9ja News

SIM card: Thousands besiege registration centers

2011-09-28T23:17:00.000+01:00

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE & EMMANUEL ELEBEKE ,LAGOS NIGERIANS who failed to beat National Communications Commission,NCC’s, deadline for the registration of their Subscriber Identification Module,SIM, cards, Wednesday , have been handed a 24-hour window to do so or forget about their lines. Ruling out extension for the exercise, NCC said it would begin to collate the registration data today and subscribers, who were yet to be listed could do so before the end of the collation and harmonisation in the afternoon. In a statement by Mr. Reuben Muoka (Head, Media & Public Relations), NCC said: “The commission is fully aware of the clamour by many interested stakeholders, and organisations, for extension of the registration of existing SIM cards. ”However, the commission believes that the six months period provided for the exercise, gave ample time for all phone users in the country to register their SIM cards with either their service providers, or the NCC-appointed registration consultants. ”It is in deference to the clamour by the stakeholders, that the commission had provided this opportunity for all those who had not registered on account of logistic challenges, to do so without any further delay while the harmonisation is ongoing. ”Within the limited period of the harmonisation, service providers will be directed not to disconnect any subscriber on account of the registration until the commission announces the completion of the process after which those who remain unregistered will be disconnected.” Thousands besiege centres Meanwhile, thousands of Nigerians, yesterday, besieged registration centres across the country to register their SIM cards. But to their chagrin, some subscribers went home disappointed as they could not register their SIMs. At one of Starcomms registration offices in Festac Town, Lagos, no fewer than 200 persons were on queue by 1 p.m and some of them, who could not withstand the heat in the office occasioned by the snail speed at which the exercise proceeded, left in disappointment. Sources feared last night that about 20 million of the nation’s 90 million subscribers were yet to be registered when the lid was placed on the exercise. Going by the deadline, subscribers who failed to register their SIM cards by yesterday, would be cut off. Overwhelming calls for extension To ensure that a sizeable number of subscribers were not cut off with dire consequences for – subscribers, operators and even the economy, some stakeholders yesterday, appealed to NCC to extend the exercise. Those who sought extension include Association of Licensed Telecom Operators in Nigeria, ALTON, a member of the community of consumer rights organisations, Leadership Watch,LW, and National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, NATCOMS, among others. The ALTON had weekend, called for extension of the exercise. Chairman of the association, Gbenga Adebayo, hinged the clamour on the ground that the exercise had successfully registered about 50 per cent of subscribers.Adebayo said the exercise encountered several challenges which had a significant impact on the outcome. He listed some of them to include inability of SIM registrations agents to access certain parts of the country, especially the hinterland and rural areas, conduct of 2011 general elections, post- elections violence, torrential rainfall and accompanying flood in various parts of the country. lull in activities resulting from Christian Lent and Moslem Ramadan and heightened threats to security following spate of bombings across the country. Relatedly, some stakeholders anchored the extension clamour on what prevailed in other parts of the world. In many other countries where the same exercise has been done, significant time was given to enable operators effectively conclude the exercise. For example, Malaysia with a total population of 27.5 million people took a total of 24 months to conclude the SIM registration exercise; while South Africa, with a population of about 50 million, took 18 months to register all subscribers. Subscribers cry out in Gombe Some subscribers of the various mobile phone networks in Gombe State yesterday have appealed to the NCC to extend the SIM card registration deadline. They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe that the extension would afford those who had not registered to do so. Adamu Turaki and Ismail Adamu said that there was need for extension due to some challenges faced by customers during the exercise. They said that they were among those who registered at the beginning of the exercise but was later told that their registration was not successful. Miss Helen Agom, said that she had registered earlier but was surprised that the same SIM was also registered at another centre, which means the earlier registration was not successful. Agom said that some subscribers who had registered were still receiving information from their network providers that they had not been registered. She said that the feedback from the network providers had caused a lot of confusion to subscribers. Another subscriber, Aishat Mohammed said there was need to extend the exercise because about 40 per cent of subscribers were yet to register. Mr. Segun Akinwale, a registration officer of Glo Network, said that one of the major challenges faced by the network was the failure of some subscribers to give their real names. Akinwale said that some subscribers even refused to answer questions about their parents’ names. He said that the network also experienced the problem with some under-age children coming to register lines that were not theirs. Rights group seeks extension of deadline A member of the community of consumer rights organizations in Nigeria, Leadership Watch (LW) also called for extension of the exercise. President of the group, Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, said having partnered with the NCC in awareness campaigns for the exercise in the last six months, the organization observed that difficult terrains in the Niger Delta creeks, many rural areas in the north; under estimation of the Nigerian factor; the need to give opportunity to Nigerians in diaspora and Nigerians who might have traveled out of the country during the period and would still like to return and register their cards among others necessitate the need for extension. The National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) had on Tuesday appealed to NCC to extend the SIM card registration exercise by 12 months. President of the association, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, said the extension would enable the projected 40 per cent unregistered SIM cards subscribers register their SIMs. “From industry information gathered in the last 13 months, the exercise is rated to have covered about 50 per cent to 60 per cent of the more than 90 million SIM Cards in Nigeria. “What will happen to subscribers who have not registered?” Ogunbanjo wondered.

2010-09-07T13:05:00.002+01:00

Tips For Shopping Safely Online

Author: Andrew Green

Shopping safely online should be foremost on your mind before you hand over your financial details to any web store. Luckily, shopping online isn't as risky as it used to be and millions of safe transactions are made each year. Still there are a few things to look for to ensure you have a safe shopping experience.

The best tip for shopping safely online is to make sure you do business with a reputable website. Just because someone creates a fancy looking website, it doesn't mean it is a safe one. Investigate the company first as best you can. Even if you think you are shopping at a well known offline company, double check the URL in your browser's toolbar. A common trick of identity thieves is to create a dummy site that looks identical to the real one. The only way you may be able to tell for sure is by looking at the website address. Another time to examine the toolbar is when you are entering your financial details into the order form. To indicate a site is secure the URL will begin with https instead of http. Some browsers will even display a secured site icon such as a closed lock to let you know it is safe to enter your personal details.

If the site you are ordering from does not have a well known offline reputation then you should be even more careful. Make sure the site displays a street address as well as a telephone number. The site should have both a 'contact us' and 'privacy notice' page. Additionally, the website may have third party endorsements such as a Better Business Bureau graphic or a Trust-e icon. Click those to make sure it pulls up the company's profile and the graphics were not just stolen by an identity thief.

To help you decide if the website is reputable, run a web search on the site to see what other people are saying about them. Word of mouth is a great way to tell if the company delivers as promised or if they have ripped people off in the past.

Another tip for shopping safely online is that when you provide your financial and personal information, give only what is absolutely required. There should never be a reason to have to give your social security number when ordering products online.

Most credit cards and banks will reimburse you if your card was used fraudulently online. To help ensure you are shopping safely online, create a special account that you only use online, or pick up a prepaid credit card to use. That way you don't have to worry about anyone getting to your main financial account. Even though reputable companies work hard to protect your information, at times hackers can still break into a database and steal credit card information.

Ultimately, it is up to you to protect your identity and your finances. Check your statements closely and check your credit report periodically to make sure everything is as it should be. By following these safe online shopping tips and keeping tabs on your accounts, you can enjoy the convenience and variety of choice that shopping online offers and have peace of mind knowing you are shopping safely online.

Andrew Green is part of the team behind A-Z Proxies, an attempt to list from A to Z every active web proxy. Andy has been actively working in the web proxy field since 2005 and has built up a wealth of knowledge on the subject.

2010-09-07T12:52:00.000+01:00

Online Auctions

Buy at online auctions to save money and get bargains or sell at an online auction to make money:

Online auctions are a great way to bag a bargain and save money. They are also ideal to sell items that you no longer have a use for or items that you want to make money from as a business. This online auctions article will guide the internet user through buying and selling at online auctions weighing up pros and cons and offering advice to take advantage of online selling and buying and the disadvantages of online auctions at sites like eBay and SwapitShop.

Most online auction websites will allow you to register for free. Rarely will they charge you a join up fee. Most will make their money from advertising within the auction in the case of free auction websites or will charge the seller of auction items a listing fee and a small percentage of the sale. Some, like eBay, have free listing days where such fees are not charged for the day, or are at a reduced fee, like 5p or 10p per item. There are even free listing days for car auctions where on normal days they can run into several pounds to list. There should not be a charge for buying from reputable internet online auctions. Do be wary though of sellers who try and charge you excess fees if you choose to pay by credit card or PayPal this is against most online auctions terms and conditions and sites like eBay actively encourage users to report people making such illegal charges.

The seller should not charge you an excess amount for postage and packaging and these should be clearly explained in the listing. Some sites like Swapit offer free delivery to the person who successfully wins the online auction with their free swapit points. There is more about SwapitShop further below.

Those selling at online auctions can help reduce postage and packaging costs to their sellers by recycling padded envelopes and bubble wrap or buying these in bulk at discounted retailers. Do mention this in your auction and pass the discount onto your buyer. They may well choose you over another seller because your postage costs are cheaper.

Selling At Auctions And Income Tax

These online auction costs can be added to your expense sheets if you are selling for profit to reduce your tax costs. If you do sell items that you either make or buy to sell then this is classed as a business and you are liable to pay Income Tax and National Insurance. However if you are clearing out your loft, cupboards or garage and selling your own items like old books, CDs, DVDs, clothes, etc then you will not have to pay tax or NI. Your local Tax Office can give you more information and help on selling at auctions and Income Tax

Online Auction

So you may have joined an online auction site by now and had a good look round. So now lets share some online auction tips.

If you are looking for an online bargain then look at the closing soon section of the online auction website. These listings usually finish within a few minutes and you can bid last minute for some great bargains.

Do try and avoid getting into an auction bidding war though where if you are outbid you feel you need to keep bidding to win the auction, no matter what the price is. Winning isn't everything and a bidding war will loose you money and your bargain may have just cost you more than you would have paid in a shop or online store. So do check out the prices on the net and set your limit. But just like a game of poker do not reveal your cards just yet.

Bid last minute for your lots or set a spend limit into the auction website software. There is last minute auction software you can download and use to automatically bid at the last moment on your behalf. These can be set as soon as auctions go live and will remember your settings 3, 7 or 10 days later or can be set on the day.

Do check the delivery costs and country of origin. For example make sure it is a UK seller or can send to the US etc. If you are selling do weigh your item, in its packaging, at the Post Office and state these costs in your listing.

If you sell regularly at online auctions then get quotes for delivery charges from courier firms. Their prices may work out cheaper then the PO, though you may have to weigh up the cost of mileage and petrol to the courier firm, though some will pick up from your home for an additional small charge.

Check the payment method is one you can use, eg if the seller only accepts paypal do sign up for a free paypal account before the auction. This has the added advantage of being able to pay by credit card and have money paid into your bank account from your own auction sales.

Custom Search

If this page has not answered your questions or you need some more advice then please feel free to e-mail me. I would also welcome any advice to increase the information on this page to make it more useful to others. So feel free to e-mail me your thoughts. I would also appreciate it if you were to send the url of the www.findextrawork.co.uk to your friends, forums and websites.

Automatically Add www.findextrawork.co.uk To Your Favourites Folder - Bookmark Us. The site is updated weekly with new earning opportunities.

Use a password for your online auction site that is hard to guess using a mixture of random numbers and letters.
Photographs can help sell an item or secure a higher price. Take your own photograph rather than use stock photos. A unique photo will make your auction look more realistic and feel honest. Buyers will appreciate that.

Read the feedback points and comments of the buyer and view the feedback left to him or her by other buyers. Positive comments will give you reassurance that you will get your purchases. You may wish to avoid a user with many negative comments, though you can message or e-mail the seller to discuss any concerns you have.

If you plan to sell at auctions for profit or as a full time trading and selling job then buy many small low cost items from auctions or sell household items or quick selling cheap items. This will increase your feedback score and rating and give people a chance to see how quickly you send or pay for items. Other internet auction users like to buy and sell from other auction users that have a high feedback score. Some will only trade with those who have a feedback score above 100 because they know they are honest and an experienced seller.

Do send your items as soon as payments have been secured or pay for items as soon as the auction you have successfully won has finished. Keep in touch by e-mail or telephone with the buyer or seller. They are more likely to want to leave you positive feedback and it will give them assurance that their item or payment will get to them.

If a buyer wants to pay you by cheque, ask him or her to write their name, address, and cheque guarantee card on the back. Cash the cheque and wait for about 7 days before sending the sold items. Then if the cheque should bounce because it is stolen or there is insufficient funds in the buyers account then you have not lost any items or money. A refund of any auction fees can be requested from the auction site in these sort of instances. You can also sell it to the next highest bidder and explain the situation to them. This is known as second chance.

Post items by recorded delivery or ask for a proof of purchase so that you can claim for any missing parcels from the Post Office or courier. These small costs can either be met by yourself or passed onto the buyer if mentioned in the listing. The cost of recorded delivery is only about 65 pence and gives you insurance against any losses or damage.

If you are using a public computer do remember to sign out - you'd be surprised at the number of people who forget and therefore give access to their account to strangers.

Auction Site

The most popular auction site is eBay the online marketplace which is free to join and is easy and clear to use. It has many free tools to help buyers and sellers such as eBay toolbar, seller protection and feedback. Ebay has easy to follow buyer and seller guides and offers online support.

A children's auction site that involves no money is Swapit which adults with children can also join. When you sell something or take part in their surveys and competitions you get free Swapit points which you then use to buy items. The person swapping the item will send it to the swapitshop team so no-one on the site will know your address and all members use a nickname so that names are never revealed. This is a safe site for children to swap the stuff they no longer want and to get stuff they do for free.

Sealed Bid Auction Website

AuctionAir is a sealed bid auction website where you can bid for high value lots like TVs, laptops, iPods, digital cameras, watches, flights, holidays, weekend breaks, etc. Bids are sealed and unique and no one will be able to see them until the end of each sealed bid auction

Reverse Auctions

Reverse Auctions are slightly different to normal online auctions because the lowest unique bidder will win the lot. Most people will bid a penny but remember it is the lowest and unique bid that will win so most reverse auctions are won by people who tend to bid over £1 and aim for a unique value. Reverse Auctions tend to attract many bidders so the lots are usually high value items like a Plasma TV, sports car like a Porsche Boxster, PS3, etc. Reverse Auctions normally make a charge per bid to cover the cost of the lot and make the company a profit for running the auction. However bidders can successfully win reverse auctions through good fortune whilst having some fun. An example of a reverse auction website is Million-2-1 where bids can be placed online or via SMS. As an example of what Million-2-1 auction and the bid price it went for was a £125,000 Ferrari for just £123.82! The winner only paid £1.50 to place that winning bid. Quite a good return!

QXL

QXL is an online auction platform that enables individuals and small businesses to buy and sell all types of products and services online in an easy, efficient and safe environment with a buy now option available. Items generally available for sale or that you can list include cars, comics, collectables, toys, software, items for the home and garden, mobile phones, baby equipment, stamps, coins, etc.

The Cons Of Auctions

There are a few cons of auctions and sadly conmen and women frequent auctions in the hope of scamming people. The commonest auction con involves them buying an item, sending you a cheque for an over inflated amount and asking you to wire transfer or send by cheque the difference. These cheques they send you are either stolen or will bounce. In the meantime if you have wire transferred or sent a cheque for the balance then this will be cashed by the crook and people find it impossible or really difficult to trace the money and get a refund. People have been reported for fraud even though they are the innocent victims of this internet auction scam. They have also lost the item they were selling to the villain. This is know as a Nigerian Scam because it originated from Nigeria and many fraudsters still do seem to come from this country.

Auction Sites Phishing Pharming Scams

Another auction con is phishing and pharming attempts to get your account details so that crooks can access your bank details. These are e-mails sent to you that will look like they come from a popular auction site or from paypal. Sometimes they are easier to spot from spelling and grammar errors. Other times they look like a genuine e-mail. Do be wary of these because if you reply or click the link then you will be taken to a mock site that asks you to type in your password and username. This is then captured by the scammer who can then access your account. There is more written about online auction scammers and cons of auctions on the Internet Scams page. Follow that advice to avoid such scams and make your online auction experience much safer.

But do not let these cons of auctions put you off, online auctions are a great way to make money by selling online and there are many savings and bargains to be made for buyers.

Computer Equipment Auction Website

Morgan Auctions is a computer equipment auction website where all bids for computers, laptops, monitors, etc start at only £1 and there are no reserves on the lots. Morgan Auctions sell a wide range of overstock, refurbished and second user computer equipment.

2010-09-07T11:08:00.002+01:00

Behold the richest Pastors in Nigeria!

The common saying, ‘As poor as a church rat’ is fast losing its proverbial essence, given the assets churches and their leaders parade today. To disprove the saying, Opeyemi Adesina, Tayo Salami

and Chika Morkah, using additional Internet sources, identify four Nigerian pastors who are not only rich but are setting the pace in the art of wealth creation and business management.

They labour in the Lord’s vineyard, yet they are stupendously rich. That statement aptly captures the monetary worth of some pastors plying the gospel of Christ in Nigeria today. Not a few people will marvel at the value of the estates and earthly possessions on which they sit and superintend. Although they are many in the wealth circle, four of them clearly stand out, given their carriage, life styles, investments and popularity. Not many will fault the likes of Bishop David Oyedepo of Winners Chapel, Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo of Kingsway International Christian Centre, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy, and Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua of Synagogue Church of All Nation as the ‘Big Four’ among several other affluent ministers of God.

It may pose a surprise that a few others who are head-to-head, or even heads above these four are not included, it is for no other reason than that their churches are more institutional and non-hereditary as churches of these four are likely to be. It’s on that ground that Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, in particular, is not included.

Bishop David Oyedepo

Based on the parameters earlier listed, the richest pastor in Nigeria can be said to be the President and Founder of the Living Faith World Outreach Ministry, aka Winners Chapel, Bishop David O. Oyedepo. The church has the largest worship centre in the country, a 50,000-seat auditorium located at Canaanland, Ota, Ogun State.

Bishop Oyedepo is reported to own two private jets (Gulfstream 1 & Gulfstream 4), a Rolls Royce phantom among other luxury cars, an expensive university (Covenant University), a massive church auditorium, over 1000 branches locally and internationally. He’s also reported to be collecting through his church an average tithe income of 30 million Naira per Sunday (excluding offerings and other levies), franchises including literatures, e.t.c.

Whenever he or Faith, his wife is going out in the town, either separately or together, they usually go out with a convoy of vehicles and blaring of siren to beat the traffic. The couple like riding in posh jeeps with one or two vehicles in front and a similar number of cars following the one occupied by either of them.

Although the Winners’ Chapel is one of Africa’s fastest-growing Pentecostal churches, Oyedepo is often invited for crusades by other churches. He has a global vision of evangelism and has taken the gospel outside the shores of Nigeria, which have yielded a lot of financial rewards. “Your financial revolution is tied to what you do with your finances on the gospel,” he often tells his congregation.

As part of his outreach programmes, Oyedepo acquired a multi-million naira aircraft in 1996 to facilitate his evangelism programmes to countries outside Nigeria. This earned him the appellation “Jet-Age pastor”. He believes he is sent to a generation and not just a denomination to work signs and wonders. He established the Covenant University in Ota, Ogun State, thereby using his wealth for the promotion of tertiary education in Nigeria.

Prophet T. B. Joshua

Temitope Balogun Joshua, born June 12, 1963 and commonly referred to as T. B. Joshua, is the founder of The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), a Christian organisation headquartered in Ikotun, Lagos State. A Christian pastor, humanitarian and author, Joshua broadcasts Christian televangelism via SCOAN’s Christian television station Emmanuel TV, and on the Internet via the Streaming Faith Broadcast Portal. His sprawling church building on Ikotun/Egbe Road is reported to worth billions of naira.

Joshua is said to have started a church with just a handful of members, naming it ‘The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations’—a name he says God divinely revealed to him. Since then, the church has grown far beyond the shores of Nigeria . More than 15,000 members attend the weekly Sunday service, and visitors from outside Nigeria are accommodated in the church facilities.

From the very first service held in 1987 to the present day, the church has been controversial due to reports of miraculous signs and wonders that occur every week.

The church currently has branches in Ghana, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Greece. He is also mentoring many evangelists from around the world in the church premises, saying: “The biggest reward God can give to His servant… is to make disciples who will do better than what we are presently doing.”.

‘Another Ministry’ is the humanitarian arm of SCOAN, with projects catering to the needs of widows, dwarfs, the elderly, physically challenged, orphans and the destitute. The church provides scholarships to orphans and children of the less privileged, with educational support promised from primary to tertiary levels. There is also a rehabilitation programme for armed robbers and prostitutes.

Often, the church financially supports them to secure a practical vocation. During his 45th birthday on June 12, 2008, T. B. Joshua made a large donation to the less privileged. Joshua has also provided scholarships for numerous physically challenged students and sponsored many physically challenged athletes. He is known to help people, irrespective of faith or denomination.

Joshua recently floated a football club ‘My People FC’ as part of his efforts to help the youth, the young team already making a mark on the Nigerian football scene. Already, three players have been sponsored abroad to play professional football in Sweden.

Two players from My People FC played for Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets in the last FIFA U-17 World Cup,were raised at Synagogue. Sani Emmanuel, who was raised in The SCOAN and worked as an altar boy, was Nigeria’s top-scorer and the tournament’s MVP, winning the Golden Ball and Silver Shoe. Emmanuel and his colleague Ogenyi Onazi have since expressed plans to have a foundation to help other less privileged youths, where ‘every proper means will be used to discover the talented’.

At a thanksgiving service in The SCOAN held after the cadet World Cup, Golden Eaglet’s goalkeeper, Dami Paul, also testified to receiving healing through Joshua’s prayers before the tournament’s commencement.

Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

Chris Oyakhilome, Pastor of Believers’ LoveWorld Incorporated otherwise called Christ Embassy Church, is not only winning souls but has built an expansive business empire from which he is making huge amount of money.

His church headquarters is a magnificent glass building. Its blue and gold colours stand it out in the crowd of old buildings on Oregun Road, Ikeja, Lagos. The building which is a few poles away from the old Suzuki Motorcycle assembly plant glitters like the corporate headquarters of a progressive new generation bank.

Chris Oyakhilome, the Edo State-born pastor, runs the branches of the church and his other businesses from there. The church has provided for Oyakhilome a good platform for his other business interests which include banking, publishing, broadcasting, entertainment and the hospitality industries.

A normal Sunday service at the headquarters draws not less than 30,000 worshipers. Most of them come from distant parishes of the church and the attraction is Oyakhilome himself who they all want to see live on the pulpit.

Oyakhilome belongs to the growing clan of pastors who preach prosperity but he is better known for his miracles which are very controversial. Even then, they have remained the source of his popularity and the huge fortunes that he has made.

The church operates like a conglomerate with no fewer than 10 subsidiaries that work with the common goal of oiling the purse of the ministry and its patron.

The major money spinning arms of the ministry includes LoveWorld Cyber Ministry, LoveWorld Television, Love World Christian Network, LoveWorld Multimedia Ministry and LoveWorld Publishing Ministry.

One business enterprise run by the church is the LoveWorld Records Limited located in Ikeja. It was incorporated in 2008 as a private limited liability company to carry on the business of music, entertainment and gospel merchandise. The Christ Embassy recording studio operates a distribution network that facilitates the selling and marketing of records within and outside Nigeria.

His group’s investments in the media include Minaj Broadcasting International, MBI; Superscreen television; National Standard, a monthly magazine; National Daily, a weekly newspaper; and a cable television network known as Loveworld Media.

The satellite television is based in South Africa and it is a free-to-air-no subscription channel. It was set up primarily for the purpose of the church evangelism.

Superscreen television station, owned by Oyakhilome, occupies the seventh floor of Lagemo House at Onipanu area of Lagos. The television which began operation in 2007, boasts of state of the art broadcast equipment. .

Majority of staff of the television station are members of Christ Embassy. The television station serves as the media arm of the church, especially because it routinely telecasts church programmes of Christ Embassy.

In pursuit of the church’s craze for publicity and in spite of huge investments in the broadcast media, Christ Embassy again set up its sole private television station called Loveworld News Media. The studio is located within the church headquarters and is said to operate a 12-hour daily service airing church programmes.

National Standard hit the news-stands in July 2004 as a monthly glossy magazine. Its first office was at Plot 2, Ajumobi Street, off ACME Road, Agidingbi, before relocating to 25 Ogunlowo Street, off Adeniyi Jones, where it is at the moment. Today, the publication has gone weekly. Its sister publication, National Daily, which is a weekly tabloid, is located on Emina Crescent, off Toyin Street, Ikeja. Paradigm Communications Limited oversees the publication of the papers for Oyakilome’s business empire. The church’s investments in these media enterprises alone is put at more than N5 billion.

Global Plus printing press is another investment of the pastor. The hi-tech ultra modern press is located along Ikosi Road, Oregun, Ikeja. Monthly financial yields of the printing press which is worth more than two billion Naira is about N10 million.

Christ Embassy also owns CFI Pictures, a company that produces Christian movies. Located within the headquarters premises is a digital media store that markets electronic books and a gift card shop. The two are also money spinning channels for the church.

The church also has investments in the event and entertainment sector. In 2008, it bought over a warehouse belonging to a shoe making factory along Oregun Road which was converted to an event centre called K and G Event Centre. The event and recreational centre which is located at 8a, Oregun Road, has relaxation spots and other entertainment conveniences for customers.

The church also has an eatery called Dicksons. The fast food joint is rapidly expanding its outlets. It is being developed to compete favourably with Mr Biggs and similar outfits in the country.

Oyakhilome has also spread his business tentacles to the financial sector. The church owns two microfinance banks one of which is Moneycom Microfinance Bank.

Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo

Matthew Ashimolowo of Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) has carved a niche for himself in the British Christian community. His church, which attracts 8,000 congregation, is considered one of the richest in Britain. According to Robert Booth of The Guardian (London) reports, Pastor Ashimolowo, with a £100,000 yearly pay, earns more than the Archbishop of Canterbury, the official head of the British church.

KICC is reported as one of the richest religious institutions in both Britain and Nigeria.

The Kingsway International Christian Centre, in Walthamstow, has filed company accounts which reveal it made a £4.9m profit over a period of 18 months. It also has assets of £22.9m, more than three times the amount held by the foundation which maintains St Paul’s Cathedral.

His church’s wealth, according to reports, stems largely from the donations it encourages from its 8,000-strong largely African and Caribbean congregation. They gave £9.5m in tithes and offerings in the 18 months to April 2008, dwarfing the £33,000 that the average Church of England congregation gave over the same period.

Rather than a more traditional plate collection, forms are handed out to worshippers so they can make bank transfers at some services.

KICC’s wealth is the clearest sign yet of the gathering popularity of evangelical Pentecostalism which is the only growing branch of Christianity in the UK with an estimated 300,000 weekly worshippers.

The church’s increasing wealth represents a transformation in its fortunes after the discovery in 2005 by Charity Commission investigators of financial irregularities. Ashimolowo was ordered to repay £200,000 after it emerged he used church assets to buy a £13,000 Florida timeshare and £120,000 on his birthday celebrations, including £80,000 on a car. New trustees were appointed and Ashimolowo was removed from his role as chief executive.

“The last 18 months have been a period of incredible journey in the life of KICC,” said Ashimolowo in a preface to the accounts. “It has been very exciting to see God move the ministry from one level to another as we witness the increased manifestation of His glory.”

Ashimolowo is understood to earn his salary from preaching as well as royalties from sermons published in books and on DVDs through his own company. Ashimolowo Media Ministries made a profit of close to £60,000 in 2003.

Four KICC directors earn between £60,000 and £80,000 each. By contrast, a typical Church of England vicar earns around £21,500 and even the Archbishop of Canterbury, who has responsibility for an active congregation of close to a million people, only earns £68,740 a year.

“This is a very well-financed business,” said a tax accountant who examined the accounts for the Guardian. “It holds more than £16m in short term investments. I am the honorary auditor of my local church and they have just £20,000 on deposit.”

“The teaching of the church is very much about self-development,” said James McGlashan, a former oil executive who is now KICC’s chief operating officer. “If that is preaching wealth then we are preaching wealth. Becoming financially independent, owning a house, getting a degree and a better job is good.”

According to the accounts filed with Companies House, KICC finances were boosted by the sale for £10.1m of its Waterden Road home in Hackney to the London Development Agency which needed the site for the 2012 Olympics. It is planning to spend between £50m and £80m on a five-year project to build a complex at a site in Rainham, Essex, with capacity for 8,000 worshippers, classrooms, a TV studio, bookstore and offices.

As in Britain, Ashimolowo is fast spreading his church in Nigeria, spending millions of naira to plant branches of his church in every part of the country. His expansive church auditorium in Mende area of Maryland, Lagos speaks volume of his financial muscles.

By nigeriafilms.com – NigeriaFilms.com

Jonathan: I have no plan to sack Petroleum Minister

2010-08-13T13:24:00.001+01:00

Jonathan: I have no plan to sack Petroleum Minister

Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja 12/08/2010 00:24:00

• 'Nobody will know if I want to remove any aide

THE President Wednesday accused his opponents of waging a press war against him, even as he moved two ministers in a minor cabinet shake-up.

Minister of State (Finance), Remi Babalola and Special Duties Minister Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade were affected in the exercise.

Mrs Yabawa Wabi, who joined the cabinet Wednesday, succeeds Babalola at the Finance Ministry.

Two other new entrants -Mrs Salamatu Suleiman and Kenneth Gbagi - are Ministers of State (Foreign Affairs) and (Education).

At their swearing in before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the State House, Abuja, the President lashed out at the media for what he called speculative reports about his planned removal of some ministers, among them the Petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Allison- Madueke.

"Nobody will know if I want to remove any minister," Jonathan said, adding that the reports were not good for the country's image as they were capable of deterring investors in the oil and gas sector.

Others sworn in are Special Adviser, Policy Monitoring and Performance Dan Adebiyi and two National Commissioners for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ahmed Wali and Christopher Ehimoga.

Urging media to remain agents of development, the President said the redeployment of a minister was not an indictment.

He said: "What we read in the media convey a kind of sponsored press war; this is not helpful to the nation. If a minister is not to be removed and you continue to tell the world that the minister is to be removed, what you publish affects the ministry drastically as people who have one thing or the other to do with that ministry will become careful, they would want to wait for the day the minister will be removed which will not come.

EFCC to probe jumbo allowances of Senators, Reps

2010-08-13T13:20:00.001+01:00

EFCC to probe jumbo allowances of Senators, Reps

Yusuf Alli, Abuja 13/08/2010 01:14:00

• Group alleges NASS members’ pay not approved by revenue commission

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Thursday said it would probe alleged jumbo allowances and illegal quarterly allocation by members of the National Assembly.

The Commission’s Director of Operations , Mr. Steve Otitoju, made the disclosure while receiving a petition from the Transform Nigeria Movement (TNM) in Abuja.

The petition was signed by an Abuja lawyer, Mr. Kayode Ajulo and Mr. Law Mefor, on behalf of 76 other Nigerians.

TNM is asking the EFCC to probe allowances and quarterly allocations to Senators and members of the House of Representatives.

It alleged that some of the allowances and quarterly allocations were not approved by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

The EFCC however said it will look into the petition.

Otitoju, who stood in for the Chairman of the EFCC, Mrs. Farida Waziri, said: "The EFCC is committed to its statutory responsibilities; we will continue to do the job assigned to us. We have been doing it, and we will not relent in our efforts.

"You specifically requested that those people found culpable if investigation is concluded should be prosecuted. Of course, we have a track record on this; you are all living witnesses to that. We prosecute people and our cases are before the court.

"Also, we will go in line with the laws of the land. If any matter is before and we are able to secure court ruling, any fund that has been illegally spent or somehow misappropriated is refunded to the purse of the Federal Government.

"Most of the time, through our efforts misappropriated funds had been refunded to the government. This has been going on and we will continue to do that. This is not going to be an exception.

"We will not treat it anyhow; we will do a thorough job. We will do what you have given us, we will take action."

The TNM petition reads in part: "The attention of the Transform Nigeria Movement(TNM) has been drawn to uncontradicted reports that in addition to the regular and legitimate salaries and allowances of N17million and N14.99million which members of the National Assembly(Senators and Representatives) were collecting yearly and the irregular allowance of estacodes, duty tours etc, they were also collecting N192million and N140million respectively in illegal quarterly allocation which is not provided for by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission(RMAFC).

"In the circumstances, we therefore urge you to use your good offices to cause investigation in the following terms:

"Confirm the actual and total payments made to each member of the National assembly in salaries and allowances annually.

"Investigate the veracity of the allegations of corruption and financial impropriety made by former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and other eminent Nigerians, against the members of the National Assembly".

Who will be Akpabio’s running mate?

2010-08-13T11:53:00.001+01:00

Who will be Akpabio’s running mate?

OLUKO-REDE YISHAU 13/08/2010 07:01:00

It appeared the issue was settled last October. Then, Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio declared that he would seek a second term with his deputy, Chief Patrick Ekpotu, as running mate. Before that declaration, speculations were rife that some powerful forces wanted Akpabio to drop Ekpotu and replace him with his erstwhile Adviser on Political and Legislative Affairs, Mr. Samuel Akpan, who later declared his intention to challenge Mrs. Eme Ufot-Ekaette for the ticket of the Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District.

But last year when the Ibibio endorsed Akpabio for a second term, he said he would run with Ekpotu, who is Ibibio.

Ibibio is the largest ethnic group. It controls no fewer than 18 of the 31 Local Government Areas of the state. Annang, Akpabio’s enclave controls eight Local Governments while Oron the third largest ethnic stock, has five local government under its control.

But what appeared to have been laid to rest has resurfaced again. Between then and now, the relationship between the duo is said to have become frosty and has made the governor consider dropping his deputy. A PDP chieftain in the state, Nsima Ekere, is mentioned as the replacement. Ekere was Akpabio’s original choice as running mate in 2007 before he was made to accept Ekpotu, who was chosen by former Governor Victor Attah.

But prominent indigenes of the state such as Chief Don Etiebet are said to be advising Akpabio against dropping Ekpotu.

It is not only Ekere who has been mentioned as possible replacements to Ekpotu. Those who have been mentioned include:Bishop Sam Akpan, Martyns Udoinyang, Aniefiok Smith and Mrs. Grace Anwana.
The camp of Senator James Akpanudoedghe is said to be happy over the purpoted move to drop Ekpotu. They see it as a sign that all is not well in the governor’s camp. Udoedeghe wants to be governor and has declared under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He is being backed by Attah, who nominated Ekpotu for Akpabio in 2007.

Ekpotu, an Ibibio of Ikot Abasi extraction was a product of consensus in the run up to the 2007 governorship election. While he served Attah as Commissioner for Information, Akpabio was Commissioner of Local Government Affairs.

Time will tell who among Ekpotu and others will run with Akpabio in 2011. For now, there is anxiety in the deputy governor’s camp.

Chime lights up Enugu Communities

2010-08-13T11:50:00.000+01:00

Chime lights up Enugu communities

Chris Oji 13/08/2010 07:25:00

GRASSROOTS people toil the year round but find it difficult taking their produce to the markets in the towns and cities. Why? Because their roads are often in utter disrepair.
When Governor Sullivan Chime took office, he promised to open up feeder roads. Now, he has kept faith with that developmental agenda. Feeder roads are being upgraded. Hitherto unlit communities are also being connected to the national grid

This was demonstrated when the governor commissioned the 33KVA Oji Substation Circuit Breaker and the Oji-Nachi Inter-Town Connection (ITC) network to improve quality of electricity supply to Udi and Ezeagu Local Government Areas.

The project, which was executed by the state government in partnership with Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) at the cost of N68m included the Construction/Installation of 33KVA circuit breaker and 7.2 kilometer route length of 33KVA Inter-Town Connection (ITC) Network from Oji Substation to Nachi.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Chime said the execution of the project was in line with government’s efforts to improve the number and effectiveness of PHCN facilities in rural areas and boost power supply in rural communities in the state.
Chime noted with satisfaction that the impact of the improved power supply is being felt by power consumers in the affected communities in Udi and Ezeagu council areas.

He commended the State Rural Electrification Board, officials of PHCN, the State Water Corporation and all the unseen hands that contributed in one way or the other to the successful execution and commissioning of the project.

Governor Chime then appealed to the people to protect the project, even as he said: "So long as we protect what we have and pay our electricity bills promptly, things will be better and government will continue to provide the people with the basic needs of life."

In his speech, the State Commissioner for Rural Development, Mr. Casmir Ugwu said the project was embarked upon to address the age-long epileptic power supply to communities in Udi and Ezeagu Local Government Areas from the 9th Mile Corner injection substation.

Ugwu explained that before now, some communities in the two local government areas used to connect light to the dedicated electric power line to Ajalli Owa and Oji River water intake pumping stations thereby increasing electricity demand on the line and resulting in water shortage in the state capital.

He said: "It is as a result of these disturbances on the dedicated line that the State Rural Electrification Board (REB) and the PHCN conceived this alternative route of supply from Oji River Power Station to supply light to these communities within the affected two local government areas."

He stated that the project was completed in March this year by the (REB) through direct labour and confirmed fit for energisation by the Ministry of Energy, Electrical Inspectorate Division in May. He thanked the PHCN and the state government for their support towards the execution of the project.

The Chief Executive Officer, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), Mr. S.A. Yahaya in his brief remarks said with the commissioning of the electricity project and its improved quality and quantity of power supply, the socio-economic well-being of the entire people of Udi and Ezeagu council areas will improve greatly.

Yahaya used the occasion to appeal to electricity consumers in the area to reciprocate government’s gesture and help Enugu Electricity Distribution Company to serve them better. This, he said, they could do by protecting the power line from vandalisation and prompt settlement of their monthly electricity bills to sustain the power supply.

Setback for Jonathan as PDP throws race open

2010-08-13T11:45:00.000+01:00

2011: Setback for Jonathan as PDP throws race open

Sanni Ologun 13/08/2010 01:27:00

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) threw the presidential race open Thursday.

President Goodluck Jonathan can run, just as any other aspirant, party chair Okwesilieze Nwodo said.

He spoke at the 52nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting where Dr Jonathan said opposition parties have conceded the presidency in the 2011 election to the PDP.

Nwodo said, adding that the party would hold a special national convention where it would amend its constitution – in line with the new Electoral Act.

Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shema was said to have moved the motion that Jonathan should be allowed to contest. It was seconded by former BOT chair Chief Tony Anenih.

The NEC also adopted a memo by Nwodo that zoning and rotation of offices would continue to be an integral part of the administration of the PDP.

The NEC was also said to have suspended the e-registration of PDP members to “allow for wider consultation”.

The party also readmitted Abia State Governor Theodore Ahamefule Orji and granted him a waiver to contest.

Politicians who returned to the party from Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Abia and Niger states were granted waivers to contest elections under the banner of the party.

The National Working Committee (NWC) was mandated to revisit the dissolved state executive committee in Ogun State, with the aim of settling the party’s crisis amicably.

Nwodo and other leaders of the party are to visit Ogun State next week to reconcile the factions.

A source who attended the meeting said: “The National Chairman of the PDP read the resolution of the Expanded Caucus Meeting to NEC.

"At the end of the day, the motion for the retention of zoning was endorsed, pointing to the fact that the governors had done their homework.

"After the resolution, the mood of the President’s camp at the meeting suggested a kind of unease because he has to oil his political machinery very well in running against the decision of the party.

"So, in the real sense of it, the ticket is open, but most members would be guided by the party’s decision that the zoning formula should be respected."

Concerning online registration, the source added that when it was raised, three governors rose up to condemn it.

He added: “To the surprise of everyone, Governor Timpre Sylva and the chairman of the PDP in Ekiti said NEC members do not want it. Sylva said 85 per cent of Bayelsa State is water-logged and the online registration is impossible.”

Governors Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta) and Sullivan Chime (Enugu) said online registration is “no-go area and should be stopped.” Uduaghan also said that 35 per cent of Delta landmass is covered by water, it was learnt.

"All the governors and state party chairmen rejected the exercise, which would have been launched on Friday (today).

"The NEC members asked that the online registration be stopped forthwith. The decision reflected the outcome of an earlier meeting which the governors had in Kwara Lodge yesterday,” said another source.

Jonathan’s camp has returned to the drawing board to consider whether to take the risk to contest or not.
A source in the camp said: “We were not pleased with the double-speak resolution of the NEC. They opted for zoning and asked Jonathan and any member to exercise their rights to contest.

"It is a delicate situation but we will meet to re-strategise and weigh options before any pronouncement from the President."

Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo was absent at the meeting.

It was learnt that Obasanjo’s absence may not be unconnected with the rejection of his suggestion by the Board of Trustees of the PDP that zoning should be cancelled.

Jonathan said: "Just look at the issue of zoning or no zoning; it is PDP affair. Whether we zone or don’t zone, it is our own internal affairs. But the debate is even being spearheaded more by non-PDP members.

"That shows that what happens in PDP; in fact, they have already conceded the presidency to us. Otherwise, they have no business coming to join our own debate. That means that they have already known that the PDP will produce the president of this country, but do it well.

"That is why they decided to join our debate; whether we zone or not zone. So I believe those other candidates who want to be president know that their parties have surrendered to PDP."

The President noted that there is bound to be disagreements when two people are working together. The PDP would continue to resolve its internal disputes through dialogue and not by fighting, Jonathan said.
Jonathan said the 2011 elections would be conducted in such a way that only very few candidates would want to challenge the results in court.

He said: "The way others look at us, as if we cannot conduct elections that are acceptable. To some extent, we are doing fairly well. But at the end of the elections, the number of us that go to court are so many.

"This time around, we will conduct the elections in a way that only very few people will want to go to court.”

He said going by numbers, the party could always predict the outcome of elections because it still has the majority.

Nwodo, in his opening remarks, said zoning had been entrenched in the party’s constitution and there is no way it could be jettisoned, if equity, fairness and justice are to be upheld.

He added that since Jonathan came on the same joint ticket with the late President Yar’Adua, it was fair for him to be allowed to contest the 2011 presidential election without excluding other presidential aspirants who also wish to partake in the exercise.

Nwodo said: "It has become imperative, due to the new Electoral Act to hold a special convention and bi-annual conference to update our party constitution before the primary election.

"Already, the constitutional amendment notices have gone out, but additional notices would follow to capture the changes in the Electoral Act and other areas.”

He tacitly apologised to the governors who had drawn a battleline with him on the way he has been going about the issue of reforms in the party.
Nwodo said: “I know that reforms are sometimes hard to accept, especially when we are called upon to abandon old ways of doing things.

"Furthermore, in preaching these reforms, we may have hurt the sensibility of some of our members; we hereby present our unreserved apology. But, we, however, continue to appeal that these reforms be accepted by all our party members."

Sea Eagle FPSO, Nigeria - ports.com

2010-07-21T14:58:00.000+01:00

Sea Eagle FPSO, Nigeria - ports.com

Newbuild FPSOs: What can go wrong - Offshore

2010-07-21T14:12:00.000+01:00

Newbuild FPSOs: What can go wrong - Offshore

2010-07-21T10:30:00.001+01:00

The dominance of the FPSO - Offshore Technology

2010-07-21T10:17:00.000+01:00

The dominance of the FPSO - Offshore Technology

Power Supply

2010-07-20T08:39:00.000+01:00

Power supply
The Nation 20/07/2010 07:50:00

VICE-President Namadi Sambo has in recent time been raising expectations that the nation will soon begin to see flickers of light in the dark tunnel of despair that has been the troubled power sector.

Only last week, he announced the imminent revival of the stalled Mambilla Hydro Power project in Gembu, Taraba State, when he directed the consultants to produce a revised programme, including the feasibility of the dams within two weeks.

Apparently buoyed by the interest of international finance institutions, the Federal Government is pressing for the revival of the project, initiated 28 years ago, and which, on delivery, is expected to add 2,600MW electricity generation to the grid.

While the Africa Development Bank (ADB) is pledging $3 billion in credit package, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) is putting forward $2 billion to boost power generation in the country.

Such windows of finance, even if they represent tiny droplets in the ocean of the nation’s needs, certainly count for something. They reflect the increasing willingness of international credit institutions to help Nigeria out of her problems, an opportunity too good to miss, provided the funds would be properly utilised.

Undeniably, under-investment in the sector is at the heart of the current problems in which the nation could barely boast of 4,000MW in power generation. To this is added the problem of poor planning and the well known factor of corruption. All of these explain why expenditure in the last decade has not translated into value in terms of improvements in the power situation – despite the record spend of an estimated $16 billion.

The potential of the Mambilla project is hardly the issue here; we are for the diversification of the sources of energy –be it solar, wind, coal, thermal or even nuclear energy, to guarantee the nation’s sufficiency in power supply. Indeed, we believe that several opportunities currently exist, waiting to be harnessed in the quest to supply Nigerians with electricity.

The issue with such ambitious projects is whether the benefits to be derived actually measure up when weighed against the costs that would be sunk. At the present, there are no indications as to how much it would cost to bring the project into fruition, aside government’s admission that there are technical, logistical and even legal challenges to be tackled along the way.

Even if we rest on government’s assurance that the project will deliver on its promise, what about questions of costs?

Also, we cannot ignore the fact that there are too many loose ends in the power sector that need tying up. Whether in generation, transmission or even distribution, there are still, countless problems in the chain that need to be addressed urgently. The status of the much touted National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP), for instance, remains largely unknown; the same holds true of the gas supply situation so critical to fire the plants.

Important as putting new investments are, the requirement to create synergies among parts to optimise service delivery must be seen as equally compelling. One would have expected that a clear roadmap would have been put in place by now to enable the critical stakeholders key into the government’s reform agenda. Surely, we can no longer afford to grope in the dark.

Just as government has admitted, much work still needs to be done to make the project a reality. Because international finance is involved, the government cannot afford to bungle the project as it did with similar well conceived projects in the past. It should not allow it to become another white elephant project, a monument to service the infrastructure of corruption. Nigerians of course deserve to know the details about the proposed Mambilla hydro project.

CBN gets power to clean up banks

2010-07-20T08:33:00.001+01:00

CBN gets power to clean up banks’ N1.5tr toxic assets
Vincent Ikuomola 20/07/2010 00:49:00

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Monday got the legal muscle to clean up the banks and its N1.5 trillion toxic assets.

Top officials of the apex bank exchanged back slaps after President Goodluck Jonathan signed into law the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) Bill that will set in motion the final resolution of the banks’ non-performing loans.

The Bill was long awaited, pushed by CBN Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as part of the amortisation strategy to get something back for shareholders and depositors.

Sanusi said after the ceremony that the stage is now set for the final phase of the resolution of the banking crisis, adding that: this is also the tool for clearing up the banks’ balance sheets to ensure that they put the past behind them and move to the new dispensation.

The President said the Bill would ensure the stability of Nigeria’s financial sector.

"I sign this bill today in full recognition of the critical role that AMCON will play in achieving these two critical objectives for our economy," President Jonathan said at the brief ceremony at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The law takes immediate effect.

The President, who spoke after signing the bill into law, said once it becomes fully operational, it will help to stimulate the recovery of the financial system from recent crisis by boosting the liquidity of troubled banks through buying their non-performing loans, helping in the recapitalisation of banks in which the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was forced to intervene and increasing access to restructuring/refinancing opportunities for borrowers.

AMCON, Jonathan said, will also help in boosting confidence in the banks’ balance sheets and Nigeria’s credit and risk ratings, restore confidence in Nigeria’s capital markets and prevent continued job losses in banking.

The company, according to the President, is a manifestation of the Federal Government’s commitment to safeguarding the interests of depositors, creditors and other stakeholders in the financial system.

President Jonathan praised the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Federal Ministry of Justice, the CBN and the National Assembly for the effort they put into the preparation and passage of the bill and expressed hope that its signing into law "will be an important turning point in our return to strong economic growth and financial system stability".

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, who spoke to reporters at the end of the ceremony, said the next step is to establish the management team.

"Now that the new law is in place we have the instrument to operate with. The next step will be to establish the Board, the management team and to start engaging with the banks. We are now going to get in to proper operations. The legal frame work has been signed by the President and we are ready to go," the minister said.

Sanusi said the President basically re-affirmed his commitment to cleaning up banks’ balance sheets and for restoring confidence in the capital market and returning the country to the path of growth.

Soludo After Me

2010-07-20T08:29:00.001+01:00

Soludo after me, Akunyili cries out
Dele Anofi 20/07/2010 00:30:00

INFORMATION and Communications Minister Prof. Dora Akunyili and former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Chukwuma Soludo traded words Monday over the funeral of a relation Madam Gloria Ezenwanne.

Madam Ezenwanne was Akunyili’s elder sister and Soludo’s mother-in-law.

In a statement in Abuja, Akunyili accused Soludo of sending thugs to stop her from attending her sister’s funeral in Isuofia, Anambra State, last Friday.

Akunyili alleged that Soludo’s hostile disposition towards her may not be unconnected with the misconception that she was responsible for his failure to become governor on the platform of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the February 6 election.

Governor Peter Obi of the All Progressive Grand Alliance won the election.

But Soludo dismissed Akunyili’s claims, describing the allegations as "laughable".

Akunyili said: "I came down to my village to join my family, relations and well wishers to pay my last respect to my late sister Gloria but unknown to me, my family and invited guests, a large number of thugs loyal to Prof. Soludo were carefully organised to disrupt my participation in my sister’s burial.

"I have never seen the number of thugs I saw on Friday in any event. The thugs were also instructed to embarrass my invited guests. As you may be aware, Prof. Soludo is married to my late elder sister’s daughter, Nonye. So, we are in-laws.

Alleging that Soludo’s loss at the governorship poll may be behind it all, the minister said: "Since he lost the last gubernatorial election in Anambra State, Prof. Soludo has singled me out as the source of his failure to win the election, and he convinced my sister to believe that I was the cause of his failure."

Akunyili said all efforts to disabuse Soludo’s mind failed, adding he, ought to realise that "I alone cannot make him Governor". "So, he brought that anger, grudge and frustration to the burial of his mother in-law who is also my elder sister," she added.

She alleged that all arrangements made by her siblings and her to receive guests at Isuofia, Soludo’s village where the deceased lived, were disrupted by the thugs.

Akunyili said: "They followed this up with text messages of blackmail to my guests, friends and well wishers. When the environment in Isuofia became too insecure, tense and hostile, I quietly relocated to my father’s compound at Nanka which is a few kilometres away just to avoid trouble.

"But Soludo’s thugs also trailed us to my own village, Nanka to commence trouble but the security agents quietly dismissed them".

Akunyili, who noted that her sister was "a very peaceful, godly and well brought-up woman", pointed out that while alive; she enjoyed "my love and friendship as a sister.

There is nothing that Soludo does that will "make me to dishonour my sister.

"Even in death, I will do nothing to dishonour her because what Soludo and his thugs have done is to dishonour her but God has taken control."

Describing the allegation as "laughable, Soludo said he was busy with "serious" and important issues to descend to joining issues with Prof. Akunyili."

He said he won’t be drawn into Akunyili’s unending quarrels with members of her family and relations.

"A statement by his media assistant, Bonaventure Melah, reads: "In the first place, it was Prof Soludo and his wife that were taking care of Madam Ezenwanne while she was sick. They were also the ones that took her to London for proper medical attention for the period that she endured illness until she passed on.

"All arrangements for her burial/funeral were made by Prof. Soludo and his wife in conjunction with the members of Ichie Emmanuel Ezenwanne’s (her husband’s) immediate family without any input from Dora Akunyili.

"Is it not laughable then, to suggest that a person who took care of the late woman while she was alive as well as planned and executed the burial/funeral arrangements would turn round to disorganise it?

"Prof. Akunyili made efforts in her usual desperate way, to disrupt the programme but failed.

"One of the most remarkable attributes that stood Prof. Soludo out during the electioneering campaigns was his vehement opposition, rejection and condemnation of all forms of thuggery and acts of violence."

2010-07-08T12:55:00.001+01:00

chuka invites you to SocialVibe.com

2010-07-08T10:48:00.001+01:00

http://astore.amazon.com/newsfro0b-20

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation

2010-07-06T14:08:00.000+01:00

NNPC Towers
Herbert Macaulay Way, Central Business District
Garki Abuja
Nigeria
Telephone: (234) 9 523-9141
Fax: (234) 9 234-0029
Web site: http://www.nnpc-nigeria.com

State-Owned Company
Incorporated: 1971 as Nigerian National Oil Corporation
Employees: 15,000
Sales: $2.6 billion (2005)

NAIC: 211111 Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas Extraction; 211112 Natural Gas Liquid Extraction; 213111 Drilling Oil and Gas Wells

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is the holding company that oversees the Nigerian state's interests in the country's oil industry. The company is composed of four main operating units: Refineries and Petrochemicals; Exploration and Production; Finance and Accounts; and Corporate Services. Oil production is the cornerstone of Nigeria's economy—the country ranks as the largest oil producer in Africa. A total of 95 percent of the country's foreign exchange revenue stems from NNPC's operations. Oil operations account for 20 percent of the country's gross domestic product and NNPC is responsible for nearly 65 percent of the government's budgetary revenues. After 16 years of military rule, democratically elected Olusegun Obasanjo took office in 1999. Since that time he has worked to reform the oil and gas industry in the country.

Early History of Oil Industry in Nigeria

Oil was first discovered in Nigeria in 1908, and exploration proceeded during the 1930s in the form of the Shell-BP Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd. (Shell-BP), under the control of Shell and British Petroleum (BP). Commercial exploitation of the country's reserves, however, did not begin until the late 1950s. The Nigerian government introduced its first regulations governing the taxation of oil industry profits in 1959 whereby profits would be split 50–50 between the government and the oil company in question, and the industry grew during the 1960s as export markets were developed, predominantly in the United Kingdom and Europe. By the mid-1960s, Nigeria began to consider ways in which the resources being exploited by Western oil companies could better be harnessed to the country's development, and formulated its first agreement for taking an equity stake in one of the companies producing there, the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, jointly owned by Agip of Italy and Phillips of the United States. The option to take up an equity stake—in effect the first step toward the creation of the NNPC—was not, however, exercised until April 1971.

By 1971, other factors were pushing the Nigerian government toward taking the stakes in the Western companies that would constitute the basis of the NNPC's holdings. One was the Biafran war of secession, which began in 1967. The support given by one French oil company to Biafra, within whose territory some two-thirds of the country's then-known oil reserves were located, led the federal government to question the contribution of the foreign oil companies to the country's development. So, too, did the companies' unimpressive record in assisting transfer of technology, in social development, and in the employment of indigenous staff. The overriding factor was probably Nigeria's decision to join OPEC in July 1971, obliging the government to take significant stakes in the companies producing in the country.

Formation of Nigerian National Oil Corporation
in 1971

This combination of pressures led to the formation of the Nigerian National Oil Corporation (NNOC) on April 1, 1971. The NNOC acquired a 33.33 percent stake in the Nigerian Agip Oil Company and 35 percent in Safrap, the Nigerian arm of the French company Elf. After Nigeria joined OPEC, NNOC acquired 35 percent stakes in Shell-BP, Gulf, and Mobil, on April 1, 1973. Also in 1973 it entered into a production-sharing agreement with Ashland Oil. On April 1, 1974, stakes in Elf, Agip/Phillips, Shell-BP, Gulf, and Mobil were increased to 55 percent and, on May 1, 1975, the NNOC acquired 55 percent of Texaco's operations in Nigeria.

The NNOC had been established under the terms of the government's Decree no. 18 of 1971. Its brief was to "participate in all aspects of petroleum including exploration, production, refining, marketing, transportation, and distribution." More specifically, the corporation was given the task of training indigenous workers; managing oil leases over large areas of the country; encouraging indigenous participation in the development of infrastructure for the industry; managing refineries, only one of which was operational at this time; participating in marketing and ensuring price uniformity across the domestic market; developing a national tanker fleet; constructing pipelines; and investigating allied industries, such as fertilizers.

This was an ambitious set of objectives, several of which were only just beginning to be realized in the 1990s. The problem that the NNOC faced from its inception was that of attempting to manage a highly complex industry without adequate technical and financial resources, problems that were to be dramatically illustrated several times during its subsequent history.

The NNOC had limited powers as a public corporation. It could sue and be sued, hold or purchase assets, and enter into partnerships. It could not borrow funds or dispose of assets without the specific approval of the commissioner of mines and power, and any surplus funds had to be disposed of at the commissioner's discretion, subject to the approval of the ruling Federal Executive Council. Any activities beyond the scope of Decree no. 18 required government approval, and the government was well represented on the NNOC's board, which was chaired by the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Mines and Power. Other board members included representatives from the ministries of Finance and of Economic Development and Planning, the director of Petroleum Resources in the Ministry of Mines and Power, the general manager of NNOC, and three other representatives with special knowledge of the industry. Thus, from the very start, a body that was seen as crucial to the future prosperity of the nation was subject to close government control, a feature of its operation that has remained throughout its history.

The NNOC operated a number of subsidiaries during the 1970s, including those in exploration and production, refining and petrochemicals, distribution and marketing, transportation, and equipment and supplies. Its success was perhaps most marked in the export field. Boosted by the sharp price rises that followed the first oil shock of 1973, Nigeria saw its oil export earnings rise from NGN 219 million in 1970 to NGN 10.6 billion in 1979, thereby achieving an enviable status as the first tropical African country successfully to exploit its oil reserves.

Becoming a Corporation in 1977

The NNOC was reconstituted as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on April 1, 1977, just six years after it had been set up. One reason for the change may have been the operating failures of the 1970s, which became publicly known at the time of the 1980 Crude Oil Sales Tribunal. This investigation revealed that, for instance, from 1975 to 1978 the NNOC and NNPC had failed to collect some 182.95 million barrels of their equity share of oil being produced by Shell, Mobil, and Gulf—with potential revenue estimated to be in excess of $2 billion. This situation had arisen because NNOC was unable to find buyers for its oil at the price it wanted. It had, however, paid the full share of operating costs to the producers during the period of deemed operation. An additional revelation was that, until forced to do so by the Tribunal, NNOC had not produced audited accounts from 1975 onward.

The NNPC felt the brunt of the Oil Sales Tribunal investigations only three years after it was set up. While some of the criticisms related to events that had occurred before the change in name, the NNPC's practices undoubtedly bore more than a passing resemblance to those of its predecessor. Like the NNOC, the NNPC began life essentially as a holding company. Decree no. 33 vested the assets and liabilities of the NNOC in the NNPC, and conferred on the new body responsibility for some functions of the Ministry of Mines and Power. NNPC also had some additional commercial freedom as the ceiling on contracts that it could award rose 50-fold and it was granted limited borrowing powers. Its board structure was similar to the NNOC's, although the federal commissioner for petroleum replaced the permanent secretary of mines and power as chairman. Judging by the inefficiencies in its record-keeping and its error in overstocking in 1978 in anticipation of oil price rises, greater freedom did not bring with it a greater commercial astuteness.

Also established by Decree no. 33 as part of the NNPC was the Petroleum Inspectorate, which was given responsibility for issuing licenses for various activities, for enforcing the Oil Pipelines Act and the Petroleum Decrees, and for other duties. The chief executive of the division was nevertheless free from control by the NNPC board and reported to the commissioner for petroleum.

In line with the objectives of the government's 1977 Indigenization Decree, the NNPC's holdings in the oil industry operations in Nigeria increased significantly on July 1, 1979, when its stakes in the Nigerian businesses of the following companies were raised to 60 percent: Elf, Agip, Gulf, Mobil, Texaco, and Pan Ocean. NNPC's stake in the Shell venture was raised to 80 percent on August 1, 1979, after BP lost its 20 percent stake following disagreements with the Nigerian government over South Africa. Later that same year a number of accusations originating in the magazine Punch, alleging various forms of misappropriation, broke over the corporation, prompting the newly installed civilian President Alhaji Shagari to broadcast to the nation and establish the tribunal that uncovered the lax management practices referred to previously.

Company Perspectives:

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is the driving force behind the economic development of Nigeria, providing fuel and feedstock for the nation's industrial facilities and meeting the energy needs of individual customers and commercial enterprises. NNPC is the major revenue earner for the nation. NNPC's operations span the length and breadth of Nigeria and involve the entire spectrum of the petroleum industry.

Problems Leading to Reforms in the 1980s

A further setback to the reputation of the Nigerian oil industry occurred at the start of 1980 with the Funiwa-5 incident. A 14-day blowout at an offshore well 60 percent owned by NNPC, but operated by Texaco, spilled 146,000 barrels and may have been responsible for the deaths of 180 people and illnesses among a further 3,000.

The outcome of the Oil Sales Tribunal was a series of reforms designed to decentralize the NNPC. Nine subsidiaries were established in 1981: the Nigerian Petroleum Exploration and Exploitation Company; the Nigerian Petroleum Refining Company, Kaduna Ltd.; the Nigerian Petroleum Refining, Company, Warri Ltd.; the Nigerian Petroleum Refining Company, Port Harcourt Ltd.; the Nigerian Petroleum Products Pipelines and Depots Company Ltd.; the Nigerian Petro Chemicals Company; the Nigerian Gas Company Ltd.; the Nigerian Petroleum Marine Transportation Company Ltd.; and the Petroleum Research and Engineering Company Ltd. The decentralization of Nigeria's three refineries, two of which had been built in the late 1970s and early 1980s, was intended to promote competition and the establishment of this number of subsidiaries was designed to instill a more commercial approach in a more diversified corporation. The goal of diversification was, however, one that the NNPC was slow to realize.

The 1980s did not see an end to close government control and to controversy over the performance of the NNPC. The oil sector took a beating in the 1982 oil glut, when the oil companies' offensive against OPEC targeted Nigeria as the weakest of the producing nations. There were self-inflicted problems as well. Once again, management of the corporation was tainted by scandal, this time involving the former Petroleum Resources Minister Tam David-West, who was jailed at the end of 1990 for his part in another dispute over foreign oil companies. David-West's bad relations with the government were partly responsible for the imposition of direct control of the NNPC by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources between 1986 and 1989. Relations with the foreign oil companies were marked by the 1986 Memorandum of Understanding, which set a profit limit of $2 per barrel.

The end of the 1980s saw a number of initiatives that had the potential to see the NNPC established on a more commercially oriented footing. In March 1988, another new structure was unveiled for the corporation, described by Nigerian President General Ibrahim Babangida as establishing the NNPC as a "financially autonomous" and "commercially integrated" oil company. Petroleum Resources Minister Rilwanu Lukman defined three areas of responsibility for the corporation—corporate services, operations, and petroleum investment management services—and 11 subsidiary companies: the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, the Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company, the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemicals Company, the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company, the Hydrocarbon Services of Nigeria Company, the Engineering Company of Nigeria, the Nigerian Gas Development Company, the LNG Company, the Port Harcourt Refining Company, the Eleme Petrochemicals Company, and the Integrated Data Services Company. At the same time, a new sales policy was introduced, eliminating middlemen and setting out three types of purchasers to which the NNPC could sell its products: joint venture producing companies, foreign refineries in which Nigeria has a holding, and indigenous and foreign firms exploring in Nigeria. Aret Adams was appointed as the group managing director and, in February 1989, a new board was constituted, headed by Lukman.

The determination to eradicate subsidies to NNPC and to have it function commercially, rather than as a revenue-raising and development corporation, was apparent in the decision in June 1989 to sell 20 percent of its holding in the Shell joint venture. NNPC reduced its holding to 60 percent, selling 10 percent to Shell and 5 percent apiece to Elf and Agip, in a deal that may have netted the corporation as much as $2 billion. The money raised from the equity sale was to underpin the expansion in reserves (to 20 billion barrels a day) and in output (to 2.5 million barrels a day), to which Nigeria was committed up to 1995. These targets, however, were likely to require the divestment of further holdings to raise cash, and such divestments could not be assured in the uncertain political future faced by Nigeria. As a 60 percent stakeholder, NNPC had persistent problems in raising its share of any development costs.

One positive development was the increasing involvement of the corporation in the development of Nigeria's gas resources. Having been granted a monopoly over gas transmission, the NNPC was well placed to participate in the gas industry. Its 60 percent holding in the LNG Company (Shell owned 20 percent, and Agip and Elf each owned 10 percent) was the springboard for an ambitious $2.5 billion liquefaction project. In addition, Nigeria's fourth refinery, at Eleme, was commissioned early in 1989 and provided the basis for the expansion of a petrochemicals and plastics industry during the 1990s. In its core activity of oil production, NNPC's partner Mobil was developing the large 500-million-barrel Oso oil field, and Nigeria stood to benefit from the environmental attractions of its low-sulfur oil product.

Key Dates:
1908:
Oil is discovered in Nigeria.
1971:
Nigeria decides to join OPEC; Nigerian National Oil Corp. (NNOC) is created.
1977:
NNOC becomes Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. (NNPC).
1981:
NNPC decentralizes into nine subsidiaries.
1999:
Nigeria adopts a new constitution; democratically elected president Olusegun Obasanjo is inaugurated.
2003:
The government begins to deregulate fuel prices and announces that its four major oil refineries will eventually be privatized.
2005:
The company signs a $1 billion contract with Chevron Texaco Nigeria to construct the Floating, Production, Storage, and Offloading Vessel (FPSO) for the Agbami deep offshore oil field.

The period since 1988 was not entirely positive for the NNPC. The plan to market oil products through co-owned refineries overseas did not fully mature. Only one joint venture deal was signed in 1989, with Farmland Industries of the United States, enabling NNPC to make use of a 60,000-barrels-per-day refinery at Coffeyville in Kansas. This was a landlocked site, however, that was not entirely suitable for operations. Of greater concern was the strong possibility that the state did not relinquish its desire to exercise control over NNPC's operations. Managing director Adams and his counterpart at the LNG Company were suspended late in 1989, apparently for refusing to accept government appointees to the LNG Company. In April 1990, Thomas John took over as managing director.

Thus the NNPC entered the last decade of the century as a young company still trying to carve out an identity for itself, independent of political control, and still learning how to master the technological and commercial complexities of the oil industry. It did have a more developed diversification strategy than ever before in its history, however, and, for the moment, a government that was willing to dilute its holdings in the industry as the price for supporting the corporation's growth.

The Late 1990s and Beyond

Throughout most of the 1990s, Nigeria and NNPC dealt with civil unrest, political instability, border disputes, corruption at the highest levels, and poor governance. Even so, international oil companies looked to Nigeria as a lucrative investment opportunity related to upstream oil exploration. Especially attractive was the sedimentary basin of the Niger Delta, as well as the Anambra Basin, the Benue Trough, the Chad Basin, and the Benin Basin.

Although NNPC management had been promising changes for years, company efforts had been slow at best and many Nigerians looked at NNPC with disdain. New reforms, however, were on the horizon for the new millennium. After 16 years of military rule, Nigeria held democratic elections in 1999. Olusegun Obasanjo was elected president and immediately set out to reorganize the country's oil and gas sector. As part of his restructuring efforts, President Obasanjo placed a strong emphasis on natural gas development. At the time, most of the country's natural gas was being flared, a very wasteful and environmentally unfriendly process. As such, a mandate was set forth that called for the termination of gas flare, a focus on environmental cleanup, and the realization of economic gains from natural gas in both the import and export market so that gas revenues equaled oil revenues by 2010. Nigeria had secured a position as a significant exporter of natural gas through the Nigeria liquefied natural gas (LNG) Plant in Bonny by 2005. In December 2004, NNPC management set plans in motion to launch the West African Gas Pipeline, which would supply gas from Nigeria to West Africa including Ghana, Benin, and Togo.

In February 2005, the government set plans in motion to host a three-day public hearing in the capital city of Abuja. The hearing was designed to create changes in the oil industry that would bring about higher revenues and new jobs. In March of that year, the Hart Group was appointed to conduct a five-year audit of Nigeria's oil and gas operations. Another reform set forth was the hotly contested privatization of certain segments of the oil and gas industry. In 2003, the government began to deregulate fuel prices and announced that its four major oil refineries would be privatized. NNPC was slow to respond to this mandate, unsure of how privatization would affect its business.

Led by managing director Funsho Kupolokun, NNPC launched a series of job cuts in the early years of the new millennium. Massive layoffs began in 2003 and approximately 2,355 employees were let go in 2005. The company also made several key partnerships at this time. Working with Chevron Texaco and British Gas, NNPC developed a LNG project in the border town of Olokola. It was expected that the project would gross $57.4 billion in its lifetime. In February 2005, NNPC signed a $1 billion contract with Chevron Texaco Nigeria to construct the Floating, Production, Storage, and Offloading Vessel (FPSO) for the Agbami deep offshore oil field. The FPSO was expected to process 250,000 barrels per day of crude oil and 450 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.

Although NNPC looked to be on a positive path for the future, it continued to face issues related to civil unrest and corruption. Kupolokun faced a tough road ahead, but there were no doubts that NNPC would remain a fixture in Nigeria's oil and gas sector for years to come.

Principal Subsidiaries

Duke Oil Ltd.; Eleme Petrochemicals Company Ltd. (EPCL); Integrated Data Services Ltd. (IDSL); Kaduna Refining and Petrochemicals Company Ltd. (KRPC); National Engineering and Technical Company (NETCO); Nigerian Gas Company (NGC); Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Ltd. (NPDC); Pipelines and Products Marketing Company Ltd. (PPMC); Port Harcourt Refining and Petrochemicals Company Ltd. (PHRC); Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company Ltd. (WRPC).

Principal Competitors

National Iranian Oil Company; Petróleos de Venezuela S.A.; Saudi Arabian Oil Company.

Further Reading

Ake, Claude, The Political Economy of Nigeria, London: Longman, 1985.

Mahtani, Dino, "Hopes Pinned on Offshore Development," Financial Times London, April 26, 2005.

"Nigerian Economy Is Expected to Gross US$57.4 Billion," Liquid Africa, January 18, 2005.

"Nigeria's Oil and Gas Sector Faces Overhaul," LPG World, May 18, 2005.

"NNPC Sacks Over 2,000 Employees," Weekly Petroleum Argus, January 3, 2005.

Oduniyi, Mike, "NNPC: Helping to Sustain Democracy," All Africa, June 1, 2005.

Onoh, J.K., The Nigerian Oil Economy, Beckenham: Croom Helm, 1983.

Pearson, Scott R., Petroleum and the Nigerian Economy, Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1970.

—Graham Field

—update: Christina M. Stansell

Power outage at the Murtala Muhammed Airport

2010-07-05T10:42:00.000+01:00

Power outage throws VIP lounge into darkness
By Kelvin Osa- Okunbor 05/07/2010 00:00:00

The Presidential wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, was thrown into darkness yesterday following power outage.

The wing is used by the president, vice president, governors senior government officials and past leaders when passing through the airport.

Doors of offices were left ajar for fresh air to come in as the workers battled with intense heat.

The generator at the power house near the lounge was not of help because it has become obsolete.

The engineers have been asking that it be changed for improved power supply.

Some sections of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport were also in darkness.

The staff quarters were not spared. Many residents were seen on their balconies fanning themselves with papers.

Sources said the generator was no longer, effective having been bought in the early eigties.

Assistant Secretary-General of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Mohammed Tukur has advised the Federal Government to privatise the Federal Airports Authorities of Nigeria (FAAN) for effective running of the airport.

Tukur spoke against the background of the parlous state of facilities at airports nationwide.

He said: "We as airline operators are just managing the facilities at airports across the country, the committee has written its report and submitted to government on areas it needs to fix obvious gaps in infrastructure.

"If you look at FAAN, everything is wrong, there is need for action, and the way to act now is for government to carry out a surgical analysis of the airports authority, then look at the personnel, then go ahead and privatise.

Another way is to examine individual airports, and give out to concessionaires to manage. A situation in which government continues to dole out money to fix the airport is not acceptable, because the money will be embezzled by those in the system.

People will continue to canvass release of funds to fix the airports so that they can misappropriate the funds, those who are saying do not give the airports out to private managers are unfair in their thinking, their understanding of airport management is not in line with contemporary technology, government is not training enough personnel in the appropriate areas, we are still hanging on trivial issues.

"The truth of the matter is that government should start looking at the personnel of FAAN, those who are trainable, and those who are too rigid or old to get along should be eased out and paid off."

EFCC arrests Briton

2010-07-05T10:40:00.003+01:00

EFCC arrests Briton for ‘duping’ Fashanu of over N84m

By Yusuf Alli 05/07/2010 00:00:00

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a British businessman, David Littlechild, for allegedly swindling Nigerian Sports Ambassador, Mr John Fashanu, of over N84million.

The Briton is said to be the Managing Director of Business Mart Limited in Ikeja, Lagos.

Source said the suspect was arrested last Thursday in Lagos by a team of operatives.

Littlechild’s arrest followed a petition to the anti-graft commission by Fashanu in 2006.

It was learnt the suspect, who is regarded as highly connected to some political office holders, had been evading investigation.

But following a fresh alarm by Fashanu, the EFCC Chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri, ordered a revisit of the case.

An EFCC source said: "We have been on the trail of the suspect for a while. We succeeded in arresting him last Thursday.

"Our operatives picked up David Littlechild for allegedly duping Fashanu of 30,000 pounds sterling (about N69,300,000) and another $100,000 (over N15million).

"Investigations so far confirmed that the suspect, who is being detained in Lagos, obtained the funds under false pretences.

"It was also discovered that the suspect has been convicted four times in the UK for various offences.

"Since his arrest, we have asked him to respond to issues raised in Fashanu’s petition," the source said.

The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest of the suspect.

He, declined giving further details because investigation is still on.

EFCC arrests Briton

2010-07-05T10:40:00.001+01:00

Jonathan’s camp woos North’s minorities

2010-07-05T10:16:00.000+01:00

2011: Jonathan’s camp woos North’s minorities
By Yusuf Alli and Chris Oji 05/07/2010 01:10:00

The President’s supporters are strategising to ensure he runs in next year’s election, despite the zoning hurdle.

Some of them, including a former Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, and the National Chairman of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, on Friday held a secret meeting with key minority leaders from the North.

Pioneer PDP chair, Solomon Lar called said a conference on zoning -the hurdle faced by the President -was on the way.

South-East governors said they would back a candidate with a good programme. None of them will run, they said.

The Abuja meeting was a move to break the ranks of elders and governors of the North who are perceived to be hell-bent on stopping Jonathan from contesting next year.

It was gathered that the South-South leaders may form a new power alliance (Congress for Equity and Change) with Northern minorities.

The meeting was held at Clark’s Plot 1280, Asokoro District, Abuja.

The session was attended by leaders from the North-East, North-Central and South-South.

At the meeting were a former President of the Senate, Chief Ameh Ebute; ex-NADECO chieftain Air Commodore Dan Suleiman, Bala Takaya, Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to the UK Gen. Halidu Hananiya; Senator Silas Janfa; Adamawa State PDP chairman; and ex-Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Babangida Nguroje.

Others from the South-South are a former Commissioner in Bayelsa State, Chief Whiskey Ayakeme; Dr. Michael Ogberebo; a former Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Dr. Esther Uduehi; and a former President of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS).

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: "One of the objectives of the meeting was to break the ranks of the North and secure support for Jonathan in about six to seven out of the 19 Northern states. There is already an assumption that the 17 states in the South-West, South-East and South-South will vote massively for Jonathan at the PDP National Convention.

"All these meetings are in line with the countdown to the presidential primary of the PDP. We are all strategising."

Another source added that Nwodo told the meeting that "Jonathan is qualified to participate in the PDP presidential primary and 2011 poll, provided he follows due process".

He also quoted the PDP National Chairman as saying: "PDP will ensure that due process is followed in its primaries to avoid our members going to other parties to contest."

On zoning, the source said Nwodo recalled that the formula was "only used in the 1999 and 2003 polls".

The PDP chairman unfolded plans to conduct online registration of new members.

Nwodo said: "All the state branches of the PDP will be given a bank account where every intending member will pay N100 a month.

"With the bank teller, you will become automatic member of the PDP. The only way to control the congress/convention delegates from being hijacked is to ensure that all of them are registered online."

South East governors yesterday resolved that they will not contest for President and Vice president in 2011 but refused to take a definite stand on whether they would support President Goodluck Jonathan for presidency or not.

They said they would rather support a candidate with the best programme that would address the "marginalisation of the South-East" as well as correct "the political imbalance" in the country.

"On the matter of national politics, the governors have resolved in the interest of the zone to stand and work together, irrespective of party affiliations. In that vein, the governors resolved that none of them will vie for the post of the president or vice president of the nation in 2011. We will support for presidency a candidate with the best programme that will address the marginalisation of the South-East zone and political imbalance in Nigeria," the governors said in a communiqué issued after their meeting in Enugu last night.

The governors, who met under the aegis of Forum of South-East Governors, also resolved to jointly wage a war against kidnapping, which has become a major security problem in the zone.

"We have resolved to match the perpetrators in the zone with equal force," the governors declared in the communique read by Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State.

The security measures adopted by the governors were not disclosed, but they specified some punitive measures to curtail the menace, which they described as disturbing.

These include that:

•all property owners in the zone are advised to ensure that their properties are not used to facilitate kidnapping as any such properties would be seized by government and the Certificate of Occupancy revoked,

•all traditional rulers and presidents-general of town unions in the zone are hereby warned that they would be held responsible for criminal acts in their communities, which occurrence would lead to withdrawal of certificate of recognition of traditional rulers or removal of the town union president-general in addition to prosecution; and that

•leaders of various market unions and motor parks will also be held responsible for what happens within their domains and finally parents and families are warned to counsel their wards to desist from any acts capable of associating them with cases of kidnap."

All the five governors were present at the meeting, which lasted for four hours.

NFF sacks Lulu, Ogunjobi, Uchegbulam

2010-07-05T10:04:00.001+01:00

NFF sacks Lulu, Ogunjobi, Uchegbulam
By Andrew Abah 05/07/2010 00:30:00

The impasse in Nigeria football took another dimension Sunday as the board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) impeached its President, Sani Lulu, Vice-President, Amanze Uchegbulam and Chairman, Technical Committee,Taiwo Ogunjobi.

The NFF board met in the early hours of Sunday at the NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja, at the instance of the Federal Government.

The action of the NFF’s executive committe was derived from Act 34 (m) of the 2010 Nigeria Football Federation 2010 statutes. All members of the boards were in attendance except the three impeached executives. In place of Lulu, Aminu Magari was elected as Acting-President while Obinna Ogba replaced Uchegbulam as Vice-President.

FIFA has threatened to expel Nigeria from world football unless the Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan lifts the two-year ban imposed on the national teams.

FIFA rules however, prohibits government’s intervention in its members' affairs.

The NFF said the three sacked members were given the boot "to tender an unresolved apology" to all Nigerians over the team's performance in South Africa.

The NFF also promised "to take urgent steps to address the maladministration of football in the country".

FIFA has imposed Monday deadline for the Nigerian government to reverse its decision after writing to President Jonathan.

The country's House of Representatives has passed a resolution asking the Nigerian president to reverse his order, fearing sanctions.

Jonathan's government announced on Wednesday that the NFF would be dissolved and an interim board put in place.

"President Goodluck Jonathan has directed that Nigeria withdraws from international competitions for two years to enable the country to put its house in order," special presidential adviser, Ima Niboro, had said.

However, FIFA rules clearly state that national associations can be expelled if governments are seen to be interfering with the way they operate.

"FIFA has sent a letter to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) indicating that the government of Nigeria has until Monday 6pm to reverse its direction to withdraw Nigeria's participation from all FIFA and CAF competitions for the next two years," said FIFA communications director Nicolas Maingot on Friday.

"Also the management committee set up by the Nigerian government will not be recognised by FIFA."

If Nigeria is suspended, the country cannot participate in competitive matches or club games in African competitions.

"A suspension goes beyond the suspension of the national teams," added Maingot. "It also freezes financial help and no referees can participate in international competition."

FIFA executive committee member and former Nigeria government minister Dr Amos Adamu will be in the country on Monday "for a last mediation attempt."

The governing body's president, Sepp Blatter had already warned French President Nicolas Sarkozy of possible sanctions after he pledged to personally lead an investigation into France's acrimonious World Cup campaign.

Illuminati Symbolism In Movies (NEW VERSION - MUST SEE ALL OF VIDEO!) - ...

2010-06-29T14:59:00.000+01:00