OBLONG MEDIA GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE is where independent minds meet to dissect politics, society, power, and global affairs without fear or filters. This is not mainstream media.
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1. He won the previous election with landslide victory. The re-run was ordered because of the exclusion of a party during the election by INEC. 2. While in the Senate for just less than six months, he sponsored the following bills: *Sponsored the Bill to enable Nigerians in diaspora to participate in elections in Nigeria *Petroleum Amendment bill to encourage local processing of petroleum products and liberalization of oil license for regular supply of petroleum products. *Mining and Solid Mineral (2007) amendment act 2015 to encourage liberalization of licenses and local processing of solid minerals. *Federal Competition and Consumer Protection…
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The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Thursday, changed the leaderships of some Senate committees, offering top positions to his staunchest opponents. Mr. Saraki will also host the All Progressives Congress Senate caucus at his Lake Chad, Maitama residence Thursday night. It is the first time Mr. Saraki will be hosting his APC colleagues. The moves, apparently part of efforts to heal a senate polarized by Mr. Saraki’s election, came hours after he denied he was returning to the Peoples Democratic Party. Under the new plan, Kabiru Marafa, the Senate leadership’s most outspoken and harshest critic, will head the committee on…
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The president of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, on Thursday said he remained committed to the ideals and agenda of the All Progressives Congress. Mr. Saraki’s assurances was in reaction to media reports that he had abandoned his party for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The speculation followed Mr. Saraki’s appearance at the PDP Senate’s caucus meeting on Wednesday. In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Social Media, Bamikole Omishore, Mr. Saraki said he was not prepared to leave a party he that he “helped midwife and worked for its victory in the 2015 elections”. Mr. Omishore said…
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Today we will be discussing the first oil war, which was fought in the 19th century, in the area that became Nigeria. All through the 19th century, palm oil was highly sought-after by the British, for use as an industrial lubricant for machinery. Remember that Britain was the world’s first industrialised nation, so they needed resources such as palm oil to maintain that. Palm oil of course, is a tropical plant, which is native to the Niger Delta. Malaysia’s dominance came a century later. By 1870, palm oil had replaced slaves as the main export of the Niger Delta, the…
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Melania Trump, wife of imminent Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and potential First Lady, faces accusations of plagiarism after several passages in her speech to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland appeared to echo lines from Michelle Obama’s speech to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Denver. Trump’s wife joins Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden as accused plagiarists. Even Michelle Obama was accused of plagiarizing part of her own 2008 DNC speech. Barack Obama: “Don’t tell me words don’t matter.” As then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) surpassed Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, largely on the strength of his…
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Senate President, Bukola Saraki has returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigerian Times can exclusively report. Saraki met with the PDP caucus this evening at the Abuja home of his deputy in the Senate, Ike Ekeremadu at the Apo Legislative Quarters. After the meeting,Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Senate President, led a group of senators to Goodluck Jonathan’s Maitama home to brief him. The meeting with Jonathan is on going at press time. Saraki has been facing prosecution at the Code of Conduct Tribunal for falsely declared assets. A source who was at the meeting told Nigerian Times that Saraki, who…
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Ladies and gentlemen, Knights and ladies, My public office holder friends and family, please send your condolence letters for Chief Sir Engr. Ignatius Ugwuanya Nnadi-Oforgu (KSM) Ndukaku II of Ihiagwa to conaconcepts@gmail.com This is to enable us fit in your letters into the official commemorative funeral program booklet. Chima (oblong) Nnadi-Oforgu For the family.
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The Nnadi-Oforgu family of Umuadamoche, Umuelem, Ihiagwa ancient autonomous kingdom in Owerri west local government area of Imo state, Nigeria, announces the tentative date for the funeral of Chief Sir Engr. Ignatius Ugwuanya Nnadi (KSM ) Ndukaku II of Ihiagwa as the 11-12 of August 2016. In accordance with Catholic Church guidelines, detailed funeral obsequies will be communicated soon. Chima (Oblong) Nnadi-Oforgu For the family.
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Like the narrative of Murtala Mohammed’s competence and incorruptibility, the myth of Buhari’s clear-sighted capacity for enlightened governance derived not from evidence from his earlier regime but from the fact that he was not in power long enough for his errors of judgment and governing deficits to achieve their full, devastating impact on regular Nigerians. President Muhammadu Buhari is clearly in over his head when it comes to managing the economy and people of a complex country like Nigeria. The economy is in a tailspin, and Buhari has allowed some security challenges to fester and stocked others through empty martial…
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The member representing Owerri federal constituency, Chief Ezenwa Onyewuchi, has appealed to Imo State Government to halt the on-going demolition of residential buildings and business outfits in Owerri and it’s environs. The lawmaker, who made the passionate appeal in Owerri, after receiving several complaints, protests and petitions, also expressed shock over the level of destruction of people’s homes and businesses by the state government. “I am honestly grieved by the massive demolition of private and commercial properties, including the Orji Mechanic Village. The government needs to provide an accessible alternative location for the artisans and vehicle owners before relocating the…
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Because of PMB’s consistent inconsistencies in economic policies and complete cluelessness in economic matters, Africa’s largest and one of the world’s fastest growing economy turned to a basket case. Local and international investors are counting their losses, a lucky few that survived PMB’s economic assassination are picking their pieces and disappearing from our shore with speed of light. Stocks collapsed and still dovetailing like a descending arrow. Banks are folding their branches and sending their workers home in their thousands .According to the latest Bloomberg report, the Naira is the world’s worst performing currency. The Naira is struggling to match…
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The disputed waters of South China Sea and how China just refused an international court ruling, will lead us to World War III. The Philippines filed an order against China regarding the South China Sea and the disputed waters. The Hague ruled heavily in favor of the Philippines and ordered China to scale down its military presence as well as relinquish control of the waters. The Peoples republic of China has made it clear that they will not recognize nor follow the court ruling over the South China Sea. “The Chinese government and the Chinese people firmly oppose and will…
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A lot of people may not know who Sir Louis Philip Odumegwu Ojukwu is besides the fact that he was the father of late Biafran Warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu. But the fact is that he was one of the greatest Business men ever produced in Africa and one of the richest. It beggars belief that Sir Ojukwu went to Lagos with nothing in 1929 aged just 20, but 10 years later, aged just 30, he was already managing his own chain of businesses which included, *Ojukwu Stores,* *Ojukwu textiles* and *Ojukwu transportation* *company* By 1950, just Ojukwu Transportation company…
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Fiery tele-evangelist and Senior Pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly, Tunde Bakare, has said only an immediate restructuring of the country can prevent it from drifting to anarchy. According to the cleric, unless Nigeria reverts to true federalism now, it will be extremely difficult to save the soul of the nation. Bakare, a former vice presidential candidate to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2011, spoke with The Guardian after delivering a lecture titled “The Crisis Of Christianity And The Challenge Of The Church” in memory of the founder of the Church of the Lord (Aladura), the late Prophet Josiah Olunowo Ositelu,…
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“President Muhammadu Buhari has boasted that he is still as popular as he was during the 2015 presidential election. Buhari said this in an interview with the magazine, African Leadership. His words: “Yes, I was elected by an overwhelming majority of Nigerians, and I am ever grateful for the opportunity I have been given to serve. “However, I don’t consider the result of the so-called survey a slip in my public rating and acceptance. I appreciate the high expectations of Nigerians and as an administration we are working assiduously to deliver. “We came in with a mantra of Change and…
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Religion is the arena of the highest level of passion and commitment, and by allowing too many of our young people to emerge without guidance and without opportunities… It is my hope that engagement with our report will be an opportunity for Nigerians and their governments to engage in a wider dialogue on rebuilding social cohesion, civic culture and the regeneration of a State system that serves the people. It would be recalled that between December 12th and 14th 2015, hundreds of people were killed in Zaria following clashes between the Nigerian Army and the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN).…
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Nigeria’s economy could contract this year and President Muhammadu Buhari’s government is seen as having few plans in place to turn the slump around, according to analysts including Renaissance Capital Ltd.’s Yvonne Mhango. Last month, the Central Bank of Nigeria allowed the naira to devalue after a 15-month currency peg curbed investment and contributed to a 0.4 percent contraction in the economy in the three months through March. With inflation at a six-year high, the Monetary Policy Committee will probably raise borrowing costs by 400 basis points by the end of 2016, according to Standard Chartered. The four-month delay in…
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The consumer price index (CPI) measuring inflation in the Nigerian economy rose to its highest point since former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s days as the first citizen of Nigeria. The inflation report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that inflation for the month of June spiked to its highest point since October 2005 — 11 years. Inflation rose from 15.6 percent in May 2016 to 16.5 percent in June 2016, as energy and food prices weigh in heavy on inflation for the month. Goldman Sachs, an American multinational banking and investment firm, forecasts that Nigeria’s inflation will not…
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The fog of the 2015 general election is finally clearing up; the falsehoods sold to the people as change are unravelling at dizzying speeds. Even some vociferous supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari are deserting him in droves. Those who have not openly expressed some apprehension about the path the “messiah” has chosen to lead the country are grumbling and sniveling. However, a few diehards are still clinging to a tiny strand of hope that a miracle just might happen and things would change for the better under his government. Well, it is going to boil down to the old saying…
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Since he was overthrown in a Military coup in 1985 by ex-Military President Ibrahim Babangida, Buhari has fought ceaselessly to gain political power in Nigeria. Having lost in several democratic elections since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, 2015 election was his best chance as Nigerians indicated they have had enough of the ruling PDP and demanded for change which they now regret. President Buhari has bust the old system, sows divisions and chaos in the country’s political system, resulting to numerous calls for the reform of the current constitution. The danger is that come 2019, he will be denied…
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Of all the mega-corps running amok, Monsanto has consistently outperformed its rivals, earning the crown as “most evil corporation on Earth!” Not content to simply rest upon its throne of destruction, it remains focused on newer, more scientifically innovative ways to harm the planet and its people. 1901: The company is founded by John Francis Queeny, a member of the Knights of Malta, a thirty year pharmaceutical veteran married to Olga Mendez Monsanto, for which Monsanto Chemical Works is named. The company’s first product is chemical saccharin, sold to Coca-Cola as an artificial sweetener. Even then, the government knew saccharin…
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The average French citizen works 30 hours a week, takes siestas after their lunch break, visits coffee shops and spends considerable time at their favorite restaurant all the while looking down upon the average African. What they don’t know is that their government supports their lifestyle through stealing from former French colonies in Africa. Perhaps they know but also don’t care that a huge amount of the money spent on them comes through oppressing other people. While this issue has been highlighted before it deserves more attention because its consequences are far reaching. Here is how France is stealing from…
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Alhaji Shettima Ali Monguno died on Friday in Maiduguri at the very ripe age of 90. I know u want to know who he was. Well he was a politician of 1st and 2nd Republic about whom I think many politicians today should learn. He was a man of , not just high but very high integrity. In 1974, as Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Shettima wanted to build his personal house in Maiduguri. He applied to the bank for a loan of N40,000. The bank wanted a guarrantor. He approached his boss, General Yakubu Gowon, Head of State and…
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At last, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami yesterday honoured the Senate’s invitation to appear before it to answer questions relating to the forgery trial against its president, Alhaji Abubakar Bukola Saraki, his deputy, Chief Ike Ekweremadu and others. He told the Senate panel on the issue that he had constitutional powers to investigate and prosecute anybody. Also, the Federal Government has declared that it could not fully implement the N6.06 trillion 2016 budget. Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir David Lawal, yesterday told the Senate that the revenues…
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President Buhari’s critics on Friday carpeted his government for allegedly lying about the terms of reference of the latest interim reports on the ongoing probe into arms procurement by successive governments since 2007. Mr. Buhari had on August 24, 2015, raised the Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement in the Nigerian Armed Forces to keep with his “determination to stamp out corruption and irregularities in Nigeria’s public service.” But many are now raising concerns not about what the committee included in its latest report but what it might have deliberately left out. The investigative committee submitted its third interim…
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For Those Who Have Ears to Hear I have close personal friends at the highest levels of government and only write these few words out of deep concern. Jonathan Goodluck The article was well written and thoroughly researched although it didn’t go far enough in identifying dealing with the greed of certain establishment figures that may directly or indirectly be involved in some of the atrocities committed by Boko Haram. 1. The security of the presidency and the entire nation has been greatly compromised by the activities of certain individuals very close to the presidency. 2. It is common knowledge…
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The claim by the Nigerian Senate that it did not discuss a proposal to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari at its executive session on Tuesday is false, further checks have shown. The spokesperson for the Senate, Aliyu Abdullahi, on Thursday circulated a statement, describing reports that the upper chamber deliberated on a suggestion to remove Mr. Buhari as a “piece of fabrication which is only the figment of the imagination of the writers and their sponsors.” But PREMIUM TIMES extensive checks have shown that our upper lawmaking body is not saying the truth. This newspaper has independently interviewed at least six…
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The elders of the People Democratic Party Thursday placated and reconciled the Ali modu Sherif faction with the Senator Makarfi led National Caretaker Committee in the official lodge of the Senate deputy President, Ike Ekweremadu. The reconciliation was brokered by the Some PDP governors, and elders of the party for peace to reign, more so that the party has two important governorship elections at hand in Edo and Ondo states respectively. According to information obtained by Nigerian Mirror, Senator Ali Modu Sherif was going to dump Buruji for peace to reign. He got the message that someone somewhere was making…
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Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has, again, explained his support for Biafran agitators. Soyinka said the Igbo people have been so wronged that they have no choice than to consider opting out of Nigeria. Prof. Soyinka spoke on Al Jazeera, yesterday where he shed light on his support for Biafra agitators. “I am very much pro- Biafra because I recognise that the Igbo have been wronged desperately. “They have been brutalised in a way that justifies their feeling that they were not part of the nation. “Let me also say this, Biafrans are not entirely innocent in this affair. They…
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Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau, Thursday in Abuja, announced the creation of a special unit with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which would be deployed to guard farmlands and check cattle rustling. Dambazau made the announcement when he hosted a delegation from the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) at his office in Abuja. The delegation led by Executive Secretary of the centre, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (Retd). The Minister also said he was working with the Agric minister, Mr. Audu Ogbeh, to achieve success with the new unit. “It is necessary to partner with the…
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Theresa May has been formally appointed as the UK’s new prime minister. The former home secretary travelled to Buckingham Palace where she officially accepted the Queen’s invitation to form a new government. She becomes the UK’s second ever female PM, after Margaret Thatcher. In his farewell statement outside Downing Street, Mr Cameron said Mrs May would provide “strong and stable leadership” and wished her well in her negotiations with the EU. Before Mrs May’s visit to Buckingham Palace, the Queen accepted Mr Cameron’s resignation as prime minister. Mrs May, 59, suddenly won the Conservative leadership contest after rival candidate Andrea…
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Sources from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have revealed that their agents sealed offices of The First Group company in the Central Business District of Abuja. The First Group, a real estate development company, has featured in SaharaReporters investigations into the unexplainable properties belonging to Army Chief of Staff Tukur Buratai. The First Group is located on the seventh floor of the Bank of Industry building of the Central Business District, Abuja. Mr. Buratai, the current Chief of Army Staff, purchased two luxury properties in a posh area of Dubai for N120 million naira. The army has said…
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Protocols I am pleased to be here today to commission various projects executed by the administration of His Excellency, Honourable (Dr.) Abdul’Aziz Yari Abubakar (Shettiman Mafara), the governor of Zamfara state. To me, coming to Zamfara state is homecoming for numerous reasons, one of which is that fact that the people of Zamfara have always shared with me a common vision of a Nigeria that is strong, united political entity and a dignified nation. The people of Zamfara have always shared my political ideals and political struggles right from the time I made up my mind to join…
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President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday said his administration will deal with any security threat in any part of the country. He made the remark while commissioning a 75- kilometer road terminating in Wanke in Gusau local government area of Zamfara State. The President, who was in the state on a one day working visit, had earlier commissioned a 20- kilometer road in Tsafe local government area of the state. Speaking in Wanke, Buhari said: “Meanwhile our security situation is improving, not only in the north east, but all over the country. We are confident that our macro economic policies as…
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The chairman house commitee on banking and currency, Hon Jones onyeriri has said that appropriate sanctions against operators who commit infractions would go a long way in restoring investor confidence in nation’s capital market. He therefore stated that his commitee would strengthen capital market laws to empower regulators to sanction errant operators appropriately Hon onyeriri stated this at an Economic sumit held at Lagos,organized by the Security and Exchange commission. According to him,capital market regulators must be on top of their responsibilities in order to boost investor confidence in the market. He stated that capital market regulators should be empowered…
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President Muhammadu Buhari’s trump card is the fight against corruption. He has realised that most Nigerians hate the blow corruption has dealt on Nigeria for decades. Much of the money that would have been used to provide infrastructure and build the nation has been stolen and stashed away in foreign bank accounts and also invested in property and businesses overseas. Therefore, anytime Nigerians hear that a corrupt public officer has been arrested, they go wild with joy, asking for stiff penalty for the person. Some even ask for the death penalty. But who can blame Nigerians? Corruption has caused the…
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Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber broke into an uproar today with some members threatening President Muhammad Buhari with impeachment, and Dino Melaye threatening to ‘impregnate’ Remi Tinubu, the wife of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader. The Senators who met behind closed doors were incensed by the proposed trial of the leadership of the Senate for forgery. Shortly after commencement of a plenary session, some Senators called on their colleagues, led by Senators Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi (APC Kaduna North) and Kabir Marafa (APC Zamfara Central) to sheathe their sword and withdraw the petition that had led to the criminal prosecution…
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Nigeria’s oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta region continued to take more devastating hits on Friday 8th July 2016, from the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) in a bid to ground oil exploration activities in the country. The group said on its website that “at about 3am to 5am the Niger Delta Avengers blew up Nembe 1, 2, 3 and Tebedaba brass trunk-line in Bayelsa/River States.” The NDA who are on a mission to inflict economic pain on the country, are trying to accomplish what they term “red economy” and despite pleas from the government and other stakeholders to ceasefire, have…
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When a major tribe is treated procedurally as second-class in their own country, there will be a demand for self-determination sooner rather than later. In the eight years of Obasanjo’s presidency, there was no headline-grabbing demand for Biafra. Ditto for the eight years of the Yar’adua/Jonathan presidency. However, within months of Buhari’s presidency, the Igbo demand for Biafra has become deafening. Without doubt, the blame for this new impetus must be laid firmly at the doorstep of President Buhari. Moreover, rather than attenuate it, the president and the APC have exacerbated separatist tendencies in the country. This was part of…
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Out of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Igbo have by far the worst politicians. Among the different ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Igbo are without a doubt, one of the most remarkable. So remarkable, indeed, that some have even traced their ancestry to biblical Israel, as the far-flung descendants of Jacob, the Jewish patriarch. Gad, Jacob’s seventh son, is said to have had three sons who settled in South-eastern Nigeria. These sons; Eri, Arodi and Areli, are believed to have fathered clans in Igbo-land and to have founded such Igbo towns as Aguleri, Arochukwu, Owerri and Umuleri.…
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Nigeria has a choice to restructure or let the Igbos go. If the Federal Government does not make the right choice, the Igbos will make it for themselves and Nigeria will be the loser. I believe boundaries should be destroyed and not further created in our time, which is why we ought to support restructuring, rather than secession. I have tried to measure the contribution of Igbos to the development of the Nigerian project and the conclusion I have reached is that Nigeria must do everything possible to get the Igbos to remain within the Nigerian union. They (Igbos) have…
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More than 1,000 lawyers across the UK have signed a letter addressed to Prime Minister David Cameron insisting that last month’s vote to leave the European Union is not legally binding. In the open letter published in the Independent, barristers argued that the referendum result is merely “advisory” and that primary legislation will be required before Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty – the two-year process to take Britain out of the EU – can be triggered. They recommended the creation of an independent committee to assess the benefits and risks of Brexit, citing evidence that the referendum result “was…
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The Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) yesterday rejected President Muhammadu Buhari’s position that Nigeria’s unity was not negotiable, saying Nigeria could only remain united if all ethnic nationalities agreed to live together. ARG, a pan-Yoruba socio-political and economic organisation, also condemned a public statement made recently by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), in which it expressed strong support for the president’s position that the unity of Nigeria was non-negotiable. A statement by its National Chairman, Hon. Olawale Oshun, pointed out the different reasons why the unity of Nigeria should be renegotiated. In the statement, the…
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Former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, has, in apparent response to President Muhammadu Buhari, said that the country’s unity was negotiable. Obong Victor Attah In an interview with Vanguard in Abuja weekend, the former governor said the only way out of the various challenges bedeviling Nigeria would be to adopt fiscal federalism, saying the country, as currently constituted, was unworkable. He said: “Things that are happening in Nigeria are really very worrisome. There are those who feel some perception of injustice in the system. It is a perception, but sometimes, perception could be reality. ‘’We need to…
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*The real issues at stake in Abia When the movement for the creation of Abia State, from old Imo State, gathered steam in the 80s there were two critical geopolitical blocks whose buy in were key: old Afikpo and Aba divisions of the defunct Eastern Region. At that time, old Bende division was already sold on the need to create the state while some powerful elements in Aba division were angling for creation of Aba state using the Aba State movement. At this point let me explain “old” Bende, Aba and Afikpo divisions. In the first republic, we had eastern…
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“What amazed me about Goodluck Jonathan was how he was able to bribe the World Bank, IMF, CNN and everyone to ensure all our Financial Ratings were positive for 5years. One of the major wonders of his Transformation Agenda” How Buhari Ruined Nigeria In about 1year, Nigeria that use to be the largest economy in Africa and number one investment destination in Africa is now number 13. Inflation rate that was below 9% when GEJ handed over on May 29th, 2015 is now at 15.6% under Buhari in 1year (double digit inflation rate). Our GDP was at 6.95 under…
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Techniques to navigate the obstacles on the path to Enlightenment With so many people joining the meditation revolution, what are some of the pitfalls to be avoided? Generally speaking meditation is meant to eliminate an egoistic self centred attitude which always wants more and more, and replace it with a serene and content – dare I say enlightened – way of being. But is it possible that meditation can increase your ego and contribute to your emotional and psychological suffering? Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Master Chogyam Trungpa claims that it can do just that and he warns of meditation being an…
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I have watched with keen interest the theatrics going on in Abia State – one of the finest states that God ever created – and I have come to sad conclusion that Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji should be blamed for all that is happening. Some people may not easily understand why I have drawn this conclusion. But you will get to know as we progress in this piece. Let me quickly state that the reason for the imbroglio in God’s Own State is not hard to locate. It was the fall out of the recent judgment by a Federal High…
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It may be the case that the president is incapable of broadening his horizon when he has a job to fill. In that event, it behooves those closest to him—especially the Muslims and Northerners whose counsel he is likely to listen to—to point him to higher ideals of fairness. These advisers ought to alert the president to take a hard look at the map of Nigeria—especially its southern half—when next he must make a significant appointment. I recently surveyed President Muhammadu Buhari’s top appointments and was left wondering when last he took a long, hard look at Nigeria’s map. Before…
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The current senators who once served as governors are Bukola Saraki of Kwara, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano, Kabiru Gaya of Kano, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Theodore Orji of Abia, Abdullahi Adamu of Nasarawa, Sam Egwu of Ebonyi, Shaaba Lafiagi of Kwara, Joshua Dariye of Plateau Jonah Jang of Plateau, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of Sokoto, Ahmed Sani Yarima of Zamfara, Danjuma Goje of Gombe, Bukar Abba Ibrahim of Yobe, Adamu Aliero of Kebbi, George Akume of Benue and Isiaka Adeleke of Osun. The former deputy governors in the Senate are Ms Biodun Olujimi of Ekiti and Enyinaya Harcourt Abaribe…
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Fellow Nigerians, it is 12 months since President Muhammadu Buhari took over the reins of power. It is a short time in four-year tenure to draw conclusive verdict on the administration, but time enough to do a preliminary appraisal of the government and see if it is leading us in the direction that inspires hope. In this expedition, let me adopt the memorable question asked by the then candidate Ronald Regan in the 1980 US presidential election debate. It was a question put to the American people one week to the presidential election. Today, I put that same question to…
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Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, is not pleased with the way night clubs are springing up in Abuja. The minister has said that it was not acceptable that landlords have turned buildings meant for residential purposes into brothels and night clubs. He therefore, warned such landlords to strictly ensure that their buildings are used only for the purposes they were designed in the Abuja Master Plan. The Minister, who spoke when the Nyanya (Phase I) Landlords Association visited him in his office in Abuja, said that he had observed that some of the landlords…
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They are torn between two worlds. Being of the Igbo stock, their soul is in the Southeast, but their bodies and homes are in Benue State, in the Northcentral. That is not all. In Benue, where they are quartered, more for political considerations than for cultural reaons, they lament their lack: no roads, no water, hardly any sign of modern life. They are Igbos of the Ezza, Izzi and Effium stock. Their kith and kin are in other parts of the Southeast, particularly Ebonyi State. They claim they are not fewer than one million scattered in four local governments of…
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A renowned and respected Northern Leader, and first civilian Governor of Kaduna State in the Second Republic, Alhaji Balarebe Musa, has blasted President Muhammadu Buhari, for his approach in addressing the ethnic agitations in the country. The former Governor, in an interview with PUNCH, on Thursday, blamed Buhari’s military background for the escalation of crisis in the different geopolitical zones of the country. Musa, a vocal critic of the Buhari administration, said the current administration had not shown any seriousness in using dialogue to resolve agitations in the country. He said Buhari should show that he is now a converted…
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Dr. Junaid Mohammed, a second Republic politician, and one of those who said so many vile things about ex President Goodluck Jonathan, has said relatives of President Muhammadu Buhari are in charge of policies in the Presidential villa and the by implication, the Nigeria state. Mohammed a Hong Kong trained surgeon had revealed before the presidential election that “he (Buhari) does not have the required qualities to be President in a Nigeria of the 21st century. I will not support a leader based on mob sentiment. if they say that Buhari is the voice of the Talakawa, how does he…
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Justice Binta Murtala Nyako of a federal high court in Abuja has struck out the names of former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, and a businessman, Chief Kolawole Akanni Aluko, from the criminal charges filed against them While Madueke is in the United Kingdom, Kola Aluko is said to be at large. Justice Nyako struck out their names after the prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, made an application to that effect. Alison-Madueke and Akanni-Aluko were initially charged alongside Babajide John Omokore, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Ltd, Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Ltd, Victor Briggs, Abiye Membere and David Mbanefo…
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Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Tomi Ikimi, has disclosed why and how Governor Adams Oshiomhole won his 2012 re-election. He said Oshiomhole won his second term because former President Goodluck Jonathan provided a level playing field. Chief Ikimi disclosed that the party was set to drop Governor Oshiomhole after his first term but that Oshiomhole begged him to be given a second term ticket. Ikimi noted that Oshiomhole won the election with a landslide victory not because of his merit but because himself and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu took him to former President Jonathan to demand for a level playing…
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Following the retirement of 21 Assistant Inspectors General (AIGs) over the weekend, the Police Service Commission (PSC) on Monday approved the appointment of seven Deputy Inspectors General to oversee the seven management departments of the Force. In a statement signed by Mr. Ikechukwu Ani, the Commission’s Public Relations Officer, on behalf of the Commission’s Chairman, Mr. Mike Okiro, said the officers’ letters of promotion will be dispatched in due course. The officers and their new designations are: Former Assistant Inspector General, Mr. Shuaibu Gambo, now DIG: Department of Finance and Administration, Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr. Joshak Habila- DIG, takes…
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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday said as long as adequate attention is not paid to youth unemployment, “all of us in Africa are sitting on a keg of gun powder”. Obasanjo said this while playing host to Marcel de Souza, president, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, at his hilltop mansion in Abeokuta, Ogun state. He lamented over the situation where African countries depend on food supply from foreign countries, wondering why a solution could not be proffered to the issue of starvation on the continent. “I have maintained that all of us in West Africa,…
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The refrain is as old as time, that evil persist only because good men stand on the sidelines and do nothing. According to the American civil rights icon, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it is in the times of upheavals that you know the moral rectitude of great men. In Nigeria, the dearth of men in the profile of courage is astonishing. And the silence of the lambs even more troubling than ever. From this as backdrop, let us start with the profound issues affecting Nigeria and how Buhari has gradually molded Aso Rock, the seat of power into a…
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The Senate, yesterday, said it had been vindicated by last Thursday’s ruling of a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, which described the forgery case filed against its presiding officers as an abuse of court process and a decision taken against public interest. In a statement by its spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Senate said the ruling by Justice Kolawole further confirmed that Mr. Abubakar Malami, the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, was acting out a personal and partisan script in filing the charges, while simply abusing his position…
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1. Over $4 billion worth of equipment currently sits on the site. 2. The project is slated to cost $14 billion (N2.8 trillion) of which Dangote is contributing $7 billion in equity. 3. The project site is larger than Victoria Island. It is located on 2135 hectares of land in Epe, Lagos near the Lekki Free Zone. 4. It is the largest industrial complex in Africa. 5. Work goes on, on the site, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 6. World Record 2.72 million accident free hours recorded on site, without a single lost time to injuries. 7.…
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In the closing days of President Jonathan’s administration, Rotimi Amaechi, the then Governor of Rivers State had mischievously made certain allegations [similar to the ones made by some Governors recently] that “certain illegal deductions were made from the Excess Crude Account” – I recall that I got a copy of the publication at the time, and I have therefore chosen to republish same verbatim. When you are done going through this, you would come to see that “nothing has changed between May and June” and that these newer allegations are just being recycled for the simple purposes of mischief and…
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The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has faulted the two-count forgery charge the Federal Government slammed against the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu and two others. The high court, in a ruling by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, held that the charge which was endorsed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, constituted a gross abuse of judicial process. FG had on June 27, docked Saraki and Ekweremadu before trial Justice Yusuf Halilu of an Abuja High Court at Jabi. Those equally arraigned over the alleged forgery were…
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The Federal Republic of Nigeria, FGN is the country we all call our own. Our country comprises of about 250 tribes or ethnic nationalities with the main ones being Hausa/Fulani,Yoruba, lgbo, Kanuri,ljaw,Nupe, Calabari,Tiv ,Ijebu, lgara,Urhobo, Jukun, ldoma, fufulde,Ika Ibibio,Edo etc. In the inaugural speech of President Muhamadu Buhari on May 29, 2015, he was famously quoted as saying ” l belong to everyone , l belong to no one”. That very welcoming and reassuring remark,which resonated very well with most Nigerians, became a quotable quote that featured in myriads of comments in the mainstream and online media, just as it…
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The new militant group operating in the oil-rich region of southern Nigeria, the Niger Delta Avengers has announced a new attack on a pipeline belonging to the state-owned oil company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. In a tweet late Saturday, July 2, 2016, the militants claimed responsibility for an attack on an NNPC pipeline to Warri Refinery. “At 9:15pm on Friday the @NDAvengers blow up Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Crude Oil Trunk Line to Warri Refinery,” the group said. This attack marks renewed hostilities following a “calm” period from June 16, when the Avengers attacked an NNPC pipeline in…
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In the early hours of June 16th a pipeline belonging to Nigeria’s state-owned oil company exploded. This was the latest in a string of attacks claimed by the Niger Delta Avengers, a new group taking out pipelines and oil platforms in the southern, oil-pumping part of the country. Since it started wreaking havoc in January production has plummeted to its lowest levels in two decades. Nigeria now churns out about 1.9m barrels of black stuff per day, about a third less than the government budgeted for this year. The militants seem sophisticated—one of their attacks took out a 250,000-b/d Shell…
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A member of the House of Representatives during the Second Republic, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to make public contents of the interim report of the arms probe panel. Mohammed said this in a telephone interview with Saturday PUNCH, on Friday. He alleged that a “cabal” within the presidency had convinced the President not to make the report public because some of his trusted aides were indicted. The former lawmaker said, “He (the President) has been persuaded by the three (members of the cabal) that publishing the report will embarrass the government. “This is very strange and…
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Let me begin by saying that across the board; not Nigeria’s specific case, not the United States’ specific case or any nation, that I believe that there should be no statute of limitations. Even if for arguable reasons, we agree that people in certain positions of governance should be protected from frivolous litigations and therefore we use the word immunity while they are in office, the emphasis should be while in office. And even that should become qualified. If a president, for instance, commits murder maybe even as a cover-up for a crime of corruption, are we going to wait…
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The Sierra Leonean Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Maj.-Gen. Alfred Nelson (retd.) has been kidnapped along Abuja-Kaduna Expressway in the Federal Capital Territory. Nelson was abducted with his driver on Thursday on his way to Kaduna to attend a function at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College in the state. Efforts to reach the envoy on his GSM phone since Thursday by the Sierra Leonian embassy officials have proved abortive. Unconfirmed reports said the kidnappers had demanded N44m ransom before they would release the envoy and his driver. Sierra Leonean embassy officials could not be reached for comment…
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There are indications that the federal government may name one of the National Stadiums in the country, after the late Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi. “The final decision rests with the Federal Government, but the family is aware that there are such plans,” a family source informed AfricanFootball. Already, the Lagos State Government in conjunction with the Sports Writer’s Association of Nigeria and the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, has set up a committee that will help plan the Lagos Farewell Testimonial Match in honour of Keshi and another ex national team coach, Amodu Shaibu.
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Change is the only constant thing in life and people change over time. Just like any other person, Nigerian politicians have seen themselves transform in looks, personality and net worth. Some have become chubbier with large protruding stomachs (pot bellies). Some used to look wretched and not so good looking but today, their story has changed. Below are some old pictures of some Nigerian governors and politicians that will make you smile, laugh or get inspired. These throwback photos will show you that nobody is ugly, they are just broke. Yahaya Bello: He was declared winner of the 2015…
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The State Investigation and Intelligence Bureau (SIIB) of the Lagos State Police Command has arrested a serial Facebook scammer, one Peter Ajani, for using the name of former Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ngozi Braide, a Superintendent of Police, to defraud people. Recall that similar incidents happened in 2013 when Braide held sway as the command’s first female PPRO, where about seven fake Facebook accounts were opened in her name and used to defraud innocent citizens. Already, a cursory glance on Facebook as yesterday revealed that a whopping 22 fake Facebook accounts have been opened with her name…
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A community leader in Gbaramatu kingdom, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, has accused the Delta state government of playing politics with the Niger Delta Avengers menace. He labeled the dialogue between the state government and stakeholders towards restoring peace in the state and in the Niger Delta region a political jamboree. He said: “The Delta state government has not been sincere with the people in the riverside communities as far as this crisis is concerned. The governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, is just playing to “The gallery apparently because of security votes and the revenue from the federation account. To mark his one…
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All is now set for the commencement of Lagos-calabar railway project. The Minister of Petroleum, Chief Rotimi Amaechi signed the MoU on behalf of the Federal government at $11.12bn. The President of CCECC, Cao Baogang signed on behalf of the company. The contract was awarded by President Goodluck Jonathan at $11.92bn but negotiated downwards. FG has saved $800m from this singular act. The railway project will cover the following: ***Lagos ***Ore ***Ijebu Ode-Omu ***Sagamu ***Benin ***Sapele ***Agbor ***Asaba ***Onitsha ***Aba ***Port Harcourt ***Calabar ***Uyo ***Ughelli ***Warri ***Sapele ***Yenagoa ***Otuoke This is really a welcome development as it will create jobs…
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Sources speaking on an ongoing investigation disclosed that the Nigerian Prisons Service, under the leadership of the Controller-General Ahmed Ja’afaru and Minister of the Interior Abdulrahman Dambazau, has hired around 538 recruits without following established laws for public recruitment exercises. This latest finding follows similar illegal employment schemes by the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Executive Chairman Tunde Fowler. It will be recalled that Mr. Emefiele oversaw a monumental recruitment fraud where he illegally hired the children and relatives of powerfully connected Nigerians throughout the Federal Government. Mr. Fowler, similarly, illegally…
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Police IG redeploys 19 AIGs, 49 CPs The Police Service Commission on Friday approved the retirement of 21 Assistant Inspectors-General of Police. The retirement followed the elevation of Idris Ibrahim, who was a junior to the officers in rank, to the position of Inspector-General by President Muhammadu Buhari. In a statement signed by Ikechukwu Ani, Head of Public Relations, the chairman of the PSC, Mike Okiro, thanked the affected officers for their “meritorious service to the nation” and wished them well in their future endeavours. The affected AIGs are: 1 Bala A Hassan 2.Yahaya Garba Ardo 3. Irmiya F Yarima…
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The Federal Government has hit back at the Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, over statements they made last Tuesday after they were arraigned for allegedly forging the Standing Rules of the upper legislative chamber. The government said it would be better for Saraki and Ekweremadu to either honourably resign or face the judicial process. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, said statements issued by both Senate leaders targeting the government and President Muhammadu Buhari as an individual as if the executive arm was the initiator of the forgery case against them…
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The opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Senate caucus may have begun impeachment move against President Muhammadu Buhari in retaliation of the Federal Government suits slammed against its President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, Punch Newspaper has revealed. The PDP Senators have begun compilation of Buhari’s IMPEACHABLE offenses, an unnamed senator revealed. As reported by the source, the Senate caucus of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party have ruled out the possibility of fielding any candidate as a replacement for Ekweremadu, in case the court finds him guilty of the forgery case preferred against him and Saraki. According to…
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The House of Representatives Special Ad hoc committee on the review of the 1999 constitution Thursday said it has adopted the report of 2014 National Conference as part of its working document. The decision to adopt the report of the National conference according to Wole Oladimeji, Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker of the House, Yussuff Lasun in a statement in Abuja was taken at a working session/retreat of the committee recently held at Transcorp Hilton hotel, Abuja. Recall that former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration had convoked a national constitutional conference that lasted about four months in 2014, but…
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The hope of Okerenkoko people in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State playing host to the controversial Maritime University in the locality has been dashed. It was gathered that this might be connected with indications that the university would soon be relocated to Ibusa in Oshimili North council area of the state. While not specifically saying that the university would be relocated, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete-Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff, disclosed that plans were in advanced stage to upgrade the Nigeria Navy Secondary School at Ibusa to a maritime university. Recall that one of the demands…
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President Muhammadu Buhari Friday tendered an unreserved apology to the Senate over statements by his Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Prosecution, Okoi Obono- Oblo that the Senate lacked the powers to summon Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami to explain why he dragged the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and two others to court over alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Order. President Buhari faulted the position of the the AGF, stressing that as an appointee of the President, he was equally answerable to the Senate, just as…
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Nigeria’s Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal is one man that courts controversy consistently. – Lawal has been chided severally for his choice of words in public functions. – A former minister has called the SGF to order. Nigeria’s former minister of external affairs and deputy chairman of the 2014 National Conference, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has berated the SGF, Babachir David Lawal, for referring to delegates of the 2014 conference as “boys”. Professor Bolaji Akinyemi Akinyemi lambasted Lawal, saying the language used by Lawal is crude and unbecoming of the office he occupies. In a…
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Democracy is sustained by the will and mandate of the people. The people decide how, at what times and to what corners the democracy tilts. One doesn’t know for how much longer the hegemony against the will of Nigerians will hold. It hurts to be reminded of what is becoming of the National conference report. The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese and Founder of the Kukah Centre for Faith, Leadership and Public Policy, Most Rev. Mathew Kukah yesterday said President Muhammadu Buhari cannot throw away the 2014 National Conference Report, given that the report was a sacred and quintessential document…
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Professor Bolaji Akinyemi: We won’t beg Buhari to implement Confab report… the problems will remain.
Bolaji Akinyemi, deputy chairman of the 2014 national conference, says there is no point “begging” President Muhammadu Buhari to implement recommendations of the conference. The conference, which was convened by former President Goodluck Jonathan, had 492 delegates from every part of the country. They deliberated on the operational structure and system on which the country is run, and made lots of recommendations, among which is the creation of more states. But Buhari has described the conference as a waste of time and resources, saying the report would end up in the “so-called archives”. In a recent interview, David Babchir Lawal,…
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Professor Wole Soyinka has lent his voice to recent calls for the restructuring of Nigeria, saying decentralization of the country would ensure healthy rivalry. The Nobel laureate also stated that the sovereignty of the nation is negotiable. Soyinka stated this on Tuesday when he paid a visit to Punch, adding that it was wrong for previous administrations in the country to say that Nigeria’s sovereignty was non-negotiable. Soyinka said: “I am on the side of those who say we must do everything to avoid disintegration. That language I understand. I don’t understand (ex-President Olusegun) Obasanjo’s language. I don’t understand (President…
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Signs $8.5bn ‘potential investment’ with NORINCO Nigeria is looking toward China to raise about $50 billion to upgrade and build new oil and gas infrastructure, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, who is currently in the Asian country to hold an investment roadshow, has said. Kachikwu, in an interview he granted to Bloomberg yesterday, said he was in the country to attract investments that would help Nigeria bridge the infrastructure gap in her upstream; midstream and downstream petroleum sectors. He said already, he had signed a “potential investment” upstream deal worth $8.5 billion with China North…
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Before last year’s presidential election, no one thought it necessary to ask president Muhammadu Buhari, who was then candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), how he hoped to work the magic of achieving his promised exchange rate parity between the naira and dollar. It was, however, apparently sufficient for him and many hopeful others that his unorthodox financial and econometrics models soared on the wings of nostalgia. He offered no real plan, nor explained the economic dynamics by which that parity would be procured, nor yet did he take into account the eventful intervening years since parity last reigned.…
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*Says APC-led Government will soon lose support of Nigerians *Adds I’m ready to carry the cross Senate President Bukola Saraki on Monday, said that with the ongoing alleged forgery case of the 2015 Standing Order against him and by extension, the National Assembly, there was a clear indication that President Muhammadu Buhari was not in charge of governance as a cabal has taken over his government. According to Saraki, those he described as forming a new government within the government of Buhari were using it to pursue and working towards achieving their nefarious agenda. He said, “However, what has become…
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So, after all the feint and razzle-dazzle, the victory dance of Osagie Ize-Iyamu would be aborted even before it started. For the gangling matador expected to lead PDP’s chariot against the foe on September 10, how ironic that the first attack came, barely 24hrs later, in form of a vicious dagger-stab in the back from within his own party. By disclaiming the primaries that crowned Ize-Iyamu as PDP’s standard-bearer in the Edo governorship contest some 80 days away, factional national chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff, has effectively set the cat among the pigeons in what remains of a once formidable party.…
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In an exclusive gotten by THISDAY Newspaper monday, the new acting Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, was said to have on Friday last week, allegedly written to the presidency to retire 30 senior officers. The officers who are of the rank of Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of police, were said to have been penned down for immediate retirement. The reason for his move might not be far fetched. Even though they are all coursemates, they are his senior in terms of promotion. Already, some of the attempts made by some AIGs to meet and greet him was said to…
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Niger State government has assured investors of conducive atmosphere for their investment to thrive as Dangote Industries Limited conclude plans for the take off of a N148 billion ($450m) sugar factory in the state. The state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello gave the assurance through his deputy, Ahmad Muhammad Ketso at a meeting between officials of Dangote Group and representatives of Jima-Nupeko villages in Lavun and Mokwa Local Government areas of the state, the host community for the proposed sugar factory. The meeting which took place at the Etsu Nupe’s Palace in Bida was geared towards discussing and…
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The husband of slain Bridget Agbahime, who was killed recently in Kano by Muslim fanatics, Pastor Mike Agbahime, met with Governor Rochas Okorocha, at the weekend, and narrated how his wife was murdered by a mob. He told a visibly shocked Okorocha the gory details of how his wife was gruesomely murdered in his presence by Muslim fanatics, noting that he survived the attack by the grace of God. According to Agbahime, a man called Dauda came to my wife’s shop, who was washing his leg in front of the shop. My wife told the man to move up a…
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Tinubu, it was gathered, had rallied his media, including major Nigerian news outlets, print, electronic, and social media to fight down the ex-general for entirely scorning his interests, and breaching major promises made during the electioneering campaign. Several news headlines exposing the hidden side of the Buhari’s regime have been rocking the news media. For instance, last week’s story that Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Tukur Buratai, and his two wives owning a Dubai property paid for in one transaction did not fall from the sky. Thus, influx of very revealing stories about the regime has been…
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Stop it: For the Igbos that are fond of calling Yorubas betrayers, STOP IT. You are very very wrong. The worst betrayers are Igbos. Like it or not. Many a Igbo, for a few bills can abandon what will benefit all and do what benefits self. If you go by the history of this nation, Yorubas always do what benefits their region and not self, while Igbos do what benefits self, at the expense of our own south east region and others. Get this fact straight for your own good. Ultimate betrayal: Which betrayal is worse than as soon as…
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A BBC radio documentary on the events leading up to the independence of Nigeria, Britain’s former colony, charged the British government with interference in the election to ensure the result was in line with its interests. The programme cited two files held in the British National archives covering the period leading up to independence in 1960 that to this day remains closed to the public and will remain closed for another 50 years. One file contains material relating to the governor general at the time of independence, Sir James Robertson, and the other material on Dr Azikiwe, known as Zik,…
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The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has alleged that former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode was attacked in detention by an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Mr. Fani-Kayode, who served as director of media and publicity during the campaign of former President Goodluck Jonathan, is facing a 17-count charge bordering on unlawful retention, use, and payment of money in the tune of about N4.9 billion. The PDP chieftain was arraigned alongside a former Minister of Finance, Nenadi Usman; Danuma Yusuf and a company, Joint Trust Dimension Nig. Ltd. by the EFCC over a week ago before a…
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The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has released a list of 100 out of a total of 217 “Chronic Debtors” in their books, including firms and individuals, as authorized by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Surprisingly and curiously, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, whose assets were seized a few days ago over N11 billion debt, is not on the list. AMCON on Thursday took over three assets belonging to Silverbird Group in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt. They are Silverbird Galleria Limited located at 133 Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos, Plot No 1161 (Silverbird Galleria); Silverbird Promotions Limited…
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A meeting between the anti-Saraki group’s so-called Unity Forum and pro-Saraki’s Like Minds, had in attendance 10 senators – five from each of the two camps. It took place at the Asokoro residence of Aliyu Wammako, a former Sokoto State governor. A Senator, a member of the Unity Forum, who attended the meeting but asked that his identity be protected, said the meeting had three outcomes and that both sides agreed “to have a united APC caucus”.The Senator said the first outcome was a decision that the composition of Senate committees be reviewed to conform with the Standing Rules of…
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