2016 economy: Markets start on mixed fundamentals

Market indicators of the financial health and perception of the economy appeared hazy as indicators point to all directions, with stock market looking up, currency market looking down and money market in mixed-grill. Though the Nigerian Stock Exchange All Shares Index, NSE ASI, closed the year down by 17.36 per cent the market will be opening for the first trading day of 2016 from a positive point following the steady positive streak it recorded in the last trading week of 2015.

The index appreciated by 3.11 per cent and 3.79 per cent last week Thursday and Wednesday respectively after a similar positive closing earlier in the week. NSE ASI closed the year at 28,642.25 points, compared with 34,657.15 as at end-December 2014.    But week-on-week, the Index appreciated by 6.59 per cent and month-on-month it appreciated by 4.59 per cent in the last month of 2015.

EPA: $8.94bn development package tears ECOWAS apart

•Nigeria’s share 12m Euro
•12 countries sign agreement, 4 reluctant
•Nigeria doesn’t need EPA now — MAN

By Jimoh Babatunde & Franklin Alli

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been divided over the $8.94 billion European Union’s Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). EPA is a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) designed to create free trade area between the EU and African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries in which duties on goods imported and exported between the parties are reduced and eventually removed.

Investigation conducted by Financial Vanguard, revealed that the EU has offered 6.5billion Euro (about $8.94 billion) Development Package to ECOWAS countries to develop necessary infrastructures in order to meet exports requirements to the EU, over the next five years (2015-2020). FV learned that out of this figure, the amount that came to Nigeria through United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, UNIDO, the project implementer, is 12 million Euro (about N3 billion).

It was further learned that though, some of the beneficiary agencies in Nigeria’s public and private sector, namely Consumer Protection Council, Standards Organisation of Nigeria; the Organised Private Sector-MAN, NACCIMA, NASME; NASSI and NECA;  have started accessing the fund for capacity building, ministers of trade in 12 countries out of the sixteen ECOWAS countries are yet to  sign the agreement with the exception of Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Gambia.

Photos from Super Eagles Moses Simon's traditional wedding

20 year old Super Eagles winger Moses Daddy Ajala Simon had his traditional wedding to Ibukun Sarah Adenuga in Ibadan on Tuesday December 29th. Continue to see more photos...

Lol. See who Kanye West is supposedly cheating on Kim K with (photos)

Notorious instagram blog @Fameolous shared photos of this lady, claiming that Kanye West is creeping around on Kim with her. She's an upcoming model named Savannah Winters. Guess Fameolous is looking for a way to make her famous.

Headies Organisers release statement on the drama that happened on awards night

Read the official statement from Headies Awards organization below...

We are proud of what we have achieved over the years. The Headies stage has birthed the careers of many artistes who are of A-list status today. We are also glad that we have reinstated pride and prestige into the winning of a locally organised music awards and, we have celebrated artistic ingenuity for 10 straight years; a feat no other group before us was able to achieve.

Every year, the screening team collate all creative materials released in the year in review and screen for nomination. This tedious process goes on for at least three months before the screening team comes out with a final list. The voting categories, such as 'Song Of The Year', 'Artist Of The Year', & 'Next-Rated' are left strictly for fans to vote and choose the winners. We wish to say categorically that we do not tamper with the outcome of the voting process. The limit of our involvement in this voting process is to advice the nominees to engage their fans and solicit for their votes. We do not accept any responsibility for failure on the part of the nominees or their record label, when they fail to do this.

See Mark Zuckerberg's response to a woman who advised her granddaughters to date "Nerds" in school

Facebook user Darlene Loretto commented on one of Zuckerberg's post saying that she had told her granddaughters to date the Nerd in school because he might turn out to be an inventor and below is Facebook CEO's response. Good one Mark!

Photos: Gov Wike swears in 1st female Chief Judge of Rivers State

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has sworn in the First Female Chief Judge of Rivers State Justice Daisy Wotube Okocha at a ceremony that took place at the state government house today January 4th. Justice Okocha has been the state Acting Chief Judge since June 1, 2015.

Iran warns Nigeria to release Shiite leader El-Zakzaky

The Iranian government says it has employed all her diplomatic channels including warning the Nigerian government to release the leader of the Shia Muslim group in Nigeria Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zakzaky. He was arrested alongside other members of his group following a clash with the Nigerian army in Zaria, Kaduna state on Saturday December 12th. Over 60 people died in the fracas.

IG of Police bans policemen from illegally accessing mobile phones of Nigerians

Inspector General of Police Solomon Arase has issued a circular banning police officers from illegally accessing the mobile phones of civilians. Officer in Charge of Complaint Response Unit (CRU) of the Nigeria Police, Abayomi Shogunle tweeted this.

FFK blasts Buhari's worshippers

As he posted on Twitter some hours ago...

See how this Fulani boy was treated after graduating from University

Lol. Congrats to him!

Wait, Drake is now dating Amber Rose..?

Read the blockbuster report from MediaTakeOut below...

MediaTakeout.com has on very good authority - that Amber Rose is now dating...Drake! According the NY Post's Page Six Drake has been seen all over Miami with Amber. Page Six spoke to a person who told them, “They were on a very private dinner [Friday] night in the wine room at Prime 112, behind curtains." And US Weekly has reported that the pair was also spotted at the Soho Beach House. 

Photo: Police arrests a suspected pipeline vandal in Enugu..

A suspected petroleum pipeline vandal and truck driver, Okechukwu Okeke was on December 30, 2015, arrested by the operatives of the Aninri Division of the Enugu state command of the Nigeria Police Force while a tanker truck with 13,800 litres of stolen Premium Motor Spirit was seized.

 

According to the Command, the suspect alongside with others now at large had allegedly stormed Umurah Ndeaboh bush on December 24, 2015 at about 12 midnight where petroleum pipeline is said to have passed with their pipeline drilling equipment, two pumping machines,pipeline sealants, generator, some spanners and with a leyland 13,800 litres truck with registration number XF 312 PHC and had already tampered with the pipeline and were siphoning it into their waiting truck kept at a very long distance out of the vandalized area before the eagle eyed operatives already acting on a tip closed them up.

"I won't coach when I retire, I want to live like a king" - C. Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo says he has no desire to go into coaching when he retires from active football like former teammates Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs. The 30 year old Real Madrid and Portugal star player says he has much more interests outside of football and does not foresee a coaching, management or presidential role when he hangs up his boots.

Indian car mechanic invents car that runs on water

44-year-old Mohammed Raees Makani who has been a car mechanic for fifteen years from India has no formal education and cannot read or write but this has not stopped him from accomplishing a scientific feat of epic proportions. He claims to have designed a car that runs on water.

Photos: Yola South Main market gutted by fire

Goods worth millions of Naira was lost in a fire incident that occurred in the early hours of this morning at the Yola South main market in Adamawa state. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Men of the state fire service have arrived the scene and are working to put out the fire. See more photos after the cut...

Photos of Super Eagles players training in SA ahead of CHAN 2016

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have arrived Pretoria, South Africa as the final phase of preparation for the 2016 African Nations Championships in Rwanda begins. They commenced full training yesterday January 3rd. South African football legend Jomo Sono paid the team a surprise visit at their training ground. The team will play two friendly matches against Angola and Cote d’Ivoire on January 6th and 11th. See more photos after the cut...

More photos from Super Eagles player Onazi Ogenyi's wedding

Super Eagles player, Ogenyi Onazi had his court wedding to Sandra Ogunsuyi at the Ikoyi Marriage registry last week Tuesday December 26th. Congrats to them. Continue to see more photos...

Escaped prisoner sets new world record after being on run for sixty years

The world’s most elusive fugitive is still on the run after breaking out of jail 60 years ago. John Patrick Hannan used knotted bedsheets to scale the walls of Verne Prison , Portland, Dorset, in December 1955.

Hannan, who holds the world record for longest escape from custody, disappeared without a trace and would now be aged 81. The Irishman broke free just 30 days into his 21-month sentence for car theft and assaulting two police officers.

Dorset Police, who have officially given up looking for him, believe he returned to his native country soon after he vanished.

Filling station in Nnewi, Anambra gutted by fire this morning (photos)

Organiser filling station at located Amunko, Nnewi Okpuno Nnewichi in Anambra state, was razed to the ground this morning after an explosion...suspected to have been caused by a fuel tanker. Fire service and police are currently at the location to deal with the situation. Not sure of casualties... hopefully, there isn't any. More photos after the cut...

Four tips to help you survive January blues

By Adeniyi Ogunfowoke

Christmas is over and reality sets in as the toughest month of the year arrives. If you are saddled with worry over how to scale through this period, here are tips to help you overcome January challenges.

Organize yourself

January is always financially tight because of the additional expenses during Christmas. Notwithstanding, do not sulk about your financial status. You can take time to review your finances before you start spending for the month. The success of organizing yourself, especially your finances will go a long way in determining whether the cookie will crumble during the month.

Iran accuses Saudi Arabia of stoking regional tension

Iran’s foreign ministry accused Saudi Arabia of stoking regional tension Monday after the kingdom broke off diplomatic relations and said Iranian embassy staff must leave.

“Saudi Arabia sees not only its interests but also its existence in pursuing crises and confrontations and attempts to resolve its internal problems by exporting them to the outside,” said ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari.

Saudi Arabia announced its measures after its embassy in Tehran was firebombed and its interior destroyed by a mob who attacked the building in protest at the kingdom’s execution of a Shiite cleric.

The violence was condemned on Sunday by Iran’s president.

Ansari said that by severing diplomatic relations, SaudiArabia was “continuing the policy of increasing tension and clashes in the region”.

AfricanSunTimes Names Jonathan International Person Of The Year

Posted by conyeani
The African Sun Times, Africa’s number one and largest newspaper in America, has announced its Persons-of-the-Year, as well as the Corporate Social Responsibility Company of the Year. The categories the newspaper has chosen this year include International Person of the Year, African Statesman of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility Company of the Year, Pan-African Person of the Year, Diaspora Person of the Year, Most Influential Person of the Year Under 40, and the African Tourism Ambassador of the Year. The individuals named include: