Saturday, 26 April 2014
Kano arrests 190 people for sanitation offences
Abuja - No fewer than 190 people were arrested in Kano on Saturday for violating the monthly environmental sanitation law.The state’s Commissioner for Environment, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, made the disclosure shortly after monitoring the exercise in the Kano metropolis.
The commissioner said the defaulters were arrested in different parts of the metropolis.
Abbas explained that the defaulters were instantly tried and prosecuted by 10 mobile courts that operated during the exercise, adding that N310, 880 was collected from them as fines.
The commissioner advised parents not to allow their children to roam about or play football on the streets during the exercise.
He warned that government would not fold its arms and allow people to sabotage the exercise in view of the importance it attached to environmental cleanliness.
According to him, security personnel will continue to arrest any person or group violating the law.
Abbas, however, enjoined residents of the city to give the State Government the necessary support and cooperation to make Kano city the cleanest in the country.
The commissioner also reminded the residents of the need to evacuate their drainage to avoid flooding during the rainy season
How To Reconnect DSTV and Gotv
Reconnecting DSTV and Gotv as never been this easy, i got tired of having to call multichoice customer care number 012703232 each to reconnect. This Morning i needed to reactivate my DSTV and GOTV after making payment online via quickteller, i decided not to call Multichoice for Re-activation as usual. After stumbling upon several alternatives online for Reconnecting DSTV and GoTv, i found something very interesting.Activating DSTV and GoTv Via USSD Command From Any Mobile Network
Just Dial *288# and Follow the Simple Instruction
Follow The On-screen Instruction
Activating / Reconnecting DSTV Or GoTV Via Internet
GOTO
MTN Free Call, How To Make Free Calls On MTN To Any Network
MTN Free Call, How To Make Free Calls On MTN To Any Network
The latest mtn free call tweak let you call all network for free once activated I have been using this for about a week now so i decided to share as a new month Bonus,i don't always publish quick tweak, if you follow on twtiiter you won't miss out on anything. Follow on twitter for Instant Free tweak update @blackethics Get any mtn sim old or new and you dont need to have money on it , now send 408 to 131 or *408# ( you have to do it many times) once If after dailing *408# youHow To Share MTN Nigeria Data Plan With Anyone
Sharing of Internet data plan as never been this easy, the introduction of Data sharing by Globacom in 2013 and now MTN Nigeria as made the sharing of a single data plan between family and friends easy and flexible.Personally i now successfully share my monthly, weekly or daily data plan with unto five different individuals on MTN Nigeria anywhere in Nigeria. The funniest thing is that i don't have to inform friends they just notice they are able to browse for free without actually knowing i added them up on my single data plan.
The Question Now Is , How Do I Share My MTN Data Plan
How To Share MTN Nigeria Data Plan
Step 1. For sharing Your Active MTN data plan with Anyone on MTN Network
You Need to Register The Service By Text
Dialing For Simple Dialing *131*2*1# or REG - 131, you will be
assigned a code which you must change to your own desired data sharing
code.
To Change Your MTN Data Sharing Code Simply Text "" Change OLD_PIN NEW_PIN NEW_PIN to 131.
Step 2
Dial * 131#
1. My Data Plans
2. Data Share
3.Gifting Data
4.Check data bundle balance
6. Happy Hour Optout
7.Blackberry Plan and 8. Exit
Above are the available Options, For Data Sharing Simply Reply By Select ( 2 ) Add Be
To Add New Beneficiary Select 2 again
Now Enter the Desired Phone Number You Wish To Share Your Data With
After Successfully Adding Your Desired Beneficiary you can now share data to them.
Simply Dial *131# >> Select 2 for Data Share >> Select 3 To enable data Sharing to Store Beneficiary.
For Further Instruction Simply Read And Follow Available Prompt Under Ussd command *131# to explore more available options.
Mtn Xtra Time Airtime Loan
Mtn Nigeria Finally Launches MTN Extra Times, a product which other network in Nigeria lauched over a years now. The new MTN Xtra time let you borrow airtime and repay once you recharge and it's only available for those few subscriber's eligible.MTN Nigeria Xtra time airtime credit loans are automatically repaid and attracts a 10percent charge. Once a recharge request is made you will be credited with the amount requested including a negative 10percent charge. Eg if you requested N200 Mtn Nigeria will only give you a credit load of only 180Naira.
MTN airtime load is automatically deducted from subsequent airtime recharge and it's automatic. Borrowed airtime must be fully paid back before you can borrow another.
keep Talking With The New MTN Xtra Time Airtime loan
Simple Dial *606# and follow the On-screen instruction.
Etisalat Nigeria Blackberry 10 Weekly Data Bundle Plan
Etisalat Nigeria Blackberry 10 Monthly Plan
Blackberry 10 Lite And Unlimited BBM 260MB Cost N1000Activation Code *599*2#. For Sms Activation Text mlite to 399
Blackberry 10 Mid Plan WIth Unlimited BBM 500MB Cost N1,500
Activation Code *599*3#. For Sms Activation Text MMid to 399
Blackberry 10 Max Plan with Unlimited BBM 1536MB Cost N3,000
Code *599*4# Or Via Sms Send MMax to 399.
Etisalat Nigeria Blackberry 10 Weekly Data Bundle Plan And Activation Code
Blackberry 10 Lite And Unlimited BBM 70MB Cost N350
Activation Code *599*2*1#. For Sms Activation Text wlite to 399
Blackberry 10 Mid Plan WIth Unlimited BBM 125MB Cost N550
Activation Code *599*3*1#. For Sms Activation Text WMid to 399
Blackberry 10 Max Plan with Unlimited BBM 360MB Cost N1,100
Code *599*8# Or Via Sms Send WMax to 399.
Etisalat Nigeria Blackberry 10 Daily Data Bundle Plan And Activation Code
Blackberry 10 Lite And Unlimited BBM 10MB Cost N70
Activation Code *599*2*2#. For Sms Activation Text dlite to 399
Blackberry 10 Mid Plan WIth Unlimited BBM 125MB Cost N100
Activation Code *599*3*2#. For Sms Activation Text DMid to 399
Blackberry 10 Max Plan with Unlimited BBM 50MB Cost N200
Code *599*7# Or Via Sms Send DMax to 399.
Friday, 18 April 2014
Latest Airtel Free Browsing Cheat Airtel 240MB
The latest Airtel free browsing cheat is a
simply megabyte browsing trick, it gives you access to 240mb of data
valid for 7days. Airtel Megabyte free browsing tweak supports browsing
across all devices. You can use the latest Airtel free browsing cheat
for iPad, iPhone , Android or your laptop modems. The good thing about
this latest Airtel free browsing cheat for July is that it support all
devices and gives you a significant direct discount in price.
Simple Step By Step Process On How To Get Airtel 240MB
Note: this free browsing cheat on Airtel only works for Airtel Club 10 subscribers.
To Migrate to Airtel Club 10 if you are not already on the club 10 plan
Dail *166#
Now Recharge Your Airtel Line With 250Naira
Automatically you will be eligible for 15MB for 1week
Confirm that you are given the 15mb bonus which is valid for 1week
Confirm your Airtel Megabyte bonus by dialing *141*712*0# or *123*10# before you proceed
Send SMS BBUD3 to 440 or simply dial *440*018#
Automatically You will be given Airtel 240MB Data
To confirm your Airtel Browsing Data plan at any point in time Simply dial *141*712*0# or use *123*10# to confirm
Note: Your Data will last you 7days instead of the normal 3days ...
Good luck.. Drop comment and Feedback's
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Yaya Toure: I don't get recognition because I'm African
The Ivory Coast international says he wants to prove
players from his continent are as good as those from Europe and South
America
Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure believes he is not recognised as one of the world's best players because he is African.The Ivory Coast international, who has won league titles in England, Spain and Greece, as well as the Champions League with Barcelona, was among the six names shortlisted for the Professional Footballers' Association’s Player of the Year award on Friday.
Following the club’s Capital One Cup victory at Wembley in March, Samir Nasri claimed Toure would be considered as the best midfielder in the world if he wasn’t African.
“I think what Samir was saying was definitely true,” Toure told BBC’s Football Focus. "To be honest, proper recognition has only come from the fans.
“I don't want to be hard and I don't want to be negative, but I want to be honest.
"If you go to any part of Africa now, people will say 'yes, we know him [Lionel Messi]', but when you come to Europe and say 'Yaya Toure' people will say 'who is that?'
"Some will say they know my name but not know my face. But they will know Messi's face.
"I am very proud to be African, I want to defend African people and I want to show to the world that African players can be as good as the Europeans and South Americans."
The coach of the World Cup debutantes

The coach of the World Cup debutantes expects his attacking talent to deliver in Brazil ahead of Nigeria and Iran in the group stage
The 59-year old feels his World Cup newcomers are capable of upsetting any side, considering the team’s quality of attacking talent like Manchester City’s Edin Dzeko, Roma’s Miralem Pjanic, former Hoffenheim midfielder, Zvjezdan Misimovic and VFB Stuttgart’s Vedad Ibesivic.
“Argentina is by far the best team in our group and they should finish first. Our target is to join them in the next round," Susic was quoted by the Associated Press.
"I think our chances are very realistic, because at this moment, both Nigeria and Iran are not better teams than us. I fully expect that we pass into the second round,” he concluded.
Bosnia was defeated 2-0 by Egypt in its last international friendly, played in Innsbruck, Austria on March 5.
The Latest Free browsing cheats tweaks for MTN using PC.
The Latest Free browsing cheats tweaks for MTN using PC.
Create an access point as shown below:
APN = web.gprs.mtnnigeria.net
Go to Advance- set your
Primary DNS = 156.154.70.1
Secondary DNS = 156.154.71.1
Finally set your browser to
APN = web.gprs.mtnnigeria.net
Go to Advance- set your
Primary DNS = 156.154.70.1
Secondary DNS = 156.154.71.1
Finally set your browser to
IP = 10.199.212.2
Port = 8080
If it doesn’t work for the fisrt time you connect it, disconnect and reconnect for 3 times we are sure it will work.
Remember our free browsing cheat and Tweaks ebook has been launch and is one sale now for endeavour to secure your own copy now. updated regularly as soon as new cheat and tweaks come on board for all mobile operatirs in Nigeria.
MTN 2h unlimited browsing
New settings for MTN 2h unlimited browsing
dial *407# to migrate to MTN family and friendz, then load 250 via a
phone set your set time to 0:00 and date 12/12/2015 go to massage ,leave
3 space type 2H send to 131 remove sim put in ur modem browse and make
sure u finish the 150mb within the 2hrs still
connected to d modem, if your browser is not going again, and you don't see massage from mtn, know that you have exhausted
your 150mb, please don't disconnect your modem just go to massage type 2 send to 131, u will see the massage of you exhausted your 2hrs
then type reset send to 131 do the reset thing at least 5 times do not disconnect oooooo, check your browser, the stuff will pick up, then you are browsing again.
Please give your testimony tell us if you have any other problem via comment box
Atiku Opens Up On 2015: My Deal With Tinubu and Buhari
![]() |
| Atiku Abubakar |
Atiku Abubakar, had a very interesting chat with some journalists on political issues. Excerpt:
Sir, which party do you belong to now?
Sir, which party do you belong to now?
Which party? Well, let me tell you a story.
Immediately after our nomination after the Jos convention of our party, I
arranged a meeting between the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP,
governors-elect and Olusegun Obasanjo where we solicited their support.
The then governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, spoke on behalf
of the ANPP governors and he said they would support him because I was
involved and that they had had dealings with me in the past.
Then we arranged another meeting with the Alliance for Democracy, AD, governors-elect and after the meeting they said they would support him because of me. After the two meetings, he [Obasanjo] called me aside and asked, Mr. Vice President, which party do you really belong to? We met ANPP governors they said you are with them; we met AD governors they said you are with them; so which party do you belong to? I hope that answers your question.
But seriously speaking, Nigerians would want to know where you stand now?
My brother, it is not just about political party now. It is about saving the situation that Nigeria has found herself. It is not about elections or offices to be occupied. It is about the political parties obeying the Constitution of Nigeria and also obeying their own constitution that there must be elections and nothing else.
Consensus or affirmation
I went to court to challenge Obasanjo when he said we could do it by consensus or by affirmation. A Federal High Court pronounced that there must be voting by casting of ballot and not just affirmation. And I told him that everyone he wanted elected, I had gotten the person elected so why was he afraid of an election. He said he agreed but consensus was another way of doing it. We got one person each from the zones to support the case but he knew that once we got that judgment, it would mean that all his actions of that executive would be null and void … (he makes a gesticulatory posture of being elbowed out of contention). (Laughter followed)
It is about the parties being guided by their own constitution and not until you can produce the right leadership that would allow that, we would continue from one crisis to another.
How do you see Mu’azu succeeding as PDP chairman?
Before Mu’azu was made chairman, he came to me and we spoke. I told him that much as he is passionate, he may not be able to do the job he has been given. Almost all the founding fathers of the party have left.
As for Mu’azu, I reminded him that I brought him into the party and I funded his governborship election in 1999 and I do not know what he would come and preach to me about the party. And our brother Bamangar Tukur, I once asked him on the eve of our convention if he was in charge of the party. I asked why the convention planning committee and the sub-committees were prepared for him from the Villa? In our own time, the party handled all that and it was robust.
We could agree that the PDP may not be healthy but the APC itself is having problems. Look at Shekarau running up and down. Now he is in PDP. Even you, you were in AC, mind you?APC is a completely new experiment. I say this because in 2009, I initiated the formation of another strong party like the PDP, even while still there. I visited General Buhari, I spoke to my brother here, Asiwaju; I spoke to Bafarawa on the other side, and we came together and set up a committee and we almost came to an agreement.
Registration certificate
The day we were to sign was when Buhari produced the registration certificate of Congress for Progressive Change, CPC. (laughter). The whole thing collapsed. Then in 2011, even within PDP, I said there was a need for a strong opposition so I initiated an alliance between CPC and ACN. We came to almost signing an agreement – IBB, Adamu Ciroma, Aliyu Gusau, we were the brokers – to exchange letters, Buhari withdrew; that one collapsed.
Believe me if there was that electoral alliance, there would be no PDP today forming government because Buhari would have brought the votes from the North West to add to the votes from the South West.
So, when I visited Buhari last week, I went through all these with him and I asked him if he agreed with me that we would all lose if he didn’t and he said ‘yes, now I agree.’ I said you did it in 2007, you failed; in 2011, you did it again you failed, I failed, everybody failed.
I asked if he agreed that if we all come together it would be better he said he agreed. So, APC is a completely new experiment, just like when PDP was formed, it was thought to be unthinkable because we came from the SDP and some from the NRC – right of left and left of right.
APC has the chance of succeeding if well managed and I concede to you that really, politicians have lost a lot of credibility in the last year or two.
So, really, there is need for politicians to re-invent themselves so that the credibility they have lost, can be regained. Last night I told Asiwaju and we agreed that General Buhari is now becoming a politician unlike before. Now, Asiwaju said he is more democratized and now, you can sit down and he is not rigid like before. There is hope for this country.
Obviously you are interested in the presidency?
Let’s not talk about the presidency. Let us talk about Nigeria and Nigerians. Believe me it is not an issue of presidency. I don’t have to be president to serve the people. If you are passionate about your country you cannot but feel concerned about what is going on and you want to be part of the process.
Okay let me assume that you want to be president?
No. Assume that I don’t want to be president. (laughter) Because this is the starting ground; and both General Buhari and I have said we should forget the presidency.
I say so because of the crisis that may come up during the contest for the ticket
I don’t see that happening because we have all agreed that it would be a fair contest.
Having said all these, what is the way forward?
The best way forward is to give Nigerians the ability to change from one party to the other so that they can compare one party to the other. Our case is not like that of Ghana where they can compare the then ruling party to the opposition that took over. My fear about one strong big ruling party is that we would be moving moré and more towards a dictatorship if we allow that to continue. I don’t want to see in my life a dictator.
INEC time table, how should it have been structured.
We have always said that one-day election is better and at a point in time INEC agreed but I don’t know why INEC back tracked.
The crises in Rivers, the presidency and the President say they are not involved?
I don’t believe the President and the presidency. Obviously they have a hand in it. How do you explain a situation when a police commissioner is being transferred from one state to Rivers and on his way to his new destination he is called back. Who does that except the Presidency and the President is involved.
But the IG is in charge?
The IG? That is my problem with a situation where the security agencies are being used by a party in power or a government. That is not how it should be.
Your associates are threatening to abandon you if you don’t abandon the PDP and they cite many reasons including non-invitation to some bodies of the party that you are statutorily supposed to be part of?They are right because in the past four years nobody has been communicating with me. And for a political animal like me, that is not right. I have not been attending all the meetings I am supposed to be attending – NEC, caucus, BoT. It is true what they’ve said and I am still there. That is why I am going round and consulting with the people who have been with me in the last two decades and they have been consistent. It is a difficult situation.
You talked about Mu’azu and his incapacitation to do the needful in terms of bringing the PDP back on track. What if the President calls you to say we want to turn a new leaf?The issue is not about the President running or not running. I have been talking about the internal contradictions within the PDP. It is not about the President at all. There are inherent contradictions within the party. If the younger generation presents a candidate and that candidate wins, what is the big deal
What we are saying is that there should be a democratic process instead of running round to short-circuit the process. In Benin, yesterday, somebody asked why I want to leave; and he gave the instance of Mugabe and he said, “why do you want to leave the PDP; at least you are still young and Mugabe is still in Zimbabwe ruling so don’t go anywhere; after Jonathan you can become President and I said it is not about presidency but about the common people in the country.
Then we arranged another meeting with the Alliance for Democracy, AD, governors-elect and after the meeting they said they would support him because of me. After the two meetings, he [Obasanjo] called me aside and asked, Mr. Vice President, which party do you really belong to? We met ANPP governors they said you are with them; we met AD governors they said you are with them; so which party do you belong to? I hope that answers your question.
But seriously speaking, Nigerians would want to know where you stand now?
My brother, it is not just about political party now. It is about saving the situation that Nigeria has found herself. It is not about elections or offices to be occupied. It is about the political parties obeying the Constitution of Nigeria and also obeying their own constitution that there must be elections and nothing else.
Consensus or affirmation
I went to court to challenge Obasanjo when he said we could do it by consensus or by affirmation. A Federal High Court pronounced that there must be voting by casting of ballot and not just affirmation. And I told him that everyone he wanted elected, I had gotten the person elected so why was he afraid of an election. He said he agreed but consensus was another way of doing it. We got one person each from the zones to support the case but he knew that once we got that judgment, it would mean that all his actions of that executive would be null and void … (he makes a gesticulatory posture of being elbowed out of contention). (Laughter followed)
It is about the parties being guided by their own constitution and not until you can produce the right leadership that would allow that, we would continue from one crisis to another.
How do you see Mu’azu succeeding as PDP chairman?
Before Mu’azu was made chairman, he came to me and we spoke. I told him that much as he is passionate, he may not be able to do the job he has been given. Almost all the founding fathers of the party have left.
As for Mu’azu, I reminded him that I brought him into the party and I funded his governborship election in 1999 and I do not know what he would come and preach to me about the party. And our brother Bamangar Tukur, I once asked him on the eve of our convention if he was in charge of the party. I asked why the convention planning committee and the sub-committees were prepared for him from the Villa? In our own time, the party handled all that and it was robust.
We could agree that the PDP may not be healthy but the APC itself is having problems. Look at Shekarau running up and down. Now he is in PDP. Even you, you were in AC, mind you?APC is a completely new experiment. I say this because in 2009, I initiated the formation of another strong party like the PDP, even while still there. I visited General Buhari, I spoke to my brother here, Asiwaju; I spoke to Bafarawa on the other side, and we came together and set up a committee and we almost came to an agreement.
Registration certificate
The day we were to sign was when Buhari produced the registration certificate of Congress for Progressive Change, CPC. (laughter). The whole thing collapsed. Then in 2011, even within PDP, I said there was a need for a strong opposition so I initiated an alliance between CPC and ACN. We came to almost signing an agreement – IBB, Adamu Ciroma, Aliyu Gusau, we were the brokers – to exchange letters, Buhari withdrew; that one collapsed.
Believe me if there was that electoral alliance, there would be no PDP today forming government because Buhari would have brought the votes from the North West to add to the votes from the South West.
So, when I visited Buhari last week, I went through all these with him and I asked him if he agreed with me that we would all lose if he didn’t and he said ‘yes, now I agree.’ I said you did it in 2007, you failed; in 2011, you did it again you failed, I failed, everybody failed.
I asked if he agreed that if we all come together it would be better he said he agreed. So, APC is a completely new experiment, just like when PDP was formed, it was thought to be unthinkable because we came from the SDP and some from the NRC – right of left and left of right.
APC has the chance of succeeding if well managed and I concede to you that really, politicians have lost a lot of credibility in the last year or two.
So, really, there is need for politicians to re-invent themselves so that the credibility they have lost, can be regained. Last night I told Asiwaju and we agreed that General Buhari is now becoming a politician unlike before. Now, Asiwaju said he is more democratized and now, you can sit down and he is not rigid like before. There is hope for this country.
Obviously you are interested in the presidency?
Let’s not talk about the presidency. Let us talk about Nigeria and Nigerians. Believe me it is not an issue of presidency. I don’t have to be president to serve the people. If you are passionate about your country you cannot but feel concerned about what is going on and you want to be part of the process.
Okay let me assume that you want to be president?
No. Assume that I don’t want to be president. (laughter) Because this is the starting ground; and both General Buhari and I have said we should forget the presidency.
I say so because of the crisis that may come up during the contest for the ticket
I don’t see that happening because we have all agreed that it would be a fair contest.
Having said all these, what is the way forward?
The best way forward is to give Nigerians the ability to change from one party to the other so that they can compare one party to the other. Our case is not like that of Ghana where they can compare the then ruling party to the opposition that took over. My fear about one strong big ruling party is that we would be moving moré and more towards a dictatorship if we allow that to continue. I don’t want to see in my life a dictator.
INEC time table, how should it have been structured.
We have always said that one-day election is better and at a point in time INEC agreed but I don’t know why INEC back tracked.
The crises in Rivers, the presidency and the President say they are not involved?
I don’t believe the President and the presidency. Obviously they have a hand in it. How do you explain a situation when a police commissioner is being transferred from one state to Rivers and on his way to his new destination he is called back. Who does that except the Presidency and the President is involved.
But the IG is in charge?
The IG? That is my problem with a situation where the security agencies are being used by a party in power or a government. That is not how it should be.
Your associates are threatening to abandon you if you don’t abandon the PDP and they cite many reasons including non-invitation to some bodies of the party that you are statutorily supposed to be part of?They are right because in the past four years nobody has been communicating with me. And for a political animal like me, that is not right. I have not been attending all the meetings I am supposed to be attending – NEC, caucus, BoT. It is true what they’ve said and I am still there. That is why I am going round and consulting with the people who have been with me in the last two decades and they have been consistent. It is a difficult situation.
You talked about Mu’azu and his incapacitation to do the needful in terms of bringing the PDP back on track. What if the President calls you to say we want to turn a new leaf?The issue is not about the President running or not running. I have been talking about the internal contradictions within the PDP. It is not about the President at all. There are inherent contradictions within the party. If the younger generation presents a candidate and that candidate wins, what is the big deal
What we are saying is that there should be a democratic process instead of running round to short-circuit the process. In Benin, yesterday, somebody asked why I want to leave; and he gave the instance of Mugabe and he said, “why do you want to leave the PDP; at least you are still young and Mugabe is still in Zimbabwe ruling so don’t go anywhere; after Jonathan you can become President and I said it is not about presidency but about the common people in the country.
Why We Ladies Sleép With Different Men ––Student Opens Up
Here's a message I got from a lady who said she want people to know the reason for their action:Please sir, Mr olamide, I just want to tell you that it's not our fault that we go about servicing all kinds of men for the sake of money. Many guys do yahoo and armed robbery to survive but ladies can't do all that and since we are aware that these men will always need women to enjoy their money with them, there is nothing bad if we make ourselves available for you men and we get paid for our professional services.
Or can you people stay without a woman for one month? We are just helping men with our body...
Times are hard. My parents can't raise enough money for my school fees and my accommodation in school, so how will I feed, buy clothes, make-up and look good like other girls if I don't help my self? Many ladies are doing it here in my school and even other schools. It is condition that caused it.
Abuja Blast: Obama Condemns ‘Senseless’ Bombing
The United States on Monday condemned a bomb attack on a packed bus station in Nigeria which killed 71 people, and called for a full investigation.“We are outraged by this senseless act of violence against innocent civilians,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters, also condemning a series of attacks on three villages in Borno State over the weekend.
The bomb, which also injured 124 people, rocked the Nyanya station on Abuja’s southern outskirts as it was filled with morning commuters, leaving body parts scattered across the terminal and destroying dozens of vehicles.
President Goodluck Jonathan blamed Boko Haram militants for the attack, but Psaki called for a “full investigation to identify and bring justice to the perpetrators of these attacks.”
“We continue to stand with the Nigerian government and people as they grapple with violent extremism,” she added. [AFP]
JAMB Releases 2014 UTME Result
The result of the Paper Pencil Test (PPT) and Dual Based Test (DBT) of the 2014 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted last Saturday, has been released by Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).According to the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, 36,164 students had their results invalidated and 2,494 others withheld by the board, while 37, 315 candidates were absent.
He said 275, 282 candidates scored below 150 points, 122,159 scored between 150 to 159 points while 115,456 scored 160 to 169 points in the PPT mode.
"Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola" to Face PDP in Election to be held in Osun State
APC Governorship Candidate "Rauf Aregbesola" to Face PDP in Governorship election to be held in Osun State...Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has emerged the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the August 9 election in Osun State...
Mr Aregbesola who is the incumbent Governor of the state emerged through
adoption by delegates, after the state party’s Congress held at the
Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, the state capital.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, Congress in Osun State commenced in
the 332 wards across the state early with delegates arriving their wards
to cast their votes.
The votes were counted at the local government collation centres, after
which it was taken to the Nelson Mandela Park in Osogbo for the final
count where Governor Rauf Aregbesola arrived amidst cheers from the APC
supporters.
Out of 355,729 registered APC members in Osun State, 269,631 voted in the primaries in favour of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
Announcing the result, Chairman of the Osun APC 2014 Gubernatorial
Primaries’ Committee, Mr Nasir El-Rufai, commended the peaceful conduct
of the ward congress and assured that the APC would not relent in giving
the best to Nigerians if given another opportunity by people of the
state come August 2014.
El-Rufai, who later presented the Certificate of Return to Mr
Aregbesola, urged members of the party to remain resolute and protect
their votes during the election.
Obviously elated at his emergence, Governor Aregbesola commended members
of the APC for presenting him for another term, saying APC would not
let the people down, considering its achievements in the last three and
half years.
The incumbent, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the APC emerged just a week
after the PDP candidate Senator Iyiola Omisore won the party’s ticket.
At Least 58 Killed In Attack On UN Base In South Sudan
At least 58 people were killed and more than 100 others wounded in Thursday’s attack on a UN base in South Sudan sheltering thousands of displaced civilians, a UN official said.“Forty-eight bodies, including children, women, men, have been recovered from inside the base. The bodies of 10 attackers have been found outside the base, the top UN official in the country, Toby Lanzer, told AFP on Friday.
“The total death toll is 58, but that could increase as over 100 people were wounded, some of them very seriously.”
In the clearest account yet of the incident in the government-controlled town of Bor, Lanzer said a group of around 350 armed youths in civilian clothes “used extremely violent force to breach the perimeter” of the UN base.
He said they opened fire on terrified civilians, who have sought shelter with the UN from a wave of ethnic violence that has marked the four-month-old conflict, with the apparent aim of killing as many people as possible.
“When we realised we were under attack we responded… the quick actions of the peacekeepers saved lives,” Lanzer said.
He praised the actions of UN peacekeepers from India, Nepal and South Korea charged with the protection of the 5,000 people in the UN base.
“We will do everything necessary to protect the lives of people in our protection, including the use of lethal force,” Lanzer said.
He said measures had been taken to boost security at other UN bases in the country, which are sheltering close to 60,000 people from different ethnic groups.
“This past week has been the most bleak in South Sudan’s history,” Lanzer said, citing the attack on the UN base as well as reports of renewed atrocities further north in the oil-hub of Bentiu, which fell to rebel forces during the week.
Lanzer said South Sudan’s conflict, which began on December 15 following a clash between army units loyal to President Salva Kiir and troops backing ousted vice president Riek Machar, had now fallen into “a cycle of revenge”.
“It’s vital that all communities realise that they are taking this country nowhere fast,” he said.
Saturday, 12 April 2014
President Jonathan Vows To Capture South East In 2015
President Goodluck Jonathan has vowed to capture the South-East region in the 2015 governorship election as he and his party, the PDP, launches obvious political campaigns.Jonathan, who spoke at the Unity Rally organised to reconcile some aggrieved party members in the zone on Friday, said come what may, the PDP would capture Imo State in 2015 and other South-East states.
He said, “In the South-East, the PDP is total. Every state has a maximum of three senators and a minimum of three senators. It is now clear the South-East is a PDP zone.” But this is a big lie as the PDP does not have the said three Senators in all the South-East states.
President Jonathan was boasting while some of the security personnel
drafted to provide security at the venue of the rally in Enugu on Friday
exchanged blows...
The exchange of blows, which involved members of the Nigeria Police and
officials of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, was as a
result of complaints of alleged harassment of policemen drafted to the
rally venue by the members of the civil defence corps.
It took the intervention of members of other security agencies like the SSS and Army to prevent the police and NSCDC fight from escalating.
Reacting to all that President Jonathan said at the rally, the All
Progressives Congress, APC, declared that he has lost the moral
authority to lead the nation by violating all electoral laws and
campaigning ahead of time.
APC Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said:
“When a President who is the number one citizen violates all electoral rules by campaigning well ahead of time, that President has lost the moral authority to lead a country.
APC Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said:
“When a President who is the number one citizen violates all electoral rules by campaigning well ahead of time, that President has lost the moral authority to lead a country.
"It is sad that the President cannot speak about issues but personalities. We
would have been interested if he talks about the jobs he has created,
how many roads he has built, how he is tackling health care and the
insecurity in the nation and above all, how he is tackling corruption.
“He [Jonathan] is doing none of these, we are not surprised because no one can rise above his capacity.”
“He [Jonathan] is doing none of these, we are not surprised because no one can rise above his capacity.”
Please Forgive Us ––Pope Francis Cries Out Over Séxual Abuse In Catholic Church
"I feel compelled to personally take on all the evil which some priests, quite a few in number, obviously not compared to the number of all the priests, to personally ask for forgiveness for the damage they have done for having sexually abused children.
"The Church is aware of this damage, it is personal, moral damage carried out by men of the Church, and we will not take one step backward with regards to how we will deal with this problem, and the sanctions that must be imposed."
He said this during a meeting with the International Catholic Child Bureau, a non-governmental organization.
Francis also stressed that children have to be protected against all forms of violence, including slave labour and enrollment in child armies, and given the right “to grow up in a family with a father and a mother.”
Boko Haram Kills Several Studens Going To Wrrite JAMB
What is wrong with Boko Haram and their sponsors: why are they making human life worthless?As you read this, scores of students travelling to write JAMB exam in Borno State have been reportedly killed by the dreaded Boko Haram sect. They were among several persons that lost their lives in multiple attacks that were unleashed by the sect in four communities.
A senator from the area said: "What happened in Borno was beyond understanding. It is a must for me to speak since the people lives are involved and they are my people. All these are happening in my constituency and it will be wrong to keep quiet. I feel so much pained and would not have spoken but definitely my conscience will not let me do that.”
The Senator who is representing Borno Central in the Senate, Zannah
Ahmed, on Friday accused the military of complicity in the latest attack
where he said that 210 people were killed in attacks on four towns.
The towns included Dikwa, Kala Balge, Gambulga and Gwoza.
The senator claimed that the attackers were all dressed in military uniforms and spoke English language. This was a departure from the Hausa and Kanuri language spoken by the Boko Haram insurgents.
He even lamented that authorities of the military post in Gamboru, which purportedly received a distressed call from the people of Kala Balge avoided the town, claiming that it was not in its area of command.
But what is really going on? Is this Boko Haram or some powerful people just trying to reduce population?
Friday, 11 April 2014
'Reeva was standing behind the toilet door talking to you when you shot her'- Prosecutors say
Oscar Pistorius' three-day cross-examination reached a dramatic climax today as the world-famous athlete was accused of deliberately shooting his girlfriend through a toilet door as the couple talked and argued in the early hours of Valentine's Day last year.
"You knew that Reeva went behind the door and you shot at her,' Mr Nel said. 'You shot at her knowing she was behind the door.'Pistorius denied the charge as prosecutor Gerrie Nel pushed the Paralympic champion on his version of the exact events in the seconds before he killed Reeva Steenkamp by firing four times through the stall door in his bathroom with his 9mm pistol on February 14, 2013.
Mr Nel challenged the double-amputee sprinter repeatedly as to why Miss Steenkamp failed to scream when she was shot four times.Continue...
Mr Nel, one of South Africa's top attorneys, said it was beyond belief that 29-year-old law graduate and model Miss Steenkamp would have remained silent in the tiny cubicle with an armed Pistorius shouting and screaming in the adjoining bathroom.
Mr Nel later followed up with his central accusation - that the couple had an argument and Steenkamp fled to the toilet pursued by Pistorius, who then shot her through the closed wooden door. Pistorius denied the accusation, before the court adjourned until Monday morning.
Mr Nel led the double-amputee runner through his own account of what happened in the moments before he shot Miss Steenkamp.
Pistorius
said he heard a noise in the bathroom and moved down a hallway on his
stumps towards the bathroom while screaming to his girlfriend - who he
claims he had believed was in the bedroom - to get down and call the
police.He said he then heard what sounded like the toilet door slamming, then kept quiet as he reached the bathroom entrance, then heard a noise in the toilet that he perceived to be the sound of wood on wood, which he said made him think someone was opening the toilet door - which he said fit badly in the frame - to attack him.
And then, Pistorius said, he opened fire.
At each stage, Mr Nel argued that the account was improbable, questioning why Pistorius did not establish where Miss Steenkamp was and make sure she was okay, and why he would approach the alleged danger zone if he felt vulnerable on his stumps.
Mr Nel said: 'If you spoke to Reeva, the two of you could have taken lots of other steps.'
Pistorius said he thought the perceived threat could strike at any moment: 'There was no time.'
During the cross-examination, Pistorius said Steenkamp did not scream at any point during the incident.
However, the 27-year-old track star said that he may not have heard her cries because of his ears ringing from the first shot.
Several people living nearby have testified to hearing a woman's terrified screams before and during a volley of shots.
'She's awake. She's in the toilet. You're shouting. You're screaming. You're three metres from her. She would have responded. She would not have been quiet, Mr Pistorius,' Mr Nel said.
'She didn't respond, my Lady,' Pistorius replied, addressing judge Thokozile Masipa.
'Did she scream at all whilst you shot her four times?' Mr Nel continued.
'No, my Lady.'
'Are you sure? Are you sure, Mr Pistorius, that Reeva did not scream after the first shot?' Mr Nel continued. 'Are you, Mr Pistorius?'
After a brief silence, Pistorius said: 'My Lady, I wish she had let me know she was there.'
'After you fired the first shot, did she scream?' Mr Nel asked.
'No, my Lady.'
'Are you sure? Would you have heard her?' Mr Nel asked.
'I don't think I would have heard her.''Exactly.'
'A gunshot went off, my ears were ringing,' Pistorius said.
'How can you exclude the fact she was screaming if you couldn't hear?' Mr Nel asked.
'If I couldn't hear it then I couldn't hear,' Pistorius retorted.
'No, you said, Mr Pistorius, she never screamed. You couldn't hear. You're just saying that,' Mr Nel said.
'That is what I'm saying,' Pistorius replied.
'No, that's not what you're saying. You're saying she didn't scream,' Mr Nel followed up.
'My Lady, the sound of that gunshot in the bathroom, you wouldn't have heard anyone scream. The decibels of the gunshot, I don't believe you would have heard anyone scream. When I had finished firing the gunshots, I was screaming and I couldn't hear my own voice.'
Pistorius' return to the witness box today followed a week of testimony in which the double-amputee runner said he killed Miss Steenkamp by accident after mistaking her for an intruder in his home last year.
'I don't need time,' the Olympic athlete said. 'I am tired. It's not going to change.'
Mr Nel responded: 'You're trying to cover up for lies and I'm not convinced.'
Judge Thokozile Masipa interjected, asking Pistorius if he was too tired to proceed.
'You can be at a disadvantage when you're in that box,' she said, adding that it wasn't fair to the court if he was not alert during the proceedings.
Pistorius replied that he was able to go on.
Mr Nel also argued that Pistorius was prepared to lie about an incident as far back as five years ago when he claims someone shot at him from another car on a highway to build a backstory that he had a long-held fear of being attacked.
Pistorius said he saw a 'muzzle flash' and heard 'a banging noise' as a black Mercedes drove past him in the incident, which he said was in 2008 or 2009.
Pistorius said he slowed down, turned off the highway and eventually went to a restaurant car park and called someone to come and pick him up.
Mr Nel asked Pistorius who he called and Pistorius replied he couldn't remember.
'You cannot not remember,' Mr Nel said. It was 'such a traumatic incident,' the prosecutor said.
Mr Nel said Pistorius' failing to remember who he called was because 'it never happened.'
'It's the one night that someone almost shot you, am I right?' Mr Nel said. Pistorius said it was.
'If I could remember who I phoned I would gladly give you their name,' Pistorius said.
At one point in the proceedings, Judge Masipa had to warn Mr Nel to 'mind your language' as she reminded him not to call a witness a liar.
Ohaneze Chieftain in Spain Congratulates Newly Elected Ohaneze Worldwide Youth Leader
Hon. Uchendu who also spoke to Comrade Chuks Ibegbu the former youth leader commended him for his good sense of leadership, understanding and maturity. Especially for organizing a very peaceful election and hand over to the new leader and executives. He assured the new executive that he will always use his position as a seasoned media practitioner to create awareness and publicity that will enable them work in collaboration with Ohaneze in Spain and in Diaspora.
7 things to expect from Nigeria’s GDP Rebasing
Jide Ogunsanwo, a data and analysis guru, believes that a simple approach should be used to explain complex things. I met
with him and this is how he simply broke down the GDP rebasing saga.
1. A
higher GDP means that Nigeria would get mentioned a lot of times on many
international newspapers and television stations. Certainly, this would attract more interest in
Nigeria; especially from foreign businessmen. The lesson here is that we should all get
ready to see more Chinese looking men and of course Chinese restaurants. Continue...
2. Lesson
2: Now that we are No.1 in Africa, maybe some Presidents that had
shunned us would have a re-think. We could (may be o) soon sight
Barrack Obama near Aso-Rock.
3. Every
parent wants their child to come first in school. As long as you are number one,
you would get admired. If you disagree, ask Messi, Ronaldo or Tuface . Sadly,
terrorists also prefer to operate in countries that are ranked number 1. Why?
It makes their evil actions get more news coverage. Our national defense team need
to now be more vigilant.
4. I’m
sure you know that the prettiest ladies in the world get the highest
number of male visitors. Being the winner of ‘The Biggest country in
Africa in 2014’ means that our airports would get more visitors. What do
you think would soon happen to vehicle traffic around the international
airports? However, I see better days ahead for hotel operators and
every other 'business' that happens outside the hotels (especially at
night)
5. I’m
sorry, but GDP rebasing would not make your bank account fatter. You still need
to work hard to get money. In Naija, you need more than hard work. Don’t ask
me what you need?
6. Before
you get tired of reading, you need to know that the recalculated GDP reminds
the Government that a lot of us do not pay tax. Now that the Government desperately needs
money, what are they likely to do? Your guess is as good as mine.
Finally, the price of rice, garri, beans and pure water would not go down.
Friday, 4 April 2014
sanusi lamido #50 million naira, say's The chief Justice
The chief Justice J. T. Tsoho of the Federal High Court, say they should give sanusi lamido #50 million naira for the allegation.Court orders Financial Reporting Council to stop investigating Sanusi
Justice J. T. Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Lagos, today April 4th ordered
the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) to stop any
further investigations it is currently carrying out on the suspended CBN
Governor, Sanusi Lamido.
The Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria had leveled allegations of
financial recklessness and abuse of office on Sanusi and recommended his
suspension which was effected on February 20.
The
council in its presentation to the president said they found Mr
Sanusi's report on the audited financial statement of the CBN for the
year ended Dec. 2012 and other related issues unsatisfactory.
Upon his Suspension, Mr Sanusi was invited to a panel
set up by the council at Elephant House Ikeja Lagos for questioning on
March 27th but failed to turn up. Reports say Sanusi felt the panel was
bias and was set out to rubbish his person. He filed a suit that same
day asking the court to stop the FRCN from investigating him as it
lacked the constitutional power to investigate him. His request was granted by a judge today.
Peggy Noonan: Obamacare a 'Huge, Historic Mess'
Obamacare has been nothing but a "huge, historic mess" that is unique in the annals of lawmaking and administration, says The Wall Street Journal's Peggy Noonan."We are not being told the cost of anything—all those ads, all the consultants and computer work, even the cost of the essential program itself."
One large problem, said Noonan, was that Democrats pushed to pass the bill without knowing what was in it and without bothering to understand its implications.
The bill's biggest proponent, California Rep. Nancy Pelosi, was Democratic House speaker, when she said "that we have to pass the bill to find out what's in it." That was a "historic admission" that she was fighting for something she didn't understand, said Noonan. "This is how we make laws now."
But while Republicans were alarmed, Democrats for the next three years were inspired and "would carry on like blithering idiots making believe they'd read the bill and understood its implications," wrote Noonan.
The White House, meanwhile, "lied in a way so specific it showed they knew exactly what to spin and how," Noonan said, including President Barack Obama's promises that Americans could keep their healthcare plans and doctors.
However, that wasn't true, as "your existing policy had to pass muster with the administration, which would fight to the death to ensure that 60-year-old women have pediatric dental coverage," said Noonan.
But the bill has not insured tens of millions of uninsured Americans, as promised, but it "has terrorized millions who did have insurance and lost it, or who still have insurance and may lose it," she said.
But the program is too defeating to be comprehended, and two things will happen, Noonan wrote: "Those inclined to like the spirit of the thing will support it on the assumption the government knows what its doing. And the opposition will find it difficult to effectively oppose—or repeal the thing—because of the program's bureaucratic density and complexity.
It's like wrestling a manic, many-armed squid in ink-darkened water."
Another problem is that the bill that was signed in 2010 is far different than the law that now exists, after parts have been delayed or changed 30 times, she said.
"It is telling that the president rebuffed Congress when it asked to work with him on alterations, but had no qualms about doing them by executive fiat," said Noonan.
Supporters have also changed their words, going from "this is an excellent bill, and opponents hate the needy" to "People will love it once they have it" to "We may need some changes" to "I've co-sponsored a bill to make needed alterations" to "This will be seen by posterity as an advance in human freedom."
Meanwhile, she contended that there are few Democrats who would pass Obamacare again.
"Some would do something different, but they wouldn't do this," Noonan said. "The cost of the blunder has been too high in terms of policy and politics."
I'll give marriage another shot, but not now." actress Chike Ike says
In a recent interview with Punch, actress Chika Ike said her divorce is in her past and plans to marry again but not immediately."I don’t want to talk about the divorce because it is already in the past and I have since moved on. I am still open to marriage and I might give it a second shot because I believe in love. For now, I am most concerned with my own happiness" she said.
The UN ambassador also spoke on the increased rate of failed marriages in Nollywood
She also addressed the notion of men being intimidated by single celebrity women
"All the talk about some men being afraid to walk up to a female celebrity and ask her out does not make sense to me. Any man that cannot walk up to me and toast me is not man enough. I don’t have a long list or criteria for my ideal man. All I want is that he must make me happy.” Chika said
Lupita Nyong'o becomes Lancôme's first black spokesperson
Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o announced yesterday Thursday April 3rd that she’s the new face of cosmetics giant, Lancôme. The actress is the beauty company’s first black ambassador. She joins other A-list ambassadors like Kate Winslet and Julia Roberts.In a statement to the media, Lupita said she was proud to represent Lancôme and that beauty should not be dictated, but should instead be an expression of a woman's freedom to be herself.
Lancôme ad campaigns featuring Lupita will begin airing in September.
A Starting XI of the Fastest Players in World Football
It's true, speed is becoming a crucial part of a player's toolbox in the modern day game.Look at the recent Ballon d'Or nominees, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Franc Ribery. They all have huge amounts of pace and hold the ability to run past players in seconds.
If you look at the FIFPro starting XI, there are many players who possess a great amount of speed and it helps them hugely week in-week out.
You may ask yourself, what would a team look like if all of the world's fastest players came together?
This team combines both speed and quality.
The formation is a 4-3-1-2.
Row over Government's infrastructure credentials as Eric Pickles squashes £230m Norfolk project
The credibility of the Government’s much-trumpeted £375bn National
Infrastructure Plan has been dealt another blow by a furious row in Norfolk
over a £230m incinerator project.
Plans to build the waste-to-energy plant at Kings Lynn are expected to be
officially pulled by Norfolk County Council on Monday – after repeated
refusals by Eric Pickles, the Communities Secretary, to make a decision on
whether the project can go ahead.
The delay after Mr Pickles missed his self-imposed deadline of January 14 has
left the council facing costs of £30m – and potentially rising.
“We have been waiting for any white smoke but the official line is that it’s a
very complex case and Mr Pickles is unable to give a view on when he will
make his decision,” said Tom McCabe, the council’s development director. “So
my report that goes into the council cabinet on Monday is recommending we
cancel the project.”
Norfolk began the scheme in 2009 under the former private finance initiative,
with a plan to build a new incinerator that turned waste into heat and
power. The project, known as the Willows Power & Recycling Centre,
features in the Government’s infrastructure plan.
A joint-venture between Cory Environmental and Wheelabrator Technologies – a
subsidiary of US giant Waste Management Inc – won the 25-year contract to
build and run the plant, with the project achieving financial close in
February 2012.
Financing was arranged with Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Banking Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.
Despite opposition, including from local Conservative constituency MPs Henry Bellingham and Liz Truss, the council approved the project in June 2012.
But it was called in by Mr Pickles two months later. A planning inquiry followed last year, with the inspector’s report handed to Mr Pickles in September 2013.
Mr McCabe said that with Mr Pickles sitting on a decision, the council faced a mounting bill. Its contract with the two sponsor companies caps compensation at £20.3m as long as it cancels the project before May 1. After that, it risks being on the hook for a further £4.5m of the sponsors’ expenses plus their run-rate of £400,000 costs a month.
The council is also picking up the £8m bill for the contractors’ foreign exchange hedges and £2m costs for the planning inquiry.
Mr McCabe said the council could not expose its ratepayers to open-ended risk, adding the situation was a deterrent to investors. “They will be asking ‘do I go to China instead where they give you a project and say get on with it lads’,” he said.
The council has already suffered one reversal when PFI credits worth £169m for the project were withdrawn last October - but it pressed on believing the project was still viable.
Lloyds also dropped out of the banking syndicate, being replaced by the taxpayer-funded Green Investment Bank – an irony given Government delays look like scuppering the scheme.
Nick Prior, head of infrastructure at Deloitte, said: “Whatever the arguments about this project, it shows that there is not a joined-up approach between local and central Government, which is frustrating the ability for investment in infrastructure. That’s why they have got themselves into this pickle, literally.”
Graham Mather, president of the Infrastructure Forum, said that if Mr Pickles’ delays “torpedoed” the project it would “horrify those working to attract inward investment. Investors are already putting political risk high up their concerns about allocating funds to the UK. A collapse of the scheme would confirm their fears."
He said the case highlighted why there should be reform of the "call-in system so that in future there is a fixed timetable for decisions. Many will argue that a single minister should no longer be responsible for these decisions.
"Many businesses regret the abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission, abolished by the coalition government, and will say that decisions like Norfolk waste should be taken out of the political arena."
Richard Threlfall, head of infrastructure at KPMG, said it was “deeply concerning” that a “shovel-ready project that offers environmental benefits” should be “cancelled for lack of clarity from the Government.
"Currently the majority of waste in Norfolk goes to landfill, and it is a sad day for all of us if the Government is unwilling to support a project that would solve that. Investors will also think twice about developing major projects in this country if they face this sort of political risk.”
Paul Thompson, head of policy at the Renewables Energy Association, said the project could "divert 250,000 tonnes of waste from landfill per year and use it to provide clean, reliable power to 36,000 homes".
"It is vital that, when calling in renewable energy planning appeals, the Communities Secretary makes decisions in a timely manner based on facts rather than politics," he said.
A spokesman for the sponsors’ Willows Power joint-venture said: “The delay to that planning decision has resulted in considerable costs to all parties at a time when public funds are already stretched. The fact still remains that there is no firm solution for the long-term management of Norfolk’s waste.”
A spokesman for Mr Pickles’s department said: “This is a complex planning application which is being carefully considered with due process, following an immense number of representations, including numerous post-inquiry representations. A decision will be made in due course.”
Financing was arranged with Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Banking Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.
Despite opposition, including from local Conservative constituency MPs Henry Bellingham and Liz Truss, the council approved the project in June 2012.
But it was called in by Mr Pickles two months later. A planning inquiry followed last year, with the inspector’s report handed to Mr Pickles in September 2013.
Mr McCabe said that with Mr Pickles sitting on a decision, the council faced a mounting bill. Its contract with the two sponsor companies caps compensation at £20.3m as long as it cancels the project before May 1. After that, it risks being on the hook for a further £4.5m of the sponsors’ expenses plus their run-rate of £400,000 costs a month.
The council is also picking up the £8m bill for the contractors’ foreign exchange hedges and £2m costs for the planning inquiry.
Mr McCabe said the council could not expose its ratepayers to open-ended risk, adding the situation was a deterrent to investors. “They will be asking ‘do I go to China instead where they give you a project and say get on with it lads’,” he said.
The council has already suffered one reversal when PFI credits worth £169m for the project were withdrawn last October - but it pressed on believing the project was still viable.
Lloyds also dropped out of the banking syndicate, being replaced by the taxpayer-funded Green Investment Bank – an irony given Government delays look like scuppering the scheme.
Nick Prior, head of infrastructure at Deloitte, said: “Whatever the arguments about this project, it shows that there is not a joined-up approach between local and central Government, which is frustrating the ability for investment in infrastructure. That’s why they have got themselves into this pickle, literally.”
Graham Mather, president of the Infrastructure Forum, said that if Mr Pickles’ delays “torpedoed” the project it would “horrify those working to attract inward investment. Investors are already putting political risk high up their concerns about allocating funds to the UK. A collapse of the scheme would confirm their fears."
He said the case highlighted why there should be reform of the "call-in system so that in future there is a fixed timetable for decisions. Many will argue that a single minister should no longer be responsible for these decisions.
"Many businesses regret the abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission, abolished by the coalition government, and will say that decisions like Norfolk waste should be taken out of the political arena."
Richard Threlfall, head of infrastructure at KPMG, said it was “deeply concerning” that a “shovel-ready project that offers environmental benefits” should be “cancelled for lack of clarity from the Government.
"Currently the majority of waste in Norfolk goes to landfill, and it is a sad day for all of us if the Government is unwilling to support a project that would solve that. Investors will also think twice about developing major projects in this country if they face this sort of political risk.”
Paul Thompson, head of policy at the Renewables Energy Association, said the project could "divert 250,000 tonnes of waste from landfill per year and use it to provide clean, reliable power to 36,000 homes".
"It is vital that, when calling in renewable energy planning appeals, the Communities Secretary makes decisions in a timely manner based on facts rather than politics," he said.
A spokesman for the sponsors’ Willows Power joint-venture said: “The delay to that planning decision has resulted in considerable costs to all parties at a time when public funds are already stretched. The fact still remains that there is no firm solution for the long-term management of Norfolk’s waste.”
A spokesman for Mr Pickles’s department said: “This is a complex planning application which is being carefully considered with due process, following an immense number of representations, including numerous post-inquiry representations. A decision will be made in due course.”
Kerry warns U.S. is evaluating role in Middle East peace talks
| U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry |
RABAT (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary
of State John Kerry said on Friday that Washington was evaluating
whether it was worth continuing its role in Middle East peace talks,
signaling his patience with the Israelis and Palestinians was running
out.
There was a limit to
U.S. efforts if the parties themselves were unwilling to move forward,
Kerry said during a visit to Morocco after a week of setbacks.
"This is not an open-ended effort, it never has been. It is reality
check time, and we intend to evaluate precisely what the next steps will
be," Kerry said, adding he would return to Washington on Friday to
consult with the Obama administration.
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are likely to meet on Sunday,
together with U.S. envoy Martin Indyk, to discuss a possible way
forward, a source familiar with the talks said.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest acknowledged that President Barack
Obama shared Kerry's frustration over "unhelpful" actions by both sides
and the two men would discuss the path forward in the eight-month-old
talks after the secretary of state's return to Washington.
Kerry's decision to
declare a time-out could be an attempt to pressure Israel and the
Palestinians to soften their entrenched positions but, should that fail,
it might mark the beginning of the end for his signature diplomatic
initiative.
By stepping away
for now, Kerry is reminding the parties that he can ill-afford to focus
endlessly on a fruitless Middle East peace process when other pressing
international issues like the crisis in Ukraine demand more of this
attention.
Abandoning the
peace effort, however, also has its risks. It could deal another blow to
Obama's credibility in the Middle East, where he already faces
criticism for a tepid response to Syria's civil war and to the
military's takeover in Egypt.
"There's tremendous upheaval in the region and internationally right
now. Do you want to add to it?" asked Dennis Ross, Obama's former top
Middle East adviser. "We don't need to see something we've been
investing in collapse."
'UNILATERAL STEPS'
| Kathy Kriger (L), owner of Rick's Cafe, which was created based on the the movie |
The current phase of the
Middle East peace process is not over, and it has broken down due to
"unilateral steps" by both sides, Earnest said.
"It's time for the Israeli leaders and the leaders of the Palestinian
people to spend some time considering their options at this point," he
told reporters.
The
negotiations were catapulted into crisis at the weekend when Israel
refused to act on a previously agreed release of Palestinian prisoners
unless it had assurances the Palestinians would continue talks beyond an
initial end-April deadline.
Kerry flew to Jerusalem to try to find a solution. Just as he believed a
convoluted deal was within reach, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
signed 15 international treaties, making clear he was ready to beat a
unilateral path to world bodies unless he saw more movement from the
Israelis.
A senior
Palestinian official, Nabil Shaath, told Reuters that Abbas had not
intended to upset Kerry, but rather to shine a spotlight on Israel's
failure to release the prisoners.
| U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (front, 2nd R) and Moroccan Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar |
"I think (Kerry) will
return because we have not abandoned the process," said the veteran
negotiator, speaking in Ramallah, the Palestinians' administrative
capital in the West Bank.
"We
will continue these negotiations as we agreed, and I wish for once that
America's patience runs out - with Israel and not the Palestinians," he
said.
STRUGGLE
With
each side looking to blame the other for the impasse, Israel's centrist
finance minister, Yair Lapid, said he questioned whether Abbas wanted a
deal, pointing to a lengthy list of Palestinian demands published on
Maan news agency.
These included lifting a blockade on the Gaza
Strip, and freeing a group of high-profile prisoners, including Marwan
Barghouti, jailed a decade ago over a spate of suicide bombings.| Protesters stand in front of Israeli policemen officers during a protest calling for the release of … |
Kerry has spent
much of his first year as America's top diplomat invested in the Middle
East peace process, and has visited the region more than a dozen times.
He broke off twice from his current 12-day trip in Europe and the
Middle East to see Israeli and Palestinian leaders in an effort to
salvage the peace negotiations.
The talks have struggled from the start, stalling over Palestinian
opposition to Israel's demand that it be recognized as a Jewish state,
and over the issue of fast-growing Israeli settlements in the occupied
West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Palestinians want an independent state in Gaza, the West Bank and East
Jerusalem - lands captured by Israel in the 1967 war. While all parties
say negotiations are the best path to peace, Palestinians say they may
eventually resort to international bodies to force Israel to make
concessions.
(Additional
reporting by Susan Heavey, Steve Holland and Matt Spetalnick in
Washington and Noah Browning in Ramallah; Writing by Patrick Markey,
Crispian Balmer and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Tom Heneghan, Jason Szep
and Mohammad Zargham).
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