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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The origin of the “Savior” – Later becoming the person worshipped today as Jesus Christ. Ptolemy 1 Meryamun Setepenre (c.a. 367-283 B.C.E- Before Common Era) (aka Soter) (“Soter” means savior) became the first European pharaoh of Egypt through military force led by Alexander the Greek (a.k.a Alexander the Great). When Ptolemy became pharaoh of Egypt, he wanted the Egyptians to consecrate him as a god. He wanted to be called a god because that was the title all of the pharaohs of Egypt were called prior to him. However, the people of Egypt refused to call him a god because…
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Ex-president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to start his anti-corruption fight with himself, the vice president, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, before extending same to other Nigerians. The former President who described corruption as a ‘hydra-headed monster’ that must not be allowed to live, said the fight against the monster must begin from the top. He was a special guest at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, on Friday, during the institution’s Staff Club’s interactive programme tagged, “Seventh Roundtable with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Reflections of an…
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Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture held on the 24th of January an interaction with Nigerian Entertainers and stakeholders at the Southern Sun Hotel in Lagos. Contrary to the photos in the media, the meeting was an embarrassment and a waste of time. Read the account of what happened from an Insider: The meeting began with exchange of pleasantries; hugs and handshakes, friendly gestures and smiles. As the folks settled down, the Honourable Minister for Information gave a brief remark on what the agenda for the meeting was, seeking their buy in for what he called…
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The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State on Tuesday petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, asking it to probe alleged financial recklessness of ex-Governor, Rotimi Amaechi. Deputy Publicity Secretary in Rivers, Mr. Samuel Nwanosike, told journalists in Port Harcourt that President Muhammad Buhari should ensure he fulfils his promise to maintain a zero tolerance for corruption. He said: “Since the President of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, has told the world that he is a man with zero tolerance for corruption, we, the people of Rivers, are asking that there should be no sacred cow. “We are saying…
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Muhammad Sanusi II, the emir of Kano and the immediate past governor of the Central Bank (CBN), says President Muhammadu Buhari’s endorsement of the CBN foreign exchange policy encourages corruption. Lauding Buhari’s removal of “wasteful and corrupt fuel subsidies”, Sanusi said the current forex policy endorsed by the president encourages similar rent seeking and corruption which trailed the subsidy regime. “He (Buhari) has put an end to the [crude] swap regime which is also one side of rent-seeking and corruption . . . he has made the NNPC start producing accounts, so there is greater transparency,” Sanusi told Financial…
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In this photo are all the 4 Kenyan Presidents: late Jomo Kenyatta, former President Mwai Kibaki, Arap Moi & the little boy is current President Uhuru Kenyatta. Did they know?
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As the tenure of the Edo State Governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, inches to an end, there seems to be gloom in the land, writes Solomon Ibharuneafe. The present generation of Edo people may have started licking their wounds from the huge financial burden inflicted on them by the Adams Oshiomhole administration. They are worried as to the ugly story they have to tell their children and those yet unborn. And the story is where they were when Oshiomhole plunged the state into the huge financial debt. Presently, the state is said to be indebted to the tune of over N200…
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Buhari removes Dr kachikwu and replaces him with Dr. Maikanti Baru as Group Managing Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
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Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, and Senator Ben Bruce, on Sunday took their political battle to twitter. Senator Bruce started by condemning the recent comments credited to President Muhammadu Buhari to the effect that some Nigerians were giving the country a bad image by engaging in nefarious activities around the world. Bruce said, “Your own minister spent ₦80 million on a one day dinner, yet it is your citizens you accuse of being criminals #IAmANigerianNotACriminal”. The tweet was apparently referring to Amaechi whose administration was accused of spending N80 million to organise a dinner for Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka.…
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Last week we shared the story of a certain Agege bread seller who walked right through as TY Bello photographs Tinie Tempah on the streets of Lagos. It wasn’t planned, but it turned out to be one of the most beautiful photos in the shoot. Read full story here and here Her name is OLAJUMOKE ORISAGUNA, and today she covers the This Day Style magazine. TY Bello also shared Jumoke’s story on her Instagram. Read her story as shared by TY Bello on instagram and see pictures below: “Olajumoke a bread hawker from the Sabo market bakery, walked…
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Imo State Government has appealed to the state and national leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to consider the long standing cordial relationship existing between them and drop their planned shutdown of the state. Labour had threatened to shutdown the state if Governor Rochas Okorocha failed to recall the over 3,000 workers of the 19 parastatals, agencies and departments, which he summarily sacked recently. According to a press statement signed on behalf of the Governor by his Chief Press Secretary, CPS, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, government appealed to labour not to embark on any strike that would not benefit anyone.…
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In a latest interview with the London Telegraph, Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, took swipe at his countrymen, saying “some Nigerians” are criminals. This sounds a trite. But it has implications coming from a president of Nigeria, the largest black country in the world. Even if the message is not viewed from a larger perspective to mean all Africans, it gives the western world a reason to streotype Nigerians. In Nigeria, holding your leader accountable and raising questions easily earns you the derogatory soubriquet: “wailing wailer”. Saying the truth today is treason, but saying it yesterday was patriotism. Sad that…
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The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, said on Sunday that he would not have contested a governorship rerun if the Supreme Court had failed to uphold his election. The governor also alleged that between December 1 and 18 of 2014, the immediate past government in the state led by Mr. Rotimi Amaechi had used $150m to fund the All Progressives Congress’ elections, adding that the state government will recover all stolen funds. Wike said this at a thanksgiving service at Saint Peter’s Anglican Church in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. But reacting to the allegation, the state Publicity Secretary…
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The Department of State Service (DSS) had filed new charges against the embattled former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, stating that he left the Nigerian Army with proper resignation. Dasuki who is currently enmeshed in corrupt dealings and diversion of $2.1 billion meant for purchase of arms for the Nigerian Armed Forces will be held by the DSS. His new ordeal was revealed by Rotimi Jacobs at the last hearing of the suit against the retired Colonel at Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court last Thursday. Jacobs had attributed the refusal of government to set the former NSA free,…
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Nigerian President Muhammad Buhari before noon Monday, November 23, 2015 met with the Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in Tehran, Iran. | Khamenei On Nigeria’s President, General Muhammadu Buhari’s habit of running Nigerians down abroad by calling them criminals: I have one question and a few observations. Every time Buhari travels to the West (United States, United Kingdom, Europe) he unleashes an assault on the integrity of Nigerians from the safety of the homelands of those (the West) who gave him credence. Does he not realise that those colonial days are over and that the Nigerian citizenry he continuously…
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The recent changes in the strategies against the deadly Boko Haram sect caused unease in the Nigerian army. Therefore, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Maj.-Gen. Abayomi Olonishakin took over the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, to lead the battle aimed to wipe out the insurgents. Daily Post exclusive investigation shows that the finding follows days on the seeming spate in the attacks of Boko Haram, after the group’s inability to carry out main attacks towards the end of 2015 year. The recent shake-up in the Theater Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole reportedly was part of…
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President Muhammad Buhari has indicted the Nigerian healthcare system when he confessed that he has been receiving medical care in the United Kingdom since 1978. Several trusted news sources have reported that President Buhari is currently in the United Kingdom, once again, getting medical attention from his physicians. The Presidency released a news statement yesterday which disclosed that the President would be on vacation in the UK till February 10th. The statement did not allude to any medical treatment of any kind. Recently whilst addressing some Nigerians in the UK, President Buhari disclosed he has been using foreign doctors…
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Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state, has accused the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government of one-sidedness in its fight against corruption. Speaking on Sunday during a thanksgiving service in celebration of his victory at the supreme court, Wike said he would rather fight corruption his own way than support the anti-graft campaign of the current administration. “We would not support the fight against corruption. People took our money from the state, and we wrote to the police asking them to go and make a statement; nothing has come out of it,” he said. “We won’t take anybody to the…
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BOKO HARAM CONTROLS HALF OF BORNO…..Sen Garbai The Senator representing Borno Central, Baba Kaka Garbai has said that the story that the insurgents have been degraded is nothing but a lie as the terror group still hold on strong to about 50 percent of troubled Borno State. Garbai who spoke to journalists on Saturday evening during a condolence visit to Dalori village where 65 persons were reported killed last week by the insurgents said, the truth about the accomplishment of the military in Borno State was never truly spoken as the Boko Haram and the Nigerian nation are presently…
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Analysis of U.S. Census data and other surveys show Nigerian immigrants and their descendants score highest when it comes to earning degrees. Nigerian Americans have long been known for their community’s intense cultural emphasis on education, and now an analysis of Census data coupled with several local surveys shows that Nigerians don’t just value education, but surpass all other U.S. ethnic groups when it comes to obtaining degrees. “Being Black, you are already at a disadvantage,” Oluyinka Olutoye, an associate professor of pediatric surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, told the Houston Chronicle. “You really need to excel…
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Thousands of civilians are fleeing Borno central communities following fresh attacks in the area by Boko Haram where four people were killed. A group of Boko Haram insurgents, numbering about 30 raided Malari and Mairi Mai Umar Villages along Konduga-Bame Road, some 11 kilometres from Maiduguri, killing no fewer than four people. “Three elderly women were burnt alive and a Koranic boy studying was shot dead,” eyewitness Umar Goni, a local perfume seller told Sunday Sun at Mairi Mai Umar village yesterday. He said the insurgents came by foot with “almost all of them carrying guns,” shooting into the…
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As a fallout of the Supreme Court judgment that resolved the contentious governorship election in Rivers State in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state on Wednesday requested a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari to address the party’s affairs and its political fortunes in the state. A high-level delegation led by the APC governorship candidate Dr. Dakuku Peterside, made the request during a meeting with the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja. Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Peterside said: “It will…
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The Hydroelectric Generator He also invented what he calls the “MGBANWE C12”, a machine that turns non-biodegradable wastes like plastics, waterproof nylon, etc into petrol, kerosene, diesel and some other heavy oils and interlocking stones. In the pictures: Creative and inventive minds in Africa should be identified, supported and celebrated. Instead of marrying a 3rd wife or building a 4th house you would hardly ever sleep in, invest that money in people like Emeka Nelson. African “angel investors” must arise! You may not have money to invest. But you can share this post. You can spread the message in…
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President Muhammadu Buhari has come under attack over the recent policy by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, which increased tariffs by 40 percent. This is coming from the Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani who maintained that the policy was anti-people and called for a review before its implemented. NERC had released a new electricity tariff regime that has various rates of increase in energy charges for consumers across the country. However, it had also maintained that electricity tariff would be increased by 40 percent for some customers. It also announced the removal of fixed power…
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THE impact of the de-listing by JP Morgan of Nigeria’s FGN Bonds in its Government Bond Index – Emerging Markets (GBI –EM Bonds) between September and October last year may have taken a very serious toll on Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) inflows to the country as both equity investments and portfolio investment (also known as Hot money) decreased by 82.4 per cent and 64 per cent respectively. This is part of the fall-out the Nigerian Capital Importation Report for the Third and Fourth Quarters of 2015 recessed by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) yesterday. Though the report was…
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Mgbada Joe Igbokwe. The Supreme Court decision that upheld the dubious and fraudulent elections that took place in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Abia States has sent a dangerous signal to the political landscape and at once put a question mark on anti corruption project of President Buhari’s administration. I was stunned into disbelief that the Supreme Court of Nigeria should in one fell swoop render nugatory all the Tribunals and Appeal Court rulings with respect to Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Abia States without thinking about the bizarre consequences of such unilateral actions in the body polity. The Supreme Court decision…
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Mgbada Joe Igbokwe Why I recommend that JOE IGBOKWE should not only be arrested for Treason , but also subject to Psychoanalysis, as he Continues to endanger Our Democracy … Rejoinder to Igbokwe’s threat on Supreme Court. Joe Igbokwe who is the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of APC has continued to constitute himself as a threat to our democracy hiding under the cover of state Publicity Secretary of the ruling party in the Lagos state. In Joe Igbokwe’s article on 5th of February 2016 titled : ” Danger As Corruption Creeps Into The Supreme…
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Former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke has insisted that she never looted public funds. In the concluding part of her interview with Mr Dele Momodu, Diezani who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer in a London hospital, said “I actually left $5.6billion in the NLNG alone but no one is talking about it. I’m not seeking to be praised but to be acknowledged that I made some little contributions. “That money could have been wasted on frivolities but I was determined to keep something for the incoming government once we lost the election.” Continuing, she recalled: “On 4th…
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Thousands of residents of villages on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, fled their communities at the weekend following intensified attacks by the insurgent group, Boko Haram. The terrorists had lately resorted to suicide bombing of soft targets, using mainly women, after the military chased them out of territories they occupied. President Muhammadu Buhari maintains that the expulsion of Boko Haram from the areas they controlled is a technical defeat of the group. But Boko Haram fighters resumed coordinated attacks on communities in Borno State recently. They killed 65 persons in Dalori two Saturdays ago and laid…
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President Muhammadu Buhari has again, made it clear that he has usurped the role of the Central Bank Governor and his managing the monetary policy of Nigeria by himself. Buhari made this disclosure, regrettably, to the foreign press on his current UK trip. This disclosure comes on the heels of a falling Naira and a collapsing economy. The CBN Act of 2007 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria gave the Bank the overall control and administration of the monetary and financial sector policies of the Federal Government. One of the objectives of the CBN under the act is to…
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We have just been told that Nigeria has recovered a whooping $2 trillion in 12 years. My first reaction to this ‘revelation’ is to ask: What is this obsession of the ruling APC government and their sympathisers with bandying high sounding, humongous figures, even at the price of irredeemably damaging the image of the country? Former President Goodluck Jonathan, while in Geneva last week to receive an award, made an important point which import was not lost on Nigerians. Jonathan had told his audience that when the allegation came last year that the country had lost $49.8 billion in…
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One of the things the things the present National Assembly members should tinker in our Electoral Act, is that provision which requires elections to be re-conducted if the Independent National Electoral Commission mistakenly omits the logo of any political Party in an election. This part of the Electoral while not bad on its own, is not conclusive in its provisions. For instance, there is no reason why an innocent Party or its candidate should be punished for the errors of an institution of Government, without any costs awarded against this institution. The law should be retouched to ensure that…
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The Central Bank of Nigeria through the Banker’ Committee and in collaboration with all banks in Nigeria on February 14, 2014 launched a centralized biometric identification system for the banking industry tagged Bank Verification Number (BVN). The adoption of the Biometric Verification Number, BVN, for salary payment by the Federal Ministry of Finance have led to the discovery of many irregularities in salary payment. “Out of the accounts of about 312,000 civil servants processed so far, the ministry was said to have uncovered irregularities in the account of about 23,306 of them, who were suspected to have been collecting…
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How one woman set about connecting her country. Everywhere she looks in Nigeria, Opeke notices missed opportunities. But the founder and CEO of Main One Cable Company also sees ways to address them. The only major road through Lekki is clogged, even on a Saturday afternoon. The expressway through the swampy peninsula that expands the city of Lagos in an easterly direction is riddled with street hawkers peddling red grapes, shoe racks and phone chargers to the cars caught in the hold up. “Selling imported fruit and Chinese rubbish. Such a waste of initiative,” mutters Funke Opeke from the…
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In 2014, Ukraine exported ordinary weaponry to 19 countries according to a report by the State Export Control Service on international shipments of certain types of weaponry in 2014. Information released by the service has been a basis for the annual UN Register of Conventional Arms since 2004. According to the report, in 2014 Ukraine exported 51 units of equipment including 23 T-82 tanks, 28 armored vehicles, 15 aircraft including 8 helicopters and 6 fighter aircraft, one “Bison” air cushioned landing craft, 18 rocket launchers and over 27,000 firearms. In particular, 11 T-72 tanks were exported to Ethiopia, 12…
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Tom Ikimi, a former chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and ex- minister of foreign affairs to late Nigerian dictator General Sanni Abacha has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over his role in the arms fund saga. Tom Ikimi, a former chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and ex- minister of foreign affairs to late Nigerian dictator General Sanni Abacha has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over his role in the arms fund saga. An EFCC source told Saharareporters that Ikimi had been grilled at their Abuja office over two days…
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No candidate qualified for university admission from four Federal Government colleges in the 2015 West African Senior School Certificate Examination where Abia State topped the performance register. Details of the May/June 2015 West African Senior School Certificate Examination emerged on Thursday with states in the South-East, again, leading in the performance chart of candidates who obtained credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. Abia State topped the chart with 33, 762 of its 52, 801 candidates. This came as no candidate obtained five credits and above, including English and Mathematics from four Federal Government colleges. The…
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Police shoot at protesting doctors in owerri, Police officers have shot at protesting Doctors in the Imo state capital city, Owerri. One sustained bullet injuries and was rushed to the Federal Medical Center, Owerri for emergency treatment. The doctors were protesting the state government’s plan to concession key medical facilities in the state, sack of some medical officers and non-payment of salaries and other entitlements. The procession was half way from the Nigerian Medical Association office to the government house when they were accosted by the police. The state government is yet to react to the incident
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The Public Relations Officer of Master Bakers Association in the state, Malam Kabiru Hassan, told journalists on Wednesday that the members deemed it compulsory to embark on the strike due to the increase in the price of flour and other ingredients for bread production. He said: “I can confirmed to you that there is no single bread for sale right now in Kano. We were forced into this strike because the price of flour had skyrocketed in the market.” It was gathered that the scarcity of bread had been recorded in the metropolis forcing residents into massive buying of a…
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On November 16, 2014, our former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, officially declared austerity measures in Nigeria. She announced some strict policies aimed at helping the country to save scarce resources. In order to curtail waste, she said there would be no more foreign travels by civil servants unless for purposes that could be fully defended as absolutely necessary. In addition, foreign training programmes would be stopped and all training done in-country. The exception, she said, would be to secure foreign sponsorship for such travels and training abroad. Part of the immediate…
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National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Oyegun, has called for the investigation of Supreme Court judges. Oyegun made the call against the backdrop of his party’s loss of Rivers State governorship seat to the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP. It will be recalled that the supreme court last week affirmed the election of the state governor, Nyesom Wike, and dismissed the prayers of the APC governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside who prayed for cancellation of judgment of the state election petition tribunal. But speaking in a meeting with a delegation of the party from the state, led…
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The National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday stated that investment inflows into the country dropped by $11.1bn (N2.18tn) from $20.75bn in 2014 to $9.64bn at the end of the 2015 fiscal year. The bureau, in its capital importation report a copy of which was made available to our correspondent, in Abuja, blamed the development on both external and internal factors. For the external factors, the report explained that while the country had between 2012 and 2014 experienced high increase in the level of investment inflows owing to its inclusion in the JPMorgan Bond Index, such could not be…
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President Muhammadu Buhari in a hand shake with the Italian Prime Minister, Mr Matteo Renzi during the Prime Minister Visit at the Presidential villa, Abuja. PHOTO; The Italian government has expressed the conviction that Nigeria will emerge one of the most powerful countries of the world under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi spoke to State House correspondents today after meeting behind closed-doors with Buhari at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja. The Italian prime minister emphasized that President Buhari’s leadership was important to Italy. Renzi said Italy was in total support of…
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In a curious twist, the All Progressives Congress (APC) lost its voice 48 hours after Boko Haram terrorists stormed Dalori village, about 4 kilometres from Maiduguri, killing over 100 persons mostly children and women, but found its voice barely 12hours on learning of the transfer of controversial Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka. Villagers who managed to escape the village mostly burnt down by the terrorists armed with AK 47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons said the carnage was total. In a terse statement full of wailing late on Sunday in Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari, lamented that the Boko Haram…
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President Muhammadu Buhari, who on Wednesday, Addressed the European Union parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg, France, he boast of how Nigeria has been experiencing Democracy ever since he took over the presidential seat. In his address, he said; “Democracy has come to Nigeria to stay. Sooner than we expect, Nigeria will be regarded as one of the strongest in Africa.” On the side of the 200 missing chibok school girls, he said; “The government will not rest until the girls are rescued alive and reunited to their parents.” Speaking further on the fight against Boko Haram, Mr. President said; “We…
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Nigeria’s old Biafra problem has reared its head again and with it, the specter of disintegration. For a thirty-month period between 1967 and 1970, Nigeria was embroiled in a bloody civil war as its eastern region unsuccessfully tried to secede from the country under the banner of the Republic of Biafra. The latest episode in the Biafra crisis revolves around the arrest on October 19, of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of a secession movement called the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Kanu is presently facing trial for sedition and treason. Since his arrest, protesters demanding both his release and an…
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This administration can still retreat from its present trajectory of high expectations, dashed hopes and eventual disillusionment. It must adopt a more realistic evaluation of its deeds and be honest with the Nigerian people. It must communicate with greater clarity, integrity, sensitivity and intelligence. If former President Goodluck Jonathan had said that he had no credible intelligence regarding the whereabouts of the Chibok girls, months after promising to rescue them, he would have been shredded by the media and political opponents. Actually, he said something similar in his first public pronouncement after three weeks of official indifference following the…
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President Muhammadu Buhari today said former President Goodluck Jonathan made history by by conceding defeat after the March 28 election. Buhari made the comment while addressing the European Union parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg, France. ”Democracy has come to Nigeria to stay, sooner than we expected, Nigeria will be regarded as one of the strongest in Africa”, Buhari said.
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Professor Pat Utomi has lashed at President Muhammadu Buhari for the statement he made in Kenya that he would not devalue the Naira. The falling price of crude oil in the international market has weakened the Naira against the dollar thereby affecting the economy of the country. The president who was in Kenya for three days said he was yet to be persuaded that Nigeria and its people will receive any noticeable benefit from an official devaluation of the currency. Utomi however claimed the president has no knowledge of the economy and should allow those who do speak on…
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Emeka Anyaoku Former Commonwealth Secretary General, Emeka Anyaoku has called on the National Assembly to enact law that will merge the 36 states into 6 different regions. He said the 6 regions would be better suited for Nigeria’s rapid development, unlike the present multiple number of states. According to a VOA Hausa Radio report, Anyaoku said this on Monday in Ibadan, where he attributed the present condition of failure to settle workers salaries by states to their number. When the country had only four regional governments, a steady development was recorded with the little wealth at the time, he…
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Former governor of Delta State, James Onanefe Ibori has completed his prison terms in the United Kingdom. But he is yet to be a free man, as he was immediately re-arrested. Ibori, jailed 13 years in April 2012 by a Southwark Crown court in London was released by prison authorities on 22 January. He was released from Her Majesty’s Prison in Bedford, outside of London, where he finished his prison term. He was also initially at the Long Lartin Prison in Worcestershire. “He is out of here”, a prison source at Bedford confirmed on Tuesday night. Our sources said…
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The Supreme Court is set, but the session is actually yet to commence for the adoption of briefs and possibly, ruling in the appeals brought before it by the APC Candidates of Abia and Akwa Ibom State. NOTE BENE: THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA , HIMSELF IS THE ONE PRESIDING OVER THIS MATTER WITH OTHER SIX OF HIS COLLEAGUES! # Court has been in session before 11 am. # Councils to Gov. UGE/PDP, INEC and UOU all in attendance. # All councils have made their presentation of briefs. #Council to PDP/UGE has however dropped one of their arguments…
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A 13- man Presidential arms purchase audit Panel set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to audit arms purchased between 2007 and 2015 has submitted its interim report, confirming arm purchase during the period under review. A presidency source told intimated that President Buhari set up and inaugurated the panel to conduct preliminary investigations after it was discovered the the immediate past National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) diverted N13.2 billion of fund meant for procurement of arms for the Nigeria Military. The panel, made up of distinguished Nigerians toured military formations across the country to undertaking physical…
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Apart from other sectors such as the oil/gas, where monumental corruption was said to have also been endemic via the notorious fuel subsidy and looting concept tagged oil swap – a beautiful name which makes the rape of our nation’s treasury look and smell nice like lavender – it is the Dasukigate scandal that is now giving the accused persons nightmares, providing entertainment for Nigerians and causing the authorities heartburn. Currently, opinion is divided on the impropriety or non-adherence to professionalism and application of the rule of law in the methods being employed by the security agencies to rein in…
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The zonal head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in charge of South South, Ishaq Salihu, has expressed the readiness of the agency to focus its attention on contractors of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. Speaking while receiving the acting managing director of NDDC, Ibim Semenitari, in his office in Port Harcourt, Mr. Salihu noted the existence of a syndicate of contract scammers within and around the NDDC. He said the EFCC had now beamed its search light on them. Mr. Ishaq said there had been a strong bond of partnership between the NDDC and the EFCC…
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The Anambra state political atmosphere has been enveloped in a haze since last week, following the judgement of the Supreme Court on the leadership tussle rocking the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The major source of controversy has been the effect of the apex court’s decision on the members of both the National and State House of Assembly elected on the party platform during last year’s general election. While some political analysts are of the strong view that all the lawmakers elected under the PDP platform in the state to the National and State Assemblies have…
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Caught in the syndrome of Berthold Brecht’s observation that ‘unlucky is the nation without a hero but unhappy is the one that is in need of heroes’, the towering Nigerian political science scholar, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, easily fell prey to the fad of over romanticising Nigeria’s past especially as it regards the virtuous cosmopolitan behaviour of political leaders which is relentlessly misinterpreted as nationalism. Giving the Etteh annual distinguished lecture (NATIONAL RECONCILIATION AND INTEGRATION AS CATALYST FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT )- suffused with an array of atypical instances such as Umaru Altine becoming a mayor in Enugu, He ponders ‘New words…
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It is either I do not understand economics and how exchange rates work or a vast majority of us Nigerians still don’t get how we have wrecked our country with our own curious choices. Just this morning I was listening to the radio and the lady on air went on and on about how she thought CBN governor Godwin Emefiele was incompetent and should be sacked because the naira was now exchanging at 309 or so to the USD. That view pretty much echoes the sentiments expressed by many people I know and it amazes me that there are…
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The House of Representatives, last week, began another round of investigation into the $470 million Abuja and Lagos Closed Circuit Television Camera (CCTV) contracts, with stakeholders submitting conflicting evidences on why the contracts failed. PHILIP NYAM, captures proceedings at the ongoing probe As part of efforts to beef up security in major cities across the country, the Federal Government awarded a contract for the installation of Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) to a Chinese firm, ZTE Corporation in 2010. The contractual terms involved a down payment of 15 per cent ($70.5m) by the Federal Government, while the Chinese…
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Customs agents have derided Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) over its revenue target. They said that the stringent government policy, smuggling, under-declaration and corruption, would cripple the target. Since 2009, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has not been meeting its revenue target at the ports and borders. The only time it surpassed its mark was in 2011, when it generated N741.8 billion as against the N607 billion target for that year. Revenue failure Data by the service’s annual report in 2014 revealed that in 2009, N513 billion was generated instead of N650 billion; 2010, N546.6billion as against N661billion; 2012,…
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Located in the southeastern part of Nigeria, Oguta Lake is the largest natural lake in Imo State. Incredibly beautiful, it is located inside the equatorial rainforest of the Niger Delta and its catchment area includes the drainage of a section of the River Niger and the Njaba River which is also a major tributary for the lake. I look forward to a day when this lake will become a world-class resort generating billions of dollars in tourism revenue. It is so enchanting some believe it is the most beautiful natural spot in Nigeria. Unfortunately, Imo state has of recent suffered…
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The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has accused the state governor’s demand for distribution of the nation’s resources and opposition to the establishment of the Sovereign Wealth Fund, as the reasons for the depletion of the Excess Crude Account (ECA). She noted that the withdrawal and sharing of the monthly allocation has depleted the excess crude account to just about $3.6 billion as against over $20 billion, saved in the reserve account in 2006. The Minister warned that if the price of crude oil drops, the nation has no cushion for the…
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I vowed to critically investigate issues before taking position. From the very first day that the ECA “controversy” started I have maintained that officers of the immediate past administration have no case to answer. I had to take my time to do an indepth write-up on the ECA, and linked it with the contentious $2billion. PLEASE read with an open mind… Pre-Jonathan: Obasanjo Left $20billion In ECA, Yar’adua Left $6.5billion When late President Umaru Yar’Adua was sworn in on May 29th, 2007, the ECA held $20billion, out of which $5 billion had been pledged by the three tiers of…
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Nigeria’s Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun and Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, according to Thisday exchanged hot words in Beijing over the absence of Adeosun’s delegates for an important meeting with the China-Exim bank. The two ministries were scheduled to meet with the Chinese bank to discuss the finance of several transportation projects in the country. The misunderstanding between the ministers transpired when Adeosun did not hesitate to give Amaechi a piece of her mind for meddling in the travel arrangements of directors from her ministry to Beijing. Her directors were forced to defer their trip and in the process missed…
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IF I were to ask you to name one or two countries that can be said to be friends of Nigeria, my guess is you would be hard-pressed to answer. The truth is that Nigeria is a lone-ranger in international relations. We have no friends. There is virtually no country we can run to or rely on in a time of need. If anything speaks eloquently of the failure of Nigeria’s diplomacy, it is our failure to cultivate friends and allies in international relations in 55 years of independent nationhood. A friend is useful in times of need. Today is…
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The elected president of Nigeria is Muhammadu Buhari but there is a power behind the throne that many Nigerians are not even aware of. This person is so powerful and influential that he is said to have the closest ear of the president, more than ANYONE else. His name is Mamman Daura. The two men are related by blood: President Buhari is Mamman Daura’s uncle although Daura is two and half years older than the president. The nephew-uncle relationship is described as extremely close and date back to childhood years. Now that Buhari is in power as the Commander-in-Chief of…
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(Being excerpts from the speech of Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN), first and second Republic Minister, at the public presentation of the book “Fellow Country Men- the story of Coup D’etats in Nigeria by Richard Akinnola, June 2000) I was in the first cabinet that was overthrown by the military in this country. I entered parliame…nt in December 12, 1959. And I remained in parliament until January 15, 1966 when the government was overthrown. I was the Federal Minister of Education in that cabinet. I woke up one morning in my official house in Ikoyi to discover that my telephone…
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A former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, dissected the state of socio-economic affairs of the country, especially the initiatives of the current administration, and returned a verdict of doubt. His words: “The problem today is that it is doubtful if the current administrative system is imbued with right mix of skills and values to successfully implement a well-articulated programme of change.” He also averred that the country was on its way to another debt burden unless the rising debts were creatively addressed. Obasanjo, who recalled how he led Nigeria to exit the Paris Club and how he pursued public…
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Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili on Monday charged President Muhammadu Buhari to always tell Nigerians the truth when it comes to insurgency so as to stop creating doubts in the minds of the citizenry. Ezekwesili who is the leader of the BringBackOurGirls, BBOG, movement made the call at the group’s usual sit-out in Abuja. Ezekwesili said, “The government cannot afford to go to the old ways where lies were fed to the people. Let there be truthfulness. Government should not create a trust deficit syndrome because it will be difficult to mend. Everything that the government is doing…
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Nigeria has asked the World Bank and African Development Bank for $3.5bn in emergency loans to fill a growing gap in its budget in the latest sign of the economic damage being wrought on oil-rich nations by tumbling crude prices. The request from the eight-month-old government of President Muhammadu Buhari is intended to help fund a $15bn state deficit, which has been deepened by a hefty increase in public spending as the west African country attempts to stimulate a slowing economy. It comes as concerns grow over the impact of low oil prices on petroleum exporting economies in the developing…
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Autonomy questioned as Buhari says he won’t `kill naira’ Argument for naira devaluation overwhelming, says Afrinvest Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari erased any doubt about who is in charge of currency policy in Africa’s biggest economy — to the detriment of the central bank’s independence. Buhari said that he won’t “kill the naira” by allowing it to be devalued and that a weaker currency will only result in higher inflation and hardship for the country’s poor- and middle-class. His comments to Nigerians living in Kenya on Wednesday came only a day after Governor Godwin Emefiele resisted pressure to depreciate the…
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THE Lion of the tribe of Ubima community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi, currently Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, had fought several battles in his action-packed political career with very big support from the people. From the “little guy” position after his tenure as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, he bulldozed the strongholds against him in 2007 to emerge as the Governor of Rivers State and served two terms. This was after he dethroned his brother, Sir Celestine Omehia. Amaechi became a man to watch when he led other governors and…
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The former minister also asked the EFCC to publish the names of the directors and account signatories of the company. Ex minister of state, Foreign Affairs Musiliu Obanikoro has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to make public it findings about Sylvan McNamara Limited. This is coming on the heels of allegations by the EFCC that Sylvan McNamara Limited, a company allegedly owned by Obanikoro’s sons, Babajide and Gbolahan, got part of the $2.1b arms fund. Vanguard reports that investigations revealed that N 4,745,000,000.00 was paid into the company’s account number 0026223714 with Diamond bank, in bits,…
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The tail end of 2015 already gave discerning Nigerians a sign that the coming year would be challenging and many citizens expected the introduction of policy that would help ameliorate the difficulties of these austere times and the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration did not disappoint them. Commendably, the government reduced the price of premium motor spirits by 50 kobo. The benefits of this kind and humane gesture from the Federal Government however seems to have been soured by the announcement by the Central Bank of Nigeria that it would be implementing a stamp duty policy. The reason the Central…
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Properties worth billions of Naira was this evening gutted by fire in Africa’s largest sub saharan computers and telephone market popularly known as Computer Village in Ikeja Lagos Nigeria at about 6pm. The authorities are yet to ascertain the cause of the fire outbreak, as fire fighters and other emergency relief officials were seen heading towards the market. There have been pockets of fire incidence within the market in the past arising from electrical faults and negligence of market men and women.
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The average Nigerian is endowed with dogged, never-say-die, ”it-won’t-happen-to-me”, ”I-will-make-it” attributes. Lord Frederick Lugard should be shocked (in his grave) to see us still together after 99 straight years of one year, one trouble.He advised the British authorities then, about the near futility of an amalgam he described as mixing oil and water. In Lugard’s own words: ”the north and south are like oil and water – they cannot mix”. Now this is going to be a long chronicle of anecdotal records that I will leave to the readers for critical analyses. The first 50 years (1914-1964): 1. Chief…
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As war against looters in past administrations gets tougher and stricter, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi alongside some top officials (both retired and serving) of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) have been summoned by members of the ad-hoc committee of the House of Representatives on failed rail contracts to explain their role in the alleged N1 trillion rail contracts scam. Others called include Managing Director of NRC, Seyi Sijuwade; former Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Mohammed Bello Haliru; and former Minister of Transport, Idris Umar.The adhoc committee, headed by PDP, Ikpoba/Oha Federal Constituency, Ehoizuwa Johnson Agbonayinma expects…
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Federal Government Wants To Borrow Emergency $3.5 Billion from the world Bank, AFDB The federal government has asked the World Bank and African Development Bank for $3.5bn in emergency loans to fill a growing gap in its budget in the latest sign of the economic damage being wrought on oil-rich nations by tumbling crude prices, the Financial Times of London has reported. The request from President Muhammadu Buhari’s government is intended to help fund a $15bn state deficit, which has been deepened by a hefty increase in public spending as the West African country attempts to stimulate a slowing economy.It…
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Amnesty International in a statement has described the recent reinstatement of Maj. Gen Ahmadu Mohammed by President Buhari as a “monumental failure of the government to stamp out impunity for war crimes at the highest level.” Maj. Gen. Ahmadu Mohammed, was retired by President Jonathan in 2014 as one of the nine senior commanders implicated for alleged war crimes. Mohammed was commanding officer when soldiers killed around 640 unarmed detainees after Boko Haram insurgents attacked Giwa barracks in Maiduguri, according to Amnesty International. Gen. Mohammed was also the army general soldiers shot at during a mutiny- the soldiers revolted…
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Kiira Motors Corporation is set to launch the first solar-powered bus ‘Kayoola’ in Africa in the corporation’s vision to spearhead the automotive industry in Uganda. ‘Kayoola’ can be loosely translated as ‘mass carrier’. The Kayoola bus is uniquely designed to be powered by solar energy to make it environmental friendly. It relies on 2 power banks (lithium-ion batteries) which power an electric motor that is coupled to a 2-speed pneumatic shift transmission. The 2 power banks operate in automatic alternation to enable real time mobile battery recharging while the other is in use. Mr Isaa Musasizi, the CEO…
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Some Northern governors are currently in Saudi Arabia on a 3-day visit to the Islamic Development Bank in Jedda, Saudi Arabia, where they are to meet with the bank’s president, Ahmad Ali and other top officials, to solicit for partnership to help facilitate development in the region. The meeting between the governors and the bank’s top executives started today and will last till Tuesday Feb. 2nd. The governors were led by Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, who is also the Chairman of the Northern States Governors ‘ Forum, NSGF. Governors Tanko Almakura of Nassarawa, Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna…
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The decision by leadership of the Catholic Church, Enugu Parish to transfer Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka from Christ the King Parish in the Government Reserved Area, GRA, of the state was on Sunday condemned by the All Progressives Congress, APC. Disclosing this to newsmen in Enugu, the spokesperson of APC South-East Caucus, Osita Okechukwu, said, “it was wrong to punish the fearless priest for his prophecies which has proved to be from God”. Okechukwu while expressing concern over Mbaka’s safety alleged that the transfer was influenced by outside forces, adding that worshippers may find it difficult to get to…
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WITH the newly adopted modulation model for the pricing of petroleum products nationwide, government has ‘stylishly’ deregulated the downstream sector. In the new pricing model, Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, is sold at N86.50, kerosene at N83 and diesel at 74.99 per litre at filling stations. From all indications, government is believed to be making a profit of N3.83 per litre of PMS, but the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) regard what is perceived as profit as ‘over-recovery.’ Over the years, government has been selling the idea of fuel subsidy removal to Nigerians, communicating how…
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Chief magistrate Court 1, Kaduna, has denied Dr John Danfulani bail after being detained by the police for over 24 hours. Danfulani, a lecturer with the Kaduna State University, KASU, is being held for alleged inciting and hateful statements in the social media against the people of northern Nigeria, thereby, capable of causing breakdown of law and order in northern Nigeria and other parts of the country. This is contrary to section 417 and 418 of the penal code of northern Nigeria. The magistrate, Alhaji Awwal Musa while presiding over the case, said that the police was empowered to…
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“We challenge these purveyors of falsehood to publish the full details of the purported $7.2 billion account and we urge the Federal Government of Nigeria to seize such sum and prosecute the owner if it does exist. People should learn to accept the outcome of elections and stop this kind of dangerous propaganda in the name of politics,” he said.
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In recent months there has been a neo-Biafran resurgence reinforced by the detention of one, Nnamdi Kanu, the apparent proprietor of the pirate Radio Biafra. Kanu was home on a trip from his UK base. His illegal Radio Biafra had been peddling hate speeches…
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The Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, (SAN) has given the assurance that government will continue with existing power projects inherited from the previous administration. Mr Fashola made the promise after visiting some power projects in Abuja, as part of his nationwide inspection tour of existing projects under his ministry. He said that the ministry would also be embarking on new policies and projects that will improve electricity power supplies. According to the Minister, tariff is a major challenge that the government is also willing to address to open up the sector for investors who would…
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The confusion shrouding the pending sack of about 5,000 contract staff by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) have now been laid to rest as the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, has formally approved the end of employment relationship with stevedoring contractors and a set of dockworkers known as tally clerks and onboard security. It was earlier reported the sack of the workers as revealed by the NPA General Manager, Public Affairs, Captain Iheanacho Ebubeogu. The ministerial approval of NPA’s plan endorsed at his meeting with representatives of the organisation, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), terminal operators, stevedoring…
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. Rivers State government yesterday called on the Minister for Transport, Mr Chibuike Amaechi to account for about N3 trillion received throughout his eight years tenure as the governor of the State. The State Commissioner for Information, Dr Tam George told newsmen in Port Harcourt that the State was still reeling from “the catastrophic legacy of the former governor” despite receiving over three trillion naira in revenue in 8 years. “Amaechi left the most abandoned projects in the history of Rivers State since 1997. Thousands of workers were without their salaries for four months and thousands of teachers were not…
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This is a recently launched Cape Verdian Airline. It boasts of 11 Commuters planes making it the largest airline in Cape Verde. It is rumoured to be owned by a South South Governor in Nigeria who have very close ties with Cape Verde. Oshiomhole may likely be the one described here particularly if you noticed that the name FORTEADAMS LUXURY FLIGHT is coined from the name of Edo state governor and his cape verdan’s wife maiden name Fortes. “If Oshiomhole really owns this Airline or let’s a bit be more charitable here,if he actually established the business…
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The Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, on Thursday January 21, was granted bail by the British Police Authorities after she appeared before an investigative hearing at the Charing Cross Police Station in London as part of the investigation into an alleged money laundering offence. A source has confirmed this to Television Continental, TVC. She was granted bail on the same condition given earlier and her case was adjourned to June 21, 2016. Recall that in October 2015, the first female president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, was arrested by the United…
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Pre Colonial History The Hausa cultures, which as early as the 7th century A.D were smelting iron ore, arose in what is today northwestern and north central Nigeria, to Bornu’s west. Hausa represents a place (Hausaland), a people (the Hausas), a language and a culture that spans multiple West African Nations, with a heavier concentration in Northern, Nigeria. The origin of these cultures, however, is a mystery. Hausas exist in Benin Numbers unknown, in Burkina Faso 500, Cameroon 23,500, Ghana unknown, Niger 5,000,000, Nigeria 28,525,000, Sudan418,000 and Togo 9600. BAYAJIDDA – The Beginning Legend has it that Bayajidda…
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Former President Goodluck Jonathan says the current administration is prosecuting the war against insurgency with the arms which were procured under his government. In an interview with France 24, the Nigerian leader said insurgency caught the country unawares but his government laid a solid foundation for terrorism to be defeated. “The new government is working hard and I believe they are still using the equipment we procured. Though the budget is still being debated, no new equipment has been bought, so even those equipment the president is using to prosecute the war against Boko Haram are those equipment we…
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Dino Melaye, a senator from Kogi west, has described former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter to the national assembly as a misplacement anger, accusing him of introducing corruption into the national assembly. Obasanjo had written a letter to the national assembly accusing it of insincerity for its planned purchase of 469 cars worth N4.7bn. But Melaye, in a riposte on Thursday, said the former president introduced corruption into the national assembly in his bid to run for a third term in office. “I have tremendous respect for president Olusegun Aremu Okikiola Obasanjo. Elder statesman, respected pan Africanist and committed patriot.…
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As the ongoing probe of $2.1billion arms deals continues, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday gave “ThisDay” publisher Prince Nduka Obaigbena a two-week ultimatum to refund N670million allegedly collected for unexecuted contracts. Obaigbena told investigators that he never benefitted from slush funds from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). He said the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan paid the said sums to “ThisDay” and the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) as compensation for the bombing of the newspaper house by Boko Haram and the seizure of copies of many newspapers by the military. He…
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I woke up this morning to a report in the media that Chief Audu Ogbeh is holding former dictator, Ibrahim Babangida and SAP, responsible for the current poor state of the economy. Babangida introduced SAP and led Nigeria to an over-reliance on oil and that is why we are where we are today. There is nothing wrong with historical illumination. There is everything wrong when it becomes a tired cliché constantly mobilized as alibi when you don’t appear to have the answers to setting a new course. That is the trouble with President Buhari’s ministers. When a few months…
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The Chairman of the National Assembly and President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki has promised to respond in no time to a letter by former President Olusegun Obasanjo calling his attention to alleged corruption in the nation’s apex law-making body. The Senate President, reacting through his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, confirmed receipt of the letter and said he was still studying it, and would respond shortly to the issues raised in the letter. “The Senate President has acknowledged that he has received the letter and that he would formally communicate the former president,”Olaniyonu said. While the content of…
OBLONG MEDIA GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE 