Blog

NiMet predicts cloudy, rainy weather for Sunday

NAN-H-49
Weather

By Taiye Edeni
Abuja, Sept.10, 2016 (NAN) The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), has predicted cloudiness and slim chances of early morning isolated thunderstorms over Abuja, Jos, Makurdi and Lokoja on Sunday morning.

This is contained in the Weather Outlook issued by NiMet’s Central Forecast Office in Abuja on Saturday.

NiMet said there would likely be localised thunderstorms over places like Lafia, Kaduna, Minna and Yelwa in the afternoon and evening with day time temperatures of 26 to 31 degree Celsius.

It predicted that the Northern states would experience cloudy condition in the morning with prospect of thunderstorms over the cities later in the day with day time temperatures of 31 to 33 degrees Celsius.

According to NiMet, there will be sufficient influx of moisture expected to result in increased cloudiness and induce rainfall activities within the country in the next 24 hours.

NiMet also said Southern States would experience increased cloudiness with chances of localised rains over the coastal cities like Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Yenegoa, Calabar in the morning

It said that there would be isolated rains over the region, especially the inland cities like Osogbo, Akure, Ibadan,Enugu, Awka in the afternoon.

The agency said that the region would experience day time temperatures of 28 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius. (NAN)

TY//OFN

(Edited by Felix Nwadioha)

3

3SC beats lRangers 2-1 in Ibadan

NAN-H-42
Defeat

By Akeem Abas
Ibadan, Sept. 10, 2010 (NAN) Shooting Star Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan on Saturday defeated visiting Rangers International Football Club of Enugu 2-1 in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) match day 35.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that it was a tension-soaked match as the visiting team fought till the last mimute of the match but 3SC claimed the three points.

Ajani Ibrahim and Ifeagwu Ojukwu, scored 3SC’s goals in the 47th and 50th minutes of the match.

Ojukwu had got his goal from a penalty kick after Rangers FC Captain and defender, Chibuzor Madu brought down Najeem Olukokun in the 18-yard box.

However, the never tired Rangers FC was able to secure its lone goal through Chisom Egbuchulam in the 81st minute of the match.

Madu of Rangers FC and Moses James of 3SC were red-carded in the 48th and 67th minutes of the match respectively.

Coach Gbenga Ogunbote of 3SC described the win as a good one for the team, saying they were at a point they could not afford to lose points either home or away.

Ogunbote said it was a good game from two traditional teams that their rivalry had existed for long.

“We came to attack and they equally to do same. Thank God we picked our chances in the second half of the game.

“After the two goals, the players went to sleep if not they would have scored up to four goals,” he said.

He said that the red card for James was unfortunate, saying he never saw what really transpired.

According to him, I did not see what transpired but will watch the tape to get it. If James has committed an avoidable blunder, he will be punished.

“Honestly, I believe the referee will not have given him a red card if he has not committed any offence.”

Ogunbote said that the team was looking at the next match against Warri Wolves to consolidate before thinking of the match against Wikki Tourist.

However, efforts to get the reaction of Mr Imama Amapakabo, the Rangers FC Technical Adviser proved abortive as he refused to honour the post match conference. (NAN)

TAA/OFN

(Edited by Felix Nwadioha)

NAN-H-48
Fitness
By Emmanuel Afonne
Abuja, Sept. 10, 2016 (NAN) Five Nigerian male football referees have failed the FIFA Physical Fitness Test held at the main bowl of the National stadium Abuja on Saturday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the match officials are among the 16 ungraded FIFA referees invited by the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) for a possible upgrade.

NAN also reports that seven male and nine female ungraded referees were invited for the test out of which five male failed.

Emmanuel Imiere, an instructor at the programme, who declined to mention the names of the referees, told NAN that five of them have missed the opportunity of being listed as FIFA badge referees.

“This is the first set of non-badge referees that will take this test and it is not easy but some of them didn’t take it serious.

“About fifty per cent of them passed the test and I am happy for the invited female referees because all of them passed.

“Five out of the seven invited male referees failed the test and they will wait till next year for another opportunity.

“They can come in November for another test for them to qualify to officiate in the national league, but as an international referee, no,’’ Imiere said.

He also said that 20 out of the 28 FIFA graded referees failed to submit their Electrocardiogram (ECG) report which made the FIFA Physical Fitness Test inconclusive.

“Their own is medical issue; they did not come with their Electrocardiogram (ECG) report which is a prerequisite to participate in the fitness test.

“If the medical team did not certify them medically fit, they won’t participate in the programme and until they submit their ECG report, they won’t participate in the fitness test.

“That is why we have given them two weeks to come back for the fitness test.

“ECG has to do with the heart and if that report says no, we can’t allow such person to participate because we don’t want a referee to collapse on the field of play.

“It will be an embarrassment to FIFA and CAF; so, we have told them to go back and get their ECG report before they can participate,’’ he added.

Imiere, who is a retired referee, pointed out that Nigeria had until Oct. 2 to submit the list of successful referees to FIFA.

NAN recalls that 44 referees arrived in Abuja on Friday for the two-day programme among which 28 are FIFA badge, while 16 of them were not. (NAN)
EMAF/MO/AFA
Edited by Morayo Omolade/Felix Ajide
============================

NAN-H-47
Meter
By Sunday Bassey
Uyo, Sept. 10, 2016 (NAN) The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) says over four millions electricity consumers are yet to get prepaid meters in the country.

Dr Anthony Aka, Acting Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, NERC, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo on Saturday.

Aka said although the commission had improved on the system; unavailability of company manufacturing the device was hindering maximum provision of meter to Nigerians.

“You have to order them, you have to configured them and protect the system, you have to deploy the technical expertise to ensure that these meters are not bye pass but as we speak today, these meters are being bye passed,’’ he said.

He said that the commission would sanction Electricity Distribution Company, which does not comply with directives to distribute prepaid meters.

“It is our responsibility to ensure the compliance.

“We have our monitoring team following them and we want to make sure that if they do not deploy the number of meter per month, per quarter or per year, we are going to sanction them.

“The customer that do not have electricity meter and who feels that they gave him a wrongful billing in a month that he did not incur has the right to reject that bill.

“The consumer should only pay the last bill he accepted.

“You have to submit that contentious bill to customer redress mechanism by writing to us officially to investigate and find out whether the billings were fairly done.

“If it was fairly done, then you will have to pay that bill and if it was not fairly done, then distribution company in no way, will disconnect you,’’ he said.

Aka said that customer should be provided with meter within 60 days of payment.

“If they do not provide you with meter, electricity distribution company have no right to give you estimated bill,’’ he said.

Aka, however, decried a situation where PHEDC workers were attacked by customers, saying that such act was unacceptable.

“They are doing their legitimate job, and for them to be killed, harmed or interrupted in the course of doing their legitimate jobs, you are not contributing to help solve the problems of electricity in the country,’’ he said.

He said the company was committed to ensuring that electricity consumers were not exploited for electricity they do not consumed.

According to Aka, electricity distribution is private sector driven, and the government only provides regulatory framework and enabling environment.

He noted that fixed charges in electricity billing do not exist again as it had been recalibrated as part of energy charged.

“If there is no electricity, distribution company don’t have right to charge customers.

“We as a regulator listen to Nigerians, we remove the fixed charge and recalibrated it into the energy charge,’’ he said. (NAN)
SDB/JEY/AFA
Edited by Johnson Eyiangho
=====================

NAN-H-46
Prayer
By Aminu Garko
Sokoto, Sept. 10, 2016 (NAN) Sen. Aliyu Wamakko (APC Sokoto Central), has called on Nigerians to seek divine intervention for solution to the economic recession facing the country.
He made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto on Saturday.
He specifically urged Muslims to take advantage of Eid el-Kabir period to pray for peace and unity as well as economic growth and development of the country.
According to him, fervent prayers for God’s intervention will pave way for the restoration of vibrant economy in the country.
Wamakko said seeking divine intervention will enable the country to overcome the present economic challenges.

He said that with genuine prayer to Almighty God, Nigeria would come out of the current socio-economic crises, militancy, cattle rustling and insurgency among others.

The former governor of Sokoto State advised businessmen and women against rampant increase in prices of food items.

He also called on Nigerians to support the present administration to enable it implement its laudable programmes for the development of the country
Wamakko expressed optimism that the nation will be great under the present administration and urged Nigerians to continue to be patient with the government. (NAN)
AAG/MTM/AFA
Edited by Tukur Muntari/Felix Ajide
===========================

NAN-H-44
Talent
By Constance Athekame
Abuja, Sept. 10, 2016 (NAN) An ICT Expert, Mr Mark Woji,  has advised the Federal Government to create an environment conducive for youths to promote their talents, as part of the initiatives to improve Nigeria’s GDP.

Woji, who is the Project Partner, North Central Operations of Mind the Gap, an NGO, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday.

He said that government should create an enabling environment for youths to have a platform to promote their talents and widen their horizons.

“Federal Government should create an enabling environment where anybody who wants to do anything will have a platform where they can be promoted.
“For example Mark Zuckerberg was in Nigeria recently, he is the founder of facebook.

“We know that facebook alone in one year makes more money than Dangote, that is a person that dropped out of school.

“What he knows how to do is to code and write programmes on computers and he started writing and created what he called Face book.

“Today, only five people are richer than him; he is the sixth richest person in the world.’’
He said that government could help the youths by creating enabling environment where anybody with any idea could digitalise it and this would create employment for Nigerians.
“China and America are what they are today because they closed their borders and asked young and old people to start producing, by the time they opened their borders; they started exporting things.

“We are in a country where we encourage white collar jobs, people go to school after graduation, they wait for government’s jobs, that is why we are in recession.

“I know of universities where they have made cars before but nobody encourages them and before you know companies abroad will engage them.’’

Woji said that his NGO trained Nigerian youths to leverage on digital skills to help them to build their businesses to improve their lives.

He said that they also assisted youths to create impact online to make profit. (NAN)
COA/ MO/AFA
Edited by Morayo Omolade/Felix Ajide
============================

(more…)

NAN-H-37
Foodstuff
By Modupe Seriboh
Ibadan, Sept. 10, 2016 (NAN) The wife of the Oyo State Governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, on Saturday urged women in the state to ensure adequate security and care of their children.

Ajimobi made this call in Ibadan when she distributed foodstuff to the less privileged under her pet project, “The Ajumose Food Bank,” in seven Local Government Areas of the state.

“Women must train their wards to understand the economic situation being experienced in the country in recent times.

“As women, I urged you to take proper care of your children by using what you have, especially in this trial period in Nigeria.

“The Ajimobi administration is working on many projects that will eliminate poverty and also provide employment opportunities to the unemployed youths in the state,’’ Ajimobi said.

She emphasised the need for women empowerment in the state, saying that it was a catalyst for social and economic development.

“Women empowerment will strengthen their ability to access and control resources and thereby lift their respective communities out of poverty.

The Ajimobi-led administration will harness the role of women in rural communities, as a force to drive out poverty from the state.

“It is our hope that this token that we are giving here today, will contribute significantly in mitigating the current economic situation we find ourselves today,” she said.

The governor’s wife noted that food items would be distributed across the 33 LGAs of the state on or before the end of September.

Responding, the wives of the caretaker chairmen in the respective Local Government Areas commended the efforts of the governor’s wife in empowering women in the state.

Some of the women that benefited from the project commended the governor’s wife for alleviating the plights of the less privileged in the society.

The governor’s wife visited Ona-Ara, Oluyole, Egbeda, Akinyele, Lagelu, Ido and Eruwa Local Government Areas.

Over 6,000 women drawn from 11 LGAs had benefitted from the Food Bank, since the exercise started in July. (NAN)
MAM/OIF/AFA
Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo/Felix Ajide
==============================

‎

NAN-H-36

Sustain

Benin, Sept. 10, 2016 (NAN) The governorship candidate of KOWA party in Edo, Mr Thompson Osadolor, says he cannot sustain another two weeks of campaign and will now support the PDP candidate in the election.

Osadolor told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Saturday that his party lacked the financial muscle to embark on campaign for another two weeks.

He, however, said that he was not withdrawing from the race but that his party would support the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Osagie Ize-Iyamu, for the poll.

“I and my party have put in a lot financially and time to campaign across the nook and cranny of the state these past weeks.

“Through this rigorous campaign, the people have come to identify with us, from a party that was not popular in the state to one of the leading parties.

“An opinion poll has rated us as one of the party likely to win the election.

“Be that as it may, the recent announcement by the electoral body has destabilised us. For a party that does not have money to have put in much to campaign across the state, I don’t think we can afford to campaign for another two weeks.

“For that reason, while I am not withdrawing from the race, the party (KOWA) will now back the PDP candidate for the new date rescheduled for the election,’’ Osadolor said.

He said that the reason for backing the PDP was that it shared a similar manifesto with the KOWA party.

“I quite understand that lots of people have been criticising the PDP candidate, especially on his role in the infamous Lucky Igbinedion’s government, I, however, want them to understand that he was not the governor.

“He (Ize-Iyamu) can only do the bidding of his principal. But they should also know now that when he becomes the governor, he will be in a better position to do those things they expected of him.

“On a personal note, the election has cost me much and I cannot sustain another two weeks of another campaign. I had already bought ticket to fly back to my base immediately after the poll, now I have to go and rescheduled the ticket.

“The same thing applied to my children and well wishers who had already bought tickets to come to felicitate with me after winning the poll. The postponement has affected all of us,” he lamented.

Osadolor called for a better working relationship between INEC and security agencies to avert future occurrence of what played out in Edo.

“If they are citing security challenges for the postponement, what is the assurance that this will be sorted out before the new date,” he asked. (NAN)
ESI/MUYI/MVO

(Edited by Muhyideen Jimoh/Mbadiwe Okwor)

NAN-F-7

Attack

Baghdad, Sept. 10, 2016 (dpa/NAN) Ten people were killed and 30 injured in twin bombings claimed by the Islamic State extremist militia outside a shopping mall in Baghdad, local police and medical sources said on Saturday.

Initial reports said that the overnight attack in central Baghdad left 40 people dead and 60 injured.

The attack started with a suicide bomber who blew himself up with an explosive vest, police said.

Shortly after, a car bomb went off at a gate to the mall. A large number of cars, parked in the mall garage, were set ablaze as a result.

The assault occurred as people were shopping for Eid al-Adha, a major Muslim holiday that starts on Monday.

The Islamic State mouthpiece, the Amaq Agency, reported that the double attack included two consecutive suicide operations using an explosive belt and a car bomb.

Baghdad authorities have tightened security in the city as a result of the attack.

“Security forces have been deployed in districts and streets located near shopping places,” an unnamed official told independent Iraqi website Alsumaria News.

Baghdad sees frequent deadly bombing attacks, most of which are thought to be carried out by Islamic State.

They often target busy locations such as markets and restaurants in Shiite areas as well as Shiite religious gatherings.

The radical Sunni group regards Shiites as heretics.

In recent months, Islamic State has suffered military setbacks and lost ground in some parts of Iraq due to US-backed fighting targeting the al-Qaeda splinter militia. (dpa/NAN)

IAA/MVO

(Edited by Mbadiwe Okwor)