The House of Representatives has condemned in strong terms the kidnapping and disappearance of Mr. Enobong Williamson and other incidences of kidnapping across Nigeria.
This was sequel to a Matter Of Urgent Public Importance titled ” The Unfortunate Kidnapping And Disappearance Of Mr. Enobong Williamson And Need For The Federal Government To Intensify Efforts In Curbing The Incesant Kidnappings In Nigeria”,
A member of the House, Hon. Uyime Eden said that “The House Notes with concern and sadness the reoccurring incidences of incessant abduction, disappearance and kidnapping going on across the Country and most recently in Ukanafun/Oruk Anam Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State. Unfortunately, the whole community was greeted with the sad news of the kidnapping and disappearance of Mr. Enobong Williamson who until his disappearance was the Treasurer, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ward 3, Oruk Anam LGA, Akwa Ibom State”.
He also said that on the 3rd day of November, 2022, Mr. Enobong Williamson was kidnapped by unknown men and all attempts to locate him has proved abortive and that the entire community has since commenced a search for him, but no information has been obtained regarding his whereabout.
The House therefore mandated the Inspector General of Police and other security agencies to intensify efforts in securing the release of Mr. Enobong Williamson from the den of kidnappers.
Super Falcons Head Coach, Randy Waldrum has reiterated the confidence he has in the present Super Falcons as they gear up for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The Super Falcons got a spot in the mundial after defeating Cameroon’s Lionesses in the quarter finals of the 12th Women Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco last summer, with Rasheedat Ajibade scoring the crucial goal to earn a semi-final spot and the ticket to Australia/New Zealand.
It meant the Falcons have made through to all editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup – a record shared with only six other teams globally.
Waldrum said he believes that the present crop of Super Falcons is capable of emulating the 1999 set, and match their predecessors’ feat of a quarter-final place at the global finals.
The Class of 1999 led by Florence Omagbemi defeated North Korea 2-1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena with goals from Mercy Akide and Rita Nwadike, before losing 1-7 to the USA despite taking a second-minute lead through Nkiru Okosieme.
Defeat to the Americans in Chicago stirred something in Africa’s lone flag-bearer at the first FIFA Women’s World Cup to feature 16 teams.
In their next match, the Super Falcons flew past Denmark 2-0 at the Jack Kent Cooke Stadium near Washington DC, the goals coming from Mercy Akide and Nkiru Okosieme.
In the quarter finals, at the same venue, the Nigerian girls stormed back from three goals down to Brazil in the first half to tie the game 3-3, with Prisca Emeafu, Nkiru Okosieme and Nkechi Egbe the scorers, before Brazil won in extra-time, in what was the very first time a women’s competitive game was decided by the golden goal. This was after 104 minutes.
“I am confident and realistic about this. We have an abundance of talents in the squad, and I am convinced they can go that far. This particular team is very talented and has the same ability to go far in the tournament, just like the Class of 1999.
“To be able to achieve this and even more, we need to have all players in fit condition, healthy and most importantly have enough time together. If we have enough time together, we have the ability to be successful at the World Cup,” Waldrum said.
The Super Falcons have been drawn alongside Olympic champions Canada, co-hosts Australia and Republic of Ireland in Group B of the 9th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals and will play all their group phase matches in Australia – one in Melbourne and two in Brisbane.
A man who ran unsuccessfully as a Republican state politician in New Mexico is accused by police of masterminding a shooting spree targeting the homes of Democrats.
Solomon Pena, 39, conspired with and paid four other men to shoot the properties of four local politicians, say Albuquerque police.
No one was hurt in the attacks soon after November’s elections.
Mr Pena lost his attempt to sit in the state’s House and ‘contested his defeat.’
The election result was a convincing one, with his Democratic opponent and incumbent winning 73% of the vote.
On 15 November he posted a photo of himself in a Make America Great Again sweatshirt and draped in a Trump 2024 flag, saying he would not concede the election.
At a press conference on Monday shortly after his arrest, police said that “following his loss, Mr Pena had approached the four Democrats he later targeted – two county commissioners and two state legislators – to say without evidence that the election was fraudulent.”
The shootings unfolded in the weeks that followed.
The local paper, the Albuquerque Journal, reported that on 4 December eight shots were fired into a commissioner’s home and then 12 bullets at another commissioner’s home a week later.
On 3 January, three shots were fired at a state Democrat’s home. “The bullets travelled through her young daughter’s bedroom,” the paper reported. A fourth politician then found damage to his property.
Police feared the shootings were linked and politically motivated, and were led to Mr Pena by phone records, witness statements and ballistic evidence from the scene.
As well as masterminding the operation, police also believe Mr Pena fired some of the shots. They said more arrests will be made.
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said this kind of ‘radicalism’ was a threat to the nation.
“This was about a right-wing radical, an election denier who was arrested today and someone who did the worst imaginable thing you can do when you have a political disagreement, which is turn that to violence,” he said.
Attempts to reach a lawyer for Mr Pena for comment have been unsuccessful.
Nine-time champion Novak Djokovic made a perfect return to the Australian Open as he beat Roberto Carballes Baena in straight sets in the first round.
Djokovic, 35, began his quest for a men’s record-equalling 22nd major with a 6-3 6-4 6-0 win over the Spaniard.
The Serb received a warm reception on Rod Laver Arena in his first match at the tournament since his controversial deportation last year.
He will play Bolivian Hugo Dellien or French qualifier Enzo Couacaud next.
“I’m very happy I am back in Australia, and on the court where I had the biggest successes of my career,” Djokovic said.
“This court is the most special court and I couldn’t ask for a better start for the tournament.”
Djokovic was unable to compete at last year’s event after the Australian government cancelled his visa because of his Covid-19 vaccination status.
But the former world number one said the welcome he received during a practice match with home favourite Nick Kyrgios in Melbourne last week made him feel emotional.
The reigning Wimbledon champion is looking to make up for lost time as he pursues Rafael Nadal’s record of 22 Grand Slam titles, having also missed last year’s US Open because of the United States’ travel restrictions.
Once again receiving warm support from the crowd, Djokovic proceeded to expertly dismantle world number 75 Carballes Baena’s game in a little over two hours.
Although he warmed up for the first Slam of the year by winning the Adelaide title, Djokovic has been managing a hamstring injury and took to the court with heavy strapping on his upper left leg.
But he did not appear limited by the problem and, sparking into action to save three break points in the fifth game of the match, went on to demonstrate his class on his favourite court in a near-perfect third set which saw him lose just four points in the final six games.
It extended his remarkable winning streak at the Australian Open to 35 matches – a run stretching back to 2018 – and the manner of the victory suggests he will be difficult to stop once again.
Tens of thousands of Kwara residents waved ecstatically on the streets of Ilorin to usher in the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and other dignitaries to the state for the flag off of their campaign in the state.
The candidate, his running mate Kashim Shettima, and party chairman, Abdullahi Adamu arrived the city in company of several APC leaders.
They were received by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and a legion of APC candidates and leaders from across the state of harmony.
Security agencies struggled to clear the human traffic that heralded Asiwaju’s arrival to the state capital as he waived the broom and danced to the tunes of music crooned by supporters and admirers.
On the welcome train were the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the three senators from Kwara and their colleagues from Kogi and other parts of Nigeria, cabinet members, APC candidates, and hundreds of party stalwarts — many donning the Emilokan cap, others adorned with the insignia of his cap.
Accompanied by a motorcade that stretched a few kilometers, the double-decker Marco Polo bus conveying Tinubu and the dignitaries got locked in a suffocating human traffic formed by thousands of supporters and admirers who lined the streets to the Emir’s Palace from the Ilorin International Airport.
The candidate and the entourage then headed to the campaign ground where thousands of party supporters were waiting for speeches from the candidate and official handing over of flags to the candidates, including Governor AbdulRazaq who is running for second term in office.
They are expected to also pay traditional homage to the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari in his Palace where the APC Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and members of his
entourage would be received by first class monarchs in the state.
Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya became the promotion’s most profitable fighter for 2022, selling a combined total of more than $1.5m pay-per-views.
Adesanya’s rematch with Robert Whittaker at UFC 271 in February 2022 sold $600,000 PPV. His next fight against Jared Cannonier, held in July at UFC 276, had a more modest $400,000 sales.
Adesanya last entered the Octagon against Alex Pereira in November at UFC 281 in New York. In that fight, which sold $600,000 PPV, Israel was defeated by TKO in the fifth round and lost the championship belt. He has 23 wins and two losses under his belt.
The 33-year-old held the middleweight belt for over three years but lost the title in his final fight of the year against kickboxing rival Alex Pereira. The Last Stylebender had beaten most of the top contenders in his weight class but came up short against Pereira, as the Brazilian became a UFC champion after just four fights in the promotion.
It was all too familiar for Adesanya as his Brazilian counterpart had already beaten him twice in kickboxing going into their first meeting in the cage. Pereira won a controversial decision against Adesanya in 2016 and knocked him out in their rematch the following year, which prompted Adesanya to crossover to MMA.
Just days after his title loss, Adesanya claimed the UFC already confirmed he will face Pereira in an immediate title rematch. “Yeah, me and him. It will be for the belt, it’s gonna be me and him. I’ll talk to Dana (White) at some point but Mick (Maynard), UFC vice-president, he’s cool, Mick already knows what’s next,”Adesanya said on The MMA Hour.
White praised Adesanya for his willingness to fight Pereira and seemed open to another meeting between the pair, stating, “First of all, Israel Adesanya didn’t even flinch about taking this fight. He wanted this fight, a lot of people talk publicly and then it’s a whole different story behind the scenes. I wouldn’t rule it out a rematch”.
Nigeria Energy Dialogue, NED has partnered with the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to unveil the Methanol Fuel Production Technology to drive the country’s vision for a clean, safe and available energy in line with global net Zero emission targets.
The Executive Director, Nigeria Energy Dialogue, Frank Edozien while describing the technology as a revolutionary one said Methanol was transportable energy that could be used to power industries, homes, rural electrification and household energy with a multiplier effect on the economy through job creation.
“… this will get our people to work, as many people as need accessible energy. The beauty of it is we are talking about technology that is there, built on Brass Methanol and numerous methanol projects accross the country. We don’t see this as an alternative, it becomes the main source of energy because it is green and it is accessible and the more it is deployed, the cheaper it becomes until it gets to compare and better current cost of energy.”
Engineer Frank Edozien, Executive Director Nigeria Energy Dialogue
He explained that technology converts gas to methanol and methanol to hydrogen which is delivered as hydrogen fuel cells for multiple uses across the energy space in Nigeria.
This is coming at a time Nigeria is almost completing the construction of Brass Methanol plant, and in partnership with Sun Hydro Energy Limited and Clean Energy Resources will convert Methanol to hydrogen with the technology offered by both companies.
Edozien further assuaged the fears that the innovation would be an expensive technology when compared with the current cost Nigerians are spending on servicing generator sets.
“It would be affordable but more importantly, we are talking clean energy for Nigeria,”he said.
Dr. Peter Ekweozoh MNI, Director in charge of the implementation of the Methanol value chain in Nigeria, speaking on the importance of the unveiled project, said that the Methanol Fuel technology implementation would enable Nigeria meet its obligation under the Paris agreement in what was submitted as the nationally determined contribution, which amongst other things pledge to reduce global warming in various sectors of the economy by reducing hydrocarbon emission footprints.
“... what this technology will help do, it will improve our transportation system there will be no warming because we are going to use hydrogen fuel cells or Methanol which very has low carbon footprints to drive vehicles when it is fully adopted by Nigerians,” he stated.
Methanol to Produce 40 Million Jobs
Dr. Peter Ekweozoh Director, Environmental Sciences and Technology, Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation
Ekweozoh disclosed that 40 million jobs will be generated in two years from the Methanol production value chain, generate cheap,quality,affordable, clean and trusted energy to power the rural areas in Nigeria.
It would also safeguard the lives of Nigerian women by providing modern energy cooking system via Methanol cooking stove to reduce pulmonary disease arising from smoke pollution in the kitchen and mainstream the economy in all sectors seamlessly to achieve the nationally determined contribution.
He said that though the innovation is private sector driven, government has provided an enabling environment, produced a policy document, a strategic implementation plan and private sector partners like Sun Hydro energy Limited who would collaborate with technology owners to facilitate bringing the innovation into Nigeria to change the consumption mentality of Nigeria to a producing one.
The Programme Director for the Nigeria Energy Dialogue, Dr. Offiong Anyanwu, said NED was a facilitating platform for Leaders and stakeholders in the energy sector to look around the issues in the sector with the objective of ensuring that net zero is achieved.
“...the objective of this partnership with the Ministry on Methanol is to ensure sustained focus on the momentum that has been made on Methanol in Nigeria. The objective is that we end up using Methanol as a cleaner source of fuel for cars, household applications and industries…”
Dr. Offiong Archibong Anyanwu, Project Director Nigeria Energy Dialogue
Anyawu emphasised that Methanol is the future of energy, expressing the hope that this achievement of the Buhari led administration would not be set aside by the next Administration since Methanol is already in use in various products across the system.
He said that since technology was not static but progressive, it was imperative that the current Government Builds On the Momentum Methanol hence the slogan, BOOMM.
The Chief Executive Officer, Association, Power Generating companies in Nigeria, Dr Joy Ogaji, while welcoming the innovation expressed confidence that the revolutionary move would lead to possible cheaper fuel to power generation companies in Nigeria.
“… if this Methanol is properly packaged and implemented then the power generation companies could have better access to cheaper fuel which in a long run also brings about the climate change and draws us closer to meeting our net zero 2060…”
She expressed belief in the future prospect of lower energy Cost; if more gas is available at a cheaper rate to increase generation.
NED is in partnership with Sun Hydro Energy Limited , Brass Methanol and the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation on this revolutionary innovation.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has declared one week suspension of campaigns, to mourn the four persons gruesomely murdered by unknown gunmen last week during an invasion of the residence of the party’s House of Representatives candidate for Ideato North/South, Ikenga Ugochinyere.
In separate internal memos, issued by the party’s state secretary Hon. (Nze) Ray Emeana, and titled, ‘‘Suspension of Campaigns for One Week and Visit to Security Agencies, the party resolved to stage a protest at the police station and office of the Director, State Security.
Emeana explained that for the one week mourning, the party’s flags shall fly at half mast as all party faithfuls were enjoined to wear black arm bands.
For the protest which will take place on Wednesday 18 January, 2023, he said the candidates were mandated to come with ten leaders from each Local Government Area.
The memos dated 16th January was addressed to all party candidates, members and campaign council chairmen.
Party members were to walk from the State Secretariat of the Party to the offices of the State Commissioner of Police and the Director, State Security to submit letters of protest. Note that all SWC members, all Candidates, all LGA Chairmen and Ten Leaders from each LGA will proceed to the above offices as follows.
Attendance by all SWC Members, LGA Party Chairmen, Candidates and selected Leaders were mandatory and on time.
The other memo reads; “Suspension of Campaigns for One Week. In view of the attack on the Candidate of the Party in Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency and the gruesome murder of three members of the Party, the Party hereby declares one week of mourning and suspends all Campaigns for one week. During the week, all Party’s Flags shall fly at half mast, all Party faithfuls are enjoined to wear black arm bands. The Party during the period will protest in the strongest possible ways to all Security Agencies in the State. All Party faithfuls are further directed to maintain peace.”
Last Saturday, January 14, 2023, motorcades conveying gunmen, arsonists stormed the residence of Ugochinyere, who is also the Spokesman of Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, at his hometown in Akokwa, where four persons were killed including his Uncle.
The Nigeria Customs Service has recorded One hundred and eighty-seven seizures with a duty paid value of N302,590 252:00 between January and December 2022.
The Coordinator Joint Border Patrol Team, JBPT Sector 3, in Kwara State, North Central Nigeria, Assistant Comptroller General, Olugboyega Peter made this known when he was speaking to newsmen about the achievements his team recorded during the period under review.
He said the team also intercepted and seized 2,052 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, 4,598 liters of Petrol, 28 units of used vehicles, 16 units of motorcycles, 402 Wraps of Cannabis Sativa, and 90 pieces of used tyres among others.
According to him, during the period under review, the team lost one of the officers, Saheed Aweda while three others sustained life-threatening injuries during an attack by hoodlums.
Olugboyega urged smugglers and traffickers to change their ways and take to legitimate business and advised those attacking their officers to desist from such acts.
He maintained that the patrol team under his watch will ensure illegal businesses are not allowed to flourish.
According to him, during the period under review, Sector 3 also intercepted a total of three (3) stolen vehicles. Namely; a Lexus RX 350 without a number plate sized around the Benue axis, a Toyota Yaris with Registration Number BEN-59-EZ apprehended around the Lokoja Axis of the Sector, and a Toyota land cruiser jeep intercepted at the Suleja axis.
Olugboyega, however, said, in line with the extant laws, most of the inflammable products have been auctioned to the public with the amount generated as fees remitted to government coffers.
He, therefore, warned those he described as daredevil smugglers who still have the intention to smuggle illicit, controlled, and prohibited goods or engage in human trafficking and other criminal activities to think twice.
“There will be no hiding place for them as the new patrol strategies adopted by the sector in line with the Presidential directive against illegal perpetrators who are bent on derailing the nation’s economy will be made face full wrath of the law” he declared.
He advised parents and guardians to warn their wards to desist from obstructing customs operatives from performing their legitimate duties “as the sector will not hesitate to use appropriate force in line with rules of engagement and will leave our officers with no other alternative than to defend themselves in the interest of the nation.”
Olugbenga thanked community leaders and other government agencies that showed concern and collaborated with the sector for the success recorded in the Sector 3 operations in the North Central Zone of the country.
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said he is not being “too loyal” to long-serving players who are underperforming at the club but that a lack of adequate replacements means he has to keep picking them.
Liverpool have failed to mount a Premier League title challenge this season and are down the table in ninth – 19 points behind leaders Arsenal.
“I am loyal, I think everyone should be loyal, but I am not too loyal,” Klopp told reporters ahead of Liverpool’s FA Cup third-round replay at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
“You have a good player who did a lot of good stuff in the past and then maybe, in your mind, you think: ‘That’s it for him now.’ If you can then go out and bring in another player to replace him then it makes sense from both sides.
“If you cannot bring anybody in then you cannot take anyone out, that’s the situation.”
Before joining Liverpool Klopp led Borussia Dortmund to two Bundesliga titles and a Champions League final but left when they finished seventh.
“When I left Dortmund I said: ‘Something has to change here.’ It was a different situation there but in a way it’s similar. Either I go … or a lot of other things change,” said Klopp, whose Liverpool contract runs until 2026.
“As far as I know, from what I hear, I will not go. So that means maybe there’s a point where we have to change other stuff and we will see that. But it’s something for the future, like in the summer, not now.”
