As Nigeria celebrates her Independence today, Honourable Najeem Ewesesan took to writing to explain the Nigerian dream. He wrote: “Few weeks ago, one ‘Derica’ measure of ‘oloyin’ beans was about N300, but today, the same quantity goes for N700. “That is about 133% increase. At the same time, a unit of sardine increased from N250 to N700 within the same period, that is another 180% jump. This is exactly the experience with all food items. How does an average citizen survive with this trend? “There is no guarantee these prices will be the same tomorrow. A salary earner, expectedly on…
Author: Ifeanyi N.
China’s aggressiveness and coercive nature in the strategic Indo-Pacific region is a frequent topic of discussion among the Quad nations but not all of it has to do with Beijing as there are lots of outcomes, the Pentagon has said. On September 24, US President Joe Biden hosted the first-ever in-person summit of Quad leaders that vowed to strive for an Indo-Pacific region that is free, open, inclusive, anchored by democratic values and unconstrained by coercion, sending an apparent message to China. At President Biden’ invitation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterparts Scott Morrison from Australia and Yoshihide Suga…
Former Oyo State Governor, Senator Rasheed Ladoja is one of the leaders who believe that Nigeria after 61 years of independence lags behind on all major indices of development. He identified leadership as the major problem facing the country. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain spoke to some newsmen on issues of zoning for the 2023 presidential election. ROTIMI AGBOLUAJE was there. Nigeria is 61 years as an independent country, how will you describe the journey so far? This is obviously not the Nigeria of my dream. I expected us to have gone beyond this pettiness depending on who governs…
All seems not well with the Governor Dapo Abiodun’s faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State as members struggle for recognition in various local governments. Since the build-up to the last local government elections in the State, the Dapo Abiodun camp has experienced crisis across different wards. Hitherto, the APC is factionalised between supporters of Abiodun and those of his predecessor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. InfoStride News reports that members of the two groups have been nervous over what may be the outcome of the congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State. After holding parallel…
Unidentified gunmen have allegedly attacked a former governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and member representing Nnewi North, Nnewi South, Ekwusigo federal constituency, Hon Chris Azubogu. Azubogu’s convoy was said to have been attacked in Nnewi, but he was not in any of the vehicles as at the time of the attack. A source said the convoy was heading to Nnewi, after attending a public function, when it was attacked. A driver of one of the pilot vehicles in the convoy, whose identity was not immediately ascertained, was killed in the attack, the source said. As at the…
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is facing a potential prison term in a verdict to be rendered on Thursday about campaign financing in his unsuccessful 2012 re-election bid a ruling that comes seven months after he was convicted in a corruption and influence peddling case. Sarkozy, France’s president from 2007 to 2012, has vigorously denied wrongdoing during the May-June trial. He is accused of having spent almost twice the maximum legal amount of 22.5 million euros (USD 27.5 million) on the reelection bid that he lost to Socialist Francois Hollande. Prosecutors have requested a six-month prison term, as well as a…
President Muhammadu Buhar’s Personal Assistant on Digital and New Media, Bashir Ahmad has reacted to reports making the rounds that the People’s Democratic Party, PDP has zoned its National Chairman to North. InfoStride News had reported that the PDP Governors Forum had voted for the North to produce the party’s next National Chairman But Bashir says the development is capable of crippling Atiku Abubakar, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Gov. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal’s presidential ambitions in the forthcoming 2023 general elections. In a post on his verified Facebook page on Thursday evening, Bashir described the development as a sign of democracy.…
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Youth Frontier on Thursday revealed the region it supports to produce Nigeria’s next president. Austin Okai, the National Coordinator of the PDP youth wing, said the North would produce Nigeria’s next president. Speaking exclusively with the media, Okai explained that the North still has an outstanding tenure due to the death of former president Umaru Yar’Adua. He pointed out that former President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure should have gone to the North. According to Okai, Jonathan’s insistence to contest the 2015 election led to PDP’s defeat. Okai said: “The next president is coming from the North,…
Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (KADSIECOM) on Thursday warn those who carted away electronic voting machines in the state to return them in their own interest or face the full weight of the when caught. Chairman of KADSIECOM, Dr. Saratu Binta Dikko-Audu gave the warning in her office on Thursday while presenting the certificates of return to winners of council election in Chikun and Kajuru. She also presented a certificate of return to winners of the rerun election in three other local government areas at the commission’s head office in Kaduna Recall that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were carted…
There is a controversy within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over the zone to pick the party’s next National Chairman. The PDP Governors Forum had voted for the North to produce the party’s next National Chairman. The forum led by Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Governor of Sokoto State, voted in favour of the North producing Uche Secondus’ successor. The governors who voted in favour of the Northern chairmanship are Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), and Douye Diri (Bayelsa). The meeting resolved to pass the…
Nicolas Sarkozy became France’s first ex-head of state to be convicted of a crime twice in one year after he was found guilty of deliberately breaking campaign-finance rules in his failed 2012 re-election bid. The Paris criminal court ruled Thursday that Sarkozy brushed aside accountants’ warnings and knowingly exceeded spending limits in a bid to win over voters. Judge Caroline Viguier handed him a one-year sentence but his lawyer said he would appeal, which suspends its entry into force. Sarkozy “had been warned in writing” by accountants yet “continued to host rallies,” allowing spending to spiral out of control, Viguier…
The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party in Plateau State has vowed to appeal the judgment of a state high court barring the party from participating in the forthcoming local government elections in the state. The PDP said it was optimistic that the higher courts will uphold the inalienable right of the disenfranchised voters in the state. Adding that there were so many contradictions and issues of summersaults in the judgment. Speaking through its Counsel, Edward Pwajok (SAN), the party said, “Let’s say it loud and clear that we are going to file an appeal against the judgment. “All the issues…
The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has backed the position taken by the southern governors for power to shift to the south to ensure justice, fairness and equity in the democratic development of the country. “We wish to categorically declare that we align with the position taken by the Southern Governors for power to shift to the Southern part of Nigeria after the eight years of President Buhari in 2023. Thereafter, power should then rotate among the North, South, and Middle Belt zones to ensure justice, fairness, and equity,” SOKAPU President, Comrade Jonathan Asake, said in a statement. The union…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed its readiness to consolidate its cooperation with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) towards ensuring the peaceful and orderly conduct of elections in the state. This was made known on Wednesday by the new INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Osun State, Professor Abdulganiyu Olayinka Raji, during a visit to the Osun State Command of the NSCDC in Osogbo, the state capital. During the visit, Raji commended the Osun NSCDC Commandant, Emmanuel Ocheja, for deploying officers to provide security at INEC offices throughout the state. The INEC REC, who revealed…
Eleven Anambra State lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA), have shifted their loyalty to the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC). The defectors include five serving and four former House of Representatives members, as well as, two members of the Anambra State House of Assembly. They were all received by the Chairman, APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Mai Mala Buni on Thursday. Mamman Mohammed, Director General Press and Media Affairs to Governor Buni disclosed this in a statement issued to newsmen. In the statement, Gov. Buni congratulated the new entrants saying, they…
The U.K. oil industry said the fuel crisis is easing after the government deployed additional tankers and put the army on standby to drive trucks. There are “signs that the situation at the pumps has begun to improve,” fuel suppliers including BP Plc, Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Exxon Mobil Corp. said in a joint statement on Wednesday. “We remain confident that the situation will stabilize further in the coming days.” Earlier in the day, the U.K. government said it is deploying its reserve tanker fleet to ease the crisis that’s brought chaos to the nation’s gas stations. Army drivers…
Media personnel from Igede land under the auspices of Igede Independent Media Practitioners have identified with the gubernatorial ambition of Terver Akase, Chief Press Secretary to Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom. Speaking during a courtesy call on Mr Akase by the group, its Chairman, comrade Henry Ipole said they had decided to support Mr Akase’s aspiration owing to his refined nature as cool headed, but dogged in the discharge of his duties. He stated that Mr Akase has made the youth proud by his professionalism in the management of the image of his boss, Governor Samuel Ortom where he disagrees…
The legislative assembly of the Andoni local government area of Rivers State has repealed a bye-law allowing the payment of pension and allowances for life for former council chairmen and other appointees. The bye-law was enacted in 2013. Leader of the legislative assembly, Chila Nte made this known shortly after the Assembly’s seating on Tuesday. Nte said the law mandates the council to pay former council chairmen and other political appointees until their death which the legislative assembly “finds “absurd”. According to her, the local government does not need such a burden. “We don’t want the council to be saddled…
Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has advised Nigerians to collaborate in securing the country against terrorists and bandits. Jonathan delivered a lecture at the inauguration ceremony of National Defence College (NDC) Course 30, in Abuja on Wednesday. He insisted security is the business of every citizen and must not be left in the hands of the government. The ex-Bayelsa Governor lamented that people no longer go to farms and some other places because of fear. “Everybody should be involved in securing the country. Yes, the government will do its part but we as individuals should also do our own part. “My humble…
Okpokwu Ogenyi, a former governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Benue State, has explained why the party chairmanship seat should remain in Benue South Senatorial District. Okpokwu believes that it will be a plus for the Idoma/Igede nation to produce state chairman of all political parties. The renowned activist said producing the chairmanship of political parties in the state would help Benue South achieve the dream of producing a governor of the Idoma/Igede extraction in the nearest future. He was reacting to the decision of some APC members who opposed the micro-zoning of the party’s chairmanship seat…