Nigeria’s President-elect, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has received an official invitation from the Egyptian President, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, for the two of them to discuss how to strengthen the bilateral relations between both countries and the fight against terrorism. A statement on Tuesday in Abuja by the Head of Press and Information, the Egyptian Embassy in Nigeria, Mr. Ahmed Maher, explained that this was discussed when al-Sisi called Buhari on the telephone to congratulate him on his victory during the recent presidential election. The statement quoted the spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency, Ambassador Alaa Youssef, as stating that “during the…
Author: Wale Adebayo
President Goodluck Jonathan has sacked the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba and appointed Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, as Acting Inspector-General of Police. According to a statement by the president’ spokesman, Reuben Abati, the sack of Mr. Abba and appointment of Arase take immediate effect. Until his appointment as acting IG, Mr. Arase was the Head of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department. Mr. Arase holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Law, as well as Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Political Science and Strategic Studies. He is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence College.
Renowned artist, Innocent Ujah, otherwise known as Tuface has condemned the recent wave of xenophobic attacks by South Africans against foreigners, particularly those of African descent. 2baba as he’s fondly called, took to twitter to express his disgust at the South Africa killings which he described as a big embarrassment to other ‘cool’ South Africans. On his twitter handle @2faceidibia, he twitted: Fans of Tuface also joined him in condemning the attacks which have attracted condemnation world wide. Following the xenophobic attacks, Nigerians have been counting their loses, the loss according to the Nigerian mission in South Africa include looted…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has distanced its National Working Committee (NWC) from the controversy surrounding the handling of the PDP Presidential campaign funds, saying the NWC never received any amount from any quarters for the campaigns. This was the position of the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, when he fielded questions at a radio programme in Abuja on Monday. Metuh, who noted that President Goodluck Jonathan has denied ever spending the bandied N2 trillion on his campaigns, added that the NWC was not involved in the management of any fund released for the campaign. He…
The Senate will adjourn plenary on Tuesday (today) in honour of late Senator Uche Chukwumerije in line with its existing tradition. Chukwumerije, a three-term senator, was until his death on Sunday at the Nigerian Turkish Hospital, Abuja, at the age of 75, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Education. As a mark of respect, the Senate as a matter of tradition, usually honours a deceased senator by postponing all items on the order paper at their first plenary after the death of any of their members. The Senate Leader would, immediately after the chamber had been set for the session, request for an adjournment…
The Senator representing Ekiti Central District, Babafemi Ojudu, has alleged that Governor Ayo Fayose, who is battling to stave off impeachment from 19 lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress, is threatening his life. According to the senator, Gov. Fayose, through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, is threatening his life and that of the Speaker of the State Assembly, Adewale Omirin. Ojudu, on his facebook page, said “Mr Lere Olayinka who serves as media goon to Governor Fayose of Ekiti published my name, telephone numbers and that of the speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly Omirin on his Facebook page.…
As President Goodluck Jonathan continues to receive global accolades for his disposition, which resulted in peaceful conclusion of general elections in Nigeria, U.S Vice President, Joe Biden, on Monday called to commend his leadership. Mr. Bidden, who spoke with President Jonathan, urged him to “remain engaged and play a leadership role in global issues” as his presidency is gradually winding down in a month’s time. A statement from the U.S Embassy in Abuja also congratulated the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on his victory. The statement reads: “Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to commend him for…
The Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, on Monday said he has no regrets for attacking the President-Elect, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in the build-up to the March 28 presidential election. In a statement posted on his Facebook page on Monday, Mr. Okupe said he would continue to stand by his action during the period because he did so to promote President Jonathan and put down his challenger, Mr. Buhari. “Yes I said Buhari was not electable”, the presidential spokesperson said. “I also said his victory will not happen. I said and still…
The governments of Borno and Kano states have agreed to sponsor about 100 children orphaned by the activities of Boko Haram through school. The scheme will see the children attending various primary schools in Kano State. The sponsorship arrangement was made known on Monday by the Borno State Head of Service, Mr. Yakubu Bukar, who represented Governor Kashim Shettima at a send-off ceremony for the pupils. The Borno HoS, at the ceremony which preceded the departure of the children to Kano, congratulated them on being selected by the government for sponsorship through primary school up to the tertiary education level. He said this opportunity came as a…
Lagos based lawyer and rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has said President Jacob Zuma and his party, the African National Congress, should take full responsibility for the xenophobic attacks on black immigrants in South Africa. The legal luminary, while reacting to the attacks in a statement on Monday, said the ANC had failed to address the rising wave of unemployment in the country, adding that there was mass disenchantment with the Zuma-led government. He said, “Zuma’s economic programme has excluded the people from the dividends of democracy. Out of sheer ignorance, the masses have engaged in misdirected antagonism by…
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has lampooned the Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, for attributing the defeat of his principal in the March 28 elections to his failure to rescue the Chibok girls. Okupe had last week attempted to link the president’s failed re-election bid to an international conspiracy and abduction of over 200 female students of Government Secondary School, Chibok, in Borno State, claiming the incident was orchestrated to portray the administration as incompetent. In its reaction, MURIC, through its Executive Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, in a statement on Monday, said…
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the government of President Goodluck Jonathan to “urgently take legal action against the South African government before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to seek effective remedies, including adequate compensation, for Nigerian victims of xenophobic attacks in South Africa.” In a statement Monday by its Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organization said “Several Nigerians have been attacked and have lost more than 21 million Rand in the ongoing xenophobic attacks in South Africa. This is unacceptable as it clearly violates the obligations of South Africa under the African Charter…
EX-GOV. ALIYU AKWE-DOMA The trial of a former Governor of Nasarawa state, Aliyu Akwe Doma, and a former Secretary to the state government, Timothy Anthony Anjide, before Justice Agatha A. Okeke of the Federal High Court, Lafia, Nasarawa, took a different dimension on Monday, April 20, 2015 as the defense counsel, Charles Edonsanwan, SAN, requested to subpoena the incumbent Secretary to the State Government. Edonsanwan told the court that, it needed to subpoena the incumbent Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Dauda Egwa, to produce some documents, which he said would enable it properly cross-examine prosecution witness, Solomon Katsa, a…
Popular nollywood actor and Gulder Ultimate Search show host, Chidi Mokeme is a father. The actor and his wife Jean welcomed a son recently and have named him Noah. The couple who got married in 2012, revealed their bundle of joy in an Ovation Magazine exclusive. Here are photos below: Chidi Mokeme became more popular when he anchored the first two editions of Gulder Ultimate Search talent hunt show. The tall, handsome, baritone-voiced and amiable young man who has since been in the movie industry far back 1995 and made his first appearance in the movies titled Goodbye Tomorrow and…
Major oil marketers in the country have warned that fuel scarcity, currently experienced in Abuja and other major cities, may linger for a while owing to the federal government’s delay in paying what it owes marketers. The marketers under the auspices of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) have decried the government’s inability to disburse the outstanding payments due to its members for the import of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) under the Petroleum Subsidy Fund Scheme (the “Scheme”). The association, through its Executive Secretary, Mr Thomas Olawore, wrote the Honourable Minister of Finance/Coordinating Minister of the Economy Dr Mrs…
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Mahmud Mohammed has enjoined the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, to run his administration with total respect and obedience to the constitution. In a keynote address delivered at the opening ceremony of the national workshop for Magistrates on Judicial Ethics and Corrupt Practices, which held at the National Judicial Institute, NJI, yesterday, Justice Mohammed tasked Buhari to focus on weeding out corrupt judges from the bench and ensure that all the funds appropriated to the state judiciary are promptly released to heads of courts, so they can function effectively. “In a democratic setting such…
The United States of America said yesterday it would impose visa restrictions on any Nigerian found to have incited violence or interfered with the electoral process. According to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. will shut its doors on people involved in any form of violence during the polls. “Anyone found to have incited violence or interfered with electoral processes will be unwelcome in the United States and subject to visa sanctions,” Thomas-Greenfield said in a statement. Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said while the elections were generally without a significant scale of violence, and irregularities in…
If our people can’t live and work there, their businesses should also not operate here. That was the message of the angry Nigerians that stormed the South African High Commission in Abuja, yesterday, threatening to shut down South African companies in Nigeria as xenophobic attacks continue in South Africa. The Nigerian Consul-General in South Africa, Ambassador Uche Ajulu-Okeke had said that the loss by Nigerians in the attacks included looted shops, burnt shops, two burnt mechanic shops, 11 burnt cars and two stolen cars among others. Reacting to the attacks, angry Nigerians protested in Abuja and Benin City. Nigerian youths…
Former Anambra State governor, Chukwuemeka Ezeife has said the people of the Southeast region are not worried about the zoning policy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) which has allegedly ensured that no one from the region would hold a top office in the National Assembly. Although the APC had denied it had zoned any positions, there have been indications in recent weeks that APC had zoned the office of Senate President to the North-Central with Senators Bukola Saraki and George Akume as the major contenders. Other principal positions in the two chambers are being contested by the North-East, North-West…
This is something Nigerian air travelers should be used to, even though these delays and postponement to their flights are caused by the Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) have decided to go on strike until their demands are met. Nollywood actress, Chioma Chukwuka-Akpotha, was affected by the strike and she did not find it funny. She expressed her disaffection at the development when she arrived the airport on Thursday, 16th April. She said: – “Good morning tweeps. ATC (Air Traffic Controllers) are on strike! They have said it is for 6 hours and may extend if their demands are not met”.