OBLONG MEDIA GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE is where independent minds meet to dissect politics, society, power, and global affairs without fear or filters. This is not mainstream media.
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The courts are not answerable to the president. However, the president is answerable to the courts. There can be no questions about President Buhari’s military credentials. The president is a retired major-general of the Nigerian army, celebrated for his many successes in the field of battle. One of the first moves he made on his inauguration was to direct that the command-and-control centre for battling Boko Haram be moved nearer to the epicentre of the insurgency in Maiduguri. Although the insurgency has increased rather than abated since then, no right-thinking person can fault that judicious move. However, in civil matters,…
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Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has instructed the Sokoto State Primary Healthcare Development Agency to absorb 50 nurses and midwives trained by SURE-P into the state civil service. A statement issued by Tambuwal’s Spokesman, Malam Imam Imam, said in Sokoto on Sunday that the nurses and midwives formed the backbone of SURE-P’s maternal health project executed in eight local government areas of the state in the last two years. The statement quoted Tambuwal as saying “we intend to continue with the maternal health project in the state even though the Federal Government has decided to halt the SURE-P…
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The U.S. State Department issued a rare worldwide travel alert on Monday, warning American travelers about the widespread threats posed by members of the Islamic State or copycat bombers. The alert said that there were increased terror threats from al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and ISIL, the term used by the federal government for the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, which has claimed responsibility for the Paris terrorist attacks. The alert also said people unaffiliated with the groups may be inspired by recent terrorist attacks in France, Nigeria, Denmark, Turkey and Mali. The alert comes as millions of Americans prepare…
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He’s becoming a global icon. Former President Goodluck Jonathan rounded off his two week visit to the United states with a rousing speech to students of the Howard University School of Political Science, where he addressed the future leaders on the skills needed for responsible leadership. President Jonathan along with US Congresswoman Karen Bass who is the ranking member on the Sub-committee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights were the special guests at the university event entitled, ‘Elections and constitutions in Africa: A Timely issue.’ Jonathan encouraged the youths to embrace civil education stressing that such knowledge would help…
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President of woman empowerment group, Certificate in Entrepreneur Management, CEM, Felicia Chika Okafor has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of frustrating efforts to access loans from the N220bn Central Bank of Nigeria Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund, MSMEDF. The N220bn CBN, MSMEDF, was flagged off by former President, Goodluck Jonathan in August 2014, in order to have aspiring young entrepreneurs trained, mentored and provided with required tool kits to start and grow their businesses. Jonathan during the lunch disbursed N869.9m to four beneficiaries, Akwa-Ibom State, N260m, Delta State N500m; Labo Microfinance Limited N100m and Grassroots Microfinance Limited N9.9m. Following…
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Former Nigerian ambassador to the United States of America (USA), Israel and Cyprus, Prof. George Obiozor, over the week, asked the Federal Government to tread with caution in dealing with the pro-Biafra agitators, insisting that the resort to use of force or intimidation will only boomerang and exacerbate an already bad situation. Obiozor, who exclusively spoke to The AUTHORITY on Sunday in Lagos, advised the federal government not to repeat the mistake of 2009 when Mr. Mohammed Yusuf, founder of the militant Islamist group, Boko Haram, was arrested and killed, as that line of action will only pin the nation…
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Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has distanced himself from a statement credited to him by one Olutoyosi Omotoso accusing the National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu as the mastermind behind the demise of the Kogi State APC governorship candidate, Audu Abubakar. In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo on Monday, November 23, Okorocha said there was no rift between him and Tinubu and consequently, the indicting statement was unwarranted. He therefore described the report as one that was “totally false and cannot pass any logic to be believed,” adding “It was written…
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Suspected Boko Haram members have detonated Improvised Explosives Devices, IEDs, around Muna garage Area of Maiduguri, Borno State, leaving many dead. The suicide attack left at least 9 people dead. State Emergency Management Agency officials have confirmed that 6 people were recovered from the scene along Dikwa road and have been rushed to the general hospital. According to eye witnesses, the suspected terrorists detonated IEDs in a crowded area after which people scampered off for their safety. “We heard loud explosions in our area and we quickly went to the scene and we found nine people dead and a vehicle…
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A total of 445,000 barrels of crude oil allocation for local refining in Nigeria are now being diverted for the Offshore Processing Agreement (OPA) and the crude oil for product SWAP arrangements entered into by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), New Telegraph has learnt. A source at the NNPC, who disclosed this to this newspaper, added that the arrangements were to put the allocations into “justifiable and lucrative” use, following the total halt of the four refineries in Nigeria. The output of all the four refineries in Nigeria has completely fallen to zero, as the Port Harcourt refinery which…
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President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday called on judges in the country to sanitize themselves of corruption in order to restore the trust in the judiciary. He, however, charged judges to resist the trend of corruption that is almost eating deep into the judiciary. This was just as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, noted that the little amount which is always allocated to the judiciary by the executive had made the arm not to be independent. Both the President and CJN spoke at the opening of the 2015 Judges’ Conference organised by the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Abuja.…
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The Organised Private Sector (OPS) owes banks N18.7 trillion as at September. Also, the banks’ credit facilities to the private sector grew by 0.5 per cent month-on-month. Government’s credit facilities from banks also rose to 0.9 per cent during the period to N2.8 trillion. Afriinvest, financial analysts, explained that the amount was still low contrary to the statutory obligations of the banks to the real sector and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) as directed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The OPS also decried the inability of the banks to give credit facilities to the real sector…
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The Federal Government has arraigned the Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, before an Abuja Magistrate’s Court over terrorism- related charges. The court had, last Wednesday, ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to produce Nnamdi in court unfailingly on Monday. At the resumed trial yesterday, the accused pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge slammed on him. After that, the DSS asked the court to allow it file another charge bothering on terrorism against Kanu before a higher court. In the pending charge, Kanu is being arraigned on a three-count charge of criminal conspiracy, intimidation and…
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Russia blitzed 600 rebels in a single cruise missile strike, defence officials revealed today, as Moscow announced it was DOUBLING the number of jets used to pound ISIS targets in Syria. The Russian defence minister said the air force was increasing the number of aircraft involved in pounding jihadis to 69. Moscow’s warplanes have carried out a staggering 394 sorties in just the last three days, hitting 731 rebel targets across Syria. It comes amid confusion over whether Russia will send in boots on the ground, with the Kremlin today saying they will not launch a full-scale ground war for…
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The federal government, on Monday, asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to revoke the bail granted the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, on September 1, and also commit him to prison pending his trial. In a fresh motion on notice, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mohammed Diri, the Nigerian government sought revocation of the bail granted the ex-NSA in the unlawful possession of firearms and money laundering charges earlier brought against him. The motion, signed by Mr. Diri, was brought to the court pursuant to section 169 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.…
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The Nigeria Labour Congress on Monday said the recent declaration by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum that it would not be able to sustain the payment of the N18,000 National Minimum Wage was a declaration of war against Nigerian workers. NLC President, Ayuba Wabaa, said he was shocked by the statement by the Chairman of the Forum, Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara state, that the law enacted in 2011 was no longer sustainable because of the fall in the price of crude oil. “For the governor to claim that the National Minimum Wage was “imposed”, we wish to make it abundantly clear…
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The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has reacted to the death of Prince Abubakar Audu. A statement issued by Olisa Metuh, National publicity secretary of the party said it was ‘shocked’ by the news. ”The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is shocked by the news of the sudden death of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in last Saturday’s Kogi state governorship election, Prince Abubakar Audu. At this critical moment, the PDP refrains from comments on the conduct of the election. That is not important now. What is important at this point is the sanctity of human life” ”Our deepest…
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With the death of Abubakar Audu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Saturday’s governorship election in Kogi State, a new legal battle may have ensued on the fate of the election. Mr. Audu was leading his closest challenger and incumbent governor, Idris Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party, by 41,353 votes. The Independent National Electoral Commission, however, declared the election inconclusive as possible votes from the 91 cancelled polling units (49,953) is higher than the margin between the two leading candidates. Mr. Audu would have eventually emerge winner after elections are held in the 91 polling units as…
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Two trade unions in the aviation sector have faulted the recent laying off of Nigerian cabin crew by Virgin Atlantic Airline management. The unions, the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, and the National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, said this in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the airline had recently laid off the cabin crew comprising 20 Nigerians. However, the statement, signed on behalf of ATSSSAN and NUATE by Saint Omotaje and Olayinka Abioye respectively, said the dismissal of the workers had breached international labour practices.…
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In 1989, the World Bank published a major paper – “From Crisis to Sustainable growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Long-Term Perspective Study”. It was essentially a belated explanation on reasons that led to the failure of Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAP) to regenerate growth and progress after a decade of suffering. The abandonment of social provisioning, cutting public sector work force, collapsing national currencies and generalising intense suffering never produced the results that had been predicted. The key explanation of the World Bank was that there was a missing component in its conditionalities – good governance, without which the economy…
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One thing that has been scientifically proved about corruption is that when the system is able to punish those involved in corrupt practices, the quantum decreases steadily. When there is immunity for engaging in corrupt practices however, the quantum and scale of corrupt acts grows astronomically. Since the height of Nuhu Ribadu’s successes in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), confidence returned fully to the practitioners of grand corruption in Nigeria. Nigeria is today the only country in the civilised world where corrupt persons could get court injunctions stopping the prosecutorial agencies and the courts from investigating and prosecuting…
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DIVISION is the lot of lawyers, today Sunday, over how the country could proceed with the Kogi State governorship election following the death of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu. There should be fresh election – Braithwaite Speaking on the issue Sunday, Second Republic politician and legal icon, Dr Tunji Braithwaite said the demise of Prince Abubakar calls for a fresh governorship election in Kogi. His words: First, it is sad that Audu died. Our thoughts are with his family at this time. However, coming to mankind, life and activities must go on. If the front…
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News flying all over the Nigerian Blogosphere have it that the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi state, Prince Abubakar Audu is dead. Reports have it that he died of undisclosed medical reasons shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared his victory at the elections as inconclusive. Nigerians Online have described his death as a surprise and speculated he may have died out of unnatural causes, however, according to family sources as quoted by Saharareporters, Prince Audu was said to have died 5 am Sunday morning. He started vomiting blood on Friday night in…
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Unconfirmed reports claim that Prince Abubakar Audu as died of an undisclosed medical condition. Details later.
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By Coalition Of Southeast Based Human Rights Organizations (CSBHROs) (Onitsha-Nigeria, 22nd November 2015)-The leaderships of the Southeast based Coalition of Human Rights Organizations; comprising the Anambra State Branch of Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety), Center for Human Rights & Peace Advocacy (CHRPA), Human Rights Club(HRC) (a project of LRRDC), Southeast Good Governance Forum (SGGF), Forum for Equity, Justice & Defense of Human Rights (FEJDHR), Society Advocacy Watch Project (SPAW), Anambra Human Rights Forum (AHRF) and the International Solidarity for Peace & Human Rights Initiative (INTERSOLIDARITY) having observed the recent socio-political…
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Fellow Nigerians, let me tell you about my James Bond stunts in this season of the sensational SPECTRE movie. Yes. The news of the arrest of former strong woman of Nigeria’s Petroleum Ministry, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke in London had hit the airwaves like thunderbolt. No member of President Goodluck Jonathan’s government held the nation spellbound like Madame Diezani. Controversy dogged her every step just as she spawned loads of salacious gossip. She is a newsmaker per excellence. For starters, Madame Diezani is a paragon of beauty. She’s also very simple but chic and elegant in dressing and appearance. At 54,…
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Fellow Nigerians, what you are about to read is an abridged version of what is probably the most anticipated story of the year. It has now given birth to a big bouncing baby christened The Boss newspaper, an online publication. The Diezani Alison-Madueke story has graced the cover of the first edition of what I believe will be a catalyst for unbiased investigative reporting in Nigeria. The Boss had long been conceptualised as a Leadership newspaper to occupy the void created by lack of true and credible investigative journalism in some traditional and online media. The original plan was to…
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Exclusive report on Diezani Alison-Madueke’s story by The Boss Newspaper If you have not been following our special reports on the raging controversy around the embattled former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Alison-Madueke, you have nothing to worry about as The Boss newspaper brings the Diezani saga to its climax today. The story you’re reading now is the concluding part but you will be able to read all the other stories we’ve published in the past three weeks in Thisday and later The Boss Newspaper. It is a story like no other and the mutual suspicion from affected and/or interested…
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An Igbo scholar, Dr. Samuel Okafor, has made one-time Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, look so small and uneducated by using facts and figures to demolish the claims he made in the controversial August 8 article, “The Bitter Truth About The Igbo”, which set off a storm that almost threatened Igbo-Yoruba relations. In the first part of an article entitled “The Lies of Femi Fani-Kayode”, Okafor, who has a First Class in History from the University of Nigeria Nsukka and then did a Ph.D in Nsukka on scholarship, dismissed Fani-Kayode as a “half-baked intellectual.” He then proceeded, point by point,…
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Constitutional lawyer and rights activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) over the weekend, warned of possible dictatorship by President Muhammadu Buhari, if things are not nipped in the bud. Speaking in his Abuja office, Ozekhome urged Nigerians to prepare their minds to resist the pending dictatorship, which, he insists, is not part of democracy. The legal luminary who said he was moved to such conclusion given the turn of events, maintained that “even in a civilian democracy, a dictatorship can occur if there are no checks and balances; if the judiciary is harassed; if the judiciary is emasculated; the legislature…
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The Igbo Jews are said to have migrated from Syrian, Portuguese and Libyan Israelites into West Africa. Historical records shows that this migration started around 740 C.E. According to UCLA Jewish Historian Chinedu Nwabunwanne of Aguleri, “the migration started when the forces of Caliph Mohammed—the last leader of the Umayyads—and his Qaysi-Arab supportes defeated the Yamani-Arab Umayyads of Syria in 744 C.E; sacked the Yamanis and their Jewish supporters from Syria. The Syrian-Jewish migrant tribes Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher resettled in Nigeria where they became known as Sambation Jews. In 1484 and 1667 Judeans and Zebulonians from Portugal and…
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Boko Haram members on Friday night launched an attack on Kwanti village in Fika local government area of Yobe State, in which 7 persons were killed, LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered. A witness, Isa Dafa, confirmed to our correspondent on phone that the insurgents stormed the town at about 11:40pm and started shooting. He said many residents fled the community to escape attack. While some of the residents fled into the bush, others moved to the LG headquarters for safety. Fika is about 100 kilometres to the south of the Yobe state and borders Nafada Local Government Area of Gombe state. The…
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IN apparent reference to various agitations for dismemberment of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari has warned that his government would not fold its arms and watch some individuals or groups threaten the unity of Nigeria. The President used the occasions of the investiture of the Obi of Onitsha, Dr. Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe, as Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and graduation ceremony at the Nigeria Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos to make his feelings public. He noted that despite challenges posed by insurgency and economic downturn, Nigeria is on the rise again, warning that…
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Perhaps he didn’t award, but should have. Perhaps some other people did, but shouldn’t have. The good thing is that a long-overdue examination of Nigeria’s procurement malpractices may now find public expression. If so, it must be a thorough and just exercise, and should include the military, security and intelligence communities spanning at least the past 10 – 15 years. The rot did not begin under President Jonathan, and while there is evidence that the NSA’s office gulped nearly $3bn between 2011 and 2015, Mr. Dasuki did not invent that office, and he did not arrive there until 2012. The pursuit…
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Electricity consumers are poised for a showdown with the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, over its plans to increase tariff. Relying on a recent newspaper publication where the Disco placed a notice to that effect, the consumers said the firm had failed to provide efficient services and should therefore suspend any plans to increase tariff. The consumers, under the umbrella Electricity Consumers Association of Nigeria, ECAN, have written the AEDC management asking it to address “customers dissatisfaction.” A letter by National President of ECAN, Chijioke James, also accused the utility firm of failing to meter over 50 per cent of…
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Around 50 million barrels of Nigerian oil for November and December export have yet to find buyers with only around 10 days until crude due to be exported in January comes to market. However, strong refining margins for gasoline and a slight retreat in freight rates helped prevent further weakness in Nigerian crude oil differentials, traders said on Tuesday. This large surplus of oil has helped to push the differential of benchmark Qua Iboe oil to its lowest since January, and near a multi-year low reached in December. But strong gasoline margins are offering a element of support for light…
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The co-founder of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign urged world leaders on Friday to do more to help hunt down Boko Haram militants and rescue hundreds of schoolgirls abducted in northeastern Nigeria more than a year ago. Obiageli Ezekwesili, a former Nigerian education minister and World Bank vice president, said she believed the girls were safe, despite militants’ videos claiming to have converted them to Islam and married them off to their captors. “I always see hope. Hope is inexhaustible. The day we stop hoping, we all die,” Ezekwesili told delegates at the Women in the World Summit…
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Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi II, says he never accused any one of stealing money when he raised the alarm, in 2014, alleging that $20 billion was missing from the federation account. He said that though he raised the alarm in good faith, he at no time said any individual had stolen the money, contrary to public perception. The Kano monarch told a team of PriceWaterhouse Coopers, who were appointed by the Federal Government to carry out a forensic audit of crude oil revenues and remittances by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation between January 2012 and July 2013, that…
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After months of recriminations and indulgence in the blame game, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appears set to commence a journey for a new beginning to reposition itself in light of current realities. The Peoples Democratic party (PDP) penultimate Thursday began what may seem like an internal soul-searching to try and purge itself of flaws of the past in order to rediscover the path to glory. Indeed, the PDP national stakeholders conference that held in Abuja provided an opportunity for reflections on the milestones recorded by the party in the last 17 years as well as the blunders committed by…
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There is this man with a deceptive appearance from the South-east, Imo State to be precise, who pretends he has what it takes to be the president of Nigeria. In his convoluted and banal imagination, he believes he is the best thing to have come out of the South-east. His snow-white teeth and seductive smile were put to good use in the 2011 governorship election which he won. He won not necessarily because he was the best of a bad lot, but more because the people got carried away with the freshness of his candidacy and maybe his charming…
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The government of Sri Lanka has filed an appeal before the Riyadh Court in Saudi Arabia, on behalf of the Sri Lankan female domestic worker who was recently sentenced to be stoned to death after being found guilty of having a clandestine affair, the Foreign Employment Ministry said. The Ministry sources said the woman was married and having children in Sri Lanka when she was convicted for adultery with a Sri Lankan youth employed in Saudi Arabia. After she was produced before the Riyadh Court, the woman had pleaded guilty … The youth who had the affair with Lankan woman…
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As far as many pastors are concerned, the most important scripture of all is not to be found in the word of Jesus. Neither is it even in the New Testament. That scripture says: “‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and try me now in this,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.’” (Malachi 3:10).This scripture is drummed repeatedly into Christians on Sundays. However, the…
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Chief Timipre Sylva has been nominated as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the December 5 governorship election in Bayelsa State. But Sylva had been elected twice as governor of Bayelsa State in 2007 and 2008. The 2007 election was nullified by the Court of Appeal and Sylva contested and won the re-run election whereupon he was elected the second time and served for a cumulative period of about four years and seven months as governor of Bayelsa State. He now seeks to be elected a third time as governor of the state in the forthcoming election. The…
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In 1999, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu was elected Governor of Lagos State. His then party, the Alliance for Democracy (AD) produced all the governors of the South West. By 2003, Tinubu was the only governor left in the AD. He was under pressure to decamp but he stayed. He built the party and it became stronger. For the eight years that he ruled Lagos, he hired several guys to work with him. I think he carefully picked them. Apart from using them to work in his government, he also groomed them for the future. Eight years down the line, see…
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A medium (plural media) is a carrier of something. A medium may provide transmission or storage of information, or both. The industries which produce news and entertainment content for the mass media are often called “the media” (in much the same way the newspaper industry is called “the press”). In the late 20th century, it became commonplace for this usage to be construed as singular (“The media is…”) rather than as the traditional plural. By covering news, politics, social and current affairs, entertainment, and vital events, OBLONG MEDIA aims to shape the dominant social and political picture of society. Beyond…
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Fully armed soldiers, yesterday afternoon, visited Okuta in Baruten Local Council of Kwara State to confirm alleged annexation of 16 villages in the area by the neighbouring Benin Republic. This came on a day that the Kwara State government denied that any of the villages was annexed as the Defence Headquarters raised a panel to investigate the matter and said it would explore diplomatic means to resolve the issue. Saturday Vanguard gathered that the soldiers, who arrived Okuta at about 3pm had a brief meeting with the Emir of Okuta and his traditional chiefs and went to visit the affected…
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Economic reform begins with a crackdown on corruption, says Muhammadu Buhari, president of Nigeria. In 2014, before the election that saw the first change of power in Nigeria by peaceful democratic means in our history, the then government rebased our country’s GDP. Now, by internationally recognised metrics, we possess the largest economy in Africa. While this should be a source of pride for Nigerians, it goes no way to addressing the deep structural challenges our economy faces; nor does it put more money in the pockets or more food on the table of millions of our citizens who go without,…
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President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja Sunday for Tehran, Iran, where he will participate in the 3rd Gas Exporting Countries’ Forum (GECF) opening in the Iranian capital on Monday, November 23, 2015. A statement issued in Abuja on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina said Buhari and the leaders of Iran, Russia, Qatar, the Netherlands, Venezuela, Oman, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, Bolivia and other member-countries of the GECF would eview the current market outlook on gas and discuss strategies for boosting gas production during their meeting in Tehran. Adesina…
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The problems of illicit/narcotic drugs in the country have been compounded and the drug war terribly compromised by those appointed/employed and remunerated to combat illicit drugs. Paul Audu, Chief Superintendent of Narcotics, NDLEA, stated this in his petition to President Muhammadu Buhari, titled ‘Re: N.D.L.E.A.’S Chairman/Chief Executive’s (Alhaji Ahmadu Giade’s) Fraternity With Drug Barons; How I Am Being Persecuted For Waging War Against Drug Barons.’ When we called Giade to get his response to the allegations, he neither picked his call not called back. Audu, a lawyer, said he had earlier sent the petition dated 24th July, 2015 to former…
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With a recent definitive statement by Kremlin, Russia’s seat of power and government, that country confirmed that a bomb was actually used to bring down its charter jet over the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt more than two weeks ago. The horrendous attack killed all 224 people on board. The Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, claimed responsibility for the attack within hours, although it did not provide any proof. But relying on their intelligence networks, both Britain and the United States, almost hours later, established that it was the handiwork of terrorists. Russia’s pronouncement lays to rest speculations…
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Immediate-past President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, debunked allegations that his administration awarded contract for arms procurement to the tune of $2 billion. Jonathan, who spoke in Washington DC, on “Presidential elections and democratic consolidation in Africa: Case studies on Nigeria and Tanzania,” a conversational forum, co-hosted by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), stated categorically that “I did not award any $2 billion contract for procurement of weapons.” Jonathan queried, “Where did the money come from? “I did not award a contract of $2billion for procurement of weapons,” reports Premium Times. At the…
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On May 13, 2015, President Goodluck Jonathan signed the Administration of Criminal Justice Bill into law. Both chambers of the national assembly had passed the bill to modernise our criminal justice system. In particular, the law has abolished stay of proceedings and interlocutory appeals by merging all preliminary objections with the substantive case in any criminal case instituted in a federal court in the country. The revolutionary intervention of the law was occasioned by the unending trial of politically exposed persons in corruption cases. In fact, the last straw that broke the carmel’s back was the case of Mohammed…
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Nigeria’s Immediate Past President Goodluck Jonathan In Washington DC Faulted Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Claim That He Did Not Actually Push A Third Term Bid. Instead, Jonathan Said The Former President Agitated For A Third Term In Office But Failed To Actualise It. Jonathan Was A Guest Of The U.S National Democratic Institute (NDI) In The United States On Wednesday. According To Him, The Strong Resistance Of The National Assembly At The Time (Between 2006 And 2007), Made The Bid To Fail. “Of Course, I Was A Governor At That Time, But Due To Strong Resistance From The National Assembly,…
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The immediate past Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Lamorde, has approached a Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking an order restraining security agents from arresting him. According to court documents made available by Festus Keyamo, his lawyer, Mr. Lamorde is also seeking an order setting aside all letters of invitation issued against him by the National Assembly to appear before them. “An order of injunction against the 1st and 2nd Defendants restraining them from issuing any Warrant for the arrest of the Plaintiff without first issuing a Summons to the Plaintiff,” read Mr. Lamorde’s originating summons. Joined…
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Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole yesterday backed the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC ahead of their protest on the issue of minimum wage, the governor while speaking at the meeting held at the Labour House, he said nobody would question the wisdom behind the payment of minimum wage to workers in the country should not be questioned as it was not imposed on the government, rather it was a product of agreement between government and labour. Oshiomhole said; “I am a labour man, I have been clear with my colleagues in seeking to find solution to the problem we face. We…
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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s wife Thursday denied harbouring ambitions to succeed her husband, pledging instead to support the 91-year-old’s next presidential bid. “I am standing here as the wife of the president as well as the person you chose to lead the women’s league. It ends there,” she told ruling party supporters at a rally in the capital. “I do not need any other position.” Grace Mugabe, 50, said her focus is on leading the ZANU-PF women’s wing and that she would support Mugabe when he seeks re-election, even if he is wheelchair-bound by then. “Some have laughed at…
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THE law was laid down for Nigeria’s ministers when they were sworn into office last week. No corruption, their austere president, Muhammadu Buhari, told them. Obey the law and work together, because expectations are high. Behave in keeping with the times. Refrain from gaudy displays of wealth (“Not that some of us have much to display,” one appointee laments). It has taken almost six months for the former dictator, now elected, to install his cabinet, but for those who made the cut his message is simple: winning high office is no longer a licence to rob the public…
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Former President Goodluck Jonathan at a forum in Washington DC, Thursday, waded into the arms procurement scandal surrounding the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, saying his government never awarded any contract in the range of $2 billion dollars. “I did not award any $2 billion contract for procurement of weapons” Mr. Jonathan stated categorically querying, “Where did the money come from?” and repeating emphatically that “I did not award a contract of $2billion for procurement of weapons”. A presidential investigations committee into arms procurement under the administration of President Jonathan revealed in its interim report that it found extra-budgetary…
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Kemi Adeosun, Nigeria’s finance minister, is poorly qualified to manage the country’s economy, according to English newspaper, The Economist. In its review of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministers, the newspaper described Okechukwu Enelamah, the minister for trade and investment, as “a respected businessman”, but noted that he “may lack the clout to stand up to the president”. “Africa’s biggest economy, which relies on oil for 70% of its revenue, is sputtering as prices fall. Economic policy has been adrift since Mr Buhari came to power, and investors complain about the central bank’s use of trade controls and import restrictions,” The Economist…
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I am a strong and unrepentant believer in a united and indivisible Nigeria. The strength in unity can never be over emphasized. There are many ethnic nationalities seeking the dissolution of Nigeria inwardly and outwardly. I only have pity for them. I pity them because they are misguided, opportunistic and utterly mischievous individuals without a definite roadmap to their quest as well as living in delusion that their imaginary republics will offer anything better than the present Nigeria. I am convinced that the northern political elites have continued to provide the greatest alibi to the mischief makers in guise of…
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Was the ultimate recourse to Biafra inevitable? This is a debatable point, what is not contestable is that there was sufficient justification for the secessionist option. Given the enormity of the cost in human and material devastation and the futility of the aspiration, it is compelling (in the aftermath of the monumental tragedy) to argue against its inevitability and that perhaps the chief Biafra protagonist, Emeka Ojukwu, should not have held on to the maximalist position. The characteristic flaw of this retrospection is the liability to the valid accusation of being wise after the event. Such wisdom was indeed…
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The Nigerian Army on Friday said soldiers who disappeared after a fierce encounter with Boko Haram insurgents at Gudumbali area of Borno State have rejoined their unit. The Army’s admission that the missing troops have rejoined their unit has further validated an exclusive media story that at least 105 soldiers attached to the 157 battalion went missing after they came under intense attack from Boko Haram insurgents on Wednesday. But in attempts to cover up the setback suffered by its troops and discredit exclusive reports on the matter, senior officials of the Nigerian Army made at least four contradictory statements…
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Edo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Chris Ezike, on Thursday confirmed that a shoot-out between Fulani Herdsmen and members of a vigilante group in Owan East local government area of the State, left one person dead and another seriously injured. The incident reportedly occurred on Wednesday between Ivbiaro and Ihiebve in Owan East. It was reliably gathered that the Fulani herdsmen who had earlier kidnapped someone in the area, were moving their victim from one point to another when the members of the vigilance group were informed. They were said to have moved in to confront the herdsmen leading to the…
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The Petroleum Profits Tax collection for the year has dropped by N390bn from a target of N1.48tn to N1.09tn, the Acting Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mr. Babatunde Fowler, has said. According to him, over 200 oil and gas companies operating in the country have not filed their tax returns for the year. Due to the significant drop in oil prices, he said that a huge gap existed between the revenue generated by the FIRS and the total revenue by other government agencies like the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Department of Petroleum Resources and the Nigeria Customs Service…
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Towards a “New” Buharinomics At the end of this century, Nigeria is projected to be the country with the highest gain in its population (close to one billion and third most populous country) and has the potentials to become one of the largest 10 economies in the world. But it could also unravel. The time is now, and the choice is ours. Again, history beckons on PMB— as the president who came “at the wrong time” according to him but one who seized the opportunity to make history. This year, 2015, is the first year of our second 100 years…
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How a small, open market economy responds to terms of trade shocks and not trivial debate on ‘devalue’ or ‘not devalue’: Unfortunately, the debate around the issue has been wrongly trivialized as whether to ‘devalue’ or ‘not to devalue’ the Naira. Much of what I have read have little basis in theory or empirical evidence or even counterfactual analysis but a rehash of the sterile but polemical diatribe between ‘neo-liberals’ and ‘neo-socialists’, or simply selective partial analysis. This is not helpful and diverts attention from an otherwise serious policy issue. The issue basically is how a small, open economy…
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Nigeria desperately needs the moral force/Spartan discipline and leadership of PMB at this time to fight corruption, terrorism, and hopefully begin to reconstruct the values of a people gone astray. On the economy, it is not going to be an easy transition for PMB. Igbos have a proverb that one does not learn to use the left hand at old age, but my prayer is that for the sake of Nigeria, he would have to do so and quickly too. Many great world leaders have had to undergo this personal transformation to adapt and exploit the levers provided by how…
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Every team serious about ‘change’ starts with a clear identification of the baseline from which it measures deviations/progress. Nigeria has had 16 uninterrupted years of democracy with the PDP controlling the federal government as well as majority of the states. APC is now in charge at both the centre and majority of the states. A minimum standard for measuring ‘change’ is the extent to which APC government beats the record of the PDP in measurable terms. As the saying goes, if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve/change it! Government must strengthen the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and preserve…
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In the aftermath of the unfortunate bombings and sporadic attacks that took place in Damaturu the Yobe State capital and environs on the last Sallah Day, the Embassy of the United States in Nigeria hastily put out a public statement declaring that such like bombings should be expected in three well known hospitality establishments in Abuja the nation’s capital. To discerning observers not only did that score high marks for bad manners as that was hardly what a nation still grieving and coming to terms with its losses expected from a supposedly friendly nation, but that the US embassy was…
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Nigerian governors under the auspices of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) on Wednesday evening said, more states may be unable to pay workers’ salaries if the revenue of the country continues to be on the decline. Chairman of the Forum, Governor Abdul’aziz Yari of Zamfara made the disclosure while briefing reporters on the resolutions of the forum at its meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, The Cable reports. He said the forum discussed the economy and resolved to look for means to enhance states’ internally generated revenues as well to cut overhead cost, especially the salaries of political office holders. Governor…
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Funnily, these two presidents were born in the same year. Spooky.
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Chief of Army staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai has waved aside reports that about 105 soldiers prosecuting the war against Boko Haram terrorists met their untimely death when they failed to return in a bid to annihilate the terrorists in the North East. The media had been awashed with news that about 100 plus Nigerian soldiers were missing after Boko Haram attacks in the epicenter of the battle. But General Buratai in a telephone conversation with Vanguard said, “It is not true that our soldiers are missing. The soldiers went on a mission for the Nigerian nation and they have…
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Amid rising tension in the South-East over the activities of pro-Biafran groups, the South-East Governors Forum met in Enugu on Tuesday, calling on members of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, and the Independent People of Biafra, IPOB to maintain peace in the interest of the zone. On the activities of MASSOB/IPOB, the governors said they would consult widely with the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, National Assembly members, ministers and other stakeholders from the zone towards achieving peace. The meeting, which lasted for several hours, was attended by governors Chief Rochas Okorocha, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and Rt.…
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Former United States President Jimmy Carter has poured encomiums on Nigeria’s former President Goodluck Jonathan. The 39th US President described Jonathan as a symbol of democracy on the African continent. He made the remark while receiving Jonathan at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum located at the Carter Center in Atlanta. They were said to have held a fruitful meeting at the Carter Center where they held a wide-ranging discussion on global issues and shared views on how to promote peace, democracy and good governance in Africa and the world. Speaking on Jonathan’s time in office, Carter said: “President…
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…It is jaw-dropping, its alarming, its humongous and unimaginable. Every court of conscience has already condemned him. But then, there is a procedure laid down which must be adhered to by constitutional law and natural law. A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is “putting on its shoes”. Till they meet, issues remain unresolved. We once thought that Hamza Mustapha and Sgt Rogers were so obsessed to shoot any anti-Abacha , until Oputa Panel separated the facts from the fictions.We knew who did what. The President can make any orders for his arrest but that…
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Former United States President Jimmy Carter has poured encomiums on Nigeria’s former President Goodluck Jonathan. The 39th US President described Jonathan as a symbol of democracy on the African continent. He made the remark while receiving Jonathan at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum located at the Carter Center in Atlanta. They were said to have held a fruitful meeting at the Carter Center where they held a wide-ranging discussion on global issues and shared views on how to promote peace, democracy and good governance in Africa and the world. Speaking on Jonathan’s time in office, Carter said: “President…
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The Nigerian Governors Forum said they have not seen prospects in the oil industry in the near future. Chairman of the Governors Forum and governor of Zamfara state, Abdulaziz Yari Read the communique issued at the end of the meeting He said: “We resolved that we must look at ways to enhance revenue generation and at the same time look at ways to cut our overhead costs more especially the political office holders’ salaries and other overhead expenses. “The situation is no longer the same when we were asked to pay N18,000 minimum wage, when oil price was $126 (per barrel)…
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Palpable tension has enveloped the border town of Okuta in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State over the alleged invasion of 16 villages by the authorities of Benin Republic. Already, the authorities of the neighbouring country have gone ahead to construct Gerdarmes Office (Police station) in the affected Nigerian communities and also hoist their national flag at the affected Nigeria villages. The development, according to THISDAY investigations, has disregarded the boundary delimitation of 1914 between Britain and France which the two countries had respected. The affected Nigerian villages, according to THISDAY checks, include Ogomne, Bwin, Gandasunon, Kpuru and Woru…
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November 8 2015 Some leaderson the 8th November 2015 in Ibadan warned that the Yoruba will reconsider her membership of the Nigerian federation if the cultural and political marginalization continues unabated. The summit is not impressed by the slogan of renaissance renting the air, saying that the country has merely slid into the firm grip of another self-serving ethnic cabal intent on pinning the country down in her historic state of control my vested interests. Presided over by former Governor of the Western Region, General Adeyinka Adebayo the summit warn that the Yoruba will no longer tolerate the sustenance of…
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I have noticed some miscommunication and misconceptions about what the Biafra movement is about. Here are 9 key facts about the NEW BIAFRA that everyone should know: (1) Biafran agitation has nothing to do with hydrocarbon crude oil deposits in Niger Delta. Imo, Abia, Anambra are currently oil producing states in Nigeria, with huge natural gas reserves not forgetting the enormous untapped coal deposits in Enugu. (2) Biafra is not land-locked. It has numerous access to the sea, including through the River Niger. (3) Biafra entire population is about 35 million people which is greater than the population many advanced…
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This is a story like no other and it cannot be told like any other. It is a tale from the super highway of power and the fast lane of confusion. Nothing is sweeter than power and money, in no particular order, as long as you have both you are in the rarefied company of national decision-makers. And nothing is sadder than having both and falling from grace to grass or from fame to infamy. Mrs Alison-Madueke had the world not just at her feet but firmly in her palm. She could apparently turn a certified pauper into a certificated…
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The immediate past National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) has given his side of the story on the arms procurement saga which has pitted him against the incumbent federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari. In a statement on Wednesday, Dasuki insisted he was never invited to appear before an Investigative Panel on the Procurement of hardware and munitions in the armed forces. The full statement reads: “In a theatrical manner, the Presidency fed the public with many allegations against my person and yet to be named former public officers. “To draw sympathy, the presidency quoted some absurd findings…
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In just six months, the government’s anti-corruption policy has gone off the rail. During the election, candidate Buhari made this pledge: “Whoever that is indicted of corruption between 1999 to the time of swearing-in, would be pardoned. I am going to draw a line, anybody who involved himself in corruption after I assume office, will face the music.” At the time, cynical observers insisted this was designed to reassure corrupt members of his APC party who were campaigning for him that he would not come after them after the election but would let sleeping dogs lie. But once in office,…
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The Department of State Services, DSS, continued siege to the residence of former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (Rtd) is as a result of the agency wanting to lay their hands on the tape of the secret meeting former INEC chairman Professor Attahiru Jega held with Northern leaders in Dubai which is in Dasuki’s possession. The DSS had on July 9, 2015, on a Thursday, raided Dasuki’s Abuja and Sokoto homes which the agency claimed to be based on credible intelligence linking the immediate past NSA, Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Col rtd) with alleged plans to commit treasonable felony against…
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OF late, two Ijaws citizens have come under the light of the agents charged with corruption: Mrs. Diezani Allison-Maduekwe, and Chief D. S. P Alamieyesiegha. One was arrested in London plushest address at No.1 Park Lane; another one was being sought out by the British police to answer charges of money laundering. This piece in no way condones alleged corrupt practices and no one should read it as such. For the benefit of doubt, Mrs. Deziani Allison-Madueke was charged with corruption; the NNPC over which she presided was the Sodom and Gomorrah of corruption and the stories about how allegedly…
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Russian President, Vladimir Putin, said on Monday that funding for the extremist group, Islamic State, comes from sources in 40 countries, including several members of the G20. These undisclosed countries need to do more to prevent such funding as well as the sale of oil and other resources by Islamic State, Mr. Putin said. “I provided examples based on our data on the financing of different Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) units, by private individuals. “This money, as we have established, comes from 40 countries and, there are some of the G20 members among them,” Mr. Putin told journalists. Mr.…
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PRAY FOR MBAKA: Since we are in the mood of prayer and fasting, I urge all of you to add Father ejike Mbaka to your prayer points. Before I go into details, I would want us to look at these quotes from the scriptures. 1Corinthians 14:33 ” For God is not the author of confusion but of peace,as in all the churches of the saints” Exodus 20:7 “Thou shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain,for the Lord will not leave unpunished (guiltless)that taketh his name in vain” Matthew 7:15-16b “Beware of false prophets,who come to…
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When the 12 northern states opted for Sharia law against the constitution, it was business as usual, no body went to jail for subverting the constitution. When they formed Para-military organization, called Hezbollah in Kano to enforce Sharia. it was not subversion.. When the enforcers went into Sabongari,an area that was created for settlers, destroying their businesses, burning, beating and even killing the settlers, there was calm in the polity. We are one country. Nobody went to jail. None of the victims were compensated. We still remain one country. It was not political. The media kept quiet. The victims are…
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The International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of unleashing state terror on Nigeria, using the instrumentality of the Department of State Security Service (DSS or SSS). The leading rights group made the allegation in a letter it wrote to the United Nations and eleven other influential members of the international community – US, UK, EU, Vatican, France, Germany, Australia, Brazil, India, Japan and Canada. Dated 13th November, 2015, the letter was signed by Intersociety Board Chairman Emeka Umeagbalasi, Head, Campaign & Publicity Department, Uzochukwu Oguejiofor-Nwonu, Esq., and Head, Civil Liberties…
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When the 12 northern states opted for Sharia law against the constitution, it was business as usual, no body went to jail for subverting the constitution. When they formed Para-military organization, called Hezbollah in Kano to enforce Sharia. it was not subversion.. When the enforcers went into Sabongari,an area that was created for settlers, destroying their businesses, burning, beating and even killing the settlers, there was calm in the polity. We are one country. Nobody went to jail. None of the victims were compensated. We still remain one country. It was not political. The media kept quiet. The victims are…
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I. Introduction A new nation has been born. Fourteen million people have taken their destiny into their own hands and embarked on the task of building a nation free from fear, bitterness and hate. Their sole aim is to develop their innate capabilities and rear their children in an atmosphere of peace and security. They stretch their hands of fellowship to all nations and appeal for understanding, friendship and co-operation. We, Biafrans, opted for self-determination after a long period of heart-searching and after making desperate efforts to save the Federation of Nigeria from disintegration. More than any other people…
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The can of worms opened by Senator Dino Melaye on the fraud perpetrated under watch of President Muhammadu Buhari in the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), may be deeper than explained as the consultants have explained to the President how the 1% percent fee it charged for processing the payments, was shared. Though Sen. Melaye had alleged that the consultant, using a payment platform known as Remita, pocketed a princely N25 billion within a few days implementing the TSA order, the consultants however claimed that only N3 billion had entered its coffers as earnings from its services. Dismissing…
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The gullible average Nigerian conflates ‘change’ with ‘progress’ or ‘positive transformation,’ without realising that the objective processes which lead to change are dependent on the blending of several variables and that positive or progressive change is quite different from mere change. Ordinarily, change in itself is an inherent feature of reality at all levels of being. But progressive change, which is value-impregnated, is utilitarian and consequentialist in character, since it signposts a transition from one state of being to another judged to be beneficial for a certain purpose determined by an individual or group. Hence, there are different ways of…
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In about three weeks from now, precisely on November 29, 2015, it would be six months since Muhammadu Buhari, flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last presidential election, assumed office as President. The fundamental slogan or catch phrase of his party during the electioneering campaigns was “change.” Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari arrives at Indira Gandhi International Airport for the Third India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi on October 27, 2015. India is hosting an unprecedented gathering of Africa’s leaders as it ramps up the race for resources on the continent, where its rival China already has…
OBLONG MEDIA GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE 