Cameroon girls take over Calabar sex market

<div align="center"> <img alt="Cameroon girls take over Calabar sex market" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Oy3wMSKUxlAAt-pIgRQH1O-BtsSHkzVR6K5dfpVzmQdwehl1jaPvciL17y1-UM_qbMxrKdNEdgNXdmdIF_Lzkfv-v1-falXDtIWn6da_uAhbvHnXCLIUq1sqzNtikvOeYtCkUBlA6i44/s1600/prostitutes+cartoon.jpg" title="Cameroon girls take over Calabar sex market" /></div> <br /> Calabar, Cross River State capital, is famous as the home of bevy and succulent women. Their welcoming disposition gives the city a warm and alluring ambience to many a visitor to the city.<br /> <br /> The bulk of these women are girls from tertiary educational institutions in the city. Teenage secondary school girls along with their city colleagues who are also attractive make the population of women in the city burst at the seam. To keep body and soul together, many of them resort to “hustling”, a nomenclature for part-time prostitution prevalent in the city.<br /> <br /> These ‘hustlers’ operate from their hostels and homes during nocturnal hours. They roam the streets, especially around places with active night life like Atekong Drive, Marian Road, Effanga Mkpa Street, Edabor Street,Third Avenue, Second Avenue and highbrow eateries where people, particularly visitors, congregate at night and can afford to pick them up for a fee to satisfy their sexual appetite.<br /> <br /> There are, however, indications that the activities of these ‘hustlers’ are threatened by girls from Cameroon and Niger Republic who, recently, descended on Calabar and are systematically offering “better services” at cheaper fees to teeming clients. These dark skinned new entrants, aged between 20 and 25 years, seem poised to take over the trade and the local girls do not seem to be finding it funny.<br /> <br /> These Cameroonian and Nigerien girls, apart from being classy like some of the Calabar tertiary education institution girls, are available (night and day), which gives them the edge as they give clients the opportunity to take a shot at them whenever they want it unlike the local ‘hustlers’ who are available mostly at night.<br /> <br /> Unyime, a young man, who operates an ice cream spot in front of a famous fast food spot along Atekong Drive/Marian Road , told Sunday Vanguard that the girls are sex machines who can do anything anywhere because they have an “I don’t care attitude”. Sunday Vanguard investigation revealed that, unlike the local ‘hustlers’ who are predominantly students who come out mostly at night and position themselves along strategic parts of the city ostensibly for fear of being recognised by colleagues or neighbours, these Cameroon and Niger girls are braggadocios and walk about boldly around the city in the day and traverse popular night clubs, fast food and beer joints to solicit for patronage. They take residence in cheap hotels with fees ranging between N2,000 and 3,000 daily. So, clients, at any time of the day, don’t have to face the headache of looking for joints where to pay for ‘short rest’. They can simply join the girls right in their rented rooms where the cost is built into her charges.<br /> <br /> “These girls are everywhere in the city and they are more or less sex machines as men sometimes wait for their turns; this is the first time I am seeing a man wait in his car or sit at the bar and wait for the person inside to come out before going in to do the same thing the other person just did in the same place”, Christian Edah, a bar attendant in one of the hotels told Sunday Vanguard.<br /> <br /> He said some of the girls take between 10 and 15 men a day and still look fresh and clean. “Some of our girls who are students and come here to hustle, sometimes in the night, squabble with guests because the man’s libido is too high for them and normally abandon the (Camerounian and Nigerian) to stay the remaining part of the night at the open bar, but these man girls hardly complain and they are making some cool bucks”.<br /> <br /> When our reporter interacted with one of them, who gave her name as Ethel from Mamfe in southern part of Cameroon and speaks adulterated French and pidgin English , said business brought her to Calabar and, as such, she has no time for frivolities like complaining when a customer wants more if he can pay additional money. “Each shot is N2,000 or N1,500 and, so long as he pays additional money, I have no issues with him”, she said in French accented pidgin English.<br /> <br /> She said her day starts at 9:00 am where she takes her bath and then heads to one of the eateries for breakfast. Thereafter, if she gets a call from any of her customers, she invites him over and business begins. At 1 pm, she goes to a local canteen to eat a launch of eba or rice with pepper soup and then return to the hotel for a drink with colleagues and intermittently goes to her room to service clients. “I don’t go out to hunt for men, they know where to find me or I call them on phone”, she stated.<br /> <br /> A staff of one of the hotels where these girls are lodged said the love for variety by Nigerian men is what is driving them to patronise the girls, otherwise there is nothing special about them. “Most Nigerian men like to show that they have done it with somebody from outside the country; otherwise our girls are okay and better than them”, he said.<br /> <br /> Speaking on the issue, Mr Jude Ngaji, the Cross River State Security, as Adviser, said prostitution is morally wrong and encourages criminal activity and such, the state government will do everything to stop the practice. “Morally, prostitution is what you find all over the world. It must be decently done and make sure that don’t constitute security issue. My concern is that, let criminals not take advantage of these girls. I am not going to determine the number of visitors to these sex workers but my major concern is that once these sex workers become security issue we would stop them”, Ngaji said.<br /> <br /> <i>From Vanguard</i>

Latest-News Nigerian News Cameroon girls take over Calabar sex market

Calabar, Cross River State capital, is famous as the home of bevy and succulent women. Their welcoming disposition gives the city a warm ...

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Pension thieves must return stolen funds - El-Rufai

<div align="center"> <img alt="Pension thieves must return stolen funds - El-Rufai" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uDLg6gbNXoKSX6v1wXUijPgV0tuBIioQZ3QTkbfqgwnafvU4AjrAL0zlf05MXIQYX74fNhZNBSDjGjRnaFrySRtqcf20z6YRQCLPDZ1z8j5_tPGlPcy8eDZDjFaDCS_HVr7vsQi2JD5w/s1600/El-rufai-Nasir+NEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.png" title="Pension thieves must return stolen funds - El-Rufai" /></div> <br /> <br /> Kaduna Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has vowed to recover all monies stolen from the coffers of the state pension treasury over the years by a cabal of pension syndicates and thieves.<br /> <br /> He also said all those involved in the discovered 1.3 billion Naira annual pension scam must return the money and face the wrath of law.<br /> <br /> According to El-Rufai, it was unfortunate that the pension thieves capitalised on weakness of the system under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, during its 16 years administration in the state to loot the pension treasury.<br /> <br /> Governor El-Rufai who made this known Friday during the fourth town hall meeting organized by the office of the Special Adviser on Political Matters, Dr. Uba Sani, described as unfortunate a situation where some individuals just sit down in corridors of their offices and steal the money meant to take care of civil servants that have laboured for the state.<br /> <br /> According to the governor, the committee set up to investigate the pension scam has reported that even people who are dead are still receiving pension in Kaduna.<br /> <br /> He also told the audience at the Kaduna Trade Fair Complex that after the verification exercise of the pensioners in the state, it was revealed that more than 4,000 ghost pensioners were discovered.<br /> <br /> While urging the residents of Kaduna to support the effort of the government to rid Kaduna of corrupt public office holders, he gave assurance that once investigation into the scam is completed, identities of the syndicates and thieves would be made public.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, speaking on progress made so far since he assumed office on May 29, he said all promises made are gradually being fulfilled.<br /> <br /> However, he reiterated commitment to making education free and compulsory, but begged parents and religious leaders to allow their children go to school.<br /> <br /> Reacting to questions from residents of Kaduna Central Senatorial District on security, El-Rufai said substantial progress had been made in reducing crime such as cattle rustling, armed robbery and youth restiveness in the state.<br /> <br /> The governor promised to do more in the area of job creation and power supply for industrial growth.

Latest-News Politics Pension thieves must return stolen funds - El-Rufai

Kaduna Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has vowed to recover all monies stolen from the coffers of the state pension treasury over the yea...

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Buhari’s Ministerial List Shows That He Belongs To Somebody – Cardinal Okogie

<div align="center"> <img alt="Buhari’s Ministerial List Shows That He Belongs To Somebody - Cardinal Okogie" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYZjD02Ir5_UnwEE2SDOvZiuB3LEm4SpEy40zbA72wUtxpP-RYx_ZA7AQUlcr05iKQTGwMGiKmyi05Hf7H5B3PmgbWuc7qzfcFOp6cxr2S7IFb2yDb7-ndDmj5XvvSI6bt0W7NYuQ07an/s1600/okogie.jpg" title="Buhari’s Ministerial List Shows That He Belongs To Somebody - Cardinal Okogie" /></div> <br /> For over four decades, he held the nation spell-bound with his activ­ism and catechism. Ordained first as a priest on December 11, 1966, consecrated as a titular Bishop in August 1971, Archbishop in 1973 and a Cardinal in October 2003, Anthony Olubunmi Okogie became the voice for the voiceless and for years took advantage of his leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) as well as Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria to speak against the ills in government and even dared the military regimes of Gener­als Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha that many leaders dreaded to cross their path then.<br /> <br /> Without mincing words, his activities and episcopal status attracted to him the high and mighty in the society. His home and office were like a pilgrimage site besieged by all shades of Nigerians; from the lowly church members, family relations to business tycoons and heads of governments across all tiers.<br /> <br /> At 79 and retired since May 2012, Okogie appears to be facing the other side of fame; loneliness. Indeed, he confirmed this in this with Saturday Sun. But beyond this, the cleric remains as fiery and critical as ever. To him, events of the last four months in Nigeria have shown that there is no difference between the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan and incumbent President Muham­madu Buhari. He spoke with VERA WIS­DOM-BASSEY. Excerpts:<br /> <br /> <b>At 55, what are those things you think the government should put in place for us to be a good and prosper­ous nation?</b><br /> <br /> Any time I look at Nigeria, I feel like weep­ing, you are asking me of celebrating at 80, am satisfied the way God has kept me, the way am going, people don’t believe am still strong. In the nation, we have to be careful just like crossing the road. You look left, right and look again before you move, otherwise you will be crushed. That has been my principle, what is money after all, what do you gain from it, women what do you get from it. Women, what do they get from the men? When you look at someone and you fall in love with the person and the next moment you said you don’t like her again. She is not a cloth, it’s not a cloth that you can say this is old. No, she is a hu­man being like you, why can’t you use your head before going into it. A man walked into my office one day and was talking that his wife is old, and I said you too you’re old. The way the woman is today is not the way you met her many years ago, so why won’t you want her. So, when you look at Nigeria at 55 and those who are long enough in this world, as Nigeria is, you will feel sorry for the coun­try. So also there was a time Ghanaians were even laughing at us, when things were going well, they were all in Nigeria even the days of Nkrumah, so it’s selfishness and the root cause of that is money, and greed, because when you have money and others who have it and they are wasting it, you who have it, they want to kill you, and destroy you. These are examples. Our heavenly father is there and standing with arms akimbo watching us as Nigerians, saying look at my children the way they are killing themselves. Everyone wants to make it, the good Lord that brought me out of my mother’s womb as small as I was then, the same person will take care of me. So, as parents, we are to bring up our children the right way to go and show them the way, but they won’t. So, many things are now standing on the way, favourit­ism, people lobbying to become the friend of this and that. For instance, look at the ministe­rial nominees.<br /> <b><br /></b><b>I was coming to that, how do you see the ministerial list, especially af­ter the long wait?</b><br /> <br /> When I was listening to the broadcast of the incumbent president during his swearing–in, I beat my chest, can this man say, those things were written by him? I ask myself is this the Buhari I knew 2011, that wrote this? Even though it was written for him, can he not sit down and read and re-read again, and ask him­self, if he can follow all those things written down. Looking at the statement he made ‘I belong to everybody but nobody’. Look at the list of ministers, he belongs to nobody, I laughed. It means he belonged to APC.<br /> <br /> And with the list, they are now trying to pay back those who were their bag carriers, that is what am seeing, that is not Nigeria which we fought for, it’s painful. So, what is com­ing ahead if care is not taken and this crop of people if they don’t work hand in hand, we are going to have a bad future, because the youths now, they are just waiting, they are now say­ing that the elderly ones in this country, can’t be trusted, they are looking for their time and when that time comes, they will not carry arms, they will do it in such a way that you will not even know that they are the one.<br /> <br /> The people who have served in different ca­pacities should have given room for the young­er ones to go in and serve. OBJ used to say I sit down dey look (laugh), I don’t know what he has to say to all this, but I know he has a part in it. I said it loud and clear, how come this one say I brought my list, am hearing this from the common people. I know when they come down they say all sort of things, how many list do you want, how many different people brought their list? And yet you said, you be­long to nobody, how can you not be confused, when you said you’re waiting for an angel, to come and rule the nation, I laughed. Out of the abundant of the heart, the mouth speaketh. If I were in his shoes, (Buhari) I tell you, this is his last time. He tried it thrice and now that the good Lord brought him back, can’t he use this opportunity to do something better?<br /> <br /> One thing am seeing again from what is go­ing on, there is acrimony, during the campaign they were just attacking one another, that hap­pened then. People who said they have gone to secondary school, not to talk of university are behaving this way, is it how to keep the nation together? Where is the patriotism in that list? How can you tell me that these people are go­ing to work?<br /> <br /> <b>How do you see their integrity?</b><br /> <br /> I am not God, but from their previous per­formances, am afraid. When you see the states the way they operated then, not to talk of now they are putting on a bigger scale that they are going to do well, it doesn’t follow, Nigeria is a big nation. Looking at this from the spiritual angle, there are a lot of killings on-going, and it’s becoming more than what we could chew.<br /> <b><br /></b><b>As a minister of God and elder statesman, what is your advice to the president regarding insurgency. Has he done his best so far?</b><br /> <br /> No, no, it’s not the best, I know that he’s going to win, because I already see the signs, he will win, anyway that was one of the rea­sons why, those that elected him, did so. The leaders and the party members did so, I don’t know, because the killings are getting too much and not only that foreigners and foreign nations were coming but sooner or later, it will come to an end. What the Boko Haram peo­ple are doing is that they are diminishing fast, but what they are doing is sending the small number they have to go to sensitive places to throw their bomb to show they are still alive but very soon, by the grace of God they will be combated.<br /> <b><br /></b><b>That means you give kudos to Bu­hari’s administration for at least achieving something?</b><br /> <br /> That is one of the things I think, so far so good, as I can see.<br /> <br /> <b>And you’re optimistic about the December deadline?</b><br /> <br /> I don’t look at deadline, he’s not God, I knew that sooner or later, with the way they are going about it, they will win. There have to be causalities here and there, but signs of victory are there, more than before.<br /> <br /> <b>Looking at the tussle going on in the National Assembly, what would you say regarding the credibility of the present leadership, what is your take?</b><br /> <br /> They are unpatriotic, that is the major thing, they are more or less partying (that is party members) they don’t look at this nation at all, they seem not to know that without Nigeria, they will not have a party. That is the trou­ble. Am of this one, this one brought me into the party and I must serve this person. Putting blame on others, it is uncalled for. Election has come and gone, it is now time for them to seat down as a body and look at Nigeria and then work, but they are not doing it. Other things will come in, we should try and be reading the back page of The Guardian and hear the youth talking. What are the older ones looking for there in the government seat in the first place?<br /> <br /> When OBJ was looking for third term, sor­ry I have to mention him, what did he forget that he’s going there to take, and after that, they (old leaders) are coming back, what are they looking for? This beats my imagination, he himself (Buhari) has been there thrice and failed, and now that God has brought him back, APC has brought him back and look at what is happening. They have tried PDP and now decided to try APC and know what they can do.<br /> <br /> <b>Are you disappointed?</b><br /> <br /> Yes, am disappointed in both parties, not just APC alone. When you look at what is going on, what is happening is just the tip of the iceberg. They have not started work at all. Look at the way they selected their members, there are some people who put on APC cloth, they are wolf in sheep clothings, they are PDP down, down their mind and they came out as APC. That is why they are now having the Saraki and there are so many of them still there, are we having an Assembly and sena­tors as gang of robbers or gang of rascals. Is it what we are having now? If someone is to do that to their family, would they be happy, not to talk of a big nation like Nigeria. Buhari is going to have a tough time with this set of people, am telling you, am not a prophet. The game of Saraki, I put it in the middle. If these people begin to work, we will see and hear wonders. I hope they won’t drag us down to the earth. Look at our football team, the only thing that brings us together, look at the good old days, you hear Nigerian football as one of the best in the world, but today what has become of it?<br /> <br /> Would you want to recommend ways we can achieve some synergy, so that this administration will not fail between the executive and the legislative arms of government?<br /> <br /> The only synergy we can have, is for both to agree to work together. If they don’t work together, the unity is at stake. They should not see themselves as a PDP man or APC man, that is what they are doing now, unless they agree to work together, if they work as a party person there will be problem. Honesty, they say is the best policy, we need honest men that can rule this country and take us to the prom­ise land. Am not condemning all of them, No. Now the talk of petroleum, the president is talking of handling the sector himself, there is nothing bad there, afterall OBJ tried it, soldier to soldier, it’s in their blood.<br /> <br /> <b>Is that not the reason he can’t trust anybody to manage it, seeing what happened to the former petroleum minister?</b><br /> <br /> What I will say to that is this, it is very, very bitter to see somebody we have been reading about carrying such amount of money being laundered, that is enough to kill one. For me, I don’t just sit down at home, I also relate with the people in my environment when I want to cut my hair, I go to the barbers shop, be­cause I want to see how people live and make their money, and feel what they go through and what they talk about the nation, so I don’t just sit down at home all the time. From the public you get the truth about the state of the nation. I learnt so much from my father, I could have been turned away from the war front, but God refused it. The way things are going is not good for us as a nation. It’s not right the way things are going, and they are parading themselves as minister, with some saying, this is my third term in office, even those who have been there before this régime. And some mak­ing comments of what they will have in their ministry and what they will not have in their ministry. Are they God or head of State? That is what is happening now. People are already challenging him of wanting to be the minister of petroleum, eventhough the constitution is there to be followed.<br /> <br /> <b>What are those things in our system, that make those in power to be cor­rupt. Is there anything about the sys­tem that promotes corruption?</b><br /> <br /> Sorry madam to cut you short, the scripture is there, love of money, when one is in power and you are in charge of money, frivolity is number one, you want to favour people, always try to show off, of what they have or wear, and any­thing you have, you want to throw it away, and if you don’t get it, you’re not happy. Tribalism is another. And the money you haven’t gotten, you begin to spend. Another is party system, we are in the same party, they have not helped our party people, dishonesty, the devil is very, very bad, and powerful, he knows our weak points, that is why we have to guide ourselves, this flesh we have is where most of our problems lies, we have the spirit and we have the body. We have the good spirit and the bad. As St Paul told us, the good spirit will talk in low tone, and the bad one will be high. For how long, that is why I said am afraid of this present group of ministers, they per­formed well in their various states. Okay, this is the reason some of them are being appointed, be­cause this one has been with me, he has worked with me, listens to me and now we must bring him to come and work with you. This is the one I know, whether he can do it or not, and if the person disappoints you, you said I never knew he is like this. He has to hide himself, so as to get to the position he is requesting for. Some of them nominated are saying, don’t worry we are wait­ing for them, until we get there, that has been the comment I have been hearing and some of them say yes, this opportunity, we have been waiting for, and we must make it. These are people who will rule Nigeria and are saying they want to help Buhari, they just sit down somewhere and are talking of how they will make it when they get to power.<br /> <br /> <b>Is it not because this gov­ernment makes money avail­able for governance?</b><br /> <br /> That is one thing I said, cutting down on others is not healthy, rath­er look at other nations they are the richest. Look at what other nations are getting; compare it to what we have in Nigeria. Look at some of our graduates who want to work in­stead no job, they rather go into rob­bery, and on this, they try to escape, this are cases of people who want to make it by all means.<br /> <br /> When Okonjo Iweala was also critized, she was satisfied with what she was doing in the World Bank before OBJ went to bring her down to Nigeria. And as they said there is corruption in the country and if not handled well, it will destroy the na­tion. To buttress your question, did they not rob it on her, that she is cor­rupt? And as the good Lord will have it she is now elevated to another po­sition. Let them go and bring her, she will never come back again. She has learnt her lesson. So, this is it.<br /> <b><br /></b><b>Sir, how is life after retire­ment?</b><br /> <br /> Look at it now, I won’t say am en­joying every moment of it, because people keep coming in and asking me questions, wanting my attention here and there. Apart from that, I have more time to look back into my life which is more important to me. Every evening before I go to bed, I just ask myself question, ‘Tony, how have you faired today?’ How did you spend the day, these are the things, this is how life is. You must always try to look back. I will come like a thief in the night that is what God says. One billionaire, who died recently, where are all his money, what did he do to his own nation, Nigeria?<br /> <br /> (From The Sun)

Latest-News Politics Buhari’s Ministerial List Shows That He Belongs To Somebody – Cardinal Okogie

For over four decades, he held the nation spell-bound with his activ­ism and catechism. Ordained first as a priest on December 11, 1966, ...

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Arsenal fire-power too good for Watford

<div align="center"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5LAxa1SzqAUIm-NB1twgwndHNMUfT0efqnqLd4DA_KUkL0GVP6-Qwhs_Txp8VSJjI4Ud0W3oWAaFq-qodHGHkW01I8g0yh5DKEyFSsCIvOGhH_Zu3dJeK32YjtcYZiNsomzY9pRCrRjpm/s1600/arsenal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Arsenal fire-power too good for Watford" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5LAxa1SzqAUIm-NB1twgwndHNMUfT0efqnqLd4DA_KUkL0GVP6-Qwhs_Txp8VSJjI4Ud0W3oWAaFq-qodHGHkW01I8g0yh5DKEyFSsCIvOGhH_Zu3dJeK32YjtcYZiNsomzY9pRCrRjpm/s1600/arsenal.jpg" title="Arsenal fire-power too good for Watford" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <br /> Arsenal moved back into second place in the Premier League as goals from Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroudand Aaron Ramsey secured a 3-0 win at Watford. <br /> <br /> Arsene Wenger's side turned on the style late in the game at Vicarage Road, with three unanswered goals in a 12-minute burst keeping them within two points of leaders Manchester City. <br /> <br /> After a drab first half lacking any clear-cut chances, Arsenal broke the deadlock after 62 minutes as Sanchez shrugged of pre-match fears over his fitness to pounce on a loose ball in the penalty area and slot home. <br /> <br /> Substitute Giroud added the second from Mesut Ozil's cutback, before Ramsey secured the points after a mazy run from Hector Bellerin.<br /> <br /> <div align="center"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1a7Bff2bjozzfB5FkaSZ9RzZxRp0lYF0x3yexJAtWH8cx681S5H67lUbKefL0bYUaZ-FDkJmurxL-LQDkgsRLTiI2NgUpu-FzTG4pSf3wOzUo2Sjs0NQ-ul1xuMUh2UhevzlG92ru15i-/s1600/arsenal-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Arsenal fire-power too good for Watford" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1a7Bff2bjozzfB5FkaSZ9RzZxRp0lYF0x3yexJAtWH8cx681S5H67lUbKefL0bYUaZ-FDkJmurxL-LQDkgsRLTiI2NgUpu-FzTG4pSf3wOzUo2Sjs0NQ-ul1xuMUh2UhevzlG92ru15i-/s1600/arsenal-2.jpg" title="Arsenal fire-power too good for Watford" /></a></div> <div align="center"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerXYyoLHE5rJHc8aBIJe9ijSdDmJr75uVy8koonajcVwo383o-kY1tFoVX4fobC4TghjgLyP7nKzLp9-gQVjuU_FC6kvVuLsxaPyVy70Dtm3GAOS_Ozhbr8b18WT-ueABL2xyLgMBh03L/s1600/arsenal-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Arsenal fire-power too good for Watford" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerXYyoLHE5rJHc8aBIJe9ijSdDmJr75uVy8koonajcVwo383o-kY1tFoVX4fobC4TghjgLyP7nKzLp9-gQVjuU_FC6kvVuLsxaPyVy70Dtm3GAOS_Ozhbr8b18WT-ueABL2xyLgMBh03L/s1600/arsenal-3.jpg" title="Arsenal fire-power too good for Watford" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> Watford's previously tight defence had no answer to Arsenal's blitz and found themselves hanging on as the visitors looked to stretch their advantage in the closing minutes, Giroud seeing a bullet header well saved. <br /> <br /> Further goals failed to materialise but Arsenal had done enough to seal the three points, while Watford were left to rue a second defeat in their last three outings.<br /> <br /> Having demolished Manchester United with a first-half flurry before the international break, Arsenal again started fast, though Theo Walcott was denied by Heurelho Gomes – part of an unchanged Watford line-up – with a close-range header after five minutes, before the Brazilian goalkeeper was on hand again to punch away an effort from Sanchez. <br /> <br /> Arsenal's attempts at controlling possession had limited Watford's openings but Troy Deeney powered through and tested Petr Cech with a powerful drive after 11 minutes, before he was denied by a crucial Laurent Koscielny challenge soon after.<br /> <br /> Having weathered the storm, Arsenal began to press again and should have gone ahead just before the half-hour as Ramsey met Sanchez's left-wing cross at the back post, but the Wales international volleyed over from five yards under pressure from Gomes. <br /> <br /> Arsenal gradually built momentum after the interval and finally had a deserved breakthrough just after the hour as intricate build-up play released Ozil into the area and, despite the German being felled by Nathan Ake, referee Mike Jones waved play-on and Sanchez converted via Gomes' right-hand post. <br /> <br /> Giroud doubled their lead four minutes after replacing Walcott as Ozil kept the ball alive inside the penalty area, and his reverse pass from the byline judged perfectly for the Frenchman to fire into the roof of the net. <br /> <br /> Before the hosts could react, they found themselves three goals behind as Bellerin cut in from the right flank and his simple pass found Ramsey, who clipped home with the aid of a deflection off Ikechi Anya. <br /> <br /> Giroud went close to making it four with a late header from a Santi Cazorla corner, but Arsenal had done enough as they cruised to their sixth win of the season.<br /> <br /> (Goal.com)

Latest-News Sports Arsenal fire-power too good for Watford

Arsenal moved back into second place in the Premier League as goals from Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroudand Aaron Ramsey secured a 3-0 w...

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Manchester City trash Bournemouth, 5-1

<div align="center"> <img alt="Manchester City trash Bournemouth, 5-1" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikkP3DB34E6qc4LtU0dXyB8yBEPIU-6tS3vMKkXhCtkD0kHOs4NBJgCE0i5EgM-5guTaw9ySVtyyEqaRA83cmr1Xvsa6n0nw_-bX6Yy2YrFG8CIzI3-vsYSZIGNCeGHSJmCiEDkmaS-OB4/s1600/ster.jpg" title="Manchester City trash Bournemouth, 5-1" /></div> <br /> Manchester City maintained their grip on top spot in the Premier League with Raheem Sterling scoring his first professional hat-trick in a 5-1 victory over AFC Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium.<br /> <br /> Even without the injured Sergio Aguero - who scored five goals in 22 minutes last time out against Newcastle United - City showed no sign of bluntness in attack, with England forward Sterling starring with his first-half treble and Wilfried Bony scoring twice.<br /> <br /> Bony, who replaced Aguero up front, set up Sterling for the opening goal in before capitalising on a mistake from Adam Federici to add one of his own in the 11th minute.<br /> <br /> Bournemouth pulled one back through Glenn Murray in the 22nd minute, but Sterling was on target again before the half-hour mark.<br /> <br /> City, who were also without injured duo Aleksandar Kolarov and David Silva and had captain Vincent Kompany among their substitutes, hit the bar through Kevin De Bruyne before Sterling made the most of some dreadful Bournemouth defending to complete his hat-trick on the stroke of half-time.<br /> <br /> Manuel Pellegrini's side took their foot off the gas in the second half, but Bony rounded off a comprehensive victory with a smart finish in the 89th minute as City kept their two-point advantage over Manchester United at the top before Arsenal face Watford in Saturday's late game.<br /> <br /> After having a solid penalty claim for Nicolas Otamendi's challenge on Dan Gosling denied, Bournemouth's disappointment was compounded when they found themselves behind inside seven minutes.<br /> <br /> Fernandinho's cross-field pass was kept alive by Pablo Zabaleta on the byline, with Bony helping his header on to Sterling who supplied the finish at the back post.<br /> <br /> City doubled their advantage soon after when Bony capitalised on a calamitous spill from Federici to slot into the gaping net.<br /> <br /> Murray stunned the home crowd by pulling one back in the 22nd minute when he capped a neat Bournemouth move, finding the bottom corner with a shot from the top of the box that deflected off Eliaquim Mangala.<br /> <br /> But City's two-goal cushion was restored in seven minutes later as De Bruyne picked out the run of Sterling, who committed Steve Cook and Sylvain Distin before stroking beyond Federici.<br /> <br /> The Bournemouth keeper produced a fine stop to tip a De Bruyne effort onto the crossbar in the 45th minute.<br /> <br /> However, he was partially to blame as Sterling completed his hat-trick in first-half stoppage time, firing home from an acute angle after Jesus Navas made the most of miscommunication in the Bournemouth defence but saw his initial strike saved.<br /> <br /> Sterling had two chances to add to his tally early in the second period but was unable to take either, stabbing the latter wide of the target after a clever pass from Bony.<br /> <br /> Bournemouth maintained a solid defensive shape for the remainder, but Bony grabbed his second of the game late on to complete a resounding City win.<br /> <br /> (Goal.com)

Latest-News Sports Manchester City trash Bournemouth, 5-1

Manchester City maintained their grip on top spot in the Premier League with Raheem Sterling scoring his first professional hat-trick in ...

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Ronaldo makes history, becomes Real Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer

<div align="center"> <img alt="Ronaldo makes history, becomes Real Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAsVxbffqOArPKrxygC76XspmZBf9Q0yiuDxXfcwgS6snAELxfmxoQssVjYQ0UYq6DRKUsd7BZDbu_6mue3ouZW2-yr2YpFLUo1If8w6067zsLvJ3PKrwXk-nS5FWBKzIKNvoHct6Zz5Ue/s1600/ronaldo+dsf.jpg" title="Ronaldo makes history, becomes Real Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer" /></div> <br /> Cristiano Ronaldo has become Real Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer after finding the net in Saturday's 3-0 win over Levante.<br /> <br /> Marcelo put the hosts into an early lead on Saturday and, despite Levante threatening on occasion, Ronaldo's 324th Madrid goal took him beyond Raul in the club's scoring charts and made the game safe.<br /> <br /> Roger and Deyverson called Keylor Navas into action, but the home goalkeeper was in fine form to earn a clean sheet.<br /> <br /> After Ronaldo went close to extending his lead over Raul, Jese eventually made it 3-0 with a superb finish from a tight angle.<br /> <br /> Victory puts Madrid top of the league, although Villarreal can resume at the summit if they beat Celta Vigo on Sunday.<br /> <br /> Navas was called into action after just four minutes when Roger tried his luck from a narrow angle, only for the Costa Rica international to palm his right-footed shot wide for a corner.<br /> <br /> Danilo set up Gareth Bale with a fine pass over the top shortly after, yet the Welshman blasted his effort high and wide, while Ronaldo had a penalty shout turned down after going down under Simao's challenge.<br /> <br /> Madrid went ahead in the 27th minute after a fine combination between Marcelo and Ronaldo.<br /> <br /> The Brazil international won the ball off Jose Luis Morales before playing a one-two with Ronaldo, followed by a powerful finish at the near corner.<br /> <br /> Levante nearly immediately replied via Deyverson, yet Navas pulled off a sublime reflex to keep the attacker's header out.<br /> <br /> The away side were made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal just minutes later. Toni Kroos set up Ronaldo and the 30-year-old worked the ball out of his feet before firing a superb strike into the right-hand corner to seal his place in the record books.<br /> <br /> Levante got another chance to peg one back in the 34th minute, but Navas once more proved to be too much of an obstacle as he kept out Roger's shot after some good work from Deyverson.<br /> <br /> The away side refused to give up and got another decent opportunity shortly after the interval. Deyverson took advantage of Marcelo's slip to collect a loose ball and set up Roger, yet the forward hesitated too long, allowing Casemiro to steal the ball with a last-ditch tackle.<br /> <br /> Ronaldo got a chance to double his personal tally after the referee awarded Madrid a free-kick in a dangerous area following a foul on Lucas Vasquez, yet his set-piece lacked the accuracy to trouble Ruben.<br /> <br /> Deyverson should have halved the deficit in the 70th minute when he got all the time and space he needed to unleash a shot from inside the area after a low cross from the left, but the Brazilian's shot hit Nacho before it went out for a corner.<br /> <br /> Jese would eventually have the last say at the Bernabeu as he made it three with a stunning finish after being set up by Lucas.<br /> <br /> (Goal.com)

Latest-News Sports Ronaldo makes history, becomes Real Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer

Cristiano Ronaldo has become Real Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer after finding the net in Saturday's 3-0 win over Levante. ...

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Chelsea 2-0 Aston Villa: Costa gets Mourinho's champions back on track

<div align="center"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdH-C58-D-Bm1-2tkkGhzGXzemJp8U1AIRaK4SmjoorFlYbVNJqislBE1vIZOIX0qK6Cv0woy9_ZCMFH6PmBC-BMxM0h-xlg6mNQFsysQgCXQPKzLNcRYYgsLgLSB6mhGzDRSseYLSw6u/s1600/mou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chelsea 2-0 Aston Villa: Costa gets Mourinho's champions back on track" border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdH-C58-D-Bm1-2tkkGhzGXzemJp8U1AIRaK4SmjoorFlYbVNJqislBE1vIZOIX0qK6Cv0woy9_ZCMFH6PmBC-BMxM0h-xlg6mNQFsysQgCXQPKzLNcRYYgsLgLSB6mhGzDRSseYLSw6u/s640/mou.jpg" title="Chelsea 2-0 Aston Villa: Costa gets Mourinho's champions back on track" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Diego Costa's tap-in and an Alan Hutton own goal gave Chelsea their first win in four matches on Saturday as the Premier League champions beat Aston Villa 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.<br /> <br /> Both sides came into the clash out of form and separated by just four points in the lower reaches of the table but Costa - returning from a suspension for his antics against Arsenal last month - proved key as goals in each half got Jose Mourinho's men back on track after a tricky run of results.<br /> <br /> Mourinho was charged by the Football Association in midweek for his outburst after the 3-1 defeat to Southampton and dropped the likes of Eden Hazard, Gary Cahill and Oscar to the bench from that loss.<br /> <br /> While the changes made little difference early on as Villa edged the opening stages, Costa benefited from a defensive mix-up between Brad Guzan and Joleon Lescott 10 minutes before half time.<br /> <br /> Villa - winless in the league since the opening day - offered signs that they could get back into the game but were out of luck for Chelsea's second as Costa's shot looped past Guzan off the unlucky Hutton.<br /> <br /> While Chelsea continued to look off their best, Mourinho's side ended their winless run ahead of a tricky midweek trip to face Dinamo Kiev in the Champions League, while Villa's fifth consecutive Premier League defeat will keep the pressure on Tim Sherwood as they remain in the bottom three.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Carles Gil was one of four Villa changes and the Spaniard fired over from distance five minutes in before Ruben Loftus-Cheek had a curled effort deflected wide at the other end.<br /> <br /> Villa again threatened as Hutton outmuscled Premier League debutant Baba Rahman before firing at Asmir Begovic - his follow-up effort veering way off target as Sherwood's men sought to ask questions of their hosts.<br /> <br /> Jack Grealish - another brought in by Sherwood - posed problems, winning a free-kick on the edge of area that Jordan Ayew clipped just over as sloppy touches in the final third continued to plague Chelsea.<br /> <br /> Villa continued to spurn chances - Rudy Gestede poking over the crossbar from inside the area - before dismal defending from Guzan and Lescott gave Chelsea their first clear opportunity.<br /> <br /> The Villa goalkeeper took the risky option of playing it out to Lescott and, when the defender failed to control, Willian collected the ball and played in Costa for his third goal of the season in all competitions.<br /> <br /> Grealish and Gil offered Villa their best chance of a leveller before half time, with Grealish cutting in from the left and going close early in the second half.<br /> <br /> Mourinho introduced Nemanja Matic for Loftus-Cheek at the break and, while Chelsea struggled for attacking momentum, a fortuitous deflection off Hutton doubled the hosts' lead.<br /> <br /> Costa took down Cesc Fabregas' lofted pass before turning and shooting on goal - the deflection off Hutton proving vital in beating a helpless Guzan and all but take the game away from Sherwood's side.<br /> <br /> Lescott almost made amends for his role in the opener but was denied by Cesar Azpilicueta after Gil's dangerous delivery before Costa was back in the thick of things when he tangled with Ashley Westwood off the ball.<br /> <br /> Both went unpunished by referee Roger East as Villa endured a frustrating defeat despite matching their opponents in spells.<br /> <br /> (Goal.com)

Latest-News Sports Chelsea 2-0 Aston Villa: Costa gets Mourinho's champions back on track

Diego Costa's tap-in and an Alan Hutton own goal gave Chelsea their first win in four matches on Saturday as the Premier League champ...

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Everton 0-3 Manchester United: Rooney helps Van Gaal's men return to winning ways

<div align="center"> <img alt="Everton 0-3 Manchester United: Rooney helps Van Gaal's men return to winning ways" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1adfBZVHKg1xhGUVxjQ8bMA270-hLVMpbbvp-O5f7XpRN2Cnd3VAwzxnOYc3FnXSqorC9P-iIhs_yCqfjHpUXGTEj6kEefqMaG0DAMl4lLYmTmzHavQW2ut-zeN_g1o-BEjdpbtx3iT4/s1600/Wayne-rooney-009.jpg" title="Everton 0-3 Manchester United: Rooney helps Van Gaal's men return to winning ways" /></div> <br /> Wayne Rooney scored his first goal at Goodison Park since 2007 as Manchester United bounced back from defeat to Arsenal with an impressive 3-0 Premier League win over Everton.<br /> <br /> Morgan Schneiderlin's first competitive goal for United in the 18th minute gave them the lead before Ander Herrera headed in a second just four minutes later.<br /> <br /> David de Gea continued his fine recent form with strong reaction saves to deny Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley as United weathered an early storm in the second half.<br /> <br /> But Rooney, who had been urged before the game by manager Louis van Gaal to end his Everton hoodoo, finished a quick counter-attack on 62 minutes to move joint-second with Andy Cole on 187 goals on the all-time Premier League scoring charts.<br /> <br /> Barkley did his best to inspire some hope for Everton in the closing stages but United saw out a victory which will restore confidence following their damaging 3-0 loss to Arsenal.<br /> <br /> United started with far greater composure than they displayed in the opening stages of that defeat to the Gunners, with Rooney smashing a shot wide after good link-up play with Juan Mata in the 10th minute.<br /> <br /> Herrera brought the first save out of Tim Howard with a fierce drive from 20 yards and United took the lead from the following corner. A combination of Marcos Rojo and Chris Smalling kept the ball alive after Mata's delivery bounced awkwardly in the box and the ball broke to Schneiderlin, who finished low into the bottom far corner from 12 yards.<br /> <br /> Rojo was the architect for United's second on 22 minutes. The Argentina defender, playing at full-back, aimed a pin-point cross from the left to find Herrera's run through the middle and the Spaniard headed down and past Howard.<br /> <br /> Anthony Martial was denied a third goal by a combination of John Stones and Brendan Galloway after Rooney had sprung the offside trap and picked out the France forward, before De Gea parried Barkley's effort from a tight angle in a rare first-half chance for Everton.<br /> <br /> De Gea saved superbly from Lukaku's stabbed finish on 54 minutes before reacting well to keep out a Barkley free-kick, as Everton started the second half firmly on the front foot.<br /> <br /> But a devastating counter-attack from United crushed the Goodison faithful's hopes of a comeback. Phil Jagielka's loose pass was pounced on by Schneiderlin, allowing Herrera to find Rooney behind the defence, and the England captain finished right-footed with aplomb past Howard.<br /> <br /> Rooney almost added a fourth after Martial sent him clean through on goal but Jagielka and Howard did enough to thwart his run inside the area, and Martial himself was then denied at the near post after a brilliant piece of close control inside the area.<br /> <br /> Barkley fizzed a late free-kick over the bar but United eased through the final 10 minutes to inflict upon Everton only a second league defeat of the season.

Latest-News Sports Everton 0-3 Manchester United: Rooney helps Van Gaal's men return to winning ways

Wayne Rooney scored his first goal at Goodison Park since 2007 as Manchester United bounced back from defeat to Arsenal with an impressiv...

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Godswill Akpabio returns to EFCC for more questioning

<div align="center"> <img alt="Godswill Akpabio returns to EFCC for more questioning" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczvx7P-1RWSDxfQj6ZcJldeCf54AkhzMoZUTiQ-gzBD03RQZmIkhmm8XRidWS-EghUcVsVOQGd25gfmookiAg8O_EwK2ibNDahTqn4-f-eMNRcjwIH9Cp2naQC9_sC1vLz7AGT0eE14ao/s1600/gov_akpabio.jpg" title="Godswill Akpabio returns to EFCC for more questioning" /></div> <b><br /></b><b>Former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio, has returned to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for more questioning after he was allowed to go home Friday night.</b><br /> <br /> Akpabio is presently the incumbent minority leader of the senate, arrived the EFCC at about 11:45 a.m., accompanied by his counsel and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Rickey Tarfa and some aides.<br /> <br /> A citizen’s petition, not an investigation by the EFCC was the reason the agency invited Akpabio to its office Friday.<br /> <br /> The citizen, Leo Ekpenyong, an Abuja based lawyer accused Akpabio of stealing N108.1billion of Akwa Ibom funds.<br /> <br /> In the petition dated June 22, 2015, Mr. Ekpenyong had stated that between January and December 2014, the ex-governor colluded with two of his personal aides to steal a huge sum of N108.1 billion from the state’s treasury.<br /> <br /> According to him, “Between January –December 2014, it is on record that the trio of Godswill Akpabio, Mr. Etekamba Umoren and Mr. Udo Isobara, made illegal but substantial withdrawals of cash from a designated state government-owned account with Zenith Bank with account number: 1010375881 amounting to N22.1 billion”.<br /> <br /> “It is worthy of note that reasons for such ungodly cash withdrawals against financial regulations and due process laws range between sundry use and unjustifiable expenditures by Akpabio and his numerous surrogates and proxies.<br /> <br /> “For example, a whopping N18 billion was withdrawn fraudulently from the state FAAC account with the United Bank for Africa in tranches of N10 million and above by Mr. Isobara in a surreptitious manner to conceal their dishonest intention.”<br /> <br /> In the period under review, the petitioner added that the ex-governor also withdrew a huge sum of N18 billion from the state account under the guise of special services, reception of very important guests and sundry items.<br /> <br /> “The cumulative aggregate of these monies stolen by Akpabio from the coffers of government as pocket money is the annual budget of some states in Nigeria put together.”<br /> <br /> Among the properties, which the petitioner claimed the ex-governor acquired through proxies include, a multi-billion naira mansion at Plot 5 Ikogosi Spring Close, off Katsina-Ala Crescent, Maitama-Abuja; a multi-billion naira maisonette at Plot 28 Colorado Close, Maitama, Abuja and another multi-billion naira mansion at 22 Probyn Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.<br /> <br /> Others include a multi-billion naira property at Plot 23 Olusegun Aina Street, Parkview, Lagos; a multi-billion naira 25 storey building and others in Lagos.Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and incumbent Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, was on Friday quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of financial impropriety levelled against him.<br /> EFCC operatives stormed Akpabio’s Abuja residence Friday evening to invite him to their office.<br /> <br /> Akpabio, accompanied by a few aides and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Ricky Tarfa followed the EFCC men and arrived at the office at about 5:20pm.<br /> <br /> The interrogation ended at 11:00 pm.<br /> <br /> But Twitter had gone on fire over the purported arrest and tweets by Akpabio tried to debunk the story.<br /> <br /> “Senator Akpabio was never arrested. He simply obliged an invitation to come and answer some questions at the EFCC headquarters.<br /> <br /> “Senator Akpabio has nothing to hide that’s why he walked into EFCC himself this evening to answer questions about his tenure in Akwa Ibom.<br /> <br /> “Those who are playing politics with the decision of Senator Akpabio to honour the EFCC invitation must be acting a known script.<br /> <br /> “Senator Akpabio was called from EFCC to come for explanations and he drove there himself 50 minutes later. So, why all the news of<br /> arrest?”<br /> <br /> The final tweet read: “His Excellency, Senator Akpabio is back to the house. We want to reaffirm that he has nothing whatsoever to hide about his term in office in Akwa Ibom.”

Latest-News Politics Godswill Akpabio returns to EFCC for more questioning

Former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio, has returned to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for more questio...

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Liverpool hold Tottenham to draw in Jurgen Klopp's first match

<div align="center"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8b8WOeFuhJyUWWzRuHeXuxlXBXqVOw3DXiu85XRC691EaR2XeVNizhOvI2OfT4fYE9YbqzduQI3baZCs0TCfuPetptpeNO7NfrYy4Twjue-lF76bXRjmS2-CN2sfwZyYCjLDai1KdkJl/s1600/klopp-touchline-spurs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Liverpool hold Tottenham to draw in Jurgen Klopp's first match" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8b8WOeFuhJyUWWzRuHeXuxlXBXqVOw3DXiu85XRC691EaR2XeVNizhOvI2OfT4fYE9YbqzduQI3baZCs0TCfuPetptpeNO7NfrYy4Twjue-lF76bXRjmS2-CN2sfwZyYCjLDai1KdkJl/s1600/klopp-touchline-spurs.jpg" title="Liverpool hold Tottenham to draw in Jurgen Klopp's first match" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <br /> JURGEN Klopp’s tenure as Liverpool manager began with a hard-fought 0-0 draw at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday.<br /> <br /> An England international praised Klopp's influence in his first few days in charge despite failing to win at White Hart Lane.<br /> <br /> "We equipped ourselves well. It’s a new manager coming in with new ideas. Overall this is a solid start."<br /> <br /> <div align="center"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtCV8Tz7dyL8ROTdhvLrMJUxPE3EMhqSLVU5sQWSQMRbMFBhVzDYcD73LSmya7pODDkVyP1xKOYkWnD7OGGPE2jNYk_0rl90wwg_eW_pfeEj1lLLorKNxrBcxhR8hNEBpeqw84vThCD-b/s1600/liverpool-klopp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Liverpool hold Tottenham to draw in Jurgen Klopp's first match" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtCV8Tz7dyL8ROTdhvLrMJUxPE3EMhqSLVU5sQWSQMRbMFBhVzDYcD73LSmya7pODDkVyP1xKOYkWnD7OGGPE2jNYk_0rl90wwg_eW_pfeEj1lLLorKNxrBcxhR8hNEBpeqw84vThCD-b/s1600/liverpool-klopp.jpg" title="Liverpool hold Tottenham to draw in Jurgen Klopp's first match" /></a></div> <div align="center"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXgMSNRxJjkyL3o__Y9fmqfNnra1Bd2ghHoTTnIELE-gJQJHBMh_y5w6hWhPAnzxNCVlukqHrtpCKM4tZANWGoXk5Zw2w08GNG5Fwxzoo66jrqJvk80A8Io9M9b0jMRJ82kN194bmYObn/s1600/liverpool-tottenham-players.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Liverpool hold Tottenham to draw in Jurgen Klopp's first match" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXgMSNRxJjkyL3o__Y9fmqfNnra1Bd2ghHoTTnIELE-gJQJHBMh_y5w6hWhPAnzxNCVlukqHrtpCKM4tZANWGoXk5Zw2w08GNG5Fwxzoo66jrqJvk80A8Io9M9b0jMRJ82kN194bmYObn/s1600/liverpool-tottenham-players.jpg" title="Liverpool hold Tottenham to draw in Jurgen Klopp's first match" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> Milner also believes Klopp has a rebuilding job at Liverpool and it could be a while before they challenge for trophies.<br /> <br /> He added: "It’s a long, long process - obviously a new manager coming in, plenty of changes.

Latest-News Sports Liverpool hold Tottenham to draw in Jurgen Klopp's first match

JURGEN Klopp’s tenure as Liverpool manager began with a hard-fought 0-0 draw at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday. ...

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Pope to visit mosque, slum, refugee camp in Africa – Vatican

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPYNV79ReVcYZ7K2BrHOIZwIGZhjwv3c1_2nZp0xvoUkm5UWQQCeKJU4rbzkPMxauURqj1fi0a33fWXZkU8SvH6EPp5onV8BJ03cQsBNMWZvSCUu1ny8X7K_l74xvXIUduaPEqlhSPq3N/s1600/pope+francis+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPYNV79ReVcYZ7K2BrHOIZwIGZhjwv3c1_2nZp0xvoUkm5UWQQCeKJU4rbzkPMxauURqj1fi0a33fWXZkU8SvH6EPp5onV8BJ03cQsBNMWZvSCUu1ny8X7K_l74xvXIUduaPEqlhSPq3N/s640/pope+francis+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Pope Francis will visit a refugee camp and a mosque in the Central African Republic as well as a slum in Kenya during a trip to Africa next month loaded with potential security risks.<br /> <br /> The pontiff will be in Kenya from November 25 to 27, spend the next two days in Uganda and travel on to the Central African Republic (CAR), where the trip will end on November 30, according to a Vatican itinerary published Saturday.<br /> <br /> The three countries have significant Catholic communities and have been troubled by civil conflicts and violence, which will increase concerns surrounding possible attacks during the visit.<br /> <br /> In Nairobi, Francis will tour the Kangemi slum, home to some 100,000 people who live in shacks without sewerage systems, including 20,000 who belong to the local Catholic parish.<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> Though he regularly visited slums in Buenos Aires in his native Argentina before becoming pope, Francis’s tendency to head off unannounced from secured areas to mingle with the crowds will be a headache for his bodyguards.<br /> <br /> Islamic rebels have staged a string of attacks in Kenya, including the April massacre at Garissa university in which 148 people — mostly Christians — died, and the 2013 assault on the Westgate shopping mall that killed 67.<br /> <br /> The pontiff will meet with representatives of Kenya’s multi-faith community in a bid to promote inter-religious dialogue.<br /> <br /> In Entebbe in Uganda, Francis will commemorate the canonisation by Paul VI in 1964 of the first African saints — 22 young people killed in 1878 on the orders of the local ruler because they refused to renounce their Christian faith.<br /> <br /> And in Bangui, the CAR capital, the pontiff will tour a refugee camp before visiting the city’s central Koudoukou mosque to meet representatives of the Muslim community.<br /> <br /> The trip will wind up with a final mass in the Barthelemy Boganda football stadium.<br /> <br /> Here too security will be tight: the CAR descended into bloodshed after a 2013 coup against longtime leader Francois Bozize unleashed a wave of violence, pitting Christian anti-balaka militias against mostly Muslim Seleka rebels.<br /> <br /> Security at the Vatican was stepped up in February because of a perceived heightened risk of attacks by Islamist militants, with the head of the Vatican’s Swiss Guard confirming additional precautions had been taken to ensure the safety of Pope Francis.

Latest-News Pope to visit mosque, slum, refugee camp in Africa – Vatican

Pope Francis will visit a refugee camp and a mosque in the Central African Republic as well as a slum in Kenya during a trip to Africa nex...

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FIFA hit by fresh corruption scandal

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCs8G4l7cBu_7vb31NkoerJ3sWEGpdowY_Q_bLw7vVUW43esnLI14OtpF-1WOeqrUbHg_avkPxGlBI0mbGz0fGoKK7CIGBPeKkH9YXC-aytzKbJ8HCAzmU0Ps9J4IhzncoXI-v4q_VLWs/s1600/fifa+aa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCs8G4l7cBu_7vb31NkoerJ3sWEGpdowY_Q_bLw7vVUW43esnLI14OtpF-1WOeqrUbHg_avkPxGlBI0mbGz0fGoKK7CIGBPeKkH9YXC-aytzKbJ8HCAzmU0Ps9J4IhzncoXI-v4q_VLWs/s400/fifa+aa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> Already reeling from the accusations surrounding the attribution of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup competitions, FIFA has been plunged into a new scandal relating to the 2006 edition.<br /> <br /> Although vehemently denied by the German Football Federation (DFB), corruption claims made by Spiegel weekly newspaper on Friday would have felt like yet another body blow in the annals of world football’s governing body.<br /> <br /> On top of the Swiss investigation into the attribution of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar, and the surrounding bribery scandal that has seen 14 people arrested by American and Swiss authorities, now Spiegel have claimed that votes for the 2006 edition were bought.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> It’s another mess that FIFA can ill afford with its president Sepp Blatter having already been suspended for 90 days due to suspicions a two million Swiss franc ($2 million, 1.8 million euros) payment he made to UEFA counterpart Michel Platini was not above board.<br /> <br /> Platini has also been suspended for the same period by FIFA’s independent ethics committee, as well as the organisation’s secretary general Jerome Valcke.<br /> <br /> Seven former FIFA officials were arrested by Swiss authorities in May as the United States attempts to have them extradited to face charges of accepting bribes.<br /> <br /> Spiegel claimed on Friday that the DFB had borrowed 10.3 million Swiss francs in 2000 from the now-deceased former CEO of German sportswear giant Adidas, Robert Louis-Dreyfus in order to buy the votes of four Asian members of FIFA’s 24-strong executive committee.<br /> <br /> Germany won the bid to stage the 2006 World Cup ahead of South Africa by 12 votes to 11, with one abstention.<br /> <br /> Spiegel claimed the DFB then transferred 6.7 million euros (the equivalent exchange rate for the borrowed Swiss francs at the time) to a FIFA account in 2005 to reimburse Louis-Dreyfus.<br /> <br /> The DFB preempted Spiegel’s claims by issuing its own statement on Friday admitting they had made that last payment to FIFA, but said their internal investigation had found that “the payment was not connected with the awarding” of the 2006 World Cup.<br /> <br /> German media have jumped on the story, however, with popular daily Bild running the title: “Was the 2006 World Cup bought?”.<br /> <br /> Such a possibility would have a detrimental affect on Germany, the current world champions, for whom the 2006 tournament was the biggest event in the country since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.<br /> <br /> But for FIFA, it is yet another blow to the already waning confidence in an organisation that runs the world’s most popular sport.<br /> <br /> The 2010 World Cup has not been spared suspicion due to a $10 million payment made by South Africa to then FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, who is currently fighting extradition from his Trindad and Tobago homeland to the US to answer corruption charges.<br /> <br /> Both FIFA and South Africa deny any wrongdoing.<br /> <br /> American authorities are also examining previous World Cup events after another former FIFA official, Chuck Blazer — who, like Warner, has been banned for life from football-related activities — turned whistle-blower and admitted to accepting bribes from Morocco and South Africa over the bidding process for the 1998 World Cup, eventually won by France.<br /> <br /> The succession of scandals prompted FIFA in June to decide to suspend the nomination process for the 2026 World Cup.<br /> <br /> And until the spate of criminal investigations come to a head, FIFA will remain in turmoil.<br /> <br /> For now, each new and damaging revelation or accusation is increasingly met with diminishing surprise.

Latest-News FIFA hit by fresh corruption scandal

Already reeling from the accusations surrounding the attribution of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup competitions, FIFA has been plunged into ...

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I will make sure Chelsea does not relegate - Mourinho

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBk32uzCz3F1luiFek2PSJ9UQikewMllc-tMdbbwF6BMpMI_3H0Fk0y5KB31MZfMULYvTfnrPy8wQhWq_TzTtBaR1x5kk1cMFNHLtzaYWVG1BErMZIA8lu5_JZhXihA0IFjZhVzuDO3Dr_/s1600/mourinho+sadddddddddddddd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBk32uzCz3F1luiFek2PSJ9UQikewMllc-tMdbbwF6BMpMI_3H0Fk0y5KB31MZfMULYvTfnrPy8wQhWq_TzTtBaR1x5kk1cMFNHLtzaYWVG1BErMZIA8lu5_JZhXihA0IFjZhVzuDO3Dr_/s640/mourinho+sadddddddddddddd.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Jose Mourinho hopes Diego Costa’s return from suspension will provide troubled champions Chelsea with the spark to ignite their spluttering campaign.<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> Feted as kings of the Premier League in May, just five months later the Blues are languishing in 16th place following a 3-1 home defeat against Southampton.<br /> <br /> That loss came amid reports of a dressing room mutiny against the Chelsea boss.<br /> <br /> And, despite public backing from Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, Mourinho cut an agitated figure this week when he launched a scathing attack on the Football Association after he was fined and given a suspended one-match stadium ban following his criticism of the officials in the Southampton match.<br /> <br /> With tensions running high at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho is relieved to welcome back Costa after a three-match ban and said the Spain striker’s return had lifted morale ahead of Aston Villa’s visit on Saturday.<br /> <br /> “On Friday we had a good conversation. We laughed a lot because Diego Costa found the reasons for the bad results,” Mourinho said.<br /> <br /> “I cannot tell you but he gave us the solution to go back to victories.<br /> <br /> “We cannot run away from the reality of the table in the Premier League.<br /> <br /> “The numbers are very cruel and we need points, but obviously we know we’re not going to be relegated.”<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp has challenged Liverpool’s under-performing stars to rediscover their swagger when the new Reds boss gets his first taste of the Premier League against Tottenham.<br /> <br /> All eyes will be on Klopp’s eagerly anticipated debut at White Hart Lane following the highly-regarded German’s recent appointment as successor to the sacked Brendan Rodgers.<br /> <br /> The charismatic 48-year-old’s impressive track record at Borussia Dortmund has established him as one of Europe’s top coaches and his arrival has rekindled enthusiasm among Liverpool fans who had grown disillusioned with Rodgers’ trophyless reign.<br /> <br /> But, with Liverpool slumping to 10th place after just one win in their last nine matches in all competitions, Klopp is well aware he faces a major rebuilding job before he can dream of emulating legendary Anfield managers like Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Kenny Dalglish.<br /> <br /> “I have met two kinds of people in the last week: most of them say ‘We’ll win the league’ and the other guys look at me like ‘What have you done? Why are you here?’,” Klopp said.<br /> <br /> “Both are not right in this moment. It is not interesting what people think about this.”<br /> <br /> – Fear of failure –<br /> <br /> While Klopp is cautious about revealing his own ambitions, he has already identified one key problem that needs to be solved if Liverpool are to get back on track quickly.<br /> <br /> He believes the players were hamstrung by a fear of failure as the pressure mounted on Rodgers and he wants them to forget about past mistakes.<br /> <br /> “Some things you can change instantly: mentality, readiness,” Klopp said.<br /> <br /> “I want to see more bravery, more fun in their eyes. I want to see that they like what they do.”<br /> <br /> While Klopp will steal most of the headlines this weekend, new Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce returns to the Premier League facing arguably the toughest challenge of his career.<br /> <br /> The second bottom Black Cats turned to Allardyce after Dick Advocaat quit, making him the first man to take charge of bitter north-east rivals Newcastle and Sunderland.<br /> <br /> Allardyce, who left West Ham at the end of last season, has a well-earned reputation for helping clubs punch above their weight.<br /> <br /> But Sunderland have failed to win any of their first eight matches and defeat in Allardyce’s debut at struggling West Bromwich Albion would be a hammer blow.<br /> <br /> “It’s a big challenge. Even at this early stage of the season, it’s clear that we are in trouble,” Allardyce said.<br /> <br /> “It could take the vast majority of our 30 matches to get safe.”<br /> <br /> Leaders Manchester City host Bournemouth bolstered by captain Vincent Kompany’s return after a five-game injury absence, but Manuel Pellegrini’s side will be without star striker Sergio Aguero and key midfielder David Silva after both suffered knocks on international duty.<br /> <br /> Second placed Arsenal will face Watford for the first time in nine years when they travel to Vicarage Road, while third placed Manchester United are at Everton.

Latest-News I will make sure Chelsea does not relegate - Mourinho

Jose Mourinho hopes Diego Costa’s return from suspension will provide troubled champions Chelsea with the spark to ignite their splutteri...

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REVEALED: Godswill Akpabio questioned by EFCC for allegedly stealing N108.1 Billion

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81AbxUpMI0AECZRsI7g6Ya5rGmIS9wk0hRn4umMbWVti-FmEdyqG9xoTReZaexVj25TgXC1ziynXa-tlJGSWF2CfYG3-EH11mJwZuRr4cfbEYMnvh9JkY5i_4F1NXogZItpLjdFgnk-RJ/s1600/Akpabio+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81AbxUpMI0AECZRsI7g6Ya5rGmIS9wk0hRn4umMbWVti-FmEdyqG9xoTReZaexVj25TgXC1ziynXa-tlJGSWF2CfYG3-EH11mJwZuRr4cfbEYMnvh9JkY5i_4F1NXogZItpLjdFgnk-RJ/s640/Akpabio+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <b><br /></b><b>A citizen’s petition, not an investigation by the EFCC was the reason the agency invited Senate minority leader and former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio to its office Friday.</b><br /> <br /> The citizen, Leo Ekpenyong, an Abuja based lawyer accused Akpabio of stealing N108.1billion of Akwa Ibom funds.<br /> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> In the petition dated June 22, 2015, Mr. Ekpenyong had stated that between January and December 2014, the ex-governor colluded with two of his personal aides to steal a huge sum of N108.1 billion from the state’s treasury.<br /> <br /> According to him, “Between January –December 2014, it is on record that the trio of Godswill Akpabio, Mr. Etekamba Umoren and Mr. Udo Isobara, made illegal but substantial withdrawals of cash from a designated state government-owned account with Zenith Bank with account number: 1010375881 amounting to N22.1 billion”.<br /> <br /> “It is worthy of note that reasons for such ungodly cash withdrawals against financial regulations and due process laws range between sundry use and unjustifiable by Akpabio and his numerous surrogates and proxies.<br /> <br /> “For example, a whopping N18 billion was withdrawn fraudulently from the state FAAC account with the United Bank for Africa in tranches of N10 million and above by Mr. Isobara in a surreptitious manner to conceal their dishonest intention.”<br /> <br /> In the period under review, the petitioner added that the ex-governor also withdrew a huge sum of N18 billion from the state account under the guise of special services, reception of very important guests and sundry items.<br /> <br /> “The cumulative aggregate of these monies stolen by Akpabio from the coffers of government as pocket money is the annual budget of some states in Nigeria put together.”<br /> <br /> Among the properties, which the petitioner claimed the ex-governor acquired through proxies include, a multi-billion naira mansion at Plot 5 Ikogosi Spring Close, off Katsina-Ala Crescent, Maitama-Abuja; a multi-billion naira maisonette at Plot 28 Colorado Close, Maitama, Abuja and another multi-billion naira mansion at 22 Probyn Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.<br /> <br /> Others include a multi-billion naira property at Plot 23 Olusegun Aina Street, Parkview, Lagos; a multi-billion naira 25 storey building and others in Lagos.Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and incumbent Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, was on Friday quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of financial impropriety levelled against him.<br /> EFCC operatives stormed Akpabio’s Abuja residence Friday evening to invite him to their office.<br /> <br /> Akpabio, accompanied by a few aides and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Ricky Tarfa followed the EFCC men and arrived at the office at about 5:20pm.<br /> <br /> The interrogation ended at 11:00 pm.<br /> <br /> But Twitter had gone on fire over the purported arrest and tweets by Akpabio tried to debunk the story.<br /> <br /> “Senator Akpabio was never arrested. He simply obliged an invitation to come and answer some questions at the EFCC headquarters.<br /> <br /> “Senator Akpabio has nothing to hide that’s why he walked into EFCC himself this evening to answer questions about his tenure in Akwa Ibom.<br /> <br /> “Those who are playing politics with the decision of Senator Akpabio to honour the EFCC invitation must be acting a known script.<br /> <br /> “Senator Akpabio was called from EFCC to come for explanations and he drove there himself 50 minutes later. So, why all the news of arrest?”<br /> <br /> The final tweet read: “His Excellency, Senator Akpabio is back to the house. We want to reaffirm that he has nothing whatsoever to hide about his term in office in Akwa Ibom.”

Latest-News REVEALED: Godswill Akpabio questioned by EFCC for allegedly stealing N108.1 Billion

A citizen’s petition, not an investigation by the EFCC was the reason the agency invited Senate minority leader and former governor of Akwa...

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JTF nabs 10 suspected suppliers of fuel to Boko Haram

<br /> <br /> The Joint Task Force (Operation Salama) in Jigawa, has arrested 10 suspected suppliers of fuel to Boko Haram members in Birniwa local government area of the state.<br /> <br /> Brig.-Gen. Hamisu Hassan of Command 3 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, in charge of Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, made the disclosure on Friday while parading the suspects in Birniwa town.<br /> He said that the suspects were nabbed while filling their jerry cans with petrol at midnight of Thursday in Birniwa.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-tCO9JBg6dYd_HpvYq16JPMqmKpP4txL18cyrSS80h6UmWAnev9AwUN0Mg8q1M10N5lFCzn635pgLGuSfr9Svofob2LgZwjimPM_nkMb485LOVNY2ZDyIF8h8qBAVbikEFevjA0Axj9j/s1600/Boko-Haram-fuel-depot-504x283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-tCO9JBg6dYd_HpvYq16JPMqmKpP4txL18cyrSS80h6UmWAnev9AwUN0Mg8q1M10N5lFCzn635pgLGuSfr9Svofob2LgZwjimPM_nkMb485LOVNY2ZDyIF8h8qBAVbikEFevjA0Axj9j/s400/Boko-Haram-fuel-depot-504x283.jpg" width="400" /></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boko Haram fuel depot</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> He said that the suspects were arrested based on surveillance and intelligence report.<br /> <br /> He said that due to the ban on the sale of petroleum products in jerry cans in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa, the suspects travelled to Birniwa in Jigawa to buy the fuel.<br /> <br /> Hassan said that preliminary investigation revealed that some of the suspects were from Nguru while the others were nationals of Niger Republic.<br /> <br /> He said that two of the 10 suspects were minors below the age of 14.<br /> <br /> He said that items recovered from the suspects included 33,000 litres truck filled with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 40 jerry cans loaded with PMS, 188 empty jerry cans and Toyota Land Cruiser.<br /> <br /> The Commandant said that the suspects would be handed over to relevant security agencies for further investigation.<br /> <br /> He warned owners of filling stations not to sell fuel in jerry cans which could be used to aid the activities of Boko Haram insurgents.<br /> <br /> Hassan appealed to state governments to cooperate with the Army to combat insurgency in the country.<br /> <br /> He reiterated the determination of the Nigerian Army to end insurgency by the December deadline set by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Latest-News JTF nabs 10 suspected suppliers of fuel to Boko Haram

The Joint Task Force (Operation Salama) in Jigawa, has arrested 10 suspected suppliers of fuel to Boko Haram members in Birniwa local gove...

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Indian girls aged two, five ‘gang-raped’ in New Delhi

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_OPZy7JAX4r0GkzPWAew7LZa4ITlcRZ0yRod57QXFg5nd8fJJzMFlEvHviEBbXh7JBeroL5f2z2m4qBIOxaUDCJp1ygTAF9de-zAFfcbbGCCkjiXoxN-Blwu9iX7DUoVWlNIE3hlVMzE/s1600/rape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_OPZy7JAX4r0GkzPWAew7LZa4ITlcRZ0yRod57QXFg5nd8fJJzMFlEvHviEBbXh7JBeroL5f2z2m4qBIOxaUDCJp1ygTAF9de-zAFfcbbGCCkjiXoxN-Blwu9iX7DUoVWlNIE3hlVMzE/s400/rape.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> A toddler and a five-year-old girl were raped in separate attacks in New Delhi overnight with at least one gang-raped, police said Saturday, as activists warned of an “epidemic” of sexual violence in the capital.<br /> <br /> The two-and-a-half-year-old girl was abducted from a religious event in west Delhi by two men on Friday night and raped before being dumped in a park near her home, relatives and police said.<br /> <br /> In a separate incident on the other side of the city, the five-year-old was lured to a neighbour’s house and raped by three men, a police officer told AFP.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> The two attacks come as New Delhi grapples with a grim litany of sexual attacks against women — and in several recent cases, children — that have sparked outrage in India and abroad.<br /> <br /> “We have launched a manhunt for the suspects. So far no one has been arrested,” Pushpendra Kumar, West Delhi police chief, told AFP of the younger girl’s case.<br /> <br /> He said they found the younger child bleeding profusely several hours after she went missing and that tests showed she had been raped at least once.<br /> <br /> Police have arrested three men in the case of the five-year-old victim whom tests showed was raped multiple times, after locals managed to catch her assailants and hand them over to the authorities.<br /> <br /> “Her clothes were partially torn with blood spots all over them. Some locals saw her and she told them she was sexually assaulted,” an officer from Anand Vihar police station told AFP on condition of anonymity.<br /> <br /> “Some of the locals then barged into the house and caught them (the alleged perpetrators) before handing them over to us,” the officer said.<br /> <br /> Both girls are undergoing medical treatment but are believed to be out of danger.<br /> <br /> – ‘When will Delhi wake up?’ –<br /> <br /> The latest attacks come eight days after a four-year-old girl was allegedly raped and slashed with a blade before being abandoned by a railway track in the capital.<br /> <br /> Police arrested a 25-year-old man in that attack, in which the young girl suffered severe internal injuries.<br /> <br /> “When will Delhi wake up? Till when will girls continue to be brutalized in Indian capital. Gangrape of 2.5 year n 5 year old. Shameful,” Delhi Commission for Women chairwomen Swati Maliwal tweeted Saturday.<br /> <br /> Describing the assaults as “extremely shocking”, Maliwal told Indian television station NDTV that violence against women had assumed “epidemic proportions” in Delhi.<br /> <br /> Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed anguish over the rapes Saturday, terming them “shameful and worrying” on Twitter, but blamed his political opponent Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for the deteriorating security situation in Delhi.<br /> <br /> “Repeated rape of minors is shameful and worrying. Delhi police has completely failed to provide safety. What are PM n his LG (lieutenant governor) doing?,” Kejriwal tweeted before heading to meet the victims in hospital.<br /> <br /> Kejriwal and Modi’s administration are jostling for control of the capital’s police department, with Delhi city authorities saying they are unable to improve security for women.<br /> <br /> They deflect the blame on to Modi’s central government which controls Delhi’s 84,000 police, the largest metropolitan police force in the world.<br /> <br /> The fatal gang rape of a young student on a bus in Delhi in 2012 led to an outpouring of anger over frightening levels of violence against women.<br /> <br /> India recorded 36,735 rape cases in 2014, with 2,096 of them in Delhi.<br /> <br /> Experts say those figures likely under-represent the true scale of the crimes.<br /> <br /> AFP

Latest-News Indian girls aged two, five ‘gang-raped’ in New Delhi

A toddler and a five-year-old girl were raped in separate attacks in New Delhi overnight with at least one gang-raped, police said Saturda...

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APC is glorifying corruption - PDP

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrs3ppUSAiYDtMMMRWGceCVkc3SYFNXGjg_NC3w34yutdX7noSKy7IVAc6mhzJnN3Q0uU24iX2Vm4QPtc-jD_-7l171id6g2pY1Y90wt55EAyA1qcPJov0d8yxUTHgZ31MixRo974lUnJ/s1600/amaechi+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrs3ppUSAiYDtMMMRWGceCVkc3SYFNXGjg_NC3w34yutdX7noSKy7IVAc6mhzJnN3Q0uU24iX2Vm4QPtc-jD_-7l171id6g2pY1Y90wt55EAyA1qcPJov0d8yxUTHgZ31MixRo974lUnJ/s1600/amaechi+2.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> The Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has described the defense of former Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaech’s ministerial nomination by the All Progressives Congress, APC as baseless.<br /> <br /> The PDP State Chairman, Bro Felix Obuah said the APC in an attempt to protect the embattled former Governor amounts to glorifying corruption.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> According to Bro Obuah, with the historic woeful defeat of the APC in the State, which it ran to total bankruptcy and near collapse notwithstanding the huge internally generated revenue and accruements from the federal allocations, it is commonsense to fathom why they insist in remaining in office to cover up their loots.<br /> <br /> Failure to do so explains why the APC in the State and those strangers who assisted in the looting spree, are wrapped in total confusion that is ravaging the party, leaving their members disorientated as being expressed in hollow press statements and ranting.<br /> <br /> “Amaechi wouldn’t in anyway be an asset to President Muhammadu Buhari and lacks the integrity and morality to speak for Rivers people”, Obuah revealed.<br /> <br /> According to the State Chairman of the PDP, Amaechi’s record of betrayal is evident and available and need not be repeated that he cannot in anyway be an asset to President Buhari.

Latest-News APC is glorifying corruption - PDP

The Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has described the defense of former Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaech’s minis...

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REVEALED: Why EFCC picked up Akpabio

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQfLKMtBfY1BscmfFJlKtiPwntgfAmuSzwykSDWYLsm-_Ch7d3lREjq47UtsLvVsKdyQUGOhLlwJgnfN8dVZGlVBSfEXTHgAbbNGeGqb-CWCDddRbw-MKmXTPNXr2jwG9b4W6yN6qDzl9/s1600/akpabio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQfLKMtBfY1BscmfFJlKtiPwntgfAmuSzwykSDWYLsm-_Ch7d3lREjq47UtsLvVsKdyQUGOhLlwJgnfN8dVZGlVBSfEXTHgAbbNGeGqb-CWCDddRbw-MKmXTPNXr2jwG9b4W6yN6qDzl9/s400/akpabio.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> The arrest of former governor of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission yesterday might not be unconnected with his refusal to honour an earlier invitation to appear before them on August 27, 2015.<br /> <br /> According to investigations, Akpabio incurred the wrath of the anti-graft agency for not turning up on the said date after he had been duly served with the summons to appear and answer questions relating to series of petitions written against him on bordering on the abuse of office, diversion of funds and abuse of public office.<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> The petitions were sent in by an Abuja-based lawyer, Leo Ekpenyong and native of the state and Oro Youth Movement, one of the socio-political groups in the state, aleging massive looting of Akwa Ibom State funds by the Akpabio administration.<br /> <br /> As a prelude to bringing the former governor to justice, the EFCC summoned and interrogated top officials of the administration who worked with him, including the former Finance Commissioner, who is now a Senator, like Akpabio.<br /> <br /> However, Akpabio, who was summoned by the agency to appear on August 27, 2015, did not do so having moved against the invitation of the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, by the Senate over unremitted funds.<br /> <br /> Akpabio had written a letter to the Senate leadership disassociating himself and other PDP members in the Senate from supporting the probe of Lamorde, claiming that it was ‘inappropriate’ at this time.<br /> <br /> Based on that subtle support for the EFCC boss, he jetted out of the country a few days after not responding to the summon by the agency.<br /> <br /> However, it was learnt from competent sources that most of the officials who served under Akpabio who were invited by the EFCC to state what they knew about the diversion of funds of the state, made incriminating remarks against the former governor, who is now the Minority Leader in the Senate.<br /> <br /> It was learnt that the EFCC moved against him apparently because of his initial refusal to honour its invitation and the statements made by officials of his administration, claiming that it was the governor who approved whatever expenditure they incurred while in office and that they had no reason to disobey him.<br /> <br /> It was also gathered that Mr. Akpabio, accompanied by his lawyer, Mr. Ricky Tarfa, was taken in by EFCC operatives at about 5.20 pm.<br /> <br /> He was immediately interrogated by a crack team of EFCC operatives, who did not free him as at the time of filing the report, but there were indications he would be freed before the end of the day.<br /> <br /> An EFCC operative said: Akpabio was brought in at about 5.20 pm accompanied by a few aides and Mr. Rickey Tarfa.<br /> “It is not yet known whether he will be allowed to go this night. It depends on how the interrogation goes.”<br /> <br /> Mr. Ekpenyong had on June 8 petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari and the EFCC, calling for Mr. Akpabio’s probe and accusing him of looting Akwa Ibom state treasury.<br /> <br /> To confirm the genuineness of the petition against Akpabio, the EFCC had summoned the author, Mr. Ekpenyong, on June 17, to adopt his petition and provide more details to some of the allegations he made against Mr. Akpabio.<br /> <br /> But the former governor denied all the allegations against him through his former Information Commissioner, Mr. Aniekan Umanah, who is now the current Commissioner for Information in Umana described the contents of the petition by Mr. Ekpenyong as falsehood taken too far.<br /> <br /> He said the petition betrayed a lack of understanding of the workings of government.<br /> <br /> Umanah said:“Every sum withdrawn from a government account is tied to a subhead and there must be a budgetary provision. To attribute fraud to withdrawals which had the full sanction of Government and was accommodated in the budget is strange, mischievous and untenable.<br /> <br /> More so, when one understands that there are checks and balances which guide all aspects of government financial administration,” he said.<br /> <br /> He claimed that the allegation that the State Government spent N50 billion on the March General Elections falls flat on its face based on his explanations of the workings of government as regards financial transactions.<br /> <br /> “There was no such provision in the budget of this year and such an amount could not have been paid as an extra-budgetary expenditure and yet salaries and other commitments were met. We challenge the petitioners to provide proof to support this wild allegation.<br /> <br /> Who was it paid to? How was it paid? Where was it paid? And when was it paid?<br /> <br /> “Senator Akpabio does not own a 25-storey building in Victoria Island or in any part of the world, as alleged by the petitioner. It is also a patent falsehood that the house at 22 Probyn Road, Ikoyi belongs to Senator Akpabio.<br /> <br /> It is a rented building which ownership can be verified from Lagos State Lands Registry.<br /> <br /> “Senator Akpabio does not own the properties mentioned in the petition to belong to him. You can verify the ownership of the properties (5 Okokosi Close, Maitama and Plot 28 Colorado Close, Maitama) from the land registry in Abuja,” he said.<br /> <br /> He also denied the state received over N2 trillion as oil allocation.<br /> “Please do note that the idea that the Akwa Ibom State Government received over N2.5 trillion in the eight years of the Akpabio administration is an outrageous lie. What this suggests is that the State Government received an average of N26 billion monthly for the period.<br /> <br /> What a lie! From published accounts Akwa Ibom State never received up to N26 billion in any month throughout the period,” Umanah said.<br /> <br /> EFCC Spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, could not be reached for comments on the story as at the time of going to the press.

Latest-News REVEALED: Why EFCC picked up Akpabio

The arrest of former governor of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes...

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Buhari urges Golden Eaglets to bring home under-17 trophy

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JQfJeWoBoYY1RAgYzzCycAfg_X4aHQKvlri59JWRn0RWVdy0DzcLDyKDnHCqhmLAqs4ZGrkuT1BqPDaWANdtECMQbgUzaswJTfNXnQogHbIr7yEN5zP7tK295nAEQRgdJOzwhIuquWB-/s1600/buhari+d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JQfJeWoBoYY1RAgYzzCycAfg_X4aHQKvlri59JWRn0RWVdy0DzcLDyKDnHCqhmLAqs4ZGrkuT1BqPDaWANdtECMQbgUzaswJTfNXnQogHbIr7yEN5zP7tK295nAEQRgdJOzwhIuquWB-/s400/buhari+d.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <b><br /></b><b>As the Under 17 FIFA World Cup tournament kicks off today in Chile, President Muhammadu Buhari has wished the defending champions, Golden Eaglets of Nigeria, a fruitful outing and urged them to bring the cup back home for the 5th time.</b><br /> <br /> In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu yesterday quoted the President Buhari as urging the present team to do their “utmost best to match the outstanding performance of their victorious predecessors who have won the competition four times including the inaugural edition in 1985 and the last tournament in 2013.”<br /> <a name='more' id="more"></a><br /> <br /> Optimistic that the Golden Eaglets would defeat United States of America, USA, in their opening match today, president Buhari also assured them and their handlers of the full support of the Federal Government.<br /> <br /> The president said he “will follow the team’s progress through the tournament in Chile with keen interest and high expectation in the belief that the boys have the skills, dedication and determination required to make Nigeria world champions at the youth level once again.”<br /> <br /> He therefore called on the “players to stay focused, avoid all distractions and put their globally acknowledged skills, ability and doggedness on display against the USA tomorrow (today), Chile on October 20, Croatia on October 23 and in all their subsequent matches to win the tournament and give millions of soccer-loving Nigerians the perfect end-of-the-year gift.”

Latest-News Buhari urges Golden Eaglets to bring home under-17 trophy

As the Under 17 FIFA World Cup tournament kicks off today in Chile, President Muhammadu Buhari has wished the defending champions, Golden ...

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EFCC Invitation: I’ve nothing to hide about my tenure as Akwa Ibom gov – Akpabio

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0Z1iRs_Wv3fyEyFh44rfMOPBO47yIK21yPfFkHRWWwx5kGtWA82ddD5hdlHT1cP21pqzU9cOHy5H2b3jj2NcOoIU7hdhCQ0u7mP6p8mdLCzqQi7_0EULXjiIVUelBLcEmjTi-u6Q-DDP/s1600/akpabio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0Z1iRs_Wv3fyEyFh44rfMOPBO47yIK21yPfFkHRWWwx5kGtWA82ddD5hdlHT1cP21pqzU9cOHy5H2b3jj2NcOoIU7hdhCQ0u7mP6p8mdLCzqQi7_0EULXjiIVUelBLcEmjTi-u6Q-DDP/s400/akpabio.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Following his Friday’s arrest and and eventual release by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, has returned to his Abuja residence, affirming that he has nothing to hide about his term in office as the governor of Akwa Ibom State.<br /> <br /> <br /> The petitioner, Leo Ekpenyong alleged that Akpabio, fraudulently converted N108.1 billion belonging to Akwa Ibom State during his tenure as governor.<br /> <br /> Akpabio, who honoured the anti-graft agency’s invitation, accompanied by a few aides and his lawyer, Ricky Tarfa (SAN), said via his Twitter handle, @SenAkpabio managed by his social media team, that he has arrived home some hours after.<br /> <br /> The tweets read: “His Excellency, Senator Akpabio is back to the house. We want to reaffirm that he has nothing whatsoever to hide about his term in office in Akwa Ibom.”<br /> <br /> Earlier, @SenAkpabio had tweeted: “Senator Akpabio was never arrested. He simply obliged an invitation to come and answer some questions at the EFCC headquarters.<br /> <br /> “Senator Akpabio has nothing to hide that’s why he walked into EFCC himself this evening to answer questions about his tenure in Akwa Ibom.<br /> <br /> “Those who are playing politics with the decision of Senator Akpabio to honour the EFCC invitation must be acting a known script.<br /> <br /> “Senator Akpabio was called from EFCC to come for explanations and he drove there himself 50 minutes later. So, why all the news of arrest?”

Latest-News EFCC Invitation: I’ve nothing to hide about my tenure as Akwa Ibom gov – Akpabio

Following his Friday’s arrest and and eventual release by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, former Governor of Akwa Ib...

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FG licenses 23 modular refineries

<br /> <br /> The Federal Government has concluded plans to issue 23licences to establish modular mini refineriesto increase local refining capacity, sustainable supplies and to stop importationof petroleum products into the country.<br /> <br /> refineryThe Director, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Mr. Mordecai Danteni Ladanin a telephone chat last Wednesdayhinted that it was part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to reposition the petroleum industry to the glorious days ofpetroleum products availability.<br /> <br /> According to him,the three licensing stages that must be sequentially and meticulously followed before a process plant can be commissioned for operation are: a licence to establish, a licence to construct the plant, and a licence to operate the plant whether for a petroleum refinery, petrochemicals and gas processing plant.<br /> <br /> The validity of the licence to establish a refinery or plant shall be for a period of two years after which it shall lapse.The licensing of 18 private refineries by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2005 could not achieve any result as they eventually constituted themselves into the Association of Private Petroleum Refinery Owners of Nigeria.<br /> <br /> President Buhari must have considered the mini plant option for now as a quick win to solving perennial product scarcity. Modular mini refinery are process equipment manufactured in controlled conditions, fully assembled and tested prior to overseas shipment, and installed at client’s site in much less time than traditional construction requires.<br /> <br /> Modular mini refineries may be in units from 4000 to 30,000bpd, though some are as low as 1000 bpd capacity. Lubricating oil, waxes and asphalt may not be produced in a modular mini refinery.Mini refineries are topping units or hydro skimming which viability depends on sites close to petroleum feedstock to reduce logistics and nearness to markets to reduce distribution costs.<br /> <br /> Government incentives and generous conditions from credit agencies are required for a profitable investment. Mini refineries advantages are that they are skid mounted and so faster to construct from 12 to 18 months and so improves engineering quality.<br /> <br /> They are flexible to meet demand changes so more modules can easily be added. The negative is that you have more staff per Effective Distillation Capacity (EDC). Complex refineries advantages over mini plants are fewer staff per EDC, scale and operating efficiency is better, and has more volume and high value products.<br /> <br /> Experts believe that the economics of a topping unit mini refinery are not comparable to full conversion complex refinery. Liquid fossil fuel process plants management has been the bane of Nigeria for the past two decades as our four refineries were run down. With the confusions and effusions over petroleum products availability, all sorts of heuristics of problem solving have been proffered; some on subsidy, others on refineries.<br /> <br /> One remembersthis horrendous moment around March 2015 with election frenzy and acute fuel scarcity. Most Nigerians in bewilderment constituted themselves in search parties and laid siege at petrol stations for drops of PMS from any benevolent petroleum marketer. Reason was that there was no refining capacity locally.<br /> <br /> As Nigerians laid siege at filling stations for fuel, some privileged petroleum resources managers busied themselves in heteroecism on the people sharing monies of products not imported. An alleged non-delivery of a multi-million dollar booty separated very intimate, capricious, superintendent racketeer and a subordinate that together had been fellow travellers.<br /> <br /> The subordinate who was slapped for bringing another set of fictive documents for endorsement had a threatof sack that was not executed before President Buhari was sworn in. Nigeria imports about one million tons of PMS monthly. Now that we are rehabilitating the existing four refineries can we get 926,235.7 metric tons which is optimum capacity in one month?<br /> <br /> Even at optimum capacity we have a deficit of 73,764.3 metric tons in a month. But with excess demand for gasoline and distillates in Nigeria options for sustainable suppliesalso lie in refineries rehabilitation to meet installed capacity, upgrading existing process plants to meet shortfall, partners coming in to invest in the existing refineries.<br /> <br /> For rehabilitation let us examine the evolution of our existing refineries: Port Harcourt 1 was constructed by Shell-BP in 1965 at a cost of 12 million pounds. It had a capacity of 38,000 barrels per day (bpd). Capacity was upgraded or debottlenecked from 38,000 to 60,000 bpd in 1971 and taken over by the Federal Government.<br /> <br /> The Federal Government in 1974engageda Houston Texas based petroleum consultancy firm for a feasibility study on how to increase supply. In November 1975, contract for the construction of Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company was awarded to Snamprogetti SPA of Milan Italy for 100,000 bpd at the cost of $478 million. It was for a 30-month period and was commissioned in September 1978.<br /> <br /> Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company contractwas awarded to Chiyoda Engineering and Construction Company of Japan at a cost of $525 million in 1976 for 100,000bpd (refining in two streams of 50,000 for fuels and 50,000bpd for lubes, wax andasphalt) with a completion period of 36 months and was commissioned in 1980.<br /> <br /> The 1974 feasibility was updated to meet new products demand. Warri was upgraded or debottlenecked from 100,000 to 125,000 bpd while Kaduna fuel plant was increased from 50,000 to 60,000 bpd in 1985. Port Harcourt 2 was also designed for 150,000 bpd and awarded to a consortium of JGC Corporation, Marubeni Corporation (both Japanese) and Spibatignolbs of France in October 1985 at a cost of $850 million for 36 months completion and commissioned in 1989.<br /> <br /> It is worthy of note that between 1991 and 1992, the new Port Harcourt plant exported products and made $280 million for government. Exports however stopped later because of local demand increases coupled with the fact that Kaduna and Warri productions had dropped.<br /> <br /> More investments in process plantswould have been sustained but unfortunately we did not do that. Private investor like Aliko Dangote is leading the way with a 400,000 bpd complex refinery in Ondo State. Other endowed Nigerians must follow whether with conventional complex or modular mini refineries.<br /> <br /> We have been assured that refinery licencees may not have feedstock problems as somemarginal field beneficiaries in the past have beenmere speculators in the industry. Information has it that a lot of the marginal field beneficiaries have no business in petroleum. If the marginal field beneficiaries are refining we may not have been entangled in product scarcity. We hope with President Buhari better days are coming.

Latest-News FG licenses 23 modular refineries

The Federal Government has concluded plans to issue 23licences to establish modular mini refineriesto increase local refining capacity, su...

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I will not resign if we fail to defeat Boko Haram – Buhari

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcT_Bg9cx-e4e527seEPBDmTIM7uFTcqnDBntl1EgFrdqULtMtvWGimQp1ETQ7pu5KhciqAYTLWBY5nBiKjMjCFlWaw9kSh5N26b_fX3mBnpLX41X1wgSwdbiNTdT45cptI_H3LIUuWPZt/s1600/UPF-BUHARI1-e1445042993792.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcT_Bg9cx-e4e527seEPBDmTIM7uFTcqnDBntl1EgFrdqULtMtvWGimQp1ETQ7pu5KhciqAYTLWBY5nBiKjMjCFlWaw9kSh5N26b_fX3mBnpLX41X1wgSwdbiNTdT45cptI_H3LIUuWPZt/s1600/UPF-BUHARI1-e1445042993792.png" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> In a wide-ranging and exclusive interview with Al Jazeera English’s flagship current affairs show, ‘UpFront’, Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari pledged to defeat Boko Haram by December but also acknowledged he would be willing to negotiate with the group to secure the release of the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls.<br /> <br /> “They have to prove to us that they are alive, they are well, and then we can…negotiate with them,” President Buhari told ‘UpFront’ host Mehdi Hasan. “We said it and we meant it. If we are satisfied that the girls are alive.”<br /> <br /> When asked whether he would offer financial payments, or a prisoner release, to Boko Haram in return for the girls, Buhari did not rule out either option. “Well it depends on the negotiations with the leadership of Boko Haram.”<br /> <br /> The president has pledged to defeat Boko Haram by the end of 2015 and told Hasan: “As soon as the rainy season comes, which is by the end of the year […] Boko Haram will virtually be out of their main stronghold and that will be the end of it [….] Attacks by Boko Haram on townships, on military installations, will certainly stop.”<br /> <br /> If Boko Haram isn’t defeated by December, however, Buhari said he “will not resign”.<br /> <br /> “I will be determined to stay and fight it out.”<br /> <br /> The president claimed not to have seen the Amnesty International report from June 2015,‘Nigeria: Stars on their shoulders: Blood on their hands’, in which the human-rights group documented abuses, torture and unlawful killings by the Nigerian armed forces and urged the government to prosecute a group of officers and senior commanders. “I haven’t received that report personally,” said Buhari. “If I get those documents… I assure you that I will take action as Commander in Chief.”<br /> <br /> In the past, Buhari has been quoted as saying he supports “thetotal implementation of the sharia in the country” but he told ‘UpFront’ that “Nigerian law does not allow for” so-called sharia punishments, such as stonings and amputations, adding: “I cannot change it. I haven’t been voted by [a] majority of Nigerians to change Nigerian constitution.”<br /> <br /> Asked about his record as a military dictator in the mid-1980s, and the alleged human-rights abuses which occurred on his watch, Buhari said: “If there is any injustice that can be proved against me when I was there, I will gladly apologize.” The president refused, however, to concede that his now-notorious ‘war against indiscipline’ in the 1980s featured any such “injustice”.

Latest-News I will not resign if we fail to defeat Boko Haram – Buhari

In a wide-ranging and exclusive interview with Al Jazeera English’s flagship current affairs show, ‘UpFront’, Nigerian president Muhammad...

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