSC’s bosses administration which has taken centre-stage to become the rallying point for Nigerian Shippers who ordinarily have been at the mercy of shipping lines and ...

Since he graduated from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1988 with a first class in painting, Asidere has been a regular face in most exhibitions in Nigeria. In fact he is regarded as one of the best painters, and that was why the serene environment of Omenka gallery came alive again as art enthusiasts, collectors, artists, lovers and even students trooped to the gallery to witness the latest offering from him. Regarded as an integral part of a group of artists working in Nigeria today, leading a revival of painting—a medium several critics and scholars alike consider a dead form of artistic expression. Asidere adores women and paints them out of a deep desire to identify with their strength of character. The solo exhibition taggedThe Artist and His Musewhich is ongoing opened at Omenka Gallery on November 29 and will run till December 20, 2014. As one enters the exhibition hall of the gallery, one will be greeted with different paintings and drawings that almost look the same, many ...

Since he graduated from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1988 with a first class in painting, Asidere has been a regular face in most exhibitions in Nigeria. In fact he is regarded as one of the best painters, and that was why the serene environment of Omenka gallery came alive again as art enthusiasts, collectors, artists, lovers and even students trooped to the gallery to witness the latest offering from him. Regarded as an integral part of a group of artists working in Nigeria today, leading a revival of painting—a medium several critics and scholars alike consider a dead form of artistic expression. Asidere adores women and paints them out of a deep desire to identify with their strength of character. The solo exhibition taggedThe Artist and His Musewhich is ongoing opened at Omenka Gallery on November 29 and will run till December 20, 2014. As one enters the exhibition hall of the gallery, one will be greeted with different paintings and drawings that almost look the same, many ...

Boko Haram militants killed 32 people and kidnapped scores of others, including women and children, in a brutal attack on a village in the northeast, officials and a witness said Thursday. In neighbouring Cameroon, the Islamic extremists launched a raid on army base in the border town of Amchide, but were repelled in a fierce gun battle with troops that left 116 insurgents dead, according to Cameroon’s defence ministry. Separately, a Nigerian court martial late Wednesday sentenced 54 soldiers to death for mutiny after they refused to deploy for an operation against Boko Haram, blaming a lack of weapons and other equipment. The court martial underscored the struggles Nigeria’s military has faced in containing the five-year Islamist uprising. Civilians complain that they are left defenceless by troops who are often absent when the militants attack. The insurgents, fighting to create an Islamic state in northern Nigeria, have seized large swathes of territory in the northeast, while cros...

Abuja – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday urged Nigerians to support it and its presidential candidates in the 2015 elections, saying the party would build a better tomorrow for them. This is contained in a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Olisa Metuh, in Abuja. “In PDP, the focus remains to ensure that we continue to deliver on our promises and put the interests of Nigerians first in all our party decisions and policies of our government,” he said. On the choice of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as running mate to All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Metuh said that it was a confirmation that the party was a ‘’personal project’’. He expressed concern that if power shifted to APC, it would be controlled by the owner of the ‘’project’’, adding that the country would be in a problem because the owner of the party was desperate to control political and economic power. He alleged that a ‘’cabal’’ in APC chose the runnin...

Theover 15 years Nigerian successive democratic process, is still surprisingly and painfully far from being matured. Up till the moment, merit appears irrelevant, thrown to the wind. What thrives in Nigeria’s political circle right now are subservience to Godfather’s who promote sheer mediocrity across the land. Anyone who attempts to be a guiding light or advocates for standard and level-playing ground is marked in some cases and made a scapegoat thereafter. All of these unpleasant developments played out in the just concluded primaries of some political parties recently. Of particular note is the primaries of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) where some aspirants have been, one way or the other, shortchanged by the resenting interest of over-bearing political leaders and governors in some states of the Federation. In the PDP fold are the contending cases from disputed primaries in states such as Ebonyi, Enugu, Rivers, Adamawa, Ogun, Lagos and Plateau. Another instance is t...

IBADAN—The crisis-ridden Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Oyo State was further depleted yesterday as one of its aggrieved leading governorship aspirants, Seyi Makinde picked up the ticket of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, as its candidate for the 2015 election. Just last week, a former governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala also dumped the party for the Labour Party after the former Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin was given the party’s ticket. While declaring his intention to call it quits with the party in Ibadan yesterday with all his teeming supporters, Makinde said; “After fruitless efforts to ensure that free and fair election prevailed within PDP and witnessing the yearnings of the ordinary people of Oyo State that are asking for change for the reduction of poverty due to poor governance, I find it extremely difficult to shy away from this popular demand to make a difference in lives of our people.” Justifying the reason for dumping the party, Makinde asked,...

AHEAD of 2015 governorship election in Lagos State, a socio-political group, the Eko Initiative, EI, yesterday, threw its weight behind the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, flag-bearer, Jimi Agbaje, saying he remained the best candidate to take Lagos to the next level. In a statement, coordinator of the group, Mr. Sumbo Onitiri, said the emergence of Akinwunmi Ambode as the flag-bearer of the All Progressives Congress, APC, had reduced the governorship contest to a two-horse race, insisting that Agbaje would give the ruling party APC, a run for its money. He said: “Following the emergence of Akinwunmi Ambode, as the candidate of the APC, and Jimi Agbaje as the candidate of PDP, there is no doubt that Agbaje is the only candidate that can wrest power from the APC, which has been ruling the state since 1999, thus putting an end to the Tinubu dynasty. “Agbaje has already been given the nod by representatives of 12 political parties in the state, who have closed ranks with PDP and the EKO I...

AHEAD of 2015 governorship election in Lagos State, a socio-political group, the Eko Initiative, EI, yesterday, threw its weight behind the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, flag-bearer, Jimi Agbaje, saying he remained the best candidate to take Lagos to the next level. In a statement, coordinator of the group, Mr. Sumbo Onitiri, said the emergence of Akinwunmi Ambode as the flag-bearer of the All Progressives Congress, APC, had reduced the governorship contest to a two-horse race, insisting that Agbaje would give the ruling party APC, a run for its money. He said: “Following the emergence of Akinwunmi Ambode, as the candidate of the APC, and Jimi Agbaje as the candidate of PDP, there is no doubt that Agbaje is the only candidate that can wrest power from the APC, which has been ruling the state since 1999, thus putting an end to the Tinubu dynasty. “Agbaje has already been given the nod by representatives of 12 political parties in the state, who have closed ranks with PDP and the EKO I...

AHEAD of 2015 governorship election in Lagos State, a socio-political group, the Eko Initiative, EI, yesterday, threw its weight behind the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, flag-bearer, Jimi Agbaje, saying he remained the best candidate to take Lagos to the next level. In a statement, coordinator of the group, Mr. Sumbo Onitiri, said the emergence of Akinwunmi Ambode as the flag-bearer of the All Progressives Congress, APC, had reduced the governorship contest to a two-horse race, insisting that Agbaje would give the ruling party APC, a run for its money. He said: “Following the emergence of Akinwunmi Ambode, as the candidate of the APC, and Jimi Agbaje as the candidate of PDP, there is no doubt that Agbaje is the only candidate that can wrest power from the APC, which has been ruling the state since 1999, thus putting an end to the Tinubu dynasty. “Agbaje has already been given the nod by representatives of 12 political parties in the state, who have closed ranks with PDP and the EKO I...

Nigeria banks advanced over $2.5 billion, about N437.5 billion, to Indigenous companies for the acquisition of the divested assets of Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, and other oil companies in Nigeria. Managing Director, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, who stated this at the one-day Marginal Field Sensitization Workshop, organized by the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR in Lagos, explained that the amount is 83 per cent of the total worth of the assets, valued at $3 billion. According to him, the banks participated in the divestment programme of Shell on the onshore asset sales by supporting indigenous companies to provide debt finance for the acquisition and subsequent operations of the fields. Represented by the Division Head, Oil and Gas Upstream, Abolore Solebo, Okonkwo affirmed that the participation of banks is in line with the Federal Government’s local content initiative, targeted at the oil sector as well as other critical sectors of the economy. “The ...

ABUJA, the nation’s capital city, was last Wednesday practically locked down by a combination of traffic gridlock and security cordon put in place for the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The security cordon was within a five kilometre radius of the Eagles Square venue in the heart of the city leading to a spill over that was felt as far away as the Airport Road and other major highways leading into the city. Different story Many residents compelled to go out for business trekked long distances to their destinations. Others, especially civil servants not so compelled, simply stayed back at home and enjoyed a two day holiday. It was a different story for the hospitality industry, which had good business. All the hotels were fully literally taken up by the 4,224 persons accredited to attend the national convention. That number was besides the hangers on that also came into the federal capital for the convention. Killing many birds with a stone:The event was a ca...

Lagos – Mr Frank Edozie, Senior Special Adviser on Gas to the Minister of Power, said that power generation dropped to 3,500 megawatts due to sabotage of pipelines and inadequate gas supply. Edozie disclosed this in a telephone interview in Lagos. According to him, the ongoing epileptic power supply being experienced across the country was caused by recent vandalism of Transforcados pipeline that transported crude oil. “Inadequate gas supply and frequent sabotage of the pipelines had contributed immensely to lack of electricity supply in the country. “We are constrained due to the gas challenges and it has contributed to the drop of power generation to 3,500 megawatts,’’ he said. The senior special adviser said that available power generation capacity currently stood at 6,000 mega watts while system capacity stood at 5,000 mega watts. Edozie said that the real challenge of epileptic power supply was caused by gas inadequacy. “Presently, power generation as at today stood at 3,500 mega...

More than 10,000 people demonstrated Monday in eastern Germany against “criminal asylum seekers” and the “Islamisation” of the country, in the latest show of strength of a growing far-right populist movement, according to police. The mass demonstration in the eastern city of Dresden was the ninth so-called “Monday demonstration” organised by the group “Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident” or PEGIDA. Around 1,200 police, most in riot gear, were on hand to watch over the vocal but peaceful rally. “We are the people,” chanted the demonstrators, co-opting the phrase famously shouted a quarter-century ago by East German pro-democracy protesters here in the lead-up to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Dominated by ordinary citizens but supported by neo-Nazis and hard-right football hooligans, PEGIDA has sparked nationwide soul-searching as it has grown and spawned half a dozen clone movements across Germany. Chancellor Angela Merkel earlier Monday condemned the protests ...

More than 10,000 people demonstrated Monday in eastern Germany against “criminal asylum seekers” and the “Islamisation” of the country, in the latest show of strength of a growing far-right populist movement, according to police. The mass demonstration in the eastern city of Dresden was the ninth so-called “Monday demonstration” organised by the group “Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident” or PEGIDA. Around 1,200 police, most in riot gear, were on hand to watch over the vocal but peaceful rally. “We are the people,” chanted the demonstrators, co-opting the phrase famously shouted a quarter-century ago by East German pro-democracy protesters here in the lead-up to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Dominated by ordinary citizens but supported by neo-Nazis and hard-right football hooligans, PEGIDA has sparked nationwide soul-searching as it has grown and spawned half a dozen clone movements across Germany. Chancellor Angela Merkel earlier Monday condemned the protests ...

More than 10,000 people demonstrated Monday in eastern Germany against “criminal asylum seekers” and the “Islamisation” of the country, in the latest show of strength of a growing far-right populist movement, according to police. The mass demonstration in the eastern city of Dresden was the ninth so-called “Monday demonstration” organised by the group “Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident” or PEGIDA. Around 1,200 police, most in riot gear, were on hand to watch over the vocal but peaceful rally. “We are the people,” chanted the demonstrators, co-opting the phrase famously shouted a quarter-century ago by East German pro-democracy protesters here in the lead-up to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Dominated by ordinary citizens but supported by neo-Nazis and hard-right football hooligans, PEGIDA has sparked nationwide soul-searching as it has grown and spawned half a dozen clone movements across Germany. Chancellor Angela Merkel earlier Monday condemned the protests ...

CHAIRMAN, Organisation and Mobilisation Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South west, Prince Buruji Kashamu yesterday berated former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s new book ‘My watch’, saying it is full full of lies, blackmail and also lacks credibility. He said Obasanjo’s book was out to portray President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in a bad light adding that the former President “blames everybody else for everything but himself.” Addressing newsmen in Lagos, the PDP chieftain said “Obasanjo’s open and mischievous criticism of the Jonathan administration, if anything, is drawing more sympathy for it, as one that is making a complete break with the past where impunity and lawlessness reigned. This is so because the issue is not so much about whether he claims are true or not, but because of who is making the claims and his manner of presentation. The messenger lacks credibility and his message is heavily laced with bellicose, to say the least.” While he desc...

More than 6,800 people have now died from the Ebola virus, almost all of them in west Africa, the World Health Organization said Monday. The UN health agency reported that as of December 13, there had been 18,464 cases of infection from the deadly virus in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and 6,841 people had died. WHO did not provide an update of cases in other countries, but last week said the death toll remained the same: six in Mali, one in the United States, and eight in Nigeria, which was declared Ebola free in October. Spain and Senegal, which have both been declared free from Ebola, meanwhile counted one case each, but no deaths. – Sierra Leone – Sierra Leone, which last week overtook Liberia as the nation with the most infections, counted 8,273 cases and 2,033 deaths on December 13. The toll up until December 10 stood at 8,069 cases and 1,899 deaths. – Liberia – Liberia, long the hardest-hit country, has meanwhile seen a decrease in the rate of transmission in recent weeks. ...

MASTERNder Sesugh Samuel from Vaatia College, Makurdi , Benue State has emerged overall best candidate in the 2014 NECO examination in Nigeria. Just as the duo of Adesokan Adediran Sakirudeen and Raji Oluwatobi Quadri who are the first and second best in Lagos State, emerged the overall second and third best students in Nigeria respectively. Adepoju Barakat Aderonke, a student of Chrisland College, Idimu won the third best award in Lagos State. Of the 111 candidates comprising the three best candidates in each state including the federal capital territory, 50 awardees were female, while 61 were male. In the breakdown of winners, Makinde Victor, a student of College of Education Demonstration Secondary School, Ikere Ekiti, won the new concept prize for the best score in Mathematics; Abu Ehiozomwangie from Ase-Osa Hope Foundation School, Benin, won the new concept prize for the best score in English; Mary Adamu of Government Girls Day Secondary School, Zamfara State, received Dr. Ameyo ...

Fortheir excellent commitment to embedding an international dimension in their curriculum, Glisten International Academy, Abuja, Grace Schools,Lagos, Jephthah Comprehensive Secondary School, Rivers and CITA International School, Rivers have been presented with the British Council International School Award (ISA) The British Council International School Award is a global benchmarking project that recognises the outstanding work done by schools that are committed to developing international dimensions in the curriculum to help young learners become effective global citizens. Lynda Ashaolu, Project Manager Schools, while speaking at the awards presentation ceremony in Lagos said that across the world there is a growing recognition that scoring high marks in exams alone will not ensure success for young people. Ashaolu pointed out that only those who will be able to collaborate, think critically, work inter-culturally and resolve issues creatively, will take the world forward. According t...

Fortheir excellent commitment to embedding an international dimension in their curriculum, Glisten International Academy, Abuja, Grace Schools,Lagos, Jephthah Comprehensive Secondary School, Rivers and CITA International School, Rivers have been presented with the British Council International School Award (ISA) The British Council International School Award is a global benchmarking project that recognises the outstanding work done by schools that are committed to developing international dimensions in the curriculum to help young learners become effective global citizens. Lynda Ashaolu, Project Manager Schools, while speaking at the awards presentation ceremony in Lagos said that across the world there is a growing recognition that scoring high marks in exams alone will not ensure success for young people. Ashaolu pointed out that only those who will be able to collaborate, think critically, work inter-culturally and resolve issues creatively, will take the world forward. According t...

ONITSHA —Anambra State House of Assembly, yesterday, passed into law, the 2015 Appropriation Bill of over N164 billion, after some amendments to some sectoral allocations. Presenting the report of the Finance and Appropriation Committee, the chairman, Nikky Ugochuchukwu, explained that after a thorough examination of the provisions in the budget, the estimated overhead cost was reduced from N282 million to N82 million. According to her, the overhead cost of the office of the Secretary to the State Government was slashed from N855 million to N755 million, while that of the Executive Governor’s Office was increased from N16.7 billion to N17 billion. The financial estimate for Anambra State Lands Information Management System was also reduced from N100 million to N30million while the financial provision for completion/expansion of the Ministry’s Headquarters building was changed from N30 million to N100 million. In her speech, the Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Princess Chin...

Edo College still remains one of the cherished schools in Nigeria and this old generation school has churned great men for Nigeria. However, some former students of the school, who left the school 50 years ago have decided to return to their old school to contribute their quota and the coordinator of this initiative, Dr. Osarieme Bazuaye told journalists that it is high time that former students returned to their alma mater and make meaningful impact. Excerpts Why is the group organizing the programme? It has become an acceptable norm or phenomenon that attaining 50 years in any sphere of life, as our event suggests, is a landmark that needs some degree of celebration. The idea of putting this event together came about on August 21, 2013 at the residence of Dr. Tajudeen Lawal in Benin City. It was there we initiated the programme for the celebration of 50 years of leaving Edo College. For us, 50 years after leaving the school has been worthwhile because it was at Edo College, we wer...

ENUGU—All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Enugu State, chapter yesterday concluded its primaries for the various political positions, but failed to field a gubernatorial candidate for the 2015 general elections. The party however elected three senatorial candidates, four House of Representatives candidates and nine State House of Assembly candidates. In the primaries conducted by a five-man electoral panel from the national secretariat of the party, led by Obi Okoye, Chief Willie Ezeugwu, Ebim Oguejiofor and Mrs. Ijeoma Chukwu emerged as candidates of the party for Enugu North, Enugu East and Enugu West senatorial elections respectively. Similarly, four candidates emerged for House of Representatives seats, including: Mrs. Chuba Anakwudo (Enugu North-Enugu South), Odo Donatus (Enugu East-Isiuzo), Okwudili Itanyi (Igbo-Etiti-Uzo Uwani) and Victor Nwobodo (Nkanu East-Nkanu West). Among the nine House of Assembly candidates are; Chief Ben Alukwu (Aninri), and John Ngene (Enugu South C...

OWERRI—FOLLOWING confusion and reports of parallel primaries leading to multiple winners, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Imo State chapter, yesterday, said there was no parallel governorship primaries of the party in the state. At a briefing in Owerri, state Chairman of the party, Peter Ezeobi, said those who conducted the purported parallel primaries were not members of APGA, saying “there was no parallel APGA governorship primary in the state. “The only legal governorship primaries, conducted under the watchful eyes of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, security agencies and Austin Ndigwe, the returning officer, was free and fair. “We do not have factions in Imo State APGA. We are intact and a united body, ready to achieve victory” Ezeobi said there were three governorship aspirants for the party: Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, Okey Ezeh and Okechukwu Unegbu. He said Iheanacho scored 972 votes, Okey 44 and Unegbu 3, with 16 void votes out of the total of 1,036...

Ministerof Works, Mike Onolememen has revealed how his ministry saved N11 billion which was fraudulently built into a single road contract by the contractors and corrupt ministry officials. According to a statement by the Deputy Director (Information) in his ministry, Mr Theodore Ogaziechi, Onolememen spoke during the 2014 International Anti-Corruption Day yesterday, adding that the corrupt officials hide such frauds under ‘’project augmentation.’’ Onolememen said that theproject augmentationpolicy had been used over the years by some engineers in the ministry to rip off the nation through connivance with contractors, pointing further that ‘’this unwholesome exercise has since been nipped in the bud since the inception of this administration.’’ He said, ‘’N11billion was retrieved from a fraudulent road contract transaction when some officials wrote forre-billmentof a particular project,’’ noting also that the stoppage of the practice was one of the policies of President Goodluck Jonat...

Brent crude oil hit a fresh five-year low yesterday before rebounding to near $67 a barrel, as some buyers emerged in the hope that prices are bottoming following a more than 40 per cent slide since June. Fast-growing US shale output has hurt the ability of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, to manage supplies, sending prices sharply lower in anticipation of a large oil glut early next year. Prices were on course to post the first gain in more than a week, but most traders deemed it too soon to call a floor. “Although talks of oil reaching its bottom are more rampant, we fail to see a reversal coming without stronger fundamentals,” Daniel Ang of Phillip Futures said in a note. Brent crude for January delivery was up 46 cents at $66.65 a barrel after falling as low as $65.29, its weakest since September 2009. Brent dropped 4.2 per cent or $2.88 on Monday in its third-largest one-day loss this year. U.S. crude was up 64 cents at $63.69 a barrel, bouncing back a...

ONITSHA —The Federal High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State, presided over by Justice Isah Gafai, is today expected to deliver judgment in the suit filed against Governor Willie Obiano, by a human rights lawyer based in Onitsha, Jezie Ekejiuba, seeking to disqualify and nullify Obiano’s election over alleged submission of false voter’s card along with his application to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC for participation in the November 16, 2013 Governorship election in the state. Justice Gafai had after hearing and adopting the submissions and written addresses of both the plaintiff, Ekejiuba who stood in for himself and counsel to Obiano, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), adjourned sine-die, explaining that the judgment date would be communicated to parties as soon as the judgment was ready for delivery. On November 18, the court summoned both parties to come for possible judgment on Thursday, November, 20 at 1 p.m. On November 20, Justice Gafai said he spotted a pe...

UMUAHIA —THE crisis rocking All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, deepened, yesterday, as an Abia State High Court sitting at Igbere, ordered Chief Victor Umeh to stop parading himself as the National Chairman of APGA pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice filed by five members of the party. Justice U. Ononogbo, who gave the order, also directed that the order be served at APGA headquarters in Abuja by pasting the court processes at the party headquarters. He also ordered that the court processes be served on Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, headquarters, Abuja and adjourned the matter to December 18, 2014 for hearing of the motion on notice. In another development, Nnanna Ukaegbu-led faction, of APGA in Abia State, yesterday, announced Ochiagha Reagan Ufomba, as the governorship candidate of the party in 2015 general elections. Ukaegbu said Ufomba emerged from the primaries conducted by the party in Umuahia. Former Managing Director of Diamond Ba...

Nigerialost $22 billion, about N3.8 trillion to trade misinvoicing and other anomalies in the petroleum sector in 10 years, between 2002 and 2011. This, according to a report released yesterday, titled, the ‘2014 Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC) Benchmarking Report’, is due partly to weak cost regulation in the oil and gas sector. The amount lost is 76.6 per cent of the figure budgeted for the 2014 fiscal year. Trade misinvoicing is a method for moving money illicitly across borders which involves deliberately misreporting the value of a commercial transaction on an invoice submitted to customs or other agencies of government. The report, presented by the Nigerian Resource Governance Institute, NRGI, the Centre for Public Policy and Advocacy, CPPA among others, summarises the second benchmarking of Nigeria’s petroleum sector governance against the 12 precepts of the Natural Resource Charter. The NNRC is led by a 14-member independent, multidisciplinary expert advisory panel, co...

THE All Progressives Congress, APC, had to extract an undertaking from its aspirants ahead of today’s APC presidential congress at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos. They have promised to remain APC members no matter who wins. Our quick sand politics has latitudes that accommodate tendencies, especially changing camps when we lose positions. All the contenders came from different groups that pooled their angst with the way Nigeria was running to arrive at APC. The differences tended to stand against the party, particularly when the issue was the presidential candidate. Former military Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice President Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, Governor of Kano State, Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso, Governor of Imo State, Chief Rochas Okorocha, and newspaper publisher, Sam Nda-Isaiah have spent months canvassing their qualifications for the APC top ticket. They are all qualified as the party showed in accepting their aspirations. Who would delegates choose? Would those n...

The Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Football club who are representing Nigeria in the inaugural edition of the Church World Cup holding in India have qualified for the semi final of the competition after defeating their African brothers, Egypt 2-0. Two first half goals by strikers Adekunle Adegboyega and Akor Isah sealed victory for the Olukoya Boys. With this victory, MFM FC will play their last game against Uzbekistan in what is considered a formality tie today. Thereafter, the team will relocate to Goa for a clash with either Brazil or Portugal. Interestingly, while the other seven participating teams from host India, Brazil, Ghana, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Colombia and Portugal are represented by players selected from churches in their various countries, Nigeria’s representatives, The Mountain of Fire & Miracles Ministries Football Club only got to know about this after their second game on Monday in Bangalore. MFM FC is participating in the maiden edition of the Church Wor...

HEADSof Departments in Ndokwa East Local Government Area have been told to key into the development vision of the present leadership of the council to enable the people benefit optimally from the transformation agenda of the local administration. Chairman of the council, Mrs. Nkechi Chukwurah, gave the charge during the maiden interactive session with the Heads of Departments and other principal officers of the council at the headquarters in Aboh. Mrs. Chukwurah told the principal officers that her administration was irrevocably committed to the speedy transformation of the entire area, saying she was prepared to make a difference in the areas of provision of social infrastructure, economic empowerment and improved healthcare. She solicited their support and cooperation, insisting that it would no longer be business as usual, just as she explained that under the present dispensation the collective development aspiration of the people should be the guiding principle in the performance ...

LAGOS—First Bank of Nigeria Plc has dragged one of its customers, Chidi Ajaegbu, before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos over an alleged N750 million debt. The bank is contending in the suit that it borrowed Ajaegbu the sum of $5 million to purchase 203,500 Linked Units shares of MTN Nigeria Limited through private placement. According to the bank, the loan deal was consummated between the parties sometime in 2008, but Ajaegbu took it (First bank) to court, seeking to stop it from selling his Linked Units shares in MTN Nigeria Limited among other reliefs being sought in court. However, First bank in a 77-paragraph statement of defence and counter-claim, among others contended that the claimant in a letter dated January 23, 2008 sent to MTN Nigeria Limited and copied to it, the claimant irrevocably authorized MTN to place his MTN Linked Units shares on lien in favour of First bank. Consequently, the loan in question, according to the first defendant was secured with the Linked Uni...

Enugu— A Federal High Court sitting Enugu will today commence hearing in charge of attempting to declare the Republic of Biafra against 11 members of pro-Biafra group, Biafra Zionists Federation, BZF, led by Mr Benjamin Onwuka. Beside the criminal charge against the 11 pro-Biafra group slated for hearing today, the N10 million civil suit which they slammed against the Federal Government and Inspector General of Police for illegal arrest and detention, also comes up today. During the first arraignment, only a handful of their members, who smuggled themselves into the court hall, were allowed to witness the proceeding, while several others were prevented from gaining access into the court premises as all access roads leading to the court were barricaded. Few ones, who wanted to break the barricade were thoroughly flogged by policemen while the accused persons were brought into the court hall in chains. Facing trial are Benjamin Onwuka, Ndubisi Nnamushi, Kelvin Ekeh, Japhet Nwodo and Fid...

MINNA— About 64 of the 275 inmates, who escaped when gunmen attack the Minna Medium Security Prison, have been captured just as the Comptroller General of Prisons, Dr. Peter Ekpendo, said that the attack had no link with the Islamic sect, Boko Haram. About 211 prisoners are still at large, while a search team has been sent out to different parts of the state to ensure that the escaped prisoners were captured. The Comptroller General, who visited the Minna Medium Prison, yesterday, described the incident as unfortunate, embarrassing and completely unacceptable, stressing that any officer found culpable will face the full wrath of the law. According to him, “pre-report shows that there is no evidence to link Boko Haram to the prison break incident of Saturday.” Speaking to newsmen after inspecting the prison yards, Ekpendo said he had ordered the immediate transfer 55 officers from the state and zonal headquarters offices to Minna Medium Security Prison and Minna Old Prison to beef up t...

Say ruling characterised with grave errors of law By Abdulwahab Abdulah LAGOS— The 12 soldiers convicted for mutiny in September, have appealed to the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, to disapprove the death sentence passed on them on the ground that the judgement of the General Court Martial was characterised with grave errors of law which occasioned miscarriage of justice. The soldiers argued that the verdict cannot be justified in law and urged the confirming authority to set aside the conviction and the death sentence passed on them as they are entitled to the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution, including the fundamental rights of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. The petition was filed on their behalf by Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, pursuant to Section 149(1) of the Armed Forces Act (Cap A20) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria,2004. The soldiers during thier mutiny tral Those convicted by the Court Martial on September 15, 2014, in Abuja are Corporal Jasper Braidolo...

ASABA—LABOUR Party, LP, governorship candidate in the 2015 general elections in Delta State, Chief Great Ogboru, has described the contest as his final battle in the quest to, according to him, “liberate the people of Delta State.” Ogboru in Asaba, the state capital after he was elected by acclamation as the party’s governorship flagbearer in the 2015 governorship poll, vowed to defend the people’s mandate which he said had always made him the genuine winner of previous elections. He said: “In the agitation, movement and struggle to liberate Delta State, we all can see now that there is a big difference. We have fought so many battles and even when we win, they say we didn’t win, but this is the last battle and the last river to cross. “People have been talking about Delta North, Delta Central, Delta South, but no one is talking about Delta State. Delta State is being controlled by a set of cabal, which is the strongest in the sub-sahara region and the people must be liberated.”

The Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, CIS has explained that entertainment industry requires huge fund for its operations, hence the need for the sector to seek listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE. File photo: The floor of Stock exchange The President, CIS, Mr. Albert Okumagba said“There is the belief that the entertainment industry has not really benefited from the capital market. The coverage and spread of Nollywood and the Nigerian music industry without any doubt, goes beyond the shores of Nigeria. The popularity and brand visibility of Nigerian actors and musicians within Africa appear to be unparalleled with any other country’s within the continent. Hence, if it can access the needed capital that can run a life line in its system, the entertainment industry can be a major export earnings source to the nation.” He emphasized that the capital market has series of financial instruments that are available for the entertainment industry to optimize for both practitioners i...

Coach Samson Siasia is hoping that the Nigeria Football Federation will be able to secure the release of Arsenal center back Semi Ajayi for Nigeria’s Under 23 training camp, according to his agent. Ajayi Coach Samson Siasia has always maintained that the 21-year-old was in his plans, and true to hiwords, he has summoned the ex Flying Eagles defender along with 46 other players for a screening exercise. But club commitments with the Gunners might prevent Semi Ajayi from embarking on the 2,960-mile journey from London to Abuja this month. ‘’We are aware of his invitation but I don’t think Arsenal will release him. I am not sure they will, we will have to wait,’’ Semi Ajayi’s agent simply told SL10.ng. Only last year, Semi Ajayi was hoping to make the Flying Eagles squad, having trained with the team in Germany, but John Obuh surprisingly declared him surplus to requirements when he named his final roster. Nonetheless, that did not diminish his worth in the eyes of manager Arsene Wenge...

UYO—Aggrieved aspirants of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, into the House of Representatives have protested the alleged discrepancies in the conduct of the party primaries which were rounded off weekend. From the party secretariat at Edet Akpan Avenue, Uyo, security personnel drafted to ensure hitch-free polls had hectic time controlling the surging crowd, including thugs allegedly hired by some aspirants to protect their interests. At press time, the results of nine out of the 10 federal constituencies have emerged amid complaints of irregularities and threats by some aspirants to petition Governor Godswill Akpabio over allegations of imposition of candidates and engagement of fake delegates’ list for the contest. In Itu/Ibiono Ibom federal constituency, violence was prevented by security personnel when some political leaders of Ibiono Ibom, including the former Commissioner for Finance, Obong Bassey Albert, engaged his successor and kinsman, Mr. Akan Okon, from Itu Local G...

The German Development Bank – KFW has earmarked $200 million to support the development of renewable energy in the country. The leader of the German delegation, Renate Von Bodden who disclosed this at a Bi-national Commission’s meeting on energy in Abuja, said the credit facility is in form of Green Credit Line. The facility is meant as support base for small and medium enterprises, specifically for the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. She also disclosed that another facility worth €5 million (Euros) has been set aside for technical assistance through the KFW, adding that the German agency is endowed with required experience that will be useful to Nigerians in developing their capacities in renewable energy projects. She expressed satisfaction with the commitment so far exhibited by Nigerian officials, just as she said, that the Germans have been working with the Nigerians on a number of energy related projects. “Nigeria is on track with its vision of p...