John Terry: I’m leaving Chelsea

Chelsea captain and club legend, John Terry has announced that he will leave the club at the end of the current season. The 35-year-old central defender has spent his entire career at Chelsea and last May won the Premier League title for the fourth time. He joined the club aged 14. Terry was informed prior to last week’s win over Arsenal.Terry : “To be honest, I was in last week before the Arsenal game and it’s [the contract] not going to be extended. “It’s my last run in the FA Cup so I want to make it a good one. It’s a big season for me and I want to push on – not just in this competition but in the Premier
League as well. I knew before the Arsenal game so mentally I’ve kind of accepted it. We just have to move on. “They said that when the new manager comes in, things might change. It’s a no at the minute. I needed to know now like I have done every January and sometimes it takes a couple of months to get done. Unfortunately it was a no. It’s not going to be a fairytale ending, I’m not going to retire at Chelsea. “It’s going to be elsewhere which took me a couple of days to get over. But like I say, I knew before the Arsenal game and my performance isn’t going to change – the way I train, what I give for the club. I want to give everything and finish on a high, on 100 per cent good terms with the club.” Terry has made close to 700 appearances for Chelsea and is the club’s most successful captain, having won four Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three FA Cups, the 2012 Champions League and the 2013 Europa League.

State Department will not release 22 'top secret' Clinton emails

The State Department announced Friday that it will not release 22 emails from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton because they contain "top secret" information, the highest level of government classification. The decision, coming three days before the Iowa caucuses, could provide fodder for Clinton's political opponents, especially Republicans, who are likely to make note of the emails' "top secret" designation. Clinton's email use
has haunted her on the campaign trail since it became public early last year that she maintained a private server while leading the State Department. State Department spokesman John Kirby said the documents, totaling 37 pages, were not marked classified at the time they were sent, but are being upgraded at the request of the Intelligence Community because they contain sensitive information. But, Kirby said, a separate review by the bureaus of Diplomatic Security and Intelligence and Research is being held into whether the information in the emails was classified at the time they were sent and received. He would not say when the review began or how long it would go, and acknowledged it's possible there could be classified emails that weren't marked as such. "It's certainly possible that for any number of reasons, traffic can be sent that's not marked appropriately for its classification. That is certainly possible," Kirby said. But he added that he wasn't going to make any judgments about this particular case. "All I can tell you definitively is it wasn't marked classified at the time it was sent," Kirby said. A senior State Department official said the review "began very recently" and was initiated by the State Department, but the official wouldn't say what prompted it. A spokesperson for the Intelligence Community's inspector general declined to comment. Kirby also said 18 emails, comprised of eight email chains between Clinton and President Barack Obama, are being "withheld in full" to "protect the President's ability to receive unvarnished advice and counsel." But, Kirby said, they "have not been determined to be classified" and said they will "ultimately be released in accordance with the Presidential records act."

'Over-classification run amok

 Clinton did not mention the email controversy during campaign events Friday. But in an interview with KCRG in Dubuque, Iowa, Clinton maintained that she "never emailed anything that was considered to be classified" and asked for the emails to be released. "I'd love for people to see what I did and I hope that will happen," she said. Brian Fallon, a spokesman for Clinton's campaign, said in a statement that Friday's announcement was a case of "over-classification run amok" and reiterated Clinton's position that the emails be made public. But later Friday, Fallon declined to say whether Clinton would ask Obama to declassify the emails when pressed by CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room." "The President easily could declassify all of these emails if she asked him and if he agreed, right?" Blitzer asked. "I'd really be surprised if this has risen to the President's level," Fallon replied. "Because, again, this a mundane matter of fulfilling a FOIA request." Asked Friday if he had "certainty and confidence" that Clinton will not be indicted over the email controversy, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said any decision to prosecute Clinton would rest with the Justice Department. "That is a decision to be made solely by independent prosecutors," Earnest said. "But again, based on what we know from the Department of Justice, it does not seem to be headed in that direction."

More emails released

The State Department released more than 900 of Clinton's emails Friday -- 242 of which received classification upgrades: 11 to "secret" and 209 more to "confidential," along with the 22 emails containing "top secret" information -- but the release fell well behind the judge-imposed timetable for producing all of her emails. Among the most interesting correspondence: Clinton seeking to confirm with her team that a piece of information, which top aide Jake Sullivan described as proof the new Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications was doing its job, was "not classified or otherwise inappropriate" and fit to share with a reporter; Evidence that Clinton actively lobbied on behalf of the Affordable Care Act -- at one point, she emailed Miguel Rodriguez, then the director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, to inform him she'd spoken and received a "yes" from then-Arkansas Rep. Marion Berry. John Podesta, now the chairman of Clinton's campaign, emailing aide Cheryl Mills to ask if she had a personal email to which he could send a message hours ahead of a meeting with then-chief of staff Rahm Emanuel. Clinton asking, "So, can someone sign just my first name?" when presented with a farewell letter (written by Huma Abedin) to former Sen. George Mitchell as he prepared to leave after two years as the top U.S. envoy to the Israelis and Palestinians. The emails have been publishing over the last eight months more or less in accordance with a schedule set by Judge Rudolph Contreras, with increasingly large batches uploaded to a State Department website at the end of each month. This month's release was supposed to be the final one and include just over 9,000 pages of documents -- the largest number to date. But last Thursday, the State Department filed a motion to extend the final productions until February 29 because the department had failed to send more than 7,000 pages of those emails to other government agencies for review, only recognizing the mistake earlier this month. That delay was then compounded by a huge snowstorm that shut down the federal government for several days, according to the State Department's motion.

Agoha dumps secular for inspirational music

Popular singer and model, John Agoha, has taken a walk from secular music. The ‘Chocomilo’ singer revealed exclusively to Showtime that he dropped secular music because he was told by several clerics that his true calling lies in gospel.In his words, ‘I decided to change to gospel because I had a call from God. A lot of revelations came from men and women of God about it also. My family members were also on my neck on this issue because I started singing from church. However, my kind of music now is motivational, and not Gospel.’ He concluded, ‘I have a new song titled ‘Jehovah’ and I thank God that my song is getting bigger by the day.’

Why I proposed to my long-time girl friend — GT the Guitarman

Popular singer, Gbemiro Tokunbo, popularly known as GT Guitarman, is one singer who knows how to make the ladies swoon with his vocal chords. His adept mastery of the guitar also ensures that there is a steady stream of adulating female fans at his beck and call.It stands to reason therefore that there would be many ladies out there dreaming to walk down the aisle with the baby-faced ‘Dreamer’ singer. Well, such ladies can stop dreaming now as GT has finally proposed to his long-standing girlfriend of six years, Oby. In a chat with Showtime, GT opened up on why he proposed to her at this time. “It has always been something I wanted to do. I’m going to be 32 this year, so obviously, I’m not getting younger. Apart from the age thing, this is also someone that I love so
much. So the proposal is just the right thing to do at this time.’ On why he decided to marry a non-Yoruba woman, GT said, ‘I don’t see love as a tribal thing; it’s about what you feel about a person, and it happens to you naturally. I think one of the problems Nigerians have is that we don’t truly love ourselves. The moment we love ourselves, we’ll see ourselves as Nigerians first and foremost.” Asked when he will be walking down the aisle with the love of his life, GT disclosed that it will be before the end of the year. “I will be getting married before the end of the year,” he disclosed. Meanwhile, GT who is currently observing a break from music said, he’s planning to release his next album into the market as soon as he returns to the stage.

Starring in Surulere motivates me to aim high

British-born Nigerian actress, Beverly Naya is presently enjoying her rising profile. And her latest movie, “Surulere (Patience pays)” from the stable of The Audrey Sylva Company (TASC) is a clear indication that she has upped the ante.Pundits believe that the movie will set her on the path for great things in 2016. Even as she assures that everyone will enjoy the movie and go away with one life lesson or the other. Speaking on what she considers to be the important message of the film directed by Mildred Okwo, Naya
says: “considering the story, quality and cast of the film, I’m super excited about what the rest of the year holds. The film motivates me to keep aiming high, to not only be consistent but to always give my fans something they would be proud of. Suru L’ere (Patience Pays) is a fantastic way to start the year for me; it sets the tone perfectly and gives people an idea of what’s to come. The movie opens at the cinemas in the second week of February. On her role in the movie, Naya who started her acting career in the United Kingdom at the age of 17 before staring in ‘Living in Exile’ (a movie produced by her mother), alongside star actor Desmond Elliot, explained that she played the role of an ambitious but laid back young girl, known as Omosigho. “Omosigho was a really interesting character to play. She is a young twenty something year old with a lot of big dreams, but unfortunately she does not have the zeal or dedication to actualise her dreams. She’s pretty lazy and always tries to take the easy way out, but eventually she is forced to realise that life doesn’t always work that way. The Ibusa, Delta State-born actress explained that discovering Omosigho’s funny elements and bringing them to life was a major challenge she faced in preparing for the movie. This, according to her, was because “I wanted to ensure that her funny moments were authentic and unforced and never overdone. In every scene, I had to remember that Omosigho genuinely believes she deserves all the good things in life without working hard for them, which in itself is hilarious. Thinking this way helped a lot in overcoming the challenge.”

Davido responds to reactions over Sony music deal

David Adeleke, a.k.a Davido, O.B.O, during the week reacted to comments that have been trailing his new deal with international music company, Sony BMG. You would recall that the ‘Aye’ crooner recently signed a deal with Sony Music, which according to him, would facilitate an easy and widespread marketing of his music in the western world and beyond. Shortly after the signing, mixed feelings and reactions began to trail it. Fellow artistes, acquaintances, fans and critics took to their twitter and Instagram pages to air their opinion and feelings on the new development. A good number of his fans were optimistic about the career step, but others expressed their utmost discontent. Until yesterday, the latest Sony Music Signee was silent about these reactions. After a
supposed conscious or unconscious restraint (as the case may be), Davido finally expressed his feelings on the vibe he had been getting since he broke the news of his new signing with Sony Music. According to Davido, “I’m getting too much money to be worried about social media!! Shit ain’t real here.” He seems unperturbed by the series of tantrums being thrown at him ever since his announcement. Davido is unflinching in his resolve to step up his career game, irrespective of anybody’s opinion. He already said it in one of his songs ‘Owo ni koko’, meaning ‘Money is the ultimate’. Therefore, pessimists & critics can continue to ‘bad belle’ because ‘it’s allowed’.

Why I won’t speak on probes now —Jonathan

A confident looking former President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday in Switzerland gave a robust defence of his administration and stated why he would not comment on the current arms probe scandal allegedly involving his National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, and some top politicians in the country. Speaking at Geneva Press Club on Security, and
Development in Africa, the former President said he would not like to comment on the arms probe matter now because his comment could affect witnesses and the judicial proceeding that had been initiated by the current administration. He said: “I would not like to comment now because the matter is in court. I cannot comment. Definitely, I will speak. My Comment now may affect witnesses and the judicial process. “When I was President, I tried to build institutions like the Judiciary and separation of power and the electoral bodies. I should not be the one undermining the process.” The former President fielded questions on a host of issues such as the Chibok Girls, Boko Haram the economy and corruption and also spoke on why he did not challenge his electoral defeat in court. Pressed to comment on the huge amounts of money allegedly embezzled by some members of his administration, the former President said: “I have an idea about some of the corruption cases you are talking about. The amount being mentioned in some cases are so huge, sometimes people think I was Nigeria’s President since independence. Sometimes, people just bandy figures. I remember somebody said we lost $49 billion in 18 months. “The same man who made the allegation reduced the figure to 12 billion. I got forensic experts to probe the books of NNPC to ascertain the veracity of the allegation. I even remember asking the German Chancelor who said if that amount of money was missing in her country, it would be a big issue. “The truth of the matter is that if we lose such amount of money within 18 months as the allegation said, the country will collapse.’’ Negotiating with fake Boko Haram members On the allegation that his government negotiated with fake Boko Haram members, Dr. Jonathan said it was not true. “People come up with all sorts of allegations. The truth of the matter was that we realised that the epicentre of the terrorists activities were in two states – Borno and Yobe, we decided to set up a committee of influential people in those two states to interact with their people to see if they can help in tackling the problem. ‘’We did not negotiate with Boko Haram. The people we negotiated with were militants in the Niger Delta and it was successful. ‘’Even the current President said recently that if they see credible members of Boko Haram, they would be willing to discuss with them. If somebody said we negotiated with fake members of Boko Haram, the person is just playing politics,” he said. On service chiefs and Chibok girls whereabouts Asked to comment on the statement that his former service chief who said the Army knew where the Chibok girls were being held and till the end of his administration, the girls were not rescued, the former President said when he heard the comment, he was surprised, adding he invited the service chief for a chat. He said he would someday make public what they discussed. On why he did not contest his defeat at the poll, Jonathan said: ‘’I did not contest my defeat because I did not get into politics because of what I will gain. An African President on hearing the margin of defeat, said Jonathan must be tired. I could not destroy what I helped to build.’’ In his paper, he said one of the ways of tackling terrorism was through education. “My policy was to fight insecurity in the immediate term using counter-insurgency stratégies and for the long term, I fought it using education as a tool. ‘’As I always believed, if we do not spend billions educating our youths today, we will spend it fighting insecurity tomorrow. And you do not have to spend on education just because of insecurity. It is the prudent thing to do. ‘’It is no coincidence that the North east epicentre of terrorism in Nigeria is also the region with the highest rate of illiteracy and the least developed part of Nigeria.

FG and primary education

“In Nigeria, the Federal Government actually does not have a responsibility for primary and secondary education, but I could not in good conscience stomach a situation where 52.4 per cent of males in the Northeastern region of Nigeria have no formal Western education. ‘’The figure is even worse when you take into account the states most affected by the insurgency. 83.3 per cent of male population in Yobe state have no formal Western education. In Borno state it is 63.6 per cent. ‘’Bearing this in mind, is it a coincidence that the Boko Haram insurgency is strongest in these two states? ‘’So even though we did not have a responsibility for primary and secondary education going by the way the Nigerian federation works, I felt that where I had ability, I also had responsibility, even if the constitution said it was not my responsibility. ‘’Knowing that terrorism thrives under such conditions, my immediate goal was to increase the penetration of Western education in the region, while at the same time making sure that the people of the region did not see it as a threat to their age old practices of itinerant Islamic education, known as Almajiri. ‘’For the first time in Nigeria’s history, the Federal Government which I led, set out to build 400 Almajiri schools with specialized curricula that combined Western and Islamic education. 160 of them had been completed before I left office. ‘’I am also glad to state that when I emerged as President of Nigeria on May 6, 2010, there were nine states in the Northern part of the country that did not have universities. By the time I left office on May 29, 2015, there was no Nigerian state without at least one federal university. ‘’Now the dearth of access to formal education over the years created the ideal breeding ground for terror to thrive in parts of Nigeria but there are obviously other dimensions to the issue of insecurity in Nigeria and particularly terrorism. ‘’You may recall that the fall of the Gaddafi regime in August 2011 led to a situation where sophisticated weapons fell into the hands of a number of non-state actors, with attendant increase in terrorism and instability in North and West Africa. Partnership across West Africa ‘’The administration I headed initiated partnership across West Africa to contain such instability in nations such as Mali, which I personally visited in furtherance of peace. ‘’With those countries contiguous to Nigeria, especially nations around the Lake Chad Basin, we formed a coalition for the purpose of having a common front against terrorists through the revived Multinational Joint Task Force, MNJTF. ‘’Those efforts continue till today and have in large part helped decimate the capacity of Boko Haram. ‘’Another aspect of the anti-terror war we waged in Nigeria that has not received enough attention is our effort to improve on our intelligence gathering capacity. ‘’Prior to my administration, Nigeria’s intelligence architecture was designed largely around regime protection, but through much sustained effort, we were able to build capacity such that our intelligence agencies were able to trace and apprehend the masterminds behind such notorious terror incidences as the Christmas Day bombing of St. Theresa Catholic Church at Madalla, Niger State. ‘’Other suspects were also traced and arrested, including those behind the Nyanya and Kuje bombings. Not only did we apprehend suspects, but we tried and convicted some of them, including the ring leader of the Madalla bombing cell, Kabir Sokoto, who is right now serving a prison sentence. ‘’But leadership is about the future. I am sure you have not come here to hear me talk about the way backward. You, like everyone else, want to hear about the way forward. ‘’I am no longer in office, and I no longer have executive powers on a national level. However, I am more convinced now than ever about the nexus between education and security.

The Goodluck Foundation 

My foundation, The Good-luck Jonathan Foundation, was formed to further democracy, good governance and wealth generation in Africa. “Of course, charity begins at home and for the future, what Nigeria needs is to focus on making education a priority. ‘’Thankfully, the administration that succeeded mine in its first budget, appears to have seen wisdom in continuing the practice of giving education the highest sectoral allocation. This is commendable. ‘’I feel that what people in my position, statesmen and former leaders, ought to be doing is to help build consensus all over Africa, to ensure that certain issues should not be politicized. ‘’Education is one of those issues. If former African leaders can form themselves into an advisory group to gently impress on incumbent leaders the necessity of meeting the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, recommended allocation of 26 per cent of a nations annual budget on education, I am certain that Africa will make geometric progress in meeting her Millennium Development Goals and improving on every index of the Human Development Index. ‘’Data has shown that as spending on education increases, health and well being increases and incidences of maternal and infant mortality reduce.” ‘’In Nigeria for instance, average life expectancy had plateaued in the mid 40s for decades, but after 2011, when we began giving education the highest sectoral allocation, according to the United Nations, Nigeria enjoyed her highest increase in average life expectancy since records were kept.

Scholarships for virgins: Outrage over South Africa 'maiden's bursary'

Soon 18-year-old Thubelihle will leave her home in rural KwaZulu-Natal to head by bus to attend university in Pretoria. Thube, as her friends call her, says her family could not afford college, but help came in the form of a government scholarship offered by the local uThukela municipality, one of 11 districts in KwaZulu-Natal province. The main requirement -- Thube must remain a virgin. "We are keeping away from boys because we want to achieve our
goals," says Thube. "I don't have children. I am 18 years old, I must study hard to change and conquer the world." To qualify for the so-called "Maiden's Bursary Award," Thube will need to undergo virginity testing every vacation. A female elder in the community will determine if she has remained a "maiden" by conducting a manual inspection, usually on a grass mat. "You only have one chance to be a maiden," says Thube.

'Invasive and sexist'

News of the virgin-based scholarship has prompted fierce debate in South Africa, with rights groups saying that it is invasive and sexist. "The scholarship promotes stereotypes — that you only get a bursary because you are a virgin, not based on your capabilities," says Javu Baloyi, of the Commission on Gender and Equality. "There are better ways of getting an education." South Africa's main opposition party has lodged a complaint with the country's human rights commission and some activists have called it unconstitutional. But the Mayor behind the scholarships is standing her ground. "What I have noticed about all the critics is that they are not bringing solutions," says uThukela Mayor Dudu Mazibuko, who says she got pregnant in high school as a teenager and doesn't want girls to go through the same struggle. Mazibuko says they have tried different ways to stop teenage pregnancies in the schools of her district, but nothing has worked. According to the most recent figures from 2012, KwaZulu-Natal province has the highest rate of births to teenage mothers in South Africa. That year, more than 26,000 babies were born to girls aged between 15 and 19. Some new mothers were even younger.

The Future of Farming by bill gate

Why I'm voting for Trump

They are showing up in droves to see Donald Trump: Men and women, overwhelmingly white, frustrated with the country's first black president, fearful that they are being displaced by minorities and immigrants, and nostalgic for the way America used to be. And Trump is thriving, tapping into the fears and anxieties that have erupted into the open in an extraordinary
presidential campaign. The voters
pledging their allegiance to the
Republican front-runner hail from all corners of the country. They work on farms, in nursing homes and run small businesses; they've voted for Mitt Romney and Barack Obama and participated in the tea party movement; they are high school students who will vote for the first time this November and retirees and veterans who came of age during World War II. In Trump, these people see the next president of the United States. His attitude, one voter said, is that he "seems to just not give a dam." Trump's nativist rhetoric and hardline immigration stance is a relief for those who see a segment of the population "getting away" with breaking the law. Post-San Bernardino, the candidate's promise to "bomb the shout of ISIS" exudes an uncomplicated confidence rare in other politicians. His accomplishments in the business world offer reassurance that he'll "put the economy back where it belongs." Perhaps most important is Trump's imperviousness to the typical boundaries around race. He has made provocative remarks on the subject since the earliest days of his campaign and his supporters are listening. They are rowdy, and at times, even violent. On more than one occasion, they've accosted protesters, lobbing racial slurs and physical abuse. The following story attempts to capture the remarkable Trump phenomenon  and the anti-establishment anger, and the racial and economic fears beneath it  through the people who have flocked to Trump rallies since last summer. The voices were chosen from more than 150 people including supporters and opponents of Trump  that CNN reporters interviewed in 31 cities across the country over the past few months and asked about some of the candidate's more controversial statements. These interviews provide a snapshot of a political movement unprecedented in modern politics. They reflect some of the loudest and most passionate defenders of Trump, a candidate who has said he has such deep loyalty among his supporters that he could "stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose voters." Many people CNN interviewed were not turned off by Trump's provocative remarks but inclined to agree with his statements and his unvarnished approach to self-expression. There is no getting around the impression that for some, racial attitudes are fueling their support. But there are also other factors feeding the enthusiasm: the belief that Americans are unsafe, and he will protect them; an appreciation for the simple good vs. evil worldview he presents; an admiration of his celebrity status and business background. And, above all, a faith that he will restore an America they feel has been lost to them, and dream of experiencing again.

Buhari visiting Kenya and Ethiopia

President Muhammadu Buhari has departed Abuja, Wednesday morning, for Nairobi, Kenya on a three-day visit. He would equally leave the country on Friday for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the summit of African Union leaders.The president was accompanied to Kenya by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance and Industry, Trade and Investment. Upon his arrival in Nairobi, the President would alongside his host, President Uhuru Kenyatta and other dignitaries participate in the memorial service for Kenyan fallen
soldiers who were killed by Al-Shabaab in Somalia on January 15. At the end of the memorial service in Eldoret, President Buhari would proceed to Nairobi for bilateral talks on Thursday with Kenyan Government officials led by President Kenyatta.President Buhari with his host would preside over a Kenya-Nigeria Business Forum in Nairobi. At the end of his visit to Kenya on Friday, President Buhari would travel to Addis Ababa for the 26th Summit of African Union Heads of State and Government. He is expected to participate in a meeting of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council before returning to Abuja on Sunday.

THE SUPREME COURT DECIDES GOV. WIKE'S FATE TODAY.

The Supreme Court will on Wednesday begin hearing on the appeal brought by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state, challenging the Court of Appeal ruling which upheld the nullification of his election by the Election Petition Tribunal. Wike filed 20 grounds of appeal to the Supreme Court, alleging that the election tribunal relied on hearsay and legally inadmissible evidence to arrive at its judgment as well as violated his constitutional right
of fair hearing. All the three Senators under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from Rivers state lost their seats at both the Election Tribunal and Appeal Courts and a rerun election was ordered within 90 days. Details later….

Mark Zuckerberg's Second Data Centre

I'm proud to share that Facebook's sixth data center is now under construction in Clonee, Ireland. This will be our second European data center, after Luleå in Sweden. Data centers deliver all of
Facebook’s services to you. They’re some of the most complex machines ever created. Clonee Data Center will be one of the most advanced and energy efficient data centers in the world. It will feature the latest server, storage and network designs developed through the Open Compute Project, and will be powered by 100% renewable energy. One interesting engineering detail is that we’re cooling the facility with outdoor air, but because this is near the Irish Sea we’ll be using an indirect air cooling process to filter the salt from the air.We’re glad to be investing in Ireland, to become a part of the Clonee community, and to continue building the massive infrastructure that connects our global community.

These are the “Most African” Locomotives Ever Created

GE has commenced production of its “most African” locomotives. Once completed, the 233 GE Evolution Series locomotives will contain 55 per cent local content, making them the “most African” locomotives of their kind. ”We are building these world-class locomotives here in South Africa because we are committed to growing the local supply chain and establishing
South Africa as the rolling stock hub for the continent,” said Thomas Konditi, President and CEO of GE Transportation Africa. “Over the past six years, we have developed relationships with some of the best local suppliers in the industry.” Powered by GE Transportation’s 12-cylinder diesel engine, the Evolution Series Engine produces 4,200 GHP. This 45-degree, 12-cylinder, 4-stroke, turbocharged engine provides efficiency, fewer emissions and extended overhaul intervals. The engine also uses enhanced cooling and higher-strength materials to dramatically improve reliability and allow for future increases in power and efficiency. The Evolution Series Locomotive represents one of GE’s most prominent EcomaginationTM products. Ecomagination is GE’s commitment to build innovative products that maximise environmental and economic impact. Products with GE’s EcomaginationTM designation undergo a rigorous process to prove they measurably help customers’ performance and bottom lines, while simultaneously improving their environmental performance.

GREEN TECH: Nigeria gets $2.6m UNIDO support

Managing Director for Programme Development and Technical Cooperation Division of the United Nation International Development Organization, UNIDO, Philippe Scholtes has announced a $2.6 million support fund for rural electricity in Nigeria. Scholtes disclosed this at the weekend when he visited the Minister of Science and Technology, Mr Onu Ogbonnaya in his office in Abuja. Scholtes said the fund was secured for Nigeria from Global Environment Facilities, GEF, to improve its electricity
generation in rural communities across the country. He explained that the fund will be used to generate power through small scale hydro power to ensure electricity gets to rural areas in the country. He said: “We made the case; we obtained funding for 2.6 million dollars to help us demonstrate the small scale hydro-power to powerhouse and factories in places that have not been reached by the electricity.” “This project funded by Global Environment Facility funds is meant to help countries address environment issues that can benefit the global communities,” he said. With the fund, Scholtes said that the investors in Nigeria would be encouraged to execute the project and expand it to disseminate the kind of technology needed. He however, expressed UNIDO’s interest to strengthen its relationship with Nigeria to grow necessary areas that would contribute to the growth of the nation. “UNIDO will work to support inclusive and sustainable industrial development and also find a way to help Nigeria build green technology through skills development and innovation,” he said. Responding, the minister commended UNIDO for its support and contributions to Nigeria and the global community with the partnership to grow energy and on agro-business. He solicited for more support from UNIDO to further increase it efforts as well toward boosting agriculture to ensure food security in the country. The minister reiterated the ministry’s to use science and technology to save the nation by growing it economy.

Jonathan holds world press conference in Geneva, Switzerland on Wednesday

The press conference, which holds at 3pm local time, is part of activities lined up by the Circle of Diplomats (Circle Diplomatique), Geneva in honour of Jonathan, which would be concluded with a dinner same day. According to a statement by Guy Mettan, Executive Director, the Geneva Press Club, Jonathan will address two most crucial topics in Nigeria and West Africa at the press briefing. Mettan said the former Nigerian president will talk about security and civil peace in Nigeria and West Africa, on one hand, as well as improvement of health and education of children, on the other. He said accredited United Nations correspondents and Swiss journalists are expected at the press conference, which will most likely see Jonathan talking about Boko Haram activities in Nigeria and the fight against insurgency. The Circle of Diplomats will also host a dinner in honour of Jonathan on Wednesday night at the
Intercontinental Hotel, Geneva. Since leaving office on May 29, 2015, Jonathan has engaged in peace missions and election monitoring on behalf of the United Nations. He has also received global awards and acclaim for peacefully relinquishing power after losing the presidential election last year. Jonathan had conceded defeated to President Muhammadu Buhari last year even before the final results of the 2015 Nigerian presidential election was announced.

NAPS begs FG over HND, BSC dichotomy

The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) has begged the Federal Government to urgently resolve the dichotomy between holders of Bachelor of Science and Higher National Diploma certificates so as to improve the standard of education
in the country. The body also begged Ogun State government to intervene in the recent hike in the Cumulative Grade Point Accumulation for prospective students of HND at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic , Abeokuta . In a communique signed by its National Vice President, Ijadunoye Olasunkanmi, the students possessive body also condemned alleged exorbitant fee charged for change of course, describing it as a breach of contract agreement by the management. NAPS explained that the management’s decision to admit students with 2.75 GP for their HND programme could be counter productive. NAPS said the fight the dichotomy was like a hunter fighting a gorilla, saying they will never get tired in fighting against the cause.

Non-remittance of revenue: Reps threaten to arrest EFCC boss

The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee, investigating alleged fraudulent practices in the collection and management of non-oil revenue remittances by MDAs, has threatened to issue a warrant of arrest on the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, if he fails to appear before the Committee, on Tuesday, to account for the revenue collected and remitted to the Federation Account. The Committee
had, on Thursday, walked out representatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control, NAFDAC, because their Directors-General were absent at a meeting in the National Assembly. Expressing his dissatisfaction with the absence of the DGs of the two agencies, the Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee, Rep Chike John Okafor, said some government agencies treat the National Assembly with disrespect especially in honouring invitations during the course of oversight functions. Okafor said that if the EFCC Chairman fails to appear on Tuesday to give account of the money the commission collected on behalf of the Federal Government and how much had been remitted to the coffers of government, the Committee would have no other option than to issue a warrant of arrest on him. He condemned the absence of the DGs of NDLEA and NAFDAC, who sent representatives, as they were said to be having a meeting in the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, wondering if the NSA by law was more important than the National Assembly.