Showing posts with label The Guardian Nigeria. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Guardian Nigeria. Show all posts
Tuesday, 22 September 2015
Burkina Faso coup leader, Diendere, bows to pressure
GENERAL Gilbert Diendere who led the recent coup in Burkina Faso bowed to pressure yesterday as he apologised to the nation and promised to hand over power to a civilian transitional government.
A statement issued by Gen. Diendere to announce his surrender came after the military threatened on Monday to forcibly disarm the presidential guard members whom he led to execute last week’s coup ahead of October 11 polls.
The development also came as leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) yesterday held a one-day summit in Abuja, Nigeria, on means to bring to an end the political stalemate in Burkina Faso. At the meeting, the leaders agreed to send a delegation to Burkina Faso to quicken resolution of the political impasse in the country.
Diendere said he would release the interim prime minister who has been under house arrest since the coup.
After the announcement, Al Jazeera reported from the capital, Ouagadougou, that people were taken to the streets by the military headquarters to celebrate what they hoped meant the end to the coup and the chance of elections later this year.
The military had earlier said that “all the national armed forces are converging on Ouagadougou with the sole aim of disarming the presidential guard without any bloodshed.”
Several people have been killed and dozens others injured during demonstrations against the coup.
Regional mediators spent the weekend trying to broker a compromise between the military government that seized power in a coup last week and other politicians in the West African country.
The ECOWAS leaders resolved to send a delegation comprising six Heads of States to Quagadougou, the capital, to re-instate Kafando, who was detained by military officers loyal to the ousted President, Compaore, into his position to function as the leader of the transitional administration.
Presenting the communique of the meeting which lasted for over seven hours, at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamadi Azikiwe International Airport, Anuja, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Kadire Desire Ouedraogo, said the leaders also mandated the Senegalese President, Macky Sall, in his capacity as the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of States and Governments to liaise with President Buhari of Nigeria to find amicable resolution to the crisis.
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‘Yudala to support charities, create millionaires through Yuboss’
In an online chat with the media from his base in the United States, the strategic technology consultant and one-time Chevron Head of Management Information System noted that Yudala is a movement in e-commerce and offline retail business orchestrated by distinguished professionals from various nationalities and spheres of business.
The company had launched its yearly Neighbour to Neighbour Mega Deals promotion from September 21st till October 2nd, with thousands of enthusiastic shoppers trooping online and to the Yudala stores to take advantage of the mouth-watering deals and extended payment terms for individuals, cooperatives, corporate organizations, educational institutions and government establishments.
Yudala is structured to dictate the pace and within one year of our existence, Africa’s digital commerce and offline divisions would have had a handshake on the delivery of quality products and services that Africans wished for, paid for and rightly deserve. We shall continue to unfold our innovative products and services for the benefit of all Nigerians, including government establishments, co-operatives, corporate bodies and individuals. Yudala is possibly the first true investment platform where professional Africans in the Diaspora, foreign business partners and other Nigerian-based major corporate players have come together in a well-structured business and with huge funds to invest. This is why we must roll out across Africa.
Ojo also disclosed that Yudala is focused on creative employment for thousands of Nigerians and Africans by extension through its entrepreneurial scheme known as Yuboss.
The launch of Yuboss will reveal a little bit of our corporate philosophy. Yuboss is a league of emerging entrepreneurs who want to be their own bosses. Through Yuboss, we are offering people a chance to become millionaires without investing a dime. We have test run the scheme for one month and I can confirm that a young lady, one Mrs. Tina George who stays close to our office was paid over a N100, 000 commission (dala) last week for a 10 day effort in selling from our inventory. Her only investment was her commitment. This is the way new economies are built.
With Yudala, there will be many millionaires in Nigeria in the next one year. We estimate millions of Nigerians will join this scheme by the time we officially roll it out next week. I assure you that your wives, brothers, sisters, students, the unemployed, under employed, etc. will be a part of this scheme which will reduce pressure on families. Everyone will earn income and hardworking students will be able to see themselves through school without outside assistance.
Though still based in America, myself and Mallam Farouk Mohammed, former OPEC Executive Management member, represent majority investors on the Yudala Board and I can confirm that we are not in a hurry for huge profit. This is why we are mandated to partner with Yudala employees.
The Yudala strategy is profit sharing with all employees and another reasonable percentage will be dedicated to support charity organizations in every country we do business in. Every investor in Yudala voted for this and our consultants are working out modalities based on each country’s tax structure. We are therefore not here to exploit Nigerians and fly profit out of the country since majority shareholders are Africans.
When asked what percentage of Yudala annual profit will go to staff, Ojo revealed that a substantial figure has been agreed for this in line with the desire for quality human capital to deliver on shareholders’ expectations.
Our bond with staff does not end with profit sharing but shall continue with our listing on the Stock Exchange and beyond. We are a company with assets and not just an e- commerce platform and that is why we have a composite structure. We have presently rolled out 13 stores nationwide in seven weeks with great retail ambience like no other at the moment and I can assure you by this time next year, we would have reached the 50 store milestone with same standards.
We are here to dictate the pace and in line with this, we will review our market influence with the Press in the next one year. It is important to mention that our strategy is 21st century focused and completely different from what currently exists in the sector,” he concluded.
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APMT votes $400m for new container terminal
The move coincides with Cosco Pacific and China Merchants’ decision to buy a container terminal in Istanbul on the Bosphorus near the Black Sea, while the Cosco-China Merchants terminal is further south on the Aegean Sea across from Athens.
It was previously reported that APMT had acquired Spanish terminal operator Grup TCB and its portfolio of 11 container terminals in order to boost its presence in Spain and Latin America.
London’s Port Technology International report said: “The volumes in Izmir are reaching 1.3 to 1.4 million TEU (Twenty foot Equivalent Unit) a year. That size makes it suddenly attractive to move away from feeder services to being served directly by mother vessels,” said APMT’s Turkey chief Mogens Wolf Larsen.
Today, growth is restricted simply because it is excessively expensive and also because the transit times are excessive. Izmir is our first entry in Turkey but we are working to make sure it is not our last.” APMT will be operating under a 28-year lease and the second phase of the terminal’s expansion aims to boost total annual handling capacity to 1.5 million TEU.
Meanwhile, Maersk Line has signed an agreement with Spanish energy company Compania Espanola De Petroleos S.A.U. (CEPSA) and London-based Quadrise Fuels International to test trial Marine MSAR – an alternative marine fuel developed by Quadrise and expected to provide a cheaper and potentially environmentally safer alternative to heavy fuel oil.
The trials are due to begin in the first half of 2016, and will see the fuel supplied from the Gibraltar-San Roque refinery to Maersk ships following the installation of an MSAR manufacturing unit at the site. Installation and operation permits are currently being sought for the new unit.
The trial programme is expected to run until the end of 2016, or early 2017, when engine tests on the fuel will be completed. Subsequently, the sale of the fuel from the refinery would be made following regulatory and commercial approvals.
“We are delighted to have this opportunity to meet the fuel requirements of a leading partner in the marine industry with Maersk using a pioneering technology from Quadrise,” said Federico Molina, head of Cepsa´s Refining Unit.
Quadrise has developed the Marine MSAR to provide an alternative for shipping, refining and power generation markets.
The MSAR oil-in-water emulsion fuel technology reportedly makes heavy hydrocarbon residues easier to use by producing lower viscosity oil mixed with water. Alternative fuel emulsions, which are water in oil, are produced from heavy fuel oil. By emulsifying refinery residues, as opposed to heavy fuel oil, the refiner is able to create more value, and also a lower priced fuel, by selling the distillates that would traditionally be blended into its heavy fuel oil, according to CEPSA.
Meanwhile, as part of measures to promote environmental awareness and make a sustainable difference in the communities in which they operate, leading container terminal and port operators have teamed up to launch the ‘Go Green,’ described as the first ever joint industry initiative.
Global marine terminal operators DP World, Hutchison Port Holdings Limited (HPH), APM Terminals, PSA International and Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG), joined by the Port of Rotterdam Authority (PRA), will start the one-week campaign on September 14 with focus on three main themes: re-use and recycling, climate change, and the communities in which they operate.
“This is the right thing to do for the environment, for the communities we operate in, and our employees.
Working together, we can address the critical issues facing the environment and act as a catalyst for global change,” APM Terminals Chief Executive Officer, Kim Fejfer said.
According to worldmaritimenews.com, the campaign will also try to identify local partners in the effort to improve the environment. Creating and upgrading local green spaces, launching educational programmes, adopting waste recycling measures and community engagements are some of the activities that will take place.
Safeguarding the environment is the responsibility of all of us and by joining forces across the industry this initiative will make greater impact worldwide. International efforts require partnerships to make them a success and by coming together we can all make a sustainable difference in the communities in which we operate,” DP World Chairman HE Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem said.
By continuing to focus on our ecosystem using innovation, new technologies and seeking behavioural change, the industry can make a major contribution to the wellbeing of our planet. This campaign is a watershed for marine terminal operators – it marks the beginning of a joint effort to bring about positive change to the lives of our people.”
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Lessons from the Muslim festival Eid al-Adha (1)
This article is specifically written in order to encourage these communities to give their support to our President, Muhammadu Buhari who has been given to us as a nation to rebuild our country morally, economically, socially and politically. Hopefully, those who will take interest and read through this piece will, in their own modest way, follow the example of Abraham (Ibrahim), and also follow the godly example of President Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice, Osinbanjo.
It is also expected that reading through this article with an open mind might lead to a better understanding of what our two major communities have in common and join hands in the promotion of the culture of respect for differences and religious harmony. This government must succeed and it will take every Nigerian: Muslim and Christian and even those who do not profess either of these two main religions but have good intentions to succeed.
What is Eid al-Adha?
So, what is this festival, what does it signify and what can both communities share from its significance?
According to Islamic sources, at the end of the Hajj (annual pilgrimage to Mecca), Muslims throughout the world celebrate Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice). What exactly is this festival as explained by our Muslim neighbours?
During the Hajj, Muslims commemorate the trials and triumphs of the Prophet Abraham. One of Abraham’s main trials was to face the command of God to kill his only son. When Ishmael was about 13 (Abraham being 99), God decided to test their faith in public. Abraham had a recurring dream, in which God was commanding him to offer his son as a sacrifice. This was the son God had granted him after many years of deep prayer. Abraham knew that the dreams of the prophets were divinely inspired and were one of the ways in which God communicated with his prophets. When the intent of the dreams became clear to him, Abraham decided to fulfil God’s command and offer Ishmael for sacrifice.
Although Abraham was ready to sacrifice his dearest for God’s sake, he could not just go and drag his son to the place of sacrifice without his consent. Ishmael had to be consulted as to whether he was willing to give up his life to fulfil God’s command. This consultation would be a major test of Ishmael’s maturity in faith, love and commitment for God, and his willingness to obey his father and sacrifice his own life for the sake of God.
Abraham presented the matter to his son and asked for Ismael’s opinion about the dreams commanding his sacrifice. Ishmael did not show any hesitation or reservation even for a moment. He said: “Father, do what you have been commanded. You will find me, Insha’Allah (God willing), to be very patient.” His mature response, deep insight into the nature of his father’s dreams, his commitment to God and, ultimately, his willingness to sacrifice his own life for the sake of God were all unprecedented.
When both father and son had shown their perfect obedience to God and had demonstrated their willingness to sacrifice their most precious possessions for His sake — Abraham by laying down his son for sacrifice and Ishmael by lying patiently under the knife – God called out to them stating that Abraham’s sincere intentions had been accepted, and that he needs not carry out the killing of Ishmael. Instead, Abraham was told to replace his son with a ram to be sacrificed. Allah also told them that they had passed the test imposed upon them by Abraham’s willingness to carry out God’s command. This is mentioned in the Qur’an as follows:
O my Lord! Grant me a righteous (son)!” So we gave him the good news of a boy, possessing forbearance. And when (his son) was old enough to walk and work with him, (Abraham) said: “O my dear son, I see in vision that I offer you in sacrifice: Now see what is your view!” (The son) said: “O my father! Do what you are commanded; if Allah wills, you will find me one practising patience and steadfastness!” So when they both submitted and he threw him down upon his forehead, we called out to him saying: O Ibraheem! You have indeed fulfilled the vision; surely thus do we reward those who do good.
Most surely this was a manifest trial. And we ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice. And we perpetuated (praise) to him among the later generations. “Peace and salutation to Abraham!” Thus indeed do we reward those who do right. Surely he was one of our believing servants. (As-Saffat:100-111).
As a reward for this sacrifice, Allah then granted Abraham the good news of the birth of his second son, Is-haaq (Isaac):
And we gave him the good news of Is-haaq, a prophet from among the righteous”(As-Saffat:112-113). Abraham had shown that his love for God superseded all others: that he would lay down his own life or the lives of those dearest to him in submission to God’s command. Muslims commemorate this ultimate act of sacrifice every year during Eid al-Adha. (The Sunnah of Eid al-Adha). This generally is how Muslims explain this festival from both the Qur’an and Hadith.
Why do Muslims sacrifice an animal on this day?
During the celebration of Eid al-Adha, Muslims remember Abraham’s trials by themselves slaughtering an animal such as a ram, camel, or goat. Most of the meat from the sacrifice of Eid al-Adha is given away to others. One third is eaten by immediate family and relatives, one third is given away to friends, and one third is donated to the poor.
The act symbolises their willingness to give up things that are of benefit to them or close to their hearts, in order to follow God’s commands. It also represents their willingness to give up some of their own bounties, in order to strengthen ties of friendship and help those who are in need.
For the non-Muslim, therefore, it is very important to understand that the sacrifice itself, as practised by Muslims, has nothing to do with atoning for sins or using the blood to wash away sins. This is clear from the Qur’an where it is said: “It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah; it is your piety that reaches Him.” (Qur’an 22:37)
• To be continued tomorrow.
• Most Reverend Idowu-Fearon (Ph.D), Director, Kaduna Centre for the Study of Christian-Muslim Relations, Kaduna, is Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, St Andrew’s House, Tavistock Crescent, London.
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THE WAY WE ARE
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Reprieve for offending soldiers
It is equally significant to note that the soldiers who got a reprieve had shown total readiness to imbibe new orientation through retraining after which they would be re-launched into the battle against insurgency. They should also expect to have their morale boosted by the availability of more weapons (the shortage of which they pleaded for desertion and other actions), and by a new inspiring leadership in place in the military.
More important, the decision taken on all the 5,000 cases reviewed should be seen as a means to restoring dignity to and further strengthening the military institution. The soldiers were convicted by a court martial set up in 2014 for mutiny, disobedience to constituted authority and acts of cowardice. The Court Martial was authorised by the immediate past Chief of Army Staff. It is on record also that the appeal review panel was not convinced by some pleas and did not give relief therefore to those sentenced for various criminal offences. The panel’s thorough job was even underscored by its decision to apportion even stiffer penalties to those whose offences were unpardonable but were given lesser sentences in the original trial.
It is also just as well that as part of the review, soldiers who were sentenced to death and appealed also did not benefit from a reprieve as the Army authorities have to wait for the outcome of that appeal. What many of the soldiers did certainly amounted to jettisoning professionalism and compromising the nation’s security while concerned about their personal safety, contrary to the dictates of their calling.
But the benefit of the doubt for them stemmed from the belief that there are no bad soldiers, only bad officers. In this case, the blame pendulum would seem to have swung towards officers, past or present, who let their country and soldiers down in a time of great need by their alleged failure to acquire necessary and/or enough military hardware or equipment for deployment to the soldiers to confront rampaging insurgents. This was what the soldiers claimed for their unprofessional conduct, which eventually culminated in arrests, trial and punishment.
So on the perceived failure of superiors to provide adequate fighting tools, therefore, the offending soldiers seemed to have found reasonable excuse as the system truly failed them on this score. And many events later bore this out with the insurgents’ routing of the nation’s solders and gaining control of scores of local government areas at a time. Even, frantic efforts by the government then to acquire more weapons and ammunition from abroad only proved this case of guilt on the part of superior officers.
Not only that, the current investigation of some military chiefs and the regime of weapon purchases in the past as ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari is a pointer that something was actually amiss which forced a Nigerian soldier to desert or complain in battle.
With firmness, the new President, no doubt, seems to be giving the military the kind of leadership needed at a critical time like now. By giving respite to the convicted soldiers, the new leadership is also scoring a good emotional point. The loss of more men to the emboldened insurgents and the hardly reparable embarrassment the country suffered in the international community when those soldiers deserted the battlefront can hardly be forgotten. But the nation has witnessed a lot of bloodshed and could ill-afford more. This recognition and the emotional stability it gives all is good for the officers and men in ways corresponding to the feelings of the citizens or mood of the nation.
Such professional derailment must, however, not happen again. The reinstated soldiers must reciprocate the gesture of the authorities with a renewed work ethic and loyalty to the nation.
It must be said that Nigeria cannot afford to fiddle with the character and efficiency of its military institution, an institution that is revered the world over. They should maintain and keep the legacy of this respected defence force which has distinguished itself in winning wars and securing peace in different parts of the world.
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Pressure builds on Volkswagen CEO
The German carmaker’s shares fell to a new three-year low in early trade, extending Monday’s 19 percent plunge after it admitted to using software that deceived U.S. regulators measuring toxic emissions.
Europe’s biggest automaker could face penalties of up to $18 billion in the United States, as well as class-action lawsuits from buyers and damage to its reputation, with U.S. regulators alleging it misled them for more than a year.
VW, which for several years has been airing U.S. TV commercials lauding its “clean diesel” cars, was challenged by authorities as far back as 2014 over tests showing emissions exceeded California state and U.S. federal limits.
VW attributed the excess emissions to “various technical issues” and “unexpected” real-world conditions.
It wasn’t until the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board threatened to withhold certification for the automaker’s 2016 diesel models that VW in early September revised its explanation.
A committee of Volkswagen’s supervisory board is due to meet on Wednesday to discuss the crisis. The full board is due to meet on Friday to extend Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn’s contract until end-2018.
“I am sure that there will be personnel consequences in the end, there is no question about it,” supervisory board member Olaf Lies told German radio station Deutschlandfunk on Tuesday.
Some analysts suggest Winterkorn, who recently saw off a challenge to his leadership with the ousting of long-time chairman Ferdinand Piech, will have to go.
Winterkorn oversees group R&D operations and ran the core Volkswagen brand between 2007 and 2015, including the period when some of its cars were found violating U.S. clean air rules.
“Winterkorn either knew of proceedings in the U.S. or it was not reported to him,” Evercore ISI analyst Arndt Ellinghorst said. “In the first instance, he must step down immediately. In the second, one needs to ask why such a far-reaching violation was not reported to the top and then things will get tough too.”
Analysts had been hoping Winterkorn’s victory in his power struggle with Piech would allow him to focus on tackling the carmaker’s long-running underperformance in North America as well as sharply slowing demand in its main profit center, China.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said on Monday it would widen its investigation to other automakers. Media reports say the U.S. Department of Justice has also started a criminal probe into the allegations against Volkswagen, which cover VW and Audi-branded diesel models including the Audi A3, VW Jetta, Beetle, Golf and Passat.
French Finance Minister Michel Sapin said on Tuesday a broad European Union-level inquiry was needed too.
“It has to be done at a European level,” he told Europe 1 radio. “We are a European market with European rules. It is these that have to be respected. It is these that have been violated in the United States.”
There have been no suggestions so far that other carmakers have engaged in the same practices as Volkswagen.
German rivals BMW and Daimler have said the accusations again The way carmakers test vehicles has been coming under growing scrutiny from regulators worldwide amid complaints from environmental groups that they use loopholes in the rules to exaggerate fuel-saving and emissions results.
At 0845 GMT, Volkswagen shares were down 6.3 percent at 123.85 after touching a low of 123.4 euros. The European auto sector index was down 4 percent, as analysts speculated all carmakers could face more stringent tests from regulators.
The South Korean probe into Volkswagen will involve 4,000 to 5,000 Jetta, Golf and Audi A3 vehicles produced in 2014 and 2015, Park Pan-kyu, a deputy director at South Korea’s environment ministry, told Reuters.
The ministry will consider recalling those vehicles after conducting the investigation, he said.
“If South Korean authorities find problems in the VW diesel cars, the probe could be expanded to all German diesel cars,” he added.
Volkswagen Korea declined to comment.
The Swiss Federal Roads Office said it was also investigating whether the same type of Volkswagen diesel cars that were sold in the United States were also sold in Switzerland, adding results were due in days.st Volkswagen did not apply to them.
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Wheelchair basketball teams promise to win Rio 2016 ticket for Victor Ochei
Players and officials of Nigerian wheelchair basketball teams have vowed to win the Rio 2016 Olympics tickets in appreciation to former Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Victor Ochei, for his singular effort in uplifting the game in Nigeria.
For the past five years, the ex-Delta State Speaker has solely funded the Victor Ochei International Wheelchair Basketball Championship, producing many stars for the country.
Now, the nation stands to reap from the championship, as both the male and female Nigerian wheelchair basketball teams prepare for the Rio 2016 Olympics qualifiers in Algeria next month, and the athletes and their officials say Ochei’s efforts would be rewarded.
The Eight-Nation Wheelchair Basketball African qualifiers for both male and female will take place between October 28 to November 8 in Algeria.
Nigeria will face countries like Egypt, Mauritius, South Africa, Morocco and host Algeria for the sole African ticket in both categories.
Some of the players, who spoke with The Guardian yesterday after their morning training in Lagos, praised Ochei for his continuous love for special athletes, especially when he is no longer in government. “It is not common in Nigeria for people to continue sponsorship of a sporting event when they are no more in government. But Ochei has stuck to wheelchair basketball, which is commendable,” of the players said yesterday.
Ochei, whose project, the Victor Ochei International Wheelchair Basketball Championship is in its fourth edition, believes that with a concerted effort, the country would be among the teams competing for medals at Rio 2016 Olympics.
Also speaking with The Guardian yesterday, the President, Wheelchair Basketball Federation of Nigeria (WBFN), Bukola Olopade, said that Team Nigeria stands the chance of winning both tickets in Algeria, adding that what they need is support of all Nigerians.
Olapade, a former Commissioner for Sports in Ogun State, also revealed that Victor Ochei has pledged to continue to empower special sports athletes in the country, just as he assured that the two teams will do Nigerian proud in Algeria.
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