The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Algiers

  • I-G seeks legislation to ease arrest, prosecution of criminals in Africa

    I-G seeks legislation to ease arrest, prosecution of criminals in Africa

    The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, has called for legislation to make the arrest and prosecution of criminals within Africa easier.

    In a  statement, Nigeria Police Force Spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood, said Idris made the call on the sideline of the  General Assembly of the Union Mechanism for Police Commissions( AFRIPOL) in Algiers.

    He said sometimes, if criminals committed offences in a country and escaped to another country, the police usually found it difficult to arrest and return them to the place the crime was committed to face the law.

    “The proposed law will therefore redress this ugly trend, hence, bolster the criminal justice system in the continent.

    “This, therefore, means more efficiency and diligence in the
    operations of the various police commissions and forces in the continent,’’ he said.

    Idris further called for a stronger synergy among the continent’s police commissions.

    “This also means effective fight of cross border crimes and
    criminality as well as enhanced internal security in the individual African countries.

    “This cooperation and strategy should be sustained so that law abiding citizens in the region can go to bed with their two eyes closed,” he said.

    In a related development, African Police Cooperation Mechanism, has endorsed Idris as its second Vice-Chairman.

    Moshood said that idris was endorsed at the General Assembly of AFRIPOL in Algiers.

    He said his endorsement came after he was nominated by the police chiefs of all West African countries at the forum

    The assembly also endorsed the Algerian police boss as its chairman.

    Others, are the police boss of Central Republic of African as the third Vice Chairman and the Zambian police boss as the rapporteur.

    The officials will run the bureau for a period of two years.

    Idris said his endorsement would be an added advantage for Nigeria to collaborate with member countries in the areas of intelligence gathering and sharing.

    He said it would also ease the arrest and prosecution of trans boarder criminals.

  • OPEC members seal deal on oil production cut

    OPEC members seal deal on oil production cut

    …Kachikwu’s diplomacy yields dividends

    After about forty eight (48) hours of a grueling meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) held in Algiers, Algeria, the oil cartel on 28th September, 2016, agreed to a landmark deal that will effectively cut production to 32.5 million barrels per day from around 33.24 million, with levels of output for each member country to be determined in November 2016.

    The Director, Press, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Idang Alibi said this will be the first time in eight years that OPEC would be reaching such an agreement. This could be loosely tied to the role that has been played by member countries, including Nigeria, in refocusing OPEC to work harmoniously in identifying needs and challenges that are peculiar to the body and surmounting them, a key challenge being the low price of oil in the international market which has affected the global economy with most OPEC member countries feeling the heat.

    OPEC member countries reached a consensus in the agreement where three countries are exempted from the production cuts and they include, Iran, which just had its economic sanctions lifted earlier in the year, Libya and Nigeria who have had some of their oil facilities damaged by terrorist attacks in recent months.

    The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, who led Nigeria’s delegation at the meeting argued for the exemption of Nigeria from the production cut. The concession was given considering the recent challenges the country has been through due to vandalism of oil and gas infrastructure, which has negatively impacted the country’s ability to produce oil optimally in the recent past

    This deal will obviously enhance the prospects for the energy industry with the impacts already being felt as oil price jumped more than five per cent in New York after the agreement was reached. A steady increase in oil price, one of the advantages the deal will produce, would most likely contribute positively to the revival of the economies of member countries presently undergoing challenges which Nigeria is a part of.  However, many of the details of the production cut deal are still being worked out by member countries and the group won’t decide on targets for each country until its next meeting at the end of November 2016. Kachikwu would be representing Nigeria and her interest at the November meeting.

    The landmark deal is coming at a time when Kachikwu played a key role to clinch the top job at the OPEC for Nigeria with the appointment of Dr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo as the Secretary-General of the Organization. This meeting was the first official meeting of OPEC to be organized by the new Secretary General since his official resumption on 1st August, 2016, he added.

  • Sports Ministry must support NTTF to lift table tennis – Omoniyi

    Sports Ministry must support NTTF to lift table tennis – Omoniyi

    Dotun Omoniyi believes all the feats achieved by table tennis in the last two years should be attributed to the singular efforts of the President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), Wahid Oshodi, whom he described as a passionate lover of the sport.

    However, he charged the Ministry of Sports to support the federation in their bid to use the sport to bring more laurels to the country.

    “I think if there is anybody that should be commended for the feats achieved by table tennis in the country, it is the NTTF President. He has used his resources and time to lift the fortune of the game since coming on board. He is passionate about the sport as well as the players and this has continued to yield results for the country. But the Ministry of Sports must also come to his aid because he cannot continue to do this to the detriment of his hard-earned resources. If not for his efforts, I don’t think our players will feature in the ITTF African Junior & Cadet Championship in Algiers. It is high time that the ministry gave table tennis the needed attention because the sport has continued to put Nigeria on the world map,” he said.

    Omoniyi, who tutored the six-man national junior team in Algiers also tasked states associations to hit the ground running as their efforts would help to unearth new players for the country. “I believe the state sports ministry should also support NTTF by organising tournament and clinic for young people so that we can have more players coming through the rank in the sport.”

    Listing few of the feats recorded by table tennis, Omoniyi said: “If Aruna Quadri has been a footballer, I am sure by now he would have been celebrated better. How can they be honouring athlates without considering Aruna Quadri, who is now ranked 29 in the world and was also named the ITTF 2014 Player of the Year by the world table tennis ruling body. I think with all these few feats, table tennis should be well-funded to deliver more laurels for Nigeria.”  

  • ITTF: Nigeria beats Tunisia to second spot as Egypt rules

    ITTF: Nigeria beats Tunisia to second spot as Egypt rules

    Despite presenting the lowest number of players coupled with conceding the top place in Egypt, Nigeria’s six-man team finished second in the overall medal table ahead of Tunisia at the 2016 ITTF African Junior & Cadet Championship which ended yesterday in Algiers.

    However, Egypt’s dominance at the seven-day championship was obvious as the 22-man team from Cairo claimed all the 15 gold medals at stake in the competition.

    Being the host – Algeria’s 20-man team failed to finish among the top three teams despite dominating Nigeria in the female event, but the North African managed to settle for fourth place behind Tunisia which finished third with three silver medals.

    To claim the overall second place, Nigeria with the lowest number of players amassed four silver and four bronze medals in the teams and doubles events of the competition.

    Aside finishing second Nigeria boys and girls teams qualified for the 2016 ITTF World Junior Championship in South Africa while Esther Oribamise also made the list of African eight-man team for the 2016 World Cadet Challenge holding in Shanghai, China in October.

    Tunisia has three silver and five bronze medals while Algeria which finished fourth had two silver and five bronze medals.

    Other teams that picked up medals are Congo Brazzaville with two bronze medals while Angola and Mauritius won one bronze medal each.

    Meanwhile, Egypt was adjudged the best teams for sweeping all the gold medals in 15 events contested for at the competition.

    A satisfied President of African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Khaled El-Salhy commended the participating teams while urging the teams that qualified for the World Junior Championship to begin preparation in order to put up a good show in Cape Town come November

  • Nigeria’s Oribamise makes African team for ITTF World Cadet Challenge

    Nigeria’s Oribamise makes African team for ITTF World Cadet Challenge

    Apart from helping Nigeria to qualify for the 2016 World Junior Championship in South Africa, Esther Oribamise yesterday confirmed her spot in the girls’ four-man African team to the 2016 World Cadet Challenge holding in Shanghai, China.

    Oribamise secured her place after beating Algeria’s NASRI Malissa 9-11,11-5,11-7,7-11,4-11,7-11 in the quarterfinal of the girls cadet singles at the ongoing ITTF African Junior & Cadet Championship taking place in Algiers.

    Also already listed in the team are Egypt’s FATHY Rinad and Tunisia’s BAKLOUTI Manel while the last slot will be decided at the end of the final match as each country is expected to have one player in the four-man team.

    However, Abayomi Animasahun has missed out of the boys’ team after failing to qualify from the group stage of the cadet boys’ singles.

    From the three matches Animasahun played in Group A, he lost 3-0 to Egypt’s ABDELWAHAB Marwan and 3-1 to Congo Brazzaville’s KIASSI Regis while his only victory in the group was against Algeria’s LAZAZI Azzeddine.

    As it is Egypt’s ABDELWAHAB Marwan will lead the boys’ team as well as Tunisia’s BOURASS Aboubaker and Algeria’s CHAICHI Abdelbasset while the fourth player will emerge after the final.

    The team is expected to be announced later today by the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) and they are expected to be supported by the continental body in their preparation for the global tournament in China come October.

    Meanwhile, Animasahun has blamed his exit from the group to nervousness, saying, “I think it was the qualification for the World Cadet Challenge that was in my mind and this made me to be nervous during my matches particularly the encounter against Congo Brazzaville’sKIASSI Regis.

    In the women’s U-21, Egypt’s Mahmoud Nabil and Nigeria’s Ajoke Ojomu were the players to attract the attention as play progressed to the quarter-final stage of the event in Algiers.

    Both unseeded players exceeded all expectations by overcoming the top seeds in the second round of proceedings.  In the U-21 Men’s Singles event, Mahmoud Nabil accounted for Congo Brazzaville’s Christ Bienatiki (11-6, 11-6, 12-10, 8-11, 11-4); while in the women’s Singles competition, Ajoke Ojomu overcame Tunisia’s Sahar Othmane (11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-2, 15-13).

  • Nigeria hits ITTF World Junior Championship

    Nigeria hits ITTF World Junior Championship

    With medals to show for their efforts, Team Nigeria (boys and girls) yesterday confirmed their places at the 2016 ITTF World Junior Championship holding in South Africa after finishing among the top three teams at the ongoing ITTF African Junior & Cadet Championship in Algiers.

    It was the boys’ team that first secured their spot after making it to the final where they had to settle for the silver against Egypt in the final.

    But the road to final for the boys was not without its hurdles as Nigeria’s road to South Africa was not without efforts, as the West African giant had to fend off host – Algeria in the quarterfinal before setting up a semifinal clash against the highly-rated Tunisia.

    As the last match on Day Two of the championship, the clash between Nigeria and Tunisia had all the suspense expected of such game being the deciding match to determine the two first teams to qualify for the World Juniors.

    Algeria Junior Open Champion, Tunisia’s Omar Ammous could not save his team from the hand of the Nigerians despite winning his match against Azeez Solanke with Amadi Omeh and Abayomi Animasahun recording emphatic victories over SAADAOUI Mootezz and OUESLATI Raed.

    Bespectacled Omar Ammous tried to restore parity for the Tunisians but the skills of Nigeria’s Amadi Omeh was too much for him to handle as he fell 3-1 to concede an overall 3-1 defeat to Nigeria.

    But the Nigerian boys conceded defeat to Egypt in the final to pick the silver medal.

    Unlike the boys team that girls’ team had to wait till yesterday before knowing their fate.

    They were unfortunate against Algeria in the semifinal tie after losing 3-1 to the host nation.

    And to complete the continent’s three slots for the global championship, the team made up of Ajoke Ojomu, Esther Oribamise and Nimota Aregbesola gently dismantled Angola 3-0 to join Egypt and Algeria at the World Juniors.

    For their efforts, the girls’ team also has a bronze medal to show for their qualification.

    Ajoke Ojomu told NationSport that she was happy that they join the boys in the qualification, while blaming their semifinal loss to Algeria on hard luck. “I am happy that we qualified for the World Junior Championship and this is one of our goals in Algiers and I hope we can do well in other events,” she said.

    Over 10 countries are taking part in the championship with the doubles and singles events serving off today and the tournament ends on April 12.

  • Battle for medals enter crucial stage in Algiers

    The 10 countries present at the 2016 ITTF African Junior & Cadet Championships will today begin the battle for the top medals in the team event as the continental tournament enters crucial stage.

      Three teams in the boys and girls events are expected to join host – South Africa for places in this year’s World Junior Championship and Algeria will not want to take anything for granted as the host nation is doing everything within its reach to make the top three.

      The teams that will advance to the last four in the team event will emerge today while any team that make it to the final have secured their places at the World Juniors. Have been dominating the junior event in Africa, Egypt will be aiming to top the tournament.

      Meanwhile in previous years Egypt’s Aly Ghallab was on top of his game but in Algiers, the player will be competing in the U-21 Men’s Singles.

      Aly Ghallab is undoubtedly a strong contender for honours in the youth age group; as in the counterpart female event are his compatriots, Reem El-Eraky and Yousra Helmy. Both were members the Egyptian Women’s Team at the recent Perfect 2016 World Team Championships.

      However, if there is name to note in the Under 21 Men’s Singles event, it is that of Shady Magdy, likewise from Egypt; at last month’s ITTF World Tour Kuwait Open, he stole the show on the first two days of play.

    He reached the semi-final stage of the Under 21 Men’s Singles event beating the Japanese duo of Tonin Ryuzaki and Kohei Sambe, before overcoming Denmark’s Zhai Yujia in the quarter-finals. Hong Kong’s Ho Kwan Kit ended the journey.

    Notably, on the first day of play, Shady Magdy had been beaten by Zhai Yujia in the open round of the Men’s Singles qualification stage; the later success underlined the growing confidence in the mind of the 20 years old from the Al-Ahly Club in Cairo.

    Seven days of action awaits in Algiers; overall 60 players will compete in the male events, a total of 45 entrants in the female competitions.

  • World juniors qualification is our target – Omoniyi

    World juniors qualification is our target – Omoniyi

    After settling down in Algiers for the 2016 ITTF African Junior & Cadet Championships, Coach Dotun Omoniyi believes they are in the tournament to clinch one of the three slots to the 2016 ITTF World Junior Championships in South Africa.

    Omoniyi, who led the team to their first training session early yesterday told NationSport that they would not be intimidated by the large number of players Egyptians assembled for the tournament.

    “I know that we are the focus of all teams particularly the Egyptians who are hoping to sweep medals at the tournament. We are indeed going to give them a run for their money because they are title contender and we are also one too. We will take each match as they come and hopefully by Thursday we should be talking of picking one of the three slots to the ITTF World Junior Championship in South Africa. The players are ready and they are in high spirit to play and I believe they will spring surprises,” he said.

    Also the marksman of Team Nigeria, Amadi Omeh said what they have learnt from competing at the Egypt Open would be utilised judiciously in Algiers. “We lost to the Egyptians in the final of the team event at Egypt Open but in Algiers it will be a different ball again entirely. I know they are a very strong side but we are also strong as well. I believe time will tell even as we battle them for the title. But I must also say that our main aim is to qualify for the World Juniors,” Omeh said.

    Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Egypt’s Youssef Abdel-Aziz and Amira Yousry as they are the defending champions of the championship.

    The Egyptian duo will be aiming to repeat the successes of one year ago; notably Amira Yousry won the Junior Girls’ Singles title and with Reem Morad, the Junior Girls’ Doubles but for the 18 year old from Cairo there is a debt to settle.

    Egypt suffered a three matches to one defeat in the final of the Junior Girls’ Team event, they were beaten by Algeria; notably Amira Yousry was the one winner for Egypt, she beat Hiba Feredj in the third match of the fixture.

    While Youssef Abdel-Aziz won the Cadet Boys’ Singles title and with Marwan Abdelwahab secured the Cadet Boys’ Doubles crown. He is too old to defend the titles as is his compatriot, Aly Ghallab, the player who in Mauritius enjoyed outstanding success.