Growing up watching yoruba movies, one person I used to look out for is Chief Lere Paimo popularly known as “Eda”. He’s indeed a great actor, quite respectable,multi-talented, honourable and a role model.

In an interview with Encomium recently, Chief Lere Paimo talked extensively about his life @ 75, career, awards and achievements.

See below for excerpts from the interview:

How does it feel clocking 75, sir?

I feel great and I must thank my Creator, for the gift of life, good health and the modest achievements that have come my way. I feel happy, I give Him the glory for preserving me till today.

What has clocking 75 changed in your life?

It has changed so many things for better. I have learnt from other elders how to live, behave, and relate with people. Life has encouraged me to be closer to my Creator, the Great Almighty.

What are the things you can no longer do at 75?

I can no longer do so many things because age has really caught up with me. I’m a professional dancer, I can no longer dance very well like I used to 20 years ago. In my younger days, I used to run to my school and now I can no longer do that. I like going out either on a visit to friends, or to functions but now I can no longer do such. Instead, I would be at home with my family.

What do you think has been working for you all these while?

It has been God. I’m grateful to God for everything, it’s not by my power nor might but by the mercy and grace of Almighty Father, the author and the finisher of my faith. He has been my pillar all the years. I give Him the glory.

Just of recent you celebrated 55 on stage and you are still very relevant in the industry what is the secret?

The secret is dedication and handwork. I’m so committed to doing things right as an actor and very passionate about the industry. I believe in the best and so always go for the best. I read scripts given to me very well and if not satisfactory by me, I drop it.

Some people think it is arrogance but it is all about principle and professionalism. I was fascinated and inspired by the outstanding performance of stage and screen legends like Oyin Adejobi, Duro Ladipo. May their souls continue to rest in the bossom of the Lord.

Can you tell us one of your happiest moments?

My happiest moment was when I travelled overseas with my boss and when I was given a national award, Member Federal Republic of Nigeria by former president, Chief Aremu Okikiola Obasanjo in 2005. We were three selected from Oyo State – a Professor, a Doctor and I.

What about your saddest moment?

My saddest moment was when my manager died in a motor accident. His death really pained me because I loved him so much.

Can you tell us some of your experiences as an actor?

Yes, I have been in this industry for over 55 years and I don’t have any regret whatsoever. God has blessed me richly beyond my imagination as an actor and I’m never ashamed to count my blessings and name them one by one. I was given an honorary award during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime. People love me because I’m an actor who doesn’t take things or people for granted.

No matter how man lives, death must beckon one day. What would you like to be remembered for?

I want people to remember me for my good works. By the grace of God, I want to build a place where I will be teaching people this work.I will employ professionals who will be teaching interested candidates along with me, because I want to impact people with acting skills. We may not be able to do much in acting, we may not have that, but this is related to my job.

Of all the movies you have featured in, which ones are particularly challenging?

First, I cherish my own film, Ogbori Elemoso. It’s a story of how Ogbomosho was founded and it is the only film that has won the evergreen award. It was shot in 1990 as an epic film. I have done so many films but I can say that the Ogbori Elemoso is the most challenging, may be because it belongs to me and being an epic film, a lot of efforts and task were put into it.

A lot of people are of the opinion that you are deeply rooted in traditional religion, some say you must belong to a cult. What can you say about this?

I don’t belong to any cult, I am not a herbalist. A lot of times people think I am a babalawo but honestly, I am neither a herbalist nor fetish in any way. I am a Christian, my church is CAC Agbala Itura. There is a difference between one’s profession and religion. I can play the role of a king, a thief, a babalawo or any role.

The role of babalawo that I play regularly is just one of them. Like I said, we are doing all films particularly to teach people lessons. I am not herbalist.

Can you take a look back when you started acting and reminisce on the journey so far?

We should give all glory to God Almighty, “Ojo pe tia ti bere ise yi” (We’ve been in this profession for a long time). I started acting in 1960. I was with late Pa Oyin Adejobi before I moved to the late Duro Ladipo Theatre Group at the instance of a late professor. At that time, they wanted to begin a drama series while I was asked to play the character called Eda.

Since that time, the sobriquet ‘Eda’ has stuck and many even know me as ‘Eda’ instead of my real name, Lere Paimo. “In 1973, I formed my own theatre group. Yoruba say, ”Ti omode ba to loko, a loko’ (There is time for everything).

I could recollect, we would move from one town to the other, from one school to the other dancing around and soliciting patronage. The acting business took us as far as Maiduguri and several other towns across the country and so on.

Sir, when you were growing up, did you imagine that you would end up being an artiste one day?

I would not say, I actually thought I would end up doing this but I have been playing lead roles from school. I played roles in school drama. I remember each time I was going to perform in the school drama, I would announce in my compound that I was going to be made king today and all the wives in the compound would come out eyeing me.

I would put on my costume and move around the compound proudly. So, that had always been in me. One day when I was in Osogbo at the architectural department, I became interested in becoming an architect but soon had to jettison the idea when I found out Duro Ladipo organized one show in 1962.

I immediately jumped at that and thus commenced my acting career. I was given an oba role to which I did well and that was how it all started.

Sir, may I know if any of your children is taking after you?

You know children of these days, they will want to do what really comes from their mind and what they love to do. They don’t like being forced to do something or forced to take up a particular profession or calling. My twins are, however, into music. They have even made some sound tracks for films while I have another boy (Dele) who is into gospel music. But what I do is whatever career the children opt for, I support them with prayers to succeed.

At 75, what are your wishes for the entertainment industry?

I wish the industry more strength, people should keep doing greater things, they should come out with good stories like the people before them, it shouldn’t just be about money. They should put up plays that are beneficial to the people, do things that people will be glad about, good storylines that people will benefit from.

In his controversial new autobiography titled, My Watch, former President Olusegun Obasanjo said he didn’t know that his late wife, former First lady Stella Obasanjo had been planning to undergo a tummy tuck to mark her 60th birthday anniversary. A cosmetic surgery that later killed her.

On page 240 in Volume two of his book, Obasanjo said it was after she had died on October 23rd 2005 in Spain that he found out what really killed her. What he said after the cut…

“After the internment, I decided to look into the circumstances of her death. I found that part of her                       60th birthday anniversary, which was unknown to me, was her operation for her tummy and her                           shape.”

“I instructed that the doctor and the clinic be prosecuted. The lost life cannot be brought back but the successful prosecution would prevent carelessness and loss of life in the future”.

He said the doctor was made to pay damages which was collected by Olu, Stella’s only child and the doctor’s license withdrawn.

“Before the verdict in Spain, I was unaware of what I came to hear later that I might have caused the death of my wife to sacrifice her for success in my job. That is how wicked and satanic some Nigerians can be in their rumors and mischief.” he said

Motorists in Abuja on Monday decried the three-day warning strike embarked upon by the major oil workers in parts of the country.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) recently gave a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet their demands or face industrial action.

Their demands, according to a statement, include the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), immediate conversion of all contract staff to regular workers in accordance with the approved Contract, Casual and Outsourcing in the Oil and Industry Guideline.

Others issues at stake include the transfer and termination of appointments of national officers of the two unions.

A cross section of the motorists told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the strike would affect Nigerians, most especially when Christmas was at the corner.

Most fuel stations visited by NAN correspondents within the city centre had queues arround them.

Mr Aboki Danladi, a civil servant, said that the strike was ill timed and would impact negatively on the masses.

“The strike is very unfortunate; why are they going on strike at this critical time when Nigerians are trying to celebrate Christmas.

“This is not good for the masses; the whole trouble will be on the masses as usual,“he said.

Mr Alex Felix, an Engineer with a telecom company, said Nigerians were trying to feed their families and preparing to travel for the yuletide when the strike commenced.

“I am sure, unless otherwise, many people will not be able to travel for the Christmas and New Year festivities due to scarcity of petroleum product.

“It is not even the matter of travelling but you know petrol touches virtually all aspect of Nigerians’ lives,“he said.

He urged the government to, as a matter of urgency, carry out the Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of the refineries and all other issues related therein.

Hajia Salmat Bello, a business woman, called on both the government and the two associations to sit down and work out modalities that would solve the problem.

“ With the slump in global prices of crude oil, government should reduce pump prices of petroleum products so that we will have some sigh of relief.

“We are really suffering in Nigeria, compared to other oil producing countries, in terms of supply, selling and importation,“she said.

Mr Mohammed Jia, a taxi driver who came to buy fuel at the Area 10 Oando filing station, said that it was too early to experience this fuel situation.

He said that the situation should be remedied immediately by government now that Christmas was around the corner.

According to him, he has been on the queue for over three hours without getting the product.

Mr Iwuji Leornard, a motorist who was at the Conoil filling station Area 10, said that he had been on the queue for over four hours.

He said that the situation was pathetic, adding that he had gone to about 10 filling stations yet he could not get fuel due to long queues.

According to him, some of the stations he went to are not selling fuel, and he does not know if they have fuel or not.

Mr Muojindu Agbo, a taxi driver, said that some of the stations he visited were serving fuel only with two pumps, causing long queues.

He urged the Federal Government to ensure that the crisis was resolved so that people travelling for Charismas could go home smoothly.

Mr Masari Margimari, a motorist, said that it was unfortunate for Nigerians to experience scarcity as a result of strike.

“It is embarrassing that we produce this fuel in the country and Nigerians are experiencing this situation,“he said.

Mr. Maxim Udeh, a civil servant who was at the Total filling station in Wuse Zone three
who said he had spent over two hours without getting the commodity.

“In my own case, I see this as sabotage because some people are making money out of this situation; it is unfortunate at a time like this,“he said.

Dr. Luka Ayuba, a civil servant, said:“It is a blackmail by both the fuel workers and the government because at the end of the day, they are making additional gains.

“Motorists have no options than to buy the fuel at whatever price because one has to travel and do some other running around,“ he said.

A motorist, John Atanu, expressed fear that the current strike would have negative impact on the cost of transportation and goods if it was not addressed urgently.

Atanu said the timing of the strike was a bad omen for the country, adding that the government should be responsive enough in the interest of the poor masses.

“I am appealing to the Federal Government to be proactive in addressing this issue because it will bring untold hardship for people,“he said.

The situation at the NNPC mega station in Central Area, Abuja, was the same.

A pump attendant, Musa Sule, told NAN that the station had product to sell.

Mr Bukus Ucheabuchi, Station Supervisor, Forte Oil filing station in Central Area, said that the strike was affecting the company’s sales as motorists were being disorderly.

According to him, there was enough fuel to serve customers as long as the strike lasted.

“So far the stock of fuel we have will go a long way; we still have two standby trucks and as soon as we clear these vehicles we will discharge them, “he said.

Malam Umar Farouk, Manager, Oando filing station in Wuse Zone 4, said there was no need for panic buying as there was enough fuel in stock to serve motorists.

Most fuel stations within the city centre had queues and were selling fuel in spite of the strike. (NAN)

Trading activities at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) reopened on a negative note as the market All-Share Index depreciated by 271.08 points.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the All-Share Index declined by 0.88 per cent to close at 30,492.30 against 30,763.38 posted on Friday.

The market capitalisation, which opened at N10,.156 trillion, lost N90 billion or 0.88 per cent to close at N10.066 trillion due to price losses by some blue chip equities.

Seplat led the losers’ chart with a loss of N29.83 to close at N295 per share.

Guinness came second with N5.61 to close at N117, while Flour Mill lost N4.24 to close at N39.49 per share.

Nigerian Breweries dipped N2.09 to close at N143.5 and UACN went down by N1.9 to close at N36.1 per share.

Conversely, Forte Oil topped the gainers’ chart, gaining N9.32 to close at N216.9 per share.

Betaglas garnered N1.2 to close at N216.9, while Ikeja Hotels rose by 19k to close at N4 per share.

Custodyins improved by 16k to close at N3.6 and Fidson appreciated by 15k to close at N3.24 per share.

NAN reports that FBN Holdings emerged the most traded stock, accounting for 58.90 million shares worth N505.27 million.

NEM Insurance followed with a turnover of 50.68 million shares worth N30.91 million, while FCMB traded 43.66 million shares valued N124.51 million.

Zenith Bank transacted 27.05 million valued N463.07 million, while UBA sold 22.12 million shares worth N87.19 million.

In all, a total of 372.641 million shares worth N3.00 billion were traded by investors in 4,179 deals.
This was against the 390.609 million shares valued at N4.68 billion traded in 3,680 deals on Friday. (NAN)

The Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Benjamin Dikki, on Monday in Abuja reiterated the bureau’s effort in bridging housing shortage in the country.

Dikki said this at the handover of Stallion Property and Development Company (SPDC) to the NNPC Pension Funds Limited.

He said that the National Council on Privatisation, headed by Vice President Namadi Sambo, had approved the privatisation of the Federal Government’s 51 per cent shares of SPDC to NNPC Pension Funds.

He said that the transaction was part of BPE’s effort to restructure the housing sector so as to cover the 17 million housing deficit in the country.

“BPE is currently working with the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development on the reforms and restructuring of the housing sector. There is a lot to be tapped by SPDC in the sector.

“We would like to encourage NNPC PFL to work hard and inject funds in SPDC in order to harness these huge opportunities, create more employment and add value to the Nigerian economy,’’ he said.

Dikki also said that the proceed from the divestment of FG’s 51 per cent shareholding in SPDC would be used to bridge the funding gap in the NNPC Staff Pension Fund.

Meanwhile, Dr Dan Efebo, the Managing Director, NNPC Pension Funds Limited, said that the privatisation of SPDC shows government’s strong support in strengthening the NNPC pension funds.

“We believe that there is a lot of potential in SPDC and we will work to ensure that the aim of this transaction is achieved.

“With the necessary support and all the market approach, we will harness the Real Estate market in the country’’, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highlight of the meeting was the handover of the shares certificate of SPDC to NNPC Pension Funds.

When asked about the value of the transaction from BPE and NNPC Funds Limited, both parties declined to comment. (NAN)

Capital of Australia, Sydney

Australia’s birth rate is reported to have risen for the first time in five years, according to research from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

The AIHW’s spokeswoman, Dr Georgina Chambers, said in Canberra that the figures released on Tuesday regarding Australia’s latest birth rate statistics showed an increase of 3.4 per cent since 2011 and by 21.5 per cent over the last 10 years.

The institute also revealed that the average age of mothers has risen to 30.1 years of age, from 29.5 years a decade ago.

Dr Chambers elaborated on the data, saying the age of both first-time and existing mothers was gradually increasing.

“About 42 per cent of women who gave birth in 2012 had their first baby and the average age for first-time mothers was 28.4 years.

“Over the last decade, the proportion of older women giving birth continued to rise, while the proportion of teenage births continued to fall.

“Mothers aged 35 years and older made up more than 22.4 per cent of all women giving birth in 2012, compared to 18.8 per cent in 2003.”

“Conversely, teenage births declined from 4.6 per cent in 2003 to 3.6 per cent in 2012.”

However, in overall, there were over 312,000 new births recorded in 2012, coming from around 307,000 mothers.

Only 4 per cent of all recorded births throughout the year identified as Aboriginal or Torres Straight Islander, with the average age of mothers around five years younger than non- Indigenous mothers.

The Chairperson, Association of Professional Women Engineers in Nigeria (APWEN), FCT Chapter, Mrs Gladys Nwosah says the body is committed to mentoring young girls to study engineering.

Nwosa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja in an interview.

She said that APWEN had developed career-inspiring programmes to motivate secondary school girls in the FCT to study engineering courses in tertiary institutions.

She said that APWEN had commenced career talk in government secondary schools in Apo, Kuje and Kwalli, to educate female students on the prospects of becoming professional engineers.

“We have to catch them young in secondary schools through our career talk to the secondary schools. We have been to three schools this year.

“We go there to teach them what engineering is all about, how they can get into the profession and to become an engineer. We select different schools every year.

“We make Power Point presentations, distribute professional magazines to ginger them up and we give them gifts to stimulate their zeal and interest, “she said.

Nwosah said that APWEN had set up project teams to go round the schools to monitor the progress of those female students that indicated interest in pursuing engineering career.

She explained that the project teams were saddled with the responsibility of monitoring those students and ensure they were properly motivated to focus on the basics of engineering.

Nwosah, a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, said that APWEN was also into sponsorship of the FCT Science Princess pageant with the support of some government agencies.

She said that the co-sponsors of the FCT Science Princess pageant included the FCT Science and Technology Agency, FCT Education Secretariat and other education related agencies.

“A written test is organised for the contestants and whoever emerges the best three from all the schools are picked. We started this annual programme in 1993.

“They (candidates) are invited to the annual Children’s Day Celebration for an oral interview, after which prizes are awarded to those that excelled in the pageant,”Nwosah explained. (NAN)

MEN OF FEDERAL FIRE SERVICE IN ACTION AT DURUMI RECREATIONAL PARK WHICH WAS GUTTED BY FIRE IN ABUJA

Nasarawa State Fire Service received 127 distress calls in 2014, Mr Dogara Dalhatu, the state Chief Fire Officer, has said.

“Out of the calls, 117 were for fire outbreak while the remaining 10 were for rescue operation,’’ Dalhatu said on Tuesday in Lafia in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said that during the year under review, properties worth N44 million were destroyed by fire across the state while properties worth over N692 million were served during rescue operation.

He attributed the cause of the fire to human factors such as carelessness, storage of fuel at home, misuse of electrical appliances, bush burning, accident among others.

Dalhatu advised the people not to keep petrol at home even as he urged them to be careful while handling electrical appliances.

He called on the people to report cases of fire outbreak to the offices of the fire service in the areas.

He said that the service was faced with the challenges of shortage of manpower and inadequate equipment. (NAN)

Ace actress and screen diva, Tonto Dike, took to the social media this morning displaying an exquisite jewellery set which she woke up to this morning from her mystery boyfriend.

Congrats Tonto!!!…hope you get more of these in this season of love and giving.

Bill Cosby‘s wife just broke her silence and fiercely defended her husband over various sexual assault allegations, saying, “He is a kind man, a generous man, a funny man, and a wonderful husband, father and friend. He is the man you thought you knew.”

Camille didn’t attack her husband’s accusers, but said the media has been way to quick to pass judgment, saying, “A different man has been portrayed in the media over the last two months. It is the portrait of a man I do not know.”

She then zeros in on the accusers saying, “It is also the portrait painted by individuals and organizations whom many in the media have given a pass.”

Camille warns, “We all followed the story of the article in the “Rolling Stone” concerning allegations of rape at the University of Virginia. The story was heart-breaking but ultimately appears to be proved to be untrue.” She adds, “Many in the media were quick to link that story to stories about my husband.”

And her final salvo … “None of us will ever want to be in the position of attacking the victim. But the question should be asked — who is the victim?”

-@tmz.com

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence,the Hunger Games star,  has been named Google’s most searched person for 2014.

Next to her  is Kim kardashian-West, then, Julie Gayet, Tracey Morgan and others.

Below is the list :

1. Jennifer Lawrence
2. Kim Kardashian
3. Julie Gayet
4. Tracy Morgan
5. Renee Zellweger
6. Jared Leto
7. Lorde
8. Matthew McConaughey
9. Amal Alamuddin
10. Donald Sterling

 

The end of the computer is nigh.

When the clock strikes 14 minutes and seven seconds past three on the morning of Tuesday 19 January 2038 UTC, a bug is expected to hit the web.

Any computer, program, server or gadget running a 32-bit system could then fail, on a global scale, unless they are patched and upgraded in advance.

This is known as the Year 2038 Problem, and is a theory that was recently proved when Psy’s Gangnam Style exceeded two billion views on YouTube.   

The Year 2038 Problem, or Y2038, specifically affects software using a 32-bit integer system.

It is a similar problem that was faced in the year 2000, when the Millennium Bug, also known as the Y2K, meant certain computers couldn’t distinguish between the years 1900 and 2000.

32-bit systems use four bytes, which mean they can use 4GB of memory in one go. By comparison, a 16-bit system uses two bytes and 64-bit systems use eight.

These systems store memory and carry out processes using binary digits, represented as 0 or 1 – and the total number of digits a 32-bit system can represent is 4,294,967,295.

But because half of the values are negative, and half are positive this doesn’t range from zero up to 4,294,967,295.

Instead, the total numbers range from -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647, thus making the upper limit of a 32-bit system 2,147,483,647.

This means there is only a limited amount of storage that can be used to store all the binary 0 and 1 numbers.

YouTube was set up on a 32-bit system and when Psy’s Gangnam Style video reached this upper limit of views, the counter broke.

To solve the problem, Google updated the system to 64-bits, which can handle 9,223,372,036,854,775,807 views, or more than 9 quintillion.

At the time, Google said in a blog post: ‘We never thought a video would be watched in numbers greater than a 32-bit integer (=2,147,483,647 views), but that was before we met PSY. “Gangnam Style” has been viewed so many times we have to upgrade!’

The standard four-byte format assumes the beginning of time is 1 January, 1970, at 12:00:00 a.m.

When the clock strikes 03:14:07 UTC on Tuesday, 19 January 2038, a total of 2147483647 seconds since 1 January 1970 will have passed.

-@DailyMail

Comptroller General of Customers, Dikko Abdullahi

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Tuesday has restored the First Bank of Nigeria Plc as its duty collecting bank following a detailed debt recovery plan by the service.

This is contained in a statement signed by the NCS Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Wale Adeniyi, in Abuja.

The statement said that the bank was suspended from duty collection due to the failure of its customers to redeem a bond amounting to N3.64 billion secured by the bank.

It said that the Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi, directed the immediate reinstatement of the bank following his satisfaction with the recovery plan brokered by Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCOM).

The statement said that Abdullahi had directed importers and agents to resume duty payment transactions with the bank.According to it, the service will continue to recognise properly entered bonds as a tool for trade facilitation.

It warned that any abuse of the process from any individual or organisation would no longer be tolerated.

The statement explained that the bank’s customers, Messrs Onome Jack Up Service Limited and Oritsetimeyin Jack Up Service Limited, failed to redeem the N3.64 billion bond secured by the bank.

“Satisfied with the recovery plan which involves the intervention of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), the CGC, Dikko Abdullahi, has directed the immediate reinstatement of First Bank Plc as customs duty collecting bank,” it said.

Some stakeholders on Tuesday urged the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) to embark on enlightenment campaigns to increase domestic investors’ participation in the capital market.

The stakeholders made the appeal in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
They said that the market regulators would need to avoid reliance on foreign investors.

Mr Adebayo Adeleke, the General Secretary, Independent Shareholders’ Association of Nigeria (ISAN), said that SEC and NSE should reach out to millions of Nigerians on the rudiments of the capital market.

He said that the market regulators should introduce a master plan aimed at increasing domestic investors’ participation in the market instead of embarking on international road shows.

“The regulators need a road map that will sell the market to millions of Nigerians through mass education in local languages’’, he said.
Alhaji Gbadebo Olatokunbo, member, Nigeria Shareholders’ Solidarity Association, said that capital market regulators should focus on ways to encourage Nigerians in the Diaspora to invest in the market.
Olatokunbo told NAN that emphasis should not be placed only on foreign investors.
He called on the Federal Government to pursue friendly economic policies to boost investor confidence and economic stability.

Olatokunbo said that the government should intensify efforts to address the nation’s security challenges.
He also appealed to all Nigerians to be committed to free, fair and credible elections in 2015 to encourage investors.
He urged that politicians should abide to electioneering rules and avoid creating tension.

Mr Boniface Okezie, President, Progressive Shareholders’ Association, said that the government should revisit the sale of the nationalised banks.

Okezie said that the government should compensate aggrieved domestic investors who lost investments in the nationalised banks.
NAN reports that statistics released by the exchange showed that domestic investors’ participation decreased from 56.64 per cent in September to 12.46 per cent in October.(NAN)

Dr Mohammed Saleh Alsada

At its 16th Ministerial meeting in Qatar, the Gas Exporting Country Forum (GECF), has expressed concern over the increasing volatility of the energy market around the world.

The Chairman of the meeting and Minister of Energy and Industry of Qatar, Dr Mohammed Saleh Alsada, said this on Tuesday in Doha,Qatar.

He said the industry was facing a crucial challenge of increasing volatility of the energy market, adding that the trend was driven by various reasons, including economy and political elements.

“The GECF is a platform for cooperation among the member countries.

“Its existence and the success achieved so far is a reflection of its members’ determination to cooperate yet on a mutual understanding and cooperation as to grow the industry, especially in facing the crucial challenges of today – increasing volatility of energy market which is driven by variety of reasons.

“These include economy and political elements which affect its stability of the market; we need to be alert and keep monitoring the volatility of energy market.

“We do hope that the benefit of cooperation and collaboration among the GCEF members countries will be reflected on the global gas industry in the way that contribute to realising the interest of all crucial parties.

“We assured, once again, our continues support in strenghtening the gas forum.”

The Secretary-General of GECF, Dr Hossein Adeli, challenged the ministerial meeting, which he described as the highest governing body of the forum, to evolve solutions to the dynamism of the sector.

PRESIDENT, LADIPO AUTO CENTRAL MARKET ASSOCIATION, MR IYKE ANIMALU; DIRECTOR, SPECIAL DUTIES, SON, MR GEORGE OKERE, DIRECTOR GENERAL, SON, DR JOSEPH ODUMODU, AT A MEETING ON ZERO TOLERANCE TO SUBSTANDARD PRODUCTS IN LAGOS

The Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) revealed on Tuesday that it destroyed substandard goods worth N5 billion in the first 11 months of 2014.

The Head, Inspectorate and Compliance of SON, Mr Bede Obayi told journalist during the destruction of some of the goods at the agency’s dumpsite in Shagamu, Ogun that they were impounded from several locations in the country.

He said that most of the goods found their way into the country through unapproved routes along the borders in different parts of the country.

Obayi noted that despite the series of enlightenment campaigns organised by the SON to educate the citizenry about the harmful effects of these products, importers, especially smugglers, have continued to indulge in the illicit trade.

‎‎According to him, the sub-standard products destroyed include electronics, armored cables, tyres, expired supermarket breakfast cereals, extension sockets, mini-led flashlights, rechargeable lamps, shaving sticks, mobile phones, stabilizers, engine oil, ‎and ball pens.

“We are destroying this huge volume of goods that have created jobs for people overseas. Unfortunately, by the time we destroy these goods, we get nothing but economic loss.

“ We are not happy destroying these products, but if we can save the life of one Nigerian by doing this,, we would have done something for this country and this is exactly the core mandate of our agency by showing zero tolerance for substandard goods‎,” he added.

Obayi said that the current administration wouldl continue to show commitment to its zero tolerance policy on fake and sub-standard products, including those produced in Nigeria.

“These goods were destroyed to save the lives of Nigerians who are not aware of the harmful effect of these products. So many people have lost their loved ones by consuming these substandard products.

“We want to use this opportunity to beg Nigerians, especially the genuine importers, to always insist on doing the right thing, by working together with the authorities, to get the ‎right minimum requirements to import goods into the country.

“ We want to also commend the media for being the vanguard of our enlightenment campaigns and we will continue to fight until only goods that meet the minimum requirements are paraded in our markets.”

Obayi said that ‎‎the destruction was carried out in accordance with SON’s procedure which started with market survey, surveillance, inventory, seizure, sampling, laboratory tests and analyses to ascertain conformity to specifications and requirements of Nigeria Industrial Standards (NIS).

“Today’s exercise is therefore the culmination of a rigorous process to ascertain the quality of each product with the sole objective of improving lives through standards by protecting all of us consumers against the hazards associated with the distribution, purchase and use of substandard products,” he said.

Liverpool’s Mario Balotelli has been heavily criticised by Queens Park Rangers midfileder Adel Taarabt

Mario Balotelli has been blasted by his former AC Milan team-mate Adel Taarabt.

The pair played together at the San Siro last season and Taarabt has painted a picture of Balotelli as a selfish forward who doesn’t try for his team-mates, doesn’t score often enough and has thrown away four brilliant career opportunities at Inter Milan, Manchester City, AC and now Liverpool.

Taarabt also stated that even though he was led to believe Balotelli was ‘amazing’, having seen the the Italian forward up close last year, he ‘did not seem like a world-class player’.

Balotelli has netted just twice for Liverpool since his £16million summer transfer from Milan, and has yet to score in the Premier League this season.

Speaking on Italian TV, Queens Park Rangers midfielder Taarabt said: ‘Everybody told me he (Balotelli) was amazing.

‘I played with him and I can confirm he’s good, but he didn’t seem like a world-class player to me.

‘He has a strong shot but he doesn’t play for the team. Or if he does, then he doesn’t score which is the case now with Liverpool.

‘He had a lot of chances, from Manchester City to Milan, and he threw them all away.’

 
-@Daily Mail

Peru is expected to get over 400 million dollars from international co-operation to support environmental projects as part of the benefits for hosting the Climate Change Conference (COP 20) in Lima.

Mr Eduardo Lopez-Hurtado, Director -General, Climate Change Directorate in the Peru’s Ministry of Environment, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Peru.

Lopez-Hurtado said that the country had received commitment from international cooperation to finance a forest conservation project worth 300 million dollars.

“We have also received promise from some countries that they will invest at least 100 million dollars in climate change, green economy and other environmental projects in the country.

“We have recovered almost all the money we spent in hosting the event in less than one month.This is a very profitable venture and we are happy we hosted the event,’’he said.

He confirmed that the country spent 91 million dollars to host the 2- week conference.

He said that 70 per cent of the money was spent on the construction of the physical infrastructure, while the remaining 30 per cent was on communication and knowledge management.

Lopez-Hurtado, who was also the official in charge of logistics, said that it was difficult at the initial stage to convince the government to invest the amount in hosting the event.

The official said that the government felt the money should have been invested in the provision of hospital, schools and social amenities for the citizens.

“But now, the government has seen the immense benefits of hosting the event. We have already recovered over 35 million dollars on the sales of food, souvenirs and in tourism (hotels) out of the 91 million dollars spent.

“Also, we have recovered 3 million dollars from renting pavilions and offices, got almost 20 million dollars from international cooperation and about 2 million dollars from other activities,’’he said.

Lopez-Hurtado, however, attributed the success in hosting the event to the commitment of the government, proper planning, effective coordination and dedication from the officials as well as support from international cooperation.

He said the country got about 20 million dollars support from international cooperation, noting that the support covered about 20 per cent of the budget to host the event.

The official also attributed the success in hosting the event to the cooperation they received from other ministry officials.

“We established a National Commission on COP. This is an inter-ministerial commission made up of 13 ministries lead by the Ministry of Environment.’’

In addition, he said the organiser worked in major five areas in order to effectively coordinate the event.

He listed areas to include support to the Presidency of COP, internal agenda of the country in terms of climate change, transportation and public outreach and logistic.

On challenges, he told NAN that they were initially having difficulty in inviting participants from Ebola stricken countries for the fear of spreading the virus in Peru.

He added that they were able to overcome the challenge by conducting screening from the point of issuing entry visas to participants from those countries.

“We saw the list of the participants from those countries; they were about 30 people and we asked them to give us vital information on their state of health.

“They were also received from the airport by our officials from the Ministry of Health for further examination, and we are glad that we did not have any case of Ebola during the period.

“We also had a challenge of regulating the prices of accommodation from the hotels because as soon the participants arrived, the prices of hotel went as high as 400 dollars per night, but we had to intervene.’’

NAN reports that Peru is the first country to host the COP in Latin America. (NAN)

A 30-year-old man, Obinna Elochukwu, who allegedly issued a UBA chegue in the sum of N1,317,000 was on Wednesday brought before an Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

Elochukwu, whose address was not provided, is facing a charge of theft.

The prosecutor, ASP Godwin Eze, told the court that the accused had sometime in Aug. 2011, at 2:00 p.m., at the Alaba International market, Lagos, issued the cheque to Mr Livinus Okpala.

`The accused on the said date and time, did unlawfully issue a UBA cheque No. 40247018 in the sum of N1,317,000 to Mr Livinus Okpala,” he said.

According to him, Elochukwu knew fully well that there were no sufficient funds in his account.

Eze said that the offence committed by the accused contravened Section 319(b)and was punishable under Section 320 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Magistrate, Mr Teslimi Shomade, therefore, granted the accused bail in the sum of N1,000,000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case till Feb. 18, 2015, for mention.

There is a report of an outbreak of HIV in a village in north-western Cambodia prompted an investigation, an official said on Wednesday, as news media reported allegations of contaminated medical equipment.

A UN health official told newsmen that the National AIDS Authority of Cambodia (NAAC) was investigating after 90 people aged 4 to 80 were found to carry HIV in Battambang province’s in Roka community.

NAAC Secretary-General, Teng Kunthy said that the officials have alleged that a local health care worker used the same syringe on many people, spreading the virus.

Suspicions were aroused when an elderly couple tested positive earlier this month.

UNAIDS Country Coordinator, Marie-Odile Emond said that the news of the outbreak spread, prompting hundreds to seek testing.

“Knowing your status is important, because treatment is available in Cambodia and it is free.
“The prevalence in Battambang was unusually high.

“That is why the investigation is happening and to ensure that proper practices are applied,’’ Emond.

According to UNAIDS figures for 2013, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS was 0.7 per cent among people aged between 15 and 49 in Cambodia, with about 75,000 people infected around the country.