Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe says Nigerians never took their time to understand their leader. According to him, they mistook his meekness for weakness, restraint for lack of strength, reticence for inaction and calmness for indecisiveness. In a Facebook post today after a Thanksgiving and Farewell service in honour of President Jonathan and the First Lady, at the Church of the Advent, Abuja, Okupe said history will judge Jonathan differently as he will be remembered as a great man. “A thanksgiving service was held in honour of President Jonathan and his wife. It…
Author: Wale Adebayo
Doctors in Ekiti State under the aegis of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) have declared an indefinite strike to protest what they described as “incessant kidnappings of medical personnel” in the state. The NMA said in Ado-Ekiti at the weekend that its members had to declare the strike to protest the kidnap of a former Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Patrick Adegun, his wife and a nurse with the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, Mrs. Margaret Aladenika. This was contained in a strike letter signed by the Ekiti NMA chairman and secretary, Dr John Akinbote…
The Peoples Democratic Party candidate in the April 11 governorship poll in Adamawa, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, has extolled the virtues of the Governor of Katsina State, Barr. Ibrahim Shema, on his conferment with The Sun Outstanding Performance Exit Award. Ribadu extolled the governor’s virtues in a goodwill message at the award ceremony, which took place at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos. While thanking The Sun Publishing Limited for the awards, Ribadu hailed Shema as a good man while describing the award as well-deserved. The Adamawa PDP flag bearer, who described Shema as a friend and brother, recalled their days…
The Defence Headquarters has warned that the military would no longer tolerate illegality in the name of militias, saying experience abounded to show that it was not easy to determine their end once they started, as those who started them would no longer be able to rein them in. The warning was given by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Major-General Chris Olukolade, when he paid a one-day working visit to the 3 Armoured Division and stopped over at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Plateau State Council Secretariat on Saturday. Olukolade also said that the military could not tolerate impunity…
Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema of Katsina State has said that the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the presidential level and in many states in the country should be seen as the will of God. He made the observation yesterday during an interactive session with a panel of interviewers at the maiden edition of The Sun Outstanding Performance Exit Award, which was held in Lagos. Shema, who was the recipient of the award, said that despite the loss of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, the country should be grateful to God for the…
The European Union (EU) on Saturday urged the President-elect, retired Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that Nigerians enjoyed the democracy dividends. The EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Michel Arrion, made the call at the Europe Day 2015 in Abuja. Arrion explained that democracy meant nothing to the common man except it led to the improvement in their standards of living. “But democracy only makes meaning to the common man to the extent that it delivers good governance, creates opportunities and improves the quality of living. “Nigeria is rich, but Nigerians are poor. The incoming administration will have a…
Federal institutions, business centres and other public offices in Kano have stopped putting up the portrait of President Goodluck Jonathan in their premises despite having 18 more days before his administration winds up. Constitutionally, Jonathan’s portrait should adorn public offices and institutions until he hands over on May 29 but The NATION reports that is not the case. According to the newspaper, the portrait of President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has taken over in many offices, a development that indicates many in the state cannot wait for Jonathan’s tenure to wind down on May 29. As a result, the demand…
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has commended the Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, for its contributions towards the diagnosis of Ebola virus which has been responible for more than 11,000 deaths. Speaking during the past week, at the signing of performance contract among NUC, World Bank and 10 Nigerian Africa Centres of Excellence (ACE) in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof. Julius Okojie lauded the university’s research on Ebola. Redeemer’s University had developed a rapid response diagnostics test that can detect Ebola virus in 15 minutes. According to Okojie, ACE’s project was instituted in 2013 by the governments…
Governor-elect of Benue State, Dr Samuel Ortom, is disappointed in the incumbent, Gabriel Suswam, for almost truncating his ambition. The governor-elect termed Suswam’s action betrayal. Ortom, who vied for the governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and lost to Suswam’s anointed candidate, Terhemen Tarzoor, before ending up in the All Progressives Party (APC), told a delegation of APC leaders from Gboko Local Government Area of the state yesterday how the governor allegedly set out to “undermine my emergence as governor”. He said he was sad especially considering the crucial role he played in the emergence of Suswam as governor in 2007.…
The Senator-elect for Ogun East on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Buruji Kashamu, on Saturday, denied making any trip to the United States in the past and ruled out any possibility of ever visiting the country in the future. In an interview with Sahara TV, the PDP chieftain said making such a visit would be like leaping into fire. Asked by the interviewer to clarify his alleged involvement in a United States criminal case, which formed the storyline for internet TV hit series ‘Orange is the New Black’, Kashamu refuted the claims. He said, “I am a Nigerian.…
Hon. Adamu Usman, who was impeached as Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly by 18 out of 27 members of the House, has said he remains the authentic presiding officer of the state’s legislative chamber. Following Usman’s impeachment on Tuesday, Isa Kawu of Bida 1 state constituency was elected as the new Speaker. But the impeached lawmaker insisted that his removal was illegal. Usman added that he had sought and obtained a court order restraining the lawmakers from proceeding with any impeachment process against him but the lawmakers disregarded the order. He said, “My removal is unconstitutional, illegal,…
The President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) has reportedly dashed the hopes of governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following his rejection of their plans to submit a ministerial list to him. The APC governors, led by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, had, last Tuesday, paid Buhari a visit at the Defence House, Abuja where they pledged their loyalty and also tabled some demands. At the meeting, some requests were tabled openly while the request to drop the list of possible ministers came up for discussion behind closed doors. Sources close to the meeting between…
Privatisation of PHCN a fraud,electricity workers tell Buhari Electricity workers in the country have demanded a thorough review of the privatization of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), alleging that the privatization project was fraught with irregularities. The executive members of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), led by the General Secretary and factional President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Joe Ajaero, made this demand in Abuja, while conducting some journalists round the site of abandoned 60 containers of 52KVA electricity transformers, at Kubwa, in Abuja. This came in apparent response to a statement made by the…
The president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, has congratulated British Prime Minister David Cameron over his victory in the just concluded election. Buhari, in a statement released in Abuja on Saturday, said he looked forward to collaborating with the British government led by Cameron, after he takes over power in Nigeria on May 29. “Nigeria and the Britain have enjoyed good relationships, and we look forward to developing even stronger ties.” Buhari also lauded Cameron for the role that the British government played before, during and after the Nigerian elections. “Britain, the US, EU, ECOWAS, AU and the UN have played vital roles…
Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State on Saturday urged leaders of Peoples Democratic Party to emulate the British political leaders, who resigned after leading their party to defeat in Thursday’s election. Aliyu said this in Dutse, Jigawa State capital, at the inauguration of a township road named after the then ‘G7 Governors’ by Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido. He said any leader, who led his political party to defeat, like it happened to the PDP, was expected to resign. “It is unfortunate that people had to be called to resign. The leaders are supposed to voluntarily resign their positions for the…
The National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun today stressed that Nigeria’s economy was collapsing. He said the country needs financial experts to revamp it. Speaking at the 7th graduation ceremony of American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, founded by APC chieftain and former vice president Atiku Abubakar, Odigie-Oyegun said that the country presently faces hard times and is dire need of a quick fix. This, he said, was why the incoming APC government is committed to opening doors of opportunities for unemployed Nigerians. “You are graduates of change and you are going to be agents…
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye today urged ministers of God to practice the sermons they preach at home because their children are watching. Speaking in Jos at the RCCG Ministers and Workers conference, which had the theme: “In Christ Alone”, Adeboye said ministers should know that members of their families are their first congregation. “If you fail to at home, you have failed,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted him to have said. “We must tidy up our acts as ministers of God. Be careful what you do in the presence of the…
The Plateau State Government on Friday put its current debt profile at N18 billion and not N200 billion as widely speculated. Commissioner for Information and Communication in the state, Mr Abubakar Badu, stated this at a press briefing in Jos, the state capital shortly after the State’s Executive Council meeting. Badu said that the council deliberated on the misinformation regarding the true indebtedness of the state particularly as it concerned the bond the government recently secured. The commissioner noted that the clarification became necessary in order to set the records straight and let the public to know that the outgoing…
Chief Judge of Kogi Nasir Ajanah on Friday unconditionally released three Awaiting Trial inmates from Federal Prisons, Ankpa in Kogi. Ajanah also granted bail to one other inmate when he reviewed cases of 33 inmates on remand during his ongoing decongestion visits to prison formations in the state. He said the unconditional and immediate release of the inmates was in view of the fact that they were detained unjustly. Among those pardoned were Hassan Ameh and Abdul Yunusa charged with conspiracy and culpable homicide over the killing of one “Aro” son of their village chief, stabbed to death and left…
The Borno State Government on Saturday established a camp for the indigenes of the state, who were recently repatriated from neighbouring Niger Republic. The establishment of a special camp for the repatriated indigenes, who are among the over 6,000 deported from Niger after the attack on two of the country’s islands by the Boko Haram sect, takes the number of camps established for Internally Displaced Persons in the state to 21. Speaking to journalists while receiving the first batch of 1,200 deportees at Njimtilo, at the entrance to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, the chairman of the State Emergency Management…