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Friday, 31 August 2012

$15m Ibori Bribe: Arrest Andy Uba, Ribadu — Keyamo

Human rights lawyer, Mr Festus Keyamo, has called on the federal government to arrest, immediately, the former Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Senator Andy Uba, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and Chibuike Achigbu and charge them for money laundering, conspiracy and bribery.
The call followed an application filed by Achigbu before a Federal High Court in Abuja in which he claimed that he gave the money to Andy Uba for the purpose of financing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2007 general elections.
In a press statement signed by Keyamo and made available to journalists, the lawyer urged the federal government to arrest Ribadu, interrogate him and charge him to court for conspiracy to pervert justice.
According to Keyamo, it is either Ribadu on the one hand is lying that he was offered $15million as bribe or Andy Uba, Ibori and Achigbu on the other were all lying that it was not bribe.
’’Arrest Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, interrogate him and charge him to court, if necessary, for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and perjury as regards the proceedings in Asaba when he swore on oath or procured another to swear that he was given a bribe.
’This is because, it is either Ribadu on the one hand is lying that he was offered $15million as bribe or Andy Uba, Ibori and Chibuike Achigbu on the other are all lying that it was not bribe.
’’Both versions cannot be correct and any version that is false amounts to a crime under our laws.
However, Keyamo urged the federal and Delta state governments to immediately withdraw their suits for forfeiture of the bribe money from court.
He asked all other parties to back off from pursuing cases for the possession of the bribe money and said that it was a national embarrassment.

Thursday, 30 August 2012

New! Magical Moment for World Shortest Man & Woman!

World's Shortest Man & Woman Magical Moments
 For the first time in history, the shortest man and woman in the world have met. The shortest man, Chandra Bahadur Dangi, 72, is from a remote area of Nepal and stands 21.5 inches tall. Eighteen-year-old Jyoti Amge hails from Nagpur, India and measures just under 25 inches tall.
It was a match made in heaven for Guinness World Records, which arranged the introduction for a photo shoot to promote the upcoming release of Guinness World Records 2013 on September 13. To provide scale, a record book (12 inches in length) was placed between Chandra and Jyoti for one of the photos.
“It was an extraordinary moment,” says Marco Frigatti, the official Guinness World Records Adjudicator, who also took part in the photo shoot. “They’re both such incredible individuals. Everyone knew this was a special moment, and the atmosphere was magical.”

A Record-Breaking BirthdayWorld's Shortest Man and Woman

Jyoti secured the World’s Shortest Woman title simply by reaching womanhood on her 18th birthday in December of last year. She has a condition called achondroplasia, a genetic disorder that affects bone growth and cartilage formation. Achondroplasia is the most common cause of dwarfism.
Jyoti won't grow any taller than her current height. Due to her size, she has her clothes specially made. She sleeps in a tiny bed and uses special plates and cutlery to eat. Jyoti is currently pursuing her dream of becoming a successful actress. She has already starred in a number of Indian films.
“Since being recognized by Guinness World Records, I have been able to visit lots of different countries,” says Jyoti. “I love travelling. I have visited Japan and parts of Europe, and now I can’t wait to visit the UK.”

A Record-Breaking Discovery

In February this year, Chandra made headlines around the world when he was crowned the World’s Shortest Man. Until his recent discovery, he had spent his entire life in the remote Nepalese mountain village of Rhimkholi, about 250 miles west of Kathmandu. Because Chandra has never been examined by a doctor, the cause of his short stature is unknown. According to a report from the Daily Mail, doctors suspect he has a form of primordial dwarfism.
Chandra’s 21.5-inch height also snagged him the title of Shortest Man in History, breaking the previous record of India’s Gul Mohammed, who was 22.5 in tall.
“I’m very happy that I’m being recognized by Guinness World Records and that my name will be written in a book,” says Chandra. “It’s a big thing for my family, my village and my country. I am very happy.”
more info coming soon on www.idethompson.blogspot.com

Wednesday, 29 August 2012

Nigeria-Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji Resigns

Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji was, yesterday, relieved of his job following the acceptance of his resignation, with immediate effect, by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
In a two-paragraph statement from Presidential media aide, Dr. Reuben Abati, the president thanked “Prof. Nnaji for his services to the nation under the present administration and wishes him well in his future endeavours.
 
This is the first time a minister would be resigning under controversial circumstances since the inception of President Jonathan’s administration. But the Minister did not pick calls to his line or respond to a text message sent to him to clarify some of the issues leading to his exit.
Although no reason was given for Nnaji’s resignation or the prompt acceptance by Mr President, but it was widely believed to be connected with the role he played in the privatisation of the successor companies unbundled from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, currently undergoing technical evaluations by prospective bidders.
Acceptance of bids re-evaluation
Ironically, earlier in the day, the Power Minister had succumbed to the decision by the National Council on Privatisation, NCP, to re-evaluate the technical bids submitted for two of the companies slated for privatisation: Afam Generation Company and Enugu Distribution Company (Enugu DISCO).
This might not be unconnected with moves, not only to save his job, but also to clear some of the controversies surrounding the bids, in which he was linked to the consortia that submitted bids for Afam and Enugu DISCO.
Nnaji was said to have admitted that some members of the bidding consortia had links to a company he owns (Aba-based, Geometric Power), adding that the NCP’s decision to re-evaluate the bids submitted for the two companies was necessary so that justice should not only be done but also seen to have been done by all and sundry.
He described recent accusations that he indirectly sought to acquire the PHCN successor companies through firms that have links to him as part of a grand design to dent the credibility of the privatisation process. He maintained that the development was a ploy by different interest groups in the sector to destabilise the ongoing power sector reform and privatisation process.
In a statement from his media aide, Mr. C. Don Adinuba, the minister said that a media report on Monday, alleging his participation in the privatisation process, was part of a strategy of such interest groups,adding that he was never asked by Vice President Namadi Sambo to walk out of the NCP meeting last Friday.
Rather, he maintained that he had opted to excuse himself from the meeting on the basis of his discovery that the firm in which he had placed his shares in a blind trust was part of the consortium bidding for Afam Power Station, in Rivers State.
I knew they will fight back— Nnaji
According to him: “The Federal Ministry of Power has always known that the beneficiaries of the old and decadent order in the electric power sector would not accept the new, far-reaching changes in the power sector without a fight.
“With power supply at an all-time high across the nation in the last few weeks and with the privatisation of PHCN assets at an advanced stage to the delight of the Nigerian people, those who have been feeding fat on the misery of our citizens have been fighting back with unimaginable ferocity.”
The minister further accused some sections of the media of colluding with his detractors, saying, “they have not left anything to chance in the determination to scuttle the electric power reform, including spirited attempts to recruit some members of the mass media.”
The case against Nnaji
Nnaji had before the consideration of the report of the evaluation for the six generation companies, Gencos, brought to the attention of NCP that O & M Solutions of Pakistan, a member of one of the consortia bidding for Afam, had worked as a contractor for Geometric Power.
He also informed the NCP that Geometric Power has a minority stake in Eastern Electric Nigeria Limited, which had submitted technical and financial bids for Enugu Disco on July 31, and excused himself from the consideration of the report of the technical bids.
His sojourn in govt
Nnaji was first appointed in 2010, as the Special Adviser to the President on Power and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Power. His impressive performance as a presidential aide led to his appointment as the Minister of Power.
Although right from his time of appointment, he has had a running battle with the electricity workers unions, notably, the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, who constantly accused him of not honouring agreements reached with workers on the power reforms.
In spite of the numerous criticisms against him, power generation had increased tremendously under his watch, reaching an all time high of 4,477.7 mega watts, MW earlier in the month, in partial fulfillment of the expectations from the Electricity Power Sector Roadmap launched in Lagos on August 26, 2010.
The unprecedented domestic and international investor confidence in the Nigerian power sector is directly traceable to the personal and professional integrity of the process drivers like Professor Nnaji.
His style of administration was said to have led to the high interest by foreign investors in Nigeria’s power sector, leading to the signing of numerous agreements with global players such as merica’s General Electric, and Germany’s Siemens, each worth about $10billion in addition to many others.
Unionists react
Reacting to the sack of the Minister, General Secretary of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSSAEAC, Comrade Abiodun Ogunsegha, told Vanguard on phone that the entire workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, were extremely happy.
He said: “God has eventually answered our prayers and made the government to listen to us. It is obvious that the government has noted his several misdeeds. We are all very happy. In fact, we thank God for answering our prayers. We hope the government will appoint a right person that will carry all stakeholders along, especially the union to give Nigeria a stable power supply”.
In his own reaction, General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, Comrade Joe Ajaero said, though the reason adduced for his resignation, was unclear, the union had, for some time now, been calling for his resignation based on strong allegation of corruption.
According to him: ‘The reason for his resignation was very unclear. We would have been happier if the reasons were made known. However, we have been calling on him to resign. We still stand on the demand because of the strong evidence we have. You are aware that in recent time, the issue of his conflict of interest has been in the front burner. We do not want to talk much, until the reasons for his resignation or sack are made known.”

Friday, 24 August 2012

Nigerians Deplore NUPENG Strike

The over five days industrial action by the workers in the oil sector in the nation’s capital, Abuja, has brought untold hardship to residents of the city.In this report captures the views of residents and Nigerians in general most of whom accuse the union of fighting a bad cause.
The Abuja chapter of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) barely two days to Sallah called a strike over what it described as false claims by the Federal Government that it had commenced the payment of the 2012 subsidy arrears, structuring the loan process to enable their members enough time to pay their loans and the fixing of deplorable state of Nigerian roads.
National Chairman of the Oil and Gas branch of NUPENG, Chief Benneth Korie, who spoke with LEADERSHIP, said the reason for the strike by the workers was because their employers, Jetties and Petroleum Tank Farm Owners of Nigeria (JEPTFON), had been forced to issue out notices of intention to sack workers due to inability to keep afloat.
Comrade Korie said: “JEPTFON had before now threatened to sack some of its workforce as a result of the crippling effect of the debts we owe the banks.
“As a result of it we went on air to plead with government to intervene and government called for a meeting. We went for the meeting at the Ministry of Labour where we met with Minister of State for Finance, Minister of Labour, the PPPRA Executive Secretary, GMD of NNPC, and other stakeholders.
“After the meeting a communiqué was read by the NUPENG President where we agreed to suspend our planned strike. In that meeting, we agreed that, within two weeks, they will pay the subsidy money to JEFPTON members and, at the same time, restructure the loan and fix the roads, particularly the road to the Port Harcourt refinery where the Minister of Works promised that by next Monday they would commence repairs. Till now no action has been taken concerning the issues we raised.”
He said while the action lasts all the relevant stakeholders, with the exception of minster of labour, had not shown any effort to end the Abuja strike or stop the impending national strike. He threatened that the union’s action would continue until government respects the agreement it signed with its employers.
However, some Nigerians who spoke with LEADERSHIP said NUPENG should be concerned about genuine welfare of their members and not holding the citizens to ransomed  because of their employers most of whom contributed to the woes in the oil and gas sector.
Residents of Abuja have been lamenting the recent development. Popular opinion hold that the oil marketers are working against Nigerian. According to Michael Johnson, the situation in the country is bigger than the leaders who seem to be confused.
“When the marketers and the government’s representatives were taken these decisions, we were not called upon but when it turned out that they have a problem with the government, they now turned against us. And we are always on the receiving end,” he stated.
Another  resident,  Sunday Kunle, said he would not blame the oil marketers because the country’s leaders have been treating them as demi-gods.
“I will blame the leaders for these problems because they have what it takes to cut the so-called power intoxicated oil cabal to size. But they won’t resolve it because they have personal interests and when there is clash of interests, it would be difficult to find a solution. Only those with human sympathy and fear of God can do that, but are there people like that again in this government? Nigerians don’t believe in them again; that is why people will no longer support their selfish aims because it is anti-people.”
Some of the respondents are however of the opinion that since government said it was verifying those that presented their documents for subsidy claims, the marketers should allow it to carry out the verification to avoid a situation where some marketers make claims without importing the products.
They called on both parties to understand that it is the innocent Nigerians that are feeling the brunt of the current strike as a litre of fuel, for instance, is sold at between N350 and N250 depending in the location.
But the President of NUPENG, Comrade Achese Igwe, earlier said that the union was willing to dialogue with the government and the outcome of the meeting will determine whether the union would go ahead with its threatened nationwide strike.
He said, “We will attend the meeting and the interest of the masses will be considered first in our decisions. The interest of the masses has always been our concern whenever we want to take any action.”
Meanwhile, the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Peter Esele, has condemned the proposed strike by NUPENG, describing it as a baseless action.
Esele, who is a former president of  Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), another oil-based union, described  the action of NUPENG as unfortunate and wondered why the union could decide to join forces with marketers to hold Nigerians to ransom.
The TUC, while describing NUPENG’s conduct as disgraceful, called on the government not to bow to the cheap blackmail by fraudulent oil marketers who he claimed are hell-bent on milking the nation dry.
He further urged the federal government not to hesitate to take every measure to punish the culprits, saying that there was the need to ensure that indicted oil marketers paid every unearned kobo back to the government.
On its part, a source in the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) who pleaded anonymity, said the Congress, during its National Executive Council (NEC) in Benin, Edo State, commended government for finally bowing to public pressure to commence the trial of the fuel subsidy suspects. However, he condemned the selective trial of the suspects as most of those arraigned before the court are people with the least of sums of money illegally paid to them from the subsidy funds.
According to him, government’s attempt to shield the main culprits, most of whom are believed to be friends and funders of the campaigns of people in corridors of power, is nothing but double standards.
According to him, NEC wanted diligent and robust prosecution of all the accused and warned against the frustration of the trial process in any way or form given the outrage that greeted the discovery of these crimes, saying anything to the contrary could attract grave consequences.
The source added that it is not true that the Congress was joining forces with NUPENG to punish Nigerians even though it is an affiliate of the NLC.
According to him, “we are of the view that with the facts of the subsidy fund in the open, government should commence the process of reviewing downward the price of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) and so cannot do anything that will bring untold hardship on Nigerians.

Wednesday, 22 August 2012

P-SQUARE get set for-Love AfroBeats Festival 2012

Pop Twin stars Psquare get prepared for their upcoming event in London, UK. 

The show last year was simply amazing where all the talent showcased why the Afrobeats genre is getting so much hype.
In 2012 we have 'PSQUARE' who have just released the remix of their songs “Chop my Money” with Akon and “Beautiful Oyinye” with Rick Ross. These songs were trending worldwide on the first day of release and have been on constant rotation on UK radio, We also have the Black Diamond of Africa “WANDE COAL“ with his award winning 1st album which was under Mohits Record label and has released 3 new club bangers from his forthcoming 2nd album under the Mavin Record Label and finally Mr MayD who is known for is Golden voice. Mr MayD is the first signed artistes on the Square Records Music label.
Get ready for 4 hours of banging Afrobeats Music with a live band, choreographed dance routines from Psquare, Wande Coal , Mr MayD and finally the surprise guest artiste appearance.
The show is happening in London (UK) at Hammersmith Apollo, London, UK.

Are You ready? Gulder Ultimate Search 9. The GateKeeper's Fortune!

So where will Season 9 hold this year? 
All eyes on the ultimate prize as Season 9 of Gulder Ultimate Search (GUS), Nigeria’s first 100 % locally produced reality TV show, gets set to commence.

Since 2004, Gulder Ultimate Search has continued to captivate audiences worldwide as contestants engage themselves in a battle of brains and brawn for the Ultimate Prize.

The tasks are indeed gruelling, strength-draining and mind-boggling, and in the end, victory always wipes away the tears and sweat shed in this remarkable journey called Gulder Ultimate Search. Very intriguing and exciting indeed!

For the past few seasons, N7.5 million and a brand new SUV has been at stake as the ultimate prize. This year, the stakes are higher and so is the prize money! N9 million, a brand new SUV and N500,000 swaggar allowance awaits the winner. There is also the bragging right of being referred to as an “Ultimate Champion” and subsequent induction into the Gulder Ultimate Search “Hall of Fame”.

Ever since the very first edition was held on the Snake Islands, off the Atlantic Ocean coast of Lagos State in 2004, subsequent editions have been staged in different forests across Nigeria. In 2005, the show was held at Obudu Hills, Calabar, Cross River State while the 2006 edition was held at the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research, NIFOR, Edo State. In 2007, the show moved to Shere hills, Jos, Plateau State. The popular Agwu Hills in Enugu State hosted the 2008 edition. In 2009 and 2010, GUS was held in Omodo forest, in Osun State and J4, Omo Forest, Ogun State, respectively. By 2011, Edo State became the first state to host the show twice. Gulder Ultimate Search 8 was held at the Egbetua forest Quarters, Ososo Hill, Akoko Edo.

So where will Season 9 hold this year? The answer remains shrouded in secrecy; but will soon be revealed.
This year, the hallowed jungle awaits brave and daring young men and women, courageous enough to attempt to unearth the long lost fortune, hidden centuries ago by a wise Gatekeeper- a true hero of old.
The jungle is not kind to the contestants. This is not an adventure for the faint-hearted or lily-livered. It is a contest that will test contestants’ endurance, strength, courage and mental alertness. Past contestants have attested to the fact that Gulder Ultimate Search is no make-belief. What is beamed on TV is as real as it gets!

Contestants are cut off from the luxury of the outside world. Reality sets in as they have to make do with the bare essentials they can lay their hands on in the thick forests. With the bare ground for beds, sticks for walls and palm fronds for shelter, they are at the mercy of severe rains and the scorching sun. Nature sometimes is not kind.

Creeping creatures of the jungle also lurk around. Even food becomes a luxury and sometimes is not guaranteed. In the jungle, friends become foes and every contestant a threat, as they battle for the ultimate prize.

But this is a path which only those desirous of victory must tread. The journey of a thousand miles starts but with a single step. The journey to becoming the Gulder Ultimate Search 9 Champion – The Ultimate Man or Woman - begins with a step, registration. The guideline for this year’s participation is on the website and registration closes September 13th, 2012. Fortune, they say, favours the brave.

Nigeria News-REASONS WE OPPOSE US’ BRANDING OF BOKO HARAM AS TERRORISTS – ADEFUYE

Even with pressure on the United States Government to brand Boko Haram as a terrorist organisation, the Nigerian Ambassador to the US, Prof. Adebowale Adefuye, has explained why the Nigerian government is opposed to that move.

In an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP at the weekend, Adefuye listed five reasons why the Nigerian Government does not want US to designate Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO).
He said, “To declare Boko Haram as an FTO [Foreign Terrorist Organisation] will mean that Nigeria is not able to deal with Boko Haram and that is not right. After all, we have dealt with a more focused, more dangerous, better organised protest movements like the Niger Delta militants.
“And to designate Boko Haram as a FTO would mean that it will give such psychological boost to Boko Haram among other terrorist groups like Al Qaeda, which can be tempted to embrace them and support them.
“Three, to designate Boko Haram as a terrorist organisation would discourage investors from coming to Nigeria because nobody wants to go to an area where a terrorists resides.
“Four, even from the point of view of the US, they say it constitutes a threat to their interests but it is not. So if you did not declare Niger Delta [militant groups] an FTO, why would you declare Boko Haram an FTO? It doesn’t stand logic or reason.”
Finally he said that labeling Boko Haram a terrorist organisation would expose Nigerians travelling to the US to “horrendous search at US entry points and we don’t want that.”
Also, the Nigerian envoy disclosed that the country has received immense support from the US in the last two years of signing the Bi-national Commission (BNC). Nigeria signed a BNC covering four key areas with US in 2010. However, it was expanded to include a fifth area capturing the threat of insurgent groups like Boko Haram.
According to Adefuye, areas of support from the US include fight against corruption, generation of electric power, transparency in governance, agricultural development and security.
“The BNC is so successful that it is seen as a template for America’s missions to other country and we were very happy about that. When the Canadians saw that it was so successful, they now signed a similar bi national commission agreement with Nigeria along the pattern of the BNC we have with the US,” he disclosed.

Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia's premier and key U.S. ally, dies at 57

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, a strongman in the troubled Horn of Africa and a key United States ally, has died, his government announced Tuesday.
Meles had not been seen in public in months, sparking intense international speculation about his health.
The government revealed neither the cause nor the location of his death Monday at the age of 57.
Meles came to the forefront as a leader of a guerrilla insurgency against dictator Haile Mengistu Mariam in 1991 and cemented power in the ensuing decades.
Ethiopian PM dies at 57
Seen by admirers as a force for stability in a region with Islamist insurgencies in Somalia and Yemen and a history of famine, he was also criticized for cracking down on political opposition and the press.
"He came to power at the barrel of a gun, but he made the transition from rebel leader to political leader very quickly," said Ayo Johnson, a writer on Africa and director of Viewpoint Africa.
But he never overcame his "mindset as a rebel leader," and his democratic credentials were "poor," Johnson said.
"The West turned a blind eye to many aspects of his game that were not up to scratch," he added.
That's partly because of his action against Islamist movements in the region, including an invasion of Somalia in 1998, Johnson said.
"He supported everything that the United States wanted to do against terror," he explained, such as give American drones based in the region permission to use Ethiopian airspace on their way to targets in Somalia.
And "he was able to address the fundamentals -- health care, education, reducing the poverty rate," Johnson said.
U.S. President Barack Obama praised Meles' "unyielding commitment to Ethiopia's poor" in a statement Tuesday, citing his "personal admiration for (Meles') desire to lift millions of Ethiopians out of poverty through his drive for food security."
But in June, U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, highlighted a different aspect of Meles' rule -- the case of journalist Eskinder Nega, who was then before a court in Addis Ababa.
While praising the prime minister's work in "containing the real threat of terrorism in the region and making gains against the region's recurring famines," Leahy accused him of "trying to silence those who do not toe the official line."
His Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front took all but one seat in parliament in elections in 2010, Africa expert Jason Mosley pointed out in the wake of Meles' death.
"Nearly 200 people were reportedly killed, and tens of thousands detained" in the previous elections in 2005, said Mosley, who is with the Chatham House think tank in London.
Last year, Ethiopia found two Swedish journalists guilty of supporting terrorism and sentenced them to 11 years in prison.
Meles died at 11:40 p.m. Monday from an unspecified infection, spokesman Bereket Simon said. Deputy Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn is now in charge.
There will be no elections before the next scheduled ballot in 2015, Bereket said.
Meles had been scheduled to step down in 2013 as part of a transition process, Mosley said, but questioned whether he genuinely intended to relinquish power.
Meles was out of the country when he died and members of his family were with him, according to Bereket. He did not say what country Meles' body was in or when it would return to Ethiopia, except that it would be soon.
The spokesman acknowledged the prime minister had been sick for some time but didn't immediately seek treatment.
The news came almost a week after the government said Meles was "recovering well" after treatment for an unspecified illness.
Bloggers launched a counter of the number of days he's been missing, while citizens took to social media to discuss his whereabouts and exchange conspiracy theories.
The secretive nation had released little information about his whereabouts, prompting rumors and opposition claims that he was dead or facing a life-threatening illness.
The government held a news conference last month and announced Meles received treatment for an unspecified illness.
His absence was more evident last month when Ethiopia hosted an African Union summit in its capital of Addis Ababa. Meles, a key player in talks on the tensions between Sudan and its rival neighbor South Sudan, did not attend.
Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Ethiopia under Meles had "played a key role in both the region and the African continent."
"I hope that his successor will continue to be a driving force on a wide range of issues, from brokering peace negotiations to shaping development relationships," Annan said.
Ethiopia, a key Western ally often lauded for effective use of aid money, is surrounded by unstable nations such as Somalia and Sudan. Meles has been credited with working toward peace and security in the region, and the Ethiopian army sent peacekeepers to battle the Islamic extremist group Al-Shabaab in Somalia.

ILLEGAL FUND MANAGERS: SEC TO INVESTIGATE BANKS’ CONNIVANCE

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is set to investigate alleged connivance of commercial banks in Plateau State in illegal fund management.
Mr Eric Elujekor, the Head of Department, Enforcement and Compliance of the commission, made this known in Jos at the weekend.
In a statement made available to LEADERSHIP by SEC’s spokesperson, Mr. Yakubu Olalye, the team leader, who led the sealing of two illegal fund outfits, Green Planet Association International Bukuru and Wiscom Ventures, Jos North, said that commercial banks’ connivance had to be investigated.
Elujekor said in order to restore the customers’ confidence in financial institutions, SEC would carry out a thorough investigation on the issue. “Investors who volunteered information to SEC officials have said that they were encouraged to part with their monies because they saw bank officials in those offices receiving money.
“They said that the bank officials after receiving their money now go to personally deposit it with their banks. So it is something that we need to investigate,” he said.
He said that the outfits were illegal because majority of them were not licenced by SEC. “Some of them were licenced as fund managers, but as fund managers if you want to mobilise fund and invest, you have to register the fund with SEC. Even those we registered as fund managers never registered the fund they are floating.” he declared.
Operators of some of the illegal funds outfits resisted all attempts by SEC to seal their premises forcing SEC officials to beat a retreat. Some of them said that SEC was only being officious like other security agencies.
At one of the illegal operators -Guarantee Global Resource (House of Wealth), one of the investors, Adams Saleh, said that they were on queue waiting to be paid interests on their investment.“We trust them, they give us information on the telephone, I invested N500, 000,’’ he said.
more info coming soon on www.idethompson.blogspot.com

Saturday, 18 August 2012

Miss World Beauty Pageant 2012: Miss China( Yu Wenxia ) Wears the crown

Miss World 2012 Winner Yu Wexnia as she waves her hands in victory.
Miss world 2012 beauty pageant.

China's Yu Wenxia has been crowned the 2012 Miss World.
This is the second time Miss China has been awarded the title. The last time was in 2007 when Zhang Zilin took the honor.
The first runner-up is Sophie Elizabeth Moulds of Wales and the second runner-up is Jessica Michelle Kahawaty of Australia.


 
The 23-year-old Yu is a music student who says she wants to become a music teacher.
This is the first time for the Inner Mongolian city of Ordos to host the international beauty pageant.
hina's Yu Wenxia waves after being crowned Miss World 2012 as Australia's Jessica Kahawaty, right, looks o  Read more: http://www.news.com.au/news/miss-china-crowned-miss-world-2012/story-fnejlvvj-1226453370272#ixzz23uyrltRo
China's Yu Wenxia waves after being crowned Miss World 2012 as Australia's Jessica Kahawaty, right, looks on.
The city is one of the richest regions in China thanks to its abundant natural resources. It hopes the world event will raise its profile for economic development and tourism.

More info coming soon on www.idethompson.blogspot.com


Friday, 17 August 2012

Everton - Manchester United Preview: Toffees aiming for fourth home win against the Red Devils in 21 matches

Everton - Manchester

The first Monday night match of the season sees Everton welcome Manchester United to Old Trafford, and David Moyes will be able to pick from a virtually full-strength squad.


Darron Gibson is the only player who looks set to miss out on a place in the team against his former side, as Marouane Fellaini should be fit.
Victor Anichebe is struggling with a groin injury but should be fit to at least take a place on the bench, while Steven Pienaar looks set to make his first start in his second permanent Everton spell.
Moyes could start with Seamus Coleman on the right-hand side of the midfield, but Steven Naismith appears to have the edge, while the former Rangers man has implored his manager to unleash him against the Red Devils.
Sir Alex Ferguson on the other hand has considerably more to think about with regards to injuries, particularly at the back. Nemanja Vidic managed a number of appearances during pre-season and should start alongside Rio Ferdinand, but Chris Smalling (groin), Jonny Evans (ankle) and Phil Jones (back) are all out.
Rafael also looks set to miss out following his involvement in Brazil’s run to the final in the Olympics, meaning Antonio Valencia will most likely deputise with England Under-19 international Michael Keane playing back-up to him and Patrice Evra.
Darren Fletcher made his long-awaited comeback last week but a Premier League appearance seems premature at this stage, while Robin van Persie will make his debut up-front if his transfer from Arsenal is completed beforehand, as expected.

Thank you for visiting this blog. More infocoming soon on www.idethompson.blogspot.com

Wednesday, 15 August 2012

MY God! Two suspected bombers blow selves up

Part of Kaduna metropolis was on Tuesday thrown into confusion as two suspected suicide bombers blew up themselves while taking an object suspected to be a bomb to an unknown destination.

The two suspects, according to an eyewitness, were on a motorcycle heading towards the northern part of the state at about 3pm when the object exploded killing them on the spot.
Another motorcyclist, said to be following the two suspects, had his stomach ripped. He was rushed to the 44 Army Reference Hospital in the metropolis, where he later died.
There was a mild drama, when security operatives were prevented from Ali Akilu Road by Kaduna Polytechnic Consult, scene of the incident.
Even residents could not move close to the scene for fear of being stung by bees
Security operatives in the area had to shoot several canisters of teargas into the air to drive away the bees before they could reach the victims.
An eyewitness, James Adamu, told our correspondent that he was passing through the area when he heard a loud explosion and took to his heels.
He, however, said he returned to the scene where he saw the three victims lying on the ground.
Adamu said, “But I saw the three of them (victims) with their wrecked motorcycles all lying on the ground. Two of them died instantly while one of them was still moving. But the bees spread around and started stinging people.”
Rita, another eyewitness and resident of the area, said she and one of her siblings were at home when they heard the explosion and ran out to know what was happening. She said they saw the three victims and their bikes at the scene of the incident.
Confirming the incident, the state Acting Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abubakar Balteh, said, “Two people were carrying an object suspected to be an Improvised Explosives Device on a motorbike from Singer Roundabout toward Lugard Hall Roundabout close to the NNPC filling station when the device exploded killing the two of them.
“There was no other casualty at the scene of the incident. We have sent forensic experts to the area to take evidence which we would analyse for additional information. We are on top of the situation.”

Thursday, 9 August 2012

News- US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets Nigeria's president

US Secretary visit to Nigeria

ABUJA — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets Nigeria's president Thursday on her African tour as the continent's largest oil producer faces an Islamist insurgency raising deep concern among Western powers.

Clinton is due to arrive Thursday afternoon in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation and a major supplier of US oil imports, for a brief stopover before travelling to Ghana for the funeral of president John Atta Mills.
Her visit comes as President Goodluck Jonathan is under growing pressure to stop the violence, with Islamist militant group Boko Haram having killed more than 1,400 people in northern and central Nigeria since 2010, according to Human Rights Watch.
Some US lawmakers have been pushing President Barack Obama's administration to label Boko Haram a terrorist organisation, but diplomats have resisted the designation, stressing the group remains domestically focused.
In June, the United States labeled suspected Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau and two other Nigerian militants "global terrorists," allowing any US assets they may have to be blocked.
Shekau appeared in a video posted to YouTube last weekend dismissing the designation and criticising Jonathan.
"I think one of the key concerns is the insecurity around the country, especially arising around the activities around the Boko Haram sect," said Clement Nwankwo, head of the Abuja-based Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre civil society group.
He said Jonathan's administration "has not shown sufficient ability to understand how to tackle the problem."
Nigeria has provided some eight percent of US oil imports, and crude production, based in the country's south, has not been affected by the insurgency.
Boko Haram's targets have continually widened, with the group having moved from assassinations to increasingly sophisticated bombings, including suicide attacks.
Members of Boko Haram are believed to have sought training in northern Mali from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Al-Qaeda's north African branch, and Western nations have been monitoring closely for signs of further links.
It has attacked UN headquarters in the capital Abuja and one of the country's most prominent newspapers, in addition to frequent bombings and shootings in the country's northeast, where Boko Haram is based.
While Muslims have often been its victims, it has recently specifically targeted churches, and Jonathan has accused the group of seeking to provoke a religious crisis in a country roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south.
On Monday night, gunmen stormed a church in central Nigeria, shutting off the electricity and gunning down 19 people. There has not yet been any claim for the attack, though it resembled others blamed on Boko Haram.
The group is believed to include a number of factions with varying interests, and many analysts say deep poverty and a lack of development in Nigeria's north have been key factors in creating the insurgency.
US diplomats and rights groups have repeatedly urged Nigeria's government to begin to address those underlying issues in order to resolve the crisis.
The country and its enormous economic potential have long been held back by deeply rooted corruption, with infrastructure sorely lacking and electricity blackouts occurring daily despite its oil wealth.
US-based Human Rights Watch this week asked Clinton to urge Jonathan to address the violence as well as corruption.
"Despite Nigeria's tremendous oil wealth, endemic government corruption and poor governance have robbed many Nigerians of their rights to health and education," the group said.
"These problems are most acute in the north -- the country's poorest region -- where widespread poverty and unemployment, sustained by corruption, and state-sponsored abuses have created an environment in which militant groups thrive."

Technology- The CBN’s cashless policy!

A forum to discuss possible ways of successfully implementing the CBN’s cashless policy, organised by the Electronic Payment Providers Association of Nigeria, EPPAN in Abuja  recently uncovered why several  e-government initiatives keep failing, saying that until those loopholes are plugged, cost of governance would remain high.

Chief among the problems, the forum discovered, was inability of government to invest in technologies that could easily drive governance and administration of its various processes and systems.

Besides, the forum also frowned at the inability of government to always deliver on its promises and responsibilities to the people, saying that this has created apathy and caused every initiative of government to suffer lack of confidence and trust from people.
The two-day event tagged E-payment for Government Forum, was held as part of a knowledge building and skills development initiative in government circles in preparation for cashless Nigeria.

Apathy on e-govt
Delivering a paper titled Getting Government closer to the people, at the event, Director  Payment Solutions and VAS, Interswitch, Mr Charles Ifedi said that the current attempt by CBN to entrench a cashless transaction structure in the country was a laudable initiative that can easily place Nigeria among the 20 world economies on or before the year 2020.
He however regretted that the initiative may also suffer setback if past mistakes of government are not addressed and adequately corrected. For him, “several failed attempts at entrenching e-government initiatives like the National ID card project has created some form of apathy and mistrust on any project from government.”

Different card schemes, no real values
He also lamented that there were “several closed systems with different cards for different purposes like the Voters Card, National ID card, State ID cards, Health Card among others, which are not adding any tangible value to the citizens” adding that until these schemes were harmonised or done away with, government might not be taken seriously on any e-government issue.
Other factors he identified as against the e- government progress in Nigeria, included that of inadequate IT infrastructure to drive e-payment in Nigeria, inadequate support from government which leave most of the initiatives largely pioneered by the private sector and lack of the needed know-how in utilizing various e-payment services and associated infrastructure by majority of the citizenry.

Way forward
After several deliberations by major stakeholders at the event, it was agreed that for government to leapfrog from its past experiences, it must adopt a multi-channel revenue collections system where revenue collections  can be carried out at bank branches and other channels  as well as encouraging online revenue collection.
Stakeholders also advocated for a citizens health management solution that can deliver healthcare services to citizens through partnerships with HMOs; personnel management solutions that can ensure efficient employee management and thereby eliminate leakages, particularly those caused by ghost workers.
Government was also advised to automate the disbursement of social benefits to deserving citizens so that people get exactly what they are deserving of.

SECURITY-Nigeria police arrest 4 in connection with church attack

LOKOJA, Nigeria, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's police in central north Kogi State said on Wednesday that four suspects have been arrested in connection with the Monday evening gun attack on the Deeper Life Bible Church in Okene.

State commissioner of police Mohammed Katsina told a news conference in Lokoja, the state capital, that the suspects were being interrogated to determine their level of culpability in the attack which left 19 of the worshipers dead.
The church members, including the pastor in charge, Lambe Emmanuel, were killed at about 7:30 p.m. local time during a Bible study class in the church located at Ehika-Adagu in Okehi Local government.
Emmanuel also doubled as a lecturer at the Federal College of Education, Okene. He died alongside another academic staff of the college.
"Four arrests have been made in connection with the Deeper Life Bible Church killings but I cannot give their names. They are in our custody and we have already commenced investigations to ascertain their involvement so as to deal with the situation once and for all. More arrest would be made in due course," the police chief told reporters.
Katsina promised to be thorough with the investigations, assuring that police would enforce the curfew imposed on Okene by the state government on Tuesday.
"Whoever violates the law would be dealt with decisively," he added.
He called on the residents of Lokoja, the state capital, to disregard the rumor making the rounds that members of a dreaded religious sect was planning to launch attack on the city, assuring that police was on top of the situation.
Meanwhile, more military personnel and policemen were being deployed to the trouble spots in Okene town in the Kogi central senatorial district.
Security sources told Xinhua that security were being drafted from other parts of the country.
Also, banks and commercials outfits that hurriedly closed shops in Lokoja on Tuesday as a result of the crisis in Okene and rumored discovery of a bomb in church premises in Lokoja have re- opened for business. For more update visit, http://www.idethompson.blogspot.com

Tuesday, 7 August 2012

Is Bolt really becoming a legend?

....I am one step closer to being a legend...

Four-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt says he is edging closer to legendary status after defending his 100m title in stunning fashion on Sunday.

The 25-year-old Jamaican won in an Olympic record time of 9.63 seconds and is already thinking about his next target at London 2012 – the 200m.
“This gold means I am one step closer to being a legend so I’m working toward that,” he said. “That’s just one step.
“I have the 200m to go, so I’m looking forward to that.”
Bolt is a strong favourite for gold in the 200m, an event he also won at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. His time of 19.19secs, set at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, remains the world record.
When asked on BBC Radio 5 live whether he could break the 19-second barrier, Bolt smiled and said, “Well, it’s been on my mind a couple of years now and this season, on this track, feeling more confident in myself – we’ll see.
“I don’t want to say I can do it and then not do it. But it’s on my mind.”
The heats of the 200m begin in the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday, with the final on Thursday.
Bolt was beaten by training partner Yohan Blake in the 200m at the Jamaican trials in early July. Blake also beat him in the 100m but was forced to settle for silver at London 2012.
His victory came a day after swimming great Michael Phelps secured his 22nd Olympic medal – the most by any Olympian.
Bolt was quick to praise the American’s achievements and likened himself to his fellow Olympic champion.
“Phelps is a legend,” said Bolt. “He’s really done great for himself and his country, and we’ve set the stage for a lot more athletes to really aim high and make our sports even better.”
Bolt said he planned to compete at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.
“I hope I’m in Rio,” he said. “I’m going to be 30, but I hope I’m in great shape. Blake will be 26 so it should be interesting.”

Friday, 3 August 2012

LASG signs law to test, jail traffic offenders

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola on Thursday signed the state’s Road Traffic Law which recommends psychiatric, breath and urine tests, fines and prison terms, among others for traffic offences.

Fashola, during a short signing ceremony at the State House, Alausa, Ikeja, said the law was in response to the growing challenges of road traffic management in the state.
He said while his administration was addressing transportation challenges, the law would complement government’s efforts.
He urged motorists to see the law as a means to change the state for the better, adding that it would be good if motorists complied rather than be arrested.
He said, “There are rules like this in many cities that we have travelled to and we comply. Why is it difficult to comply at home?
“The deputy governor and I are the only ones that have immunity from arrest, but we will subject ourselves to the law because no one will be above this law.
“Those that drive against traffic when we are on the queue are cheating us and we will not allow such to happen again. If we cannot reclaim sanity in our society for the coming generation, I think we have failed.”
Fashola lamented the increase in road accidents due to recklessness of commercial motorcycle operators, popularly called Okada rider. He said their excesses had been addressed in the law.
The governor urged traffic management agencies in the state to ensure compliance with the law, saying the purpose of the law must be achieved.
He also warned public officials to comply with the law.

The governor added, “We expect cooperation and we are recruiting lawyers from the private sector to prosecute traffic offences.”

Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, said the state government would carry out a comprehensive programme to sensitise the public to ensure that people did not fall victim of the law due to ignorance.
He explained that the enforcement of the law would not take effect until it had been gazetted and circulated to all stakeholders.
The traffic law prohibits motorists from eating as well as making phone calls while driving.
It stipulates a fine of N20,000 for first offender and a maximum of three years imprisonment or N30,000 fine or both for subsequent offences.
It restricts okada, carts, wheel barrows and tricycles from operating in Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ikorodu Road, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Agege Motor Road, Funsho Williams Avenue, Eko Bridge, Third Mainland Bridge, Carter Bridge, Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Victoria Island-Lekki-Epe Expressway and all bridges in the state.
Okada operators will now operate between 6am and 8pm where permitted in the state. However, motorcycles of courier companies are exempted with a proviso that they must have engine capacity of 200cc and must not carry any passenger.
The law also states that trailers will only be allowed in the state between 9pm and 6am. Fuel tankers and long vehicles for carrying passenger are, however, exempted.