Ascon Oil Company releases statement on the Lekki fire today

Ascon Oil Company releases statement on the Lekki fire today

Ascon Oil released this statement of their official Facebook page. Read below...

Ascon Oil Fire Outbreak: No Life Lost. Fire Contained
The fire incident at Ascon Oil filling station at Lekki Phase 1 this afternoon has been contained. Contrary to earlier speculations, the main building and the reservoirs are unaffected. The incident emanated from a discharge at the point of offloading product from a tanker, engulfing two tankers and some vehicles parked by the road side

Co-pilot deliberately crashed Germanwings plane – Report

Andreas Lubitz

The co-pilot of the Germanwings flight that crashed in the French Alps, named as Andreas Lubitz, appeared to want to “destroy the plane”, officials said.

Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin, citing information from the “black box” voice recorder, said the co-pilot was alone in the cockpit, the British Broadcasting Corporation reports.

He intentionally started a descent while the pilot was locked out.

Robin said there was “absolute silence in the cockpit” as the pilot fought to re-enter it.

He said air traffic controllers made repeated attempts to contact the aircraft, but to no avail. Passengers could be heard screaming just before the crash, he added.

Details are emerging of the German co-pilot’s past – although his apparent motives for causing the crash remain a mystery.

Lubitz, 28, had undergone intensive training and “was 100% fit to fly without any caveats”, according to Carsten Spohr, the head of Lufthansa, the German carrier that owns Germanwings.

Election times are stressful, mind your health

Ask everyone involved in the ongoing election campaigns, and they’d mince no words in telling you that their health has never been the same since they hit the road in their effort to convince the electorate to cast their votes for their party and candidates.

Those who have the financial means have their physicians in tow, so that their health indices could be monitored and appropriate treatment or counseling offered before things turn ugly.

Indeed, in order to prove his strength the other day, President Goodluck Jonathan carried about a 12-year-old girl during the Great Abuja March!

Of course, there isn’t much the average politician seeking election or reelection can do when it comes to

Agbaje promises to reduce cost of land

Mr. Jimi Agbaje

The Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, says in order to meet the growing demand for accommodation in Lagos State, he will make the cost of land virtually free if elected governor.

Agbaje said this at a fundraising dinner titled, “An evening of interaction and dinner with Jimi Agbaje” in Lagos.

He said Lagos had a housing deficit of over two million and his target was to ensure that at least 200,000 housing units are built yearly.

He said, “We have to encourage housing because Lagos will become a slum if we do not address the issue. Lagos needs over two million housing units and that is an average of getting 200,000

I went into reggae because of girls –Patoranking

Patoranking performing on stage

Who would believe Patoranking came into the music industry barely 14 months ago? The young once upon a time rat poison seller has transformed into one of the most sought after artistes. Currently, he is MTV Base artiste of the month.

Even as a reggae artiste, Patoranking has revived the genre and now, everybody, especially the ladies, love him.

Indeed, he said in a recent chat with Saturday Beats that he chose reggae genre because of the ladies.

“One of the reasons I chose reggae even though it might sound funny is because of the girls. I remember back then in secondary school, if you did not know how to mime songs, you could not get the girls and I like standing out. I thought it would be wise for me to mime the songs that my colleagues won’t know. I listened to more reggae songs. Whenever I did that, the girls were always impressed. I listened to a lot of Bob Marley and Lucky Dube’s songs,” he said.

Emenike faces ban for walking off pitch

Emmanuel Emenike

Fenerbahçe forward Emmanuel Emenike faces disciplinary action in the Turkish league following his indecent reaction in the derby against Beşiktaş at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium on Sunday.

The Nigeria international tore off his shirt in anger and ran off the pitch, demanding to be substituted in the first half, after his fans booed him for missing a ‘simple’ chance to put the hosts ahead.

It took the intervention of Fenerbahçe manager Ismail Kartal and his technical staff to stop Emenike from walking down the tunnel. Kartal eventually managed to convince him to put his shirt back on and return to the game.

A former referee in Turkey Ahmet Çakar said Emenike deserved punishment for leaving the pitch and re-entering without permission. He said it was a

Nigeria win seventh AYC title

Nigeria became the first side to win the African Youth Championship for the seventh time after beating hosts Senegal 1-0 in the final of the 2015 edition at the Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium, Dakar on Sunday.

It was the second time the two sides would meet in the competition after the Flying Eagles had beaten the Young Lions 3-1 at the group stage where Nigeria topped the group to head into the semi-finals.

Nigeria’s captain Musa Muhammed won the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and Highest Goal Scorer’s awards after he scored four goals.

A lone goal from Bernard Bulbwa handed the Nigerians their fifth win of the tournament.

Coach Manu Garba named the same side which defeated Ghana 2-0 in the semi-finals with all players retaining their starting roles.

It was a tale of missed chances for the Senegalese, who were searching for their first continental title. They attacked from the first blast of the whistle and almost went ahead in the fifth minute when goalkeeper Joshua Enaholo saved Malick Niang’s header from the first corner kick of the game.

Ibinabo should cover her face in shame –Emeka Ike

Ike, Ibinabo and Arinze

Emeka Ike is really over the moon as his case with Actors Guild of Nigeria took a positive turn when the court upturned Ibinabo Fiberesima’s election as the AGN president few days ago.

Speaking exclusively to Saturday Punch earlier in the week, Ike said Ibinabo should cover her face in shame for deceiving Nigerians.

He said, “The court judgement is victory for the Nigerian judiciary and Nigeria as a whole. It is a victory for the young and the oppressed in Nigeria and it shows that our justice system is still very tenable. The truth was known at the end of the day and nobody was able to cover it up.”

When informed about Ibinabo’s reported intention to appeal the ruling, Ike said, “It is her right to appeal any judgement she feels does not favour her.

Jonathan assigns portfolio to Obanikoro, seven others

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday inaugurated the eight new ministers recently confirmed by the Senate before the commencement of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting.

The President thereafter assigned portfolios to them as follows: Senator Patricia Akwashiki (Information); Prof. Nicholas Ada (State, Foreign Affairs I); Senator Musiliu Obanikoro (State, Foreign Affairs II); Col. Augustine Akobundu (retd.), (State, Defence); Mr. Fidelis Nwankwo (State, Health); Mrs. Hauwa Bappa (State, Niger Delta Affairs); Mr. Kenneth Kobani (State, Industry, Trade and Investment); and Senator Joel Ikenya (Labour and Productivity).

The President also named the Minister of State, Health, Khaliru Alhassan, as the Minister of Health. Alhassan has been acting as Supervising Minister of Health since Prof. Onyebuchi Ckukwu resigned in 2014.

Also inaugurated on Wednesday were a Commissioner for the Federal Civil Service Commission, representing Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa states, Dr. Jonah Madugu, and a Commissioner for National Population Commission, Mrs. Abimbola Salu-Hundeyi, from Lagos State.

APC Presidential ticket: Tinubu stepped down for my husband for the sake of Nigeria - Aisha Buhari

APC Presidential ticket: Tinubu stepped down for my husband for the sake of Nigeria - Aisha Buhari

Aisha Buhari, wife of the APC Presidential candidate, Gen. Buhari says former Lagos state Governor and one of APC's chieftains, Bola Tinubu jettisoned his personal interest and allowed her husband run as president for the sake of Nigeria. She said this at the 14th town hall meeting of the Lagos Central senatorial district hosted by Sen. Remi Tinubu (APC senatorial candidate in Lagos yesterday March 18th.

"My husband, General Muhammadu Buhari has been contesting presidential elections for over a decade now, but this particular election is unique because our leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu jettisoned his personal interest for the sake of Nigeria.” she said

I trust Buhari but doubt his environment – Bakare

Pastor Tunde Bakare

The General Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, on Tuesday said that he trusted the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) but not the credibility of “his environment”.

“Yes I trust Buhari and this is because I have worked closely with him but I doubt his environment. The Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress, which one is really clean? Only God can give us true leaders,” Bakare said.

The pastor spoke while addressing Christians at the annual Lenten lecture of the Island Club in Lagos.

“I believe in contact without contamination,” he said.

JAMB’s computer test of horror

Stranded JAMB candidates waiting to write their exams at the WAEC office, Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja... on Saturday.

Frustration seems to be at the centre of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board organised Computer-Based Test for candidates seeking admission to the nation’s tertiary institutions this year, our correspondents report

With four more days to the end of this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, information from many stakeholders still does not sound so pleasant.

Indeed, for many concerned candidates and their parents, the journey in the past one week has been one long narrative of frustrations and disappointments, sprinkled with intermittent rays of hope.

From states, such as Lagos, Rivers, Ekiti, Osun, Delta and more, many candidates wore long faces, just as some called for the cancellation of the examination.

In their thinking, the full-blown Computer-Based Test, which started last Tuesday in no fewer than 400 centres

Armed pro-Jonathan groups protest against Jega in Lagos

 

The pro-Jonathan protesters in Lagos ... on Monday
| credits: Goke Famadewa

Thousands of Odua Peoples Congress and the Coalition of Concerned Nigerians members   loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party took to three major roads in Lagos on Monday demanding the sack of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega.

The protesters, who wore T-shirts with PDP inscriptions and pictures of President Goodluck Jonathan, started gathering in front of the Federal Road Safety Commission near the old Lagos Toll Gate on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as early as 7am.

From there, they proceeded on foot and in about 100 buses to the front of the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, causing traffic snarl on the ever busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ikorodu Road and   Funso Williams(Western) Avenue in the city.

The demonstrators, who wielded broken bottles and knives,   also displayed banners and posters calling for Jega’s removal.

They destroyed outdoor adverts of All Progressives Congress candidates on the street lights along the highways.

Fire guts INEC’s electoral institute

The Independent National Electoral Commission’s Electoral Institute in Abuja has been gutted by fire.

The fire which began at about 11pm on Saturday destroyed bags, envelopes, election forms and electrical control panel/ switch   in the institute’s warehouse before it was contained at 2am on Sunday.

Before INEC spoke on the incident, there was   apprehension, especially in Abuja on Sunday that some sensitive materials for the March 28 and April 11 general elections might have been affected by the inferno.

INEC described the items damaged by the fire as “non-sensitive and old materials” used for the 2011 elections.

The result of the 2011 presidential poll was announced within the compound of the institute, which is located along the Airport Road, Abuja.

The electoral body also ruled out political sabotage and assured Nigerians that the incident would not in any way affect the conduct of the forthcoming elections.

Senate summons CBN, AMCON over Cecilia Ibru’s assets

 

Nigeria Senate

The Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Financial Crimes and Anti-corruption has summoned the management of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria to appear before it over seized assets worth N150bn.

The two federal government agencies had seized the assets in property and cash from the erstwhile Managing Director of the defunct Oceanic Bank International Plc, Mrs. Cecilia Ibru, upon her conviction for fraud by a court of law.

A member of the committee, who preferred anonymity, told our correspondent on Sunday that the management of the CBN and AMCON, among other parties, would appear before it today (Monday) to respond to a petition.

The source said the petition alleged certain irregularities in the execution of the bank consolidation ordered by the CBN.

He added that the committee was also interested in the recovery of assets from loan defaulters and convicted managing directors of the defunct Oceanic Bank International Plc, Intercontinental Bank Plc, Afribank Plc and Bank PHB.