Nigeria will be without Dream Team’s Godwin Saviour at next month’s All-Africa Games (AAG) after his Belgian club KV Oestende turned down the country’s request for the player. The 19-year-old striker, who recently penned a three-year deal with KV Oestende informed that he would not be available for the AAG. “I would have loved to feature at the All-Africa Games for my country, but my club have stopped me,” he is quoted as saying by AfricanFootball website. Another Under-23 player, Shehu Abdullahi, will also not be available for the competition as his Portuguese club have also dismissed the country’s request.…
Author: Wale Adebayo
Former Senior Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has described both the Peoples Democratic Party and its All Progressives Congress counterpart as two sides of the same coin. According to Okupe, the governing APC may fail but the PDP will not be an acceptable alternative to majority of Nigerians now or in the future. The former presidential aide made the remarks in a statement he published on his Facebook wall, Thursday, on the necessity for PDP to first reform itself as a political party before canvassing for more members. What he wrote below:…
Public officials travelling abroad for medical care in 2014 cost taxpayers 198.95billion naira ($1billion), the federal ministry of health has said. The revelation comes as the ministry and stakeholders met in Kaduna to strengthen efforts to implement the National Health Act whose implementation has stalled since it was signed into law last December. A Director of Planning Research and Statistics at the ministry, Dr Ngozi Azodoh, said implementing the Act will “restore confidence of those seeking health care in Nigeria and will in turn end medical tourism”. Available estimates show that up to 40 medical trips to India alone were…
Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), on Wednesday denied claims that endorsed the approach former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration adopted in the fight against corruption. Falana, in a statement yesterday, said “some misguided fellows” attributed to him in his recent interview with Channels Television, a suggestion that the Jonathan administration fought corruption in a more civilised way. “I challenge the reactionary forces that have twisted and manipulated my views to reproduce any statement made by me suggesting that ex-President Jonathan fought corruption in a civilised manner”, he said. According to the Lagos lawyer, the claim was part of a…
Secretary to Bauchi State Government, Alhaji Ahmed Suleiman, has emerged the new First Class Emir of Misau in Bauchi State. His appointment is contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Permanent Secretary in charge of Political Affairs, Government House, Bauchi, Malam Hashimu Yakubu, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria. “Following the death of the 10th Emir of Misau, Alhaji Muhammadu Manga III on Monday, August 17, 2015, and pursuant to the powers conferred on him by section 3 (i) of the Chiefs (Appointment and Deposition) Law, His Excellency, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, has approved the appointment…
Suspected gunmen suspected to be sea pirates on Wednesday, attacked two passenger boats and kidnapped three persons along the Ogbia to Brass waterways in Bayelsa. Asinim Butswat, Police Spokesman for Bayelsa Command, confirmed the development on Thursday but said that details were still sketchy, “I am waiting for details”, Butswat said. It was learnt that the abducted victims were two Okpoama community Chiefs, identified as Chief Blessing Wagio and Chief Isaac Akono-Igolo, as well as a security man whose identity could not be ascertained. The victims’ boats reportedly left the Ogbia water front at about 2pm on Wednesday for Brass,…
Basketmouth seems to be climbing higher and higher each day and gaining more acclaim than any other Nigerian comedian. After being featured on Al Jazeera on August 24, Basketmouth is getting profiled on another international cable news network. The top comedian announced today (August 27) that CNN is doing a feature on him. He even shared a photo of the CNN crew in his home. “Did I mention that CNN is doing a feature on me ? African Voices. #MyAfrica @cnnafrica. It can only get better” wrote Basketmouth. On Monday, Basketmouth’s feature on Al Jazeera was aired; the feature is…
The national leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has begged Nigerians to come and join the party. The party, which had been governing the country since 1999, handed over to the All Progressives Congress on May 29, 2015 following its shocking defeat at the presidential poll on March 28, this year. The opposition party said all those who were interested in joining were free to do so without any condition, adding that both the new and old members would be treated equally. The Acting National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, made the plea in Abuja on Wednesday. He…
The immediate past Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), has said he cannot continue to “hang around” the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) anymore. His exasperation with the PDP came on the heels of speculations that he is set to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC). In a chat with The Nation in Calabar, the Cross River State capital on Wednesday, Ndoma-Egba said, “What I would say is that for the past three years, I have not had any political life within the PDP because I was shut out and I still have political life in me. So I cannot hang…
This is one of those photos that everyone should have, it’s not every time the camera catches Kanye West unaware. The world famous rapper, Kanye West and his mother-in-law Kris Jenner, look so cute and funny taking a nap together. The photo was taken at Khloe Kardashian‘s basketballer boyfriend, James Harden‘s 26th birthday on a luxury yacht in Marina Del Rey, California.
Nigeria’s talented singer, Waje, has gotten a rare opportunity to hangout with a genuine rock legend, Bono. The ‘I Wish‘ singer rub shoulders with U2’s main man and rock legend Bono in Kigali, Rwanda. The gifted vocalist shared pictures of her with Bono at a ONE Campaign event today (August 27). “See who I’m with….. BONO ….. When your goal is to change your world, u meet great people” wrote Waje who was visibly excited and happy on Instagram. Bono, the lead singer of U2, is the co-founder of ONE, an international campaigning and advocacy organization; he helped create the organization…
Nigeria’s Star-Boy CEO, Wizkid, has met almost every important name on the American music scene this year. He has just finished recording a new song with American songwriter and R&B artiste TY Dolla Sign. Wizkid who will be releasing the song soon shared a photo of himself and the singer on Instagram today August 27, 2015. He captioned the photo with “Yo shoutout to my bro @tydollasign! We made something for the fans yesterday! Soon come!”
Veteran Nollywood actress, mother and reality TV star, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, recently treated herself and her daughters to a day in the spa. The mother and daughters were pictured at B Natural Med Spa in Lagos wearing white robes. Omotola can be seen holding a glass of wine and talking to her eldest daughter, Princess Ekeinde. Her other daughter Meraiah Ekeinde-her third child- smiles as she looks directly at the camera holding a glass of wine like her mother. Yesterday Meraiah Ekeinde graduated from secondary school in July, and clinched a Knorr endorsement deal with her mum in May.
President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) on Thursday met behind closed-door with the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah. The meeting, which took place in the president’s office inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja lasted less than 30 minutes. Kukah, who is a member of the National Peace Committee for the 2015 General Elections, has been in the news lately over his statement calling on President Buhari to follow due process in his anti-corruption crusade especially as it regards the probe of former President Goodluck Jonathan. After Thursday’s meeting with the president, the respected bishop did not talk to journalists. He…
A 33-year-old Okada Rider, Alfred Philip, was on Thursday charged in an Okitipupa Magistrates’ Court, Ondo State, for allegedly snatching a handbag containing N800,000 cash. The Police Prosecutor, Insp. Zedekiah Orogbemi, told the court that the accused and two others now at large, conspired to commit felony and stealing, on July 26, around 1.30pm. Orogbemi said that one Adunni Manuwa had gone to the First Bank, Okitipupa, and after withdrawing N800,000 the bag containing the money was snatched by the accused and others at large. He said by engaging in such act, the accused had committed offences contrary to Sections…
A group of senators of the All Progressives Congress, under the aegis of Unity Forum, have kicked against the decision of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to investigate the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Lamorde, over alleged diversion of N1 trillion assets recovered by the commission. The APC senators, who are opposed to Senate President Bukola Saraki’s leadership, echoed the position of the Peoples Democratic Party caucus in the Senate, which dissociated its members from the probe on Monday, calling on the committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to shelve the…
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has described the Court of Appeal ruling, which upheld the State Election Petitions Tribunal judgment of his victory at the April 11 governorship poll, as a vindication of the people’s mandate, as expressly demonstrated on Election Day. In a statement Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, the governor, while reacting to the Appeal Court ruling, said, “The decision of the Appeal Court is a further testimony to the affirmation of our victory at the tribunal and a vindication of the mandate of the people as expressed in the April, 11 2015…
Judges handling cases of corruption against public officers are under close surveillance. The monitoring was said to be civil and security in nature. Chairman, presidential advisory committee on anti-corruption, Professor Itse Sagay, made this known during an exclusive chat. The surveillance is meant to monitor their performances, professionally, ethically and morally. The inability of the committee and other partnering government agencies to find upright judges across board, who will handle alleged corruption cases the President Muhammadu Buhari administration would so institute against alleged looters of the economy in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan compelled the monitoring, according to…
Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) management said in Abuja on Wednesday that it had attained a new peak of 4,810.7 megawatts of generated electricity. This is contained in a statement signed by the Managing Director, System/Market Operation of TCN, Dipak Sarma. Mr. Sarma said this was achieved at 20.45 hours of August 25 following a record set on Tuesday when 4,748 megawatt was generated. It said these successes were due to the joint contributions of the gas companies, generation companies, distribution companies and the TCN. According to the statement, the Managing Director of TCN, Paul Stefiszyn, said: “The Federal Government…
As the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls spend 500 days in captivity today, Thursday, members of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) group in Abuja will organize a youth march and candle-lit vigil. One of the leaders of the campaign, Aisha Yesufu said: “We keep on hoping that the girls will be found. We will keep up the fight, there will be no retreat, no surrender on the Chibok girls until each one of them is accounted for”. Muslim and Christian prayer services, a tree planting ceremony and a march through Abuja, have already been held to mark the day. The girls…