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2018 FIFA World Cup ticket sales resumes on Thursday

Ticket sales for the world’s biggest football event, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, will resume on Thursday on a first-come first-served basis.

A total of 622,117 tickets were successfully allocated to subscribers, even though this was subject to payment being made later.

This was also at the conclusion of the first window of sales phase from Oct. 1 to Oct. 12.

According to a report by the FIFA Media Office on Tuesday, some 3,496,204 tickets had initially been requested with many ticket products and matches being heavily oversubscribed.

This requires the allocation of tickets through a random selection draw process carried out in the presence of a public notary.

During this process FIFA also identified a number of ticket applications which were not eligible to enter into the random selection draw.

For example, ticket applications for team-specific ticket series — for teams that are no longer able to qualify — as well as ticket applications that violated the household restrictions.

This is in the category of applying for a maximum of four tickets for up to seven matches.

From the total number of applications, majority have come from Russia, and based on results of the Random Selection Draw process 57 percent of tickets were allocated to Russian fans.

Tickets allocated to international fans account for 43 percent of the total number of allocated tickets.

The US, Chinese, German, Brazilian, Israeli, English, Finnish, Mexican and French fans all rank in the top ten in this category.

During the upcoming sales period, which starts on Thursday and end on Nov. 28, fans will be able to purchase tickets in real time on FIFA.com/tickets.

They will get immediate confirmation of successful applications, subject to availability.

Football fans were advised to place their order as soon as the sales period opens.

This is because high demand is expected and the remaining inventory following the random selection draw sales period was likely to sell out very quickly.

Tickets purchased during sales phases 1 and 2 will be delivered free of charge to fans in the weeks leading up to the tournament.

Deliveries have been planned to start in April or May of 2018, even though this is subject to change.

Tickets may be purchased using payment cards of Visa, the Official Payment Services Partner of FIFA.

Purchases can also be made by other accepted payment methods.

FIFA’s Head of Ticketing, Falk Eller, said the world football body was already overwhelmed by the positive response from both Russian and international fans so far.

“’With only a few teams still to qualify, we are again expecting high demand once sales resume on Thursday.

“Considering such remarkable interest in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia from fans all over the world, we will like to once again stress that the only official, legitimate and user-friendly source to purchase tickets is the FIFA.com/tickets website.

“Fans who purchase tickets from other sources put themselves at significant risk of missing out on the World Cup, and of course we will not want that to happen.

“Category 4 tickets, which are exclusively reserved for Russian residents, will not be available for purchase during the upcoming first-come, first-served sales period.

“This is due to the full allocation of the currently available category four tickets during the previous sales period.

“FIFA will also make a dedicated allocation of tickets available for disabled people, people with limited mobility and fans classified as obese,” Eller said.

NAN

November 14, 2017
Four Gulf of Mexico oil platforms shut after Enchilada fire -Shell

Royal Dutch Shell said on Tuesday that production at four oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut in the wake of a Nov. 8 fire at its Enchilada platform.

“Production is shut in at the Shell- operated Enchilada and Salsa platforms, as well as the associated Hess-operated Conger field,” in which has a 37.5 per cent share, it said in a statement.

In addition, Shell safely shut in all production operations at its Auger platform due to downstream constraints caused by this incident.”

Production from Auger flows back to Enchilada for transport to shore.

There was still no timeline for the resumption of normal operations.

“Shell is in the process of developing a plan to repair damage caused by an operational incident on its
Enchilada platform and safely re-deploying personnel.”

NAN

November 14, 2017
Court docks man over alleged theft of bus

A 27-year-old man, Johnson Michael, was on Tuesday arraigned in an Osogbo Magistrates’ Court over alleged theft of a Toyota Sienna, valued at N1.8 million.

Michael is facing a count charge of stealing.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Duro Adekunle, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on Oct. 7 at Deborah Event Centre, Osogbo.

Adekunle said that the defendant stole the Toyota Sienna with registration number LND 974 AZ, worth N1.8 million, property of one Lukman Olatunbosun.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol.11 Laws of Osun, 2003.

The defendant denied committing the offence.

Counsel to the defendant, Mr Ranageous Ugwu, prayed the court to grant his client bail in the most liberal terms.

The Magistrate, Mr Ashiru Ayeni, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N250, 000 and two sureties in like sum.

He adjourned the case until Dec.22 for mention.

NAN

November 14, 2017
Benue Police arrest 4 herdsmen for attempted rape

The Police Command in Benue says it has arrested four suspected herdsmen for alleged attempt to rape two women Doosul Nambo and Ladi Mhbahme in Guma Local Government area of the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer ( PPRO ), ASP Moses on Tuesday in Makurdi that the herdsmen also killed one Apesuu Uhula, who came to the rescue of the women.

Yamu named the suspected herdsmen as Ibrahim Muhammadu, Abubakar Ahmadu, Ibrahim Fulani and Adamu Bature, adding that they were arrested along with their cows.

He said that the herdsmen were attempting to rape Nambo and Mhbahme both of Isho Village in Guma local government, when they were arrested following security tip-off.

He further explained that the herdsmen shot dead one Apesuu Uhula who came to the rescue of the women.

“One Apesuu Uhula, who came to her rescue was shot dead. The Police moved immediately to the scene; while at the scene, some herdsmen were seen trying to convey their cow in a canoe and attempted to flee when they sighted the police.

“They were eventually rounded up and held in our custody for further investigation.

This was the first arrest of herdsmen by the police since the beginning of the full implementation of the Anti-Open Grazing law in Benue State on Nov. 1.

NAN

November 14, 2017
Court remands man, 65, for alleged homosexuality in Niger

A Minna Chief Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday remanded a 65-year-old man, Patrick Kalu, in prison for allegedly having anal sex with a 15 years old boy.

The accused who resides in Railway Quarters, Minna, pleaded guilty to the offence.

The Chief Magistrate, Hassan Mohammed, however, ordered that the accused be remanded in prison and adjourned the case until Jan, 25, 2018.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Abdullahi Maiyaki, had told the court that the accused was arrested on Nov. 8, for having sex through the anus with a 15-year-old boy.

He said that Kalu was arrested during the act, adding that he had kept the victim in his house for over one year.

Maiyaki said that the accused lured the unsuspecting victim from Karimo area of Abuja on the pretext of securing him a job.

He said that the offence contravened Section 284 of the Panel Code Law.

The section prescribes a 14-year jail term with no option of fine, upon a High Court conviction.

NAN

November 14, 2017
President Buhari updated on 2017 Hajj, NCC activities

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday received briefing on 2017 Hajj operation from the Executive Chairman of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria ( NAHCON ), Alhaji Abdullahi Mukhtar.

Mukhtar, however, declined to speak with State House correspondents after the briefing.

The NAHCON boss also briefed the president on preparations for smooth conduct of 2018 Hajj.

Mukhtar had on Sept. 14 at an interactive session and dinner with members of the 2017 Hajj Media Team in Makkah, disclosed that NAHCON had commenced preparations for 2018 Hajj.

He said that the commission had already sent a team, headed by the Consul General, to negotiate price of accommodation in Madinah to ensure that Nigerian pilgrims were
lodged close to the Prophet’s Mosque.

He said: “To this end, the Commission has sent a delegation to Madina to prepare ground for negotiation of a comprehensive package for pilgrims.”

The Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Sen. Olabiyi Durojaiye, also briefed President Buhari on activities of the commission.

NAN

November 14, 2017
Ogoni clean-up: Rivers lawmaker calls for patience with FG

Mr Josiah Olu, an APC lawmaker representing Eleme Constituency in the Rivers Assembly has enjoined pressure groups agitating against the delayed Ogoni clean-up to be patient with the Federal Government.

Olu made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Port Harcourt.

He said that the Ogoni clean-up required extensive planning, scientific analysis, community involvement, and genuine partnership to achieve needed goal.

Olu urged the people of Ogoni to exercise patience as the federal government strive towards implementing the United Nations Environmental Programme ( UNEP ) report on Ogoniland in accordance with its framework.

According to him, the framework for the Ogoni clean-up is developed in a manner that embraces an all inclusive remediation of Ogoni land.

The lawmaker said that although the implementation stage of the program was slow it was still ongoing in line with its original framework and should not be viewed as an abandoned project.

“The issue of delay in the implementation of the UNEP report in Ogoni began with the past administration that ran for six years without any program of action to support commencement of the exercise.

“This present administration has within two years shown commitments towards implementation as it has already constituted governing bodies to take charge of the entire process,” he said.

Olu said that relevant stakeholders had shown clear commitment by creating a Governing Council and Board of Trustees of the Ogoni Restoration Fund in August 2016 to oversee and fund the clean-up.

In another development, the lawmaker has decried the non payment of arrears of salaries and allowances of some lawmakers in the state since 2015.

According to him, the state Ministry of Finance attributed the delay to unverified bio-metrics of the affected lawmakers.

He, however, said that the affected lawmakers had been verified by the ministry but were yet to be paid.

Olu called on Gov. Nyesom Wike to ensure that arrears of the affected lawmakers were cleared to alleviate their sufferings.

NAN

November 14, 2017
Minister supports Kogi Governor on fiscal discipline, urges ASUP shelve strike

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Prof. Stephen Ocheni, has expressed satisfaction with the performance of Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi in his quest for financial probity and fiscal discipline.

Ocheni said this at a news conference on the internal security and industrial and labour harmony in Kogi on Monday in Abuja.

The minister called on the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) to call off their strike and embrace dialogue in the interest of their students.

He also condemned opposition for embarking on campaign of calumny to discredit the Governor.

He said that it was most unfortunate that opposition politicians were celebrating and politicising the internal security and industrial issues in Kogi instead of condemning it and supporting the government.

Ocheni said rather than the opposition to join hand with the Governor now that the economy of the state was recuperating for a greater Kogi State, it had embarked on cheap negative blackmail.

“The government’s is striving hard to put the economy back on sound footing through surgical operation for quick economic recovery,” he said.

According to him, one of the giant strides in this direction was the massive flushing out of over 20,000 ghost workers in the state civil service.

He added that the anomaly had gone on in the state since its creation but was halted through a result oriented staff screening exercise.

He said that the governor had also put in place measures to strengthen the economy of the state through improved fiscal discipline, reduction in corruption, transparency and accountability.

Ocheni said that the governor had also adopted the contributory pension scheme to ensure that every employee received his retirement benefits as and when due.

He commended the governor for his achievement on security, adding that the governor’s effort had changed the narratives associated with the past insecurity of lives and property in the state.

He lauded the governor and the organised labour for the amicable resolution of the industrial dispute in the state.

“The task ahead is to build a new Kogi state and imbibe the culture of change in order to change the wrong ways of doing government business,” he said.

NAN

November 14, 2017
Lagos Assembly passes Cooperative College Bill

The Lagos State House of Assembly has passed into law, a bill for the establishment of Lagos State Cooperative College to further enhance economic development of the state.

The Assembly passed the bill after Third Reading on the floor of the House on Monday.

The lawmakers took turns to perfect some corrections in the 31-section bill before it was finally passed by the House.

The Speaker, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, conducted a voice vote on each of the sections of the bill before passage by the House.

Obasa said: “Having considered the Third Reading for a bill to establish the Lagos State Cooperative College and for Connected Purposes, the bill is hereby passed into law.’’

The speaker directed the Clerk of the House, Mr Azeez Sanni, to forward a clean copy of the bill to Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode for his assent.

NAN reports that the House, however, stepped down, until further notice, report of its Committee on Transportation on Lagos State Waterways Authority Regulation 2017 over some inadequacies.

The report was laid by the Acting Chairman of the committee, Mr Mojeed Fatai representing Ibeju-Lekki I.

NAN

November 14, 2017
FRSC takes safety campaigns to primary schools in Plateau

The Jos Zonal Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps ( FRSC ) has embarked on a child Safety campaign in primary schools in Plateau.

Flagging-off the campaign at the St. Luke Primary School on Monday in Jos, the Zonal Commanding Officer, Mr Jonas Agwu, said the initiative was “timely”.

According to Agwu, the rationale behind the campaign was to stem the spate at which underaged children die from road accidents.

“If you take a copious check, you will see that children below the ages of twelve are not being transported properly by motorists.

“What I have noticed in my five months stay on the Plateau is that drivers and car owners are careless about the safety of the children while plying roads; they have very poor attitude to the safety of the child.

“So, it is based on this that we decided to take the safety campaign to the children directly, so they will know their rights on one hand, and can correct adults when they do the wrong thing on the other hand.

“If we say and believe that the kids are the leaders of tomorrow, then we have to do the right thing in safeguarding their future,” he said.

The Zonal Commanding Officer appealed to motorists to acquire baby seats for their cars as well as ensure its usage when necessary, for safety of children.

Agwu also warned against allowing children to use the front passenger’s seat, as such acts could be risky to the safety of the children.

The campaign was organised in conjunction with Rotary Club of Jos, Sherehills and the Nija Pikin Iniative Development.

NAN

November 13, 2017