The Senator representing Borno Central at the National Assembly, Ahmed Zannah, Saturday said the Boko Haram sect is closing in on Maiduguri gradually. The senator’s alert came on the backdrop of recent attacks on towns few miles from the Borno state capital. The senator in his alert to the military, said members of the Boko Haram are using Bama to draw out the Army from Maiduguri so that they can now penetrate the town, which has remained impregnable for some times now. He revealed that the major fighters of Boko Haram have vacated Bama for their Sambisa forest stronghold and…
Author: Wale Adebayo
A new guideline developed by the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) will reduce road accidents by half. According to the Federal Government, the new Road Safety Guideline (RSG 2014), developed by NBRRI, under the auspices of the Ministry of Science Technology, if properly aligned with the federal government’s road development project’s objective will reduce fatalities on Nigerian roads by 50 percent. The Minister of Science Technology, Dr. Abdul Bama and his Works counterpart, Mr. Mike Onolememen both gave this indication at the inauguration of NBRRI Technical Advisory Committee and launch of the Road Safety Guideline 2014, in Abuja…
President Goodluck Jonathan has described as shocking the death of Mr. Dimgba Igwe, Vice Chairman of the Sun Newspapers. Igwe was said to have died in the early hours of Saturday after being knocked down by a vehicle, while jogging around his residence in the Okota area of Lagos State. He was 58. As a result of the accident, a family source hinted that Mr Igwe sustained a fatal injury and was immediately taken to the emergency unit of a hospital, where he underwent surgery, but died afterwards. Jonathan, on behalf of his family and the federal government, extended heartfelt…
The federal government has disclosed that Borno State will soon be reconnected to the national power grid. It said the proposed reconnection came on the heels of an agreement reached between the military and the Federal Ministry of Power on security for engineers, who will repair the vandalised power lines in the troubled state. The Technical Assistant to the Minister of State for Power, Mr. Umar Mustapha, said the military and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) had reached a final stage on the reconnection of Borno to the national grid. Mustapha, who heads a Technical Committee set up a…
The Borno State chapter of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has asked the Federal Government to investigate the allegation of sponsorship of Boko Haram levelled against a former governor of the state, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Azubuike Ihejirika (retd). An Australian negotiator, Dr Steven Davies, who claimed to have been hired by the federal government, fingered the ex-governor and former COAS as alleged sponsors of the Boko Haram sect. The state NBA Chairman, Abdulwasiu Alfa, who made this known at a press conference yesterday in Maiduguri, also said that the association would…
President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the setting up of a Presidential Committee to study and draw up the implementation strategy for the recently-concluded 2014 National Conference. This was contained in a terse statement issued on Friday in Abuja by the Assistant Director (Press) in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Oise Johnson. According to the statement, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) is to serve as chairman while the SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim will function as Secretary of the committee. Other members of the committee,…
A socio-political group, the Northern Youth Forum, has called on the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to sack Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State ahead of the 2015 election for “attacking” President Goodluck Jonathan. The Jigawa chapter of the group faulted the governor over his recent comments criticising the Northwest zone of the PDP for endorsing Jonathan for a second term. It would be recalled that the Northwest zone of the party had held a meeting in Kaduna Saturday after which it issued a communique endorsing Jonathan as its flag bearer for the 2015 presidential poll. But speaking through his deputy,…
The Department of State Security has risen in defence of the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (rtd), who was accused of being a sponsor of Boko Haram, describing the allegation as uncharitable and wicked. The Spokesperson of the DSS, Ms. Marilyn Ogar, who addressed journalists at the Yellow House headquarters of the service in Abuja on Friday, also said the former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, who was also accused by an Australian negotiator, Dr. Stephen Davis, of being a sponsor of the terrorist sect, has been invited for questioning. Recall that Davis…
A CROSS-SECTION OF DISTRAUGHT PARENTS OF Chibok SCHOOL GIRLS A parent of one of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls on Friday decried how some individuals have decided to use their plight to make fast money rather than help them to advance the rescue mission of their daughters, who have been in the custody of Boko Haram insurgents since April 14 of this year. Mr Bulama Jonah, who was apparently displeased, said he was amazed that some individuals, both in Borno State and in Abuja, had turned the abduction of their daughters into a franchise where they could easily buy into for…
It’s is with a sad heart that the world moans the great American comdienne, writer, actress and TV show anchor — Joan Rivers, 81. The longtime comedian, red carpet host and mother of one, passed away in New York City, USA, today September 4, 2014. The comedienne had been brought out of a medically induced coma after her heart stopped beating during a vocal cord surgery last week. Here’s a statement from her daughter and producer of Fashion Police, Melissa, “It is with great sadness that I announce the death of my mother, Joan Rivers.” “She passed peacefully at 1:17…
Forget all about the photos and display of herself smiling and stuff, it appears that Nollywood actress — Halima Abubakar, was battling depression. The actress took to her Instagram page to talk about her struggle with depression 2 years ago and how she eventually overcame it. She wrote: – “Wish I have a camera to film my journey so far..it will be one long essay..Am here 4 a reason not a season… just glad dat I don’t look like the pains I v been through.Trust me it was bad..I definitely praise strong women,who have to deal with hardship and hate..…
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar will declare his presidential ambition on Wednesday, September 24 under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC. According to a statement, yesterday, in Abuja by his Media Adviser, Mallam Garba Shehu, former Minister of Aviation, Professor Babalola Borisade would head the campaign team. Shehu explained Atiku’s decision to settle for Borisade, saying it is because he is seen as a popular and experienced political strategist. “The former Vice President, His Excellency Vice President Atiku Abubakar GCON, the Turaki Adamawa will contest for the ticket of the All Progressives Congress, in the 2015 presidential elections.…
Governor Tanko Almakura of Nasarawa State yesterday described reports suggesting fresh moves by the state House of Assembly to impeach him as mere speculation. The governor had some few weeks ago escaped impeachment when a seven-man panel set up by the State Chief Judge quashed all the charges leveled against him by the lawmakers since they (lawmakers) refused to appear before it and prove their allegations. Al-Makura, who spoke with State House Correspondents shortly after he met with President Goodluck Jonathan, however, noted that if the alleged fresh move for his impeachment by the lawmakers happens to be true, he…
Lagos based human Rights Lawyer, Femi Falana has asked former Borno State Governor Ali Modu Sheriff to sue him rather than planning to sue the Australian negotiator, Dr. Stephen Davies. Sheriff had threatened to sue the Australian after he accused him as one of the sponsors of the Boko Haram insurgency. According to Falana, who spoke at the 5th Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Lecture titled State of the Nation and 2015 general elections: issues, posers and challenges before us, held in Lagos. “I am expecting Senator Ali Madu Sheriff to sue me. I heard that he wanted to sue an Australian…
Residents of Dogon Karfe area of Jos North local government area of Plateau state yesterday scampered for safety when a car suspected to be laden with bomb was abandoned for hours in the area. The 505 Peugeot car with tinted glasses was parked close to a spot where Muslim faithful hold jummat prayers and a recall of abandoned vehicles which turned out to be carriers of bombs which exploded on May 20, 2014 at the Terminus area brought panic in the area. The bomb scare which resulted in pandemonium caused heavy traffic jam along major roads in the town as…
Nollywood actor and senior special adviser on Nollywood and Entertainment affairs to the Anambra State Governor, Bob Manuel Udokwu have announced his political ambition for 2015. He revealed at a press conference on September 3, 2014 that he will be going for a seat at the Anambra State House of Assembly in 2015. “I have formally declared interest to vie for a political position in the 2015 general elections into Anambra State House of Assembly to represent Idemili North Constituency. This move is to help develop and transform the state in line with the vision of the present constituency to…
Controversially actress, Judith Mazagwu aka Afrocandy, says she does not wish to quit doing adult movies because it is actually fetching her enough resources. Afrocandy disclosed that her choice of career was to enable her sustain herself in the United States of America after her husband left her and there was no means of survival.“It was just an idea that popped up in my mind. It wasn’t in any way to get back at my estranged husband then. I’d been separated from my husband since 2007, but the p*rn movie thing came up just around last year. I can say…
The Lagos State chapter of All Progressives Congress, yesterday, said the state government took a hard decision to reverse the LASU school fees in the overall interest of 25million Lagosians so that the Peoples Democratic Party in the state will stop using it to score cheap political points. In a statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, the ruling APC said the state government reversed a robust decision meant to facilitate, and speed up the building of a world class university that befits the status of Lagos so that villains will not turn out to be heroes…
nday The impeached Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, has reacted to his redeployment to the State Civil Service by Governor Sullivan Chime, saying it was intended to either insult or humiliate him. He confirmed that a letter of redeployment was delivered to his residence on Tuesday posting him to the office of the Secretary to State Government, SSG, as Deputy Director and directing him to handover to the new Deputy Governor on or before Monday, September 8, 2014. The former deputy was impeached by the State House of Assembly over a week ago for rearing chickens in Government…
The Federal Government has fixed Monday, September 22, 2014 as new resumption date for schools across the country. It would be recalled that the Federal Government had on August 26, postponed resumption of private and public primary as well as secondary schools to October 13, 2014, as a precautionary step against the spread of the Ebola virus disease. However, following the progress made in curtailing the spread of the disease, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, hinted that the schools would be reopened mid – September. More details later.