Expect more rains before Dec – NIMET

Director of Weather Forecast Services, Nigerian Metereological Agency, NIMET, Mr. Ifeanyi Nnodu, on Wednesday in Abuja, said Nigerians should expect more rains before December.
Nnodu, who disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, however, said the rains would not come with flooding.
He said that the rainy season was gradually coming to an end, adding that the rain for the remaining part of the year would be windy but without flooding.
He said that the northern part of the country would witness fewer rains than the Eastern, Western and the Southern parts.
Nnodu said the rains would be accompanied with heavy dusty winds which usually reduced visibility to pilots and might cause flight hazards.
He advised pilots to make regular use of the weather and climate forecasts released by the agency during the season.
He said: “The pattern of rain we have now is usually associated with winds.
We are not expecting rains that may lead to flooding like we had across the country in the past few months, because the rains are coming to an end and the soil is becoming dried enough to absorb more water.
“More rain is expected across the country. We are gradually coming to the end of the rainy season in the far North and it will progressively come to the Middle Belt and other parts of the country but there would be gaps in between the rains.
“Normally, the winds are accompanied with dust from the Sahara Desert which may cause airlines to delay their flights and that may have some economic effect on the airlines because there will be more flight delays and cancellations.”
He said the dusty season would be extended to January 2013.
It will be recalled that the Director-General of NIMET, Dr Anthony Anuforom, had warned Nigerians to take precautions against violent winds that might occur during the dry season due to the effects of climate change.
He cautioned people to avoid staying under trees during the period.
“We are transiting now from rainy to dry season; the kind of things we may experience are violent winds, therefore, we advise people to avoid staying under trees.
“The reason why we alert people is for them to know ahead of time and take necessary precautions.
We don’t have the ability to prevent natural disasters, but the ability to observe what the weather is and inform the people early.
“Part of the mandate of the Ministry of Aviation is safety and we, as an agency under it, have keyed into it,” Anuforom said.
He noted that forecasts by the agency if strictly adhered to could help save the situation.
OsunDefender

Oshiomhole promotes three teachers, demotes principal

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has ordered the immediate promotion of three teachers even as he directed the demotion of the Principal of Annunciation Catholic College Junior Secondary School over alleged incompetence.
Oshiomhole who announced this measure yesterday while on an on-the-spot assessment of the attendance and punctuality of teachers in schools at Edo Central said “it gives me some confidence to find all is not lost”.
According to the governor who gave cash gifts to some other teachers for their commitment to duty said: “you are an example of what is possible and I am proud of you. It gives me some comfort that even in the midst of this madness, there are some people who we can still be proud of, who take their responsibilities seriously. It gives me some relief. It is worrisome to find that majority of teachers are involved in late coming or absenteeism. And that is not the best we can do for our state.
“When we punish those who are guilty of late coming or absenteeism, we should reward those who are doing their job well. We have to use the carrot and stick. I am happy that we have a few of you who recognize that the work place is a serious place and you have a contract and you have a duty to service that contract”, he said.
The Governor who reiterated his belief in education remarked “we must bequeath to our children a better society and education is at the heart of our future”.
He noted that if all Nigerians work according to the rules and regulations and we give our best to the country and state, the country will grow; adding that “if we keep looking for excuses the country will keep having challenges.
“Nigeria is not perfect and it cannot be perfect if each of us do not play our part” he added.
Expressing his confidence in the system, Oshiomhole said “I am happy you give me some confidence to find that all is not lost because it hurts to find that teachers do not take their jobs seriously. Edo can’t be the same again”.
Oshiomhole said “every child may not be a graduate no matter what we do. There is no country where every person is a graduate. But every child is entitled to free qualitative education; that requires that we make the right investment in infrastructure”.
The Governor who harped on the need for teachers to take their jobs seriously said “it is important that we do not allow you to think that to be late to work is not a serious offence”.
To the principal who was demoted to a classroom teacher, Oshiomhole said “as a Principal, you never ensured that your teachers complied with the regulation. You led your teachers in coming late and we will not retain you as a Principal. We will down grade you to a classroom teacher. A leader must lead by example”.
247Ureports

Ref called Mikel monkey — Chelsea

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The race-row that has engulfed Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg intensified further on Wednesday as two Chelsea players claimed they heard him call teammate Mikel Obi a ‘monkey’.

It has emerged that the pair of unnamed stars say this is what happened during their match with Manchester United on Sunday — but the official categorically denies making any racist comments.

Clattenburg has been accused of saying to Mikel, ‘Shut up you monkey’ as he booked him for dissent as well as calling Juan Mata a ‘Spanish t***’ in their 3-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge.

Mystery had surrounded what Clattenburg actually said to Mikel – until these allegations were made Wednesday morning.

But a source close to the referee told The Sun, “He said nothing of the sort – and he will fight this all the way.

“There is a lot of noise on the pitch and the players could have easily misheard.”

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s race case against Clattenburg is in serious danger of collapsing completely after it emerged that the club have employed independent lawyers to investigate the claims of their players.

The club are expected to conclude their internal investigation into allegations that the referee racially abused Mikel and swore at Juan Mata.

The external lawyers will then provide Chelsea with legal opinion as to whether their case will be successful. Despite issues over the available evidence, Chelsea remained robust.

Chelsea will proceed with the case against the referee only if they are satisfied the claims made by the players after the game will stand up to the FA’s burden of proof.

It means they will need to satisfy an FA commission ‘on the balance of probability’, but they also have to negotiate the complexities of the Metropolitan Police’s investigation into the affair.

If the case breaks down, it will reflect badly on Chelsea, who made their claims of inappropriate language against Clattenburg in a strongly worded statement on Sunday, two hours after the final whistle.

Earlier it emerged that the club and Mikel could be charged with misconduct by the FA after the Nigerian had to be restrained from manhandling the referee in his dressing room following the clash.

Clattenburg did not mention the behaviour in the ‘extraordinary incident’ report he filed on Sunday, but he now has to make a detailed statement to the FA. Clattenburg’s assistants, Michael McDonough and Simon Long, and fourth official Mike Jones have filed reports in which they say they did not hear the Durham official say anything inappropriate.

All four were in the referee’s room when Mikel burst in with Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay and manager Roberto Di Matteo.

Mikel’s aggressive manner, along with the behaviour of other Chelsea officials, raises the possibility of FA action against the club.

Both Mikel and Mata claim they have a witness to Clattenburg’s comments, and PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor, who has assessed both complaints, told Sportsmail the pair have his ‘100 per cent support’.

Punch

Fashola lauds women’s resurgence in politics

By Bisi Alabi Williams

GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has extolled the virtues and the spirit of the Nigerian woman and the emerging resurgence of women in the country’s politics.
Fashola spoke at the 12th yearly conference of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), held at the Convention Centre of Eko Hotel, Lagos.
He described the resurgence of women in politics as a welcome development because without women, the journey would have been more different.
Reflecting on the successful careers of the last two recipients of COWLSO’s Outstanding Women of the Year Award recipients,  Ibukun Awosika and Justice Mariam Aloma-Muktar, Fashola said they were great achievers and leaders indeed; women who had moved their careers to greater heights in the service of God and humanity.
The result was that Awosika was elected as the first woman to be on the Board of First Bank of Nigeria Plc while Justice Aloma-Muktar was the first female to rise to the post of Chief Justice of the Federation.
“It may interest you to know that these two women have used the award to achieve greater responsibilities in their service to our great nation’, Fashola said.
He also used the occasion to salute the courage of women in sports, especially the paralympic women who did the nation proud recently by winning nine medals out of the 13 medals Nigeria won at the Olympics.
For her part, the wife of the Lagos State governor, Emmanuella Fashola, said the theme of this year’s conference: ‘Women as Leaders’ was most apt because the contributions of women are vital to the achievement of the goals that women desire.
TheGuardian

'You too can break the mould,' Williams sisters tell Nigerians

By Ayo Ositelu 

BEFORE going ahead to conduct a well-attended tennis clinic at the Ikoyi Club 1938 on Wednesday, the Williams sisters told a crowded press conference held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, that there was no magic surrounding their storied success story, and that she believed that Nigerians have a right to dream big las she and her sister did, and follow their dreams with the absolutely necessary ideals of hard work, sacrifices, self-denials, will-to-succeed, and an indomitable spirit never to feel discouraged when things are not going well at the early stages.
Speaking on behalf of her elder sister and herself (with the willing permission of “big sister” Venus, of course), Serena said: “Let no one tell you that you’re not good enough, or that you do not have what it takes to succeed in whatever discipline, not only sports, that is your choice.”
Admitting that they took their never-say-fail attitude from their parents (Richard and Oracene), Venus added, “without the doggedness of our parents who turned deaf ears to many skeptics who said there was no way we could make it in a white-dominated sport, especially with our dad’s single-minded approach to training us, we would not be where we are today.”
But the sisters did not argue when one of the accredited reporters remarked that they (the sisters) also “must have been good and serious-minded children themselves to have stuck to what their parents imbibed in them i.e. personal discipline, hard work, prayerfulness, determination to give it their all, and follow the dictates of their parents.”
Commending the appropriateness of the theme “Breaking the Mould” by Connect Marketing, the organizers of the much-appreciated high-profile visit of the celebrity sisters to Nigeria by the generality of Nigerians at home in Nigeria, and in diaspora, Venus had some words of advice to the captive audience from the Nigeria media, and the world press, for onward delivery to their readers, particularly Nigerian children and their parents. “For anyone to succeed in any endeavour, one has to love what one does. Added to what our parents have done for us, the key is that we love what we do, and once you love what you do, and you’re not lacking in self-belief, the sky is the limit to what you can achieve.”
On Serena’s part, the reigning Wimbledon, US Open, Olympics, and season-ending WTA championships champion contributed her view, “The best compliment we could get and cherish for our visit to Nigeria, is that young kids have chosen to play tennis because of our visit. Obviously, you can’t beat that… And talking about “breaking the mould” which my big sister alluded to, it is true that Jehovah God has used us (my sister and I) to demonstrate the fact that, you can succeed in spite of all kinds of hurdles and barriers… Once you put your mind to it, you can achieve everything you set your goals for.”
“You have everything you need to succeed, particularly the weather which is absolutely tennis-friendly… It is true that my sister and I faced a lot of difficulties in the beginning, but with what we have been able to achieve, with the help of Jehovah God, all the hurdles we had to scale over, are truly worth it.”
For the records, no active player anywhere in the world is more successful than the amazing sisters, with Venus having won 44 WTA titles including seven Grand Slam Singles titles, and an attendant $30 million in just prize money, coupled with her younger sister’s 46 WTA titles, and at least $42 million in prize money.
But in spite of all that success, the sisters are not showing any signs of let up. While Venus not-too-long ago, just came back on the WTA tour after a career-threatening ailment, she won her first title in a WTA Vienna event two weeks ago, her first title in two years, while her younger sister was preparing for the year-ending WTA championships in Istanbul, Turkey, from where she flew direct to Nigeria less than 48 hours after demolishing the topmost seven players in the world to win a third WTA Championships after earlier winning the prestigious title in 2001 and 2009.
For how much longer can the Williams sisters continue to compete with the world’s best, who are younger, a reporter wanted to know.
With one voice, both sisters answered, “we have our mind on the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and we are not planning on just to be part of the sporting world’s biggest spectacle, we plan to go there with the purpose of winning for our country.
And when another reporter wanted to know the “real truth” about which is their country (from Badagry, may be), given the fact that their departed sister, was named Yetunde, Serena answered, without mincing words, “our country is the United States, and we are always proud to represent our country. Our mother named our sister Yetunde after her friend, a Nigerian student who was her friend in their college (university) days in California.”
Will it be the sisters be visiting Nigeria? “You can be sure of that,” replied Venus. “We love Nigeria, we really do, and we’re so glad we have so many fans in Nigeria.”
The sisters will face each other at an Exhibition Match at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Race-Course, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, on Friday, commencing strictly at 10.00 a.m.
TheGuardian

Akwa Ibom deputy governor quits

EMMA UNA/Calabar
Mr Nsima Ekere, the Akwa Ibom State Deputy Governor resigned from his post on Wednesday afternoon following political intrigues and frosty relationship with his principal, Chief Godswill Akpabio, the governor.
Mr Idongesit Nna, the Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor in a press statement this afternoon said Mr Ekere resigned from his post at about 3 p.m.
The press statement cited “personal reasons” for the action of the deputy governor but reliable sources in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, southsouth Nigeria, confirmed to P.M.NEWS that Mr Ekere resigned to save his neck and political career which was about to be messed up as he was scheduled to be impeached on Thursday by the State House of Assembly.
“There are lots of political intrigues playing out here in Uyo especially with 2015 in view which Mr Ekere who is from Eket Zone, the zone scheduled to produce the next governor is interested in,” a source close to government in Uyo told P.M.NEWS.
Akpabio, our source said, is not keen on handing over to Ekere whom he sees as too bright and over ambitious. Instead, he prefers to handover to either the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Albert Akpan who is from the same Eket zone or the Secretary to Government, Umanah Umanah.
The planned impeachment was meant to blight the chances of Nsima from seeking political office in the state.
Ekere who contested the governorship primaries in 2007 with Akpabio came on board in Febrauary 2011 during Akpabio’s second tenure after Joseph Ekpo Otu, who served as Akpabio’s deputy during his first term, was shoved aside following irreconcilable political differences with Akpabio.
Though Ekpo was not removed the way Ekere is being shoved aside in less than two years, he was seldom assigned any responsibility while he stayed in office.
It was in the dying days of the first tenure that Ekere was brought in to contest along side Akpabio as the running mate.
The telephone lines of Ekere were switched off as well as those of Idongesit Nna, his press secretary. There is still no word yet from the Akpabio on the resignation of his deputy as well as from the House of Assembly.
PMNews

How govt will deal with oil subsidy thieves, by Jonathan

AMID widespread pessimism that the Federal Government will only play politics with the oil subsidy probe reports that indicted some prominent Nigerians, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday reiterated the commitment of his administration to sternly punish the culprits.

The President, speaking in Abuja at the launching of a book written by the Finance Minister who also coordinates the Economy Dr. Okonjo Iweala, said government was pursuing all legal means to ensure that all those who have done business with and defrauded it in any way would be made to pay back and punished mercilessly.
His words: “We are going after all those who committed various economic crimes and corrupt practices with impunity. As you may be aware government is taking every legal measure to ensure that all those who defraud government in the petroleum subsidy scheme are made to pay back the stolen funds and also are severely punished.”
Jonathan, represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo, said the book entitled, “Reforming the Unreformable. Lessons from Nigeria,” fills the void created by the dearth of literature and good systematic account of the reforms and institutional changes that have occurred in our country since the beginning of our democratic journey in 1999.
“Some hear of the debt relief from the Paris Club, Excess crude account and other such economic measures or initiative of government from newspapers but here is a concise well organized explanations to the policy measures without technical jargons.”
The occasion which attracted ministers, Governors, Heads of Government, the diplomatic corps and Captains of Industry, according to Jonathan, is centered on the theme of hope, given that “many people claimed that the political and economic institutions of this country can never be reformed” but “the hope that Nigeria can grow to become one of the world’s most dynamic economies continue to spur us on above the criticisms.”
Reviewing the book, Paul Collier, Professor of Economics at Oxford University, said Nigeria’s over-dependence on oil does not help the economy because of international market price uncertainty and the fact that it is a diminishing product.
This depletion and price volatility makes government’s revenue also volatile. “And if there is a political will to correct, then there must be a long term strategy that would make room for a replacement for the depleting assert,” Collier said.
Anambra State Governor Peter Obi who also reviewed the book noted the clamour for increased wages by university teachers whereas the standard of education has continued to fall.
“Minimum wage should translate to minimum productivity… The culture of sharing every money gotten is a wrong concept, because the idea behind the Excess Crude Account has saved the country from total collapse”.
South Africa’s Finance minister Pravin Gordhan said it was a document that countries in the continent should use as a guide towards economic reforms as “it provides tremendous inspiration for recognising our challenges and dealing with it, as well as address the structural challenges and deal with them accordingly as we face them.”
TheGuardian