Oil Workers Vow To Block Sale Of Oil Refineries

Oil workers, under the auspices of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have described the planned sale of the nation’s refineries as a move against the national interest of Nigerians, but only in the interest of “a few Nigerians who are lurking around the corridor of power to milk the country dry.” The workers therefore vowed to resist the plan to privatise the refineries.

Speaking against the backdrop of the plan by the federal government to privatise the refineries located in Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt, PENGASSAN President, Mr. Babatunde Ogun, berated the government for its decision to sell the nation’s assets without considering available options and rational rule for such a lucrative business deal.

In a statement on the oil workers’ position on the planned sale of the refineries, Ogun alleged that the government advertently underfunded the refineries and deliberately refused to carry out routine Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) and failed to supply adequate crude oil to the refineries to have reasons for selling them to those in the corridor of power.

According to him, instead of outright sale of the refineries, the federal government should adopt the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) model in making the refineries more efficient.

Under the model, the National Oil Company (NOC) will emerge owners of the four refineries, holding a substantial minority share, while core investors and local participants will hold the majority while the staff, trade unions and the host communities hold minority shares.

Ogun said the refineries should be stand-alone entities independent of either the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) or the proposed National Oil Company (NOC) as contained in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), while the board of management of each refining company should be fully responsible for its success and failure.

He advised those planning to sell the refineries and their cronies planning to buy them to emulate Chairman, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and establish their own refineries instead of waiting to corner the nation’s common investment for their own selfish interest.

Microsoft said to beef up its Internet encryption

Microsoft has been an outspoken critic of the National Security Agency's surveillance program, yet it has trailed behind other major tech companies in amping up its Internet encryption practices. However, that could soon change.
The tech giant is looking to overhaul its system for encrypting Internet traffic, according to the Washington Post. Sources familiar with the matter told the newspaper that Microsoft is making the change because it believes the NSA might have breached its global communications systems.
Microsoft's conclusions most likely stem from documents leaked by the former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. In October, the Washington Post reported on a newly surfaced document that showed the NSA secretly accessed data from several tech giants by intercepting unencrypted Internet traffic in a program called MUSCULAR.
In the wake of these revelations, tech companies have been quick to maintain their innocence in the situation, along with show that they're working to protect users' privacy.
Google has been at the forefront of boosting its Internet encryption. In May, the company announced that it would switch over to stronger 2,048-bit encryption keys by the end of 2013. However, Google finished early and began implementation of the new keys last week. This type of encryption is said to take more than a decade to overcome because of computing power constraints.

Victor Moses Named 2013 Nigerian Footballer Of The Year

The Nigerian Sports Award held on Tuesday 26th November 2013, and Chelsea striker Victor Moses went home with the award for Footballer Of The Year.

Moses defeated John Obi Mikel and Sunday Mba who were the other nominees for the award.

In an elaborate ceremony at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi was presented with the Nigerian Coach of the Year award while Perpetual Nkwocha of the Super Falcons won the female footballer of the year.

Ball Sports Personality of the year award was won by Portugal based Nigeria table tennis international Aruna Quadri. He defeated Olumide Oyedeji and Ike Diogu, both of De Tigers.

The President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari won the sports administrator of the year award. He dedicated the award to every  Nigerian.

Blessing Okagbare won the Track and Field Star of the Year award while junior athlete Divine Oduduru won the discovery of the year award.

Meanwhile, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of DeltaState also won the Sports Governor of the Year Award. Uduaghan who was present in the hall received the award and said the other nominees, Governors Liyel Imoke of CrossRiver and Babatunde Fashola of LagosState were equally winners.

”I am aware that all the other governors are equally doing a lot in terms of grassroots development. The way we are going, Nigeria will win at least one gold medal at the next Olympics,” an elated Uduaghan said.

Mikel Obi however won the Sports man of the year award while Blessing Okagbare won the sports woman of the year award.

United's Van Persie, Vidic ruled out against Leverkusen

Manchester United will be without defender Nemanja Vidic and striker Robin van Persie when they attempt to book a Champions League knockout stage spot at Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday.

United manager David Moyes told reporters on Tuesday that Van Persie was still nursing a groin injury that had ruled him out of the Netherlands' internationals earlier this month.

"Robin is not quite ready yet," Moyes said. "It's not long-term, but we're going to keep monitoring him."

Serbia defender Vidic suffered concussion in a Premier League match against Arsenal earlier this month and has also been ruled out of the Leverkusen game.

Both players missed the 2-2 draw at Cardiff City on Sunday.

United will book a place in the last 16 with a victory in Germany. They are top of Group A with eight points, one ahead of Leverkusen with two games left to play.

"We have to make sure we're defensively sound and also that we go out there to win the game," said the Scot.

Ukraine's Shakhtar are third in the group on five points with Real Sociedad trailing in last place with one point.

ASUU strike: Don’t work against our interest – Union warns members

Dr Oghenekaro Ogbinaka, Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Lagos Chapter, on Tuesday urged the union members to desist from working against its interest.

Ogbinaka made the appeal in a statement he made available to journalists in Lagos.

He said that the members should not allow their selfish interests to overshadow the interest of the union.

He alleged that some members of the chapter called an illegal congress recently but failed in their bid to carry out `illegal activities’.

“`Congress anticipated their plot that was borne out of greed.

“No member of the University of Lagos Branch of the ASUU is, therefore, taken aback on their action, “ he said.

He described such as action as misguided, and urged ASUU members to desist from such.

The chairman gave the assurance that the chapter would remain indivisible. (NAN)

Kelechi Iheanacho’s father confirms he is set to join Manchester City

Kelechi Iheanacho’s father, James, has confirmed that his son is set to sign for English Premier League side, Manchester City.

Iheanacho has courted interested from big European clubs, after he emerged as the best player at the U-17 World Cup in UAE, where he scored six goals, as the Golden Eaglets lifted the trophy.

“As I am talking to you, I have chosen in my mind that Kelechi is going to Manchester United,” he said on SuperSport’s ‘Monday Night Football’, before correcting himself by saying: “I have told you that he is going to Manchester City.”

He also revealed that the player’s family made the decision together, on Monday night, after praying together.

“We prayed [on Monday] and, after due consultations with family members, we came up with Manchester City, believing he has a future there,” he explained. “That is where he will be uplifted.”

James last week raised an alarm that his son was missing, but it understood he returned on Monday morning, before the decision was made.

Boko Haram: Unconfirmed report says Military kill over 100 militants in Borno

There is unconfirmed report that military troops in Borno State carried out another successful operation at Sambisa forest on Monday, leaving no fewer than 100 Boko Haram militants dead.

A source who spoke to DailyPost in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, said it is believed that many camps might have been destroyed as well.

DailyPost reports that military helicopter and fighter jets were seen hovering around the state capital and heading towards the Sambisa forest.

It would be recalled that when the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General, Azubuike Ihejirika addressed the officers at the 7 Division Nigerian Army headquarters in Maiduguri, he urged them to prepare and make necessary sacrifice to bring an end to insurgency in Borno and North-East in general.

A response is still being awaited on an email message sent to the spokesman of the 7 Division Nigerian Army, Col Muhammad Dole, for confirmation of the military attacks.

24-yr-old farmer nabbed for beheading toddler

Nemesis has caught up with a 24-year-old farmer, Danladi Abubakar, who allegedly beheaded an 11-month-old  girl for rituals.

Danladi, after being arrested by the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, confessed that the deal was to fetch him N20,000. He was allegedly contracted by a man in Bida, Niger State,  who is said to be on the run.

The incidence happened in Fujeregi village, Gbako Local Government Area of the state recently.

The farmer was said to have sneaked into the room of the baby’s father, Malam Mohammed Worogi, where he smuggled the baby to a hidden place and beheaded her. He also severed her private parts.

The sudden disappearance of the child soon aroused the parent’s curiosity. The villagers then constituted a search party but their efforts did not immediately yield any dividend until a special prayer was organised.

After the prayers, Danladi came out  and confessed to the crime.

The incidence was immediately reported at the police divisional office in Lemu town leading to Danladi’s arrest.

He was immediately charged to Minna Magistrate Court 7 on one-count charge of culpable homicide punishable under Section 222 of the panel code law.

When the charge was read to him by the presiding magistrate, Maryam Ladidi King, he pleaded guilty.

Blackberry shakes up senior management

Blackberry once dominated the smartphone market but has struggled recently

Continue reading the main story

Related Stories

• Blackberry abandons sell-off plan
• Blackberry seeks to calm customers
• Blackberry hits out at Gartner claim

Struggling smartphone maker Blackberry has shaken up its top management as part of its on-going reorganization.

The firm's chief financial officer, Brian Bidulka, will be replaced by James Yersh who has previously served as controller and head of compliance.

The chief financial officer and chief operating officer will leave the firm with no replacements announced.

This comes just weeks after the firm appointed a new interim chief executive as it shelved a plan to sell itself.

Blackberry named John Chen as the interim chief executive officer (CEO) as it announced it had abandoned a planned sale to its biggest shareholder, Fairfax Financial Holdings.

The management changes are the first major move made by Mr Chen.

'Working more closely'

Blackberry once dominated the smartphone market, but has seen its fortunes dwindle in recent years,

It has been hurt by the success and popularity of smartphones launched by rivals such as Apple and Samsung. Its attempts to boost its market share have not yielded the desired results.

In September, it reported a net loss of $965m (£597m) for the second quarter, blaming poor sales of its new smartphone, the Z10.

The firm has also announced a plan to cut 4,500 jobs, or 40% of its workforce, to reverse the giant losses.

Mr Chen said the management changes were aimed at refining the company's strategy "to ensure we deliver the best devices, mobile security and device management".

"I look forward to working more directly with the talented teams of engineers, and the sales and marketing teams around the world to facilitate the BlackBerry turn-around and to drive innovation," he added.

ASUU STRIKE Update: FG, Lawmakers to meet ASUU over new demand – Education Minister

The Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike has condemned the new conditions set out by the leadership of ASUU as a yardstick to call off its over four month old strike.

The minister, who said he was going to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan on the development, said the union wants immediate implementation of the N1.2 trillion offered by the government to public universities, starting with the release of N100 billion this year and the balance of N1.1 trillion to be spread over five years from 2014.

Wike, who spoke in Abuja on Monday added, that the Union though indicated readiness to call off the over-prolonged industrial action.

He stressed that the Federal Government and members of the National Assembly would engage the union further on its decision.

According to him, “ASUU has given new conditions, after they had an agreement with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Villa.

“He said, he would meet with the President on the new conditions by ASUU. Among the three conditions given by ASUU in order to end the strike were payment of four months salary arrears which accumulated during the period of the strike; immediate implementation of the N1.2 trillion offered by the government to public universities, starting with the release of N100bn this year and the balance of N1.1tn to be spread over five years from 2014”.

The union also demanded that the salary arrears must not be paid piecemeal. These were some of the resolutions reached by members of the National Executive Council of the union that met in Kano on Friday which has been sent to the Federal Government before they will call off the strike.

Reports indicated that the university lecturers in Nigeria have agreed to end the five-month old strike by ASUU. If the Federal Government agrees to three conditions.

ASUU plans to end strike Jan 2014 — UNILAG faction

The Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) is planning to end the ongoing five-month strike mid-January next year, a faction of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter alleged on Monday.

The faction, however, insisted that the closure of Nigerian universities by the lecturers must end this week.

Leader of the faction, Dr Adeyemi Daramola, a lecturer in the Department of English, Faculty of Arts accused the body of assuming oracular posture on the strike.

According to him, “The position of ASUU has not demonstrated original function of its rules which says “reports on agreement from the union universities’ branches should be collated and announced”.

“ASUU-NEC has assumed an oracular posture by its very poor communication to members, government and the Nigerian society.

“The target of ASUU is to call off the strike by mid-January of 2014 which is no longer a rumour in the domain of its members. We have postponed other meetings of this pressure version of UNILAG

ASUU to discuss issues and shall call a new one if ASUU-NEC fails to suspend the strike before the end off the week.

“If necessary, we shall take all legitimate steps to ensure that normalcy is restored to all the Nigerian universities as soon as possible, as the group would not accept the rumour of a resumption date fixed for January, 2014. About two universities’ academic calendar have been wasted on strike, including lecturers’ four months salaries lost.”

Controversies have continued to trail the participation of UNILAG’s chapter of the union, with the new faction allegedly creating uproar at the congress held in the institution yesterday.

Another leader of the anti-strike faction, Dr Michael Ogbeide of the History Department told the Nigerian Tribune on phone that “the ASUU strike had become nonsense and must be stopped. A lot of our members also believe so but are afraid to speak out.”

He assured that the faction would keep pressurising the leadership until the strike is called off.

When asked the next line of action if UNILAG ASUU leadership did not accede to the faction’s request, he said “as an historian, in war, you don’t divulge your strategy before hand.”

Early on Monday morning, there were rumours that the Unilag ASUU had decided to withdraw from the strike, but this was debunked by some members of the union, though it was confirmed that there was a split among the members, with Daramola’s faction reportedly kicking against the institution’s continued participation in the strike.

According to a source who pleaded anonymity, the congress actually turned out disorganised and divided, as some members, during the meeting began to protest, demanding UNILAG’s withdrawal from the strike.

It was learnt that after the meeting became rowdy, the two factions later held separate meetings, with both reportedly resolving to maintain their postures.

The main body insisted that the strike would be on until grey areas are sorted out.

3 escape death in Ilorin trainee plane crash

Three crew members on board a training
aircraft of International Aviation College, Ilorin,
escaped death as the plane crashed during a
routine exercise. The minor incident occurred at about 11.33 a.m.
on Monday within the vicinity of Ilorin
International Airport. The college’s Acting Rector, Capt. Nuhu
Abdulkareem, who announced the plane crash at
a press conference in Ilorin, said it was the first
recorded incident since its inception. Abdulkareem said the three crew members of the
single engine Diamond aircraft with registration
number 5N-BRD were later taken to the college’s
clinic for proper check-up and were certified fit. He said the college had established contact with
the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the
Accident Investigation Bureau, statutory bodies
responsible for regulating aviation safety and
investigating incidents. He said the management of the college was
awaiting the arrival of the officials of both
agencies from Abuja to investigate the incident. Also the Kwara Government has concluded
arrangement for the graduation of eight students
from the International Aviation College, IIorin. Mr Leke Ogungbe, the Deputy Chief of Staff,
Government House, IIorin , disclosed this to
newsmen on Moday in Ilorin. Ogungbe said the convocation will hold on Dec. 5,
adding that the first batch of 12 students
graduated from the institution last year. He said the college was set up to address the
shortage of manpower in the nation’s aviation
industry. The institution, he added, was mandated to
provide assistance to the sector in the area of
manpower. Ogungbe said the state government would
continue to create the enabling environment for
investors, and called on Nigerians to be patriotic
in their dealings to ensure rapid development.
(NAN)

ASUU strike: EBSU withdraws from protest, orders students to resume tomorrow

Apparently tired of the non-progressive dialogue
between the Academic Staff Union of Universities,
ASUU, and the federal government over the
ongoing strike, authorities of the Ebonyi State
University have decided to pull out of the protest. According a terse statement by the institution’s
Registrar, Mr. Sam Egwu, the decision came after
the ASUU National Executive Council failed to end
the four-month strike at the weekend meeting. Academic activities will resume in all the
university campuses tomorrow, Tuesday,
November 26. The statement reads, “Having waited patiently for
the Federal Government and ASUU to resolve the
impasse occasioned by the over four months
strike embarked upon by the Union to no avail,
the management of EBSU, on Monday, November
26 has resolved to reopen the school. “We therefore inform all concerned that teaching
and learning will begin fully on Tuesday, 26th,
November, 2013. This is to enable us cover what
we have lost to the strike.”

JAMB increases CBT centres to 256 for 2014/2015 exam

Prof. Ojerinde

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it has designated 256 centres for the 2014/2015 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) Computer Based Test (CBT) across the country.

Mr Fabian Benjamin, the board’s Head of Public Relations, made the disclosure in a telephone interview with the the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.

Benjamin said that the centres were increased from 56 in 2012/2013 to 256 for the forthcoming examination.

He said that the increase was made to accommodate the large number of candidates applying for the CBT.

“Application form is out; preparation for the technical aspect is in top gear and we are always ready.

“Centres that had hitches during the 2012/2013 examination will be corrected, while some may not be used.

“What we already have on ground is close to perfection,“ he said.

The board, in an earlier statement, had announced the commencement of the sale of the application forms for the 2014/2015 academic session UTME.

It advised qualified candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria that online registration would be on until March 14, 2014, while the website would be closed on March 25.
JAMB said that the examination would be conducted on April 5, 2014 for those writing the Paper Pencil Test (PPT) and Dual Based Test (DBT).

It said that the date for the Computer Based Test (CBT) would be announced later.

The board said that the examination centres of the candidates would depend on their chosen towns during online registration. (NAN)