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5,897 |
Prominent Nigerians Honoured for Tremendous Contribution
|
Organisations in Nigeria Sun Newspapers,Etisalat and the Niger Delta Icon decided to reward Nigerians who showed their exemplary
| 2012-03-07T15:25:05 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/07/prominent-nigerians-honoured-for-tremendous-contribution/
|
[
"Metrofile"
] |
Organisations in Nigeria; Sun Newspapers,Etisalat and the Niger Delta Icon decided to reward Nigerians who showed exemplary characters by contributing immensely to the development of Nigeria.
Prominent Nigerians Honoured for Tremendous Contribution
Organisations in Nigeria; Sun Newspapers,Etisalat and the Niger Delta Icon decided to reward Nigerians who showed exemplary characters by contributing immensely to the development of … Continue reading Prominent Nigerians Honoured for Tremendous Contribution
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5,903 |
Judge summons Senator Igbeke over forgery
|
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday ordered Alphonsus Ubanesse Igbeke, the Senator representing Anambra North senatorial ...
| 2012-03-07T14:48:28 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/07/judge-summons-senator-igbeke-over-forgery/
|
[
"Politics"
] |
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday ordered Alphonsus Ubanesse Igbeke, the Senator representing Anambra North senatorial district to appear before it to answer charges of forgery.
The Attorney General of the Federation in a suit “the Federal Republic of Nigeria vs.Senator Alphonsus Igbeke,” filed a two-count of criminal forgery and perjury against Mr Igbeke.
The suit, with charge number FHC/ABJCF/44/11 reveals that Mr Igbeke allegedly forged the senatorial primary result sheet for the People Democratic Party (PDP) of Anambra North senatorial district.
According to the fake result sheet, the embattled Senator was adjudged winner, having polled One thousand one hundred and seventy three (1,173) votes, while John Emeka (Jnr) came a distant third with One hundred and fifty six (156) votes.
The two count charge against Mr Igbeke reads:
COUNT ONE: That you, Alphonsus Uba Igbeke (M) on or about the 21st day of January, 2011 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria, did make a forged document described as the Senatorial Primary Result Sheet for People Democratic Party(PDP) of Anambra North Zone Knowing it to be false to wit: you falsely represented the votes scored by the aspirants as follows:
John Emeka (Jnr) – 1562
Chief A Igbeke – 1173
Chief Dennis Odife – 154
Hon Uzoka Okwudili – 345
Hon Celestine Ughnaze – 297
Chief Tony Nnacheta – 25
COUNT TWO: That you, Alphonsus Uba Igbeke (M) on or about the 21st day of January, 2011 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria, did make a forged document described as the Senatorial Primary Result Sheet for People Democratic Party (PDP) of Anambra North Zone Knowing it to be false to wit: you falsely represented the votes scored by the aspirants as follows:
John Emeka (Jnr) – 156
Chief A Igbeke – 1,173
Chief Dennis Odife – 154
Hon Uzoka Okwudili – 345
Hon Celestine Ughnaze – 297
Chief Tony Nnacheta – 25
With intent that it may be used by yourself to buttress your prayer to the Federal High Court in Suit No.FHC/ABJ/CS/189/2011/ to be declared winner of the Senatorial Party Primary to the prejudice of John Emeka the real winner and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (2)(c) of the miscellaneous Offences Act 2004 and punishable under Section 1(2)of the said act.
Justice Adamu Bello, who ruled on the application, countered the application of opposing counsel on whether the defendant’s motion to quash charges against him can be considered without arraignment and taking of plea.
The Judge, after considering the arguments by counsel – ordered that until the accused person is arraigned in court he cannot seek the indulgence of the court to hear his motion to quash charges against him.
Justice Bello further ruled that the accused must first appear in court to take his plea, and any objection on jurisdiction cannot be raised before arraignment.
On the application of the prosecution for a bench warrant to compel the accused person to appear in court, he urged that the first step is to issue a court summons to the accused. Failure to respond to the summons will then lead to a bench warrant being issued.
The trial judge then adjourned the case to 22nd of May 2012.
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5,898 |
Police officers undergo trial for disregarding IG’s order on checkpoints
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Eight police officers of the Abia State Command are undergoing trial for allegedly disregarding the Acting Inspector General’s order banning police from mounting check-points and … Continue reading Police officers undergo trial for disregarding IG’s order on checkpoints
| 2012-03-07T14:22:41 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/07/police-officers-undergo-trial-for-disregarding-ig%e2%80%99s-order-on-checkpoints/
|
[
"Local"
] |
Eight police officers of the Abia State Command are undergoing trial for allegedly disregarding the Acting Inspector General’s order banning police from mounting check-points and individual patrolling on highways.
The officers were caught by the AIG’s monitoring team while visiting commands to ascertain compliance with directives on illegal detention and long detention without trial.
In response, the State Police Commissioner, Bala Hassan insists that his Command has fully complied with the acting IGP Mohammed Abubakar’s directive, saying that the AIG’s directive did not imply that policemen should not be seen on the roads.
In his words, “It is not true that there should be no police patrol on the roads. Only roadblocks are banned, vehicular and foot patrols are not affected”.
Mr. Hassan implored members of the public not to harass the police on the roads, noting that their presence is for the security of every law-abiding Nigerian. He also noted that since the IGP directives against roadblocks took effect, there had not been any robbery or criminal attack incidents recorded in the state.
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5,891 |
Nigeria Embassies to have Trade and Investment Desks- Aganga
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It was clear at the beginning of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration that attracting Foreign Direct Investment into
| 2012-03-07T13:44:34 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/07/nigeria-embassies-to-have-trade-and-investment-desks-aganga/
|
[
"Business"
] |
the country was a priority, especially with the creation of the Ministry of Trade and Investment to take care of trade, including investment matters across all sectors of the economy as Mr. Olusegun Aganga the Minister of Trade and Investment is doing all he can to make this a reality.
Nigeria’s embassies all over the world will soon have Trade and Investment Desks set up to handle issues of international trade.
The Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga announced the plan at a meeting with exporters in Abuja, adding that one of his targets is to double Nigeria’s export capacity to the United Kingdom.
He however asked exporters in the country to ensure proper packaging of their products for improved contribution to the country’s gross domestic product.
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5,888 |
Strike hits South Africa, Mines halt production
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South Africa mining production has been forced to flex its muscles as thousands of its citizens embarked on a one-day national strike
| 2012-03-07T13:24:35 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/07/strike-hits-south-africa-mines-halt-production/
|
[
"Business"
] |
South Africa mining production has been forced to flex its muscles as thousands of its citizens embarked on a one-day national strike today to remind the ruling ANC of its political clout.
The immediate targets of the strike are new road tolls around Johannesburg, and short-term contract Labour agencies that exploit workers and perpetuate the inequalities of apartheid white-minority rule that ended in 1994.
Gold Fields, one of the affected producers disclosed that its operations had ground to a halt as 85 percent of workers down tooled in response to the call for a strike by the Congress of South African Trade Union (COSATU).
Harmony Gold, another major producer, said all of its staff affiliated to the National Union of Mineworkers, South Africa’s biggest union, had stayed away.
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5,880 |
Gunmen Attack Police Station,Prison in Maiduguri
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Gunmen suspected to be boko haram members, attacked a prison, police station and local government office in Konduga, Maiduguri
| 2012-03-07T13:11:17 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/07/gunmen-attack-police-stationprison-in-maiduguri/
|
[
"Breaking News",
"Headlines",
"Local"
] |
Gunmen suspected to be boko haram members, attacked a prison, police station and local government office in Konduga, Maiduguri wounding at least three police officers.
According to the police spokesman, Samuel Tizhe, the police station was set ablaze while the secretariat and prison were attacked with explosives.
Residents disclosed that gunmen stormed Konduga in the late hours of Tuesday, shooting sporadically and bombing the police station and local government office.
Konduga, 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Maiduguri for some time now has served as the base of boko haram, an Islamic sect blamed for scores of attack that has killed hundreds, mainly in the north.
One resident said a church was also attacked, but the information has not been confirmed by the police.
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5,879 |
Too Many Foreigners in France- President Sarkozy
|
French President Nicolas Sarkozy says there are too many foreigners in France and has pledged to cut the number of new arrivals in half.
| 2012-03-07T12:40:36 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/07/too-many-foreigners-in-france-president-sarkozy/
|
[
"World News"
] |
French President Nicolas Sarkozy says there are too many foreigners in France and has pledged to cut the number of new arrivals in half.
In his words, “Our system of integration is working more and more badly, because we have too many foreigners on our territory and we can no longer manage to find them accommodation, a job, a school”.
Sarkozy stressed that while immigration could remain a boon for France in many areas, it must be tightly controlled through tougher residency qualifications for newcomers.
“Over the five-year term I think that to restart the process of integration in good conditions, we must divide by two the number of people we welcome, that’s to say to pass from 180,000 per year to 100,000,” he said.
Sarkozy also announced new plans to limit some welfare benefit payments currently available to immigrant workers to those who have enjoyed residency for 10 years and have worked for five of those.
Earlier, Sarkozy had been accused of moving to the right in the run up to the presidential election in order to recruit voters tempted by anti-immigrant candidate Marine Le Pen.
France will vote in the first round of a presidential election on April 22, followed by a second-round run-off on May 6.
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5,875 |
Police Checkpoints returning Gradually to Lagos
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It seems police men have decided not to comply anymore with the AIG’s (Mr. Muhammed Abubakar) order on the removal of all checkpoints across
| 2012-03-07T11:41:57 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/07/police-checkpoints-returning-gradually-to-lagos/
|
[
"Local"
] |
It seems police officers decided not to comply anymore with the AIG’s (Mr. Muhammed Abubakar) order on the removal of all checkpoints across the country following the mounting of a checkpoint by some policemen at the Berger end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Tuesday night.
Before the acting AIG’s order, police officers mounted roadblocks on both sides of the expressway resulting in heavy traffic, extorting money from innocent Nigerians.
The order was initially adhered to for some weeks as the policemen are now back on the road, but mostly at night.
Commercial and truck drivers plying the road stressed that they were the targets of the policemen as they extorted money from them under the cover of the night.
Meanwhile, The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations, Lagos State Command, Mr. Tunde Sobulo, said at a press briefing recently, that there was no way the police would dismantle all checkpoints.
In his words, “In the past, armed robbers were using Lagos and Edo states as their base in the South-West and that has long been checkmated since the police force got a wind of the information by beefing up security through checkpoints at these border towns.
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5,870 |
Samsung Files Fresh Suit against Apple Inc.
|
Another lawsuit has been filed against Apple Inc. in South Korea by Samsung Electronics Co., with the latter claiming that the iPhone 4S and iPad2 infringed on three of its patents.
| 2012-03-07T11:22:12 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/07/samsung-files-fresh-suit-against-apple-inc/
|
[
"Info Tech"
] |
Another lawsuit has been filed against Apple Inc. in South Korea by Samsung Electronics Co., with the latter claiming that the iPhone 4S and iPad2 infringed on three of its patents.
The move intensifies the tension between the firms as they compete for dominance of the mobile device market, after a series of legal clashes in Australia, Germany and Netherlands.
Samsung says the fresh suit, filed on Tuesday to a Seoul court, covers three utility patents and involves methods of displaying data, the user interface, and short text messages.
The companies have extended their fight to more than 30 cases in 10 countries since Apple fired its first salvo in April, claiming Samsung “slavishly” copied its iPhone and iPad models.
Samsung counter-sued, saying Apple infringed on its patents and failed to pay royalties.
Apple is also involved in patent battles in separate disputes with other smartphone makers using Google’s free Android platform, the fastest growing mobile operating system, which is used by Samsung, Motorola Mobility Holdings and HTC Corp.
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5,864 |
Government to Play Minimal Role in the Running of New Refineries- Diezani
|
As the pressure on the Federal Government to boost local refining continues to mount, the minister of petroleum says plans for the green field refineries also known as new refineries billed for Lagos, Bayelsa and Kogi states envisaged to add 750,000 barrels per day of extra refining capacity to Nigeria’s current 445,000 barrel per day capacity, is still on course.
| 2012-03-07T11:11:01 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/07/government-to-play-minimal-role-in-the-running-of-new-refineries-diezani/
|
[
"Business"
] |
As the pressure on the Federal Government to boost local refining continues to mount, the minister of petroleum says plans for the green field refineries also known as new refineries billed for Lagos, Bayelsa and Kogi states envisaged to add 750,000 barrels per day of extra refining capacity to Nigeria’s current 445,000 barrel per day capacity, is still on course.
She says besides this move, the sector is being thrown open to capable investors and the federal government participation in the running of the new refineries will be minimal to allow better efficiency.
She spoke with journalists at a meeting in Abuja with heads and operators of the nation’s refineries and other key players in the sector on how to confront the issues stalling local production.
In a seperate event, the Kalu Idika Kalu led task force on refineries was inaugurated with a 60 working days timeline to complete its mandate of unravelling the issues bedevilling local refining.
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5,860 |
Laylow features All Stars in “Meet me at the Top”
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Producer/ director Laylow is at it again as he features stars like Skales, Dagrin, Iceberg Slim, Liu T, Terry Tha Rapman amongst others in his hit video single “Meet me at the Top”
| 2012-03-07T11:10:07 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/07/laylow-features-all-stars-in-%e2%80%9cmeet-me-at-the-top%e2%80%9d/
|
[
"Entertainment"
] |
Producer/ director Laylow is at it again as he features stars like Skales, Dagrin, Iceberg Slim, Liu T, Terry Tha Rapman amongst others in his hit video single “Meet me at the Top”
Producer/ director Laylow is at it again as he features stars like Skales, Dagrin, Iceberg Slim, Liu T, Terry Tha Rapman amongst others in his … Continue reading Laylow features All Stars in “Meet me at the Top”
Producer/ director Laylow is at it again as he features stars like Skales, Dagrin, Iceberg Slim, Liu T, Terry Tha Rapman amongst others in his hit video single “Meet me at the Top”
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5,859 |
CAN asks Federal Government to Address Boko Haram Issues
|
The Christian Association of Nigeria has expressed concern over what it describes as the lack of security for Nigerians and their property saying the frightening dimension of the activities of the sect, boko haram has become worrisome.
| 2012-03-07T11:04:25 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/07/can-asks-federal-government-to-address-boko-haram-issues/
|
[
"Local"
] |
The Christian Association of Nigeria has expressed concern over what it describes as the lack of security for Nigerians and their property saying the frightening dimension of the activities of the sect, boko haram has become worrisome.
President of the Association, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor who addressed journalists in Abuja at the National Christian Centre on the state of the nation where he montioned that the activities of the sect is making it difficult for Christians in Nigeria to freely practice their religion where ever they reside as he warned the Federal Government, political leaders in the country and the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs on the consequences of the sect’s latest threat.
He further asked the Federal Government to stop foot dragging and go into action for once as it’s been said over and over that action will be taken, yet nothing has been done which brings to fore the perception that the sect is being pampered.
Many Nigerians are still mourning their loved ones who were victims of the senseless killings of boko haram.
The Can President encouraged the Federal Government and the Muslim community that the time for action is now to stop the barbaric killing so as the Nation can remain in unity.
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5,851 |
Nigerian’s Uti to launch shoe collection.
|
Uti Nwachukwu is hitting the fashion line soon with his own shoe collections by Push.
| 2012-03-07T10:42:20 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/07/nigerian%e2%80%99s-uti-to-launch-shoe-collection/
|
[
"Fashion"
] |
Uti Nwachukwu is hitting the fashion line soon with his own shoe collections by Push.
The actor/Model won the Big brother Africa (BBA) in 2010
Nigerian’s Uti to launch shoe collection.
Uti Nwachukwu is hitting the fashion line soon with his own shoe collections by Push. The actor/Model won the Big brother Africa (BBA) in 2010 … Continue reading Nigerian’s Uti to launch shoe collection.
|
5,849 |
16 killed in Benue State Ethnic Violence
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The Benue state government has confirmed that 16 people died and 20 others were injured after Fulani herdsmen raided Gwer west group of villages in the state.
| 2012-03-07T10:36:24 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/07/16-killed-in-benue-state-ethnic-violence/
|
[
"Local"
] |
The Benue state government has confirmed that 16 people died and 20 others were injured after Fulani herdsmen raided Gwer west group of villages in the state.
The violence broke out on Sunday when the herdsmen descended on the communities.
Violence over land is common in Nigeria, where the majority of its 160 million people are subsistence farmers in rural areas with few means of arbitrating disputes.
The middlebelt, where a largely Christian south and mostly Muslim north meet, is particularly volatile.
Hundreds of people are killed every year in such clashes although they are usually sporadic and rarely escalate into sustained conflict .
Police Public Relations Officer for Benue State; ASP Alaribe Ejikea confirmed that a team of police has been deployed to the area to restore peace.
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5,844 |
D’banj part ways with Don Jazzy - speculations
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Mr Sunday Are the publicist for the popular record label Mo’Hits has not confirmed the rumor that the executives of the music power house are about to break up.
| 2012-03-07T10:21:17 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/07/d%e2%80%99banj-alleged-break-up-with-don-jazzy%e2%80%a6-speculations/
|
[
"Entertainment"
] |
Speculations are rife in the social media of the separation of multi-awards winning musician, D’Banj and his producer/partner Don Jazzy.
The partnership of the duo have been adjudged to be one of the longest and most successful in the Nigerian music industry.
The publicist for the popular record label Mo’Hits, Sunday Are is yet to comment on the rumor that the executives of the music power house are about to break up.
Mr Are who has been with the record label for ages said “If people are saying they are about to break up what we can do is to wait to see if they eventually break up or not.”
However, after further quizzing on the state of the relationship of the duo, Mr Are confessed that he just got into the country a few days ago, he has been making calls to find out what was happening and nobody is confirming or denying the rift.
“Nobody has said anything to me, and the truth is I don’t want to be any part of “Abracadabra” so I can’t confirm anything yet.
The rumor broke March 5, 2012 on different online media platforms that the frontrunners of the super record imprint Mo’Hits are currently experiencing a relationship ending rift .
According to these reports, Don Jazzy has abandoned their Lekki mansion and D’banj has been marooned by the other members of the Mo’Hits Family for his arrogance.
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5,840 |
Syndik8 records drop new single video “TOMORROW’’
|
The long anticipated video is finally here “Tomorrow” a hit single which was done sometime last year by Syndik8 records has hit the streets.
| 2012-03-07T10:03:53 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/07/syndik8-records-drops-new-single-video-%e2%80%9ctomorrow%e2%80%99%e2%80%99/
|
[
"Entertainment"
] |
The long anticipated video is finally here “Tomorrow” a hit single which was done sometime last year by Syndik8 records has hit the streets.
The song is off his black magic version 1.0 album which dropped last year and was directed by L.A
The long anticipated video is finally here “Tomorrow” a hit single which was done sometime last year by Syndik8 records has hit the streets. The … Continue reading Syndik8 records drop new single video “TOMORROW’’
The long anticipated video is finally here “Tomorrow” a hit single which was done sometime last year by Syndik8 records has hit the streets.
The song is off his black magic version 1.0 album which dropped last year and was directed by L.A
|
5,836 |
Boko Haram Suspect Apprehended With Slain Cop's Pistol
|
A member of the dreaded Islamic sect has been apprehended by men of the Adamawa State police command in the commercial city of Mubi in possession of a fire arm belonging to a police officer shot in Kaduna, North-West Nigeria by members of the sect.
| 2012-03-07T08:52:24 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/07/boko-haram-suspect-apprehended-with-slain-cops-pistol/
|
[
"Local"
] |
A member of the dreaded Islamic sect has been apprehended by men of the Adamawa State police command in the commercial city of Mubi in possession of a fire arm belonging to a police officer shot in Kaduna, North-West Nigeria by members of the sect.
The sect member was overpowered by a man he tried to rob at a suburb of Mubi. The Bareta pistol was loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition.
According to the Adamawa State police commissioner, Adenrele Shinaba, the motorcyclist stabbed his assailant with a knife, leaving him to writhe in pain as blood gushed out of his body. His cries attracted nearby villagers who thronged to the scene.
The police were alerted of the incidence and they rushed to the scene to arrest the gunman.
Mr. Adenrele, who brandished the recovered Bareta pistol before journalists, said his command’s preliminary findings showed the recovered gun was the police gun in the possession of two slain policemen attached to the Kaduna state police command who were attacked by unknown gunmen.
The two policemen
were reportedly killed in the attacks and the guns in their possession taken away.
Mr. Adenrele promised armed insurgents a bloody confrontation, vowing to give members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect a “bloodied nose”.
Meanwhile the Adamawa State capital, Yola, was thrown into confusion in the early hours of Tuesday, following an exchange of gunfire between armed robbers and the police.
This was sequel to the attack on the Jimeta Divisional Police Station located in the heart of the state capital. Though no casualty was recorded as the police repelled the attackers who later fled, the attack on the divisional police station located very close to the Jimeta prison, also caused panic but security operatives attached to the prison mobilised to send the attackers away.
While confirming the incident, Adamawa State Commissioner of Police, Mr Adenrele Shinaba, said that at about 12.40 a.m. On Tuesday, gunmen in a Toyota vehicle opened fire on the station. “But our men who were on the alert at the station responded and the attackers fled. No casualty was recorded on the side of the police,” the commissioner stated.
However, the police boss said that a manhunt had already been launched to track down the attackers.
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5,831 |
Nigerian Immigration "Reciprocate" South African Deportation Gesture
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The diplomatic row between Nigeria and South Africa deepened on Tuesday night as another batch of 16 South Africans were deported from the country.
| 2012-03-07T08:16:28 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/07/nigerian-immigration-reciprocate-south-african-deportation-gesture/
|
[
"Local"
] |
The diplomatic row between Nigeria and South Africa deepened on Tuesday night as another batch of 16 South Africans were deported from the country.
This brings to 44 the number of South Africans deported from Nigeria in two days.
Immigration sources at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos said the 16 dep
ortees, who arrived in Nigeria aboard a South African Airways Airbus A330 at about 8:30pm, were denied entry due “improper travel documents”.
According to the sources, the exercise was supervised by the Deputy Controller of Immigration in charge of the MMIA, Mrs. Rebecca Ayuba.
It is believed that the repatriation of South Africans might continue if their government refuses to stop the alleged maltreatment of Nigerians travelling to Southern African country over a lack of genuine yellow fever vaccination cards.
Twenty-eight South Africans were sent back home on Monday night for improper travel documentation and lack of travel health certificate, according to immigration sources.
Sources say five conditions have been given to the South African government to meet in order to restore diplomatic and bilateral relations, the five conditions are:
•unconditional apology to Nigeria over the deportation of 125 Nigerian travellers last Friday from the Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg;
•compensation for all the victims of the harsh treatment;
•disciplinary action against all the officials involved in the cruelty to Nigerians;
•a review of the Yellow Fever Vaccination Card policy; and
•a commitment that such a diplomatic slip will not re-occur.
It is also believed that the difference the duo shared during the Libyan crises gave rise to the unfolding of events as President Jacob Zuma backed the ousted Muamar Ghadafi while Nigerian President Backed the National Transition Council (NTC).
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5,825 |
Tevez Scores In Second Match After Return
|
Carlos Tevez marked his first public appearance for Manchester City in more than five months with a goal as the Premier League leaders' reserves beat Bolton 3-1 on Tuesday.
| 2012-03-07T07:50:12 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/07/tevez-scores-in-second-match-after-return/
|
[
"Sports",
"Uncategorized"
] |
Carlos Tevez marked his first public appearance for Manchester City in more than five months with a goal as the Premier League leaders’ reserves beat Bolton 3-1 on Tuesday.
Tevez, who played for 45
minutes behind closed doors last week, appeared in front of a crowd of more than 1 000 boosted by media personnel in the Manchester district of Hyde.
The Argentina striker who had come close with a first half free-kick, scored City’s equaliser in the 51st minute when he finished off a cross from fellow forward Harry Bunn from close range.
Tevez was substituted shortly after his goal.
He fell-out with Roberto Mancini after the City manager accused him of refusing to warm-up during a Champions League defeat away to Bayern Munich back in September.
Tevez angered his club’s management when he left for his hometown without permission and returned in January to secure a move away from the midlands which fell through due to his price tag.
The Argentine forward apologized to his manager and has since been training to acquire the match fitness to convince Roberto Mancini that he is ready to compete in a star-studded team.
Mancini said last week “After three months it is not easy to play. At this moment he can’t play. Maybe in two weeks he could be ready.”
|
5,814 |
Supreme Court upholds election of Elechi, Ahmed and Makura
|
Supreme Court upholds election of Elechi, Ahmed and Makura
| 2012-03-06T21:18:04 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/supreme-court-upholds-election-of-elechi-ahmed-and-makura/
|
[
"Politics"
] |
The Supreme Court has upheld the elections of governors Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara state ,Tanko al-Makura of Nassarawa state and Martins Elechi of Ebonyi state.
In separate judgments by the Apex court, the court held that the prove of burden is on the various petitioners and that they have failed to prove that there was substantial non-compliance to the Electoral Act of 2010 as amended in the various elections that brought the governors to power.
A five-man appeal panel of the court, led by Justice John Fabiyi, dismissed the Appeal of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate in Kwara State during the April 2011 governorship polls, Mohammed Belgore. The petition was dismissed for the petitioner’s inability to prove substantial non-compliance with the provision of the Electoral Act in 895 polling units across the state.
The Court also dismissed the petition brought by Julius Ucha, the governorship candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in Ebonyi State, challenging the judgment of the court of Appeal sitting in Enugu which upheld the election of Martins Elechi of PDP as the validly elected governor of the state.
In the case of Nassarawa state, the Supreme Court judgment also read by Justice Fabiyi stated that the petitioner failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the election was marred by violence, multiple thumb-printing and ballot box stuffing.
The court dismissed the various appeals while affirming the judgment of the tribunals and the appellate courts which upheld the elections of the three governors.
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Nationalised Banks: CBN asks court to dismiss Bank PHB’s suit
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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Federal Government and Keystone bank limited have urged a Federal High Court in Lagos to dismiss a ...
| 2012-03-06T21:01:01 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/nationalised-banks-cbn-asks-court-to-dismiss-bank-phb%e2%80%99s-suit/
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[
"Business"
] |
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Federal Government and Keystone bank limited have urged a Federal High Court in Lagos to dismiss a suit instituted by some shareholders of the defunct Bank PHB seeking to void the August 2011 action of the apex bank nationalising their bank.
The shareholders on behalf of Bank PHB had through their counsel, Anthony Idigbe contended that the apex Bank in nationalising their bank last year acted maliciously by singling them out for punishment without considering their investments.
In the suit, which had the CBN, the Federal government and Keystone bank Limited as defendants, the shareholders argued that the action of the apex bank was discriminatory and constitutes an abuse of its powers by nationalising the assets of Bank PHB and transferring the same to third defendant ( Keystone Bank limited).
The bank also contended that no compensation was given to its shareholders as a result of the action.
However, in three separate preliminary objections filed by Kola Awodein for the CBN, Fabian Ajogwu for the Federal Government and Khrushchev Ekwueme for Keystone Bank limited, the defendants urged the court to dismiss the action on the ground that it was not brought within the three months period stipulated by the Public Officers Protection Act.
They also submitted that the shareholders had not shown that the action by the apex bank on August 2011 was in bad faith.
The defendants further argued amongst other grounds that the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) was the proper person to bring the action, and not the plaintiff, whose operating licence had been revoked.
In his responding to the objections, Mr Idigbe, faulted the arguments of the defendants on the issue of time limit, saying the action was brought within the three months’ time frame provided by law.
He also contented that Bank PHB had shown by its statement of claims that the CBN acted in bad faith by singling it out for punishment.
He further argued that the plaintiff and not the NDIC who can complain about the nationalisation of the former bank PHP.
On the issue on the revocation of Bank PHB’s operating licence, he said it was a substantive issue that the court cannot determine at the preliminary stage.
Ruling on the matter has been fixed for May 12, 2012 by the trial judge, Justice Charles Archibong.
The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) last August announced revoked the operating licenses of Afribank Nigeria Plc, Spring Bank Plc and BankPHB on the bases that they have not shown capacity and ability to recapitalise before the September 30 deadline.
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5,807 |
Solve insecurity by creating more jobs - Labour minister
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The Minister of labour and productivity, Emeka Nwogu on Tuesday said that unemployment is the cause of restiveness and insecurity in the ...
| 2012-03-06T20:38:33 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/solve-insecurity-by-creating-more-jobs-labour-minister/
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[
"Local"
] |
The Minister of labour and productivity, Emeka Nwogu on Tuesday said that unemployment is the cause of restiveness and insecurity in the country.
The minister said this at a forum organised by the National Defence College for mapping out policy options to curb insecurity in the country.
He said that despite the high level of profits declared by multinational companies operating in Nigeria, “the proportion of Nigerians living in poverty is increasing every year.”
Mr Nwogu said that these revelations “reflect the growing frustration and angers of millions of Nigerians youths, whose hopes and aspirations could wrongly be expressed through violence and crime.”
The Minister advocated massive jobs creation as a recipe for internal security, peace and stability of the nation.
Speaking at the event, the commandant of the Defence College, Rear Admiral Thompson Lokoson, said though it was too early to assess recent government initiative for employment generation, previous efforts in that direction have failed to produce the desired results.
He said it is alarming that an estimated 100 million Nigerians live in poverty while 40 million are unemployed.
He said that the current waves of insecurity sweeping across the country could be “partially attributed to lack of job security.”
The commandant said that like most governments, actual job creation must become the preoccupation of the present administration especially considering that previous efforts are yet to yield any tangible results.
Other security experts and participants at the gathering suggest that the first step must be to identify and address youth restiveness arising from joblessness and broaden the base of policy initiation and implementation by involving private, public and security outfits towards a successful resolution.
The United States’ also on Monday urged the government to focus on developing the northern part of the country as a way of combating the Boko Haram insurgency in that part of the country. The US government further promised to support Nigeria in crushing the restiveness in the North.
Reports from news agencies showed that critics have accused the Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan of relying too heavily on security measures in the fight against Boko Haram and that his government is not addressing the underlying economic problems that provided the conditions for militancy in the north.
Recently, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, a northerner and native of Kano, raised controversy when he said that the north was underdeveloped because the federal government was not allocating a fair share of the country’s petrodollar earnings to the region.
Supporters of President Jonathan, a southerner, have countered Mr Lamido’s assertion that the federal government is neglecting the north, saying that Jonathan inherited a heavy legacy of long years of neglect of social and economic development of the north by northern leaders themselves who have held power in Nigeria longer than leaders from any other part of the country.
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House summon JAMB’s registrar over exam in northern states
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House summon JAMB’s registrar over exam in northern states
| 2012-03-06T20:28:13 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/house-summon-jamb%e2%80%99s-registrar-over-exam-in-northern-states/
|
[
"Breaking News",
"Local"
] |
The House of Representatives has summoned the registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Dibu Ojerinde, to explain his statement that the body may not conduct examinations in some volatile states in northern Nigeria.
In a motion of urgent national importance, Representative Aminu Sulieman, said the decision taken by the examination body is not only selfish but also wrong.
The registrar is to explain where he derives the powers to take such a decision and has been told to reverse the decision.
The House approved the motion and has mandated its Committee on Education and Security to look into the matter and report.
Professor Ojerinde, had last week stated that the forthcoming Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) might not hold in the volatile states in northern Nigeria.
The Professor made the announcement while speaking with reporters at the 58th National Council on Education (NEC) meeting.
According to him, JAMB will be forced to cancel the examination if the Boko Haram attacks on primary and secondary schools in Borno State continue.
“When we reviewed the situation in volatile states, for instance Borno, we realized that some of the schools are being bombed, but our investigations showed that only primary schools are affected and not secondary schools” he said.
Fundamentalist sect Boko Haram which translates to “Western education is sacrilege” or “a sin”, has in recent weeks being staging attacks on schools in some states in Northern Nigeria, such as Borno.
About seven schools were razed in the last two weeks in the troubled state.
The forthcoming UTME is slated for Saturday March 24th.
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Yellow fever does not exist in Nigeria…..Health Minister
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Yellow fever does not exist in Nigeria…..Health Minister
| 2012-03-06T19:53:03 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/yellow-fever-does-not-exist-in-nigeria%e2%80%a6-health-minister/
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[
"Breaking News",
"Health"
] |
The reported deportation of 125 Nigerians with alleged fake yellow fever cards by the South Africa immigration service has again been condemned by the federal government.
Addressing a news conference in Abuja, the Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu stated that Nigeria is not endemic for yellow fever and there is no epidemic right now.
He stated that the last confirmed cases of yellow fever in Nigeria were in 1995 when 25 cases were recorded with only one death.
“There is absolutely no reason for these travelers to have being deported, and in so doing, it is assumed to have being embarrassing and humiliating.”
The Minister noted that the approved vaccination centers have been issuing yellow cards and where there is any doubt about the authenticity of the yellow cards given to any traveler, should have being reported to the Federal Ministry of Health.
“The action of the South African immigration on the Nigeria travelers is certainly against international health regulations issued by the World Health organization 2005, Section 32” he stated.
Professor Chukwu stated emphatically that “no country, no individual or group has made any report to the Ministry on the possession of fake yellow card by an individual.”
“If there are such cases, the ministry will like to have the report for necessary investigation” he added.
He noted that “it is curious that a country that had issued entry visas to intending travelers which issuance was predicated on the presentation of a valid yellow card will then turn around to deport those travelers.”
However, the Minister advised Nigerians to ensure they get vaccinated and get the yellow card before travelling to countries that require the yellow card.
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Jonathan meets with refinery operators
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Jonathan meets with refinery operators
| 2012-03-06T19:27:04 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/jonathan-meets-with-refinery-operators/
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[
"Breaking News",
"Business"
] |
President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday, held a meeting with refinery operators and technical managers of the three refineries in Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Warri in an effort towards bringing a full turn around to the refineries.
The meeting which took place at the Presidential villa is following a two day retreat convened by the Minister of Petroleum resources and is designed to find solution towards tackling the challenges that led to the inability of the refineries to operate at full capacity
Briefing state house correspondents after the meeting the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Deziani Alison Madueke said that the challenges in the Nigerian refineries are still prevalent but that the retreat was designed to encapsulate the challenges that they saw and put the solutions across the board.
According to the Minister, plans for the new Green Field refineries billed for Lagos, Bayelsa and Kogi states, which are envisaged to add 750,000 barrels per day of extra refining capacity to Nigeria’s current 445,000 barrel per day capacity, is still on course. And she emphasized that the government will only be playing a very minimal-participatory role in the building of the refineries.
She says besides this move, the sector is being thrown open to capable investors and the federal government participation in the running of the new refineries will be minimal to allow better efficiency
The Minister condemned the incessant vandalisation of oil pipelines, which claims is still prevalent in the country, as well as the outdated equipment and lack of training. She noted that a strategic frame work will soon be fashioned out to bring a turn around to the refineries.
In a separate event, the Kalu Idika Kalu led task force on refineries was inaugurated with a 60 working days timeline to complete its mandate of unraveling the issues bedeviling local refining.
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Deportation of 125 Nigerians from South Africa is xenophobic - Nigerian envoy
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Deportation of 125 Nigerians from South Africa is xenophobic…….Nigerian envoy
| 2012-03-06T18:42:24 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/deportation-of-125-nigerians-from-south-africa-is-xenophobic%e2%80%a6%e2%80%a6-nigerian-envoy/
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[
"Breaking News",
"Headlines"
] |
The deportation of 125 Nigerian by immigration officials in South Africa has being described as xenophobic attack on Nigerians as the nation warn of reciprocatory actions.
This was made known today by Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Olugbenga Ashiru at his presentation before the House of Representative committee on diaspora over the seemingly diplomatic row between the two largest economies in Africa.
125 Nigerians were refused entry into the South Africa last Thursday by immigration officers in Johannesburg over the possession of fake Yellow card. The passengers were subsequently deported.
According to the Nigerian envoy, “The underlining problem is the attitude of the ordinary South-Africans to Nigerians.” “They have a xenophobic attitude towards Nigerians” he emphasized.
He made this known while responding to the question by chairperson of the House committee on Foreign Affairs, Nnenna Ukeje, on whether the recent face-off between Nigerian and South Africa over the recognition of the National Transitional Ruling Council (NTC) in Libya, was a factor to the diplomatic crisis.
Nigeria was amongst the first nations to recognize the NTC during the Libyan uprising that led to the fall of former Libyan leader, Mummar Gaddafi. South Africa declined to recognize the NTC.
Mr Ashiru, however resorted that “the issue of NTC is not the problem that gave rise to this deportation that we were faced with last week” as he emphasized more on the xenophobic attacks by South Africa.
South Africa has always being in the news for xenophobic attacks on foreigners working in the country. A number of Zimbabweans and Nigerians were amongst those attacked in the xenophobic attacks in 2009.
The Minister gave a note of warning to all African countries on the mal-treatment of Nigerians, stating that “African countries including South Africa, should not take Nigeria’s maturity and the friendliness of our people to foreigners for granted.”
“And also they should not take the friendly business environment we have in Nigeria where companies, including South African companies are making more profit in South Africa for granted” he added.
He further warned that henceforth the Nigerian government will be taking appropriate actions if any of its citizens is deported on fragile excuses. “When you deport two Nigerians from your country on flimsy excuses, there will be appropriate reaction” he said.
The envoy, who has once served as Nigeria’s envoy to South Africa, noted that actions that will be taking over the yellow card controversy with South Africa will be ‘reciprocating’ and ‘not retaliating.’ “It may not be retaliation, but you (the country in question) will know that we are reciprocating, one way or the other” he said.
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NLC demands report on probe of fuel subsidy
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NLC demands report on probe of fuel subsidy
| 2012-03-06T17:49:03 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/nlc-demands-report-on-probe-of-fuel-subsidy/
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[
"Breaking News",
"Headlines"
] |
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has alleged that there are ongoing moves to ‘instigate a major cover up” for the House of Representative probe on fuel subsidy and has demanded an urgent release of the probe’s report.
This was stated in a press release signed by the President of the labour group, Abdulwahed Ibrahim Omar, where he claimed that there are “insinuations that unprecedented pressure has been mounted on the legislature from various quarters to jettison the report.”
The House of Representatives committee on the downstream sector was set-up an ad-hoc committee to probe the increase in the payment of fuel from N600billion in 2010 to N1.2trillion in 2011.
The committee swung into action for 10 weeks on the probe following wide spread protest and industrial action following the removal of oil subsidy in January.
The probe invited every major oil companies, oil importer and marketer that have benefited from the oil subsidy as well as government agencies and departments involved in the downstream sector. A host of revelations were made during the probe which was broadcasted live by Channels Television.
According to the NLC, some interests groups, such as oil marketers, speculators and briefcase businessmen who will lose out on cheap money and government officials who have been feeding fat on contrived leakages in the oil industry, stand indicted and might face sanctions based on assessment of their submissions during the probe.
The NLC worries that “these pressures might overwhelm the report of the probe or if released might not be implemented by the executive.”
Ribadu’s distraction
It also noted that the rush by the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Deziani Allison-Madueke, to set up series of committees and task forces to probe the oil industry, is “tantamount to medicine after death.”
Referring to the appointment of former anti-corruption czar, Nuhu Ribadu, as the Chairman of the taskforce, Labour noted that despite the caliber of people that constitute the task-force, “it might also be a distraction and a ploy to pre-empt the report by the legislature and instigate a major cover up.”
Citing examples of similar rigorous probe into some critical sectors of the economy, but such probe’s report were jettisoned; the labour group warned that Nigerians will not tolerate such this time around, adding that “investigations into the oil subsidy removal was a product of a recent national strike and mass protest by workers and the Nigerian people.”
“Thus, the probe report by the National Assembly will not be allowed to be so treated as the power probe or other probe reports of its kind” the statement said emphatically.
It commended the House of Representative on its stand on the report of the probe on privatization of public enterprises, and called on the Chairperson of the House Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Farouk Lawan, to make true his claim that “there would be no sacred cows.”
“We are watching!” the labour leader concluded the message.
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Apple's next iPad may be a 4G game changer
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Apple Inc is betting a 4G-equipped iPad will tempt more U.S. consumers to pay extra to watch high-quality video on the go, and in turn, … Continue reading Apple’s next iPad may be a 4G game changer
| 2012-03-06T16:57:05 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/apples-next-ipad-may-be-a-4g-game-changer/
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[
"Info Tech"
] |
Apple Inc is betting a 4G-equipped iPad will tempt more U.S. consumers to pay extra to watch high-quality video on the go, and in turn, give Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc a revenue boost.
Until now, Apple’s fan legion has been reluctant to shell out extra money even for iPads with 3G connections. The cheaper Wi-Fi-only model — with more limited Web access — is by far the top-selling one today.
The newest iPad will be capable of operating on a high-speed 4G “LTE,” or Long-Term Evolution network, according to a source familiar with the product. At speeds roughly 10 times faster than current 3G technology, that may go a long way toward banishing the sometimes shaky video quality of older devices.
Such a juiced-up device would help boost the telecoms market if consumers catch on and can be enticed to pay more, some analysts said. The global tablet user base already reached 67 million in 2011, according to researcher Strategy Analytics.
“It’s going to dramatically improve video consumption,” said UBS analyst John Hodulik. “This is the device people want. They want the fastest speed. They want high resolution.”
Apple, AT&T and Verizon declined to comment.
The Cupertino, California-based consumer device company is gearing up to unveil the iPad 3 on Wednesday, a faster and better-equipped version intended to thwart increasing competition from rivals such as Samsung Electronics Co and Amazon.com.
The new iPad will be “critical” to Apple if it is to continue to dominate the global tablet market, said Frost & Sullivan’s analyst, Phil Harpur.
“A lot will depend how receptive the market is to the new features offered by iPad 3, two of which are believed to be quad-core processing and 4G-LTE capabilities,” he said. “While iPad 2 offered only minor incremental upgrades, this time the market will be expecting a lot more.”
The unveiling at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, where the company also introduced the last two iPad generations, will be Chief Executive Tim Cook’s second major product launch, after the iPhone 4S unveiling last year at the company’s headquarters.
The smartphone was initially a disappointment as it was perceived to be mostly a software upgrade, but “Siri,” its voice-enabled personal assistant technology, helped to make it a bestseller.
Cook will again be flanked by Apple’s top cadres on Wednesday, when he kicks off a typically tightly choreographed show scrutinized by investors and industry insiders. On hand will likely be Apple’s top marketing executive Phil Schiller, its head of Internet services Eddy Cue and software chief Scott Forstall — the standard cast for major launches following the death of founder and consummate showman Steve Jobs last year.
UPGRADE TO APPLE TV IN WORKS?
The company, legendary for keeping its agenda under wraps, has not said what it plans to reveal but invited speculation with its cryptic event invitation, graced by a partial image of an iPad screen and the tagline: “We have something you really have to see. And touch.”
Some predict an upgrade of the Apple TV, one of the rare company products that has not seen mass adoption.
Jefferies analyst Peter Misek said the “see and touch” reference was “very curious.”
“An upgrade of the Apple TV set-top-box is possible as well as a remote chance for an iTV television set due to a reference to a large screen size,” Misek said in a note to clients, adding that it was possible that Apple could also announce an actual TV despite not having a finished product.
Until then, it is the iPad 3’s 4G capabilities that may be commanding the firmest speculation.
iPad sales doubled in the December quarter to 15.43 million units. The company has sold about 55 million iPads since it was introduced in 2010, and recorded more than $20 billion in sales and related services and accessories in fiscal 2011.
But dozens of new devices are set to launch this year, so Apple needs to stay a step ahead of its deep-pocketed rivals.
Handset makers including Samsung and Motorola Mobility already have LTE-capable tablets available, so in a way Apple is already late to the game.
The Samsung and Motorola tablets run on Google Inc’s Android software, which is fast gaining ground on Apple’s iOS.
Market share of Android-based tablets in the fourth quarter rose to 39 percent from 29 percent a year ago, while the iPad’s market share slipped to 58 percent from 68 percent, according to Strategy Analytics analyst Neil Mawston.
But the early high-speed tablets have not caught on. They accounted for a mere 1 percent of total tablet sales in 2011, partly because they were expensive, Mawston said.
While Apple is not breaking new ground with LTE, it may play a big hand in the technology’s take off on tablets, because of the popularity of its iPad platform. The iPad 3 may also be helped by recent expansion in the availability of LTE services, according to Mawston.
Both Verizon and AT&T have been upgrading their networks with LTE but since Verizon Wireless had a head start in rolling out LTE — its first markets came on line in late 2010 — it should have an advantage over AT&T, which launched its first LTE markets last Summer.
Verizon’s LTE network covers markets with a population of 200 million while AT&T’s covers 74 million. Sprint Nextel, the No. 3 U.S. operator, will offer LTE later this year.
One impediment to the success of the iPad 3 with the faster connectivity could be rising data service charges.
Carriers charge customers for data on a per-usage basis, which can quickly add up. For example, watching 30 minutes of video a day on Verizon could add up to almost twice as much data downloads as its monthly $30 service package provides for.
If people really like how the new device works, UBS’s Hodulik said they may not mind the charges. Even if only 10 percent more iPad users bought the 4G instead of the Wi-Fi version, it would help service providers, which do not subsidize the price of the iPad, Macquarie analyst Kevin Smithen said.
“Generally it should be incremental revenue for the carriers,” Smithen said.
So far the most popular version of the current iPad is the cheapest — the one that works only on Wi-Fi, a short-range wireless connection, and does not connect to service providers networks. So it could still be an uphill task to convince most buyers to pay for iPad services even with faster speeds.
“It’s very important for a decent size subset of the users, probably somewhere in the 10 to 15 percent range,” Gartner analyst Van Baker said. “For 85 to 90 percent of people, it’s just not going to matter.”
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Fresh talks agreed on Iran's nuclear plant
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Iran said on Tuesday it would let U.N. nuclear investigators visit a military complex where they had been refused access to check intelligence suggesting Tehran … Continue reading Fresh talks agreed on Iran’s nuclear plant
| 2012-03-06T16:50:16 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/fresh-talks-agreed-on-irans-nuclear-plant/
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[
"World News"
] |
Iran said on Tuesday it would let U.N. nuclear investigators visit a military complex where they had been refused access to check intelligence suggesting Tehran has pursued explosives research relevant to nuclear weapons.
Western diplomats dismissed Iran’s statement as a time-buying gambit – rather than a genuine shift towards nuclear transparency – with Israel talking increasingly stridently of last-resort military action against its arch-enemy.
Diplomats cited a proviso in the statement saying that access to Parchin still hinged on a broader agreement on how to settle outstanding issues which the two sides have long been unable to reach – an impasse that has put the West and Tehran on a slippery slope towards confrontation.
The West has sharpened sanctions against Iran to block its oil exports, a defiant Tehran has threatened to shut Gulf oil shipping lanes in reprisal while Israel has signalled it is losing patience with efforts to isolate the Islamic Republic.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday that Israel has made no decision on attacking Iranian nuclear sites, sources close to talks in Washington said. He, however, gave no sign of backing away from possible military strikes.
Russia urged global powers on Tuesday to revive talks with Iran as soon as possible, saying an Iranian approach last month showed it was ready for serious negotiations. That perception is not shared by the United States, France and Britain. The last talks a year ago failed even to agree on an agenda.
EXPLOSIVES TESTS
An International Atomic Energy Agency report in November said that Iran had built a large containment chamber at Parchin, southeast of Tehran, to conduct high-explosives experiments that are “strong indicators” of an effort to design atomic bombs.
The IAEA requested access to Parchin during talks in Tehran in January and again in February, but the Iranian side refused.
“Considering the fact that Parchin is a military site, granting access is a time-consuming process and cannot be permitted repeatedly,” Iran’s delegation to the Vienna-based IAEA said in the statement.
It added that the “process could be … started when the agreement on modalities is reached” – suggesting Tehran had not relaxed its insistence that there must first be an omnibus agreement on how to settle questions about the nature of Iran’s nuclear work before an inspection trip to Parchin could happen.
Iranian diplomats and IAEA officials were not immediately available for comment.
Western suspicions about activities at Parchin date back to at least 2004, when a prominent nuclear expert assessed that satellite images showed it might be a site for research and experiments applicable to nuclear weapons.
IAEA inspectors did visit Parchin in 2005 but did not see the place where the U.N. watchdog now believes the explosives chamber was built.
Asked about Iran’s statement, Western diplomats familiar with the matter told Reuters they saw an Iranian ploy to play for time, possibly to “sanitise” the Parchin site to eliminate any evidence of suspect activities before inspectors came.
One Western diplomat attending a meeting this week of the IAEA’s 35-nation board of governors said the Iranian announcement was “nothing new, definitely not” a policy shift.
IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said on Monday the agency had “some indication that activities are ongoing at the Parchin site. It makes us believe that going there sooner is better than later.”
He also said the IAEA continued to have “serious concern” about possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear programme. Iran says it is enriching uranium only for peaceful energy.
HISTORY OF FUTILE TALKS
There have been many prolonged, tortuous negotiations and procedural obstacles imposed by Iran since the IAEA first began seeking unfettered access in the country almost a decade ago to check indications of illicit military nuclear activity.
Diplomats say a broad deal on settling outstanding issues has been thwarted by Iran’s refusal to let inspectors examine sites, peruse documents and question nuclear scientists cited in classified Western intelligence reports provided to the agency.
The IAEA named Parchin in a detailed report in November that lent independent weight to Western fears that Iran is working to develop an atomic bomb, an allegation Iranian officials deny, saying they are seeking only peaceful nuclear energy.
The report presented a trove of intelligence pointing to research activities in Iran of logical use in developing the means and technologies needed to assemble nuclear weapons, should it decide to do so.
At the IAEA governors meeting, the United States and its Western allies were seeking Russian and Chinese backing for a resolution against Iran to help isolate it over its failure to address the agency’s growing concerns.
ISRAEL, U.S. DIFFER ON URGENCY OF THREAT
Israel has spoken of pre-emptive bombings against Iran, a hawkish approach that Obama – wary of the risk of igniting a new Middle East war and a global surge in oil prices as he seeks re-election in November – has tried to restrain Israel to give time for harsher sanctions and diplomatic pressure to bear fruit.
Obama and Netanyahu agreed on Monday to keep up coordination on Iran but continued to disagree on when the clock for non-military options to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons capability should run out.
The Jewish state insists that military action against Iran would be warranted to prevent it from reaching nuclear weapons capability, as opposed to when it actually builds a device. Washington has not embraced that idea.
“The pressure (on Iran) is growing but time is growing short,” Netanyahu was quoted by aides as telling Obama.
Later, addressing the influential pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, Netanyahu said: “None of us can afford to wait much longer. As prime minister of Israel, I will never let my people live in the shadow of annihilation.”
At the podium, he held up a copy of a 1944 letter from the U.S. War Department to world Jewish leaders turning down their request to bomb the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz.
Obama sought to reassure Netanyahu that Washington was keeping its own military option open as a last resort and “has Israel’s back.” He added: “We do believe there is still a window that allows for a diplomatic resolution to this issue.”
Israel, believed to be the only nuclear weapons power in the Middle East, fears Iranian nuclear facilities may soon be buried so deep that they would be invulnerable to its bunker-busting bombs, which are less powerful than those in the U.S. arsenal.
U.S. officials say that while Iran may be manoeuvring to keep its options open, there is no clear intelligence that it has made a final decision to “break out” with a nuclear weapon.
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5,765 |
UN meets Millennium Development Goal on drinking water
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The Millennium Development Goal for access to clean water has been reached, ahead of the target date of 2015. Now 89% of the population of … Continue reading UN meets Millennium Development Goal on drinking water
| 2012-03-06T16:45:05 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/un-meets-millennium-development-goal-on-drinking-water/
|
[
"Breaking News",
"Health"
] |
The Millennium Development Goal for access to clean water has been reached, ahead of the target date of 2015.
Now 89% of the population of the world have access to improved water supplies, up from 76% in the base year of 1990.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon hailed the achievement of halving the number of people without access to improved drinking water.
He said it was thanks to people who had seen it not as a dream, but a vital step to improve health and well-being.
Improvement to clean water supplies has not been even: 40% of those still without access to improved drinking water live in sub-Saharan Africa.
Worldwide, almost 800 million people still drink dirty water. But in the past 20 years, two billion people have gained access to improved drinking water.
While this was the first significant Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to be reached, the charity Water Aid says that the other part of the target, for safe sanitation, is more off track than any other MDG.
The biggest challenge for this target is in India, where more than half of the population, 626 million people, do not have access to a toilet.
The other MDGs, including those on reducing poverty and improving access to education, are unlikely to be hit by 2015. The global economic downturn and greater pressure from increased population have pushed success even further out of reach.
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5,759 |
Voters deal heavy blow to India's next Gandhi
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India’s Rahul Gandhi failed spectacularly to deliver a promised comeback for his Congress party in crucial state elections, casting fresh doubt on his capacity to … Continue reading Voters deal heavy blow to India’s next Gandhi
| 2012-03-06T16:39:32 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/voters-deal-heavy-blow-to-indias-next-gandhi/
|
[
"World News"
] |
India’s Rahul Gandhi failed spectacularly to deliver a promised comeback for his Congress party in crucial state elections, casting fresh doubt on his capacity to become the next member of a storied dynasty to lead the country.
The Congress party flop in India’s most politically vital state was also a blow to the already-tottering government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, reducing his scope to re-launch reforms and reverse a slowdown in economic growth.
“It has been a disaster for the Congress, it’s an even bigger disaster for Rahul Gandhi and the Gandhi family,” political analyst Amulya Ganguli said as results came in from Uttar Pradesh and four smaller states that went to the polls.
“They were banking on success in these elections, hoping to get at least four out of five states. It has gone exactly the opposite way. It shows that there is no charisma left in the Gandhi family.”
With the count nearing its conclusion on Tuesday, the Congress party was trailing in fourth place in the big northern state of Uttar Pradesh (UP), which with 200 million people would be the world’s fifth-most populous country if independent.
It looked set to win about 28 of the state assembly’s 403 seats, a marginal improvement on its lacklustre performance there five years ago and far short of the 100-plus tally it had boasted Gandhi’s tireless election campaigning would deliver.
“NOT GOOD”
Congress sought to shield Gandhi from blame, arguing it was up to local lawmakers to convert his electioneering into assembly seats. But later, dressed in a long white Indian shirt and smiling in front of a crush of reporters outside the New Delhi residence of his mother, Sonia, Gandhi was humble.
“I accept responsibility for the fact that we did not perform well. After all, I was the main campaigner … the Congress party fought well, but the result is not good,” the 41-year-old Gandhi said.
After speaking to reporters, he walked back to his sister, Priyanka, who put an arm around his shoulders.
There was also mostly disappointing news for Congress from other states that went to the polls over the past month. It was defeated in Punjab and Goa, and neck-and-neck with a rival in Uttarakhand, where counting was still going on. In a small consolation, it won in the far-flung border state of Manipur.
Scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that has ruled India for most of its 65 years of independence, Gandhi campaigned hard to revive his party in Uttar Pradesh, where it has not ruled for 22 years. He attended more than 200 rallies, slept in villagers’ huts and even grew a beard that gave him a more rugged look.
His performance was widely seen as a test of his fitness to take the reins of the party from his ailing Italian-born mother and eventually to become prime minister if Congress and its allies retain power in national elections due in 2014.
However, the runaway winner in Uttar Pradesh was the socialist Samajwadi Party, which means former wrestler Mulayam Singh Yadav will become chief minister for a fourth term since 1989, ousting the flamboyant lower-caste leader Mayawati.
Many remember Yadav for presiding over a surge in gang violence in one of India’s most feudal and corrupt states, with his party once counting a “bandit queen” among its lawmakers.
REFORM AGENDA IN DOUBT
However, the Samajwadi Party’s image was invigorated by the campaigning of Yadav’s fresh-faced son, Akhilesh, who speaks English as well as Hindi, has a postgraduate degree from Sydney and won the state’s voters with promises of development.
“Two youthful leaders, both belonging to political families, fighting for their political futures,” Oxus Investments Chairman Surjit Bhalla said in a newspaper column, predicting the possible “end of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty in Indian politics.”
“In one corner, Akhilesh Yadav, sounding modern and guaranteeing free computers to the young generation. In another corner, Rahul Gandhi, heir to a 127-year-old heritage, baldly stating that the UP electorate was poor, starving, shirtless, uneducated and without jobs … The choice is clear.”
The party’s setbacks may make it harder for Singh’s coalition government to pursue reforms that could shore up the country’s economic growth, which has slipped below 7 percent.
Battered by a string of corruption scandals and inflation, Singh last year was forced to shelve a flagship reform to open the supermarket sector to foreign direct investment by global retailers such as Wal-Mart, and bills on mining and land acquisition are stuck in the policy queue.
“The results will not provide the political space for the government or the confidence to carry through unpopular reforms,” Goldman Sachs said in a note. “We think the best that can be hoped for is muddle-through policies by the government.”
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5,738 |
At least 16 killed in ethnic clashes in Benue State
|
At least 16 people were killed in inter-ethnic violent clashes in Nigeria’s central federal district of Benue state, police officials ...
| 2012-03-06T14:32:25 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/at-least-16-killed-in-ethnic-clashes-in-benue-state/
|
[
"Breaking News",
"Headlines",
"Local"
] |
At least 16 people were killed in inter-ethnic violent clashes in Nigeria’s central federal district of Benue state, police officials confirmed on Tuesday.
According to reports, the victims are said to belong to the Tiv community and the onslaught had begun when attackers suspected to be from a rival ethnic group stormed the remote community, burning homes and killing locals.
Residents of the Tiv community reported far higher death toll numbers, putting the number of people killed in the clash at 45, including women and children, while local media put the death toll at 30.
Police spokesman Ejike Alaribe told press agencies that the “precise number of people that were killed were 16,” adding that the assailants had “opened fire sporadically, started shooting everywhere and started burning houses”.
Joseph Mom, a representative of the Tiv community, a farming tribe native to the region, blamed the attack on the Fulani people, a nomad tribe of herdsmen.
There have been violent outbursts between the two groups in the past. However, Mom says the “situation has changed during the last few months. The Fulani come down from the north, heavily armed, seeking pastures for their cattle and attack anybody that objects.”
Mom called on government officials to provide protection for the locals.
Attempts to quell the conflict between both tribes have failed in the past. Police officials say they are on ground now to monitor the situation and ensure peace for the time being.
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5,740 |
South Africa fallen short of standard diplomatic practice - FG
|
The Federal Government has vowed to take calculated action against South Africa if it fails to retrace its steps on the Yellow Card ...
| 2012-03-06T14:29:53 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/south-africa-fallen-short-of-standard-diplomatic-practice-fg/
|
[
"Headlines",
"News at Ten",
"Politics Today"
] |
The Federal Government has vowed to take calculated action against South Africa if the country fails to retrace its steps on the “Yellow Card” hostility meted out to Nigerians, Nigerian Foreign Minister Olugbenga Ashiru warned.
Diplomatic tension between Nigeria and South Africa appear to have heightened with Nigeria denying 28 South Africans entry into the country on Monday.
The South Africans arrived Nigeria through Murtala Muhammed International Airport on South African Airways and were reportedly sent home due to “improper documentation of yellow fever cards,” airport sources said.
Nigeria has formally lodged a formal complaint to the South African government over the deportation of 125 Nigerians from South Africa on Thursday for not having genuine vaccination documentation.
The minister assured Nigerians that the FG will not take the harsh treatment of Nigerians by South Africa “lying low”.
He described South Africa’s action as falling short of standard diplomatic practices.
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5,731 |
Hoodlums Vandalise 40 vehicles at Ebute Metta
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Hoodlums went on rampage at the Ebute Metta, Market street part of Lagos State after a lawmaker representing Lagos Mainland Federal ...
| 2012-03-06T12:34:42 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/hoodlums-vandalised-40-vehicles-at-ebute-metta/
|
[
"News at Ten"
] |
Hoodlums went on rampage at the Ebute Metta, Market street part of Lagos State after a lawmaker representing Lagos Mainland Federal Constituency; Mr.Monsuru Owolabi was harrassed at a party around the area.
The attack which left 40 vehicles damaged and several people injured.
Resident of the area said the hoddlums descended on the area in a reprisal attack, Mr. owolabi however denied the allegation that those behind the attack were his supporters.
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5,728 |
Art Review: A Quest for True Love
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Ejiro Onovakpo's romantic melody which is based on the search for true love set in the medievial times. Woman's search for true love ...
| 2012-03-06T12:25:20 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/art-review-a-quest-for-true-love/
|
[
"ArtHouse",
"Arts & Culture"
] |
Ejiro Onovakpo’s romantic melody which is based on the search for true love set in the medievial times.
Woman’s search for true love sets her on a journey as suitors showed interest in her.
Ejiro Onovakpo’s romantic melody which is based on the search for true love set in the medievial times. Woman’s search for true love sets her … Continue reading Art Review: A Quest for True Love
Ejiro Onovakpo’s romantic melody which is based on the search for true love set in the medievial times.
Woman’s search for true love sets her on a journey as suitors showed interest in her.
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5,725 |
Overtime Cargoes:NIPP tops list of Defaulters
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NIPP;the National Integrated Power Project tops the list of government agencies with the highest number of abadoned overtime cargoes in
| 2012-03-06T12:13:34 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/overtime-cargoesnipp-tops-list-of-defaulters/
|
[
"News at Ten"
] |
NIPP;the National Integrated Power Project tops the list of government agencies with the highest number of abadoned overtime cargoes in the seaports.
Assistant Comptroller General of the Customs Zone A Lagos; Mr.Mohammed Uthman told journalists while on the inspection of overtime cargoes in the Ikorodu Lighter Terminal that the number of abandoned consignment by government agencies outweigh that of the private importers.
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5,721 |
PDP Delta Ward Congress Marred by Violence
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The Delta State Ward Congress of the ruling party the Peoples' Democratic Party has been marred by violence. What started the violence ...
| 2012-03-06T12:01:31 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/pdp-delta-ward-congress-marred-by-violence/
|
[
"News at Ten"
] |
The Delta State Ward Congress of the ruling party the Peoples’ Democratic Party has been marred by violence.
What started the violence was not known as accusation and counter-accusation from the parties involved were made as to who started what.
House of Assembly and present member of the House of Representatives Mr.Martin Okonte was severely wounded in the violence.
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5,690 |
MEND threatens more attacks on oil companies in Nigeria
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Oil rich Nigeria’s militant group MEND – the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, on Tuesday renewed promises that it will ...
| 2012-03-06T11:49:34 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/mend-threatens-more-attacks-on-oil-companies-in-nigeria/
|
[
"Headlines",
"Local"
] |
Oil rich Nigeria’s militant group MEND – the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, on Tuesday renewed promises that it will will once again target oil facilities in the Niger Delta.
The group reiterated the threat in a statement released only days after they claimed responsibility for the attack on a marine police checkpoint in the Nembe River in Bayelsa State that left at least four police officers dead.
“The government of Nigeria seeks to mislead Nigerians and the rest of the world into thinking the unrest in the Delta is over,” MEND said in the statement.
“The oil companies know better and when we commence with our planned attacks on major oil facilities, we wonder what excuses the Joint Task Force will have,” it added.
Recently, the JTF had debunked claims by MEND that it was responsible for the murder of the Bayelsa naval policemen.
Director of naval information, Commodore Kabir Aliyu, recently paraded a suspect, said to be the only surviving assailant.
He said the attacker, identified as Mr. Apudu Gole, was not a member of the militant group, but part of a smaller group.
Aliyu said, “the attack on the JTF personnel in the last three months along Nigeria’s territorial waters have been carried out by a few uncoordinated groups within the Niger Delta,” adding that the revelation exposes “the lies and deception of the so-called MEND.”
MEND had launched its violent campaign and onslaught on oil companies in Nigeria between 2006 and 2009. The group had maintained that they were fighting for equal rights and better distribution of oil wealth in the impoverished oil-producing southern delta of Nigeria.
Its activities had cut oil production in Nigeria, but a 2009 amnesty program instituted by the government led to a significant decline in militant activities.
However, the group resurfaced again, claiming the February 5 attacks on an oil pipeline owned by EniSpA in the Brass area.
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5,706 |
Cabal has hijacked supply of PMS in Rivers State: PPMC
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Oil marketers in the south-south and the south-east has alleged that there is a cabal that has hijacked the supply of petroleum products
| 2012-03-06T11:47:43 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/cabal-has-hijacked-supply-of-pms-in-rivers-state-ppmc/
|
[
"News at Ten"
] |
Oil marketers in the south-south and the south-east has alleged that there is a cabal that has hijacked the supply of petroleum products to the depot of the PPMC (Petroleum Product Marketing Company)in Okrika; River State.
This allegation was made when the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream went on inspection tour of the depot and the Port-Harcourt refinery.
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5,709 |
M.I features Pryse in N’Otis (remix)
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Mr incredible (M.I) has yet again launched another mix which he titled “Illegal Music 2” and featured Pryse.
| 2012-03-06T11:38:20 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/m-i-features-pryse-in-n%e2%80%99otis-remix/
|
[
"Entertainment"
] |
Mr incredible (M.I Abaga) has yet again launched another mix which he titled “Illegal Music 2” and featured Pryse.
The song was remixed from the hit single of Jay Z and Kanye West’s Otis.
Pryse who is the new signee to the chocolate city has indeed proved herself in this new single N’Otis video
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5,702 |
I want to be Wenger of Al Wasl says Maradona
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Controversial Argentina legend, Diego Maradona, has claimed that his dream is to leave a legacy in the United Arab Emirates akin to the one created by the Gunners boss in north London
| 2012-03-06T11:25:18 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/i-want-to-be-wenger-of-al-wasl-says-maradona/
|
[
"Sports"
] |
Controversial Argentina legend, Diego Maradona, has claimed that his dream is to leave a legacy in the United Arab Emirates akin to the one created by the Gunners boss in north London.
He debunked claims that he joined the oil-rich Al Wasl for financial reasons and claimed that he wants to leave behind a lasting legacy in the country and looks forward to becoming the Arsene Wenger of the oil-rich football club.
“I would love to fulfil and go on to renew [my contract]; to become a sort of Arsene Wenger at Al Wasl,” Maradona told DPA.
“I want to fulfil a long-term contract, more than anything because of the youngsters aged 14, 16, 18 and 20, to show them that money is important for everyone, but that glory cannot be bought.”
Maradona also said it hurts him to watch Argentina in action and at such longer watches his country play but keeps a close tab on Boca Juniors and could return to the club in the future.
“I love Boca. If they call me out of desperation then I would walk there. The thing is I know Boca aren’t desperate, and they have a great coach [Julio Cesar Falcioni].”
Maradona enjoyed two separate stints at Boca during his long and illustrious playing career.
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5,701 |
Defaulting Petrol Marketers will be Prosecuted- S.O.N D.G.
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S.O.N, DPR and the PPPRA has collaborated to start random visits to filling stations accross the nation. The D.G. of S.O.N; Dr. joseph
| 2012-03-06T11:23:39 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/defaulting-petrol-marketers-will-be-prosecuted-s-o-n-d-g/
|
[
"News at Ten"
] |
S.O.N, DPR and the PPPRA has collaborated to start random visits to filling stations accross the nation.
The D.G. of S.O.N; Dr. joseph Odumodu said the visit is to make sure the quality of the product does not drop.
S.O.N, DPR and the PPPRA has collaborated to start random visits to filling stations accross the nation. The D.G. of S.O.N; Dr. joseph Odumodu said … Continue reading Defaulting Petrol Marketers will be Prosecuted- S.O.N D.G.
S.O.N, DPR and the PPPRA has collaborated to start random visits to filling stations accross the nation.
The D.G. of S.O.N; Dr. joseph Odumodu said the visit is to make sure the quality of the product does not drop.
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5,695 |
Ogun Government to manage resources properly
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Ogun State Government has assured its indigenes of a proper and prudent management of resources which will improve the socio-economic
| 2012-03-06T11:10:46 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/ogun-government-promises-to-manage-resources-properly/
|
[
"News at Ten"
] |
Ogun State Government has assured its indigenes of a proper and prudent management of resources which will improve the socio-economic well-being of the Ogun indigenes.
The commissioner for Ogun State Budget and Planning;Mrs. Wande Moyo said at a conference organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.
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5,687 |
Mamelodi Sundowns Record S. Africa's Biggest Football Victory
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Mamelodi Sundowns recorded the biggest victory in the history of South African football on Sunday, March 4, 2012, in a Nedbank Cup knock out phase hammering Powerlines FC 24-0 at the GWK Stadium in Kimberley.
| 2012-03-06T10:10:08 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/mamelodi-sundowns-record-s-africas-biggest-football-victory/
|
[
"Sports"
] |
Mamelodi Sundowns recorded the biggest victory in the history of South African football on Sunday, March 4, 2012, in a Nedbank Cup knock out phase hammering Powerlines FC 24-0 at the GWK Stadium in Kimberley.
Sundowns beat fourth-tier side Powerlines FC 24-0 in a cup match, having led by ten goals at half-time including two goals that were ruled out.
The result bettered two 16-0 victories by Durban club AmaZulu in 1976 and 1986, both of which came in the cup.
“I want to compliment my players for entertaining the public and going about their job seriously,” said Neeskens.
“There was no ‘gallery’ football because they know I will not tolerate that.”
Neeskens, a midfielder in the Netherlands teams who lost the 1974 and 1978 World Cup finals, backed his decision to brutally expose Powerlines during a cup tie televised live throughout Africa.
“My instructions were to score as many goals as possible,” said the former Barcelona assistant coach, who joined Sundowns in the middle of last year.
“This result is good for our confidence and what I really admired was the way the team kept it simple even when dominant.”
Played in swelteringly-hot conditions in Kimberley, midfielder Hlompho Kekana finished the game with seven goals; Zimbabwe’s Nyasha Mushekwi notched six while fellow striker Richard Henyekane bagged five.
It could have been even more embarrassing for the home side as Sundowns had two goals disallowed and rattled the crossbar once as they cruised into the last 16 of the annual competition.
Powerlines goalkeeper Thabang Louw wore a surprisingly broad smile after the game, telling reporters he was determined to learn from “a very tough experience” against Sundowns.
The record margin of victory in African football is the 149-0 defeat by Malagasy club AS Adema over Stade Olympique Emyrne, with the latter deliberately scoring endless own goals to protest a refereeing decision.
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5,686 |
Chevron gas well fire off Nigeria coast no longer burning
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After 46 days, the deadly fire that razed a Chevron Corp. rig off the southern coast of oil rich Nigeria has stopped, the company said in ...
| 2012-03-06T09:53:47 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/chevron-gas-well-fire-off-nigeria-coast-no-longer-burning/
|
[
"Breaking News",
"Headlines",
"Local"
] |
After 46 days, the deadly fire that razed a Chevron Corp. rig off the southern coast of oil rich Nigeria has stopped, the company said in a press release Monday.
According to the statement, the fire that erupted on 16 January at the Funiwa field 10km off Nigeria’s Bayelsa State, killing two contract workers from India and France, ceased burning on Friday, March 2.
“The well stopped flowing on its own,” the statement read.
The Associated Press reported that the spokesman for the company, Russell A. Johnson, said Chevron had only confirmed the fire extinguished on Tuesday.
In the statement, the oil corporation said it “detected no natural gas flowing from the well since the fire ceased burning and is monitoring the area continuously.”
Johnson assured that Chevron would continue to dig the relief well nearby to “permanently plug and abandon Funiwa 1A.”
“We continue to watch to ensure gas doesn’t begin to flow,” Johnson said.
The company is still looking into the cause of the fire that has caused severe environmental damage to the region.
However, the Nigerian government claims a “gas kick”, a major build up of gas pressure from drilling, could have started the fire.
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5,668 |
Lagos demolish mosques, relocates church in secretariat
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The Lagos State government is cracking down on religious activities within its secretariat, demolishing three mosques and relocating churches
| 2012-03-06T09:42:17 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/lagos-three-mosques-demolished-churches-relocated-in-secretariat/
|
[
"Local"
] |
The Lagos State government is cracking down on religious activities within its secretariat, demolishing three mosques and relocating churches in the state secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja over the weekend.
According to reports, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State said the decision was made for security reasons. He said the recent spate of bombings and attacks on religious institutions made it necessary to safeguard the secretariat.
He asked worshipers to use the central mosque and the secretariat chapel for their prayers.
Three mosques, those close to the ministries of justice, finance and environment were completely demolished to rubble; another mosque behind the state Public Service Commission, PSC, was not demolished, but was locked away.
Reports say Muslims who worship at the affected mosques and are also members of the state executive council had made efforts to sway Fashola’s decision, which they deemed anti-Islam, but their pleas went unheeded.
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5,675 |
Lagos Electronic Trading: Its Benefit
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Business Morning looked into the Lagos Electronic Trading Conference coming during the week as currency and trade analyst
| 2012-03-06T09:01:26 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/lagos-electronic-trading-its-benefit/
|
[
"Business",
"Business Morning"
] |
Business Morning looked into the Lagos Electronic Trading Conference coming up during the week as currency and trade analyst Michael Akinwale brought to fore the benefits and advantages of electronic trading and the electronic conference itself.
Lagos Electronic Trading: Its Benefit
Business Morning looked into the Lagos Electronic Trading Conference coming up during the week as currency and trade analyst Michael Akinwale brought to fore the … Continue reading Lagos Electronic Trading: Its Benefit
|
5,659 |
Arsene Wenger May Change Tactics To Upset AC Milan
|
North-London football outfit, Arsenal will face Italian giants AC Milan today (Tuesday 5 March 2012) in the second leg of the UEFA champions’ league knockout phase trailing by four goals after the 4-0 defeat in Milan a fortnight ago.
| 2012-03-06T08:59:28 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/arsene-wenger-may-change-tactics-to-upset-ac-milan/
|
[
"Sports"
] |
North-London football outfit, Arsenal will face Italian giants AC Milan today, Tuesday 5 March 2012, in the second leg of the UEFA champions’ league knockout phase trailing by four goals after the 4-0 defeat in Milan a fortnight ago.
The Gunners will need at least four goals to beat the Italian club – either by taking the game to extra time or beating them outright by five goals.
And Wenger has stated that he may have to go for broke on the night with injuries to several midfielders, and even said he was thinking of playing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in a central role.
“I am tempted,” Wenger told the club’s official website. “At the moment, basically I have only two midfielders, [Alex] Song and [Tomas] Rosicky.
“That means we have to play with four strikers. We can play any system you can imagine until tomorrow night. But I will not tell you that now.
“I am tempted [to play Oxlade-Chamberlain centrally], we will see. I have [around] 24 hours and I have to see if Rosicky is available or not.
“If he is not available then I will be in a very difficult situation, because I don’t know what I can do then.
“I hope he will make it. He told me yesterday [Sunday] that he will. But the medical staff are not sure.
“I can play six strikers if I want, I have enough. I have [Marouane] Chamakh, [Chu-Young] Park, [Robin] Van Persie, Gervinho, [Theo] Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain. I can take a risk, because I have no choice, basically.”
Arsene Wenger Also called on his players to believe in themselves and rewrite the history books by overturning a four goal deficit and qualify for the quarter-final stage of the competition.
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5,671 |
Deportation a Reciprocacy-Abike Dabiri
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Chairman House Committee on Diaspora; Abike Dabiri in clear terms expressed her bitterness on the deportation move by the government
| 2012-03-06T08:36:37 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/deportation-a-reciprocacy-abike-dabiri/
|
[
"Sunrise Daily"
] |
Chairman House Committee on Diaspora; Abike Dabiri in clear terms expressed her bitterness on the deportation by the government of South Africa of 125 Nigerians back to Nigeria and the reason given is that the deportees have no Yellow Card or the cards were faked.
In a phone interview staged by Channels Television, Abike Dabiri mentioned that South Africa has been hostile towards Nigerians.
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5,665 |
Overreaction may be responsible for Deportation-Haske Jibrin
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Still on the issue of the 'Yellow Card' Controversy,Lanre Bamgbose a senior staff with Arik Airlines gave an account via phone interview
| 2012-03-06T08:21:48 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/overreaction-may-be-responsible-for-deportation-haske-jibrin/
|
[
"Sunrise Daily"
] |
Still on the issue of the ‘Yellow Card’ Controversy,Lanre Bamgbose a senior staff with Arik Airlines gave an account via phone interview as Haske Jibrin;President Nigeria Air Traffic Controllers Association was in the studio to continue focus on the matter.
Overreaction may be responsible for Deportation-Haske Jibrin
Still on the issue of the ‘Yellow Card’ Controversy,Lanre Bamgbose a senior staff with Arik Airlines gave an account via phone interview as Haske Jibrin;President … Continue reading Overreaction may be responsible for Deportation-Haske Jibrin
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5,661 |
Olumide Ohunayo on 'Yellow Card' controversy
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The Foreign Minister's office has condemned the act by South Africa as Nigerians among other West African citizens were deported for
| 2012-03-06T07:42:26 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/06/olumide-ohunayo-on-yellow-card-controversy/
|
[
"Sunrise Daily"
] |
The Foreign Minister’s office has condemned the act by South Africa as Nigerians among other West African citizens were deported for not having the ‘Yellow Card’or were falsified.
Immigration expert and analyst;Olumide Ohunayo reacted to the ‘Yellow Card’controversy.
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5,652 |
US ask Jonathan to develop north to beat Boko Haram
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The United States of America on Monday urged President Goodluck Jonathan led administration to tackle an Islamist insurgency in the north ...
| 2012-03-05T22:03:05 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/us-ask-jonathan-to-develop-north-to-beat-boko-haram/
|
[
"Headlines"
] |
The United States of America on Monday urged President Goodluck Jonathan led administration to tackle an Islamist insurgency in the north by bringing jobs and development to the deprived region, and it pledged to support the government in the task.
The US Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Wendy Sherman said that the United States was looking to establish a consulate in Kano, the biggest city in the North and a recent target of attacks, as well as a number of other ways to help it fight radical Islamist sect Boko Haram.
The group, which styles itself on the Taliban, has been blamed for almost daily shootings and bombings that have killed hundreds of people in the past two years.
“Regarding the security concern, we agree with President Jonathan that this must be holistic approach. That it is about security, it is about development, it is about jobs,” Sherman said during the first stop of an African tour that also takes in Zambia and Kenya.
“Together we will do whatever we can, from intelligence sharing, to assistance, to development, to security training.”
Analysts say the remote northeastern state of Borno, where the sect is based, is as poor as some of Africa’s most impoverished countries.
Washington’s plan to open a consulate in Kano comes as violent Islamist movements spread across West Africa and evidence is emerging of links between Boko Haram and al Qaeda’s North African wing, which has several bases in the Sahara.
“We are working very hard in seeing if we can open a consulate in Kano,” the State Department’s number three official told journalists after meeting with the Minister for state of Foreign affairs, Viola Onwuliri.
Last week, the Joint Military taskforce said it had killed five Boko Haram militants and arrested, as they tried to burn down a secondary school in Borno State.
Suspected sect members have torched 10 schools in northeastern Nigeria the past few days, say authorities, in what would be a new twist in the insurgency.
Boko Haram’s name means “Western education is sinful,” after the anti-Western teachings of its early spiritual leader Mohammed Yusuf, who was killed in police custody in 2009.
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5,645 |
JTF debunks MEND claim
|
JTF debunks MEND claim
| 2012-03-05T21:58:03 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/jtf-debunks-mend%e2%80%99s-claim/
|
[
"Local"
] |
The joint security information managers committee ,a joint committee of all the security agencies in the country has faulted claims by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-delta (MEND) that it is responsible for the attack on a naval gun boat deployed to Shell Petroleum Development Company on March 1st.
MEND had in a statement on the 2nd of March claimed responsibility for the attack which killed three Marine police officers the day before in Bayelsa.
Parading the one of the attackers who is said to be the only surviving one, the director of naval information Commodore Kabir Aliyu , identified the alleged attacker as Mr. Apudu Gole.
The suspect was said to have sustained some injuries during the exchange of fire with the security operatives, as he was seen wrapped up and limping during the press briefing.
According to Commodore Aliyu , “the attack on the JTF personnel in the last three months along Nigeria’s territorial waters have been carried out by a few uncoordinated groups within the Niger-delta” as he use the opportunity to refute MEND’s claim. This is “exposing the lies and deception of the so called MEND” he said.
He warned that any more attempt to orchestrate violence and insecurity in the Niger-delta region will be met with decisive force.
The Joint Task Force had announced the recovery of bodies of slained officer of the force that were also killed in another attack on the same day. The JTF also denounced the claim by MEND saying the attacks were launched by miscreants in the Niger-delta, noting that any community of the creeks that harbor the criminals will not be spared.
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5,646 |
Jonathan, others congratulates Obasanjo at 75
|
President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday congratulated former President Olusegun Obasanjo who turns 75. Mr Jonathan, in a letter to the ...
| 2012-03-05T21:44:09 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/jonathan-others-congratulations-obasanjo-at-75/
|
[
"Local"
] |
President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday congratulated former President Olusegun Obasanjo who turns 75.
Mr Jonathan, in a letter to the former president, wrote: “On the historic occasion of your 75th birthday anniversary which comes up on Monday, 5th March 2012, I join you, your family, friends and well-wishers to thank Almighty God for the life of fulfilment and uncommon accomplishment which He has blessed you with.
“You have spent virtually all of your adult life in dedicated patriotic service to our fatherland: as an accomplished officer in our nation’s army; as a military commander who played a historic role in effecting the end of the unfortunate civil war; as a military Head of State who ushered in civil democratic governance; and later serving two terms as a democratically-elected President, and helping to consolidate the democratic process in our country. Today you are the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the ruling, and by far the largest political party in Nigeria.
“Through it all, you have demonstrated exceptional courage, steadfast commitment and abiding faith in the unity, peace, stability and prosperity of the Nigerian nation. It is gratifying to note that you stand ready to continue to avail us of your wise counsel at all times.
“On behalf of my family, the Government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I congratulate you on this milestone and wish you many more years of fulfillment. Happy Birthday!”
Speaking at the party event at the premises of Mr Obasanjo’s Presidential Library located along IBB Boulevard, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, Ogun State, the Vice President of the World Bank, Oby Ezekwesili, eulogised the former President, saying that to the people outside Nigeria, Obasanjo is a role model and a leader worthy of emulation.
She urged Nigerians to tap from the wealth of experience of the former president.
She advised Africans to strive to achieve more on food production to achieve food security, stressing that instead of fighting themselves, they should fight hunger and poverty.
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5,638 |
Senate to investigate pension fund administration
|
Senate to investigate pension fund administration
| 2012-03-05T21:07:14 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/senate-to-investigate-pension-fund-administration/
|
[
"Business"
] |
Disturbed by the plight of pensioners in the country, the Senate committee on Establishment and Public Service has resolved to investigate the management of the pension fund in the country.
Senate leader Victor Ndoma Egba at the hearing in Abuja asked the committee to bring to book those found to be involved in the mal-administration of the pension scheme.
The Senator questioned how fairly the nation is treating its old men and women after their toil for the nation.
Senator Ndoma Egba further noted that “today in the management of our pension, we hear mind-boggling stories. We hear some pension fund administrators are some of the richest Nigerians.” “If their wealth is from people’s pension, then that is blood money” he affirmed.
The head of the Senate committee, Senator Aloysius Etuk said the Committee is deeply worried that despite the N2 trillion so far paid by the federal government under the national pension scheme, many of the retirees are yet to be paid.
“This FCT public investigative hearing will enable federal and state agencies responsible for pension’s administration, funding and management to make their submission and also make on oath all information required from them.”
He said the committee was inundated with complaints from retired civil servants across the country over the delay in the payment of their retirement benefits.
The joint committee has held public hearings in five of the six geopolitical zones and is now holding the last set of public hearings in Abuja.
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5,634 |
Police kill six armed robber in Port-Harcourt
|
Six suspected armed robbers were gunned down by officers of the Nigerian Police Force during an exchange of gun-fire in the D-Line axis of Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital on Monday.
| 2012-03-05T20:44:24 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/police-kill-six-armed-robber-in-port-harcourt/
|
[
"Crime Watch",
"Local"
] |
Six suspected armed robbers were gunned down by officers of the Nigerian Police Force during an exchange of gun-fire in the D-Line axis of Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital on Monday.
Parading the corpses of the hoodlums before journalists at the Police headquarters in Port Harcourt, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Mr. Benjamin Ugwuegbulem, said the suspects attempted to escape after robbing a middle-aged man of N2.1 million at the Orogbum area of D-Line.
Ugwuegbulem stated that the middle-aged man had withdrawn the money at a branch of a new generation bank along Olu Obasanjo Road and was driving to his office on Woji Road, GRA, Port-Harcourt, when the armed robbers blocked him with a Toyota Hilux Van.
He further disclosed that residents of the area made distress calls to the police, who in turn “placed all its patrol teams across the state capital on red alert.”
The police spokesman said the hoodlums, who snatched a Kia Ceranto salon car while escaping opened fire on police officers when it was obvious that their escape routes had been blocked.
Ugwuegbulem also in the process exchange of fire, the police killed six members of the gang in the process while two others escaped with bullet wounds.
Items recovered from the hoodlums included a Toyota Hiliux van and a Kia Ceranto salon car, both bullets ridden as well as two AK-47 rifles, three magazines, ten rounds of 3.8 mm ammunition and the sum of N500, 000 believed to be part of the stolen N 2.1 million
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5,629 |
FG cuts down SURE programme
|
The federal government has announced that it can no longer operate a full re-investable fund from the Subsidy re-investment programme, because of the partial deregulation of the downstream sector of the economy.
| 2012-03-05T20:04:24 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/fg-cuts-down-sure-programme/
|
[
"Breaking News",
"Headlines"
] |
The federal government has announced that it can no longer operate a full re-investable fund from the Subsidy re-investment programme, because of the partial deregulation of the downstream sector of the economy.
The decision was made known to journalists by the Minister of state for Finance, Dr Yerima Ngama after the National Economic Council meeting chaired by the Vice President, Architect Namadi Sambo on Monday with most of the governors in attendance.
According to the Minister, “if deregulation was fully implemented government would have realized the projected N1.134 trillion to fully carry out the projects it has planned for Nigerians. But because the petroleum pump price was reduced to N97, the projected fund has been reduced to N426 billion for the federal, state and local governments to share.”
“Out of the amount, the federal governments share went down from N478 billion to N180 billion per year” the Minister emphasized.
“Based on this, the federal government is to prioritise the safety net programmes like maternal and child health, public works programme, the mass transit and the technical skills acquisition” he said.
This is coming after the Special Aviser to the President on Media, Dr Reuben Abati debunked a report that quoted the President as saying the SURE document was no longer relisable due to the parital de-regulation of the downstream sector. According to Dr. Abati, the President only meant that the programme would have to be reviewed, in view of the government’s inability to fully remove petrol subsidy.
The national economic council is the highest economic decision making body in the country, comprising governors from the thirty six states of the federation, some key ministers, and heads of departments with the Vice President Architect Namadi Sambo chairing the meeting.
The meeting is coming just a month after the nation was brought on its knees wide a national strike following the decision of the federal government to fully deregulate the downstream sector by withdrawing the subsidy paid on the importation of fuel.
Following the wide spread agitations that decision was rescinded. The federal government was looking to save N1.134 trillion from the subsidy withdrawal.
The projects the federal government had chosen to execute were based on the projected fund but since that is no longer realizable.
The national economic council says it awaits the report of the inspection of all water and irrigation projects in the country on how to utilize the 137 intervention fund on agriculture for which it has constituted a sub-committee. It is also expecting an update on the progress made with the 2012 budget and the setting up of a committee to focus on the processes and procedures adopted in expending the MDG funds.
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5,614 |
Obama, Netanyahu give no sign of narrowing gap on Iran
|
Obama, Netanyahu give no sign of narrowing gap on Iran
| 2012-03-05T19:17:41 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/obama-netanyahu-give-no-sign-of-narrowing-gap-on-iran/
|
[
"Uncategorized",
"World News"
] |
President Barack Obama appealed to Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to give sanctions more time to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but the Israeli prime minister gave no sign of backing away from possible military action.
The two men, who have had a strained relationship, sought to present a united front in the Iranian nuclear standoff as they opened White House talks. But their public statements revealed differences over how to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
In one of the most consequential meetings of U.S. and Israeli leaders in years, Obama and Netanyahu made no mention of lingering disagreements that Washington fears could lead to an Israeli rush to attack Iran’s nuclear sites in the coming months.
Obama took a double-barreled approach, seeking to assure Netanyahu that the United States was keeping the military option open against Iran and always “has Israel’s back,” but also urging Israeli patience to allow sanctions and diplomacy to work.
Netanyahu, speaking in historical terms about the Jewish state’s determination to be the “master of its fate,” focused on Israel reserving the right to defend itself against Iran. Israel sees Iran’s nuclear program as a threat to its existence.
“We believe there is still a window that allows for a diplomatic resolution,” Obama said, even he sought to convince Netanyahu of stiffened U.S. resolve against the Islamic republic.
In cautioning against renewed international diplomatic engagement with Iran, Netanyahu has warned Western powers not to fall into a “trap” of letting Iran buy more time.
There was no immediate sign from Monday’s talks that Obama’s sharpened rhetoric against Iran and calls for restraint by Israel would be enough to delay any Israeli military plans against Tehran, which has called for the destruction of the Jewish state.
Despite that, the body language between the two leaders was a stark contrast to their last Oval Office meeting in May 2011 when Netanyahu lectured Obama on Jewish history and criticized his approach to Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.
This time, Obama and Netanyahu appeared cordial and businesslike, smiling at each other and sometimes nodding as the other spoke.
Even though Obama has ratcheted up his rhetoric against Iran in recent days, he and Netanyahu went into the talks divided over how quickly the clock is ticking toward possible military action, and the meeting appeared unlikely to change that.
They remain far apart on any explicit nuclear “red lines” that Tehran must not be allowed to cross, and they have yet to agree on a time frame when military forces might need to be applied.
PRESERVING TRUST
Obama’s encounter with Netanyahu was considered crucial to preserving the trust of America’s closest Middle East ally, which fears that time is running out for an effective Israeli strike on Iran, and to counter election-year criticism from Republican rivals who question his support for the Jewish state.
He is also trying to tamp down increasingly strident talk of another war in the region that could cause further spikes in global oil prices and hit the fragile U.S. economic recovery – dire consequences that could threaten his re-election chances.
Speculation is mounting that Israel could opt to act militarily on its own unless it receives credible guarantees that the United States will be ready to use force against Iran if international sanctions and diplomacy fail.
Israel fears that Iranian nuclear facilities may soon be buried so deep that they would be invulnerable to its bunker-busting bombs, which are less powerful than those in the U.S. arsenal.
Obama said both he and Netanyahu “prefer to resolve this diplomatically” and that both understand the cost of military action.
Netanyahu did not echo that point in his own brief public remarks, saying instead: “If there’s one thing that stands out clearly in the Middle East today, it’s that Israel and America stand together.”
What is clear, however, is the potential political liability for Obama’s re-election bid if hostilities break out in the Middle East before the November 6 U.S. presidential election.
Netanyahu’s visit comes one day before the pivotal “Super Tuesday” round of Republican presidential primaries, with Obama’s Republican rivals seizing on the chance to accuse him of being weak in backing a staunch ally and in confronting a bitter foe.
Further complicating matters is a trust deficit between Obama and Netanyahu.
In their last Oval Office meeting a year ago, Netanyahu embarrassed Obama by lecturing him on Jewish history and flatly rejecting his proposal that Israel’s 1967 borders be the basis for negotiations on creating a Palestinian state.
But relations have thawed somewhat since then as Obama has taken a tougher line on Iran while refraining from any new Middle East peace drives. Obama also scored points with Israelis for opposing a Palestinian bid for U.N. statehood recognition last September.
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5,610 |
Yahoo preparing layoffs, could affect thousands
|
Yahoo Inc’s new chief executive is preparing a significant restructuring of the Internet company, including layoffs that could cut thousands of employees from its payroll, … Continue reading Yahoo preparing layoffs, could affect thousands
| 2012-03-05T19:13:11 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/yahoo-preparing-layoffs-could-affect-thousands/
|
[
"Info Tech"
] |
Yahoo Inc’s new chief executive is preparing a significant restructuring of the Internet company, including layoffs that could cut thousands of employees from its payroll, according to a technology blog.
The moves could be announced as soon as the end of the month and would represent the first major changes under CEO Scott Thompson, the former PayPal president who took the top job at Yahoo in January.
The changes at the struggling Web pioneer, which recently hired the Boston Consulting Group, will focus on its products group, as well as on research, marketing and public relations and businesses that are not core to the company, according to the report on Monday in the blog AllThingsDigital.com, which cited anonymous sources.
“As we have indicated, our leadership is engaged in a process that will generate significant strategic change at Yahoo, but final decisions have not yet been made at this point.
Beyond that, we will not comment,” Yahoo said in an emailed statement.
Yahoo, whose revenue slid by more than a fifth last year, had 14,100 employees at the end of 2011.
The company fired CEO Carol Bartz in September and has been undergoing a “strategic review” since then that could include spinning of some of its Asian assets and accepting a minority investment in the company. Meanwhile, activist hedge fund ThirdPoint has announced plans to install its own slate of directors on Yahoo’s board.
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5,606 |
Dolphins to meet Angolan team in CAF champions’ league
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Dolphins to meet Angolan team in CAF champions’ league
| 2012-03-05T19:07:27 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/dolphins-to-meet-angolan-team-in-caf-champions%e2%80%99-league/
|
[
"Sports"
] |
Dolphins FC have set up a first round clash with Recreativo de Libolo from Angola later this month after a three nil win against Sony ela Nguema of Equatorial Guinea in the ongoing CAF champions league .
The Nigeria Premier League Champions, who won the first leg a fortnight ago by same margin in Malabo, thus secured a 6-nil aggregate victory over the club from the oil-rich island of Equatorial Guinea.
Goals from the Port Harcourt based club came from Isiaka Olawale after just two minutes and Ifeanyi Egwim on 34 minutes, while Ghanaian striker Addae Owusu made it 3-nil in the 67th minute.
Recreativo de Libolo eliminated South African champions Orlando Pirates 4-2 on aggregate after they drew the reverse clash 1-1 in Angola, having won the first game 3-1 in Johannesburg.
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5,602 |
Golden Eaglets ready to take Niger for Under 17 Championship
|
Golden Eaglets ready to take Niger for Under 17 Championship
| 2012-03-05T19:06:20 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/golden-eaglets-ready-to-take-niger-for-under-17-championship/
|
[
"Sports"
] |
Golden eaglets’ assistant coach, Emmanuel Amuneke has says the team would be ready to take on Niger Republic in the first round fixture of the 10th African Under 17 Championships to be held in Morocco in 2013.
The Golden Eaglets will travel to Niger on the weekend of September 7th and 9th, this year, for the first leg match while the reverse home fixture comes up on the weekend of September 21st and 23rd.
Amuneke says the technical crew knows how crucial the qualifiers were as both sides have failed to qualify for the last two editions of the African Under17 Championship.
Meanwhile, the Confederation for African Football (CAF) has already drawn Guinea bye to the second round to meet the winner of the first round fixture between Nigeria and Niger.
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5,599 |
Jega appoints five new Resident Electoral Commissioners
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The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, on Monday in Abuja swore in five newly ...
| 2012-03-05T18:55:22 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/jega-appoints-five-new-resident-electoral-commissioners/
|
[
"Politics"
] |
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, on Monday in Abuja swore in five newly appointed Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), urging them to ensure fairness and greater discipline in the discharge of their responsibilities.
Speaking at the oath-taking ceremony which took place at the INEC National headquarter the chairman said the new commissioners must not place too much demand on their host communities.
He warned the new RECs against partisanship in order to improve and make the electoral process more credible.
“There are still enormous tremendous challenges ahead of us. Yes, we have raised the bar, yes, there is improvement, in fact whatever indices you use to compare the elections we have conducted in April and since April, I think, there are clear indicators that we have been improving but the challenges are enormous.
“I keep saying that with regards to electoral matters in this country we have left things to be so bad for so long that it will require a lot of efforts to be able to get out of the woods.’’
Mr Jega called for collective contributions to ensure that the April General Elections, which was adjudged a success by many Nigerians and international observers, was improved on.
He told the RECs to keep an open door policy as well as maintain dignified relationships with their host communities and not be outrageously dependent particularly on state governments.
“Do what is doable, but do not ever compromise in terms of the processes and in terms of the legal frame work.’’
Responding on behalf of his colleagues, Austine Okojie from Edo State assured their determination to discharge their duties legally and with loyalty to the commission.
He said the RECs would acknowledge the attitude of Nigerians in not demonstrating the spirit of fair play during elections.
Mr Okojie, who was reappointed, had served in various states including Benue, Imo, Enugu, Bayelsa, Rivers and Abia.
Others include Jacob Jatau, Baba Yusuf, Segun Agbaje, and Nasir Ayilara.
The newly sworn in RECs are yet to be deployed to their new places of assignments.
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5,596 |
Court dismisses Akingbola’s appeal against freezing his assets
|
The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division on Monday dismissed two separate appeals filed by the former chief executive officer of Intercontinental Bank (now acquired by Access Bank), Erastus Akingbola
| 2012-03-05T18:22:17 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/court-dismisses-akingbola%e2%80%99s-appeal-against-freezing-his-assets/
|
[
"Business"
] |
The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division on Monday dismissed two separate appeals filed by the former chief executive officer of Intercontinental Bank (now acquired by Access Bank), Erastus Akingbola challenging the ruling of a Federal High Court which refused his application to discharge an order to freeze his assets.
The Court of Appeal also in another judgment dismissed Mr Akingbola’s application to stop his ongoing criminal trial, before Justice Hakeem Abiru of a Lagos High Court, Ikeja which was brought against him and his associate, Bayo Dada by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).
The appellate court in its judgment, delivered by Justice Kumai Akaahs, dismissed the appeal in its entirety on the ground that it lacked merit.
The judgment which was unanimously adopted by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa and Justice Pemu further held that Mr Akingbola failed to show that the lower court acted under a misconception of the law.
The court also discountenanced the argument of the appellant that the charges were not brought under the Criminal Procedure Rules or that there was no pending charge before the court at the time of granting the order that froze the assets.
Justice Akaahs held that where there was reasonable suspicion as to the commission of an offence, the law enforcement agents have a duty to seize the subject matter of the offence pending the conclusion of investigation and trial of same.
He therefore held that the lower court acted judicially and judiciously in granting the interim order.
Mr Akingbola is standing trial alongside one of his associates, Mr Dada, over alleged stealing of N47.1 billion brought against them by the EFCC.
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5,591 |
New allocations for petrol import expected in March
|
New allocations for petrol import expected in March
| 2012-03-05T18:12:55 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/new-allocations-for-petrol-import-expected-in-march/
|
[
"Business"
] |
Nigeria is expected to award fresh allocations for the importation of petrol in March, trade sources said, despite the ongoping House of Representative investigation into abuse of the fuel subsidy .
Nigeria currently relies on exchanges of crude oil for gasoline and other products as no new tenders have been allocated since the government’s attempt to remove the fuel subsidy in January. Now traders’ hopes are rising that a fresh allocation is imminent.
“We hear that the PPPRA (Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency) will award some import allocations in March with the new funds made available in the budget, but it will be restricting the number of companies, and there will be closer monitoring of how the volumes are allotted and filled,” a West African-focused gasoline trader said.
“Maybe we will see some second-quarter allocations but the whole subsidy wrangle won’t be resolved quickly. Certainly nothing is expected to be resolved before April,” said a petrol broker.
The petrol market has been awaiting clarity from the federal government on how the new regime will work since it attempted to remove petrol import subsidies on January 1.
There was more than a week of mass protests against the ensuing sharp rise in fuel costs and the government then partially reinstated subsidies.
As a result of the reinstatement, Nigeria had to revise upwards its outlook for the budget deficit this year, with the subsidy expected to soak up N888 billion of the 2012 budget.
The federal government will be giving up N309 billion for the subsidies, while the rest will be taken out of spending for state and local government.
“Some funds were found to cover the shortfall, which gives suppliers some security,” a trader said.
The House of Representative is currently investigating abuse of the subsidy system, after uncovering a $4 billion discrepancy between the subsidy paid to importers and the amount of gasoline brought into the country.
Traders said that companies participating in the PPPRA system had been asked to supply documents to prove that they had delivered the product against the amount of subsidy paid.
Nigeria is the largest market for petrol in West Africa, with consumption estimated at some 20-25 million litres a day.
A major restructuring of the whole process is anticipated but it is not clear whether the market will be fully deregulated by April as initially envisaged.
Instead, an allocation will be made through the PPPRA to meet the country’s gasoline requirements.
“The keystone companies will be awarded larger volumes and the smaller ones will get a bit less,” a trader suggested. “I expect the smaller, ‘briefcase’ companies to fall away.”
European traders said that fixing petrol cargoes to Nigeria has been difficult over the last few weeks as financing is tricky to obtain.
“The banks are worried they won’t get paid, so traders have to pay up to get the financing,” said another broker.
Although there have been no official gasoline allocations since the government tried to remove the subsidy, some buying has been seen over the past week.
“We have definitely seen more demand in the past week, so it looks like they are starting to take in oil again,” the broker said.
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5,585 |
Naira gains on direct sales
|
Naira gains on direct sales
| 2012-03-05T18:00:07 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/naira-gains-on-direct-sales/
|
[
"Business"
] |
Naira strengthened marginally against the U.S dollar on the interbank market on Monday, but weakened at the official window as strong demand for the greenback built up at the bi-weekly foreign exchange auction, traders said.
The Naira closed at N157.90 to the dollar on the interbank, firmer than the $158.05 it closed at on Friday.
Traders said the Naira was driven up by surplus dollar liquidity from the previous week, partly helped by about $10 million sales by a unit of Addax Petroleum, which is owned by China’s Sinopec Group.
At the bi-weekly forex auction, the Central Bank of Nigeria sold $150 million at N156.01 to the dollar compared with $150 million sold at N155.90 to the dollar last auction on Wednesday.
Traders said dollar inflows from oil companies are gradually thinning out, so the Naira could ease above the N158 to the dollar mark in the coming days.
“There was a noticeable build up in dollar demand at both the interbank and Central Bank’s window, and this could start eroding the gains in the last three weeks,” one dealer said.
However, traders also said some oil multinational companies are expected to sell dollars soon, while offshore inflows to the treasury bill auction later in the week could provide some support to the naira.
Another dealer expected the naira to trend within the N157.60-N158.20 band in the near term if more oil companies sell dollars.
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5,582 |
Court insists Atuche has a case of fraud to answer
|
An Ikeja High Court sitting on Monday dismissed an application filed by the former Managing Director of Bank PHB (now Keystone bank), Francis Atuche ...
| 2012-03-05T17:57:01 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/court-insists-atuche-has-a-case-of-fraud-to-answer/
|
[
"Headlines"
] |
An Ikeja High Court sitting on Monday dismissed an application filed by the former Managing Director of Bank PHB (now Keystone bank), Francis Atuche seeking an order to quash the charges of stealing brought against him and a former Director of the bank, Lekan Kasali by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Presiding Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo said that the application lacks merit and that the charge against the former bank chief is not defective and incompetent.
Mr Atuche had sought an order striking out his name from the charge on the basis that the transactions on another charge against him before the Federal High Court and the one at the Lagos High Court were interlinked.
He added that the EFCC, acting for the Attorney-General of the Federation, can only prosecute a crime under a Federal Law, and not under the Administration of the Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State.
Justice Onigbanjo in his ruling dismissed all the arguments raised by Mr Atuche.
The judge distinguished between the cases at the Federal high court & that at the State High Court. He said the charges at the Federal High Court bordered on his alleged granting of credit facilities illegally while that before his court had to do with stealing and conspiracy to steal.
The court also maintained that the two matters before it and the one before Justice Lateefah Okunnu of the same court had to do with different transactions that Mr Atuche was allegedly involved in, though all the alleged offences were committed when he was the Chief Executive Officer of the defunct Bank PHB.
The judge also overruled Mr Atuche’s argument that the way the case was being handled could prejudice his right to fair hearing.
The judge said that though the case had generated public interest, it would not in anyway affect the decision of the court.
Justice Onigbanjo rejected the former bank chief’s argument that the proof of evidence did not disclose a prima facie evidence against him before adjourning till the 24th of May for commencement of trial.
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5,558 |
C. Ronaldo Leads The Race For Europe's Golden Shoe
|
Ronaldo is at the top of the Golden Shoe table once again after another week of European football as he scored in his team’s 5-0 bashing ...
| 2012-03-05T17:13:07 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/c-ronaldo-leads-the-race-for-europes-golden-shoe/
|
[
"Sports"
] |
Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo is at the top of the Golden Shoe table once again after another week of European football as he scored in his team’s 5-0 bashing of Espanyol this weekend. The strike was the Portuguese star’s 30th of the season, and keeps him four points clear of his closest rival, Lionel Messi. The Argentine, however, didn’t feature in Barcelona’s 3-1 win over Sporting Gijon due to suspension.
Robin van Persie, meanwhile, moved four points clear of Trans Narva’s goal-scoring machine Aleksandrs Cekulajevs, with two goals in the 2-1 win at Liverpool to claim third spot, with the Estonian league coming to a close and ending Cekulajev’s goal-scoring party.
Seydou Doumbia returned to CSKA Moscow following his unsuccessful Africa Cup of Nations campaign with Cote d’Ivoire, the Ivorian remains on 36 points, and was joined at sixth place by Antonio Di Natale. The diminutive Italian failed to score as Udinese were held to a goalless draw by Atalanta.
Klass-Jan Huntelaar and Mario Gomez didn’t net this weekend in Germany as their clubs suffered defeats in the Bundesliga, and make up the remainder of the top 10 with Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney.
The weightings are determined by the league’s ranking on the Uefa coefficients, which in turn depend on the results of each league’s clubs in European competition over the previous five seasons. Goals scored in the top five leagues according to the Uefa coefficients are multiplied by a factor of two, and goals scored in the leagues ranked six to 21 are multiplied by 1.5. Goals in all other leagues are all worth one single point.
This measure has prevented players from so-called weaker leagues from winning the European Golden Shoe, since a goal scored in, for example, Armenia, Estonia or Azerbaijan, carries less weight than a goal scored in Serie A, La Liga, the Bundesliga or the Premier League.
Between 1968 and 1991, football greats Eusebio, Gerd Muller, Ian Rush and Marco van Basten won the coveted trophy.
Players such as Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Forlan and Lionel Messi have won the European Golden Shoe in the past few seasons.
TOP FIVE LIST
NAME CLUB POINTS GOALS
1 Cristiano Ronaldo R/Madrid 60 30
2 Lionel Messi Barcelona 56 28
3 Robin Van Persie Arsenal 50 25
4 Aleksandrs Cekulajevs Trans Narva 46 23
5 Burak Yilmaz Trabzonspor 43.5 29
With Turkey falling under the second cadre in the European rankings, Trabzonspor’s Yilmaz claims fifth spot despite scoring more goals than Lionel Messi who sits at second.
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5,570 |
Gunmen kill three police officers in Kano attacks
|
At least three police officers were killed on Monday when unidentified gunmen invaded the residence of the Kano state police commissioner ...
| 2012-03-05T17:00:20 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/gunmen-kill-three-police-officers-in-kano-attacks/
|
[
"Breaking News",
"Headlines",
"Local"
] |
At least three police officers were killed on Monday when unidentified gunmen invaded the residence of the Kano state police commissioner at the Chiranchi Dorayi quarters along Panshekara road, reports said.
Others were injured in the attack which took place on Monday afternoon. The gunmen had stormed the premises of the senior police official and opened fire outside the residence, killing two officers standing guard at the gates.
Eye witnesses report seeing three gunmen, two of them on a motorcycle had come in from the alley, while the third had approached from the main road on foot.
Residents fled to safety to avoid getting caught in the cross fire, the eye witness reported, adding that two other policemen were felled in the shooting.
All three gunmen eventually ran out of ammunition, taking off on foot through back alleys as some passers-by attempted to capture them.
Kano state police spokesman ASP Magaji Musa Majia confirmed the incident, adding that the area has been cordoned off by police. He denied reports that four police officers were killed, claiming instead that two policemen were killed while the other two officers sustained serious injuries.
Nigeria’s radical Islamic sect Boko Haram sect has claimed attacks on security personnel, including the multiple bomb attacks in Kano targeting security posts that left at least 185 people dead earlier this year.
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5,566 |
Supreme Court upholds election of Isa Yuguda
|
The Supreme Court has upheld the election of the governor of Bauchi state, Isa Yuguda, dismissing the appeal of the Congress for ...
| 2012-03-05T16:39:38 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/supreme-court-upholds-election-of-isa-yuguda/
|
[
"Breaking News",
"Headlines",
"Politics"
] |
The Supreme Court has upheld the election of the governor of Bauchi state, Isa Yuguda, dismissing the appeal of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).
The Chief Justice of Nigeria who delivered the lead judgment said the Apex Court lacks the jurisdiction to hear the appeal afresh since it emanated from a tribunal and not a trial court.
He added that “the court cannot allow the judgment of the Appellate court as it lacks competence since it gave reasons for its judgment outside the 60 days stipulated by the law.” “It has become a nullity and therefore does not exist.
The Court there after held that the tribunal judgment which upheld the victory of the governor as subsisting.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, however urged the National Assembly to amend Section 285 of the Electoral Act to ensure that litigants do not continue to suffer as a result of the law.
Counsel to CPC’s candidate in the April 2011 governorship election, Mr Olawale Akoni had told the court to evoke Section 22 of the Supreme Court Act to hear the suit afresh as it is not satisfied.
With the handling of the suit by the Appellate court, counsel to the governor, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi and that of (INEC) Mr Hassan Liman both opposed the application on the grounds that several judgment of the Supreme Court.
Have indicated that if the appeal court delivers judgment outside the 60 days stipulated by the law it is null and void and since the same scenario is applicable to this suit same should apply.
The Supreme Court also set aside the judgment of the Appellate Court in the appeal brought before it by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) challenging the victory of governor Dambaba Suntai of Taraba state in the April 2011 governorship election on the grounds that the Appeal Court lacks the competence to deliver judgment and give reasons outside the 60 days stipulated in the electoral act 2010 as amended.
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5,559 |
Passenger bus collision in Osun State leaves three dead
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A collision between two inter-state passenger buses at Ife-Ilesha junction in Osun State on Monday morning left at least three persons ...
| 2012-03-05T16:18:58 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/passenger-bus-collision-in-osun-state-leaves-three-dead/
|
[
"Local"
] |
A collision between two inter-state passenger buses at Ife-Ilesha junction in Osun State on Monday morning left at least three persons dead, reports said.
The accident is the latest in a series of deadly collisions in Nigeria. Spokesman for the Federal Road Safety Commission, Mr. Bisi Kazeem, offered no further details on the accident; however eye witnesses confirmed the death toll, adding that three other passengers sustained injuries from the accident.
A Twitter blogger @mentain77 posted a photograph reportedly taken at the scene of the accident.
The photograph taken from inside a car showed two white buses, partially burnt as a result of the head on collision. Fire fighters could be seen at the scene of the accident.
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5,548 |
Court throws out Appeal against Kwara governor
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The Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin, Kwara state on Monday dismissed a suit challenging the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) primary ...
| 2012-03-05T14:51:43 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/court-throws-out-appeal-against-kwara-governor/
|
[
"Breaking News",
"Politics"
] |
The Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin, Kwara state on Monday dismissed a suit challenging the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) primary election in Kwara State in 2011 that produced Abdulfatah Ahmed as a candidate of the party.
According to agency reports, the court ruled that the appeal was ‘unmeritorious’ and dismissed it for want of legality.
Justice Ignatius Agube, leading two others, unanimously resolved two issues raised for determination against the appellant. He said the respondents substantially complied with the PDP constitution and that “the article of the party gives no recognition to the appellants.”
A Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, had last year dismissed the same suit filed by a PDP governorship aspirant, Bashie Bolarinwa, who had asked the court to nullify the result of the primary elections that produced the party’s governorship candidate, Mr Ahmed.
The High Court Judge, Justice Olayinka Faji had upheld the prayers of the defendants that the national secretariat of the party has a right to conduct primaries and raise panel to handle complaints thereof.
The suit, filed by Samuel Adedayo, a factional PDP chairman, against the national body of the party, has Mr Bolarinwa and two others as plaintiffs They said the primaries conducted by the faction that produced Mr Bolarinwa was the authentic one while that which produced Mr Ahmed was illegal.
Other defendants in the suit were the PDP National Secretary, Kawu Baraje; Acting National Chairman, Mohammed Bello Ahmed and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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5,549 |
House summons Foreign Affairs Minister over SA deportation
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Eager to ward off a looming diplomatic row between Nigeria and South Africa over the deportation of 125 Nigerians from South Africa on ...
| 2012-03-05T14:47:34 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/house-summons-foreign-affairs-minister-over-sa-deportation/
|
[
"Breaking News",
"Headlines",
"Local"
] |
Eager to ward off a looming diplomatic row between Nigeria and South Africa over the deportation of 125 Nigerians from South Africa on Friday, the House of Representatives has summoned Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gbenga Ashiru, to appear before it on Tuesday.
Chairperson of the House of Representatives’ committee on foreign affairs, Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje, says the country is concerned with growing maltreatment of Nigerians in foreign countries, calling the latest deportation of 125 Nigerians, over the alleged failure to provide genuine yellow fever vaccination documentations, a grave insult.
“The outcome of the meeting will shape our next line of action as a parliament in our foreign policy direction and relationship with these countries. We cannot allow these insults on our citizens and country continues unabated’’ she said.
The permanent secretary, ministry of foreign affairs, Martin Uhomoibhi said the ministry was surprised at what happened in South Africa.
“These Nigerians have legitimate visas, and the yellow card was part of the packages that needed to be cleared before they are given visas,” he said.
Mr Uhomoibhi said another question that his ministry is seeking answer is “why those who travel from here to South Africa who are South African not get the same treatment with or without yellow card?”
He said the ministry is already in dialogue with the South African authority to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
The deportees, 75 who had arrived via South African Airways (SAA) and 50 passengers coming in with Arik Air, had been returned to Nigeria hours after their arrival on Thursday, including some who had visited the country several times before.
The mass deportation has frayed relations between both countries, with Arik Air announcing that it was suspending flights to South Africa for the time being.
Adebanji Ola, head of communications for the airline, said the decision to suspend flights between the commercial hubs of both African countries “was taken due to the ongoing dispute between international airlines operating in Johannesburg and the Port Health Authorities over Yellow Fever documentation being presented to authorities at OR Tambo International Airport by passengers”.
The passengers were denied entry into South Africa when Port Health authorities claimed that the batch numbers on the vaccination documentation provided by the travelers had been incorrect.
“Arik has reached the conclusion that the irregular and obfuscating nature of this protocol is having an impact on its passengers and does not wish to proceed with operations into a country where its customers are at risk of detainment or any other measures meted out arbitrarily by the authorities,” the company said in a statement.
Group CEO/President of Arik Air, Dr. Michael Arumeni-Ikhide, said while he had been informed that the “current crack-down is not unique to Nigeria and its inbound passengers”, he is determined to take a stand to “show the Port Health Authorities we are simply not prepared for our customers to be treated in this manner”.
Mr. Tope Awe, spokesperson for South Africa Airways assured that the national carrier had made concerted efforts to avoid deportation of Nigerians.
He said the airline had gone to great lengths to authenticate the vaccination documents, but had been unable to do so; the country’s government had insisted that the deported passengers had failed to meet Port Health criteria and as such must be sent back to Nigeria.
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5,547 |
Julius Agwu releases new video “Critical Case”
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Comedian/musician Julius de genius Agwu has released
| 2012-03-05T14:47:23 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/julius-agwu-releases-new-video-%e2%80%9ccritical-case%e2%80%9d/
|
[
"Entertainment"
] |
Comedian/musician Julius de genius Agwu has released yet another music video titled “critical Case”.
The video which is a single off his album “Genius” was shot in Port-hacourt
Comedian/musician Julius de genius Agwu has released yet another music video titled “critical Case”. The video which is a single off his album “Genius” was … Continue reading Julius Agwu releases new video “Critical Case”
Comedian/musician Julius de genius Agwu has released yet another music video titled “critical Case”.
The video which is a single off his album “Genius” was shot in Port-hacourt
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5,543 |
Gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram kill four in Maiduguri
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At least four people were killed over the weekend in separate attacks by gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect...
| 2012-03-05T12:18:00 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/gunmen-suspected-to-be-boko-haram-kill-four-in-maiduguri/
|
[
"Crime Watch",
"Headlines",
"Local"
] |
At least four people were killed over the weekend in separate attacks by gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect, in their heartland of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital city.
According to reports, a woman and her 10-year-old child were shot dead on Saturday night when gunmen suspected to be members of the sect barged into their residence in Zannari on the outskirts of town.
The attack happened at about 8:30 p.m. and resident said the gunmen also shot and killed another unidentified man. They fled the scene of the crime, leaving their victims in a pool of blood, reports said.
Another wave of attacks followed on Sunday when sect gunmen killed a trader at the popular Gamboru market in the city.
Buyers and sellers alike scampered to safety when the gunmen entered into the market and opened fire at random. A trader was killed in the Sunday attacks.
Police spokeswoman in Maiduguri confirmed the killings to BBC Hausa service, according to reports.
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5,526 |
Kremlin woos Russian opposition after Putin win
|
The Kremlin held out an olive branch to Russia's opposition Monday before protesters take to the streets to challenge Vladimir Putin's ...
| 2012-03-05T10:34:59 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/kremlin-woos-russian-opposition-after-putin-win/
|
[
"World News"
] |
The Kremlin held out an olive branch to Russia’s opposition Monday before protesters take to the streets to challenge Vladimir Putin’s victory in a presidential election they said was a “declaration of war.”
Putin celebrated his victory Sunday by telling tens of thousands of flag-waving supporters near the Kremlin that his triumph had saved Russia from enemies trying to usurp power.
The prime minister, who is returning to the post he held for eight years until ushering Dmitry Medvedev into the presidency in 2008, had tears in his eyes as he took aim in his speech at protesters opposing his 12-year-domination of Russia.
His opponents complained of widespread fraud in the ballot, in which the former KGB spy won more than 63 percent of the vote, and said they would show their disgust by demonstrating in central Moscow Monday evening.
“He is forcing things to breaking point. He is declaring war on us,” said journalist Sergei Parkhomenko, one of the protest organizers.
With Putin and the opposition on collision course, the Kremlin issued a statement that could be intended to take the sting out of the protests which began over alleged fraud in a parliamentary poll on December 4 and increasingly target Putin.
Medvedev, who will stay in office until early May and is expected to swap jobs with Putin, told the prosecutor general to study the legality of 32 criminal cases including the jailing of former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Khodorkovsky, who headed what was Russia’s biggest oil company, Yukos, and was once the country’s richest man, was arrested in 2003 and jailed on tax evasion and fraud charges after showing political ambitions and falling out with Putin.
The Kremlin said Medvedev had also told the justice minister to explain why Russia had refused to register a liberal opposition group, PARNAS, which has been barred from elections.
The order followed a meeting last month at which opposition leaders handed Medvedev a list of people they regard as political prisoners and called for political reforms.
Medvedev’s initiatives “have only one goal: To at least somehow lower the scale of dismay and protest that continues to surge in society,” Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.
The move could be a stalling tactic intended to appease the organizers of the biggest protests of Putin’s rule, or it could be a parting gesture by a man intent of making his mark as the more liberal of the ruling “tandem” with Putin.
PUTIN’S CHALLENGES
Almost complete election results Monday showed Putin, 59, had won 63.68 percent of votes.
Zyuganov was second on just over 17 percent and liberal billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov had almost 8 percent. Nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky secured just over 6 percent and former parliamentary speaker Sergei Mironov had less than 4 percent.
“There were practically no serious violations,” Central Election Commission chief Vladimir Churov told reporters, dismissing the allegations of irregularities across Russia by the opposition and volunteer vote monitors.
Golos, an independent monitoring group, said it had registered at least 3,100 reports of violations nationwide. An international observer mission was due to announce its findings later Monday.
Although the urban protest movement portrays Putin as an autocratic leader who will stymie political and economic change in Russia, he rallied core supporters in an election campaign that took him to many of the country’s far-flung regions.
Many voters see him as a safe pair of hands and credit him with restoring order after the chaotic 1990s under President Boris Yeltsin and overseeing an economic boom.
“I want stability. I don’t want any kind of change,” Maria Budaeva, a 38-year old university teacher, who backed Putin.
Raisa Sidorik, a 64-year old housewife, said: “He knows the economy, he knows the political system. It seems to me he’s the best candidate.”
Putin is sure to portray his emphatic election victory as a strong sign of public support against the protesters, whom he has portrayed as a destabilizing minority and pawns of foreign governments.
He is all but certain to revive his tough rhetoric against the West as he tackles foreign policy problems including a risk of isolation over the bloodshed in Syria.
He is also under pressure from foreign investors to cut Russia’s dependence on energy exports.
But many in big cities, especially Moscow and St Petersburg, say he is an obstacle to change and the guardian of a corrupt political system which benefits his friends and allies.
“Nothing has changed,” said protest leader Alexei Navalny. “You cannot call what just happened elections.”
Reuters
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5,525 |
Rugged Man rocks back with new video
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Michael Ugochukwu Stephens whose stage name
| 2012-03-05T10:30:03 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/rugged-man-rocks-back-with-new-video/
|
[
"Entertainment"
] |
Michael Ugochukwu Stephens whose stage name is “Rugged man” has featured Mallam Spicey in his new video titled “Girl Wayne”.
The video was produced by Tyrone and directed by Patrick Elis .
Michael Ugochukwu Stephens whose stage name is “Rugged man” has featured Mallam Spicey in his new video titled “Girl Wayne”. The video was produced by … Continue reading Rugged Man rocks back with new video
Michael Ugochukwu Stephens whose stage name is “Rugged man” has featured Mallam Spicey in his new video titled “Girl Wayne”.
The video was produced by Tyrone and directed by Patrick Elis .
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5,513 |
Military kills suspected Boko Haram members trying to burn school in Maiduguri
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Nigeria’s military says it foiled an arson attack on a public primary school in Maiduguri, killing three suspected members of the Boko ...
| 2012-03-05T10:05:58 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/military-kills-suspected-boko-haram-members-trying-to-burn-school-in-maiduguri/
|
[
"Breaking News",
"Headlines",
"Local"
] |
Nigeria’s military says it foiled an arson attack on a public primary school in Maiduguri, killing three suspected members of the Boko Haram sect who were caught in the act.
Military spokesman Lt. Colonel Hassan Ifijeh Mohammed confirmed the killings on Monday, the Associated Press reports, adding that his men had killed three members of the sect as well as arresting two others who were arrested.
The failed arson attempt is the latest in a series of school burnings attributed to the Boko Haram sect.
Seven schools in th region have been set ablaze in recent weeks in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital and heartland of the sect. The attacks have often happened at night.
Gunshots were heard in the early hours of Monday morning in the city, the AP reported.
The attacks on schools by the Boko Haram, whose name in Hausa language means “Western education is prohibited, has kept many pupils out of schools in Maiduguri.
Teachers of affected schools who spoke to the press say parents are keeping their children at home and out of school.
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5,511 |
Death toll in south Yemen attacks rises to 85
|
At least 85 soldiers were killed in twin suicide bombings and ensuing clashes with al Qaeda-linked fighters in south Yemen Sunday, medical ...
| 2012-03-05T10:05:18 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/death-toll-in-south-yemen-attacks-rises-to-85/
|
[
"World News"
] |
At least 85 soldiers were killed in twin suicide bombings and ensuing clashes with al Qaeda-linked fighters in south Yemen Sunday, medical sources said Monday.
Militants detonated two vehicles laden with explosives at two army posts outside the southern Yemeni city of Zinjibar early Sunday, sparking heavy clashes between Islamist fighters and the military.
Medics Sunday had put the number of army personnel killed at 35. A military source said some soldiers were also missing.
The attacks, which were claimed by al Qaeda, are the latest since president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office last month.
The violence highlights the challenges he faces as he tries to stabilize Yemen after a year of protests against his predecessor, Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Reuters
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5,514 |
Ronaldinho inspires Flamengo win
|
A late penalty in favour of Flamengo was converted to notch Flamengo to a win by Ronaldinho against Duque de Caxias in a match that would
| 2012-03-05T09:58:30 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/ronaldinho-inspires-flamengo-win/
|
[
"Sports"
] |
A late penalty given in favour of Flamengo was converted by Ronaldinho to notch Flamengo up to a win against Duque de Caxias in a match that would have gone either way.
In the same match,goalkeeper Felipe was wheeled off the field with an ambulance after a collision with Duque de Caxias striker Gilcimar in the 20th minute,doctors have passed him to be fine after nursing fears of a head trauma.
Goalkeeper Felipe dived to his right for a low cross into the area and his head hit Gilcimar’s knee as both players went for the ball and he has been ruled out of the team’s Copa Libertadores match against Ecuador’s Emelec on Thursday in Rio.
The first goal for Flamengo came from the boot of former CSKA striker vagner Love who has four goals in his kitty.
Ronaldinho scored Flamengo’s winner with a penalty in the 83rd after Vagner Love was held by a defender inside the area. Vagner Love, who has scored a goal in each of the last four matches, opened the scoring in the 11th, and Rodrigues equalized for Duque de Caxias in the 60th as Flamengo played a man down from the 75th after Argentine playmaker Dario Bottinelli was sent off for a hard foul.
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5,509 |
Gunmen kill groom in Kano State
|
According to reports, Alhaji Lawan Kofar Dawanau, the 47-year-old newlywed and staff of the Ungogo LGA of Kano State was shot dead...
| 2012-03-05T09:32:10 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/gunmen-kill-groom-in-kano-state/
|
[
"Crime Watch"
] |
There would be no “happy ever after” for bride Siliya whose groom was killed by unknown assasains, only hours after a wedding.
According to reports, Alhaji Lawan Kofar Dawanau, the 47-year-old newlywed and staff of the Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano State was shot dead shortly after the Zuhr prayer.
Eye witnesses say the assailants had stormed the quarters on a motorcycle, taking a female guest hostage and using her to force their way into the wedding ceremony.
Upon their arrival, reports said, the groom came outside when one of the gunmen identified and shot him, a source told reporters.
The Leadership reported that the gunmen had asked those around to remain calm as they had come there on a mission, warning that anyone who got in the way would get shot.
Kano State police PRO Magaji Musa Majia confirmed the incident and promised that an investigation into the killing was underway.
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5,501 |
Arik Air Suspends Johannesburg Flights
|
The on-going dispute over yellow fever documentation which has led to the deportation of several West African passengers with Nigeria having
| 2012-03-05T08:57:41 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/05/arik-air-suspends-johannesburg-flights/
|
[
"Business",
"Travel"
] |
The on-going dispute over yellow fever documentation which has led to the deportation of several West African passengers with Nigeria having the highest number of deportees and some denied entry or detained on the grounds that the yellow cards were either faked or not possessed.
This line of action prompted Arik air to suspend temporarily its daily B737-800 flight services Lagos, Nigeria and Johannesburg, South Africa with immediate effect.
Port Health authorities claimed that in recent months the yellow cards shown carry incorrect or unrecognised batch numbers as passenger were supposed to tender the documentation before entry. Due to this new development, 50 passengers who travelled on Arik Air on March 2 were denied entry.
Arik air said it is an iregular nature of the protocol and it is having a negative impact on its service and passengers and this has made it suspend its operation into the country.
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5,490 |
Marketers allege cabal has hijacked fuel supply in Rivers
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Marketers allege cabal has hijacked fuel supply in Rivers
| 2012-03-04T21:57:47 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/04/marketers-allege-cabal-has-hijacked-fuel-supply-in-rivers/
|
[
"Breaking News",
"Business"
] |
Oil marketers in Port-Harcourt have alleged that a cabal has hijacked the fuel supply at the depot belonging to the Petroleum Products Marketing Company PPMC in Okirika, Rivers state.”
This allegation was made by the hundreds of marketers that greeted Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream which was on inspection tour of the PPMC depot and the Port Harcourt refinery.
The cabal allegation was buttressed by the fuel queues observed in the Port-Harcourt, the Rivers state capital which hosts one of the nation’s refineries.
The oil marketers assembled outside the premises of the depot, made their grievances known in the peaceful protest as one of them claimed that “I have ticket in the system I paid in since last year October and till date, that product has not been loaded.”
The committee members led by Senator Magnus Abe, expressed disappointment with operations at the PPMC depot, and the workings of the pipeline supplying crude to the refinery.
Another visit to the Okirika jetty was full of shame for the lawmakers who learnt that for the past five years, oil products have not been offloaded through the pipelines because of vandalization.
The old jetty has not been maintained since it was built many years ago after it was razed by fire some time ago and it still bears tell-tale marks of the incident and of utter neglect.
At the Port Harcourt refinery, the committee bared their minds on their findings as the leader of the delegation and chairman of the committee, Senator Abe decried that the depot only loads 120 trucks of petrol per day. “It means that you (the Port Harcourt Refinery) are accepting that there should be no product and the end result is that, independent marketers will move out this region and go to wherever they can buy at any price and there they will sell at any price.”
The Managing director of the Port-Harcourt Refinery noted that some of the supposed marketers have no filling stations.
“Whether they have a facility to run or no, they just want to register because they feel once they register, it gives them an in road to lift the product and do whatever they want with it.”
The lawmakers reminded management of the refinery and PPMC of the accusation and directed the management of the refinery to extend the loading time of crude supply to tanker drivers to 9 PM daily.
They also directed the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to prosecute marketers who hoard fuel and sell above the stipulated price.
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5,482 |
Protests in Kano over army's killing of motorcyclist
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Protests in Kano over army's killing of motorcyclist
| 2012-03-04T21:05:56 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/04/protests-in-kano-over-armys-killing-of-motorcyclist/
|
[
"Breaking News",
"Local"
] |
Protesters lit bonfires and marched through the northern city of Kano to protest the alleged shooting to death of a motorcyclist on Sunday by military officers deployed to counter Boko Haram Islamists in the state.
Mustapha Sani, 25, was shot in the head and chest by soldiers at a checkpoint outside a bus terminus, an eye witnesses said.
Around 100 protesters took over the Silver Jubilee roundabout in the centre of the northern city and marched through the streets, burning tyres and pelting soldiers with stones Agency report said.
They called for the dismantling of military checkpoints in the city and the soldiers made no attempt to stop the protesters.
“This lawlessness is getting out of hand, we are tired of soldiers and policemen killing and molesting innocent residents they are deployed to protect,” a protester who identified himself s Haruna said.
“We live between the fear of Boko Haram attack and military and police bullets, it is unbearable,” said Laminu Zakari, another protester.
The soldiers manning the checkpoints drove off in two military vans to avoid clashes.
Residents have complained of harassment and extortion by security personnel at checkpoints that dot the city following the January 20 coordinated Boko Haram bomb and gun attacks that killed 185 people.
Military authorities in Kano were not available for comment as the spokesman of the special military unit in the city did not respond to inquiries by reporters.
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5,469 |
Over 40 vehicles destroyed in Lagos violence
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Over 40 vehicles destroyed in Lagos violence
| 2012-03-04T20:50:49 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/04/over-40-vehicles-destroyed-in-lagos-violence/
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[
"Breaking News",
"Local"
] |
Another round of violence by hoodlums broke out in Lagos, early Sunday morning as hoodlums went on rampage on Market Street in the Oyingbo area of the state, destroying over 40 vehicles and leaving several others injured.
According to eye witness accounts, the trouble started on Saturday after a lawmaker representing Lagos Mainland Federal constituency, Mr. Monsuru Owolabi was harassed at a party around the area.
Mr Owolabi was said to have being prevented from passing through a route by some hoodlums that demanded he paid his way through.
The lawmaker was said to have afterwards returned in person and confronted the group of boys on who was hitting his vehicle and the fracas broke out but it was easily curtailed as the lawmaker left the party scene.
Residents of the area allege that supporters of the lawmaker on Sunday morning descended on the area in an apparent reprisal attack, smashing windscreens of over vehicles parked along the Market road. Channels TV observed that tricycles, minibus and diverse salon cars were amongst those that had their glasses smashed by the rampaging hoodlums.
Mr. Monsuru however denied the allegations saying that those who carried out the attack are not his supporters. “I saw three boys infront of my car, chanting and hitting my car that I cannot pass the road unless I give them money. But they argued with each other and later cleared the road for me to go” he explained to Channels TV.
He added that he however returned to the boys to ask who was hitting his car and “as the conversation was going on, the brother of the celebrant came and started shouting that they should not let me sit there and he started throwing bottles and sticks. And I immediately left the scene.” “I do not know anything about the hoodlums that came again, the following morning” Honourable Owolabi added.
A resident of the street, Taju Jaiyeagoro told Channels TV that, “aside destroying my car, the hoodlums also wounded my mother” he said while another resident added that “we even thought it was armed robbery as we could not sleep with our eyes open” he said as he described the fear that enveloped the fracas.
This umpteempth is violence by hoodlums recorded in the city of Lagos in recent months.
Here some pictures of the damaged vehicles.
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Putin wins Russian presidency, opponents allege fraud
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Vladimir Putin won a resounding victory in Russia’s presidential election on Sunday, exit polls showed, securing a new six-year term in the Kremlin and a … Continue reading Putin wins Russian presidency, opponents allege fraud
| 2012-03-04T18:37:49 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/04/putin-wins-russian-presidency-opponents-allege-fraud/
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[
"Breaking News",
"World News"
] |
Vladimir Putin won a resounding victory in Russia’s presidential election on Sunday, exit polls showed, securing a new six-year term in the Kremlin and a mandate to deal with opposition protests after a vote that opponents said was marred by fraud.
Two television exit polls, released after voting ended at 1700 GMT, forecast the prime minister would win 59.3 and 58.3 percent of the votes, easily enough to make a runoff against the second-placed candidate unnecessary.
His nearest rival, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, fell short of 20 percent in both exit polls. Zyuganov said his party would not recognise the official results of the election, calling it “illegitimate, dishonest and untransparent.”
Putin’s swiftly dismissed fraud allegations, which will be repeated at opposition protests starting on Monday.
“This is the cleanest election in Russia’s entire history,” said Stanislav Govorukhin, his campaign chief. “The violations our rivals and the opponents of our president will now speak of are laughable.”
Official results are not expected from most polling stations until Monday.
But Putin, 59, was expected to portray his return to the presidency after four years as prime minister as strong public backing against the protesters, whom he has portrayed as a minority and pawns of foreign governments.
A huge crowd of mostly young Putin supporters gathered in a square outside the Kremlin after dark, waving Russian flags. Hundreds of buses that brought them to the capital in a well organised show of force stood by.
The former KGB spy is also expected to return to the Kremlin with tough fighting talk against the West, a trademark of his first presidency and election campaign. Economists said a key test of Putin’s return would be how far he was ready to go to reform an economy heavily dependent on energy exports.
But Putin’s opponents said voting in many parts of the vast country was skewed in his favour and vowed to press on with the biggest protests since he rose to power 12 years ago.
“We do not consider these elections legitimate,” said Vladimir Ryzhkov, a leader of the opposition protesters, who plan a new rally against Putin in Moscow for Monday.
SUPPORT IN THE PROVINCES
Despite the growing opposition, mainly among well-educated and relatively well-off young professionals in big cities, Putin’s support remains high in the provinces and his victory had not been in doubt.
The main challenge for the man credited by many Russians credit with rebuilding the country’s image and overseeing an economic boom, was to win outright in the first round.
This he achieved by a clear margin. The exit polls put Zyuganov on target to win about 18 percent, and nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky, ex-parliamentary speaker Sergei Mironov and billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov were all under 10 percent.
Some voters said Putin, who has portrayed himself as a man of action and guardian of stability, was the tough national leader the world’s biggest country and energy producer needed.
“I voted for Putin because he was a good president (from 2000-08) and our children were looked after and that’s all. That’s how I feel,” said Maria Fedotova, a 92-year-old grandmother in fur coat and hat, flanked by relatives.
Putin has remained Russia’s dominant leader and its most popular politician since stepping aside in 2008 to make way for his ally, Dmitry Medvedev, because he was barred from a third straight term by the constitution.
But some voters are tired of his macho antics, such as horse riding bare-chested, and a system that concentrates power in his hands. They fear he could win another term in six years and rule until 2024 – almost as long as Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
“They are stealing our votes,” said Valentin Gorshun, a patient in Moscow hospital number 19, where more than 90 percent of votes went to United Russia party in December.
“It is probably the same at all hospitals,” he said. “I think they are preparing a huge falsification. Emperor Putin has decided everything.”
WIDESPREAD ALLEGATIONS OF FRAUD
Vote monitors from the opposition and bloggers posted allegations of election rigging across the country of 143 million. Golos, an independent monitoring group, said it had registered at least 3,100 reports of violations nationwide.
An Interior Ministry spokesman denied there had been any major violations. Election officials also dismissed reports of widespread fraud in a parliamentary election on December 4 which triggered the opposition protests.
Thousands of opposition activists as well as an international observer mission were also monitoring the polls.
The opposition protests were sparked by the disputed December 4 election, but anger was focused at Putin, who bungled the September 24 announcement of his presidential bid by appearing simply to inform Russians that he would rule for another six years.
Putin, who will not formally take office until early May, now faces huge economic and political challenges.
“It’s a watershed – Russia faces decline and stagnation unless they really kick-start reforms, and push forward an ambitious reform agenda,” said Tim Ash, head of emerging markets research at Royal bank of Scotland in London.
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JTF recover bodies of slained officers, kills leader of attackers
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JTF recover bodies of slained officers, kills leader of attackers
| 2012-03-04T18:00:43 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/04/jtf-recovers-bodies-of-slained-officers-kills-leader-of-attackers/
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[
"Breaking News",
"Crime Watch",
"Headlines"
] |
Four days after a deadly attack in the creeks of Bayelsa state that left four military personnel of the Joint Task Force (JTF) dead, the JTF has announced the recovery of the slained officers’ bodies by the Operation Pulo shield and the killing of the militant leader responsible for the attack.
The recovery of the body was revealed by a statement on Sunday signed by the JTF spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Antigha which disclosed that the attack was carried out by a gang of sea pirates led by Shedrack Itokofuwei, alias Mammy Water, who was also killed during the shoot-out.
Mammy Water is said to hail from Azagbene in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State.
The four military personnel were attacked on 1st March 2012, along Eweleso River in the state.
According to the JTF’s statement, “Mammy Water and his gang left his base in a convoy of about 5 speed boats heading to Forupa, a new location in Bayelsa State. However, enroute, the criminal convoy attacked JTF personnel who were heading to Ogbia from Brass. Thereafter, the same convoy encountered a Marine Police check point which they also attacked.”
The statement also explained that following the attacks, “military patrol teams within the vicinity were notified as the same convoy emerged at One Man Camp (a fishing settlement)” and “they were engaged by a Nigerian Navy Patrol boat” it added.
Lt. Col. Antigha further stated that “3 of their (militants) speed boats were sunk while 2 others escaped” adding that “the leader of the gang, Shedrack Itokofuwei, alias Mammy Water was among those killed in the fire fight as disclosed by his gang member captured close to the scene of encounter with the Navy Patrol boat.”
The JTF Commander also noted that the late “Mammy Water and his gang were the criminals behind the series of pirate attacks within Nigerian territorial waters in the last 3 months.” “This led to the JTF storming his residence in Azagbene in December and his subsequently being declared wanted.”
The JTF debunked the statement by the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger-delta which claimed responsibility of the attacks shortly it was reported. According to the JTF, “the attack on its personnel and other atrocities committed within the last three months has been staged by a few different and uncoordinated groups of itinerant criminals operating within the Niger Delta region.”
It dismisses what it called “the shameful attempt by the so-called MEND to seek relevance by creating a false impression that the attacks have been carried out by loyal groups of militants of which it is the coordinating authority.”
The security outfit warned that “fresh attempt by some misguided persons to orchestrate another round of violence and insecurity in the region will be an exercise in futility, because the JTF is prepared more than ever to crush any obstacle on the path to lasting peace and security in the Niger Delta region.”
It also assured Nigerians that recent occurrences are “simply organized criminal activities by people who believe that the only profitable way to engage with Government is through violence.” “Consequently, it should be noted that these criminal elements might occasionally score opportunistic and temporary victories, such as this most recent attack on personnel who were on purely administrative and logistic movement, but ultimately these agents of insecurity will lose.”
The JTF also warned the creek communities in the region on the consequences of providing sanctuary for criminal elements.
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PDP congress holds in Bayelsa without Jonathan
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The ward congress of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in Bayelsa state commenced behind schedule on Saturday, due to late arrival of materials from Abuja … Continue reading PDP congress holds in Bayelsa without Jonathan
| 2012-03-04T16:05:17 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/04/pdp-congress-holds-in-bayelsa-without-jonathan/
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[
"Local"
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The ward congress of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in Bayelsa state commenced behind schedule on Saturday, due to late arrival of materials from Abuja after the departure of the President.
President Goodluck Jonathan left his Otuoke country home for Abuja at about 1 PM after a long wait for the congress materials to arrive thereby he could not participate in the congress as a result of the late arrival of the materials.
The President had arrived in Otuoke, Friday evening from Nnewi after attending the burial ceremony of late Dim Odimegwu Ojukwu to participate in the ward congress.
Newly elected governor, Henry Seriake Dickson could also not participate in the ward congress at his Toru-Orua community in Sagbama Local Government area because of the development.
The advanced team of Governor Dickson to his ward in Sagbama had to be recalled because of the non-availability of the materials in the morning.
But the chairman of the PDP Ward Congress committee for the state, Dr.Sylvester Omaji, said the delegate election was not for all registered party members to participate and claimed that “the President had participated by showing up in his ward to mobilize the members as the party leader.”
Dr. Omaji, who said the problem of aviation fuel affected their movements as they could not fly out of Abuja on Friday, however stated that the exercise had commenced at the various wards across the eight local government areas.
The Acting State Chairman of the PDP, Mr. James Dugo, said “there will no longer be room for any form of manipulation as the delegates are expected to emerge through a credible process.”
Also, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Chief Fred Agbedi, noted that “the era where party programmes are enmeshed in crisis were over and that the new administration had come to stabilize the system.” “You know what used to follow the party’s activities like this are crisis and in fighting but there is peace now. Those taking part in the congress are expected to conduct themselves well” Agbedi said.
He assured that the governor was ready to give free hands in the running of the party to promote internal democracy within PDP in the state.
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Obasanjo blame his successors for agriculture failure
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Former president Olusegun Obsanjo has blamed his successors as the bane for the nation’s failure in food sufficiency following their failures to further develop … Continue reading Obasanjo blame his successors for agriculture failure
| 2012-03-04T15:12:38 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/04/obasanjo-blames-his-successors-for-the-nation%e2%80%99s-agriculture-failure/
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[
"Breaking News",
"Business",
"Politics"
] |
Former president Olusegun Obsanjo has blamed his successors as the bane for the nation’s failure in food sufficiency following their failures to further develop his policies on agriculture.
The lack of continuity, policy inconsistency and misplaced priority in government programmes has continued to be limiting factors to agricultural development in Africa he said.
Mr. Obasanjo made this known whilst speaking at the regional forum on “Best practices in fostering food security in Africa” organized by the Centre for Human Security (CHS), an arm of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.
The former president put the blames directly on administration of Alhaji Shehu Shagari and late Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua, who took over from him respectively after his sojourn as the military Head of State and the elected leader. He noted after he left a policy of ‘rice production’, his successor came in and set up “a presidential task force for the importation of rice.”
According to Mr. Obasanjo, “when I was Nigeria’s head of government, whether as military head of state or as elected president, the progress we made in agriculture and food security was because I personally sat at the driver’s seat.”
“I recall that when I was the military head of state, we had a programme called ‘Operation Feed the Nation’ to improve agriculture and enhance food production. And we made some appreciable progress. We were self-sufficient in the production of agricultural produce such as poultry, rice and vegetable oil.”
“However, when we left government and our successor came in; they set up a presidential task force for the importation of rice; not for the production of rice.”
The former president bemoaned the slow development recorded so far in agriculture on the continent and called for concerted efforts from African leaders to pull the continent out of its present situation in agricultural development.
Mr. Obasanjo noted that some government officials undermine efforts to develop the nation’s agriculture and promote food security through their corrupt practices. “We need to find a better way not to harm ourselves; a way to consistently, continually and, indeed, continuously promote food security in Africa” he said.
He called on government at all levels to provide the much needed political will to encourage research and attract the participation of the private sector in the agricultural sector for food security on the continent.
About 250 million of Africans are said to be undernourished, while over $25.7 billion was spent on food imports in 2010.
Agricultural best practices
Also speaking, at the forum, the CHS Chairman, Professor Akin Mabogunje, noted that in spite of its huge population and potential, Africa had not been able to cultivate viable agricultural practices, thus compounding the problems of human security on the continent.
The Professor explained that the centre was established to provide the necessary platform for a collective and knowledge-driven response to obstacles hindering Africa’s development.
He added that in order to address this challenge, the CHS forum seeks to examine best practices in research, soil management, poultry production among others for food sufficiency and development of Agriculture on the continent.
And as a practical step in achieving this, the centre said it is piloting its feed Africa programme in Delta state, which is targeted at job creation for about 2 million people by scaling up government and private sector commitment.
Highpoint of the forum was a visit to the exhibition stand led by Mr. Obasanjo where various agricultural products were on displayed.
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Hundreds killed in Congo blasts
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A series of large explosions in an arms depot rocked Brazzaville, the capital of Congo Republic, on Sunday, killing at least four people, injuring hundreds … Continue reading Hundreds killed in Congo blasts
| 2012-03-04T14:20:39 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/04/hundreds-injured-in-congo-blasts/
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[
"Breaking News",
"World News"
] |
A series of large explosions in an arms depot rocked Brazzaville, the capital of Congo Republic, on Sunday, killing at least four people, injuring hundreds and sending a plume of smoke above the city.
Panic spread to Kinshasa, across the Congo River which separates the oil-producing former French colony from the larger Democratic Republic of Congo, where windows were shattered by the force of the blasts.
Both governments called for calm and there was no immediate suspicion of anything but an accident. Congo Republic is one of sub-Saharan Africa’s top oil producers.
“Lots of buildings have been destroyed … There are four dead and nearly 60 injured, some seriously,” Betu Bangana, head of protocol in the president’s office in Brazzaville, told Reuters by telephone.
Citing Defence Minister Charles Zacharie Bowao, state radio in Congo Republic said the explosions had been caused by a fire in the arms depot in the Regiment Blinde base in the riverside Mpila neighbourhood.
China’s Xinhua news agency cited Chinese officials as saying three Chinese workers were killed and dozens were injured in the explosion.
RESIDENTS FLEE
A Reuters witness in Brazzaville said residents had fled the blast area, which is near a heavily populated neighbourhood and was blocked off by the security forces as a military helicopter flew overhead.
Fleeing residents said houses in the area had been flattened.
“I saw someone being carried to hospital with their intestines hanging out. They had been hit by a shell,” one witness told Reuters as he was leaving the blast zone.
Congolese TV showed pictures of panic-stricken people on the streets of neighbourhoods close to where the explosions occurred. There were also images of many injured people being rushed to hospital or being given first aid on the streets.
There were also pictures of crowded hospitals where doctors said they were selecting those who were seriously injured to have immediate surgery.
Congolese TV has also been repeating an appeal by health authorities urging all medical personnel living in Brazzaville to rush to hospitals in the city.
Mass in the Brazzaville’s cathedral, about 4 kms (2.5 miles) away, was cut short as the building shook.
“I heard at least five or six good sized explosions, which blew out the windows and brought down half the ceiling in our hotel,” Patrick Mair, an analyst with Control Risks currently in Brazzaville, told Reuters.
The main blasts were followed by a series of smaller ones. Hours after the main explosions, a plume of grey smoke still hung over the city, a Reuters witness in Kinshasa said.
Some windows in the city were shattered by the explosions.
Congo Republic has suffered coups and a civil war since independence from France. It has been mostly peaceful, however, since President Denis Sassou-Nguesso took power in a coup in 1997.
Bangana said Sassou-Nguesso was not hurt in Sunday’s explosions.
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Chelsea sacks manager Andre Villas-Boas
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Chelsea sacks manager Andre Villas-Boas
| 2012-03-04T13:59:54 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/04/chelsea-sacks-manager-andre-villas-boas/
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[
"Breaking News",
"Sports"
] |
Andre Villas-Boas has been sacked by Chelsea Football Club after less than a year in charge at Stamford Bridge.
The 34-year-old Portuguese took over as manager in June 2011.
The statement posted on the club’s website states that “unfortunately the results and performances of the team have not been good enough and were showing no signs of improving at a key time in the season.”
“The club is still competing in the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup, as well as challenging for a top-four spot in the Premier League, and we aim to remain as competitive as possible on all fronts. With that in mind, we felt our only option was to make a change at this time” the statement explained.
Former Chelsea midfielder Roberto di Matteo has been put in charge as first-team coach on an interim basis until the end of the season.
The club’s decision comes on the heel of Saturday’s defeat to West Bromwich Albion by 1 goal.
The club has had just three Premier League wins in their last 12 games and faces two tough games in the FA Cup and Champions League in the next 10 days.
The club will be visiting Birmingham FC for an FA Cup fifth-round replay on Tuesday and the following week they will host Italian side Napoli, at Stamford Bridge, where they must overturn a 3-1 deficit to avoid exiting the Champions League at the last 16 stage.
Villas-Boas first came to Chelsea as a scout from 2004-2007 during Jose Mourinho’s tenure, and five major domestic trophies were won in that period.
He also assisted Mourinho at Porto and Inter Milan, and worked in a similar role under Sir Bobby Robson during the former England manager’s spell in charge of Porto.
His first club managerial role was with Portuguese side Academica in October 2009, but after moving to Porto the following summer he won the Portuguese League and Cup double plus the Europa League.
After being recruited by Chelsea boss Roman Abramovich in what was thought to be an attempt to implement a more attractive style of play, Villas-Boas suffered early defeats against Manchester United and Arsenal and questions were raised about his tactical strategies.
Villas-Boas also appeared to have a difficult working relationship with senior players at Chelsea, several of whom were only slightly younger than him.
After Saturday’s defeat at West brom, the embattled coach said, “it’s not been good enough for some time. We’re fifth and if that is the case, something’s wrong. Every defeat piles more pressure on any Chelsea manager. We don’t win enough and that does not make us proud.”
CHELSEA MANAGERS UNDER ROMAN ABRAMOVICH
1. Claudio Ranieri: Sep 2000 to May 2004
2. Jose Mourinho: Jun 2004 to Sep 2007
3. Avram Grant: Sep 2007 to May 2008
4. Luiz Felipe Scolari: Jul 2008 to Feb 2009
5. Guus Hiddink: Feb 2009 to May 2009
6. Carlo Ancelotti: Jun 2009 to May 2011
7. Andre Villas-Boas: Jun 2011 to Mar 2012
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Putin seeks convincing Kremlin return
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Vladimir Putin sought a convincing victory in Russia’s presidential election on Sunday to strengthen his hand in dealing with the biggest opposition protests since he … Continue reading Putin seeks convincing Kremlin return
| 2012-03-04T13:52:04 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/04/putin-seeks-convincing-kremlin-return/
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[
"World News"
] |
Vladimir Putin sought a convincing victory in Russia’s presidential election on Sunday to strengthen his hand in dealing with the biggest opposition protests since he rose to power 12 years ago.
Listing alleged irregularities online, opponents said the voting was marred by fraud and skewed to help the former KGB spy return to the Kremlin after four years as prime minister, and vowed to step up protests after the election.
But Putin’s victory was not in doubt in voting across the icy tundra, large swathes of unpopulated territory and heavily industrialised urban centres from the Pacific coast to the western borders with the European Union.
The man credited by many Russians with rebuilding the country’s strong image and overseeing an economic boom in his first presidency hoped to win outright in the first round and portray this as a strong mandate for six more years in power.
Early signs were that turnout would be high. Officials said more than 30 percent of voters had cast their ballots by 1 p.m. Moscow time (0800 GMT), more than in the 2008 election that brought Putin’s ally, Dmitry Medvedev, to the Kremlin.
Some voters expressed anger at being offered no real choice in a vote pitting Putin against four weaker candidates – communist Gennady Zyuganov, nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky, former parliamentary speaker Sergei Mironov and billionaire metals tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov.
Others said Putin, 59, who has portrayed himself as a man of action and guardian of stability, was the tough national leader the world’s biggest country and energy producer needed.
“I will vote for Putin… the country needs a strong leader,” army serviceman Dmitry Samsonov, 23, said on a cold day in Moscow. “They didn’t let any other candidates through… There is no one else to vote for but Putin.”
Opinion polls showed Putin, who was president from 2000 to 2008 before constitutional limits barred a third straight term, would win 59 to 66 percent of the vote, enough to avoid a second-round runoff.
But some voters are tired of his macho antics and a system that concentrates power in his hands. They fear he could win two more terms, ruling until 2024 – almost as long as Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
Pyotr Kirillov, 75, said in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg that he had not changed his ideals in the past 50 years despite the collapse of the Soviet Union, and voted for the communists.
Margarita Alyoshina, a 62-year-old Muscovite, said she would not vote for Putin so that he did not become complacent.
“I won’t vote for Putin just to make him think a bit, show that he is not the only man in the world. But anyway he will win”, she said.
NAKED PROTEST
Putin, who voted in Moscow with his wife Lyudmila in a rare joint public appearance, dropped his ballot paper before voting and had to pick it up. Asked by reporters whether he ruled out a runoff, he said it would “depend on the voters.”
Three women from a group specialising in naked protests were detained by police after stripping topless at the polling station, moments after Putin left, chanting: “Putin is a thief.”
Vote monitors from the opposition and bloggers posted allegations of election rigging countrywide.
Television host Ksenia Sobchak said observers were barred from in the St Petersburg district where she was helping out as a vote monitor. Golos, an independent monitoring group, said it already registered 2,030 reports of violations nationwide.
An Interior Ministry spokesman said there had been no major violations. Election officials also dismissed reports of widespread fraud in a parliamentary election on December 4 which triggered the opposition protests.
In an attempt to allay fears of vote rigging, Putin ordered 182,000 web cameras to be installed at 91,000 polling stations to stream footage of ballot boxes and vote-counting onto a website during the election.
Thousands of opposition activists as well as an international observer mission were also monitoring the polls. Exit polls will be released shortly after voting ends.
PUTIN FATIGUE
Growing voter fatigue with Putin has unsettled Russia’s elite of officials, former spies and billionaire businessmen. Putin’s self-portrayal as the anchor of Russian stability hinges on his popularity.
He fought a tough campaign after initially misjudging the significance of the opposition protests.
They were sparked by the disputed December 4 election, but the anger was focused at Putin, who bungled the September 24 announcement of his presidential bid by appearing simply to inform Russians that he would rule for another six years.
Employing the rhetoric that helped transform President Boris Yeltsin’s successor into one of the world’s most powerful men, Putin cast himself during his campaign as a statesman who can face off the chaos that has laced centuries of Russian history.
Putin raced around some of Russia’s 83 regions, berating minions in public for high prices and mixed promises of increased budget spending with dark warnings of foreign plots.
But when he returns to the Kremlin, Putin will have to grapple with a mood change among many urban Russians who now view him as a hindrance to Russia’s development.
Russia’s opposition leaders, a fragmented group of activists, journalists and bloggers, are preparing rallies for the day after the vote and say the election is slanted in Putin’s favour even without the vote rigging they expect.
Navalny has said Putin’s election cannot be legitimate and called for more protests, including tent camps in Moscow.
“If he does become president, he will not become a legal president, it will be an inherited throne,” Navalny said before the vote.
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Suspect of October 1 bombing dies in prison
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Suspect of October 1 bombing dies in prison
| 2012-03-04T13:41:22 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/04/suspect-of-october-1-bombing-dies-in-prison/
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[
"Breaking News",
"Headlines"
] |
One of the suspect accused of planning the double car-bombings in Abuja during nation’s the 50th anniversary, has died in prison while on trial for the alleged bombing.
The suspect’s lawyer, Festsus Keyamo revealed in a statement that the suspect, Tiemkenfa Francis Osvo, also known as General Gbokos, passed away in Kuje Prison, early Saturday morning.
Mr Osvwo had on 21st of February, 2012 collapsed during court proceedings, stalling the hearing for that day with his visibly deteriorating health condition.
His lawyer revealed in the statement that Osvo’s death came after repeated requests for medical care went unhindered to.
Want them dead
According to Mr Keyamo, government authorities wanted his clients dead, claiming that despite the order of the court that his client should be attended to by the prison authorities, after he collapsed, “no medication was administered on him.”
“It was obvious therefore that the authorities wanted him dead” he alleged.
Keyamo further explained that the sickness leading to the death of Osvwo started when “their cell was fumigated with a strange substance on the 8th of January, 2012, which affected the health of all the four suspects.”
He also noted that the remaining defendants are still in Kuje Prisons and they are facing similar conditions that claimed the life of Osvwo.
“At this juncture, we are constrained to state that we find it extremely inequitable that virtually all the suspects linked to the Boko Haram bombings have been enjoying bail while our clients, the alleged masterminds of the October 1, 2010 bombings, (still presumed innocent) continue to suffer indignities in custody” stated the lawyer.
Mr. Keyamo noted that “we, their solicitors raised alarm about that development at the time.” “Prior to his death in custody, ‘Gbokos’ had been urinating and defecating on himself in the prison and despite pleas by his solicitors requesting that he be treated properly, no one attended to him.”
He therefore called on Nigerians to join in the call for the bail of his clients and that the release of the other suspects in custody must be quickly facilitated “to attend to their deteriorating health before they die in custody.”
Authorities of the Nigeria Prison Service are yet to respond to the allegations.
The Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) claimed responsibility for the car bombing on October 1, 2010 during the nation’s 50th anniversary celebration. The blast which was the militant group’s attack in the nation’s capital, Abuja killed at least 12 people, wounding dozens of other.
MEND’s leader, Henry Okah is also standing trial in South Africa for allegedly master-minding the October bombing. He has also denied the allegation.
Henry Okah’s brother, Charles Okah, is amongst the three remaining suspects in Kuje Prison.
Charles Okah was arrested in Lagos, days after the two deadly car bomb blast after a raid of his residence.
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Federer Beats Murray to claim Dubai title
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Fans' favourite Roger Federer helped himself to a record fifth title when he fought past Britain's Andy Murray in the final of the Dubai ...
| 2012-03-03T18:41:34 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/03/federer-beats-murray-to-claim-dubai-title/
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[
"Sports"
] |
Fans’ favourite Roger Federer helped himself to a record fifth title when he fought past Britain’s Andy Murray in the final of the Dubai Duty Free Men’s Open at a packed Dubai Tennis Stadium on Saturday night.
Watched by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirate (UAE) and Ruler of Dubai, and Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman, Dubai Sports Council, for a major part of the first set, the Swiss went on to record a 7-5, 6-4 victory.
The capacity crowd rose to the occasion to welcome Federer as champion for a record fifth time in Dubai following his earlier successes in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007. “I think I played well in the big points tonight and that is what made the difference,” Federer said.
He received the winner’s trophy from Shaikh Hasher Maktoum, Dubai Director of Information and President of Tennis Emirates; Shaikh Ahmad Al Sabah, Chairman, Kuwait Tennis Association; Abdul Rahman Falaknaz, Vice-President, Tennis Emirates; Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice-Chairman, Dubai Duty Free, and other officials.
Making his fourth appearance here, Murray had never previously got past the quarter-finals. But during the course of the week he showed all signs of maintaining his career edge against the former world No 1.
Playing both Djokovic — whom he beat in the semi-finals — and Federer at the same tournament for the first time ever, Murray was broken for the only time in the opening set in the 11th game. That put Federer 6-5 up and then served out 7-5 in 52 minutes.
In the second set, Federer assumed early control with a break in the third to go 2-1, up but squandered the advantage as Murray bounced right back with a break — the first against Federer’s serve in 65 service games — and then hold for a 3-2 lead.
Federer had not previously been broken since the semi-finals in Rotterdam against Nikolay Davydenko last month.
However, Federer was far from finished as he broke Murray a second time when the Scotsman netted a backhand return in the ninth game to enable the second-seeded Swiss to serve out for set and match in an hour and 36 minutes.
Federer received the winner’s cheque of $409,170 (Dh1.5 million).
|
5,396 |
Arsenal’s Van Persie double Sinks Liverpool
|
Arsenal captain Robin van Persie scored twice, including a stoppage time winner, to secure all three points for his side away at Liverpool ...
| 2012-03-03T16:32:38 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/03/arsenal%e2%80%99s-van-persie-double-sinks-liverpool/
|
[
"Sports"
] |
Arsenal captain Robin van Persie scored twice, including a stoppage time winner, to secure all three points for his side away at Liverpool this afternoon.
The first chance of the match fell to the visiting Gunners in the seventh minute. Mikel Arteta picked out Theo Walcott with a 60-yard pass, but the England international’s shot from a narrow angle was held by Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina at the second attempt.
Despite Arsenal’s early domination, it was the home side who broke the deadlock in the 18th minute. Luis Suarez exchanged passes with Dirk Kuyt, before being brought down by Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny inside the area. Kuyt took responsibility from 12 yards, but the Polish keeper made amends by saving Dutch international’s effort, before getting up to parry away the rebound.
However, Liverpool did get themselves in front with 23 minutes played. Jordan Henderson’s cross from the right failed to find a teammate but Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny sliced the ball into his own net.
Henderson almost doubled his team’s tally moments later, but Szczesny palmed away his effort, while Suarez struck the post from the rebound.
Liverpool’s failure to score a second was punished in the 32nd minute when Van Persie headed his first of the afternoon following a cross from Bacary Sagna.
The home side hit the woodwork again in stoppage time as Kuyt turned Charlie Adam’s cross against the post in the 70th minute.
Martin Kelly had Liverpool’s best chance after the break, but he failed to make contact with Kuyt’s cross from six yards out.
Just as the match looked to be heading for a 1-1 draw, Van Persie latched onto a lofted through ball from Alex Song to volley past Reina at the near post.
The defeat was Liverpool’s first of the season at Anfield.
Responding to questions from a SkyNews correspondents after the game, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said “In the second half we had chances; the problem was the first half when we were not in the game. We were fortunate it was 1-0 at half-time because we could have been two or three down.
“But when you see the ball landing at the feet of Van Persie you know he can deliver a special goal. He did that today.”
Wenger said that players of Van Persie’s quality are invaluable to a club.
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5,389 |
Boko Haram: JAMB may cancel examination in Borno
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The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Dibu Ojerinde, has said there will be no Unified Tertiary ...
| 2012-03-03T14:15:24 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/03/boko-haram-jamb-may-cancel-examination-in-borno/
|
[
"Headlines",
"Local"
] |
The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Dibu Ojerinde, has said there will be no Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in the volatile states in northern Nigeria.
Prof Ojerinde said this on Friday in Abuja while speaking with reporters at the 58th National Council on Education (NEC) meeting.
According to him, JAMB will be forced to cancel the examination if the Boko Haram attacks on primary and secondary schools in Borno State continue.
“When we reviewed the situation in volatile states, for instance Borno, we realised that some of the schools are being bombed, but our investigations showed that only primary schools are affected and not secondary schools.
“The board will be left with no option than to tell the candidates to go elsewhere to write the exams if schools which serve as centres are attacked.’’
The registrar regretted that the development could be quite unfortunate for the students.
Agency reports had it that the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram had last month attacked six primary schools in Maiduguri, setting the Gomari Costain Primary School and a section of the Maiduguri Experimental School, Kawanar on fire.
JAMB have fixed Saturday March 24th as the date for the examination.
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5,383 |
Libya's Muslim Brotherhood sets up political party
|
Libya's Muslim Brotherhood teamed up with other Islamists on Friday to establish a new political party that is set to be a leading player ...
| 2012-03-03T13:20:58 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/03/libyas-muslim-brotherhood-sets-up-political-party/
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[
"World News"
] |
Libya’s Muslim Brotherhood teamed up with other Islamists on Friday to establish a new political party that is set to be a leading player in the country’s first elections since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising.
Islamist and secular parties will vie in June elections for seats in a national assembly that will draft a new constitution for the North African country.
Political analysts say Libya’s Muslim Brotherhood is likely to emerge as the most organised political force and a leading player in the oil-exporting country where Islamists, like all dissidents, were harshly suppressed for 42 years.
Post-uprising elections have already brought Islamists into government in Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco since October and they are likely to perform well in Libya, a socially conservative country where alcohol was already banned before the revolution.
Lamine Belhadj, who heads the committee that is working to set up the new party, told Reuters at a conference on Friday it would bring together Islamists of different stripes.
“This is the founding conference of a national, civil party with an Islamic frame of reference.
It is being established by the Muslim Brotherhood and many independents who are not affiliated with any Islamic organisations,” he said.
Belhadj, a senior official in the National Transitional Council (NTC) and a member of the commission responsible for organising the elections, said the new party had yet to be named and its leaders had not been chosen as consultations were under way between the Brotherhood and other groups.
Abdullah Shamia, an economics professor and member of the Brotherhood since its days as an underground organisation, said the new party would be independent. The Muslim Brotherhood, a broader religious, charitable and social movement, would continue its work separately from the political party.
ISLAMIC LAW?
The rise of Islamist parties at the ballot box has raised concerns among more secular Arabs that new governments will impose more religious restrictions on society or seek to make post-uprising constitutions comply with Islamic law, or sharia.
Libya’s NTC has already indicated that the country will be run in accordance with sharia, though the exact place of sharia in the legal system will only be settled once a new constitution is written after elections.
Belhadj said there was little disagreement on the issue of sharia in Libya, whose citizens are virtually all Sunni Muslims.
“All the parties cannot but adopt an Islamic frame of reference because the Libyan people are Muslim,” he said.
Libya’s Muslim Brotherhood was founded in 1949 as an offshoot of the eponymous Egyptian organisation but was banned and unable to hold public meetings in Libya until November 2011. Its members were often forced to keep their membership secret for fear of arrest, torture or imprisonment.
Majida al-Fallah, a doctor and Islamist activist, told Reuters she saw women, whatever their political loyalty, playing a more active role after the revolution.
“I believe women began to have a big role from the start of the revolution. We are now pushing women to the front lines rather than keeping them in the back seat,” she said.
Asked if she expected religious parties to push for women to be confined to the home or be forced to wear the veil, she said: “I don’t think so. This is something that is up to the Muslim woman herself and her choice.”
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5,385 |
House of Rep. condemns South Africa’s deportation of 125 Nigerians
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Judicial workers in Kwara state under the aegis of the Judiciary Workers Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) on Friday suspended their five days old ...
| 2012-03-03T13:15:41 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/03/judicial-workers-in-kwara-suspends-strike/
|
[
"Headlines"
] |
The chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora affairs, Honourable Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has condemned the deportation of 125 Nigerians by the South African government.
The lawmaker in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, condemned the act, describing it as “continuous unwarranted hostilities against Nigerians by the South Africa government.”
125 Nigerians were deported from South Africa on Friday over yellow fever vaccination card. 75 of them were aboard a South African Airways flight while 50 others passengers were with Arik air.
Mrs Dabiri-erewa described the South Africa government attitude as “degrading” and condemned the continuous hostility to Nigerians by the South Africans, saying it was “unacceptable.”
She urged the federal government to apply the rule of reciprocity to South Africans coming to Nigeria.
For alleged failure to provide genuine yellow fever vaccination documentation, South Africa Friday deported the 125 Nigerians.
The yellow fever vaccination was supposed to be administered by the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and other health centres in the local government councils which were supposed to issue yellow fever certification, but South African authorities argued that most of the Yellow Cards were fake.
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5,378 |
New number plates and licences on hold–FRSC
|
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Friday said that it has suspended the issuance of new number plates and driving licences.
| 2012-03-03T11:59:47 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/03/new-number-plates-and-licences-on-hold%e2%80%93frsc/
|
[
"Headlines",
"Local"
] |
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Friday said that it has suspended the issuance of new number plates and driving licences.
This was contained in a statement signed by Corps Commander Neobong Akpabio.
In the statement, the FRSC said all the reports in the newspapers about the number plates came as a surprise to them.
“The attention of the FRSC has been drawn to conflicting news reports by some media, insinuating non-compliance with the National Assembly’s resolutions regarding the production of new driving licences and number plates,” the statement said.
“Since the resolution last year, the FRSC stopped the production of the new licences and number plates, pending the resolution of the contending issues by the appropriate authorities.
“The FRSC is therefore alarmed by reports creating an impression of non-compliance. For the avoidance of doubt, the Corps wishes to reiterate that as a creation of the National Assembly and an organisation that operates on the mantra of the rule of law, it will not do anything to undermine the authority of the National Assembly.”
The Senate had on Wednesday ordered the commission to stop issuing new vehicle number plates and drivers’ licence.
The lawmakers had condemned the indiscriminate fees charged by Corps on the new number plates and drivers’ licence.
|
5,373 |
Nigeria ranks top as internet users in Africa
|
The latest international research centre classifications confirm that Nigeria with a population of 155 million has exceeded the 45 million ...
| 2012-03-03T11:02:46 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/03/nigeria-ranks-top-as-internet-users-in-africa/
|
[
"Info Tech"
] |
The latest international research centre classifications confirm that Nigeria with a population of 155 million has exceeded the 45 million Internet users. This data propels the African giant to the continental top place.
Second place goes to Egypt with 21.7 million users (and 80 million inhabitants), followed by Morocco (15.7 million Web users) and Kenya (10.6 million users).
The Nigeria’s Internet sector has been hindered by the country’s underdeveloped and unreliable fixed-line infrastructure, but has changed as competition intensifies and new technologies are able to deliver wireless broadband access. More than 400 ISPs have been licensed as well as a number of data carriers, Internet exchange and gateway operators. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is already carrying the bulk of Nigeria’s international voice traffic.
According to the National Communications Commission (NCC), the current deployment of the country’s first Next Generation Networks (NGN) will drive further convergence of voice, data and video/TV, enabling the provision of triple-play services that will ultimately also involve the country’s already competitive broadcasting sector.
The Commission also said that Nigeria is the most competitive fixed-line market in Africa, featuring a second national operator (SNO) and over 50 other companies licensed to provide fixed telephony services.
The alternative carriers combined now provide more than twice the number of fixed lines than the comatose NITEL, which the government is planning to liquidate.
Analysts suggest that strong demand for Internet services and broadband capabilities is aiding the development of the fixed-line sector, which at a market penetration of just over 1% still has enormous growth potential.
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5,363 |
Bianca’s Tribute To Ojukwu: ‘It Was An Honour To Have Served You’
|
How do I sum up 23 years in one page? I don’t know. How do I describe you? I cannot. Not in any depth. Not for anybody else – you were my ...
| 2012-03-03T10:14:16 |
https://www.channelstv.com/2012/03/03/bianca%e2%80%99s-tribute-to-ojukwu-%e2%80%98it-was-an-honour-to-have-served-you%e2%80%99/
|
[
"Local"
] |
How do I sum up 23 years in one page? I don’t know. How do I describe you? I cannot.
Not in any depth. Not for anybody else – you were my husband, my brother, my friend, my child.
I was your queen, and it was an honour to have served you.
You were the lion of my history books, the leader of my nation when we faced extinction, the larger-than-life history come to, my life – living, breathing legend.But unlike the history books, you defied all preconceptions.
You made me cry from laughter with your jokes, many irreverent.
You awed me with your wisdom. You melted my heart with your kindness. Your impeccable manners made Prince charming a living reality. Your fearlessness made you the man I dreamt of all my life and your total lack of seeking public approval before speaking your mind separated you from mere mortals.
Every year that I spent with you was an adventure – no two days were the same. With you, I was finally able to soar on wings wider than the ocean. With you I was blessed with the best children God in heaven had to give. With you, I learnt to face the world without fear and learnt daily the things that matter most. Your disdain for money was novel – sometimes funny, other times quite alarming. It mattered not a whit to you.
Your total dedication to your people – Ndi-Igbo – was so absolute that really, very little else mattered. You never craved anybody’s praise as long as you believed that you were doing right and even in the face of utmost danger, you never relented from speaking truth to power – to you, what after all, was power? It was not that conferred by the gun, nor that stolen from the ballot box. No. You understood that power transcended all that. Power is the freedom to be true to yourself and to God, no matter the cost.
It is freedom from fear. It is freedom from bondage. It is freedom to seek the wellbeing of your people just because you love them. It is the ability to move a whole nation without a penny as inducement nor a gun to force them. When an entire nation can rise up for one person for no other reason than that they love him and know he is their leader – sans gun, money, official title or any strange paraphernalia – that is power.
To try to contain you in words is futile. You span the breadth of human experience – full of laughter, joy, kindness and sometimes, almost childlike in your ability to find something good in almost everyone and every situation. You could flare up at any injustice and in the next instant, sing military songs to the children. You could analyse a situation with incredible swiftness and accuracy.
In any generation, there can only be one like you. You were that one star. You were a child of destiny, born for no other time than the one you found yourself in. Destined to lead your people at the time total extinction was staring us in the face. There was no one else. You gained nothing from it. You used all the resources you had just to wage a war of survival. You fought to keep us alive when we were being slaughtered like rams for no reason. Today, we find ourselves in the same situation but you are not here.
You fought that we might live. The truth is finally coming out and even those who fought you now acknowledge that you had no choice. For your faithfulness, God kept you and brought you home to your people.
You loved Nigeria. You spent so much of your waking moments devising ways through which Nigeria could progress to Tai-Two!!! You were the eternal optimist, always hoping that one day, God will touch His people and give us one Vision and the diligence to work towards the dream.
It never came to pass in your lifetime. Instead, the disaster you predicted if we continued on the same path has come home to roost. You always saw so clearly. Your words are indelibly preserved for this generation to read and learn and perhaps heed and turn. You always said the dry bones will rise again.
But you always hoped we would not become the dry bones by our actions. Above all, you feared for your own people, crying out against the relentless oppression that has not ceased since the end of the war and saddened by the acceptance of this position by your own people. In death, you have awakened the spirit that we thought had died. Your people are finally waking up.
At home, you were the father any child would dream of having. At no point did our children have to wonder where you were. You were ever at their disposal, playing with them, teaching them of a bygone era, teaching them of the world they live in and giving them the total security of knowing you were always present.
In mercy, God gave me a year to prepare for the inevitable. I could never have survived an instant departure. In mercy, God ensured that your final week on earth was spent only with me and that on your last day; you were back to your old self. I cannot but thank God for the joy of that final day – the jokes, the laughter, the songs.
It was a lifetime packed into a few hours, filled with hope that many tomorrows would follow and that we would be home for Christmas. You deceived me. You were so emphatic that we would be going home. I did not know you meant a different home. The swiftness of your departure remains shocking to me. You left on the day I least expected.
But I cannot fight God. He owns your life and mine. I know that God called you home because every other time it seemed you were at death’s door, you fought like the lion that God made you and always prevailed. In my eyes, even death was no match for you. But who can say ‘no’ to the Almighty God? You walked away with Him, going away with such peace that I can only bow to God’s sovereignty. Your people have remembered.
The warrior of our land has gone. The flags are lowered in your honour. Our hearts are laden with grief.
But I will trust that the living God who gave you to me will look after me and our children. Through my sadness, the memories will always shine bright and beautiful. Adieu, my love, my husband, my lion, Ikemba, Amuma na Egbe Igwe, Odenigbo Ngwo. Eze-Igbo Gburugburu, Ibu dike. Chukwu gozie gi, Chukwu debe gi. Anyi ga afu na omesia.
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