Nigerian, American firms to power 25 communities with solar energy.

Posted on February 15, 2017 by Staff Reporter

Two firms have signed an agreement to provide power to 25 communities across Nigeria using solar energy.

The communities are in Bayelsa, Ondo, Ogun and Osun states.

A Nigerian firm, Community Energy Social Enterprises Limited, CESEL, and its American counterpart, Renewvia Energy Corporation, signed a $767,512 agreement to provide solar energy for the communities on ‘pay-as- you-go’ basis.

The CESEL Managing Director, Patrick Tolani, signed the agreement on behalf of his company while Clay Taber, Managing Director of Renewvia, signed for his firm, at the Power Africa office in Abuja.

The MoU signing was witnessed by Power Africa Coordinator, Andrew Herscowitz, and the United States Agency for International Development mission director in Nigeria, Michael Harvey.

Mr. Tolani said the benefitting communities were those that had no access to electricity for more than 10 years, including Brass in Bayelsa and Magboro in Ogun State.

Others, he said, include Ilajera and Gbokoda in Ondo State and a community which was completely cut off the grid because of isolation in Osun State.

Mr. Taber in his remarks said Renewvia would install and operate micro-grid systems with solar photo-voltaic generation capacity and battery storage in the 25 benefiting communities.

According to him, the design of the micro-grids for the project will include PV panels, string inverters, aluminium racking and energy storage backup power.

He said, “Renewvia and CESEL would sell micro-grid customers electricity by Kilowatts through a ‘pay as you go’ structure.

“The competitiveness of the system helps to ensure payment, as the project would provide consistent and reliable power at a less expensive price than current rural power generation by diesel.”

He added that Renewvia and CESEL also planned to facilitate the transaction through mobile payments, noting that the project would employ local and remote resources to support the needs of the power plant for each micro-grid.

The project was supported by Power Africa, a U.S. energy project initiated in 2013 to assist African countries in accessing energy.

It is expected that the project would provide up to 10 megawatts and connect over 10, 000 households, according to a study by Renewvia.

The project is also expected to be completed in one year.

CESEL is a private Nigerian company that has led the community engagement for six operational micro-grid projects in Nigeria. These micro-grids received funding through the Nigeria Bank of Industry and United Nations Development Programme.

Renewvia is a private U.S renewable energy developer and solar power plant operator established in 2009. Renewvia specialises in providing mini-grid and solar energy solutions for residential, commercial and utility-scale applications.

Micro-grid is a small network of electricity users with a local source of supply that is usually attached to a centralised national grid but is able to function independently.

If Trump Wins US Election, I’ll Destroy my American Green Card – Soyinka

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate, has said he would destroy his green card if Donald Trump becomes president of the United States.

Soyinka said this on Wednesday while giving a speech to students of Oxford University, England, reports the Guardian UK.

“If in the unlikely event he does win, the first thing he’ll do is to say [that] all green-card holders must reapply to come back into the US. Well, I’m not waiting for that.

“The moment they announce his victory, I will cut my green card myself and start packing up,” said Soyinka, who is scholar-in-residence at New York University’s Institute of African American Affairs.

The internationally-acclaimed playwright and poet described Britain’s decision to exit the European Union as a “ridiculous decision”.

He said: “What is happening in Europe shouldn’t surprise any of us … It has happened before. We were here when Enoch Powell was leading his thugs out to drive blacks from here.

“It’s a constant fight to try to get a nation to recognise its own noble persuasions, its own persuasions of the loftiness of human possibility. It’s for young people like you to say no to them whenever that happens.”

Soyinka also informed the students that the torch of African literature is being carried by the younger generation.

“I think we of the older are getting a little bit tired, and I think our production gets thinner and thinner. But fortunately, it doesn’t worry any of us, as far as I know, because the body of literature that is coming out [is] varied and liberated.

“African literature suffered from some kind of ideological spasm in which the younger generation was bombarded by a sense of ideological duty, in other words it was bombarded with a very simplistic notion by leftist radical writers, very reformative revolutionary thinkers, that all literature is ideological and therefore writers must ensure that their writing illustrates progressive ideologies.”

American Man Hangs Self in Lagos Hotel

Posted on September 7, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The police in Lagos State have begun investigation into the death of a 57-year-old American, who was found hanged with a rope in a hotel room in the Lekki area of the state.

It wa learnt that the American, Charles Carlson, had checked into Ellyx Vile Hotel on African Line, Lekki Phase 1, on Monday before the incident happened.

It was gathered that the hotel workers discovered Carlson had hanged himself when it was time for breakfast on Tuesday and he failed to show up or pick his calls.

The hotel room was thereafter forced open and his corpse was found hanged with a rope.

The incident was thereafter reported at the Maroko Police Division which came to evacuate the corpse.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, who confirmed the death, said the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, had directed operatives to unravel the mysteries around his death.

She said, “The matter was reported to the police by the manager of the hotel, identified as Vincent Owunke. The guest, Carlson, an American, it was observed did not pick calls to the intercom in his room and he did not come out for breakfast.

“The police are investigating a case of sudden and unnatural death. The American was found motionless and hanged himself with a rope close to the door. The CP, Owoseni, has directed the case to be transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, for further investigation.”

‘You Want War? You’ve Got It!’ US Deploys Supersonic Bomber Days After North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-un Declared War On America

Posted on August 3, 2016 by Staff Reporter

US President Barack Obama has acted on Noth Korea’s Supreme leader Kim Jong-Un’s bluff by deploying very powerful supersonic bombers to bases near North Korea – just days after the dictator Kim Jong-un declared war on America.

The North Korean leader accused Mr Obama of “crossing the red line” after introducing trade sanctions last week, and promised the “toughest countermeasures” in response. Obama in uncharacteristic fashion has deployed supersonic strike bombers to bases near North Korea – daring Kim Jong-Un to attack first.

Around 300 US airmen have also been deployed alongside the B-1B Lancer bombers to Guam, a US territory in the Pacific Ocean within striking range of the North Korea’s capital of Pyongyang.

A spokesman for the US Airforce said: “The B-1 units bring a unique perspective and years of repeated combat and operational experience from the Central Command theatre to the Pacific.

“They will provide a significant rapid global strike capability that enables our readiness and commitment to deterrence, offers assurance to our allies, and strengthens regional security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

”

Along with declaring war on the US, North Korea also recently threatened to reduce Japan “to debris in a moment”.

Most bizarrely, however, has been the dictator’s order for border guards to kill snakes – amid ‘fears’ the snakes are spies working for his enemies.

A source from within Pyongyang revealed: “From early this month, border patrol units received orders to capture snakes before they crawl over the banks of Amnok River.

“The key message from the Party was that the South’s National Intelligence Service had released snakes as part of a ‘cunning scheme’ to challenge our unity.

“Under orders to capture the snakes before they reach land and hatch eggs, soldiers have no choice but to wade into the river to do so, naturally leading to complaints.

“Some grumble among themselves about the nature of the state’s claims, justifiably pointing out that not even a three-year-old would believe that the South would attack us with snakes over propaganda leaflets or CDs.”

Source: Express UK/ The Sun UK

EFCC Arraigns American For $2.3m Visa Scam

Posted on April 18, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned an American businessman, Marco Ramirez, alongside his companies — Eagle Ford Instalodge Group LP and USA Now LLC — on eight counts bordering on obtaining money by false pretences to the tune of $2.3m.

Ramirez was arraigned before Justice Peter Affen of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, sitting in Maitama on Monday, according to a statement by the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren.

According to the complainants, Prince Ejikeme Mgbemena and Frank Egbon, the suspect allegedly promised them that he would invest the money under the Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Based Fifth Preference (EB-5).

The complainants further alleged that the suspect promised to provide American Green Card for members of their families below 18 years.

The charges read in part, “That you Marco Anthonio Ramirez, being the Manager of Eagle Ford Instalodge Group LP and USA NOW LLC and you EAGLE Ford Instalodge Group LP and USA Now LLC on or about May 21, 2013 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud obtained through an account titled Eagle Ford Instalodge Group LP domiciled at Wells Fargo Bank USA the sum of $55,000 from one Ejikeme Mgbemena under the pretext of investing for him under the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Based Fifth Preference (EB-5) Regional Center Program with pretence you knew was false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.’’

The accused person pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Credit: Punch

Meet The 58 Year Old Grandma Who Claims Her Beauty Causes Car Crashes, Makes Men Weep

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A 58-year-old grandmother believes other women are intimidated by her looks, because she is so beautiful, her features have reduced men to tears.She also believes she looks 35..

Stephanie Arnott, who lives with husband Ian, 66, in Maidstone, Kent, says she believes she has the face and the figure of a women 20 years younger, which she puts down to ‘luck and good genes’.

Mrs Arnott, who has one daughter and one grandchild, said her partner enjoys all the attention she gets from other men – but has also noticed that women are jealous of his wife. She said:

‘Women can be intimidated by me because of the way I look, dress and speak. I have class, elegance and beauty, which are all powerful assets. ‘I never used to realise that other women were jealous of me, but now I see it. Women even frown at me on the street – something my husband’s noticed too.’But that’s what happens when you are 58 with the face and figure of a 35-year-old. It’s all natural aswell. I put it all down to luck and good genes.’

Mrs Arnott, who believes her looks have almost caused car crashes and even cleans her car while wearing a bikini, said she doesn’t work out – even though ‘for some strange reason my body looks as though I do’.

‘My ex-husband used to get jealous but my husband Ian loves the attention I get. He laps it up and even sometimes likes to walk behind me on the pavement just to see what happens. People inevitably stare at me as I go by and people try and chat me up.’I’ve had all sorts of approached by men. I’ve had notes left on my windscreen.
‘Once when I lived in a flat and there was scaffolding up outside a guy climbed up and left a note on my bedroom window. It said: “I’d love to wine and dine you” but I didn’t take him up the offer.

Mrs Arnott, who was married before she met her current husband and has a 38-year-old daughter, said she has always been able to ‘pick and choose’ her men, something which she believes is ‘difficult’ for other women to accept.

‘Until recently (when I’ve lost my looks slightly) I used to cause near-accidents on the streets. People would get distracted by me and have to slam their brakes on.’I remember walking by a crossroad with a friend once. The man at the wheel took a double take at me and there was a very near crash.’I am used to people looking at me. It’s always been so overwhelming – like I’m in the wrong place so I’m used to pretending not to see. I feel a bit silly saying but it’s true.’I’ve also had men getting emotional on me. I can be talking to someone and then I’ll notice they are getting soppy and tearful – and trying to hold back tears.

On men crying for her

It’s happened on blind dates or even talking to someone in the queue in the supermarket.’I think it’s because they fall in love at first sight – but obviously they are not going to admit that.’It sounds strange because most people haven’t experienced it but I’m just being honest.

Mrs Arnott said compared to most people, she believes she looks as young as a 30-year-old, ‘apart from a few wrinkles’.

She added: ‘People think I’m a superstar and guess my age at 35. I always look like I’ve just walked off a movie set. People are always surprised to see someone as glamorous as me walking around.I also like to clean the car in bikini, which gets me rather a lot of attention. If it’s a sunny day, I think “why not?

Mrs Arnott said she has dated ‘lots’ of wealthy men over the years, and once dated a tycoon whose friends told her she was the ‘most suitable‘ women he had ever met.

‘But he wanted children and I was used to gallivanting around the world on ships with my first husband, who was also wealthy, and I didn’t want more kids,’ she said. I remember walking into a pub once, the day after Miss World had been on TV, and a guy stopped me and said: ‘Where the hell were you last night? You should have won Miss World”.

My top tip for woman to look their best is to always look fresh-faced. Wear a bit of mascara, fill in some eyebrow, if they have been over-plucked and wear a dash of lip liner with a gloss.

Culled from Mailonline

US Ambassador, Johnnie Carson, Talks 10 Ways To Repair U.S – Nigeria Ties

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A senior adviser at the United States Institute of Peace, visiting senior fellow at Yale University, former assistant secretary of State for Africa and a former U.S. ambassador to Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe, Ambassador Johnnie Carson has penned down “more” than his two cents on how the U.S government can ceremonially and substantively can reach out to the incoming Buhari’s administration particularly at a time when the economy of Nigeria is on a downward slide.

1. President Obama should stop over in Nigeria when he visits East Africa in July.

Strengthening democratic institutions has been the administration’s number one priority in sub-Saharan Africa. President Obama is slated to visit Kenya, a longstanding economic, democratic and security partner, and Ethiopia, an important security partner whose democratic and human rights
performance has been strongly criticized in the international community. It would be deeply troubling for many Nigerians to see Africa’s largest democracy snubbed at this important moment in its history.

President Obama should send a high level delegation to President Buhari’s inauguration in Abuja on May 29.

Ideally, this delegation should be led by Vice President Joe Biden, who engaged with both President Jonathan and with president-elect Buhari in the run-up to the presidential election. If he is unable to go, Secretary of State John Kerry, National Security Advisor Susan Rice, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson or Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack should lead the delegation, which should include senior officials from several cabinet departments, including the Department of Defense.

3. President Obama should formally invite President Buhari for an official visit soon.

If the White House does not send an appropriately high delegation to the inauguration in Abuja, an official visit takes on greater urgency.

Washington should reinvigorate and elevate the U.S.-Nigerian strategic dialogue established by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

This dialogue should be placed on the same plane as those with India, Brazil and China, with Secretary Kerry leading the U.S. meeting in Washington and Deputy Secretary Antony Blinken leading subsequent meetings.

The administration should deepen commercial and trade ties between Nigeria and the U.S.

It needs to build off of the successful U.S.-Africa business summit of 2014, and Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, who has shown great interest in Africa, should be encouraged to travel to Nigeria with American business leaders and investors. Americans and Nigerians should organize high-level trade and investment conferences in Nigeria.

The administration should re-establish and elevate the broken military relationship with Abuja.

This will require some sensitive diplomacy and the White House should send the Chairman or the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to demonstrate a strong commitment by the U.S. to get this important relationship right. Once this is done, the Africom commander can take the lead, but given the harsh feelings toward Nigeria at Africom headquarters and by some in the Pentagon, the Chairman or the Vice Chairman should go first.

The State Department should revisit the establishment of a Consulate General in northern Nigeria, probably in Kano.

Nigeria has Africa’s largest Muslim population, concentrated in the northern region, and has the fifth largest Muslim population in the world. The United States has very little presence, access or influence in the north. Secretary Clinton approved the opening of a consulate in the north in 2009. The effort should be revisited as quickly as possible.

The United States should help Nigeria with access to reliable, inexpensive and readily available power.

Lack of power is the most serious impediment to growing Nigeria’s economy. A country of 180 million people produces less power than New York City and its surrounding suburbs. President Jonathan’s inability to improve the situation is one the reasons he was thrown out of office. Power Africa has been one of the Obama administration’s most significant initiatives and it needs to double down on its efforts to assist Nigeria in addressing its energy needs by bringing together major American power producers to work with, partner and invest in Nigeria’s power sector.

The administration should encourage an early trip to Nigeria by Agriculture Secretary Vilsack.

Leading American agro industry companies and the deans of some of America’s leading agricultural colleges should travel with him to help Nigeria revitalize and grow its agricultural sector. Once self-sufficient in food and one of Africa’s largest exporters of groundnuts, cocoa, cotton and palm oil, Nigeria is now a major food importer. Support for its agricultural sector offers another opportunity for serious and sustained engagement with a country whose population is expected to grow from 180 to more than 400 million by 2035.

The administration should also consider revamping the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to support state governments.

In the past, the MCC has helped only national governments. Given the growing influence of states and the important work being done at the state level, the administration should seek changes in the MCC statute in order to help progressive, honest and forward thinking state governors whose states are performing well, implementing sound development projects and providing improved services to their people.

Nigeria is so important, and the administration should not miss this opportunity to engage with Nigeria’s new government. Strong support for Nigeria will help strengthen its democracy, support its economic growth and enhance its security and stability.

An economically vibrant and democratically robust Nigeria is in the interests of Africa, the United States and the broader global community.

10 Things You Need To Know This Morning #NewsBits

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Staff Reporter

Good morning! Here are 10 things you need to know this morning:

1. The Police yesterday disrupted a peaceful protest against incessant Boko Haram killings in the north. The protest was staged by a coalition of youth group under the umbrella of Arewa Liberation Movement in Kaduna. Some journalists covering the protest were assaulted by the anti-riot policemen mobilized to the scene. The march started at about 8:30am at the popular Lugard Hall Roundabout.

2.Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, has compared President Goodluck Jonathan’s reign with that of the biblical king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, describing Jonathan as a President that patronizes impunity. Soyinka in paper presentation in Lagos discussed Jonathan’s government and the current events in the country, using the title; “King Nebuchadnezzar – The Reign of Impunity.”

3. Crisis ensued at the Ebute Meta area of Lagos on Tuesday at the end of a primary election conducted for two candidates of the All Progressives Congress ? Oladele Adekanye (Lado) and Bashiru Oloto who are aspiring to grab the APC ticket to represent the Lagos Mainland Constituency 1 in the 2015 elections. Four youths were shot dead, while several others were wounded, as 20 vehicles were also vandalised in the ensuing violence.

4. The senators agitating for the impeachment of President Goodluck Jonathan have agreed to begin the impeachment process on December 16. One of the Senators spearheading the move in the Senate, Senator Alkali Jajere, disclosed the latest plan on Tuesday in Abuja. He said that the Senators have agreed to commence the process on the said date.

5. The Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has alleged that some prison officials must have collaborated with the gunmen that invaded the Ado Ekiti federal prison, asking the Federal Government to investigate the Monday attack on the prison.

6. The All Progressives Congress on Tuesday cried out that the Department of State Service, SSS embarked on a second raid on the party’s data centre in Ikeja on Monday night. In a statement by the party through its Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, it said the action of the SSS was the height of lawlessness.

7. The First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, on Tuesday faulted media reports that she was imposing governorship candidates in some states ahead of the 2015 general elections. In her denial, Mrs Jonathan said she could not have performed such a role because she was not an elected official of the state nor a PDP official.

8. About £315 million Abacha loot would soon be returned to Nigeria by the State of Jersey, the biggest territory in the Channels Island. This was disclosed by Mr Michael Birt, the Bailiff of Jersey durig a dinner in honour of Dr Dalhatu Tafida, Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK during a state visit to the Island.

9. Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, yesterday, warned the Federal Government to desist from retrenching workers under the guise of austerity measures. The President of the Association and its General Secretary, Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Alade Bashir Lawal, in a statement said any attempt by government to sack workers or reduce their salaries would be resisted.

10. A man and his wife were knocked down and killed by a drunken driver in Ode Irele, Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State on Tuesday. Report says three of their grandchildren equally sustained various degrees of injuries as the car ran into them while they were in front of their house at Gbaleju area. The driver of the car, identified as Abisoye Wobo, was allegedly drunk and was returning from a burial ceremony.

Source – Daily Post NG

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