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ABUJA—Two of the world’s richest men, Bill Gates and Aliko Dangote, have committed $100 million, about N1.97 billion, to fighting malnutrition in Nigeria. A deal to that effect was signed by the duo on behalf of Bill & Melinda Gates and Dangote Foundation, respectively, in a new partnership aimed at improving the nutrition of children in the country’s North-East and North-West Regions. The programme will include community-based approaches and proven interventions linked to behavior change, fortification of staple foods with essential micronutrients; the community management of acute malnutrition and investments in local production of nutritious foods. A key…
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Richard Austin Quest CNN’s reporter, Richard Austin Quest, has disclosed on Thursday, that Nigeria’s former Finance Minister who served during the immediate past administration of Goodluck Jonathan, is the best finance minister Nigeria ever had in history. In his own words as quoted, he said “Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was the best Finance Minister Nigeria ever had”.
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Chairman of the Rivers State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Felix Obuah, has urged ex-governor of the state, Hon Chibuike Amaechi and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the April 26, 2015 election, Mr. Dakuku Peterside to make out time for a facility tour of the new Rivers State under Governor Nyesom Wike. Obuah in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Jerry Needam, said the facility tour will not only teach Amaechi and Peterside how to make judicious use of public funds for public interest but will also enable them re-master…
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President Muhammadu Buhari was on Thursday advised to reverse the appointment of Ibim Sementari (Rivers State) as the acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). President Buhari had in December 22 last year dissolved the board of NDDC headed by Mr. Dan Abia (Akwa Ibom State) and announced Semenitari as his replacement in acting capacity. The International Institute of Humanitarian and Environmental Law said Sementari’s appointment was against the rule of law. Briefing journalists in Abuja, the Registrar of the Institute, Cyprian Edward- Ekpo, noted that Sementari’s appointment contravened the NDDC act which provided that when a…
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A five-member screening committee set up by the All Progressive Congress has disqualified a former member of the House of Representatives, Uche Ekwunife, from contesting election into the vacant seat of the Anambra Central Senatorial District. The party selected Sharon Ikeazor, a former interim woman leader of the party, as its candidate in the election. The Court of Appeal, sitting in Enugu, had in December declared the seat vacant and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh election within 90 days. The court quashed the earlier ruling of the National Assembly Election Tribunal that Mrs. Ekwunife…
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In Nigeria’s ongoing war against corruption, President Muhammadu Buhari will not spare anyone who has a case to answer, and his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, would face justice if guilty, presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina, has said. Mr. Adesina told PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, when he visited the newspaper’s office in Abuja, that Mr. Buhari has “no accord” to shield any corrupt person from prosecution. “There is no accord,” he said, “if the corruption fight needs to get there (making Mr. Jonathan face justice), it will get there.” Several top officials who served under Mr. Jonathan, as well as his political…
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Former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (retd), has dragged the Federal Government before ECOWAS Court in Abuja over his continued detention. He is also demanding payment of N500 million damages for alleged rights infringement. This is even as a Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday ordered the government to produce him by February 16. Dasuki is also urging the sub-regional court to order his release forthwith. In the suit filed by his lawyer, Robert Emukpoeruo, the former NSA is urging the court to declare among others, that his continued detention in defiance of orders for his…
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LAGOS—As the pressure on federal revenue mounts following steady decline in oil revenue, the Federal Government would be resorting to a Sukuk Bond for funding the widening budget deficit. Sukuk is a financial certificate, similar to the traditional government bond, but complies with Sharia, Islamic religious law. The Debt Management Office, DMO, and Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, are collaborating in an effort to issue the Nigerian sovereign Islamic bonds this year. Details of the expected revenue from the bond is not yet disclosed but officials said they expect significant bridging of the 2016 budget deficit which has exceeded the…
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As EFCC intensifies its investigations into the alleged stealing of $2.1 billion arms fund, former Chairman of PDP Adamu Muazu, former Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service Abdullahi Dikko Inde and four others may soon be declared wanted as they have all reportedly declined to honor invitations by the EFCC to answer questions in connection with the fraud. According to The Nation, the others are former PDP Kebbi State governorship candidate Gen. Bello Sarkin Yaki, a former top official in the Office of National Security Adviser, Col. Bello Fadile, former Special Assistant to eformer President Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic Affairs…
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Says Olu Falae Not Involved In $2.1b Arms Scandal. Founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr. Frederick Fasehun, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to soft pedal in his fight against corruption warning that the federal government may run into problem with the manner the anti-corruption war is being fought. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Daily Independent on Thursday, Fasehun, who condemned in strongest terms the handcuffing of the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, by the security agents said thatFasheun the way the Buhari administration is downgrading and embarrassing national leaders in…
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Explosions on a Nigerian Gas Company pipeline connected to the Escravos facility of Chevron Nigeria is costing the country $1.98 million daily in lost power and $400,000 in gas, Power Minister Babatunde Fashola said, adding repairs would cost another $600,000. Hundreds of people are fleeing the area and companies are evacuating workers for fear of a harsh military crackdown, community chieftain Elekute Macaulay told The Associated Press. Tompolo has denied involvement in the theft and the attacks, centered around his hometown of Gbaramatu. Residents said the military has launched a manhunt for Tompolo in the creeks and mangrove swamps…
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The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Anambra Central Senatorial District, Barr Sharon Ikeazor celebrating today with supporters at the party’s headquarters in Awka, Anambra state after being selected to represent the party in the forthcoming rerun election. The election looks like a battle between Victor Umeh of APGA and Barr Sharon Ikeazor of APC -following the disqualification of Senator Uche Ekwunife by the APC from contesting under the umbrella of the party.
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Former president Dr Goodluck Jonathan has been given the Diplomatic Circles Honour Award for upholding human rights in Africa making him the first president from the continent to receive the global accolade. Dr Jonathan, who will receive the honour in Geneva, Switzerland on January 21 2016 at the group’s annual dinner, will also deliver the keynote address at the event. Diplomatic Circle, a group of global diplomats have decided to honour Dr Jonathan for his role in Nigeria’s peaceful transition during the last elections. Earlier this year, a public policy organisation on African affairs, the Africa Political…
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By covering news, politics, current and social affairs, sports, entertainment, and vital events, OBLONG MEDIA aims to shape the dominant social and political picture of society. Beyond the media networks, independent news sources like OBLONG MEDIA have evolved to report on events which escape attention or underlie the major stories.
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I want to thank God for the effectiveness of the Nigerian media in propelling our democracy to where it is today. In recent times it is the Nigerian media that has proved to be the last hope of the common man, apologies to the collapsed justice system. The Buhari Osinbajo administration had proved in these past months to be a listening government as they have consistently hearkened to the hues and cries of the Nigerian people through the help of the indomitable media organizations in Nigeria. This is why most of us have resorted to go through the media…
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Fresh findings have revealed that Chibuike Amaechi, the immediate past governor of Rivers state and current minister of transport, allegedly acquired and diverted not less than N40 billion of the state funds into the presidential campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC). According to SIGNAL, an online medium, the minister plunged the huge amount into the campaign which saw the emergence of Muhammadu Buhari as president, emerging details are revealing. Sources informed Rivers State’s treasury was emptied into private concerns of the former governor as well as the APC presidential campaign. An inquiry had been set up in October…
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Rotimi Amaechi says one beneficiary collected N32bn and left the country Former Minister for Aviation , Princess Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi, now a Senator representing Anambra North senatorial zone and Chief Osita Chidioka, former FRSC Boss eyeing the senate for Anambra Central are in a mess over diversion of N300 Billion Aviation sector reforms. Chidioka loyalists are saying he has no idea about the money that it was during Princess Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi’s era that the money developed wings, but neither Oduah nor Chidioka has spoken as the current Minister Rotimi Amaechi indicted in Rivers by Nyesom Nwike leadership of siphoning several…
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The Police on Saturday said they have not executed the order to arrest former Niger Delta militant, Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo, because they had yet to be served the bench warrant issued against him by the court. The Force Public Relations Officer, Olabisi Kolawole, said the Police would move against Tompolo once they got the court order. She said, “I understand that as of now, the Police have not received official order to arrest him.” Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos had ordered the arrest of the ex-militant leader for his failure to appear before…
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Federal Government has disclosed that its plan to massively improve railway infrastructure in the country would provide about 250,000 job opportunities. Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, who stated this during the weekend, also promised that the Ministry of Transportation under his leadership would work to raise transport sector’s contribution to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) from the current 1.41 per cent. He explained that President Muhammadu Buhari’s plans for Nigerians, especially in the area of job creation can be actualised through the transport industry, which he said has the capacity to contribute more to the nation’s GDP.…
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The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Wednesday, said it had shut two refineries in the southern city of Port Harcourt and Kaduna in the north because sabotage to crude pipelines. The plants were shut on Sunday because of “breaches” to the Bonny-Okrika supply line to Port Harcourt and the Escravos-Warri pipeline to Kaduna, the company said in an emailed statement. Nigeria’s minister of power Babatunde Fashola said on Tuesday the country was losing some $2.3 million (2.1 million euros) a day to attacks on gas facilities and lost electricity production. The military said separately it would no longer tolerate…
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Evidence emerging indicates that the former governor and Nigeria’s minister of Transport, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi may be in serious trouble soon following the recent release of a white paper detailing his indictment in corruption investigations against him by the Rivers state government under Barrister Nyesom Wike for the misappropriation of the sum of N96 billion naira ($400 million) during his tenure as governor. The document, the White Paper indicating Mr. Amaechi in a corruption investigation. exclusively obtained by REPORTS AFRIQUE also indicted Mr. Tonye Cole, managing director of Sahara Energy Plc, for questionably dealings with the Rivers…
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The Nigerian government has concluded plans to declare some top officials of the Goodluck Jonathan administration wanted, in connection with several ongoing corruption investigations. Security sources who are aware of the plans revealed that though other names are expected to be released in the future, the first list of wanted ex-officials and military officers, who anti-graft investigators believe fled the country to evade arrest and prosecution over corruption, has been compiled and would be released next week. Top on the list of those to be declared wanted is a former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation,…
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Shell To Sack 10,000 Workers As its fortunes dwindled due to falling oil prices, Royal Dutch Shell Plc is to sack 10,000 people in an effort to bolster margins. Shell’s drive to improve competitive performance is delivering at the bottom line. Operating costs have reduced by $4 billion, or around 10 per cent in 2015, and the company expects Shell’s costs to fall again in 2016 by a further $3 billion. Synergies from the BG combination will be in addition to that. Together, these actions will include a reduction of some 10,000 staff and direct contractor positions in 2015-16…
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The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai has directed all officers of the Nigerian Army who have not declared their assets to do so immediately. He gave the directive, Wednesday, during a conference with Principal Staff Officers and Directors serving at the Army Headquarters. Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, the Acting Director Army Public Relations, who disclosed this in a statement noted that “the Chief of Army Staff has done so soon on his appointment as Commander, Multinational Joint Task Force in May 2015 and also on his appointment as Chief of Army Staff in July 2015.…
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The minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi has claimed that an unnamed foreign investor had duped the country of N32 billion and fled thereafter during the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan The N32bn was paid from the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), which indigenous ship owners last month tasked the Minister of transport Amaechi and Acting Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General Haruna Baba Jauro to speak on the issue. Amaechi, who spoke yesterday in Abuja when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, did not name the investor. The minister said “about N300…
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I suffered heartburn watching the presidential media chat. I missed the live transmission but decided to watch the chat on YouTube following a friend’s glowing review that President Muhammadu Buhari shone like a thousand stars. After watching excerpts, I fell numb with fear. I was traumatised and completely flabbergasted by his responses to questions. His lack of knowledge about his environment and events around the world in the past 30 years and his understanding of issues were frighteningly telling. His dictatorial visage was on full display as well as his ironclad contempt for the rule of law and the niceties…
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I have watched Emefiele struggle to keep the naira on its feet, but I can assure him that he is fighting a lost battle. I pity him. This is the wrongest time to be CBN governor. There are no easy answers to the currency crisis. An import-dependent country is a dollar-dependent country. Forex will only flow into the economy based on what we have to sell to the rest of the world. As at today, oil is our biggest product. And oil is $30. And $30 is not good enough. When crude oil averaged $80, official exchange rate was roughly…
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Various tax holidays and incentives granted by the Federal Government to multi-national oil and gas firms may have denied the country an estimated $3.3 billion in revenue. Shell, Total and ENI, which form part of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) consortium, benefited from the 10-year tax holiday. Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Ojobo Atuluku, said at the launch of the global nongovernmental organisation’s report: “Leaking Revenue: How a big tax break to European gas companies has cost Nigeria billions,” in Abuja, yesterday, that the tax break dates back to 1999. According to her, the NLNG Act grants a 10-year…
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The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, said the Federal Government has cancelled then Nigerian Maritime Univeristy project proposed by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA. Amaechi, gave the hint in Abuja on Tuesday, when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, headed by Senator Ahmed Sani, to brief the senate panel on the activities of the agencies under his supervision. He said, “We are not going ahead with the university project proposed by NIMASA because we have an institution in Oron, we have Nigeria Institute of Transport Technology, Zaria, and we have the Nigerian…
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President orders probe of sacked MD, Executive Directors A suppressed cold war or what may be described as a battle of supremacy is brewing among some members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), New Telegraph has learnt. With cleavages formed around them, the bickering involves the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Engr. Babachir Lawal and the Transportation Minister, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi. The bone of contention, according to an impeccable Presidency source, is the duo’s subtle scheming to have control of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Though put under the Presidency by the Act establishing it,…
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Global oil markets could “drown in oversupply,” sending prices even lower as demand growth slows and Iran revives exports with the end of sanctions, according to the International Energy Agency. The IEA trimmed 2016 estimates for global oil demand as China’s economic expansion weakens and raised forecasts for supplies outside the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. While non-OPEC supply is set to drop 600,000 barrels a day in 2016, Iran’s comeback could fill that gap by the middle of the year. As a result, world markets may be left with a surplus of 1.5 million barrels a day in…
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Sequel to the two bomb attacks on a gas installation in Warri, the Nigerian army invaded Okpelama community, Gbaramatu kingdom, in search of MEND. Soldiers are constantly conducting several surveillance at Kurutie, the hometown of ex Niger Delta militant. The soldiers stormed the community with gunboats at about 10.30 pm on Saturday night..
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President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Abuja-based lawyer and activist, Maryam Uwais, as his Special Adviser for Social Protection Plan. A presidency source familiar with the matter revealed that Mrs Uwais, wife of Muhammadu Uwais, a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, was appointed weeks ago. The lawyer, our source said, has been deployed to the office of Vice President Yemi Osibajo, where she is coordinating the administration’s social protection schemes, including a N60billion micro-credit scheme for artisans and market women. Mrs. Uwais is a respected lawyer with over 30 years experience, including serving as principal partner at Wali Uwais &…
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Nigeria’s woes in the area of dwindling revenue from crude oil sales is expected to heighten, as the South African Petroleum Industry Association (SAPIA) stated that South Africa would likely stop importing crude oil from Nigeria following the lifting of the sanctions on Iran, Bloomberg is reporting. Executive Director of the SAPIA, Avhapfani Tshifularo, told journalists that the potential return of Iranian oil exports to South Africa threaten to displace barrels from Saudi Arabia and Nigeria that plugged the supply gap when sanctions were imposed on Iran, which is OPEC’s fifth biggest producer. He said: “The re-emergence of…
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January 19, 2016 Press Statement. …Says Action Deliberate Plot To Mortify, Subjugate Opposition Spokesperson The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) condemns in totality the brazen display of authoritarianism demonstrated by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC Government in handcuffing its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh even when the court is yet to hear his case. This development which expectedly elicited widespread public outcry clearly betrays an extra-judicial, top political witch-hunt policy of the APC, carefully designed to humiliate, embarrass and portray PDP leaders as common criminals and set the stage to cow and decimate opposition and perceived foes of the…
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In a move that has surprised many, President Goodluck Jonathan has queried the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, over various infractions detected in the apex bank’s 2012 audited account. The query, which covered 22 issues bordering on massive fraud at the bank, was sent to the governor on May 6 and the response, though expected back on May 8, was submitted to the President on May 21. The query of the bank’s account, which its auditors, Ernst and Young, passed without officially signing, with only a comment that it complies with the CBN…
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President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria has submitted a face saving corrected version of the 2016 budget to national assembly, a letter read out on the floor of the senate confirmed on Tuesday. Following adjustments to the detailed breakdown of the budget that had “led to some confusion”, Buhari then submitted a new draft keeping the overall figures unchanged. “In this regard, please find attached the corrected version. This is the version the National Assembly should work with as my 2016 budget estimates. The draft bill remains the same and there no changes in any of the estimates,” the letter…
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Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public petition to hear petition on 20/01/2016. Chevron Nigeria & its associate companies have been very unfair to the Nigeria Economy. – WhistleBlower
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The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN has said that corrupt judges will go to jail as the government of President Muhammadu Buhari will actively promote and ensure that corrupt judges are prosecuted and their illegally acquired assets are returned to the State. He said considering the pivotal role that they play in the administration of justice, it is important to ensure that Nigerian judges, like the proverbial Ceazer’s wife, are beyond reproach or even suspicion as gone are the days when corrupt judges escaped from Justice in Nigeria. Malami made the commitment…
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Twitter has been unavailable to millions of users around the world due to problems affecting the social network’s website and related apps. Users experienced problems reading and sending tweets from around 8am on Tuesday. Visitors to the website were greeted by the message: “Something is technically wrong. Thanks for noticing – we’re going to fix it up and have things back to normal soon.” The glitch affected Twitter’s own iOS and Android apps and the company’s application programming interface (API) – the system applications use to communicate with Twitter. Twitter, which has around 300 million users worldwide, acknowledged the…
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The Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested associate of President Muhammadu Buhari, Colonel Jaffar Isa (rtd), to give the anti-graft war an undeserving credibility. The party insisted that the manner of the release after being quizzed by the commission over his involvement in the alleged $2.1 billion arms deal gave a strong suspicion that the arrest was a smokescreen meant to delude the Nigerian populace. The party noted that the case of Isa, a former military administrator of Kaduna State, whom the anti-graft said was…
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There appears to be a fresh round of crisis in Nigeria’s major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, with some elected national officers calling on the acting chairman of the board of trustees, Bello Mohammed and the national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, to step down from their offices. The call, which was made in a statement signed by four of the national officers, which they also said represented the views of all deputy national officers and some members of the National Executive Committee of the party, was sequel to the ongoing trial of Messrs. Mohammed and Metuh over corruption…
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As reported two weeks ago, that President Muhammadu Buhari has withdrawn the Budget he presented to the National Assembly, the Presidency is confirming that President Buhari has now officially written to the Nationally Assembly to request the withdrawal of the 2016 Appropriation Bill for correction. This development confirms the alleged secret extraction and doctoring of the original budget document according to Hope For Nigeria, and the presenting of a second version of the Budget through the back door last week. The National Assembly could not start deliberation on the budget as scheduled after their resumption from Christmas recess, as…
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If Seriake Dickson the Governor of Bayelsa State is expecting a congratulatory message from President Muhammadu Buhari over his recent re-election for a second term of office, he had better forget it. Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s minister of information and culture told journalists in Abuja on Monday that the President would not follow the habit of his predecessor who was of the habit of sending congratulatory messages to winners of elections regardless of party affiliation immediately after announcement of results. Governor Dickson of Peoples Democratic Party was recently re-elected for a second term in an election that was marred by…
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Nigerian state governors, ministers, business leaders, public officials and bankers allegedly stole $6.7 billion in public funds in seven years, information minister Lai Mohammed said on Monday. Mohammed told reporters in the capital, Abuja, that some 1.34 trillion naira ($6.72 billion, 6.15 billion euros) was allegedly stolen between 2006 and 2013. “The situation is dire and the time to act is now,” he added. Giving a breakdown of the alleged theft, Mohammed claimed: – 15 former state governors stole 146.84 billion naira – 11 businessmen took 653 billion naira – Eight people in the banking industry stole 524 billion…
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A Leader of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Chief Government Ekpemupolo, has explained why he has not appeared in court on the alleged N34 billion fraud, for which an order of arrest was issued on him. Ekpemupolo, in an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, said he has nothing to do with the matter in court. He blamed his refusal to appear in court on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), its lawyer Festus Keyamo and some ex-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members, who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He accused…
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•Crude production cost almost equals selling price This is an uncertain period for the Nigerian economy due to the continuing fall in the price of crude oil, the nation’s main revenue earner, and projections for the petroleum industry are indeed grim, ’FEMI ASU writes. With crude oil trading around $30 per barrel in the international market from a peak of $114 in June 2014, production from Nigeria now faces a decline as some fields face an imminent shutdown if the low oil price persists. Industry players say operating some of the fields in the country is becoming uneconomic, with…
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President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah as the new Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal said in a statement on Monday that the appointment which takes effect from January 11, 2016, is for a first tenure of five years. Abdallah, a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the Nigeria Army, has a Certificate of Education from Nigeria Defence Academy in 1977, a Bachelor’s Degree in American Politics and Government from Sam Houston State University, Huntville, Texas, USA in 1989.…
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PDP director on New Media, Deji Adeyanju has alleged that there is a plot by the Buhari-led govt to assassinate, silent or implicate him and other social media critics. See more of his tweets below.
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As the protagonists of Biafra intensify efforts for the realisation of their secession agenda, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, described the move as a dead agitation borne out of sheer ignorance and error of judgment. The former President said those involved in the current agitation for Biafra were embarking on hopeless and futile exercise, which no serious-minded Nigerian should engage in. Obasanjo who spoke in Abuja during a roundtable discussion organized by Nextier Advisory, a public sector advisory firm spearheaded by Patrick O. Okigbo III, with the theme: “Nigeria and the Biafra Agitation”. The ex-president asked leaders from the South-East…
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The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the heinous and draconian agenda of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government of President Muhammadu Buhari to decimate opposition will not succeed as the party is coming up stronger because Nigerians now know better. The party said the APC, having realised that it lacked what it takes to deliver its numerous bogus campaign promises to Nigerians, has ignobly resorted to intimidation and harassment of the opposition through its set-out witch-hunt policy. The National Secretary of the party, Prof. Adewale Oladipo, said in a statement yesterday that in a desperate mood…
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When it rains, it pours. The price of crude oil plunged below $30 last week, plumbing to a low last seen in December 2003. On Saturday, the United States and the European Union lifted the sanctions on Iran. That, alongside the direct and the proxy battles for regional supremacy between Iran and Saudi Arabia, will further increase the glut in the global oil market. Though there are desperate calls by Nigeria and other hard-pressed members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) for an emergency meeting and a supply slash, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and…
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Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, on Thursday announced the establishment of a social health insurance scheme to ensure access to efficient and quality health care by residents of the state. The governor explained that under the scheme, all taxable adults might be required to make a monthly contribution of N1, 000, which would guarantee them free treatment for their ailments, including surgeries. Ayade, who disclosed this shortly after inspecting the Calabar Specialist Hospital currently under construction at the Summit Hills, Calabar, said an executive bill would soon be sent to the House of Assembly…
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OWERRI—Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, has summarily sacked over 3,000 workers in 19 parastatals, agencies and departments, as he stopped their salaries with effect from January 4, 2016. A Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, source told Vanguard that over 3,000 workers were affected in the sack. Vanguard gathered that “the current action of the governor, which not only came on the heels of last Wednesday’s labour protest in Owerri, headed by the National President of Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Ayuba Wabba, is also closely linked with the recent obnoxious form which the administration forced Imo workers to sign before collecting…
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The Ekiti Justice Group (EJG) has described as shameless falsehood, claim by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu that the commission do not have any petition against chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying; “it is on record that petitions were submitted to the EFCC office in Abuja against former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi by the State Government and concerned groups.” While trying to defend allegation of political witch hunt against the EFCC, Magu had said; “Such accusations have come up a lot, but, we work with petitions before…
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Northern governors under the auspices of the Northern State Governors Forum said yesterday that they are working hard to restore and revive the legacies left behind by the late Premier of the north, Sir Ahmadu Bello as they pointed out disparity between the North and South. Speaking on behalf of the Forum, during th 50th anniversary of the death of the premier, the Chairman of the forum and governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, said while the late Sardauna did very well for the north, it was the responsibility of present day leaders in the region to invest on…
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We must continue to educate the Technical Chief Justice of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari. Let all the jollof rice eaters draw his attention to this case. Chief Emeka Ojukwu V. Federal Military Government of Lagos State 1985. Intro- it is not news that the abandoned property thing took place in Lagos. Do not be fooled by the Lagos Media who made it look like it was an Ijaw or ikwerre thing. David Mark oversaw that evil deed. The above decision therefore was part of the issues decided in the case filed by the ex biafran lord against the military…
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President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the Nationally Assembly to formally request the withdrawal of the 2016 Appropriation Bill he had presented to a joint session of the federal legislature on December 22 for adjustment, THISDAY has learnt. The president’s leader was addressed to Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara. The formal request followed controversy over the alleged secret extraction and doctoring of the original budget document. The controversy over the budget had raged all through last week, as the National Assembly resumed after a recess and the legislators prepared to begin…
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The January 9, 2015, election in Bayelsa has broken the chain of order and unwritten code of command among ex-militants in the Niger Delta. High Chief Government Ekpempulo, also known as General Tom Polo, is widely held as the overall commander and also the marshall of the Western flank, while Alhaji Asari Dokubo, leads the Eastern Flank and in close alliance with General Tom Polo. These two agitators are widely loved and respected in local communities in the Niger Delta and have all received several chieftaincy titles for their struggle for resource control, especially during the military regime of…
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Under Buhari’s watch as Petroleum Minister in the late 1970s, $2.8 billion (worth billions of naira today) was missing from the NNPC account. The matter was subject to Senate investigation under the chairmanship of Olusola Saraki in 1983. But before the report could be dealt with, Buhari conveniently overthrew the Shagari government in a military coup d’état. Vera Ifudu, an NTA newscaster, revealed that Saraki told her in an interview that the missing money was traced to Buhari’s account at Midland Bank in London. For this disclosure, Vera was summarily sacked by the NTA. However, she appealed against her…
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The Northern Elders Forum, the apostles of “the North is born to rule,” finally played their joker. They maintained that if the government does not #Bring Back Our Girls by the end of October, 2014, Jonathan should forget about running for re-election. This again reveals that there is more political mischief to the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls than initially meets the eye. As a matter of fact, it shows conclusively that #Bring Back Our Girls is simply another instrument of #Bring Back Our Northern Domination. The First Lady understood this clearly from the onset; which is why she…
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In a deft move designed to ensure efficient distribution and country-wide penetration of petroleum products, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has commenced nationwide consultation with stakeholders aimed at drumming support for the planned expansion of its retail outlets across the country. Under the expansion plan, NNPC is seeking to expand the market share of its retail business to an appreciable level from the current 12 per cent by building a mega station in every Senatorial district in the country in the months ahead. Speaking during the flag-off of consultation during the week with a visit to the Governor…
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The fact is that there is enough blame to go round and if we do not end the blame game we would not be in a position to make the changes that will position our country to come out of these circumstances that militate against our growth and unity. The late Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu has been my hero right from the time I became politically conscious, however, I wish he had not participated in the January 16th, 1966 coup. I believe he was misled by people cleverer than him, who took advantage of his impulsive nature. First and…
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“For as long as the Old Eastern region remains in disarray and not united, self-determination of the region will remain impossible.” ~ An anonymous retired Nigerian Army Chief The word “South-South,” even though it may sound absurd, is a name we have come to accept as a people. We can’t say exactly how we came about to be identified with the name neither can we say exactly when we were given the name, but we just know it is our name. While growing up back in the days, geography taught us about “the North,” “the South,” “The East” and “The…
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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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D r. Tanko Yakassai was an active political player in the First Republic having held several national positions in the defunct Northern Elements Peoples Union, NEPU among which were National Financial Secretary, National Youth Leader, National Organising Secretary and subsequently National Secretary of the Aminu Kano led party. In the Second Republic he shifted to the National Party of Nigeria, NPN and was the Presidential Liaison Officer to the National Assembly. He currently chairs the Northern Elders’ Council. He speaks on the factors that led to the January 15, 1966 coup and the consequences thereafter. By Omeiza Ajayi YOU…
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I read Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s comments to the effect that he heard from the Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Chief John Oyegun, that former President Goodluck Jonathan had told him (Chief Oyegun) that after the election, he would put Governor Oshiomhole in a hole, but today the ex-president is the one in a hole. This statement, while seemingly an attack on the person of former President Goodluck Jonathan, says more about the character of the Edo State Governor than it does about the former President. A good leader does not act on hearsay and gossip, especially when…
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It is now a season of vindication for the leadership of International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law concerning the full graduation of the democratically chained administration of President Muhammadu Buhari from ballot box to barrel of gun. According to the Shasta and the Legist Schools of Jurisprudential Thoughts of ancient India and China respectively; a society not popularly governed by law is a society of anarchy and lawlessness. And such society is said to be popularly governed by law if respect for its law starts from its political office holders and the same law evenly…
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As the intricacies behind the 2016 budget proposal submitted to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari continues to unwind, indications have emerged that the mystery trailing the document may have been caused by the slump in oil prices Senate had raised the alarm recently that the budget was missing, but later said that was not the case, only for the Senate President, Bukola Saraki to point at Presidential Liaison Officer (Senate) Ita Enang of submitting a different version of the document presented by President Muhammadu Buhari on December 22. But according to Presidential Liaison Officer (House of Representatives) Sumaila…
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“In the name of the Supreme Council of the Revolution of the Nigerian Armed Forces, I declare martial law over the Northern Provinces of Nigeria. The Constitution is suspended and the regional government and elected assemblies are hereby dissolved. All political, cultural, tribal and trade union activities, together with all demonstrations and unauthorised gatherings, excluding religious worship, are banned until further notice.” With these words the nation’s political sleep was murdered. It was never to wake up. It remains dead. They were words read by the one and only Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, one of the masterminds of the…
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Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari surely meant well for the Nigerian people. His integrity, discipline and avowed commitment to fight, name and shame corruption had never been in doubt since Nigerians have high hopes in his administration to ‘fight corruption among the elites’, in a bid to free Nigeria’s economy from Kleptomaniac. As it is a fad that “when you fight corruption, surely corruption will fight back,” aptly captures the trending conspiracy of few Nigerian Army Generals (retired) and former Heads of State who allegedly prompted Buhari to ‘let-off’ his earlier, intentional investigation of $182million Halliburton bribe scandal, so he…
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Tompolo disassociated himself from the blowing of the Escravos gas pipelines. He said that because of his case with government, he shouldn’t have done that knowing that all fingers will point at him. There’s saying that if a witch cried yesterday and a child died today; all accusations would be on the witch. He acknowledged that he was aware that some people were planning to bomb the gas pipelines but has no connection with it.
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FORMER Central Bank of Nigeria governor and Emir of Kano Alhaji Sanusi Mohammed has warned that there could be a repeat of the 1966 military coup if a section of the country continues to fan embers of violence and disunity of the country. Speaking earlier this morning to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of the Sardauna of Sokoto and former premier of Northern Nigeria Sir Ahmadu Bello, who was killed on January 15 1966 in the country’s first military coup, the emir issued a tacit warning that the ongoing Biafran agitation must stop. Emir Sanusi…
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All Officers and Men of the Nigeria Customs Service are to make full disclosure of their assets in a new measure put in place to push transparency and compliance with the Rule of Law. The directive on Assets Declaration was contained in a Circular signed by the Comptroller-General of the NCS, retired Colonel Hammed Ibrahim Ali. It was addressed to all Deputy Comptrollers-General, Zonal Coordinators and Customs Area Controllers. All Officers are to comply with the directive within 14 days. According to the Circular, the directive on Assets Declaration is in compliance with the Bank…
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While the probe into the utilisation of funds allocated to the National Security Adviser’s office is gathering momentum, I thought President Muhammadu Buhari would have by now returned the SUVs he admitted receiving from former President Goodluck Jonathan, in line with the spirit of anti-corruption. I have been expecting the President to return the SUVs for weeks now without a positive response. Why should a man with a “saintly, austere and frugal lifestyle” be holding on to one armoured SUV and one untreated SUV? An armoured SUV can cost as much as $120,000. I am thoroughly disappointed. It…
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Ann Widdercombe, former British parliamentarian, despairing on the notion of justice after seeing two judges reach for two extremes of the continuum while sentencing on two remarkably similar offences, wrote in exasperation: “One can be forgiven for concluding that justice is a lottery… in which the luck of the draw is determined by the judge allocated to the case”. It was scant consolation to her that the judges were actually exercising lawful discretion within the guidelines set by the law but while one judge went for the harshest sentence allowed, the other chose the most lenient. I invite the…
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What is going to be the position of the Supreme Court on the controversial rulings of the different divisions of the appeal court on the various governorship election petitions the latter determined in the last one month, now that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) has spoken on the very vexatious issue? What position will the seven justices of the apex court take after the head of the judiciary arm of government publicly put a question mark on the rulings of the appeal court? Will the highest court in the land restore the image of the judiciary that has…
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Acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mrs Ibim Semenitari, has said the commission is owing about 8,000 contractors between N300 and N400 billion. She said the volume of the debt has put pressure on the commission, adding that while the commission would meet its contractual obligations, contractors who show enough commitment in the execution of their projects would be given priority in payments. Semenitari spoke Friday while conducting a delegation from United States-based Centre for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) round a 233-bed Niger Delta Region Specialist Mother and Child Hospital in Port Harcourt. When prodded on…
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The state Governor of Imo state Rochas Okorocha openly told elders at the state house that they should be grateful that Buhari apprehended a criminal and terrorist like Nnamdi Kanu who deserves to be persecuted by hanging. He told them that Biafra has long been dead with Ojukwu and not even Amadioha can resurrect it, that very soon many youths will loose their lives in the name of this struggle. On behalf of all the state governors in the Eastern region, we have unanimously agreed with President Buhari not to release that terrorist and troublesome boy who does not…
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A new report published today by Nigerian research organisation SBM Intelligence has tried to establish the extent of support for Biafra being carved out of present-day Nigeria. The report includes a survey to gauge support for a referendum on Biafra (82% said yes) and full independence for Biafra (59% said yes). Here is a summary of the report: Nigeria became a unified country in 1914. Since then the country has faced some serious trials against its unity, the most serious during the civil war which took place 1967 – 1970. It was a war that resulted after one of…
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ex-militants, Thursday night, blew up a gas pipeline in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State conveying gas from Escravos–Warri-Lagos-Abuja, property of the Nigeria Gas Company, NGC, in what is believed to be a resumption of fresh hostilities in the Niger Delta region. A riverside dweller, who spoke to Vanguard on phone from one of the Ijaw communities, said, “We slept with our eyes open throughout the night as bombs boomed everywhere, the attackers were exploding bombs and shooting guns indiscriminately.” His words, “They blew up the gas pipeline from Escravos to Warri – Lagos and Abuja at three…
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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…
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Look I saw this one legged approach to governance long before the elections. I tried to say it but my tiny voice was drowned by the baying mob of change seekers who refused to see beyond the emotional lynch mob who saw all the evil in the world in Jonathan. We all failed to look at his past performance as a hamstrung military dictator whose main achievements where the war against indiscipline and the long prison terms that were handed over to hapless politicians. I knew it will come to this, I knew that the only song he could…
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President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday told the parents of the missing Chibok girls that he did not know where their daughters were. The parents, 136 of them, together with members of the Bringbackourgirls (BBOG) movement, converged on the banquet hall of the presidential villa, seeking answers to the whereabouts of the 219 missing schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno state. But they were shocked and broken when the president told them in unequivocal terms that he did not have any information on their whereabouts. Speaking shortly after a 45-minute meeting with the president that journalists were barred from attending, Aisha…
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Nigeria’s corruption perception index (CPI) has been poor for several decades with the country’s CPI reaching an all time high of 152 out of 158 countries in 2005. Nigeria is the 136th least corrupt nation out of 175 countries, according to the 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) reported by Transparency International. Corruption Rank in Nigeria averaged 117.37 from 1996 until 2014, reaching an all time high of 152 in 2005 and a record low of 52 in 1997. Nigeria’s CPI has been relatively poor over several decades in relation to other countries and so it is perceived by some…
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Nigeria’s foreign reserves are feeling the pain of both its reliance on oil for forex inflows and its attempts to arrest the slide in the Naira as the price of oil continues to spiral downwards. The Central Bank of Nigeria has warned a recession is imminent if proactive steps were not taken to revive growth in key economic sectors as the country facing its worst financial crisis in years. Nigeria’s economic growth in the past decade has not always been about oil but the government’s inability to tax the services and agriculture industries has left it reliant on revenues…
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Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was today (January 14th) honored by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded by the late American Civil Right leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, in January 1957, it is currently led by Dr. Charles Steele Jr. Dr. Jonathan also received Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s sister, Naomi King (the lady with the black hat who hugged him) during the event. Matthew 5:5 is the fifth verse of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. It is the third verse of the Sermon on the Mount, and also…
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President Buhari once said that he has not been convinced why the Nigerian currency (Naira) should be devalued. There are also discussions within Nigeria on whether or not the Naira should be devalued. And therefore, when the IMF president, Christine Lagarde came to Nigeria on an official visit, those who opposed the devaluation of Naira panicked. They thought the ‘devil’ has finally arrived to devalue the Naira. But the IMF and Western investment banks don’t support currency devaluation but currency liberalisation. In order words, to leave the price of the currency to be determined by the forces of demand…
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Nigeria’s currency yesterday fell to a 43-year low of 305 to a dollar as the the foreign currency’s scarcity worsened following the decision of the central bank to stop the sale of foreign exchange to Bureaux de Change (BDCs). The naira fell from an average of 287 per dollar on Tuesday to an average of N305 per dollar on the parallel market. Since the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) stopped weekly dollar sales to BDCs on Monday, the Naira has started taking a plunge against the dollar. Nigerian newspaper Vanguard quoted Mr. Harrison Owoh, the Chief Executive Officer of…
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An All Progressives Congress (APC), youth group, Youth for Change (YC) has given the national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, seven days ultimatum to recognize the party’s deputy national publicity secretary, Comrade Timi Frank as the acting spokesman of the party. The youth group has threatened to carry out a nationwide protest after seven days of its warning, if Frank was not recognized as the spokesperson of the party. The group, in a statement signed in Abuja Wednesday by the national coordinator and the publicity secretary Adamu Muhammad and Daniels Ojolowo respectively, expressed disappointment in the leadership…
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