Home Blog Page 2278

Portharcourt: Staff inadequacy threatens voter’s registration exercise.

By
Editor
-

Inadequacy of ad-hoc staff is threatening to mar the success of the on-going continuous voter’s registration exercise in some parts of Portharcourt, TPCN investigation reveals.

INEC have not been able to duly register crowds who turn out daily for the exercise in various centers visited by our reporters in Portharcourt because of fewer numbers of staff attending to those who have turned out to be registered.

Some who have been frustrated with the slow pace of the registration, especially the civil servants, chided INEC for its inability to speed up the process, saying that thousands if not millions, of people might be disfranchised from voting in the next general elections if nothing is done to solve the problem.

Although INEC have said that the continuous voter’s registration exercise will last till the end of the year with the commission hoping to register about 80 million Nigerians who are eligible to vote before the end of the exercise, it is facing shortage of manpower in that regard, a situation that might mar the realization of the mark the commission have set.

Hitches due to staff inadequacy might hamper the entire process as it takes longer than a week to get people registered.

Some of the people who spoke to TPCN expressed outrage at the commission, saying that the commission should employ the services of youth corpers to effectively manage the process and register the number of people who turn out for the exercise daily.

According to them, they have been coming to the centers for days, standing in queues under the sun and have not been successful in their quest to be registered and berated the commission for its lack of preparedness towards the exercise.

374 Indigent Students Receives N100m Scholarship Awards From Belema Oil- Travis Kwent

By
017985556912069
-

BelemaOil Producing Limited, a local Exploration and Production Company,with it’s operation base in Port Harcourt,Rivers State has awarded scholarships worth more than N100 million to 374 indigent students of its host communities.

The scholarship, which was in three categories- postgraduate, undergraduate and post-primary- is part of the company’s corporate social responsibility policy, under the NNPC/Belema Oil Joint Venture (JV). Out of the 374 beneficiaries, 78 are postgraduate, 175 undergraduates and 121 post-primary school students.

Speaking during the official handing over of the scholarship cheques to beneficiaries in Port Harcourt recently, the Founder and President of Belema Oil, Mr. Jack-Rich Tein Jr. said the scholarship is not a display of wealth, but recognition of the important role education plays in the lives of the young ones and the future of the host communities.

“We are here not just to celebrate the success that has come to them, but to also honour the privilege given to us as a company to serve. And we recognize very importantly that if you joke with education then you are joking with the future and if you fail to grab these young ones who have the enthusiasm and that flair to pursue their academic dream you are limiting the unraveling of future opportunities that they would have used to grow themselves as well as society.

“And I believe very strongly that what we have come here to celebrate is not just a display of so much wealth but a display of interest; that believing in the young ones of today is unlocking the future of tomorrow and that is making the society a better place.”

He called on the beneficiaries to see the scholarship as an opportunity to develop themselves and unlock their talents and not misuse it.

Fielding questions from journalists shortly after the programme, Tein explained that the scholarship is worth over N100 million annually, pointing out that it is for students in Nigerian schools and overseas.

“The total scholarship per annum is over N100 million. What we have given today is over N70 million cheques and we have other students in Cyprus, UK, America, Canada, Ghana, Malaysia, Philippines and in Nigerian schools. What we have done is not just to show wealth but so that they can in turn do the same for society when they come out.”

He added that the company is also hoping to create about 12,000 jobs if its proposal with the presidency is approved, adding that the company’s model is aimed at making sure it supports the local communities where it operates.

“The Belema Oil Model is all about making sure that the local communities where we operate and competent Niger Deltans are given technical opportunities to showcase their competences such as alliance with technical companies that provide specialized types of jobs where they can partner with them and begin to provide those services.

“We also make sure that we create strategic capacity development through training for the local communities. We have also awarded scholarships like you have seen today.

“Basically as we speak now, we have our offshore floating and offloading terminal sailing to Nigeria. We are expecting to build some pipelines, we are also expecting to create some opportunities based on proposal we put forward to Mr. President and we believe very strongly that the president is a man that loves the Niger Delta region and he wants to see employment everywhere; he wants to see peace return very quickly; he wants to make sure that the operating communities are in harmony with the operators and with the federal government so that wealth creation can begin to improve.

“So we have put forward a programme that we believe will create additional 12,000 employments which can turn around about 36,000 jobs. And we believe that as soon as he gives a nod to it the employment will begin to roll out,” Tein stated.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, Alabo Tonye Graham Douglas, lauded the initiative and charged the beneficiaries not to misuse the opportunity given to them.

On his part, the Managing Director of National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), represented by Mrs. Tolu Adefuwa, restated the NNPC’s support for the scheme.

“If you are able to educate the children at the young age you are rest assured that our future is sustained because it means we are raising the next leaders, we are raising the next generation. So we are encouraging them not just to be educated but take it to the next le

Also speaking, the Executive Vice-President, Finance, Administration and Human Resources of BelemaOil, Mrs. Rosemary Asiegbu called on the beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity and emulate the president in his vision.

“Aside the joint venture with NNPC, he has joint venture with the communities. So the young ones, this is not just another event of giving you scholarship, we want you to emulate and see him as your mentor so that all his efforts will not be in vain.”

The beneficiaries who were more than elated and basking in the euphoria of such a fortuitous opportunity thanked the company for their generosity and opportunity to be considered beneficiaries , saying that it would ease their financial burdens and vowed to make the best use of it to build capacity and improve self worth and bring back value to the community.

NFF sign a 5-year endorsement deal with Nigerian Breweries.

By
Editor
-

Nigerian Breweries Plc and the Nigeria Football Federation have announced a 5 year sponsorship deal. The Federation made this known in a notice on its website. Official presentation of the partnership will take place next month. The agreement is also subject to renewal. Pamodzi Sports Marketing Agency brokered the transaction.

This is the second sponsorship deal the NFF has signed this year, the first being with Wapic Insurance. The NFF had in June last year, signed a 5 year agreement with the Aiteo Group for the sponsorship of the Federation Cup, in a deal valued at N2.2 billion.

The Nigeria Football Federation (formerly known as Nigeria Football Association until 2008) is the body in charge of domestic and international football in Nigeria.  It was formally launched in 1945 and formed the first Nigerian national football team in 1949. The NFF organises three leagues: The Nigerian Premier League, the Amateur League and the Women’s League.

Nigerian Breweries was incorporated in Nigeria on the 16th of December 1946, under the name Nigerian Brewery Limited. The name was changed on the 7th of January 1957 to Nigerian Breweries Limited. Nigerian Breweries was listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in 1973.

Nigeria to build a $ 5.8 billion hydro-power plant in Mambilla.

By
Editor
-

Nigeria plans to start building a $5.8 billion hydro-power plant in the eastern Mambila region this year, after it agrees on loan terms with China’s Export-Import Bank, according to a Bloomberg report.

“We hope to break ground this year if we can conclude the financing,” Power, Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola said in a Jan. 23 interview in the capital, Abuja. “Contracts are in place. We are good to go.”

 

Fashola told reporters in August that the Chinese lender would finance 85 percent of the cost, and the Nigerian government the rest. China Civil Engineering Corp. will build the 3,050-megawatt power plant over five years, and the facility will include four dams measuring 50 meters (164 feet) to 150 meters high, and 700 kilometers (435 miles) of transmission lines, he said.

Nigeria, a country of 180 million people living with daily power cuts, is seeking to expand electricity generation to drive growth after the economy contracted in 2016 for the first time in 25 years. Fashola, a former governor of Lagos State, the nation’s bustling commercial hub, was appointed in 2015 by President Muhammadu Buhari to take charge of the troubled power sector.

The government expects power-production capacity to increase to 8,600 megawatts in a year from 7,000 megawatts currently, Fashola said in the interview. In comparison, South Africa, with a third of Nigeria’s population, has an electricity-generating capacity of more than 40,000 megawatts.

Transformers with a combined capacity of 1,400 megawatts will be deployed across the country this month to further boost electricity supply, state-owned Transmission Company says on its website. Transmission capacity currently stands at about 7,000 megawatts.

Distribution Capacity

Nigeria also plans to improve distribution capacity, currently at about 5,000 megawatts. Since the country is able to produce more electricity than it can distribute, some production capacity will remain idle until the government expands the network.

The government is looking to partner with private companies to invest in mini-grid projects and generate an additional 3,000 megawatts of electricity over five years, Fashola said. Investors are showing interest, he said, without further details.

A number of planned solar power project  have failed to secure funding and should be reassessed, according to the minister. State-controlled Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc signed preliminary power-purchase agreements in 2016 with private companies for 14 solar projects meant to generate 1,125 megawatts of electricity, but there have been issues over payment-related guarantees, Fashola said.

These should be redesigned to sell electricity not only to the government via the national grid but to customers in remote areas directly, according to the minister.

“They should rethink their models and begin to look at estates and communities,” he said.

The government is also working on regulations to license suppliers of electricity meters to stop some distribution companies from billing arbitrarily, Fashola said. “We want to open the meter market because the core business of a distributor is not metering but distribution of energy.”

Rivers state ministry of youth development launches “ChangeTheNarrative” campaign.

By
Editor
-

The Ministry of Youth Development in Rivers State has launched  an ambitious campaign in its drive  to  change the way in which Youths in the state are viewed across the country and beyond.


In a series of tweets on its Twitter handle, the ministry said that the campaign has become a necessity owing to the perception across the country that youths in Rivers State are only good at militancy and other social vices.

“We know that the #youth in the state are talented and we are partnering with different organizations to nurture these talents inherent in them by learning skills or cultivating already learnt skills which will make them busy and productive in the society. No youth should be idle “ the ministry  tweeted.

The campaign is aimed at showcasing  the peaceful nature of youths in the state and the ministry has  called on all stakeholders to join in the quest to make it a success, saying that the youths in the state have valid dreams.

It also stated that the ministry is taking urgent steps aimed at creating opportunities for youths in the state.

Remains of Ekwueme arrives Enugu for burial.

By
Editor
-

Remains of the first elected Vice-president of Nigeria,  Dr Alex Ekwueme,  arrived the Akanu Ibiam international Airport Enugu for burial  on Monday (Jan 29th)  aboard a Nigerian Air Force plane.

His remains was received by the governors of the 5 South Eastern states and other dignitaries.

Ekwueme died on the 19th of November 2017 at a hospital in London after a protracted illness. He was aged, 85.

He was elected Vice-president of Nigeria in 1979 under the umbrella of Unity Party of Nigeria with Shehu Shagari serving as president.

Their rein was truncated by a military coup orchestrated by the then commander of 3 armoured division of the Nigerian army, Mohammedu Buhari.

Ekwueme, who is a trained architect,  was subsequently imprisoned at the kirikiri maximum prison in Lagos for two and a half years.

Dr. Ekwueme participated in the Nigeria National Constitutional Conference (NCC) in Abuja, where he served on the Committee on the Structure and Framework of the Constitution.

His famous proposals at the NCC for a just and equitable power sharing in Nigeria based on the six geopolitical zones have now come to be accepted as necessary for maintaining a stable Nigerian polity.

He unsuccessfully ran for the office of the president twice and lost to Olusegun Obasanjo.

He will be buried in his hometown, Oko, in Orumba north local government of Anambra State on Thursday (February 1st)

 

In 5 years, half of the world’s population will be using cryptocurrencies – experts.

By
Editor
-
Cryptocurrencies will become a ubiquitous form of moolah in under half a decade, John McAfee has said,  doubling down on his optimistic forecast for cryptos despite bitcoin’s recent slump.

“In five years’ time, over half the world, I promise you, will be using cryptocurrency,” the legendary security software pioneer said during the Asia blockchain cruise hosted by CoinsBank. “And the half that does not is going to be the half that probably does’t have smartphones or any access to the internet,”McAfee added.

The blockchain conference in Phuket, Thailand, boasted more than 1,000 participants from 50 different countries – including more than one hundred Russian ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings), which hoped to attract cryptocurrency investments to raise fast cash for their start-up companies.

One of the more unique ICOs looking for crypto investors during the cruise was Mark Space, a Russian company that offers users an easily-customizable 3D virtual reality platform to develop and showcase their ideas or products. With the help of the company’s “virtual constructor,” users can effortlessly build virtual spaces – a process so easy that “even kids can do it,” Mark Space co-founder Denis Polulyahov told reporters.

But while the cruise’s enthusiastic participants soaked up the sun (and liquor), their precious bitcoins took an unwelcome dip. According to Bloomberg, when the cruise began, the price of Bitcoin was comfortably above $13,500. By the time their ship arrived in Thailand, bitcoin had slumped to $10,000.

However, this didn’t seem to bother the hundreds of blockchain disciples who attended the event, who shared McAfee’s boisterous optimism for its bright future. McAfee himself has even promised to eat his own man meat if one bitcoin isn’t priced at $1 million by 2020.

The town where dead pregnant women are thrown into the evil forest.

By
Editor
-

It is 2018 and the effects of globalization is being felt at all corners of human development . Technological advancement has in no small measures changed the way man thinks and reasons.

It’s effects have made certain cultural beliefs obsolete with many of such practices discarded or abandoned.

The import of religions have in no small way affected African cultural transmission both in expression and adherence.

Suffice to say that the war between the African traditional beliefs and religion as imposed by the white man has battered the home side and rendered it eternally redundant.

Religion mixed with globalization or civilization has become so potent in its drive to remove the African from his culture and tradition and reform him according to the principles of religious dictate.

The multiplier effect is that it makes it impossible for certain practices to be classified into distinct features without having an element of culture and religion being interwoven together.

However, some communities have kept faith with their culture and have preserved same from being eroded by the aggressive influence of religion.

One of such practices like community-sanctioned  disposal of dead bodies in evil forests practiced by many cultures ages ago, have witnessed rapid decline in enforcement over the years except in this town – Rumuji.

In the town of Rumuji in Emuoha local government area of Rivers state, the ancient practice of disposing dead bodies into the evil forest is still being strictly enforced, with the locals saying that they don’t foresee an end to it in the future.

Parts of the reason why some communities opted for the evil forest treatment in the past instead of burying the dead bodies within the communities was perhaps, the belief that the evil often perpetrated by those dead bodies while alive will be revisited on the communities.

The evil forest treatment was part of community’s subsequent rejection of any consequences that might arise as a result of the evil deeds that the dead bodies had perpetrated while alive.

However, unlike the ancient practice where people who are known to have done evil while alive or outcasts who were not welcomed in the towns and communities had their dead bodies thrown into the evil forest, Rumuji dispose dead bodies of women who died with their pregnancy into the evil forest.

This practice is rooted in the belief that the ancestral land does not condone  the burial of women who died with babies in their womb.

An indigene of the town said that it is frowned at, for a woman not to bless the land with the fruit of her womb that people have seen and had expectations for.

“Even those that had injuries before they died also gets thrown into the evil forest. So it is not a question of only dead pregnant women. It is our culture and culture has a reason for that”

“Like in  Ibaa, when a pregnant woman dies, they usually separate the baby from the mother and bury them separately. So, it is their own way of life. This is our own way of life and we respect that”

Mikel Obi close to Fenerbahce move.

By
Editor
-

Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel is reportedly on the verge of signing for Turkish giants Fenerbahce.

Turkish news portal Sabah reported over the weekend that the 30-year-old was set to sign a contract which runs to June 2020 and is worth €3-million per year.

This follows a year in the Chinese Super League with Tianjin TEDA, where Mikel had a season which was disrupted by injury.

Fenerbahce manager Aykut Kocaman will reportedly replace Ozan Tufan – who looks set for a move away from the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium – with the Super Eagles player.

And the move should be a great benefit to Mikel, giving him a higher level of football to sharpen his skills ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Nigeria’s  Biggest Oil Producing Vessel of 200,000 bpd Arrives Lagos From South Korea.

By
Editor
-

 

The groundbreaking Egina Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel of $16bn has arrived the SHI-MCI yard in Lagos from South Korea.

The Egina FPSO, described as the largest ever installed in Nigeria (330-metres long), started the journey to Nigeria on October 31, 2017.

 

Six modules of the FPSO fabricated in Nigeria will be integrated on the vessel.
This is the first time partial in-country integration will happen in Nigeria and is a major feat for the implementation of Nigerian Content in the oil and gas industry.

About 21400 pre-commissioning tasks are expected to be performed during the integration.

Egina is Total Upstream Nigeria’s deepwater project.

The NCDMB played key roles to the execution of Egina and this ensured the setting of new records in all spheres of Nigerian Content.

After integration, the FPSO will be towed to the Egina field, about 200 kilometers south of Port Harcourt, Rivers State and hooked-up for operation and is expected to produce 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

The project led to the establishment of an FPSO integration yard, the first in West Africa.
The integration activities are projected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs.

 

1...2,2772,2782,279...2,295Page 2,278 of 2,295

LATEST NEWS

Facebook
©