DECISION TIME IN ONDO

It's Decision Day in Ondo

Prof. Attahiru Jega

 By Ademola Adeyemo, Chuks Okocha and James Sowole         

After weeks of intense campaign that occasionally turned murky, thousands of voters will today troop out across Ondo State to elect a governor among the 13 candidates jostling for the position.

In practical terms, the contest is expected to be a straight fight among three candidates – incumbent governor Olusegun Mimiko of the Labour Party; Rotimi Akeredolu of the Action Congress of Nigeria and Olusola Oke of the Peoples Democratic party - with Mimiko highly favoured to win at the end of the day.

The Independent National Electoral Commission spent most of yesterday moving both sensitive and non-sensitive materials to electoral offices in all the local government areas of the state.
The materials were moved amidst tight security and in the presence of political party agents.
Also, INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has relocated to the state for effective supervision of the election. He was seen yesterday directing affairs.

Group wants Boko Haram listed as terror organisation

Group Wants US to List Boko Haram as Terror Organisation

President Obama

By Paul Ohia

An anti-terror coalition of Nigerians at home and in diaspora, Nigerians Unite Against Boko Haram (NUABH) has launched a campaign to prevail on the United States government to list the Boko Haram group as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO).

The campaign has so far gathered signatures from more than 70 Nigerian professionals, students, and business people at home and diaspora communities from over 16 different countries.

Also in a statement, NUABH condemned the wanton destruction of lives and property in Nigeria by the Islamic fundamentalists.

NUABH which has more than 4,500 members online drawn from over 50 countries across the world believes the activities of Boko Haram pose serious threat to the unity of Nigeria and it’s developmental aspirations in addition to seriously painting the nation very bad light abroad.

IFEANYI UBA FINALLY GRANTED BAIL

IFEANYI UBA FINALLY GRANTED BAIL

Billionaire businessman and MD of Capital Oil and Gas Ltd, Mr Ifeanyi Uba has finally been granted bail from the custody of the Special Fraud Unit after spending 10 days in their cell in Ikoyi. He was arrested on October 9th following accusations of fraud totaling N43billion from the Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede led presidential committee on verification and reconciliation of fuel subsidy payments. The committee discovered gross abuse by many marketers and reported the case to the police. Uba was released after he fulfilled his bail conditions.

ITZ POKO BABY *GRINS EVILY

Tonto Dikeh thanks Nigerians for her successful Singles:"We made history"

Despite the backlash which trailed the release of her singles.It is estimated that her songs have recorded an estimated ’1 million online downloads.For those who still haven't contribute your own quota by clicking here..Wow right!

She took to twitter to say thanks..

On behalf of Nigerians,im saying You're welcome Poko baby

THE GIRL-CHILD

UN Highlights Girl-child Protection, Commodities

UN office

Abimbola Akosile

The United Nations System in Nigeria has called on the federal and states governments to make special efforts to protect the rights of the girl child, while marking the recent International Day of the Girl Child.

The UN system also met in Abuja this week to deliberate on an implementation Plan for Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children, which is being developed.

In recognition of the peculiar challenges facing the girl child, the UN General Assembly in a resolution on 19 December 2011, adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 every year as the International Day to be observed around the world. The theme for the 2012 Day was “Ending Child marriage”.

WATER!!! FG TO ACCESS $400M WORLD BANK LOAN

Water Provision: FG to Access $400m World Bank Loan

Public Water System

Yemi Akinsuyi 

The Federal Government through the Ministry of Water Resources is to access a $400 million loan from the World Bank, in its effort to revitalise the ailing and dilapidated infrastructure in the water sector and map out a way forward in improving water utility.

Speaking at a recent seminar on water agencies’ performance assessment and benchmarking in Nigeria organised by the ministry in collaboration with the Bank in Abuja, the senior water and sanitation specialist of the World Bank, Alexander Danilenko, said the workshop was a baseline process to support the ministry in its drive in water transformation and supply. 

FOREIGN INVESTORS TRADE N571BN SHARES ON NSE

Foreign Investors Trade N571bn Shares on NSE

NSE DG, Oscar Onyema


Nigerian stock market witnessed a total transactions of N570.8 billion by foreign portfolio investors  between January and September 2012, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE)  disclosed Wednesday.

Trading statistics released by the exchange showed that    transactions worth N954 billion have been executed on the floors of the exchange in the nine months, with foreign investors accounting for N570.8 billion.

A breakdown of the transactions by foreign investors showed that they purchased N318.55 billion and sold N252.24 billion, leading to a net transaction of N66.8 billion.

THE FLOOD AND FOOD PRICES

Flood Pushes up Food Prices as Inflation Eases to 11.3%

18 Oct 2012

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 Food items on display

James Emejo 

The Composite Consumer Price Index (CPI), which gauges the level of inflation in the country eased to 11.3 per cent in September from 11.7 per cent in August.

But the drop in inflation is not reflective of  the marginal rise in  prices of food items  as a  result of the flood, which ravaged many parts of the country in the period under review.

The relative stability of the naira within the period as well as crop harvesting exercises, which began late July and early August, helped to mitigate the severity of the impact on food price hike, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Wednesday.

POVERTY RATE TO REDUCE BY 15 PER CENT IN 2015

Poverty Rate will Reduce by 15% in 2015

18 Oct 2012

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UN Secretary, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon

Yemi Akinsuyi 

All things being equal, poverty rate across the globe will reduce by 15 per cent come 2015, National Coordinator, National Poverty Eradication Programme, Mukhtar Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, has said.

Balewa who disclosed this at the 2012 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP), with the theme: “Ending the Violence of Extreme Poverty; Promoting Empowerment and Building Peace,” said the prediction was the fallout of a recently updated projection from the World Bank.

UBA'S WOES CONTINUE

SFU: We Can’t Release Uba Now

18 Oct 2012

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Mr. Ifeanyi Uba

Davidson Iriekpen

The Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigerian Police Wednesday told a Federal High Court in Lagos that the money stolen by the Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas Limited, Mr. Ifeanyi Uba, could conveniently pay the monthly allocation of 11 states of the federation.

Giving reasons why Uba should not be granted bail, the SFU revealed that apart from the instant N43.291 billion fraudulent oil subsidy claim, Uba is currently being investigated in respect of another allegation relating to fraudulent transactions, money laundering, forgery of shipping documents and stealing by conversion of petroleum product worth about $280 million.