Monday, February 3, 2014
Video - Nigeria determined to provide support for local farmers
Nigerian farmers have said they are suffering major losses because of illegal rice imports.But the government has developed a scheme to stave off the country's reliance on imported rice.It will supply farmers with improved seeds and fertiliser and hopes to phase out imports in three years.Up to 60 percent of the country's agricultural land is currently untouched due to a lack of farming skills, access to fertiliser and money to cultivate crops.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Nigeria fines shell $11.3 billion for damages caused in Bonga oil spill
Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the National Oil Spill Response and Emergency Agency, (NOSREA), have ordered Shell to pay N1.84 trillion, as fines and compensation for the 2011 Bonga oil spill incident.
The Director General of NIMASA, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi said at the public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Environment, that NIMASA calculated a total of $6.5 billion, about N1.04 trillion, as compensation to be paid to the communities affected by the spill.
The Director General of NOSREA, Mr. Peter Idabo, also said the agency fined Shell $5billion, which is about N800 billion, for the oil spill incident.
The NIMASA boss alleged that Shell tried as much as possible to frustrate the agency’s moves to get to the site of the spill, adding that the agency had to step in immediately after the spill by providing some stop gap measures such as relief materials to some of the communities.
Daily Times
The Director General of NIMASA, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi said at the public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Environment, that NIMASA calculated a total of $6.5 billion, about N1.04 trillion, as compensation to be paid to the communities affected by the spill.
The Director General of NOSREA, Mr. Peter Idabo, also said the agency fined Shell $5billion, which is about N800 billion, for the oil spill incident.
The NIMASA boss alleged that Shell tried as much as possible to frustrate the agency’s moves to get to the site of the spill, adding that the agency had to step in immediately after the spill by providing some stop gap measures such as relief materials to some of the communities.
Daily Times
Thursday, January 30, 2014
PDP senators make exodus to APC
Eleven Senators in Nigeria, elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
A formal letter to this effect has been delivered to the Senate President, David Mark, on Wednesday and it is expected to be read on the floor of the Senate.
The Senators that defected to the APC are; Umaru Dahiru from Sokoto South, Magnus Ngei Abe from Rivers South-East, Wilson Asinobi Ake from Rivers West, Bindawa Muhammed Jibrilla from Adamawa North and Mohammed Danjuma Goje from Gombe Central.
Others are Aisha Jummai Alhassan from Taraba North, Mohammed Ali Ndume from Borno South, Mohammed Shaba Lafiaji from Kwara North, Abdulahi Adamu from Nasarawa West and Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir from Sokoto East.
A list attached to the letter sent to the Senate president contained 16 names but only 11 signed, indicating their intention to defect.
The other Senators in the list that did not sign are; Ahmed Muhammed Maccido from Sokoto North, Saidu Ahmed Alkali from Gombe North, Basheer Garba Mohammed from Kano Central, Ahmed Zanna from Borno Central and Ahmed Hassan Barata from Adamawa South.
There are chances that more Senators will defect to the APC as it was not clear why the five Senators did not sign.
Thinking Of What To Gain
A political analyst and lawyer, Osahon Ihehene, said there was no ideology behind the defections, as they were all triggered by selfish interest.
“The politicians are defecting for their personal interest they are selfish people. It has practically nothing for the Nigerian electorates.
“The man feels his interest would not be protected in the party he is at the moment and he decides to move. All they are doing is trying to protect their own interests.
“There is no difference between PDP and APC. The only thing that joined them is just selfish interest and corruption and nothing more,” the lawyer said.
He said that section 68 of the Nigerian Constitution stipulated that a lawmaker can only defect to another party where there is division in a party or merger of two political parties.
Mr Ihehene insisted that what the lawmakers were playing out was selfishness, saying that “everybody is just thinking of what he can gain”.
CHANNELS
A formal letter to this effect has been delivered to the Senate President, David Mark, on Wednesday and it is expected to be read on the floor of the Senate.
The Senators that defected to the APC are; Umaru Dahiru from Sokoto South, Magnus Ngei Abe from Rivers South-East, Wilson Asinobi Ake from Rivers West, Bindawa Muhammed Jibrilla from Adamawa North and Mohammed Danjuma Goje from Gombe Central.
Others are Aisha Jummai Alhassan from Taraba North, Mohammed Ali Ndume from Borno South, Mohammed Shaba Lafiaji from Kwara North, Abdulahi Adamu from Nasarawa West and Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir from Sokoto East.
A list attached to the letter sent to the Senate president contained 16 names but only 11 signed, indicating their intention to defect.
The other Senators in the list that did not sign are; Ahmed Muhammed Maccido from Sokoto North, Saidu Ahmed Alkali from Gombe North, Basheer Garba Mohammed from Kano Central, Ahmed Zanna from Borno Central and Ahmed Hassan Barata from Adamawa South.
There are chances that more Senators will defect to the APC as it was not clear why the five Senators did not sign.
Thinking Of What To Gain
A political analyst and lawyer, Osahon Ihehene, said there was no ideology behind the defections, as they were all triggered by selfish interest.
“The politicians are defecting for their personal interest they are selfish people. It has practically nothing for the Nigerian electorates.
“The man feels his interest would not be protected in the party he is at the moment and he decides to move. All they are doing is trying to protect their own interests.
“There is no difference between PDP and APC. The only thing that joined them is just selfish interest and corruption and nothing more,” the lawyer said.
He said that section 68 of the Nigerian Constitution stipulated that a lawmaker can only defect to another party where there is division in a party or merger of two political parties.
Mr Ihehene insisted that what the lawmakers were playing out was selfishness, saying that “everybody is just thinking of what he can gain”.
CHANNELS
Nigeria lose to Ghana in CHAN semi-final
Ten-man Ghana booked a date with Libya in the African Nations Championship with a 4-1 penalty shoot-out victory over Nigeria at the Bloemfontein Stadium after regulation time ended 0-0.
The much anticipated clash between the West African rivals began on a very competitive note with the Black Stars going for the attack right from the blast of Referee Sikazwe’s whistle.
Ghana launched the first real threat as Seidu Bansey eased past two Nigerian defenders to hit his shot at Chigozie Agbim’s goal but his effort went just wide.
In the fourth minute, the stadium was thrown into confusion as Nigeria’s stand-out man in the competition Ejike Uzoenyi went unconscious after a collision with a Ghanaian defender in an attempt to win an aerial ball.
The Black Stars were in cruise control for more than 15 minutes of the first half but rarely threatened the Nigerian goalkeeper thanks to a more composed defence anchored by Kunle Odunlami.
The Super Eagles' first chance to score came in the 10th minute when Abubakar Ibrahim almost converted a free kick taken following Yahaya Mohammed’s foul on Abdullahi Shehu.
Few minutes later - in the 26th minute to be precise - Nigeria very nearly went ahead through Abdulahi as his long range missile bounced off the Ghanaian cross bar – a result of a counter-attacking move orchestrated by Ugonna Uzochukwu after the Black Stars’ corner was cleared away by Azubuike Egwuekwe.
Ghana looked weighed down by the almost tangible sense of expectancy among a partisan crowd packed into the Blomfontein Stadium as dangerman Uzoenyi mesmerized Michael Akuffo's anchored backline.
On resumption of the second half, Nigeria looked more dangerous in attack but failed to convert chances that came their way as they wide of Stephen Adams’s goal.
Maxwell Konadu’s men were reduced to 10 in the 64thminute as Kwabena Adusei got his second caution of the night following a rough challenge on Nigeria’s Abubakar.
Keshi brought on Barnabas Imenger for Ifeanyi Ede who had a below par performance to take advantage of the opponent’s deficit but the Black Stars looked rock-solid as they thwarted every attacking moves of the Eagles.
With both sides horribly devoid of ideas, extra time appeared inevitable. Imenger was the culprit in the first half of extra time as he failed on three occasions to put Nigeria ahead.
With five minutes left to play Imenger was denied an absolutely magnificent winner when a close–range header was turned out by the Ghana keeper. The Black Stars keeper was forced to make another save from Uzoenyi a minute later to ensure the game went to penalties.
The Black Stars kept their nerves to score four of their spot kicks while Nigeria were only able to convert one.
Ghana will meet Libya in Saturday's final game as Nigeria will make do with a third place match against Zimbabwe.
GOAL
The much anticipated clash between the West African rivals began on a very competitive note with the Black Stars going for the attack right from the blast of Referee Sikazwe’s whistle.
Ghana launched the first real threat as Seidu Bansey eased past two Nigerian defenders to hit his shot at Chigozie Agbim’s goal but his effort went just wide.
In the fourth minute, the stadium was thrown into confusion as Nigeria’s stand-out man in the competition Ejike Uzoenyi went unconscious after a collision with a Ghanaian defender in an attempt to win an aerial ball.
The Black Stars were in cruise control for more than 15 minutes of the first half but rarely threatened the Nigerian goalkeeper thanks to a more composed defence anchored by Kunle Odunlami.
The Super Eagles' first chance to score came in the 10th minute when Abubakar Ibrahim almost converted a free kick taken following Yahaya Mohammed’s foul on Abdullahi Shehu.
Few minutes later - in the 26th minute to be precise - Nigeria very nearly went ahead through Abdulahi as his long range missile bounced off the Ghanaian cross bar – a result of a counter-attacking move orchestrated by Ugonna Uzochukwu after the Black Stars’ corner was cleared away by Azubuike Egwuekwe.
Ghana looked weighed down by the almost tangible sense of expectancy among a partisan crowd packed into the Blomfontein Stadium as dangerman Uzoenyi mesmerized Michael Akuffo's anchored backline.
On resumption of the second half, Nigeria looked more dangerous in attack but failed to convert chances that came their way as they wide of Stephen Adams’s goal.
Maxwell Konadu’s men were reduced to 10 in the 64thminute as Kwabena Adusei got his second caution of the night following a rough challenge on Nigeria’s Abubakar.
Keshi brought on Barnabas Imenger for Ifeanyi Ede who had a below par performance to take advantage of the opponent’s deficit but the Black Stars looked rock-solid as they thwarted every attacking moves of the Eagles.
With both sides horribly devoid of ideas, extra time appeared inevitable. Imenger was the culprit in the first half of extra time as he failed on three occasions to put Nigeria ahead.
With five minutes left to play Imenger was denied an absolutely magnificent winner when a close–range header was turned out by the Ghana keeper. The Black Stars keeper was forced to make another save from Uzoenyi a minute later to ensure the game went to penalties.
The Black Stars kept their nerves to score four of their spot kicks while Nigeria were only able to convert one.
Ghana will meet Libya in Saturday's final game as Nigeria will make do with a third place match against Zimbabwe.
GOAL
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