President Goodluck Jonathan Monday in Abuja called on African leaders to take more concrete steps towards fulfilling their often declared commitment to improving trade and economic relations amongst African countries. Speaking at an audience with the outgoing Namibian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mrs. Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, President Jonathan said that there was an urgent need for African leaders to move beyond declarations of support for greater intra-African trade and act in unison to overcome obstacles which currently hinder economic relations between the nations and people of the continent. President Jonathan said that with the right political will and commitment, African leaders could…
Author: tech
Oguta state Constituency in Imo state has not produced representative to the Imo State House of Assembly since after the 2011 general election more than two years now. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which is charged with the constitutional duty of conducting free, fair and transparent election to produce the duly elected representative of the people of Oguta to the Imo State House of Assembly has failed woefully to discharge this simple role because of a number of factors tied to the apron string of corrupt practices and pandering to the whims and caprices of some political forces bent…
Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has again raised alarm that the country lost $N10.9 billion, about N1.722 trillion to crude oil theft between 2009 and 2011. This significant amount according to the Chairman of NEITI, Mr. Ledum Mitee was 7.7% of $143.5 billion, the total revenue that accrued to the Federation account from oil and gas during the same periods. Mr. Ledum was speaking in Abuja on Monday during the formal presentation of NEITI’s audit report for oil and gas industry, covering the periods 2009-2011. A local audit firm, Sada Idris & Co carried out the assignment. While lamenting…
By Gracious Akujobi The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has pledged to make merit its watchword for selecting players that would represent the country at the Basketball Without Borders (BWB) in South Africa. Tijani Umar, the Federation’s President made this promise when he declared open the selection camp this weekend in Abuja as he promised to develop the game to the letter. The NBBF invited 30 players from across the country for the two-day selection camp at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Abuja National Stadium. Eight of the players would be selected to represent the country at the BWB camp…
By: Gracious Akujobi Participants in the Wheelchair Tennis Clinic have lauded the efforts of the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) for organizing the clinic and called for its continuity. Some of the participants who made the plea while interacting with newsmen in Abuja at the end of the week-long training said the experience gathered at the competition would go a long way in their career. The one week tennis clinic which was held at the National Stadium in Abuja, was sponsored by the Flour Mill PLC with over 55 participants from various states. Muktari Mohammed from Niger State and FCT’s Louis…
In the wake of the outrage that greeted the Senate’s attempt to delete Section 29 (4b) of the 1999 Constitution about a fortnight ago, I have found myself thinking almost interminably about Nigeria. In particular, the complex, ineffective and inefficient system in the land. How nothing seems to work in the country. How 14 years after a return to democracy, we still do not have a functioning democracy. How I can testify that the brief practice of democracy that I knew as a child between 1979 and 1983 bears more sophistication and purpose in my memory than anything that I…
Outcry against its £3,000 tourists visa bond notwithstanding, Britain will commence the scheme in the six listed Commonwealth countries in November, Financial Times report quoted the Home Office as saying. The Commonwealth countries to be affected by the policy which was announced in June are Nigeria, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The affected countries are considered to be source of “high risk” tourists to the UK. Some visitors from the six countries, under the scheme, will be asked to pay a £3,000 cash bond in return for visitor visas that allow them to stay in the UK for…
The Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has called on governments at all levels to depend less on oil revenue but harness their vast resources to develop their economies to ensure speedy development of Nigeria. Uduaghan, who made the call on Saturday when he was conferred with the 2012 Zik Prize for Leadership Award, organized by the Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre in Lagos State, said: “Nigeria can be buoyant without solely depending on oil revenue as all states have vast mineral and other resources, which they can develop and generate revenue from.” He said that prior to the…
President of the Senate, David Mark has assured agitators for the creation of States not to be disillusioned by the turn of events “because there is still a window to address the issue” Mark told his Constituents under the aegis of Idoma National Forum (INF) unarguably unhappy that the Constitution review committee in the National Assembly seems to have ignored the requests that the chapter is not closed. He said the draw back in the recommendation was that Chapter 8 of the 1999 Constitution made it cumbersome to actualize creation of State, assuring however that the system is being streamlined…
Pope Francis has closed the biggest-ever Roman Catholic youth festival with a Mass on Brazil’s Copacabana beach. More than three million people are estimated to have gathered for the service in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Many of the pilgrims had slept on the beach after attending an all-night vigil, which Pope Francis also led. Sunday’s ceremony marks the end of the Pope’s five-day visit to Brazil – his first foreign trip since becoming pontiff in March. He is set to fly back to Rome later on Sunday. The BBC’s Wyre Davies in Rio says almost every inch of…