Monday, 19 November 2012

UPDATE 1-Total sells $2.5 bln Nigeria oil field stake to Sinopec

Total says Sinopec to pay $2.5 bln in cash
* Deal to help French group finance exploration

Nov 19 (Reuters) - Total is selling a 20 percent stake in a Nigerian offshore oil field to China's Sinopec in a $2.5 billion deal which will help the French oil group fund its ambitious exploration plans.

Total said on Monday it had signed a deal to sell the stake in the OML 138 block, which currently produces 130,000 barrels per day of oil equivalent and contains the Usan field, which started production in February.

The French group said in September it planned to sell assets worth between $15 billion and $20 billion in the period up to 2014 as part of a bolder approach to managing its business, which has seen it buy and sell assets more frequently.

PDP chieftain asks Fashola to soft-pedal on traffic law

A chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos state, Dr. Segun Ogundimu had asked Governor Raji Fashola to soft-pedal on the new Lagos traffic especially as it affects the operation of commercial motorcyclists popularly known as "okada

Ogundimu made this known while addressing journalists at the state PDP secretariat in Lagos today.

Ogundimu who was a former commissioner for transportation in Lagos state noted that the restriction of movement on Okada has worsened the transportation means in the state as people are now confronted with more challenges on daily basis than they can cope with. He added that the alternatives people are left with are quite harsher.

Poll reveals increased harassment against women over toilet use

A recent poll conducted by WaterAid Nigeria in five slums in Lagos has revealed that 40 per cent of women in these slums have no toilets and are forced to defecate in the open.
Dr. Michael Ojo, the organisation’s Country Representative, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Abuja, while commenting on the World Toilet Day.
He said the poll was conducted in Ajegunle, Ijora, Badia, Oko Agbon and Otto-Oyingbo from Oct. 18 to Oct.22 by “GlobeScan’’, an international polling and research company, commissioned by WaterAid.

Nicki Minaj Signs Nigerian To Her New Record Label

Nicki Minaj has signed London based Nigerian artist Parker Ighile to her new record label. The Super Bass singer says she is however yet to come up with a name for it as she is looking for one that will suit male artists as well.
Its now becoming common place for American rappers to sign African artists to their record label. Kanye West opened the gates by signing D banj and Don Jazzy to Good Music music, followed by Akon’s Konvict Music who signed Nigeria’s P Square and Kenya’s 14 year old Wilson. Akon who was recently in Kenya for a concert is yet to make public names of artists he signed during his visit.
Nicki has been signed to Young Money, lil Wayne’s record label. It has been a precedent for American rappers to establish their own record labels when they hit the pinnacle of their careers. Lil Wayne was himself signed to Birdman’s CMB Cash Money Brothers before opening his own. This could however be a make or break decision for Nicki especially if she leaves her current record label as the stable is often very instrumental to an artist’s success and such can be said of Young Money and Nicki Minaj.

9ice will be dropping two albums at once next year

9ice is making a HUGE comeback to the game with two new albums “CNN” and “GRA” which are due for release march next year. He will also be dropping Four new singles and Four new videos in a few days titled ‘Get Into It’, ‘Ike Kan’, ‘Obawon’ and ‘I Dare You’. He has shot videos for ‘Get Into It’ and ‘Obawon’, from his last album “Bashorun Gaa” he shot videos for ‘Attitude’ and ’3310′. 9ice is back and he is Loaded!

Tuesday, 6 November 2012

Electricity: TCN management contract may collapse

PHCN power station
| credits:

The contract between the Federal Government and a Canadian firm, Manitoba, for the management of the Transmission Company of Nigeria may go awry following the stripping of Manitoba of powers to control human resource and finance at the company.

Investigation by our correspondent showed that the Canadian firm, which in July sealed a N3.72bn deal to manage TCN, one of the successor companies carved out of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, had lost its powers to manage the organisation at the insistence of PHCN workers.

With this development, the PHCN workers are to control both the human and financial resources at the company, while Manitoba employees seconded to Nigeria will be responsible for the technical expansion of the nation’s power grid.

While 17 other PHCN successor companies were slated for either privatisation or concession in the ongoing power sector reform programme of President Goodluck Jonathan, the Federal Government retained 100 per cent ownership in TCN.

Obi sitting on the floor and the house
| credits: File copy

The sand stirred up by the helicopter conveying Vice-President Namadi Sambo to Buanchor, Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State on Friday destroyed a mud-house belonging to a 78-year- old woman, Mrs. Bessie Obi, when it landed in the community.

Sambo was in the community to ascertain the extent of damage caused by recent landslide from surrounding mountains silting rivers, streams and causing flooding in the area.

As soon as the mud-house collapsed, Obi ran out and started crying profusely.

Obi was quickly attended to by officers of the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency and its counterpart in the National Emergency Management Agency.

Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Capt Caleb Olubolade (retd.)

| credits: File copy

The Police have earmarked N425,250,000 for the purchase of arms and ammunition in the 2013 budget.

They also plan to invest N296,708,180 on riot equipment and another N455,260,195 on protective accessories like bulletproof vests, and ballistic helmets, among others.

An appraisal of their budget indicates that N1,365,887,755 would be spent on uniforms and other clothing materials including the newly inaugurated operational uniform.

Police arrest 500 as group declares Biafra republic

The group under the aegis of Biafra Zionist Movement that decleared Biafra Republic
| credits:

PolicMen in Enugu on Monday arrested over 500 persons for allegedly being part of the purported re-declaration of Biafra as a sovereign state.

The group under the aegis of Biafra Zionist Movement had converged on an open field in Coal Camp area of Enugu where the leader, Mr. Ben Onwuka, addressed them.

However, after Onwuka’s address, policemen led by the Enugu Central Police Station Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Ike Mba, arrested him and other members of the group, who displayed Biafran, American and Israeli flags.

Okada riders beat up LASTMA officers

November 6, 2012 by Gbenga Adeniji

Rampaging okada riders
| credits: Odutayo Odusanya, Eniola Akinkuotu, Olatunji Obasa and Sodiq Adelakun

Aggrieved riders of motorcycles popularly called Okada plying Magodo area of Lagos State took to the Ojodu Berger road on Monday to engage some officers of the Lagos State Traffic and Management Authority in a fight after a raid by a combined team of policemen and LASTMA officers.

Our correspondent gathered that an Okada rider, said to be plying one of the restricted routes, was chased by the patrol teams.

6 Ph.D, 704 Masters Holders among applicants for drivers at Dangote

In June 2012, the Dangote Transport company said they were looking to employ 2, 000 graduate drivers. A few of us thought it was NOT RIGHT for the company to insist on university graduates for that kind of job, but guess what? It wasn't just graduates that applied for the Graduate Executive Truck Driver position o. Of the 13, 000 applications received, 6 were Ph.D holders, 704 were Masters Holders, while 8, 460 were Bachelor degree holders.

The Chairman of the company, Aliko Dangote revealed this while speaking during the mentor-ship meeting of the World Bank Youth Forum. Na wao! FG should do something about unemployment in this country.
source: lindaikeji

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