Thursday, 29 August 2013
Return To The U.S. For Your Treatment– Taraba Lawmakers Tell Suntai
Some members of the Taraba state House of Assembly have asked Governor Danbaba Suntai to return to the United States to continue his medical treatment.
Sixteen out of the twenty-four members of the assembly today resolved that the acting governor of the state, Garba Umar, should continue to serve the state in acting capacity until such a time the governor is capable of administering the state.
In a three paragraph statement signed by the sixteen members led by the speaker, Haruna Tsokwa, the lawmakers maintained that having assessed the condition of the governor as at Wednesday, August the 28th, they are not convinced that he authored the purported letter transmitted to the house of his ability to resume office.
But in a swift reaction, a former leader and current member of the house Mr. Charles Maijankai, in a telephone interview with Channels Television accused the speaker, of bad leadership and having ulterior motives.
Mr. Maijankai says the governor is fit and capable of resuming his state duties.
Source: Channels TV
Daily Manna: Praying Aright - Friday 30, August 2013
Daily Manna: Praying Aright
Friday 30, August 2013
TEXT: PSALM 57:1-11
KEY VERSE: “I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. He shall send from heaven, and save from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth” (Psalm 57:2,3).
Charles Spurgeon says, “a true prayer is an inventory of needs, a catalogue of necessities, an exposure of secret wounds, a revelation of hidden poverty.” When we pray, we make our desires known, express our helplessness and request for divine intervention in otherwise perplexing situations. And we receive answers to prayers when we pray aright.
In our text, the Psalmist earnestly sought for God’s intervention as he was confronted with a formidable situation in which only God could draw him out. He found himself inexorably drawn into a quagmire of temptation and sin in which he required the help and mercy of God to overcome. “I will cry unto God most High;” he says, “unto God that performeth all things for me.”
From time immemorial, man has attempted to hide his moral and material poverty by resorting to self-management in handling the challenges of life; but the reality has always been one of disappointment and frustration. No man can do without God, no matter how ingenious or powerful he pretends to be. No man is immune from the activities of Satan, and the evil machinations of demons and agents of the devil. This reality has made the need for earnest prayers more compelling. No true Christian can successfully triumph over temptations, trials and tactics of the enemy without deploying the enormous power that comes through prayer.
Intimate relationship with God along with confidence and faith in His promises will readily hasten His response to our prayers. Besides, while many of us are quick to pray, we often forget to praise God as the psalmist teaches us in this circumstance. Let us therefore learn to combine earnest prayers with sincere praise. This is the secret of praying aright, and praying for results.
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Earnest prayer and praise often move the hands of God.
***Share your thoughts and what you've just learnt in the comments section below. Don't forget to SHARE
at Friday, August 30, 2013 0 Comments
Friday 30, August 2013
TEXT: PSALM 57:1-11
KEY VERSE: “I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. He shall send from heaven, and save from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth” (Psalm 57:2,3).
Charles Spurgeon says, “a true prayer is an inventory of needs, a catalogue of necessities, an exposure of secret wounds, a revelation of hidden poverty.” When we pray, we make our desires known, express our helplessness and request for divine intervention in otherwise perplexing situations. And we receive answers to prayers when we pray aright.
In our text, the Psalmist earnestly sought for God’s intervention as he was confronted with a formidable situation in which only God could draw him out. He found himself inexorably drawn into a quagmire of temptation and sin in which he required the help and mercy of God to overcome. “I will cry unto God most High;” he says, “unto God that performeth all things for me.”
From time immemorial, man has attempted to hide his moral and material poverty by resorting to self-management in handling the challenges of life; but the reality has always been one of disappointment and frustration. No man can do without God, no matter how ingenious or powerful he pretends to be. No man is immune from the activities of Satan, and the evil machinations of demons and agents of the devil. This reality has made the need for earnest prayers more compelling. No true Christian can successfully triumph over temptations, trials and tactics of the enemy without deploying the enormous power that comes through prayer.
Intimate relationship with God along with confidence and faith in His promises will readily hasten His response to our prayers. Besides, while many of us are quick to pray, we often forget to praise God as the psalmist teaches us in this circumstance. Let us therefore learn to combine earnest prayers with sincere praise. This is the secret of praying aright, and praying for results.
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Earnest prayer and praise often move the hands of God.
***Share your thoughts and what you've just learnt in the comments section below. Don't forget to SHARE
at Friday, August 30, 2013 0 Comments
Power Privatisation: we have disappointed our Western Critics, says FG
• MO commences formal registration of NESI participants
• Begins handover of PHCN assets to new owners next week
Delighted by the level of progress made in its electric power privatisation programme, the federal government yesterday said the payment of 75 per cent balance of bidprices for successor generation and distribution companies created from the unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) had shamed pessimistic criticisms from western countries and institutions.
The government, through the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, stated in Abuja, that doubts initially expressed by most western countries and institutions on the ability of preferred bidders of the PHCN assets to pay up for the assets had been proved wrong with unfolding events in the country’s power sector.
Speaking at a forum organised by the Operator of the Nigerian Electricity Market (ONEM), otherwise called the Market Operator (MO), to officially commence the registration of all licensed participants in Nigeria’s Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), Nebo explained that most western countries and institutions had prior to the payment of the bid amounts in the ongoing privatisation process noted that the country may not achieve the expected outcomes from the process.
Nebo, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Godknows Igali, said: “Recent Events in the power sector have shown that Nigeria has the resilience to do the right things. Let me tell you that we have been meeting with western countries and they have continually expressed fears that the preferred bidders will not meet up with the payment for their acquired assets.
They said nobody out of the preferred bidders will be able to pay for the power assets, but now that has been proved wrong because the bidders have paid and it has been successful all the way.”
Igali equally noted that the western critics had as well pointed to the PHCN labour issues as one of the likely obstacles that may derail the privatisation process, adding that government had in this regard moved on to meet about 70 per cent payment of the severance components to members of the PHCN labour union.
“The big issue of labour also threatened the privatisation exercise and they pointed at it but as at today, we have paid-off at least 70 per cent of the workers of PHCN; we have paid off the severance components and will within next week start paying for the RSA (retirement savings account) components.
“We congratulate our brothers and sisters who have galvanised to invest in the power assets; this is an example of the Nigerian resilience. We hope to sign off protocols to handover the assets to the new owners next week, this shows that the NESI is going in for a big explosion,” Igali added.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) MO, Mr. Evarestus Mogbo, earlier in his remarks, said the formal registration of market participants in NESI was part of the extant market rules, which the MO administers.
Mogbo explained that the MO has been mandated to amongst other roles, admit, register and maintain a centralised participants and contract register while at the same time prepare generation adequacy report to certify trading points for adequate metering.
He said: “This is a formal registration of the market participants, it is a crucial stage in the sector and this registration process commences from this time, all licensed market participants can now commence the registration.
“There are a number of conditions precedent required of the MO before the declaration of the transitional stage of the market. These include adequate metering of the trading points, provision of meter information register, development of market settlement software, preparation of market procedures and preparation of market registration/agreement formats as well as registration of all NERC licensed market participants.”
Source : #ThisDay
1,000 ex-militants to get Samsung job offer
Nigerian subsidiary of Samsung Heavy Industries, Bradama International, has offered to train and employ 1,000 Niger Delta ex-militants, as part of the company’s way of keying into the Federal Government’s amnesty programme.
Chief Executive Officer of the company, Chief Bibopere Ajube, disclosed this in Ondo while conducting officials of Samsung Industries in inspection of the company’s facilities.
Ajube, who was part of the Niger Delta struggle said: “We were in this struggle together and I was spending every kobo I made to build this facility for my brothers from the creek and because I realised they needed to have livelihoods. So, I built this hostel to help them focus and have what to do with the rest of their lives.”
The ex-militants were mostly trainees at Bradama International, one of the few vocational centres recognized and accredited by the government.
Source : #Vanguard
JAMB concludes first round Of 2013/2014 Admissions
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it has concluded the first round of admissions into degree awarding institutions.
A statement from the board on Thursday said the board was determined to ensure compliance with 2013/2014 admission calendar.
``Candidates who made degree awarding institutions as their first choices or most preferred are enjoined to check the board’s Website - www.jamb.org.ng and print their admission letters,’’ the statement said.
It said the admissions were done from Aug. 20 to Aug. 23 at a technical committee meeting on admissions into degree awarding institutions for 2013/2014 academic session in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.
Signed by the board’s Head of Public Relations, Mr Fabian Benjamin, it said 109 degree awarding institutions attended the meeting while only 76 of them submitted lists of admitted candidates to the board.
According to the statement, the second round of admissions will be conducted from Sept. 23 to Sept. 27 at Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, for admissions into polytechnics, monotechnics, colleges of education and innovative enterprises institutions.
It further said that all admissions into the nation’s tertiary institutions were expected to close by October, stressing that the admissions were in compliance with the approved criteria.
Source : #NAN
FG, PHCN and TCN - THE NIGERIAN POWER SECTOR
FG engages Chinese firm to expand electricity transmission network
In preparation for anticipated increased activities in the electricity sector with the recent take-over of the assets of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) by private investors, the Federal Government has engaged Xian Electric Engineering Company Ltd, a Chinese firm, to expand the transmission lines to make for easier evacuation of electricity to consumers across the country.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the project, expected to costs $500 million in the next two years, was signed yesterday by Chinedu Nebo, minister of power, and Ji jun Hua, general manager, Xian Electric.
This development is coming just as industry watchers and operators are calling on government to ensure that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is run independently, devoid of politics.
According to them, the current privatisation exercise in the power sector will only be meaningful if government ensures that a viable transmission network is put in place.
Evacuation of generated electricity has been a challenge for the power sector and the country as a whole, as larger percentage of the transmission lines in the country are weak and and incapable of carrying clean power.
“The transmission facilities are not strong. Even if generation improves, where are the facilities to wheel them to the people? There are investors who are interested in investing in the sector, but the situation on ground is not encouraging,” says an operator, saying “the government should deploy serious funds for the strengthening of the transmission lines so that the recent investments made by the private sector concerns in the sector do not come to waste.”
Akinwunmi Bada, former chief operating officer of TCN, says government needs to commit fund to allow for easy flow of energy to consumers by plugging the gaps within the system. For him, while new transmission lines are being put in place, the old ones should be strengthened for maximum performance.
Also reacting, Akin Adetunji, executive vice chairman, Terra Energy Services Nigeria Limited, notes that one of the challenges to be faced by the new investors would include issues of transmission, adding that a lot of investment needs to be made to improve the transmission network.
Reuben Okeke, director-general, National Power Institute of Nigeria, says if the arrangement and plans on ground are well implemented there would be no reason why transmission would be an issue.
Goddy Duru, managing director, Power Tech, says there are backlog of issues that are plaguing the transmission lines and these must be resolved before there can be easy evacuation of power.
Beyond the physical expansion of the transmission lines, there are also concerns about the administration of the TCN, such as the constitution of the board for Manitoba, the management consultant to the TCN, being given a free hand to run the affairs of the company.
The board issue has been unduly delayed, and BusinessDay learnt that constituting the board had been bogged by the fact that government nominees were yet to submit their curriculum vitae. And this is holding back Manitoba from taking effective control of the TCN.
Under the agreement signed, the Chinese firm is expected to, according to agreed technical design specifications with the TCN and Manitoba, develop/upgrade, deliver transmission lines and build new sub-stations to evacuate electricity across the country.
Xian is also to provide reference manual and adequate training for Nigerian workforce in line with the local content policy, in addition to funding of the projects expected from the China Exim Bank. Negotiation for the project was part of the agenda of the President Goodluck Jonathan recent visit to China.
The terms of agreement expect that the Ministry of Power facilitate the acquisition of relevant data and reports for the conduct of required technical and economic studies for the projects by TCN, and also facilitate the identification and acquisition of suitable parcels of land ‘And Right of Way’ of the execution of the projects.
Also, the power ministry is to provide the Chinese firm with the technical details of TCN projects list to be implemented and facilitate the execution of needed commercial agreements, as may be required for the bankability of the projects.
The project will take off immediately, Nebo said, and assured that much of the work would have been concluded during the two year it will last.
“Manitoba, the management consultant to TCN, will be involved in the design and details of the project. Besides, Xian is reliable and is one of the leading firm in the world with vast experience in providing solutions in the transmission sub sector. The nation should look forward to a delivery of quality expansion work in the transmission unit,” he assured.
The funding of the project was discussed by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, minister of finance, during the recent presidential visit to China.
The Chinese firm shall be solely responsible for the funding of the projects from the China Exim Bank through the government of China. It is a concessionary loan and at a very low interest rate.
To Ji jin Hua, the engagement of Xian symbolises the strength of the relationship between China and Nigeria, assuring of high quality equipment in the implementation of the projects.
The Federal Government last week completed the sale of successor companies to the PHCN to private investors for better management to ensure improvement in the provision and supply of electricity across the country.
With that, there is expectation of increase of activities in the power sector, which the current transmission backbone would not be able to match up.
Source: Businessdayonline
In preparation for anticipated increased activities in the electricity sector with the recent take-over of the assets of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) by private investors, the Federal Government has engaged Xian Electric Engineering Company Ltd, a Chinese firm, to expand the transmission lines to make for easier evacuation of electricity to consumers across the country.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the project, expected to costs $500 million in the next two years, was signed yesterday by Chinedu Nebo, minister of power, and Ji jun Hua, general manager, Xian Electric.
This development is coming just as industry watchers and operators are calling on government to ensure that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is run independently, devoid of politics.
According to them, the current privatisation exercise in the power sector will only be meaningful if government ensures that a viable transmission network is put in place.
Evacuation of generated electricity has been a challenge for the power sector and the country as a whole, as larger percentage of the transmission lines in the country are weak and and incapable of carrying clean power.
“The transmission facilities are not strong. Even if generation improves, where are the facilities to wheel them to the people? There are investors who are interested in investing in the sector, but the situation on ground is not encouraging,” says an operator, saying “the government should deploy serious funds for the strengthening of the transmission lines so that the recent investments made by the private sector concerns in the sector do not come to waste.”
Akinwunmi Bada, former chief operating officer of TCN, says government needs to commit fund to allow for easy flow of energy to consumers by plugging the gaps within the system. For him, while new transmission lines are being put in place, the old ones should be strengthened for maximum performance.
Also reacting, Akin Adetunji, executive vice chairman, Terra Energy Services Nigeria Limited, notes that one of the challenges to be faced by the new investors would include issues of transmission, adding that a lot of investment needs to be made to improve the transmission network.
Reuben Okeke, director-general, National Power Institute of Nigeria, says if the arrangement and plans on ground are well implemented there would be no reason why transmission would be an issue.
Goddy Duru, managing director, Power Tech, says there are backlog of issues that are plaguing the transmission lines and these must be resolved before there can be easy evacuation of power.
Beyond the physical expansion of the transmission lines, there are also concerns about the administration of the TCN, such as the constitution of the board for Manitoba, the management consultant to the TCN, being given a free hand to run the affairs of the company.
The board issue has been unduly delayed, and BusinessDay learnt that constituting the board had been bogged by the fact that government nominees were yet to submit their curriculum vitae. And this is holding back Manitoba from taking effective control of the TCN.
Under the agreement signed, the Chinese firm is expected to, according to agreed technical design specifications with the TCN and Manitoba, develop/upgrade, deliver transmission lines and build new sub-stations to evacuate electricity across the country.
Xian is also to provide reference manual and adequate training for Nigerian workforce in line with the local content policy, in addition to funding of the projects expected from the China Exim Bank. Negotiation for the project was part of the agenda of the President Goodluck Jonathan recent visit to China.
The terms of agreement expect that the Ministry of Power facilitate the acquisition of relevant data and reports for the conduct of required technical and economic studies for the projects by TCN, and also facilitate the identification and acquisition of suitable parcels of land ‘And Right of Way’ of the execution of the projects.
Also, the power ministry is to provide the Chinese firm with the technical details of TCN projects list to be implemented and facilitate the execution of needed commercial agreements, as may be required for the bankability of the projects.
The project will take off immediately, Nebo said, and assured that much of the work would have been concluded during the two year it will last.
“Manitoba, the management consultant to TCN, will be involved in the design and details of the project. Besides, Xian is reliable and is one of the leading firm in the world with vast experience in providing solutions in the transmission sub sector. The nation should look forward to a delivery of quality expansion work in the transmission unit,” he assured.
The funding of the project was discussed by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, minister of finance, during the recent presidential visit to China.
The Chinese firm shall be solely responsible for the funding of the projects from the China Exim Bank through the government of China. It is a concessionary loan and at a very low interest rate.
To Ji jin Hua, the engagement of Xian symbolises the strength of the relationship between China and Nigeria, assuring of high quality equipment in the implementation of the projects.
The Federal Government last week completed the sale of successor companies to the PHCN to private investors for better management to ensure improvement in the provision and supply of electricity across the country.
With that, there is expectation of increase of activities in the power sector, which the current transmission backbone would not be able to match up.
Source: Businessdayonline
Thursday, 8 August 2013
Apple, Samsung Not the Two Losers From Moto X
Apple, Samsung Not the Two Losers From Moto X
BY Bret Kenwell|08/08/13 - 07:34 AM EDT
Stock quotes in this article: AAPL, GOOG, NOK, MSFT, BBRY
Find out if (AAPL) is in Cramer's Portfolio.
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- From all seams, Google's (GOOG_) new smartphone, the Moto X, looks pretty sweet. While I'll admit that my iPhone has grown on me over the past two years, it's a situation that is bound to change one day and the Moto X is the first smartphone I've seen where I have actually considered it.
Google reportedly plans to spend about $500 million in marketing for the phone, quieting those who questioned whether or not the company was truly going to stand behind its new hardware.
Assuming the phone acts as well as it looks, the marketing push should really help fuel sales. I expect the phone to do well, but I don't expect it to come at the expense of Apple (AAPL_) orSamsung.
Will some people avoid the next iPhone and forego the Galaxy S4 in favor of the Moto X? Of course. That's expected. But it's likely not the game-changer that will turn the smartphone market on its head.
Instead, Nokia (NOK_), Microsoft (MSFT_) and BlackBerry (BBRY_) will be the ones that feel the pinch. The Moto X, which starts at $199, could all but be the nail in the coffin for the struggling smartphone makers. If the iPhone and Galaxy remain the top two smartphones, the Moto X could become the third juggernaut of the group.
The Microsoft-Nokia partnership, which was meant to boost benefits to both companies, is falling flat. The Lumia has failed to gain any significant traction and as rival tech companies come out with better products, the task will not get any easier.
It's also quite troublesome for Canada-based BlackBerry as well. Retailers have recently slashed prices on the Z10 due to lackluster sales and management has shown during the company's most recent earnings report that shipments are not as high as they had hoped.
The pending success of the Moto X could be the additional ammo that's needed for those who are calling for BlackBerry's CEO Thorsten Heins and Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer to be dismissed from the respective companies if they ever plan on being serious contenders again.
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