Thursday, January 6, 2011

Siasia makes Shola Ameobi approach


Newcastle striker, Shola Ameobi could yet get a chance to play international football, with Nigeria.


It is understood that Nigeria coach Samson Siasia has made contact with Ameobi, who has publicly declared his intention to cast his lot with the Super Eagles.


Siasia is on the path to rebuilding the team after a calamitous World Cup and Ameobi, despite his intermittent goalscoring, may get a chance to stake his claim.


Sources close to the coach informed that discussions have been held with Ameobi's father John, with a view to meeting up with the player when Siasia visits England later this month.


Ameobi, 29, was born in Zaria, Nigeria, but moved to England at the age of 5.


Siasia is also said to have had fruitful telephone conversations with Sunderland defender Nedum Onuoha, although a final decision on the player's future will not be made until both men meet face to face.


Both players, born in Nigeria, have represented England at Under 21 level but remain eligible to represent their country of birth.


Daily Champion


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Nigeria to sign trade pact with Pakistan

Federal government of Nigeria has promise to finalise a trade agreement with Pakistan as soon as necessary processes have been completed.


Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Abubakar Mohammad stated this during a courtesy visit by the Acting High Commissioner of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Mr. Ahmed Ali Sihorey to the Ministry's Headquarters in Abuja.


Receiving the envoy, Dr. Muhammad said the volume of trade between both countries has improved tremendously compared to the previous years. "The trade volume between Nigeria and Islamic Republic of Pakistan has improved that we are ready to strengthen the trade bond between the two countries," he said.


He assured the High Commissioner of Federal Government's readiness to create a conducive environment for trade and investment to thrive in the country. He as well sympathized with the government of Pakistan over the recent flooding in the country on behalf of government and people of Nigeria.


Earlier, the Acting High Commissioner, Mr. Ahmed Sihorey said he came for a follow-up to the re-opening of the Pakinstani Trade Mission and Office in Lagos and called for stronger relationship between the two countries adding that Pakistan is ready to cooperate with Nigeria in the area of trade and investment.


He also sought for joint venture between private sectors of both countries and urged the ministry to fast tract the signing of the draft Bilateral Trade Agreement between both countries and opening of trade missions in both countries saying that opening of the commercial centre will go a long way in boosting trade and investment in Nigeria and Pakistan.


Daily Trust


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Monday, January 3, 2011

Video - ZR7 trailer



TJ is a young man in his late twenties, the first draft of his book titled ZR-7 is long overdue for the publisher to review. He decides the entire draft will be recorded on a tape recorder and only his butler (Alphonso) is an actual witness, he begins to tell his story as the action comes alive.


The story is a classic life in boarding school adventure involving TJ with six of his friends (Rolly-D, Chiedu, UK, Tokunbo, Femi & James) while in JSS 1 (7th grade). The boys are initially shocked by all the hoops they have to jump in order to survive teachers, prefects, wicked seniors, dining hall food, thieves, cutting grass, washing toilets, discovering a Bushbaby, puppy love and all the other regular experiences anyone in a public Nigerian boarding school would experience. But when TJ and the boys accidentally see a man and two students in an uncompromising position, what they do with that information is not their only problem in school, but the resulting scandal would change their lives far beyond their wildest dreams...


RELEASE DATE: Coming soon in 2011


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59 yrs old widow excretes 99 wraps of heroin

Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA has paraded a 59-year-old woman, Mrs Fati Akande who allegedly excreted 99 wraps of substance suspected to be heroin in Port Harcourt after she was arrested at the Port Harcourt international airport on her way to the United States of America as her final destination.


The suspect, Mrs Akande who said she is a mother of three and a widow was arrested during the outward clearance of Air France flight AF 3051 to Paris at the Port Harcourt international airport.


According to the suspect who is HIV positive, she went into the illicit trade to raise money to manage her HIV status. “I did not need to do it. I went into it because I was sick and needed money for my treatment.“


“I am HIV positive. I was tested at LUTH in Lagos and I was found to be HIV positive,” She said, adding that she was ferrying it to her business partner in Netherland who she alleged is also a Nigerian.


Speaking on the arrest, Mr Julius Parah, of the NDLEA  office in Port Harcourt said the suspect excreted a total of ninety nine wraps of heroin which translates into  1.408 kilogramme and the value put at  N15 million.  He said she was arrested on December 27


“Her flight was scheduled from Paris to the United States of America, being her final destination. Unfortunately for her, the eagle eyes of the anti-narcotic officers fished her out, having spotted her as a drug courier,” he said.


Vanguard


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President Goodluck Jonathan accuses Al Jazeera of evil plot


The presidency has accused a foreign based media outfit, Aljazeera of seeking to destabilise Nigeria through false reports, saying it would not condone any further reckless and deliberate falsehood.


In a statement yesterday, presidential spokesman, Ima Niboro said it was pure lie the report that President Goodluck Jonathan fingered the notorious Boko Haram sect of masterminding the bomb blast.


He said, "Our attention has been drawn to the unfounded and sensational news item on Al Jazeera television, claiming that Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has blamed the fundamentalist group, Boko Haram, for the bomb blast which occurred in Abuja yesterday. This is an outright lie. Nowhere, and at no time has the President held any particular group responsible for the attack."


Additionally, he added that neither the Nigerian security services nor the Nigerian government have confirmed those behind the attacks.


It amounts to sheer sensationalism to attribute to the president or the federal government any such claim. It is irresponsible journalism and we condemn it out rightly.


The statement from the president's media office was clear when it said that "Evil people, determined to turn the joys of fellow Nigerians to ashes detonated a bomb at a barracks market in the Federal Capital City."


If we meant Boko Haram, or any other group, we would state it very clearly.


But Al Jazeera's unique journalism in Nigeria is not strange to us. When the


tragedy of the October 1, 2010, bomb blasts occurred, they went to town with outlandish claims against the presidency that were unfounded and unsubstantiated. This brand of journalism defies reason.


For the purpose of clarity, neither the President nor the security agencies have come out to state those behind the attacks. Investigations are on, and at the end of the day, the real culprits would be unmasked.


Leadership


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