Thursday, 3 April 2014
Chile hit by powerful quake aftershock, no major damage
SANTIAGO (Reuters) - A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck off northern Chile late on Wednesday but there were no reports of damage and a precautionary tsunami alert along the coast and in neighboring Peru was called off.
It was the strongest of several aftershocks that followed a huge 8.2-magnitude quake blamed for six deaths in the same region on Tuesday.
Chile's emergency office Onemi said there were no initial reports of casualties or serious damage from the latest quake.
President Michelle Bachelet, who had gone to the area to inspect the damage from the earlier quake, was evacuated from her hotel in the city of Arica.
"I was evacuated like all the citizens and we have come here (to Arica's emergency office) to see if there is any way we can help," she said late on Wednesday night.
The area is home to many of the biggest mines in Chile, the world's top copper producer.
A spokeswoman for Glencore Xstrata's and Anglo American's Collahausi mine said the "process of normalization" it was following after Tuesday's quake was continuing without problems.
Other mines could not immediately be reached for comment, but they were generally unaffected by Tuesday's stronger quake.
Chile's arid, mineral-rich north is sparsely populated, with most of the population concentrated in the port towns of Iquique and Arica, near the Peruvian border.
The new quake was located 12 miles south of Iquique at a relatively shallow depth of 12.4 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that while there was no widespread tsunami threat, the latest tremor could generate a local tsunami.
The ports of Iquique, Arica, Patache, and Tocopilla remained closed early on Thursday. Some of them ship metals, suggesting exports and trade flows may be disrupted.
The bigger earthquake on Tuesday triggered a tsunami with 2-meter (7-foot) waves and officials said it caused six deaths.
More than 2,600 homes were damaged and fishing boats along the northern coast were smashed up. However, most infrastructure held up.
Chile is one of the most earthquake-prone areas of the world. In 1960, southern Chile was hit by a 9.5 quake, the largest in modern history.
Bachelet, who was sworn in as president less than a month ago, is conscious of the stinging criticism she faced near the end of her first term in office in 2010, when her government was seen to have responded inadequately to a massive 8.8-magnitude quake and tsunami that killed 526 people.
Residents in the area of the latest quakes have been expecting "the big one" for many years. The Nazca and South American tectonic plates rub up against each other just off the coast of Iquique, where a "seismic gap" has been building up.
An unusually large number of tremors in the area in recent weeks had led authorities to reinforce emergency procedures, while residents bought rations and prepared for an eventual evacuation.
However, the mega-quake they had been fearing may still be yet to happen, said Paul Earle, a seismologist at the U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center.
"(Tuesday's) earthquake was not large enough to release the stress on the whole area where they believe the seismic gap is," he said earlier on Wednesday. "It's going to take some time to evaluate the effect of this earthquake on that region. But people should stay prepared."
Bayern Munich winger Robben takes aim at Man Utd tactics
Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben has taken aim at Manchester United's tactics on Tuesday night.
Bayern expected United to play defensively on Tuesday but Robben said he was surprised at just how cautious they were, comparing it to a game of handball.
"Before the game I said that I didn’t like everybody saying how we’d win easily," said Robben after the 1-1 draw in the first-leg of their Champions League quarterfinal. "It’s not easy when opponents don’t leave any gaps.
"We wanted to play football but they tried to stop us. The English played very defensively — it was almost like in handball. We just have to finish it next week."
Bayern expected United to play defensively on Tuesday but Robben said he was surprised at just how cautious they were, comparing it to a game of handball.
"Before the game I said that I didn’t like everybody saying how we’d win easily," said Robben after the 1-1 draw in the first-leg of their Champions League quarterfinal. "It’s not easy when opponents don’t leave any gaps.
"We wanted to play football but they tried to stop us. The English played very defensively — it was almost like in handball. We just have to finish it next week."
Ibrahimovic out of Chelsea return-leg
Ibrahimovic will be out for two to three weeks after suffering a hamstring injury in the first leg of Paris Saint-Germain's 3-1 Champions League win over Chelsea.
The Swedish striker reared up after an innocuous-looking challenge with David Luiz in the 68th minute and lay on the turf in clear discomfort before receiving attention from medical staff.
He will miss the return leg at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
Why Drake Dissed Jay Z
Despite the culture’s ubiquity, there are few rappers who can fill and command stadium crowds in dozens of cities; Drake is one of an exalted few, finding himself on increasingly equal footing with former mentors like Jay Z, Kanye West, and label boss Lil Wayne, despite the generation gap and his relative newcomer status. Worst Behavior Drake knows just how successful his plan was and how unassailable he has become, and he’s unapologetic about it: “I’m the big homie/They still be trying to lil’ bro me, dog.”
The panderer of yore, a grating character eager to get into everyone’s good graces with his stereotypically Canadian charm, has been replaced by a self-assured mogul type. In a recent Rolling Stone interview, which came with a pair of controversies, Drake made an accurate but disparaging observation about Jay Z, for whom he’s consistently professed admiration and respect: “It’s like Hov can’t drop bars these days without at least four art references. I would love to collect at some point, but I think the whole Rap/art world thing is getting kind of corny,” he said in the interview.
Jay Z, ostensibly offended by the comment, addressed Drake on a recent verse: “Sorry Mrs. Drizzy for so much art/Silly me, rappin’ ’bout shit that I really bought/While these rappers rap about guns that they ain’t shot/And a bunch of other silly shit that they ain’t got.” It was a weak diss, and back-and-forth barbs have been central to the ethos and pendulum swing of hip-hop since forever, but nowadays they're received differently. Drake, playing it smart, hasn’t responded; in similar beefs with rappers Common and Kendrick Lamar, he took to subliminally dissing each on record but leaving it at that. “I don’t want confrontation because it’s stressful, man…I try and avoid shit like that for the sake of my career,” he told Rolling Stone.
Drake seems to relish being calm and calculated over being rash and reactionary, using it as yet more power with which to sculpt his dream career trajectory. The one-sided Jay Z melee was quickly forgotten, as tabloids printed news of a rekindled relationship between Drake and Rihanna. The two were spotted hanging out in Europe, as she accompanied him on the final leg of his tour. Neither camp has confirmed the romance, but a dalliance with Rihanna, who is among the reigning and most influential pop stars of the time, certainly wouldn’t hurt his status. There’s also the possibility of a return to acting, a proposition made almost certain by an impressive recent appearance as the host and musical guest of Saturday Night Live.
Either way, he’s poised to eclipse the rap sphere and Worst Behavior Drake is fully aware of that prophesied fact: “I'm tired of hearin' 'bout who you checkin' for now/Just give it time, we'll see who's still around a decade from now.
The panderer of yore, a grating character eager to get into everyone’s good graces with his stereotypically Canadian charm, has been replaced by a self-assured mogul type. In a recent Rolling Stone interview, which came with a pair of controversies, Drake made an accurate but disparaging observation about Jay Z, for whom he’s consistently professed admiration and respect: “It’s like Hov can’t drop bars these days without at least four art references. I would love to collect at some point, but I think the whole Rap/art world thing is getting kind of corny,” he said in the interview.
Jay Z, ostensibly offended by the comment, addressed Drake on a recent verse: “Sorry Mrs. Drizzy for so much art/Silly me, rappin’ ’bout shit that I really bought/While these rappers rap about guns that they ain’t shot/And a bunch of other silly shit that they ain’t got.” It was a weak diss, and back-and-forth barbs have been central to the ethos and pendulum swing of hip-hop since forever, but nowadays they're received differently. Drake, playing it smart, hasn’t responded; in similar beefs with rappers Common and Kendrick Lamar, he took to subliminally dissing each on record but leaving it at that. “I don’t want confrontation because it’s stressful, man…I try and avoid shit like that for the sake of my career,” he told Rolling Stone.
Drake seems to relish being calm and calculated over being rash and reactionary, using it as yet more power with which to sculpt his dream career trajectory. The one-sided Jay Z melee was quickly forgotten, as tabloids printed news of a rekindled relationship between Drake and Rihanna. The two were spotted hanging out in Europe, as she accompanied him on the final leg of his tour. Neither camp has confirmed the romance, but a dalliance with Rihanna, who is among the reigning and most influential pop stars of the time, certainly wouldn’t hurt his status. There’s also the possibility of a return to acting, a proposition made almost certain by an impressive recent appearance as the host and musical guest of Saturday Night Live.
Either way, he’s poised to eclipse the rap sphere and Worst Behavior Drake is fully aware of that prophesied fact: “I'm tired of hearin' 'bout who you checkin' for now/Just give it time, we'll see who's still around a decade from now.
Switzerland snubs U.S. effort to sanction Russian billionaires
ZURICH (Reuters) - Russian officials sanctioned by the European Union will be barred from new business interests in Switzerland but billionaires included on the U.S. sanctions list face no restrictions, the Swiss government said on Wednesday.
Switzerland decided last week against imposing its own sanctions in response to the Ukraine crisis, but promised not to become a place to circumvent sanctions imposed elsewhere.
In a statement on Wednesday, it fleshed out its plans to make sure people on the EU list - 33 politicians and security officials - could not use Switzerland to bypass the EU rules, but did not mention those sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury.
A spokeswoman for the Swiss State Secretariat for Economics (SECO) later confirmed to Reuters that only the individuals on the EU sanctions list were affected by the Swiss measures.
The United States and the EU have both imposed personal sanctions against Russian and Crimean officials involved in last month's seizure of the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine.
Washington has also targeted a bank and several Russian billionaires, including Gennady Timchenko, whose sale of his shareholding in Geneva-based oil trader Gunvor narrowly averted collateral damage to the Swiss commodity trading sector.
Switzerland, a global commodity trading and private banking hub, is a popular destination for Russia's wealthy elite and reluctant to take steps it fears could compromise its cherished neutrality or damage closely-nurtured trade ties with Moscow.
Switzerland has already been under pressure for years over its secrecy laws, which helped make it the world's biggest offshore financial centre but drew the ire of countries seeking to fight tax evasion - especially the United States, but also Germany and France.
In its statement the government said financial intermediaries in Switzerland would be prohibited from entering into new business relationships with the 33 Russians and Crimeans on the EU's sanctions list.
This means those named on the list will not be allowed to transfer assets to Switzerland that they hold outside of the EU, it said. Assets within the EU are already blocked by the EU sanctions.
Existing business relationships will not be subject to the ban but must be reported to SECO, including details of beneficiaries, purpose and value, so that the government can gain an overview of the what relationships and assets the persons concerned have in Switzerland.
The measures will come into force at 1600 GMT on Wednesday. Depending on how the situation develops, the government left open the possibility of taking further action.
Russian assets in Swiss banks stood at nearly 13.8 billion Swiss francs ($15.6 billion) in 2012, with another 2.5 billion held by fiduciaries according to the most recent data from the Swiss National Bank. This does not include private banking funds or other assets such as precious metals and real estate.
Switzerland decided last week against imposing its own sanctions in response to the Ukraine crisis, but promised not to become a place to circumvent sanctions imposed elsewhere.
In a statement on Wednesday, it fleshed out its plans to make sure people on the EU list - 33 politicians and security officials - could not use Switzerland to bypass the EU rules, but did not mention those sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury.
A spokeswoman for the Swiss State Secretariat for Economics (SECO) later confirmed to Reuters that only the individuals on the EU sanctions list were affected by the Swiss measures.
The United States and the EU have both imposed personal sanctions against Russian and Crimean officials involved in last month's seizure of the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine.
Washington has also targeted a bank and several Russian billionaires, including Gennady Timchenko, whose sale of his shareholding in Geneva-based oil trader Gunvor narrowly averted collateral damage to the Swiss commodity trading sector.
Switzerland, a global commodity trading and private banking hub, is a popular destination for Russia's wealthy elite and reluctant to take steps it fears could compromise its cherished neutrality or damage closely-nurtured trade ties with Moscow.
Switzerland has already been under pressure for years over its secrecy laws, which helped make it the world's biggest offshore financial centre but drew the ire of countries seeking to fight tax evasion - especially the United States, but also Germany and France.
In its statement the government said financial intermediaries in Switzerland would be prohibited from entering into new business relationships with the 33 Russians and Crimeans on the EU's sanctions list.
This means those named on the list will not be allowed to transfer assets to Switzerland that they hold outside of the EU, it said. Assets within the EU are already blocked by the EU sanctions.
Existing business relationships will not be subject to the ban but must be reported to SECO, including details of beneficiaries, purpose and value, so that the government can gain an overview of the what relationships and assets the persons concerned have in Switzerland.
The measures will come into force at 1600 GMT on Wednesday. Depending on how the situation develops, the government left open the possibility of taking further action.
Russian assets in Swiss banks stood at nearly 13.8 billion Swiss francs ($15.6 billion) in 2012, with another 2.5 billion held by fiduciaries according to the most recent data from the Swiss National Bank. This does not include private banking funds or other assets such as precious metals and real estate.
Nigeria: Tokunbo Import - Manufacturers Embark On Importation of New Cars
FOLLOWING the extension of implementation of government policy on importation of used vehicles into the country, car assembly plants have commenced massive importation of brand new cars in readiness for July, 2014 when it will come into effect.
A freight forwarder who spoke to Vanguard on the condition of anonymity, explained that most of the assembly plants are working ahead of government to justifying their claim that they have what it takes to meet the need of Nigerians as regards new cars.
The freight forwarder who claimed to be the agent to one of such firms, name withheld, said that his client import of new vehicles has shot up twice what it used to be about six months ago.
The Federal Government had last year jacked up duty on used vehicles imported into the country from 35 percent to 70 percent. At the commencement of the implementation of the policy in February, agents and importers of used vehicles had protested, which resulted in the extension of the commencement date to July.
Recall that Chief Executive Officer of Nissan Motors, Carlos Ghosn, recently said that the first set of Made-in-Nigeria 4×4 SUVs will be rolled out by Nissan Motors in April this year.
Ghosn, who said the vehicles would be rolled out of the old Volkswagen Assembly plant in Lagos, noted it was possible to produce two to three million cars in Nigeria annually.
According to him, this will lead to creation of thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the country.
The same claim was made by other vehicle manufacturing companies, which said they have the capacity to produce made-in-Nigeria cars.
Reacting to the above, former Chairman of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, CRFFN, and member of the Board of Trustees, BoT, of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Tony Iju Nwabunike, said that freight forwarders would head for the law court and the National Assembly to challenge the planned commencement of 70 percent increase on duties of imported vehicles.Nwabunike described the new policy as anti-people.
He explained that claims by government that the new law is intended to encourage local manufacturing of vehicles do not hold water as there is no real vehicle manufacturing company in the country presently. He pointed out that what is available in the country presently are vehicle assembling plants and in some cases, importers who pretend to be manufacturers.
According to him, "I challenge anybody that will come here to tell me that he is a manufacturer of automobile in Nigeria. All we have here in Nigeria are assembling plants. Assembling Semi-Knock Down, SKDs, products or Completely Knock Down, CKDs, of products is not total manufacturing of vehicles and cars. So I wonder why federal government will think of putting that 70 percent back. I agree with those who are actually agitating not to pay it and I stand by them by all means to see that it is not done.
Director General, National Automotive Council, NAC, Aminu Jalal, said, "Nigeria spent N550billion on importation of cars, buses and trucks, which does not include tractors and military vehicles. We also spent about N500 billion on spare parts and N150billion on tyres."
A freight forwarder who spoke to Vanguard on the condition of anonymity, explained that most of the assembly plants are working ahead of government to justifying their claim that they have what it takes to meet the need of Nigerians as regards new cars.
The freight forwarder who claimed to be the agent to one of such firms, name withheld, said that his client import of new vehicles has shot up twice what it used to be about six months ago.
The Federal Government had last year jacked up duty on used vehicles imported into the country from 35 percent to 70 percent. At the commencement of the implementation of the policy in February, agents and importers of used vehicles had protested, which resulted in the extension of the commencement date to July.
Recall that Chief Executive Officer of Nissan Motors, Carlos Ghosn, recently said that the first set of Made-in-Nigeria 4×4 SUVs will be rolled out by Nissan Motors in April this year.
Ghosn, who said the vehicles would be rolled out of the old Volkswagen Assembly plant in Lagos, noted it was possible to produce two to three million cars in Nigeria annually.
According to him, this will lead to creation of thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the country.
The same claim was made by other vehicle manufacturing companies, which said they have the capacity to produce made-in-Nigeria cars.
Reacting to the above, former Chairman of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, CRFFN, and member of the Board of Trustees, BoT, of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Tony Iju Nwabunike, said that freight forwarders would head for the law court and the National Assembly to challenge the planned commencement of 70 percent increase on duties of imported vehicles.Nwabunike described the new policy as anti-people.
He explained that claims by government that the new law is intended to encourage local manufacturing of vehicles do not hold water as there is no real vehicle manufacturing company in the country presently. He pointed out that what is available in the country presently are vehicle assembling plants and in some cases, importers who pretend to be manufacturers.
According to him, "I challenge anybody that will come here to tell me that he is a manufacturer of automobile in Nigeria. All we have here in Nigeria are assembling plants. Assembling Semi-Knock Down, SKDs, products or Completely Knock Down, CKDs, of products is not total manufacturing of vehicles and cars. So I wonder why federal government will think of putting that 70 percent back. I agree with those who are actually agitating not to pay it and I stand by them by all means to see that it is not done.
Director General, National Automotive Council, NAC, Aminu Jalal, said, "Nigeria spent N550billion on importation of cars, buses and trucks, which does not include tractors and military vehicles. We also spent about N500 billion on spare parts and N150billion on tyres."
Two Nigerians Win $50,000 in Google’s Competition
The winners will have the opportunity to work with a Google sponsor over a six-month period to further their online success.
After graduating from university, Odiete learned how to create handbags using Google Search and YouTube. With the help of contacts found via Search, over 100 blogs have featured her vibrant designs.
She dreams of building an international brand that promotes African designs. Odiete also runs training classes for other women who want to start businesses.
On the other hand, Obuh, used to be a dump site scavenger, in order to pay for studio time to record his music. After being discovered by the BBC in ‘Welcome to Lagos’, he became known around the world. Since then, he has recorded songs which he shares with new audiences on YouTube. He also uses Google+ and YouTube to raise awareness about underprivileged youngsters in the slums of Lagos, helping to raise scholarship money, and encouraging kids to stay in school.
In an effort to invest in the future success of all the finalists, Google also surprised the remaining five success stories by awarding them $10,000 each to help grow their ventures and initiatives for greater social and economic impact. Recipients included; Tim McGuire (South Africa), Nqobizitha Mlilo (Zimbabwe), Mayowa Adegbile (Nigeria), Lamine Mbengue (Senegal) and Steve Kyenze (Kenya).
Africa Connected is an initiative of Google, aimed at discovering and promoting amazing successes achieved on the web across Africa. The ultimate goal of the initiative is to educate and inspire many more people to get connected on the web to achieve their own success.
The competition was launched in August 2013, calling entrepreneurs, creatives, innovators and web-lovers to share stories of how the web has transformed their lives and work. Ten finalists were selected from over 2,200 entries from 35 countries, by a panel of judges as well as public voters.
Google Lead for the Africa Connected initiative, Affiong Osuchukwu, said: “There are over 1 billion people living in Sub-Saharan Africa and currently 16 per cent of them are online. With Africa Connected, we wanted to celebrate how the web is changing lives in Africa, and show how it is contributing to the socio-economic development of the continent. Selecting the shortlist was no easy task: each winner shares a unique perspective of how they have used the internet to solve a problem, earn a living, or create opportunities, not just for themselves, but also for others around them.”
“Even though there are only five winners of the contest, there are many more powerful and inspiring stories out there. To start, there are 21 other inspiring success stories already hosted on the Africa Connected website; www.africaconnected.com. We encourage you to watch and learn from them,” she added
Monday, 31 March 2014
The surprising merger of the PDP and the APC
THE sudden decision to merge the PDP and the APC has caught everyone by surprise. When the announcement first came up last night, I thought it was a big joke. But then I saw it on BBC and CNN and quickly had a rethink. When I also heard it announced by Reuters, I concluded that what we are experiencing in Nigeria is nothing short of a miracle. Just when you think they are going to drag the country into the ditch, Nigerian politicians pull back from the brink and come up with the most unexpected solutions.
Same old, same old
Many of us have always maintained that these politicians are all the same. It does not matter what party they belong to, they are the same disreputable lot. That is the reason they are able to cross-carpet with amazing ease. Take Atiku Abubakar, for example. Yesterday he was PDP; today he is AC. Tomorrow he is PDP again; the day after he is APC. Only God knows what he will be in the future.
Under normal circumstances, if one of the arch-enemies of your party decides to cross over and join you, you would be wise to be suspicious of him. He could very easily be a Trojan horse. He might be joining you in order to gather inside-information about you and hand it over to the other side. Therefore, you might not be inclined to accept him into your ranks. Or if you did, you would make sure he is excluded from the main organs of your party.
Not so in Nigeria. A PDP member joins the APC and he immediately takes over the party’s political machinery in his state; no questions asked. The PDP president decorates APC Buhari with some medal of honour, and Buhari bows and smiles in loving admiration. The irate Obasanjo, who lampooned Goodluck Jonathan in a public letter, comes to Aso Rock to shake hands with the same Goodluck Jonathan. Suddenly, you realise that these people are not just friends pretending to be enemies. As a matter of fact, they may actually be members of the same family. Buhari might actually be a distant cousin of Obasanjo, while Obasanjo might actually be Jonathan’s uncle on his mother’s side.
PDP/APC merger
This kind of conclusion has been proven right by the announcement that the PDP and the APC have decided to form a grand coalition ostensibly in order to lay the foundation for the rebirth of Nigeria in this centenary year. Who would have thought it? Frankly, there were already some tell-tale signs. The first one was when some PDP Governors who had hitherto excoriated members of the APC, decided to cross over to the APC. The second was when the APC big-wigs went cap-in-hand to invite former President Obasanjo of all people to join their ranks. The third was when members of the APC also started migrating back to the PDP. And now these Tweedledee and Tweedledum parties have decided to merge.
Just listen to these hypocrites. In announcing the merger, President Jonathan said: “This new mega-party shows that the leadership in Nigeria is forward-looking. We are practitioners of politics without bitterness. Nobody can now say we don’t have the interests of the Nigerian people foremost in our hearts.” What poppycock! Even Muhammadu Buhari chipped in with his own white-wash: “Our various followership can see that we are now determined to forge a one Nigeria. One Nigeria united in vision and purpose. One Nigeria that will create a great Nigeria that will be the envy of nations around the world.”
Who is going to believe this kind of pious balderdash? Even former President Obasanjo, at whose residence in Otta the merger was announced after barely three days of intense negotiations, declared: “I am glad to have midwifed this rebirth of Nigeria. It can only be appropriate that as we are celebrating one hundred years of Nigeria’s amalgamation, we begin the next one hundred years with truly a new beginning. All the doubting Thomases should now know that God truly loves Nigeria. Long live one Nigeria!” Long live Nigeria indeed!
Strange bedfellows
What are the implications of this merger for Nigerian politics? Is it not likely to make us into a one-party state? With these monstrous PDP and APC parties now becoming one, will there be any viable opposition now in Nigerian politics? Have we not opted erroneously for the South African one mega-party model which is increasingly proving to be misguided?
I am of the opinion that those who conducted this strange marriage don’t have the interest of Nigerian at heart. They are only interested in ensuring that, whatever happens; the different strands of the Nigerian political class will partake in booty-sharing after the 2015 elections. As a matter of fact, this merger has made the forthcoming elections next year politically irrelevant. Of course, the billion naira question is who will be the presidential candidate of this new mega party?
There is no doubt in my mind that the decision about this must have been made before this merger was announced. Otherwise, the entire project will collapse in the acrimony that will arise if that is to be decided at an open convention. My understanding is that a decision must be been taken to sacrifice the current Vice-President, Namadi Sambo. In short, Buhari will become President Jonathan’s running-mate and thereby he will become a shoo-in as presidential candidate in 2019.
Merger problematic
Such a decision will create a number of problems in my view. In 2015, Buhari will be way too old to be an effective president. He is now 71 years old. In 2019, he will be 76 years old. That means, should he be elected and should he contest for a second-term, he would be still be president at the age of 80. That is way too old. The kind of president Nigeria needs in this new dispensation is a man half that age; one that is vibrant and open to new ideas.
The second problem I envisage with this new merger has to do with the presidential aspirations of the Igbo. Any deal they may have come up with must have entailed the sacrifice of the Igbo. Eight years of a Buhari presidency from 2019 means the Igbo will have to wait until 2027 before they can get a realistic shot at the presidency. How can this be acceptable to them? Did they really approve of this merger or are we going to see their imminent withdrawal from the PDP and from this new mega-party? My forecast is that the withdrawal of the Igbo will be in a matter of weeks as opposed to months.
Then there is the question of Bola Tinubu. Was he really part and parcel of this merger? Why was he not present at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding? Why has he not made any statement about it? What is in this new mega PDP/APC party for him? The only benefit I see for him is that he can now be secure in his South-West stronghold. There will now be no PDP candidate fighting to dethrone him in the states he is currently controlling. Beyond that, it means Tinubu is now irrelevant politically. Nobody really needs to bother about him again at the federal level. He has been effectively nullified.
Unending good luck
There can be no doubt that the principal beneficiary of this PDP/APC merger is President Goodluck Jonathan. Contrary to all expectations, it seems the man’s good luck is never-ending. By this merger, he has secured his primary ambition: an easy passage to another four years come 2015. He has made all those who say the country will go up in smoke if he even contests to eat their words. Now his arch-enemies will have to deal with him for five more years. There is no guarantee that the fears of the de-camping nPDP Governors of being handed over to the EFCC will not now come to pass, unless if their non-prosecution is an integral part of the merger deal.
There is also no guarantee for Buhari that the merger will not collapse in 2019, even if at that time he is sitting Vice-President. By agreeing to defer his ambitions for another four years, Buhari is taking a big risk. After four years as Vice-President, will he still be seen as the Teflon anti-corruption crusader he is now touted to be? Will his grassroots talakawa supporters in the North not come to regard him as a sell-out? One thing is for sure: the Buhari who is vice-president in 2019 will not have the same allure as the Buhari of today, even to his die-hard supporters.
In the meantime, there is opposition already emerging against this new PDP/APC merger, although it is not likely to amount to much in the context of the next elections in 2015. Former vice-president Atiku Abubakar, a man who is determined to be president of Nigeria at all costs, is already a declared opponent of the merger. As a matter of fact, he has announced that he will be seeking recourse in the courts to declare the merger null and void. Atiku’s position is that the merger is a blatant attempt to truncate democracy in Nigeria. But what is more self-evident is that the merger is yet another nail in the coffin of Atiku’s presidential ambitions.
As can be expected, the APGA and Olu Falae’s newly formed UPN are also implacably opposed to this PDP/APC merger. However, there seems to be nothing they can do about it.
Prognosis
It remains to be seen if this merger will survive until the 2015 elections. A major landmark will be the National Convention at which the new officials of the new mega-party will be announced, and the presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the party will be ratified. Then such questions as the role of Bola Tinubu in this new merger will be answered.
By Femi Aribisila
Same old, same old
Many of us have always maintained that these politicians are all the same. It does not matter what party they belong to, they are the same disreputable lot. That is the reason they are able to cross-carpet with amazing ease. Take Atiku Abubakar, for example. Yesterday he was PDP; today he is AC. Tomorrow he is PDP again; the day after he is APC. Only God knows what he will be in the future.
Under normal circumstances, if one of the arch-enemies of your party decides to cross over and join you, you would be wise to be suspicious of him. He could very easily be a Trojan horse. He might be joining you in order to gather inside-information about you and hand it over to the other side. Therefore, you might not be inclined to accept him into your ranks. Or if you did, you would make sure he is excluded from the main organs of your party.
Not so in Nigeria. A PDP member joins the APC and he immediately takes over the party’s political machinery in his state; no questions asked. The PDP president decorates APC Buhari with some medal of honour, and Buhari bows and smiles in loving admiration. The irate Obasanjo, who lampooned Goodluck Jonathan in a public letter, comes to Aso Rock to shake hands with the same Goodluck Jonathan. Suddenly, you realise that these people are not just friends pretending to be enemies. As a matter of fact, they may actually be members of the same family. Buhari might actually be a distant cousin of Obasanjo, while Obasanjo might actually be Jonathan’s uncle on his mother’s side.
PDP/APC merger
This kind of conclusion has been proven right by the announcement that the PDP and the APC have decided to form a grand coalition ostensibly in order to lay the foundation for the rebirth of Nigeria in this centenary year. Who would have thought it? Frankly, there were already some tell-tale signs. The first one was when some PDP Governors who had hitherto excoriated members of the APC, decided to cross over to the APC. The second was when the APC big-wigs went cap-in-hand to invite former President Obasanjo of all people to join their ranks. The third was when members of the APC also started migrating back to the PDP. And now these Tweedledee and Tweedledum parties have decided to merge.
Just listen to these hypocrites. In announcing the merger, President Jonathan said: “This new mega-party shows that the leadership in Nigeria is forward-looking. We are practitioners of politics without bitterness. Nobody can now say we don’t have the interests of the Nigerian people foremost in our hearts.” What poppycock! Even Muhammadu Buhari chipped in with his own white-wash: “Our various followership can see that we are now determined to forge a one Nigeria. One Nigeria united in vision and purpose. One Nigeria that will create a great Nigeria that will be the envy of nations around the world.”
Who is going to believe this kind of pious balderdash? Even former President Obasanjo, at whose residence in Otta the merger was announced after barely three days of intense negotiations, declared: “I am glad to have midwifed this rebirth of Nigeria. It can only be appropriate that as we are celebrating one hundred years of Nigeria’s amalgamation, we begin the next one hundred years with truly a new beginning. All the doubting Thomases should now know that God truly loves Nigeria. Long live one Nigeria!” Long live Nigeria indeed!
Strange bedfellows
What are the implications of this merger for Nigerian politics? Is it not likely to make us into a one-party state? With these monstrous PDP and APC parties now becoming one, will there be any viable opposition now in Nigerian politics? Have we not opted erroneously for the South African one mega-party model which is increasingly proving to be misguided?
I am of the opinion that those who conducted this strange marriage don’t have the interest of Nigerian at heart. They are only interested in ensuring that, whatever happens; the different strands of the Nigerian political class will partake in booty-sharing after the 2015 elections. As a matter of fact, this merger has made the forthcoming elections next year politically irrelevant. Of course, the billion naira question is who will be the presidential candidate of this new mega party?
There is no doubt in my mind that the decision about this must have been made before this merger was announced. Otherwise, the entire project will collapse in the acrimony that will arise if that is to be decided at an open convention. My understanding is that a decision must be been taken to sacrifice the current Vice-President, Namadi Sambo. In short, Buhari will become President Jonathan’s running-mate and thereby he will become a shoo-in as presidential candidate in 2019.
Merger problematic
Such a decision will create a number of problems in my view. In 2015, Buhari will be way too old to be an effective president. He is now 71 years old. In 2019, he will be 76 years old. That means, should he be elected and should he contest for a second-term, he would be still be president at the age of 80. That is way too old. The kind of president Nigeria needs in this new dispensation is a man half that age; one that is vibrant and open to new ideas.
The second problem I envisage with this new merger has to do with the presidential aspirations of the Igbo. Any deal they may have come up with must have entailed the sacrifice of the Igbo. Eight years of a Buhari presidency from 2019 means the Igbo will have to wait until 2027 before they can get a realistic shot at the presidency. How can this be acceptable to them? Did they really approve of this merger or are we going to see their imminent withdrawal from the PDP and from this new mega-party? My forecast is that the withdrawal of the Igbo will be in a matter of weeks as opposed to months.
Then there is the question of Bola Tinubu. Was he really part and parcel of this merger? Why was he not present at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding? Why has he not made any statement about it? What is in this new mega PDP/APC party for him? The only benefit I see for him is that he can now be secure in his South-West stronghold. There will now be no PDP candidate fighting to dethrone him in the states he is currently controlling. Beyond that, it means Tinubu is now irrelevant politically. Nobody really needs to bother about him again at the federal level. He has been effectively nullified.
Unending good luck
There can be no doubt that the principal beneficiary of this PDP/APC merger is President Goodluck Jonathan. Contrary to all expectations, it seems the man’s good luck is never-ending. By this merger, he has secured his primary ambition: an easy passage to another four years come 2015. He has made all those who say the country will go up in smoke if he even contests to eat their words. Now his arch-enemies will have to deal with him for five more years. There is no guarantee that the fears of the de-camping nPDP Governors of being handed over to the EFCC will not now come to pass, unless if their non-prosecution is an integral part of the merger deal.
There is also no guarantee for Buhari that the merger will not collapse in 2019, even if at that time he is sitting Vice-President. By agreeing to defer his ambitions for another four years, Buhari is taking a big risk. After four years as Vice-President, will he still be seen as the Teflon anti-corruption crusader he is now touted to be? Will his grassroots talakawa supporters in the North not come to regard him as a sell-out? One thing is for sure: the Buhari who is vice-president in 2019 will not have the same allure as the Buhari of today, even to his die-hard supporters.
In the meantime, there is opposition already emerging against this new PDP/APC merger, although it is not likely to amount to much in the context of the next elections in 2015. Former vice-president Atiku Abubakar, a man who is determined to be president of Nigeria at all costs, is already a declared opponent of the merger. As a matter of fact, he has announced that he will be seeking recourse in the courts to declare the merger null and void. Atiku’s position is that the merger is a blatant attempt to truncate democracy in Nigeria. But what is more self-evident is that the merger is yet another nail in the coffin of Atiku’s presidential ambitions.
As can be expected, the APGA and Olu Falae’s newly formed UPN are also implacably opposed to this PDP/APC merger. However, there seems to be nothing they can do about it.
Prognosis
It remains to be seen if this merger will survive until the 2015 elections. A major landmark will be the National Convention at which the new officials of the new mega-party will be announced, and the presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the party will be ratified. Then such questions as the role of Bola Tinubu in this new merger will be answered.
By Femi Aribisila
I accept forgiveness by Obasanjo—Atiku
Preparing for the canonisations of Blesseds John XXIII and John Paul II
Atlanta archbishop apologizes over $2.2M mansion
Cardinal Onaiyekan: "Boko Haram insurgency is an anomaly in the socio-religious environment of the Nigerian nation which does not truly reflect the Country’s Muslim/Christian relationship"
Abuja - Nigeria is "the greatest Islamo-Christian nation in the world" where the two major religions in the Country live in harmony with each other and with the faithful of other religions. This was stated by Cardinal John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja, in a paper presented during a seminar on religious freedom organized by the German Bishops' Conference, recently held in Muenster.
As a result, says Cardinal Onaiyekan the Boko Haram insurgency is an anomaly in the socio-religious environment of the Nigerian nation which does not truly reflect the Country’s Muslim/Christian relationship. "Because of our occasional and sporadic outburst of ethno-religious violent clashes, there is the unfortunate tendency to overlook the very important fact that in the normal lives of our people, there is a commendable measure of peaceful and harmonious living together across religious lines" the Cardinal added. According to Cardinal Onaiyekan, the answer to the violence carried out by Boko Haram cannot be just military, but must also include political and religious dialogue. The policy, according to the Cardinal, has its share of responsibility because some political parties have facilitated group actions or have deliberately refused to assist the central government in dealing with the situation that has arisen in the north-east, Boko Haram’s land of action.
"But it seems that the situation is changing," said the Cardinal". "All the political forces have now realized that we are facing a common menace and all need to join hands to deal with it".The Nigerian authorities have announced that in the first three months of 2014 more than a thousand people have been killed in attacks carried out by the sect, and in the same time period, 249 446 people have fled their homes.
culled from news.va
Sunday, 30 March 2014
Lewis Hamilton won the Malaysian Grand Prix with a pole-to-flag victory...
Djokovic beats Nadal to win 4th Key Biscayne title
Osaze: I'm in the form of my Life
Okonjo-Iweala disappointed me
DR. (Mrs) Okonjo Iweala is a world acclaimed personality in the professional fields of economics, banking and finance. She has been listed as one of the 100 most influential persons on earth and had risen to the heights of the World Bank presidency. If not for the intervention of the United States of America, she will be there today as the number one World Bank personnel, as she was perceived as the better candidate for the position, by those who are in position to know, including the influential Economist magazine.
She was in Obasanjo’s government as Finance Minister and hugely credited with the successful negotiation of the Paris Club debt that put to an end the debt albatross that was, for a long time, threatening the nation’s economy.
It was rumoured that she left the Obasanjo government because of her uncompromising stand against the financial recklessness exhibited by the regime of that time and not a few people were disappointed at the manner she exited.
President Goodluck Jonathan, while explaining the reason for re-inviting Iweala into his government, revealed to the press that anywhere he visited, all over the world, people were singing her praise and the country would be lucky to have her for the needed rapid transformation, especially in using her international clout to engender sound financial management and control of the Nigerian economy.
It was also rumoured that before Okonjo Iweala agreed to take up the position, she gave conditions that will guarantee her an oversight supervision of other departments of government as co-ordinating minister.
Her request was granted and there was joy in our hearts as she assumed duty for the second time as Finance Minister, with the additional port-folio of Co-ordinating Minister.
But few refuse to get carried away by the euphoria that accompanied her return; they pointed to the not-so-smooth manner, the debt settlement was arrived at, especially as it concerns percentage commission for those involved in the negotiations, and also her inability to do anything amidst scandals besetting the government – PDTF, Halliburton, Siemens and others.
Nevertheless, we happily welcomed her back and with the additional job of co-ordinating, it was expected that all the financial recklessness associated with various government ministries and parastatals will be a thing of the past.
Alas, four years into this government, those of us who rooted for Okonjo-Iweala are heart broken. Pessimists are now gloating and saying: ” we told you so “.
The question we are asking now is: If Dr Okonjo-Iweala is the Co-ordinating Minister of this government, what has she been co-ordinating? Can she, in all good conscience and performance standard, absolve herself from blame for all the rots and variegated scandals assailing this regime? Or, is she just a figure head who approves and endorses what people bring to her? From her antecedents and credentials, Dr Okonjo-Iweala can never accept to be a figure head. If this is so, why has she decided to risk all these lofty credentials in the sordid Nigerian political waters?
Our recurrent expenditures has reached the 80 per cent level and she has done nothing about it.
She is the Co-ordinating Minister for all organs of government, including the other arms like the National Assembly and the judiciary. Reverend Peter Adebiyi, writing under the title ” Who says Nigeria unity is not negotiable” in the Vanguard of March 19, 2014, claimed that in 1999, the overall budget for the National Assembly was N7 billion, today it is above N155 billion. With no additional constituencies, it is mind-boggling. Under Okonjo- Iweala this is happening and she has done nothing about it.
The Finance Ministry is the supervisory ministry to the Central Bank of Nigeria. In recent times, the Central Bank governor was placed under suspension for gross misuse or abuse of resources placed under his care. Sanusi has been there for over four years; in fact, his tenure is already completed; he claimed that all through this period, the Central Bank has been sending its audited reports to the Presidency. Why are we just discovering Sanusi Lamido’s excesses? What is supposed to be the responsibility of Okonjo-Iweala in this matter? We are blaming the opposition for trying to bring down the government, whereas those in government provided the perfect tools for the opposition to use against them. We expect Dr Okonjo-Iweala to institute a culture of transparency in the running of our finances. Four years into the regime, we are still grappling with this simple procedure- true transparency that the World Bank has been preaching since Okonjo-Iweala’s time at the institution.
It was embarrassing watching Okonjo-Iweala during the NNPC and Sanusi’s shadow boxing over the now $20 billion unaccounted for oil revenue. She could not offer any clue. Is the Finance Ministry not supposed to have records of the country’s incomes and expenditures, independent of the Central Bank? If they do not have, then we have in position, a sleeping Finance Ministry. Whose responsibility is it to ensure proper accounting standard for the country? We expected the ministry to demand for clean financial statements, free from ambiguities.
Now, in the midst of these conflicting statements, the Finance Ministry seems not to be anywhere. Why are they just requesting for a forensic audit of the NNPC account? Has NEITI not done enough in the past to call for action? If Sanusi did not raise the missing fund alarm, would the Minister had requested for a forensic audit? The Accountant General, Auditor General and the Governor of the Central Bank are all under the direct supervision of the Finance Ministry, yet all of them could not agree on the true position of the nation’s finances, too bad.
Dr Okonjo-Iweala disappointed me on account of the wastefulness in fuel subsidy, the NNPC, pension fund, SEC, National Assembly, aviation, immigration, and many other government ministries and agencies. Unemployment rate presently hovers between 23 and 27 per cent, and our foreign reserve is steadily depleting; we have gone back into borrowing. It is a shame.
For Okonjo-Iweala, we demand a better performance, please. It is not too late.
*Mr. Ikhioya, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Lagos.
I have Forgiven Atiku and Co - Obasanjo
Lukoil begins output from giant Iraq oilfield
BASRA: Russia's Lukoil began commercial production from one of the world's largest untapped oilfields in Iraq yesterday, as the country raises output to record levels.
Production from the giant West Qurna-2 is eventually expected to reach 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd), from an initial 120,000 bpd.
The field is one of several that form the backbone of Iraq's plans to revive its oil sector and lift the economy after decades of sanctions and war.
At a ceremony to inaugurate the field, Iraqi Oil Minister Abdul Kareem Luaibi said output of 400,000 bpd from West Qurna-2 by the end of the year would help Iraq reach a production target of 4m bpd for 2014.
Output from Iraq, already the second-largest producer in Opec, averaged 3.5m bpd in February.
The launch of West Qurna-2, with recoverable reserves estimated at around 14 billion barrels, will allow Lukoil, which holds a 75 per cent stake in the field, to more than double its overseas output.
"The start of production at West Qurna-2 is strategically important for Lukoil," said chief executive Vagit Alekperov in a statement.
Russia's second largest oil producer saw its production rise 1.1pc last year and is aiming for a 1.5pc rise this year with the boost from West Qurna-2.
The world's leading oil companies have been expanding other giant fields in Iraq's south - Rumaila led by BP, West Qurna-1 run by Exxon and Zubair operated by Eni since 2010 when they signed a series of service contracts with Baghdad.
Iraq has set an export target of 3.4m bpd for 2014, including 400,000 bpd from the Kurdistan region, implying output of 4m bpd, including oil used domestically.
Oil experts still see that as optimistic, but growth is returning thanks to the expanded capacity at southern export terminals and further rises from the fields of Majnoon, led by Shell and Halfaya, where PetroChina is the operator.
Iraqi exports are also due to get an additional boost next month from Kurdistan, which recently agreed to resume pumping 100,000 bpd as a "gesture of goodwill" aimed at easing a dispute with the federal government in Baghdad.
Kurdistan stopped exporting via the national network more than one year ago due to a row over payments for oil companies operating in the region, and has since finished building an independent pipeline to Turkey.
Baghdad claims sole authority to manage all the country's crude and refuses to cover the costs of companies that have signed contracts with the Kurds, rejecting those deals as illegal.
"We hope the differences will be solved and exportation of the oil produced in Kurdistan will begin next month," Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Hussain Al Shahristani said at the inauguration.
Security Forces Foil Attempted Jail Break at SSS Hqtrs
Sporadic gunshots erupted in the early hours of Sunday at the Headquarters of Department of Security Service when detainees attempted to break free from their facility.
The Deputy Director, Public Relations, DSS Ms Marilyn Ogar who confirmed the development, said the incident happened around 7.15am when one of the terrorist suspects tried to disarm DDS officer in charge.
Ogar said: "Attempted jail break 0715 hours, the Service suspect handler went to the detention facility within the Headquarters to feed the suspects.
" One of the suspects attempted to disarm him by hitting him at the back of his head with his handcuff".
She added that the suspect's attempt to escape drew the attention of other guards at the facility who fired some shots to warn and deter others.
According to her, "the gun shots attracted the attention of the military with whom we have an understanding of mutual assistance in the event of any threat".
The Army immediately deployed a team to reinforce our perimeter guards to forestall any external collaborators.
Pope Francis Confesses His Sins in Public
Pope Francis continued his rock star turn yesterday by breaking with tradition and publicly confessing his sins while leading a penitential liturgy in St. Peter's Basilica.
''The pope, dressed in a simple white alb and purple stole, spent about three minutes kneeling before the priest's open confessional and received absolution. The priest also clasped the pope's hands and kissed his simple silver ring''.
The Video is below,
As we noted, just days ago, Pope Francis, who had made the cover of Rolling Stone, promised Jersey Vargas, a ten-year-old girl, that he would mention immigration reform in his meeting this week with President Obama. Specifically, Vargas was appealing to Francis on behalf of her father, Mario Vargas, who is in the process of being deported.
The plea, at least in the short-term, worked. Around the same time that the Pope was confessing his sins, Vargas walked free.
''Mario Vargas was freed from a detention facility in Louisiana after he posted $5,000 bond. A relative who saw the girl on television pleading with the pope during a public audience helped with the funding, said his wife, Lola Vargas''.
Vargas will reunite with his family for the first time in two years while they await the ruling of an immigration judge in the outcome of his deportation case.
Saturday, 29 March 2014
Chelsea boss Mourinho: PSG can have Oscar and Hazard...
Djokovic in final after Kei Nishikori withdraws
Novak Djokovic advanced to the Sony Open final when Kei Nishikori withdrew less than two hours before yesterday's semifinal because of a groin injury.
Nishikori won a grueling three-set match against Roger Federer on Wednesday night and also won a three-setter against David Ferrer in the fourth round, when he saved four match points.
Nishikori tweeted the news after he tried to practice before the match.
"Very disappointed and I am obviously very sorry for any fans," he said.
The No. 2-ranked Djokovic will bid for his fourth Key Biscayne title tomorrow against the winner of the other semi-final match between No. 1 Rafael Nadal and No. 7 Tomas Berdych.
Djokovic also received a walkover in the third round and has played only six sets in the tournament. He won the Indian Wells title two weeks ago, when he beat Federer in the final.
Regardless of results the rest of the week, Nadal will remain No. 1 and Djokovic No. 2 next week.
Former No. 1 Martina Hingis and Sabine Lisicki advanced to the final in women's doubles by beating Cara Black and Sania Mirza 6-3, 6-4.
Early yesterday, Li Na advanced to the women's singles final beating Dominika Cibulkova 7-5, 2-6, 6-3.
Li improved to 7-0 against Cibulkova. She won despite being broken seven times and committing 40 unforced errors, closing out the victory at 12:33 a.m. when Cibulkova hit a final forehand wide.
Today, Li will play top-ranked Serena Williams, who beat Maria Sharapova 6-4, 6-3.
The No. 2-ranked Li is only 1-10 against Williams, but she leads the women's tour this year with a record of 21-2, including the Australian Open title in January.
Manchester United deny $3bn Qatari takeover bid
Reports that former Manchester United star David Beckham is to front a Qatari buy-out of the faltering English champions have been dismissed as "rubbish" by the club.
According to reports in the British media, ex-England captain Beckham and fellow former United players Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt - all members of the celebrated 'Class of 92' that came through the club's youth system - had met to discuss the idea of getting involved in a $3-billion takeover by the Qatari royal family.
Beckham played for Qatar-owned Paris St Germain before retiring last season.
However, United officials said they were unaware of any takeover bids and that that, in any event, the current owners, the US-based Glazer family, had no interest at all in selling the club.
One takeover that is going ahead, however, is the purchase of non-league Salford by Giggs, Scholes, Butt and the Neville brothers.
Salford, near Manchester, was home to The Cliff, United's training ground until 2000 and the place where the 'Class of 92' took their first steps in professional football.
Currently, Salford play in the Evo-Stik First Division North, the eighth tier of English football.
For Giggs, still playing for United, it means a direct involvement with his home town club.
"Everyone knows how important Salford is to me, so this is an exciting acquisition that is right at the heart of what we all believe in," the midfield star said.
"We want to engage the football community, use our football experience and knowledge to aspire and nurture young talent and being able to do that in Salford makes it even more exciting."
Facebook drones to spread Internet
Two-thirds of the world population does not have Internet access. Facebook already has more than a billion users on its service, but before it can sign up the rest of world it needs to get them online.
The social media company announced a new step in its ambitious plan to bring affordable, basic Internet access to "every person in the world." Facebook's new Connectivity Lab will research and test experimental technology including drones, satellites and lasers to spread the reach of the Internet to isolated locations that currently do not have Internet.
"We've been working on ways to beam Internet to people from the sky," said CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a post announcing the new effort.
Last year, Facebook announced Internet.org, a coalition of major tech companies working together to lower barriers to Internet access using more traditional methods, such as making it cheaper to get Internet on cell phones. Those efforts have been responsible for getting three million more people online, according to Zuckerberg.
This new initiative focuses on experimenting with new technology. The group is working with drones that can stay in the air for months at a time, bringing Internet connections to suburban areas. In more rural spots, satellites will be tested as a way to beam connections to the people on the ground. The group will attempt to make speedier long-distance connections using invisible infrared laser beams.
The developers who keep redesigning your Facebook news feed will not be dabbling in satellites and drones. Facebook has brought on aerospace experts from Nasa and the team who built the Zephyr solar-powered drone.
Internet access is a cause major technology companies can easily get behind. It's a smart business investment that doubles as a charitable cause.
Google announced plans to tackle the issue last summer with its own ambitious Project Loon. Instead of drones, the company is testing giant balloons that travel in the earth's stratosphere for 100 days at a time. Using specialised antennas, the balloons will deliver Internet at 3G speeds.
Both companies frame their plans to bring the Internet to the entire world as altruistic, not as a land grab. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates dismissed some of these efforts in an interview with Bloomberg in 2013, saying "when a kid gets diarrhoea, no, there's no website that relieves that."
In many of the world's most remote areas, poverty is a more pressing concern than Internet connectivity. People cannot afford electricity or clean water, let alone phones.
Friday, 28 March 2014
Minister of Justice demands Abacha's Assets
Justice Minister Mohammed Adoke has demanded that the $458 million worth of assets that former dictator Sani Abacha stole should be returned to Nigeria.
The assets were recently frozen by the United States.
Capital FM reports that the Nigerian government had been silent about the freezing of the asses until now.
According to the report, Adoke said he was impressed by "the efforts of the United States to recover the (funds) for the benefit of the people of Nigeria".
Sahara Reporters reports that funds from the forfeited assets are to be used to fund development projects.
FG allocates N74bn to NYSC scheme annually
Mr Kamil Akinlabi, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Youths Development, says the Federal Government allocates over N74 billion to the National Youths Service Corps ( NYSC) scheme annually.
He made the disclosure on Friday when he led members of the committee on oversight visit to the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Wamakko, Sokoto State.
According to him, the money, which is being regularly released, is for the payment of corps members’ allowances and other recurrent expenditures of the scheme.
“The Federal Government and the National Assembly members are fully committed to the sustenance of the scheme, which has immensely helped in cementing unity among youths in the country.’’
The committee chairman expressed happiness with “the excellent state of facilities at the Wamakko NYSC Orientation Camp’’ and urged other state governments to emulate the Sokoto State Government.
The state NYSC Coordinator, Mr Thomas Yamma, also commended Gov. Aliyu Wamakko and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, for their sustained interest and support for the success of the scheme. (NAN)
70 year old man dies having sex with a married woman
BENIN CITY – IT was a shameful death for a 70 years old man identified as David, yesterday, when he slumped and died after having marathon sex with a married woman in a hotel in Benin City.
He died at one of the hotels in the Government Reservation Area, Benin City.The incident, according to reports happened at about 1pm. A son to the deceased who did not give his name said his father left home 45 minutes earlier.
The son said they were called by the police to come to the Benin Central Hospital only to see the dad’s corpse.
Doctors on duty said David was brought stone dead to the hospital. The woman was also present at the hospital but policemen ferried her away to prevent her from being mobed.
The corpse was deposited at the Central Hospital mortuary.
Thursday, 27 March 2014
Chelsea scouts saw Diego Costa hit Atletico Madrid winner
Chelsea are stepping up their pursuit of Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa.
Blues boss Jose Mourinho has made the Brazilian-born Spain forward his top attacking target for the summer market.
Representatives of the Blues watched Diego Costa on Wednesday night as he scored in the 1-0 win over Granada.
Soldiers kill 11 insurgents, apprehend others attempting to escape to Cameroon
Abuja—The military said yesterday that 11 terrorists were killed when the troops engaged the terrorists in a gun duel while some of them were apprehended as they attempted to escape to Cameroon through Taraba and Adamawa borders.
The Director, Defence Information and Coordinator of Joint Information Centre, Counter terrorism Campaign Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday
said the insurgents were attacked by troops on patrol of the areas in the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign.
Suspected terrorists arrested while attempting to escape into Cameroon through Taraba and Gumti, Adamawa State.
Suspected terrorists arrested while attempting to escape into Cameroon through Taraba and Gumti, Adamawa State.
According to him, “the terrorists were trapped following the ongoing offensive launched by troops along the borders. Some of them could no longer bear the hunger in their make-shift camps at the forest. Those apprehended led the troops to some hideouts where fierce fighting ensued and seven terrorists died, while Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, rifles and 70 motorcycles were recovered.”
The director said “a similar encounter in Gumbi also led to the death of four other terrorists.”
He added that sustained patrols and searches by the Joint Task Force had led to the arrest of more insurgents, including a heavily armed suspect, who claimed dual nationalities of Chad and Burkina-Faso. Olukolade said the suspect was arrested with different calibre of arms along the Chad border.
The defence spokesman said members of the task force were patrolling areas around the Lake Chad, including Kwatan, Kanwa, Kwatan Yobe and other areas to apprehend more of the insurgents.
In a related development, fear has gripped Yola, the Adamawa State Capital following the discovery of 102 live ammunitions and two guns tucked in the perimeter fence of Damare Secondary School in Damere Ward of Yola, South Local Government Adamawa State.
The development has created anxiety among residents who said they sleep with their two eyes open following the intensification of armed robbery in Yola and environs in recent times despite the state of emergency and curfew imposed in the town.
The weapons were discovered by children who were playing around the area according to eyewitnesses.
“Some children who were playing around the area spotted the ammunitions tucked deeply inside the block holes and quickly raised alarm”, a resident stated.
According to him, “When residents observed that they were live ammunitions, they called the police who came and demolished the fence leading to the discovery of large number of live ammunitions and guns,” the source said.
Cast-wife-Saudi-king-begs-Obama-help-free-four-starving-daughters-whove-locked-away-palace-13-years
A cast-off wife of Saudi Arabia's billionaire king has appealed to Barack Obama for help freeing the four adult daughters she says have been held in a Saudi royal palace against their will for over a decade.
Alanoud AlFayez, 57, made her public plea to the president on Thursday, just a day before he's scheduled to visit King Abdullah for just the second time.
'Mr Obama should take this opportunity to address these grave violations committed against my daughters,' said AlFayez.
AlFayez, who's lived in London since Abdullah divorced her in 2003, said her ex-husband's treatment of their daughters has worsened lately after 13 years in confinement.
She told AFP that their already rare trips outside to buy food and medicine for themselves and their pets have now stopped.
'Since 13 years, my daughters Sahar, Maha, Hala and Jawaher are being held captive,' AlFayez said. 'They need to be saved and released immediately.'
AlFayez has written to the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to say that her daughters are 'imprisoned, held against their will, cut off from the world', according to a report in The Sunday Times.
Sahar and Jawaher told the newspaper in an email that they are kept alone in a house most of which they have closed off as they have been left to fend for themselves with nobody to help them with the housework.
They've not revealed how they've gotten access to internet.
'We have no passports or ID, we are under house arrest, with little food left for ourselves and pets,' Sahar, 42, wrote to AFP.
'On their orders, they have been literally starving us since last Wednesday. We are now living on one meal a day, leaving the little remaining meat for our pets and sipping little water in this heat, to save up. Our energy is quite low and we are trying our best to survive.' she wrote.
Abdullah became king of Saudi Arabia in 2005. The oil-rich state is a key ally of the U.S. in the Middle East and its extensive royal family enjoy massive wealth, with the king one of the world's richest men.
Ms Alfayez was only 15 years old when she married King Abdullah, who was then in his 40s, but he divorced her just over a decade later.
The king, who has 38 children by a number of wives, has placed his four daughters with Alfayez under the control of three of their half-brothers, according to Sahar.
Under Saudi law, girls and women are forbidden from travelling, conducting official business, or undergoing certain medical procedures without the express permission of their male guardians.
Sahar said that the sisters had enjoyed a pampered adolescence but that animosity towards her and her sisters had grown after they began to complain to their father about the poverty endured by most of the Saudi people.
Prince Muqrin appointed Second Crown Prince
Saudi Arabia's Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, a former intelligence chief, has been appointed Second Crown Prince, state television reported yesterday.
The appointment makes Prince Muqrin, the youngest son of the kingdom's founder King Abdulaziz Al Saud, second in line to the throne after Crown Prince, Deputy Premier and Defence Minister Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
"Prince Muqrin is granted allegiance as Second Crown Prince, a crown prince if the position becomes vacant and to be given allegiance as king of the country if both the positions of Crown Prince and King become vacant at the same time," the official Saudi Press Agency said, quoting a statement from the royal court.
Prince Muqrin, who was born in 1943, is a graduate of the British Royal Air Force Academy and a former military pilot.
He is currently Second Deputy Premier and Saudi King Abdullah's adviser and special envoy.
He has also been governor of Hail and Medina provinces.
Crown Prince Salman and the Allegiance Council have accepted Prince Muqrin as the Second Crown Prince, SPA reported.
Shell declares 'force majeure' on crude exports
Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell said Wednesday it had declared a "force majeure" on crude oil exports from Nigeria as it struggles to repair a sabotaged pipeline.
Shell's subsidiary in Nigeria said the force majeure was effective from Tuesday "due to ongoing repairs on the 48-inch crude export line at Forcados Terminal in the Western Niger Delta".
"Force majeure" is a legal term releasing a company from contractual obligations when faced with circumstances beyond its control.
Shell said the subsea pipeline was shut when a leak was discovered on March 4, leading to suspension of crude oil exports through the terminal, which can produce up to 400,000 barrels of crude per day.
Shell has blamed repeated oil thefts and sabotage of key pipelines as the major cause of spills and pollution in the oil-producing region.
Crude oil theft or "bunkering" is a major problem in Nigeria, with estimates that the country loses some $6 billion in revenue every year because of the practice.
Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer, accounting for more than two million barrels per day.
Brazil 2014: NFF and Keshi at loggerheads
The Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi, and his employers, the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, are again at loggerheads with the latter querying the coach.
The NFF is questioning Keshi’s alleged acts of insubordination.
The seemingly frosty relationship between Keshi and the NFF turned worse on Tuesday when supposedly the former snubbed a meeting with the technical arm of the federation to attend a media parley in Lagos. He reportedly did not receive permission to do so.
A query, signed by the Director Technical NFF, Emmanuel Ikpeme, was subsequently issued to Keshi on Wednesday. He was asked to respond before the close of work on Thursday.
Excerpts from the query letter, which surprisingly is trending on social media, read: “It is important we draw your attention to previous actions whereby you travel out of Nigeria without NFF’s express permission. Specifically, you travelled out before February 13, 2014 the day President Jonathan received the CHAN team, causing us huge embarrassment. Your request for leave approved by the NFF was from Feb 15-March 10, 2014 but you left before Feb 13 and returned March 26.”
Before the latest public show of disaffection, the NFF and Keshi had a running battle on why the Eagles Coach went to the press to declare he had a backlog of unpaid salaries. The arrears have since been cleared.
The Eagles boss had threatened to resign after the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. At the media parley in Lagos, he stated that he would only stay on after the World Cup in Brazil if the conditions were right.
Already, he is reported to be on the wish list of some countries, chief of which is South Africa.
It is yet to be seen how the latest impasse will pan out, particularly as it affects the World Cup preparations of the Super Eagles for the Mundial in Brazil.
Stoke striker Odemwingie open to Nigeria recall
According to tribalfootball.com, Stoke City striker Peter Odemwingie admits he's eyeing a late run for Nigeria's World Cup squad.
Odemwingie admits certain issues would need to be ironed out before he returns to the Nigeria fold, but he would jump at the chance to grace a Brazilian showpiece if given the opportunity.
He told The Sentinel: "I had a stressful 2013. Now I just take it week to week. I have a son who will be born in the summer and I have another already making me really happy.
"It's how I think now after last year, that things can always be worse. Today I already have more than I wanted three months ago.
"Everything else is a bonus, but every player would love to go to the World Cup.
"If things seem right for me and, most importantly, I am made to feel like I could help the team, then why not? We will see."
Dangote Declares N190 Billion Profit in 2013
Leading cement manufacturer Dangote Cement Plc has declared its 2013 financials recording an upsurge in its Nigeria sales volume to the tune of 13.3 million tonnes leading to a 40.6 per cent increase in profit before tax over the previous year.
The company declared a profit before tax of N190.8 billion for the year.
A statement from the company yesterday said its audited results announced in Lagos indicated that the pre-tax profit is 40.6 per cent higher than that of the previous year while consolidated revenue grew up toN386.2bn, representing an increase of 29.4 per cent.
While the results celebrated the increase in the company's sales volume, it showed further that total Nigerian cement market grows by 15.6% to nearly 21.2 million tonnes.
Dangote Cement attributed the increased sales volume to its direct-to-customer delivery strategy and described it as proving highly successful and accounting for more than 50 per cent of sales, with its Obajana plant sales volumes up 37.2% and Ibese up by 40.4 per cent.
Consequently, the company recommended a dividend increase of N7.0 per ordinary share as against N3 paid out in 2012, an increase of 133 per cent.
Dangote Cement's Group Chief Executive Devakumar Edwin expressed satisfaction at the performance of the company, saying the impressive run was as a result of strategies deployed of sound management of the prevailing economic situation.
"Our financial strength has allowed us to increase our dividend by 133% to N7.0 per share and the coming year will see our new factories opening across Africa as we begin to deliver on our promise to become Africa's leading cement producer, generating strong and sustainable returns for our shareholders."
Dangote Cement, which is Africa's leading cement producer, is a fully integrated quarry-to-customer producer with production capacity of 20.25 million tonnes in Nigeria with three in the country and plans to expand in 13 other African countries with new operations beginning to come on stream across the rest of sub-Saharan Africa.
The Group plans to have around 60 million tonnes of production, grinding and import capacity in sub-Saharan Africa by 2016.
Dangote Cement's Obajana plant in Kogi State, Nigeria, is the largest in Africa with 10.25mta capacity across three lines and a further 3mta capacity currently being built.
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