80 out of the 100 schools Girls Abducted by Boko Haram have been rescued by Soldiers,Vigilante Group

80 out of over 100 school girls of the Government Girls’ Secondary School in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, abducted by the Boko Haram insurgents on Monday were reportedly rescued on Tuesday and Wednesday morning by solders with the aids of a group of vigilante and local hunters in the area. The team joined in pursuing the Boko Haram and tracing their routes to where there school girls were rescued. Meanwhile luck ran out of the abductors when the driver of the tipper vehicle carrying the students got struck in a tick bush when trying to cross through muddy area boundry between Chibok and Askira/ Uba. An eye witness and one of the…

Jonathan cancels Immigration recruitment offers Automatic jobs for injured, victims’ relations

President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered total cancellation of Saturday’s messy recruitment exercise of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS). The president also gave automatic employment to injured applicants and 3 relations of each of the applicants who lost their lives. The Information Minister Labaran Maku who disclosed this to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting  Wednesday said the council devoted the meeting to express grief over the death of applicants who lost their lives to stampedes during the exercise. Maku said the council regretted the incident and expressed condolences to the families of the victims and sympathised with the injured. According to him, the president announced automatic employment for three relations of…

Jonathan kicks-off Second Niger Bridge

President Goodluck Jonathan kicked off the construction of the second bridge across River Niger in a grand style with an assurance that the project will be completed on schedule and to specifications. Performing the ground-breaking ceremony at the Krisoral ground, Atani in Ogbaru Council Area of Anambra State, President Jonathan assured the people of South-East and the rest of the country of timely completion of the project which was awarded to Julius Berger Construction Company. The President said the construction of the Second Niger Bridge was critical to his administration’s resolve to improve the economic fortunes of the country, adding that in fulfillment of his campaign promises, he came to perform the ground-breaking ceremony before…

NEW MINISTERS AND THEIR PORTFOLIOS

General Aliyu Gusau (Zamfara) – Defence Senator Musilius Obanikoro (Lagos) – Defence (State) Aminu Wali (Kano)   –   Foreign Affairs Boni Haruna (Adamawa) – Youth Development. Mrs. Lawrencia Laraba Mallam (Kaduna) – Environment Mrs. Akon Etim Eyakenyi (Akwa Ibom) – Land, Housing and Urban Development. Mohammed Wakil ( Borno)- Power (State) Oyewale Adesiyan (Osun)- Police Affairs Khaliru Alhassan (Sokoto) – Health (State) Mrs. Asabe Asmau Ahmed (Niger) – Agriculture (State) Tamuno Danagogo (Rivers) Sports.  

President Jonathan’s visit to Imo

One of the national newspapers captured the event well when it said:  Owerri Shuts down as Jonathan Welcomes PDP Returnees. Since Governor Okorocha’s daughter’s wedding last year, no event or ceremony has impacted Owerri or rocked and restricted movement as much as last week’s presidential visit. The good thing is President Jonathan’s long-awaited visit has finally come. A proud moment for us! It was, indeed, a privilege for us to welcome the first president from the South South – a man who got our votes 100 per cent three years ago. Igbo people, so welcoming and hospitable, turned out in their numbers to bid him “ndeewo!”  Governor Okorocha, with other South East governors and eminent…

President Jonathan picks new CBN Governor - As Sanusi vows to challenge suspension

-  Reps in rowdy session President Goodluck Jonathan has suspended Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and announced the appointment of Dr. Sarah Alade, the most senior Deputy Governor of CBN, as Acting Governor. This was made known in a State House Press Statement released on Thursday. Though Sanusi’s ouster was called suspension, President Jonathan has gone ahead and picked the current Managing Director of Zenith Bank, Godwin Emefiele to replace Sanusi as the new Governor of CBN, Mr. Emefiele’s name has been forwarded to the Senate for confirmation. Meanwhile, the ousted CBN Governor Sanusi said he will challenge the suspension in court even though he does not intend to continue the…

We want proper National Conference not Talkshop – Ndigbo tell Jonathan

As Nigeria gets set for a National Conference scheduled for this year, Igbo leaders have picked holes in some aspects of the report of the 13 member Advisory Committee set-up to advise Government on the agenda, structure, modalities and legal frame work for the National Conference. In a strongly worded letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, NDIGBO noted that, “far from being a conference of ethnic nationalities for the adoption of a new constitution for Nigeria, the conference is conceived by the Committee simply as a means to bring Nigerians together to talk and talk about the multifarious problems facing the country, with no clear specification of the result the talking is intended to achieve.” The…

Gay-Marriage Law: Canada cancels Jonathan’s visit

The furore arising from President Goodluck Jonathan’s assent to the bill prohibiting homosexual marriage reverberated on the diplomatic circles, yesterday, as it emerged that Canada has cancelled a scheduled state visit to that country by President Jonathan. The cancellation was described as a reaction to President Jonathan’s decision to give assent to the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill 2013 which penalizes homosexual partnerships in the country. Online news portal, Saharareporters.com had first published the story on its site weekend. The cancellation nonetheless, Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak upheld the president’s action, saying that there was no way homosexual marriages will accelerate the nation’s socio-economic progress. Despite the challenge from…

Nigeria not disgraced at Mandela’s burial – Viola Onwuliri

- Asks Rochas to give account of LG Allocations The Hon. Minister of State 1, for Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri has dismissed the impression in certain quarters that Nigeria was not properly recognized at the burial of late Nelson Mandela of South Africa, in December. Answering during an interactive session with journalists in Owerri, December 30, Prof. Onwuliri said Nigeria was well received at the burial.  She said the fact that President Jonathan did not speak at the occasion did not amount to disgrace. Prof. Onwuliri explained that certain leaders were selected to talk on behalf of their continents and only Namibia talked from Africa. “For goodness sake, we did not go there (South…

ODI: Protesters barricade East-West road – Demand FG’s obedience of court order

The people of Odi in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State staged a massive protest against the Federal Government demanding payment of the N37.6 billion compensation for the invasion and destruction of Odi in 1999 during the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. The protesters who had gathered at the Odi junction by 10am for the 13th Odi Destruction/Genocidal memorial, barricaded the east-West road carrying placards stating their demand. Some of the placards had inscriptions such as ‘Where is the Rule of Law in Federal Government Transformation Agenda?  ‘The souls of the deceased are crying’.  ‘The people of Odi are crying for justice’.  ‘Nigeria, the giant of Africa can be exemplary by obeying court…

PDP, others slam Obasanjo, APC over Jonathan

People Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart and former Commissioner for Information in Imo State, Chief Elvis Agukwe and a group, Movement for New Nigeria  (MNN)  have criticized former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the All Progressive Congress (APC) for failed attempt to incite Nigerians against President Goodluck Jonathan and his administration. Agukwe said Obasanjo’s letter and the utterances of APC were intended to bring the president and his government to disrepute, but for the “timely, researched and factual” presentation of Jonathan in his reply to the letter. “At other times what Obasanjo and APC did was a coup de’tat.  But we thank God that Nigerians did not take the deceitful bait.  They believe in their president and…

Obasanjo’s letter: Al-Mustapha denies training killers

Former Major Hamza Al-Mustapha has called for an open debate with former President Olusegun Obasanjo in connection with his open letter to President Goodluck Jonathan.   Al-Mustapha, a former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, spoke on the Voice of America (VOA) Hausa service while reacting to the allusion made to him in the letter.   Obasanjo alleged that he (Al-Mustapha) was released from prison to help the president train snipers to assassinate political opponents.   Admitting that Obasanjo did not mention his name, he said he knew that the allusion was about him.  “If he has anything to say on me, he should mention me directly or even…

Borno Burns Again as Boko Haram declares War

  … We’re fighting tough enemy-FG Another indication, that terrorism in Northern Nigeria is not dead and Boko Haram is far from subdued, is here again, following a blood bath in Maiduguri, Monday. Many people were killed and several seriously wounded, as suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked army and police barracks, destroying three military aircrafts and two helicopters. Property worth millions of naira was also destroyed, including petrol stations and fuel tankers which were set ablaze. The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) and the Director of Defence Information (DDI) Brig. Gen Chris Olukolade confirmed the attack. They also said 24 terrorists were killed and many of them injured. Three airforce men were also wounded during an exchange…

Go Home: UK set to send 534 Nigerian prisoners packing

-          Pays to improve Nigerian Prisons  More than half of the 534 Nigerian nationals currently in UK jails could be Deported under the new prison transfer agreement, which is currently being discussed.   A major stumbling block to deportation of foreign nationals in the past has been the condition of prisons in their own countries, but according to sources, the UK has promised £1million to Nigeria to help improve its jails.   British Prisons Minister, Jeremy Wright said: “I am clear that more foreign prisoners must serve their sentences in their own countries. “That is why we are currently working with the Nigerian Government on a compulsory prisoner transfer agreement to increase the number of…

Jonathan sets up Committee on National Dialogue – Nwabueze, Obiozor make list

Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has set up a committee, led by Dr. Femi Okurounmu, to prepare the blueprint for a National Conference within one month after which the government will determine how the talkshop will be conducted. Okurounmu, an engineer, is a former university teacher and a senator between 1999 and 2003.  Dr. Akilu Indabawa is the secretary of the committee. The other members of the committee, according to a statement by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyiam Pius Anyiam are: Prof. George Obiozor, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, Sen. Khairat Gwadabe, Sen. Timothy Adudu, Col. Tony Nyiam (rtd), Prof. Funke Adebayo, Mrs. Mairo Ahmed Amshi, Dr. Abubakar Sadiq, Alh. Dauda Birma, Mallam Buhari…

Power tussle in Taraba: SAN petitions Jonathan

Nigeria seems poised to witness another Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua saga in Taraba State, as an ailing Governor returns home and reportedly tries to recover power from an unwilling deputy. Governor Danbaba Suntai’s  home coming has opened a can of  worms in Taraba as his deputy Alhaji Garba Umar, who acted as Governor during his ten months medical treatment overseas, is reluctant to hand over. Suntai was involved in a plane crash last year and was receiving treatment in Europe and America until his recent return. However, renowned constitutional lawyer Sebastine Hon (SAN) has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to call Suntai’s deputy to order for rejecting the changes made by Suntai shortly after his return….

ASUU: Jonathan Orders Suswan-Led Committee To End Strike

President Goodluck Jonathan has directed the two federal government committees’ negotiating the demand of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to take immediate steps aimed at ending the strike. Addressing State House Correspondents in Abuja, the Benue state governor, Mr. Gabriel Suswam says the committees are optimistic that the industrial dispute declared by ASUU will be resolved soon. He reaffirmed the commitment of the federal government towards transforming the nation’s education sector. This, the governor said, is part of the president’s efforts to ensure that university students return to their various schools.

Nigerians don’t like to pay tax – Finance Minister

More than three quarters of companies in Nigeria do not pay tax. In fact, the Federal Government is losing over N80 billion monthly from tax dodgers. Minister of Finance Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala made this known at a recent visit to the National Council for Finance and Economic Development (NACOFED) in Minna. She said over 75 per cent of registered firms have refused to pay tax while 65 per cent of supposed registered tax payers have not even filed their tax returns in two years. Dr Okonjo-Iweala explained that given recent decline in oil revenue, such additional income would have helped to improve the country’s economy. On the controversial rising debt profile of the country, she…

First international flight takes off from Enugu August 24

History will be made in the nation’s aviation industry on August 24, when the first international flight takes off from the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu . Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu yesterday commended the President Goodluck Jonathan administration for making it possible for the Akanu Ibiam International Airport to commence international flight operations. Ekweremadu gave the commendation against the background of the scheduled commencement of international flights at the airport on August 24 by Ethiopian Airlines. Other international airlines, including Emirates and Turkish Airlines would soon commence operations at the airport. Senator Ekweremadu, who described the development as a “major milestone in the infrastructural renewal of the South-East and a monumental boost for…

President, Governors lose immunity

The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and his Vice, as well as the Governor of a State and Deputy can now face prosecution in criminal matters while still in office, following the expunging of the Immunity Clause that used to protect them from Nigeria’s statue books. This controversial clause that had been debated for several years was finally laid to rest Wednesday by the House of Representatives.  Two clauses on the immunity of the National and State Assemblies were dropped. The Lower Legislative Chamber also granted autonomy to Local Government Councils and approved the split of office of the Attorney General of the Federation and that of the Minister of Justice.  It places…