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karlpejeraBy Jasmine Netzler-Iose
There is something new and magnificent at the Tafa?igata prison grounds. It?s a church building worth $186,000 that now stands where the old Ole Toefuata?iina church was once located.
Police Commissioner, LilomaiavaFouTaioalo said the effort of prisoners behind the project is ?something that might not be [possible to] do again?.
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karlpejera
Labour unions have told President Jonathan that they could not trust him to implement the projects envisaged to be financed with fuel subsidy removal funds because he failed to honour previous commitments. They also said the N1 trillion the government claimed would be saved from subsidy removal could not fund even one-fifth of the projects listed, casting further doubt on the president?s plans regarding fuel subsidies.
Leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trades Union Congress met with the president at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday night, where he and other officials presented government?s framework of spending funds expected to be saved from subsidy cut.
But the Labour leaders said the president and his team could not be trusted to implement these plans because ?government has shown consistently that it cannot be trusted considering how agreements and promises have been reneged upon in recent years.?
They also said Finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who is the spearhead of government?s subsidy removal campaign, was merely juggling figures to pull the wool over the eyes of Nigerians.
The labour unions gave their account of the meeting with the president in a statement in Abuja yesterday, jointly signed by secretaries general Owei Lakemfa of NLC and John Kolawole of TUC.
For his part, Jonathan told the labour unions he invited them not to make them take a decision regarding fuel subsidy removal but to present the government?s position and encourage mutually beneficial discussions.
Apart from Jonathan, others who addressed the meeting were Vice President Namadi Sambo, Okonjo-Iweala and Petroleum Minister Dieziani Allison-Madueke.
The statement by the labour unions said, ?The Presidency claimed that the actual cost of petrol supply is N139 per litre and admitted that all Nigerians benefit from fuel subsidy but claimed that the rich benefits more. It also claimed that the current N65 per litre price was so cheap that it encourages smuggling of PMS across the country?s borders.
?It also presented a document, Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE), under which it listed amongst other projects, the construction or completion of eight major roads and two bridges, provision of healthcare for 3million pregnant women, six railway projects, youth employment, mass transit, 19 irrigation projects, rural and urban water supply.
?In its response, the Labour movement noted that out of the projected N1.134 trillion to be saved from the subsidy removal, the Local Government allocation is N202.23 billion, States N411.03 billion and the Federal Government N478.49 billion and concluded that even if the Federal Government alone were to spend the entire N1.134 trillion, it cannot execute even a fifth of the projects it had listed. It noted that the Presidency?s presentation was simply a repetition of the presentations made by the Babangida and Abacha regimes and the Obasanjo administration, and that none of those promises were kept.
?It insisted that if non-oil producing nations can refine petroleum products, a big oil producing country like Nigeria has no excuse to be import-dependent. Labour said Government has basic responsibilities to the populace and not make externally driven proscriptions like the IMF did on SAP under the Babangida regime and that its opposition to fuel subsidy removal is driven by its belief that the people must come first on all policies.
?It pointed out that none of the presentations by the Presidency presented facts on the impact of oil subsidy removal on the populace particularly the informal economy where most Nigerians earn a living.
?Labour also pointed out that some of the statistics presented by the Honourable Minister of Finance were juggled to reach false conclusions. President Jonathan in rounding up the session explained that the idea of inviting Labour was not to make it take a decision either in favour or against fuel subsidy removal but to present the government?s position and encourage mutually beneficial discussions. He invited Labour to present its counter statistics and analysis of the Government documents for discussions on a future date. Labour accepted this.?
On the minimum wage issue, the statement said, ?While government elaborated on how the savings from subsidy removal will be spent on social infrastructure, Labour responded to say that government has shown consistently that it cannot be trusted considering how agreements and promises have been reneged upon in recent years. Specifically, labour complained that the Federal Government despite signing an agreement with it and issuing an enabling circular that the N18,000 minimum wage will be implemented for Federal Public Servants from August 2011, implementation was yet to commence. It concluded that failure or refusal of Government to implement agreements reached is one of the reasons Nigerians do not fully trust government.
?President Jonathan in his response said he was shocked to find out two weeks ago that the Federal Government had not implemented the new wage. He blamed it on bureaucracy and that he was not informed about any difficulties in paying the new wage. He said he had since directed his ministers and officials to commence immediate payment of the new wage.
?In conclusion, the NLC and TUC expect that the Presidency will not remove fuel subsidy until it concludes the consultations with all stakeholders including Labour. Also, Labour is of the firm opinion that given the high level of insecurity in the country, the hardship Nigerians are facing and deepening poverty the removal of fuel subsidy will be injurious to the citizens and the country.?
There was no immediate government reaction to the statement by the labour unions yesterday.
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karlpejeraTwo-hundred-tala is a lot of money to be wasted at this time of the year. That?s why a mother is prepared to fight the Police all the way to the Court after she was slapped with a $200 fine yesterday for allegedly using a mobile phone while driving.
Tosca Netzler is adamant she was not on her phone. When they approached the Tu?utu?uileloloto Hall, Ms Netzler said her partner tried to put a sandwich in her mouth. That?s when two Police officers stopped her. ?They stopped us and they told me that I was being fined for driving while on my mobile,? she said.
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karlpejera? Pietersen will remain at The Oval until he loses ECB contract
? 31-year-old likely to quit county cricket when deal expires
Kevin Pietersen has signed a contract that will tie him to Surrey until the end of his England career.
The 31-year-old, who joined Surrey on loan in 2010 before signing a one-year deal for 2011, has agreed to stay at The Oval until he either loses or rejects his central contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Under the terms of the contract the ECB continue to pay Pietersen's wages and can decide when, if at all, the batsman plays county cricket while Surrey have no financial liability should he end his England career.
The rolling nature of Pietersen's Surrey contract also suggests a disinclination to remain in county cricket once he stops playing for England, freeing him either to retire or play wherever he chooses.
Pietersen played only two Twenty20 matches and two first-class games for Surrey in 2011, one of which came against Cambridge MCCU.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/dec/2
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karlpejeraBy Ella Buckley
Special Olympics Samoa will be heading to Savai?i next week for the final Monthly Games of the year. It has been a successful year for SOS this far with many achievements being reached. SOS sent its first team to the World Summer Games held in Athens receiving a total of 8 medals.
The first Monthly Games were held in Savai?i in August with a record number of athletes attending.
There was the launch of the Healthy Athletes ?White Teeth? program with the help of the National Health Services Dental Team.
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karlpejera? Collymore collated some of the abuse directed at Evra
? Racism in football still major issue, suggests former striker
Patrice Evra has been subject to a swathe of racist abuse on Twitter in the wake of Luis Suárez receiving an eight-match ban imposed for using insulting language towards Evra that included a reference to his skin colour.
The level and intensity of the abuse has prompted Stan Collymore, the TalkSport presenter and former Liverpool and Nottingham Forest striker, to highlight it on his own Twitter page in a bid to emphasise that racism remains a major issue in football.
"Have a look at my favourites. Tell me Twitter shouldn't do something." Collymore tweeted on Friday, followed shortly afterwards with: "Just have one look at my favourites and tell me there isn't at least something to address. Nobody's playing any cards, its there to read."
Some of the tweets he has selected confirm the degree of offence being directed towards Evra on the social media site, including repeated use of the word "nigger" in conjunction with a variety of foul language.
Collymore had already become incidentally involved in the issue when he explained that a quote attributed to him, suggesting it was a response to Alan Hansen's use of the word "coloured" on Match of the Day, was in fact a response to a "rash of comments asking if i minded being called coloured" on Twitter and had no reference to Hansen.
In the wake of highlighting the situation Collymore himself also received abuse on the site but tweeted that the support he was receiving far outweighed negative responses, writing: "The lovely comments outstrip the bad 100/1 so thank you to those who do. Not ignoring you,just highlighting a serious issue. x"
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/d
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karlpejeraLocal markets ended higher on Friday, boosted by improved risk appetite.
|||South African markets ended an abbreviated trading day higher on Friday, boosted by Thursday's encouraging jobs data and improved risk appetite in Europe.
Local markets closed at midday ahead of the Christmas weekend. They will reopen on Wednesday December 28, as December 27 is a public holiday in SA.
EQUITIES:
The JSE ended firmer on Friday ahead of the Christmas holiday weekend, buoyed by global sentiment following better than expected US jobs data.
At 12:00 local time, the JSE all-share index was up 0.70%, boosted by a 1.13% rise in platinum miners, a 0.76% jump in resources, and gold miners gained 2.22%.
Banks rose 0.45%, financials advanced 0.46% and industrial counters gained 0.74%.
The rand was bid at 8.17 to the dollar from 8.13 at the JSE's close on Thursday.
Gold traded at US$1,612.13 a troy ounce from US$1,606.94/oz at the JSE's previous close, while platinum was quoted at US$1,437.50/oz, from US$1,418.50/oz at the previous close.
A local dealer said that a good close on Wall Street had perked up global sentiment which filtered into the local bourse.
TRADE CLOSE PERC POINTS:
ALL SHARE (J203) 32127.25 31904.14 0.70 223.11
INDUSTRIALS (J257) 34311.39 34060.45 0.74 250.94
FINANCIALS (J580) 22204.05 22101.51 0.46 102.54
RESOURCES (J210) 51916.00 51523.07 0.76 392.93
GOLD (J150) 2955.86 2891.74 2.22 64.12
PLATINUM (J153) 61.05 60.37 1.13 0.68
BANKS (J835) 40883.55 40702.07 0.45 181.48
Value traded 3.766 billion rand
Volume 92.452 million shares
Highest value traded shares:
MTN 140.50 rand up 0.50 rand
Sasol 379.15 rand up 9.14 rand
Anglo 300.49 rand up 0.50 rand
Naspers 356.30 rand up 3.80 rand
SAB Miller 285.62 rand up 4.59 rand
CURRENCIES AND BONDS
The rand was firmer against the dollar on Friday in thin trade ahead of the Christmas holiday as it tracked a euro that was trading in a range against the greenback.
South African bonds displayed a slightly softer sheen in light volume trade. As expected the session was subdued, with many players away for the holidays. A trader noted that the rand had been the major driver throughout the week.
By 12:00, the benchmark R157 bond was trading at 6.750% unchanged from its previous close. The R207 was bid at 7.930% and offered at 7.900% from a previous close of 7.920% and the R186 was bid at 8.520% and offered at 8.490% from its close of 8.510%.
At 12:01 local time, the rand was bid at R8.1698 to the dollar from its previous close of R8.1828. It was bid at R10.6750 to the euro from R10.6784 before, and at R12.7911 against sterling from R12.8219 previously.
The euro was bid at US$1.3066 from its previous close of US$1.3054.
Meanwhile Dow Jones Newswires reported that in foreign exchange markets, the euro traded in a range against the dollar, with investors hesitant to make bets on the single-currency before year-end, amid continued uncertainty over the outlook for the euro zone.
BONDS
12:00 local time Range so far Previous:
R157 (2016) 6.750% 6.450% - 6.760% 6.750%
R207 (2020) 7.930% bid 7.915% - 7.935% 7.920%
R186 (2026) 8.520% bid 8.505% - 8.525% 8.510%
Bond Exchange of South Africa (in billions of rand)
RAND
Bids: 12:01 local time Range so far Previous Close
Dlr/Rand 8.1698 8.1009-8.1917 8.1828
Euro/Rand 10.6750 10.6047-10.7082 10.6784
Sterling/Rand 12.7911 12.7253-12.8528 12.8219
Euro/Dollar 1.3066 1.3050-1.3096 1.3054
FUTURES
South African near-dated futures ended in positive territory on Friday, boosted by better than expected US employment data on Thursday and improved risk appetite in Europe.
The local near-dated Alsi contract ended 225 points or 0.79% higher at 28,836.
The rand traded at 8.17 against the US dollar, from 8.15 at the previous close, while gold was quoted at US$1,607.69 a troy ounce from US$1,602.43/oz before.
The total number of contracts that exchanged hands was 13,567 from 22,327 on Thursday.
Local markets close at midday ahead of the Christmas weekend. They will reopen on Wednesday December 28, as December 27 is a public holiday in SA.
Dow Jones Newswires reported that European stocks were positive Friday after US economic data indicated that the world's biggest economy is firmly on the road to recovery, while a key confidence vote in Italy added to the positive mood.
-I-Net Bridge
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/sa-market-wrap-chri
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karlpejera? Touré only the second Ivorian to win the award
? Follows in footsteps of Chelsea's Didier Drogba
The Manchester City midfielder Yaya Touré has been named the 2011 African footballer of the year.
The Ivory Coast international has established himself as a key player in the City team since arriving at the club from Barcelona in 2010.
Touré scored the winner in City's FA Cup semi-final victory over Manchester United and in the final against Stoke, ending the club's 35-year wait for a major trophy. His displays this season have also helped Roberto Mancini's side to the top of the Premier League.
A statement on the Confederation of African Football's official website read: "The 28-year-old pipped Ghanaian midfielder Andre Ayew and Malian Seydou Keita to scoop the top-most honour at the awards gala on Thursday at the Banquet Hall, State House in Accra."
Touré is only the second Ivorian to win the award since its inception in 1992, following in the footsteps of the Chelsea striker Didier Drogba.
The award was voted for by the head coaches of the national teams in Africa.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/d
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karlpejeraThe dollar edged down against the euro in Asia amid increased risk appetite.
|||The dollar edged down against the euro in Asia amid increased risk appetite on Friday after US data showed that jobless claims had fallen to their lowest level since April 2008, analysts said.
The greenback changed hands at 78.10 yen, compared with 78.15 yen late Thursday New York while the euro rose to $1.3072 from $1.3050.
The euro bought 102.10 yen compared with 101.83 late Thursday.
On Thursday the US Labor Department said weekly claims for unemployment benefits hit a better-than-expected 364 000 last week, compared with a consensus estimate of 380 000 and representing a third straight drop.
The downward claims trend matched data from earlier in the month showing the national unemployment rate dropping to 8.6 percent in November from 9.0 percent the month before, adding to a sense of continued recovery in the world's number one economy.
“The US has been creating jobs for 14 months in a row,” said Jennifer Lee of BMO Capital Markets. “In other words, the job market is improving.”
Analysts from Singapore's United Overseas Bank expect the dollar to remain strong against the euro in the first half of next year if the European debt crisis remains far from resolved.
They said in a commentary “the likely increased severity of the European situation and a clearly missing workable short-term solution to the European debt problems in first half (of 2012) will imply that the dollar strength will be sustained.” -Sapa-AFP
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/dollar-slips-agains
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