nigeria news lead

Boko Haram Wreak Havoc In Adamawa, as there is no single soldier in Michika (ABUJA) Latest reports from Michika local government area of Adamawa state, northern Nigeria, informed that no fewer than 500 houses have been destroyed in Kubi and Watu villages by Boko Haram insurgents. According to Vanguard report, the dreaded Islamist militants are in full control of Michika and Madagali local governments of Adamawa state. It was gathered from residents in both villages that the absence of Military personnel in Michika and its environs has completely dampened the hope of the people that the insurgents will be wiped out soonest. “Since the complete take-over of Michika and Madagali by the insurgents on the 7th of September 2014, no single soldier is noticed in Michika Community. “The only thing we hear is Jet fighters that came from Yola to drop bombs and go back. Our people are in the state of complete helplessness . Government seems not to be coming to our aids as the ins...

Tinubu calls for ‘common sense’ revolution over PDP’s misrule (LAGOS) Former Governor of Lagos State and leader of the All Progressives’ Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has said there is a need for the country to undergo a “common sense” revolution, stressing that the many years of misrule by successive Peoples Democratic Party presidents had continued to sink the country further into crisis. Tinubu, made this known on Monday in a statement titled ‘A Return to Decency,’ where he described the 16 years of PDP rule at the federal level as a period of steady decline into disaster. According to him, “the longer they rule, the less benefit the people derive. Nigeria now needs a ‘common sense revolution,’ a revolution that calls forth a return to decency, probity, transparency of process and fairness in outcome. “This is done not by subterfuge, divide and rule and turning Nigeria in a field of discord or a street of broken institutions. It is accomplished by honouring the princi...

Life salary for Akinkunmi, national flag designer •Jonathan also honours taxi driver, traffic warden, State House cook  At last, honour has come the way of Pa Michael Akinkunmi, the designer of the national flag. President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday ordered the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, to place him on the salary of a Special Assistant to the President for life.He also announced house gifts for a taxi driver, Mr. Imeh Usuah; a traffic warden Corporal Solomon Dauda; and a steward, Mr. Onuh Isaac. The President gave the order at the 2014 National Honours Award investiture held at the Internatinoal Conference Centre, Abuja. The gesture was in addition to Akinkunmi’s national honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic. The gifts were besides their national awards of Member of the  Order of the Niger (MON). The President also directed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Muha...

Igbo must rule Nigeria after Jonathan – Ohanaeze … As South-East govs, others shun Igbo Day  Apex Igbo organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo yesterday vowed that the South East would produce the next leader of the country after President Gooodluck Jonathan’s second term. Ohanaeze’s position came just as governors of the South-East geo-political zone and other prominent sons and daughters of Igbo land both in government and private business shunned the Igbo Day 2014 celebration in Awka, Anambra State. President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Gary Enwo-Igariwey, who made the pronouncement at the Igbo Day 2014 celebration held at Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, said an Igbo succeeding Jonathan was the only way to ensure equity and justice in the country. He said: “My fellow Ndigbo, there is no social order without a political process. We reiterate that for equity and justice, Ndigbo will seek the office of president of this country at the expiration of the tenure of President Goo...

Anambra signs MoU with Ekcel Farm for tomato, cassava production Anambra State Government yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an indigenous organisation, Ekcel Frams Limited, for the production of tomato and cassava. It was gathered that the undertaking would provide no fewer than 5,300 jobs in the first phase of its take off. This development came on the heels of similar understanding between the state government and Joseph’s Farms on September 18, 2014 for rice production under the watch of Chief Willie Obiano. Governor Obiano signed on behalf of the state government while oil magnate, Sir Emeka Okwuosa, chairman of Oil Serve Group, signed for Ekcel Farms, in Government House, Awka. The signing ceremony was witnessed by some of the state commissioners including the former managing director of The Sun Publishing Limited, Mr. Tony Oyima, who is the Commissioner for Information, among others. Also present were representatives of African Development Ba...

Yakubu Tsala defects to PDP A prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Adamawa State, Yakubu Tsala, yesterday decamped to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as part of the fallout of the gubernatorial race between the two major political parties in the state. Tsala, a staunch member of the APC, and a foundation member of the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM), who announced his defection to journalists, disclosed that the development is to retrace his steps to the PDP, of which he was a foundation member. According to him, based on the PDP guidelines for defection, he said he has reaffirmed his membership of the PDP at his Futu ward in Michika Local Government of the State. A grassroots mobilizer and allay of the former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, said that he has also decamped with a number of his supporters and political associates in order to contribute to the success of the PDP at the state and at the national levels. The former Executive S...

PDP not taking chances Former Deputy Senate leader and stalwart of People’s Democratic party (PDP) Senatorial Jonathan Silas Zwingina has declared that the involvement of the campaign train of the eleven governorship aspirants is an indication of the seriousness of the PDP. Zwingina, who is also the chairman of Fintiri campaign organization, told Daily Sun that the PDP is a serious minded party that is desirous of removing the state from the doldrum of underdevelopment as perpetrated by Nyako led administration. He stated that as patriotic and selfless individuals, the eleven aspirants have elected to allow the Acting Governor Alhaji Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to end the tenure of the impeached Governor Nyako because of his transparent leadership style. The former Deputy Senate leader said within two months, Fintiri has effected changes in the administrative and political landscape of the country, by not allowing business a unusual. According to Zwingina, Fintiri has endeared h...

Tuesday, September 30, 2014 Lagos ready to fund research on Ebola … As Fashola challenges Iwu, others   Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, yesterday, said the state government is prepared to provide funds required to carry out research that can lead to finding cure for the deadly Ebola virus disease (EVD).Speaking during the disbursement of grants to 31 beneficiaries whose research proposals had been approved by the Lagos State Research and Development Council, the governor specifically challenged Prof. Maurice Iwu to come up with a lucid proposal on his Bitter Kola theory, saying the state government would be willing to sponsor it. Fashola also challenged scholars and researchers in the country to move beyond title earning to contributing meaningfully to the development of the country through their researches. He said professors, Phd holders and other scholars were respected not because of the finery of their titles but because of their intellig...

Tuesday, September 30, 2014 Lagos ready to fund research on Ebola … As Fashola challenges Iwu, others   Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, yesterday, said the state government is prepared to provide funds required to carry out research that can lead to finding cure for the deadly Ebola virus disease (EVD).Speaking during the disbursement of grants to 31 beneficiaries whose research proposals had been approved by the Lagos State Research and Development Council, the governor specifically challenged Prof. Maurice Iwu to come up with a lucid proposal on his Bitter Kola theory, saying the state government would be willing to sponsor it. Fashola also challenged scholars and researchers in the country to move beyond title earning to contributing meaningfully to the development of the country through their researches. He said professors, Phd holders and other scholars were respected not because of the finery of their titles but because of their intellig...

Dickson applauds Ondo community over Ijaw tradition The people of Arogbo Kingdom in Ondo State have been commended for observing the traditional and cultural practices of the Ijaw people. Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State made the commendation when he visited the regent and Tarabiri of Arogbo Kingdom, Chief Amos Sofiyea, at his palace in Arogbo town, Ondo State, during the 2014 edition of the annual Arogbo Day celebration. The governor, who noted with dismay, the absence of a bridge linking Arogbo town with the mainland community of Agadagba, offered to work with a committee comprising  sons and daughters of the kingdom and other prominent personalities that would liase with relevant  federal agencies to actualise the project. He assured also that efforts would be made to present other development challenges of the area to the appropriate quarters for action. Dickson thanked the regent and the people of the kingdom for the warm reception and the tradition...

Disquiet in Bayelsa West over moves to drop National Assembly members Uneasy calm reigns in Bayelsa West Senatorial District over attempts by some political leaders to zone the National Assembly seats in the area. This is even as the political stakeholders in the senatorial district have endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 presidential election and Governor Henry Seriake Dickson for the 2016 governorship election in the state. Checks indicated that some political leaders in the area were hell-bent on stopping Senator Heineken Lokpobiri  (Bayelsa West Senatorial District) and Dr. Stella Dorgu representing ( Sagbama/ Ekeremor Federal Constituency) who replaced Dickson after his election as governor of the state in 2012. The pioneer chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Charles Dorgu had, during a rally yesterday in Sagbama to endorse Jonathan and Dickson, disclosed that the political leaders in the district had decided to zone the Nati...

Tuesday, September 30, 2014 Akwa Ibom wades into airport worker’s protest …Promises ‘stomach infrastructure’  Akwa Ibom State Government has waded into the recent protest by the employees of the Akwa Ibom International Airport (AKIA), assuring the aggrieved workers of government’s commitment to their welfare.The various workers’ unions operating in the airport had last week, called out their members to protest alleged  government’s refusal to address their employment status and cash entitlements. But addressing the protesting workers through their different unions at the weekend, the state’s Head of Civil Service (HCS), Mrs. Cecilia Udoessien, assured them of government’s commitment towards maintaining a unified workforce that would effectively implement government’s policies and programmes. Udoessien said she intervened on the directive of Governor Godswill Akpabio that immediate steps be taken to address the grievances of the airport workers. She said an in...

Tuesday, September 30, 2014 APC repositions in Etsako Central The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Etsako Central Local Government Council Area of Edo State has been repositioned and put on winning ways in preparation for the forthcoming general elections. This was announced at the weekend, by the leader of the party in the local government, Chief Brai Aloye, after all-stakeholders meeting held in Fugar, the administrative headquarters of the local government. The meeting was attended by leaders, elders, elected and appointed political office holders of the APC in the area, including Chief M.Z. Naboya, leader of South Uneme; Alhaji Waziri Oshomah, leader of Ekperi; retired Commissioner of Police, Jacob Oshiomogho, leader of Avhianwu; House member, Johnson Oghuma, Council Chairman, Emmanuel Ozimede Momoh and Chairman of SUBEB, Chief Steve Alao. Chief Aloye noted that with the resolve of the various interest groups to embrace peace and work together for the good of the part...

3 die, 30 injured as tanker explodes in Anambra yesterday when a gas laden tanker reportedly had a brake failure on Nkpor Bridge in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State and hit the protector pillars before bursting into flame. It was gathered that the ill-fated tanker emptied its liquid content in the market, which led to escalation of the fire in Nkpor Market and resulted in more casualties. Over 30 people, mostly market women, sustained degrees of injuries, while livestock, tubers of yam, clothes and other food items estimated at millions of naira were burnt. About five vehicles were also destroyed by the inferno, which men of the fire service battled to put out without success. Traffic was subsequently diverted to the Enugu/ Onitsha Expressway, where the incident occurred. Confirming the incident, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Ogidi Police Division, Mr. H. Musa said the incident occurred at about 4p.m., adding that his men ...