Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Engineers Challenge Fed Govt on Construction Crises
For the construction sector to regain its past glory and contribute meaningfully to the national economy, the government must urgently put in place intervention programmes to contain problems including low capacity, shortage of capital, poor organisation as well as management and policy instability in the sector.
These were some of the submissions of the guest speaker, Mr. Abiodun Kehinde Ahmadu, at the “2010 Business Luncheon/Awards organised by the Ikeja branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), in Lagos, last Tuesday.
Ahmadu said the construction sector should be viewed by policy makers as an endangered sector and, as such, aggressive policies must be pursued by the government to support and enhance its capacity.
He mentioned some of the challenges confronting the construction sector to include policy inconsistency of the government, shortage of construction inputs, construction delays, and political instability among others.
His words: “The unwarranted policy neglect of the construction sector is a major challenge that needs to be addressed urgently. Besides, the negative impact of policy inconsistency on the sector, it would seem that it is a deliberate act on the part of policy makers not to be supportive in terms of aiding the growth of construction companies.
“The current shortage of construction inputs means that the execution of many projects experience unnecessary delays. Even when supplies are available, prices have been much higher than anticipated. The construction sector experiences rapid inflation in the prices of building materials and this problem affects proper cost planning.
“For quite a long time now, local cement production has fallen behind demand, leading government, on haphazard basis, to lift import bans. Thus the gap between consumption and domestic production has always been bridged by importation and the result of the shortfall in supply in the face of increasing demand is that the price of cement has increased steeply in recent years.
“Another major challenge is the issue of construction delays arising from delayed/non-payment, design problem, legal issues, political factors etc. The consequences of construction delays on the economy are fatal. Most times, it leads to project abandonment and excessive cost over-runs.
“Political instability impacts negatively on the construction sector. During periods of political instability, not only in Nigeria but the world over, construction activities go into a lull.”
X-raying some of the policies, he explained that the peculiar problems of the indigenous construction firms should be addressed and an enduring package designed for them adding that policy makers need to consider innovative programmes that facilitate access to financial markets for the small and medium-size firms which dominate the sector.
Apart from reducing construction costs through the introduction of new policies and measures, he also enjoined the government to be supportive through innovative tax policy on building materials and ensuring an adequate supply of building materials at reasonable cost as well as increasing local production of cement and other inputs.
Other areas he took the government up on include strict enforcement of building/construction regulations, establishment of Local Content Act, giving the machine tools industry a boost, establishment of Construction Industry Fund to the registered indigenous construction firms to access loan capital at subsidised rates, overhauling of manpower training programme and boosting cement production among others.
His words: “On strict enforcement of building/construction regulations, standards and controls, it is appaling that nothing has been put in place to ensure compliance with available standards and this indeed had contributed not only to the collapsed building syndrome that we have been experiencing in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria but also to the unwholesome and shoddy works all over the place. So, I will like to charge the government to brace up to its responsibility in this regard.
“Concerning the recent Local Content Act which seeks to promote active participation of Nigerians in the petroleum sector without compromising standards I think the same should be replicated with appropriate modifications in the construction sector. It is incontrovertible that focusing on the promotion of value addition in Nigeria through intensive utilisation of human resources, local capacity and raw materials, products and services would be beneficial to the country. One advantage of this proposal is that it would increase indigenous participation in the economy.
“As for the construction industry there is no denying the fact that it has its own “internal” infrastructural needs. So, the government should give the machine tools industry a boost as we need several of such factories like the one at Osogbo, where lathes are made and moulds are fabricated. This conserves foreign exchange that would have been committed to the importation of plants, instruments and equipment.
He said further: “The training programme should be reviewed and overhauled. The faculties of engineering have so far been largely involved in the development of professional manpower required in the construction industry. There is a need to train more technical staff particularly for supervisory duties.
“Furthermore, reliance on the formal educational system for the supply of relevant skill requirements is likely to prolong the time needed to supply requisite skills. It is, therefore, essential that greater emphasis should be given to non-formal education as a way of turning out products with requisite skills in time.”
While noting that the construction sector witnessed growth in the last few years despite the global economic downturn, he, however, blamed the present stunt growth on policy neglect by the government.
He said: “The construction sector witnessed double digit growth rates between 2004 to 2008. Unwarranted policy neglect of the construction sector is a major challenge that needs to be addressed urgently.”
He also challenged engineers on continuous professional training to update the knowledge of the engineers and raise the level of professionalism in the industry
These were some of the submissions of the guest speaker, Mr. Abiodun Kehinde Ahmadu, at the “2010 Business Luncheon/Awards organised by the Ikeja branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), in Lagos, last Tuesday.
Ahmadu said the construction sector should be viewed by policy makers as an endangered sector and, as such, aggressive policies must be pursued by the government to support and enhance its capacity.
He mentioned some of the challenges confronting the construction sector to include policy inconsistency of the government, shortage of construction inputs, construction delays, and political instability among others.
His words: “The unwarranted policy neglect of the construction sector is a major challenge that needs to be addressed urgently. Besides, the negative impact of policy inconsistency on the sector, it would seem that it is a deliberate act on the part of policy makers not to be supportive in terms of aiding the growth of construction companies.
“The current shortage of construction inputs means that the execution of many projects experience unnecessary delays. Even when supplies are available, prices have been much higher than anticipated. The construction sector experiences rapid inflation in the prices of building materials and this problem affects proper cost planning.
“For quite a long time now, local cement production has fallen behind demand, leading government, on haphazard basis, to lift import bans. Thus the gap between consumption and domestic production has always been bridged by importation and the result of the shortfall in supply in the face of increasing demand is that the price of cement has increased steeply in recent years.
“Another major challenge is the issue of construction delays arising from delayed/non-payment, design problem, legal issues, political factors etc. The consequences of construction delays on the economy are fatal. Most times, it leads to project abandonment and excessive cost over-runs.
“Political instability impacts negatively on the construction sector. During periods of political instability, not only in Nigeria but the world over, construction activities go into a lull.”
X-raying some of the policies, he explained that the peculiar problems of the indigenous construction firms should be addressed and an enduring package designed for them adding that policy makers need to consider innovative programmes that facilitate access to financial markets for the small and medium-size firms which dominate the sector.
Apart from reducing construction costs through the introduction of new policies and measures, he also enjoined the government to be supportive through innovative tax policy on building materials and ensuring an adequate supply of building materials at reasonable cost as well as increasing local production of cement and other inputs.
Other areas he took the government up on include strict enforcement of building/construction regulations, establishment of Local Content Act, giving the machine tools industry a boost, establishment of Construction Industry Fund to the registered indigenous construction firms to access loan capital at subsidised rates, overhauling of manpower training programme and boosting cement production among others.
His words: “On strict enforcement of building/construction regulations, standards and controls, it is appaling that nothing has been put in place to ensure compliance with available standards and this indeed had contributed not only to the collapsed building syndrome that we have been experiencing in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria but also to the unwholesome and shoddy works all over the place. So, I will like to charge the government to brace up to its responsibility in this regard.
“Concerning the recent Local Content Act which seeks to promote active participation of Nigerians in the petroleum sector without compromising standards I think the same should be replicated with appropriate modifications in the construction sector. It is incontrovertible that focusing on the promotion of value addition in Nigeria through intensive utilisation of human resources, local capacity and raw materials, products and services would be beneficial to the country. One advantage of this proposal is that it would increase indigenous participation in the economy.
“As for the construction industry there is no denying the fact that it has its own “internal” infrastructural needs. So, the government should give the machine tools industry a boost as we need several of such factories like the one at Osogbo, where lathes are made and moulds are fabricated. This conserves foreign exchange that would have been committed to the importation of plants, instruments and equipment.
He said further: “The training programme should be reviewed and overhauled. The faculties of engineering have so far been largely involved in the development of professional manpower required in the construction industry. There is a need to train more technical staff particularly for supervisory duties.
“Furthermore, reliance on the formal educational system for the supply of relevant skill requirements is likely to prolong the time needed to supply requisite skills. It is, therefore, essential that greater emphasis should be given to non-formal education as a way of turning out products with requisite skills in time.”
While noting that the construction sector witnessed growth in the last few years despite the global economic downturn, he, however, blamed the present stunt growth on policy neglect by the government.
He said: “The construction sector witnessed double digit growth rates between 2004 to 2008. Unwarranted policy neglect of the construction sector is a major challenge that needs to be addressed urgently.”
He also challenged engineers on continuous professional training to update the knowledge of the engineers and raise the level of professionalism in the industry
US Fines Firm Over $338m Bribe in Nigeria
An oil service firm, Technip, Monday agreed to pay a $338 million fine for scheming to bribe some Nigerian officials, the United States (US) Justice Department has announced.
US officials alleged that the Paris-based company was "engaged in a sophisticated, decade-long scheme" to bribe Nigerian officials in an effort to secure billions of dollars in contracts.
"The resolutions announced demonstrate once again the department’s commitment to aggressively investigate and prosecute international bribery by US and foreign corporations alike," said US prosecutor Mythili Raman.
"That Technip now must pay criminal penalties and relinquish ill-gotten gains totalling $338 million "should make clear that, in the end, bribery of foreign officials will have consequences," Raman said.
Through a joint venture with Kellogg, Brown and Root and others, Technip hired two agents to pay bribes to Nigerian officials to obtain contracts to build $6billion natural gas facilities.
The venture paid companies controlled by the agents $182 million, part of which was intended to be used for bribes.
Under the terms of agreement, the US will defer prosecution of Technip for two years while Technip retains an independent monitor to ensure it is in compliance with anti-bribery.
Technip said on its website it had reached final agreement with the US Department of Justice ("DOJ") and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to resolve all potential claims arising from Technip’s participation in the TSKJ joint venture between 1994 and 2004.
Technip Chairman and CEO, Thierry Pilenko said: "The final agreement with the US authorities, completely in line with the road map that we laid out in February, puts this legacy story behind us and enables us to focus on continuing to develop Technip’s business. We stand by Technip’s commitment to carrying out its business activities ethically and according to both the spirit and letter of the law worldwide. The Board of Directors of Technip and its management are strongly committed to the continued enhancement of our internal compliance policies and processes."
It added that the agreements with the DOJ and the SEC called for the company to pay $338 million (USD 240 million to the DOJ and USD 98 million to the SEC) over the next two years. Technip agreed to pay $240 million to the DOJ in eight equal installments of $30 million over the next two years. Technip will retain a French national, approved by the Department of Justice, to serve as an independent corporate monitor, who will be chiefly responsible for reviewing Technip’s compliance initiatives and recommending improvements.
Technip agreed with the SEC to the entry of a final judgment that permanently enjoins Technip from violating the anti-bribery, books and records, and internal control provisions of the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Technip also agreed to pay to the SEC $98 million in disgorgement, relating to the TSKJ joint venture.
US officials alleged that the Paris-based company was "engaged in a sophisticated, decade-long scheme" to bribe Nigerian officials in an effort to secure billions of dollars in contracts.
"The resolutions announced demonstrate once again the department’s commitment to aggressively investigate and prosecute international bribery by US and foreign corporations alike," said US prosecutor Mythili Raman.
"That Technip now must pay criminal penalties and relinquish ill-gotten gains totalling $338 million "should make clear that, in the end, bribery of foreign officials will have consequences," Raman said.
Through a joint venture with Kellogg, Brown and Root and others, Technip hired two agents to pay bribes to Nigerian officials to obtain contracts to build $6billion natural gas facilities.
The venture paid companies controlled by the agents $182 million, part of which was intended to be used for bribes.
Under the terms of agreement, the US will defer prosecution of Technip for two years while Technip retains an independent monitor to ensure it is in compliance with anti-bribery.
Technip said on its website it had reached final agreement with the US Department of Justice ("DOJ") and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to resolve all potential claims arising from Technip’s participation in the TSKJ joint venture between 1994 and 2004.
Technip Chairman and CEO, Thierry Pilenko said: "The final agreement with the US authorities, completely in line with the road map that we laid out in February, puts this legacy story behind us and enables us to focus on continuing to develop Technip’s business. We stand by Technip’s commitment to carrying out its business activities ethically and according to both the spirit and letter of the law worldwide. The Board of Directors of Technip and its management are strongly committed to the continued enhancement of our internal compliance policies and processes."
It added that the agreements with the DOJ and the SEC called for the company to pay $338 million (USD 240 million to the DOJ and USD 98 million to the SEC) over the next two years. Technip agreed to pay $240 million to the DOJ in eight equal installments of $30 million over the next two years. Technip will retain a French national, approved by the Department of Justice, to serve as an independent corporate monitor, who will be chiefly responsible for reviewing Technip’s compliance initiatives and recommending improvements.
Technip agreed with the SEC to the entry of a final judgment that permanently enjoins Technip from violating the anti-bribery, books and records, and internal control provisions of the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Technip also agreed to pay to the SEC $98 million in disgorgement, relating to the TSKJ joint venture.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Reps Exchange Blows
Reps exchange blows.
Melaye, Nwachukwu arrested, Progressives members suspended
From JAMES OJO, Abuja
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Sun News Publishing
The House of Representatives yesterday erupted in an orgy of violence following the suspension of 11 members with seven of them receiving the beating of their lives before they were bundled out of the chamber.
During the fracas some of the members were beaten black and blue, and had their arms broken as well as clothes torn.
Those suspended are: Dino Melaye who led the Progressives, which had engaged the Speaker, Mr Dimeji Bankole and House leadership in a running battle over alleged malpractices; West Idahosa; Independence Ogunewe; Solomon Awhwinahwi; Austin Nwachukwu; Abba Anas; Gbenga Oduwaiye; Kayode Amusan; Gbenga Onigbogi; Bitrus Kaze and Doris Uboh.
Melaye and Nwachukwu were later arrested by the police over the mayhem in the House.
There was an anticipation that yesterday’s session of the House, holding after a vacation, would be rowdy.
Members who had arrived early to take their seats inside the chamber were searched by securitymen who had taken strategic positions within the National Assembly complex. Visitors and workers were equally frisked before they were allowed access to their offices and the Press Gallery.
Plenary commenced after Bankole entered and read a communication from President Goodluck Jonathan, asking for the leave of the lawmakers to grant loans to the Island of Sao Tome and Principe.
He then invited Mr Chile Igbauwa , PDP member from Benue State to move his motion bordering on powers and privileges as a member of the House.
Igbauwa invoked Order 5 [1] sub rules 2 and 3 and section 60 of the 1999 Constitution, which allows the House to regulate its procedure and Order 8 rules 7, sub rules 3, B, C and D.
He said he was compelled to respond to the various actions of the ‘Progressives’ under the leadership of Mr Dino Melaye, which, he added, were casting aspersion on the House and presented the House as not capable of resolving its problem.
“While relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution guarantee the freedom of opinion and expression, it must be done within the context of procedure so as not to infringe on the rights and privileges of others, in this case, members of the House. The recent attacks on the Speaker and principal officers of this Honourable House on television and the pages of newspapers, have cast serious dent on the image of this Honourable House,” he stated.
“Therefore, for failing to adhere to the provisions of the Legislative Houses [Power and Privileges Act, Code of Conduct for honourable members and the Rules of the House, in stating their grievances and for taking their matter to the public domain with the view to maliciously bring the image of the House into disrepute, I hereby move the House in the following terms,” he said.
Melaye, who had envisaged that a suspension would be slammed on him and his group raised a point of order, which the Speaker ignored.
Melaye jumped from his seat, shouting “No! No! You can not do it, We will not take it, it will never happen.” He was joined by Mrs Uboh to protest the motion for suspension.
A melee ensued as members left their seats, to position themselves for the fight which eventually broke out.
Mr Ishaku Bawa pulled back Uboh from her seat, while Melaye snatched the motion paper from Igbauwa and tore it into shreds.
Prompt intervention of men of the Sergeant-at-Arms and plain clothes security men, who had positioned themselves inside the chamber and formed a ring around the mace, prevented it from being forcefully removed by Solomon Awhinawhi. He later left the chamber with a bruised nose.
At a point the securitymen took away the mace from the table, but returned it to the table for the Speaker to read the names of members in the list passed on to him by the Chief Whip, Emeka Ihedioha.
Bankole quickly read the names of members placed on suspension and ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to use reasonable force to take them out of the chamber.
From there, the chamber became rowdy as members massed around the mace, while some formed a defence wall around the Speakers’ podium.
Members decided to bundle their colleagues out of the chamber. First to be bundled out was Mrs Uboh, who was dragged on the floor and a member seized her shoes and flung it, even as she protested against the humiliation.
After her forced exit, members pounced on Awhinawhi as he was sandwitched by six members and pulled out of the chamber with blood oozing from his nose.
Next on the line was Mr Austin Nwachukwu. Before his eviction, he took on Chinyere Igwe and broke his arm, Nwachukwu’s clothes were torn and he was lifted out of the chamber.
The arrowhead of the plot to remove the Speaker , Mr Melaye became the next target. He was surrounded by five members, pushed to the floor and was shoved aside before he was taken out. He lost his cap.
Before the eviction was concluded, Independence Ogunewe, West Idahosa, Gbenga Onigbogi quietly walked out of the chamber.
The last member to be taken out forcefully was Mr Kaze. While his colleagues in the Progressives were being taken one after the other, he sat down and was watching the drama.
By the time they came for him, he was surrounded by about 10 members and was lifted up from his seat. A member pulled his gown from behind and he was hit on head.
After the eviction, members clapped and the plenary was called to order for the business of the day to commence.
Spokesman of the House, Mr Eseme Eyiboh later told journalists that one of the suspended members, Austin Nwachukwu entered the chamber with a dangerous weapon.
“Nwachukwu came to the chamber with tear gas and other dangerous weapons. This does not fall within his parliamentary powers. In the same manner, Mr Melaye came into the chamber with a whistle, which is not part of our legislative tools,” he stated.
Eyiboh said the leadership of the House and members acted within the purview of the law and the allowances for a disciplined organ.
The spokesman explained that the suspension of the 11 members was not because they decided to report the Speaker to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC], but because they failed to explore the House rules to resolve any differences.
CID Maduabum said it was scandalous for a member to enter the chamber with weapons and he was making way to remove the mace.
Reacting to their suspension, Melaye said that it was the height of tyranny.
“ This is the height of tyranny. What they are accusing us of is what Eyiboh has done. He and Bankole are guilty of talking to the Press. There is nowhere in our rules that we cannot talk to the Press. Agoda did the same during Etteh, Farouk Lawal did the same. We shall not allow this. They refused to react to our allegation, instead they suspended us. This is collaborative tyranny,” he said.
Accredited journalists covering the House were equally subjected to harassment by security agents as attempts were made to seize their working tools.
Gbenga Olamikan of Vanguard had his camera seized. It was the protest by his colleagues, that saved him. Reporters from Compass, Wole Oladimeji and Julius Toba were also molested, while Rotimi Akinwumi of Daily Independent had his handset removed.
Meanwhile, spokesman of the FCT Police Command, Mr Jimoh Moshood, confirmed to Daily Sun that the Commissioner of Police, Mr John Haruna, invited Melaye and Nwachukwu over the roles they played in the fracas, which rocked the House early in the day.
Specifically, he stated that Melaye and Nwachukwu were quizzed and detained over the injuries inflicted on Mr Chinyere Igwe, representing Port Harcourt federal constituency of Rivers State who had his arm broken after he was allegedly floored by Nwachukwu during the fracas.
“It is true that Messrs Melaye and Nwachukwu were invited by the Commissioner of Police. They were questioned over the attack on another member of the House, Mr Chinyere Igwe.
“I cannot confirm to you if they have been released or not. All I know is that the CP ordered for their interrogation,” he said
Courtesy: Vanguard News
Melaye, Nwachukwu arrested, Progressives members suspended
From JAMES OJO, Abuja
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Sun News Publishing
The House of Representatives yesterday erupted in an orgy of violence following the suspension of 11 members with seven of them receiving the beating of their lives before they were bundled out of the chamber.
During the fracas some of the members were beaten black and blue, and had their arms broken as well as clothes torn.
Those suspended are: Dino Melaye who led the Progressives, which had engaged the Speaker, Mr Dimeji Bankole and House leadership in a running battle over alleged malpractices; West Idahosa; Independence Ogunewe; Solomon Awhwinahwi; Austin Nwachukwu; Abba Anas; Gbenga Oduwaiye; Kayode Amusan; Gbenga Onigbogi; Bitrus Kaze and Doris Uboh.
Melaye and Nwachukwu were later arrested by the police over the mayhem in the House.
There was an anticipation that yesterday’s session of the House, holding after a vacation, would be rowdy.
Members who had arrived early to take their seats inside the chamber were searched by securitymen who had taken strategic positions within the National Assembly complex. Visitors and workers were equally frisked before they were allowed access to their offices and the Press Gallery.
Plenary commenced after Bankole entered and read a communication from President Goodluck Jonathan, asking for the leave of the lawmakers to grant loans to the Island of Sao Tome and Principe.
He then invited Mr Chile Igbauwa , PDP member from Benue State to move his motion bordering on powers and privileges as a member of the House.
Igbauwa invoked Order 5 [1] sub rules 2 and 3 and section 60 of the 1999 Constitution, which allows the House to regulate its procedure and Order 8 rules 7, sub rules 3, B, C and D.
He said he was compelled to respond to the various actions of the ‘Progressives’ under the leadership of Mr Dino Melaye, which, he added, were casting aspersion on the House and presented the House as not capable of resolving its problem.
“While relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution guarantee the freedom of opinion and expression, it must be done within the context of procedure so as not to infringe on the rights and privileges of others, in this case, members of the House. The recent attacks on the Speaker and principal officers of this Honourable House on television and the pages of newspapers, have cast serious dent on the image of this Honourable House,” he stated.
“Therefore, for failing to adhere to the provisions of the Legislative Houses [Power and Privileges Act, Code of Conduct for honourable members and the Rules of the House, in stating their grievances and for taking their matter to the public domain with the view to maliciously bring the image of the House into disrepute, I hereby move the House in the following terms,” he said.
Melaye, who had envisaged that a suspension would be slammed on him and his group raised a point of order, which the Speaker ignored.
Melaye jumped from his seat, shouting “No! No! You can not do it, We will not take it, it will never happen.” He was joined by Mrs Uboh to protest the motion for suspension.
A melee ensued as members left their seats, to position themselves for the fight which eventually broke out.
Mr Ishaku Bawa pulled back Uboh from her seat, while Melaye snatched the motion paper from Igbauwa and tore it into shreds.
Prompt intervention of men of the Sergeant-at-Arms and plain clothes security men, who had positioned themselves inside the chamber and formed a ring around the mace, prevented it from being forcefully removed by Solomon Awhinawhi. He later left the chamber with a bruised nose.
At a point the securitymen took away the mace from the table, but returned it to the table for the Speaker to read the names of members in the list passed on to him by the Chief Whip, Emeka Ihedioha.
Bankole quickly read the names of members placed on suspension and ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to use reasonable force to take them out of the chamber.
From there, the chamber became rowdy as members massed around the mace, while some formed a defence wall around the Speakers’ podium.
Members decided to bundle their colleagues out of the chamber. First to be bundled out was Mrs Uboh, who was dragged on the floor and a member seized her shoes and flung it, even as she protested against the humiliation.
After her forced exit, members pounced on Awhinawhi as he was sandwitched by six members and pulled out of the chamber with blood oozing from his nose.
Next on the line was Mr Austin Nwachukwu. Before his eviction, he took on Chinyere Igwe and broke his arm, Nwachukwu’s clothes were torn and he was lifted out of the chamber.
The arrowhead of the plot to remove the Speaker , Mr Melaye became the next target. He was surrounded by five members, pushed to the floor and was shoved aside before he was taken out. He lost his cap.
Before the eviction was concluded, Independence Ogunewe, West Idahosa, Gbenga Onigbogi quietly walked out of the chamber.
The last member to be taken out forcefully was Mr Kaze. While his colleagues in the Progressives were being taken one after the other, he sat down and was watching the drama.
By the time they came for him, he was surrounded by about 10 members and was lifted up from his seat. A member pulled his gown from behind and he was hit on head.
After the eviction, members clapped and the plenary was called to order for the business of the day to commence.
Spokesman of the House, Mr Eseme Eyiboh later told journalists that one of the suspended members, Austin Nwachukwu entered the chamber with a dangerous weapon.
“Nwachukwu came to the chamber with tear gas and other dangerous weapons. This does not fall within his parliamentary powers. In the same manner, Mr Melaye came into the chamber with a whistle, which is not part of our legislative tools,” he stated.
Eyiboh said the leadership of the House and members acted within the purview of the law and the allowances for a disciplined organ.
The spokesman explained that the suspension of the 11 members was not because they decided to report the Speaker to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC], but because they failed to explore the House rules to resolve any differences.
CID Maduabum said it was scandalous for a member to enter the chamber with weapons and he was making way to remove the mace.
Reacting to their suspension, Melaye said that it was the height of tyranny.
“ This is the height of tyranny. What they are accusing us of is what Eyiboh has done. He and Bankole are guilty of talking to the Press. There is nowhere in our rules that we cannot talk to the Press. Agoda did the same during Etteh, Farouk Lawal did the same. We shall not allow this. They refused to react to our allegation, instead they suspended us. This is collaborative tyranny,” he said.
Accredited journalists covering the House were equally subjected to harassment by security agents as attempts were made to seize their working tools.
Gbenga Olamikan of Vanguard had his camera seized. It was the protest by his colleagues, that saved him. Reporters from Compass, Wole Oladimeji and Julius Toba were also molested, while Rotimi Akinwumi of Daily Independent had his handset removed.
Meanwhile, spokesman of the FCT Police Command, Mr Jimoh Moshood, confirmed to Daily Sun that the Commissioner of Police, Mr John Haruna, invited Melaye and Nwachukwu over the roles they played in the fracas, which rocked the House early in the day.
Specifically, he stated that Melaye and Nwachukwu were quizzed and detained over the injuries inflicted on Mr Chinyere Igwe, representing Port Harcourt federal constituency of Rivers State who had his arm broken after he was allegedly floored by Nwachukwu during the fracas.
“It is true that Messrs Melaye and Nwachukwu were invited by the Commissioner of Police. They were questioned over the attack on another member of the House, Mr Chinyere Igwe.
“I cannot confirm to you if they have been released or not. All I know is that the CP ordered for their interrogation,” he said
Courtesy: Vanguard News
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Small Business - Business Models & Business Plans, Small Business Tax, Selling: Tips & Tricks
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Small Business - how to videos Business Models & Business Plans, Small Business Tax, Selling: Tips & Tricks
Small Business - how to videos Business Models & Business Plans, Small Business Tax, Selling: Tips & Tricks
After $283.5m loss, South Africa’s Telkom may quit Nigeria
Telkom SA Ltd., South Africa’s dominant fixed-line phone company, is seriously considering the option of quiting Nigeria after its $410 million acquisition of Multi-Links failed to yield the expected result.
Chief Executive Officer of the firm, Reubens September, said yesterday that the company was urgently looking to reduce its exposure to its troubled operations in Nigeria where it made the wrong bet on technology.
Telkom completed the $410 million acquisition of Multi-Links in January 2009, having bought an initial 75 per cent almost three years earlier.
In the latest financial year to the end of March, Telkom took an impairment charge of almost 2.15 billion rand ($283.5 million) of Multi-Links’ goodwill and ZAR3.01 billion of assets.
Telkom is now looking to “extract the maximum value” from the business and is considering opportunities to partner with another company or sell some or all the operation in Nigeria, September told reporters during a conference call yesterday.
September said he would like to resolve the matter “urgently,” and expected a decision to be made in the next six to 12 months.
“We have had individuals approach us. We are now looking at widening that process,” he said.
Multi-Links — which provides fixed, mobile, data and international communications services in Nigeria — had almost 2.26 million subscribers in the last financial year compared with 1.87 million a year earlier.
The chief executive said, Multi-Links was acquired at a time when Telkom expected code division multiple access, or CDMA, technology to continue to expand rapidly in certain countries. However, there were several new operators in Nigeria that got caught up in a price war that led to “unacceptable” margins and they were later hit by the deteriorating economic environment in the country, he said.
“If we were to take that decision today, we would certainly not go into CDMA,” September said.
Telkom ‘s operating earnings fell 15 per cent on the year, citing muted revenue growth, intensifying competition and higher operating costs.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation totaled 9.8 billion Rand while operating revenue rose 0.7 per cent to ZAR37 billion.
Earnings per share from continuing operations fell 11 per cent to 473 cents for the year ended March 2010.
The group increased its normal dividend by 8.7 per cent to 125 cents a share from 115 cents previously, while a special dividend was declared from Vodacom proceeds of 175 cents a share.
September said the year had been “tough,” with muted revenue growth as a result of low tariff increases, more competition and higher operating costs due to inventory write-offs and an 11.2% increase in salaries as a result of a new agreement with unions.
He said Telkom planned to reposition, given the tough operating environment. It will focus on growing alternative revenue streams including data centre operation, mobile telecommunications and its Africa operations to compensate for the decline in fixed-line revenue.
“We are improving our execution in current growth markets, such as broadband and wholesale, and are taking actions to defend our consumer and enterprise markets,” he said.
Chief Executive Officer of the firm, Reubens September, said yesterday that the company was urgently looking to reduce its exposure to its troubled operations in Nigeria where it made the wrong bet on technology.
Telkom completed the $410 million acquisition of Multi-Links in January 2009, having bought an initial 75 per cent almost three years earlier.
In the latest financial year to the end of March, Telkom took an impairment charge of almost 2.15 billion rand ($283.5 million) of Multi-Links’ goodwill and ZAR3.01 billion of assets.
Telkom is now looking to “extract the maximum value” from the business and is considering opportunities to partner with another company or sell some or all the operation in Nigeria, September told reporters during a conference call yesterday.
September said he would like to resolve the matter “urgently,” and expected a decision to be made in the next six to 12 months.
“We have had individuals approach us. We are now looking at widening that process,” he said.
Multi-Links — which provides fixed, mobile, data and international communications services in Nigeria — had almost 2.26 million subscribers in the last financial year compared with 1.87 million a year earlier.
The chief executive said, Multi-Links was acquired at a time when Telkom expected code division multiple access, or CDMA, technology to continue to expand rapidly in certain countries. However, there were several new operators in Nigeria that got caught up in a price war that led to “unacceptable” margins and they were later hit by the deteriorating economic environment in the country, he said.
“If we were to take that decision today, we would certainly not go into CDMA,” September said.
Telkom ‘s operating earnings fell 15 per cent on the year, citing muted revenue growth, intensifying competition and higher operating costs.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation totaled 9.8 billion Rand while operating revenue rose 0.7 per cent to ZAR37 billion.
Earnings per share from continuing operations fell 11 per cent to 473 cents for the year ended March 2010.
The group increased its normal dividend by 8.7 per cent to 125 cents a share from 115 cents previously, while a special dividend was declared from Vodacom proceeds of 175 cents a share.
September said the year had been “tough,” with muted revenue growth as a result of low tariff increases, more competition and higher operating costs due to inventory write-offs and an 11.2% increase in salaries as a result of a new agreement with unions.
He said Telkom planned to reposition, given the tough operating environment. It will focus on growing alternative revenue streams including data centre operation, mobile telecommunications and its Africa operations to compensate for the decline in fixed-line revenue.
“We are improving our execution in current growth markets, such as broadband and wholesale, and are taking actions to defend our consumer and enterprise markets,” he said.
Jonathan Names Nnaji Adviser on Power
Jonathan names Nnaji Adviser on Power
Tuesday, 22 June 2010, Nigerian Compass
President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed Prof. Barth Nnaji as Special Adviser on Power.
Nnaji, a former Minister of Science and Technology will work with seven Special Assistants who will oversee the monitoring of performance and progress on specific power sector issues in the areas of generation, transmission, distribution, fuel-to-power, the National Integrated Power Project, BPE, regulatory issues and other transition enablers and labour issues.
The distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering of the Universities of Massachusetts and Pittsburgh in the United States of America will now head the Presidential Task Force on Power recently established by the President.
The task force is charged with developing and driving an action plan for the attainment of steady power supply in the country.
Professor Nnaji is expected to work with other members of the task- force to evolve workable strategies for rapid improvement of power generation, transmission and distribution in the country.
According to a statement from the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ima Niboro, members of the task-force, which will report directly to the Presidential Action Committee on Power, include the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power; the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum of Corporation (NNPC); the Managing Director of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN); the Managing Director, Niger-Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) and the Director General, Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP).
Tuesday, 22 June 2010, Nigerian Compass
President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed Prof. Barth Nnaji as Special Adviser on Power.
Nnaji, a former Minister of Science and Technology will work with seven Special Assistants who will oversee the monitoring of performance and progress on specific power sector issues in the areas of generation, transmission, distribution, fuel-to-power, the National Integrated Power Project, BPE, regulatory issues and other transition enablers and labour issues.
The distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering of the Universities of Massachusetts and Pittsburgh in the United States of America will now head the Presidential Task Force on Power recently established by the President.
The task force is charged with developing and driving an action plan for the attainment of steady power supply in the country.
Professor Nnaji is expected to work with other members of the task- force to evolve workable strategies for rapid improvement of power generation, transmission and distribution in the country.
According to a statement from the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ima Niboro, members of the task-force, which will report directly to the Presidential Action Committee on Power, include the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power; the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum of Corporation (NNPC); the Managing Director of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN); the Managing Director, Niger-Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) and the Director General, Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP).
Monday, June 21, 2010
Fluid Mechanics
The study of fluids - liquids and gases. Involves various properties of the fluid, such as velocity, pressure, density and temperature, as functions of space and time.
Fluid Mechanics
We Need To Make Amends - Yobo
Nigerian football captain says his side are ready to make amends for embarrassing defeats to Argentina and Greece at the World Cup.
The Super Eagles lost 1-0 to Argentina and 2-1 to 2004 European Champions Greece, and Yobo told the BBC that the final group game against South Korea can't come soon enough.
"For us we would have played today if we could have. It has been the most frustrating few days ever for the team.
"You are hyped up for the World Cup and then perform like that. It's a final chance against South Korea, we are even lucky that we have games to put it right."
Reports say players were even involved in a shouting match in the dressing room at the end of the Greece match but Yobo was quick to play it down.
"That is not true, we are all united in one goal and fight, which is to redeem our battered image out there and we want the fans to know we feel their disappointments and frustrations.
In the build-up to the second Greece goal the captain was on the ground after a collision before Enyeama spilled Alexandros Tziolis's long-range shot into the path of Torosidis, who buried the chance in the 71st minute.
"I went blank and blurred under few seconds after the collision, I thought it was a foul but then the ball was at the back of the net, I felt bad but we have to move on now.
"The most worrying aspect at the final whistle was the way our spirit fell to bits in disappointments," Yobo told BBC Sport.
"We have all learnt a lot about the closeness of the players. On Tuesday everyone is ready to fight and die for the colour of the country."
But no team in World Cup history has ever lost more than one group stage game and gone on to reach the next round, yet Joseph Yobo is incredibly optimistic they can earn a place in the history book.
A single-goal victory in their final match against South Korea and even a single-goal loss for Greece against the table-topping Argentina would see Nigeria through on goal difference.
"We now have a possible mission towards the next round," Everton defender Yobo said.
"Surprisingly, when we walked off that pitch against Greece we thought it was all over but now there is a second chance for us. Many people insist it will be impossible but we have been written off several times during the qualifiers yet we made it here."
Nigeria left it late to qualify for the World Cup, with an 81st-minute winner against Kenya in the final qualifier seeing them through.
With midfielder Sani Kaita ruled out due to a red card offence and a defensive crisis ahead of Tuesday's final group game against South Korea in Durban, Yobo is still holding out optimism.
"The odds are certainly not against us because this team can fight and die on the pitch against the Koreans," said Yobo.
"With our left-backs (Taye Taiwo and Elderson Echiejile) battling with injury, Kaita ruled out we are not short of confidence going into the final group game.
The Super Eagles has come under severe criticism from the local media as well as aggrieved fans back home following defeats against Argentina and Greece.
But Yobo has called for support as he gears his side up to face a South Korean team also chasing a place in the next round.
"We've been hit by a lot of problems, we haven't taken our chances in front of goal, and we've come under severe criticism and possibly, at times, rightly so.
"I think we should stop throwing blames or continue to live in the past. We need the support of the fans and media because there is still a lot to fight for.
"We say sorry to the fans and media, we know they are disappointed but we promise to show (on the pitch) that we can achieve success collectively."
Kaita's Death Threats
Nigeria takes action over Kaita death threats
Nigeria is taking action over death threats to midfielder Sani Kaita, who was sent off in the Super Eagles 1-2 loss to Greece in a World cup Group B game last Thursday.
Kaita told the German news agency that he had received death threats via email, and team Media Officer Idah Peterside said the NFF had written an official letter to FIFA and the Nigerian government.
"He has received over 1000 threats to his email, so we are not taking this lightly.
"We have spoken to the Nigerian Minister of Sports to inform him about the situation, and we are also writing to FIFA to notify them," Peterside said.
He added that the minister and other Nigerian officials were disappointed at the situation.
"This is just a young man on national service who is trying to do his best. For people to threaten his life is shocking and disappointing.
"He is shaken, but is getting support from his team mates and team officials.
Nigeria is taking action over death threats to midfielder Sani Kaita, who was sent off in the Super Eagles 1-2 loss to Greece in a World cup Group B game last Thursday.
Kaita told the German news agency that he had received death threats via email, and team Media Officer Idah Peterside said the NFF had written an official letter to FIFA and the Nigerian government.
"He has received over 1000 threats to his email, so we are not taking this lightly.
"We have spoken to the Nigerian Minister of Sports to inform him about the situation, and we are also writing to FIFA to notify them," Peterside said.
He added that the minister and other Nigerian officials were disappointed at the situation.
"This is just a young man on national service who is trying to do his best. For people to threaten his life is shocking and disappointing.
"He is shaken, but is getting support from his team mates and team officials.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Shell contributes N5.23trn to FG’s revenue
Shell contributes N5.23trn to FG’s revenue •To boost power supply
Written by Samuel Ibiyemi, Lagos
Thursday, 17 June 2010
SHELL companies in Nigeria have announced the contribution of $35 billion (about N5.25 trillion) to annual oil revenue of the Federal Govern-ment between 2005 and 2009 and invested $2 billion in domestic gas projects needed to improve electricity generation in the country.
Also, in order to check poverty in the Niger Delta, Shell has received approval for $250 million (about N37.5 billion) as annual expenditure and berated critics over the comparison of oil spills in the Niger Delta to the Gulf of Mexico.
The Federal Government had predicted that domestic demand for gas would rise five-fold to 5 billion cubic feet (bcf) per day by 2013 as a result of ongoing power projects designed to generate electricity at gas-fired power stations.
The chairman of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, disclosed in Lagos, on Wednesday, that his company’s revenue contribution to the Federal Government represented the highest by any single company in Nigeria during the period despite significant drop in crude oil production from over one million barrels per day (mbpd) in 2006 to 630,000bpd in 2009.
According to him, the contribution was made possible from its operations as a result of the existing fiscal arrangement making the Federal Government to take 95 per cent of the expected revenue from every barrel of oil produced per day.
“Frustrated by the lack of benefits from oil revenue, communities in the Niger Delta have continued to target the operations of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) demanding better public services and a greater share of government revenues,” he said.
Sunmonu, who is also the Managing Director of SPDC, announced that the company’s investment of $2 billion in domestic gas projects was designed to increase gas production to help meet growing domestic energy demand and support economic growth.
For instance, he said that work was progressing on the Gbaran-Ubie integrated gas and oil project expected to produce one billion standard cubic feet of gas per day and more than 70, 000 barrels of oil per day on completion of the phase one.
“New pipelines will deliver a portion of that gas to generate power in the Niger Delta-supporting development in the region. It is expected to supply the Bayelsa State power plant at Imiringi and a new 225 megawatts power plant that the Federal Government is building under the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) at Gbaran in Bayelsa State,” he noted.
Industry analysts believe that increase in gas supply to the power stations of PHCN will help to raise the daily generation to 6,000mw planned target of the Federal Government.
It will also help to boost the implementation of new power reform initiated by President Goodluck Jona-than in Abuja, on Tuesday.
Sunmonu, however, expressed disappointment with the way Nigerians were comparing oil spills in the Niger Delta with the Gulf of Mexico with higher production of crude oil per well.
For instance, he said oil spills were frequent in the onshore and swamp areas in the Niger Delta as a result of vandalism and not equipment failure, though most of the wells were producing below 5,000 bpd compared with 50,000 bpd in the Gulf of Mexico.
“We cannot compare oil spills in the Niger Delta with the Gulf of Mexico, because greater portion of the spills were contributed by vandals on abandoned wells and, in particular, in Ogoniland, Bayelsa State,” he said.
Using SPDC as an example of cases of oil spills, he said oil spills had reduced significantly in Nigeria as a result of the amnesty programme initiated by the Federal Government in 2009.
“The total number of spills in 2009 was 132, against the average between 2005 and 2009 of 175 per year.
“Thieves or saboteurs spilled about 103,000 barrels from SPDC facilities in 95 incidents, with an average of one spill every four days.
“This accounted for almost 98 per cent of the volume of oil spilled during the year,” he said.
On domestic gas supply for power generation, Sunmonu said the company had signed a multi-million dollar pipeline contract with Daewoo to enable the SPDC JV partners to supply more gas to power stations in the country.
The contract, he said, would involve the construction of pipelines that would take gas from SPDC-operated JV fields to the domestic network owned and operated by the Nigerian Gas Company, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
“On completion of the project, the pipelines are expected to deliver some 250 million cubic feet of gas per day,” he said.
He added that the Afam VI power plant and the Okoloma gas plant in Rivers State had started generating 450mw to the national grid out of 650mw contained in the project’s plan.
The plant, which according to him, was inaugurated in July 2009, had supplied over 2.5 million megawatts of electricity to the national grid.
“Today, Shell has the biggest private power plant contributing 20 per cent of the nation’s electricity generation capacity per day. We are proud to support the Federal Government in its efforts to provide more energy for Nigerians,” he said.
He lamented that there remained many challenges to the gas industry in Nigeria and to the implementation of the Nigerian Gas Master Plan.
He said lack of funding had stalled many projects designed to capture associated gas and to reduce flaring, adding that security concerns continued to delay gas and other projects onshore in the Niger Delta.
Regardless of the daunting challenges, Sunmonu announced that the company had raised its annual expenditure on poverty reduction by 500 per cent from $50 million to $250 (about N37.5 billion) annually.
In 2009, he said Shell JV operations contributed over $156.5 million ($555.3 million Shell share) to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as required by law.
“In the same year, operations run by SPDC contributed an additional $57.7 million ($18 million-Shell share) directly to development projects which focused on a range of activities, including small business and agriculture, training education, health care and capacity building,” he added.
Written by Samuel Ibiyemi, Lagos
Thursday, 17 June 2010
SHELL companies in Nigeria have announced the contribution of $35 billion (about N5.25 trillion) to annual oil revenue of the Federal Govern-ment between 2005 and 2009 and invested $2 billion in domestic gas projects needed to improve electricity generation in the country.
Also, in order to check poverty in the Niger Delta, Shell has received approval for $250 million (about N37.5 billion) as annual expenditure and berated critics over the comparison of oil spills in the Niger Delta to the Gulf of Mexico.
The Federal Government had predicted that domestic demand for gas would rise five-fold to 5 billion cubic feet (bcf) per day by 2013 as a result of ongoing power projects designed to generate electricity at gas-fired power stations.
The chairman of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, disclosed in Lagos, on Wednesday, that his company’s revenue contribution to the Federal Government represented the highest by any single company in Nigeria during the period despite significant drop in crude oil production from over one million barrels per day (mbpd) in 2006 to 630,000bpd in 2009.
According to him, the contribution was made possible from its operations as a result of the existing fiscal arrangement making the Federal Government to take 95 per cent of the expected revenue from every barrel of oil produced per day.
“Frustrated by the lack of benefits from oil revenue, communities in the Niger Delta have continued to target the operations of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) demanding better public services and a greater share of government revenues,” he said.
Sunmonu, who is also the Managing Director of SPDC, announced that the company’s investment of $2 billion in domestic gas projects was designed to increase gas production to help meet growing domestic energy demand and support economic growth.
For instance, he said that work was progressing on the Gbaran-Ubie integrated gas and oil project expected to produce one billion standard cubic feet of gas per day and more than 70, 000 barrels of oil per day on completion of the phase one.
“New pipelines will deliver a portion of that gas to generate power in the Niger Delta-supporting development in the region. It is expected to supply the Bayelsa State power plant at Imiringi and a new 225 megawatts power plant that the Federal Government is building under the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) at Gbaran in Bayelsa State,” he noted.
Industry analysts believe that increase in gas supply to the power stations of PHCN will help to raise the daily generation to 6,000mw planned target of the Federal Government.
It will also help to boost the implementation of new power reform initiated by President Goodluck Jona-than in Abuja, on Tuesday.
Sunmonu, however, expressed disappointment with the way Nigerians were comparing oil spills in the Niger Delta with the Gulf of Mexico with higher production of crude oil per well.
For instance, he said oil spills were frequent in the onshore and swamp areas in the Niger Delta as a result of vandalism and not equipment failure, though most of the wells were producing below 5,000 bpd compared with 50,000 bpd in the Gulf of Mexico.
“We cannot compare oil spills in the Niger Delta with the Gulf of Mexico, because greater portion of the spills were contributed by vandals on abandoned wells and, in particular, in Ogoniland, Bayelsa State,” he said.
Using SPDC as an example of cases of oil spills, he said oil spills had reduced significantly in Nigeria as a result of the amnesty programme initiated by the Federal Government in 2009.
“The total number of spills in 2009 was 132, against the average between 2005 and 2009 of 175 per year.
“Thieves or saboteurs spilled about 103,000 barrels from SPDC facilities in 95 incidents, with an average of one spill every four days.
“This accounted for almost 98 per cent of the volume of oil spilled during the year,” he said.
On domestic gas supply for power generation, Sunmonu said the company had signed a multi-million dollar pipeline contract with Daewoo to enable the SPDC JV partners to supply more gas to power stations in the country.
The contract, he said, would involve the construction of pipelines that would take gas from SPDC-operated JV fields to the domestic network owned and operated by the Nigerian Gas Company, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
“On completion of the project, the pipelines are expected to deliver some 250 million cubic feet of gas per day,” he said.
He added that the Afam VI power plant and the Okoloma gas plant in Rivers State had started generating 450mw to the national grid out of 650mw contained in the project’s plan.
The plant, which according to him, was inaugurated in July 2009, had supplied over 2.5 million megawatts of electricity to the national grid.
“Today, Shell has the biggest private power plant contributing 20 per cent of the nation’s electricity generation capacity per day. We are proud to support the Federal Government in its efforts to provide more energy for Nigerians,” he said.
He lamented that there remained many challenges to the gas industry in Nigeria and to the implementation of the Nigerian Gas Master Plan.
He said lack of funding had stalled many projects designed to capture associated gas and to reduce flaring, adding that security concerns continued to delay gas and other projects onshore in the Niger Delta.
Regardless of the daunting challenges, Sunmonu announced that the company had raised its annual expenditure on poverty reduction by 500 per cent from $50 million to $250 (about N37.5 billion) annually.
In 2009, he said Shell JV operations contributed over $156.5 million ($555.3 million Shell share) to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as required by law.
“In the same year, operations run by SPDC contributed an additional $57.7 million ($18 million-Shell share) directly to development projects which focused on a range of activities, including small business and agriculture, training education, health care and capacity building,” he added.
Jonathan Approves New Power Reform Structure
Jonathan approves new power reform structure
By Vincent Ikuomola.
In a bid to provide an uninterrupted power supply in the country, President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday approved the composition of a new power reform structure.
The new structure is to be driven by the Presidential Action Committee on Power chaired by the President, supported by a Presidential Task Force on Power.
The Presidential Action Committee under the new structure, according to a statement signed by the presidential spokesman, Mr Ima Niboro, will provide leadership and guidance for the development of the power sector, and determine the general policy direction and strategic focus of the on-going power reform.
The Committee also has Vice- President Mohammed Namadi Sambo as alternate chairman.
Other members of the committee include the Minister of State for Power, the Ministers of Finance, National Planning and Petroleum Resources, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Head of Service, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria , a Special Adviser on Power, and Chief of Staff to the President.
Also, the Presidential Task Force, has been charged with the responsibility of developing and driving the Action Plan for the nation’s power sector with achievable targets within the tenure of the administration.
It is also to articulate a proper plan of action for implementation in power generation, transmission distribution as well as issues on power sector reform. The Taskforce will report to the President and the Presidential Action Committee regularly.
The Presidential Task Force is to be chaired by the Special Adviser to the President on Power.
Other members include the Permanent Secretary (Ministry of Power); Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum of Corporation (NNPC); Managing Director, Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN); Managing Director, Niger-Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC); Director General, Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP); Director-General, Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE); Accountant-General of the Federation; Chief Executive, Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC); CEOs of two power distribution companies; CEOs of two generating companies, and Director of Power in the Power Ministry. The Senior Special Assistant to the President (Special Projects) will serve as secretary.
Under the new arrangement, the Ministry of Power will, however, continue to supervise the daily affairs of the Ministry and relevant agencies, as well as fund the various projects approved in the 2010 budget.
It will also provide a conducive environment for the Presidential Taskforce to carry out its assignment. All requests for the award of contracts for the
consideration of the Federal Executive Council are to be handled by the Ministry.
By Vincent Ikuomola.
In a bid to provide an uninterrupted power supply in the country, President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday approved the composition of a new power reform structure.
The new structure is to be driven by the Presidential Action Committee on Power chaired by the President, supported by a Presidential Task Force on Power.
The Presidential Action Committee under the new structure, according to a statement signed by the presidential spokesman, Mr Ima Niboro, will provide leadership and guidance for the development of the power sector, and determine the general policy direction and strategic focus of the on-going power reform.
The Committee also has Vice- President Mohammed Namadi Sambo as alternate chairman.
Other members of the committee include the Minister of State for Power, the Ministers of Finance, National Planning and Petroleum Resources, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Head of Service, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria , a Special Adviser on Power, and Chief of Staff to the President.
Also, the Presidential Task Force, has been charged with the responsibility of developing and driving the Action Plan for the nation’s power sector with achievable targets within the tenure of the administration.
It is also to articulate a proper plan of action for implementation in power generation, transmission distribution as well as issues on power sector reform. The Taskforce will report to the President and the Presidential Action Committee regularly.
The Presidential Task Force is to be chaired by the Special Adviser to the President on Power.
Other members include the Permanent Secretary (Ministry of Power); Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum of Corporation (NNPC); Managing Director, Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN); Managing Director, Niger-Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC); Director General, Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP); Director-General, Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE); Accountant-General of the Federation; Chief Executive, Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC); CEOs of two power distribution companies; CEOs of two generating companies, and Director of Power in the Power Ministry. The Senior Special Assistant to the President (Special Projects) will serve as secretary.
Under the new arrangement, the Ministry of Power will, however, continue to supervise the daily affairs of the Ministry and relevant agencies, as well as fund the various projects approved in the 2010 budget.
It will also provide a conducive environment for the Presidential Taskforce to carry out its assignment. All requests for the award of contracts for the
consideration of the Federal Executive Council are to be handled by the Ministry.
Northern leaders move against Jonathan
2011: Northern leaders move against Jonathan
From AMOS DUNIA, Abuja
Thurday, June 17, 2010
As uncertainty persists over which region should produce the next president, top politicians from the North are meeting in Abuja today towards ensuring that the presidency is retained in the region till 2015.
The meeting, according to sources close to the organisers, was to specifically map out strategies to stop President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2011 election.
The meeting, which is expected to be attended on the basis of five delegates per state from the 19 Northern states and a representation from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is to kick-start the process of returning power to the North in line with the political arrangement that was believed to have been adopted by the three political parties that participated in the 1999 general elections.
The parties were, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Peoples Party (APP) which later metamorphosed into All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Alliance for Democracy (AD).
Daily Sun gathered that personalities expected to attend the crucial meeting include former heads of states, a former vice presidents of northern extraction, governors and some former members of the National Assembly, who had vowed to bury their personal ambitions for the common interest of the region. The focus of the group that is currently being co-ordinated by a former minister from the North Central is to return power to the North in 2011.
“The people must be made to understand and appreciate the fact that the country is bigger and greater than any individual and no one should take advantage of a given situation to want to change what would make the country more united. Zoning arrangement was agreed upon so that each of the six geo-political zones would have an opportunity of having a shot at the Presidency.
“The South-West commenced the process and enjoyed it for eight years, so why are we talking of a shift when the North is yet to even have full three years. If the current opponents of zoning are sincere, let them wait until 2015 to cancel the zoning arrangement,” one of the organizers told Daily Sun on condition of anonymity.
The development may have gingered former military President, Ibrahim Babangida to have declared in Abuja on Tuesday that he has not given up his political ambition for 2011 particularly giving the fact that the primaries of the party would be the decider for all candidates.
Daily Sun also gathered that the Northern political leaders were equally angered that while some people were campaigning against the zoning arrangement, they had deliberately refused to talk about jettisoning other positions zoned along that of the presidency.
“Some political jobbers who are talking about the need to do away with zoning are the same people mobilizing support for another South Easterner to still emerge as the National Chairman of the ruling PDP. If they are sincere, let them start the process. “You see, the whole game is selfish and self-centered and it should not be encouraged,” one of the organizers of the northern leaders meeting told Daily Sun.
Courtesy: Daily Sun
From AMOS DUNIA, Abuja
Thurday, June 17, 2010
As uncertainty persists over which region should produce the next president, top politicians from the North are meeting in Abuja today towards ensuring that the presidency is retained in the region till 2015.
The meeting, according to sources close to the organisers, was to specifically map out strategies to stop President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2011 election.
The meeting, which is expected to be attended on the basis of five delegates per state from the 19 Northern states and a representation from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is to kick-start the process of returning power to the North in line with the political arrangement that was believed to have been adopted by the three political parties that participated in the 1999 general elections.
The parties were, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Peoples Party (APP) which later metamorphosed into All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Alliance for Democracy (AD).
Daily Sun gathered that personalities expected to attend the crucial meeting include former heads of states, a former vice presidents of northern extraction, governors and some former members of the National Assembly, who had vowed to bury their personal ambitions for the common interest of the region. The focus of the group that is currently being co-ordinated by a former minister from the North Central is to return power to the North in 2011.
“The people must be made to understand and appreciate the fact that the country is bigger and greater than any individual and no one should take advantage of a given situation to want to change what would make the country more united. Zoning arrangement was agreed upon so that each of the six geo-political zones would have an opportunity of having a shot at the Presidency.
“The South-West commenced the process and enjoyed it for eight years, so why are we talking of a shift when the North is yet to even have full three years. If the current opponents of zoning are sincere, let them wait until 2015 to cancel the zoning arrangement,” one of the organizers told Daily Sun on condition of anonymity.
The development may have gingered former military President, Ibrahim Babangida to have declared in Abuja on Tuesday that he has not given up his political ambition for 2011 particularly giving the fact that the primaries of the party would be the decider for all candidates.
Daily Sun also gathered that the Northern political leaders were equally angered that while some people were campaigning against the zoning arrangement, they had deliberately refused to talk about jettisoning other positions zoned along that of the presidency.
“Some political jobbers who are talking about the need to do away with zoning are the same people mobilizing support for another South Easterner to still emerge as the National Chairman of the ruling PDP. If they are sincere, let them start the process. “You see, the whole game is selfish and self-centered and it should not be encouraged,” one of the organizers of the northern leaders meeting told Daily Sun.
Courtesy: Daily Sun
Shell To Clean Up 268 Oil Spill Sites
Niger Delta: Shell To Clean Up 268 Oil Spill Sites
« on: June 15, 2010, 07:07 AM »
Niger Delta: Shell to clean up 268 oil spill sites
From Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja, 06.14.2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Minister of Environment John Odey has asked Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to ensure that its plan to carry out the clean-up of some 268 sites in the Niger Delta conforms with the Federal Government's guidelines on environmental standards.
The minister advised the company to conduct the clean-up exercise in collaboration with the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the regulatory agency that ensures oil companies maintain environmental standards.
He made these comments while receiving the Managing Director of Shell Mutiu Sumonu over the weekend.
"We acknowledge your recent reaction to government's quest for remediation plan for all oil impacted sites; we are aware of your plan to remediate 268 sites and particularly the earmark for clean-up of 185 sites for next year 2011.
"I will charge NOSDRA to do this in collaboration with you and urge that we build capacities by involving rural communities so that we can transfer skills,” he stated.
Odey said the visit of the Shell MD would improve communication and information sharing with officials of the ministry. It will also go a long way to improve the lives of the people in the oil communities, he added.
According to him, Shell has made reasonable progress in respect of environmental impact assessment. He urged the company to try as much as possible to work together with the government to collectively control oil spill and act promptly when it occurs.
The minister stressed the importance of the meeting, saying there should be a joint inspection of oil-impacted sites. Effort should also be made towards building trust and confidence between the communities and the oil companies, he said.
Odey advised Shell to ensure that it puts in place an oil spill contingency plan. Such a plan should carry NORSDA along in all its activities, he said. In his response, Sumonu pointed out that oil companies currently operating in the country are in a position to respond quickly to any spill.
He argued that the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico cannot not be compared to that of Nigeria.
"The kind of situation we have in the Gulf of Mexico, we don't have that in ten years in Nigeria. All the oil companies in Nigeria will work together to ensure we respond to spill.
"There is no spill that happened that we (Shell) have not handled within 24 to 48 hours. It is a fallacy for some people to compare the spill in Gulf of Mexico to what happens here", he said.
Reference: http://odili.net/news/source/2010/jun/14/207.html
« on: June 15, 2010, 07:07 AM »
Niger Delta: Shell to clean up 268 oil spill sites
From Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja, 06.14.2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Minister of Environment John Odey has asked Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to ensure that its plan to carry out the clean-up of some 268 sites in the Niger Delta conforms with the Federal Government's guidelines on environmental standards.
The minister advised the company to conduct the clean-up exercise in collaboration with the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the regulatory agency that ensures oil companies maintain environmental standards.
He made these comments while receiving the Managing Director of Shell Mutiu Sumonu over the weekend.
"We acknowledge your recent reaction to government's quest for remediation plan for all oil impacted sites; we are aware of your plan to remediate 268 sites and particularly the earmark for clean-up of 185 sites for next year 2011.
"I will charge NOSDRA to do this in collaboration with you and urge that we build capacities by involving rural communities so that we can transfer skills,” he stated.
Odey said the visit of the Shell MD would improve communication and information sharing with officials of the ministry. It will also go a long way to improve the lives of the people in the oil communities, he added.
According to him, Shell has made reasonable progress in respect of environmental impact assessment. He urged the company to try as much as possible to work together with the government to collectively control oil spill and act promptly when it occurs.
The minister stressed the importance of the meeting, saying there should be a joint inspection of oil-impacted sites. Effort should also be made towards building trust and confidence between the communities and the oil companies, he said.
Odey advised Shell to ensure that it puts in place an oil spill contingency plan. Such a plan should carry NORSDA along in all its activities, he said. In his response, Sumonu pointed out that oil companies currently operating in the country are in a position to respond quickly to any spill.
He argued that the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico cannot not be compared to that of Nigeria.
"The kind of situation we have in the Gulf of Mexico, we don't have that in ten years in Nigeria. All the oil companies in Nigeria will work together to ensure we respond to spill.
"There is no spill that happened that we (Shell) have not handled within 24 to 48 hours. It is a fallacy for some people to compare the spill in Gulf of Mexico to what happens here", he said.
Reference: http://odili.net/news/source/2010/jun/14/207.html
Fear Grips Kidnappers, Robbers In Edo
Juju: Fear Grips Kidnappers, Robbers In Edo- Storm Palace For Forgiveness
« on: June 14, 2010, 05:49 AM »
BENIN—FEAR has gripped armed robbers and kidnappers in Edo State, following the curse placed on evil doers in the state, by the Benin monarch, Oba Erediauwa, as Vanguard was reliably informed that hundreds of them have stormed the Palace of the Oba to plead for forgiveness, so as to escape the wrath of the gods.
Meanwhile, thousands of women from the seven local government areas in Edo South Senatorial District of the state, thronged the traditional Urhokpota ground, weekend, to place curses on those involved in the endless cases of kidnappings, armed robberies and other violent crime in the state.
Vanguard learnt that the alleged criminals, who stormed the Palace to ask for forgiveness have been parading the Palace without getting any answer to their problem. They were, however, advised to change from their ways or die.
Vanguard learnt that they were still scared, whether the curse will affect them since they were yet to receive any assurance of forgiveness. Some bankers who leak information to kidnappers about their customers, have also fled the ancient city for the fear of death.
The women in the kingdom, led by Chief Isekhure, followed suit, weekend. The women dressed in red attires, had several ritual materials, which include dogs, fowls, rams which were slaughtered and their blood splashed on the ground, symbolizing death that was expected to visit those behind the robbery and kidnaping activities in the city.
President, Market Women Association of Nigeria, Madam Amalawa Edebiri, explained that the ceremony was to lay curse on the kidnappers and criminals in the state.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/06/14/obas-curse-fear-grips-kidnappers-robbers-in-edo/
« on: June 14, 2010, 05:49 AM »
BENIN—FEAR has gripped armed robbers and kidnappers in Edo State, following the curse placed on evil doers in the state, by the Benin monarch, Oba Erediauwa, as Vanguard was reliably informed that hundreds of them have stormed the Palace of the Oba to plead for forgiveness, so as to escape the wrath of the gods.
Meanwhile, thousands of women from the seven local government areas in Edo South Senatorial District of the state, thronged the traditional Urhokpota ground, weekend, to place curses on those involved in the endless cases of kidnappings, armed robberies and other violent crime in the state.
Vanguard learnt that the alleged criminals, who stormed the Palace to ask for forgiveness have been parading the Palace without getting any answer to their problem. They were, however, advised to change from their ways or die.
Vanguard learnt that they were still scared, whether the curse will affect them since they were yet to receive any assurance of forgiveness. Some bankers who leak information to kidnappers about their customers, have also fled the ancient city for the fear of death.
The women in the kingdom, led by Chief Isekhure, followed suit, weekend. The women dressed in red attires, had several ritual materials, which include dogs, fowls, rams which were slaughtered and their blood splashed on the ground, symbolizing death that was expected to visit those behind the robbery and kidnaping activities in the city.
President, Market Women Association of Nigeria, Madam Amalawa Edebiri, explained that the ceremony was to lay curse on the kidnappers and criminals in the state.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/06/14/obas-curse-fear-grips-kidnappers-robbers-in-edo/
Northern Govs Laud Fg Oil Exploration In Region
14 June 2010
The Northern Governors Forum (NGF) has lauded the Federal Government's decision to commence crude oil exploration in the Benue and Lake Chad waters. Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State and Chairman of the forum in a statement at the weekend said the exploration would not only benefit the region, but would add to the revenue base of the country.
Aliyu added that it would also help to alleviate poverty in the country. He said the northern governors were in support of President Goodluck Jonathan's effort at developing every part of the country.
"It does not matter whether the oil is discovered in the North, South, West or East, the entire country will be better-off if oil can be discovered and exploited in all parts of the country because it will not only raise our reserves, but will increase our per capital income and ultimately improve the socio-economic well-being of our people", he added.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201006140665.html
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Microsoft Education
Make school work more fun, and use the technology that will take you successfully from the classroom to the conference room.
Microsoft Office for Students
Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates
Earlier this year we simplified the process for monetizing your blog by adding a “Monetize” tab in the Blogger app. We started with AdSense, which allows you to add contextual advertising to your pages; more recently we added AdSense for Feeds to help you generate revenue from the distribution of your blog via RSS and Atom. Today we launched a third option: direct integration with Amazon Associates to search Amazon’s product catalog and add links to products that earn you commissions when your readers buy products you recommend.
With
this feature, you can search Amazon directly from the Blogger editor
and add pictures and links to Amazon products right into your posts.
Your readers will earn you commissions whenever they buy the products
you recommend, and if you don’t already have an Amazon Associates
account, you can sign up for one for free without leaving Blogger.If you’ve ever written a blog post about a book, recommended a gadget, or reviewed a toy you bought for your kids, you’ve likely gone through the process of drafting the post, opening up a separate window to go to find a site that sells the product, then going back to Blogger to paste the link to the product into the post editor.
Starting today, you can search the Amazon product catalog without leaving the Blogger interface and insert links to the products you find into your posts. Not only is the process of linking to products more efficient, but Amazon makes it easy for you to earn money whenever your readers actually buy the products you write about. This is known as an “affiliate program”, and it’s designed to let you recommend products you like to your audience — if they buy the product, you’ll earn a commission on that purchase. (For more on affiliate programs in general, here is a good overview at ProBlogger from this summer, and Darren’s “11 Lessons Learned” post about Amazon Associates is a good review of how to get the most out of the program.)
To get started, click on the Monetize tab for your blog and click “Amazon Associates”. Walk through the setup wizard, and add the Product Finder once you’re done.
Now for the fun part: when you are writing a post on Blogger, you’ll see an Amazon gadget to the right of your post editor (the “Product Finder”). You can search the Amazon product catalog from within Blogger — type in the name of the product you are writing about, and insert a link to the product, an image of the product, or an iframe containing the image, price details and a “buy it now” button. Every link that’s created contains your unique Associates ID, ensuring that Amazon will credit you for any purchases that result from readers clicking the link on your blog.
If you’re an existing Amazon Associate, completing this setup simply makes the Product Finder available on Blogger for you — you continue to earn the same referral rate from Amazon. New Associates receive the same referral rate from Amazon that they would have received if they signed up directly. If you’re not interested in earning a referral, you can still install the Product Finder: from the “Amazon Associates” page under the Monetize tab, click “I'll do this later — show me more Amazon options” and then click “Add the Product Finder” button.
A quick note about trust: affiliate programs work well when readers trust you. You should avoid promoting products simply because of the referral fee you might earn — readers may lose some of that trust if they sense your posts exist solely to make you money. You may also want to disclose to your readers that you will earn a commission on their purchase — some readers even prefer knowing that you benefit from their business.
There’s more information about this integration at Amazon.com, and the Amazon Associates blog has some more details. This integration is the result of months of collaboration between the engineers at both companies, and we’re very excited to share the results of this collaboration with you. Happy blogging!
Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates
http://igchuka.blogspot.com/2010/06/blogger-buzz-blogger-integrates-with.html
Monday, June 14, 2010
Argentina vs Nigeria
Player Ratings: Argentina 1-0 Nigeria
Who were top and who were flops in the Albiceleste's triumph over the Super Eagles?
By Kris Voakes
Jun 12, 2010 5:13:00 PM
ARGENTINA
Romero: 6 – Not overly tested, but didn’t deal particularly well with Martins’ thunderbolt effort. Looked ok under crosses, but will be tested more later in the tournament.
Gutierrez: 5.5 – Struggled throughout the first half, allowing Obasi to create a couple of good chances. Less exposed thereafter, but he will have to improve to be assured of a berth later on in the finals.
Demichelis: 6 – Looked far from comfortable whenever Nigeria got to run at him and once clashed with his own colleague when he and Gutierrez failed to deal with Veron’s hurried clearance. Dealt with danger on the ground fairly well, but Nigeria would have hoped to put him under greater scrutiny.
Samuel: 6.5 – His slip allowed Obinna to get in behind, but he recovered well. Was the rock of the defence as all around him flapped and flailed.
Heinze: 7 – Excellent header gave Argentina the victory and he oozed calm on the ball. Not always as convincing off the ball, but more than did his job for the day.
Veron: 7 – Set up the winning goal and played a magnificent pass forward for Messi which could have resulted in an excellent second. His distribution was often at the base of Argentina’s good work and they relied on the counter-attack much more after his withdrawal.
Mascherano: 7 – Made it difficult for Nigeria to get any kind of a foothold in the game. Dictated the pace of the play for the most part, but seemed to suffer a little after Veron’s substitution.
Di Maria: 5 – Hardly had a kick as he struggled to have any influence on the game. Another display like that and his World Cup future will come under huge scrutiny.
Messi: 7.5 – Majestic on the ball at times, and asked countless questions of Enyeama. He was too often able to pick his way through the hole between Nigeria’s defence and midfield, and the Super Eagles had their 'keeper to thank for him not making them pay more heavily.
Higuain: 5.5 – Missed a sitter in the first half and was denied by Enyeama on two other occasions. He’ll be disappointed not to have taken at least one of his chances.
Tevez: 7 – Part of some fantastic link-up play with Messi in the first half and set the No. 10 up for a great chance on the break in the second half. Not his greatest game, but clearly a key member of this Albiceleste side.
Subs:
Maxi: 6 – Came on for Veron but had little chance to stamp his imprint on the game.
Milito: NA
Burdisso: NA
NIGERIA
Enyeama: 8.5 – Several fantastic saves, including one in particular late in the first half from Messi’s shot. He became something of a one-man wall, denying Messi three or four times and Higuain twice amongst a series of superb pieces of goalkeeping.
Odiah: 6 – Showed a tendency to dwell on the ball which put his side under pressure a couple of times, but looked fairly got in the air.
Yobo: 6.5 – Never got close enough to Higuain or Messi as Argentina created chances at will in the first half. Made one superb tackle on Higuain early in the second period and looked to shake off early uncertainty as the game developed.
Shittu: 5.5 – Came to pick up Messi too rarely as the Balon d’Or winner found holes in front of the back four too easy to find. Was strong in the air, but Argentina’s style of play demanded greater anticipation from the centre-back.
Taiwo: 5.5 – His long throws proved a headache for Argentina, but his defending wasn’t always as impressive. Picked up a knock and was replaced by Uche.
Kaita: 5 – Very poor marking nearly gifted Samuel a goal. His decision-making when in good positions regularly let his side down, and he could have done better with a late chance.
Etuhu: 6 – Provided some solidity but little real creativity as Nigeria lost out by some decision in the midfield scramble.
Haruna: 5.5 – Failed to get close to the roaming Messi and allowed Veron too many opportunities to pick his passes.
Obasi: 6 – Attacked Gutierrez with some success early on, but his effectiveness died out as the game wore on and he was replaced on the hour mark.
Yakubu: 6 – Did well when he dropped onto the full-backs, but too often went through the motions in the centre of attack.
Obinna: 5 – Pounced on Walter Samuel’s slip early on, but couldn’t get his cross into the danger area. Thereafter he found it difficult to make inroads against the more belligerent half of the Argentine back four.
Subs:
Martins: 6 – Came on for Obinna and provided a new urgency in attack, but – one thunderbolt apart – didn’t have an awful lot of chances.
Odemwingie: 5.5 – Panicked on the ball a couple of times and once took far too long to get a cross in as he struggled to come to terms with the pace of the game.
Uche: NA
1.
2.
http://igchuka.blogspot.com/2010/06/player-ratings-argentina-1-0-nigeria.html
Who were top and who were flops in the Albiceleste's triumph over the Super Eagles?
By Kris Voakes
Jun 12, 2010 5:13:00 PM
ARGENTINA
Romero: 6 – Not overly tested, but didn’t deal particularly well with Martins’ thunderbolt effort. Looked ok under crosses, but will be tested more later in the tournament.
Gutierrez: 5.5 – Struggled throughout the first half, allowing Obasi to create a couple of good chances. Less exposed thereafter, but he will have to improve to be assured of a berth later on in the finals.
Demichelis: 6 – Looked far from comfortable whenever Nigeria got to run at him and once clashed with his own colleague when he and Gutierrez failed to deal with Veron’s hurried clearance. Dealt with danger on the ground fairly well, but Nigeria would have hoped to put him under greater scrutiny.
Samuel: 6.5 – His slip allowed Obinna to get in behind, but he recovered well. Was the rock of the defence as all around him flapped and flailed.
Heinze: 7 – Excellent header gave Argentina the victory and he oozed calm on the ball. Not always as convincing off the ball, but more than did his job for the day.
Veron: 7 – Set up the winning goal and played a magnificent pass forward for Messi which could have resulted in an excellent second. His distribution was often at the base of Argentina’s good work and they relied on the counter-attack much more after his withdrawal.
Mascherano: 7 – Made it difficult for Nigeria to get any kind of a foothold in the game. Dictated the pace of the play for the most part, but seemed to suffer a little after Veron’s substitution.
Di Maria: 5 – Hardly had a kick as he struggled to have any influence on the game. Another display like that and his World Cup future will come under huge scrutiny.
Messi: 7.5 – Majestic on the ball at times, and asked countless questions of Enyeama. He was too often able to pick his way through the hole between Nigeria’s defence and midfield, and the Super Eagles had their 'keeper to thank for him not making them pay more heavily.
Higuain: 5.5 – Missed a sitter in the first half and was denied by Enyeama on two other occasions. He’ll be disappointed not to have taken at least one of his chances.
Tevez: 7 – Part of some fantastic link-up play with Messi in the first half and set the No. 10 up for a great chance on the break in the second half. Not his greatest game, but clearly a key member of this Albiceleste side.
Subs:
Maxi: 6 – Came on for Veron but had little chance to stamp his imprint on the game.
Milito: NA
Burdisso: NA
NIGERIA
Enyeama: 8.5 – Several fantastic saves, including one in particular late in the first half from Messi’s shot. He became something of a one-man wall, denying Messi three or four times and Higuain twice amongst a series of superb pieces of goalkeeping.
Odiah: 6 – Showed a tendency to dwell on the ball which put his side under pressure a couple of times, but looked fairly got in the air.
Yobo: 6.5 – Never got close enough to Higuain or Messi as Argentina created chances at will in the first half. Made one superb tackle on Higuain early in the second period and looked to shake off early uncertainty as the game developed.
Shittu: 5.5 – Came to pick up Messi too rarely as the Balon d’Or winner found holes in front of the back four too easy to find. Was strong in the air, but Argentina’s style of play demanded greater anticipation from the centre-back.
Taiwo: 5.5 – His long throws proved a headache for Argentina, but his defending wasn’t always as impressive. Picked up a knock and was replaced by Uche.
Kaita: 5 – Very poor marking nearly gifted Samuel a goal. His decision-making when in good positions regularly let his side down, and he could have done better with a late chance.
Etuhu: 6 – Provided some solidity but little real creativity as Nigeria lost out by some decision in the midfield scramble.
Haruna: 5.5 – Failed to get close to the roaming Messi and allowed Veron too many opportunities to pick his passes.
Obasi: 6 – Attacked Gutierrez with some success early on, but his effectiveness died out as the game wore on and he was replaced on the hour mark.
Yakubu: 6 – Did well when he dropped onto the full-backs, but too often went through the motions in the centre of attack.
Obinna: 5 – Pounced on Walter Samuel’s slip early on, but couldn’t get his cross into the danger area. Thereafter he found it difficult to make inroads against the more belligerent half of the Argentine back four.
Subs:
Martins: 6 – Came on for Obinna and provided a new urgency in attack, but – one thunderbolt apart – didn’t have an awful lot of chances.
Odemwingie: 5.5 – Panicked on the ball a couple of times and once took far too long to get a cross in as he struggled to come to terms with the pace of the game.
Uche: NA
1.
2. http://igchuka.blogspot.com/2010/06/player-ratings-argentina-1-0-nigeria.html
Friday, June 11, 2010
Noise Pollution By Religious Bodies
Noise Pollution By Religious Bodies
Following government’s directives and subsequent sealing off of some religious buildings in Lagos State, over the blaring of their loud speakers, some religious bodies still disturb residents through their activities.
The disturbances usually occur whenever they have services. This is because they place their loudspeakers outside and the noise that emits from them disturbs residents. More annoying is when they hold vigils and they increase the volume of the loudspeakers, thereby denying residents their sleep.
For instance, Al-Afis Muslim Society at Saala/Arejogbo road in Ishaga area of the state and Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries in Isheri/Berger area of the state, are culprits of this offence. Whenever they hold services, the noise that emanates from their speakers disturbs residents.
In Ishaga, the Islamic body would also increase the volume of the speakers when it plays only cassettes while the MFM in Isheri/Berger has turned every other day to vigil.
Residents therfore appeal to these religious bodies to consider them since the areas where they operate are residential.
“We are not saying they should not carry out their religious activities but they should understand that this is residential area. Sometimes when you want to rest after the day’s work it becomes abortive because the noise from the loudspeakers would not allow you.”
“In my area, the noise is so bad that you will think the loudspeakers are placed inside my room. In fact, what they say has now become everyday music used by my children in the house. I’m not canvassing for any religion body to be sealed up but they (religious bodies) should caution themselves. They should view themselves as residents who wanted to rest in their own home but couldn’t just because some people must carry out their religious activities,” lamented residents.
http://igchuka.blogspot.com/2010/06/noise-pollution.html
 |
| Noise Pollution By Religious Bodies |
Following government’s directives and subsequent sealing off of some religious buildings in Lagos State, over the blaring of their loud speakers, some religious bodies still disturb residents through their activities.
The disturbances usually occur whenever they have services. This is because they place their loudspeakers outside and the noise that emits from them disturbs residents. More annoying is when they hold vigils and they increase the volume of the loudspeakers, thereby denying residents their sleep.
For instance, Al-Afis Muslim Society at Saala/Arejogbo road in Ishaga area of the state and Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries in Isheri/Berger area of the state, are culprits of this offence. Whenever they hold services, the noise that emanates from their speakers disturbs residents.
In Ishaga, the Islamic body would also increase the volume of the speakers when it plays only cassettes while the MFM in Isheri/Berger has turned every other day to vigil.
Residents therfore appeal to these religious bodies to consider them since the areas where they operate are residential.
“We are not saying they should not carry out their religious activities but they should understand that this is residential area. Sometimes when you want to rest after the day’s work it becomes abortive because the noise from the loudspeakers would not allow you.”
“In my area, the noise is so bad that you will think the loudspeakers are placed inside my room. In fact, what they say has now become everyday music used by my children in the house. I’m not canvassing for any religion body to be sealed up but they (religious bodies) should caution themselves. They should view themselves as residents who wanted to rest in their own home but couldn’t just because some people must carry out their religious activities,” lamented residents.
http://igchuka.blogspot.com/2010/06/noise-pollution.html
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