Niger Delta Avengers announce ceasefire

The Niger Delta Avengers have pledged to lay down their weapons and resume talks with the Nigerian government after months of attacks on the country’s oil and gas infrastructure that have crippled the economy.

In a message posted on the group’s website late on Saturday, the NDA said it would “observe a cessation of hostilities” in the Niger delta and would support any effort to negotiate with “the federal government of Nigeria, representatives from the home countries of all multinational oil corporations and neutral international mediators.”

“We will give our Niger Delta elders and genuine stakeholders that tacit support to the dialogue table with the government and the Multinational oil Corporations whenever the enabling environment prevails,” said Mudoch Agbinibo, the spokesman for Avengers.
The group, however, said it would only a negotiation team put in place by a Niger Delta elder, Edwin Clark, with the aim of “achieving the short, medium and long-term frameworks and objectives to de-escalating conflicts in the Niger Delta.”

“Most of the frameworks and objectives are clearly stated in various reports, declarations and recommendations of the likes of the Sir Henry Willinks minority rights reports of pre-independence Nigeria (1957-8), The Kaiama Declaration document, The General Alexander Ogomudia report, The Leedum Mittee headed Niger Delta Technical Committee report and restructuring to fiscal federalism,” Agbinibo said.
But the NDA warned that it would resume hostilities if “the Nigerian government and the ruling political APC continues to use security agencies/agents, formations and politicians to arrest, intimidate, invade and harass innocent citizens, suspected NDA members and invade especially Ijaw communities.”
Since the start of the year, the NDA has carried out a string of devastating attacks on Nigeria’s oil pipelines and facilities.

Oil majors including Shell, Exxon, Chevron, Eni and the state-run oil group NNPC have all been targeted this year.
The attacks have reduced Nigeria’s output by a third, hammering government revenue at a time of low global oil prices.

The oil sector accounts for 90 percent of the nation’s foreign exchange earnings and 70 percent of government revenue.
The NDA has claimed to seek a fairer share of Nigeria’s oil wealth for residents of the region as well as self-determination and political autonomy.

Tokyo shares slump as yen rally hits sentiment

Tokyo shares slumped for a second session in thin trading on Tuesday after a sharp rally in the yen and disappointing Japanese second-quarter GDP figures hit investor sentiment.
The yen’s rise — a negative for exporters’ overseas profitability — came on top of below-par data Monday showing growth in the world’s number three economy was flat during the April-June period.

The figures missed economists’ expectations for a modest 0.2 percent expansion, as weak exports and a fall in business spending held back activity.
Trading was also thin with many investors away for Japan’s week-long Obon holiday.
On currency markets, the dollar fell to 100.17 yen from 101.25 yen in New York, its lowest in about a month.

“The yen is being driven by the dollar’s weakness, spurred on by increasing expectations the Federal Reserve won’t raise (interest) rates this year,” Nicholas Teo, a Singapore-based strategist at KGI Fraser Securities, told Bloomberg News.
“This complicates things for Japanese policy makers seeking to stimulate Japan’s economy.”
By the close, the benchmark Nikkei 225 index was down 1.62 percent, or 273.05 points, to 16,596.51, coming off its highest levels since early June.

The broader Topix index of all first-section shares lost 1.38 percent, or 18.16 points, to end at 1,298.47.
Shares of Uniqlo-operator Fast Retailing, a market heavyweight, dropped 3.00 percent to 36,500 yen.
Toyota fell 1.26 percent to 5,875 yen, rival Nissan shed 1.73 percent to 980.7 yen and videogame giant Nintendo slipped 1.56 percent to 21,720 yen.

An overnight jump in crude prices lifted refiner JX Holdings 1.07 percent to 377.2 yen, while Showa Shell was up 0.93 percent at 868 yen.
An early rally in Inpex shares, which were up more than two percent by the break, fizzled, with the energy explorer closing down 1.02 percent at 837.5 yen.

OPEN HEAVENS BY PST. ENOCH .A. ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVENS BY PST. ENOCH .A. ADEBOYE

TUESDAY 16TH AUGUST,2016

THE PRINCE OF PEACE

MEMORISE:
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

HYMN 7: 
HOLY HOLY HOLY, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

READ: 
Isaiah 9:2-7
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 
Isaiah 28:1-30:17
Psalms 35

MESSAGE:
In recent times, the entire world has been troubled by one thing or the other. Government of nations all over the world have explored all avenues and different theories to solve their problems, yet the crises increase. So many budgets are being voted by members of different groups all in the name of providing peace, and the more the investment of time, meetings, mediations and reconciliations, the less the solutions. Until we come back to where we have missed it, we will just keep reinventing the wheel. Also, individuals go through different forms of troubles and worries with no solution. There is nothing like an atmosphere of peace either in a nation or in the life of an individual. It is the greatest thing the world is searching for today and it is the best thing that can happen to a person. 
Peace is saying no to violence and creating room for harmony and love. Those who do not have peace cannot experience wellness of life. When there is no peace in a place, it exposes everyone to hostility and aggression, but where there is peace, there is rest of mind and tranquility. I decree that you will find peace today in Jesus' name. Finding peace is finding Jesus Christ. He came to restore the broken relationship between man and God. He came to reconcile us back to the Father. Jesus is the one who broke down every wall of partition between us and God.

"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us." Ephesians 2:14

No matter what you are going through in your life, there is a solution in Christ Jesus. In what area are you experiencing problems? Come to the Prince of Peace and He will give you rest. Are you have troubles and fierce storms in your marriage? Come to Jesus and He will step into the center of your home and give you peace.

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John14:27

There will be trying times in the life of every child of God but you can be rest assured that in your troubled times, you are not alone. God will never allow the trouble to overwhelm you. He will make you experience calmness in the situation. It is important you know that peace is not necessarily the absence of war, it is the presence of rest and calmness in the time of war. Jesus will always bring light into every darkness. He will always speak peace into every storm. He presides over every unpleasant situation of life so that you can experience His peace.

PRAYER POINT:
Father let your peace overrule all my worries in Jesus' name.

Costa late show gets Conte’s Chelsea off mark

Diego Costa thrust himself back into the headlines with an 89th-minute winner as Chelsea edged West Ham United 2-1 in Antonio Conte’s first Premier League game as manager on Monday.

Eden Hazard, symbol of Chelsea’s slump from champions to a 10th-place finish last season, opened the scoring at Stamford Bridge with a penalty early in the second half, before James Collins equalised in the 77th minute.
Costa arguably should have been shown a second yellow card after catching West Ham goalkeeper Adrian with a late challenge, but he stayed on to steer a dramatic winner into the bottom-left corner from 20 yards.

The bruising Spain striker’s goal capped a positive night for Conte, who handed a full debut to former Leicester City man N’Golo Kante and saw another debutant, substitute Michy Batshuayi, set up the winning strike.
But it was a bitter defeat for West Ham manager Slaven Bilic, who lost debutant Andre Ayew to an apparent right thigh injury in the 34th minute.

With both managers spending the entire match on the edge of their technical areas, suited and gesturing animatedly, the game was characterised by hasty, imprecise football and full-blooded tackling.
Kante started at the base of midfield in the only change to the Chelsea team that started last season’s opening game — a 2-2 draw with Swansea City that gave the first hints of the rot that was about to set in.

Bilic fielded two debutants in Ayew and left-back Arthur Masuaku, but the former was forced into a premature exit after injuring himself chasing after the elusive Hazard.
The hosts’ high defensive line prevented West Ham bringing lone striker Andy Carroll into the game and the early chances were all Chelsea’s.
– Antonio storms off –
Branislav Ivanovic drew a save from Adrian at his near post, Hazard curled a shot a foot wide following a probing run and Willian obliged Adrian to palm a dipping free-kick over the bar.

West Ham’s resistance was broken two minutes into the second half after Cesar Azpilicueta charged down an attempted clearance by Michail Antonio on the edge of the visitors’ box.
In seeking to atone for his error, Antonio succeeded only in blundering into Azpilicueta from behind, obliging referee Anthony Taylor to point to the spot.
Hazard thundered the penalty into the roof of the net and within four minutes Antonio had been replaced by Sam Byram, the former Nottingham Forest player storming past Bilic and straight down the tunnel.
With West Ham offering next to no attacking threat, Chelsea continued to attack, Willian working Adrian with a crisp shot and John Terry heading over.

But the hosts should have been reduced to 10 men when Costa, booked in the first half for dissent, caught Adrian with an ugly late challenge as the West Ham goalkeeper dallied over a clearance.
West Ham looked to have pulled off a smash-and-grab with 13 minutes remaining when Chelsea failed to clear a corner and Wales international Collins lashed a left-foot shot past Thibaut Courtois.

But with full-time looming, former Marseille striker

Batshuayi flicked on a long ball to Costa, who steadied himself before guiding a shot between Collins’s legs and beyond Adrian’s despairing drive.