Voice
Presidency: Niger Delta Avengers’ threat unnecessary
File Photo The Presidency on Sunday reacted to the threat by the Niger Delta Avengers to bomb oil installations if some demands were not met by federal government, saying the recent threat of force by the Avengers is unnecessary. It, however, said it was curious that the threat was coming barely 48 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari met with the leadership of the Niger Delta and Ijaw National Congress (INC), at the State House, Abuja and the germane issues, especially call for restructuring of the federation, and the inauguration of a Board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), had been thrashed out. A release on Sunday by the Media Adviser to the President, Femi Adesina, stressed that the media was Sunday awash with threats and demands by a group, Niger Delta Avengers, to...
Rivers governor calls for workable life insurance scheme for police
Concerned about the recent spate of dastardly attacks on police officers, the Governor of Rivers State, Nyeson Ezenwo Wike, has urged the Federal government to put in place a workable life insurance scheme for all police personnel. The governor said the life insurance scheme should be considered a necessity so that when a police officer dies on duty protecting the public, his loved ones will not be financially divested afterwards. He made the suggestion when the President, Police Officers Wives Association (POWA), Hajia Hajara Alkali Baba, paid him a courtesy call at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday. Governor Wike observed that policing has become a risky occupation, and concerted effort must be made by the Federal government to ensure those police officers who risk their live...
Jeta Amata again bemoans ex-wife’s disappearance
Nollywood filmmaker, Jeta Amata, has continued to express concern concerning the whereabouts of his ex-wife, Mbong. The filmmaker took to his Instagram page on Thursday to express some worry at Mbong’s disappearance. He also uploaded screenshots of the last chat conversation he had with the actress before her “disappearance.” He wrote: “I wonder when you all would realize how serious this is. See my last conversation with Mbong. She has not been seen. I suspected late last year and insisted on hearing her voice. That’s when she went dark. We weren’t quarrelling before. “I invited her mother to Abuja to see Veno and she lied and came with policemen. Veno opened the door. She’s been trying to kidnap her since. When her other daughter was pregnant as a teenager, her husband drove them out. Th...
Private polytechnic owners set to clamp down on illegal operators
The National President of the Association of Private Polytechnic Founders/Rectors in Nigeria, Pastor Bassey James, has said that illegal school operators across the country would soon run out of business. He stated this in Uyo while briefing newsmen as part of the activities marking the maiden matriculation of Southern Atlantic Polytechnic, scheduled for Saturday, June 26, 2021. James mentioned that a total of 300 students would partake in the maiden matriculation ceremony of the Southern Atlantic Polytechnic, even as admissions were still ongoing in the institution. According to him, the association had written to both the national and state assemblies to inform them of the ugly incident even as he had met with some of the perpetrators of the illegal business and had given them a timeline...
Senator Gyang: Nigerian government hasn’t captured Plateau in housing units resettlement
Deputy Chairman Senate Committee on Defence and Senator representing Plateau North, Istifanus Gyang, said Federal Government is yet to consider Plateau State on the 500 housing units constructing for for destroyed communities in North East due to Insecurity. He appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari in the spirit of fairness and Justice to come to the aid of Plateau communities, particularly destroyed communities in Barkin-Ladi, Riyom, Bassa and other villages in Plateau North. Sen. Gyang disclosed this on Monday during an interaction with Journalists at his constituency office, tagged, “The People’s Parliament” lamented over the the deteriorating security situation in the country. “I have being crying out for Federal Government to include Plateau State in the 500 housing units being build...
Unknown writers threaten Delta with mayhem for banning open grazing
A group of unidentified persons on Sunday threatened to attack Asaba and Agbor in Delta State should Governor Ifeanyi Okowa fail to withdraw his support for the ban on open grazing within 72 hours. An unsigned letter containing the threat was pasted at strategic locations in Asaba, including the fence of the Living Faith Church, aka Winners Chapel along Infant Jesus road. The letter, titled, ‘Fulani jihadist warning: An open message to Delta State,’ was dated June 13, 2021. It read, “This is to inform Delta State that the Fulani of Usman Dan Fodio leadership shall do everything it can to uphold the legacy of our heritage of open grazing; for we are nomadic people from origination and shall never negotiate the ownership of Nigeria, West Africa and Sub-Sahara. “We hereby demand the Governor ...
Rivals say Boko Haram chief dead as jihadists battle for control
When Nigeria’s military claimed Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau had been badly wounded in an air strike 2016, the jihadist chief soon appeared in a video to deny another of the many reports of his impending death. Over the weekend, it was an audio from a rival jihadist group finally claiming Shekau had died, detonating explosives to kill himself rather than surrender after a raid on his forest stronghold by his Islamic State-allied enemies. The Boko Haram warlord’s death marks a major shift in Nigeria’s conflict, potentially allowing ISIS jihadists to consolidate and further challenge an already stretched army in their long war. In the audio obtained by AFP, a voice apparently of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander Abu Musab Al-Barnawi confirmed Shekau killed himself whi...
ISWAP confirms Boko Haram leader’s death
TIME The Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) militant group said in an audio recording heard by Reuters on Sunday that Abubakar Shekau, leader of rival Nigerian militant Islamist group Boko Haram, was dead. Shekau died around May 18 after detonating an explosive device when he was pursued by ISWAP fighters following a battle, a person purporting to be ISWAP leader Abu Musab al-Barnawi said on the audio recording. “Abubakar Shekau, God has judged him by sending him to heaven,” he can be heard saying. Two people familiar with al-Barnawi told Reuters the voice on the recording was that of the ISWAP leader. A Nigerian intelligence report shared by a government official and Boko Haram researchers have also said Shekau is dead. Last month, Nigeria’s military said it was investigating She...
Rivers governor: Why I shun building more state universities
Governor Nyesom Wike on Monday said he was apathetic to establishment of more Rivers State owned universities because of the enormous challenge of adequately funding such institutions to effectively meet set development objects. Wike at the flag off of Emohua Campus of the Rivers State University (RSU) in Emohua Local Government Area said he was rather concerned about committing more funds to state’s existing varsities so they can offer needed holistic grooming for requisite man power for the country. However, a dissenting voice, Enefaa Georgewill of Rivers State Civil Society Organisation (RIVSCO) accused Wike of “expressing hypocrisy” in his disposition on ground that RSU multi campuses the state has embarked on under Wike amounted to building more varsities in disguise. Wike had stated,...
Southern speakers support governors’ ban on open grazing, restructuring, others
File Photo Speakers of Southern States Legislatures, weekend, threw their weight the Southern Governors resolutions, banning open grazing of cattle, call for national dialogue, restructuring of the country and respect for Federal Character. The Speakers in a statement, commended the Southern Governors for coming together to speak with one voice, saying the resolutions of the Southern Governors were pathways to resolving the problems facing the country. The Speakers, said: “We the Speakers of State Legislatures in Southern Nigeria commend the Governors of the Southern States for their patriotism and firm belief in the unity of the country. “We salute the Governors for their initiative and restate our support for the positions of the Governors. We wish to state unequivocally that the issues ...
U.S. envoy wants pope to attend climate conference, sway debate
Pope Francis has the moral authority to sway public opinion over global warming and might attend the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Scotland, U.S. President Joe Biden’s climate envoy John Kerry said on Saturday. COP26 is being held in Glasgow in November and could accelerate measures by the world’s biggest polluters to tackle climate change, a challenge which activists, scientists and world leaders say could ultimately endanger the planet. “I think that his voice will be a very important voice leading up to and through the Glasgow conference, which I believe he intends to attend,” Kerry told the official Vatican News outlet after meeting the pope. There was no immediate confirmation of this from the Vatican. “Because he is above politics and outside of the hurly-burly...
De-registration: Supreme Court judgement binding only on NUP – CUPP
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has insisted that the recent Supreme Court judgement affirming the de-registration of 74 political parties is only binding on the National Unity Party (NUP). CUPP maintained that the judgment does not, in any way, bind on the 22 political parties which got victory at the Court of Appeal as they are not parties before the Supreme Court in NUP’s case and their prayers before the courts are also different. On August 10, 2020, the Court of Appeal in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/507/2020, between Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD) & 21 others, and Attorney General of the Federation & INEC ruled that the de-registration of the 22 political parties was unconstitutional and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to relist the...
