The Super Eagles of Nigeria are in search of a quality opposotion to challenge on May 28th to mark next month’s inauguration of the country’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, who was recently re-elected.
Siasia's choice though favours the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon as the team the Super Eagles test its strength with in Abuja, as the Cameroon FA as already agreed terms the Nigerian Football Federation.
Cameroon have demanded for an appearance fee of 60,000 Euros for the friendly, while Egypt wants to be paid $300,000 and Cote d'Ivoire have slashed their asking price down to $170,000.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Octopus predicts Real Madrid win, do you agree?
An octopus named Iker predicts the winner of the Champions League semi final soccer match between Real Madrid and Barcelona, to be played on April 26, by choosing a sardine from a glass cylinder decorated with Real Madrid's badge instead of the glass cylinder with Barcelona's badge, at an aquarium in the southern Spanish city of Benalmadena, near Malaga, in Spain.
Iker predicts Real Madrid will carry the day.
Do you agree?
Iker predicts Real Madrid will carry the day.
Do you agree?
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Nigerian smuggler 'sentenced to death' in Vietnam
A court in Vietnam has sentenced a Nigerian to death for heroin trafficking, state media said on Saturday.
He is the second person from the African nation to be condemned to execution for drugs offences in the past month.
Nnaji David Ete, 33, was convicted Thursday after a three-day trial in Ho Chi Minh City for his role in trafficking 11 kilos (24 pounds) of heroin into the country and then on to China over several years, the Vietnam News reported.
His Vietnamese wife was jailed for life on the same charge, while three other Nigerian men involved in the cross-border drugs ring were sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.
The case comes a month after Michael Ikenna Nduanya, a 34-year-old Nigerian, was sentenced to death for transporting heroin from Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City.
Anyone found guilty of possessing more than 600 grammes of heroin or over 20 kilos of opium faces the death penalty in communist Vietnam.
Under a decision approved by Vietnam's National Assembly, execution by lethal injection is to replace the firing squad on July 1 this year.
.
He is the second person from the African nation to be condemned to execution for drugs offences in the past month.
Nnaji David Ete, 33, was convicted Thursday after a three-day trial in Ho Chi Minh City for his role in trafficking 11 kilos (24 pounds) of heroin into the country and then on to China over several years, the Vietnam News reported.
His Vietnamese wife was jailed for life on the same charge, while three other Nigerian men involved in the cross-border drugs ring were sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.
The case comes a month after Michael Ikenna Nduanya, a 34-year-old Nigerian, was sentenced to death for transporting heroin from Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City.
Anyone found guilty of possessing more than 600 grammes of heroin or over 20 kilos of opium faces the death penalty in communist Vietnam.
Under a decision approved by Vietnam's National Assembly, execution by lethal injection is to replace the firing squad on July 1 this year.
.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Nigeria Live Election Results
ELECTION RESULTS:
April 16, 2011 03:26PM
Presidential election result at GRA, Ikeja/police barracks Ward
LA01/11/09/025a
A total of 168 votes cast.
>>CPC-29
>>ACN-41
>>PDP- 73
>>PPP-1
>>PDC-1
>>Invalid:12
Result at polling Unit Ayangburen road, Ward 007, Ikorodu, Lagos.
PDP-85
ACN-61
CPC-10
ANPP-1
PDC-1
NCP-1
MPPP-1
Presidential election result at GRA, Ikeja/police barracks Ward 2:
LA009/091/124.
Total votes cast: 195
>>ACN-29
>>PDP-118
>>CPC-41
>>PDC-3
>>FP-1
>>ADC-2
>>Invalid: 1
April 16, 2011 03:26PM
Presidential election result at GRA, Ikeja/police barracks Ward
LA01/11/09/025a
A total of 168 votes cast.
>>CPC-29
>>ACN-41
>>PDP- 73
>>PPP-1
>>PDC-1
>>Invalid:12
Result at polling Unit Ayangburen road, Ward 007, Ikorodu, Lagos.
PDP-85
ACN-61
CPC-10
ANPP-1
PDC-1
NCP-1
MPPP-1
Presidential election result at GRA, Ikeja/police barracks Ward 2:
LA009/091/124.
Total votes cast: 195
>>ACN-29
>>PDP-118
>>CPC-41
>>PDC-3
>>FP-1
>>ADC-2
>>Invalid: 1
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
NCC may issue new licences to lower mobile costs
While competition has caused the cost of mobile communications in many eastern and southern African countries to plummet, prices in Nigeria's telecom sector remain high and the country's regulators now say they may issue new telecom licenses in order to spur a more competitive market.
Nigeria is Africa's largest telecom market by investment and subscription. The cost of mobile communications has remained high, however, as operators are not competitive enough to fuel a price war.
The country has more than seven major operators -- including MTN, Bharti Airtel, Globacom, Mobile TV and Mobile Data Service -- with a combined customer base of about 90 million. But the providers are not competing enough to fuel the sort of stiff competition that will drive down prices, according to the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), the country's telecom sector regulator.
Due to lack of competition, most of Nigeria's remote rural areas still remain unconnected to mobile communication networks.
NCC Vice President Eugene Juawah said last week that because prices have not been coming down, the commission will bring in new operators by issuing more licenses. The NCC said it has no intentions of directly forcing operators to bring down prices, but that competition will force them to do so.
Like in many other African countries, the telecom sector is Nigeria's major economic driver after oil. The NCC believes new operators will bring competition that will force operators to expand networks to rural areas in search of new customers
Meanwhile, MTN, Bharti Airtel and Lap Green have all been able to grow their subscriber bases by slashing prices and giving subscribers free calling time of up to 15 minutes within the networks for fear of losing customers.
The whole West African region is now looking to see whether the NCC's move to license more operators will help increase competition and reduce high prices.
Nigeria is Africa's largest telecom market by investment and subscription. The cost of mobile communications has remained high, however, as operators are not competitive enough to fuel a price war.
The country has more than seven major operators -- including MTN, Bharti Airtel, Globacom, Mobile TV and Mobile Data Service -- with a combined customer base of about 90 million. But the providers are not competing enough to fuel the sort of stiff competition that will drive down prices, according to the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), the country's telecom sector regulator.
Due to lack of competition, most of Nigeria's remote rural areas still remain unconnected to mobile communication networks.
NCC Vice President Eugene Juawah said last week that because prices have not been coming down, the commission will bring in new operators by issuing more licenses. The NCC said it has no intentions of directly forcing operators to bring down prices, but that competition will force them to do so.
Like in many other African countries, the telecom sector is Nigeria's major economic driver after oil. The NCC believes new operators will bring competition that will force operators to expand networks to rural areas in search of new customers
Meanwhile, MTN, Bharti Airtel and Lap Green have all been able to grow their subscriber bases by slashing prices and giving subscribers free calling time of up to 15 minutes within the networks for fear of losing customers.
The whole West African region is now looking to see whether the NCC's move to license more operators will help increase competition and reduce high prices.
Nigerians amongst hundreds of refugees just landed in Italy
A large contingent of 251 African refugees fleeing Libya arrived in Sicily on Tuesday- mostly Erireans and Nigerians; two three-year-old girls and 15 women, one of whom has had to be hospitalised with an abdominal injury,
while 116 more arrived in Malta on a boat that also carried the body of a 29-year-old woman who died during the voyage.
The refugees arriving Malta was carrying mostly Chadians and Somalis, the boat was intercepted by Maltese coast guards who received an alert from an Italian fishing boat that spotted the 50-foot (15-metre) wooden boat late Monday.
The refugees that arrived in Sicily which included Nigerians have been transferred to a temporary structure set up at Porto Empedocle in the south of the island.
A spokesman for the Maltese army said coast guards saw the refugees burning their clothes to attract the attention of passing vessels.
The refugees on the boat that arrived in Malta on Tuesday included 94 men, 18 women, a three-year-old boy and three babies. It has not yet been established how the woman on board died, the spokesman said.
Malta said it had asked Italian authorities to help with the rescue but was refused because they said the boat was 45 nautical miles from Malta and 47 nautical miles from the island of Lampedusa -- Italy's southernmost point.
Lampedusa last week refused to grant permission to enter its waters to a Maltese patrol boat which had rescued some migrants close to the island, which has been swamped with thousands of immigrants and refugees in recent weeks.
More than 1,000 people fleeing Libya have arrived in Malta in recent days.
while 116 more arrived in Malta on a boat that also carried the body of a 29-year-old woman who died during the voyage.
The refugees arriving Malta was carrying mostly Chadians and Somalis, the boat was intercepted by Maltese coast guards who received an alert from an Italian fishing boat that spotted the 50-foot (15-metre) wooden boat late Monday.
The refugees that arrived in Sicily which included Nigerians have been transferred to a temporary structure set up at Porto Empedocle in the south of the island.
A spokesman for the Maltese army said coast guards saw the refugees burning their clothes to attract the attention of passing vessels.
The refugees on the boat that arrived in Malta on Tuesday included 94 men, 18 women, a three-year-old boy and three babies. It has not yet been established how the woman on board died, the spokesman said.
Malta said it had asked Italian authorities to help with the rescue but was refused because they said the boat was 45 nautical miles from Malta and 47 nautical miles from the island of Lampedusa -- Italy's southernmost point.
Lampedusa last week refused to grant permission to enter its waters to a Maltese patrol boat which had rescued some migrants close to the island, which has been swamped with thousands of immigrants and refugees in recent weeks.
More than 1,000 people fleeing Libya have arrived in Malta in recent days.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Impressive turnout, upsets likely in N’ Assemby election
Nigerians voted on Saturday heralding the much awaited 2011 general elections amidst unprecedented enthusiasm among the electorates in the main, and indifference and fighting in a few occurrences.
So far, results have shown there could be upsets: many federal lawmakers were set to lose their seats.
Notwithstanding the disappointment and the uproar that greeted the April 2 sudden shift in the National Assembly pol
l that was to herald the beginning of the general elections, reports from across the states indicated huge turn-out of voters.
Residents in Abuja were said to have reported as early as 7.30am at their polling units, for accreditation that started at 8.00am. In Niger State, home to two recent bombing attacks in Suleja, voters were said to have trooped out in large numbers, apparently defying the bombers that they refused to be cowed.
The enthusiasm of the electorate appeared to be matched by the umpires, as the Independent National Electoral Commission deployed materials and officials to the voting centres on time. Largely, there were no reports of inadequate materials or non-availability of officials, as was the case with past polls in Nigeria.
Also, security agents deployed to the streets and polling centres appeared to be coming to terms with the ethos of democracy. They kept to the background and unlike in the past were not part of the problems of voters this time around.
On the flipside were skirmishes recorded in some parts of the country. In Ogume, Ndokwa Local Government Area of Delta State, four youth were reportedly shot dead; another two were killed during a confrontation between thugs of rival political parties in Ughelli.
In Ile-Ife, Osun East constituency, where incumbent Senator Iyiola Omisore contested for the third term at the upper federal legislative chamber, five people were reported killed in Isale-Agbara area when gunmen shot at the residence of a candidate in the election.
In Bayelsa, home state of President Goodluck Jonathan, violence reigned in most parts and there were reports of ballot box hijack in certain polling units.
In Kano, a hunter appeared in his polling unit with a dane gun; shoes were reportedly thrown at Kano State Governor and Presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, Ibrahim Shekarau in Kano; and hoodlums armed with machete attempted to hijack the ballot boxes in Odeda, Ogun State.
Apparently unsure of how the day would turn out, voters refused to come out in their large numbers in Akure, Ondo State; Oyo, Oyo State; and in some other parts of the country, even as some voters reportedly trooped out in some of the 63 districts and constituencies where INEC had ruled out voting on Saturday.
While it may be too early to score the 2011 elections, the Saturday poll revealed a significant improvement on the 2003 and 2007 exercises that were characterized by violence, stuffing and hijacking of ballot boxes and shootings at polling units.
Early impression by analysts showed that INEC under Prof. Attahiru Jega, promises a less contentious poll this year, notwithstanding the disappointment of the past.
Unlike in the past, too, Nigerians seemed to have accepted that their political destiny is in their hands, hence the readiness to beat election thieves and rogues at their own game with the help of new technologies.
The voters did not only wait to listen to the results as they were announced at the polling units, most of the electorate posted the results for their wards immediately on facebook and other social networks, thus giving no room for afterward manipulations.
So far, results have shown there could be upsets: many federal lawmakers were set to lose their seats.
Notwithstanding the disappointment and the uproar that greeted the April 2 sudden shift in the National Assembly pol
l that was to herald the beginning of the general elections, reports from across the states indicated huge turn-out of voters.
Residents in Abuja were said to have reported as early as 7.30am at their polling units, for accreditation that started at 8.00am. In Niger State, home to two recent bombing attacks in Suleja, voters were said to have trooped out in large numbers, apparently defying the bombers that they refused to be cowed.
The enthusiasm of the electorate appeared to be matched by the umpires, as the Independent National Electoral Commission deployed materials and officials to the voting centres on time. Largely, there were no reports of inadequate materials or non-availability of officials, as was the case with past polls in Nigeria.
Also, security agents deployed to the streets and polling centres appeared to be coming to terms with the ethos of democracy. They kept to the background and unlike in the past were not part of the problems of voters this time around.
On the flipside were skirmishes recorded in some parts of the country. In Ogume, Ndokwa Local Government Area of Delta State, four youth were reportedly shot dead; another two were killed during a confrontation between thugs of rival political parties in Ughelli.
In Ile-Ife, Osun East constituency, where incumbent Senator Iyiola Omisore contested for the third term at the upper federal legislative chamber, five people were reported killed in Isale-Agbara area when gunmen shot at the residence of a candidate in the election.
In Bayelsa, home state of President Goodluck Jonathan, violence reigned in most parts and there were reports of ballot box hijack in certain polling units.
In Kano, a hunter appeared in his polling unit with a dane gun; shoes were reportedly thrown at Kano State Governor and Presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, Ibrahim Shekarau in Kano; and hoodlums armed with machete attempted to hijack the ballot boxes in Odeda, Ogun State.
Apparently unsure of how the day would turn out, voters refused to come out in their large numbers in Akure, Ondo State; Oyo, Oyo State; and in some other parts of the country, even as some voters reportedly trooped out in some of the 63 districts and constituencies where INEC had ruled out voting on Saturday.
While it may be too early to score the 2011 elections, the Saturday poll revealed a significant improvement on the 2003 and 2007 exercises that were characterized by violence, stuffing and hijacking of ballot boxes and shootings at polling units.
Early impression by analysts showed that INEC under Prof. Attahiru Jega, promises a less contentious poll this year, notwithstanding the disappointment of the past.
Unlike in the past, too, Nigerians seemed to have accepted that their political destiny is in their hands, hence the readiness to beat election thieves and rogues at their own game with the help of new technologies.
The voters did not only wait to listen to the results as they were announced at the polling units, most of the electorate posted the results for their wards immediately on facebook and other social networks, thus giving no room for afterward manipulations.
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