Rowland Nike

Niger Delta militants have renewed their threat to blow up more oil facilities in the region if the Federal Government do not drop the charges against a former militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has since declared Tompolo wanted in February over an alleged N45.9bn fraud and charged him to court in absentia. The leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Democratic Front, General Playboy, yesterday warned the Federal Government to leave Tompolo and any indigene from the oil-rich region alone. The militant leader condemned the raid of   Gbaramatu Kingdom by soldiers and said government must apologise to Tompolo over the death of his (Tompolo) father . He said, “You (Federal Government) are coming to Gbaramatu Kingdom in search of militants; how many communities in the North-East have you raided in search of Boko Haram? “We have said it before now that we will not stop bombing until the Federal G...

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, under the leadership of Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has said that Nigerians are begging former President Goodluck Jonathan to come back to power. It said this in its congratulatory message on the 59 birthday of the former President. Spokesperson for the Makarfi-led national caretaker committee of the party, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, in a statement on Sunday, said that Jonathan’s legacies and achievements in academia, politics, governance and social life remain indelible and worthy of emulation by well-meaning people. He said, “You are a shining light during and after office as one of the Heads of State in Nigeria and Africa in general who willingly conceded power to the opposition in the interest of peace and democracy. “In less than two years of leaving office, Nigerians are yearning and crying for your return especially as your successor who won the 2015 presidential election on the altar of propaganda and lies against your administration has...

Nigerian Youth Entrepreneurship Forum for National Development (NYEFOND), has accused Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun of dragging the economy of the country backward. A statement signed by the group’s secretary-general, Victor Nse, said the recent actions of the minister were reasons Nigeria’s economy is still in comatose. The statement reads in full: “We have watched with dismay as the minister has tried, albeit in vain, to bring the current administration into disrepute, through her actions; most times, without even knowing it and, other times, so brazenly that it is difficult to know if she is intent on bringing down the government’s efforts or bent on seeing the government’s policies work. “The minister has displayed great incompetence in handling the Nigerian economy, owing to her poor understanding of how things really work. “So far, the minister has refused to heed the presidential directive to take action against directors in the ministry who were indicted in t...

The Presidency has lamented that the Niger Delta militant groups have refused to come for dialogue towards finding peaceful panacea to the crisis in rocking the oil-rich region Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said this in an interview on a Kano-based radio station, Express Radio. According to him, “Despite the government’s demonstration of goodwill by bringing stakeholders to the roundtable, militant groups have continued to blow up national economic assets.” Shehu urged the Niger Delta leaders to facilitate the stoppage of violence and economic sabotage in the area. “We must keep national interest above all else and give priority to eschewing violence and destruction,” he said. Speaking further, Shehu noted that the Federal Government was facilitating development by speeding up ongoing projects and investing in construction and repair of highways, railways and electricity plants. “Kano-Katsina dual highway was awarded...

Efforts by the Senate leadership led by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to avert the one week warning strike already embarked on by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Wednesday met a brick wall, as the academics failed to shift ground. Briefing National Assembly Correspondents shortly after a closed door meeting with the Senate leadership, the President of ASUU, Biodun Ogunyemi confirmed that the union has not called off the strike; saying they will meet with their members before any decision can be arrived at. However, he said that ASUU was ready to work with the senate and the   federal government,  in line with the mandate of the members of the union to resolve the strike, adding that ASUU does not enjoy embarking on strike except they are pushed to the wall. He stressed that despite short notice, the union leaders attended the meeting, which he said indicates the level of their determination to resolve the incessant strikes by the union ...

The Edo State House of Assembly has amended the bill for a Law for Pension Rights of the Governor and Deputy Governor. With the amendment, the immediate past governor, Adams Oshiomhole, and his former deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu, will get some mouthwatering benefits. The House approved the provision of residential buildings worth N200m and N100m for the governor and his deputy. The bill also provided that the buildings could be sited in any location of their choice. While passing the bill on Wednesday, the lawmakers suspended relevant sections of its rule. The Speaker, Dr. Justin Okonoboh, directed the clerk of the House to accord the bill a third reading and send copies to the Office of the Governor. Recall  that the House last week approved a downward review of the state’s 2016 budget. Oshiomhole, had before leaving office, written to the lawmakers urging it to approve the reduction of the budget from N116.64 billion as passed in February to N115.91billion.

Former Aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, on Tuesday alleged that the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, has done more damage to the President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-graft war by persecuting innocent people. In a statement by his Media Aide, Jude Ndukwe, the former spokesperson of the ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidential campaign, said Magu’s brutal and unlawful ways has created more enemies for the Buhari-led government. The statement reads in part, “The behaviour of the EFCC and their gestapo-like tactics does not surprise us because the hatred and pure venom that the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, harbours for Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, his family and indeed any member of the opposition that speaks out openly against the government is self-evident and legendary. “The truth is that Magu and his brutal and unlawful ways has created more enemies for the government and has thwarted and done greater damage to th...