Posts

Showing posts from June, 2013

NSC, NFA mourn Super Eagles midfielder, Thompson Oliha

Image
(Nigeria) The Minister of Sports, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, on Sunday condoled with family of former Super Eagles midfielder, Thompson Oliha. Thompson, 44, died on Sunday at Ilorin Abdullahi in a statement signed by Julius Ogunro, the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media, described Oliha as a ``dedicated and thoroughbred professional’’. ``He always put the nation first and he was a member of the golden generation of Nigerian football history. Late Oliha was a very influential member of the Super Eagles in the 90s and he contributed greatly to the success of that team. ``He was a true patriot, motivated by the desire to don the Nigerian jersey than by pecuniary interests. ``He would be deeply missed by the sporting community in Nigeria and the world at large,’’ the statement said. In a related development, the Nigeria Football Association, NFA, has described Oliha death as ``shocking’’. Musa Amadu, the General Secretary of the NFA, said the player’s s

Gunmen break jail, release 175 inmates in Ondo State

Image
(Nigeria) Gunmen on Sunday invaded the Olokuta Medium Security Prison in Akure, setting about 175 inmates free. The hoodlums, who were fully armed arrived at the prison premises around 12:05 a.m. and  shot  sporadically in to the air. Eyewitnesses said the gunmen gained entrance into the prison by blew off the wall leading into the inmates’ cell. They said an officer was injured. The prison which is a kilometre to the headquarters of the 32, Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army , Owena Barrack, was riddled with bullets. The Ondo State Prison Controller, MrTunde Olayiwola, confirmed the incident and described the attack as unusual, saying "the prison authority will soon bring the culprit to book". Olayiwola dispelled rumor that the attack was masterminded by the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram, adding: ``we cannot specifically identify those behind the attack, but the attack is unusual. ``One of our officers was injured during the attack an

Bomb kills 12 soccer players, fans in Iraq

A bomb planted near a yard where people were playing soccer in Iraq killed 12 people on Sunday, police and medics said, reports Reuters. A further 24 people were wounded in the blast in the town of Nahrawan, south of the capital Baghdad. The violence is part of a trend of increasing militant attacks since the start of the year, which claimed more than 1,000 lives in May alone, making it the deadliest month since the sectarian bloodletting of 2006-7. In recent days, men playing in local soccer fixtures and watching matches have been the targets - after spates of attacks on Sunni and Shi'ite mosques, markets and the security forces. The reason for targeting soccer players is not clear. On Saturday, bombs targeting soccer players and young men who had gathered to watch a match in Iraq killed seven people. Concerns that Iraq may lapse back into full-scale sectarian conflict have mounted in recent months amid tensions fuelled by the civil war in neighboring Syria, where m

Ethiopia to resolve Nile dam dispute with Egypt

Image
Ethiopian Foreign Minister Tedros Adhanom has expressed his willingness to negotiate with Egypt to resolve the dispute over the Nile, reports Presstv. The Nile, located in the northeast Africa, supplies water to Egypt and Sudan. It is formed from two rivers: the Blue Nile that starts in Ethiopia and the White Nile, which starts in Uganda. Egypt is dependent on the Blue Nile, a tributary of the river. Adhanom made his remarks on Sunday, during a trip to Algeria, saying, “There is no reason that we cannot reach an agreement that benefits all Nile countries.” Ethiopian foreign minister, in a joint press conference with his Algerian counterpart Mourad Medelci, emphasized on Ethiopia’s commitment to tackle the problem through dialogue. He went on to say that the “international mediation” would not be ruled out if the talks fail. The row erupted last month, when Ethiopia said it had begun diverting the flow of the Blue Nile for the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Re

Oil tanker explosion kills 31 in Uganda: Police

Image
At least 31 people have died and 10 others injured in an oil tanker blast in the Ugandan capital Kampala, Ugandan police said, reports Presstv. The explosion happened late Saturday, after the tanker collided with a car on the outskirts of Kampala, Ugandan Police Spokesman Ibn Senkumbi said Sunday. According to the police spokesman, the crash was an accident as the tanker was hit from behind by the passenger car. Some passenger motorcyclists were trying to empty the tanker from fuel when the tanker exploded. "Some people noticed the flow of fuel and they came for it, in the process there was an explosion. The tanker exploded, killing 29 people on the spot," Senkumbi said. Musa Ecweru, the Ugandan minister for disaster preparedness, described the blast as a “calamity” which could have been avoided.  He went on to say that, “We have always told our people to stay away from trucks that involve inflammable products such as petrol. We thought they would learn from the

Poor officiating, bane of league development, says Danladi

(Nigeria) Isaac Danladi, the Chairman, Nasarawa United FC, on Sunday called on the League Management Company, LMC, to put stringent measures in place against poor officiating. Danladi told News Agency of Nigeria, in Lagos that poor officiating was the bane of the league and could mar its progress, if not immediately checked. He said that although match officials were fairly rated after the first stanza of the Globacom league, he, however, charged them to be fair in the second stanza. ``Although referees were rated slightly above average in the first round of the league, I feel they still need to do more in that regard, as their security is not negotiable. ``Without free and fair officiating, the league will not grow; the bane of developing the league is poor officiating. ``Poor officiating greatly affects the growth of our local leagues and it reflects in the quality of our football when we go for international engagements,'' Danladi said. The ch

US to respond to EU over spying report via 'diplomatic channe

Image
The United States said Sunday it will respond to the EU via diplomatic channels over new allegations of US bugging of EU offices."While we are not going to comment publicly on specific alleged intelligence activities, as a matter of policy we have made clear that the United States gathers foreign intelligence of the type gathered by all nations," added a statement from the office of the Director of National Intelligence.

1 killed, 30 injured as Egyptians protest, demand resignation of Morsi

Image
At least one person has been killed and 30 other wounded in clashes in south of the Egyptian capital, Cairo. "Millions" of protesters took to the streets of Egypt on Sunday to demand the resignation of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, a military source said, citing army estimates. "It is the biggest protest in Egypt's history," the source said on condition of anonymity. The source said pro-Morsi protesters who gathered at a rival demonstration in Cairo's Nasr City neighbourhood were estimated to number around 25,000.

Senator Ewherido is dead, aged 50 ...Jonathan, Mark mourn him

Image
(Nigeria) THE people of Delta Central Senatorial District were, Sunday, thrown into mourning, following the sudden death of Senator Pius Akpo Ewherido. Until his death, he was the Senator representing the district in the National Assembly. He died at the age of 50, living behind his aged mother, wife and children. It was   gathered that he died at the National Hospital, Abuja at 5:20pm. According to a family source, he was rushed to hospital last Thursday and all effort put in by doctors to save his life was to no avail. Ewherido was the only senator elected on the platform of the Democratic Peoples Party, DPP. At his country home, some sympathersizers, who spoke to newsmen, described the death as unfortunate. Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has received with shock and sadness, news of the passing away of Senator Ewherido at the National Hospital in Abuja. Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Dr Reuben Abati said “On behalf of himself and all m

Nyesom Wike is too insignificant to discuss---Gov Amaechi

Image
(Nigeria) Rivers State governor and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, Sunday, said that Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, who now leads a faction of the state Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was too small for him (Amaechi) to discuss. Speaking at the 60th Birthday Celebration of former President of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Chief O. C. J. Okocha (SAN) held at the Emmanuel Anglican Church, Okoro-Nu-Odo Deanery in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, weekend, Amaechi added that majority of those, who betrayed him were from his Ikwerre ethnic group, whom he nominated for positions at various levels, including his former Chief of Staff, Nyesom Wike, who has now turned himself to his (Amaechi’s) chief opponent and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Austin Opara. Responding to questions put to him by the officiating priest, Bishop of the Anglican Communion, Niger Delta Diocese, Archbishop Ignatius Kattey, Amaechi sai

Nigerian Army is winning war on terrorism --- Ihejirika, Army Chief

Image
(Nigeria) Lt.-Gen. Azubuike  Ihejirika, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), in Abuja on Sunday said that the military was winning the war on terrorism. Ihejirika said this at the Inter-Denominational Service held at the All Saints Military Protestant Church, Mogadishu Cantonment, Abuja, to mark the 2013 Nigerian Army Day Celebration.  He said the military had made tremendous achievements, but a lot still had to be done. ``When I remark that we are winning the war on terrorism, according to a Chinese General Sunzu which says, you know yourself, you know the enemy then you can fight a thousand wars. ``Wining the war starts from in-house, I am aware of the improved capacity of the units, improved capacity of the officers and men, and this is what gives me the confidence that we will excel. ``And as for the operation itself, the nature of insurgency is such that you will continue to have occasional setbacks because you are dealing with people who disguise as civilians

Kremlin not to decide Snowden's future: official

Image
As Edward Snowden has been perching at an international airport of Moscow for a week, Kremlin said Sunday the former CIA contractor's future was not yet on its agenda, reports Xinhua. "The President (Vladimir Putin) said he is not dealing with this issue and prefers that corresponding services do this job. Thus, the subject is not on the agenda of the Kremlin," presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a local radio station. He reminded that Putin said, on a visit to Finland earlier, that Snowden did not cross the border into Russia. "As long as this is not our issue, I do not know what variants of developments can be and what legal and other aspects of this theme exist," the Itar-Tass news agency quoted Peskov as saying. The official also noted that the Kremlin "registers a wide range of opinions expressed by different experts and human rights activists" on this issue. "Public opinion on this theme is very diverse. We know ab

EU questions U.S. over alleged spying: media

The European Union, EU, said it has questioned U.S. authorities about alleged spying on EU offices, media reports said on Sunday, reports Xinhua. The EU has contacted with U.S. authorities immediately and demands "full clarification" after a report made by German weekly Der Spiegel claimed that Washington bugged EU offices in Brussels and the U.S., an EU statement was quoted as saying. Washington has not responded to the questioning yet, according to the reports, adding that the Der Spiegel said on Sunday its report was based on confidential documents, some of which it had been managed to consult via fugitive ex-CIA analyst Edward Snowden. 

Fugitive of Xinjiang attack captured

Police in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Sunday captured the rioter that had been on the run after a terrorist attack which killed 24 people on Wednesday, reports Xinhua. The man captured is Yiblayan Eli, a member of the 17-member gang behind the attack in Lukqun Township in Shanshan County in the region's Turpan Prefecture, said a Xinjiang police statement. The gang, formed by religious extremists and led by Ahmatniyaz Sidiq, had raised funds, purchased knives and gasoline and researched the sites since mid-June to prepare for the attack, the statement said. Fearing their plot might be revealed after one gangster was arrested on Tuesday, 16 rioters on Wednesday morning attacked the township's police stations, a local government building, a construction site, a private store and a hair salon, as well as set fire to police cars. A total of 24 people, including two police officers, were killed by the knife-wielding rioters. Among the v

14 killed, 25 injured in Pakistan

Image
No fewer than 14 people, including three kids were killed and 25 others injured when a bomb hit a security forces'convoy in Pakistan's northwest Peshawar city on Sunday afternoon, local officials said, reports Xinhua . Javed Marwat, Deputy Commissioner Peshawar, said that three vehicles of Frontier Constabulary (FC), a paramilitary force in Pakistan, were on their way from Kohat city to Peshawar when a bomb hit them in Badaber area of Peshawar, the capital city of the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. The commissioner said that most of the injured and killed were civilians as the convoy was attacked in a market area where a large number of women and kids were busy in shopping. Shafi Ullah, senior superintendent police (SSP) in Peshawar, said that an explosive-laden car carrying an estimated 40 to 50 kg of explosives was blown up by a remote-controlled device while the FC convoy was passing by at 12:30 p.m. (local time). Ten nearby shops

Nigerian Government asks court to vacate order obtained by NLNG

Image
(Nigeria) The Federal Government has asked a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, to vacate the ex-parte orders granted against it in the ongoing dispute between Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG Ltd, NLNG and the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, over the issue of non-payment of certain statutory levies and charges the Maritime Regulatory Agency claims were due to it from NLNG. It will be recalled that Justice M. Idris had on June 18, in the suit by NLNG against the Attorney General of the Federation and Global West Vessels Specialists, granted an exparte orderm restraining the defendants from charging, imposing, demanding or collecting the three percent of gross freight earnings or any other sums further to section 15(a) of NIMASA Act 2007 on all of NLNG's international inbound or outbound cargo ships owned, contracted or subcontracted by it. Meanwhile, praying the court to vacate the ex-parte order, counsel to the Federal Government, Dr Fab