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Northern minorities have been gripped with fear and anguish over the misfortune that befell their political leaders in air and auto crashes in less than six months. LEASDERSHIP findings indicated that the minority states of Plateau, Nasaraw...
The Bayelsa State Government as well as the State Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has kept sealed lips over the alleged plan by the Police to arrest the Speaker of the Bayelsa State Assembly, Hon. Kombowei Ben and two others ove...
The falling standard of education in Nigeria and its attendant consequences have been subjects of intense public interest in the recent past. In this interview with DONATUS NADI, the Executive Chairman, Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board (N...
Serena Williams is focusing on trying to win all four Grand Slams in the same season for the first time as she gears up for the Australian Open. The 15-time Grand Slam champion held all four majors in 2002-03 and opened her season with an easy win in r...
West Bromwich Albion striker, Osaze Odemnwingie has attributed his recent outburst against the Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi on anger arising from a feeling of betrayal by the coach. Odemnwingie had at the wake of the release of the team list for A...
Onigando of Igando in Lagos State, Oba Lasisi Gbadamosi has commended Globacom for harnessing and nurturing young football talents in West Africa through its Soccer Academy, describing the step as ‘very proactive.’ The Monarch gave the comm...
The Switzerland Embassy in Nigeria has said that 90 per cent of Nigerian illegal immigrants in Switzerland voluntarily returned to Nigeria this year.
It said they returned under the Swiss Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programme, which is partnership with the Federal Government.
The 19 edition of the Swiss Gazette obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja stated that the retunnes were paid N961,000 each.
It also stated that in 2011, 80 per cent of such illegal immigrants benefited from the programme, while in 2010, a total of 1,969 Nigerian citizens asked for asylum in that country accounting for 13 per cent of all requests.
The document also stated that under its Legal Defence Assistance Project, the Embassy carried out a programme tagged: “Improving handling of domestic violence’’ in six police stations in Lagos State.
It stated that nearly 300 police officers were trained on the correct handling of cases of domestic violence.
``More than 10,000 memory cards with guidelines on how to report, record, file, and handle cases of domestic violence were printed and distributed to police officers.'' the document further stated that 3,000 domestic violence tool kits/manuals were designed and printed.
According to the gazette, the aim of the project was to increase awareness on domestic violence and gender rights issues among police officers, as well as increase cases of domestic violence being recorded and filed, so as to provide redress for the victims.
The embassy also supported a Community Research and Development Centre in Benin City in Edo to promote Environmental Sustainability through the use of central solar charging stations as clean energy source for lighting.
``The Swiss Government grant enabled the centre to construct a solar power (solar panels) based charging station and to provide 40 households with Solar Home Lighting Kits,'' it stated.
Other cooperation projecta include training of 180 inmates in seven prisons across the country, including the FCT.
The documented added that 24 of the inmates volunteered to attend an additional “on-campus style” course in Abuja after their release.
It also stated that since 2010, the Swiss Government had been supporting ECOWAS’ efforts to develop the Civilian Component of its Standby Force (ESF).
Others included Seminar on Counter Financing of Terrorism for 15 ECOWAS member states, particularly the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism in conformity with international law.
Some politicians on Sunday in Lagos listed their expectations from the Federal Government in 2013.
They spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), urging President Goodluck Jonathan to address issues of corruption and insecurity in some parts of the country decisively.
The Deputy National Chairman, Alliance for Democracy (AD), Alhaji Musa Umar, said that no nation could progress without security.
“The President should address the issue of insecurity and also put a state of emergency on corruption," he said.
Also speaking, Alhaji Yahaya Ndu, the initiator, Peoples Movement for a New Nigeria (PMNN), urged Jonathan to ensure that he carried Nigerians along in his governance in 2013.
He also called on the president to reduce his cabinet to reduce the cost of governance in 2013.
"I expect him to carry every one along in his administration and reduce his cabinet to cut cost," he said.
Another politician, Mr Damian Ogbonna, advised the president to give the youth a greater sense of belonging in the nation’s politics and governance.
According to him, this will promote participatory democracy in the country. He said that the step would also help in reducing unrest in the country.
The Lagos State Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr Godfrey Lemchi, urged the Senate to ensure that the issue of regional federalism was reflected in its constitutional review.
``Since we could not have the sovereign national conference in 2012 and the government is not favourably disposed to it, let there be something from the legislature in 2013 to give Nigerians that commitment that something is happening.
``If the Senate is doing anything, they must ensure that the issue of regional federalism is made to reflect in the proposed constitution amendment because this is the bottom line of our problems,’’ he said.
The Niger Government has spent N80 million on training 10 pilots at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology’s facilities at the Minna Airport, the state's Commissioner for Transportation, Alhaji Abubakar Mohammad, said on Sunday.
Mohammad made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna.
``The trainee pilots had completed their ground training preparatory to their flying training.
``We are spending N8 million each for the training of each pilot, who had concluded their ground training, using the stimulators in Minna and the training facilities in Zaria.
``The trainee pilots have been joined by three students from Benue, one each from Kaduna and Kano, bringing the total number of trainee pilots at the NCAT Minna Annex to 15 trainee pilots,`` Mohammad said.
According to him, the college is expected to deploy four of its aircraft for the training of the pilots, who had to earn a credit of 15 hours flying with instructors and another 15 hours earned credit of solo flying to complete the first phase of their training.
He said the college would give the successful students the Private Pilot License (PPL) but added that the students needed to attain 35 hours of credit earned flying before being given the Commerce Pilot License(CPL).
Mohammad said the college's location in Minna would not affect the quality of instructions given to the trainee pilots.
“It is 18 months rigorous training, anyone that did not earn the required credit flying hours will be dropped or asked to repeat.
He said the State Government was committed to the training of pilots at the Minna annex and that it would be sponsoring another set of students in line with its vision of becoming the third most developed state by year 2020.
He said that NCAT had been allocated a large parcel of land for the construction of its annex in Minna.
The commissioner explained that the land was allocated to the college so as to enable the indigenes to have the opportunity of receiving training as pilots.
A former President of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Mr Samuel Nzekwe, wants the Federal Government to make policies that will reduce the inflation rate in 2013.
Nzekwe told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos that the government needed to take aggressive measures that would address the increase in the nation’s inflation rate.
‘’Inflation undermines purchasing power and once the purchasing power is weak, it will affect the people’s standard of living,’’ he said.
Nzekwe said that the high rate of inflation had increased the level of poverty and devalued the nation’s currency.
NAN recalls that the inflation rate increased from 11.7 per cent in October to 12.3 per cent in November.
NAN also reports that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has retained the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 12 per cent seven times in 2012.
The MPR is the rate at which the apex bank lends to commercial banks.
Nzekwe urged the government to make deliberate effort to stimulate the real sector to produce more goods and services for local consumption and export, in order to shore up the nation’s revenue.
``Once more goods and services are produced, the inflation rate will automatically come down,'' he said.
Nzekwe advised the government to make consistent policies that would impact positively on various sectors of the economy.
Unidentified persons have kidnapped a member of the Gombe State House of Assembly, Alhaji Jalo Ganga (PDP-Gombe North ), in his residence in the Gombe metropolis on Sunday.
A source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the kidnappers with a motorcycle, abducted the lawmaker around 5 a.m. when he was going for his morning prayers.
The source said the lawmaker shouted for help to no avail as his captors were bent on taking away to an unknown destination.
The Commissioner of Police in Gombe, Malam Mohammed Sule, confirmed the incident, saying that the lawmaker was kidnapped on Sunday morning.
“Yes, we just heard this morning that some hoodlums came with a motorcycle while he was going to pray.”
“He was accosted and they took him on a motorcycle; it seemed a vehicle was parked close to his house, because people said they heard a sound of a vehicle zoom off, ” he said.
The police chief explained that the kidnappers abandoned their motorcycle with no plate number.
He assured the public that the police comand would do all within it powers to rescue the lawmaker.
“My investigators and intelligence officers are already working to trace his whereabouts and the motive behind his kidnap," he said.
He noted that two mobile phones owned by the lawmaker were abandoned, wondering if a ransom was the motive for the kidnap.
The Gombe State Director of the State Security Services (SSS), Mr Bitrus Asher, also confirmed the incident.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Alhaji Inuwa Garba, said: "we are making some efforts please and I don't want to say anything about it now".
NAN reports that Ganga who is the Chairman of House Committee on Finance, was at the Seventh Annual Cultural Festival, staged by the Tangale ethnic group on Saturday.
The pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS) will not be increased in January, the Acting Group General Manager, Public Affairs of the NNPC, Mr Fidel Pepple, has assured.
He gave the assurance on Sunday in Abuja while speaking with newsmen, restating that the Federal Government had earmarked some money for fuel subsidy in the 2013 budget.
Pepple also announced that the vandalised Ije-Ododo and Arepo pipelines in Lagos and Ogun had been restored.
“I can affirm to you that our engineers from the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company Ltd. (PPMC) have finally fixed the Ije-Ododo pipeline that was ruptured last Monday by pipeline vandals.
"Going forward, the good news for Nigerians is that we have resumed pumping petroleum products through the pipeline and system 2B is equally working after the restoration of the pipeline," he said.
Pepple assured motorists that with the restoration of the Ije-Ododo pipeline and the NNPC system 2B pipeline, normalcy had been restored in the supply and distribution of petroleum products across the country.
The general manager said that pumping of the PMS had resumed in earnest to depots and tank farms in system 2B, spanning from Atlas-Cove in Lagos to Ilorin in Kwara.
He described media reports that fuel scarcity and queues in some parts of the country might last beyond the New Year as “mischievous and misleading”.
Pepple said that that the NNPC was working hard to check fuel scarcity and eliminate queues at filling stations across the country.
He attributed the long queues at filling stations to the activities of vandals and the closure of some filling stations, due to the Christmas holidays.
The spokesman said that the company had product sufficiency that could sustain the country for more than a month.
He said the NNPC was working hard to supply PMS so as to ease the hardship of motorists before and after the New Year.
Pepple appealed to independent marketers to stop diverting petroleum products to the black market, saying that sanctions would be meted out to culprits.
The general manager stressed the need for marketers to team up with the NNPC in ensuring steady supply and distribution of petroleum products.
He also called on motorists to desist from panic buying and hoarding as the NNPC was doing its utmost to restore normalcy in the supply and distribution chain.
A Nigerian immigrant’s dream came true when President Barack Obama signed into law a rare private bill granting him permanent residency in the Unites States. CNN reported that Victor Chukwueke, who lives in Michigan on an expired visa, came to th...
When in a relationship, cementing it towards marriage with your man is as important as starting the relationship in the first place. Blessing Ukemena writes on how to know when he is serious about you.
This is the time of the year when you know if your man is serious about you or no. A lot of things happen towards the end of the year, especially in relationships. Many couple even get married at this time. A lot of travelling, meeting of parents and all that happen this period. In case you are not among those lucky few, here is how to know if your man wants you for keeps or for the fun of it. It can help you answer questions like if he is interested in taking the relationship to the next level?
He introduces you as his girlfriend: If you have been going around for sometime and he, one day, just introduces you very comfortably to his friends saying, "Meet my girlfriend, or the woman of my life", it is a milestone. It means he has accepted you as an integral part of his life. Counsellors and psychologists agree that men normally do not want to give instant commitments, so when he introduces you as "his girlfriend or his lady" it means he is comfortable about his friends knowing your importance in his life. They consider their friends' opinion important. This shows a sense of acceptance for you and a commitment to let the relationship move ahead.
You have a big fight... and make up. Familiarity leads to fights, and all couples have fights, very nasty ones with abuses and allegations. There is something to be learnt about your relationship after the fight. When a couple makes up after a fight, it shows that the partners want to resolve issues and continue. Psychologist Saloni Sawnani says that, "What makes these relationships strong for a lifetime is that no matter how major the argument, there is always resolution and compromise". When the same happens in your relationship, a sense of permanency sets in. Then, you can be quite certain it is for keeps.
You can show your disapproval for something: You hate football, but pretend to follow it just for your boyfriend. If this has been going on for months, and one fine day you lose it and scream, "I just hate this game!" Be ready for the guy to scream back that he doesn't like your chicken sauce (though he loved it last week). Consider this a turning point. The real test is when you start speaking up frankly and that is the phase of acceptance. In this phase, you want the other person to accept you as well as be your own self in different situations. The Reiss Wheel Theory of Love states that the second phase is when the worst in people shows up. Things such as their limitations and how the other person takes it tell whether you want to continue or give up.
You attend a wedding together: If a guy agrees to accompany you to a friend's wedding, he is showing another sign. Watching your friend taking her wedding vows brings you closer as a couple as it sets the man thinking. Attending social functions together signifies making a relationship public. It also builds dreams of staying together and how you want to go about it. Attending any serious function together means the relationship is actually moving from being carefree to committed.
You realise he is very important: As a couple, you may be with each other for a year or three years, and when you look back, your best memories are of you both together. The realisation that you have had some of the best times together is a great one. Sawnani says, "It's a very strange and nice feeling when you realise that even though the quantum of time spent with someone maybe lesser than the time spent with family or others, the contentment is a lot more. We all know that sometimes an hour feels like a minute, and sometimes, like a whole day... It is when the togetherness moments start becoming important that you take the relationship to the next level."
You visit his house, meet his family: When the guy invites you over to his parent's place, it's a huge milestone. He could also agree to come to your place to meet your family. Inviting you over means he wants to let you into his world and meet his folks. Meeting his family shows he is serious about you. When he invites you over to his family, he wants his family to see you and expects you to bond with his family. He is making you aware of his home life, traditions, culture, family environment and habits. In short, he is giving you a microscopic view of his own life, his beliefs of family structures and wants to know what you feel about it.
You face tragedy together: Being together means facing situations together, and this could include a tragedy. Death, financial difficulties, job issues, problems with family are the things a couple face. When the guy just wants to be with you in a difficult time, he is ready to commit.
So watch out ladies, if he is not showing any of the above signs, you should seriously start considering other options. Really, how long does it take for a man to make up his mind about you if you guys have been together for two years and he really loves you as he claims?
New Year is a period to reflect on past experiences and probably make new resolutions that will guide us through the year. It does not only entail setting some standards that would directly or indirectly be a guide, but your home also should be the first point of call.
New Year décors should be harmonised in such a way that your guests will have fond memories. Apart from the décors, your family should be treated with delicious meals and drinks.
In China, their New Year décor is even more complicated than the Christmas décor. Their New Year decorations are not complete without the colourful lanterns that adorn the house since the lantern signifies life and happiness.
Different items like customized balls, wreath, flowers, ribbons and bells should be used so as to create a festive mood.
A blend of silver and gold colours can brighten your home in the New Year as well.
Decorating For the New Year
Beautify the entrance with sparkling light and wreath.
Doors and balcony should be decorated with wreath and ribbon.
Jazz up the dining with scented candles and champagne. Also, white cloth with a touch of gold spread on the dining table creates a festive mood.
Cut shapes such as stars and triangle from decorative papers. Attach the stars to a sparkling and hang in the room.
Enhance the children's room with colourful balloons, decorative paper flowers and ribbons.