Monday, 28 January 2013

Jonathan summons peace meeting over Sudan crisis

President Jonathan
President Goodluck Jonathan has met with President Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan and President Salva Mayadit of South Sudan, in a bid to find lasting peace between the two nations.

The meeting, held at the instance of Mr. Jonathan in Addis Ababa on Sunday, had in attendance Presidents Jacob Zuma of South Africa and Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire.

The Kenyan President, Mwai Kibaki, and the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Dessalegn, were also represented at the meeting.

The meeting was necessitated by the need to further dialogue on possible ways of achieving a comprehensive peace in the Sudan.

Mr. Jonathan had on Saturday met the leaders of the two nations in separate meetings and promised further discussions until a lasting solution to the problem between the two countries is achieved.

He sought the support of the other four countries to ensure a speedy resolution of the cross-border violence between Sudan and South Sudan.

NAN/PREMIUM TIMES

 

74 Nigerians cheat death in Abuja-bound aircraft

An Abuja-bound flight belonging to Med View Airline yesterday made an emergency return back to Lagos around 2pm when one of its engines reportedly developed a fault mid-air.

According to reports, the pilot heard a loud bang and experienced an immediate loss of thrust in the apparently faulty engine.
The plane had seventy four passengers on board.

The aircraft was identified as a Boeing 737-400 series marked 5N-BPA.

The plane, however, landed in Lagos safely and it passengers were transferred to another aircraft which conveyed them to Abuja without any incident.

Med View Airline commenced operations on Nigeria’s domestic routes in November 2012.

SOURCE: Ynaija.com











NEWS: Ex-pension boss gets 2-yr jail term

The law has eventually taken its course on an alleged pension thief as a High Court in Abuja has just sentenced former head of the Police Pension Board, Yakubu Yusuf to two years in prison.

Mr. Yakubu pleaded guilty to stealing N23.3 billion and has been ordered by the court to forfeit property worth N325 million.

However, his conviction comes with an option of a N250,000 fine. He was given an option of N250,000 to avoid the jail sentence.

It would be recalled that Mr. Yusuf was one of those pension thief arrested by the Abdulrasheed Maina-led Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT).

Nigerian police officers 'stole' the show

What can we say more, with the launching of a new code of conduct for the men and women of the FORCE.

President Banda of Malawi put presidential jet for sale

President Joyce Banda of Malawi has put the presidential jet up for sale to help raise some much needed revenue.

Here is the detail letter text

GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALAWI
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET

SALE BY TENDER OF EXECUTIVE JET, DASSAULT FALCON 900EX
Reference Number: OPC/IPC/15/38/14/13



In 2009, the Government of the Republic of Malawi acquired
an Executive Jet, Dassault Falcon 900EX, Serial Number 38
for use by the President of the Republic of Malawi. The
aircraft is registered by the Malawi Department of Civil
Aviation as 7Q-ONE.

The aircraft was manufactured by Dassault Falcon Jet
Corporation in 1998 and underwent a 2C inspection in 2011.
It has been customized and has a seating capacity of 14
passengers. It is in perfect flying condition. It is a fixed wing,
multi-engine fan jet with three engines and can fly a range of
4,500 nautical miles (8,380 km) non-stop.

The Malawi Government had decided that the jet should be
disposed off “on as is basis” to an interested individual/firm.

The Government of the Republic of Malawi, through the Office
of the President and Cabinet (OPC), now invites sealed bids for
the purchase of the Executive Jet.

Interested buyers may make arrangements for viewing the
aircraft with Mr. Ernest Kantchentche or Mr. Samson Ngutwa
at the following address:

Office of the President and Cabinet

P/Bag 301

Lilongwe 3

Malawi

Tel : +265 (0) 1 789 311

Fax: +265 (0) 1 788 456

Email: ernestmk2002@yahoo.co.uk/ngutwas@gmail.com

Sealed bids appropriately marked “Purchase of Executive
Jet” must be addressed to:-





The Chairperson

Internal Procurement Committee

Office of the President and Cabinet

P/Bag 301

Lilongwe 3

Malawi.



To reach him no later than 14:00 hours (Malawi Time) on 20th
February, 2013.



The aircraft status specifications are as follows:



Airframe

Total Hours : 4,497.7 hrs.

Landings : 2,506 hrs.



Engines

Type : Honeywell TFE 730-30-1

Maintenance Support Program : TFE731-60



Engine 1:

Total Hours : 4,407.6

Cycles : 2,470

Serial Number : 112227



Engine 2:

Total Hours : 4,498.2

Cycles : 2,505

Serial Number : 112226



Engine 3:

Total Hours : 4,355.4

Cycles : 2,557

Serial Number : 112225






Auxiliary Power Unit

Type : P36-150F

Total Hours : 2,066.4

Serial Number : P-333



The bids will be opened and offers read out in the presence of
interested buyers or their representatives and any member of
the general public on 20th February, 2013.

The successful bidder will be required to make a deposit of at
least half the offered amount within fifteen (15) days from the
date of official communication about the bid success. The
balance shall be settled within thirty (30) days from the date of
the first deposit but before collection of the aircraft. The
successful bidder will make own arrangements for collection of
the aircraft from Malawi and pay all other necessary airport
and aircraft export fees required by law.

The Government of the Republic of Malawi is not bound to
accept the highest or any other bidder.

Signed
IPC Chairperson


SOURCE: BBC

Sunday, 27 January 2013

Ex - Presidential Aspirant Arrested By The EFCC For Operating Illegal Taskforce

Osita Okereke

A former presidential aspirant under the platform of the Nigeria Liberation Party, NPL, OsitaEmmanuel Okereke, has been arrested and interrogated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for operating an illegal task force, running a recruitment racket, extortion and  obtaining money by false pretense.

 Okereke is allegedly the brain behind a syndicate whose members masquerade as self- “National Task Force” set up to combat Importation and Smuggling of Small Arms, Ammunition and Light Weapons.



The EFCC said the syndicate, which maintains offices in different parts of the country defrauded unsuspecting members of the public by deceitfully selling recruitment forms to them at the cost ofN5,000 each under the pretext of offering them employment with the federal government.

The scam was uncovered through intelligence report, the commission said, and after weeks of painstaking surveillance, it stormed the office of the syndicate at the federal secretariat complex,Enugu, and arrested the zonal co-coordinator, Obinna C. Onyekwelu, along with nine others.

The other suspects are: Ajuani Uchenna, Emmanuel Ngwu, Kenneth Ambrose, Ogunjimi Charles,Uzoamaka Ikwunne, Chinwe Ogbu, Onyia Fidelia, Eze Amobi and Anioke Obinna.

The anti-corruption agency says several documents and cash were recovered after a search and the suspects have since been released on administrative bail after making useful statements.



Okereke claimed that his task force was duly recognized by the government but the commission’s investigation showed that there was no evidence of such registration.

SOURCE: SAHARA REPORTERS

Brazil nightclub fire PHOTOS

Brazil Nightclub Fire
People help an injured man, victim of a fire in a club in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. According to police more than 200 died in the devastating nightclub fire in southern Brazil. Officials say the fire broke out at the Kiss club in the city of Santa Maria while a band was performing. At least 200 people were also injured. (AP Photo/Agencia RBS)
Brazil Nightclub Fire
ALTERNATIVE CROP OF XSI103.- People help an injured man, victim of a fire in a club in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. According to police more than 200 died in the devastating nightclub fire in southern Brazil. Officials say the fire broke out at the Kiss club in the city of Santa Maria while a band was performing. At least 200 people were also injured. (AP Photo/Agencia RBS)

 
Brazil Nightclub Fire
Firefighters work to douse a fire at the Kiss Club in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Firefighters say that the death toll from a fire that swept through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil has risen to 180. Officials say the fire broke out at the club while a band was performing. At least 200 people were also injured. (AP Photo/Agencia RBS)
 
 
 
Brazil Nightclub Fire
 
 A man carries an injured man, victim of a fire at the Kiss club in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, early Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Firefighters say that the death toll from a fire that swept through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil has risen to 180. Officials say the fire broke out while a band was performing. At least 200 people have been injured. (AP Photo/Agencia RBS)