News Desk (Late Edition) Monday, August 25, 2008

Blackhawks Sign Aliu to 3-year contract

After being signed to an amateur tryout contract on April 4th, he made his professional debut with the AHL's Rockford IceHogs. Aliu posted two penalty minutes in two contests. MORE>>>


Nigeria’s football as metaphor of promise

No, Nigeria’s football team did not win the gold at the just-concluded Beijing Olympic Games, but they gave an undeniably golden account of themselves. At the end of their riveting decisive match with repeating champions Argentina, the Nigerians could lay a claim only to the silver... MORE>>>

ICAN rejects increase in VAT rate

Uche, who gave the advice at a lecture he delivered to participants of the Senior Executive Course 30 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, near Jos, on Monday, said that any increase from the current five per cent to the propsed 10 per cent would further impoverish Nigerians. MORE>>>

N1.5 trillion missing in NNPC account –Speaker

The annual conference of the Nigerian Bar Association [NBA] opened in Abuja on Monday with a startling revelation by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, that a whooping N1.5 trillion generated as revenue from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation [NNPC] in the last 10 years has not been remitted into the Federal Account Allocation Committee [FAC]. MORE>>>

Oil firms funded NDDC with N30bn in 2007 —Omiyi

OIL companies in Nigeria under the auspices of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) say they funded the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to the tune of N30 billion as part of its Sustainable Development (SD) programme in the Niger Delta last year... MORE>>>

News Desk (Late Edition) Thursday, August 21, 2008

Nigerian leader replaces top military chiefs: official

The move, which follows a rise in rebel activity targeting oil installations across the Niger Delta, was enacted shortly before Yar'Adua left the country Wednesday night for a pilgrimage to Mecca, his spokesman said in a statement. MORE>>>


Nigeria anti-graft body probes Obama 'fundraiser'

Officers of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission have questioned Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke, the chief executive of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, on Wednesday and again Thursday over last week's gala dinner believed to have raised around 80,000 dollars. MORE>>>

Nigeria fuel retailer seeks $936 mln in share offer

AP will sell 199.07 million new shares at 250 naira each to the public and 262.93 million shares at 230 naira each in a rights issue to existing shareholders. The offering will run through to October 2, 2008. MORE>>>

UK seeks to deepen energy ties with Nigeria

Britain sees Nigeria, where attacks by militants and under-investment have cut production to 1.8m b/d from a capacity of roughly 2.5m b/d, as one of the few countries that could potentially provide a significant increase in output. MORE>>>

Nigeria's July Inflation Accelerates to 14% on Food Costs

Inflation accelerated from 12 percent in June, Henry Eteama, spokesman for the Abuja-based National Bureau of Statistics, said by phone today. Food inflation quickened to 20.9 percent in July from 18.1 percent a month earlier, he said. MORE>>>

Soccer Madness: Nigeria Celebrates in Style at the Beijing Olympics

{Olubayo Adefemi celebrates the goal opener. Photo: Associated Press)

{A jubilant dream team celebrates in style as Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi, Kneeling down, is being congratulated by teammates Captain Victor Obinna Nsofor--right--and Chibuzor Okonkwo--Left.} Photo: AFP coutesy of Vanguard

It was superb and unbelievable to see a magnificent Samson Siasia put a team together with a range unimaginable at his own tone and pace. Siasia had told Michel Obi to go to hell and he didn't need him. Obi had thought Siasia could not perform his magic without him.

Obi was wrong.

Siasia did it independently, his own way, and by his own rules.

However, I had tipped the robust Italians to win overall on many grounds. Brazil came unprepared with a lousy Coach Dunga who had no idea what he was doing.

The showdown, a much anticipated return match is a tough call. Argentina has players who play pro in big European leagues. Lionel Messi, Sergio Arguero, Javier Mascherano, et all are experienced players. On the other hand, the goal scorers that nailed Belgium are from unknown teams in Europe and Brazil. Olubayo Adefemi plays for a clubside in Israel, Chinedu Obasi who scored two goals against Belgium plays for Hoffenheim in Germany while Chibuzor Okonkwo plays locally for Bayelsa United in Nigeria.

The dribbling magic of the Nigerian lads is a sure bet to give Messi and his boys a run for their money.

The line: Nigeria by one point.

News Desk Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Senate faults NNPC's secret accounts

The condemnation of the accounting system of the NNPC is contained in the annual report of the Committee on Downstream Affairs submitted to the Senate. The report is due for deliberation at the commencement of Senate sittings after the ongoing holidays. MORE>>>

Labour opposes pay rise for legislators

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) levelled the accusation yesterday in response to the latest 100 per cent increase in the emoluments of legislators and local government chairperson and councillors. MORE>>>

Nigeria Has $50b In Foreign Currency, Gold Reserves - CIA

Nigeria is the 26th largest world economy with foreign currency and gold reserves capacity of more than $50 billion, civilian intelligence unit of the United States government, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)has said. MORE>>>

Four Killed, 20 Arrested As JTF, Gunmen Clash In P'Harcourt

Four persons died on Tuesday, 20 were arrested, and residents of old Port Harcourt Township fled their homes when gunmen and the Joint Task Force (JTF)had another exchange of gun fire, the second in a month. MORE>>>

FG okays Ribadu's demotion

The Federal Government has finally sealed the fate of erstwhile chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who was recently stripped of two ranks by the Police Service Commission... MORE>>>

Onitsha: 70-yr-old retired principal kidnapped

Dare-devil kidnappers have struck again in Onitsha, Anambra State commercial nerve centre, with the abduction of a 70-year-old retired principal, Sir G. C. Ubaka. MORE>>>

Obama: SEC writes Okereke-Onyiuke

There were indications on Tuesday that the Securities and Exchange Commission might have demanded explanation from the Director-General, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Dr. Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke, on her role in the ‘Africa for Obama fundraiser.’ MORE>>>

Foreign varsity admission racket dupes Nigerians

About 15 students in Nigeria have been sent fraudulent degree offer letters purporting to be from Liverpool Hope University in England. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) bogus educational and scholarship agencies had then asked the applicants for non-refundable acceptance fees. MORE>>>

A Bakassi Drama

SOURCE: DAILY SUN

News Desk (Late Edition) Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Nigeria, Germany sign deal to boost power supply

Analysts have identified power shortage as one of the main impediments to growth in the world's eighth top oil exporter which is grappling with its worst electricity crisis in decades. MORE>>>

Virgin set to sell Nigerian airline stake

Virgin Atlantic is in discussions to sell its stake in Virgin Nigeria as its dispute with the government of the oil-rich West African state escalates. The deal is also likely to see Virgin, chaired by Sir Richard Branson, remove its branding from the airline once it finds a buyer for its 49pc stake. MORE>>>

Britain wants strong regulations for Nigeria’s oil sector

Nigeria will get better rewards from the oil and gas sector if the government is able to come up with strong regulatory frameworks, the British Secretary of Energy, Mr. Malcom Wicks, advised on Tuesday. MORE>>>

Nigeria militants kill 3 in battle over oil turf

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria, Aug 19 (Reuters) - At least three people were killed in a turf dispute between rival armed gangs in Nigeria's oil-producing Niger Delta, one resident and a security source said on Tuesday. MORE>>>

Nigeria Child Witches

This is ridiculous!

Adios Bakassi

The final nail on the coffin as Nigeria's Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mr. Michael Aonodoakaa, left, and Cameroun's Minister of State for Justice, Professor Maurice Kamto in a formal agreement which hands over the oil rich Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroun on Thursday, August 14, 2008 in Calabar, Cross River State.

News Desk (Late Edition) Monday, August 18, 2008

Software giant plans expansion in Nigeria

LAGOS, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- World's third largest independent software vendor, SAP, has seen prospects in the Nigerian economy just as it plans to increase its market share in the country, according to the Lagos-based Punch newspaper Monday. MORE>>>

Awareness about phone recycles low in Nigeria, others – Nokia

A new global survey by Nokia has shown that there is low awareness about the fact that old mobile phones can be recycled, rather than keeping them idle at homes or throwing them away. Although a statement, which was released in July after the survey was conducted, MORE>>>

Nigeria oil region development agency head charged on graft

The police, in a statement, said Edem was arraigned before an Abuja high court Monday for stealing 800 million naira (6.7 million dollars, 4.4 million euros) of federal government money. MORE>>>

African Stocks: Kenya, Ghana Rally; Nigeria, Mauritius Slide

In Nigeria, the All-Share Index dropped 4.4 percent to 47,517.87, extending the previous week's 5.6 percent decline. The measure has slumped 18 percent this year. Japaul Oil & Maritime Services Plc, an oil-services company, led the decline, sliding 18 percent to 4.77 naira. Hallmark Assurance Plc MORE>>>

Olympic Dream Extension

SOURCE: GUARDIAN

Editorials Sunday, August 17, 2008

The Africa peace initiative

IT WAS recorded that the United Nations Security Council deployed a record number of peacekeepers to 19 peace operations around the world in 2007. At present, more than 100,000 blue berets and civilian staff are serving in the field to build and keep peace around the world. [The Punch]

After the Bakassi handover

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) had, in October 2002, sat in judgment over the disputed ownership of Bakassi Peninsula and resolved the matter in favour of Cameroun. Since then, tension has remained heightened in the Peninsula especially on the part of Nigerians who felt that the judgment was not in the best interest of the country. [Daily Sun]

The Jose Medellin exception

Tuesday's execution of Jose Medellin, a Mexican citizen who was convicted of the 1993 rape and murder of two girls in Texas, ended the life of a vicious criminal. But it also flouted a treaty signed by the U.S. that will now offer less protection to Americans arrested and imprisoned abroad -- unless Congress acts. [Los Angeles Times]

Mr. Ng’s Death

This country’s harsh regime of immigration enforcement is racked with troubles from top to bottom, from the federal raids recklessly sweeping thousands of harmless immigrants into custody to the scandal-riddled detention system that abuses and neglects them once they get there. [New York Times]

Spreading Hope

IN HIS 2003 State of the Union address, President Bush surprised many when he proposed to take the fight against AIDS to Africa. At the time, slowing the spread of the disease seemed quixotic, particularly on a continent where only about 50,000 of the 30 million infected people received antiretroviral treatment. [Washington Post]