Massive Ship Acquired By Nigeria Navy Arrives From China

Nigerian Navy Ship UNITY, the latest acquisition constructed by China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Limited (CSOIL) has arrived Lagos, Nigeria.

The ship which departed China on 15 September 2016 berthed at the Nigerian Naval Dockyard Jetty on November 4, 2016, at 2:10pm.

She was escorted into harbour by two locally constructed Seaward Defence Boats (SDBs) NNS ANDONI and NNS KARADUWA as well as TUG CDR UGWU.

It may be recalled that NNS CENTENARY, a sister ship of the same class was the first to be constructed by CSOIL. NNS UNITY being the second is built for high endurance capability at sea which makes her an ideal platform for naval operations.

On hand to receive her was the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, officials of the Chinese Embassy in Lagos, representative of CSOIL in Nigeria, Mr Dapo Oguntayo and former Chiefs of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Micheal Adelanwa (rtd), and many others

Read More »

New Mercedes e-class now on sale in Kenya

NAIROBI, KENYA : The eagerly awaited new
Mercedes E-Class four door luxury saloon
goes on sale from October 28th in the DT
Dobie showrooms at Lusaka Road and
Westlands in Nairobi and the Company’s
branches in Mombasa, Nakuru and Kisumu.
The latest E-Class is the fifth generation
of one of the most successful executive cars
offering a blend of stylish designs,
advanced technology, good taste and fine
road holding capabilities. The range for
Kenya offers the choice of the E200,
E250,E300 and the E43 AMG models.
The E200 has a two litre 184 horsepower
petrol engine linked with a smooth nine
speed automatic gear box. The engine for
the E250 develops 211 horsepower and the
E300 engine is rated at 242 horsepower and
finally the engine for the E43 AMG is rated
at 401 hp. These engines make the new
models faster and more economical than
their predecessors.
The needs of motorists who value
refinements, comfort and safety are met
by the new E-Class which is one of the most
aerodynamic shapes on the road. Buyers are
offered the choice of the Exclusive line with
a classic radiator grille and the Mercedes
star on the bonnet, or the sporting
appearance of the Avantgarde version. This
features a bold front with a prominent
Mercedes star in the centre.
The cabin has received high praise and has
been described as a fractionally downsized
version of the S-Class. Available with two
large 12.3 inch displays for the driver
information and the other for the car’s
infotainment functions, this is a one of a
kind offering in this class. The seats are
superbly styled and very comfortable with
massage and heating functions for the
driver and front passenger. The E-Class
also has heating for arm rests and the
center console padding.
The reputation earned by Mercedes-Benz
for making strong safe cars has been
reinforced by the 2016 E-Class which
bristles with active and passive safety
features. One of the key new safety
systems available is Pre-Safe Impulsive Side
which upon the car detecting a side collision,
the vehicle’s seat will inflate the side
bolsters to move the occupant towards the
center of the vehicle furthering the
distance of the door to the occupant and
thus minimizing the effects of the crash.
The selection of colours and interior
combinations leaves buyers spoilt for choice.
This contributes to making the E-Class a
leap forward in the luxury car segment
inspiring AutoCar
More
magazine to sum up, “It’s simply
untouchable by its rivals in so many ways (on
cabin ambiance and technological
sophistication, comfort and overall
refinement). An excellent executive saloon”.
The introduction of the Mercedes E-Class
saloon follows the launch of seven different
Mercedes Benz SUVs earlier this year. These
range from the compact GLA to the large
and luxurious GLS. All seven models are
equipped with fuel efficient petrol engines
and 4-MATIC intelligent 4X4 drive systems.
The state of the art front and rear
suspensions suit highway driving, unsurfaced
tracks and off-road conditions.
Both the GLC and the mid-level GLE have
coupe versions. The pinnacle of the range is
the GLS which confirms its position as the
“S-Class among SUVs”.
In contrast to the elegant lines of the
majority of the GL models, the G-Class
model which is fondly known as the G Wagen
has the appearance of a typical 4X4
workhorse. This has its origins in an all
purpose vehicle made by Mercedes for
military use. The model offered by DT Dobie
is the top of the range version and has 5.5
litre Bi-Turbo petrol engine with an output
of 577 horsepower that makes it’s presence
heard with a thunderous exhaust note. The
G500 V8 petrol and G350d Diesel are also
available to order.

Read More »

How loggers and Kenya Forest Service officials collude to deplete forests

A resident of Kiamuriuki section of Mt
Kenya forest examines some of the timber
worth millions of shillings loggers abandoned
after they flushed them out of the area
for failing to include the community to
share harvesting benefits of mature exotic
trees estmated at Sh 100 million on a 35-
acre block. (PHOTO: MUNENE KAMAU/
STANDARD)
Illegal loggers have compromised forest
rangers to deplete large sections of forests
in Mt Kenya region.
The schemes to deplete the natural
resources are plotted by some Kenya Forest
Service (KFS) officials who drop the guard
to allow commercial saw millers to harvest
more mature trees than they are allowed.
In some instances the commercial saw
millers fell double or triple the amount of
trees they are licensed to cut.
A spot check in Mt Kenya and Aberdare
forests revealed that illegal logging has
left parts of the forests bare.
Our team encountered freshly cut tree
stumps deep inside the forest, a complete
different picture when you view the forest
from the fringes.

Read More »

Boko Haram 'razes village near Chibok, kills 2 soldiers'

Kano - Boko Haram jihadists killed two soldiers
and razed a village adjoining the northeast
Nigerian town of Chibok where the group
kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls two years
ago, residents said Sunday.
The Nigerian army meanwhile said it had retaken
some villages from the Islamist group in the Lake
Chad region in operations on Friday and Saturday
and "rescued" 85 people, including women and
children. It also claimed nearly 40 Islamists were
killed in other operations.
A group of Boko Haram gunmen arrived in
Akwada, 10km from Chibok, late Saturday and
torched homes after looting food supplies.
The attack came just hours after the army said
it had rescued one of the missing Chibok
schoolgirls with her 10-month-old baby near the
Cameroon border.
"Boko Haram gunmen attacked the village around
19:30. They fired indiscriminately and hurled
explosives," resident Bitrus John told AFP.
"They killed two soldiers and injured another one
in gunfight," he said.
Troops patrolling the area engaged the Islamists
in a shootout, allowing residents to flee the
village unhurt, said John.
Sporadic attacks
Soldiers had deployed in the village following
incessant attacks in the area in recent months.
"The village has been entirely burnt, there is
nothing left apart from burnt rubble of our mud
houses," said Bulus Samson.
The attack underscores the continued threat of
Boko Haram in Nigeria's volatile northeast, where
the military is battling for control despite
making gains against the insurgents over the
past year.
It came two weeks after similar raids on two
nearby villages where the Islamists looted and
burnt homes.
The Nigerian army said on Sunday it had rescued
85 people held by Boko Haram in villages around
Lake Chad.
Army spokesman Sani Usman said in a statement
that five insurgents and a soldier were killed and
that weapons had also been recovered.
Usman said 37 Boko Haram fighters were killed in
another operation in four villages in the south of
Borno state, the epicentre of the Islamist
uprising.
He said a local vigilante died and five soldiers
were wounded during the operation.
Boko Haram's seven-year insurgency in Nigeria's
predominantly-Muslim north has claimed at least
20 000 lives and made more than 2.6 million
homeless.
Nigerian troops with the help of neighbouring
countries have recaptured swathes of territory
from Boko Haram since early 2015, but the
extremists have carried out sporadic attacks on
remote villages in the restive region.

Read More »