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  • Four fighter aircraft were delivered yesterday to the Nigerian Air Force from Pakistan. This is the first set of the 21 aircraft approved for procurement by President Muhammadu Buhari to boost the operations of the Air Force in the Boko Haram war and other operations, it was learnt. The other jets are expected to be delivered in the first quarter of next year. These are: four helicopters gunships, four medium airlift utility helicopters, three live attack aircraft and ten primary trainers. The four Super Mushshak aircraft, said to be modernized for modern warfare, delivered to the Nigerian Air Force, yesterday,…

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  •   Nigeria is expecting the arrival of warplanes and helicopters it ordered from Pakistan and Russia, its latest effort to counter terrorist and militant activities, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar said yesterday. Nigeria is battling jihadist group Boko Haram, which has waged a seven-year insurgency in the northern part of the country aimed at creating an Islamic state. Thousands have been killed and more than two million displaced.   It also faces threats in its crude-producing heartland in the southern Niger Delta, where militants have been blowing up oil pipelines. The subsequent loss of crude oil output has hurt government revenues.…

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  • The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to re-arrest and prosecute a former Governor of Delta State, Mr. James Ibori, who will complete his sentence in a prison in Britain on December 20, 2016. Barring last minute changes, Ibori will be arraigned on 170 charges bordering on money laundering and corruption. A Southwark Crown court had on April 17, 2012, sentenced Ibori to 13 years in prison after the ex-governor pleaded guilty to 10 counts of money laundering and stealing $250m from the treasury. Following his conviction in the UK, there were criticisms of the Nigerian justice system ,especially…

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  •     A former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Farida Waziri, says the pioneer Chairman of the EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, also benefitted from the stolen funds deployed by the Peoples Democratic Party during the 2015 general elections. The EFCC had arrested PDP chieftains across the country for allegedly receiving part of the N23bn disbursed by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke. Although Waziri made no reference to Diezani, she said in a statement by her Personal Assistant, Mrs. Omolara Oluremi, that Ribadu, who was the governorship candidate of the PDP in Adamawa State, received part…

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  • Despite efforts to increase security at the country’s airports, cases of passengers losing items in their baggage to unknown persons is on the increase. Although official figures obtained from the Consumer Protection Department of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority showed a little difference in recorded cases in the first three quarters of this year on domestic routes, it was learnt that many cases remained unreported. Between January and September this year, 2,131 cases of pilferage were reported by passengers on international flights, while 53 cases were officially recorded on domestic routes. Our correspondent found that most of the cases were…

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  • FORMER Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, said at the weekend that President Muhammadu Buhari was a direct beneficiary of the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The party which ruled for 16 years before the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged victorious in last year’s general elections that brought in the Buhari’s presidency. Lamido spoke in his Bamaina hometown at the weekend when he gave an appraisal of the PDP’s woes, saying all the leaders including himself are to blame. He spoke of the internal wrangling which made some former speakers and others joining the APC to wrestle power…

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  • I am but a child. And I am not used to talking to Power. I am not among those who brag of their ability to talk truth to Power. I am in the list of those who hide and shiver in the presence of Power. I am but a child talking to his father. Like a child, I may not know the protocols. I may not observe them, because I believe that in the face of the father the child has liberty to climb on every part of the father’s body, even scratching his body and at same time crying.…

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  • Visionless and disillusioned prominent and respected Igbo men have come out of late to say that what Ndigbo need is an Igbo president and not Biafra restoration as many Biafrans have been saying and showing by their numerous protests. Chief Orji Uzor Kalu in his Igbere home in Bende LGA on 30th November made a case why it is more important to seek Nigerian president of Igbo extraction than to seek Biafra restoration.  Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu on 25th November in Owerri Imo state during the NEC meeting of the Nigeria Union of Journalists said that what the Igbos need is…

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  • Some delegates of the 2014 National Conference, groups and human rights activists on Friday countered President Muhammadu Buhari’s stance on calls for the independence of Biafra and other secession agitations. They asked him to allow a referendum that would give agitators the chance to decide their fate on the matter. There have been agitations by the Indigenous People of Biafra and some other groups to secede from Nigeria but the President has repeatedly described Nigeria’s unity as non-negotiable. Also on Thursday, during a meeting with the South-East Council of Traditional Rulers at the Presidential Villa, the President reiterated his stance…

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  • •Both countries sign 21 bilateral agreements To foster economic integration in the continent, Nigeria and the Kingdom of Morocco yesterday agreed to facilitate a gas pipeline project that would connect Nigeria’s gas resources with those of other countries. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Geoffrey Onyema, disclosed this yesterday while presenting communiqué before the visiting Moroccan King Mohammed VI and President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja. He said that the gas pipeline project will accelerate energy and electrification projects across the affected member countries. He said: “It is a great honour and privilege to read for you a…

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  • Our new Deputy Chief of Mission, David Young, is in Delta State, Nigeria’s south-south with other mission officials for an all-embracing dialogue involving stakeholders in the Niger Delta. U.S. government believes that dialogue is very important in resolving grievances and there is a need for Nigerians to exploit mechanisms for dialogue in moving forward.   Officials of the American Embassy, led by the Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr David Young, are in Delta State in Nigeria’s south-south for an all-embracing dialogue involving all stakeholders in the Niger Delta region. At a meeting with the Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa,…

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  • Governor Nasir el-Rufa’i of Kaduna State, yesterday, raised the alarm over the disturbing rate of drug and substance abuse in the North. The governor said recent studies indicates that drug addiction is threatening a generation of women and youths. He described the situation as a ‘sorry tale’ and said it was time to seek realistic solutions to mitigate destructive outcomes of substance abuse in the country. The governor, who spoke at a one-day seminar in Abuja, with the theme, Substance Abuse: An Impediment to Gainful Employment, organised by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), said “no part of Nigeria is…

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  • It is a heart-wrenching scenario to see the orchestrated marginalization of the South East of Nigeria by the Government of Nigeria; any possible thing to strangulate the region is being thrown at it. However, I am extremely miffed by the simple fact that Igbos appear to be part of the grand design to self-destruct this once vibrant Zone.  Our politicians at the top level of the scheme of things in Nigeria are continuously failing to fight for the people that elected them out of poverty into opulence. We have been abandoned by our Governors and Abuja politicians who collect huge…

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  •      Barring any last-minute change of plans, the proposed mega opposition party in the country will be formed before the end of March, 2017, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt. It was gathered that the Ahmed Makarfi faction of the Peoples Democratic Party and aggrieved chieftains of the All Progressives Congress had intensified efforts aimed at forming the party since the result of the Ondo State election was released. Findings showed that besides the plan to form a new mega party, those involved in the talks were also considering adopting any of the existing political parties as their platform. It was…

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  • Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, says no fewer than 20 000 men, three helicopters and 20 gunboats would be deployed in Rivers State for the state and National Assembly rerun elections holding on Saturday Idris, who disclosed this, yesterday, said the police wanted to repeat the feat achieved during Edo and Ondo elections where the exercises were conducted peacefully. “It is our responsibility to ensure a hitch free exercise and we would do our best to ensure a violence- free rerun elections to re-enact the Edo and Ondo examples”, he said while addressing officers and man of Kano…

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  •    There were indications on Saturday that the Federal Government is no longer interested in pursuing the case of forgery of the Senate Standing Orders, 2015, allegedly masterminded by Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu. Investigations by SUNDAY PUNCH revealed that the Federal Government might have closed the case despite a fresh report of further investigation unearthing new facts about the forgery allegations. SUNDAY PUNCH had exclusively reported that the police submitted a fresh report of investigation to the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice through the National Prosecution Coordination Committee.…

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  • The Presidency on Saturday said the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, did not have the facts on the issues over which he criticised President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. Sanusi had, on Friday, said the Buhari administration lacked the right policies to fix Nigeria’s economy, even as he warned of grave consequences of borrowing $30bn from external sources. He had stated that even if the Senate approved the loan, no foreign nation or financial institution would be willing to accede to the country’s loan request. But the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said, “With…

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  • As one who firmly believes that one Olusegun Obasanjo squandered the finest opportunity of any Nigerian leader since independence, I have often criticized him.  Between 1999 and 2007, he could have transformed Nigeria into Africa’s most developed, most productive and most functional economy. The records show that he compounded the situation, and then handed over to his handpicked successors who made matters considerably worse.  That led, inevitably, to the arrival of one Muhammadu Buhari, who had sworn for years Nigeria needed cleansing, and that he was the man for the job.  When Buhari was sworn in last year, it was…

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  •   CHARLES DEGAULLE SUPPORTS BIAFRA [Remarks made at a press conference, Paris, on 9 September 1968. (Text by courtesy of the French Embassy, London.) From: Kirk-Greene, vol.2, p. 329] This is a statement made by the President of France, Charles DeGaulle, at a press conference. He gave a speech in this same year endorsing the idea that the province of Quebec could/should secede from the nation of Canada.  What is his view of the situation in Biafra? What does he think should happen there? What action does he refuse to take with regard to Biafra? Why? President De Gaulle’s exchange…

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  • The admonition from every sitting Nigerian president immediately after his victory in an election is that politics should be relegated to the background for governance to take the central stage. It is however, a refrain that is observed in the breach, as power game towards a second term commences almost immediately after formal inauguration. Former president Olusegun Obasanjo was reported to have told a confidant and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in year 2000 that his challenge was not a fresh mandate in 2003, but retaining power in 2007- that was three years to the full exercise of…

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  • Only those with ulterior motives insist on keeping Nigeria one because the basis for such union has been a ruse based in the oil fields of the Southeastern Ibo region of Nigeria—henceforth Biafra—and in the interest of the British. Nigeria exists at the peril of Biafra. For one hundred years, the Biafrans have been the victims of this wicked edifice orchestrated by the British for naked plunder. Frederick Luggard, the soldier of fortune who forged Nigeria by subterfuge was fully conscious of his fraud especially against the Biafrans when he said that the constituent nations of Nigeria “are like oil…

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  • British-Nigeria is a rogue terrorist state that has perfected the acts of genocide, human rights abuses, and crimes against humanity. Ironically, there has been a frenzy in Europe to Boycott, Divest from, and Sanction Israel (BDS movement) precisely for defending herself in her ancient homeland against Hamas rockets, and Islamic terrorism. While defending her territory, Israel has not killed remotely as many Palestinians as British-Nigeria have and continues to kill on a daily basis. British-Nigeria has been forcibly occupying, marginalizing, plundering, and massacring Biafrans incessantly for over one hundred years. Yet, it is in vogue in Europe to boycott Israel…

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  •    The attack came after the Ndiokereke Abam clash of November 8 and is the third in less than one month in different parts of Abia State within Abia North senatorial zone. Security operatives in the state appear overwhelmed, as no herdsman has ever been paraded or arraigned in the state despite their increasing attacks on communities. Those that sustained machete cuts in the Ozuitem community attack are receiving medical attention at Tochi Hospital in Uzuakoli. One of the victims, Mr Sunday Oru, a 40- year old father of seven currently receiving treatment at Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, told Channels…

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  •   Muhammad Sanusi II, emir of Kano and former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), says the apex bank is illegally lending to federal government. Sanusi also said “the problem of the current government is not having the right policies to fix the current economic woes”. Speaking at a policy monitoring dialogue hosted by Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, at Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, Sanusi said the CBN had been lending to the government above the limits stipulated by the CBN Act of 2007. Sanusi’s presentation showed that CBN’s lending to the government since Buhari…

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  • The Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has strongly kicked against the plans by President Muhammadu Buhari to seek‎ Senate’s approval of his $30 billion loan request. The former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor said even if the Senate gave its ascent to the loan, no country or global financial institution would be willing to grant such huge amount. Sanusi, during a policy dialogue forum organised by the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development (SCDDD), in Abuja disclosed that for a nation that has five exchange rates, it would be difficult for such request to scale through. Sanusi…

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  • The recent Governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states threw up a number of issues about the politics of succession in Nigeria. In Edo state, you would think it was the then incumbent Governor Adams Oshiomhole seeking re-election. He campaigned more than the candidate. He danced, waved the broom, his party’s symbol, far more enthusiastically than the man who wanted the office. He even did more to put down the opposition and any likely threat to Godwin Obaseki’s ambition. His pretty wife was always in tow during the campaigns, and did she dance? Oh yes, she did too. Godwin Obaseki’s…

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  • Workers at the Federal Ministry of Information and a few other ministries last month experienced a pay cut over tax, pension, and National Housing Fund (NHF), which are now applied on gross salary. Some of the workers had about 50 per cent pay cut, while others had only 10 per cent cut. Some workers in the information ministry, who declined to be named, told Daily Sun that they had no fore knowledge of the salary cut until the memo came. In a November 30, 2016 memo, entitled: “Reduction in November 2016” And signed by head of finance of one of…

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  • Ericsson Nigeria, the local subsidiary of the global telecommunications solutions provider, has disengaged about 160 permanent and outsourced workers in its Network Operating Centre, investigations have shown. It was gathered that disengagement, which takes effect on Sunday, December 4, 2016, affected 55 full-time employees of the company. According to sources in the company, some workers were laid off in July when the offshoring (the practice of a company in one country arranging for people in another country to do work for it) of jobs to India began. Findings show that foreign workers had been recruited to replace the disengaged workers,…

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  • President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday urged those contemplating Nigeria’s break-up to have a rethink, saying the country’s unity is not negotiable. He said the question of having another country out of Nigeria was misplaced. According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President spoke at a meeting he had with the South-East Council of Traditional Rulers at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. “The question of having another country out of Nigeria is going to be very difficult. From 1914, we have more than 200 cultures living with one another. God had endowed this…

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  •     Binta Nyako, justice of the federal‎ high court, has denied Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and three other accused persons bail. Delivering a ruling on an application for bail filed by Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Kanu’s counsel, on Thursday, she held that the offences the defendants — Kanu, Benjamin Nmadubugwu, Chidiebere Onwudiwe and David Nwawusi — were charged with were not entirely bailable. She said the charge of treasonable felony, which hands on the necks of the defendants, attracts‎ a life sentence. Nyako, therefore, denied them bail on the grounds that their case was sensitive…

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  • The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has appealed to its members and Biafrans to accept the outcome of today’s court ruling on the bail application of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu to avoid unnecessary killing of unarmed civilians by security agents. The group alleged that it was not expecting any thing good from the court because the president had ordered the judiciary not to release its leader, during his broadcast on December 30, 2015. A statement by the Media and Publicity of IPOB, Mr. Emma Powerful, yesterday, urged every member and Biafrans to remain calm notwithstanding whether the ruling is in…

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  • Nigerian equities lost a whooping N1.34 trillion in November as tough macroeconomic environment characterized by rising inflation, declining Gross Domestic Products (GDP) and improbable foreign exchange exacerbated major selloff of quoted shares. The loss of N1.34 trillion in November compounded the losing streak, with investor losing N701 billion in October. The benchmark index at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) indicated average month-on-month decline of 13.49 per cent. Aggregate market value of all quoted equities closed November yesterday at N8.689 trillion as against the month’s opening value of N10.028 trillion. The All Share Index (ASI), the value-based index that tracks prices…

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  • Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, recently disclosed in Lagos, while rendering his one year stewardship, that as a result of paucity of funds, priority was being given to roads that allow farmers, businessman, industries and travellers move their goods, roads that support energy sufficiency and those that lead to and from the nation’s major sea and airports Speaking on his achievement and projections going forward in the sectors under his Ministry, Fashola said although the administration inherited 206 federal roads already awarded, with outstanding completion costs in the region of N1.5 Trillion, its share of…

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  • President Erdogan of Turkey has issued a statement saying his troops have entered Syria with the intention of ousting President Assad. Turkey has been illegally running soldiers, artillery and infantry in and out of Syria for much of the duration of the present conflict. Now, however, the proxy and shadow war, which Turkey has been waging against the Syrian Arab Republic, has just become official. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has just announced that Turkish troops have entered Syria with the intention of removing President Assad from power. It is a formal declaration of war. If this threat is genuine, the…

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  • A foundation member of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex socio-cultural group of the Igbos, Emma Okocha, has said that the Biafra struggle was a legitimate one, insisting that all states concerned with the demand for Biafra liberation should not shy away from the call for the emancipation of the zone. Okocha, in Asaba, the Delta State capital, explained that though the Biafran agitators have no right to include other states which are not principally Ibo speaking states into the Biafran struggle, he said it was incumbent on leaders of other states, especially Delta, to hold a special consultation among opinion…

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  • INTRODUCTION On Monday, June 27, 2016, the country was again thrown into some shock with the news of the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, sacking the Governor of Abia State, Mr. Okezie Ikpeazu. From the reports, it was said that Governor Ikpeazu does not possess the requisite qualification to contest the election as governor, in that he did not furnish credible evidence of payment of tax, to the Abia State Government. Accordingly, the court directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue a certificate of return to Mr. John Ogah, the candidate who came second in the Peoples’…

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  • The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday disagreed with the Department of State Services, DSS, that corruption was a threat to national security. DSS had stated this as the main reason it raided thehomes of some judges across the country last month. However, the anti-graft agency believes that the raid was a manifestation of the rivalry among security agencies, particularly between the DSS and the current leadership of the EFCC. The two agencies had appeared before an ad hoc committee of the House of Representatives in Abuja to testify in respect of the invasion of the homes of…

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  • The 8th wonder of the world is how Nigerian President; Muhammadu Buhari managed to convince sane adults and some foreign countries that his govt is waging war against graft. Fact is, there is no war against corruption. The so called anti-graft war is one hell of a lie, a fraud, a sham, a farce. It is a carefully planned and well executed show meant to deceive the hoi polloi of the society and take their minds off very crucial issues while the rogues in power keep preying on them in their characteristic manner. First, president Buhari who is supposedly spearheading…

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  • Barely 24 hours after former President Olusegun Obasanjo lampooned the President Muhammadu Buhari All Progressives Congress, APC led government, Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Abdulrazaq Namdas on Thursday took a swipe at the former president describing him as the grand father of corruption in Nigeria. He also alleged at a press briefing held at the NASS complex that Obasanjo has the intention of bringing down President Muhammadu Buhari’s government. Namdas who read a prepared statement said:”Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to former President Olusegun Obasanjo at a lecture he delivered recently, wherein, in his characteristic…

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  • Quotes from Fidel Castro: ___ “Condemn me. It does not matter. History will absolve me.” — Oct. 16, 1953, at his trial for rebel attack that launched Cuban Revolution. ___ “I am not interested in power nor do I envisage assuming it at any time. All that I will do is to make sure that the sacrifices of so many compatriots should not be in vain, whatever the future may hold in store for me.” — Jan. 1, 1959, upon triumph of the revolution. ___ “Workers and farmers, this is the socialist and democratic revolution of the humble, with the…

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  • The 8th wonder of the world is how Nigerian President; Muhammadu Buhari managed to convince sane adults and some foreign countries that his govt is waging war against graft. Fact is, there is no war against corruption. The so called anti-graft war is one hell of a lie, a fraud, a sham, a farce. It is a carefully planned and well executed show meant to deceive the hoi polloi of the society and take their minds off very crucial issues while the rogues in power keep preying on them in their characteristic manner. First, president Buhari who is supposedly spearheading…

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  • Singer, Actress ~ Toni Braxton, was recently blasted by myth-busters and urban legend debunkers when she stated she would not shop on Black Friday. Braxton mentioned that the origins of the expression Black Friday came from the days of slave auctions — days when auctioneers would sell slaves at a discount. Her claim was quickly dismissed by whomever it is that dismisses or debunks certain things, and it was quickly pointed out (incorrectly) that the term Black Friday actually started in the 1960s when police began referring to mad traffic jams on the day after Thanksgiving and it had nothing…

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  • After more than two decades of silence over the annulment of the 1993 presidential election, former chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and National Chairman of the then Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Tony Anenih, has opened up in a new book to be launched in Abuja tomorrow. Despite the secrecy veiling its content, the planning committee for the launch gave an insight yesterday, saying the political class should “update itself on the story of intrigues at the highest level, as told by one of the unique players.” Sealed lips greeted every effort to get snippets…

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  • Former President Olusegun Obasanjo received a dose of his own pill Thursday when the House of Representatives lambasted him in response to his description of lawmakers as corrupt. The lawmakers described him as the “grandfather of corruption”, who is “acting as lifetime opposition leader, blackmailer” that “wants to bring down Buhari’s government”. Delivering the First Akintola Williams Annual Lecture in Lagos on Wednesday, Obasanjo, among other things said the “National Assembly stinks and stinks to high heavens. It needs to be purged.” He added that the office of the lawmakers is “a den of unarmed robbers”. House spokesman Abdulrazak Namdas,…

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  •     The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mallam Muhammad Bello, has said that his administration will revert all plots of land wrongfully or illegally acquired to the rightful owners in Abuja. A statement issued on Thursday by Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary of the ministry, Muhammad Hazat Sule, revealed that the minister said this on Thursday in his office while receiving the members of the Standing Committee of the Jamanatul-Nasril-Islam (JNI) on Landed Properties in the FCT led by its Chairman and the Emir of Lafia, Alhaji Mustapha Agwai. He said further that this action has become necessary in…

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  • A United States academic report for 2015 has suggested that the Igbo of South Eastern Nigeria are the most brilliant black Africa race. According to the report: “a search through the promotional materials of school for a black student – all schools and colleges would always show some black faces in their promotional materials if they have any – reveals that they have had at least one black student, and it was, unsurprisingly, a Nigerian Igbo.” This is just as two teenage Nigerian high school students, Harold Ekeh and Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna, have broken a record of being accepted by eight…

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  • Corruption is endemic in Nigeria. It drains billions of dollars a year from Africa’s largest economy and most populous country. Systemic corruption also undermines Nigeria’s ability to combat Boko Haram, the world’s deadliest terrorist movement, which has displaced two million people in the country’s war-ravaged northeast. Although the United States and Nigeria have been close partners since Nigeria’s democratic transition in 1999, elite corruption has undercut diplomatic relations and undermined U.S. investments in the nation’s development, security, and governance. Following Muhammadu Buhari’s 2015 presidential election victory, senior U.S. policymakers saw an opportunity to support his aggressive anticorruption efforts. However, U.S.…

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  • Nigeria risks losing its fuel market in West Africa to Ghana, if it does not revive its four refineries and build new ones, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) Director Mordecai Danteni Ladan has said. At the Worldstage Economic Summit in Lagos, he said it was high time Nigeria refurbished its refineries and built more to reduce imports. Ladan represented by DPR’s Manager for Planning Kanmi Ayodeji, said Nigeria might lose a segment of the oil market following Ghana’s decision to build refineries and export petroleum products to Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, among others in the subregion. He lamented that…

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  • ​​ The American Medical Association (AMA) today honored Bennet I. Omalu, M.D., M.B.A., M.P.H., with the Distinguished Service Award for his work discovering chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in American football players. Granted by the AMA Board of Trustees, this award honors a member of the AMA for meritorious service in the science and art of medicine. A Nigerian-American forensic pathologist, Dr. Omalu discovered CTE while working at the coroner’s office in Allegheny County (Pittsburgh) in 2002. Dr. Omalu recognized brain abnormalities in several NFL players who evidenced personality changes or cognitive disorders before dying at an early age. He named…

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  • Network on Police Reform in Nigeria – NOPRIN has just received the information that the Department of State Security (DSS) Imo State arrested Aku Obidinma, National Coordinator of Imo Bilie Initiative (IBIN) and has kept him in arbitrary detention at their State headquarters in Owerri since Monday when they arrested him. Akudinma has been held incommunicado- denied access to everyone. NOPRIN is informed that Akudinma attended a radio program in Owerri on Monday and was dropped off by his colleagues who accompanied him to the radio program. Thereafter, his phones have remained switched off and unreachable. His whereabouts had been…

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  • The Nigerian Military has denied the report by Amnesty International that Nigerian troops killed over 150 defenceless Biafra agitators in different locations of parts of South-East and South-South. Amnesty International on Wednesday, accused the Nigerian security forces, led by the military, of embarking on a chilling campaign of extrajudicial executions and violence resulting in the deaths of at least 150 peaceful pro-Biafra protesters in the south-east of the country. The Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman, denied the report, said it is an outright attempt to tarnish the reputation of the security forces in general and the…

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  • Its a pity that since the victory of Owelle Rochas necessitated by collective struggles of the masses, a lot of evil and inhuman acts have befallen Imo State which have further fostered economic hardship and underdevelopment in the state. We therefore call on the Governor and his facebook employees who have been contracted to deceive Imolites and the general public on the social media to come out and defend these issues: 1. Sack of beneficiaries of the Ten Thousand (10,000) Job Scheme without regard to the Imo State Public/Civil Service Rules 2. Illegal Dissolution of Elected Local Government Councils. 3.…

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  • The 2017-2019 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper sent to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari for legislative approval narrowly escaped being rejected again at the Senate on Wednesday. The upper chamber of the National Assembly condemned the projections of the proposal in the document as unrealistic, even though it said the Presidency had set December 1 for the presentation of the 2017 Appropriation Bill to the legislature. The senators, who took turns to criticise the new version of the MTEF/FSP as well as the officials who prepared the document during the day’s plenary, submitted that it…

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  • The American Heritage College dictionary defines police as, “The governmental department charged with the regulation and control of the affairs of a community, now chiefly the department established to maintain order, enforce the law, and prevent and detect crime.” A police force is a constituted body of persons empowered by the state to enforce the law, protect property and limit civil disorder. Functions of the police include: *Preservation of the peace *Prevention of robberies and other felonies *Detection and committal of offenders   The primary responsibility of the police is to protect citizens from harm and danger, advocate for victims…

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  • Well, it’s has always been my position that no geo-political zone has an exclusive right to the presidency of Nigeria. Also, it’s neither the birthright of any ethnic group nor a chow (the Nigerian presidency) to pacify any group or tribe as long as the playing field is leveled for all and supported by credible data. Shrilly, it’s paramount for Nigeria to maintain a credible process enshrined in equal opportunity and equal access within which any credible individuals interested in the plum office could work hard to emerge as viable candidates; any of these individuals could win the presidency of…

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  • The Senate, yesterday, asked the Federal Government to urgently establish inland ports in Onitsha, Enugu, Aba, Maiduguri, Bauchi and other land-locked states in the country to help accelerate commerce and industry. The Senate also directed the Nigerian Shippers Council to carry out appropriate feasibility studies to facilitate establishment of the ports.  It equally mandated its committees on transport and works to ensure full compliance with planned establishment of the ports, stressing that the feasibility studies earlier carried out on the establishment of inland ports should be revisited.   The resolutions of the Senate were sequel to a motion sponsored by Senator…

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  • A former Minister of Interior and 2015 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in Imo State, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, has dismissed the urban renewal policy of the APC-controlled government of Imo State, describing it as a ruse and a deceit cleverly crafted to deal with perceived enemies of the state government. Iheanacho, who spoke to newsmen in Owerri, contended that any government urban renewal policy without a human face would not stand the test of time. He also dismissed Okorocha’s recent move to compensate genuine aggrieved victims of the demolition exercise as a gimmick, an afterthought and a…

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  •  A new auction record was set for the Nigerian-born artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby in New York last week when “Drown” soared to sell for $1,092,500, over three times the high-estimate ($200,000-$300,000), in Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Sale. No fewer than 11 bidders competed for the work that was eventually sold to an anonymous buyer on the telephone. This was the second time in less than two months that the auction record for Njideka Akunyili Crosby had been broken at Sotheby’s. The previous auction record for the artist was $93,750, set by her “Untitled” work from 2011 at Sotheby’s New York…

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  • The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), has lambasted the Senate for delaying the confirmation of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu. Under Magu’s one-year leadership at the EFCC, the agency has recovered more money than any other time in its 13-year history and has also secured over 145 convictions. Speaking with our correspondent during a telephone interview on Tuesday, Sagay described the delay as a psychological attack against Magu but he argued that it would not slow down the anti-corruption momentum. He said, “This will not…

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  • President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Ms Sandie Okoro, for her recent appointment as Senior Vice President and General Counsel, World Bank Group. Sandie Okoro, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, World Bank Group.  The President also extended the same felicitations to Ms Nnemkadi Ogwunike on her record breaking achievements in the U.S. Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) League.  The two congratulatory messages were signed by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa on Monday in Abuja.  The President described Okoro’s track record in the banking sector as impressive, which has brought a rekindled hope that…

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  • Below is the English translation of the statement as it appears on an Italian tabloid. Read below… Nnamdi Kanu is a British citizen, in prison since October 14, 2015 in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital by the will of the President, the General. Muhammadu Buhari, despite numerous court orders requiring his immediate and unconditional release. Kanu is a political prisoner because it brings out the campaign for the right to self-determination of the indigenous people of Biafra. The secret police of Nigeria known as DSS has kidnapped and arrested Kanu on his arrival in Lagos October 14, 2015 from London. He was…

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  • The Leadership of Islamic Movement of Nigeria on Monday in Kano accused the Federal Government of plotting to wipe out the movement in the country. At an emergency press briefing held in Kano, the Head of Martyr Foundation of IMN, Sheikh Abdulhamid Bello, maintained that in Kan, the Ashura procession had ended peacefully before security agents, who he claimed masqueraded as members of a youth vanguard group, attacked Shitte members. According to him, since the eruption of the Shitte sect face-off with law enforcement agents, President Muhammadu Buhari had neither intervened nor sympathised with the victims of police attacks. Bello…

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  • The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in real terms declined by -2.24 per cent (year-on-year) in real terms in the third quarter of 2016.This is according to the Nigerian Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Report for Third Quarter of 2016 released by NBS yesterday in Abuja. The report stated that the figure was lower by 0.18 per cent points from growth recorded in the preceding quarter. That was lower by 5.08 per cent points from growth recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2015. “Quarter on quarter (unadjusted for seasonality), real GDP increased by 8.99 per…

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  • Lecture by His Excellency President Olusegun Obasanjo At the First Akintola Williams Annual Lecture Lagos, November 23, 2016 Protocol When my sister, ’Toyin Olakunri, phoned to alert me about this Lecture, the telephone connection was poor and I could hardly hear her but I got the name of Mr. Akintola Williams which has always struck reverence and awe in me. Mr. Akintola Williams has seen active days and has been an active participant in Nigeria of the past, Nigeria of the present and by God’s grace, will be part of Nigeria’s future for some time to come. ’Toyin, who was…

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  • The honeymoon between President Muhammadu Buhari and former President Olusegun Obasanjo seems to have ended. For the one and a half year that Mr. Buhari has been in power, Mr. Obasanjo remained one of his staunchest backers, visiting him repeatedly and publicly defending most of his actions. But speaking in Lagos Wednesday, Mr. Obasanjo served signal that the era of being soft on the administration Mr. Buhari leads is over. Delivering the keynote at the First Akintola Williams Annual Lecture, Mr. Obasanjo lashed at the Buhari administration for repeatedly lumping the country’s three previous administrations (including the one he, Obasanjo,…

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  • The court of appeal has upheld the caretaker committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under the leadership of Ahmed Makarfi, describing the faction led by Ali Modu Sheriff as illegal. In a judgement on Wednesday, the panel of judges led by Ibrahim Saulawa, set aside the ruling of Okon Abang, a judge of the federal high court Abuja, who declared Makarfi’s faction as “illegal”. In a ruling on June 29, Abang ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognise any candidate from the Markafi faction. The judge held that there were two subsisting court orders which recognised…

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  • As part of political realignment ahead of the 2019 general elections, President Muhammadu Buhari’s strategists are wooing the South-East, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt. It was gathered in Abuja on Saturday that the President had directed that infrastructure gaps in the South-East should be bridged. It was also learnt that apart from reviving old alliances with associates, the president’s allies were also counting on political bridges built by northern politicians with their eastern counterparts over the years. In addition to these political moves, Buhari was said to have ordered contractors handling various infrastructural projects in the zone to return to site.…

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  • With due respect, please exit now if you don’t like long essays. Thank you! Many people question my patriotism because I tolerate the Biafranists on my discourse. While Biafra is not the objectives of my discourse, Biafra is a legitimate voice of dissent to the continued failures of the Nigerian state. The Biafra quests are a sincere expression of the deep-seated, over pressured, growing, and dangerously active seismic faults in the Nigerian tectonic. In this respect, the Igbos are doing the rest of us a big favor with their willingness to discuss their grievances and their desire to secede. More…

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  • The Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, on Tuesday said he would establish a radio station that would transmit only in Igbo. Obiano stated this at the Prof. Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka, the state capital, during a function of an Igbo society, Otu suwakwa Igbo, headed by a former Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof. Pita Ejiofor. Obiano said this would be his contribution to the efforts aimed at preventing Igbo language from going into extinction. The governor berated parents for not teaching their children Igbo language and culture. He ordered that henceforth pupils in the state, from…

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  • It has been revealed that Nigeria’s U-19 football which had just participated in an International Tournament, has been horribly embarrassed in Abuja. Many of Nigeria’s U19 players were stranded in Abuja on return from the Suwon International Tournament in South Korea. According to The Nation, they were stranded after they were each paid five thousand Naira as transport fare back to their bases. “Some of the players were stranded and had to send home for more money to add to the 5,000 Naira paid each of them before they could return home,” a source informed. “At a point it even…

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  • Detectives have uncovered huge cash payments to Supreme Court Justices, members of the management and staff of the apex court. Some of the payments, which were effected through a secret/ Operation Account, are alleged to be outrageous and outside the allowances approved by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). The allowances include cash for justices and management staff during festivities, especially Easter, Christmas, Ramadan and Eid-el Kabir. Detectives are probing why the apex court paid cash instead of remittance of such payments to the accounts of the beneficiaries. The Presidency is said to be in dilemma on what…

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  • In 1954, 40 years after the 1914 Amalgamation, Colonial Rule, and Independence Struggles, as a part the preparations for the departure of the British from Governance in Nigeria, a decision was reached to adopt a Federal Constitutional Model for the would-be Independent Nigeria in view of the vast ethnolinguistic cum religious diversities of the Territory. That FEDERATION model, adopted in 1954 became the basis on which the then 3 Regions distilled their various Constitutions between 1957 (Western Region), 1958 (Eastern Region) and the 1959 (Northern Region) which were were subsequently Federated by negotiations to float the Political Union, Nigeria. It…

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  • This is the Police Report on the official investigation into the coup of 15 January 1966. It was prepared by Police Special Branch Interrogators based on interviews with soldiers, other ranks and some officers who hadbeen arrested after the mutiny. None of the soldiers and officers involved had come to formal trial in a court-martial as of the time of the July 29 1966 “counter-coup”. Indeed the fact they were not court-martialed was one of the grievances listed bythose officers who carried out the unfortunate operations of July 28-August 1, 1966. The coup report was released to very few individuals…

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  •   This interview took place just before the start of the civil war. It is probably the most detailed question and answer session with Major Nzeogwu. Enjoy…. Ejindu: I am glad to meet you, Sir. How would you feel if you knew that you are being regarded as a hero? Nzeogwu: Very pleased naturally. But the truth is that I am not a hero. If there was any famous Major Nzeogwu, I have never heard of him. Ejindu: It is rumoured that you have just finished writing a book, what is it like? Nzeogwu: Good gracious! Ninety-nine per cent of…

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  • Senator Andrew Nwankwo from the Izzi clan in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, was a captain in the Nigeria Air Force before the January 1966 coup that made way for Major General J. T. U Aguiyi Ironsi to emerge as Head of State. He became Ironsi’s Aide-De-Camp through the recommendation of Brigadier George Krubo who was then in-charge of the Air Force and subsequently supervised the late Head of State’s security. Capt. Andrew Nwankwo (rtd) said he was to die with his boss, but for fate. He was present when both Ironsi and Fajuyi were shot dead. Tracking the 61-year-old former ADC…

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  •    To understand this, you must go back to before independence. The Igbos held top positions in literally every field. #Nigeria had 4 universities at the time and Igbos were in charge of 3 while a white man was in charge of 1. They also dominated trade & commerce and the military. In politics they were also leading.  The 1st event that this fear inspired is one of the least discussed or even known mass murder in recent history. In 1966, 30,000 Igbos and related ethnic groups were hunted and slaughtered in broad day light by people they’ve lived with…

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  •  “the Yoruba bourgeoisie are the greatest problem to nation building in Nigeria” Now, if you guessed who made the above statement to be a prominent Igbo politician or a foreign observer of Nigerian politics, you guessed wrong. The comment and the ominous warning was made by no less a person than Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, former Governor of the Nigerian Central Bank and present Emir of Kano. The above excerpt was part of a paper he presented at the national Conference on the 1999 Constitution, jointly organized by the Network For Justice at the Arewa House, Kaduna on Sept 11-12…

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  • How Much Respect Do You Show Igbos? I am not Igbo. I am proud of my Urhobo. However, as a student of history, I wish to show just what these great people came/come against and yet thrive. Okay, the incessant killings in the North will be glossed over so as to make this article not overly long. The civil war will also not be discussed. However, post civil war, as I explained in my post MINORITY REPORT: THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST YOU, the rich in Nigeria have major roots in the Indigenisation decree of 1972 and 1977. I reminded…

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  • The day was Wednesday, October 19, 2016. The venue was the Democracy Park at Akure, Ondo State. The occasion was the much anticipated flag-off of the Eyitayo Jegede SAN governorship campaign for Ondo State. I was there even as the arena was filled to capacity with dignitaries and admirers. Speaker after speaker eulogized the current governor, Olusegun Mimiko for the good job he has been doing in the State and for finding a worthy successor-in-waiting in Eyitayo Jegede SAN. The atmosphere was charged as songs of praise accompanied by thrilling drumbeats rent the air at measured intervals. Finally, the flag-off…

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  • Niger Delta militants on Saturday vowed to blow up more oil facilities in the region if the Federal Government fail to drop the trumped up charges against a former militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission declared Tompolo wanted in February over an alleged N45.9bn fraud and charged him to court in absentia. The leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Democratic Front, General Playboy, urged the Federal Government to leave Tompolo alone. The militant leader, in an email, decried the raid of Gbaramatu Kingdom by soldiers, adding that soldiers never raided communities in…

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  • A group, Arewa Group Media, an offshoot of Buhari Network for Change, on Thursday called for the resignation of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, stressing that he had failed in promoting government policies. The national coordinator of the group, Abdulmajid Kwamand, said this at a media parley in Kano. Kwamand added that the SGF “was not doing anything to promote the good policies of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.” He said, “This administration possesses the basic policies needed for national development, which is also highly commendable. But unfortunately, people like the SGF are among officials in…

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  • The Buhari administration is considering extending validity period for international passports from its current five to 10 years, the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service has said. Muhammad Babandede told reporters in his office on Saturday that Nigerians should expect an announcement on the policy changes in the coming months. “We have submitted a memo to the president and we believe we’ll get a positive response to that soon,” Mr. Babandede said. The immigration chief said the review was the government’s response to several months of complaints from Nigerians and other foreign elements who said the five-year validity period is too…

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  • The ENPOWER Free Trade Zone in Enugu State is expected to attract up to $500m (N240bn) worth of foreign direct investments from leading global manufacturing companies and the activities of the industrial clusters hosted in the free zone are also expected to create over 20,000 jobs across three major regions in the country. The move is expected to further boost the Federal Government’s economic diversification programme, the state government said on Saturday. Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State is expected to host the ground breaking ceremony of the ENPOWER FTZ scheduled at the Akanu Ibiam Airport site of the free…

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  • Let us look at Anambra state and see why it is more sustainable than most oil producing states. There are three major cities that drive the economic prosperity of Anambra state; Nnewi, Onitsha and Awka. Nnewi is the industrial city of Anambra State. Nnewi is home to several indigenous industrial manufacturing companies. Nigeria’s first car manufacturing plant is located at Nnewi. Nigeria’s auto part manufacturing factories are located at Nnewi, the first Nigerian made motorcycle was and is still been produced at Nnewi. There are several number of indigenous industrial products been produced at Nnewi. Technically, Nnewi is referred to…

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  • A number of unidentified gunmen on Sunday, allegedly stormed the Kaduna residence of President Muhammadu Buhari’s powerful cousin, Mr Mamman Daura, and kidnapped a former minister, Ambassador Bagudu Hirse. While the circumstances surrounding the kidnap remain unclear, there was a brief exchange of gunfire between the gunmen and security operatives attached to Mr Daura’s residence, according to Sahara Reporters. The president’s cousin is said to be unharmed but shocked by the incident while more security operatives have reportedly been drafted to the scene. One Twitter user, Dasuki S Nakande who tweets via @inakande earlier in the day, claimed that President…

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  • Governor Fayose has applauded Igbo people for their industrious activities – He noted that if the country breaks up, only the region can survive independently. Fayose said this Fayose stated this on Saturday, November 19 when the Ndigbo community in his state and OHANEZE Ndigbo south west, conferred him with the traditional title of ‘Nwanne  di  na mba” at the Olukayode Stadium during the Igbo Cultural Day. Vanguard reports that Fayose described Igbos as industrious people and will be able to handle Nigeria’s separation well if it happens. “whatever anybody says, the Igbos are a unique people in the country.…

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  • Those who do not understand what Buhari is saying should realize that he is laying claim to the whole of Nigeria as the Estate of their Greatgrandfather Uthman Dan Fodio and he is showing the exit door to those who are not happy about the definition (ie the Constitutional Arrangements imposed on all by Caliphate-inspired Decrees), of that Nigeria.  The only chance the rest of Nigeria stands today against the complete CONQUEST and ISLAMIZATION Agenda of the Caliphate is the immediate dissolution and unbundling of the failed, toxic and defunct Federation of Nigeria. The background to this mindset is that…

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  • Sequel to the ongoing intraparty crisis segregating the leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC), another known “political son” to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who had chosen to pitch his tent with President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun, Dr Kayode Fayemi has thrown a stone at his former political godfather, Tinubu over the weekend. The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, who Saturday described the embattled national leader of the party as a leader and hardworking person, however maintained that Tinubu was responsible for his own misfortunes in the party, saying no one can be…

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  •   A former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress [APC] in Kaduna State, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said President Muhammadu Buhari must intervene to fix the crisis in the party and save it from disintegration. Baba-Ahmed made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria [NAN] in Kaduna on Sunday. According to him, the problems affecting the party have been left to linger for too long and must be settled in the next few months, if the party hopes to retain power in 2019. “Even if you can forgive some of the crisis and blame it on in…

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  • There is no doubt that Nigerians are urgently and desperately craving for 2019 to come faster to present them the widely desired chance to change the present government of change led by President Muhammadu Buhari and some of the non performing APC and PDP controlled states across Nigeria. The concern raised by the people in 2015 that led to the ousting of the former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan which the media widely termed as clueless government can be traced to the make belief “Heavy Media Warfare” against the former President and may not have been based on genuine concern…

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  •   A man’s wife is his possession. She is part of his investment. He believes that by the virtue of anointing her as his wife, he has elevated her status amongst her peers and accorded her a respectable position in society.  No matter how he treats her, it is around her that he builds his empire and nurtures his desires and hopes for the future. The fruits of his labour are expended on his wife and the fruits of their loins, with the belief that they will be the joys of his old age.  No matter the circumstances or situation…

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  • •Detectives screen Supreme Court’s petty cash book, payment vouchers to contractors •Probes five firms over alleged N80.4m bribe to S’Court staff Ahead of the ongoing probe and pending their arraignment, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Security Service (DSS) have restricted the movement of not less than 13 judges to the country. The judges cannot travel abroad because they have been watch-listed until permitted by a court. It was also learnt that security agents have started screening the Petty Cash Book of the Supreme Court and payment vouchers to contractors. The Petty Cash Book…

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  • This article is culled from Asari Dokubo’s speech during one of the gatherings of Ndigbo, Urhobos and people of the Niger Delta few years back where ‘BIAFRA’ was comprehensively discussed and Asari Dokubo just as always spoke out fearlessly and passionately. Read below the heartrending speech made by the great warrior and be inspired. “Today, if anything will stir me to fight, it is my belief that Biafra was right. When I was growing up, we were told a lot of things to hate Biafra. Maybe some of us were persuaded. But the more I grew up, the more I…

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  • I slept early last night, no thanks to the stress of Lagos. I usually wake up quite early to catch up with latest happenings in the country before heading into another round of traffic stress.  Early this morning as I scanned through facebook, I saw viral pictures of the visit of former President Goodluck Jonathan to Sokoto. He came to the caliphate to sympathize with the Dasuki family over the death of the Late Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki who was the father of his National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki who is currently in detention.  There was a huge crowd that received…

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  • The Chinua Achebe Center for Leadership and Development (CACLD) has advised the World Bank not to grant the $29.9 billion loan being requested by the Federal Government of Nigeria. It warned against granting the loan request in a letter addressed to Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) in Washington-DC. The letter was signed by Ugochukwu Nwachukwu, Executive Director (Operations), Matthew Mbanaja, Public Relations Officer, and Samuel Ejiofor Esq., Legal Adviser. The Centre said it was in pursuit of its commitment to the protection of human rights and good governance in Nigeria and beyond, that…

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  •   Philip Efiong (also spelled Effiong, 18 November 1925 – 6 November 2003) was the first Vice President and the second President of the now defunct Republic of Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War of 1967 to 1970. Today Is Philip Effiong’s 91st Posthumous Birthday. Philip Efiong (also spelled Effiong, 18 November 1925 – 6 November 2003) was the first Vice President and the second President of the now defunct Republic of Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War of 1967 to 1970. Born in Ibiono Ibom in present-day Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, on 18 November 1925, Philip Effiong joined the…

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  • I have been reading about the rising profile of our former President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, and wish to state without equivocation that no one should rule him out of the 2019 presidential race. I first hinted this possibility about two months ago and wish to reiterate that Nigerians should prepare for the shock that awaits us. The story of Donald Trump should bring us back to our senses. Nothing is impossible. The second coming of Goodluck Jonathan may be so far-fetched or even belong in those categories of impossibilities but I wish to plead with our government and my…

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  • In my essay titled “Head Bloodied But Not Bowed And The Ascension Of President-Elect Donald J. Trump” (Part 1) I wrote the following:  “When I went to visit the great and brilliant freedom fighter, Nnamdi Kanu, who is the leader of IPOB and easily the most courageous, powerful and credible Igbo leader in Nigeria today in his cell we had a very instructive and long discussion.  I had never met Nnamdi before and I was amazed at his depth of knowledge, his immense courage and his deep convictions. There is no doubt in my mind that that man is going…

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  • 1. Less than 10% of the universities have Video Conferencing facility. 2. Less than 20% of the universities use Interactive Boards. 3. More than 50% don’t use Public Address System in their lecture OVERCROWDED rooms/theatres. 4. Internet Services are non-existent,or epileptic and slow IN 99% of Nigerian Universities. 5. Nigerian Universities Library resources are outdated and manually operated. Book shelves are homes to rats/cockroaches. 6.No university library in Nigeria is fully automated. Less than 35% are partially automated. 7. 701 Development projects in Nigerian universities 163 (23.3%) are abandoned 538 (76.7%) are PERPETUALLY on-going projects. 8. Some of the abandoned…

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