nigeria news lead

September 7, 2013 In the last 20 years, I’ve spent an hour daily reading dictionaries –Obahiagbon     Patrick Obahiagbon Patrick Obahiagbon, the Chief of Staff to the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, in this interview with GBENRO ADEOYE, talks about his controversial way of speaking and why he chooses to speak that way What is your educational background I am by the grace of the celestial choir, a legal practitioner, a public administrator, an international historian and a diplomat. I earned a degree in Law and was called to the Nigerian Bar as a solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria about 25 years ago and I do also have a double-barreled Master’s degree in Public Administration and in International History and Diplomacy. Why do you always speak ‘big grammar’? I am not really consensus ad idem with those who opine that my idiolect is advertently obfuscative. No no no, it’s just that I am in my elements when the colloquy ha...

September 7, 2013 PDP crisis: Drama as Obasanjo’s peace move fails LEFT: L-R: Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chairman PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, after the reconciliatory meeting with the Pdp factions, in Abuja... on Friday   The peace move by elders of the Peoples Democratic Party, led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo aimed at restoring peace in the troubled party may have failed. Obasanjo and other senior members of the party met with its two factions at Hilton Hotel, Abuja on Friday to discuss how to settle the differences among the warring factions. But both parties insisted that their conditions for peace must be satisfied before the party could move forward. However, there was a mild drama before the commencement of the meeting as both the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, and his counterpart in Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, told a lady believed to be one of Obasanjo’s children that Dr. Bamanga Tukur, w...

September 4, 2013 In Bamboo Village, whale feast goes on Some people cutting the whale from the head region. Inset: Some others, also cutting their share. Residents of Bamboo Village, the beach side community where a dead whale was spotted last Wednesday, are still bubbling with the feast that the incident inspired, SAMUEL AWOYINFA writes When Yoruba elders note in a proverb that the death of an elephant always leads to a display of assorted knives, they could have as well said the same thing about the death of a whale. After all, at 150,000 kg the whale is described as the biggest mammal on earth and can be 10 times bigger than an elephant, which weighs 7,000kg at full maturity. Indeed, many residents of Bamboo Village and other neighbourhoods around Alpha Beach in Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State proved this point on Wednesday when the ocean dumped a dead whale on the coastline.  From all the cardinal points of the area and beyond, the...

September 4, 2013 JTF destroys two illegal refineries Illegal refinery destroyed by JTF in Bayelsa State   Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta says it has destroyed two illegal oil refineries in Bayelsa State. Spokesman for JTF, Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu,  said troops of 5 Battalion of the outfit deployed in Sector 2 area in the Niger Delta impounded two barges laden with illegally sourced crude oil along the Kasabobo creek. Nwachukwu said the feat was achieved after a weeklong intensive anti-oil theft patrol targeted at sanitising the creeks and waterways of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa. This came even as the Bayelsa State Government  said the Governor Seriake Dickson administration would rid the state of kidnapping, pipeline vandalism and other crimes. Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Lt.Col. Bernard  Kenebai (retd.), spoke on behalf of the government in an interview on Tuesday. “In Bayelsa, t...

September 4, 2013 Why Mba’s deal fell through – Wolves   Sunday Mba Nigeria international Sunday Mba did not sign with French second division side CA Bastia because they offered him a “slave deal”. Top Warri Wolves officials told MTNFootball.com that they were forced to pull the plug on Mba’s move to Europe at the last minute after they went through a contract that they claimed was not favourable to the player. But those behind the Bastia deal have also countered quickly, saying Wolves officials were all about the cash they will make and not the player’s career. “This deal was not favourable to Mba because among other things it stipulated that should he be injured for four months, the deal will be terminated,” said top Wolves chief Amaju Pinnick, who made available to MTNFootball.com a translated copy of the contract proposed by Bastia. “The contract also put the player’s yearly salary at €100,000, which is not up to what he earns at Warri ...

September 4, 2013 INEC should deregister Tukur’s PDP – Aggrieved govs, others   PDP National Chairman, Dr Bamanga Tukur The  parallel Peoples Democratic Party led by Abubakar Baraje has said the faction of the party led by Dr. Bamanga Tukur should be deregistered by the Independent National Electoral Commission. It hinged its position on what it described as the failure of the faction to complying with Section 222(D) of the 1999 Constitution which requires a political party to notify INEC of any  alteration of its constitution. The  PUNCH learnt of this on Tuesday shortly after the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenh,  said the seven  governors who aligned with a former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar,  and others   to form the Baraje -led faction  had genuine grievances. The position of the faction known as the ‘New PDP’ is part of the  statement of claims  ...

September 4, 2013 Mikel, Moses land in Eagles camp •I missed football – Osaze   Victor Moses and Mikel Obi The preparation for the Nigeria game against Malawi on Saturday is taking a full swing with the arrival of some key players of the Super Eagles in Calabar.  Some of those who trained in Calabar on Tuesday were Chelsea midfielder, Mikel Obi; new Liverpool player Victor Moses, Efe Ambrose, Sunday Mba, Ahmed Musa and Obinna Nsofor and goalkeepers Vincent Enyeama, Austin Ejide and Chigozie Agbim. In camp also are Lazio midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi, Uche Nwofor, Godfrey Oboabona, James Okwuosa, who came in on Monday, Brown Ideye, Solomon Kwambe, Benjamin Francis and Azubuike Egwuekwue.  In all, 12 of the players trained on Tuesday evening at the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar. Coach Stephen Keshi said he was happy with the response of the players and expects a good game against Malawi on Saturday. Just as Eagles troop in, Osaze Odem...

September 4, 2013 57 reps, 20 senators back New PDP National Assembly building, Abuja   Fifty-seven out of the 204 members of the House of Representatives on the platform of the embattled Peoples Democratic Party have declared their support for the Alhaji Kawu Baraje-led New PDP . This endorsement is coming barely 24 hours after about 20 senators on the party’s platform took a similar decision. The 57 lawmakers include the son of former President Shehu Shagari, Aminu and the former Chairman, House Committee on Education, Alhaji Farouk Lawan. The statement by members of the House of Representatives was made available to newsmen in Abuja, on Tuesday. Although the statement, which was issued by Ali-Ahmed from Kwara State did not contain the federal constituency of signatories, it was evident that most of them come from the seven states where the aggrieved PDP governors hail from. The statement read, “We, the members of the House of Representa...

September 4, 2013 Nigerian Army retires 10 generals   Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika The authorities of the Nigerian Army have retired some top generals of the Army. It was gathered that those retired were ten in number. Among those affected were the former Director of Training and Operations, Defence Headquarters, Maj.-Gen. Lawrence Ngugbane, the former Commander of Training, Doctrine and Command, Maj.-Gen.  Babagana  Mungonu, and the former Chief of Research and Development, Maj.-Gen. Obinali Ariahu. A top military source said on Wednesday that the generals were retired because they had put in the maximum years in service. The source said that the retirement exercise was routine and not punitive. The source added that the retirement exercise was expected to take place every quarter of the year. The source couldn’t give the names of the others affected in the exercise. “It is true that some of our generals hav...