The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Gabon

  • Gabon: Government says ‘situation under control’

    The government of Gabon has said that the political situation of the country is under control following an attempted coup by army rebels on Monday.

    Guy-Bertrand Mapangou, government spokesman said, “Calm has returned, the situation is under control.”

    In the early hours of Monday, soldiers had burst into state radio and called on the people to “rise up,” an apparent bid to oust ailing President Ali Bongo, who is out of the country. Of the five who did this, according to Mapangou, “four have been arrested and one is on the run.”

     

    Details Later…

  • Navy intercepts vessel with 406 illegal immigrants

    •Returnees laments hostilities by Gabon

    Operatives of the Nigerian Navy (NN) have intercepted a foreign vessel carrying 406 West Africans deported by Gabon.

    The vessel, MV CHIMBA EXPRESS, was intercepted on Wednesday evening within Lagos waters, without clearance.

    According to the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, Commodore Okon Eyo, the vessel was billed to arrive in Benin Republic, disembark passengers from that country, Togo, Mali and Niger before sailing to Calabar in Cross River to drop off Nigerians on board.

    Eyo said it would be plausible to conclude that the vessel’s agenda was to dump the passengers in Nigeria, since it aborted the original passage plan.

    Eyo said: “MV CHIMBA EXPRESS is a cargo/passenger vessel that regularly traverses parts of West and Central Africa through countries such as Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Sao Tome and Principe among others.

    “The vessel departed Gabon laden with cargo, regular and deportee passengers of Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger and Malian nationalities. It was scheduled to arrive in Benin to disembark both regular and deportee passengers from Benin, Togo, Mali and Niger, and thereafter proceed to Calabar to disembark Nigerian deportees, regular passengers and their cargoes.

    “However, in a twist of event, the vessel arrived in Lagos bar on April 25. The vessel had about 406 persons on-board from Togo, Benin, Niger, Mali and Nigeria.

    “The total number of Nigerians on-board and whether or not the vessel did berth in Benin is yet to be confirmed, but will be determined shortly. Among the Nigerians are 18 deported returnees.”

    Although the vessel’s charterer, Mubashiu Lawal, a Beninnois, had claimed they contacted port control for permission to enter Lagos, Eyo said the navy saw no evidence to that effect.

    He said: “This was yet to be granted as at the time of their arrest and it was also gathered that the international passports of the passengers were with the agents, who claimed to be processing them.

    “It was also obvious that there was no formal contact at governmental levels for the delivery of the deportees or returnees. However, there is unconfirmed report that the Nigerian Embassy in Libreville was aware of the deportation.”

    The commander said efforts were made to determine the history-trail of the vessel, using the Regional Maritime Awareness Capability (RMAC), which showed that it did not operate an active Automatic identification System (AIS).

    “Additionally, the Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) obtained from the ship’s documents indicates that it has no MMSI.

    “When searched with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) number, the vessel’s identity was displayed as RAMADAN IV and classified as a passenger vessel registered in HONDURAS with a tonnage of about 677. This information about the class of the vessel and tonnage matched that of CHIMBA EXPRESS,” he said.

    “MV CHIMBA EXPRESS’ gross tonnage is about 677 tonnes. The international law mandates vessel of more than 350 tonnages to install AIS on-board, which shows it was operating in violation of the law.

    “MV CHIMBA EXPRESS visual identity was also found to be mismatched with its registered name which was identified as RAMADAN IV.

    But Nigerian returnees onboard the vessel accused Gabonese government of maltreatment and hostilities towards them, claiming they were dumped with criminals for days without food nor water.

    Among Nigerians onboard the vessel were 40 women and 10 children, who claimed they bought their tickets to return home as well as others who were deported for offences such as forgery, robbery and drug trafficking.

    A mother of four, Esther Ike, said they were meted harsh treatments through the six-day journey.

    Joseph Emakpo, a native of Warri, said he had lived in Gabon for 16 years and decided to return home as a result of the hostilities of Gabonese security agencies.

    He said the security agents, particularly the Gabonese Immigration officers, see Nigerians as hustlers, who come to snatch the little business opportunities open to their countrymen.

    A deportee, Sunday Adehun, 29, said he was arrested because his document expired.

    Adehun, an Ondo State indigene, said he had tried to renew his resident permits since 2013 when they expired without success.

     

     

     

  • Aubameyang heads back to Dortmund in style

    Aubameyang heads back to Dortmund in style

     

    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang may have had a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations but the Borussia Dortmund star looked in good spirits as he headed back to Germany on Wednesday.

    Aubameyang scored twice in Gabon’s three games at the tournament but it wasn’t enough to prevent the host nation being eliminated at the group stage, courtesy of three consecutive draws.

    ‘On my way back to @bvb09 #aubameyang #pea17 #backontrack #bvb #phillipplein #pleinhero #allthewayup,’ he wrote alongside an image of himself relaxing on a private jet as he flew back to join his club.

    How long he will be in Germany remains to be seen, with Dortmund naming a price of £68.5million to test their resolve over coveted striker.

    Aubameyang has been linked with a host of Europe’s biggest clubs and was the subject of talks with Manchester City last summer.

    Now, the Bundesliga club’s chief executive, Hans-Joachim Watzke, says any bids approaching the €80m (£68.5m) mark would be enough to spark a serious discussion in the BVB boardroom, whilst insisting bids are not welcomed.

    ‘We can never guarantee that a player will stay with Borussia Dortmund forever, but our strength is to always find new solutions,’ the Dortmund chief told Kicker TV.

    ‘With an €80m offer, I would be thinking about Rauball and Zorc. If we had one (an offer), we would have to get together with Pierre-Emerick.

    ‘We always have to differentiate between situations where there is such an offer, but we have no pressure… I would prefer it if no offer came.”He is definitely good enough to go to an even bigger club.’

  • 2017 AFCON: Burkina Faso, Cameroon reach quarter-finals

    2017 AFCON: Burkina Faso, Cameroon reach quarter-finals

    Burkina Faso and Cameroon on Sunday qualified for the quarter-finals of the ongoing 2017 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Gabon after the final group A matches.

    Burkina Faso beat Guinea Bissau 2-0 in their match at the Stade de l’Amitié in Libreville, while a 0-0 draw between Cameroon and Gabon at Stade de Franceville in Franceville was enough to give Cameroon the quarter-finals ticket at the expense of hosts.

    The results meant Burkina Faso topped Group A with 5 points, the same as Cameroon but with a better goal aggregate.

    Gabon came third with 3 points, while Guinea Bissau ended their debut tournament with 1 point.

    In the match between Burkina Faso and Guinea Bissau, an own goal by Guinea Bissau defender Rudinilson Silva in the 11th minute gave Burkina Faso the lead, while Bertrand Traore scored the second in the 57th minutes. (PANA/NAN)

  • AFCON: Gabon faces elimination after Burkina draw

    AFCON: Gabon faces elimination after Burkina draw

    Hosts Gabon was on the brink of elimination from the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) after a second successive draw on Wednesday left them needing a result from their last game against Cameroon.

    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored again for Gabon but his first-half penalty only equalised against Burkina Faso in another 1-1 draw for the home team.

    Cameroon went top as they fought back from a halftime deficit to dampen Guinea Bissau’s hopes of continuing their fairytale run in the competition with a 2-1 victory.

    Cameroon made three bold substitutions after Piquiti had scored a glorious individual goal to give the small West African nation an early lead.

    The Guinea-Bissau winger picked up the ball in his own half, burst down the wing and cut inside to hammer home in the 13th minute and set his side potentially on the way to the biggest upset in tournament history.

    “I didn’t recognise my team in the first half. They weren’t the Indomitable Lions, rather the dominated lions. We had no spirit, no collective,’’ Cameroon coach Hugo Broos said.

    Wednesday Result and Thursday feature:

    AFCON Score sheet

    Sebastien Siani equalised in the 61st minute and Michael Ngadeu Ngadjui thrashed home the winner 12 minutes from time as Cameroon effectively moved to within one point of a quarter-final place.

    “It’s not over, we still feel we can do something in the last game,’’ said former Liverpool reserve Toni Silva of Guinea Bissau’s last match against Burkina Faso in Franceville on Sunday.

    Gabon must avoid defeat against Cameroon in Libreville, where home supporters seemed sceptical of their team’s chances and only 29,000 turned up for Wednesday’s game at the 40,000-capacity Stade l’Amitie.

    Burkina Faso went ahead through a solo effort from Prejuce Nakoulma before Aubameyang earned a penalty to level matters at halftime.

    “We have no complaints about the penalty but we also had enough chances to win the game,’’ said Burkinabe coach Paulo Duarte, whose side also have two points.

    Thursday’s matches are in Franceville where Senegal will become the first side to advance to the last eight if they beat Zimbabwe.

    Algeria plays Senegal in the other Group B game.

  • Aubameyang will be sold at the right price

    Aubameyang will be sold at the right price

     
    Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has admitted Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could leave the club if the price is right,

    but he is confident the Gabon international will remain for the foreseeable future.
    Aubameyang is continually being linked with a move away from the Bundesliga club, with Real Madrid reported to be topping his list of admirers.
    Nevertheless, Watzke sees no reason for concern just yet when it comes to the 27-year-old’s future.
    “I do not think there are an awful lot of clubs Auba would like to join,” Watzke told Bild.
    “There has been a lot of talk about a transfer for the past two or three years, but he is still at Dortmund. It used to be the same story with Marco Reus. He was supposedly going to every club in the world as well, but he is still here.
    “Of course, everyone has his price in football, regardless of who we are talking about.
    “But we are not even thinking about a transfer at the moment, because there is nothing happening for now.
    “And if an offer comes in that does turn his head, we will sit down and discuss it. But even that does not mean he will definitely leave. Auba still has a long-term contract here [until 2020].”

  • Arik Air begins flight to Gabon

    Arik Air begins flight to Gabon

    ARIKAir has introduced Lagos to Libreville, Gabon, flight, en route Port Harcourt.

    Its maiden flight took place at the weekend from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    Speaking at the ceremony, Arik Air’s Chief Commercial Officer Mr. Suraj Sundaram explained that there had not been any direct flight between Nigeria and Gabon for years.

    Sundaram noted that direct flight connection between the two countries was important because it would increase trade ties.

    “Nigerians from the Southeast travel to Libreville on regular basis and we also have corporations that are dominant in Nigeria, which transact business in Gabon because both are oil producing countries.

    “So, there is a lot of traffic between the two points. It is in the interest of the two countries that there should be direct flight services,” he said.

    He also explained how Arik Air intended to operate the new route, where it deployed the newest aircraft in its fleet.

    “We start every route as we have done for West Africa.

    “We started all routes with three frequencies a week, slowly expanding it based on demand, we move to five frequencies, then daily frequencies.

    “Again, based on demand, some markets are serviced two or three times a day as Lagos-Accra, Ghana.

    “So, these are plans we have laid over the past 10 years and we continue to do so with route expansion and aircraft acquisition to expand into more and more destinations globally, including the African continent,” Sundaram added.

    According to him, Arik Air has planned the flight in such a way that there is a late evening departure from Lagos, which will enable domestic flights to come into Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt to make the necessary connections.

    Gabonese Ambassador to Nigeria Mr Corentine Hervo-Akendengue hailed the airline’s decision to extend its operations to the Central African nation.

    He said Arik Air’s great vision to connect West African nations and open the route between Nigeria and Gabon would improve bilateral relations and boost commerce between the two countries.

    Nigerian Ambassador to Gabon Mr Bassey Archibong said the decision to operate to Gabon from Nigeria by Arik was what thousands of Nigerians living in the country had been yearning for.

  • Gabon is top sub-Saharan African country in retail growth

    Gabon is the most attractive sub-Saharan African country for international retailers to target due to strong economic growth and a stable middle class, according to A.T. Kearney’s African Retail Development Index.

    The study, which evaluated 48 countries in the region, ranked Gabon ahead of Botswana, Angola and Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy and most populous country.

    The index, published by the United States (US) consultancy, is compiled based on size of the urban population, business efficiency and risk of investment.

    “Scale will come to sub-Saharan Africa only when a few things happen, particularly the development of a shopping culture,” A.T. Kearney consultants including Mike Moriarty and Jaco Prinsloo said in the report. “The first priority in most markets is for basics and dry goods, but over time fresh supply chains and modern shopping space will be increasingly needed.”

    South African retailers including Shoprite Holdings Ltd., Woolworths Holdings Ltd and Pick n Pay Stores Ltd. are expanding on the continent to take advantage of higher economic growth rates than in their home market and rising household incomes.

    U.S. chain Wal-Mart Stores Inc is also adding new stores in sub-Saharan Africa through its Johannesburg-based, Massmart Holdings Ltd. None of the four chains have entered Gabon.

  • Gabon to host 2017 Africa Cup of Nations

    Gabon to host 2017 Africa Cup of Nations

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Wednesday in Cairo, Egypt awarded Gabon the hosting rights of the 31st edition of Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

    Gabon defeated Ghana and Algeria to the hosting rights of the most prestigious football competition in the continent.

    Issa Hayatou, President of CAF, made the announcement of the winner, after a vote by the CAF Executive Committee at the 37th Ordinary General Assembly of CAF.

    Delegations of the bidding countries had earlier presented their bids to the CAF Executive Committee.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gabon had co-hosted the 2012 edition of the AFCON alongside Equatorial Guinea, while South Africa hosted the 2013 edition.

    Equatorial Guinea hosted the competition’s last edition in 2015 after Morocco pulled out of hosting the 30th edition because of the outbreak of Ebola in some part of Africa.

    Cote d Ivoire defeated Ghana in the final match of the tournament in a penalty shootout.

  • Iwobi needs FIFA’s approval to face Gabon

    NigeriaU-23 National  Team coach, Samson Siasia, could be taking a risk if he fields Arsenal’s U-21 skipper Alex Iwobi in the All Africa Games qualifier against Gabon on Saturday.

    The attacking midfielder has represented the youth teams of England at U- 16 to U-18 level, and he has raised fears that he may be ineligible to represent Nigeria, as he is unsure if the caps came in competitive matches.

    But if that is the case, FIFA must approve the Arsenal starlet’s one time international allegiance switch before he can turn out for any of Nigeria’s national teams.

    ”I have not sent any application to FIFA to switch nationalities. I am not 100 per cent sure if the games I played for England were competitive matches,” Alex Iwobi told SL10.ng.

    ”I don’t think I played in the Euro qualifiers. I have played in tournaments, I don’t know if they count. I am not sure if I am eligible to play against Gabon.

    ”But I am looking forward to the game. We can do well and get a good victory.  I have been well treated since I came here and everyone welcomed me.”

    It is confirmed that Alex Iwobi’s caps for the England U-17s and U-18s came in friendlies, but the status of his seven international appearances for their U-16 side remain unclear at the moment.

    The England FA should have all the right answers but they decided to play a cat and mouse game when contacted by SL10.ng, with Customer Relations Officer Simon Bower saying the association is still investigating the matter after five working days.