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Wednesday, 1 July 2015

Man Utd, Chelsea target Turan set for Barcelona

Arda Turan is set to disappoint suitors Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea and sign for European champions Barcelona.

Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo have claimed that the Catalan giants are set to usurp United, Arsenal and previous favourites Chelsea for Turan's signature.

It was previously believed that the 28-year old was set on a move to English champions Chelsea, but the paper claims Turan could sign for Barca as early as next week.

These claims were boosted by the midfielder's agent, who confirmed that a deal could be reached with the 'next four days' as he described: "We're in search of better options for him and decided to definitely leave Athletico Madrid.
"The Atletico Madrid board were surprised by our decision because they didn't want to give him up, but we were insistent and they showed respect to this and accepted his departure."

The signing of Turan could have implications for Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, who was thought to be on his way to the Nou Camp and now may have to settle for one of Europe's other major clubs.

Turan won't be eligible for Barcelona until January 2016 when their current transfer embargo ends.

- See more at: http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/man-utd-chelsea-target-turan-set-for-barcelona-4084310#sthash.7WdYqf33.dpuf

Facebook opens office in Africa, targets one billion users

The online social networking service, Facebook, has launched its first headquarters in Africa in a bid to expand its 120 million African users.

With more than one billion people, the African continent holds some of the most promising prospects for growth and expansion.

“This is one of the places where our next billion users are coming from," Facebook's vice-president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa Nicola Mendelsohn told Bloomberg news.

The new office will be located in Johannesburg, South Africa and will focus on the growing markets within the continent including countries like Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Senegal, and Ghana.

Nunu Ntshingila, the chairman of Ogilvy South Africa, will be leading the new African sales team in Johannesburg according to Bloomberg news. The new office will focus on sales and help advertisers create and deliver ads appealing to African customers.

“We are committed to creating solutions tailored to people, businesses and specifically for African markets,” said Ari Kesisoglu, regional director for Facebook in the Middle East and Africa.

The social network has already been seeking to expand its presence on the African continent for some time. One of its largest initiatives is the Internet.org program, a partnership between Facebook and six other companies (Samsung, Ericsson, MediaTek, Opera Software, Nokia, and Qualcomm). It aims to bring affordable Internet access to developing countries and facilitate access to basic information and online services.

One of the first products of the Internet.org initiative was an app that allows people in developing countries to access basic web services free of charge, allowing users to access vital health, employment, and local information services. It first launched in Zambia and has been expanded into Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, Colombia, and parts of India.

In March, reports showed that Facebook was testing solar-powered drones to down laser-guided internet signals. Facebook says it plans on bringing internet connections to the even the most remote locations.

The goal of Facebook’s expansion and efforts to improve internet access in Africa is increased advertising revenue although Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has said that advertising to Internet.org users was “not an immediate priority.”

In three years, NNPC generated N8.1 trn, gave Nigeria N4.3 trn, pocketed the balance

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, generated about N8.1trillion between 2012 and May 2015, but paid only N4.3trillion to the federation account, Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, said Monday, citing new details from the federal economic council meeting.

The balance of the oil money — about N3.8trillion — was withheld and spent by the NNPC unilaterally without approval or National Assembly appropriation, the governor told journalists.

Also, the governor confirmed at the meeting that from November 2014, about $2.1billion was withdrawn from the excess crude account without the approval of the National Economic Council, NEC.

Mr. Oshiomhole, who, alongside the governors of Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and Zamfara governor, Abdulazeez Yari, briefed journalists, said following the discovery, the NEC has set up a four-member committee to comb the books of the NNPC to confirm its remittances and how the excess crude account was utilised.

President Muhammadu Buhari dissolved the board of the NNPC on Friday, to pave way for full investigation of the corporation.

Mr. Oshiomhole said Monday’s meeting was the first time the NNPC and the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, briefed the National Economic Council, as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The governor said Mr. Buhari “compelled” the NNPC to provide information in “black and white” on issues relating to the total sales of Nigeria’s crude oil from 2012 to May 2015.

“This has never happened before and for us this is profound. We are talking about transparency, we are talking about change. And what we saw from those numbers I believe that Nigerians are entitled to know, is that whereas the NNPC claimed to have earned N8.1 trillion, what NNPC paid into the federation account from 2012 to May 2015 was N4.3trillion.

“What it means is that NNPC withheld and spent N3.8 trillion.

“The major revelation here is that for the entire federation — that is the federal government, the states and all the 774 local governments — the amount the NNPC paid into the federation account for distribution to this three tiers of government came to N4.3 trillion and NNPC alone took and spent N3.8 trillion. Which means the cost of running NNPC is much more than the cost of running the Federal Government. That tells you how much is missing, what is mismanaged, what is stolen, they are huge figures.”

He said it had become clear that the NNPC had not respected the Constitution on how government money should be spent.

“If NNPC needs to spend money, it is obliged to prepare its budget like every other business
enterprise. That budget will be scrutinized by the executive and forwarded to the National Assembly and the National Assembly will accordingly appropriate it.

“If the federal government cannot spend without appropriation, why should any agency spend without appropriation?”

Mr. Oshiomhole said President Buhari promised that henceforth, all monies must go to the federation account.

“What you need you budget for, Nigeria cannot continue with you earn the money and spend it. Where is transparency? Where is the role of the National Assembly? So if you were doing that you won’t have a situation where the NNPC alone will spend N3.8 trillion and remit to the federal, states and local governments N4.3 trillion which means NNPC is taking about 47 per cent and that explains all the leakages you are talking about.”

He said parastatals must return to spending on a budget.

“We are not reinventing the wheel, that is the way it used to be and that is the way the constitution says it should”

EXCESS CRUDE ACCOUNT
The Edo governor also disclosed $2.1 billion was withdrawn from $4.1 billion reported to be in the excess crude account as at November 2014 without the approval of the National Economic Council (NEC). The account now has $2.0bilion.
“We looked at the numbers for the Excess crude account, the last time the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy reported to the Council and it is in the minute, she reported by November 2014, that we had $4.1 billion.
“But today the Accountant General Office reported we have $2.0 billion. Which means the Honourable Minister spent $2.1billion without authority of the NEC. And that money was not distributed to states, it was not paid to the three tiers of government. This is why the NEC has set up a panel to look at what accrued, what it was spent for, when and by whom. So that Nigerians will have the full picture of all the transactions as regards the much talked about Excess crude,” Mr. Oshiomhole said.
The four-member committee, which consists of the governors of Edo, Gombe, Kaduna and Akwa Ibom states.
Explaining further, Kaduna State Governor, Mr. El-Rufai, noted that the Federal Government had in the last year been unilaterally withdrawing from the excess crude account without consulting the other owners.
According to him “The Excess Crude account was started by President Olusegun Obasanjo around
2004-2005.
“It was an administrative arrangement to save for a rainy day. And it was meant to have very clear accountability such that every state and local government, in a particular state knows their balance in the Excess Crude Account, though you can’t spend it but you know how much of it is yours.
“That was the arrangement. And in those days, before we spend any money from the Excess Crude Account, the federal and states governments will meet and agree. That is how we agreed to build the seven power stations which is NIPP today, it was from Excess Crude Account. And we also met and agreed to build the Lagos – Kano Standard Gauge Rail Line from the Excess Crude Account.
“But what we have seen, in the last few months or years is that the Excess Crude Account was operated unilaterally by the federal government, drawings were made unilaterally without consulting those that actually own the money because the Excess Crude Account is 52 percent owned by the federal government and 48 by the states and LGA.
“So the decision of the NEC is to set up this committee of four to look at the operations of the Excess Crude Account and make recommendations to council on its future.
“The other thing the committee will do is to look at the operations of the federation accounts particularly the shortfall and again come back to council with very clear recommendations as to what to do.
“We have not been given a time frame but as you can imagine states government are under pressure, many of our state governments are unable to pay salaries on time without recourse to borrowing, so this is very important to us. This is an all governors committee, we wear the shoes we know where it pinches. So we are going to do this as quickly as possible,” he said.
The Council’s next meeting of the council is on July 23rd, and Mr. El- Rufai said he hopes the committee will complete its work and be in position to report to council on that day.
Zamfara governor, Abdulazeez Yari, said the council also agreed that the Federal Government in conjunction with the Central Bank, will see how to support financially ailing states.

Jega out, Buhari names Zakari as acting INEC boss

Prof. Attahiru Jega on Tuesday bowed out of office as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Consequently, President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Mrs. Amina Bala Zakari, as the acting chairman of INEC.

Zakari, the first female to occupy the position albeit in an acting capacity, was until Tuesday, a National Electoral Commissioner at INEC.

A statement issued by the Director Communications in the Office of Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Haruna Imrana, on behalf of the HoS, Mr. Danladi Kifasi, confirmed the appointment.

Kifasi said Zakari’s appointment was with immediate effect and would subsist from June 30, 2015 until the appointment of a substantive chairman.

Jega was appointed the chairman of the commission by former President Goodluck Jonathan on June 30, 2010.

He conducted two elections in 2011 and 2015.

Speaking briefly at the end of the closed-door handing over ceremony at the commission in Abuja, Jega said the future of the country and commission was bright.

He said he was grateful to God and the country for the opportunity to serve.

He said, “We feel great; we thank God Almighty for the opportunity to serve the country. The future is bright for the commission and the country.”

Jega said, “In whatever we have achieved, we should keep it up and do more”, adding that there was still a lot to be done.

Jega left the commission with six national commissioners whose tenure also expired on Tuesday.

The other six national commissioners who left with him on Tuesday were Col. M.K. Hammanga (retd.), Adamawa State, (North-East); Dr. Ishmael Igbani, Rivers State, (South-South); Prof. Lai Olurode, Osun State, (South-West); Dame Gladys Nwafor, Abia State, (South-East); Mrs. Thelma Amata Iremiren, Delta State, (South-South); and Dr. Nuru Yakubu, Yobe State, (North-East).

Four other national commissioners would leave the commission in July and August this year. These include Dr. Abdulkadir Oniyangi, Kwara State (North-Central) whose tenure will expire on July 21; Mrs. Amina Bala Zakari, Jigawa State (North-West) whose tenure will also expire on July 21; Dr. Chris Iyimoga, Nasarawa State (North-Central); whose tenure will expire on August 11; and Wali, Sokoto State (North-West) whose tenure will also expire on August 11, 2015.

APC crisis: Akande’s letter angers northern party leaders

Fresh facts on Tuesday indicated that the national caucus meeting of the All Progressives Congress scheduled for Monday was cancelled because of the suspicion within the party.

The PUNCH reported that the APC leadership called off the meeting because of reported anger of some leaders of the ruling party in the north at insinuations by Chief Bisi Akande that they were behind the crisis in the party.

Akande, a former interim national chairman of the APC, had in a letter made public on Monday alleged, among other things, that, “Most Northern elite, the Nigerian oil subsidy barons and other business cartels, who never liked (President Muhammadu) Buhari’s anti-corruption political stance, are quickly backing up the rebellion against APC with strong support.”

A member of the party’s caucus from the North-East geopolitical zone, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said it would have been a rancorous session if the caucus meeting had held in what he described as “such an atmosphere of mutual suspicion.”

The party leader, who in fact said he would have spoken on the record if not for the fence- mending efforts being made by other leaders of the party, said, “We (northerners) are unhappy about Chief (Bisi) Akande’s outburst. It was unnecessary because we are all trying to put out a fire that is threatening to consume our house. And when you have a respected leader and elder making such unguarded statements it does not help.

“I personally hold Chief Akande in high esteem but what he wrote in that letter was nothing short of an insult on our collective sensibilities. How can you single out a section of your party and call them criminals who were supporting rebels to destroy the party we all built? This is most unexpected and uncharitable to say the least.”

Also, a chieftain of the APC, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, on Tuesday, described as unfortunate, the statement by Akande.

Baraje, in a statement in Abuja, said he was disappointed that Akande who had led the party and served as a state governor could author a statement in which he was allegedly seeking to divide the nation by setting the North against the South-West.

The APC leader, who once served as the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, said, “I do not know where Chief Akande and his cohorts are getting this unsubstantiated information they are circulating. We challenge them to provide proof and let Nigerians make their judgment.

“Akande and co believe that they have exclusive right to determine who occupies what position in today’s Nigeria and whoever tries to challenge their position must be subjected to savage attack in the media. That tactic is definitely undemocratic.

“I have known Chief Akande to be an honest man. I got the shock of my life when he alleged that I had a meeting in my house with ‘some old and new PDP members with a view to hijacking the National Assembly’ through the aspiration of Dr. Bukola Saraki as the Senate President.

“I have been quiet as a leader so as to not to be seen as taking sides because of my closeness to Dr. Saraki, else people will read meaning into it.

“Akande has been playing a role which I admire. He will recall that he met some actors, with a governor from the North-West and a leader of the party from the South-West, where the leader from the South-West was cautioned to be reasonable in this crisis.

“He (Akande) supported the view of the governor from the North-West that the particular leader from the South-West should be admonished for his action. It is therefore surprising that Akande is now being economical with the truth and painting a picture that exists only in his imagination.”

Baraje said the allegation by Akande that a purported meeting took place in his (Baraje’s) house after the general elections, where “a so-called new PDP group plotted with a view to hijacking the National Assembly…with an ultimate aim of resuscitating the PDP as their future political platform” was a mere fabrication.

Our correspondents learnt that renewed peace moves were being made in the party and that the party leaders were hoping that they would before Friday achieve an atmosphere conducive to holding the APC NEC meeting.

The APC NEC meeting was shifted from Tuesday (yesterday) to Friday to enable party leaders to engage in further consultations.

A top member of the APC National Working Committee, who did not want his name mentioned, said that the meeting was postponed to allow tempers to go down.

“All leaders are in touch with one another and I can assure you that the crisis will be resolved on Friday,” the party source said.

However, the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, himself a northerner, had defended Akande on Monday. Na’Allah said Akande must have been misquoted.

The senator said, “Chief Bisi Akande is a highly respected senior member of this country and I am not so sure he had not been misquoted on that issue. Even where it exists, I am absolutely sure that it cannot be the correct statement on the situation.

“The North holds every section of this country high; we detest the idea of even labelling us as North because we have passed that stage with the current development in our country.

“We are a united country whether we like it or not with some few interests being defined at different levels of our governance but as far as Nigeria is concerned, I don’t want to believe that there is any conspiracy.

“If there is any conspiracy on the part of the North, what made you think that the conspiracy will involve bringing somebody from the Peoples Democratic Party and from the South-East to become the deputy senate president?”

The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Timi Frank, on Tuesday, confirmed that the party’s National Executive Committee would meet in Abuja on Friday to thrash out all issues affecting the party.

“We are holding our NEC meeting on Friday and I am sure all our issues will be thrashed out and the party will come out stronger,” Frank said.

PDP thugs batter APC witnesses at Ekiti tribunal

Thugs suspected to be loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State on Tuesday beat up witnesses who testified for the All Progressives Congress before the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal.

The tribunal is hearing a petition filed by the APC senatorial candidate for Ekiti Central, Gbenga Olofin, against the return of Senator Fatimat Rasaki of the PDP.

Olofin on Tuesday closed his case at the tribunal after calling eight witnesses while his opponent, Rasaki, opened her defence by being the first witness to testify in support of her election.

The Tribunal Chairman, Justice A. N. Erabor, admitted the voter register in evidence after listening to a counter-argument between the petitioner’s counsel, Yemi George; and respondent’s lawyer, Jude Ogodi.

But the hoodlums, who had waited outside the courtroom during proceedings, unleashed terror on the petitioner’s witnesses and supporters as they came out of the courtroom.

The thugs also laid ambush at the gate of the court complex for the APC members and supporters, most of whom fled in different directions immediately they spotted the hoodlums.

The riot policemen attached to the tribunal had to smuggle the witnesses out of the premises in a Golf car to an unknown location.

Justice Erabor expressed shock at the violence and warned parties to the case before the tribunal that he would no longer tolerate such in the future.

Olofin however said he was happy about the admissibility of the voter register and other documents, saying that would serve the cause of justice but described the attack on his witnesses and supporters as “barbaric.”

He said the violence could scare other witnesses from giving evidence at the tribunal.

The spokesperson for Olofin, Akogun Tai Oguntayo, said the victims of the attack had been receiving treatment in a private hospital in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

One of the victims, one Lateef Subairu, received a deep cut in the eye. An independent broadcaster from Lagos (name witheld) was also beaten to a pulp.

Another APC supporter, Igbalajobi Olaiya, was beaten and rendered naked by the thugs who tore his clothes.

“It is becoming worrisome. If they have nothing to hide, they should allow justice to take its natural cause. We believe it was because of the admissibility of the documents tendered on Tuesday by the tribunal that made them to be jittery,” Oguntayo said.

But the PDP denied that the attackers were known to the party. It advised the APC to check for enemies within its fold for the attack on its members.

The PDP Publicity Secretary in the state, Jackson Adebayo, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, denied that the PDP members carried out the attack.

Adebayo described the allegation that the party was behind the attack as “malicious.”

He said, “It is laughable and malicious for the APC to allege that members of our party beat up their

members. It is known to everybody within and outside Ekiti that the APC’s house is divided.

“They should check within and trace the attack to one of the splinter groups in their party. For them to blame the PDP for their woe is an attempt to promote falsehood and malicious agenda of the party.”

The three-man panel headed by Justice A.N. Erabor, with Justices A.T. Lamina and P.A. Obayi as members, had on May 11 appealed to security agencies to provide security for the judges, lawyers, politicians and other members of the public.

In his opening remarks, Justice Erabor had described the panel’s assignment as critical and crucial and that it must be diligently prosecuted. He said the tribunal would handle all matters dispassionately within 180 days, in line with Section 285 of the 1999 Constitution.

He said, “If you notice any infraction in the course of the proceedings, just call our attention to it. We don’t want any frivolous allegation against any of the members of this tribunal.

“Nobody has monopoly of knowledge. I expect everybody to play his role professionally so that all the issues can be handled firmly and fairly.

“The Supreme Court has set a time frame of 180 days in line with Section 285 subsections 6 and 7 of the 1999 Constitution. This law is sacrosanct because of the sui generic nature of the Election Petitions Tribunal and it is on this basis that we have to avoid unnecessary distraction.

“We are appealing to the security agencies to provide security for the judges, lawyers, politicians and other members of the public.”

The APC candidate for the Ekiti South Senatorial District, Senator Tony Adeniji is also challenging the victory of Mrs. Biodun Olujimi of the PDP before the tribunal.

The APC is equally challenging the victories recorded by the candidates of the PDP in Ado I, Ise Orun, Ekiti South West I and Oye I State constituencies in the election.

Tuesday, 30 June 2015

FG to ease gas prices, boost supply to Power Plants

The Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Sam Amadi, has said that the regulatory agency will consider endorsing contracts for natural-gas supply above the regulated rate between a “willing buyer and willing seller,” so as to ensure increased deliveries to the country’s ailing power plants.

Nigeria, which holds Africa’s largest gas reserves, raised the price of gas to power plants to $2.50 for 1,000 standard cubic feet last August from about 50 cents to help spur deliveries but gas producers have said that they may need more than that to guarantee supplies.

Nigeria produces about 9 billion cubic feet of gas a day, of which half is exported as liquefied natural gas, while one billion cubic feet is flared during oil production and another 1 billion is re-injected into oil wells to maintain pressure. Almost 2 billion goes to industries and power plants, where demand is forecast to more than double to five billion cubic feet a day in two years.

Amadi said any proposed gas deals from energy companies must be “prudent.” “The bottom line is that because the tariff in the electricity industry is regulated, the cost of gas will be regulated,” he added.