Breaking : Oba of Benin is Dead

The Edo State Government has issued the statement below announcing the death of the Oba of Benin.
The statement did not say when and how the monarch died.
Read full statement below.
“Our hearts are heavy, laden with pains and grief, at the announcement of the passing on to glory of Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa of Benin, our highly revered Oba, a distinguished Edo numero uno, an accomplished Nigerian, a seasoned bureaucrat, quintessential unifier, unique personage and exemplary Omo N’Oba, whose reign brought distinction, immense class, finesse and integrity to traditional institution in Edo state and the country at large.
“His carriage comes with an élan that was peculiar with the reverence of royalty. His uncommon courage was symbolic of the can-do spirit of the Edo mind. His unity of purpose was not in doubt even as he used his revered position to promote constructive engagement amongst all shades of opinion and culture in Edo state.
“As a thorough-bred bureaucrat, rising to the pinnacle of his career as a Federal Permanent Secretary, he understood the dynamics and intricacies of governance. He was the alternative voice to the many voiceless in our society, calling government attention to issues of development and transparent governance, without minding whose ox is gored. He was brave, fearless, punchy and instructive in his verbal and written messages.
“To us at the Edo state Government, he was our strongest supporter; both in his uncommon faith in our ability and his readiness to offer uncommon advice to sharpen public discourse in our shared commitment to transform Edo state. It gladdens our heart, therefore, that our revered Oba was alive to witness the positive transformation of Edo state under his reign, and for standing with us through thick and thin in the course of making the Edo economy a treasure to behold. Being part of that eloquent history of transformation before his reunion with his ancestors gives us further reassurance that he will occupy a special pride of place in the hereafter.
“We are enveloped with a deep sense of nostalgia that our great Oba, a great-grandfather, grandfather, father, uncle and iconoclastic royal father of exemplary carriage and conduct, who sustained the dignity of the average Edo mind, has joined his ancestors. We are, however, encouraged by the fact that another great son of the Great Benin Kingdom, His Royal Highness, Edaiken N’Uselu, Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa, who is already showing manifest quintessential attributes of his great father, will step into his father’s big shoes.
“Edo people will miss our iconoclastic royal father of the great Benin Kingdom. Nigerians and Nigeria will miss this great exemplar of a Royal Father, an Oba of distinction and integrity. Adieu until we meet to part no more.
“Oba gha to kpere, ise.”

http://garbyanchor.blogspot.com/2016/04/breaking-oba-of-benin-is-dead.htmlAdams Oshiomhole, mni, CON
Edo State Governor

First Bank Plan to Sack 1000 Staff

FBN Holdings Plc, the parent company of First Bank Nigeria Limited, is planning to cut about 1000 jobs and focus less on providing loans to the oil industry in a bid to reverse the 2015 financial year’s 82 per cent slump in profit.
The lender expects to boost its return on equity, a key measure of profitability, to between 11 per cent and 14 per cent in 2016 from last year’s “really bad” figure of three per cent, according to the Chief Executive Officer of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, FBN’s main subsidiary, Mr. Adesola Adeduntan.
He said the company was also targeting a cost-to-income ratio of 55 per cent in two years time from 59 per cent, Bloomberg reported.
“ROE will be much better than last year,” Adeduntan said in a telephone interview from Lagos on Wednesday.
“At a minimum, we should triple it. We do not shy away from taking difficult decisions. We used to have above 8,000 people. We’ll push it down, gradually to 7,000,” he added.
Its net profit fell to N15bn ($76m) from N84bn in 2014, as impairments soared and the economy slowed amid a crash in the price of crude, the biggest source of Federal Government revenue and export earnings.

Growth decelerated to 2.8 per cent in 2015, the lowest level since 1999, and may worsen to 2.3 per cent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.
First Bank’s non-performing loans ratio stood at 22 per cent at the end of March, compared with 3.8 per cent a year earlier. Reducing that figure is the “number one priority,” said Adeduntan.
He said the bank would do that by reducing the proportion of its lending to the oil and gas sector, currently at about 39 per cent of total loans, and focusing more on blue-chip companies in other industries.

Adeduntan ruled out any equity raising this year, saying the bank’s capital adequacy ratio of 17.2 per cent was enough of a buffer and above the Central Bank of Nigeria’s minimum requirement of 15 per cent.
It would still be adequate if the floor is raised to 16 per cent in July for Systemically Important Institutions, including First Bank.
“We continuously evaluate it and the position now is that there’s no need for external capital,” Adeduntan, 46, who became the CEO in January after joining First Bank as chief financial officer in mid-2014, said.
“We generate enough internal capital,” he said. FBN’s shares rose by 5.3 per cent to N3.57 on Wednesday. They are, however, still down 30 per cent this year, more than the Nigerian Stock Exchange All Share Index’s drop of 13 per cent.

The bank’s valuation lags that of its main competitors such as Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc. Its stock trades at 0.22 times book value, or the theoretical price that shareholders will get if all assets are sold and liabilities paid off. That compares with 1.18 times for GTBank and 0.62 for Zenith.
“The market has over-corrected,” Adeduntan said, adding, “It’s priced in all the negative information. For us, it can only go up.”

Fuel Scarcity :Tips on mitigating Car fuel consumption

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As Nigerians grapple with one of the nation’s most devastating episodes of fuel scarcity, there is need for motorists to understand how to conserve and manage the little fuel they have.
A review of vehicle manuals point to tips that can help lower fuel consumption and save cost.

Below are top five methods.
1. The viscosity grade of engine oil
The quality of engine oil one uses in his car is an important factor on how cars consume fuel.
Viscosity, which is the state of being thick, sticky, and semi-fluid due to internal friction of the car engine, does also determine fuel consumption.
If one uses an engine oil that is not the recommended type for his car or of less grade, at certain temperature, the engine pistons and crankshafts move less freely and add more loads to the engine and eventually consumes more fuel.

2. Adulterated Fuel
Due to anxiety and lack of time to spend a whole day in filling station queues, most Nigerians patronize black market fuel, often adulterated by sellers.
Adulterated fuel doesn’t burn properly and requires copious amount to move the car. That will lead to unprecedented fuel consumption.

3. Driving with Air Conditioner (AC) below 80KM/H
Most Nigerians do not know that driving with the air conditioner on, at a speed below 80KM/H adds an extra load to the engine, hence increases the fuel consumption of the vehicle. If you drive above 100KM/H, you are likely to consume less fuel, research has shown.

4. Expired or poorly inflated tyres
Vehicle tyres have four major functions which include supporting vehicle weight, transferring traction and braking forces on road surface and absorbing road shocks.
If tyres are worn out or poorly inflated, they lost their grip or traction, hence increase resistance which adds more load to engine and cause fuel consumption.
Always check your tyres and make sure they are in good shape.

5. Leakage in Exhaust
Leakages in exhaust ports or manifold affect the combustion process of a vehicle, hence improper emission of fuel that leads to high consumption. This will also slow the engine performance and even cause damage.

Eleven Shot Dead In Cape Verde, Including Two Spanish Citizens

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Eleven men were shot dead in Cape Verde on Tuesday,including eight soldiers, a local civilian and two Spanish citizens, the minister of Internal Administration for the archipelago off the African coast said in a statement.
The men were killed at a telecommunications site at Monte Tchota, a forested area on Santiago island about 27 km (17 miles) north of the capital, Praia, Minister Paulo Rocha said.
"A soldier assigned to the military team itself is missing,and there are strong indications that he was responsible in the events," said Rocha, adding that the victims were 20 to 51 years old.
Rocha said it was assumed personal motivations were behind the killings, ruling out an attack against the government, and called for calm.
The Spaniards were telecommunications technicians working at the site and the local civilian was a co-worker, the minister said.
The minister said there were no indications of links to drug trafficking.
Cape Verde's battle against gangs smuggling Latin American cocaine to Europe has led to a series of reprisal shootings. The former Portuguese colony is an Atlantic Ocean archipelago of 500,000 people off the northwestern coast of Africa.
Nine rifles were taken but were later recovered in a vehicle in Praia's Cittadella neighborhood, Rocha said.

Source:Reuter.com

TROOPS RECORD MORE VICTORY AGAINST TERRORISTS

TROOPS RECORD MORE VICTORY AGAINST TERRORISTS
In their continuous efforts of clearing the remnants of Boko
Haram in various hideouts and enclaves, troops of 7 Brigade, 8
Task Force Division, have also embarked on clearance operations,
since yesterday in which they cleared Boko Haram hideouts ahead
of Gratte in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
During the clearance operation, the troops killed 7 Boko Haram
terrorists including a notorious kingpin popularly known as the
Albani of Monguno.
The troops also recovered 2 Vehicles, 7 motorcycles 1 AK-47
rifle, 2 Boko Haram terrorists hoisted flags, 3 vehicle tyres, 1
vulcanizing machine, 1 solar panel and bundles of chewing stick
(Aswaki), which the terrorists believed has spiritual and medicinal
values.
It is gratifying to report that the troops' morale remains high as
they dominate the general area with a robust fighting patrol in
continuation with the clearance operations.
Nigeria Defence Information ,
Headquarters Abuja

The Anchor : PDP spokesman, Olisa Metuh slumps in Abuja

The Anchor : PDP spokesman, Olisa Metuh slumps in Abuja: The National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, on Tuesday slumped and was rushed to the National Hospital,...

PDP spokesman, Olisa Metuh slumps in Abuja

The National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, on Tuesday slumped and was rushed to the National Hospital, Abuja.
The incident occurred during the inauguration of the Yobe and Borno states caretaker committees at the Wadata Plaza party secretariat of the party located in the Wuse Zone 5 District of Abuja.
A source close the to PDP chieftain said Mr. Metuh suddenly collapsed during the event, and was unable to move his body.
He also confirmed that Mr. Metuh is being treated at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the National Hospital.
Mr. Metuh has had a troubled time in the past few weeks, with his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission which accused him of receiving N400million from funds released to former NSA, Sambo Dasuki, to buy arms from the military.
The PDP chieftain denied any wrongdoing, but he is currently being prosecuted over the matter.

Breakings: Boko Haram Terrorists’ Fighters have new uniforms.

Nigerian Army alerted the nation on Tuesday that members of the Boko Haram terrorist’s sect have resorted to sewing new uniforms as means of deceiving security agencies that they were some type of either local government or community outfits.
A statement exposing the new trickery from Army headquarters said, “Troops of 22 Brigade Garrison and elements of 3 Battalion that went out on long range fighting patrol on Monday, to Gima village in Ngala Local Government Area made a startling discovery; Boko Haram terrorists now have new means of identification”.
“The patrol came in contact with some elements of the Boko Haram that started escaping in disarray on sighting the team”.
“However, they were able to apprehend 2 terrorists in their new styled uniform of green colour and use of ropes on their legs and necks”.
“This is a new development in the ongoing clearance operations of the remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists in the north east”.
“In addition, the patrol team recovered 1 Isuzu Canter lorry which was found concealed with grasses, 5 motorcycles and 2 bags of guinea corn.
“Other items recovered include 3 Dane guns, a Solar panel, 3 bows and arrows”.
“The arrested terrorists are currently being interrogated to further assist in the clearance operations.”

Communal clashes in Cross River claims dozens of lives

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Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross State, Nigeria

Many people are feared killed in ongoing communal clashes in Cross River State, South-south Nigeria.
Fighting is said to have broken out between four communities in Cross River Central Senatorial and Northern Senatorial districts,
during the weekend.In the Central Senatorial district, the crisis
involved Ebum community in Obubra Local Government Area and Inyima in Yakurr Local Government Area of the state.However, in the Northern Senatorial district,people from Ukpe community fought against
their counterparts from Mbagede both in Omaha Local Government Area.
Residents and the police confirmed the multiple clashes were triggered by protracted land disputes.
The conflict between Ukpe and Mbagede communities is also said to have lingered for about a decade despite attempts at settlement
by traditional rulers from the affected area.The dispute, however, got bloody at the weekend when Mbagede people uprooted yam
seedlings which were planted on the disputed parcel of land by Ukpe farmers.

Breaking : Papa Wemba collapsed and died while performing on Stage

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The influential Congolese music star Papa Wemba has died after collapsing on stage in Abidjan in Ivory Coast, media reports say.
Video from the concert shows the artist, who was 66, slumped on the floor as dancers continue to perform, unaware of what is happening.
French broadcaster France 24 confirmed the death, quoting his manager.
On the African music scene since 1969, Papa Wemba won a world following with his soukous rock music.
The Congolese band leader, whose real name was Jules Shungu Webadio, also inspired a cult movement known as the Sapeurs whose members, young men, spend huge amounts of money on designer clothes.
He remained one of Africa's most popular musicians.
Soukous, also known as rumba rock, became the most popular sound across Africa.