ONE WORD

Former Nigerinan president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has disclosed that Nigeria is more divided now than it was during the civil war. He said this during his speech at the 2019 annual retreat/conference and general meeting of members of the Association of Chief Audit Executives of Banks in Nigeria (ACAEBIN) held at Park Inn, Abeokuta in Ogun State on Thursday. According to Obasanjo, the country would experience more division if it does not begin to partner with other countries to develop other sectors of the economy. “When we look at this country today, even during the civil war, we were not as divided as we are now. Today, we are in danger if we don’t take partnership serious. That partnership should be within our people, Africa and the rest of the world,” he said. Obasanjo stated that until the government gets its politics right, the country will keep experiencing setback in whatever it does, just as he stressed the need to translate the growing population of the country to econ...

The Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to include omitted units in supplementary election scheduled on Saturday for Brass Constituency 1. The court presided over by Justice E. Inyang made the order in a motion ex parte filed by Preye Brodrick and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against INEC. The court ruled that INEC should conduct supplementary elections in polling units 11-16; units 1-10 and 17 to 21 of Ward 6 in Brass Constituency 1 of the state on March 23 or any other day determined by the defendant (INEC). On grounds for the application, the plaintiff had told the court that elections did not hold in the affected units in line with the guidelines of INEC. The plaintiff said: “Elections did not hold in units 1-10 and units 17-21 of Ward 6 of Brass Constituency 1 in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly elections which held on March 9, 2019. “By the regulations and guidelines for the ...

The Osun State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja has declared as the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate in the 2018 governorship election in the state, Ademola Adeleke as winner. It stated the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, were not validly returned.  source:https://samueljackson12.blogspot.com/2019/03/breaking-tribunal-declares-pdps-adeleke.html

The rerun Osun governorship election on September 27, 2018 in seven polling units was illegal, The Osun State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja has declared. It stated the exercise was borne out of an illegal cancellation of results in the polling units during the September 22, 2018 original poll. The Returning Officers who declared the results cancelled, according to the Tribunal, lacked the power to do it. The Peoples Democratic Party and its governorship candidate, Ademola Adeleke, petitioned the tribunal to declare Adeleke the governor-elect having polled the highest lawful votes. source:https://samueljackson12.blogspot.com/2019/03/breaking-tribunal-declares-osun-gov-re.html

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on Thursday announced the formal commencement of the first phase of the rehabilitation of the 210,000 barrels per day capacity Port Harcourt refinery. Port Harcourt refinery complex also houses the 60,000 barrels per day old refinery that was built in 1965 and the 150,000 barrels per day new refinery , inaugurated in 1989. The Group Managing Director, NNPC , Maikanti Baru , flagged – off the formal commencement of the rehabilitation work on the facility at the premises of the refinery in Port Harcourt on Thursday, 19 years after the last Turn Around Maintenance exercise of the nation’s premier refining plant. NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ndu Ughamadu , in a statement issued in Abuja, said the project would be executed by Milan-based Maire Tecnimont S. p. A , in collaboration with its Nigerian affiliate , Tecnimont Nigeria. NNPC said Maire Tecnimont S. p. A is listed on Milan Stock Exchange with interes...

Football Photo:Pixabay Last week I attended the Integral European Football Week in Ijebu Ode where more than 300 young men between the ages of 13 – 18 from 16 teams worked hard to impress European scouts in hopes of landing a trial. There were several striking performances with some stand-out talents in the teams on parade at the Dipo Dina International Stadium. The young men played out their hearts and provided proof that indeed there exists a great production line of young footballers that could power a football industry in this country. The irony was that, despite having been selected from across the country, none of the teams was a feeder club for the leading Nigeria Professional Football League club sides. They were largely independent clubs owned by enthusiast coaches and entrepreneurs who understand the business secret of getting young talents to play in European leagues and the financial rewards that it brings. The truth is many of the best young players in Nigeria will...

Members of Accord Women and Youth Initiative for Good Governance (AWYIGG) protesting against alleged refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow Atiku Abubakar and PDP to access electoral materials and militarisation of polling units in Rivers, Kogi, Bauchi and other states, at the INEC headquarters in Abuja …yesterday. PHOTO: NAN • IGP deploys AIGs, CPs to ensure security in states • INEC vacates court orders on Bauchi, Adamawa polls • Releases timeline for conclusion of Rivers State’s exercise The United States of America has cautioned all political stakeholders to play according to the rule in tomorrow’s supplementary elections. It urged them to work towards credible and peaceful supplementary elections, even as it expressed disappointment over cases of violence, interference by security forces, intimidation and vote buying during the presidential and governorship elections. In a statement yesterday, the U.S. Embassy maintained that it does ...

Photo by Florian PLAUCHEUR / AFP Nigeria may have recorded a surplus of $2.8 million in its balance of payment (BoP) in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2018, but the net inflow of money into the nation’s economy is a reflection of fragility, and oil and gas transactions’ dominance, a research by FSDH Merchant Bank Limited has noted. The development, which clearly shows that the economy is not only vulnerable to movements in the oil and gas market, but remain hugely dependent on it despite claims of diversification, is also exposed to other external shocks associated with oil earnings, like exchange rates and reserves’ accretion. Besides, the weak BoP position buttresses ongoing calls for urgency in creating multiple sources of revenue and foreign exchange earnings for Nigeria. A country’s BoP, just like the financial accounts of individuals and businesses, could be in a surplus or in deficit, but with surplus, it means that the country receives more money from other countries tha...

[FILE] Senate Towards his second and final four-year term in office, Maureen Chigbo and I interviewed Dr Chimaroke Nnamani, governor of Enugu State, for Newswatch magazine in 2007. As we were about to round up the very interesting conversation with the proudly articulate foetal surgeon, I asked him what his immediate political plans were. Was he heading for the senate? “No!”, he said with some emphasis as if I had asked a stupid question. “How could I? I have made at least three senators. I have made a senate president.” I had a feeling he believed that the upper legislative house of the national assembly was clearly beneath him. He thought I should have known that and not expected him to give a thought to becoming a senator. But a few months later after he completed his term, Nnamani answered his own question. He became a senator and served one term from 2007 to 2011. I have not seen him since our interview and would not know what had changed and why his excellency, the kingma...

In this file photo taken on February 24, 2019 Emilia Clarke arrives for the 91st Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. Mark RALSTON / AFP “Game of Thrones” star Emilia Clarke suffered two nearly fatal brain aneurysms in the early years of filming the hit series, she said in an essay published Thursday. The British actress — who plays Daenerys Targaryen on the blockbuster show about to enter its final season — wrote that the first aneurysm rupture struck while she was at the gym in February 2011, just after filming the first season. “At some level, I knew what was happening: my brain was damaged,” the 32-year-old wrote in The New Yorker magazine in her piece entitled “A Battle For My Life.” “For a few moments, I tried to will away the pain and the nausea,” she continued. “To keep my memory alive, I tried to recall, among other things, some lines from ‘Game of Thrones.'” Clarke was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with a subarachnoid hem...

source;https://samueljackson12.blogspot.com/2019/03/wackawikee-mcs-eedris-abdulkareem.html

3 schoolgirls in Burundi risk being jailed for five years for scribbling on President Pierre Nkurunziza’s photo in their textbooks, says campaign group Human Rights Watch (HRW). HRW said the three were arrested last week and are awaiting trial after being charged on Monday with insulting the Burundi head of state. Last week, Burundi authorities arrested seven school children. Four of them, including a 13-year-old, were freed immediately. The remaining three, all under the age of 18, spent the weekend in prison and could face up to 5 years behind bars. HRW director for Central Africa Lewis Mudge said the father of one of the girls said on Saturday they were "too scared to eat". Mr Mudge added: "With so many real crimes being committed in Burundi, it’s tragic that children are the ones being prosecuted for harmless scribbles. Authorities should focus on holding perpetrators of serious rights violations to account instead of jailing school children for doodles....

The United Nations International Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) says over 3.6 million people lack access to potable water, sanitation and hygiene services in Nigeria. UNICEF’s Representative in the country, Mr Mohamed Fall, made this known on Friday in a statement to commemorate World Water Day scheduled for March 22 with the 2019 theme: “Living no one behind”. Fall identified 1.1 million as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as a result of violence and conflict, noting that many of them are out-of-reach in remote areas still impacted by conflict. “About 800,000 people are in hard-to-reach areas and 79 per cent of these are children and women. “In Nigeria, conflict has created huge challenges for people living in the Northeast of the country, where violence has affected their ability to access water and sanitation, leading to diseases such as cholera. “In the North-east 5,365 people were affected by cholera, with 61 dying in 2017, while 12,643 people were affected in...

The United States has expressed disappointment over the irregularities, including reports of military interference, in the 2019 general election. In a statement, yesterday,  the US embassy expressed sadness over the loss of lives during the elections and urged all stakeholders to work towards ensuring fair and credible supplementary elections. The US congratulated Nigerian’s commitment to the electoral process, saying it would continue to follow the ongoing polls closely. embassy The embassy also reiterated its support for a democratic process where the will of the Nigerian people is reflected in the results. It said: “The US once again congratulates the Nigerian people’s commitment to the democratic process throughout the election season. “The US supports a democratic process where the will of the Nigerian people is reflected in the results. As long-time friends of Nigeria, we continue to follow closely the ongoing elections. We do not have a preferred party or candi...

Thousands of people have mourned victims of the Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 crash, as 17 empty caskets draped in the national flag were accompanied through the streets of the capital, Addis Ababa, amid emotional scenes. Relatives, friends, and colleagues of the 157 people killed when the plane crashed on 10 March lit candles and held prayers during the service. The identification of some remains of crash victims could take weeks or months, according to experts Airline CEO reveals what pilot reported before crash source: https://samueljackson12.blogspot.com/2019/03/mass-funeral-service-held-for-ethiopian.html

•Resumes collation in Rivers April 2, to declare final results between April 13, 15 •FG orders closure of land borders in Adamawa, Benue, Sokoto •Army, Police vow to deal with trouble makers •INEC up to mischief, says APC; No need for Bauchi make-up polls — PDP •IGP deploys 5 DIGs, 3 AIGs, 15 CPs — Pg 4 By Kingsley Omonobi, Clifford Ndujihe, Ikechukwu Nnochiri, Peter Duru,Joseph Erunke, Omeiza Ajayi, Dirisu Yakubu, Davies Iheamnachor, Umaru Yusuf, Abdulmumin Murtala ABUJA —Against the background of judicial intrigues by political interest groups, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday opened up on its plans to hold supplementary governorship and legislative elections in 18 states tomorrow where the polls had been declared inconclusive. A voter casts his ballot at a polling station in a IDP camp in Maiduguri on February 23, 2019 as Nigerians began voting for a new president after a week-long delay that has raised political tempers, sparked conspi...

file photo of the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau. The Federal Government has ordered the closure of the land borders in states where supplementary elections will be held on Saturday, March 23, 2019. A statement from the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr Muhammad Babandede, confirmed the order for the closure of the land borders of Adamawa, Benue and Sokoto states, from the Minister of Interior. The closure will be effective from 12 noon on Friday, March 22 to 12 noon on Sunday, March 24, 2019. However, the statement does not include the closure of the borders of Bauchi, Plateau and Kano states. According to the Interior Minister, Abdulrahman Dambazau the development is to restrict movements across the borders of the affected states during the Election Day. Source:https://samueljackson12.blogspot.com/2019/03/supplementary-elections-fg-closes.html

Everything you need to live well For anyone who pays attention to the Nigerian music scene and its intricacies, it would be hard to deny the obvious animosity between Tuface and Blackface. And although most people have already subconsciously chosen sides and rated Tuface as a family man and veteran, who deserves all the accolades while dismissing Blackface as a bitter hater who’s just mad because he didn’t make it as big, this is not the entire truth. Theirs is the story of a defunct group gone sour. Sadly and if you are waiting for a happy ending, you may have to click another story. Let’s go back in time to 1996. Two young men have just arrived at the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu. One of them, a 21-year-old Innocent Idibia met Ahmedu Augustine Obiabo. If it was fate that made them become close or the fact that they are from the same state, we would never know. By 1998, the both of them became nationally famous after they featured in the rave of the moment ...

By Azu Ishiekwene I DON’T know why a few  state governors are running around, dragging President Muhammadu Buhari by the hem of his agbada to save them from the misery of inconclusive election in their states. Their conduct reminds me of the days when lazy neighbourhood kids used to run home to Big Daddy to save them from the street bully. The only difference is that these governors created their own bullies for four years and entrapped themselves in their own catastrophic failures. Big Daddy won’t save them now: they have to fight for their own lives. Aisha Buhari voting at the Governorship and State Assembly Elections at Kofar Baru Polling Unit 003 in Daura Katsina State on 9th Mar 2019 Take the Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, for example. If any prominent politician in the state was expected to have a reelection problem, it was supposed be Speaker Yakubu Dogara. With the elections less than six months away, Dogara cast his lot with Senate President Bukola S...

The Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Environmet, Mrs Ibukun Odusote says future looks very gloomy for Nigerian forests due to the over-exploitation of economic trees and other vital forests resources. cannabis plant Mrs. Odusote Stated this in Abuja today, on the occasion of the “2019 International Day of Forests.” She noted that this year’s celebration – “Forests and Education” as well as its slogan “Learn to Love our Forests” clearly re-inforces the need to educate ourselves on the importance of the forests and learn how to appreciate and use them for our benefits as well the benefits of the unborn generation. “In line with the theme, the choice of this venue ( Cyprian Ekwensi Centre For Arts and Culture, Abuja) named after one of Nigeria’s renowned lovers of arts and culture further creates an opportunity for us to re-learn about our National Flower, the Yellow Trumpet (Costus spectabilis). “Of all our national treasures, I dare say that this is the most un...

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the supplementary elections on Saturday, March 23, will take place in 18 states. This was contained in a document released by INEC on Thursday. It showed supplementary governorship polls will hold in five states; including Bauchi (14 LGAs), Benue (22 LGAs), Plateau (9 LGAs) Kano (29 LGAs) and Sokoto (22 LGAs) It said although an Adamawa State High Court directed the suspension of supplementary election in the state, the exercise will hold for two constituencies for the house of assembly election. “Supplementary election will also hold in Uba/Gaya State Constituency in Hong LGA. In Bauchi State, supplementary elections will hold in Kirfi State Constituency of Kirfi LGA,” the document read. The commission said supplementary election for state constituencies will hold in 18 states. Below is the list of states, affected LGAs and number of registered voters there: Bauchi (one LGA, 1,111 voters) Bayels...