No Let Up In Social Strains As Nigeria Keeps Growing

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Culled From Reuters 

Nigeria's economy is expected to grow at a speedy 6.75 percent this year, driven by progress in agriculture, banking and oil, while high inflation rates should ease slightly, data showed on Monday.

Both will add to the reputation of Africa's top oil producer as a growing investment destination with a huge consumer market of 160 million people. Demand for its sovereign debt, for example, has soared since JP Morgan added it to its emerging bond index last year.

The kidnapping by gunmen of a Briton, an Italian, a Greek and four Lebanese workers in Bauchi state on Sunday, however, underlined that there are risks to investment outlook.

N’Assembly’s report on Dana crash may threaten US-Nigeria link

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Implementation of the National Assembly’s recommendations on the Dana Air crash by the Federal Government may adversely affect Nigeria’s direct flight link with the United States of America, TUNJI ABIOYE writes

The United States of America may take a second look at its direct flight link with Nigeria if the Federal Government goes ahead to implement the Senate and House of Representatives Joint Aviation Committee’s report on the June 3, 2012 Dana Air crash, investigations by our correspondent have revealed.

The US Federal Aviation Administration’s Category One status, an approval for Nigerian-registered airplanes to operate commercial flights to America, was awarded the country in 2008 after a rigorous audit that lasted for many years.

Prior to the award, Nigeria had lost the coveted status for about 15 years, thereby making direct flights between it and US impossible.

Police arrest prophet, other for possessing human parts

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Two men, including a prophet of a white-garment church have been arrested for being in possession of human body parts.

We  learnt that the suspects were arrested on Saturday in Ikotun area of Lagos State.

It was learnt that one of the suspects, Kunle Olaide, who was carrying a polythene bag, was accosted by some policemen attached to the Ikotun Division.

The source said,  “Policemen attached to Ikotun division accosted Olaide and another man on Saturday morning with a bag. All of a sudden, one of the men ran away.

Update: Police clear Corporal of pouring stew on fiancée

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The Lagos State Police Command has described the condition of Mary Sunday, the 27-year-old lady who was allegedly assaulted with a pot of boiling( Click Here to Read The Story) stew and lighted stove, as a self-inflicted one.

From the report we had last from Sunday was allegedly assaulted by her fiancé, Corporal Isaac Gbanwuan, in August 2012 at their home at Pedro Police Barracks. She is currently at the Igbobi Orthopaedic Hospital after having spent five months in another private hospital in Bariga.

Sunday had told a reliable source on February 14 that Gbanwuam assaulted her over a phone call. In a bid to escape, she had run into a neighbour’s kitchen where a pot of stew was boiling on a kerosene stove. Gbanwuam, who was in pursuit, allegedly seized the kerosene stove with its contents and threw them at Sunday.

 But the state Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Damascus Ozoani, told us that the allegations in Sunday’s petitions were false.

Burglars steal freely in police barracks

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Burglars broke into an apartment located in Alausa Police Barracks, Lagos State, carting away valuables such as jewellery, telephones and money.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the crime took place penultimate Sunday at Alhaja Toheebat Dosunmu’s residence at officers’ block, flat six. The burglers went away without being apprehended.

It was learnt that the burglary was one of many that had taken place in the barracks in recent times.

Our correspondent, who visited the house (Dosumus) on Sunday, learnt that the robbers broke into the apartment around 3am.

FG’s report on Bellview crash doctored –Airline

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Bellview Airlines on Sunday said the report of the October 2005 crash of its plane, which was released by the Federal Government through the Accident Investigation Bureau on Saturday, was doctored.

The airline also said the report contradicted the provisions of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the United Nations agency which regulates the aviation sector globally.

The Federal Government had on Saturday released the crash reports of six airlines, including Bellview and Aviation Development Company.

President made no single-term promise –Ex-Senate Whip

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Former Senate Whip, Senator Kanti Bello, has accused the Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, of telling a lie over his claim that President Goodluck Jonathan agreed to a single term in 2011.

Bello said, as a principal officer of the Senate in 2011, he attended a meeting of governors and lawmakers where the issue of Jonathan’s single term was raised.

The former Senate Whip told our one of correspondents in a telephone interview on Sunday that he personally raised the matter during the said meeting and that Jonathan did not make any promise of serving just one term.

Aliyu had in an interview aired on Liberty Radio, Kaduna, claimed that President Jonathan had agreed to serve for only one term of four years beginning from 2011.

But Bello, a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party, who defected to the Congress for Progressive Change, dismissed Aliyu’s claims.

ICPC probes four govs over alleged graft

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Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on Sunday said it had started  investigating four governors over alleged misappropriation of public funds and abuse of office.

A statement by the commission’s spokesperson, Mr. Folu Olamiti, said the ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, stated this during a programme on Splash FM in Ibadan.

The statement also said the commission had sent some of its operatives to Canada for forensic investigations training on cashless transaction.

Nta, however, declined to name the governors, saying, “It will jeopardise our investigations”.

He said, “It should be noted that those (governors) invited for questioning are still innocent until prima facie cases are made against them. So, those who have no case to answer will be allowed to go as freemen with their image intact.

Senate committee’s report on pension fictitious – Maina’s team

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The disagreement between the Senate and the Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, continued on Sunday, with the taskforce dismissing the Senate committee’s report on pension as fictitious.

The team stated that  the report of the Senate Pension Probe Committees, chaired by Senator Aloysius Etok (Establishment and Public Service) and Senator Kabiru Gaya (State and Local Government Administration) was unfounded.

The PRTT, in a statement in Abuja by its spokesperson, Mr. Hassan Salihu, specifically said the committees had “grossly misinformed and misled the entire Senate with a fictitious report muddled up with a multitude of naked untrue and misleading unjustifiable conclusions”.

Photo News: Abuja Shut Down Due To Lavish Thanksgiving Party

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About 5000 guests, including 18 state governors, have overrun Abuja for a lavish thanksgiving party thrown for Nigeria’s First Lady, Patience Jonathan, at a cost of N500 million.

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Photo News: Abuja Shut Down Due To Lavish Thanksgiving Party

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Reviving Nigeria’s Ailing Textile Industry

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Culled From Leadership

Nigeria’s cotton, textile and garment (CTG) industry has been experiencing a downward trend over the last three decades. CHIKA IZUORA, traces the causes of ths development and the efforts by the present government to revive the industry as well as the opportunities one derives from investing in the sector.

Nigeria’s cotton and textile industry was in the 80’s a key player in the national economy particularly in the provision of livelihood for about 20 percent of the population with 600,000 work force operating close to 170 textile mills across the country.

The industry then generated an annual turnover of $8.95 billion; an average of 25% of the sector’s gross domestic product (GDP) which accounted for not less than 10% of corporate income taxes.

Nigeria’s HIV Resource Centre Will Enhance Research – Experts

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NIGERIA has set up an HIV/AIDS centre to ensure better coordination of researches into the endemic in the West African country.

The centre, funded under the Enhancing National Response (ENR) programme of  the Department for International Department (DFID),  aims to make HIV/AIDS related researches like Nigeria AIDS and Reproductive Health Survey (NARHS), Modes of Transmission (MOT) Study,Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance Survey (IBBSS), among others, available to stakeholders.

The Director, Capacity Building (ENR)/Programme Manager, Health ActionAid Nigeria, Ipoade Omilaju, told The Guardian that reports of critical researches on HIV/AIDS had been lost because of poor coordination and as such, could not be used by stakeholders.

Nigeria Sliding into a Failed State, Say Nwabueze, Akinrinade, Others

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Prof Ben Nwabueze

Culled From ThisDayLive

Renowned constitutional lawyer and former Secretary General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof Ben Nwabueze,  Saturday in Enugu raised the alarm that Nigeria is fast sliding into a failed state, insisting that proactive steps must be taken to checkmate the impending danger.

Nwabueze’s alarm came even as other eminent Nigerians, including former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Alani Akinrinade; Secretary General of the Patriots, Chief Mike Orabator, former governor of old Anambra State, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife; Col. Ben Gbulie; Amb. J. U Ayalogu; Col Joe Achuzie; Chief Solomon Asemota; and Prof Mark Odu, among others, equally insisted that anything short of the convocation of a National Conference before the 2015 general elections would spell doom for the nation.

The leaders made their views known at the 14th Annual Convention of the Igbo Youth Movement (IYM), with the theme “National Conference before 2015 elections; only road to a greater Nigeria” which held in Enugu Saturday.

Adelegan Chronicles Nigeria’s Impact on Global Christianity

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Come Tuesday, February 26, a new publication titled: Nigeria’s Leading Lights of the Gospel: Revolutionaries in Worldwide Christianity, written by Femi Adelegan, an author, writer, publicist, administrator, technocrat,  politician and information manager will be presented at the Ecumenical Centre, Abuja.

The book chronicles the entire lives and ministries of 43 prominent Nigerian ministers of God,  that have flown the banner of God and Nigeria aloft, and have been used tremendously by God for the advancement of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Adelegan, an ordained leader at the Sword of the Spirit Ministries, (Christ Life Church) Ibadan, was one of the organisers of the first edition of the ‘Nigeria Turning Point’ prayer programme of January 2003, under the mentorship of Bishop Francis Wale Oke, to pray for a successful civilian to civilian political transition of year 2003. The author sowed his time to serve God and participate in the programme, which he regards as a most fruitful venture that moved the hand of God in his life.

Heat on Nigeria's Petroleum Industry As Oil Execs gather

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Major oil industry executives gather in Nigeria's capital for an annual conference this week with Africa's largest crude producer under pressure over reports alleging large-scale corruption and mismanagement.

The conference kicking off Monday evening in Abuja is expected to see appearances by government ministers and top officials from oil majors Shell, Exxon, Total and Chevron, as well as Nigeria's state petroleum firm NNPC.

It comes on the heels of a report from a government-appointed panel alleging Nigeria has lost out on tens of billions of dollars in recent years through questionable practices in the industry.

Pope Benedict Had Secret Heart Surgery

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The Pope had a pacemaker fitted less than three months before the announcement of his resignation, in an operation that had remained a secret until Tuesday.

Speculations about Pope Benedict XVI’s declining health and the bitter power struggles in the Vatican gripped the world following the shock news of the pontiff’s resignation.

It emerged that the 85-year-old Benedict—who abdicated on health grounds—visited a Rome hospital just three months ago to have a new pacemaker fitted.

Why I operate a taxi — Abuja female driver

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Curiosity. That was the main reason for choosing to ride in Ms. Aisha Umar’s taxi in the Federal Capital Territory on Friday .

Ms Aisha Umar has been a taxi driver in Abuja for over five years. Her handling of the vehicle is professional. She calls out for passengers and attends to matters relating to her job cheerfully and promptly too. She is never shy; and almost every day, she has had to answer questions, especially from many inquisitive male passengers. That, she does, courteously.

According to her, taxi business was the last thing on her mind when she dropped out of the university over 10 years ago.

Murder for money…Victims of ritual murders tell their stories

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Virtually every day, many police stations nationwide especially in the South West of the country are inundated with reports of missing persons.

Available records show that less than 10 percent of such persons ever returned home. A scary 90 percent of them was not found and the bodies of a negligible number that were eventually seen, dumped either on the roadsides, bush paths or inside gutters, mutilated and their vital organs removed.

Physically challenged son kidnaps mother

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*Demands N20 million ransom  *Detains her for 10 days

By EMMA AMAIZE

A physically–challenged barber, who abducted his mother, Mrs. Kate Emienor, in Benin City, Edo State and detained her for 10 days at a hideout in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, while demanding N20 million ransom to secure her freedom , has been nabbed by the police.

Commissioner of Police, Delta State, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, who confirmed the incident, yesterday, said, “It is true, both the son and mother that was kidnapped are in our custody.”