HELLO

The government of Imo state has commenced the construction of the first ever Marine University in Africa at Ose-Moto, Oguta local government area of the state. The state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha who addressed newsmen shortly after inspecting the site, said that with the issue land now settled, work would soon commence. Governor Okorocha said that the university will be the first of its kind in Africa and would be of benefit to the community, Imo state and by extension Nigeria. The Governor revealed that the first phase of the project will cost about N2.5 Billion which include the construction of the perimeter fence, landscaping, administrative blocks, class rooms and hostels. He also said that Imo State Oil Producing Development Commission (ISOPADEC) that is funding the project has enough funds in its coffers to complete the project, assuring that the university will be ready to admit its first set of students in the next two years. The governor further explained that the

    CBN Governor, Lamido Sanusi The cash-less policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria enters a new phase today (Monday) as the maximum ceiling of N150,000 placed on conversion of third-party cheques to cash by individuals takes off. The implication is that any cheque above N150,000 originating from a third party must be lodged into the beneficiary’s account. The policy, according to the CBN, is one of the measures being put in place to discourage the use of cash in the system.

The leader of Islamist extremist group Boko Haram claims in a video obtained by AFP on Tuesday that Nigerian soldiers have retreated during an ongoing military offensive and insurgents have sustained little damage. The video marks the first public comments from Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau since the start of a sweeping offensive by the Nigerian army on May 15 and also includes a call for foreign Islamists to join the fight in Nigeria. A video grab made on March 21, 2013 from a video distributed to reporters by purported intermediaries of the Islamist group linked to Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, shows the suspected leader of the Nigerian Islamist group linked to Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, Imam Abu Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Abubakar Ash Shekawi, also known as Abubakar Shekau, at an undisclosed location in Nigeria. AFP

President Goodluck Jonathan President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday said the excesses of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, must be curbed, not minding what it would cost the government. “The excesses of Boko Haram must stop. That is the decision of this present government now. It must stop, whatever it will cost the government, it must stop,” he said in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in an interview with journalists on the sideline of the 21st ordinary session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Africa Union. The President boasted that the government had the wherewithal to confront the reign of terror being unleashed by the sect members and that their actions were already being confronted with his recent declaration of state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

Wednesday, May 29, has been declared public holiday by the Federal Government of Nigeria to mark the 2013 Democracy Day. This was contained in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Annesthesia Nwaobia on Thursday in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. According to the statement, the Interior Minister, Comrade Abba Moro had declared the public holiday on behalf of the Federal Government. Moro urged Nigerians to deepen their participation in democratic governance to enable them pass on the baton of credible and good governance to upcoming generations. He congratulated Nigerians on the attainment of yet another successful year of the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan. Moro urged the citizenry to support Jonathan’s efforts towards improving on democratic governance in the country. He further urged all Nigerians to continue to pray for the success of President Jonathan’s government towards the restoration of peace and unity in all parts

  A house has been raided in connection with the murder of a soldier in Woolwich yesterday afternoon. The police swooped on the house as the name of one of the suspects was revealed on internet forums and Twitter as Michael Adebolajo. He was the alleged killer seen ranting on video shortly after the murder of a soldier is believed to be Michael Adebolajo.

Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Azubuike Ihejirika, has accused his men of collaborating with members of the Boko Haram sects by exposing top secrets of their operations to the insurgents. The army boss said this in Abuja at a seminar on personnel management and development organized by the Army Transformation and Innovation Center. Ihejirika said that soldiers who have been collaborating with Boko Haram insurgents had hindered military operations, even causing the death of his men. The COAS boss warned soldiers to stop such acts, and vowed to deal with those found guilty of the offence decisively. He added that he had advised Commanders to take it easy while dismissing soldiers, but maintained that if a soldier’s misconduct was in terms of disloyalty, then the Army would have no choice than to dismiss and jail such officer. General Ihejirika revealed that, as part of its readiness to tackle security challenges in the country, the Army was training more than 1000 amphibious s

As the military offensive to dislodge the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, from the Northern part of the country continued yesterday, Defence Headquarters said its mop-up operation had revealed that three soldiers were killed, one missing, and 14 terrorists confirmed dead. The mop-up operation also revealed that seven soldiers were wounded, 20 terrorists apprehended, while seven vehicles and 13 handsets, belonging to the sect members, were recovered. The wounded soldiers were being treated in a military facility.

Troops, yesterday, moved into Yola, Adamawa State capital and Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, barely 24 hours after President Goodluck Jonathan declared a State of Emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states in response to Boko Haram insurgency which has claimed several lives and destroyed many property. Residents and journalists saw military trucks carrying over 2000 soldiers into Yola and Maiduguri, yesterday, in compliance with the president’s orders. The military launched the first phase of its campaign to secure the country’s borders and flush out all terrorists and insurgents from the northern states.

Northern elders have pointedly said President Goodluck Jonathan will not be re-elected in 2015. They, therefore, said a segment of the Niger Delta people, particularly erstwhile militant leader, Alhaji Asari Dokubo, who said there would be war in Nigeria if their kinsman, Jonathan, is not re-elected, may start their action now. According to them, the Jonathan sympathisers do not need to wait until their kinsman is defeated in 2015 to act. The northern elders, under the aegis of Northern  Elders Forum (NEF), hinged their opposition to the president’s re-election on  non-performance. They added that Jonathan was not entitled to the office of president in the first place. Prof. Ango Abdullahi, their spokesman, conveyed their position in an interview with Sunday Vanguard. Abdullahi, a former Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, pointed out that the North was dissatisfied with Jonathan’s presidency. “We in the North are not going to support Jonathan in 2015 because he has

The House of Representatives yesterday, ordered the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to return N236 billion to the treasury of the Federal Government within a month. The order was given by the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Adeola Olamilekan. He said the order was in line with the query of the Auditor-General of the Federation which the corporation failed to defend before the committee. Cross-Section of members of House of the Reps Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Mr Andrew Yakubu, was billed to appear before the committee, along with the heads of the Federal Inland Revenue Service,FIRS, Petroleum Products Pricing Agency, PPPRA, and Accountant General of the Federation, among others, over the Auditor -General’s query on the fuel subsidy regime but delegated the General Manager, Process and Procedures, Mr Abdullahi Kalami, to represent him.

Robust support came for President Goodluck Jonathan from South-South and South-East governors, who yesterday, gave a strong endorsement of his leadership and charged him to confront terror wherever it may be found in the land. The governors at a meeting in Asaba, Delta State, condemned the behaviour and antics of Nigerians and those they described as their “evil collaborators,” who according to them, have decided to assault the collective consciousness of the nation by encouraging terrorism in the country. The meeting of the governors was across party lines. The only absentee was Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State. Those present were Senator Liyel Imoke of Cross River; Peter Obi of Anambra; Chief Theodore Orji (Abia), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Hon. Seriake Dickson, Bayelsa and Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, Delta. Also present were Chief Martins Elechi (Ebonyi), Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), while Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State was represented by his deputy,

State of emergency: Northern leaders in crucial meeting Alarmed by the grim prospects of the declaration of a state of emergency by the Presidency in five of their states, Northern elders are converging on Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, with a view to taking far-reaching decisions to halt such a move, which they see as punitive. Meanwhile as the northern leaders were putting heads together to come up with a decision, the 36 state governors under the aegis, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, yesterday, urged President Goodluck Jonathan to ignore those agitating for state of emergency in some troubled states. There were reports that the Presidency was contemplating the declaration of a state of emergency in five states of Borno, Yobe, Nasarawa, Benue and Plateau states following escalating violence. But the Presidency said on Saturday that it had not yet taken a firm decision on what to do in those states with rising violence.

Bedroom Tax Blamed For Woman's Suicide A woman who committed suicide left a note blaming the Government's so-called bedroom tax for her death. Stephanie Bottrill, who killed herself earlier this month, wrote in her final letter: "I don't [blame] anyone for me death expect [sic] the government." Her son Steven, 27, said she was struggling to cope after being told to pay £20-a-week extra for two under-occupied bedrooms at her home in Solihull. He told the Sunday People: "I couldn't believe it. She said not to blame ourselves, it was the Government and what they were doing that caused her to do it. "She was fine before this bedroom tax. It was dreamt up in London, by people living in offices and big houses. They have no idea the effect it has on people like my mum."

ERstwhile senator and minister, Abdulrasheed Akinlabi Olasunkanmi is one of a handful of  aspirants for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP ticket in the 2014 gubernatorial election. In a session with newsmen, Olasunkanmi gives reasons why Osun State should get a change in leadership and why he is the best person to lead that change. Excerpts: Why are you in the race? I am in the race because of the problems, because of the issues, because of the challenges that our people in Osun State are facing  since the emergence of Governor Aregbesola after his judicial victory. Yes, it was a judicial victory.  He never won the election, it was the judiciary that awarded him the victory. You see after this judicial victory, we thought that as he had always been propagating, we thought he was going to make a difference in the governance of Osun State but, no. And it is a thing that really, really bothers me, it is a thing that saddens me that since Aregbesola has been in the saddle in  the governme

Riveting media reports of last Thursday’s court judgment on the celebrated land dispute between Dame Patience Jonathan and Hajiya Turai Yar‘Adua was a sweet piece of cake for many. It was especially so for those who abhor the aggrandisement that has in recent times been associated with the spouses of the country’s leaders at national and state levels. It was no surprise then that one common headline in the news reports was “Turai floors Patience,” a slant that was reflective of the empathy of the media towards the oppressed. Both ladies interestingly, lay claim to the disputed land, not for personal use, but for some good works. The choice piece of land in the heart of Abuja was first allocated to Mrs. Yar‘Adua’s NGO, Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation, WAYEF by the FCT authorities in February 2010 while her husband was president, and Dame Patience was in her shadow as wife of the Vice-President. Remarkably, the allocation was confirmed on February 19, just five days before late P

LAGOS — Controversy currently trails the parenthood of  five-month-old twins who were presented at the United States of America’s embassy by their supposed parents for the procurement of visa. This follows result of a DNA test ordered by the embassy which reports showed that the couple were not the biological parents of the twins as claimed. Consequently, the couple have been arrested and are being interrogated at the Special Fraud Unit, SFU Milverton, for alleged child-trafficking.

Mr. Sambo said this on Saturday. The Vice President, Namadi Sambo , on Saturday assured the Canadian Government that Nigeria would remain its largest trading partner in the sub Saharan Africa . A statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant, Media to the Vice President, Umar Sani, said Mr. Sambo gave the assurance at the just concluded Nigeria - Canada Investment Forum in Toronto, Canada. Mr. Sambo said Nigeria and Canada enjoyed excellent bilateral relations with a new chapter of mutually strategic relations. “Nigeria remains Canada’s largest trading partner with a trade volume of more than 3 billion dollars in the sub Saharan Africa,” he said. The vice president also noted the positive contributions of Canada to Nigeria’s successful democratic journey. “Canada recognises Nigeria’s unique role in Africa and global affairs and expressed readiness to take good advantage of the investment friendly environment provided by Nigeria through the economic, social, institutional and politi

A 24-hour curfew has been placed on Wukari town in Taraba state after a communal clash left 39 people dead, 30 injured and about 30 houses burnt. The Taraba state police public relations officer, Mr Joseph Kwaji, who disclosed this, stated that the injured persons are now receiving treatment in various hospitals in the town, while 30 persons had been arrested in connection with the crisis. Mr kwaji explained that the situation has been brought under control and the town is now relatively calm as more security officers have been deployed to the area. Crisis broke out in Wukari on Friday during a funeral procession for a third class chief of the Jukun Traditional Council. The violence reportedly started when the mourners passed through a section of the town, chanting slogans which allegedly angered the residents of the area. The incident comes after a panel was set up to investigate clashes which occurred in the same town in February owing to a football dispute which claimed several l

Afghanistan  President  Hamid Karzai has advised Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria to sheath their sword. He gave the advice when Nigeria’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Dauda Danladi presented his letters of credence recently in Kabul. He called on the Boko Haram members  to lay down their arms if they are true  Muslims and embrace peace as offered by Government noting that no  religion perches violence. “Boko Haram, you should stop burning schools, Mosques, Churches in the name of Islam.  You should not destroy your country if you are true Muslims you should protect lives because in Islam if you kill one it is as if you have killed the whole of humanity and if you save life is as if you have save the whole of humanity” He said Afghans have seen the futility of violence and put behind them the ugly past and  have now embrace peace through dialogue. He recalled the activities of the Taliban’s saying it was externally motivated and the people were used by the Taliban’s to commit suicide bo