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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Agha Egwu is one of the top APC trained propagandist but he has decided to say the truth. Hear him as he confesses the truth about APC unrepentant liars: All of you in PDP always amuse me when you engage in these debates with trained APC e-rats. Your incredulity at the lies fascinate me. You think it’s a terrible thing and express shock. . Now I was in the APC, and probably still in the APC, as I have not formally withdrawn. The reason being I can’t even make the effort to withdraw. Can’t be bothered with political parties…
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The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, has said the numerical strength of 317,000 of the Nigerian Police is not enough to effectively secure the country’s geographical space hosting over 170 million of its populace. However, he said the Nigerian Police is leveraging on the deployment of modern technology to fight crimes. “Since I came on board as IGP, I have tried to migrate from analogue to digital technology,” he said, adding that that is the best way the modern police force can go. Meanwhile, the Police and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have concluded arrangement to constitute…
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In what could be the biggest shake-up in the nation’s judiciary since independence, an all-inclusive probe of nearly all judges manning superior courts of records in the country has reportedly commenced. Already, all information relating to the judges’ bank accounts and transactions are said to have been obtained by security agencies handling the probe. The operation is reportedly tagged “total reform of the judiciary”. The information obtained on the financial transactions of the judges, including justices of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, are reportedly being processed by the probing security agencies, with a certain agency…
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The majority of Nigerians knew that this would be a tough year. Perhaps, they only underestimated the toughness that the year will bring. For many years, our economy was based on assumption that all was well and when an economy is built on unrealistic economic indices, it is just a matter of time before the bubble will burst. So, in our case, the shit has hit the fan and we are all in a mess. Help is not even in sight and we can only hope that the messy situation will not get messier. The last three weeks have…
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IFEOMA, now Aisha, is the daughter of Mr. Ndubuisi Nichodemus. She was living with her parents, in the midst of the Hausa community in Zaria, Kaduna State, until May, 2014. On that fateful evening, Ifeoma had left the house in protest against the authority of her mother to question her for returning late to the house on the day. She simply walked out of her parents’ compound into a neighbour’s house, and since 21 months ago to be precise, the family is yet to set their eyes on her. Ifeoma, now 16, might have been converted to Islam, even…
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Nigerian born, Dr. Osatohanmwen Osemwengie has been an integral member of the American armed forces, building drones for the United States Army. These drones are used for surveillance to gather important information, as well as take out terrorist camps. Dr Osatohanmwen working on drones Dr. Osatohanmwen Osemwengie, who comes from Benin, Edo state, joins the list of Nigerians making a difference around the world. Here’s what you should know about Dr. Osato Osemwengie: 1. He is a successful academic. Dr. Osemwengie has four graduate degrees, a Doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Cincinnati. He is…
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We have a particular bad habit back home, which is ignoring things until they get out of hand. The time for unlooking is over. John Anule was killed by people who accused him of cattle rustling. On what planet, and in what century is a human being less important than a cow? This is 21st century Nigeria! Many, in Lagos and Abuja are ‘blissfully’ unaware of what is happening in the Middle Belt. Maybe #BokoHaram fatigue. But we need to wake up and smell the coffee. It affects us. The prices of food in Lagos for example, have gone…
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The incumbent government of President Muhammadu Buhari is known for its constant faulting the previous government for all challenges Nigeria is currently facing. Chief Dele Momodu asks President Buhari to stop blame game and start working. HOW EX-MINISTER KEMA CHIKWE BROUGHT SANITY TO OUR INSANE AIRPORTS Fellow Nigerians, let us start today’s epistle with a real life story. Some years ago, a woman named Dr Kema Chikwe was appointed Minister of Aviation. Her mandate was to bring sanity to our insane airports across the country. It was as if we were a jinxed nation and nothing good could ever come…
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THE vice chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in charge of South South, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh has said that any party member that contemplates dumping the party for another or to form a new party, was not a loyal member. Ojougboh who spoke to The Guardian against the backdrop of some aggrieved PDP leaving to form a new party, said that the party hierarchy has taken a decision and that any member that acted contrary to the decision was not faithful. Some aggrieved alleged members of the PDP and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on Tuesday in Abuja;…
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President Robert Mugabe has come up with a solution to the growing rate of rape and child abuse cases. He said that castration of rapists and child abusers is the best way to stem the vice. The Zimbabwean president reportedly made this known while speaking during his 92nd birthday celebrations at the Great Zimbabwe Monuments on Saturday, February 26. Mugabe said he was confused by people who abuse minors. “What sex impulse is it which gets one to abuse a little child? I wonder what enough punishment for such people is,” he said. “Can you suggest how such brutal…
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The Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has disclosed that shortly after the civil war, the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, advised the Gen. Yakubu Gowon regime to deploy new wealth from oil to building human capital through the implementation of a nationwide free education programme. While pointing out that the government failed to act on that recommendation, he lamented that “Nigeria as a whole is still paying the price for that error.” El-Rufai disclosed this on Thursday at the Chief Obafemi Awolowo commemorative birthday symposium at Efunyela Hall of the late sage’s Ikenne country home organised by the…
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More revelations into the roles played by Police Zone 1 Command, over the abduction of the 14-year-old Ese Oruru to Kano State, by Inuwa Dahiru Bala, emerged yesterday. It was gathered that the inability of the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 1, Shuaibu Gambo to effectively follow up the matter forced a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Bashir Wali, who is also an indigene of Kano to intervene. His intervention, however, did not yield any result. The retired senior police officer was said to have worked round the clock and promised to…
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On the recommendation of the committee established to audit the procurement of arms and equipment in the Armed Forces and Defence sector from 2007 to 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to carry out further investigation into the misconduct established against the following retired and serving officers of the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Army: (1)Air Chief Marshal AS Badeh (Rtd) (2)Air Marshal MD Umar (Rtd) (3)Air Marshal AN Amosu (Rtd) (4) Maj-Gen. ER Chioba (Rtd) (5)AVM IA Balogun (Rtd) (6)AVM AG Tsakr (Rtd) (7)AVM AG Idowu (Rtd) (8)AVM AM Mamu (9)AVM…
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EXPOSED ;The Mastermind of the Fulani Attack on Abugbe in Agatu revealed in a recorded conversation.
A taped telephone conversation between a Fulani herdsman appears to reveal an alleged complicity of Zakari Musa the aide to the Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam on the recent attack on Abugbe. He is an Idoma man from Agatu. Though we cannot yet independently verify the authenticity of this tape, If this tape is true it may be a game changer in Agatu crisis. Details soon…. Find below the Tape and the Transcript of the conversation in English for those who do not understand Hausa; Voice 1: Inaudible Voice 2: its important that you people should inform them…
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THE democratic credentials of former President Goodluck Jonathan have received yet another boost with Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars in the United States (U.S.) recognising him as the leader that provided the best moments for democracy in Africa in 2015. In its “The Year in Review” report for 2015, the Centre highlighted Nigeria’s 2015 elections and praised Jonathan’s classy role in ensuring a smooth transfer of power in Nigeria, which “became a big confidence boost for Africa’s mass movements for democracy.” The assessment was contained in two perspectives on elections and implications for Africa and U.S.-Africa relations presented…
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A sophisticated attack on a sub-sea pipeline in Nigeria’s Delta might herald a return to the kind of widespread militant violence that crippled the oil industry in Africa’s top producer less than a decade ago. Attacks on oil facilities have been on the rise in the swamps since President Muhammadu Buhari vowed to shake up a fraud-ridden amnesty program for rebels who stopped blowing up pipelines in 2009 in exchange for cash and generous contracts. Adding a new dimension, unknown militants – probably using divers – hit a Shell underwater pipeline last month, interrupting oil flows and forcing the…
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Nigeria has the highest prevalence rate of Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) in the world with an alleged number of between 400,000 and 800,000 women living with this scourge. There are anywhere between 12,000 and 20,000 new cases occurring annually, with 90 per cent remaining untreated. The implication of this is that an average of 55 women are infected by VVF on a daily basis and it is conservatively estimated that two million women suffer from obstetric fistula globally. Northern Nigeria has a disproportionate amount of VVF cases with over 85 per cent of these figures. VVF is an occurrence of…
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Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer. Nigeria’s loss-making state oil giant is to be broken up into 30 “profit-making” companies, the government says. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has been mired in corruption allegations and losing money for many years. Despite pressure to sell it off, the government says that it can transform the NNPC into a profitable enterprise. Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil producer, but the economy has suffered because of the declining oil price. Can Nigeria defeat oil corruption? Oil Minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu said that the NNPC’s monthly losses have rapidly declined and now stand…
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While the attention of the Nigerian government is focused towards ending the violent Boko Haram insurgency in the country’s North East region, it has turned a blind eye to the equally devastating conflict, brewing in the North Central region, a report released on Tuesday has said. The report, titled “Terror in the Food Basket” published by SMB Intelligence, a data mining and research firm that provides analysis of Nigeria’s socio-political and economic situations, described the attitude of the Federal Government toward the Fulani herdsmen and host communities in the region as “head-firmly-in-the-sand”. SMB Intelligence stated that the report was…
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Former Director General of the Nigerian Institute for International Affairs (NIIA), Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, on Thursday said Nigeria loses approximately $7 billion annually as a result of poor bilateral relations with the Israeli government. He explained that Nigeria’s relation with the Jewish nation was categorised into political, economy and religion and it has suffered severely due to the non-committal posturing of Nigeria. Akinterinwa stated this at a one-day symposium geared towards promoting partnership on Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) between the two nations. He argued that Nigeria-Israeli diplomatic relations remained lopsided, with only the religious angle flourishing, adding…
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Reports say the clash that started in the Mile 12, Ketu area of Lagos State, on Thursday, has spread to other areas in Kosofe this afternoon. The situation in Agiliti where the fracas started is still tense. People have been seen moving out in droves. In a series of tweets, residents have been beckoning on the police to come to their rescue. Bloody clashes in the Mile 12, Ketu area of Lagos State on Thursday left no fewer than 10 persons dead and about 100 others injured. Among the dead were two schoolchildren, traders, artisans and residents. A two-year-old…
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Donald Trump answered Mitt Romney’s public indictment Thursday of his front-running Republican bid by skewering the 2012 GOP presidential nominee as a “failed candidate” who “let us down” with his loss to President Obama. “Mitt is a choke artist,” Trump told supporters at a pre-debate rally in Portland, Maine. Trump went on to call Romney disloyal, claiming he begged Trump for his endorsement the last time around. “You can see how loyal he is. … I could have said Mitt, drop to your knees, he would have dropped to his knees,” Trump said. Click here for live coverage of the…
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The leftist media, the globalists, the millennia, the New World Order, the democrats and Republicans, LGBT communities are out to stop Donald Trump because he is a threat to their interests around the world. Here is the real deal behind why the media has to make you see Trump as a demon; Interesting take on Trump. William J. Bennett, Host of Bill Bennett’s Morning in America Show, is one of America’s most important, influential, and respected voices on cultural, political, and education issues. He has one of the strongest Christian world views of any writer in modern times. “They…
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The Fulani community in Benue State, accused of killing hundreds in Agatu in Benue State, said Thursday that the crisis started after 10,000 of cattle belonging to its members were killed by Agatu natives. Ado Boderi, who spoke on behalf of the Fulani community on Thursday, during a meeting between Agatu community, Fulani community and Police Inspector General Solomon Arase, said criminal elements from both sides escalated the crisis despite the quick intervention of the governor. He said that Fulani herdsmen were a peace-loving people, whose main concern was the problem of cattle rustling. Akpa Iduh, who spoke on…
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Abuja – The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, on Thursday said that a major overhaul of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) system would be announced in the next one week. Kachikwu stated that NNPC would be unbundled to four or five main operational zones comprising 30 companies to be headed by a director each. He stated this in his remarks at the 2016 Annual Oloibiri Lecture Series and Energy Forum organised by Society of Petroleum Engineering (SPE) Nigeria Council. “For the national oil company, a lot of work is going on; I am sure some of…
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President Muhammadu Buhari was in Qatar last week and the major news that came out of the visit was the signing of Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Qatar to pave way for direct flights between major cities of both countries. While I continue to wonder whether any due diligence was done by the relevant authorities before committing Nigeria to such an agreement, there are pertinent questions as to whose idea this BASA deal is. Since Nigeria currently has no national carrier, it stands to reason that Qatar initiated the idea and that is where the problem…
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The Federal Government of Nigeria is importing grasses that will be used to feed cows in the northern part of the country. Minister of Agriculture and rural development, Audu Ogbeh who made the disclosure Wednesday said this is to curtail the frequent clashes between arm bearing Fulani cattle breeders and farmers. According to Ogbeh, the Muhammadu Buhari government was setting up grazing areas in various states of the federation as a response to the clashes. “We can’t allow cows to be roaming around anyhow,” Ogbeh said this at the Unity Fountain Abuja while addressing his Idoma tribes people who…
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The Nigeria Senate has called on the Federal Government to urgently check the circulation of arms around the country and retrieve them.This followed a motion by Sen. Chukwuka Utazi (PDP Enugu North) on the high rise of arms in the country and the recurring clashes between herdsmen and farmers in many parts of the country. The legislators, who strongly condemned recent killing of farmers in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, called on the government to establish ranches and grazing reserves across the country and adopt other strategies to enable herdsmen settle to modern systems of livestock farming.…
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Hundreds of passengers were on Tuesday stranded at bus stops in many parts of the country, especially in Abuja, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Lagos states, as most commercial vehicles were not available to ferry passengers to their various destinations. In Lagos, many filling stations did not open for business, while the few ones selling the product had long queues of motorists. Some filling stations in Ikorodu and other outskirts of Lagos State, as well as Ota, Ogun State, sold the product for between N120 and N130 per litre. But the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation said it would restore normalcy between…
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The Nigerian Army Council has quashed the conviction of Brig. – Gen. Enitan Ransome-Kuti by a Special Court Martial and ordered his release from close custody. Ransome-Kuti was arrested in January 2015 and tried by a special court martial for cowardice, while serving as Commander of a Joint Multinational Task Force in Baga. A statement by Col. Aliyu Yusuf, Spokesman of the Army Headquarters Garrison, said the council confirmed the decision of the court martial but decided to review the punishment. Yusuf said the council commuted his dismissal from the Nigerian Army to demotion from the rank of a…
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Operation stop Trump well underway. Watch Mitt Romney’s full speech at the University of Utah on Thursday. Former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney said Thursday that the prospects for a safe future are “greatly diminished” if Donald Trump becomes the Republican nominee for president. Speaking at the University of Utah, Romney warned a packed auditorium that any of the other GOP candidates would be a better alternative to the billionaire businessman. “The only serious policy proposals that deal with the broad range of national challenges we confront today, come from Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and John Kasich,” Romney said of…
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FORMER National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and its candidate in the Anambra Central senatorial election, Chief Victor Umeh, has allegedly been arrested by men of the Department of State Services, DSS, over perceived support for the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB. It was gathered that Umeh was invited to the headquarters of DSS at Amawbia at about 9 .00 am and after about two hours, was taken out of the office in a pick-up van en-route Abuja. Vanguard gathered that the security officials were said to have received petitions that Umeh was among those supporting the…
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Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, on Wednesday ordered the state’s human rights commission to investigate the alleged abduction of a 14-year-old girl by the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar. There were reports that Patience Paul, a pupil of Mohammed Zako Model Primary School, Sokoto, suddenly disappeared from home and was traced to the monarch’s palace. Her father, Paul Adaji, had raised the alarm after his daughter disappeared on August 12, 2015. He said a search revealed that hat she was being kept in the palace for unknown reasons. But the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Imam Imam,…
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Today there was a clash between Yoruba and Fulani youths in Ketu, Lagos state in which a number of people on both sides and some of our security agents were apparantly killed. Just a few days ago over 300 people were killed by well-armed Fulani herdsmen in Agatu, Benue state. Throughout the country Fulani militias and herdsmen are wreaking havoc and are slaughtering their compatriots for one reason or the other. Worse of all is the fact that our Fulani-led Federal Government and our Fulani-led Armed Forces are killing thousands of young igbos in the east simply because of…
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Information just made available to Oblong media, states that Nigerias Secret Service organ, the DSS, arrested Sir Victor Umeh at his Enugu residence this afternoon. He was purportedly flown to Abuja in handcuffs. Umeh, a former chairman of APGA is the party’s candidate for the postponed Anambra Central Senatorial District re-run election. Oblong media is still trying to contact Mr Umeh on this reported development. Details will come later
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There is an ongoing protest in Abuja municipal by the Coalition of Human Rights And National Inter Faith And Religious Organizations For Peace. They are demanding that the Iranian ambassador to Nigeria Mr. Saeed Koozechi should be expelled from the country without further delay and that the IGP and DSS should investigate the wife of the detained Shi’ite leader Mrs Zeenat Ibrahim Yaqub Alzakzaky. They alleged that they sponsor terrorist cells in Nigeria and promote bloodshed of Nigerians.
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Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, March 2, 2016 arrested three top officials of Imo State government for allegedly diverting N2billion bailout fund given to the state by the Federal Government for payment of salary arrears of the state’s civil servants. The suspects are: Obi Paschal Chigozie, Principal Secretary to the Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha; Uzoho Casmir, Director of Finance and Iheoma Kenneth, Treasurer. Their arrest followed an investigation into the alleged diversion of the said money which revealed that the cashier had made cash withdrawal of N456.532 million between September 3,…
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Though figures of its wealth vary widely, one report estimated it was selling $1.41 million per day in crude oil and kidnappings were worth $42.2 million per annum. (File Photo) Islamic State [Daesh] militants are earning up to £14 million (approximately $20 million) a month by funneling cash looted from Iraqi banks into legitimate currency speculation. The group seized hundreds of millions of dollars when it ransacked Mosul banks in June 2014, giving it the means to re-inject the cash back into unsuspecting foreign markets. Yesterday a Foreign Affairs sub-committee heard that this money is routed into financial markets in…
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An eight year old died of sexual injuries on her wedding night with her 40 year old husband in Yemen. [Photo for illustrative purposes courtesy of delhi4cats] An eight year-old child bride died in Yemen on her wedding night after suffering internal injuries due to sexual trauma. Human rights organizations are calling for the arrest of her husband, who was five times her age. Al Nahar, Lebanon, reported that the death occurred in the tribal area of Hardh in northwestern Yemen, which borders Saudi Arabia. This brings even more attention to the already existing issue of forced child marriages in…
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The Nigerian Police has begun a revalidation of motor vehicle tinted glass permit. The exercise which commenced on January 1st 2016 is to enable owners of tinted motor vehicles obtain new permits before March 18, 2016, when all current licenses will become invalid. The new permit covers only factory fitted tinted glasses. To obtain a new permit, take the following steps 1. Log on to http://npf.gov.ng/tinted/ 2. Fill the Application form online. It will automatically generate a unique ID no for you 3.Complete the Application Process by Login in with email provided and the Application ID shown below. 3.…
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The Senate today passed a resolution reducing the registration fee of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) N5,650 to N2,500. At the plenary session today, the senators recommended the extension of the validity period of the UTME to three academic year. The resolution was taken following the adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund on the inquiry into the new admission policy of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB). They also resolved to amend the Act establishing JAMB to reflect the extension of the validity period which is at the moment a year.
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These babies were found in the refrigerator of a chinese restaurant in the city of Douala, Cameroon. They were obviously been kept as the best ingredient for their best soup, People please be careful what you eat in some restaurants all in the name of international cuisines. May their souls rest in peace. #Copied…
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Some would argue the point and my question to them would be “What was, and still is, as his project is still ongoing, his goal?” Quite simply his aim is to ensure the spread and settlement of the Fulani across Nigeria in a manner that has the backing of law. On assumption of office he lit fires wherever a stack of kindling could be found and kept his critics, and those who thought they were doing “Change” with him, confused, guessing and focused on his right hand. Meanwhile his left hand, the Fulani herdsmen and their backers, were busy…
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Your excellency sir, I thought perhaps I should bring you up to speed with what is happening to Nigerians, the people who you claim to love and care about, the people who truly believe you have them at heart and for this reason they voted you into office. Since you assumed your highly elevated position it seems, perhaps, the seat has distanced you from the people, you’ve lost touch with the pains of the common Nigerian so you probably don’t how difficult life is for us Nigerians as a people. Since you became president of this nation of…
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Buhari in an interview with BBC Hausa on Tuesday said the Constitution allowed him full control over the choice of his closest officials. The president assured that he was not ignoring some section of his society in his appointments, explaining that those he appointed were some of his most trusted associates. Responding to the interviewer’s question on the controversy generated by the appointments, Buhari said“This is the nature of Nigerian politics”. “If they will do justice to me, as an elected Nigerian president, let them look at the Constitution a Nigerian president works with, there are people who will…
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This picture taken on December 5, 2015 shows promoters smoking electronic cigarettes during the Vape Fair in Kuala Lumpur. Photograph by MOHD RASFAN–AFP via Getty Images. The “no smoking” rule applies to e-cigarettes. The U.S. Department of Transportation has explicitly banned the use of electronic cigarettes, or vape pens, on commercial plane flights. The rule applies to all scheduled flights in, to, and from the U.S. “This final rule is important because it protects airline passengers from unwanted exposure to aerosol fumes that occur when electronic cigarettes are used onboard airplanes,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, said in a statement. “The Department…
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The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has opposed the extension of the tenure of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Jamila Shu’ara, by the Presidency. According to the Public Service Rules number 100238, Shu’ara was retired on February 17 after attaining the age of 60. But the government insisted that she would still be in office for another year, thereby creating tension in the ministry. Shu’ara, in her notice of retirement dated February 15, 2016 to the acting Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita, commended the Federal Government…
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The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has called on warring communities in the Ibaji Local Government Area of the state – who have taken arms against other neighboring communities in Anambra state – to choose the path of peace, adding that the dispute will soon be resolved by the Federal Government. He noted this when the Ibaji Community Development Association paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Lokoja, over the appointment of Chief Simon Achuba, as Deputy Governor of the state. This was contained in a statement by Gbenga Olorunpomi, SSA New Media to the governor.…
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A four-man team from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the United States of America are currently in the country carrying out the security audit of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos in line with TSA security procedures. The team, led by Transportation Security Specialist (TSS), were in the Aviation House to brief the Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Muhtar Usman, on the exercise. According to him, they would, in the course of the exercise, observe the implementation of aviation security measures in place at the MMIA and exchange technical expertise in line with ICAO Annex…
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last night released the Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus on bail. The anti-graft agency who seized his passport, also asked him to produce two sureties with a N750 million bond each. The sureties are Federal Civil Servants on Grade Level 17. It was learnt that Secondus was released at about 8.30 pm last night. Secondus’ counsel, Mr. Emeka Etiaba (SAN), said: “The PDP Deputy National Chairman has been released but under extremely stringent conditions. For a man whose alleged offence has not been proven, he…
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In the quote below, 33rd Degree Freemason and Gnostic philosopher, Manly P. Hall talks about the rank and file of present-masonic symbolsday Masons who strenuously oppose any effort put forth to interpret Masonic symbols in the light of philosophy. He also states that Masonry is a religious and philosophic body. These simple facts are only known by the wise Masonic philosophers who have taken the time to study the true history and symbols of the craft. The word philosophy simply means the lover of wisdom. So essentially what Hall is saying is that most Masons oppose wisdom in the interpretation…
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“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” Dream interpretation and or analysis is a science that is thousands of years old. In ancient Egypt, Greece and other cultures, dreams were considered as a type of divine communication, and the people who interpreted them were said to have supernatural powers. These ancient cultures thought of many of our dreams as forms of divine inspiration sent to the dreamer to warn him or to foretell the future, and that some dreams were meant to misguide…
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The President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, retained his position as Africa’s richest person and was listed as the 51st richest person in the world in the Forbes 2016 World’s Billionaires list released on Tuesday. Dangote’s net worth, according to the magazine, has risen to $15.4bn from $14.7bn in 2015. He was ranked 67th in the 2015 list. The 2016 list, which contains 1,810 billionaires in dollar terms, also has four other Nigerians apart from Dangote. These are the Chairman of Globacom, Dr. Mike Adenuga; Chairman of Forte Oil, Mr. Femi Otedola; Founder and Executive Chairman, Famfa…
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Airports Company South Africa has today launched its first 200m2 solar power plant at George Airport in the Western Cape, further demonstrating its commitment to clean energy generation and sustainability. George Airport is Africa’s first, and currently the only regional airport in South Africa, to be powered through solar energy. The solar plant is located on the grounds of George Airport. Building thereof commenced in March 2016 and took six months to complete at a cost of R16m.The first phase, which is now complete, will supply 41% of the airport’s current energy demand, while the balance will be drawn…
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For a couple of years now, I have been the Chairman and sole member of the Alhaji Putin Haters Club (APHC). I am now tired. When you are unable to beat them, joining them is not such a disgraceful option. “Let me clap for myself abeg” Today, Alhaji released 2015 (January to December) results for Dangote Cement and they were glorious. Hating this guy is a waste of time — it is his country and you all are merely living in it. A summary of the results can be found at Nairametrics Financial highlights Revenue up 25.6% to ₦491.7B as new…
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The Presidency on Monday said President Muhammadu Buhari never promised to pay unemployed graduates N5,000 monthly The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, said this in an interview with State House correspondents. Akande, whose boss, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo supervises the economy, spoke while reacting to statement credited to Buhari in which the President ruled out the possibility of his government paying N5,000 monthly allowance to unemployed youths in the country as promised by his party, the All Progressives Congress, ahead of the 2015 presidential election. He said the provision the…
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The running mate to retired General Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential elections, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday explained the ‘Conditional Cash Transfer Programme’ included in the manifesto of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Prof. Osinbajo speaking on Sunrise Daily said “this programme is to lift 25 million of the extremely poor Nigerians; Nigerians who earn less than N200 a day to take care of themselves and their families”. Prof Osinbajo, who noted that “we have 119 extremely poor Nigerians”, added that the fast way of dealing with that is the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme. “We will give N5,…
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The massacre of innocent villagers in Agatu Local Government, Benue State, continued unabated, on Monday, in spite of the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari that a panel of Investigation into the Fulani attacks on the villagers be established and the announced establishment of an inter-agency security team to forestall further attacks. A survivor, Mr. Ada Ojechi, told Vanguard that Monday’s massacre which took place at Odugbeho-Agatu, was one of the worst ever witnessed in the series of attacks by the herdsmen. He said that the casualty rate was very high but could not put a figure to it because…
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Terrible Tuesday as GOP loses control – Clinton: 7, Trump: 6, Sanders: 4, Cruz: 2, Rubio: 1 Clinton, Trump dominate Super Tuesday Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump have both won the most states in the biggest day of the race for the US presidential nomination. Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia were among the states where both triumphed. Mr Trump was defeated by Ted Cruz in Texas and Oklahoma. Democrat Bernie Sanders won three, including his home state of Vermont. Super Tuesday sees 11 states voting on the biggest single day ahead of the 8 November presidential election.…
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With this new Nigerian international passport, you can now visit the following 44 countries visa free or visa on arrival. 1. Bangladesh (Visa on arrival) 2. Barbados ( Visa free for 6 months) 3. Benin Republic (Visa free) 4. Burkina Faso ( Visa free) 5. Burundi ( Visa on arrival for 30days) 6. Cameroon ( Visa free) 7. Cape Verde ( Visa on arrival) 8. Chad ( Visa free) 9. Comoros Island ( Visa on arrival) 10. Cote d’ivoire ( Visa free ) 11. Djibouti ( Visa on arrival ) 12. Dominican ( Visa free for 21 days )…
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1. No matter how beautiful and handsome you are, just remember Baboon and Gorillas also attract tourists.***Stop Boasting. 2. No matter how big and strong you are, you will not carry yourself to your Grave. ***Be Humble!. 3. No matter how tall you are, you can never see tomorrow. ***Be Patient!. 4. No matter how light skinned you are, you will always need light in Darkness. ***Take Caution!. 5. No matter how rich and many cars you have, you will always walk to Bed. ***Be Contented! Take Life Easy Life is “Exp. + Exp. + Exp.” Yesterday…
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The following is what a woman posted on a dating forum seeking a rich husband: …I’m going to be honest of what I’m going to say here. I’m 25 this year. I’m very pretty, I have style and good taste. I wish to marry a guy with $500k annual salary or above. You might say that I’m greedy, but an annual salary of $1M is considered only as middle class in New York. My requirement is not high. Is there anyone in this forum who has an income of $500k annual salary? Are you all married? I wanted to…
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The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) openly disagreed with the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) over an alleged N70billion contract fraud between 2008 to 2012. Appearing before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts on Monday, officials of the OAGF had alleged that over N70 billion worth of contract by the NDDC between 2008 and 2012 were unaccounted for. The OAGF had in 2015, submitted its report to the senate committee alleging that the NDDC paid the amount for about 1723 contracts and paid mobilization fee while the contractors didn’t report to site. According to the…
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Electricity generation has dropped to 2,665mw due to inadequate supply of gas to the power stations and explosions that occurred at transmission lines in the Lagos area and Jebba. THISDAY gathered that with this development, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has directed the 11 distribution companies (Discos) nationwide “not to pick loads to avoid a system collapse”. Data obtained from a source at TCN on the “Daily Load Analysis and Day Ahead Consumption” for yesterday showed that generation fell to 2,500mw between 1 am and 6 am on Saturday. However, between 6 am and 11.59 pm, the hourly…
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Almost all modern edible parthenocarpic (seedless) bananas come from two wild species – Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana. The scientific names of most cultivated bananas are Musa acuminata, Musa balbisiana, and Musa × paradisiaca for the hybrid Musa acuminata × M. balbisiana, depending on their genomic constitution. The old scientific name Musa sapientum is no longer used. Bananas are perhaps one of nature’s most under-rated fruits. The yellow skinned fruits are easy to overlook, especially when it seems as if there’s always some new and exotic type of fruit that’s being touted as the next big thing. However, the…
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APART from the ordinary issues language experts and others know about English, what other thing is the language known for or can be used. This has been the contentious issue until, Toluwalase Oladimeji presents yet another incremental instalment to the corpus of culminated knowledge with his work tagged English, the Language of the Gods. In the well researched paper that took the author to various places, the script writer and researcher took many students and language experts further in their understanding of this global lingua franca as he tries to unlock the secret behind ancient Egypt’s nomenclature, tracing its…
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The pathetic story of how 14-year-old Ese Oruru, who was in August 2015, allegedly abducted in Opolo, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, by one Yunusa, who hails from Kano, has continued to elicit outrage on social media among Nigerians. Vanguard gathered that Ese, who was 13 as at the time of her alleged abduction, was taken to Kano, by Yunusa, where he converted her to Islam and married her. Ese’s parents had since last August made trips to Kano, where they unraveled the plights of their daughter. The parents said they have involved the police, but efforts…
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The Federal Minister of information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has insisted on the control of social media in order to stop what he termed its “destructive” power. The minister made the revelation when speaking at the closing event of the 2016 Social Media Week in Lagos. “Social media itself must understand that power without control is destructive. I think the social media needs to set up a code of conduct. “The power of social media is something that cannot be ignored but unfortunately today it has become a big destructive tool. Families, marriages have been destroyed just for…
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‘The best place to find gold is to look where it has been found before.’ The opportunities in this article have created some of the biggest successes Africa has ever seen. If you want to increase your chances of building a successful business or finding the right investment, these opportunities could make your dream come true. Let’s meet them… 1. Media and Entertainment Africa’s film industry has become a global and cultural phenomenon that enjoys a huge following within and outside the continent. The industry serves an audience that’s hungry for African stories of love, drama, intrigue, comedy, redemption,…
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), will Monday, arraign former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, before Justice Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja. Moro, who is standing trial for an 11-count charge bordering on money laundering and other offences, is to be arraigned alongside four other suspects over the N676 million failed recruitment exercise of the Nigeria Immigration Service that led to the death of several applicants in March 2013. EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed that the anti-graft agency had got the nod of the court to dock the erstwhile minister and the other suspects. Meanwhile, PDP…
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Former Presidential candidate and seasoned journalist Dele Momodu has flayed what he described as the intimidation of current ministers serving in the Buhari Administration by President Buhari, saying the ministers fear the president, and as a result are not as vibrant as former president Jonathan’s ministers. Momodu, who was speaking at the first City People Social Media Awards advised President Buhari not to concentrate only on anti-corruption probe as that is bringing a paralyzing fear on his ministers who are too afraid to take any initiative. ‘If I were Buhari I would probe but not just probe, because…
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After the Jonathan government uprooted not less than 90,000 ghost workers I’m 2013, No fewer than another 23, 846 ghost workers have been removed from the Federal government’s payroll, saving the government N2.293 billion from the total salary bill for the ministries, departments and agencies MDAs for February 2016. According to the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, who disclosed this over the weekend, Bank Verification Exercise and enrolment to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) exposed ghost workers that have hitherto been collecting salaries in various MDAs
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The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC has worked out strategies to expose and punish contractors who default in the execution of its projects. The new measures were outlined by the Commission’s Managing Director, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, at a meeting with the Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, at his residence in Owerri on Saturday. Briefing the governor on her findings after a two-day inspection of projects in Imo State, Mrs. Semenitari said that the NDDC would upload the list of all its projects on its website to show clearly who is doing what and where. She said: “I have…
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Bothered by Nigeria’s current economic crises, former Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and co-founder of the Pan-African University, Prof Pat Utomi, yesterday, decried that the nation was currently failing to learn from its 1983-85 financial crisis, blaming it on what he described as the knowing-doing gap of the Nigerian people. Utomi who took to his Facebook page to express his concern for the country’s dwindling economy, said: “When anxieties with the state of the economy rose, as Oil prices went South in 2015, I was struck by how we went from worry to panic and how…
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Nigeria and the Qatar on Sunday in Doha signed Bilateral Air Services Agreement, BASA, to pave way for direct flights between major cities of both countries. Both countries also signed an agreement to avoid double taxation and tax evasion on the sideline of President Muhammadu Buhari’s state visit to Qatar. The Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, representing President Muhammadu Buhari, signed the air services agreement on behalf of the country while Qatar’s Minister of Transportation and Communications, Jassim Bin Saif Alsulaiti, signed on behalf the Emir of Qatar, Tamim Bin Hammad Al-Thani. The agreement which was signed…
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National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has revealed that he has initiated contact with politicians who defected to the All Progressives Congress and other political parties. Sheriff’s appointment as PDP Chairman has generated sharp division within the former ruling party, owing to his chequered past of being alleged to have ties with Islamic terrorist sect, Boko Haram. But he attributes the initial opposition to his candidacy to the unease of the All Progressives Congress with his ability to unite members of the PDP and to bring back those who had cross-carpeted. …
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Hillary Clinton is the only candidate with the multi-theme and multi-issue campaign that can easily move to the centre (while maintaining her progressive vision) and unite the people. This is because the centre is about the politics of multi-issues, multi-themes and never about a single narrative. This is why Secretary Hillary Clinton should be the next President of the United States of America. The global prominence of United States of America justifies global interests in her elections. The U.S. is one of the few countries in the world where every nationality, ethnicity, race and culture in the world is…
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Three years after the formation of the All Progressive Congress (APC), President Mohammadu Buhari has on Wednesday reportedly accused some members from the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the party (APC) of budget manipulation and padding, affirming that those to whom the budget racketeering might be traced shall never go scot free. APC as a political party which was formed on 6th February, 2013 in anticipation of the 2015 elections, comprised of Nigeria’s three biggest opposition parties- the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and a…
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Let the truth be told. The People involved in that so called 1966 “Igbo coup” were: 1. Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu (Midwest Region Igbo) 2. Major Adewale Ademoyega (Western Region – Yoruba), author of “Why we struck” 3. Capt. G. Adeleke (Western Region – Yoruba). 4. Maj. Ifeajuna (Midwestern Region – Igbo). 5. Lt. Fola Oyewole (Western Region – Yoruba), author of “The reluctant rebel”. 6. Lt. R. Egbiko (Midwestern Region – Ishan). 7. Lt. Tijani Katsina (Northern Region – Hausa/Fulani). 8. Lt. O. Olafemiyan (Western Region – Yoruba). 9. Capt. Gibson Jalo (Northern Region – Bachama). 10. Capt. Swanton…
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Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai on Saturday gave account of his 9-months stewardship as the governor since taken over the mantle of leadership of the state. The governor who gave his stewardship account during his 6th town hall meeting in Saminaka, headquarters of Lere local government area, revealed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state has so far ceeated over 125,000 direct jobs in State within less than one year in office. El-Rufai said the state school feeding programme created at least 85,000 jobs, including the vendors, their staff and supervisors. He told the gathering that,…
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For the Ndi Anambra and Ndi Igbo in general resident in Lagos, Friday, February 19, 2016 will remain memorable for quite some time; not so much for what it was, but for the hope it represents. As they trickled into the Shell Hall of the MUSON Centre to share an evening with Chief Willie Obiano, the Governor of Anambra State. It is doubtful whether most of the members of the Aka Ikenga, League of Anambra Professionals (LAP), Ndigbo Lagos and other Igbo groups who came colourfully dressed knew what to expect. It was a special evening, made more so…
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KEY ROAD PROJECTS 1) The Apapa-Oshodi Expressway which was becoming an embarrassment and a source of agony to many Nigerians before the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan because of its deplorable condition, has been improved upon tremendously in the past one year. Only last weekend, I led an inspection of the ongoing works on this road and the current expansion of the road, drainage works, construction of Trailer Park and the construction of a dedicated bridge leading into Tin-Can Island Port from Liverpool Round-About, were very re-assuring. 2) The Benin-Ore-Shagamu highway is another project where we have achieved…
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Entrepreneurship goes beyond Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Garrett Camp, and it embodies something bigger than Twitter and WhatsApp. Entrepreneurship is a mindset, an attitude, and a lifestyle adopted by people who aren’t satisfied with the status quo. It’s an approach to life that favors creativity over conformity and action over inaction. Bestselling author, investor, and entrepreneur James Altucher says that for him, “Being an ‘entrepreneur’ doesn’t mean starting the next Facebook. Or even starting any business at all. It means finding the challenges you have in your life, and determining creative ways to overcome those challenges.” So, even…
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The Nigerian Army has reopened the Maiduguri-Damboa expressway for passage, after being closed due to Boko Haram attacks. The Chief of Army, Tukur Buratai, announced this at the launch of Army Combat Motor Bikes in Damboa, headquarters of Damboa Local Government Area of the state. He said the army would work towards securing the lives and properties of motorists plying the roads. “From today the road – Maiduguri-Damboa and Damboa-Biu highway will be opened. “The road is going to be entrusted into the hands of the Brigade Commander of the 25 Task Force Brigade,” he said. Lt. Gen.…
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Nigeria’s oil export revenue, which has been driven down by the plunge in global oil prices, looks set to worsen as flows of the nation’s Forcados crude oil to the export terminal could be halted until April. The pipeline operator, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, put the grade under force majeure on February 21, a week after a pipeline leak forced it to halt loadings to the export platform. The declaration of force majeure freed the oil major from contractual obligations to its customers due to circumstances beyond its control. As a result of the oil…
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In the lifetime of most Nigerian family settings, there are 3 Dispensations of Power. 1. The 1st is the first 25 years in the life of the family (father, mother, children) where power indisputably rest with the father. 2. The 2nd is after the kids have grown & started working when the power shifts to the mother. 3. The 3rd is when the kids move out of the family house or start their own families when the power moves to the children. We’ll start from the 1st Dispensation. Total dominance of the father. He is the Lion of the…
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The Kaduna State Government has introduced a new tax policy, banning multiple tax collection in the state. The new policy also bans Local Government officials and agencies from collecting taxes and all form of levies from individuals and corporate organisations across the state. The State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, made the announcement on Friday after signing the new Kaduna State Codification and Consolidated Tax Policy and Pension Scheme into law. El-Rufai said that the replacement of cash tax collection with e-payment method is part of efforts to block leakages in revenue collection. According to him, the measure is to ensure…
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I received a number of e-mails, calls and text messages in the morning of October 4, 2012, following the appearance of my column, titled “The Pains of Jonathan’s Avian Diplomacy” in Peoples Daily and other online news sites. The article was a response to the then presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati’s piece, “The Gains of Jonathan’s Diplomacy”, in which he justified the frequent foreign trips of former President Goodluck Jonathan. The article drew a potpourri of approbation and reprobation. Jonathan’s supporters, expectedly, lashed at me, while a section of my readers poured commendations – left, right and centre. Notable among the…
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Conspiracy theorists have been saying it all along – but cannabis does apparently kill cancer cells. That’s according to the US government, which has added a page on the use of cannabis and cannabinoids to their official cancer advice website. The National Cancer Institute, part of the US Department of Health, now advises that ‘cannabinoids may be useful in treating the side effects of cancer and cancer treatment’ by smoking, eating it in baked products, drinking herbal teas or even spraying it under the tongue. The site also lists other uses including: Anti-inflammatory activity, blocking cell growth, preventing the…
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In the run up to the 2015 presidential election, leaders and members of APC were very vocal in condemning the then president of the country, President Goodluck Jonathan, for every step he took. This even included attending churches on Sunday, Jonathan’s religion’s holy day of obligation. It was Babatunde Raji Fashola, the then governor of Lagos State and now Honourable Minister of Power, Works and Housing, that succinctly captured the mind of the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders and supporters then when at the sixth Bola Tinubu Colloquium in Lagos some time in March 2014, he charged at his listeners…
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Pat Utomi, professor of political economy and management expert, says Nigerians may start queuing to buy salt if the government fails to deal with the fundamentals of the economy. Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a breakfast programme on Channels Television, on Thursday, Utomi said the government needs to deal with the fundamentals of a producing economy. He said Nigeria should “learn from history” to fix the problem facing our economy. A similar economic crisis in the early 1980s saw Nigerians queue up to buy essential commodities such as milk and rice because the foreign reserves were down and importers could no…
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(COMPLETED, ONGOING PROJECTS AND POLICIES) FOUR YEARS OF UNPRECEDENTED TRANSFORMATIONAL AGENDA 1) CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW ABUJA – KADUNA RAIL TRACK: President Jonathan’s administration has constructed the new world class infrastructural project; the Abuja-Kaduna Rail is ready. 2) OPERATION AQUILA: Operation Aquila under President Jonathan has helped reduce up to 20 million litters a day in PMS subsidy fraud by using technology to track the movement of petroleum around Nigeria. 3) DRY SEASON FADAMA FARMING: Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the release of N26 billion for the 2015 dry season farming in the country, the scheme was launched in…
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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie chatted to Le Monde journalist Sylvie Kauffmann in Paris, France yesterday, as part of the Le Monde Afrique Conference on the topic Women: The Future of Africa. Kauffmann asked Adichie for her opinion on Beyoncé’s latest single “Formation”, in which the singer embraces and celebrates her blackness in what is seen as a major career departure. The music video for the song contains references to Hurricane Katrina, the Black Panthers and police brutality, and as an overt political statement it has been the cause of both celebration and controversy. Beyoncé famously sampled Adichie’s TED Talk “We…
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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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A Nigerian registered helicopter with number 5N-BQH owned by a yet to be named politician from the Niger Delta crashed in Benin Republic on Thursday, but no life was lost in the incident. It was learnt that the helicopter, an airworthiness aircraft meant for private use, was contracted for commercial purposes by a presidential candidate in Benin Republic who wanted to use it for election campaigns before it crashed. A source at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), who confirmed the accident, said the helicopter’s tail rotor clicked on an object and the pilot lost control of it. “I can…
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The Pan Igbo social-cultural organization, Ohaneze Ndigbo, on Friday said it has started talks with the Presidency to ensure the release of Radio Biafra founder, Nnamdi Kanu, from detention. The body also said its leadership will commence discussions with the notable traditional rulers in the country for the same purpose. Although the group did not give details of its discussions and Presidency officials it met “for security reasons,” it noted that those consulted assured its representatives that something positive would come out of the consultations very soon. Ohaneze told journalists in Abuja on Friday that discussions were already at…
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