Man City Beats Bournemouth Silly

April 2, 2016

Manchester City has sent Bournemouth packing with 4-0 in the Premier League match played at the Vitality Stadium today, Saturday.
The Citizens were three goals to the good inside the opening quarter of the match, as a side boosted by the return of Kevin de Bruyne ran riot against their below-par opponents.
Aleksandar Kolarov came off the bench to help earn City just a third win in eight – keeping them in fourth place and now three points clear of their closest challengers.
The visitors were up and running just seven minutes as a result of a fine individual strike by Fernando, who got on the end of Jesus Navas’s corner which skidded through to the Brazilian 12 yards out.
City supporters did not have to wait too much longer for a second in the South Coast sunshine, either, as De Bruyne – back after two months out – rounded off a fluid one-touch move by simply passing the ball into the back of the net.
David Silva and Sergio Aguero were involved in that attacking play, and it was the latter who essentially sealed the points 19 minutes in when nodding the ball across Artur Boruc at the back post when picked out by Navas.
That third goal forced Eddie Howe into action, with Joshua King dropping into a five-man midfield to match City, and the move appeared to pay off as the Cherries finally wrestled back some control of the previously one-sided match.
It could have got even worse for the Cherries, however, after Fernandinho picked up the ball in some space and fired a shot back off the crossbar to let the home side off.
The closest Howe’s men came to a consolation prior to the break arrived on the half-hour mark, as Steve Cook met a corner which forced deputy City stopper Willy Caballero into a decent stop from close range.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, are still yet to confirm their top-flight status for a second season following successive 3-0 defeats either side of the international break. [myad]

Nigeria Will Be More Productive Again, Buhari Boasts To His Denmark Counterpart

Greenbarge Reporters

April 2, 2016

President Muhammadu Buhari has made it clear about his determination to exploit agriculture and solid minerals to make Nigeria more productive again.
“We have great potentials for agriculture and solid minerals. We are now determined to exploit them to the fullest.
“Addressing the past neglect of these two sectors will help to reduce unemployment and make us a more productive country.”
President Buhari spoke at a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mr. Lars Rasmussen in Washington DC.
He stressed the move his government has been making to significantly reduce the high bill for importation of food products to Nigeria, saying that his administration is committed to the rapid diversification of Nigeria’s economy.
“We developed a mono-product economy and lost opportunities to diversify in the past.
“We will welcome more investment in our agriculture and solid minerals sectors from countries with expertise in the two sectors. We abandoned them for petroleum. Now, we have to go back.
“Our bill for the importation of food and dairy products is very high. We want to cut it as much as possible by developing our local potentials,” the President told Mr. Rasmussen.
President Buhari assured the Danish Prime Minister that his government will continue to work in partnership with other countries to further improve maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.
The President said that his administration is determined to stop the huge loss of revenue from crude oil theft and has received assurances of international support to curb illegal shipments of Nigeria’s crude oil.
The Danish Prime Minister responded by saying that Denmark is a major shipping nation, even as he commended President Buhari for Nigeria’s current efforts to enhance security in the Gulf of Guinea.
He assured the President that Danes will be very interested in investing in the development of Nigeria’s agricultural sector if the right policies and conditions are put in place.
“We are quite experienced in agriculture. It is an area in which we can cooperate. If you pave the way and remove the obstacles, we will like to come in,” the Prime Minister said. [myad]

Adeosun Faults Use Of GDP To Measure Economic Progress, Says It Conceals Inequalities

Greenbarge Reporters

April 2, 2016

Nigeria’s Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun has faulted the universal use of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to measure economic progress of the country, which she said often conceals inequalities.
The Minister emphasized that there has been excessive focus on GDP as a measure of economic progress, which often concealed vulnerabilities, particularly inequalities.
Adeosun spoke at a high level G20 Finance Ministers seminar in Paris on Thursday night. The Finance Ministers met to discuss current challenges to the international financial architecture and ways of combating macroeconomic volatility.
The high-level seminar also assessed volatility in capital flows and their impact on global economic conditions.
She noted that the first line of defence is sound macroeconomic policies, which Africa in general and Nigeria specifically, is trying to tackle with a series of fiscal housekeeping initiatives.
Speaking at the opening plenary, the minister highlighted the risks associated with international capital flows and warned that African economies need to be insulated from the disruptive effects of volatile short term portfolio flows.
According to her, Africa can build the necessary resilience, saying that there must be more careful management of capital flows and a move towards long term and sustainable growth.
Minister Adeosun said that an essential component of more careful management of capital flows was to build better economic mapping and surveillance to manage risks and spill-overs, which she said should be a priority for G20 Finance Ministers.
She called for more understanding and flexibility for Africa to grow and protect key markets, as developed countries had done while at Africa’s current stage of development.
She highlighted the need for long term partnerships and foreign direct investment into African economies to deliver the necessary investment, particularly in infrastructure, to unlock sustainable growth.
The meeting which was called by China, the current chairman of the G20, was attended by Michel Sapin, Minister of Finance and Public Accounts, France; Wolfgang Schäuble, Minister of Finance, Germany; George Osborne – Chancellor of the Exchequer, United Kingdom; Pietro Carlo Padoan, Minister of Economy and Finance, Italy, Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund; Valdis Dombrovkis, Vice President of the European Commission; Zhou Xiaochuan, the Governor of the People’s Bank of China; François Villeroy de Galhau and Governor of the Banque de France. [myad]

A Pakistani Sneaks Into Nigeria On Motor Cycle Through Bush Path

Greenbarge Reporters

April 2, 2016

A Pakistani, Sahid Mahmood has been caught after sneaking into Nigeria on motorcycle through a bush path in Calabar, the Cross River State.

Sahid, who reportedly entered Nigeria through a bush path in Etung, a border community with Cameroon is being thoroughly screened by the Nigerian Immigration Service and other security agencies to ensure that he is not on the wanted list of any country before he is repatriated.

The Cross River State Comptroller of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mrs. Funke Adeuyi told newsmen that Sahid was smuggled on a motor cycle through bush path into Etung from where he went to Ikom and was on his way to Lagos when he was intercepted by border Immigration officials at the village of Yahe, in Yala Local Government Area of the state.

“We are collaborating with other security agencies to thoroughly screen the man to make sure he is not on the wanted list of any country before he is sent back to his country because we have to be vigilant during this critical time in the country why should somebody from Paskistan want to come into the country through bush path.”

Mrs. Adeuyi said that the man was arrested along with a Cameroonian accomplice, Nji Hagis Chi who said he met Sahid at the bus station in Ikom and decided to function as his guide to Lagos where he was going for an undisclosed reason.

“He was not found with anything incriminating but had enough hard currency on him to do anything he wanted to do so we are wary of his movement in Nigeria because he has no reason to be in this country.”

She said that the man only had documents that took him to the Duala Airport in Cameroon but was smuggled into Nigeria suspiciously therefore thorough security checks would be carried out on him and his accomplice, the Cameroonian before they are repatriated to their countries. According to her, there are several illegal routes through which people access the country and warned motorist to desist from adding and abetting those who come into the country through illegal routes owing to obvious security risk. [myad]

I Will Refund Stolen $16 Million To Treasury, President Zuma Caves In To Pressure

Greenbarge Reporters

April 2, 2016

South Africa’s President, Jacob Zuma has pledged to refund the sum of $16 million taxpayers’ money which he allegedly stole to upgrade his rural home.
President Zuma, though insisted that by using the money for his private project, he had not acted dishonestly but that he would pay back the money.
Zuma addressed the nation on television a day after the Constitutional Court ruled that his failure to accept a recommendation from the public protector that he repaid part of the money was a violation of the constitution.
“I did not act dishonestly or with any personal knowledge of irregularities,” Zuma said.
He admitted that “there are many matters that could have been handled differently” and apologised “on my behalf and that of the government.”
However, the speech disappointed many South Africans who had expected Zuma to announce his resignation. [myad]

21 Year Old Girl, Dumped By Boyfriend, Attempts Suicide

Greenbarge Reporters

April 2, 2016

A 21-year-old girl has been rescued from an attempted suicide as a result of the fact that her boyfriend had dumped her to marry another girl from his village. The girl, whose name was given simply as Ifeoma, was rescued at Berger Camp, Phase 2, Site 1, Kubwa, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) almost lifeless by good Samaritan and handed over to police. It was gathered that Ifeoma had been dating a customs officer, for about three years before they broke up and that she later heard that her lover, while away in his home town, got engaged to another woman. It was gathered that when the news got to Ifeoma, she vowed that she would not be alive to see her lover marry another woman. “When it became obvious that the man was bent on dumping her for the other woman, she drank a poisonous substance suspected to be an insecticide.” But Ifeoma, who was rushed to the Kubwa General Hospital where she was resuscitated and discharged earlier in the week, attempted taking her life for the second time before she was rushed to the same hospital a second time. This is even as the Kubwa Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Chief Superintendent Nuruddeen Sabo, confirmed the incident and that the lady would be charged to court as soon as she is discharged. [myad]

Company Threatens To Sue FG Over Financial Scam Allegation

Greenbarge Reporters

April 2, 2016

Emi Systems Nigeria Limited, one of the companies indicted by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has given the Presidency seven days ultimatum to retract the publication which it described as false or be sued.

In a letter titled, “Re: Buhari’s Panel indicts over 300 ONSA Contractors, recovers N7 billion,” counsel to the company, Greenfeild Chambers said the publication disparaged its client before right thinking men in the society as it completed and handed over all jobs it was awarded way back in 2002.

“Our client’s attention was drawn by their customers, business associates and contractors to the press statement credited to Garba Shehu, the Special Assistant (media) to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the report from the investigating panel of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to the effect that EMI Systems Ltd was indicted as a company which ‘outrightly failed to execute contract(s) or did so partially and have therefore been asked to refund various sums’.
“Our client finds the above press ‘statement of indictment’ as unfounded, false, baseless and does not reflect the true state of affairs regarding the contracts handled by our client and the engagement by our client with the investigating panel that led to several joint site verification visits carried out by the panel and our client.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state unequivocally that all the contracts awarded to EMI Systems by the ONSA have been fully completed and the contracts were awarded in 2012”, Emeka Obegolu of Greenfeild Chambers said.
The solicitor to the company claimed that the publication cast their client as “a company with no track record of project management and completion; a company that cannot be trusted with contracts in the public sector of any serious government, and a company lacking in integrity and corporate ethics in their day to day business.”
They explained that the contract awarded to them was valued at €722,059.96 for the four contracts, almost four years ago and the contracts had since been performed to the satisfaction of the ONSA.

According to them, they were invited and honoured the investigative panel where they presented documentary evidence to the satisfaction of all parties showing that they did not have any outstanding obligation with the only area of doubt being whether the payment received by the company was net or inclusive of all taxes.
“That the panel insisted that our client should pay taxes on the payments made to it while our client opined that as a matter of practice, government withholds taxes before payment is made, as the items supplied were individually priced.
“That the tax issue was not conclusive as our client is consulting with tax practitioners to get professional advice on the issue of tax liability as stated above,” they stated.
Obegolu said that there was never a time their client was accused of non-completion of jobs in the 20 years they had been into security solutions and contractual relationships.

“We therefore, on behalf of EMI Systems Ltd, demand that Mr. Garba Shehu issues an immediate retraction of the misleading publication concerning our client and a letter addressed to our client conveying the said retraction. This is the minimum that will assuage the battered corporate image of our client and reassure their customers of the corporate integrity of our client and continuing commitment to excellent service delivery.
“Take notice therefore, that unless we receive the letter of retraction within seven (7) days of the date of receipt of this letter, we have our client’s standing instruction to employ all legal means to seek redress for the publication including seeking damages in libel before a court of competent jurisdiction,” they demanded. [myad]

2 Edo Communities Go To War Over Mango Fruit, 2 Killed, Palace Burnt

Greenbarge Reporters

April 1, 2016

Two communities: Uneme-Ekpedo and Bekuma-Okpameri in Akoko-Edo local government area of Edo state have gone to war over mango fruit, resulting in the death of two persons even as 40 houses have been burnt down.

It was gathered that four persons from Uneme-Ekpedo community went to a bush to pluck mangoes but that one of them was reportedly killed by youths from Bekuma-Okpameri community, who claimed the mango tree belonged to them.

Angered by the incident, youths from Uneme-Ekpedo were said to have mobilized and invaded Bekuma-Okpameri killing residents and set houses ablaze.

The palace of the traditional ruler of Bekuma-Okpameri, HRH Moses Alabi, was also torched.

Persons injured in the attack are now receiving treatment at an emergency camp at Lampese, a neighboring community.

An eyewitness said: “as I am talking to you, there is nobody in Bekuma-Okpameri. It was unbelievable. The youths have completely sacked the community and residents are now camped in Lampese.”

Edo State Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike, confirmed the incident and said that a fact finding police team had been sent to the community to arrest the perpetrators. [myad]

No Negotiation, No Surrender, Boko Haram Denies Shekau’s Video Outing

Greenbarge Reporters

April 1, 2016

Another group of Boko Haram insurgents have released a new video today denying any suggestions that they would surrender, over a week after their shadowy leader Abubakar Shekau appeared in a video claiming that the end had come for the insurgents and calling for prayer.

In the new video, the insurgents said: “you should know that there is no truce, there is no negotiation, there is no surrender.”

An unidentified masked man wearing camouflage said in a prepared script in Hausa, in the video posted on YouTube: “this war between us will not stop.”

The video, which was of markedly better quality than Shekau’s and included Arabic subtitles, featured nine masked Boko Haram fighters standing on sandy ground in an undisclosed desert location. It is unclear if the masked people in the video include the Boko Haram leader.

In today’s message, Boko Haram maintained it was a potent fighting force, with fighters posing with AK-47s in front of Toyota Hilux pick-up trucks and a lorry mounted with a military cannon.

They however admitted that Shekau was still the head of the “West African wing. [myad]

Buhari Identifies Nuclear Terrorism As Greatest Threat To International Security

Greenbarge Reporters

April 1, 2016

President Muhammadu Buhari has warned the world that nuclear terrorism has come as one of the greatest threats to humanity.
“Nuclear terrorism is one of the greatest threats to international security and preventing nuclear terrorism and all forms of terrorism around the globe is of concern to all of us.”
President Buhari who today, presented Nigeria’s statement to the 4th Nuclear Security Summit being hosted by President Barack Obama in Washington DC, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the global fight against the threat of nuclear terrorism and other forms of terrorism.
President Buhari also pledged Nigeria’s continued support for all multilateral efforts aimed at promoting a common approach and commitment to nuclear security at the highest levels.
“Nigeria accords high priority to all global efforts towards ending the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, including nuclear weapons.
“Nuclear terrorism is one of the greatest threats to international security and preventing nuclear terrorism and all forms of terrorism around the globe is of concern to all of us.
“To this end, Nigeria has strengthened the legal framework for fighting terrorism through the adoption in 2013 of an amendment to its Terrorism (Prevention) Act, ensuring the implementation of more robust counter-terrorism measures in the country.”
President said told the gathering that to enhance Nuclear Security, Nigeria has reinforced its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United States Department of State’s Partnership for Nuclear Security and the World Institute for Nuclear Security.
“In addition, Nigeria has signed an agreement of cooperation with the United States Department of Energy’s Office of Radiological Security to protect nuclear and other radiological materials from theft or sabotage.
“Nigeria also intends to strengthen its partnerships with relevant international organizations to promote capacity building, particularly in the development of the Nigerian Nuclear Security Support Centre, Physical Security Upgrades and Human Reliability Programmes Implementation.”

The President said that Nigeria has developed a programme to ensure that radioactive sources in the country are better secured to prevent unauthorized access by terrorists and criminals.
He praised President Obama’s “pace setting initiative and drive,” which, he said, has brought the global fight against the threat of nuclear terrorism to its present level. [myad]

1...1,9201,9211,922...2,498 Page 1,921 of 2,498