The Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) has so far disbursed N198 billion out of the N200 billion power and aviation sectors intervention fund. Suleiman Barau, CBN Deputy Governor, Corporate Services who confirmed this said the amount has been released to the Bank of Industry for onward disbursement to participating companies. Mr Barau, who represented the CBN governor at the second…
1 March 2011 We continue our series in the search to find the greatest African XI ever and now we focus on the strikers. You have sent in your nominations and together with our panel of experts, we have come up with the following eight players who will compete for two places in our African XI. So have a look…
About 95 percent of the people of Bakassi will not participate in the April polls because they were not registered, Chairman of Bakassi Local Government Area, Ekpo Ekpo Bassey has said. Mr Bassey who described the development as unacceptable, said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to make adequate provisions as well as extend the deadline for the conduct…
Journalists across the South West of the country yesterday converged on Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to discuss ways of handling the challenges of reporting during the forthcoming elections and how to overcome them. The four-day workshop taking place at D-Rovans Hotel, is jointly organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) and…
Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party(SDP), Pat Utomi has lamented the docility of Nigerian youth in the face of corruption, avarice and the ceaseless show of wealth by public officials. He said this to journalists in Lagos at an anti-corruption crusade held by the National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corps, (NAVC), a Non-Governmental Organisation. Mr Utomi advised youth to rise up…
1 March 2011 Wayne Rooney plans to make amends for the worst season of his life by firing Manchester United to a crucial victory against fading champions Chelsea on Tuesday. By his own admission Rooney has been well below his best as he struggles to cope with a distracting combination of issues in his private life, recurring injuries and the…
1 March 2011 Three Fifth Round games of the FA Cup will be played this midweek, with six teams competing for the three remaining places in the Sixth Round (quarterfinals). All eyes will be on Arsenal on Wednesday evening when they host minnows Lleyton Orient in a replay at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners surprisingly failed to defeat their fellow…
The Ogoni Solidarity Forum (OSF) has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to expand the ongoing Amnesty Programme for rehabilitating Niger Delta militants, to include an estimated 800 Ogoni people who have been in refugee camps in the Republic of Benin since 1997. The group said in a letter to the Presidency that the displaced Ogoni indigenes should be allowed to benefit…
The administration of former governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, yesterday came under criticism from leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the state, describing the seven-and-a-half-year rule of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state as a failure. Leaders of the ACN, including the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, a former member of the House of Representatives,…
President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday pledged that a federal university will be established in Yobe State next year. Mr. Jonathan made the pledge while addressing PDP supporters at a campaign rally in Damaturu, Yobe State. He said the establishment of the university was in line with the federal government’s policy on education, which stipulated that each state of the federation…
After having recorded the lowest votes due to not-too-impressive performances the previous week Oluwatoni Afolayan and George Ukeme have ended their journey of being the first Nigerian Idol. At a tension soaked point of eviction, Anis Halloway, host of the wave-making reality TV show had asked the three Idols Judges to make predictions as to who would leave the house…
Investors have been assured of the safety of their investments in Nigeria. Speaking at the Standard Bank West Africa Investors’ Conference in Lagos yesterday, Atedo Peterside, chairman, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, said the climate environment in the country is conducive. Speaking against the backdrop of events in North Africa, he said, “I do not hesitate to state that I do…
The wobbly trading performances witnessed at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) during the first two months of this quarter are expected to continue in March, some finance experts have said. The NSE, which recorded a total gain of 8.37 per cent or N662 billion on equities at the close of trading activities in January, lost 3.03 per cent or N260…
Investors are bracing for a big sell-off when Egypt’s stock exchange opens on Tuesday after a month-long shutdown caused by the mass uprising that toppled the country’s president. But the reopening could be cut short if share prices do plunge as this will trigger a trading suspension. “It could be the shortest session on record tomorrow,” said an analyst based…
28 February 2011 Football returned to Egypt on Sunday against a backdrop of both celebration and mourning but the continuing tensions elsewhere in North Africa sees the African under-20 championship likely to be moved from Libya and the planned restart of leagues in Tunisia called off. Zamalek, one of Egypts top two clubs, wore black armbands and held a minutes…