Nollywood Actress, Ebube Nwagbo, Out With New Hair

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November 19, 2014

Recently, there has been this mad rush for Posh Divo, the latest Brazilian 100 per cent Human Hair stocked by the versatile actress, Ebube Nwagbo.

Those ladies out there seem to have found something of interest in the new hair brand for them to have been so attached attracted to it.

Whenever the name Ebube Nwagbo comes up either in discourse or any media, what readily comes to mind is her life as a screen diva.

To a lot of her fans home and abroad, there is another side to this multi-tasking bubbly lady beyond camera, light and action.

Years back when the delectable queen of beauty dabbled into beauty business with her Posh Hairline, not many people believed that the business would later become a global brand.

Today as first actress to go into this line of business, a trail-blazer in hair and beauty business, Posh Hair is going places and getting the posh attention it deserves.

Ebube, as we gathered, has recently stocked Posh Divo, the latest brand from Posh Hair.

Posh Hair is the brain child and exclusive trade name and mark of none other than the posh lady and versatile and delectable actress, Ebube Nwagbo.

Miss Global Nigeria and another pageants are never complete without the input or support of Posh Hair.

This she has been doing religiously for sometimes now through her brand and label of Posh hair.

As you are reading this, Posh Divo is in high demand in the hair extension scene and from the older and the younger generations.

Aside being 100 per cent natural human hair, Posh Divo, a unique premium product that comes with a guarantee of genuine quality, will compete favourably with the big names in the market and can withstand the weather conditions of our climes.

Other Posh products include, Posh Panache, Posh Glam, Posh Luxury and Posh Belle.

In an interview during one of the pageants she has thrown her weight behind, Nwagbo said: “Being classy and able to stand out is the reason we have chosen to go all out to source for the premium product for the discerning and elegant lady out there who always want to make a bold but uncontested statement about her hair.

“We have in store Brazillian virgin hair from Posh World that comes in different length, colour and texture.

“Whatever your class is, we have a kit that will suit you without you going bankrupt.”

And on how she has been able to maintain a balance in showbiz world and her fast-growing hair business being in the frontline, she said: “I am first an actress before you can see me as a business woman.

“In Showbiz, there are two things combined: the show, which is the entertainment thing, movie, and the biz aspect which, of course, I am doing right now.

“I have been able to cope with the two because when I am on set, all my energy and attention are channelled towards acting so as to bring out the best in me.

“And when I am not on set, I have the time to look into my hair business.

“Also note that I have got human resources too who take care of things for me when I am not readily available.”

Nokia N1 Android Tablet Causes A Surprise

By

Hamilton Nwosa

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November 19, 2014

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Nokia is launching an Android-powered tablet, marking the Finnish company’s return to consumer electronics.

The surprise launch pits the firm against Microsoft, which completed its takeover of Nokia’s previous mobile-devices business in April.

The N1 tablet is due to go on sale in China towards the start of 2015, ahead of other countries.

Nokia said it was not making the device itself, but had licensed its brand, design and software to a third-party.

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Taiwanese manufacture Foxconn is the licensee.

“This is a great product for Nokia fans and everyone who has not found the right Android tablet yet,” said Sebastian Nystrom, head of products at Nokia Technologies, who announced the product at the Slush technology conference in Helsinki.

One company watcher was startled by the move.

“I’m surprised how quickly Nokia has decided to do this. But equally if Nokia was going to do anything with its brand, it was going to have to do it quickly,” said Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight.

Microsoft still sells the Nokia-branded Lumia 2520 tablet

“The brand has been in a consistent state of freefall over the past three years, so if they are going to extract any value from it they needed to do it sooner than later.”

Microsoft sells Nokia-labelled kit of its own, including the Lumia 2520 Windows RT-powered tablet.

Earlier this month, it unveiled its first Lumia smartphone without the Nokia name. But it indicated that it would continue using the brand on its less powerful “feature phone” line-up, saying it had the right to do so for up to a decade under the terms of its $7.2bn (£4.6bn) takeover.

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It is not clear whether Nokia’s announcement affects those plans.

“There’s no question Microsoft will not be a little frustrated that at a time when it’s trying to defocus the Nokia brand, here is something that resurrects it prematurely,” said Mr Wood.

“In some respects it will also cause a bit of confusion.”

The only comment from Microsoft was a brief statement: “This is a Nokia announcement and is not associated in any way with Microsoft.”

Android skin

The N1 is a 7.9in (20.1cm) aluminium-framed tablet, whose design resembles the iPad Mini.

Unlike Apple’s device, however, it is powered by Google’s Android 5.0 operating system, features an Intel Atom processor and has a Micro-USB slot. The planned retail price is $249 (£159).

The N1 features a 64-bit Intel quad-core Atom processor and an aluminium shell

It runs Nokia’s own Z Launcher user interface – known as a skin – on top of Android.

The previously announced software allows owners to draw letters on the tablet’s screen with one of their fingers to search for related content and changes the apps presented on the machine’s home screen according to the time of day and the device’s location.

“For Nokia, the advantages of licensing are considerable. Nokia can enter the mobile device market without needing to worry about manufacturing, supply chain management, stock control or hardware distribution,” said Ian Fogg, director of mobile analysis at research firm IHS Technology.

But, he noted, previous partnerships had not lived to expectation.

“The Symbian venture over a smartphone OS ran into the ground amid bureaucracy and differing partner visions,” he said.

“Nokia failed to establish successful licensing of its Series 60 software. The Intel partnership with Meego [an operating system] was aborted after just one year in as Nokia switched to Microsoft.

“And, Nokia has only just extricated itself from the choice of Windows Phone. Nokia must execute much better with licensing and mobile devices this time if it is to succeed.”

Nokia reported a return to health in October after it posted a third-quarter net profit of 747m euros ($935m; £597m) thanks to the work of its network equipment, mapping and software divisions, which had previously been weighed down by its loss-making hardware business.

The Last Unexplored Side of The Serengeti

By

Hamilton Nwosa

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November 19, 2014

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Wildlife-rich Serengeti is deservedly Tanzania’s most popular park, but with that celebrity comes a catch: crowds. Nearly 200,000 safari-goers pour in each year, cameras held high, their jeeps jockeying for position near anything with four legs.

Eastern Serengeti’s Soit Le Motonyi region, re-opened after a 20-year hiatus, is exactly the opposite: unspoiled, undriven, unphotographed and most definitely unpeopled. This land, where the short grasses of the plains meet the acacia woodlands, is virtually unknown to anyone save a handful of researchers, most of whom have been here studying cats. Big cats.

Since 1966, in one of the longest continuous field studies of the species, more than 200 individual lions from 12 prides have been identified in these eastern grasslands (and about 2,800 live in the whole south-eastern region). Cheetah studies ongoing since 1976 estimate that 50 to 80 adults roam Soit Le Motonyi and its surrounding areas. And the land is also home to leopards, servals, 30-strong packs of hyena and commonly-found grazers such as elephant, giraffe, zebra, waterbuck, steenbok and warthog.

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But it’s because of those big cats that Soit Le Motonyi was closed for nearly 20 years. Experts identified the area as an environmentally fragile cheetah breeding ground, and a 1996 management plan aimed to protect the vulnerable species by banning jeep-led safaris, which could interrupt hunts or scare and separate families. Marking this region out of bounds for decades worked: cheetah – and all the big cats in Soit Le Motonyi – are now thriving, so much that the Tanzania National Parks Authority has opened the area to a limited number of visitors. As a result, Soit Le Motonyi is now one of the best – and least crowded – places to see cheetah in the Serengeti and perhaps the world.

“When I was young and first saw these plains, I imagined that if I could reach the end I could touch the sky,” murmured our guide Erasto Macha. Among the first to visit, we were in the middle of an hour-and-a-half drive from the busy Seronera airstrip to Soit Le Motonyi’s sole accommodation, a new mobile camp operated by Asilia Africa called Namiri Plains. The farther we went, the emptier the roads became; many were barely tire-marked.

The path wound past dramatic kopjes (granite outcrops) that are a favourite haunt for lion prides. We caught a flash of one dark-maned predator snoozing atop a jutting ledge, and watched another three lions chasing a foe and a lioness across the plains, intermittent roars thundering in the distance. Luckily, their pursuit took them far from the camp.

Designed to harmonize with its untouched surrounds, Namiri Plains comprises just six luxury canvas tents, camouflaged among tall acacia trees. There are no fences, and because the nearest camp is 70km away, no lights from other lodges flicker in the distance at night.

Animals waltz through the campground at all hours (guests are escorted by trained guards after dark). Namiri, Swahili for “big cat”, has already seen a number of big cats in its short stint on Soit Le Motonyi grounds. Assistant manager Blessed Mpofu said he’s seen two cheetahs stroll right past guests at breakfast, and he once watched a roaring lion lope between two tents. For a few tense minutes, Mpofu even found himself trapped in his own tent when another lion passed “so close by I could hear him breathing”, he recalled. What’s more, after the camp opened on 1 July, a sharp-eyed guest spotted a pangolin (a bizarre-looking scaly anteater) within the first week; more recently, two aardwolf were sighted nearby. (Of course, travellers are always protected within their tents, and staff are on high alert when animals are near.)

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On our last morning, we pushed open our tent doors to see three giraffes nibbling on nearby trees, the animals’ long necks weaving among the branches. Ten minutes after hopping into an open-air jeep for our morning game drive, we spotted a female lion lying in the grass, calling to her pride.

That afternoon, a sinuous golden shape – a cheetah – slid out of the plains. We drove parallel to it for about 15 minutes, watching it prowl through the grasses, alert to every sound. When it finally disappeared from sight, we let out a collective breath. This was clearly big cat country, and we had just spent a quarter of an hour with one of its star residents.

And other than the cheetah, there wasn’t another soul in sight.

Wildlife Crime Wanted List Released

By

Hamilton Nwosa

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November 19, 2014

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The public is being asked to provide information on the locations of nine fugitives suspected of serious environmental crimes.

The appeal, from Interpol, is part of an effort to track down individuals involved in illegal fishing, logging and wildlife trafficking.

The trade in wildlife crime is said to be worth around $213bn per annum, according to the UN.

This is the first time that individuals have been targeted.

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Investigators from 21 countries gathered at Interpol’s headquarters in France in October to share information on suspects involved in a range of crimes involving the environment.

Called Operation Infra Terra, the agency is now asking for assistance from the public in tracking down nine key suspects.

“Even the smallest detail, which you might think is insignificant, has the potential to break a case wide open when combined with other evidence the police already have,” said Ioannis Kokkinis, from Interpol.

“Sometimes all it takes is a fresh pair of eyes to bring new momentum to an investigation and provide the missing clue which will help locate these wanted individuals, some of whom have been evading justice for years,” he added.

Criminal kingpins

One of those named is Feisal Mohammed Ali, alleged to be the leader of an ivory smuggling ring in Kenya.

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He is being sought in connection with the seizure of 314 ivory pieces, weighing well over two tonnes in Mombasa in June.

Others on the list include Ahmed Kamran who was charged with an attempt to smuggle over 100 live animals, including giraffes and impalas, to Qatar on a military plane.

Four of the fugitives wanted by Interpol.
Clockwise from top left: Adriano Jacobone, wanted for kidnapping and carrying firearms;
Ariel Bustamante Sanchez, wanted for illegal tuna fishing in Costa Rica;
Feisal Mohamed Ali, wanted for smuggling more than two tonnes of ivory;
Nicolaas Duindam, wanted for his role in a criminal organization trafficking wildlife from Brazil

Ariel Bustamante Sanchez is alleged to have been involved in illegal tuna fishing in protected waters off Costa Rica.

The move has been welcomed by Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites). They are concerned not just with the impact of environmental crime on species but also with the effect on political stability.

“Countries are increasingly treating wildlife crime as a serious offence, and we will leave no stone unturned to locate and arrest these criminals to ensure that they are brought to justice,” said Ben Janse van Rensburg from Cites.

“The public can play a crucial role in this collective effort, they our eyes and ears on the ground. Their support can help ensure that the offenders face the full might of the law and are punished appropriately.”

Member of the public who have any information on the possible location of the fugitives can use this form to contact Interpol. Information can also be given anonymously to any national crime stoppers programme.

Why I’m stepping down for Buhari, Atiku, others — Tambuwal

By

Hamilton Nwosa

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November 18, 2014

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The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, has confirmed his withdrawal from the presidential race.

Mr. Tambuwal said in a statement that he was standing down for the “unity” of his party, All Progressives Congress, APC, and that he will support other aspirants seeking the party’s ticket.

The speaker’s associates had told PREMIUM TIMES that he was withdrawing from the race despite pressure on him to go ahead and contest the 2015 presidential election.

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“Despite the pressure from us and from others on him to contest the presidential election, the speaker, I believe, is trying to withdraw,” a senior lawmaker said.

The speaker will now contest for governor in his home state of Sokoto, the source said. The speaker joined the presidential race last week after defecting from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to opposition APC in October.

Read the Speaker’s full statement below:
PROTOCOLS.

A few days ago, precisely on Friday the 14th of November,2014 a group of friends, associates, colleagues and admirers cutting across all ages, ethnic, social, religious, political and geographical divides presented to me the Expression of Interest and Nomination forms for me to participate in the presidential primaries of the All Progressive Congress (APC) for the 2015 Presidential Election.

2. On that auspicious occasion, being profoundly humbled, I requested for a little more time to conclude my last round of the series of nationwide consultations which indeed I was just about to conclude.

3. Let me state that the 14th November event was neither an accidental nor sudden happenstance, rather it was another high point of similar goodwill surprises I had experienced in the last two years when I started receiving in audience, colleagues, individuals, groups and delegations of prominent Nigerians on this subject matter

4. I wish to seize this occasion to commend, most highly, these patriotic and selfless colleagues, admirers, individuals and groups for their sacrifice, diligence and single-mindedness in the pursuit of what they honestly believe is in the best interest of our fatherland. I am fully aware of the physical, financial and intellectual resources all of you have expended in this regard besides the sheer volume of valuable time and the travel risk of crisscrossing to compare notes and confirm projections. Indeed I can not thank you enough.

5. When upon genuine conviction I decided to commence extensive consultations towards taking a decision as to whether or not to participate in the contest for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it was not to actualize a personal ambition,but rather to actualize our dream for a new Nigeria.

6. Ever since news of the possibility of my participation in the presidential contest got into the public domain, it has generated monumental interest, analyses and commentary. I have also, both personally and through prominent leaders across party lines and beyond, consulted extensively and I must say that I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and interest. On my part and with the greatest sense of modesty and responsibility I wish to assure Nigerians that I am fully prepared, ready, willing,determined, available and armed with the requisite plans, programmes and ability, to undertake the great mission of rescuing our dear country from the clutches of institutionalized corruption,gross incompetence, greed and divisiveness. I am prepared for the great task of rescuing Nigeria from the security problems, the scandalous youth unemployment, and the economic and social malaise that plague her.

7. Given the opportunity, ours would be a clean, corrupt-free, competent and purposeful government: to deal with the inexplicable paradoxes that have held us hostage for over a hundred years: the paradox of ever growing abject poverty in the midst of plenty; the paradox of ever growing menace of corruption in the face of the collective capacity of Nigerians to eradicate same, the paradox of decaying infrastructure especially epileptic power supply in the face of abundant natural resources; the paradox of glaring internal insecurity in the face of a gallant military,police and other security agencies that have excelled in peace keeping and enforcement abroad. Indeed a government that would deploy extraordinary ways and means where such becomes inevitable within the ambit of the law.

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8. The problems I speak about are real and glaring. Over the past three and a half years of presiding over 359 equals, I often had occasion to discuss peculiar constituency problems with my colleagues but most importantly I have visited over 300 hundred Federal constituencies across the country and seen for myself abject poverty of our people particularly the majority of the population that reside in the rural areas, I have experienced, first hand, total absence of essential social facilities and decaying infrastructure, where they exist at all, and observed hopelessness in the eyes of millions of citizens. I deeply feel the pulse of dejection of our people.

9. I am convinced that with the progressive spirit and teamwork these objectives are attainable under an All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.

10. I have carefully considered the concerns expressed by some of our leaders, whom I deeply respect and whose support and counsel I enjoy, to the effect that my entry into the presidential race at this point may necessitate having to rework some equations on the political chessboard of the party.

11. Having consulted widely, taking into consideration the concerns of some elders of the party, I have decided to suspend my participation in the presidential contest for now. I have done so as a sacrifice for the cohesion and unity of the APC. I am suspending my participation in the presidential race for now because I do not have any inordinate ambition to occupy any office. Nigeria is a country too great to sacrifice on the altar of partisan politics and personal ambition. What any one becomes in life is exclusively in the hands of God. Only God gives power to whoever he pleases.

12. I came into the APC to enhance and build. Therefore in the interest of our great party, the APC, and indeed in the overriding national interest I wish to appeal to all my associates, colleagues, supporters, admirers and friends nationwide to show some understanding. It has not been easy coming to this decision and I very well understand the frustration, disappointment and disbelief of many who have committed so much to the project including sacrificing not only their physical, financial and intellectual resources but indeed their personal ambitions in the 2015 electoral contest.

13. I pledge my loyalty to our party the APC and cooperation with my uncles and senior brothers and colleagues who are already in the race for the APC Presidential ticket: I refer to General Muhammadu Buhari, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Governor Rochas Okorocha and Mr Sam Ndah- Isaiah. There is no doubt that they are all eminently qualified.

14. To all my associates, colleagues, friends, admirers across Nigeria, who have faith that I am that instrument for the change we all desire, I assure you that your faith is not in vain. It is noble and will endure until this great nation of ours is rescued from the clutches of institutionalized corruption, gross incompetence, greed and divisiveness. I charge you to be comforted that your strength lies not in the limited capacity of a single leader, but rather in the collective capacity of the millions of great citizens of this nation. One day, and I believe not too long away, this formidable collective capacity will be ignited and the good Lord will lift Nigeria high up where she belongs.

15. God bless you all and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Rt. Hon. AMINU WAZIRI TAMBUWAL
SPEAKER, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.

Palestinians kill four in Jerusalem synagogue attack

By

Hamilton Nwosa

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November 18, 2014

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Two Palestinians armed with a meat cleaver and a gun killed four worshippers in a Jerusalem synagogue on Tuesday before being shot dead by police, the deadliest such incident in six years in the holy city.

Three of the victims held dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship and the fourth man was a British-Israeli national, police said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of inciting violence in the city and said the killings, along with a spate of recent attacks, were part of a “battle over Jerusalem”.

“As a nation we will settle the score with every terrorist and their dispatchers, and we have proved we will do so, but no one may take the law into their own hands, even if spirits are riled and blood is boiling,” Netanyahu said in broadcast remarks.

Abbas condemned the attack, which came after weeks of unrest fuelled in part by a dispute over Jerusalem’s holiest site, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary – containing the al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest in Islam – and to Jews as the Temple Mount because the two Biblical temples once stood there.

A worshipper in the Kehillat Bnei Torah synagogue in an ultra-Orthodox neighbourhood of Jewish West Jerusalem said about 25 people were praying in a service when shooting broke out.

“I looked up and saw someone shooting people at point-blank range. Then someone came in with what looked like a butcher’s knife and he went wild,” Yosef Posternak told Israel Radio.

Photos distributed by Israeli authorities showed a man in a prayer shawl lying dead, a bloodied butcher’s cleaver on the floor and prayer books covered in blood.

OBAMA CONDEMNS ATTACK

U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement: “I strongly condemn today’s terrorist attack on worshippers at a synagogue in Jerusalem, which killed four innocent people, including U.S. citizens Aryeh Kupinsky, Cary William Levine and Mosheh Twersky, and injured several more.”

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Obama said too many Israelis and Palestinians had died in recent violence and called on both sides to lower tensions.

U.S.-brokered peace talks collapsed in April after Abbas signed a unity deal with the Islamist group Hamas that advocates Israel’s destruction. Palestinians have also been angered by continued Israeli settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Violence in Jerusalem, other areas of Israel and the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories has surged in the past month. Abbas has said Muslims have a right to defend their sacred places if attacked.

Five Israelis and a foreign visitor were killed in the Palestinian attacks that preceded Tuesday’s incident. At least 10 Palestinians have also been killed, including those accused of carrying out the attacks prior to the synagogue assault.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the two assailants, both from Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, were shot dead by police in a gun battle outside the synagogue. Netanyahu said Israel would demolish their homes.

Israel’s ambulance service said at least eight people were seriously wounded.

The militant Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said it carried out the attack, calling it a “heroic operation”.

VICTIMS WERE RABBIS

The four dead – Twersky, 59, Kupinsky, 43, Levine, 55, and Avraham Shmuel Goldberg, a 68-year-old British-Israeli – were all ordained rabbis.

A Jewish seminary lecturer, Twersky was from a Hasidic rabbinical dynasty. Thousands of mourners attended his funeral.

Palestinian radio described the attackers as “martyrs” and Hamas, the dominant group in the Gaza Strip, praised the attack.

Loudspeakers at mosques in Gaza called out congratulations and youngsters handed out candy in the streets.

Palestinian media named the assailants as Ghassan and Udai Abu Jamal, cousins from the Jerusalem district of Jabal Mukaber, where clashes broke out as Israeli security forces moved in to make arrests.

Abbas said in a statement: “The presidency condemns the attack on Jewish worshippers in one of their places of prayer in West Jerusalem and condemns the killing of civilians no matter who is doing it.”

The attack raised Israelis’ concern about a new Palestinian uprising. Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch said he was seeking a partial easing of gun controls so military officers and security guards could carry weapons while off-duty.

A day before the incident, a Palestinian bus driver was found hanged in his vehicle in Jerusalem. Israel said he committed suicide, but his family said he was attacked and mourners at his funeral chanted for revenge.

Residents trace the violence in Jerusalem to July, when a Palestinian teenager was burned to death by Jewish assailants, an alleged revenge attack for the abduction and killing of three Jewish teens by Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank.

The synagogue attack was the worst in the city since 2008, when a Palestinian gunman killed eight people in a religious school.

(Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Noah Browning; Editing by Tom Heneghan)

Costa Book Awards: Brain surgery memoir makes shortlist

By

Hamilton Nwosa

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November 18, 2014

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A memoir about brain surgery is among 20 books shortlisted for this year’s Costa Book Awards.

Henry Marsh’s Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery is one of four shortlisted biographies.

The judges called it “an addictive, eye-opening and poetic exploration of a brain surgeon’s doubts and drive.”

Winners in the novel, first novel, biography, poetry and children’s book categories are announced on 5 January 2015.

An overall winner – the 2014 Costa Book of the Year – is announced on 27 January.

The shortlists also include two of this year’s Man Booker nominees in the novel category and two books set during World War One in the children’s category.

The Telegraph described Marsh’s Do No Harm as “an elegant series of meditations at the closing of a long career”.

“Many of the stories are moving enough to raise tears: a good few would make a Dalek squeamish,” it said.

One of the country’s top neurosurgeons, Marsh gives a rare insight into the operating theatre and the workings of a modern hospital. His book is also shortlisted for a Guardian first book award.

The Costa Book Awards, open to UK and Ireland-based authors, features 10 male and 10 female writers on the shortlist with ages spanning 29 to 70.

Nigeria Finance Minister Says Oil Bill Unlikely To Pass Before 2015 Poll

By

Hamilton Nwosa

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November 18, 2014

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Nigeria’s long-awaited Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is not expected to be voted on by parliament before a planned general election in February 2015, the finance minister said on Tuesday.

The bill, which is expected to reform Africa’s top oil producer’s oil taxes and licences, and to overhaul state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, has dragged on for over five years because of political wrangling over its many clauses

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told a conference call with investors that foreign direct investments in the country has grown but for the oil sector because of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Fined $315m

By

Hamilton Nwosa

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November 18, 2014

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Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi (BTMU) has been fined $315m (£200m) by US authorities for watering down a report about transactions involving Iran and other sanctioned countries.

Key warnings were removed from the report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), due to pressure from BTMU employees, New York State regulators found.

One BTMU employee resigned following the investigation.

Two others were banned from working with any New York banks.

“It is clear that we – as a regulatory community – must work aggressively to reform the cozy relationship between banks and consultants, which far too often has resulted in shoddy work that sweeps wrongdoing under the rug,” said Benjamin Lawsky, New York’s superintendent of financial services.

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PricewaterhouseCoopers, which prepared the report, found that BTMU had been telling employees to remove information from messages that would have triggered compliance alerts.

In an earlier draft of its report PwC highlighted the significance of that discovery.

But later, at the bank’s request, PwC replaced that section, according to the investigation.

The New York State investigation also found that other important information was removed from the PwC report, at the request of BTMU. That included:

An English translation of BTMU’s instructions to employees which referenced the bank doing business with “enemy countries” of the US
most of PwC’s discussion about the bank’s manipulation of messages
a section that discussed how BTMU disguised messages by using characters in names. For example SUD#N.

The latest fine is in addition to a $250m fine BTMU agreed to in June 2013, for conducting billions of dollars of transactions for governments and private bodies in Iran, Sudan and Myanmar.

Responding to the latest fine BTMU said it is “committed to conducting business with the highest levels of integrity and regulatory compliance, and to continually improving its policies and procedures.”

Manchester United Revenues Fall on Champions League Absence

By

Hamilton Nwosa

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November 18, 2014

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English Premier League club Manchester United posted a 10 percent fall in first quarter revenue as the absence of lucrative Champions League soccer this season took its toll.

United, currently seventh in the table and still struggling with what has been a dismal transition since Alex Ferguson retired as manager in May 2013, said total revenue fell to 88.7 million pounds ($139 million) in the three months to Sept. 30.

That compared to 98.5 million pounds posted a year ago but was ahead of an analyst consensus forecast of 86 million pounds.

An 8.6 percent drop in adjusted core earnings to 20.3 million pounds was also ahead of analyst expectations of 14.5 million, helped by a rise in sponsorship money and a lower wage bill.

“While we recognize that the 2014/15 fiscal year financial results will reflect our absence from the Champions League… we are excited to focus our efforts on the meaningful growth opportunities in sponsorship, digital media and retail and merchandising,” United Executive vice chairman Ed Woodward said.

Manchester United Club’s global appeal, which is says stretches to 659 million followers, continued to prove lucrative, with five sponsorship deals signed in the quarter as well as a world record 750 million pound kit deal with Adidas.

However, its broadcasting and matchday revenues took a hit, falling 13 and 22 percent respectively, as the impact of last season’s failure to qualify for the Champions League, Europe’s top club competition, was laid bare. This season is the club’s first without European soccer for over two decades.

United, majority owned by the American Glazer family, reiterated expectations for lower full-year revenue of 385-395 million pounds, and core earnings of 90-95 million.

Under Dutchman Louis van Gaal, who took over as coach for the start of the season after an ill-fated spell for Ferguson’s replacement David Moyes, the club have spent heavily on the likes of Argentine winger Angel di Maria and young English defender Luke Shaw to improve their fortunes.

Progress has been mixed, however, and the 20-times champions are 13 points adrift of Premier League leaders Chelsea after 11 games, and are out of the League Cup.

Egyptian Woman Dies of Bird Flu, Second Death in Two Days

By

Hamilton Nwosa

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November 18, 2014

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An Egyptian woman died on Tuesday of H5N1 bird flu after coming into contact with infected birds, the second death from the disease in two days and the third death in the country this year, state newspaper Al-Ahram reported.

The 30-year-old woman was from the province of Minya, south of Cairo, the health ministry said in a statement reported by Al-Ahram on its website. She died in a hospital in the southern city of Assiut.

A 19-year-old woman died of bird flu on Monday in Assiut.

(Reporting By Ali Abdelaty; Writing by Maggie Fick; Editing by Chris Reese)

Obama Will Not Change Policy Against Paying Ransom For Hostages

By

Hamilton Nwosa

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November 18, 2014

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President Barack Obama, who has ordered a comprehensive review of U.S. policy governing efforts to free American hostages, still opposes the payment of ransoms, the White House said on Tuesday.

Obama ordered the review last summer in light of the increasing number of U.S. citizens taken hostage by the Islamic State and other militant groups. In recent months Islamic State militants have beheaded three Americans.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters that Obama felt a review was warranted by the increased number of kidnappings of Americans.

“The one thing that I do want to make clear, though, is, this review does not include a reconsideration about longstanding policy of the United States government that ransoms should not be paid to terrorist organizations that are holding hostages,” Earnest said.

He said Obama believes that paying ransoms could lead to trouble over the long term.

“We don’t want to put other American citizens at even greater risk when they’re around the globe. And that, knowing that terrorist organizations can extract a ransom from the United States, if they take a hostage only puts American citizens at greater risk,” he said.

(Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

Corruption: EFCC Arraigns Delta Direct Labour Agency Boss

By

Hamilton Nwosa

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November 14, 2014

0

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday November 13, 2014 arraigned the Director General of the Delta State Direct Labour Agency, DLA, Emmanuel Odafe Igbini before Justice U.

Agomoh of the Federal High Court Port Harcourt, River State on a 3- count charge bordering on false declaration of assets.

Count one of the charge reads, “that you Emmanuel Odafe Igbini on or about 13th November, 2013 at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, South-South Zonal Office, No. 6A Olumeni Street, Old GRA, Off Forces Avenue, Port Harcourt within the jurisdiction of this honourable court knowingly failed to make full disclosure of your assets to wit: your Stanbic IBTC bank account number 0006379402 in the Assets Declaration Form you filled at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 27 (1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act 2004 and punishable under section 27(3) of the same Act”.

Second count reads, “that you Emmanuel Odafe Igbini on or about 13th November, 2013 at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, South-South Zonal Office, No. 6A Olumeni Street, Old GRA, Off Forces Avenue, Port Harcourt within the jurisdiction of this honourable court knowingly failed to make full disclosure of your assets to wit: your Stanbic IBTC bank US Dollar account number 0006441862 in the Asset Declaration Form you filled at the Economic and Financial Commission and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 27 (1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act 2004 and punishable under section 27(3) of the same Act.

He however pleaded not guilty to the charges. In view of his plea, the prosecuting counsel, O. Oyediran asked the court for a date for trial.

The defence counsel, A.P Uwabuike, however, urged the court to grant the accused person bail pending the commencement of trial.
Justice Agomoh granted the accused person bail in the sum of one million naira with two sureties in like sum. One of the sureties must
be a senior civil servant of level 10 and above. The sureties must own properties and reside within jurisdiction of court.

The case was adjourned to November 24, 25 and December1 and 2, 2014 for commencement of trial.

The accused is being investigated by the Commission in a case of abuse of office and money laundering.

Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
13th November, 2014

Islamic State Leader Urges Attacks In Saudi Arabia

By

Hamilton Nwosa

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November 14, 2014

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Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called for attacks against the rulers of Saudi Arabia in a speech purported to be in his name on Thursday, saying his self-declared caliphate was expanding there and in four other Arab countries.

Baghdadi also said a U.S.-led military campaign against his group in Syria and Iraq was failing and he called for “volcanoes of jihad” the world over.

Reuters could not independently confirm the authenticity of the speech – an audio recording carried on Islamic State-run social media. The voice sounded similar to a previous speech delivered by Baghdadi in July in a mosque in the Iraqi city of Mosul, the last time he spoke in public.

The speech followed contradictory accounts out of Iraq after U.S. air strikes last Friday about whether he was wounded in a raid. U.S. officials said on Tuesday they could not confirm whether Baghdadi was hit in a strike near Falluja in Iraq.

In Washington on Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said she could not confirm the recording’s authenticity and said Washington and others were likely to increase efforts to counter the group’s claims to represent Islam.

“Clearly the brutality, the rhetoric, the efforts to incite, by any leaders of ISIL … is not a new phenomenon. It certainly is a reminder to everyone in the region and around the world of what their intentions are,” Psaki told reporters.

Baghdadi urged supporters in Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, to take the fight to the rulers of the kingdom, which has joined the U.S.-led coalition in mounting air strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria.

“O sons of al-Haramayn…the serpent’s head and the stronghold of the disease are there…draw your swords and divorce life, because there should be no security for the Saloul,” Baghdadi said, using a derogatory term to refer to the leadership of Saudi Arabia.

Haramayn is a reference to the two holiest places in Islam, both of them in Saudi Arabia.

Since Islamic State began an offensive in Iraq in June, Saudi Arabia has sent thousands of troops to the border area.

The speech was not dated but carried a reference to a Nov. 7 U.S. announcement that President Barack Obama had approved sending up to 1,500 more U.S. troops to Iraq. Obama has said the United States aims to degrade and eventually destroy Islamic State.

Islamic State has seized swathes of Syria and Iraq and in June declared a caliphate over territory it controls. Baghdadi said he had accepted oaths of allegiance from supporters in Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Algeria.

“We announce to you the expansion of the Islamic State to new countries, to the countries of the Haramayn, Yemen, Egypt, Libya, Algeria,” Baghdadi said. The speech was transcribed in Arabic and translated into English.

Although supporters have pledged allegiance to Islamic State in countries including Lebanon, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Baghdadi singled out only those five states, picking countries where sympathisers have a strong base and could mount attacks.

He added, however: “Oh soldiers of the Islamic State…erupt volcanoes of jihad everywhere. Light the earth with fire against all dictators.”

Referring to U.S.-led military action against his group, Baghdadi said: “Despite this Crusade campaign being the most fierce and severe of all, it is the greatest failure.”

“We see America and its allies stumbling in fear, weakness, impotence and failure.”

Referring to Yemen, where Shi’ite Houthis captured the capital Sanaa in September, forcing the government to resign, he said: “Oh soldiers of Yemen…be harsh against the Houthis, they are infidels and apostates. Fight them and win against them.”

Baghdadi also congratulated supporters in Egypt’s Sinai for starting jihad against what he called the “dictators of Egypt”. He also urged supporters in Libya, Algeria and Morocco to prevent secular groups from ruling.

After Baghdadi’s speech, Egyptian militant group Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, which swore allegiance to Islamic state this week, changed its name to Sinai Province on the Twitter feed claiming to represent it.

(Reporting by Beirut bureau and Mostafa Hashem in Cairo, Editing by Angus MacSwan, David Storey and Grant McCool)

Jonathan Urges Filmmakers To Use Their Works To Promote Culture

By

Hamilton Nwosa

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November 14, 2014

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President Goodluck Jonathan has called on African filmmakers to endeavour to use the platform of their works and talents to promote the cultural heritage and traditions of the black people.

The President made the call while declaring open this year’s edition of the prestigious Africa International Film Festival, which is holding in Calabar, Cross River State. Speaking through the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, High Chief Edem Duke, Jonathan commended the film makers for not only using their crafts to reposition the place of the black people in the comity of nation, but also for ensuring that the rest of the world see Africa truly in the light that is appropriate for the continent.

His words: “It is my believe that it is proper to acknowledge and celebrate all of you who in your different and various roles have weaved together the story of Africa, its trials, triumphs and joys that reposition us in the comity of nations and ensured that the western world sees Africa truly in the light that is appropriate for us.

“It is my expectation that we will be celebrating till the end of this week, some wonderful films and talented personalities.

“It is my hope that we should continue to use the platform of your movies to promote the culture and the traditions of Africa.

“Also, it is my believe that as we continue to venture into growing this sector and redefining its place in the global movie industry.

“We will continue to give credence to those positive attributes of Africa, those important value systems that we have overtime promoted and projected.

“Oftentimes, people have criticised us that for some of our films.

“We spend a lot of time exploring themes of tragedies and such story lines that do not extremely celebrate our cultural values.

“But I thereby state that at end of each and every such story, there is always a bottomline of good triumphing over evil and that is the value system and the true story of Africa.

“I believe that it is in the realization of that the western world has today moved away from the era of “Dracula” that we used to know, to the Spider-Man of today.

“A force of justice and positivity over that of evil.”

The festival, which opened with the screening of a controversial documentary film on the recent political struggle in Egypt, titled: “The Square,” will end on November 19.

In attendance were movie stars and stakeholders, including the First Lady of Cross River State, Obioma Liyel-Imoke; veteran film maker, Tunde Kelani; Mahmud Ali-Balogun; Charles Novia; and Rita Dominic.

Omotola, Genevieve, Asa Lead Future Africa Awards, Campaign Against Ebola

By

Hamilton Nwosa

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November 14, 2014

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The Future Africa Awards has announced its ambassadors for a global campaign against Ebola in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

The TFAA young person of the year 2013, Ashish Thakkar, actresses, Genevieve Nnaji and Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde as well as singer, Asa, would lead the campaign.

Their aim is to gather youths all over the world to act against the virus and support the World Health Organisation, WHO, by donating a minimum of $25 and providing updates on social media.

The campaign will hold through the portal stopebola.com from Tuesday, November 11 to December 7, when the day the Future Africa Awards will hold.
Ms. Nnaji said the virus has been curtailed in Nigeria, which meant it could be defeated in other countries.

“We need to get involved beyond talk and beyond sympathy,” she said. “As long as it remains anywhere in Africa, we are all at risk, and we can come together to stop this from happening. Join me, and join all of us now on www.stopebola.com.”

Ms. Jalade-Ekeinde said: “Just when the world has begun to pay attention to Africa as a destination for rapid growth and investment, we cannot allow Ebola define the narrative. We need to put a stop to this immediately, and young people need to take the lead.”

The other influencers include the CEO of Paga, Tayo Oviosu, Deputy Director of the British Council, Ojoma Ochai, Tu Face Idibia, Van Vicker, Joselyn Dumas, Lanre Da Silva Ajayi, Dayo Israel, Denrele, Dakore Akande, Juliet Ibrahim, Funke Akindele, Omoni Oboli, Ohimai Atafo, Joseph Benjamin, Ice Prince, MI Abaga, Omawumi, Waje, Lynxx, Yemi Adamolekun, Gbenga Sesan, Kunle, Afolayan, Osas Ighodaro, Yegwa Ukpo and Kathleen Ndongmo.

To be part of the campaign, go to www.stopebola.com, click on the sharebutton and sign up to the Thunderclap campaign. Thunderclap ensures everyone will tweet the same #StopEbola message on November 29 at the same time, then click on the donate button to donate directly to the UN’s Ebola Response Fund.

Theatre Arts Movie Practitioners To Celebrate Veteran Actor, Adebayo Salami

By

Hamilton Nwosa

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November 14, 2014

0

The Theatre Arts Movie Practitioners of Nigeria, TAMPAN, will celebrate veteran, Adebayo Salami’s 50 years as an actor with a stage play titled, Oloko Oba.

The one-day event, which will hold on December 10 at the Muson Centre by 4p.m. will see TAMPAN’s national chairman, Yemi Solade, Madam Saje, Ebun Oloyede aka Olaiya, Yinka Quadri, Muyiwa Ademola and Femi Adebayo as cast of the play.

TAMPAN made this known at a press conference on Wednesday in Lagos. It said the golden jubilee of the actor popularly known as Oga Bello from his stints on popular TV sitcom, Ojo Ladipo Theatre, would be different from the regular razzmattazz.

Speaking on his 50 years as a theatre art practitioner, Oga Bello, attributed his success to God for his grace and mercies.

“I feel so elated to have come this far,” he said. “I thank God almighty for his love and kindness. My maximum appreciation also goes to the media who have been supporting me as Adebayo Salami and also pushing the ‘Oga Bello’ brand all along.”

When asked if he had any regret as an actor, he said: “I can tell you that I have no regret though it is normal to have challenges because that’s what makes a man.

“Challenges makes champions. I remember vividly some years ago when I was shooting a movie titled Eri Okan, the bus conveying all the equipment got burnt on the express and we lost all. People attached it to some spiritual attacks but I concluded it was just the will of God. Challenges make one get stronger.”

Oga Bello also revealed a documentary about him would also be unveiled and there would be a drama performance by his threatre group, UB Group, and that of his son Femi Adebayo, J-15.

There will also be a compilation of 12 of Oga Bello’s great movies of all time.

Oga Bello, who is the current national leader of TAMPAN, also took time out to speak on crisis rocking the Association of Nigeria Theatre Practitioners, ANTP, and the emergence of TAMPAN.

He said TAMPAN was born out of neccessity because “we realized that ANTP is retrogressive. Imagine when as ANTP you’re pushing a proposal to a brand or government agency and one of your supposed members or exco writes a petition to always counter your moves. ANTP is full of crisis; no agreement or cordiality.”

Mr. Solade said TAMPAN would give a new face and meaning to the Yoruba theatre art practitioners.

He gave kudos to Mr. Salami for his exemplary leadership qualities and discipline.

‎He said, ‘Many people don’t know that Oga Bello is not only my senior colleague but my uncle. That’s a fact you must know today; we’re blood related.”

Mr. Salami’s son, Sadiq Adebayo, a graduate of Geology turned production manager, also showered praises on his father for his unbiased love towards all and sundry.

Mr. Adebayo commended him for being a worthy father. He said Mr. Salami was a father who loved his children and would also spoke the truth.

Egypt To Repay Debts To Foreign Oil Companies Within Six Months

By

Hamilton Nwosa

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November 14, 2014

0

Egypt plans to repay all of the $4.9 billion debt owed to foreign oil and gas companies within six months, the oil ministry said on Thursday, a move it hopes will prompt them to step up exploration and ease the worst energy crunch in decades.

Egypt has delayed payments to oil and gas firms as its economy has been hammered by almost three years of instability since a popular uprising ousted autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Arrears had begun to accumulate before the revolt, but worsening state finances saw the debts mount to billions of dollars while the government diverted gas that had been earmarked for export, to meet domestic demand.

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Gas production has steadily declined in Egypt while consumption keeps rising, but firms have been reluctant to increase investment in exploration and production, particularly in costly offshore areas, until the government pays them back.

The oil ministry said in a statement that Egypt planned to borrow $2 billion to help it finance the repayments, seeking to pay back 60 percent of the arrears by year-end. Egypt said in October it had repaid $1.5 billion of the money owed, leaving $4.9 billion outstanding.

“This offering, comes as one of the short-term measures taken by the government to pay the IOCs’ (international oil companies) arrears,” Oil Minister Sherif Ismail said in the statement.

He said that state oil and gas boards EGPC and EGAS were holding another round of talks with the oil companies, in parallel with the repayments, to “manage their expectations”.

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The gas shortage has left the Arab world’s most populous country struggling with its worst energy crisis in years. Blackouts became an almost daily occurrence over the summer months and the government has also diverted gas away from heavy industries, doing substantial damage to the bottom lines of some companies.

Egypt began cutting subsidies on fuel and electricity in July as part of economic reforms aimed at curtailing its budget deficit and curbing growth in domestic energy consumption.

Lagos okays repatriation of South Africans killed in Synagogue building collapse

By

Hamilton Nwosa

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November 13, 2014

0

The Lagos State government has given green light to the South African government to repatriate 54 bodies of its nationals who were victims of the September 12 building collapse at the Synagogue Church of All Nations so far identified through DNA test.

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, agreed to the return of the bodies during a meeting with the South African Special Envoy, Jeff Radebe, at the Lagos House, Marina on Wednesday.

Following agitation by South Africans for the bodies of those who died in the building collapse to be returned, the South African government appointed Mr Radebe to help in expediting the repatriation of the bodies.

On September12, a building being used as a guesthouse within the premises collapsed killing 116 people including 81 South Africans. The tragedy has been described as the worst in South African’s history since the end of apartheid and the highest number of South African deaths outside the country ever.

The collapsed building, originally a two-storey structure, was being refurbished with four additional floors at the time it crumbled. The Lagos State government said the church did not have the statutory permit to add additional floors to the building.

Mr. Fashola said while it understand the concern of South Africans to quickly get to closure over the tragedy, his government is also handling the process with caution to avoid mistakes in the identification of the bodies.

“I understand the call by South Africans to get the bodies of their relatives but we cannot at this time get the process wrong because if we release a body, we want to ensure that each family takes the body of their relative. It will be unpardonable for us to make mistakes,” he said.

He added that the South Africa could decide to repatriate the bodies in batches or wait until all the bodies are identified.

“We have no reason to deny you the right to take those 54 bodies, you have my word, you can take them whenever you are ready to do so. It is left for you to decide whether to take them in batches or wait until we conclude the exercise. But if you are ready, my team will ensure that you take them without any delay,” Mr. Fashola said.

He said the DNA was conducted in a South African laboratory to make the process less cumbersome for South Africans who are bearing the bigger brunt of the tragedy.

During the meeting the State Chief Examiner, John Babafunwa, said the bodies recovered were subjected to post mortem examination of fingerprints, photography and the collections of other samples.

“We had to collect additional DNA samples to assist the laboratory. We’ve been working together and talking to the lab. It is expected that more results will come in more than the 70 we have identified,” Obafunwa said.

Of the 116 persons who died, 70 have been identified so far among them 54 South Africans. Other nationals identified are Nigerians, Togolese and Béninoise.

Mr. Radebe said his team came to Lagos to speed up the process of repatriation of the bodies as under South African culture, the dead must be laid to rest within a weeks of dying.

“But today makes it two months since the incident. I have also paid a condolence visit to President Goodluck Jonathan two days ago to convey the message of our President and find ways of speeding up the processes and repatriation of the mortal remains of those 85 (81 South Africans) including those four who carry South African passports even though they are not nationals of our country,” he said.

“The whole nation of South Africa is in mourning, especially the families that have to endure these two months of waiting in order to bring closure to this whole incident. We are ready to repatriate them as soon as we get the green light from the State Government.

“We appreciate your government for the cooperation and our team has been briefing us on the challenges of identifying the bodies. But the bereavement was very tragic indeed and we have to get the bodies back to South Africa so it doesn’t get into more difficulties,” he added.

Odinkalu, Others Sue CBN for N65 ATM Charge

By

Hamilton Nwosa

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November 13, 2014

0

CBN Retains MPR At 11.5%, Other Parameters Remain Constant

Three Nigerians have filed a suit against the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, for its recent decision to reintroduce charges on cash withdrawals from a different bank’s automated teller machine, ATM, after the third use in a month.

The applicants – Seember Nyager, Chukwuma Chinaka and Chidi Odinkalu of A&E Law Partnership, Abuja, want the court to determine whether the CBN’s directive contained in an August 13 circular for the reintroduction of N65 charge was in the national interest.

The trio, who filed the application Number FHC/ABJ/CS/817/2014 dated November 4 before the Federal High Court, Abuja, also joined the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, and Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, as defendants.

In the statement of claim accompanying their application, the applicants said they were seeking a declaration of the court to determine whether the CBN and Mr. Emefiele’s directive of August 13 did not amount to unlawful expropriation of private property without compensation in contravention of Section 44 of the 1999 Constitution.

The applicants also asked the court to determine whether the procedure of issuing the directive by the CBN and Mr. Emefiele was not incompatible with their role as regulators of the financial services and banking system in Nigeria under the provisions of the CBN Act 2007.

They also want the court to determine whether the Central Bank and Mr. Emefiele had the right, power and privilege to issue such a directive.

Based on the answers to the above questions, the three applicants said they were seeking a declaration of the court that such a directive by CBN and Mr. Emefiele without their consent was unconstitutional, null and void, and in violation of Section 44(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

They also asked the court to declare that the directive by the CBN and Mr. Emefiele that ATM cash withdrawals accessed at the cost N65 per withdrawal from the 4th remote-on-us transactions by them and other bank customers in a month was null, void and of no effect.

Consequently, the plaintiffs demanded an order of the court setting aside the directive as well as directing the CBN and Mr. Emefiele to forthwith direct all banks and other institutions to stop collecting the charge immediately.

In the affidavit sworn on behalf of the plaintiffs, Ms. Nyager said she had a savings Account with Guaranty Trust Bank, GTB, and was issued a MasterCard ATM Debit Card. She said she was also aware that Mr. Chinaka has a savings account with Diamond Bank and was issued a VISA ATM Debit Card while Mr. Odinkalu has an account with Standard Chartered Bank and was also issued an ATM Debit Card.

According to Ms. Nyager, as a result of the ATMs of their banks being “very limited and most times out of service for undisclosed reasons,” they often were forced to patronize other banks’ ATMs for cash withdrawals.

She noted that being charged each month for no fault of theirs was unjust, adding that the directive by the Central Bank and Mr. Emefiele to banks to charge them for such service each month amounted to punishing them for the inefficiency and limitation of their banks.

Ms. Nyager also said the CBN directive was “too onerous” for them, as they did not have the economic capacity to bear the cost of their banks’ inefficiency and limitations.

She said the charges amount to the CBN and Mr. Emefiele rewarding the banks for their limitations and inefficiencies to customers’ detriment.

The Central Bank in its circular of August 13 to all banks signed announced the “re-introduction of ‘Remote-on-Us’ ATM cash withdrawal transaction fee. With the announcement, the CBN said the transaction fee for cash withdrawal on remote-on-us would be N65 per transaction to cover the remuneration of switches, ATM monitoring and fit-notes processing by acquiring banks.

It explained that “the new charge shall apply as from the 4th‘Remote-on-Us’ withdrawal (in a month) by a card holder, thereby making the first three ‘Remote-on-Us’ transactions free for the card holder, but to be paid by the issuing bank.”

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