The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ref

  • REF interventions attract N5.8b private sector investment

    REF interventions attract N5.8b private sector investment

    The Rural Electrification Fund (REF) of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) yesterday unfolded its attainment, stressing that its interventions attracted N5.8 billion private sector investment.

    The REA Managing Director, Abba Aliyu, disclosed this during the “REF Call 3 Grant Award Signing Ceremony and Access to Finance (A2F) Workshop in Abuja.

    Represented by the Executive Director, Corporate Service, Mr. Ayoade Adegboyega, he said the interventions culminated in the achievements of 16.6 MW of renewable energy installed capacity and created over 26,000 jobs and averted 91,720 tons of CO2 emissions.

    “Beyond these numbers lies a deeper story of transformation—16.6 MW of renewable energy capacity installed, over 26,000 jobs created, 91,720 tons of CO₂ emissions avoided, and ₦5.8 billion in private sector investment attracted,” he said.

    The REA boss said collectively interventions enabled the deployment of 124 mini-grids, the installation of over 25,580 Solar Home Systems (SHS), and the empowerment of 18,013 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

    Aliyu noted that the interventions impacted 183 communities across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

    Through REF Call 1, Call 2, and other flagship initiatives such as the Interconnected Mini-grid Acceleration Scheme (IMAS), the Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP), and the De-risking Sustainable Off-Grid Lighting 

    Solutions (DSOLS), he said the agency consistently demonstrated the achievable imbuing bold vision with strategic execution. 

    He said the commencement of REF Call 3 the agency’s mission went far beyond scaling capacities to about scaling impact and touching more lives.

    This next phase, he said, “is designed to deepen penetration into underserved areas, catalyze productive use of energy (PUE), and foster greater empowerment of MSMEs, women-led businesses, and agricultural value chains.” 

    REA and about 39 Solar Home System (SHS) companies signed the agreements.

    In her overview of Rural Electrification Fund (REF) and its programs Engr. Doris Uboh, emphasized sustainability of the REF projects. 

    She sought the adherence to the operational guidelines of REF.

    Read Also: UCL: Romanian Kovacs to referee PSG, Inter  final

    Uboh insisted the companies must ensure the success of the plants.

    She said, “Not left behind, which is the most important factor, is the sustainability plan that comes with our projects. 

    “For every project we do, every mini-grid, every solar home system, we ensure operational guidelines of REF departments. 

    “Every mini-grid, every developer who has his footprint in REF will tell you that some have been on a particular mini-grid for over 5 years, some going to 10 years.

    “And the reason being, like I said, job creation and sustainability plan.

    ” We make sure that you are there, making sure the plant is being handled very well, if there is anything technically to be done to make sure that the plant does not fail. 

    “The developer that builds the plant is tied to that, not only to ensure generation, transmission and distribution, but also to collect tariff.”

  • Ref gave Real Madrid two offside goals – Bayern

    Ref gave Real Madrid two offside goals – Bayern

    Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has accused the referee of “shafting” Bayern Munich in their Champions Leag
    ue defeat to Real Madrid.

    The Bayern chairman was incensed after Cristiano Ronaldo scored a controversial hat-trick as Real overcame 10-man Bayern to seal a 4-2 win in Tuesday’s quarter-final second leg.

    The holders won 6-3 on aggregate, but Bayern took the tie to extra time after it finished 2-1 to the Germans after 90 minutes, thanks to Robert Lewandowski’s penalty and an own goal from Sergio Ramos.

    Bayern had Arturo Vidal sent off on 84 minutes and the Germans were further incensed as replays showed Ronaldo’s second and third goals, on 105 and 109 minutes, were clearly offside.

    Rummenigge turned his anger on Hungarian ref Viktor Kassai during his speech to the Bayern squad in Madrid.

    “For the first time, I’ve got some sort of mad rage inside me, because we had a shafting. We have been shafted in the truest sense of the word,” fumed Rummenigge during the team banquet.

    “The team was in ruins in the dressing room.

    “It was an unfortunate, undeserved and bitter defeat.”

    Bayern’s coach Carlo Ancelotti has said UEFA should introduce video technology after the controversial quarter-final tie.

    “In a quarter-final, you have to put a better referee, or it is the moment to introduce video refereeing, which is what UEFA are trying, because there are too many errors,” said the Italian.

    – ‘A lot of anger’ –

    Vidal was dismissed for his second booking and to add injury to insult, Bayern’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is sidelined for the next eight weeks after fracturing his foot while trying to save Ronaldo’s second goal.

    Chile midfielder Vidal directly blamed Kassi for their defeat.

    “A robbery like that can’t be allowed to happen in the Champions League,” fumed Vidal, who scored Bayern’s only goal in the 2-1 first-leg defeat.

    “They are two offside goals, the bad red card, Casemiro should have been sent-off before me and it makes a big difference,” Vidal added as Real’s Casemiro could have also been dismissed for a second booking on more than one occasion.

    “There is a lot of anger. A game of such high intensity can’t be decided by the referee.

    “When the game went 2-1 (to Bayern), they got scared and the referee began his ‘show’ and then with a man less, it is very difficult.

    “The anger is there, because he made a lot of mistakes.

    “The referee put us out of the Champions League.

    “Real didn’t know what to do, we were always controlling the game and in the end everyone is angry.”

    Other Bayern stars also slammed the ref.

    “A year of hard work down the drain. Thanks, ref — bravooooo” winger Franck Ribery wrote on Twitter.

    “In extra time, we played with 10 men against 14,” said defender Jerome Boateng, meaning the ref and his assistants were on Real’s side.

    Germany forward Thomas Mueller took a more diplomatic line.

    “After we went 2-1 up and with 11 players, we were in great mental shape and then we had the wind taken out of our sails,” he said.

    “You can’t just go home after that and say, ‘things like that happen in a game’.”

    AFP

  • Wikki blame ref for Cup defeat

    Wikki blame ref for Cup defeat

    The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side, Wikki Tourists, have blamed the centre referee for their defeat to Tornadoes Feeders in the Federation Cup round of 32 clash in Gusau.

    The Bauchi outfit lost 5-6 on penalties to the Nigeria Nationwide League (NNWL) 2 side after full time scores stood at 1-1.

    Wikki Tourists captain and right back Mustapha Ibrahim said aside from the number disadvantage, the referee practically made it impossible for the side to play their game with endless bad calls.

    “The referee killed us and killed every move we made to win the match before the penalty shootouts.

    “It was a game we could have comfortably wrapped up within the regulation time but the referee aside reducing our numbers to 10 unjustly disallowed two good goals we scored.

    “The referee made it a point of duty to frustrate any positive moves by us with his endless bad calls.

    “We are not happy because we actually lost to the referee and not Tornadoes Feeders,” said Ibrahim to supersport.com.

    Ibrahim said his side have shifted their whole attention on the league especially on the weekend match day 17 clash against El Kanemi Warriors in Bauchi.

    “Right now we are facing the NPFL squarely especially the match day 17 game against El Kanemi Warriors on Sunday in Bauchi.

    “We are damn prepared to fight for the maximum three points at stake which will greatly boost our chase for the summit.

    “The three points is quite important more so as our next two matches will be on the road to Kano Pillars and Heartland.

    “We have no choice at the moment than to put all our energies in the league to ensure we get something at the end of the season,” said Ibrahim.

    Wikki Tourists are third on the 20-team elite league log on 29 points one point behind leaders, Sunshine Stars.

  • Eaglets get Italian ref

    Eaglets get Italian ref

    •To wear green jerseys

    Ahead of today’s Group F cracker between Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets and their Iraqi counterparts, football governing body, FIFA has picked Italian referee Gianluca Rocchi to be in the centre of the Match No. 33 at the Rashid Stadium

    in Dubai at the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup.

    Rocchi would be assisted by Elenito Di Liberato and Gianluca Cariolato; the fourth official is Ken Hansen from Denmark.

    Meanwhile, Eaglets would wear the green colours while the Iraqis would be on whites for the Group F final fixture.

  • Pillars slam ref over controversial goal

    Pillars slam ref over controversial goal

    Kano Pillars’ media officer, Riliwan Idris Malikawa has criticised referee Friday Awogu from Abuja in the wake of his side’s 1-0 away loss to Bayelsa United in a Globacom Premier League match on Saturday.

    Malikawa alleged that a controversial decision by referee Awogu in the 74th minute allowed Salomon Junior to score the only goal of the clash at the Samson Siasia Stadium. The goal sealed victory for the hosts.

    However, the match was held up for about seven minutes as players and officials of Kano Pillars claimed that the ball did not cross the line.

    Speaking to SportingLife on telephone, an angry Malikawa slammed the officials’ handling of the match.

    “Kano Pillars don’t like to criticise referees but we are so disappointed with today’s (Saturday) decision. The referee allowed the ball that did not cross the line to stay which is very unfortunate,” Malikawa Said.

    “The game was balanced until that controversial goal which eventually decided the match. We thought a referee from Abuja should be able to stand his ground and take good decisions in a match like this. This is second stanza of the league and the league management needs to monitor the matches very well.

    “If we are allowing all these to happen in our league, it means we are not progressing at all. We played well and we deserved something from the game but the center (referee) denied us a point.”

    The club’s image-maker also claimed that the hosts frustrated the visitors by withdrawing all the balls in the stadium except the one on the pitch.

    “It was bizarre to see what happened in Yenagoa. As soon as that controversial decision was given, the ball boys added pain to our team by withdrawing all the balls, leaving only the one on the pitch. It was really frustrating.”

    Reacting to the allegation, Bayelsa United’s media officer, George Ameli denied Kano Pillars’ claim.

    He said: “The ball crossed the line and the goal was awarded. They have the camera man at the stadium.

    “I can understand their complaints in the heat of the moment but I thought they should have looked at their camera and confirm after the game. They should have watched the tape to know what exactly happened, but to still complain after the match is something else.

    “On the issue of the extra balls’ withdrawal, if at all that kind of thing happened the match commissioner should have ensured that all the balls were available. He would understand that maybe the home team wants to use it as a delay tactics.”