The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria newspaper

  • Neymar’s European suspension reduced from three to two games – CAS

    The Court of Arbitration for Sport has reduced Paris St Germain striker Neymar’s suspension from three to two UEFA games for insulting match officials, CAS said on Tuesday.

    PSG and the Brazilian had appealed against the three-game ban imposed by European governing body UEFA in June, and CAS partially upheld the appeal.

    Neymar labelled the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system “a disgrace” after PSG were eliminated from the Champions League last 16 by Manchester United after the Premier League side were awarded a decisive last-gasp penalty in a 3-1 win at the Parc des Princes.

    Read Also: Barcelona set to dump Neymar interest for Kylian Mbappe

    Neymar will be eligible to play in the Champions League in the third round of matches, when PSG travel to Club Brugge on Oct. 22.

    The 27-year-old made his PSG season debut last Saturday after his failed transfer to Barcelona, scoring the only goal in stoppage time against Racing Strasbourg in Ligue 1.

    He is suspended for PSG’s Champions League start against Real Madrid on Wednesday. (Reuters/NAN)

  • Nasarawa downsizes 18 existing ministries to 13

    Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa state has downsized the eighteen existing ministries in the state to thirteen.

    Governor Sule made the announcement during a Stakeholders meeting in Lafia.

    The five affected ministries which have been scrapped and merged with re-established ones include Special Education, Science and Technology; Higher Education; Housing and Urban Development; Community Development and Water Resources.

    The Thirteen new ministries are Education, Health, Land and Urban Development, Environment and Natural Resources, Youths and Sports Development, Justice, Finance and Economic Planning.

    Read Also: Stop consuming non-iodised salt, NAFDAC advises Nigerians

    Others include, Local Government, Community and Chieftaincy Affairs; Women and Social Development; Works, Housing and Transport; Agriculture and Water Resources; Trade Industries and Investment; and information culture and tourism

    Governor Abdullahi Sule said the development is to ensure that ministries are reduced into a manageable size and avoid conflicting roles

    Governor Sule said government is working towards strengthening MDAs for effective service delivery and appealed for the support of stakeholders.

     

     

  • Woman killed by suspected ritualists in Delta

    A yet to be identified woman has been reportedly murdered by suspected ritualists in Sapele, Delta State.

    The woman said to be in her twenties was found on Monday morning, along Ogorode Road, with a white rope tied around one of her ankles.

    Sapele, it will be noted has been in the news for killings of two other young ladies, in unexplained circumstances.

    The Nation also reported the death of one Godwin Iwere, who was found dead in another part of the town barely three days ago.

    The Commissioner of Police, Delta Command, while confirming the incident, stated thus: “Yes. She was killed by suspected ritualists. We think so because of the white rope tied around her leg.”

    Read Also;  Several persons abducted on Delta expressway

    Witnesses, however, claim that the corpse of the lady was found with bloodstains and with severe cuts in a shallow swamp along the road.

    They alleged that some of her vital organs were missing at the point of discovery.

    A source said, “The lifeless body was found Monday morning with blood all over her body seemingly stabbed to death by unknown persons.”

    Council boss of Sapele, Hon Eugene Inoaghan, had recently issued new modalities to hotel operators in the council to address the increasing killings in the area.

  • BBNaija: ‘I felt so much peace around Gedoni’ – Khafi

    Evicted Housemate, Khafi Kareem says she loves her partner Gedoni Ekpata and felt so much peace around him whilst in the BBNaija Reality show.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that actress and presenter said this in her first major interview with host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu following her exit from the show.

    Khafi who spoke on the intensity of her relationship with Gedoni, reiterated that they never had sex in the house.

    “I felt such peace around him. I didn’t think I couldn’t be myself around him.

    “We did not have sex. You know sex is a natural thing. If I did, I would actually say that’s what happened.

    “I wouldn’t want to be given the penalisation or punishments for things I didn’t do,” she said.

    She said, “I just feel like in the house, everything is so intense so where you will get to in a relationship over three months seeing somebody and been on a date with them is like a week in the house.

    “The intensity seeing everybody when you wake up and when you go to sleep. I think it was after the eviction in the first week, after we were almost up that’s when our bond really grew.

    Read Also: #BBNaija: Khafi Kareem the ‘controversial’ constable and self-acclaimed ‘celibate’

    The bubbling personality also revealed plans to host a Nigerian tourism show as part of her post-BBNaija plans.

    When asked if she would fully concentrate on acting, Khafi said, “I love acting, I feel like it will be a given. I can do that with my eyes closed.

    “I definitely want to do presenting. I would like to have a travel show where I showcase different states in nigeria and just do some tourism stuff,” she said.

    Ebuka also asked Khafi how she maintained her bubbly demeanor when her eviction was announced. She noted that she felt grateful for the experience.

    She said, “I felt grateful. When my name was called, I would have been grateful to stay in the house.

    “When I was leaving, I was like it had been an amazing last week in the house and I felt grateful and now I can begin the rest of my life,” she said.

    On her relationship with fellow housemate Tacha, Khafi also described her relationship with Tacha as genuine, adding that they were naturally pulled towards each other.

    She said, “interestingly I want to be friends with the person I think has no friends or who felt alone.

    “I also felt alone in the house when I first came. We just gravitated to each other and we have been cool since the first week,” she said.

    The police officer also noted that Ike Oyeama, who nominated her for eviction, was playing the best game in the house.

    NAN reports that with Khafi’s eviction, there are ten housemates left to compete for the Grand prize worth 60 million Naira.

  • BREAKING: Many feared dead in Lagos-Ibadan crash

    Many passengers were dead on Tuesday as a bus crashed into a truck around the Foursquare camp axis inbound Lagos of Lagos/Ibadan Expressway before Fidiwo bridge.

    Details shortly…

  • #BBNaija: Khafi Kareem the ‘controversial’ constable and self-acclaimed ‘celibate’

    Prior to Big Brother Naija 2019 ‘Pepper Dem’ edition, ‘Khafi Kareem’, was just a regular UK policewoman with dreams and aspirations to make it big in her own way.

    Interestingly, for the first time in the history of the competition, Khafi Kareem was one of the twenty-one Big Brother Naija 2019 housemates. She however got evicted from the reality show on Sunday, September 15.

    Khafi is a native of Ekiti, Nigeria, but she lives in London. Khafi who is aged 29 years old, is also a Police Officer in London.

    Her exit is coming after spending a total of 77 days and eleven weeks in the house thus bringing an end to her journey in the race for the mouth-watering cash prize of N30 million and other rewards bringing the total prize N60 million.

    Upon her entry into the house, she had Nigerians talking on Twitter especially with her status as a constable with the Metropolitan police UK.

    A quick look at her lifestyle especially during the house sojourn reveals that she’s a lady full of energy and positive vibes. She’s of the opinion that ‘you can reach anything as long as you believe in yourself’. She likes public speaking, dancing and singing.

    Khafi dislikes people who also try to control her or block her self-expression.

    While in the house, Khafi won the Innoson vehicle valued at N3.85 million during a challenge, she also won 220,000 Scanfrost TV during the ‘Scanforst challenge’, Arla cooking challenge, a co-winner of the Indomie N1million challenge, a co-winner of the TravelBeta challenge under team Lagos that won N1million prize.

    Read Also: Inside the ‘risky’ life of Bobrisky

    Recently, she dominated the news, both local and international, for allegedly breaching the rules and regulations at her workplace.

    It was reported that the she might face disciplinary actions from her employers, MET Police for partaking in BBNaija.

    A report published by several UK news outlets noted that she was refused permission to appear on the show by her superiors.

    However, the reality star’s management said the reports were not only derogatory but sensational.

    The management claimed that the UK Sun failed to inquire or get her side of the story before publishing the article.

    One of the highlights of Big Brother Naija 2019 has been the relationship between Khafi and Gedoni.

    Gedoni and Khafi did not only cross the line but they did rub it in the faces of other housemates, night after night.

    Ekpata Gedoni is a fashion entrepreneur from Cross River.

    In the post-eviction interview, Khafi said she bonded with Gedoni in the first week because they were both up for eviction.

    She told Ebuka that she believes he loves her as much she loves him, adding that she was a forlorn lover when he was evicted.

    In what appeared to be a controversy, Gedoni and Khafi were first captured in a sex act in the house on Saturday, July 20, then again on Tuesday, July 23, and again on Monday, July 29.

    Khafi revealed to Gedoni that she abstained from sex for eight years, after she converted from Islam to Christianity.

    Khafi has however maintained that she did not have sex with Gedoni. She reiterated that she is still celibate and did not have sex on the show.

    On his part, Gedoni has repeatedly said that they did not have sex and the rumours were unfounded.

    When asked to address the sex rumours, Gedoni told show host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu that he was unhappy that the rumour went viral and felt terrible about it.

    He added, “I think I will allow Khafi to ask whether we had sex or not. There were intense moments but sex, no.”

    He detailed the moment he felt sparks for the bubbly Khafi and stated that his feelings for her were real.

    However, Gedoni Ekpata has reassured fans that his relationship with his love interest/co-star, Khafi Kareem is beyond the show.

    Gedoni said that he would be open to date his co-star, Khafi after the ongoing Big Brother Naija season four ends.

    So perhaps, while we might have assumed — whether because of their few on-screen bedtime moments or their romantic displays — that Gedoni and Khafi had sex number of times, they are both responsible for their private affairs or their public display of love.

  • LADOL’s Lack of Commitment to Nigerian Economy

    Despite being the greatest beneficiary of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010, Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics (LADOL) has not made serious investment to develop local facilities and manpower for the benefit of the Nigerian economy.

    NOGICD Act makes it mandatory for foreign companies that win contracts in the industry to sub-contract  certain scopes of the works to Nigerian companies to boost the country’s economy.

    For instance, Saipem, a subsidiary of Italian oil giant, Eni, secured an engineering, procurement, commissioning and installation (EPCI) contract, worth about $3 billion, from Total Upstream Nigeria for the subsea development of the Egina oilfield.

    Some of the works were sub-contracted to indigenous companies.

    American oil services firm, FMC Technologies also awarded part of the Egina project to local companies.

    Truly Nigerian companies that worked as sub- contractors in these projects used the proceeds to develop their fabrication facilities to world standards so as to attract future projects and create job opportunities for Nigerians.

    Out of the many companies that participated in the Egina project in the name of local companies, LADOL was the greatest beneficiary.

    Apart from hosting the fabrication and integration yard in the LADOL Free Zone where the Egina Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO) unit was fabricated and integrated locally, LADOL also hosted the FPSO itself, which is the largest FPSO in the fleet of Total Group worldwide.

    By hosting the fabrication and integration yard in the free zone where the fabrication and integration works were carried out, LADOL also enjoyed significant revenues from the Egina project.

    When the FPSO arrived at the LADOL Free Zone in Lagos from South Korea, LADOL attracted the official visit of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    The company made promises of future investments in the free zone before the vice president and also enjoyed major headlines in the media.

    Unfortunately, unlike the truly Nigerian companies that invested heavily in the development of their yards for future projects, LADOL cannot boast of employing more Nigerians since the FPSO sailed away.

    Rather, it devoted its resources to fight foreign companies that invested in the free zone, thereby hurting Nigerian economy.

    No wonder recent media reported have questioned its indigenous status.

    While Aveon Offshore, Doman Long Engineering, Nestoil, Niger Dock and other truly Nigerian companies that worked on the Egina project have re-invested their proceeds to create opportunities for the employment of Nigerian youths, LADOL can’t boast of such investments.

    Perhaps, the revenues the company generated from the project were repatriated to its foreign owners as being speculated by the industry stakeholders.

    LADOL was also privileged to be among the companies that used indigenous status to access the federal government’s Nigerian Content Intervention Fund but how the fund was utilised is known to only LADOL and its foreign promoters.

    Sadly, the company has refused to use the privileges it has enjoyed under the Nigerian Content Act to help create job opportunities for Nigerians by partnering foreign companies in a win-win situation.

    Indeed, only a foreign company like LADOL can make huge revenues from its operation in a local environment and refuse to give back to such local environment to boost the country’s economy.

    Instead, LADOL has been taking steps that will throw more Nigerians into the labour market by chasing away foreign companies and damaging Nigeria’s economy.

    While local companies are building alliances with foreign companies and investing heavily to take advantage of future opportunities, LADOL’s hostile attitude is chasing away foreign investors.

    Without foreign companies coming into Nigeria to help transfer technology and develop local capacity, it will be difficult for Nigerians to grow the capacity and skills to execute complex and challenging projects.

    Until the Nigerian government and its agencies take practical steps to identify the real and truly Nigerian companies, the country’s economy will continue to experience challenges.

    • Alabi, a local content advocate, writes from Warri, Delta State

  • Lagos Estate Home Owner writes EFCC, want CMB Boss, Mbagwu Prosecuted

    A Home Owner in Pearl Nuga Estate in Sangotedo, Ajah, Lagos (name withheld) has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to expedite action on the petition written by the Leadership of the estate against the Chief Executive Officer of CMB Building Maintenance Investment Limited, Mr. Kelechukwu Mbagwu.
    The Home Owner in a letter sent to EFCC Ag. Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu said the call was necessary so as to ensure that justice is done and his property and that of others in the estate is not taken over by a financial institution over an unpaid loan Mbagwu and his firm, CMB used their property to obtain.
    “I write you this letter on behalf of myself and some home owners in Pearl Nuga and Pearl Garden Estate situated at Sangotedo, Ajah, Lagos over a petition submitted in your head office annex, Ikoyi, Lagos dated June this year against Mr. Kelechuchwu Mbagwu, the Chief Executive Officer of CMB Building Maintenance and Investment Limited for using the title of the properties we had bought and completely paid for from his Company to obtain loan in a financial institution without our knowledge.
    “We reliably gathered that Mbagwu has been grilled by detectives from your organization but as we write, our fate is still not known.
    “I call on you to use your good office to ensure that this case is not swept under the carpet. We want Justice. We want Mbagwu prosecuted.
    “Kindly find attached documents for your necessary information.” the letter reads.
    According to reports, the leadership of Pearl Nuga and Pearl Garden Estates had in a petition sent to EFCC, a alleged that affected home owners namely; Bridget Eko, Osagie, Ainiehnoho Jude, Mr. Akinola Alabi, Mrs Oluwadara Alabi, Nosakhare Igbinobi, Mr and Mrs Micheal Bassey, Mr Oyeleke Jegede, Mr Larry Amaraibi and Amos Gaga had paid Mbagwu and his company 100% for their houses and had taken possession years ago.
    They alleged in their petition that Mbagwu  fraudulently withheld the title deeds of the houses from the affected owners so that he could continuously be using them to carry out illegal bank transactions.
    The House Owners according to the petition said they got a wind of the matter when CMB started having issues with a Financial Institution.

     

     

  • Bayelsa poll: Okoko chides defectors

    Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Bayelsa State, Mr. Keniebi Okoko chided politicians defecting to other parties after losing elections.

    He said the practice of jumping ship, which became rife in Bayelsa, following the governorship primary, was killing democracy in the country.

    Okoko, who came third in the PDP primary that produced Senator Douye Diri as the candidate for the November 16 governorship election urged politicians and their followers to begin to play value-based politics.

    He maintained that destroying a political platform because an aspirant lost an election was not in the best interest of the state.

    He called for ethical politics, adding that selfish interests must be discarded by politicians fond of feeling that if they failed to get a leadership position, the occupant should be destroyed and stopped from the position.

    The PDP chieftain advised party loyalists and other stakehokders threatening to leave the PDP because the primary did not favour a particular aspirant to have a rethink.

    He said: “The grass is not always greener on the other side. We must sit back and fix what is wrong with our party instead of running away from it. If you read a history of how the biggest democracies work, you will find out that focus and persistence will make a difference in the long run. Not jumping ship anytime a decision doesn’t favour this or that candidate”.

    “Leaving a party and coming back to it and leaving it and coming back to it is not a good example for our youths? Is it okay to act that way? For me, I believe that when a situation is not going the way you expect it, we should come together and repair it and not abandon it.

    Okoko added: “Many people are not happy with a lot going on in the party, but do we abandon it just like that? Who then will correct it and make the needed difference? I’m saying this because I strongly believe that we all have a role to play in changing this country and our state. We can’t keep complaining and when the plain truth is said we get offended. We should be able to say the truth without hiding behind the guise of politics.

    “I believe that we have changed politics to just a game of zero values and integrity. I’m not in agreement with a lot going on but we should stay to make the needed change”.

    He urged politicians to borrow a leaf from former President Goodluck Jonathan, who conceded defeat election to his opponent, President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He added: “It must not always be about ourselves and  our vision . It cannot be . The country or this state cannot move forward if we continue that way. We must always look at the big picture.”

    “What if President Goodluck Jonathan had decided at that time that he was not going to concede after the election. Do you know how many souls could have been lost or if after that, he abandoned PDP for the APC. How would it look. By now Nigeria would be a one-party state.

    “We must be able to do what is right for our people. When people tell me , you are young in politics, I say no. Values don’t change. You are who you are. What you are expressing is what and who you are. The way my father brought me up is the way I am today. I am not going to betray my people because of my own selfish interest” .

    Okoko explained that he visited to congratulate his fellow contestant, Senator Douye Diri, because he was convinced that it was in the best interest of the people of Bayelsa to do so.

    He said: “It’s the love for Bayelsa state that made me go and visit Douye Diri. The same urge to move my state forward , has made me go and listen to governor Seriake Dickson and to support the party because I believe that collectively, we can make a change. Not one governor can change a state. We need collective effort and if your governor is doing something that you don’t like, you don’t run away from the party, you confront him.

    “Today, if I am on the seat with governor Dickson, I can tell him , your excellency, this thing you are doing is wrong sir. We should try and unify the party and not divide it. We need the kind of people who will tell them the truth , rather than lying to him because of personal ambition. We need to say the truth”.

    END.

  • ICPC to implement African Union treaty

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has been nominated  as the second agency of government  in Nigeria under the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption in the continent .

    The nomination of ICPC, according to a statement by its spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, was conveyed to the AU Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia by the Nigerian Embassy, which is also the country’s Permanent Mission to the AU and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

    The nomination letter reads, “The embassy wishes to request the esteemed commission to facilitate the necessary processes in furtherance and to ensure the operationalization of the above-mentioned nomination by the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’’

    Okoduwa said: ”By President Buhari’s nomination, ICPC becomes the second Nigeria anti-corruption agency designated under the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption. The nomination will help strengthen the work of the Commission, and enhance its relevance within the African continent.

    “The President’s action is a testimony to and recognition of ICPC’s positive impact on the anti-corruption campaign in Nigeria. Nigeria is a state party to the AUCPCC, which was adopted on July 1 2003.

    “Its objective, among others, is to ‘promote and strengthen the development in Africa by each State party, of mechanisms required to prevent, detect, punish and eradicate corruption and related offences in the public and private sectors.’’