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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Naira depreciates further to N300 per dollar Investors in companies quoted on the nation’s stock market recorded a loss of about N1.217 trillion in eight trading days of the New Year following sell pressure that have persisted in the equities market. As at yesterday, the market capitalisation of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), which gauges the value of listed stocks, stood at N8.633 trillion as against the opening figure of N9.850 trillion recorded at the close of trading in December 31, 2015, accounting for a loss of N1.217 trillion or 12.35 per cent. Checks by New Telegraph showed that…
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…confirms setting up a search committee Senate investigates controversial budget Strong indications emerged yesterday that the 2016 Appropriation Bill was actually missing from the custody of the National Assembly. President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, inadvertently admitted at the plenary that the bill was missing and a search committee was set up to locate the whereabouts of the document. He also indicated that the committee had not reported back to the Chamber, pointing out that debate on the alleged missing budget had to wait till those given the assignment had brought a feedback to the upper legislative chamber. Saraki made…
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As controversy deepens over the where about of the hard copy of the 2016 budget proposal presented by President Muhammadu Buhari to a joint session of the National Assembly last December, a senator has confided that the president withdrew the proposal through the backdoor. The Senator, who asked not to be named, accused the presidency of grandstanding over claims that the National Assembly leadership should be held responsible for the missing document. “It is ironic that a government that claims accountability cannot be transparent. I can assure that none of us (senators) is aware of the sectoral allocations contained…
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Jan 14 2015 President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday directed the leadership of the Armed Forces to redeploy officers sabotaging operations. Mr. Jonathan made the call at the National Cemetery, Abuja, while unveiling the Cenotaph built in memory of the nation’s fallen heroes from 2011 to date. The president said that the military are doing their best under the circumstances they were working. He said that the government would continue to encourage the military and provide the soldiers what is required to perform their duty. “I am not saying that there are no bad eggs; there are definitely few cases where…
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Dec. 21 2014 *Nigerians won’t elect sectional leader in 2015-Presidency. The emergence of a former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), appears to have changed the political calculations in the northern part of Nigeria. Sunday Vanguard learnt, last night, from very competent sources, that many of the northern political opinion leaders and groups had decided that all necessary support must be given to Buhari to win the February 14, 2015 presidential election so as to return power to them. The Chairman of the northern influential group, Arewa Consultative Forum…
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President Goodluck Jonathan said on Monday that his successor would not have any difficulty fighting corruption because of the technology his administration is putting in place to fight the menace. Addressing party supporters at the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, campaign rally in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Mr. Jonathan, who is the presidential candidate of the party, promised to end corruption in Nigeria, if given the mandate to run the country for another four years. “I promise you if you vote for me and I come back and serve this country in the next four years, the next persons…
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“Conscience is an open wound, only the truth can heal it” – Uthman Dan Fodio (1754-1817) “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana, The only reason that all the Northern and some Yoruba elites get jittery when they hear of Biafra is fear of loosing Nigerias oil wealth. Biafra is not just an attempt by greedy Igbo to breakup and dominate the oil wealth as most night school educated Northerners and their Yoruba co-travelers will assume, it is a dream for every reasonable Nigerian who quest for freedom,equity and fairness. In 1957, the…
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The bible says,”you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” I have heard a lot of outpouring of emotions about the demolition of OSHODI Market by the LAGOS State Government led by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode last week. I heard Ohaneze, l heard CD South East, and l heard some Igbo groups in Lagos. The summary is that Gov Ambode has declared war on Igbo Traders in Lagos because they did not vote for him in the last elections. Now the truth must be told: Former Governor Babatunde Fashola had planned to evacuate that market right…
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I have been following the so called Dasukigate and I am amazed how easy it is for a government to use the media to deceive and distract the ignorant masses. History has shown that propaganda remains the biggest tool of any government that intends to enslave a people. Unfortunately, even the current opposition has been quite incompetent in putting the records straight. For the records, there is nothing like a $2.1B arms money. It was a propaganda masterstroke well concocted by the DSS and EFCC to distract everyone from the incompetence of the Buhari administration. That is why…
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State governments are now free to explore and exploit the mineral resources in their domains provided such is done legally without interfering with locations already given to other stakeholders, the Federal Government has said. The government stated that although it had exclusive rights to mine minerals across the country, the constitution encourages states to either set up their own investment corporations or partner private investors to exploit minerals in their domains. The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, stated this in Abuja while playing host to the Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Wale…
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A wise man once told me: “Nigerians are mules, everyone who can, kicks at them.” The thing is, the more things change, the more they feel the same. In 1984, Major-General Muhamadu Buhari as military tyrant diagnosed “indiscipline” as Nigeria’s national malaise. The sexy power word in those days was “summarily.” Buhari promised that the military government of which he was head would “summarily” deal with any Nigerian who was found wanting in “discipline.” He quickly launched a “War Against Indiscipline.” It caught on fire. Nigerians were pressed to “behave.” They began to queue for buses and other services…
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Soldiers have detained 65 parents of the abducted Chibok girls who were on their way to Abuja from Borno to participate in the protest of the Bringbackourgirls (BBOG) movement scheduled for Thursday. According to Tunji Olanrewaju, a member of the BBOG strategic team said the 65 parents were stopped at Askira, near Chibok, in Borno state by soldiers acting on “orders from above”. “Over 120 of them (Chibok parents) were supposed to come for the march on Thursday. So they were leaving Chibok this morning because it is a two-day trip.They set out at 7am – about 64 0r…
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Security on trail of Mu’azu, Jonathan’s Secretary Tukur EFCC to quiz ex-PDP chair on alleged diversion of $2.1b arms cash EFCC on his trail over N600m shared to six chairmen of PDP mobilisation committees. He is believed to be in Asia EFCC interested his role in the botched deal with fake Boko Haram chiefs involving payment of huge cash Security agencies are “watch-listing” former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Adamu Muazu and a former Principal Private Secretary to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Hassan Tukur, it was learnt yesterday. The two influential personalities are said to have been placed on…
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United Middle Belt Youth Congress, UMYC, has demanded a separate identity for the people of the region to differentiate them from the Hausa-Fulani and Kanuri peoples of the far North. Leading a delegation of executive officers of the congress on a courtesy call to Vanguard’s corporate office in Lagos, the group’s President, Mr. Abuka Onalo, said the people of the Middle-Belt were now remorseful of their roles in past actions of spearhea-ding Northern interests that did not benefit their people. He particularly regretted the role of the Middle-Belt in the Nigerian civil war, saying the people of the…
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Almost 24 hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared Governor Seriake Dickson winner of the January 9th, 2016 Gubernatorial election in Bayelsa state, President Muhammadu Buhari has refused to send his congratulatory message. Hence exhibiting what political commentators have described as “Political intolerance” on the side of the Presidency. Dickson had won with a total of 134,998 votes, while his closest rival, Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress, APC, garnered 86,852 votes. Despite INEC’s declaration, Sylva has refused to accept defeat and has threatened to challenge the elections at the tribunal. When Post-Nigeria contacted the Special…
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You will agree with me that so much has been said and written in recent times concerning President Muhammadu Buhari’s attitude to Ndigbo that further commentary on it may seem like beating a dead horse. On this occasion, I tend to differ; essentially because it is in presenting the precarious situation of Ndigbo in Nigeria especially under this administration before the court of public opinion (both domestic and international) that the truth can be deciphered. This truth is both historical and empirical. In the African narrative tradition, the bridging of time and space is a common reality essentially because…
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U.S. President, Barack Obama, on Tuesday, said America would suspend duty-free benefits for South Africa on March 15, a move that could cost South Africa up to seven million dollars. He said this in Washington, adding that the suspension was because South Africa failed to meet the requirements of a trade deal. He noted that “I have determined that South Africa is not meeting the requirements and that suspending the application of duty-free treatment to certain goods will be more effective in promoting compliance.” The suspension was seen by analysts as a move to put pressure on Pretoria to…
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Lawyers are to file a complaint before the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, on alleged human rights abuses against members of the pro-Biafran separatist movement. Dutch lawyer and professor, Göran Sluiter, who specialises in international criminal law, is leading the team that will file the complaint at the Hague in the Netherlands in February. Sluiter and his colleague, Andrew Ianuzzi, are working full time on the case and are occasionally assisted by a team of 20 other lawyers. Sluiter told IBTimes UK they had been representing the ‘Biafran minority’ since the arrest of pro-Biafran leader,…
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Prof. Isaac Adewole, the Minister of Health, confirmed this in Abuja on Tuesday at a joint ministerial news conference on the update of the outbreak of the disease. However, Adewole said there were no new confirmed cases or death in the last 48 hours. He did not disclose the state from which the additional life was lost. “In the last 48 hours the government raised a four-man expert committee, chaired by Prof. Michael Asuzu, to visit Kano, Niger and Bauchi, the three most endemic states. “The committee will embark on a fact finding mission, assess the current situation, document…
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The hatred between the Yoruba and Ndigbo has gone on for far too long. Let there be love shared among us! The Yorubas and the Igbos, two of the most resourceful, engaging and outgoing ethnic groups in Nigeria, are becoming implacable enemies. Increasingly, they seem to hate one another with pure hatred. I never appreciated the extent of their animosity until the social media came of age in Nigeria. Now, hardly a day passes that you will not find Yorubas and Igbos exchanging hateful words on internet blogs. The Nigerian Civil War ended in 1970. Nevertheless, it continues to…
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Nigeria might be the richest economy in Africa but that does not impress hard-nosed investors who buy and sell shares at the local stock exchange. The West African financial market had another losing day today, closing at its lowest level for more than three years, down 2.5%. Investors are growing increasingly worried about the outlook for the biggest economy in sub-Saharan Africa, largely because the country is too dependent on revenues from the energy industry and the price of oil has fallen through the floor. Last week, Brent crude oil, the benchmark blend of oil traded in London, fell…
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Founder of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to implement the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference. In a state of the nation address in his church entitled: ‘Road map to successful change,’ Bakare argued that though the All Progressives Congress, APC, refused to participate in the exercise, the report was done by Nigerians. He said: “Let it be known that in spite of the rejection of our pre-election call for a transition period, Nigeria is now a nation in transition. This transition period will predictably be followed by a revolution which will,…
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Nigeria’s external reserves has declined to a 12-year low, dropping to $28.93 billion at the closing of business last week. This brings the total decline of the reserves from the beginning of December 2015 to 3.17 per cent. The reserves which was at $29.880 billion as at December 1, 2015 had dropped by 2.7 per cent within the month to $29.069 the last day of last year before a further shed of $138.668 million dollars between December 31, 2015 and January 7, 2016. A CBN official explained that the decline was due to the fact that the level of inflow…
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“We may place blame, give reasons, and even have excuses; but in the end, it is an act of cowardice to not follow your dreams.” ― Behavioral Science Academic, Dr. Steve Maraboli. He studied Economics because his sister said it was a good course, studied for MBA as advised by his parents, so as to end up in an exquisite office where he would earn a six-figure salary. But what he truly wanted was to be a motor mechanic. Somewhere in Nigeria’s commercial nerve, Lagos, 30-year-old Taiwo Abiri is living his dream of making money by getting his hands…
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Excerpts The Catholic Church has not gone out fishing to find Chief Nwobodo. To the extent that we are all Christians, children of God, his decision to come to the Catholic Church is at best a return home. I say return home for reasons that all of us who are Christians already know. I do not need to bore you, but at least we know that before 1517, every Christian was Catholic. As such, today we know that: If you are Lutheran the your Church was founded by Fr Martin Luther in Germany in 1517 If you are Menonite,…
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As reported on Monday, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), yesterday lifted its ban on foreign currency deposits and withdrawals by customers from comercial banks. This is coming as it also embargoed further foreign currency sales to Bureau de Change (BDC) operators. It was hinted on Monday, that the apex bank might relax some of its policies in respect of domiciliary account following constraints Nigerian bank customers are having making foreign currency related transactions from their bank accounts. The apex bank also decided to provide the available but highly limited foreign ex- change to meet matured letters of credit…
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The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, has declared that the war against corruption has just begun. He stated this Monday during an ineractive session with online journalists in Lagos, southwest Nigeria. According to Magu, nothing will be left tochance in bringing corrupt elements to justice, whether the persons are highly placed or not, adding that the extent of the looting of the nation’s treasury was mind numbing. On whether former president Goodluck Jonathan would be invited over the Dasuki arms scandal, he said Jonathan has not been invited because memos and documents regarding…
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(CBN Governor has gotten it right – this will stop round tripping). I hereby recommend that PMB should leave Godwin Emefiele in position for the next 4 years. Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will no longer sell foreign exchange to Bureau de Changes. CBN has instructed all commercial banks to discontinue selling forex to Bureau de Change. The apex bank also resolved to now permit commercial banks in the country to begin accepting hard currency deposits. CBN Governor failed to establish stringent measures on hard currencies withdrawals. So far so good, he is back on track.
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The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has demanded a comprehensive inquest into the killings that occurred during the governorship election in Bayelsa State and for all perpetrators to be brought to book. The party praised the people of the state for standing against intimidation, rigging and violence to ensure that their will as a people prevailed in Saturday’s supplementary election. In a statement issued on Monday by the Acting National Chairman of PDP, Chief Uche Secondus, the party decried the desperation of the APC whose thugs it alleged openly engaged in violence resulting in the killing and…
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested Emeka Mba, the Director General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission over an alleged N15 billion fraud. Mr. Mba was arrested on Monday morning in Abuja and taken to the EFCC’s headquarters where he is currently being interrogated. Those familiar with the investigation say the EFCC had been investigating the NBC in the past one month. Last week, some detectives stormed the headquarters of the NBC, ransacking computers and files in the Finance and Account unit. During the operation, some key Accounts staff where taken away. Sources said the arrested officials made…
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Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Group, has assured Nigerians that when his refinery is ready, the country would no longer need to import petroleum products. Speaking at the site of his refinery in Lekki, Dangote said his refinery would put an end to fertiliser importation in Nigeria, transforming the country into a net exporter of refined crude and fertilizer. “Today, Nigeria imports 100 percent of its fertilizer, but when we finish, Nigeria will be the largest exporter of Urea and Ammonia in Africa,” Dangote said. “The refinery is the largest single line in Africa and it will meet our…
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Tunde Bakare, the serving overseer of Latter Rain Assembly, has warned governors not to “provoke the rage” of poorly paid workers by reducing the minimum wage. Many states have been saying they can no longer afford to pay the N18,000 minimum wage because of dwindling revenue. But Bakare said politicians should instead reduce their own salaries. Bakare also accused CBN of contributing negatively to the Nigerian economy in more ways than one. In his state-of-the nation address titled ‘Roadmap to successful change’, the pastor outlined eight major steps that Nigeria must take to execute the change the nation voted…
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There is no doubt about it; these are not the best of days for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The self-styled largest political party in Africa is presently at the receiving end of negativities of not holding political power The PDP, through its leaders and prominent members have been at the mercy of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government, who has in the course of carrying out its anti-corruption crusade, clamped down on them in such a way that suggested a well-orchestrated and targeted onslaught on the former ruling party. There have been serious cries by members of…
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Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) said the re-arrest of the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, and the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, after they were granted bails by different courts amounts to impunity. According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari won the presidential election on the promise to fight corruption and end impunity in the country and he ought to ensure that the rule of law was respected. He said the orders for bail of Dasuki and Kanu should be respected as there was no legal justification for the re-arrest. Falana stated…
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PDP WINS SOUTHERN IJAW LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA APC 10, 216 PDP 23, 081 Dickson is Bayelsa State’s Governor Elect. The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Seriake Dickson has been declared winner of the Bayelsa State governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Mr Dickson polled 134,998 votes to emerge winner of the election. Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Timipre Sylva, scored 86,852 votes to place second. “Henry Dickson Seriake, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner and is returned…
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Latest developments show that the noose is tightening around Buhari and his government, and that the contraption called Nigeria is dying faster than a great number of people think. Developments, both economic and political, show that the country is seriously being squeezed out of existence. But unfortunately for Nigerian people; the government is rather deceiving them with its anti-corruption scam rather than telling them the truth about the state of their country’s economy. Nevertheless, the truth will soon hit them like thunder when they realized the real reasons why International Monitory Fund (IMF) Managing Director, Christine Lagarde, visited their…
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This story is an attempt to draw comparison and highlights between certain entities. For as much as we can remember and will remember the variable known as truth, has not been told of them. Hence, my story which started 16years ago… (1999-2007) The first thief came into power with a realistic plan and motive. He loved the people, saw the needs of the people and then he got to work. First, he recognized the need for a buoyant economy (no wonder his major campaign strength bordered on industrialization of the state), so he marshaled employment by making sure that…
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Southern ijaw constituency 2, results detailed. Unit 2 APC 09 PDP 241 Unit 3 APC 15 PDP 208 Unit 4 APC 07 PDP 219 Unit 5 APC 05 PDP 240 Unit 6 APC 40 PDP 152 Unit 7 APC 06 PDP 95 Unit 8 APC 09 PDP 140 Unit 9 APC 05 PDP 168 Unit 10 APC 0 PDP 38 Unit 11 APC 10 PDP 80 Unit 12 APC 0 PDP 64 Unit 13 APC 04 PDP 72 Unit 14 APC 09 PDP 82 Unit 15 APC 01 PDP 76 Unit 16 canceled Unit 17 APC 0 PDP 43 Unit…
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A former Minister of National Planning, Dr. Sulaiman Abubakar, in this interview with SUCCESS NWOGU, accuses President Muhammadu Buhari of not dealing with corruption holistically There have been allegations that the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan mismanaged the economy. Since you were a key player at the twilight of that administration, how do you respond to such allegations? The government of the day should graduate by coming out with any revelation of anything that was abnormal (in Jonathan’s administration). Again, allegations after office are not peculiar with this administration. But we should allow due process to hold sway…
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“A team of about seven operatives of the EFCC in company with some armed policemen arrived at the residence at about 7am and have been in the house for the past five hours.” Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday raided the residence of the former Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Abdullahi Dikko, in Abuja. The anti-graft personnel were said to have arrived at the house located at 6, Ahmed Musa Crescent, Jabi, at about 7 a.m. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that Dikko was not at home when the officers arrived and that their…
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At first, it was the Boko Haram that issued a threat to Igbos to pack out of the North and they have followed the threat with series of annihilation through bombing gullible Easterners in their churches, markets homes etc. A Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere Renewal Group, has denounced what it described as an unrelenting desecration of Yoruba culture by the Igbo communities’ obsession with having a crowned king in Yoruba domains. In a recent statement, the group said the title of Eze Ndigbo in Yorubaland is not backed by any customary law and is therefore considered alien. “The evolution of…
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RESPONSE FROM DONALD EKPO TO ALHAJI SAGIR RINGIM ON THE PURPORTED “CAPTURE AND ENSLAVEMENT” OF SOUTH-SOUTH BY NDIGBO Sir, I want to thank you for your concern about the welfare of the people of the South South by exposing the plans of the Igbos to recolonize the region. But I am worried about the sincerity of these your concerns. Because of these worries, let us dissect and carefully assess your statements of fear and concerns in four (4) segments, so as not to repeat the mistakes of 1964, 1966 and 1967-1970s till date. In your carefully written letter or chat…
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Leader of the defunct Arewa Peoples Congress (APC), Alhaji Sagir Ringim has said that the current agitation by the Indigenous People of Biafra as a ploy to colonise the South South. Sagir Ringim, who holds the traditional title of Waziri Ringim told Vanguard in an exclusive chat the agitation by the Kanu led IPOBA was a calculated effort to seize the economic prospects of the minority ethnic nationality in the oil rich region. “Those Indigenous People of Biafra have a hidden agenda to recolonize the South-south , capture the region, colonise the oil field for the betterment of the…
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Result so far as collated from the Bayelsa supplementary Election PDP 11567 APC 2721
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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reportedly banned some goods from being imported to the country The list of goods which have been absolutely prohibited, was posted on the official website of the cross-border security outfit, where it warned Nigerians sternly that failure to comply will attract outright seizure of such goods and the suspects will be charged to a Court of Competent Jurisdiction for prosecution. Check out the list below: • Live or Dead Birds including Frozen Poultry – H.S. Codes 0105.1100 – 0105.9900, 0106.3100 – 0106.3900, 0207.1100 – 0207.2600 and 0210.9900 • Pork, Beef – H.S.…
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“This New Nation called Nigeria, should be an estate of our great grandfather, Uthman Dan Fodio. We must ruthlessly prevent a change of power. We use the minorities in the North as willing tools, and the South, as conquered territory and never allow them to rule over us, and never allow them to have control over their future” – Sir Ahmadu Bello (Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of Northern Region in The Parrot of October 12, 1960 “For us who are Christian minorities in the North, we should acknowledge that this victory we are celebrating here today, was made…
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The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) is set commence a review of its constitution and operational structures nationwide. To this end, a 46-member constitution review committee will be meeting from Tuesday, January 12 to Saturday, January16 in order to consider suggested amendments in the party’s constitution. Speaking in Abuja, the chairman of the review committee and the PDP National Legal Adviser, Mr. Kwon Victor, said the constitution review was part of the ongoing reform and rebranding process meant to reposition and transform the party to return to its winning ways He said the committee would consider some aspects of the…
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While the PDP maintains that Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade had been turned into a man-hunt of its leaders, the APC vehemently defended the President insisting that the opposition party do not have the luxury of dictating how the ongoing anti-graft war should be prosecuted. PDP has been reacting to the arrest and detention of its spokesman, Chief Olisa Metuh, over alleged payments of about N1.4 billion allegedly by the Office of the National Security Adviser to a company allegedly linked to him, demanding that he should be released or charged to court. The party faulted the continued incarceration of its…
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President Buhari should not let pressure from the International Monetary Fund change his focus on home-grown solutions to the country’s economic problems, writes Vincent Obia Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Ms. Christine Lagarde, ended a four-day visit to Nigeria on Thursday, which has been widely associated with the fund’s typically hurting economic prescriptions. IMF said in a release ahead of Lagarde’s visit that she was coming to engage the country’s political and business leaders on ways to promote development in the face of awful revenue shortfalls engendered by a sharp fall in crude oil prices. It said…
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Niccolo Machiavelli was so practical in his understanding of power in his time that centuries after, his writings still make a lot of sense even in the 21st Century, and would most likely remain so in centuries to come. In his treatise, “The Prince”, Machiavelli correctly captures the Nigerian situation when he posits that “men change their rulers willingly, hoping to better themselves, and this hope induces them to take up arms against him who rules: wherein they are deceived, because they afterwards find by experience they have gone from bad to worse”. Make no mistake about it, much…
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A Nigerian, Jude O Nkama made history on January 6th as he became the first African to be appointed as a judge in the 349 year history of the city and State of New Jersey, USA. Hon. Ras Baraka, Mayor of the City of Newark, NJ also appointed Hon. Ugochukwu Nwaokoro as Deputy Mayor; and Evans Anyanwu, Esq. as Chief Prosecutor of the city.
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The ‘Contract Verification Committee’ of the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) has released a newspaper advertorial with a list of 241 companies which were awarded contracts from the office between 2011 and 2015. The ONSA committee has requested the companies to appear before it on stipulated dates (details below) or risk being embarrassed. 12 JANUARY 2016 2020 Nigeria Limited, 313 BDC Limited, A & Hatman Limited, A A Master Nigeria Limited, A and B Associate, Abbatare Inc., Abraham Telecommunication Limited, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Abusarhard Nigeria Limited, Acacia Holdings Limited, Ace of Wood Working Nigeria Limited and Africair…
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FINAL RESULT AS COLLATED AT THE UNIT LEVEL: SOUTHERN IJAW WARD 3 UNIT 1 PDP 215 APC 26 UNIT 2 PDP 360 APC 36 UNIT 3 PDP 96 APC 36 UNIT 4 PDP 104 APC 54 UNIT 5 PDP 157 APC 11 UNIT 6 PDP 53 APC 3 UNIT 7 PDP 114 APC 23 UNIT 8 PDP 49 APC 14 UNIT 9 PDP 383 APC 12 UNIT 10 PDP 73 APC 37 UNIT 11 PDP 78 APC 22 UNIT 12 PDP 53 APC 11 UNIT 13 PDP 87 APC 28 UNIT 14 PDP 45 APC 42 UNIT 15 PDP 41…
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Deputy governorship flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress in the Nov. 21, 2015 Governorship election in Kogi State, James Faleke, and Mohammed, the eldest son of Abubakar Audu, the late APC governorship candidate, Abubakar Audu, were on Saturday invited by the State Security Services for undisclosed reason, and then detained. The Director, Media and Publicity of Audu/Faleke Campaign Organisation, Duro Meseko, said in a statement on Saturday that the duo arrived the SSS headquarters in Abuja at exactly 10.00am and were kept in an office with assurances that an officer would attend to them only to keep them…
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Ladies and Gentlemen I am here to speak with you on Prostate. The topic is misleading. Is prostate strictly for men? Yes, ONLY men have prostate and ONLY men over 40years but the healthcare enlightenment is for everyone. There is no woman who does not know a man 40 years and above – father, uncle, brother, son, friend, neighbor, colleague … Essentially what I will be doing today is health promotion. Responsible health promotion must provide three things: 1. Information 2. Reassurance 3. A plan of action. Let me start with a background on prostate health. Everyone has a…
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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has again demanded the release of Olisa Metuh, its spokesman, alleging that he is “inhumanly kept in an underground” cell by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The party said the continued detention of its spokesman by the EFCC without a charge clearly showed the dictatorial character of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government. In a statement signed by Victor Kwon, its national legal adviser, PDP stated that “relying on a purported ‘holding charge’ said to have been derived from a magistrate to detain Chief Metuh beyond the statutory period allowed by the…
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UPDATES ON ELECTIONS RESULTS AMASSOMA WARD 10 UNIT 2 PDP………..233 APC……….. 30 OGBIA WARD 2 UNIT 15 PDP……..277 APC……….55 SOUTHERN/IJAW WARD 10 UNIT 4 PDP………..97 APC…………21 SDP. …………1 VOIDED VOTES….3 IKIANBIRI WARD 11 UNIT 15 PDP………59 APC………40 APC. ………1 OTUEGWU IN OGBIA WARD 2 UNIT 009 PDP…….124 APC………..4 EGEIBIRI SILGA REGISTER ED VOTERS …..274 PDP………105 APC………..55 HDP…………3 WARD 10 UNIT 1 PDP………148 APC…………15 Ward 10 unit 3 PDP…….129 APC……..23 WARD 10 UNIT 5 PDP……..93 APC…….16 NEMBE WARD 2 UNIT 13 PDP……….412 APC…………6 WARD 5 UNIT 12 ….OTUAN PDP…….81 APC…….31 LOBIA: COMMUNITY, WARD 17 CONSTITUENCY 4 ELECTIONS WERE CANCELLED DUE TO…
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Agudama Ekpetie Ward 10 Unit 5PDP 90 APC 63 Unit 6 PDP 73 APC 63 Unit 7 PDP 68 APC 73 Akaibiri Ward 11 Unit 10 PDP 59 APC 40 APA 1 JUST IN: No voting in Lobia 1, 2 and 3. S/IJAW due to hijack of materials by suspected APC thugs. Youths insisting on voting as #BayelsaDecides
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Unit 12, ward5 PDP 81 APC 31. Unit10 ward4 PDP 97 APC 21. Unit2 ward10 ammasomma PDP 233 APC 30. Ogbia ward2 unit015 PDP 55 APC 27. Meanwhile the military men are openly working for APC WARD 10, UNIT 16 Presiding Officer-Linda Nwagbu Accredited Voters-113 No of Valid Votes-112 Invalid votes-1 PDP-81 APC-29 DPP-1 PDC-1 WARD 10, UNIT 15 Presiding Officer-Uwandu Anthony Accredited Voters-96 No of Valid Vote-134 PDP- APC- WARD 10, UNIT 7 PDP-133 Votes APC-24 Votes WARD 9, UNIT 13 Presiding Officer-Omenogor Elvis Onyeka PDP-66 Votes APC-28 Votes DPC-3 PDM-1 Total No of Voters-415 Accredited voters-112 Invalid votes…
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Dickson Leads Ward 10 unit 2 Ammasomma APC-30 Pdp-233. Pls note that PUs 5,7,11 &13 in Bassambri ward Nembe LGA have been hijacked. Pls note that PUs 5,7,11 &13 in Bassambri ward Nembe LGA have been hijacked.Two wounded by stray bullets as sporadic shooting reported in Southern Ijaw ward 1 Agoibiri Officials & election materials yet to arrive at PUs 017.026, 027 & 028,Ukubie Ward,Southern Ijaw. Ammasoma ward 12 unit 13 PDP 89 APC 17.Unit 12 ward 5 Otuan in Silga constituency 1 result Pdp 81 Apc 31. Unit 8 ward 2 SILGA constituency 2 APC 09 PDP 140.
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The Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay, says so far, there is no case against the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor. It will be recalled that in 2014, $9.3m cash was smuggled into South Africa by two Nigerians and an Israeli using Oritsejafor’s private jet. The money was reportedly meant for the purchase of arms but the South African government seized the cash as it was not declared at the point of entry and was in breach of South Africa’s money laundering laws. According to a report by The Punch, Sagay,…
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DEPUTY President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu has warned that continued detention of the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh was designed by the Federal Government to gag the mouthpiece of the opposition. Ekweremadu who stressed the need for the All Progressives Congress, APC led government to be cautious against the trampling of the opposition and total disregard for the rule of law in the guise of anti-corruption war, said that with this development, the country was fast descending into authoritarianism, adding that it spells doom on the nation’s democracy. In a…
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Following Nigeria’s refusal to devalue its currency (the naira), in-line with IMF recommendations, crude oil traders worldwide have begun to shun Nigerian crude oil over the last several months. Nigeria remains one of the primary sources of “sweet crude” oil grades that is relatively pure crude oil with low levels of sulfuric content. In order to refine heavy oil grades with higher levels of sulfur and other impurities, refineries throughout the world mix sweet crude with other grades of oil to produce its various classes of refined products. Officials in the NNPC and other blocks in the petroleum industry…
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The new law stipulates that a person who engages in female circumcision could face up to three years in prison or a fine of 50,000 dalasi ($1,250) and a person could face life imprisonment if the act results in death President of Gambia, Yahya Jammeh Gambia’s parliament has passed a bill which bans female genital mutilation (FGM). The development follows pronouncements made in November last year by President Yahya Jammeh banning the practice to protect young girls. According to the new law, “a person who engages in female circumcision could face up to three years in prison or a…
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Drug kingpin Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman has been caught, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto announced Friday afternoon on Twitter. ‘Mission accomplished,’ he tweeted Friday afternoon. “We have him.” Guzman has been on the run since escaping from a maximum-security prison near Mexico City back in mid-July. He had escaped through a sophisticated tunnel that opened in the floor of his cell’s shower. The tunnel was approximately 1.7 metres high and fully ventilated and lit. It also contained a motorcycle adapted to run on rails that authorities believe was used to carry dirt and tools in and out during the…
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Hundreds of members of Islamic Movement In Nigeria under the banner of Shiite Movement in South West Nigeria on Friday in Ibadan demanded the unconditional release of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim Elzakzaky who is currently under investigation. The leader of the movement at a press conference in Ibadan, Mallam Muftau Zakariyah, also demanded compensation for all members who were allegedly massacred. “We demand formal apology from the Nigerian Army. We demand payment for all movement property that has been destroyed,” he said. Answering questions, Zakariyah said: “We are innocent of all the allegations by the military. COAS is our…
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The question shouldn’t be ‘where’ the change is; it should be ‘what’ the change is. So what is the change? The answer is… ‘For every single one of us in this nation to commit ourselves to make a change for the better! As Mahatma Gandhi said, every single one of us in this country has a responsibility to be the change we wish to see in Nigeria!’ It’s amazing to think that this time last year, Nigerians were deep in the fray of politics and the opposition was chanting the change mantra. Since then, a lot has happened. Now…
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The Acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, has said no Bureau De Change operator involved in the ongoing $2.1bn arms deal probe will be spared. Mr. Magu, who spoke during a courtesy call to his office in Abuja by Bureau De Change operators on Tuesday also re-iterated the existing mutual relationship between the Commission and the group in the areas of sensitisation and training. According to him, “My operatives often tell me what they see during investigations. We need to talk to you, as some of your operators are fond of carrying huge amounts…
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“Awolowo was 37 years, Akintola 36, Ahmadu Bello 36, Balewa 34, Okotie-Eboh 27 and Enahoro 27 and they led the struggle for Nigeria Independence after the death of Macaulay. Only Zik was 42 at the time! In 1966, the first military coup was led by K Nzeogwu who was 29 years and countered by M. Mohammed 28, T. Danjuma 28, I. Babangida 25, J. Garba 23, Sani Abacha 23, and M. Yar’adua 23, and brought into power Y. Gowon 32, Ojukwu 33, Obasanjo 29, and Buhari 24! Most of the military governors who governed the states under the successive…
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This particular election in Bayelsa is being contested with so much violence and bile because it is both a grudge and a proxy fight between the two leading candidates. Silva had in 2012 (as incumbent Governor), been displaced as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate by Hon. Seriake Dickson, then a member of the House of Representatives Created from three local government areas excised out of the old Rivers State in 1996, Bayelsa is the least populated state in Nigeria and one of the smallest in size with eight local government areas. It also does not have too many…
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The place of the aviation sector in Nigeria’s economy is very paramount, no doubt. But the irony, however, is that this is one sector that has suffered a lot of privations in recent times, in terms of funding gaps and infrastructural limitations among other myriads of challenges. An instance of such infrastructural gap was a recent incident at the Bauchi Airport where passengers aboard a commercial flight belonging to Aero Contractors had to use a ladder to disembark from the plane. Although it is against standard aviation practices prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to use ladder…
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THE MYTHS: As a boy growing up on the street of Port Harcourt, I was told so many horrible things about Igbos. I was told that Igbos were planning to push Rivers people to Abia State for the people of Abia to inhabit Rivers State because of our resources. I was told that Igbo people enslaved and ruled over my people in Bori the traditional headquarters of Ogoni Kingdom. I was told that Odumegwu Ojukwu, Onyeka Onwenu and other prominent Igbos brazenly rejoiced over the execution of my uncle Ken Saro Wiwa because of the role he played during…
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In Nigeria, they say when you fight corruption, corruption fights you back. When professors like Wole Soyinka fail, students like Oraye St. Franklyn re-educate them. Most of us have read the response of the respected Prof. Wole Soyinka on the controversies surrounding a dinner hosted in his honour by the Amaechi led government. Many of us believe the respected Prof didn’t quite strike at the issue of corruption that encapsulates the controversial dinner in his honour, which is that a whooping N82million, about $500,000.00 was blown in 3 hours in his honour by a State that owed both pensioners…
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Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, has unconvincingly responded to claims by the Rivers State government that its former governor, Rotimi Amaechi, spent N82 million to organize a dinner in his honour. In a statement, Wednesday, Mr. Soyinka said the “unprecedented call” for his probe was a form of corruption fighting back. “This morning, I saw only the headlines in one or two print media regarding the 80th Birthday dinner to which I was hosted by the former governor of Rivers State, the Honorable Rotimi Amaechi, now Minister of Aviation,” said Mr. Soyinka. “I ignored them. It was not, and remains…
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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 us, in…
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Jonathan in the wake of the crashing dollar decided to diversify Nigeria’s foreign reserves which was based on dollars to other currencies especially the Chinese RMB. Jonathan was also pushing the BRIC agenda in Africa. So why will this bother the great United States? Because the United States needs other poor countries to accept their worthless paper currencies in other to shore it. With more countries dumping the dollar you can expect the dollar to revert to it’s original value – paper! It is through this heavily artificial wealth that the US has maintained its global hegemony in global…
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The International Monetary Fund, IMF, through its Managing Director Ms. Christine Lagarde has described as “excellent” the measures adopted by the incumbent administration in response to the revenue shocks engineered by the slump in oil prices. Lagarde said both the monetary and fiscal policies were commendable, and urged the incoming administration headed by Major-General Muhammadu Buhari to build on the legacies. The MD made this known after a closed-door meeting with a Federal Government team led by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and representatives of the incoming administration at the just-concluded…
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Shredding the campaign rule book, Donald Trump forged a connection with angry voters and rode it to the front of the GOP field How the real estate magnate took the Republican Party from its old bosses There is a reason most presidential candidates stump through diners and living rooms this time of year. They can’t fill a bigger room. And then there is Donald J. Trump. On the second day of January, in the Gulf Coast town of Biloxi, Miss., at least 13,000 stood for hours in a stinging chill to pack an entire sports arena for Trump, and…
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Authorities of the Federal High Court of Nigeria (FHCN) have dissociated the court from media reports to the effect that the court granted bail at N250million to the immediate past National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Mohammed Dasuki (rtd) and others being tried in relation to the $2.1billion arms purchase scandal. The court’s Acting Chief Registrar, Emmanuel Garko noted Wednesday that the Federal High Court could not have granted bail to any of those being tried in relation to the arms deal because none of them was charged before the court. Garko, in a statement Wednesday, said the clarification…
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For all the sectarian differences between Saudi Arabia and Iran, what divides the two countries most may be the thing they have in common. Both regimes have predicated their legitimacy on a transnational mission of exporting religion and safeguarding Islam. Following the Arab awakenings and the collapse of the regional state system that followed, their competition for power has only become more urgent. For months, the Islamic republic had been warning the Saudis not to harm the dissident Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. The kingdom’s rash decision to kill him probably stems from a sense of vulnerability. Weakening oil…
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Intrigues: The crisis rocking Kaduna chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a damaging dimension, as Governor Nasir El-rufai was accused of financially inducing the Tudun Wada Ward 6 Executives to suspend Senator Shehu Sani, Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial Districts. Acting Secretary of the Kaduna South Chairmen’s Forum of the APC, Ado Sani Mohammed made the allegation on Wednesday in a press conference he addressed at the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists,(NUJ) Kaduna. According to him, the Special Adviser to Governor El-rufai on Trade and Investment, Alhaji Mukhtar Ahmed Morovia with the consent…
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There have been a lot of rhetorics about “diversification ” of the economy to the point that people were expecting that the 2016 budget would pay serious attention to non-oil sources especially the solid mineral sector. Alas, only a paltry N9b was voted for solid mineral, just a quarter of the N40b that has been earmarked to search for oil in the Lake chad at a time when IMF has projected that oil may fall to $20 a barrel as against our $38 projection. Peradventure oil is found in the North East, who is going to invest in the…
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In a bid to fulfill its promise of helping Nigeria fight the Boko Haram insurgency, the United States will today, donate 24 mine-resistant and armor-protected vehicles to the Nigerian Army. The vehicles, which are valued at $11m, would be handed over to the military authorities at the Nigerian Army 9th Brigade Parade Ground, Ikeja Army Cantonment in Lagos. A statement yesterday, by the Public Affairs Section of the United States Consulate General Lagos, said: “The US is pleased to donate 24 Mine-Resistant, Armor-Protected (MRAP) vehicles valued at $11m to Nigeria’s military authorities. “The equipment donation represents part of the…
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IBO traders and businessmen have cried out over what they described as the recent harsh economic policies introduced by the Federal Government, saying that such policies were allegedly introduced to cripple their businesses across the country. A vox populi conducted by the South East Voice across the five states of the region showed that the traders were angry with the Federal Government for introducing the $5,000 Basic Traveling Allowance, BTA, as well as for making Kano State the “clearing house for all imported goods in the country Govs. David Umahi of Ebonyi; Rochas Okorocha of Imo; Willie Obiano of Anambra…
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The so-called $2.1b arms purchase fund is scam by the Buhari administration says Dokpesi The $2.1 billion arms purchase scandal currently being investigated by the security agencies is a scam , the chairman of DAAR Communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, has declared. Dokpesi is standing trial for allegedly collecting N2.1 billion of the cash from the erstwhile National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki. He is currently on bail. The DAAR Communications boss spoke at his Abuja residence during his investiture as Patron of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Youth Vanguard on Wednesday. He said, “I must hasten to assure you…
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The Lagos State Government said it inherited a debt of N430 billion from the administration of Babatunde Raji Fashola. The debt legacy was revealed today as the state announced plans to float a new bond of N43 billion in the Capital Market this year as part of move to finance its budget deficit. Commissioner for Finance, Mustapha Akinkunmi however said the debt was not a big burden for the state as the government has set money aside to liquidate a fraction of it. This year, the government is paying about N78 billion to the creditors. He said the debt…
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At the wake of the ongoing war against corruption, which many view as being selective, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, has said that the commission is unable to prosecute perceived corrupt members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, because it is yet to receive any petition against them. Magu, who made the disclosure on Wednesday, January 6, 2016 in Abuja at a forum with online and broadcast media managers, said more influential Nigerians would soon be arrested to face prosecution as the EFCC under him has reinvigorated the fight against corruption in…
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I thought that with the Muhammadu Buhari change mantra, the era of budgeting huge amount for frivolous things in the Presidency would become history in Nigeria. Unfortunately, the reverse is the case as seen from the 2016 budget submitted to the national Assembly. In spite of the poverty, disease, hunger and malnutrition pervading this country, the Buhari administration had the effrontery to budget about N3.7 billion for the purchase of unspecified number of BMW salon cars for the Presidency’s principal officers. Another N189 million was voted to “buy tyres” for various vehicles being used in the Presidency. Who would…
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I read with amusement the allegation that was made in SaharaReporters, the unofficial media wing of the Buhari administration, Nigeria’s Secret Police, the DSS, and the EFCC, that I was given 1.7 billion naira cash by President Goodluck Jonathan. This is false. A few hours later they changed their story and said that I received 1.7 billion naira from the office of the former NSA, Colonel Sambo Dasuki. This is also false. I have never received one kobo from President Jonathan himself, Colonel Dasuki or any other member of President Jonathan’s government. I have not ever been in receipt…
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N82million Wole Soyinka Dinner: Information Commissioner to demand a refund from Nobel Laureate  Read the press statement below… Rivers State Information Commissioner , Dr Austin Tam-George has declared that the state government will demand a refund of the N82million expended by former Governor Amaechi on Professor Wole Soyinka’s dinner if it confirms that the Nobel Laureate received part of the the funds in cash. Also, Dr Tam-George declared that the point of departure between Former Governor Amaechi and Governor Nyesom Wike was the insistence of Governor Wike that Amaechi observed probity and accountability in all governmental actions, an…
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Only in Nigeria. Whilst the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has failed, despite repeated requests under the Freedom of Information Act and several summons to the National Assembly, to account for monies it ‘recovered’ and or seized from suspects in its execution of its statutory ‘anti-corruption’ mandate, the leadership of the agency continues to pretend to be tackling corruption by embarking on witch-hunting of perceived political opponents of the incumbent President or members of the opposition political party in Nigeria. Why is the interim Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, making mockery of himself and his…
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Below is the full text of the clarifications made by the Chairman/ Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY Group and President of Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, to EFCC. The Ag. Executive Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC), 5, Fomella Street, Wuse 2, Abuja, Nigeria. Attention: Ibrahim Musa. At your request, we provide the following clarifications on payments of N670,000,000 received by GENERAL HYDROCARBONS LTD on behalf of THISDAY NEWSPAPERS GROUP (N550,000,000) and THE NEWSPAPERS PROPRIETORS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (NPAN), for member newspapers ( N120,000,000) from The Federal Government of Nigeria through the Office of The…
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Ruth Francis writes that as the chief security officers in their states, governors are like dogs without the bite The December 5 governorship election in Bayelsa reminded me of one of the seminar papers I delivered in the University of Maiduguri many years ago. In the paper, I had amongst other things, argued that, though the 1999 Nigeria Constitution regards governors as Chief Security Officers of their domains, in actual sense they may bark but lack the teeth to bite. Governors are usually at the mercy of the Federal Government or President. It is against this background that I…
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For Nigeria to realise her potential, the federating states must learn to be self-sustaining and be less dependent on oil, writes Uche Anichukwu Federalism is the “only guarantee that the country will grow evenly all over; we can spend the money we receive, the money we raise, in the direction best suited to us” – Sir Ahmadu Bello The concept of “Feeding bottle federalism” was theorised by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu in Canada at the 6th Oputa Lecture usually hosted by the Osgoode Hall Law School, York University in Toronto. In summary, “Feeding bottle…
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Hauwa is a middle-aged Nigerian woman from Gombe State. She is a mother of three, pregnant for the fourth and currently studying for a postgraduate degree in a prestigious university in the United Kingdom. She maintains a bank account in a new generation bank in Nigeria that her husband regularly transfers money to carter for her school fees, pay her rent and attend to her housekeeping needs. She made an elaborate plan for Christmas, and waited for the monthly allowance to hit her account. As soon as she got the alert from her bank, she started a mental preparation…
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