Petroleum Minister, Kachikwu, Apologises To Nigerians For ‘Magic’ Comment

The Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, has apologised to Nigerians for his comments last week that the current petrol scarcity will continue till May, and that only “magic” could bring a quicker end to the crisis that has already stretched beyond a month.

#HappyNewYear: We’ll Cut Poverty To Barest Minimum In 2016 – Okorocha

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has in his new year's message declared that in 2016, government would focus on further reducing and winning the war against poverty in the state.

Nigeria: FG Orders Probe Into ladder Incident At Bauchi Airport

The Federal Government of Nigeria on Sunday directed aviation agencies to carry out an immediate investigation into why Aero Contractors used a ladder to disembark passengers after its chartered flight landed at the Bauchi airport.The Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, gave the directive after receiving several reports that the airline used a ladder to disembark passengers from a Boeing 737 aircraft at the Bauchi airport on Saturday.

South Africa Most Corrupt Country In Africa

According to a  Transparency International survey released Tuesday, South Africa top the list of countries where citizens believe  corruption  has got worse in the last year. 83 percent of South Africans interviewed felt that corruption had increased, with Ghana and Nigeria also among the worst-affected nations.Across all 28 countries surveyed, the police, business executives, government officials and the courts were all perceived as corrupt, with 75 million people estimated to have paid a bribe in the past year.

Amazon unveils delivery drone

Amazon has unveiled its prototype delivery drone.The drone is able to fly up to 24km at a height of 120 meters and deliver a parcel within 30 minutes of the order being placed.It is one of a dozen drones the company is developing.

Thieves Steal $250m Of Nigerian Oil From A Single Pipeline

Thieves have stolen nearly $250m (£165m) of oil from a single pipeline this year, Nigeria's state oil company says.The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said half a billion litres were taken from the pipeline that runs north-east from Lagos.Long queues have formed at petrol stations across Nigeria in recent days.

Russia Hits Turkey With Economic Sanctions, Warns More Could Follow

Russia has hit Turkey with economic retaliation following the fatal downings of two Russian aircraft on Tuesday.A battery of economic measures are being talked about including high-profile big-money developments. The Russian tourist federation says it has ceased co-operation.

Court Dismisses 50-Count charge Against Sylva

Alleged 19.2bn Fraud: Respite came the way of the former Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Timipre Sylva, Thursday, as the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, dismissed the 50-count criminal charge that was entered against ‎by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC‎.

44 Ships With Foods, Petroleum Products Expected In Lagos

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said on Thursday in Lagos that forty four ships laden with foods, general cargoes and petroleum products are expected at the Lagos ports from Nov. 26 to Dec. 18.

Our Roads Are Dead - Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari while speaking  during a presidential dinner he hosted in honour of senators at the new Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday, admitted that the nation’s roads are in precarious state and are in dire need of attention by the Federal Government.
He also made case for the immediate development of infrastructure such as rail and power.

Saraki Wants Banks To Support Fight Against Corruption

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Thursday, called on commercial banks operating in the country to partner with the Federal Government to effectively tackle corruption in the system.

Chevron Is Cutting 7,000 Jobs

Chevron Corp, the second-largest U.S.-based oil producer, posted a 64 percent drop in quarterly profit on Friday as cost cuts failed to offset tumbling crude and natural gas prices.The company also said it planned to cut 6,000 to 7,000 jobs.

Ghana projects High Cocoa Purchases In 2015/16

Ghana projects cocoa purchases of 850,000-900,000 tonnes in the 2015/16 cocoa season that opened on Friday.The chief executive of cocoa regulator, Cocobod, Stephen Opuni, made the disclosure at a news conference in Accra.

Prof. Wole Soyinka Calls Obasanjo A Liar And An Economic Illiterate

Prof. Wole Soyinka, has said that he has no respect for Obasanjo, who he described as an indescribable liar.Soyinka carpeted the former president on Friday night when he was responding to questions during a programme tagged: ‘An evening with Wole Soyinka’, organised by Globacom.

Asked to respond to Obasanjo’s assessment of him in the former president’s book titled ‘My Watch’, where he notes that the Nobel laureate, is good at hunting and wines but a political illiterate, Soyinka said that he was hardly bothered because he believed that Obasanjo was a liar.

According to Soyinka, “Obasanjo is entitled to his opinion. But the question is: ‘Who respects the opinion of a liar?’

Taraba State Gov. Inaugurates 400kw Tunga Dam Hydro Power Plant

Taraba state Governo,Darius Ishaku,  on Friday inaugurated the 400 kilowatt Tunga Dam Small Hydro Power Plant that would provide electricity to more than 10, 000 people on the Mambila Plateau.The power plant would also supply electricity to Kakara Highland Tea Factory which currently services more than 56, 000 people including farmers..

The project was executed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), United Nations Commission for Refugee (UNHCR) and the Taraba Government.

Ishaku said the project was in line with his administration’s vision to enhance economic activities across the state.He said the government would continue to partner with relevant UN agencies to provide electricity to more communities in the state.

Johnson-Sirleaf Wants Chinese Investors To Bolster Liberia’s Economic Growth

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, has said she is expecting more Chinese investors in the country to help local private sector grow and assist in Liberia’s post-Ebola economic plan.The Liberian president, said this in Monrovia when receiving a high-powered Chinese business delegation on Thursday.The delegation comprising both state-owned and private companies in China is Liberia to seek partnership with local Liberian businesses and explore investment opportunities in agriculture, infrastructure and energy.

Egypt Celebrates Opening Of New Suez Canal

Thursday was declared a public holiday in Egypt, state television broadcast shots of the new Suez canal to the theme tune of US TV series Game of Thrones in an extravagant celebrations of the inauguration  of a  major extension of the Canal.The main waterway has been deepened and a 35km parallel channel opened to increase capacity to 97 boats per day.

Palmy Drinking Time is Over As Fayose Quits Jollying With Ekiti Residents, Goes Tough On Tax Matters

Governor Ayodele Fayose seems to have swapped jollying with Ekiti residents at Palm Wine joints to going hard on them for taxes after Ekiti State Government on Monday said that henceforth any taxable adult that evades tax would be treated as an economic saboteur.The same treatment, the government said, would be given to private and public premises owned by all tiers of government operating in the state, but refused to remit their annual tax dues.

The Sun has started shining on Cuba’s tourism industry, as relations with US warm up

Goodnews! Improving relations between Cuba and the United States have sparked a sharp rise in tourism to the beautiful Communist island.More than 2 million people have taken a trip there so far this year.Some 1.7 million people visited between January and May, which was a 15 percent increase on the same period last year.

Chinese tech giant Tsinghua , prepares biggest-ever US takeover bid – reports

Tsinghua Unigroup is preparing a bid for memory chip maker Micron, in what could be the biggest ever Chinese takeover of a US firm. The tech giant is reportedly set to offer 21 dollars per share for Micron, an almost 20 percent premium to the stock’s close on Monday.