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Thursday, 24 April 2014

Pray For Abducted Girls, Nigerian Mothers Urged

— April 24, 2014

As the security operatives are still battling to free the 273 students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok who were abducted a week ago by the Boko Haram fanatics, the National Coordinator of ‘Nigeria Mothers Pray’, Pastor Esther Okorie has called on Nigerian mothers to rise up and pray for the safety of the girls and the peace of the country.
In an open letter made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday in Abuja, Pastor Okorie regretted that “the nation, the only one we call our own, the only nation in which we all have equal stake, the one in which you are either a mother or about to be; is in serious danger of being destroyed.
“Which woman will fold her arms and watch her child at the brink of destruction and not do all in her power to salvage that child, not even the mad one. But it seems that most of us have become too busy to hear the cry of our child of destiny – Nigeria!
“Please dear women of Nigeria, let us put away religious, ethnic, political sentiments and status in life and unite together in prayer and positive action to salvage our country before it becomes too late for all of us”.
Continuing, Okorie asked: “Which nation can take us (170 million people) as refugees should we allow another civil war in the country? Women remember we are worst hit in any unrest – you may lose husband or children; you may suffer rape or your daughters; your life is not also spared. Arise Nigerian women and hear the cry of your child (NIGERIA)”.
While calling on women to become agents of change, she maintained that every woman could make a difference in her very corner. She also lamented the recent bomb blast at Nyanya, Abuja, which claimed the lives of many Nigerians and urged Nigerians not to forget in a hurry the Rwanda experience which happened just 20 years ago.
“If we have forgotten the Nigerian civil war which started in 1966, we should not forget the Rwanda genocide of 1994.Rwanda is planning and holding many activities for the 20th anniversary of the genocide of almost a million Rwandans. The Rwandan genocide was 100 days plus of killings of fellow citizens. It started in April 1994 and did not end until sometime in July 1994, Nigerian women should not allow the experience of Rwanda to repeat in Nigeria.
“I am writing this letter to you my fellow Nigerian women to warn us! We cannot afford to find ourselves in the situation Rwandan women found themselves 20 years ago! We just can’t afford it!
“The truth of the matter (regardless of which ethnic group you may come from) is that women and children always end up being the worst affected victims of genocides and wars. We end up paying a high price for these conflicts that we did not cause! We end up being offered as the sacrifice for the fighting amongst our people. We end up becoming collateral damage in the hostilities.”
“I am really upset with my fellow Nigerian women. I can see that our country Nigeria seems to be heading in the same direction Rwanda was 20 years ago. We just cannot afford to allow that to happen!
“We just cannot afford to let our country continue to slide down that slippery slope of disaster. Please let us do whatever we can to stop the downhill ride to tragedy, ruin and catastrophe! We must do something now to stop it! And do it with a great sense of urgency!
“We Nigerian women must read the handwriting on the wall. For how long are we going to continue to watch while our children are massacred? Not long ago, about 59 of our children were murdered in their sleep in their hostels. Our children and husbands are slaughtered on the altar of politics and wanton killings. We have to stop the madness now! We have time to stop the madness going on in our country. Now is the time to stop it!
“All mothers should rise up in prayers, Queen Esther prayed in the Bible and the fate of her people was changed, we are the Esthers of our time. And the time to pray is now”she added.
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Fuel Import: FG Approves Early Release Of Q2 Allocation

Juliet Alohan

— April 21, 2014

As part of measures to ensure steady supply of fuel across the country and avoid scarcity of the product, the federal government has approved the early release of the second quarter (Q2) 2014 fuel import allocation.
The approval which was given by the minister of petroleum resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, also included supplementary Q1 fuel import allocations.
In a statement made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday, the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) while commending the minister for the early approval , urged marketers to continue bringing in their products and assured of prompt processing of documents.
“The management of PPPRA commends the honourable minister and charged marketers to take advantage of both the Q1 supplementary PMS allocation, as well as the early release of the Q2 allocation, to bring in their products, promising to ensure prompt processing of documents for all imported products,” the statement signed by Lanre Oladele said.
The development which caught most stakeholders by surprise, according to a PPPRA source, is intended to further assist in providing additional imports to supplement the current level of importation into the system with the aim of improving the national PMS supply situation and stock build-up.
This is the first time such an approval would be done way-ahead of any anticipated quarterly allocation. It is expected that the gesture would enable all importers ample time to conclude their purchases and also bring same into the Nigerian market.
Given the challenges of products supply witnessed in the country in recent times, the source described the development as a good omen for the industry.
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Nigeria Electricity Generation To Hit 12,000mw By 2016

NAN

— April 21, 2014

Dr Sam Amadi, Chairman, Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), said electricity generation nationwide would hit 12,000 mega watts before the end of 2016,
He disclosed this on Monday in Minna at a town hall meeting.
Amadi said that this would be made possible as the commission had issued licence to private power plant operators for generation of over 20,000 megawatts of power within the next three years.
“Life has thought us that nothing is impossible, we can make 30,000 mega watts within the next one year if we want.
“Already we have issued licence to investors to generate over 20,000 mega watts before 2016.
“I am sure that with all the efforts put in place, our power generation will surely surpass our target by 2016,” he said.
Amadi said that the huge foreign investment on the sector in recent time was a product of the reforms and regulations put in place by the government.
He said the power sector had been without framework without any cost related terms and inconsistency in policy that had been the order of the sector, but it was now being regulated.
“This has built confidence in investors, which in turn will boost the sector and our national generation level,” he said.
Amadi said the sector had suffered decades of neglect and appealed for understanding.
He said that the commission had directed consumers not to pay any service charge to the distribution companies any time power was not supplied for two weeks. (NAN)

Marginal Field Bid Round Failure Raises Concern Among Investors

Chika Izuora

— April 24, 2014

There is uneasy calm in Nigeria’s oil industry following inexplicable reasons trailing the federal government’s lack of political will to conduct marginal field bid round since the last quarter of 2013.
The industry regulator, the department of petroleum resources (DPR), has also failed to disclose the identities of 31 onshore and off-shore fields for sale.
The federal government had indicated that it would conduct the exercise in March, 2014.
The minister of petroleum resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, had announced on November 28, last year that the bid round would be completed by March, 2014, but the failure to meet the deadline has further fuelled speculation that government has a sinister motive to auction the field to its political allies controlling major indigenous oil firms.
Also, the failure of the DPR to release the lists of oil fields that are available for sale is putting prospective buyers in the dark and eroding transparency in the process.
Industry sources have accused the regulator of deliberately flouting the guidelines ostensibly to use the exercise as a platform to raise money for politicians toward the 2015 general elections.
At an energy forum in Lagos recently, some investors accused the DPR of not implementing the guidelines for the fields, saying the agency is being used by the federal government to woo politicians with oil blocks ahead of the 2015 polls.
For the first time in 12 years, the federal government kick-started the process for the second marginal field licencing round, offering 31 onshore and off-shore fields. Some operators have expressed fears that their technical partners may become apprehensive and withdraw their funds. Already, some insist that some oil mining leases in which politicians in the opposition and the ruling party have larger stakes but which cannot be verified by Leadership are now in circulation among oil companies.
Among the lists obtained by Leadership from some operators include the Uzuaku field on Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11 in Ogoni land, the Egbolom field on OML 23 that was previously operated by Shell in Rivers State, three offshore fields on OML 100 (Usoro, Ikong, Ibiom) and two on OML 67 (Amaniba and Ekpat).
Spokesperson for the DPR, Paul Osu, had earlier confirmed his agency’s failure to make the list available as promised but explained that the delay was caused by some reasons which he declined to mention. According to him, the list will be uploaded on the agency’s website when it is ready but said it was not made available in January as promised by the director, DPR, for some inexplainable reasons. Osu, however, denied knowledge of the list in circulation.
The executive vice chairman, Terra Energy Services Nigeria Limited, Akin Adetunji, however, said that the DPR should explain why the list has not been published.
Another player in the industry, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “There is much confusion with the constant shift in date by the minister and I want to tell you that there are companies which won the bid in the last exercise but could not deliver.
“They realised they had no financial ability to manage the assets and are waiting for the fresh bid round to identify those that could engage them in farm-in-farm-out arrangement, but government is playing hide and seek game.”
Meanwhile, a report obtained by LEADERSHIP on the marginal field operations showed that 17 oil blocks are currently redundant 11 years after they were awarded. The 17 marginal fields were awarded in 2003 but were not productive.
The fields were awarded by the DPR but the regulator is now threatening to withdraw them, a decision that led to scheming by the owners of the oil blocks.
The report showed that owners of the redundant oil blocks from 2003 bid round are afraid that the DPR might withdraw their ownership of the blocks for the new bid round, which was expected to take place this year. The operators have besieged the presidency to avert the withdrawal of their licences.
The marginal fields in Nigeria evolved from the Petroleum Amendment Act 1996, which introduced paragraph 16A into the First Schedule to the Petroleum Act. This amendment provided that the holder of an OML can farm out any marginal field which lies within the OML.
Also under the amendment, the president may cause the farmout of a marginal field, which has been left unattended for a period of not less than 10 years from the date of the first discovery of the marginal field.
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Power Supply Hits 4,000mw

Juliet Alohan

— April 24, 2014

Improvements in service delivery and reduction in system collapses have resulted in power supply hitting 4,000mw the federal government has said.
Power generation, which recently dropped to about 3,000mw due to vandalism of critical infrastructure, increased to 4105.90mw as at Tuesday, a statement by Kande Daniel the special assistant, media, to the minister of power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said yesterday.
“Nigeria’s power generation is coming up again with the current generated megawatts (mw) hitting over 4,000 as at Tuesday,” the statement said.‎
“This situation has been attributed to reduction in system collapses, as well as improvement in services delivery, among other things,” it added.
The release further reveals a breakdown of how generated capacity was shared, with the industrial nerve-centre Lagos and environs getting the highest, a maximum load totaling 985.0mw, while the maximum load allocated to Abuja through Katampe and Gwagwalada power line was 410.80mw.
According to Daniel, the latest grid information has dismissed insinuations in some sections of the media that power generation dropped to less than 2,000mw.
She added that since mid-last week, many households now enjoy enhanced power supply unlike what was obtainable in the recent past when vandals tampered with several power installations in parts of the country.
She further reaffirmed Government’s resolve to consolidate efforts at removing all bottlenecks to sufficiency in power supply, while conveying an appeal from the minster of power to Nigerians for more patience and understanding.
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FG Inaugurates Organising Committee For 2014 Nigeria Oil, Gas Forum

Minister-of-State-for-Trade-and-Investment-Dr-Samuel-Ortom

NAN

— April 24, 2014

The Federal Government has inaugurated the organising committee for the 2014 Nigeria Oil and Gas Trade and Investment Forum.
The inter-ministerial committee was inaugurated on Wednesday in Abuja by Mr Samuel Ortom, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment.
Ortom reiterated that the Federal Government would continue to promote the Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority in Rivers as the gateway for the oil and gas industry in Africa.
He said that the present administration was committed to consolidating the successes achieved in the past two editions of the forum to further strengthen the economy.
The minister said the 2013 Oil and Gas Trade and Investment Forum recorded over 2,500 participants, 100 exhibitors and over 500 investment enquiries.
“I am particularly happy that last year’s edition of the forum was a huge success.
“I am proud of the achievement of the ministry’s organising committee and our partner, Orlean Investment West Africa Limited,” Ortom said.
He said that the Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority was structured and designed to address specific needs and requirements of the corporate bodies in the industry.
“Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone was established as a tax-free centre for processing of goods that encourage acquisition of skills, job creation and transfer of technology.
“It also encourages local content participation, enhanced foreign exchange earnings and backward integration in the country,” he stated.
Orton urged the organising committee to work hard to ensure that this year’s forum recorded better success in terms of attracting more domestic and foreign investment into the sector.
The committee’s terms of reference include organising a two-day trade and investment forum on oil and gas from Oct. 30 and to showcase the Onne Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone as a successful free trade zone in Nigeria.
Others are to mobilise relevant stakeholders, public and private sector investors (local and foreign) for the forum as well as monitoring and following up on the outcomes of the forum.
Members of the committee are drawn from the federal ministries of Industry, Trade and Investment; Petroleum, Transport and Niger Delta Affairs as well as Orleans Invest West Africa.
Other members are the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Nigeria Ports Authority, Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority, Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority, Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission, Nigeria Customs Service and Nigeria Immigration Service. (NAN)

FG Remains Committed To Oil Sector Deregulation – Alison-Madueke

By Juliet Alohan

— March 19, 2014

Despite strong resistance against plans to deregulate the downstream oil and gas sector, minister of petroleum resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, has said the federal government’s commitment to deregulating the sector “remains unwavering.”
She made the declaration yesterday in Abuja during her ministerial address on the topic “State of the Industry: Achievements and Steps to the Next Level,” at the on-going 2014 Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) Conference and Exhibition.This is even as the director, department of petroleum resources, George Osahon, also disclosed that the country’s crude oil reserves and production were drastically dropping, a situation he said calls for great concern given the country’s dependence on oil revenue.
The minister in her presentation said: “In terms of downstream deregulation, now that the power sector reforms are well underway, the Nigerian government’s commitment to restructuring the oil and gas sector remains unwavering.
“In this regard, downstream deregulation remains an important part of the reform framework going forward, that seeks to restore financial sustainability and investor confidence in this sector of the national economy now and into the future.
“We are aware that government had sought to deregulate the sector, and continued regulation we are aware as well have several negative effects.
It is physically unsustainable, it discourages investment and principally it benefits the rich not the masses in the society that we intend to reach in the first place.”
She emphasised that deregulation remains the only way in which capital investment can be encouraged and new employment opportunities created for both foreign and local operators adding that in a democratic polity there has to be a balance amongst different policies of government and the needs and desires of the people of Nigeria.
The minister further stressed that as the country moves towards liberalising the sector and encouraging private investors, new regulations and guidelines along with strong regulators are obviously needed.

Oil Theft: Shell Declares Force Majeure On Forcados Blend

By Juliet Alohan

— March 26, 2014

The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Joint Venture yesterday, declared force majeure on lifting of Forcados blend effective 09:00hrs, Nigerian time.
A statement by the company disclosed that the declaration of force majeure was due to ongoing repairs on the 48-inch crude export line at Forcados Terminal in the Western Niger Delta.
Shell spokesperson, Precious Okolobo, who signed the statement, said the subsea line was shut when a leak was discovered on March 4, 2014, leading to suspension of SPDC and third party crude oil exports through the terminal.
“Helicopter over flights showed a slight sheen around the export line. A joint investigation conducted by representatives of communities, SPDC, regulators and security agencies determined that the leak was caused by third party interference; unknown persons had installed a crude theft point on the line in water depth of about eight metres,” the statement said.
It added that SPDC has mobilised equipment and materials to the site, and is working to repair and reopen the line as soon as possible.

Any Protection For Children In Mining?

Ruth Tene Natsa

— April 10, 2014

Children are said to be the future of a nation and are supposed to be loved and protected. Unfortunatly, poverty and lack of a political will to protect the Nigerian child leave many of them roaming the streets and labouring under harsh conditions. Ruth Tene Natsa, takes a look at the Child Rights Act (CRA) and how it can help protect children.
Nigeria adopted the Child Rights Act (CRA) in 2003 to domesticate the convention on the rights of children.
11 years down the line, only 16 of 36 states have domesticated the law to protect the rights of children.
The CRA defines a child as a person who has not attained the age of 18. The Act, while adopting the fundamental human rights as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution in addition, has 16 rights recommended to protect the lives of children.
These include rights to a name, survival and protection, dignity, parental care, protection and maintainance, freedom and universal primary education, freedom from discrimination, right to health and food among others.
Unfortunately, poverty, laziness by parents and even the absence of a political will by states to domesticate the CRA in their various states made it neccessary for children to engage in all kinds of jobs to support their parents. It was created to protect the child from all forms of abuse from the family and the society at large. However, it is obvious that this has not taken any effect in the country as many instances of child labour abound.
A young child, Abdul, said, “I have to work because my mother is poor. I go to school in the morning and when i return, i come to the quarry site to crush rocks. If i am lucky, i get between N300 and N1,500 a day.”
Another young child, Joe, is a child miner at Kwagiri village, Kaduna state. He told LEADERSHIP that he has been a rock crusher for two years and is happy doing it as he can support his mother and have some money in his pocket.
“I go to a government day secondary school, and after school hours, I come to the quarry site to crush small rocks in exchange for some money,” Joe said.
Kwagiri quarry is not the only site that allows children in. Various mines abound where children are seen in their droves crushing stones, hawking food, and in some cases kept as paid mistresses or prostitutes by old miners through the supervision of quarry madams.
Another victim of child mining is Halima who hawks food to workers in the mine even during school days. She told LEADERSHIP that she had to work to earn some money to support her father’s farming income and her mother’s petty business.
“I go to school at least three times a week but i like to come to the quarry because i get money to meet some of my small needs,” she revealed.
These cases are not much different from many other incidences of children labour and it is not only in mining that children are used as labourers. This also happens even in agriculture.
On a visit to Olam Rice farm in Nassarawa State, LEADERSHIP caught up with 13 year-old Gambo who through a translator said had never been in school. Asked how much he is paid for loading trailers in the farm, he said he earns between N500 and N1,000 daily and between N7,000 weekly. He will love to go to school, but his parents are both illiterate and can not afford it, he stated.
Helpful as this may seem, it is a terrible state of affairs where children take the responsibility of fending for their families or are expected to support them. they become the breadwinners instead of being protected against the deplorable society.No wonder there is an increase in child rape, child trafficking, slavery and cases of child abductions.
To curb this menace of child abuse, it is absolutely neccessary that states that have not domesticated the CRA be encouraged to do so. Children should not be sent hawking and crushing rocks when their mates are in school learning the basics of life through education. The FG should impose it on the states to ensure that the rights of Nigerian children are protected.
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Time to Curb Chinese/Indians Invasion of Nigerian Minerals Sector

ome / Business / Mines and Steel / Time to Curb Chinese/Indians Invasion of Nigerian Minerals Sector

Ruth Tene Natsa

— April 17, 2014

The need for foreign investors and expertise in the nation’s solid minerals sector has made it necessary to open up the sector to both local and foreign investors, but the fear of invasion and a total take-over by foreigners has led to other worries. Ruth Tene Natsa speaks on the challenges this may portend.
Recently the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Architect Musa Mohammed Sada, cried out against the domination of the nation’s minerals and metals sector by Chinese and Indians to the detriment of millions of jobless Nigerians.
The minister as a result, stressed the need for more collaboration between the ministry and its stakeholders in order to expose activities of the sector to citizens who have continued to remain ignorant to its existing opportunities.
Sada assured “It was the intent of the federal government that Nigerians become major operators in the nation’s mining operations while being placed in the map of major mining nations”
While several opportunities for job creation and poverty alleviation exist in the solid minerals and mining sector, the fear of lost investments as a result of the long-term investment necessary for solid minerals will always militate against both local and international investors/investments.
Even though foreign investments are necessary for the development of the nation’s minerals and metal sector, the need to protect the rights of citizens is paramount, as many of such investors not only take advantage of the cheap and excess labor, but in several cases, deny citizens of the right to enjoy what benefits the law stipulates.
Sada earlier had observed that most Chinese and Indian mining operations in Nigeria fail to meet with the minimum employment targets for Nigerians which includes having higher number of locals employed in expatriates companies; safety precautions for workers on site; proper salary structure to protect the rights of local workers as well as proper tax clearances to ensure federal government gets its due.
The need to control the domination of the two nationalities is because they have invaded Nigerian quarries and obey the laws guiding their acceptance into the sector. LEADERSHIP findings have revealed that many Chinese and Indian quarries have a high number of expatriates employees, their companies provide little or no safety precautions for local workers and language barrier continue to hinder proper communications between the Indian /Chinese and Nigerian nationalities.
It is to be recalled that the federal government in a bid to ensure that mining and quarry sites operate within the constituted laws guiding the sector in 2013 threatened shutting down several quarrying operations particularly those of Hongyum Quarry Limited (a Chinese operation)and also threatened the revocation of license to Perfect Stone quarry.
The Minister ordered the “denial of explosive renewal, as a result of poor safety precautions and ordered the blacklisting of Perfect Stone quarries as they failed to provide proper answers to the queries directed at them, pending when they could provide proof of full compliance while insisting that “there was to be no renewal of the Hongyum operations after 5 years as everything about their activities proved environmentally wrong”.
Sada said “ The purpose of letting these companies operate is for the provision of jobs for Nigerians and if these jobs are now being taken away by people from other places and those that are employing Nigerians are being challenged in terms of competition, definitely we will do something. One of the reasons we came out here is to see for ourselves what is on ground so that we know where the rules are being violated. We are not going to invent new rules, within the rules are embedded there and we intent to ensure its compliance.”
Architect Sada maintained that except companies met the required standards of the law, they were to be shut down, until they were able to meet with standards which centered on environmental compliance, royalty payments, employment of Nigerian citizens, proper preservation/storage of mining explosives, provisions of conducive working environment as well as meeting up with community development agreement in tandem with the community Social responsibility CSR among others.”
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Poor Funding, Bane of Steel Industry

Ruth Tene Natsa

— April 24, 2014

A major challenge to the development of the nation’s steel sector is the near neglect of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex and the under utilisation of the nation’s National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency (NSRMEA) due to poor funding. Ruth Tene Natsa takes a look at the implications of this neglect.
The call for the privatisation of the Ajaokuta Steel complex as a panacea to its long neglect has received various reactions from stakeholders.
Stakeholders are of the view that the development of the steel sector will not only ensure employment for the teeming unemployed youths, but will also be the solution to the nation’s huge demand for iron/steel materials needed for construction and developmental purposes, while contributing greatly to the gross domestic product(GDP) of the economy.
While that may be so, numerous challenges continue to hinder the development of the steel sector. This include poor funding, lack of equipment, lack of expertise, absence of a steel law and a total lack of political will by the government of the day to ensure the development of the steel sector. This is most evident in the long neglect of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex and the poor funding of the steel and mining sectors in general.
Speaking in an exclusive telephone interview with LEADERSHIP recently, the minister of mines and steel development, Mr Musa Mohammed Sada, said, “there is a big problem because we, the regulators, have no law empowering us to make efficient impact towards ensuring quality steel production in the nation.” He added that “the present dispensation was working towards ensuring that proper regulations are created to protect the Nigerian steel sector.
“Laws are critical because as it stands, there is nobody empowered to analyse the quality or content of steel made in Nigeria. Steel is produced from part scrap, but in some cases, we have observed that factories produce from 100 per cent scraps and there is nothing we can do about it because of the absence of a law.”
The minister revealed that the ministry had visited several steel factories in the past but maintains that the absence of a steel law hindered proper sanctioning of erring factories. He added that the matter was being presented before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) after which it will be presented to the National Assembly to ensure that a steel law was enacted to preserve the sector
The privatisation of the sector in the 70s led to its near collapse while the call for the privatisation of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex to ensure its completion continues to lead to several arguments among stakeholders.
“What I want the executive arm of government to know is that no private investor would invest $513 million or N83 billion to complete the Ajaokuta steel plant and equally invest in completing the remaining required external infrastructure because the risks are too high with changing government policies,” the chairman, House Committee on Steel Development, Sadiq Asema Mohammed, said. “We know that the steel sector is private driven all over the world like in Russia, India, South Korea, among others and in all of these countries their steel industries were first and foremost developed by their respective governments before the private sector took over. Even now in Europe and the United States of America (USA) where their steel sector has matured, their governments still keep a tight rein and interest in their steel industry.
“If we sell the National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO), our best iron ore mine, to whoever, where lies our national interest? in whose interest are we privatising the NIOMCO or Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited?”
Also an interview with the director-general of the National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency (NSRMEA), Mr Alex Ohikere, revealed that major challenges to the activities of the agency lay in the area of equipment.
“Because of the kind of activities we carry out, sound equipment are needed. A few years ago, all the rigs in our possession were obsolete and we used to spend a lot of money almost on a daily basis for maintenance. But luckily in 2010/2011, government intervened and funded the supply of two new crawler-mounted drilling rigs with accessories and also funded the supply of a low-bed because the rigs need to be moved from Kaduna to where the drilling activities are ongoing. The rigs must be carried on a low-bed so one can see the number of vehicles involved in the activities we do,” Ohikere said.
The DG added, “We also need water for core drilling. So in a typical field work, we need the rig, low-bed, water tanker, and of course field vehicles; so it is capital intensive. Apart from the procurement, we try to repair/refurbish some of the obsolete plants and equipment. It’s a known fact that rigs do not die, however, they are very expensive to maintain.”
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FG Loses N113.4bn To Import Policies

Samson Echenim

— April 24, 2014

The federal government lost about N113.4 billion to restrictive import policies in the first quarter of 2014, the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) has said.
STOAN chairman, Mrs Victoria Haastrup, who made the observation at an industry forum in Lagos yesterday, also said the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) has failed to keep to terms of concession agreement entered with the terminal concessionaires in 2006.
She said: “The federal government generates a lot of revenue from the port terminals. The recent policy somersault on imports resulted in revenue drop across board, even in the Nigerian Customs, whose revenue dropped from N191.3 billion in the first quarter of 2013 to N77.9 billion in same period of 2014.”
Haastrup specifically lamented poor power supply at the port, which falls under the provision of the NPA in the concession agreement, stressing that the lack of public power supply to the terminal had tremendously increased cost of their operations, “while still paying the NPA electricity bills.” She urged the port’s authority to consider putting independent power plant production in place.
According to her, multiplicity of service process by customary government agencies in the port and frictions among maritime statutory agencies due to alleged overlapping functions constituted bottlenecks to international best practices in seaport terminal operations.
“Port access vehicular traffic control system is chaotic. It has reduced the turnaround time of trucks resulting in high cost of haulage and congestion of the terminals. Dependency on only one mode of transport for movement of cargo from the port terminal is a big challenge,” she said.
Also advising the Nigeria Shippers’ Council in its new role as the seaport economic regulator, the ENL Terminal owner said, “The Council must be decisive in its regulatory role so as to ensure uniformity in the imposition of charges and fees. It must also ensure that only those necessarily required to be operating at the Ports are allowed to operate.”
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TOP 5: Sexy Women In Sports

TOP 5: Sexy Women In Sports by Fola Akintomide

Credit: http://rollingout.com/

If you ask a guy what two things he loves the most, the likely answers are going to be women and sports. There you have it! Guys don’t joke with sports, especially those that feature some sexy ladies.
It is no surprise that being sexy doesn’t affect the work rate of an athlete. Whether they are surfing, scoring goals, running or skating, these women work endlessly at maintaining their sexy bodies. But aside their eye candy shapes, these women are also good in their respective sports.

If you’re not a women’s sports fan, we are optimistic that after you check out our list 
of the top 5 sexiest women in sports, you will have a different mindset.

Here goes…

Serena Williams
Have you ever wondered why there are so many spectators at a tennis match? Apart from the great serves and wonderful follow ups, the reason why tennis especially one with Serena Williams in play is one of the most viewed sports today is because of some of the great views guys are served with along with the expert serving of the ball.
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Serena might have won so many grand slams and so many other accolades in her career but her sizzling figure still remains the highlight of every game she’s ever played in (at least to most guys).
This beauty has always captured everyone’s attention with her raw talent and physical attributes. Since appearing on the scene with her sister, Venus Williams, Serena has become a popular figure not only for her tennis skills but also for her well chiseled body and beauty.

Tia Norfleet
Fast money, fast cars, fabulous lifestyle! … This sums up the life of former NASCAR legend’s daughter Tia Norfleet who is the first and youngest African female American driver on the NASCAR league. Not only does she look chic in dinner wears, she looks stunning in her racing uniform.

Ezinne Okparaebo
What is there not to love in a female sprinter? Norway’s fastest female sprinter Ezinne Okparaebo is one of the sexy athletes with a well-structured body and deserving abs to go with it. Regardless of what she wears, the sight of her booty is always a sight to behold.
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Destinee Hooker
It’s hard for an athlete to look like a Victoria secret model, something which doesn’t happen on a normal day. Volley ball icon Destinee Hooker is one person who is a delight to watch on and off the volleyball court.

Nothing beats a great pair of legs, calves, knees and thighs. The volleyball gamer possesses all these qualities and some.

Natalie Gulbis
There could be no other reason for men’s sudden interest in golf. Out of the 10,000 spectators at an LPGA tour; men occupy more than 5,000 seats. The sexy females in golf have made it more interesting with their works of art as bodies.

Gulbis is one of the reasons men tune in to watch LPGA games. She also gained more fans when she recently posed in a body painted bikini for Sports Illustrated.

- See more at: http://www.happenings9ja.com/happenings/posts/entertainment-lifestyle/sports/TOP-5-Sexy-Women-In-Sports#sthash.gTEqETO8.dpuf

We Luvin': UCL’s Final Four by Soyem Osakwe

Credit: www.caughtoffside.com

In the wake of Manchester United, PSG, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund all dropping out at the quarter finals of the UEFA Champions league; four spectacular teams (Real Madrid, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and reigning champions - Bayern Munich) are left to slug it out for a chance at becoming the champions of Europe. We love these top four teams and we can’t wait to find out who eventually wins the UCL.
This season’s semifinalists are very dissimilar yet very alike in the quest for the UCL trophy. The semi’s should be very exciting as Atletico Madrid which is perceived to be the weakest team in the draw takes on the Special One’s Chelsea. However, Chelsea will do well not to underrate them. Athlético wields a strategy and approach that can matchup with anybody’s. As we’ve seen against Barcelona, this team doesn’t need the ball to be effective, and they’re perfectly capable of creating mistakes high up the field.
Chelsea on the other hand should never be taken lightly. If they beat PSG, they can beat anybody, and while a lot of that had to do with the Parisians not rising to the occasion at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea is one team to look out for.
Real Madrid another favorite is a deeply dangerous but very flawed team, one that looked vulnerable in both defense and midfield against Borussia Dortmund. Given recent loses in La Liga, this is no longer the team that climbed to the top of the table in March and frankly speaking we don’t think they are excited to play reigning champions- Bayern Munich who are huge favorites.
Over here at Happenings, we are rooting for Chelsea simply because they put in a good fight against PSG and we would be super excited to watch another UCL final between Chelsea and Bayern Munich. This time however, Drogba isn’t around to tip the scales in Chelsea’s favour

- See more at: http://www.happenings9ja.com/happenings/posts/entertainment-lifestyle/sports/We-Luvin-UCLs-Final-Four#sthash.ebPyrok2.dpuf

MIDWEEK SPORT SPIKES: Manchester United And The David Moyes Drama by Fola Akintomide

Credit: Happenings

It has been a disappointing season for Manchester United board and fans as their 2013/2014 season has been below an average performance so far, the reds are currently the 7^th position on the premier league table.
As they struggle to finish in an UEFA Europa league spot, the management of Manchester United are considering a replacement for the chosen one, David Moyes who has been struggling to have a consistent winning form since he took over from Alex Ferguson at the start of the season.

Barcelona have been making necessary arrangements to make an appeal for the transfer ban they got some weeks back and have also listed Chelsea’s David Luiz as one of their top prospect for next season if the transfer ban is lifted.
Athletico Madrid boss Simeone reiterates Chelsea target Diego Costa could leave the club, the Blues are closing in on a €40 million deal for the striker, with the Atletico Madrid coach admitting the London side has the financial power to force such a move through.
Dzeko, Ramos & Dortmund's summer shortlist to replace Lewandowski at the end of the season. Jurgen Klopp's side will be left with a gaping hole in their frontline this summer and have a number of candidates to fill the void left by the Poland striker,
Chelsea is lining up a shock move for Arsenal centre-back Thomas Vermaelen. The Belgian has slipped down the pecking order under Arsene Wenger and his contract expires in 2015.
Tottenham head coach Tim Sherwood is amongst the favourites to succeed Alan Pardew at Newcastle should owner Mike Ashley pull the trigger, and will bring St James' Park favourite Les Ferdinand with him.
Manchester United will have to pay extra to sign Adam Lallana from Southampton with Bournemouth owed 25% of any transfer fee which will ramp up his price.
Dimitar Berbatov is keen to extend his stay at Monaco and make his loan move from Fulham permanent.

Stay tuned for update on the latest transfers same time next week.

- See more at: http://www.happenings9ja.com/happenings/posts/entertainment-lifestyle/sports/MIDWEEK-SPORT-SPIKES-Manchester-United-And-The-David-Moyes-Drama#sthash.wmsQFHeG.dpuf

FLASHBACK: Nigeria’s Greatest World Cup Moments by Chinedu Okorie

Credit: www.goal.com

The world probably did not know what it was missing in international football until USA 94 when the Green Eagles now called the Super Eagles of Nigeria came on the scene. As one of the most populous black nation, Nigeria is endowed with so much talent and gifted citizens that the world got to see a glimpse of some at the World Cup. For their performance at the World Cup in 1994, the Eagles won the second best entertaining team in the tournament and it was their first time at the World Cup.
However, the “Giant Of Africa” led by Coach Stephen Keshi will once again this 2014 storm the world Cup in Brazil and preparations have been ongoing to ensure a great performance by the Super Eagles. But before June 12^th2014, when the World Cup will start, www.Happenings9ja.com has put together some of the most memorable World Cup moments the Nigerian football team has had. Take a look:
Yekini Scores Nigeria’s First World Cup Goal
Nigeria scored her first ever World Cup goal against Bulgaria through Rashidi Yekini in the 1994 tournament hosted by the United States. Playing against a European team for the first time at that level, the Eagles were not expected to score first. But Yekini defied the odds to score first in the 21st minute and had a joyous celebration afterwards.
Samson Siasia's Goal Against Argentina

In that same USA’94 tournament,after Nigeria had beaten Bulgaria 3-0 in the first game and watched Argentina defeat Greece in the match before ours; Nigeria was not favoured against the South Americans. But the unexpected happened in the 8th minute as Samson Siasia took advantage of a loose ball and blasted a shot past Argentina’s goalkeeper Luis Islas to record Nigeria's only goal in the match. Argentina eventually won 2-1 but no one would forget in a hurry that they almost lost to Nigeria.
Topping Group D In Style At France’98
Winning one game and losing another did not give assurance of qualifying for the knockout stages but beating Greece in the last game was a task that must be done. However, goals from Finidi George and Daniel Amokachi in the 45th and the 90th minutes placed Nigeria on top of the group and confirmed the team a place in the second round of the tournament.
Stylish Celebration
Former Italian football player Marco Tardeli may have started solo celebration at the World Cup, but Finidi George and Daniel Amokachi took the act to another level after scoring against Greece in their third match at the 1994 World Cup. Finidi mimicked a urinating dog while Amokachi performed a disco dance step. Both acts had their places in the ranking of World Cup celebrations.
Nigeria’s Loss To Italy
Perhaps one of the most memorable matches for Nigeria at the USA '94 was the defeat she suffered in the hands of the Italian international team nicknamed “Azzurri”. The Azzurri almost went out as the Eagles led by a lone goal until the dying minutes when Roberto Baggio got an equalizer to send the game into extra time. A defensive blunder by Nigeria resulted in a penalty which Baggio converted into a goal and ended Nigeria's dream of reaching the quarterfinals. The effect back home was devastating for all Nigerians but then, it was a fair try.
Second Best Entertaining Team
The Eagles did not advance beyond the round of 16 of the 1994 World Cup but their performance won them the second best entertaining team in the tournament.
Eagles Jerseys
Just like every other country, the Nigerian team made their entrance into the World Cup in 1994 with their jerseys and the design was voted as the most beautiful in the tournament.
Best FIFA Ranking
Nigeria attained its best position on the FIFA rankings before the World Cup. The country was placed 5th in the world for the first time in April 1994.
Sunday Oliseh's Heat Shot Against Spain
France’98 is another World Cup tournament that Nigeria and Nigerians will always remember and be proud of. The Super Eagles did the almost impossible in their first match as they defeated the tournament’s favourite team Spain 3-2 in Nantes on June 13. Goals from Mutiu Adepoju and Garba Lawal had cancelled out Hierro's and Raul's goal but a heated shot from Sunday Oliseh sent the whole nation into wild jubilation.
Enyeama's Super Save Against England
Nigeria did not do well generally at the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup perhaps because Coach Adegboye Onigbinde went with a bunch of inexperienced young players. After losing 1-0 to Argentina and 2-1 to Sweden, Nigeria was out of the race for the second round ticket as the Eagles confronted England. The match ended 0-0 and one big moment of the encounter was the brilliant save by keeper Vincent Enyeama in the tie. It was a fantastic shot by Manchester United midfielder, Paul Scholes, and Enyeama, who was making his first World Cup appearance, dived full length to push the ball out. It was rated as one of the most remarkable saves of the competition.
So, there you have it guys- most memorable moments of the Super Eagles at the World Cup. Very soon, hopefully Nigeria will be adding to this list of memorable experiences in the forthcoming World Cup in Brazil as Coach Stephen Keshi is grilling the boys for the tournament.
Is there any great moment Nigeria experienced during the World Cup that we missed out on? Please let us know.

- See more at: http://www.happenings9ja.com/happenings/posts/entertainment-lifestyle/sports/FLASHBACK-Nigerias-Greatest-World-Cup-Moments#sthash.bMUTgqBd.dpuf

FLASHBACK: Nigeria’s Greatest World Cup Moments by Chinedu Okorie

Credit: www.goal.com

- See more at: http://www.happenings9ja.com/happenings/posts/entertainment-lifestyle/sports/FLASHBACK-Nigerias-Greatest-World-Cup-Moments#sthash.bMUTgqBd.dpuf

Violence: Mob Set Man Ablaze In Ogun

Segun Olatunji

— April 24, 2014

There was commotion in Saje area of Abeokuta in Abeokuta North local government area of Ogun State on Tuesday night when an unidentified man was set ablaze by an irate mob.
The incident which occurred somewhere between Kugba and Saje areas attracted many residents and caused a traffic gridlock in the area.
A resident who pleaded anonymity said the man was not resident in the area and though he had been seen around the area for about two days, no one could say anything about where he came from.
“We have been seeing him around here since Sunday but we thought he had come to celebrate the Easter festival with someone in the area. This evening, around 6:35pm, we were here relaxing and chatting after the day’s hectic work – you know that most of us in this area are into gravel and granite business – I even requested someone to get me a bottle of beer.
“As we were here, we heard the noise from around the bridge and before we could comprehend what was happening, people had bombarded the area and the man was pinned down by some boys. We enquired to know his offence and we were told that he sprayed a perfume into the eyes of a lady, whom we met writhing in pains and behaving abnormally. He was asked to give the young girl the solution which he failed to provide.
“The action infuriated the boys who were still worried over some of the boys arrested yesterday by the police at Ijaiye area so, they decided to give him their judgment instantly before the arrival of the police,” he narrated.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the girl, a secondary school student was in company of her elder sister when the man accosted them and allegedly pretended to be asking for directions when the incident occurred.
Policemen from various police stations were deployed to the area but by which time the mob had dispersed for fear of being arrested, while his victim who was yet to regain consciousness was taken away by some of her relatives.
Meanwhile, the charred remains of the mobbed man has been deposited at the General Hospital Mortuary, Ijaiye, Abeokuta.
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SPORT SPIKES: Top African Players To Watch At FIFA World Cup 2014 by Fola Akintomide

Credit: Happenings

With less than 100 days to the kickoff of the 2014 FIFA world cup, fans and football analysts around the world have been considering the 22 players that would make each team in Brazil come June 12^th.
Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Algeria and Cameroon are the five teams representing Africa in the football tournament; we would be focusing on the top players to watch out for in the most prestigious football competition.

- See more at: http://www.happenings9ja.com/happenings/posts/entertainment-lifestyle/sports/SPORT-SPIKES-Top-African-Players-To-Watch-At-FIFA-World-Cup-2014?gclid=CMeKm6mK-b0CFWkJwwodIBMA1g#sthash.f65b9vOZ.dpuf

SPORT SPIKES: Top African Players To Watch At FIFA World Cup 2014 by Fola Akintomide

Credit: Happenings

SPORT SPIKES: Top African Players To Watch At FIFA World Cup 2014 by Fola Akintomide

Credit: Happenings

SPORT SPIKES: Top African Players To Watch At FIFA World Cup 2014 by Fola Akintomide

Credit: Happenings

Crime: ‘How Syndicate Use Girl 6, To Solicit For Alms

Agency Report

— April 24, 2014

The National Coordinator of the a non-governmental organisation, Hands that Care, Mrs Jacinta Nworie has narrated how a six member syndicate allegedly use a little girl of about six, suspected to be suffering from cancer of the cheek to solicit for alms for their personal gains, under the guise of assisting her.
Nworie who reported the incident to the police said she came in contact with the suspects and the victim soliciting for alms at Agboju Junction, on the Badagry Expressway and decided to assist the victim through her organisation.
She however said after a brief chat with the victim, she discovered that the suspects had been using her to make money in different states.
“The victim told me that they had been to nine states in different regions of Nigeria to beg for money, saying they always lodged in hotel for days.
“One of the suspects claimed they usually lodged in one room. He revealed that they had been in the business since August 2013,’’ Nworie said.
The coordinator called on the police to ensure that the suspects were prosecuted for using the girl to solicit for money for their selfish gains.
Spokesperson for the state police command, DSP Ngozi Braide who confirmed the arrest of the six suspects, including two women, to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the suspects were arrested through the effort of a non-governmental organisation.
She said the suspects had been detained at the Festac Police Station, pending conclusion of investigations, while the victim was in the custody of the NGO.
Braide further stated that the police would collaborate with the NGO to prosecute the suspects as soon as investigations are concluded.
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