The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Germany

  • Germany, OGUNCCIMA collaborate on training

    The Federal Republic of Germany and the Ogun State Council of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (OGUNCCIMA) have concluded arrangement towards training not less than 20 apprentices in industrial electronics in the ongoing German Dual Vocational Training partnership With Nigeria (G-DVTPW-N).

    Justifying the need for the one year training, scheduled to commence in July, in Ogun State,(OGUNCCIMA) Deputy President, Wasiu Babatunde Olaleye expressed that the training is very apt at this time because it is good for manufacturing and producing companies with sophisticated and modern equipment.

    Olaleye who is also the CEO of Fanol RDC Products Ltd, hinged his claim on effective contributions made to his organisation by Jelili Adeosun, one of the trained apprentices in industrial electronics of the G-DVTPW-N, at Industrial Skills Training Center (ISTC), in Lagos, adding that Adeosun having mastered the cores of the programme, would be of the trainers during the proposed training.

    Speaking in the same vein, (G-DVTPW-N) Coordinator, Engr. Kehinde Stephen Awoyele, added that the partnership programme was primarily designed to make Nigerian youths efficiently employable and keep poverty at bay by waking the sense of entrepreneurship among them and afterwards boost economic growth through efficiency of trained employees.

    On the readiness of OGUNCCIMA to host the training, Olaleye said they were integrating relevant ministries, and private sector into the programme.

    “Appropriate indentified companies must be mobilised and we are getting to the grass root through the private sector, we have made a building ready at Government Technical College, Idi Aba for the training,” he further informed.

    Talking about the curriculum being used for the system, DVT short expert, Ludwig Grunter, who hinted that DVT programme, is normally run for a period of three and half years in Germany, explained that, “we have reviewed the curriculum to fit into Nigerian system and at the same time to accommodate new system and new technology.

    “Demand is changing very fast, and we try to use modern or latest technologies like LEDS (Light Emitting Diodes) to teach basics and I look forward to a pool of trainers that will do this work in future.”

    In a comparison, Awoyele informed that DVT is quite different from Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), in that SIWES is not curriculum based, does not have a particular trainer in the company for a particular trainee, it is not demand driven on the part of the company and there is no linkage between the schools and companies unlike DVT that is 70% practical oriented in workshops and companies and accommodates all these fields.

  • Germany reviews two thousand asylum cases

    The German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) is reviewing some 2,000 asylum cases, amid far-right terror plot scandal, the Interior Ministry said on Friday.

    The ministry said that decision was taken after revelations that a suspected right-wing extremist army officer posing as a refugee was granted asylum in the country .

    It said that the BAMF is reviewing the cases in order to find out whether there are systemic problems such as inadequate background checks and screening.

    “The decision to grant asylum to Franco A. a lieutenant stationed in France who successfully registered as a refugee in Germany despite speaking no Arabic was a “flagrant error.

    “That is not allowed to happen.

    “The asylum cases that are being reviewed include 1,000 Afghans and 1,000 Syrians who were granted permission to stay in Germany between Jan. 1 and April 27, 2016,’’ the ministry spokesman Johannes Dimroth said.

    The controversy started a week ago with the arrest of Franco A, a 28-year-old army lieutenant who created a fake identity as Syrian refugee named “David Benjamin,” allegedly in order to plan terrorist attacks.

    Defence Minister Ursula Leyen has come under fire after it emerged that information about far-right sentiment in the Bundeswehr’s ranks had not reached her ministry.

  • 2017 Okpekpe Race: Olamide hopes for better outing

    Oluwaseun Olamide, who came second in the Nigerian category at the 4th Okpekpe International 10km Road Race, says she will better her performance to win the female category prize in the competition.

    Olamide told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos that her target was to be among the first eight athletes in the international category.

    “My coming to Okpekpe this year is to be among the first eight in the international category. I also have the objective of upping my performance in other events I will attend this year.

    “I was among the first 10 in the international category last year and second Nigerian; so, I intend to improve on that record this time,’’ she said.

    Olamide is a gold medalist at the 2016 Ibadan/Splash FM Integrity marathon, and also, a gold medalist in the Nigerian category, 2016 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon.

    The only International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) approved Road Race in Africa is scheduled for May 13 in Edo.

    Athletes for the event are being expected from Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Uganda, Eritrea, Bahrain, Germany, Turkey, Morocco, Burundi and host, Nigeria.

    NAN reports that technological innovations such as mobile application, line-tracking and transponders have been introduced into this year’s competition.

     

  • Germany urges Nigeria to step up vocational training

    The German Government has charged Nigeria to strengthen her  efforts at pulling  out  of   recession with vocational skills development, especially among youths.

    The Head, Delegation of German Industry and Commerce, Nigeria, Dr. Marc Lucassen, urged the Federal Government to learn from her German counterpart who, despite not having crude oil and agricultural   resources,   boosted   her   Gross   Domestic  Product (GDP) and reduced  unemployment through Dual Vocational Training (DVT).

    He spoke during at the graduation of the first batch of apprentices in Office Administration Profession in Ogun State of the on-going German Dual Vocational Training Partnership with Nigeria (G-DVTPW-N).

    Lucassen said for Nigeria to exit recession it must integrate DVT and collaborate with the private sector, stressing that DVT is better driven with Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative.

    The G-DVTPW-N Programme Coordinator, Kehinde Stephen Awoyele, explained that  G-DVTPW-N was an initiative of the Federal Republic of Germany geared towards raising the employability bar of youths and reducing poverty in the country.

    He said the programme was being financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation   and   Development   and   conducted   by  sequagGmbH.   It’s   steered   by   the   CCI Giessen-Friedberg as the German project partner.

  • I’ve offers from Spain, England, Germany — Onyekuru

    I’ve offers from Spain, England, Germany — Onyekuru

    Not in demand Nigerian forward Henry Onyekuru who has been linked with a move to a host of English Premier League clubs says he has been contacted by teams from England, Spain and Germany.

    19 year old Onyekuru has taken the Belgium League by storm this season which is his debut season in the top flight league in Belgium with 17 goals and 6 assists despite playing wide on the left side of the attack of his team.

    Bournemouth, Southampton and Liverpool are among the teams linked with a move for him in the summer with Scottish champions Celtic who failed to sign him in January still interested in him, while in Germany Borussia Monchengladbach are reportedly on his trail , same as Spanish La-Liga side Sevilla.

    Responding to the links , the Aspire academy graduate says he has indeed made contact with teams in England, Spain and Germany regarding a possible move from Eupen in the summer.

    ” Clubs in England, Spain, Scotland and Germany have contacted me but I’m focused on my game. We still have games to play before the season ends, as for now my aim is on the games ahead of me” Onyekuru told Owngoalnigeria.com.

  • U.S. allies rule out military solution in Syria

    U.S. allies rule out military solution in Syria

    Germany and Italy stressed Tuesday the need for a political solution in Syria, where the U.S. has intervened with missile strikes in response to a chemical weapons attack on civilians.

    Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7), which comprises the U.S., Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Canada, discussed the crisis with representatives from the European Union and several Middle Eastern countries.

    “We do not believe that the military solution is the right one,” said Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, who hosted the talks also involving ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan.

    The ministers, meeting in the Tuscan town of Lucca, agreed that “Russia must not be isolated and, on the contrary, must insofar as possible be involved in the political transition process in Syria,” Alfano added.

    While the White House said Monday the U.S. was ready to repeat strikes against Syrian targets to prevent the use of chemical weapons, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson focused on diplomacy in talks with partners, Germany said.

    “Tillerson explicitly said they are seeking a non-violent, non-military way,” German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told reporters, praising his U.S. counterpart for taking “a very realistic and clear stance.”

    The U.S. bombing of Syrian airfield on April 7 in response to the attack in the city of Khan Sheikhoun has confounded expectations that Donald Trump would be an isolationist president, and soured his relations with Russia.

    Russia, a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has condemned US actions as reckless and counterproductive.

    Iran, another main backer of the regime in Damascus, has expressed similar concerns.

    The G7 was attempting to put up a united front on Syria ahead of Tillerson’s Wednesday visit to Moscow.

    Calls Britain made on Monday to threaten Syria and Russia with further sanctions did not seem to make headway.

    Nevertheless, Gabriel urged Moscow to reconsider its support for al-Assad.

    “I believe that it is almost inconceivable that Russia wants to stand on the side of such a murderous regime as that of Bashar al-Assad for the long haul,” he said.

    North Korea’s illegal nuclear programme and the US decision to send warships to the Korean peninsula, ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Libya, the threat from terrorism and migration were also on the agenda.

    The Lucca talks were also laying the ground for next month’s G7 summit in Taormina, Sicily, the first to be attended by Trump.

     

  • 50 Nigerians deported from European countries arrive Lagos

    Some 50 Nigerians were on Thursday deported from eight European countries for committing immigration-related offences.

    The Nigerians were deported from Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Luxembourg, Austria, Belgium, Spain and Hungary.

    Their deportation is coming barely 48 hours after another set of 40 Nigerians were deported by the Italian Government, for similar reasons.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fresh batch of deportees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMlA), Lagos at about 7.36 a.m.

    The deportees, comprising of 48 males and two females, were brought back in a chartered Privileged Time aircraft, with registration number EC-L20.

    DSP Joseph Alabi, spokesman of the Lagos Airport Police Command, confirmed the development to NAN.

    Alabi said: “this morning, we received 50 Nigerians who were brought back from Europe.

    “We had three males from Switzerland; from Germany, we had seven males; from Sweden, we had four males, from Luxembourg, we had six males; from Austria, we had 18, comprising of 17 males and one female.

    “From Belgium, we had only one female; from Spain, we had five males and finally from Hungary, we had six males, which makes it a total of 50,’’ he said.

    Alabi said all the deportees were alleged to have committed immigration-related offences in their host countries.

    Alabi said the deportees were received by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Police.

    Also on ground to receive them were officials the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    NAN gathered that the deportees were profiled by immigration authorities and were allowed to depart to their various destinations.

     

  • Ozil, Draxler and Gomez out of England clash

    Ozil, Draxler and Gomez out of England clash

     

    Germany will be without Mesut Ozil, Julian Draxler and Mario Gomez for Wednesday’s friendly match with England, Joachim Low has confirmed.

    Arsenal star Ozil has failed to recover from the hamstring problem that kept him out of the Gunners’ last Premier League match against West Brom.

    Paris Saint-Germain attacking midfielder Draxler and Wolfsburg striker Gomez will also sit out the match with minor injuries.

    Head coach Low, who has already seen Manuel Neuer return to Bayern Munich for treatment on a calf problem, would not say whether the attacking trio will be available for Sunday’s World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan.

    “Neuer is injured, Ozil has muscular problems, Draxler has a slight muscular problem. Gomez also has a slight injury,” he told a news conference. “They won’t play.”

    Germany surrendered a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 to England when they last met in a pre-Euro 2016 friendly in Berlin last March.

    Low believes England are going through a transition phase under Gareth Southgate in the wake of their shock defeat to Iceland in the finals last year, but is wary of the danger they could pose on the counter-attack.

    “England are in flux,” he said. “They now look for more of a possession game. They have very good players, good on the counter.”

    Lukas Podolski, who will play his final international match at Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday, added: “I don’t know what the difference is between Germany and England.

    “We have had a great coach for the past 10 years. We started on a path in 2004.

    “Club football is very strong in England, they have a lot of good young individual players.”

  • Man Utd striker Rashford to join England senior squad

    Man Utd striker Rashford to join England senior squad

    Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford will be named in Gareth Southgate’s England squad on Thursday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 19-year-old was initially expected to feature for the England Under-21 side in friendlies against Germany and Denmark next weekend.

    But with England forwards Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney both ruled out through injury, Rashford will be called up.

    England face Germany away in a friendly before a World Cup qualifier against Lithuania at Wembley on 26 March.

    Rashford made a goal-scoring debut for England in a 2-1 win over Australia in May last year and has collected six senior caps.

    He was a late inclusion for Manchester United in their 1-0 FA Cup defeat by Chelsea on Monday, having been omitted from the initial squad due to illness.

    England captain Rooney was ruled out of Manchester United’s trip to the capital with a leg injury sustained in a training ground collision.

    Also, Tottenham striker Harry Kane went off with an ankle injury against Millwall on Sunday.

    Spurs said the injury is similar to the one Kane picked up against Sunderland on 18 Sept. 2016.

     

  • Grosskreutz leaves Stuttgart after attack

    Grosskreutz leaves Stuttgart after attack

     

     

    World Cup winner Kevin Grosskreutz has left Stuttgart by mutual consent following a city-centre altercation that left him hospitalised.

    Wide man Grosskreutz – part of Germany’s victorious squad in Brazil in 2014 – was admitted to hospital with a laceration to his head following an incident in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

    The 28-year-old has since been discharged but will not play for 2. Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart again after both parties agreed to go their separate ways.

    “I made a mistake, which I am very sorry about,” he said in a statement. “I accept the consequences and regret that my time at VfB is over.

    “I would like to thank the team, the staff and especially the fans, who have supported me well in the last few days.”

    Grosskreutz was subsequently quoted as telling a news conference: “I don’t want anything to do with professional football for the time being.”

    Sporting director Jan Schindelmeiser commented that Grosskreutz had “screwed up big”, while head coach Hannes Wolf conceded the club were left with little option but to allow him to leave.

    “After what happened, the termination of the co-operation with Kevin was the only logical step,” he said.

    “This is not a simple situation for us. Nevertheless, it is important now that we shape the immediate future of the club and concentrate as quickly as possible on the difficult game in Braunschweig [on Monday].”