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Showing posts from January 22, 2016

NIGERIA: DEADLINE TO ASSETS COMPILATION

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Buhari Sets March 31 Deadline For Compilation Of List Of Nigerian Officials With Assets In UAE: SaharaReporters has learned that President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Nigerian Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to investigate, document, and submit the list of all Nigerian public officials with assets in the UAE. Our sources said Mr. Buhari had also set a deadline of March 31, 2016 for the completion of the compilation. SaharaReporters has learned that President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Nigerian Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to investigate, document, and submit the list of all Nigerian public officials with assets in the UAE. Our sources said Mr. Buhari had also set a deadline of March 31, 2016 for the completion of the compilation. The presidential deadline comes on the heels of bilateral agreements signed earlier this week between Nigeria and the UAE to facilitate the extradition of suspects wanted in Nigeria as well as the repatriation of

CONFLICT LOOM IN SOUTH SUDAN

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CONFLICT LASSEMBLED OVERNMENT TROOPS ASSEMBLED: Conflict looms in the two conflict areas of South Kordofan and Blue Nile states as the Sudanese government amasses troops along the borders of rebel-controlled areas. Local sources suspect the conflict will commence within two weeks once government forces, made up of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and other militias, reposition themselves. An estimated 230,000 citizens in the SPLM-N-controlled area in the Nuba MountaIns are now at risk of attack and displacement as the fighting season commences. The fighting season generally starts in full force in December or January after the rainy season ends, making roads accessible. According to eyewitnesses, mass government troop movements are repositioning themselves south of South Kordofan’s capital, Kadugli, to areas near the Sudan and South Sudan border. Other government forces are moving from Rashad County to Abu Jubaiha in South Kordofan in what may be a two-pronged attack on the reb

NO BAIL FOR MURDERER OF BLOEMHOF

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No bail for a man who beat a child to death in Bloemhof  A 29 year-old man charged with murder of a five year-old child in Bloemhof in the North West, has been denied bail for the second time by the Bloemhof Magistrate's Court on Friday. Tseko Seekoei is accused of beating to death his girlfriend's five year-old daughter. The incident happened two days before Christmas. Seekoei appeared for over an hour, in his bid to try and get bail. During the court proceedings it was revealed that Seekoei also has a pending rape case which will resume next month.   It was also revealed that Seekoei tied the victim with an electric wire and beat her with a belt on three different times of that day. When the child's mother tried to intervene, she was also assaulted. The child died as a result of serious injuries. This has angered members of the community. One person says, “This guy must never be granted bail. He is so cruel, how can he beat a five year-old child and w

Over 40 Drown in Aegean

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Dozens drown ofrefugees islands in deadliest January for refugees At least 40 people, including 17 children, died after their boats sank near two Greek islands as the number of deaths of migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean make this the deadliest January on record. The deaths occurred off two small islands in the eastern Aegean. The highest death toll came when a wooden sailboat sank off Kalolymnos. The coastguard recovered 34 bodies and rescued 26 people. The number of those missing is not known, although between 70 and 100 people were thought to be on board. At the same time, a wooden boat carrying more than 50 people sank after crashing into a rocky area off Farmakonisi, to the north of Kalolymnos. Forty people scrambled to shore, one girl was rescued, but six children and one woman died. Despite winter weather, refugees – many from Syria – are still making the perilous journey from Turkey in flimsy boats every day. According to the International Organisation for M

CBN to return N35m deposit to Bureau De Change

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Ifeanyi Onuba:  The Central Bank of Nigeria on Friday said it would refund the N35m paid by licensed Bureau De Change operators across the country as mandatory caution deposit. The move followed last week’s ban of direct sale of foreign exchange to BDCs operators by the CBN. The apex bank confirmed this refund in a circular signed by the Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Mr Kevin Amugo with reference FPRD/DIR/GEN/CIR/01/004 dated January 22. It said while the N35m mandatory caution deposit would be refunded, the apex bank would still retain the N1m licensing fee. The circular reads in part, “Given the recent development in the operations of BDCs in the economy, the CBN has decided as follows. “The refund of mandatory caution deposit of N35m to all BDC operators and the retention of N1m licensing fee. “Therefore, all eligible BDCs may wish to apply for refund of their caution deposits attaching evidence of payment and bank transfer details.” The CBN

MTN seeks out of court settlement with NCC

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Ramon Oladimeji: Telecommunications Company, MTN Nigeria, has said it is considering settling out of court with the Nigerian Communications Commission over the N1.04tn fine imposed on it. On Friday, at the resumed hearing of the suit it filed to challenge the N1.04tn fine, MTN’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), pleaded with the presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, to give parties 60 days to explore the option of settlement out of court. But the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), who was sued as the 2nd defendant, told the court, through his lawyer, Mr. Dipo Okpeseyi (SAN), that parties had been finding it difficult to settle out of court. He urged the court to take it that all the court papers in the matter had been properly filed and served and that the case was still ongoing. “This is a matter of national importance. There have been concessions in the past and nothing happened,” Okpeseyi noted. In his own reac

HAVE YOU FOUND YOUR DOPPELGANGER?

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Women who look almost identical have DNA test to see if they are related Niamh Geaney tracked down her doppelgänger Irene Adams using her website TwinStrangers.com, and the pair decided to see if their uncanny resemblance was more than skin deep These girls may look like identical  twins , but it has been scientifically proven that they are NOT sisters - and it is very unlikely they are even related. Niamh Geaney tracked down her doppelgänger Irene Adams using her website TwinStrangers.com , and the pair decided to see if their uncanny resemblance was more than skin deep. Surprisingly the results revealed they had just a 1.1 percent chance of being half sisters but showed no other signs of actually being related - despite looking identical, and both being Irish. The results showed their families were not even related because Niamh's ancestors originated from South West Asia 20,000 years ago whilst Irene's came from Mesopotamia. Niamh, 27, said: "We bot

NIGERIA STOCKS MARKET REBOUNDS

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Stock market rebounds after 10-day loss Trading on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange on Wednesday closed on a positive note after recording losses for 10 straight days. Shares appreciation in 39 companies pushed up the NSE market capitalisation to N8.025tn from N7.723tn recorded on Tuesday. The NSE All-Share Index also appreciated from 22,456.32 basis points to 23,335.01 basis points. A total of 242.530 shares worth N1.58bn were traded in 3,865 deals. The highest index point recorded in the course of trading stood at 24,239.98 basis points, while the lowest and average index points were 22,456.32 and 23,219.24 basis points, respectively. FBN Holdings Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, UACN Plc, Zenith Bank Plc and African Prudential Registrars Plc emerged top-five gainers. Other gainers were, Skye Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc, Unity Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Plc, Oando Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, United Ca

NIGERA: N470m lost daily to gas pipeline attacks – FG

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Last weekend’s attack on the Nigeria Gas Company’s pipeline connected to Chevron Nigeria Limited’s facility at Escravos in Delta State is costing the economy a daily loss of N470m and has also resulted in the shutdown of two of the country’s refineries. According to the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, the vandalism of the gas pipeline would impact negatively on the Olorunsogo National Integrated Power Project plant, which has capacity for 600 megawatts of electricity, and other power plants across the country. The Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Hakeem Bello, said in a statement on Wednesday that although security agencies had intensified the search for those behind the attack on the pipeline, their action would slow down the country’s power supply system. Explaining the financial and economic implications of the action on the Nigerian economy, he said, “The sabotaged gas pipeline, which contributes to the Escravos-Lagos P

US TIGHTEN VISA RULES ON TRAVELERS FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

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WASHINGTON: In a bid to keep ISIS supporters out, the US has tightened its visa waiver programme for nationals of certain countries, making it harder for them to enter America if they had dual citizenship of Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria or visited one of them in the last five years.  Citizens of the 38 countries, which are part of the visa waiver programme, would no longer be able to get an automatic entry into the United States if they have visited these four countries - Iran, Iraq, Sudan and Syria - after March 2011, the State Department said.  The State Department said any traveller who receives notification that they are no longer eligible to travel under the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) are still eligible to travel to the US with a valid nonimmigrant visa issued by a US embassy or consulate.  "Such travellers will be required to appear for an interview and obtain a visa in their passports at a US embassy or consulate before travelling to the United States," the Sta

SONY MUSIC SIGNED DEAL WITH DAVIDO

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Well, the news is here! Davido has just signed a new, mouth watering recording deal with  Sony Music . Details of the new deal has not been made public yet, but the HKN boss signed the doted lines a few minutes ago in presence of his manager, Kamal Ajiboye  and elder brother,  Adewale Adeleke  in New York. He’ll be hosted to a private dinner at Lagos Lounge, New York later tonight to celebrate the new deal.

OGBEMUDIA DUMPS PDP

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BENIN —Former two-time governor of old Bendel State, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, has withdrawn his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Ogbemudia, a member of the party’s Board of Trustees, BoT, said his resignation was despite his recent efforts to entrench himself in the party for the purpose of shaping an alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. He said that this determination led to his revalidation of his membership of the PDP du ring the last membership revalidation exercise in Edo State. He, however, regretted that recent developments had made his continued membership of the PDP untenable. Ogbemudia, in a letter addressed to the National Secretary of the party, expressed gratitude for the privileges and opportunities offered him by the party. In the letter, Ogbemudia said: “Recent developments within and the non-cohesiveness in matters affecting the party led me to withdraw my membership of the PDP. This decision I have already communicated t