Greenpeace Monitors Durban Clean Up Operation

Greenpeace is monitoring the clean up operation of areas affected by a major diesel spillage in Durban, the environmental advocacy group said on Thursday.

"Greenpeace Africa is monitoring the situation with expectations of an efficient and speedy clean up of the affected areas," spokesperson Mbong Akiy said in a statement.

She was reacting to reports that a pipeline between Durban and Johannesburg burst in an upmarket housing complex on Durban's outskirts spilling 200 000 litres of diesel, The Daily News reported on Wednesday that the pipe burst in the early hours of Tuesday morning in the Greenvale Village Complex.

The pipeline was shut down and Transnet Pipelines spokesperson Saret Knoetze reportedly said a repair team and an environmental team had been dispatched.

The value of the fuel lost was estimated at R2.4m and the clean up bill would run into millions.

"The negative impact of such spills on both people and the environment is immeasurable, and our thoughts are with all of those who have been affected by this massive diesel oil spill," said Akiy.

She said the spill was a stark reminder of the dangers associated with dirty fossil fuels, and the limitations associated with Eskom's over-reliance on diesel to keep open-cycle gas turbines working during the current electricity crisis.

"South Africa's government needs to act now to ensure a clean and sustainable future for its citizens, which will only be made possible through an ambitious increase in investments in clean renewable energy.

SAPA
Check us out here---http://newsbeatportal.com, http://twitter.com/nigerianewsbeat, http://facebook.com/nigerianewsbeat

Read More

Christmas: Gbenga Daniel Calls For Unity And Prayer

Former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel has felicitated with Christians and  good people of Ogun State on the occasion of Christmas Day celebration urging them to use the opportunity to offer prayers for the country.

In his message for the yuletide period, Otunba Daniel reminded Christians and non-Christians alike to be guided by the spiritual message of Christmas as he sued for peace and unity which he stated could only be achieved in an atmosphere of religious tolerance, oneness and love.

On the state of insecurity in the nation, Otunba Daniel renewed his call for deep prayers and divine intervention in the quest to stemming the scourge while urging the government to expedite actions on a grand plan to counter the rising cases of insurgency to forestall unnecessary bloodshed and palpable fear ravaging the land.

While urging politicians to eschew politics of bitterness, violence, religion bigotry and ethnicism, he advocated issues based campaigns as against unguided statements, falsehood, rumour and mischief. He also advised parents to admonish their wards not to fall victims of thuggery and unruly behaviour during electioneering campaigns and elections proper.

Otunba Daniel also urged the people of the State to  approach the election year with a collective resolve to put in place individuals that will provide able representation and quality leadership at all levels and a government that will make life more abundant for its people in the areas of youth employment, qualitative education, adequate health care delivery, rapid and feasible economic growth, provision of basic infrastructure, rural integration, prudence and accountability.

Signed:
Ayo Giwa,
Media Officer to HE. Otunba Gbenga Daniel.
25 Dec. 2014.
Check us out here---http://newsbeatportal.com, http://twitter.com/nigerianewsbeat, http://facebook.com/nigerianewsbeat

Read More

I Will Seek The Help Of Military Generals To Crush Insurgency - Buhari

The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Wednesday promised to involve serving and retired military generals to devise an effective strategy to crush insurgency in the country, if elected as President in 2015.

He said, "On my part, I intend to initiate consultations with serving generals and those who have served our country and distinguished themselves on the battlefield across the world to work out an alternative and effective strategy to crush this insurgency within the shortest possible time if elected president on February 14, 2015.

The former Head of State, who berated the President Goodluck Jonathan administration over rising poverty in the country, said, "In a nation where a few individuals could raise N21bn because they wanted to make their friend President, millions of citizens, who truly own the resources being accumulated by a few, are left to suffer in sorrow, tears and blood.

According to The PUNCH, Buhari, in his Christmas goodwill message signed by the Director of Communications, Buhari Campaign Organisation, Mr. Dele Alake, expressed displeasure at the security challenges in the country and the poor state of Nigerian roads.

"The right to life, guaranteed by our constitution, is under savage assault. The stories of murder in the print and electronic media make you shiver to the bones. The daredevilry of the Godless Boko Haram, which penetrated battle lines in the North-East to commit suicidal blasts in the north central capital cities of Bauchi and Gombe, demonstrates the crucial need to review the military strategy of our defence forces."
Check us out here---http://newsbeatportal.com, http://twitter.com/nigerianewsbeat, http://facebook.com/nigerianewsbeat

Read More

Discussion: Was Jesus Christ Really Born On December 25?

Christians in Nigerian join their counterparts all over the world on December 25, 2014 to celebrate and commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, who came to save mankind.

Over time, there has been the debate with regard to the question of when Jesus Christ was born, how he was born, where he was born, if he really came down from heaven to earth, etc.

However, the discussion for today boils down to the questions highlighted below:

Was Jesus born on December 25?
Is December 25 Jesus' birthday?
How fixed December 25 as the day to celebrate the birth of Jesus?
When was it fixed?

Do share with everyone what you know about the above questions; let us see this as another opportunity to learn again and enlighten others.
Check us out here---http://newsbeatportal.com, http://twitter.com/nigerianewsbeat, http://facebook.com/nigerianewsbeat

Read More

Nigeria Is Rich, But Her Citizens Are Extremely Poor - Buhari

The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Wednesday said that though Nigeria is a rich nation, its people are extremely poor due to bad governance, The PUNCH reports.

He said his administration would focus on how best   to "make the condition of living of the common man the index for the assessment of our policies and not the amount of billionaires our administration would have made."

"I have said that I live the life of a pensioner. I share the burden and anxiety of majority of our poor, powerless people. I have offered myself on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, the party of change, because I desire to give back to a country that clothed, fed and trained me to be what I am today. Our people are poor. But our country is rich."

According to The PUNCH, the former Head of State, who berated the President Goodluck Jonathan administration over   rising poverty in the country, said, "In a nation where a few individuals could raise N21bn because they wanted to make their friend President, millions of citizens, who truly own the resources being accumulated by a few, are left to suffer in sorrow, tears and blood.

Check us out here---http://newsbeatportal.com, http://twitter.com/nigerianewsbeat, http://facebook.com/nigerianewsbeat

Read More

Buhari surpasses 40,000 Twitter Threshold In Two Days

The All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, General Buhari (rtd) has the 40,000 mark on twitter.

Buhari achieved this feat in the space of two days on signing up with one of the most popular social media network in the world.

An analysis of the followers indicate that majority of them are from the Northern and South Western region of the country. The pattern is a pointer to what to expect in the elections

Could this be where he will record the largest votes? If yes, would the votes ensure he succeeds incumbent president Jonathan?
Check us out here---http://newsbeatportal.com, http://twitter.com/nigerianewsbeat, http://facebook.com/nigerianewsbeat

Read More

Online Safety Tips For Nigerians This Holiday Season

The holiday season is upon us and as always, we all are scrambling to get the best deals online and in stores. However, a few wrong clicks this season could land cyber criminals topping your list of people who will be receiving presents this year.

This year has witnessed lots of significant breaches ranging from a $40m cyber-heist by a Nigerian bank IT worker to the huge data leakage at Sony, just about a week ago.

Information Security expert, Rotimi Akinyele of PhynxLabs said online users can easily put themselves and their devices at risk, unless they take precautions and avoid the common mistakes highlighted below that could compromise their security.

Beware of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) Scam

The ongoing Bank Verification Number (BVN) introduced by the CBN as a means of uniquely identifying bank customers across the Nigerian Banking industry has provided a fertile ground for cyber criminals to defraud unsuspecting bank customers.

Scam emails purportedly sent from Banks/CBN are in circulation urging bank customers to visit a website to activate their BVN online as failure to do so would result in their account(s) and debit cards being deactivated.

Please note that BVN registration can only be done physically at a bank's branch. There is no technology now to replace the physical capture of your biometric data which the BVN seeks to achieve.

Do NOT access your accounts from Public WIFi

Just because a WiFi is free doesn't mean you should connect to it any time it's available. When you're banking or making other online payments, it's better to connect with EDGE or 3G, even if it's slower. It might only be 45 seconds of doing an online bank transaction, but if the wireless network has been compromised, that is more than enough time needed for a cyber-criminal to collect your data.

Use secure passwords

It's crucial to always use strong passwords as passwords are the first line of defense against cyber crooks. Try not to use names of your family, pets, first car, mother's maiden name, etc. as all these can be easily guessed, brute forced or even available on social media sites like facebook, twitter or instagram. Make sure to use a mixture of characters, numbers, and letters of at least 8 characters when choosing your password; as only this will add a high level of difficulty for any attempted password theft. Also, do not reuse your passwords as a compromise on one would translate to a compromise on all.

Stay safe on social networking sites

Social media sites are increasingly becoming targets for spams, scams and other online attacks. Asides mining data from tons of "status updates" for targeted attacks, cyber criminals have mastered the act of baiting unsuspecting users with well-crafted short but compelling posts offering free entry to a Christmas competition with a fantastic prize. The general rule is "there is no free lunch or freebies on the internet – if you're not buying a product then you are the product". Users who click the links then inadvertently act as accomplices to the cyber-criminals because the malicious scripts would automatically re-post the links, images or videos on their contacts' walls or timelines. If an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is. Do NOT click.

Protect yourself from fraudulent emails

If you receive an email urging you to download an unknown tax payment attachment or an email informing you of an urgent pending transaction and you need to login with your details to verify, DELETE that email. Such emails usually trick users into visiting the site, and once you do, viruses and spywares get downloaded on your device which automatically joins you to a network of enslaved computers that have been programmed to carry out malicious deeds. No reputable organization would send emails to collect user names, passwords, token keys or Debit/Credit card details.

The threats to your online accounts increase daily, however, the tips above can help you stay protected online while still providing the convenience online access offers you this holiday.

Stay safe online and happy holidays!
Check us out here---http://newsbeatportal.com, http://twitter.com/nigerianewsbeat, http://facebook.com/nigerianewsbeat

Read More

South Africa President Jacob Zuma Hint At Marrying Fifth Wife

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma has hinted he may be ready to take a fifth wife to accompany him through old age, the daily newspaper The Star said on Wednesday.

During a visit to a Durban township on Tuesday in KwaZulu-Natal, the 72-year-old said in Zulu "Angakayakhi indlu yokugugela... laba ngisabathathile nje" (I do have wives but I'm yet to marry my last one).

The crowd, most of them elderly, laughed and cheered, The Star said.

Zuma, who on Sunday said he was in "perfect condition" after a stay in hospital in June, had earlier given a speech about the need to respect and tend for older people.

Sihawu Nguyen, a professor at KwaZulu-Natal University, was quoted by the newspaper as saying it was fairly standard among Zulu people for a man who practises polygamy to take a last wife for his last years, sometimes
the younger sister of one of his wives.

"They call the last wife 'indlu yokugugela' [the home in which I will age in] because the responsibility of looking after the husband in their old age predominantly lies with the junior wife, who is often younger than the other wives and more agile in case there is an emergency," he said.

Zuma, who has around 20 children, has married six times but currently has four wives on the state's budget, despite criticism from some tax-payers.
Check us out here---http://newsbeatportal.com, http://twitter.com/nigerianewsbeat, http://facebook.com/nigerianewsbeat

Read More

Man Arraigned In Court For Stabbing Two Children In South Africa

A man accused of stabbing and wounding two small children and their mother in Dobsonville, Soweto, appeared in court on Wednesday, Gauteng police said.

Harris Nhlapho appeared in the Protea Magistrate's Court and his case was postponed to 2 January for further investigation, Warrant Officer Kay Makhubela said.

Nhlapho would be kept in custody.

He allegedly stabbed two boys, aged 2 and 3, and their 20-year-old mother in their home in Dobsonville extension three on 16 December.

The 2-year-old boy was stabbed three times on his head, and the 3-year-old eight times in his body. The boys' mother received multiple stab wounds on her left arm. The boys' 60-year-old grandmother was cut on her forehead during the incident.
Check us out here---http://newsbeatportal.com, http://twitter.com/nigerianewsbeat, http://facebook.com/nigerianewsbeat

Read More

Guinea Ambassador Asks Africa To Facilitate Ebola Fight

Mr Arafan Kabine Kaba, Ambassador of the Republic of Guinea, has appealed to African countries to show solidarity to the three countries affected by the Ebola Viral Disease (EVD), Ghana News Agency Reports.

He said Africa, which is a continent noted for being each other's keeper could reach out to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea for the EVD control as a collective responsibility.

"Let us collectively make the fight against Ebola be our priority especially when we are each other's keeper," he said.

According to Ghana News Agency, Mr Kaba made the remarks on Tuesday when the EPP Books Services donated 1000 copies of French dictionaries worth GH?12, 000.00 and 20 footballs to the Guinea Embassy in Accra.

In addition EPP Books Services also presented a cheque for GH?10,000.00 to the officials of the Embassy to help improve upon the educational standards in the country.

Receiving the items, Mr Kaba thanked EPP Books Services for the support, saying he was not surprised about the assistance especially when the relationship between Ghana and Guinea is fundamental.
Check us out here---http://newsbeatportal.com, http://twitter.com/nigerianewsbeat, http://facebook.com/nigerianewsbeat

Read More