Sabinews Daily Morning News Update for September 12, 2014
National News
Gunmen Kill Imo Speaker’s Aide
Gunmen suspected to be hired assassins, Tuesday night, shot dead an aide to the Imo State Speaker, Hon. Kingsley Nkemka, on his way from his village along Nworiubi-Mberi road.
Nkemka, a former member of the assembly, until his untimely death, was a top contending aspirant for the Mbaitoli/Ikeduru federal constituency seat for the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Read more
PDP to inaugurate zonal integration committees today
The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will today inaugurate its zonal integration committees for the six geo-political zones at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
According to the party, the committees, comprising prominent party members, “is poised to fully reconcile and integrate old members back to the party and swell its (party) support base ahead of 2015 general elections”. Read more
Juwah to chair CTO Council
Nigeria was on Thursday elected the new chair of the Council and Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), taking over from Kenya.
The Executive Vice-Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah, will assume this position on behalf of the country. He was previously first vice-chair of the CTO. Read more
FG Seeks States Support To Curb Illegal Mining
The federal government through the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Musa Mohammed Sada, has called on states government to support its efforts in curbing illegal mining activities in the various states.
He said this was necessary because revenue from mining went straight into the federation account for distribution and effective running of the various tiers of government. Read more
Lagos Seeks Dedicated Funds for Security, Policing
The Chairmen of 20 local government areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) in Lagos State yesterday asked the federal government to set up dedicated funds for security and community policing.
At a different forum yesterday, the new Commissioner for Police in the state, Mr. Kayode Aderanti, called for the state government and other critical stakeholders to ensure the protection of lives and properties in the state. Read more
Boko Haram: Military deploys 500 more troops
The Nigerian Army yesterday, deployed 500 more troops to re-enforce the combatants fighting Boko Haram terrorists in the North East of the country.
In a press briefing in Abuja, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri, disclosed that the soldiers would be deployed to fortify the defences at Mubi, Michika and Madagali, three major towns in Adamawa State threatened by Boko Haram insurgents in the past one week of renewed violence. Read more
FG spends N120bn on Abia roads, says Controller of Works
The Federal Controller of Works in Abia, Mr Nasiru Bello, said 10 out of the 20 federal roads in the state were undergoing rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Bello told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Wednesday that the projects were estimated at about N120 billion. Read more
Boko Haram: Lagos convenes security summit
Worried by the security challenges threatening the sovereignty of the country, Lagos State Government yesterday convened a security summit to brainstorm on how to tackle security issues in the state. Speaking at the summit, organised by the body of chairmen of 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas in the state, popularly known as Conference 57, the Chairman of the group Mr. Hakeem Suleiman, said the security challenges caused by Boko Haram could ruin the territorial integrity of the country if urgent steps were not taken to solve the problem. Read more
Sabinews News Update on Economy
NECA Decries Exclusion of Private Sector from FG’s Jobs Board
The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) yesterday decried the exclusion of the real private sector from the composition of the Presidential Jobs Board inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday.
The board which is chaired by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, is saddled with the responsibility of creating three million jobs in the next one year. Read more
CBN Reschedules September MPC Meeting
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday announced the rescheduling of its 240th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting from September 22 and 23, 2014, to September 18 and Friday, September 19, 2014.
A notice from the CBN urged all stakeholders to take note of the change in dates and adjust their calendar. Read more
Jonathan Woos Cuban Investors
President Goodluck Jonathan has called on Cuban investors to explore the huge potentials of sectors of Nigeria’s economy which, according to him, have become open to foreign investors.
The president said Nigeria and Cuba could benefit from the ongoing transformation of the Nigerian economy. Read more
Music Can Promote Tourism
The dream of the country diversifying its economy may be easily achieved through the entertainment industry, especially music, if the assertion of major promoters of the industry is anything to go by. To this end, chief executive officer (CEO), Diamonds Records, Mr. Charles Osaremen, disclosed moves by stakeholders towards contribution of the sector to the growth of tourism and indirectly the economy.
To him, this can be better achieved if the local content of music in Nigeria are exported outside its shores, as is done by other countries competing with Nigeria in that wise. Thus, there is the need to find a way of further exposing upcoming artistes, irrespective of the genre of music, as there is evidence that the country harbours quite a number of young talented artistes in many fields, especially music. Read more
Heritage wins bid for Enterprise Bank
The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria on Thursday announced Heritage Bank-sponsored HBSL Investment Services Limited as the preferred bidder for Enterprise Bank. Read more
Sabinews News Update on Oil and Gas
US Firms Battle NNPC, CAC over Ownership of Pan Ocean Oil
Interocean entities, comprising Interocean Oil Development Company (Nigeria) and Interocean Oil Exploration Company (Nigeria), companies incorporated under the laws of Delaware in the United States, have dragged the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and one Dr. Festus Fadeyi to both the Federal High Court in Lagos and the Court of Appeal, also in Lagos, over the ownership of Pan Ocean Oil Corporation of Nigeria (Panocean).
The two companies, which were acquired and developed by the late Dr. Vittorio Lecca Ducagini Fabbri, also dragged the NNPC and others to the International Centre for Investment Disputes in Washington (ICSID) over the same dispute. Read more
NNPC, NAF partner to enhance Chad Basin exploratory development
The Management of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) have pledged to work together in order to promote the on-going acquisition of seismic data in the Chad Basin and to curb crude oil theft in the creeks of the Niger Delta.
The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Joseph T. Dawha who dropped the hint In a courtesy call to the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu,in Abuja yesterday said the visit was to foster closer cooperation and collaboration between NNPC and NAF for the socio-economic growth, peace, security and stability of the country. Read more
World News
The National Court has sentenced 14 people for the Nigerian letters fraud
The fraud consisted of the massive sending of letters to the residents of several countries saying they had benefitted from an inheritance.
The third section of the penal hall in the National Court has sentenced the culprits to between two and 21 years in prison on charges of illicit association, fraud, falsity and money laundering. Read more
U.S. slaps sanctions on 3 Mexican lawyers linked to Sinaloa drug cartel
The United States has frozen the assets of three Mexican lawyers and a real estate company allegedly linked to the international drug cartel Sinaloa, known for its violence and kidnappings.
The Treasury Department said targeting the lawyers with sanctions, which means all their U.S.-based assets must be frozen, is intended to cut off funding sources for a major drug trafficking gang. Read more
CIA’s New Estimate Triples Number of Isis Fighters
The Isis can muster up to three times the number of fighters than previously thought, estimates the US Central Intelligence Agency.
An analysis by the agency suggests the group may have anywhere between 20,000 and 31,000 jihadists. Read more
Ukraine, Rebels Exchange Prisoners in Peace Deal
Government and rebel forces have exchanged dozens of prisoners captured during fighting in Ukraine as part of a cease-fire agreement sealed earlier this month.
The transfer took place outside the main rebel stronghold of Donetsk early Saturday under the watch of international observers. Read more
Death threats over mosque: councillor says Facebook protecting users
A Gold Coast city councillor says she’s been threatened with gang-rape and death over a proposed mosque and that Facebook has been protecting the identity of her tormentors.
Chris Robbins says she has spent several weeks trying to get Facebook to reveal the identity of the creators of the “Stop the Mosque at Currumbin” page after it used a photo of her as its profile picture, claiming she was receiving money from unspecified Islamic backers, a claim she denies. Read more
‘Oscar Pistorius verdict is blow to hope that South Africa had move on from its past’
For those of us who believe in South Africa’s rejuvenated status in the brotherhood of nations, a country that has broken fully from its troubled past, Thursday was a bad day.
After 41 court days, testimony from 37 witnesses and repeated adjournments that turned a trial expected to last three weeks into one that ran for half a year, the opening of judgment in the Oscar Pistorius case was followed closely by all the hues of this Rainbow Nation. Read more
Evidence Growing That Hamas Used Residential Areas
Two weeks after the end of the Gaza war, there is growing evidence that Hamas militants used residential areas as cover for launching rockets at Israel, at least at times. Even Hamas now admits “mistakes” were made.
But Hamas says it had little choice in Gaza’s crowded urban landscape, took safeguards to keep people away from the fighting, and that a heavy-handed Israeli response is to blame for the deaths of hundreds of Palestinian civilians. Read more
Australia Raises Terror Alert to ‘High’
Australia raised its terror alert from “medium” to “high” Friday, the government said, although it cautioned the move was not based on knowledge of a specific attack but rather “a body of evidence that points to the increased likelihood of a terrorist attack in Australia.” Read more
Sabinews News Update on Sports
ITTF confirms Nigeria, others for World Cup
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has confirmed Nigeria as one of the countries expected to participate in this year’s World Cup.
Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri will fly Africa’s flag in the men’s World Cup holding in Dusseldorf , Germany on October 24 to 26. Read more
Ambrose: Eagles’ll qualify for Nations Cup
Super Eagles defender Efe Ambrose is confident Nigeria will qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations despite failing to impress against South Africa and Congo in its two matches played.
The Celtic star believes the Super Eagles has what it takes to come tops in a group that consists of South Africa, Sudan and Congo. Read more
Real Madrid Posts Highest Revenue In History Of Team Sports
La Liga soccer power Real Madrid won its record tenth Champions League title this year, taking home Europe’s top prize for the first time since 2002. The team endured a 12-year title drought, but off the pitch Real has been firing on all cylinders establishing itself as the sport’s strongest club financially. Friday the club announced its results for the 2013-14 year, which included revenue of 603.9 million euros ($797 million), up 10.9% over the previous year. It marks the highest recorded revenues in the history of professional team sports. Read more
Sabinews News Update on Energy
Oyo Partners Investors on $25m Power Generation Project
In its drive towards total transformation of all sectors of the state’s economy, the Oyo State Government yesterday partnered international investor, Highland Energy Solution Services Limited (HESSL), for power generation.
The investment would be solely financed by HESSL, and according to its promoter, it would cost $25 million which is expected to commence full operation within the next one year. Read more
FG targets 2,483mw additional power in 2015
The federal government said it is set to achieve additional 2,483 megawatts (mw) of electricity to the national grid in 2015 if its targets in the proposed renewable energy policy is realised on a short term.
The Director, Electrical Inspectorate Services (EIS) in the Federal Ministry of Power, Engr. Abayomi Adebisi, gave the target yesterday at a stakeholders’ workshop while presenting the Draft National Policy on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in Abuja. Read more
